Persona 5: A Second Royal Start Chapter 16: Rising Tensions, a persona series fanfic

Chapter 16: Rising Tensions

July 2nd, 2016

"I wasn't expecting to be eating at a café like this today. And especially not by your invitation, Akechi." Ren comments, looking at the slice of cake before him. On the other side, Akechi chuckles to himself with his own slice.

"Well, I had some free time, and I thought it would be a good time to relax. That, and the cake here is supposedly delicious, so I have been dying to try it out myself." He readily admits, taking a slice of his cake.

"Got a sweet tooth, huh?" Ren jokes, taking his own bite.

"Well, it's not like I hate them, but I'm not the biggest fan of them either." Ren mocks a wince at Akechi's comments, promoting a curious look from the detective.

"Ouf… If Ann heard you saying that, she would be fuming." Ren casually remarks.

"I take it she is a fan of sweets?"

"A fan? Try a 'slut'." Ren's comment actually managed to earn a chuckle out of Akechi, giving Ren a chance to glance at his arm. It had seemingly healed to the point he no longer needed the cast, but a faint bruise was still prevalent on his wrist. Not enough for someone to notice at a glance, but noticeable if one was looking for it.

The two continue to eat the cake they were given, noting just how delicious it was. Ren mentally told himself to bring the others here when they had the chance. And judging by the smile on Akechi's face, he seemed to be of similar thought.

"Hey, look! Isn't that him?" An onlooker suddenly says, drawing both Ren and Akechi's attention. The Ace Detective winces as people suddenly start recognising him as whispers begin to spread.

"Look's like I'm out of time. I wish I could have relaxed a little longer." Akechi moans, hand reaching for his suitcase. Not noting the hint of mischief in Ren's eyes as Joker comes out to play.

"Hold on, I have an idea." Ren says, taking his fake glasses off. Akechi stares in puzzlement before Ren puts his glasses on Akechi and ruffles his hair a bit, leaving the detective even more confused as Ren sits back down.

Suddenly, the whispers around him changed as people who had looked away to chat turned back to see in their eyes someone else entirely. Soon, the forming crowd disperses, leaving the two alone as Akechi hands Ren back his glasses.

"…I can't believe you actually did that." He lampshades, fixing his hair.

"Hey. It worked, didn't it?" Ren asks, putting the glasses back on.

"I suppose it did. Although, that leads me to ask why you are wearing fake glasses anyway." Ren sighs, folding his arms as he looks away, the glint of the glasses hiding his eyes.

"I'm sure you already know about my 'record'. These glasses were what my 'parents' told me to were to seem 'less threatening' to others." Akechi could hear the disdain in Ren's voice as he mentioned his parents, to which he subconsciously gripped his wrist.

"I see. Truth be told, I did have a chance to look over your record. But if I can be completely honest with you, it did not make any sense." Ren glances at Akechi, keeping a poker face as he lets him speak. "A single witness, the victim not appearing at the court, the details of the night not matching the supposed 'injuries'. It all screams of a false charge to me."

"You believe so?" Ren asks, hiding any emotions away. Was this a trick by Akechi to garner support from him? Or was it genuine? At this point in time, he could not tell. Akechi was always a hard book to read.

"It is what my Detective reasoning is telling me." Akechi replies, leaning back in his chair. Before a thoughtful smile appears on his face. "Still, what you did for me was an interesting experience. There are many things that you don't know without experiencing them. Thank you for the opportunity to learn such a lesson."

Ren nods politely, seeing the third star appear over Akechi. Internally, he wondered if he should ask about Kasumi but decided against it. Maybe at some point he should ask, but now didn't feel the right time.

He and the others were still reeling from that surprise anyway.

July 7th, 2016

Kichijoji. A popular shopping destination filled with all kinds of shops, but today, there was only one particular shop that was being searched for.

"Why are we buying new glasses for you, Ren? You don't even need them." Ryuji asks as he, Ren, Makoto and Ann wander into an optician.

"What's wrong with wanting a new look? Besides, these ones are stating to get uncomfortable." Ren replies, adjusting the glasses before noting a familiar shade of red hair. "Is that Kasumi?" He questions, drawing eyes to the redhead, who was busy looking over some glasses with a furrowed brow.

"It is. Wonder what she's doing here." Ann replies, glancing at her with an inquisitive look.

"What don't we ask her?" Makoto offers, already walking over to her. "Hello, Kasumi. Fancy finding you here." Makoto's voice seemed to make her jump out of her skin as she spun around in shock. Apparently, she did not hear her walking over to her.

"Makoto-senpai? And Ren-senpai, Ryuji-senpai and Ann-senpai? What are you doing here?" She looks at the group as they converge, her shocked expression switching to a joyful one.

"Nothing much, just seeing if there are any new glasses I can switch with." Ren replies, adjusting his current fake pair. "How about you? Didn't take you as someone who wore glasses."

"Oh, I do wear glasses, but I prefer contact lenses. Makes it easy when doing gymnastics. But I'm also looking for glasses today, but not for me. It's for my dad since his birthday is coming up soon, and I want to get him a new pair." Kasumi reveals before looking around. "Honestly, I wanted Akechi to be here to help me, but he was called into an investigation before we could even start searching." She gives out a sad sigh. "Always coming up at the most annoying times."

"We can help out if you want. Ren here can act as a stand-in while we find different pairs. That way, we both win." Makoto offers. Kasumi's face seems to light up as she gleefully accepts the team's help.

An hour passes as Ren tries on an array of glasses. Some that suited him, others that didn't. One time, they even found a pair of joke glasses, complete with a moustache and pipe. It was all they could do not to laugh as Ren attempted to put on his best Sherlock Holmes act.

"Why does the shop even have those?" Ann asks between breaths while Ren places a hand on his chin, still wearing the joke glasses.

"Elementary, my dear Ann. Clearly, these are for children for parties." Ren replies in an over-the-top voice, enamouring more laughter from the others before taking the glasses off. Smirking all the way.

"All of these glasses are good, but I feel like we haven't found the right one yet." Kasumi says, finally calming down. Makoto, herself still smiling widely, spots a pair of red-framed glasses sitting nearby. She picks them up before handing them to Kasumi.

"How about these, Kasumi?" She hands them over as Kasumi turns them over and around, smiling widely at the simply red frame.

"Yes! This will do perfectly!" She exclaims happily before making her purchase. Ren making his own shortly behind her. The group of five walked out, satisfied with their purchase. "Thanks a lot for helping me. I was starting to panic in there."

"Ain't no problem, Kasumi. We were happy to help." Ryuji replies as the four elder students look at her while her face falls to the floor.

"Even so, to be honest, my anxiety was really being triggered back there. I kept on worrying about what would happen if I chose the wrong one. After cracking under pressure so many times before, I felt like I would ruin it again."

"Everyone has moments like that, Kasumi. It's only natural. Even we are no strangers to that." Ren replies with a calm voice.

"But that's why we surround ourselves with friends and family. People who we can count on and trust to help us make those right decisions." Makoto adds, pushing a strand of hair back.

"For real. Tryin' to do things by yourself won't help anyone. We know that more than anyone." Ryuji adds with a nod. Kasumi looks at her senpai with renewed awe before breaking into a cheerful smile.

"I think I'm starting to understand what my coach was talking about. Thank you again, everyone." She bows to them as Ren glances at the fourth star forming on her card. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen when it hit the fifth star. As Kasumi turned to leave, Ren and the others headed back to Leblanc for a study session.

Finals were coming up, after all.

July 11th, 2016

Ren could tell the heat wave was coming. It was approaching that time of year again, after all. But it wasn't the heat that had him frowning in worry. It was Kobayakawa. Recently, he had been seen smiling way too much, glancing at the students with calculating eyes. He had never shown such attention before, only ever focusing on the Phantom Thieves.

But something had clearly changed. Especially since he seemed all in trying to cosy up to him and the others. He even called them the Nijima-squad, for crying out loud!

"Something has definitely changed with him. Maybe we should hit up the Nav to see if he has a palace or not." Morgana quips, head poking out of the bag. Ren silently nods his head in agreement, not wanting to reply to him out in public. Before, a familiar voice echoes behind him.

"Ren-senpai. Are you by yourself today?" Kasumi asks, walking up behind him. Ren turns around to greet her, with Morgana still poking his head out of the bag. "Oh, I forgot about you, Morgana." She gives him a head pat, electing a purr out of him.

"Afternoon, Kasumi. I was just on my way back home." Ren replies before noting the joyful look on her face. "You seem to be in high spirits today."

"That I am. I have some great news to share with you and the others." Kasumi replies with a wide smile.

"Ren-kun? Yoshizawa?" Akechi's voice comes from the side as the Ace Detective joins the two. The two turn to her, with Kasumi's smile seeming to get even brighter at his appearance.

"Akechi! It's so good to see you!" She says, suddenly hugging him. Akechi, seemingly prepared for the hug, replies in kind before glancing at Ren.

"I completely forgot that you both go to the same school." Ren gives a shrug as Morgana retreats back into the bag.

"It was a shock to us when she said the two of you were childhood friends. I thought about bringing it up last time but decided not to." Akechi seemingly accepts the reason before noting Kasumi's mood.

"Well, something has certainly got you happy Kasumi."

"Of course! I was planning to tell you later, but since you're both here, I'll say it now." Kasumi takes a breath, calming herself. "There is a summer competition coming up soon, and I was chosen to be the club's representative!" Her excitement bursts forth at the end as she fails to contain her joy, with her happiness infecting the two before her.

"Congratulation Kasumi." Ren replies with a smile. "I know the others will be happy to hear this."

"Indeed. To be chosen as the club representative is no easy feat. You are more than entitled to be proud of yourself. I know I am." Akechi says with his own smile.

"Thank you both, but this still only feels like the beginning to me. But I'll do my best to make everyone proud." Kasumi seemed to radiate happiness as Akechi snapped his fingers.

"I have an idea. How about we go somewhere as a group to celebrate?" While Ren only raised an eyebrow outside, inside, he was on guard.

"Where would we go?" He asks, hiding his concern. Akechi only turns on his heels and motions for the two to follow him as he walks.

"It's nowhere special. Just a little café I wanted to visit for a while now…"

Turns out the café he had in mind was a small patisserie in a European style. More heavily leaning on the French side of things. Miel et crêpes. And while they did sell crêpes, the trio were more than happy with drinks. Ren had a cold drink while both Akechi and Kasumi went for a hot chocolate.

"This is a nice place. Not to crowded and just out of the way to feel private. You really haven't lost your touch in finding these spots, Akechi." Kasumi comments, taking a sip of her drink.

"Comes with the territory. These days, it's a miracle that I can even get time off." He replies.

"That's what fame can do to you. Me? I prefer to stay out of the spotlight personally." Ren comments. The three settled into a comfortable silence before Kasumi decided to break it.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask. How did you two meet each other?"

"It was at the school trip to the Tv Studio. We were on the set when Akechi was live on air. He ended up asking me a question and we became debating partners just after it." Ren replies, skipping over a lot of the boring stuff.

"It's just as Ren said. And I must admit, he has been a great debating friend." Akechi replies before taking a thoughtful look. "If you don't mind, but I'd like to ask you the same question that I asked Ren here."

"Huh? Well okay. What is it." Kasumi leans forward while Ren leans back.

"It's quite simple, really. What do you think of the Phantom Thieves?"

"The Phantom Thieves?" Kasumi parrots, blinking at the name. "You mean in the case they do, in fact, exist, right?"

You have two sitting right in front of you right now. Ren mentally snarks, Arsène chuckling at the back of his mind. He swore he could also hear Mercurius stifling his laughter as well, but that was probably just his imagination.

"Well, I admit that what they are doing is a great assistance to others. And that it is truly a great act, I won't deny that. But at the same time, I can't fully agree with their methods."

Ren mentally sighed, he saw this coming a mile away.

"I see. Care to explain why?"

"I suspect that, in the long run, the Phantom Thieves' existence won't be beneficial to society. Currently, in the short term, they are doing amazing at ridding us of these master criminals. But personally, I believe that if someone is faced with a problem to overcome, they should handle it by themselves. Getting help from others is completely fine and should be encouraged, but it also takes the person being affected to act themselves to bring permanent change."

If only everything was as easy as that, Kasumi… Ren mentally shakes his head.

"Granted, this completely depends on the circumstances. How severe the problem is, the person affected and so on. Generalizing this to the entire population would be completely inaccurate. But I believe that a society that relies on the Phantom Thieves alone, with no other source to combat the problem, wouldn't last very long."

If only things were ever so perfect, there would be no need for us. However, such a dream is pure fantasy. There will always be times when people such as us are needed. You know this as well, my other self.

I do, Arsène. Best I make my stance known.

"How about you, Ren? Kasumi's opinion is completely different from your own." Akechi's voice brought Ren back to reality as he turned to Kasumi.

"I admit, she has a good opinion. But, unfortunately, we don't live in the perfect reality. There will always be people who puppet society from the shadows. Those who the law can never touch either due to corruption or fear." Ren starts, being as neutral as possible. He did not want to start any arguments. "While it would be nice if people can get over their problems by themselves, the vast majority of people are unable to do so. And until those in higher power clean up their acts and actually spend time to help those people, it is then that groups such as the Phantom thieves are needed."

"I didn't know you were a Phan, senpai." Kasumi replies, eyes locked on Ren.

"Well, it's hard not to be for me. After all, they did save my friends from Kamoshida. If it wasn't for them, he would have tried to expel some of us for trumped-up charges. And the less that I think about what he would have done to the girls in our group, the better." He sees Kasumi visibly shudder at the thought while Akechi frowns darkly.

"How did such a man even become a P.E. teacher? Such behaviour should have been found out during his interview." Akechi mumbles under his breath before shaking his head. "Let's move away from this dreary topic. I'm sorry if my question brought the mood down."

"It's fine. No harm done." Ren replies with a smile.

"That's right. Let's talk about plans for the upcoming summer. I'll be busy at the meet, so my summer is already taken up." The trio continued to chatter as time ticked away before Kasumi excused herself to head home, as Ren and Akechi went their own separate ways.

While Ren and Morgana had some food for thought.

July 18th, 2016

"Do you know why Kobayakawa called us in? School's closed today." Ren asks Makoto as they walk through the empty halls of Shujin. He had received a call from Makoto telling him that Kobayakawa was calling for them both at his office. On Marine Day.

"No, he didn't. And that's got me worried." Makoto replies as they near the office door. "What could he be planning?" She whispers.

"I don't know. But it can be anything but good." Ren whispers back as Makoto opens the door. Inside, they find him sitting at his door, a wide smile on his face.

"Ah! Amamiya-kun and Nijima-chan! Please come inside!" If alarm bells weren't already ringing, they were now at Kobayakawa's greeting. Since when did he ever call Makoto 'chan'?

"You wanted to speak to us, sir?" Makoto asks politely.

"Indeed I did." He leans back in his chair, folding his fat fingers. "Recently, I have been in touch with a friend who is interested in taking several students under his wing. He promises that those who take part can graduate immediately with clean records."

"'Clean records'? What do you mean by that, sir?" Ren asks, although he has a sinking feeling about what is coming.

"It means what it means, my boy. Anything on your records is swiped away. A fresh start with a new life and new identities! Think of the opportunities it represents!" Ren and Makoto both wanted to leave the room. What he was talking about sounded like brainwashing to them.

"And who is this 'friend' you mentioned?" Kobayakawa looks at Makoto as though she has grown a second head.

"Did I not tell you, my girl? It is the up-and-coming star politician who will save this country. Masayoshi Shido!" And their worries soon skyrocketed to the heavens.

"Shido!?" The two of them exclaim in shock. Their minds already know what would happen to them if they were sent to him. Killed if they were lucky, but if not…

Then, they could all become Black Masks.

"That's right. Shido has placed so much in our school that it feels right to send to him our best and brightest to learn under him. And the group I intend to send it yours." He points a finger at Makoto and Ren, their eyes widening as the mounting horror falls upon them.

"When you say 'group', do you also mean…?"

"Yes, I do, my boy! Sakamoto-kun, Takamaki-chan, Okumura-chan, Mishima-kun and Suzui-chan will also be joining you! The day that you are set to join him is at the end of July. I dare say it will make a fine summer trip, don't you agree?"

Makoto and Ren stood there, stunned at the revelation. Thirteen days. That's all they had until they would be brought before Shido and forced into whatever he had in store for them. Was this Kobayakawa's way of getting rid of them? Did he find out who they were? But if he did, wouldn't the SIU already be on them?

"I-I see. This is quite sudden, sir…" Makoto stammers, keeping a calm expression on her face.

"Please, please. No need to thank me. You are free to leave, and please inform the others about this later. It is from the good of my heart, after all." The couple slowly nods as they leave the room, not noticing the sinister grin on Kobayakawa's face.

"And with this, the troublemakers will be gone. A shame for Nijima and Okumura, but sacrifices must be made in times of war." He leans back in his chair, grinning wildly. "A pity. They were proving themselves to be worthy of staying here. But I'm sure they will make fine troops under Shido. That's what all these students are anyway…"

"Nothing but fodder for the machine."

Chatroom: Return of the Phantoms!

Joker: Everyone to Leblanc. NOW!

Ren's message was quick at getting everyone to Leblanc. Due to the schools being closed, it took no time for everyone to arrive as they waited for Ren and Makoto to arrive. Worry on their face, but the look on Futaba's face, what they had to tell would not be pretty.

A fact made true when the couple came in and explained what had happened.

"WHAT THE HELL!? WE'RE BEING SENT TO SHIDO!?" Ryuji yells, hurting everyone's eardrums with his voice. Not that anyone could blame him after hearing the news.

"That's right. And it's happening in thirteen days." Makoto reminds him after rubbing her ears.

"We can't let this happen. Who knows what Shido will do to us if he gets his hands on us!" Ann worries as she begins to pace around. Sojiro was casting an equally concerned glance around the room, rapidly tapping a finger on his arm.

"Why don't you try changing Kobayakawa's heart? Have him pull you out before you are sent away?" He offers.

"We had already planned to do so anyway. We have Kobayakawa's name in the Nav, so all we need to do is—" Ren stops himself before noting Kobayakawa on the Nav. Before, where he was once a simple Mementos target, he instead had two blank spaces under his name. Which could only mean one thing. "He has a Palace." He grits out, showing the Nav around.

"That's…not good." Mishima blurts out. "He never had a Palace before."

"So, what do we do?" Shiho asks, concern written all over her face.

"All that we can do now is guess the distortion and place. Trial and error once again." Yusuke bemoans with a shake of his head.

"Shujin Academy."

Candidate located.

"Well, that's a no-brainer." Ryuji remarks as Ren puts his phone down. "But what does he think the distortion is?"

"Urgh…this is reminding me of when we tried to find out Shido's keywords…" Ann groans with a hand over her eyes.

"And with even less time to find out." Haru bemoans. Hifumi looks around, seeing the looks on everyone's faces before looking at Futaba.

"Do you think you could find out more if you hack into Shujin, Futaba?" Futaba looks at her while Sojiro raises an eyebrow.

"Well, I think I could. But it's not like I can figure it out today. Give me a few days, and I'll try and find something."

"It's all we can do." Ren replies, placing his hands on the table. "We've been blindsided, but we still have a chance. We can recover from this."

We have to. No matter what!

July 19th, 2016

The team's demeanour did not improve the following day. Even after seeing how well they all scored in the exams. The impending deadline that Kobayakawa had thrust on them weighed upon them as solid chains.

They could not wait until Futaba cracked his keyword. But until then, they had to only wait and hope. It was all they could do until they could enter his Palace.

"I hate this. Why is Kobayakawa sending us off anyway? Does he really see us as troublemakers?" Mishima asks with a shake of his head. Shiho and Ren stood beside him, silent as statues. In truth, what could they even say? Sure, Makoto had gone up to see if she could convince him to change his mind, but they all knew it would be futile. Nothing save a change of heart will deviate the path. And the rumours surrounding them about being sent on a special training course were not helping at all.

"None of us asked for this. So why is Kobayakawa sending us to Shido?" Shiho mumbles. Ren shakes his head, unable to come up with an answer before several students approach them. Led by the girl constantly attacking Shiho.

"Heard the news, enabler. Going on a 'special training course' with your friends, are you? What a bunch of shit." She begins, and already Ren could feel his hands tightening around his arms. "We all know you didn't do anything special for that, so how did you convince Kobayakawa-sensei to send you off? Your looks? Your words? Just like how you did with Kamo—"

"Just shut up already!" Mishima snaps, walking to the front. "Shiho has done none of this! All you are doing is taking your frustrations out on the wrong person!" The girl takes a brief step back, not expecting the fire from Mishima, but quickly regains ground.

"And what would you know? You were Kamoshida's errand boy. So how did—"

"Enough." Shiho calmly speaks. All eyes go to her as she continues to stare at the ground. "All this time, you've been going at me about how I am. Claiming that it was all fake, that I was 'enabling' Kamoshida to do whatever he wanted. And for a long time, I let you go on, thinking you would eventually give up and leave. But now?" She looks up, a fire raging in her eyes as she walks forward to stand next to Mishima.

"I'm sick of this. I'm sick of ALL of this!" She yells, startling the bully, who takes several steps backwards. "You claim you know all about me, yet you've done NOTHING to understand me. Do you know what we both had to go through when on the Volleyball team? Fucking hell, that's what it was! Beatings, abuse, every pain you can imagine was forced on us, and you claim that WE were enabling it?!"

"It's the same with everyone who claims to know better when they haven't spent a second in our shoes." Mishima adds, standing shoulder to shoulder with Shiho. "You think we want this 'special training'? Do you think we even ASKED for this? No. It is being forced on us just like what Kamoshida did to us. And we are sick and tired of it!"

The wind was taken right out of the bullies' sails, as even the posse that she brought with her slowly backed away.

"We're not putting up with your claims anymore. Leave us, or we will report you to the Student Council. And they won't cover for you like how Kobayakawa covered for Kamoshida." Shiho's words were the final nail as the girl turned around and fled. Leaving the trio alone as Shiho and Mishima calmed down from their outburst.

"Looks like you finally got that off your chest." Ren comments, walking to join the two. They turn to look at him, their breathing returning to normal as Ren smirks. "Haven't seen that fire in you since you awakened." Shiho nervously chuckles as she puts a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I guess it finally got to me." She admits before looking at Mishima. "Thanks for trying to stand up for me again. You know you didn't have to do that."

"True, I didn't. But I wanted to." He admits, looking away. "The way she talked, I just couldn't take it anymore. They never took a moment to really understand you. That the Shiho they claim to be a fake is the real you." He turns back to look her in the eyes. "And how patient you can be. I felt that I had to be angry for you."

Shiho just stares at him before smiling gently. "Thank you, Yuuki." She turns to look at Ren, missing the blush on Mishima's face. "And thank you too, Ren. I think I only got the courage to stand up thanks to you and the others."

"No need to thank me. That was all you and Mishima. Or would you rather be called Yuuki?" Mishima looks at Ren, stammering before shaking his head.

"I don't mind either way." He quickly says, missing the giggling from Shiho. While Ren spots the eighth star forming on Shiho's card. "But still, what are we going to do about Kobayakawa?"

"We have to put our trust in Futaba. It's all we can do for now." It wasn't the reply they were hoping for, but it was true. Until they find out what his last Keyword is, they are stuck.

"How did someone like him become a principal?" Futaba asks herself, glancing at the screens around her. "There's nothing on these that relate to school work entirely."

What did we expect from a lapdog of Shido? Futaba groans in agreement with Prometheus. Corruption was the true enemy here. Just like a certain senet in a galaxy far, far, away.

"Come one, there's got to be SOMETHING here that can help…" Looking through the files again, Futaba inwardly groans as she passes by another war movie. "Seriously, what is with all these war stories? Documentaries, movies, TV shows, this guy is more a history nerd than a school principal!"

It was then that she stopped.

"Wait… Is that what Kobayakawa's distortion is? Something militaristic?" She takes out her phone, inputting the first two Keywords before readying herself. "Okay, let's try this. Citadel."