Reviewer Responses

Flame Wolfe: Thanks for the compliments. It really means a lot.

Keo namikaze: While I appreciate the idea, I don't believe it would work with this kind of story. Nonetheless, I'm thankful that you like this fic despite that I believe there are better ones than mine.


Disclaimer: Persona 5 Characters except Fujin Katsuo belongs to Atlus, this fanfic has no commercial purpose.


Friday night in Shinjuku. When you think the week couldn't get duller, you start receiving lousy news when people talk about Medjed and the Phantom Thieves. It was an echo chamber of complaints and criticism. Naturally, when people only saw things from a surface level, there was no point arguing how they should believe. It was more noticeable when the group also had worries about all this.

Ryuji: Is it just me, or have there been a ton of info leaks lately?
Ryuji: It's not Medjed, right?
Makoto: I think they'd make it into a much more theatrical occasion.
Ann: You're right! They didn't make any declarations or anything!
Katsuo: I don't like it. They must be up to something...
Makoto: Still… It's quite a headache.
Ryuji: The hate we're getting online is insane too. People're treating us like this is all our fault.
Yusuke: They may denounce us if we don't hurry and take of this.
Katsuo: Don't give a damn of what they say, Sakamoto. We're doing the risky work here.
Makoto: Has anyone come up with a plan for solving the problem?
Akira: Not yet.
Ryuji: Well, I'm gonna keep trying.
Ann: We have to do whatever we can.
Yusuke: Either way, simply relying on Futaba will not do.
Ryuji: Well if we run out of options, that might be our only choice…
Katsuo: How's Futaba?
Akira: Boss told me that she is still sleeping.
Katsuo: Then she is still not able to help us, right?

"What a nightmare..." I muttered after putting away my phone.

I was done texting during my break. The situation didn't look as good as how I read everyone's messages. It was August 5th, and we were still far from the deadline. Seriously, how much sleep did one person need to recover? Futaba was a weird girl.

"Is everything alright, my dear?" Lala-chan asked me when she noticed my concern.

"I'm fine, just waiting for a friend to recover," I replied with assurance. "She's heavy sleeper."

"I hope your friend gets better."

"I hope so too…" I felt hopeless. I couldn't devise a plan, but maybe that wasn't my role. All I could do was ponder our circumstances and how they would affect us. I had too many things in mind at the moment, so stressing myself more with things that were out of my control. All I could do was continue with my routine, but much to my chagrin, there was always trouble.

When I was cleaning some of the glasses, a businessman with a miserable look came to the bar with a worn-out face. "G-Good evening…" he greeted us in low spirits.

"Oh, my… You look quite exhausted. Here, have a seat." Lala-chan tried to make that guy comfortable while serving him some sake.

I hadn't seen him before, or maybe I had never paid much attention while dishwashing the glasses and cups on the side. I don't always have conversations with the regulars, so I only listen. My boss was the one who would keep the patrons entertained for hours with the chat or sometimes singing.

But now that there wasn't anyone else in the bar, seeing this businessman was apparent in my eyes, which was odd but got me curious.

"…Well? So your boss has been bullying you again?" Lala-chan asked the man.

"As soon as I talk back, he makes sure I know I'm lower than him. He insinuates he'll demote me…" he spoke in a depressing tone. "After that, I'll overhear him talking about me, calling me useless while I'm at work… And everything I've done, all the results I'm getting… Somehow, he's taking all the credit."

"That is the worst kind of workplace abuse," Lala-chan said contemptuously. "I cannot believe that man…"

"So many people have quit because of stress. And yet, the higher-ups all ignore it. Of all the terrible bosses I could get in the world, why did mine have to be Kishi Shinsuke?" He sighed distraughtly. "Hey, Lala. I wish those Phantom Thieves could do something and help me this…"

"Like how? Are you going to ask them to steal all your stress away?" Lala-chan quipped. While the miserable businessman cracked a smile, it wasn't enough to light his mood completely.

"Hahaha… No. I guess it's impossible. But it's nice to think about…" Their conversation began to derail away from the original topic. Lala-chan would serve him more sake while I pulled a pen and paper to write down the name of the man's abusive boss. I hoped I didn't misspell anything.

Why would I bother doing that? If I wasn't a Phantom Thief, I would usually dismiss it as another person complaining about his work, but that wasn't the case here. I knew there wasn't much I could do, but since I was part of that group, I had to take myself seriously to repay my debt and put in some effort while I could.

As the man continued blabbering while the liquor began taking effect, I walked next to Lala-chan. I whispered, "Hey, mind if I give him a plate of vegetables? He doesn't look like he ate before coming here."

"Oh? That's very unusual of you, dear," my boss said with surprise.

"Just taking pity on him. You can discount the plate from my payment."

"Don't worry about it, Katsuo, honey. It will be on the house."

Benevolent as ever, Lala-chan walked toward the fridge and served the businessman a plate of vegetables. He looked at us and gave us a grateful bow for the food. He could almost get teary eyes for such a simple gesture. Still, at least he got back in high spirits (drunken but happy nonetheless) before finishing his last drink and leaving Crossroads.

The place was empty again; we couldn't know how long it would be like that for the rest of the night. I always pulled out a book from my backpack and read it when there was nothing to clean or else around. It wasn't uncommon, especially when Ohya-san was away with work, but the atmosphere was always peaceful.

An hour before my shift ended, Lala-chan walked toward me and said, "Why don't you go home early?"

I looked at her in confusion and replied, "Are you sure? I don't mind to stick around a little longer."

"Don't be like that, honey. I don't want you to overwork like that poor man from before. There won't be more people for the rest of the night." She patted me on the shoulder and smiled. "You're free to go."

"If you say so..." I sighed, putting the book into my backpack and waving at Lala-chan before leaving the bar. Having spare time wasn't part of my plans, but I can't complain.

Walking through the streets of Shinjuku wasn't always pleasant. Everywhere I went, I saw the same people trying to get some form of ecstasy to make them forget about the world's problems. I wouldn't know if I was too aware of everything than others, or maybe I was being pessimistic. Who could tell?

I continued walking to the train station but wasn't ready to go home yet. I saw a guy with a buzz cut, goatee, and ear piercings. He wore camo-patter tank tops, black shorts, and tennis shoes. His appearance would be like one of those thugs who waited for the next poor smuck to be jumped on for pocket change, but he didn't do any of that. He looked at me and waved at me with a smile.

"Yo, Katsuo!" he shouted across the street.

"Hey, Souta," I replied. "What's up?"

It was still hard to believe he was the same old friend from years ago. When we reunited on that alley, when I kicked a bunch of punks harassing a high schooler, I couldn't recognize his new look. Those eyes and the confidence he emitted were familiar, however. He leaned against the wall and smoked a cigarette before noticing my presence.

"Nothing. Just going around. What about you?"

"Done with work early. I was thinking about going back to home."

Souta seemed confused. "Going home already? Come on, dude. You can't be serious about!"

"What else am I supposed to do?" I retorted.

"For one, hanging out with me and catching up on what's been going on the last couple of years."

I couldn't argue with that. It was a better plan for the night than what I originally planned. I went along, and we walked around the streets looking for a place to talk. Souta considered going to a different bar, but there wouldn't be much use since I couldn't drink yet. Our options were simple in a place like Shibuya, much so when I looked in my wallet to see how much money I had left. After being careless about my weekly spending and not wanting to withdraw more from my account, I only got a measly 500 yen coin.

"What's the matter, pal?" he asked when seeing me in such a sour mood.

"I don't know if we can do anything for tonight. I only got chump change with me today."

"How much?"

I showed him the 500 yen coin I had, feeling like the most pathetic idiot in the city. Souta grimaced and went quiet for a moment. He was always like that whenever he had something in mind before pacing around and creating a plan. I knew he wasn't giving up on me that easily.

"I got it!" Souta said excitedly while snapping his fingers. "How about you lend me the 500 yen, and I can double, no, triple it!"

"Are you serious?" I responded in skepticism. "Don't tell me you're on one of those pyramid scams."

"Nah, I know a better way than that: Pachinko."

My first reaction to that idea wasn't exactly comforting. I scratched my head and sighed.

"I don't know..." I said with a lack of confidence. "I don't trust much my luck when it comes to gambling."

"And that is why you gotta trust mine instead!"

With someone as optimistic as Souta, I had to comply with his idea. I handed him 500 yen and followed him to the closest pachinko parlor. There was a lot in Shijuku, so choosing one wasn't easy since the price for the steel balls varied. There was also the matter of age restriction, which wasn't a problem for either of us since we weren't high schoolers anymore. When Souta pointed at a place between an information booth and a hostess club, he believed it was the perfect spot. A single ball was worth one yen, so our chances of getting massive returns were low. My old friend explained that he wanted a place where the returns were excellent.

"I can feel it," he said with such intuition that I couldn't protest. I had to let him handle the rest.

Once inside, I was hit by a strong, overwhelming aura that unsettled me to be inside the locale. The bright colors, the noises of loud cheesy music, and the sound of pachinko balls constantly hitting the machines were unbearable. The smell was atrocious despite being a non-smoking area. I saw lines of people staring at the machines and sweating after being there for hours. I never found the appeal to gambling, and I probably had to be thankful for my bad luck for that. I continued following Souta further in the place until finding a machine that, in his own words, gave him "good vibes" from it.

After minutes of walking, he chose a machine that showed scenes from some romcom anime on the screen. We sat, and he poured the pachinko balls into the machine until they made weird noises. Souta pressed the lever and let the balls set loose in the game. I could only watch how he handled it and see if it yielded results.

"Do you do this often?" I asked with a confused look.

"You betcha," he responded without looking away from the machine. "I easily win. It helps me get by in the city."

"Get by? Don't you have a work?"

"As if!" Souta shrugged. "I broke my back working in a field of cabbages over a year. Hard labor as such ain't for me."

"That's what you have been doing in the past few years?"

"There was nothing to do after moving with some relatives in the country. Just farms, animals, and old people. After graduating high school, I knew college wouldn't be for me, so I decided to haul my ass to get enough money to go back here."

He sounded determined. I couldn't imagine how bored he was living there, but if I was honest, anywhere else outside of Tokyo seemed like a better place. Souta was always somebody motivated. Even when we were kids, he was the only one in the neighborhood who would devise ways to keep us afloat against punks looking trouble at our old turf.

"Hey, what about your mother? Is she with you?" I asked again, but he didn't turn his head.

Souta had his eyes focused on the pachinko machine while firmly pressing the lever to launch more balls and win back. "She is still there," he answered coldly. "I came to Tokyo by myself. There wouldn't be much point making her travel."

"I suppose..."

It became difficult to keep the conversation going. Talking while in a pachinko parlor was not the best idea to hang out. I only sat next to Souta and watched him play until the machine began entering into some "Jackpot Zone" that brought more balls into the bucket.

I turned around to assess my surroundings and saw staff moving piles of buckets from the other players. They were restless about going around the locale while watching people wasting their time on those machines. I could never understand any of this.

"So..." Souta said, finally turning at me for a second. "Have you heard of the Phantom Thieves?"

"A better question should be if I haven't because that's on everyone's mind."

"Is that so? Then what do you think of them?"

"They're alright," I said indifferently. "Nothing different about what I heard so far."

Souta didn't seem satisfied with my answer. "Come on, dude. Why do you always have to be so cold with the sensational stuff? You have always been like that ever since we were younger. If it isn't books or Featherman, nothing impresses you."

"Says the guy who only likes watching wrestling on TV and nothing else."

"Dude, you were the only one in the neighborhood with a functional TV and never took advantage of it."

"There were rules in my house of how many hours I was allowed to watch daily. I could never waste my hours if it wasn't Featherman."

"I bet you still do that despite living alone."

"You don't know that."

"I know you very well!" Souta began laughing. "You haven't changed much."

"Oh, shut up!" Despite my denial, I couldn't hold my laughter, either. Talking with my old friend brought comfort, which I had missed so much. I began enjoying my time for once. I knew I should keep the conversation, so I considered his previous question. "Regarding the Phantom Thieves, what do you think of them?"

"I believe they're pretty badass!" he said enthusiastically. "The first thing I heard when I arrived in Tokyo was when they took down a famous artist. Man, it was a riot when I watched a video of him crying in public. The next thing I knew, weeks later, was that some crime boss who terrorized Shibuya was also caught by the police because of the Phantom Thieves. Those guys must be hella tough if they could beat those guys!"

"Hard to say how they do that," I said with my usual bit of irony. Of course, who could know that it was thanks to a weird phone app and the use of cognitive shenanigans? It wasn't my business to make any sense of that.

"Whatever they do, I hope they keep kicking asses!" Hearing such encouragement from Souta made me smile, knowing that maybe my work wasn't a complete waste, but I knew there was still so much to do ahead of us.

After an hour inside that migraine-inducing place, Souta gathered over 3,000 pachinko balls. I couldn't remember the exact number, but that was a lot. Sadly, due to Japanese gambling regulations, our winnings could only be redeemed with prices like snacks, drinks, or toys. We had to go somewhere else. Right across the street, a small booth would take our winning voucher to exchange for money. It wasn't illegal since it was a different business from the pachinko parlor.

Ain't loopholes a thing of wonder? You wouldn't believe how much money can go through this economy by simple workarounds to cheat the system. Nobody would pay mind to that as long as the government got a piece of the cake.

"There you go! I got more than what I promised!" Souta said proudly.

"Yeah, definitely I couldn't get this much if I gambled on my own," I said while counting the money. "Since you did all the work, maybe you should get half of it."

My old friend, expectedly, shook his head and refused the money. "Nah, dude. That's yours. I said that I would help you earn more. I don't need anything in return."

"I don't know..." I felt guilty keeping this much despite doing nothing.

"Consider this a gift after finally reuniting. I hope we can do something else next time we hang out."

"Sure thing."

We exchanged ID addresses on our phones, and I went home. It wasn't how I expected to end my day, but I was glad nothing soured my mood. I expected to see Souta again whenever possible during that month. I wished my days weren't always absurd, however.


The next day was August 6th. Working another day as a store clerk was still hefty and tiresome. If I knew this was how I would end up doing for the summer, then it was the price I had to pay for not looking thoroughly for more available jobs.

I finished my shift while Nanami-senpai said goodbye to me. Having her training me wasn't bad, but I wished she wouldn't look over me too much for things that were minor inconveniences that didn't need more than basic common sense. I still had one more week before completing my training.

Looking at my wallet, I planned to get some of LeBlanc's curry and coffee. I wondered if Kurusu wouldn't be busy today if I went there. However, thanks to the power of my non-existent clairvoyance, I saw Kurusu walking on my right after stepping outside the store.

"Hey, Katsuo," he greeted me while waving his hand. "Had a tough day of work?"

"How do you know I work there?" I asked with surprise.

"Akechi told me."

"Of course..." I sighed. "I didn't mean to keep it a secret from you."

He shrugged. "Don't worry. I know you were busy." The guys with glasses acted as understanding as ever. "Wanna do something if you have the free time?"

"Hang out?" Initially, I was uncertain, but I wasn't against the idea. After Futaba's Palace and Medjed's ongoing empty threats, I needed to distract myself with something else. "Sure. Why not? We could check the bookstore down the street and go to your place to eat if you're interested."

Kurusu nodded. We walked toward the bookstore and browsed for anything new on the shelves. The store was small and obviously nothing like the ones in Jinbocho. It was still a healthy selection, but I wasn't sure what I should read after I returned that Cognitive Psience book to the Maruki guy. I was lost in thought.

"What book do you think I should pick? In your opinion," I asked the man with glasses.

"How about a manga?" he responded.

I hesitated, but after reading that last book, I needed something less academic to relax my mind.

"You know what? It is not something I would choose, but I trust your judgment."

I needed to be more open-minded since the leader seemed knowledgeable enough to bring up that suggestion. That could narrow my options, so it could catch my interest. Ultimately, I decided on a collection of one-shot horror stories since I wasn't used to reading manga and couldn't tell which series were good or trendy. I had to start from somewhere.

After Kurusu and I made our purchases, we left the store and headed toward the subway station. I felt satisfied with what I bought, and reading it while relaxing at LeBlanc would have ended my day on a high note.

But there was this little thing called the "Law of Equivalent Exchange": For every positive occurrence in my life, setbacks kept me from having my hopes up at any opportunity. And that was when I saw a bunch of leather-bounded donkeys striding in our direction.

"Hey, asshole!" one of them shouted while pointing at me with his forefinger.

"Great...Just what I needed," I muttered while making the biggest frown in the city.

"Who are they?" Kurusu asked with a confused expression.

"A pain in the ass. That's what they are."

That same group of bikers who assaulted the homeless old man the other day was in front of us, and it was bad enough that they were attracting attention from the other bystanders in Central Street. I knew our trip to Yongen-Jaya was postponed for the day.

"Do you remember us?" the guy in the center said while almost spitting.

"I wish I did..." I said while shaking my head.

"Don't be a smartass with us! We haven't forgotten what you did last time!" He began cracking his knuckles and neck. "Ready for some payback?"

I backed off a little and signaled Kurusu to do the same. "Look, I'm not in the mood to fight!" I responded with annoyance. "I already got plans, and you should know better that you cannot beat me."

"Nobody messes with us, especially a stupid idiot like you!" That guy wouldn't shut up, and I did nothing but roll my eyes at every word he spouted off his mouth.

"Stubborn as mules, huh?" My patience was running thin, and I was done with those bikers by then. "This is your last warning. Get out of my sight unless you're so desperate to get your asses handed to me!"

"No way! You were lucky last time, but we're the strongest in the city!" The thug looked to Kurusu and pointed at him. "You, Four-Eyes! You know who we are, do you?"

"Sorry, I don't..." he said apologetically, which only pissed the thug even more than before.

"The hell you mean you don't? We're the Burning Bones, you dumbass!"

Kurusu was stunned, staring at them for a few seconds before shifting his sights to me with a more flabbergasted expression and said, "What?"

"Yep, that was my reaction the first time too," I said in embarrassment.

"Whatever! We're wasting you here and now!"

Those guys weren't giving up. I could see more people looking at us with estranged eyes and had the hunch somebody was going to call the cops if we continued disturbing everyone by making a scene. I had to get it over with quickly.

"If you want to fight, let's go to that alley." I pointed to my left, where the coin lockers and the Protein Lovers gym were. None of the bikers objected, and I told Kurusu to go ahead while the group of thugs followed me behind. The alley was empty, but I knew we couldn't be there for long before somebody from the gym would notice the ruckus.

My body got tense, and I handed my backpack to Kurusu before clenching my fists.

"Never turn your back on me, dipshit!"

The group leader tried to throw the first punch, but with fast reflexes, I ducked and uppercut him until he got knocked out after a single blow.

"Never suckerpunch me, asshole," I said coldly before the other thugs rushed at me in line.

Even with furious fists, I evaded and retaliated with more punches and kicks until they fell like flies. Kurusu only observed from a safe distance and seemed impressed by how those bikers never got to try their luck again. It was a letdown that they put up less of a fight than last time.

"Ugggghh...screw this..." the leader of the bunch said with a weak voice before ordering the others to retreat. They ran with their tails between their legs like rats, and as they were no longer in my sight, I squatted and looked down with an exhausted feeling as if my soul left my body for a moment.

"What a shitshow..." I said, still not looking up. "I'm sorry that I ruined our day, Kurusu."

"It's not your fault," he said, shaking his head. "I can help you in a fight."

"Nothing fazes you, huh?" I wasn't sure if he was joking, but that made me laugh weakly. "I appreciate the backup, but I don't want to rope you into my problems, especially because of your probation."

"You don't seem happy about winning the fight, though."

"I'm not, and I wished shit like this didn't happen so often..."

Being in that alleyway allowed me to take a deep breath before standing up and looking straight at the guy with glasses. Despite Kurusu not being bothered, I couldn't stop feeling guilty that our plans went sideways because I kept attracting trouble. I wanted him to understand me a little more.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I never liked violence when I was younger?"

His eyes widened. "I could never guessed it."

"Don't blame you...I believed people could always solve differences by talking in a civilized manner." I scoffed and shook my head. "Of course, that was before the betrayals and the hiding. After trying to lay low in an impoverished neighborhood, some bullies and shitheads would seek a fight because they believed to be better than every kid in the area. I had to learn how to defend myself if I wanted to be in peace. I was naive to think that because that doesn't work in the real world."

"It is not naive," Kurusu reassured me, even if I didn't believe it.

"Heh...Always seeing things from the glass half-full perspective, aren't you?" I chuckled for a bit. "You know what? I met an old friend from back then who also sees things like that. He left Tokyo years ago, but we got in contact recently, and he hasn't changed much."

"Is he somebody important?"

"Yeah. His name is Souta, and he taught me how to fight at that time. We should go out the three of us when we get the chance."

"Sure, I would like to."

I was relieved that he was understanding and patient enough to deal with my bullshit. When I looked at my phone to check the time, it was getting late, and I felt we didn't have enough time to go to LeBlanc today.

"Hey, I gotta go home," I said, scratching my right eyebrow. "I need to get some sleep for tomorrow's work. You better have that curry and a cup of coffee ready when I get to your place next time we see each other."

"I will."

Kurusu handed me my backpack before I left Shibuya. I wasn't sure if he had other plans for the evening, but I wouldn't take more of his precious time for the moment. I rode the train and tried to ease my mind by rubbing the sides of my head. I began thinking that I needed to buy medicine for headaches. I could ask for a prescription from the goth doctor with whom Kurusu was acquainted. Still, I feared that I couldn't afford it since the medicine she produced was damn expensive.

As soon as I arrived at my destination, I decided to dial the guy with glasses and hope that he could do me a favor. I waited a minute before he finally picked up the call and responded, "Hello?"

"Hey, sorry for the out-of-the-blue call," I said, almost instinctively bowing. "Could you ask your doctor friend for something to relieve the headaches? I don't know how much it would cost you, but I promise to repay you back when I get my paycheck."

"I heard green tea and aromatic candles can help you relax."

"Is that so?" The fact that he wouldn't tell me if he was going to ask or not made me think that the price of the medicine was a little too much for him at the moment. There was no point in stressing him out as if that was way above his budget, so I heeded his suggestion. "Alright. I'll buy some of that before getting home. Thanks." I hung up the call and looked for nearby stores that sold tea and candles.

The first week of August had many ups and downs, and I wished that nothing strenuous would happen starting Monday. Knowing how the Law of Equivalent Exchange worked for me, it was best not to think about it and just let things go by until there was any news from the Phantom Thieves.

Tokyo was at its busiest, and there was no doubt about it.


Katsuo Rank 4

Confidant Ability: Part-timer Talk (Only works with elderly-looking and Irritable Shadows)