Hello, I forgot to thank the last two reviewers who gave me the encouragement to keep writing. For the Guest which name doesn't show, but big thank you, especially that you posted in an important date. Thanks to JamesFames for being the first reviewer of the rewrite.

Also, it is important to say this point onward will have new chapters that weren't in the original. So most of the old reviews will be out of order, or wrong context while still referring the old chapters. Just to clarify right now.

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


June 30th

The end of the month and the rainy season began to manifest. My least favorite time of the year and summer was approaching even further before the heatwaves. I tried my best to avoid it every time I was out in the streets. Too bad, I couldn't call the day off on such dreadful days. By that point, I would prefer the heat than anything else, even if that could instantly melt me like a popsicle in a matter of seconds.

Anyways, after finishing today's delivery shift, I tried to think about what to do for the rest of that day. I didn't want to go home just yet, but it wasn't easy to decide next. As you already know, reading was the only thing that could keep my head busy, but that wouldn't be enough.

That's when I remembered my deal with Kurusu.

Katsuo: Hey, do you have time? I want to talk with you more about our deal. I can recommend more books if you are interested.
Katsuo: I will be waiting in Book Town.

I waited a couple of minutes before he could respond. I looked at the hour, and I forgot that he was still 7 minutes away before school was over.

After waiting a little longer, he began typing.

Akira: Sure, we could go. Where's Book Town?
Katsuo: Good to know.
Katsuo: It's in Jinbocho. I will send you the address.

We made a plan. I took the corresponding line to my destination. While it was farther from home, I didn't mind since Book Town was one of my favorite places, especially when looking for classics. It was a shame there weren't cheap apartments. I would move there in a heartbeat.

After leaving the station, I walked to the appointed place. I hoped Kurusu didn't get lost or else. The most I could do in the meanwhile was take refuge from the rain and browsing between the stores, looking for a book that might catch my interest. So far, nothing.

"Hey, hope I didn't make you wait," Kurusu said as he walked down the street.

"Don't sweat it, I didn't spend too much time," I said, "so, as for the books, what genres are you interested the most?"

"I say historical fiction," his response was unexpected, yet impressive.

"Well, isn't that quite an answer? I suppose that could be a good start if you like history. Of course, picking books from the school doesn't cut. You would need to choose an event that interests you the most and do research first." I couldn't stop running my mouth as the complexity of reading books.

"And what are your favorite genres?" Kurusu asked.

"I don't have a specific one. I tend to read too many things that I only pick by instinct." The leader's robust question was more than I could imagine. I was thinking deeply. "You know, the first book I picked back when I was a kid wasn't even complete. I don't remember what was about it, but all I could tell, it was engaging enough despite that I could never know what the ending was."

We began examining the books that Kurusu suggested; the elections were vast but unorganized as we could see pile after pile. Knowing better, the next sap who picks one book from those towers will expect an avalanche of old texts on that person. Luckily, we could found something: The Count of Monte Cristo by the French Alexandre Dumas. I was sure that anyone and their grandma read that book at some point or knew its plot.

After leaving the store, we heard two housewives talking near the book store's entrance.

"Have you heard? There's a group of bikers around the neighborhood," said the first housewife, concerned.

"I did. My children wouldn't stop gushing of wanting to join one when they grow up. Can you believe it?" the second housewife was rather upset.

"Someone should call the police and not letting them get close to anyone."

"My, I don't even know if they will handle them while still busy looking for the Phantom Thieves."

"Ugh, those Phantom Thieves are such a bad example."

Those housewives wouldn't stop complaining at any point. As far as Kurusu and I overheard them, we couldn't stop thinking about their conversation.

"You heard them, didn't you?" I asked.

"About the biker gangs?" Kurusu replied, accurately of what I was thinking.

"Yeah, glad you paid attention," I sighed, lost in thought while tapping my head with the index finger. I fell silent.

"Is something bothering you?" The leader asked, frank in his words.

"What? Oh, sorry," I shook my head, "not by much as just remembered something about back when I lived in hiding long ago."

"About what exactly?" Kurusu kept asking me, but I hesitated to reply, appropriately, since it slipped from my mind. He didn't need to know more about that.

"Nevermind, that's just history now," I scoffed, "anyway, I hope that book is of your taste."

"I'm sure it is, thanks." Kurusu smiled.

It was getting late. We went to the station and said goodbye to each other before taking our corresponding lines. The train had fewer people than I anticipated.

Traveling alone, I couldn't stop feeling that I acted too cold to him when he asked me about those bikers; such stuff was already behind. I doubted that Kurusu could do any help of discussing such trivial matters.

Of course, leaving him hanging on the topic did nothing good either. When I reached Shibuya, and before taking the line for Kichijoji, I tried to call Kurusu.

"Hey, sorry to call you so suddenly," I said, with that sentiment of regret, "I wanted to apologize for leaving you in the dark with your question. It just happens that I wasn't sure how to respond that."

"It is fine, but you should be a little more open if you want to talk of anything," Kurusu said calmly, yet straightforward.

"Should I? Maybe..." I was out of words for how direct he was. Then again, he wasn't wrong either. "... Well, I appreciate that you listen to what I had to say."

"No problem." We hung up the phone.

Was he serious? Should I be more open? That sounded easier said than done. Last time I did that, things turned out not so great for me, and others.

Walking into the station, I saw the latest updates about my line for Kichijoji: There was a delay of thirty minutes.

Just what I needed.

Knowing that I got trapped in that place while still raining like the forsaken Great Flood, I could only walk between the underground walkway and the mall. I bought my favorite soda, Sunny Apple, from a specific bending machine. The unfortunate thing was that the aforementioned bending machine was a piece of junk that get stuck drinks—all the time.

Worse, no one in the station couldn't help you to get that drink out. Tough luck, you wasted money. The solution? If it got stuck, I could give a quiet hit with the elbow on either side of that bending machine. Of course, one little quirk of doing that was that it releases the selected drink alongside a random one. I always looked around if none of the security was near before hitting the machine.

The second drink I got was Dr. Salt NEO.

To tell the truth, while it was nice having two by the price of one, I was not too fond of the other drinks. The best option was to give it away to the homeless man.

"Hey, nice to see ya again, boy," the old man said, with a jovial tone.

"I'm surprised that you remember me," I replied.

"I never forget a face, much less one that is friendly."

"I doubt it," I handed the drink to the old man, "here."

"Ho, ho, thanks." He took it with both hands, opened, and slowly took small sips. He savored it as it was an elixir. "Ahhhhhh... that hits the spot. So, tell me how it went with the teenagers?"

"It went better than expected," I said, "actually, they ended up helping me more than I to them."

"How peculiar, what makes you say that?"

"If I could say, they lifted some of that baggage I carried from a long time ago."

"What a weird to say that, but sure, let's go with that," the old man laughed as he kept taking more smaller sips. "What's your name, young man?"

"Fujin Katsuo, yours?"

"Kiritani Yohei, nice to meet ya," I shook hands with Kiritani-san, "say, what decided you to spend time with an unremarkable old man like myself?"

"No reason, I'm just waiting for my train because it got delayed," I looked at my cellphone for the hour, still a couple of minutes. "Tell me, don't you get tired of living like this?"

"No, not at all," he said, "if I'm honest, such lifestyle I have, while not perfect, I could call it the ultimate form of freedom."

"And doesn't that bother you?" I asked.

"The first few years were rough, not gonna lie, but one gets used to it."

"How?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Take this as a piece of wisdom for the little gift you gave me." Kiritani cleared his throat. "Muscles, how far those may take you, won't mean much in the end."

"Okay?" I couldn't understand what he meant. That sounded like a no-brainer. "Well, I think my train is almost arriving. Take care of yourself."

"Sure, likewise," the old man nodded, "also, I wouldn't mind a bottle of sake next time, I don't care if it isn't warm."

"Sorry, I'm still underage," I said before heading to my corresponding line.

I was able to catch it up before getting packed like sardines. Of course, going home early still felt alien to me. I began to remember all those times returning home after school. Quite and peaceful for me. I was able to read while waiting to get back. Now? Well, I suppose nothing changed

At that point, find something to eat and return home. That was the plan for the rest of the day. Walking between the alleyways and streets to find something decent and cheap, especially cheap. The options weren't simple since street food spots have a much wider variety than in places like Shibuya.

Udon, anyone?

I sat on one of the vacant seats. The local was open in the air and very few people: an old couple and a man with messy hair, but he stood up and left—more room for me. "One bowl with tofu, thanks," I ordered, taking a more comfortable posture by leaning one side, putting my hand on the head.

Boring day. What exactly am I supposed to do until the change of heart? Having less work during the evenings wasn't on my plans. I mean, I could ask Kurusu to go out more, but probably busy with school, and knowing Shujin, July was for exams.

After fifteen minutes, I got my bowl of udon. Hot and steamy, exactly how things should be. Such an aroma was enough to raise the dead. And at an affordable price? I found my go-to place. Slurping the noddles, tasting the soup and tofu, I could feel my body energized under a minute. How come I never discovered that place before?

Hold on, why I was gushing about a bowl of udon?

Anyway, the meal was delicious, a satisfying dinner that I couldn't ask more even if I wished so. As I pulled my wallet to pay for the udon bowl, my phone slipped out from my pocket and under the table. I prayed that my phone's screen didn't break. Luckily, it wasn't, but there was more.

A book laid on the ground next to my phone as I looked closer. I picked both, and that was odd that such a thing was there without anyone looking for it. I turned my head sideways, hoping that someone would come for it. Of course, no one returned. Any other day, I would give it to someone if the book's rightful owner would come back. However, that wasn't the case.

Cognitive Psience: That was what the book's title printed on the front cover. It was against my ethics as an avid reader to peek at another person's book without their permission, and not the kind of topic I would keep it for my library. But there was no denying; I got tempted to see inside, mainly due to my recent experience in the Palace. I doubted that book could teach me anything of sorts from what I saw, but reading it might give me an understanding of how the Metaverse internally worked.

So many questions.

I took the book with me on my way back home, of course, after paying the meal. That book may take me a while to finish it before I could return it. Days, weeks, or months, who knows when I would ever find the owner? Right now, I could only study it.


Katsuo Rank 2