Disclaimer: Persona 5 Characters except Fujin Katsuo belongs to Atlus, this fanfic has no commercial purpose.
It was Sunday, July 10th. I got the free day and overslept because I couldn't get some rest in the week. To tell the truth, I didn't do much except watching television. Every channel in Japan wouldn't stop transmitting news of Kaneshiro. It was getting tiresome pretty quick after a whole day of that.
Just when I thought I felt free at last, I got a message.
Ann: Hey, Katsuo! Finals are coming, and we need your help to study at Leblanc for the evening!
Katsuo: Why me? I think Makoto should be a better help than just me.
Ann: I asked her too. She is coming with us. The thing is we could split between two people to help us with that.
Katsuo: Let me think…
Ann: I can ask Akira to serve you some coffee.
I was thinking for a moment if to go or not. Still, I had to consider the current situation for a brief second. If the group failed in their studies, people would start to suspect us and our Phantom Thieves activities. The last thing I wanted was unnecessary attention.
Katsuo: Alright. I hope the coffee is good.
Ann: Thank you so much!
Katsuo: Yeah, yeah, just give some time before I could get to Yongen-Jaya
I took my helmet, my backpack, and my favorite book because that would be a long night for us. I was traveling from my apartment to Leblanc to help those kids. The good thing was they just arrived like me, so I wasn't late, like always. We came inside the coffee shop and saw Kurusu watching the news on the TV. I never commented on the aesthetics of that place. I liked how rustic and classy it was. I never was there before as a customer, so Ann told me once that coffee was excellent. I should taste it by myself while reading my book, like a true gentleman.
" 'Sup? We're here to hang out," of course, the school wouldn't be the first thing coming out of Sakamoto's head.
"That's not why we're here! We need to study for finals!"Takamaki stared at him with annoyance. Did she never told him about this, or he just didn't pay attention?
"Why am I here too?" Makoto sighed.
"You're one of us now, so of course you gotta help us. We're in trouble if you two don't teach us, you know?" That punk was happy to see us helping with finals, and I despised finals.
"I don't need to study," Kurusu's response made Sakamoto somewhat upset.
"Ohoho, oh, I'll hold you to that! Wanna see who gets the higher scores?" the punk sure sounded fired up.
"Let's be those guys be..." Takamaki commented.
"But why is Katsuo here too? He is not a student," Makoto commented while looking at me.
"That's the same thing I asked myself, and here we are." I rolled eyes. "I only came because Takamaki told the coffee from here is good," however, I didn't get any at the end of the day, though.
"I couldn't ask the last time I was here… But what is this place? The storekeeper doesn't seem to be around…" Makoto looked curious about the store.
"It's where this guy lives," Sakamoto said while pointing at the leader with his thumb. Kurusu nodded while Makoto looked surprised. "He's got complicated circumstances… We can tell them about it, right? Actually, tell them yourself."
Everyone leaned against the table or the counter while hearing Kurusu's story. I couldn't believe what I just heard. He was falsely accused of assault because he was trying to defend a woman from a drunk man. The police didn't believe him and that he doesn't remember that man. I was trying to contain my anger at how absurd was his story. Neither that woman nor his parents couldn't defend him. Everyone looked down while Makoto looked horrified at such a tragic story. I finally understood that guy's situation.
"That's… That's terrible…" Makoto broke her silence.
"Terrible? That is utterly absurd! How is that even possible!?" I tried to control my anger, almost screaming inside my head.
"Ann, Yusuke, and I are pretty much the same too. I mean, it's not as bad as this guy's, though. There's just something we can't ever put up with. That's why we all became Phantom Thieves," for once Sakamoto's explanation finally made sense.
"Hey, don't forget me," Morgana interrupted.
"I know, I know. We're all part of the team," the punk replied. "By the way, Makoto, ain't there someone you can't forgive either? Like, a heart you wanna change?"
"…That's a secret." Makoto did a mischievous smile.
"Ohh, there's someone like that? You could tell us, you know. You don't gotta be so cold." Sakamoto was really curious.
"Sorry to interrupt, but aren't we forgetting the reason why we are here?" I decided to change the topic since I didn't want to waste there any longer.
"That's right. We are here to study for the exam."
"What exams…?" The punk wasn't happy about Makoto's reminder.
"It's fine if I leave then?" Makoto added.
"N-no, I'm just joking! Please teach us…" that dumbass really was hopeless.
We accommodate everything around one table to study. Kurusu and Sakamoto were sitting on one side while the girls took the other side. Kitagawa was left out, so he grabbed a chair to be with them while I got out of space. I sat right behind the boys while reading my book and checking them if they were having doubts. What book I was reading was Cognitive Psience, the very same one I found the other day. I tried to study it carefully, but nothing related to the Metaverse or else could be useful for us. Also, psychology books felt boring to me anyway.
After a couple of minutes, I decided to check on Kurusu's and Sakamoto's exercises. Kurusu didn't have any issues but the punk... I couldn't help myself. "What the hell is this? It's barely English what I'm reading it!"
"Sorry! It's not easy to figure that sentence!" He was trying to excuse himself.
"Then read it carefully! This is not a goddamn race. If you are focusing on finishing the exam without reading slowly and with patience, you will fail and..."
"Hmm, what was this term? It's phobia, so it's a fear of some kind…" Makoto was helping Takamaki with English, or probably the other way around, couldn't tell anymore.
"I think it's a fear of open spaces. You don't hear it often, though." Takamaki added while Makoto looked surprised how much she knows about English.
"You would be surprised how much people suffer from Agoraphobia nowadays," I commented on it.
"Leave vocabulary and long sentences to me. I suck at proper grammar, though…" The blond girl said it with a cheerful smile, despite not feeling confident. She was going better than Sakamoto, at least.
"Even if we study English, it's not like I'm gonna use it in the future," He couldn't stop whining.
"When it comes to you, your Japanese is questionable too." I snickered about how accurate was Morgana's comment.
"What are you laughin' at?" He looked upset at the cat and me.
"Nothing is just I already saw your notes and…"
"Aww shuddup!" Sakamoto yelled at me.
"Explain the writer's feelings…? What point is there in that?" Takamaki looked confused.
"It's impossible! I can't memorize all these formulas… Ain't there a good way of cheatin'?" The punk looked tired.
"…Why don't we take a break?" Makoto was tired too.
"Yes, please..." I stood up and turned on the TV while everyone grabbed some beverages. I looked for the local news if anything else came up. I sat in my chair while I kept reading my book until something interesting showed.
"…And that was the follow-up report on the suspect Kaneshiro. Now Akechi-san…" Everyone, included me, focused our attention on the TV when the TV Reporter mentioned the detective. "This case is said to be the result of the Phantom Thieves' actions, but in actuality, is this true?"
"Considering how a calling card was scattered about, I believe there's no mistaking that," Akechi replied. "The question is what the Phantom Thieves actually did. If they tampered with a suspect's heart, it casts doubt on the authenticity of any confession."
"So then, by tampering with hearts, the Phantom Thieves are fabricating crimes that may not exist?" The interviewer asked.
"We can't deny the possibility. There's no doubt that the Phantom Thieves are exposing hidden injustices in society. However, if this is done by sidestepping the law, their way of thinking is very dangerous."
"So, in a way, they're outlaws."
"Yes. They're no different than the criminals they target. This cannot be overlooked."
"I see."
With that, the interview was over, leaving the rest of us with sour expressions. Especially Sakamoto.
"I see, my ass. Why the hell're we bein' treated as the bad guys?" The punk was undoubtedly upset.
"Just let them say whatever they want." Takamaki was matured about it. "More people are starting to understand that what we're doing is right, after all."
"That doesn't stop them from criticizing us," I added.
"When I'm walkin' around in town, I hear a lot more people talkin' about us too. And the forum's been full of hype! Do you think we made it big time?" the punk sure was excited.
"Don't get pompous over dealing with some street thug. Save it for after we deal with a bigger target." Morgana commented with a haughty tone.
"We just gotta take down a bigger one, yeah? That was the plan from the start, anyway!"
"True, it may be best if we start thinking about it," Makoto added.
"I bet we'll find one in no time. The wind's blowin' in our direction and everything! I feel like we won't lose to anything right now."
"I don't think so," I had to intervene before he would get carried away from the excitement.
"Why is that?"
"You see, the bigger we get, the easier we are to attract attention from other undesirable people. We need to keep our guards up all the time. Or am I wrong?" I was serious about how the situation changed now that we became more famous than before.
"I understand that," Kurusu said.
"Well, we'll decide on that eventually. We need to overcome our exams first. Now then, break time's over! Let's get back to…" Before she could say anything, she interrupted Sakamoto.
"That reminds me – the celebration party. Weren't we gonna do it after exams?"
"Yes, I believe so," Makoto's voice turned moody.
"Where should we go? I feel like I'll study better if I got something to look forward to."
"Then how about you should start looking at your notes? Maybe you will find the answer to where to go if you look closer to them." I was getting annoyed by him getting distracted every single time. At the very least, Kitagawa was the only person who focused on studying while not bothering on the idle chat.
"The last one was a buffet at a hotel. We haven't gone anywhere since." And Morgana kept talking about the celebration. Somebody should give me a break.
"…Hm!? A Buffet!?" Kitagawa stopped studying after hearing that.
"Where would be good…?" Takamaki was thinking about it until she got another idea. "Hey, what about fireworks!? A fireworks festival!"
"Oh yeah, it's that season, huh!" With Sakamoto's comment, I gave up on stopping them from continuing to focus on studying, and I just sat in my place while kept reading my book.
"That sounds good to me," the advisor agreed to them. They slowly turned into a bad influence on Makoto if I had to say.
"It's hard to ignore a buffet, but I'll take the beauties of summer. Still, I demand that we feast during the festival as well," the artist commented jovially.
"Do you guys own a yukata? Will you wear a yukata!?" Morgana joined the conversation.
"Doesn't a fireworks festival sound good? You think so, too, right?" Sakamoto asked our leader. I prayed that he didn't play along with them.
"That sounds great," Kurusu said, much to my chagrin.
"All right, fireworks festival, it is! Let's look for a good one!"
"Study comes first, though. I won't let you off if you fail any of them. Are we clear?" With Makoto's serious tone, Sakamoto stopped talking about the festival.
"Y-yes, ma'am…" He sounded terrified by her signature death glare.
"Thank you!" I shouted with relief while extending my arms into the air.
We continued studying until it was pretty late at night. I made slight progress with Sakamoto while Makoto helped the rest. Kurusu didn't have any problems on his own, and Morgana fell asleep. Despite goofing around and losing some years of my life by helping them, it couldn't complain. I never did study groups before during high school, so that was a different experience. It did, however, reminded me of when I worked as a tutor last year. But I wanted to dismiss that thought quickly.
Just when my days of tutoring were far behind, it was never gone. It became worse the following day when I was not so delightful with someone I didn't want to see. After I was done with my delivery shift, I headed to the train station to go home since I didn't need to work at Crossroads that day.
That was the plan initially, but there was always something on my way.
"Hey, Fujin-san," I heard Akechi's voice from behind while I had my bicycle on my right.
"Akechi, how's it going?" I said with a much-pleased tone.
"Good, I was about to take lunch after an interview," the detective said while looking tired.
"Another one? Do you ever get a break from those?"
"Sadly, I don't, but that's the price of being a good detective," Akechi laughed it off. "What about you? You don't seem that great either."
"Not kidding. Another hour of work and I would probably collapse like one of those mental shutdowns,"
"Is that so?" We laughed at the bad joke I made. "That's a new one. Are you a comedian in your part-time job?"
"At least a comedian can get better paid than me," I shrugged. However, the conversation turned a bit interesting when we heard two voices that I recognized nearby for better and worse.
"That reminds me, there's something I wanted to report to you. Would now be a good time?"
"Sure thing."
"Thank you. Why don't we find a seat somewhere?"
Hearing their voices drew Akechi to approach whoever was talking. I could get an idea who was after hearing the detective muttering. "Huh? Kurusu-kun?" We walked towards him, who he was talking with... Yoshizawa. "And you are..." Akechi asked the redhead girl.
"It's been quite a while, Akechi-san," she greeted with a smile. I slowly tried to sneak out before she could notice me. But I failed. "Oh, what a surprise to see you too, Fujin-sensei!"
"And the same for you... Yoshizawa-san, right?" Akechi replied with a smile too.
"You know each other?" Kurusu looked at all of us together. Probably the first time I saw the guy with glasses surprised.
"My father works at a TV station. Have you ever seen Good Morning Japan? My father's the director." Yoshizawa replied. I remained quiet. I was hoping any of them would forget that I was there.
"I've been brought onto the show as a guest several times now. That's how I ended up becoming acquainted with Yoshizawa-san," Akechi turned his eyes at Kurusu and me. "I didn't know you two knew her as well, Kurusu-kun and Fujin-san."
"She's my friend," the guy with glasses replied.
"He helped me out of a jam before, and now he's been offering me guidance," the redhead sounded grateful.
"Helped you out of a jam, eh? I see..." Akechi turned his eyes at me. "And you?" Akechi asked me.
"I... I don't know what you are talking about..." I tried to avoid eye contact. I did my best to not gave up on my nerves.
"Is that so? Because I'm sure that I heard her calling you Fujin-sensei moments ago. I suspected that you may have some history as well," I couldn't fool the detective. What was I thinking?
"Guilty," I said without much confidence. "I... I was Yoshizawa's tutor last year."
"Oh? Is that true?" Akechi looked at her.
"That's right," she replied.
"Now that's quite intriguing," the detective said. "So, what you two up to?"
"Oh, right! I was just about to share some exciting news," Yoshizawa would stop smiling. "It's nothing to keep secret, so I may as well spill it now," her eyes shifted towards Kurusu. "About that summer competition I mentioned to you before? I was chosen to be our club representative!"
"Congratulations," Kurusu said while getting into the same mood as her.
"This only feels like the beginning to me, though."
"Isn't your club's team considered to be quite prestigious?" Akechi asked. "And you're their representative? I must say, that's extremely impressive."
"Thank you! I'll do my best to make everyone proud."
"I'll be cheering you on as well," Akechi said.
"What do you say, Katsuo?" Kurusu asked me. I felt obliged to reply without much choice.
"Me? Well, I can't deny that's no easy feat," I tried to give my best neutral response. However, before I could bail out, Akechi had other plans.
"Ah, I have an idea. Since all four of us are here, why don't we go somewhere as a group? We can call it our little celebration for Yoshizawa-san's success."
"That would be wonderful! Does that work for you, Kurusu-senpai?"
"I have no problem," Kurusu nodded.
"And you, Fujin-sensei?" Everyone began to stare at me, hoping that I would accept the invitation.
Was that how peer pressure felt like? It wasn't like the Phantom Thieves meetings, but an ordinary social invitation that never got before. It would be easier to turn her down. Still, with a Kurusu and Akechi next to me, I would feel guilty for ruining the celebration.
"I guess I could just talk for a bit..." Everyone seemed happy about my response.
"That settles it," Akechi said. "Would you mind if I chose the place? There's a wonderful little cafe I know about..."
"Of course! Lead the way!" Yoshizawa agreed with the suggestion while Kurusu and I didn't complain. We followed the detective into the train station.
The cafe was called Miel et crepes, which was located in Kichijoji. For once, I felt lucky because I could get home much sooner after the celebration. Kurusu picked one of the tables from outside while I tried to pick a seat away from Yoshizawa. As a result, she was between the other two guys while I was a little isolated from them.
Akechi and Yoshizawa ordered hot coffee while Kurusu and I chose iced coffee. I couldn't understand why they would pick something hot at that time of the year.
"Yoshizawa-san, you drink hot beverages even in the summer?" The detective started to interrogate the girl.
"I have to prevent my body from getting too cold since the meet's coming up rather soon."
"I see. You make sure you're covering all your bases."
"Your drink's just as hot," Kurusu commented.
"I was about to say that," I added.
"Well, some people say coffee can cool you off, even when hot, so I try to avoid that too. I had this image that you enjoy sweet things, Akechi-san. Is that untrue? I swear I saw you eating fried sweet bread on TV just the other day..." The redhead girl said, which prompted Akechi to shake his head.
"It's all part of a marketing strategy. That sort of stunt is an easy crowd-pleaser."
"You seem to have your own bases covered as well."
"I feel lied to..." Kurusu said with a disappointed tone.
"Presenting oneself in a favorable light is nothing new. More surprising is just how innocent you seem to be," Akechi laughed off before his eye would focus on Yoshizawa. "By the way, I couldn't help myself from asking how you and Fujin-san know each other."
"What do you want to know? I already told you that I was her tutor last year." I replied as I took a sip of my iced coffee.
"Well, you didn't seem like that type of person working as a tutor."
"My father hired Fujin-sensei when I was in middle school," the redhead girl explained. "He was somewhat strict, but he helped me a lot to balance everything in my life."
"Well, isn't it sweet of him?" Akechi sounded somewhat sarcastic underneath that complement.
"Not really. Yoshizawa's dad didn't want her to fall behind her studies between practices and competitions. It was my job to make sure she learned well," I tried to act dismissive.
"That sounds like you did a good job in the end," Kurusu congratulated me.
"I've been wondering: how do you two know each other?" Yoshizawa began looking at the guys.
"His social studies class visited the set of a TV show I appeared on," Akechi replied.
"Ah, that's right. Second-years got to go to a TV station," the girl said with surprise.
"He and I exchanged our opinions during the shoot, and his way of thinking intrigued me."
"I can definitely see that! Kurusu-senpai's take on things often helps me, as well." Seeing her not to stop smiling kind was unnerving. I couldn't protest as I wasn't the only one I would ask that guy for some opinions.
"That reminds me, Yoshizawa-san. You had mentioned that he's been proving you with some guidance." Akechi continued asking.
"Yes. Like you just said, his way of thinking is intriguing. I figured I could benefit from his input."
"In that case, let's play a little game..."
"What kind of game?" I rose an eyebrow. The detective took a more comfortable posture before he could speak.
"Would you mind if I posed the same question to you and Fujin-san that I first asked him?"
"No, go right ahead," Yoshizawa said.
"Wait, why me?" I asked.
"Because you couldn't give me a full response the last time I talked with you."
"Fair enough... Make your question." I complied with his little game.
"Alright. My question is, what do you think of the Phantom Thieves?"
"Oh, that question, right..." I had to think carefully about what to say, especially in-front of Kurusu and Yoshizawa. "I will take a neutral position because I don't find them much necessary."
"What do you mean by that, Fujin-san?" Akechi continued asking me.
"I may have the feeling that this whole Phantom Thief craze is going to fade out in the future. People will talk here and there, but it's not going to last by the end of the year. "
"Are you saying that Phantom Thieves are nothing more but a fashion statement?"
"In a way, yeah," I finished giving my thoughts. Couldn't tell if Kurusu would be agreed with me, but he already knew that I wasn't in the group for any of their ideas anyway.
"That sounds like an interesting opinion. Much better than the last time I asked," Akechi was analyzing my response before he began to focus on the next person. "What do you think of the Phantom Thieves, Yoshizawa-san?"
"You mean in the case that they do exist, yes?" the girl looked at her cup of coffee for a couple of seconds, thinking her response until she finally looked back at the detective. "I admit that the assistance of others in need is a genuinely great act... but I simply can't agree with their methods."
"I see. Care to explain why?" Akechi had his full attention at Yoshizawa's thoughts. I begrudgingly remained quiet to listen to her.
"I suspect the Phantom Thieves' existence isn't going to be beneficial to society in the long run."
"How so?"
"Well, for example, when someone's faced with a problem to overcome, I believe they need to do it themselves. Getting help from others is totally fine, but in the end, it takes a person's initiative to lasting change. Suppose society relied upon a safety net like the Phantom Thieves. In that case, I worry that people would stop making a conscious effort.
"Granted, this depends on how severe the problem is, and it's inaccurate to apply a generalization to an entire population. But I believe a society where everyone simply leaves matters to the Phantom Thieves wouldn't last very long." Yoshizawa finished speaking. That whole argument left everyone, including myself, with so much to consider what kind of impact Phantom Thieves could make nowadays.
"I see... So, in the sense of a person's growth, their actions actually hinder it," Akechi seemed happy to hear that. "Quite an interesting take on the matter," the detective looked to Kurusu and me. "Let me ask you then. What do you think of Yoshizawa's opinion?"
"She's not wrong," Kurusu's answer threw me off. Then again, it was hard to argue about such aspects.
"Ah, so you think you should let others come to their own conclusions on the matter," Akechi said.
"Wait... Could you actually be a fan of the Phantom Thieves, Kurusu-senpai!?" Yoshizawa was also in shock from learning that fact. Little she knew.
"I didn't mean to start an argument. I just can't help myself sometimes," Akechi said in an apologetic tone despite not letting go of that trademark smile of his. "Let's change the subject to something a bit lighter."
"Agree. What can you tell us about you and Katsuo?" Kurusu asked.
"I was curious as well when we saw you together," Yoshizawa commented.
"Oh, that," I scoffed. "I stumbled with Akechi a few times on different places."
"I would say that was either a coincidence or Fujin-san is a stalker," the detective said mockingly.
"Hey, you should be the stalker because I always arrive before you!" I refuted. "Anyway, we started to make a few discussions on various topics."
"What kind of topics?" Kurusu kept interrogating us.
"Nothing important. Only a few things that I required some opinion at that time." Akechi replied.
"Although he makes pretty hard questions. I can guarantee that." I said while the rest started laughing.
"One last thing I want to ask," Yoshizawa said. "I noticed that Kurusu-senpai called you for your given name. How long you knew each other?" The redhead girl's question became the most difficult one since we couldn't tell how we met due to the weird circumstances at that time. I needed to think quick.
"Well, I met this guy a few weeks ago when I was in a pinch, and he got me out of it."
"What kind of issues were you?" Akechi seemed curious too.
"Personal matters. And now I owe Kurusu some favors."
"What kind of favors?" Yoshizawa asked.
"Usually things like homework or things I need at home," the guy with glasses was fast too on answering. We only hoped that was convincing enough.
"I suppose Kurusu-kun is such a reliable person for a lot of people."
"I agree!" It was a relief. Both of them bought our half-made story without creating more doubts. Yoshizawa looked at her phone for a moment. "I'm sorry, I should probably get going..."
"Leaving already?" Kurusu said.
"If I'm away from home too late, my parents will begin to worry."
"I think it is for the best," I replied.
"Right, let's call it a day. Good luck with your competition," Akechi said in uplift tone.
"You got this."
"Yes! Thank you, Kurusu-senpai!"
"Don't you want to say something to her, too, Fujin-san?" Akechi asked me.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, uh... be careful, alright?" I couldn't come up with better words. She didn't mind what I said as it was enough to make her happy.
"Don't worry, I'll be doing great!" She said while everyone stood up and left the cafe. Akechi paid for our drinks, which saved me a lot of money because that place seemed expensive. It was his idea, after all.
After saying goodbye to them, I realized how strange it felt to be around them and talked so casually. I found it difficult to describe it, but it didn't felt boring for once in my life. Even if I still wasn't comfortable being near that girl, I couldn't care any less.
I don't know, maybe it was too soon to say that I was happy to spend time with them. What an odd group I was.
