Author Note: This is a crossover AU fic where the main protagonist and five other characters of Persona 5 are replaced by OreGairu Characters.
Hachiman Hikigaya, replaces, Akira Kurusu|Ren Amamiya.
Saika Totsuka, replaces, Ryuji Sakamoto.
Yukino Yukinoshita, replaces, Makoto Niijima.
Haruno Yukinoshita, replaces, Sae Niijima.
Shizuka Hiratsuka, replaces, Caroline & Justine|Lavenza.
Yui Yuigahama, replaces, Futaba Sakura.
A variety of other changes have been made to Persona 5's plot and characters.
Including a darker tone and character death.
Happy Reading!
Sat April 9th. Cloudy.
The subway car burst free from the underground allowing a brief glimpse of the day before it plunged back into the dark.
I felt hollow. A normal feeling for me these days. I stared down at the floor of the train car letting the chatter around me fill my mind.
"A mental shutdown?" a feminine voice asked in shock.
"That's what they're calling it," another feminine voice, this one lower in pitch, answered.
"That's so scary? He just drove a bus right into a store?"
"Yeah, and he's not the only person that it's happened to. They're trying to keep it under wraps but the amount of incidents are increasing. Look here."
My attention drifted to another conversation. But just like the previous one it wasn't interesting. Not that I expected them to be. Gossip, idle chatter. People everywhere were the same.
The intercom crackled to life. "Next Stop Shibuya. Next Stop Shibuya. Doors will open on the left. All passengers exiting please use caution."
The train car slowed to a crawl and then came to a dead stop. The doors opened with a shuttered slide. I quickly rose from my seat, My bag on my shoulder, and exited.
As I walked through the station I couldn't help but take note of the large number of people. But I suppose it was to be expected, Tokyo did have over thirteen times the population of Chiba despite only being a little over an hour and a half away.
I paused for a moment as I reached the famous crossing. Not out of excitement, interest, or any other silly emotion. No. The sight was just a bit overwhelming. That was all.
Someone bumped into me but vanished into the ocean of bodies before I could so much as glimpse them.
I stepped to the side of the stream of people and pulled out my phone, opening up the navigation app.
An app icon consisting of an eye of black on a background of red. Invaded the screen, just as I figured out where I was supposed to go next. The thing unsettled me somewhat. Of all the things in the world I would never have thought an app icon would elicit such a feeling in me.
I tapped on the app and dragged it down to be deleted. Where had it even come from?
One step and then another. The world went quiet. One moment a cacophony and the next complete silence. I looked around. People were frozen mid-step. Birds mid-flight. The drifting clouds had halted. Everything had stopped. Become locked in place.
I tried to make sense of it. But I failed.
My eyes caught movement. A pillar of blue flame across the intersection. And inside of it was the silhouette of a person. The only sound I could hear was the hammering of my own heart.
The blue fire burst outward rising and stretching out like some sort of multi-winged creature.
The dark silhouette in the fire became clearer to me as if I was standing right in front of the flames rather than far across from it.
The figure stepped forward unbothered by the fire roaring around it. Cold dead fish eyes and a twisted smile.
It was me. Somehow.
Before I could properly react the world moved again. Thousands of sounds springing to life. People talking, walking, car engines humming, ads playing. Music echoing.
It was all too much. I closed my eyes and put a hand to my head.
After a few seconds, I slowly opened my eyes, everything really was back to normal. So normal that the brief memory of a frozen world felt like some half-remembered dream.
I joined back up with the endless stream of people. Still feeling uneasy.
Nothing otherworldly happened again and by the time I neared Yongen-jaya, I was ready to chalk up the whole strange episode as the work of a stressed mind.
Seeing things. That's all it was. I repeated in my mind.
Evening. Cloudy.
Yongen-jaya.
I walked through the neighbourhood, my navigation app of no use in the tightly packed area, I passed by shuttered storefronts, a convenience store, a small out of sight clinic, and an old movie theatre, before I was forced to loop back around. I knew that it would be faster if I had simply asked someone for directions.
The few people walking the streets would no doubt know the area well if their sure steps and relaxed postures were anything to go by. But I wouldn't.
It took me ten more minutes before I finally found the place I was looking for. Tucked down one of the many cramped side streets across from a bathhouse was Cafe Leblanc.
I stood outside for a few seconds before I forced myself to step inside. A bell chimed announcing my entrance. A series of booths lined the left wall and on the right side was a bar. The air smelled like coffee, tobacco smoke, and an earthy aroma I couldn't quite place.
There was a single customer busy reading a newspaper in one of the booths and another man behind the bar.
The man behind the bar's attention shot to me the moment the bell rang.
He was middle-aged with slicked-back dark hair. Wearing glasses, a pale pink dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a black apron over it.
I walked towards the man.
In one of the corners, there was a TV, the monotonous voice of a newscaster droning on about the economy playing from its speakers.
"I'll leave the bill here," the presumed customer said, rising from his seat, newspaper in hand and a single empty cup on the table.
The man I suspected of being Sojiro Sakura. Only nodded to the customer in response before standing up and giving me a more scrutinizing look.
I stopped just in front of him.
"I was wondering what kind of delinquent would show up," Sojiro said with a sigh, just after the customer exited the cafe.
"What's your name again?"
"Hachiman Hikigaya, Sir." I dropped my eyes to the floor.
I hated that I was here. I Hated that I had to rely on someone else's charity. The very thought made me sick. But what choice did I actually have? The only school that would take me with my probation and expulsion from Sobu High, was here in Tokyo.
"Right, right, I'm Sojiro Sakura as you probably know. This way then, follow me." He walked deeper into the store and I followed.
There was a bathroom next to a narrow stairwell. Sojaro marched upward, moving far faster than I expected.
The stairs led to an attic filled with boxes, trash bags, and various other scattered items. In the back next to a large window was a bed.
"You'll be staying here."
I said nothing in response and just kept eyeing the surroundings wearily. Sojiro didn't seem to expect a reply because he continued after only a breath. "Now let me make this clear. You cause any type of trouble and I'll kick you out. Understood?" He glared at me.
"Understood, sir." I tried to keep my tone respectful. When in truth all I wanted to do was yell. I hadn't done anything wrong. But of course, I knew that there was nothing I could say that would change the man's mind. His opinion of me had already been formed.
"Good. I put your stuff over there." Sojiro motioned to one corner of the room. "I'll give you sheets for your bed but the rest you'll have to clean up yourself. Sojiro wiped a finger on the railing, it came back covered in dust.
"Once I close up for the night I'll be heading home. You'll be alone here. Again, cause any trouble and you're out." Sojiro pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket; he took one out and lit it as he turned around.
"We'll be heading to Sujin Academy tomorrow. What a waste of my Sunday," Sojiro added as he returned downstairs.
I immediately started to clean and tidy up the place. A few hours later the room actually looked livable. All the scattered items were placed into boxes and the boxes were stacked neatly in the corner next to an empty shelf.
I had moved the old couch in between the work desk and a small table. I took the cleaning supplies down just as Sojiro locked up. He seemed surprised that I had actually bothered to clean. But he said nothing.
Night. Clear.
Cafe Leblanc.
I laid in bed, the unfamiliar surroundings making it hard for me to fall asleep. As so often happened (but I wished didn't) my mind drifted back to that night. I could still clearly hear the women's screams for help. Smell the alcohol on the man's breath. And the life-crushing events that followed.
My phone vibrated in my pocket snapping me out of my dark musings.
I brought it up to my face. The same app from earlier today greeted me.
I was absolutely certain that I had deleted it, furthermore I didn't remember downloading it in the first place. Did my phone catch a virus? I couldn't come up with any other explanation.
I deleted it again and then I finally felt the grip of sleep take me.
?
The bed suddenly felt uncomfortable and the air turned as cold as ice. My eyes snapped open. I was not in the attic of LeBlanc rather I was in a dark jail cell shackles adorning my wrists and dressed in a black and white striped uniform.
Footsteps drew my attention to the front of the cell.
A tall woman with long dark hair, and unkempt bangs dressed in a blue formal coat with a dress shirt and black tie underneath and a hat resting on her head. The outfit reminded me of a prison guard. Which fit in quite nicely with the surroundings.
The older woman glared down at me with her cold grey eyes. Then she flicked out a baton and smashed it against the bars of the jail cell.
"Stand up," she commanded.
I stood and cautiously approached. My mind was a mess. Just what in the world was going on?
In the centre of the circular room surrounded by shadowed cells like the one I found myself in was a large ornate desk with a man sitting behind it. A blue mist saturated the area.
Light from an unknown source made the strange man clear to see. Incredibly thin, dressed in a fine black suit with white gloves. The old man's most prominent features however were his bizarrely long nose, pointed ears, and bulging eyes.
"Welcome, Trickster to my velvet room." The man's voice was smooth and elegant with just a touch of mania to it.
"I am delighted to make your acquaintance. My name is Igor. This place exists between reality and dream. Mind and matter. A reflection of those that have in some way or another signed the contract."
"Signed a contract?" I spoke up for the first time. I didn't know why I was speaking now. But I was absolutely sure that I hadn't signed anything. I was wary of even accepting the 'I agree' popups on the majority of websites and apps.
"Yes," Igor nodded and then continued on. "Quite the unpleasant place you have conjured for yourself. Altho it is not entirely your fault. My duty is to provide you with assistance so that you may win the game that is being played."
"Game?"
"Indeed. And the odds are stacked against you, I am afraid."
The older women coughed.
"Ah, where are my manners? This is Shizuka, one of my assistants."
Shizuka dipped her head, "Pleased to meet you. I will aid you most by fixing this distorted reflection," she said looking around the room as if it had personally offended her.
I kept my mouth shut. Completely at a loss.
"The hour grows late. We will talk again soon. Trickster."
Author Note: Hachiman feels kind of off to me. Hopfully it improves as the fic goes on.
