Fortunately, you're able to slip back into class while your teacher has his back turned, stalking down the rows of desks and sliding into your seat before he notices. A couple of your classmates cast curious glances your way, make no effort to rat you out. It's not the first time they've seen someone sneak into class, and it likely won't be the last.

"Hey," Mariko mouths in greeting, and behind you, Hayate taps you on the shoulder.

"What'd Shibutani want?"

"Not really the time for this," you whisper back. Then, to both of them, you say, "Listen, I know we've still got some stuff to discuss, but Shibutani wants me after school today. We'll have to find another time to meet. Can you pass that along to Nisekao?"

Mariko nods, and Hayate points forward. Snapping your head back around, you find the teacher staring directly at you, his arms crossed and the stick of the lollipop he's perpetually sucking on hanging disapprovingly from his lips.

"Having an interesting conversation, Katsuji? Or can I get back to chemical bonds?"

"Sorry, sir. Just checking a homework assignment," you lie.

"Save it until after my class."

"Of course, sir."

Mariko and Hayate nod their understanding and return their attention up front. You, on the other hand, are too distracted by recent events to invest yourself in the lecture. You'll just borrow someone's notes another time.


The last bell peals sooner than you expected. You say goodbye to the others outside of homeroom, and grimly trudge upstairs.

The third-year hall is something of a mystery to you, as you've never had a reason to spend much time here. Superficially, it's no different from the other two floors of school save for the numbers above the classroom doors. But at the same time, you can't help but feel unwelcome here, like you're somehow being scrutinized by the flocks of tired-looking third-years that pass by on their way out of the building.

As your eyes absentmindedly passes over the faces in the crowd, they alight on one that looks familiar. At first, it looks like Jidou, the Yatabuya member that rescued you the other day - until he draws nearer. Although they share the same unnaturally whitish, fluffy tufts of hair and jade eyes, this person is a she, her hair falling in bouncy curls down to her neck. The silver brooch affixed to the bow at her neck identifies her as a third-year, but she's only stuck to the girls' uniform from the waist-up, abandoning the skirt for a pair of the boys' dark slacks. There's a slight bounce in her step and playfulness in her expression than her tight-lipped doppelganger. She reminds you of a rabbit - not just because of the way she looks, but the air of whimsy about her.

As she passes you on her way to the stairs, she catches you staring and lets out a noiseless chuckle. Embarrassed, you quickly turn your eyes the other way to make it look like you're looking for Shibutani.

You don't have far to look.

He's standing right in front of you when you take your gaze off the rabbit girl, looming uncomfortably close and studying you with an intense gaze. Your heart just about skips a beat as you jump back.

"Gahhh! I-I mean, hi, Shibutani-senpai."

"Greetings to you too, Katsuji. Have I startled you?"

You begin to say no, but you don't know who you're fooling. "Kinda...you're pretty stealthy for...umm..." You trail off before you say anything stupid.

"...A person of my stature?" He gives a throaty laugh. "Good! The element of surprise is essential when combating the forces of delinquency!"

"Right," you say absentmindedly. Now that you've got Jidou on the brain, you remember that you'd made a mental note to ask around about him, and perhaps work out why he'd step in for you. Shibutani prides himself on his knowledge of the student body - there's probably no one better to ask.

"Shibutani-senpai, can I ask you something real quick?"

He eyes you with a quiet skepticism.

"You may."

"You wouldn't happen to know anyone named Jidou, would you?"

His eyebrows crawl even further up his forehead.

"Jidou? Which one?"

"There's more than one?"

"Two. Twins, as a matter of fact; brother and sister," he replies. That explains the similarities between the two, at least. "Why are you asking?"

You hesitate as you fumble around for some excuse. Obviously, it'd look bad to tell him that you'd gotten mixed up with the Yatabuya, even if you hadn't meant to in the first place.

"I was asking about the boy. I'm looking for a...a tutor, and someone in my class mentioned his name."

It's a flimsy lie, but surprisingly, Shibutani doesn't appear to care much.

"Hmm, good. The girl is nothing but trouble." He pauses, but doesn't appear ready to elaborate on that. "He would make an excellent tutor, I agree. He's easily one of Toshima's premier students. However, I'm afraid that he doesn't quite have the appropriate personality for it. Besides, I'm given to understand that a fair portion of his free time is devoted to the robotics club. If I were you, I'd look elsewhere. Now follow me! There are some people I wish to introduce you to."

Truncating that line of inquiry, Shibutani takes you to a classroom at the very end of the south wing and stops at the door. A paper sign has been affixed to the outside that reads: "Student Council in session."

Whoa no, you think. Cleaning the annex was acceptable to a point, but this is a can of worms you want nothing to do with, especially with the kind of commitment your Shadow hunting demands.

"Wait, this is...you don't really..." you half-say, half-mumble to Shibutani, hoping that you're interpreting the situation incorrectly. He looks back over his shoulder at you raising a bushy eyebrow.

"Ah, but I do! You may be apprehensive now, but believe me when I say that this is the best rehabilitation for your miscreant behavior. We will take your misguided passion for justice and put it to use! Now come!"

Without giving you the opportunity to object further, he throws open the door, dragging you inside by the wrist.

"Greetings! Your Disciplinary Committee Chair has arrived!"

Although the Student Council room is large, the long table at its center and the piles of clutter around it go a long ways towards cramping the space. Boxes with sheaves of paper sticking out of them like dogs' ears are stacked shoulder-high in the corners, each one labeled with black marker to denote their contents. A low table with a couple obsolete computers hunches at one side of the room, a mobile whiteboard covered in various lists and doodles of anime and video game characters sits at the other. The blinds at the far side of the of room have been half-drawn, casting lines of somber orange light across the room.

Around the table, many faces fixate upon the two of you at once, their expressions ranging from amused to annoyed. A bright-eyed, raven-haired boy seated at the head of the table leans forward in his chair, propping his elbows up in front of him and tenting his fingers. He smiles, wide and welcoming.

"Quite the enthusiastic entrance, Shibutani." His eyes find yours. "And you brought along a new face."

"Tetsuo Katsuji," you introduce yourself. The boy lifts himself out of seat and walks around the table to shake your hand.

"Wonderful! Souichiro Saito, Student Council President! Glad to meet you, Katsuji-san! I guess this means you'll be joining us?"

"Well, I-" you begin, but Shibutani claps a giant palm over your mouth and takes over.

"Indeed it will! Katsuji has expressed great interest in joining the Disciplinary Committee, if you would permit it, President."

Saito laughs, clear and boyishly.

"Shibutani, you don't need my permission to do a little recruiting. I trust your judgment. Why don't you pull up a seat and we can go through introductions before we begin."

He gestures to a seat next to Shibutani's. Reluctantly, you pull it out and sit down. All around you, you can sense the other members sizing you up. It's as if they can tell that you're not supposed to be here. You want to tell them that it wasn't your idea, but it's unlikely that that'd improve anything.

Resigned to your fate, you make yourself as comfortable as you can be as the various committee chairs and their underlings announce themselves. None of them are particularly familiar to you. Although they all wear the orange armband of the student council, there are a number of sour-looking faces that, like Shibutani, don't much look like prototypical council members. Then again, perhaps it's not your place to be judging who ended up on Student Council anyhow. You can't recall for the life of you who you voted for - in fact, you're sure you wrote in Neo Featherman for president on your ballot.

However, despite the rest of the Council being relatively foreign, you've heard plenty about the president. It'd be hard to attend Toshima and have no idea who Souichiro Saito was. The only child of one of Toshima's premier up-and-coming families, Saito transferred to Toshima at the beginning of last year and quickly won over the hearts and minds of the students and staff. Clever, optimistic, and a staunch idealist, his modesty and amiability made him difficult to dislike, in spite of his family's wealth.

According to the rumors, only three years beforehand, the Saitos had been a family plunging towards poverty. His father, a university dropout, had married and had a child young, which strained their finances. In an effort to save his family, he'd bet it all on G-Net, a social networking application for computers and phones. It erupted all over Japan, and within a few short years, the Saitos had gone from cup noodles to caviar, taking their place as one of the country's most recognizable names.

Popular opinion says that's why Saito's so likeable: even though he's rich now, he still remembers what it was like when he wasn't. Personally, you'd never had an opinion, seeing as you'd never met the guy. But as you watch him speak with the other council members, you can see why people think the way they do. He doesn't act like a Student Council President, per se. He's loose and jocular when he talks - almost excessively so. But at the same time, there's something in his body language and his intense, black eyes that commands the others' respect.

"Well, the way I see it, as long as we end up with the funds, and the students get to go on the trip, that's all that matters, right? OK, Shibutani...you might have to jog my memory, but I think last time we were together, the Discipline Committee was working on a proposal for..."

Saito opens a fat binder in front of him and flips backwards through a couple pages.

"...ah. 'A school night watch for apprehending unsavory gang-related elements prowling around school grounds after hours.' How's it going?"

Shibutani rummages around in his bag and slams a sheet of paper down on the table before sliding it down to Saito.

"Completed and ready for your perusal, President Saito!"

Saito chuckles, and muttering, "As expected of the great Shigesato Shibutani," begins scanning the proposal. After a couple of seconds, he lays it down again and regards Shibutani with a confused expression.

"Everything looks perfect as usual, but it's a bit different from what we discussed last week. It says here that you're requesting extra manpower for before school hours as well."

Shibutani clears his throat.

"Unfortunately, things have changed since the last time we met. The Yatabuya are growing bolder by the day. Just within this past week, I've had more incidents reported to me than in the first two weeks of last year. Threats, break-ins, muggings, assault...and that's all within school grounds. If I delved into what I've heard of their operations within the city, we'd be here all night."

You could certainly vouch for that. For reasons you can't comprehend, the Yatabuya Boss must have been exceptionally pissed that you crossed into the Tagekawa District to send Taishi and Chikara after you. It used to be that you only had to worry about stepping on the gangs' toes while you were at school, but evidently, that's no longer the case.

"And yet, I still haven't been able to catch them at it during school hours, despite my best efforts. They must be operating outside of the school day. They are here, on these grounds somewhere, and I will not stand for it! I am incapable of adequately protecting this school with the numbers and timeframe allotted! The faster we take this infestation seriously, the faster we can purge this menace from our halls!"

In spite of Shibutani's melodrama, Saito just keeps on smiling as though he'd just been told that everything was going swimmingly. Calmly, he takes Shibutani's proposal and places it inside the binder.

"Well, I'll certainly see what I can do, but I'll make no promises. The administration is awfully picky about students being on campus unsupervised. You know how it is."

"But I would be acting as supervisor," replies Shibutani.

"Of course, of course. But, even though we know you're more than just a student, the staff may not see it that way. But who knows, they're familiar with your body of work, so we might get lucky. I promise I'll do my best to put in a good word for you. As for the manpower, well, that's more up to you to take care of. Although it looks like you're on the right track," says Saito with a pointed glance towards you.

"Understood. Thank you."

Shibutani sighs resignedly and returns to his seat. On your left, the council's treasurer rises to deliver his report. The topic of budgets is intensely boring, making your mind turn elsewhere. Assuming you don't get saddled with any more bullshit, Golden Week should be a welcome chance to blow off some steam. Or at least it would, if you hadn't been put in charge.

You don't mind being asked to do it; it's more that you don't know what to do that bothers you. For most of your life, you've been riding the fine line between plain old introvert and recluse. It hasn't been because you hate people, but rather because you've never felt like you've had anything worth sharing with them. That's what's made this first week of school feel so strange - you're not sure if the reason why you're getting to know so many new people is because of who you are or because of what's happening to you. It'd be nice to think it was the former, but almost everyone you've met so far has been because of your Persona, one way or another.

You give your head a small shake. Perhaps you're overthinking things. There's nothing wrong with change, you suppose. And this train of thought isn't getting you any closer to figuring out what you're going to do for Golden Week. Try as you might, you don't know the first thing about fun things to do in the city with someone else, let alone a girl. What do girls even like to do in their spare time? Shopping? Visiting salons? Eating at cafes that serve those tiny cakes the size of your palm? Somehow, that doesn't quite sound like Mariko, though. There's got to be someone who could suggest something reasonable...

No.

The thought makes you cringe inwardly, but deep down, you know there's no one better to ask. Dad would be more than happy to provide you with a list of places, you're sure. But knowing his taste, you'd just end up with the names of a bunch of discotheques and jazz lounges that have been closed for twenty years. You'll just have to swallow your pride and turn to your newest "best pal" Hayate for advice.

Around you, the other members of the council are shuffling their things and rising from their seats. As your ears tune back in to the babble around you, you just manage to catch Saito saying, "...we'll table that discussion until next week to save everyone's sanity. See you then, stay safe, and be productive!"

A hefty paw claps you on the shoulder, and Shibutani smiles down at you. Breathing deep, he says, "Truly, there is nothing more satisfying and intoxicating than the feeling of business conducted efficiently, right, Katsuji?"

"Intoxicating" has never been a word you've associated with parliamentary procedure, but to each his own.

"Err...sure."

"Hmm." He frowns. "Well, it may be that the experience has yet to grow on you. One's affinity for justice and order must be carefully nurtured until it bears fruit. The seed of that fruit is already planted within you," he says, poking you in the chest, "and I feel that it won't take long for you to come to appreciate serving on my committee. At any rate, I'd imagine it's preferable to scrubbing floors! Gahahaha!"

He's got a point there, although given the circumstances, you don't feel like you ought to have been punished at all. However, it should be interesting to see Otomuji's reaction to your being given a Student Council position as "punishment".

Actually, on second thought, it might be better to keep that under wraps.

You part with Shibutani at the landing and make your way down to your locker to retrieve your things. When you round the corner on the landing above the last flight of stairs, Nisekao is parked in front of his locker, rigid as a board and staring at it intensely.

"Hey, Nisekao," you call out, but he doesn't answer or acknowledge your presence.

Quickly tapping down the stairs and striding over to him, you gently put your hand on his shoulder so as not to spook him.

"Hey, you alright?"

Again, he treats you as if you were invisible. Up close, his eyes are shining and wet, his mouth hanging open slightly as he sucks down stunted breaths. Following his gaze to his locker, you can see why.

The inside of the locker has been smeared top to bottom with liquid hand soap. It's been squirted all over his notes, in between the pages of his books, and inside his shoes. Around the outside edges, someone's scribbled nasty notes in rushed handwriting and affixed them with generous gobs of soap.

Greaseball.

Coward.

Virgin fairy.

Needs to be put out of his misery.

Reading them makes your blood boil, and the ball of hatred inside starts rattling the bars of its cage. Before you can read another, you gather them all up in a soggy ball of scented pulp and hurl them into a nearby wastebin.

"Who. Who did this?!" The way you practically shout the question takes you aback, and you try some deep breathing to bring you back to rationality.

"I...I don't know," mumbles Nisekao, his voice still quavering with tears. "It was like this when I left class."

"You've been sitting here all this time?"

He turns towards you. His face is red and splotchy where tears have been.

"I didn't know what to do...I told Mariko-chan to go home ahead of me, and then...I couldn't just leave it like this, but..." He trails off, and a choking sob escapes his mouth. "This is the first time they've done something like this."

"Who? Who's 'they'? Those guys who were harassing you before? I swear, if they're starting shit with you again, I'll-"

"No! You can't go and fight them again! I don't want you to get in any more trouble because of me."

You find yourself grinding your teeth together despite yourself. He's right - it's unlikely that Shibutani will be willing to bail you out a third time, especially now that you're on his committee.

"That's bullshit, you can't keep on taking this from those guys! You didn't do a damn thing! I punched that guy, not you! He oughta be soaping up my locker!"

Nisekao cracks a wry smile.

"Well, it could have been worse...at least my locker will smell nice now."

"C'mon, that's not how you should be looking at this. Aren't you angry at all?"

Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he locks them with yours. Two black chasms, abyssal and devoid of warmth.

"Always. At them...and at myself, for being unable to pay them back with this broken body. They need to be punished, Tetsuo. I want them to feel the same hurt, the same humiliation that I feel. I know that I'm...meek. I know that I'm spineless." He heaves a dry chuckle. "But please don't ever assume that I don't care. There are some things that I don't feel anymore, and others that I feel more strongly than ever. You feel them too, don't you?"

Wordlessly, you nod. It isn't as if you've been subtle with your emotions.

"Of course you do," he continues, "I guess we're alike in that way, too."

You collapse down onto the step that separates the lockers from the school proper. All the octane from your burst of rage is burning off, leaving only heavy lumps of frustration behind. Then, you alight on an idea.

"Maybe I can help. I might not be able to give those guys what they deserve as me, but as a member of the Disciplinary Committee..."

"What?" The intrigue is written plainly on his face. "Since when were you...?"

"A little under an hour ago. It's my 'punishment', don't ask. But, if we play our cards right, it might just be a way to get those bullies out of your hair for good."

"You would do that...for me?"

You grasp his shoulders tightly. "Of course. I consider you a friend, Nisekao. I'm serious about that. Before this year, I used to be a loner, too. But...it doesn't have to be that way if we don't want it to. We'll beat them."

"Promise?" He extends a pinky.

"Promise," you say, taking his in yours and giving it a firm shake.

"Thanks, Tetsuo. I know I can count on you."

"Same here."