Things don't go exactly according to plan over the next few days, and your meeting with Nightmare gets put on hold. Although Shibutani is back on his feet within hours of leaving his Cloud, Koharu's recovery proves to be more complicated. The nurse is unable to wake her, and she ends up being sent to the hospital. The five of you visit when you can – that is, whenever you can manage to leave school without being tailed by the Yatabuya.
You were right when you surmised that things would get more difficult when you removed Shibutani's Shadow from control. The day after Cloud Four was terminated, Shibutani spotted two gang members tailing you on your way home. Thanks to his presence, they've never dared to start anything with you, preferring to watch from distance instead. All the same, you'd rather they didn't find out that Koharu is in the hospital. As a result, you've taken to leaving the school by more discreet methods, and taking the time to shake your pursuers if they catch on.
Eventually, Koharu does wake up, much to everyone's relief. On the day the doctors finally let you back in, it's a reunion filled with gratitude, excessive apologies, a few tears, and of course, some of the usual bickering (albeit very dialed back and missing the typical venom). However, you learn that it will still be a couple of days before she's allowed to return to school life. The reasoning is clear, but at the same time, you told Nightmare that you wanted everyone to be present when you met, and you can't help but wish that Koharu could come home right away.
Today finds you at the hospital by yourself. Mariko and Hayate had meant to come with you, but they were forced to play decoy for a couple of thugs that had taken a little too much interest in your destination. As you wander the sterile hallways, find yourself wishing that you weren't alone. You can't put your finger on why, but every time you've come here, some animal part of your brain starts screaming at you to leave. You do your best to suppress it as you approach Koharu's room.
Koharu is reclining on a bench seat next to the window, a sketchpad resting on top of her legs. She seems lost in thought as she gazes outside, and doesn't notice when you enter.
"Hey. It's Tetsuo."
She gives a start, and almost drops the sketchpad.
"Ghh! I-I didn't hear you come in!" she squeaks, clutching the pad tightly to her chest.
"Sorry," you say, although you're not sure what for. You pull up a small stool and allow yourself to relax.
Koharu frowns at you. "You're by yourself today. Are they still bothering you?"
You wave your hand dismissively. "It's fine. I wouldn't worry about it too much. We're handling things."
She rolls her eyes. "That's not exactly convincing. Wasn't Shibutani supposed to be getting those creeps off our backs? What's he doing today?"
"Busy. He's been putting in a lot of time trying to put together evidence against Nisekao's bullies lately. He's interviewing him for a statement."
Koharu's expression softens, and her cheeks grow red. "Oh. I…didn't know that. That's good, then."
The two of you fall silent, and fix your eyes on different shadows crawling across the room in the dying daylight. Being alone with her for the first time, you're painfully aware of just how much of a stranger Koharu still is. The stillness is becoming too much to handle, so you venture a relatively harmless topic.
"What're you drawing?"
The way her face flushes indicates that it wasn't at all harmless. She mumbles aimlessly for a bit before letting an awkward "Something" fall out.
"Ah. I get it," you say before realizing that wasn't the right response, either. Koharu's reddening so furiously that she has to turn away.
"Ugh! Why'd you even ask if that ass Hayate has been talking about it, anyways? Yeah, it's…eroge, so what? You can think I'm a pervert all you want, but at least I don't express it the way he does!"
This is…uncharted territory. You'll need to express yourself carefully.
"Can I see?"
She freezes. "Absolutely not! At least, not unless you want to become a backer on my Advocatreon."
She allows herself a small giggle at that, and the ice is broken. Her frame relaxes, and she shoots you a skeptical look.
"Jeez, I wasn't expecting you to be like that, too. I guess all guys must be. Some are just better at hiding it than others."
"I don't know if you've got much room to be calling out other people like that," you retort.
"Excuse me, I am not the same at all! I just happen to like drawing and writing about relationships! And…you know, those go places. I'm just trying to be realistic." She glances guiltily to the side. "Plus, it makes pretty good money if you get decent at it. And art supplies are expensive."
"That makes sense," you say. "So how much are your backer tiers?"
"Agh! Screw you, Tetsuo, you little troll! Is this some bit you're doing or what?"
"Kind of, I'm sorry," you say with a grin. "You just threw me for a loop is all. I didn't think you were the sort to be that into romance."
Her joking smile fades, and you realize you've put your foot in your mouth again.
"Why? 'Cause of Hayate?"
"Sort of. You guys go at each other like cats and dogs, you know."
"What, you wanna hear what happened or something?"
"I mean, it's none of my business..."
Koharu sighs through her nose and sets the sketchbook down next to her.
"Well, you brought it up, so I may as well.
"We met last year, kinda the same as what happened just now. He wandered into the wrong class during lunch and caught me drawing. But he was really nice about it, and seemed really interested. I didn't have a lot of friends, and neither did he, so we just…started hanging out. We liked a lot of the same things, so it made sense."
"Then, how did…?"
Koharu pulls idly on a strand of frizzy hair. "I dunno. Somewhere along the line he stopped spending time with me. Kept making excuses to go tag along with idiots he didn't know to go parties he wasn't invited to. I felt tossed aside. Used. Like I'd done something wrong, but he never told me what. He basically dumped me, but never had the balls to say it. How would you feel if that happened to you?"
"Similarly, I think. But I'm no expert. I've never been in a relationship myself," you answer.
Her eyebrows arch. "Really? I kinda find that hard to believe." Then, realizing what she's said, she blushes. "Don't read too much into that, by the way."
"Uhh…thanks anyways. I think."
The conversation stalls. Koharu picks up her pencil and resumes sketching.
"I know you want me to leave him alone," she says suddenly. "But I don't know if I can promise that. I wouldn't expect you to understand, but he really hurt me. Just being around him, hearing him talk, acting like I was at fault? How am I supposed to deal with that?"
"Do you…not want to do this anymore? The Shadow thing, I mean. I know you were still on the fence about it when we dragged you into Cloud Four."
"No! That's not what I'm saying…I don't think I could back out even I wanted to at this point. I have a Persona now, and those Yatabuya guys have to have seen me with you…"
"If it's about Hayate, I can't tell him to stop coming along. I get where you're coming from – when I met him, I couldn't stand him. Not one bit. But-"
"But what," Koharu spits, crossing her arms, her eyes little more than slits. You press on.
"But he's trying to be better. Or at least trying to be normal. He really is. And…you can choose to believe me or not, but when we pulled him out of his Cloud, he was just so incredibly lonely. I can't say whether it had anything to do with you or not, but something hurt him really badly, too."
"Well, that's a relief," says Koharu, and you can't help but give her an exasperated look. She sees it, and softens up right away.
"I mean, it does feel a little better to know that he felt something." She pauses, gaging your expression. It hasn't changed. "Okay, fine. I'll try to tolerate him a little more. But you need to get him to do the same!"
You allow yourself a smile at that. "Sounds fair."
Another pause. Something's been on your mind.
"You know, you saved his life back there-" you start, but a glare from her kills that thought in its cradle.
"Yeah, nah. This is already more talking than I'm used to. Draw your own conclusions. Or better yet, just forget about it."
That sounds like your cue, so you rise from the stool and turn towards the door.
"Okay, okay. I can take a hint. Take it easy, Koharu. You earned it, after all."
"Hold on!" she shouts. You take your hand from the door handle. "Thanks…for listening to all that. You're the first person I've told about that stuff. Except for my mom, but you know…"
"No problem. We're friends, right?" you venture.
"Yeah. I mean, if you feel like it," she says.
Thou art I...
And I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...
It shall grant you the strength to open thine eyes...
Thou shalt be blessed under the sign of the Hermit Arcana…
• • • • •
Koharu is discharged from the hospital the next morning. And although you're not sure how he knew, Gin approaches you immediately after school lets out, appearing almost out of thin air at your shoe cupboard.
"Shimizu. I heard she left the hospital today."
"Gah! Where did you come from?" you shout, taken aback. He doesn't say anything and stares at you expectantly. "Umm, yeah. This morning," you answer.
"Good. I'm sure you've noticed, but you have our friends' full attention now. I can't be sure, but I think they're waiting for your next move."
"You can't be sure? Aren't you-" you begin, but Gin quickly brings a finger to his lips.
"No. We can talk about that later. Besides, it's not going to matter for much longer anyways. The point is, whatever we do next, it needs to be decisive. Which means we need to start getting somewhere. When's the soonest you can all meet?"
"Tomorrow. We should give Koharu at least another day."
Gin closes his eyes and breathes deeply, but doesn't object.
"Fine. But tomorrow's Sunday. We won't be able to meet here."
"My house. We have a garage we use sometimes. I'll give you the address."
Gin regards you skeptically. "Your house? You realize how dangerous that'd be if you were tailed?"
"We've gotten good at keeping them away. Just make sure you don't bring anyone else with you."
Gin cracks the barest hint of a smile. "Not to worry. See you then."
• • • • •
The next day, a steady stream of visitors filters into your home, no more than a couple at a time. You've told Dad beforehand that you'd be having people over to work on a group project today, much to his delight. By the time the first person – Mariko – arrives, he's already set up a buffet of snacks across two foldable tables in the garage, easily enough to feed double the number of people you're expecting.
"It feels like a bit much, don't you think?" you ask him, as he whisks another plate of sizzling yakitori into the garage.
"Nonsense! I don't get the opportunity to cook this much all that often. Besides, it might not hurt to leave a good impression on your classmates. These are the kind of relationships you keep for the rest of your life, you know."
"And how many of your high school friends do you still hang out with?"
Dad shoots you an unamused look. "None, I had a kid," he says, but he can't even keep up the bit for more than a few seconds before he's all smiles again. "But I still remember them pretty fondly. Don't take days like this for granted."
Seeing everyone assembled in your garage for the first time certainly does leave an impression. It's also the first time you've seen the members of Nightmare in anything other than their "disguises" or their school uniforms. Now that you're getting a better look at them, you're a little surprised at how much older they look than you, even for third years. Or perhaps its their serious expressions that make them seem that way. Well, except for Rin, who's made herself at home on the squashy beanbag chair in the corner, popping rice dumplings into her mouth like they're breath mints and making small, delighted noises at each one.
Gin clears his throat loudly, and everyone sits up.
"So, are we ready to get started? Seems like we've got a lot to cover, so we may as well start with introductions.
"I'm Gin Jidou," he says, then adds, "…third year. And Nightmare's unofficial navigator." He then prods his sister in the ribs, who isn't paying attention.
"Eep!" she squeaks, swallowing a dumpling whole and gagging. "R-Rin Jidou. Also third year. We're twins! And he's definitely the official navigator. He's way better at it than either of us," she says with a wide grin.
Now, it's the blue-haired girl's turn. Today, her hair's been pulled back into a tight bun. She gives everyone a polite wave.
"Yoko Tanaka. I'm a third year, too. Good to meet you."
"Hang on, 'Tanaka'? Is that like, 'Tanaka's Amazing Commodities'? That Tanaka?" blurts Hayate.
"Don't be stupid, it's a common name-" Koharu says, but he and Mariko are already breaking out into the shopping channel's theme song.
Surprisingly, Yoko winces and says, "I…please don't. If I never hear that song again in my life, it'll be too soon."
"Wait, what? Seriously?" says Koharu.
Yoko tries her best to ignore them and says, "H-How about you guys? I mean, it feels like we know a lot about you already, but why don't you introduce yourselves all the same?"
One by one, the members of Sleepwalkers handle introductions in return. But once you're finished, Shibutani raises his hand.
"Senpai, come on now," Hayate says.
Shibutani sheepishly lowers his hand.
"Ah. Well, right. Eh-hem. First, before we get into any more serious discussion, I would like to make a formal apology to all of you, Katusji in particular."
"Senpai, we've already told you, it's okay. We're past that-" you say, but Shibutani shakes his head.
"Absolutely not! You very explicitly warned me of the nature of that wretched app, and I blatantly disregarded your warnings. My weakness put all of your lives at risk. Therefore, I simply cannot join your effort in good conscience without a proper consequence."
Gin squints at him in disbelief. "Are we really doing this?"
"This is a matter of upholding my personal code! I cannot be allowed to commit such an act scot-free!"
"Okay, then let's do this – we'll put it to a vote, just like we do in the Council. Whoever wants Shibutani to serve his punishment by fighting murderous Shadows with us, say 'aye'," you say.
"Aye," says the rest of the room, raising their hands.
"The 'aye's have it, you're good to go. Does that work for you?"
"All things considered, it seems a little light…" Shibutani says, and everyone groans.
"Shibutani-senpai, no one's upset with you or going to push you away," says Mariko.
"Yeah, you're also practically the only thing keeping the Yatabuya from killing us, so there's that, too," adds Koharu.
"About that," says Gin, stepping forward. "Seems as good a time as any to mention it – they may not hold off for too much longer. Or at least that's what we have to assume – it won't be long now before we lose contact with them altogether." He nods towards you. "He already knows this, but for a while now, Rin and I have been pretending to be members of the Yatabuya in order to figure out what their angle is." He pulls down the collar of his turtleneck to reveal the sword-in-fist tattoo, and Rin does the same. Hayate and Shibutani tense up.
"Hold on!" cries Koharu. "We're not just going to pretend like that isn't some big deal! People don't just casually get tattoos like that! How do we know you aren't actually spying on us?"
Gin sighs. "Well, you could think about it for more than a couple seconds, or-" he begins, but Yoko cuts him off.
"I don't have the tattoo, how about that?" She pulls down her own collar to prove it.
"This was Rin's idea first. She went and joined up without telling either of us, so I followed her to make sure she wasn't getting in over her head. We told Yoko to stay out of it, though. We figured it would be a good idea to have someone who could still infiltrate Clouds while we were busy," explains Gin. "Besides, we've been doing an awful lot of Shadow killing to be playing the triple agent angle. Does that satisfy you?"
Begrudgingly, Koharu nods with the rest of you, although she still looks awfully wary.
"That said, now that our disguises have been compromised in the Cloud, I don't think it's safe to go back. Your Shadow didn't seem to see eye to eye with the Yatabuya," Gin says to Shibutani, "but anything that happens in a Cloud seems to have a way of reaching Taishi and Chikara eventually. And whomever it is that they're taking orders from."
Mariko leans forwards. "How much do they know about what we've been doing?"
"Oh, pretty much everything," says Rin in between mouthfuls of chips. "Most of the gang members are Shadows, after all. They send those guys into the big Clouds to keep an eye on stuff. Like you. And us."
"You're sure about that?" says Nisekao.
"As sure as we can be. I'm good with robotics, so they've been using me and my drones to run surveillance across the city. They've also been asking me to keep tabs on you an awful lot lately." Gin must see the concern on your faces, because he quickly adds, "I haven't been giving them anything sensitive. I scrub most of the video footage before I let them see anything. Probably a good thing we'll be cutting ties soon; I don't think their patience with me would have held out much longer."
"I guess that's not too surprising that they're taking such an interest in us. They've made it clear that they want the people that have turned into Shadows to stay Shadows. Is that why they decided to start getting their hands dirty themselves?" you ask.
"More or less," says Gin. "We've had a couple of run-ins ourselves. They're a couple of losers, to be honest. Crafty, but losers. We're better Persona users than they are, so they're not much more than an annoyance if we run into them in a Cloud. Outside of one is another story, though."
"Then let's quit beating around the bush. You've spent all this time around them – what's the point of all this? Why go through all the trouble of turning people into Shadows? That's what I don't get," says Koharu.
Hayate looks towards Rin. "When you met us in Cloud Three, you said it wasn't all about turf, right?"
Gin gives his sister a wilting glare, but goes on anyways. "I'm sure that's what they want us to believe, but that's way too surface level. Think about it a little harder, and it stops making sense. If all they cared about was taking control of the city, every Shadow's behavior would align with that goal."
"But they don't," you say.
"Yeah," says Yoko. "Granted, we've been in a few gang members' Clouds, and they're all about the whole 'for the glory of the Yatabuya' thing. Pretty simple. But the bigger Clouds? Like the ones you guys have been hitting? They're all way more personal, and the Dreamweavers' goals are all over the place. None of them have anything to do with making the Yatabuya more powerful. It's just all some twisted kind of wish fulfillment."
"So the Yatabuya's purpose appears to be to ensure the existence of a group of beings that have no interest in their goals?" Shibutani says.
"Well, it's not as if they aren't benefitting at all. They've grown significantly larger in a short amount of time, and thanks to that, they get to act like they own the city. But the disconnect is bizarre, I'll give you that. In fact, your Shadow-" Gin gestures towards Shibutani "-even went so far as take the Yatabuya out of the picture entirely. Taishi and Chikara have been furious about it."
Mariko cradles her chin in her thumb and index finger thoughtfully. "It almost sounds like the Shadows might be using the Yatabuya, instead of the other way around."
"Right?" says Rin, sitting up straight for the first time. "After we joined, we asked some of the members a few questions about how the gang got so big. Not everyone knew everything, but we could piece together enough information.
"Apparently, they used to be really small – just over a dozen doofuses that would run around skipping classes, riding motorcycles, y'know, stuff that gets on people's nerves. Then, one day, Taishi and Chikara showed up, giving out orders from some guy called 'Boss'. That's when the gang really blew up."
"The details get thin around that point," Gin continues. "Nobody remembers anything specific about how or why so many people joined the gang, but we've figured out that a lot of them were made into Shadows. No matter how you look at it, everything begins and ends with this 'Boss'."
"But you don't know who they are," you say. The members of Nightmare nod.
"Nobody in the gang does. It's their most tightly kept secret. The only ones who ever communicate with them are Taishi and Chikara. Leads me to believe that they're an outsider. And like Mariko said, someone who wants to use the Yatabuya for their own reasons. Which brings us to you," says Gin, turning his attention to you. All the eyes in the room follow.
"So far, you're the only one who's been able to have a conversation with one of the Dreamweavers. I gotta say, I've been dying to know what he wanted to share. So, I'll turn things over to you, Katsuji."
You take a deep breath and collect your thoughts.
"I wouldn't get too excited. He didn't say all that much. Only that there was someone who 'bends Shadows to their will', but he wouldn't say who. Just that they had powerful connections…and that the 'Age of Shadow' was coming."
No one responds for several moments, and your words hang in the still air, taking on a weight you had not intended.
"Well, I hate the sound of that," says Hayate, breaking the silence.
"Calling it the 'Age of Shadow' certainly has some dire implications for us humans," adds Shibutani.
"Or it could just be theatrics - these Shadows do love getting up their own ass. I think those connections he mentioned have more promise. Was there anything else?" Gin says.
You shake your head. "No. He said that if we wanted to know more, we'd have to figure it out ourselves."
"Better than nothing," says Rin. "Actually, it might be just what we need."
Gin turns towards her. "How do you figure?"
"Well, if we can pin those connections down, there's a chance they might know who the Boss is."
"In other words, a chance for us to play offense," says Hayate.
"But we can't get too ahead of ourselves. We have to figure out who they are first. Or at least put together some possible leads," Shibutani says.
"And I'd be willing to bet that they won't tell us anything unless we crack a few skulls first," adds Yoko.
"Oh, of course," groans Koharu, but Mariko throws an arm around her shoulder.
"C'mon, don't start complaining already! Look at how huge our group is now! Doesn't that make you feel at least a little better?"
"Right. About that," you say, sending a sidelong glance at Gin. "Just so we're clear: we are working together now, right? You said it yourself."
Gin doesn't answer right away. For some reason, he still doesn't appear to be very enthused at the prospect of having help. In fact, you've been watching him, and he's been wearing the same uncomfortable expression the entire time. Nevertheless, if he was untrustworthy, then Yoko and Rin would be as well. But you don't get that impression from them.
"…As long as we don't end up tripping over one another. If we're really going to start taking the fight to them, there's no room for making stupid mistakes."
"We won't if you won't," you answer, holding out your hand.
A moment's hesitation.
"Fair enough. Let's get to work," he says, and the two teams become one.
Thou art I...
And I am thou...
Thou hast established a new bond...
It shall grant you the strength to open thine eyes...
Thou shalt be blessed under the sign of the Judgement Arcana…
