Authors Note: Welcome back. I am sure you may have a few questions, like why this project kept appearing on the front page list in November. Well, short story, I decided to do a grammar/punctuation cleansing and realized some of the chapters said Alternate... instead of Alternative, SO, YA, which was EMBARRASSING. So, I was constantly replacing and updating all the chapters. Do you need to reread them? No, like I said, just a clean-up. I didn't add or subtract content. In the future, I shouldn't have to do it again. Also, welcome to the new year x3.

As far as fun facts, well, per the last chapter, I thought I would point out that Imato and Isao were not characters originally in the first arc. Like Masami, they were initially delivered and accepted in the RP's second arc. Hilariously, though, just like Masami, they feel right at home, arriving early in the story. Whether or not they are primary or side characters, though... well, you'll have to wait and see.

Other than that, remember to follow or review if you like the story. I would love to hear from fans. If I start seeing more reviews, I'll respond to reviews in the Author's Notes as an end segment. Enjoy the story.

Also, going forward, I will officially only post new chapters on Thursdays & Fridays. I am posting this on a Saturday only cause I forgot to... yesterday...

P.S.A: Also, is it just me, or has the wave of "Hi, I like your story. Reach out to me to make art" scam folk gotten a lot wilder in the past two months o3o? Please be cautious and do not respond/react to these profiles, fellow Writers. They are scam accounts.

Persona 5: Alternate

The Castles Storm of Pride Arc

Chapter 5 Part 2: Cracks of Pride

After questioning a few folks, Masami finally figured out that the Reporter or, better yet, Journalism Club was on the first floor. Down the south-end corner was a club door with a wood-carved sign presenting the very title she was after. Without as much as a knock, she slid the door wide open, spooking a first-year student at the desk labeled "secretary". The boy with spikey, short blue hair and black eyes was clearly rattled but was quickly relieved upon the sight of Masami walking in. It was almost as if he expected someone else in a not-so-good embrace of things to come.

The boy generally wore what one would expect of the Shujin Academy uniform blazer with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and suspender holstered. He was pretty well-up, kept, and clean in appearance. He seemed genuinely kind to though very on the nose for as plain as one could be. In fact, had he not been panicked at her abrupt entrance, she might not even have noticed him at all.

"Oh, sorry... you startled me. I thought you were someone else ehehehe... I am Yuuki Mishima, secretary for the Journalism Club. Did you have a story you wanted to bring to our attention," he asked kindly, getting out a notebook and excited about the potential prospects of an interesting story. Looking behind him, the rest of the room was about what you would expect of a new club. Desks, computers, and a billboard were strewn out with topics and research for the school newsletters. She saw a few girls, but none looked exactly like an Asuka Nakamura... then again, what did an Asuka Nakamura look like?

"No. I am actually looking for Asuka Nakamura," Masami didn't mean to sound rude, but at this point, being direct was the only way to handle this. While a bit disappointed, Mishima sighed weirdly as he turned from a gentle generic smile to an "oh boy if you wish" expression, guiding her with his hand to a particular in the corner desk stacked with papers so high you couldn't see much else. Raising an eyebrow, her medical-masked face turned to the desk, walking past Mishima, who went to close the door before hilariously finding it a bit stuck.

As the poor boy fought to close the door, Masami quickly made her way to the tower of notes, seeing no sign of life at all. As she became confused, the green moss-haired girl looked around at the other club members, hoping for an explanation. Noticing the look for help, a second-year girl sighed before slamming a book on her own desk and screaming at the top of her lungs.

"NAKAMURA SENPEI, YOU HAVE A VISITOR," suddenly the pile of papers collapsed as an older girl screamed in alarm, causing Masami to scream in turn as the paper towers fell everywhere, revealing someone had been, in fact, buried underneath it all as a third year in full Shujin Dress uniform erupted out from it all covered by a blue blanket. The chaos and screams of Masami, who she believed to be now Asuka, calmed down.

Feeling like her heart had almost popped out of her chest, Masami clung to the edge of the now cleared-out desk as Asuka, currently standing on top of the desk, looked around before looking down at Masami. With long light brown hair and alert green eyes, the third year quickly climbed off her desk and vigorously snatched Masami's hand, shaking it wildly with excitement.

"Oh, oh, are my eyes landing on a new recruit? Love seeking the truth? Dare to explore the abyss of lies? Well, missy, we might not really do all that cause that would mean potentially putting you in real-world danger, and we already have been given numerous warnings by the student council to stop being so real-world aggressive. YET I SAY NAY. For what is the point of a club? It is meant to prepare you for the real-world dangers of your passion... unless you're in a sports club... that's a whole different can of worms. REGARDLESS ahem, when can you start," Asuka's passioned face gleamed with wonder and excitement while the only thought that could cross Masamis mind was if she was justifiable enough to gnaw her own wrist off to get away from this clearly deranged psycho... also how the hell did that girl sleep under all those papers... also how the hell did people have enough time to stack all those papers on her?

"What? No? I want to know who talked you into trying to recruit Isao," the office immediately went silent at the question as the energy expresso machine that was Asuka giggled in confident hesitation... which was quite the sight as she let go of Masami's hands as she fetched her black french beret hat slanting it to the left on her head. While she did this, Masami noticed all the club members going out of their way to pretend that they hadn't heard that question... except Mishima, who clearly hadn't heard it and was still battling with the stuck door.

"Well... that's a silly thing to want to know... wait, you're that new girl, aren't you? The last minute one," Asuka had some reservations for a moment, but upon looking at Masami's unique features of green hair and medical mask, it clicked with the reporter in training who she was.

"Masami Ogawa. I want to know, cause, quite frankly, everyone seems to be dancing around pissing off Kajik Sato, and I wanna know why," at this point, the sickly girl surprised the journalism club with her very determination and forward approach. Masami did her best to hold back her frustrations, but now she was at wit's end. Having issues trying to find where Shiro's gang hung out, the apparent threat on Tsukara, Chiyumi's dejected approach, and just overall false smiles everyone at this school was strangely wearing, this was just one popular student they were talking about. Even when she had a freak out of concern about Tsukara, Masami knew that it couldn't get out of control, so she didn't go tricking Imato to handle it instead.

Yet, as she awaited an answer, a weird, almost cold chill of silence seemed to take over the room. For a moment, Masami started to have a strange sense of doubt, almost familiar with the worst day of her life, as if control had suddenly been stolen from everyone in the journalism club. Part of her thought it was a foolish sudden flash of PTSD triggered by the night she had been outside with Chiyumi, but part of her knew it wasn't her feelings. Slowly, Masami turned to the group of girls around the computer girl who had yelled out Nakamura's name... all third-year students.

However, what caught her attention was the looks on their faces, complete reflections of the fear she held that night... these people had been cornered by something unstoppable, just like she had been. Masami started to realize the level of what she was now trying to get involved in. In the Metaverse, she had been pumped with adrenaline into solving what had happened, but now she realized what had hooked her into getting involved was, more than anything, Shiro's reaction to the Palace Ruler version of Kajik Sato. It was a reflection of her own inability to do anything, as she had promised Tanuki she wanted to do something, but she hadn't followed her instincts, making her blind to how bad it was.

She had thought it was something small in the real world overembellished in the metaverse, but now, as Tanuki's words came back to her, she realized that just like in that palace of storms, Kajik Sato was a perfect reflection in the real world entirely in charge of the school. The word distortion felt like it took on a whole new meaning as she turned back to Nakamura, who was having difficulty holding it together, with her smile now replaced with a fake grin, trying not to snap from the depleted energy she had only moments ago.

"Just ignore it, okay? Just pretend like you didn't notice anything. In one year it will all feel like a fever dream," it felt just like a fever dream that part was true. Masami's eyes were shocked as Asuka gave her those words that were so familiar to Chiyumi. Yet she oddly noticed that the first-year students seemed more confused and mixed-emotional than scared, like the Third and Second years. It was an element of disconnect, maybe? Then it clicked: they were the same faces as the girls who had been acting strange around Tsukara... they had tried to warn her... they were aware of what was happening.

She wanted to push to see if she could get Asuka to slip; a girl with all that passion, indeed she hadn't just given up? Before she could dig through, another student came running in, nearly bulldozing into Mishima, who gave a surprised yelp as the door finally became unstuck, causing both boys to hit the ground hard as the door closed. An awkward silence washed away the tension before being replaced by panic as the door swung wide open with the panicked student running in, leaving Mishima a mess on the ground.

"Makage just freaking bullet punched Yagi in the face, and get this, he's saying Sato caused it. Apparently, it was some lover's quarrel over Machiki. People saw her running away in tears. I think we might have enough evidence though to build the tr...," the boy exclaimed wildly before halting his words to a grinding silence at the site off Masami.

YOU HAD ONE JOB, DUMBASS, screamed in Masami's mental, verbal assault at the sudden news as her fists tightened. That just overcomplicated the Machiki end of things; however, hearing Yagi's name in the mix told her it must have been an unavoidable scenario. She would need to catch Makage if she could before he likely got suspended or something worse. The new boy's actions confirm the girl's thoughts. Some people hadn't entirely given up, yet if they had evidence... why had they not pushed back? She looked back to Asuka, who could see Masami saw right through it all.

"You got someone working with you on the student council, don't you," Masami asked. This immediately caused a surprised flinch in Asuka. It made sense for the person to see Yagi was coming a mile away via the request for his club to attempt to nip it before it could cause waves attempting to halt the issue in disorder.

Only someone in the student council who clearly approved the clubs at this school could find that out in advance; Chiyumi playing defense must have been fed a tip by someone else about the Shiro evidence plan, and given what was clearly going on here, someone was building a case against Sato from his inner circle making Kajik unaware of it.

Yet again, why wait so long if this was all the case? That was the real mystery that bothered her about this new unknown player. However, before much else could be drugged out, Mishima quickly closed the sliding door in a panic as he called out somewhat quietly.

"Boss, Kajik is heading this way," there was a quick, efficient movement between all the club members as they hid certain things and pulled out different stuff. Asuka quickly snatches a few papers, hiding them in the messy pile around her desk.

"Listen, just keep your head down. You don't know what's going on, and honestly, it is best for you and everyone else to wait until everything can be cleared up," The Journalism President explained.

"Sounds like you're on the hoof of another heavy story again, Nakamura." Asuka shot straight up at the sound of Sato's curious voice, yet what really shocked her and the rest of the club was that Masami was nowhere to be seen. This was followed by the soft, gentle breeze of ruffled papers at an originally unopened window.

...

Everyone talked about the big fight for the rest of the school day. It didn't take long for what happened to come to light, as both Imato Makage and Isao Yagi were, in fact, suspended for three days. Atop Tsukara Machiki, heading home, Masami felt rather lonely. When asked around, it was revealed that Shiro had been absent due to a sick note. Though Masami was certain Shiro was trying to put distance between them to avoid Masami getting more involved.

Other than that, things were pretty smooth; classes generally went well until the final period ended. As Masami got prepped to go home after bagging her math homework, Ms. Yoshua walked up to her, lowering her shades to give the girl a once over before asking.

"You alright? I was worried about what happened yesterday," she asked.

"I am fine, Ms. Yoshua, thanks to you and Chiyumi Senpai." Masami politely nodded and thanked the teacher. Surprisingly, the mathematic fashionista seemed to think otherwise.

"Is everything alright at home? Having such a condition must be rough," Masami was surprised by the questions, and though her senses were on alert with everything going on, one direct look of eye contact could tell her the teacher was genuinely worried. It was an awkward feeling realizing someone was concerned about her after the fact it was the second time, and even after Tsukara showed concern, Masami realized how dejected she was from how people's care could feel.

"It's good my uncles take very good care of me. Considers me the daughter he never had," Masami joked with ligament honesty, laughing gently through her medical mask as she rubbed the back of her head, looking to head out.

"Must be interested, living above a jazz club, I imagine," Ms. Yoshua innocently asked.

"Oh definitely, it's a bit different, but...," Masami froze, not catching herself. Soon enough, she realized she had just admitted to living somewhere that was not on her official student license. When initially applying to her, her uncle had to skirt around the home address as he knew admitting they lived in a business building would bring more paperwork and potential curiosities. As such, they had "accidentally" placed the address on the house next to them.

However, how efficiently she had snuck that question casually into Masami's mind caught her off guard. Masami was pretty skilled in verbal interrogation verbally, but she had never really experienced it from the other side so smoothly to the point she couldn't catch it.

"I thought so. I headed over to your place soon after I was told you headed home safely, and when I went to your address, I was surprised to meet an elderly couple who had no idea who I was talking about at first. Low to my surprise, after questioning around that you, in fact, lived in a business building on the other side. I assume, though your uncle saw the process for the paperwork for the business home procedures and was worried due to the last minuteness of your transfer that he would miss the opening to get you incorrect," Ms. Yoshua was highly perceptive and worse, very committed it seemed to the well being of her students.

Masami knew there was a possibility of such a thing, but she was caught off guard by how efficient she was in gaining information about the woman, which was just last night. However, thankfully, what was being brought up was pretty harmless for the moment. The thought, or, more so, the imagination of this woman dug into Masami's background, was concerning.

"Ya, but..,"

"Here, give him this form. It will make the process much easier. A lot of schools make that whole business address more overkill than necessary. Besides, your building has a legitimate upper living area, so you don't actually have to file it as a business residence, as your uncle can show proof of the adjustment. I would rather you not get in trouble for something so harmless, alright," she instructed, handing Masami the form, bewildering the girl even more.

"Thank you?"

"Not a problem, little angel, though. I think you better head out soon. That boy has been rather patiently waiting for you," Masami looked from the paper to Ms. Yoshua in confusion before turning to the window and noticing Imato staring right at her.

...

"I see," Masami mumbled as Imato told her everything that had happened. She wished he had heard what Kajik had been saying to Tsukara before the situation shifted, but that couldn't be helped. What caught her attention was Isao's comment about outside forces, which caused her to regret not talking to him. He seemed to know quite a lot and would probably be willing to share.

The two sat by the train station, waiting for Imato's particular ride as people passed. Masami just sat there going over everything she had been told. It seemed Kajik was definitely a manipulator, just like he was in the palace. There was no denying it. Imato, however, kinda watched her awkwardly, not sure what else to say, though he spoke up, not wanting the silence to continue.

"There was another odd thing."

"Huh?" Masami gave him a look as her concentration was broken.

"Not trying to gloat or anything, but I have never been rag-dolled like that before. Not trying to say I am excellent in a fight or anything given... obviously how we met. Yet I am a member of a mixed martial arts club in this part of town. Yet Sato is not a part of any sports clubs. Quite frankly, I have never seen him in anything that physically related. In fact," Masami got where Imato was going with this train of thought as that had been something that had passed her mind.

As Makage had said, he wasn't amazing, but he did nail that one guy with one hit, meaning he wasn't a pushover. To get so easily routed the way he did by Sato suggested Sato had some heavy experience, but that two was now a mystery given how Imato explained it. Though given that it didn't add much or mattered to the actual problem, Masami pocketed it away, groaning in annoyance as Makage wasn't sure what else to say.

"Thanks for taking care of Machiki, and sorry you got suspended," Masami mumbled. Generally, in any other situation, Imato probably would have dragged that out in victory, but even his heroic antics could tell now wasn't the time to plunder the enemy's defeat.

"... Don't mention it. You seem to really care about Machiki. Guess I had you pegged wrong about being heartless, but you're still a witch," Imato instead admitted, looking at her with his only good eye.

"Careful, there is Takoyaki Stand right there," Masami spoke, forcing out a joke as Imato hilariously jumped off his seat and looked behind them, only to be revealed that no such thing existed.

"Asshole...freaking mop top," Imato grumbled before sighing. "Any other way you would like to ruin my day today for my good deeds," Masami, relatively happy with her work and feeling a bit better, shook her head.

"Not unless you can tell me where the freaking illusive Drivers park their asses; I doubt it," Masami sighed with a smile Imato couldn't see.

"You mean the girl gang that hangs out at the abandoned theater in the Shibuya district's back alleys," Imato asked casually. For a moment, there was silence again, and then, out of the blue, Masami jumped out of her seat and proceeded to grab Imato by the shoulders.

"IS THIS COMMON KNOWLEDGE?"

"WHA YA EVERYONE KNOWS THAT? WHY ARE WE YELLING?" Imato panicked as the girl grabbed him, shaking him violently for a weakly immune girl. Masami quickly let go of him, pulling up her phone. Sure enough, there was a listed abandoned theater in the Shibuya district with a noted report of active gang activity, all stating strange sightings of trouble-making girls.

"I gotta go," Masami quickly expressed, making a beeline for the transit building. Imato was about to chase after him but was halted by a firm hand on his shoulder. Turning around, Imatos eyes met with a police officer who gave him a stern look.

"Young man, why are you disturbing the peace?"

"Ugh...Freaking moss head," Imato groaned, slapping his own face as he explained himself to the officer.

...

It took a while, but after a few commute hopping antics and many crosswalks, Masami quickly found herself in the back alleyways of the Shibuya shopping district. It was not far from where the alleged abandoned movie theater was. Thankfully, she had stuffed some extra clothes in her satchel, having already changed into a green hoodie and black baggy pants. A student would obviously stick out like a sore thumb, and probably worse, a Shujin Student might not be so welcome where she was heading at this time. Or, more so, it would carry a massive target on her back for the wrong eyes to lay on.

Traversing down the downtrodden street of an older abandoned layer of the famous shopping district, Masami found herself at home instead, slinking and melding to the environment easily, going unnoticed by many unsavory types. A melting pot of different degrees of thugs, dealers, and most basic of vermined souls were out doing their business. Keeping her medical mask on and her hood down made her completely unidentifiable.

As she pursued the area, the urge to pickpocket here and there was hard to resist, a burning self-hatred over the fact that even though she had been freed from that life for a good two months now, how quickly the motions of habit tried to get her in trouble. No, she really just hated herself... her real self. Masami hadn't had much of a moment to pause and realize that her past life was indeed dead. It was not how she expected or wanted, yet another action had achieved it all the same. Her chance to create her own freedom stolen made her hiss at how chained down she felt.

It was like how she felt in the Velvet room... ya, she was free of the life she led, but now she was chained to know she hadn't escaped it her way. By her own hands, though really, even if she had, would she be free? Returning to the type of area where her parents would send her out for targets to ruin lives or steal a quick buck from made her realize... how much she really hated them.

That last job was supposed to be the one that would allow her to hand her parents over to the police to end this accursed life to make up for the sins she had laid bare across multiple people, and now they were gone in the wind, leaving her in the aftermath of her inability to clean up her act.

"Oye, watcha doing her little tyke; this ain't your scene, idiot," a rather rough and hostile voice sprang Masami out of autopilot as she made it to the theater in question, where a tall girl with a rather intimidatingly bent metal baseball bat, with a silver tint caked in what Masami could only guess was dried blood. Masami tilted her hidden face up a bit, looking the girl over... A gyaru in this day and age?

Long, puffed-up platinum blonde hair raised above the taller girl's head, twinkling down into a series of curled strands. Piercing brown eyes with puffed-up eyelashes converge around heavy eyeliner, making the girl look like she belonged in an Egyptian museum. Wore thin black pants covered by a knee-high skirt with black knee stockings. Her shirt was white, covered by a heavy-looking black blazer. Without a doubt, this chick probably was, in fact, one of Shiro's "Drivers" gang girls.

"Actually, I am looking for Koyuki. I was told this is where she hung out," the moment Masami's feminine voice escaped her lips, the bat's end tip gently touched the ground as the gyaru girl's whole hostile nature melted away into a welcoming show.

"Oh, you a chick? My bad, I mistook you for a mouth-watering boy trying to dine and dash into an exclusive buffet. Go on in," the mysterious girl chimed. Masami figured it would be the case given that the term girl gang was exclusively pointed out by Shiro's own words and a few others. The sign was long gone as she looked at the decaying but still-standing theater's entrance. Rotted wood jutted out all around the infrastructure as Masami walked up the steps, and it didn't take long to see the rather shocking site of a series of tents, shopping carts, and numerous other items used to make what appeared to be a homeless den for nothing but young girls.

The gang was a lot bigger than Masami had expected. At least 20 girls around her age were chilling out, adjusting their tents, playing cards, and eating from cans. This felt more like a shelter than a band of rowdy girls. It was not what Masami expected at all. In fact, no one looked affiliated with a gang except the girl at the entrance and Shiro.

"Oh, hello there, are you new? Don't worry, I can wedge you in with a little wet work, though I hope you brought your own tent cause those are... OH OH, YOU THE GIRL WHO SAVED ME," a timid but energetic voice spoke up as a shorter girl came running up with a clipboard with a very evidently drawn-up map of the theater where the placement of each item and member slept. Masami was again taken off guard as this felt like a conversation with a shelter coordinator, but more so cause it was, in fact, the girl with hazel eyes.

"Koyuki, right? I was actually wanting to talk with you and wanted to ask for a favor if possible," Masami cut straight to the point at the moment Shiro wasn't present, meaning she had time to get what she wanted, but that time was on an unknown counter. The meek girl with short jet-black hair hugged her clipboard, ready to assist.

"Oh, um, yes... Oh, I mean, I would be delighted to help. You and that gallant guy really got me out of a bind there... how can I assist you," Koyuki lit up at the prospect of being helpful, especially to the girl who had helped her out in that tense moment a few days ago.

"Can you tell me a story?"

...