Yu's POV

I need to hurry back, I didn't even tell Uncle I was leaving.

Me: "Can you go any faster?"

Taxi driver: "Even if I went over the speed limit, it would take an hour and a half to get there."

I decide to just sit in the passenger seat and watch the scenery pass by, I might as well enjoy the ride.

Me: "Alright sorry I'm just in a bit of a rush."

Taxi Driver: "I can tell, what's the rush?"

I've never met a taxi driver who wanted to make small talk with me before, I'm not against it but it's a little surprising.

Me: "I... I don't know to be honest."

Taxi driver: "You don't know? Really?"

Me: "Yeah, I maybe should've thought this through instead of just coming to Tokyo all of a sudden. But I just... really needed someone to talk to you know? And I have friends up here who know my situation."

Taxi Driver: "Well we're about to be in this car for an hour and a half, so I've got nothing but time to listen."

This guy is weirdly nice. His glasses kinda make him look like a teacher, and he's just got this aura that just says earnest. Dude looks like he's popular with women, and the way he talks sounds like he's studied psychology, he just knows how to sound inoffensive and trustworthy.

Like a councillor.

What the hell. Might as well tell him.

Me: "Well I'm having some... girl problems."

Taxi driver: "Ah, a problem many young men go through. Did she dump you?"

Me: "I dumped her. But I wish I hadn't. I won't bore you with all the details but I want her back, but I'm scared she won't want me."

Taxi driver: "Did you use the L word?"

Me: "Love? Yeah we both did."

Taxi driver: "I'd love to tell you things will just work themselves out, but life is just not that kind. Believe me. I know... (I tried to make it so) but I'll tell you this, you can overcome anything through hard work, a good friend of mine taught me that. So if she still loves you, you two can work things out."

Me: "Thanks, that makes me feel a little better. I just realised I never got your name."

Taxi driver: "Takuto Maruki."

...

I've heard that name before... where?

"Have we met?"

"I doubt that, I don't live in the area, only came here for a personal drive."

"Oh, I'm sorry I just feel like I've heard your name before."

"Well I used to be a doctor/teacher, maybe you know one of my old students?"

"Hmmm. I'm not sure. But wow you're a doc..."

Wait. Doctor... Maruki.

Dr-Dr Maruki!

The persona user who tried to change reality? Ren told me about him.

Me: "Dr Maruki?"

"Why are you so surprised? Oh I see, I take it you know Ren?"

"Yeah, but I never thought I'd get the chance to meet you, it's a pleasure, I'm Yu Narukami."

"Narukami-kun."

"Please call me Yu."

"Yu-kun, you said it's a pleasure to meet me, what exactly did Ren-kun tell you?"

"Everything, I know about how you tried to change reality."

"I'm surprised he would tell someone that."

"Let's just say me and Ren have a lot in common."

Plus I got to meet your evolved ultimate persona. That part was not fun.

"I won't ask what you mean by that. But you knowing everything saves us a little time."

"I have a story to tell you, I think it'll help your situation."

"It begins after Ren saved me from my own palace's collapse. He told me that I could talk to him at any time, he seemed to understand what he took from me."

"Yeah, and he feels terrible about the whole thing. It's the one time he really wondered if he was doing the right thing by stopping you."

"Heh, well a few days later I took this taxi driver job as a way to pay the bills, and I thought 'it's ironic, instead of making people go where I think they want, I now take them where I know they have to'. So I decided to keep this job, it's actually quite rewarding, I hear about people's struggles, but I realised, people seemed a little bit more eager to take on life instead of laze around and run away from their problems, a lot more than they used to at least, I'm guessing that too was the Phantom Thieves work."

"They did mention how they stole the entire world's hearts."

"I was impressed, that was when I learned what I was trying to take away from them, they had fought so hard for people to try and change their world with their own two hands, and I came along and practically drove them back into sloth, which was never my intention. I only wanted to make things better for everyone. But it turns out I was the villain."

"Ren always spoke of you in a positive light, it made me wonder what kind of person you were. Now I realise, you just did what you thought was right, which is all anyone can do. Dr Maruki, you are no villain."

"Thank you Yu-kun, that was when I really got to understand why they fought so hard. So let's skip ahead about two months. I'm about to finish my shift, after a very long day with annoying customers, where I had to clean out the taxi twice that day, I was so tired... then suddenly I passed by the rehabilitation centre in Tokyo, where one of the workers was calling for a taxi yet none of the others would stop. I felt bad for them so I decided just one more job won't hurt."

"Did you get into an accident?"

"What? No, we drove without a hitch, I wasn't that tired."

"Oh, I just thought... sorry go on."

"So someone else gets in the back seat of my taxi, hood up, so I can't see her face, she gives me the address and I start driving, and she asks me to speed up, much like you did actually, so I asked her, 'what's the rush?' And she says 'I need to see someone.' I was confused because she sent me to a graveyard. When we arrive she asks me to come with her, I was so tired and there's this shady character asking me to go to a graveyard in the middle of the night, but still, a gentleman wouldn't let her go alone so I decided to join her. On the way she tells me 'we're off to see my parents, thanks for coming with me.' I ask 'how did they die?', she responds 'one day me and my boyfriend were at home with my parents when a robber came in, he killed my parents right in front of me, but you remember right, Takuto?'. I was confused at first, but when I saw the graves she took off her hood and gave me the biggest slap I've ever received. And everything started to make sense. It was Rumi!"

"Rumi? As in your girlfriend Rumi?"

"Yeah, it turns out when the Phantom Thieves destroyed my palace, me overwriting her memories became undone, so she remembered what really happened, and she remembered what I did to her too."

"She knew you overwrote her memories?"

"I don't know how, but yeah, boy was she mad."

He gives a chuckle.

"I could imagine."

"She started hitting me, not actually properly attacking me but she was just mad. But afterwards she told me she understood why I did what I did, and that she forgives me."

"That's crazy."

"Yeah, apparently when she remembered everything she had gained some sanity back from the experience and had been recovering ever since, she had only left the hospital the week prior, and she's doing a lot better now."

"That's so great to hear Dr Maruki."

"Yeah, if my reality had come to fruition this could never have happened, but at least it helped a little. But because of what Ren and the Phantom Thieves did I got Rumi back, I remember kissing her by that grave, after we said a prayer for her parents, and we're back together and doing really well again, I got my own "happy ending", but more importantly, so did she."

"That's amazing, but why are you telling me this?"

"So you can tell Ren, but also to tell you this, just because things look horrible now, it doesn't mean there's no hope for your situation, as long as you work hard, like Rumi did, like Ren did, and like I'm trying to do now, things can work out in the end, so you go after that girl Yu-kun, hope for the best, and be willing to do what it takes to make it work."

We're back now. That trip felt surprisingly short.

"Can you take me to Leblanc?"

"We're already here, so good luck, and tell Ren thank you, for everything, no charge."

"I will, and thank you Maruki."

I get out of the taxi, and Maruki tips his hat at me.

I run into Leblanc.

Sojiro: "Narukami-kun? Back so soon?"

Me: "Hello Sojiro-san, where's-"

I just stare in awe as she walks down the stairs. The world is a blur to me. I can't focus on anything but her.

I know what I'm about to do, and I'll do whatever it takes to make this work with us.

She's really surprised when she sees me, but when I grab her, she's not panicking or freaked out, she's just... comfortable, she looks so relaxed, I relax and do what I have wanted to do for a...

Very. Long. Time.

And this time, there is no distraction.