Persona 5: Daywatch
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
Early Morning
Train to Aoyama-Itchome
One hand in the overhead loops and the other holding up a set of flashcards, Akira did his best to push away the dull roar of too many people in a train car. That sense of too many people breathing too little air raised his hackles, but there was too little room to do anything.
Despite what felt like too little room to move in, when a red-head sitting next to him stood to offer her seat to an old woman, a big man in an office suit shot into the seat with the swiftness of a movie ninja. Even the red-head seemed shocked.
Nerves buzzing, Akira snapped at the guy who bumped past him to steal the seat, "What happened to respect for the elderly? She didn't offer her seat to you!"
Suit nodded off with a speed that made Akira wonder if it was fake.
The red-head let out a short breath. "It's all right. I can understand his position as well." She turned to the old woman and he went back to his note cards.
Early Morning
Aoyama-Itchome
Akira paused to let some of the crowd get ahead so he could breathe easier.
By the time he felt he had his breath back and footing steady, that red-head from the train bounded up to him and gave a bow. "Thank you for earlier."
He tilted his head just a bit. "Um… for?"
The girl in a red ribbon and Shujin uniform stood and gave a chipper smile that set her apart from the churning crowds around them. Must have had a full cup of strong coffee. "For speaking up for that old woman."
Akira blinked. Did this girl not know, or was she fucking with him? The only person at Shujin who hadn't metaphorically spit on him was Shiho. "You did that first. And you shouldn't have let that suit steal your seat. You didn't offer it to him."
Now she tilted her head at him, more consideration passing behind her eyes than he expected from the pranksters who toyed with him for fun. "W-well, some people have a commute hours long. It wouldn't be right to make a scene for somebody like that." She shook her head and straightened the straps of her school satchel. "Sorry for not saying so on the train, I just wanted to say thank you. I'm just a first year."
Akira waved her off. "I was a junior, trust me when I say there's not so much different from first year to second."
She started to bow, then straightened and gave an incline of her head anyway. "I didn't want to be rude for a senpai."
It reminded him of Job, making sin offerings on the off-chance his kids did something wrong just because that was the rule. Now feeling some annoyance creep in, he shook his head. "First thing you need to do is stop bowing and apologizing. Anybody would've done it."
She bowed anyway and he downgraded her from 'cute' to 'cute but annoying'. "Please excuse me," she said before charging off into the crowd like it was nothing.
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
Morning
Aoyama Station
Akira trotted out of the station, coming to the dull cityscape of Tokyo under a mat of grey clouds. While not excited to get to Shujin Academy, he couldn't think of any amusing diversions. Before getting far from the stairs to the train station, he spotted a distinctive pair of blond pig-tails. Speeding up, he confirmed that yes, it was the hot girl from the other day. "Morning, Takamaki."
She turned on him with a jerking motion, her hand drifting down her bag to the matte-blue umbrella still slipped through the under-loops. "Oh, h-hi."
He came to a stop and blinked at the tension in her shoulders and suspicion in what should be pretty blue eyes. Straightening, he tried to keep any sign of emotion out of his voice. "I hope my umbrella was useful yesterday."
Ann looked at it as if it bore her every sin in writing, her eyes narrowing and face twisting in a disgusted embarrassment that seemed far out of proportion with forgetting to give a stranger back his umbrella. Cringing, she pulled it out and offered it. "Oh. Sorry, here."
"Thanks." Taking it, Akira gave a show smile she ignored. When she turned back to Shujin without a further word, he couldn't keep all his indignance down. Frustration crept into what should've been concern and he sped up to keep pace with her. "What the hell is your problem?"
"Huh?" Ann's eyes flicked to him, and her pace stepped out a little to keep ahead of him. She spared him only a glance before turning her eyes back to the sidewalk ahead.
"You're acting different," Akira snapped, feeling a little too much like a lawyer in a courtroom drama. He sucked in a deep breath to keep his cool, reaching back for a nice moment when Ann and that gorgeous volleyball player with the kindness of a saint shared lunchtime with him. "I thought you didn't mind my presence when I sat down next to you and Shiho-chan at lunch. I'm still kind of new here, and when I first saw you it was raining and I was late to check into the faculty office so I didn't stop for all the usual greeting niceties."
"No, that's not it," Ann threw back, still avoiding eye contact before she stepped out her stride and maneuvered around two salarymen.
Akira sped up, bumping into one of the snaggle-toothed men in his efforts to keep up with the determined blonde. "What did I do now?"
"Nothing!" Her fingers clenched and back straightened before she took off at a solid jog.
Growling, Akira wondered what got into her. After a moment of shifting from foot to foot, he decided against chasing her and reached into his jacket for his smart phone and the map function.
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
Lunch
Shujin, Courtyard Nook
Akira sat down at the lonely table tucked away in Shujin's inner courtyard. Setting the bento purchased from Muramasa Grocers, he set his chopsticks on top and clasped his hands in prayer. After closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, trying to exhale all the things he heard people say about him in the hall.
"Oh," a familiar feminine voice said, "would it be okay if I had lunch here?"
Akira looked up, the name Shiho springing from his memory as he looked up into her deep, warm, brown eyes. He felt his frame tighten as he prepared to move. "Oh, go ahead. I didn't know this spot was taken."
Shiho plopped down on a different bench nearby, flashing him a weary but still beatific smile. The kind that didn't just sparkle in her eyes but made her shoulders rise and seemed to light up the shadowy corner. "It's just a quiet, out-of-the-way spot." She let out a whoosh of air before digging out a plastic tupperware stuffed with rice and vegetables. "And I could use one of those. Were you meditating?"
"Praying," Akira said, unsure whether he was agreeing or correcting. He took his chopsticks and tore the plastic film off his lunch. "Father Motoori said I should do it more often. It's supposed to be good for our hearts as well as our relationship to God to bring Him our troubles and wants." He gave a self-derisive smirk and opened his mouth, wondering what was making him so chatty. "I guess I could use some work with that."
Shiho's smile waned, concern edging out some of that beautiful warmth. "Having trouble with all the rumors?"
Heat having nothing to do with the April humidity wrapped around his throat and he averted his eyes. "A-a little."
Her tupperware popped as she pried the lid off. "Try not to worry about the things people say. Soon enough they'll find something new to gossip about. Ann was in a similar situation and she had to persevere, too."
Akira gazed at her, unable to find any angle in what seemed genuine unselfish kindness. His eyes traced the smooth curve of her jaw as she opened and closed it around her food, the way her black ponytail jostled when she swallowed. A faint sigh leaked out of his mouth. "Your boyfriend has no idea how lucky he is."
Shiho shot ramrod straight, looking at him with wide eyes and a grain of rice falling from her open mouth. "W-wha?"
Akira blinked, feeling dizzy from the sudden change in mood. "Your boyfriend." He snapped his fingers a couple times. "I can't remember his name. My class rep, the one you gave that 'you're special to me' smile yesterday."
The color drained from her face and a piece of something fell backward in her throat. Suzui slammed her chopsticks into her lunch and gripped the edge of the table, hacking against the rice.
"Shiho, there you…" Ann said, trotting up from the Academic building before a look of concern tensed her shoulders. "Are you okay?" She jogged to the table and glared at Akira. "What did you do to her?"
He raised his hands in confusion. "Is it supposed to be a secret that Suzui-san's got a boyfriend?"
Ann's eyes snapped wide and she rounded on the other girl, a touch of pale creeping into her face. "You told him?"
While Shiho kept hacking, Akira's eyebrows raised at the panic in the blonde's tone. "I didn't think it was that hard to figure out. Why are you both acting like this is the end of the world? I get some couples like to keep things on the dee-el. I won't tell anyone."
Ann planted her free hand on her hip in what would've been a cute pose if it wasn't held by a snappy bitch. Just for good measure, she threw a renewed glare at him. "You better not. Kamoshida's harsh enough when he doesn't think we're 'distracted'."
Shiho tore the cap off a small water bottle and drained it.
His left eyebrow rose. "Who's Kamoshida?"
"Just the volleyball coach," Shiho answered just a little too quickly.
Shoulders pinched up and arms crossed, Ann watched the black-haired girl for a moment of concern. Then stepped between her and Akira. "Just make sure not to screw things up for Shiho. She worked too hard to earn her starter position and as her best friend I don't want anything to mess that up."
Akira held up his hands, trying not to make a bad impression in front of Shiho no matter how much he wanted to throttle the blonde. "I'm only trying to get through the day. I'm not here to trip up anyone else."
Pressing her hand against her sternum and unintentionally tightening her shirt over her breasts, Shiho coughed out the last rice. "It's okay, Ann. I think he does mean well."
Stepping aside, Ann's stance fell into a slouch before she looked back to Akira. "You can see how fast rumors fly. We can't afford to let anything happen." Her eyes drifted to her volleyball friend. "You deserve everything you can get."
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
After School
Shujin, Courtyard Nook
Stretching back against the bench, Ann froze when her phone rang. Turning a little from Shiho, she took it out just long enough to glance at the screen for caller ID. She slipped it back into her pocket without answering or cutting the call, letting it keep ringing in her pocket.
Shiho tilted her head at the blonde. "You're not going to get that?"
Ann gave a stiff smile. "Oh, it's just my part-time job. Nothing to worry about." She turned away, muttering, "It has to get better." When heavy footfalls drew close, she looked up at Mishima, her eyes widening a little at the bruises under his left eye and along the right side of his face.
Mishima stopped and drew in a breath as if the journey from the practice building took all he had, sparing only a glance at Ann. "Shi-chan. Kamoshida told me to get you. You should get going."
Shiho's arms closed around her school satchel. "What did he say?"
His eyes clenched, his left eye twitching. "Just please go before he finds out you were still here."
Shiho turned to her longtime friend and swallowed hard. "Ann, I…" She looked up at Mishima, who held a serious, patient stance. "Thanks, Yuu-chan." She gathered her bag, stood up and dashed for Shujin's front gate.
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
After School
Shujin, Front Gates
Akira pushed open the door, trying to pick a snark to throw out at the person ahead who let it close in front of a line of people. Stepping outside, the humidity punched all the way down his windpipe and he decided it wasn't worth yelling at someone if he couldn't get his hands around the jerk's throat. Then he stumbled from some unlucky fool running into him. His hand lashed out to grab her, but he froze when he saw the girl attached to it was Shiho. Surprised, his grip went slack and she bolted into the city.
"Good thing she's fast, I heard he's got a knife," one of the male students said as Akira paced towards the cityscape. He wondered who tipped them off.
"Keep your distance," a girl's voice hissed. "If you get close to him he'll only ruin your life."
Akira kept walking, trying not to show how much the last one stung.
"Don't make eye contact, he'll drag you into a dark alley and stab you."
He ground his teeth to keep from responding, "No, I'll only stab you." By the time he passed through the gates proper, his fingers pulsed from the strain of clenching his satchel.
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
Late Afternoon
Yongen, Leblanc
The little bell above the door rang and Akira ground his teeth to hold in the urge to punch the happy-sounding piece of metal.
Sojiro, reading a newspaper behind the counter, looked up. "So, you're back."
Stomping his way in, Akira snapped, "Sorry to disappoint."
Sojiro set the paper to the counter, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Knowing he just stepped in it, Akira stopped and clamped his fingers over the back of one of the bar chairs. The leather groaned under his grip and he leaned against the chair for support. Despite his efforts, his arms trembled. Following Father Motoori's guidance, he drew in a long breath, then blew out a long breath, keeping his eyes focused on an indistinct point ahead of him. "It's been a long day, Sakura-san."
Sojiro straightened. "You haven't been getting into trouble, have you?"
Akira whirled on Sojiro, but nothing breakable sat in easy reach. Somehow, the tiny logical part of his brain that knew he had nowhere to go if Sojiro kicked him out clawed its way to the fore and he spoke instead of reaching for a sugar shaker. "Somebody leaked that I have a record. Now there's only one person at school who treats me like a damn human being." Standing up from the chair, Akira let out a long breath. "I need to go running." He jogged up to his room and changed.
He heard a musical tune play as he walked down the stairs in his exercise outfit, a black tank top and baggy black shorts tied with a drawstring.
"…told you," Sojiro said from somewhere in the kitchen ahead. "It's just a part-timer I hired." He met gazes with the student as Akira paced out from the hallway, phone still by his ear. While Akira couldn't make out the words, he could hear a female voice from the other side. Sojiro covered the microphone and looked Akira in the eyes. "How long are you going to be out?"
"Until I'm done," Akira snapped before his brain could find the reigns for his tongue. Withering under Sojiro's glare, Akira looked at the floor. "Three or four hours."
A long, uncomfortable look passed as Sojiro scrutinized the boy before lifting his phone and taking his hand from the microphone. "Okay, fine. I'll be there in just a few minutes." Hanging up, he turned to Akira with a look of wary understanding. "Inokashira Park's only a short ride away, though you'll have to buy round-trip fare." Crouching under the counter, he fiddled with a few things, then came up and set a key down on the counter and gave Akira a stern glare. "This doesn't mean you can just go around anywhere at night. I just have better things to do than keeping watch over you. Make sure you lock up any time you're out. And if anything's missing—"
"I'm no thief," Akira snapped, pride unable to take any more. When Sojiro nodded at that and walked out, Akira stood staring at the key for a minute before swiping it and heading for the door.
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
Evening
Inokashira Park
Akira huffed in and out through the mouth, breath heaving in a harsh but regular pattern as he dodged around people, then leaped over a bench. Artificial yellow drew his eyes and he spotted another runner on the path, this guy wearing a red shirt declaring Pow! to go with his bad blond dye-job.
The other runner held eye contact through the crowd for only a moment before an unspoken signal passed between them and he smirked. His eyes narrowed and he accelerated.
Dodging around another couple meandering down the path, Akira leaned to pour on the speed and catch up with Blond.
Red shirt smirked and pulled ahead.
Akira narrowed his eyes at the back of Blond's red shirt.
A park custodian pushing a trashcan-laden cart trundled into his path. The man stared like a deer at an oncoming train.
Too much inertia to stop, Akira leaped, springing off the cart, over the man, and tucking into a roll to come back to his feet. Once he got his eyes back on the crowd, he growled when he noticed Blond still ahead and accelerated.
Blond glanced over his shoulder, then spotted Akira coming alongside. Blond nodded in acknowledgment, pumped his arms, and pulled ahead.
Akira leaped over a fallen log at the side of the path, spotting a thin space in the trees at the main path curved around. Making eye contact with Blond, both smirked at the other and focused on the race ahead.
Akira dodged between trees, surging out of the thin copse just in time to see Blond rush ahead of him, still on the main path.
Akira stumbled to a stop, bracing against his knees as he breathed. "Damn, that guy's fast."
AN: Yoshizawa's appearance doesn't have enough gravity to change the course of things going on, but it's a good way to introduce the character to the audience. Royal's way of introducing Yoshizawa was actually somewhat like how I brought Haru in early last chapter – and besides just introducing her early enough to care she exists, those vegetables she makes could've been VERY useful in early and middle palaces.