Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ren already has a weird life to begin with, but it would be a lie to say what’s happening now fits within even those expectations born from it.

Metaverse shenanigans? That is something he can handle. Getting sucked into a transdimensional movie theater and fighting for his life inside the movies it shows? Not so much.

Still, he remains the leader of the Phantom Thieves no matter what strange place they find themselves in, so he doesn’t have the luxury of getting too overwhelmed to function. He does his best to take everything in stride, from meeting and recruiting another Wild Card named Kotone Shiomi, to executing a harebrained scheme to rescue Makoto and Haru from the clutches of Kamoshidaman.

They still cannot say that they are used to this situation yet, but progress is being made despite their lack of definitive answers.

The film they currently find themselves in is called Junessic Land. Dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures roam the jungle-like environment filled with towering trees and swampy pits. The only break from that aesthetic is in the form of gates and machinery that need operating in order to let the Thieves through. An annoying bit to deal with, but nothing they can’t handle.

The group is fresh off solving a minor puzzle with those gates when a shrill voice rings out through each of their heads.

“Everyone, stop!”

Ren holds his hand up as soon as Futaba’s command is out, halting the group behind him.

“What is it, Oracle? Did you sense something?”

“More like ‘somethings,’ but I can’t tell what they are,” she replies. “Only that they’re really powerful and coming at you crazy fast! Wait… No way…”

“Is it a pack of dinos?” Ryuji asks.

“Or FOEs?” asks Haru.

“Neither. I can hardly believe it, but based on this movement speed, I’d have to guess that they’re human!”

“Human?!” Ann exclaims. “What humans would be in here besides us?”

Kotone’s face lights up as she says, “It might be my team! Maybe we finally found them!”

“While that could very well be the case, let’s approach this with caution,” says Akechi. “We have no way of knowing what this movie has in store for us.”

“Right,” says Makoto. “And if they’re approaching at high-speed, they may be primed to attack regardless. We can’t allow ourselves to be lax on defense.”

“Ah…” Kotone’s posture droops just a bit. “Right. We should wait and see first.”

“Whatever you’re doing, make the decision fast,” says Futaba. “They’re almost right on top of you!”

“Time to get in formation, gang,” Morgana says.

“We’ll leave the final decision up to you, Joker,” Yusuke says. “What is our plan of action?”

“I’ll take point,” he replies, walking to the front of the group. “Be ready to jump in if things go south.”

Everyone gives affirming nods at that. It’s business as usual for his teammates, but the fact that Kotone respects his leadership enough to play along is a nice confidence booster. He can’t afford to let anyone down before they get out of this crazy situation.

As soon as he walks out from under the cover of trees, the other Thieves vanish into the brush with ease. To her credit, Kotone only lags behind for a second before she conceals herself as well. She’s learning quickly, Ren notes. He wishes he had the time to make a proper thief out of her.

Fantasies are set aside as Ren pulls out his pistol. Hopefully the sight of it will give the people bearing down on them a bit of pause. All he needs is a single moment to gain the upper hand, then they can figure out if the opposing group is hostile or not.

Back pressed to the stone wall behind him, Ren creeps down the surface until he gets to the corner. He rounds it with his gun raised, only to have the firearm knocked upwards by the swift strike of a sword. He just barely manages to keep his grip on the gun despite the strength behind that attack.

Ren recovers quickly enough to parry the follow-up slash with the barrel of his gun. He and his mystery attacker trade blows with their weapons, bathing the immediate area in a rain of sparks. Ideally Ren would be doing this with his dagger, but his opponent’s speed and strength give him no time to switch.

Another heavy strike pushes Ren’s gun away, but he rolls with the momentum in order to spin around and aim right at his attacker’s head. Doing so, however, gives him the best look at his assailant so far, and the sight forces him to still.

The young man sharing this space with him is tall with a silver bowl cut and dressed in the school uniform for Inaba’s Yasogami High. Piercing eyes with a color to match the katana in his hand glare daggers into Ren, who barely gets his voice working enough to utter a single word.

“Yu?”

The swordsman’s blade stops its downward arc just inches from Ren’s neck. Those gray eyes widen back to something just a bit more vulnerable.

“How do you know my name?” he asks. “Who are—”

“Senpai, hang on!”

A large group of teenagers come sprinting out of the jungle brush. Each of them triggers memories in Ren’s brain just as the one in front of him has. Memories of floodplains and shrines and Junes, of sleepovers and parties and mischief. His heart lurches at the sight of people he fully expected to never get to see again.

Though at the same time, his brain feels like it does a corkscrew in his skull with how little sense the current sight of them makes to him.

The biggest of the group, a broad-shouldered boy with hair dyed blonde, slides to a halt with a panicked expression after his earlier callout.

“Woah, who the hell’s that?!”

“Looks like an enemy,” the girl in a red sweater says, her expression hidden behind a fan. “Fall back, Yu-kun – we’ll fight together!”

The one in a mascot costume waves a spiky claw around. “We can totally take this guy down!”

“Don’t think we’d let you!”

Morgana’s declaration comes alongside the arrival of the other Phantom Thieves. They rush to their leader’s position, drawing their guns as they arrange themselves into a firing line. Kotone whips out her naginata at the end of the line.

The girl in the green tracksuit recoils at the sight. “What the heck?! They’ve got guns!”

“W–Well, we still ain’t backin’ down,” the big guy says.

“You would be wise not to attempt harming our leader,” the girl with the blue cap says.

“That’s our line,” Ann yells back. “Touch one hair on Joker’s head and we’ll—”

“Phantom Thieves, stand down!”

Ren’s sudden shout catches everyone in the area off guard, even the group opposing him. All eyes shift to him. He holds the weight of their stares with confidence.

“Huh? You serious, Joker?” Ryuji asks.

“Dead serious. Don’t you dare attack anyone here, no matter what. They’re not enemies.”

Slowly, the Thieves and Kotone lower their weapons. Ren can feel them still hovering protectively behind him, and while he appreciates their commitment to keeping him safe, there really isn’t anything to worry about.

Ren glances up at his former opponent. “I get you probably don’t recognize me, but can you at least move the blade so we can talk, Yu?”

“That’s the second time you’ve called me by name,” Yu says. Though he doesn’t completely drop his sword, he does distance it from the flesh underneath. “Who are you? How do you know me?”

“Technically, I know all of you.” Ren leans his head in the opposite direction of the blade. Upon getting another look at the group behind Yu, he’s certain of his recognition, even with the inconsistencies present. “Looks like most of the gang is here. I see Chie, Kanji, Teddie, Yukiko, Naoto, and—”

The last person in the group – a girl in the standard Yasogami uniform with brown hair tied into large pigtails – catches Ren’s eye in the worst way possible. Her face is twisted in pain and slick with sweat, and she holds her midsection as if she might fall apart at any moment. It is a far cry from every other time Ren has seen her.

“Rise?!” Without thinking of the sword in Yu’s hand, Ren bolts over to the girl’s side, easily slipping past the others in her group. He kneels down with a hand outstretched uselessly towards her. “Rise, what’s wrong?”

“She was poisoned during our exploration,” Naoto says, pulling Rise away slightly. “None of the medicine we have on hand could do anything about it.”

“Not even our Personas could heal her,” Teddie says. “I’m getting worried…”

With the rest of his body freezing upon hearing that, Ren can only turn his head towards Teddie to ask, “What did you say? Your what?”

“Our Personas,” Yukiko repeats. “They had no effect when we tried to use them to heal Rise-chan. Are you aware of Personas as well?”

Pushing aside the whiplash that information gives, Ren answers with, “Yeah. Everyone here with me is a Persona-user too.”

“Seriously?!” Kanji exclaims.

“With that in mind, perhaps we should take a moment to consolidate some information,” Akechi says. “After all, fellow Persona-users should get along, no?”

There’s a bit of irony in that, but Ren is too focused on Rise’s condition to make any veiled jokes about it.

The two groups begin discussing the situation and the separate paths they’ve taken to get here. Ren gets yet another shock from hearing that Yosuke somehow got separated from the rest of them and displaced somewhere in the jungle. Just one more thing to add to his anxiety, it seems.

Ren knows he should be involved in all this talk as leader of the Thieves, but he can’t help the way his eyes won’t stray from Rise. He hates seeing her in such pain and disorientation. To him, her face is one that should always be smiling.

The thought of closing his eyes presents itself, if only to preserve the Rise of his memories and spare himself any further internal strife.

“Rise-san will recover.”

Naoto’s voice draws him away from any potential spiral. He finally turns away from Rise to look at her.

“Huh?”

“She’s going to be alright,” Naoto says. “I confess that we have no way of curing her presently, but we have no intention of letting her suffer. Though I have to wonder, why do you seem so panicked in particular?”

Where to even start with that? From Naoto’s perspective, a complete stranger is showing concern for someone he shouldn’t know, but that is nowhere near the truth. Though conveying how he really feels would take far too long.

“I couldn’t bear it if anything bad happened to her.” Ren sighs. “Of all the days to not have extra medicine on me…”

Naoto makes a face Ren is entirely used to – the one where it’s clear she’s seeking much more information than she has at present. He has no doubt that she could piece everything together with a few more context clues, but they don’t have time to play detective with the situation being what it is.

Between the dinosaur movie, the teen versions of people from his past, and Rise’s illness, the only path ahead lies in retreat. He’ll feel a lot better about tackling each issue once they’re in a more stable location.

“Don’t mind me, I’ll explain everything later. We have a safe place to talk where Rise can get some rest. My team will lead the way and take care of any enemies.” Ren turns on his heel and starts heading for the movie’s exit. “Let’s move, Thieves!”

His team falls into step with him, and after a few seconds of hesitating, so do the others behind them. Ren is sure they have no shortage of questions for him, and he’s no different. As it stands, the reason behind this reunion is likely to be too complicated to figure out on his own. It’ll be better to do this back in the theater with the twins and Hikari and Nagi.

Ann makes her way to the front. “Hey, Joker? Are you going to explain…any of what that was?”

“Once things have calmed down, yes. It’s just…” He throws a look over his shoulder at the following group. Seeing them all so young again gives him too much to think about. “This is all way more than I want to get into right now.”

“You really know those guys?” Ryuji asks.

“Yeah.”

“But from where?” Haru asks.

“And were you aware that they are Persona-users?” Yusuke adds.

“No, that’s actually news to me too. But like I said, I’ll explain what I can when we’re back at the theater. Stay focused – we need to make sure Rise gets there safely.”

“Right…” Makoto says.

As Ren picks up his pace, the rest of his allies give wary looks at his back. No one says anything until Kotone gets their attention from behind.

“Hey, uh…is Joker normally like this?” she asks.

“Definitely not,” Ann replies. “He always helps people in need, sure, but this feels personal.”

“I just can’t fathom where he would have met multiple Persona-users,” Makoto says. “Nor can I fully believe this is merely coincidence.”

Akechi nods beside her. “The mysteries just keep piling up, don’t they?”

Thanks to Futaba’s instruction and the Thieves’ earlier work, the trek back to the film’s exit is entirely uneventful. Once they reach the gateway leading back inside the theater, Ren gestures towards it.

“Alright, we’re here. Everybody inside.”

The Phantom Thieves and Kotone are all used to this, so they waste no time crossing the border between film and theater. The teens from Inaba still don’t look convinced by any of this even after watching the process.

Teddie’s eyes dart from the portal to Ren and back again. “I–If this is a plan to trap us, we’re beary hard to beat in a fight!”

“Hence why I sent my friends in first,” Ren says. “All I want to do is talk while Rise gets some rest.”

“You do sound genuinely concerned for her,” says Yukiko. “Could it be that you really do know us?”

“I am sorta getting the feeling I know you from somewhere,” Chie says. “But from where?”

“It’ll be a lot clearer once we’re inside,” Ren says. “I won’t look so…overdressed.”

Kanji narrows his eyes. “Uh…okay?”

Ren gestures for everyone to go inside again, and thankfully they comply. He takes a moment to himself to breathe, since it feels as if he stopped doing so the moment he realized who his team had run into in this movie. Whatever conversation lies in wait for him will surely be taxing on his already declining mental state.

When he gets on the other side, the Inaba group is handing Rise off to another white-haired lady in blue. Ren has his suspicions about why another resident of the Velvet Room has suddenly appeared, but they can wait. He has his hands full already with trying to explain what’s going on. As the woman – Margaret, she claims – guides Rise away with the help of Nagi and Hikari, Ren works his way to the front of both groups.

“Let’s talk somewhere with better lighting,” he says. “Introductions will go smoother if we can fully see each other.”

Everyone walks a bit further out of the screening room and into the area near the concession stand. The lighting does help, if only to reassure Ren that he hasn’t dreamt up the fact that all of his past contacts have seemingly reversed their ages.

He makes sure to let them all get a good look at him now that he is out of his Phantom Thief attire.

“So… Anything?”

The remaining six from Inaba take him in for a few moments. Their faces twist and scrunch with thought, but no one has that ‘eureka’ moment Ren is hoping for.

“I mean…you look more normal now, that’s for sure,” says Kanji. “But I still can’t place ya.”

“It’s the same for me,” says Yukiko. “Looking at you makes some part of my mind wander, but I can’t say what to…”

Well, that figures. Even outside of his Joker costume, he is still vastly different than their recollections of him. He’s wearing a Tokyo school’s uniform on top of being on the other side of a pretty ridiculous growth spurt. He can’t blame them for not easily reaching the truth.

“Yeah, I get it’d be hard to recognize me like this,” Ren says. “I’m normally a lot smaller in your eyes. But…would it help if I said that I still think you’re really cool, Chie?”

It’s such a minor statement that Ren isn’t surprised to see most of the Inaba crew tilt their heads at it. Such a seemingly innocuous sentence shouldn’t be enough to bridge the gap between them the way Ren hopes.

And yet, Chie reacts instantly. Her jaw drops and her eyes fly open as she stares dead ahead.

“Wait…there’s no way…”

Teddie asks, “Hm? Did you figure something out, Chie-chan?”

She takes a few steps forward, approaching the young man in front of her like he might run off if startled. The hesitation is at least accompanied by a noticeable light to her eyes, one that goes past simple curiosity.

“Ren?”

He finally lets a smile form on his face. “You got it. It’s good to see you, Chie.”

Yukiko approaches next. “Ren-kun? It’s really you?”

“What the…?” Kanji joins the girls, scanning Ren with narrowed eyes. “Man, you really do look like Ren. But you can’t be him, right?”

“Maybe you’d recognize me better if you had found me in a tree like last time. Who else would scream in a junkyard with you, Kanji?” Ren asks. “And Yukiko, just because I’m all big now doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about all those games of hide-and-seek. Or, uh…that incident with spilling flour all over myself.”

Those memories are enough to convince the two in front of him, it seems. They gain the same looks as Chie: stunned, but without any denial attached. They simply can’t believe what they’re seeing.

“It really is you,” Yukiko says softly.

“Don’t know how, but…yeah,” says Kanji. “I can’t believe it’s actually you, Ren!”

“Hold on,” Yu says, stepping towards the gathered group. “Are you guys saying this is your friend Ren from Inaba? The kid?”

“He doesn’t look like a kid to me,” Teddie says.

“That’s because he’s not supposed to look like this,” Chie cries. “Ren is, like…eleven!”

“To be fair, you guys aren’t still supposed to be teenagers for me,” Ren says. “I’m pretty sure it isn’t possible for me to out-age you all.”

“Then how did this happen? We’re not in some group dream, are we?”

“Nothing like that. Actually, I’m starting to think the answer is staring us in the face.” Ren turns to face Yu and asks, “What day was it before you all got here?”

“Let’s see… I’m pretty sure it was November second,” he replies.

“What year?”

“Two thousand eleven. Why?”

“Well…I don’t know how this is going to sound, but…” Ren gestures behind him. “Me and my friends came here from November of two thousand sixteen.”

Chie almost falls over in shock. “What?!”

“How is that possible?” Yukiko asks.

On the fringe of the group, Kotone raises her hand and asks, “Um…you all are joking, right? It’s still September, and the current year is only two thousand and nine.”

“Two thousand nine, eleven, sixteen…” Ryuji shakes his head. “Nobody’s makin’ any damn sense all of a sudden!”

“We must have all come here from different points in time,” Makoto says.

“You’re suggesting legitimate time travel?” Akechi asks. “That seems a bit far-fetched, does it not?”

“Seriously? We travel with a talking cat and fight monsters every day; why is this weird for you?” Futaba asks.

“Not a cat!” Morgana shouts.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“The time travel theory also explains why Naoto, Yu, and Teddie wouldn’t know me,” says Ren. “I didn’t meet the three of them properly until two thousand twelve.”

Teddie leans in excitedly. “Really? What day do we meet? I want to make sure my fur is all brushed!”

“Wait, wait, should we even be talking about past and future stuff?” Chie asks. “Aren’t there tons of movies showing why that’s a bad idea?”

“You’re referring to the possibility of causing a time paradox, yes?” Naoto asks. “Taking back too much information with us could lead to consequences we cannot fathom.”

“Indeed,” says Akechi. “Though it has yet to be observed, considering time travel was nothing more than an invention of fiction until now, time paradoxes could potentially cause timelines to be irreparably damaged.”

Teddie gulps. “H–How damaged?”

“Worst case scenario, one’s native timeline could be erased entirely due to the meddling.”

“Erased?! I don’t wanna disappear!”

A throat being cleared from nearby catches everyone’s attention before any panicking can begin in earnest. From his spot at the concession stand, Theodore – still sporting his popcorn costume – speaks loudly enough for all to hear.

“If I may, while some caution is certainly warranted, discussing minor events and the like should not cause any issues to your respective timelines.”

“Theo is right for once,” Elizabeth adds, appearing out of nowhere to join her brother. “Big drawn-out explanations are a no-no, but there’s nothing wrong with filling in some blanks between you. Just don’t go around outlining each other’s futures and you will avoid catastrophe. Though even if you did choose to share some of the juicier tidbits time has in store, it may not matter in the end.”

“It won’t matter?” Morgana asks. “What does that mean?”

Elizabeth gives no acknowledgement to the question. Instead, she turns to Theodore with a mischievous grin on her face and fingers wriggling in the air between them. Pinned in the stand as he is, there is no escape from his sister’s inevitable antics. The others wisely choose to ignore whatever is currently brewing.

“Well, for the sake of maintaining order, we should try to avoid saying anything too sensitive,” Makoto says. “It won’t be too hard for most of us, but for you, Ren…”

“Yeah, I get it. I won’t go too into detail about what comes later for the others.”

“Aw, I wanted to know what would be on our next set of exams,” Chie whines.

“How would Ren even know that?” Kanji asks.

The conversation then flows into an explanation of how the Investigation Team arrived in this world in the first place. They apparently tried to venture into Inaba’s TV World – Ren has to just mentally move past that or he’ll have a headache all day – where they found their normal landing spot replaced with the expansive jungle of the Junessic Land movie.

That moment is when Yosuke got separated from them, though no one knows exactly how it happened or where he ended up. Answering the latter of the questions is their top priority at the moment.

From there, everyone feels like proper introductions are overdue, so Ren sits back as everyone else gets acquainted. Aside from Kotone, who he’s already worked alongside for a while now, he is extremely familiar with every face here, so there’s no need to involve himself with the process.

Being on the outside of the group puts him in the position of being the first to spot their newest visitor. Her approach leaves Ren a bit breathless once he recognizes her, even though she is wearing different clothing than he is used to.

The blue postman’s cap and white top with a plaid skirt are new to him, but that scrutinizing expression is one he hasn’t forgotten. In fact, it isn’t an exaggeration to say the face it rests on hasn’t changed at all from what he remembers. Aside from her blue eyes lacking a bit of softness to them, Marie looks the closest to his memories out of everyone present.

Ren doesn’t manage to find any words to say before the others take notice of the new arrival. The Phantom Thieves and Kotone have no real reactions aside from visible confusion, but the Investigation Team all perk up at the sight of another of their friends.

Chie calls out, “Marie-chan, you’re here too?”

“Yeah. Don’t know how, but I got pulled here with Margaret.” Her eyes go from the Inaba group to Ren, who is still standing closer to them than the Thieves. “Who’s this?”

Ren suddenly feels a lot smaller under eyes lacking any recognition. “I…um…”

“Ren’s a friend of ours from Inaba,” Yu says. “We just found out he has a Persona today. Small world, huh?”

“I guess so,” Marie says. Her eyes linger on Ren for a second longer before she shakes her head and turns back to Yu. “Anyway, Margaret wanted me to tell you to stop by to see her when you’ve got time. Should’ve just done it herself, but whatever.”

“Sure, I’ll make time. Thanks for the heads up.”

Marie gives a nod in response before heading back towards where the Velvet Room has taken residence. Ren’s hand goes up after her, but he lowers it just as quickly. What’s the point of even trying in a situation like this?

He can’t hide the motion as well as he wants judging by how everyone looks at him in concern. Chie gives him a soft pat on the shoulder.

“Are you okay, Ren?”

“Yeah, I just…didn’t expect to see Marie here,” he says. “Knowing that she comes from a time where we haven’t met stings a little. I thought there was enough of that going around already…”

Thankfully that last bit is quiet enough that no one else hears. He really doesn’t want to make anyone here that doesn’t recognize him upset simply because of that fact. It isn’t like it’s any of their faults.

And anyway, moping about the lack of familiarity isn’t productive. He needs to get his act together and keep pushing on through these films so everyone can get home. Letting everyone down because he’s stuck in his own head isn’t an option.

Though there is one thing he can get off his mind while they’re on the subject.

Ren turns to Yu to ask, “Actually, why is Marie here at all? Is she a Persona-user too?”

“Oh, uh…not quite. She works with Margaret in the Velvet Room.”

“She does?”

That’s certainly news to Ren. He hadn’t imagined she had any connection to that place. Then again, the blue cap she had on did match the room’s aesthetic pretty closely.

“But if that’s the case,” Ren says quietly, “then wouldn’t it mean that she’s not—”

“Guys!”

A cheery new voice draws everyone’s attention, not least of all Ren’s considering who it belongs to. All prior thoughts are shoved aside at the sight of Inaba’s resident superstar making her way over.

With a skip in her step, Rise jogs to the combined group looking much brighter than before. Her usual smile has returned in full, and her excess of energy is evident in how vigorously she waves to everyone.

Yu meets her halfway with a smile of his own. “Rise! You’ve recovered?”

“Yep! Sorry to worry everybody, but yours truly is back and better than ever. Now what’s going—”

As her gait comes to a halt, her sentence follows suit. The boisterous attitude and cheery smile melt away as soon as Rise makes eye contact with Ren. The two stare at each other for what feels like an eternity, but Ren glances away first, unable to take the weight of her eyes on him. Rise doesn’t seem to have the same problem.

“Guys…can one of you please explain what I’m seeing?”

“Oh, right…you missed all the crazy stuff,” Kanji says. “We, uh…well—”

Rise brushes past the rest of her friends in order to stand right in front of Ren, gazing at him with dazzling wide-open eyes. It is a familiar sight to behold, but Ren is only just now realizing that it’s the first time these eyes have had to look up at him.

The lone difference makes him hesitant to speak. He just doesn’t know how to handle this reunion, especially with the added complications of time and space having been warped. This is a moment he believed was simply out of his reach.

And yet, having Rise look at him like she always has helps to push away some of that fear. She isn’t looking past him or at him with confusion. Her eyes are undeniably taking in the sight of someone she has a legitimate connection with.

Quietly, Ren dares to ask, “Do you…actually recognize me?”

“How could I not?” Rise’s hand goes straight to the hair covering his forehead, the same place it always did when their height difference was reversed. She brushes some of his bangs aside with her thumb. “Seeing you always puts a smile on my face, Ren.”

Exasperation mixes with incredulity, forcing a quick little laugh out of Ren. “I should have known not even a few years difference would stop you from noticing me.”

“No chance! That said, I will admit that I’m insanely confused. How are you older? I just saw you not too long ago, and you were definitely still eleven years old.”

“We’re, uh…pretty sure we all time travelled,” Ren says. “I’m from twenty sixteen.”

Rise’s eyes bulge. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

“You’re…really from five whole years in the future? Wow, I figured you had a growth spurt coming, but…”

“It snuck up on me too. Don’t worry, you’ve still got some time with mini-me.”

“Thank goodness. You’re great no matter what size you are, but I’m not ready to say goodbye to my ‘little’ buddy just yet.”

“Yeah, it’s much easier to mess with your hair when you’re half our size,” says Chie, rising on her tiptoes to do just that.

“Although this does make hugging you easier,” says Yukiko. “We won’t have to crouch down now.”

“But we can’t pick him up,” Rise whines. “He’s so tall that I can’t scoop him up into my arms anymore…”

Ren shakes his head. “You could never do that. I was too big for that even when we met.”

“I could too! I’ve totally held you like a baby before.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“Of course you don’t. Must be nice to have such a selective memory.”

“You are so lucky half the blackmail I have on you hasn’t even happened for you yet.”

“Hm… Doesn’t sound like my problem, so… Bleh.” Rise makes a point to stick her tongue out at him.

The eleven-year-old Ren back in Inaba likely would have just shaken his head at that. If any of the Thieves had given him such a silly gesture, the sixteen-year-old Ren in Tokyo would have opted for something like an eye roll.

So the current Ren standing in the theater isn’t sure which parts of him aren’t responding in the way they should, but he finds himself sticking his tongue out right back at Rise without even thinking about it. The look of utter shock on her face tells him she is just as surprised at his actual retaliation as he is.

The same shock washes over the other three from Inaba who know him, but it funnels pretty quickly into a round of chuckles that has them all bent over from the effort. Laughter spills out of each and every one of them, the wall of noise much too loud for something that really isn’t even that funny in the first place.

As Ren rights himself enough to see the smiles on those around him, he lets a matching one come to his face. He hadn’t realized how much he misses this.

For a moment, it seems like the group of five exist in their own little pocket of comfort, one immune to the craziness of their collective situation. It would be nice to bathe in all it has to offer for a while longer, but of course, things can never work out that cleanly. Whatever comfort has set in is blasted apart thanks to an enraged cry from Ryuji.

“Alright, that’s it! We’ve been pretty effin’ patient this whole time, but enough’s enough.” He stomps his way over to Ren and pokes him in the chest. “Dude, how the hell do you know a bunch of other guys with Personas and Risette?!”

“Yeah, this is way past your normal level of connected,” Futaba adds in.

“I hope you’re not hiding anything significant from your teammates,” says Akechi.

“You’re all making this more complicated than it is,” Ren says. He gestures to the teens opposite his team. “These guys and me are from the same town: Inaba. I grew up there and met them all over time.”

Akechi hums to himself. “Inaba… I believe I have a passing familiarity with the area. Though, I was under the impression that you came from further away.”

“I did. Inaba is my hometown, but it’s not where I was before I got sent to Tokyo.”

For the Phantom Thieves, knowing that Ren had a home previous to the one he was exiled from comes as a surprise, but not an entirely massive one. After all, the real shock in his backstory was the incident that got him shipped off in the first place, and he has told it to every single teammate of his by this point. It’s old news to them besides the obvious omission.

But Ren has no idea what saying that so casually has done to the other group gathered around him. His words cause them all to stiffen up, and he can feel their wide stares pinning him in place even without turning around. A quiet curse slips through his teeth, following right behind that careless statement that should have remained unsaid.

But as much as he would like to take it back, it is too late for that. The looming silence is parted by Chie stepping forward with slow, heavy footfalls.

“Ren, what do you mean?” she asks. “You’re…not still in Inaba in your time?”

“Well…”

“You said you got ‘sent’ to Tokyo?” Kanji trails off at the end of his sentence, but something in his head must click for how he nods to himself and says, “Oh, wait, I get it. You’re like Yu-senpai, then. You’re going to school in the city for the year or somethin’.”

“O–Oh, that makes sense,” stammers Yukiko. “Then, once that’s over, you’ll be coming back, won’t you?”

Those of the Inaba group that know him at this point are all visibly clinging to hope right now. After turning towards them, Ren can see it in the way their eyes search his face for any signs of reassurance. He so desperately wishes he could look the way they need him to right now.

Yukiko speaks again when he doesn’t. “Ren-kun?”

If it were only one of them calling for him, he might be able to resist. If only one of them kept him in their gaze, then maybe he could shake it. It had to be easier to stand his ground in the world where this conversation only had two sides to it. If only Ren lived in that world.

His reality isn’t so simple. No, he can’t even begin to imagine holding everything in while faced with so many people he cares for staring at him with such hurt plastered on their faces. Even the ones that haven’t met him yet look defeated.

Any decision to be made about explaining things has clearly already been made with how Ren’s mouth starts to open. Even with the suggestion of the Velvet Room residents in the back of his mind, this feels like something he simply can’t avoid.

Makoto does not share the same belief, however. She must be able to see Ren’s intent, because the simple act of him addressing everyone causes her to lay a hand on his arm.

“Ren, remember what we were told,” she says. “I know this must be hard for you, but we shouldn’t discuss—”

“I can’t leave them hanging, Makoto,” he says. It’s forceful, but not dismissive of her concern. “It’ll only make things worse if I stay quiet.”

“But—”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep it simple and straightforward. No minor details.”

She doesn’t look entirely appeased by that, but she knows him well enough to know words aren’t going to sway him at this point. One gentle squeeze comes from her hand before she pulls it away.

With nothing left to stop him, Ren lets himself carry on with what needs to be done. He stands straight, regarding all of the Inaba group at once as he speaks clearly.

“You all heard me right before. I did get sent to Tokyo, but it wasn’t from Inaba. It was from where I moved to after I left Inaba.” Ren takes a ragged breath, bracing himself for the effect his next reveal will have on those in front of him. “And…this is going to be tough for you to hear, but…I honestly haven’t seen you guys in years.”

If everything else they heard left them sorrowful, that last claim has them outright terrified. Crestfallen looks shift to panicked ones; disbelief turns to visible denial. Not one of them keeps their cool at this point.

“Wh–What?” Yukiko’s voice trembles. “That can’t be right…”

“Yeah, even if you moved away, we’d still call to talk to you!” Chie says.

“And there’s no way we never came to visit,” Rise adds. “I just… I can’t accept that!”

“It wasn’t any of your faults,” Ren says. “If anything, I’m the reason we lost contact. Well, my parents were, more accurately.”

“Huh? Wait, what do your parents have to do with it?”

“Right, you don’t know much about them yet… Let’s just say they’re not big on maintaining connections that aren’t purely business-related. They always saw my attachment to you all as something better left behind.”

“What?!” Kanji shouts. “Who the hell do they think they are, deciding somethin’ like that for themselves?”

Yukiko mumbles something to herself. “I…really wish I could say I’m surprised, but…they have always seemed a bit cold to me from the things I’ve heard.”

“That’s not totally inaccurate,” Ren says. “But we don’t have to keep talking about them. My point is, don’t blame yourselves for something that’s out of all of our hands.”

Chie frowns. “You say that, but…it still means we have to say goodbye to you at some point. Right?”

“Well…yeah…”

Silence overtakes the group once more. For all Ren wanted to get the truth out, it isn’t easy to say that this was for the best. Not when all of his old acquaintances look so downtrodden. He doesn’t know if he has ever seen them so collectively disappointed.

“Hey, it’s not the end of the world,” he says, desperate to clear the air. “I mean, it’s not like all of us were going to stay in Inaba forever. I just happened to leave first.”

“Still, this feels different,” Chie says. “Us leaving is one thing, but it never felt like you wanted to be the first to go. Or…maybe I’m just putting my own feelings on you…”

She has the right idea, with one small correction needed.

Leaving Inaba was never the real issue. It isn’t as if he ever felt physically rooted to the space itself, nor did he have a love for the countryside in particular. The town had been a decent area to live in outside of the murders from that one year.

No, the thing that tore him up about leaving was parting with the only group of people to show him any interest during his adolescent years. Severing a bond like that so suddenly had wrecked him in ways that he is honestly still recovering from. That may be news to his Tokyo friends, but to him, it is something glaringly obvious, something that left no room for any alternatives.

How could it? Chie, Yukiko, and Kanji had been the first ones to pull him along by the hand and make him feel welcome, even while doing the bare minimum Inaba had to offer.

Yosuke, Naoto, Teddie, and Marie all gave him different perspectives, and unlike the rest of the town, treated him like his own person instead of some kid to shoo away or scowl at from afar.

Yu, along with Nanako and her father, gave him an up-close look at what family should be, rescuing him from the confines of his empty house ever so often.

And while he is in no hurry to fully admit this, no one cared for him quite like Rise. Her constant showers of praise and affection filled the heart of a boy who suffered from a severe lack of such reinforcement. Her impact on him cannot be understated, especially not with how it remains a pillar in the back of his mind, pushing him on in even the toughest of times.

So yes, it isn’t a stretch to say that his departure was pretty much a disaster on all fronts. His time leading the Phantom Thieves came as a result, so it hasn’t been completely bad, but it’s hard to count that amongst the positives considering his middle stop from Inaba to Tokyo.

At this point, reassuring those from his past feels entirely out of his capabilities. He can’t find anything to say while they continue to lament amongst themselves.

“It’s certainly vexing to learn you’re leaving,” Naoto says. “From my perspective, I have to come to terms with that despite not even having met you yet. What a conundrum.”

“We don’t even know how much time we have left…” Rise mutters.

“You really can’t tell us, Ren?” Teddie asks.

“At risk of my team advisor dropping the ‘Fist of Justice’ on me, no. Sorry.”

Kanji groans. “Man, this blows! We already gotta say goodbye to Senpai when the year’s over, and now we’re gonna lose you too?”

Rise plugs her ears. “Agh – don’t remind me of that! Are you trying to make me bawl my eyes out, Moronji?!”

“I’m just sayin’!”

“N–Now, everyone, let’s not focus on all the bad,” Yukiko says. “We don’t want to upset Ren-kun.”

Following that, Naoto says, “Um, Yukiko-senpai? I think you would be better served worrying about yourself. You and Chie-senpai look close to hysterics…”

“That’s just my allergies acting up!” Chie retorts.

Okay, now Ren is really starting to doubt the decision to admit the truth. The Inaba group is spiraling, and he still can’t think of anything that would help at this point. If Yoshida could see him now, he would surely be wondering where all that speechcraft ability went. Ren doesn’t even have a sign to hide behind here.

Before things can devolve any further, however, a strong and confident voice cuts through everyone’s woes.

“It’s going to be alright,” Yu says, stressing the latter part of that statement so that his words are both heard and felt. “I get that I’m not in the same spot as most of you, but don’t let hearing all this ruin what we’ve still got.”

“What we…still have?” Teddie asks. “What’s that, Sensei?”

“Time. Even though you guys know I won’t stay in Inaba forever, that hasn’t stopped us from making great memories, right? The same thing goes for Amami— Sorry, for Ren. When we get back to our time, we all have plenty of time to spend with his younger self. Nothing lasts forever, and that’s what makes things special. Besides…”

Yu nods towards the Phantom Thieves all clustered around Ren.

“It looks like despite his circumstances, he found himself a good group of friends in the next stage of his travels. We should be grateful for that, right?”

The rest of the Investigation Team slowly loses the gloom in their faces. It isn’t a total fix, but Yu has done what Ren previously couldn’t even imagine. He always did have a knack for pulling off minor miracles.

“Yeah,” Chie agrees. “I guess if we have to let you go, it’s good to know that we’re at least passing you off to good hands.”

“You are,” Ren says. If he can’t assure them of anything else, he can at least confidently vouch for those behind him. “I’m much better for having met them. But I still owe you all a lot.”

Yukiko waves off the very idea of that. “Don’t be silly, you don’t owe us anything, Ren-kun. We are the lucky ones to get to watch you grow up. Even if that ends sooner than we’re ready for, it doesn’t change how great it’s been to have you around.”

“For sure,” Rise says. “I feel the same even without as much time with you as the others. You’re really special to us, you know.”

Chie nods her head. “The rest of Inaba’s really missing out by not trying to hang around you more.”

“Better for us, though, right?” Kanji asks. “Just means we get more of him ourselves.”

Ren hopes none of the heat he feels in his face now is showing. He vastly prefers this atmosphere to the one prior, but that doesn’t mean he feels any more equipped to handle it.

“Jeez, guys… You don’t have to go that far,” he says.

He is spared any further compliments by Morgana piping up from his spot below everyone.

“I get this is all pretty touching for you guys, but we’re kind of on the clock here, remember? It’s probably for the best we stop our leader from doing any more blabbing about the future too.”

“Rude.”

“Anyway, now that we’ve all recovered, we can go back into the movie and save the rest of the missing Persona-users. That’s this ‘Yosuke’ guy for the Inaba group, and a whole other team for Kotone.”

“That’s right,” Makoto says. “Uncovering the way home is important, but we need to ensure the safety of everyone we’re missing. We owe Shiomi-san greatly for all she’s done for us.”

“Hey, you guys have helped me just as much,” Kotone says. “But I appreciate it. I’m ready to head back in whenever everyone else is.”

“Same goes for the Thieves,” echoes Morgana. “That just leaves the Investigation Team. Are you guys rested enough for this?”

“I think we’re all good by this point,” says Kanji. “As long as Rise’s healed up, I don’t think there’s any issues.”

“All good here,” she replies. “Miss Margaret got me back to a hundred percent. Let’s get to work finding everyone we’re missing!”

“Hold on, everyone,” Yu says. “Before we go back in, I’d like to suggest you take over leading for me, Ren.”

That actually makes Ren jolt in place. “What? But…I’ve never led you guys before. I didn’t even know you had Personas before today.”

“True, but from what I’ve seen so far, you’ve got a pretty tight ship running around here. I think it’d be best to continue that flow, so I’ll leave things to you from here.”

“Plus, we all trust you, Ren!” Chie says. “So whatever you say goes.”

Yukiko nods. “You’ve always been a smart kid, Ren-kun. If you’re a leader just like Yu-kun, we’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Ren still isn’t so sure. He looks to Naoto, partially for an out to this, and partially for the sole confirmation that actually could ensure him of this.

She gives him a firm nod and says, “I trust the judgement of my teammates. Though I lack their familiarity, anyone they can so readily put their faith in is someone I have no problem supporting. We’re in your hands, Amamiya-kun.”

Given who he knows Naoto to be, that actually does make him feel a bit better about taking command. Though it is tainted a bit by hearing her call out his family name so neutrally.

“There you have it, Ren,” Yu says. “So, you up for it?”

“How could I say no at this point? I’ll do my best to lead you all.” Ren turns and channels every bit of his alter ego as his voice booms and his gaze hardens. “Everyone, let’s head out. We’ve got an ally to save.”

Chapter Text

As soon as everyone is back in the jungle, the Investigation Team has a collective moment of surprise seeing the Phantom Thieves regain their outfits. Understandable, considering that even with Personas, nothing they have is quite like the phenomenon.

“They really do just appear,” Yukiko says. “Is there a way to turn them on and off? Does summoning them require thought?”

Chie snickers. “You’re starting to sound like Naoto-kun with all those questions.”

“Personally, I’m more interested in another aspect of the Phantom Thieves’ work,” Naoto says. “Are the designations you all have for each other codenames, by chance?”

“Indeed,” says Yusuke. “The work we do necessitates a way to refer to each other without giving away our real identities. Hence, we have chosen codenames that are symbolic of who we are as thieves.”

“I guess?” Ryuji says. “Some of ‘em ain’t that deep, though.”

Morgana adds, “Yeah, like yours, bonehead.”

“Zip it, cat!”

Yukiko nods to herself. “Codenames, huh? Can I have one?”

“Uh, you don’t need a codename, Yukiko,” says Chie. “You don’t even have a mask!”

“Still, it would be fun! Naoto-kun agrees with me.”

Naoto pulls the brim of her hat lower. “Please don’t just lump me in with your impulses, Yukiko-senpai…”

Entirely brushing past that, Yukiko turns to Ren. “How about it, Ren-kun? Can we have some codenames?”

“I mean, if you really want them, I guess I could give it a shot.”

“Mmhm! Please do!”

Ren takes a long look over the group of Persona-users from Inaba. Though he doesn’t have any masks to base this little assessment on, he does have years of knowledge to apply. Mix that with a little of what he has learned about them as the ‘Investigation Team,’ and the answers practically come unbidden.

“I got it,” he says.

His finger goes down the line one person at a time, pointing at Yukiko, Chie, Naoto, Teddie, Kanji, and then Yu.

“Orchid, Striker, Deadeye, Presto, Titan, Captain.” He points back towards the theater entrance and adds, “Rise is Diva. Oh, and when we find Yosuke, he’ll be Bishop.”

“Oh, mine is prettier than I expected. I’m honored you think of me like that, Ren-kun.”

“Aw yeah, you know what I’m about!”

“I don’t know if my aim is truly that impressive, but…the name is amusing.”

“I can see it now, the name ‘Presto’ up in lights, adored by all! A name that’s as magical as I am!”

“Damn, I sound kinda awesome! Makes me feel like a big deal.”

“I guess that’s more for my usual role than what I’ve been doing here. Still fitting, though. I’m sure Yosuke will like his, too.”

“Ooh, ‘Diva’ has some real star power to it. Thanks, Ren!”

Haru giggles at everyone accepting their new names. “Wow, it seems like they all ended up satisfied. Splendid work, Joker!”

“Of course,” he replies, giving a little bow and wink. “I always give the best names.”

Ann gives him an unimpressed look and says, “Your first suggestion for me was ‘Catgirl,’ you dork.”

“It was still early back then. I hadn’t hit my stride yet.”

“Uh huh…”

Futaba’s voice comes in to ask, “And what about you trying to name me ‘Glasses,’ huh?”

“That one was a joke to lighten the mood,” Ren replies cooly. “When I’m serious, my codenames are always on point.”

Yusuke nods. “You did bestow me with mine, after all. I cannot imagine parting with it now.”

“I can’t say I dislike the one you gave me either,” says Makoto.

“I might not be using mine actively, but ‘Firefly’ is still a cool name in my book,” adds Kotone. “I think Joker’s got a real talent for naming.”

Ren turns to Ann with a smug look. “See?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Just you wait – if we ever get a new member back home, you’re in the hot seat!”

“And I’ll be sure to live up to expectations then as well. Now, let’s keep moving. Diva, you mind telling us the way?”

Rise giggles. “Oh, we’re actually using the names? Fine by me! The next point of interest is a straight shot from here. You’re free to go, Joker.”

The codename bit only really lasts until the team starts seeing consistent combat. Considering how much of an adjustment fighting in the films is, it’s a lot less taxing on everyone’s minds to just use the real names of everyone without a mask. Ren, unfortunately, has to follow suit with all that he is already juggling mentally.

There is also the issue with how the power of the Wild Card isn’t functioning like normal, forcing him – and his two fellow team leaders – to rely on a much smaller repertoire of attacks than ever before. He hasn’t felt this limited since back in Kamoshida’s castle.

At least he has a big enough team to cover any potential missteps on his end. Not only does he have his Phantom Thieves here to back him up like always, but he also gets to battle alongside people who have known him since childhood. That brings an extra level of comfort that he never expected to get in combat.

Despite that, he doesn’t immediately take to leading them. After all, knowing them personally doesn’t exactly translate to knowing how they act in battle. Their first session fighting together as a whole marks the start of a lot of trial and error, during which Ren has to learn all new sides to old companions.

It helps that since Personas are just reflections of one’s inner self, the Investigation Team’s fighting styles aren’t anything to be shocked about. Chie’s fierce footwork, Kanji’s brutal grappling, Naoto’s careful gunfire, it all matches up to the people Ren remembers growing up with.

Though there is an extra wrinkle to deal with that Ren isn’t expecting. Knowing that people from his past have Personas and have plenty of battle experience doesn’t stop him from worrying over them getting hurt. As they all fight side by side, he finds himself instinctively going after Shadows that are targeting them or switching to heal them when an attack slips through. He doesn’t mean to diminish their skill at all; this anxiety over seeing them hurt simply isn’t something he is able to completely ignore.

He doesn’t realize the same goes the other way until a pair of Shadows makes the fatal mistake of exploiting Arsène’s weakness to ice. Ren barely has the time to shake off the pain before he sees Chie crush one of the attackers with her heel while Yukiko melts the other into nothing but wisps of smoke.

Oh well, he decides. If they’re both doing it for each other, then maybe it isn’t anything to get hung up on. It’s ultimately the Shadows’ problem to contend with.

Futaba’s voice comes in right after that display of power. “That’s all the Shadows down, gang. Feel free to take a breath – the next enemy’s coming in pretty slow.”

“Thanks, Oracle,” Ren says. “Let’s take the chance to review our lineup, then. How’s everybody doing so far?”

Kotone flashes him a thumbs up. “Still at the top of my game!”

“I will likely have to switch to mainly physical attacks for the time being, but I can continue on,” says Yusuke.

“No complaints from me,” Makoto says.

“Same,” Kanji says.

Most of them share similar sentiments, so Ren decides that they can push through the film a bit more. They need to find Yosuke as quickly as possible, for the Investigation Team’s sake as well as Ren’s. That is someone close to him, after all.

“Alright, then,” he says. “Fox, take a little breather. We’ve been relying on your ice for a while. Chie, you’re in.”

“You got it, Ren!”

“If no one else has anything to bring up, let’s circle back to that area we passed back—”

The mental link from the theater buzzes with activity. “Uh, hello? What about you, Ren?”

“What about me, Rise?”

“You checked in on everyone else, but didn’t say anything about yourself! You know I can see your vitals, right? Out of everyone, you’re easily the most winded.”

He may have, in fact, forgotten that. It isn’t as if he normally avoids having someone call out his decision to press on when he lacks energy, but Futaba knows his limits well after working together for so long. Rise, on the other hand, has always been overeager when it comes to watching over him.

“That’s just part of being a Wild Card,” Ren argues. “I can’t let my coverage go to waste with so many enemies around.”

“Maybe normally, but there are two more with you right now. You don’t have to do everything singlehandedly.”

“And I’m not trying to. But just because my energy is dipping doesn’t make it cause for concern. You’re just not used to how we operate.”

“You shouldn’t be used to burning yourself out, Ren. And it isn’t just your energy levels that have taken hits lately, so maybe you should heal yourself just in case? Actually, let’s just get someone else up front entirely. Shiomi-san, could you—”

“Alright, that’s enough of that,” Ren says. Intentions aside, he has to put his foot down somewhere. Defending him mid-fight is one thing – hovering is another. “Rise, I’m literally the same age as everyone else here right now. I’m older than you. You don’t need to keep babying me.”

“I’m not! I just…don’t like seeing you jump headfirst into danger, alright?”

“Heh – that’s pretty much exclusively what he does…”

“Not now, Oracle.” Ren sighs. “Look, Rise…I get this is a lot for you and the others. But I need you to try and accept the fact that I’m strong enough to hold my own out here. I’m going to keep putting myself in the front of things because that’s where my power works best.”

“But— No…no, you’re right.” A sigh comes through the mental link. “Just because we operate a certain way doesn’t mean I can force things on you. I’ll always worry, but I’ll trust you, Ren. Just promise me you won’t take on more than you can handle.”

“I promise. Nothing here’s going to take me down.”

“Yeah, he’ll be fine,” Ryuji says, clapping his leader on the back. “I mean, he’s stronger than everybody else here anyway, so worryin’ won’t do anything, really.”

“Almost everyone, you mean,” says Kanji. “No one’s stronger than Yu-senpai.”

“Uh, no, I don’t. Your guy’s prob’ly good, but he ain’t better than Joker.”

“I don’t know… Yu-kun is exceptionally powerful,” says Yukiko. “And experience plays a factor as well.”

“But he and Joker have the same experience right now,” Ann says. “We’re both from around the same point in our own adventures, so they should be equal in that, right?”

“Which means strength decides it,” says Teddie, “so Sensei wins!”

Yu shakes his head. “Guys…”

“I believe we should be considering Personas as well,” says Yusuke. “After all, the strength of one’s heart grants them immense power, and I know no one who can compare to Joker in that regard.”

Rise chimes in to add, “You’re just saying that because you haven’t seen Senpai’s full roster, Fox. He’s constantly adding Personas to his lineup that make boss Shadows look like fodder.”

The discussion continues to build as both sides vouch for their respective leaders. None of it is at all combative, of course, but continuing to go back and forth on the point doesn’t really help their current situation. Ren figures Yu is thinking the same thing since he steps up and claps to get everyone’s attention.

“Alright, enough discussion,” he says. “We both appreciate the compliments, but what’s important now is keeping up our pace. Yosuke needs our help if he’s going to get out of here.”

Chie scratches the back of her head. “R–Right. Guess we got a little carried away there.”

“Yeah, our bad,” Ann says.

“That’s alright,” replies Yu. “It’s only natural to compare considering our abilities are all new to each other. But let’s save the debates for back in the theater. Besides, the topic of who’s the stronger leader is a pointless conversation anyway. Right, Ren?”

“Right. No need to discuss it when the obvious answer is me.”

“Exac—” Yu does a doubletake. “Wait, what?”

Ren shrugs lazily, walking past everyone to take the front of the pack. “I concede that you’re better with a blade than I am. And judging by the way you fight in general, the same might go for hand-to-hand. But if I’m allowed to go all out with Personas involved, I’m peerless.” A white grin gleaming in the jungle sun comes up over Ren’s shoulder. “I’m not convinced there’s a single Persona-user out there who could take me down.”

Everyone behind Ren stares in stunned silence after that declaration. The normally ever-present chirps and buzzing of jungle wildlife cease, granting the Phantom Thief leader an impromptu stage to show off. Even the jungle winds seem to blow in his favor, lifting his coattails up in the air to add to the dramatic tension his words have left behind.

“Damn, kid…” Kanji says.

“What’s gotten into Joker all of a sudden?” Makoto asks.

“I don’t know, but it’s pretty sick,” Ryuji says, grinning madly.

Haru nods. “Agreed. I do so enjoy seeing him this bold.”

“Of course you do,” Morgana says.

Yu chuckles, visibly a bit bewildered by all this. “You’re not kidding, are you, Ren? Well, when you say it like that, I have trouble doubting you. But I wouldn’t be much of a leader if I backed down so easily. And even if it doesn’t fully show here, I am your predecessor, Ren.”

“And I’m sure you’re a lovely blueprint,” he fires back. “But I’m the new and improved model.”

“Can’t beat the classics.”

“Sure you can. You just have to let go of nostalgia and recognize that the future is already here.”

This lighthearted stalemate between them is new both ways. Ren has never had the ground to measure up to Yu like this, and this version of Yu hasn’t even met his time’s Ren yet.

Even still, the current pair locks eyes with matching grins on both their faces, neither willing to concede the point here. The air practically crackles with the electricity born of the sparks flying from their stare-down.

The charged atmosphere only breaks when Kotone comes stomping up to stand in between the two, snapping her fingers to get their attention.

“Hey, why am I being left out of the conversation?” she asks. “I’m a Wild Card too, you know. Frankly, I’m pretty sure I’m stronger than the both of you!”

Ren ponders that for a moment before nodding. “You’re right,” he says. “We should have included you before, Shiomi-san. I definitely think you’re stronger than Yu.”

Her eyebrow raises. “But not you?”

“Afraid not.”

“Oh, you’re so lucky I don’t have my normal Personas with me. They’d have no problem wiping that smirk off your face.”

“You’re welcome to try with the ones we have here,” Ren says. “And at the very least, we still have our physical abilities to go off of, right?”

“Wait… Are you actually proposing we spar? Even with everything going on?”

“Sure, why not? We’ve got things to handle first, but all this comparing has me ready to prove myself as top Wild Card. Why bother just claiming it when I can show you both directly?”

“Then it’s settled,” Yu says. “Once we find Yosuke and get some breathing room, we find out which of us is the best.”

Kotone gives a mock salute. “Sounds good to me! Just don’t be too sore about it when you lose, boys.”

“No chance of that.” Ren tightens his gloves, ready to throw down now despite the actual event being so far away. “I’ll try not to hurt you two too badly, but I tend to get a little wild when someone pushes me. Isn’t that right, Crow?”

All eyes go to Akechi, who has spent most of his time thus far in the back of the combined group. He blinks a bit owlishly under his mask with the sudden attention thrown his way, but he still manages to put on a pleasant smile for everyone.

A nervous laugh escapes him before he says, “You’re asking me? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you properly pushed to your limits, Joker. Even during the arena battles in our current Palace, you were in a class of your own.”

True, but they both know that those fights were not prime examples of what an unrestrained leader of the Phantom Thieves looks like. He can’t say as much, however. It isn’t like either of them can really mention their recent duel in Mementos without having to explain themselves.

“Right. Didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that,” Ren says. “After all, it must be hard for a rookie Persona-user to picture being on my level. But hey, don’t worry! You’ll get there someday, buddy.”

That boyish smile from before turns crooked. The beginnings of a bulging vein in Akechi’s forehead follows.

“Thank you for the…kind words, Joker. Now, shall we proceed? We still have Hanamura-san to locate.”

Ren bows with arms outstretched. “Lead the way, Mr. Detective. Or would you rather leave this to Naoto?”

“I can manage,” Akechi quickly says, brushing past Ren with a slight bit of contact.

Kotone and the Investigation Team follow, visibly confused by the entire interaction. The Phantom Thieves, however, know exactly what that was. Ever the worrier among them, Makoto makes her way to Ren’s side once Akechi is too far to listen in.

“We’re supposed to be subtle about this,” she says.

“This is me being subtle. I’m the last person he’d expect to be clueless, so I literally have to poke the bear to keep things progressing smoothly.”

“And I’m sure the satisfaction you get in doing so is completely irrelevant?”

Ren holds a hand over his heart. “You know me so well, Queen.”

She sighs, though she cannot hide the faint amusement she clearly feels about all this. “For better or worse. Go on and lead, will you?”

There isn’t any chance for a tense atmosphere to settle in with how quickly things take a turn for the weird. On top of finding a pack of talking dinosaurs, the team is shocked to see one of them is the spitting image of Yosuke. The dinosaur body in place of a normally human one is the only major difference.

After swapping some intel back and forth, everyone decides to follow the newly named ‘Yosukesaurus’ and the other dinosaurs on their path to ‘paradise.’ Odds are that they’ll find Yosuke in that very same place.

Unfortunately, the Persona-users and the dinosaurs end up splitting after a disagreement on how to proceed, leaving Futaba and Rise to do the heavy lifting in terms of guidance. Ren is really starting to hate how labyrinthian these films are proving to be.

Combat is at least something straightforward. Putting his focus into leading everyone to victory in battle is much preferred to wracking his brain on where to go next in this massive jungle. The sound of Shadows warbling as they fade to dust is a nice pick me up after all the frustration present today.

“Another good fight, team,” Ren says, pocketing his dagger. “I want to loop back to check that chest we passed earlier, but before that, we should—”

Ren’s next words die on his tongue. His train of thought has been derailed – no, thoroughly obliterated, blown to bits along with the track underneath.

The worst part? He is the only witness to the verbal bomb that did the deed. The very words that have left him speechless go unheard by anyone else. To everyone around, all they see is Ren drop into a crouched position with his hands pressed to his ears.

“Uh, we should what?” Ann asks, hovering near her squatting leader. “Joker?”

The rest of the group follows suit, walking closer to where the appointed head of them remains motionless. Unease quickly spreads amongst them all.

“Uh, Ren?” Chie starts. “What’s—”

The concerned and anxious mood is ripped apart by the assault of Futaba’s cackling echoing in everyone’s heads. Each of them recoils from the abrupt shift in mental volume.

“What the heck, Oracle?” Morgana exclaims. “Why are you laughing like a madwoman?”

“Because Rise just one-hit KO’ed Joker,” she replies, still in the throes of laughter. “Looks like I need to update my data on him if he can go down from just a few words.”

“What does that mean?” Naoto asks.

Rise’s voice pops back into everyone’s heads. “I may or may not have focused on Ren specifically so that only he would hear me just now.”

“Which I only just found out she can do…” Ren stands on shaky feet, angling his head to peer up at the sky since he can’t glare at the navigator in question. “Rise, do not just say something like that out of nowhere.”

“Why not? Isn’t it better that I tell you that whenever I can?” Rise’s smile is practically audible in her every word. “If it’s true that you haven’t seen me in a while, then I have a lot of catching up to do, don’t I?”

“Wait, I’m confused,” says Ryuji.

“Same here,” Kanji says. “Yo, Rise! What’d you say to Ren?”

“Just that I lov—”

“It’s irrelevant!” Ren shouts. In a more controlled tone of voice, he adds, “Let’s…let’s just keep going.”

He tries to flick the collar of his coat a little higher and trudge ahead, but Akechi puts a stop to that by sliding in his path with an astonished look on his face.

“Oh my…” he exclaims, a hand slightly raised to his lips. “You’re quite red in the face, Joker. Are you sure you’re okay? Do we need to stop and escort you back to the theater?”

That hand turns out to be a perfect cover to hide the conniving little smirk now on his face. This is no doubt payback for earlier. Unfortunately, Ren can’t find a way to deflect the attention before Ann is all up in his face, eyes wide at the sight Akechi just pointed out.

“No way – you’re actually blushing?! We’ve never been able to make you blush!” Ann looks up to the sky with hands raised in a praying gesture. “Teach me your ways, Kujikawa-senpai!”

The rest of the Thieves crowd around to get a better look themselves, shameless in their pursuit. Ren has never had more sympathy for zoo animals than he does now.

“So precious…” Haru whispers.

“I admit, seeing this sort of look on you is a nice change of pace,” says Makoto.

“Indeed, though I must ask that you remove your hands from your face, Joker,” Yusuke says. “I cannot properly capture your rare expression like this!”

“That’s the idea, Fox.” Ren swats away his teammates like he would bugs in the summertime. “Phantom Thieves, take a back seat for this next section. Shiomi-san, Naoto, Yu, Teddie, you’re up front with me.”

“Aw, c’mon,” Ryuji says, “you’re really tryin’ to punish us for that?”

“Don’t blame us just because your ‘gap moe’ is being exposed!” Ann cries.

“And why drag us into it?” Kanji asks. “We didn’t do anything!”

“Yeah, I didn’t even get to see it, so why am I getting benched?” asks Chie.

“We could always try to repeat it ourselves,” says Yukiko. “I believe we could come up with something to make Ren-kun blush again…”

“Oh, that would just be wonderful,” Haru says. “Please, feel free to try whatever you deem necessary!”

Akechi chuckles. “Perhaps we should take a short break to accommodate our allies’ efforts. Wouldn’t you agree, Joker?”

“Not listening to party members in the back anymore!” Ren yells. “Hey, Oracle, is there any way for you to block Rise’s voice and give me navigation on your own?”

“Of course.”

“Then, would you—”

“Nope!”

“Why?!”

“Because I like seeing you teased to all hell, leader. The floor’s yours, Risette!”

“Welcome, everyone, to Rise Radio! We’ve got a killer lineup today, starting with a marathon of stories about our precious little Ren Amamiya. Our first tale involves the time I taught him how to swim. Those little water wings he had on were just the cutest thing…”

Ren walks off without looking to see if anyone follows. “I’m going to let a dinosaur eat me.”

Chapter Text

Finding Yosuke requires a lot of strange pathing, a lot of tedious fighting, and a couple more silly side-quests to be completed, but they eventually track him down with all that behind them.

Rise and Futaba detect his location just past a huge group of trees, along with a massive dinosaur that seems entirely unfriendly. Despite the danger, no one has any problem charging in to retrieve the last member of the Investigation Team.

When they manage to break through all the plant life blocking the way, they arrive on site of a battle already in progress. Yosuke is clutching his kunai tightly, barely standing while a gaudy-looking dinosaur with weirdly long eyelashes and manicured claws looms over him.

Behind him is one of the herbivore dinosaurs like the ones from further back in the jungle. It frets over Yosuke’s injuries while in hiding. Both of them buckle from the massive force of sound that is the larger dinosaur’s roar.

“Yosuke! Hang on!” Yu shouts. He beats everyone else in rushing to his teammate’s side, drawing a shocked sputter out of the brown-haired boy.

“Yu?! Wait, the rest of you are here too?! Oh, thank god!”

“We’re here to back you up, senpai,” says Kanji. He turns and makes a rude gesture to the large dinosaur across from them. “Hey, ya dumb lizard! If you wanna fight, then come take us on instead!”

“Bad idea,” says Morgana. “That thing’s crazy strong, even for us!”

“Huh?! Then why’d ya let me trash talk it first?!”

“Uh, if we’re not fighting, then what are we doing?” Ann asks.

“And can we make the decision fast?” Chie adds. “That thing doesn’t look happy to see us!”

“We could try and lure it away somehow…” Kotone suddenly perks up and snaps her fingers. “Oh! What if we used that gate we passed by earlier?”

“Good thinking, Shiomi-san,” says Makoto. “We can draw its attention and trap it using that gate. Then Hanamura-san and the herbivore will be safe.”

“So, how do we get it to follow us?” Yukiko asks.

“Leave it to me!” Teddie declares.

Without waiting for any other input, Teddie scoops a rock off the ground and hurls it directly at the gaudy dinosaur. As anyone could have predicted, it gets the dinosaur’s attention. Though with it comes a palpable amount of ire, as well.

Rise’s instruction to run comes in as everyone is already fleeing in panic. They manage to make it back to the gate they need for their trap only to find it powerless. Without a clear way to remedy this, the grim reality of their hunter catching up with them is quickly setting in.

“No good,” Ryuji says. “That thing’s headed right for us!”

“B–But we still don’t have the power on!” Haru exclaims.

“Everyone, fall back!” Yu orders. He draws his sword and rushes forward. “I’ll stall it and buy you guys some time to figure out how to get the gate working.”

“What?! Senpai, that’s too dangerous,” Rise says. “Taking on that thing alone will—”

“He won’t be alone,” says Ren. “I’ll hold the line with him.”

Kotone steps into place beside them both. “Me too. Let’s give this thing a taste of the Wild Card.”

“Well, if it’s the three of you, you might just be able to hold it back,” says Futaba. “Still, don’t get cocky. One wrong move and you’re dino food!”

“Be careful, everyone,” Rise adds.

Ren twirls his dagger around in his hand. “Doesn’t sound as fun, but sure.”

Now fully caught up, the team’s carnivorous predator lets out another warbling roar that sends tremors through the ground and shakes every tree in sight. Ridiculous looking though it may be, that makes it no less imposing. Breaking a human body would be child’s play to a creature like this.

As the team navigators anticipated, the Wild Card trio’s initial attacks don’t have much effect. Kotone attempts to force it back with Orpheus, commanding the Persona to bash the dinosaur with her lyre, but the blows lack any proper stopping power. The same goes for Izanagi’s lightning and Arsène’s curse attacks. They merely anger the beast in the same way Teddie’s rock did.

“Okay, maybe we need a new strategy,” says Ren. “I’m open to ideas.”

“We hit it harder!” Kotone shouts.

“I’m no longer open to ideas.”

“No, listen! I’ll weaken it, and then you two work together to hit it with something powerful!”

“Something powerful…” Yu mutters. “In that case, we’ll have to attack in unison. You ready, Ren?”

“Of course.”

“Then we move on your signal, Shiomi-san.”

“Got it! Get ready…”

Kotone raises her Evoker, firing it off as soon as the carnivore begins to advance towards them again. When Orpheus strums her lyre, it bathes the opposing creature in a tower of green light. Its speed and coordination take a visible hit in how it stumbles forward now.

“Go for it, you two!”

With their ally’s plan in play, Ren and Yu nod to each other before racing forward. Yu holds his katana aloft, somehow imbuing it with a stream of lightning while Ren zips back and forth to build up speed. When they reach the gaudy carnivore, they attack side-by-side to deliver a devastating double slash across the beast’s front. It howls in pain as it collapses onto its side, kicking up dirt and dust in its wake.

Kotone whistles, sliding her Evoker back into its holster. “Way to go, boys – you knocked it flat! I think we’ve done our job here.”

“Then let’s retreat while we can,” Yu says.

By the time the Wild Cards make it back to everyone else, they’ve managed to figure out how to restore power to the faulty gate control panel. The gate itself crackles to life as soon as Ren, Yu, and Kotone pass the raised pylons, covering their escape with a surging wall of electricity. By the time the dinosaur gets up, it will have no way to follow them.

Everyone else is understandably curious where such a powerful joint attack came from, but neither Ren nor Yu has any answers for them. It felt more like an instinct in the moment than anything else. They ultimately decide to shelve the conversation for later until they have the current situation handled.

From there, it’s a simple enough task to loop back around to where Yosuke is waiting with the herbivore he protected. Despite his visible exhaustion, he brightens up with the second coming of his usual teammates.

He waves and shouts, “You guys made it! Man, I got scared when that thing took off after you. Did you have to piss it off that bad, Ted?”

“It was to save you!” Teddie cries. “How about being a little more thankful, hm?”

“Yeah, right. If anything, I’m thanking Yu for leading all of you to rescue me. Um, speaking of…the coast is clear, right? Like, I’m free to finally let my guard down?”

Yu nods. “Have at it, partner.”

“Thank you. In that case…” Yosuke promptly erupts into a ranting fit, shouting, “What the hell’s going on here?! Where are we? Why are there dinosaurs around? Who’re the guys in costumes? Why did that chick in black put a gun to her head earlier? And is that some kind of monster—”

Morgana aims his slingshot up from his spot on the ground. “If your next word is spelled ‘c-a-t,’ I’d suggest you reconsider saying it!”

“Woah!”

Ren pats his guide on the head. “Easy, Mona. Yosuke’s understandably confused with all this. And he’s been through a lot with all this dinosaur stuff, so cut him a break.”

“E–Exactly! Thanks, masked guy.”

Chie snorts at that moniker. “Come on, Yosuke, don’t be rude! He has a name.”

“Well, I don’t know it! We just met!”

“Are you sure, Yosuke-kun?” Yukiko asks. “You might want to look a little closer.”

“Huh?” Yosuke looks the ‘masked guy’ up and down through squinted eyes. “Now that you mention it, there is something…familiar about you. You don’t go to Yasogami, do you?”

“Nope,” Ren says. “Never quite made it there.”

“But you are from Inaba, then? Where have I seen you before?”

“Oh, you know… Around…”

The rest of the Investigation Team snickers while Yosuke struggles to keep up. He crosses his arms and scowls at his teammates having fun at his expense.

“Alright, good joke, everyone – time to let me in on it, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know…seeing you so clueless is kinda funny,” Kanji says.

“Well, more clueless than usual,” Chie adds.

Before that can turn into the squabble that Ren has seen play out more than a few times, he decides to step in. He can spare Yosuke from a bit of heckling, especially considering all he has gone through lately.

He asks, “Hey, Yosuke, do you remember the time I saw you at Junes and you thought that a college student was hitting on you? Even though she just wanted to know where the store kept the new models of phones?”

The mention of that makes Yosuke’s face turn an impressive shade of red. This may have been a necessary evil, but Ren still feels a little guilty blabbing about it.

“What the— I told you not to bring that up anymore, Ren!” When his own words catch up to him, Yosuke freezes, blinks, and scrunches his face up. “Wait…”

One more lingering look is all it takes to light the neurons in his brain, it seems. He recoils in place, shrieking the answer to his curiosities like one of the many prehistoric birds flitting about in the jungle.

“Ren?!”

“There it is,” Kanji says.

“How…? When…? You—”

Chie cuts him off by smacking his back. “Alright, give your brain a rest before you short-circuit. We’ll explain everything back at the theater.”

“The…theater? Why are none of you making any sense right now?!”

Yu gives a comforting smile as he says, “Just trust us, Yosuke. You’ll be caught up soon enough.”

The decision to head back to the theater for now is made even easier by the fact that the group is voted out of travelling with the herbivores and Yosukesaurus. Everyone agrees that the problem the dinosaurs are experiencing needs to be resolved, but they do need to take some time to regroup, so they let the split happen and carry on back to the theater.

Once inside, Yosuke gets the freakout he is owed about being in an otherworldly theater, as well as being shocked at the Phantom Thieves’ clothes changing and the appearance of Velvet Room residents.

Though, Ren suspects that he himself is still the biggest shock considering Yosuke can’t seem to stop staring at him.

“Still tripped out by all this, huh?”

“Well, yeah. You’re not supposed to be my height,” Yosuke says. “Or better looking than me. Wait a minute, take your glasses off.”

“Uh, okay?”

Ren does as asked, sliding his glasses off and hooking them in the collar of his blazer. Yosuke practically wilts at the sight before him.

“Aw man, you’re even better looking without them! You’d be a heartthrob at Yasogami…”

“Are you seriously complainin’ about competition you won’t even have, senpai?” Kanji asks.

“Competition implies he has a chance with any girls to begin with,” says Chie.

“I’m not taking that from you of all people,” Yosuke says. “The day a guy shows interest in you is when you’re the last two people on Earth.”

“Huh?! Say that again! I dare you, you little—!”

The only thing stopping Chie from running Yosuke down like a rampaging bull is Yukiko’s arms wrapping around her waist. Yosuke, ever oblivious to the true danger right in front of him, just hurls some more insults with a grin on his face. Kanji wisely decides to step back from the whole thing.

From his spot next to Rise – a safe distance away from ground zero – Ren finds himself stifling a chuckle.

“Yeah, this is about what I remember from hanging out with you guys.”

Rise laughs along with him. “We haven’t changed much, huh?”

“Nope.” Another look at the group in front of him puts him back in two thousand eleven without even trying. Oddly enough, it feels like home. “I think that’s for the best.”

*          *          *

Smiling to himself, Yu watches Ren and Rise join in the attempts to stop Yosuke’s murder at the hands of Chie. Yosuke keeps goading his attacker as if consequences are too far to reach him, but judging by how the rest of the team is currently straining to hold Chie, that may not hold up for long. Hopefully the Investigation Team is still eight members strong when Yu gets back.

He slips away during the chaos, heading to the part of the theater where Naoto and Teddie are sitting by themselves. They both have their eyes on the rest of their teammates, so much so that they don’t even notice Yu’s approach. When he greets them, they both startle a bit in their seats.

Naoto relaxes upon seeing it is only Yu. “Oh, senpai…I didn’t hear you approaching.”

“Hm.”

Yu follows their gazes back towards the lively group. It isn’t out of the ordinary for them to be the center of attention, but Yu can tell the two beside him are only looking at one member of it out of everyone there. It’s the same person he himself can’t seem to keep his eyes off of in moments of rest.

“You guys feel weird about the Ren situation too, huh?”

“Is it that obvious?” Naoto hugs her arms closer to her chest. “My mind must be wandering more than I thought.”

“You feel bad too, Sensei?”

“A little,” Yu says. “I mean, there’s not much I could do any differently, but it’s odd knowing that someone here knows me so well while I don’t have much on them.”

“I understand,” Naoto says. “There’s this…undeniable warmth when Amamiya-kun looks at me that I just don’t know how to handle. Part of me wishes I was who he remembers, but part of me…”

“Wants him to treat you like a stranger.”

“That would be easier to manage, yes.” She sighs, sitting back while clenching her hands in her lap. “I’m barely getting used to being around you two and the others. Working within a group is nothing new, but being part of a friend group? That has taken a considerable effort to digest. And now I have to add onto that the idea that someone as socially detached as me will leave a favorable impression on someone as lively as Amamiya-kun. No matter how I break it down in my head, I just can’t fathom how that works out.”

“I see. Well, if it helps, at least you don’t have to worry about making that impression now. It doesn’t take away the whole problem, but…”

“I understand your point. Perhaps this is foolish of me to be hung up on in the first place considering everything else going on.”

“You’re human, Naoto. Just because we’re on the job doesn’t mean your feelings get turned off.” Yu leans forward to put the other member of conversation in view. “You’ve been quiet, Teddie. Are you feeling like Naoto is?”

“Not really…” Teddie’s whole costume rotates in what Yu assumes is his attempt at shaking his head. “I think I’m jealous.”

“Jealous? Of Ren?”

“No, of the me in his stories. I think.” Another wide shake of his head, this time more frantic. “Gah – it makes my head hurt to even think about it!”

“You’ll be okay, Teddie. Just talk to me. What has you feeling jealous of yourself?”

“Well…Ren’s version of me sounds like he has stuff figured out. But…but I don’t feel like that at all! What if he notices when I talk to him? Or what if future me has just been pretending? Or—” Teddie lets out a sharp gasp. “What if the Teddie he knows is a bad Teddie in disguise?!”

“Hey, hey…” Yu pats Teddie on the top of his head. “There’s no reason to assume the worst of your future self. If anything, have some faith that things turn out for the best. We may not know specifics, but it sounds like we all manage to stay together for a while after this year ends. That’s something, isn’t it?”

“As long as we’re assuming that time is linear,” Naoto interjects. “For all we know, just our coming into contact with Amamiya-kun could send us down a branching path in our timeline, or even have ripple effects that change what lies in store for us.”

“So I could still turn out evil?!” Teddie shrieks.

“No one’s turning out evil,” Yu assures him. “Naoto’s right – I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself in assuming our path ahead is fixed in our favor. But even if it isn’t, what we have to do hasn’t changed. We’re going to make sure that Inaba is safe from danger and wrap up every little mystery surrounding us. That includes everything you’re worried about, Teddie.”

After giving the bear-turned-boy another pat on the head of his costume, Yu puts his focus back on Naoto.

“And I know it probably doesn’t seem as important, Naoto, but we’re going to help you feel like you have a real place with the rest of us. Days where we’re just goofing off and enjoying each other’s company aren’t too far away. If there’s anything I feel confident in, it’s that.”

Naoto smiles a bit timidly. “There really is something to be said about how easily you dissuade the fears of others. Though you are no slouch with your blade and Personas, I think words are your greatest strength.”

Yu can’t fully admit to feeling the same way, but saying as much would only sour the moment between them all. He can quietly accept the compliment for now.

“If they were able to help either of you, then I’m happy.” He pushes himself to his feet. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to head to my next stop.”

“Huh?” Teddie exclaims. “Do you have a hot date to get to even here, Sensei?!”

“Nothing like that. There’s just another talk I want to have with someone.”

He doesn’t tell them any more than that before walking off in the opposite direction of everyone else.

During that conversation with Teddie and Naoto, Yu’s eyes had taken notice of something a little peculiar. The three of them were together watching the rest of their group interact with Ren. After a while, the Phantom Thieves had joined in to make the crowd a little livelier. Though it was only the Phantom Thieves who did so, Yu had noted. That left one person out in particular, one who hadn’t been seen at all since they brought Yosuke back from the film.

It is for that reason that Yu heads to the theater’s improvised Velvet Room. When he enters, he finds the five people he assumed would be there, though the last of them isn’t native to the Velvet Room.

Margaret and Marie are to be expected, as are the twin wardens that Ren still hasn’t fully explained to anyone. Shiomi, though, sticks out like a sore thumb. Separated from the others, she sits against the wall opposite all the equipment in the room. Yu makes sure to give the attendants a wave before heading to her side.

“Room for one more?”

She glances up, eyes unfocused for a second until she gets a proper look at him.

“Oh, hi, Narukami-kun.”

“Hey. You want to tell me why you’re hiding in the Velvet Room?”

Lowering her head doesn’t hide the frown on her face. “I’m not hiding. I just…”

The thought doesn’t get finished. That’s okay, Yu thinks, considering he’s having the same ones he imagines she is.

“You could’ve been out there with us, you know,” he says. “We’ve got a little support group going for people who don’t know how to react to Ren.”

Shiomi whips her head back towards him, looking much more spooked now that she’s been caught. “How did you…?”

“It’s easier to see when you’re standing in the same spot.” He lowers himself into a seat beside her. “I already talked to Naoto and Teddie, so you’re the last stop on making sure everyone’s okay. Do you want to talk about it? I mean, I can just sit here quietly if you don’t, but honestly? When’s the last time you or I have actually done most of the talking instead of listening?”

That does make Shiomi chuckle. A bit of progress is better than nothing.

“You’ve got a point. I guess I am usually the one nodding along and giving advice.”

“I figured as much. So, what’s up with you and Ren?”

“I wouldn’t say much is up with me and Ren. It’s basically just me. When I’ve been around him recently, I get this burning pain in my chest. I can normally mask that kind of stuff easily, but I’m out of sorts with everything going on. You’ve obviously noticed.”

“Only a bit. It may be because of how recently I got here. So you two aren’t gelling like you have been?”

Shiomi slowly nods. “It’s actually really upsetting. I mean, I was fine before, honestly. Ren and I get along great. It was a blast working with him and the others to rescue Queen and Noir.”

“But…?”

“But things changed once you and your team got here. Suddenly I had a reminder of how alone I am without my friends. I still haven’t found a single one of them, and now Ren’s got all of the Phantom Thieves plus another group who knows him really well. He’s a lucky guy.”

Shiomi shrinks in on herself a bit having said that. It isn’t hard to see that for all that pep she shows out in the field, she’s just as complicated as any of them. Yu knows he definitely has things he cannot say to others himself. The Wild Cards must be alike in that regard.

His mind jumps to consider whether Ren is harboring some hidden burdens, but he shakes off the thought.

One thing at a time. He came here to help Shiomi, and that is what he intends to do if he is capable.

“Hey.” Yu places a hand on her shoulder and hopes it isn’t overstepping. Admittedly, he’s still sort of in the headspace of helping Teddie. “We’re going to find your teammates. I understand it’s been slow-going, but have some faith. With more Persona-users here, the battles will only get easier. You’ll see your friends soon, and then you won’t even have the time to get in your head about things because they’ll be stealing your every moment.”

Another chuckle comes from Shiomi, though this one lacks the rueful tone of the last. More improvement.

“Right,” she says. “I guess it doesn’t do any good to wallow in misery when they still need my help. Thanks, Narukami-kun.”

“Call me Yu. One less bit of distance between friends, right?”

“Then Kotone for me. And no honorifics either, got it?”

“Loud and clear.”

“Good! Now, let’s talk about you.”

Yu tilts his head. “About…me?”

She turns in her grounded seat to face him. “Yes, about you. Did you really think I was going to let you cheer me up and leave without spilling your own guts? I know something’s bothering you, so don’t try to pretend otherwise.”

He supposes it is only fair that his own attempts get turned around on him. When he pondered all the things he kept locked away for the sake of not worrying others earlier, he hadn’t expected them to be relevant just minutes later.

And though he normally isn’t one to offload such feelings on anyone, it would be disrespectful of both this new bond and Shiomi’s – no, Kotone’s position as a leader to deflect like usual. If there is anyone he can ramble a bit to, it is likely her.

“I guess there is a lot on my mind,” he finally says. “More than I thought, at least.”

“Like…?”

“The stuff with Ren to start. And though I’m finding a way past it, there’s the added layer of how he sees me.” Yu lets his head lean back to rest against the cool wall behind him. “I wasn’t thinking much of it before recently, but I’ve somehow fooled a lot of people into thinking I’m this totally put-together leader. Ren, my team… They think I’ve got it all figured out, but…”

“But you feel like you’re winging it, don’t you?”

“Of course! I’ve had my Personas for less than a year, and I’m leading a murder investigation on top of that. The most exciting thing that had ever happened to me before this year was taking a wrong plane and ending up in a different country than where my parents were staying.”

“Okay, you definitely have to tell me that story at some point. But as for that other stuff, you aren’t alone in feeling that way. I’ll admit that fighting Shadows back home came kind of naturally to me, but leading my team through all that we do has taken serious adjustments over the past year. Some of them are still a work in progress.”

Yu nods knowingly. “If it weren’t for the fact that the Velvet Room chose me, sometimes I would think the whole situation got the wrong guy to handle it.”

“You say that, but you’re doing pretty well for yourself, right? There’s no shame in stumbling a bit here and there. I think…”

Kotone looks up towards the door leading back to the rest of the theater. Or…maybe a bit past it, Yu considers. Her eyes no longer have the glassy look that they had when he first arrived.

“I think the best we can really do is…well, our best,” she continues. “That may sound silly, but we’re where we are for a reason, even if we don’t fully agree. I don’t see myself as that special, you feel a little underprepared, and I’m sure Ren’s got his own hurdles to get over. But what matters is that for all we can’t imagine doing, we don’t have to do it on our own. We have friends to make us feel a little more whole than normal. No matter what’s waiting for me at the end of this journey, I can take pride in that, at least.”

Yu smiles widely at that. Naoto may have praised his skills with words, but he doesn’t think he can hold a candle to that speech just now.

“Wise words from a wise leader. You have your head on straight more than you think.”

“Well, I can’t be a total mess, can I? And besides, I have to be dependable for you. I am technically your Wild Card senior.”

“A fair point. Maybe I should be calling you Kotone-senpai, then?”

She bumps his side with her own. “Hey, what did I say about honorifics?”

The two share a laugh that trails off into a shared quiet. Unlike the one that had settled in between some of their previous remarks, this one is born of comfort and reflection. Yu knows that he’ll keep the words given to him close to heart, and he has hope that Kotone will do the same.

Even if their overlying problems aren’t fixed by a handful of sentences shared in the dark of the theater’s Velvet Room, there is value in having laid them bare at all. Maybe that is something to keep in mind even when they all go back to their respective times.

At some point in their wordless relaxation, the Velvet Room door opens to the last of its usual visitors. Ren slips through, entirely missing the two humans sitting at the edge of the room due to his twin attendants making a beeline for him.

The one with her hair up in buns yells loudly about neglecting his duties while the one with a braid simply points him in the direction of the equipment for fusion. He gives them both an exasperated look before following commands, though Yu notices there’s a fondness to the look as well. It appears as though all Velvet Room residents have quirky relationships with their guests, regardless of the era.

“Uh oh, looks like Ren’s at the mercy of the toddlers,” Kotone remarks. “Think we should go give him some backup?”

It says a lot to her perseverance that she can so casually suggest that after coming here to escape her feelings in the first place. If she can summon that kind of strength, then there is no reason Yu can’t follow the example.

“Sure,” he replies. “Might be a little awkward, but we’ll just do our best, right?”

“Now you’re getting it! Come on, let’s take that first step.”

Chapter Text

Rescuing the rest of S.E.E.S. turns out to require multiple missions. Most of the group is found when Ren and the others enter the A.I.G.I.S. film for the first time, and it’s then that Kotone gets hit with the terrifying dose of reality that they aren’t quite the friends she knows.

These versions of her normal companions all claim to have a male leader further in the film in need of rescuing along with a robotic ally, and none of them seem to remember Kotone at all. It creates some awkward tension between everyone, to say the least.

As much as Ren would love to help, he doesn’t really feel suited to do it. He can listen to people’s problems all day long, but part of him feels like the last thing Kotone wants is to talk to someone with two sets of friends following him around. That’s why he’s relieved when he sees Yu attempting to comfort her instead. He was always better at that sort of thing anyway.

With that area handled, Ren decides to put his focus into rescuing the two members of S.E.E.S. still missing: Makoto Yuki, the leader, and the android sharing a name with the current film. He gives it his all in battle, especially with the rest of S.E.E.S. putting their worry for their allies on full display. Ren probably pushes the group a bit harder than he needs to, but with a time-limit staring them in the face, he decides it’s better to push now than regret it later.

Fortunately, with all the manpower on their side at this point, they carve through the film in record time. With the help of a simple looking robot they come to call ‘Ribbon,’ they’re able to finally find both Makoto and Aigis in a section deep into the film.

Aigis falls over after unleashing a barrage of bullets onto the robots attacking them. With no better way to defend his android ally, Makoto simply stands in front of her with his sword in hand and a grimace on his face.

The robots surrounding them rise into the air, charging a collection of lasers made of pulsating red energy. When the attacks are unleashed, the grounded pair are surprised to find them all diverted by the strum of a lyre. Hovering just before them now is Orpheus, called out by Kotone who stands at the front of the rescue group.

When Makoto locks eyes with her, he blinks slowly. “Wait… You’re…?”

She does the same. “You’re…?”

Whatever weird connection has formed between the two only lasts for a few seconds. Once the robots regain their bearings, Kotone snaps back to attention.

“Yukari, his Evoker!”

“R–Right!” Yukari slides out the Evoker she had stored in her holster and holds it overhead. “Heads up, Makoto!”

A good toss is all it takes to get the tool over to its rightful owner. After snagging it from the air, Makoto gets to his feet and nods to everyone across from him.

“Thanks. Stand back, I’ve got the rest.”

With just one step forward and a thin breath out, the entire atmosphere of the room shifts. The Persona-users – some consciously and some unconsciously – follow his command to keep their distance. Robots that should have no ability to hesitate at all float back a bit, faced with the calm fury radiating from the young man in front of them.

Time seems to slow to a crawl as Makoto spins the Evoker in his hand around his finger and shoves it against his temple. Only one word follows the effort.

“Persona.”

Just like Kotone has summoned again and again, a version of Orpheus springs from the S.E.E.S. leader’s soul and hovers just behind him. A sound akin to a blown-out subwoofer echoes from the cavity in his chest, washing over the battlefield and rattling everyone under its effect.

The sound gets progressively louder, forcing many of the people around Ren to hold their hands over their ears. He might be doing the same if he wasn’t so entranced with the scene in front of him.

The only thing to overpower the noise is Orpheus himself playing a tune on his lyre. Painful vibrations turn to a genuine harmony as fire streaks through the air and into each of the attacking robots. As they fall towards the ground, Makoto springs forward and hacks a few to bits with his sword. One more Evoker shot commands Orpheus to batter the remaining aggressors with physical attacks. The pair leaves nothing behind but sparking piles of metal and wires.

“Woah,” Futaba whispers. “That guy is strong.”

“For real,” Ryuji says.

Ren has to agree. Even for a Wild Card, a showing like that was impressive. After all the punishment this film has surely put him through, Makoto still had enough will left to obliterate his enemies. And he did it all with such a blank look on his face, too…

Though most of the rescue party is still shaking off that viewing, the S.E.E.S. members have other plans. Ren watches the way Yukari sprints to Makoto’s side, chastising him for being so reckless while meticulously checking him for injuries. Fuuka follows, bouncing from her leader to Aigis and back again, caught between wanting to be diligent and simply bursting with relief.

Junpei and Koromaru are much less restrained, practically jumping for joy at having their teammates back. Ken’s expression of gratitude is as quiet and polite as ever.

The senior trio of Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Shinjiro join the rest after making a quick sweep to confirm that all enemies are down. They determine that Aigis needs only a short while to shake off her energy drain, so it’s back to the theater for them all.

The whole way back, Ren notices that he is being watched. Makoto Yuki’s sights are on him with every step, tracking him the way a cat tracks someone entering a room.

It’s not a situation unique to him, however. Yu and Kotone are doing the same, and even Ren himself soon falls into the web of observation. He can’t speak for the others, but there is something tugging at his soul concerning everyone involved here. It is as intriguing as it is frightening.

So when the four of them inevitably wind up in the same space following the rescue, Ren fully intends on getting to the bottom of why they all seem so drawn to each other. Though despite those intentions, none of them exactly make the first move in doing so.

Instead, the area just outside of the theater’s viewing room plays host to the four of them standing in a ring and wordlessly eyeing each other. For as odd as it feels being on the inside, Ren is sure it seems doubly so on the outside.

The assessment is correct, considering everyone else in the group currently watches on with a visible lack of understanding.

“Uh…do we have any idea why they’re staring at each other like that?” Junpei asks.

“Probably a Wild Card thing,” Yosuke says.

“Being around one of them is weird enough,” Yukari says, “but put them all together…”

“And you get the strangest bunch possible,” Ann says.

Ren doesn’t pay any mind to the chatter going around. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to even if he tried. He is entirely locked into this standoff, committed to maintaining something so inexplicably sacred. Even one of them taking action would send the whole thing caving in.

Which is why Ren is surprised that he ends up speaking first. Without even really thinking about it, he feels words form on his tongue and leap out like there isn’t any other option at the moment.

“Nice to me-heet you, ho!”

With total seriousness, Yu replies, “Me eat you whole…”

Kotone nods. “I am in your care…”

“I was gonna say that one…” Makoto mutters.

After a moment to let those words settle in the air, the four all give each other contented nods. Those looking on from afar very clearly do not share the same contentment with how baffled they appear.

Naoto cups her chin and squints at the group. “Is this…some type of code?”

“Perhaps,” Yusuke replies. “Though I cannot imagine what they would be saying with phrases like that.”

Shinjiro just turns around and walks off, muttering, “Bunch o’ weirdos…”

Everyone else seems to give up in a similar manner after about a minute more. Now on their own and with an impromptu group orientation out of the way, the weirdness in the air subsides.

They get some proper introductions done before having more normalized conversations. They talk about their experiences leading their teams and about the types of Personas they’ve acquired so far. Their schools come up right after, as well as all the little daily tasks that they go through in order to improve themselves and get supplies for their team.

They also compare the bonds they have back in their respective times and try to determine who has the oddest grouping. It doesn’t take them long to pronounce Makoto the winner on that front. Ren honestly can’t believe he doesn’t have the weirdest teacher-student story among them.

Though it is during all this conversation that an idea somewhat forgotten in all the recent craziness comes up once again.

“Oh, speaking of comparisons, we all still haven’t had our fight yet,” Kotone says.

“Fight?” Makoto repeats. “What fight?”

“We talked about it before you got here, Yuki-san,” says Yu. “We were having trouble deciding who’s the strongest Wild Card, so we were planning on having a sparring match to find out.”

“Even though the answer is obvious,” Ren adds.

“Well, yeah,” says Makoto. “I already know I’m stronger than all of you.”

Kotone groans. “Not you too, Yuki-kun…”

“What? I saw the way everyone was looking at me back in the film. Just based on that alone, I’d say there’s a decent gap in our power levels.”

“Hey, I admit to being a bit surprised, but don’t mistake that for reverence or anything,” Ren protests. “You’re good, just not as good as me.”

“That a fact?”

“Uh huh.”

Yu steps in at that point, saying, “We can save the back and forth for the actual fight. Should we go ahead and get some ground rules going?”

“We don’t need many,” Makoto says. “Just don’t fight to kill.”

“Obviously,” Kotone says. “But we’re allowed to use everything we’ve got, right?”

“I don’t see why not,” says Ren. “It’s all part of our skillset in the end.”

“Then I guess that’s it,” says Yu. “Unless someone has anything else to add?”

Kotone raises her hand. “Actually, I just had a fun idea. Why don’t we make it a two-on-two fight? One family duo against another.”

Makoto’s lone visible eyebrow rises. “What?”

“Well, you and me are like the same person, so that kind of makes us siblings, right? We have the same parents, after all.”

“I guess.”

“Hang on, but what about the other half of that?” Ren asks.

“Hm? What about it?” Kotone gestures between the two boys across from her. “You and Yu are pretty much family, right? Or did I misinterpret some of those stories from your friends? I was under the impression he treated you like that little sister of his. Nanako-chan, right?”

Ren can feel himself pout as he says, “Yu doesn’t—”

“Mind those rules at all,” the older boy finishes. He very notably ignores the flummoxed look right beside him. “A family battle sounds good to me.”

Kotone claps her hands. “Great! This will really spice things up.”

“But isn’t the whole point of this to see who’s the best of us?” Ren asks. “That’s kind of hard to do when we have partners.”

“Obviously we won’t be partners the whole time. But it would be a total mess if we all just went at each other from the start. We’ll work up to one-on-ones. Now, let’s find a good spot for the match!”

After having Hikari swear that she won’t tell anyone what they’re up to, the quartet heads into the Junessic Land film. With a ton of open space, it seems like the best place to go all out against each other.

Both teams take their sides, agreeing that the incessant bird noises that frequent the skies can serve as a starting signal. Once blades are drawn and stances are taken, all that is left is to wait for such a sound.

It comes seconds later with a chorus of squawks, after which the eyes of the S.E.E.S. team leaders narrow and lock onto the pair across from them. Ren and Yu don’t get the chance to make sense of it before those two make the first move.

Orpheus appears after a bang from Makoto’s Evoker, hurling dual fireballs at his opponents. They’re angled low to keep from burning the jungle brush and starting a wildfire, allowing Ren and Yu to dodge them without too much trouble. Though that turns out not to be much of an advantage for them.

Kotone comes dashing through the resulting smoke, slashing her naginata in a wide arc at both of the boys in front of her. Ren falls backwards to avoid it while Yu narrowly parries the blade with his katana. In the time it takes for Ren to right himself, Kotone is already pushing his partner away with relentless slashing.

“Yu, hang on, I’ll—”

Ren doesn’t get to finish before Orpheus bears down on him with his lyre, slamming it into the spot the Phantom Thief had just been before backflipping away. He’s forced to keep up the acrobatics as Orpheus continues the assault, denting the rocky terrain beneath them with each strike.

The dodging does eventually lead him back to Yu, though at the cost of taking another glancing hit from a fireball. The shallow cuts in Yu’s school uniform tell a similar story on his end.

“Okay, am I missing something?” Ren asks. “They have not been like this in any of our other fights.”

Yu grunts as he rolls his shoulder. “No kidding. I almost feel like we’re being hunted here.”

Almost as if in support of that remark, Makoto and Kotone begin circling their opponents slowly. The sound of metal scraping rings out clearly as they drag the blades of their weapons along the ground.

Ren and Yu go back-to-back in order to keep both attackers in their sights. When Ren attempts to raise his dagger, the action is met with a swift jab from Kotone’s naginata. Yu finds himself in a similar spot, unable to angle his sword with Makoto using his own to keep it lowered.

“They’re not even talking to each other,” Yu says. “Guess being the same person helps with communication.”

“Well, I’m not one to take being shown up lying down. Let’s turn the tables.”

“And how do you suppose we do that?”

“We’ll have to get a little wild.” Ren grins over his shoulder at his partner. “You don’t mind that, do you?”

Yu grins right back. “Not if you’re leading. Let’s give them hell, Ren.”

With the green light given, Ren fishes around in his pocket for the item he has in mind. When his fingers make contact with the sphere in question, he yanks it free and hurls it at the ground below him and Yu. The harsh contact breaks a massive cloud of smoke free from it, swallowing up the two closest to it in an instant.

Makoto and Kotone finally pause in their prowl with their vision obscured. Neither make a move to get closer to their opponents, but the same cannot be said for the other way around.

Just as Kotone herself had done earlier, Ren comes flying from the smoke with his dagger aimed directly at the girl’s neck. She manages to react in time to deflect the strike with the pole of her weapon, but Ren continues his pressure regardless. The two push against each other for the chance to land their next strike.

Kotone smiles even under the weight of their struggle. “Picking it up, huh? I was wondering how long you’d let Yuki-kun and I have our way.”

Ren doesn’t reply. He simply maintains the grip on his dagger and pushes harder in this clash between leaders. Kotone chuckles at his silence.

“Hey, why so quiet? That’s not like you. If we’re having a real fight, I’d appreciate if you didn’t—” Kotone’s smile finally falls as she takes notice of the sole difference in her opponent. “Wait – where’s your mask?”

In contrast, Ren’s smirk only grows. The slightest shift of his gaze upwards prompts Kotone to look up as well. Dangling overhead is a massive ball of red and black magic, swirling atop Arsène’s palm and spilling past his claws. Demonic cackles fall to the ground below in time with the Persona’s wingbeats.

Such a frightening display is enough to give anyone pause, which works perfectly in Ren’s favor as he shifts his grip on his dagger and slips it around Kotone’s guard. His arm circles around with it, trapping the girl’s weapon in his elbow as he drags the rest of her body in close.

“I know I at least resist this, but can you say the same?” he asks.

“You—!”

Any further protests are cut off by the devastating Curse attack slamming down right on top of the pair. The resulting explosion shoots upward like a bonfire, engulfing the immediate area and sending a shockwave out from the point of impact.

From a fair bit away, Yu and Makoto cease their own swordplay for a moment just to gawk at the attack. Any closer and they would have been knocked off their feet. They keep their eyes glued to the wrecked site until they can properly make out two figures still standing.

Ren flicks some debris off his coat, keeping his dagger in a reverse grip and held high to his face. As strong as that surprise attack was, he knows for a fact that it did not down his opponent.

Case in point, Kotone pushes herself upright just a moment later. Her light chuckling turns into full blown laughter as she stands to full height. Her grip on her naginata has not loosened a bit.

Her smile is as wide as ever as she shouts, “You’re crazy, you know that? Isn’t this supposed to be a friendly little sparring match?”

“Don’t act like you’d be content with something so basic,” Ren fires back. “I may not have known you for long, but I know that look in your eye. You’re enjoying yourself.”

“Guilty as charged. So, you got some more in you? Or are you all out of tricks?”

“Of course not. Can’t let you have the spotlight all to yourself, after all.”

“Aw, you can’t?”

“Nope. I like you, but I’m not that selfless.”

Kotone spins her naginata around to aim the blade forward. “Then you’re going to have to knock me out of it yourself, Mr. Phantom Thief. Come on – it’s showtime!”

“That’s my line and you know it!”

When the two dash at each other this time, it doesn’t take long for sparks to fly from the following clash of weaponry. The small radius formed by their close positions becomes a tornado of blows as each pours all their speed and strength into trying to land a solid hit.

From their spot across the field, Yu and Makoto can see the violent dance of their teammates in their peripheral vision, but neither can afford to take their eyes off the other.

“They’re really giving it their all, huh?” Yu says. “Guess we’d better take it up a notch, then.”

“Be careful what you ask for, Narukami. There’s no shame in conceding this fight early.”

“Not really my style. Plus, everyone else here has gotten to show off at some point, so I think it’s about time I showed that I belong here too.”

The card that floats into Yu’s waiting palm is crushed emphatically, calling down Izanagi alongside a small storm that robs Makoto of some of his breath. Izanagi lowers his hand to brush it alongside Yu’s raised katana, imbuing the blade with lightning that dances along its surface.

Yu swings it forward as he shouts, “Here I come, Yuki-san!”

Makoto’s lips quirk up just a bit at the ends. He can already hear Orpheus crying out in impatience. Such an unusual occurrence ought to be indulged, he thinks.

“Bring it on.”

*          *          *

“Hey, does it feel…weirdly quiet to anyone else?” Yosuke asks.

Ken looks up from petting Koromaru to ask, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, it just…feels sort of empty.”

The theater is undoubtedly quiet, even as every one of the time-displaced teens sit together in a large group. There is a distinct lack of aimless chatter, of repeated jokes amongst friends, and of Elizabeth terrorizing Theodore. By all accounts, it is likely the quietest it has ever been since receiving new guests.

A normally pleasant scenario has many of the gathered Persona-users feeling on edge. With the circumstances pointed out, the rest begin to join them in that experience.

“I kind of get the same feeling,” says Akihiko. “Like when you walk into a room and can’t remember why.”

“Think we’re missing something?” asks Junpei.

“Like what? Nothing pressing is really happening right now,” Ann says.

“Maybe we’re just feeling weird because we’re takin’ a break,” says Kanji. “It ain’t like we’ve had a lot of quiet time since we got here.”

“True, but we’re kind of high-strung as is,” Yukari replies. “It could be that we’re just paranoid because that’s our default state nowadays.”

“You’re not wrong,” says Chie. “Maybe we are just a bit too wound up. I mean, what else could be the issue?”

Nobody has an immediate answer to that. Various looks are exchanged, but when no further attempts to parse out this weirdness in the air come, the group starts to go back to how they were before. It is only by Makoto suddenly jolting in her seat and whipping her head around that a true return to normalcy is halted.

Her gaze covers the entire room as she asks, “Where are our leaders?”

That makes everyone perk up. Numerous eyes scan the immediate area, and when no trace of the missing leaders presents itself, those left behind start to move with restless energy.

“They’re not here,” Haru says. “Did…did they sneak away?”

“To where? The theater ain’t all that big,” Ryuji points out.

“Not the building itself, no,” Akechi says. “But when you take the films into account…”

“The films?” Yusuke repeats. “Sorry, but…are you suggesting they all went inside one without alerting us?”

“It’s a possibility, no?”

“I suppose…but they wouldn’t do something that dangerous without letting us know first,” Yukiko says. “Right?”

The resulting silence is very telling of how much everyone believes that.

Shinjiro breathes a heavy sigh and says, “I don’t know about the other three, but Yuki would absolutely pull a stunt like that.”

“And if Shiomi is supposedly a mirror image of him, then it stands to reason she would do the same,” Mitsuru adds.

“Yu-senpai might go along to keep an eye on the others,” Naoto says.

“And it’s not even a question for Ren,” says Futaba. “Forget the other three, he was probably the first to jump in.”

“Then they really are in a movie?” Teddie asks. “Should we go on another rescue?”

Aigis’s internal firing mechanisms click and whir as she lifts her arms. “I am at fault for losing track of Makoto-san. Should he need me, I am ready to go in ‘guns blazing,’ as they say.”

“N–Now, let’s not do anything too rash, Aigis,” says Fuuka. “Have a little faith in them. I don’t believe they would do anything that would get them seriously hurt.”

“Right,” Rise adds on. “I’m sure wherever they are, they’re doing their best to stay safe.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not too sure about that,” Morgana says, pointing a paw at the cluster of individuals approaching the larger group.

Everyone turns their heads to see the Wild Cards limping towards them. They all practically hang off of one another, slowly shuffling forward with bruises and scrapes on display. The only thing to contrast such a rough look are the smiles on each of their faces, varied in size but noticeably equal in their satisfaction.

Such pleasure is not shared by their comrades, least of all by Yukari, who stomps her way over to the shortest of the boys with a scowl already firm on her face.

“Makoto Yuki, I swear to—” Yukari’s hands hover in the air between her and Makoto, trapped like she isn’t sure whether to help or harm. “We just got you back, you moron! Why did you run off to go get hurt again?!”

“It looks worse than it is,” Makoto replies.

“It looks pretty bad!”

“Just what were you all doing out by yourselves?” Mitsuru asks. “Did you take on some sort of mission we aren’t aware of?”

“Nothing that complicated,” replies Yu. “We just went inside the Junessic Land film for a bit.”

“Okay…but why?” Morgana asks.

“We had a fight,” Kotone says cheerily.

“You did what?!” Junpei exclaims.

“We had a fight,” Makoto repeats. “The four of us went into the dinosaur movie and fought.”

Mitsuru rubs her temples with eyes squeezed shut. “I…must be missing something here. Why on earth would you four do something so foolhardy?”

“Yeah, what’s the point in going into a movie to beat each other up?” Yukari asks. “What happened to getting along?”

Kotone waves off the concern. “It wasn’t a fight out of bad feelings or anything – just a sparring match. You know, a little competition to see who would come out on top.”

“Oh, I remember you guys talking about that before,” says Ann.

“Wait, you guys had that match already?” Ryuji asks. “We wanted to watch!”

Futaba nods vigorously. “Yeah, I was waiting for it this whole time!”

“We figured it would be better without any distractions,” Kotone says. “We had to give it our all to figure out who’s the best of us here.”

“Then, who won?” Yukiko asks.

The four Wild Cards share a conspiratorial look. Another instance of unspoken communication occurs between them – not that anyone on the outside could even notice. In unison, they all give the same answer.

“Tie.”

The single word makes everyone in front of them freeze up. As has often been the case when dealing with the four Wild Cards at once, no one quite knows how to deal with this.

“A tie?!” Junpei shouts, disbelief obvious in his tone. “How does that even happen?!”

“We knocked each other out at the same time,” Makoto answers. “I took out Narukami with a Vorpal Blade…”

“Which happened right as I hit Kotone with Myriad Arrows…”

“But not before I hit Ren with an Agidyne…”

“Right when I hit Yuki-san with an Eigaon. So, like we said, four-way knockout. Guess we’re all way too strong.”

“That’s…so unsatisfying,” Chie says.

“For real,” Ryuji says.

“And you guys were fine with just leaving it there?” Akihiko asks. “What happened to finding out who’s best?”

“We could have, but look at us,” Ren says. “Did you really want us to keep it up just to find that out?”

“No, no, you’re right,” Makoto Niijima says. “If this was as far as you got, then let’s leave it there.”

“Agreed,” says Mitsuru. “I would have preferred this not happened at all, but what’s done is done. Do you all have plans for how we will proceed now that you’re back?”

“We were planning on taking a little bit to relax,” says Yu. “You know, get off our feet a bit and spend some time with our teams. Once that’s done, we’ll go finish up the A.I.G.I.S. film.”

Makoto Yuki nods his head. “Don’t worry about us, we’ll catch up with you guys soon. Just need a minute to decompress.”

A few of their teammates don’t look enthused to leave them behind again, but with the promise that they do intend to rest, the Wild Cards are eventually left alone. Once everyone else is out of earshot, Kotone turns to the boys and speaks behind her hand.

“I’m surprised they actually bought all that,” she says. “As if we’d ever leave things at a tie.”

“Are we ever going to tell them how that fight really ended?” Yu asks.

“Absolutely not,” Makoto says. “They’d never stop yelling at us for going too far.”

Kotone pokes her doppelganger in the arm. “And whose fault was that? Things only escalated once someone started busting out Megidolaon.”

“I only did that because you started attacking me out of nowhere.”

“Hey, I said the one-on-ones would happen at some point – I just sort of…sped up the process. Come on, the duos were getting a bit stale! I know Ren here agrees with me.”

“Nice try, but I’m not a battle junkie like you are,” he replies, ignoring the skeptical look he gets in return. “I just wanted to test myself against Yu, especially with how our first interaction in the jungle went.”

Yu chuckles. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll ever catch you off guard like that again. You’re way too fast, you know that? It’s a good thing I’m the best swordsman here.”

“Second best,” Makoto says. “I had you dead to rights in our clash before Ren started taking potshots at us.”

“It was strategic,” Ren argues.

“Strategically annoying, maybe.”

“I admit, you put up a good fight, but you’re a bit too reckless,” Yu says. “In a drawn-out fight, I’d outlast you.”

“Your mistake is thinking I would let the fight go on that long to begin with.”

Kotone pats both boys on their shoulders. “Ladies, please, you’re both pretty. No need to fight. Again.”

“Like I even have the energy,” Makoto says. “We all done here? I should get to trying to relax or whatever.”

“Yeah, I think we’re pretty much done. You going to hang out with Yukari?”

“Probably. Aigis too, since she’s been watching us this whole time from around the corner.”

The other Wild Cards pretend not to notice the bit of blond hair ducking back behind the wall in their peripheral vision.

“You’re welcome to come with,” Makoto adds. “They’re your friends too.”

Kotone gives him a strained smile. “Thanks, but…that’s not entirely true. I know they’d accept me, but it just isn’t the same. Don’t worry about me, though! I actually want to spend some time with Theo since I haven’t taken him anywhere in my time lately.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. Now get going, I know how impatient Yukari gets when it comes to you.”

Makoto tilts his head. “To me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you clueless little thing… Just go already.”

The S.E.E.S. leaders head off to their respective companions, leaving only Ren and Yu behind. Before Ren can move or even make a suggestion on where to go, Yu speaks up.

“Hey, before you head off, can we talk?”

“Sure. Something on your mind?”

“Yeah, actually. I wanted to apologize to you, Ren.”

That certainly isn’t where Ren thought this was going.

“Huh?” he utters. “For what?”

“For not giving our connection a chance,” Yu answers.

Ren starts to question where that idea even comes from, but everything that has occurred since starting the Junessic Land film begins fitting together in a whole new way. Things that seemed insignificant at the time now work in Yu’s favor, building up to his point like rungs on a ladder.

Yu has been…well, ‘avoidant’ isn’t quite the right word, but he certainly hasn’t been sticking as close as most of the others from Inaba. He joins in their banter when prompted and does his best to corral the rambunctious members of the group, but when it comes to anything concerning Ren specifically, he’s taken a backseat. The only change to that was the battle they just endured as Wild Cards.

The reaction is honestly to be expected, which is why Ren hasn’t considered it a big deal, even if it does sting just a tiny bit.

“I really haven’t been fair to you,” Yu continues. When Ren starts to protest, Yu just holds up his hands placatingly. “And even if you don’t agree, I felt like I had to say something. I owe it to you as someone from your past.”

“Come on, Yu, that…that hasn’t even happened for you yet. Of course I don’t expect you to act like I remember. That wouldn’t be fair.”

“So it’s fine for you to be hurt while I get to act oblivious? History or not, that’s just not something I can abide by, Ren. Especially not after the talk I had with Kotone.”

“You two talked? About what?”

Yu shrugs. “Eh, this and that. The point is, I realized that trying to maintain my comfort in all this is only hurting myself. What good is avoiding awkwardness if it comes at the cost of what I gain from being around you?”

“Being…around me? What’s there to gain in that?”

It sounds a bit pitiful coming from him – definitely not helped by the slight whine in his voice – but the question is out before Ren can stop it. In response, Yu just smiles that same way Ren is used to. A small rise in his lips somehow gives off the feeling that he knows best. It certainly felt that way to kid Ren.

“A lot, actually,” Yu says. “I mean, think about it. If it’s true that I was an influence on you when you were young, then it stands to reason the reverse can be just as true here. Running away from our bond, even if it hasn’t technically happened for me yet, means I’m denying the chance to learn from the older you. That just seems like such a waste, doesn’t it?”

Ren doesn’t know if he fully agrees, but once again, he can’t help the distinct feeling that Yu knows best on this one. That innate talent of his is even stronger than Ren’s patented self-admonishment.

“How are you even more mature than I remember?” Ren asks. “Are you sure we’re the same age right now?”

That deep yet gentle chuckle of Yu’s emerges. “I get that a lot. Probably a side effect of having to man the house on my own so often with my parents always heading out somewhere. But if I had to guess, you know plenty about what that’s like.”

Ren sighs. “I was too chatty about that stuff earlier, huh? I shouldn’t be surprised that you noticed.”

“Don’t worry, I have no intention to pry about your home life. Though if you need someone to talk to about it who gets your situation, I’m here. Regardless of what we talk about, I’d like to have a lot more discussions with you before this is all over.”

“I…”

Ren cuts himself off from saying anything dismissive. Things like, ‘that’s not necessary,’ or, ‘it’s not important,’ would be easy to say. For once, however, he doesn’t let them come out. What was it Yu had said? It feels like it would be a waste to fall back on such tactics now.

So after swallowing those words down, he responds with, “I think I’d like that too.”

Yu beams at that answer. “Then I look forward to chatting. For now, though, I better get to the others before they come looking for me. See you in a bit, Ren.”

Yu takes his leave with a wave, and after watching him meet up with the rest of the Investigation Team, Ren walks off with a bit of a skip in his step. He feels a lot lighter all of a sudden.

The popcorn stand is unmanned when he arrives, no sign of Elizabeth or Theodore around. Instead, the Thieves have taken over the space, indulging in some snacks as they chat amongst themselves. All eyes go to Ren once he draws near.

Futaba literally welcomes him with open arms, shouting, “And the prodigal son returns! You guys think he finally remembered he has a team here?”

“Ha ha, you’re so funny. I went out for one little fight and suddenly I’m an absentee leader?”

“No, but you have to admit you’ve been a little all over the place recently,” says Ann.

“This better not be a setup for you headin’ anywhere else, either,” says Ryuji. “We need some time to hang out, man!”

“Don’t worry, that was the plan,” Ren responds. “I’m all yours now.”

“Good!” Futaba crosses her arms and adds, “Should’ve been that way from the start…”

That last bit is said quietly, but not quietly enough to escape Ren’s notice. It’s an interesting addition to Futaba’s sentence, though even more interesting is how no one else seems to disagree with it.

They don’t express it verbally, but everyone present is more or less in line with that opinion.

Their closed off body language, the tiny bit of tension lingering in the air, the distance they’ve taken from the other two teams… It all paints a very interesting picture that Ren is starting to grasp a bit more.

“Wait…” A tiny smirk forms on Ren’s face. “Have you guys been feeling jealous?”

Actually addressing the obvious feeling amongst them makes everyone spring to defend themselves. They all lurch forward, speaking over one another to try and set the record straight.

“What?! Eff no!”

“Ha! You wish, Joker.”

“So not jealous at all!”

“I–I would say it’s completely normal to keep track of our leader.”

“Y–Yes, I agree! So you don’t have to put it that way.”

“Jealousy… What an undignified label to cast on us.”

“Jealous? Us? Psh – nah. Nuh uh. Not us.”

“A bit arrogant to think we would be overtaken by something like that, no?”

They can put up a fight all they want, but there wouldn’t be any need for a reaction like this if Ren wasn’t right.

Still, as the one technically in the wrong here – as needlessly dramatic as that sounds – he doesn’t have the heart to continue poking fun at them.

“Alright, alright,” he says, “I’ll drop it. If you guys feel like I haven’t been around enough, I won’t argue. But I am sorry for making you feel that way while we’re so far from home.”

Makoto is quick to say, “No, we… It isn’t right of us to put our wants on you. It only makes sense that you would be spending as much time with your old friends as you can, considering…”

“Oh, that’s right,” Ann says, twisting one of her pigtails. “This is more of a reunion than a normal hangout for you, huh?”

“One that won’t last for much longer,” adds Yusuke.

“Ah, hell…” Ryuji kicks at the ground. “Now I feel like a jerk.”

“I…suppose it makes sense Ren-kun would rather be at their side with us acting like this,” Haru says, hanging her head.

That’s about as much of that as Ren can stand. If holding back his words merely pushed them all into guilt, then it clearly isn’t the time for that.

“Okay, I should have just been clear from the start,” he says. “Look, I won’t lie and say that the guys from Inaba aren’t special to me. They did a lot when I was young, and I’m really lucky that I got to see them again, even in all this mess. But that doesn’t mean I’m not equally grateful for all of you. The Investigation Team pretty much adopted me into their friend group, but I chose to keep each of you close. And I’m going to keep making that choice for as long as you’ll have me.”

One more smile seems to chase away the storm clouds hanging over his friends. Those that were just dejected brighten up, while the few that were still a bit combative let go of the tension in their bodies. The cleared air finally feels breathable.

Though Futaba does flinch back like she is looking at direct sunlight. “Ah, no fair! Maxed out charm is a total cheat code…”

“It is rather hard to stay upset when you say something that sweet,” Haru says, giggling at the end.

Ann does the same. “And we let it work every time.”

“That’s the result of all our gentlemanly training,” Morgana asserts. “A proper Phantom Thief knows exactly how to work a crowd.”

“Careful, Joker,” Akechi warns, “that silver tongue of yours may very well get you into trouble one of these days.”

“And that is a bridge I will cross when I get to it,” he replies. “Now come on, let’s do some team bonding before we have to get back to action. Who’s up for some Tycoon?”

Chapter Text

“Come on, Ren,” Chie pleads. “Can’t you give us just one little future story?”

Ren lets out a long groan for what feels like the millionth time in the last half hour. Ever since everyone got back on mission, the Inaba group has been hounding him for any kind of tales he can share from their joint future despite the agreement they all came to earlier.

“For the last time, I can’t talk about it,” he replies. “Aside from the risks of messing things up, I don’t want to tick the Velvet Room attendants off. The twins are already enough to deal with.”

Granted, he is the one always riling them up intentionally, but that is neither here nor there.

“It doesn’t have to be anything spoilery,” Kanji says. “We just want to hear a story from your side.”

“Yes, surely there is something harmless you could share,” Yukiko says.

“I’m curious too!” adds Teddie. “I wanna hear about the crazy Inaba of the future! I wonder if the cars fly yet?”

“Teddie, he’s not from that far ahead,” says Yosuke.

“I’d be down to hear a story,” Yu says. “I think you’ve even got Naoto interested from how focused she is right now.”

Naoto is quick to clarify, “I am focused on attempting to discern Hikari-chan’s whereabouts. I would appreciate not being dragged into this.”

“But that’s half the fun of being friends with us,” Rise says. “Go ahead, Ren – hit us with a story!”

“I already— Ugh, fine. I can see I’m not getting out of this otherwise.”

“Nope! So, whatcha got for us?”

Ren takes a moment to think back. He has tons of stories, obviously, but would any be fine to tell without divulging the future?

None come to mind. Or maybe he’s just that nervous about saying too much after everything he has already revealed. In the decision to go all in or cut his losses, both seem equally terrifying.

Though, if full blown stories are off the table, he supposes there is one thing he can give them to appease their curiosity.

“I really can’t tell you any detailed stories,” he says. Before they can voice any protests, he adds, “But I can give an exclusive reveal that won’t affect much.”

“Yeah?” Kanji asks. “What?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been reacting a little strangely sometimes when you guys say my name.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess you have,” says Yosuke. “What’s up with that? Is being called Joker that important to you?”

“Not quite. I’m just more used to being called a nickname. Specifically, the one you all gave me as a kid.”

That sends a shock through the entire group. There is an obvious increase in their energy all of a sudden.

“We gave you a nickname?” Rise asks. “Ah, of course we did! There’s no way we would pass up that chance!”

Chie practically bounces in place as she asks, “What was it? Come on, tell us!”

Ren smirks. “Shouldn’t the so-called ‘Investigation Team’ be able to figure it out themselves?”

“Huh?! That’s not fair!” Teddie yells.

“The odds are certainly stacked against us here,” says Naoto. “There really is no telling what we decided to call you.”

“Well, we won’t back down!” Rise declares. “And if we guess it right, you better tell us, Ren!”

“You have my word. Better figure it out before we leave the film this time, otherwise it might totally slip my memory…”

The Investigation Team huddles together in the back of their large group, whispering to themselves in an attempt to crack Ren’s secret. He gets a ridiculous amount of enjoyment out of seeing them get so serious about something so simple.

Needless to say, every one of them is torn between celebrating and being annoyed once they spend around an hour guessing only for the answer to be ‘Ren-Ren.’

Ren knows that look on the face of the girl beside him. Before she can say anything unnecessary, he quietly warns, “Futaba…”

“I know, I know. It’s just—” Futaba gestures wildly to the brunette wearing pink across the theater. “Pink Argus is standing right over there and she doesn’t even know it! I want autographs, behind the scenes info, filming horror stories – anything! I’m dying over here…”

“I understand. But we can’t just go blabbing about stuff like that. You don’t want to accidentally make it so that she never goes into acting, do you?”

Futaba looks up at him with pure horror in her eyes. “No! A world without her as Pink Argus… I can’t live like that! She was the best part of her seasons!”

“Then we unfortunately have to stay quiet. Still, I get how you feel. I kind of want to thank her after watching all those episodes. She was awesome.”

“Right? She helped me through so much and she has no idea… Feels like we owe her for her service.” Futaba suddenly perks up, slamming a fist into her palm. “Oh! I just had an idea!”

After some hurried whispers from Futaba and a firm nod from Ren, the two set off for their master plan. It isn’t much longer before they finally approach their target from behind.

“Takeba-san?”

“Yes? What is it—”

Yukari turns to get a basket shoved in her face. Ren and Futaba are holding up the container packed to the brim with assorted snacks. She assumes they came from the concession stand, but there are some in front of her that she doesn’t recognize.

Before she can ask about any of this, the two in front of her shout out in tandem.

“Thank you for all you’ve done!”

“I… Huh?” Yukari stammers.

The two teens stand from their bow and scurry off, leaving behind a bewildered Yukari with her arms weighed down by the basket. She isn’t sure how long she just stands there and blinks, but it is long enough for Makoto to eventually make his way to her.

“What was that?” he asks.

“I…don’t know.” Yukari stares down at what she assumes is some kind of gift. “Maybe they were thanking me for all the healing I’ve done in fights?”

“Makes sense. You are pretty good at that.”

“Well, thanks. I do my bes— Hey!”

Makoto totally cuts her gratitude off by snatching one of the fries from her basket and popping it in his mouth.

He hums in pleasure. “This’s good.”

“Yeah? Well, it’s also mine,” Yukari says, shifting the basket away from him. “Ask before you get all handsy, mister.”

“We share snacks all the time back home. What’s the difference here?”

“No, you just started eating my food and I stopped putting up a fight. This was a gift, though, so I get first dibs.” Yukari reaches into the basket and pulls out a warm churro dusted with sugar and cinnamon. “You wait your turn.”

Makoto frowns. “You don’t even know what the gift was for.”

Yukari tries to assert that it doesn’t matter, but with her mouth full of churro, it just comes out like a garbled mess. Still, it gets the point across based on how Makoto continues to pout at her. Ren and Futaba have no idea how grateful she is to them for indirectly causing a sight like this to happen.

Kotone calls out, “Hey, Makoto—”

“Yes?”

“Yes?”

Both Niijima and Yuki answer in unison. In the following silence, they turn to look at each other before hanging their heads in embarrassment.

“Um…you probably didn’t mean me, did you?” Niijima asks.

“No, I’m pretty sure she was asking for you,” Yuki says. “She calls me Yuki.”

“I was, but I actually do want to start using your given name,” Kotone clarifies. “Though now I’m seeing that that’s not a great idea when you two are in the same room.”

“You don’t have to switch. Yuki works fine.”

“No, we’re too close for that now! I’ll just have to figure something out.” Kotone crosses her arms and frowns. “Hm… I could use ‘Queen’ for Makoto Niijima, but that sounds a little strange if I’m calling the other Phantom Thieves by name.”

Niijima has a bit of a blush as she says, “I’d rather not go by that out of costume, yes…”

“Hm… Oh! What is it that Haru-chan calls you? Mako-chan, right?”

“Oh, yes. She gave me that nickname around the time we initially met. Would that work for you?”

“Yeah! Is it really okay if I use it? I don’t want to take something special to her.”

“No, no, she won’t mind. And if it helps us communicate better, then all the more reason.”

“Great! In that case, you’ll be Mako-chan from now on. And you…” Kotone points to the other Makoto. “Will be Mako-two! Or maybe Two-koto? No, Makoto Two-ki!”

Yuki doesn’t even bother rolling his eyes before replying with, “I’m leaving.”

“What? ‘Leaving’ isn’t a good name at all. Oh, wait, you’re actually leaving. Come back! I need a good nickname for you! What about our sibling bond?!”

Makoto Yuki keeps his hands in his pockets as he walks away, just going fast enough to outpace Kotone trailing behind him. Suddenly, Makoto Niijima is grateful for the age gap between her and Sae.

“Wait,” she says, “Shiomi-san never said what she needed from me.”

Only a few steps past the latest puzzle in the music-filled film, Ren bristles at the feeling of being watched. Unlike the last time he felt this, it’s familiar enough to pinpoint in the split-second it happens.

“Rise, I can hear you making faces at me,” he says.

Her sputtering is crystal clear in his head. “Wha— How?! That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Because I know you.” Ren smirks to the sky. “You’re making glasses with your fingers right now to mock me.”

“Wow, you nailed it, Joker-kun!”

“Don’t tell him that, Fuuka-san!” Rise shouts.

“You’ll learn quick, Rise,” Futaba says. “You mess with Joker, you best be prepared for the payback.”

“No exceptions,” Ren adds. “Not even for Japan’s darling idol.”

“Eff that! I say you should appreciate what you got more,” Ryuji says. “Like, come on – that’s the Risette navigatin’ for us! How are you not stoked?!”

“I’ve had tons of conversations with her already,” Ren replies. “This isn’t exactly anything new.”

Kanji nods. “I’m with you there. The novelty wears off kinda quick. Then she’s just a loud girl in your ear.”

“You want to try that again, Moronji?!”

“See? Loud as hell.”

“I’m with Skull on this one,” Ann says. “I don’t think you guys are nice enough to Kujikawa-san! I would be honored to have her navigating for us full-time.”

Rise’s patented faux crying is audible in everyone’s minds. “Oh, Panther, you’ve always been my favorite!”

“Thank you!”

“Actually, I am curious about something,” Yusuke says. “You claim to be somewhat immune to Kujikawa-san’s star power, but I seem to recall you expressing extreme delight at seeing her music at karaoke when we went months ago.”

Ren’s feet drag to a halt. He can feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

“Um…”

“Oh, yeah,” Ann says, “he totally did! We didn’t end up singing because of our investigation, but he definitely got all smiley from seeing Risette music in the lineup.”

Rise’s voice comes racing back in across their mental link. “Oh, he did, did he?”

Knowing what comes next, Ren simply hangs his head in defeat. “Fox…why did you keep that memory of all things?”

Yusuke holds a hand over his heart. “As one of the few times I have witnessed pure joy take hold of you, I have committed it to memory. Such a heartwarming sight is not to be ignored!”

“You were that happy to see my songs?!” Rise shouts.

Somehow, despite his friend’s words being incredibly sweet, Ren thinks Yusuke has only made things worse. Pushing ahead in this film is going to be much more difficult with Rise swooning in the back of his head.

“I don’t really know why I’m here for this,” Futaba says, sinking into her seat on the outside of the ring of girls around her.

“Because we’ve finally got all of us girls here,” Rise protests. “We can’t pass up the opportunity for some classic girl talk! Now, where were we?”

“You were trying to pry information from Yukari-san,” Aigis states. “Particularly, who is the object of her affection back in our time.”

“Which I don’t have!” Yukari shouts, her face a bright red. Whether that is from anger or embarrassment is anyone’s guess. “You’re not getting anything out of me, Rise-chan, so just give it up!”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” the younger girl argues. “You’re way too pretty to not be taken yet!”

“Says the idol. I don’t know how dating works with your job, but I’m sure you’ve got a crush yourself, don’t you?”

“Who, me?” Rise giggles. “Well, I might have had my heart stolen by—”

“Yu-kun.”

“Yu-kun.”

“Yu-senpai.”

“Narukami, yeah,” Futaba says. “We’re aware.”

“Wha— Guys!” Rise stomps her foot. “I’m used to the other three, but even you’re calling me out, Futaba-chan?!”

“Sorry, there’s only so many times I can take you sighing dreamily when we’re navigating in the viewing room,” she replies. “You eye your leader like Ann eyes crepes.”

“Hey!” both mentioned girls cry out together.

“Actually, doesn’t it make more sense for someone like Takamaki-chan to be dating?” asks Yukari. “You pointed a finger at me for being pretty, but she’s an actual model.”

“That is a fair point,” Rise says. “How about it, Ann-chan? Any romance in your life?”

“H–Hey, don’t turn it on me! If you’re moving to the Phantom Thieves, talk to Makoto. She was the one that made Ren pretend to be her boyfriend that one time.”

“Really?!” Rise exclaims.

Makoto lets out a little squeak in her seat. “Um…well…y–yes. But it was only for some student council business! I had no one else I could rely on, so I didn’t have a choice!”

Rise leans in further with a grin. “So you wouldn’t have chosen him otherwise?”

“Th–That’s…” Makoto composes herself behind a cough into her hand. “That is entirely irrelevant.”

Haru giggles from her spot. “It really is a treat to see our student council president flustered. How cute.”

“Haru, please stop teasing me…”

“How do you feel about romance, Okumura?” Mitsuru asks. “I’m not as gossip hungry as some of our allies, but I’m curious on your thoughts considering our similar positions.”

“I understand. In my case, I’m still in the midst of severing an…unfortunate situation my father left behind. Because of that, I haven’t had much time to really consider it. I would like to one day, however.”

“Ah, that I can understand. I have my own ‘situation’ back home. I am still considering how best to handle it…”

“I don’t get the fuss about any of this,” Marie says. “Shouldn’t you all be more worried about fighting Shadows than going on dates?”

“Well, that is a concern we have, but I think it’s important to still live our lives despite all that,” says Fuuka. “That is what I’ve learned from the rest of S.E.E.S., at least.”

“Normalcy is indeed something to cling to in our mission,” Naoto agrees. “We run the risk of losing what our Personas have shown us otherwise.”

“Mmhm! Strength of heart goes for everything in our lives, not just the fighting stuff,” says Ann.

“So when you think about it, me being so nosy is actually helping all of us out,” says Rise.

“Yeah, pretty sure that’s just a ‘you’ thing, Rise-chan,” Chie mutters.

“Anyway, let’s keep the train rolling! What about you, Kotone-san? Any special boys in your life?”

“Boys?” she parrots. “No, not really.”

“Ah, are you too busy being a leader? That makes sense,” says Yukiko.

“Oh, no, it’s not that I’m too busy for romance. It’s just…well…”

Most of the girls tilt their heads at how she trails off.

“Just…what?” asks Haru.

“Let’s just say it’s an…ongoing development.”

Rise claps her hands. “Ooh, that sounds like a real story! You’ve gotta share!”

“Sorry, I can’t. Not without going into things that I don’t have the right to tell.”

“Aw, boo…”

“Well, even if you can’t tell us, we can still wish you luck,” Yukari says. “With…whatever it is you’re talking about.”

“Thank you, Yukari.” Kotone pumps her fist. “I’m excited to get home and keep trying my best!”

“That’s the spirit!”

“Yeah, you go, girl!” Chie cheers.

“Obviously I support you as a fellow girl…” Rise flops over on her back and kicks her feet in protest. “But I still want to know the juicy bits! Hey, someone distract me with something so I can forget my troubles.”

“What are you, five?” Marie asks. “You’re not all gossiped-out?”

“Never!”

“Jeez…”

“Hm, I do wonder what the boys are up to right now…” Haru says.

“Probably something completely stupid,” Ann responds.

“Do you think so?” Fuuka asks.

“Oh, I know so. Fifty yen says one of our boys is in the middle of it. Ryuji, most likely.”

“That’s only if Yosuke and Teddie aren’t in the middle of it themselves,” says Chie. “I’d put a hundred yen on that.”

Yukari chuckles. “Double that much says Junpei is the one who started it.”

“Aw, I don’t think you guys give the boys enough credit,” says Kotone. “Maybe they’re just having a fun little conversation like we are?”

Across the theater…

“Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!”

The chorus of cheers come as Junpei and Ryuji stand side-by-side, dumping ungodly amounts of soda into their mouths from massive concession stand cups. The others all watch on, urging the competition with their voices at max volume. The only exceptions to this are Shinjiro, Ken, Akechi, and Morgana, who only offer looks of varying levels of disgust.

A few seconds later, Ryuji lowers his head and wipes the excess liquid from his face. He raises his empty cup in victory with a loud burp. Everyone watching congratulates him on his narrow win.

“Man, I almost had you,” Junpei says, holding in his own burp. “Good stuff, Ryuji!”

“Thanks, dude. You weren’t so bad yourself. Talk about a perfect way to spend boys’ night!”

Junpei pumps his fist in the air. “Woo! Boys’ night!”

“It’s not even nighttime,” Morgana mutters. He points to the sole person behind the concession stand. “And how can we call this a boys’ night if Elizabeth is here?!”

“Hey, Liz is the one who hooked us up with all this soda,” Ryuji says. “That pretty much makes her one of the boys in my book.”

Elizabeth raises her arms and whoops. “Huzzah! I’m one of the boys!”

“Oh, boy…” Makoto says. “She’s probably going to be doing that even after we get back home.”

“Anybody else want to throw down somehow?” Yosuke asks. “I feel like we can’t let this energy go to waste.”

“Damn right we can’t,” Kanji says. “Somebody get in here and put on a show!”

Yusuke looks over to Ren. “How about you, leader? This sounds right up your alley.”

“I…think I’ll pass on this one. I’m more of a competitive burger eater than anything.”

“Oh, you too, huh?” Makoto asks. He nods in approval. “Burgers.”

Ren nods back. “Burgers.”

For some reason, the two continue to nod at each other in silence for the next minute.

“Well, now I’m feeling a little left out,” Yu says. “Fine, I’ll jump in to whatever we’re planning next. Give me your best shot!”

“Woah, why are you so serious all of a sudden?” Yosuke asks.

Elizabeth claps in delight. “In that case, allow me to ‘test your gangster,’ as the human youths say. Witness your next opponent!”

From somewhere behind the concession stand, Elizabeth pulls out a massive paper tray. Spilling out from within is a gargantuan hot dog, bigger than the colossal bun it is shoved into and overflowing with toppings. The smell alone makes all of the boys take a step back in shock.

“Such an overwhelming presence…” Akihiko remarks.

“Where did she even get that thing?!” Junpei cries.

“If even Koromaru isn’t interested, that can’t be good,” says Morgana.

Said dog shuffles behind Shinjiro and whines. Morgana doesn’t seem to be far off the mark.

“Narukami-san, for your own health, I have to recommend you pass on this,” Akechi says.

“Sorry, but that’s just not an option. Not when the honor of the Investigation Team is at stake, and not when I’m carrying the torch for all of boys’ night. This is for all of us!”

“Again, where is this seriousness coming from?” Yosuke asks.

“Splendid,” Elizabeth says. “Step up, then, distinguished guest of my sister. Assert your dominance as a representative of man and conquer this meaty monument!”

Yu does as told, gulping once he gets close. “Yosuke, Kanji, Teddie… If I don’t make it out of this, tell Nanako I’ll always be in her heart.”

“G–Got it.”

“Uh…sure, senpai.”

“Sensei, you have to live!”

“I’ll do my best.” Yu raises the fork and knife quickly provided by Elizabeth. “Behold…the truth of my stomach!”

As he dives in, carving away meat and condiments like a starved animal, most of the enthusiasm in the crowd has faded. Instead, they all make pained faces at what can only be described as an ancient torture technique right in front of them.

“I think I should have just joined the girls like they asked,” Ken says.

“Hey, let me try your glasses on,” Kotone asks.

Ren squints at her from behind his frames. “Why?”

“I’ve always been curious what I’d look like with some. Come on, let me try!”

“Alright, alright. Here.”

After Ren hands his glasses over, Kotone gingerly slides them onto her face. She blinks a few times before grinning and striking a pose straight out of a fashion magazine.

“Well, how do I look?”

“Shouldn’t you be the one answering that? You were curious.”

“Yeah, but I trust your judgement. Now, let me hear it.”

“Sounds a bit like you’re fishing for compliments, but sure, I’ll play along. You look good. Not quite natural, but it’s still a cute look. You could really make it work with some different clothes.”

“Oh, you’re probably right. Aw, it sucks I can’t take you shopping with me. It sounds like you know your stuff!”

“Well, you know who I grew up with. It’s not like I really had a choice.”

Kotone laughs at the mental image that conjures. “That makes sense. In that case, I’ll just have to try this look again when I get home. You mind lending me your glasses across dimensions?”

“I’d rather not. My face feels kind of naked without them.”

“That’s just because you’re not used to it. Here, I’ll do you a favor and take the decision out of your hands.”

“Huh? What does that me—”

Ren’s question isn’t even finished before Kotone sprints away, clutching the glasses to her face to keep them from falling at top speed.

“What the— Kotone! Give me back my glasses!”

“Come and get them, four eyes!”

Ren isn’t sure what’s worse in the end, the fact that he actually struggles to catch Kotone as they run up and down the theater, or the fact that Elizabeth and the twins start to bet on who will win in the end. He is definitely getting Caroline back later for betting against him.

A long sigh escapes Akechi. “Honestly, I’m not sure why I even bother sometimes.”

“Arf!”

“You would think so, but I oftentimes still come home empty following days like that. There is a frustrating lack of substance in so many of my interactions as the Detective Prince.”

“Arf!”

“Yes, second Detective Prince – you’re right. Perhaps that is part of why I achieve such hollow success compared to my predecessor. I cannot complain having co-opted the moniker, can I?”

A low whine comes in response.

“Oh, don’t sulk on my behalf. We have much more pressing matters than my troubles with fans back home. I will manage.”

“Arf! Arf!”

Akechi reaches down and lifts Koromaru up to his own eyeline. The dog just pants happily, his tongue dangling out like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“You are the only one I can tolerate here, Koromaru.”

“Woof!”

“Koromaru-san is delighted by your kind words, Akechi-san.”

Akechi jolts, turning in the direction of the robotic voice speaking to him. Aigis is somehow right beside him now despite Akechi never hearing her approach. How is an android capable of such stealth? He blames this otherworldly space for dulling his senses.

“Aigis-san? Um…how long have you been standing there?”

“Approximately two minutes and forty-eight seconds.”

“So, you heard me rambling?”

“Somewhat, yes.”

“I see.” Akechi sets Koromaru down and clears his throat. “In that case, I think I’ll cut my losses and go find Joker and the others. Excuse me.”

Akechi walks off, leaving the two S.E.E.S. members alone with each other. Aigis crouches down in the usual way she does when conversing with their team’s canine companion.

“Arf!”

Aigis tilts her head. “Akechi-san reminds you of Amada-san? An interesting comparison. Perhaps that is why you two get along well?”

“Arf!”

“Yes, I think a new trick would liven his spirits a bit. Shall we practice one now?” Aigis makes a circular motion with her hand. “Roll over.”

In response, Koromaru does a handstand. Aigis had not known previously that he was capable of such a feat.

“Impressive, though incorrect. We will have to workshop it, as they say.”

“Really wish there was something to cook here,” Ren says. “I’m getting a little tired of movie theater snacks.”

“I’m with you on that,” Shinjiro says. “Bad enough my team eats nothing but garbage back home. I’m surprised they haven’t all collapsed yet.”

“We really should be eating better, shouldn’t we?” Fuuka says. She follows that with a sigh. “If only my culinary skills were better, then I could provide good meals for everyone…”

“Do you like to cook, Yamagishi-san?” Ren asks.

Shinjiro can’t completely hide his grimace. Fortunately, Fuuka is too busy responding to notice.

“Yes, but…I’m not very good at it,” she says. “I’ve been trying to learn for some time, but the process is…slow-going. I’m afraid I’m a bit of a bad student for Yuki-kun.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. If you’d like, I could try teaching you some tips. Maybe they’ll help.”

“Really? You would do that?”

“Sure. I love helping people out that want to cook. I think it’s a great hobby to have.”

“In that case, I’d be delighted for anything you could share!”

“How about we start with the last thing you made? Do you know what went wrong?”

This is Shinjiro’s cue to head out. He knows exactly what Fuuka is going to mention, and it’s best for his stomach if he isn’t around to even hear about it. The memory alone would make him gag.

“Kid has no idea what he’s getting into…”

Though Shinjiro is long gone after muttering this, the remark turns out to be completely correct. Ren has never felt such dread in his gut outside of hearing Fuuka list her ingredients for a simple cheesecake. And he certainly doesn’t feel any better seeing Fuuka’s face fall once he explains to her that sliced cheese is not a common part of the process.

Chapter Text

Goro cannot wait to be out of this damned theater. After dealing with all of Hikari’s baggage that manifested into this nightmare world, he is more than ready to put this all behind him.

It’s been maddening enough staying close to the Phantom Thieves and biding his time until the day Sae Niijima’s treasure is stolen. Until the day a trap long in the making is sprung in order to rid Japan of its would-be supernatural protectors.

Until the day Goro will personally take the life of Ren Amamiya, a rival that should never have been in the first place.

In an odd way, this side adventure could have functioned as a break of sorts for Goro. After all, outside of survival, nothing that occurs in these films matters much to him. He and the others just need to make it back to their time in one piece. Anything else essentially amounts to stress relief. Shadows do always make for good prey when he is agitated.

But of course, he can’t kill Shadows the way such relief desires as long as he is in the company of other Persona-users. Robin Hood and the accompanying ‘Detective Prince’ attire are like shackles as long as he is here, forcing him to battle with a boyish smile and the enthusiasm of a grade-schooler. It disgusts him to keep up the act for so long.

That is why moments like these have been so important. While everyone else scurries around to prepare for the final battle, Goro has secluded himself in one of the viewing rooms to let his mask slip.

No smile, no feigned excitement, no sugary voice. Genuine exhaustion and annoyance show on his face, hidden by the cover of darkness and various rows of seating. This is as close to a ‘recharge’ as he can get.

“Akechi-kun?”

Not that it lasted long.

As if things haven’t been complicated enough, here comes someone Goro genuinely has no idea how to form a dialogue with. Rise Kujikawa – Risette, as half of those Phantom fools call her through their drool – comes creeping down the steps towards him.

From the way she’s approaching, Goro gets the sense she’s been looking for him. The time to set out for battle is still a ways off, which means this is for something else entirely. Whatever it is, he isn’t looking forward to it.

“Hello, Kujikawa-san,” he says, plastering the usual camera-ready smile on. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Sorry to bother you while you’re resting,” she says. “I just wanted to talk before everything gets crazy on us. Crazier, I mean.”

“Of course. Though I can’t imagine what you would be interested in from me. If you believe detective work is anywhere close to as thrilling as being an idol, I’m afraid my stories will simply disappoint you.”

“That’s okay. I’m not really concerned with your job. I wanted to talk about you.” Kujikawa lowers the seat directly in front of Goro and sits down. Her eyes stay on him for an uncomfortable length of time before she speaks again. “Sorry if this is being a bit blunt, but what is Ren to you?”

Of all the things she could have asked…

Goro doesn’t know why he didn’t expect this. There are many ways in which he feels uneasy engaging in discussion with the teenage version of a famous idol, and her connection to Ren only makes things worse.

It is hard enough to stand listening to how much the other Phantom Thieves are enamored with their leader. Sakamoto and Takamaki protect and scold him in equal measure. As part of the original lineup, no one has quite their level of authority when it comes to making Ren listen.

Kitagawa makes Ren out to be a source of divine inspiration. Sakura is convinced of some sort of sibling-adjacent connection between them, so she too looks to him as a kind of guiding light.

Niijima and Okumura rely on him heavily, though the former is loath to admit it. Without Ren, Goro is sure they would crumble under the weight of all they deal with on a daily basis. Morgana falls into that same category simply because there isn’t much a cat can do on his own in the world.

Suffice to say, Goro has had enough of people singing his rival’s praises unprompted. He doesn’t know much about Rise Kujikawa, but from what he has picked up during this movie mess, he is more than aware how much she adores Ren. If this is some ploy to infect Goro with whatever sorcery made that happen, she is going to be walking away disappointed.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Goro says. “You wish to know what Ren is to me? In what way?”

“Well, the others said you’re only a temporary Phantom Thief – whatever that means – so I know Ren is kind of your leader right now, but that’s not what I’m asking. I want to know what you think of him. What he means to you. That sort of thing.”

“I see.” Goro really does not like where this is going. “And why the sudden interest?”

“I’m just a little curious. You know us navigators, always digging for more info where we can find it.”

Not entirely untrue – Sakura is one of the nosiest people Goro can think of. Though Yamagishi of S.E.E.S. does not support the claim at all. The girl may just be the mousiest individual he has ever seen.

But comparing navigators does nothing for him now. With the question laid bare and Kujikawa’s expectant eyes on him – without the ability to lean into his true temperament, more like – he has been ensnared, doomed to remain wrapped in her little web until he gives an answer.

In truth, he needs to expedite this conversation as best he can. It will only get worse if someone else shows up. The Phantom Thieves are one thing, but if the rest of Ren’s Inaba-based fan club members arrive, this questioning process will become unbearable.

“I confess that I’m still in the process of figuring that out, Kujikawa-san. Ren is a complicated individual; an anomaly that I am constantly forced to alter my view on. For every one thing I learn about him, several more revelations follow that invalidate my previous way of thinking.”

“So he surprises you a lot.”

“More or less.”

“Gotcha. At least that hasn’t changed since he was little. I don’t think any of us on the Investigation Team have avoided being surprised by him at some point. Like you said, he’s pretty complicated.”

Not complicated enough to escape Goro’s own classification, but he won’t voice that fact. Better to lean into the detective eager to understand a comrade-in-arms than his actual position above the Thieves. The hit his intellect takes from doing so is negligible.

“Truthfully, a lot of what he does baffles me,” says Goro. “I don’t wish to give away the details of his future, but I can say that his entire oath as a Phantom Thief goes against what should be his best interest. Sticking his nose in the business of others should have been a trait he left behind, yet it continues to present itself. I…don’t know that I could do the same.”

That is a real complication, he decides. One that he has no intention of dwelling on, but he still gets a bit of satisfaction on one-upping Ren’s own sense of self.

“Wow, it really isn’t straightforward with you two, huh?”

“No…it is not. Though perhaps hearing your perspective would aid me in solidifying my own thoughts. What do you think of Ren, Kujikawa-san?”

“Turning it back on me, huh? I guess that’s fair.” Kujikawa kicks her feet in the air as she hums in thought. “What Ren means to me… It’s easy to feel, but kinda hard to put into words. If I say the other members of the Investigation Team saved my life, then I’d say that Ren helped save my joy.”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly having an easy time in Inaba when I moved back, even before I got kidnapped. Once I was out of danger, I still found myself struggling a little bit. That’s when I met Ren on a random hilltop one day. To make a long story short, I walked away discovering that I still had the ability to touch people’s hearts even outside of my life as Risette. Ever since then, Ren just keeps helping me see the beauty in the more mundane parts of life, even if he doesn’t know it. I don’t think he realizes how much of an advocate he is for appreciating life itself.”

Goro has to remain silent at that. Agreeing would mean too many things – things that he does not want sticking in any part of his mind. He allows Kujikawa to continue uninterrupted.

“We probably just look like a silly pair of old friends from the outside, but that’s okay. I know just how much we really rely on each other. Though if I’m honest, sometimes it can feel like he’s the one taking care of me. But even if the score between us is a little more one-sided than I’d like, I’ve got plenty of time to rectify that. He’s someone I don’t ever want to lose.”

“You truly feel that way?” Goro asks. “From your point in time, you’ve only known Ren for around three months or so.”

“Well, they’ve been a busy three months. Anytime I’m not with Senpai and the others is time I’ve got Ren in my clutches. And besides, you’ve only known him for about five months yourself, right? From where I stand, it’s not that surprising that we’re both a little over-attached to him.”

“You think I have an attachment to him? May I ask what makes you think that?”

“The fact that he’s the only one you call by his given name? Or maybe the fact that his banter is the only type you actually engage with, and how your eyes light up just a little bit more whenever you’re fighting side-by-side. You could convince me that you’re only on ‘half-power’ without him around. You definitely seem more alive with him near.”

It is shockingly hard for Goro to keep his face from frowning after all that, even with multiple years of practice. Navigators are annoyingly perceptive.

Kujikawa still must notice something off about his expression with how she raises her hands in surrender.

“Hey, if I’m off base, feel free to correct me. But when it comes to having a soft spot for Ren, I’d like to think I’m a bit of an expert, so…”

‘Expert’ is a nicer word than Goro would use, but he understands the sentiment, if nothing else.

“So, what? Is there a point you’re trying to make?” he asks, maybe a bit too forcefully.

“Well, I’m just a stranger, so it’s not like I have any authority to tell you how to live your life. But when it comes to Ren? That kid has a way of making anyone’s life better just by being around. I think you know that by now. And regardless of what you’ve got going on, you should get to hold on to that feeling.”

Kujikawa looks up at the empty movie screen in front of her. Though nothing is showing, her eyes look like she is taking in an incredibly pleasing sight with the way they soften.

“It might sound unreasonable to some,” she says, “but even as celebrities, it’s okay for us to want things, Akechi-kun. That’s just one of our basic rights as humans. Don’t let anyone stop you from wanting.”

For once, the silence between them isn’t calculated. Goro genuinely cannot think of anything to say to that. Not even his normally hidden petulance feels appropriate.

So in the end, after too much time has passed from a social standpoint, he only manages to say, “I’ll…keep your words in mind, Kujikawa-san.”

“That’s all I ask.” She opens her mouth again, but the sound of someone wailing in the distance causes her to look back to the crack in the door behind her. “Oh my— Did Teddie get his paws stuck in the vending machine again? How does this keep happening?!” She stands to her feet, already turned towards the upper level of the room. “Sorry, Akechi-kun, I have to go help rescue a bear.”

“No apology needed. I wish you luck, Kujikawa-san.”

She nods at him before hiking up to the wider theater area. A string of muttering follows her ascent the entire way. Even if he could fully hear and parse them, Goro is too busy fending off her past words to bother with these new ones.

‘Wanting is a part of life,’ she had argued. She could not be more wrong.

What does she know about where he stands? She, an idol beloved across the nation with a sea of fans that would swear by her power to touch hearts with her music. How could someone with dazzling, unblemished shoes possibly compare to his own tattered footwear, caked in long-dried blood and indiscernible muck? The path he is almost done trudging through has never been a clean one.

He simply has to remind himself that she said all those things in ignorance. In her world, maybe such platitudes can actually result in something every now and then. In his, however, they offer no purpose. If they cannot stop a bullet – or at least hit with the force of one – what good do they do him?

There are no words more dangerous than ‘what if,’ Goro decides. To indulge in them means surrendering oneself to eyes darkened by stardust and a mind lost in clouds. He cannot afford either.

A world where he doesn’t have to put up a front with every person he encounters does not exist. A world in which this partnership of his with the Phantom Thieves is real does not exist.

And just like a world where the cessation of his mother’s suffering is not tied to her death does not exist, neither does one where Ren is anything more than a bested rival with one foot in the grave. They will never be on the same page, not until the infamous leader of the Phantom Thieves has been shot dead by the hand that once gladly shook his own. No alternatives exist for either of them.

Life just isn’t that simple, and Goro has no illusions that it ever will be for him.

*          *          *

Ren finds himself harboring a weird mix of catharsis and melancholy standing in front of the portals back to everyone’s respective timelines.

It had been a grueling battle filled with twists and turns and crazy feats of strength, but eventually, Enlil had fallen to the might of the combined Persona-users. Her brief return to the form known as ‘Nagi’ and subsequent promise to return should humanity call for her was troubling, but they all had faith that they could prevent such an outcome.

In some ways, saying goodbye to Hikari afterwards had been the harder battle for them. They saw the young filmmaker off with smiles and words of encouragement, but with everything they had gone through collectively, it was still an act of letting go of someone precious to them. With the added revelation that no one would remember this adventure upon going home, it made it all the more painful.

Still, they had saved Hikari’s soul, and that was cause enough for celebration. Even if it took a long time to reunite somewhere, they would all remain connected. They had to believe that.

After a while of staring at the door Hikari vanished behind, Ren turns to the three people next to him. Kotone, Yu, and Makoto all have similar expressions to his – a bit glum, but with noticeable hope underneath.

“Well, I guess it’s our turn now,” Yu says. “Seems like this is where we part ways.”

“Guess so,” Makoto says.

Despite saying so, none of them are eager to put any more goodbyes into motion. The four of them end up standing in an awkward ring like the first time they ever gathered in the theater. Bookending their last moment together like this is pretty fitting, Ren supposes.

In the end, Kotone ends up being the one with the strength to move things along. She lunges towards the rest of them, pulling the three boys into a group hug with her at the very top of their little pile.

“Kotone?”

“I’m going to miss you doofuses,” she says, giving everyone a gentle squeeze. “I was just getting used to our little Wild Card squad.”

Ren doesn’t need some unseeable connection to know they all feel the same in that regard. He already knew Yu before all this, but the new side he got to witness here was a true gift to experience. Not to mention how fond he is of the Iwatodai pair. He feels incredibly lucky to have gotten the chance to share a stage with all of them.

“We’ll miss you too, Kotone,” he says.

“Yeah, things would be a lot easier back home if I could just sic you on any Shadows in my way,” Makoto adds.

Kotone elbows him through their shared embrace. “I’m not a guard dog!”

The Wild Cards share a bit of laughter, but it cannot last forever. Ren gives a proper goodbye to Makoto and Kotone, leaving them to have a brief discussion amongst themselves for a moment. They clearly have something on their minds.

So he moves to wish everyone else from S.E.E.S. well on their journey back home. He thanks Elizabeth for all the laughs and Theodore for his diligence in manning the concession stand. He thanks Junpei for bringing so much energy to things, Yukari for caring for everyone, Fuuka for such outstanding navigation, and Aigis for defending all of them so earnestly.

He tells Shinjiro he wishes he could try his food, and tells Akihiko not to let his childhood friend distance himself from people anymore. When it comes to Mitsuru, he hypocritically tells her to stop forcing every world problem onto her own shoulders. Though she is reluctant to agree, Ren has hope her friends will aid in that situation when they get back.

He manages to get Ken to laugh when he calls the boy ‘senpai.’ It would be accurate if they were all in the same time, after all. Koromaru is the last of them he interacts with, petting the dog as much as he can seeing as this may be the last chance he will have.

Makoto walks past him then, patting him on the back as he joins his teammates in their doorway home. They all give vocal goodbyes to the others in the room before Elizabeth whisks them away.

Ren is actually in the middle of waving back to them when he is ambushed by Kotone. She manages to get her hands on his hair, tussling it so forcefully that he feels like a tornado victim.

“Agh – Kotone!”

She bounds away with a smile before he can retaliate. “Sorry, just wanted to do that before I left. Bye bye, Ren!”

Though his vision is obscured by strands of hair going in every direction, he doesn’t miss the slight tremble in her lips as she and Theodore pass through the door to her own world. As much as he’ll miss her, he can at least be glad she is returning to the friends she has back home.

And speaking of friends, all the prior goodbyes have now led him to the ones he wants to have the least. The Investigation Team is all standing by, waiting for him to come over and give them a proper farewell. A first for them, but a pain Ren has already been through before. He suspects the familiarity won’t help in lessening that pain.

When he joins them, Kanji says, “There he is. Was wonderin’ when you were gonna come see us off.”

“Putting it off, huh?” Yosuke asks.

Ren has to force a smile. “Can you blame me? Once we leave, that’s it. None of us will remember any of this, and we’ll go back to where we were before. That’s Inaba for you guys, but only for you.”

Yukiko frowns. “That’s right… For us, we’ll see your younger self soon, but on your end…”

“Yeah. It’s a little more than just a ‘see you later’ for me.”

He doesn’t have the time to sit in any gloom, not with how quickly Rise moves to hug him. Unlike a lot of her previous attempts, this one is gentle, holding him in place in case he actually falls to pieces like he feels so close to doing.

“I wish I could give you years of hugs in one squeeze,” she says.

“Save the attempt for younger me when you see him. He probably needs it more than I do. Not that he’ll admit that.”

“Believe me, I know. But he can never completely hide that cute little grin of his whenever I catch him by surprise. Don’t worry, I’ll give him the biggest hug I’ve got.”

“Hm…I wonder if this being time travel means I’ll wake up with back pain tomorrow? Or will I just remember my bones being broken as a kid?”

“You’re not funny!” Rise shouts, breaking the hug to shove Ren lightly.

“Says you – I’ve only gotten funnier with age.”

“We can’t wait to see it for ourselves,” Yu says. “After all, we’ve got time, don’t we?”

He extends his hand, and Ren stares at it for a brief moment before remembering the normal thing to do is return the gesture. As the two shake hands, Yu gives him a firm nod.

“I’m glad that the Wild Card is being carried by someone as goodhearted as you, Ren. You’re an excellent leader and a valued ally. You should be proud of where you’ve ended up.”

Sitting on the emotions those words stir up in him would almost certainly cause a scene, so Ren simply nods in response with a smile.

“Thanks, Yu. It was great having you around to learn from.”

“Same to you.”

Naoto steps up next. “Farewell, Amamiya-kun. I look forward to meeting you properly in the future. My future, at least.”

“Right. Sorry in advance for any trouble I give you.”

“Considering the kind of young man you grow to be, I believe the trouble will be worth it.”

Teddie says, “It’s so beary exciting knowing I’ll meet you soon, Ren! I bet we’ll have tons of fun together!”

“We definitely have some fun times lined up, yeah. Though maybe just watch what you eat when it comes to dessert.”

“Huh? What’s that mean?”

“Oh, nothing. Yosuke, Kanji, see you guys later.”

“Later, kid,” Kanji says, clapping him on the back. “It was damn good to hang out with you all grown up. I’ll try and keep an eye out for little you when we get back. It’s been too long since we got into some trouble together.”

“Same here,” Yosuke says. “Kid you is a pretty good distraction for work, especially since you always get me to ramble about my problems. Not as much as Yu does, but still. I’m glad to get more time with you.”

Chie and Yukiko come flying in with hugs next, unable to hold back their emotions with the end in sight.

“Guys, come on,” Ren says. “It’s gonna be okay. You’ve still got the other me.”

“But I like this you, too,” Chie exclaims. “You’re so cool as a teen – I’m gonna miss all our time together!”

“No matter how big you get, you’ll always be in our hearts, Ren-kun. No version of you is exempt from that.”

“Thank you,” he replies. “Back at you guys.”

To Ren’s surprise, Marie and Margaret come over from their spot beside the door to regard him personally. Marie seems to have some hesitance, but she gets pushed past it by whatever Margaret says under her breath. It does cause Marie to groan and roll her eyes, though.

“From what these guys have told me, it sounds like we share a future together somehow,” she says. “So…sorry I wasn’t around much here. Bet it was weird for you, huh?”

“No, that’s okay,” Ren replies. “I didn’t want to push anything with you…”

“Mm. Well, next time something like this happens – because you guys are always getting into world-altering trouble – feel free to come chat. If I like you, there must be a reason, right?”

Ren chuckles at how blunt that sounds. “I’d like to think so, yeah. I hope you enjoy your time with the younger me.”

“Pretty sure that’s already in the cards.”

The sound of Margaret humming in delight reaches both of their ears.

“My, how interesting,” she says. “This may be a record for how quickly Marie has gone soft on someone. Truly an impressive feat, Ren Amamiya.”

Marie whips around, shaking her fist in the air. “Who asked you?! Ugh – Inaba people, let’s go! Goodbyes are all done, right? We’re going home.”

She has a point, though no one is happy about it. Reluctantly, the Investigation Team heads to their door and the Phantom Thieves head to theirs.

Ren’s feet feel unbearably heavy with every step towards the doorway. Knowing this is something he has to do does not make it any easier. He feels much less like the young adult leading the Phantom Thieves and more like the child forced to leave his hometown before he was ready. He is always having to do things before he is ready, isn’t he?

“Ren!”

Turning back to the sound of that shout lets Ren see the Investigation Team all lingering in front of the door to their world. Rise stands at the front of the group, her hands cupped around her mouth as she calls out to him. Her eyes are lined with tears yet to fully fall, but she smiles as bright as always.

“I don’t care what time has in store for us,” she says. “No matter what, I’ll find you again! Adult me is going to find you and make up for all the time we’ve lost with each other.”

“Us too!” Chie shouts. “We’re all heading your way soon, Ren. Count on it!”

“Don’t be surprised if we just show up to drag you off somewhere,” says Yosuke.

“I’m used to amnesia by now,” says Teddie, “so I won’t let it stop me!”

“Neither will a bit of distance prevent our reunion,” says Naoto. “We swear to you on that.”

Yukiko adds, “Keep us in mind, okay, Ren-kun?”

“This isn’t the last you’ll see of us,” says Yu. “We’re both going home to each other, even if it takes longer on your end than ours.”

“Just wait for us to get our act together,” Kanji says. “You got that?”

Admittedly, waiting doesn’t sound very glamorous or easy to manage. Then again, he has technically waited this long, hasn’t he? What’s a little more of the same?

As he feels the Thieves behind him all supply gestures of comfort – be it gentle hands, side hugs, or playful bumps – the thought of waiting seems infinitely more tolerable. Funny how often support makes a difference in life.

“Okay,” he says, smiling at those from his past. “I’ll be waiting, then.”

That is the last any of them need to hear. At the same time, two teams of Persona-users travel back to their respective times, facilitated by a blinding flash of light that leaves them all senseless in its hold.

And with that, the curtain falls.

November, 2016

Tokyo

The sounds of Yongen-Jaya slip under the open windows of Leblanc’s attic. Light chatter mixes with the pitter-patter of commuter’s footsteps. The infrequent sounds of birds fleeing the area are the only competition it has.

As Ren blinks to attention, he finds that he can’t remember leaving those windows open in the first place.

Actually, he can’t remember much of anything that has happened today. His morning and afternoon are both blurry, forming a blank spot in his mind that won’t clear up no matter how vigorously he screws his eyes shut and thinks back. It doesn’t stop him from trying, though.

What does is the sound of a group of people shaking off their own grogginess. When Ren turns to the rest of his room, he’s surprised to see each of the Phantom Thieves spread out around it. Makoto and Haru sit upright on the couch, Yusuke picks his head up from the workbench, and Morgana flops over off of Ren’s pillow. Ryuji’s forehead lifts from its spot on the back of a chair while Ann and Futaba have to pry themselves off the table.

If his own lack of memory didn’t raise enough questions, a sight like this certainly does. How did they all manage to fall asleep at the same time? What were they even doing that would lead to something like that?

Checking his phone doesn’t reveal much in the way of answers. He has a couple of messages from confidants, as well as a missed call from Kasumi, but nothing that really points to what’s going on.

Ryuji tussles his hair and groans. “Ugh… Anyone else feel like they just woke up from a weird nap?”

“Strangely, I understand what you mean,” Yusuke answers. “It is as if a trance has been shaken off, returning me to the realm of the mundane where I must walk among mankind once more.”

“Uh…sure, man.”

“What were we doing again?” asks Ann. “I…think we all met up here for some reason…”

“You all have a film festival to attend,” Akechi says, uniquely cognizant as he stands at the top of the stairs. Ren hadn’t even noticed him waking up with the others. “And since this is more ‘team bonding’ than business, I will go ahead and take my leave. Ren, be sure to message me the next time you plan on heading into Sae-san’s Palace.”

Ren does his best to shake off the rest of the fog in his mind as he replies, “Sure. I’ll let you know.”

The detective is off with a nod, leaving the core Phantom Thieves to continue regaining their bearings. They all more or less accomplish normalcy just as Futaba’s phone chirps with an alarm.

“Oh, Akechi’s right,” she says, tapping the screen to silence it. “We all wanted to go check out that high-school film festival from that flyer Ann brought the other day.”

“Yes, I remember now,” Haru says. “We thought it would be a nice break from everything going on. I’d still very much like to see it with you all.”

“Well, we are ahead of schedule, and taking a break would do us some good,” says Makoto. “If no one is opposed, shall we go ahead and make our way there?”

As everyone voices their agreement, Morgana exclaims, “Hey, take me, too! I want to see the movies!”

“Alright, fine,” Futaba says. “Here, get in the kitty bag.”

“Do not call it that!”

Everyone starts to speculate what kind of movies await them as they leave the attic. Ren isn’t exactly looking for anything in particular – spending time with his friends is the real draw to all this.

He starts to follow them all down the stairs, but for some reason, his eye is drawn to the bright blue poster labeled ‘Sapphire’ on his wall. The image of Risette sits right under his gaze, holding it without any effort. The graceful depiction of her feels even more breathtaking than normal.

He always did find it odd how serene she looks in the photo. After all, rarely did he ever see her so composed.

The Rise in his head was all smiles. She was a storm of giggles that fell from her lips with the same steady rhythm as a waterfall. She was a small bomb with an even smaller fuse, never far from a bratty tantrum when she got prodded.

When she was on stage, every facet of her got turned up to eleven. Ren doesn’t remember ever mentioning it to her, but even he found himself captivated by her performances no matter how many he watched. She had a way of drawing eyes and forcing them to remain on her – a human beacon to a sea of lost ships in the night.

A live Risette taking hold of his mind and refusing to let go is no surprise, so why is the poster able to follow in her footsteps so forcibly right now? The gift from Ann has been on his wall for months and never once has it snagged his attention like this.

Maybe the real answer is that he simply hasn’t let it. After all, it is much easier to keep his mind centered around Tokyo right now. With the Phantom Thieves in one of their most dangerous situations yet, thinking about anything prior to April doesn’t do his team any good. That’s been the easy excuse to avoid thinking about what happened before getting to Tokyo, and about everything that took place when he was still in Inaba.

Not for the first time since arriving at Leblanc, he wonders how everyone from that small town is doing. He wonders if they’re getting along, if they’ve found the paths they want to take in life, and how far into adulthood they have breached. Some of them were definitely closer than others.

The phone in his jacket pocket suddenly feels heavy. Excuses come easy these days, but in truth, he could reach out with some simple effort.

The Amagi Inn’s number is public, for one thing, and so is Tatsumi Textiles’. Even if the staff at Junes no longer includes the two workers Ren knows closely, getting in touch with its Inaba-based location would still likely point him in the right direction.

And for everyone else, the easy answer is just to ask Futaba to go digging. Even the protections of the entertainment industry wouldn’t stop the original Medjed from acquiring the phone number of an idol.

Though the more he thinks about any of that, the worse his stomach churns. What would they say if they saw him now? How would they take the news of his assault charge?

The even worse scenario of them barely remembering him fights its way up, but Ren manages to shove it back down.

Excuses though they may be, they are some of the only things he can cling to right now. So despite how the poster in front of him fills him with a yearning for humid countryside summers and days spent lounging around a food court table, he swallows back the torrent of words fighting to escape. As he looks on at the face on that poster, he only allows himself the three that come to him every so often in moments of quiet.

“I miss you.”

The poster doesn’t answer. The Rise Kujikawa it shows continues smiling, and Ren can’t help but imagine the real deal is doing the same despite not having him around anymore. He isn’t sure whether to be happy about that or not.

Suddenly, Ryuji’s voice shoots back up the stairs. “Yo, Ren! You comin’, or what?”

Firmly yanked out of the bubble of his musings, Ren adjusts his glasses and slings his bag over his shoulder. The best way to clear his new mood is to let the Phantom Thieves’ hectic energy take the lead.

Though before he can fully leave his spot, he notices a crease in the poster on the wall. He glances at it for a moment, then steps forward and straightens it out, leaving the visage of Inaba’s pride and joy as flawless as he can manage. She deserves no less.

“Sorry,” Ren says, swinging around the railing to hurry downstairs. “Let’s get going.”

November, 2011

Inaba

Even though none of the Investigation Team knows how they ended up in the food court of Junes, all of them are clearly of the same mind. Whatever happened before this has worn them all out.

Chie and Teddie are slumped over the table, Kanji keeps nodding off and popping back up in a loop, Yukiko’s eyes are hazy, and Yosuke is shaking his head out like secrets might fall out with more effort. Even Yu and Naoto seem off-kilter with the way they struggle to give voice to their feelings.

For Rise herself, she wouldn’t be opposed to a proper spa day at this point. She needs a bath – hot springs, preferably – along with the kind of massage that leaves no limb unignored.

Though maybe that’s just the celebrity in her talking. In all honesty, she’ll probably be fine once she gets home and falls into bed.

Before she can voice as much, Yosuke takes the lead by raising himself up and speaking over everyone else.

“I think I speak for us all when I say, even if we didn’t go into the TV World today, we should just call it here.”

“Seconded,” says Yukiko.

“Agreed,” mumbles Chie.

“I couldn’t move a paw if I tried,” Teddie whines. “I feel hibernation coming on…”

“As much as I would like to figure out why none of us can recall our day, I have to agree with you all,” says Naoto. “We can pick this up another time.”

The fact that even Naoto is saying that is enough for everyone to go ahead and split up. Whatever is going on is something best saved for another time.

By the time everyone heads their separate ways, Rise is left alone with Yu, who lingers at the doors to Junes. Normally she would try and capitalize on a situation like this, but not even her crush can grant her any energy right now. A real shame, honestly.

“You’re not going home, Senpai?”

“Not yet,” he says. “I want to grab something to cook for Nanako when I get back to Dojima-san’s. I’ve got enough energy for that, at least.”

Her own lack of energy doesn’t stop Rise from smiling at that. “As expected of Nanako-chan’s world-famous ‘big bro.’”

“Just trying to do well by her. Will you be okay getting home? You look a little shaky on your feet.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m a little sleepy, but I can handle it. Focus on Nanako-chan, not me.”

Yu gives her his own smile before saying, “As if I could ignore someone important to me.”

It is so not fair how that makes Rise’s heart do an entire gymnastics routine in her chest. It isn’t supposed to be this warm in November, is it?

“But I’ll trust you if you’re sure,” Yu continues. “Get home safe, then. Text me when you make it.”

“You got it, Senpai.”

The start to her walk from Junes at least assures Rise that she can trust her legs. Despite her words to Yu, part of her wasn’t entirely sure that she was capable of steady walking. If she hadn’t been, perhaps she would have blamed it on how he always seems to make her weak in the knees.

Thoughts of how she’ll turn the tables on him in their next encounter distract her all the way home. While they likely would have continued until she was fully inside and in her room, an unexpected encounter shoves those thoughts aside.

Walking down the sidewalk with his eyes on Marukyu Tofu is Ren. His black curls bounce with every slow step, and she can see him swinging the hands in his hoodie pocket.

Even with her stunned silence from seeing him, Ren eventually notices her nearby. The formerly neutral look on his face gets a little livelier with the discovery.

“Oh, hey, Ri—”

Ren doesn’t get to finish with how Rise rushes forward and traps him in a hug. The force of it almost sends them both onto the concrete, but she manages to pull back enough to keep them standing.

“Ah! R–Rise?”

She doesn’t immediately respond, too busy committing the warmth of the hug to memory and how small Ren feels in her arms. Maybe nothing bad will ever come against him if he remains within her grasp. Even obviously wishful thinking can be a comfort at times.

“Is something wrong?” Ren asks. Small fingers finally come to rest on her back, patting it gently. “Are you okay?”

The audible concern in Ren’s voice brings Rise back from whatever took hold of her there. With her head clear again, she throws on what she hopes is a comforting smile.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” she says. “Sorry, I don’t really know what came over me all of a sudden. I didn’t break any bones, did I?”

Ren laughs. “No. Your hugs feel too nice. I don’t think they’d ever hurt.”

“Wow, I didn’t expect that from you. What’s got you being sweet to me today?”

“What does that mean? I’m always nice!”

“Yeah, you are. I just can’t help teasing my favorite little guy.”

She goes to pinch his cheeks, and to her surprise, he actually allows it. For a few seconds, anyway. Then he squirms out of her grip and forces away a smile, though it’s a bit too slow to escape notice.

Rise doesn’t know where it comes from, but a sudden desire overtakes her at the moment, one likely much more agreeable to the boy in front of her than another of those overwhelming hugs.

“Hey, what are you up to right now?” she asks. “I was going to chill inside and watch a movie. You want to join me?”

“Sure,” Ren says, already bouncing on his heels. “Can we make popcorn?”

“We have to! Oh, we can even use those flavoring powders I got from Junes the other day. I’m sure I’ve got at least one you’ll like. My vote’s for caramel, obviously.”

“I like caramel.”

Rise actually hadn’t known that. Despite how often they have hung out, it is amazing how many things she has yet to learn about her young friend. Some people might view that sadly, but for Rise, it’s just a sign of times yet to come. There is so much in store for the two of them – she just knows it.

As the two make their way inside, Rise allows herself a simple little wish that days like this will last forever.

September, 2009

Iwatodai

For some reason, it is only the cool metal of the Iwatodai dorm’s door that shakes Makoto from his stupor. His foot pauses at the top step, waiting for his brain to catch up from wherever it got lost.

Unfortunately, even having his thoughts back doesn’t make him feel any less odd. There is still a lingering sense of something out of view for him, like an off-screen presence in a movie that’s used against the audience.

He decides to shake it off and just walk inside.

Waiting for him like always is the lobby, though the only one visible is Yukari, who is munching on some of her usual biscuit sticks on the couch closest to the door. She pauses mid-bite of another at the sound of the door opening. For some reason, the sight of Makoto puts a smile on her face.

“There you are,” she says. “Hey, everyone, Makoto’s back!”

The rest of the team appears from various spots around the room. Koromaru trots forward from his place under the window while Ken, Fuuka, and Aigis make their way forward from the base of the stairs. Shinjiro pokes his head out from the kitchen, followed by Akihiko who comes out entirely. Junpei looks up from his handheld game at the table nearby, and Mitsuru does the same from her book on the other end. Makoto hadn’t expected to see such a packed lounge this late.

“Were you all waiting for me?” he asks.

“Not really,” Akihiko says. “We all just sort of ended up down here and thought it was odd that we couldn’t find you.”

“Where have you been, Yuki-san?” Ken asks.

“I…”

That is a good question, he realizes. Though his brain is no longer swimming, he still can’t really place any of the day’s events. Even his supposed trip out is clouded by a lack of recollection. The only clue he has is the weight in his coat pocket.

When he digs around to uncover what that is, he’s surprised to find a movie disc waiting for him. The case surrounding it is blank, just like the disc itself. It figures the one thing that could point to some answers is still hiding behind a mystery.

“I guess out getting a movie.”

Yukari leans over the couch to sneak a peek. “Ooh, really? What kind?”

“Not sure.” He holds the case up towards her. “Wanna watch it with me?”

“What, like, right now? I guess I’m not doing much anyway… Sure! Sounds like fun.”

“Hey, what’s with this preferential treatment?” Junpei asks. “You’re always hangin’ out with Yuka-tan first!”

“Ugh – butt out, Stupei!”

“It wasn’t a closed invitation,” Makoto corrects. “Everyone’s free to join in. We could even make it a group thing.”

Fuuka clasps her hands together. “Oh, that sounds so nice! We’ve never really done anything like that together.”

“It would be nice to do something as a group that isn’t fighting,” Ken says. “One night is okay, right, Kirijo-san?”

She hums in thought. “Well…I suppose I don’t see the harm in one evening of leisure. We are ahead of schedule in regards to the next full moon.”

Junpei throws out a thumbs up. “Then it sounds like we’re in business!”

Aigis doubles the gesture. “Movie night has been given the greenlight. ‘Preciate that, bossman!”

Mitsuru’s face wrinkles in displeasure. “Who have you been listening to lately?”

“Oh, let me go get some of the snacks I have in my room,” Yukari says. “We can’t have movie night without those!”

“I’ll help you,” Fuuka says. “We’ll be right back, everyone.”

“Snacks, huh?” Shinjiro sighs as he heads back into the kitchen. “Let me go grab some better options. This team is a collective health risk.”

“Hey, I resent that, you know,” Akihiko says. “My meals are incredibly well-balanced.”

“Maybe when you’re not shoving raw ingredients down your throat, you moron. Make yourself useful and come help.”

“Fine, fine.”

With everyone else taking their own steps to set up for a movie night, Makoto gets to work getting the disc properly in place. The DVD player atop the TV accepts it easily, quickly bringing Makoto to a main menu that probably reflects the movie’s contents.

The menu options are stylized to look shaped out of wiring, and the background of the menu itself plays host to small robots and an environment reminiscent of someone’s imaginative guess at the distant future.

“A sci-fi, huh?” Makoto says. “I wonder if it’ll be any crazier than what we go through normally.”

Though even if it isn’t, the simple idea of a group viewing has already made the odd choice to rent the film worth it. Everyone settling in with snacks and drinks in hand makes that readily apparent.

Contrary to the start of the year, Makoto thinks he prefers the dorms feeling like this. The crazier side of what they do together is so much easier when he is given reminders of what he fights for.

Chapter Text

Kotone had mixed feelings when she was told about the volleyball fellowship to be held out of town. On the one hand, venturing outside of the city she lived in would grant her many things. A breath of fresh air, perspective, travel experience – all benefits for someone about to cross the boundary into adulthood.

On the other, it meant stepping away from everything back home, even if only for a bit. She would not be able to foster bonds with the people closest to her, nor would she be around to lead her team through Tartarus. They weren’t exactly behind on progress on that front, but with the next full moon only a few days after the trip’s conclusion, it felt a bit like cutting things too close.

Of course, with the fellowship being mandatory, her own feelings had little to do with actually going. Ms. Kanou hadn’t explicitly said as much when she first brought it up, but between her limited understanding of the club itself and Rio’s insistence on everyone doing the utmost for the team, Kotone realized early on that there wasn’t any getting out of it.

Though, all things considered, currently driving through Inaba does actually push her a fair bit into the side of enjoying the trip.

The countryside is absolutely gorgeous. The train carrying the volleyball team rounds a bend, and from then on, the scenery is bathed in thick greens and yellows. Dense fields of corn and wheat wave in the breeze, towering over flat grasslands just down the road. A skyline devoid of concrete towers and multi-level strip malls is a novel sight.

When the team finally disembarks, one light sniff is all it takes to flood Kotone’s nose with that ‘country air’ everyone is always raving about. The sharp freshness of it is jarring at first, especially compared to the air of Iwatodai and Port Island, but the ease in which she can take a breath is definitely something to appreciate.

Ms. Kanou leads the team to a high school at the end of a long stone walkway. She makes some comment about how out of the way it is under her breath before turning the girls over to the other school’s students. The girls from Inaba’s Yasogami High all regard them warmly, ready to do some joint training together.

Unsurprisingly, Rio tries to fit as much as possible into their first day together. A mountain hike and some muscle training are only the beginning of her plans for everyone. Kotone only just barely manages to get her to cut down on the regimen.

They still end up working up a sweat thanks to losing a match against the girls from Yasogami. The fact that Yuko set up a bet before the game means they have to handle cleanup at the end, leaving the Gekkoukan team exhausted by the time they head back outside to await directions to the inn housing them. Kotone feels no shame in how she leans against Rio while waiting.

“Did you hear?” Rio asks. “Apparently the inn we’re staying at has a natural hot spring.”

“Yeah?” Kotone mumbles against her shoulder.

“Yep! Just thinking about it has me excited. We can wash each others backs and everything!”

It’s nice hearing Rio gush about something out of her usual interests for once, Kotone thinks. It serves as good proof that she’s been loosening up throughout the year.

Kotone nods to agree. “Sure! It sounds like fun.”

“Doesn’t it? This is already way better than last year. The fellowship was barely any distance from Gekkoukan.” Rio reaches out to run her fingertips over a low-hanging bundle of leaves. “This area has such a natural peace to it. It’s wonderful.”

Yuko joins in just then, saying, “You sound pretty enamored there, Rio. Thinking about moving here in the future?”

“Well, it’s not like I can predict where I’ll be by the time I move somewhere to settle down, but… Yeah, I don’t think I’d mind a life here.”

Kotone can’t blame her. A life here sounds idyllic, in all honesty. She imagines waking up to sunrises bolstering the golden tint of the wheat all around and spending her days hearing more animals than vehicles.

Her fantasies are interrupted as a young girl in a black sailor uniform comes up Yasogami’s walkway. Her short black hair is held down by a white headband that perfectly complements the rest of her outfit. Between her facial features that seem lifted straight from a porcelain doll and the visible grace to her gait, Kotone can’t help but wonder where she came from.

“Hello,” she says. “Would you all be the volleyball club members from Gekkoukan High School?”

When everyone answers in confirmation, the girl looks a lot more at ease. The poise remains, just tempered by a bit of relief as she shows them all a soft smile.

“Oh, good. My name is Yukiko Amagi. The Amagi Inn sent me to escort you to our location, so I will be your guide for the time being.”

“Wait, really? But you’re so young,” Rio says. “You don’t actually work at the inn, do you?”

“No, no, I’m just the hostess’s daughter. She asks me to do things like this from time to time.”

“Wow, you sure are responsible for your age,” Yuko says. “Are you in high school yet?”

While the other girls hold a mini-interview session with their new acquaintance, Kotone finds her eyes drawn to a bit of movement in the distance. Several meters behind Yukiko is a little boy with black hair just as messy as the bush obscuring him.

He peeks around it, granting Kotone only a partial look at what appears to be hesitance crossing his face. It only takes a few seconds before she realizes his eyes keep darting to Yukiko specifically before he looks away. Kotone waits until the conversation dies down a bit to say something about it.

“Hey, sorry to cut in, but do you know that boy over there?”

“Hm?” Yukiko turns to follow where Kotone is pointing. “Oh, that’s where he went. One moment, please.”

The young girl walks her way over to the bush and its sole inhabitant. Their conversation is inaudible, but whatever is said must convince the boy to finally come out of hiding. He holds onto the back of her uniform as they make their way over.

“I apologize for the delay, everyone,” Yukiko says. She gestures to the boy behind her and adds, “We got separated earlier, but everything is fine now. I appreciate the help in finding him.”

Several of the girls from Gekkoukan immediately zero in on the boy, leaning over to get a better look at him.

“Aw, who’s this?”

“He’s so cute!”

“Is this your little brother, Amagi-chan?”

“How old is he?”

“Look how close they are!”

All the attention makes the boy flee behind Yukiko entirely. She chuckles lightly before attempting to coax him out with her words.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to be shy. High schoolers aren’t too different from me or Chie. You can say hello.”

He doesn’t really look too convinced by that. In his shoes, Kotone thinks she would be a little intimidated too. The girls from the volleyball team can come on a little strong, especially once something catches their interest.

Kotone knows she can show the same enthusiasm, partly when she’s trying to mask having an off-day, and partly when she’s genuinely excited about something. But being cognizant of that also helps her know how to apply a gentler approach to interactions. She decides to give that a try to help the skittish boy out.

“Hi there! Sorry if I gave away your hiding spot earlier, but you looked like you wanted to be closer to Amagi-chan. It must be tough sticking close with all us volleyball girls hanging around, huh?” She crouches down slowly, making sure to keep her body language as open as someone befriending a woodland creature might. “I’m Kotone Shiomi. What’s your name?”

The boy looks like he’d rather never come out of hiding than do an introduction, but after some more nudging from Yukiko, he finally relents. He steps out into view just enough to not have half his face hidden, fiddling with his glasses in what Kotone assumes is a way to manage his nerves.

“Ren Amamiya.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Amamiya-kun. Did you come here with Amagi-chan?”

“Yeah. Um…we were making pancakes together. Then she said she had to come here, so I came with her. Then I saw a cat and followed it because I wanted to pet it.”

“Oh, is that when we got separated?” Yukiko asks. “Why didn’t you stop me, Ren-kun? We could have taken some time to play with it.”

“B–But you’re busy today. I didn’t wanna bother you more…”

“I’ve already told you that you aren’t a bother. Honestly, it’s my fault for losing track of you. I forget sometimes how independent you are.”

“So I can still help?”

“Of course you can. In fact, could you help me lead all our guests back to the Amagi Inn? You remember how to get there, right?”

“Yeah, I can do that! Um, is everyone ready to go?”

Even if they weren’t, Kotone highly doubts any of the girls on the volleyball team would have the heart to refuse their new little tour guide.

With Yukiko by his side, he walks at the head of the group, leading them through Inaba in a surprisingly efficient way considering his age. Yukiko handles most of the talking, pointing out landmarks and notable shops around town.

Occasionally, she’ll appear to forget something and defer to Ren for the answer. Whenever that happens, he’ll respond clearly and immediately as if nerves are the furthest thing from his mind. Judging by how frequently Yukiko is forgetting how to answer the volleyball team’s questions about Inaba, Kotone suspects this ‘scheme’ of hers isn’t anything new.

The Amagi Inn is every bit as stunning as advertised. The devotion to classic Japanese beauty is evident in every fixture and service offered. It may not have the same opulence that some of the pricier buildings in a big city might, but Kotone still considers the inn to be in a league of its own.

After the girls are able to check-in, Yukiko and Ren decide to leave and let them all settle in. The members of the team are able to let the pair go with only minor heartbreak – it seems half of them wanted to chat with Yukiko more and half simply wanted to keep fawning over Ren.

Unfortunately for both sides, the young duo are intent to set off on their next task for the inn. Kotone wonders if Ren is somehow actually an official helper or if he’s just that attached to Yukiko. Maybe she’ll ask if she gets the chance.

For now, the Gekkoukan students take their time unloading bags and getting comfortable in their respective rooms. With Ms. Kanou holed up in her own room, the evening quickly turns into a free-for-all on whatever the girls want to do. Though with their fatigue in play, that mostly just means calm rounds of conversation.

“Still can’t believe how gorgeous this place is,” Yuko says, spreading out on her futon. “I feel like I’m bringing the quality down just laying here.”

“Don’t be silly, we’re guests here,” Kotone says. She revels in the plush feeling of the blankets underneath her. “I think it’s about time we got treated well for how hard we work in practice.”

“We work hard to win games, not to sleep on comfy futons,” Rio says.

“And why can’t we do both?”

“Jeez, you’re so treat-motivated. Wait, Yuko, you’re not even supposed to be in here. This isn’t your room.”

“I’m glad you asked, Rio!”

“That…wasn’t a questi—”

“Apparently there was some mistake with the room booking, because according to the key I’ve got, I’m supposed to be in the same room as Kaz!”

“Kaz… As in, Kazushi? Wait, he’s here? Why?”

Yuko waves her hand dismissively. “The school let him come along to try treating his injury with the hot springs here. I’m supposed to help look after him in the meantime. I figured I could at least use the springs to clear up my skin while I’m at it!”

“I…see. And you said you got put in his room? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know, right?! What the hell was Ms. Kanou thinking bunking us together?”

“Yeah, that’s definitely weird,” Kotone says. “But hey, don’t sweat it. Just stay in here with us!”

“I can? You really mean it?”

“Of course! Us sports girlies stick together.”

Yuko flops pitifully onto Kotone with a hug. “Kotone-san… My beloved friend…”

Rio shakes her head. “So dramatic.”

The trio makes their way to bathe with everyone else soon after. The quintessential girl bonding experience does wonders for everyone’s mood. Everyone aside from Kotone, that is.

Partway through her time soaking in the water, that familiar and inescapable maelstrom of negativity floods her system without warning. All the festering, murky feelings that crawl from some unseen depths to grab hold of her and drag her down show themselves at full force.

Her fears, her sorrow, her self-loathing, it all churns together into something too loud and potent to ignore. She doesn’t know why she expected such feelings to let her have a pleasant vacation away from Iwatodai.

Constantly fighting this battle from a young age means she can mask her troubles fairly well going back to her room with everyone else. While they lounge around and talk about their crushes back home, Kotone spends her time tucked in a corner texting. The irony that she is talking to Saori while this particular discussion is happening is not lost on her.

Rather than dwell on that, Kotone takes the thin comfort provided by the older girl’s words. She may not know what’s going on, but Saori always has a way of lifting Kotone’s spirits just by virtue of who she is. Kotone is so grateful to have her.

But she won’t take advantage of their friendship. Saori isn’t some sounding board for the sole purpose of taking in Kotone’s troubles. So after several reassurances that things are fine, she wishes Saori a good night and puts her phone away. Any messages from then on may actually get through to her, and she can’t have that.

Though sitting around while harsh whispers in her head continue to lash out at her doesn’t sound fun either. There’s no way she’ll just sit here all night and take it.

Her solution? Get dressed and sneak out of the inn for a quick walk around town, of course. That ought to do the trick in silencing her thoughts. A little nighttime sightseeing never hurt anyone anyway.

The getting dressed part is easily done, especially with everyone scattered just before bedtime. Kotone waits until no one is around for the second phase of the plan, creeping to the door and slowly raising her hand towards it.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

The stern voice makes Kotone freeze in front of the door. When she manages to get her body working enough to spin around, waiting for her are both Rio and Yuko. While the former is scowling, the latter looks amused to simply be a part of what is gearing up to happen.

Yuko snickers. “Busted.”

“Ehehe… Would you believe that I’m just taking a bathroom break?” Kotone asks.

“Fully clothed?” Rio asks back.

“The…bathrooms are cold?”

Rio doesn’t say anything to that. The way her eyebrow rises takes care of that on its own.

Kotone sighs. “Okay, yes, I was headed outside. Only for a little bit, though.”

“Why?” Yuko asks. “You need some air or something?”

“Not…really.” Kotone waves her hands in front of her. “Look, don’t worry about me. I just need a minute to clear my head and then I’ll come right back and go to sleep. I won’t let it affect practice tomorrow. I promise. So…please let me go?”

It’s a flimsy excuse, if one can even call it that. Honestly, if one of her friends had given her the same one, she wouldn’t let it slide. It’s an obvious attempt to push people away so that one’s inner rot doesn’t spread. These two have to know that.

And yet, Rio doesn’t put her foot down and demand Kotone return to bed. The tension in the air dissipates as Rio lets out a long, weary breath and drops the frown. The sternness in her face gives way to visible concern.

“Fine,” she says. “But on two conditions. First, don’t take long. If you’re out longer than an hour, I’ll drag you back here myself.”

Kotone nods. “Fair. And the second thing?”

Rio steps forward and raises her hand. Kotone flinches in preparation for the sort of punitive flicks or pinches her team captain is known for, but nothing like that comes. Instead, Rio’s hand brushes the still damp part of her bangs aside, fixing them into their usual spot. That same hand then traces down Kotone’s face all the way to the bottom of her cheek. Rio’s fingertips linger there for a few seconds before they are taken away. The warmth they induce stays.

“Just be careful,” Rio says. “I don’t want anything happening to you on my watch.”

“Oh…”

Suddenly Kotone is hyper-aware of how close she and her team captain are, as well as how loud her own heartbeat is. As much as she would like to believe no one can hear it, that just doesn’t seem possible with its thundering rhythm inside her chest.

Definitely time to go on that walk already, she thinks.

“R–Right. I’ll be careful.” Kotone turns on her heel and heads to the door before anyone can change their mind. “See you both in a bit!”

“You better!” Rio calls after her. She sighs again once Kotone is out of sight. “That girl…”

When Rio turns towards the rest of the room, she is met with the sight of Yuko’s full-faced grin. She does not like how smug it appears.

“What’s that look for?”

“Oh, nothing.” Yuko lets out an entirely fake-sounding yawn as she heads back to her futon. “Hey, is your back doing alright?”

“Huh? My back? What would be wrong with it?”

“Well, I know you’re flexible, but it still can’t be easy with how much Kotone-san has you wrapped around her finger.”

Yuko gets to revel in the sight of a beet red Rio for all of three seconds. The team captain hurls a pillow at her heckler before she can get any more verbal jabs out.

Out on the streets of Inaba, Kotone wanders down the sidewalk leading away from the inn. Most of the shops in town are closed or nearing wrapping up for the day. Pretty soon, the town itself will enter its own slumber, leaving Kotone alone with her demons once more.

She doesn’t like giving what she’s experiencing such a dramatic name. When she breaks it down, what is she really going through besides busyness and trauma? Everybody deals with those. So what if she has a bit more of both than the average person?

Claims like those never hold up long, unfortunately. Her rational mind knows spouting them is just her putting on a front. If she feels no more challenged than the rest of society, she can perpetuate her self-loathing a bit easier. She doesn’t have to grasp at straws to bash herself.

But the truth is that she isn’t just like everybody else. In a way, she genuinely feels like she’s close to drowning some days with all she has to worry about.

There’s the Dark Hour to plan for, as well as fully getting through Tartarus. There are the full moon operations waiting and how S.E.E.S. will deal with the large Shadows that appear then. They’ve also still got plenty of mysteries left to solve.

More mundanely, there are school-specific issues for Kotone to worry about. She has exams and clubs and paperwork to fill out for student council. She has people to help out both academically and with their daily responsibilities. She has the constant issue of having to present the always sunny side of herself so that no one catches on to the undesirable parts underneath.

Oh, and of course with school problems comes problems of the heart. Romance hadn’t been on her mind at all at the start of the year, and it only seemed further away once everything with S.E.E.S. kicked off. The team’s leader can’t be too occupied with going on dates every night.

But now that so many months have passed and she has found herself so engrossed in being social with Iwatodai and Port Island’s residents, she’s realized that she can’t escape something even as low-stakes as a crush.

Whether she pictures a mature girl with dark gray hair and a cute beauty mark above her cheek, or a high-spirited athlete with maddeningly deep onyx eyes, the result is the same. Her heart feels moments away from jumping out of her throat.

Kotone stops and lets her head bonk against the wall behind her. Coming out here was supposed to be a mental reset, yet now all she can do is think about everything coming her way in the future.

To what end? Where does her break lie? How hard does she have to work to get it?

Why does it feel like she is always missing something?

A tiny mew from near her feet quiets the thoughts for a moment. Kotone looks down to see a tan cat with dark brown markings all over its face and body. It stares up at her with shining emerald eyes and a tilt to its head. The unexpected sight does put a small smile on Kotone’s face.

“Don’t suppose you’ve got any answers for me, kitty.”

A couple more mews escape the cat before it trots off. For all Kotone knows, that could have been life-changing advice. A shame Aigis isn’t around to verify – though whether her translation skills are dog-only remains to be seen.

As the cat scampers on and rounds the corner of a brick wall, another voice fills the night air. It isn’t a cat’s – that is made obvious by the use of actual words rather than squeaky noises – and on top of that, it sounds extremely familiar. Hearing it speak to the cat again makes Kotone realize why.

She follows the cat’s path around the corner and finds a crouched Ren waving to it as it walks away with a small piece of meat in its teeth. Ren pops a matching piece into his own mouth as he gets back to his feet.

“Amamiya-kun?”

He whirls around, holding his arms close to his chest the way Kotone has seen him do many times at this point. There’s obvious fear in his eyes at first, but once he notices who called for him, it fades into something more relaxed.

“Oh, it’s you,” he says. “Hello, Miss Shiomi.”

Kotone chuckles at the contrast between formality and such a cute little voice. “You can just call me Kotone. What are you doing out so late, Amamiya-kun?”

“I like to walk sometimes. It’s easier at night.”

That’s true enough, Kotone supposes. She certainly is no stranger to spending her nights in Iwatodai covering the city on foot. But she’s also sixteen. Quiet town or not, she doesn’t love the idea of Ren wandering around so late at night.

“And your parents are okay with it?”

Ren flinches, bringing his arms in even closer. “Um…they’re on a trip. Again.”

Now Kotone wants to kick herself. Of all the things to bring up, you would think she knows better than to mention someone’s parents out of nowhere.

She suspects Ren’s claim isn’t a metaphor for anything like she used to use at his age. They probably really are just on a trip somewhere. That doesn’t take away the pity she feels for the boy walking through the streets all alone, though.

“I–If I’m in the way, I can leave,” he says. “I didn’t mean to—”

“No, no,” she interrupts. “I really wasn’t doing anything specific. I just needed to distract myself for a bit. My brain was being too loud.”

Ren looks up at her curiously. “Too…loud?”

“Yeah, it’s— Actually, don’t worry about it. Just teenager stuff.”

Eager to move things along, Kotone begins looking around the area for something to pivot to. The universe throws her a bone for once in the form of a small park in the distance featuring a familiar net and ball in its center.

“Hey, Amamiya-kun? How do you feel about volleyball?”

Another curious look, though this time with visible interest. “I don’t know how to play. I’ve never tried.”

“You want to learn?”

It isn’t long before both Kotone and Ren are standing in front of the net. Kotone does some demonstrations for the boy, showing him how to bump and set the ball when playing alone. He doesn’t take to it immediately, but what he lacks in aptitude, he makes up for in perseverance. When he makes a mistake, she barely has time to get out an encouragement before he picks the ball back up and tries again.

By the time she bumps the ball towards him and tells him to send it back, he’s able to pull it off as requested. A bit low on the trajectory, but she can attribute that to his small stature rather than a flawed technique.

“Nice receive, Amamiya-kun. You’re a hard worker.”

“Thank you. Um, sorry if it’s hard teaching a kid.”

“No, don’t worry about that. This is my first time coaching someone so young, but I’m not inexperienced with connecting with kids. I actually have a little friend around your age back home.”

“Really?”

“Yep! She and I play at the shrine together some days. She’s so energetic… Sometimes it’s hard for me to keep up.”

“But you have a lot of energy too. You’re like Chie.”

“Who’s that?”

“Oh, Chie lives here in Inaba. She’s friends with Yukiko.”

“Ah, I see. You know a lot of older girls, Amamiya-kun?”

The question makes Ren fumble the volleyball onto the ground. “No, just those two. I don’t have many people who let me hang out with them.”

Hearing that makes it hard to focus on teaching volleyball. Regardless if he meant to reveal that or not, Kotone’s mind goes to work connecting all sorts of dots together.

Ren’s shyness, his attachment to Yukiko, the sad way he talks about his parents not being around… The picture Kotone now has of the boy is so much fuller, but she can’t say it’s for the better. Even small towns have their share of problems, she realizes.

“Do you have lots of friends?” Ren asks.

Still a bit in her own pity-filled head, she is late to respond with, “Oh, well…I guess you could say that.”

It feels a bit like bragging, but when she thinks about it, she does have a decently large amount of friends, doesn’t she?

Yukari, Junpei, Fuuka. Mitsuru, Akihiko, Aigis. Koromaru, Yuko, Rio. Saori, Maiko, Bebe. Akinari, Bunkichi, Mitsuko. Odagiri and Pharos, even Tanaka and Mutatsu in an odd way. All of them are people she has a genuine connection with. Though those ranks don’t quite include Ken and Shinjiro, she likes to think that she’s at least getting somewhere with them.

“More than I thought, actually,” she says.

“How…do you make them?”

Ren’s voice sounds so small asking that. For some reason, Kotone had forgotten just how little he is. Not in regards to size – well, he is small, but that isn’t the point – just in terms of how new he is to life. At a little over half her age, he is still dealing with problems that she and her peers at Gekkoukan struggle with.

“Sorry… I don’t have any secret technique to give you. I may have friends, but even I don’t understand it.”

Chalking it all up to the Wild Card’s influence just doesn’t seem fair.

“I do. You’re nice, and you smile a lot, and you help people. That’s why you have friends, right?”

“Aw, you think? I almost feel like I don’t deserve all that.”

Ren’s head dips a little as he adds, “I can’t be like that. When I do stuff, people just ignore me or get mad. I think it’s easier to just do things by myself.”

Kotone definitely doesn’t like the way that sounds. No one so young should have such resignation in their voice, and she hates how familiar it sounds even coming from a voice new to her ears.

“Amamiya-kun—”

“Ren.”

“Huh?”

“Just Ren is okay. It’s shorter.”

Kotone hopes the shift in formality is a sign against what she’s about to ask, but she won’t hold her breath.

“Ren… Do you think you don’t deserve friends for some reason?”

The lack of a verbal answer essentially takes the place of one. Rather than force Ren to elaborate on something that clearly weighs on him, Kotone decides to take the lead again. If bad thoughts and painful memories are going to plague her anyway, she’ll at least put them to work.

“You know, I was pretty unpopular when I was your age,” she says.

He finally looks up at her to ask, “Really?”

“Mmhm. Most other kids thought I was too gloomy. I never smiled, and it was really hard to get me to play with everyone else at school. I mostly kept to myself. It was a little sad, thinking back on it.”

“Then…how did you get better?”

“I don’t know if I’d say I got ‘better,’ necessarily. I more so just put more effort into…looking normal, I guess. You probably aren’t a stranger to that yourself. You make yourself seem smaller to avoid people, don’t you?”

“Oh… Kind of.”

“I did the same thing for a while. But I pivoted once I realized people ask less questions when they see you happy. So I worked until that’s how people saw me, and then I didn’t worry others as much.”

“Is that what I should do? Try to look happy?”

“Oh, no. I’m not saying I’m a good example to follow. I had to do a lot of pretending in those years, and I don’t want you falling into the same trap. It gets too tiring after a while.”

“Are you happy now, though?”

“I…”

The instinct to deny that comes quick, but for once, it faces a roadblock in the form of everything she’s been thinking about since she and Ren stopped focusing on volleyball.

Past all the headaches of trying to sort her crazy life and make sense of her troubles, there are people ready to support her. It’s something incredibly obvious, though that didn’t stop her from losing sight of it due to her own pain.

Her childhood was rough – no one can deny her that – and even though this year has had its hardships, it is the first year in a long time where she isn’t alone. That makes all the difference.

“I’m getting there,” she says. “And actually, I think it’s because of my friends. They’ve really helped show me things I haven’t thought about in a long time.”

Ren frowns. “So I can’t be like you, then…”

“Sure you can.” If Kotone can remember she isn’t alone, she won’t allow Ren to feel like he is. “Well, don’t be totally like me, but you can find your happiness too. You just have to think a little differently. Like… Oh, think of it like volleyball!”

“Volleyball?”

“Yeah! Nothing I do on the court is a lone effort. Even something like serving is just one piece of everything that goes into a win. When it comes to improvement, or even just a little bit of personal change, you don’t need to do it in isolation. Humans like us are social deep down, even if we try to run from that. But we gain so much more by letting other people help us out. When you think about life like that, it…I don’t know…it sort of gets a little easier.”

If she’s talking to herself a little bit here, then all the better.

“So maybe don’t worry about trying to force things. Good people will find you in time. After all, you’ve got Amagi-chan and your friend Chie, don’t you?” Kotone reaches over to gently pat the boy on his head. “And you’ve got me, too. Even if I’m a bit farther away than they are. Just keep being you, and I promise that more nice people will appear in your life. If it worked for me, there’s no reason it can’t work for you.”

“You really think so?”

“I do. Sorry that it isn’t an easy answer, though. I don’t mean to fill your head with all these complicated life lessons.”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t understand all of it, but I’ll try to do what you said. And…you trying to help me is really nice. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to trust me with all that, even though we just met today.”

“I think it’s just easy to talk to you. But I don’t know why.”

Kotone chuckles. “I get that a lot. Now, as much as I’ve enjoyed this, we should probably wrap things up if you’re feeling better. I can’t teach you much more in the dark.”

“Oh, okay… U–Um, Kotone?”

She lets out an inquisitive hum as she turns back from putting the volleyball away. He takes a moment to meet her gaze, but once he does so, he doesn’t shy away.

“I…I really liked learning volleyball. It’s fun. I’m gonna try to get really good at it, so…please come back to see that. I want to play again!”

Well, there’s no way she can fight the smile that brings. If a boy as reserved as Ren can express himself so openly and declare an intent to press on, then what’s stopping her? Maybe she can’t find the answer to all her worries in one nighttime outing, but there are an endless number of days ahead. She has time to figure it all out.

“It’s a promise, then,” Kotone replies. “When I come back, we’ll have a real match. Keep doing your best, okay?”

Capping off the night with the biggest smile she’s seen from Ren so far makes this all more than worth it.

“M’kay!”

Though for as energetic as that response is, Ren begins wobbling on his feet not ten seconds later. He starts blinking languidly and raises his glasses to rub under his eyes. The sight is a reminder that Kotone operates in a much wider timeframe than most people. Little kids can’t compete with someone who regularly fights monsters past midnight.

“Looks like someone’s getting sleepy.” She extends her hand out to him. “Why don’t you come back to the inn with me? I’d rather you be somewhere safe than try to make it all the way home at this time of night. Amagi-chan should be there, too.”

Ren turns out to be so tired that he doesn’t resist the potential ‘babying’ in this situation. He nods along to the suggestion and takes the hand offered to him so Kotone can gently pull him along. The two stay like that the whole way back to the inn.

When they arrive, Yukiko is understandably confused, but she doesn’t ask for any details. She just takes Ren by the hand and promises to get him to bed. Kotone accepts; there likely isn’t anyone better qualified to look after him than his close friend.

With that settled, Kotone sneaks past the room Ms. Kanou is using to get back to her own. She tries to be as quiet as possible when entering, but it turns out not to be an issue since Rio and Yuko are right by the door chatting. Yuko notices her return first and waves.

“Hey, you’re back!”

“Yep.” Kotone puts her hands on her hips and grins. “I told you I wouldn’t be long.”

“And I told you to be back here in an hour,” says Rio. “You went twenty minutes over your limit.”

“Did I?” She had genuinely lost track of time outside. Her little heart to heart with Ren made it all fly by. “Sorry about that. It wasn’t intentional. But…I did get something good out of it.”

Not a permanent fix, she reminds herself, but it is another way to keep the worst of her bad thoughts at bay. She really needs to keep in mind the real strength of the Wild Card – fostering connections will always be her primary source of overcoming adversity, whether external or internal.

Though Rio can’t possibly understand the details, she still grins knowingly after hearing Kotone’s claim.

“Yeah, I can tell,” she says. She stands to her feet, reaching up to once again fix some stray bangs on Kotone’s forehead. “I’m glad, then. A smile suits you better than whatever you had going on earlier.”

Kotone feels the same pounding in her chest from right before she left the room initially. Unlike last time, however, this sensation is wrapped in the warmth of affection, rather than the icy cold of anxiety. After all she has been through tonight, she doesn’t have the fortitude to resist indulging it. Or maybe she’s just too tired to care.

Either way, she ignores thinking and lets herself fall onto Rio with a hug. Though she keeps herself from fully being dead weight, she likes to think Rio would keep them both standing anyway. She’s always been dependable like that.

“Thanks for looking out for me, Rio.”

The team captain shudders a bit, but manages to respond with, “Ah… Sure thing.”

Kotone lets out a long yawn as she pulls away. “Now I really am ready for bed. I think I’ll be passed out until the second practice starts back up. Goodnight, you two.”

Kotone shuffles off to change into nightclothes, leaving her two friends behind. Rio remains glued to her spot, still somewhat posed into a hugging position as she struggles to return to normalcy. Announced by a string of chuckles, Yuko slinks up beside her.

“You’re looking a little red, captain. Can’t blame that one on the hot springs, can you?”

The taunt is enough to help Rio regain control of herself. She turns to narrow her eyes at the girl clearly having too much fun.

“And you talk an awful lot for someone we’re allowing to stay in our room with us.”

The mischief in Yuko completely fizzles out. She hangs her head and says, “U–Um… S–Sorry for my behavior.”

“That’s what I thought. Go to bed.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

The night passes without further incident, and Kotone makes good on her promise of sleeping in. It means she’s an absolute mess when morning rolls around, though. She likes to think that Rio is merely complaining for appearance’s sake when she helps out with getting ready. If only the team captain could do her hair every morning.

Joint practice at Yasogami is lighter than yesterday’s. Without the extra intensity, all the girls are able to enjoy their time bonding with the other school’s team. Both sides wish each other well when it comes time to say goodbye.

Waiting outside for the Gekkoukan students is Yukiko, looking just as pristine as yesterday.

“Thanks for coming to see us off, Amagi-chan,” Yuko tells her. “You’ve been so nice to us during our stay.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she replies. “Please come again! It was nice to get to talk to everyone.”

“Hey, do you know where Ren went?” Kotone asks. “I was hoping to say goodbye, but he was gone when I looked for him this morning.”

“He had breakfast with my mother and I, but he left not long after that. I believe you were still asleep.”

Yeah, that tracks. Not much she could do about it, but Kotone still feels a bit of guilt hit her.

“Aw… I hope he doesn’t think less of me for that.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t. I would try and find him for you, but Ren-kun is surprisingly elusive most of the time. A majority of our interactions come from coincidentally running into each other around town.”

“W–Wait, why are you making him sound like some kind of wandering spirit?” Yuko asks. “We’re sure Amamiya-kun is real, right?”

“Huh. You know, I have always found it weird that he seems to float behind me at times.”

“He does what?!”

Yukiko chuckles and says, “Just kidding.”

“Jokes don’t usually have such serious delivery…”

“Oh, brother,” Kazushi mutters. Kotone had almost forgotten he was here with them. “Are you still mumbling about ghosts, Yuko? What, did you leave your brain back at the inn?”

“Kaz, I swear to—!”

“Save the comedy routine for when we’re back home,” Rio says, pushing the two along. “Let’s go, everyone!”

“Bye, Amagi-chan!” Kotone shouts. “Come check out the city sometime, okay?”

“I hope I’ll get the chance someday. Have a safe trip home!”

The Gekkoukan students board the train under Ms. Kanou’s instruction – or lack thereof. With everything in order, they start their trip back to the city.

As the train passes by a large field, Kotone is shocked to see two figures standing amongst tree stumps. One, a teen girl with brown hair in a bowl cut wearing a bright green jacket, does some kind of spinning kick that gives her an impressive amount of airtime. The little black-haired boy with glasses beside her tries to do the same, but he ends up falling right onto his butt. The girl lifts him up by his underarms and ruffles his hair. Even from this distance, Kotone can see the smile on his face.

Kotone feels herself matching the look. Even if she didn’t get to spend as much time in Inaba as she liked, she’s glad she can go home without any worries for her newest little friend.

Though there is no way for him to see it, she makes sure to wave through the train window.

“See you next time, Ren.”

*          *          *

“See…ya…”

“Hey, wake up already. We don’t want you drooling all over the table from your mumbling.”

The cool temperature settled into Kotone’s left cheek parts once something much warmer begins patting her right one. Her eyes flutter open, granting her a look at two feminine figures sitting nearby. Both have dark hair, though the one closest to Kotone has it tied into a ponytail while the other girl wears hers down to her shoulders. Recognition sets in after a few more blinks.

“Wha…? Rio? Saori?”

Saori smiles down at her. “Good morning, Kotone-chan. Or afternoon, I suppose. Did you sleep well?”

Rio cuts in with, “Don’t just let her off the hook, Saori. She was the one who suggested this study session in the first place.”

When she manages to pry her face from the library table, Kotone finds her workspace covered in loose paper and open textbooks. They all seem to cover different subjects, so she really has no idea what her intent had been prior to apparently falling asleep.

“Sorry, guys,” she says. “I didn’t realize I was so tired.”

“That’s alright,” Saori replies. “You do so much on any given day that I’m not surprised you’re a bit worn out. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Honestly, it’s probably just Rio working me to the bone in volleyball.”

“You sure you want to make jokes like that?” she replies. “I could always tell Saori how stubborn you’ve been when I tell you to stop practicing and go home.”

“Oh?” Saori’s smile lacks the delicate nature it usually carries. Instead, the vibe Kotone gets from this one is distinctly menacing. “You wouldn’t be needlessly pushing yourself, would you, Kotone-chan?”

“Me? No…”

Rio squints at her. “Kotone…”

“Hey, you know what we should talk about? That dream I just had!”

“Most obvious deflection in history.” Rio sighs. “But fine, I’ll bite. What’d you dream about?”

Offering up her dream had just been an excuse to avoid disappointing Saori, but now that Kotone thinks about it, she had dreamt about something, hadn’t she? Something about…acting? Or working behind a ticket booth? It isn’t clear.

The more she thinks on it, the more her head starts to hurt. She’s getting more feelings than clear images, a cryptic mixture of anxiety and triumph and rage and joy. Parsing it feels as impossible as sorting grains of sand on a beach.

Putting that into words likely won’t do anything for her study partners, however, so she latches onto one odd bit of the dream to make it through the rest of the muck.

“I don’t remember most of it, but…I think there was a blue-haired guy who…went to Gekkoukan. He was kind of sleepy. Or was that just because I was sleeping? And did he only have one eye?”

Saori frowns at the description. “I can’t say I recall anyone like that at our school.”

“Shocking,” Rio says, “you don’t remember a blue-haired pirate walking our halls.”

Kotone lightly kicks her under the table for the sarcasm. Saori chuckles at the interaction.

“I suppose it must have been something specific to your dream, then, Kotone-chan,” she says.

“Yeah…maybe.”

Suddenly, thoughts of her dream make way for an actual memory, one of the countryside and the people within. Had she dreamt about that right after the other stuff? Strangely, that feels like a natural progression in a way.

“Hey, Rio? Do you remember those kids from our trip to Inaba?”

Rio looks up from her textbook. “Kids? Oh, do you mean the innkeeper’s daughter? Wait, was there someone else?”

“She had a friend with her, remember? A little boy with fluffy black hair. His name was…” It takes a moment, but the answer smacks into her like the first volleyball she ever tried to return in practice. “Ah, Ren! His name is Ren.”

“Oh, right, he was the one following Amagi-chan around like a duckling. You ran into him when you went out that first night, didn’t you? What made you think of him all of a sudden?”

“I—”

The same hazy recollection as when she tries thinking about the blue-haired boy kicks in when trying to answer Rio’s question. There is an ease in picturing the little boy Kotone met in Inaba and befriended, but tying him or that two day stay in town to her initial dream makes everything get all screwy.

“I…don’t really know. But now I’m kind of curious how he’s doing. I bet he’s still just as cute.”

Rio rolls her eyes, but the smile on her face is noticeably packed with fondness. “Your soft spot for kids is as obvious as ever. Besides, everything about him should be the same; that trip was just last month.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true. Still, I made him a promise to come back and visit. We’re supposed to play volleyball with each other again.”

“Well, there’s nothing stopping us from going back sometime.” Rio nods to the other side of the table. “We can even take Saori with us next time.”

“Oh, would you?” Saori gets a wistful look on her face. “I would love to see the countryside. Kotone-chan made it sound so breathtaking to view in person.”

“Then that settles it,” Kotone says. She reaches out to take both the other girls’ hands in her own, holding them close. “After graduation, we’ve got a sightseeing date in Inaba to look forward to, ladies!”

Saori beams, squeezing Kotone’s hand back while quickly agreeing. Rio simply tries to hide the color in her cheeks with her remaining free hand.

“You don’t have to phrase it like that,” she says softly. “But…okay. I’ll go if you two are there.”

That’s all Kotone needs to hear. Graduation day can’t come fast enough now.