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He doesn’t intend to fall asleep in public, but Yusuke’s habit of working through the night on art projects and then spending hours in the Metaverse with the Phantom Thieves has left him incredibly sleep deprived. It embarrasses him to admit, but he falls asleep in class too many times to count, and regularly misses his stop when napping on the train.
And although his classmates laugh about it, Yusuke doesn’t want to talk about why he works so late into the night nowadays. Because… that would mean acknowledging the nightmares that taunt him ever since he awakened his Persona.
For as long as she’s lived with him, Futaba knows she has woken Sojiro and climbed into bed beside him at least twice a week. She hates admitting it, but ever since she moved in with Sojiro and escaped her hateful extended family, her dreams just keep bringing her back to those awful years.
She longs to be safe and happy in her new home, but memories she tries to forget transform into nightmares and attack her in her sleep. And she awakes with tears staining her cheeks, and dives into Sojiro’s bed to escape the crushing loneliness and terror.
Face down on his desk, Yusuke twitches in his sleep. Hunched on the bed in Yusuke’s school dorm, tapping away furiously on her laptop, Futaba glances up when her sleeping friend groans.
“Inari?” she says, but he doesn’t respond. Is he dreaming?
If so, it’s not a pleasant dream.
His paint-stained fingers twitch—and then Yusuke’s body flinches and he awakes. Trembling, Yusuke sits up, eyes wide with panic and oblivious to the piece of paper stuck to his face.
“You okay, Inari?” Futaba says, alarmed (but not admitting it).
“O-Oh, yes, of course I am,” Yusuke mumbles, fooling nobody.
“Stop, please! Please, I want Mom!”
“Listen to me, you little shit. Your mother killed herself because of you!”
Is Futaba a monster? Evil?
Does she deserve the yelling, the neglect, the smacks?
No, this isn’t fair. She’s just a kid.
“I want my Mommy!” she wails—
And then something shakes her arm, and she jolts awake. Shivering, she stares at Yusuke, vision blurring with tears.
“Futaba, you appeared distressed, so I woke you.” Yusuke frowns, puzzled but radiating concern. “Are you okay?”
She sniffs, rubbing her eyes. “Uh… y-yeah. Thanks… Yusuke.”
Yusuke smiles. “Did you call—?”
“I-I mean… Inari.”
“How often do you have them?”
“What?”
“Do not be coy, Futaba. You know I refer to the nightmares that plague you.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Inari. They’re only dreams.”
“Ah, so you did hear my question.”
“Shut it. Look… you’ve seen me have one before, right?”
“I remember. I trust it wasn’t a rare occurrence?”
“Again, quit with the melodrama. But… I have them a lot. Sometimes even when I nap in the daytime.”
“Ah… me too. If you ever wish to talk about them, I am happy to listen.”
“Nah, don’t wanna dwell on them. But… thanks, Inari.”