Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When he was rescued from that day at the Moonlight Bridge, he couldn’t remember… anything .

He just remembered a bright light, multiple of them, and then… nothing.

The moment he opened his eyes to the fluorescent artificial lighting he just… stared, a sense of deja vu washing over him. He felt the gauzes wrapped around various parts of his body, his head, his arms, his leg, the rough sheets under him, by his fingertips, the little warmth the thin blanket gives him. He could hear worried and relieved voices beside him, so glad that he woke up and asked if he was okay.

He has no answer to that. He doesn’t know if he’s okay, or what okay was even for him.

The people on his bedside looked at each other, eyebrows scrunched as they silently conversed with one another, a conversation he can’t hear nor comprehend. He didn’t mind though. Everything was far from his mind, pieces of memory and knowledge trying to slot itself in their places. Yet it seems like the pieces don't match enough to make it tangible to him.

Soon, a man with a long white coat went over to him. He stared at him blankly as the man looked over at him with a curious look for a long time. He could see the man’s thoughtful look, looking at the people on his bedside before going back to him.

“Do you remember who you are?” The man asked, voice gruff but trying to be kind.

He nods his head as much as he could without pain blooming through his body like hellfire. He feels so tired .

“Could you tell me your name?” The man asked.

His mouth opens to answer, he could feel the dryness of his throat, the hoarseness of not using it in a while. With a raspy voice he answered, “R-Ryoji…?”

Ryoji … Yeah, Ryoji. That’s his name.

The man nodded at his answer, satisfied before turning back to the people beside him, talking in almost hushed voices.

“Do you know what happened to you?” The man continued asking.

At that, Ryoji shook his head. He doesn't remember anything.

All he remembers is his name, and… nothing else.

The man seemed understanding of that though, and just once again nodded. The people beside him gasped at his answer, looking at each other worriedly.

“You don’t… remember anything at all?” The woman asked him, and at that Ryoji nodded in confirmation.

The man and the two people beside him looked at each other and began talking quietly, tones worried and confused.

Ryoji didn’t really mind them talking without him, he’s glad even, especially when his vision blurs, distorting the people and the room, and he’s once again off into the darkness.

He came to again in the same room with the same lights and the same people beside him looking at him worriedly. They look at him with such concerned looks that Ryoji doesn’t know why or what it meant. He has no clue on how long he was out but that was far away from his mind.

“Ryoji, honey, I’m… sorry.” The female apologizes, holding his small, frail hand in hers. Ryoji doesn’t feel anything at the touch, too weak to pull back. “Your… your family they didn’t make it…”

“You and your family were in a car crash, your family car was in flames… They said it exploded and…” The male explained, looking away, ashamed. “Your parents and twin didn’t make it…”

In the back of Ryoji’s mind, he knew he should be feeling something but… he doesn’t feel anything. Surely the death of one's parents and twin would be a life changing thing, one for the worse, but for Ryoji he’s just numb.

Indifferent.

The loss of someone who should be… important(?) to him was just… nothing.

How can he feel something about their deaths when he doesn’t even remember their faces?

Isn’t… death natural?

The woman must’ve taken his unresponsiveness as something because he is suddenly hugged tightly, arms around his small frame as the woman cried.

She cried and cried, while the male with her placed a hand on her shoulder in consolation. Ryoji let her cry on his shoulders, unable to move or speak. He doesn’t understand why she’s crying, Ryoji doesn’t even know her, or the man beside her, but still she’s crying because of the death of his family.

Ryoji found it curious. Because why would you mourn for someone else’s demise? Why mourn for someone else?

It was… interesting to Ryoji, how this woman who he doesn’t know nor remember cradle him like she knows him. How she whispers apologies and assurances to him even when he felt nothing for them.

Now that Ryoji thinks about it, this woman probably does know him if she knows his mother, he just didn’t know her .

He sees them every day in his room, always making sure that he’s alright and comfortable, always visiting him and talking with the people that check up on him.

Then they said he’s clear to be released.

“I hope you don’t mind staying with us for a while, at least until someone in your family claims you.” 

The woman, who he was reintroduced to as Hikari, a friend of his mother, had an apologetic smile as she said those words, looking over at him in his hospital bed, still unable to comprehend much.

All he could do was make a small nod at that, not that he has a say on it, he thinks. He’s too young, that’s what he keeps hearing from the nurses (he learned they were called nurses after one introduced herself to him) passing by his room, and the doctor (who introduced himself as Doctor Hiragi) who frequently watches over his health and progress.

He’s too young . To lose his family. To be in this hospital. To be in that accident. To be alone .

Ryoji thinks otherwise. He feels… nothing. Nothing but the ache and hurt he feels with his injuries and nothing else.

The car ride home was… awkward, to say the least. The couple in front of him tried to talk with him, leaving openings for him to respond and join in on their conversation. But Ryoji just… didn’t. He kept looking out the window, watching buildings and trees pass by. It was still early in the morning, the skies were blue and only a few clouds were drifting above them, the sun blaring and bright and blinding Ryoji.

Hikari said that it was lovely weather today but Ryoji thinks otherwise.

It’s just a normal day. An ordinary day.

Hikari and her husband tried to get him “out of his shell”, constantly trying to talk with him, getting him out of the house and to the park to “get some sun”.

Ryoji just went with it, not refusing nor making a fuss out of it, but he never spoke, never showed interest in anything.

How could he when he feels nothing ?

Ryoji could tell that Hikari was getting worried based on how her eyebrow scrunches in worry every single attempt they made to get him to talk.

He won’t talk. He doesn’t want to. There’s no point.

Yet, they still tried. Ryoji doesn’t know if it’s because of stubbornness or it's because he’s the remaining son of their deceased friend.

When he went back to school, it was… fleeting for Ryoji.

He went through the motions, some kids walking up to him and trying to talk with him, asking why he was gone for a long time and so on and so forth. Ryoji didn’t answer them, just kept to himself.

It apparently got so worrying that his teachers called Hikari to talk about his behavior. He didn’t know what Hikari told them but he could hear hushed whispers from behind the door as he waited outside on a bench, playing with the hem of his shorts, ignoring the kids that passed by and whispering to each other.

“ Weird… ”

“ Creepy… ”

Ryoji ignored it all.

“Your relatives found this in your room, we thought that… maybe you’d want it.” Hikari held out a neatly folded yellow scarf, its hems black. It looked brand new, as if it was hiding for a perfect moment.

It… called out to Ryoji. It was… nice.

His hand reached to grab the bundle of fabric, feeling soft and warmth on his fingers.

“I think… your mom was planning on gifting it to you for Christmas.” Hikari hums, looking at him sadly. “There was a matching white one too, but… ah— someone lost it.”

Ryoji unfolded the scarf and wrapped it around his neck. Hikari lets out a small chuckle before helping him properly wear the scarf. It was long, too long for a child to wear, but with the added bundle around his neck he could feel comfort in it, a light but grounding weight around his shoulders.

Hikari smiled at him, her hands lingering at the edges of the scarf. “Your mother picked right, it suits you.”

It felt… right too.

The first time he noticed the green-lit night and the bright yellow moon was a few weeks after the incident, and to be fair he had been asleep through the night for the past weeks due to his injuries but now that he’s getting better (physically) there was no other excuse for his body to stay asleep during the night.

Ryoji was sleeping when he woke up in the middle of the night by a… feeling inside of him. His eyes opened to the glass of water in his nightstand, now colored red and tinged green, with the moon impossibly bigger and brighter and yellow, watching over him from his window.

It didn’t alarm Ryoji in the slightest, nor did it scare him. In fact it made him feel… welcomed .

He’s alone in his room he knows but he feels another presence with him. It didn’t feel entirely dangerous, nor anything concerning.

“... Hi.” Ryoji spoke for the first time since he arrived in this home, looking at his nightstand, at the clock that froze at twelve midnight.

The presence didn’t make itself known to Ryoji, but he could feel eyes on him. It made Ryoji curious that he sat up but found no one around.

“What’s your name…?” Ryoji asks, scanning the room and trying to pinpoint where the presence is.

The presence continued to not give Ryoji an answer, just… looking at him.

Before Ryoji could finally pinpoint where it was, the green was washed away along with the presence, giving way to the blue of the night and the white light of the moon.

Ryoji blinked at the sudden change, turning to his nightstand to see the water returning clear and the clock starting to tick again.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

Finding no more reason to stay up Ryoji laid back down on his bed and curled on his blanket, going back to sleep like nothing happened.

Ryoji didn’t tell Hikari about that green night when she noticed him more sluggish than usual, barely had any more sleep after he had awoken that night.

Ryoji noticed that these nights appeared just after midnight, the strike of twelve a signal before the world is colored green. It seemed like the green night lasts an hour. Ryoji counted the minutes as time drifts away without a tick of a clock.

The presence made itself known each time the green night— hour, arrived.

Ryoji didn’t tell anyone about the presence that seemed to appear every time the night gets washed in green, watching him, staring at him.

He tried to talk with the presence, tried to make it do something or anything. The presence intrigued him in ways he can’t understand. Ryoji knows that the presence won’t hurt him. It was almost like it really just likes watching him, maybe… protecting him?

Either way, Ryoji welcomes it. And he keeps talking to the presence.

With the presence he felt talkative, it’s odd since he didn’t have anything to say to Hikari, or anyone, but with this presence he just… talks . Random mundane things, random thoughts, random things he had read.

The presence listens, watches.

It became a presence that Ryoji welcomes during the green hour.

One day, Hikari received a phone call that a relative of his is willing to take him in. Ryoji could see Hikari be relieved yet also worried before arranging a date for them to pick him up.

Next week after that, just a day before the day his relatives would pick him up, Hikari received another phone call that made her fall to her knees and cry. Hikari’s husband was the one who ushered Ryoji to his room and explained the situation after calming down Hikari.

A relative of hers died unexpectedly. They didn’t know what was wrong but a death is a death and Hikari is distraught .

Ryoji just nodded at the information, indifferent.

It has nothing to do with him after all.

When the time came to say goodbye, there was still nothing. He doesn’t feel sad he’s leaving. He doesn’t feel for Hikari’s tear filled embrace. Nor did he feel anything getting on the train that will take him to his new home. Instead he just stared at the window of his seat, where Hikari and her husband were waving goodbye. 

This relative was nice at first, his uncle with his wife and kid. But after a day of pleasantries, there was nothing more for Ryoji, he became strict at Ryoji.

He wants this in a particular way, they want him to do this and that to put in his work in the house. This and that and this and that.

Ryoji tried to do them all for the sake of pleasantries. Tried to live up to their expectations. He falls short sometimes but he’s decent enough, but not enough.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you mute?”

“Why aren’t you doing your homework? We don’t keep lazy kids here! Look at my daughter!”

He was often compared to their child, and their child seemed to preen at the attention she was getting. Not that Ryoji minded, he doesn’t feel anything with the obvious bias.

Living with them was something Ryoji could akin to a bird in a cage. Restricted, unyielding.

At least, he was still being fed. At least, he still feels free and welcomed during the green hour.

He still didn’t speak, didn’t reach out.

Ryoji was just drifting in and out.

But in the green hour he feels so alive . He learns during the green hour.

Ryoji was packing his belongings as he was once again being handed off to another relative.

The decision was easy. Especially when their daughter unexpectedly died from a collision on her way to school. She was just walking as usual in her usual route, there was no rhyme or reason for her death. Only his uncle had screamed and yelled at him.

“ Why didn’t you accompany her?! This is your fault! ”

Adding grief to the existing prejudice, it only took them a few calls to get someone to house him instead of them.

There were no goodbyes made when Ryoji boarded the car that will take him to the next relative that had pity on him.

It almost felt like death was following him.

After being handed over to another family member, in a few weeks a call comes to his guardians that someone had died, someone precious to them.

The grief would be unbearable and then he’s handed over to the next person. And the next. And the next.

New family, new death. Even though they don’t outright blame Ryoji for it, he's sure and knows they’re getting the pattern.

After a couple more switches, more relatives became more unwilling to take him in.

Until his relatives had enough and put him up for foster care.

Ryoji quickly realized that his family had abandoned him. For all his indifference and apathy and the pain he unknowingly brings.

Being in a foster home though, he realized something too.

People didn't like a brooding, sad child. People didn’t like an apathetic child. 

He saw the children who are bright and bubbly get more recognition than him. Those who bully other kids get scolded. Those who don't even interact with other kids have some kids with them. Kids who feel and have emotion get more attention than him.

So Ryoji did what he could to fit in: he smiled .

He laughed at the jokes his foster families told him, smiled at the kids and adults who looked his way. Smiling, nodding, laughing. Be pleasant .

It didn’t stop the rumors from spreading though, when someone learned of his past, of why he’s in foster care in the first place, it didn’t take too long for rumors about him to spread.

“ He reeks of death. ” They’d whisper to one another.

“ I heard that wherever he goes, death follows .” Another whisper to another.

“ Death’s child. ”

“ Bad luck .”

“ Cursed child .”

He still smiles at them despite it, though perhaps it didn’t help him at all.

Some people would say his demeanor is uncanny, like it doesn’t fit him at all. His smile too… creepy as some kids tell him, even when he’s being friendly, thus ending up with him being alone in his peers and in school despite being something that they wanted.

Happy. Jolly. A child who didn’t really disobey.

Ryoji didn’t mind. He still kept up the act, if the kids didn’t like it at least the adults did, it kept him… protected? He can’t really say safe, but at least he’s in no threat of anything.

At the very least there’s one constant in his life. Well— three things.

His scarf, the green hour, and the presence that was always there during that green hour.

When a letter from Gekkoukan arrived at his current foster family addressed to him it was a no-brainer that he’ll attend there. Especially when it’s a scholarship, so his foster family didn’t need to pay for anything for him for school.

Ryoji could feel the relief they had at the news, there was no more freeloader that would mooch off of money they had and no more extra mouths to feed.

Even with Ryoji’s ( fake, fake ) jolly and positive energy, he knows that he’s more or less a burden to them, even though they just entered the foster family system for the benefits.

He didn’t mind though, it was not new.

So by April 3rd, with a bright jolly smile Ryoji waved goodbye to his last foster family, leaving them behind as he entered second year high school in the city that his extended family claims was his hometown.

Frankly he still doesn’t remember his childhood and he is okay with that, because there really was nothing to look at.

He still feels numb inside but he doesn’t have to make it known to anyone, they just wouldn’t understand. So he disarms them with his smiles and smooth talking, at least with that no one had worried about him.

Perhaps staying in the dorms would be a good thing for him, there won’t be a need to always be pleasant. That is unless he’s rooming with someone else, then being pleasant is still a need. Besides, the dorm he’s going to was just a temporary one until they could assign him to the school’s dorms.

His transportation was already paid for, thankfully, so all Ryoji had to do was get to the designated stations and walk some steps. Though that was easier said than done when he’s not that much familiar with the stations he needed to go to, needing to ask guards and shopkeepers directions to prevent himself from getting lost (more).

“Hello! Excuse me, sorry, but do you know how to get to…”

“Oh dear, you just passed it! You have to go to…”

Ryoji definitely missed some signs on the way, and he kind of knew this was how it would end for him, he didn’t let his mistake get to him though. It just wears on him that he has to be pleasant while talking with people while trying to get somewhere he hasn’t been to for ten years.

It honestly took him a while to get on the train to Iwatodai, where his temporary-dorm was situated. There was him getting lost and, as if the world was “helping” him, the moment he arrived at the station there was an announcement of a delayed arrival due to an accident that happened on the rails.

All Ryoji could do was sit on a bench and wait for his train, while looking at his phone once in a while. It’s gotten so late. If Ryoji’s estimation is correct then he’ll be able to arrive in Iwatodai very late.

His lost-escapades took way too long that it was a few hours to midnight. It got Ryoji to worry, hoping the train arrives at the station before it strikes twelve.

When the train finally arrived and Ryoji boarded in, he thankfully managed to get a seat for the train ride.Fingers played with the ends of his scarf by habit, watching people pass by the opened doors and scurrying off to wherever they needed to go. People are busy with lives of their own, Ryoji dwells on the thought of what those lives could be before promptly dismissing it as the train doors closed and the train moved.

The gentle rocking of the train and the scenery that passes by helps Ryoji pass the time, watching people come and go to their respective stops. There was always that apology for the delay every stop and it was honestly starting to get on Ryoji’s nerves, not because of the delay but because they kept repeating the accident over and over like once is not enough.

He knew accidents are bad but to rub it in was another thing. If only he could have something to block out the noise, but Ryoji supposes that he can find other audio distraction in the train, like the way the handlebars swing with the movement of the train, or the clash of metal as the train moves forward.

Ryoji’s eyes drift to the digital clock that is displayed on the screens in the train, watching the second hand tick and tick.

He hopes the train will arrive at Iwatodai soon.

The train stopped with a cheery announcement of arriving at Iwatodai.

Ryoji took his (few) belongings and adjusted his scarf before walking out of the train, looking around the new and unfamiliar place despite the area being his hometown. He took his time getting to the gate, tapping his card to exit the station.

He checked his phone and winced at the time. It’s so late. It was almost midnight and Ryoji doesn’t know if he’ll be able to enter the dorms at this time. It’d probably be locked by the time he arrived since people would probably be asleep by then. 

But he has nowhere else to go, so he’ll still continue his journey towards it.

Ryoji watched his phone as the time ticked down, staying in place and just… waited.

Tick… tock… tick… tock… tick…

The world turned green, the familiar feeling of the green hour surrounding him. He’s not new to the coffins anymore, after many nights of experiencing the green hour it was almost like a silent friend to him, much like the presence.

Oddly enough, he can’t feel the presence anywhere around him. Ryoji looked around, trying to sense it but for the first time since he had experienced the green hour he didn’t feel his consistent friend.

It… almost saddens Ryoji but he brushed it off as something because of him being outside, the presence was always present when he’s in his room after all, maybe when he’s situated in his dorm room he’ll feel the presence again.

For now he’ll walk towards the dorm, unbothered by the coffins, unmoving cars, and the pools of red under him, letting the light from the yellow moon light his way.

The building almost looked ominous in the green hour. There was no light shining through ( of course, all electronics are dead during the green hour after all ) and there was just a sense of heaviness surrounding the place.

Ryoji hums as he takes his first steps to the building, surprised when he could open the door, and sees himself in.

It was dark inside, with only the light filtering from the windows lighting the area. The area looked… cozy. It seems like it’s the common room with the couches, T.V, a barrier that separates the dining area, and a reception booth by his left.

There was no one there, which Ryoji didn’t think was odd. He’s always alone during the green hour after all.

Ryoji walked forward, deeper into the place.

Then he felt it—

Turning his head, Ryoji came face to face with a child with blue hair and grey eyes, wearing striped pajamas and leaning at the counter.

“Hello there.” Ryoji greeted with a small smile and a wave.

The child continued to look at him, nodding at his greeting. Then Ryoji blinked and he’s not there anymore at the counter, but he could still feel his presence.

“... You’re late…” The boy mumbles, appearing  a few feet away from him. “I’ve been… waiting…”

Ryoji opened his mouth to ask about his words when he vanished yet again, quickly reappearing back at the reception with an opened red folder on the counter.

“If you want to proceed, sign your name here. It’s a contract.” The boy explained, looking at the contract.

Ryoji moved towards the counter, eyes scanning the contract in question. It only had a few words in it, but one sentence caught his eyes.

‘I chooseth this fate of mine own free will .’

It sounds innocent enough.

Ryoji took the feather pen by the side and signed his name on the dotted line.

Arisato Ryoji .

His name even when he was pushed into the foster care system.

Ryoji took the contract, closed it, and gave it to the boy who took it carefully and cradled it in his chest, nodding.

“Time is something no one can escape.” The boy spoke, holding on the contract carefully. “It delivers us all to the same end.”

That is nothing new to Ryoji, admittedly.

The boy waved his hand and the contract vanished into thin air. “You can’t hide your face or turn away your eyes.”

The boy looked at him once again, those seemingly glowing grey eyes staring at his soul .

“ And so it begins… ”

And with a blink of his eyes the boy vanished once more, taking that presence along with him.

“... Who’s there?!”

Ryoji flinched at the new voice, looking up from the place where the boy was to see a female his age in a defensive stance, the bright pink cardigan and red armband a stark contrast to the green atmosphere.

“How are you here at this hour…?” She continued, wariness evident in her voice. “Don’t tell me…”

“I’m—” Ryoji couldn’t even get a sentence in when he saw her hand move to the hollister in her thigh, a clear sign of a gun about to be drawn. A threat to his life it seemed.

Distantly, Ryoji knows he should be afraid of it, but he could only think of one thing as he watch the girl move:

Oh… that scholarship is about to go to waste.

“Wait!”

The female jumped at the sound of the other voice, stopping her hand from pulling out the gun out of her hollister. Then the green around them washed away, giving way to the artificial lights the room had.

The green hour ended, huh .

“I didn’t think you’d arrive so late.” The new person, a female with red hair and an authoritative aura around her, walked up to Ryoji.

“That was my fault.” Ryoji excused, bowing slightly in apology. “I got lost on the way.”

“That’s alright.” The female waved him off with a small smile. “My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I’m one of the students who live in this dorm.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Arisato Ryoji.” Ryoji introduced himself with a small smile and wave.

He watched as the other girl moved closer to Kirijo and whispered something to her, out of his earshot.

“He’s a transfer student. It was a last-minute decision to assign him here. He’ll eventually be moved to a room in the boy’s dorm.” Kirijo explained.

“Is it okay for him to be here…?”

“We’ll see.”

Kirijo once again looked at him. “This is Takeba Yukari. She’ll be a second-year this spring, just like you.”

The other female, Takeba, turned to him. He could see that she’s uncertain of… something . “... Call me Takeba.”

Ryoji tilted his head. “Is… this the girl’s dorm…?”

… would the school even assign him to a girl’s dorm, even temporarily?

“A-Actually… why do you have a gun…?” Ryoji asked instead, careful with his words.

“H-Huh?” Takeba sputtered. Her eyes looked anywhere but his, trying and failing to think of a plausible explanation. “Well, uh, it’s sorta like… a hobby…? I mean, not a hobby, but…!”

“You know how it is these days. It’s for self-defense.” Kirijo explained in Takeba’s stead. “It’s not a real gun, of course.”

Ryoji can understand that. That’s fair. He nodded, accepting the excuse easily.

Kirijo hummed before telling him where his room is with his (few) things of his already there before Takeba offered to lead him to it, (“Let me take you there, you know … as an apology for scaring you.” She said sheepishly.). She explains the basics of this dorm on the way. The third floor is the girl’s floor while the second floor is the boy’s. They stop when they reached the end of the hall on the second floor. His room. Sounds easy to find enough, it helped that there were only a few rooms in the dorm.

Takeba made a joke about how easy it is to find his room and he wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost. Ryoji found her agreeable on that part.

“So… Do you have any questions?” Takeba asked him.

“Just one.” Ryoji nodded, smiling at Takeba. “Does that boy live here too?”

He wants to see him again. He had the same presence as the one that was always with him during the green hour.

“What boy?” Takeba repeated, confused at first before frowning. “What are you talking about? C’mon, that’s not funny!”

Huh, so Takeba doesn’t know… “Nothing, nothing. Must’ve been the fatigue.”

“Alright then but don’t joke about something like that again!”

Silence surrounded the two for a moment before Takeba spoke again.

“Can I ask you something?” Ryoji nods at Takeba’s request. “On your way here from the station, was everything… okay?”

“In what way exactly?” Ryoji tilts his head in confusion. Everything okay… how exactly? Everything was normal when he walked towards the dorm.

“You don’t know…?” Takeba’s brow was raised. She looked like she was about to elaborate before shaking her head.. “I guess that means you’re fine…”

Fine… how…?

“Don’t worry about it, then.” Takeba brushed off the question, giving him a small reassuring smile.

With that Takeba leaves him to get back to her room, promising to answer some of his questions in the morning before bidding him goodnight.

Finding no other reason to stay by the hallway, Ryoji entered his room.

It was a small room with a (proper) bed, shelves on his headboard where a clock and a lamp is placed, a closet, more shelves beside his closet, a calendar hanging beside the shelves, a desk, a T.V by the foot of his bed, the sheets and curtains a cool color blue and neatly arranged. If Ryoji was honest, this is more than what he had gotten from his foster families, who often made him room with other kids or made him sleep on just a mattress.

Ryoji placed his bag inside the closet, and decided to look around his room once more.

A mini-fridge, a sink with a mirror, and a familiar cardboard box that held his few items that didn’t fit his bag.

It feels… cozy.

This is where he’ll be staying for the meantime and Ryoji decides that this is better than nothing, this is more better than being in foster homes.

Ryoji looked at himself in the mirror. Black hair, green-blue eyes with a mole under his left eye, his scarf, and a tired face. He better get some rest, tomorrow is his first day of school after all.

Quickly changing out of his clothes, he changed into his sleepwear before folding his scarf neatly, placing it on his headboard. He was out like light before his head even hit the pillow.

Ryoji was arranging his scarf in front of the mirror when someone knocked on his door.

It’s Takeba.

Ryoji looked at himself one last time, stretching his facial muscles to practice a (genuine?) smile before he opened the door for his dormmate. Takeba informed him that she’ll be showing him the way to school. Since she was offering, Ryoji couldn’t really refuse and so off they went to the monorail to their school.

Ryoji watched as the sea of buildings quickly melted away to the view of the actual sea, the light from the sun reflecting on the waves. Takeba was talking about how it was a nice view and that the monorail leads them almost directly to school. Ryoji honestly tuned out a bit, already thinking of how to be pleasant to his new school.

Takeba left him to his devices when they arrived at the school lobby after making him promise to not talk about what happened last night and Ryoji didn’t mind. He looked over at the bulletin board to find his class assignment.It turns out that he and Takeba are going to be classmates, which felt like a coincidence.

Then knowing the familiar song and dance of a transfer student, he went to the faculty office to meet his homeroom teacher. At least he thinks she is, seeing as she has his file.

“Arisato Ryoji…” The teacher hummed, scanning through his file. “Wow, you’ve lived in a lot of different places.”

Usually, people would be happy that they’ve been to a lot of places, but Ryoji just felt the fleeting memories of those places. They were not bad times but they were not good times either.

“Let’s see…” The teacher scanned through his file more. “Ten years ago, your parents—”

Ah .

Ryoji saw the teacher winced and backed away slightly, looking back at him with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry… I’ve been so busy, I didn’t have time to read this beforehand.”

“Please don’t worry.” Ryoji assured her with a smile and a wave of his hand. “It’s quite alright.”

The teacher smiled back at him before clearing her throat. “A-Anyways, I’m Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition. Welcome to our school.”

“Nice to meet you Ms. Toriumi!” Ryoji greeted back enthusiastically.

… that’s what people do, right?

It seemed like it when he saw Ms. Toriumi chuckle. “Wow, such enthusiasm!”

Ms. Toriumi asked if he saw the room assignments (in which he said yes) and confirmed that yes, she’ll be his homeroom teacher.

But first, they had to attend the welcoming ceremony in the auditorium.

The welcoming ceremony passed by Ryoji in a flash. The only notable thing he remembered there was that someone who saw him enter the school with Takeba asked if she has a boyfriend, to which he answered truthfully that no he doesn’t know.

After the welcoming ceremony, they are sent back to their classrooms and introductions are made, well, for him anyways.

“My name is Arisato Ryoji, I’m looking forward to being friends with you all.” He gave the class a grin and a wave.

Pleasant. Be Pleasant.

The ring of the bell signified the end of the school day. Ryoji could hear his classmate move along, glad that classes were over and plans to hang out somewhere.

“‘Sup, dude! How’s it goin’?”

Ryoji looked up from him putting his notebooks in his bag to see his classmate walking up to him with a friendly smile. 

“Oh, hello.” Ryoji greeted him with a smile.

“Nice to meet’cha. Call me Junpei. Iori Junpei.” Junpei introduced himself, still keeping that friendly smile.

“Nice to meet you too, Junpei.” Pleasant. Smiling. “You already heard my name but I’ll say it again. My name’s Arisato Ryoji.”

“I transferred here when I was a second-year in middle school. It’s pretty tough bein’ the new kid at first, y’know?” Ryoji can’t really say that he shared the sentiment. Being the new kid was not any different from being an old kid in school for him. But for the sake of pleasantries, he nodded at Junpei’s words, silently urging him on to talk. “So I just wanted to say, “Hey!” See what a nice guy I am?”

To other people, perhaps. But to Ryoji, it was nothing. He doesn’t understand why Junpei approached him in the first place. Usually, the novelty of his transfer wore off by lunch.

Ryoji heard a sigh behind him, followed by footsteps approaching. 

“Hey, it’s Yuka-tan!” Junpei chuckles, greeting Takeba. “Didn’t think we’d be in the same class again.”

“There you go again, acting like everybody’s best friend…” Takeba sighed, and that was all Ryoji needed to know that yeah, Junpei is friendly, perhaps a little bit too friendly. “Try not to make Arisato-kun uncomfortable, okay?”

“What? I was just bein’ friendly!” Junpei defended himself.

“He’s right, Takeba-san.” Ryoji nodded with a smile. “He’s doing nothing wrong.”

“If you say so.” Takeba shrugged looking at him, telling him who would’ve thought that they’ll be in the same homeroom and how surprised she is.

He probably should be surprised too. But truly he saw it as nothing but a mere coincidence.

Ryoji tugged the edge of his scarf as Junpei and Takeba talked, careful not to unravel his scarf from his shoulders, letting the two fill in the noise for him.

Should I go straight to the dorm or eat out… He has the money for it anyways.

“Hey…” Takeba tapped him on the shoulder, catching his attention. “You didn’t tell anyone about… you know what, did you?”

Asking that in front of another person? That’s a sure-way plan for anyone to know what happened, or get curious. Either way, Ryoji shook his head at that. No he didn’t tell anyone. 

Who else could he tell it to anyways?

“Seriously… Don’t say anything about last night, okay?” Ryoji inwardly cringed at the reminder, side-eyeing Junpei who was looking at them curiously, already knowing that he heard it and is now curious.

Knew it.

“Last… night…?” Junpei repeated.

It sent Takeba into a frenzied explanation, revealing nothing and everything at the same time, and probably further making the misunderstanding more misunderstood. In the end, Takeba left for her club duties, lightly threatening them to not start any more rumors.

Not like Ryoji would. Rumors follow him .

“Death’s Child!”

“Ah, who cares? No one takes rumors seriously, anyway. She’s so paranoid…” Junpei shrugs.

“Maybe…” He would rather not talk about it.

“Damn though, it’s your first day here and people are already talkin’ about ya!” Ryoji could only smile at Junpei at that, hoping that it wasn’t that bad, or will result in something awful for him. “Believe it or not, she’s actually pretty popular. You da man!”

“We’re just dormmates, it’s nothing special.” Ryoji assured Junpei, waving his hand in dismissal.

“Uh-huh, deny all you want.” Junpei chuckles, nudging him with his shoulders. “Well, here’s to a fun school year, dude!”

Ryoji smiled at him and nodded. Another year. 

(‘Who will it be this time?’)

He and Junpei went to the station together. Junpei took the role of a tour guide as he showed Ryoji the nooks and crannies of the school and station, all the while Junpei just continued talking with Ryoji adding small responses to the conversation. It seemed like Junpei didn’t mind though and Ryoji was alright with that.

He walked back to the dorm alone after he and Junpei parted ways, taking this time to look at things he didn’t properly see in the morning at the strip mall before returning to the dorms.

Ryoji wasn’t allowed to go out at night. He doesn’t mind that, not like he had anywhere to go. He was tired from school anyways. So, he immediately headed up to his room after greeting Kirijo and Takeba, who were hanging out in the lounge.

A busy day. That’s what Ryoji would say about today.

Ryoji unfurled his scarf around his neck and folded it neatly on his headboard before changing to his nightwear, going to sleep the moment he lays down the bed.

It was like any other day but for some reason, something unnerved him. No, not for some reason, he knows the reason why he’s so unnerved. It wasn’t normal by any means but to Ryoji, it is normal.

The presence he’s so used to during the green hour was gone. He couldn’t feel it watching over him, or feel its presence at all.

Ryoji misses it, almost. Ryoji misses the presence.

The green hour didn’t feel so welcoming and peaceful anymore after the presence vanished.

“He’s still stable. There’s no signs of disorientation nor the shadows feeding on him.”

“Oh look he’s awake!”

“... What is he doing?”

“It looks like he’s… looking for something?”

“... He went back to sleep.”

“Huh, weird…”

“He’s like that the other night too.”

The school day came and went.

Junpei seemed to be determined to be his ‘friend’ in school as he was constantly asking him stuff that Ryoji thinks only friends ask each other.

Ryoji can’t say it’s bad or nice, a little bit bothersome maybe, but it was just that: bothersome.

When he arrived back at the dorms, he saw someone who he hadn't seen before talking with Takeba in the lounge. A man with brown hair, glasses and a beige suit.

“Oh, he’s back.”

Ryoji tilts his head questioningly, pointing at himself.

“So, this is our new guest…” The man hums, smiling at him.

Ryoji doesn’t know why but he feels wary of this person.

The man greeted him and Ryoji greeted back to be polite, bowing his head slightly. The man introduced himself as Ikutsuki Shuji, the Chairman of the Board in Gekkoukan.

“Nice to meet you, Ik… Ikuski…-san?” Ryoji tried, finding his tongue tying on the chairman’s last name.

“Hard to say, isn’t it?” Ikutsuki chuckles, repeating his last name slowly for Ryoji. “That’s why I don’t like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes… Please, have a seat.”

Ryoji reluctantly did so, sitting on the sofa opposite of Takeba.

Ikutsuki apologizes for the confusion of his accommodations, telling him it might take a bit longer before he could get his actual room assignment. It was fine for Ryoji, not that it would change anything honestly. Then Ikutsuki asked if he had any questions.

If he’s merely staying temporarily then his questions about the dormitory would be unnecessary. But…

“I have just one.” Ryoji started, his fingers pinching the edge of his scarf trying to think of a way to ask his question without it sounding too far fetched or insane. “The other night. I saw  something… strange.”

“You saw… something strange? Like what?” There was curiosity in Ikutsuki’s eyes, and Ryoji could see something more in it too. Ryoji didn’t like it one bit. But then the chairman shook his head with a chuckle, a hand dismissing his worries. “You were probably just tired. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

For his question to be easily brushed away like that, something didn’t feel right about that answer…

Ryoji won’t pry further though, it’s probably not his business then.

“If that’s your only question then I wish you a wonderful school year.” Ikutsuki smiled, suggesting he should get to bed early before he leaves with a joke that Ryoji understood but didn’t feel the need to laugh at.

It rubs on Ryoji the wrong way. He doesn’t know what to make of Ikutsuki. It looked like he was dissecting Ryoji with his stare. ( Like the caretakers of the orphanage )

But he took the chairman’s suggestion and went to bed early, feeling the after-school fatigue hit him, still missing the presence that he came to know as his friend.

Ryoji opened his eyes to a passing blinding light. It made him raise his hand to shield his eyes.

The sound of soothing piano welcomes his ears next, a tune simple but elegant in its own way, followed by the familiar sound of a ticking clock, albeit faster than normal.

Ryoji also noticed that he’s sitting down. Was he sitting down when he slept…?

Once his eyes are used to the brightness, he puts down his hand, blinking at the sight of two people in front of him. One, an old man with… abnormally long nose, dressed in a suit, sitting on a plush blue couch in front of a blue round table, and beside him a lady in blue with white hair and yellow eyes, holding a thick book in her arms.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room.” The old man greeted him. “Oh my, it seems like fate has given us something rather interesting.”

Ryoji tilted his head in confusion. What does he mean by that? The room is blue, not velvet. 

“My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance.” The old man, Igor, turned to the lady beside him. “This is Elizabeth. She’s a resident here, like myself.”

“Pleased to meet you.” The lady, Elizabeth, greeted him.

“This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place.”

With a small flicker of light, the contract he had signed appeared on the table, opening it to reveal its content.

“So… is that kid from here?” Ryoji dared to ask carefully.

Igor merely chuckled at his question. “From now on, you shall be welcome here as a guest in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my assistance to do so.”

“Unique ability? What unique ability?”

“I only ask one thing in return…” Igor kept going, ignoring Ryoji’s pile of questions. “Abide by your contract, and assume full responsibility for the choices you have made and will make.”

If he remembers correctly contracts are made to be binding, there will be consequences if he doesn't abide by it. So Ryoji has no choice but to just nod his agreement.

“Hold on to this.” A flicker of light dropped down in front of Ryoji, holding out his hand the light turned into a key and fell into his palms. It was cold, and solid.

“Until we meet again…”

Ryoji woke up to the birds chirping, the tick and tock of his clock above him, and his blanket bunched up around him. He blinked his eyes to get used to being awake, the remnants of the dream he had slipping away like sand on his hands.

What a weird dream… He didn’t even answer any of my questions. What the heck.

Another school day came and went. Meeting Junpei at the gate, heading to class together. Nothing changed if Ryoji was to ask anything about it.

And like his first day of class Junpei walked up to his seat once more and greeted him.

“‘Sup! How’s it goin’?”

“Hi Junpei!”

“Wanna stop somewhere on the way home?”

Oh? Ryoji blinked, processing the question. “... Where?”

“I dunno, maybe grab a bite to eat?” Junpei answered before realization dawned on him. “Oh. That’s right, you’re new around here.”

“Not entirely new.” Ryoji corrected Junpei with an apologetic smile. “Iwatodai’s my hometown but I haven’t been here ever since I was ten.”

“No worries, I’ll show ya. It’s just around the corner from here. Let’s go!”

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Junpei showing him Paulownia Mall and the things they could do after school there. Junpei tried to show off his skills at a crane game in the arcade which ended up… disappointing? But Junpei looked like he had a good time so Ryoji can’t say anything about it.

“I’ve been meaning to ask but what’s with the scarf?” Junpei suddenly asked him after a round of the crane game.

“Hm? What do you mean?” Ryoji asks, a hand tugging at the ends of said scarf.

“I mean… It’s not that cold to need a scarf but you still wear it. So… why the scarf? A fashion trend or somethin’?”

It was a hard question to answer, in Ryoji’s opinion. How can he tell Junpei that wearing the scarf just felt right to him? Sure it was given to him by his mom’s friend but this feeling of belonging was… different. It feels like it belonged to him? The moment he saw it he knew that it was his, and that he won’t let anyone take it away from him.

“It’s just something… sentimental to me.” Ryoji decided, brushing his hand along the soft fabric.

“Ohhh, so a comfort item? Or somethin’ like that?”

A comfort item. That’s not too far off actually if Ryoji has to think about it. “Yeah. Something like that.”

“Huh. A’ight then you do you.”

And that was the end of it. At least for now, Ryoji thinks.

After he and Junpei part ways again at the station, he heads back to the dorm. He was greeted by Kirijo and was slightly called out with how late he came back (which she assured that it was not her being overbearing, just worried) and got told  to rest early since he looked tired.

And he does feel tired, but it’s the tiredness that was usual for him. Or… well… more than usual.

Nonetheless, he took Kirijo’s suggestion and went to his room to sleep early, trying not to drag his feet along the carpeted floors as he made his way up.

Ryoji sat on his bed and he knows he won’t have enough energy to get back up and change his clothing for sleeping. He lets himself fall down his bed, an arm over his head and hoping that his scarf won’t be wrinkled for tomorrow.

… That reminds him…

His hand went to his pocket, fishing out the key he saw in his dream, watching it shine under the lights of his room. It was just there when he was coherent enough to notice it, sitting in his pocket.

So it wasn’t a dream… Ryoji thought to himself, looking at the key. Igor, was it? Who is he…? And what was that “contract” all about…

Ryoji didn’t have time to ponder further, sleep pulling him in in their sweet embrace.

“ Come to me… ”

Ryoji gasps as he wakes up from his sleep, sitting up and clutching his chest tightly. It hurts a little, like a small mouse was trying to dig through his skin, struggling to get out, wanting to get out.

What…?

CRASH!

Ryoji’s head snapped up at the loud noise followed by the building rumbling . What’s happening?

BANG-BANG-BANG!

“Wake up!” Takeba’s voice screamed from behind the door.

“Takeba-san?” Ryoji immediately opened the door for her, seeing her frantic and nervous, almost not noticing that Ryoji opened the door for her.

“There’s no time to explain. We have to get out of here now!” said Takeba.

“W-What’s going on?” Ryoji couldn’t help but ask anyway.

“Hurry! To the first floor! We’ll leave through the back!” Takeba went to grab his arm before she noticed that both her hands were occupied by the weapons in her hands. “Oh, wait! Here take this, just in case.”

When he was given a shortsword it was… eerily familiar , it felt right , but he doesn’t know why it felt right or familiar.

There was no time to ponder about it though, not when Takeba’s urgency was palpable and the clawing feeling inside of him grew, almost as if something was wanting to claw out of his chest.

It hurts, but he doesn’t have the time to dwell on it when Takeba grabs his wrist and pulls him along downstairs to the backdoor. He has a feeling that whoever or whatever the source of the rumbling is, they’re not going to be safe anywhere .

And he was proven right when they hear Kirijo’s voice telling them of whatever is out there, it’s not alone, and the primary one is lurking around the dorm building. And just in time another rumble came through, this time coming from the backdoor.

The pull grew inside Ryoji’s chest, now absolutely wanting to claw out.

But it’s not safe there. Their safety comes first. If outside is dangerous, then there’s no other choice but to go further into the dorm.

Go up and up.

Until they arrived at the rooftop. Takeba locked the door to downstairs, essentially trapping them on the rooftop with nowhere to go.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Takeba-san.” Ryoji gasped, his free hand gripping his chest as he heaved oxygen to his lungs. He looked at the doorknob before looking at Takeba, who looked back at him. 

“Then what else do you think we can do?!” Takeba huffed, her panic evident in her tone.

True, there’s no other option considering the threat was coming from the ground, but still Ryoji thinks it’s a bad move, considering they have nowhere else to go.

But then, he feels the hair at the back of his head tingle, the rumbling sounding nearer.

The moon is too bright today. Almost too bright.

And in the light of the moon a hand stretched and reached out to the edge of the rooftop.

It’s here .

The hand placed itself on the edge followed by… more . More hands than Ryoji could count, spanning the whole rooftop edge. Then a hand holding a mask appeared, looking around the rooftop until it set its sights on them.

More specifically him .

The hands pulled themselves upwards, revealing it to be a mass of hands with one hand holding the eerie mask up as a face. It started crawling towards them, slow and uncertain.

You… you… you…

Then it showed swords on its other hands, multiple hands with swords, before it lunged towards them. Takeba’s fear becomes even more palpable, her words shaky and scared as she explains what was in front of them.

A shadow. The one that attacked them that night.

Ryoji watched as Takeba pulled out the same gun he saw the other night, pointing it in between her eyes. It… fascinated him almost, a morbid curiosity he felt. As someone who was almost always surrounded by death, watching someone willingly point a gun to their head was something that intrigued him.

But Takeba couldn’t pull the trigger despite prepping herself up for it. She was slapped away by the monster in front of them before her fingers could move. It almost happened in slow motion for Ryoji. Yet face to face with this creature, he didn’t feel the same fear Takeba is feeling.

The monster stared at him for a moment, almost… respectfully, before it turned to Takeba’s prone figure, slowly, threateningly.

Ryoji knows he has to do something.

Looking down at his feet he sees the gun Takeba had, the emboss of S.E.E.S shining in the yellow moon.

It was calling him, like that shadow was calling to him. But this calling was less of a tug and more of a… hand reaching out to him.

His hand went to get the gun, the cold metal warming slightly under his touch. For such a small thing it felt heavy, but Ryoji supposed that the heaviness is not because of its actual weight.

The voice of the child on his first day in this dorm calls out to him gently, eerie gray eyes staring back at him and he nodded.

“ Go on .”

The weight of a life. The weight of his life .

The child curled his hand, mimicking a gun, pointing at his head. “ Can you do what it takes? ”

To risk his life, to protect others.

The gun felt natural on his hand, felt natural pointed on his head, slotting perfectly in his temple. And as perfectly as it is in his head, Ryoji took a deep breath, deep breaths . 

And with a small smile gracing his lips, he mumbles out the words.

“ Persona .”

Pulling the trigger was a euphoric feeling, the sound of glass shattering and power pulling out of his body.

Behind him, he could feel something materialize, a voice that sounded his own echoed in his ears.

“ I am thou… Thou art I… From the sea of thy soul, I cometh. ”

A wave of melody surrounds him, a harp calling and leading. A calling.

“ I am Orpheus, master of strings… ”

… Orpheus…?

No… that’s… it doesn’t feel right — it feels… wrong .

It’s… not—

The monster turned its attention to him and the new power he awakened. It moved away from Takeba’s prone form and started to run to him with a deadly intent, only to be blocked by an explosion of fire, roar from Orpheus behind him protecting him. It starts to attack the monster, using its harp to bash into its defenses, using its harp to block out the slashing swords. Ryoji knows Orpheus could only scrape the monster. It’s too weak from just being awakened. He knew he couldn't win.

But… if—

If—

A throbbing headache appeared in his head, a loud static coating his brain, needles poking at all space in his head, a claw scratching from inside out. It hurts— it hurts—!

His hands went to his head, hoping to ease the pain. Ryoji could feel claws digging through his brain, into his consciousness . He barely heard Orpheus’ screams before he himself screamed at the pain of his head splitting open. A surge of power washed over him, greater than what he can withstand , wrapping around his head like a tight band, squeezing and squeezing .

With that surge of power came out a surge of something different .

“ AAHHHHHHHHHHH! ”

Brutal squelching echoed on his head, the crunch of something following. Orpheus brutally replaced by…

By…

A roar resonated out as the new creature loomed above Ryoji, a protective shadow over him. The roar was like a calling, a warning , a signal .

It’s powerful. Ryoji knows this. It will—

“ Ack—! ” 

Ryoji could barely see as the figure behind him flew forward towards the mass of hands and brutally cleaved it with its sword. The row of coffins around him didn’t escape Ryoji’s sight, its body as black as night.

As black as…

The creature let out another roar, squishing a squirming hand on its own gloved hand before looking over at Ryoji. It has no eyes but he knows it’s looking at him, even with the light of the moon behind it he could see it looking .

It looks… familiar .

Familiar… and… right …

Ryoji watches as the creature looms over them, over the moon, before it fizzles out and Orpheus returns to its normal state, the tight band over his head easing as it returns.

However, with that ease came exhaustion, a heavy thing that Ryoji hadn’t felt before. In no time, he fell to his knees and went out like light, like that creature in the full moon. The last thing he saw was a glowing fluttering butterfly moving towards him.

“— ato-kun— wake— say—! ”

Chapter Text

Ryoji came to in a familiar blue room. The movement of lights blinding and waking him up from the dregs of sleep.

“It’s good to see you again.” Igor greeted him with the same eerie, perpetual smile.

“W-What happened?” Ryoji asks, a hand on his slightly throbbing head.

“You lost consciousness after awakening to your ‘power’.” 

Power? That was… his power? 

“Ooh. I see that it was Orpheus who heeded your call. Very interesting indeed…”

… Yeah… Orpheus came out when he called, he could feel it in his heart, but… why does it still feel wrong…?

“Who was the other one? The one that came out of Orpheus?” Ryoji asks.

“That was the power of Persona… The manifestation of your psyche.” Somehow that rubs Ryoji the wrong way, giving him goosebumps.

“Persona…?” Ryoji repeated. “So both of them are… my Personas?”

“A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli.” Igor explained further, nodding at himself. “You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships.”

“A… mask…?” Why does it sound familiar? … but it did make sense, like that Persona that showed after Orpheus. It protected him, it must have known that Orpheus can’t fight that alone.

“The power of a Persona is the power of one’s soul… And the soul is fueled by the depth of one’s bonds. As you form these bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop.”

Involving himself with others… Bonds… Links…

“But… I’m already involving myself with others.” Ryoji mumbles, scratching the back of his head.

He’s talking to others. That’s already involving himself, right?

“Further, my dear guest.” Igor chuckles, a hand under his chin. “The strength of these Social Links will foster the growth of your Persona abilities. Please remember this.”

Ryoji still doesn’t understand though, why does he need to talk with others to be stronger ? He saw his power before, it was… something, almost terrifying, it was powerful enough. But to be fair he… did pass out after, if what Igor told him was true.

But… still…

“I… don’t need others.” Ryoji mumbles, looking at the ground, on his hands. “I don’t feel anything for them. It’ll be pointless. What’s the point of getting close to someone when they’re going to accuse me for the death of someone in a few months?”

“Then are you running away, dear guest? You will be unable to fulfill your contract if so.” Igor hums, leaning back on his chair. His words are not reassuring in the slightest.

“If I may,” Elizabeth hummed, opening the huge grimoire in her hand. Major Arcana Cards float in the book as Elizabeth reads through it. “Perhaps a change of thinking is in order. Bonds would help you blend in better, dear guest. Knowing how they think will make you a better actor.”

Blend in better… Truly a mask.

“How interesting. No matter. What you choose to do, we are here to guide and help you along.” Igor chuckled at that. He waved his hand to dismiss the contract. “Now then, time marches on in your world. I shouldn’t keep you here any longer. Until then… farewell.”

Waking up under fluorescent lights brought back memories of when his family died, the day he woke up. It’s not a bad memory, but Ryoji can’t say it wasn’t unpleasant either. Being the first thing he remembered, that memory made a mark on him. 

He was quite certain that he wouldn’t have to wake up like this again but he was proven wrong.

“Oh, you’re awake!”

Ryoji turns his head to see— “Takeba… san?”

Takeba let out a relieved sigh, easing down on her chair, before looking at Ryoji with a small smile. “How do you feel?”

Ryoji remembered Hikari and her husband asking the same question when he woke up back then. And like before, he felt nothing but the tiredness and soreness of his body. Perhaps the annoyance of waking up in a hospital (again) was the only new thing he felt.

“... W-Where am I?” Ryoji asked instead, pushing himself up to sit. “What day is it?”

Takeba sighed, still relieved. Why, though? “Oh, this is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital, just a short walk from the station. You’ve been asleep for almost a week.”

That explained how he felt so sluggish. They must’ve rushed him here when he collapsed on the rooftop.

“The doctor couldn’t find anything wrong. He said you were just exhausted…” And ain’t that the truth, partly. 

Ryoji just nodded, laying back down after his arm ached from keeping himself upright. His relaxation lasted just as he felt the hair on the back of his next stand due to the breeze of the air conditioning of the hospital. It became apparent to him that his scarf was missing.

Ryoji sat upright again, so sudden that he heard Takeba let out a surprised yelp. It didn’t matter to him, he needed his scarf, his eyes looking around and his hands trying to feel for his scarf.

“Where’s my scarf?” Ryoji asks. If his voice held any manic or urgency, he didn’t notice it nor did Takeba pointed it out. “Where is it?!”

“C-Calm down!” Takeba held out her hands defensively before standing up from her chair, quickly grabbing something from the table and coming back to Ryoji’s side. “We had to remove it from you since the doctor had to examine you.”

The moment Takeba held out a familiar yellow fabric, his hands were quick to take it back. He loopedit around his neck the same way he always did before controlling his erratic breathing, keeping his face hidden in the comfort of the scarf.It went on like that for a while until Ryoji’s breathing calmed and his heart ceased to race.

Everything is in its place, as it should.

“... That scarf’s important to you, huh.” Takeba commented, a small smile on her face.

Ryoji couldn’t think of words to say so he just nodded, holding on to the edge of his scarf for comfort. He doesn’t even want to think about the what ifs pertaining to his scarf.

Silence blanketed them for a while, nothing but their breathings and the sound of electronics in the room their only companions.

“Hey, um…” Takeba started, looking at her lap, twiddling her thumbs. “I’m sorry I wasn’t helpful at all back there…”

Ryoji has a feeling that even if Takeba had the ability to do anything, her powers would still not be able to match that monster back then. He kept that opinion to himself.

“But, wow. That power of yours was really something.”

It was something. Something that felt right to Ryoji. He could feel Orpheus in his heart, a comfortable weight in his being trying to ease his discomfort with his strings. He doesn’t feel anything pertaining to the other Persona, only a faint feeling, close enough to perceive but not close enough to grasp .

“What were those things…?” Ryoji mumbles, looking at Takeba, hoping she’ll answer.

“Those things…? Oh, you mean the Shadows?” Ryoji nods. “They’re what we’re fighting against.”

That wasn't very helpful information at all.

“And that power you used. We call it “Persona”.”

Much like what Igor told him then. The power of the psyche …

“Don’t worry, we’ll explain everything later. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before…” Takeba looked away at that, guilty and ashamed.

“It’s alright. You had your reasons.” Ryoji assures Takeba with a (hopefully) reassuring smile.

“I… It still didn’t feel right.” Takeba sighs, looking away. “I, uh… I also wanted to tell you something.”

Ryoji hums at that, silently urging Takeba to continue. Takeba took a deep breath before blurting out. “I can kinda relate. To you, I mean.”

That got Ryoji confused. Relate to what? Was… his mask slipping? “What do you mean?” 

“My dad died in an accident when I was little…” Oh. “And my mom and I aren’t exactly on good terms… You’re all alone too, aren’t you?”

Alone… perhaps some people can say that is him in a way, but Ryoji can’t say that he’s truly alone. It’s just a feeling in him that always tells him he’s not alone, he was never and will never be alone.

He supposed that his definition of alone was something people can’t understand or relate to. Another thing that sets him apart from his peers, again…

“To be honest, I already heard about your past…” Takeba admitted sheepishly, almost guiltily.

“Was it Ms. Toriumi?” Ryoji wondered. Because who else would know about his history if not for his homeroom teacher… Right?

“Ah, no…” Well that’s… concerning . “It didn’t seem fair that I know your past without your consent. So I wanted you to know about mine too.”

It still didn’t sound fair. In fact, Ryoji couldn’t care less about the life story of a classmate he saved from certain death a few nights ago. He was however concerned that his history had begun circulating, again . He wonders about other people’s lives, yes, but listening to someone’s actual story doesn’t spark something in him, especially when he just woken up from a, frankly, life changing situation. 

Still, it is considered rude to not listen to other people. Ryoji flashed his best reassuring smile at her. He let Takeba tell her tale, of an explosion from years ago, how her dad got caught in the blast, and how no one knew what really happened. Takeba told him her motivations for doing what she is doing right now, why she’s in Gekkoukan and during that time with that Shadow.

Takeba smiled sadly as she wrapped her story. “Sorry… You wouldn’t have to go through all this if I weren’t such a coward…” It was a genuine apology, a little bit of regret and guilt in her voice.

“Everyone gets scared sometimes.” Ryoji tried to reassure Takeba, a small smile on his face. Be pleasant . “I… was scared too.”

Even though he really wasn’t. If it was to ease Takeba’s feelings, then it was alright to lie on that one, right?

“Really?” Takeba seemed surprised at his ‘admission’. “You looked so fearless back there! But still… Sorry for telling you all this the minute you woke up.”

Ryoji let out a chuckle, waved his hand and tried not to look at the tag on his wrist. “It’s alright, don’t worry.”

Takeba sighed, smiling slightly. “While I was waiting. I thought to myself… “I’ve been hiding so many things from him. As soon as he wakes up, I’ll tell him the truth”. So thanks for listening. I’ve been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time.”

I believe a therapist or counselor should be the one hearing this, not me. And believe him, he had his fair share of therapists and counselors from his relatives who tried to ‘understand’ him and all they tried to do was attempt to get him to open up. There was nothing to open up to. They already knew his history, what’s more to give when he couldn’t remember what they wanted to know —

You can’t really  fix broken glass when you don't own a glass in the first place.

“All right, I’m gonna get going.” Takeba stood up from her chair, snapping Ryoji away from his thoughts. “I’ll let the others know that you’re okay. The staff said you could leave once you regained consciousness, so I think you’re free to go home.”

Home… his current home was the dorm. He can’t really say if it’s a home that other people described though, one of warmth and belongingness. To him, home was just a building that people call home for the sake of it. Either way, Ryoji nodded in understanding.

Takeba nodded back, waving goodbye and a ‘see you’ before she left.

Ryoji laid down on the bed again, trying to make sense of everything that was on his mind, categorizing everything that was practically dumped into him.

Persona. Psyche. Igor. This power. Shadows. The Velvet Room. Takeba’s past and their knowledge of his.

Everything felt too much for his brain to comprehend right now. So much for an awakening …

When Ryoji felt like he was okay to go, he got himself out of the hospital bed and got dressed in his school uniform. It was left there in one of the tables in the room and he assumed Takeba left it there for him since he can’t really go out of the hospital in a hospital gown.

Ryoji touched his scarf, feeling relief at the familiar soft texture. Now that he’s… decent? Okay? He checked the fabric for any damage. Thankfully it wasn’t damaged from the incident other than some patches of dirt that would be easy to clean.

The walk back to the dorms was fast and in no time he was back just after the sun had set.

Takeba greeted him as he opened the door. “Welcome back! I gotta say, I’m so relieved now that you’re out of the hospital.”

Ryoji was relieved too but definitely not for the same reasons as Takeba’s. 

“Thank you for bringing me my uniform.” Ryoji thanked Takeba with a smile, bowing.

Takeba waves her hands in dismissal, still smiling at him. “It’s no big deal! Don’t push yourself, though. Do you want to get some rest? Your room’s safe, don’t worry.”

Ryoji was not particularly worried about the state of his room but it was a pleasant reassurance, he supposes. “I think I will. Thank you, Takeba-san.”

“Oh yeah. Kirijo-senpai said she’ll be late today.” Takeba informed him as he passed by the couch.

“What for?” 

Takeba shrugs. “I guess she’s processing some paperwork for you.”

That should be to excuse the week-long absence, Ryoji thought. “She’s a reliable senpai, huh?”

“Y-Yeah…” Ryoji could practically feel the hesitation— bitterness?—  from Takeba. 

Was there something between her and Kirijo?

It’s definitely not his place to pry so he just left it at that and went to his room to rest more as per the doctor suggested to him.

Junpei caught up to him on the way to school.

“Yo, long time no see! What’s up? You suddenly dipped out! Did you have an upset stomach or something?” Junpei asked, a tinge of worry in his voice.

Figures, the fact that he was absent for almost a week would get people curious. He’s pretty sure what he experienced was something that shouldn’t be privy to people outside of those who are in the know so it was better to tell them it’s because of a bug or something.

“Yeah, something like that.” Ryoji answers with an apologetic smile. “Must’ve been the old takeout.”

“Huh, that sucks.” Junpei placed a hand on his shoulders in sympathy, patting it once, twice, before letting his hand fall back to his side. “Anyways, I got some news to tell ya!”

“Aren’t you full of energy?” Ryoji chuckled, turning to face Junpei completely.

“Actually… Oh, wait!” Junpei paused, thinking before breaking out into an apologetic grin. “I’m not supposed to spill!”

“So it’s a secret then?”

“Kinda, yeah. Sorry, man. Just forget you heard anything!”

Junpei let out a laugh, almost too forced to be natural. Before Ryoji could even comment about it, Takeba arrived with a yawn.

“Someone’s full of energy today… I could hear you from all the way over there…”

“Huh? You two didn’t come to school together even though you’re in the same dorm?” Junpei asks.

It was a valid question, but one that was honestly none of Junpei’s business. Proven true when Takeba became a bit angered at that.

Takeba let out another annoyed sigh before looking at him worriedly. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah. I’ve had enough rest.” Ryoji nodded, smiling reassuringly.

“I see. I’m glad.” Takeba smiled before turning a bit serious. “Sorry to hit you with this so soon after you’ve recovered but the chairman wants to talk to you today.”

“What for?” The chairman ? What does he want from him ? Was it about his room assignment? Or was it…

“I don’t know. Just head to the dorm after school and come up to the fourth floor. Don’t forget, okay?” Maybe it is about his room assignment.

“Alright. I’ll be there.” Not like he has a choice on the matter .

Ryoji hoped it’s nothing serious though, like getting expelled or something. He wouldn’t have anywhere to go if he got expelled. If he went back to his last foster family, something bad would happen to him.

“Hold up…” Junpei butted in, looking curious and worried at the same time. “Why are you being called out by the Chairman ? What the heck did you do?!”

“Calm down, it’s nothing serious.” Takeba assured, frowning at Junpei. “C’mon, we’re gonna be late if we just stand around here talking.”

Nothing serious. Alright then. He’s not going to get thrown out… yet .

Ryoji was in the middle of putting his notebooks in his bag when Takeba walked over to his desk.

“Hey, um…” Takeba seemed hesitant, shy even. It was obvious what Takeba was going to ask so rather than let her beat around the bush Ryoji acted.

“Want to walk home together?” Ryoji asks instead, an easy-going smile on his face.

“H-Huh?” Takeba sputters, obviously surprised at Ryoji’s offer. “Oh— You beat me to it.”

Ryoji chuckled at Takeba’s reaction, something people would probably do in this situation, as Takeba cleared her throat to regain her composure.

“We live in the same dorm and all, after all.” Takeba huffed defensively. “And I’ve been a little worried, like what if you pass out on the way home?”

“I’m fine Takeba-san, don’t worry.” Ryoji assured Takeba, which was not really a lie. He felt fine, great even. He doesn’t feel like passing out at all after that Shadows and monsters that night. “The doctors did their job well.”

“Still! I kinda feel responsible for that, you know? So let me make it up to you.”

There was no other way out of it, and it’s not like Ryoji really cared for how they got ‘home’. So he just let Takeba take the lead, at least she waited until he finished fixing his bag before going.

He and Takeba walked home in relative silence. It wasn't uncomfortable. When Takeba begins to talk to him, he tries to reply as much as he can to fill in the void.

Uneventful all in all.

In no time at all, they arrived back at the dorm. Takeba even walked with him to his room (“Just in case!” she assures), telling him to come up to the fourth floor afterwards before leaving him alone to head up first, giving him time to put down his bag and maybe freshen up.

He met Takeba by the big doors on the fourth floor, the only area in it besides from the restrooms, and together they went in. Waiting inside was Ikutsuki, Kirijo, and a new person with white hair and red vest that Ryoji doesn’t know sitting around a coffee table.

“Ah, there you are.” Ikutsuki greeted them with a small smile.

Ryoji still doesn’t know what to think of the chairman. He would rather not get near him.

“I’m glad to see you have recovered well.” Ikutsuki nodded, uncrossed his legs and looked at Ryoji expectantly. “There are some things we need to discuss with you. That’s why I have asked you to see me as soon as you are discharged from the hospital. Please, have a seat.”

Ryoji reluctantly did so, sitting on one of the mini stools, farthest from Ikutsuki, while Takeba joined Kirijo on the couch. Hewas relieved to still be a few feet away from him.

“Oh, before that… I believe I mentioned his name before, but this is Sanada-kun.” Ikutsuki gestured to the other male beside him.

“Hey there.” Sanada greeted Ryoji with a nod. “Sanada Akihiko.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Sanada-senpai.” Ryoji nods back at him with a small smile.

“Okay, let me start off by asking you this…” Ryoji readied himself for it. “Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than 24 hours?”

Ryoji blinked, staring at Ikutsuki. Was it about the green hour? It would make sense since he had seen Takeba and Kirijo walking around during that time, and further proved that night when that monster attacked.

“You mean the green hour every night after midnight?” He asked casually, as if it was normal. “I wouldn’t believe you if I didn’t know about it, because it's nothing new to me. I’ve always experienced it.” 

All of them stared at him, Ikutsuki with interest while the others in varying levels of surprise.

“You all know about it, considering you’re asking me about it.” Ryoji pointed out, shrugging his shoulders. “It would sound crazy to another person if you say something about it."

“That’s true.” Kirijo nodded, snapping out of her surprise. “You call it the green hour, however we call it the Dark Hour. Only a few people can move around that hour.”

Dark Hour… that doesn’t make any sense, name wise. Green Hour sounds more fitting, in Ryoji’s opinion, since the skies turn green during it. But if it’s what they’re calling it, then it’s a unanimous decision.

“Normal people don't realize it exists, since they’re all sleeping inside their coffins.” Sanada explained. 

So those were people inside. Sleeping away in their coffins like some macabre version of living death.

“But that’s not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting.” Sanada added, the telltale of a smirk in his face. “There are creatures roaming around during that hour, you saw them already. Those creatures, we call them Shadows.”

“Takeba-san told me.” Ryoji nodded. fiddling with the ends of his scarf. “I’m assuming they only appear during the gre— Dark Hour, right?”

“That’s right. They attack anyone who roams free outside their coffins.” Sanada confirms, looking determined and ready for… something, Ryoji doesn’t know. “It’s our job to defeat them. Pretty exciting, huh?”

It’s not. It really doesn’t excite Ryoji. Ryoji didn’t even know that they roamed around during the Dark Hour. How come Ryoji didn’t see anything like it when he’s usually awake during it? It’s probably because he was with The Presence in the safety of the room he was in.

Kirijo reprimanded Sanada’s excitement. Kirijo reminded him of his injuries from before, the one he got during that attack in the dorms. Before the talk could tangent into reprimanding Sanada, Ikutsuki eased the two’s bickering, like scolding a pair of children before looking back at Ryoji. 

“I’ll get to the point. We are the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad— S.E.E.S. for short.” Ikutsuki continued to explain their group, how it was classified as a school club on paper and their true nature being a group dedicated to defeating Shadows during the Dark Hour, who the leader and club advisors are, and Kirijo further explaining what happens during the Dark Hour.

“Apathy Syndrome. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.” Ryoji nodded at that. He has indeed heard about it on the news that he managed to catch. It has been running rampant these past few years. “We sometimes refer to those who suffer from this as ‘the Lost’.”

“The Shadows are responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them.” Kirijo continued.

Ryoji nodded again, taking in the information being given to him. In that case then…

“If what you’re all saying is correct, then only a few selected people can wander around the Dark Hour.” Ryoji started, getting a nod from his seniors and the chairman. “So, calling the police is out of the question. And so only those who can move during the Dark Hour can counter the Shadows?”

“You’re catching up rather quickly.” Ikutsuki praised with a chuckle. “That is partially correct. Rare are those who can roam during the Dark Hour. However, it’s even rarer that a few may awaken to a power that enables them to fight Shadows.”

It’s probably… “That’s known as ‘Persona’— the power you called upon the other night.”

“So only the people with this… Persona, could defeat the Shadows?” Ryoji asked.

Ikutsuki nodded. “You are the only ones who stand a chance against them.”

Shadows. The Dark Hour. Apathy Syndrome. Persona. To a normal person, it would sound absurd and they would probably run to the hills once they could from the sheer absurdity of it all. But Ryoji is not normal. He never knew the normal people talked about in therapy.

But Ryoji  even could see the underlying intent Ikutsuki wanted from him, that expectant look he’s giving him, it was as clear as day. 

“You’re asking me to join your group.” Ryoji stated, looking up to Ikutsuki.

The expectant stare was getting heavier. Ryoji felt his back straightened, looking uncomfortable as he played with the hem of his scarf nervously. Would he even join? Would they accept his refusal if he didn’t want to?

“Yes, that’s correct.” Kirijo moved to open the case in front of her, pushing it towards Ryoji’s direction. A red armband, a white hollister, and a familiar gun rests inside it, gleaming under the fluorescent lights. “We’ve already prepared an Evoker for you. We’d like you to lend us your strength.”

It was already concerning that they already have these ready for him. It was as if they were certain that he’s joining, no questions asked.

To be fair, they have the upper hand with him.  Ryoji was merely staying in the dorm until his room assignment was finalized; they could and would throw him out if they wanted to. Their eyes were already telling. Does he have an option to refuse ? The answer was no. He doesn’t want to disappoint them. He’s pretty sure he will be asked to leave if he does refuse.

Ryoji sighs. “Alright then…”

There was like a collective sigh of relief, tension somehow washing away from the group.

“Whew… I was afraid you’d say no.” Takeba chuckled, further confirming that Ryoji really had no choice on the matter. “I’m glad to hear you’re on board.”

Was he really? Was she really glad?

“Thank you so much, truly.” There was a hint of triumph in Ikutsuki’s smile, like he just won the lottery. It didn’t feel good to Ryoji. “Oh, I almost forgot. About your room assignment—”

He will be staying on his current room assignment, for convenience’s sake. Ryoji doesn’t mind this, but when Takeba mumbled something relating to the hold up of his room assignment, he felt that the hold up was something Ikutsuki deliberately made.

It didn’t bode well for him.

Ryoji went back to his room and sat on his bed after that meeting, placing a hand on his chest, wrapping his head around what happened.

There’s something thumping in his chest, a thread wrapping around his heart just as he agreed to join S.E.E.S.. A bond making itself known.

The Fool . A voice in the back of his head murmurs.

It was a weird feeling, something new to Ryoji. Is this what Igor said about bonds…?

The feeling inside of him was weak, but it was stable enough to not unravel.

Ryoji doesn’t know what to do with it yet but that’s a problem for him tomorrow. He's too tired to think about it properly.

Ryoji woke up to a presence in his room. 

And he thought he would sleep through the green— Dark Hour, tonight.

Wait. A presence…

He immediately sat up, thinking it was his long awaited friend, ready to see nothing but feel something, only to visibly wilt when he saw the same boy from his first night at the dorm standing a few feet away from his bed, looking out of his window.

Just like the first time he arrived at the dorm, he saw the boy under the green lit light of the unknown hour.

“It’s you…” Ryoji acknowledged the blue haired boy.

The boy nodded at him, as still as the coffins he sees during this hour.

“How did you get to my room…?” Ryoji asked, which was honestly such an unnecessary question but his brain is still addled with sleep to even think with much logic.

“... I’m always by your side…” The boy mumbled, looking at him with those grey eyes. “I just came here to say the end will come soon…”

Ryoji knew he should be surprised or mortified at that news, but all he felt was curiosity. “The… end? The end of what?”

The boy shrugged. “... That’s all I remembered. I thought I should tell you…”

“‘Remembered’?” Ryoji repeated, tilting his head. “You… don’t remember your memories?” Was he like him, in a way?

The boy nodded. “I can’t say... All I know is that… the end of everything is coming… That’s all I know about it…”

Ryoji hesitantly nodded at that, looking at the boy with a confused look. The end of everything , it sounds foreboding but all things come to an end, one way or another. Ryoji is very familiar with that concept.

One blink, the boy was gone from the window. Ryoji thought that he was truly gone before he blinked again and he saw the boy sitting by the foot of his bed, looking up at the ceiling. He’s getting the idea that it seemed to be a usual trick of this boy.

“... You’ve awakened to that power…” The boy offhandedly said. “... What an unusual power it is…”

“You mean my Persona?” Ryoji asks, leaning closer to the boy.

He speaks so softly that Ryoji had to focus his hearing on the boy to even understand his words.

The boy nodded again, and Ryoji was getting the impression that he’s not much of a talkative boy. “It’s… A power that takes many forms, but is bound by none… It might prove to be a salvation, depending on what you’ll do…”

“You don’t have to make everything sound so cryptic and foreboding, you know.” Ryoji chuckled, leaning on his arms.

The boy stayed silent for some time, still looking up at the ceiling. It wasn’t the awkward kind of silence, one where Ryoji feels like he’s walking on eggshells or waiting for a bomb to drop. It was more of a casual talk, a natural pause in conversations.

“... Do you remember when we first met?”

Ryoji nodded at that. He remembered the contract and his first look at the boy, Ryoji was sure that their first meeting won’t leave his mind for a long time.

“I expect you to honor your commitment.” The boy stood up, looking out the window again. “I’m always watching you… even if you somehow forget about me.”

Ryoji watched as the boy turned to him, those eyes staring right at him, looking at his very soul . It was interesting, almost, how that stare was pulling him in like a magnet.

And with a blink the boy is gone again, not seen for the rest of the Dark Hour.

“ —ey, you in there? ”

Ryoji opened his eyes, blinking away sleep and rubbing his eyes awake before sitting up straight, stifling a yawn as he looked at his clock on his headboard.

Oh, It’s the evening . 

…

Wait, it's the evening ?

He slept through the whole… day?! That was surprising but he kept his calm, breathing in then out. He must’ve been so tired to sleep this long, considering he was also woken up during the Dark Hour last night. This rarely happens to him.

“If you are, could you come downstairs? Sanada-senpai’s calling for us.” Takeba’s voice called out from his door.

Ryoji sighed. He better get up then.

“Just a minute. I’ll be right there!”

Ryoji walks down to the lounge in his casual wear (his scarf, grey blazer, white undershirt, black pants, and his shoes), tugging his scarf to his mouth to cover it from his yawning. He saw Sanada and Takeba already standing by the door, making Ryoji wonder what’s up for Sanada to call for them.

“What’s wrong, Sanada-senpai?” Ryoji asked, stifling yet another yawn on his scarf.

“There’s someone I want to introduce to you guys.” Sanada nodded at them before looking back at the door with an exasperated look. “If he could hurry it up…”

“Just a sec… This thing’s freakin’ heavy…!” A familiar voice called out from outside.

Wait… isn’t that Junpei…?

Lo and behold, the doors opened and entered Junpei with bags and luggage, out of breath and still pushing his luggage in.

“Wha— Junpei?! Why are you here?!” Takeba gasped, looking at Junpei with surprise before the realization dawned on her. “Wait, don’t tell me—”

Sanada confirmed Takeba’s thoughts: Junpei will be staying at the dorms from now on since he too also showed the potential to summon a Persona and has recently awakened to it. Takeba clearly has her doubts about it and Ryoji couldn’t care less, it was not his place to argue about it anyways.

If the upperclassmen say so, then they can. If they see potential in Junpei, then he has no right to say anything against it.

“— Like, bein’ confused and not remembering anything. Didn’t you guys experience that too?” Ryoji snapped out of his thoughts to Junpei looking at him questioningly, expecting an answer.

“Know, yes. But it happened to me? No.” Ryoji answered with a small apologetic smile.

“Hey, what’s with the tough-guy act? You probably did experience it, since you’re a Persona-user and all.” Junpei snickered, nudging Ryoji on his shoulders despite his bags.

It’s not even a tough-guy act… it really didn’t happen to me. Ryoji wanted to say but decided against it.

“But man… I still can’t believe it. I had no idea you guys had this stuff goin’ on too.” Junpei murmured, looking at them with a hint of sympathy before breaking out into a grin. “Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one. Wouldn’t really wanna be doin’ this on my own. You gotta be stoked too, right? Havin’ me join?”

“What…?” Takeba sighed, exasperated. “Uh, I guess…”

“Yeah, sure…” Ryoji chuckled, just to pacify Junpei. “Welcome aboard, Junpei.”

“Well, enough with the introductions.” Sanada said, arms crossed on his chest as he looked at them. “Now that our numbers have increased, I think we’re just about ready.”

That got Junpei’s attention immediately. “Oh, we gonna go do somethin’? Sweet! I’m gettin’ pumped!”

“With this many people, we can start checking out that tower tomorrow.” Sanada continued, unaffected by Junpei’s enthusiasm.

“Tower?” Ryoji repeated, new to the term in terms of their new activities.

“Oh… He means Tartarus.” Takeba clarified, sounding unsure of herself.

Tartarus.

Hearing that name gave Ryoji the shivers, shrouding him in… something . It was like something was scratching at the back of his mind and at the tip of his tongue but both not letting themselves get caught by Ryoji’s fingers, a familiar tug in his being making itself known briefly before vanishing as soon as it appeared.

Tartarus… Tartarus…

“Tartar sauce? Wha…?” Junpei repeated, mishearing the name. “It’s either Tartar sauce or some kind toothpaste…”

“It’s not. Tartarus is a place that holds the key to understanding the Dark Hour… or so we think anyways.” You’re more right than you think you are, Sanada-senpai.

Ryoji blinked at his thoughts. How did he… what does that mean…?

“The chairman will give us more details tomorrow night, so be ready.”

And so the waiting game begins…

Ryoji and Junpei went to school together, talking about their upcoming “club activity”, how Junpei was after joining them and how excited he is for that “club activity”. Honestly Ryoji is not ready for it, he doesn’t know if he’ll be ready, but at this point he has no choice but to be ready.

“You seem pretty excited.” Ryoji commented, putting a teasing tone in his words.

“Well, DUH! Who wouldn’t be stoked about fighting for justice!?” Junpei grinned, looking over at Ryoji.

Ryoji doesn’t know if it was really for justice though. He doesn’t know the whole context of this whole thing they’re doing. He was practically just going along the flow of it. 

“I mean, you’re stoked.” Ryoji chuckled, shrugging.

“Obviously.” Junpei nudged Ryoji on the shoulder, pushing him playfully. “Though to be perfectly honest… I ain’t got a single clue what we’re supposed to be doing but I’m sure we’ll find out soon. They did say that they’ll explain everything.”

“We’ll know soon enough.”

Lunch time came and he found himself with Junpei and Takeba in front of his desk, talking about their lessons and how she almost fell asleep during class. Some classes do tend to drag along and Ryoji himself also felt the want to sleep through the class. The reminder that he’s on scholarship always looms at the back of his head, so he resists the urge to sleep and focus on the class.

Ryoji just sat there and half-listened to Junpei and Takeba talking, mind preoccupied with thinking on what to buy at the school’s cafeteria today. Then, he sees Kirijo enter their classroom and walk towards them. Her walk was authoritative and it spoke a lot about her character.

“My apologies for bothering you at this time.” Kirijo looked at each one of them and nodded. “I just wanted to inform you all to come to the room on the fourth floor when you get back to the dorm tonight. I have something to tell you all.”

It made Junpei excited again while Takeba just listened attentively. Ryoji himself couldn’t care too much about it when Kirijo didn’t answer any of Junpei’s questions, saying that all will be explained when they’re at the dorms before leaving them.

Just like that.

“She’s… frank.” Ryoji comments, watching the door to their classroom close, leaving behind murmurs from their classmates.

“She didn’t waste any time…” Junpei added, scratching the back of his head.

“She’s not like us. She’s busy, you know? With the student council or whatever.” Takeba sighed in a sharp tone, almost… condescending?

Junpei pointed out the change in tone from when she was speaking before to now speaking about Kirijo and her excuse didn’t justify the tone whatsoever. Ryoji won’t push and Junpei looked like he won’t either. It will be like poking a lion and they don’t have enough courage to see that happen.

Looking at the wall clock in the room, Ryoji sighed.

“Soooo… are we done?” Ryoji asked, getting the attention of his two acquaintances. “I still need to buy food…”

The two looked at Ryoji, confused for a moment before realizing that they hadn't eaten yet.

“Dude, you don’t buy your lunch from the kombini ?” For some reason, Junpei was surprised by that.

Ryoji shook his head. “I usually just buy it here. Is there something wrong with that?”

It’s more convenient than buying at a kombini anyways. Where he has to alot time to get to the kombini and browse through food and drinks there whereas in the school store there’s only a few choices he can make.

“Dude, kombini foods are better than the stuff in the store.”

Ryoji shrugged at that before standing up to go to the said school store. Opinions aside, he still needed to eat something.

School ended without any fanfare and Junpei offered to walk home together since Takeba was busy with something.

Ryoji thought that they’ll be back at the dorms early since they did leave a bit early, but due to an accident ( someone jumped onto the tracks again ) their train was delayed and they arrived at Iwatodai with the moon out instead of the sunset they usually still manage to catch (reminding him of a certain one that delayed his own train before coming to the dorms. Reminds him of the rumors that circulate around him. ).

They had no time to spare to think more about the accidents when Junpei received a text message asking where they were.

They immediately went up to the fourth floor after dropping their bags in their rooms, finding everyone already there like what Junpei said. They took their respective seats, the air tense and serious.

“For a long time,” Ikutsuki started. “ Kirijo-kun and Sanada-kun were the only Persona-users we had but now that number has recently jumped to five. So here’s the plan—”

Ryoji listened as Ikutsuki gave their mission. Starting tonight at 12 midnight, they will begin exploring Tartarus (the name still pulls something in Ryoji. Ryoji still doesn’t know what that meant). Junpei asked about Tartarus but was met with an even more confusing answer. An answer that didn’t really answer anything.

Tartarus would only appear during the Dark Hour just like the shadows, and Ikutsuki hypothesized that Tartarus may have something about the problem with the Shadows, perhaps deep inside the tower lies the reason why the Dark Hour exists, and so they must find information in Tartarus to destroy the Dark Hour. Investigating the mysteries of that tower was part of their job description apart from fighting Shadows. In fact, it was their top priority.

“Our society, while remaining blissfully unaware of the Shadows, is slowly but surely succumbing to their influence.” The Apathy Syndrome. “I would go as far as to say that the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of you Persona-users.”

“That’s one hell of a responsibility, but the heroes of justice will prevail!” Junpei huffed, a bravery Ryoji could commend but also fear.

I think it’s not that easy. Ryoji mumbled on his scarf.

“It’s also the perfect spot to train and improve our skills. That place is like a nest of Shadows, you know.” Sanada pointed out, rolling his shoulders as if getting ready to fight.

Distantly he remembers Igor’s words: “ The power of a Persona is the power of one’s soul… And the soul is fueled by the depth of one’s bonds. As you form these bonds by becoming involved with others, your own Social Links will gradually develop. The strength of these Social Links will foster the growth of your Persona abilities. ”

… Quite contradicting statements…

Sanada was quickly reminded of his injuries and was thus forbidden to join them in their exploration tonight, only able to accompany them for the time being, while Ikutsuki would stay at the dorms since he can’t summon a Persona. (Ryoji noticed how Ikutsuki almost spat those words out, forcing it out of his mouth like a weird gesture of pity.)

Ryoji watched as Junpei kept on assuring their seniors that he had it under control, and to not worry because ‘ he is there ’. He’s not quite sure about Junpei’s excitement but if it makes the male happy then Ryoji can’t complain, even when Takeba was already complaining.

Gekkoukan at night is more eerie at night than in the morning. The looming building almost threatening to overcast them as they stood by the closed gates, the sound of crickets louder than the sound of the night winds. 

The feeling of the hollister with his evoker on his hips was weird and the red armband around his left arm was even weirder for him, surprisingly.

“Huh? We’re here…?” Junpei gasped, obviously confused and surprised. “Uh, what’s goin’ on? Why are we at school?”

“Just wait and see,” said Sanada, pulling out his phone. “It’s almost midnight.”

Based on the information they got earlier and how Tartarus only appeared during the dark hour, it could only mean one thing.

Ryoji watched as the skies turned green and the moon turned yellow, the street lights dimming until it was off and all noise seemingly muting themselves to give way to a loud rumble. In front of their very eyes they watch as the school morphs and transforms into a mess of buildings and shapes, gears moving in tandem to the rising tower, faces and lights decorating the outside, a clock by the entrance, before it gets split in half, it grows and grows until the top reaches the moon.

Gekkoukan was not there anymore. Only the labyrinth tower, Tartarus.

The entrance was as mishmash as it was outside, its walls bending and moving, almost never ending, not one glance at it was the same. It only has a stable circle platform housing a flight of stairs upwards to an entrance that resembles a pocket watch.

There’s a sense of something surrounding the place, a thing that Ryoji can’t put a finger on. Was it good or was it bad? Perhaps only time can tell. 

It didn’t help that Ryoji felt like he belonged here , like this is where he should have been all along.

“— You’re in charge.”

Ryoji blinked and he’s back to reality, seeing everyone look at him as Junpei protested. “W-Wait! Why him?! He doesn’t look like a leader!”

“What’s happening?” Ryoji asked, confused as he looked between the seniors and his peers.

“Calm down. He has experience fighting Shadows already.” Takeba tried to assure Junpei, who sputtered again, surprised at the information.

“That’s true, but the main reason why is far more simple than you think. Junpei, and you too Takeba…” Sanada pulled out his evoker and pointed it at his temple. Ryoji could see Takeba and Junpei freeze at Sanada’s action. “Can either of you summon your Persona without difficulty like he can?”

Memories of what happened on the dorm’s rooftop resurfaced. That boy urging him, daring him to try. Asking if he had what it takes.

Junpei and Takeba assured them  that they could, albeit hesitantly and unsure of themselves. Ryoji can understand the hesitation for their answers.

It’s the weight of a life. The weight of their life. Life is such a heavy thing after all.

Sanada reminded them of the risks, that without their Personas they’re vulnerable. Everyone took that to heart (and Ryoji to his mind), they didn’t want to make any mistakes here after all.

At the corner of Ryoji’s eyes he sees a glowing blue door, feeling the key in his pockets call out to it. It’s a door to the Velvet Room, that much he can guess. Ryoji is reluctant to go near it, sensing a strange sort of feeling around the whole Velvet Room and its inhabitants from his “last visit”. 

He knows they’re not human, or at least they are as close to human as he and everyone else is. Of course what sort of human has an incredibly long nose with a fixed smile and has the ability to call him in his dreams with a room strange enough to be real (it’s a moving elevator, out of all things, not even a normal sized elevator)? Plus they didn’t really answer his questions, no matter how many he had already asked.

So really, his reluctance was justified.

“You ready, Leader?” Sanada asked Ryoji, snapping his attention away from the door.

He doesn’t have a choice now.

“I’m ready.”

It was surprisingly easy for Ryoji to get into the groove of things. 

Wielding a sword in his hand felt like second nature to him and there was no learning curve that Ryoji needed to pass. He cuts through Shadows like butter, hearing Kirijo explain through her voice in their communications that their weapons are specially manufactured by the Kirijo group in their laboratory and thus has an impact on Shadows. (“ Ordinary weapons are ineffective but in the hands of a Persona-user these weapons allow us to inflict physical damage on Shadows. ”)

The three of them battle the surge of Shadows in the floor, focusing on one Shadow at a time for each of them.

“ Personas are your trump cards so use them with care. ” Kirijo reminds them just as Junpei summons his own Persona.

Ryoji watched as Junpei’s Persona sliced through a line of Shadows before blocking an attack from another bigger Shadow. That’s where Takeba came in with her own Persona, summoning a gust of wind that disintegrated the Shadow off of Junpei’s Persona.

Kirijo praised them for their efforts, Junpei preening at it even as Ryoji sighed out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“This is handy, hearing you directly in our heads like this.” Junpei comments.

“ With my Persona ability, this is the best I can do, even with an amplifier. ” Kirijo explained. “ Wait… something’s coming! ”

Ryoji heard it before seeing it, the rumble around the floor, the sense of power that was approaching. Something was coming their way.

“Look out!” Ryoji commanded, just in time to dodge a large Shadow coming at them at full speed.

It was definitely stronger than the ones they’ve been fighting, there was practically no need for Kirijo to inform them of such.

Junpei and Takeba went into action, summoning their Personas to fight the Shadow only for it to come out unscathed by their attacks and successfully counter them, throwing them off guard and off balance. Ryoji readied himself, hands tight on his sword. He’d have to…

“ Arisato, turn the tides! ” Kirijo commanded, voice urgent.

Taking a deep breath Ryoji steadied himself, tightening his hold on his sword and charged at the Shadow. He tried to swing his sword at the Shadow first, barely able to dodge the counter before he took out his evoker from its hollister and pointed it at his head.

“ Persona! ”

Orpheus heeded his call like before, appearing in blue light before taking no time to attack. Orpheus blocks an attack with its harp then countered the attack, but gets parried by the enemy, its attack hitting the Persona and breaking like glass. Ryoji felt the twinge of pain that came from that but he kept on, summoning Orpheus again and setting the Shadow on fire before running towards it, dodging when it tried to ram against him, dodging again when it sent lighting towards him.

In sync Ryoji and Orpheus fought the Shadow, Ryoji finding it so right when Ryoji slashed the Shadow with all his might, slowly but surely chipping away at the Shadow until with one last blast from Orpheus it went up to flames.

Exhaustion comes after him once Orpheus vanishes into motes of light, making him fall down to his knees, using his sword as a cane, but not blacking out like he did back then.

He could barely hear Kirijo praise him from his fighting and Takeba’s fretting for him but he’s glad that he did his job as the scout leader.

Kirijo ordered them to look for a teleporter and from there they’re back at the entrance where Kirijo and Sanada were waiting for them.

Distantly, he felt a growing strength inside of him once they met up with Kirijo and Sanada at the entrance with Takeba and Junpei.

After that night in Tartarus, Ryoji couldn’t brush off the feeling of needing to get stronger. During that fight with that strong Shadow, no matter how he attacked it, it still reflected his weakness. How he turned tired after that, how weak he was in the grand scheme of things.

If I were to meet Kirijo-senpai’s expectations…

Ryoji remembers Igor’s words once more about how bonds strengthen his Persona. How, with the strength of those bonds, will foster growth of his Persona abilities. ( Or help him keep his mask up as Elizabeth said )

If that’s the case then.

Ryoji started talking to people who came up to him. Apparently the novelty of being a transfer student lasted longer in this school but no one stayed too long for Ryoji to try and feel if there’s a bond that could form between them.

“Everyone’s still flocking towards you. Aren’t you one popular guy.” Junpei commented, walking towards his desk.

“I guess being a transfer student has its perks.” And disadvantages… Ryoji smiled.

“Oh yeah, remember when we went to the strip mall? Wanna grab some bite to eat before going back to the dorms? I know a good place.”

“Your treat?” Ryoji hummed, tilting his head. Considering Junpei’s personality he probably will appreciate the banter type of conversations.

“Bro, I only have so much yen to spend.” Junpei whined, making Ryoji chuckle.

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay for my own portion.” Ryoji assured, waving a hand to dismiss his joke.

“Sweet! C’mon let’s go then!”

Junpei brought him to Hagakure Ramen. It was a bit crowded but luckily they were able to get in without much waiting, and Junpei immediately ordered them both a bowl of their specials.

“Is the special good?” Ryoji asked just after Junpei ordered.

“It’ll be better than you’re expecting, I can guarantee you that.”

They didn’t wait long before two bowls of steaming ramen were placed in front of them. The smell was enticing and surely would work on someone’s appetite. With an ‘ itadakimasu ’, they chowed down on the ramen. It was good, but Ryoji couldn’t say if it was better than what he had before or anything.

“So, how is it?” Junpei asked, looking at Ryoji expectantly.

“It’s good!” Ryoji nodded, putting on a chirpy tone. He’s not technically lying either.

Junpei seemed glad for that and continued to eat his own bowl of ramen, though rather noisily. It’s normal though, Ryoji thinks, since slurping was acceptable.

“So that sick week… Was it because of those Shadows?” Junpei asked suddenly, in a low voice so no one could overhear.

Ryoji nodded. “It was a sudden attack.”

“Damn.” Junpei hummed before breaking into a grin, patting Ryoji’s shoulder. “Well no need to fear, for I am here!”

Ryoji chuckles at that, nodding at Junpei’s words.

“Getting sick, then all this fighting stuff and being chosen the leader and all, you really have your work cut out for you. Aren’t you like… bummed you got all of this responsibility?”

Is he? Practically, no he is not ‘bummed’ about his newfound responsibilities.

“It’s okay for me. I’ll get used to it.” Ryoji shrugs, poking his bowl.

“Aren’t you the goody-two-shoes, you gotta loosen up!” Junpei nudged his shoulders again, letting out a chuckle as he did.

Ryoji lets out a chuckle of his own, feeling… light inside of him. Ryoji could sense something in him, from Junpei, and the familiar feeling of a bond wrapping and resonating in his chest.

At the back of his mind a voice whispers: The Magician .

That familiar thread of connection was almost tangible yet again, slipping along the existing thread he already has.

So this is the bond he needs.

Talking with other people is tiring. Ryoji continued to think as he continued going out with acquaintances, and somehow finding acquaintances. It leaves him tired at night that he almost always blacked out once his head hit the pillow.

One such time, he found himself in a secondhand bookstore in the strip mall, overhearing his classmates on the footlocker about a secondhand bookstore that opened in the stripmall. It got him curious, curious if they had any books about anything relating to Personas, or mythological figures, or perhaps some books he could read.

After school he went to it, finding it beside Wilduck Burgers. The store owner, an old man, greeted him with a happy tone, even joking a bit with him before Ryoji went his way to find what he was looking for. It was small but it did have what he was looking for.

“Oh! Aren’t you a Gekkoukan student?” The old man asked while ringing up his book, looking up at Ryoji. “That means you must know about the persimmon tree there, right?”

“Persimmon tree?” Ryoji repeated, thinking of the trees he had passed inside the school campus.

If he remembered correctly, there is a tree that was different from all the trees he had seen, the tree in the open courtyard. It was small but it was thriving. He had taken his lunch there earlier and it was obvious that the tree was well taken care of.

“I’m not making it up!” The old man assured with a huff.

Before the old woman beside him (the owner’s wife Ryoji thinks) could apologize, Ryoji beat her to it.

“Please don’t worry I’m not doubting you!” Ryoji assured with a smile, holding up his hand in defense.

If he got this defensive for it then it must be important to them, Ryoji doesn’t want to agitate them further.

Ryoji pulled out his wallet to pay and get out of the conversation when a stray leaf fluttered out of his wallet and into the counter, on top of the books he wanted to buy. When did it…?

“That’s—!” The old woman gasped as the old man picked up the leaf, inspecting it before brightening up.

“This leaf is from that persimmon tree!” The old man exclaimed with a wide smile. “My, it must have grown quite a bit to produce such splendid leaves…”

There was a fond look on their faces as they examined the leaf while Ryoji was still thinking of how it got to his wallet in the first place. He did check his funds after eating, maybe a leaf dropped on his wallet before he closed it, or slipped in between it when he’s not looking.

“Not only are you going to buy a book but you also showed us this!” The old man grabbed hold of Ryoji’s hand, shaking it gratefully. “I knew right from the start that you are a kind young man!”

Ryoji stood there as the old man told his woes, of how he always wanted to visit the tree himself but wasn’t sure due to his age, making a pun along it and making his wife chuckle. Ryoji chuckled at that too, to be polite. The couple introduced themselves to Ryoji (“This is my wife, Mitsuko. And I’m Bunkichi.”) and Ryoji introduced himself, smiling all the while.

“Hm… Ryoji-chan then! A good name, as good as mine.” Bunkichi chuckled.

Ryoji let out a small agreement to that, feeling another thread wrapping around his chest, swelling with the feeling of a bond forming.

The Hierophant . A voice whispers.

“Oh, right! Your book! I’m sorry, I got so excited about the persimmon tree that you’re buying out a book!” Bunkichi chuckled, putting his books on a paper bag carefully. “Would you like some mackerel with this?”

Mitsuko chuckled, shaking her head. “Dear, we’re not a sushi restaurant.”

“It’s no problem, please don’t worry about it.” Ryoji assured them with a smile.

“Please feel free to come visit us when you’re free.” Mitsuko smiled at Ryoji.

He will, definitely.

Ryoji quickly took to a schedule after that.

Once the clubs opened, Ryoji took the chance to join one, deciding Kendo would be a good way to practice more of his sword skills for Tartarus.He managed to create a bond with one of his fellow clubmate, Kaz, finding Ryoji a worthy sparmate and rival in their club. ( The Chariot )

Then Kirijo had asked him to join the Student Council ( “Why me, Kirijo-senpai?” “Because of your ability to lead.” ) and he found two to bond with there, though Chihiro had to take some time to get used to him. ( The Emperor and Justice )

Suffice to say, that with him looking for bonds in the afternoon after school really made him tired once he got back to the dorm.

He still keeps them at arms’ length. These bonds, no matter how much Igor assured him (or tried to), Ryoji would just wait for the inevitable to come. 

“Oh, you’re back. May I have a word with you?” Kirijo immediately called him when he returned to the dorms. To say that he wasn’t scared at her even and flat tone was an understatement, already feeling something coming up with their talk. Still, he kept his smile on his face despite his fear. “It’s been ten days since you first entered Tartarus, yet you haven’t made the move to return even a single time since then. Do you have any excuse for that?”

Oh. It’s been ten days already…? Time flies, Ryoji supposed.

“What exactly are you thinking?” Kirijo asked, looking at him sternly.

Ryoji froze at the stare, feeling shivers down his spine as he smiled instinctively, feeling the corners of his mouth waver in its attempt to keep smiling. Was it… that bad…?

“I just…” Ryoji struggled to make an excuse. How do you say you were busy building bonds that the long nosed man said will strengthen his Personae?

If he said that he’s hanging out with people and is too tired to do anything else afterwards, it would just come off as him being lazy and avoiding his responsibilities. Ryoji doesn’t even know if Kirijo would understand that involving himself with other people would make him stronger (Igor’s words not his).

“I told you it would be dangerous if you don’t train adequately.” She sighed, shaking her head, clearly a bit disappointed. 

“Perhaps it was a mistake making you the leader—” I didn’t really have a choice on the matter, though… Nonetheless those words weighed heavy on him. “— I hope you don’t continue to disappoint me.”

“You disappoint me.”

“I’m sorry.” was all Ryoji could say, bowing his head.

He braced himself for those familiar words, those words that he keeps hearing everywhere he goes.

“Get out of here.”

“You’re being relocated.”

All he heard was a sigh, not a disappointed one but more of a tired one.

“We’ll be going to Tartarus today, whether you like it or not . Got it?” Kirijo’s voice was stern and final. He's not getting out of it.

“Y-Yes ma’am.” Ryoji stammered out with a nod.

“Good. Now get ready, we’ll meet at the usual spot.”

Ryoji nodded again, heading to his room to prepare. It was better than what he thought Kirijo would say. But that icy stare was a threat, Ryoji won’t count on him being lucky to not hear those words still in the future.

Ryoji took care of managing his day properly after that, quickly following the beat of his new routine, not wanting to subject himself to Kirijo’s icy stare again or that expectation of the inevitable so soon.

On the bright side, going to Tartarus did help with their strength and their teamwork, albeit Junpei was a bit reluctant to do as he commanded sometimes. 

He feels like Junpei was more pushy with him these past couple days, not enough to be disruptive but easy enough to see for Ryoji, always wanting the spotlight, craving for it almost.

Ryoji let Junpei get it. Ryoji had enough of the spotlight as it is.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Ryoji plans on hanging out with one of his acquaintances, already receiving messages asking for him. The real question was which one should he hang out with, it was hard to choose since he didn’t want to disappoint the others…

“Hey, didja hear?” Junpei walked up to his desk, grinning from ear to ear. “I heard Sanada-senpai’s gettin’ checked up at the hospital today.”

Oh.

“For his ribs?” Ryoji asked, to which Junpei nodded.

“He called me earlier and asked if I could bring him something’. Man, he knows who to count on.”

Junpei puffed his chest, too proud to be asked for a favor by a senior. Ryoji doesn’t mind it. If Junpei was asked then Sanada knows what he’s doing.

Takeba sighed as she walks up to them, already exasperated with Junpei. “He only asked you because he knows you don’t have anything better to do after school.”

“H-Hey!”

“... Kidding, kidding.” Takeba chuckled, smiling. “What’d he want you to bring anyways?”

“2-E’s class roster.” Junpei answered, waving the said roster in front of them.

“A class roster? For what?” Ryoji asked, tilting his head. Was it a lead? Or did they find someone that also has the potential?

“Hell if I know? He just asked me to bring this to him.” Junpei shrugged, tucking the roster back into his bag

“Well, since I don’t have practice today I might as well come along and find out why myself” Takeba hummed before turning to Ryoji with an expectant smile. “You’re coming too, right?”

Does he have to…?

“I think I have kendo practice.” Ryoji mumbles, scratching the back of his head. Does he even have kendo today?

Yukari frowned at him, crossing her arms. “Come on. Aren’t you curious? Or at least worried for Sanada-senpai? If I remember correctly, Kendo has no practice today so we might as well, right?”

That expectant stare was starting to get heavy, and Yukari looking down at him was silently saying ‘ you have no choice ’ to him.

Ryoji sighs. There goes his plans. “Yeah, sure I’ll join.”

“H-Huh? But…” Junpei mumbles under his breath, flustered and disappointed.

“Is there a problem?” Takeba asks Junpei, shrugging her shoulders. “We’re just tagging along.”

“W-Well… It was me he asked…”

“The more the merrier, right?”

Ryoji watches as Junpei seemingly wilts, finally agreeing to let them come with him.

They arrived at the room Sanada said to meet them only to see another male with a black beanie and red trench coat waiting inside. He had an intimidating aura around him and Ryoji could see Junpei and Takeba visibly flinching at the man’s stare.

“Sorry for the intrusion.” Ryoji excused himself with a bow, mumbling the words as they entered the room.

“Is… Sanada-senpai…?” Junpei started. The man hummed in question, urging Junpei to continue but making Junpei waver in his courage. “I-Is this Sanada-senpai’s room… by any chance…?”

There was a tense and charged silence around them, like one wrong move they’ll be on this man’s wrong side. It was intimidating and nerve-wrecking.

Thankfully, Sanada walked in, surprised to see the three of them.

“You three? What are you all doing here?”

The atmosphere visibly changed, Junpei and Takeba easing in relief before turning to Sanada, all smiles and easy-going.

“We came here to see you, senpai! But you look like you’re doing just fine.”

“Of course. I’m just here for a checkup.”

“Oi, Aki. We done here?” The male huffed from his place, reminding them that he was still there.

The tension was back but less restrictive than earlier.

Sanada seemed to easily face the man, nodding at him. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Ryoji watched as the man mumbled something under his breath, standing up from his seat before approaching them. Once he was near Ryoji though he stopped and… stared, and Ryoji stared back. Ryoji could feel… something tugging from inside him, something cold and dark. A fleeting flame, but cold to the touch.

What is that…?

“You…” The man mumbled, debating if he should continue before shaking his head, dismissing the thought and walked off.

There was tense silence left by the man, all of them wondering who he was. Junpei was the first to ask that question to Sanada and he seemed hesitant to answer that question.

“He’s… a friend from school.” Sanada answered, almost unsure of himself before switching to a different topic. “You know how Apathy Syndrome is on the rise? He knows a few people who are victims of it, so I thought we’d have a nice little chat.”

An informant then…

“Anyways, Junpei. Did you bring what I asked for?”

Everything else was a blur as Junpei gave the roster to Sanada, neither Ryoji nor Takeba having the guts to ask about why Sanada needed it.

…

… Someone’s… poking him? Someone’s poking his cheeks , specifically.

Ryoji opened his eyes to see the same blue haired kid from before, still poking his cheeks curiously, peeking over his bed. The Dark Hour is upon them, with the light of the moon glowing through his windows. 

Both of them stared at each other for a moment, the kid continued to poke his cheeks even when he knew Ryoji was awake.

“... Can I help you?”

The child stopped poking him, continuing to stare at Ryoji from his place on the floor. “... One week from now, there’ll be a full moon….”

Ryoji sat up for that. “What do you mean? What about the full moon?”

“There’s… a new trial that is coming. Be careful…” The boy answered, vanishing from Ryoji’s sight before there’s a weight on the foot of his bed. “On that day… you’ll face a great challenge.”

“A trial…? A challenge? You’re not making sense…” Ryoji asked, tilting his head. “I told you, you can stop the cryptic messages.”

“... one of them.” The boy mumbled, as cryptic as a child could be, looking out the window. “You ought to be prepared, but time is limited.”

“... I know.” Somehow, he knows.

The boy hummed, staying silent and still. It was eerie, to say the least, but Ryoji found it fitting for the boy.

“You know you’re as cryptic as those people in the Velvet Room.” Ryoji chuckled, watching the boy’s head tilt at him, obviously confused.

“Velvet… Room?” The boy repeated, head tilting to the side.

Ryoji chuckled again, shaking his head. It’ll be too lengthy to discuss it with him. Plus if he doesn’t know the Velvet Room then it’s better to stay quiet about it. This child is something else after all. It’ll be better to try and wrangle an answer from the Velvet Room about him than the other way around.

“I better get going…” The boy mumbled, hopping up off his bed. “I’ll… visit once it is done.”

And with a blink of his eyes the boy vanished from his room.

Ryoji finally gathered the courage to go to the Velvet Room during one of their climbs to Tartarus.

It was a weird feeling, going through the blue door and getting blinded by light before the familiar sight of an elevator and the feeling of a hard chair under him greets him.

“Welcome back, esteemed guest. I’ve been waiting for you.” Igor greeted him with the same fixed smile he had. “You look like you have a question for me.”

Oh, multiple. Ryoji thought before shaking, mentally his head. He had a more pressing question that needed to be answered now. There would be time for his other question later. Like why is his nose so damn long.

“That child told me that in a week from yesterday we will face something.” Ryoji informed them, tugging at the edge of his scarf. “He refused to say anything else about it.”

“Time will tell, dear guest.” Igor hummed, which was unhelpful. “The tower you are venturing. How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Those too, you are not capable of answering yet.”

A question for a question . Really not helpful.

“Your power is unique. It is like the number zero. Empty, but at the same time, holding infinite possibilities.” It’s like what that boy said to him before. “When you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp but do not fear. Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly with your experiences and bonds. Please be sure to keep that in mind.”

Ryoji went out of the Velvet Room more confused than ever.

Between school, bonding with people, Tartarus exploration and getting ready for the trial that child told him, Ryoji could say that he’s spending his time wisely. Time marched on quickly until the boy’s forewarned day came.

Ryoji woke up to Sanada’s voice on his door, calling them up to the fourth floor. He’d say it’s not a good way to wake up but then he remembered that boy’s words to him and sure enough looking out of his window Ryoji sees the moon full and bright yellow.

Ryoji just hoped that the trial the child was saying wouldn't be too hard on him.

Him, Junpei, and Takeba made their way to the fourth floor as soon as they could, meeting Sanada and Kirijo and asking what was wrong with Junpei being too enthusiastic to fight.

Kirijo informed them that she had detected a shadow outside of Tartarus. Ryoji explored enough of Tartarus with them to know (or at least have an inkling) that a Shadow outside of Tartarus spells bad news for all of them.

“We don’t know for sure, but we think it’s another big one like we saw last month.” Kirijo informed them with a sigh. A big Shadow like the one back then. “We must defeat any Shadow we find out there as quickly as possible. People are not aware of the Dark Hour’s existence but if the city gets destroyed during that time there will be inconsistencies that will be left behind.”

“In other words: we need to kick some ass!” Junpei chuckled, rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms. “Count me in!”

So, that trial should be that Shadow then. What kind of trial is it going to be? Was it going to be the same as that night? Or is it something more challenging? Would the three of them be able to fight it off? Ryoji managed to fight that Shadow alone but it left him unconscious for a week , so… hopefully he won’t get wiped out like that again.

“Arisato, you’re in charge.”

Ryoji snapped back to the conversation just in time to hear Junpei sputter, a sense of deja vu washing over Ryoji.

“Can you do it?” Kirijo looked at him expectantly.

Considering how they fared during their exploration in Tartarus, Ryoji can say that he can do it.

Does he want to? No. But does he have a choice? Perhaps also no…

Ryoji nodded at Kirijo’s question nonetheless. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good. Then we’ll be counting on you.” Sanada smiled at him.

“Huh, at this rate you’ll be stuck playin’ the leader forever… Not like I care.” Junpei sighed, a bit of a throwaway comment, or at least he tried to make it that way.

Sanada and Kirijo made them go ahead to the front of the station, where the Shadow was near but far enough that they’re still at a safe distance, waiting for Kirijo to arrive.

It’s been a few minutes and understandably Takeba was getting restless. They only have an hour after all, each second was precious. They continued waiting, trying to ease the other’s nervousness.

“There’s a full moon tonight… It looks even creepier during the Dark Hour…” Takeba mumbled, looking up at the sky where the said moon is in view.

The moon does seem creepier. Full, bright, and bigger than usual. It’s a familiar sight for Ryoji, one he can say that brings him familiarity.

Not long they begin to hear the sound of a roaring engine, which was odd enough because all electronics and cars are inoperable during the Dark Hour, and in appears Kirijo, riding a motorcycle and stopping just in front of them.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Kirijo greeted them, removing her helmet and getting out of the motorcycle. “Listen carefully…”

Kirijo briefed them of their mission: she will be their support from the station, and everything was to be the same as they did during their exploration in Tartarus. If anything changes she’ll inform them immediately. The Shadow was situated on a monorail not far from the station so they would have to go to the monorail from the tracks. It sounded simple enough, at least the way to go there.

After being briefed, they went ahead to their destination, taking care on the tracks and being as quick as they could. It was weird walking through the tracks, especially since they’re high up (Ryoji could hear Junpei and Takeba comment about how high up they are), with only the light of the moon as their light. As planned, Kirijo guided them to the monorail they needed to be, cautioning them to be careful.

They could see the blood red sea and Tartarus looming in the distance, making it seem smaller than it usually is.

In no time, they arrived at an unmoving monorail and the moment they arrived there was something pulling Ryoji to it, much like that night with that big Shadow.

Is there a connection to this feeling and those Shadows…?

“Can you all hear me?” Kirijo’s voice called out.

“Yes, we hear you loud and clear.” confirmed Takeba with a nod. 

“We just got to the monorail, but we don’t see anything out of the ordinary or Shadows lurking.” Ryoji reported in. “It’s probably inside, right?”

“The readings are definitely coming from that monorail. Proceed with caution and stay together, we may never know what they’re planning.” Kirijo instructed.

All of them voiced their confirmation before Kirijo went silent.

“Heh, my Persona’s itchin’ for a fight!” Junpei rolled his shoulder with a grin.

For a small space like a monorail, a big fight is a disadvantage. Ryoji thought, looking at the monorail with apprehension. “Alright, let’s head in.”

The moment Takeba places a foot on the ladder up to the monorail, Ryoji looks away, knowing it’s improper to look especially since Takeba was in a skirt.

A few seconds later, he could hear Junpei being warned and be compared to him (“Look, Arisato-kun is more decent than you!”). Ryoji knew that Junpei didn’t do the same as him.

Only when Takeba gave the clear did he and Junpei climb aboard.

The monorail was empty, save for a few coffins near the seats. 

“So that’s a passenger, right?” Junpei asked, looking at a coffin. “They’ve been transmogged… talk about creepy. But these guys aren’t gonna remember a thing about this, yeah? It’s probably better that way…”

Swish—

Ryoji turned his head just in time to see the doors close, in fact all the doors closed. It just came to Ryoji how all of them were opened before they entered, like the Shadow is expecting them.

A trap, for them and for it since it has nowhere left to go.

Junpei ran to the other door as it closed, barely catching up before it did and tried to pry it open to no avail. Ryoji went to the other doors and tried to pry it open too, finding the same thing: they’re closed shut.

“What happened?!” Kirijo’s voice immediately asked, worry in her voice.

“We’re locked in!” Junpei exclaimed.

“We’re trapped inside.” Ryoji answered, looking around and alert.

“It must be the Shadow. It knows you’re there. Be ready for anything! Stay on full alert!”

“Let’s look around and see where the Shadow is.” Ryoji suggested, to which all of them agreed easily. There’s nothing else to do other than check, and they can’t be just sitting ducks.

They pass from car to car, cautious of anything. The quiet was getting unsettling, based on Junpei’s murmurs and Takeba’s hesitance, but they needed to move on. They continued on the cars, taking note of the lack of Shadows, much to Junpei’s chagrin.

And as if it was listening in, in the next car a Shadow appeared in front of them. Ryoji immediately pointed his sword at it, readying to attack if necessary, but it just moved to the next car, almost taunting them.

“Hey! Get back here!” Junpei called out to the Shadow.

“Wait!” Kirijo called for them to stop pursuing further. “The enemy is acting strangely. It might be a trap.”

“But if we don’t go after it we’re gonna lose it!” Junpei reasoned, which was a fair point.

“Arisato.” Ryoji’s head snaps up. “You’re in command right now. What do you think you should do?”

What do you think you should do?

Ryoji thought it through. It was easy enough to see that this may as well be a trap, basing on how Shadows acted when they’re exploring Tartarus surely the same is applied outside of it. They can’t risk it, especially in a small space like this and with unknowing passengers around them.

“It might be a trap.” Ryoji nodded, agreeing with Kirijo. “We have to be careful.”

“Wha?! But we can beat that thing no problem! So what if it’s dangerous?! We can’t let it get away!” Junpei huffed, holding his claymore tighter. “Hell, I’ll do it myself!”

“Wait Junpei—!” Before Takeba could stop him, Junpei ran off, following the Shadow.

As soon as the car door closed Ryoji felt it before Kirijo could warn them. Two Shadows appeared behind them.

Ryoji wasted no time to summon Orpheus, sending balls of flame towards the Shadows while Takeba supported him with her arrows until they’re gone. They were easy enough targets but Ryoji knows it’s only the beginning.

“This is just what the enemy planned.” Takeba sighed.

“We can’t do much about it now. You must catch up to him before you all get picked off one by one.” Kirijo replied.

Takeba let out another sigh, annoyance evident as she grumbled under her breath. Kirijo informed them that Junpei was only a few cars ahead.

Not a long distance, so it should be fine. Right?

Ryoji didn’t think too much about it as they moved again from car to car, defeating Shadows that stood in their way.

“Junpei was acting strange earlier, wasn’t he?” Takeba wondered out loud. “Why’d he snap like that?”

Ryoji shrugs, not really knowing why Junpei was acting like that, more than ever anyways. “He’s been like that ever since…?”

“... I guess we can ask him once we’ve caught up.”

It didn’t take long for them to catch up to Junpei, thankfully not encountering any more Shadows. However, they found Junpei surrounded by more Shadows. They were quick to catch up with summoning their Personas to help Junpei thin out the group around him.

“I got it under control!” Junpei huffed as they approached him, obviously struggling. It’s to save face, Ryoji thinks.

“You were struggling.” Ryoji pointed out, pointing his sword at the remaining Shadows. “Let us help.”

As a leader, he has to help out his teammates. Right?

In no time, they cleared the car off Shadows, letting them breathe for a moment.

“See? That’s what happens if you needlessly charge on.” Takeba said, scolding but Ryoji could tell there’s a layer of concern in her voice. “Well… are you okay?”

Junpei visibly fumbled, scratching the back of his head and looking away from them. “... of course I am! I was doin’ just fine back there…”

“Seriously, what’s your problem?” Takeba asked, arms crossed.

Before Junpei could answer, or deflect, Kirijo’s voice resonated.

“I don’t detect any movement but stay alert, you three!”

And just like jinxing it, the monorail stuttered and then slowly began moving. It caused them to be immediately alert. The monorail shouldn’t be moving, considering they’re still in the Dark Hour. It only meant one thing.

“The entire monorail is under the Shadow’s control!” Kirijo said to them with urgency, confirming Ryoji’s thoughts. “If we don’t stop the monorail, it’s going to crash into the next train!”

“What?! Crash?!” Takeba exclaimed. “H-Hey, what should we do?!”

“Calm down first.” Kirijo instructed, managing to keep calm despite the situation. “I detect a powerful reading in the front car. That must be the Shadow we’re looking for. You’ll have to defeat that to stop the train!”

Then there’s only one thing to do.

“There’s no time! Run!”

When they arrived at the front car, it was freezing , quite literally.

In front of them is their target, the Shadow controlling the monorail. It has scroll-like hair, black on one half and white on the other, inverting the color in its body draped with a loose fabric with a magenta mask on its face.

“ Oho? What an honor it is to be graced by you. ”

Ryoji snapped his gaze at the Shadow in front of them, eyes wide at the voice he heard.

“Did you guys hear that?” Ryoji mumbled, not looking away from the Shadow.

“No? What are you talking about?” Takeba answers him quickly.

There was no time to ponder about it further when the Shadow’s scroll-like hair attacked them. They dodged and struck back, with their weapons and their Personas, but the freezing cold was immediately proving to be too much for them as the timer ticked by. The cold seeping into their bodies and ice crystals forming, threatening to freeze them.

Ryoji could feel the monorail increase speed, followed by Kirijo’s panicking voice. Ten minutes.

If they don’t do something, and fast, they will collide with another train. 

Junpei was aggressive in his attacks, almost… too desperate.

“Junpei—” Ryoji tried to reach out, only to be stopped by the blast of cold wind, further freezing his arm.

Fire met ice, and ice met wind. Their physical attacks are blocked by those scroll-like hairs, and they can’t get close without the risk of freezing themselves.

“We gotta do something!” Junpei growled, struggling to stand on his feet.

“H-How?! This cold is too strong!” Takeba snapped, equally frustrated.

“ Isn’t it better this way? ” That same voice from before chuckles. “ This is the right choice .”

The right choice…?

What is the right choice? To let this monorail crash into another? Taking lives and their own as well?

Death is something unavoidable, that much Ryoji knows. But…

“RAAAAAH!” Ryoji turned his head to Junpei, seeing him rush into the Shadow, knowing that if he did now he’ll be— Another… Death…

“ Child of Death. ”

The sight of a fire. The smell of burning flesh—

“ No! Junpei—! ” A surge of power welled up inside Ryoji, reaching out to Junpei to stop him.  

This power …

“ Because of your circumstance you were given the ability to wield the power of the Wild Card . And thus, this ability is yours to use as you see fit. ” Elizabeth’s voice echoed out in his head.

Ryoji grabbed Junpei’s arm, pulling him back and standing in front of them, pointing his evoker in his head, his chest thumping with a new name. The familiar breaking sound of glass resonated, its shards forming above Ryoji to reveal a new Persona, a fitting Persona to withstand the cold.

“ Jack Frost! ”

The small snow-creature jumped from its place above, floating in front of Ryoji and absorbing the cold that the Shadow was producing. With Jack Frost absorbing frost, it left Ryoji not able to do anything, but it gives them a chance .

“I can’t hold out long.” Ryoji informed them, keeping his stance with Jack Frost before turning to them. “I’m counting on you.”

Junpei got the message, his panicked disposition vanishing and was replaced with determination. And with one slice from Junpei’s Persona the Shadow in front of them was defeated, dispersing into a mess of red and black goop.

There’s a flutter somewhere, following him, before disappearing.

Everyone let out a gasp, easing their stances now that the enemy was gone, the adrenaline vanishing slowly.

“Did we make it in time?” Junpei asked, catching his breath.

They did, yes. But the train is still moving.

“W-Wait the rail’s still moving!” Takeba’s panicked voice stuttered. “We’re going too fast! We need to pull the brakes, o-or…!”

Or they’ll crash.

“You’re coming up on the next train, fast! Do something!” Kirijo’s voice urged them.

Everyone looked at each other. No one knew how to operate a train, of course. But they have to do something, anything .

He has to risk it.

Ryoji ran to the front of the train, seeing how fast they’re approaching the next train. He heard Junpei and Takeba scream before Ryoji pulled something , hearing the clashing sound of metal until…

The train halted to a stop, just before it collided with the next train.

Ryoji let out a deep sigh of relief, straightening his scarf before walking back out to the car, seeing Takeba and Junpei expecting the crash, shaking from fear.

“I’ve managed to stop it.” Ryoji informed them.

And like jack-in-a-boxes, they popped out of their stance quickly, letting out their own sighs of relief before almost collapsing back to the floor.

“Do you read me?! Are you all alright?!” Kirijo’s worried voice asked them.

“Y-Yeah, we’re all okay…” Takeba answered, voice shaky from the near death experience. “H-Haha… M-My knees are shaking…”

“I managed to stop the train.” Ryoji informed Kirijo.

“D-Dude I’m like, drenched in sweat !” Junpei commented, letting out another sigh.

Kirijo let out a relieved sigh. “I’m glad you are all safe. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more to help you all on my end.”

“It’s alright Kirijo-senpai. You did what you could.” assured Ryoji, shaking off the remaining ice crystals from his blazer and at the ends of his scarf.

Thank god it’s just small ice shards. It won’t really damage my scarf.

“I don’t detect any more Shadows. Well done, you three. You can come back to the station now.”

With that Kirijo ended the transmission, leaving them in silence with their breathing.

“W-Wait, how did you know which one was the brakes?” Takeba asked Ryoji.

Ryoji tilted his head at that. “It was… a wild guess. But it worked out in the end, right Takeba-san?”

“You calling me Takeba-san sounds wrong. Just call me Yukari, okay?” Takeba— Yukari chuckled, placing her hands behind her back. “You saved me again. Thanks.”

“It was nothing. Don’t worry about it Tak—Ah, Yukari-san.”

“Ah, you know after all that… Anyone wanna grab a bite to eat on the way? All that fighting and stuff made me hungry!”

As the three of them talked on the way back to the station, Ryoji felt the familiar warmth of a bond in his chest.

The boy’s words were true then, about this trial. 

This trial… What could this mean in the long run…

Ryoji dreams that night. A dream he could barely grasp.

There’s… laughter. Blurred voices surrounding him. He sees things blur past him, scenery passing by quickly.

There’s a hand on his, holding it tightly. The warmth of the hand is soothing and familiar.

Who… are you…?

Chapter Text

On their way to school Yukari commented about the fewer cases of Apathy Syndrome for the last few days. The news was talking less about it and more on the mundane things in life. Life was moving on as usual, like nothing happened and the Apathy Syndrome is just a passing occurrence.

“Senpai said that it’s probably because we beat that Shadow.” Yukari shrugged. From the tone of her voice it was obvious that she’s relieved.

“Yeah. It’s thanks to our hard work.” Ryoji nodded, smiling at Yukari. A reassurance, one that he’s not too sure of.

Was it really thanks to them? It is true that after defeating that Shadow the news about Apathy Syndrome lessened. Perhaps it’s just an effect of that Shadow, but is it really thanks to them?

“It makes me so glad that we went through with it.” Yukari smiled back before turning a tad bit serious. “Though we can’t be celebrating just yet, since we still have midterms next week…”

Oh right. Midterms are still a thing. With their other extracurricular work, Ryoji almost forgot about that. One would think that fighting monsters during an unknown hour could get them a pass for normal mundane things such as school. In fictional books maybe, but this was reality. 

They were still students by the end of the day. 

He should study tonight then in preparation. He can’t let the scholarship go to waste.

“Let’s just hope nothing like that happens again until our midterms are over.” Yukari sighed.

“There’s no promises, but I hope so too. Midterms week is important.” Ryoji agreed with a nod. Important, at least for him.

Ryoji can balance his school grades with this extracurricular work and forming his bonds. He has to. He has no choice.

—

After classes, Junpei went up to Ryoji’s desk with a grin, a greeting already ready in his lips. 

“Hey Junpei.” Ryoji greeted the other with a wave of his hand.

“Yo!” Junpei greeted back, scratching the back of his head. “Y’know, after all that stuff and whatnot it seems like a good time for a breather, right? So how ‘bout we go out today?” 

That stuff and whatnot must be their extracurricular activities. Considering their first big ‘mission’ and with Junpei’s personality, Ryoji was not that surprised that Junpei was offering.

“So like… a celebratory outing?” Ryoji asked with a small smile, watching Junpei nod in confirmation.

“Yeah! A celebratory outing! And what better way to let loose after a night of successful battle than play video games, so let’s go hit up the arcade!”

The arcade. The last time he went to the arcade was when Junpei showed him around the first time, watching him fail at the crane game. It’s not a place he would go (alone at least) but if Junpei wants to—

“Sounds fun.” Ryoji agreed with a smile. “Let’s go then?”

“Sweet! Come on then!”

—

They arrived at Game Panic with Junpei in high spirits, ready to play the afternoon away. Ryoji was not a fan of crowded places and loud noises but he can tolerate them, especially with the company of someone else.

“I was wondering…” Junpei started, a hand on his chin in thought. “Y’think we could pick up some new moves from these fighting games? Like, can you imagine if we had a super badass special attack?”

Ryoji chuckled at Junpei’s enthusiasm. “It’s not a bad idea, but it’ll probably be hard to replicate.”

As with all fictional media, there’s a border between fiction and reality. Though thinking about it, them having Personas, fighting Shadows during the night and acting as normal high school students during the day. It’s not entirely fictional for them, even as crazy as it sounds. So, replicating something from an actual fictional media will be debatable at best.

“But imagine! We’d be so badass! Who doesn’t dream about bein’ a badass? Besides, our power’s gotta come from the heart, right?”

“That’s true, but Personas are part of our psyche, so I would say it needs more… mental powers?”

“And that’s why I think comics and games’ll give us a little inspiration. Right? It’s 100% mental powers!”

Junpei let out an excited chuckle, sitting down in a chair. “Seein’ those heroes in action, being so cool, pumps me up and helps me picture my fights better.”

Inspiration… it’s a weird place for inspiration but if it works on Junpei then Ryoji can’t say anything about that. Inspirations do come in weird places sometimes.

“Maybe they’ll even make a game about our adventures someday!”

“I would find it hard to believe.”

“C’monnnn. We’ve gone around saving people already! Like at the monorail! We kicked ass on that one, didn’t we? Imagine if someone knew what we did!”

“They wouldn’t believe us. And we did our best during the monorail mission… But it was no big deal honestly.”

“Psh— Actin’ all cool again aren’t ya. One day, I’ll be the cool one. Just you wait!”

“I look forward to that, Junpei.”

Ryoji has no doubt that Junpei would fulfill his word. He already showed that confidence at the monorail. Perhaps a little tweaking maybe, since he had too much confidence, but Ryoji has a feeling that Junpei will grow from there.

“... I’ll admit I wasn’t on my game before but next time I’m totally gonna knock it outta the park!” Junpei promised, his determination clear in his face.

Ryoji merely smiled and nodded at his words. “I look forward to it.”

“Heh, you’re really talkin’ like a leader! But seriously, I’m stealin’ the spotlight next time!”

I wouldn’t mind. It makes no difference to me anyways.

“But y’know… I really do wanna do my best.” Junpei’s voice toned down to a more mellow tone, serious. “These powers, our mission. I got a lotta good things goin’ for me. Y’know I’ve been really waitin’ for somethin’ like this. I feel like my life’s finally starting to go somewhere.”

… A direction in life… That drive to strive better. Ryoji has it, he thinks, he doesn’t want to disappoint people around him. So, he strives to be at least good at what he can do. ( He doesn’t want to get kicked out, that’s for sure )

“So I don’t plan on lettin’ you get the best of me just yet, ya hear? If you go screwin’ around, I might steal your role as leader!” Junpei held out a fist to Ryoji.

Ryoji looked at it for a moment, feeling almost too foreign with the act, before hesitantly reciprocating, lightly bumping his own fist at Junpei’s.

“Anyways! Let’s quit yappin’ and play some games! Our next enemy can wait. You and me are throwin’ it down here!”

Him and Junpei ended up playing on the arcade until it was dark out, Ryoji watching Junpei enjoy his time as Ryoji admittedly tried to keep up with Junpei’s enthusiasm.

—

Ryoji kept up with his bonds while also focusing on studying for the midterms the next week. It was admittedly easy for him. If Ryoji didn’t have any pressing matters in the afternoon, they would go to Tartarus at night; then if he had to spend time with someone in the afternoon, he'd study at night. 

Rinse and repeat.

—

Ryoji went back to the dorms after studying in the library, deciding to dedicate the weekend to solely studying for the upcoming midterms. It seemed like a good route to take, and it gives the others time to study too (or do whatever they want).

“Welcome back.” Kirijo greeted him by the entrance.

“Good evening, Kirijo-senpai.” Ryoji greeted back with a smile and a wave of his hand.

“The exams are coming up. Have you been studying enough for it?” Figures Kirijo-senpai would ask.

“I have. I’ve been finding time to study as much as I can.” He’s on scholarship after all, it won’t do well on him to fail.

“That’s good to hear. However, if you are having any trouble with materials I still have my second-year materials, I can help you with anything you’re unsure of.”

That sounded too good to be true, in Ryoji’s opinion. He’s almost reluctant to accept the offer. “Would it be alright with you?”

Kirijo chuckled with a small smile. “I wouldn’t be offering if I wasn’t. We might as well take advantage of living in the same dorm, after all. We should help each other where we can.”

Ryoji nodded at that. She has a point, and if Kirijo doesn’t mind then it’s no problem, right? Like she said, she’s offering.

“I’m also helping Akihiko with his studies at the moment but you’re welcome to join in. You can even learn some materials in advance.”

There was barely any hesitation when Ryoji accepted right after, taking the opportunity to learn advanced materials. Kirijo led him to the dining table where a studying Sanada was seated…? He looked… struggling?

Sanada waved at Ryoji with a shaky ‘hey’ before Ryoji sat beside him, deciding not to mind his senior before putting out his notebooks and pen to start studying.

They studied together in relative silence, once in a while asking questions to be answered and pointing out things to make remembering easier. Sanada and Kirijo were going over their notes together, being the same year level, while Ryoji was left studying his own materials.

Looking over at Sanada Ryoji noticed the struggling more, even seeing sweat beading down his senior’s face. It was getting concerning, honestly.

“Uh… Sanada-senpai, you’re sweating a lot.” Ryoji pointed out.

“Hm?” Sanada looked at Ryoji and gave him a grin. “Well, you know how it is…”

No I don’t, Sanada-senpai… Ryoji nodded in understanding anyways.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Kirijo asked, a concerned look on her face. “You seem to be out of breath…”

Sanada waved off Kirijo’s concern. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. More importantly, why not help with Arisato’s studies since he did miss the first week of his classes.”

Kirijo looked conflicted but ultimately nodded at Sanada’s explanation, looking over at Ryoji who instinctively smiled at her. 

“Let me get my notes from last year.” Kirijo excused herself, quickly going up the stairs to get said material.

Ryoji continued with his own notes in the meantime, waiting for Kirijo to come back. She didn’t take too long as she was back to her chair with a notebook in hand.

“Here.” Kirijo held out the notebook to Ryoji. “Feel free to use them as you see fit.”

Ryoji took the notebook in his hand and was promptly amazed at how neat and tidy Kirijo’s notes are. As expected of the Student Council President, I suppose…

Sanada pointed out Ryoji’s thoughts, finding her notes more understandable than the textbooks they had (which it was , the notes had condensed bullet points of each topic, so easy to understand). Kirijo pointed out that she is particular with her note-taking which led to Ryoji asking those particulars to do it himself. She has a really efficient way of reviewing materials and it will truly do Ryoji good in his studies.

“Thank you for the tips.” Ryoji thanked Kirijo with a smile and a slight bow. Kirijo brushed off his thanks, promising to teach him more of her study techniques next time which he appreciates.

“Mitsuru’s right. Efficiency is key.” Sanada nodded, still looking like he’s struggling on something. “We’re all given the same amount of time. It’s how well you can manage it that can set you and others apart.”

Time waits for no one. Ryoji remembered that boy’s words. It truly applies to everything, doesn't it.

Kirijo nodded at that. “Not even a second of time should be wasted. And on that note, shall we return to our studies?”

It was easier for Ryoji to study more after that, immediately putting the tips Kirijo told him to use, making a study note way easier, faster, and coherent than before.

There’s a thump beside him, followed by ragged breathing and a sigh of relief. “All right, done!”

Ryoji looked over at Sanada to see him drenched in sweat. He and Kirijo were understandably concerned.

“Sanada-senpai are you okay?” Ryoji asked just as Kirijo asked the same question herself.

“I’m fine. I’m fine!” Sanada assured them with a triumphant grin. “I’ve just been squatting over my chair this whole time. I wanted to challenge myself to hold it until I was done with your notes. Working out while studying is quite an efficient use of my time, right?”

Kirijo lets out an exasperated sigh, a hand on her forehead. “Why are you like this…? I thought I told you not to push yourself until you’re fully recovered!”

Then Kirijo looked at Ryoji, still sporting an exasperated look. “Don’t follow his example, alright? If you take efficiency too far, it’ll backfire on you.”

Ryoji promptly nodded at that, taking that advice to his mind.

They ended their study lesson there, getting a fair amount of progress with their studies and seeing as it was getting late.

—

There was another study session in the dining room when Ryoji got back the next day. He could hear Junpei pleading to Yukari about helping him with his notes. With how Yukari almost whined, Ryoji thought that Junpei didn't have complete notes for their classes (or at all, based on the answer Ryoji heard).

As a leader, I should help my teammates… Right? He was going to study anyway. This is killing two birds with one stone.

Deciding to help Yukari and get his study on, Ryoji went to the dining table and sat beside Junpei.

“I have notes from class. You can cross reference if you want.” Ryoji informs them, pulling out his notebooks.

“Man, you're a lifesaver!” Junpei thanked him, clapping his hand together in thanks. “Kirijo-senpai has been getting on my case about my grades! She was like: ‘if you fail your midterms, there will be punishment!’ and damn did I fear for my life for a second there!”

“That’s because Kirijo-senpai is one of the top students.” Yukari sighed, leaning on her hand. “But she still has a point.”

“Sooo that’s why, you guys are my only hope!”

“You can start by taking this seriously, you know. You’ve been distracted this whole time.”

“Hey! I’m not distracted! As they say: it pays to be prepared! Gotta get myself in the mood, right? A good study session needs a clean and organized workspace and the right mood!” Junpei puffed out his chest and grins. “And so to set that mood, I, Iori Junpei, will volunteer!”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.” Ryoji chuckled, opening his notebook to the lessons he didn’t manage to cover last night. 

Junpei clearly ignored Ryoji’s words, chuckling to himself as he glanced at Ryoji. “Alright! You there, young man! What lecture would you like to hear from the great Junpei ? History? Arithmetic? Literature? Anything at all!”

Most of those things he already studied over, but for the sake of indulging Junpei he shrugs. “How about Literature then?”

“Literature huh…” Junpei hums, thinking over what to say. “Then have you ever read the famous dystopian science fiction novel ‘1984’?”

Ryoji chuckled (an appropriate reaction, right?) as he half-listened as Junpei went into his ‘lesson’, nodding once in a while to show that he’s listening. Ms. Toriumi definitely didn’t make a lesson about what Junpei was saying, it became obvious that Junpei is just trying to break them off from actually studying. Yukari was not amused, looking at Junpei with a frown.

Yukari lets out an exasperated sigh. “I’d like to close the book on this chapter.”

“Hey! We all need that breather sometimes!” Junpei turned to Ryoji, looking at him expectantly. “So what’d ya think about the great Junpei’s lecture, Ryoji?”

What did he think? Ryoji wasn’t really listening, honestly. But he knows Junpei did this for a reason, so…

“It’s a nice change of pace.” Ryoji decided with a smile, letting out a small chuckle to further make it believable.

“Right? Can’t have a good study session without a good ol’ break!” Junpei puffed his chest at that, grinning wide.

“Don’t let yourself get infected by Junpei’s influence, Ryoji-kun.” Yukari sighed, looking at Ryoji with a slight frown before facing Junpei, pointing at him with her pencil. “If we keep humoring you, it’s going to impact our studies too.”

Then Yukari looked thoughtful, tapping her pencil on her notebook. “Or… we can let you fail and see what Kirijo-senpai’s ‘punishment’ is like firsthand…”

That got Junpei visibly worried, face paling at the mention of Kirijo’s punishment. “Wait, wait, wait! I was kidding! I’ll get serious, I promise! Don’t leave me!”

With a brief laughter, they got back to studying. Ryoji and Yukari answer Junpei’s questions and explain them in easy to digest words. Ryoji would say it was a successful study group, even with  Junpei’s attempts to derail them from studying

—

Kirijo arranged another study group for all of them the next day, the day before midterms. Who was he to deny the invitation when he already planned for the weekend to be reserved for his studying. It was easy to get back up to his room to get his notebooks and join them on the dining table.

Kirijo was proving to be a good teacher, to Junpei at least, or tried to, seeing as he was staring at nowhere.

Ryoji tried to keep to himself unless necessary and continued studying. There were questions of materials, Kirijo asking Junpei questions and snapping him back to reality. It was a normal study session, as he had for the past two days. It was strangely weird, now that Ryoji thinks about it. Almost domestic.

“Psst, Ryoji.” Junpei nudged Ryoji on his shoulders, fully catching his attention. “You smell that? It’s insane…”

Ryoji took a moment to smell anything, finding nothing particularly catching. “Uh, smell what exactly?”

“You know what I mean! There’s a floral scent coming from Kirijo-senpai’s direction…” Junpei trailed off with a grin.

“I know what you mean.” Sanada pipped in, nodding. “To be honest, I can’t get enough of it.”

It left Ryoji more confused. Junpei went off describing how elegant the smell was and Sanada going off-tangent with saying how mouth watering the smell was, something akin to… food? Turns out they were talking about two different things. Sanada has actually heated up a beef bowl for a late-night snack. Junpei and Sanada went off while Ryoji just went back to studying, not particularly hungry or distracted from any smell. That was when Kirijo finally noticed them talking about food and promptly reminding them that they can’t eat until they’ve gotten their work done.

At least with the promise of a beef bowl, Junpei got motivated to study harder.

—

The first semester midterms came and went easily. Ryoji, having studied for the exam (probably too much for a normal student’s standard), was confident that he had answered the questions correctly. He has to, if not perfectly then at least enough to pass.

On the last day of the exams, Ryoji and Sanada went to school together.

“Oh, by the way.” Sanada started as they arrived at the school gate. “If the doctor gives me the OK today, I’ll be able to fight with you all.”

Ryoji nods at that. Sanada was clearly excited to get back to the front lines.

“I have a favor to ask.” Sanada continued, looking at Ryoji seriously. “You’ve been doing a good job being the field leader so I want you to keep it up, that way I can focus on getting stronger and getting back on my feet. What do you say?”

Ryoji had already accepted that he’d probably stay as the field leader for exploring Tartarus, with him and his ability to use multiple Personas, so at this point Ryoji just doesn’t mind at all. In fact he expects it.

“I’ve already talked about it with Mitsuru and she said she was fine with it.”

If he also consulted Kirijo with it then there’s really no other choice now, is there?

“I’ll do my best, Sanada-senpai.”

—

The doctor did give Sanada the OK and the senior informed them at the lounge, now ready to get back in their ranks. Yukari is understandably worried about Sanada’s arm reinjuring but Sanada assures that he’s fine and he needs to get back up on his feet in terms of fighting.

“Besides, we found another Persona-user.” Sanada informs them.

Junpei immediately perks up at that, interested. “We did?! Are they… a girl?”

Why does it need to be a girl? Ryoji thinks, side-eyeing Junpei who was leaning closer to Sanada.

“Yeah.” Sanada nods, crossing his arms. “She’s also a second-year student who goes to Gekkoukan.”

Another second-year student from Gekkoukan. Why does Ryoji have a feeling that it was related to the class roster they delivered to him before.

“What’s her name?” Junpei asked, clearly too excited to learn more about their new teammate.

“Yamagishi Fuuka. Do any of you know her?” Sanada answered.

“Yamagishi? I think she’s in class E…” Yukari trailed off, arms crossed, thinking. That roster was of 2-E, wasn’t it? “I don’t see her at school very much. She gets sick a lot, from what I hear.”

“Is this related to the roster we gave you before, Sanada-senpai?” Ryoji asks, to which Sanada nodded in confirmation.

“She was at the same hospital as me, that’s how we found her. Considering her health, she probably won’t be able to fight with us.” Sanada frowns, the disappointment obvious in his face. “It’s too bad, we had an evoker ready for her too…”

In certain circumstances they won’t be able to recruit others then. Ryoji is as healthy as he could be and they saw him fight beforehand, so he has no excuse to back off. It’s good to know they have consideration though.

Junpei wilted at that news, whining about giving up so early for her. It’s not really giving up on her though, it was consideration out of anything.

But if it was something health related they can’t really do much about it. At least she gets a choice.

—

School days come and go once more, Ryoji sticking to his schedules and keeping a balance between making and maintaining bonds and fighting in Tartarus. Having Sanada on the team made exploration more easier and frankly efficient for them, he can pack a punch when necessary, literally and with his Persona.

Almost every day Ryoji hears rumors floating around school, in the whispers of students by the foot locker or near his seat, just within earshot. They were of random topics, ghost stories, old rumors, just about anything students could get their hands on.

At this point Ryoji is just waiting for the day that those rumors will be about him . 

It’s only a matter of time at this point.

—

“Did you see Junpei run off earlier than usual?” Yukari asks Ryoji while they’re on their way to school.

“I did. He looked like he was in a hurry. Did something happen?” Ryoji answers, thinking about what happened.

Junpei looked like the world was about to end when he bolted out of the dorms with barely the time to greet him in the lounge or wait for either him or Yukari, just as Yukari herself was walking down the stairs. It was a rare sight, considering they had to wait for Junpei most of the time to travel to school together.

“It’s probably because the midterm scores are going to be up today.” Yukari shrugs with a sigh. “I heard him talk to himself yesterday about begging the teachers to give him a higher score before they posted the results. As if that’ll work.”

Ryoji chuckled at that, easily seeing Junpei do what Yukari said. It’s not beyond Junpei, Ryoji thinks.

“By the way, you remember the girl Sanada-senpai was talking about? Yamagishi-san?” Ryoji hums in question, looking over at Yukari curiously. “I heard she has a weak constitution but apparently that’s just a rumor.”

A rumor. Everything begins in rumors… Ryoji knows that. Rumors get people curious and they start to dig more and more until—

“I wonder what she’s really like…” Yukari trailed off, looking up at the sky in thought. Curious. “Having more people join us in our fight is good news, right?”

“Should be.” Ryoji shrugs with a chuckle, tugging the edge of his scarf.

It should be. It really should be.

—

There’s a rumor going around about bullying. Someone in the same grade as Ryoji was being bullied and it sounds quite serious. It’s unfortunately nothing new to Ryoji but hearing it makes Ryoji wonder why people bully other people. For entertainment? For amusement? A sense of authority? Ryoji doesn’t understand it really, people have different reasons. 

Either way it doesn’t give Ryoji a good feeling. It felt like the beginning of something.

—

“Hey I’ve heard something about Arisato-kun from my friend.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“My friend told me that apparently he’s a child of Death! Everywhere he goes, Death follows.”

“W-What?! But Arisato-kun looks so innocent!”

“That’s what my friend said too! But it’s apparently true! She said he kept changing schools because someone in his current residence died every single time!”

“T-That’s… Yikes… That’s so scary… that changes my perspective of Arisato-kun a lot…”

“Be careful when you interact with him! You’re classmates right? I hope his curse doesn’t rub on you!”

“Gosh! I do hope not! I don’t want anyone in my family to die!”

—

Ryoji noticed how people seemed to start to avoid him. It started off gradually, slowly, then he couldn't help but notice it all.

It happened first in the shoe locker when he’s changing out his shoes. Students who were near him hastily put on their school shoes before running off, sometimes not even putting their shoes on properly before they bolted, tripping on their own feet and shoes. Next was during class, he could practically feel everyone try to move away from him and his desk, even his deskmate was scooting farther and farther away from him, giving him nervous glances, and most of his classmates immediately bolted away from him when the bell rang.

They think they’re slick but Ryoji hears the whispers, familiar whispers.

“Child of Death.”

“He’s the Child of Death.”

Ryoji knows what happened. He had been expecting it.

And so it begins .

—

He’s so used to being left alone, not even getting a message on his phone other than spam mails, that Ryoji was surprised when he got a message from Sanada, asking if he would like to join him on eating out for dinner.

Hasn’t he heard of the rumors? Ryoji thinks, looking at the message curiously. Or maybe… the rumor hasn’t spread yet to his peers.

Nonetheless, it would be a good opportunity to spend time with his senior, and perhaps he could bond with him too. So Ryoji accepted, sending a message that he’s on his way and went off to Iwatodai Station where Sanada was waiting for him.

“Yo, Arisato.” Sanada greeted him with a wave and a smile.

“Sanada-senpai.” Ryoji greeted back with a nod and a smile. “What’s the occasion?”

“Well I’ve gotten a lot of my edge back since I’ve been able to focus on my training again. You’ve really stepped up as our leader, so tonight’s on me.”  Sanada pats his shoulder (and Ryoji took everything in him not to flinch at the sudden touch), smiling at him softly. “You’ve got enough responsibility as it is. And I’ve been meaning to thank you for that.”

“O-Oh—” Ryoji’s eyes widened at that before waving his hand, dismissing the offer with an apologetic smile. “No it’s alright! I’m just doing as told! I can handle my share!”

“It’s fine. I’m offering, aren't I?” Sanada chuckled at Ryoji’s response, a hand on his hip. “Most people would jump at the prospect of free food, Iori definitely would.”

Junpei definitely would. He would be over the moon with Sanada praising him, feeding his ego and stomach at the same time. Junpei probably deserve all of these praises than him—

“I knew I had a good feeling about you, you really are something else. But don’t push yourself too hard, alright?” What is the barrier of ‘pushing yourself too hard’? “If you need anything, let me know. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Please. Really.” Ryoji chuckles, feeling unworthy of the praises Sanada is saying.

He’s just… there. He’s learning and adapting. It was nothing special. He’s nothing special.

I’ll do whatever I can to help. He had heard that phrase so many times, not only from his teammates, acquaintances, and such, but also from his relatives in the past. “We’ll do our best to help you.” But in the end they simply ship him off to the next relative and the next until he’s ultimately dumped into foster care. They don’t care.

Ryoji shook his head mentally, removing the bubbling memories in his mind before nodding in acknowledgement despite not truly understanding anything. If it stops Sanada from throwing more words at him he’ll reluctantly agree to whatever Sanada has in plan for them tonight.

“E-Excuse me…!”

Ryoji and Sanada turned to see a pair of females walking up to them. Turns out they were fans of Sanada and they started fawning over his senior, in which Ryoji didn’t mind. Ryoji watches as Sanada gently lets them down, refusing a photo from them but they keep talking to him, asking so-and-so until they are getting a crowd.

In the end they had to run from the fans before they could really amass a crowd, thankfully the fans didn’t follow them.

“I’ve had this problem at school but I didn’t expect it’ll happen out here too.” Sanada sighs, looking a bit troubled. “It’s probably because of those interviews, or those rumors online. I’ve gotten a whole lot of attention as I’ve kept my winning streak.”

“That sounds rough, Sanada-senpai.” Ryoji hums, trying to sympathize with his senior. In truth he can sympathize, but not in the same way as Sanada gets his spotlight.

Sanada nods at that, shaking his head with a frown. “You can say that again. Jeez, they’re treating me like some animal attraction in a zoo for everyone to gawk at.”

Being treated like that sounds awful and Ryoji knows it, experienced it even. He had experienced it in his past schools, in his foster homes. The rumors, the scrutiny, he was never away from people’s eyes but at the same time he’s invisible to their sight and minds.

He would rather be invisible to people in that situation than be the center of everything.

“All I want is to be as strong as I can.” Sanada trails off, looking at Ryoji with determination in his eyes. “I want to train hard and feel real pride in my strength. But it seems I only get more trouble than pride.”

“It comes with the spotlight, I suppose.” Ryoji points out, tugging his scarf to his face.

“That’s true.” Sanada sighs before looking around the parameter, letting out another sigh, this time out of relief. “Looks like they’ve given up. Come on, let’s head out to eat, for real this time. We only have so many hours left in the day.”

Ryoji thought it would be the end of seeing Sanada’s spotlight until they crossed the street to the strip mall, overhearing some thugs nearby. It sounded dire, and the thugs were truly pushing the limits of their victim.

“Aren’t those the same girls from earlier?” Ryoji pointed out, recognizing their clothes.

They were surrounded by thugs. It didn't bode well for the two girls as the thugs continued to push them. Sanada wordlessly walked towards the group, Ryoji feeling anger fuming from his senior as they approached the group.

“... Hey.” Sanada spoke up, not a single drop of fear in his voice. “Leave them alone. You don’t want the police to get involved, do you?”

“Huh? Who the hell’re you?” one of the thugs grumbles as all of them look at Sanada, giving the girls a chance to run away.

“What? Wanna call the cops?” another one grumbles, looking so high and mighty. “Quit tryin’ to act like a big man, little punk.”

“Yeah.” the leader huffs, cracking his knuckles. “It’s time for you to piss off! ”

The leader delivered a right hook, only to be easily dodged by Sanada. It might be due to their excursions from Tartarus or the fruit of Sanada’s own training. Ryoji will admit it was cool to see. But with that dodge it only made the group agitated, that is until one of them recognized Sanada’s moves. He offers Sanada for a few rounds, the want and need to put ‘someone’ in their ‘place’.

“Sanada-senpai.” Ryoji mumbles under his breath, looking over at Sanada worriedly.

Sanada didn’t respond and the thugs took it as an act of fear. It’s obviously a taunt, one he and Sanada noticed.

Sanada looked over at him with a grumble, a hand on his hip. “See? Nothing but trouble. Stay here. I’ll be done in a minute.”

He’s serious…?

There were more taunts thrown, ones that Ryoji knows are just that: taunts.

Until they hear the police call out to them. The thugs dispersed, obviously fearing the police while Ryoji and Sanada stayed in their places until they were called to them. They tried to explain that it wasn’t their fault and it was those thugs that started it but without other witnesses it was hard to convince the officers to just let them be.

“You’re high school students, right? We’ll need your contact information to notify your parents about this.” the police officer spoke. 

Distantly, Ryoji thinks: ‘I’ve lost my parents. I have no official guardians. I wonder who they are going to talk to.’

“If I could butt in…” a familiar voice called out, an officer walking up to them.

“Kurosawa-san!” Sanada calls out.

As quick as Kurosawa arrived the matter was dropped, Kurosawa explaining that he will be taking over for them.

Once the two officers were gone Kurosawa sighs, looking over at both Ryoji and Sanada. “I don’t know what’s going on but you better not be starting any trouble.”

“It wasn’t our fault.” Ryoji repeated his statement, the one he keeps telling the two other officers.

“Then why did we get a report from two ladies saying that you were being attacked by a group of punks?” Kurosawa grumbled.

Oh, those two girls went to the police after they escaped.

“They wanted to test my strength. I was just giving them what they wanted.” Sanada answered with a shrug, simple as that.

“In the middle of a public street? ” Kurosawa grumbles, shaking his head. “You need to think things through, kid.”

Kurosawa reminded them that he’s an officer of the law, and he sees no difference between them and other civilians, if they disturb the peace then it’s fair game.

“As you can see, your friend here is a bit of a hothead.” Kurosawa grumbles, looking at Ryoji. A friend . Sanada was his senior, not a friend. “I know it won’t be easy but try and keep an eye on him, would you?”

Ryoji merely nods. “I’ll keep an eye on him.” As the scout leader.

“Those are some bold words. But thanks.” Sanada chuckles, looking over Ryoji with a grin. “My arm’s healed and we’ve got more dependable people now. There’s no better time to test my strength, especially now that we have someone like you. We really lucked out.”

“You’re also dependable, Sanada-senpai.” Ryoji commented, brushing off the complement.

“Even so. I’ll keep honing my skills. That way, I can put down anyone I face with my own two hands.”

Ryoji hears Kurosawa sigh, something along the lines of ‘you never changed’ before looking at them again. “In any case, don’t get in over your heads. I have a hunch that the guys you ran into were from a gang that’s been active recently. Just be careful. You don’t want to get on their bad side because once you’re on it, there’s no going back.”

Ryoji and Sanada nod at that information. A gang, huh…

“It’s getting late. You’d better head home.” Kurosawa told them before leaving without another word.

Sanada sighs. “So much for eating out. It’s been non-stop interruptions.”

“It’s unavoidable.” Ryoji assures with a wave of his hand. “There’s always next time, senpai.”

“That’s true, but still sorry about this. I’ll treat you some other time, hopefully with no interruptions.” Sanada rolls his shoulders. “Now, I’m gonna do some jogging on the way back. Wanna join?”

Somehow Ryoji is not surprised that Sanada offered that. “Um… Sure…?”

“Good answer. It’s dark so watch out for cars. I’m going to run ahead, just follow at your own pace!”

And without warning Sanada went off, and man was he fast. Ryoji was struggling a bit to catch up to Sanada, who looked back once in a while to watch him with a competitive grin.

Ryoji distantly thinks that maybe he should’ve gone to the track team instead of kendo.

—

“Did you hear about that second-year student?”

“The one they found lying in front of the school gate this morning? Hopefully she just ran away from home… But I feel like this is the start of something big…”

“Yeah… there might be reporters and camera crews and stuff. Sounds like a pain…”

“H-Hey... Do you think… What happened to that student is related to Arisato-kun’s curse…?”

“Who knows but it’s scary to think about… The Child of Death… Maybe I’ll keep my distance from Arisato-kun… I don’t want to be next!”

—

Ryoji overhears some of his classmates talking to each other before homeroom.

“Did you hear about that girl in 2-E?” one female student whispers.

It’s probably a rumor… Ryoji thinks, sitting on his desk. Which rumor, he has a feeling…

“Yeah! I heard they have no idea what had happened…” the other female student whispers back, quickly glancing at Ryoji before turning back to her friend. “Maybe it’s that curse… Y’know? With—”

“Man, everyone’s been talkin’ about it!” Junpei sighs from beside him, snapping Ryoji’s attention away from the gossiping girls, sitting on his desk quite heavily. “People sure do have a lotta time on their hands.”

“It’s just a rumor, right?” Ryoji mumbles, pulling up his scarf to his face.

“Is it a rumor if they found that girl lying in front of the school gate? ” Junpei shrugs, leaning back on his chair to look at the ceiling. “The girl’s from 2-E and she was reported missing while she was out late last night. Then she was seen in the morning there at the gate! Nobody knows what happened, and supposedly she’s still unconscious now. They said it’s a ghost or something. Hell there were talks about it being your fault!”

Ryoji winced at that. So it is about him. The inevitable happened. It was inevitable. Until when will they make the connection? Until when can he stay at the dorms? Should he start packing?

“Morning.” Yukari greeted them with a yawn. They greeted back, Junpei with a cheery ‘morning’ and Ryoji with a wave of his hand in silent greeting.

The conversation about the rumors continued between the two of them, Ryoji tuning out to most of it, playing with the hems of his scarf. He really is a cursed child…

“Man, this is a tough case, even for Iori Junpei, Ace Detective.” Junpei sighs, bringing Ryoji back to attention, a hand on his hip as he looks too thoughtful.

At that exclamation Ryoji could only think of one thing. “You’ve been snooping around?” 

Junpei’s expression going through multiple emotions at his question answered Ryoji’s question. Somewhat, but not as much as a detective probably would.

“Ha? Ace Detective ?” repeated Yukari with a frown, not buying it. “More like Stupei, Ace Defective.”

“Hey! Where’d that come from?!”

Yukari lets out a small laugh, hiding it behind her hand as Junpei sighs, scratching the back of his head with a grumble.

“Anyways, I haven’t seen you all morning. Where’ve you been?” Junpei asks Yukari,

“I was talking to the teacher.” Yukari answers with a shrug. “That girl they found. I saw her yesterday on my way back from practice. She seemed fine then.”

Junpei lets out a hum at that, unsure if he had connected something or just adding that information… somewhere.

Either way it’s not Ryoji’s business, even though some people are already accusing him.

Until when can he stay? When will they kick him out for this…?

—

Ryoji got back to the dorm, planning on making something quick to eat when he passed by Yukari by the counter.

“Welcome back.” Yukari greeted him with a nod. “Did you hear the rumor going around school?”

“There’s more rumors?” Ryoji asks, not really curious but almost surprised at the information.

“ Apparently! I mean, c’mon, a ghost story? You’d think they’d be old enough to know ghosts aren’t real…” Yukari grumbles, crossing her arms and looking away. She implies that she doesn’t believe the rumors but the way she holds onto her arms tightly says otherwise. She’s trying to keep up a brave face. “Anyway, uh… I’m feeling kind of uneasy all of a sudden, so I think I’ll go to bed early.”

Ryoji watches as Yukari climbs up the stairs, holding on to the railings tighter than one should.

“It seems Takeba-kun has a sixth sense when it comes to Shadows.” Ikutsuki comments from his place on the couch. “Actually, it’s quite common. Dealing with Shadows has a tendency to enhance other… senses.”

Ryoji just nodded at Ikutsuki’s comment, keeping it in mind before doing as he had planned and made a quick meal before climbing up the stairs, hearing Yukari and Junpei talk.

“Oh my god, Stupei shut up! Now I’m never gonna get some sleep tonight…” Yukari grumbles as Ryoji arrives at the top of the stairs.

“Well then I guess I should take responsibility and come by your room tonight to check on you andddd—”

“‘And’ what exactly?” Yukari glares at Junpei, crossing her arms. “Do I need to call the police? Or, better yet, Kirijo-senpai? ”

“Wait, wait! Hold on! I was gonna say, ‘and sing you a lullaby’! It was just a joke!”

Junpei notices Ryoji coming up to them and waved him over. “Are you hearing this? Yuka-tan’s way too scared of nothing! It’s not like any of that is real.”

“Sometimes we just get some irrational fears.” Ryoji shrugs, sitting down beside Junpei.

“It’s not an irrational fear!” Yukari grumbles, looking at Ryoji. “Ghosts aren’t real and they can’t cause harm!... Right?”

It sounded like Yukari was just saying that to calm herself. Ryoji just shrugged, poking at his food. “Can’t confirm nor deny.”

“You were supposed to be on my side!” Yukari huffs, pouting at Ryoji.

“Well. Some rumors are also of this guy, so, what really is real.” Junpei shrugs, nudging at Ryoji teasingly.

Ryoji didn’t feel the camaraderie nor the tease, only the familiar feeling of numbness at it. They know of the rumors now. Come next week Junpei won’t be as friendly with him as before and Yukari will move away at the sight of him, just as his peers are doing right now. He’s expecting the inevitable soon, since the rumors are out. It’s a matter of when now.

“I heard of those rumors. Child of Death , it’s silly.” Yukari shook her head. “It’s just baseless accusations and just rumors . There’s no way that’s real. Don’t mind them, okay Ryoji-kun?”

Yeah… no way that’s real… right now anyways…

—

The talk about that girl was still relevant the day after and was spreading fast based on what Junpei was telling Ryoji. Apparently the girl they found was one of those girls who Yukari overheard talking about bullying someone. Though it might be unrelated, it was disturbingly easy to connect. Kirijo seemed like she’s on the case too, seeing as she’s the Student Council President.

It wasn’t about anything relating to the Shadows, at least not explicitly, this was something relating to the student’s well being and surely as the student council president Kirijo won’t let that slide.

—

It was time to switch to their summer uniforms, the short sleeves were almost unfamiliar and uncomfortable to Ryoji, feeling wind in his arms will need some getting used to for him, that’s for sure. But he thinks as long as he has his scarf with him he’ll be fine. It’ll be loose enough that it’s not too hot for him so there’s no risk of him getting a heat stroke or anything. He just needs the familiar feeling around his neck, that comfortable weight and cover.

It should be fine, right?

Apparently his dormmate didn’t think of the same.

“Are you seriously going to school with your scarf? ” Yukari asked Ryoji after he went down from his room to the lounge where she was waiting for him, seeing her usual pink cardigan wrapped around her waist. “It’s so hot out! I get sweaty just seeing you like that.”

“Yes…?” Ryoji answered, head tilting to the side. He understands that it looks hot but he’s barely hot in his ensemble.

“But isn’t it like… you know, unbearably hot for you?”

Ryoji shook his head, holding on to his scarf. He won’t remove it. Yukari looked over at him, trying to see if he’s uncomfortable but Ryoji stayed firm, looking back at Yukari. She lets out a sigh putting a hand on her hip.

“Don’t blame me if you get a heatstroke…”

Ryoji could immediately hear the whispers and stares as they walked to school, the familiar feeling of people staring at him like daggers trying to pierce themselves into his body. He doesn’t look at their direction, knowing it will just get worse for him if he did.

“Scarf? In summer?”

“It’s Arisato-kun. Maybe the rumors are true since… you know, Death is said to be cold—”

“So he’s perpetually cold?!”

“Maybe…”

“Do you think Arisato-san is cold to the touch then? Like… as cold as a corpse?”

“Maybe!”

“Ignore them.” Yukari sighs, rolling her eyes at the whispering students. “What’s wrong with wearing a scarf? Jeez all I’m worried about is you passing out from the heat.”

That’s not the point…

“Yo, Yuka-tan! Ryoji…! The hell dude?” Junpei ran up to them, looking at Ryoji with a confused and concerned look. “Aren’t you hot in that?!”

“That’s what I asked him! He’ll get a heatstroke sooner or later!” Yukari huffs.

“You could have… I dunno, wrap it around your waist or something if you really don’t wanna let it go? Or have an alternative?” Junpei suggested.

Ryoji shook his head, tugging at his scarf. “I don’t want to.”

There’s another round of trying to convince Ryoji to remove his scarf and again Ryoji stays firm, gently letting them down. He doesn’t want to part with his scarf, even in summer. It’s not a choice he’ll take. Junpei and Yukari let out a sigh, opting to give Ryoji a reminder to remove it when it gets too hot for him to which he merely nodded, knowing he won’t do that.

“Everyone seems restless lately…” Yukari noted with a frown, looking around and seeing people whispering at each other still.

“Prolly ‘cause of the rumors. There’s a lot floating around.” Junpei shrugs, not so subtly glancing at Ryoji. Rumors about Ryoji. Junpei seems to imply.

Ryoji shrugs at that, hiding half of his face in his scarf. “It’s probably because of the rumors.”

—

The team decided to hold a meeting about the rumors, seeing the school restless and the severity of the rumors they can’t really pass it off as a coincidence considering the Shadows with the Apathy Syndrome, trying to see if it’s connected to the Shadows or just something within their normal school.

“Hey Yuka-tan, have you ever checked out the student message boards and stuff?” Junpei suddenly asked Yukari. “Y’know how just last week that girl was found by the front gate? Well, now they’re sayin’ it was an angry spirit from this one ghost story that did it!”

“C’mon, nobody really believes that stuff… Right…?” Yukari responded, her wavering voice betraying her confidence.

“What’s this ghost story about?” Kirijo asks, which surprised Yukari and got her to stammer out that it was probably made up, trying not to get into the details.

It was obviously an excuse to not proceed further, more for Yukari’s sake. But it was already too late, the seniors were interested. Junpei immediately went into narration of the story in a… rather unique way of telling a story. (Since when did Junpei carry a flashlight with him?)

A rumor about a ghost roaming the halls at night, when everyone is gone, and devours anyone it sees. Junpei spoke of ‘witnesses’, someone who saw the girl from 2-E and claimed that the witness watched her go into the school on the night before the incident. Rumor says that the ghost truly claimed the girl as a victim, that’s why she was found unconscious at school.

It sounds far-fetched, but it was worth investigating according to Sanada.

“So you’re afraid of ghosts huh, Yuka-tan? Didn’t know you were such a chicken.” Junpei teased Yukari, nudging her arm.

It angered Yukari, slamming her hand on the table and making Ryoji flinch at the suddenness of it. “Who’re you calling a chicken?! Fine then! Let’s investigate it! Each of us will ask around for the rest of the week and gather information. This ghost story is just a bunch of nonsense! I’ll show you!”

There was a moment of silence as Yukari’s words sinked in, Ryoji sighing at the additional responsibility as Kirijo lets out a chuckle.

“Sounds good to me.” Kirijo nods, her seal of approval for the plan. “The story is a bit unnerving, no?”

“We’ll leave it to your guys’ care then.” Sanada nods, a bit of amusement in his eyes. “It would’ve been too scary for me.”

Yukari seemed to realize her words and started to wilt as the gravity of what she proclaimed finally caught up to her.

“Fine! These two are helping anyway.” Yukari huffs, looking pointedly at Ryoji and Junpei.

Well that sealed their fates.

Once the meeting was dismissed Yukari immediately went to the public computer, definitely to find something about the ghost story, leaving Ryoji and Junpei behind.

“Takeba seems pretty serious.” Sanada pointed out with a hum. “Well, it’s good to be that invested in things.”

“Indeed. It’s a good investigative skill.” Kirijo nodded before glancing at Ryoji. “Help her out, alright? We’re counting on you.”

—

Ryoji woke up to the Dark Hour in full swing, and with it came the boy once again, sitting by the foot of his bed almost swinging his legs.

“It’s you again.” Ryoji greeted, sitting up to look at the boy.

“... I promised I’d be back.” the boy mumbles, looking down at his lap. “... in another week the moon will be full again…”

Ryoji noticed the familiar somber and foreboding tone on the boy’s voice. “Is it another trial?”

The boy nods, not saying anything else.

Silence blanketed them for a while, just the sound of their breathings. It was comfortable but somehow he had the urge to do… something. Ryoji scooted over to the boy, looking over his shoulder, the boy in turn, turned to look at Ryoji, a confused look on his face.

“Do you like books?” Ryoji asks. An off-field question but call Ryoji curious.

The boy tilts his head at that, his confusion more evident. “I… don’t know.”

Ryoji nods in understanding before standing up from his bed, going over his desk and pulling out a worn but cared for book before going back to the bed, sitting beside the boy.

“I used to read this when I was a kid. Sometimes I still do, but something tells me you’d like this.” Ryoji held out the book for the boy to see.

It’s the book Hikari first got Ryoji, from when she saw him staring at it from the window of a bookstore. Hikari thought that Ryoji wanted it so she bought it as a gift. It’s been with him ever since and he took care of it since he didn’t want Hikari’s hard-earned money to go to waste, even now.

The boy hums, looking over at the book, curiosity obvious in his face.

That’s how Ryoji found himself telling the story of a wooden doll to the boy who visits him during the Dark Hour until Ryoji fell asleep in the middle of reading, missing how the green skies vanished along with the boy but not missing the book that was carefully placed on his headboard.

—

A week of information “gathering” later, Ryoji, Yukari, and Junpei meet up at the lounge in the evening to discuss their findings.

Ryoji, unsurprisingly, was not able to gather anything other than the gossip he hears from other people. He can’t even gather information himself because of the rumors about him , people resorting to running away at the sight of him or quickly excusing themselves away from Ryoji’s vicinity, all in the attempts to ‘not get cursed by him’.

“Okay, as we agreed on Monday we’ll now hold a meeting to discuss what we’ve learned.” Yukari opened the discussion, confidence radiating from her which Junpei commented. “I got lots of good info and, unsurprisingly, it turns out there wasn’t any angry ghost involved.”

“Ah, so that’s what’s important.” Junpei mumbled under his breath, unheard by Yukari who continued.

“First off! Let’s talk about how this rumor even began.” Yukari started. “The girl was found on school grounds, so it does match the ghost story on that point. But why did the rumor spread so fast if this was the first instance of this thing happening?”

“If I recall correctly there were three victims.” Ryoji pointed out, to which Yukari confirmed with a nod.

“I was surprised when I found out about it. Apparently after that first incident, the exact same thing happened to two other students. All three victims were hospitalized, so it was no wonder people thought it was a ghost.”

“Or… y’know, this guy did it.” Junpei pointed out, pointing at Ryoji.

Ryoji looks away at that, pulling up his scarf to cover half of his face. Fingers pointed at him…

“I heard those rumors too.” Yukari sighs, crossing her arms. “Really though? Child of Death? How childish can people be? There’s no such thing as a Child of Death, and do you seriously believe it’s because of Ryoji being here that these three victims were hospitalized?”

Junpei shrugged and Ryoji stayed silent. He doesn’t trust his voice or words at all in this discussion now that they got to that rumor, at most he’s glad that the victims were just hospitalized, not ( yet ) dead.

“Moving on. The victims were all in different classes, and at first glance they don’t seem to be connected. But they have one thing in common. Anyone know what it was?”

“... What is this, a quiz show…?”

“... Just answer the question.” Yukari sighs.

Both of them look at Ryoji, the spotlight on him. It made him a bit uneasy, especially when it is implied that people are pointing fingers at him, his mind scrambling for a coherent answer. “... They went to our school?”

“No, not that, that’s so obvious.” Yukari shook her head, clicking her tongue. “ They hung out together , not just once or twice either. And they all got in with a bad crowd and were always out late. Considering they all ended up the same way, it can’t be just a coincidence. So to find out what happened I decided we’re going to do some field research.”

“Field research?” Junpei repeated, obviously confused.

“Yep, field research.” Yukari nodded, a hand on her hip. “We’re going to the one place where all three victims were regulars.”

A place where the victims were regulars. The victims who apparently were mixed in with ‘the bad crowd’ of people. Ryoji doesn’t know any place with that description, considering he barely remembers his time in Iwatodai. At that declaration though, Junpei visibly turned pale by the second, almost starting to sweat bullets as he realized something. 

“Hang on. You’re not talkin’ about that spot , are you?!”

“Ohh? You know about it?” Yukari looked all too nonchalant at that information, almost excited even.

With that confirmation Junpei stood up from his seat, panicked and frantic. “Dude! You can’t go there! I’ve heard all kinds of nasty rumors about that place and it’s not for someone like us! ”

“Huh. All the more reason we should go together then.” Yukari shrugs, further making Junpei more worried.

“What’s the spot behind the station?” Ryoji asked, curious and confused. From the way they’re talking about it, it seemed like a place where they really shouldn’t go.

“Dude it’s filled with bad, bad stuff!” Junpei shivered, confirming Ryoji’s thoughts. “Like seriously bad stuff! ”

“If it’s that dangerous then shouldn’t we tell our seniors? If anything goes bad at least they’ll know where we are.” It’s what one of his foster family made Ryoji do, just so they could know where he was.

“Come on, don't be such a baby! Junpei’s just exaggerating. You both are coming with me anyways, it’ll be fine!” Yukari huffs, crossing her arms and staring down at them.

She’s serious, and it looks like she’s not backing down at all.

“D-Dude! That place is seriously bad news… Do we really have to go there?!”

“Up until now all we’ve done is follow our senpai’s orders. Isn’t it about time we start thinking for ourselves?”

“I— Well— You know, I know what you mean. But…” Junpei hesitates, scratching the back of his head with a sigh. “Did you have to say it like that? I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“Then it’s settled! We’ll go tomorrow night, so plan accordingly! That includes you too, Ryoji-kun.”

Ryoji has a very bad feeling about this. “Maybe we should still tell Kirijo-senpai about this? Or Sanada-senpai?”

Yukari shook her head. “They’re counting on us for this, we got this! I told you it wasn’t a ghost story. There’s no way they exist!”

Ryoji still thinks they should tell them, he keeps suggesting it to Yukari who shuts it down (“Seriously, Ryoji-kun. Have faith in us!”). If Yukari is too sure then he’s not going to have any qualms about it, just hoping that nothing bad happens to them.

—

The next day came too early for Ryoji’s taste and Ryoji could honestly say that he’s not looking forward to their excursion tonight. Junpei looks like it too, since he asked Ryoji to hang out with him after school to shake off his nerves.

“Yuka-tan doesn’t know what she’s playing with.” Junpei sighs, almost slumping down the crane game they’ve found themselves with.

The prize was a Jack Frost plush and a Pyro Jack plush. To be fair it was a bit unnerving to see the Personas he has as marketable plush toys (and Junpei pointed it out too, but lets it be since they are cute and would definitely bring in a crowd) but honestly Ryoji wants to get one, or two. Maybe that child would like one...

“Can we dissuade her?” Ryoji asks, pulling up his scarf, watching as Junpei loses another round. “If it’s as bad as you said then it’s probably for the best that we don’t go.”

“Eh, it seems like she’s committed, considering she reminded us before leaving school.”

“That’s true… And I have the feeling that she’ll go even if we don’t come with her.”

“And that’s why we gotta be there as support, as much as I don’t wanna be there…”

Ryoji pats Junpei’s shoulder in sympathy. “Let’s hope for the best then.”

Junpei nods before letting out a defeated noise as the prize slipped from the crane, again . Another bust. That’s six in a row now and Ryoji’s pitying Junpei at this point.

“Junpei, can I try?” Ryoji offers with a sympathetic smile.

“You sure dude? It’s hard .” Junpei sighs but makes way for Ryoji anyway, putting in a coin to start.

Ryoji couldn’t help but pity Junpei more when he got the Jack Frost doll in one go, hearing Junpei’s surprised and betrayed sputters, and even more when he got the Pyro Jack as well after the last one.

He’ll give one of the dolls to the child the next time he visits.

—

Junpei was planning to sneak up to his room when they got back to the dorms but Yukari was already there waiting, snatching Junpei by his arm and pulling him back with a click of her tongue.

“No chickening out!” Yukari huffs.

“S-Shouldn’t we talk about this more? This is a really bad idea…” Junpei mumbles, pleading one last time it seems, scratching the back of his head. “Scared of ghosts but when it comes to this you’re totally fine…”

“‘Cause this stuff is something that you can see. Things that you can’t see are way creepier.” Yukari shrugs.

“I’m honestly more worried about the things I can see! Like, y’know, bats and knives! ”

“Big deal. So it’s a little ‘dangerous’. Don’t be such a wuss, let’s strike while the iron’s hot!”

… a little dangerous is nothing compared to what they’re going through during the Dark Hour. Ryoji thinks he gets Yukari’s bravery with this thing now. Ryoji watches as Yukari begins to walk off, listening to Junpei mumbling under his breath and hyping himself up.

“Oi, are you guys coming?” Yukari calls out to them, already at the door.

Junpei looked at Ryoji. Both of them had a stare off for a moment before Ryoji sighs.

“After you, Junpei.” Ryoji gestures, watching Junpei sputter and wave his arms around.

“Oh so now I’m the leader?!”

“... Didn’t you want to be the leader?”

“ Not on this kind of mission dude! ”

—

They should have really told Sanada or Kirijo about this .

It was like the universe was telling them something with the murmurs and concerned students littering around the area. The little snickers and comments. Maybe this ‘ little dangerous ’ is actually dangerous for them, maybe at the level of a Shadow attack. And Yukari is insistent, and keeps taunting them to ‘man up’.

After some (failed) last minute bargaining they arrived at the area behind the station. Ryoji immediately felt the difference between outside the station and here. Thugs and punks alike are loitered around, the smell of smoke and booze fills the air and the murmurs around them are all about them .

Out of place. Not belonging.

“This is worse than I thought…” Junpei mumbles under his breath.

It does look bad. Especially when two thugs walked up to them in stride, all smug and scoffing at them.

“Lost?” one person taunts, frowning down at them. “Musta taken a wrong turn, ‘cause this place ain’t for any of you.”

Junpei sputters, mostly in fear. Ryoji can sympathize.

“You bein’ here is ruinin’ our vibe. So get lost.”

“We should probably go.” Ryoji whispers, it seemed like a good course of action for all of them.

But of course Yukari is not backing down, crossing her arms and stares up at the thug.

“We don’t need your permission to be here.” Yukari butts in, not moved by the intimidation of the thugs. Understandably Junpei sputters even more, trying to reel Yukari back.

“Are you nuts?!” Junpei huffs, voice slightly shaking as he shakes Yukari’s arm. “Read the room won’t ya?!”

“I can read it just fine.” Yukari huffs, looking at Junpei with not a care in the world. “Come on, don’t be intimidated by these punks!”

That hit the wrong nerve, not just to the two in front of them but from everyone else in their vicinity. It was obviously a bad move as there were more taunts thrown at them, more whispers, more jeers. And yet Yukari still isn’t phased by it.

Ryoji has to hand it to her, she’s brave and strong, but perhaps to the point of no self-preservation.

“Urgh, these guys are scums.” Yukari mumbles, rolling her eyes.

Another hit at the wrong nerve as the man walked over to Junpei, grumbling something between them before punching Junpei on the stomach. Immediately they were by Junpei’s side, ignoring the laughter around them and the taunts thrown at them.

“That’s enough.”

The laughter stopped and everyone looked at the newcomer, including their small group. It was the same guy from the hospital, same black beanie and red trench coat, looming over them almost threateningly.

“They didn’t know what they were getting into. I’ll make sure they leave. You good with that?”

The thug scoffs, walking up to the male with an irritated look. “Who do you think you are, dumbass? They ain’t walkin’ outta this! Huh, what? You want some too?!”

The man grumbles before swiftly hitting his head on the thug, making the thug stagger backwards in pain. Ryoji took this time to move by the man’s side, making a wall between Junpei and Yukari and the thug in front of them.

“Son of a— You just crossed the line big time! You think you’re goin’ home alive now?!” the thug growls, looking up at the man with a glare.

“Should we find out then?” the man huffs, cracking his fist, ready for the threat the thug is implying.

“Just because you’re from Gekkou High doesn’t mean you’re off the hook! I oughtta—!” The delinquent stopped mid sentence as he looked at Ryoji, his face clearing up and getting paler and paler now that he saw him clearly. “Wait… Gekkoukan uniform, yellow scarf— Shit it’s the Child of Death !”

“Oh shit… Aragaki and the Child of Death— Fuck this I’m out!”

Before any of them could comment the duo ran off, scampering like a wounded dog. They hear some of the women laugh at the show of cowardice before going back to their own business, clearly not daring to mess with them now that the threat has been announced.

“Psh. Who knew they didn’t have the balls to face the Child of Death. Some losers they are!”

Ryoji looked away at that, pulling up his scarf to half of his face. It also reached people outside of school…

Junpei and Yukari stood up on their feets, the former finally recovered from the blow he was given.

“Oh man senpai, that was awesome!” Junpei cheered, a grin on his face.

The man, Aragaki from what the thug said, looked over them for a moment before realization hit him. “You guys were in Aki’s room at the hospital.”

The moment of realization was immediately replaced with anger, cold and sharp. “You idiots! Going to a place like this. Go home, you don’t belong here.”

Aragaki turned, obviously saying what he needed to say.

“Wait!” Yukari stopped Aragaki before he could leave them. “We’re sorry that we came here, but there’s just something we need to know before we leave.”

Aragaki turned back to them, looking at each one of them before sighing. “Did Aki send you?”

“No he didn’t.” Ryoji answered with a shake of his head, looking away from that stare afterwards. It reminded him too much of his uncle, that cold glare.

Aragaki clicked his tongue before easing up. “Alright then. What do you want to know? Let me guess: is it about the rumors?”

“That’s right, but how did you know?” Yukari nods.

“The rumor’s been going around. Same with the rumor about this kid.” Aragaki nods to Ryoji, who burrows his head further in his scarf. “Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talkin’ shit every night about all that stuff they did to some girl named Yamagishi.”

Yamagishi. The girl from 2-E who was a candidate for them.

“They were picking on her?”

“Yeah. That’s why people were sayin’ that Yamagishi’s ghost did it, if not the Child of Death. I dunno when that rumor got out but they’ve been talkin’ nonstop about it ever since. Some even said the Child of Death was helpin’ her ghost enact revenge.”

“Wait, what do you mean by that?!”

“Huh? You guys didn’t know?” Aragaki looked genuinely surprised at that. “This Yamagishi girl might be dead. I heard she hasn’t been home in over a week.”

Ryoji flinched at that. Because of him someone might have died, again…

“Wait, what?! I thought she was just out recovering?” Junpei asked, confusion evident in his tone. “So you mean she’s actually missing ?!”

“Jeez, first it was this and now they’re double downing about how you’re the Child of Death. So much for that ghost story… ” Yukari sighs, a hand on her hip. “People really have no shame these days.”

“Does her homeroom teacher know about this?” Ryoji asks, because if he does then it’s soon that they’ll know that it’s his fault, they’ll make the connection and—

Aragaki didn’t answer, but he seemed to realize something else. “I dunno about that. That’s all I know.”

Ryoji nods at that, not pushing for answers further as Junpei thanked Aragaki, nudging them to thank him as well.

“Thank you, Aragaki-senpai.” Ryoji bowed at the apparent-senior, hoping his thanks was not that stiff.

“Thank you for helping us, and for sharing what you know. That was very kind of you.” Yukari thanked him.

“... I didn’t do nothin’.” Aragaki grumbles, turning away from them. “Just don’t come here again.”

Honestly, there’s no need to tell them that. Ryoji will definitely not go here again.

—

“See?! This is why I told you that this was a bad idea!” Junpei grumbles once they’re at the station, scratching his head frantically as he looks at Yukari with a frown.

“We handled it well, didn’t we?” Yukari huffs, crossing her arms. “It’s not like something bad happened. And look, we got information!”

“That’s not the point!” Junpei growls. “If it weren’t for Aragaki-senpai we could’ve been dead meat! Or worse!”

“But we got out of that!”

“Still not the point!”

Ryoji pulls up his scarf to his face, ignoring the argument that was breaking out, mind reeling with the information that was given to them.

Child of Death once again. Someone found out his past, his history…

“Come on Ryoji! Back me up on this!” Junpei’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, meeting Junpei’s expectant look as Yukari grumbles on the side.

“It was dangerous.” Ryoji nods in agreement, earning him a nod from Junpei. “We shouldn’t do that again…”

“See! Even Ryoji knows how dangerous it was!”

“Whatever you guys!” Yukari huffs, scowling at them. “Let’s just go back to the dorm!”

—

They told Kirijo and Sanada of their findings and while they were scolded for their actions (quite reprimanded actually, the threat of a punishment evident in Kirijo’s tone) they also couldn’t ignore the fact that they gained more information for them to mull over.

“Yamagishi being missing is something that is alarming.” Kirijo nods, eyes closed in thought. “And the fact that we were not informed of this is even more so.”

Considering she’s the student council president, of course it will be alarming.

Kirijo sighs, brows scrunched in worry. “It began with a ghost story but now it has developed into a serious situation. I won’t let this be.”

“Seriously— going to a place like that.” Sanada grumbles, disappointed but not that angry. “There are limits to how reckless you can be. I mean, don’t get me wrong I’m proud of you guys for trying to gather information but you need to be more careful next time.”

“We kept telling her that it’s a bad idea!” Junpei tries to justify them, scratching the back of his head. “If someone didn’t come and help us then we wouldn’t be here, alive ! Gah I don’t wanna think about the what-ifs.”

“Alright, alright! I’m sorry, okay!” Yukari sighs out. “I didn’t think it would be that bad!”

“Well now you know! Next time, have a little more faith in what we say. Geez, there’s no way in hell I’ll set foot there ever again.”

“Either way. Good job.” Kirijo praises them with a nod. “Now, you three rest up. And no more going out for the night.”

—

Ryoji didn’t leave the dorm the next day, since it was a Sunday. He stayed in his room and just stared at the ceiling, wondering when the pin would drop on him. The apparent death is there. The rumors are there. At any point more accusations will rise and all will point at him in the end.

It’s just a matter of time.

Will they still keep him on the team or will they excuse him from his duties? Death is something that can happen during their excursions during the Dark Hour, and with Ryoji there the possibility is even higher. Ryoji will understand if they kicked him out once they realize. It was the best option. Death was not an option for their excursions.

Ryoji didn’t notice the time pass, didn’t notice the sun coming down, not even hungry enough to go down to eat. He just stayed on his bed, staring at nothing, his mind swirling with thoughts. He only noticed that it was evening when there’s a knock on his door, snapping him out of his brain.

“Arisato? It’s Kirijo.” Kirijo’s voice called out from behind the door. Before Ryoji could respond she continued. “Could you free up your day tomorrow for me? There’s a lot to be done for Yamagishi Fuuka’s case so I’m going to require your assistance.”

Ryoji sighs, sitting up from his bed. He smacks his hand on his cheek to wake himself up, tugging his mouth with his finger to mimic a smile before opening the door for Kirijo, blinking away the sharp light and letting his eyes adjust before looking at Kirijo with a smile.

“Sorry Kirijo-senpai.” Ryoji apologizes. “I’ll free up my schedule, I’ll help in any way I can.”

Kirijo smiles at Ryoji, nodding at him before she looks at him from top to bottom, a thoughtful look on her face. “I didn’t notice you earlier during lunch. Have you eaten yet?”

Ryoji was admittedly surprised at that. Why would she ask that? Ryoji bashfully shakes his head no. “I was about to go down to eat.”

A lie, but he has to say something about it at least.

“Let me join you then, I’ll make us tea to go with the food.” Kirijo offers with a kind smile.

“Oh, you don’t have to Kirijo-senpai!”

“Please, I insist. It just dawned on me that I haven’t really talked with you that often.”

Ryoji has no choice now, nodding at Kirijo’s invitation and they walk together down to the lounge where Sanada sits at the dining table with a bowl.

“Hey.” Sanada greets Ryoji with a small smile. “We bought you a beef bowl just in case you were hungry.”

Ryoji nodded at Sanada’s greeting, settling down on the chair beside him and was offered his share of a beef bowl as Kirijo went to the kitchen to make tea. He could have bought food on his own…

That’s always the norm in sharing a place, right? His own things and needs are his own responsibilities. Other people won’t care or remind him unless he remembers himself. Everyone has their own lives to care for, not having enough time to care for others that are not of their own blood. Sure some people surprisingly do (like Hikari) but those people are… rare, to say the least.

“Got too tired from yesterday?” Sanada asks, curious and concerned at the same time.

Ryoji snapped away from his thoughts, blinking at the food in front of him before facing Sanada.

“... Sort of.” Ryoji mumbles, pulling up a small smile as he begins eating.

It’s not that warm anymore, but it was still filling. It was enough for Ryoji’s stomach.

“Even if you are tired you shouldn’t miss out on meals.” Sanada scolded him, but not in a stern way that Ryoji was familiar with. “Missing meals might deteriorate your strength, so it’s best to eat at appropriate times.”

“I’ll try not to miss out on meals.” Ryoji assures Sanada with a chuckle.

Kirijo walks back to them with a tray of teapot and tea cups, offering them a cup each before serving the tea with elegance and grace.

The conversation came easy with Kirijo, Ryoji mostly letting his two seniors talk and sometimes asking Ryoji things to include him. It didn’t feel bothersome, in fact Ryoji feels… welcomed.

—

“We’ll meet in front of the faculty office during lunch. Don’t be late, okay?” That was Kirijo’s instruction to them before leaving the dorms.

Junpei finds it bothersome, not even wanting to do it, but they didn’t have a choice. This includes them now and it’s something they must do.

“Man… asking Mr. Ekoda for an explanation though, sounds like a total pain in the ass…” Junpei grumbles as they walk up the school. “This is so lame, especially after going to that spot last night!”

“Would you rather go back there again?” Ryoji chuckles. A hollow laughter, but he hopes Junpei didn’t catch on to it.

“Hell no! I’d rather face Mr. Ekoda than going back to that dark place!”

—

Even before they arrived at the faculty office they heard an argument going off. They didn’t even have to knock as they entered the faculty office, seeing Kirijo already there with Ekoda and a student.

“Mr. Ekoda, I’m here to ask you about Yamagishi Fuuka.” Kirijo started, catching the attention of the student in front of them.

“ No! ” she cries out, face twisted with so many emotions. “Please, I-I… I never thought it’d turn out like this… F-Fuuka…”

“Wait, I remember you…” Yukari mumbles under her breath, looking at the student. “I saw you at the courtyard talking with someone.”

“What did you do to Yamagishi?” Kirijo asks, stern but patient.

Ekoda raised a hand at that, tutting and shaking his head.

“Now hold on a moment Kirijo-kun. This isn’t an interrogation you know, you’re scaring Moriyama.” Ekoda butts in, glancing at Kirijo before looking back at the student. “Now Moriyama, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. You wouldn’t want her to get any wrong ideas, now would you.”

The way Ekoda was speaking to the student, Moriyama, was rubbing Ryoji the wrong way. It almost felt like it was a subtle threat to keep quiet, something adults do to children who knew too much. His foster parents did that before, ‘gently’ urging him to lie to the workers that he’s fine with them, that he’s being taken care of the way that was their standards.

He in a way he didn’t really lie to them before, it was just not as well as those workers thought it would be.

Moriyama took a moment to compose herself, taking deep breaths and slightly rocking on the chair she’s in. She looks so distressed.

“Fuuka, she…” Moriyama spoke, almost too quiet, too frazzled. “S-She… always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time… T-That’s when I realized… She may be a model student, but deep down… she’s like us… And because of that, I knew which buttons to push. W-We… We were just messing with her earlier that day too! T-That was… May 29th. We took Fuuka to the gym… t-then we… locked her in…”

“Wait, you locked her in?! ” Junpei exclaimed, shocked and in disbelief.

Bullying. This was blatant bullying. Ryoji pulls up his scarf, looking away. That’s so… wrong…

“T-That night… Maki got worried that Fuuka might…” Moriyama paused at her words, letting the unspoken word hang over them. This is really messed up. “S-So she went back to the school by herself to check! B-But… s-she never came back… t-then the next morning…!”

She was found outside the school, unconscious.

“I went to the gym to let Fuuka out b-but… the door was still locked. So I opened it and went inside but she’s not there! We all freaked out! T-Then starting that night we went out to look for her a-and… one by one, they didn’t come back, and then they all ended up like Maki!”

Kirijo nodded at Moriyama’s confession, a thoughtful look on her face before turning to Ekoda. “Mr. Ekoda. All this time you’ve been reporting Yamagishi as absent due to ‘illness’. But that’s not the truth, isn’t it. She was missing . You had to have known this.”

Her expression became stern, and her stance sharp and stiff. Authoritative . “Explain yourself.”

“I was thinking of the students, of course.” Ekoda answered, smiling even, almost too proud for hiding the fact that a student is missing . “You children may not understand, but we have to consider the future of everyone affected.”

Ekoda glanced over them, and when his eyes drifted to Ryoji he scowled before looking back at Kirijo.

“If news got out it would paint all of you in a bad image, and of course we don’t want that.”

“So you deliberately chose not to report a missing child for, and I quote: ‘the future of everyone’, and not because you didn’t want the police to be involved?” Kirijo repeated, emphasizing word for word sharply.

Ekoda visibly flinched at that, hands starting to curl in his lap.

“I— It was in her best interest!” Ekoda tried to excuse himself. “I wouldn’t want her records to be stained! Even her parents agreed to it!”

They could feel and see how frantic Ekoda was getting, with how his eyes almost refused to stare at Kirijo, how his hands are gesturing wildly around as if it’ll help with his explanation, and how he’s beginning to stammer in his words.

“So to protect your career and the student’s ‘career’ you ignored your responsibility as a teacher .” It wasn’t a question, it was a fact. A cruel and cold fact. There was disappointment in Kirijo’s words. “ Despicable. ”

“Despicable—?! No, I…” Ekoda’s eyes darted around everywhere, looking for something, anything . Then his eyes stopped at Ryoji and he glared, snarling, pointing at him with so much venom and anger that he stood up from his chair. “If anyone’s to blame it’s him! Why did you bring this… thing— this omen of Death here?! It’s that thing ’s fault! That thing’s the reason why Yamagishi is missing! That thing’s the reason why students are ending up hospitalized! That thing’s the reason why my friend lost his daughter! That thing is the reason why his family left him to die! ”

The silence that followed was sharp , so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Even the teachers and a few students stopped what they were doing. It was the calm before the storm before Kirijo stomps her foot that Ryoji wonders how her heels didn’t break and the floor didn’t crack from the intensity of her stomping.

“ You… ” For the first time Ryoji heard Kirijo growl, sharp and cold . Everyone visibly tensed up at the cold atmosphere that was growing. “Not only did you fail to report a missing student— a child , may I add. Now you are using a baseless rumor to wash your hands of the responsibility of an adult that is supposed to educate us students.”

Ekoda visibly shinked at each word Kirijo said. He opened and closed his mouth in a futile attempt of a rebuttal but found no words to even melt the ice that Kirijo was forming.

Kirijo flipped her hair out of her face to show her full displeasure, crossing her arms. “You have failed as an educator. Rest assured that the board will hear about this. I suggest to start packing early. I refuse to entrust another student under your incompetent care.” Kirijo glared at Ekoda one last time, waving her hand sharply towards the door. “You can go.”

Ekoda stammers, trying to find words, anything to redeem himself before he inevitably gives up, leaving without another word but leaving with a cold glare directed at Ryoji.

The sound of the door sliding closed echoed as everyone in the faculty office stared at their group. Ryoji pulled up his scarf to cover more of his face, feeling a bit self-conscious at the stares. Come tomorrow, the rumor mill would surely be on fire. 

Kirijo turned to Ryoji, eyes now softer than a few minutes ago. “Do not pay attention, Arisato. Rest assured, the rumors will be squashed by the student council.”

Ryoji nodded and gave her a small (hopefully) reassuring smile. “They don't bother me, senpai.” I’m used to it.

Junpei discreetly whispered to Yukari. “Dude, remind me not to piss off Kirijo-senpai.”

Kirijo turns to Moriyama, asking more about anything she had noticed about her friends. Ryoji blanked out on most of it, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze. The accusation has been made, and now someone pointed a finger at him. And not just anyone, but a teacher , who is apparently a friend of his uncle’s. Now it’s only a matter of time…

“S-Sorry… I… need to take a breather.” Ryoji excused himself with a small apologetic smile, almost too silent and not even waiting for a reply as he walked out of the office, ignoring their calls.

He can’t deal with the stares, with the murmurs. There’s only one place he can go that doesn’t have any of it: to the rooftop.

Ryoji didn’t come back until lunch break ended. He ignored Yukari’s worried questions and Junpei’s obvious stares for the rest of the day.

—

“Kirijo-senpai said we’re meeting at the student council room to discuss our operation tonight.” Yukari informs him once the bell rings.

Ryoji nods at that, silently following them to the student council office, waiting until Sanada and Kirijo arrive. He didn’t miss Kirijo’s stare, nor Sanada’s, but he ignored them, opting to stay quiet.

“Tonight we’re infiltrating the campus. Our objective is to rescue Yamagishi Fuuka.” Kirijo started.

“Wait, are you sayin’ that Yamagishi is inside the school somewhere?” Junpei asked, a dubious look on his face.

“And why at night? At midnight this place turns— oh. ” Yukari understood the implications.

Yamagishi has been trapped in Tartarus ever since she got locked inside the gym. And that’s why they have to rescue her as soon as possible. They already have wasted ten days due to not knowing.

“That was ten days ago though! No matter how you look at it she might be…” Junpei trailed off, not wanting to say the implications.

Ryoji hides his face in his scarf. She might be dead.

“Don’t lose hope just yet.” Sanada butts in. “Remember, Tartarus only appears during the Dark Hour. It’s just a theory but I think time flows differently in Tartarus, so even though it’s been ten days for us, for her it could have been only ten hours. There’s a chance that she’s still alive.”

There’s a chance… A chance.

So… there’s no death yet. There’s a chance .

“Isn’t the Dark Hour pretty brutal though? Even for us? How could she last ten days there?” Junpei asks.

Yukari nods in agreement, sharing the same question. “Even if she’s still alive, we might not be able to get to her.”

“Then are you just going to abandon her?!” Sanada growls, Yukari’s words hitting a nerve for him.

“N-No! We’re not abandoning her!” Yukari assures Sanada, waving her hand in defense.

Sanada took a deep breath, calming himself before turning to Kirijo, suggesting an idea to get to Yamagishi: they enter Tartarus the same way she did, by being at the gym at midnight. Yukari was understandably skeptical but at this point there’s no other choice.

“I’m not going to just stand here and do nothing if there’s a chance that we can save her.” Said Sanada, determined in every word. “I’d never forgive myself.”

If there’s a chance to save her… To stop a death. It’s not a guaranteed death, but…

At Sanada’s words everyone comes to an agreement, they’ll go through the plan as risky as it sounded. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready, either physically or mentally, until it was time to regroup at the fourth floor where they hit a snag immediately. They can’t contact the chairman. Without the chairman’s help they can’t get inside the school.

“Then how are we going to get inside?” Yukari asks, worried.

“Hehehe… I have just the thing! In fact I got it all set.” Junpei grinned, looking too proud.

Kirijo expected an exaggeration, like using a bomb, but Junpei just unlocked a door. And that’s how they got inside Gekkoukan at night. Junpei for his part got praised for his work.

“Jeez it’s so dark in here.” Yukari mumbles, looking around the dark hallway. “Can’t we turn on the lights?”

“Aww, are you scared, Yuka-tan?” Junpei teased, to which Yukari immediately denied.

“It’s better for us if the lights are off, they cut off the power during night anyways.” Sanada pointed out.

“First, we need to find the key to the gym. It should either be in the faculty office or in the janitor’s room.” Kirijo begins, looking at them.

Ryoji doesn’t want to go back to the faculty office, honestly, but he got assigned there anyway with Yukari (since Junpei was thinking of looking through test papers, of all things), promising to rendezvous in the main hallway afterwards.

Just as they were walking down the stairs Yukari stopped in her tracks.

“Do you hear something?” Yukari whispered, turning her head.

Ryoji stopped in his tracks too, looking around and listening.

… stomp… stomp…

“It must be the security guard. We better hide.” Ryoji mumbles before tugging Yukari with him behind a pillar.

They hid just in time before light appeared, brushing over their hiding spot before vanishing off to another hallway.

Yukari lets out a sigh of relief, listening as the footsteps get farther and farther.

“Let’s hurry.”

Ring ring! “EKK!”

Ryoji flinched at the sudden shrill, looking back at Yukari who fumbled to get her phone, mumbling under her breath.

“You get scared so easily.” Ryoji points out, not really in a teasing or condescending way, just a matter of fact.

“Fine, fine. I’m a chicken. Happy?” Yukari huffs out, arms crossed.

“I’m not saying that you’re a chicken. I’m just saying you get scared too easily.” Ryoji clarifies before shaking his head with a chuckle (to further prove that he’s not making fun of her). “Let’s just go.”

They got to the faculty office without any more fanfare, thankfully no one was inside or nearby and so they rushed to the board with the keys in it, quickly finding the keys to the Gym and like that they’re enroute to the main hallway where the others are already waiting.

“We found the key.” Ryoji informs them, showing off the said key.

“Y’know… I heard a familiar scream earlier…” Junpei teased, looking at Yukari with a grin.

It escalates to a small banter with the two, Ryoji opting himself out of it before Sanada stops them.

“We’ll have to divide into teams again. Three of you would go to the gym to get to Tartarus and one would remain outside with me for assistance.” Kirijo instructed. “Once the Dark Hour begins, I’ll pinpoint Yamagishi’s position.”

Everyone voices their opinions. Sanada will definitely go in, Ryoji has no choice being the scout leader and Junpei wants to go, to make up for his fumble last operation, leaving Yukari with Kirijo.

With the teams situated they went to their positions, watching the clock tick away to midnight.

—

Ryoji groaned as he stood up from his place, blinking his eyes awake. This energy around him and the familiar looming hum tells him that their plan worked, they’re inside Tartarus. But where in Tartarus he doesn’t know. He doesn’t see Junpei nor Sanada either so they’re more likely separated from their travels.

Ryoji sighs, tugging his scarf. He has to look for them.

“You’re awake.”

Ryoji’s head snapped up and came face to face with the boy he’s been seeing. Ryoji was surprised since he only saw the boy in his room.  “You’re here…?”

“This is the first time we’ve met outside…” the boy mumbles, looking up at him.

“Why are you here…?” Ryoji asks, tilting his head. “It’s dangerous here.”

“... I’m always with you.” the boy reminded him, looking at him intently before looking at the side. “We don’t have time.”

Ryoji lets out a confused hum at that.

“There’s going to be… more than one trial you’ll face. You should hurry. She… you’ll need her.”

“Her? Who—?”

Before Ryoji could ask, the boy vanished from his sight, not seen again. All of this cryptic messages and no explanation, it’s honestly getting to him.

“ Are— can— r— ”

“Kirijo-senpai?” Ryoji calls out, looking around.

She sounds… static, out of reach. Does that mean they’re farther into Tartarus? Beyond that barrier?

“ ... too far— can’t— backup— I’m sor— Aki— and others— ”

“Kirijo-senpai!”

Static answered him. Seems like she lost her connection. Were they so high up that Kirijo’s Persona can’t pinpoint them? That’s… a problem. Then there’s only one thing to do: move forward and hopefully catch up with the others to form a new plan.

Ryoji moved, hand tight on his sword. He doesn’t want to risk encountering Shadows right now, so he sneaks off, taking off when there’s an opening, hiding when there’s a Shadow nearby.

“ Akihiko— not— floor— ” That one at least he managed to catch, so he went up to a floor once he found the stairs.

“ ... Is someone there…? ” Ryoji stopped in his tracks, looking around. A different voice, much clearer than Kirijo. “ Are you… human…? ”

Who was that? Wait… could it be…?

“Can you hear me?” Ryoji decided to try, calling out to the other voice.

…

…

No reply.

“Are you Yamagishi-san?” Ryoji continues.

Still no reply.

Maybe it’s a one way transmission. Or maybe he’s losing his mind.

“ Where am I…? Why am I here…? Please answer me… Is anyone there? ”

“ Can s— hear— please answer— ” 

No, he’s not going insane. But he has to hurry.

—

One almost fists-versus-sword fight later (both Ryoji and Sanada were on guard, considering they’ve been separated and alone) he found himself regrouped with Sanada and Junpei.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Ryoji apologized. “Also sorry for almost attacking you.”

“It’s fine. We all were alert, especially while alone here.” Sanada shrugs with a chuckle. “Though I don’t think we should enter Tartarus this way again.”

There was an agreeing nod from all three of them. It was better to have a stable entrance than a random chance that might end in their disadvantage.

“Oh yeah, did any of you hear any voice on your way here?” Junpei asks, looking between Sanada and Ryoji, scratching the back of his head. 

“I’ve heard it.” Ryoji nods. “Another female voice, not Kirijo-senpai. I’m guessing it’s Yamagishi-san.”

“It could be her, but we can’t be sure… right?” Junpei hums, tilting his head in thought. “After all, only Kirijo-senpai can talk to us in our heads, and that’s with the help of her Persona, right?”

“Mitsuru has been in and out with the connection, I could barely hear her.” Sanada frowns, crossing his arms. “It might as well be Yamagishi.”

“W-Who are you…?”

Ryoji turned around and saw someone hiding by the pillars, a girl with teal hair who looked rightfully afraid, looking at them. “... Yamagishi-san?”

The girl lifted her head at the mention of her name, looking at Ryoji with surprise and relief. “T-That’s me, yes!”

“You’re alive! That’s amazing!” Junpei cheers, grinning before giving her a thumbs up. “Don’t worry! We’re here to rescue you!”

Yamagishi lets out another sigh, slowly but surely relaxing.

“It’s good to see you’re okay.” Sanada sighs, smiling at her. “Come with us, it’s not safe here.”

“Thank you so much… I-I…” Yamagishi smiles before falling to her knees, relief radiating out of her.

Ryoji kneeled down next to her, eyes scanning Yamagishi, trying to see if there’s anything wrong with her. “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yes, I’m okay.” Yamagishi assures Ryoji, smiling apologetically. “S-Sorry. I’m just so relieved…”

Everyone lets out a sigh of relief, smiling at Yamagishi. Sanada went off to try to contact Kirijo again, leaving Ryoji and Junpei to take care of the missing girl.

“What is this place?” Yamagishi looks at Ryoji, eyes darting everywhere. “One second I was at school, and then…”

Frazzled, and confused. An effect of the Dark Hour, if Ryoji remembers correctly.

“It’s quite a long story, unfortunately.” Ryoji answers, helping Yamagishi stand up. “We have to get somewhere safe first.”

Sanada comes back with a frown, it seems like he has bad news for them. “No good. I can’t contact Mitsuru.” 

“You’ve probably seen the monsters wanderin’ around, right? Did you get hurt by them?” Junpei asks Yamagishi, who shakes her head.

“I’ve gotten by without them noticing me so far.”

“You’ve avoided them this whole time? How…?”

Yamagishi looks away, her hands on her chest, trying to find words to explain. “I-It’s hard to describe… It’s like… I can sort of tell where they are.”

“Are you like… psychic or something?”

That won’t be too far off from what they’ve already experienced. At this point Ryoji is ready to believe anything if there’s an explanation about it.

“She has the same power as Mitsuru.” A snap of connection formed from one clue to another. Sanada connecting the dots. “She might be even stronger than Mitsuru. Her Persona has always been more combat-focused to begin with.”

Yamagishi was understandably confused, even more so when Sanada just handed her over an Evoker, excusing it as a lucky charm at most. It was a questionable excuse, but one Yamagishi didn’t question at least. They continued on after that, forming a triangle around Yamagishi. They walked carefully, navigating around the floor,  looking for a teleporter or the stairs while also avoiding Shadows as much as possible. They didn’t want to risk any of them being injured or Yamagishi getting hurt.

“Whoa! Check out the moon, it’s so huge!” Junpei points out, running towards a window. It shows the full moon, shining from between the holes that serve as Tartarus’ windows. “I don’t think I’ve even seen it this bright…”

“There’s some research that indicates that Shadows are affected by the phases of the moon.” Sanada informs them, shrugging. “Although, the same thing could be said about us.”

“Huh, that would explain Yuka-tan’s mood swings…” Junpei mumbles under his breath before his eyes widen. “Wait… Wait! Wasn’t it a full moon when we went to the monorail?”

“It was.” Ryoji confirms with a nod. A big Shadow during a full moon… A… big Shadow… a full moon. Ryoji’s grip on his sword tightens. “When that Shadow attacked the dorms it was also a full moon.”

Sanada placed a hand on his chin, beginning to think, remembering the dates. “Today is June 8th. Then the monorail incident happened on May 9th… And the assault on the dorm was on April 9th…” 

“... All of them were on during a full moon.” Ryoji realizes. “Then there should be something tonight.”

 Sanada was quick to act, contacting Kirijo immediately. “Mitsuru, are you there?!”

A moment of static before something came through. “ Akihiko…? Shadows are— ”

“Hey, can you hear me? Mitsuru!”

“ ... Be care— ”

It didn’t sound good.

Yamagishi gasps, looking around worriedly, fear draping down her face as she holds the evoker to her chest with shaking hands. “What is that…? It’s… much bigger than the others… and it’s attacking someone!”

“Sanada-senpai, that’s our target.” Ryoji hums, a sinking feeling in his stomach. “They come during the full moon, it has to be a big one.”

The cryptic messages from the boy, how he always warns him a week before the full moon. It all makes sense. This is the trial he’s saying. It’s a trial every full moon.

“We’ve got to hurry!”

—

They arrived at the entrance and it was a mess. Kirijo and Yukari were down and there were two Shadows in front of them.

“Mitsuru! Takeba!” Sanada runs towards them, Ryoji and Junpei following along, blocking them from the Shadows in front of them.

“Nothing’s working…!” Yukari grumbles, struggling to talk.

“We’ve got this!” Sanada assures them, getting ready. “Hey! If it’s a fight you want, then you’ve got it!”

“Be careful you three. Normal attacks don’t work on them!” Kirijo informs them.

They quickly swung to action, summoning their Personas and attacking the Shadows. And just like Kirijo said, nothing was working. Nothing was working . The Shadows dodge, reflect, and counter, their attacks were like dust to the Shadows.

Ryoji tsks as he summons Jack Frost, using ice on them but again having no effect.

There has to be a weakness there somewhere. Anything .

“ Oh my, oh my. Whatever shall we do with these poor souls… ” a voice chuckles, condescending but also pleading. “ Please protect me, dear Emperor. ”

Ryoji snaps his head up, looking around for the source of the voice. Who?

“H-Hey what—?!”

Ryoji blocks an attack with his sword, turning his head to see what surprised Junpei. “Moriyama-san…?”

But it shouldn’t be. Moriyama was supposed to be back at the dorms, right? Kirijo and Yukari made sure she was situated before they left.

“F-Fuuka…” Moriyama looks out of it, as if acting on auto pilot.

Yamagishi immediately took notice of Moriyama, running towards her and immediately begging her to get away, it was dangerous, but Moriyama didn’t budge, instead she seemed to break down, holding on to Fuuka.

“Yamagishi!” Sanada tries to warn Yamagishi, only to be knocked back by one of the Shadow.

“Yamagishi-san! It’s dangerous!” Ryoji shouted, blocking yet another attack that pushed him back, away from the entrance and blowing off his sword from his hands.

The two Shadows turned from them to Yamagishi and Moriyama, slowly walking towards them, readying for an attack.

If they don’t do anything they’ll—

“ They are no match for us. We shall end their misery in your stead. ” another voice grumbles, and the Shadow moves closer.

Please. No… don’t… Please…! I don’t—!

They watched as Yamagishi wipes away the tears in her eyes, holding the Evoker in her hands carefully.

“Yamagishi-san!”

Yamagishi points the evoker in her head, looking at the Shadows with resolution and determination. Is.. this…?

“ Persona. ”

Just as the Shadow drops down its scepter, the resounding bang of an evoker rang and a bright tornado of light surrounded Yamagishi and Moriyama. It was enough to stagger the Shadows, and what appeared was enough to block the attack from them. A Persona, Yamagishi’s Persona , keeping Yamagishi and Moriyama in its bubble-like dress, protecting them.

“ I can see… ” Yamagishi whispers, clear in their ears. “I-I can see these monsters’ weaknesses…!”

The Shadows moved again to attack and Ryoji knows that this time it won’t protect them too well. He has to do something, and fast— Ryoji’s eyes drift to the familiar toppled motorbike just at arms reach.

It’s all or nothing…!

Righting the motorbike up Ryoji got on immediately, revved up the engine and rode to Yamagishi, stopping just in front of them and summoning Orpheus with a bang , blocking the attack with its harp just in time before countering.

“I-I’ll begin searching for their weaknesses!” Yamagishi informs them.

“Buy some time!” Sanada commanded.

It was another round of attacking, dodging, and countering, not using the attacks that didn’t work prior to Yamagishi’s awakening. When Yamagishi calls out the weakness of the Shadow they take no time to exploit it, chipping away at the enemy piece by piece, one by one.

“I-I didn’t know I had this kind of power…” they hear Yamagishi gasp in wonder before focusing right back to supporting them. “W-Wait! Their energies are shifting…! Their weaknesses have changed!”

Then it’s time to change tactics while Yamagishi is scanning for their new weaknesses. “ Apsaras! ”

The new Persona replaces Orpheus, blasting off ice after ice while Sanada shatters the areas of the Shadow that were frozen.

They hacked, slashed, and used their Personas fitting to the weaknesses Yamagishi called out until finally, finally , the Shadows vanished and bursted into nothingness. ( Two butterflies flutter away, away and away, into the back of the mind )

Yamagishi’s Persona vanished into thin air, but she still looked ready for anything. Ryoji lets out a small smile, walking towards her just like everyone else.

“A-Are there more of them?” Yamagishi asked.

“It’s over.” Sanada assured Yamagishi, smiling reassuringly at her.

“Fuuka…” Moriyama mumbles from behind Yamagishi, looking up at her.

Yamagishi turns back to Moriyama, asking if she is okay, making sure that she is okay before finally giving up to exhaustion, getting everyone worried. She must have been exhausted due to summoning her Persona for the first time and the adrenaline she must’ve felt earlier.

“Where did those two Shadows come from?” Sanada asks Kirijo.

They apparently appeared outside of Tartarus before wandering towards Tartarus, conveniently to where they were. Perhaps it further proves the theory they have now, but Ryoji knows that it’s true at this point, there were so many coincidences that lined up.

They went back to the dorms with Yamagishi and Moriyama passed out, sending them to the hospital just after the Dark Hour ended, even though Moriyama would probably forget what had happened during the Dark Hour Kirijo assured them that she won’t forget how grateful she is for Yamagishi, and would probably already learned her lesson.

—

That night Ryoji dreams.

There’s… warmth… Heat .

It’s scalding hot. It feels like it’s burning away at him.

The smell of ash and smoke…

It’s everywhere… He can’t escape it.

—

The murmurs about him didn’t stop but it lessened a bit, probably thanks to Kirijo. It made walking down the hallway more tolerable, minus some people still scooting away from him at any given moment. Yukari always reminded him to not listen to them, they’re just rumors anyways. As much as Ryoji wants to ignore them they could be loud , and everywhere.

Either way it was back to Ryoji’s routine of spending time with his acquaintances, Tartarus out of the question while the seniors are looking over Yamagishi’s recovery. He can say he’s going well with them, he got to be… closer to some of them, those threads becoming more solid, more… tangible in the metaphorical sense. Even Elizabeth was praising him for his progress.

“Hey. Do you think Kirijo-senpai saved Yamagishi-san because it’s the right thing to do or was it because… she’s a Persona-user and we needed her…?” Yukari suddenly asked Ryoji one school morning.

“What’s with the sudden question?” Ryoji asks back, looking over at Yukari.

She didn’t answer, looking away. She seemed troubled, uncertain. It’s been gnawing at her from the looks of it.

“I believe Kirijo-senpai has good intentions.” Ryoji answers, remembering how Kirijo stood up for him when Ekoda accused him of his… curse. 

While there wasn’t any death yet (a near-death one, but not an actual death) it won’t be long before Ryoji jinxes it. But…

“ I’m not going to just stand here and do nothing if there’s a chance that we can save her. ”

Maybe Sanada has a point.

“Maybe you’re right…” Yukari mumbles. “I guess it’ll be up to Yamagishi-san whether or not she joins us.”

Where was this choice when he was asked to join…? Ryoji thought before shaking his head mentally. What’s done is done. All he can do is go along with it.

“Sorry for bringing this out of the blue.” Yukari apologizes.

“It’s alright. It looked like it’s been bugging you.” Ryoji assures her with a smile, waving a hand in dismissal.

—

Junpei’s interest and fire was lit back up at the possibility of Yamagishi joining them, Yukari reminding him that Yamagishi hasn’t agreed on joining the team. Ryoji would admit that she’ll be an amazing addition for the team but Yukari is right, she hasn’t decided yet and it’ll be her choice if she wants to join them or not.

—

The day of Yamagishi’s release from the hospital arrived with a text from Sanada asking him to come to the command room when he comes back to the dorm. They needed to talk to her together, and it’s definitely a talk about S.E.E.S.

After he finished his activities at the kendo club, reassuring Kaz with his problems, Ryoji went back to the dorm, dropped his bag at his room, and went to the command room, seeing most of the members already there. It didn’t take long before everyone was there though, including Ikutsuki.

Ikutsuki greets Yamagishi before anything else, Yamagishi responding politely albeit nervously to which Ikutsuki assures her that it’s fine and there’s no need to be nervous.

“I want to say that all of you did an excellent job uncovering the truth. And one thing to report: I can confirm that all three girls have regained consciousness.” Ikutsuki started, receiving a relieved sigh from Yamagishi. “From what I understand, they each came to the school grounds around midnight, waiting for the guard to leave before entering. Then once the Dark Hour began, they were attacked by Shadows near the gate, and because the situation’s similarities to a ghost story, rumors naturally spread quickly, and dug up even more rumors.”

Ryoji looks away at that, tugging at the ends of his scarf. Yukari huffs, calling the bluff from those ghost stories.

“It’s… all my fault.” Yamagishi sighs, looking down at her lap.

“Huh? Where did that come from? You were the victim in all of this!” Yukari assured Yamagishi, to which she shook her head.

“It’s because of me being absent for so long is why the rumors started.”

“That’s still not your fault.”

“I don’t believe we could have won that fight if you hadn’t been there.” Kirijo adds on, looking at Yamagishi with gratitude. “You saved our lives. That’s not something anyone can just do. Take pride in that. You have a special power that you can use to help others.”

Kirijo’s words awfully sounds like a pep talk as she starts to explain what Yamagishi, and all of them (minus Ikutsuki), have.

“Right now our group absolutely needs your abilities. Can we count on you to help us?”

… awfully sounds like pep talk. And almost sounding final.

“Are you… asking me to join you?” Yamagishi asks, to confirm, to which Kirijo nods.

“Only if you want to.” Yukari added, smiling reassuringly at Yamagishi.

Everyone voices out their opinions, finding Yamagishi to be a good addition if she did decide to join them. Ryoji stayed silent, not really finding himself with the right words. What could he even say? What could he even add?

“We’re not trying to pressure you, so if you need some time to think about it—” Yukari assures Yamagishi, only to be stopped mid sentence by her agreeing to join.

“Please let me join!” Yamagishi nods, looking at them with determined eyes.

“W-Wait— are you sure?” Yukari asks, to make sure Yamagishi can think it through. “You’d have to move into the dorms if you join us.”

“That’s fine with me.” Yamagishi looked away. “I’d rather live here than at home anyways.”

Kirijo lets out a sigh of relief, thanking Yamagishi and already assuring her that the school would take care of any issues should some come up. Yukari points out that it seemed too fast that they’re dragging Yamagishi into this but Yamagishi assures them that it’s alright.

“I’d also like to discuss one other topic: those special Shadows. Another encounter this month, correct?” Ikutsuki continues, pushing up his glasses. “While we still don’t know where they’re coming from, I do believe Sanada-kun’s theory is correct. They appear alongside the full moon, at least with this information we can plan ahead for the future.”

“So… the next full moon is our next mission, huh…” Junpei mumbles.

“Knowing when to expect them is an advantage for us.” Sanada nods. “Now, on the day of the fight, we’ll be ready to get in the ring.”

Now they have a pattern. They can tell when their next fight is going to be. Perhaps this was what that boy was warning him all this time, and now that they know the pattern would that boy still visit him to warn him…?

… will he disappear too like the presence…?

Chapter Text

Yukari was still apprehensive of Yamagishi joining the team, voicing out her thoughts on the way to school the following day. She felt as if Yamagishi was not really given a choice on the matter. If Ryoji had to say anything about it or was asked about what he thinks, he would say that Yamagishi was given plenty of opportunity to make a choice, to deny or to accept while having the opportunity to ask further questions, and ultimately she made her choice, all they can do is respect it.

They heard gossip about Ekoda being in hot water while walking. That he was fired . Students were speculating on why he was fired ( Sexual harassment? Misconduct? ). Some, who knew of his favoritism and blatant disregard, celebrated his departure ( Good riddance, Ryoji heard from the bathroom during lunch) and others wondered if Ryoji had any part in it as the rumored Child of Death ( someone in Mr. Ekoda’s family died? That Child of Death curse is spreading? ).

Seems like the title won’t be off his name any time soon— not that it ever vanished from his name, but taking Yukari’s advice he tries to ignore the murmurs around him and just go along with his day as normally as he could, which was frankly not hard to do.

Thankfully, his acquaintances don't seem to not mind the rumors, not even talking about it around him. He wants to ask why honestly, curious on why they kept hanging out with him despite the accusations, but he doesn’t ask. He’ll take any small mercies that were given to him.

Ryoji found Yamagishi sitting alone by the courtyard during lunch. Everyone and anyone was skirting past her ( and him ) with whispers of ‘ghost girl’ and rumors but from the looks of it she doesn’t seem too phased about it. She does look a bit lonely being all alone in there.

Yamagishi noticed Ryoji staring at her, smiling at him before gesturing to Ryoji to join her in her seat. “You’re Arisato-san, right?” 

Ryoji sat down beside her, nodding at her question. “I haven’t properly introduced myself. I’m Arisato Ryoji.”

“Nice to meet you, Arisato-san. You might already know my name…” Yamagishi trails off with a chuckle.

“Yamagishi Fuuka-san.” Ryoji nods, giving a small smile that he hoped was assuring. “I’m glad that you’re alright.”

Yamagishi looked surprised at that, eyes wide before bowing slightly at Ryoji. “T-Thank you.”

Silence blanketed the two of them for a moment, hearing nothing but the murmurs of students, the leaves dancing with the wind, and the sound of them opening their respective lunches. Ryoji offered one of the taiyaki he managed to snag from the school store to Yamagishi who accepted it with a nod of thanks.

“I-I didn’t expect that I would have that kind of power but… being able to help you all, it’s such an honor.” Yamagishi spoke up, a smile on her lips.

She really didn’t regret her choice then. “Don’t push yourself though, we’ll help you along the way.”

Since she’s part of the team then he should do this, right? Offer words of encouragement to his team. That’s what leaders do, right?

Yamagishi chuckles, nodding at Ryoji’s words. “Thank you. I honestly can’t wait to officially join you all.”

“We’re glad to have you in the team, Yamagishi-san.”

“P-Please! Fuuka’s fine!”

“Then please call me Ryoji, it’s only fair.”

Someone’s poking him… again.

Ryoji opened his eyes and a sense of deja vu washed over him, seeing the boy peek over his bed and poking his cheeks in curiosity. Honestly it brings a smile to Ryoji’s face, seeing the boy, sitting up just as the boy stood up to meet his gaze before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

He’s not leaving. At least… not yet.

“You’ve prevailed…” the boy murmurs, a tinge of pride in his voice, which was surprising considering Ryoji hasn’t heard any sort of emotion from this boy ever since their first meeting.

“We had to, didn’t we?” Ryoji hums, tilting his head. “You’re the one warning me about these adversities, and thanks to you we know that there might be a pattern.”

The boy nods, swinging his legs. “... Do you remember… when I said everything will come to an end?”

Ryoji hums at that, nodding despite the other boy probably not seeing it. “What about it?”

“I remembered something else…” the boy trailed off, looking up at the ceiling. “I’m… sure the end is inevitable…”

“Isn’t that already true?” Ryoji asks, making the boy look back at him. “Everything will come to an end, there’s no escaping that.”

“True…” the boy nods, looking at his lap. “But… it’s weird… It doesn’t feel that inevitable right now. I think it’s because of your vast potential… and your growing power…”

Ryoji hums at that, waiting for the boy to elaborate but not expecting him to. 

How does the boy know that he’s growing stronger though? True that the boy said that he’s always with him, but he doesn’t… feel him, rarely see him even. The boy doesn’t and probably hasn’t seen him fight in Tartarus or during the full moon missions. He’s not like the presence, his long time friend, which was a constant in his childhood, and the boy comes and goes as he pleases. 

Perhaps he’s like Igor and Elizabeth in a way? But the two don't know who the boy was, or if they did know something Ryoji has a feeling that they’ll probably not tell Ryoji anything either way.

“Can we be friends?”

“H-Huh?”

Ryoji looks at the boy, confused, while the boy looks back at him. still swinging his legs over the bed. He said it so suddenly and without the boy’s usual pauses to his words. It felt… sincere.

“I’m always with you but… I… don’t know you…” the boy mumbles, looking away bashfully. It was like the boy was truly just that: a boy, asking for a friendship Ryoji himself barely got when he was at the boy’s age. “I’m curious… I want to know you.”

There’s an aching gap in his chest when the boy said that, the already existing gap that his childhood friend— the presence— left when it vanished. This is… not replacing it— them , right? The boy is offering— asking him for his friendship, asking for his permission almost.

There’s no harm in being friends with him… right?

How does someone become a friend though?

“Sure.” Ryoji nods, smiling slightly. “I’ll be your friend.” Even though I don’t know how to be a friend.

While the boy still didn’t show any emotion on his face, Ryoji could feel how grateful the boy was. This boy is really an enigma for him. Which reminds him…

“We’ve met quite a handful of times now but I still don’t know your name.” Ryoji tilts his head to the side, tapping his finger at the bedsheet.

Surprisingly, the boy’s eyes went wide in surprise at that observation. “Name…?”

“Yeah. Something I can call you. I can’t keep calling you ‘that boy’ in my head.”

“Something to call me…” The boy hums, thinking, a finger dragging circles on his blanket. “Then… Pharos. You can call me Pharos.”

“Pharos.” Ryoji repeated, testing it almost. It was a foreign and unconventional name in japanese standards that’s for sure but it fits the boy, who was foreign and unconventional in the first place. “Nice to meet you then, Pharos.”

The boy— Pharos— hums, nodding. “Nice… to meet you too…”

Ryoji smiles, chuckling at how Pharos seemed to be shy about greeting him back. Oh! That reminds Ryoji—

“I have something for you.” Ryoji hums, scooting out of his bed and to his shelf, where two dolls he won the other day sat.

Pharos watched curiously as Ryoji took one doll from the shelf, the Jack Frost doll, before walking back to him, Ryoji holding it out for him. “This is for you.”

“... For… me…?” Pharos mumbles, tilting his head.

“Mhmm. Consider this a symbol of our friendship.” Ryoji chuckles, taking Pharos’ one hand to hold the doll.

Pharos looks at the doll for a moment before finally taking it into his hands, playing with it by making the doll’s arm move and his own head tilting along with each movement. It was like Ryoji is really watching a child, and to be fair he is watching a child, right?

“... thank you…” Pharos mumbles, wrapping his arms around the Jack Frost doll, almost squishing his head on the doll’s hat. “It’s… getting late though. I should get going… ”

Huh, time flies by quicker this time around.

“I’ll… visit again…”

Without saying anything else, Pharos vanished from Ryoji’s sight. Curiously, it left a familiar sensation of a thread around his chest, cold but warm in its own way. It’s unlike any of his bonds but Ryoji supposes it’s due to Pharos’ uniqueness.

Death. A voice whispers to him.

Then it twists. Not in an awful way surprisingly, but it still felt odd . A reversed image of death’s door.

A Reversed Death?

It probably should freak him out, make him doubt if befriending Pharos is the right thing to do. Hell he should be surprised that he has a bond with someone who is associated with Death but… he’s not. Seeing Pharos with the Jack Frost plush, becoming Pharos’ friend felt… right.

Befriending Pharos felt right.

It’s not like he’s not already associated with Death anyways.

A Reversed Bond… It didn’t want to vanish to the back of Ryoji’s mind, even at school.

It’s the first time Ryoji had encountered this kind of scenario. All of his bonds started upright and Ryoji feels like it’s how it should be with creating bonds. It bothers him, he will admit. The reverse status of his bond was making him overthink. Was it a bad move to be Pharos’ friend then? Should he have refused? But then again… it still feels as solid as his other bonds are.

So after school he went to the Velvet Room to ask about it, explaining the situation. He’s not expecting an actual answer though based on his past visitation.

“Isn’t… a reverse bond bad?” Ryoji finishes, tilting his head in confusion.

“My, my… it is truly a dilemma.” Igor hums a thoughtful look on his face. Meanwhile Elizabeth is by his side with Ryoji’s opened compendium with the reverse Death card hoving above it, pulsing deep blue with an aura of green. “This is a first for us as well.”

“It doesn’t look like a bond that won’t grow, in fact it is growing much like your other bonds.” Elizabeth hums with a smile, a hand under her chin in thought. “Perhaps it’s another thing unique to you, dear guest.”

First multiple personas, and now a growing reverse bond? It… honestly could be worse if Ryoji has anything to say about it.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about this, dear guest.” Igor hums, still smiling at Ryoji. “Perhaps there is a reason why your bond with Death is like this. Only time can tell.”

Only time can tell. Like all of Ryoji’s questions, only time can tell.

Yamagishi was officially part of their dorm as of today, and the chairman was visiting the dorms again with ‘special gifts’ for them so Kirijo was asking them to come by to the command room when they got back to the dorms. The announcement got Yukari and Junpei excited to go back to the dorms, albeit expecting the ‘special gifts’ to be some new joke from the chairman.

After helping out Yuko with coaching a group of kids she knows (it was a bit troublesome at the beginning but Ryoji slowly finds it fulfilling when they beat their old records under Yuko’s tutelage in each practice session. Who knew she could coach them for track as well as she’s managing them on Kendo) Ryoji walked back to the dorms for their meeting.

Once everyone had arrived and seated, Ikutsuki brought out a large suitcase and placed it on the table. “My apologies for calling you all again so soon, but I brought something special today that I’m sure all of you will like.”

Immediately Junpei began asking what it was, obviously intrigued the moment Ikutsuki placed the suitcase on the table.

“Let me just show all of you before I get into the specifics.”

Ikutsuki opened the case and revealed… a new uniform? There was a blazer neatly folded inside a compartment, a familiar red armband redesigned with the familiar S.E.E.S. lettering and a number under it, there’s also a white hollister and belt with a few canisters tucked in there, for their evokers if Ryoji has to guess. 

New uniforms, new equipment. Wow…

Apparently it’s been in development for quite some time and is now ready for the battle testing phase. 

It was understandable why they are given these now, the Shadows are getting stronger so they had to get stronger too, and that includes their equipment.

Ikutsuki continued explaining the new gear and it came along with some new phrases for Ryoji.

Combat gear with matching armbands, and cartridges for something they could use. Cartridges for Theurgy.

“Theurgy…?” Ryoji mumbles, just as everyone else. It’s a new phrase for all of them, of course they’ll all be curious.

Ikutsuki explained it to them. Theurgy, spiritual magic that could reach the gods . It would synchronize with the user’s emotions and when the right conditions are met it allows them to deal great damage and power. It sounded like what Junpei and Ryoji talked about before, something along the lines of ‘signature moves’, perhaps it would help them with their battles. Ikutsuki, however, refuses to tell them how it worked, saying it’s difficult to explain and it would be best to try them out for themselves.

It was a great excuse to go to Tartarus that night.

Being so used to wearing their school uniforms when going to Tartarus, the new equipment admittedly took a while to get used to, at least for Ryoji. 

Everything was of higher quality, made to almost mimic their school uniforms. His new fingerless-gloves made his grip on his new sword even better, less prone to slipping off of his grasp. The blazer was almost the same, only made with better material, and for Ryoji it was much longer than his blazer that it looked more like a trenchcoat that went until behind Ryoji’s knees, it had more pockets and space to put more equipment in. 

“We look like we’re part of some super elite task force!” Junpei grinned, tightening the knot of his blazer in his waist.

“Come on, could you at least wear your uniform like you’re supposed to?” Yukari sighs before looking over at everyone. “It does look like everyone’s outfits are a bit different…”

Everyone has their own version of their new uniforms and new weapons to go with it, it was like Ikutsuki truly made sure that each uniform fits its wearer.

“Each one is made to complement our physiques and fighting styles.” Sanada explained, fixing his gloves. “They were testing the prototype out on me, but it feels even better than it did before.”

“It’s very light and sturdy! I wonder if they used the same materials as they use in the military, or maybe even spacesuits…” Fuuka mumbles under her breath, looking over her clothing.

“This armband isn’t just for show either.” Kirijo chuckled.

“A-According to the manual, there’s a bunch of different features built into it.” Fuuka informs them, looking up in thought. “For example… it can give a readout of your vitals. There’s also a function that could notify you when you can use your Theurgy…?”

“It sounds like you memorized the manual, Fuuka.” Yukari chuckles, making Fuuka stammer some excuse about wanting to be useful.

Ryoji can relate to that…

“There’s not much information about Theurgies in the manual though.” Ryoji hums, mentally going through the manual to see if he read anything pertaining to Theurgies. “Only that we need to load a cartridge into our Evokers to use it.”

That became their objective for tonight. Learn more about the Theurgy function and for Fuuka to be familiar with navigating and backing them up

After picking the team to go up (Ryoji, Yukari, Kirijo and Sanada) and assuring Junpei that supporting Yamagishi is a job in and of itself (and if anything goes awry, he’s their last line of defense), they went up to Tartarus with Fuuka’s guidance, finding a floor safe enough for them to test their new equipment.

Theurgy was something else.

After being separated upon climbing up the stairs and being left in the dark, Ryoji had no choice but to wander around trying to look for the others. Fuuka said that they were all on the same floor, fortunately, just separated. 

They would need Fuuka’s support to find each other, and fast. The faster they meet up, the safer they’ll be.

Unfortunately a Shadow ambushed Ryoji while wandering around and thankfully Yukari caught up to him and managed to back him up while he was down. 

And there he saw the power of Theurgy.

An attack based on someone’s heightened emotions. It’s as powerful as they’d thought and much more powerful than Ryoji thought. It truly was a trump card for them.

But…

“Ryoji-kun… I… I didn’t feel anything similar to you when you all fought.” Fuuka informs him once they’re back on the entrance. “I could see and feel everyone’s Theurgies built up, but you… it just stayed stagnant…”

Everyone looked at each other before their gaze rested on Ryoji, making him play with the hem of his scarf and look away from their heavy gazes. “Maybe I wasn’t just… feeling it.”

“P-Perhaps!” Fuuka nods, a determined look on her face. “I-I’m still not entirely sure how it works, so perhaps I just didn’t have a grasp of it yet! B-But thanks to Yukari-chan I have a basis on when someone can use theirs. I just need more practice! I’ll do more research on how the syncing works later! Everyone has different feelings when they’re fighting, so… the timing would be different too. I’m sure it’s the same with you, Ryoji-kun.”

Fuuka continues to grow after each excursion they do at Tartarus, everyone realizing their motivations for their Theurgy and taking advantage of it.

Ryoji however, still can’t use it.

“It’s like you’ve been debuffed.” Junpei jested, nudging Ryoji by his shoulders. “Like the world’s sayin’ that you’re already powerful enough.”

Ryoji lets out a ( forced ) chuckle at that, brushing off Junpei’s nudge. “Maybe. But maybe I’m just not feeling it.”

“I believe that’s the case.” Kirijo nods, yet she looks over at Ryoji worriedly. “I’ll point this out to the chairman at the next meeting. Perhaps due to your ability to summon multiple Personas you need a different way to use Theurgy.”

“It’s alright Kirijo-senpai.” Ryoji waves off her concern with a smile. “I can figure it out on my own.”

Kirijo looks incredulous at Ryoji’s assurance but she lets him be. She’ll still report that to Ikutsuki though, he knows.

Though Ryoji is strong enough as it is, maybe it is a ‘debuff’ like what Junpei said. Not that it matters to him though. Ryoji not being able to use Theurgy is not a big deal to him and it shouldn’t deter the team from advancing as usual.

“... There’s been fewer cases of Apathy Syndrome after our missions.” Yukari mumbles beside Ryoji as they walk to school, somehow her voice is hesitant. “But then again… that’ll change as the full moon comes.”

“We just have to be prepared by then.” Ryoji hums, sending a reassuring smile over at Yukari.

She didn’t smile back, she looked away instead looking contemplative. “Say… what do you think of Kirijo-senpai?”

Kirijo-senpai?

“What do you mean?” Ryoji asks, tilting his head. That question was out of left field.

“Don’t you think she, I dunno, sort of pushed Fuuka into joining too quickly?” She’s still hung up about Fuuka’s recruitment? “I know it’s nice to have more Persona-users on our side, especially in battle, and especially a good navigator like Fuuka but… Something doesn’t feel right…”

If anything was not feeling right it would be Ikutsuki in Ryoji’s opinion. But Yukari has a point, Kirijo… looks like she’s hiding something sometimes.

“You could ask Fuuka-san about her feelings, if you want?” Ryoji suggested.

Yukari nodded, absentminded. She didn’t talk the rest of the way.

Kirijo suddenly held an impromptu tour of the dorm, seeing as Ryoji, Junpei, and Fuuka had not toured the place beforehand. While Ryoji thinks it’s a little bit too late for the tour, Kirijo seems determined to make it happen. And so they were introduced to the facilities formally.

The communal kitchen was cleaner than when Ryoji first arrived there, because of the unkempt look Ryoji was hesitant to use the kitchen other than boiling water or using the microwave but now Kirijo has given them the okay to use the kitchen as they see fit.

“Do you all cook your own meals?” Fuuka asked curiously.

“Akihiko has been here from time to time. For myself, I can’t say I do.” Kirijo answered with a chuckle. “We used to have someone who cooked with some frequency, but…”

Kirijo trailed off her sentence. It was a sore subject it seemed.

“Come to think of it…” Junpei turned to Ryoji. “I only come here to get hot water. Have you been to the kitchen?”

“I come here from time to time.” Ryoji shrugs, tugging his scarf. “Mostly also for hot water and to use the microwave. But I do want to cook my own food, once in a while.”

“If you care about eating a balanced diet then there’s no better way to do that than cook it yourself.” Yukari hums, crossing her arms. “It’s not as cheap as they make it out to be, though. It’s hard to use everything before it spoils.”

“Wow… So you know how to cook, Yukari-chan?” Fuuka asks, chuckling when Yukari stammers out her reply.

“I-I mean… I can do it, but I’m no chef! It’s been a while though, and I have my fair share of embarrassments. With a kitchen this big though, I think a couple people could work together. We can halve the work and double the flavor, you know? We should try it next time!”

Kirijo lets out a chuckle, agreeing at Yukari’s suggestion before moving them along.

The lounge was next, and it was mostly self-explanatory, the couches, the TV, and the addition Fuuka made: an old DVD player. She didn’t mind keeping it there, and she hoped that they would make better use of it.

The rest of the floors are even more self-explanatory: the second floor was for the boy’s rooms and the third was for the girl’s rooms. The second floor had a bookshelf where they could read whatever was on the shelf, granted that they take care of it afterwards.

The rest of the tour went smoothly, Kirijo leaving them to their devices afterwards with a ‘welcome to the dorms’.

Now that he knows the kitchen is okay to use, he might as well cook his own dinner for the night.

Walking to the kitchen Ryoji took a quick look at the fridge. It has enough ingredients for a stir fry, that should be good enough for tonight.

Ryoji was always okay with the kitchen, not a pro but enough to not starve. He remembers some of his foster family almost forgetting to save him some food but let him use whatever was available to him ( at best, at worst some forbade Ryoji to touch anything at all without their permission…), so Ryoji had to learn how to cook. It was honestly a trial and error, and he’s glad Hikari had taught him a few recipes before his uncle took him in. Truly saved him from starving.

“Oh, it’s you.”

Ryoji looks up from passing his food to a plate, seeing Kirijo standing by the doorway. “Ah, Kirijo-senpai. Were you going to cook?”

“I was about to make myself tea, actually.” Kirijo hums, smiling at Ryoji. “I happen to have some quality tea leaves. I’d be happy to serve you a cup if you want?”

Ryoji blinked at the offer, taking a moment to take it in. “Are you sure?”

“I offered, didn’t I? Please, it’s fine.” Kirijo smiled reassuringly at Ryoji.

She’s really okay with it, it almost looks like she wants Ryoji to accept the offer.

“O-Okay then. Then please help yourself with my food, I made enough.”

After Ryoji and Kirijo finished with their own respective tasks they sat down at the dining table, Kirijo pouring a glass of tea for Ryoji and herself before sitting down, taking in the aroma of the tea and Ryoji’s cooking.

“You prepared this very well. You must be a skilled chef.” Kirijo praised Ryoji, humming as she took a bite of the food.

“Oh no, I’m still a novice! I just cook when I can.” Ryoji explained, waving his hand in refusal. Stir fry is easy to make, and cheap to make too—

“Still, it’s a great skill to be able to cook. There is credit where credit is due.”

Ryoji tugs his scarf upwards at that, opting to stay silent since it seems like it’s a losing battle. He’s not a great cook, and with Kirijo’s status surely she had eaten better food than something Ryoji had basically thrown into a pan.

“I was actually about to invite you for tea myself after the tour.” Kirijo chuckles, a soft smile on her face and her hands on her teacup. “I wanted to show my thanks for your continued hard work, and as well as check in on how you were.”

Ryoji’s hand twitches, barely but it happened. “Why so?”

“Ever since you joined us you have been taking a lot of responsibility as our scout leader. I understand that it’s a big responsibility for you so if you are running into trouble, please don’t be afraid to let me know.”

Please don’t be afraid to let me know.

Ryoji smiles at Kirijo, shaking his head. “I’m not having any troubles Kirijo-senpai, but if ever I do I’ll keep it in mind.”

“... That’s good to hear.” Kirijo sighs, still smiling.

The two of them continued sharing tea and the stir fry until both teapot and plate were empty. It was a pleasant time, which surprised Ryoji. For someone as uptight and authoritative as Kirijo he’d thought that she would be a bit of an ice to break alone.

“It’s quite late. Let’s turn in for the night.” Kirijo hums, standing up from her seat and clearing out the cups and plate. “I’ll take care of the cleanup. Go ahead and rest for the night.”

“I can help, Kirijo-senpai—” Ryoji tried to help, even with just clearing out the table but he was gently stopped by Kirijo.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry Arisato.” Kirijo assures Ryoji. “I’m glad we had the chance to talk today. And in the future, I’d like to invite you again for tea should the opportunity arise.”

Ryoji shuts his mouth at that, merely nodding and mumbling a good night to Kirijo, who wished him a good night as well.

Ryoji hears that some clubs have opened up for members again, looking for people who want to socialize and hone their crafts. It seemed like a good opportunity to find more bonds so Ryoji decided to look at those free clubs after school. 

The Art Club was promising but it didn’t appeal to Ryoji (or felt the familiar feeling of a bond that could be formed), on the other hand…

“R-Ryoji-kun?”

Ryoji looked up to see Fuuka talking with someone. The person looked Ryoji's way at Fuuka’s gasp, looking up and down curiously and with a bit of alertness. It unnerves Ryoji at how he’s being looked over like a doctor.

“You’re… not a member of this club, right?” he mumbles, looking over at Ryoji once more. “You called him Ryoji-kun, is he the Arisato Ryoji-kun you were talking about, Yamagishi-san?”

“Y-Yes. He’s the one I was just telling you.” Fuuka answers the male.

Was it a good thing or a bad thing? Ryoji wanted to ask but he kept his mouth shut. That’s not what he came here for after all.

“I heard that you were open for members…?” Ryoji mumbles instead, willing a smile to his face as he clutches his bag strap tighter.

“Oh! So he’s the one!”

Ryoji tilts his head in confusion. That’s not a negative reaction. Was he missing something…?

“Yamagishi-san has been talking a lot about you since she got back, Arisato-kun.” the male explains, smiling at Ryoji.

“A-And we are looking for new members to join our club, and I mentioned you.” Fuuka explained with a small smile.

“And based on what you said earlier, are you planning on joining our club?”

Ryoji looks at Fuuka, who looks at him almost pleadingly. Other than Fuuka’s silent pleading he does feel the start of a bond with this person in front of him. Well… he has no choice now, doesn’t he…

“Yes I am.” Ryoji nodded, much to Fuuka and the male’s delight.

“Perfect! My name’s Hiraga Keisuke. Pleased to meet you!” Hiraga immediately took Ryoji’s hand to a shake, enthusiastically beginning to rattle off on… something.

There’s chuckles from somewhere in the room, pointing out that Hiraga was the club president and Ryoji should be the one introducing himself in this situation. It felt berating but it seems like it’s the norm there, considering Fuuka just chuckles followed by Hiraga’s embarrassed huff of laughter.

“Say, Arisato-kun. Do you have an eye for photography? Or did you just join out of curiosity?” Hiraga asks Ryoji with a curious glance.

Ryoji tugs at the hem of his scarf, smiling bashfully. “I’m not much of a photographer, but I’m willing to learn.”

“That’s an enthusiasm I’m glad to see!” Hiraga chuckles, patting Ryoji’s shoulder. “Don’t worry though. You don’t have to be a professional to join this club. I mean… I’m just a beginner myself, and I’m the club president!”

Ryoji chuckles along with Hiraga, knowing that what he’s doing was just assuring Ryoji of his skills.

“Meeting you here can’t be just a coincidence. Maybe it is fate…” Hiraga mumbles under his breath with a smile. “Let’s get you signed up Arisato-kun!”

Hiraga led him to make the proper paperwork to join the club, and after giving him a firm but gentle shake of hands and a warm welcome Ryoji felt the familiar thread of a bond loop around him.

Fortune.

Maybe Hiraga’s right. It might be fate.

“Who knew we’d end up in the same club, Ryoji-kun.” Fuuka chuckles after Hiraga explains the rules of the club.

Ryoji merely chuckled at that, nodding. “I look forward to learning photography with you Fuuka-san.”

Ryoji was washing his dishes in the kitchen when Sanada walked in.

“I didn’t realize you’re here.” Sanada said in lieu of a greeting, snapping Ryoji from his concentration.

“Good evening, Sanada-senpai.” Ryoji greeted with a smile.

“I was about to cook some of my routine meals. I could use some help if you’re free.” Sanada lifts up the grocery bags he had in his hands.

… It wouldn’t hurt to help Sanada. He’s just about finished washing dishes anyways.

“I’d be happy to help Sanada-senpai.” Ryoji nods, finishing off rinsing the dishes before wiping his hands dry.

Sanada thanked him and immediately got to work organizing the grocery he had. Chicken tenderloin, eggs, broccoli. Ryoji’s eyes widened. There were a lot of ingredients… What was Sanada trying to cook?

“We’re gonna boil them one after the other.” Sanada instructed, pointing at each ingredient as he called them out like a roll call. “It’s a staple for an athlete. Full of valuable nutrients and not that hard to cook either.”

Ryoji nods, silently following along.

“The problem comes after boiling them. Next you have to portion everything out before putting it in the freezer. It’s a lot of work.” Sanada nods to himself.

“You sure work hard, Sanada-senpai.”

“No, not really.” Sanada shakes his head, smiling a bit. “I’m just lazy, so I do everything in one go.”

“Is it still lazy if you’re doing it in one go?”

“To some, perhaps. But if I want to get stronger I have to do whatever it takes.”

He does work hard. Even if some people might say that he’s not.

“Let’s get started. You handle the chicken and I’ll handle the greens.”

With both of them working together they made quick work of Sanada’s meal(s), putting the other portions into containers and into the freezer as Sanada instructed.

“That should last for a while.” Sanada nods, arms crossed and looking proud despite the dishes they had on the counter. “The work is so much more efficient with the two of us working.”

“Two heads are better than one, as they say.” Ryoji quotes with a chuckle.

Sanada laughs, throwing his head back a bit before turning to the counter where the two remaining portions remain.

“Here, take some.” Sanada took one of the portions and handed it over to Ryoji. “It’s perfect for a midnight snack, since it won’t really put on fat.”

“But… this is yours?” Ryoji mumbles, looking at the packed meal.

“You’ve seen how many I have in the freezer, giving one up won’t do me any harm.” Sanada assures Ryoji, holding out the meal still and nudging it to Ryoji’s way.

Ryoji hesitantly took it, and continued looking at it for quite some time. It’s… something, Ryoji thinks. Ryoji hadn’t been given anything before as far as he remembers. The only things given to him were clothes (which was necessary for him, it was more out of obligation than anything), his scarf, and some trinkets Hikari bought him, which was not a lot.

“I know your diet is important for building a strong body, but I’ll admit I’m not much of a cook.”

“I could help you if you need help, Sanada-senpai.” Ryoji assures the senior with a smile.

“Haha, thanks. I might be able to try something more elaborate with your help.” Sanada hums, already mouthing off ingredients to work with next time.

Ryoji listens as they clean up the kitchen, nodding along once in a while.

“The Kirijo Group was on the news yesterday! Something about showing their true colors?”

“Kirijo… like our student council president?”

“Yeah. I heard they’re involved in a lot of things. If I remember correctly, this school’s owned by the Kirijo Group too.”

“I wonder why a company that big decided to build a school…”

“Who knows… we can’t predict why companies do the things they do.”

The routine continues as it was for Ryoji, the only thing that technically changed was when Elizabeth calls his phone (and distantly Ryoji wonders how she got his number), informing him of a person wandering into Tartarus and was in need of rescuing, kind of what happened with Moriyama and her friends.

The right thing to do was rescue them, right? 

So they venture to Tartarus, combing the place of the person before escorting them back down safely. It’s also good training, if anything, for both them and Fuuka.

“Great job, leader!” Fuuka cheered when they arrived at the entrance with the lured person in tow.

“Now they’re luring more people to Tartarus, how grotesque.” Kirijo clicks her tongue, helping the person sit down by the steps. “It’s a good thing you decided to go to Tartarus today, who knows what could have happened to them if they were left alone longer.”

Ryoji just nods, not mentioning that the person who informed him that there’s a person in Tartarus was just right there beside the door to the Velvet Room, watching them with her piercing yellow eyes and small smile that looked sharp.

“Good morning Ryoji-kun.” Fuuka greets Ryoji as he is walking down the stairs.

“Ah, good morning Fuuka-san.” Ryoji greeted back with a smile and a wave, walking towards her.

“U-Um… It’s a beautiful day today. How are you?”

Ryoji chuckles at how formal Fuuka is acting, fixing his bag on his shoulder. “There’s no need to be formal, Fuuka-san. But you’re right, the day’s beautiful.”

What is a beautiful day, if not sunny and mundane? This is everyone’s beautiful day, but not his.

Fuuka flinched at that, looking away bashfully. “I-I’m sorry. S-Sorry for being awkward…”

“You’re not awkward, please.” Ryoji assures Fuuka with a wave of his hand. “You’re on your way to school, right?”

“Y-Yes. I didn’t think that someone else was still here.”

“Let’s go together then.”

“O-Oh! Yes! Of course!”

Together, Ryoji and Fuuka walked to school, not in a chatty mood in particular. Ryoji doesn’t know what to talk about with Fuuka even, he knows she likes electronics and had a knack with it, but other than that he doesn’t know what to fill the silence with.

“I-I never had the chance to walk with someone on the way to school before, o-or even chatting with someone. S-Sorry I got so nervous…” Fuuka spoke up after they exited the monorail, looking down at her feet.

“Again, it’s alright.” Ryoji assures Fuuka. She apologizes a lot. “A first for everything, right?”

Fuuka nodded, a smile blooming in her face. “I-I think I’m starting to get used to life in the dorm. I’m pretty excited about everything we can do there.”

“I’m glad you’re doing well then.” Ryoji chuckles.

It became easy for Fuuka to talk after that, talking about her interest, things she wanted to try (“There’s the garden on the roof right? I want to try and take care of some plants up there, when I have the time.”) and so on. Ryoji just listened, nodding and adding on when he could.

It was… nice.

Tonight Ryoji decided it was a night to climb up Tartarus. It ‘s been a while sijnce they last trained and climbed and from past experience Ryoji didn’t want to push his luck by not training for three days straight.

“Oh! By the way, Kirijo-senpai just told me about something.” Fuuka informs them while climbing up Tartarus. “Apparently there’s something called ‘The Reaper’ wandering each floor, and if you stay on one floor for too long it will hunt you down…”

Yukari and Junpei are understandably surprised and scared by that information while Sanada seemed almost too ready and eager to fight it. Ryoji is not surprised at this point.

“What’s ‘The Reaper’?” Ryoji asks, genuinely curious. Was it like the Reaper in the books? An entity that reaps souls and brings death?

“I suppose it’s in every sense of the word…” Fuuka mumbles. “It sounds strong, so I suggest that we avoid encountering it.”

A Reaper. The Reaper. If what Fuuka says is true and the Reaper is as it is in every sense of the word, it sounds particularly bad. Bad news for them if they managed to encounter it.

“I wonder why it would chase you down… It probably wants to throw out outsiders…” Fuuka mumbled through the connection.

That alone was foreboding. There was a silent agreement between all of them to not linger around the floor for too long. 

As silent of an agreement it was, it still wasn’t enough as something was bound to happen.

Ryoji felt it first, the growing shivers up his arms like something was approaching. Then—

“H-Huh?! This energy…! The Reaper is coming!”

Everyone froze at Fuuka’s exclamation, the silence too loud. There was a moment of silence, like a deer in the headlights, then the ringing of chains resounded on the whole floor, like chimes signaling doom.

They have to go.

“B-But we just got to this floor!” Yukari exclaims, holding her bow tight.

“There’s no time! Run! Find the stairs!” Sanada commanded.

And off they go, running away from the sounds of chains, letting their feet and Fuuka guide them to the next floor.

They thought they'd escaped its clutches when they arrived at the next floor, running a few feet away from the staircase before taking a quick breather. Or as quick of a breather that they can get before Fuuka informs them in a surprised and worried voice that the Reaper followed them up. 

Again they climbed up, avoiding shadows as much as they could to get up another floor, and still it was following them.

“It’s really persistent!” Junpei whined as they continued to run, not even daring to look back.

“Less talking, more running!” Yukari huffs.

Once again they scramble to find the stairs, feeling their stamina deplete with all the running. Thankfully they found the stairs quickly and they immediately climbed up. 

Except for Ryoji who stayed halfway, daring to look back and see the Reaper chasing them.

The Reaper floats there at a distance with its weapon by its side, and even with its bloody sacked head he knew that it was looking at him , guns raising as if ready to fire but ultimately not firing. Then suddenly it lowered its guns and… bows…?

“Ryoji! Dude! Come on!” Junpei’s frantic voice called for Ryoji just on top of the stairs.

This time Ryoji didn’t look back, joining his team on the next floor.

This time the Reaper stopped chasing them, letting all of them take a break and catch their breaths.

That might be enough for tonight… Thankfully they’re on a safe floor with a teleporter….

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Ryoji yawns as Junpei and Yukari talk in front of him, not particularly listening or anything, until he sees Kirijo walk inside their room and towards them.

“I was informed that the chairman will be stopping by this evening. When you get back make sure to come to the fourth floor as soon as possible.” Kirijo informs them.

Everyone voices out their affirmations and just like that Kirijo walked off. Still efficient and straight to the point.

“Talk about a short notice.” Junpei mumbles, scratching the back of his head as he stares at the classroom door. “Maybe he just wants to tell us a new joke?”

“Who knows…” Yukari shrugs with a sigh.

“I’m pretty sure the chairman won’t call for meetings just for jokes.” Ryoji mumbles, pulling up his scarf.

“That’s true. If that’s the case then I’ll head straight back today. What about you Ryoji?”

“I have a club meeting today, so I’ll be a bit late.” He’s been slacking a bit with kendo ever since he joined photography. It probably isn’t good for him to ignore his other club activities considering his bonds.

Ryoji arrives at the front of the dorms to see Fuuka and Yukari with a white colored shiba inu. It’s the first time Ryoji sees the dog around but it seems like that dog is known by everyone by how Fuuka was asking the dog to do tricks and praising him when he did as told.

“Good boy!” Yukari praises more, petting the dog’s head. “What a smart boy you are!”

“Is it yours?” Ryoji asks as he walks up to them, catching the girl’s attention.

“Oh! Welcome back Ryoji-kun!” Fuuka greets him, standing up.

“Hey there Ryoji-kun! Oh and Koro-chan? Oh no, it’s not mine, nor Fuuka’s.” Yukari answers, letting out a small laugh as she pets ‘Koro-chan’ again. “You can pet him if you want.”

Koro-chan looked up at him before padding towards his direction, sitting down in front of Ryoji and waiting. Ryoji kneeled in front of the dog, looking at his red eyes as he stared back. There was a moment of just staring at each other, trying to discern something (what the two of them are trying to find Ryoji doesn’t know), before Koro-chan barked softly and bounded towards Ryoji, licking his cheek and making him take a step back while the girls laugh.

“Aw, Koro-chan likes you!” Fuuka chuckles, hiding more of her laugh behind her hands. “His name is Koromaru, we call him Koro-chan for short.”

Ryoji looks at Koro-chan— Koromaru— again, finding the dog seemingly smiling at him as his tail wags from side to side. Hesitantly Ryoji places a hand on top of Koromaru’s head, rubbing it side to side carefully and watched as Koromaru’s eyes closed and he began panting. It was… nice. “Nice to meet you Koromaru.”

“Oh, he’s still going on walks on his own?” A woman walks up to them, looking down at Koromaru with a pitying look.

“What do you mean miss?” Yukari asks, looking at the woman.

“He used to belong to the priest at the Naganaki Shrine.” The woman explained, smiling softly. “Every afternoon the two of them go on a walk this way. But… that is until the priest passed away.”

Oh . So Koromaru is—

“His owner passed away?”

“You haven’t heard the story? I believe it was around six months ago… The priest was hit by a car while walking Koromaru-chan and sadly didn’t survive. Ever since then, this dog continued to go on walks, always stopping to sit by the site of the accident.”

“Oh no…”

“He refuses to let anyone take him in! Just the other day my son—” the woman stopped mid sentence, as if snapping out of a trance before remembering something, swiftly excusing herself and went back to her own business.

Everyone looked back at Koromaru, who looked back from his place with Ryoji. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Koromaru. To lose someone like that, and in front of him…

Yukari kneeled down to pet Koromaru again, a small smile on her face. “You’re such a loyal dog! Good boy!”

Koromaru barked, panting again as his tail wagged.

“Huh…? Is he…?” Ryoji hears Fuuka mumble under her breath.

“Is there something wrong, Fuuka-san?” Ryoji asks, standing up and turning to Fuuka.

“O-Oh, no, it’s nothing. Sorry.” Fuuka shook her head, smiling at Ryoji assuringly. “Wait, isn’t the chairman coming today? We probably should go get ready.”

Ryoji and Yukari nodded, saying goodbye to Koromaru before going inside.

Everyone was already seated in the command room when the chairman arrived.

“Ah, you’re all here.” Ikutsuki enters the room, in high spirits it seems. “I gathered you all today because I wanted to let you know how my research has been going. It concerns the Shadows that have been appearing during full moons.”

Ikutsuki explained his findings in an excited voice, almost like a child receiving a gift. The Shadows could be divided into twelve categories, all according to their characteristics; that one they already know so far. He had classified the special Shadows and their categories coming by in order as of now, from one to four. With that information, they now know that these special Shadows are twelve in total, four they have faced and eight yet to be seen. So that meant that they can expect to face eight more strong Shadows.

“So… what are they after then?” Junpei asks, leaning forward to look at Ikutsuki.

“A good question, but sadly an answer we don’t know yet.” Ikutsuki shook his head sadly. “All we know is that they don’t kill their prey, rather they feed on their minds.”

It sounded worse than being killed. A living death…

The conversation continues, Ryoji barely listening at all. He knows they’re having a breakthrough, but… ultimately it’s none of Ryoji’s business.

He’s just the scout leader, not a researcher.

Eight more to go… eight more trials to overcome…

“The real question is: do Shadows act independently or… are they working together toward the same goal?”

Ryoji doesn’t know why he had a foreboding feeling with that question.

“Hey, Ryoji…” Yukari stops Ryoji from going back to his room afterwards, opting to stay in the small reading area on the second floor. “Even though we made a connection with the twelve Shadows and Tartarus, it feels like we still don’t understand much, huh?”

Ryoji nods slowly, putting his hands to his pockets. “We’re still in the dark but it’s better than nothing.”

“Yeah…” Yukari nods, playing with the sleeves of her cardigan. “There’s something about it that is bugging me though…”

“Whatever that is, we'll find the answer soon, hopefully.” Ryoji assures Yukari with a smile.

Something concerning Yukari is not his business but for their questions about the Dark Hour and Shadows… He hopes they do find those answers soon.

BANG!

Ryoji sat up on his bed, looking around for the source of the gunshot. It sounded near yet distant, a gnawing feeling clawing up his back. He felt cold all over despite it being summer. What was that…? It felt like… something was taken away…

“Is… something the matter?” a voice asks beside him.

Ryoji turned his head sharply, instincts ready to fight. Those instincts eased the moment he saw Pharos sitting down on his bed, facing him with the Jack Frost doll in his arms looking up at him with a tilt to his head.

“It’s you…” Ryoji sighs in relief, shoulders dropping in ease.

“Did… you have a nightmare?” Pharos asks, scooting closer to Ryoji and looking up at him with curious eyes.

Ryoji shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “It’s nothing. I don’t even know what happened.”

Just that coldness that is seeping into him, like something was being ripped away somewhere and it calls him.

Pharos nods with a hum, leaning against Ryoji. It is a comfortable weight. “Friends… should support one another, right? So I’ll stay until you’re okay.”

Without saying a word Pharos helped Ryoji lay back down before laying beside him, curling with the Jack Frost doll between them. It makes Ryoji smile seeing how much Pharos likes the doll.

“You really like Jack Frost, huh?” Ryoji chuckles, staring up at the ceiling.

“... I… do.” Pharos nods, squishing his head on the doll’s head. “A friend gave it to me afterall.”

Friend. Right. He and Pharos are friends.

It makes Ryoji smile more, more easily than the other times he smiles.

“I’m glad you liked it then.”

Ryoji fell back to sleep surprisingly quickly, dreaming of nothing but calm warmth and waking up in the morning to see no signs of Pharos anywhere.

“Did you hear about this revenge website?”

“No, what is it?”

“They say if you post someone’s name on the website, they’ll get revenge for you. They say it’s a 100% guaranteed success and it’s completely anonymous!”

“Seriously?! Send me the URL! I wanna check it out!”

“W-Well… It’s just a rumor, so I don’t know the details… Wait, why are you so desperate anyways?”

The bells rang signaling the end of the school day.

Juggling between his clubs and other obligations is getting harder and harder now that there’s a lot to manage but Ryoji could feel the promised ability Igor and Elizabeth were talking about getting stronger in him, that and he gets less and less tired after each interaction (he still gets tired though, and that’s what he had to take care of) so… Ryoji could say that he’s progressing a lot on the task given to him. It’s a win for him at the very least.

“Oh, Ryoji-kun!” Ryoji raises his head to see Fuuka walk towards him as he is exiting his classroom, a bento box in hand. “Do you have time today? Also, if you happen to be a bit hungry…”

Ryoji looked down at her hands, seeing a carefully wrapped bento box. She made it herself? Does she need a taste-tester? Ryoji’s mind drifts back to the conversation during Kirijo’s tour of the dorm.

“I’m free.” Ryoji nods with a smile, watching as Fuuka smiles wider.

“O-Oh! Then in that case, would you do me a favor?” Fuuka lifts up the wrapped bento box. “I-I was hoping you could taste test the lunch I made. To be honest I don’t have much confidence in my cooking skills but today I think this turned out okay! I remember hearing that you cook so… I was hoping you could give me some tips and tricks afterwards!”

Those words… didn’t elicit any confidence in Ryoji. But he’s the leader, he should be able to stomach this.

“Alright. I’ll taste it for you.” Ryoji nods, playing with the hems of his scarf.

Fuuka sparkled more before quite excitedly leading him towards the open courtyard, both of them sitting down on a bench before Fuuka gave him the bento box. 

It looked decent enough for a beginner, if not a bit of a mix-match of ingredients. The usual aesthetics he sees in bentos were… not that prominently present but Fuuka asked for the taste not the look so he can give that a pass.

“P-Please don’t hold back! I want to hear your honest opinion!” Fuuka assures Ryoji, watching him intently. “I used vinegar as a base for relieving fatigue, and then I added a bunch of citrus. I just thought I’d start with some simple light flavors.”

Simple light flavors? Ryoji stares down at the bento again, keeping his apprehension to himself. Vinegar and citrus are something he doesn’t describe as light flavors , he’ll be sure to tell Fuuka that. 

But he went for it anyway, taking the chopsticks to his hand and tasted everything in the box as much as his reflexes were telling him otherwise. All Ryoji could say was… It was… impactful , to say the least. It reminded him of the first time he had used vinegar in a dish and somehow used way too much of it.

“H-How was it?” Fuuka asks, looking at him worriedly and curiously.

How do I say this in the nicest way… Ryoji thinks, tugging his scarf while contemplating his words. “It… could use some improvements…?”

Fuuka visibly deflated at Ryoji’s words.

“O-Oh…” Fuuka looks dejected. “I thought you might say that…”

“It’s not bad .” Ryoji assures her with a smile. “But like I said, it could use some improvements. Vinegar and citrus are not light flavors and they almost always overpower everything else if used a lot. Use them sparingly next time.”

Fuuka nods, probably already mentally taking note of Ryoji’s suggestion. “O-Okay! Thank you Ryoji-kun.”

Ryoji smiles at her, feeling his stomach churning. Yeah, definitely like the first time he used vinegar . He tried not to let his discomfort show but Fuuka seemed to notice it nonetheless as she asked him if he was alright, to which Ryoji waved it off to save face and to not dishearten her.

“M-Maybe water would be nice though.” Ryoji mumbles and Fuuka was quick to get him some.

After downing the water (carefully and trying not to chug it) Fuuka looks away bashfully, embarrassed and ashamed.

“I-I’m sorry I made you taste test my cooking…” Fuuka mumbles an apology, twiddling her thumbs. “I just figured… I could count on you for an honest opinion. You don’t look like a person who would try to make me feel better by lying.”

That admission in and off itself was heavy. It was heavy with trust that Ryoji couldn’t comprehend considering they haven’t been friends for even a month yet. And wasn’t it a lie in and off itself to sugarcoat his answer, his whole demeanor a mask.

“I was there once, it’s alright.” Ryoji assures her with a wave of his hand, still smiling. That at least is an honest assurance. “If you want you can join me in the kitchen when I cook.”

“O-Oh, really?” Fuuka’s eyes sparkled, a hope blooming on her face. “Thank you. I-I’ll make sure to take notes properly!”

Ryoji nods at her enthusiasm. “I’ll be glad to help.”

Fuuka nods with a smile before bowing slightly at Ryoji. “Thank you for your time today. I’ll continue practicing! I should focus on making it edible first at least…”

Ryoji pretends he didn’t hear her mumble that last part under her breath.

A familiar thread wrapped around his chest at Fuuka’s determination, the familiar feeling of a bond forming.

Priestess . The now familiar voice whispers in his mind.

There’s a week left before a full moon and everyone is tense, thoughts are being thrown left and right. Yukari, especially, seems to think a lot about Tartarus, the Dark Hour, their mission, and everything else.

There are also talks about couples becoming victims of Apathy Syndrome, something that was definitely different in terms of the past victims who were usually alone, but nonetheless concerning on and off its own. People are speculating as humans often do, why the sudden rise? Why is there such a thing like Apathy Syndrome?

Only they all know that it’s because the full moon is coming closer, which means a big Shadow in the city.

Ryoji wonders if Pharos will come by his room tonight to remind him of that.

Ryoji watched the clock tick down to midnight, watching the skies become green and the moon shining its yellow light at the world, shining through his window like a stagelight. He already feels the presence beside him before feeling the weight of the boy in the bed, one that is becoming more and more familiar (though not the same presence he is used to).

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Ryoji hums, side-eyeing the child who is sitting on his bed looking back at him.

“... You already know what I’m going to tell you.” Pharos mumbles, playing with Jack Frost’s hat.

Ryoji nods, leaning back on his arms. “The full moon and the trial.”

Pharos nodded, swinging his feet over the bed. 

There was a pause to their conversation, one that neither found the need to break for now. Ryoji finds himself almost too lax around Pharos now that he thinks about it, there’s just… something with him that Ryoji can’t put a finger on.

“Are you prepared?” Pharos spoke up with a hum, looking up at him.

“We still have a week.” Ryoji reminded Pharos, tilting his head. “We’ll be prepared.”

Pharos nods at Ryoji, surprisingly leaning against Ryoji’s arm as his feet continue to swing from the side of the bed.

“... Be careful…” Pharos mumbles, leaning his head over the doll in his arms. “I’ll come see you again after…”

Ryoji already knows he will but he nods at the warning nonetheless. “I’ll wait for you.”

Pharos nods, and as quick as Pharos arrives he vanishes from Ryoji’s eyes, presence gone.

The week passed by quickly in Ryoji’s opinion, between preparing and doing his obligations he barely felt time slow down. Now he finds himself in the command room with the others at Dark Hour, watching Fuuka inside Juno searching for anything relating to the Shadows.

It’s a full moon, there’s bound to be a large Shadow prowling around. Ikutsuki seemed more excited to learn if their hypothesis is true or not, suspiciously more eager to know.

And indeed there was a Shadow.

“There’s a large Shadow in the city.” Fuuka informs them.

It should surprise and worry them but with the hypothesis of the full moon already in their mind they are just almost relieved with the fact that they are right.

“The Shadow is located here in Iwatodai, inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard.” Fuuka added, her face scrunching up in confusion.

Shirakawa Boulevard? Ryoji thinks he has heard of that place before. Maybe it was from the gossip and whispers he hears on the way to school?

“I see.” Ikutsuki murmurs under his breath, nodding to himself. “So that’s why they’ve been finding the Lost in pairs lately.”

“What’s on Shirakawa Boulevard? I’m ot so familiar with that area.” Fuuka asks innocently. And to be fair Ryoji is curious too. What do Shirakawa Boulevard and finding the Lost in pairs have in common?

Yukari sighs, looking uncomfortable with a hand to her arm. “I’ve heard about it but…”

“Oh! That’s where those hotels are. I get it, I get it.” Junpei nods in understanding before looking at Fuuka. “Y’know, like… that’s where people like to go to… y’know …”

The way Junpei wiggles his eyebrows was enough for Ryoji to understand the silent implications. Oh. It’s those kinds of pairs.

“Come now, don’t let your imaginations run wild. They’re no different from any other hotel.” Ikutsuki chuckles before shrugging. “The rooms they have are just a bit more… exotic .”

Exotic in a way that high schoolers like them should probably not know—

“I don’t know about this… maybe I shouldn’t go…” Yukari sighs, crossing her arms and still looking uncomfortable with the idea.

“Aww, c’mon Yuka-tan. You’re acting like a child sometimes.” Junpei jests, elbowing Yukari. “Like the chairman said, it’s just a hotel. ”

“Hey, who’re you calling a child?!” Yukari scoffs, glaring at Junpei before looking at the team looking still unsure but ultimately resolved. “Fine then. I’m in the lineup today, no objections!”

Ryoji just watched as they talked about the lineup for tonight’s mission. Of course Ryoji will lead, he thinks he’ll never get out of the scout leader position at this point, and he has no room to refuse such a role anyways. And of course Fuuka would support them during the operation. Other than that they made Ryoji choose the rest of the lineup, considering he knows how all of them fight at this point and chose Junpei and Kirijo, leaving Sanada to guard Fuuka while they were inside.

After confirming their teams they set off with Ikutsuki wishing them good luck.

They arrived at the place where the Shadow is. It was a long walk from the dorms but surprisingly it didn’t leave any of them winded from the long walk. Junpei mumbled at how it looked just as he had imagined under his breath, looking at the building up and down before looking at the gate of the establishment.

“Champs… Dee… Floors…?” Junpei mumbles the name of the place.

“It’s ‘ champs de fleur ’.” Kirijo corrects Junpei with the appropriate accent (of course Kirijo knows how to pronounce it). “It means ‘ field of flowers ’.”

Field of Flowers. It made sense for a place like this, Ryoji thinks.

“I can sense the presence inside.” Fuuka informs them with a nod, looking at the building herself.

That was their cue. All of them nod at each other, already knowing what to do.

“Then c’mon, Leader!” Yukari huffs, looking at Ryoji before nudging his shoulder. “Let’s get this over with!”

Ryoji nods at Yukari, leading the team inside slowly and carefully. They can never know when the shadows might attack, and the place has narrow hallways that Ryoji knows will prove to be a disadvantage for them. There’s… a distinct smell all around them once they entered, one that made Ryoji cover his nose with his scarf. It’s overwhelming, and definitely not for the faint of heart.

“Jeez…” he hears Yukari mumble under her breath, looking around curiously.

“There’s a major presence upstairs! That must be our target!” Fuuka informs them.

They are quick to follow Fuuka’s direction, ignoring the coffins around them and heading to the room where the presence is. The sooner they finish this the better. The big gaudy door on the top floor stood in front of them, it looked like a special room, and it was obviously where the presence Fuuka sensed was.

Talk about not being subtle.

“It’s inside there.” Fuuka confirmed for them.

Taking a deep breath, Ryoji opens the door to the room, revealing a spacious room with a circular bed in the middle. It was as gaudy as the entrance, definitely screams luxury suite.

“Huh? There’s nothing here?” Yukari mumbles as she closes the door to the room.

Just as the doors clicked closed a large Shadow drops down from the ceiling and into the bed. A Shadow that looked like an obese king on a throne with two paper dolls beside him, the backrest of the chair it's on looked like a female with a tree for a head, caresing the king with its hands lovingly.

“ New guests? ” A voice chimed in with a chuckle. “ New subjects! ”

“You spoke too soon, Yuka-tan!” Junpei yelled, getting his claymore ready.

“Everyone be careful!” Fuuka warns them just in time for those two paper dolls to lunge at them.

Everyone sprung action dodging the paper dolls. Swords and arrows clashed with paper, the arm of the female blocking the attacks to the main Shadow and countering with a swipe of its arms.

“Persona!” Ryoji summons Orpheus, bashing the incoming paper dolls his way before flying towards the Shadow.

The arms blocked Orpheus’ lyre, pushing him back. It gave the perfect chance for Kirijo to summon her own Persona and do a counterattack with a pierce.

“Take this!” Yukari screamed before firing an arrow, hitting the Shadow head on.

With a screech it moved backward, the hand moving to remove the arrow from its mask.

“Not on my watch!” Junpei added, sneaking in front and with a swing of his claymore he sliced the Shadow in half, finishing it off.

The Shadow screeches out, raising its hands to the ceiling as if calling for help before it explodes in a gush of black tar, ultimately dispersing into nothing.

Everyone lets out a relieved sigh, the fight finished and done. That was easy. 

Way too easy . Ryoji has a bad feeling. Like there’s a round two somewhere.

“We did it!” Fuuka cheered, her relief evident in her voice. Junpei followed the cheer with a tune that Ryoji remembers was from a game Junpei showed him. “There’s no more reading of the enemy. Good work, everyone!”

“Mission accomplished.” Kirijo nodded, smiling at all of them. “Let’s rendezvous with Yamagishi and Akihiko outside and call it a day.”

Nodding in agreement they walked towards the door, ready to end the night and get a good night’s sleep.

Ryoji’s feeling was right though. There’s a round two somewhere.

“H-Huh…?” Junpei tugged at the door, twisting the knob and pulling it with all his strength. It won’t budge. “What the—?”

“Junpei, what’s the hold up?” Yukari sighs, an arm on her hip. Impatient.

Junpei tugged at the door again, and again. It still won’t budge no matter how hard he tugged. “The hell?! It won’t open!”

“What?!” Yukari pushed Junpei aside, trying to open the door herself. It still won’t budge.

“This is bad.” Kirijo murmurs under her breath, looking around alert once more. “Yamagishi! We’re trapped inside!”

“Huh?!” Fuuka’s gasp was heard, followed by silence as Fuuka was probably surveying the area. “Wait! No way…!”

“What’s wrong Fuuka-san?” Ryoji asks, as alert as Kirijo now.

“There’s still a Shadow in that room!”

The ease they have quickly melted, replaced with alertness and wariness. There goes the easy victory.

“But didn’t we just…?” Yukari mumbles, surprise and disbelief evident in her tone.

“It’s not the same one from before!” Fuuka informs them. “I-I can’t seem to see where it is at the moment…”

“Then it must be hiding somewhere.” Kirijo understands before turning to the team. “Look and find where the Shadow is hiding. It must be the one locking us in.”

Everyone dispersed around the room, trying to locate where the Shadow was. In a big but spacious room like this where could it hide? There shouldn’t be a way to hide from them, at least not in plain sight. Ryoji’s eyes caught the mirror on the side, it was large enough to see a person’s whole figure but coming up to it…

“Where’s the reflection?” Ryoji mumbles under his breath, looking at the mirror that doesn’t show his reflection.

“Ryoji? Did you find anything?” Yukari’s voice asks.

“ Touch it, my lord. ”

Ryoji blinked, startled at the sudden voice in his ear. Unconsciously his hands moved, raising and reaching out, touching the smooth finish of the mirror.

“Ryoji—?”

Everything went black.

“Hey...”

He turns his head from the skies above him, looking at a blurred face yet seeing it smile at him.

“Next time… we’ll play together. Okay?”

He nods, squeezing the hand that was holding his.

There’s a haze in Ryoji’s mind. He feels light and weightless, almost asleep but not quite dreaming. Ryoji can’t seem to grasp a single thought properly. His head is spinning. What’s happening…?

Where am I…? Why am I here…? … What was I doing…?

Ryoji tries to shake off the haze in his mind, trying to find the answers he seeks. He knows he’s here for a reason. He just can’t grasp it—

He was… he was… doing something… That one he is sure of.

Ryoji looks around, splotches of color gracing his vision, both curious and concerned at the same time. His ears pick up something. He hears… humming ? Humming from behind a door. The door in front of him.

“ My lord. It’s your chance to embrace your desire… ” A voice floats around his head.

Desire…? What desire…?

What he desires… What does he…?

“ My lord. This is all for you… ”

All for… him…? What’s for him? No… That doesn’t sound right. Nothing feels right.

“ My lord. That which cannot be felt is merely a dream… The present is all we have… The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication… ”

That’s… wrong… He’s on a mission. They are on a mission.

The future his team wants is not a fantasy nor a fabrication.

Like a flip of a switch, clarity comes to Ryoji in segments, pushing away the voice in his head. It still tries to persuade him, to keep him in its clutches and manipulate his thoughts. 

No, this is wrong. All of this was wrong!

He’s… Ryoji. He’s Arisato Ryoji . He’s the scout leader of S.E.E.S. and they’re on an operation .

Ryoji smacks his hands on his cheeks, the sting further waking himself up from his stupor, the slap ringing against his ears like a gong.

The voice finally vanishes from his mind, disappointed almost but backing away, also removing the haze around his mind.

Ryoji sighs, letting the ringing dissipate fully. What does it mean by ‘ chance to embrace your desire ’ though? What does it mean by ‘ this is all for you ’?

The muffled squeak of a knob turning resounded, stopping the noise of a rain shower. Ryoji turned to the source of the noise and his eyes widened, understanding dawning on his mind. From behind the windows of the bathroom, barely managing to cover anything (thank god for the steam actually hiding anything ), Yukari…

Ryoji bolted to the bathroom door immediately, keeping Yukari trapped inside. The knob turned and Yukari pulled the door open. Ryoji doesn’t let her out. Not like this anyways. The knob jiggled furiously, Yukari struggling to open the door, more confused than furious from how she stops and tries again and again.

“Yukari-san! Wake up!” Ryoji yelled from behind the door, keeping the door closed while Yukari started knocking on it.

Come on Yukari-san, snap out of it!

Ryoji kept talking with Yukari from beyond the door, hoping to snap her out of her reverie soon and thankfully soon enough the banging slowed to a stop, the door knob ceasing its movement. Ryoji could hear a confused Yukari mumbling under her breath, confused and in a daze taking a moment for herself, before Ryoji heard her screeching and there were footfalls from behind the door.

“W-What the hell is this?!” Ryoji hears Yukari scream, flustered and frantic.

“I think it’s the Shadow.” Ryoji answers her, nonchalantly slipping down the door with a sigh.

Yukari seemed to pause before screeching yet again, a loud thud on the door as if stopping Ryoji from entering. Not that Ryoji had a plan to do so anyways. “R-Ryoji-kun?! Why are you here?!”

“The Shadow manipulated us.” Ryoji answers, moving away from the bathroom door and keeping his back to it, not wanting to see anything he isn’t meant to see just in case.

This was awkward, more than awkward actually. To think the Shadows could stoop this low...

“Ryoji-kun? Yukari-chan?” Fuuka’s voice floats back to them. Relief flooded Ryoji upon hearing their support.

“I can hear you.” Ryoji answers, making Fuuka sigh in relief.

“I’m glad I could finally reach you. I wasn’t able to contact you sooner since the Shadow was interfering with your thoughts.” Ryoji knew it, but it didn’t help with the awkwardness he felt, pulling up his scarf to his nose. “You all were teleported and got separated so suddenly. B-But the enemy is still in the same room though, so it’s best to regroup with Junpei-san and Kirijo-san and then head back there.”

“We’ll be there.” Ryoji hums in confirmation, letting out a sigh.

Ryoji wonders if the same thing happened to them. If so, Ryoji can’t help but pity Junpei considering Kirijo…

“... Did you hear all that, Yukari-chan?” Fuuka asks Yukari, who yelled her affirmative, albeit embarrassed and flustered.

“Did… something happened?” Fuuka asks, not sure if it was directed to Ryoji or to Yukari.

“It’s… best to not talk about this.” Ryoji simply answers, which in and off itself was an answer that says everything.

Once Yukari was okay and ready to go (she was fuming a bit but relieved that Ryoji quickly snapped back from the control to prevent anything else from happening) they met up with Junpei and Kirijo, who looked as awkward as the two of them, or perhaps even worse than them with the bright red mark on Junpei’s cheek.

Without mentioning anything else, answers that avoided what had happened between Junpei and Kirijo, they climbed back up to the room they were last in only to find it locked.

“There seems to be a barrier that’s blocking the door from opening, you won’t be able to reach the Shadow this way yet.” Fuuka informs them. “But I found out how to break them! The mirrors in the guest rooms seem to resonate with the main Shadow. If we destroy those mirrors then perhaps we could break the barrier!”

Fuuka tells them where the mirrors were and they make quick work on breaking those mirrors. It was mirrors in different rooms that didn’t show a reflection, like the mirror Ryoji saw before they got separated. Ryoji knew it wasn’t going to be that easy considering where they were. Some rooms were easy to go in and out since there was no one there but for the others… Ryoji ignores the fact that one of the rooms had three coffins in it with a coffin just outside the room, just as Kirijo swiftly reminded them to stay on track and not look any deeper into anything .

“The barrier’s down!” Fuuka cheered just as Ryoji swung his sword at the defective mirror, cracking it.

Now that that’s out of the way, they can go up to their main target for the night.

“Let’s go beat up that Shadow!” Yukari growls, almost too ready to fight it.

They rushed back to the room where the Shadow is. There was no fanfare when they opened the door to the room, seeing a crude image of a bleeding heart with wings made out of jelly-like liquid with the male and female signs floating inside it.

“ You! You’ll pay for what you did!” Yukari growls, not even wasting time to pelt the Shadow with arrows, unleashing her Theurgy into the Shadow.

The gush of strong wind was enough to cover their own attacks, starting the fight swiftly. The Shadow uses its ‘wings’ to attack them, lunging towards them like a whip and maneuvering away from their attacks smoothly, not minding the area, not minding that it was hitting the wall. Ryoji dodged a lunge from the whip-like wing, slashing upwards to cut it off from the main body.

Ryoji heard a grunt somewhere and when he turned his head Junpei flew back a few feet, getting hit by an attack.

“Junpei!” Ryoji calls for his teammate, rushing towards him.

Junpei looked out of it for a moment, staring up at the ceiling before his eyes seemed to shimmer pink before he wildly swung his claymore at Ryoji who jumped back, blocking Junpei’s attack with his sword. 

“Junpei’s charmed! He can’t tell what’s a friend or foe!” Fuuka gasped.

Ryoji looks at Yukari and Kirijo and they get the memo, distracting the Shadow so he could focus on Junpei who seemed to be focused on him.

Ryoji frowns, swinging his sword to block another one of Junpei’s attacks. “Junpei! Snap out of it!”

Junpei laughs almost manically, not showing any signs of snapping out of the enemy’s charm. Sorry Junpei— Ryoji mentally apologized before he dodged another one of Junpei’s attacks before using the back of his sword to hit Junpei at the nape of his neck, rendering him knocked out.

With one member down it was harder to fight the Shadow, especially trying to keep said member safe from the demolition that was happening.

“Just die already!” Yukari screamed, sending off another wind-infused arrow and piercing the Shadow’s mask clean through.

The Shadow shook, screeched, before falling down the floor, disappearing into motes of darkness.

They were alert even after watching the Shadow disappear, waiting for Fuuka for confirmation. When she finally informed them that there were no more shadow readings they eased up, letting out relieved sighs. Finally it was over.

After Junpei woke up from his induced sleep (with Ryoji apologizing to him the moment he woke up and was lucid) they walked out of the hotel, never looking back, where Fuuka and Sanada greeted them with relieved smiles.

“I’m so glad you’re all safe!” Fuuka sighs with a smile.

“We did excellent work.” Kirijo smiles, an arm on her hips. “The enemy was clever but we still came out on top.”

After a moment of embarrassment, perhaps… Ryoji thought, not even daring to point that out as he nodded along.

“You did well, Yamagishi.” Kirijo praised Fuuka, who smiled and thanked Kirijo.

“You did well too, Takeba. It’s no wonder you volunteered.” Sanada added, looking at Yukari with a proud look.

Yukari chuckled, albeit a bit forced. “Y-Yeah…”

“And you as well, Arisato.” Ryoji looked up to Kirijo looking at him, pride radiating from her. “You were able to remain calm during the Shadow’s manipulation.”

“It was nothing.” Ryoji brushed off with a smile. Honestly he fumbled a bit.

“It wasn’t nothing.” Sanada points out, patting Ryoji on the shoulder. “Maybe you’re finally starting to recognize yourself as a leader.”

… That’s not it…  

“Keep up the good work.”

Ryoji dreams again for the second time tonight.

The scratching of tires.

The smell of rubber burning.

And an arm around him tightly.

Another Shadow defeated, another day passes.

Ryoji hears students talk about the coming summer break and the upcoming finals. Everyone seemed so motivated, probably because it is going to be summer break, but honestly for Ryoji it’s just a time where he’ll just stay in his room most of the time, doing nothing at all if none of his bonds required his attention.

He also noticed that after their operation Junpei seemed to be agitated with him, more snappy and defensive than usual. Ryoji doesn’t know what he did or if he even did anything to angered Junpei in the past but it was obvious that whatever he did, Junpei was angry at him.

Ryoji thinks his curse is (officially) starting. He knew not to push when someone’s angry. If Junpei is angry then he’s angry. Ryoji doesn’t want to be on the other end of that anger when it blows up knowing it won’t be good for him. With his track record it would be soon before the others followed, probably realizing Ryoji’s true nature.

So instead he busies himself with his studies, burying his head in books in preparation for finals.

“You know, our campus is actually pretty clean and new. I only noticed after my club had to visit another school.”

“Actually, my parents said that our school was rebuilt after an explosion ten years ago.”

“I also heard that the explosion wasn’t the only reason… Like, a lot of students suddenly stopped coming to school at that time too.”

“Maybe that’s why they had to put up the new building. Kind of like starting with a clean slate.”

“Hahaha this is sounding like a TV series. But it can’t be real right? Like, Gekkoukan can’t have a dark side, right?”

Knock-knock.

Ryoji looked up from his notes and to the door, wondering who would still be awake at this hour. Marking off where he left off, Ryoji stood from his seat and opened the door. He was genuinely surprised when he saw Sanada on the other side.

“Sanada-senpai?” Ryoji tilts his head, confused. “Is there anything you need?”

“I was about to go down to get a drink, thought you might wanna join me.” Sanada shrugs, looking over Ryoji’s shoulders before chuckling. “You look like you need a break from studying.”

“Are you not studying for finals, senpai?” Ryoji asks.

It’s near finals isn’t it? If Ryoji remembers correctly, seniors had it more tough on them during finals since it’s what is going to help their grades overall so Ryoji would think that their seniors would take this time to truly review as hard as possible.

Sanada flinched at that, letting out another chuckle. “Actually me and Mitsuru are studying downstairs.”

So… Sanada was not getting a drink? What is he getting at?

“We could study together in the dining hall if you’re down for it.” Sanada offered with a smile on his face.

Why are you offering? Why are you inviting me…?

While Ryoji could remember his last study session with them being fruitful, aren’t they not wary of him? Junpei is mad at him, surely he had said something to the seniors. Right? ( When one of the kids are angry with him they are quick to point fingers to their foster parents. It usually ends up badly for him )

Ryoji shook his head with an apologetic smile. “I would rather study on my own for now. Sorry Sanada-senpai, maybe next time.”

Sanada slightly wilted at that but didn’t push, nodding in understanding. “Alright then. We’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you Sanada-senpai.” Ryoji bowed slightly before closing his door, listening for the footfalls vanish before letting out a soft sigh.

Junpei was still ignoring him, and when he tried to invite him out he would scoff and brush him off.

The bond he knew was from Junpei was turning cold, almost constricting his chest, threatening to unravel and let go.

What did he do to Junpei to get him that angry?

“Oh Ryoji! Welcome back!” Yukari greets him as he enters the dorm, looking towards her and seeing her sitting down on the dining table with an unenthusiastic Junpei and apologetic Fuuka. “With exams coming up, I thought maybe we second-years could hold a study session together—”

Ryoji glanced at Junpei immediately at that. Junpei still didn’t look at him, looking as irritated as he was the day before. It would be a bad idea to intrude when one of the people there is at odds with him so before Junpei could say anything or do anything Ryoji beat him to it, smiling and shaking his head apologetically. “Sorry, I’ll have to pass.”

Yukari sputters, obviously taken aback by Ryoji’s answer. “W-Wha? Really?”

“I’m not feeling well. Please don’t worry about me, I'll be fine.” Ryoji excused himself, bowing his head at Yukari before walking up the stairs, not listening to Yukari nor Fuuka trying to persuade him to join.

Junpei is there. It’s obvious that Junpei is still angry at him. He rather subtract himself from the equation before anything else happens. He doesn’t want to ruin their fun.

“You’re really making a name for yourself as our leader.” Ryoji looks up from his feet to see Sanada sitting in the small area by the vending machine on the second floor, cleaning off his boxing clubs. “Especially with the latest operation— excellent commanding there.”

I barely did commands… Ryoji thinks but nodded with a smile at Sanada’s comment to be polite.

“Next time, the enemies will probably get stronger again, but if you keep up the effort, I know you’ll do fine. But don’t push yourself, alright?” Sanada pumps his fist in the air. 

It was supposed to be an encouraging action, Ryoji’s sure but he’s not feeling the encouragement. Yet he’s still smiling, nodding and thanking Sanada before walking towards his room.

He didn’t leave his room that night nor answered anyone who knocked.

Yukari was talking with him after school when he received a message from Sanada. The chairman was coming tonight with information to share with them, so they would have to meet on the fourth floor tonight. He relays this message to Yukari who looks hesitant despite the news.

“... Is something on your mind Yukari-san?” Ryoji asks, looking at Yukari who seemed to snap out of her thoughts.

“W-Wha? N-No, nothing.” Yukari shook her head, smiling apologetically. “I guess I’ll go back early.”

“I’ll—” Ring ring!

Ryoji flinched at the sound of his phone. Sending an apologetic smile towards Yukari, he looked at his phone to see Maiko sent him a message. He had been playing with the elementary school student for a while now, after he had found her all alone in the playground and bought her food and drink, usually she sent him messages asking him to come play with her. This message sounds urgent, lacking Maiko’s usual cheeriness.

“Looks like you have something to do.” Yukari chuckles, getting her bag from her desk. “Don’t stay out too late!”

With that Yukari left.

Well… he supposed he should go and see what Maiko wanted to talk about.

When Ryoji arrives at the playground he sees Maiko in near tears, waiting for him.

“Maiko-chan?” Ryoji calls the girl, who’s head snapped up at his voice before running full speed at him, hugging his legs tightly and beginning to cry.

“Ryoji-nii-san…” Maiko sobs, hiccuping. “I-I…!”

“What’s wrong Maiko-chan?” Ryoji asks, kneeling down to Maiko’s height and petting her head.

Last time they talked she was so happy that her parents were there on her birthday and celebrating with her, so what happened now that made her cry like this?

“Maiko… Maiko doesn’t know what to do…” Maiko sobs, trying to brush away her tears. “M-My dad… h-he…”

Maiko seemed to cry harder at that. Ryoji internally panics, not used to dealing with this kind of thing. He leads Maiko to a bench to calm herself, sitting with her and waiting for her to calm down.

“D-Dad…” Maiko sobs, shoulders still shaking but not crying as hard as she was earlier. “H-He… He hit Maiko!”

Ryoji froze, wholeheartedly not expecting that. Maiko’s parents seemed to be nice people from what Maiko had told him, so why would they hit Maiko…?

“He’s so mean!” Maiko huffs, sniffing. “It’s not fair!”

“... W-Why would he do that to you?” Ryoji asks, keeping his voice as calming and steady as he could.

He’s not a stranger to getting hit as a child unfortunately. But to hear it happen to another person— to another child , was something else Ryoji doesn’t know how to process.

“M-Maiko didn’t do anything wrong…” Maiko sobs, wiping away her tears and hugging her legs.

It wasn’t my fault. It was what he said too, but no adults would believe him.

“A-All Maiko did was ask why mom and dad are getting a divorce…” Maiko mumbles, tucking her chin to her knees. “T-They got mad at Maiko and said Maiko should stay out of it… So Maiko kept asking, and then Dad yelled… and then… he hit Maiko…”

Maiko hiccups again, tears beginning to well up again. “T-Then Mom said it was Maiko’s fault for asking so much! M-Maiko doesn’t know if they love me anymore… D-Do they wish… Maiko just disappeared?”

Ryoji’s heart broke at that. While he didn’t really care back then when he was in a roughly same situation, it was him and only him . He knows that this isn’t how a child should be treated, he hoped no one would go through what he had experienced, especially not Maiko.

“They probably didn’t mean that.” Ryoji tries to reassure Maiko, patting her back.

“T-They didn’t mean…?” Maiko repeated, wiping away her tears. “B-But then why did they get so mad…?”

Ryoji stared down at the floor, digging through his brain for a reasonable response. In the end he merely shook his head. “I… don’t know.” 

Maiko nods, looking at her lap for a moment before looking back at Ryoji. “What if… Maiko ran away from home…?”

That is a recipe for disaster if Ryoji had anything to say about it. “It’s a bad idea Maiko, don’t run away.”

“B-But… Maiko wants to know how they really feel! If they love Maiko then they’ll try to find Maiko, right?”

“... That’s true. But Maiko, are you really sure that you want to run away?”

With how unsafe reality is today Maiko would subject herself to the dangers of the world. A child like her wouldn’t survive long alone.

“B-But Maiko wants to know how they feel…” Maiko mumbles, looking at her lap.

“I still think it’s a bad idea Maiko.” Ryoji tries to reason. He has to be the voice of reason for Maiko, right? “Promise me Maiko, don’t do anything like that.”

Maiko pouts, refusing to look at Ryoji but ultimately nods, not saying anything.

“They love you Maiko.” Ryoji assures her, petting her head. “Believe in that, okay?”

At least that’s what Ryoji wants to believe.

“It’s getting late. You should go home Maiko.” Ryoji stood up from the bench, holding out a hand for Maiko to hold as she too stood up.

Maiko nods again before hopping off of the bench, looking at Ryoji with a wobbly smile. “We’ll play again soon, right?”

Ryoji nods at that, squeezing Maiko’s hand assuringly. Maiko’s smile widened, more genuine than before as she nodded back, waving goodbye at Ryoji as she began her walk home.

Ryoji waves back, keeping his feelings buried. Talking with Maiko opened up memories he’d rather not remember, stuffing down the realization of how vastly different he grew up from other people, as jarring as it was.

The meeting was a report from what happened during the full moon, Kirijo telling in detailed narration what happened (minus a particular scenario neither of them wants to remember). The Shadows are getting stronger just as they are getting stronger.

“Well, it’s not bad news. In fact, I have called today’s meeting because—”

“Sorry, can I say something?” Yukari interrupts Ikutsuki, raising her hand. “I want to ask Kirijo-senpai about something.”

Ikutsuki looked at Yukari with confusion, silently urging her to continue. Yukari nodded, thanking Ikutsuki before turning to Kirijo with a serious face.

“I know I’m not the only one who thought of this, since so much has been happening lately…” Yukari started, her resolve unwavering. “I feel like I’ve been getting dragged along without really understanding anything, so now I want answers. I’m going to ask you straight out: you’ve been hiding something from us, haven’t you Kirijo-senpai.”

The silence that followed was thick, so thick you can slice a knife into it. Ryoji looked over at Yukari, who looked determined, to Kirijo, who looked regretful and guilty.

“You’re always acting like you don’t know anything about the Dark Hour or Tartarus but… They’re connected to that accident ten years ago, aren’t they?”

Accident ten years ago? Ryoji’s head swarmed with questions. There’s another accident ten years ago…?

The tension was thick, heavy and looming over them, as Yukari continued.

There was an explosion near Gekkoukan back then, and a lot of people died from that explosion. It was big news back then, so there was surely no way that Kirijo didn’t know about it. Kirijo easily confirms that she does know it. There were no students injured but there was something off there since at the time of the accident there were several unexplained absences, absences that were too convoluted to be just a coincidence.

Ryoji listens as they continue the discussion, a faint static creeping up his ear.

An explosion. Absences. The smell of fire and burning flesh.

“I want an explanation, Kirijo-senpai. What really happened on the day of that accident.”

Everyone looked at Kirijo expectantly while Ryoji tried to focus on what was happening, pulling up his scarf to his nose to keep himself from smelling something that wasn’t there.

“I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you.” Kirijo admits, calm and collected. “It… just never seemed relevant at the time.”

Kirijo sighs, steadying herself before she explains. She explained everything, all that she knew. Her knowledge of the Shadows, how they could manipulate time and space. How one person pursued the thought of ‘ what if we could take advantage of that time and space ’, and that one person being Kirijo’s grandfather. Kirijo’s grandfather was obsessed with harnessing that power, and thus was experimenting on Shadows, collecting them in the attempt to gain even a fraction of that said power. It was an ambiguous project. And how in the final stages of the project everything went awry, they lost control of the Shadow’s power and thus gave birth to Tartarus and the Dark Hour.

Ryoji’s head throbbed as Kirijo told her story, threatening to split his head open. He doesn’t know why he’s getting this reaction but he is. He rubbed his temples to get rid of the incoming headache and tried to focus on the explanation being laid down in front of them. This is a truth he also needed to hear as a persona-user.

“According to the records the accumulated mass of Shadows were split into several large Shadows that then later dispersed.” Kirijo continues. “These are the Shadows we’ve been encountering during the full moon.”

“Is that why it’s difficult to predict where they’ll appear…?” Fuuka wonders.

“But wait, if what you said is true… Then why did our school turn into Tartarus…?” Yukari asks.

Why indeed. If that explosion was the reason that Tartarus and the Dark Hour exists, then… “Our school was that laboratory, isn’t it?”

Everyone looked at Ryoji in surprise. Ryoji looks away at the attention.

“... That’s correct.” Kirijo confirms with a solemn nod.

“Then those students who were hospitalized…!” Yukari mumbles. Kirijo’s guilty look was all the answer they needed.

“It was a highly populated area and the Kirijo group had influence there, so they could essentially do as they pleased.” Kirijo sighs, looking away. “Port Island must’ve been the perfect location for them…”

“So then that experiment ten years ago was… conducted at Gekkoukan.”

“Yes…”

Yukari looks away, probably processing the truth she asked. It was probably a lot already but it’s the truth she seeked, and now got.

“Just what are you trying to say here…?” Yukari mumbles, hands curling into fists in her lap. “So… that’s the whole purpose behind S.E.E.S.? We were dragged into this just to clean up their mistakes?!”

Kirijo opened her mouth to say something only to be stopped when Yukari stood up, glaring at Kirijo and not giving Kirijo the chance to explain. “So you lied to us.”

It wasn’t a question. And Kirijo knows it most of all.

Yukari looks at Sanada. “And you knew too, didn’t you, Sanada-senpai. You both were just using us! Or did you not care, as long as you’re the one who’s in the front lines fighting?”

“I never said anything like that!” Sanada reasons with Yukari, looking at her before looking away. “I… have my own reasons…”

Using them. Ryoji burrows his head into his scarf. It’s nothing new to him.

“Think of what you’d like but it was ultimately my decision to not share information. I’m sorry.” Kirijo looks away guiltily. “It was never my intent to deceive you. Convincing you to join S.E.E.S. was my highest priority.”

“That doesn’t—!”

“I know it may not be fair, but Shadows could only be defeated by us Persona-users. We are the only ones who can fight back.”

“That’s hardly the point!”

“... I never had the choice either… It didn’t matter if I wanted this power or not… I…”

Sanada stopped Kirijo from saying anything else, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Takeba-kun.” Ikutsuki starts, looking at Yukari with empathy. “The only blame that should happen is from those in the past who lost their lives as a result of what they did. We’re all in the same boat now. None of us deserve the burden of what’s been thrust on us.”

“But…!” Yukari starts, mouth opened to continue before giving up, sighing and sitting back down.

“It has been ten years since the incident. No one knows why those Shadows suddenly returned.” Ryoji felt a shiver down his spine, glancing at Ikutsuki who turned away from him.

… Huh? Why was he…?

“But now that they’re here, we have the chance to find and destroy them. Do you realize what that means?” Ikutsuki looked around them, a hopeful tint in eyes. “What if I told you that they are the reason why the Dark Hour exists?”

Everyone snapped their heads up at that. “They… you mean…?”

“The twelve Shadows are the root of why the Dark Hour exists.” Ikutsuki nods. “If you defeat them all, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear for good. This was the good news I was going to tell you before.”

“Is that true?!” Fuuka gasps.

Ikutsuki nods. “There’s evidence to support it, and this is where our true battle begins.”

True battle… If they defeat all twelve Shadows they could get rid of the Dark Hour and Tartarus all together. To get rid of the Dark Hour and Tartarus was S.E.E.S. goals. Sure there are still questions about Tartarus, there are a lot of mysteries shrouded around that tower. But… If they get rid of the Dark Hour…

What would happen to Pharos…?

Ryoji shook his head out of that thought. Pharos already said to him that he’s always with him. Surely even when the Dark Hour is gone he’ll still be… He’ll believe in Pharos’ words. He’ll be with him after everything is over.

If it was asked of him, he would do so. And since it’s the S.E.E.S.’s goal, as the scout leader he must perform his duties.