Chapter Text
Young Yusuke Kitagawa finally steps off the bus in front of a large red arch. The location matched the exact description he was given. “Hm, so this is Kamurocho.” He scans the area, noting the bustling groups of people and the drunk salarymen stumbling out of a nearby shop. “About as unsightly as they said.”
Trying to ignore all the seedy characters lurking about, Yusuke starts walking down the street he arrived on, reading it as ‘Tenkaichi St’. He passes by a host giving out free pocket tissues, and sees him standing outside a host bar with a seemingly bizarre looking space theme to it. “Stardust?” He mutters, the name making him think back to Okumera's palace. “I wonder if this is a place Haru would frequent?” That thought quickly leaves his mind when he remembers the bar Stardust being in the directions he was given. “If Stardust is here, then across the street should be…” He turns around and looks up at the building behind and sees the next sign he was looking for. “Aha! Serena!”
Pleased with his progress, Yusuke heads into the alley beside the building. “If I remember correctly, they said to walk into the alley with the sign for ‘Serena’, then to walk up the fire escape.” Thankfully, the alley seemed to be deserted when Yusuke made it in. Nothing but a vending machine and some knocked over trash cans, but, just as his directions said, there is a fire escape. Yusuke begins ascending the building, until he reaches the door with the sign he is looking for. “‘Sky Finance’? Well, I hope this trip will be worth it.”
Yusuke knocks on the door, takes a quick moment to be polite, and enters the building. The business appears to be slow, the only person in the dingy looking office seems to be a single heavy set woman sitting behind a desk by the door. She looks up at him once she notices him enter. “Welcome to-...wait you’re just a kid. Are you lost?” Her concern sounds genuine.
“No. This is the place I am looking for,” Yusuke reassures. “This is where I can find the money lender who offers limitless and interest-free loans correct?”
“...yeah,” The woman rolls her eyes. “But aren’t you a little young to be looking for a loan? I don’t know what kids are up to these days, but I don’t know if this is the place for you.”
“I promise you, ma’am. I am not here to cause trouble. I wish to speak to the money lender, are they in today?” Yusuke has no hint of wavering in his voice.
She looks Yusuke up and down one more time, still concerned, but this kid doesn't seem like he is taking no for an answer. “Well at least he has manners,” She mutters to herself. “Chief!” She yells. “We have a customer!”
“Huh! Wha!” Suddenly, an older man appears from the couch on the other side of the office. Rising up almost as if from the grave, stumbling to his feet with legs that are in desperate need of some stretching, the man wipes his face and rubs his eyes, clearly recovering from a nap.
The sudden shouting and surprise appearance from the seemingly head of Sky Finance almost knock Yusuke off his feet.
“Sorry, bit of a slow day, haha,” The man says while stretching his neck. “Hana, do we have any coffee?”
“Already on your desk, sir.” Hana replies, not looking away from her computer.
“You’re the best, Hana.” The man waddles over to his desk and takes a sip of some coffee before promptly spitting it into a nearby trash can. “Ah! This coffee is as cold as Christmas!”
“That’s because you were supposed to wake up an hour and a half ago!” Hana argues back.
The man looks over at the clock on the wall saying 5:30 PM before awkwardly laughing and rubbing his head. “Oh, I’m late for my collections again. Guess I better get a jump on them tomorrow.” He chuckles again, prompting Hana to roll her eyes again before returning to typing on her computer.
“Now I’m starting to wonder if I’m in the right place,” Yusuke mutters, the scene playing out before him simply oozing unprofessionalism.
“No, no, if you heard of Sky Finance I’m sure you came for a reason.” The man walks back over to his kingly bunk of a couch and grabs a cigarette. “Come, come. Have a sea-” Once the sleepy haze wears off, he notices Yusuke wearing a Kosei High School uniform. “Wait a second, aren’t you just a student?”
“I tried to tell him, Chief,” Hana adds.
Yusuke sighs. “I spoke with your secretary already, sir. I promise I am a serious customer.”
The man glances over at Hana who simply shrugs her shoulders. He sighs and then puts his cigarette back. “Well you came all the way over here, least I can do is hear you out I guess.” He sits on the couch and rests his elbows on his knees. “You can call me Akiyama. Have a seat Mr…”
“Kitagawa Yusuke, sir.” Yusuke bows his head before having a seat across from Akiyama.
“Alright, Kitagawa-kun. Kosei is a bit of a ways away from here. What brings you to my humble place of business?”
“I don’t wish to waste your time, but I’ve heard some of my classmates mention their parents coming to you because you give out interest-free and limitless loans. While I hate to admit it, I am on the brink of financial ruin at the moment.” Yusuke didn’t mince words.
“Geez, those are some heavy words there, kiddo. I’m sure art school isn’t cheap, but shouldn’t you have your parents come to see me if they’ve fallen on hard times?”
Yusuke looks Akiyama in the eye and takes a deep breath. He has since made peace with his shattered homelife after so many romps with his fellow Phantom Thieves helped bring him some semblance of stability, however, that didn’t make talking about it any more pleasant. “My family is… no longer with me, sir.”
That declaration got Hana’s attention. She immediately takes her eyes off her computer to focus on Yusuke’s plight.
Akiyama rubs the back of his head. Whether this is due to Yusuke being a runaway, a victim of the Yakuza, or something worse, his is a story he’s heard too many times. However, this is the first time an orphaned teenager came to see him personally looking for a loan. Either way, Akiyama still had his integrity as a money lender to uphold, whatever that may be anyway. “Well if no one can speak with me on your behalf, I’ll listen. What exactly do you need this loan for, are you living on school property?”
“Yes, sir. The Kosei High dorms.”
“Are they taking care of you there?”
“Well I originally had lodging, but this year I…” Yusuke thinks back to when he lived with Madarame, a part of him misses the convenience of having his own space, but a louder part wishes he came to his senses about him sooner. “... I had to move into the dorms, which is how I ended up in this predicament. I have exhausted all my funds at the moment.”
That perks Akiyama’s ears. “Wait like… all of it?”
“I used what I had left to make the trip over here.”
Akiyama and Hana’s jaws nearly hit the floor. Even the seediest businessmen they’ve dealt with aren’t this financially irresponsible.
Yusuke just remains stone faced like he didn’t just say something insane.
“A-Ahem, do you at least have enough to make it home tonight?” Akiyama asks.
“I do not.”
“This kid is giving me a headache,” Akiyama thinks to himself. “Well, how much are you looking for exactly? I’m used to lending to businesses around Kamurocho, do you have an estimate on how much you need?”
Yusuke rubs his chin and rests his right leg over his knee, attempting to calculate the month’s expenses. “300,000 yen should get me through the month, sir.”
“...is this your first time seeing a moneylender, Kitagawa-kun?”
“Did I say something wrong?”
Akiyama rubs his eyes, thinking about how Yusuke should thank the heavens above that he ran into him and not one of the thousands of other loan sharks that would pick apart this kid for all he's worth. “Well once that 300,000 is up, what’s your plan? Are you going to come back here for another loan?”
“I… hadn’t considered that.”
If Akiyama had less patience he would have kicked Yusuke out of his business by now, but his compassion is as high as the stacks of cash in his vault. “Okay, we’ll get to that later. Has anyone told you about how I go about giving my loans?”
“They have not.” Yusuke continues to answer honestly. “I didn’t know if I would qualify, but I needed to try.”
“Hm, they always leave that part out.” Akiyama stretches his neck again, prepping for whatever bizarre response he may get from this unique customer. “Well we don’t need to worry about any pesky pieces of paperwork, I decide who to give loans out to people who pass certain tests I give them.”
Yusuke tilts his head. He already knows very little about the money lending process, but that manages to surprise him. “Tests? What kind?”
“Well that depends on quite a few things, how much they want, what kind of impression I have of their character.” The more Akiyama looks over Yusuke, the more the ideas are beginning to form in his head. “Tell me a bit about yourself, Kitagawa-kun.”
Yusuke already feels this wasn’t going as he envisioned, not that he had a clue what was going to happen in the first place, but he wasn’t expecting to be asked about himself. Knowing this may make or break his chances at securing a loan, he has to choose his words carefully. “To put it simply, Akiyama-san. I am a devotee of the arts.”
“Hm, well that would explain your choice in schools.”
“It’s not just my area of study, but it is how I choose to live my life.”
The passion of Yusuke’s words did manage to snatch Akiyama’s attention.
“I look for beauty wherever I may find it, and will dedicate my life to crafting the greatest pieces of art I can muster. It is my passion and reason for being. Save for my close friends whom I cherish dearly, art, both seeking it out and formulating it, is all I strive to be.”
“So your passion is for creating art, but not for creating a reasonable budget?” Akiyama teases.
Yusuke sighs, feeling caught by Akiyama’s sharp gift of gab. “That’s putting it rather bluntly… but not entirely inaccurate…”
Akiyama has a light chuckle. Despite his concern for Yusuke’s clear lack of financial literacy, he did intrigue him. Akiyama has come across all kinds of colorful individuals in the shoddy trenches of Kamurocho and Sotenbori, but he hasn’t met someone with such a passion for the arts, and he figured this city could use the touch of a kid with a heart like this. “Alright, I think I know what to do with you.”
“Already?” Yusuke asks in a shocked tone. “Is it time for my test?”
“Not right now, but I do have a test in mind for you. I’m gonna need you to come back tomorrow. Same time if you can.”
Yusuke looks at Akiyama with renewed hope in his eyes, grateful that there’s a chance his instant ramen dinners won’t last forever. “Thank you very much, Akiyama-san.” Yusuke bows his head before returning to his feet. “I will be here right on time precisely as you requested.” Before saying another word, Yusuke turns around to walk out the door.
“Wait wait!” Akiyama shouts. “Didn’t you say you didn’t have any money to get home?”
Yusuke stands perfectly still, staring at the wall, too embarrassed to look at either Akiyama or Hana. “That… is the case, yes.”
“Hoo boy…” Akiyama rubs his eyes again and reaches into his desk. “Alright, kid.”
Yusuke turns around to see Akiyama walking towards him holding a strap of cash.
“Consider this an advance on your loan.” Akiyama hands Yusuke 50,000 yen. “Hold on to it, don’t let anyone around here see you carrying it. Make it home safe and come back here tomorrow for your test.”
“I will keep it close. I can assure you, I’ve dealt with worse than any of the guys I saw on the way here.” Yusuke may not have his Persona when outside the Metaverse, but a few drunken salarymen doesn’t compare to some of the horrors he’s used too. Thankfully, the bus stop is near Sky Finance and not further deep into the more dangerous parts of Kamurocho’s streets. Yusuke bows his head again. “Thank you again, Akiyama-san. I will not disappoint you.” Yusuke turns to leave again, with his dignity slightly restored. “Have a good night.” Yusuke bows to Hana on his way out.
“Get home safe, Yu-kun!” Hana waves with a smile before Yusuke closes the office door. Once he’s out of sight, Hana turns to Akiyama with concern in her eyes. “Never thought I’d see the day we get a kid as a customer.”
“Surprised it hasn’t happened sooner,” Akiyama mutters as he returns to his desk and lights a cigarette. “But most kids seem to know better than to go exploring back here.”
“He doesn’t seem like most kids though.” Hana sighs. They couldn’t ascertain all the details about Yusuke’s situation, but it touched her heart all the same. “What are you thinking, Chief?”
“Well…” Akiyama takes a quick drag of his cigarette. “I do know how much you approve of my lending tactics.”
“I think I’d look the other way this time. That kid needs some help.”
“Yeah, it does sound pretty bad. Money can’t solve all his problems, hopefully he can maintain himself until he becomes an adult. He said he has good friends, old or young, that’ll always be a big help.” Akiyama takes a moment and lets a light smile form on his face as he thinks about all the allies he’s made over the past few years. “I just hope he has the right guidance, but while he comes around here, I’ll do my best to look after him.”
“I know, good for business or not, you’ve always had the biggest heart, Chief.” Hana gives Akiyama a bright smile.
“That means a lot, Hana. Really does. Ah! I know.” Akiyama puts out his cigarette and eagerly jumps to his feet. “I’ll head out and pick up your favorite plate from Sushi Gin, my treat.”
“Uh, Chief. Don’t you remember Sushi Gin closes early today?”
“...what day is it again?”
“Chief!” Hana roars, a common occurrence at the ever joyful workplace that is Sky Finance.
Yusuke leaves Sky Finance with renewed pep in his step. The truth of the matter is, if he asked Haru she would have no qualms giving him some money for living expenses, and the rest of the Phantom Thieves wouldn’t look at him any differently. However, his pride couldn’t allow that. Whatever Akiyama had in store for him, he needed to follow through and make it on his own. He is certain his friends would all respect him that much more for it.
Yusuke also began wondering about what Akiyama said about the 300,000 yen. Could he perhaps ask for more? Would tomorrow’s test allow for that? “Maybe if I get a little extra I could buy Futaba that new Featherman figure she’s been talking about recently.” Yusuke’s mind races with possibilities throughout the long bus ride home.