Chapter 19
Goro Akechi experienced the most frustrating moment since awakening his Persona.
Before him stood his two new friends: the incomprehensible, naive Narukami, and the boy who lived at the cafe.
They had cornered him after school, requesting he investigate the recent blackmailing incidents.
He knew who the culprit was and where they operated, but that person was still useful to Masayoshi Shido and couldn’t be used as a stepping stone for Akechi’s reputation just yet.
However…
“If it’s Akechi-kun, you can definitely do it. After all, you’re the Detective Prince,” Yu said with genuine trust and sincerity in his eyes.
Ren, as usual, remained silent, but nodded vigorously in agreement after Yu spoke.
“It’s not that I can’t do it, but I’m currently working with the police on an investigation regarding the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. I don’t have the time…”
“Perhaps this blackmailing case is related to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?” Yu lied without batting an eye. “Besides the Phantom Thieves, this case is the most prominent one recently.”
Akechi: …
Ren: …
After a moment of speechless silence, Ren nodded solemnly.
“I think so too.”
Yu pressed his advantage. “Isn’t a detective’s job to accept requests and help people? Akechi-kun, as the righteous Detective Prince, will definitely help us and our friend. I have complete faith in you.”
Akechi wanted to curse, but he couldn’t.
The situation was right in front of him. High school students were being blackmailed, with victims even at his own school. If he refused to help, it would damage his perfect, compassionate image.
This was truly troublesome.
Akechi sighed, forcing a smile, unable to suppress the twitch in his eye.
“Alright, I understand,” Akechi relented. “I can’t guarantee results, but I’ll look into it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a live broadcast tonight.”
Akechi walked towards the station, his hand clutching his bag so tightly it trembled.
He looked like he wanted to turn around and punch them both.
Ren smirked slightly, quickly composing himself.
Yu, oblivious to Akechi’s inner turmoil, comforted Ren like a golden retriever.
“It’s good to have Akechi-kun on the case. Detectives are very capable people.”
Ren pushed his glasses up, silently retorting: Yes, your incredibly capable detective friend is truly incredible, to the point where you have an idealized view of the entire profession.
“I’ll tell the others to retreat,” Ren said, taking out his phone to contact his teammates.
He remembered being caught by Junya Kaneshiro in his past life, photographed and blackmailed for 3 million yen. Although 3 million was a small sum to Ren now, easily obtainable with a few Mementos runs, he didn’t want to relive that experience.
If Akechi could provide leads and prevent that incident, it would be ideal.
However, regarding the student council president…
Ren glanced behind him, spotting the familiar uniform and newspaper, then casually turned back.
Makoto Niijima was watching them closely. Her joining them in the Metaverse was inevitable.
“What are you looking at?”
Ren turned to meet Yu’s gaze. “Nothing.”
“I just felt like someone was watching me.”
“Really?” Yu looked around at the Sōyō students leaving school. “Want to find a safe place to hide?”
Ren shook his head. “It’s fine. I’m going home.”
“Are you sure?” Yu followed him. “Don’t ignore your intuition. Malicious gazes can be dangerous.”
“What do you mean?”
“Stalkers?” Yu tilted his head. “I have an idol friend who told me about them. They’re terrifying.”
Ren: …
Why would a male high school student be afraid of stalkers? No, how could a male high school student even have stalkers?!
And not only did Yu have a detective friend, he also had an idol friend?
Sensing Ren’s speechless reaction, Yu said seriously, “Even if it’s not a stalker, a peeping Tom is still creepy.”
Now even Morgana couldn’t help but peek out from the bag.
“Does Ren have the qualities of someone being stalked?”
Yu patted Morgana’s head. “How can we know the criminal’s preferences?”
…Sorry, Makoto. You’ve become a criminal suspect.
Ren apologized to Makoto inwardly, while Yu continued talking to Mona.
“Besides, Ren looks quite innocent. And he’s actually quite handsome without his glasses. Personally, I find him quite appealing.”
“Meow?” Morgana, never having been human, tilted his head in confusion, sensing something odd in Yu’s words.
Ren almost choked. He wanted to choose the third dialogue option again.
“You’re really good at creating misunderstandings,” Ren finally said. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”
Yu thought back to his earlier words, puzzled.
He had expressed his concern and complimented Ren’s appearance.
Perfect!
“I’ll be careful,” Ren said before Yu could offer more “advice.” “I’ll call the police if anything happens.”
Yu relaxed. “That’s good.”
He then added, “By the way, want to go to the family restaurant tonight?”
“Why?”
“My parents are working late again, and I’m out of groceries, so I thought I’d eat out,” Yu explained with a smile. “We can also study and finish our homework, then we’ll be free to go out during the short break.”
That made sense.
Ren agreed, planning to finish their homework with Yu.
But perhaps because it was the day before a break, the family restaurant was crowded, filled with children. Ren and Yu finally managed to find a table, but the surrounding noise was distracting. Yu watched the children running around, a nostalgic look in his eyes.
Inaba was a quiet, rural town, with few shops and a small population, so there weren’t many children. The daycare center where he worked was the place where he saw the most children.
It had been a while since he had witnessed such boisterous energy.
Yu turned back to his homework, glancing at Ren, who was working on his assignments across from him.
The black-haired boy focused intently on the problems, his dark eyes reflecting the text. Seemingly sensing Yu’s gaze, Ren looked up, as if asking what was wrong.
Yu shook his head, reaching out to pet Morgana, who sat beside Ren. Just as Morgana was about to bite his hand, Yu quickly withdrew it, returning to his homework.
Morgana retreated into the bag, grumbling.
Ren, having witnessed the entire exchange, smiled faintly.
Despite the surrounding noise, he felt a sense of calm and peace.
It was as if the burden he had carried since his rebirth, the constant pressure to “change” everything, had been lifted, replaced by a newfound joy.
Akechi was incredibly efficient, or perhaps he had selectively filtered the information he shared with them.
In the jazz club, Akechi sat with his legs crossed, holding a drink, looking every bit the adult.
“Junya Kaneshiro, a mob boss operating in Shibuya. There have been reports of online scams and blackmailing, and rumors of shady dealings, but without evidence, even the police can’t do anything. I didn’t expect him to target high school students.” Akechi looked at them. “I advise you to drop this investigation.”
Yu looked at him, puzzled. “Even a detective says so?”
Akechi clicked his tongue, momentarily stunned by the question. “Because he’s not someone a few high school students can handle. This should be left to the police and adults.”
“That’s true.” Expecting a rebuttal, Yu instead nodded in agreement. “We should prioritize our safety before investigating, right?”
After a few seconds of silence, Akechi nodded. “Exactly. I suggest your friend gathers evidence and goes to the police.”
Although Yu’s behavior was sometimes incomprehensible, he was surprisingly level-headed when it came to important matters, lacking the impulsiveness of most high school students. This was why Akechi was becoming more comfortable around Yu and willing to befriend him.
Of course, he still couldn’t accept Yu’s eccentric antics!
Ren didn’t object either. Obtaining Kaneshiro’s name was enough. With this information, he could pretend to accidentally open a portal to Kaneshiro’s Palace using the Metaverse Navigator.
There was no need to investigate further.
After their business discussion, they finally moved on to personal matters.
“You’re paying for the bill tonight. Consider it your payment for the investigation,” Akechi said, not bothering with pleasantries. After all, he was a professional detective, currently assisting the police. Even if he already knew the information, he deserved compensation for his time.
“Yes, Ren will treat us,” Yu said, readily agreeing, placing the burden on Ren.
Ren: …
He nodded silently. He would be frequenting this club anyway, so he might as well pay.
“This place is quite nice, isn’t it?” Akechi introduced the club. “I discovered it by chance while running from fans. It’s one of my favorite spots. I highly recommend it.”
Yu wasn’t particularly interested in such places. He was surprisingly conservative, knowledgeable about many things but not interested in indulging in them.
His phone chimed.
He opened it and was surprised to see a message from Ren, who sat beside him.
He glanced at Ren curiously, but Ren avoided his gaze. Yu opened the message.
[Ren Amamiya: This club increases all Persona stats and max SP.]
“Excellent!” Yu looked up at Akechi, gratitude in his eyes. “I knew you would recommend a good place!”
“I’m so touched!”
Akechi: …
Wasn’t that a bit much?
After enjoying the jazz performance, Yu, equipped with Izanagi-no-Okami, watched as his Persona’s stats increased. He was even more convinced that this was an excellent place. Akechi bid them farewell after the performance.
The Detective Prince was a busy man.
On their way back, Ren walked with his bag slung over his shoulder, sharing the information he’d obtained from Akechi in the Phantom Thieves’ group chat.
As he typed, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. Ren, honed by his experiences in the Metaverse, was already quite alert, but he knew that in this situation, only Yu would do such a thing.
He turned to Yu.
“What is it?”
Yu pointed at his bag. “Can I carry that for a bit?”
Ren looked at him, puzzled, then at his bag. “My bag?”
“I always see you carrying Morgana. I was wondering how heavy he is. Does your shoulder hurt?”
“Of course not!” Morgana popped his head out of the bag. “I’m not heavy!”
Yu stared at him seriously for a few seconds, then said calmly, “I don’t believe you.”
“Meow!”
Ren sighed, taking off his bag, Mona and all, and handing it to Yu.
Satisfying this naive man’s curiosity was better than enduring more of his strange, heart-fluttering comments.
Yu happily took the bag, weighing it curiously, as if estimating its weight and Mona’s combined mass. Mona, being jostled around, almost swatted at him.
After teasing Mona for a bit, Yu walked alongside Ren, still carrying the bag. Ren, seeing no intention of returning it, didn’t protest, continuing to type his message.
He shared Kaneshiro’s information in the group chat, receiving immediate responses.
[Ryuji Sakamoto: I’ve heard of that guy! He’s a real scumbag! So many people online have been scammed by him.]
[Ann Takamaki: But where did you get this information, Ren?]
[Ren Amamiya: Akechi investigated it.]
[Ryuji Sakamoto: What?! That detective kid who disses the Phantom Thieves?! You asked him for information?!]
[Ren Amamiya: Akechi is Narukami-senpai’s friend. They’re in the same class. Narukami-senpai asked him to investigate.]
[Ann Takamaki: Oh, right. I remember Narukami-senpai mentioning they’re in the same class.]
[Ann Takamaki: Speaking of which, where’s Narukami-senpai? Isn’t today a holiday?]
Ren looked at the message, then took a picture of Yu and sent it to the group chat.
In the photo, Yu was still jostling his bag, Mona swatting at him with his paws, unable to reach him. The white-haired boy smiled gently, teasing the cat like the menace he was.
[Ren Amamiya: He’s with me.]
[Ryuji Sakamoto: Whoa, Morgana’s fur is all puffed up.]
[Ann Takamaki: You’ve been spending a lot of time with Narukami-senpai lately, Ren. You two seem close.]
[Yusuke Kitagawa: It’s a unique, indescribable artistic relationship! Inspiration strikes!]
[Ryuji Sakamoto/Ann Takamaki/Ren Amamiya: …]
[Ann Takamaki: You’re banned from speaking!]
[Yusuke Kitagawa: Why? Because I pointed out the artistic nature of their relationship?]
[Ryuji Sakamoto/Ann Takamaki/Ren Amamiya: …]
[Ren Amamiya: Let’s focus on Kaneshiro.]
The motion passed unanimously, with Yusuke abstaining.
They couldn’t discuss the details in the group chat and needed to test the Metaverse Navigator. They agreed to meet at their secondary base later. Ren closed his phone and turned to Yu.
“I’m meeting up with my friends later.”
“Okay.” Yu placed Ren’s bag on a nearby bench. “Let’s sit here for a while before you go.”
They still had some time before their meeting. Ren nodded, sitting down on the bench. Yu sat beside him.
“So, what are we doing?” Ren asked.
“Nothing. Just sitting,” Yu crossed his legs, a relaxed and comfortable posture. “Whether it’s resting or enjoying the scenery, it’s all good.”
Ren looked at him, puzzled.
…Scenery?
“The day before I left Tokyo last year, I sat here,” Yu looked ahead, a nostalgic look in his light gray eyes.
“I was in a bad mood that day. My parents were going on a business trip abroad, and they were sending me to live with my uncle in the countryside for a whole year, without even seeing me off. I felt very lonely.”
“I sat here, feeling like my life was falling apart.”
“Just as I was wondering what to do, I looked up and saw a beautiful view.” Yu pointed ahead, and Ren followed his gaze.
The sun was setting, casting an orange-red glow between the buildings, creating streaks of brilliant light. People walked through these streaks of light, like figures in a magnificent painting. If Yusuke were here, he would probably yell “Art!”
Morgana peeked out of the bag, mesmerized.
Even Ren was awestruck by the scene. He softly murmured, “It’s beautiful.”
“Isn’t it?” Yu smiled.
Ren stared at the sunset for a long moment, then turned to Yu. The white-haired boy sat on the bench, the golden light reflecting in his eyes, making him seem radiant.
The image was surreal. Ren rubbed his eyes, but the scene remained unchanged.
He turned away, pretending nothing had happened.
“Why are you showing me this?”
“You seem tense lately,” Yu said, his posture unchanged, relaxed and at ease, as if they were just having a casual conversation.
His gentle demeanor was disarming.
“You know I entered the other world a year before you, and I also had that initial desire to save everyone. But even then, I didn’t enter the other world as frequently as you do.”
Ren had been relentlessly grinding, trying to increase his and his teammates’ levels, entering Mementos repeatedly without Yu’s knowledge.
As if preparing for an impending battle, he was desperately trying to become stronger, at any cost.
“It’s tiring, isn’t it?” Yu finally turned to Ren, concern in his eyes.
“You must want to rest sometimes.”
“But for some reason, you can’t stop.”
He said softly, “So, take a break, while you still can.”
“I wanted to share this view with you.”
His words were simple, yet they resonated deeply.
How could someone be so perceptive, so understanding of others’ struggles, offering such considerate and non-intrusive support?
Ren thought: Perhaps Yu Narukami was the most precious gift he had received in this second chance at life.
