Chapter 27
Time flew by. For Yu, spending time with his friends in Inaba was comfortable and relaxing, the days passing quickly.
For Ren in Tokyo, time felt more urgent.
The hacker group Medjed had appeared, demanding the Phantom Thieves reveal themselves, while Sojiro’s adopted daughter, Futaba Sakura, using the alias “Alibaba,” infiltrated the Phantom Thieves’ group chat and requested they steal her own heart.
These chaotic events kept even Yu, far away in Inaba, busy, as he was still in the group chat.
Fortunately, the Phantom Thieves handled the situation well, quickly uncovering Alibaba’s identity, successfully stealing her heart, and welcoming Futaba into their ranks.
Another member joined the team.
Even more surprisingly, the hacker group Medjed was revealed to be Futaba’s creation, further boosting the Phantom Thieves’ fame and support, making them the most talked-about group in Tokyo. Even Dojima, Yu’s uncle in Inaba, had asked him about them.
Today was the day Yu would leave Inaba and return to Tokyo.
On the train, Yu waved goodbye to his friends, waiting until they were out of sight before sitting down, a bittersweet feeling in his heart. He was already looking forward to his next visit during the New Year’s holiday.
Composing himself, Yu took out his phone, opening the Phantom Thieves’ group chat, which had exploded with 99+ messages.
He wondered if the Investigation Team should also have a group chat as he scrolled through the messages.
[Ann Takamaki: We’re definitely going to the beach after the make-up lessons! Summer break is almost over, and I feel like we’ve been constantly battling Shadows. I’m exhausted.]
[Ryuji Sakamoto: Agreed!]
[Yusuke Kitagawa: Is it far? I don’t have money for the train.]
[Makoto Niijima: But then we’ll be one person short. When is that person who only talks to the leader privately coming back? @Ren Amamiya]
[Ren Amamiya: …]
[Ren Amamiya: Today.]
[Ann Takamaki: Huh? Today?! He didn’t tell us anything! @Yu Narukami]
[Ryuji Sakamoto: Senpai’s coming back today? Then he can definitely join us. Honestly, he didn’t even tell us.]
[Yu Narukami: I forgot. I thought Ren would tell you.]
[Futaba Sakura: Considering how often you two chat, it’s not surprising you forgot.]
[Yu Narukami/Ren Amamiya: …]
[Ann Takamaki: Futaba, do you know something?!]
[Futaba Sakura: I didn’t mean to! I just… sort of hacked into their private chat while monitoring your conversations…]
[Futaba Sakura: There were so many messages I couldn’t find any useful information anyway.]
Yu stared at Futaba’s message in surprise, then opened his private chat with Ren.
Had they really exchanged that many messages?
He scrolled up, giving up after reaching hundreds of messages within the span of an hour.
He admitted: They had indeed chatted that much.
Talking to Ren was comforting. He was unlike anyone Yu had ever met. As a falsely accused teenager with a criminal record, the leader of the Phantom Thieves, his mental fortitude was remarkable, allowing him to remain calm in any situation.
[Makoto Niijima: You two are more lovey-dovey than a drama.]
[Ann Takamaki: You might as well just move in together.]
[Yusuke Kitagawa: A forbidden relationship? Politically incorrect? Such themes would definitely earn extra points in a competition!]
[Ren Amamiya: I’ve considered it. If he confessed, I would agree.]
[Ryuji Sakamoto: ??? Huh?]
Reading the group’s teasing remarks, Ren smirked slightly, quickly suppressing his smile.
He knew they weren’t serious about him and Yu being a couple. It was just playful banter and teasing, and Ren was happy to play along. He didn’t mind the jokes, even joining in occasionally.
He didn’t know why Yu didn’t mind either.
Perhaps the naive guy hadn’t even realized the underlying meaning of the jokes.
Just then, Yu messaged him.
[Yu Narukami: Your friends are very accepting. They’re suggesting we move in together.]
[Ren Amamiya: If you confess, I’ll move in with you.]
[Yu Narukami: Wow, does it have to be a confession?]
[Yu Narukami: Is there no other way to move in together without confessing?]
[Ren Amamiya: …You really have the potential to be a player.]
As they chatted idly, the train ride flew by. Yu only realized they had been traveling for two hours when the arrival announcement sounded, and their chat history had grown exponentially.
But it didn’t matter.
There was no need to count the hours or analyze the content of their conversations.
He only knew that he enjoyed spending time with Ren.
The train arrived. Yu exited the station and saw his mother waiting for him, waving gently. He hugged her, and she took his bag, leading him to the car. As they drove away, Yu looked back at the station.
He searched for a few seconds, then thought: Ren probably wouldn’t be there this time.
Ren hadn’t appeared when seeing him off, so he wouldn’t be there to greet him upon his return. He would wait for Yu to find him.
He was also quite stubborn.
“Yu? What are you looking at? You seem happy.”
“Nothing,” Yu turned back. “I brought back a lot of souvenirs. I’m going out after I unpack.”
“To give them to your friends?”
“Yes,” Yu smiled. “To my good friends.”
Yu had brought souvenirs and gifts for everyone, although some of them were quite unusual.
Ryuji and Yusuke received a bag of tomatoes each. Ryuji looked bewildered, while Yusuke was delighted, his meals for the next two days secured.
They were tomatoes from his uncle’s garden in Inaba, a special variety that was both delicious and restored SP. Excellent!
Makoto and Ann received handmade plush toys, exquisitely crafted, instantly capturing their hearts.
Yu had commissioned Kanji to make them, and since they were friends, he had given him a discount. Thumbs up.
As for Futaba, Yu gave her a limited-edition figure from the Birdman franchise.
Inaba was a small town, and limited-edition items weren’t as difficult to obtain as in Tokyo. Thanks to his connection with Yosuke, Yu had managed to secure one for Futaba.
“Even I get a present?” Futaba, socially awkward yet pleased, stammered her thanks.
Morgana received a small fish toy that smelled delicious. The cat, while insisting he wasn’t a cat, happily carried the toy upstairs.
He clearly loved it.
Finally, Akechi stared at the souvenir on the table, lost in thought.
“…Souvenir kushikatsu? What were you thinking?” Akechi was baffled.
He had received all sorts of souvenirs, from pastries to merchandise, but never kushikatsu. Wasn’t that available everywhere? Was it necessary to bring it as a souvenir?
Was it some special kind of beef?
But this was Tokyo. They had access to all kinds of beef.
“I couldn’t exactly bring Shirogane’s detective novels,” Yu sighed, feigning distress. “I didn’t know what you liked. An all-knowing detective has no worldly desires, so I brought you kushikatsu. Eat more to boost your stamina.”
“My stamina is perfectly fine,” Akechi said, exasperated.
After a few seconds, he suddenly realized something. “Wait, whose detective novels did you say?”
“Shirogane,” Yu replied, sipping his coffee, which Ren had made. “The first-generation Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane. You’re the second, right?”
Akechi: …
Ren, listening from behind the counter: …
Yu really had a way with words, sometimes infuriatingly so.
The title of Detective Prince wasn’t exclusive to Akechi. After his rise to fame, people had called him the second Detective Prince, a designation that had irked him immensely. No one wanted to be considered second best, especially someone as arrogant as Akechi.
And he couldn’t even express his displeasure, as Naoto was more established.
Now he learned that Yu knew Naoto. No wonder he hadn’t been impressed by Akechi’s detective status during their first meeting.
The thought annoyed him even more.
“You’re quite popular, acquainted with both the first and second Detective Princes,” Akechi clicked his tongue, his tone laced with disdain.
He pointed at the kushikatsu. “Did she suggest this souvenir too?”
“No,” Yu shook his head. “Since it’s my gift, I chose it myself.”
“I knew it. Only someone with your social skills would give a detective kushikatsu.”
Akechi finished his coffee, picking up the carefully wrapped kushikatsu. Despite his complaints, he didn’t put it down.
“I’ll take this, then.”
“Don’t bring me anything weird next time.”
As Akechi left the cafe, Yu and Ren exchanged glances.
“He said ‘next time,'” Yu commented. “So he’s actually looking forward to another gift, right?”
“Who knows,” Ren said calmly, his glasses reflecting the light. “A famous detective like him must receive a lot of gifts from fans.”
“That’s why I didn’t know what to get him,” Yu sighed.
Ren offered a few words of comfort, thinking to himself: But a gift from a friend was different, and only Yu would give such a unique and nonsensical gift.
Akechi was alone, his only connection in his past life being Ren, whom he had intended to kill.
Their shared abilities but different paths had fueled Akechi’s resentment towards Ren, his frustration at losing to him driving him to the brink, repeatedly questioning why he had failed.
Did he regret his lonely life in his final moments?
These were no longer Ren’s concerns in this life. He had complex feelings towards Akechi, but he wouldn’t trust someone who had tried to kill him.
“Oh, there’s one last gift.”
Yu put down his coffee cup, pulling out a small box and placing it in front of Ren. “This is for you.”
Ren had remained calm, knowing his gift would arrive. After all, Yu hadn’t forgotten anyone else.
Wiping his hands, Ren opened the box. Even he was momentarily stunned by the contents.
“Jewelry?”
It was a simple bracelet made of red string and small pearls, with a small, black star-shaped pendant at the end. The star seemed to be a polished black stone, emitting a soft glow.
“Nanako and I made it together,” Yu explained with a smile. “She wanted to thank you for the gift and give you something in return, so we made this bracelet.”
“I found the star and polished it, then asked a craftsman to drill a hole through it,” Yu looked at the bracelet, his voice gentle.
“I thought a handmade gift would be more meaningful.”
Ren met his gaze for a few seconds, then put on the bracelet. The small, black star stood out against his pale, slender wrist.
The simple design suited him, its understated elegance complementing his quiet charm.
Yu’s taste was impeccable, as expected of someone raised in Tokyo.
“Yes,” Ren looked at the star on his wrist. “I like it very much.”
“It’s the best gift I’ve ever received.”
That night, Futaba, monitoring Mementos, was surprised to see Joker’s power level significantly increase. She quickly scanned him, noticing a new accessory on his wrist.
It was a simple bracelet with a small, star-shaped pendant, seemingly ordinary, yet surprisingly suited to him.
But after analyzing it… All Persona stats +15.
Futaba: …?!!
Where did he get such an overpowered item?!
