Chapter 41
Who needed the school festival when there was drama involving their leader?!
So everyone messaged Futaba for Ren and Yu’s location, converging on the school garden from all directions.
When Futaba and Ann arrived, Yusuke and Ryuji were already there, observing the scene. Futaba slipped past them and saw Ren sitting calmly on a bench, waving at them casually.
Yu and Akechi, however, were acting childish.
Specifically, Yu was running around the table, holding Akechi’s phone high above his head, while Akechi, hampered by his injured hand, chased after him.
“Stop it! Are you five years old?!” Akechi demanded. “Give me back my phone!”
“Taking pictures without permission is a crime,” Yu said seriously, as if genuinely concerned for Akechi. “I’ll return your phone after I delete the evidence.”
Akechi: …
He was going to turn himself in. Did a minor privacy violation even matter?!
“Futaba!” Yu tossed Akechi’s phone across the table to Futaba, who caught it with a yelp, looking bewildered.
“Huh?” Futaba blinked. “What’s this for?”
“Delete all the pictures and videos he took without permission.”
Futaba’s eyes lit up. She grinned, saluting Yu. “Roger that!”
Ren, still sitting on the bench, interjected, “Do you really think Futaba will delete them?”
“Mission accomplished!” Futaba stuck her tongue out at Yu. “All the photos and videos are encrypted and stored in my secret vault! Here’s your phone back, Detective Boy!”
She tossed the phone back to Akechi, who caught it, sighing in relief, then put it away.
He knew Yu Narukami wouldn’t do anything sensible.
“Futaba, you’re enabling him!” Yu scolded. “Stop snooping into people’s private lives.”
Ren/Futaba: …
Such a righteous tone!
If they didn’t know he was just creating a distraction for Futaba to install a virus on Akechi’s phone, they would have believed him.
Ann, Yusuke, and Ryuji, having witnessed the scene, nodded knowingly. Both Ren and Yu seemed quite close to Akechi, despite their supposed rivalry.
More secret friendships they weren’t privy to.
Makoto and Haru arrived last, their student council duties keeping them busy, but they had rushed over to join the gossip session. Thus, the entire Phantom Thieves team, plus Mona, was assembled in the school garden.
They discussed Phantom Thief business, including their increasingly bizarre popularity.
“So, is Akechi a Phantom Thief from another world too?” Yusuke asked, looking at Akechi. “I thought you didn’t approve of the Phantom Thieves.”
“I still don’t,” Akechi replied calmly. “But I have been to the other world, and that’s where I was injured. Amamiya-kun and Narukami-kun rescued me.”
Everyone turned to look at Yu and Ren.
Ren/Yu: …He was still dragging them into this.
“Yes,” Ren nodded. “It was in Mementos.”
“After learning about the Metaverse, I decided to seek the Phantom Thieves’ assistance, which is why I agreed to give the speech,” Akechi opened his suitcase, taking out some documents and placing them on the table. “If you need a formidable enemy, he’s the one.”
The Phantom Thieves eagerly examined the documents, their eyes widening as they saw the name Masayoshi Shido.
Even those who didn’t know him had heard of him from the news. He was the most popular politician, likely to win the upcoming election.
“To gain support, he’s committed numerous atrocities, including the mental shutdown incidents you’re familiar with,” Akechi explained, mixing truth and lies seamlessly. “He stole the research on ‘cognitive psience’ and used it to eliminate his rivals, causing social unrest.”
“But I can’t submit this evidence to the prosecutor’s office. Even the police are under his control, so I had to come to you.”
“If Masayoshi Shido repents, the mental shutdown incidents will stop.”
Futaba and Morgana glanced at Akechi. If they hadn’t learned the truth from Yu and Ren, they might have been fooled by his performance.
The righteous Detective Prince, uncovering a horrific conspiracy, unable to rely on the justice system, forced to seek help from illegal vigilantes.
What a dramatic narrative.
“That’s terrible,” Haru said, looking at the documents. “So my father’s business dealings involved collaborating with Shido.”
“…And the principal’s mental shutdown.”
“Even Futaba’s mother!”
Ryuji jumped up angrily. “Let’s go change this bastard’s heart!”
“No, not yet. Shido has many powerful allies. Even if he repents, it might not be enough to bring him down,” Akechi looked at Makoto, who had remained silent. “I have a suggestion.”
Makoto, sensing something, met Akechi’s gaze.
“Prosecutor Sae Niijima. I suggest you target her first. If she’s truly your sister, you should know the keyword,” Akechi said. “You have to act quickly. If you don’t, she’ll become the next victim.”
Makoto stood up abruptly, her eyes filled with worry. “What are they planning to do to my sister?!”
“I only know they’re planning to abandon her,” Akechi explained. “Sae Niijima has become too ambitious lately, making several mistakes. At best, she’ll lose her job. At worst, she might face imprisonment.”
The same scenario as his past life, Ren thought.
Except last time, they had targeted Sae to clear their name, falling into Akechi’s trap.
This time, Akechi, sensing the danger, was trying to warn Makoto, pulling her back from the brink.
The same events, but with different motives.
In this moment, Ren finally believed: Akechi had truly changed.
The Phantom Thieves dispersed after the school festival. Makoto, worried about her sister, kept questioning Akechi, who finally agreed to talk to her privately.
The others waited for Makoto to figure out the keyword before attempting to navigate Sae’s Palace.
As they left the school, students were dismantling the festival decorations, the blue fortune-telling tent gone. Ren, looking slightly worried, decided to visit the Velvet Room to check on his Personas. Yu, having nothing else to do, accompanied him.
Arriving in Shibuya, they were surprised to find Lavenza absent, Margaret waiting for them instead.
“Margaret?” Yu asked, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“Lavenza had something to attend to, so she asked me to fill in. Don’t worry, I’m experienced,” Margaret smiled. “So what brings you here? Fusing Personas? Or… hmm.”
She suddenly paused, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Yu had a bad feeling about this.
“Our master hasn’t assigned you any new Confidants,” Margaret said, as if stating the obvious. “Well, then, allow me to assist you with that.”
“Even guests who have completed their journey can form new bonds. Don’t be shy.”
Ren, seeing two new Confidants appear: …
Yu looked at his new Confidants: [Desire] Goro Akechi and [Lovers] Ren Amamiya.
…Both plural now.
“Remember to complete your Confidant activities,” Margaret reminded them.
Ren stared at the Confidants for a moment, then chose to ignore them, entering the Velvet Room to check on his Personas.
After fusing a few new Personas and leaving the Velvet Room, Ren turned to Yu. “Shall we complete our Confidant activities?”
“Confidant activities?” Yu looked at the list of tasks, all identical.
[Task: Go somewhere together, just the two of you!]
Yu sighed. “So it’s a date, then?”
“But I’m curious what Persona you’ll unlock after maxing out the Lovers Confidant,” Ren said seriously. “It’s a duplicate Arcana, but I remember yours being the Fool, and your ultimate Persona is the World Arcana.”
Yu chuckled. “I’ll give you Izanagi-no-Okami, then.”
“Thank you very much,” Ren nodded eagerly. “I would like that very much.”
They searched online for recommended date spots, finally settling on a small garden near Shibuya, supposedly filled with beautiful flowers and a popular photo spot.
Arriving there, they were met with disappointment.
They had forgotten it was autumn. The flowers had all withered.
However, the lack of flowers meant fewer people, and the garden was quiet and peaceful. Tall ginkgo trees lined the paths, and they sat on a bench, chatting idly.
“It’s so quiet,” Yu looked around the garden, then at Ren. “Want to listen to some music? I brought my headphones.”
“Sure,” Ren replied. “What kind of music do you like?”
“Anything but jazz,” Yu handed Ren an earbud.
They shared the headphones, listening to Yu’s playlist.
Yu’s music taste was similar to his personality: mostly upbeat and cheerful tunes, radiating a warm, sunny vibe, like a vibrant golden yellow.
Ren yawned. He had stayed up late in Mementos last night, then, remembering his unfinished homework, had pulled an all-nighter, followed by an early morning preparing for the school festival. He had been running on fumes all day, and the relaxing music made him drowsy.
His head nodded, and he fell asleep against Yu’s shoulder.
“Hey, Ren?” Yu turned to look at him. “You’ll get a stiff neck sleeping like that.”
“Is he completely asleep?”
“What if he gets a crick in his neck?”
He muttered softly, but Ren, of course, didn’t hear him, even nuzzling against Yu’s neck as he shivered slightly.
Yu: …
He carefully took out the jacket he had brought from Ren’s bag and draped it over him, then sighed in relief, looking up at the golden ginkgo leaves above, rustling in the wind, falling like butterflies.
It was a beautiful sight.
Yu smiled, taking out his phone and switching to selfie mode. He framed the shot, capturing himself and the sleeping Ren, then took the picture.
After admiring the photo for a few seconds, Yu hesitated, then set it as his wallpaper.
After all, one should live freely to be happy.
