Chapter 8
The Velvet Room needed time to recover, and Lavenza hadn’t yet awakened. Yu and Ren decided to leave and return later.
Coincidentally, the next day was the weekend.
Although the weekend had arrived after only two days of school, Yu was happy to have a break.
He hadn’t visited a Palace or Mementos yesterday, but the battle against the wardens in the Velvet Room, combined with destroying the cell, had left him exhausted. A day of rest at home was exactly what he needed.
Unfortunately, due to his excellent sleep schedule, Yu woke up at 8 AM on Saturday morning.
As he went downstairs, he heard the television playing a shopping channel advertisement. His mother, preparing breakfast, sneezed, covering her nose.
“Mom?”
“It’s nothing. It’s pollen season, and I’m a bit allergic.” His mother rubbed her nose. “I’ll go buy some medicine later. Come and have breakfast, Yu.”
Yu nodded, eating his breakfast while watching TV.
After he finished, his mother turned to him. “Are you free today?”
“Yes,” Yu nodded. “Is there something you need me to do?”
“You’ve grown taller since last year. Let’s go buy you some new clothes while you’re off today,” his mother said with a smile. “Your old clothes are a bit small now.”
It was true. He had grown taller since last year. While his clothes still fit, they were a bit tight. Yu didn’t want to dampen his mother’s mood. He could sense she was trying to make up for lost time, and being too considerate would only worry her.
So Yu readily agreed, even jokingly saying he wanted the most fashionable and stylish clothes.
They spent the entire morning trying on and buying clothes. Loaded with shopping bags, they started heading home. On the way, Yu saw a familiar figure in front of a family restaurant.
Ren sat on the steps outside, his cat-carrying bag beside him, seemingly engrossed in his phone and oblivious to Yu’s presence.
“Oh?” Yu’s mother noticed him stop and followed his gaze to Ren.
“Isn’t that the boy who walked you home the other night?”
Ren finally looked up, noticing Yu and the woman beside him.
Yu, seeing that Ren had noticed him, waved with a smile.
“Amamiya-kun, what a coincidence.”
“Yes.” Ren nodded, politely standing up.
If Yu had been alone, he would have remained seated, but the woman beside Yu was clearly his elder, and he couldn’t remain seated in her presence.
“Hello, ma’am.”
“Hello,” Yu’s mother was pleased he had made a friend. She took some of the shopping bags from Yu, smiling and nudging him forward. “Go and spend some time with your friend. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to buy some medicine, then I’ll head home.”
Yu nodded. “Be careful.”
After his mother disappeared from view, Yu turned to Ren.
“What are you doing here?”
“Group study session. Midterms are coming up,” Ren replied. “We all agreed to meet here. Didn’t you see the messages?”
“Huh?” Yu paused, pulling out his phone. “I went shopping with my mom after breakfast and haven’t checked my phone.”
He quickly opened the Phantom Thieves’ group chat and saw the discussion.
Midterms were scheduled for the same time at all schools, May 11-14, just a few days away. Yu sighed, looking at the dates. He had just transferred and now had to face midterms. It was terrible timing. He wondered if he could still maintain his top ranking.
While Yu read the messages, Ren discreetly observed him.
Since their first meeting, Yu had always been in his school uniform, even the night he fell into Mementos. This was the first time Ren had seen him in casual clothes.
He was tall, well over 180 cm, his height and good looks making him stand out in a crowd. But his casual attire was even more stylish than Ren had imagined, amplifying his natural advantages.
Passersby on Central Street couldn’t help but glance at him repeatedly.
Ren, feeling the unwanted attention, silently shifted to the side.
Then Yu shifted back…
Now even more people were looking at them.
“How are your grades, Amamiya-kun?” Yu asked after moving closer.
Ren, in his second playthrough, hesitated for a few seconds before replying, “They’re alright.”
Alright enough to get first place.
“Really?” Yu said. “I was thinking I could tutor you if you needed help.”
Ren immediately replied, “I think I need tutoring.”
He wanted to build a good relationship with Yu. He had a good personality, was powerful, and was a guest of the Velvet Room. Most importantly, Ren felt a kinship with Yu.
Even though their family backgrounds, upbringing, and even personalities were vastly different, certain indescribable similarities intrigued Ren.
He couldn’t help but want to know Yu better.
Although puzzled by Ren’s sudden change of heart, Yu was happy to help him, and naturally, helping the other underclassmen was no problem either.
Thus, a study group consisting of a third-year from another school and three second-years from Shujin was formed!
Yu hadn’t brought his textbooks; he hadn’t planned on studying. So, while sipping his drink, he observed the students across from him.
Ann’s grades were decent, her English scores pulling up her average. The rest were passable. Ryuji, on the other hand, was struggling in every subject, pulling at his hair in frustration. In stark contrast, Ren, wearing his black-rimmed glasses, quietly worked on his assignments, appearing calm and well-behaved. Yu glanced at the problems and saw that Ren’s answers were all correct.
It seemed his grades were far better than just “alright.”
For the next few days, the Phantom Thieves focused on studying for their exams, with no Phantom Thief activities.
After all, they were just high school students, and school life took precedence over their “careers”!
Yu wasn’t in the same grade, but due to the highly effective study sessions, they dragged him along every evening, and their relationships improved significantly during this time. At the very least, their initial suspicion had dissipated.
Time flew by, and midterms arrived. Four consecutive days of exams left everyone mentally and physically drained.
After the last exam, Yu stretched, looking forward to the next day’s break.
Although he had just transferred, he had studied the material at home, so the exams hadn’t been too difficult.
He opened his phone and sent a message to the group chat.
[Yu Narukami: Exams are over. How did you guys do?]
[Ryuji Sakamoto: Don’t even ask. I think I failed again.]
[Ann Takamaki: Figures. Didn’t Narukami-senpai predict several questions correctly? Ren did too. As long as you answered those, you should at least pass, right?]
[Ryuji Sakamoto: When they predicted those questions, everyone said they might not actually be on the test, so I skimmed over them. Who knew they’d all be there!]
[Ann Takamaki: …You’re hopeless.]
Just then, Ren’s message arrived.
[Ren Amamiya: They were alright.]
Seeing that “alright,” Yu smiled faintly.
It seemed he had done well.
[Ann Takamaki: How about you, Narukami-senpai?]
Yu looked at Ann’s question, then typed two words.
[Yu Narukami: They were alright.]
On the train after school, Ren paused, looking at Yu’s message, then scrolled back to his own.
What did that mean?
Copying him? On purpose?
After staring at the message for a while, Ren silently dismissed it.
He had more important things to worry about. The Kaneshiro Palace arc was about to begin.
Ren checked the date on his calendar. They had already obtained information about Kaneshiro from Shadow Kaneshiro in Mementos and received a change of heart request from the Phan-Site regarding Kaneshiro stealing his student’s artwork. Soon, they would meet Yusuke Kitagawa and begin their second Palace heist.
Even in his second playthrough, he didn’t know when Goro Akechi had started targeting them. He had to be vigilant while stealing treasures.
Akechi had awakened his Persona earlier than them. He hadn’t confronted him too early in his past life, and he hoped to avoid doing so in this one as well.
Although not participating in the Phantom Thieves’ activities, Yu knew they had chosen a new target: the renowned artist, Madarame.
Yu hadn’t expected such a famous artist to plagiarize his students’ work, with the students willingly providing him with inspiration for the sake of their reputation. The Phantom Thieves, aiming to save these unfortunate students, had asked Yu if he wanted to join them.
He wasn’t interested in changing hearts, but visiting the Palace wasn’t out of the question. He decided to join them after they sent the calling card.
Having experienced battles against Shadows, Yu knew the Shadows within the Palace were merely tools for leveling up. The final boss was the true obstacle. He didn’t intend to interfere with their training, but he could lend a hand during the final battle.
After the three-day break, Yu returned to school. The midterm exam results were posted in the hall, and many students were gathered there, checking their scores.
Yu glanced at the list.
First place in the third year.
Unfazed, he turned and headed upstairs to his classroom.
Shortly after Yu left, Goro Akechi arrived at school, surrounded by his usual crowd of admirers.
“The results are out! Akechi must be first place again!”
“Of course! He’s amazing! Not only is he a detective, but he’s also a top student!”
“I love Akechi!”
Akechi placated the crowd, making his way to the results board.
Outwardly modest, he was inwardly confident of securing first place. It had always been this way. He had invested so much time and effort, striving for perfection in everything he did, to cultivate the image of the perfect Detective Prince. And a perfect Detective Prince naturally deserved the top spot.
He smiled as he looked at the results, his smile faltering as he saw his name.
[First Place: Yu Narukami, Second Place: Goro Akechi.]
“What?! Akechi isn’t first?!”
“Who’s this Narukami? I’ve never heard of him! Did he cheat?!”
“You wouldn’t know. Narukami-kun just transferred last week. Of course, he wouldn’t be on the previous results board. I didn’t expect him to be so smart.”
“Akechi is the best!”
“Everyone, everyone!”
Akechi forced a smile, intervening in the ensuing argument.
“I’m sure Narukami-kun wouldn’t cheat. He sits right next to me. I would have noticed if he did.”
“It’s alright. Narukami-kun is first place this time. I admit defeat, but I’ll definitely reclaim the top spot next time.”
The crowd once again praised Akechi’s magnanimity and integrity.
But only Akechi knew how tightly he was clenching his fists, the pain of his nails digging into his palms.
He left the crowd, a flash of darkness in his eyes as he ascended the stairs.
He cursed inwardly.
…Yu Narukami. Damn him.
