[AN: This story takes place after "One More! (Murder)" – a Souji and Investigation Team story that I wrote. It's not required reading, but this story will contain references to events from it. I'd be happy if you read it!~
It can be found in my author profile or at:
s/10226441/1/One-More-Murder

This story is essentially a love letter to Persona 3: FES. As such, I recommend playing the game (it's available on the PlayStation Network; it's on sale for $5 fairly often) or finding a Let's Play of it somewhere and experiencing it first before reading this story. The story will not make complete sense without Persona 3's context.

As a result, the story contains massive spoilers for the ending to Persona 3 and The Answer. It also has major spoilers for Persona 4 and Persona 4 Arena.

I wrote this before P4U and Dancing All Night came out in English, so the story doesn't take into account anything that happens in it. (This means Ken Amada's puberty is delayed. Imagine him as he was in P3, please, haha.)

The canon I'm using will be the games, not the anime(s). P4A events will be mentioned using the manga (essentially Yosuke's path in the game) as canon. Persona 3 events have occurred with a male protagonist using the name Minato Arisato (sorry Makoto fans!).

There's no real romance involved here, but there might be some subtext. I'll leave it up to you to decide!

A Yu Narukami version is available at Dreamwidth at the following address:
angevon dot dreamwidth dot org/13546 dot html
Every 'dot' should be a '.'

Please enjoy!]

"Would it be possible for me to join the Shadow Operatives?"

Souji Seta gripped his cell phone tensely, still waiting for Mitsuru-san's response to his rather abrupt question. Without seeing her in person, it was difficult to know her reaction, but a silence this long was less than promising. Was it an unreasonable request? Had he crossed a line somehow in asking it?

When the woman finally spoke, it startled him into clenching the phone tighter, and he almost accidentally ended the call. "We would be glad to have you, Seta," she said. "However, you are still a high school student, yes? Our high school age members are usually orphans. This grants them an amount of freedom that others do not have. It would not be easy to obtain a transfer for you should your parents disagree."

School... That's right. He'd have to go back to school when summer vacation was over. Hanging out with his friends in Inaba every day during the month-long break, it was easy to forget that his final year in high school was already upon him. Once he had prided himself on being the top of his class, but recent events made motivation elusive; grades now seemed insignificant. He hadn't studied at all so far this summer, and he honestly had no plans to. He'd probably wait until the last day to do his summer homework.

His parents had refused to let him stay another year in Inaba, despite his pleas. "We haven't seen you in a year, Souji!" his mother had said. "You simply must come home with us!" He was too old to throw a temper tantrum, not that that had ever worked for him even as a child. Now, when his mother wasn't talking about the time she and his father had spent overseas, she was talking about colleges and entrance exams...

"That's right..." he managed to choke out, poorly masking his disappointment. "I'm a third-year. My family wouldn't make it easy..." He couldn't imagine approaching his mother with a request to leave the private school he was currently enrolled in. She had hand-picked it for him based on its reputation... another reason she wouldn't let him remain in Inaba.

Mitsuru-san did not seem to sense his dejection. "...Judging from the events during Golden Week, you're not that easily dissuaded, are you? Perhaps something can be done. We are located in Tatsumi Port Island. I recall that it's not too far from Inaba by train. Are you free some day this week? I would like to speak with you in person."

He could hardly contain his excitement. To meet with the leader of the Shadow Operatives...! "Thursday. I'm free then," he said. His friends had made plans to go to the movies tomorrow, but the day after that was wide open. He wondered if he'd even pay attention to the movie, now, with this to look forward to. "I'll see if I can get a ticket."

"Très bien!" She proceeded to give him the address. "I look forward to seeing you."

The air was different here. He'd noticed it immediately after stepping out of the train at Port Island Station. It was a potpourri of congestion, gasoline, and sweat, with a tinge of salt from the nearby ocean. The city was so much busier than Inaba, as evidenced by the dozens of bicycles chained to the racks, waiting for their owners to return for them at the end of the work day. The trains, he noticed, were scheduled to run during all hours of the day and night instead of shutting down around 10 pm like they did in the rural town.

Although Mitsuru-san had made no promises, Souji was in high spirits; it was refreshing to be in a place that held little nostalgia value to him. True, he'd been here before on a school trip last year, but it had only been two days that were mostly a blur. Hadn't he been forced to play a silly game with his friends? He vaguely remembered having to give Yosuke a piggy-back ride...

The Kirijo office was not far from the train station. It was an ordinary-looking building that spanned several stories. Everyone inside wore tailored suits, and Souji immediately felt under- dressed even in his nice white dress shirt and black pants. He should have brought his black blazer, but with the summer heat, he'd decided against it.

He went to the reception counter and introduced himself to the secretary sitting behind it. She printed him a visitor's pass and directed him to clip it to his shirt. She told him to take the elevator in the back to the penthouse.

He showed his pass to the muscular guard who stood before the hallway leading to the elevator and received a curt nod indicating he could continue on. A well-dressed woman was already waiting for the elevator. She didn't seem to have a pass, so Souji presumed that she worked here. A preoccupied man with glasses stepped out of the elevator when it arrived.

The woman riding with him in the elevator stopped on the third floor, and Souji curiously looked through the open doors, but it seemed to be an ordinary office. Cubicles lined either side of the hallway, and the smell of coffee filtered through to him before the elevator's doors closed.

The Kirijo Group was involved in so many things, from aerospace research to dentistry to everyday groceries to the development of new flavors of candy... If he remembered right, they owned significant stock in the Junes brand, too. There were probably dozens of office buildings just like this one all over the world, keeping the business flowing. It was a bit overwhelming to think that the heir to the Kirijo name was taking time out of her probably very busy schedule just to speak with him...

The elevator led him to a small anteroom. Large oak double-doors with the name "Kirijo" in fancy gold lettering stood before him. On either side of the doors were two large potted plants. There were no other decorations, nor was there anyone in sight. His feet sank in the plush white carpeting, which made him wonder if he should remove his shoes.

With some trepidation, he knocked on the door. After a few moments, it opened, and Mitsuru-san peered out at him. She smiled at him with recognition and opened the door wider, but since she was holding a cell phone to her ear, Souji shook his head and indicated he'd wait outside for her to finish the call. She waved him into the room anyway. "It'll only be a moment," she told him, covering the receiver with her hand. "Please, come in and have a seat."

While Mitsuru-san finished her phone conversation, Souji looked around the room. It was definitely high class, far above anything in his experience. The ceiling curved upwards, with gold trimming and flower-patterned paneling running along the tops of the walls. The walls themselves were colonnaded with elaborately carved golden lions positioned at the head of each column. Gold- gilded classical paintings decorated the walls between each column. The room was lit by a small chandelier that caught the eye as its crystal pendulums reflected the light. The carpeting, as in the anteroom, was lush and white, which set off the five red velvet armchairs that surrounded a small glass-topped table.

Knowing Mitsuru-san's penchant for utilizing French in her speech, Souji could almost imagine that he was visiting the Louvre.

But as he looked more closely, he noticed things that detracted from the overall elegance of the scene. Resting on the arm of the nearest armchair was a hand-held gaming console covered in baseball stickers. A laptop was open on the glass table, and next to it was a cup of coffee, a protein bar, a file folder, and two magazines, one about popular television and another about science and technology.

Upon closer inspection, one of the paintings on the wall was actually a photograph of Mitsuru- san and some others whom Souji did not recognize at first glance; its bronze plaque read "SEES 2009."

Three years ago... Souji looked at Mitsuru-san now. The last time he had seen her—just last month at the P-1 Grand Prix during Golden Week—she had been wearing a black skintight catsuit and a heavy white fur coat. Here, she wore more subdued clothing: a white long-sleeved blouse and a scarlet skirt reaching down to her knees that accentuated her long, red hair. Souji couldn't discern to whom she was speaking; she seemed to be wrapping up the call.

Mitsuru-san put the phone away and invited him once again to sit in one of the armchairs. She sat on the chair directly behind the laptop and snapped its lid closed to give him her complete attention. "Thank you for waiting," she said. "I'm glad you could make it, Seta. Would you like a drink?" She picked up the cup of coffee and took a small sip, then made a face. "Quel dommage, it's cold."

Souji politely declined. He was a bit uncomfortable in her presence. She reminded him somehow of Margaret. Perhaps it was the red lipstick, or her dignified bearing... or the bright fire of intelligence in her eyes. Empress... he mouthed, and then snapped back to reality.

"Shall we get to business?" Mitsuru-san opened the file folder and took a page from it. "I researched your background. Please don't be alarmed. It's standard protocol after one of our own betrayed us some years ago. In fact, there was little to find... Your family moved often, so it was difficult to track. It's no matter; what happened before your awakening is of little interest to us, save the circumstances that led up to it."

"My awakening... my Persona?"

She nodded and glanced at the paper. "You transferred to Inaba in the spring of 2011 and 'awoke' mere days later. The series of murders there were Persona-related. You and your friends used your new powers to solve the mystery. I learned all this through Naoto Shirogane. He had much to say about you. You needn't be surprised—I called him myself. Since the events of Golden Week involved him, it's obvious he's your friend, and I knew he would be able to give me the most information."

"You could have asked me," Souji pointed out.

She smiled wryly, and he was reminded of Margaret once again. "Indeed, but I was unsure whether you'd be willing to talk about it. Shirogane seemed a safe option, since I have worked with him before. Speaking of Shirogane," – she leaned forward – "He is worried about you. Nine days ago, a Shadow killed a friend of yours, and it seems you haven't been the same since."

"Am I not allowed to grieve?" he complained. Nine days wasn't long at all, and he resented the implication that he should return to normal immediately.

"Of course," she replied without hesitation. "When my father passed, I grieved for several weeks, locking myself in my room—and my team managed without me. Take as long as you need, Seta. There is no shame in it."

Souji's face might have flushed with embarrassment—which was not common for him. He'd immediately been on the defensive... He hadn't meant to be, but the fact that she'd researched him had put him on guard from the start. "I'm sorry to hear that..."

"You never become used to losing friends..." she murmured. Her eyes took on a faraway look that lasted until she rubbed her face. "Pardon, but we are off topic. May I presume that your desire to join the Shadow Operatives stems from the incident this summer? Shirogane indicated that the Shadow targeted you specifically, perhaps due to your unique powers."

My unique powers... Souji thought. He nodded. "Exactly. I can't ignore that Shadows exist, and that they want to destroy us. But I also want to be a step ahead of them, if it's possible. Or to seek them out, instead of waiting… waiting until someone is hurt, or killed..."

"I understand completely. That's what we're trying to do. Destroy malevolent Shadows, and make the world safe for ordinary people. I must admit my team could always use more Persona users. I would be very glad to have you... but there is still the problem that you're a high school student." Mitsuru-san stopped and smiled to herself with her eyes closed. "It's more than a little hypocritical of me to say that. I spent my final year of high school living a double life. I was the Student Council President by day, and an explorer of Tartarus at night..."

She stood up suddenly and walked over to the large glass doors at the back of the room.

She beckoned him to stand with her. "Let's take a short break." She looked through the glass doors, which provided an expansive overview of the city. She then rang a silver bell. One of the side doors opened, admitting a woman in a maid's uniform who wore a bored expression.

Mitsuru-san's gaze didn't waver. "Kikuno. Fresh coffee, please. Seta, would you like some as well?"

"Sure," he said after some internal debate.

"How would you like it, sir?" said the maid, Kikuno, in a voice that matched her expression.

"Umm... with cream, please." He liked his coffee with cream, but since his uncle had teased him about it—what are you, Nanako?—he'd had to start taking it black while living with the Dojimas for his pride.

Kikuno sighed, removed the cold coffee, and left the room.

An uncomfortable silence elapsed as Mitsuru-san continued to look over the city, but before Souji broke it himself, she began to speak. "Gekkoukan... You can see it from here. The gates are closed for summer..."

"The high school? I visited it on a school trip last September," he said, feeling the need to contribute somehow.

"Up until three years ago," she continued, "there existed a hidden hour of the day that began at midnight. We called it the Dark Hour. During this time, Gekkoukan High School morphed into a twisted, labyrinthine tower—Tartarus—filled with Shadows. My team and I made it our goal to reach the top, to discover why it was there and how to put an end to it and the Dark Hour. When I look at the school now, it's hard to imagine that it ever existed, and yet its memory still haunts my nightmares. I suppose the same might happen to you when you see a television, hmm?" She glanced at him sidelong.

"I..." he began.

The side door opened and Kikuno returned with a silver tray bearing two cups of coffee. She placed the tray on the glass table, curtsied to Mitsuru and Souji, and then dismissed herself.

Mitsuru-san's eyes lit up, and she almost eagerly returned to her seat. When she tried the coffee, however, she put it down with a sigh. "It's still cold. Mon dieu, Kikuno has spent too much time with Aigis."

Souji's coffee was piping hot, but he didn't mention it. "Why did you tell me that?" he asked, glancing back at where they had stood by the window.

"Yes, I suppose we should return to business," Mitsuru-san murmured. She pushed the cup farther away from her on the table, then looked directly at him. "That information is pertinent to the mission I would like to put you on. That is, if you would be willing to transfer to Gekkoukan High for your final school year."

He blinked in surprise. "Why there, if your team succeeded in its mission?" he asked.

"We put an end to the Dark Hour, yes, but I'm afraid that hasn't eliminated all Shadow activity in the area. Although we've seen nothing definitive, I'd be more comfortable knowing someone capable is on the site as the school reopens next month. Would you be willing to move once again?"

Deep inside, he'd been hoping she would find a way to send him back to Inaba so that he could spend his final year with all of his friends, perhaps continuing to investigate the TV World—but he knew that was impossible. At the same time... he was somewhat relieved that it couldn't happen. Outside of Inaba, he was removed from the TV World and its influence. No one else would have to die because of him...

"I know it's not an easy decision to make," she added. "You don't have to decide immediately."

"My family would be against it," he said. "I'm not sure I could convince them." He could convince the girls to go through with the beauty pageant that Yosuke had signed them up for, he could make an ailurophobe turn around and love cats, and he could convince a suicidal goddess that her life had meaning… but somehow his parents were a whole different story.

"Would a scholarship sponsored by the Kirijo Group help? Although it's not exactly a prestigious school, Gekkoukan is run by them. We would also provide lodging and meals."

His eyes widened. "You'd do that?"

Mitsuru-san's smile was as sly as a certain fox he knew...