I do not own Persona

It owned by Atlus

I just own my OC's

Enjoy!

Persona 5: A Wolf's Strength Pt.8

Day: Wednesday - Date: 4/13 - Time of Day: Evening - Weather: Cloudy - Location: Leblanc

Ren decided to head straight to bed from all the activity today. From playing in the Volleyball Rally with Hiro and going around the school looking for some of the volleyball team, to tell the truth about Kamoshida. He felt the need to go to bed and figure out what he, Ryuji, and Hiro could do about Kamoshida. As soon as he was about to get into the covers, his phone went off, letting him know he got a message and checked it.

[Chat IM]

[Ryuji S.]: Hey, this don't make any damn sense.

[Ryuji S.]: The principal and even the parents know about the abuse.

[Ryuji S.]: Why ain't anybody speaking up!?

Ren had to agree with Ryuji that the fact the principal and even the parents are okay with Kamoshida abusing the players, students, and even their children. Ren wondered it had to be because of volleyball.

[Ren A.]: Because of volleyball.

[Yasuhiro N.]: Exactly.

[Ryuji S.]: It's basically because Kamodshida made the volleyball team famous, yeah?

[Ryuji S.]: Even so, that doesn't give him the right to do whatever he wants!

[Ryuji S.]: He's beating up kids up, and all they're allowed to do is endure.

[Yasuhiro N.]: Endure all for the sake of Kamoshida...

[Yasuhiro N.]: That bastard.

[Ren A.]: I concur.

[Ren A.]: Kamoshida's a prime example of a disgusting, human being.

[Ryuji S.]: Right!?

[Ryuji S.]: And that follower of his doesn't give one single shit...

Ren rose an eyebrow at the follower of Kamoshida's Ryuji mentioned. Kamoshida probably had a lot of followers at Shujin Academy judging by how popular he seemed to be at the school. Ryuji had to be a little more specific on what he meant by the 'follower'.

[Ren A.]: Who are you talking about, Ryuji?

[Ryuji S.]: Ann Takamaki. You met her in the courtyard, remember?

[Ryuji S.]: You should know her. I mean, she's in your class, dude.

[Ryuji S.]: Ugh! What a load of bull!

[Ryuji S.]: I can't let it end like this.

[Ryuji S.]: I'm gonna try and find someone who knows about what's going on with Kamoshida during break tomorrow.

[Ryuji S.]: Just you watch. I ain't giving up!

[Ren A.]: We're with you, Ryuji. Right, Hiro?

[Yasuhiro N.]: Yeah...

[Yasuhiro N.]: I'm with you guys. We'll find a way.

Ren pulled the covers over him and felt his eyes become heavy and soon fell asleep as the exhaustion from today kicked in.

-O-

The next early morning Ren was walking to Shujin Academy the next early morning. On his way, he was listening to a pair of Shujin girl's chatting in front of him as they walked.

"Did you see Mr. Kamoshida play yesterday? He was so awesome! I think I might ask for his autograph after school."

"I dunno if that's such a good idea... I hear that you shouldn't go near the PE faculty office. People say you can hear weird sounds, like screaming, even though no one's there..."

"What? That's probably just a rumor spread by fans to scare the competition."

Ren had to wonder if the screams these girls were talking about had something to do with the castle and how you heard screams when inside the dungeon from the prisoner's being tortured. He had to wonder if since the castle and the school are linked together, could it mean that the screams from the castle are somehow being heard in the real world? It's possible since that day after school, Ren's head began to hurt, the school turned into the castle for a brief second. Ren assumed that anything could be possible with a world like that, though, he's still having a tough time grasping the concepts of that said world.

-O-

Day: Thursday - Date: 4/14/20XX - Time of Day: Early Morning - Weather: Cloudy - Location: Shujin Academy, First Floor

Hiro finished grabbing his textbook from his locker for his first-period class. He closed his locker and saw Makoto over by her own locker, also grabbing the necessary textbook. He went up to her to go and greet her.

"Morning, Mako," Hiro said waving with a smile.

"Hmm?" Makoto noticed him and smiled as well. "Good Morning, Hiro. So, I have to know..." Makoto's expression turned serious.

"Huh?" Hiro said with confusion. "Know what?"

"Do you have any plans with Sakamoto-kun and Amamiya-kun today?" Makoto wondered. "I heard yesterday that after your 'stunt' at the Rally, the two of them were going around the school talking to the members of the volleyball team."

Hiro folded his arms. "Not much gets past you, doesn't it, Mako?" Hiro asked with a smile.

"So, you're not denying it then," Makoto commented closing her locker, holding her textbook to her chest. "I heard about it from a Student Council member. Telling me they were going about the school and seemed like they were asking them questions. Since you have been spending time with the two of them I assumed you were also doing the same."

"No," Hiro stated shaking his head. "Well, I can't anyway." Hiro rubbed the back of his neck. "There's a reason why they were asking the volleyball team questions."

"Well, what was the reason?" Makoto asked.

Hiro had to come with a plausible reason for why Ren and Ryuji were going around Shujin to talk to the volleyball team. He didn't want to mention anything about the abuse, so he had to come up with a small lie to Makoto. Now, it hurt a little to lie to her like this but it's the only way to keep her from getting suspicious of what him, Ren, and Ryuji were up to yesterday.

"They were both going around asking if the team were alright, for me..." Hiro said.

"For you?" Makoto wondered.

"Yeah, you noticed how hurt the team mostly looks, right?" Hiro questioned. "Since the team just avoids me now, I can't talk to them. So, Amamiya and Sakamoto were nice enough to go around and ask them if they're injuries were bothering them, for my sake."

"I see," Makoto seemed surprised. "That's... very nice of them." Makoto smiled. "I'm glad that they would do that for you. I can see why you wouldn't be able to do it yourself since the team avoids you." Makoto sighed in irritation. "But I still can't believe they would avoid you over something so trivial like quitting a sports club. I mean, they were your friends, right?"

"Yeah," Hiro sighed. "I was friends with some of them. Not best friends, though. Besides..." Hiro shrugged his shoulders. "I only have one best friend."

"Oh, who's that...?" Makoto asked.

"Do I really have to spell it out...?" Hiro smirked at Makoto. "You."

Makoto went wide-eyed in surprise. She was honestly astonished that Hiro still considered her a best friend since they didn't talk for three years since her father's death. Makoto has always been serious about studying when it came to school. She became particularly serious about it when she reached high school. That, and her sister's request for her to be very diligent about her academics. She would occasionally notice Hiro but never went over to talk to him. Part of her felt bad for not speaking to her childhood friend. But, it's at least nice to know that Hiro still saw her as a friend. She assumed that she still saw him as a best friend too even after those few years of not talking.

"That's very nice of you to say, Hiro," Makoto gave him a pleasant smile. "Thank you."

"I mean it," Hiro said keeping his smile. "You're welcome. C'mon, let's get to class." Hiro looked at his cell phone. "The first bell is gonna ring in a little bit."

"Right," Makoto agreed. "We don't want to be late." Makoto followed alongside Hiro walking toward their classroom.

-O-

Day: Thursday - Date: 4/14/20XX - Time of Day: Afternoon - Weather: Sunny - Location: Classroom 2-D

Ren was sitting in class listening to Mr. Ushimaru give a lecture. He was paying attention until his phone vibrated in his pocket. He brought his phone out and saw a message in the chat.

[Chat IM]

[Ryuji S.]: So about witnesses...

[Yasuhiro N.]: Dude, are you serious?

[Yasuhiro N.]: Couldn't you save this 'till later? We're in class.

[Ryuji S.]: I can't focus on this...

[Ren A.]: Guess it can't be helped...

[Ren A.]: What about witnesses, Ryuji?

[Ryuji S.]: I was wondering if we could get something outta Takamaki.

[Ren A.]: Why?

[Yasuhiro N.]: More like how?

[Ryuji S.]: Just hear me out.

[Ryuji S.]: You know how we didn't get a single thing outta the volleyball team?

[Ryuji S.]: I figured it'd be a good idea to talk to someone who knows them.

[Ryuji S.]: Takamaki's BFF's with a starter. A girl named Suzui.

[Yasuhiro N.]: Ah, Suzui-san. I know her. Nice girl.

[Yasuhiro N.]: I don't think you've met her yet, Ren...

[Yasuhiro N.]: She's a second-year like you and Ryuji.

[Ryuji S.]: Me and her have the same class too...

[Ryuji S.]: I tried talking to that girl during break, but got nothing.

[Ryuji S.]: That's why we should have Takamaki talk to her.

[Ryuji S.]: Then again, I guess it'll be hard getting her to help us...

[Ryuji S.]: Sorry. Lemme see what else I can come up with.

-O-

Day: Thursday - Date: 4/14/20XX - Time of Day: After School - Weather: Sunny - Location: Shujin Academy, First Floor

Hiro and Makoto made their way out of their classroom. Both of them ended up eating lunch together at lunchtime, as well as studying in the library. Going through their class subjects, occasionally helping each other.

"Today was nice," Makoto smiled. "I forgot how good it was for the two of us to just spend time together at lunchtime like today. Makes me think we're in middle school again."

"Or back in grade school," Hiro said smirking. "It certainly does feel like that since you still have that same pencil case back when we were in grade school." He sent Makoto a knowing glance her way.

Makoto's eyes widened, remembering the Buchimaru-kun pencil case her Dad bought for her when she was a kid. A light blush of embarrassment dusted her cheeks as she stared at Hiro.

"Wha-Hiro...!" Makoto said flabbergasted. "You! Y-You're..." Makoto stuttered as stopped as she saw Hiro still giving her a simpering smile. "You are terrible sometimes."

"Thank you," Hiro said smirking proudly. "I try." Hiro felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. "Oh, I should get that."

"Of course," Makoto said. "I'm going to be heading back up to the library. Come find me after if you want to keep studying like earlier. That is if you have to get Hamuko-chan from school?"

"Hamuko's fine," Hiro reassured. "She's has her cell phone, in case, she has to call for help and Dad taught her how to defend herself, if need be. So, I wouldn't mind studying in the library. I'll be there, just give a little while and I'll come to find you there."

"Okay," smiled Makoto. "I'll see you, then." Makoto went on her way up the stairs to the library. Hiro pulled out his phone and saw the messages from Ryuji.

[Chat IM]

[Ryuji S.]: Yo, Hiro.

[Ryuji S.]: I wanted to talk to you and Ren about what we're gonna do about Kamoshida.

[Ryuji S.]: Come over to the courtyard. I already messaged Ren to come by too.

[Ryuji S.]: I'll be waiting.

[Yasuhiro N.]: On my way.

He quickly messaged Ryuji and put away his phone and started to make his way down to meet Ryuji over in Shujin Academy's courtyard.

-O-

Ren got Ryuji's message to meet down at the courtyard. But before that, Ren wanted to go to the library. Once he walked inside the library, he was met with several stares from the other students inside. As well as the whispers that were heard from the students.

"What's he doing in here?"

"I didn't think someone like him would even come to the library?"

"Don't stare! He might get the idea to beat us up! Or worse..."

Ren had to resist the urge to roll his eyes from the not-so-quiet comments. No matter what, it was going to be like this wherever he goes.

"Oh... is this your first time in the library?" Ren was alerted by the voice from a female student behind the main desk in the library. He approached the desk to talk to the student. "It's my job to explain the rules of the library to first-time visitors." The girl explained. "You're only allowed to borrow one book at a time. Once you finish, please be sure to retur- Huh?"

Ren rose an eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

"That badge..." she gestured to Ren's number 2 badge on his blazer. "Are you a second-year?"

"Sure am," Ren nodded.

"Oh, could you be that transfer student I keep hearing about!?" she asked.

'And here we go again...' Ren groaned in his head.

"Yeah..." Ren confirmed for the girl.

"I knew it..." sighed the girl. "Um... I don't mean to be rude, but maybe you shouldn't come here. See, you're scaring the students too..."

Ren turned his head and noticed the students inside the library were giving wary looks. Well, all except for one dark brown-haired girl who seemed too pre-occupied studying.

"So, are you saying that I'm not allowed to use the library?" Ren asked. "That I'm not allowed to be in here? I understand but that's a little odd. I thought the library was open to everyone."

"It is open to everyone," the girl explained. "Oh... no, I didn't mean that you can't use the library. But..."

'So, I'm not allowed anywhere I go...' Ren thought irritably. 'I guess there's nothing I can do about that.'

Ren knew as well he was making a lot of students inside a bit concerned by his presence in the library. He thought it was best to just see if it was possible to borrow a book from here and just leave so that way he won't make the other students nervous anymore.

"Well, how about this...?" Ren proposed. "How about I just borrow a book from here and then I'll just leave the library."

"OK, that sounds fine," the girl said. "Go ahead and pick any book you want."

Ren only gave the girl a nod as he went to go look around the library for a book to take with him. He still got the occasional looks from students, though some seemed to just look elsewhere, probably trying to avoid eye contact with him. While looking for a book, he heard two male students having a conversation. They were whispering but they were still loud enough to hear if anyone were standing next to them.

"Well, there's our student council president,"

Ren looked who they were talking about. They were referring to the brown-haired girl that seemed too busy studying to notice anyone in the library.

"Is she reading all those huge, complex books to study for college exams? That's really intimidating."

"She borrowed a sci-fi book the other day though. Maybe we have something in common."

"Oh, I'm sure, she'd never talk to people like us."

"That's not all true. I saw her hanging out with Nakamura at lunch today. The way they were talking was like the way old friends talked. They seemed close, you don't think that...?"

"Nah, there's no way they're a thing. They could just be close friends. But even still, even if she has friends, she still too driven and serious. That's why she's always getting top grades. I can see why the principal put so much hope in her."

Ren brought his attention over to the brown-haired girl studying. The two boys talking called her 'student council president'. Ren remembered now that this is the girl that Hiro waved to back at the volleyball rally. She also helped him with Mishima when he got hit with the volleyball. Hiro referred to her as student council president during the rally as well.

Ren found it a little amusing that Hiro had ties to someone like the council president. He had to wonder what the story behind them was. But for now, he should focus on finding a book so he could leave and meet up with Hiro and Ryuji. He settled going for a book called 'Arsene Lupin, the Gentleman Thief'.

He looked at the cover and had to wonder if the Arsene from this book had some kind of connection to his Persona, Arsene. Ren assumed he'd figure it out eventually and went to ask the girl at the desk so he could borrow the book.

"Excuse me?" Ren addressed the girl at the counter. "I'd like to borrow this book right here." he handed the book to the girl.

"This one, yes? OK, be careful with it."

Ren nodded in thanks and then walked down the third and second floors and began to make his way to the door that leads to the courtyard. But, in front of the doors, there was a black-haired girl. The girl had a bruise on her forehead that was slightly covered by her bangs. Ren has seen this girl before, she was the girl that he would usually see Ann talking to, Shiho Suzui. Maybe he'll be able to ask her about Kamoshida's practice. Ren soon approached Shiho and stopped in front of her. The girl was only looking at her cell phone with a sad look, not even noticing Ren's presence near her. It took her only a second later to realized he was there.

"What?" Shiho said staring at Ren. "Oh..." she looked down. "I'm in the way, aren't I? Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it..." Ren assured. "You're fine. But, I just wanted to ask... are you okay? You look hurt."

"Huh...? Um, well..." Shiho tried to answer Ren properly but couldn't quite find her words, but she didn't quite want to say anything about her injuries. She looked up at Ren and got a good look at him. "Hm, you don't look familiar." Taking in Ren's features, she realized who he was. "Could you be that transfer student from Class D?"

Ren stiffened a little bit but gave her a nod. "Yes. That's me."

"Um, this might not be any of my business," Shiho vocalized. "But don't let the rumors get to you, OK...?"

Ren was honestly shocked that someone would feel concern for him and his situation at school. Ren assumed that Shiho must be a really nice girl, she's worried about him even though he could also tell she was going through a tough time herself.

"Thank you for saying that..." Ren said. "I mean, they don't bother me. But, why do you say that?"

"Well, I've helped with a similar situation before..." Shiho stated. "My best friend is often misunderstood too, all because of her looks..." Shiho shook her head. "Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to drag on like that."

"No, you don't need to be sorry," Ren claimed. "It's okay. Sometimes, it's best to just try thinking about something else rather than anything negative."

Shiho nodded. "Anyway, I have to go to practice... I'll see you around." Shiho walked past Ren, still with the sad look on her face.

She seemed to be in a bit of a hurry, even though she was probably dreading what she was going to go endure. Ren felt bad for her, he wished he could've said a little more to try and make the girl feel better. Ren approached the door and walked out into the courtyard.

He made his way over to the hangout area in the courtyard. There, he saw Hiro and Ryuji. Hiro was leaning on the table with Ryuji standing with his arms folded, looking pissed off. Hiro gave Ren a small wave in greeting as Ren exchanged one back.

"Dammit, what the hell..." Ryuji uttered his curses.

"I'm guessing you had no luck finding someone who will talk...?" Ren wondered as he twirled one of his bangs.

"Makin' it obvious, aren't I?" Ryuji frowned at him. Ryuji slammed his fist against the vending machine near him. "All of 'em kept sayin' the same shit Mishima was talkin' about...! Kamoshida had to have told 'em something!"

"No surprise there..." Hiro spoke up. "It was not just me, but everyone who is on the team must keep the secret about the practice. Not even on the team anymore and I still have to keep my mouth shut. I either keep the secret or I get expelled from the school. I know. Bullshit, huh?"

"Yeah," Ryuji scoffed in agreement. "Complete bullshit." Ryuji gave out a disgruntled sigh. "At this rate... it looks like we'll have to go to him directly..."

"That might be the only choice..." Ren commented. "We should've probably started with that."

"I know..." Ryuji agreed. "But seriously, isn't there something we can do? No way I'm gonna give in like this!"

"Neither of us is giving up, Ryuji," Hiro conveyed. "We just need to come up with some way to deal with Kamoshida since no one in Shujin will help."

"Can you think of anything, Ren?" Ryuji asked. Ren put a hand to his chin and started brain-storming in his head about what they can do about Kamoshida.

"We could try a sneak attack," Ren suggested. "Well, that's only one of the ideas. But there's three of us and only one of him. We'd just have to wait until he's all alone."

"That'd be fine if we could do it without gettin' caught," Ryuji noted. "But... if we did, we'd be seriously done for. You got any other ideas...?"

"Then, we try talking to the cops," Ren said.

"So you wanna tell 'em about the castle?" Ryuji questioned. "They'd never believe us..."

"True, but leave the castle part out," Ren informed. "We just try to explain to them that a teacher is verbally and physically abusing students. They've got to believe it somehow."

"The cops, huh?" Hiro said with a low voice. The police could do something. Maybe if he really talked to his Dad about the whole thing, he could help them out. And it would ease any tension between him and his Dad, but Hiro felt like he didn't want to get his Dad involved. But Hiro felt it wouldn't help since his Dad is already sort of suspecting him with what happened between him and Mr. Kamoshida. If he said anything about this, his Dad will likely take action. Not as a detective, but as a parent. Hiro shook off the thoughts and decided that it'll be best to leave the police and his Dad out of this.

"I don't think the cops will be able to do much," Hiro informed. "Trust me on that. Plus Ren, you have a record on you. Kamoshida will probably use that against you if it came to that."

"Ah, I didn't think about that," Ren said putting his hands in his pockets. "Well, that's kinda all I've got." Ren went back to thinking of an idea of how they were going to get at Kamoshida. He couldn't think of any normal tactic to go about it. There had to be some way they could go after Shujin's so-called 'king'. Wait, king? King! "Gentleman, I got it." Hiro and Ryuji looked at Ren wondering what Ren's next idea was. "The King Kamoshida from the castle. We go after and punish the king."

"The king...?" Ryuji repeated. "You mean that other world's Kamoshida?"

"Hmm?" Hiro hummed in thought. "That does sound like a credible idea."

"Yeah, I didn't think of that, but..." Ryuji said scratching his head. "Is there any meaning to-"

"I finally found you..." called a familiar voice from an unknown source to the three teens in the courtyard. Hiro got off the table and moved his head from left to right as Ryuji and Ren did the same. The three never noticed a small black cat soon approach them.

"You guys say something?" Ryuji asked the two.

"No, I didn't," Hiro answered.

"Neither did I," Ren said. "Still, that voice sounds very familiar." the cat jumped onto the table as the three noticed the cat jump right onto the table.

"Don't think you can get away with not paying me back for helping you," the 'cat' informed the teen's as if it knows them.

"I-It's not possible..." Hiro uttered. "But it is. It's the same voice and everything." Hiro definitely recognized the voice. There was no mistaking it all.

"Yeah, you're right..." Ryuji said still wide-eyed.

"Morgana," Ren stated. "Is it really you?"

The normal-looking 'cat' with bright blue eyes, a yellow collar and silky-looking black fur shook its head. "How dare you, up and leaving me the other day!"

"The cat's talkin'!?" Ryuji shouted.

"I am NOT a cat!" Morgana claimed. "This is just what happened when I came into this world! It was a lot of trouble finding you three."

"Wait... you came to our world!?" Ryuji asked as he gave out a surprised gasp. "Does that mean you got a phone!?"

"You don't need one when you're at my level," Morgana informed licking his paw. "I did get pretty lost when making my escape though..."

"That aside, why can you talk!?" Ryuji demanded. "You're a cat!"

"How should I know!?" Morgana questioned.

"You both hearin' this too...?" Ryuji asked Ren and Hiro.

"Yeah..." Hiro said slowly. "And I'm having a very hard time comprehending it." Hiro looked at Ren. "What about you, Ren?"

Ren looked at both Ryuji and Hiro and only had this to say: "Meow?" Hiro had to stifle his laughter pressing his mouth into his palm. Ren came off as a stoic and calm guy, but it was funny to Hiro that Ren had a sense of humor under all that calm.

"This is no time to be joking around!" Ryuji yelled in irritation not cheering Hiro's enthusiasm.

"You guys are having a rough time with this, hm?" Morgana asked. "I heard you mention something about witnesses."

"Oh shuddup," Ryuji said.

"Yes, we are having a difficult time trying to figure this out," Hiro vocalized. "So, Morgana, do you think you can help us?"

"Perhaps?" Morgana voiced in a enigmatic tone.

"Perhaps?" Hiro chorused raising an eyebrow. "Can you help or not?"

"Well, I could tell you a thing or two about what to do about Kamoshida," Morgana smirked and looked in Ren's direction. "Ren over here was pretty close just a moment ago."

"God, that condescendin' attitude!" Ryuji commented. "This thing's gotta be Morgana!"

"You were still doubting me!?" Morgana glared up at the faux-blonde.

Ren noticed there were students roaming around the courtyard. He also noticed a teacher and a student looking around the courtyard. "Shh, you both might want to quiet down." Ren shushed the both of them as he pointed at the teacher and student.

"We really have to be looking for a cat in a busy time like this...?"

"I just heard a meow somewhere near here. Didn't you hear it?"

"Make sure you check every nook and cranny around."

"Meow...?" Ryuji wondered in confusion. "Does that mean only us three can understand what you're sayin'?"

"Looks like it," Morgana casually replied.

"What the hell's goin' on...?" Ryuji questioned scratching his head.

"Let's get back on topic," Ren stated. "Morgana, is what you mentioned true? You can help do something about Kamoshida?"

"I can," Morgana smiled. "But you'll have to listen to what I have to say."

"Sounds easy enough," Hiro said. "Right now though, talking here might not be the be safe."

"I agree," Ryuji nodded and then quickly snatched up Morgana by the yellow collar, the 'cat' meowed in protest from the sudden action. "Here, stick it in your bag for now! It should be small enough to fit!"

"Hey!" Morgana yelled as he thrashed about in Ryuji's grasp. "How dare you treat me like-"

"You probably should've been a little more gentle, Ryuji..." Hiro remarked. "Just relax, Morgana. We're going to find a place that's a little more secluded so we can talk." Hiro turned over to Ren. "Hey, Ren? Do you think you could take Morgana in your bag?"

"Um, I guess..." Ren said. "But why me?"

"Believe me, I would but my bag's a little bit cramped," Hiro insisted. "So, could you?"

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Ren sighed as he agreed to let Morgana in his bag.

"So, where are we headin'?" Ryuji asked Hiro. "The school rooftop?"

"That's right," Hiro affirmed. "The school rooftop. We'll get some privacy from up there. Let's hope that no one's up there."

-O-

The walk to the stairs went by smoothly enough. When Hiro, Ryuji, and Ren were walking up to the school roof, Morgana would occasionally move around inside Ren's bag. As they were walking by, some students couldn't help but notice Ren's bag shuffling on its own. Ren realized the looks he was getting but faced forward, focusing on only getting to the roof. Once the teen's finally made it to the very top of the school, Ren let Morgana out of his bag. Morgana quickly leaped out and stretched himself.

[Persona 5 OST: Wicked Plan]

"Don't be so rough with me!" Morgana frustratingly yelled.

"Enough of that!" Ryuji said wanting to get back on topic. "You said you know how we can do something about Kamoshida, right?"

"Go on and tell us," Hiro added. "I'm curious about how we're going to go about it."

"It has to do with what Ren was talking about earlier," Morgana smirked. "You'll need to attack his castle."

"What do you mean...?" Ryuji questioned.

"You're talking about the castle from that 'other world'?" Ren wondered. "Since that castle is how Kamoshida views the school."

"You really do pick up on things fast," Morgana said to Ren, sounding impressed. "Kamoshida doesn't realize what happens in there, but it's deeply connected to the depths of his heart. Thus, if the castle disappears, it would naturally impact the real Kamoshida."

"What'd happen?" Ryuji wondered.

"Yeah..." Hiro said. "Impact him how?"

"A Palace is a manifestation of a person's distorted desires," Morgana explained. "So, if that castle were no more..."

"His desires would go and he'd become an honest man," Ren finished.

"Precisely!" Morgana exclaimed smiling. "Once again, Ren, you amaze me."

"For real!?" Ryuji said, eyes wide. "H-He's gonna turn good!?"

"That would be quite a turnout," Hiro vocalized tugging his bandana.

"But... is that really gettin' back at him?" Ryuji asked.

"Erasing a Palace essentially means forcing the owner to have a change of heart," Morgana clarified. "However, even though their warped wants disappear, the crimes they committed remain."

"True," Hiro stated in agreement. "If we are able to erase the Palace, it doesn't mean that the things Kamoshida's done will all go away like it never happened." Hiro crossed his arms over his chest. "He'll have to live it, for the rest of his life."

"That's right!" Morgana agreed. "He will become unable to bear the weight of those crimes, and he'll confess them himself!"

"You for real!?" Ryuji said. "That's possible!?"

"And since the Palace no longer exist, he'll forget what we did there as well," Morgana stated. "Not only will we be able to bring Kamoshida down, but there won't even be a trace of our involvement."

"That's amazing!" Ryuji grinned. "You are one incredible cat!"

"True, except for the cat part!" Morgana claimed.

"Okay, now for the next question...?" Ren said. "How do we get rid of the Palace, Morgana? I don't believe you explained how we handle that?"

"By stealing the Treasure held within," Morgana answered.

"Stealing...?" Ryuji wondered in confusion.

"I'll tell you more once you agree to go ahead with this," Morgana claimed. "It's my most valuable secret plan, after all. If you wanna help out, I'll gladly teach you. What's your call?"

"We tried and talked about normal methods, but those haven't worked out," Hiro noted. "I'm in. Who knows? We may have more luck doing it this way."

"Our luck's runnin' dry lookin' for witnesses," Ryuji added. "Guess we have no choice but to go along..."

Hiro and Ryuji were right. Normal methods will not work since the school pretty much protects Kamoshida and looking for witnesses definitely had not worked out. So, it seems the only feasible option was to go with Morgana's idea.

"There's no other way..." Ren commented. "Seems like this is our only option."

"Good," Morgana responded smiling. "Oh, right. There's one more thing I should tell you."

"Okay..." Ren said slowly. "I'm sensing there's a 'but' if we do it this way."

"If we erase a Palace, there is no doubt that the person's distorted desires will be erased as well," Morgana said. "But desires are what we need to survive. The will to sleep, eat, fall in love-those sorts of things."

"What're you gettin' at?" Ryuji inquired, tilting his head.

"If we take away the desires, then what's going to happen?" Hiro asked.

"If all of those yearnings were to vanish, they'd be no different than someone who has shutdown entirely," Morgana clarified. "They may even die if not given proper care. So..."

[OST End]

"They might die...!?" Ryuji yelled in surprise.

"Will you listen to everything I have to say first?" Morgana glared at the blonde.

"Would their death be our fault...?" Ryuji asked worriedly.

"Aren't you determined enough to face those kinds of risks?" Morgana remarked.

"Damn, well that's... Hmm?" Hiro hummed before he gulped a lump back as he went back to clutching his scarf. Hiro's never thought about anything like killing someone. Especially killing Suguru Kamoshida. Now, Hiro honestly hated Kamoshida after everything he's done to him and the rest volleyball team but he never thought about killing him. It would honestly leave a horrible taste in his mouth if it came down that. Then, he would really feel like he could never look his Dad in the eyes ever again. Since his Dad would definitely be on the case if a teacher suddenly died. Not just his Father, but he would also feel like he wouldn't be able to stare Hamuko or Makoto in the eye anymore if he was the cause of someone dying.

"I... I don't know what to say about this..." Hiro uttered.

"Hey, Ren... what do you think?" Ryuji asked Ren.

Ren put his head down to think. Kamoshida is a horrible man, that much is true if anyone can see it. But, killing him is not what Ren had in mind at all. Sure, the people who are being abused by Kamshida would be safe with him gone, but it still wasn't right to cause his death. Ren already had a criminal record for an assault, he didn't want to add murder in there, too.

"I don't want to kill him," Ren avowed to Morgana.

"O-Of course not..." Ryuji stammered.

"I think so too..." Hiro nodded biting his lip.

"Sheesh... I come all this way, and this is what I get," Morgana remarked. "It's not like anyone will ever find out."

"That's not the point!" Ryuji declared.

"Keep in mind, Morgana, the three of us are only high school students..." Ren stated. "Neither one of us had ever done that kind of thing."

"Yeah and look, those Shadow's are one thing, but killing an actual person would only make us regret it for the rest our lives," Hiro mentioned.

"Right!" Ryuji added. "And if we just go around secretly doin' whatever we want, we'd be no better than that effin' Kamoshida..."

"Isn't this your only option?" Morgana questioned with an irritated sigh. "I'll come back later. Make sure you've made your decision by then."

"Man, we're gettin' all worked up over nothing..." Ryuji said. "Dammit!" He looked at Ren and Hiro. "I'll try and see if I can figure out another way... C'mon, let's get outta here."

-O-

The three left the school rooftop and just went their separate ways for the day as soon as leaving the roof. Hiro was headed to the library, Ryuji was going to try asking around the school some more, and Ren was walking out of the school, stopping in front of the gate. There was nothing for him left to do at the school, so heading home sounded like the best idea. Just as he was about to leave, he received a message from Ryuji.

[Chat IM]

[Ryuji S.]: Hey, I heard something that got my attention.

[Ren A.]: What do you got, Ryuji?

[Ryuji S.]: About that Suzui girl... Looks like rumors are going around about her and Kamoshida.

[Ryuji S.]: If they're true, it's no wonder I couldn't get her to talk.

[Ryuji S.]: Still, something doesn't seem right.

[Ren A.]: What's up...?

[Ren A.]: Do you know something?

[Ryuji S.]: It's nothing so clear cut, but...

[Ryuji S.]: I've known Takamaki and Suzui since middle school.

[Ryuji S.]: There's just no way Kamoshida's their type, you know?

[Ren A.]: I may not know Takamaki-san or Suzui-san too well but even I can agree that Kamoshida is not on their list.

[Ryuji S.]: I know right...

[Ryuji S.]: So... I gotta wonder where those rumors came from.

[Ryuji S.]: Well, whatever. I'll try asking around some more.

Ren started on his way to the train station. He boarded the subway in Aoyama-Ichtome that took him straight to the Teikyu Building. He went through the ticket gate and went to the right and went down the stairs. Though, when Ren was walking outside the building he heard a familiar voice at the Subway train station. He saw Ann Takamaki talking or more like shouting on the phone with someone.

"Would you please give it a rest!?" Ann spoke. "I told you, I'm not feeling up to it..." Ren noticed her eyes widen in surprise. "Wait, what? That's not what you promised! And you call yourself a teacher!? This has nothing to do with Shiho! Ah..." Ren could hear the rings, signaling the person on the other line had hung up.

It was obvious she was talking to Kamoshida since Shiho was brought up in the conversation. It was apparent to Ren that Kamoshida was certainly trying to get Ann to sleep with him. The thought of that made Ren sick. As soon as she was hung up on, Ann curled in a ball putting her face in her knees.

"Shiho's... starting position..." she spoke softly yet it was audible. Ren couldn't stand to see her like this. He felt he had to do something, he couldn't just leave Takamaki alone when she just looked helpless. He'll have to try to get her to talk to him. Ren started to slowly approach the girl to get her attention.

"Ahem..." Ren cleared his throat. "Takamaki-san?" Ann brought her head up to look at Ren, staring up at him with watery eyes. "Hi." Ren gave a small wave with his hand. "Um, I just wanted to ask you if you were alright? You seem very... distressed."

"Huh?" Ann's eyes were wide as she stood back up. "Wait... Amamiya-kun, were you listening?"

"Well, not on purpose," Ren honestly stated. "But I may have eavesdropped a little." There was no point in lying about it.

"Haven't you heard of privacy?" Ann asked him with a glare. Ren averted his eyes shyly as he rubbed the back of his neck. Ann only sighed as she put her head down. "No, I was out of line. Sorry, Amamiya-kun."

"It's okay," Ren said. "You didn't do anything."

Ann rubbed her eyes to get rid of the unfallen tears from her eyes. "So how much did you hear...?"

"You were talking about your friend..." Ren noted. "Suzui-san, right?"

"Shiho..." Ann softly murmured. "It's nothing at all." she declared quickly to Ren. "Nothing..." her expression became one of sadness once more. It felt like she was saying that her own best friend was nothing to her. She gave Ren one last look and wiped her eyes once again and quickly ran off.

"Takamaki-san, wait!" Ren shouted trying to reaching his hand out to her but she was already long gone. Ren couldn't ignore this. He noticed the incredibly sad look in her eyes. It had to be Kamoshida. Why would it be someone else if her best friend was involved? Ren quickly dashed after Ann, noticing that she ran down the stairs into the Shibuya Station Underground Walkway. He saw her make her way down the steps and head more into the underground. There were a lot of people inside the station, but Ren had to wonder how hard could it be to find the only person who had blonde hair like hers in this station? Thankfully, it didn't take him long to find her as she stopped in front of one of the different-colored support beams.

"Takamaki-san!" Ren called as he approached her. "Won't you talk to me? Listen, I'm trying to help you."

"Stop following me..." Ann glared at him. "Leave me alone!"

"I can't do that," Ren strongly expressed.

"Why...?" Ann wondered putting a hand on her hip. "Why do you keep worrying about me?" She and Ren only stared at each other. But Ann couldn't find it in her to tell Ren to go away and immediately found herself sobbing. Ren felt his chest tighten when looking at Ann bawling her eyes out in front him. He'd feel awful if he just let it go like this.

"Please, just talk to me," Ren reasoned. "I can't ignore you like this. Let's go somewhere safe and we'll talk."

Ann paused her sobbing and wiped the tears from her eyes. "What the heck...?" she sniffed. "I really don't get you..."

Ren had convinced Ann to follow him. He led her to Shibuya Central Street. He noticed a Diner and a Big Bang Burger across the street. The Diner might be packed, so he figured it'd be fine if they went to Big Bang Burger. Luckily, there wasn't a whole lot of people inside the fast food restaurant. Ren and Ann sat down across from each other at one of the tables. A waitress came around to take their order, Ren only asked for water for himself and Ann. The waitress left to fetch their water leaving them both alone.

"I don't have anything to talk about with you," Ann declared.

"That's absolutely fine," Ren said. "You hardly know me, besides my name and what else you may have heard about me around the school." Ren folded his arms across his chest. "So, tell me what had you all upset earlier?"

Ann's lips turned into a thin line as she turned away. "It was just an argument..."

"With Kamoshida?" Ren asked but figured that was who she was talking to. Ann turned her gaze to face Ren but she was only staring down at the table, avoiding eye contact. The waitress soon came back and placed the two cup's of iced water on the table for the two of them.

"Thank you very much!" the waitress called walking away.

Ann rested her hand on her cheek. "You've heard the rumors, haven't you?" Ann asked Ren.

"How could I not hear them," Ren commented.

"I mean the ones about Mr. Kamoshida..." Ann said. "Everyone says we're getting it on. But, that's so not true..." Ren only kept quiet staring at Ann as she traced a napkin on the table with her index finger. "That was him on the other line. I avoided giving him my number for the longest time." Her finger traces over the napkin became rougher. "He told me to go to his place after this... you know what it means." she tightly grasped the napkin in her hand. "If I turn him down, he said he'd take my friend off as a regular on the team."

"I see..." Ren replied softly.

"I've been telling myself this is all for Shiho's sake..." Ann claimed as she sat back. "I can't take it anymore." Ren couldn't find the words to say something to Ann so he stayed silent and let her continue. "I've had enough of this! I hate him!" she closed her eyes. "But still, Shiho's my best friend. She's all I have left in that sorry excuse of a school!" she finally stared Ren in the eyes, her blue eyes had tears cascading down her cheeks. "Amamiya-kun, tell me, what should I do?"

Ren, just seeing Ann crying and pleading for his help made him tightly grasp on his knees. He didn't know what to do, but all he knew was that she needed help. His help. And the only way to do that was to go after the Kamoshida in that other world. But that would ultimately mean the possibility of death for the real Kamoshida. Ren thought he might have to take that chance for someone like Ann. It's honorable of her to take a stand for dealing with Kamoshida for her best friend. But Ann was enduring quite a lot herself like Shiho and the other members of the volleyball team.

"Sorry," Ann apologized wiping her eyes. "I shouldn't have asked. It's not your problem."

'No,' Ren thought. 'It is my problem.'

"What... am I saying...?" Ann wondered confusingly. "I've barely even talked to you before..."

"It's fine," Ren shrugged. "I don't mind at all," Ren stated pushing up his glasses.

"Huh...?" Ann mouthed with wide eyes. "You're so weird. Usually, everyone just ignores me. Amamiya-kun, are you really a bad person as the rumor says...? You just don't seem like it..."

"Rumor's, eh...?" Ren said as he tried the act like this is the first he's ever heard them. "What do they say about me?"

"That you assaulted someone..." Ann declared slowly. "That you almost killed them..."

"Is that so...?" Ren questioned tilting his head. "Well, if you really must know? I'm bad to the bone." Ren gave a small smirk while pushing his glasses up.

Ann let out a snort, she couldn't believe that Ren could say that with a straight face. "Is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Seems to have worked," Ren commented. "But seriously, they're not true."

"Oh," Ann uttered. "I kinda had a feeling they were all exaggerations. You seemed lonely-almost like you don't belong anywhere..." Ann gave a small smile. "We're the same in that regard. Maybe that's why it was so easy for me to talk to you."

"Must've been why..." Ren said. "So, what are you going to do, Takamaki-san? You're not still considering going to Kamoshida's, are you?"

"No, not a chance. But, I don't know...?" Ann questioned herself. "Is there really no way for me to help Shiho...? I wish he'd just his mind. Like, forget about me, and everything..." Ann stared at Ren and leaned back in her seat, she might've felt like she was asking for too much. "As if something like that would ever happen..."

Now, Ren remembered the possible risks of changing Kamoshida's heart. But, the dying part was only a possibility. After hearing Ann's side, Ren was definitely considering changing Kamoshida's heart and stealing his treasure as Morgana put it.

"Actually, Takamaki-san..." Ren said pushing his glasses up. "It could happen. Maybe sooner than you think."

Ann sat back up and smiled at Ren's attempt to try and make her feel better. "I wasn't asking for a serious response." she sighed. "But I do feel a bit better now."

"I'm glad I can help," Ren nodded smiling.

"I'm gonna head home." Ann grabbed her water and school bag, then scooted out of the booth. Before leaving she turned back around to Ren. "Don't tell anyone what I told you, OK?"

"I promise," Ren alleged.

"I'll try and think of a way to persuade Kamoshida," Ann declared. "Well... thanks, Amamiya-kun."

"Anytime, Takamaki-san," Ren said giving another smile. Ann returned a small smile back at him and went on her way home. Ren folded his arms and crossed his leg over the other. Now, there was another reason to change Kamoshida's heart.

-O-

Hiro was currently sitting in the library with Makoto. When they studied, they would ask questions and copy down notes on anything they may have missed. Well, that's how would it go if Hiro's mind wasn't somewhere else. His mind was still on whether he, Ren and Ryuji should go through with what Morgana told them about dealing with Kamoshida. He was too busy thinking that Makoto was still talking about their classroom subjects.

"Hiro, what kind of notes do you have for Advanced World History?" Makoto asked still looking at her own textbook and notes. She was wondering why it was taking a while for him to answer her, she then looked at him. She noticed he seemed deep in thought. "Um, Hiro?"

"Huh?" Hiro mouthed finally staring at Makoto. "Oh, sorry Makoto. I wasn't paying attention."

Makoto put her pencil down and faced Hiro. "Is everything alright? You have been a bit quiet since you got here. Are you perhaps sick? Do you need to go to the nurse? I believe she hasn't gone home yet. "

"What?" Hiro wondered. "No, not at all. I, um...?" Hiro couldn't stop thinking about the talk with Morgana as it was still fresh in his mind. "So, Mako?"

"What's wrong, Hiro?" Makoto asked.

"I want to ask you a question," Hiro declared. "It's nothing class-related and I'd like you to give your opinion on the matter if you can."

"Oh, well alright," Makoto nodded tucking her hair behind her ear. "Go ahead and ask me then."

Now, Hiro had thought to where to begin about this without mentioning anything about Kamoshida, the castle or changing his heart. Though, the best way to go about it is to not mention them at all.

"What would you think if I did something that ended up hurting someone...?" Hiro questioned. "And let's say, that thing I did was something so bad that you would probably not want to talk to me again?"

"I see..." Makoto said with her eyes widened. "Well, I suppose it would depend on what you did. There are lots of ways to hurt someone, Hiro. Like physically or mentally hurting someone. Whether you did something bad or not to this someone, it would be my decision if I didn't want to speak to you anymore."

"Right..." Hiro sighed looking down.

"But, if you do end up doing such a thing, it wouldn't be right for me to just stop talking to you," Makoto said. "You are my friend, Hiro. Whether you were in this kind of situation or not, you'd talk to me about, we'd figure it out together."

"Yeah, you're right," Hiro smiled. "Thanks, Mako. Now then, you asked about my History notes. Come to think of it, I didn't bring my textbook and my notes are inside it. Could you give me a moment to go get it from my locker?"

"I'll be here," Makoto said as she nodded at Hiro as he left out of the library. She kept writing down notes from her textbook but she had to wonder why Hiro would ask such a thing. Was he in some sort of trouble? It still worried her that he would spend his time with Sakamoto-kun and Amamiya-kun. She would hear things like 'I saw Nakamura hanging around the delinquent and the criminal'. But when it comes to Amamiya-kun, the rumors only sounded like exaggerations, but that doesn't mean that she won't keep an eye on him. And with how Sakamoto-kun was, that one didn't need an explanation.

But, with what she hears about those two, she hopes Hiro isn't picking up any habits from them. She supposed she shouldn't worry too much since Hiro was still the same person she's known for pretty much her whole life. Well, at least she hopes he wasn't doing anything shady or dangerous.

-O-

Hiro walked down the steps to the second floor. On his way down, he saw a familiar face just leaning against the wall near the stairway. It was Shiho Suzui. Just stopping to only stare at her, he noticed her expression. She was only staring at the ground with a sullen look in her eyes. Hiro also noticed the bruise above her eye. It hurt Hiro inside to see Suzui like that. Hiro was acquainted with her through the Volleyball team. Since Kamoshida coached both boy's and girl's teams, they sometimes had practice at the same time.

Hiro knew earlier today that Ryuji was trying to get info from Shiho, but she wouldn't talk. Hiro wasn't going to try to probe her for info since he was also aware of the practice. Though he hasn't spoken to Shiho in quite a while, he supposed it wouldn't be too bad to talk to her.

"Excuse me, Suzui-san?" Hiro greeted as he approached the girl. The girl came out of her own thoughts and noticed Hiro.

"Huh?" Shiho said. "Oh, Nakamura-senpai." she stopped leaning on the wall to stand up straight. "Do you need anything?"

"I don't need anything, Suzui-san..." Hiro stated. "I just wanted to check-in. Since it's been a while since we spoke. So, how have you been, Suzui?"

The girl looked down at the floor. "I've been... okay, I guess," Shiho said as she turned her eyes to the side. Hiro couldn't help but realize the face she was making. That sad look in her eyes was evidence enough. "How have you been lately, Senpai?"

"I'm good, despite all the rumors I've been hearing about me, I think I'm doing just fine," Hiro shrugged. "By the way, where's Takamaki-san? I assumed she'd be here with you since you two pretty much inseparable." Hiro mentioned while giving a smirk.

Hearing that made Shiho give a tiny smile. "Ann and I are around each other a lot, huh?" Hiro noticed her smile. She seemed to really cherish her friendship with Takamaki a lot. "We spent a little bit of time together after school today."

"I see," Hiro said. "That's good."

"Oh, and she told me about what happened at the Rally," Shiho said. "That you and the transfer student challenged Kamoshida to a game and managed to score a point." Hiro realized her face was one of surprise and could also pinpoint some excitement in it.

"People must be still talking about it..." Hiro commented folding his arms. "It was nothing, really."

"But-but why did you do it?" Shiho asked.

"I... just..." Hiro rubbed the back of his searching for his answer. "I just thought it was something I had to do. I know that's not much but that's how I feel about it."

"I see..." Shiho looked down at the floor. "You're so brave, Nakamura-senpai."

"Brave...?" Hiro was surprised by Shiho's words. "I don't think so," Hiro claimed while tugging on his bandana.

"It's true," Shiho expressed with a nod. "There were people on the team who really admired you." the same could be said about her as well.

"I guess so..." Hiro replied. "Though, that doesn't matter anymore. Now everyone on the team just wants to see me as some kind of traitor since I quit and just spread rumors about me."

Shiho shook her head. "Not everyone thinks that," Shiho smiled. "I don't think that. I don't believe the rumors about you at all."

"You don't?" Hiro wondered. He assumed everyone on the Volleyball team and school believed the rumors. Then again, the boy's Volleyball team were the ones who spread the rumor that Hiro tried to fight Kamoshida. Which was what Kamoshida's Shadow mentioned. Though, it made Hiro happy and appreciate that Shiho was one that didn't believe the rumors at all. At least there was someone who can think for themselves and not believe everything little thing they hear.

"Thank you, Suzui-san," Hiro smiled gratefully. "I appreciate that." Hiro went to leave down the stairs. "I'll talk to you later, Suzui. Don't be a stranger."

"Wait, Senpai..." Shiho called out as Hiro was about to head down the steps. He turned around wondering what she was going to say. "Um, I have a question if you wouldn't mind answering? How..." she took a breath and stared at Hiro. "How do you feel after quitting the Volleyball team?"

Hiro was a bit taken aback with Suzui's question. No one has asked him how he felt about quitting the team. He had his reasons for the quitting but he never told anyone how he feels about quitting now that he did. Ever since he awakened his Persona, he felt a weight has been lifted off his shoulders as he accepted his Persona's words. He felt like he could ignore the untrue rumors about him and if he, Ryuji and Ren do something about Kamoshida then he can really put it all behind him.

"I feel refreshed..." Hiro explained.

"Refreshed...?" Shiho tilted her head in confusion. Not understanding what Hiro was talking about.

"Yeah," Hiro said as he embarrassingly scratched his head. "It's hard to explain and put into words, but... that's how I feel about quitting the team."

Shiho seemed a little confused but gave a nod. "I see..." she smiled. "That's good. I'll let you go now, Nakamura-senpai. I'll talk to you later."

"Sure thing," Hiro smiled back. "And Suzui-san, if you ever want to talk, I'd be happy to listen." Hiro walked down the stairs as Shiho watched him walk off.

"Refreshed..." she repeated. Even after everything Senpai had been through, he was able to smile and get over everything that he himself endured on the Volleyball team. She wondered if she were able to quit volleyball, she'd feel the same way. But she could never do that. She had to work hard to get to her starter position on the team despite all the... trials she's had to endure. She began to think about the said 'trials'. Wincing from the pain she's suffered, but she couldn't give up, not when she's come so far. Shiho decided that she was going to head home but before she could even leave down the stairs she was soon stopped by Mishima.

"Suzui..." Mishima spoke as he came close to her. "Are you leaving...?"

She was going to head home. But what does Mishima want at a time like this? She turned around to look at him. "What is it...?" she wondered.

"Mr. Kamoshida's asking for you..." Mishima mentioned. "He's in the PE faculty office."

Shiho looked down at the floor. "What did he say?"

"I don't know," Mishima shook his head. "Well... I have to go." With that, Mishima ran off leaving Shiho alone. Shiho watched him go and as soon as he was gone, her cell phone began ringing. She saw who the caller ID was from, it was Ann calling her. "Ann..." Shiho stowed away her phone. She knows she'll have to call her later and started walking up to the faculty office. When she got to the office, she opened the door to come inside.

"Please, excuse me..." Shiho announced as she opened the door. To see Kamoshida, sitting in his chair, his arms folded with a smile on his face.

"Suzui, sorry for suddenly calling you here like that," Kamoshida said. "Can you shut the door?"

"What did you need me for...?" Shiho asked. Shiho was mentally preparing, she probably messed up without knowing and was getting ready to 'punish her'. But, this must be about something else. It had to be since Shiho knows she hasn't made any mistakes as of late.

"Suzui, from what I've seen, it seems that your performance has been dropping quite a bit lately," Kamoshida explained. "You understand that, right?"

"Yes," Shiho nodded slowly. Perhaps she did mess up.

"If this goes on, I might have to rethink making you a starter at the next meet," Kamoshida interpreted.

"Huh!?" Shiho exclaimed. "Y-You can't!"

Kamoshida placed a hand to his chin. "Don't panic," he told her. "Whether I can actually make you a starter or not still depends on you," Kamoshida smirked deviously at the girl. "As long as you can keep quiet until I'm finished. Suzui..."

Shiho didn't like the leer Kamoshida was giving her. It was nothing like the times when he was angry with her when she messed up. He seemed like he had some other idea in mind for her to keep her starter position. Kamoshida stood up from his chair as he slowly crept up to Shiho, his smirk still plastered on his face. Shiho shut her eyes as Kamoshida slammed his hand on the door near Shiho's face, startling her.

"Mr. Kamoshida!?" Shiho frantically breathed out. "What are you-!?" her breath hitched when he felt his hand trace her thigh.

Okay, that last part is actually a little creepy. Not much happened in this chapter. So, I guess you could call it a setup chapter. While I must be confident in how I did this chapter, I feel it wasn't my best one since it's pretty much canon stuff we've seen before.

If you have noticed the tags for the story now, I decided the pairing to be HiroxMakoto. I kinda like how I'm doing their relationship so far. I'll admit, sometimes Makoto is a little tough to come up with dialogue for since I don't want to make her OOC. For right now, I want her to be suspecting of Hiro. Trying to figure out what's going on with him, Ren, and Ryuji. But, we know she doesn't get involved with investigating the Phantom Thieves before the Madarame arc.

I'm going to put a poll up on my profile to figure out if Hiro should be paired with two girls instead of one. So it would probably turn into HiroxMakotox?. But, I'm completely fine with just keeping between Hiro and Makoto. But even so, depending on how things go, there are going to be those alternate chapters with HiroxOther girl. I'll make it it's own separate story Not sure if they'll be in between the story or after the story. We'll see ;)

Reviews...

ShadowUzumaki55: I do find the idea of Hiro paired with Hifumi really interesting. Hifumi is one of my favorite girls outside the Phantom Thieves next to Takemi. Well, be sure to vote in the poll for the pairing options.

Walter Hitchcock: Thanks for saying that. Oddly enough, I do like to imagine Hiro in the game sometimes. No, I will not be adding the new characters from P5 Royal in this story since we don't really know much about them from little we've seen. I think when the game becomes available in the West I may try to implement the new elements from the Royal to this story.

Grimraven.V: Well, depending on how that poll I make goes, this story could turn into HiroxMakotoxHaru.

ReallyLazyReader: I've never seen the Fate series, I might watch it at some point. I have actually never played the PQ games, but I've seen a lot of gameplay of them since they look interesting.

I've actually never thought about how Hiro would interact with the past Persona teams. He might connect with Yu a little since they both have family members who are police detectives and a younger sibling who they take care of at home. Well, since Hiro's considered a 'dog', I see him possibly having a unison raid with Koromaru. I think that would be pretty cool.

GreenD109: As I mentioned, I'm fine either way with what people decide in the poll. Well, Ren is the Wild Card, so yes. He will be using multiple Persona's. And similar to Yu Narukami from Persona 4 The Animation, Ren will continue to use Arsene who I want to just be pretty much OP similar to Izanagi from P4TA.

Raidentensho: Hercules as Hiro's ultimate Persona, huh? Hercules definitely matches with the Strength Arcana. Since he's one of the strongest gods from Greek Mythology and a hero. I'm not confirming anything yet, but Hercules would be a cool ultimate Persona for Hiro.

Joker2000: Thank you. Glad you like it.

Persona 5 Royal news! Why? Because Persona, that's why!

We finally got Kasumi Yoshizawa's Persona. It is called Cendrillon and it's based on Cinderella, from the folk tale. Her Arcana is called 'The Faith'. That's a new one. That's cool since now people can go ahead and keep whether they gave their OC the Aeon or the Jester Arcana. Lastly, her English VA is Laura Post.

Up next, Takuto Maruki who we know the Arcana for is voiced by Billy Kametz. That's awesome since Hiro is voiced by Zach Aguilar who also voices Koichi Hirose from Diamond is Unbreakable. If Hiro and Takuto are talking it'll just be Koichi and Josuke Higashikata having a conversation.

Since we're on the topic of voice actors, let me show you what I have for VA's for my OC's. Because I keep forgetting to do it! Right now it's only Hiro and his family.

Yasuhiro Nakamura:

Zack Aguilar(English VA)

Kensho Ono(Japanese VA)

Hamuko Nakamura:

Christine Marie Cabanos(English VA)

Ayane Sakura(Japanese VA)

Akitoshi Nakamura:

Jason Douglas(English VA)

Hiroshi Yanaka(Japanese VA)

They're just my picks. They might change at some point, just for warning. That's all for now and be sure to check out that poll when you can.

I'll see you guys next time!

Later!