This story is a work of fiction.

Any similarities to people, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

…the world is not as it should be.
"Ruin" has begun to encroach and will soon bring calamity.
Yet, there are those who would oppose such "ruin" in desire for change.
Since time immemorial, they were known as…
"Tricksters."

Persona 5: With the Stars and Us

Chapter 2:
Shujin Academy

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear young man," the strange old man sitting at the desk greeted Ren. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance. It has been years since we have had a guest." He gestured to the young girl by his side. "This is Lavenza. She is a resident of this place, like myself."

Lavenza bowed. "I am Lavenza. I am pleased to meet you, Trickster."

Trickster?

It sounded like a title, but why did she refer to him by it? No, that wasn't the important question on his mind. The better question was, "What is this place?"

"It is a place that exists between dreams and reality, mind and matter." Igor explained. "It is a room that only those who have, in one way or another, formed a contract may enter. It would appear that such a fate awaits you in the near future."

"Contract?" What did that mean? He tried to search his memories, but couldn't recall every signing anything. No, nevermind that. There was something more important to consider. "How am I here? I could have sworn I was…"

"Fear not, you are fast asleep in the real world. I have summoned you within your dreams." Igor paused as he began to examine the prison block as though he was looking at it for the first time. "Still, to think that it would become a prison… It would seem you have been dealt an unfortunate fate."

Ren frowned. What was that supposed to mean? He looked at the two for an explanation and found Lavenza looking at him sadly. "The form the Velvet Room takes reflects the state of its guest's heart. As such, it has taken the form of a prison. And you are its prisoner."

"Reflects the state of my heart?"

Well, wasn't this oddly fitting? Even so…

"Why was I called here?"

"I brought you here to speak of important matters," Igor told him seriously. "Matters that involve both your life, and your future."

Ren was sure that this was a dream, but he could not deny how odd it was nor how real it appeared. He should have been in more of a panic in this situation, but he was oddly calm. That said, he could not help but feel uneasy.

"Important matters?"

Igor nodded, "I speak of the impending ruin that rapidly approaches. The end to everything. But worry not, there is a means by which you may resist it. That is to say, you must break free from the shackles that bind you. You must be rehabilitated in order to fight back against the distortions that you will encounter."

Ren frowned heavily. "I…don't understand."

"It may take some time to fully comprehend." The peaceful atmosphere was abruptly shattered as a warning bell shrieked began to sound off. "It would appear that our time grows short." Igor said.

"What?"

He was confused. What did the bell mean? He still had so many questions! He attempted to question the odd pair, but his body suddenly felt as though it weighed cinderblocks. His eyelids grew heavy, barely able to keep them open. He could not even hear his own thoughts anymore.

The last thing Ren heard before he faded into unconsciousness was Lavenza's farewell.

"Until we meet again…"

TakeYourTime

The shroud of sleep and exhaustion faded from his mind as Ren began to stir from his slumber. His eyes opened and found not a blue ceiling or inside of a prison cell, but instead plain white walls and a tiny bedroom.

"…just a dream, then." Ren murmured tiredly as he rubbed his eyes and pulled himself up from his bed. He looked at his phone to check the time and blinked. "I was asleep the whole day?!"

He must have been more tired than he initially thought. He sighed and scratched the back of his head as he pulled himself out of bed. The cardboard boxes containing his belongings remained untouched as if mocking him. Sunlight was peaking out through the windows and curtains. When he checked his phone earlier, it told him it was very early in the morning. He would have little time to unpack now, as Sae's sister would arrive anytime now.

He could only hope she wasn't as terrifying or as cold as her older sister.

TakeYourTime

After taking a quick shower and changing into more comfortable clothes, Ren waited patiently for Sae's sister to arrive. Using this free time, he began looking up information about Shujin Academy as it would be his new school for the remainder of the year. It was best to be prepared to know what he could expect from it instead of just going in blindly.

Shujin Academy was well-known in the Metropolitan Area for both its emphasis on sports and academic education; a feat not so easily achieved given the difficulty of producing such incredible individuals. In more recent years, Shujin began to garner acclaim due to the coaching techniques of former Olympic champion Suguru Kamoshida, who taught physical education and was the coach of the Volleyball Team. He graduated from Shujin Academy as an alumnus and returned as a teacher, producing incredible results with the Volleyball Team and taking them to the nationals three years in a row. Since then, the school began to receive countless awards and many trophies, though it seemed that they began placing a greater emphasis on sports than education.

Ren doubted he would ever get involved with sports, much less any actual club activities given his record. He was confused as to why a school such as Shujin would even welcome him in its hall. Surely, the staff must've been made aware of his criminal record.

As he pondered, his doorbell rang. Ren pocketed his phone into his pocket and stood up, making his way towards the entrance. He peered through the peephole and found a girl his age standing out in front, wearing a blue coat over a black turtleneck with black pants and calve-high boots. Her brown hair was chin-length, eyes reddish-brown and skin flawless.

I'm guessing this is Niijima-san's little sister, Ren thought to himself as he undid the chain on his apartment door. He opened it to reveal himself to the girl.

"Hello," the girl greeted politely, hands at her waist and head bowed. The polite action caught Ren off-guard. "I'm Makoto, Sae Niijima's younger sister. You're Amamiya-san, right?"

Ren stared at her for a moment before he nodded. "That's right."

"Wonderful. I'm supposed to show you to Shujin Academy so we can finish your transfer papers." Makoto told him. "It shouldn't take very long. Are you ready to go?"

TakeYourTime

The journey to Shujin Academy was a learning experience in of itself, namely because they had to get there by foot. The apartment was located in Sakazuka and Shujin Academy was in Aoyama-Itchome, next door to Shibuya. The two went from station to station, hopping from one train to the next on their way to the Shibuya Train Terminal. Along the way, Ren did his best to remain courteous and docile around Makoto and taking Sae's warnings to heart. He really did not want to know what she would do to him if he did anything she thought was unseemly.

On the brighter side, Makoto was at least friendly, if not somewhat wary. He didn't blame her, seeing as how her older sister was his probation officer and he was living right next door. Chances were that Sae warned her not to get too close to him, maybe out of fear that something would happen to her. Family was important. That said, she did her best to be civil with him and asked him for opinions and thoughts about what he intended to do when he began his new school life.

Ren didn't know how to answer that, namely because he wasn't sure what he could do. Transferring schools was never as easy as people made it out to be, especially when you had to leave old friends behind and adjust to a new environment. In his case, it was a lot worse. The teachers were well aware of his record and would no doubt see him as a problematic student, meaning they'd be especially harsh or critical towards him. Not helping was that Shujin took its studies very seriously, only adding further to the pressure.

He really didn't want to know what school life would also be like if the students ever discovered his record as well.

This really is troublesome, Ren thought bitterly. What am I supposed to do in a situation like this…?

[We are arriving at Shibuya Station. I repeat, we are now arriving at Shibuya Station.]

"This is our stop," Makoto said. "We'll have to move to the Aoyoma-Itchome line after this in the Underground Walkway. How are you feeling, by the way? We've been at this for maybe half an hour, so…"

Ren dismissed her concerns. "I'm fine."

Besides, compared to the third degree he got back home, a little foot pain was something he could deal with any day.

The train reached its stop and came to a grating halt. Once it stopped and the doors opened, Makoto and Ren disembarked. Stepping into the Shibuya train terminal, Ren saw for himself just how congested the city actually was. The amount of people coming and going, passing the two of them by in either a hurry to reach the next train or to go to their job was staggering. In all his time in the countryside, he had never seen such large numbers. The wonder faded when Ren and Makoto began to make their way up to ground level, occasionally bumping into others or rudely shoved aside by those in a hurry. It happened so quickly that Ren could neither call them out nor apologize for bumping into them by accident. He felt like the massive number of people alone was crushing him.

This was what he would have to grow accustomed to for the next year?

"Why is everyone so busy?" Ren grumbled.

Makoto smiled wryly. "It is a Sunday," she pointed out to him. "Everyone's rushing to their job or trying to get back home. Believe me, it'll be worse on Mondays."

"Greaaat…"

Ren shook his head ruefully. The two walked up the large flight of stairs and back out into the open air of Shibuya, where Ren was greeted with the staggering sight of towering buildings surrounding him everywhere he looked and large crowds moving together like herds. The scene was familiar, having seen it many times on television and shows. No sight was more familiar to anyone living in Japan than the Shibuya crosswalk or the 705 building that loomed over it in the distance.

He must have gone stock still, gazing in amazement at his first real look at Shibuya, hearing Makoto giggle in amusement. "I take it this is your first time in Shibuya?" Ren nodded dumbly. "It really is impressive, isn't it? All these people in one place, and almost always you'll see different faces when you blink. I've lived in Tokyo all my life, and I still haven't gotten used to it all yet. Anyway, the Underground Walkway is this way. Not much farther to Aoyama-Itchome now."

Makoto proceeded ahead of him and headed towards the large opening descending into the ground. Ren began to hurry after her, but stopped when he felt something odd. It was like a pinprick, a tiny sting on the back of his neck that lit his body on fire. The sensation was not unpleasant, but rather invigorating. But it was not the sensation in his body that caused him to stop.

It was the fact that almost everyone around him had suddenly ceased to move, as if frozen in place.

The birds in the air, almost impossible to see thanks to the sun's brightness, had not moved an inch with their wings outstretched as though caught mid-flight. The crowd around him did mot move nor react, expressions frozen. A man on his phone caught his shoe on something on the ground and looked ready to tumble and fall flat on his face. A pair of school girls in blue blazers were chatting among themselves with their mouths open. Even Makoto made no movements, locked in place like some kind of statue.

The only person capable of movement was Ren himself. He blinked and stared at the frozen crowd, unsure of what was happening.

What is this…?

An eerie silence fell upon him, only to be shortly shattered by the sound of an eerie chuckle that brought shivers down his spine. He turned around and saw a pile of blue flames burning right behind him. It clearly wasn't made with ordinary means, but he could not understand how such a thing was possible. Especially not in circumstances such as this. He should be panicking in such an alien situation as this, yet Ren could only stare at the pile of flames as it grew larger, expanding and forming into a faint shape. It almost looked as though it was forming into a man with wings.

As he stared at it more closely, he saw it. Within the flames, there was someone staring back at him. A face he knew oh-so-well, but bearing a feral grin with cold yellow eyes.

"W-what in the…?!"

Suddenly, the flames dispersed. The eerie atmosphere broke apart and time seemed to resume. The man talking on his phone fell on his face, swearing curses left and right while clutching his now bruised nose. The birds moved on and further up into the air in search of their next resting place. The school girls moved on as they happily chatted away about something.

Dazed and confused by what just happened, nor able to think about how it was even remotely possible, Ren heard Makoto call out to him. "Amamiya-san? Are you alright?"

"I…" Ren swallowed as he shook his head. Clearly, he was more tired than he initially thought. First that bizarre dream about the old man in the prison block and now this? Was this because of his stress? "I'm fine."

Yet even as he entered the Shibuya Underground Walkway, he could not rid himself of his doppelganger's face, nor the flaming red eyes and wicked grin that burned alongside the pile of flames.

TakeYourTime

By the time Ren and Makoto arrived at Shujin Academy, it was early in the afternoon. His first impressions?

He wasn't going to like it here.

At first glance, Shujin Academy seemed rather intimidating. Up close, it looked far too much like a prison. Sure, on the surface it looked like every other high school in Japan, but the metal fence that encircled the campus made him feel as though the students were being imprisoned. It also really didn't help the fact that Shujin's own name meant inmate.

Ren did not have much time to explore the school and stuck close by Makoto as they made their way to the principal's office. His meeting with Principal Kobayakawa was equally as unfavorable due to the man's nasty glare.

Kobayakawa was extremely overweight, so much so that Ren was certain that the buttons on his shirt and coat were straining to contain all those pounds of flesh. Body fat hanged over the collar of his shirt and his stomach was obscuring his belt. His chair looked two sizes to small.

Next to Kobayakawa was a woman who looked as though she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks. Her hair was disheveled, her orange-striped shirt wrinkled and dark rings sat underneath her eyes. Her skin was slightly pale as well.

"Amamiya, Ren, I presume?" Kobayakawa asked after Makoto ushered Ren inside, following close behind him. He nodded, wisely choosing to keep quiet until this was all over. The faculty already had a bad opinion of him already, there wasn't any need to make it worse. "I am Kobayakawa. Principal of Shujin Academy. I assume you're here to fill out the rest of your student enrollment forms?"

"Yes, sir."

Kobayakawa nodded. He pushed a clipboard with documents and paperwork attached in front of him. "These are the papers you will need to fill out. After that, I will need you to sign another form. These are just the formality." The paperwork was easy to fill out, seeing as how it just asked basic information like his family information, phone number, health information, etc. Once he was finished with that, Kobayakawa handed him another form.

Once he was finished writing down all his information, Ren set the pen down and handed the form back to Kobayakawa along with the clipboard. The principal examined the papers thoroughly before he nodded in satisfaction. "Everything appears to be in order. Starting tomorrow, you will begin your school life here at Shujin Academy."

The pudgy man narrowed his eyes. "However, if you cause any sort of mischief during your time here with us, I will not hesitate to expel you. You may have done a variety of things in hiding back in your hometown, but you will behave yourself here. Cause any trouble for us whatsoever and I will not hesitate to throw you back where you came from. Am I clear about this, Amamiya?"

Ren bit the inside of his cheek to prevent anger and indignation from appearing on his face. His hands balled into tight fists and dug his nails into the skin of his palms. "Crystal, sir."

"Good." Kobayakawa grunted before he turned to the woman next to him. "This is Sadayo Kawakami, your homeroom teacher in Class 2-D."

The tired woman nodded. "Here is your student ID and handbook. If you lose these, you'll have to pay for a replacement." She set down the aforementioned items on the desk. Ren took them and shoved them in his pocket but stopped when he noticed a pink slip of paper on the ground.

…?

Kawakami looked at him in confusion and followed his gaze before a look of panic flashed on her features, quickly bending down and snatching the paper, hastily shoving it into her pocket. "Ahem!" she cleared her throat. "I-if you get yourself involved in any kind of trouble, I won't be able to help you out at all. Something to keep in mind, understand?"

Sheesh, even her?

Ren was starting to get frustrated. These people were beginning to sound like a broken record, repeating the same damned thing over and over again. He already knew what would happen if he got into trouble, no need to beat his head over it.

"That is what you said, isn't that right Kobayakawa-san?"

The principal nodded. "He is responsible for his own actions."

"Even so, wouldn't a male teacher be more suited for this? Why my class?"

"Yours was the only room available, I told you before…"

Makoto cleared her throat, catching the two's attention. "If that will be all, Principal Kobayakawa, I'd like it if myself and Amamiya-san could return home. Assuming there's nothing more for him to fill out."

"No, that will be all." Kobayakawa told her. "That said, Niijima-san, I'd like for you to keep an eye on him. I am aware you are already swamped with work on the Student Council and studying for your entrance exams, but try to keep him out of trouble."

"…I will do my best, sir."

"Good! The both of you can go."

Ren internally sighed in relief, having never wished to leave a room as insufferable as that in a long time. The two left the office and made their way to the front entrance, though he noticed that Makoto seemed perplexed.

"…is something the matter, Niijima-san?"

"Something the matter?" Makoto stared at him. "Aren't you the least bit angry, Amamiya-san? I mean, even if you do have a record, that was still no reason for Kobayakawa-san or Kawakami-sensei to be so rude! They even talked about you like you were an inconvenience for them."

While Makoto's anger at their blatant dismissal was touching, Ren was fully expecting something like this to happen. His could only hope that the students never discovered his record. Chances were that, if they had, his attempts at living a normal school life would just end up crashing and burning. The odds of him making any friends would be substantially low. Well, not that he was he was going to be looking for friends. His priority right now was to fulfill what Sae demanded of him; keep his head down and out of trouble, live a high school life to the best of his ability, and complete his probation.

Still, the frizzy-haired teen was happy to hear Makoto be so angry on his behalf. Even if she was wary of him, it didn't seem as though she was going to go out of her way to avoid him like the plague.

"…it's fine, Niijima-san," Ren told her. She looked at him incredulously. "It doesn't bother me."

"Are you sure about that?" Makoto asked skeptically. Ren merely shrugged in response, making her sigh. "I see… At any rate, let's return home. Sis mentioned that she wanted to give you something before you start school tomorrow."

"Okay."

As they left Shujin Academy behind, Ren couldn't help but feel as though someone was staring at him…

TakeYourTime

Kawakami groaned in frustration as she sat out on the beck in the courtyard. "Out of all the people to get stuck with him, why me?"

She knew it wasn't right to speak ill of a student like that, especially one she knew very little about, but even if he wasn't some kid with a criminal record, Kawakami still felt that this whole situation was unfair. She had balanced her job with her school life as best she could, taking into account the curriculum and study materials to the best of her ability so she wouldn't overwork herself, yet even that wasn't enough to keep her from burning out.

Just when she finally got things settled back into working order and was looking forward to a decent night's sleep for once, the principal just walked up to her and told her that she was in charge of looking after the new transfer student, who just so happened to have a criminal record.

Honestly, what was Kobayakawa thinking? While Shujin had a spectacular reputation, churning out brilliant minds and incredible sportsmen, there was no reason to bring in someone like that! Also, that whole spiel of her class being the only one that had a vacancy? A bullshit lie if she ever saw one! Just last week, she overheard Ushimaru tell that harpy Chouno that someone from his class had dropped out of school for some unexplained reason. And if anyone was better suited to looking after a possible problematic child, who better than that old war hawk?

It wasn't fair! Why was she of all people saddled with this crap? Did Kobayakawa think she wasn't working hard enough or something?! Or was it because she was the "new girl" even though she had already been working here for a year?!

Realizing where her thoughts were heading, Kawakami let out another miserable groan and took a massive gulp of her TaP.

"Wow, I haven't seen you chug down a drink that fast since the last teacher's meeting!" a jovial voice called out to her. Finishing her soda, Kawakami saw a tall burly man approaching, wearing a plain t-shirt with sweats and a coach's whistle around his neck with a curly mess of hair atop his head. "Not to mention stressed out. What's the matter, Kawakami-sensei? Troubles in paradise?"

She scoffed. "If only. The transfer student stopped by to fill out the rest of his enrollment papers, and the principal told me at the last minute that he'll be in my class."

"You mean, that transfer student?" the man asked. Kawakami nodded. "I saw him walking with the Student Council President. I gotta say, I'm surprised a kid that normal has a record." He sighed as he shook his head, hands on hips. "Still, what in the world is Kobayakawa thinking, letting somebody like that in our school?"

"Supposedly, it's to help bolster Shujin's reputation." Kawakami scoffed. "As if it doesn't need more publicity, what with the Volleyball team's rise to stardom."

"True enough," the man chuckled. "Still, if he does cause trouble, I'll handle it myself. By the way, Kawakami-sensei, are you free this evening? Inui-sensei and I were thinking of hitting up that jazz club in Kichijoji."

"No thanks, I'll pass. Thank you for the offer, Kamoshida-sensei." Kawakami politely declined him.

Suguru Kamoshida seemed a bit disappointed, but didn't seem too bothered and shrugged. He bid her farewell and turned back towards the gymnasium, no doubt to get back to running his club ragged. As Kawakami watched him leave, she couldn't help but remember some of the things she heard the students whisper about whenever she happened to walk on by.

Granted, Kawakami didn't much about the P.E teacher aside from the fact that he graduated from Shujin Academy years ago and won Japan a gold medal from the Olympics, but she noticed how odd some of the students seemed to be around him, namely those from the Volleyball team. The majority of the student body considered him their favorite teacher and looked up to him and the female students… Well, the less said the better. The students in the Volleyball Team, on the other hand, treated Kamoshida with fear. Especially some of the female students who visibly recoiled whenever he approached.

It was very odd, but she just assumed it was because of how much he pushed the Volleyball Team to succeed. That said, Kawakami really couldn't agree with his teaching methods. Poor Mishima kept coming to class with his face sporting more bruises than a boxer, and some of those bruises definitely didn't come from being smacked in the face with a volleyball one too many times.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid…

Tossing her empty can of soda into the recycling bin, Kawakami walked back to the faculty office to prepare for tomorrow's class. Even if she didn't like how Kobayakawa dumped Ren Amamiya on her, she wasn't about to slack off on her duties as a teacher.

TakeYourTime

"…it's too cramped."

"I know…"

Ren and Makoto found themselves being smothered and pushed and shoved around until they were forced up against the walls of the train car, the air running afoul with body odor, cologne and heavy amounts of body spray. The mixture of smells made Ren want to gag. Makoto wasn't fairing much better as she constantly had to keep checking to see if anyone was getting too "touchy" for their own good.

Had the two learned rush hour was in full effect beforehand, they would have waited for the next train to arrive. To be fair to the both of them, though, they were tired and just wanted to return home for the day.

"We'll have to wait for the next train when we get off after this." Makoto winced as the train lurched slightly, causing a few of the passengers to press up against her and force her further into the metal wall behind her. "Urgh, there really are too many people in here. Now I see why Sis prefers driving even if it means using so much gas."

Ren nodded silently in agreement. He would much rather prefer being stuck in a traffic jam over this.

While they waited for the train to arrive at their destination, an awkward silence began to settle in among the chatters and gossip of the passengers around them. It wasn't that Ren didn't know what to say to Makoto or what would be a good topic to talk about, it was that he really had no idea what he could say. He was still adjusting to the current state of affairs, still so lost and confused that he really had no idea where to go from here.

"…so, Amamiya-kun," Makoto initiated a conversation rather awkwardly, clearly unsure of what to talk about herself and spoke what it was on her mind. "What do you think of Shujin? Do you think you'll be able to handle it?"

"We'll see," he answered.

Suddenly the train shook and began to lean to the right, startling the passengers. A train had zoomed past them, running at speeds that most definitely were not safe in the least. At first it seemed as if the train would fall on its side and bounce off the tracks, but it thankfully returned to its original position. The crowd of passengers inside immediately began to demand answers or release baited breaths of relief, afraid that their lives would be in danger.

For his part, Ren was mostly unharmed, though no less uncomfortable as when the train lurched he had nearly been swept off his feet and pulled into the sea of people. He managed to stay rooted by clinging to one of the poles inside the car. On the other hand, the position he was in was slightly awkward.

"Um…"

Namely, because Makoto Niijima, the younger sister of his probation officer, was pressed up against him.

Any other time, any other hot-blooded male would have been ecstatic to have such a beautiful girl against them. But for Ren Amamiya, he was more deathly terrified and praying to god that Sae Niijima didn't discover this, lest he find himself meeting with the reaper. Hastily, he released his hold on Makoto and allowed her to step away. Neither could look one another in the eye, too embarrassed by what just happened.

"S-sorry," Ren apologized immediately.

"No, no, it's fine." Makoto assured, though no less embarrassed.

TakeYourTime

Not long after they disembarked and returned to Shibuya Station, Makoto's phone began to ring and answered. "Hello, Sis?" Makoto blinked in surprise at the sudden phone call. She could have sworn Sae was still at work. "Is something the matter? …Wait, what? N-no, we're fine. We weren't caught up in it. But, that actually happened? …I see. Okay. Yes, we'll be careful."

"Was that your sister?" Ren asked as Makoto ended the call.

The brunette nodded. "Yes, that was Sis. Remember that train that sped right past us? Turns out it went out of control. The conductor sped up and didn't slow down at all. It crashed straight into a train station. There's no word on the casualties yet, but she was worried we might have gotten caught up in it."

At the thought of being caught up in such a horrific accident, much less the people who were inside that train when it crashed, Ren's face lost color.

"I wonder if it was another psychotic breakdown incident…" Makoto murmured to herself. When she noticed Ren looking curiously at her, she began to explain, "Lately, there've been cases where people suddenly go crazy without any explanation. Some cases are relatively mild, like public misconduct or vandalism, but some other cases were serious. Murders, robbery, assault, public defamation; the list goes on."

"I see…"

"Anyway, we should hurry back. I don't want to be out for too long."

TakeYourTime

"This is less of an accident, and more of an oversight by the company and the government."

Sae watched the news report with her superior, Hikamatsu Arisawa. It was honestly remarkable how quickly the news stations were in covering the incident almost as soon as it happened. Part of her wondered if they were just waiting for something like this to happen or had nothing better to do with their lives.

It was the same as all the other incidents before it. The train conductor suddenly began to speed the train up sometime after it departed from the Ginza Line before smashing straight into the station at Kichijoji. There was still no word about the number of people dead or wounded, but the police quickly apprehended the man and wasted no time in interrogating him. There was still no word about the results, only that the man seemed to have lost consciousness in spite of eye witness claims.

In honesty, Sae was more concerned about the fact that Makoto had damn near died because of the incident. When news reached her, she had a panic attack and wasted no time in calling to see if she was safe. To her relief, her little sister was safe and sound.

Had I known this would have happened, I would have taken Amamiya to Shujin myself…

What a headache…

"Site inspectors reported about this months ago, but they just overlooked it." Arisawa continued, eyes glued to the screen. "The tracks and the ATC deteriorated, but both the Ministry of Transport and the railway company turned a blind eye from it. There's no way this will be covered up. It's going to go all the way to the top. I expect we'll be quite busy."

"Seems like it," Sae said in agreement.

Arisawa looked at her. "You think there's a connection to this and the previous incidents?"

"It's just a hypothesis right now, sir, nothing more. There's no actual concrete proof, even if this has similarities with the other incidents," she replied with a shrug. "At any rate, sir, I have another appointment to attend to. May I be excused?"

"Of course, Niijima. I imagine you must be worried about your younger sibling. Anyone would if they learned they almost got caught up in that tragedy," Arisawa smiled kindly at her. "You're free to go. Oh, but before you leave, I overheard you recently took in a young man on probation. While I do admire your dedication, try not to overwork yourself. Between these cases and your usual workload, I feel like you're trying to run yourself ragged."

"I'll be fine, sir. This isn't anything I can't handle." She bowed her head in respect to her boss, then left the room behind her. Sae sighed when she began walking away while rubbing her temples. "As if I don't already know that…"

Her co-workers were surprised to learn that she chose to take on such a troublesome job, but it wasn't as though she had much of a choice. Ideally, it would have been better if Ren never came under her care since she had her hands full with her job and looking after Makoto. Hell, the original plan was that his parents were going to pawn him off to someone working at a café before she came into the picture.

It started about two weeks or so before Ren's fate in the courtroom was sealed when she received a phone call from his father regarding his situation. Sae recalled meeting Amamiya-san at least twice in her life; once when she was a child when her father was still alive and the last time when she graduated from law school. She barely knew anything about him, save that he and her father were old friends.

The conversation on the phone started out as a plea for help, hoping she could perhaps find a way to help his son. To his dismay, even she could offer little help in that regard. Once glance at the case told her that Ren was screwed from the get-go. Whoever that man was, he more than made good on his promise to sue him. He wanted to utterly destroy that poor boy.

When it became clear to Amamiya-san that there was no way Ren could get out of court a free man, he surprised her by asking her to become his probation officer. The idea was as ludicrous as it was outlandish. After all, whoever heard of a Public Prosecutor becoming a Probation Officer?! Even so, as much as she hated to do it, she accepted the position. Not because she felt pity for him, but because of the friendship her father had with Amamiya-san.

Were it not for that, Sae would have gladly allowed that café owner Amamiya-san mentioned take him on. At least then she would only have to worry about Makoto completing her college entrance exams and getting into a good university.

At any rate, it was useless to think about Ren or his situation any further. She instead put her focus towards her case. She was thankful that Arisawa allowed her the free time to pursue it, since she didn't have much to go on or have any real resources to build an actual case or investigation. She was playing this whole thing by ear, though perhaps part of the reason he was willing to entertain her was partially because of who she asked to help her in the investigation.

Arriving at the main entrance, Sae noticed her colleague and partner in the ongoing investigation fiddling with his phone. He was very young, the same age as Makoto and Ren in fact with a face that made idiotic high school girls swoon, his brown hair a mess and his eyes reddish-brown, dressed in a brown coat with black dress pants and gloves, a silver briefcase with an "A" branded on the front sitting right next to his foot.

"Did you wait long?" Sae asked as she approached.

The young man smiled as he shoved the phone into his pants pocket. "Not really. I take it you need me again? Is it for another case?"

"Not quite. I need your opinion on something."

"I see. Though your judgment is usually correct," the young man nodded. "Any chance we could discuss this over sushi? You are making a student work late, after all."

Sae rolled her eyes. When would he learn? "Conveyer belt only." She didn't even need to turn around to see the pout on his face. As amusing as his attempts to court her were, romance was hardly on her mind right now, much less the interest of dating someone so problematic.

While she respected his skills and deductive abilities, capabilities well beyond what a teenager should be capable of, she was irritated by his otherwise smug attitude and constant flocking for attention. She couldn't remember how many times she saw him on TV, be it for new specials or interviews and the like.

Still, he was useful. And she needed all the help she could get.

There was a reason by Goro Akechi was called the Second Detective Prince, after all.

TakeYourTime

Ren plopped down on his bed, relishing the way he sank into the mattress and the way it seemed to suck away all of his fatigue. By the time he and Makoto Niijima returned, the sky had turned dark and the street lamps were beginning to flicker on. The day was coming to an end, and come tomorrow morning, his new school life would be waiting for him.

I'm so tired…

The trip was utterly exhausting, and there wasn't even that much walking involved. Just train hopping. Maybe it was just because he hadn't become used to city life yet. It was going to be a while before he would grow accustomed to seeing such large crowds, much less being smothered by them every time he took the train.

Tomorrow was going to be utterly chaotic as well. The news was covering the train accident that occurred after Makoto and he left Shujin and Aoyama-Itchome behind on their return home. As a result of the accident, train routes and schedules were being reworked, and it was going to be a long time before things got back into working order. There was even a huge scandal going on regarding the train tracks and the railroad company responsible regarding the deterioration of the ATC and railway tracks that went ignored and unmaintained.

Regardless, getting to Shujin was going to be difficult enough already just by trying to find a new route.

"Still, better safe than sorry…" Ren muttered and took out his phone to look up the quickest train route to Aoyama-Itchome, hoping it would be useful to him and his guide, only to pause when he saw something that was not on his phone previously. "What the…?"

At the bottom of his application list was an icon he had never seen before. It was a red square with an eye, a star-shaped pupil inside of the eyeball.

"When did I install this?"

Ren clicked on the icon and dragged it down to the trash bin to delete it. Last thing he needed was malicious software infecting his phone and screwing it all up, or worse some hacker group taking his private information. After he finished looking up new train routes, he felt his body grow increasingly heavy and decided it was time to turn it for the night. Only as he changed into his nightclothes, he forgot something important.

"…I still haven't unpacked."

TakeYourTime

April 11th, 2016. The start of the new school year and the beginning of Ren Amamiya's new life at Shujin Academy.

After he finished cleaning himself up, taking a morning shower and drying himself off, he stared at his uniform and couldn't help but wonder if he should dress more formally. The jacket was left unbuttoned and open, revealing his button-up shirt and tie. It was better if he could blend in and assume the look of a studious, if not dorky-looking high-school student since almost nobody would suspect someone so unassuming to be a troublemaker, but there was always that one-in-a-million chance.

Not that he much time to decide to change or not, though. He spent enough time getting ready and could not afford to waste anymore precious time. He needed to get to Shujin, be it early or on time. He wanted to at least prove to the teachers that he was serious about his education.

Ren gave one last look at his uniform before he shut the bathroom door behind him, grabbing his glasses and slipping them on. When he opened the door, Makoto Niijima stood outside waiting for him along with her older sister, the former wearing a patterned skirt with tights and a black halter vest and black turtleneck.

"There you are," Makoto smiled wryly. "Ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Ren answered.

Sae grunted. "Well, at least you're serious about your education. Remember, cause any trouble for Makoto or the teachers, or there will be problems. Understand?" Internally raging at once again being reminded about his situation, Ren nodded. "Alright, I'll leave the two of you be. Off you go."

"Will you be home late again, Sis?" Makoto asked curiously.

Sae shrugged. "That honestly depends on my work. If I'm not back around nine, don't bother waiting for me. Oh, and you remembered your umbrella, right? They said it was going to start raining sometime this morning."

"Got it right here," she patted her school bag. Satisfied, Sae left, though not before shooting Ren another warning glare. Makoto then turned back to Ren, "Alright, let's get going."

TakeYourTime

Compared to the tedious journey from before, the new train routes they took to reach Shujin Academy were much faster, if perhaps a little longer. As Sae had said before she left, a heavy downpour began to pelt down upon them when they exited the Aoyama-Itchome train station. Ren cursed at his own short-sightedness, debating whether to just dash through the rain and hoped he wouldn't get sick or wait until it died down. Thankfully for him, Makoto was kind enough to offer her umbrella.

It was rather awkward, sharing an umbrella with her. He did not forget what happened on the train the other day and couldn't look Makoto in the eye. To his dismay, he even received odd looks from the other students that were walking alongside them on their way to the school. Perhaps taking his chances and running in the rain would have been better.

Soon enough, Makoto and Ren arrived at the gates of Shujin Academy. Maybe it was because of the downpour and the influx of people entering the building, but Ren's impression of how it looked like a prison grew. At the front gate was a teacher, a mean old-looking man with wrinkles and graying hair, eyes narrowed underneath his glasses.

"Hurry on up to your classes! Do you want to be late on the first day?!" the teacher barked harshly, voice hoarse. Unwilling to incite his irritation any further, the students he targeted hurried their pace. He scoffed and returned his attention to the gathering students, stopping when he noticed the pair. "Niijima-kun, good to see you again this year. Looking forward to your last year here with us?"

"More or less, Ushimaru-sensei."

"Well, don't slack off. Even if you are the Student Council President, you're not going to earn any brownie points just because you're at least better at studying than most of these kids." He set his sights on Ren. The latter shifted on his feet awkwardly, noting how the man's face seemed to grow more irate. "And you must be the new transfer student. Amamiya-kun, was it? You're in Kawakami-sensei's class on the second floor. Room 2-D. Go see her at the faculty office."

"Yes, sensei."

Makoto turned to face Ren. "I'll show you around Shujin during the break period. For what it's worth, welcome to Shujin Academy, Amamiya-san!" Flashing him one more sincere smile, Makoto fled into the school.

"A piece of advice, Amamiya." Ushimaru continued before Ren could go in after her. "Honestly, I couldn't give a damn about your past. Keep up your studies and you'll be fine. Slack off, however…"

Murderous intent rolled off of the old man's form, crashing down upon the frizzy-haired teen like a tidal wave. He gulped and nodded strongly, taking the advice (read:warning) to heart and hurriedly fled into Shujin Academy in search of the Faculty Office. As he did, he heard Ushimaru rage at yet another student.

"Sakamoto, what have I told you?! Get rid of your dye, or so help me…!"

"Yeah yeah, I heard ya the first time, Ushimaru!"

…

"Do you remember the subway accident that occurred the day before you began your school life?" Sae asked, bringing Ren out from his recollections. "Over eighty people were caught up in that horrible accident. Ten died on impact, six suffered from fatal injuries, thirty hospitalized and the rest miraculously escaped without any serious injuries. Even now, some of those people are still in the hospital. One of the many psychotic breakdown incidents that plagued Japan within the last year. They say the suspects involved in those cases underwent a sudden change in personality. Uncharacteristically violent and aggressive, short-term memory loss… It was almost as though they experienced a change of heart."

Ren winced when those words left her lips, spilling out with distaste. Somehow, he felt they were aimed at him.

"I have no doubt you've heard about them. After all, one of the victims was a teacher from your own school." Sae opened the folder sitting on the table, revealing several documents containing information regarding the Phantom Thieves case. She took out two items from the folder before closing it shut.

One was a photograph, showing a man with curly black hair wearing an Olympic gold medal around his neck. The other was a bright red card with a crude drawing on the front showing a top hat with cartoonish eyes and a toothy grin.

"Suguru Kamoshida, an alumnus from Shujin Academy," she began. "The first-known target of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and at one time, a respected sportsman who won a gold medal at the Olympics; a feat that isn't so easily achieved by any means. Thanks to his coaching, Shujin's Volleyball Team rose to stardom and won several trophies and awards. Before long, the academy began producing professional volleyball sportsmen."

She paused for a moment, looking away from the picture in a mixture of shame and disgust.

"…but no one could have expected him to be a criminal."

Ren frowned in confusion. "…what are you getting at, Niijima-san?"

"Tell me, Ren-kun." Sae looked back up at him, her eyes piercing into the depths of his very soul as she leaned forward. "On that day…were you still an ordinary transfer student?"

TO BE CONTINUED…?

Yes, yes, I know, very slow-paced and not a whole lot to add, but I'm taking my time here. Going at a nice and easy pace before I step on the gas pedal, which should be either Chapter 6 or 7. I'm aiming to wrap up the Kamoshida Arc in at least 10 or 12 Chapters, but without making it seemed rushed.

Also, I am pissed at myself. I was re-reading what I wrote for the first chapter when I happened to watch Beta64's vid of Persona 5's dummied out, unused and cut content. Stuff I didn't even know about until I watched the video. The added scenes for the Casino Palace would have been freaking amazing, but now it's a goddamn missed opportunity! FUCK!

…anywho! Next chapter will cover Kamoshida's Palace and Ren's subsequent awakening. Here's hoping I handle these segments better than the last time.

Also, I am now on my New Game Plus run for P5 Royal, gonna tackle the new content. Once that's finished, I can get started on the Royal fanfic. You do not know how excited I am to show you all that stuff, nor what kind of changes Kasumi's joining of the P-Thieves is gonna cause. AND NO SPOILERS!

Please let me know of what you think of Chapter 2 of "With the Stars and Us." Is it good? Bad? Give me some feedback with a review, would you kindly?

See You~