THIS STORY TAKES PLACE AFTER THE EVENTS OF PERSONA 5 ROYAL. SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

I don't own Persona or any title related to it. All of that belongs to Atlus and you should go and support the official release.

One year…

That's how long Akira was in Tokyo. One year away from his home. One year away from his family. One year away from his past. And in that year, he managed to gain so much more than he lost.

It was kind of surreal to think about all that has happened in one year. What was supposed to be a normal school life turned out to be a weird ride through a mysterious world to fight against society and save the world. Akira's time as a Phantom Thief would be life-defining in so many ways despite the short time he was one. He fought all kinds of threats during his time: from pervy high school teacher to a mafia boss, to a corrupt politician, to a God. It was most certainly not the 'normal' life Akira was expecting to have, but he wouldn't trade it for the world. At the beginning of his journey, he questioned his own aesthetics due to the trouble it caused him with Shido. But now, those aesthetics were engraved in steel and welded to his heart. It was these aesthetics that allowed him to jump over each hurdle that the Phantom Thieves faced. And it also allowed him to do one other thing.

His confidants.

If he had strayed from his aesthetics, Akira wouldn't have been able to meet the people who he can truly call his friends. Not just the rest of the thieves, but everyone. He was grateful to all of them. They were truly able to see him not just for his criminal record like many others had done, but for him. For the person that wanted to save and protect people. While many of his confidants came from Akira needing help as a Phantom Thieves, he found himself growing closer to them as time went on and soon he found that they all were similar to him. Cast out by society and left to fend for themselves in an unforgiving world, all because they tried to do what was right. Those similarities gave birth to something stronger than just a friendship. They formed a bond that would never be severed no matter how much time went on or how far they were apart. Even after he turned himself in, those friends fought with everything they had to revoke his incarceration. And thanks to their efforts, Akira was now a free man, one not chained down by a criminal record for a crime he did not commit. Akira could never truly express how grateful he was to his friends, but he wanted to try.

That's why he decided to throw a party.

There was still a bit of time before he had to leave for home, but he wanted to try and throw a farewell party with all of his friends. If Akira was being honest, the party was mostly meant for his friends so that they could forge bonds between each other before he left. It took some major planning on his part, but he was able to find a day that all of his friends could meet for the party. And with some persuasion, Akira was able to get Sojiro to let him use Leblanc for the party. Once everything was ready to go, he let everyone know about the party and told them the address to Leblanc. admittedly, he was worried about how some of his confidants would interact with each other, but it didn't matter because he knew it would all work out. They were his friends after all.

…

"Man this party is totally going to rule."

"Ryuji. Don't be so loud." Ann smacked the boy in the back of the head as they walked down the street.

"Hey what are you hitting me for," he rubbed the back of his head. "Come' on Ann. You can't tell me you're at least a little bit excited for this party."

"I am, but not to the point where I'm going to scream about it."

Morgana poked his head out from Haru's bag. "Lady Ann is right. You need to learn to be more subtle like me."

"Be quiet you stupid cat," Ryuji retorted.

"I'm not a cat," Morgana glared back.

Before the two started a shouting match, Makoto stepped in, "Both of you be quiet. People are starting to stare at us" she motioned to the onlookers of Yogen-Jaya staring at a teenager yelling at a cat. "Please, can you two not fight today. It's a celebration after all."

"Sorry Queen," the two apologized.

"I must agree with Ryuji," Yusuke nodded. "I have been highly anticipating this event as well."

Haru smiled and nodded, "I agree, although I wish Akira could walk with us. I wonder what he is doing."

"Don't worry Haru. He just had to take care of a few more things before the party." Morgana smiled to assure her, "He's been running around like a chicken with his head cut off the past few days. This party is important to him so I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Haru gave an understanding nod as Leblanc came into view. The group had a meetup at Yogen-Jaya station in order to walk to the cafe for the party. Akira had informed them that he would be by later so to just make themselves at home. He didn't mention what exactly needed to be done but they figured it was best not to question.

Upon entering the cafe, Sojiro stood behind the counter while Futaba looked up from her laptop while at the bar. "About time you guys got here. I was getting tired of waiting," she pouted as she closed her laptop.

"Why didn't you just meet us at the station?" asked Ryuji.

"Too much walking," she responded dryly. "I mean I would have to walk to the station and then walk all the way back here. I would waste so much energy, I need to save my energy for party time." Futaba cheered to herself and seemed ready to get the party started.

Sojiro came out from behind the counter and placed his hand on Futaba's head in an effort to calm him down. "Hold on a second Futaba. Before that, I know that it's not really necessary, But you all have one of the invites right?"

Everyone nodded to him and they all took out a red notecard featuring the logo of the now-disbanded Phantom Thieves. Akira wanted to make sure that nobody he didn't know didn't step in on the party. In order to prevent this, he made and passed invitations along to all his confidants. Instructing them to show their invites to Sojiro when they arrived at the cafe.

"Alright go ahead and have a seat, I'll start making some coffee for everyone."

The group gave their thanks to Boss and moved to the booth in the center of the cafe. Ann and Ryuji took the side closest to the stairs while Makoto and Haru sat nearest towards the door with Morgana in between them while Yusuke sat with Futaba at the bar.

Sojiro looked up from his coffee making, "By the way, the kid isn't with you."

Ann shook her head, "No. Morgana said that he had to take care of some stuff. He'll be back later."

"Alright," Sorjiro turned back to his coffee making.

"He better be here soon. This is his going away party after all," Ryuji looked around the cafe. Not really looking at anything in particular, rather he was just taking in the scenery. "It's hard to imagine everything that's happened because of him."

"Yeah," Ann nodded her head. "It's hard to believe that it was only a year ago that he came here. So much has happened that it feels like a lifetime ago."

Haru smiled as they looked around the cafe, "Akira's become such a big part of our lives. I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank him for it all."

"Indeed. Although some unfortunate things have happened. I can say with certainty that I would not change anything." Yusuke smiled whimsey at his friends, "I'm truly grateful to have made friends with you all."

Futaba jabbed the artist on the shoulder, "Aww, No need for the melodrama Inari."

Everyone laughed as the artist rubbed his shoulder, "There is no 'melodrama'."

Ryuji just smiled, "No worries man, though if there is anyone to thank it should be Akira. This all really started because of him." The blonde leaned back in his seat and stared at the ceiling. Reminiscing about that fateful day when Akira appeared at Shujin, smiling all the while. "At first, I thought he was just another guy, a face in the crowd or some shit like that. When we met outside the train station on his first day of school, I had no idea that he would become my best friend." The blonde chuckled to himself, "You guys remember hearing about the track team getting reformed."

All the Shujin students among the group nodded, "Yeah, From what I hear, the old coach is officially back for good. They even went to the big national recently," said Makoto.

"Glad to hear those guys are doing well. Anyway, right when we first started the Phantom Thieves, I wasn't in my best shape." he rested his elbows on his knees. "After the shit that happened with Kamoshida and my leg, I was worried I would end up being a burden on the team."

In all honestly, the group was surprised to hear their resident muscle man speak with so much heart. Ann placed her hand on his shoulder, "Ryuji."

He gave her a smile and seat back up, "I'm good Ann. Anyway, I realized that I needed to train and get back the speed I lost so I asked Akira to train with me."

"I see, I do remember seeing you and Akira running around the school quite a bit," noted Haru.

"Training was how it started. But once when we were training, Nakaoka and Takeishi came up to us and started hounding us." Ryuji shook his head as a defeated sigh escaped his lips, "well it's more like they were hounding me. They gave me shit about what I did to Kamoshida and how the track team being disbanded was my fault." He clenched his knees with his hands, "They even brought up my dad and how I would end up like him."

Again, Ann placed her hand on the boy's shoulder, knowing how much the subject bothered Ryuji, "Don't let what they said bother you Ryuji. You're amazing. One of the most thoughtful and honest guys I've ever met." She played with the boy's hair, "Even if you can be a little pervy at times."

"Hey! I'm not pervy."

"Oh yeah, how about when we went to the beach back during summer break," Ann jabbed Ryuji inside while the rest of the group just laughed.

"Hey that's not important right now Ann, I'm trying to be serious."

"Notice how he didn't deny it," whispered Morgana.

"Back to what I was saying earlier," Ryuji said, straightening himself. "If it wasn't for Akira being there, I probably would have done something stupid." A small chuckle escaped his lips, " He always was there, sticking by me whenever I needed him. If I need to vent about what happened Akira always had my back, even when we dealt with Yamauchi."

The teacher's name caused the Shujin students to blink for a second."I heard what happened," Makoto added. "Takeishi-san's mom is president of the PTA. She and a bunch of other parents came storming in and demanded that he be fired. From what I heard, he manipulated Takeishi-san into forcing Nakaoka-san into leaving. He also had some crooked plan to bring the track team back to fame and ride the wave of success. You and Akira were involved in that?"

Ryuji grinned while leaning back in his seat, "Yeah. I stacked out Yamauchiand found the place where he and his lackey would go for drinks. Akira and I went there and secretly recorded him as he spilled his whole plan. I played the recording for Nakaoka and Takeishi and thanks to that, They made up and now the track team is back for good."

"Impressive Ryuji," Morgana commented. "I'll admit that I wouldn't have expected you to come up with such a good plan."

"Hey, I picked up a few things from Akira." He scratched the back of his head nervously, "Honestly, I don't know what I'd be doing if it wasn't for Akira. No matter what people said to him or what they said behind his back, the guy always stuck by me. That guy is really something."

"I know what you mean Ryuji. Akira's done a lot for me too. Not just with Kamoshida either, but with everything that happened after." Everyone turned and gave their attention to Ann as she spoke. "After Shiho's accident, I was really confused about everything. Part of me still blamed myself for what happened and that I wasn't strong enough."

"That's not true Lady Ann," Morgana perked up from his seat in Haru's lap and tried to comfort Ann. "You're plenty strong."

"Thanks Morgana. But at the time I was so unsure of myself. It felt like I was missing something." Her thoughts turned back to the time she had confided in Akira. "It's thanks to Akira that I realized what was making me feel like that. I didn't know what it meant to be 'strong'. It made it worse to see all of these 'strong' people around me, like Shiho and Mika."

Futaba tilted her head, "Who's Mika?"

"She's one of the models at my agency," Ann answered. "She posed as my agency and sent fake messages to other models so they wouldn't show up on time. Then she would swope in and steal the spotlight."

"That's such a cheap trick," Futaba commented.

"I know and to be honest, I really can't hate Mika for what she did, even though I really should. She was trying her absolute hardest to become a real professional model, meanwhile, I was just doing it as a hobby. Mika didn't have the connections I have because of my parents so she had to claw her way to the top. I was really jealous of her to be honest. I thought she was so strong and it made me so angry that someone like her was so strong and I wasn't." She paused for a second as her mind turned to her other friend. "Then there's Shiho. Even after everything that happened, she told me she still wanted to play volleyball. During one of the rehab sessions, I watched her try so hard to move. She could barely move her feet but she gave it all, pushing herself so she would complete the session."

Everyone listened intently to Ann as she spoke. Ryuji comforted her as she did him, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You were there for her, that's what's what mattered."

Ann just smiled, "I know. I'm so glad she was able to get back on her feet. I got a text from her a few days ago and she was made captain of the volleyball team at her new school."

"That's great Ann," congratulated Makoto.

"I'm so happy for her. Apparently the seniors and coach were really impressed with her and made captain despite her transfer." Her cheerful tone changed back into the one she had previously. "Both she and Mika were so strong. Working so hard for something they believed in while I was lost at what to do with myself… until Akira helped me. He was there through all of this and he was always willing to listen to me whenever I needed him. He helped me realize why I thought Shiho and Mika were so strong. They were giving their all for a dream they had, Mika wanted to be a model and Shiho to keep playing volleyball. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have realized that I wanted to do the same with modeling. Thanks to him, I want to be the best model I can be, so I can show Shiho that I'm strong too."

"That's a very admirable goal Ann-chan," smiled Haru.

"And you've been working hard too. You've had a lot of work recently yeah. With how determined you seemed when the three of us went to the gym, I'm sure you'll do great," Ryuji smiled at his friend. "You're pretty strong."

Ann met her friends' smile with one of her own, "thanks Ryuji."

Everyone else could only smile at the two before Yusuke got everyone's attention, "I must agree with Ryuji, you've improved quite a bit since I met you. If only you would agree to be a model for my next piece."

"As long as it's not a nude piece."

The artist frowned and let out a defeated sigh as everyone laughed at the inside joke. Just before anyone else could add anything, Sojiro came around with a serving tray and passed out coffee to the people sitting in the booth, expected for Ryuji who got a soda, before returning behind the counter to give coffee to those at the bar. Everyone took a second to smell Sojiro's coffee before taking a sip.

"Deliouses. Thank you for the coffee Boss," said Yusuke.

"Don't sweat it," he replied.

After another quick sip, Yusuke turned his attention back to the group. "Getting back to my prior comment, I can say for certain that there is no exaggeration in my statement. All of you, Akira included have been my guiding light and I honestly can not thank you all for everything."

"What do you mean by 'guiding light'?" asked Ryuji.

Yusuke sat his cup down before resting his elbows on his knees, "After everything was settled with Madarame, I will admit that there were many things I was conflicted about. Prior to then, I painted for the simple joy of painting. If I wanted to paint something, my brush would fly across the canvas as if beckoned by something otherworldly." The smile he had darkened a bit, "After Madarame, and when I moved into the dorms at Kosei, I began to worry that my brush was moving for purely superficial reasons. I worried that my heart would become tainted, just as Madarame's had. And thus I found myself lacking the motivation to paint and ended up in a slump because of it."

"Yusuke, I can say after knowing you for so long that you would never do such a thing," Haru stated. "You are a very kind person. It simply isn't in your nature."

"Thank you, Haru. It means quite a lot to hear you say something like that," Yusuke looked over at the pink heiress and gave her a smile. "I brought the subject to Akira and he offered to lend me an ear should I ever need one. I can't even begin to describe how helpful he was. On numerous occasions, he would lend me an ear when I needed it most. This was especially true when I spoke with Kawanabe-san."

"Who Dat?" asked Futaba.

"He is the Director of the Japanese Art Support Foundation. As well as an old acquaintance of Madarame," replied Yusuke. "He approached me asking if I would like the aid of his foundation. At first, his methods were rather crude, he belittled one of my paintings and tried to provoke me as well. However, I'm truly grateful for what he did. Even though I didn't accept the support of his foundation, had it not been for him. I wouldn't have been able to realize the truth."

"What truth," asked Morgana.

"Do you all remember the painting I showed you at Ueno?"

Indeed they did, Yusuke had asked everyone if they could come to an art gallery in order to show them his work. Akira had already seen it but everyone was surprised to see their friends work on display. "Yeah. It was that awesome painting you did," asked Ryuji.

"Yes. That painting, Desire and Hope, is the truth I realized and it's thanks to Akira's support I realized it. He reminded me that I will always have my friends, my hope to guide me. That I shouldn't worry about desires coloring my heart black. I know that if I am lost, they will extend their hands. If I am wrong, they will chastise me. I came to this conclusion because of Akira's support. I owe him an eminence amount of gratitude."

Once again, Haru gave the artist a friendly smile, "Your right Yusuke, We will. If you ever find yourself in need, we will be there."

The group nodded in agreement and Yusuke closed his eyes and smiled, "Thank you."

Makoto took another sip of her coffee. "Well, I guess if we're telling stories, I'll go next." Setting the cup done, her expression changed into one of mild regret. "Before I met you guys, I was the good little robot girl. If someone with authority told me to do something, I did it no questions asked. I didn't matter if it was my sister or the principal. I only care about myself and focus on me. Had I not been so mindless, maybe I could have done something to stop Kamoshida."

"It wasn't your fault Makoto," Ann quickly responded. She knew that her friend still blamed herself for what happened. Despite the fact that it wasn't her fault. "Kamoshida had everyone in school wrapped around his finger. Neither me nor Shiho blames you for anything. So please don't blame yourself."

The third-year gave her friend a smile from across the table. "Thank you Ann. It means a lot to hear you say that and it's thanks to you all that I was able to change." She gave everyone a grateful smile. "After Kaneshiro was arrested, I realized that I needed to make an effort to try and understand people around my age. So I asked Akira to help me."

Futaba asked, "How? He give you a lecture or something."

"I asked him if he knew what people my age did for fun and we ended up going to the arcade in Shibuya."

"Oh yeah. I heard a few students talk about that in the hallway at school," Ann smiled. "From the sounds of it, you were pretty invested in that game Gun About."

Makoto blushed while everyone laughed, "All joking aside, while it did start out as him helping me with understanding my peers, Akira also assisted me in helping Eiko, a student in my class."

Haru clapped her hand, "Oh, I know her. If my memory serves me right, she applied for community college near Kyoto right."

With a nod, Makoto continued, "Yes, I have no doubt she'll make it. Before, She had been dating this sleazy host guy named Tsukasa who was using her for money. Me and Akira were able to help her realize what he was doing and she broke up with him not long after."

"I've heard about those types of guys." Boss crossed his arms and scolded. "They get the girl to give them money till they have nothing left. After that, they get them to sell themselves until they have nothing, then move on to the next girl. You did a good thing helping your friend like that."

"Thanks, Boss. I'm so happy I was able to help Eiko. But Akira just didn't help me with her. To be honest, after everything that happened I was so unsure of what I wanted to do. I've always done what other people have told me to do so now that I decided to stop and think for myself, I realize I didn't have a goal of my own." Makoto's tone shifted into one filled with determination. "It's thanks to Akira's support that I was able to realize that I want to become a police commissioner. He taught me that my life is my own and nobody can tell me how to live my life, so I'm going to try and uphold the justice my father taught me."

"Yeah, You go Queen." grinned Ryuji.

"It's kind of funny though how you want to be a police commissioner after being a Phantom Thief," Futaba said, illuminating the irony in her friend's dream.

Everyone chuckled in response and Makoto just smiled, "I guess I can't deny that."

"Anyway, I guess it's my turn," Futaba stated, eager to tell everyone about her time with Akira. "It honestly feels like so long ago that I was crammed up in my room. Once I met you guys, everything happened so fast that it makes my head spin just thinking about it. If it wasn't for you guys and Akira, I don't know where I'd be."

Sojiro rubbed the back of his head, "I guess I should thank you guys for that too. You've done a lot for Futaba. So thanks."

"Don't worry about it Boss," smiled Ryuji. Everyone gave the cafe owner a quick smile before turning back to Futaba.

"Even after everything with Medjed got settled, you guys helped me open up to the world a little more and I think that's what started it." Futaba rubbed the back of her head, "Thought If I'm being honest, I may have set the difficulty a little too high at the beginning."

The hacker's comment caused Ann to ask, " What do you mean Futaba?"

"I tried to go to Akihabara all by myself and I told Akira to meet me there. But when he found me I was crying because I got scared," said Futaba, trying not to look at the group. "I was fine, but like I said, I may have jumped the gun on that one."

"Just a little yes," Yusuke nodded.

All while Sojiro just rubbed the back of his neck, "I did tell you that, didn't I?"

Futaba puffed her cheeks while facing her guardian, "I know that now Sojiro but I wanted to try." She turned her attention back to the group, "After that, I asked Akira to help me get better about being outside. We even made a list of tasks to act as mission markers for how far along I was. If it wasn't for him. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to complete the list."

"Is that why you came to Shuji that one day," asked Makoto, remembering when Akira had brought Futaba to school.

She smiled, "Yep, it was number two on the list. Though, the list wasn't the only thing that he helped me with." She looked up to her friends, "Do you guys remember that request we had for my old friend Kana."

They nodded in conformation. Futaba had brought them the request personally and made an effort to convince the team to take it. It was honestly a surprise to see the timid hacker speak so passionately about a request. "Yeah," said Ryuji.

"Akira was my key item. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to talk to Kana to help her out of her situation. That guy is so awesome. Because of him, I was able to get back on my feet. And after everything was set and done, I was able to go to Akihabara all by myself in the end," Futaba let out a prideful chuckle. "But in all seriousness, I owe it all to Akira. I owe him a lot for what he's done for me."

"You are not the only one Futaba, I also owe Akira a great deal as well," smiled Haru. "After Father died, I had a lot of uncertainty, not just about me, but about the future of Okumura Foods. It seemed like everyone wanted to use me to gain some kind of leverage in the company, as a result, I had a hard time trusting anyone involved."

"That must have been a stressful time for you Haru," said Yusuke.

"I won't lie and say I didn't have trouble sleeping every now and again. But it was thanks to you guys and Akira that I was able to express my feelings to Takakura-san."

Not recognizing the name, Ryuji asked for the sake of the group, "Takakura?"

"He's the new president of Okumura Foods. He took over after father passed," explained Haru. "I previously had reservations about him due to rumors saying he was happy Father had passed away. But once I spoke my feelings to him about what I wanted, I found out that he genuinely wanted to fix the companies' image and has made significant strides to do so. It was him who posed the idea for the small local cafes, like the one my grandfather had run."

"I've heard about that," added Makoto. "If I remember correctly, the first branch is going to open in a small town called Inaba."

Haru smiled, "Yes. I am grateful that Takakura-san is handling the company. I can finally feel at ease knowing that it's on the right path." Closing her eyes, Haru remembered the day she had spoken to Takakura-san about her feelings. "I was nervous about telling Takakura-san about how I felt. If it wasn't Akira, I don't think I would have been able to. Not only that, but I also wouldn't have been able to reject Sugimura if it wasn't for him."

"Sugimura, wasn't he that shit head fiance that was engaged to you," asked Ryuji.

"Correct, He had me believe that we were to be married as part of a contract he and Father had made. But as it turned out, no such contract existed. Takakura-san confirmed it for me."

Yusuke couldn't hold back the irritation in his voice, "What a despicable man. Manipulating a young woman like that after her father passed. It makes me sick."

Hearing the normally composed artist speak like that on her behalf did cause Haru to blush, but she continued, "Regardless, I truly have Akira to thank for everything. He supported me when I had doubts about myself and he was there when I needed him. It's not just dealing with the company and Sugimura that I'm grateful for. Previously, I was unsure of the path I wanted to take in life. Akira was always there to support me whenever I needed help. It's thanks to him that I realized what I want to do with my future. I want to own a small cafe where people can have some peaceful time in their busy lives. A cafe with my Grandfather's reputation and my Father's legacy. Akira helped me realize that goal, I owe him an unpayable debut. I don't think helping him get out of incarceration is enough to repay it."

"Can't argue with that," Ryuji placed his hands behind his head. "After everything that happened with Dr. Maruki, we worked our butts off with Makoto's sister to get his sentence overturned."

"It was well worth the effort," Ann smiled. "It took some time but when I saw him walk through the cafe door that day, I almost started to cry."

Yusuke nodded, "Indeed, the feeling was indescribable."

"I'm so happy we did it," added Makoto. "Sure it took some time to gather evidence, it was worth it all."

The rest of the group nodded and hummed in approval. "Before I forget Boss," Haru looked over to the man behind the counter. "Has Akira helped you out in some way like the rest of us. I can't help but be curious since he's been living with you all this time."

"That is a good point. Considering your proximity to him and his natural talent for getting mixed up in other people's affairs, Akira must have helped you in some way," agreed Yusuke.

All eyes fell on Sojiro as the group agreed with Haru's question. Sojiro sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, not expecting to get roped into their little story time, "Well… you see."

"It's fine Sojiro."

Everyone turned to look at Futaba. With a slight look of surprise on his face, Sojiro asked, "Are you sure Futaba? If you are not com-."

Once again, Futaba interrupted him, "I'm fine. If my hunch is right, this is about what happened with my uncle. You should tell them what happened."

"Wait, you have an uncle Futaba," asked Ann.

She did answer instead, giving a nod to Sojiro, which finally took his hint. "I guess if Futaba is Ok with it." He made his way to the other side of the bar to sit in one of the stools. "Originally, I asked the kid to help me down in the shop from time to time. I couldn't pay him, so instead, I taught him how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Same with curry too."

"Which I must say, you've done an excellent job at," complemented Yusuke. "He's not quite as good as you, but his brew is always a delight."

He gave the artist a smile, "Good to know I taught him right. Anyway, during some of our lessons, Futaba's uncle would show up and bug me."

It was surprising to hear that Futaba had an uncle. Neither Futaba or Akira had mentioned this fact to them. "You have an uncle Futaba," asked Makoto.

She nodded, "I didn't like to talk about him because I don't really consider him family. After mom died, I lived with my uncle for a while and it was awful. I slept on the floor and he would hardly ever feed me. I hardly bathed either."

Ryuji voiced the opinion everyone else had, "What a shit head."

"After I saw what was happening, I knew I had to step in for Wakaba's sake," continued Sojiro. "I took Futaba under my care, in exchange I gave him a sizable amount of the inheritance money Wakaba left me. That was supposed to be the end of it, but he came back looking for more money. He threatened to take the issue of Futaba's custody to court. Saying stuff like I was abusing her and that having the kid around 'wasn't a good environment' for Futaba."

"He sounds like such a scumbag," Ann said. "You would never do something like that."

"Thanks," he smiled. "It reached the boiling point when he came in and tried to fight with me for money. I had enough and I told him off, said I was willing to go to court and fight to keep Futaba. No way I would let him take her."

"You guys should have seen it. My uncle's face when Sojiro told him he knew about his debt and stood up for me. It was so cool."

Sojiro couldn't hold back the smile at being called cool by his daughter, but he quickly shook away the smile and continued, "Once I told him off, He got angry and tried to hit Futaba. That's when the kid stepped and defended her, but Futaba's uncle tripped and fell. He said the kid assaulted him and that he was going to sue."

"Sounds like a load of crap to me," Ryuji groaned angrily.

"I agree. This man sounds rather unfit to be the guardian of a child," said Haru.

"I'm just lucky you all changed his heart before he did any major damage, so thanks for that," Sojiro said while rubbing the back of his neck.

The group of thieves looked visibly confused by the thanks and Makoto said, "Um… we didn't change his heart."

"What," he said puzzled. "With how quickly he changed, it had to be a change of heart."

Ann shrugged, "Sorry Boss, we didn't even know Futaba had an uncle until just now. So there would have been no way to change his heart."

"If it wasn't you guys, who did it?"

"I can actually explain." Eyes drifted over to Futaba who seemed to be a little anxious.

"What is it Futaba," asked Morgana.

She stood up from her seat and gave a small bow, "I'm sorry. It was me and Akira who changed my uncle's heart." Her tone was apologetic.

"Wait, it was you and Akira. As in just you too," Makoto turned to the cat on Haru's lap. "Morgana did you know about this."

"No. I mean I knew about Futaba's uncle, but I had no idea that they changed his heart."

"Hold on, What do you mean it was just you and the kid," asked Sojiro.

Futaba stood up straight and turned back to her guardian, "Normally, in order to change someone's heart, the decision to do it has to be unanimous."

Sojiro nodded, "Ok."

"With uncle, I asked Akira if we could keep it a secret from the group. I wasn't ready to tell everyone about when I lived with him, so I asked if we could change his heart by ourselves." she turned back to the group. "I'm sorry. Can you forgive us for breaking the rule?"

They looked over each other in silence for a second before Haru said, "I can understand why you would want to keep it a secret. It sounds like it was pretty painful."

"I suppose it really doesn't matter now since it all worked out," Morgana added.

Everyone agreed with the cat and gave a nod of agreement. Which caused Futaba to relax a little, "Thanks guys, sorry we didn't tell you this sooner."

"It's alright Futaba," Ann said.

"So it was you and the kid who changed his heart huh," Sojiro let out an exasperated sigh, "I guess I got another thing to thank the kid for."

"What do you mean Boss," asked Makoto.

"It's thanks to the kid that I realized how pathetic I was in the past. I never went to visit Wakaba's grave after her accident, I told myself it was because I was busy with the shop but I knew that wasn't it. Deep down I was scared Wakaba would be angry with me. I wouldn't have been able to face reality if it wasn't for the ki- I mean Akira. Akira helped me realize that I have a family that I need to protect."

Haru just smiled innocently, "You've really taken a liking to Akira haven't you Boss."

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "I guess I can't deny that." He smirked as he leaned in closer to the group, "Truth be told, I consider him a part of the family. I won't have realized any of this had it not been for him. That's why when those stupid government and police lackeys called me in for questioning I kept my mouth shut." Sojiro leaned back up while smiling proudly. "I wasn't going to give them anything they could use against him. I told them that there were no issues with his conduct while he was under my care. Made sure to give those damn detectives a piece of my mind too."

Everyone smiled at Boss, pleased to hear the man was in the same boat as them. "I guess we all owe something to Akira," smiled Ryuji.

"That would be an understatement," Ann nodded.

Makoto placed her hand on his chin, "I wonder if his other friends are the same as us."

Sojiro stood back up and made his way around to the other side of the counter. "I was wondering about that. Do you guys know who any of his other friends are?"

They all shook their heads. Ann answered, "We have no idea. The only thing we know is that Akira calls them his Confdiants."

Sojiro pondered the word chosen for a moment, "Confidants, huh."

"What is a Confidant anyway," asked Ryuji.

"It's someone you share a secret with, trusting they not repeat it to anyone," answered Makoto.

Ann placed her hand on her chin, "I wonder who they are. As we said, Akira hasn't said anything to us about them so it's a complete mystery to us."

Just then, everyone heard the bell to Leblanc chime and the door open.

Author's Notes:

Wow, this story has been a long time coming. This was the story I mentioned in my other story 'Discovered Secret'. The reason this story is coming out now is that I wanted to finish that story before I started a new story. Also, by the time I considered writing this, Persona 5: Royal was coming up and I didn't know how the story would be affected so I waited.

I won't say too much more regarding what's going to happen with this story, but let's say it's going to be awesome.

This story was inspired by the first part of a story called: 'They'll Never See It Coming' by ZombieGuy96.

Since my first playthrough of Persona 5, I wondered what it would be like if all the confidants met up. So I figured I would throw my hat into the ring.

See you next time.