DISCLAIMER:
The following is fanbase story. Persona 5's story and characters with the exceptions of OCs, is all owned by P-Studio, Atlus, Deep Silver, Sega, Crunchyroll, Daikai Ito and Katsura Hashino. Please support the official release.
NOTE:
The following will take place during the Persona 5 storyline (And I mean the original storyline before there was Royal; I don't have anything against it but we wanted to keep it simple) so some scenes may or may not be altered. If you are not a fan of this kind of thing I advise you not to read ahead.
WARNING:
This story is for mature audiences and may have some triggering themes. There may be mentions of sexual abuse, foul language, emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional manipulation and suicide. If you are under 18 I advise you not to read and for those that feel uncomfortable with the following trigger themes, please read at your own risk.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
KenRyu for helping me write this.
You are held captive
A prisoner of fate to a future that has been sealed in advance.
This is truly an unjust game…
… Your chances of winning almost none…
But if my voice is reaching you there may yet be a possibility open to you.
I beg you.
Please overcome this game
And save the world…
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The night had been quiet in a small little suburban area of Japan. Many had been sleeping away through the night while some had been working late at either an office job or even a restaurant. Nothing seemed to happen in this small little town.
All… Except for one building in particular that didn't look up to code.
A young teenage boy had been picking a lock on the window that had a padded lock as another had been looking to the door nervously. They had been startled as they could hear banging on the door.
The young boy jumped as well before he picked up the pace. It hadn't been long till he heard a click.
He quickly got the window opened before he tossed down a rope made from bedsheets.
"Lets go!" He said turning to his friend.
They nodded before they went out the window. The boy had followed behind quickly just as the door broke down.
The moment he hit the ground, he turned to their friend. "Quick! Run for it!"
They wasted no time before they took off running with the boy.
"HEY!" A man who looked portly exclaimed, "DAMN IT, THE BRATS GOT OUT! GO AND CATCH THEM!"
The boy and his friend didn't think about turning back as they kept their eyes forward, even as they could hear the adults behind them. His friend ended up tripping at one point though the boy quickly turned and picked them up off the floor.
"Come on, we have to keep going!" He said, "We can't let them catch us! If we make to the train then they'll never find us!"
His friend nodded, before they started to pick up the pace as they got further from the adults that had been behind them.
As they turned the corner in the street, the boy's friend ended tripping again---
This time they had run into someone.
It had been a teenager who was tall and had an athletic build. He had a pale complexion with unkempt, wavy black hair that falls over his eyes. His eyes were grey as he wore a casual white shirt with black sleeves and a pair of dark jeans.
He managed to catch the boy's friend as the boy himself panicked. "Oh sorry!" He said.
"I-It's okay." The young teen said as helped their friend. They noticed a few things about the boy's friend; the person's face was hidden thanks to a scarf and a beanie hat, but he caught sight of their hair which had been a dark red color with a few brown streaks.
Compared to the red shade in their eyes they had shined brighter then their hair. That hadn't been all he noticed… He noticed a peculiar looking birthmark on their cheek, almost looking like a star. Not to mention… A few fresh bruises.
"Are--" He started to say before--
"I think they went this way, they can't have gotten far!"
"Well get them back! They're paying good money for that one!"
"Oop! Gotta go!" The boy said before he grabbed his friends hand. Before the young teen could react the boy and his friend were down the street before he could stop them.
The young teen---Ren couldn't help but look confused.
"Hey you! Kid!"
Ren looked over noticing a man in his mid-forties run up to him with the portly man behind him.
"Did you see a couple of people run through here?!"
Ren from the corner of his eye looked to the direction where they ran off. Though something in him told him they weren't kind people.
He soon pointed in the opposite direction, before replying calmly, "I saw them run in that direction."
The portly man told him, "Are you sure? You're not trying to hide anything are you?"
Ren shook his head as he said "Honest!"
The man grunted as he said "Lousy kids, Always causing trouble, You heard the kid, that way it is."
"Well don't just stand there go! Go!" The portly man shouted before they took off.
Ren watched the men disappear from his view before he looked to where the other two teens ran. He couldn't help but look concerned before he decided to take a shortcut back home, hoping whoever the teens had been got to where they needed safely.
Though as he had been walking back home…
… He could hear a commotion just down the road.
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A Few Months Later-
"Now arriving in Shibuya, please stand clear of the doors."
Ren awoke to the sound of the PA, as he had been sitting on the seats provided on the train he was on. He had been minding his own business as he turned his gaze to the floor. He just… Couldn't believe his situation right now.
Honestly it had been hard to believe for him.
All he had been trying to do was help someone…
… And this was the thanks he got.
Here he was, away from his hometown, away from the life he knew.
And he honestly couldn't help but wonder… Why did he have to be punished?
The train soon came to a stop at Shibuya station. He exited the train carrying his bag and wearing a school uniform different from his old high school.
"Let's see---" Ren said looking to his phone, "---Looks like I gotta transfer over at---"
"Ren? Is that you?"
Ren had been a bit startled as he looked over in the direction of the voice. He could see a young man waving him down as the crowd dispersed. His appearance was that of a Nigerian male with black dreads tied like a ponytail. He had orange dye at end of each dread, he wore a Orange Yellow bomber jacket wearing black jeand with orange shoes. He looked to be carrying a pet carrier.
"It's me!" He said with a smile, "Dídéolú Waverly Danjuma Gbadamosi!"
"Dide?" Ren said shocked, "My old neighbor?"
The young man---Known as Dide went over as he and Ren exchanged in a hug.
"I haven't seen you in years--" Ren said before noticing his appearance, "---What on Earth are you wearing?"
Dide laughed a little as he rubbed the back of his head, "Something that won't make me seen anywhere."
Ren looked confused before it clicked, "Oh, that's right, you were a teen model overseas. Honestly I didn't expect to see you back here."
"Well, let's just say given the circumstance of my situation Japan is probably my safe bet to lay low." Dide said, "Still it's good to see ya man. What brings you to Shibuya? And why are you wearing that uniform? You know your school is in your hometown right?"
Ren's expression changed before he replied with a sigh, "It's uh---Long story. But, let's just say I've been transferred"
Dide soon noticed the map on his phone as he looked shocked, "Hang on--You're trying to get to Yongen-Jaya?"
"Yeah." Ren replied, "I'm staying with--Someone my parents are acquainted with for awhile so---"
"Huh---" Dide said, "---Small world. I'm going there myself."
Ren looked a bit surprised, "Wait, really? Why?"
"Well funny you should ask---" Dide said, "---My mom happens to have a friend that's gonna house me for awhile till certain things die down. They live in Yongen-Jaya and from what they told me, their coffee is to die for!"
Ren had been taken back by this, realizing why it had sounded familiar.
"... They wouldn't happen to be named Sojiro Sakura by any chance?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
Ren only rummaged through his bag before he took out certain paperwork. Dide skimmed through it before noticing the name.
"Damn!" Dide said shocked, "Guess you and I are gonna be roomies!"
"I guess so." Ren said. He soon noticed the pet holder as it shook a little. "By the way---" He said, "---Do you have a cat in there?"
"Not exactly.." Dide told him before he held it up, "Take a peek and see for yourself!"
Ren did just that as he peeked through the bars of the petholder. It was then he realized inside of the pet holder---
---Had been a rooster and a chicken.
"They're---Birds?" Ren said surprised.
"They're cute right?" Dide said, "But they ain't for eating! I rescued these guys from when they escaped a slaughterhouse! The chicken is Harumi Keeki and the Rooster is Momodu!"
"Are---You sure he's gonna be okay with you bringing pets?"
"I'm sure it'll be fine, sides it cost me an arm and a kidney to get them to come on the plane with me."
Dide soon noticed the time on his watch, "Speaking of which, we better get a move on before it gets late! Ya mind helping me carry my duffle?"
"Sure." Ren said before he was handed a very large duffle bag; he nearly fell over from the weight, though he managed to keep himself balanced. Thus they started to make their way out Shibuya station and towards the exit. When they got out of the station they were met with a whole crowd of people going about their daily business.
The sight of it all couldn't help but overwhelm them.
"Holy fuck." Dide said softly, "Finding that subway might be a little more harder than I thought." He soon turned to Ren, "Sit tight I'm gonna go ask for directions."
"Are you sure your Japanese isn't rusty?" Ren asked
"My Japanese is fine, you forget I played in J-Dramas before." Dide told him. "Trust."
He walked up to the person as he took a deep breath as he walked over, "Sumimasen." he called out and he soon asked "Which way to Yogen-Jaya?"
"Huh?" A Businessman asked not quite getting it, "What are you saying?"
"Oh, wait, wait, hang on---" Dide said as he got out an English to Japanese dictionary, "Yogen-jaya wa doko desuka?"
"Ah! Yogen--" The Business man said, "--Sore wa---"
As Dide had been translating, Ren had been waiting over by the station entrance. He decided to look through his phone. That's when he noticed…
… An odd looking app.
The app icon looked to be a red eye, with a star for a pupil. It looked to be glowing a red glow which couldn't help but look to it with curious eyes. The moment he tapped on the app however, it had engulfed his entire screen. That's when he noticed…
… All the sounds had stopped.
Ren jumped as he saw everything and everyone had stopped.
"What…?"
He looked around befuddled as to why everything around him had stopped moving. He looked at the App before looking at his surroundings again.
"What is--happening?"
Ren looked around again, trying to make sense of what was happening. His eyes soon stopped on a large blue flame in the distance. The blue flame soon shifted into a strange figure with a set of wings. Out from the blue flames he saw…
…Himself?
"Hey!"
Ren had been startled when Dide tapped him on the shoulder; he could see everyone started moving again.
"That guy told me the quickest route to Yongen, let's go so we can catch the express!" Dide said before he started to lead him towards the subway station.
Ren looked back towards where he saw the figure of himself, but figured his mind had been playing tricks on him. When he looked to his phone again, he went and deleted the strange app without a second thought.
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It hadn't been long before they arrived at Yongen. When they did they could see it had been an alleyway of some sort. It had only a few shops, a small apartment complex, a doctors office, a batting area, a bathhouse and laundromat, and what appeared to be a movie theater that had been closed.
"Well it looks---" Ren said as he had an awkward look, "---Nice?"
"Hey! It's better than any alleyway in the Bronx or any part of New Jersey for that matter." Didie said. "No hate on jersey."
"... Why is your hand shaking then?" Ren asked pointing to hand that was shaking.
"Caffeine." Dide said. "I had Cola Energy drinks on the way here."
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE BUSY!? YOU'RE JUST STANDING HERE DOING NOTHING!"
Ren and Dide looked over and noticed a teen arguing with a police officer. He had short hair in the color of white; his eyes had been gold and a hazel brown, and he looked to be wearing the same school uniform as Ren. He appeared to be arguing with an officer.
"Can you tone it down?" The Officer said, "You're distracting me from patrol."
"BULLSHIT!" He yelled, "YOU SAW THAT GUY TRY TO GET AWAY WITH THAT LADY'S PURSE! SO GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR AND GO AFTER HIM!"
"Is that---" Ren said.
"..Oh crap.." Dide said as he gave a sigh. "Of course it's him.."
The Officer argued with the teen, "Like hell, you're just making that up."
"MAKING IT UP!?" The teen shouted before he readied his fist, "WHY YOU LITTLE---"
"NOPE!" Dide exclaimed as he immediately tackled the teen.
"What the--" The teen said before recognizing him, "---Dide?!"
"SHHH!" Dide said as he took him by the shoulder while whispering. "Don't say my name in public! Come on!"
Ren soon approached, "Sorry about that officer, our friend is uh---Having a bad day."
Dide added, "Yeah! We'll have a LONG talk with him."
"Ren?" The teen said.
The Officer clicked his tongue, "Whatever, I'm trying to mind my own business, so the next time he gets out of line I'll arrest him on the spot."
With that the officer took his leave allowing Ren and Dide to sigh with relief. The teen soon got himself up from the ground as he brushed himself off, "You two--What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Uh, hello to you too Kai." Dide said. "Also Again, Don't say my name in public, trying to keep a low profile."
"Huh?" The teen--Kai said before it clicked, "Oh riiight. You're famous now."
"Don't wanna talk about it." Dide told him.
Kai turned to Ren as he said "So you're here too, four eyes? You know your school is in your hometown right?"
"... Yeah I kind of---" Ren said before he shook his head, "---It doesn't matter, what are you doing here?"
Kai clicked his tongue, "... I got on my third strike."
"What?!" Ren and Dide said shocked.
"It wasn't for what you think!" Kai immediately said, "I found out my sister had a stalker and I kicked his pervy ass all the way to Mt. Fuji. He deserved it but--He decided to press charges. So my parents decided to send me out here and threatened me with juvy if I didn't come out here."
"Kai…" Ren said.
"That's horrible!" Dide exclaimed. "How could they?!"
Kai clicked his tongue, "... It's whatever. It's better than apologizing to that a-hole. The folks sent me to stay with some guy named Sojiro Sakura. I was trying to ask that officer where I could find his place but had to help out a girl with purse snatcher, which that lazy ass couldn't do."
At this Ren and Dide looked to him surprised.
"... What?" Kai asked.
"YOU'RE GONNA BE OUR ROOMATE?!" Dide exclaimed. "YOU?!"
"WHAT?!" Kai shrieked, "I HAVE TO BUNK WITH THE CLEAN FREAK HERE!?"
"CLEAN FREAK?!" Dide shrieked, "I'M NOT AN OCD KIND OF GUY!"
"YOUR ROOM AT THAT SUMMER HOUSE SAYS OTHERWISE YA FREAK!"
"YOU'RE THE FREAK YOU FUCK!"
"OH SCREW YOU, MISTER CELEBRITY!"
Ren soon jumped at the eyes of them before he got the Boys out of public eye as they continued to argue. They eventually calmed down before they found themselves in front of a house.
"Hey---" Ren said getting their attention, "---Isn't this it?"
Dide and Kai looked over seeing the sign that had read, Sakura.
"Oh shit here we go---" Dide said as he looked it over, "--Not exactly big but it'll do."
"You're surprisingly optimistic about this." Kai said with a look.
Dide replied, "Hey with the houses I've been to in my celebrity lifetime, this is a welcome change of pace for me. A perfect place to lay low!"
"Let's introduce ourselves." Ren said before he went and rang the doorbell.
The boys waited for Sojiro to come and answer the door but no one came. "Huh---" Ren said, "--I guess he's not home."
"Did he forget we were coming?" Dide asked.
"Hey Sojiro?! You in there somewhere?!" Kai called out.
"Looks like no ones home."
The boys looked over noticing a parcel delivery man had been talking to himself. "Oh yeah--" The Parcel Deliveryman said, "---Sakura-san's usually at his cafe around this time. Guess I'll come back later and make these other deliveries."
"Uh excuse me---" Ren said, getting the man's attention before he could go back in his truck, "---Where can we find Sakura-san's cafe?"
"You mean the Leblanc?" The man said, before he pointed in the direction, "It's in the back alley, just down the road you guys came from, can't miss it."
"Thank you." Ren said as he bowed before he turned, "Come on, let's go."
Kai groaned, "We were just there."
"Don't complain." Dide told him.
They followed the directions the man had told them to go, before they found it. They stood in front of the entrance of Leblanc for a few moments before they stepped inside. Inside the Leblanc itself there had only been a few people.
Two costumers, and two others whom they could only assume were the owners. The one behind the counter whom had been cleaning glasses had been light skinned man with dark amber hair which was set in a ponytail, with a very thin mustache and a thin amount of hair on his chin. He had an eyepatch over his right eye and their looked to be a scar.
He had on a light blue collared shirt and brown khaki's and wore a Leblanc apron.
The other had been sitting on one of the stools who looked to be middle aged. He had slicked-back dark hair with a receding hairline, gray eyes, a chinstrap beard with a goatee that flares out and he wore glasses. He had a pale pink dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, pale khakis held up with a white leather belt and white loafers; he had an apron and looked to be doing a crossword.
They could hear the TV being the loudest thing in the cafe.
"A public transit bus was driven down an opposing lane with its customers still in it!" The News Anchor said, "The citizens can't live in peace if this keeps up."
"Jesus---" Kai said.
"Man that is still on the news?" Dide said in a low voice.
"How frightening." An Elderly Male Customer said.
"What could be going on?" His Elderly Wife asked, "Didn't something similar happen just the other day?"
"Yeah that's what I heard." The man behind the bar said. He soon took notice of the boy's. "Hey--Sojiro-kun." He said trying to get his attention, though he looked to be too invested in the crossword he had been doing.
"And down is…The name of a shellfish used in pearl farming…"
"Sojiro-kun!" The man said tapping on his shoulder finally snapping him out of it, "They're here."
The man---Sojiro wondered what he was talking about, until he noticed the three of them.
"Oh right---" He said, setting the newspaper down, "---They said it was today."
"We'll be going now---" The Elderly Man said, "---The payment's on the table."
"Thanks for coming!" The man behind the bar said.
"This place is in the back alley so there's no worries of a car crashing here." The Elderly man said before he left with his wife, "See you next time."
Sojiro sighed as he shook his head, "Four hours for a single cup of joe."
"Hey, as long as they pay." The man said with a smile.
Sojiro soon looked at the boys, "So you're the kids they sent over."
"Hello---" Ren said as he bowed his head, "---My name is Ren Amamiya, thank you for having us."
"The name's Kai Higuchi." Kai said, "Nice to meet you I guess."
Dide fixed himself as he said "the name's Dídéolú Waverly Danjuma Gbadamosi! Nice to meet you!"
"You got a long name there. kid." Sojiro's co-worker said.
"Blame my Nigerian Parents." Dide told them.
"I'm Sojiro Sakura---" Sojiro said, "---You three will be in my custody over the next year. For a second I was worried about the kind of gangsters that would show up but, you guys are it right?"
"Gangsters?" Ren said confused.
"Ah don't listen to this guy, he's just kidding around." Sojiro's co-worker said, "The minute he heard about your situations he was the first to jump aboard on volunteering."
"That's not what happened." Sojiro argued.
"Sorry, who are you supposed to be?" Dide asked.
"Ah sorry---" His Co-Worker said, as he hopped over the bar, "---I'm a friend of Sojiro's and co-owner of Leblanc---" He soon held out his hand, "--The names Yukihara Uchiyama, good to meet you boy's."
"Um---Nice to meet you." Ren said as he shook his hand while Kai and Dide looked to the man with confusion.
"Anyway---Follow me." Sojiro said, "I'll show you where you'll be staying. Yukihara, look after the shop for a bit."
"You got it." The man---Yukihara said just as he could hear the door at the front open, "Welcome to Leblanc!"
The three boys followed Sojiro towards the back and up the stairs in LeBlanc. The boy's had been taken back as they realized they had been taken to the attic of LeBlanc.
They looked over the attic as they noticed… It had all been cluttered. From books, to a bike to even a couple of old boxes. They noticed a total of three beds formed in the shape of an L, but they noticed how dusty it had been.
"This is gonna be your room." Sojiro said to the boys, "I'll at least give you sheets for the beds."
"... You gotta be kidding me…" Kai said as he slumped.
Dide himself had a twitch from his eye as he began to mumble in yourba.
"Huh?" Sojiro said noticing Dide, "You look like you want to say something."
Immediately Dide turned as he asked "Where are your cleaning supplies?"
"In the restroom---" Sojiro said, "---Though before you get cleaning, we gotta lay some ground rules."
Dide said as his eye twitched, "can't it wait?"
"Calm down ya freak." Kai said as he bonked him.
"That's better---" Sojiro said, "---Now I'm only gonna say this once, Yukihara and I will be leaving after I lock up each day. You three will be alone at night but don't do anything stupid. I'll throw you boys out even if one of you starts trouble. And I better not catch any of you stealing anything."
"Right." Ren said.
"Got it old timer." Kai said.
"Must clean now…" Dide mumbled.
"So---I got the gists of your situations---" Sojiro said before he looked at Dide. "Dideou. I can see why you wanna lay low. Punching a famous Director with connections in the entertainment industry and whose company is big here as it is in the states is a ballsy move. Especially how Foreign talent is treated here.""
Dide stopped as he couldn't help but turn his head. Ren and Kai looked to him surprised.
"So you understand what happens if you get in trouble again." Sojiro told him.
"...yeah, I'll keep myself out of trouble." Dide said.
"Then there's you---" Sojiro said, looking to Kai, "---You have an older sister and confronted her stalker and he ended up pressing charges."
"Still worth it teaching that asshole to keep his hands to himself." Kai said as he rolled his eyes.
"Hey, your folks were pretty clear this is your last chance to behave." Sojiro told him, "If you cause any kind of trouble you'll be going straight to juvy understand?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Kai said as he rolled his eyes.
"And lastly… I heard about your situation---" Sojiro said finally looking to Ren, "---You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her. He got injured and sued you for greviously body harm. Well, that's what you get for sticking your nose in a matter between two adults. You did injure him, yeah?"
This time Dide looked shocked as did Kai. "Ren you didn't---" Dide said.
"That's not what happened!" Ren told them, "I just---"
Ren soon looked down at this not sure, how he should explain himself in that moment. It hadn't been long before Sojiro sighed, "I don't want hear it, no excuses. So with a criminal record you were expelled from your high school. The court ordered you to transfer schools and your parents agreed to it."
"So in other words your folks got rid of you." Kai said earning a nudge from Dide.
"Though he's not wrong." Sojiro said, "If you boys want my advice, it's best you three don't talk about anything unnecessary. I am in the restaurant business, you know? You all have a year to behave yourselves, if nothing happens your probations will be lifted."
"Wait, wait, wait, we have to stay here for a year?!" Kai said, "In this shitty attic?!"
"Hey, it's only until next Spring so don't complain." Sojiro told Kai, "Any of you cause any problems then you'll be the police's problem, understand?"
The three of them looked at one another before they sighed. "Yes sir…" Dide said.
"Right." Ren said.
"Read ya loud and clear old man." Kai said.
"Good." Sojiro said, "We'll be going to Shujin tomorrow. You three will be attending there. I'll be taking you over so you can get to know your peers and teachers. Though a fair warning, people don't tend to be very welcoming to newcomers so don't expect a warm welcome." He soon gestured to a box for Ren, "Your luggage arrived here earlier today, I took the liberty of bringing up for you. You boys can start cleaning up but don't make a lot of noise."
With that Sojiro left the boys alone as they looked around teh attic again.
"... I guess we're all on the same boat then." Kai said, "Though I didn't think someone like you would even get a record four eyes. I mean---Gruesome attack---"
"It's like I said, that's not what happened!" Ren argued before his expression softened, "It's… More complicated than that."
"No, no, I get it." Kai reassured him, "How do you think I feel after the stalker of my sister decided to press charges?"
"Well look on the bright side, we're all in this together." Dide said as he put his arms around their shoulders. "With the exception of me having to hide my face, it'll be just like when we were kids getting into all sorts of trouble!"
"That's---something you shouldn't joke about." Ren told him.
"Who was that guy that you socked anyway?" Kai asked.
"....Cames Jameron." Dide said
"YOU SOCKED THAT GUY?!" He shrieked though he immediately shut his mouth realizing how loud he had been.
"He didn't hurt you did he?" Ren asked.
Dide this time looked nervous, "Uh---Let's just say my situation is as complicated as yours Ren. Now then---" He soon set down his things before he rolled up his sleeves, "---Who's gonna help me clean this place up and make it more liveable?"
"... Why do you sound happy about that?" Kai asked.
In almost a blink, Ren and Kai were shocked to see that Dide had already had cleaning supplies and had been dressed for the part. He handed Ren and Kai both brooms.
"Imma start over on this half, and you two can take the other half!" Dide said, "NOW LET'S GET CLEANING!!"
"... He's way too energetic…" Ren and Kai said as they slumped awkwardly.
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-Somewhere in Shibuya-
The sun had been setting over in the horizon of Shibuya; mostly everyone on the streets had been returning home for the evening. Though none seemed to pay mind to those sitting on the streets; in fact some even knocked them over just to get a good laugh.
A young boy whom looked to be fifteen as he had on old clothes and sneakers; they had been covered in dirt from top to bottom.
He had black and gray messy hair, with a long ahoge. He had a cute face and had on glasses that had been round and looked cracked barely giving him any clear vision; his eyes had been an red orange color.
He appeared to be looking for someone as he his eyes had been darting back and forth.
"Kiku!" He called out, "Kiku!"
He peeked behind an alleyway as he didn't mind people avoiding him and looking to him in disgust. "Kiku where did you go!?"
The moment his back was turned he ended up running into someone; he turned looking startled, but immediately calmed when he recognized the person with a peculiar star shaped birthmark on their cheek.
"Oh, there you are." He said relieved, "You scared me nearly half to death when you took off earlier, what were you doing?"
The person---The young fifteen year old teen, named Kiku showed him holding what looked to be a cat. It had been black with a white paws and a white tip on its tail; it looked to have an old yellow collar and a pair of blue eyes.
"You were chasing Mo-chan again?" The boy said, earning a nod from them, "Man he is always getting loose. We gotta keep a better eye on him." He soon took their hand, "Come on it's getting late."
He soon showed them a bag he had been carrying which had been filled with riceballs, "Look, I got your favorite flavor of riceballs, potato croquettes, plenty of it, and---Some shortcake for desert for that sweet tooth of yours. Let's have it at the camp tonight, okay?"
Kiku looked excited as they nodded eagerly before they started to make their way out of the busy streets of Shibuya. It wasn't long before the evening turned to night as they entered Yoyogi Park, making sure not to get caught by the police cars that had been driving nearby.
They soon approached a camp that had been made from loose woodplanks and tarp. It looked to be guarded by a dog, that had been white shibu inu. The dog wagged its tail as he looked happy to see them both.
"Hey Shiro---Good boy." The boy said as he and Kiku scratched his ears, "Thanks for keeping an eye on the place."
They soon entered the camp turning on a lantern light; the makeshift tent itself had been labeled Haruto and Kiku. The camp itself had been small but they called it home. Kiku opened one of the package of the potato croquette before breaking it in half and handed it to the cat, affectionately called Mo as Mo himself ate it happily.
Kiku soon opened a package of the riceball before handing it to Shiro whom happily munched on it.
"Any luck on finding anything we can sell?" The boy---Assumed to be named Haruto asked.
Kiku soon took out their bag before they showed the items they have. Their had been a couple of books, old watches and a broken phone.
"Hmm---" Haruto said, "---Well the books will be good for something at that shop on Central Street,, and I can salvage the phone and watch and sell them for parts tomorrow. Should give us the money for that manga cafe we saw near the station."
He soon noticed Kiku's worried expression, "Hey, hey, it's okay. I know it's not exactly the easy life, but it's better than the alternative." He patted their shoulder as he smiled, "Don't worry, they haven't found us and they won't find us anytime soon."
Kiku smiled before they went to hug Haruto, Haruto smiled as he patted their back. He soon got himself a rice ball and handed them a soda as they opened it.
"To a better tomorrow!" Haruto said as he and Kiku put their cans together and taking a drink.
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-Yongen-Jaya; Cafe LeBlanc-
It took up most of their day, but Ren, Kai and Dide managed to clean up most of the attic so that it could be up to living conditions. After having a simple cup of noodles for dinner and washing up at the bathhouse that was nearby they decided to turn in for the night.
Though into the night the boys didn't go to sleep right away, so each of them passed the time in their own way.
Kai had been playing on a gaming system, Dide had been browsing through his phone, and Ren had been working on the crossword Sojiro had been trying to solve earlier.
Kai looked to the rooster and chicken roaming about through the room as he couldn't help but have a look.
"So… Are they your family pets or you saving them for a special meal?" Kai asked. His face had soon been met with a pillow, courtesy of Dide.
"Pets. Mind you." Dide told him
"Hey, don't blame me for asking!" Kai said, "I figured since you were in America they would be for---What was that holiday called? Thanksgiving?"
"As if." Dide said. "I just SAVED Them from becoming part of a Thanksgiving commercial hell, a Christmas commercial for that matter!"
"Potato, patato, don't blame me if people start thinking with their stomach at the sight of em." Kai said before he shrieked, "OW! WHAT THE--"
The Chicken--Harumi was pecking at his leg with Momodu pecking at his feet.
"Sounds like they didn't like your comment." Dide said, "Best apologize."
Kai groaned, "Fine, fine, sorry for thinking of you two as food, and whatever."
Harumi and Momdu looked satisfied as they hopped up on Dide's bed, settling next to him.
"Hey, Ren you've been abnormally quiet---" Dide said, "---You doing alright with your situation?"
"... What do you mean?" Ren asked, as he filled out a word in the puzzle.
"Well from the looks of it, it's a big deal." Dide said, "You---Really didn't hit a guy did you?"
"No." Ren replied, "But everyone else seems to think I did."
"Well… What happened?" Kai asked as he rubbed his feet, "If you didn't hit him?"
Ren sighed as he recalled, "... I was getting home late that night, when I heard the commotion down the street. I went to check it out and saw a man trying to get a woman to go into his car. He was drunk, I could tell by the way he talked." His hand clenched, "... I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. But---When I went to stop him… He ended up tripping and hit his head. The police arrested me soon after they arrived… The man and the woman I helped… Told them that I hit him first."
Dide and Kai looked shocked.
"Wait so you didn't hit him---" Kai said, "---But that asshole somehow spun it to make you look guilty?!" He soon clicked his tongue, "That is all kinds of fucked up…"
"Fucked up doesn't even describe it!" Dide said. "You got the fall while the actual prep gets away for HIS actions?!"
Ren sighed again, "I don't know… Wouldn't it be better if I didn't do anything?"
"Of course not!" Dide argued, "Chai! Who knows what that drunk man would've done to that poor woman if you left it alone! In my book you did the right thing!"
"... You think so?" Ren asked.
"For once I agree with Neat Freak." Kai said. "Plus if I was in your shoes---" he pounded his fists. "---These boys would have given that drunk bastard a wake up call and then some!"
"Yeah, but Ren's not you, don't forget." Dide argued before he grunted, "God, adults like that guy just think the whole world is in the palm of their hands, it just makes me so mad!"
"Like the director you punched?" Ren asked.
"Yeah, that asshole deserved it!" He said. "He was harrassing a couple of the cast and crew who were my friends and I couldn't--" he turned to the boys as he said "--W-well, let's not focus on any of that. Shujin is basically a new start for us, so let's give a good first impression tomorrow for the teachers."
"... Right." Ren said.
"Whatever you say Mr Neat Freak." Kai said as he set aside his gaming system, "I'll get the light."
"Good night." Ren and Dide said, as Kai turned off the light.
Dide and Kai had immediately gone to sleep the second their heads hit the pillow. Ren however didn't go to sleep right away as he thought back to that night… The night of his arrest.
He shook his head at the thought, "... Dide's right… I couldn't just stand by and do nothing for her. I wouldn't be any better than that guy."
Suddenly he heard his phone let out a chime. He rummaged through his pocket and got out his phone; he noticed… It had been the strange app.
"That's strange. I thought I deleted it before."
Ren soon went to delete it again, however the moment he did, his eyelids started to feel heavy as the phone dropped out of his hand.
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Ren opened his eyes at the sound of chains rattling. Oddly enough however he didn't find himself in the attic of Leblanc with Dide and Kai. Instead… He found himself in a prison. Even his clothes had changed to that of black and white stripes.
Immediately he sat up, realizing there had been chains on his wrists.
"What the---?!"
His attention had soon been drawn to the sound of giggling just outside of the cell he had been in. The source from the laughter revealed themselves as Ren had been taken back at the sight of two young girls. They appeared to be a pair of twins, both of which had platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes. They both had eyepatches one on the opposite eye as if to mirror themselves. They had the V on their eyepatch and they wore a blue prison guard outfit.
The only thing different from each other had been their hairstyles: one had a long braid and a hat with the letters "O-Y-O-O", while the other had hair buns and a hat with the letters "X-M-R-N."
Ren attempted to get closer to the bars but for a moment he found himself tripping. That's when he noticed there had been a chain attached to his ankle, as the chain itself had been attached to a steel ball. He recovered before he approached the bars; the twins seemed to move out of his view.
To his own shock he could see other cells within---Whatever place he had been inside of.
At the very center there was a single desk, and lamp. A man sat at the desk. He had the appearance of a bizarre old man with a long nose, pointed ears and bulging, bloodshot eyes. He donned a black suit, white gloves, white or black socks and black shoes. He appears to be quite tall when fully stood up and is almost skeletally thin.
He possessed a wide grin as he greeted Ren.
"Welcome to my Velvet Room---Trickstar."
"... Velvet Room?" Ren pondered a loud.
BANG--Went the baton as one of the twins hit the bars.
"Quiet inmate!" The one with the hair bun said.
"What the hell is this?!" Ren said as he pulled on the bars.
"You are only experiencing this as a dream." The twin with the long braids said.
"You're in the presence of our master---!" The twin with the hair buns stated, "---Stand up straight!"
"Welcome---" The man, their master from what he assumed said, "---I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter." The man drummed his fingers on the table, "I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well. I summoned you to speak of… Important matters. It involves your life as well."
"What are you talking about?!" Ren said as he started to pull on the bars in an attempt to break free, "Let me out of here!"
BANG---The girl with the hair buns went with their baton causing him to jump back.
"Know your place, inmate!" She said, "Who do you think you're talking to?!"
The man---Igor chuckled softly as he looked at the cells that appeared to be numbered.
"Still, this is a surprise…" He said, "... The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. To think this prison would appear as such." He soon looked to Ren as he grasped the bars, "You truly are a 'prisoner' of fate. In the near future, there is no mistake that ruin awaits you."
Ren looked confused, "What are you talking about? What do you mean by ruin?!"
"Haha---" Igor said, "---Worry not. There is a means to oppose such a fate. You must be rehabilitated. Rehabilitated towards freedom…That is your only means to avoid ruin… Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"
"What are you talking about?!" Ren asked, "What do you mean by ruin?!"
"... You didn't decline, hm?" Igor said intrigued, "Very well that is enough. Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation."
The twins soon turned, facing his cell once more as Ren flinched a little.
"Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others." Igor said before he gestured to each twin, "To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here."
"Hmmph!" The twin with the hair buns---Caroline said, "Try and struggle as hard as you like."
"The duty of wardens is to protect inmates." The twin with long braids--Justine said, "We are also your collaborators… That is, if you remain obedient. I shall explain the roles of these two at another occasion.
Before Ren could say anything more he had been taken back by the sound of a bell going off.
"Times up inmate!" Caroline said, "Hurry up and go to sleep!"
"No wait---!" Ren started to say.
He suddenly felt drowsy again, as his body felt heavy. He didn't even realize he hit the ground of his cell.
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-Yoyogi Park-
The sounds of the city had been the only thing that could be heard as those that had stayed on the streets slept in the makeshift tents they had either on the streets or in the park itself. Haruto and Kiku were fast asleep in their respective spaces with Shiro in his own bed.
However, Kiku began to stir as they felt Mo's tail brush against their nose.
They woke up drowsingly, noticing the cat's tail exiting the camp.
"... Mo-chan?"
They soon went to wake Haruto as he groaned groggily, "What is it?"
Kiku soon pointed to the exit and the space where Mo had been sleeping.
"Again?" Haruto said as he went to put on his broken glasses, "Come on, let's go get him back!"
He, Kiku and Shiro who eventually stirred from his sleep went out of the camp and followed their cat. For the first few times they almost lost him, before they caught sight of their cat. For a while it seemed like it would've taken them all night until---
---They found themselves in front of a school. One that had been labeled Shujin Academy.
"Mo-chan?" Haruto called out, "Mo-chan, where are you?"
He and Kiku went to examine the gate, finding it to be locked. "... Think he went in there?" He asked Kiku.
Kiku nodded their head before Haruto took a breath. He soon interlocked his fingers before Kiku put their foot on their hands; they soon went over the fence before Haruto followed behind with Shiro.
"Okay, you check if he got inside---" He said, "---I'll check around here with Shiro."
Kiku nodded before they went towards the door while Haruto went to look around the front yard. As Kiku went to examine inside however---
BLIP.
---They were startled by the sound of a phone.
They looked over, noticing there had been a phone on the ground. It seemed to be shining an odd red color. They went over to the phone, oddly entranced before they picked it up off the ground, noticing how cracked the screen had been.
Strangely enough… The phone appeared to have a strange red eye app.
"Hey, did you find something?" Haruto asked as he approached Kiku with Shiro.
Just as Kiku went to show him the phone, the screen started to glitch.
"BEGinnING NAVigaTIon."
Kiku and Haruto looked confused before they, with Shiro, found themselves being surrounded by strange red rings. The only thing that had been left from where they stood had a peculiar pink flower pin that was once attached to Kiku's jacket.