School ended without incident.
That alone felt wrong.
Ren noticed it in the way the hallways were quieter than usual, the way conversations stayed low and unfocused—like everyone was waiting for something they couldn't name.
Mishima wasn't there.
Ryuji was the first to say it out loud.
"Hey. Uh. Has anyone seen Mishima today?"
Ann paused mid-text, brow furrowing.
"No. I figured he was just sick or something."
Shiho hesitated. She'd been quiet since lunch, her bag held a little too close to her chest.
"You guys… you've seen the bruises on the volleyball players, right?" she whispered.
"Shiho?" Ann asked, confused.
"What did you say?"
"It's nothing."
Shiho shook her head.
"I texted him earlier about that. He didn't respond. Not even an emoji."
Ryuji shrugged, forcing a laugh that didn't quite land.
"C'mon. He's always like that. Dude's got crazy endurance, right? He's shy with people, but he always shows up in the end."
Ren didn't answer right away.
Instead, he replayed the day in his head.
The empty seat.
The way no one even noticed.
"Maybe he twisted something worse than he thought," Ren said at last.
His tone was even. Neutral.
"He was limping yesterday."
Shiho's grip tightened on her bag strap.
"Yeah," Ann said quickly.
"Yeah, that makes sense. He should rest."
No one spoke for a few seconds after that.
Then Ryuji clapped his hands together.
"Anyway. Are we—like—doing anything today? Metaverse stuff, I mean?"
Morgana popped his head out of Ren's bag. "No."
"Did you forget we went there twice yesterday?" Morgana continued.
"The guards are going to be everywhere. We need to lay low for now."
Ren nodded.
'Or we may die,' he didn't say.
"But—" Ryuji started, then groaned.
"Ugh, yeah. You're right. Still, Captain Kidd's itching for a fight."
"Don't use your Persona as an excuse," Morgana shot back.
"It's still you, moron."
"Shut up, cat!"
"I'M NOT A—"
"I guess he really can talk, huh?" Ann said, blinking. "It just sounds like meows to me… wait. Was that what I heard yesterday during class?!"
Morgana flattened his ears.
"Well," Ryuji said after a beat,
"anyone wanna do anything, then? If not, I'm probably just gonna play video games."
"I have a place we can go," Morgana said quietly.
"Hm?" Ren glanced down at him.
"Where?"
"Ren," Morgana said.
"You're smart. What was the Metaverse again?"
"You said it was a self-contained world within the collective unconscious—"
Ren paused.
"Oh. I see."
Morgana returned the grin.
"Where to, mon ami à fourrure?" Ren said, Arsène's voice faintly overlapping his own.
"Ne parle pas de la fourrure. Va à la gare," Morgana replied proudly.
"I don't know enough French for that," Ren deadpanned.
"Go to the train station," Morgana sighed.
"Let me call Boss first," Ren said, already stepping away. "Be right back."
He left the group behind, thoroughly confused.
---
Leblanc.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
"Ah—sorry, Narukami," Sojiro said, standing. "I have to take this. It's Ren."
"It's alright, Sakura-san," Yu replied, grabbing his jacket.
"Just… don't let him know I'm in Tokyo yet. I'll head out."
"Have a nice day," Sojiro said as Yu raised a hand in farewell and stepped outside.
"Boss?" Ren's voice came through the phone.
"Is there a problem?" Sojiro asked calmly.
"Oh—no problem, Boss," Ren said.
"I just wanted to let you know I'll be out with friends. I won't be late."
"You didn't have to call for that," Sojiro replied. "But alright. Be safe."
"Of course. Thank you, sir. Goodbye."
The call ended.
Morgana, listening from Ren's bag, frowned.
He didn't quite understand why the call had been necessary.
Yes, Ren was on probation—but it wasn't as if he wasn't allowed to live his own life.
'Amigo,' Zorro's voice murmured.
'Let him explain when he wants to. Don't push it.'
Morgana nodded internally.
"Okay. All ready," Ren said when he rejoined the group.
They quickly wrapped up their conversation about… cleaning products?
"Let's go, let's go!" Ryuji cheered.
"I'm bored as hell! Wait, what's at the train station?"
The girls giggled, despite also being slightly confused.
Ren huffed out a quiet laugh.
"Shall we?" he asked.
---