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Ryuji had long since grown used to the whispered rumors that floated amongst the Shujin student body. He also prided himself on being able to differentiate the real from the fake. Yama being absent because of food poisoning was not a false rumor. Ryuji might not have been friends with all—or any—of them, but he did his best to remember everyone from the track club. Yama hadn't been a regular member when they were still a flourishing club, but he heard from Nakaoka the changes that were taking place.Hands tucked behind his head, Ryuji stared at the selection of bread and wondered which Yama had eaten. Akira decided to choose for them both and grabbed two wrapped packages before handing the money over to the woman behind the counter."Let's go to the courtyard," Ryuji suggested. "We can get drinks there. My treat.""Okay," Akira smiled.Ryuji felt his heartbeat stutter in excitement. He wondered if this was what love felt like. Or maybe he was just happy to have a true friend? Whatever the reason, his emotions were causing changes in both the real and cognitive world. After a particularly emotional "date"—Ann liked to call it that—at their usual ramen shop, Ryuji was surprised to find that his pirate Persona was no more. He missed Captain Kidd, especially the boat, but Seiten Taisei was just as cool. And proof of his strength.Ryuji handed a drink over in exchange for a wrapped bread. He took a seat next to Akira, staring worriedly at the food in his hands."It won't kill you," Akira joked, unwrapping his."How the hell do you know?" Ryuji grumbled, fiddling with the plastic but not unwrapping."Because Yama is only one student out of hundreds. Thousands?" Akira tilted his head, pondering the student count. He seemed to have realized he'd become distracted and returned his attention to Ryuji. "My point is: most of us eat the same thing. Maybe he was poisoned outside of the school, or by a jilted lover."Ryuji's eyes widened before he barked out a sharp laugh. "What the hell, man!"Akira lifted his shoulders in a shrug, taking a dramatic bite from his bread. Ryuji knew he was being goaded into eating and he complied. Akira only had his best interests at heart. Tearing off the plastic, he took a large bite of his own sandwich.The incident was pushed aside, as all things were at Shujin Academy. That is, until another case came to light. This time, it was a severe allergic reaction that sent another track team member to the hospital. Shortly following that, an image was spread amongst the entire student body via email and text. A former track member—a third year named Nashi—was caught leaving a love hotel with a woman on his arm.Ryuji sat on the roof of the school, staring at the image. It was a shot taken at a distance, but if anyone paid closer attention to the subjects and not their clothes and surroundings, they would be able to see how happy the student looked. “Maybe they were going out and this was the only way,” he muttered before returning to the home screen of his phone. The black and red app that mysteriously appeared roughly a month ago, pulsed.The door to the roof creaked open and Ryuji shoved his phone into his pocket after jumping to his feet. He relaxed, smiling sheepishly at Akira’s worried stare.“I thought you’d be up here.” The brunet closed the door, leaning against in, body in a casual slouch. “Do you want to go to the Metaverse? With Yusuke on our side, we have strength in numbers.”“Yeah,” Ryuji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He grinned. “Yeah, let’s go.” Madarame’s gaudy Palace would be a welcome distraction to the swirling vortex of thoughts in his head.Akira perked up, pushing away from the wall. He opened the door and stepped to the side to allow Ryuji to pass first. Ryuji grinned and dragged him along, the door slamming shut behind them.
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Ryuji left the Metaverse feeling more frustrated than ever. Madarame was a dick that deserved what was coming. Because of his plagiarizing ways, he had more traps and tricks than Kamoshida could’ve even dreamed of. Jumping through paintings had been fun, until that became a chore. Certain paintings were rigged to take you back to previous ones. Mona promised they were getting closer to the treasure, so they had to take his word for it, but Joker decided they’d explored enough for the day.Ryuji sank onto the guard rail outside of Madarame’s shack (Yusuke's current residence), smiling when Akira sat beside him. “Sorry. I’m just catching my breath.”“Do you feel better?” Akira questioned, concerned lacing his voice.“No,” Ryuji answered truthfully. “But this is more important than just me, so don’t worry, man.”“Of course I have to worry.” Akira bumped their shoulders gently. Ryuji noticed he never moved away, but he wasn’t going to complain about the contact. “You were the first person I met. Well, no. That was Ann, but you talked to me first.”“I snapped at you,” Ryuji laughed, ducking his head as he remembered that rainy day.“Look at those two, flirting.” The accusation was made by a grinning Ann, no malice behind her words only a grin on her face. “You’d think they’d wait until they were in private.”“Why should they?” Yusuke asked, ever the innocent and sheltered soul. “I don’t understand love, but if they wish to show affection for each other,” he trailed off to smile at the seated pair, “They shouldn’t have to hide it.”“We shouldn’t, should we?” Akira reached for Ryuji’s hand, only for the blond to pull away.Ryuji had done so unconsciously, his mind still lost within itself. It was the silence surrounding him that caught his attention. He lifted his head and his eyes widened after meeting Akira's gaze. Devastated was the only thing that came to mind as he stared brunet’s expression. “Shit.” Ryuji snatched Akira’s hand out of the air, cradling it with both of his. “Sorry! Please don’t look like that. I didn’t mean to do that. I just…” He bit down on his tongue, not wanting to say the wrong thing in his tired state. He could also feel Ann’s life-threatening glare digging into the side of his head. ‘I’ve got a lot on my mind.’Akira understood, and patted Ryuji’s hand with his free one. “We’ll put an end to everything this Saturday. Let’s rest up in the meantime.” He looked away from Ryuji to the other members of their impromptu team. “If you guys want to train some more in Mementos, I’m sure Morgana will happily take you.”Yusuke spoke up first, arms crossed loosely over his chest. “It won’t be the same without you, but I’ll go. I’m still new, and lacking in power.”“I’ll go with you then!” Ann gave the artist a reassuring slap on his shoulder. “We’ll get stronger while these two have their date.”Ryuji flushed brightly, unable to pull away from Akira for fear of hurting him again. The brunet simply smiled, taking the teasing in good nature. How had someone so perfect fallen into his life?
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Akira: Sorry if I embarrassed you. Akira: I’ve been spending too much time with Yusuke, now I’m acting weird.Ryuji smiled at the new message waiting for him after his bath. He climbed into bed, phone in hand, and proceeded to send off a response. You’ve always been weird. Don’t blame it on an artist.Akira: You weren’t supposed to know ヽ(⌐■_■)ノ♪♬Ryuji snorted out loud, pressing his phone against his forehead as he stifled his laughter. “Where the hell did you even find that emoji, dude?” His fingers moved without his consent, but Ryuji came to his senses right before he hit “SEND”. His eyes widened at the message he’d written and he promptly deleted it. I want to know everything about you.That was enough texting for the night. Ryuji off sent a simple night before shoving the phone beneath his pillow and burying his face in the soft material. ...disconnecting scenes in here... Ryuji began muttering aloud, everything he knew about Akira. When he was finished, he successfully unlocked one of the keywords he hoped would never show. Ryuji lifted his gaze from the phone to stare around the Station Square. As always, it bustled with foot traffic. Salarymen and students alike. Protesters and indie musicians. Station attendants. What would Akira's Palace be like in a place like this? The thought caused Ryuji's hands to tighten around his phone in a fierce grip. A hopeful part of him refused to accept that Akira was the one behind the demise of the track team, but the proof was in his hands—"Kurusu" was written across his phone's screen—and staring back at him; that unblinking red and black eye."Revenge," Ryuji mumbled beneath his breath, reading his only lead. Revenge. The only person he could think of that wronged Akira was Kamoshida, and they had already taken care of him. Madarame's beef was only with them as Phantom Thieves; he had no idea their real identities."Hurdle..." Ryuji tried, recalling a few events that accompanied the track sport. The Meta-Nav turned down his suggestion and he heaved a deep sigh. He'd been at it for almost thirty minutes and getting nowhere. Ryuji remembered Kamoshida's Palace and the dungeon he called a training room, only to shake his head fiercely. Akira would never have a Palace like that perverted asshole. 'He shouldn't have a Palace at all...'Ryuji briefly wondered if he should call Yusuke or Ann and ask their thoughts on their leader, but Ann would get suspicious and Yusuke would probably wax poetic about his eyes or something. Ryuji allowed himself a moment to smile. Akira really did have nice eyes, and it was the dullness of them when Ryuji voiced his concern for the students, and the offhand comment of "maybe they deserve it" that had him in his current predicament.Ryuji pressed his phone against his forehead with a loud groan. "Revenge. Revenge for who? Revenge for himself or revenge..." Eyes wide, Ryuji pulled the device away to stare at the mysterious app that stared back at him. He had to keep himself from shouting at the inanimate object, so as not to attract unnecessary attention, "Akira wants to get revenge for what happened to me—Sakamoto Ryuji? Why the hell am I talking to my phone?" Ryuji snapped out of his slump when the app pinged a new keyword. His name. Akira was destroying lives on his behalf? "I don't want that..."Pushing away from the outer wall, Ryuji ducked inside the Teikyu building. He climbed the stairs, feet weighed down by the heaviness of his heart, never once noticing the distortions following him. Ryuji tapped his pass at the gate and climbed the short flight of stairs. The moment he stepped onto the platform, the blinding lights from a passing train forced him to raise an arm and shield his eyes.Ryuji dropped his arms after the light faded, only to find himself staring at an open space and bright blue sky. His wide eyes tried to take in the new scenery, and he spun around to see what lay behind him; his mouth fall open in shock. Kurusu Akira's Palace was a hospital.