The rhythmic squeak of the rag against the glass counter was the only sound breaking the quiet hum of the convenience store. Leaning over the polished surface, I caught my own reflection staring back at me.
Dark hair framed my face, and the small silver hoop in my left ear caught the fluorescent lights with a subtle glint. It looked genuinely cool, but more than anything, I was just grateful to see someone alive and healthy. Spending my entire previous life confined to a sterile hospital bed, slowly wasting away from cancer and chronic illnesses before dying at sixteen, made something as simple as standing on two feet feel like an absolute blessing. Having a working body, clear lungs, and the energy to move around freely was something I would never take for granted.
"You really don't leave a single spot uncleaned, do you, Makuyo-kun?"
A calm, gentle voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see my senior stepping out from the break room, adjusting the brim of her matching red Moel gas station cap over her silver-gray hair.
'Senpai is really cute as always.'
"Well, standing around doing nothing makes the shift drag on forever, Senpai," I said with a bright, cheerful grin, tossing the rag into the bucket. "Besides, I want to leave everything spotless for the prettiest coworker on staff."
She froze mid-step, her eyes widening slightly. She quickly jerked her head to the side, lifting a gloved hand to lightly clear her throat.
'Wait, did I say something wrong?'
"Ahem... your shift is finished for the evening," she said, her tone carefully composed as she kept her face pointed away from me. "You've worked hard today. Go ahead and clock out."
"Thanks, Senpai! I'll do that."
I stepped behind the register and slid my paper timecard into the machine. The mechanical clack-ding echoed through the shop, officially marking the end of my hours.
As I loosened the collar of my red shirt, I brought up the interface with a simple thought. The pale screen materialized quietly in my vision.
[Tycoon Management System]
[Weekly Revenue: +200,000 ¥]
[Current Balance: 21,826,831 ¥]
I had already used a bit of the funds to rent an apartment, buy essential furniture, and take care of daily expenses, but seeing an eight-figure balance still felt surreal. Why a runaway noble with millions in the bank was working an hourly job at a rural gas station was beyond me, but having a regular job and talking to people gave me a sense of normal life that I had missed out on for sixteen years.
I grabbed my bag from the break room, slung the strap over my shoulder, and headed toward the front exit.
"Have a good night, Senpai. See you next shift," I called out warmly.
"Take care on your way back," she replied softly, her voice back to its usual steady rhythm.
I pushed open the glass sliding door and stepped toward the parking lot, stopping in place as a cool drop landed right against the bridge of my nose. A soft, steady patter began drumming against the metal canopy over the fuel pumps.
"Oh, it started raining."
I popped open my clear umbrella with a light click, the vinyl catching the rainfall just as the light drizzle deepened into a steady downpour.
——
The walk through Inaba was quiet and cast in soft shadows, with streetlamps casting long amber reflections across the glistening pavement. Navigating the quiet back roads, I made my way toward the outskirts of town where my place sat tucked away from the main streets.
From the outside, the two-story house looked like an absolute eyesore. The wooden siding was weather-beaten, paint was peeling off in large strips, and the rusted front gate squeaked loudly enough to make it seem like an abandoned haunted house. But the moment I unlocked the heavy deadbolt and stepped inside, that illusion fell apart completely.
Past the entranceway, the interior was pure comfort. Gleaming hardwood flooring ran under soft, warm lighting, leading into a spacious living room centered around a plush couch, climate-controlled heating, and a massive flat-screen television. With millions steadily accumulating in my account, I had made sure the inside was filled with everything I had never been able to enjoy before, while keeping the exterior worn down so nobody in town would pay me any mind.
I took off my damp shoes, hung up the umbrella to dry, and tossed my red uniform into the laundry basket.
As a first-year at Yasogami High, I was technically supposed to be stressing over homework and morning roll calls, but I had pretty much embraced the delinquent routine early on. Just like Kanji skipping classes whenever he felt like it, I barely bothered showing up, and I certainly never bothered checking a calendar. When you spend your entire first sixteen years trapped in sterile hospital rooms hooked up to IV drips and monitors, the last thing you want to do with a healthy body is sit behind a cramped desk all day.
Tonight, though, my focus was entirely on the living room.
I switched off all the lights, letting the room plunge into darkness save for the rain drumming against the windowpane. Sitting down on the soft rug right in front of the unplugged television, I waited quietly in the dark, watching the digital clock on the wall count down the final minutes.
[11:59 PM]
[12:00 AM]
The television screen abruptly flickered to life.
A high-pitched static hum filled the quiet room as the dark glass glowed with a faint, murky yellow haze. My breath caught in my throat as the static began to swirl, slowly forming the blurry, unmistakable silhouette of a woman standing in the center of the screen.
Curious, I leaned forward on my knees and reached out, pressing my right hand flat against the center of the display.
Thump.
My palm met cold, unyielding glass. I pushed harder, leaning my full weight against the screen, but the surface remained completely solid.
'Seriously? Still nothing?'
I slumped back onto the carpet with a visible pout, crossing my arms in frustration. I had been trying to get through for days, but it was obvious Senpai hadn't handed me whatever trigger or power was needed to enter the TV world. Apparently, being her cheerful coworker at the gas station didn't come with dimension-hopping perks.
I looked back at the screen, narrowing my eyes at the fuzzy shape on the broadcast.
'Is that Mayumi Yamano, or is it already Saki Konishi?'
Without a calendar or a clear picture, it was impossible to tell where the timeline currently stood.
Before I could puzzle it out any further, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion suddenly rolled over me. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and my body grew warm and relaxed. Yawning deeply, I dragged myself up from the floor, turned toward my bedroom, and climbed under the thick, warm covers of my bed. Within seconds of my head hitting the pillow, I drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The morning sunlight filtered gently through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow across the plush duvet. I blinked awake, stretching my arms above my head and letting out a satisfied breath. There was no screech of heart monitors, no metallic taste of intravenous drugs, and no persistent ache in my chest—just the simple, revitalizing feeling of waking up in a healthy body.
I swung my legs out of bed, padded across the polished hardwood floor to the modern kitchen, and set a kettle on the induction stove. While waiting for it to heat, I tossed a couple of eggs into a non-stick pan alongside a slice of toast.
As the bread browned, my thoughts drifted back to the Midnight Channel broadcast from the night before.
'If that blurry figure was Saki Konishi, stepping in to save her could change everything. If she gets thrown inside the TV and manages to face her other self, she could actually accept her Shadow and awaken to a Persona. Hell, maybe even Mayumi Yamano could have awakened if someone had just been there to pull her out in time.'
Still, something felt strangely off. My sense of time had been fuzzy ever since I settled into Inaba, almost as if the days were slipping past without a clear rhythm.
I finished my light breakfast, washed the plate, and slipped into a casual jacket. Glancing in the hallway mirror, I adjusted the silver hoop in my left ear, gave my hair a quick ruffle, and stepped out into the crisp morning air.
Walking down toward the central shopping street, I paused near an electronic storefront display to check the local time and news ticker.
[Current Date: April 6, 2011]
'Wait... There are still five whole days before Yu Narukami even arrives in town.'
I stood there for a moment, letting the realization sink in. The fog and the murders hadn't officially kicked off yet. The timeline was giving me a brief grace period before the real madness started.
Lost in thought, I turned a corner onto the sidewalk and bumped right into a broad shoulder.
"Ah, my bad! Wasn't looking where I was going," I said quickly, catching my balance.
"Hey, watch where you're—"
The boy cut himself off, glaring down at me with a fierce scowl. He had bleached blond hair swept back, a piercing gaze, and a skull-patterned shirt under an open jacket that practically screamed juvenile delinquent. It was unmistakable: Kanji Tatsumi.
Instead of shrinking back or getting defensive, I offered a casual, relaxed grin. "I'm Makuyo. Makuyo Yuki. First-year at Yasogami."
Kanji blinked. He rubbed the back of his neck, his aggressive posture softening just a fraction. "Uh... Kanji. Kanji Tatsumi. First-year too."
"Nice to meet you, Kanji," I said smoothly, falling into step beside him as he continued walking down the street.
We strolled together for a few blocks, chatting about basic, everyday stuff—the gloomy weather, how quiet the town was, and how neither of us had much patience for sitting in cramped classrooms all morning. Beneath the tough-guy exterior and the scowl, he was surprisingly easy to talk to, responding with genuine, if somewhat awkward, honesty.
When we reached the intersection near the textile shop, I stopped and gave him an easy wave. "Well, this is my turn. Catch you later, friend!"
Kanji froze, his eyes widening in complete bewilderment. "H-Huh? Friend?! Who the hell said we were friends?!"
I let out a light laugh. "Well, we just walked together and had a good talk, didn't we? That makes us friends now, obviously."
Leaving Kanji sputtering and flustered on the sidewalk, I turned down the road, feeling a genuine smile tugging at my lips. Having real conversations with people my own age was something I had missed out on for an entire lifetime.
As I walked along the main road, wondering what to do with the rest of my morning, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind me.
Patter, patter, patter.
I glanced over my shoulder and was surprised to see Senpai running out from the Moel gas station lot toward the sidewalk. She was in her familiar red uniform, her silver-gray hair swaying slightly as she caught up to me, coming to a halt with a light, composed breath.
"Makuyo-kun," she said, looking at me with a furrowed brow. "What are you doing wandering around town at this hour? Aren't you supposed to be in class at Yasogami High right now?"
I scratched my cheek, putting on an apologetic smile. "Ah... well, I woke up feeling pretty awful this morning. My head was pounding, so I stepped out to grab some medicine from the clinic."
Her amber eyes softened with mild concern, though her voice carried a firm, scolding tone. "If you are unwell, you shouldn't be wandering the streets on your own. You should stay in bed and let your family pick up whatever you need."
The casual excuse caught in my throat. I lowered my hand, rubbing the back of my neck with a faint, quiet grin.
"Ah... about that, Senpai. I don't really have any family."
Senpai stared at me for a long, quiet moment. Her amber eyes held a deep, unreadable stillness, yet the usual cool detachment in her demeanor softened ever so slightly. Without a word of pity, she pulled a small notepad and pen from her apron pocket, wrote down a series of numbers, and offered the folded slip to me.
"In that case, take this," she said, her voice steady and dignified. "If your condition worsens, or if you find yourself in need of medicine or groceries, you are to call me."
Before I could even register the fact that I was holding the personal phone number of an ancient deity, she leveled a calm, authoritative look at me.
"And you are not working your shift today. Go home, take proper medication, and rest."
"Aw, come on, Senpai!" I whined with a playful pout, holding my hands up. "That means I don't get to see my favorite senior all day. That's terrible for my recovery!"
Senpai simply turned her gaze toward the empty road, maintaining an absolute, unshakeable composure as she folded her hands infront of her.
"Your health takes priority over flattery, Makuyo-kun. Go straight home."
"Yes, yes, message receive
d!" I grinned cheerfully, tucking the paper safely into my pocket.
'Getting Senpai's number on a random morning definitely makes skipping work worth it.'
Leaving the gas station behind, I made a detour toward the central shopping street to hit the local pharmacy. Since I had already committed to the sick excuse, I figured I might as well stock up on actual supplies. I picked up some cold medicine, pain relievers, and a few electrolyte drinks before stepping back out into the quiet morning air.
As I strolled leisurely along the paved roads with the pharmacy bag swinging from my hand, my mind began turning over the days ahead.
'With a five-day head start before Yu Narukami even arrives, what else can I actually prevent around here?'
The faces of Inaba's future victims and troublemakers drifted through my thoughts.
'Mitsuo Kubo comes to mind. If someone actually reaches out to him before summer, maybe he won't snap and commit that copycat murder.'
If there was a chance to change those outcomes, I wanted to take it.
I turned down the quiet road leading toward the edge of town where my run-down looking house stood. Just as I was approaching the corner of the residential block, the hushed, excited chatter of two neighborhood housewives standing by a garden fence caught my ear.
"...did you hear the latest rumor? Someone from the prestigious Kirijo family is supposedly visiting Inaba for sightseeing this week!"
"My goodness, the Kirijo Group? From the big city? What on earth would an heiress like that want to look at in a quiet countryside town like ours?"
I stopped dead in my tracks on the sidewalk, nearly dropping my shopping bag.
'Wait, Mitsuru Kirijo is coming all the way out to Inaba for sightseeing?! What possible reason could she have to visit right now?'
I glanced over at the two middle-aged women casually chatting by the fence, utterly dumbfounded.
'And more importantly... WHERE THE FUCK ARE THESE HOUSEWIVES GETTING THIS CLASSIFIED INFORMATION?!'