[Discontinued] Second Fool (Persona 5 Harem)

9: Preparing The Poster

Panting, Keiji continued to jog down the track field. His heart felt like it was in fire, and he was sure his face was beet red.

"You got this!" Yelled Ryuji.

Keiji's feet slightly picked up in speed as he hurried down the last stretch. Quickly making it to the end, he collapsed onto the ground, a sweating mess.

His legs felt like they were going to fall off, and his throat felt like he had just walked through a desert. Ryuji jogged over, handing the boy a bottle of water.

"Thanks." Keiji said, quickly chugging down the water.

"You've only just started and you're getting much better." Commented Ryuji.

"Thanks." Replied Keiji.

Shakily standing up, he downed the rest of the water. The cool liquid slid down his throat, and he could feel it move down through his chest into his stomach. It was extremely refreshing.

"No problem. Hey, want to go grab some ramen?" He asked.

"Sure." Replied Keiji. "That would be nice."

They walked over to the boys locker room, where they took a quick shower before changing into casual clothes. Leaving the school, Ryuji showed Keiji to a ramen place he really liked.

Ryuji took Keiji to a small place in Ogikubo. Walking in, there was a counter with stools to the right. Sitting down, Ryuji ordered the two of them some ramen.

"The track team comes to this place all of the time." Stated Ryuji. "It's great."

The worker placed the two steaming bowls of hot ramen in front of them. Using the chopsticks, Keiji grabbed some of the noodles before putting them into his mouth. Sliding them down his throat, he smiled at the taste. It was delicious.

"Mmmm." Ryuji hummed. "Good as always."

"This is good." Replied Keiji. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"No problem! We're buds now!" Ryuji said, wrapping his arm around Keiji's shoulder.

Keiji just smiled wryly, shaking his head. Ryuji was quick to call him a "bud". Not that he minded, of course.

"Alright then. I look forward to working with you, bud." Replied Keiji.

Chariot Confidant: Level Five

. . .

Keiji arrived home. Opening the door, he slid into the house. Walking past the kitchen, he noticed his mother holding her head, looking down at the table.

"Is something wrong, Mom?" Asked Keiji.

"Oh, it's fine Keiji. We're just, having a little bit of a financial struggle. Don't worry, we'll fix it soon." Replied his mother.

"Is it because...?" Keiji started.

"Yes, your father's new job doesn't pay as much." Replied his mother.

Keiji clenched his fists. It wasn't fair. His father was fired when he shouldn't have been. He was fired because of someone else's selfishness. Why was the world like this?

"I'm heading to my room." Said Keiji, walking up to the second floor.

His mother sighed. "He's always been strangely intuitive. He'll be a smart boy when he grows up."

Keiji walked up to his room. His family was having financial trouble? Maybe he could use the money from the Metaverse and anonymously donate it so they could stay afloat until Keiji's Father worked back up the ladder of society.