Beneath The Mask {Rain} - Persona 5
It was getting later now, but the streets of central Tokyo buzzed with life, neon signs casting fleeting glows on their faces as they walked toward Shibuya Crossing, a place where the city itself seemed to breathe.
Toko walked a half-step behind Makoto, eyes darting toward the ground as the noise of the city grew louder. The gentle quiet of the shrine had been a brief reprieve, but now, as they approached the iconic intersection, the weight of the world pressed down on her shoulders again. She made certain that Kameko was safely tucked away in her bag, but her hands remained balled into fists, and her eyes narrowed.
The crossing was already in view, a mass of bodies shifting, flowing, and converging from every direction. Hundreds of people, all going somewhere, but none of them seeing her.
None of them seeing her.
She hoped.
Toko's breath hitched. It always felt this way. Like she was drowning in a sea of faces, each more indifferent than the last. She tugged her scarf closer around her neck, as if that could shield her from the invisible waves.
Makoto glanced over his shoulder.
"You okay?"
She flinched at the question, biting her lip before answering.
"It's nothing," she said, "I've been here before...I'm used to this."
The words slipped out with more bitterness than she intended, but Makoto just gave her that same, gentle smile. The one that always made her feel worse, as if he was looking straight through the prickly exterior she tried so hard to maintain. She hated how he could make her feel seen without even trying.
As they stepped onto the crosswalk, surrounded by the throng of people, the city seemed to swallow them whole. The lights flashed, the traffic roared, and Toko felt her heart race as the crowd pressed in from all sides.
She was just one person in a swarm of hundreds, insignificant and unseen.
She wondered if this was how she would always feel. Lost in the tide of humanity, forever misunderstood. And yet, despite it all, Makoto walked beside her.
He, at least, seemed to notice.
"Hey, we can take a break if you want," Makoto suggested, "There's a café over there. We can grab some coffee."
Toko looked up and spotted the sign, the familiar logo of a blue globe catching her eye.
"Okay," she said, and followed him into the store.
No More What If's [Instrumental] - Persona 5 Royal
The door to the café swung open with a soft chime, and the moment Toko stepped inside, the noise of the street faded into a comforting hum.
The air was thick with the smell of freshly ground coffee and the warm, mellow chatter of people enjoying their quiet escape from the chaos outside, and Toko was able to relax. The café was quiet and comfortable, the air rich with the scent of roasted coffee beans.
The barista, a rather peppy and jittery person who seemed very high on coffee themselves, was busy brewing up a fresh batch of coffee for the late-night rush. The name "Maya" was stitched on her apron, and the smile she shot them when they walked in was blinding.
"Hello, welcome to Freedom Cafe!" she greeted them, "What can I get for you today?"
The sheer friendliness radiating off this person repulsed Toko like the sun would a vampire, but she held her tongue.
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Phantom Thieves of Hope - A Danganronpa X Persona 5 Story.
Fanfiction"Makoto Naegi is the Ultimate Lucky Student as the esteemed school of Hope's Peak Academy. Now beginning his second year with little to no problems, Makoto's life is turned upside down when he discovers a cognitive realm known as the Metaverse. Thro...
