Persona 5 - The Jester's Point Of View

Scene 4

One may ask why nothing was working. Despite keeping up appearances nothing seemed to click. It was always the same old spiel between the two, no matter how much time had passed. No matter the time, no matter the place. Honestly, it all had started as a bad joke if anything and may as well be a bad clichée found within every book. A chance meeting with no reason whatsoever. And it had happened over and over and over. At first Goro didn’t really bat an eye. She was not worth his time. Or he? Hah, who cares honestly. It pretty much changed on a whim. Maybe ‘they’ would be more suitable. Plus it gave him less of a headache… He had other things to worry about.

In any case, they were not really someone worth worrying about. And it should have stayed that way. However, the more coincidences happened, the more caution was needed. After all they were… Odd. So odd that it became annoying, infuriating. Something didn’t sit right with him whenever seeing them. It was as if he was under constant observation. They never acted out of line, it wasn’t that, but it was still starting to get under his skin. Not to mention their mouth… Well, at least they spoke their mind or something… 

“ You’ve seen me more with… Uhm… Ake… chi? Yeah, that was his name. … Don’t look at me like that. Are you seriously jealous of me bumping into a lame ass guy? Ah– I don’t mean it like– Ugh, that came out wrong… Listen, he’s just some guy. Nothing special. And besides, are you seriously going to ‘crush’ on someone you only know from television? For all you know he could be the scum of the earth! … Not saying that he is but… Hah, forget it. Can’t reason with you, can I? ”

Something about it just sticked, a little too much. Usually he should be able to see past it yet being essentially humiliated like that. Something just struck a nerve right then and there. It was not infuriating in itself. Imagine it like a mosquito bite – It is nothing fatal, just a really annoying itch which won’t leave you alone until it disappears. That or you treat it so it fades away quicker. A tiny inconvenience which should technically be none. It’s very irritating regardless. 

It was one opinion. One. Yet it didn’t sit right with him in any sense of the word. Maybe that was why he had found himself acting up over it internally. He had not said it in anyone’s face of course, especially not theirs when bumping into them a few more times. But it was there, deep down. He couldn’t stand this mosquito bite. And it didn’t go away either. He just had to scratch it, every single time. And it was exactly what he did. He didn’t have to, he knew that himself. But he did so anyway. Over and over again. 

Even now when having come across them within one of the local cafés, shortly after having asked if the seat across the table was free. “You are not with your friends?” He had asked them as he sat down.

“No, not when dressed like this.” They sighed, a palm of their hand resting against one of their cheeks while the elbow had been placed onto the table top. “They don’t even get it’s me… Or they’d think I’m a crossdressing freak.”

Honestly, that they would even open up about something like this. But then again, it was a general assumption. Goro may not have said it out loud yet when having found out about this ‘Anja and Luka’ deal he had assumed a similar thing. Yet before it could have even slipped his mouth they had said at the brink of hissing: “ If you say it’s crossdressing too I’m gonna turn you upside down. Literally! ” He had not wanted for the situation to have escalated further so all he had responded with at the time was: “I… wasn’t thinking that! Honest!” It would have been very inconvenient if things had gotten ugly right then and there.

“But enough about that. Not like it matters.” They sighed. “Aren’t you gonna order something Akemi–Kun?”

Ah– Again!? That little… They’re doing this on purpose! “Luka… It’s Akechi.” Yet he pretended to just laugh it off, as if assuming that they had a hard time remembering. But he honestly doubted it. He had every reason to do so, given their tone. Something just told him that this was not even close to an accident.

All it got from the other person was a quick glance, one he was all too familiar with by now. A glance to observe him. Their mosquito bite. They didn’t say a word, at least not right away. But when they did they suddenly laughed, plastering a smile on their own face. “Right, sorry.” They apologized. “I often mix up names. Gimme a bit, alright? I’ll get it right someday.”

Would he believe their claims? He wasn’t sure… But it got under his skin regardless. “Is it that bad?” He asked however. Best to just play along.

“A little, yeah. Again, sorry. But seriously, go on already. Or I’ll pick for you.”

“Is that supposed to be a threat?”

“I mean, I could pick something you don’t like. At all.”

What type of threat was that? “I’m intrigued… Do your worst.”

“Wait, are you serious? Erm…” It had caught them off guard, leaving them totally speechless. Maybe it was a little amusing. But just a little. After all, he was witnessing them fumbling. And that in itself was a rather funny sight. Even their big mouth is capable of that. “You’re joking around, right?;Picking for some guy…”

“I insist. I mean, if I really don’t like it, I could hold you accountable.” He joked, or pretended to. In truth he had every intention to put them on the spot. Maybe he didn’t mind having the mosquito around sometimes.

“Talk about playing dirty.” They sighed yet seemed to give in at the end. “Fine… You asked for it though Akemi–Kun.”

“It’s Akechi.”

“Oh, right. Akechi–Kun. Sorry.”

Nevermind… The mosquito is still annoying.