Persona 5 - The Jester's Point Of View

Scene 33

If there was one thing Luka didn’t have to do towards Maki it was worry about acting weird. She knew who they were yet they had never expected her to become so accepting and uncaring about it. This was still so surreal, so sudden… A twisted turn of events, an irony. Honestly they were not really considering her a friend but kept her around to observe this change in behavior. Get closer, find an opportunity and ask away.

Before having sent that request Maki was unpleasant after all. Stuck up and ready to harm anyone coming in her way, destroying their lives in the process. But from what Luka saw she really had started to make amendments, trying to help out those she ruined the best she could. Everyone was surprised by this sudden change of heart and most just pushed her away… Understandably so. Luka had not forgiven her either, they never could. After all, she was the one who pushed them into isolation, one of the ring leaders. But at this point they may as well talk to a completely different person. Was this really Maki? She was still getting ahead of herself but in a different way… She was eager, helping those in need instead of insulting them. Mocking the homeless around the train station had been one of her hobbies but now she was donating some things to them. Hell, she even offers her seats to old people! And instead of making fun of a crying child she helped said child find their parents out on the streets! Even told that kid to be careful and not let go of his parents’ hands next time! That… Wasn’t the Maki Luka knew… And that change was drastic. 

But at the same time it was their best shot to reveal what the Phantom Thieves were actually doing, right? If Maki had been their target then she should have an answer. Or so they thought… 

Thus they brought it up during one of their meetups, the question they wanted to ask for a very long time…

“Say Maki, why did you apologize to me all of a sudden?”

“Huh? Isn’t it obvious? She responded, at first confused. “I was terrible to you and many others… There are sins I have to atone for. I must become a better person no matter what!”

“Uh… I heard that but I mean like… What made you realize that?”

“Realize?” Maki… To Luka’s surprise she really had to think about it, quite hard in fact. Was it really that hard to think about something which had personally happened to you? There was some technique the Phantom Thieves used, right!? And it had been used on her! So has to know what was going on! Right? Right!? Oh please— “I… I’ll be honest. I… Don’t know.”

“Huh!?” Luka’s eyes had gone wide at this response. If it had been past Maki or had he seen some doubt in her eyes, then maybe they would have treated it as a lie. However, that had not been the case. She looked… Confused when thinking about it, yet also stressed. As if she was recalling something at least. “Uhm… What happened? If you don’t mind me asking… Details I mean.”

“Details?” She repeated for a moment, looking to the side for a moment. “You won’t laugh when I tell you, will you?”

“N… No! Of course not!” They couldn’t. Not when she was looking like this at them. And they wouldn’t either way. Was she just hiding something horrible!? If the Phantom Thieves had done something truly awful to her then Luka would never forgive himself for asking them for help! In fact he would rather catch them and– 

“It came to me all of a sudden.” Maki responded as she turned back to them, her expression a little more serious than before, yet pained. It was not a pleasant experience and yet… “I was just sitting in my room that day…”

And Maki began talking, Luka taking in everything she would say. A few days before her apology she had been inside her room, talking to a friend of hers as usual, running her mouth as she had put it. The two were gossiping over the phone, laughing and spreading all sorts of things to one another. That was until she had gone silent. She described it as her body just not moving for a few moments. Her friend had called out for her over the phone. “Maki? What’s wrong? Maki? Ey, Maki! MAKI!” 

And yet, no response. Instead many thoughts had rushed through her very own head, too many to count. She said that she suddenly remembered every single person she had bullied and isolated, including Luka’s face. A few more moments and she suddenly had let out a loud scream and had hung up without a word.

Then Maki spent the next few days inside her bed, a blanket wrapped all over herself and calling herself a ‘monster’. ‘ How could anyone do this to someone? Wh… What have I done? I don’t deserve to live… ’ These were the things she had whispered. Yet at the same time she knew that she had to get over herself. 

‘ I can’t go on like this… I have to make up for it somehow… I… I need to repay my sins. I owe them… All of them… I have to make it up to them… To everyone… I… I need to get better… I have to… I just have to… Yeah, otherwise I just deserve to die! ’

“Honestly… It was terrifying at that moment.” She finished up her experience with those words. “But just sitting there and sulking around wouldn’t do… That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands and work on myself.”

“And… The Phantom Thieves?” Luka asked, confused by this tale. It was true, they could see that much. Given how Maki was shivering, how she had to relive this experience. But… There was no mention of them! Nothing of the Phantom Thieves whatsoever! 

“The Phantom Thieves?”

“Weren’t they there too!?”

“N… No. I didn’t see anyone. It was just me in my room.”

“B… But… They had to be there, right?”

“No.” Maki shook her head before laughing right after. “You’re funny An– I mean Luka. They had nothing to do with it! They wouldn’t even bother with someone like me.”

That… Can’t be. Something didn’t add up in this story and they knew it. Maybe she was brushing it off but he couldn’t. Something wasn’t right. No mention of the Phantom Thieves yet she had experienced a sudden breakdown? What was this? Some type of joke? But it had all happened right after Luka had sent the message inside the forum. This was… Weird. There was a gap, a clear one. Either Maki was suppressing her memories or… Something else was going on here.

She didn’t seem to lie. She didn’t remember. So even if they pushed it she couldn’t answer. Thus… They had to drop the subject for the time being. “Y… You’re right. They’re going after the bigshots after all.” They agreed, forcing that smile onto his face. “Sorry for asking.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll be ready to answer all your concerns from now on!”

“Th… Thank you Maki… Never expected to hear that from you.” 

But this situation didn’t add up in the slightest… Just what is going on with the Phantom Thieves? They’re getting curious… Maybe they will look into the smaller cases within the forum. There could be a pattern… Morbid curiosity but… They also felt like they had a duty to investigate. What if they manipulated Maki!? It would be Luka’s fault! No… It is. And that is what they are owing her now… 

This situation is just getting weirder and weirder.