Persona 5 - The Jester's Point Of View

Scene 40

“ Sorry Sweetie. Mom has decided to take another evening shift today. Could you please look after Ole? Keep his toilet clean and make sure that he eats properly. I already made dinner so just heat it up! Alright, bye bye~! ”

Exactly what Mom said more often than not, or something similar. It had them constantly worried. Their mother was working more than usual, only taking breaks to sleep. By now they had heard she had taken a second job. Money was tight in the end, very much so… And yet, even with that she had insisted on being fine. Though she clearly wasn’t. She could need all the help right about now. Working full time and then part time takes a toll on someone. Yet when they suggested getting a part time job Mom said: “ Sweetie, you have something to focus on. Just leave it to me. ” She had their best interests in mind but… Sitting idle was not the way to go either! They couldn't! So they had to think about it carefully…  Very carefully…

And that was what had let them sit down most of the time and browse through a bunch of job magazines each day. A job which would ease the burden of their mother yet also not make her notice what her child had been up to. Though there was only a time frame they could pick, in the afternoon. All to not draw too much suspicion. And yet there was only so much they could pick from. Come home too late and she gets worried sick after all. At least when it happened almost every night. This was a pain… But— 

“That Maid Café in Akihabara pays pretty well actually…” They mumbled, a little out loud however as they were hovering over the magazine. “It’d be a bit away but it’s tempting. And the times are favorable too… So maybe I—”

“Absolutely not!” Someone interrupted them all of a sudden before suddenly tugging onto the magazine and lifting it off their hands, right up. It made them grab it, or being about to grab it, trying to snatch it again. Yet they froze in place when seeing who it was and needless to say… The person didn’t look very pleased. 

“Akechi–Kun?” They said, surprised to even see him there. It has been a long while after all, at least when it comes to a face–to–face interaction.

“A job at a maid café… You gotta be kidding Anja.” He sighed before handing the magazine back to them. “Isn’t that a little—”

“What’s wrong with working at a maid café?” They asked, tilting their head. This reaction was not something they had expected, at all. “In the end it’s just a cosplay café.”

“Must I really explain that to you?” 

They only blinked when he said that. It had come out of nowhere, having them a little caught off guard. They couldn't explain why he was getting so worked up. And he hadn’t even been hiding it. Not really at least. Which was… Well… Until they decided to maybe joke around at least a little bit, a smirk escaping their lips for a moment. “What? Are you perhaps jealous that someone might look at me the wrong way inside a maid outfit~?” 

Of course they weren’t completely serious and expected him to be ticked off if anything. Because in their mind there was no way that they would get any other reaction. ‘ No, it isn’t that. ’ And then have him go on a tangent about how it could reflect on his own image if he was seen with someone who works part–time as a maid. In Akihabara nonetheless. Or he would just wave it off quickly. Either way, they did not expect him to react so strongly about it. And yet… 

“Th… Tha… I haven’t said that!” He suddenly responded, sounding rather… Defensive? As if they had just caught him or something. That was odd. And yet, this time, they didn’t want to point it out. Instead, let’s see how this goes. “It’s just… Maybe you should reconsider or… Something like that…” And they could see how he was trying to keep his own composure here, his expression not trying to shift into one he might regret making. And yet it looked so much in pain all the same… It was all too obvious.