Persona 5 - The Jester's Point Of View

Scene 170

“Alright. If you want to know, then I will tell you what you want to know.” Goro announced it from one moment to the next. He didn’t know why but Lukanja’s words hit him like a truck. It was not something he ever expected to hear. Usually he would have brushed them off as a lie, something anyone could tell him. And yet even he had to admit that referring to them as nothing but a lie would be stupid. Not when he had evidence to the contrary. 

They were right. They could have just left him to die and the Mental Shutdowns would be guaranteed to be put to a halt. But they went out of their way to… Save him. Just when he had thought that they were going to leave him in the dust they reappeared, very conveniently. And instead of dragging him to the police station they had brought him here first… Whatever this place was. It was still hard to believe. Could he really trust them? Was any of their words true? Yet they had said it themself with the utmost conviction. 

“Sure, I still want you to face the consequences for what you did! I’m not saying that I don’t! But I also want to understand this! Understand you!”

“Don't you get it!? I refuse to leave you alone! ”

“I may not be able to do anything but please, believe me one thing Akechi. I am not against you. I never was.”

All sentences which sounded too good to be true. And yet they said it to him, while looking at him and never breaking eye contact. They were serious. They were ready to see eye to eye with him. There was something about that which made him debate, change his mind. After all, why go through the effort if they weren’t actually trying? Even if it was scary, to open up about this… Yet he had no choice but to do so. And he was going to, finally.

Deep breath, one as he was looking at them. Yet all they did was nod and then wait for him to speak up. Talk about what he had done and especially why he had done it. Opening up to someone overall was scary but… He couldn’t hold it in. Besides, it was all over anyway, wasn’t it? So what’s the point of playing this game any longer?

“I wanted to get closer…” Goro finally began, though the beginning was difficult. He had to literally force himself to speak. He couldn’t even look at Lukanja as he began to talk, only facing the ground. It was easier that way, imagining that he was talking to himself at first. Even though he was more than aware that he wasn’t. And each word he spoke only made him more and more terrified. But he had already agreed to it. There was no backing out now. “I wanted to be of use to someone. But not because I sought out praise from this bastard but because I needed his trust.”

“This bastard?” He heard them repeat, questioning.

“Masayoshi Shido.” That name came from his mouth with utter disgust. Just having to say that name made him 

“R… Right. What is your relationship with him anyways?”

“He…” A pause. Goro didn’t want to say it as it was a cruel reminder. Yet he couldn’t run from the truth either. “He’s my father.” He looked up, only to see that shock on their face. Well, surprise might fit it better.

“He’s what now? How–”

He let out a weak, condescending laugh, oozing with bitterness. “Don’t get it twisted. It’s only by blood. We have nothing to do with each other. I hate him.”

“Hate? Uhm… Then why do you need his trust?”

It sounds pathetic, doesn’t it? “Well, easy. If I could become important enough to him, if I could have become irreplaceable, then it would have been an easy game. I could have just killed him like everyone else, made him experience what many others had to.” Each word only showed his distaste for that piece of shit more and more. “Not just that but finally, mother could rest. That bastard would have suffered. Even just a taste of her pain! He took her life so he has to pay with his! Justice would be served!”