Persona 5 Love Triangle

Part 1

Once upon a September afternoon, Joker and Akechi were taking a break from the usual work routine—not the desk job kind of work, but the kind of crime-fighting, persona-wielding they were used to. Joker wanted to hang out in the attic as always, because he could cuddle with his pet cat and gaze at the glow-in-the-dark stars Yusuke had given him as a souvenir from one of the districts of Tokyo.

Ah, Yusuke... He missed Yusuke. It had been several days since he had seen him lurking in the underground walkway, usually watching passersby and thinking about art in that moody, emo artist kind of way. Joker supposed he was off with Futaba, who Yusuke denied having a crush on. Joker was pretty sure he "had the hots" for her, but he knew Yusuke would never admit it, especially after Joker let slip that he thought she was cute. It was destined to be a love triangle, but the two boys would put it off as long as possible.

Akechi nudged Joker, who had been staring off into space. He looked hurt. "Pay attention to me," Akechi pouted. He had stopped walking a few paces behind Joker, and crossed his arms in defiance.

Joker grinned, and closed the space between them. He held out his hand. Akechi perked up and high-fived him. "What do you want to do today?" Joker asked.

Akechi paused for a moment before saying, "Let's go to the Ramen Bowl." He knew Joker had been there many times previously with his best friend Ryuji, who was a particularly vulgar boy. Akechi knew he had no competition there, as their relationship was as platonic as two teenage boys could be. He studied Joker's face. It had lit up at the mention of ramen.

"Alright, but you're paying. I have 700 yen for the rest of the week," he admitted sheepishly. "I don't get paid until Friday and I barely have money for the subway, or else I would pay this time--"

"Don't worry about it. I think I owe you from the last time we ate out," he lied. He was absolutely certain it was Joker's turn to pay, but he couldn't bring himself to demand he pay instead. He shook his head in mock disbelief anyway, to play up the part.

Joker grinned in embarrassment, shrugged, and turned toward the subway. Akechi stared at his tall figure. When did he get taller than him?

--

After a quick trip on the subway, the pair arrived in front of the Ramen Bowl. It was a modest restaurant from the outside, with red curtains overlaying the entrance. A string of blue lanterns hung from one side of the storefront to the other, bright in the quickening dusk. A hum of chatter came wafting out onto the front. Akechi noted it was probably almost packed; it was a Wednesday, after all.

Wednesdays were when tired young adults pushed through to get halfway through the week. In western society, it was called "hump day," but it translated, weirdly enough, to RAMEN DAY!!!

"Ready?" Joker asked Akechi, taking his hand. Akechi flushed in slight embarrassment, and nodded. They passed under the curtains into the Ramen Bowl.

Off in the distance, Yusuke leaned against the brick walls of an alleyway, watching the two enter the restaurant. "Damn it," he muttered. He had feared this--his best friend being swept up by the newcomer Akechi. It would certainly be a hindrance to his artistic pursuits. He ran his long fingers through his hair. He wanted to burst into the Ramen Bowl, pull Joker up out of his chair, and hold him tightly against him until he begged him to let go.

Of course, he didn't do that. Instead, he stared at the spot where they had been standing. A pang of longing struck his chest, and he gripped his shirt in an attempt to loosen the hold on his heart. "No," he thought, "I won't let him take Joker from me." A shudder rippled through his body. He fought to stave off the anxiety that threatened to crush him. He tried to focus on a crumpled leaf next to his shoe. One breath, two breaths. He couldn't help but think he resembled the withered leaf. It was a depressing realization.