Persona 5 Love Triangle

Part 6

A week had passed slowly for some, and quickly for others. For Joker, each day dragged on with no end in sight. He had lost two of his closest friends in the world, and Futaba was hardly speaking to him anymore. He caught himself daydreaming of his past life back home, away from Shibuya and Leblanc and all the recent memories. But for others, time flew by.

"Can I get you another coffee, Futaba?" Yusuke asked over the brim of his own coffee mug.

"Sure! With extra whipped cream!" she nearly shouted, slamming her hands down on the table. They were at a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop in downtown Ueno, right next to Yusuke's favorite art museum. They had spent the day there together, admiring the various masterpieces...or rather, Yusuke positively fawned over the exquisite artwork while Futaba tried to hack into the lighting equipment to turn all the spotlights green.

The pair had met up nearly every day that week, often finding themselves in obscure places out of sight of prying eyes. It was a good chance for them to talk one-on-one about everyday matters, and some things a little more important.

"And you are quite sure he was crushed?" Yusuke asked again, hardly wanting to hear the answer.

"Absolutely positively!" Futaba said. She squirmed in her chair. "But hey, how long is this going to go on, anyhow?"

"Not much longer, I am afraid," he replied. "Pretty soon Joker will remember what a charming, wonderful person he is and seek out new friends." He frowned.

Futaba stuck her tongue out at him. "You're being a baby, Inari. Besides, I'm the one who has to watch him suffer." Her words struck a chord. Yusuke choked on his coffee, spilling it down the front of his previously pristine white shirt.

"Thank you for that, hermit," Yusuke said, frantically patting himself dry.

"Oh move over, I'll help you," she said, and reached across the table to blot the mocha stain. The two were so preoccupied with containing the mess that they didn't notice who had just entered the cafe...

Joker came in and said nothing. He glanced at them, smiled gently, and sat down next to Futaba. "Is this alright?" he asked. His eyes were ever so slightly red and puffy. It was apparent that he had been crying.

"Of course!" Futaba said, pretending not to notice his sorry complexion. "Wanna cup o' joe?" she asked in a weird accent in an attempt to lighten the impending conversation.

"Please," he nodded, and she got up to order it at the bar.

Yusuke smiled apologetically, gesturing to his shirt. "I have certainly been making a mess of things lately, haven't I?" He pulled out a sky blue cardigan from the bag at his feet. "Good thing I always come prepared."

Joker laughed weakly. It felt good to smile, if only for a second. Typical Yusuke, he thought, always thinking twice. With a pang, he remembered his hands on Futaba's hair. He tried not to think about it.

Over the past week, he was newly determined to think of what was best for his friends. Futaba and Yusuke obviously found joy in each other, and he would be a fool to stand in their way, no matter how much it may hurt now. It would hurt immensely more if he were the cause of either of their unhappiness.

Futaba returned with a steaming mug of cafe mocha. She carefully set it in front of Joker. "Don't spill like stupid Inari," she warned. "He may be a good painter, but that doesn't mean he has steady hands." She winked at him.

"I beg your pardon," Yusuke began, but Joker interrupted.

"I've come here to say something." The words tumbled out of his mouth. "And I would be merciful if you would listen. I know I have done nothing to deserve your attention," he continued, "but I must ask this one last thing of you both." He clasped his mug in front of him to steady his hands.

Yusuke and Futaba nodded in silence. Joker paused. "We are your humble audience," Yusuke said after a moment.

"Yeah, do what you gotta do," Futaba urged him. She and Yusuke exchanged a glance, which Joker missed.

"Okay. Thank you, truly," he said. He stared into the depths of his coffee. "I want to begin by apologizing to you both. Sincerely. I will be the first to admit I have not been the most patient, nor the most reliable friend to you guys." He took a deep breath. "But, without you two by my side," he trailed off. Without anybody, he thought miserably.

"We know," Yusuke said softly.

"Yeah, we kinda figured," Futaba chimed in.

Joker looked up for the first time, his eyes full of hope. "This is hard for me to say, but I've been lost without you." He looked at each of them in turn. Yusuke smiled encouragingly, while Futaba nodded up and down. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, will you please forgive me?"

"LET'S DO IT!" Futaba said loudly enough for a few surrounding patrons to look around.

"Let's do it," Yusuke repeated calmly. Joker blushed at hearing his signature phrase. He held up a hand.

"One more thing," he said. He mustered the rest of his confidence. "I want you to know I'm okay with you two, you know, as a pair." He swallowed unconvincingly.

Futaba hit him less than gently on the head. "You idiot!" she laughed. "I would never fall for someone as dopey as Inari."

Yusuke sputtered. "In all my years I have never been so disrespectfully—"

Joker laughed a deep, delicious laugh for the first time in weeks. Many of the patrons around them blushed, it was so delightful. What an absolute relief, he thought. It was almost too good to be true.

A seed of doubt was planted immediately. "You're telling the truth, right?" he said. He couldn't even be annoyed at them for playing this heinous trick on him. It was a small price to pay for his shortcomings.

"Check yes!" Futaba said. "Inari was so weak, he almost couldn't go through with it. But I got him the coordinates of a secret art gallery, so it was easy enough after that," she shrugged.

Yusuke frowned in embarrassment. "I believe we had a deal, hermit, and you should do your best not to tease me at every turn."

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, we've got something cool planned for you," Futaba said, and nudged Joker in the ribs. "About time you showed up and apologized and all that. Do you want to know what it is?"

Joker rubbed his probably bruised side. "If you don't mind," he said.

Futaba got to her feet in one quick movement. "I'll do my best! Are you coming Inari, or do I need to bribe you again?"

"No, that certainly will not be necessary." He got up and placed their mugs on the counter. Turning back to them with a smirk, he said, "Get ready for part two."