Persona 5 Plus: Between Sea and Stone

Chapter 2

Before they realized it, the sun was setting into the ocean to the west. Platters of fish and shellfish had come and gone. Contented faces, drowsy with food, gazed about- conversation lagged. Some phones came out. Some eyes closed. It was time to go. Ren stood, drawing attention to himself- but it drifted away as he moved away from the table. It was not a night for a speech or a toast, and he really wasn't that kind of leader, anyway.

"Futaba, can you join me?"

"Sure."

Futaba followed him into the restaurant where the owner waited with the final bill. It was sizable, but one of the strange realities of their adventures in the Metaverse- he had received yen for each of their victories in an online wallet. The team had unanimously given charge of it solely to him, so he used it solely for team expenses. The account was fat, but this meal was a respectable chunk out of it. He put down his payment card, which the owner accepted with a bow.

"It doesn't look like we are going anywhere tonight. Can you find us a bed and breakfast online, Futaba? Someplace we can all walk to from here? With enough rooms for everyone?"

Everyone was supposed to bring enough money to manage their own lodging, in whatever ways they wished- so the team account should manage to feed them all for quite a while.

"No problemo!" She took out her phone and set to work while they waited. After a few moments, she held out her phone for him to look. "This place looks good. It's only a five minute walk." The photos showed spartan, but clean and classic Japanese-style tatami rooms. The prices looked more than fair.

"Perfect," said Ren.

The bill paid, they rejoined the others- most of them standing behind their chairs, ready to move on. The owner followed Ren and Futaba outside, everyone bowed and thanked him for the meal and service.

"Futuaba found us a bed and breakfast just a short walk from here," Ren announced, "Japanese-style rooms and fair prices. Shall we stay in this town tonight? Drop off our things, and do as we wish until tomorrow?"

Heads swiveled back and forth, checking each other for reactions. There seemed no objections. So they followed Futaba, ever the navigator, out into the evening. After agreeing to leave the van where it was parked, they gathered their things and headed inland, leaving the desolate beach strip behind. Soon they were on what seemed to be a major street of the town- people populated the restaurants, and a reasonable amount of foot and auto traffic passed back and forth. The isolation of the coastal area was not to be found here.

"There are people here! Why isn't anyone eating at the fish place? It was delicious!" Ann wondered aloud as they walked.

There it was again- the thread that seemed eager to be tugged. Ren chose to ignore it, holding to his earlier decision. Tomorrow they would be driving away from this place, forever.

They turned a corner onto a quieter, narrow side street. But it was cheerfully lit by ample streetlights in the growing dark of dusk.. "That's the place, way down there on the end!" Futaba said, pointing.

Haru also pointed. "Oh, there is a tiny theater right here, too! Look at those classic lights, just like in the movies of old Japan!"

"I hope it's some cool hollywood films! That sounds like just the thing for tonight," said Ryuji.

"I think these kinds of places only have one screen," said Ann.

"So like- only one movie?"

"Yes, and usually an old one, because they are cheaper to get rights for," said Haru.

"Oh, maybe a Godzilla film? That wouldn't be bad."

They drew closer to the theater, destined to pass it on the opposite side of the street as they headed for their hotel.