Persona 5 Royal: New Game Plus (P5RNG+)

Begin!

1/19, Akira spent all week helping out his teammates with their problems. They had a lot on their mind due to the recent events but Akira helped calm them down. Of course all of the Phantom Thieves want to live happily ever after, but not like this. Thanks to their new found resolve, their first and second Personas evolved into their third tier Personas, stronger than before.

At night he would take out the thieves to the jazz club as well as to play darts. It was a good stress relieve as they knew they would have a job to do soon.

After school, Akira and Sumire bumped into each other.

Akira: Oh, hey.

Sumire: Hey...

Akira: ......

Sumire: Senpai... Um... I... I want to talk to you about something. Do you have time?

Akira: (I feel like my bond with Sumire will grow stronger...) Sure.

Sumire: Th-Thank you! Um, can we go elsewhere? It's a bit difficult to talk about it here...

The two of them go to the rooftop.

Sumire: Um, Akira-senpai...

Akira: ?

Sumire: *polite bow* I am so, so sorry!

Akira: !?

Sumire: Seeing me trying to act like Kasumi must have been so painful and awkward for everyone...

Akira: I suppose so.

Sumire: Everyone must have noticed that I was acting strangely...They were probably being nice to me, knowing I'd just lost my sister... But even then... I had no idea I was even supposed to be sad. I didn't remember that my sister was gone.When my coach told me to 'think about who I really am,' I thought it was just... figurative. Something about my slump. I was just living my life—like I didn't even care that she was gone! I can't take this shame...

Akira: At least you realize it now.

Sumire: Yes... I have to reflect on everything I've done wrong.

Akira: You'll get through this.

Sumire: Ever since we were kids, Kasumi was always the one who decided what I did, what I chose, where I went... I couldn't do anything without her... I suppose it's clear why my grades weren't going up much. I was never on Kasumi's level to begin with. I was so pretentious, so wrapped up in my own stupid little problems... I was too self-absorbed to do anything!

Akira: What'll you do now?

Sumire: ...... I'm starting to remember things from our past now. It's hard, but I'm trying. There's a lot. It covers everything, starting from when Kasumi and I first got into gymnastics up until just recently.

Akira: I see.

Sumire: I want to talk about how it used to be for Kasumi and me. Would you listen?

Akira: Of course.

Sumire: Thank you.

They go sit down.

Sumire: Kasumi started gymnastics really early. And I was even younger, so I copied her in almost everything. I went to the class too. I was too little to really understand the sport or the rules... but everyone praised me when I did well. The coach would get me little rewards, like ice cream cones. We did our best trying to learn the moves and routines, since it kept getting us ice cream.