87 The Runner and The Challenge.

As the day for their initial infiltration into the palace drew near, the group opted to take a rest day to prepare. During this time, Ryuji sought out Ren for support. Having been helped him so much before, Ryuji wanted Ren by his side as he faced his former teammates.

After school, Ryuji led the way to the track team's meeting spot. A few students were there, stretching casually, but their expressions soured at the sight of Ryuji.

"Sakamoto? What are you doing here?" a dark-haired student demanded, his tone edged with hostility.

Beside him, Takeishi, with a bandana tied over his brown hair, sneered. 

"Thinking of crawling back now that the spotlight's back on us? Forget it; we haven't forgotten it was your mess that cost us last time."

Ryuji's initial hesitation shifted to resolve as he faced them squarely.

 "I want to rejoin the team."

Takeishi laughed dismissively.

"You can't be serious. Thanks to you, we lost everything back then. Now that we're finally regaining our privileges, we can't risk you screwing things up again."

Ryuji clenched his fists, inhaling deeply to gather his thoughts.

"Listen, back then—"

"No," Takeishi cut him off sharply. "We all dealt with the same crap, but we kept our heads down while you blew up."

Ren had been quietly observing the exchange, but as he noticed Ryuji's growing frustration, he placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, stepping forward to intervene.

"It sounds to me like you're just embarrassed you didn't have the courage to stand up to Kamoshida. Isn't that part of the problem? If more people had the guts like Ryuji, maybe Kamoshida wouldn't have gotten away with hurting so many people."

The track team members frowned, clearly taken aback by Ren's blunt words.

"What the fuck do you know about standing up to… oh." Takeishi started, his anger faltering as he stepped closer and recognized Ren.

Rumors of Ren's bold actions had permeated the school. In his first week, he had confronted Kamoshida, enduring a severe beating that landed him in the hospital—all to protect a friend. To many at the school, Ren was seen as the catalyst that finally brought down 'the king.'

He had arrived at the school with the reputation of a criminal, but perceptions had shifted dramatically after the Kamoshida incident. While some still viewed him as nothing more than a delinquent, the narrative around him had evolved among others:

"He robbed a store to feed his family."

"He beat up a guy who was harassing a girl."

"He sold drugs, but it was to fund his friend's surgery."

As Takeishi took a step back, skepticism etched across his face, he muttered.

"Whatever. That doesn't change the fact that Kamoshida broke his leg, and from what I heard, Sakamoto wouldn't even be able to keep up with us anymore."

"Yeah, we don't need deadbeats on our team. Since Yamauchi took over as coach, we can't afford any dead weight," the dark-haired student chimed in dismissively.

"Yamauchi is the coach now?" Ryuji asked, his surprise quickly turning into a frown. "So you went from Kamoshida to mini-Kamoshida?"

The track team exchanged awkward and annoyed looks, and Takeishi stepped forward with a defensive edge.

"That's right, and he made me team captain. So, if I say someone can't join, they can't. And I don't want you, Sakamoto."

Ryuji's frown deepened before shifting into a puzzled expression. 

"Huh…" He seemed genuinely confused as he stepped back, glancing at Ren. "That's… fine?"

Ren chuckled lightly. 

"I don't know, you tell me."

The track team members looked at each other, bewildered, as Ryuji turned to Ren. 

"Let's grab some ramen, my treat... Unless you want to hit up that maid café, I mentioned? You won't understand the appeal of maids until you try it."

Ren laughed as he followed Ryuji. 

"I dunno, man. I think I'm starting to see the appeal already."

Behind them, the track team's faces were a mix of dumbfoundment and irritation as they watched the pair walk away.

"Yeah, that's right. You better run," Takeishi called out half-heartedly.

"Aight. See you all next time," Ryuji waved dismissively, leaving the track team to start bickering among themselves.

Soon after, Ryuji and Ren reached a ramen shop. As they settled in, Ryuji pulled out his phone, beginning to search for different track teams not affiliated with schools.

"I'm thinking about trying out for the Kirijo Group track team," Ryuji mentioned, scrolling through his phone. "Apparently, the owner founded it in memory of a friend who loved running. They've got branches all over Japan, including one nearby. Seems like they have a solid reputation…"

"Kirijo Group, huh." Ren mused, his thoughts briefly wandering to the blue-haired detective who had mentioned she would visit Leblanc soon, yet he hadn't seen her since. Shaking off the distraction, he turned back to Ryuji.

"So what went down back there?" Ren asked, picking up his chopsticks.

"I don't effin' know, man. I've been wanting to get back on the track team, feeling all guilty and stuff. But after they straight up said they didn't want me? I was like, 'Eff it,' ya know?" Ryuji replied, diving into his bowl of noodles.

He slurped a mouthful before starting to speak.

"Ever since I joined the Ph—" A quick kick under the table cut him off. "Fuck dude, I get it."

Ren gave him an apologetic grin. 

"Sorry, just a reflex." 

"Nah, don't sweat it, man. I need to keep it zipped better... Anyway, ever since I joined the.. Erm… Persona Pals, I've realized I'm happy just doing our... Pal stuff. The Pals welcomed me right away, so after feeling that, I figured why bother with people who don't want me around? Can't believe it took them throwing it in my face to see it."

Ren chuckled as he reminisced about the stupid team name he had once suggested.

"Persona Pals…" Ren muttered with a nostalgic smile before he looked curiously at Ryuji. "What's the story with this Mini-Kamoshida?"

Ryuji scowled slightly. 

"He's a jerk, always yelling at us but then playing nice with our parents. Not as bad as Kamoshida, but still pretty crappy. Honestly, I feel sorry for the guys stuck with him. I kinda want to help them out."

Ren's eyes glowed slightly as a mischievous smirk appeared on his face.

"Maybe we can give a final goodbye to your old team for old-time's sake. A little gift from the Pals."

Ryuji's expression matched Ren's as he nodded in agreement.

As they continued their meal, the conversation drifted to more casual topics, the two friends lost in chatter and laughter.

"Hey, just a heads up, never tick off Shiho. She's been training in martial arts with Makoto lately, and man, she's turned effin' scary. She's even thinking about taking up kendo to beef up her skills for our, uh, Pal missions. I've hit the gym with her a few times, and dude, she absolutely demolishes that punching bag."

"Shiho? She's an angel. What are you on about?" Ren teased, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Hah, maybe with you. But seriously, think about it. That girl's a beast. Considering how much she uses healing, buffs, and debuffs, you'd think she'd be wiped out in half an hour, but she's still going strong at the end of the day. Kidd's big on physical attacks, but man, I get worn out so fast when I start zapping with my lightning."

Ren chuckled, nodding in agreement as he answered.

"So what's next? You gonna start calling Ann a monster, too?"

"Dude, remember that time we grabbed a bite after the gym, and I offered to pay? She ate so much freaking food. How does she stay so slim with the junk she puts down? She nearly made me go broke."

— — —

As Ren walked through the streets of Shinjuku at night, he noticed the blonde fortune teller, Chihaya, wrapping up a session with a client. He had been considering getting a reading himself before their next dive into the Palace to see what fate awaited for them inside. Standing off to the side, his enhanced senses allowed him to eavesdrop on their conversation. 

"I see great ruin coming your way… I think you should consider buying our holy stone to prevent it," Chihaya said, her voice laced with genuine concern.

"But… it's 100,000 yen…" the younger woman hesitated, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"Sayu… I am so sorry about what's happening at work, but this holy stone is the only way to prevent further misfortune. With its protection, I'm sure your boss won't overwork you anymore."

Ren turned to look at them, activating his third eye to the maximum as he looked at the 'holy stone.'

Ren observed them intently, activating his third eye to scrutinize the 'holy stone.' Just as before, it appeared unremarkable. From his previous encounter, he knew it was just salt. Though the Metaverse and his connections through the major arcana lent some credence to supernatural elements, this stone seemed merely a plain rock.

Noticing Chihaya's earnest concern, Ren sighed as he watched the woman reluctantly begin to pull out her wallet.

"If they get scammed, it's on them, right?" he muttered to himself before shaking his head and stepping forward to intervene. He couldn't stand by if Chihaya, who seemed genuinely intent on helping, was unknowingly spreading a scam.

"Oh, Ren!" Chihaya exclaimed, her face lighting up as she noticed him. "Just give me a second; I'm just finishing up here."

Ren shook his head, turning to the young woman. 

"Miss, would you like to see a magic trick?" he asked, a playful twinkle in his eye. "I am a Dreamweaver, and I specialize in making dreams come true." 

Chihaya's expression shifted to a mix of concern and annoyance, misunderstanding his intentions. 

"Ren… what are you doing?" she asked, her tone edged with irritation.

The woman looked up at Ren, her eyes suddenly alight with a flicker of hope. 

"Is… that true?"

With a theatrical bow, Ren nodded confidently. 

"Indeed. But first, I need to know your dream. It sounds like you're having issues with your boss. What's his name?"

The woman nodded eagerly, leaning in closer. 

"Yoto Mamano."

"Ren…" Chihaya exclaimed again, the concern evident in her furrowed brow.

With a theatrical snap of his fingers, Ren turned towards her and said. 

"Miss Mifune, could you please re-read the young woman's fortune?"

Chihaya stared at Ren incredulously for a moment before nodding reluctantly. 

"You better not be making fun of me," she warned.

However, as she laid out the tarot cards again, her expression shifted from skepticism to astonishment. 

"Your fate… it's changed?" Chihaya murmured, her voice tinged with disbelief. "How did you…?"

While Chihaya grappled with confusion, the young woman jumped up, her face alight with hope and gratitude. 

"Thank you so much! How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching for her wallet.

"Consider it a small gift from us," Ren said, gesturing towards Chihaya.

After a few more expressions of thanks, the woman hurried off, leaving behind a baffled fortune teller.

"How did you do that?" Chihaya asked, her eyes wide. "Did you somehow learn to influence fate? Even I don't know how to alter it to such an extent, and you're my student. Could it be that you actually possess gifts of divination? You called yourself a Dreamweaver, didn't you? How have I never heard of your faction?"

As Chihaya spiraled into speculation, Ren shook his head gently. 

"No, I just made up all that stuff. Though I probably could have taken a different approach," he admitted, causing Chihaya to look even more puzzled.

"But if you made it up, how did you change her fate?"

Ren met her gaze, pausing thoughtfully before posing his own question. He hadn't fully realized it until now, but he could see why she represented her Arcana.

"Tell me, what does the Wheel of Fortune Arcana mean again?"

Chihaya looked slightly confused as she began to explain. 

"The Wheel of Fortune? It symbolizes the randomness of life. How things happen by chance, and we are subject to the turns of fate."

"But?" Ren prompted, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

Chihaya's expression brightened as she caught on.

"But it also teaches that while fate presents the circumstances, how we respond to them is within our control. Triumphs and setbacks are part of life, but the choices we make define our paths."

"You don't pick the hand that fate gives you, but how you play it is up to you." Ren said, echoing the lesson she had taught him before.

Chihaya pondered this for a moment, then a realization dawned on her. 

"So… you're suggesting that I embody the Wheel of Fortune... and it's my responsibility to guide people positively? But I already do that with the holy stone!"

"The holy stone is just salt," Ren stated, his tone tinged with mild annoyance, which caused Chihaya to frown.

"Again with this?" Chihaya began, but Ren quickly interjected.

"Think about it: you always suggest the holy stones when the cards predict bad fortunes, but how often do they actually work?" Ren challenged her.

"They do work. I've seen it in the cards," Chihaya insisted, her expression troubled. "I mean, it's not always perfect, but there have been times the stones seemed to make a difference. Sometimes, one stone isn't enough, which is why it might not always work."

Ren's eyes narrowed slightly, seeing Chihaya's resolve to defend her practice.

"What if the stone works only because people believe it will? Suppose someone was afraid to ask a girl out, so you saw reversed lovers, but after buying the stone, they gained the confidence to go through with it. Thus, fate changed to upright lovers. The stone could have been anything, a dirty sock even, as long as it gave him confidence, it would have had the same effect."

Chihaya frowned deeply at his analogy.

"I don't appreciate where this conversation is headed, Ren. If you're here to mock what I do, then perhaps it's best if you leave. Comparing my holy stone to a dirty sock is too much."

Ren opened his mouth to respond, but paused, sensing the tension between them thicken. For the first time ever, he felt the string of fate binding the two of them together begin to twist into a knot, almost as if the Arcana itself was trying to Reverse.

"I'm sorry," Ren said, exhaling slowly, his voice softening.

As he apologized, he felt their strained connection begin to stabilize.

"Listen, I grew up around a lot of scammers and con artists, so I tend to recognize a scam pretty quickly. This isn't the first time I've seen something like your 'holy stone' offered as a miracle cure. It just brings up some bad memories. I even wanted to believe in it at first, but… " Ren explained sincerely, softening Chihaya's expression.

"Oh, Ren… I see now. I'm sorry you've had such rough experiences, but I assure you, my holy stones aren't part of a scam," Chihaya replied, her tone a mix of determination and sympathy.

Ren sighed deeply before proposing.

"How about this... let's make a bet between student and teacher to see who can change the most fates? Your stone or my words. Wheel of Fortune versus wheel of fortune. I might not be a seasoned reader, but I know enough to give it a shot."

A slight smile broke through on Chihaya's face. 

"Alright, if you can change more fates than my holy stone, then you'll have proven your point," she chuckled softly, adding, "To think I'd have a student who challenges me with readings! Don't worry, you'll see the stone does help people."

Ren shook his head slightly then agreed. 

"Deal. But if I win, you stop selling the stone."

"Deal," Chihaya agreed, sealing their friendly wager with a nod. "Now, let's begin with your reading, that is why you came here. Isn't it?' Chihaya asked with a knowing smile since that was what the cards had told her before.

~Confidants~ 

Ryuji Sakamoto (The Chariot) Rank 7

Chihaya Mifune (The Fortune) Rank 3