Persona: The Phantom Masquerade.

(If I ever don't post a chap without an explanation, you can safely assume I fell asleep, lol. It happens.

Also, whoops, after rewatching Ann's confidant rank 4, I just realized that this whole time I read the wiki wrong, and Shiho was the one telling Ann that her paintings sucked, not the other way around. Not really the biggest of deals, and I already set up some stuff with it, so we are rolling with it, lol. Anyways, enjoy.)

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The following day, the Phantom Thieves went to the gym for their group exercise session. Afterward, Ryuji and Ren split off to grab food at the ramen place since Ann had to go to her modeling job, and Shiho went with her.

As they settled into the comforting warmth of the ramen shop, Ren couldn't help but notice Ryuji's discomfort, his hand instinctively massaging his leg under the table.

"How's your leg doing?" Ren asked.

Ryuji paused, offering a smile and a casual wave of dismissal. 

"It's okay. Just needs more time to adjust, that's all," he replied, attempting to downplay his discomfort.

"Does it bother you in the Metaverse too?" Ren probed further with curiosity.

"Yeah, a bit... But it's manageable. It's only when we are running around like crazy that I feel it. Feels a bit lighter there, though." Ryuji admitted, shifting his leg as if to gauge the pain.

The conversation took a deeper dive as Ren asked.

"I know you've said that Kamoshida broke your leg, but how did that end up happening?" 

Ryuji's expression darkened, a mix of annoyance and bitterness surfacing.

"Dude, don't get me started on that guy. He wanted to get rid of the track team so he could just focus on volleyball, so he kept giving us ridiculous tasks. That bastard also had it out for me since day one." he said, the anger palpable in his voice.

"What did he do?" Ren asked.

Ryuji's annoyance was evident as his leg began to bounce with pent-up energy.

"To tell ya the truth… My mom's the only one I got. All my dad used to do when he was around was drink and beat stuff. I don't know how Kamoshida found out, but when he brought that up in front of the whole team, I just snapped. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground with a broken leg."

Ren nodded, knowing what came after.

"He called it self-defense and got away with it."

"Exactly," Ryuji confirmed, his voice tinged with defeat. "Not only that, but he shot down the track team because of it. So after that, none of my friends would even talk to me. They all called me a traitor because I lost their chance at the championship. And to be fair, they are not wrong." He said dejectedly.

Ren shook his head, offering a different perspective.

"No, I'm sure anyone else would have snapped in your position. It was only a matter of time until he managed to shut down the team. After all, the king gets what he wants." he joked, drawing a brief chuckle from Ryuji.

 "Yeah, for real..." He said as a small smile crept up on his face. "You know, I only stumbled onto the team by chance, but I am really glad I did. I was kind of the outcast in the school, but now I've got some people I can count on. Ya know?"

Leaning back in his chair, a grin spreading across his face, Ren chimed in.

"Yeah, I can't imagine fighting Kamoshida without your help. Even though you and I were both being flung around like ragdolls." he said, the laughter bubbling up between them as they reminisced about their not-so-graceful moments.

Once they had finished their meal, Ren, intrigued by an idea, turned to Ryuji with a proposition.

"Hey, how about we head to the Metaverse? I've got something I want to test," Ren suggested, after paying for the food.

"Should I hit up the others?" Ryuji asked, ready to dive into whatever Ren had planned, but Ren quickly shook his head.

"No, we will stay near the entrance. I just want to try out something. I can't promise anything, but I have an idea of how to fix your leg." Ren explained, his words sparking a mixture of surprise and hope in Ryuji.

"Dude, are you for real?" Ryujis asked with shock. "But I thought the healing didn't work?" Ryuji responded, visibly taken aback.

"That's the thing." Ren elaborated as they made their way to the train station. "The Metaverse revolves around cognition. It sounds stupid, but believing something will work over there is the most important part. Kinda how like the model guns turn into real ones over there." He explained, earning a nod from Ryuji.

"I can't say for sure, but I have two theories at the moment. One is that you don't believe the healing will fix your leg, so it simply doesn't. And the other is that you are used to being this way, so when the healing brings you back up to full, you end up as you are now."

Ryuji pondered Ren's theories, a glint of optimism in his eyes as they found a discreet spot to transition to the Metaverse.

[Navigation Complete]

Stepping into the shadowy expanse of Mementos, Ren had a plan. 

"Take a quick run around, Ryuji. Focus on how your leg feels," he instructed, setting the stage for their experiment. After a brisk lap, Ryuji settled on the cool concrete floor with anticipation.

"Remember, this is a world in which if you think yourself a king, you become one." Ren said as a reminder before Ryuji nodded in acknowledgment.

"Effin' crazy world can heal my leg," Ryuji started muttering, his eyes shut tight, a mix of concentration and sheer willpower.

As Ren observed him, he called upon one of the Personas, that had joined him during their last venture to Mementos, Angel. 

A celestial woman appeared, wearing practically no clothing. Her pure white wings extended through the air before gently resting by her sides. Through the blindfold on her face, Angel looked down at Ryuji, letting out a kind smile and a wave of encouraging soft laughter.

With a grace befitting her name, Angel knelt down, extending her hands towards Ryuji's leg. A radiant, healing energy flowed from her fingertips, enveloping the area in a comforting glow. 

Once Ryuji felt the soothing warmth, his resolve deepened. Repeating the exact words over and over with increasing confidence, allowing the sensation to wash over him.

After Angel's healing session concluded, she offered Ryuji a soft, reassuring smile, transforming into a mask that seamlessly returned to Ren. 

"So... feel any different?" Ren inquired, watching as Ryuji slowly opened his eyes, a cautious blend of hope and surprise in his gaze.

"Yeah, I... I actually do," Ryuji responded, his voice tinged with a mix of disbelief and thrill.

He cautiously rose to his feet, testing his leg with a few basic movements. A grin broke across his face, growing wider with each step, until he couldn't contain himself any longer. He burst into a sprint along the tracks near Mementos' entrance with surprising speed. Until he accidentally stumbled and crashed onto the ground. Yet rather than letting out a grunt of pain, he let out a laughter filled with joy.

"Dude, it worked!" he exclaimed, picking himself up with an energy Ren hadn't seen in him before. "There's still a little discomfort, but man, I'm feeling so much better. Next time we're here, maybe Shiho can give it a go with her healing, too," Ryuji suggested, already bouncing on his heels, eager to push his newly regained strength to its limits.

His excitement was infectious as he ran over to Ren and put a hand on Ren's shoulder for a quick, celebratory side hug before he said.

"Dude, I know we just wrapped up, but how about hitting the gym again? I gotta test out this leg. I gotta see what I can really do on the treadmill. Race you there!" Without waiting for a response, Ryuji was already sprinting towards the exit of Mementos, his challenge hanging in the air.

Looking at Ryuji running, Ren couldn't help but shake his head with a slight smile. And, after hesitating for a moment, he, too, burst into a sprint, trying to catch up.

 ~Confidants~

Ryuji Sakamoto (The Chariot) Rank 3 - Rank 4