Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Here's some notes before we start this story.

1)The Persona 5 Protagonist's name is Akira Kurusu, his name in the manga adaptation.

2)There will be Persona 5 spoilers. You have been warned- now is your last chance to back out.

I sat at my desk at the public prosecutors' office on Christmas Eve, working late once again. In most cases, this evening would be just like any other for a career woman without a boyfriend, but I couldn't think of it in such banal terms this time- not when a young man I knew was going to juvenile hall in the next 24 hours.

Akira Kurusu- also known as Joker, leader of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts- had a choice, but not a very easy or pleasant one. Someone would need to testify against Masayoshi Shido, the victorious but disgraced candidate for prime minister and leader of the conspiracy that Akira-kun and his friends had spent the last several months fighting against, but in Akira-kun's case, it would require turning himself in as a Phantom Thief and facing the consequences of violating his probation. I hadn't come with a warrant or handcuffs, but there was only one answer Akira-kun could give, and he simply said, with a smile, that he wanted to protect his friends from their common enemy.

As we'd started walking over to the station, I'd heard his cell phone ping, signaling the arrival of an instant message. He didn't say who sent it, but given that it was Christmas, it was likely that one of his close female friends wanted to spend it with him. It was a reasonable enough request- and perhaps more practical to wait given what time it was- but it seemed as trivial as giving a condemned prisoner a last meal.

A part of me, possibly my conscience, which had awakened a little more than a month ago, kept asking myself, "Is this justice?" Was it really fair to allow Akira-kun to go to prison for simply doing what was right, so that he and his friends could accomplish their goal together? Was the most I could do for him to allow him Christmas Eve with his girlfriend? If the only role I could possibly play in his trial would be to argue in favor of his guilt and seek a stiff sentence as prosecutor, might I be in the wrong profession?

I saw one of the senior prosecutors going out with one of the office ladies, who held onto his arm in a way that proved this was not a professional outing. He seemed like he didn't take his job seriously, but I'd heard he'd prosecuted enough high-profile cases for them to look the other way at his less than professional behavior. At times, it seemed as though his knack for finding case-winning evidence was a bit too good to be true, but since I didn't even have enough evidence to call for an inquiry, I could only chalk it up as a gut feeling, perhaps one born from my jealousy.

I had once boiled with anger that some of my colleagues slacked off while I desperately struggled to prove myself, and felt hopeless when faced with the idea that they had more success than I could have dreamed of, but realized there was no point in feeling this way. Only three things actually mattered- earning a living, doing what I believed to be right, and not allowing either one of those to cause me to lose sight of the other.

Soon, I got a call on my cell phone, and the caller ID said "Makoto"- the name of my younger sister and ward. She usually didn't call, but there was

"It's me," I said as I picked it up.

"Sis, this is Makoto," Makoto said. "I'll be spending the evening at LeBlanc and won't get back until late."

Makoto, now 17 and a third-year in high school, barely needed to ask permission to go out at this point. I simply wanted to know where she was if she didn't get home at the usual time, and trusted her to handle the rest.

"Well, I'm not getting back early tonight, either," I said. "Just don't stay out too late."

"Will do," Makoto said. "Incidentally, how do you think things are going with Shido's trial?"

"Not as well as I'd hoped," I said. "I'm grateful for your help, but so far, we've only succeeded in placing Shido on trial. We'll still have to convict him, and to do that, we'll need witnesses and evidencce."

"I'm sure you'll manage," Makoto said.

"Thank you," I said. It was always refreshing to hear Makoto's vote of confidence, even considering how drastically Japan's legal system was skewed in favor of the prosecution. She and her friends had fought a long battle to ensure that the mastermind behind the mental shutdowns, and the man who orphaned two of the Thieves would face justice, so her belief that I could secure a conviction for Shido was a great testament to her faith in me.

"Well, I suppose I should let you get back to work," Makoto said. "I'll see you later, Sis... and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Makoto," I said. "I hope you have a good time tonight."

As I hung up, I couldn't help but laugh as all the pieces came together. Immediately after the Thieves' most arduous battle, and on the romantic evening of the year, Makoto went to a coffee shop that doubled as the residence for the boy closest to her. Makoto had always been close with Akira-kun, and this proved that their relationship was hardly platonic.

For a moment, I was happy for Makoto, but then I realized that just like Cinderella's dress and carriage, Makoto's happiness would fade away once the night was over. The only option available to her was to savor it while she could, and the only one available to Akira and I was to hope that she could withstand what came next..

On Christmas Day, as promised, Akira turned himself in first thing in the morning, stopping only to say goodbye to Sojiro Sakura, the proprietor of Leblanc and his legal guardian for the past year. I was a bit surprised how willing he was, considering that the last time that he was in custody, Akechi would have killed him if not for the Phantom Thieves' shrewd planning and my cooperation. This gesture was not only a great sacrifice, but a leap of faith, and it was my duty to make sure that he did not come to regret it. He had given us a chance to convict Shido, not a guarantee of his downfall, and victory hinged on using what we'd been given to the fullest extent.

When I got home that evening after a long day of work, I stepped into the apartment and took my shoes off. While it was dark out, it wasn't quite time for Makoto to go to bed.

"I'm home," I said.

No one responded, even though I could see Makoto's shoes in the vestibule. As I took off my shoes and stepped inside, I could hear a faint sound on the other side of the closed door to Makoto's room- the sound of Makoto crying. It took me a little while to understand what the sound was, but once I did, I was completely stunned as the significance hit me.

At school, Makoto was expected to be the perfect student council president, someone all the students looked up to even if hardly any of them actually liked her. At home, Makoto did her best to be as independent as a girl who did not yet have a high school degree could be, considering that I'd immediately rejected the idea of her dropping out to work. This time, she thought she was alone and that there was no one around who would judge her for showing her emotions- she was right about the latter.

I knocked on Makoto's door and after a few minutes, she opened it up and came to me, with bloodshot eyes, stammering out "W-welcome home, S-S-Sis..."

All I could do was hold her and softy whisper, "I'm sorry, Makoto."

Several minutes later, Makoto calmed down enough to talk with me.

"I take it you went to see Akira on Christmas Eve?" I said.

Makoto sniffled and nodded.

"Y-yes," Makoto said. "H-he knew that it might b-be the... l-last time we s-saw each other, right?"

I solemnly nodded.

"He did," I said, "which must be why he wanted you to enjoy the evening, like he was trying to do himself."

Makoto calmed down a little and tried to force a smile, but then sighed.

"It's not just about me," Makoto said. "There's also Ryuji and Ann, the first friends he made at Shujin Academy. There's Yusuke, who was already friends with him when I met them. There's Futaba, the daughter of the man who cared for him for the past few months, and like a little sister to him. There's Haru, who will most likely have graduated by the time he gets out. And there's Morgana... his cat. All of us, and quite a few people I don't even know, are pooling our efforts to do something, anything to help him out. I'm not the only one who feels this way, but even so, I can't deny that it hurts to be separated from him."

I couldn't help but smile a little. For all his intelligence and cunning, Akira-kun didn't seem to have factored these people into his plan to turn himself in to testify, or at the very least, he was willing to accept the price he would pay.

"It's good that you're not the only one," I said. "You shouldn't ever imagine that you're the only one fighting for justice, even if it seems like a reality. Trust those close to you, and never give up on what you believe in. After all, isn't that what you and Akira-kun taught me?"

Makoto nodded, evidently a bit surprised to hear that I knew her to be responsible for my change of heart.

"And also what he taught me," Makoto said. "Even if it may be difficult, I won't give up working to earn his freedom- both for his sake and what he inspired in us."

The next two and a half months were not by any means an easy period for Makoto, and there were other occasions when she broke down and lost hope. In spite of that, she was more prepared for a seemingly impossible fight than I was, so she never stopped fighting it.

New Year's came, and the time came to make a wish at the shrine. I was never much of a believer in superstition, although I was forced to confront the existence of the supernatural about a month ago, but Makoto was desperate enough to try anything.

Makoto dressed in her standard attire- a blue jacket with a black shirt and pants. Apparently, none of her female friends had any desire to wear kimonos, especially not the one who was in mourning and had decided to forgo greetings.

"Sis, I'd like your input on my wish," I said, "specifically, its wording."

Since Makoto was an intelligent young woman, it made sense that she'd consider this possibility, and since I was a prosecutor, it made sense that she'd think of me as a good source of advice. I remembered one time when, while prosecuting a businessman for breach of contract, I destroyed his attempt to use a loophole to escape culpability through selectively quoting the law when I pointed out another part of the law that was written for what he was trying to do. It would have been a proud moment if I hadn't spent the night at the office researching contract law, only leaving a brief voicemail to tell Makoto I wouldn't be home. If I left Makoto to fend for herself so I could focus on my job, I had no right to resent our father for getting himself killed and leaving us orphans for the sake of his sense of justice.

"You're afraid that the gods will try for a 'clever' interpretation of it?" I said, and Makoto nodded. "Well, what do you want?"

"Let's see..." Makoto said. "I wish for Akira Kurusu to be released after being exonerated on all charges against him, and for him to be able to return home happy and in good health while keeping all the bonds he developed in this city this year. Do you see any loopholes in this one?"

I shook my head.

"Not that I can think of," I said, "although it is interesting that you'd include his going home in your wish. If the choice was up to you, wouldn't you want him to stay here?"

Makoto paused, but then shook her head.

"All of us knew that if everything went well, Akira would be released once his probation ended," Makoto said. "According to Ryuji and Ann, Akira seemed as though he couldn't wait to go home at first. Now, he has friends, and actually seems to be enjoying himself here, but his home and parents are elsewhere. Perhaps his relationship with his parents isn't the best, but unlike us, he actually has them."

Ordinarily, I'd have assumed that "us" referred to Makoto and I, but apparently, most of Makoto's friends had lost their parents at one point or another. I'd long known on an intellectual level that I wasn't the only one to lose my parents, or even the only person to have to take care of a sibling, but it was another thing entirely to actually become acquainted with people in similar situations. For a long time, I'd thought of Makoto as a burden, but that wasn't how I really felt- in truth, I envied her for being stronger, and able to carry on with her beliefs despite suffering the same as what I had.

"In any case," Makoto said, "what I want is for Akira to be able to do with his life what he pleases, since I believe he'll make the right choices."

I nodded approvingly. Even if Makoto was getting ahead of herself, she wasn't idealizing what came next. One way or another, she and Akira would be separated, but if Makoto understood what that meant, she would be prepared for what came after that.

Eventually, the time came for Makoto to take university entrance exams. She likely had many things going through her mind- whether Akira would still be in prison when his turn came, whether his record would ruin his chances of getting into a reputable school, and all sorts of other related questions. For now, however, only one thing mattered, and it fell on me to make sure she wouldn't lose sight of it. As such, when we had dinner together the Sunday before Makoto's first exams, I decided to have a talk with her.

"As harsh as it may sound, Makoto," I said, "from this point until your exams are over, they are your first and only priority. This point in your life is far too critical for you to have the luxury of distractions."

"I know," Makoto said somberly. "Akira wouldn't want me to sacrifice my future for his, after all."

I shook my head. Makoto was trying to follow the letter of my advice, but it seemed as though she'd misunderstood its spirit.

"I don't want you to think of this as putting your education before the fight for Akira-kun's freedom," I said. "Rather, you should realize that you're not in this alone, and shouldn't try to shoulder the burden by yourself, lest you become disillusioned by your own powerlessness."

"I understand, Sis," Makoto said. "For what it's worth, Haru feels the same way, and she's also facing entrance exams. In some ways, she has it harder, since she's recently lost her father, but she's strong enough to press on."

While Makoto clearly admired her friend's resilience, there wasn't a hint of envy in her tone. Neither of the girls thought in terms of who was stronger than the other, but both were simply content that they had the internal fortitude to persist- or being able to draw upon their friends for support if they lacked that. In that regard, both were better people than I was, but rather than lament that, I decided to improve myself.

In this case, we achieved the optimal possible outcome- Makoto passed her exams with flying colors and was admitted to the school of her choice, while her allies continued their fight for justice even as she took time off to see to her own interests. The people fighting for Akira-kun's freedom were a diverse lot- high school students, business professionals, minor celebrities and many others- who took time out of their busy lives for a selfless cause. They couldn't afford to neglect their jobs, especially since their jobs helped them gain the influence that they had, but had to balance what they had to do with what they wanted to do. Learning from their example would serve me well, as long as I resolved to never lose sight of my goals again.

After seven weeks of often fruitless efforts, we prevailed. Our efforts to find witnesses for Akira-kun struck gold- the woman who testified against Akira, and was willing to revise her testimony, even if it meant admitting that she'd committed perjury back then. Since her help was not only useful to help Akira-kun, but also to convict Shido, I managed to arrange a deal to grant her leniency in exchange for her testimony, and she eagerly accepted. With her help, Akira-kun walked free, and the final nails were hammered into Shido's coffin. The only way for Shido to escape justice was to avoid setting foot inside a court, and with that aside, it was only a mater of time before he was convicted.

Makoto was cautiously optimistic at every development, even this one. She simply said, "I'll believe it when Akira is back with us and when Shido gets sentenced to the rest of his life in prison." In response, I softly smiled and said that it was my duty to ensure a notorious criminal like Shido got what he deserved- although I realized that this was one of the few times I felt as though I was truly fighting for justice as a prosecutor.

Everyone hailed my victory in successfully prosecuting the nation's most infamous criminal, someone who sought to subvert the government itself, but I realized I could not have done it alone, nor could I claim it as mine. I'd realized that the path I walked was not the one that was most just, and the time had come to find a new one.

As such, within a few days of Shido's conviction, I prepared to deliver my letter of resignation, but showed it to Makoto first.

Makoto peered over the letter reading it out loud.

"The Shido case was an example of the power of the rule of law," Makoto read, "but it also opened my eyes to many things, such as the danger unchecked power can have, and the fear and despair felt by those accused of a crime with no one to defend them. For the sake of my conscience, and for that of our great country's justice system, I tender my resignation and hope to devote myself to defending the accused. Sincerely, Sae Niijima, Public Prosecutor."

"So, Makoto," I said. "How was it?"

"I think it serves your purposes well, Sis," Makoto said. "It was reasonably honest, fair and professional. It got your point across without calling your soon-to-be-former colleagues a bunch of corrupt hypocrites."

"It's fairly well-known that my deceased former boss was part of the conspiracy," I said, "although his replacement isn't much better, or else I might have considered staying. But thank you, Makoto- even if I didn't like anyone there, I don't want to burn any bridges, which is why I appreciate your feedback."

"You're welcome, Sis," Makoto said. "I'm thinking of doing the same when I step down as student council president."

I knew that I had to choose my battles from here on out, and that doing so was a matter of survival. In spite of that, I also knew that choosing my battles also meant choosing to fight for what I believed in, and not sit idly by in the face of corruption as I'd done for too long until now. I'd learned that from Makoto, who, in turn, had learned that from someone who'd continued to do the right thing, even after doing so had ruined his reputation and nearly cost him his freedom. Perhaps this was one step toward a new beginning, when I could help many other unjustly accused individuals in the same way Makoto and the others had helped Akira-kun.

On Valentine's Day, I got another message from Makoto saying that she'd be out late at Leblanc. In the evening, I casually stopped by LeBlanc for a cup of coffee, and saw the owner outside the shop, locking the door. At his feet was Morgana, the cat who'd accompanied Akira-kun throughout the past year.

"I'm terribly sorry, ma'am, but you've arrived too late," he said. "I've closed up for the day."

"That's your prerogative, Boss," I said, "but aren't you concerned about losing business today in case some young couple wants to have a cup of coffee?"

The owner chuckled sheepishly, evidently noticing that I was alone. For a moment, I was worried that he'd make a joke by asking if I was hitting on him, even if he seemed old enough to be Makoto's father.

"Well, there already is one in there," he said. "It's a special favor to someone who's practically family to me by now."

For a moment, I assumed that the man was referring to his adoptive daughter, Futaba Sakura, but then the girl herself walked up.

"Hey, Sojiro, where's Akira?" Futaba-chan said. "I have some friendship chocolate I want to give him."

"He's inside, Futaba," Boss said, "but given that he's with Nijima-san, I don't think either of them want to be bothered."

"But isn't Nijima-san right he-" Futaba-chan said, before stopping short and giggling. "Oh, Makoto, you lucky girl."

"Indeed," I said with a smile.

As Morgana started meowing, to which Futaba-chan replied with "Very funny, Mona," I took my leave. A romantic evening with no interruptions was the least my sister and her boyfriend deserved after the past two months.

I'm not foolishly optimistic. I know that even after Shido's defeat, there are many corrupt and self-serving politicians, with resources that grant them power beyond what most people could hope for, even if it's not supernatural. There are too many people like them in the prosecutor's office for me to make much of a difference there, and even as an attorney, I will likely have to fight many uphill battles against those people. Akira-kun's conviction may have been overturned, but people will likely still continue to spread rumors about him- and perhaps university admissions officers and hiring managers may believe them. Makoto and Akira-kun will face many challenges in the future, individually and as a couple, starting with maintaining a long-distance relationship for at least a year.

In spite of all this, the world doesn't seem as hopeless as it once did. Few could have said with any degree of certainty that the Phantom Thieves could have defeated the conspiracy or the god that set everything into motion, or that that we could have overturned Akira-kun's conviction, so perhaps it won't be too much of a stretch to hope for the best. Where there's a will, there's a way, and I sincerely wish my sister and potential brother-in-law the best.

Author's Notes

Thank you for reading this fic.

This was inspired by what I heard about the events between the final battle and the ending, and my interpretation of what's going on inside Sae's head if her sister's the one romancing Akira at the time. Let me know if anything seems out of place.

As a bit of a cultural note, some Japanese people call the proprietor of a coffee shop or other such establishment "Master" in English, like some characters seem to do in the game. I changed it to "Boss," the equivalent in this game.

Now that I've had the chance to play through the Engish version, I've revised the story.

*I've modified what the characters call each other- for example, Sae uses "-kun" on Akira (Makoto seems to alternate between using it and not using it, depending on the scene) and "-chan" on Futaba, Makoto calls Sae "Sis," and Futaba uses Sojiro's first name.

*I ran into a bit of a quandary when it comes to Sae's decision to switch careers. When she gives you the news, she claims that not even Makoto has heard this (which is slightly surprising, since the sisters are significantly closer after reconciling in late November).

*One thing that did nicely fit this story, was Sae's parting remark about how there are still evil adults out there. Sae can no longer be wholly optimistic given what she's experienced, but she has ultimately changed for the better and is willing to fight for justice.