Prelude

I'll never forget the day I met him. The innocent soul who happened upon the used bookstore that fateful evening. He had come to return the owner's lost wallet, but it never crossed his or my mind that his kind intentions would alter his life forever. As we met eyes, I knew he wasn't from around here. And when he spoke, it only became more obvious.

Bebe was his name. (At least, what I remembered as his name. He preferred this title to the ridiculously long one that he had likely inherited from numerous generations.) He had come to Japan from France, courtesy of his dear aunt who supported him though seemingly anything. Bebe was quite the enthusiast of any and everything related to Japan.

"I've seen you around ze school," he said, smiling at me, "You're at ze top of ze class. Tetsuya Saito, ne?"

I nodded, bowing my head a little.

"Hajimimashite," he said, hiding a little behind the traditional fan he carried with him, "I'm ze president of ze Fashion Club. If you're not too busy, feel free to drop by after school sometime. I'd be very 'appy to 'ave you."

"Sure," I responded.

In all honesty, my intentions were initially selfish. Then again, most motives are selfish. Do we not eat to satiate our own hunger? Do we not study to perform well later in our own lives? Are we not kind so that others will return the kindness? This is all very normal. But maybe my reasons weren't as normal as some.

To befriend him would be beneficial. It might change my current situation, or even help me in my duties. That was what the old man told me. Creating Social Links was important. How could I refuse?

But this one was different. With everyone else I had chosen to befriend, something inside urged me to establish a kinship with them: Kenji, Maiko, Nozomi, Bunkichi and Mitsuko… But no matter how long I stared at Bebe, nothing cried out. It was like there was no motivation at all.

What was I doing affiliating myself with him? How would this help me? Was this wasting my time?

…

And why didn't I care about any of that?

One Fateful Decision

The day seemed to drag out as usual. Ms. Toriyumi was complaining about her job for at least an hour instead of filling us in on proper grammar as the lesson was scheduled for. Despite my drooping eyelids, I managed to survive the lecture, which I couldn't say for my best friend, Junpei Iori. Before I knew it, the bell rang loudly, ripping every shred of fatigue from my mentality.

"…NO, THAT'S NOT MY APPLESAUCE!" Junpei blurted as he too was alarmed.

"I'm glad to hear you were paying attention, Iori," Ms. Toriyumi frowned, "Anyway, you're all excused for lunch."

I stood beside my desk, fiddling with my mp3 player. Junpei blinked and his eyes darted about in his daze.

"Arrgh… what'd I miss?" he moaned as he yawned and stretched.

"Not much," I replied, adjusting the volume to a higher setting so that I wouldn't have to wear the headphones over my ears.

"Hey, Tetsuya…"

I looked up at the girl who had spoken my name. Yukari Takeba. My dorm mate and best friend. She stared at me quietly, her cheeks pink as her jacket.

"Are you free after school today?" she asked me.

"Possibly. Why?" I asked her. She looked down at the floor.

"N-No reason," she replied. I sighed a little. Our social link was too close… She was getting the wrong idea. I had no idea how to break it to her. Her heart and our connection would break if I didn't choose the right words. Junpei looked back and forth between us. He sensed it too.

"I'm free after school," he grinned mischievously. Yukari let out a small grunt of disgust.

"As if, Stupei," she spat. Junpei frowned.

"Hey! I resent that," he snorted.

The door to our classroom opened and it seemed like the class froze completely. Mitsuru Kirijo walked inside. Guys and girls alike swooned over her. It was as if they had been blessed with the presence of an empress. However, I could never say that her presence would ever stir the same interest in my own body. I knew that if she had bothered to put herself in our classroom, that could only mean one thing.

She stood before the three of us in an authoritative stance.

"I'm sure all of you are aware that the moon is growing full," she said. Freaking. Duh. As if I could forget. As if he would let me forget. I often felt like I was a mile in steps ahead of the party.

"We're meeting on the 4th floor tonight," Mitsuru went on, "Don't be late."

She left as suddenly as she had arrived, leaving us surrounded by buzzing girls. I rolled my eyes and began to leave for lunch. I was no more than two steps out of the classroom when my attention was caught.

"Konnichiwa, Tetsuya-sama!"

Blonde hair suddenly stood out before my eyes. Bebe smiled a friendly smile, though still peering at me from behind his fan.

"Are you attending ze Fashion Club today?" he asked hopefully. He seemed to desire my attendance greatly. I was used to telling everyone what they wanted to hear, so I gave my response very little thought.

"Sure."

"Yatta!" Bebe exclaimed in excitement, "Okay zen! Sayonara, Tetsuya!"

Without another word he was already gone, smiling as if pleased with himself. I couldn't help but watch as he left. He was an odd soul. I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to understand him completely.

"Hello, Tetsuya."

Behind me stood Nozomi, who claimed the proud title "Gourmet King". The guy saw me as a little brother and strongly admired my metabolism. He was also trying to get me to join his cult, which was starting to freak me out a little.

"Do you want to go find someplace to eat after school?" he asked, "I'm sure Hagakure won't be too crowded."

"Uh, well-" I started, but was interrupted suddenly.

"Yo, Tetsuya!" grinned Kenji, "You wanna grab some ramen after school?"

"Hey, get lost, Tomochika!" Nozomi barked, "I asked him first!"

"He's been my friend longer!" Kenji argued, "Besides, I need to talk to him about… my girlfriend!"

"Liar!"

"I am not! Right, Tetsuya? We usually talk about my girlfriend, don't we?"

"Yeah. All the time," I said.

"Well, that can wait!" Nozomi snapped, "Tetsuya, I need to talk to you about a small fee."

"What the-? What do you mean? You're not scamming him are you?" Kenji barked, immediately at my defense.

"I'm helping him into Paradise! You, on the other hand, seem to be deviating beyond repair!"

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You know, if this is all about getting my attention, we can all go to Hagakure after school. I'll pay…" I muttered, attempting to end their bickering.

"No, Tetsuya! I need to talk to you alone!" Kenji snapped.

"I bet you don't really have a girlfriend! I bet you're trying to get in Tetsuya's pants!"

"Good God, man! Why would you even jump to that conclusion? Tetsuya and I discuss girls! There's no way I'd even think of him that way. Besides, even if I was, Tetsuya knows too much about girls to even make me think he was into dudes!"

At that, I left them to bicker. It was probably better that I did, anyway.

The day rolled by quickly and before long, school was over. I wasn't too enthusiastic about leaving the classroom alone. Luckily, Nozomi would already be at Paulownia Mall. However, Yukari and Kenji, who were in the same room as me, would be a bit more awkward to deal with.

While they were preoccupied with others, I quickly slipped out of the classroom and ran down the stairs. I had made a successful escape. My plans for that day were scheduled at the Velvet Room. Though, trying to slip around Nozomi to get there seemed like more trouble than it was worth. I could always go in the evening… or even during the Dark Hour…

As I continued down the hallway trying to work out a plan, I walked past an unfamiliar classroom where a faint noise emitted. Usually, the classroom was silent when I walked past. I was somewhat interested and could not ignore my curiosity. I opened the door a bit and peered in.

Bebe sat alone in front of a sewing machine. The lights were all off for some reason. I remembered that I said I would attend, but I was on a schedule. I knew trying to befriend him wouldn't benefit me. Yet, as I watched him sew in solitude, I began to feel a bit sorry. I sighed and opened the door a bit more, flicking on the lights.

Bebe stopped the sewing machine and looked up at the lights quickly.

"It probably helps to have the lights on," I told him. He looked back at me, seeming surprised.

"Tetsuya-sama! You came to ze club after all!" he grinned. In an instant, he was on his feet. He whipped his favorite accessory out and briefly fanned himself, though he seemed to be hiding behind it. He was such a shy guy.

"What's up with working in the dark?" I asked him. He tilted his head.

"Eh? I was told zat in Japan, when school ends, ze clubs work in ze dark. Eet conserves resources, ne?" he asked, as if I should have known. I sighed, irritated with the moron who thought it was funny to take advantage of the foreign exchange student.

"I guess, but… try to be careful with who you take cultural advice from," I muttered, "We've got some real assholes at this school."

"Assholes?"

"If you don't know that word, please do not familiarize yourself with it."

Bebe fanned himself momentarily and then paused, thinking quietly. He smiled a little.

"You seem like a good person, Tetsuya," he said, "So are zinking of joining ze club?"

In my irritation, I had nearly forgotten that this was a club. Or at least, what he was calling a club. His only company was the sewing machine. I couldn't stand to leave him in this pitiful state. What else could I say?

"Sure," I told him, "But… what do we do?"

"Sew," Bebe replied, unabashed by the seemingly odd hobby, "Ze club eez all about sewing fashionable designs."

For a moment, I actually considered declining. Becoming affiliated with a Fashion Club itself was already style-cramping, and I had to uphold an important reputation – especially around my friends from the dorm. But then I looked around the room again. It was so empty. Bebe had introduced himself as the club president, but I saw what it really was. This was only an excuse. No one was interested in being with him…

I had once known the feeling. My parents had died ten years before I had moved here. Since then, I'd always been on my own. I was left with nothing. No family, no inheritance, no final words, no direction, not even my memories. I still didn't know how they had perished. The orphanage was all I had before moving into the dorm. If Bebe wasn't from Japan, there was a chance that he was having difficulties with acceptance. I knew what I had to do.

"That sounds great, Bebe," I smiled. Bebe seemed especially pleased.

"Zank you so much, Tetsuya-sama! I will never forget your kindness, my tomodachi!"

For a moment, I thought he was going to hug me. I don't know if it was because he was shorter than myself, childlike, or just European. Despite my utter disdain for physical contact, I felt that I almost would have welcomed it… My emotions were screwed up incomprehensibly at that moment.

And then I heard it. The mysterious voice inside my head.

Thou art I, and I am thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Temperance Arcana.

The Temperance Arcana? It didn't ring any bells. It was definitely new, but I possessed nothing of such an Arcana in my soul. I hadn't even seen one during my visits to in the Velvet Room. This Social Link really wasn't beneficial to me. Yet, for some reason, I still didn't care.

That day that I had intended to spend in the Velvet Room had turned into the beginning of the rest of my life. My decision to stop by the Home Economics room that afternoon had already decided my future, and his. I never suspected a thing.

Who would have thought I would be spending time sewing with an exchange student?

Who would have thought that in a matter of months, I would be fighting for his life?