I read the whole thing. it was amazing. I'm going thru a tough time right now and this made me cry. why keep doing something when you are not happy. being an adult is hard but u have to be true to yourself. I only looked for a haruxakira fan fiction, but it gave me something else. you have to keep pushing forward and not settle for something simple. Thank you so much. I needed this as much as Haru did, do did I.

This has become one of my all time favourite pieces of writing on this site. I love how melancholy it is and how well it captures the stress of everyday life. You did such a good job on this!

I read all of it. I enjoyed the detail, the descriptions... I really loved how it captured the passage of time and the wear on one's overall mood and wishes to see how hard things actually are. It truly made me sad in the beginning but... I just could not help but love this... small rebellion. That, anytime we want we can rebel to whatever there is and whatever we've put ourselves into and start over...

Futaba's deal and Makoto's and whatnot made me... ponder. I myself have great hopes for my future but now in the last few years of my higher education I cannot do anything but imagine what tomorrow holds.

You've given me a lot to think about and a lot of emotions. I would love to see both Haru and Akira loving their life at a coffee shop, it feels right, but what you did brought perspective to the idea.

Congratulations, you've done excellent with this.

I'm with Filthy Lurker on this one, this story definitely defines the spirit of breaking free in persona with true optimism. If you make more stories like this one covering the other characters rediscovering themselves you have my full support. But for now, standing on this roof, it's more than enough.

I don't know exactly what this story made me feel, but it made me feel something. With the titular "Swear to My Bones" playing in the background during the climax to this lovely little piece, I found myself twisted up inside, like I wanted to cry but at the same time felt so indescribably at peace.

Everything leading up to this moment tore me apart inside as someone who fell in love with these characters, where everything about their exaggerated, humorous, lovable, alive selves had become dimmed, choked by the society they had once fought to change for the better.

Ann and Ryuji finding a way to be who they always were. Yusuke doubting the relevancy of his passion. Makoto's career goals resulting in her becoming like Sae - as if she found little purpose in spending time with her friends now. Futaba abandoning the 'self' which she had made such an integral part of herself - and in the process, truly learning to move on.

Haru. Haru, the cute anime waifubait who I fell for hook, line and sinker every time I played the game, without fail. From the first few chapters, something about Haru's cafe felt wrong from how she spoke about it in the game. Like, this Eden, a paradise she idealized, had become just a job. Her passions had turned into chains forged by herself and Akira, just as Arsene said.

And in true form as a most excellent trickster, Akira broke those chains in short order. Maybe it was wrong to make such a decision without consulting her. Maybe it was wrong to trespass and skulk up to Shujin Academy's rooftop. Maybe it was wrong to be a Phantom Thief those many years ago, diving into the collective human unconscious and forcibly redeeming the foul and wicked, creating a high from which life could probably only seem like a downhill slope from.

But damn if it didn't all feel right, all the while. Maybe that's what you're trying to get across? Pursue what feels right. Pursue what your heart aches for, more than anything. Whether it's something as grand as reforming society, or something as simple and yet satisfying as gardening - perhaps Haru's true passion, what truly fulfills her. I don't know, just like Akira didn't know if what he felt was the same as her.

I do feel that Akira and Haru both couldn't possibly go back to managing a cafe now. Haru, for her stated reasons. Akira, for the similar fact that living above a cafe and working in one is too reminisicent to what was his life from long ago. That if he holds on, life won't change. He needed to learn to let go - maybe all of the former thieves do, in some way or another. Maybe that could be it? Learning to let go of the past and whatever it chains you to?

I don't know. I just feel like that's right, and I want to thank you for writing this.

Fascinating story. Brilliant concept, well written, and I personally love the direction you're taking it in. At the start, I just wanted to enjoy a post-end Haru relationship fic, but Arsene's appearance has me really interested to what will happen next.

looking forward to the next chapter

Mmm Arsene is not happy? Don't see that coming...

You've done it again, friend! Something about this chapter resonates so deeply with me. The Phantom Thieves are no longer wide-eyed teenagers chasing the spirit of youth, their dreams as long as the horizon. They've become grounded in reality, humbled by their experiences. Everything about them seems so subdued from their past selves, from their personalities, to their mannerisms, to their attitudes about life.

Hearing about Futaba's breakdown was tragic, and learning that Yusuke struggles to find beauty in his work is downright heartbreaking, especially considering how much we'd seen him pursue his art in Persona 5. And seeing that Makoto has become almost as jaded as her sister is so sad, I really hoped she would follow in her father's footsteps instead of becoming a professor of law! You've done an amazing job of illustrating these characters with real flaws and lingering personal issues, and I can certainly see how each of them progressed to the state that they did.

There are some specific parts of your story that I'd like to single out for being particularly amazing. First, Futaba's quote, "Whatever we did in Mementos as kids didn't fix whatever makes people fucked up." Absolute goosebumps after reading that quote. So powerful and succinct, especially considering it was delivered from Futaba. The impact of the statement is even shown in the story, where, for about ten paragraphs afterwards, there is no dialogue. Just Akira's inner monologue. It showed just how powerful the sentence was that it brought everyone to a unanimous silence. Whether or not this was intentional, it was incredibly well done and I loved it.

Another quote I really enjoyed was, "Our gazes held fast to the concrete at our feet as if to tether us to earth." It works really well with the scene, where they are all on the roof to watch the horizon. Perhaps I'm looking into it too deeply, but I see it as symbolic; the Phantom Thieves were so sure of themselves, so confident of their abilities, that they entered the real world feeling like Icarus. They might have flown too close to the sun and burned themselves, resulting in the fatigued and numbed individuals they've ended up as grown ups. So they're keeping themselves grounded to the earth, remembering where they are. They keep themselves grounded because they're scared of dreaming again, of being hurt again, because it's easier "to fall into complacent mediocrity" as Arsene mentioned than it is to keep flying.

Really amazing story, friend. Wherever you take it, I know it'll be fantastic.

Yeesh, Arsene. I didn't want to end this off with nightmares.

And now I see what you meant how this wouldn't be a very "typical" slice of life.

Loving this story. Haru is criminally underrated, and you write her and all of the Phantom Thieves so well. Is there an upload schedule for this? It's quickly becoming a favorite.

Another wonderfully written chapter. You do a great job of showing instead of telling, portraying characters' feelings through dialogue and actions instead of outright saying it in the text. Your descriptions are beautiful and carefully crafted, and your meticulous focus on sentence cadence is well-appreciated. I'm interested in seeing where this story is going, whether it is just a slice of life fiction or if there are other, ulterior plot hiding just beneath the surface. Keep it up!

I'm looking forward to the end of this story.

I'm gonna guess that it's gonna be a typical slice of life series. Hey, I won't complain.

Kunikazu...Very fitting for their son.

This seems interesting