Persona 5: Beneath The Mask

CHAPTER LVI

Chapter 56: Blood Money

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The doors slid open to reveal a long catwalk, its edges lined with paper bills. Money rained down from the ceiling in a show of excess that made you wince at the sheer gaudiness.

Skull peered out, his eyes wide. "Dude, there's money all over the floor!"

"Don't gawk, Skull," Mona scolded as he strode up beside Joker. "Remember, he took all this from the weak."

Queen clenched her fist. "He'll pay for this."

You took the lead, resuming your role as the group's scout. You were moving cautiously into the area ahead to ensure there wouldn't be any unpleasant surprises for you, although it wouldn't be shocking if there were.

As you descended, you navigated past a few confusing doors before reaching a hallway suspended above the floor below. There, a powerful shadow awaited, but something else caught your eye first-the cameras mounted along the wall ahead.

You ducked behind an office desk to your left, taking a moment to study the setup. After a while, you noticed the cameras were switching on and off at intervals, though the reason wasn't clear to you. You weren't sure if this was a new surveillance system, so you decided the safest approach was to wait for the cameras to turn off before moving past. You made sure to relay this to Joker and the others.

The group continued exploring the floor until you discovered another safe room, marking it on the map. With that, Joker decided to call it a day.

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June 23rd - Thursday

Just like before, the next day after your previous exploration is a dedicated rest day for the group. Ryuji had called for your attention asking to hangout again, but you had a shift at Corner 24 today, and after what happened last time you were supposed to be at work, you knew you couldn't afford skipping this one.

It was tempting to skip it though.

When you arrived at work, the boss wasn't around in the store, but Mai was finally back. She gracefully welcomed you back with a hug that you barely returned, before she tells you that the manager was waiting for you at the back.

Uh oh.

You took a steadying breath and rubbed your palms together before pushing open the door to the small, cluttered office in the back of the convenience store where you work.

You haven't been in this office often. The last time was when you were hired, and your boss introduced you to Mai, who became a sort of mentor while you got familiar with the place and your tasks.

So, being called here now feels strange, even after working here for several months.

Sitting behind the desk was your boss, Mr. Yukiyo Satori. He had inherited this old place from his parents and transformed it into a convenience store near Central Street in Shibuya. He tapped his fingers rhythmically against a small stack of paper rolls, his eyes landing on you with a calm yet pointed gaze.

"Glad you could make it," he began speaking in a low and controlled voice. "We need to have a talk, (L/N)."

"Yes, sir," you replied, carefully polite. "I... apologize for not reaching out sooner."