Persona 5: Definition of Outcast [On Hold]

Entry 1: New Day in the City

> April, 9th. Saturday.

A young man with unkempt, black hair and rather large, thick black oval glasses jolted up from his seat on the moving train, earning a few absent glances that quickly returned to their original view. The boy felt a heat of embarrassment rush over him, wiping his mouth with the back of his right hand, making sure that he hadn't drooled. With a long sigh, the man rubbed the bridge of his nose in exhaustion, frowning. He had been traveling for at least three days, barely getting a wink of sleep during his trip due to a particular haunting dream that he feared to return to.

The victims petrified pleas, the predators slurred words, screams, police lights breaking the dimmed streets... Images of that incident flashed in the boy's mind, causing him to sigh once again. The housewife sitting next to him subtly scooted away from him, not wanting to catch whatever omen he had. Sadly, the lad noticed this and ran his fingers through his hair, sitting up straight.

The train was fairly empty for a city transportation. But maybe that was simply because it was still spring break, schools officially starting up again on Monday-the day after the next. Of course, there were some schools that started early, proven by the few girls that were wearing uniforms. Being a country bumpkin, the young man had imagined much worse thanks to all of those rumors he heard back home. Thinking back on it caused the boy to rotate his head in discomfort.

Soon, the young man reached his stop and managed to peacefully get off the train. Only one more train ride before he finally reached his location. From there, it was going to be a good five miles worth of walking. Just thinking about the remainder of the trip exhausted him, but also filled him with great relief.

Waiting at the station for his train to arrive, he could hear many women gossiping about similar topics. Glancing over to his left, he could see two girls his age loudly gossiping something about mental breakdowns. The conversation was interesting, sure, and it had certainly peaked his interest; but the boy was simply too tired to genuinely care. Looking ahead at the next station in front of him, dazed, he could see a blurred reflection of himself through the dimmed window. He was wearing a black blazer, unbuttoned to reveal a black-trimmed cream sweater, blue jeans, and brown shoes. He noticed how messy his hair was- well, messier thanks to that earlier hand comb- and couldn't help but sigh. Grabbing the ends of his bangs that just about reached the ridge of his nose, he pinched them, twisting them in slight frustration.

I can't make up my mind...Do I wanna cut it shorter or grow it out? he thought to himself, making a face. He was always horrible at making decision regarding his appearance. "Should I look clean? Dirty? Expensive? Poor?" Those were the thoughts he always had with himself in the morning, staring blankly at his closet. Back home, he had to keep his hair neat and tidy by using every hair gel he could find. Not a single strand was to be out of place. When he was younger, he wanted to grow his hair, so he would secretly skip his annual haircut. But when his family noticed, it was forcibly cut. He wasn't going to be staying at his family's shop for the upcoming year... Meaning he had more freedom. So it was natural for him to wonder if he should seriously consider growing it out. He certainly liked playing with the ends of it, something longer hair would certainly make easier for him. But the thought of having to actually use a hairdryer and a towel to dry it seemed too exhausting. With a frustrated sigh, he ran both his hands through his hair, messing it up even more, before stuffing his hands into his pockets. It didn't matter and the fear of having to cut it all off once again when he returned home bothered him.

For now, I'll just let it do what it wants. If it looks better with longer hair, then I'll let it grow out, the boy finally decided. Soon, his train arrived and with reluctant feet, stepped inside. The train was much more crowded than the last one, but was still pretty empty. Setting his bag down on an empty spot, the boy noticed an elderly woman in an electric wheelchair struggle to get on. The boy stared at the woman for a bit, waiting to see if she could manage to get on by herself. But when the announcement came on stating that they were to depart soon, the old woman still struggling with no one coming to her assistance, he grabbed his stuff, allowing a mother and her young child to sit in his stead; and rushed over to the elder woman to help her in. The old woman smiled and thanked him, to which he nodded in reply. He noticed that a number of people were staring at the two, shortly averting their eyes. The boy couldn't help but snort in disgust, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood by the door besides the elderly woman. It was typical adult behavior...