"I-I was here first!" The strawberry-blonde girl snapped, gripping the figurine with the intensity of someone protecting a national treasure.
Her voice quivered—but not from fear. From sheer indignation.
"Ichinose, stop this! You're embarrassing us," a nearby boy muttered, his face partially hidden behind his hand.
"Kanzaki-kun, tell her I was here first!" Ichinose turned to him pleadingly, her grip on the figurine not loosening for a second.
The boy sighed like a man who knew nothing good came from speaking in these situations.
Before he could answer, another voice cut in.
"Hey, blondie!" A ponytailed girl suddenly interjected, stepping up with folded arms. "Ichinose-san got to it first."
"No, she didn't. I was here first," the gyaru girl shot back without hesitation.
A boy with blue hair stepped in next, clearly siding with Ichinose. "Akimura-san's right. Ichinose-san was definitely here before."
Another girl chimed in from behind Karuizawa. "No way. Karuizawa-san clearly arrived first."
Karuizawa… why does that name sound familiar?I feel like I heard this name before, was it in Mementos?
"Yes, Satou-san is right," Karuizawa declared. "I was here first."
"No, you weren't," Ichinose said, her voice beginning to tremble slightly.
"Yes, we were!"
"No, we were!!"
"NO, WE WERE FIRST!!"
By now, the air was thick with tension—and volume. A small crowd had gathered to witness the unfolding chaos.
"Karuizawa-san, please," came a familiar, calming voice. The green-haired boy from earlier stepped in again, trying desperately to be the voice of reason. "Let's not cause a scene."
"Hirata-kun, we were here first," Karuizawa pouted, tugging at the figurine. "She's just trying to steal it."
"I-I'm not stealing anything!" Ichinose replied, flustered and still gripping her end of the figurine.
The poor shop attendant looked like he was about to have a meltdown. "P-Please, ladies, calm down! The figurine is fragile—don't tug like that!"
"Let go already!"
"No—you let go, blondie!" Akimura joined in from Ichinose's side, grabbing onto the figurine with righteous fury. "Ichinose got here first!"
Maruki finally stepped in, hands raised like a referee in a boxing match. "Everyone, please—calm down! This is just a piece of plastic!"
"Dr. Maruki!" Karuizawa called out, her eyes locking onto him like he was her last lifeline. "Tell her I was here first!"
"No, Maruki-sensei!" Ichinose pleaded from the other side. "I was here first!"
Before the counsellor could say anything, Satou marched over and joined Karuizawa's side without hesitation, grabbing the figurine like it was a tug-of-war rope.
Seconds later, there were five people on either side of the figure.
"I said let go!"
"No, you let go!"
"You're going to break it!"
"NO, YOU'RE going to break it!"
I let them be.
Ren left the shop, letting them fight over the figurine. For some reason, he felt tired—almost like when he entered the Metaverse for the first time.
His eyes stung, and he rubbed them gently as he walked. How long did I sleep last night? He wondered, already knowing the answer. Maybe 2 hours. Three, tops.
"To the convenience store…" he muttered under his breath. "It should be on the way to the dorm."
His pace was steady, but his steps dragged slightly. Every now and then, he stifled a yawn behind the back of his hand. The noise of the mall faded gradually behind him, replaced by the quieter, open space of the main campus path.
The afternoon sun was warm—not too harsh, but just enough to make his eyelids feel heavier.
He made it there without much effort and grabbed a basket without thinking too hard. His hand moved on autopilot—bento box, instant coffee, some bottled water, a few onigiri, and something sweet. He paused at the dessert section before picking up a small pudding cup and tossing it in.
This should be enough for today, he thought.
At the counter, he paid with his school ID
Shopping bag in one hand, he finally stepped back outside, feeling the pull of sleep even more now that the next stop was the dorm.
"Just need to get to my room…"
His steps slowed slightly as the modern dorm complex came into view.
He didn't bother taking in the view.
Instead, he focused on one thing only: getting to his bed.
He passed a few students chatting in the lounge near the entrance, gave a polite nod to the dorm manager, and headed toward the elevator; however, he was stopped on the way.
"Hey, kid, wait!"
Ren froze mid-step. The exhaustion in his bones told him to ignore it and keep walking, but he turned around anyway.
The dorm manager, a tall man with a buzz cut and a face that looked permanently unimpressed, waved him over from the front desk.
"What's your name?"
"Amamiya Ren."
"Amamiya Ren, huh? A first year huh…"
"Here, you forgot to collect your room key," he said flatly, holding out a small envelope. "And the dorm rules. Don't lose them.
Ren walked over, blinking sluggishly. "Right… thanks."
He took the envelope with a small bow, and the manager handed over a thin packet with Dormitory Regulations written in bold kanji on the front.
"Everything's in there. Room number, key card, emergency procedures, curfew time—though that one's more of a suggestion than anything. Just don't cause trouble."
"Understood," Ren said, then gave another small nod.
"Your room's 406. Fourth floor. Elevator's working fine. Also, welcome to Advanced Nurturing High School kid."
Ren didn't respond verbally this time—just turned back toward the elevator and trudged forward, the plastic bag of groceries crinkling softly in his hand.
Fourth floor.
The elevator ride was mercifully short, and Ren leaned against the wall with a quiet sigh while it ascended. The light music playing inside sounded like lullaby torture right now.
Ding.
He stepped out, walked down the pristine hallway until he found 406, slid the key card through the reader, and heard the satisfying click of the door unlocking.
Ren stepped inside.
Once inside, he dropped the bag by the door, kicked off his shoes, and slumped forward—half collapsing onto the bed without even changing clothes.
The bag crinkled somewhere in the background, but he didn't care. He lay there, face down, breathing into the cool blanket.
…Sleep took him within seconds.
There was no dramatic fade-out, no internal monologue, no stylish cutscene. Just a body worn thin, a brain fogged with fatigue, and a soul too tired to care.
Outside, the hum of the dorm's quiet activity carried on—students chatting faintly in the hallway, distant footsteps, the occasional door clicking shut—but inside room 406, it was peaceful. Still. Dim.
Ren's school bag was half-open on the floor, the pudding cup rolled slightly to the side, barely saved by the soft thud of carpet. His phone buzzed once, lighting up with a notification… then went still.
Minutes passed. Maybe hours.
He didn't stir.
Not even when the air conditioning shifted, blowing a cool draft over his shoulder. Not when a bird outside let out a sharp, laughing cry.
He was too tired for this.
…
[Author's Note]
Now that I think about it… I'm curious—how many of you reading this are familiar with the Shin Megami Tensei / Persona lore versus just coming in as Classroom of the Elite fans only?
Would you guys want a quick chapter explaining the metaverse and more stuff like this, or are you already understanding how the SMT cosmology works??