Fanfic / One Year on Probation

One Year on Probation is a Persona 5 fanfiction that is a retelling of the story but without any of the supernatural elements of the game written by FlOrangey. The basic story is the same, but Personas, the Metaverse and mental shutdowns are non-existent.

Akira Kurusu was a sixteen-year-old boy arrested for a crime he did not commit. Convicted of assaulting a man, expelled from his school, and put on probation, he must attend Shujin Academy in the city Shibuya for one year. If he makes it through his probation, he has the chance of having his record wiped clean and being able to live a normal life. If not, he can say goodbye to his future.

It should have been a year he could breeze through, working to change hearts and reform society. However, his life was not an urban fantasy. In this world, there are no palaces, no changing hearts, no Persona, and while there are cats, they don't talk. How is Akira going to survive a year in a school that has no qualms about making it clear he's not welcome? Is he going to survive at all? If he wants to even hope for a future, he'll have to try.

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This fic has examples of:

• Abuse Mistake: Downplayed example. When Makoto sees Akira's attic room for the first time, she first asks if he has proper living necessities, bringing up stories of troubled youth in poor living conditions who are taken in by guardians being paid government money.
• Adaptational Angst Downgrade: Futaba's mother is still alive, so she didn't go through the depression she did in the game. She is introduced as upbeat and energetic when she first meets Akira.
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade: Emphasis is placed on Akira's inner thoughts with having to deal with being shunned for his record and how much it's tearing him up inside. When threatened with expulsion by Kamoshida, he doesn't take it well to the point of cutting off ties with Ryuji, blaming him for what happened. He even declines to join the group to go against Kamoshida, saying its pointless to oppose someone high up, speaking from experience.
• Adaptational Early Appearance:
  • Haru Okumura appears earlier than in canon, gardening on the rooftop.
  • Yusuke briefly appears while stalking Ann, who along with Ryuji is still dealing with Kamoshida.
  • Futaba is introduced a lot sooner, though as in canon, Sojiro was talking to her on the phone earlier.
  • Shinya Oda was introduced as part of a Mementos quest that could not be accessed until 9/4 at the earliest in canon. Here, he appears on 5/5.
  • Medjed is brought up and discussed before they become relevant in canon.
  • Hifumi Togo can't be met until after Yusuke brings her up in game, but here Akira meets her before Yusuke is introduced.
  • While Ichiko Ohya is introduced in the Madarame arc, she briefly appears during his art exhibit, which is sooner than in game.
• Adaptational Expansion: Akira's life before coming to Tokyo is expanded upon.
  • His relationship with his parents is given some background. His father was furious over the fact his son caused a lawsuit against him, while his mother is more understanding. She is even the one who suggests using the glasses to make him look less intimidating.
  • His time in juvenile hall and what he went through there is explored as well, during a therapy session with Takemi. It isn't pretty.
  • A big contribution to Akira's strained relationship with his father is discovering that he's having an affair while his mother is ill.
• Adaptational Heroism: Implied with Black Mask/Akechi's character, if the brief mention of them in the interlude is any indication.
• Adaptational Mundanity: As mentioned already, the supernatural elements are completely absent. Even Morgana is just an ordinary cat in this story.
• Adaptational Nice Guy: Makoto was never a "bad person" in the original game, but she started out initially antagonistic towards the Phantom Thieves. Since the means of "changing hearts" doesn't exist in this story, she has no reason to investigate Akira and his friends. Furthermore, in her Establishing Character Moment, she stands up for him when he's accused of stealing a library book. Her relationship with Goro Akechi is friendlier as well.
• Adaptational Nonsapience: Morgana. While he still seems rather smart for a cat, he is still just an ordinary cat instead of the sentient being he was in canon.
• Adaptational Villainy: Downplayed example with Mishima. Initially it seems, like in the game, Mishima sides with the heroes after Shiho's attempted suicide, but it is later revealed he's been keeping tabs on them on behalf of Kamoshida in exchange for not getting expelled. It's clear he regrets it.
• Adaptational Wimp: To a certain extent. Goro Akechi is a detective's apprentice rather than the celebrity detective he is in canon. And, of course, Akira and his inner circle are all ordinary high school students instead of the badass supernatural phantom thieves they would become in the original game.
• Adaptation Deviation: In this fic, Akira isn't the only one who interacts with Confidants. For example, Ryuji is the one to meet and interact with Yoshida while Akechi and Ann are the ones who meet Ohya.
• Adapted Out: The supernatural elements of the game are not present. This extends to Igor and the twins, though they and the Velvet Room are jokingly alluded to.
• Adults Are Useless: Carrying over with the theme of the source material. After talking to Akira, Makoto tries to talk to the principal about his impending expulsion and treatment in campus, but her concerns are brushed off.
• Afraid of Blood: Goro winces at the sight of blood while watching Makoto's yakuza flicks.
• Alternate Universe Fic: This fic completely removes the supernatural elements from the story. Personas don't exist, Igor and the Velvet Room are nowhere to be seen, and Morgana is an ordinary cat.
• Alternative Character Interpretation: An in-universe example of Akira's initial thoughts about Makoto. After disproving the accusation of stealing a library book, Makoto reveals that she's seen Akira's records, including his club activities and decent grades at his previous school. Learning of this fact, he begins to wonder if she would have stood up for him at all if he was a much poorer student. It doesn't help that her choice of words such as "rehabilitation" makes it clear to him she views him as another criminal like the rest of his peers.
• Amazon Chaser: After Makoto flips him over when practicing kickboxing, Akira finds himself gazing at her in wonder.
• Apathetic Teacher: While digging into Kamoshida's abuses and becoming horrified by the extent of it, Kawakami asks herself when she became this, then realizes she knows the answer already.
• Armor-Piercing Question:
  • When Makoto adamantly insists on tutoring Akira to raise his grades up on Kobayakawa's behalf, he asks what she gets out of it. After he repeats his question by raising his voice when she hesitates to answer, she admits that it was for a college recommendation.
  • Ryuji gets a good one on Yusuke.
    Yusuke: I said it before and I'll say it again. It's true Madarame has had pupils that have been unsuccessful in breaking into the art world, but he has also had many who have done quite well for themselves!
    Ryuji: Oh yeah, who? Can you name them?
• Ascended Extra: Makoto gets a larger role in the Kamoshida arc. Kawakami gets involved as well.
• The Bad Guy Wins: The story opens up with Shido being elected Prime Minister.
• Bad Liar: Ann, as always. She attempts to claim that she wants pictures of Madarame's paintings to show Shiho, but Akechi sees right through her.
• Berserk Button: While investigating Madarame, Akira and Ann learn of a former apprentice who beats the crap out of anyone who so much as mentions Madarame. The two decide not to bother him.
• Big Brother Instinct: Akechi describes Makoto as being like a sister to him and warns Akira to not hurt her.
• Bookworm: Akira is this.
• Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario
  • After getting threatened with expulsion when he stopped Ryuji from attacking Kamoshida again, Akira refuses to speak to him, thinking that he never should have associated with him to begin with. The two reconcile after Akira learns more about Ryuji's history with Kamoshida.
  • They are not exactly friends around this point, but during and after the Kamoshida arc, relations with Akira and Makoto were friendly at best. Things become tense when Makoto offers to help raise Akira's grades up for a college recommendation. Tensions cool down after the two talk about it.
• Breather Episode:
  • The chapter in which Akira meets the Isshiki family and takes in Morgana has a more lighthearted tone in comparison to the previous chapters.
  • The chapters between the Kamoshida arc and Madarame arc are mostly Akira hanging out with Ryuji, Ann, and eventually Futaba during Golden Week.
• Brutal Honesty:
  Wakaba: Futaba, what have I told you about tact?
  Futaba: That I don't have any.
• Butterfly of Doom: Plenty of changes reverberate due to the lack of supernatural elements in the story.
  • Since the Metaverse doesn't exist, there's no cognitive psience for Wakaba Isshikki to study, depriving Shido of the reason to kill her for her research. Sojiro mentions an accident that put her in wheelchair, however, so it can be assumed she was still hit by a car.
  • Since the Metaverse doesn't exist, there's no avenue for Akechi to turn into a vengeful murderer bent on destroying Shido from the inside.
  • With no Phantom Thieves to change his heart, Nakanohara is arrested for stalking his ex-girlfriend.
• Bystander Syndrome: Ann accuses Akira of this when she confronts him about dealing with Kamoshida.
• Chick Magnet: Morgana is jokingly called one after Ann, Futaba, and Haru all call him cute.
• Chronic Hero Syndrome:
  • After learning the specifics about Ryuji's incident with Kamoshida, Akira can't bring himself to sit still and do nothing, despite there being a part of him telling him to stay out of it.
  • Akira is shocked to learn that Sojiro took him in with no reward and lied about being paid to do it.
• Continuity Nod: Futaba's old friend Kana is mentioned to have moved to Inaba.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Futaba constantly loses in Gun About to Shinya Oda.
• Cuteness Proximity: Morgana.
• Darker and Edgier: Since the means to change hearts doesn't exist, things are far harder for the heroes to deal with.
• Deadpan Snarker: Akira expresses this when Ryuji and Makoto are taking him to the hospital. Ryuji wonders if Kamoshida's punch did a number on him.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Even though she has the highest grades in Shujin, Makoto is still unsure of her future, not even knowing which college to attend when Kobayakawa brings it up.
• Digital Piracy Is Evil: Downplayed. Akechi becomes the subject of teasing from Ann when it's revealed that he... "acquires" DVDs and video games on his laptop that he can't afford.
• Downer Beginning: It's Christmas and Akira Kurusu's friends are spending it in the hospital waiting room, anxious about his condition. It's implied that he attempted suicide in response to Shido becoming Prime Minister.
• Dramatic Irony: After hearing the story behind his probation, Ann worries that Akira will do what Shiho nearly did. Ryuji assures that it won't happen. He's wrong.
• Driven to Suicide: The story begins in medias res with Akira hospitalized after overdosing on pills in reaction to Shido's victory in the elections.
• Easily Forgiven: Downplayed and subverted. When Mishima apologizes for leaking his record, Akira decides to let it go, but the narration makes it clear he's still angry about it.
• Epic Fail: Akechi is not very good at baseball.
• Even Evil Has Standards: Discussed. When Makoto defends Akira's character to Akechi by pointing out his conflict with Kamoshida, he responds that Akira may have found Kamoshida repulsive even by the standards of someone who would impulsively attack someone.
• Family of Choice: When told only family is allowed to see Akira by the hospital staff, Sojiro is quick to say that Akira is practically family.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Akechi mentions that a Kosei student was arrested for drug trafficking, alluding to Kaneshiro's crime ring.
  • Futaba appears to be irritated when reading the book about Medjed, most likely annoyed by the misinformation from the actions of the copycats of her alias.
  • When Haru first introduces herself to Akira and friends, she doesn't reveal her family name. Sojiro speculates that either she's into Akira to the point of wanting to be on a first name basis or her family is caught up in media attention and doesn't want anyone to know who she is. As he and Akira have this conversation, the television broadcasts news about Okumura Foods.
• From Stray to Pet: This happens to Morgana.
• Fuzz Therapy: Akira finds himself feeling better when with Morgana, going as far as to bring him to school. It's deconstructed when it gets noted by Ann that he seems to be seeing Morgana as more of a lifeline than than a pet, a sign that there's something wrong with him internally.
• Gayngst: Ann is in love with Shiho, but is too afraid of how Shiho would react if she said anything.
• Heroic BSoD: Akira flies into one after Kamoshida threatens to expel him.
• Homeschooled Kids: Sojiro reveals that Futaba is one.
• Hope Spot: Ann, Mishima and Ryuji find someone who is initially willing to talk about Kamoshida's abuses, but that person is silenced, her bruised face showing she was forced into silence.
• How We Got Here: In a a similar yet different framing device as the game, the story opens with Akira Kurusu hospitalized during Christmas holidays, and it flashes back to early April when he first came to Tokyo for his probation. After the final chapter of the Kamoshida arc, however, the story returns to the present, focusing on Ryuji and Ann's feelings about the situation.
• If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: Akechi makes this threat to Akira regarding Makoto, although he acknowledges that she would probably hurt him even worse.
• In Medias Res: The fic starts on Christmas before flashing back to April.
• I Never Said It Was Poison: While investigating Madarame, Akira and Ann come across a street vendor and ask him if he's ever worked with any famous artists. He immediately denies having worked with Madarame, then realizes his mistake in five seconds flat.
• Karma Houdini: Discussed by Sojiro and Ryuji's mother when Kamoshida is arrested. Both of them bring up that he may end up getting a light sentence, but Ryuji takes comfort in that he'll probably never be hired as a teacher again.
• The Kindness of Strangers: Akira starts to have a panic attack when he gets lost in the city during Golden Week, but lucky for him, Haru finds him and finds him a place to relax and cool down.
• Laser-Guided Karma: After God knows how long of Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!, Kawakami gathers enough evidence of Kamoshida's abuse to contact the police, and the rules finally screw him back.
• Like Brother and Sister: Akechi describes his relationship with Makoto as this. Futaba and Akira seem to be developing this as well.
• Likes Older Women: After looking at the maid ad and asking Ryuji how old these women are, Ryuji guesses at least college aged. Akira decides to go along with it despite initial reluctance. A downplayed example in that his later girlfriend is a year older than he is.
• Locked Out of the Loop: When Akira's mother ends up in the hospital, his father sees no reason to bother telling him. Akira is not amused.
• Male Gaze: Akira finds himself looking at Makoto's chest while reading a book with her.
• The Mole: Mishima sells out the group to save his own skin after Kamoshida threatens them all with expulsion.
• Mugging the Monster: Futaba challenges Shinya to a game of Gun About, and gets brutally schooled and forced to buy him lunch.
• Mundane Solution: With no Metaverse to make use of, the heroes rely on ordinary methods to defeat each Arc Villain.
  • For Kamoshida, instead of fancy Metaverse shenanigans or dramatic Phantom Thieves work, Kawakami simply gathers evidence against him from the first years he hasn't quite broken yet and calls the police on him.
  • For Madarame, Goro gathers testimony from his various failed pupils, gets a search warrant, breaks into his private study, and discovers the Sayuri forgeries.
• My God, What Have I Done?: When she begins to investigate Kamoshida, Kawakami is horrified at the realization that she allowed his abuses to go unchecked right under her nose because she just didn't care enough.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Upon waking up for the first time in Tokyo, Akira muses to himself that he'd rather be having nightmares about velvet jail cells, twin child guards, and a creepy warden with bloodshot eyes.
  • Akira borrows a book from Leblanc about Arsene Lupin, his Persona's namesake.
  • Sojiro tries to name Morgana "Prince," which he reveals to Akira and Futaba in the P5 Anthology manga. Morgana hisses in response, causing him to take it back. Futaba's idea for a name is Neko Shogun, a recurring demon in the series.
  • A poster of Risette is brought up twice.
  • Akira muses that if Morgana were human, he would flirt with Ann.
• Nervous Wreck: In contrast to his canon counterpart, Akira shows signs of this.
• Official Couple
  • The beginning tells us that Makoto and Akira will get together.
  • Sojiro and Wakaba are a couple, though they are not formally married.
• Private Tutor: In an attempt to salvage Shujin's reputation following the Kamoshida scandal, Kobayakawa assigns Makoto to tutor Akira when his grades start dropping, hoping Shujin will get positive reception for managing to educate a delinquent into receiving top scores. Akira refuses out of spite. After talking it over with her, however, he accepts the offer, if only to give his mother some good news.
• Purely Aesthetic Glasses: Downplayed and subverted. Akira is actually nearsighted and used to put on contact lens, wearing glasses at his mother's suggestion after his sentence.
• Reasonable Authority Figure:
  • When Akira is accused of stealing a book from the library, Makoto steps in to defend him, quickly figuring out that the book he was reading wasn't from the library to begin with. She is later one of the few people who believes Akira about Kamoshida.
  • When Akira has the shit beaten out of him by Kamoshida, Kawakami listens to his side of the story and begins making moves towards a formal investigation of Kamoshida.
• Refusal of the Call: After Kamoshida threatens him with expulsion, Akira wants to throw in the towel and enjoy his last few days of being a free man. Ryuji eventually snaps him out of it.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: In spite of facing expulsion, Akira decides to help take down Kamoshida.
• Ship Tease: The reader knows Makoto and Akira will become a couple, but the later chapters gives moments that obviously will lead to it.
  • When Makoto sees Akira smile for the first time, her heart skips a beat.
  • When Akira is reading a book with her, the two are very close to each other, to his uneasiness.
  • Ann is amused when she learns Akira and Makoto spent time together at the cafe.
  • Akira gazes at Makoto in wonder after she flips him over. He describes the event as being tossed like a ragdoll, causing Makoto to pout, which he finds cute.
  • After thinking up the possibility of Makoto stopping their study sessions together if rumors start spreading due to the two being seen together, he hopes it doesn't happen, feeling he likes being around her.
  • The two have a cute discussion about their favorite movies.
• Shout-Out: In Chapter 39, Akira and Makoto discuss the latter's favorite movie franchise, an expy of the Yakuza franchise.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: Kamoshida mocks Akira for his situation and later offers to revoke his expulsion if he brings Makoto to his office. Akira refuses, not expecting him keep his word. He then compares Kamoshida to the man who got him arrested and tells him rotten adults like him deserve to be locked up and left to rot. Kamoshida responds by demonstrating how he "coaches" the volleyball team.
• Skewed Priorities: A member of the Student Council is worried that the scandal at Shujin could affect his college recommendation and is promptly called out for it by another for not taking the victims into consideration.
• Soap Opera Disease: Akira's mother is an ill woman. During his probation, he learns that she's been hospitalized.
• Spared by the Adaptation:
  • Wakaba Isshiki is still alive in this story but is in a wheelchair.
  • Played with in the case of Kayo Murakami, Ohya's partner, who is not a victim of a mental shutdown due to the Metaverse not existing.
• Stalker without a Crush: As in canon, Yusuke is this to Ann, but Hifumi reveals that Yusuke has developed a reputation at Kosei for his habit of following people around.
• Suicide by Pills: In the In Medias Res prologue, it's revealed that Akira tried to overdose on his medication due to Shido winning the election. He survived, but he is rendered comatose as a result.
• Suppressed Rage: After Sae has to once more head to work despite promising to make time for Makoto, Akira notices that she's barely holding together while having coffee at LeBlanc. When she vents her frustration at the batting cage, Akira becomes a little scared of her.
• Take Our Word for It: After drinking Takemi's medicine for testing, Akira apparently started saying things he doesn't recall saying. We never hear exactly what he said, but based on his reaction to the recording Takemi took, it is incredibly embarrassing, but it is heavily hinted to be flirtatious.
• There Are No Therapists: Averted when Akira decides to go to Takemi after having a panic attack, despite the fact she's technically not a doctor in that field. After diagnosing him with an anxiety disorder, she gives him a prescription in order to deal with it, and other suggestions like going to the church where the player can meet Hifumi Togo. She also suggests seeing a professional therapist, but Akira refuses out of fear he'll be viewed as crazy. This is unfortunately Truth in Television in Japan, as there is a strong stigma attached to mental illness that discourages many people from seeking help.
• Thousand-Yard Stare: Yusuke describes Akira's eyes as being those of one who has seen the worst horrors of humanity.
• To Be Lawful or Good: Discussed by Akira and Makoto when they talk about Medjed's early hacktivism activities. They decide it was just for Medjed to break the law to help people, and Makoto notes her father would probably have agreed; she also thinks Sae would maintain that they need to be held accountable for breaking the law.
• Tranquil Fury:
  • When Mishima apologizes to the heroes for ratting them out to Kamoshida and to Akira for releasing his criminal record, Akira accepts it but privately admits he is suppressing an urge to punch him stupid.
  • He also doesn't respond well to Makoto's offer to tutor him at the principal's behest. He raises his voice when he asks what she gets out of it, but goes back to barely containing himself.
• Trauma Button: Akira is generally triggered by the possibility of being re-arrested.
  • Seeing police cars at Shujin instantly causes Akira to flash back to his arrest, initially thinking they came for him. Fortunately, they came to arrest Kamoshida thanks to Kawakami's tip off.
  • It happens again when he's about to stop Yusuke from stalking Ann.
  • And again when Yusuke threatens to report them for trespassing. He immediately starts practically begging for mercy, and Yusuke notes his entire demeanor has changed.
• What Is This Feeling?: Downplayed example, but after being scrutinized for so long, Akira feels strange being treated well after befriending Ryuji and Ann; Sojiro and the Isshiki's bring out similar feelings as well, especially when Sojiro starts being nicer to him.
• When She Smiles: Well, when he smiles. After Kamoshida is arrested, Akira feels like he can relax for the first time in a while. When Makoto sees him in a happy mood while playing with Morgana on the rooftop, she's moved enough to overlook that he brought a pet on campus.
• When You Coming Home, Dad?: As in canon, Sae Nijima's job prevents her coming home often, to the point of missing Makoto's birthday.
• You Are Not Alone:
  • Akira begins to feels this way when confirming to himself that Ann and Ryuji are his friends now after having been shunned by the other students. Despite this, his inner thoughts reveal that he fears they'll eventually stop hanging out with him, like his "friends" did in his hometown. After he reveals the circumstances behind his probation, they affirm that they'll stick with him since they are also outcasts too, cementing the group as True Companions.
  • Attempted and averted earlier in the story. Makoto tries to assure Akira that he isn't unwelcome in Shujin when he tells her how his peers have been treating him to no avail.