With the help of a taunting voice, Kasumi stops her younger sister Sumire from running into traffic, changing the course of their lives. Now both sisters must face their first year of high school together at Shujin academy. Feeling stunted in Kasumi's shadow, Sumire insists on doing this separately. Follow the girls as they change fate once more.
The True Duet can be found here
and here.
Tropes found in The True Duet include:
- Absurdly Powerful Student Council: A justified - and downplayed - example. Makoto thinks in Chapter 13 that the vice-principal shoved a lot of Kobayakawa's duties onto her after he was arrested, such as handling the payments for taking care of flowerbeds in front of the school, which comes up annually to nearly 300,000 yen.
- Achievements in Ignorance: Sumire somehow makes it to the top of the first-year students on midterms despite being heavily sleep-deprived because she thought Ren was dating Ms. Kawakami due to poor word choice.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Futaba, Haru, and Akechi all show up earlier than they do in canon - and in Haru's case, as well as Sumire's, they join the Thieves much earlier than they do in canon too, with Sumire joining in the Kobayakawa/Madarame arc, and Haru joining during Kaneshiro's Palace.
- Several characters from Persona 5 Strikers also make appearances despite being introduced later in canon. Mariko Hyodo shows up to assist Haru with preparing for the latter's Arranged Marriage on her father's behalf, Jyun Owada becomes the Thieves' next target after they clear Futaba's Palace, and Zenkichi Hasegawa appears in Tokyo searching for the Phantom Thieves following Owada's death.
- Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: Makoto approaches the Thieves on far friendlier terms here than she did in canon, since by the time she became aware of Kaneshiro, Kobayakawa was no longer an issue due to the Thieves stealing his Treasure.
- Adaptational Superpower Change: Sumire’s starting Persona is changed here - she gains the Persona Jeanne, and replaced her Physical attacks with Hama attacks.
- And Then What?: Kasumi realizes over the course of the story that she isn’t sure what she’ll do with her life after her rhythmic gymnastics career is over."I will win this tournament. I will win regionals. I will win nationals. I will win Olympic gold."
And then? Her internal voice taunted her. You'll play fun aunt for your sister's future children? Stare at your precious medals in a silent room while drinking wine? - Arbitrary Skepticism: Kasumi points out how ridiculous the idea of the Thieves “stealing hearts” is, which leads to Akechi pointing out that a lot of the things that are common in the modern day would be unthinkable in the past.Kasumi: "Look at us. Since when did we buy-in completely to this fairy-tale story?"
Akechi: "Hmm…" (Grabs his phone) "You take this back five hundred… no, even just fifty years, and it would be considered magic. The world's knowledge at your fingertips, powerful computing abilities… Yet we all carry them without a second thought."
Kasumi: "You think the phantom thieves are time travelers?"
Akechi: "Yes, wait, no. T-That wasn't the point…"
Kasumi: "No? But that is what you said."
Akechi: "I know, I know. What I am trying to say is that we were born into a fairy tale world. It is illogical to dismiss a new phenomenon simply because we are as of yet unfamiliar with it." - Ascended Extra: Both Sumire and Kasumi have far bigger parts here than they did in canon - Kasumi was Dead All Along in the original Royal, while Sumire only joined the team during Maruki's Palace (here, she joins them during the combined Kobayakawa-Madarame arc, around the time Yusuke joins).
- Kobayakawa also goes from a minor character who was shut down mentally by Akechi when the Thieves were in Hawaii to the holder of the second Palace the Thieves fight and the impetus for Sumire joining the Thieves early - and Kasumi meeting Akechi.
- Armor-Piercing Question/Armor-Piercing Response: In chapter 15, Kasumi and Ren have a brief debate about the Thieves.Kasumi: “But isn't the point of a democracy to let the people decide what methods are legal to bring people to justice? This isn't the States where we execute our prisoners. We strive to be better. How can we claim to be a forward driven nation when as a country we rely on vigilantes to deliver justice?"
Ren found himself speechless beneath her barrage. Kasumi's points were extremely valid. However, as he sat there, one glaring flaw revealed itself to him. "That's all precedented upon the system working."
Kasumi: "…What do you mean?"
Ren: "If the people in power can blatantly ignore the laws and will of the people, then the system is flawed. In that case, who better to dole out justice?"
Kasumi: "I… I do understand what they are doing… I have no right to judge them. Still… I guess I just wish they weren't necessary."
Ren: "…Me too." - Big Eater: Sumire and Kasumi both manage to regularly stun people with how much they eat.
- Big Sister Instinct: Kasumi, despite her tendency to tease Sumire, loves her sister dearly.
- When she learns that Makoto may have run into Kaneshiro - or rather, may have gone after Kaneshiro in an attempt to stop him from targeting the other Shujin students - Sae is visibly terrified.
- Blackmail Backfire: Kobayakawa, in an attempt to cover up the Phantom Thieves, blackmails the Yoshizawas into pretending that Kasumi managed to get Kamoshida to turn himself in. Kasumi’s tells him after she has a television appearance set up that he Didn't Think This Through, since if the Thieves do something again, everyone will realize she lied - and that she isn’t going to cover up for him at her own expense when he blackmailed her into doing it in the first place.
- Both Sides Have a Point: Kasumi, in chapter 15, points out that the Phantom Thieves are acting as vigilantes, saying “they know better” than everyone else by doling out justice without due process. Ren, the leader of the Thieves, actually agrees with her… but points out that the flaw in her argument is that her argument depends on the system working perfectly. And considering Kasumi and her family were blackmailed by Kobayakawa (who might have gotten away with it if not for the Thieves or Akechi), and that Ren was sent to Tokyo because he was framed for assault by Shido, it clearly doesn’t.
- Casanova Wannabe: Ryuji tries to be a Chick Magnet… but his overeagerness to attract women and tendency to focus on their bodies tends to bite him in the ass.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Sumire tends to react… poorly, when she thinks that Ren might be going out with somebody else.
- Clueless Chick-Magnet: Kasumi has a crush on Ren, Sumire is well past the "crush" stage, and almost all of the female Thieves seem to be at least slightly attracted to him. Ren himself has completely failed to realize this.
- The Corruptor: All of Okumura's abuse towards Haru is contextualized in this fic as him raising her to see the family business the same way he does, where maximizing profits and influence comes before all else. Tellingly, his cognition of Haru in this fic is not a Corporobo willing to die for him but instead a sleek Robot Girl that looks like an adult Haru who openly espouses his twisted ideals.
- Death by Adaptation: Jyun Owada dies at Sumire's hands due to an Murder by Mistake when she attacked one of his cognitive daughters, whereas in canon he was still alive when Strikers took place.
- Deconstruction: The aftermath of Okumura's change of heart deconstructs the Phantom Thieves' method of reforming the Palace Rulers by stealing their treasures. As Haru finds out, the treasure isn't just what makes a Ruler wicked but the entirety of their ambitions and desires. By stealing the treasure, the Phantom Thieves are basically taking away the individual's very identity, leaving them completely directionless and now consumed by their reawakened capacity to feel guilt. Haru can hardly even look at the sorry state her father is left in after his change of heart, and she begs Makoto to find another way to change Sae's heart so she doesn't have to go through the same thing.
- Demoted to Extra: Maruki is much less involved in the story, compared to his arc in Royal.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones:
- Jyun Owada, Parent–Child Incest or not, loves his daughters enough that they serve as his Treasure, and his Shadow dies Taking the Bullet for one of their cognitive selves.
- Okumura does legitimately want what's best for Haru and believes in her potential to lead Okumura Foods in the likely event of his ambitions coming back to bite him, even if his way of showing it is royally screwed up by his distorted world view. Tellingly, Haru gets Okumura's Shadow to surrender by threatening to kill his cognition of her.
- Even Evil Has Standards: When Kaneshiro reveals to Okumura that he's holding Haru hostage, he ends up being absolutely disgusted with Okumura's cold willingness to believe that Kaneshiro is just bluffing rather than show any concern towards his own daughter.
- Everyone Can See It: It’s pretty much an Open Secret to the Thieves and Kasumi that Sumire’s in love with Ren, even though Sumire hasn’t told Ren about it.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Sumire has a moment of this when she realizes that Ryuji and Ann were up all night the day before exams and didn’t get any sleep.Sumire: "Maybe I am still asleep. Maybe I am having a nightmare where my senpais turned into complete dolts. Yes, that must be it. That's why Kasumi isn't here. Or Ren-Senpai. If they—"
Ren: "You called?"
Kasumi: "Yo, Sumi!"
Sumire: "…Uh oh." - Fighting in the Playground: Kobayakawa’s Palace is a massive playground, where he rules as the Supreme Bully.
- Frame-Up: Inverted. Akechi manages to work with Kasumi to get Kobayakawa arrested, and manages to time it so well that he’s able to take the principal’s calling card before anyone else notices it was there, or put together that he had his heart changed, making him (and the unknowing Kasumi) a pair of Fake Ultimate Heroes.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Kobayakawa’s Treasure turns out to be a Champion’s belt, that turns into a medical certificate, and it turns out he became a boxer so he could defend himself from the children who bullied him growing up for being ugly. The Thieves actually start to pity him, with Ren noticing that the people who bullied him growing up had no right to do it – but he also notices that Kobayakawa had no right to bully other people himself.Ren: "They had no right to do that to you."
Shadow Kobayakawa: "I know! Why was I born so ugly!?"
Ren: "But… that gave you no right to treat others like you were."
[...]
Ren: "It’s a medical certificate. It's a report that mentions his condition can never be fixed and that he'll live with it his entire life."
Ryuji: "Dude… I feel kind of bad for calling him names now."
Ren: "It is what it is. He was hurting the students at our school and needed to be stopped.” - The Gadfly: Kasumi loves teasing people.
- Good Parents: Shinichi Yoshizawa loves his children dearly, and averts being a Boyfriend-Blocking Dad - he accepts Ren without any troubles despite knowing about his record, trusts him when he asks if Sumire can stay the night at LeBlanc (she was exhausted due to overextending herself in Futaba's Palace), and even offered him a place to stay if things went sour with Sojiro (and was visibly angry when he learned Ren's parents hadn't contacted him after they sent him to Tokyo). It's clear that while Sumire and Kasumi both give him grief, they love their father back.Shinichi: "I'm just shocked that anyone would force a person to live in such circumstances. What about your parents? Aren't they helping you with this?"
Ren: "…No. I haven't had contact with them since I moved out."
Shinichi's face went dark. Slowly, he spoke. "I don't offer this lightly, and I'm sure there would be things to work out, however… there is a chance you could live here. If that is something you desire."
"Huh?" Gaping, Ren felt much of his composure begin to fade away. Staring into the man's earnest brown eyes, Ren felt something stir in him.
Is this… what an adult is supposed to be? - He Is Not My Boyfriend: Kasumi and Sumire both say this about Akechi and Ren, respectively (although in Kasumi’s case, she genuinely doesn’t seem to have any romantic feelings for Akechi, at least at first...).
- Hypocrite: Okumura sneers at the fortune Kaneshiro flashes due to him having gotten his money through criminal activities and being Shido's lapdog. Never mind the fact that Okumura got his wealth through illegal exploitation and also willingly moved under Shido's thumb in order to get a shot at politics.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Kasumi is mostly supportive of Sumire's love for Ren, even though she has a crush on him herself.
- Jerkass Realization: Kasumi wasn't aware until the first chapter how badly Sumire was struggling with her feelings of being the inferior sibling who was Always Second Best compared to Kasumi herself. She doesn't dwell on it too much, but she's clearly downcast to realize how much Sumire was suffering without her noticing.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Kaneshiro, after realizing Sumire is Kasumi Yoshizawa's sister (and remembering, implicitly, that Kasumi is working with Goro Akechi), decides that blackmailing Sumire to work for him isn't worth the hassle of potentially dealing with Akechi, and orders his men to "return" her.
- Laughing Mad: A Played for Laughs example takes place after Sumire, due to Poor Communication Kills, thinks Ren is mutually Hot for Teacher with Ms. Kawakami.
- Locked Out of the Loop: The rest of the Yoshizawa family has no idea that Sumire is part of the Phantom Thieves, or that the rest of Sumire’s friends are the other Thieves.
- Mental Health Recovery Arc: Sumire's depression is a not-small part of her characterization in this story, and she has good days and bad throughout the story, where she struggles with her doubts about being able to succeed as a gymnast - or to get Ren to notice her.
- Mistaken for Gay: When Akechi and Ren meet in Chapter 30, and start arguing, the people watching start to wonder if they're dating. Both of them undergo a "No. Just… No" Reaction when they hear this.
- Moment Killer: Sumire is, in Chapter 12, visibly working up the courage to ask Ren if he will ever "like" her after a day in Madarame's Palace... Only for Ryuji to show up and cheerfully ask Ren what a hard day it was.Morgana: You're an idiot, Ryuji.
- Murder by Mistake: Sumire tries to kill the cognition of one of Jyun Owada's daughters after the Thieves have defeated the Shadow himself - only for said Shadow to die Taking the Bullet for said cognition, to everyone's shock.
- Number Two: Sumire and Makoto, as of Futaba’s Palace, seem to jointly share this position to Ren.
- Oblivious to Love: Ren, as a Clueless Chick-Magnet, has absolutely no idea that nearly all of his female friends think he's attractive. Or that Kasumi and Sumire both have crushes on him - or in Sumire’s case, full-out unrequited love.
- Odd Friendship: Kasumi "hires" Goro Akechi to help her prove that Kobayakawa was blackmailing her and her family, and - to his surprise - Akechi develops with her what is probably the closest thing he's ever made to an honest relationship with anybody.
- Oh, Crap!: The original Thieves all panic when Sumire gives them all of the keywords for Kobayakawa's Palace, meaning that somebody who isn't them knows about the Metaverse.
- Parent–Child Incest: Apparently, Jyun Owada has at least three children who he tends to sleep with - their cognitive selves apparently serve as his Treasure.
- Poor Communication Kills: Kasumi joining Akechi's side and Sumire joining Ren's group put the sisters at odds, with Kasumi under the impression that Sumire is being "brainwashed" to join Ren and worked with Akechi so she could save Sumire, while Sumire actually joined Ren out of her own free will. Sumire, who didn't know what Kasumi is working with Akechi, is under the impression that Kasumi is vetoing her relationship with Ren and has come to hate her.
- Pyrrhic Victory: The outcome of Okumura's change of heart from Haru's point of view. While it did halt the corruption he was spreading through his company, it also took away the entirety of his ambitions, the very thing that defined him as a person, leaving him an Empty Shell.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Ms. Kawakami covers up for Ren and the other Thieves when Kaneshiro sends the pictures of them to the school early, by hiding them and handing them over to Ren (after demanding an explanation).
- Ship Tease: The main romance that was hinted is between Ren and Sumire, and Kasumi and Akechi.
- Sibling Team: In Kobayakawa's Palace, the Phantom Thieves fight cognitive versions of Sumire (a Stone Wall) and Kasumi (a Glass Cannon) as minibosses.
- Spared by the Adaptation:
- Part of the premise of the story is that Kasumi wasn't in the accident that killed her in canon.
- Kunikazu Okumura doesn't get killed by Akechi, meaning he lives to undergo his change of heart.
- Stronger Than They Look: Kobayakawa does not, here or in canon, look even remotely threatening because of how overweight he is - but as it turns out, he's actually a trained - and very skilled - boxer.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Kaneshiro and Okumura meet up in Chapter 20. The two might technically be allies, but it's very clear they aren't on good terms. In fact, the meeting goes so poorly that Kaneshiro decides to dissolve their partnership and directly threaten his political aspirations.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Ren and Sumire both have a moment of this before the exams in Chapter 32 - although in a zigzagged example, they’re both mostly worried about Ryuji and Ann, who respectively spent last night playing video games and studying without any sleep.Ren: "They're doomed, aren't they?"
Morgana: "Yes, yes they are."
[...]
Ren: "Worried about the exams?"
Sumire: "Not for me." - Unknowingly in Love: Ren is in seemingly-mutual love with Sumire - but unlike her, he doesn't even realize that he's in love.
- Villain Has a Point: Something Haru is forced to reconcile with after her father's change of heart is that his father wasn't wrong to focus on the finances of the company despite how uncontrollable his ambitions had become, as his grandfather would have ruined the company and his own family's livelihoods with his refusal to compromise on his generosity.
- Violently Protective Girlfriend: Sumire isn’t Ren’s girlfriend as of Chapter 35, but she tends to get very aggressive when she thinks he’s in danger. Futaba’s Shadow trapping him in her Palace overnight led to Sumire trying to get the rest of the Thieves to skip school to help him, yelling at the original Futaba in a rage, and effectively stampeding through the Palace in order to find him.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Ren is pissed when he sees how badly Futaba’s doing, between the malnutrition and her fear of him, and having been accepted pleasantly by Shinichi earlier that evening despite knowing about his record, he has a brief argument with Sojiro. Things are only cooled down due to Ren remembering that Sojiro doesn’t have a Palace, and not believing that somebody could deliberately send Futaba into that state and not have a Shadow somewhere.Ren: "What have you done to her? Locked her in her room until she went mad?"
Sojiro: "That's it with you! Ever since you showed up you've been nothing but ungrateful and unrepentant."
Ren: "What part was I supposed to be grateful for, huh? Was it the self-righteous lectures? Maybe the dusty, cluttered attic and shitty mattress? Oh no, it must be the nearby bathhouse that I have to pay to use." - You Are in Command Now: Following her father's loss of ambition after his change of heart, Haru is forced to step up as the CEO of Okumura Foods.
