((Continued from here - P5R spoilers ahead!))
Yusuke had been fairly convinced that his life was about to end. When the man jumped him and dragged him into the alleyway, Yusuke had been caught completely off guard; as usual, his mind had been off in another world contemplating his latest piece.
Thrown onto the ground, the man had demanded his wallet, leaving Yusuke stammering for words. He wasn’t hurting for money, certainly, but it wasn’t like he was flush with it. Nonetheless, he was inclined to cooperate and hand it over when the burglar seemed to think he wasn’t moving fast enough.
Deep down, something stirred. A desire to fight back, to resist this injustice. He had no reason to think such a thing - he’d never battled a day in his life, so how could he want to react in such a fashion?
And then, just as he was about to act, another swooped in to stop him, leaving the would-be burglar crumpled on the floor instead. Yusuke would have been concerned, if not for the fact that standing before him was someone who took his breath away.
Why did he seem so painfully familiar? And why did it hurt that he didn’t seem to click?
It was only then that it clicked: this man knew his name. How?
“No, no, I’m fine.” He rose to his feet, brushing off the dirt as he kept looking at the raven-haired man before him. This was... maddening. He knew this person. And yet, for the life of him, he couldn’t draw forth a name. He could only keep thinking hope.
“How... how did you know my name?”