Little Jumin never went outside.

He didn't like the outside. The outside was filled with strangers and people and he didn't like that. But little seven-year-old Jumin wanted to make his mom happy, so he went to the park to "socialize".

And by, "socialize", that meant Jumin would go to the park-and play on his gameboy.

On this particular afternoon of "socializing", Jumin was hiding out in the playground structure, playing on his gameboy, when his eyes happen to catch a young boy on the other side of the playground, sitting on one of the swings.

He was wearing one of those little suits and his hair was slicked back. He was bruised and crying.

Jumin was conflicted. Should he go over there and see what's wrong?

I mean...it would be a good thing to do. The right thing to do...

With much hesitation, little Jumin stood and crept over to the crying young boy, standing a good few feet away from him.

"U-umm...hey. Are you okay?" Little Jumin asked nervously.

The boy looked up, tears in his eyes, shaking his head. "N-no..." He said, trembling.

"W-what's wrong?" Jumin asked.

"Mother and Father hate me now...I-I am not the son they want me to be...."

Jumin tilted his head, confused. "What?"

"I-I keep...m-messing up..." The boy cried.

"You're a kid! It's okay to mess up! At least you tried!" Jumin exclaimed.

"That doesn't- does not matter...at least, that is what my parents have taught me...." The boy mumbled, hiccuping now.

He looked up and his eyes widened. "W-what happened to your eye?!" He asked worriedly.

Jumin touched his bruised eye-the one he forgot he had- and sighed. "M-my mom's "old friend" came over...he....he doesn't like me much either...he says I'm an idiot cause I can't read...I have...dy-dys..."

Jumin struggled trying to pronounce what he had.

"Do you mean....dyslexia?" The boy said for him.

Jumin nodded.

"Well, you are not an idiot. You just have some difficulty reading because of your ailment."

"...are you speaking English?" The confused little Jumin asked.

"I can!" The boy exclaimed. He now had a smile on his face, bowing and shaking his hand.

"My name is....my name...My name is Isas Chikako. Would you like to be..my first friend?" He asked, hesitantly, as if his name was something to look down upon.

Jumin lit up and smiled warmly. "Yeah, yeah I would. And I'm Jumin. Jumin Eko."

"I can help you read...and maybe you can help me too?"

"We'll help each other! You and me! Isas and Jumin, against the world!"

Little Isas laughed and smiled. "Yes...together."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Together...that's the promise we made together!

Jumin could feel an unbelievable amount of power rush through him, making the weight feel like a book on his back.

He felt the power...the power his father felt long ago...the power he needed to protect his family...the power he needed to protect Isas!

Jumin threw the chandelier off of him, feeling and gripping onto his power, his now yellow eyes burning in determination.

"Holy shit....this is so fucking cool!" Jumin exclaimed, very enthralled in his new abilities. He then shot a glare at Shadow Isas and his guard, who were obviously not happy by this event. He looked down at the girls, down and hardly moving.

Now he was pissed.

"No more...no more holding back...no more hiding when things get rough...now, it's time to step into the eyes of the storm! Let's go- "

With an unbelievable burst of energy and power, the Japanese god of wind, and casted a hard blow of Garudyne and Margaru at once at the guard, blowing him out of existence, dissolving into smoke.

Shadow Isas was furious. "NO! YOU RUINED MY GRAND HALL! YOU BASTARD!" He shouted, storming off in anger and slamming all the doors shut behind him.

I'm going to save you Isas...whether you like it or not....I am going to save you...

Jumin panted heavily before eventually falling to his knees, exhausted.

"Ugh...ngh...J-Jumin...?" Suki groaned as she was beginning to wake up. Once her vision was adjusted and she saw Jumin, she immediately jumped and scurried to him.

"Jumin! Are you-?!"

"I-I'm fine, Suki...just...getting a persona takes a lot outta ya..." He groaned.

"We should get you home..." Suki said.

She stood up and walked over to Kimi, shaking her slightly. "Kimi...Kimi...wake up!"

"No...five more minutes..." Kimi mumbled.

Suki sighed. This may take a while....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once the escaped the other world, Jumin immediately went..to vomit up everything he had that day and the last, probably because he wasn't that used to having and/or awakening a persona.

After he was done puking up his guts, he regrouped with the girls.

"I-I'm okay now..." Jumin said, cleaning his mouth a bit with his hoodie sleeve.

"You should go home and rest..." Kimi said, rubbing his back.

Jumin nodded. "Y-yeah...I will...I just...need to do a few things before that..."

Kimi smiled, when she noticed something hanging from Jumin's ear.

"Is that..? Did you...pierce your ear?"

Jumin turned a deep red. "H-how did you-?!"

"Look!"

Jumin felt his ear, gently taking off a small hanging lapis earring.

"Woah...."

"Pretty cool, right?" Kimi said, showing off her own little accessory.

Jumin smiled softly and pulled both girls in for a tight hug.

"J-Jumin...?"

"...t-thank you..."

Both girls smiled and hugged him back.

"No problem, Eko-Kun..." Suki said sweetly.

They broke away from the hug and Jumin left to take care of some long awaited business.

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Jumin's mother, Giselle, was in their small kitchen, making dinner for the family when she heard the front door open.

"Yu, hun? Is that you?" She asked.

"N-no mom...I-it's me..." Jumin replied, walking into the kitchen nervously.

"Oh, Ju! You didn't tell me you were going out this late-"

She turned to face her son with a smile, but that smile changed to shock and her hands flew over her mouth as she saw the strange condition her son was in.

"Jumin! The hell happened to you?!" His mother exclaimed, "and why do you smell freshwater and vomit..?"

"I-it's...a long story." Jumin sighed.

"Jumin, what the hell has been going on with you? You've been coming home with bruises and black eyes, you won't tell your father and I, what is-?!"

She was cut off by her somewhat short son hugging her tightly and crying.

"JuJu...?" She asked concerned.

"I'M SORRY!!!" Jumin yelled, his voice cracking.

"Sorry? For what baby?"

"I....I'VEBEENTAKINGBEATINGSFROMTHATEX-BOYFRIENDGUYYOUMETBECAUSEHETHREATENEDTOHURTYOUBECAUSEYOUDON'T-"

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down baby....you're not making any sense. Tell me slowly, okay?"

Jumin nodded, sniffling. "R-remember when I was four and that guy came up to me and you pulled me away because you sad he was bad...?"

Giselle was confused but nodded.

"Well...t-that wasn't the only time he came to see me..."

Giselle's eyes widened. "W-what?"

"He...he beats me, mom. H-he comes over here looking for you...but h-he comes to me instead..."

Giselle let out a small gasp as she pulled away and rested her hands on his shoulder.

"J-Jumin Narukami Eko...how long has this been going on..?" She asked, looking him dead in the eyes.

Jumin stiffened up. "U-uh...."

"Jumin. How long?" She asked again, this time more demanding.

Jumin choked back a heavy sob before speaking. "S-since I was six....."

Giselle's eyes widened to the size of saucers, tears flooding out. "Oh my Jumin..." She breathed as she hugged him tightly, both began sobbing.

"J-Jumin...m-m-my little baby....I-I'm so, so sorry...I should've known-"

"N-no! No, it was my fault...I didn't want you to blame yourself! I didn't want him to hurt you or dad! This isn't your fight anymore! I wanted to help you, but I didn't think first! I was stupid! Like always..."

"You are not stupid...you're plenty smart...You're just...stupidly brave and heroic...just like your father."

Jumin smiled a bit as he buried his head in his mother's shoulder. "Thanks mom...I-I love you...a-and I love dad too...I love you both..."

Giselle smiled and kissed his forehead. "We love you too, JuJu...and I promise I won't let the asshole touch you ever again!"

Jumin hugged her tightly, but sighed sadly. "That means...you gotta tell dad...he's gonna be mad..."

"Not at you, but he will be mad....but that's only because he loves you, hun."

Jumin nodded. "I know mom...I know..."

Giselle smiled and broke away from the hug, kissing his forehead.

"Now, hurry up and go shower so that I can shower. You got your gross water, boy, and vomit juices on me!" Giselle said jokingly.

Jumin chuckled and nodded. "Okay mom....thanks."

"Of course sweetie..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suki arrived home to see Akiniko sitting at the table going through some notebooks when he caught glimpse of her.

"O-oh, welcome home, Suki..." He said, a bit awkwardly.

Suki sighed and walked over to Akiniko...and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry I called you a liar. It was wrong of me to do that..." She huffed sadly.

Akiniko slightly smiled. "It's okay, Suki...I don't really expect you to trust me-"

"But I could at least try! Try for your sake, and my sake, and for mom's!"

Those words hit Akiniko hard, he almost wanted to cry. But instead, he hugged her back and smiled.

"Thank you Suki...thank you..."

Suki felt a strong change and resolve in their relationship, the voice in her head coming back again.

"I am thou,

Thou art I....

Thou has created a new vow...

Thou has birthed new life and blossomed forth the vow of the Hanged Man Arcana.