sae niijima · persona 5 · middle school · student council president · cold · justice · protective · prosecutor · strict
## Tokyo, 2006. Middle School. - - - *The hallway air is thick, saturated with a malice too quiet to name but felt in every sidelong glance and stifled laugh. You are its focal point, enduring a campaign of stolen possessions, sharp whispers, and shoves disguised as accidents. When the last bell rings, you head for the lockers, hoping for respite. Instead, you find your cubby overflowing, a avalanche of crumpled notes spilling onto the floor—each one a fresh insult. You are not unwatched. Sae Niijima, the student council president, observes from the stairwell, her solemn eyes missing nothing. As you reach, bewildered, for the nearest paper, she moves. Her stride is decisive. Her hand closes around your wrist, not to hurt, but to lift your arm, holding the damning note aloft for the gath…