Chapter 1: Prologue
Summary:
A few of the Shadow Operatives meet to discuss the recently unveiled Phantom Thieves. One of them proposes a mission for one of their retired members.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, November 20th, 2016
How long had it been since Sae had been interrogating this boy, Ren Amamiya? And yet, Sae had so many questions. He had concocted such a tall tale, speaking of a talking cat that transformed into a bus, claiming that he and his friends were essentially like magical girls, forcing criminals to confess their crimes.
And apparently her little sister, Makoto, had been involved with the Phantom Thieves that she had been hunting for months now. Sae inhaled deeply. She had to stay focused.
"There's something that... puzzles me," Sae stated.
Sae folded her arms, before she exhaled.
"You claim to have fought these creatures through the areas you call Palaces. And yet, I doubt that you would have prevailed so easily, if you did not have someone with previous battle experience." She narrowed her eyes. "Tell me, who is it?"
Amamiya looked at her with blurry eyes, but remained silent. Sae silently cursed to herself, before she dragged her fingers through her hair. Of course. He refused to speak of his collaborators, when she pressed him on it.
But then something suddenly struck Sae.
"Hmm... maybe this would get him to talk," she thought to herself.
Sae plucked out a file, showing it to the boy. She felt a pang of guilt as she looked at Amamiya. He was young, younger than Makoto. Sae quickly stamped down that thought. He was a criminal. She couldn't pity a crook.
She cleared her throat, before tapping a fingernail against the photo. The photo showed an image of a teenage boy with light brown hair, slightly older than Amamiya.
"Shujin Academy is of high prestige. Yet, they accepted another transfer student just a couple months after your own transfer. June, to be exact. Digging into his record, he appears to have ties with the Kirijo Group somehow. Tell me... what do you know of Ken Amada?"
Monday, May 2nd, 2016
Minako was unsurprised that Mitsuru-senpai had suddenly summoned her to the Kirijo labs. The news was abuzz with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts and Kamoshida's confession earlier that morning. According to the news, the coach had done a complete 180, personality wise. Not to mention how he had confessed to his crimes—crimes that he was getting away with.
It was too strange. It almost seemed... supernatural.
Minako slowly opened the door, peering inside.
Machinery quietly beeped, the only sound in the room. Fuuka had her hands clasped in front of her, her face screwed up as she concentrated. She sat in the glass orb that made up Juno's lower body. Mitsuru-senpai was messing with the knobs of a machine.
Fuuka's eyes then shot open.
"Mitsuru-senpai," she said, her voice sounding like it was traveling through water. "Minako-chan is here."
Mitsuru-senpai turned around, her lips forming a thin line.
"Hello, Minako."
Minako entered the room, shutting the door behind her. She didn't bother with formalities—though she doubted that Mitsuru-senpai minded.
"Do you think he's connected to this?" she asked.
Masayoshi Shido had been a thorn in Mitsuru-senpai's side for a couple years now. It had started with Wakaba Isshiki's "suicide". Wakaba-san had been a former Kirijo Group scientist and had left before the fiasco with Death for unstated reasons.
But Wakaba-san had reconnected with Mitsuru-senpai, right around when the Shadow Operatives had formed. She had helped connect the dots about the missing Kirijo research that Ikutsuki had destroyed. But what Wakaba-san had been researching before her death—cognitive pscience—it was dangerous.
Mitsuru-senpai had repeatedly tried to dissuade her from continuing but Wakaba-san had been somewhat pigheaded about it. She refused and claimed it was too important to abandon.
But despite her stubbornness (or maybe because of it), Minako had liked the dark-haired woman, a lot. She was bold, bright, had a great sense of humor. She definitely marched to the beat of her own drum. Her daughter, Futaba, was absolutely adorable too, though on the shy side. She had been sad when the news came that she had died. She hoped that Futaba was okay too.
But when Mitsuru-senpai heard of Wakaba-san's death, she became suspicious and began to dig into things. But Shido's men halted the investigation before they could make much headway. Sadly, the investigation was stopped before they could find out what happened to Futaba.
She really hoped that someone who cared for Futaba was looking after her. She knew all too well what it was like when under the care of someone who just thought of you as a burden.
Mitsuru-senpai grimaced, before rubbing her temple with one hand.
"I don't see how it can't be him. His rise in power… it has to be connected to the mental shutdowns, as the media calls them."
Fuuka dismissed Juno with a flash, Mitsuru-senpai quickly extending a hand to help her stand up.
"My scans are very fuzzy," she confessed, smiling sheepishly. "I can't get a clear picture."
Minako grabbed Fuuka's hands, giving them a light squeeze.
She then chided lightly, "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. Tokyo isn't exactly close to here."
It was halfway across the country, after all. It was honestly amazing that Fuuka's scans could reach that far, even with the aid of Kirijo tech.
Mitsuru-senpai nodded in agreement, giving Fuuka a slight smile.
"Minako is right, Yamagishi. But can you determine anything?" she asked.
"Mm-hm..." Fuuka nodded as well, before biting her lower lip. "Tokyo has a Shadow nest. Perhaps even larger than Tartarus."
Minako's eyes widened. "Are you serious, Fuuka-chan?!"
Fuuka frowned, resting her fingers on her chin. "It's strange... the structure of it is very similar to Tartarus, but..."
"But...?" Minako raised a single brow.
"It's… hard to say..." Fuuka said slowly, before she winced. "I'm sorry, this is really vague."
Mitsuru-senpai placed a hand on Fuuka's shoulder.
"You're working with what you have, Yamagishi. Even just a little bit of information is something," the older woman reassured with a small smile.
Fuuka smiled at her. "Thank you, Senpai."
Her smile quickly became a frown, though.
"But what can we do? This has to be serious if a Shadow nest has formed..."
"The news of these so-called Phantom Thieves… concern me." Mitsuru-senpai frowned as well, her forehead creasing as she mulled it over. "We have no idea what their methods are or what their goal is. Furthermore, there's the question if they're connected to these mental shutdowns."
Minako sighed deeply. It was all a mess.
Fuuka frowned, before clasping her hands behind her back.
"I don't think what happened to Kamoshida is the same as the mental shutdowns. They're kind of similar, but… what happened to Kamoshida was more positive. He confessed to his crimes. Furthermore, the victims of the mental shutdowns just… die. And then there's also these other incidents they talk about," Fuuka stated.
"Right, the psychotic breakdowns." Mitsuru nodded.
Minako winced. The news of the subway just... hit close to home. Especially since their first full moon operation probably would have killed all four of them if it wasn't for Minato taking a chance and pulling on the brakes.
"Well, yes, but…" Mitsuru-senpai grimaced, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Imagine what would happen, if someone with that knowledge, held a grudge against someone? Furthermore, the calling card specifically states that they will steal their desires. What if that includes the desire to live?"
"Is… Is it possible for that to happen?" Minako asked slowly, her eyes widening.
That was essentially killing someone. Which would be no different from the mental shutdowns incidents.
Mitsuru-senpai just spread her hands, a wry smile on her lips.
"Minako, we've witnessed many things that defy the impossible. What's one more?" she pointed out.
"Good point..." she sighed. "We don't need another Strega on our hands."
Fuuka said slowly, "But... what can we do? This happened in Tokyo and you know about Shido's threat."
Mitsuru-senpai sighed deeply, pressing a hand to her temple.
"I know that, Yamagishi, but…"
She began to twist one of her curls with a hand.
"I cannot stand aside. Doing nothing is not an option."
"He could use your family's dirty laundry against you, Mitsuru-senpai," Minako warned. "The government still are convinced you have some evil intention with the Shadow Operatives. He could take away Aigis and Labrys for his own use."
Two years ago, the government had forcibly dismantled the Shadow Operatives in the greater areas of Tokyo. There was a bogus reason for it, but Minako couldn't remember what it was exactly. Fuuka had to hack into the systems to discover the man who was responsible for this. Masayoshi Shido, who was aiming to become Prime Minister this year. Minako shuddered at the idea of the man being in charge of the whole nation. She wasn't particularly religious, but she prayed that Shido would lose the election come this December.
And the idea of Shido getting his hands on Aigis and Labrys just made Minako cringe. Especially since both of them were forced to bend under the will of someone before.
"I know, Minako. But there has to be something…" Mitsuru rubbed her eyes.
"Maybe we could ask Naoto-kun? She's rather famous. Her cover could be that she's investigating the mental shutdowns," Fuuka suggested.
Mitsuru seemed to mull this over for a moment. Then she grimaced, before shaking her head.
"A sound idea, but we can't go through with it. Shirogane is registered as a part time Shadow Operatives under our files. Shido would most likely know it. And her fame would just make her more easily recognized." Mitsuru-senpai sighed.
Not to mention that Naoto has been struggling to find work lately. People were more interested in the supposedly second Detective Prince, Goro Akechi. Minako didn't particularly like him, if she was being honest. He just treated detective work like it was all some kind of game.
In her opinion, he seemed more interested in giving a show. Not there was nothing wrong with people in showbiz, of course. Yukari was one of her best friends, after all. And Minako had always liked Rise, too. But this was different, the boy just rubbed her the wrong way.
Minako looked at her two friends, both deep in thought. There has to be someway for them to get a feel of the situation. Shido didn't want the Shadow Operatives interfering with his plans.
But what if they sent someone who wasn't an operative?
"There's Ken-kun," Minako said quietly.
That was when Fuuka's head shot up.
"What?!" she gasped; her eyes were wide with shock. "You can't be serious, Minako-chan!"
Mitsuru frowned. "Minako… Yamagishi is right. Amada hasn't been out in the field since the Minazuki incident."
"Isn't that why Ken-kun is a good candidate?" Minako pointed out. "He left the Shadow Operatives before we were on Shido's radar."
She then tapped her chin.
"Furthermore… how do you think the Phantom Thieves identified Kamoshida's crimes?"
Fuuka's expression grew pensive and she begin to play with her braid.
"You're saying that they're students who were Kamoshida's victims?" she inquired tentatively.
Minako nodded firmly. "Yep, nothing else makes sense. How else would they know? Especially since Kamoshida was only targeting his students, unless it was some of the staff… but if that's the case then why now? They would have acted sooner, right? No, I think some students make more sense."
Minako shuddered at the thought. And she thought that Ekoda was awful, for brushing aside Fuuka's disappearance for ten days straight. Why did they allow people like that to become teachers?
"You make a good point," Mitsuru said slowly, but then she grimaced. "But Shinjiro would not agree to it easily."
"Dammit, that's right," she grumbled to herself.
Shinji was Ken's guardian now—has been since after the whole fiasco with Sho (who was still AWOL after four years). And he hadn't exactly been thrilled that Mitsuru had let Ken join the Shadow Operatives in the first place—albeit a backup member.
"I think you would have to get Ken-kun to agree to it first, if you were to convince him. He wouldn't want Ken-kun to feel forced into it," Fuuka stated.
Minako glanced at her friend. "Can't you talk to him, Fuuka-chan?"
Fuuka winced, before she continued to fuss with her braid.
"I'm just his girlfriend... I don't have that much sway over him."
Minako snorted. "You've saved Junpei how many times because he pissed off Shinji?"
"That's different, Minako-chan," Fuuka said, with a light giggle.
But then her expression became somber. She bit her lip for a moment.
"But still… I think we may be jumping the gun right now. Maybe the Phantom Thieves are a one-time thing... If they were personal victims of Kamoshida, they might not have a reason to repeat their actions."
Mitsuru let out a thoughtful hum, as she stroked her chin.
"That's true, Yamagishi. We probably shouldn't jump the gun yet."
Her eyes flickered to Minako.
"I'm not rejecting your idea, Minako. But we don't want to act rashly. We've been watching Shido for nearly two years… we can wait a little longer."
Ken was pretty sure that his teachers hated the phrase "Phantom Thieves" after today.
The news had dropped right before the period preceding lunch and it had spread like wildfire. And every single teacher after lunch had to lecture at least one student to stop talking about the Phantom Thieves.
But his classmates just could not stop talking about them. Whether it was how they were amazing for busting that coach's crimes or people arguing that it was just a hoax—the Phantom Thieves was the only thing his classmates wanted to discuss.
Though Ken had to admit that the Phantom Thieves were pretty amazing. That awful coach was getting away with his crimes, all because the school cared more about the good reputation he brought. But the Phantom Thieves somehow had managed to get him to become contrite and confess to his crimes.
Ken hadn't taken part of the conversations at school but he couldn't help but think the Phantom Thieves were right in their actions... if they were real that is.
But he had seen too many things for it to not be a hoax.
Ken sighed, staring at his notebook which had a grand total of two sentences written on the page. This has been the least productive afternoon he's spent in a while.
He might as well head home if he can't focus.
The walk back to the apartment was fairly uneventful. He unlocked the door, only to be greeted by barking. Koromaru, as usual, jumped onto Ken the moment he stepped inside.
Ken bent down, scratching Koromaru behind the ear.
"You're in a good mood today," he said with a slight smile.
"You're home early," another voice said.
Ken glanced up and smiled.
Shinjiro-san stepped from the kitchen into the living room, wiping off his hands with a towel. His guardian had been clearly cooking, judging from the smear of flour on his face.
Ken shrugged. "I was distracted from studying, so I figured I might as well come home."
"Guessing you heard about the Phantom Thieves, huh?" Shinjiro-san raised a brow.
"Mm-hm."
Ken removed his school bag and then his blazer, tossing both on the couch as he walked further in the living room. He glanced at his guardian.
"What do you think of all of this?" Ken asked, suddenly curious.
Shinjiro-san shrugged. "It's good that they busted that asshole teacher, but the way they pulled it sounds a bit fishy. It should die down in a few days. It always does."
Shinjiro-san seemed more neutral than anything. But his comment about their methods nagged at Ken. It did seem odd now that he pointed it out.
"I'm home!" Fuuka-san announced.
Koromaru quickly scrambled to her side to greet her, letting out some joyful barks. Fuuka-san giggled, bending to give him a scratch behind the ear.
"Hey, Koro-chan."
But when Ken got a closer look at Fuuka-san, he realized that she looked tired.
Shinjiro-san eyed her. "What did Mitsuru even have you do?"
Fuuka-san just giggled, standing on her tiptoes and pecking Shinjiro-san on the cheek. Before she pulled away completely, she brushed away some flour smeared on his face with her thumb.
"I didn't spend the whole day helping Mitsuru-senpai. Minako-chan came too and we decided to catch up," she explained.
"Uh-huh." Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes. "And I'm sure that Mitsuru was just dying to socialize."
Fuuka-san winced, before tucking a stray strand behind her ear. "Well, she is a bit stressed. You know, because of the whole thing with Shido…"
Shinjiro-san then scowled, his expression growing dark.
"What did he pull now?"
"Nothing in particular. It just frustrates Mitsuru-senpai that she can't do anything to handle Shido." Fuuka-san shrugged.
"Shido would be a popsicle if Mitsuru could actually go to Tokyo," Shinjiro-san said dryly.
Fuuka-san just laughed softly, a small smile playing at her lips. "That would solve all of our problems, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah, if only," Shinjiro-san grumbled.
Fuuka-san then glanced in the direction of the kitchen.
"So, um…" she began, obviously looking to change the subject. "How's dinner coming along? Do you need help?"
"Nah, I was nearly done when I heard Koro greet Ken." Shinjiro-san shook his head, before dropping a quick kiss to Fuuka-san's head. "You should rest a bit. Dinner should be done in a few minutes."
"Mm-hm, if you say so."
Fuuka-san watched Shinjiro-san disappear into the kitchen, before falling onto the couch and letting out a light sigh.
Ken took a seat next to her as Koromaru darted over to them, climbing the sofa to drape himself on their laps.
"Are you okay, Fuuka-san?" he asked quietly.
Fuuka-san just smiled.
"I'm okay, really. It's just been a while since Mitsuru-san has asked me to summon Juno and you know how tiring it is to summon a Persona without being in a Shadow nest. And Tokyo's rather far away."
"It's like… four or five hours away by train, right?"
"Yes, something like that." She nodded.
Fuuka-san stroked the top of Koromaru's head, the Shiba-Inu snuggling closer to her in response. Her eyes then flickered to Ken, unusually serious.
"Tell me, Ken-kun. What do you think of the news about these Phantom Thieves?"
"Me?" Ken blinked, before rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh… well… it was pretty amazing what they did."
He then looked to his lap; his voice quiet as he continued to speak.
"I know that their methods seem strange—almost supernatural even—given how that coach was getting away with the abuse and harassment, but… I can't help but admire them for not allowing that to continue."
He looked up to see Fuuka-san biting her lower lip. She looked almost… alarmed. He frowned in response.
"Fuuka-san? What's the matter?"
"Huh?" Fuuka-san blinked several times at him, as if she was trying to get her bearings. "Um—nothing! Nothing!"
She then smiled, a painfully forced smile.
"That is quite… thoughtful of you, Ken-kun. I… I think I'm going to take a shower. It's been a long day." She then straightened up, brushing her braid over her shoulder.
She nudged Koromaru off her lap, before quickly escaping for the bedroom she shared with Shinjiro-san. Ken just stared after her, feeling baffled.
What was that about?
Tuesday, May 31st, 2016
Another calling card had appeared. It had shown up at the gallery where the famous artist, Ichiryusai Madarame, was hosting a showcase. It was composed similarly to the first calling card… just not so poorly cobbled together this time.
It accused Madarame of his crimes of abusing his students and that he was guilty of the sin of vanity. And it then declared that the Phantom Thieves would steal his desires. Just like Kamoshida.
Though Mitsuru had to wonder how the Phantom Thieves discovered these crimes in the first place. If Minako's hypothesis was correct… how exactly did high school students discover the truth?
Mitsuru sighed deeply, rubbing her temple with one hand. She hated feeling so helpless.
This went against the entire reason why she formed the Shadow Operatives in the first place. She didn't want teenagers to have to go through what she had. But Shido had to throw a wrench into her plans, by manipulating the law. And she was still unsure if the Phantom Thieves were affiliated with him or not.
But what Minako proposed… sending Amada undercover.
Amada had wanted to wait until after he graduated from high school before deciding if he wanted to join the Shadow Operatives again. He had never said it directly to her, but she had understood his intent.
But what was nine or ten months? Amada was only a few weeks away from turning eighteen… In the eyes of some countries, that made him a near adult.
And well… she would never force him if he didn't wish to do this. She would make that perfectly clear that it was a request and he could refuse if he wanted to. She would not repeat what she had done in high school, urging her classmates to join SEES in a way that they felt they couldn't say no.
And as for Shinjiro… well, Minako was excellent at persuading him into doing things that he wasn't exactly enthusiastic about. The biggest example was how she persuaded him to cook for the dorm. (She still had no idea how Minako had managed that.) Not to mention Yamagishi's talent of calming him down and seeing the other's perspective.
As for provisions… that would be the easiest. Her family owned many properties in Tokyo, so Amada could stay there. There was also the matter of arranging Amada's transfer to Shujin Academy, but she could handle that if Amada agreed.
Her mind was made up. Mitsuru reached for her phone. It took exactly three rings before the person on the other side answered.
"Hello?"
Mitsuru inhaled deeply before speaking.
"Minako, you're right in that we need to take action," she began cautiously.
Minako's breath hitched. "Then, you want…?"
Mitsuru nodded, even though she knew Minako wouldn't be able to see. "Yes. We must speak to Amada about going to Tokyo."
Wednesday, June 1st, 2016
"We must speak to Amada about going to Tokyo, she says..." Minako grumbled under her breath. "So why am I the one stuck asking Shinji?"
She glared at the door.
"But no, Mitsuru-senpai has to be all: 'you're far superior at persuading Shinjiro. You have to do it, Minako. Furthermore, it was your idea'. Like, seriously? How annoying." Minako huffed.
Minako just sighed, folding her arms over her chest. She wished that she had a better reading on how Ken felt about the Phantom Thieves, but Ken kept his thoughts on them to himself. On top of that, the few times she was able to visit with Shinji and Fuuka, Ken was out of the house—usually locking himself in the library to study. It wasn't too surprising, given that Ken was a third-year now and he had lofty goals considering his top university choice.
Ken had even given up his extracurricular activities—soccer and student council. She remembered being confused by it, but she knew that some third-years preferred to give their all in studying for entrance exams. She couldn't help but worry a little. Sometimes she wondered if Ken was lonely. He had made friends while playing on the soccer team, but Minako noticed that Ken never brought them up nowadays.
Sometimes… friends drifted apart. But it still made her sad.
Minako then shook her head.
"Come on… focus, Minako!" she chided herself.
She was a little nervous. Not just how Ken would respond but Shinji. Shinji was fairly neutral, regarding the Phantom Thieves. But… letting Ken go to Tokyo, to explore a Shadow nest. That was a entire different story. Maybe she should have brought Aki with her… maybe he could've helped her with Shinji.
She had discussed the topic of the Phantom Thieves many times with her husband and he agreed that it would be best if Ken went to Tokyo.
Then again, Aki and Shinji probably would've gotten into one of their stupid arguments.
Minako shook her head and sighed. She was just here to ask if Ken would go to Tokyo. Nothing would be finalized unless he said yes. She was getting ahead of herself.
She drew a deep breath before reaching to ring the doorbell. She could hear Koromaru's excited barking, quickly followed by Fuuka's voice.
"Coming!"
Shinji and Fuuka's relationship had been mostly long distance since Fuuka had left Port Island for a few years so she could study at Tokyo University, but… they had been living together ever since Fuuka had graduated and came back home. Shinji was saving up for an engagement ring, but add him trying to save up enough money so he could open the restaurant he wanted and Ken's expenses… it was going slow. But of course, Fuuka had no idea about this.
Regardless it was good that Fuuka was here, maybe she could help her convince Shinji.
A moment later, the door swung open and Koromaru lunged at Minako, knocking her to the ground. She just giggled, letting Koromaru lick her face.
"Koro-chan!" she heard Fuuka chide. "You could've hurt Minako-chan!"
Minako sat up and waved her friend off. "It's fine, Fuuka-chan." She petted Koromaru on top of her head. "It's been a while, huh, Koro-chan?"
Koromaru looked well. Even though he was on the older side now, he was as spry as he was in the days of SEES. Though she had to admit that Ken's old hoodie had seen better days. The poor thing had several tears and rips.
"But…" Fuuka protested. "You're pregnant, Minako-chan."
Minako just laughed and waved it off, "Pffft, it's fine. Besides, I'm barely three months along."
"I don't think that's the right attitude, Minako-chan…" Fuuka sighed.
"It's just a one-time thing, y'know?" Minako said hastily, feeling a pang of guilt.
Koromaru let out a yip, before licking Minako's face once more. He then climbed off of Minako, trotting back to Fuuka.
Fuuka just sighed, shaking her head before extending a hand to Minako so she could pull Minako up.
"That's what you always say, Minako-chan," she chided. "You need to be more careful—if only for your baby's sake."
Minako just smiled sheepishly. "Guilty as charged."
Fuuka laughed, before her expression grew sad.
"Are you really here to ask Ken-kun?" she asked softly.
Minako sighed, before running her hand through her hair.
"Yeah…" she said quietly. "It was the second calling card that convinced Mitsuru-senpai… We don't want this to get out of control."
"I see…" Fuuka bit her lip. "But Ken-kun is out of the house."
"Whaaaaat? But it's nearly six!" Minako put her hands on her hips.
Fuuka just shrugged in response.
"That's normal actually. He usually studies at the school library. And besides, I seem to recall a certain somebody not coming back to the dorm until the evening as well," Fuuka pointed out with a small smile.
Minako let out an awkward laugh, running a hand through her hair. Fuuka got her there, she had to admit.
"Okay, okay, I get your point. I'll just talk to Shinji first," she said.
Fuuka stared for several moments, without saying anything.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Minako-chan?" she asked hesitantly.
"It'll be fine," Minako said, injecting more confidence in her voice than she felt.
Fuuka pursed her lips, before nodding.
"If you think so…"
She took a few steps back, letting Minako to come inside. She removed her shoes, leaving them by the door before following Fuuka to the living room.
Shinji was sitting on the couch, reading a cooking magazine from the looks of it. Koromaru sat right next to him, head in Shinji's lap. He looked up when he heard Minako enter. He set his magazine aside, raising an eyebrow.
"What are you craving now?"
"Uh… what?" Minako just blinked.
"Shinji..." Fuuka chastised, frowning at him.
Shinji huffed, folding his arms over his chest. "I still remember Takeba's weird ass cravings."
"It's still rude."
"Yeah, Shinji, no congratulations?" Minako put her hands on her hips, flashing him a teasing smile. "I mean, it is Aki's baby too. You know, your best friend?"
Shinji just rolled his eyes. "Should I really celebrate Aki possibly getting a little mini him?"
Minako smirked and folded her arms. "Now, now, Shinji... shouldn't you be more worried if the baby turns out to be like me?"
Shinji just sighed deeply, eyeing her warily. "What do you want, Minako?"
Minako clasped her hands behind her back.
"Well…" she began, dragging out the word, "you know about the situation in Tokyo?"
Shinji scowled, looking completely unimpressed with her.
"How could I not know? Get to the point already."
Minako smiled sheepishly.
"Ithoughtit'dbeagoodideatosendKen-kuntoinvestigatethePhantomThieves," she blurted out in a rush.
This earned her a blank stare. "Uh… what? Can you slow down?"
"R-Right... uh... I thought it'd be a good idea to send Ken-kun to Tokyo to investigate the Phantom Thieves," she repeated slowly with a wince.
Shinji stared. And stared. Then something in him seem to snap, his gray eyes darkening with anger.
"You. Want. What?!" he ground out, glaring daggers at her.
Unwillingly, Minako took a step back. Sometimes she forgot how scary Shinji can be.
"And Mitsuru agreed?!" Shinji demanded, still looking rather pissed. "What happened to her 'I can't endanger you all' mindset?"
Minako quickly ducked behind Fuuka, despite her being half a head shorter. He hopefully wouldn't come after her if she used Fuuka as a shield.
"C-Come on, you have to admit it's concerning!" she blurted out.
"But why Ken?" Shinji continued to scowl at her.
Fuuka quickly sat next to Shinji, resting a hand on his arm.
"Calm down, Shinji. You know that Mitsuru-senpai wouldn't resort to this unless she felt there was no other way," she said gently.
Shinji jerked his head in Fuuka's direction, but his gaze softened just slightly.
"What do you know?"
"Minako-chan broached the idea the day Mitsuru-senpai asked me to come to the labs last month," Fuuka answered quietly.
"How can Fuuka-chan be so freaking calm?" Minako couldn't help think to herself. "But then again… she has Shinji completely whipped."
She then continued, "I didn't say anything because she technically said no."
Minako interjected hastily, "And this mission is supposed to be recon. We're not asking for Ken-kun to actually fight the Phantom Thieves. We just want to know if they will go rogue. Their identities. Their goals."
"You still didn't answer my question," he said with narrowed eyes.
Fuuka came to her defense and explained, "Ken-kun is an ideal candidate because he left the Shadow Operatives years before Shido knew about us. Furthermore… Minako-chan suggested that the Phantom Thieves could potentially be high school students, with how they knew about Kamoshida's crimes. At the very least even if they aren't, they have some connection to that high school the first incident happened, I'd imagine."
Shinji was silent for several moments.
"Does it really have to be him? Can't you ask Shirogane? She's always running off from city to city with her cases anyways," Shinji suggested with slight frustration.
Minako shook her head. "Nope, Shido will definitely go after her, since she's registered as a part time Shadow Operative. Shido threatened the Shadow Operatives specifically."
"Tch… fine!" Shinji dragged his fingers through his hair as he finally relented, "You can ask Ken, but you better not pressure him or I swear to god I'll—"
"Ask me what?"
Ken probably wouldn't have expected something was up if it wasn't for the fact that he had nearly tripped over Minako-san's shoes when he had entered the apartment.
Minako-san and Shinjiro-san had been both so absorbed with their conversation that they hadn't noticed him coming in. Fuuka-san just gave him a small smile.
Ken fought the urge to sigh or roll his eyes. Adults.
"Heyyy, Ken-kun." Minako-san's voice was unusually bright.
She was energetic and everything, but she sounded too cheerful right now. Ken frowned. That usually meant she wanted something or was trying to misdirect to play a trick on someone.
"You look sooo tall! Have you grown a couple centimeters since the last time I saw you? I hope you're not studying too hard! You'll give yourself wrinkles if you work yourself too much you know!"
And now she was rambling. So that confirmed she definitely wanted a favor or was up to something.
"Minako-san?" Ken craned an eyebrow at her.
Minako-san just smiled sheepishly at him, as she was biting her lower lip.
"Well… it's just… I'm here to see you!"
Ken blinked.
"Because…?"
Minako-san rolled on the balls of her feet, before she stopped. She drew in a deep breath, which seemed to steel her.
"Ken-kun..." she said quietly, "I know that you withdrew the Shadow Operatives but… we need you to come back."
"Wait… she was seriously asking me…?" His thoughts trailed off.
She wouldn't ask him unless something serious was going on. That's when it dawned on him, there was something going on.
"Is this about the news of the Phantom Thieves again?"
Minako-san nodded. "We don't know what the Phantom Thieves want… and how they go about stealing desires is… concerning."
"There's already a site that takes requests," Fuuka-san said. "I've seen some… disturbing requests on the site."
Ken just looked away. The Phantom Thieves… he couldn't deny that he was fascinated with them. That he admired them for stepping up to the plate, when nobody else would. But he couldn't deny the truth. It was strange in how they were able to change Kamoshida and now that artist's heart so drastically.
How could he say no? Especially with what Mitsuru-san has done for him over the years.
"I… I know that you didn't want to return to the Shadow Operatives until after you graduated from high school," Minako said.
It was so rare for her to look hesitant, but she did in that moment. But then her expression grew dead serious.
"But we can't allow this to escalate. We need to find out if the Phantom Thieves are dangerous while we still can. How they change hearts... it has to be connected to Personas and Shadows. That's what Mitsuru-senpai thinks, and I agree with her."
She had a point.
Ken took a deep breath before he answered, "Okay. I'll do it."
Minako-san blinked. "Wait—really?! Just like that? You aren't at least gonna take a couple minutes to think it over?"
Ken nodded firmly.
"It's okay Minako-san. The only reason why I left the Shadow Operatives is because all I could focus on was how I wanted to fight Shadows. But it's different now."
He then rubbed the back of his neck.
"So… what do I have to do?" he asked.
"Well—"
"Back up, Ken," Shinjiro-san cut in, his voice sharp. "I'm letting you do this because of the situation… but I'm coming with you."
"Ah… I was wondering why you relented so easily," Fuuka-san said with an amused smile.
"What do you mean easily?!" Minako-san demanded.
"You know how stubborn Shinji can be, Minako-chan," Fuuka-san answered calmly.
Shinjiro-san looked unamused by their banter, shooting them both irate glares.
"I'm right here, you know," he deadpanned.
"Excuse me?!" Ken sputtered, suddenly finding his voice.
Irritation spiked sharply inside of him, as he glowered at Shinjiro-san.
"I'm not a child anymore, Shinjiro-san. I'm almost eighteen!" he exclaimed with a huff.
"Uh-huh." Shinjiro-san just gave him a flat-eyed stare, looking rather unimpressed. "And that's why you're pouting, right?"
"I am not pouting!" Ken continued to glare at his guardian.
Minako-san just giggled, pressing a hand to her cheek. "Aw, you're just so cute, Ken-kun!"
"You stop treating me like a child too!" he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.
Shinjiro-san just rolled his eyes. "You're really not helping your case here, Ken."
He then looked at Shinjiro-san.
"What about Fuuka-san? You can't just leave her." Ken demanded.
"Ken-kun, don't worry about me," Fuuka-san said quickly before Shinjiro-san could even open his mouth. "I'll be fine, I promise. And besides… we've dealt with having a long-distance relationship before."
She smiled sadly for a moment.
"I'm going to miss you but it's nothing I can't handle."
Minako-san just grinned, folding her arms over her chest, "Hey, Shinji, maybe you'll have a better selection in Tokyo—!"
Then Shinjiro-san glared at her, so she immediately covered her mouth with one hand. She then lowered it, smiling sheepishly at Shinjiro-san.
"Hehe, oops…"
"Really smooth, Minako-san," Ken thought as he rolled his eyes.
Sometimes he wondered how Fuuka-san had no clue, between the engagement ring catalogues and the fact that Minako-san was a bit of a gossip. She was nothing compared to Yukari-san but still.
"A better selection? What's wrong with the pots and pans you have right now, Shinji?" Fuuka-san frowned.
Ken couldn't help but sigh in relief.
"You know how Shinji gets with his cooking tools, Fuuka-chan!" Minako-san said hastily. "He's gotta have the very best!"
"I… suppose?" Fuuka-san blinked at her.
Minako-san just let out a nervous chuckle, before continuing, "But anyways… Mitsuru-senpai and I talked about some details yesterday… Like she said that she'd work on transferring you to Shujin Academy, if you agreed… Mitsuru-senpai has a few properties in Tokyo, so she just needs to pick which one—"
Shinjiro-san just groaned. "Is Mitsuru seriously expecting us to accept charity?"
"Why are you always like this, Shinji?"
Minako-san's hands flew to her hips, giving Shinjiro-san her 'are you kidding me' look.
"It's not charity, okay? Ken-kun is doing Shadow Operative work, so the least she could do is offer a place for you guys to live! Living space in Tokyo is not cheap!" she exclaimed.
"And she'll probably give us a penthouse to live in," Shinjiro-san retorted with a scowl.
Fuuka-san just laughed. "Well… to be fair, the properties have probably been in her family's name for a while."
"I don't care, it's still ridiculous."
Minako-san just rolled her eyes at him. "Fine, whatever, you can bring it up to Mitsuru-senpai."
Fuuka said placatingly, "Now, now… maybe you could talk to her about paying her if you don't like it that much, Shinji."
"Like Mitsuru will agree." Shinjiro-san scoffed.
"Again, why do you have to be so stubborn about this?!" Minako inquired with a huff.
As Minako-san and Shinjiro-san continued to bicker, Ken just felt his mind wander.
Tokyo… well, he was studying to try to get into Tokyo University.
He was just going there sooner than expected it seemed. He just hoped that the Phantom Thieves didn't have ill intentions like his senpai thought they did.
Notes:
And that wraps up the prologue! This is basically… a mix of a bunch of AUs I have. This essentially takes place in a universe where the P3 protagonists were twin siblings, but Minato became the Great Seal while Minako survived and eventually married Akihiko. And as mentioned in the prologue, Shinji is Ken's guardian and is currently dating Fuuka. There will be several ships mentioned in this fic, but there will be only two major ships.
Ken's voice claim is Yuri Lowenthal, specifically his Marth voice in Fire Emblem Warriors.
And while none of the P5 characters have shown up, I'd like to note that I spell Anne's name with an e. It's my preference to spell it like the original Japanese version. You don't need to point it out to me. I'm aware that I spell it differently.
For any newcomers, thank you for checking out the fic! However, I'd like to note that this fic's planning started about half a year after P5's western release. This story is solely based off of the vanilla P5 version and has no elements of P5 Royal.
But anyways, please leave a review! I'd really love to hear what you have to say about this!
Edited on 5/31/20 (Many thanks to my beta, angelrin89!)
Chapter 2: Ch. 1: Mission Start
Summary:
Ken and Shinji move to Tokyo and Ken starts his first day at Shujin Academy. Ken's investigation on the Phantom Thieves begins.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Saturday, June 11th, 2016
"Are you sure you have everything?" Fuuka-san asked.
Shinjiro-san sighed, but his lips twitched into a smile.
"Fuuka, stop worrying. Besides, even if we did forget anything, you could just mail it to us," he said.
"I know, I know!" Fuuka-san sighed, before smiling sheepishly at him. "I just can't help but worry."
Shinjiro-san's eyes softened and he gave her that fond smile that he reserved only for her.
"Shouldn't I be worried about you? I'm not gonna come back with the kitchen burned down, right?" he teased lightly.
Fuuka-san's face turned pink. "Shinji! That hasn't happened in years."
Koromaru trotted over to Ken, letting out a bark. Ken smiled at him, before kneeling to pet him. He was going to miss Koromaru while they were in Tokyo. He knew that he had surprised everyone by deciding not to take Koromaru with him but he felt guilty enough about having Shinjiro-san come with him. Fuuka-san needed some company.
"You'll be good for Fuuka-san, won't you?" Ken murmured as he scratched behind Koromaru's ears. Koromaru let out an affirmative bark before licking his hand. "Hopefully Fuuka-san can bring you up for a visit for the summer."
Koromaru let out a happy bark, before lunging at Ken, knocking him down in the process. He began to furiously lick at Ken's face.
"Koromaru!" he groaned.
Ken held up a warding hand but Koromaru wasn't to be deterred. He continued to happily give Ken a bath with his tongue.
"Koro-chan, what are you doing?" Fuuka-san scolded.
Shinjiro-san grabbed Koromaru by the collar and hauled him off Ken.
"Thanks..." he muttered as he sat up.
Fuuka-san knelt to offer him a handkerchief to wipe off his face.
"Jeez, we look away for two minutes and Ken's on the ground," Shinjiro-san muttered, shaking his head.
Koromaru just sat on his haunches and let out a yip. Ken just glared at him, letting out a little huff.
Shinjiro-san just shook his head, but he was smirking in amusement, "And Koro isn't even sorry about it."
"When is he ever?" Ken grumbled, before climbing to his feet.
He then folded the handkerchief and handing it back to Fuuka-san, before thanking her.
The intercom above their heads suddenly crackled.
"The train headed for Tokyo is now boarding at station 3..." The announcer stated, "I repeat, the train headed for Tokyo is now boarding at station 3."
"That's our train." Shinjiro-san sighed; he then turned to face Fuuka-san with a frown. "We should get going."
Fuuka-san smiled sadly but after taking a deep breath, she gave them a nod.
She stood on her tiptoes, kissing Shinjiro-san on the cheek. "You don't want to miss the train. Text me when you get to Tokyo, okay?"
"Of course. And I'll call you tonight." Shinjiro-san dipped his head to quickly kiss her.
Even though it was just a peck, Ken couldn't help but make a face. He couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious whenever any of his senpai did PDA in front of him. It was just embarrassing to watch.
Shinjiro-san caught sight of the expression on Ken's face, and an annoyed glare appeared on the older man's face.
"Don't give me that face, Ken. We could do worse and you know it. Like—"
Ken immediately clapped his hands over his ears, "I am not listening!"
"Really, Ken?" Shinjiro-san glowered at him.
"Shinji, don't pick on him. And Ken-kun, don't egg him on like that," Fuuka-san gently chastised.
Shinjiro-san huffed, "Ugh, whatever."
He reached down to pick up his duffel bag, before glancing back at Ken.
"Come on, we really should get going," he said.
"Give me one second with Ken-kun first?" Fuuka-san asked.
Shinjiro-san raised an eyebrow, but nodded. He kissed her on the top of her head.
"See you, Fuuka," he said.
"Bye Shinji." Fuuka-san kissed his cheek one last time.
Shinjiro-san gave her a quick smile. Then he scooped up their bags, before heading for station three.
Ken turned to her. Fuuka-san looked troubled.
"Fuuka-san, what's the mat—"
"Please be careful, Ken-kun," Fuuka-san suddenly blurted out, before she bit her lip. "You'll be the one looking for the Phantom Thieves. You'll be the one to find the Shadow nest. Please, promise me you won't do anything reckless."
She looked up at him pleadingly.
Ken swallowed hard. She was more worried than she let on. He should have expected this. They were essentially treading on unknown territory.
"I will..." he said quietly.
Fuuka-san smiled at him, before squeezing his hand. "Call home often, okay?"
"I'll try," Ken said sheepishly.
Fuuka-san frowned at him, obviously displeased by that.
"If I can call at least twice a week during university—"
"Why do you always pull that card on everyone?" Ken grumbled.
Fuuka-san giggled. "Because it's effective."
Her eyes softened before leaning up to kiss his cheek as well.
"Bye, Ken-kun," she said softly, sincerity and worry both shining in her eyes.
Ken bit his lip, but he forced himself to look at her.
"Goodbye, Fuuka-san."
"'You don't need to worry about the cost, Shinjiro. It's nothing..." Shinjiro-san said in a mocking voice, poorly imitating Mitsuru-san; then he scoffed. "Yeah right."
He scowled up at the building in front of them while he crossed his arms.
"It's… not the Yakushima mansion, at least?" Ken offered.
He was still scowling. "It's too much. It's still a fuckin' penthouse!"
Kikuno-san cleared her throat, but she looked rather amused at Shinjiro-san's griping. "Now, if you're done complaining, Shinjiro-san…"
"Shinjiro-san never stops complaining."
Ken quickly sidestepped to dodge the swipe Shinjiro-san aimed at him.
"Smartass," he grumbled.
She ignored their antics and just shook her head.
"Please follow me." Kikuno-san smiled politely.
It was nice for Mitsuru-san to send Kikuno-san to escort them from the train station. He was pretty sure that they probably would have gotten lost. In all honesty, Ken wasn't expecting Tokyo to be that huge. It was the capital of Japan and everything, but it made Port Island look positively tiny.
Kikuno-san unlocked the door when they reached the top. Ken's eyebrow rose when he took in the living room. While it was well furnished, it wasn't in that obscenely opulent fashion that Mitsuru-san's residences usually were decorated in.
"Mitsuru-san ordered for new furniture when she decided this will be where you're staying," Kikuno-san offered as an explanation, before walking inside.
Ken removed his shoes, leaving them outside by the door. Shinjiro-san quickly followed suit.
"The kitchen has been fitted with state-of-the-art appliances," Kikuno-san continued, before reaching into her pocket and laying down two card keys. "These are the keys to the suite, please don't lose them. And your bedrooms will be in the very back."
The suite included a washing room, two bathrooms—both having a bathtub larger than any Ken had ever seen—and even an entertainment room.
"And that's everything..." Kikuno-san finished.
She then reached into her pocket again, handing another card to Ken. Ken raised an eyebrow, examining the card. It looked like… some kind of ticket.
"It's a train pass. You'll have to pay a couple hundred yen every time you use the train station, but it gives a discount," Kikuno-san informed him.
"For crying out loud…" Shinjiro-san grumbled. "I could have paid for that. I don't give a shit on what Mitsuru says, I'm paying her something."
Kikuno-san just tilted her head, an amused smile coming to her lips. "Hmm... I believe you'll have to bring that up with Lady Mitsuru, Shinjiro-san."
"Believe me, I will," he muttered darkly.
Kikuno-san just smiled, before curtseying. "If that is all… I must take your leave."
Her eyes then moved to Ken.
"And good luck, Ken-san."
"Thank you..." Ken mumbled.
Kikuno-san then left the suite, firmly shutting the door behind her.
Shinjiro-san flopped onto the longer sofa, belly first, with a groan.
"Ken, go find a place to order something for dinner," he said, burying his face into a pillow. "I'm too tired to cook tonight."
"You're willingly ordering takeout?" Ken raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up," Shinjiro-san said coolly, before rolling onto his back. "We're going grocery shopping tomorrow after we go see the principal."
After looking up a delivery place, Ken retreated to what would be his room. He looked at the bare walls. It had been properly furnished—this was from Mitsuru-san, after all—but it felt so different from his room back on Port Island.
Ken sighed, reaching into his pocket. He drew out a small golden badge.
The Shadow Operatives badge. Mitsuru-san had returned it to him just a few days after he agreed to the mission. It was… weird, holding it again. He still remembered holding it, talking to Koromaru, about being a Shadow Operative—right before Kikuno-san had whisked him away to go save Mitsuru-san, Akihiko-san, Aigis-san, Minako-san, and Fuuka-san.
He couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Everyone was counting on him to discover the truth about the Phantom Thieves.
His fingers closed around the badge. He couldn't let them down.
Sunday, June 12th, 2016
Shujin Academy just looked plain in comparison to Gekkoukan.
Though Ken supposed that most schools would. Gekkoukan was all steel and glass, fitted with the top-of-the-line technology. Mitsuru-san had commissioned for a fountain to be placed in the courtyard as well, in honor of Minato-san.
And during Minako-san's third year, she pushed for a garden on the roof soon after she was elected class president. She said that the roof didn't have to be just a place of death, it could be a place for life too.
It didn't take them long to find the principal's office. He rose when they entered, a genial smile on his face. It took all of Ken's willpower to not stare at the man.
"Ah, Amada-kun, correct? We've been expecting you!" he greeted.
His smile just oozed insincerity. Ken chanced a glance at Shinjiro-san. He remained silent, but he looked utterly unimpressed with the principal. He just couldn't be bothered to hide how he felt.
"It's an honor to meet you," Ken said, before bowing his head.
He didn't know how, but he managed a polite smile. He couldn't give the principal a reason to suspect him.
"It's wonderful to meet you as well. I am Principal Kobayakawa." He nodded. "From your records, you would be a marvelous addition to our school. An honor student who constantly made it to the top ten, if not the very top rank. An athlete as well, and a member of the student council… a very impressive track record if I must say, young man."
"Really laying it thick, isn't he?" Ken thought to himself.
Was that really all he was concerned about? Then again, the school did let Kamoshida get away with his crimes. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised.
Shinjiro-san looked completely unimpressed with Kobayakawa.
"I'm glad that you know of Ken's accomplishments, but Ken isn't too interested in joining any clubs now," his guardian said flatly. "He's been focusing on studying for entrance exams."
The principal actually looked slightly crestfallen. Ken had to force himself to keep a poker face; he didn't want to look rude, after all.
"Oh… Of course!" He swallowed hard, slightly shifting awkwardly under Shinjiro-san's stern gaze. "Absolutely, entrance exams to get into a university is very important."
He was just too easy to read. Ken fought back the urge to roll his eyes.
"Is there anything else?" Ken spoke up.
"Well… there's your school uniform," he said, picking up a white box. "And your classroom is 3-D. The student council president is in your class. If you have any questions, you should ask her. And please come to the office early tomorrow so you can meet with your homeroom teacher."
"Thank you, sir. I hope I'll do well at Shujin."
Ken bowed his head while saying this, before he accepted the school uniform.
"I'm sure you will." He nodded.
Shinjiro-san didn't take long to speak once they had left the office.
He didn't bother to hide the scorn from his voice. "And I thought Ekoda was obsessed with reputations. He was such a brown-noser."
"At least he's not my teacher. And it's not surprising... considering this school looked the other way concerning that coach," Ken muttered.
Shinjiro-san just stuffed his hands in his pockets, scowling at the horizon.
"Good point. Come on. We still need to go grocery shopping," he said.
Ken covered up a smirk, fighting back a laugh from escaping as an amusing thought came across his mind.
"Oh yes, nothing like the great past time of trying to stop Shinjiro-san from picking a fight with the butcher over just how fresh the meat is," he joked to himself.
Monday, June 13th, 2016
Ken tugged at the collar of his dress shirt, trying not to squirm under his classmates' gaze. It was difficult... considering that they were blatantly gawking at him.
"It feels so weird to not wear the Gekkoukan uniform though…" he thought ruefully.
The Shujin uniform wasn't a drastic change from the Gekkoukan uniform but still. He figured that it'd be better to wear the uniform properly, however. He had to blend in.
"Class, we have a new student," the teacher announced. "Ken Amada, hailing from Tatsumi Port Island."
"Port Island? Hey, isn't that where that famous rich family is from... what are they called again? The Kirijo Group, right?" one student whispered.
There continued to be whispers, though everyone wasn't doing a very good job as Ken could still hear them. Especially the girls.
"Forget that! He's so cute!"
"Look at how soft his hair is!"
"He's much better than the first transfer we got!"
"Isn't it kinda a weird time to transfer though?"
Ken fought the urge to hang his head. Of course he couldn't escape it. He didn't even know what about him attracted girls like bees to flowers.
"Wait... what was that about another transfer student?" Ken thought.
"Hey, wouldn't you say he kinda looks like Akechi-kun?"
"Ugh…" he mumbled quietly.
Ken tried not to grimace. He really never understood the people who made that comparison. Their hairstyles were totally different. They both have brown hair, but his hair color was a completely different shade of brown. Just what were these girls seeing that he wasn't?
Junpei-san, of course, found it absolutely hilarious and loved teasing him for that.
Then there was the sound of a throat being cleared. "Shouldn't we find a seat for him?"
The speaker was a girl with short dark brown hair and piercing red eyes. She was pretty in that prim, bookish kind of way.
The teacher nodded, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.
She looked thoughtful as she mulled it over. "Yes, of course. In fact, the seat next to you is open, isn't it, Niijima-san? Amada-kun can have that seat then."
"What?! But my seat is closer to the front!" one girl whined.
"That's enough!" the teacher snapped. "My decision is final."
She then smiled encouragingly at Ken.
"Go ahead, Amada-kun."
Ken nodded, before shifting his school bag on his shoulder and walking down the aisle. Everyone's eyes remained plastered on him, making him feel incredibly self-conscious.
"Ugh. How annoying. And Minato-san and Minako-san probably had to put up with something similar…" he sighed to himself.
It felt like an eternity before he reached his seat, setting his bag on the ground and then sliding into his seat.
His neighbor offered him a hesitant smile.
"Never mind them. They just… gossip too much," she murmured.
"That describes most of the teenage population," Ken replied, keeping his voice low as well.
This earned him a quiet giggle.
"Now then!" The teacher clasped her hands in front of her. "Open your book to page 101. We'll start by translating the entire page."
This earned a collective groan. Ken reached for his bag, drawing out his English textbook and then flipping it open. It looked around the same difficulty as Gekkoukan's curriculum from the looks of it. Gekkoukan had prepared him well, at least. He had heard that Shujin was an elite college prep school.
Ken sighed as his classmates continued to gossip in loud whispers. This was going to be a long day.
The first few classes just dragged on, so it was a relief when the lunch bell rang. But before he could even blink, he found himself surrounded by girls.
"What school did you used to go to?"
"Have you ever met Mitsuru Kirijo?!"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Are you interested in joining any clubs? We have some openings!"
Ken inched his chair back, even though it wasn't much help. Did he have the words 'please flirt with me' plastered on his forehead?
He managed a polite smile, before speaking.
"I used to attend to Gekkoukan, and yes, I know her. We used to live in the same dorm, because of special circumstances. And no, I don't have a girlfriend, but I'm not interested in one right now. And I'm sorry, but I don't want to join a club right now."
"Hey, what do you think of the Phantom Thieves?" one of the girls demanded.
"That's enough, all of you." A stern voice, so similar to Mitsuru-san's, cut through the air. "You need to give him some breathing air."
The girls grumbled but backed away. They parted to reveal that it was his seatmate.
"Why do you have to hog him?" another girl huffed.
Hogging him? That was a strange thing to accuse the short-haired girl of. Teenage girls were so confusing. All she did was exchange a couple of sentences with him and ask he be given just some space.
She just raised an eyebrow at the girls, looking at the speaker sternly.
"I am not 'hogging' him. You're invading his personal space, so I'm telling you to leave him alone," she said plainly.
The girls began muttering to themselves but thankfully began to disperse. Ken couldn't help but sigh in relief.
"Niijima-san, was it?" Ken asked.
She smiled at him. "That's right. I'm Makoto Niijima, the student council president. It's nice to meet you, Amada-kun."
"Likewise. And… thank you for getting the girls to back off." Ken nodded.
"It was nothing." She waved a dismissive hand. "You looked overwhelmed… I'm not sure how none of them picked up on it."
"They probably don't care," Ken muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Niijima-san frowned.
"Oh, nothing..." Ken waved it off.
"How are you holding up?" she inquired. "It has to be overwhelming to start at a new school."
Ken managed a weak smile.
"It is but… I'll do my best to get settled as soon as possible. But um… it was kind of you to check up on me."
That comment seemed to fluster her slightly, her cheeks turning pink.
"I was just doing my duty as student council president," she dismissed.
"Hmm… if she's the student council president, maybe she has some idea on what the Phantom Thieves were about," he thought to himself.
"Niijima-san?" he began, before he could chicken out and stay silent.
"What is it?" she asked, frowning slightly.
Looking closer at her made Ken realize that she looked tired. Dark rings were under her eyes. Unless this was her natural coloration, she seemed pale too.
Ken said slowly, "Ah… I was wondering what you knew about the Phantom Thieves. Since well… Kamoshida was their first target."
Niijima-san's face became ashen.
"It's… not something the faculty is proud of," she mumbled, her gaze lowering to the ground. "Kamoshida had hurt the entire volleyball team. Not to mention Amamiya-kun, Sakamoto-kun, and Takamaki-san..."
Three names already. A possible clue he could follow up with, maybe these students could be people he could ask about the situation. There is a possibility they could know something.
"I didn't realize his targets weren't just the club he coached," Ken said.
He remembered when Kamoshida had confessed, the newspapers had been all over that. But they had only focused on the abuse he had heaped on the volleyball team.
"He… had more victims and enemies than you would be led to believe..." she trailed off for a moment.
Niijima-san then seemed to freeze before she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Why are you so interested in these Thieves anyways?" she asked, sounding suspicious.
"Ah…"
Ken scrambled for a quick excuse because that stare was rather frightening. Not on the level of Mitsuru-san, but still... he had to be careful about the questions he asked too.
"It's just… the Phantom Thieves are like real life superheroes, aren't they?"
"I suppose you could think that," Niijima-san said, relaxing her entire stance.
Ken released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. That was... a close one. He needed to be more subtle than that from now on. He couldn't be broadcasting that he was interested in the Phantom Thieves like that.
Niijima-san straightened her posture. "But if you're okay now, Amada-kun... I should probably get going. I have a lot of work to handle."
She turned to leave, but Ken found himself stopping her.
"Wait!"
Niijima-san turned, eyebrows raised.
"Yes?"
"It's just… ah… you looked tired."
Ken felt like facepalming. Why couldn't he be more eloquent with his thoughts?
"Have you even eaten lunch yet?" He asked.
"I… didn't bring one today," she admitted with a wince. "I woke up late this morning, so I didn't have time to make lunch."
"Well, you could always share mine," Ken offered as he flashed her a small smile. "My guardian always makes me too much… and I should repay you for helping me back there with those girls."
Niijima-san's eyes widened. "Oh, I don't know… that may create more rumors."
"Was what you said this morning again?" he pointed out, raising an eyebrow at her.
Niijima-san opened her mouth to protest, but he spoke up before she could.
"Please, it's not healthy for you to skip out on a meal."
Shinjiro-san was rubbing off on him, it seemed.
Niijima-san tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, before smiling shyly at him. "Well… if you insist."
The latter half of the day went by fast. Before he knew it, the bell was ringing, signaling the end of the day. He got up to leave but was stopped. Niijima-san caught his sleeve, holding him in place.
"Amada-kun, I know that you're not particularly interested in joining clubs right now but… I thought I let you know about the clubs that are accepting new members right now, since you transferred later in the year."
Ken raised an eyebrow.
"I'm listening." He nodded.
Niijima-san began to recite, "There's the newspaper club, the track team, and well… the student council could always use more help. I heard from the principal that you've been pretty active in student council since middle school."
"It was nothing, really..." Ken rubbed the back of his neck. "I only was elected in my last year at middle school and the past two years."
And he decided not to run for student council president this time because he thought it'd interfere with his studies. But he thought the track team disbanded? Maybe it got reinstated because of Kamoshida's confession.
But there was a newspaper club—that was interesting. Maybe someone there could tell him just who Amamiya-san, Takamaki-san, and Sakamoto-san were. And possibly any other victims outside the volleyball team.
He'd like to meet with those other three she mentioned by name though; it would be a long-shot if they knew anything but… Being victims of Kamoshida didn't necessarily mean they'd have intel on the Phantom Thieves. But it never hurt to ask.
"You don't have to be so modest, you know. But um… you shouldn't really talk to me." Her voice was soft, her eyes lowering to the ground.
Ken frowned. He had noticed that people had steered clear of Niijima-san for no reason, how people had been whispering about her throughout the day. He had no idea why, since she seemed nice enough.
"Why?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Umm… it's just…" Niijima-san winced, then let out a sigh. "I have a certain reputation."
"And…?"
"And what?" She blinked at him.
Ken sighed, making sure he had all his belongings.
"Niijima-san, believe me when I say that I know about bad reputations. My guardian was viewed as a delinquent, but he's not. Rough around the edges, sure... but not a delinquent."
Ken couldn't help but grimace. He remembered his teachers muttering about Shinjiro-san. Several times. It was upsetting at first, but he eventually learned to ignore it. Shinjiro-san didn't really care about the rumors anyways.
"A delinquent look-a-like… who cooks delicious food?" Niijima-san said slowly.
She giggled, a smile tugging at her lips.
"That's… an interesting image."
Ken chuckled as well, nodding toward her.
"Yeah, he gets that a lot," he stated.
Niijima-san opened her mouth to reply, only for her eyes to grow wide. "Ah! I'm so sorry, Amada-kun, but I have to speak to Miss Kawakami about something urgent."
Ken nodded, even though he had no clue who this Miss Kawakami was. She must teach one of the other grades.
"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow," he said with a wave.
He watched her leave the classroom, before he looked back down at his desk. The newspaper club could be a good lead to find those three individuals she mentioned. If those three, Amamiya-san, Takamaki-san, and Sakamoto-san, don't have anything concrete... he supposed he could always talk to members of the volleyball or track team. Surely someone had more of an idea about the Phantom Thieves.
It took him a few minutes to find out where the newspaper club met, but he soon found himself face to face with a dark-haired girl wearing a pair of glasses.
"Can I help you?"
She frowned uncertainly, tilting her head slightly only for her eyes to widen.
"Oh… you're the new transfer student, aren't you?"
"Yes, that's right." Ken bowed his head. "My name is Ken Amada."
She giggled. "You don't have to be so polite. You're my senpai after all."
She then pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, raising an eyebrow at Ken.
"Is there something you needed?" she asked.
"Oh, I was just wondering…" Ken began.
What should he say? Why didn't he think of what to ask first?
"Who's this other transfer student? I was just curious, since… people keep comparing me to them," he replied.
"Oh, hmm... that's a bit of a complicated question…" She sighed, adjusting her glasses again. "His name is Ren Amamiya, the same grade as me. He supposedly assaulted someone and he got put onto probation. He was sent here and Kamoshida took an instant disliking to him."
Her expression darkened.
"He tried to expel Amamiya and Sakamoto—who was the former track star—for trying to assault him. At least, that's what the rumors were. But considering the kind of man he was... Kamoshida also admitted that however was a lie, so...."
Was she serious? Kamoshida thought he could've gotten away with it? He probably would've, if it wasn't for the Phantom Thieves.
"Listen, I know what other students will say, but Kamoshida is still a liar. Sakamoto is... reckless and kind of crass in my opinion, but it's clear that he was a victim like everyone else. And as for Amamiya..."
Amamiya and Sakamoto would have a grudge against Kamoshida. He remembered being told about some Phan-Site. Was it possible they enlisted the help of the Phantom Thieves? Or was the timing of them being saved from expulsion a coincidence? Anything was possible, he supposed.
"You know, I once thought he was kind of scary. He doesn't look scary; I just believed the rumors and what my teachers said about keeping minimum contact with him. I know what the rest of the school will say, but I think there is more to his assault case. He's not a bad person. At least, not to me," she said sincerely.
Ken remained quiet, eager to absorb all she was recanting.
"We've talked quite a few times when classes are over when he passes me in the hallway. In fact, he's one of the few people who consistently sought me out to talk to me and hear what I have to say about any rumors or current events, even when I misjudged him. No... he's the only person who did. Nobody really cares about me or my club, but he still made time to talk to me, someone who wasn't very nice to him at first."
Ken wanted to say something but found he was momentarily speechless. Hearing this description, he couldn't help... but be reminded of Minato-san.
"I know what others are going to tell you about him, and it isn't my business to tell you what to think. However, I only please ask you don't make the same mistake as me, and if you do run into him, be willing to give him a chance," she said with a bittersweet smile.
Ken's mind wandered to Shinjiro-san and understood completely. He needed to say something to dispel the awkward silence that fell from her contrite admission.
"Well, never judge a book by it's cover as they say." He shrugged.
His guardian was one of the kindest people Ken had met—though Shinjiro-san would probably want to smack him if Ken ever expressed that sentiment. It seemed like it was a similar deal with Amamiya-san.
She smiled, placated by his response.
She played with her pen in her hand, smile widening a little more. "You know… we're accepting new members. For the newspaper club I mean. Are you interested?"
Ken offered a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry… but I'm not particularly talented in writing."
"Oh…" She looked disappointed. "Maybe I'll see around then."
He felt guilty. She was pretty nice. But he wasn't lying, he wouldn't exactly be the newspaper type.
"Yeah—"
The girl suddenly grabbed his sleeve. "That's him actually—with the student council president!"
Wait, what? Ken followed her gaze to see that Niijima-san was following a boy who was probably slightly shorter than him. Though he didn't know what about him was intimidating like the rest of his classmates said. The newspaper girl was right, he really didn't look all that scary. He had dark hair that was wavy, bordering being frizzy. His huge glasses just seemed to magnify his dark gray eyes.
He was even carrying a cat in his bag. It was a cute cat too, with its sleek black fur and bright blue eyes. The cat only popped his head out for a moment, before jumping back in, but it was long enough for Ken to catch a glimpse. He was pretty sure animals were not allowed in the school. But sneaking in a pet cat didn't seem like something a stereotypical delinquent would do.
Though... if Kanji-san owned a cat, it sounded like something he'd do.
Regardless, he looked… harmless. He didn't look too happy to be with Niijima-san however.
"I wonder why…?" the girl mused. "I thought Amamiya and Takamaki had a thing for each other."
That was right… that was one of the other people Niijima-san mentioned. Too bad he didn't think of trying to ask about Takamaki-san. But Ken wondered if he should follow them. He wasn't sure why, but his gut instincts were urging him to follow after.
He was about to leave but realized how rude it was to not get her name.
"I need to head out, but I realized I never got your name."
She just smiled. "Oh, my name is Kaori Sato. You can always find me here after class if you ever want to catch up on gossip or current events. I pride myself on getting as much facts as I can."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
He bid the girl farewell, before following Niijima-san and Amamiya-san. And they were leaving the school, the Amamiya boy looked intense, and not happy at all. Niijima-san looked very stern and serious. Something didn't feel right. He shadowed after them all the way to the trains and even as they got off. It was a bit difficult with the crowds but he still managed to keep up.
They led him to a populated walkway. Leaning against the railing were three teenagers. He discreetly kept a distance, pretending to look at his phone. The tallest looked like… a beanpole. He had dark blue hair and dark gray eyes. The second tallest was a boy with bleached blond hair and brown eyes. The shortest was a girl with blonde hair that had to be natural and minty blue eyes (though she was on the taller side for a girl). The two blondes wore the Shujin uniform, while the taller boy was wearing some kind of other uniform.
"Is that a friend of yours—?" the blue-haired boy was interrupted.
"What are you doing here?!" the blonde female demanded.
She was all tensed up, her hands clenched tightly into fists. Her eyes narrowed at Niijima-san.
"Ren, what happened?" she demanded.
While they were distracted, Ken ducked behind a pillar. He wasn't exactly close, but whatever works. And they were talking just loud enough to hear. Though he had to wonder why the blonde girl was being so hostile.
"She was… talking to me when I got the call from Ryuji," Amamiya-san said.
The girl immediately rounded on the boy with bleached hair, glaring daggers at him.
Maybe it was his imagination, but he was getting Yukari-san and Junpei-san vibes.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know that Miss President was around?!" he defended. "Why are you getting mad at me?!"
"That's why I told you to wait, Ryuji!" she snapped, smacking his arm.
Definitely Yukari-san and Junpei-san vibes. The only thing missing was a foot stomp.
Niijima-san cleared her throat.
"Ren Amamiya. Ryuji Sakamoto. Anne Takamaki… all three of you were victims of Mr. Kamoshida… and you're constantly seen in each other's company. Isn't that a bit strange?"
"What's it to you?" Sakamoto-san scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.
"And Yusuke Kitagawa…" Niijima-san turned to look at Kitagawa-san. "The former apprentice of Madarame."
"Kamoshida and Madarame… wait, what is she getting at?" Ken thought anxiously.
Kitagawa-san's mouth tightened at her statement, before looking away.
"Seriously, what is your problem?" Takamaki-san demanded, her stance still tense.
"Anne." Amamiya-san put a hand on her shoulder. "You need to calm down."
Takamaki-san scowled, but slowly nodded. It was clear that she was obviously very reluctant about it, though, as she slowly dropped her arms to her sides.
"You're the Phantom Thieves, are you not?" Niijima-san calmly made her accusation.
Ken felt his eyes widen. No, they weren't victims? They were the perpetrators themselves?
"You sling accusations without any proof," Kitagawa-san bit out, but he looked nervous.
"Oh really?" Niijima-san said confidently, before pulling out her phone.
She played a recording. The voices were tinny, but obviously belonged to Sakamoto-san and Takamaki-san.
Did they really talk about this... in public? Ken couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh. The other three all slowly turned to Sakamoto-san. He had a good idea who had the big mouth out of the group.
But this created another question. Niijima-san was investigating the Phantom Thieves... why?
"Now, I want you to listen to me carefully..." Niijima-san said flatly. "This doesn't have to be released to the public."
Amamiya-san's expression was wary. "What do you want, then?"
"I want you to prove your justice," she said, folding her arms over her chest.
"Who's the target?" the blonde girl asked.
"So, you're not saying it's impossible. Well, how about this, I will delete everything if you help catch a criminal. It is a good deal, isn't it?"
She was… blackmailing them. But why? Why was it so important for her to take care of some criminal that she'd need to force the help of the Phantom Thieves?
"So, who do you want us to target?" Kitagawa-san asked slowly.
Niijima-san clasped her hands behind her back. "I'll tell you but not here."
They all glared.
"Look, talking in public like this is dangerous as it is. It's best for everyone if we meet somewhere more... discreetly. I'll contact you all tomorrow," Niijima-san said.
Ken felt his brow furrow together. Okay, so he knew the identities of the Phantom Thieves. That was a plus. But he didn't know who they were going to target. Then again, he did luck out with this. He would just have to keep tabs on them.
Either way, he was going to have an interesting first report to give Mitsuru-san.
Notes:
Update in honor of Shinji's birthday~
But thank you so much for the positive feedback!
But for my decision for Koromaru... there are a few comments in Ultimax that Koromaru is getting older and since this is 4 years after Ultimax, Koromaru is most likely too old to fight on a constant basis. But don't worry, Morgana and Koromaru will have their interactions in the future. As for whether Ken and Shinji will be able to understand Morgana... you'll find out in the next chapter.
Edit Notes (6/7/20): This has a few big changes, such as Makoto not revealing who she wants to target. Newspaper-chan now has a name, courtesy of my lovely beta, angelrin89 (which was already her headcanon name for Newspaper-chan) and the conversation about Ren has been changed. Many thanks to my wonderful beta for her edits!
But anyways, please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts about this chapter.
Chapter 3: Ch. 2: The Mafia
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves start their search of the mafia boss. But they find a unlikely source during so...
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Tuesday, June 14th, 2016
Ren stifled a yawn, as he slowly trudged to school. He could really go for a cup of coffee right now. He skipped out on breakfast that Sojiro normally offered because he would be running late. Now he regretted he didn't at least take a cup of coffee to-go.
He couldn't afford to pass out in class. He'd never hear the end of it, especially from Morgana. Knowing him, he'd probably climb out of his hiding place and claw at Ren's face to wake him up, consequences be damned.
Morgana stuck his head out of his bag. Ren already knew what he was going to say.
"See, this is why you have to get more sleep!" he chided.
"Not now, Morgana..." he muttered, before setting a hand on Morgana's head to push him back into the bag despite Morgana's protests. "You can lecture me another time."
Especially since he had been staying up to make tools last night. He was getting better at it, but it went so slow.
Morgana grumbled, sticking his nose in the air. "I'm just saying, this is why I'm always having you get sleep when you can! Especially with Miss President's deadline coming up!"
Why did the cat have to remind him? The deadline was just… rather slim. And they needed time to gather intel, not to mention the actual runs in the Palace. The clock was ticking and Ren was afraid that they wouldn't make it. It just seemed impossible.
"I know, I know, you don't have to lecture me."
Ren was careful to keep his voice low, speaking from the corner of his mouth. People already thought he was a violent delinquent. He didn't want to add crazy cat whisperer to the list.
He could still feel people's stares sometimes. Ren stifled a sigh. It was really tiring. He had hoped that the rumors would have died down after Kamoshida was gone but of course they didn't, it was just his luck.
"Whatever… the people who matter know the truth," he thought to himself.
Ren fought back another yawn. Maybe he could scrounge around for some kind of soda in one of the vending machines. Or maybe grab something from the student store. He should have really eaten breakfast even if it did make him late.
"Ren—!" Morgana began to warn, but to no avail.
He smacked right into something, and the next thing he knew, he was lying flat on his back. Morgana squirmed underneath him, popping out of his bag.
"I told you to pay attention!" Morgana huffed.
"Are you okay?" a voice interrupted, before Morgana could continue.
Ren blinked, looking up. He had bumped into someone.
"More or less..." he said, pulling off his glasses to rub his face.
Sometimes he wondered if he should just toss his fake glasses away. The unassuming look they gave him didn't even help.
"It gave me a wake-up call at least," he joked.
The speaker's lips twitched into a half-smile at his quip, before extending a hand to help Ren up. Ren took it and they pulled him up with ease. He was… surprisingly strong, given that he had a more slender build. His hands were calloused too.
They were nearly eye level, with the stranger being slightly taller than him. He seemed to follow the school uniform to a T, with the white collared dress shirt, the slacks, and even the dress shoes. He had light brown hair styled in that messy-neat fashion, but his bangs curled in a ridiculous flyaway style that had to use gel.
At first, he was reminded of Akechi. But then he mentally frowned at that comparison. This guy had a completely different hairstyle and eye color. Maybe the fact they both were kinda pretty boys?
"I'm Ken Amada," he introduced himself after a moment of silence.
Wait, wasn't that the new transfer student? He had already heard some gossip about him, since Amada had apparently confirmed knowing the CEO of the Kirijo Group during his time on Port Island. Though that news had been drowned out by Niijima busting them.
"I'm Ren Amamiya," he said, bracing himself for the usual reaction all while sliding his glasses onto his face. "Transferred here in April."
But curiosity, not fear, flickered in his eyes.
"It's nice to meet you."
Ren blinked. That was a first. The only person who had greeted him kindly had been Anne, but that had been thrown out of the window when he had to lie why he was late on his first day. Luckily, they had become friends afterwards but still.
He could tell Amada felt a bit awkward as his hand hung in the air. There was confusion in his eyes. Ren sighed and decided to stop leaving him hanging. He quickly shook the third-year's hand before shoving it back into it back into his pocket.
"Sorry..." Ren apologized to dissolve the awkward tension. "I'm not used to a friendly greeting."
Amada raised an eyebrow. "Do people hate you that much?"
Ren just grimaced. "You have no idea."
Though he had heard a few rumors during lunch yesterday… more positive than what Ren had to put up with, but still. Amada's face suddenly clouded over with confusion.
"Ah…"
Ren followed his line of sight and… he spotted Morgana peeking out of his bag.
"Oh crap! Please don't ask, please don't ask—" he mentally begged.
"Is there a reason why you're carrying a cat in your schoolbag?" his senpai asked, eyebrow raised.
"Ah, dammit all!" he mentally grumbled.
What was even a good excuse for that?
"He's… er…"
Ren combed through his mind for a good excuse. And… he really had nothing. Nothing of substance. He scrambled on the spot as he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"He's my therapy cat. You know, for emotional support."
Morgana yowled, "I'm your what?!"
Amada looked at Morgana quizzically, eyebrow raised.
"He doesn't exactly sound calm."
"He's just grumpy that I had to feed him kibble this morning. He's kinda spoiled," Ren said, holding back a smirk.
"I'M WHAT?!" Morgana glared daggers at him. "Why are you feeding him this drivel?!"
That was when Amada laughed.
"Mm, I can understand spoiled pets. My guardian always feeds the best cuts to our dog," he stated.
His expression turned wistful for some reason. Maybe the dog was dead?
Out of the corner of Ren's eye, he could see other students staring. They were whispering, pointing at the two of them. Ren fought the urge to sigh.
Amada followed his line of sight, his expression immediately souring.
He then muttered, "Seems like people just can't keep to themselves."
Ren winced, before adjusting his glasses.
"It's nothing I'm not used to," he admitted.
Okay, so Mishima had spread the rumors, but Ren couldn't blame his friend. He was just another victim of Kamoshida's.
Though he had no idea why Amada was taking him so calmly. Most people steered clear of him or they barely dared to look at him in the eye. Sometimes people were just afraid like Ren would deck them in the face if they breathed at him or something.
Like… yeah, he was a transfer but… He had to have heard of the rumors already.
But still… Amada looked studious. A bit of a prep. So why was he actually talking to Ren?
"Is there something wrong?"
Ren rubbed the back of the neck.
"I was just thinking… you do know about my rep, don't you? The Shujin rumor mill is always running."
Amada laughed again. "I think most of the student population needs to get their eyes checked if they find you intimidating. The glasses make you very… unassuming."
Ren raised an eyebrow at that.
"Thanks?"
At least it worked on someone. If only Kamoshida hadn't decided he hated Ren's guts for some reason before he even got there and turned him into a pariah.
The warning bell suddenly rang, causing the two of them to look up.
"Well… that's my cue to pick up the pace," Amada muttered. "It was nice meeting you, Amamiya-san."
Morgana popped out of Ren's bag; his blue eyes were filled with curiosity as he stared after Amada.
"There's something about him," he said, his tone suspicious.
"What do you mean?" Ren asked.
Morgana scrunched up his nose. "I don't know."
"Well, that's very helpful." Ren rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Morgana."
"I'm saying that so you can keep an eye on him!" he protested.
"If you say so, Morgana." Ren shrugged.
During their preparations for the move to Tokyo, Mitsuru-san had taken Ken's old spear. She returned it to him the day before the move. She had tripped it out so it had a portable mode. As much of a marvel it was, Ken had found that it was too light for him. Minato-san and Minako-san had always been careful to select lighter spears so that it was more manageable for him.
But when Ken had started to practice a few of his katas last night, he found his old spear nearly slipping out of his hands. Several times.
So, hunting down a new spear was necessary—very necessary.
Especially since he was rusty with using his Persona. He couldn't control that, until he finally found the Shadow nest. But he could control using his weapon.
When he had mentioned this to Shinjiro-san this morning, his guardian had suggested looking for a weapons shop in Shibuya. After all, Shibuya was the central point of Tokyo.
So here he was, exploring Central Street. A part of him hoped to be able to catch wind of some kind of hint on the target Niijima-san wanted the Phantom Thieves to go after.
"But I'm probably not that lucky," he lamented to himself.
After asking around he was pointed in the direction of an airsoft shop. Maybe they sold weapons here too?
His eyes swept through the shop. The guns… looked oddly realistic.
A grizzled older man was lounging on a seat, reading a newspaper rather intently. He looked up when the bell attached to the door rang. He raised an eyebrow.
"What's a kid like you doin' here? You get lost?"
Ken frowned. It's bad enough when his friends treat him like a kid, but strangers too? He was not going to have it.
"I know where I'm going. And I know what this kind of shop this is."
The man let out a bark of laughter. "Kid, you just look too clean. Are you seriously looking to buy a gun?"
If only he knew about the Evoker in Ken's schoolbag.
"Not a gun." Ken said, folding his arms over his chest. "I was wondering if you carry other weapons."
The man frowned. "This isn't a convenience store."
"Then perhaps you could point me to one that carries weapons," Ken deadpanned.
The man laughed again, before he smirked. "Sorry, kid, but I don't think I know of such a place."
"No surprise there," Ken muttered, before his eyes swept over the stock.
Maybe he could buy a gun. It was better than nothing. But Shinjiro-san would kill him if he brought home a gun. Even if it was just a model gun. He better not.
"But sorry for bothering you," Ken said with a frown. "You obviously don't have what I'm looking for."
Ken bowed his head, before leaving the airsoft shop.
Well, that was a no-go… maybe he could try to look in another district. Though… it'd be the skeevier districts. And Shinjiro-san would not be happy if he wandered there.
"Hey, kid."
Ken nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice.
Ken immediately backed up, reaching into his satchel. His fingers immediately wrapped around his Evoker. It may not be a gun, but maybe pointing it at him would cause this man to panic and run off. What kind of student would be randomly carrying a gun, after all?
"Whoa!"
The strange man held his hands up in a placating manner. Ken relaxed his stance, kept his hands on his Evoker but not removing it from the bag.
"Take it easy… I just noticed you coming out of the airsoft shop. Iwai's got the goods, but it's not cheap. I just thought… I'd offer you a proposition."
"Not interested," Ken said flatly.
Warning bells were ringing clearly in his ears. The man just screamed bad vibes. There was no way that he had good intentions.
"Hear me out," the man pressed, taking a step closer to Ken.
Ken immediately took a step back, his stance becoming tense again.
"Do you need a job?" he coaxed. "It's really easy and the pay is good."
He took out an envelope. It was small, rather innocuous looking.
"What's this about…?" he thought.
"We just need you to deliver this to a place. And we'll pay you fifty thousand yen for the job. Sounds like a great deal, right?"
Ken narrowed his eyes. This was just too suspicious. Just what was in that envelope? This just had all sorts of red flags. Especially with the promise of good money. This was a common tactic for trafficking, after all.
"What's in the envelope?" Ken asked suspiciously.
"Excuse me?"
"What's in the envelope?" Ken repeated.
When the man wouldn't respond, his face growing pale, Ken crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. That's a definite no. I'm not an idiot," Ken hissed out.
But when he moved to walk past him, the man suddenly grabbed Ken's upper arm, squeezing hard.
"Can't have you running to the police. Gotta shut you up."
The man was clenching onto the arm that was holding onto his Evoker he still had concealed. That was gonna make using it as a threat a bit difficult.
Ken scowled, clenching his left hand into a fist. He may not have Akihiko-san's boxing abilities or Shinjiro-san's upper body strength, but Akihiko-san did say that he had a good left hook.
But a tanned hand suddenly grasped the man's shoulder, yanking him away from Ken. He heard a small crunch and then the man yowling in pain.
"You keep your hands off of him," Shinjiro-san growled, his glare hard as steel.
"You mind your own business!"
The man scowled, staggering to his feet. Ken could already see a black-eye forming. The man's hands then clenched into fists.
"I'm not leaving until I shut that kid's mouth! Guess I'll have to shut yours too!"
Shinjiro-san began cracking his knuckles.
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way."
He lunged at Shinjiro-san, but he quickly sidestepped the man. He grabbed the man's wrist, yanking him forward before slamming his head into the man's face in a headbutt. The man stumbled back with a yelp, blood dripping from his nose.
"And I can do much worse." Shinjiro-san threatened, all while casually wiping off the blood. "So, what's it gonna be?"
"You're crazy!" he shouted, but he fled from them.
"Tch… stupid bastard," Shinjiro-san muttered, before looking at Ken.
Ken couldn't help but cringe. Shinjiro-san looked ticked off. Really ticked off.
"Okay Ken, what the fuck are you even doing here?"
Ken quickly defended, "I was just looking around for a weapon shop! When I walked out, he came up to me, offering me this skeevy job about delivering an envelope."
Shinjiro-san's brow furrowed at that.
"That's…" Shinjiro-san trailed off for a moment, before he frowned. "That sounds like drug trafficking to me."
Ken's eyes widened.
"Do you think they're… mafia or something?"
Shinjiro-san sighed. "I dunno, Ken. All I know is that he's up to no good."
He then shook his head, before he glanced up at the shop sign.
"But you came out of that? And you didn't buy anything?" He pointed to the airsoft shop with his thumb.
"He was only selling guns..."
Shinjiro-san huffed. "I've been askin' around… and this shop apparently sells a shit ton of weapons."
"The store owner lied to me then," Ken grumbled.
"Probably because you got a baby-face," Shinjiro-san teased, only to grow serious. "Wait here."
Ken glared at the baby-face comment. Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes and turned around. Then he paused, narrowing his eyes. He gestured to the window.
"Actually, wait right here."
"Yeah, yeah…" he grumbled as Shinjiro-san opened the door to the shop.
Ken watched through the window but he couldn't make out what they were discussing. Several minutes later, Shinjiro-san came out, carrying a long, slender box.
"Why do you have to use spears? They're heavy," he grumbled.
"How much do I owe you?" Ken asked, before raising an eyebrow. "And besides, it's not like axes are lightweight."
"Nothing," Shinjiro-san said, ignoring Ken's second comment. "It's fine."
Ken made a mental note to sneak some money into Shinjiro-san's wallet when he wasn't looking. He didn't care what Shinjiro-san said… it wasn't cheap. He remembered overhearing Minako-san complaining to Minato-san once that weapons were a huge drain on their funds. And besides that, Mitsuru-san promised him that she'd put him back on the Shadow Operatives payroll.
"How come you complain when Mitsuru-san pays for everything but I'm not allowed to pay for this? It's not cheap," he complained.
Shinjiro-san retorted, "Shut up and help me carry this damn thing. I can't fucking believe you just went and looked for trouble like that..."
"That wasn't the case," Ken grumbled.
It's not his fault that trouble went looking for him.
Wednesday, June 15th, 2016
"Come on, Iida…"
Anne looked up at him pleadingly, twirling one of her pigtails with a finger. Ren had to stifle a laugh, watching Iida sweat.
"Won't you tell me about that awesome job you got? I really need a job that brings in money fast."
Iida winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't you model, Takamaki-san?"
Morgana poked his head out of Ren's bag.
He commented, "She's doing a little better than she was with Yusuke."
"Shh, Morgana!" Ren hushed. "And she's been practicing."
She wasn't stellar by any means, but Anne was improving. At least it wasn't embarrassing to watch, like how she apparently was from what Morgana had relayed to him.
"Yeah, but I don't get paid as much as most people do!" Anne said hastily.
She then stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, before batting her eyes at him. Ren had to stifle another laugh. Iida's discomfort was palpable.
"Come on, pleaseeee?"
Iida shook his head. "Sorry, but I… I can't. I... sorry I gotta go!"
He then turned on his heel, fleeing from the classroom.
"Darn!" Anne stamped her foot, pouting at her failure.
Ren laughed, before walking over to her. Some would think of it just as immature, but he found it adorable. He playfully tugged at one of Anne's pigtails.
"Hey, at least you put up a decent act?" he asked.
"That's not the point, Ren." Anne scowled at him, before lightly swatting at his hand. "We don't have any leads now. Maybe we should check with Ryuji. He may have found something."
"Amamiya!" Ren turned at the sound of Mishima's voice. Mishima was standing at the doorway. "Amamiya, I think I may have something you'd like to hear."
Anne's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
"Shh!" Mishima's eyes went wide with panic. "Come on, let's talk somewhere more private."
Mishima managed to lead them to a somewhat secluded corridor. It wasn't completely abandoned, but it was only twenty minutes after school ended.
"You know the new transfer student, Ken Amada?" Mishima asked.
"I've heard of him…" Anne said slowly, only for her to frown. "But it's kinda unfair how the students have such a positive reaction to him, but still treat Ren like dirt."
At that last part, Anne looked sorrowfully at him.
Ren smiled at her, a little touched how worried she was still for him. She was always so thoughtful. It was one of the things he most admired about Anne.
"It's okay, Anne." He reached forward, laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I've learned to deal with it. But as for Amada-senpai… I met him yesterday morning actually. He was pretty nice to me."
She sighed but gave him a nod, seemingly pacified.
Mishima nodded firmly, "Okay, good, you know of him at the very least. But anyways, I heard that Amada-senpai got into a street fight! He went into a back alley or something and this guy came running out with a black eye and a broken nose!"
Ren's eyes slightly widened.
Amada had really done that? That was kind of odd. A guy from a back alley… maybe he tried to ambush Amada, get him to do the mafia leader's work. But Amada resisted and the guy tried to shut him up… then Amada managed to pull up on top. Though he could be jumping to conclusions, it could just have been a regular mugger.
Anne's eyes went as wide as saucers.
"Are you serious?" she squeaked out.
"What have you even heard about him?" Ren couldn't help but be curious.
"From what I've heard… Amada-senpai doesn't sound like he'd do that. He's like, an honor student. I heard that he was on partial scholarship while attending Gekkoukan and Gekkoukan is a pretty highly ranked school. I've also heard that he used to be on student council," Mishima chimed in.
He had heard something similar. The Kirijo Group only chose to help people who had potential... or something to that effect. Though he had heard that the current CEO was pushing for that to be changed. So that poorer students could receive the education Gekkoukan offered. However, Ren had to wonder why Amada left his position.
But... he couldn't help but feel a little bad for Amada. It sucked to have rumors surrounding you.
Mishima tilted his head. "It's true what they say, you shouldn't really judge a book by its cover."
Anne eyed Ren. "Sounds like a certain someone I know."
Ren tugged on her pigtail, unable to stifle a smirk.
"I don't know, he sounds awesome to me," Ren said teasingly.
Anne rolled her eyes at him, but this time she just shifted out of Ren's grasp instead of smacking him. She turned to Mishima.
"Do you know if he's still on campus?" she asked.
Mishima nodded. "Yeah, I saw him enter the library earlier."
Anne's eyes lit up, before an excited giggle bubbled from her lips.
"Awesome! Come on, Ren, we need to talk to him!" she said enthusiastically.
Without waiting for Ren to respond, she grabbed his hand and began to drag him off.
"Thanks, Mishima!" he managed to shout even as Anne dragged him up the stairs.
Anne didn't release him until they reached the library, sliding the door open.
"Welcome to the—oh it's you."
The librarian locked eyes with Anne, a glare forming. The girl was actually not that bad, sure she was scared of him at first, but after coming to the library to return a book, she started to lighten up, and apologized for misjudging him. But while she was willing to give Ren a second chance, the same couldn't be said for Anne. Though that may have to do with the fact that she didn't forgive Anne for returning a book that was covered in dried chocolate syrup.
"Hello to you too," Anne muttered, scowling for a moment.
They walked away from the librarian as they scanned the library. Anne obviously was annoyed—though Ren couldn't help but find it cute, with how she grumbled to herself.
"I said I was sorry about that, when will she let that go? I even paid the fine for the damages!" Anne griped.
"She does take her job seriously. Besides… if memory serves me, didn't you admit to me that Shiho said it was her favorite book?"
"Yeah! Well, that was still a year ago! She needs to let that go!" Anne pouted.
Ren just quietly chuckled. "Ah, but you desecrated the precious books with your evil chocolate, some crimes can never be forgiven."
Anne flushed slightly as she glowered at him. "Shut up."
Anne crossed her arms, ignoring him as she went back to scanning the library, her lips pursed together.
She paused, before she tugged on his sleeve.
"Hey, is that him?"
She pointed in the direction of the tables. Bent over one of the desks was Amada, scribbling away in a notebook.
"Yeah, that's him. Come on." Ren nodded.
Amada looked up when he heard them approach. Wait, he was wearing glasses now? Reading glasses, maybe?
"Hello, Amamiya-san." Then he blinked. "And… you are?"
"This is my friend, Anne Takamaki," Ren introduced, gesturing to her; Anne just gave him a little wave, giving him a friendly smile. "But I was wondering if we could talk to you about something…"
Amada sighed and removed the glasses.
"If this is about the street fight, I didn't beat the guy up. It's a… long story."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Well, you're not denying it. So... you're going to actually tell us?"
Amada shrugged.
"Well, it's obvious you sought me out for a reason," he said simply.
Amada then pinched the bridge of his nose before looking back down at his homework.
"Give me a second. We can talk outside."
They waited for him to pack up, before taking him up to the roof. Niijima had told them it was off limits to students, but somehow Ren doubted that she'd object to this.
"What do you want to know?" Amada broke the silence.
Anne began, "Well... we were wondering what exactly happened. Like, this sounds like a guy from a mafia! That's pretty scary, especially with the rumors."
Amada scrutinized Anne's face, looking quite suspicious.
"Why do you want to know?" he demanded.
"Um, well…!" Anne looked at Ren, desperately trying to mask her panic.
She really was not good at this on-the-spot acting. Though he supposed he should count his blessings that it wasn't as bad as it once was.
"We just want to know what to avoid," Ren cut in smoothly. "I've heard some terrifying things about the victims. We just want to be safe; you know?"
"I see."
Their senpai didn't look fully convinced, but then he spoke again. Ren was just thankful that he was open to talking about it. Finally, some good luck.
"Well, I was looking through the airsoft shop. I was… looking for a gift for a friend. She collects gun models. But the stock wasn't what I was looking for. So, I left and a man approached me. He offered a job to me. Claimed that it was very easy and the pay was excellent. He held out an envelope to me, and claimed that all I had to do was deliver it to a specific place."
"Sounds like smuggling drugs to me," Morgana piped up.
"And you said no?" Anne said in disbelief.
Amada nodded. "It seemed off to me from the very beginning."
Their senpai pressed his fingers against his chin, looking thoughtful.
"I started hearing rumors today, all over the school, about classmates being blackmailed by thugs. If you want my opinion… I think they specifically target students who look like they need money. Like they can't afford something. They swoop in with this offer, so it's irresistible to the victims."
That made a lot of sense. High school students didn't exactly have a good selection of jobs. And said jobs didn't exactly pay well. That's why he was grateful that Shadows dropped money. They would probably be in trouble if that wasn't the case.
"That's despicable!" Anne hissed, her hands clenching into fists.
Without a doubt, if they were in the Metaverse, Anne would have set something on fire. The mental image of Anne lighting the mafia's asses on fire made Ren chuckle to himself.
"Lady Anne's right!" Morgana exclaimed. "We can't let this go unpunished."
Ren just nodded, digesting the information they obtained from Amada.
"Thanks, Amada-senpai. We really appreciate you telling us this," Ren said.
"Right..." Amada said, all while studying Ren's face. "Try to keep out of trouble."
"We will, and it was nice meeting you, Senpai!" Anne chirped.
She then grabbed his wrist, dragging Ren away without another word. Though Ren noticed that Amada was shaking his head as Anne continued to pull him away.
Once they were pretty much alone, Anne let out a happy giggle. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement.
"I'm glad we found a lead! Mishima got us a good one!" she enthused.
"Yeah, it's great..." Ren said slowly.
Then Anne frowned, tilting her head at him.
"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Yeah, Ren!" Morgana frowned at him as well. "This is great news! This puts us one step closer to discovering the Palace!"
"It's nothing..." Ren lied, waving it off and forcing a smile on his face. "I'm just tired. And worried about the deadline."
He couldn't explain it but… something nagged at him about Amada. He was perfectly nice. He actually treated Ren like he wasn't a violent delinquent, which was a rarity at this school.
But why did he get the feeling that Amada knew more than he was letting on?
"I'm home," Ken announced as he stepped through the door.
He paused when he saw that Shinjiro-san had his laptop set up on the table.
He was video chatting with Akihiko-san.
"Hey." Shinjiro-san turned slightly to look at him.
Akihiko-san grinned at him, giving him a small wave.
"Hey, Ken! How's everything?" he greeted.
Ken shrugged. "Okay, I guess."
Akihiko-san frowned, a concerned look on his face. "Have you even asked about joining any clubs?"
"I can't get distracted," Ken said, walking over to the fridge and opening it.
He pulled one of the chilled water bottles and shut the door.
He was glad that Shinjiro-san had kept that habit ever since he had gotten custody of Ken. He had done it especially when he attended soccer club almost every meeting back in junior high. Tokyo was just so… hot. He was honestly glad that he had transferred when it was time for summer uniforms. He'd probably die of heatstroke wearing a turtleneck in May.
"Mitsuru's not looking for this to be done in a month, you know. She knows it'll take time," Shinjiro-san said.
"Yeah, I really don't know why you decided not to run for student council president," Akihiko-san added.
"It's not any different from me deciding to concentrate on my studies for entrance exams," Ken defended as he twisted the bottle cap off. "Besides, it's a weird time to join clubs…"
"I guess that's true." Akihiko-san said with a nod. "But still, you shouldn't just focus all of your time on your mission… you'll just run yourself to the ground."
Then he glanced back at Shinjiro-san.
"Oh yeah… Shinji, didn't you say you found a job?"
"Already?" Ken turned to look at his guardian, before taking a drink of water.
Shinjiro-san shrugged. "It's just being a bartender at this place in Shinjuku. Called Crossroads."
"Shinjuku?" Ken repeated, before lowering the water bottle from his mouth. "Isn't that… the entertainment district?"
Akihiko-san said slowly, "Er... well, it's not just like Shirakawa Boulevard. It's like clubs and bars. Party life."
"But it also has a lot of adult stores," Shinjiro-san added helpfully.
Of course it did. He really didn't get the obsession with sex, even now.
Contrary to what Junpei-san claimed, Ken did notice girls. But attraction had always been… fleeting for him. Didn't help that the girls were so… shallow about their interest in him.
"Shinji!" Akihiko-san exclaimed, looking vaguely horrified.
"What?" Shinjiro-san scowled at him. "Ken ain't a kid anymore. Besides, don't you remember the crap boys said in the locker room?"
He really wished Shinjiro-san hadn't reminded him. He was scarred for life from those conversations.
Although Ken wasn't sure he was glad this was the subject Shinjiro-san chose to stop treating him like a kid over.
Akihiko-san just huffed, before rolling his eyes at his best friend. "You don't have to be so blunt about it."
Ken coughed awkwardly.
"How's Minako-san, by the way?" Ken inquired, looking to change the subject. "I hope she's not having it so rough."
After Yukari-san had revealed her pregnancy during the whole fiasco with the Abyss of Time, Mitsuru-san had decided to keep the dorm open, so everyone could help her through it. And Yukari-san was a bit of a monster while expecting. She had mood swings like crazy, had really strange cravings, and she had morning sickness for the first four months. He couldn't imagine what Minako-san would be like.
Akihiko-san groaned, before smacking his head.
"She's worse than Yukari, if you ask me. At least in the food department. She's been waking me up for the past two nights at like one in the morning, begging me for weird stuff like fried grasshoppers. And just this morning, I found her trying to make cheese ice cream."
Shinjiro-san grimaced. "Have fun with that, Aki."
Akihiko-san dragged his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, well, I'm hoping that it passes soon…"
He then huffed.
"At least she's not too moody… although it probably helps that Mina's excited that Yukari's coming to visit with the twins soon."
Shinjiro-san just winced.
"Have fun with the Terror Twins."
"They're not that bad," Akihiko-san defended.
"You keep telling yourself that, Aki."
"Do they even know that they're getting a new cousin in like… six months?" Ken asked.
"No idea." Akihiko-san shrugged. "I think they're more excited about Mina spoiling them…"
Shinjiro-san just snorted. "No surprise there. Minako always showers them with toys and sweets."
Akihiko-san made a face.
"Well, I guess we could get in some practice while we can. Babysitting them and all."
"We?" Ken raised an eyebrow. "Minako-san has always been pretty good with kids."
"Meanwhile you'll clam up and give one-word answers when they try and talk to you." Shinjiro-san smirked, folding his arms over his chest.
"Oh, shut up, Shinji!"
Thursday, June 16th, 2016
Makoto had counted a total of eight students who have approached her today, pleading for help with the mafia. And Makoto didn't doubt that it would increase before the end of the day.
She hated it. That she was powerless to do anything. And that principal wouldn't raise a finger to help.
Makoto sighed deeply, her eyes lingering on her pencil case. It had been a gift from her father, over ten years ago.
Her father would have been able to chase down the criminals. He would have them brought to justice. But then some gang of scumbags had to murder him to stop her father chasing after them.
But what was she doing? Forcing the Phantom Thieves to help so the mafia would get off of everyone's backs. She felt so helpless. Sae was never around, none of the staff at school wanted to help out of fear, and the principal kept pushing this onto her along with the investigation of the Phantom Thieves.
Her father would be so ashamed… she should be better at handling all of this. He probably could have. Sae probably could have too—she was always juggling a lot. And what was she doing? Falling apart at the seams.
But what else could she do? The mafia were eluding the police. She needed to do something, to help her classmates. Especially since Principal Kobayakawa wouldn't do a thing to help them.
But… was she any better? She felt something was off about Kamoshida but seemed pacified every time she ever spoke with him. He did always treat her nicely. How could she believe rumors? After all people made up rumors about her too and... she sighed to herself.
Why didn't she follow her instincts and looked more into that? She should have pressured her students to speak up more, maybe look into it more. She had been so... naive. She just believed everything the adults told her that things were fine—go back to her studies and duties.
She was so foolish.
How could she allow for Kamoshida to torture the volleyball team? Allow for Kamoshida to harass Takamaki-san? For him to ruin Sakamoto-kun's future by breaking his leg? And have Suzui-san feel that the only way for her to escape was to commit suicide?
And here she was, allowing the principal to push her around. And everyone else, the staff, the teachers… everyone telling her how she should act. Her father and her sister were never a doormat—when did she become one?
"What am I doing?" she whispered to herself.
"Staring off into space."
Makoto nearly fell out of her chair at the sudden voice. She whipped her head to stare at her neighbor.
"D-Don't do that!" she sputtered out, clutching a hand to her chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack…"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he admitted with an apologetic smile.
But the smile quickly disappeared as Amada-kun studied her carefully.
"Niijima-san… have you been getting enough sleep?" he asked with genuine concern.
"Of course I have," she said defensively.
Amada-kun just sighed. "You really shouldn't run yourself to the ground, Niijima-san…"
"I'm not," Makoto grumbled. "I just have a lot of duties to take care of."
Something flickered in Amada-kun's eyes. He wasn't easily readable. She supposed that's why some of the girls were so interested in him. Because he held himself aloof.
"You look like you were a thousand kilometers away."
Makoto sighed, "I'm sorry, I have a lot on my mind. People are just… scared with what's been going on with the rumors about the mafia."
"I don't blame them," he said quietly. "Taking advantage of people like that… is just despicable."
Amada-kun certainly carried himself differently compared to his peers. Like he had seen more than he should have. And well… he had a thousand-meter stare. But perhaps she was imagining things.
"Amada-kun?"
"Something wrong, Niijima-san?"
Makoto winced. Why was she about to ask him this? He'd probably think she'd be strange for this too.
"I was just wondering… what is justice to you?"
She took a deep breath, ready for a questioning look from him at her random question.
"That's an… interesting question, Niijima-san."
To her surprise, he looked more thoughtful, and wasn't looking as if he found her peculiar.
He closed his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"To me… justice is standing up for the right thing no matter what. Even if your senses tell you that it's safer to look away… pretend that it never happened."
His face just clouded over at that last part. What was that about?
"Keep your head low… and focus on your studies."
Her sister's voice echoed in her mind. But was she wrong in that matter?
"I see," she murmured.
"You know, Niijima-san…"
Makoto looked to him in surprise while he looked at her calmly.
"You should form your own opinions. You can listen to others' stances, but you shouldn't let them define it for you. And well, that includes me too. I had to find my own answers. I don't know what's going on, but trust in yourself. You'll be sure to find out what's right path for you."
Her own path… if only she knew what that was.
Saturday, June 18th, 2016
"Lala-chan, another drink!"
Shinjiro eyed the dark haired woman warily. "Shouldn't you cut her off?"
And he thought Amagi was loud when she was drunk. But Ichiko Ohya could definitely give her a run for her money.
"Ichiko only gets louder when I cut her off this early." His boss let out an exasperated sigh.
He didn't expect to be working for a drag queen, but he liked her. She didn't put up with any crap.
"Or better yet, have your new bartender join me!" she continued, winking at him. "There aren't too many handsome faces around here."
"I'm taken," Shinjiro said flatly, shooting Ohya an unamused look.
He really should call Fuuka on his nights off. He had started working on Friday, but it kept slipping his mind.
"Bah." She scowled. "The good ones always are. Or they're gay."
She took a swig of her drink.
Shinjiro rolled his eyes before grabbing a clean rag to start wiping down the glasses.
"Didn't you say you had a lead, Ichiko?" Lala asked, with a frown.
"Oh yeah, it was some kid I met like a month ago."
She waved a hand almost dismissively, but her bright smile ruined the nonchalant attitude.
"Ran into him skulking around Madarame's place. I think he'd be a good source about the Phantom Thieves. He goes to that school where the first target of theirs was—that lecherous coach."
Shinjiro frowned, his motions slowing down. A kid, who seemed to know of the Phantom Thieves?
"Why did you tell him to meet you at a bar?" Shinjiro demanded. "If he's a high school student he's underage."
"Well, where else would I meet him?" she asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Shinjiro groaned. There was no arguing with her.
Lala just laughed. "Just make sure she doesn't give him any booze, alright, Aragaki?"
"Why do I have to babysit her?" Shinjiro complained with a huff.
He did enough babysitting with Aki. But his complaint just drew an amused laugh from his boss.
The door suddenly opened, revealing a kid with messy dark hair. And was that… a cat in his bag?
"Hey!" Ohya's eyes lit up with excitement, as she gave a wave in greeting. "Amamiya, right?"
Shinjiro sucked in a breath.
"Wait, didn't Ken say that was the name of the Phantom Thieves' leader?" Shinjiro thought to himself.
"That's me." Amamiya nodded.
She pointed to the seat next to her. "Come on, take a seat!"
"Uh… can we sit at a table?"
The kid's eyes flickered to Lala and then Shinjiro. He looked wary.
"I'd prefer some privacy," he explained.
The cat started to meow. Like crazy. It had been fairly quiet, so why the hell did it suddenly start to meow? At least it was cute.
"Kid, is there a reason why you're carting around a cat?"
Amamiya just gave him a sardonic smile. "He's my therapy cat."
The cat hissed loudly.
"Hush, Morgana. You know it's true," Amamiya teased, with that little shit grin Minako often sported.
If it was male, why was his name Morgana? Last time he checked, Morgana was a female name.
Ohya stood up, ushering the kid to one of the back tables, promising him to buy him a drink. After a quick glare from Lala, she corrected it to being a soda.
"Aragaki, clean the tables after you bring Ichiko her drinks," Lala muttered. "I don't know if Ichiko will slip him some booze or not."
"Got it."
Lala poured him the drinks and he carried them to the pair.
"Hey, thanks!" Ohya grinned at him, before grabbing her drink.
She quickly turned to Amamiya.
"But anyways…"
Up close, Amamiya didn't look anything special. Dark hair, dark gray eyes hidden by a big pair of glasses. But there was something intense about his gaze. Shinjiro also couldn't help but notice that the cat was surprisingly alert.
What was he doing? He couldn't be obvious about how he was listening in on them. Shinjiro focused on mopping up the spills on the table next to them, all while listening to them with one ear.
He could hear snips of their conversation.
"I want some intel on Kamoshida's case before I give you any info."
"Fine. I'll… get you an exclusive interview with a guy I know, he was a frequent victim of Kamoshida's."
"Perfect! You're a real-life saver, you have no idea how annoying my boss is being about getting more intel on the Phantom Thieves." Ohya reached for her glass, taking a sip.
Then she looked to Amamiya, expression serious.
"Oh... but if I'm right about the man you're looking for… his name is Junya Kaneshiro. He's the one who controls Shibuya," she said in a hushed voice.
Junya Kaneshiro… controls Shibuya? Ken mentioned the school was ablaze with rumors of the mafia extorting students, and that student council girl said she wanted the Thieves to target a criminal. This couldn't be a coincidence.
So, they were really gonna go after this Kaneshiro guy? They needed more intel. All of these were still unconfirmed theories, he was strongly suspecting he was right but they needed confirmation.
Shinjiro's lips formed a thin line. He knew that Ken would be following the Phantom Thieves, but he really hoped that Ken wouldn't dragged into the mess. If it actually is the mafia, then they were playing with fire. Especially given how good they were at hiding their tracks.
"Hey, Aragaki! I need a refill!"
Shinjiro couldn't hold back a groan. This was going to be a long night. He could feel it already.
Notes:
A bit of a bridge until the Phantom Thieves find Kaneshiro's Palace! Next chapter will feature Ken's first trip to the Metaverse and his reawakening to Kala-Nemi.
Please review! I'd love to hear what you think of this chapter.
Edited: 6/14/2020
Edit Notes: As Chapter 1 changed the fact that Makoto didn't reveal the identity of the criminal she wanted the PTs to target, the chapter has been edited to reflect that. Additionally, Makoto's inner monologue has been altered greatly by my beta to fit her character arc more. Many thanks to angelrin89 for betaing the chapter!
Chapter 4: Ch. 3: The Metaverse
Summary:
While tailing the Phantom Thieves, Ken manages to find the Metaverse... only to be attacked by a mysterious black-masked figure.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, June 19th, 2016
Shinjiro-san had wasted no time in telling Ken about what he had overheard last time. It was a bit… strange, to say the least.
"Why do you think they needed the name?" Ken asked with a frown.
Ken was poking at his breakfast, shifting it around with his fork. Shinjiro-san took a sip of his coffee and just shrugged after setting the drink down.
"So, they don't have call him Asshole Mafia Boss? I have no clue." Then his eyes flicked to Ken's food, disapproval filling his face. "And stop playing with your food."
"Sorry..." he muttered before taking a bite.
He wasn't too hungry, but he was going to be out and about today. He needed the energy. He probably should hurry up too. If he dawdled, he might just miss the Phantom Thieves.
Shinjiro-san took another sip of his coffee, before he looked at Ken again.
He asked, "So what are you gonna be doing today?"
"Follow the Phantom Thieves. From what you've told me, finding out Kaneshiro's name was some sort of milestone… they might end up making a move today," Ken answered.
Shinjiro-san just huffed, "You better not run into those punks again."
"I doubt that they will strike in broad daylight to try and mug me again." Ken took a sip of his own coffee.
Ken set his mug down while Shinjiro-san frowned and gave him a hard stare.
"It wasn't exactly dark last time," he pointed out.
"I was in an alley!" Ken countered before he sighed. "I'll be careful, okay?"
"You better, or else I'm kicking your ass," Shinjiro-san retorted.
Ken rolled his eyes before standing up.
"Yes, Mom..." he deadpanned, before picking up his plate.
He hadn't finished his breakfast, but he really didn't feel like eating anymore. He wrapped it up, sticking it in the fridge. After shutting the fridge door, he looked over to his guardian.
"I'll try to be back before dark, but no promises," he informed Shinjiro-san.
He grabbed his bag on the way out. While it was a Sunday, he needed to carry a few items. His Evoker, the holster to carry it around, his old spear—just in case he managed to find the Shadow nest today—and any other miscellaneous items that he could need when exploring a Shadow nest.
And he couldn't exactly carry these out in the open… so school bag it was.
Honestly, he really wished that Shinjiro-san wouldn't hover as much as he did. He knew that Shinjiro-san just worried but he could take care of himself. It just made him feel like he was still a helpless child.
Ken sighed, gazing out of the glass side of the elevator. It offered a wide view of Tokyo. Well… Shibuya.
Shibuya itself was just so huge.
The elevator finally reached the bottom floor, so the doors slid open. He stepped out and exited the building. He scanned the people outside, looking for a flash of blond hair. Not too many people had blond hair, dyed or not, after all.
Fortunately, he did not have to search for long. He then pulled out his phone, pretending to be reading something intently before walking right by them. He stopped behind one of those large maps that were set up so people didn't get lost.
"I've entered Kaneshiro's name into the app… and as we suspected, he has a Palace," Kitagawa-san announced. "It's not surprising, with how he's been manipulating the youth."
Ken still didn't know what a Palace was. The term had come up from time to time, but he hadn't been able to figure out what exactly it was from their conversations.
"Any ideas on what the other two keywords are?" Amamiya-san asked.
The cat in his bag began to meow. He still found it strange that Amamiya-san carried his cat everywhere. Ken didn't buy that it was a therapy cat. And how did people not notice? It wasn't exactly a quiet cat either.
It was even stranger that everyone would just look at it, like they understood it. Aigis-san was understandable. She was a robot after all… but they were all just humans.
Although… what if that wasn't the case? Maybe one of them wasn't human. Aigis-san managed to fool a lot of people after all.
"Ugh, who am I—Junpei-san? Enough with the crazy conspiracy theories!" Ken chided to himself.
"I dunno. You figured it out last time, Ren," Sakamoto-san said.
"You're the one who activated the app for the first time, you know," Amamiya-san replied.
"Yeah, by accident!" he argued.
"Enough bickering!" Takamaki-san nagged, before she sighed heavily. "We're not getting anywhere, you know."
"Perhaps if we figure out what exactly his Palace is based off of… we can figure out what it is," Kitagawa-san suggested.
"There's so many buildings in Shibuya though!" Sakamoto-san protested.
"Come on, we've gotta try!" Takamaki-san said.
Sakamoto-san sighed before scratching his head. "Uh… a garden? Since he likes controlling everything."
"No candidate found," a mechanical voice announced.
"That… doesn't make much sense, Ryuji," Takamaki-san stated.
"Then you think of somethin'!" Sakamoto-san retorted. "I don't see any of you guys offering any ideas!"
Ken peeked from behind. Amamiya-san was quiet, but he looked thoughtful, as he toyed with his bangs. Maybe he had an idea?
Takamaki-san twirled a strand of her hair, before she suggested, "A money bath? I've seen an old cartoon about that!"
"No candidate found."
"Rats!"
He could hear the pout in Takamaki-san's voice.
"What about you, Ren? Surely you have an idea," Kitagawa-san inquired.
Amamiya-san spoke up, "I think Anne was on the right track. It has to be connected to money. So… let's start thinking of things that involve money. How about…a bank?"
"Candidate found."
"Hey look at that, got it right on the first try." Amamiya-san sounded smug.
"Ah shuddup RenRen." Sakamoto rolled his eyes, looking annoyed at the dark-haired boy.
"You did get museum on the first try too," Takamaki-san giggled, giving Amamiya-san an admiring look.
"Wait… candidate?" Ken thought, his brow furrowing together.
Then again, they went after specific targets. Did that mean that there had to be some requirement before the Phantom Thieves could target someone? But they did choose just criminals from the previous patterns. Did that mean they weren't all that bad, then?
"No… don't be ridiculous," he told himself sternly.
It was just wistful thinking. There was a reason why he was here, after all… He couldn't let the Phantom Thieves become another Strega.
"All right!" Takamaki-san cheered, snapping Ken out of his thoughts. "Okay, so now we just need the area…"
"The area? Just what was she talking about?" Ken questioned to himself.
He rubbed his forehead. This was just confusing. Tartarus was much simpler. They just had to go in, explore the area, and rescue people before they became the Lost.
"So, he thinks of somewhere in this city as his own bank," Kitagawa-san stated.
"I thought it'd be something less realistic. That's all it is, huh?" Takamaki-san replied.
The cat started to meow again.
"Perhaps the school? His victims have been mainly the Shujin students, after all." Kitagawa-san seemed like he was replying to the cat.
"I don't think so..." Amamiya-san said, shaking his head. "After all, it's not just Shujin students that have been affected. People all over the city are being targeted. Yusuke, you even mentioned you heard a handful of students at your school have been afflicted too."
Kitagawa-san conceded, "That's true... then what do you suppose?"
"If we're talkin' about a place he keeps his cash, maybe his own hideout?" Sakamoto-san suggested.
The group seemed dissatisfied while Kitagawa-san stared at his phone.
"How about… a real bank?" Takamaki-san offered.
The cat seemed to shake its head, before meowing again.
Sakamoto-san complained, "Dammit, we ain't gettin' anywhere…"
Kitagawa-san spoke up again, "This may be difficult to explain... but doesn't it seem like we're thinking a little too inside the box? Palaces emanate a passionate madness. It feels as though we're missing that aspect."
"And... just what is that supposed to mean?" Ken thought to himself.
He would have expected after some time of eavesdropping that things would eventually start to make more sense, not less sense.
However, artists did tend to be a bit strange. Chidori-san did say some strange things about her art from time to time, even though she didn't fit the typical artist stereotype.
"His Palace is a bank for someone who extorts money with criminal acts. It's something more," Kitagawa-san said.
"Extorts…" Amamiya-san repeated, sounding thoughtful.
Takamaki-san asked, "But what other ways can we think about it? Oh, could it mean a place you withdraw money?
The cat was meowing again.
"I think you're onto something, Morgana. It has to be connected to his victims," Amamiya-san said with a nod.
"Did… did he just say his cat was onto something? Maybe I was wrong... maybe he does have a need for a therapy cat," Ken mentally snarked in disbelief.
"That's terrible! But... you may just be right," Takamaki-san said.
Sakamoto-san groaned out of frustration. "Oh come on! How many people do you think Kaneshiro's taken advantage of in all of Shibuya?"
"Results found."
"Wait a second! I have a hit," Kitagawa-san exclaimed, surprise ringing clearly in his voice.
Sakamoto-san was visibly shocked.
"Huh? Wait, what?! D-Did I say something right?" he questioned.
The cat began to meow, but apparently it said something that ticked off Sakamoto-san. Takamaki-san was quick to hush them both, however.
Kitagawa-san then clarified, "The place Kaneshiro thinks of as a bank is... All of Shibuya."
"Wait, what?! Like the entire city?!" Takamaki-san exclaimed.
Ken's eyes went wide as the cat began to meow again. He wasn't quite sure he understood the rest of the conversation, but he did understand one thing. Kaneshiro regarded his victims—the entire city—as his own bank he can withdraw money from. It was too sick to even try to comprehend.
"All right!" Sakamoto-san cheered, pumping a fist. "We're in business! Come on, let's go!"
"But wait, is it okay for us to go into the Palace right out of a crowd like this?" Takamaki-san interjected. "It might look weird if we just… you know… disappear. And this is all of Shibuya… we could find an alley or something to go in."
It was a relief to hear common sense coming out of the group. He was beginning to worry after Sakamoto-san suggested that they would actually jump into a potential Shadow nest in front of so many people.
"Eh, nobody notices if a piece of trash disappears from a trash can," Sakamoto-san dismissed with a wave of his hand. "This ain't any different."
Apparently, he spoke too soon. Ken fought the urge to facepalm. It honestly made him glad that Tartarus was only available during the Dark Hour. Who knew what Junpei-san would have done, if not? Although he had blabbed to Chidori-san, as an attempt to impress her.
Kitagawa-san nodded. "In that case... let's go."
"Hmm... well no one is looking at us right now. But we better be quick, just in case," Takamaki-san sighed.
Ken couldn't help but wonder if the cat was agreeing with him as he was hissing at Sakamoto-san, Takamaki-san, and Kitagawa-san.
"Okay... no, no, no, no." Amamiya-san nearly growled. "That is the dumbest justification I ever heard for doing this out in the open! No, we're going somewhere more discreet and then we'll activate the app."
Ken was starting to feel relieved soon as Amamiya-san opened his mouth, but his relief dwindled, as Sakamoto-san wasn't paying attention as he marched over to Kitagawa-san and pressed something on his phone.
Then a mechanical voice spoke.
"Beginning navigation."
They were really doing this, weren't they? Were they… going inside the Shadow nest? Ken couldn't help but feel confused.
"Ryuji, what the actual—!" Amamiya-san's voice was abruptly cut off and faded out to silence.
Ken blinked, looking back to the Phantom Thieves. They were disappearing into thin air?! Ken rubbed at his eyes, just to be sure that he wasn't hallucinating or anything.
Nope, it was still happening. And miraculously no one else but himself seemed to have noticed.
Ken ran to the spot where they used to stand, staring in confusion. Just what was that? That was when Shibuya seemed to transform before his very eyes.
"W-What the…?" he managed to utter, taking a step backwards as he took in his surroundings.
It was Shibuya… but at the same time, it wasn't. A sickly green tinge permeated the air, something that reminded Ken of the Dark Hour. To top it off, the atmosphere itself seemed… heavy. Just like the Dark Hour.
But that wasn't the odd part.
It was the ATMs walking around in the city. Literally, ATMs with arms and legs, just walking around. Where was he?!
"Wait—the phone. It said 'beginning navigation'. So did that mean I'm in the Shadow nest now?" Ken rubbed his chin as he desperately tried to make sense of everything.
Ken quickly shook his head. That just meant he needed to focus. If he was in the Shadow nest, he had to be on high alert. He didn't know what Shadows would be lurking about.
In the distance, he could see figures darting around. Were those the Phantom Thieves?
But in that case… he probably should hide until they leave. Then he could explore.
However, he had gotten here because the Phantom Thieves had used apparently some kind of app on Kitagawa-san's phone that Sakamoto-san activated. Hiding until they leave may not be a good idea after all. But he couldn't exactly get caught either. Ken sighed to himself. This was a conundrum…
That was when his phone started to vibrate intensely. With a frown, Ken fished it out of his pocket and unlocked it. A glowing red eye stared back at him. Ken's eyes went wide.
"I've entered Kaneshiro's name in the app … "
Kitagawa-san's words from before floated back into Ken's mind. Was this the app he had been talking about, then?
After a moment of hesitation, Ken pressed the app. Glowing red letters appeared on his screen, surrounded by a black background.
"Would you like to leave the Metaverse?"
Underneath was a yes and no button.
The Metaverse? Was this what the Shadow nest was called? Well at least he could leave whenever he wanted now. Good to know, he won't have to depend on the Phantom Thieves to get back. Safely waiting until they leave is an option after all.
Ken stored his phone away before crouching lower in his hiding spot.
It took a long time for the Phantom Thieves to finish their investigation. For some reason they had a cat... thing... with them. It looked like it had stepped right out of a children's cartoon.
But he had to wonder why they were dressed differently. He had to force himself to avert his eyes so he wouldn't stare at Takamaki-san. He knew that she was rather stunning but he hadn't expected her to be wearing a skin-tight catsuit.
Once they were gone, Ken carefully stood up. He reached into his bag, pulling out his holster. He fastened it around his waist, before he drew out his Evoker and slid it into the slot. Lastly, he brought out his spear, which currently resembled a short cylinder. He needed to figure out a hiding place for his new spear…
He pressed the button in the center and the cylinder in his hand extended, reaching the length of roughly two and a half meters. And lastly… the Ring of Darkness, gifted to him by Minato-san. It would protect him from his weakness. When he was eleven years old, the ring was rather large on him, more often sliding off his thumb than not. But now… it fit tightly on his pinky finger. Back then, after Minako-san noticed that the ring was too big on Ken, she had given him a silver chain so he could wear it more like a necklace.
The Ring of Darkness looked like it was fashioned out of black metal. On top of that, an onyx stone was set in the center. It was almost… odd, looking at it once again.
Ken shook his head. Now wasn't the time to reminiscence. He had a job to do.
He slipped the chain over his head even as his heart began to pound. He was in a Shadow nest. He just hoped he was prepared.
The further he went in, the more disturbed he felt. He had first followed the sound of quiet sobbing. The source had been broken ATMs lying on the ground.
"I was conned … "
"He's completely ruined me … "
Conned… ruined…
An ATM was a source of money. And Kaneshiro's victims were the people of Shibuya, anyone his men could get their hands on. What were these things though? Were they unfortunate people that wandered in, and turned into these things? Were these Kaneshiro's victims? Or were they something else? Regardless they definitely were connected to his victims in some way.
It was disgusting... but he wasn't surprised. Not in the least.
So... why did the Phantom Thieves leave? They were looking to get into here for a while, weren't they? Unless this wasn't the Palace proper. But then... what was?
The whole place was just an eerie city with money flying everywhere. The Thieves said this Palace was supposed to be a bank. Although banks didn't look all that impressive. But a mafia boss wouldn't just have any ordinary building...
The money was so distracting, constantly flying around. Just where was it all coming from?
He glanced up and… he spotted it. It was like a floating island, with an opulent looking building on top.
"If only Kikuno-san could just fly me up there," he muttered.
A bullet suddenly struck the ground, making Ken jump.
A dark figure dropped down from one of the shops. "Enjoying the view?"
Warning bells immediately blared in Ken's mind. Ken immediately backed up, his hand curling tightly around his spear.
The person clad in black and blue wore a rather odd mask. It was black and almost resembled a sentai villain's mask. It covered most of his features, there was even red eye-shaped lenses on the creepy mask. His lips were more visible in comparison to the rest of him. Even though he couldn't tell what eye color the guy had, due to the red tint, Ken could at least make out the look in the dark figure's eyes. He was sneering at Ken with a small smirk on his lips that made his skin crawl.
In one hand, he carried a pistol. He hadn't even heard it fire… so it must have a muffler. There was a sword sheathed at this guy's hip, the hilt black.
Ken narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"Me? I suppose I could tell you, but…" the dark figure hummed.
Suddenly a malicious grin curled onto the masked man's face, and Ken felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"But…?" Ken repeated, keeping his voice neutral so he doesn't appear tense.
A dark chuckle escaped from the masked man's cold smile.
"But why give my name to a corpse?"
Ken barely had time to process the hairs on his neck standing up, as his attacker unsheathed his blade and lunged.
Ken quickly intercepted it with his spear's shaft. They were about the same height… but Ken slowly was being pushed back, centimeter by centimeter. Ken gritted his teeth before giving a hard shove, forcing his opponent back.
"Heh… not bad." He chuckled. "Although I have to wonder, why are you in the Metaverse, hmm? Did you just wander in here, like a lost child? But then again, why would you come here with weapons? You clearly know something about this place if you came prepared to defend yourself."
"None of your business!" Ken shot back, shifting into a defensive stance.
This made his assailant coldly laugh. "Oh that's unfortunate then, seems I'll have to torture the information out of you before killing you. If you were just a good little boy and talked, I would have made it much quicker and painless."
The dark figure attacked again, switching between using his blade and his gun. Ken was able to parry the sword attacks, occasionally managing to get a hit in. He kept his distance, taking advantage of the extra length his spear gave him. But he was forced to run when his attacker used his gun. Before long, Ken was sweating.
This wasn't good. He was tiring out quicker than expected. He knew he was out of practice, but this was ridiculous. He needed to do something quick or else this guy would kill him the moment he slipped up.
But then his attacker unexpectedly sheathed his weapons, pressing a hand to his mask.
"Let's see if you can withstand this…" Blue flames swept over his mask. "Come, Loki!"
"Of course, my first venture into a Shadow nest and I run into a souped-up Persona-user!" Ken mentally cursed his luck.
This lunatic so hell-bent on killing him would probably fit right in with Strega. Especially with his cackling.
Loki flung fire at him, but Ken managed to dodge. Loki had a wide spread of attacks… fire, darkness, and some kind of physical attack. He would be screwed if he didn't have the Ring of Darkness.
But he couldn't keep on dodging… He had to fight back. Ken reached for his Evoker, but his fingers were clumsy. By the time he had his Evoker pressed to his forehead, the assailant had closed the distance between them. He lunged forward, knocking Ken hard against the ground. His gloved fingers then curled tightly around his neck.
"How disappointing, you started off the fight with promise but you've become sluggish and leaving yourself wide open, how stupid," his attacker said mockingly, loosening his grip on Ken, only to press his serrated blade against Ken's neck.
Ken just glared up at him, as an attempt to mask his fear.
"And what's with the gun? Trying to kill yourself, little coward, so I don't squeeze the information out of you? Oh no, you can't take your secrets to your grave yet, I'm afraid."
Ken gritted his teeth. This guy's mockeries… were starting to really irritate him. Not even when his senpais were unsure of letting him fight… had they been condescending towards him. They hovered—they asked him if he was feeling tired or needed to go back to the bottom floor—but they did not act like he was stupid, slow, or cowardly.
He continued to mock Ken. "Why are you even here? Because of an inflated sense of heroism? Because you think you can take down Kaneshiro, like the oh-so heroic Phantom Thieves? Ha! You should have kept your head down and avoid trouble…"
His voice just oozed smugness, grating on Ken's nerves.
"But then again… you wouldn't be in this situation if you had done that in the first place."
Something in Ken snapped. He lashed out with a kick, his foot connecting with the dark figure's stomach. Ken then jerked his arm, knocking away the blade from the goon's hand. Now that he was free of that threat… Ken shoved him away.
Ken climbed to his feet.
"Has anyone told you that you never shut up?" Ken snarled out.
"You don't deny it." The assailant was smirking. "Admit it… people like you latch onto the Phantom Thieves because they just offer a solution. People just sit on their asses, waiting to be rescued. There is no such thing as justice. People sometimes just get away with their crimes and you just have to deal with it."
"You're wrong!" Ken retorted, as hot anger surged through him. "You have one of those the world just sucks attitudes, don't you?"
He swiped at the air, glaring at his opponent.
"Justice does exist. The Phantom Thieves are pursuing their sense of justice. They're working to punish criminals who abuse their authority."
He had been pretending for so long that he was neutral to the Phantom Thieves. He didn't want his senpais to give him strange looks for supporting the Phantom Thieves, not when they doubted the Phantom Thieves' intentions so much. He had put aside his Persona for years, because he was trying to rush into things. But he couldn't afford to just stand aside anymore. Not when people like Shido were abusing their power. And on a smaller scale, Kaneshiro taking advantage of youth to satiate his own greed. It was wrong to just accept things as they were.
The dark figure just scoffed. "You're so naïve. Justice is decided by whoever controls the law. The Phantom Thieves are giving naïve idiots like you hope in childish notions of what justice is."
Did he actually believe what he was spouting?
"Laws have been changed throughout history!" Ken shot back. "I don't put my stock in something so fickle. Laws will always come and go, but true ideals of what justice means, that is unchangeable! Your kind of justice is flawed. It's definitely not any justice I want anything to do with!"
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Ken gasped as a sharp pain suddenly pierced through his skull. He sank to his knees as the pain intensified. He couldn't even begin to describe the feeling. His head was pounding hard. For a moment, Ken could've sworn that he was seeing literal stars.
"You've kept me dormant for quite some time … "
Kala-Nemi?
"Did you forget why you awakened to me in the first place?"
Kala-Nemi had been born out of his resolve to live for both his mother and Shinjiro-san, who they had thought would eventually die.
But Nemesis… his first Persona, had been born out of his desire for justice for his mother. It had been misguided, because he didn't understand what exactly had happened. But he knew better now.
"Let us form a contract … a symbol of us working together once again. Shall we?"
"Yes..." Ken breathed out.
Blue flames flickered across his face, but Ken felt nothing. His face suddenly felt heavier… like he was wearing a mask.
Before he realized what happened, he raised a hand and ripped off the mask from his face. Blood dripped down his face, as a blast of blue power flared around him. Blue flames covered his clothes, but like before, Ken felt no heat. The fire ebbed away, leaving behind some kind of sturdy black clothing and he felt something around his neck. He could feel something drape over his back.
Ken felt the familiar surge of power as Kala-Nemi appeared behind him.
"Tch… you want to play that way?" The dark figure just placed a hand on his face, concentrating, "Come, Loki!"
Ken immediately thought to use Ziodyne, but instead another spell popped into his mind.
Kouga.
Golden light slammed into Loki, sending both Persona and host staggering back.
That was new. That would've been useful back in his days in SEES, seeing how his light spells missed so many times.
The other Persona-user just growled, before calling back his Persona. He pulled out another sword, before lunging forward. Ken quickly dodged, scanning the ground for his spear and Evoker. He grabbed his spear first, before pivoting around to smack his adversary right in the face. Ken couldn't deny that it felt good to hit the black-masked Persona-user hard enough to cause him to stagger back. He located his Evoker, which he quickly shoved it back into his holster.
His body felt lighter… probably because he was using his Persona again. He and his teammates had managed to pull off stunts that they normally wouldn't have been able to during the Dark Hour. Like how Minako-san was able to pull off a back flip. And he was able to swing around on his spear and kick Shadows in the face. Though honestly, he probably would not be able to do that now.
Ken scanned the area. It was clear that black masked guy's power level was higher than his right now… so what he really needed was a distraction. That way he could activate the app to get out of here.
"Take him down, Loki!"
Ken ducked out of the way, but the Persona flew over his head, slamming into the pavement. He tripped over the upheaved cement, barely managing to drop his spear so he could catch his fall with his hands. His hands scraped hard against the gravel but he rather his hands be the ones to suffer than his face.
His attacker caught up to him, stabbing downwards. Ken grabbed his spear from the ground, quickly blocking the attack with his spear, before rolling to the side. He used his spear as a crutch, staggering to his feet, before spinning the spear in his hand. He slammed the butt of his spear against the other Persona-user's chest, knocking him back several steps.
He needed to slow his opponent down a bit. A spell sprang to his mind.
"Snap!" he shouted, before ripping off his mask.
A whirring sound made Ken look up. The circular markings on the top of Kala-Nemi's arms were opening, bullets shooting forward. He heard his assailant hiss out a profanity, but Ken just spun around and ran. He really needed to be smart about fighting this guy. Ken was clearly out of his league.
He concentrated for a moment, allowing Diarama to sweep over him. It was a relief, especially for his hands throbbing with pain.
Ken swung around to dart into an alley. He looked around frantically. The bricks… it was risky due to this essentially being a dead end. But what other options did he have?
"Assault Dive!"
The force slammed into Ken like a bulldozer, sending him flying against the wall. Ken gritted his teeth as his head slammed especially hard against the wall. He could feel blood tricking down the back of his head.
"You like to run, don't you?" the dark figure hissed.
He was stalking towards him. Underneath the mask, Ken could see a smile curling at his lips.
"Loki, Megidola!"
Ken just braced himself as the almighty spell exploded. If he wasn't against the wall, he probably would've been thrown back. He forgot just how much it hurt to be on the receiving end of an almighty spell.
"Not so tough now, are we?" he drawled out.
His attacker kicked him in the ribs. He then grasped the front of Ken's shirt, yanking him close.
"It was a good attempt, though," he chuckled quietly.
Unfortunately, Megidola had also worked against the black masked Persona-user. The bricks began to crumble, cascading down. Ken pushed through the pain, shoving his assailant against the wall. The bricks fell on top of him, forming a huge pile of rubble. Of course, Ken wasn't spared from getting hit but at least he wasn't buried.
A breath of air whooshed out of him as Ken slumped to the ground. God, that had been awful. That Persona-user had been clearly stronger than him. Much stronger… he needed to get back into training again. He was regretting ignoring Akihiko-san's urging him to continue training even if he didn't want to stay with the soccer club. And now he was paying for it.
Sure, summoning Kala-Nemi had given him some boosted abilities… but it wasn't enough. He couldn't just rely on that.
Ken slowly climbed to his feet, warily watching the pile of rubble. He did a quick healing, before picking up his spear and heading for the entrance. It took him a couple minutes to find where he had left his bag. He then pulled out his phone. The red eyeball app was pulsing. He quickly pressed it.
Do you want to return the real world?
He shrunk his spear into his portable form, before pressing yes. For a moment, he wasn't sure if it worked. But he suddenly found himself standing in the real Shibuya.
Ken managed to stagger over to a bench, all but collapsing into it. He felt awful. Like with the Dark Hour, he felt completely drained of energy. His hands were slightly bleeding from when he had scraped them. He carefully felt the back of his head. The bleeding there had stopped at least, but the area was slightly throbbing.
Shinjiro-san would really let him have it.
"At least… I found the Shadow nest? Gotta look for that silver lining," Ken thought ruefully to himself.
"What was that about being careful?" Shinjiro-san practically growled.
"Next time, I'll make sure a crazy violent person isn't there to kill me," Ken said tonelessly.
Shinjiro-san scowled, before snapping shut the first aid kit.
His guardian had taken one look at him, before sitting him down on the couch and insisting on tending to his injuries. He had forgotten how much rubbing alcohol stung…
He didn't hesitate on hiding his displeasure, but at least he wasn't lecturing Ken.
"You looked like shit when you walked through that door," he said bluntly, his eyes narrowed. "What the hell happened?"
"One, I found the Shadow nest." Ken began, ticking off his fingers. "Two, I used Kala-Nemi for the first time in like four years. Three, this app showed up on my phone."
He then reached for his phone, showing Shinjiro-san the glowing red eye app now on the device.
Shinjiro-san squinted. "What the hell is that and what does it got to do with any of this?"
Ken then responded, "Some kind of app that transports you to the Shadow nest, it seems... which is apparently called the Metaverse. That's why Amamiya-san and his friends called it, at least. It showed up after I got dragged into there, with Amamiya-san and his friends using it."
"So… it's kinda like a virus," Shinjiro-san said.
He then sighed, rubbing his temple with one of his hands.
"Just… be more careful, Ken. You're the one usually patching up injuries, not the one who has them," he said sternly.
Ken grumbled, "It wasn't intentional! I don't go around and pick fights."
Shinjiro-san eyed him. "Is there something you wanna say?"
"Nothing at all."
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes.
"Right." He then took out his pocket watch, checking the time, "It's not 6 o'clock yet, you know. Maybe you can talk to Mitsuru before she leaves work."
He nodded at the coffee table, where Ken had left his laptop last night.
Shinjiro-san was being… surprisingly mild about the whole thing. But he wasn't going to complain.
He sat down, booting up his laptop. He pulled up the video call app, before calling Mitsuru-san. He had to try three times, before someone picked up.
"Hello?"
Ken blinked.
"Aigis-san?"
Aigis-san looked surprised that it was him who was calling, but she offered him a smile. "Hello, Ken-san. Are you here to report?"
She then looked at him curiously.
She said flatly, "I'd say you look well, but you do not. May I ask what happened?"
"Blunt as always, Aigis-san." Ken thought sardonically.
"Aigis, who are you talking to?" Mitsuru-san then appeared. Her eyes went wide for a moment. "Oh, Amada. I didn't expect you to be calling today. How are you?"
Then she let out a short gasp, the blood draining out of her face.
"Goodness, what on earth happened to you?!"
"I'm fine, Mitsuru-san." Ken rubbed the back of his neck. "I just wanted to let you know that I found the Shadow nest today."
"That is indeed good news." Aigis-san looked at him quizzically though. "…But did you get into a fight with a Shadow? You look rather… worn out."
"Err… not a Shadow…" Ken said slowly.
Mitsuru-san narrowed her eyes. "Did the Phantom Thieves see you?"
Ken raised his hands defensively, "N-No, it's not like that! Someone else… did."
"Someone else?" Aigis-san inquired, looking thoughtful. "Another Persona-user? And they attacked you? So they are like Strega then... or Sho Minazuki?"
"Yeah, this guy… he was definitely as tough as those guys… actually no. Granted I'm out of practice so I can't judge, but it's entirely possibly he could be tougher than some of them."
"And you engaged in battle with this individual?" Mitsuru-san demanded, giving him what Minako-san called the Kirijo Glare of Doom.
"He attacked me! I didn't mean to get into a fight right away! I'm not Akihiko-san!" Ken protested.
Aigis-san droned, "That is very true. Though sometimes I fear about your role models, Ken-san."
"But honestly, Amada, first the mafia and now this?" Mitsuru-san chastised, frowning in disapproval. "You really need to be more careful."
Ken winced. He shouldn't be surprised that Shinjiro-san had told Mitsuru-san about the mafia. He couldn't hide anything from his senpais.
Aigis-san added, frowning as well, "You could have been grievously injured. Not to mention overpowered by whoever attacked you."
Ken groaned. This was why Shinjiro-san prodded him into reporting to Mitsuru-san. Women were just… better at scolding. They had that guilt inducing I'm disappointed in you look. No wonder Shinjiro-san was taking it mildly. He was just lining Ken up for being lectured by the others.
Mitsuru-san then coughed delicately into her hand, her expression becoming all business. "But anyhow… did you observe anything else?"
"I'm not sure why Fuuka-san compared the Shadow nest to Tartarus. I think it's more comparable to the TV world. You know, how they told us that people who ended up in the TV world created worlds from their heart? It seemed very similar to that," Ken explained.
"But surely there must be a central part of this nest…" Aigis-san said thoughtfully. "You may have only found just one section."
Ken frowned. "Maybe… I don't know. I will have to take a better look."
"Were you able to summon your Persona?" Aigis-san inquired.
"Ah, yes!" Mitsuru-san's eyes lit up. "You were fine with summoning your Persona, weren't you?"
"Well… not with my Evoker," Ken said slowly.
Mitsuru-san raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Were you able to summon without one then?"
"Yes… but not in the way you're thinking."
It took a great amount of skill and concentration to be able to summon your Persona in the real world without a medium. He knew that Mitsuru-san, Akihiko-san, and Minako-san were all capable of this feat four years ago, but most of his senpais could manage it now.
"Can you please elaborate then?" Aigis-san requested, curiosity filling her eyes.
"A mask formed on my face and I ripped it off. My Persona came from that mask. Kala-Nemi seems to have changed though," Ken responded.
"Changed? What do you mean?" Mitsuru-san questioned.
"Well, I apparently have light spells that don't instantly kill Shadows, and Kala-Nemi can fire bullets now," he said dryly.
"Bullets?" Aigis-san asked. "How curious. Though I have to wonder why your Persona's abilities have changed…"
Mitsuru-san sighed deeply. "Good work, Amada. But please, be more careful. Your mission is more reconnaissance based. Your goal is to gather information. Shinjiro would have my head if you got hurt due to this."
Ken sighed. Everyone had to be a mother hen today. Sometimes he wondered if they'd ever see him as their equal and not someone to be babied. He knew that it was because they cared but Ken still found it irksome.
"Okay, okay…" he muttered. "It wasn't on purpose though…"
Mitsuru-san smiled gently. "I know. I'm pleased with your work, but I don't want you to get hurt."
She then looked at him sternly. Despite everything, Ken couldn't help but wince a little. Mitsuru-san did her share of mothering him but Ken couldn't help but be scared of her at times.
She ordered, "And take care so that the Phantom Thieves don't spot you. You don't know how they'll react to you."
And yet… he had met two of them already.
He fully believed that the rumors circulating Amamiya-san were just slander. He seemed perfectly nice. A bit quiet, though he couldn't help but wonder if that was just a front, given the way he had acted around his friends. And Takamaki-san… she was nice as well. Even though she was a terrible liar.
"Ken-san?" Aigis-san's concerned voice yanked him back to reality.
Ken snapped back to attention, looking at the two women.
"I understand. I'll do my best to avoid detection," he said quietly.
Mitsuru-san nodded, before offering him a pleased smile. "Good. Rest up, Amada."
She then cut off the connection and the screen went black.
Kala-Nemi
Level: 30
Affinity: Bless, Healing, Gun
Skills: Makouha, Kouga, Hama, Mahama, Diarama, Media, Snap, Recarm
Notes:
So, Ken has made it to the Metaverse! (Though it's not hard with how the Phantom Thieves don't seem to know the meaning of discretion.) And I will be describing Ken's costume fully in the next chapter.
But with Kala-Nemi… I had to revamp Kala-Nemi's skills to suit the P5 battle changes, as shown above. Bless and Healing were a given, since those were his main attributes in P3. I threw in gun abilities for Kala-Nemi, to refer to Evokers. I took away the Zio class spells, since well… there's Ryuji.
As usual, I would love to hear your thoughts!
Edit Notes (7/23/2020): Touch ups on the Ken & Akechi confrontation mostly. Additionally added a little to the Phantom Thieves moving to the Metaverse. Thank you again to my wonderful beta for her edits.
Chapter 5: Ch. 4: Awakening
Summary:
Ken follows the Phantom Thieves into the Metaverse, but gets to see them in action this time.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Monday, June 20th, 2016
"Ken, get up!" Shinjiro-san's sharp voice unwillingly dragged Ken out of the sweet oblivion that was sleep. "It's nearly 7:30!"
Ken just groaned, burying his face into his pillow. Every muscle in his body ached. He had completely forgotten just how tiring it was to fight in a Shadow nest.
"Ken? Are you feeling okay?" Shinjiro-san's voice became concerned.
He heard the door open and then Shinjiro-san's footsteps. He then felt Shinjiro-san's hand press against his cheek.
"No fever at least…" Shinjiro-san muttered.
"Just tired," Ken mumbled, before rolling over onto his back to sit up. He rubbed his eyes before stifling a yawn.
Shinjiro-san's mouth formed a thin line, before pulling back his hand.
"Maybe you should stay home today," he suggested. "You look like shit."
"Thanks, Shinjiro-san," he muttered, as he threw back the covers before sitting up. "I'll just have to push through it. Mitsuru-san never let us skip school when we weren't feeling well due to the Tartarus explorations."
And he'd know. Because Junpei-san tried pulling that card. Many times. They all failed, of course.
"Mitsuru isn't here now," he deadpanned, before gesturing to Ken's hands. "And besides that, your injuries haven't completely healed."
Ken defended, "It's mostly just my hands. Besides that, the Phantom Thieves are probably going to go back to the Metaverse today… It seemed like it was urgent for them to handle this as soon as possible."
Shinjiro-san sighed deeply, pressing a hand to his temple. He obviously did not approve.
"Fine," he finally relented while lowering his hand.
Then Shinjiro-san narrowed his eyes, pointing at Ken.
"But you better call me if you feel nauseous or close to passing out. If the school has to call me 'cause you fainted, I'm hauling your ass back here and you ain't taking another step outta here until you're back to one hundred percent."
"Okay…" Ken grumbled out.
Shinjiro-san studied him closely one last time, before he sighed, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like, "So stubborn…"
He then left and shut the door behind him.
Ken just sighed again, before dragging himself out of bed. Maybe if he was lucky, the Phantom Thieves would be just gathering some information today. But… Something told him that he wouldn't be lucky.
Ken rolled over and let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed his neck. His body was still a bit sore and he had a small headache, but a few painkillers should help with that. He narrowed his eyes however as he got up, the image of that dark clad Persona-user weighed on his mind.
"But why give my name to a corpse?"
The hairs on the back of his neck were starting to stand up again, thinking about his assailant. Ken couldn't help but shiver. He obviously wasn't affiliated with the Phantom Thieves, judging from his obvious disdain of them.
Ken couldn't help but think back to Strega and sighed to himself.
"Hopefully there isn't more than one of him… dealing with one dangerous Persona-user is more than enough of a handful," he mumbled to himself.
And that was assuming that he wouldn't have to deal the Phantom Thieves…
The day just dragged on and on. Ken found it difficult to focus. Thank goodness none of the teachers called on him to answer a question today. But now that it was after school, it was time to follow the Phantom Thieves to their 'hideout'. Honestly, he just couldn't get over how they thought meeting up in public was a good idea.
Ken leaned against the pillar, straining his ears to listen in on their conversation.
"We need to find Kaneshiro," Amamiya-san was saying. "I think that's why the Palace is out of reach."
Ken sucked in a breath at the younger boy's statement. That would really not be a good idea. They handled things rather recklessly…
"And how do you propose we do that?" Kitagawa-san sighed. "You had the most luck with finding his men… and that wasn't even enough. They fled before you could properly ask them anything."
"For real…" Sakamoto-san muttered, before stuffing his hands into his pockets. "But we've gotta do it. Or else Miss Prez is gonna leak our info to the police. And then we'd be royally screwed."
"Seriously… she seriously expects us to take Kaneshiro down in like—a week?! She's insane!" Takamaki-san huffed out a sigh, sounding rather irritated. Then her voice grew quieter, more… subdued. "Are we out of luck? Were we in over our heads?"
Sakamoto-san said adamantly, "No way! There's gotta be a way! We can't give up!"
"Perhaps Morgana could launch us into the air with his wind spells?" Kitagawa-san offered.
Who was Morgana?
The cat then began to meow. The Phantom Thieves looked to it, as if… they actually understood it. Did they…? Or maybe they just had a dictionary.
"Maybe Aigis-san went behind our backs and published one," Ken thought sardonically to himself.
"We would be splats on the ground. It's just… too high. We would need a helicopter, like Ryuji said. But that's… impossible," Takamaki-san said as she shook her head.
That was when Niijima-san approached them and as usual, tense words were exchanged. Though he had to wonder why exactly they were so hostile with Niijima-san. Though the entire school seemed to resent her for some reason… but the Phantom Thieves had a particular grudge against her.
Though he supposed with them being personal victims of Kamoshida, they'd resent her a bit. Not to mention the blackmail… come to think of it, he felt kind of silly for wondering why they would resent her. He quietly sighed to himself. She seemed nice enough to him but… that would be understandable reasons to not like someone. A shame they all got off on the wrong foot.
"All you do is eavesdrop on us," Sakamoto-san accused. "What's the matter—think we're gonna chicken out?"
Ken winced. If only they knew that they were being eavesdropped on right now.
"We're not cowards like you. We will fulfill your demand. We won't back out," Kitagawa-san said cooly.
"I'm not…" Niijima-san tensed up, placing a hand on her chest. "That's not why I—"
"Then what is it?" Amamiya-san said, his every word dripping with sarcasm. "Are you here to congratulate us on our work so far?"
This was… painful to watch. It was getting more intense and awkward by the second.
"You're here to just check up on us, aren't you?" Takamaki-san demanded, before flicking one of her pigtails behind her shoulder.
She glared at Niijima-san venomously.
"You may be the student council president and a top student… but when it comes down to what we do, you're just useless."
The word useless seemed to be a trigger. Niijima-san's eyes went as wide as saucers and she seemed to tremble faintly. Ken winced for more than one reason.
He couldn't claim to know the situation regarding Takamaki-san but… Niijima-san always seemed to be stressing herself out over the situation with the victims. And he personally hated feeling like a burden. It often weighed on his mind during the days of SEES.
"U-Useless?" she repeated softly, taking a step backwards.
"I would have to agree with Anne," Kitagawa-san said flatly. "What do you know of our work?"
Then Niijima-san's expression seemed to steel. "You want to get into contact with Kaneshiro, don't you? You were discussing that just now…"
Oh boy… he recognized that look. He had seen that look on Akihiko-san many, many times. Usually when Shinjiro-san challenged him on something and then they ended up doing yet another stupid competition.
The cat started to meow. Maybe Ken was imagining it, but it almost sounded concerned.
Niijima-san said tonelessly, "Very well. I'll get you into contact with Kaneshiro."
What. Just… what. Just what was she planning?! She wasn't seriously going to purposefully seek out the mafia, was she?! She wouldn't—not after all of the rumors about the mafia.
Right…?
Ken sighed quietly to himself, pressing a hand to his temple. Niijima-san seemed like a sensible person. Even though she seemed set on helping the Phantom Thieves, she wouldn't do anything reckless.
He was just being paranoid. He couldn't focus on worrying about her. He had other things to concern himself with right now.
Why did Niijima-san have to make him eat his words? Ken didn't hear all of what she had done (since he didn't want to be obvious about trailing the Phantom Thieves) but… he got the gist of what Niijima-san was trying to do. Though the Phantom Thieves weren't much better.
Sakamoto-san had nearly given him a heart attack, with how he had just leaped in front of the taxi…
That honestly had surprised him, since like the other Phantom Thieves, Sakamoto-san had shown a great dislike for Niijima-san. Maybe he was just a kind person, despite his apparent rough edges. He couldn't help but think about how Kanji-san had selflessly thrown himself in danger's way in order to protect Ken, who had been just a stranger to him.
But with them going after Niijima-san, Ken knew that this would most likely get them into contact with Kaneshiro… This meant that they would gain access to the Palace, which meant that he needed to be ready to follow after them. He didn't like the idea of just leaving them to it but… what could he do? And given the rumors he's heard, Kaneshiro would be blackmailing them instead of…
Ken pushed the thought out of his mind before he could think on it more. He hurried back to the penthouse, before retrieving his spear from his room. He checked his supplies one last time, before pulling out his phone. The palace was All of Shibuya, since it should work from here, right? He pulled up the app on his phone. There was a search function now… And there was an image of the Palace. It was labelled… the Bank of Gluttony. That was… strange, to say the least.
He pressed the image and moments later, he found himself standing in the green tinged version of Shibuya.
He felt flames sweep over his clothes, a mask forming to cover his face. Ken blinked, trying to regain his bearings.
Wait… just what was he wearing?
He was too busy focusing on that black mask individual attacking him to really notice his clothes. Did… his clothes change too when he fought that mysterious attacker? He knew he felt different when he reawakened without the need of his Evoker, but he was too caught up in the fight to realize just how different he changed.
This… was just bizarre.
Okay, so it wasn't that strange. He was wearing a tuxedo or a suit—he really didn't know the difference, if he was being honest—so he had on a black blazer, a white dress shirt and orange vest underneath, topped off with an orange bowtie. He was wearing black slacks. It wasn't all that different to what he wore for the Gekkoukan uniform in the winter. Though the black cape draped over his shoulders was definitely… new.
He was really glad that Junpei-san wasn't here to see this. Junpei-san would probably laugh so hard that he fell onto the floor.
Ken then reached up to carefully remove his mask. It was a domino mask, but unlike most he had seen, it wasn't just one color. The left side was white, with black outlining the eyehole. Black markings dotted it as well. Silver ran from the top, curving diagonally down. The right side had reverse colors: mainly black with white outlining the eyehole and white markings.
Ken shook his head, before slipping it back onto his face. He needed to find a hiding place, before the Phantom Thieves arrived. He decided to hide out in one of the alleys this time. It was the alley that led to the airsoft shop, actually. He just… hoped that vicious Persona user wouldn't show up again. His fight with that guy was a close one. If more of his attacks had landed, Ken would've been dead meat.
"W-Where are we?" The sudden voice yanked Ken out of his musings.
Wait a minute. Was that Niijima-san? They brought her here?!
Ken decided to risk it and peered out. And sure enough, she was with the Phantom Thieves. She stuck out like a sore thumb in her school uniform, while the Phantom Thieves were all wearing costumes. They were… colorful to say the least. Though at least they seemed more durable than the costumes that the twins insisted the team wear from time to time.
Takamaki-san's outfit was still... a lot to take in. But then again, it didn't expose much more than some of Yukari-san's outfits she had to wear during shootings. But Sakamoto-san rather looked like a thug in his.
"Pot meet kettle, Ken," he whispered to himself with a laugh.
He shouldn't really be one to talk now that he has a strange outfit too.
But seriously… what were they thinking? Ken grumbled to himself as he withdrew back to his hiding place. He was fairly sure that Niijima-san did not have a Persona. He hadn't seen them in action, but being in a Shadow nest was dangerous, if you didn't have the potential or a Persona.
"Oh, um…" Takamaki-san began, "just think of it as the world inside Kaneshiro's heart."
The world inside one's heart, huh? That really sounded like the TV world. He was finally getting a better image of what was going on with this Shadow nest. But they got through here through an app instead of a TV. He could almost hear Junpei-san joke now that it should be called the Phone world or App world instead of Metaverse, to keep with some theme. Yukari-san would then probably retort that Tartarus doesn't exactly fit that theme either.
Ken was distracted from his musings when he heard Niijima-san let out a loud gasp.
"T-Takamaki-san?! Wait… what are you wearing?"
Takamaki-san then let out an awkward laugh. "T-This old thing…? Um..."
"I think she looks fine," Amamiya-san interjected; Ken could hear the smirk in his voice. "More than fine, actually."
Takamaki-san let out a squeak in response, only for Sakamoto-san to groan.
"Ugh, can you two not flirt in front of all of us? You guys always do this!" he complained.
"W-We're not flirting!" she sputtered out. "Joker's just messing around! And what's this always?!"
Ken gave a small huff upon hearing that. So… they were like that, were they? It kinda reminded him of Minato-san and Yukari-san before they had started dating…
Niijima-san asked, "So, the rumors are true? You two are together?"
"We can always discuss Joker and Panther's relationship later," Kitagawa-san stated after a sigh. "We should focus on the matter at hand."
"Hey Fox! There isn't any relationship! Don't go making confusing vague statements!" Takamaki-san began to protest.
"Hm?" Kitagawa-san tilted his head slightly at her, appearing confused. "Vague? Did I say something wrong?"
"Will you all be quiet?!" snapped a surprisingly high-pitched voice. "You'll attract the Shadows."
Ken peered out again. It was the cat. The cat was… talking. Why was it talking? How was that even possible? Was this a delayed symptom from hitting his head yesterday? Or was he hallucinating?
Okay, Teddie-san usually walked around as a plush bear, but he had a human form. Somewhat. He was pretty sure that a human would not be popping out of the cat.
"A monster cat?!" Niijima-san gasped out, her eyes wide as saucers.
"I am noooot!" the cat-thing whined, his ears flattening against his head.
Kitagawa-san appeared to not be paying attention. "Panther, what did I say wrong? You never answered. What was I doing? You give the impression I was trying to insinuate something but…. I cannot fathom what that would be."
"Drop it Fox, why are you bringing that up again?!" Takamaki-san's cheeks were as red as her mask.
Kitagawa-san tilted his head at her in confusion again.
If it weren't for the shock of the talking… cat-thing… over there, then Ken might have started to laugh at their antics.
"Okay, okay, enough," Amamiya-san laughed. "Come on, let's try out your theory, Mona."
"Hmph!" The creature called Mona stomped off into the direction of the bank, which only caused Amamiya-san to shake his head.
"This is really too strange…" Niijima-san mumbled as she trailed after the Phantom Thieves. "I just can't get my head wrapped around this…"
She wasn't the only one.
"Duuuude… what even happened here? It looks like someone wrecked this entire alley…" he heard Sakamoto-san say.
That's right. It didn't look like the Palace changed from day-to-day basis, like Tartarus had. He didn't even consider that.
"You don't think…" Kitagawa-san said slowly. "That the black masked figure that Sen—I mean, Madarame, spoke of… was here?"
That perked Ken's ears up. So they were aware of him too?
"But why the hell would he wreck an alley?" Sakamoto-san demanded. "That makes no sense, dude!"
"If he even was here, or even real. It could have been a Shadow for all we know," Kitagawa-san said.
Sakamoto-san crossed his arms. "Maybe that black mask dude got tangled with some Shadows."
"D-Do you think that he watched us yesterday?" Takamaki-san asked anxiously. "Then maybe… Madarame's Shadow was telling the truth after all?"
Ken didn't even consider that. Why was that Persona user there?
"What black mask?" Niijima-san asked.
"That's not important. And let's not worry about what Madarame's Shadow had said," Amamiya-san said, for some reason looking towards Kitagawa-san as he motioned them to move along. "Come on, Niijima-senpai."
He couldn't quite get a good look at their faces. But he remembered hearing that Kitagawa-san was Madarame's pupil… but Amamiya-san seemed concerned when Madarame was brought up. Perhaps the relationship was far more than art teacher and art student.
Ken frowned, watching them approach the bank. While their backs were turned, Ken darted into another alley, closer to the bank. A flight of stairs materialized as Niijima-san came closer.
The weird creature Amamiya-san called Mona started bouncing up and down.
"I was right! Since she's a special customer, Kaneshiro will allow her access!" he cheered.
Special customer? To Kaneshiro? What did Niijima-san even do? He really hoped that she wasn't actually hurt because of this. She seemed fine but Ken couldn't help but worry. He really didn't like the sound of all this.
Ken waited for them to finish ascending the stairs, before making a mad sprint for the stairs. The stairs were starting to dematerialize, so Ken had to jump and pull himself up. Once he got to his feet, it was just a matter of outracing the stairs disappearing. It was a good thing that the Phantom Thieves had gone inside already.
Though they had just… walked right through the front door. That wasn't very… sneaky. Maybe they thought they could do it since they had Niijima-san with them?
Well… maybe he should follow suit. He walked through the door, only to stop in his tracks.
Ken couldn't stop himself from gawking. Tartarus was more of a seemingly endless maze, with hundreds of floors. But this… was so ornate. Though this was supposed to be a bank. Were other areas of the Metaverse like this? He'd have to ask Yu-san more about the TV world since there was similarities. His moments dealing with it were far briefer in comparison.
Ken shook his head to shake off his thoughts. He had to focus. Especially since Shadows would be lurking about.
"Hey, who's there?!"
"Crap…" Ken thought to himself.
Something that resembled a security guard was rushing at him. Ken beat him to the punch, stabbing him in the shoulder with his spear. The security guard seemed to explode, three piles of black goo landing on the floor. The black goo reformed into… Personas?
They… had to be. Two of them resembled the angel Personas Minato-san and Minako-san used from time to time. One of them looked like an oni, his skin bright red.
Why did they look like Personas? Just as he questioned this, memories of Metis's words entered his head.
"Personas and Shadows are the same thing. That's why you are able to fight them in the first place."
Yes of course. He isn't sure why they are taking different shapes of the Shadows he's used to. Taking the shape they would when they became Personas, but they are the same thing, as Metis once said. He can't let every new surprise take him off guard. They may look like Personas he's used to, but in the end, both are Shadows. One just tamed; the other is not.
Besides all that, if they are Shadows, then he can deal with this like he always has. If the angels had a similar affinity to the ones the Minato-san and Minako-san had used, he probably should avoid light spells. And that left one thing.
Ken ripped off his mask. "Kala-Nemi!"
A bullet tore through the air, sending the angel tumbling to the ground. Wait… she was weak to gun attacks of his Persona, then. He wasn't expecting to find a weakness so quickly, but he's not going to question the good fortune.
Ken didn't hesitate on attacking the other angel, who joined her ally on the ground. He summoned Kala-Nemi again, firing a flare of bright light that struck all of the Shadows.
The attack killed both of the angels, leaving just the oni standing. The oni let out a growl, before lunging forward. He only managed to clip Ken in the shoulder, due to an ill-timed dodge, but it didn't hurt that much.
Well… he wasn't going to complain.
It took another light spell to kill the oni, leaving him alone in the room.
"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!"
That brought Ken back to reality. How long was he dealing with those unusual Shadows? He thought he wasn't fighting them for long, but it sounded like the Phantom Thieves were on the run from some Shadows.
Ken quickly ran for the bench area, ducking down to hide underneath. Not the… best hiding spot, but he didn't really have a choice.
The doors slammed open and he could hear footsteps pounding against the floor.
"Come on, the exit's this way!" Mona shouted.
What trouble did they find themselves into?
He heard the Phantom Thieves suddenly skid to a stop.
"There's just no end to them…" Takamaki-san groaned.
Them…?
Ken carefully peeked up. A couple of Shadows were blocking the Phantom Thieves' means of escape.
"I told you there's no way to escape. Not when I have my eye on you."
Kaneshiro?! He was here? Wait, that wasn't right… Takamaki-san had described the Palace as the world inside Kaneshiro's heart… so that was the Shadow self?
Ken then finally caught glimpse of Kaneshiro.
"Wait… that's Kaneshiro?" Ken couldn't help but think in disbelief.
He just looked… bizarre. He was purple, of all things. But… he had the same golden eyes as the Shadow selves he had seen in Inaba.
He let out a dark chuckle. "Though I suppose I should thank you… for bring me such marvelous goods."
Goods… that's what he viewed people as?
"But… it's time you disappear." He clapped twice, summoning a couple more Shadows. The now four Shadows formed a loose circle, surrounding the Phantom Thieves. He lazily waved his hand, his voice flippant as he spoke. "Kill them. I have no use for them."
"I-Is this really it?" Sakamoto-san muttered.
Ken pursed his lips together, fingering the edge of his mask. Should he… do something? He couldn't just let Kaneshiro kill them. But the question was what? He wasn't that strong…
Niijima-san stepped forward.
"P-Please stop! Leave them alone," she blurted out.
Ughhh… Niijima-san, why? At least the Phantom Thieves had their Personas. She was defenseless.
"Oh, don't worry," Kaneshiro chuckled. "You're one of my goods… I can't afford to let you become damaged."
Seriously, what did Kaneshiro do to her? Niijima-san didn't seem hurt, but he knew that outward appearances weren't everything.
"Hmm?" Kaneshiro's Shadow tapped his foot and rubbed his chin. "Very well, men… spare the blonde chick too I suppose, I guess some use can be made for her with our customers. But the other punks are dead weight."
Ken felt his blood start to boil.
"Like hell!" Takamaki-san glared daggers at him, her grip on her whip tightening.
Niijima-san stood in front of her. "No! Leave her alone, leave them all alone! I'm the one responsible, they are only here to help me, but they don't need to be dragged down because of my mistakes. Let them go!"
Kaneshiro clicked his tongue in disapproval. "So naïve, you all are my property now. If you want your little friends to live then you all better start working to make me money. Or just go roll over and die. There is no scenario where they escape. If your next line is 'take me instead', then shove it up your ass. That's not how it goes down. You don't get to make demands."
Niijima-san's voice shook as she breathed out, "This is… all my fault. I'm so sorry everyone."
"Niijima-senpai…" Takamaki-san said with surprise but sadness in her eyes.
"But Niijima…" Kaneshiro said thoughtfully, "sounds awfully familiar."
His face broke out in a wide, smarmy grin.
"Oh, I know. It was that dumbass cop who wouldn't stop poking his nose in other people's business. Detective Hideki Niijima, was it? Yeah, that's hilarious. I remember finding it kind of funny hearing he had a prosecutor daughter trying to sniff around and catch us. Stupid woman, just like her father, she'll never stop us. And I guess it runs in the family, stupid little sister too. It's a family of idiots who keep getting caught in my net."
"Dad…?" Niijima-san said faintly. "Wait, how did you—"
She cut herself off, shaking her head.
"How do you know my father?!" she demanded.
"I was just protecting my business, and he was in the way. Simple as that. You win some, you ice some out." He spoke so flippantly that Ken could hear the shrug in his voice.
Ken felt his stomach churn. How could he be so… dismissive about killing someone?
"How could you?!" she demanded.
"'How could you'?" he mocked. "God, you're so stupid. Hopefully whatever woman your dumbass dad shacked up with had more braincells than the rest of you Niijimas."
He then sighed, shaking his head.
"Your sister probably could have made something of herself… if you weren't so dumb."
Kaneshiro then began to taunt her, calling her useless, a burden to her older sister. And then… something about working until she died…? And implied he was going to do the same to her older sister too. Did Kaneshiro manage to get some leverage to blackmail her somehow?
"Endure it…" Niijima-san repeated faintly. "Do as I'm told…"
Even though she spoke softly… Ken noticed that Niijima-san had stiffened, her hands clenching into fists. But Kaneshiro didn't notice—he just continued to gloat.
"Shut up," Niijima-san said softly, but steel underlining her voice.
"What?" He narrowed his eyes.
"I've been listening to you go on and on…" she hissed out, her hands forming tight fists.
She then glared at Kaneshiro fiercely, a fire lighting up in her eyes.
"Shut your damn mouth, you money-grubbing asshole!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
Ken couldn't help but gape, hearing her swear. It took him several moments to realize that Niijima-san was talking again.
She suddenly clenched her fist before rasping out, "Yes, come to me."
Who… was she talking to?
Niijima-san suddenly let out a pained gasp, her eyes flashing a brilliant shade of gold. She hunched over, clutching her head.
What was going on?!
She suddenly jerked upward, a metal mask forming on her face. She gripped at it with both hands, before finally ripping it off with a cry. A blue blast of power surrounded her. Before the light died down, Ken could hear the revving of a motorcycle.
The light faded away, revealing that Niijima-san was sitting on a motorcycle that glowed a translucent blue. Wait… was that her Persona?!
Mitsuru-san would be jealous.
"A Persona…?" Kitagawa-san breathed.
"No dude," Sakamoto-san said in a isn't-it-obvious voice, "it's a bike!"
"I can feel it… myself… me…" Niijima-san's voice was filled with wonder.
Then she looked up, her gaze honing right onto the Shadows.
"Gun it!" she shouted, before charging forward and slamming her Persona into two of the Shadows. They were sent flying past Kaneshiro, smacking hard into the wall before dying.
W-What happened to her…? This was the same person, right? Or maybe she was just burying this underneath her prim exterior.
Either way, it was somewhat intimidating. She held herself proudly now, a fire burning in her eyes. Ken couldn't help but stare in awe. It was like she had been completely reborn.
Wait… what was she wearing? It was very… figure hugging. Niijima-san was more toned than her school uniform implied…
Wait, what was he thinking? Why was he looking at her like that? Ken shook his head, but that didn't stop the heat from rising in his cheeks. He wasn't Junpei-san… he did not have his head in the gutter.
"W-What was that?!" Mona sputtered out. "I've never seen anything like this…"
"Who cares?!" Takamaki-san demanded. "It's so cool!"
Amamiya-san smirked, folding his arms over his chest. "Who knew that she had it in her."
But they were soon interrupted. After a threat from Kaneshiro, the Shadows lunged forward to attack.
"Panther and Skull, you're with me!" Amamiya-san barked. "Let's do this!"
"Right!" they exclaimed in unison, before leaping into action.
Two of the Shadows were the same as the oni Ken had fought previously, and the third was a similar demon—but this one was purple.
Ken watched Kaneshiro flee, further inside the Palace. Huh… so he was just using his lackeys as a meat shield. No shock there…
Unsurprisingly, Niijima-san made the first move. Her motorcycle-Persona roared to life, slamming into the purple oni. She then blasted a bright blue energy that exploded. It struck all three of the enemies, but only caused the purple oni to stagger back.
Ken frowned. Just what was that? It resembled almighty magic, but… almighty magic was powerful, but the drawback was that it couldn't target a weakness.
Amamiya-san was next to move, summoning a red plumed bird. It blasted the same spell Niijima-san's Persona Johanna had used, though it only targeted one of the enemies.
Takamaki-san and Sakamoto-san then attacked, Takamaki-san's Persona producing powerful flames and Sakamoto-san's Persona knocking the Shadows aside like they were nothing more than bowling pins.
Ken lowered himself back down. He was pushing it—he didn't want to be seen by any of the Phantom Thieves. Their attention was focused on other things, but still. And there was still Kitagawa-san and Mona, who were sitting out the battle. They could easily notice him. Though Mona seemed to be the mission control for the Phantom Thieves, so he was focused on the battle.
The Shadows all seemed to be more physical based, so they went after Takamaki-san who seemed to be like Mitsuru-san and Yukari-san—having a heavy focus on magic spells.
With them ganging up on her, she was soon knocked unconscious.
"Panther!" Mona exclaimed.
Amamiya-san's confident expression seemed to waver before he gritted his teeth.
"You son of a bitch!" Sakamoto-san growled.
"Skull, catch!" Amamiya-san exclaimed, throwing a small bottle at him. "Skull, revive Panther! I'll distract the Shadows. Niijima-senpai, follow my lead!"
"Got it!" was their mutual answer.
"Matador!" Amamiya-san shouted. "Swift Strike!"
Ken suddenly found it hard to breathe. Amamiya-san had summoned a different Persona before, which meant…
He was a Wild Card.
It… it made sense. Their Shadow incident had triggered the awakening of Minato-san and Minako-san. The Investigation Team had their own Wild Card in Yu Narukami. With Tokyo apparently being a hotbed of Shadow activity…
But… what did this mean? The Wild Cards he knew were all good, virtuous people. And Amamiya-san was nice enough to him…
And yet, he couldn't let his bias cloud his judgment… Ken sighed to himself. He supposed it was just too early to decide. Though there was the matter of Shido… he had to discover if they even knew of him.
He'd definitely need to report back to Mitsuru-san about this development. This… changed things. He'd need to be extra careful, and see what the others had to say about this discovery.
It took several minutes for the Shadows to finally fall, but there was a collective sigh of relief once they had.
"I never thought they'd go down…" Takamaki-san said shakily.
"Come on, let's get out of here! Kaneshiro's gonna notice quickly his goons aren't reporting in and will definitely send more!" Mona urged. "We have a way to reach this bank finally… so our objective has been reached today."
"But how are we going to get out?" Amamiya-san asked.
"We just make an exit then," Niijima-san said coolly.
Ken blinked and thought, "Wait, what—"
A loud crash cut through his thoughts. Did she just… bust a hole in the wall?
"Daaaaaamn…" Sakamoto-san let out a low whistle. "Who knew that she was a total biker babe?"
"Skull!" Takamaki-san reprimanded.
"Whaaaat?" he protested. "Just look at her! She looked like she'd run you over with that bike of hers if you pissed her off enough…"
He wasn't exactly lying with that.
"You're just unbelievable…" she grumbled.
"That power… that fire exuding from her…" Kitagawa-san sighed deeply. "If only I had my sketchpad…"
"Only you would think of that at a time like this, Fox," Amamiya-san teased. "Though… I suppose it's probably a good thing she was fighting with us."
"Hey, enough chit-chat!" Mona snapped. "Let's get out of here!"
This cat-thing was really bossy, wasn't he?
Then there was a loud thud… strong enough to shake the ground. What was going on?
Ken cautiously peeked up again to see the Phantom Thieves loading onto a small bus. A bus with… cat ears and a cat tail?
Ken just sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead as he watched the bus speed away. A talking cat, Shadow selves, a Wild Card, and apparently the talking cat can turn to a bus. Would Mitsuru-san even believe his story?
Tuesday, June 21st, 2016
Even though Makoto felt exhausted… she also felt like she was rejuvenated. The memory of her summoning Johanna was burned into her mind. It felt like… she had been sleeping this whole time, and Johanna was what pulled her out of her slumber.
And… in a way, she had been. She was just so… passive about everything. She just did what she had been told to do.
But now she knew… she knew that she couldn't live that way anymore. And the first step… was Kaneshiro's downfall. She would make Kaneshiro pay… not just for her father's death, but because of all the suffering he was inflicting on people now.
Makoto entered the classroom. As it was still early, not too many of her classmates were inside yet. But Amada-kun was, sitting at his desk reading something from his notebook.
"Good morning, Amada-kun."
He smiled politely at her when he looked up, but something flickered in his eyes. It disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Good morning, Niijima-san. You seem to be in a good mood today."
Was she that transparent?
Makoto flushed a bit, before clearing her throat with a smile. "W-Well, the weather is starting to become really nice. It's the first day of summer, isn't it?"
Even as she spoke it, Makoto couldn't help but cringe a little. Couldn't she come up with a more plausible lie? Nothing she could do about it though…
Amada-kun just tilted his head slightly, as he studied her. Makoto couldn't help but fidget a bit under his gaze. There was just… something about his eyes. An intensity to them.
"It is nice," he said finally, before his eyes flickered back to her face. "But Niijima-san, I was wondering…"
"AHA! I knew it! She was after Amada-kun!"
"And it worked? He's seriously asking her out?"
Makoto stifled a squeak and thought, "What? He's gonna what?! We hardly know each other! Besides I'm far too busy for—!"
Amada-kun interjected through her thoughts and all the gossip around them.
"—If I could help out in the student council," he deadpanned, even as his cheeks turned a faint shade of pink.
Well… that was more doable and less embarrassing.
Makoto felt her face warm up as well. She should have known that Amada-kun wouldn't jump to that. She shouldn't have let their peers' comments get to her. They had only met each other like what—two weeks ago? Honestly, they let their imaginations fly around too much.
But still, it was a nice surprise… she really did have too much to take care of. And he seemed like quite put together and organized.
She slowly exhaled before placing all her things down at her desk. She turned to him and flashed him a grateful smile.
"We'd be glad to have you," she said sincerely. "I've heard from the principal that you've been student council since junior high."
"It's not that impressive…" He rubbed the back of his neck, looking rather sheepish.
She raised a brow, a small smile still on her face. Organized and humble? She fought off the urge to let out a sigh of relief. He definitely was appearing more dependable by the second. He also was so polite too. They definitely could use someone like him.
"But I thought you weren't interested in extracurriculars," Makoto said with a frown. "What changed your mind?"
He lowered his hand, resting it on his desk for several moments, before finally speaking again. "My guardian's best friend was calling the other day and he was asking me if I had looked into any clubs. He told me that I shouldn't limit myself to just studying for university. And well… I've had experience with student council and frankly, you need the help."
Makoto nearly winced. A bit blunt, this one. But he wasn't exactly wrong.
Makoto sighed. "Is it that obvious?"
Amada-kun just scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He didn't bother to hide the disdain from his voice.
"I'm pretty sure it wasn't you who put up that notice about information regarding the Phantom Thieves or the mafia."
Makoto bit her lip. She still couldn't believe the principal had done that…
But… now that the Phantom Thieves had their eyes on Kaneshiro, they would be able to stop him from manipulating their classmates and any other poor soul that Kaneshiro had swindled.
She met Amada-kun's gaze. "Well… I'm sure that the mafia boss will be punished soon enough. He can't run away from the law forever. But is that your only reason you want to help? Because of that flyer?"
His expression was unreadable as he just stared at her for a couple seconds.
Amada-kun just raised an eyebrow. "You've… become awfully optimistic lately, Niijima-san."
She hadn't expected him to say that. Makoto could only shrug at him. She couldn't exactly tell him the truth.
"I just… had a perspective change, that's all." She then flashed him another small smile, "Dodging my question however."
Amada-kun blinked. "I'm sorry, which question again?"
Makoto giggled as she pulled her pencil case out and placed it next to her textbook.
"The flyer? Is that the only reason you're interested? Got any intel?" she teased.
She held back a laugh as she noticed him fidget. She heard from her classmates from all their gossip that boys could be so easy to tease and how funny it was, and she couldn't deny there was some truth to that. However, as she turned to look at him, he wasn't blushing like she expected.
He seemed… anxious. Did she say something wrong?
"No, I'm not… I was just a bit worried you guys could be biting off more than you could chew. Especially after seeing that flyer. You all seemed like you were burning the candles on both ends, then this dropped on your lap too? The principal should be getting the police involved for questioning victims, not students."
That made sense, she supposed. She had a nagging feeling though, but she might be unfair to him. She shouldn't be quick to assume, she already made that same mistake with the Phantom Thieves.
"So what would you do then?" she asked instead. "About the victims that come forward I mean?"
Amada-kun stated with a serious expression, "That they need to tell everything they know to the police and their families. This isn't something the principal should burden students with."
Makoto simply nodded. "We'll talk more after class."
She quickly turned away, doing her best not to smile in a way that would cause people to stare.
She appreciated his concern, he definitely seemed like he was a good guy. But this was something the police can't handle. She knew what she had to do now. And she was going to see it through.
Minako knew that she shouldn't be focusing on this. She couldn't exactly do anything about it. But still. A Wild Card in Tokyo… and they had no idea about the Phantom Thieves' motives.
So, to put it shortly. Minako was worried. Somewhat. Just a smidge.
Oh, who was she kidding? What if she had put Ken in danger, because of her idea?
"Earth to Mina-tan!" Minako flinched as the sound of fingers snapping dragged her out of her thoughts.
"Junpei!"
The familiar sound of Yukari smacking Junpei just made Minako laugh. The former juniors—barring Aigis since she had volunteered to watch the twins—were having lunch together at Fuuka and Shinji's place. And according to Junpei, Chidori was in the 'zone' with one of her paintings and he didn't want to pull her away since she had been struggling with that piece for a while. He promised that he'd bring her for dinner though, so she could see Yukari and the twins too.
"Making up for how you can't smack Junpei in front of Kaito-kun and Miyuki-chan, huh, Yukari-chan?" she teased.
Her best friend considerably flushed, before grumbling out, "He deserved it!"
Today Yukari was wearing an off-shoulder light pink top with a bow tied in the center paired with dark blue capris. Minako was so used to seeing her in the Pink Argus costume that it was kinda funny to see her in a casual outfit.
Fuuka just laughed softly, before resting her hand over Minako's.
"Is there something on your mind, Minako-chan?" she asked quietly.
"It's just…" Minako sighed, before rubbing her forehead. "Ken-kun reported in again last night…"
"Seriously?" Junpei frowned. "What did he find out this time? And how many times has he even called in since he and Shinjiro-san had moved, anyways?"
Minako took in a shaky breath, which only caused her friends to look more concerned. She was supposed to be the cheerful one, after all. "There's another Wild Card. Ken-kun saw the Phantom Thieves fight for the first time."
Yukari stiffened, Junpei's eyes went wide, and all blood drained from Fuuka's face.
"A-Are you serious?" Yukari was the first to speak. "It's been what—the fourth?" She pressed her knuckles to her cheek. "Fifth, if you count Aigis."
Minako just sighed, absentmindedly rubbing her stomach. What kind of world was she bringing her child into? A world where Shido very well might become Prime Minster?
Fuuka frowned. "I suppose it makes sense… Tokyo is having a lot of Shadow activity…"
"That's not entirely true, though," Yukari protested. "The Persona-users from Sumaru and Mikage-cho don't have a Wild Card."
"Their circumstances are different." Minako waved a hand. "But yeah, Fuuka's right. Ever since our incident… every big Shadow incident has involved a Wild Card. Even smaller incidents have had at least one Wild Card present."
Junpei snickered. "I don't know, I just think the Investigation Team are Shadow magnets."
Fuuka giggled weakly. "I think Junpei-kun may have a point."
"For once," Yukari quipped with a light laugh.
Junpei ignored that jab.
"But hey, isn't this a good thing? Every Wild Card user was a leader to the good guys who triumph over stacked odds and all that jazz and save the world. Shouldn't that mean the Phantom Thieves would be our allies then?" Junpei said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Minako had considered that. Statistically, every Wild Card user was someone who used their powers to stop the Shadows and restore balance. She tried to smile at Junpei, but it was obvious it was false. He looked at her confused and concerned. Her expression morphed back into a heavy frown.
"That would make the most sense, but… we don't know the intentions about this group. Having a Persona doesn't make you a good person, just look at Takaya and Jin… as well as that serial killer the Investigation Team had to stop…"
Not to mention Sho Minazuki too…
Her hands were starting to shake. She tried to calm down, she took a deeper breath and licked her dry lips.
"Who is to say it's not the same for Wild Cards? What if… what if there are those who can have access to that power and—I'm just… worried. If the Phantom Thieves are abusing their powers… that would mean a Wild Card has gone rogue. And now two of our friends are on their own…"
And Shinji and Ken were definitely not strong enough to handle a whole team of Persona users. It was worrying. And it had been her idea in the first place.
Junpei hadn't removed his hand from her shoulder. He moved to sit next to her, his eyes filled with sympathy.
Fuuka sucked in a breath. "We may be jumping to conclusions, though… as you said, we don't know the intentions of this group. It would be hasty to start panicking and assume the worst."
Of course, Fuuka would want to look on the bright side too. And she did have a point.
"Maybe…" Minako sighed, her hand stroking her belly still. "I just hate not knowing."
"Well, that's what landed Ken-kun this mission to begin with," Fuuka sighed as well.
"Now that I wish that fan event was sooner than August," Yukari muttered, and sat down next to her other side. "It'd be nice to check up on Ken-kun and Shinjiro-senpai. Maybe meet this Wild Card. What was his name, Minako?"
"Ren Amamiya," Minako repeated the name Mitsuru had given her. "He's a year younger than Ken-kun."
No surprise there… she and Minato had awakened as second-years, and likewise for Yu. She'd laugh at the pattern if it wasn't for her nerves being on pins and needles at the moment.
Junpei let go of her shoulder and leaned back against the sofa, stretching his arms wide. He then let out a yawn. He then flashed Minako another cheerful smile.
"Maaaan, it's weird thinking how Ken's a third year," he said, clearly looking to change the subject. "He's older than us when the shit with Tartarus was going down."
Minako couldn't help but give a small smile.
"He's been a third year for nearly three months, Junpei." Yukari rolled her eyes at him, which only caused him to make a face at her.
"You know what I mean, Yuka-tan!" he grumbled, then added, "But ain't it a bit weird? What made the Phantom Thieves show up after what—nearly two years with the mental shutdowns?"
"You just want the Phantom Thieves to be heroes," Yukari said dryly.
"I mean, they are pretty cool if you think about it, Yuka-tan!" Junpei protested.
"You're such a little kid sometimes, Junpei," Yukari sighed.
"The littlest," Minako added, her grin only widening at the chagrined expression on Junpei's face.
"Fuuka, they're picking on me!" he whined, turning to their friend for comfort.
Fuuka just patted his hand consolingly. "Now, now… You know they're just teasing, Junpei-kun."
"You didn't disagree with them," Junpei said flatly.
"Well…" Fuuka could only offer him a sheepish smile, which only made Yukari and Minako burst into laughter.
"I'm always ganged up on," Junpei sighed, clutching a hand to his chest. "Will the torment ever end?"
"Now you're just being a drama queen," Minako giggled.
Junpei just flashed a grin at her, before winking. "Hey, I learned from the best."
Though she had missed this… She understood that Yukari's job took her everywhere, but she just missed spending time with her friends as a large group. It was just too bad that Yukari couldn't take time off before Shinji and Ken left for Tokyo.
Junpei shook his head. "But anyways! Enough serious talk."
Junpei's eyes flickered to Fuuka, his lips quirking up in a mischievous grin.
"Sooo, Fuuka," he drawled. "Have you told Shinjiro-san about the new occupant in the house?"
"I'm… um…" Fuuka smiled sheepishly. "Not really."
Yukari sighed. "Fuuka… come on, Shinjiro-senpai's going to flip if he comes to visit and there are suddenly puppies in the house."
"I still can't believe Koro-chan had a girlfriend this whole time. Good thing that Ken-kun decided not to take Koro-chan with him, huh?" Minako said.
"Shinji's been busy," Fuuka quickly defended, clutching the hem of her dress. "He's looking for a day job, since he has that bartending job… I don't just want to drop this kind of bomb on him, that's all."
Not to mention that he's probably been fretting over Ken. Shinjiro had a bad tendency to mother hen, but he was the worst with Ken—him being the youngest and all.
"Guessing that he's been trying to get everything settled," Minako said, before sternly frowning at her friend. "But still, you should tell him!"
Then she smiled slyly as a wicked thought came to her mind.
"Or should I just tell him that he can expect a new addition to the household soon enough?"
Fuuka slapped both hands on her cheeks, which were burning bright red.
"Minako-chan!" she squeaked.
"I'll pay you five thousand yen to do that." Junpei's face broke into a wide grin. "And take a picture of Shinjiro-san's face when you do it."
Minako grinned back at him. "Ten thousand and you're on."
"Seriously, guys?" Yukari crossed her arms over her chest, looking rather unimpressed with the two of them.
"Seven thousand," Junpei haggled.
"C-Can you please not?" Fuuka pleaded, her face still red.
"Better get to it, then, Fuuka-chan!" Minako laughed.
Yukari just looked up to the ceiling and groaned.
"Sometimes I really wonder about my choices in friends," she said idly.
"Aw, c'mon, Yukari-chan, you know you love us!"
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2016
Ryuji scratched his head and let out a yawn.
There was a pattern to how Ren did things. He never immediately jumped into exploring the Palace, taking his time to get better equipment, medicine, and tools. But when he did, he pushed everyone to their limits to cover as much of the Palace as possible.
Though sometimes he did stop and train with Ryuji during the preparations, today wasn't one of those days. But Ryuji figured that he might as well train at the gym today. The Shadows were getting pretty tough.
But as he walked up to the gym, he could see someone just staring at the gym sign, with his eyebrows knitted together like he wasn't sure if he should be here.
Ryuji stopped right next to him. "Uh, you lost or somethin'?"
Ryuji wasn't the best at sneaking around. Ren was always grabbing his sleeve so he wouldn't jump the gun during Palace runs. But he had apparently snuck up on this guy. He jumped at Ryuji's voice, before straightening up. He was wearing the Shujin uniform, but Ryuji had never seen him once in his life.
"No, it's not that I'm lost…" he said slowly, a weird look in his eyes. "I'm just not sure if I use this gym. The reviews I read were somewhat… mixed."
Ryuji insisted, "No, this place is good. I'll show you the good stuff, yeah?"
"Wait, what—" he began, but Ryuji just grabbed him by the arm and hauled him inside.
"I'm Ryuji, by the way," Ryuji said before releasing him. "I don't think I've seen you 'round school, though."
"Oh, er, that's because I just moved here about two weeks ago…" he said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "That, and I'm a third-year."
"Ohh, you're the new transfer. Ken Amada, right?" Ryuji's eyes widened, before looking at him up and down. "My buddy Ren's mentioned you."
Though he had to admit, he was kinda expecting the new transfer to look like a total nerd. One of those bookworm types, sorta like Makoto. And while he did have that preppy, almost goody two shoes look to him, he had a lean, athletic build. Though Ryuji couldn't help but wonder what was up with that rumor of him getting into a street fight.
Okay, so he didn't have to know that Ren mentioned him because he was basically intel. Though there were a few rumors 'bout him anyways… Maybe he'd just brush it off.
"Oh, you're friends with Amamiya-san?" Amada looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "I hope he didn't say anything negative."
"Nah, nothing like that." Ryuji waved his hand, before he shot Amada a look. "And dude, really? Amamiya-san? You do know that Ren's younger than you, right?"
His mouth twisted at that—wait, was he pouting?
"Excuse me for wanting to be polite," he muttered.
"Eh, Ren doesn't really care for formalities. I don't either, just you know. So just Ryuji's fine, a'ight?" Ryuji just waved off.
Though someone being polite to him was… new. His rep at Shujin was enough to scare away most of his classmates and the bleached hair took care of the rest. But the older boy didn't seem bothered, even meeting his gaze.
"Okay," he said after a moment, a slight smile curving at his lips.
Ryuji just grinned at him. "So, what do you wanna do first?"
His eyes then widened. "You don't have to bother—"
"Bother?" Ryuji repeated incredulously. "Dude, training with other people is fun. The more the merrier, yeah?"
He just gave Ryuji a sheepish smile. "I just don't want to impose…"
Ryuji rolled his eyes. "And I'm saying you're not. Sheesh, do I have to repeat myself?"
Then he rolled his eyes, a deadpan expression on his face. "Duly noted, Ryuji-san."
Ryuji made a face. Okay, it was better than being called Sakamoto-san. Being called that just reminded him of his old man.
Training with Amada was fun though. Not that training with Ren wasn't fun, but Amada had a bit of a competitive streak. He pushed Ryuji to work harder. And holy crap, he was fast. At least Ryuji had more stamina than him.
"Were you really not part of any sport team at your old school?" Ryuji asked when they took their break.
He passed Ryuji a can of soda, before opening the lid of his own drink. "I never said that."
"But I've heard…" Ryuji began.
He snorted.
"And do you really think all rumors are true?" He looked straight at Ryuji, raising a brow. "And just so we're clear, I am not dating Mitsuru Kirijo."
"That one was really out there," Ryuji laughed.
He took a swig of his drink. He wiped the droplets on his mouth with his arm.
Amada was a bit uptight, but he seemed alright.
Ryuji then asked. "So then are you just… not interested? About sport teams I mean, not dating that Mitsuru lady."
"I'm… just going to ignore that last comment. But anyways, the principal dropping huge hints that he wanted me to join a sport team killed my motivation," Amada said dryly. "Guessing he wants a reputation boost after Kamoshida's arrest."
Ryuji's face twisted in disgust. That sounded just like him… but then he happened to get a good look on Amada's face, and laughed.
"Not a fan, huh?"
"What, are you?" he responded, before taking a sip of his drink.
"I don't think anyone is," Ryuji said with a snicker, before looking over to him. "Though, what did you even play?"
"Soccer. It was pretty fun… but I just slowly dropped it," Amada answered, and then shrugged. "I prioritized my studies and my duties at student council over soccer."
"You were student council?" Ryuji looked at him up and down. "Yeah, I can see that."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" He quirked an eyebrow at Ryuji.
"Uh, dude, have you looked in the mirror? You totally look like a goody two shoes. A prep. Betcha you wear something dorky like sweater vests in the winter," Ryuji retorted.
"What's wrong with wearing sweater vests?" he grumbled.
Ryuji was so glad he stopped himself from taking another sip in that moment as he started to laugh.
"Nailed it," Ryuji smirked.
Amada opened his mouth to retort, but then his phone pinged. He pulled it out of his pocket with a frown, studying the screen. He then looked back at Ryuji.
"Er… I have to go…" he said slowly. "My guardian… is being very insistent, after an… incident. Anyways I should get going."
"Overprotective much?" Ryuji laughed.
He just closed his eyes, smiling fondly.
"You have no idea." He opened his eyes. "Maybe I'll see you around school? Today was fun. I forgot how fun it was to exercise with a partner."
Ryuji nodded. "Yeah, yeah! I'll see you around, Amada-senpai!"
Unsurprisingly, Shido had ordered Goro to discover the identity of the Persona-user wandering Kaneshiro's Palace. Shido only seemed to regard him as a nuisance as of right now, as he demanded that Goro keep a tab on the Phantom Thieves—viewing them as a growing threat to his plans.
But there was a reason why Shido had forcibly dismantled the Shadow Operatives in Tokyo. He didn't want any other Persona-user messing up his plans.
And unfortunately, the only lead he had was that he seemed to be Goro's age. So Goro was stuck combing through school records to see if he could find a match. He could rule out his high school, at least.
Goro grumbled to himself, as he continued to flick through the files on the computer. Why couldn't it have been any other day but a Sunday? This would have made things so much easier…
Goro's fingers brushed against his mouth as he thought. Perhaps… he should search the Shujin records next. The Phantom Thieves had some connection to that school after all. That boy could be linked to them somehow. A few taps on his keyboard pulled up the files for the Shujin student database.
He combed through so many pages and names for quite a long time, his warm coffee had gotten completely cold next to him.
His breath caught when he finally found the record. That face was definitely a match to the boy he saw.
Ken Amada…
Goro frowned at the picture. As he had transferred quite recently, the picture was of him wearing his old school uniform… the Gekkoukan uniform. Which was… mildly alarming.
Mitsuru Kirijo was an alumni of Gekkoukan High. The valedictorian, in fact, as well as being the president of the student council.
Shido despised her. Shortly after Wakaba Isshiki's death, Mitsuru Kirijo had ordered an investigation. Shido was quick to halt that investigation, and was even swifter to disable the Shadow Operatives.
Goro frowned. But still… according to this, he was literally on the cusp of turning eighteen, his birthday being on the twenty-fourth. And the Shadow Operatives' predecessor, the group SEES, had been founded in 2009. Amada would have been ten or eleven at the time. To have a Persona so young… it was impossible. Maybe he wasn't even connected to the Shadow Operatives. Unless he somehow obtained it later and was approached by the Shadow Operatives. This was all speculation however.
There was the question why Amada was wandering the Metaverse. How had he gained access to it? Was he going to be a threat? More importantly, a threat to Goro's plans?
How irritating. He should have killed that nuisance when he had the chance, then he wouldn't have to be worrying about potential thorns in his side.
Goro scowled to himself. He still couldn't believe that he had let his guard down so much while fighting him. Fighting a Persona-user was very different from fighting a Shadow. Shadows were dangerous, of course, but they acted on pure instinct. And there was Amada's strange resistance to Loki's curse spells, when his element seemed to be bless. If anything, he should have resisted bless magic.
He would have to keep tabs on Amada. And not just because Shido had demanded it…
Notes:
I apologize for the wait, but my adaption of Makoto's awakening was a bit… tricky for me to figure out how to write. I swear I didn't mean to make it that long.
And while I know it's not canon that Kaneshiro had something to do with Makoto's father's death, but I tweaked it since it made things… more personal for Makoto. I know that Papa Niijima's death is meant to be vaguer but I thought it'd be interesting to connect Kaneshiro with Papa Niijima's death.
And for Ken's thief costume, I think that a gentleman thief outfit suits him. Plus, the bonus of it resembling the Gekkoukan school uniform, which is what Ken fought in before.
As always, I'd love to hear what you guys think!
Edit Notes (4/30/24): Added a bit more to the Kaneshiro confrontation as well as tweaking Makoto's awakening to align better with canon. There were some details added to the SEES scene and the Ken&Makoto scene.
Chapter 6: Ch. 5: The Bank Of Gluttony
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves continue their exploration of Kaneshiro's Palace, but they run into an unexpected person while doing so.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Friday, June 24th, 2016
Ken groaned as the repeated notification sounds dragged him out of his sleep. It took him several attempts to retrieve his phone just to see who would spam him with texts at barely past six in the morning, but he eventually found himself holding his phone. It took him several upward swipes just to see what had triggered this.
Group Chat: Former SEES (Minako Sanada, Akihiko Sanada, +7 others)
[Minako Sanada]: HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEN-KUN!!
Minako-san had added some birthday popper emojis in her message. Ken rubbed his temples. He’d be inclined to thank her if it wasn’t so early.
[Akihiko Sanada]: Mina, it’s not even six yet
[Minako Sanada]: you’re one to talk Aki :c
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: you’re gonna wake him up, idiots
[Mitsuru Kirijo]: It’s not *that* early, Shinjiro. But regardless of that, happy birthday, Amada.
[Junpei Iori]: HEY HEY HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEN! Chidorita says hbd too!!
[Junpei Iori]: y’know
[Junpei Iori]: if we were in Europe, we could take you out for a drink
[Yukari Takeba]: THAT’S what you say?!
[Junpei Iori]: Hey it’s true!
[Aigis]: I always assumed that Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san allowed Ken-san to indulge in alcohol during special occasions
[Mitsuru Kirijo]: …Shinjiro, Yamagishi, is this true?
[Minako Sanada]: they’re reading the messages
[Junpei Iori]: HAVE YOU SEEN KEN DRUNK?!
[Fuuka Yamagishi]: …No?
[Fuuka Yamagishi]: Junpei-kun, the fact that you WANT Ken-kun to be drunk at some point is concerning…
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: what the fuck, Iori
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: 1) we give Ken one glass on New Year’s and other holidays
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: 2) Ken has never been drunk because of how little we give him
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: 3) Fuuka’s right why the fuck do you want to see Ken drunk
[Mitsuru Kirijo]: It’s still against the law
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: You’re telling me that you never broke the law?
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: never mind the reason we’re even in Tokyo is because you’re basically giving Shido the middle finger
[Mitsuru Kirijo]: …Shinjiro, feel fortunate that you’re hundreds of kilometers away from me. Also that’s hardly comparable considering what Shido’s done.
[Yukari Takeba]: I think he would’ve gotten executed if he said that in person…
[Minako Sanada]: YOU THINK?!
[Akihiko Sanada]: You have more guts than me, Shinji…
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: like I didn’t know that already
[Akihiko Sanada]: YOU WANNA GO?!
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: You can’t even come to Tokyo, you moron
[Fuuka Yamagishi]: Shinji, don’t pick a fight with Akihiko-senpai!
[Aigis]: When are they not fighting, though, Fuuka-san?
[Junpei Iori]: oh hey Ken’s reading our messages
[Junpei Iori]: BUT HE HASN’T THANKED US
[Yukari Takeba]: YOU’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT GETTING HIM DRUNK
[Yukari Takeba]: And now Shinjiro-senpai and Akihiko-senpai are fighting over the chat
[Minako Sanada]: It’s entertaining at least
[Mitsuru Kirijo]: Minako, don’t encourage this
[Mitsuru Kirijo]: But furthermore, happy birthday, Amada. I arranged for all of our gifts to be sent to where you are staying
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: oh yeah, Mitsuru
[Yukari Takeba]: Yeah, happy birthday Ken-kun!!
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: was that about the place we’re staying at being modest?
[Mitsuru Kirijo]: …Aigis, please remind me to execute Shinjiro whenever I see him next
[Aigis]: Duly noted, Mitsuru-san.
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: And you don’t even deny it
[Akihiko Sanada]: you really do have a death wish, Shinji…
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: At least I’ve never been stupid enough to try and peep at Mitsuru
[Akihiko Sanada]: THAT WAS JUNPEI’S FAULT
[Junpei Iori]: H E Y
[Yukari Takeba]: how did this even escalate to this point?
[Fuuka Yamagishi]: I have… no idea
[Aigis]: I do not understand why you are surprised, Fuuka-san.
[Fuuka Yamagishi]: But happy birthday Ken-kun <3 Koro-chan and I both miss you!
[Ken Amada]: Thanks guys… though I’d appreciate it if you did it later in the day…
[Shinjiro Aragaki]: I told you that you’d wake him up
[Minako Sanada]: eh, he needed to get up for school anyways all’s good
[Junpei Iori]: god I do not miss school
[Aigis]: We’re all aware, Junpei-san
Ken let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his eyes. He appreciate the well wishes but he wished they had done it when he wasn’t half dead. But a light knock sounding on the door caused Ken to look up. Shinjiro-san opened the door, looking rather unamused.
“Did you read the whole chat?” he inquired.
Ken let out an involuntary yawn. “Morning… and it was hard not to. It woke me up.”
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes.
“Figures... I really wanna know why Iori was up before you.” But then he looked at Ken. “But happy birthday, Ken.”
“Thanks, Shinjiro-san.” He smiled at his guardian.
“So, where do you want to go to dinner tonight?” he asked casually, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Ken frowned. “I… honestly don’t know.”
Shinjiro-san’s birthday present to Ken every year was basically dinner at whatever restaurant he wanted. And Shinjiro-san wouldn’t critique the food served, unlike most times they went out for dinner—not that happened much, with Shinjiro-san’s preference to cook.
Shinjiro-san just shrugged.
“Well, you have time. Maybe ask around to see if you can get any recommendations.” But he scrutinized Ken’s face. “How have you been doing in Shujin?”
“Fine,” Ken replied.
Another yawn then escaped him—it was really too early.
He couldn’t help but grumble out, “Some of the students are the worst gossips I’ve seen, though.”
He still couldn’t believe that some people took ‘No, I’m not interested in finding a girlfriend’ and ‘Mitsuru Kirijo is my senpai’ and turned it to that he was dating Mitsuru-san. Mitsuru-san was a stunning woman but just… no. Why did people always have to jump to weird conclusions?
Mitsuru-san mothered him the most out of the girls, too. It was just… bizarre thinking about it.
“No surprise there,” Shinjiro-san snorted, arms folded over his chest. “Teenagers just latch onto anything to talk about.”
“Still annoying though,” Ken grumbled.
“You don’t have to tell me,” Shinjiro-san retorted. “Look, do me a favor and take a break, for once. It’s your birthday, for crying out loud.”
Ken made a face. “You know that’s out of my control, Shinjiro-san...”
And knowing his luck... the Phantom Thieves would pick today to go back to the Palace.
And he just had to be proven right...
Just what he wanted to do for his birthday. Fight Shadows and follow the Phantom Thieves through the Palace.
The more he explored the Palace, the more he was certain that it wasn’t like Tartarus. Tartarus was more like a never-ending maze. How had Fuuka-san been so... off? Her scanning capabilities were a rare ability, and Fuuka-san was good at it. He had heard from Akihiko-san that Fuuka-san was able to reach them inside the TV world while she was outside. Maybe... it was the distance.
The Palace seemed to have a structured design, unlike with Tartarus. And he had done things he never even thought about. Like crawling through vents (he had really thought it was just something that happened in TV shows and movies, not real life), climbing countless ledges, and etc.
At least the palace was in Shibuya, so he could slip over to the penthouse and enter the Metaverse that way. He didn’t have to worry about hiding his spear.
Though it was fortunate that the Shadows seemed to be weaker than him. It didn’t particularly help him getting stronger, but it was probably better for now with how many times he had gotten caught…
“Hey, is it me or is the security level higher than usual…?”
“You’re not wrong, Panther,” Morgana answered Takamaki-san’s question. “It’s strange… maybe Kaneshiro just gets more on guard every time we’re spotted…?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised, with how he taught his goons…” Amamiya-san said slowly. “Let’s just be more careful. I don’t have any more smokescreens on me.”
“Roger that, Joker.”
Ken sighed to himself, before glancing around him. Call him paranoid, but he couldn’t help but feel the mysterious black-masked Persona-user wouldn’t give up after that one visit. He hadn’t seen him since then, but Strega had been monitoring them from a distance. It could be the same thing.
“Show me your true form!”
Ken managed to look back in time to see Amamiya-san finish ripping off the mask of the Shadow stalking the hallway, jumping backwards. Niijima-san, Kitagawa-san, and Takamaki-san leapt forward to join him. The Shadow split into three, forming into two pixie-like creatures and the red oni.
They were operating similarly to how they did back in Tartarus, with the teams composed of four people.
Though, Amamiya-san really had a flair for the dramatics. Minako-san was enthusiastic about fighting Shadows and she was quite acrobatic in combat, but Amamiya-san was an entirely different level.
It wasn’t enough to just attack the Shadow from behind apparently. Though he had no idea why the Shadows were so… different.
“Two High Pixies and an Oni!” Mona exclaimed. “Let’s get them!”
Amamiya-san then smirked before he ripped off his mask. “Suzaku!”
Ken pursed his lips as the red plumed Persona appeared again. He only seen two Personas so far that Amamiya-san used, this one called Suzaku, and another called Matador. He couldn’t help but be curious what the default one he started with, like Minato-san and Minako-san, as well as Yu-san. Though there was a chance neither of these two Personas he saw is the original. He couldn’t help but wonder what Amamiya-san’s inner self looked like. Especially compared to his friends. Perhaps it could give some insight what Amamiya-san’s actually like.
No… he couldn’t think like that. Everyone’s Personas manifest so differently. It didn’t give any window if a persona was good or bad, after all some of them had rather intimidating looking Personas but fought for life and truth.
None of this speculating was providing any real answers, just creating more confusion for himself. He needed to step back and not start making any assumptions one way or the other. He supposed all this overthinking was because he couldn’t get over it. He still didn’t know what to think about Amamiya-san being a Wild Card…
Although it was interesting to watch the Phantom Thieves in action, to contrast them with how SEES had operated as a unit.
Minato-san was considerably more cautious than Amamiya-san. He was quite talented with coming up with strategies on the fly, and Minako-san had an uncanny ability to pick up on what he was planning without him saying a word. And it looked like that Amamiya-san didn’t have the ability to summon two Personas at a time. Though he supposed it wasn’t too surprising, considering that only Minato-san and Minako-san had exhibited that ability.
Though Ken had to admit the use of the guns was a bit unsettling. Just where had they gotten those? What kind of person would sell guns to underage high school students?
“Panther, it’s yours!” Amamiya-san called, holding out his hand for Takamaki-san to high-five.
“Yeah, pass the baton pass!” Mona said encouragingly as they exchanged a high-five.
“Carmen!” she cried out, ripping off her mask.
Thin tendrils of flames whipped through the air, burning their enemies.
He… didn’t really understand what this Baton Pass was exactly, except that it seemed to power them somehow. But was the high-fiving necessary? It looked more like for show, but maybe it did help power them up… somehow. This was so confusing but clearly, he needed to observe more.
However it was interesting to see how differently the Thieves carried themselves in the Metaverse.
There was no other way to put it. Amamiya-san was cocky as Joker. The quiet, almost bookish boy was gone. He had that aura that all Wild Cards seemed to have, the aura that drew in people. Confidence just radiated from him, whether it was from him solving a puzzle or getting the drop from a Shadow.
Sakamoto-san was friendly, but Skull was reckless. He threw himself into danger without a second thought for his friends. He seemed to enjoy fighting Shadows—probably for the stress relief. Though with the rumors circulating around him… Ken really didn’t blame him for needing it.
Takamaki-san was nice and friendly, but Panther was fierce and passionate. It was no wonder that her element was fire. She seemed to relish sending Shadows on their metaphorical knees. She seemed more confident as Panther.
Kitagawa-san… he wasn’t as sure, as he had never interacted with the artist before. But Kitagawa-san was quiet, and appeared a bit too honest from the little he observed. Fox moved gracefully but he was surprisingly fierce when fighting Shadows.
And Niijima-san… it was so odd to see his classmate carry herself as prim, polite, and very straight-laced, when he saw Queen. She didn’t hold back when fighting Shadows, whether it was unleashing her magic spells—though from what he had figured out from eavesdropping, it was nuclear magic, not almighty magic—or punching them into submission.
He was not sure about that cat-thing called Mona however…
But disregarding that… the thieves carried themselves in a way that differed so much from his first impressions of them. But what was the truth? The civilian or the thief?
They were making good progress. Makoto’s analysis of the Shadows was helping speed up the fights, so they weren’t as tired. Though Ren could have gone without the cameras. Even with the Third Eye, Ren had messed up a lot.
At least smashing the electric boxes was fun. Even if Ryuji complained he was being a bit extra with how he destroyed them. A guy can’t have a little fun and stress relief, it seemed.
“Hmm…” Morgana looked thoughtful, tilting his head. “I’d say one more box and we’ll be good, Joker.”
“Finally,” Ryuji grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.
“To say that this was kinda annoying is putting it lightly,” Anne chimed in.
But then the familiar alarm suddenly blared, blasting their ears.
“What was that?” Yusuke looked bewildered.
“Let’s find out,” Ren said, adjusting the glove on his right hand. “Come on.”
They ran down back the hallway, only to see a lone figure standing in the center.
The only feature Ren could make out was their light brown hair. They had a lithe figure, dressed in mostly black.
What the…?
They looked like a deer in headlights. It took Ren a moment to register that it was a guy.
He stared for several moments—giving them a clear view of his masked face—before grasping the railing and jumping.
“Dammit!” Ren cursed to himself. “Why did I just gawk like an idiot?!”
While he was mentally berating himself, Ryuji’s hands clenched into fists.
“HEY! STOP!” he yelled, rushing down the stairs.
“Skull, stop!” Anne snapped, running after him. “You’ll trigger the alarm!”
But when she reached out to grab his arm and pull him back, Ryuji just ripped off his mask and summoned his Persona.
“CAPTAIN KIDD!”
“What the hell, Skull?!” Anne screeched at him. “What part of stop don’t you understand?!”
“I’m slowing him down!” Ryuji retorted.
Makoto just looked at Ren, confusion in her eyes. She then tilted her head.
She asked, “Why is Skull running after him?”
“One sec,” Ren said, holding up a hand before turning to look at Morgana. “Mona, go after Skull and Panther. Maybe jump after him?”
God, why hadn’t they thought of that, instead of running around to disable the cameras? Though it was kinda risky. Jump high enough and they would be splats on the ground.
Morgana nodded, before scampering after Ryuji and Anne.
“When we defeated Madarame’s Shadow… he spoke up of an intruder with a black mask,” Ren answered carefully as he eyed Yusuke with concern.
He knew bringing that up was a touchy subject. But Makoto needed to know about it since she was part of the team now. Yusuke nodded towards him and Ren let out a quiet sigh.
“It was… somewhat unsettling. But I wanted to assume he was dodging our questioning or outright lying. However, if this is the person he spoke of… that is a bit alarming. It means there is someone else out there with powers like ours. And… he wasn’t completely untruthful,” Yusuke added, his eyes not meeting anyone’s gazed as he fidgeted.
Makoto sharply inhaled at that.
“That is… rather unsettling,” she murmured.
Yusuke nodded in agreement. “And I think it’s a safe assumption that this black masked Persona-user is the one behind the mental shutdowns.”
Makoto frowned still. “But… the mask was black and white, right? That’s rather distinct…”
“It’s a bit suspicious that he bolted though,” Ren said thoughtfully, tugging at his glove. “And he was carrying a spear, wasn’t he? Obviously equipped to fight Shadows. And he had a thief outfit.”
“But on the other hand,” Yusuke began, “it could have been just a flight or fight response. He merely chose flight.”
“But regardless, even if he isn’t the black masked guy we were told about… who is he? He has to have powers like us because he has a mask like us and dressed like someone who the Palace Ruler would find a threat. And the fact that he’s carrying a weapon so he must know how to fight Shadows, a civilian wouldn’t last in here. Not to mention the fact he got in here at all,” Ren pointed out.
Makoto nodded. “That’s a good point. We need to divulge who he is and what is intentions are. And how he got in here or how he got his powers.”
“Yes… I don’t think it wise to assume the worst, but the circumstances and his timing is quite suspicious, so I understand your caution, Joker,” Yusuke replied.
And to be fair, Ryuji probably looked a bit terrifying. He looked a complete delinquent, and his weapon of choice didn’t exactly help… Ren would probably feel pretty freaked out if Ryuji came after him, waving his bat like crazy. So Yusuke did have a point about the fight or flight thing.
But he couldn’t help but shake the feeling the guy seemed… almost like he was guilty of something. His expression felt too much like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar.
Was he… spying on them? That just made Ren feel more on edge. They needed to find that guy and get to the bottom of this. They had their hands full enough as it is dealing with Kaneshiro and these Shadows.
Makoto folded her arms over her chest, a thoughtful frown tugging at her lips.
“Well, this explains the security level, doesn’t it? You were saying how it was rising at an abnormally high rate.”
Ren nodded. “It does. But it looks like he doesn’t know much about the Metaverse…”
“Well, Mona did have to teach you,” Yusuke pointed out. “And you passed on his knowledge to us. So perhaps you shouldn’t blame him as much.”
“But the question is…” Makoto said quietly, “is he really just someone wandered in? Or an actual threat?”
The fact that Ren didn’t know the answer was more unsettling… Ren sighed to himself. He just hoped this wasn’t going to negatively affect the Palace exploration.
The door swung wide open so loudly that it was almost comical to Shinjiro how Ken then turned to shut it as gently as possible.
Ken looked like shit, like he was just about ready to pass out. His eyes practically had bags under them, almost as if he got no sleep for a couple days. Which was contrast to absolutely fine he looked this morning despite the rude awakening he got from the early morning group text.
Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. “Rough day?”
“Tired,” he mumbled, before stumbling over to the couch and falling face first with a groan.
Fuuka just giggled. “This is why you should take things easy, Ken-kun.”
“It wasn’t on purpose,” Ken mumbled out.
He then forced himself to sit up.
Shinjiro eyed him. He looked way too beat.
“Why don’t you just rest tonight?” he suggested. “We can go out another time.”
Ken sighed. “That’s fine by me. I’m going to lay down for a bit.”
Ken then pushed himself from the couch and trudged towards the direction of his bedroom.
Shinjiro huffed once he heard the door close. “He really is working himself too hard. Mitsuru told him not to push himself so much. Just a few days, he was so tired I was surprised that he didn't fall face first into his food. And you should’ve seen him when he found the Metaverse…”
Fuuka’s eyes went wide as she pressed a hand over her mouth. Her eyebrows knitted in concern.
“I didn’t realize it was that bad,” she murmured.
Shinjiro fought the urge to snort. Like Fuuka was much better. He still remembered how she was during the first few months when she started university. But still, he couldn’t help but worry.
“It makes me wish that Ken was only studying for his entrance exam.” Shinjiro rubbed his forehead.
Ken was dedicated to his studies. Smart enough to get a scholarship, all while juggling his other extracurricular activities. Though it would’ve been nice if Ken hadn’t wrecked his eyesight while doing so.
“Well… if Ken-kun is this dedicated to this mission...” Fuuka said slowly.
Her expression became longing and she placed her left hand on her cheek.
“...Maybe you’ll get to come home sooner.”
Shinjiro frowned. He had talked to his girlfriend in private, and Fuuka was quick to reassure him that she understood his reasonings and that she completely agreed with him. If it wasn’t pushing it already with the two of them, Fuuka would’ve gone with them. But... he couldn’t help but feel bad. They had to do long distance for four years, which had just sucked.
“Maybe, but it really depends on if the Phantom Thieves are abusing their abilities,” Shinjiro muttered, before he scoffed quietly. “I know which one Ken would prefer.”
Fuuka froze at that and turned to him.
“Shinji...?” she questioned.
“I’m not as smart as you—”
“You are smart,” Fuuka quickly cut him off with a frown.
“Fine,” Shinjiro rolled his eyes, “I’m not as studious as you, but I ain’t blind. Ken thinks that he hides it well, but I know that he likes the idea of them.”
Fuuka began to fidget. Her voice was small when she spoke again.
“Um... would you be mad if I told you if I knew?” she asked timidly.
Shinjiro sighed and shook his head.
“No. It’s expected, with how much Ken loves superheroes.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m surprised Mitsuru hasn’t caught on.”
Fuuka smiled softly. “Mitsuru-senpai doesn’t live with Ken-kun, Shinji. And I’m sure that Ken-kun is very aware of why we’re wary of the Phantom Thieves.”
“Yeah...” Shinji muttered, before closely studying Fuuka’s face. “You’ve been takin’ care of yourself, right? Cooking, not just getting takeout? Not staying up too long ‘cause of work?”
Whenever Fuuka had visited, he usually ended up dragging her to bed. And he had to hide the coffee beans from her. She had really relied too much on coffee to keep her going.
But Fuuka just laughed softly, her lips curving into a gentle smile. “Don’t worry. Koro-chan is very insistent of me going to bed on time.”
“How is he?”
“Um...” Fuuka fidgeted for a moment. “Well, really well.”
Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. “Why am I hearing a but in that?”
“Well...” Fuuka took a deep breath. “He... um... is kinda... going to be a father in a couple weeks?”
Shinjiro just blinked at her absently.
“AndItookinthemother,” she blurted in a rush.
“Fuuka!”
“She was a stray, but she’s really sweet and Mitsuru-senpai arranged it so a vet examined her and gave her all of the shots!” Fuuka added.
Shinjiro just groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. “We can’t take care of all of these dogs,” he grumbled.
“Um, well... Minako-chan has already claimed one of the puppies,” Fuuka said sheepishly. “Junpei-kun said that he wants one, but he’ll have to talk to Chidori-chan to see if it’s really okay. And... Kanji-kun also wants one.”
Of course Tatsumi did. Every time he saw Koromaru, all he wanted to do was pet him. Though he was so aggressive while petting him, Koromaru didn’t really... like it when Tatsumi tried to pet him. He was seriously way too aggressive. It was no wonder Koromaru wasn’t too crazy for Tatsumi’s pettings.
“So how many runts is the little girlfriend of his having?” Shinjiro rubbed his right temple.
“Mitsuru-senpai said the ultrasound said six.” Fuuka smiled weakly.
“Six? Sheesh—we’re gonna need to find three more families, I guess. That damn furball…” Shinjiro sighed. “There’s nothing I can really do ‘bout this now, huh?”
Fuuka giggled, her eyes suddenly twinkling with humor. “You’d spoil them rotten if you could.”
“...Shut up.”
Sunday, June 26th, 2016
Shinjiro-san had put his foot down, deeming that Ken was working himself too hard. He then proceeded to kick Ken out of the penthouse with the demand that Ken go enjoy himself today. No studying. Nothing regarding the mission.
So, Ken ended up wandering Shibuya, since he hasn’t properly explored the ward yet. Ken couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the Buchiko statue. Koromaru really was a real life Buchiko. Maybe he should take Koromaru to see it, if Fuuka-san could come and visit. Hopefully she could visit for Shinjiro-san’s birthday in August.
Though speaking of Koromaru, Ken couldn’t believe he went and sired a litter of puppies. Mitsuru-san had talked about breeding Koromaru before, as she was curious if the potential was hereditary. And the oldest children of a Persona-user (that they knew well), were only five right now...
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Ken jumped at the sudden voice, turning around to see that it was Amamiya-san. Kitagawa-san was standing next to him, looking at him curiously.
“Penny?” he asked once he found his voice.
Amamiya-san laughed. “Sorry, it’s an American saying that Anne likes to say sometimes.”
“Ah, I see.” Ken bowed his head. “It’s nice to see you again, Amamiya-san.”
He then let his eyes linger on Kitagawa-san—he needed to play dumb, after all, and pretend that he’s never seen Kitagawa-san.
“And...?”
“This is my friend, Yusuke Kitagawa. He attends Kosei High.” Amamiya-san gestured to Kitagawa-san as he made his introduction. “Yusuke, this is Ken Amada. He just transferred to Shujin a couple weeks ago. He’s the same year as Makoto.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Kitagawa-san,” Ken said, politely smiling.
“Likewise, Amada-san.” Kitagawa-san inclined his head.
But for some reason, his brow furrowed, and he stared at Ken for some reason.
“Though, I have to ask... just where are you from?” he inquired. “I can’t place your accent.”
He had an accent? Though Ken supposed it made sense. Tokyo and Port Island were in two completely different regions after all.
“I’m from Tatsumi Port Island. It’s located in the Choguku region.”
Kitagawa-san sharply inhaled, his eyes growing wide for some reason.
He looked awed. “Tatsumi… Port Island? As in where Chidori Yoshino lives?!”
…Well, nowadays Chidori-san was Chidori Iori. She and Junpei-san had gotten married shortly before the school year had started, back in March.
“Who’s Chidori Yoshino?” Amamiya-san asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve never heard of her.”
Kitagawa-san sighed deeply, closing his eyes. “An artist that I admire. An artist who is woefully underappreciated. I will have to show you some of her pieces some time, Ren.”
He opened his eyes, which were suddenly burning with passion.
“She puts in such emotion with every stroke. You should see her drawings of her husband. You can tell that she loves him very much with how she draws him. I hope to have a muse such as that one day!”
Amamiya-san just laughed, shaking his head. Behind his glasses, his eyes twinkled with humor. “You really set him off, didn’t you, Senpai?”
“It wasn’t on purpose…” Ken said sheepishly, “Also it’s Chidori Iori now. As you just mentioned, she has a husband.”
“My apologies, I’m so used to referring her as Yoshino-san. But regardless! Artists like Iori-san are what inspire me!” Kitagawa-san continued, his hand clenching into a fist. “I must find inspiration now! Perhaps something on the subject of marriage, to pay homage to her new life. I must find a wedding reception!”
Kitagawa-san then started to run off, but Amamiya-san snagged him by the collar.
“Whoa there, Yusuke,” Amamiya-san said, his voice suddenly stern. “We were going to get lunch, remember? Also you can’t crash a reception you aren’t invited too.”
“But Ren, I must feed this fire before it goes out!” he protested.
He was really passionate about this, wasn’t he? But Ken couldn’t help but smile however. He would have to mention this the next time he talked to Junpei-san. He always did think that Chidori-san didn’t get nearly enough attention as she should. This would probably brighten her day.
“Yeah, but if you pass out from lack of food, you may be out for hours,” Amamiya-san pointed out. “I think getting lunch first would be better for you.”
Kitagawa-san sighed. “Very well. Alas, if only I didn’t have to rely on sustenance to fuel me…”
Shinjiro-san would have an aneurysm if he ever heard Kitagawa-san talking about this, wouldn’t he? And then he’d probably tie Kitagawa-san to a chair and force feed him some food…
“Would you like to come with us, Senpai?” Amamiya-san asked, his voice inviting. “We can show you around Tokyo too after lunch.”
Ken smiled sheepishly. “That obvious?”
Amamiya-san smirked. “Yeah, just a little.”
“But I don’t mean to intrude…” Ken said.
“If you can train with Ryuji for a couple hours, then I don’t see why you can’t eat lunch with us.” Amamiya-san shrugged.
This caught Kitagawa-san’s attention, and he turned to look at Ken, his gaze scrutinizing. He looked Ken up and down, making Ken feel like he was under a microscope.
“Hmm… you’d probably make an excellent model. The lighting hitting your face right now gives excellent lights and shadows to your jawline and cheekbones.”
For a minute there, he was worried Kitagawa-san might have recognized him from when they spotted him in the metaverse. But… he wasn’t expecting that.
“Um… thank you?” Ken didn’t know how to respond to that.
But then Ken caught sight of Amamiya-san frantically shake his head behind Kitagawa-san, all while mouthing no.
“But while I’m flattered, but I’m afraid I’ll have to say no.”
“Why is the search for a model so difficult?” Kitagawa-san lamented, clutching his chest and squeezing his shirt as he hunched over and placed his other hand on the wall to prop himself up.
Was this normal for Kitagawa-san? He was a little… eccentric.
“You’ll find one someday, Yusuke.” Amamiya-san patted his friend on the shoulder, his lips quirking up in an amused smile. “But come on, there’s this pretty good diner that I know of.”
Kitagawa-san then straightened himself up. “Very well. Lead the way, Ren.”
That was a quick recovery. Didn’t take much to perk him up it seemed.
Maybe he could find a way to sneak some money to Kitagawa-san during lunch. He really defined the “poor artist” stereotype…
Tuesday, June 28th, 2016
Makoto had to admit, it was nice to have some company while she worked. And Amada-kun’s company was very pleasant.
“So, what’s the story behind the track team being disbanded in the first place?” Amada-kun asked, studying the sheet of paper.
Makoto sighed. “It was unfairly disbanded, since Kamoshida claimed that the track star attacking him was a good reason to dismantle the team. There’s just some trouble reviving it, since two of the teachers wanted to be the advisor… they seem to have it settled now, though.”
Amada-kun frowned. “Just why did Kamoshida think it was okay to all of this? Physically abusing his male students, assaulting the female students…”
His lip curled with disgust, and then he shook his head.
“He more than deserves his sentence,” he muttered out.
Makoto let out an exhale through her nose and straightened out a stack of papers.
“Well, I’m just glad it’s over and done with. Everything seems to be in order…” she said.
She then reached for the manila folder, flipping it open.
“Let’s see, what else is there… Oh.” Makoto made a face. “Right… the school trip…”
Amada-kun frowned. “The school trip? But that’s always in the second semester.”
“Yes, but it happens about… a couple weeks after we come back from summer break. And Shujin does this thing where it allows the students to submit suggestions for where we go. The submissions don’t always get accepted, but last year’s did. Last year… I believe we visited San Francisco.”
“San Francisco?” Amada-kun repeated, looking surprised. “That’s more exciting than the trip my school went on last year. That’s kinda surprising. Back in Gekkoukan, our trip was during November.”
“Oh, where did you go?” Makoto inquired, looking at him.
“Kyoto. The temples were beautiful, but once you’ve seen a temple, you’ve seen them all, right?” Amada-kun smiled wryly. “Though I’ll admit that the snacks were good.”
Makoto shook her head with a small smile, as she skimmed some of the submissions.
“Hawaii, New York, Los Angeles—are people even interested in seeing some place in Japan?” she asked incredulously.
“Well, to be fair, this is Tokyo,” Amada-kun pointed out. “A lot of the exciting landmarks in Japan are in Tokyo.”
“You’d think that someone would be interested in visiting Osaka, with all of the street food,” Makoto mused, as she ran her fingernail along the edge of the paper. “Or perhaps Nara or Okinawa.”
“Yeah, but going to another country would be exciting for anyone. But I suppose with all the movies from America it makes sense people would at least want to visit the States,” Amada-kun responded.
She tapped the end of her pen against her chin as she let out a sigh.
“I suppose you have a point there,” Makoto said as she lightly shook her head.
She shrugged—it wasn’t up to her. And besides that, she wasn’t even going to go. The school trip was reserved for second-years.
“Well, I’ll submit this to the faculty office and see if they’ll approve any of them as an option… And before July’s exams, we’ll vote on it.”
Makoto sighed, before sliding it in the folder she used to keep the paperwork she would give the faculty office to review.
“At least we’re done for today…” she said and fought back a yawn.
Amada-kun grimaced. “At least it’s not as bad as the paperwork for the school festival.”
Makoto sighed wearily, rubbing her temple with one hand.
“Do not remind me. Shujin always has a special guest too, so I’ll have to sort through that when the time comes. Not that the guest usually agrees to come…” Makoto mumbled.
“Well, I’ve seen some creative booths at least,” Amada-kun commented. “My class did a jazz bar last year.”
When Makoto looked up in surprise, he just smiled wryly.
“With non-alcoholic drinks, of course.”
That sounded really nice. She was always fond of jazz music.
“Do you like jazz music then?” she asked. “I do find it nice to listen to.”
Amada-kun nodded. “I do like it, though I’ll admit that I listen to all kinds of genres. Someone showed me that there’s all kinds of great music. And the jazz bar was a little more original than say, a maid café.”
Makoto laughed. “I wish our class had some more creative ideas. We did that last year.”
At least she wasn’t the one forced to dress up as a maid. God, she probably would have died of embarrassment if that costume was forced onto her.
“But thank you for your help—” she began to say.
The door then slid open, interrupting Makoto, and Takamaki-san poked inside.
“Niijima-senpai, do you—" her eyes widened, and then her expression became sheepish. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you were working still.”
Amada-kun shook his head. “No, we were just wrapping up.”
Amada-kun then stood up, looking in Makoto’s direction.
He then gave her a polite smile.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Niijima-san.”
Takamaki-san pulled the door more open, allowing Amada-kun to leave before finally stepping inside. She clasped her hands together behind her back.
Makoto looked at her curiously. “Is something the matter, Takamaki-san?”
She took a deep breath, before bowing low.
“I am so, so sorry!” she blurted after she stood up straight. “I’ve been meaning to apologize to you for a while but… I kept wussing out.”
She bit her lip, nervously shifting her weight.
“I was so mad when I found out that you knew about Kamoshida. I didn’t think about how you were just like us. You were being used, too.”
She hung her head, heaving out a sigh.
“I’m such a hypocrite. I hated how people would judge me because of how I looked, but I judged you so wrongly. And Shiho… she was asking—no, begging—me for help. But I didn’t answer her call.”
“Takamaki-san, stop,” Makoto said gently. “I may not have been as guilty as you originally thought but I… I could have done more. When I saw Suzui-san on the roof, I was paralyzed with fear. All I could think of is that I could have something to prevent this. All of that pain and suffering she went through. What you, Sakamoto-kun, and Amamiya-kun all went through… I could have done something to help.”
She needed to apologize to Sakamoto-kun too personally… she already done so with Amamiya-kun a couple days ago after school was out. But he waved it off and quickly said it was bygones and they should just move forward as a team. She was…. surprised at his response.
She questioned if he was mad at her at all, and he didn’t deny he was but it was hard to stay that way once he saw how she placed herself in harm’s way to help them, and to see her awakening; on top of saving them right after. She told Amamiya-kun she wouldn’t blame him for not forgiving her and didn’t expect him to be the forgiving type. His response surprised her again. He simply said he wasn’t really the forgiving type recently and had such a bittersweet expression in his eyes before waving it off. Telling her that he simply got to see her side of the story and understands her a little better.
Makoto shook her head and pushed that out of her mind for the moment. She needed to focus on Takamaki-san.
She pressed a hand against her chest.
“I’m sorry. All I did was reflect the blame onto you when you were a personal victim… I shouldn’t have done that…”
Takamaki-san’s eyes went wide with shock, but then she smiled.
“I meant what I said before…” she said quietly. “You aren’t scum. This has been weighing on you for a while, hasn’t it? But… I suppose neither of us should be blaming ourselves. Kamoshida is the real scum here.”
Makoto sighed. “You’re right. He’s the perpetrator, not us. But the what ifs have been running in my head for so long. I didn’t want to admit my guilt. I was just… running away. I just hate feeling worthless. Especially since that would only make me a burden to my sister.”
“Oh, right… you mentioned your sister before,” Takamaki-san commented, her eyes lighting up with recognition. “She’s that famous prodigy prosecutor, isn’t she?”
Makoto nodded. “Mm-hm. She passed the bar exam the first try with flying colors. And she’s only twenty-five… I feel woefully inadequate compared to her.”
“Hey, come on.” Takamaki-san looked at her straight in the eye. “You’re you. Nobody else can be you, okay? Nobody should insult you because you don’t ‘measure up’, and if they do? Screw them!”
Makoto laughed. That was an… interesting way to put things.
“So, um… just go easier on yourself, and I’ll try to do the same.” She shifted uneasily on her feet. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, Niijima-senpai?”
She turned to go, but Makoto blurted out, “Wait!”
When she turned to look back at Makoto, a quizzical expression on her face, Makoto winced. Then she took a deep breath.
“Um… I was wondering… you visit Suzui-san frequently, don’t you?” she asked.
She… She needed to apologize to Suzui-san as well…
Takamaki-san blinked. “Um… yeah, I do.”
“Well…” Makoto shifted in her seat. “I was thinking… do you think I can come with you next time you visit?”
The surprise was clear on her face, but then she nodded.
“Yeah! Of course… Shiho’s recovery is going well but she always could use a couple of friendly faces. I’ve taken both Ren and Ryuji to visit her before.”
“Thank you.” Makoto rose to her feet, picking up the folder that she would have to deliver to the office. “Um… I’ll see you around then.”
“Yeah, of course!” She nodded, her pigtails bouncing a bit.
She then hesitated for a moment, before speaking again.
“And one more thing…” Her lips curved into a warm smile as Makoto looked at her once more. “Call me Anne.”
“In that case, no need for formalities, call me Makoto.” She returned the warm smile.
Wednesday, June 29th, 2016
The first thing Ken saw at school was a girl struggling with a bag of fertilizer. Other students just walked by, completely ignoring her. Ken sighed to himself.
He walked up to the girl, lightly tapping her on the shoulder. She jumped at his touch, but Ken just offered her a small smile.
“Do you need help with that?”
“Oh!” Her eyes lit up and she smiled at him. “Yes, thank you.”
“Okay… where do you need this?”
“The roof,” she answered. “There’s a vegetable garden up there and they’re due a new layer of fertilizer.”
T-The roof? Ken gulped to himself, eyeing the bag. It had to weigh at least thirty kilograms. What had he gotten into?
But he couldn’t back out, Ken inhaled a deep breath through his nose while pinched the bridge of his nose. That’s what he got for judging everyone else for not bothering to help her. But he still smiled politely at her, not wanting her to think he found her a hassle anything of the sort.
It took several minutes for them to get the bag up the three floors, but the girl barely broke a sweat. Meanwhile, Ken was all too happy to drop the bag of fertilizer to the ground, massaging his aching fingers.
At least the view on the roof was nice. Ken walked over to the edge, admiring the skyline. He could even see the Skytree in the distance.
And the roof itself wasn’t half bad either. Flowers were neatly organized in beds, in a large array of colors. Irises, poppies, and lilies were just a few types of flowers planted. There were a couple of beds dedicated to growing vegetables as well.
“You’re the transfer student, aren’t you?” the girl asked, looking rather curious.
Ken smiled sheepishly. “Yes, that’s me. I’m sorry, I should have introduced myself sooner.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” she was quick to reassure him. “My name is Haru. We’re in the same year.”
“Haru…?” Ken trailed off, not knowing her by face.
“Just Haru,” she said firmly. “I’m… not one for formalities.”
That was odd. Why was she sensitive about her family? But it’s not like he could force her to reveal her surname.
“If that’s what you want, Haru-san,” Ken relented.
“I do,” she said with a firm nod.
A silence fell between them, and Ken shifted uneasily on his feet. “So, um… does your club tend to the garden often? It looks really nice.”
He was such an amazing conversationalist. It was one of the things he hated most about himself, but he didn’t know how to fix it.
“Club?” Haru-san’s face clouded over with confusion. “Oh, you mean like a gardening club? Shujin used to have a gardening club but it disbanded about two years ago. I tend to the garden, because I find it relaxing.”
Ken looked around, feeling surprised. “You do this by all yourself? There are so many flowers here though.”
And how was weeding and lugging around heavy bags of fertilizer fun?
“Oh, it’s not that many,” she said with a light laugh, waving a dismissing hand. “Flowers can be… finicky, but I enjoy the work.”
Then she smiled, bending down. Her fingers lovingly stroked a flower’s petal. Her expression was gentle.
“And seeing the results is reward enough,” she said.
“It’s very pretty,” Ken said, unsure what else to say.
She then withdrew her hand, glancing to Ken.
She began, “How are you settling in Tokyo, Amada-kun? You’re from Port Island, aren’t you?”
“I am.” Ken nodded, before he shrugged. “Honestly, I haven’t even properly explored the city. Or Shibuya, even.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Really? I thought that would be one of the first things you’d do.”
“Things have been… hectic,” Ken said slowly.
Akihiko-san was right… but he just didn’t know how exactly to balance things. He had no idea how Minato-san and Minako-san did it…
She nodded understandably, before she frowned.
“I must admit—it’s quite frightening. With the talk about the mafia so much…” She smiled sadly at Ken. “I’m sorry that you moved at such a bad time…”
“Don’t apologize,” Ken said, turning to look at her.
When she gave him a quizzical look, Ken hastened to elaborate on his statement.
“I mean, there’s always something going on. It was bubbling under the surface, but there was Kamoshida just a couple months, wasn’t it?”
Haru-san just shuddered, wrapping an arm around her torso.
“I’m glad he’s gone,” she murmured.
“I would be too,” Ken sighed.
He hoped that Kamoshida never bugged her, especially with how she was obviously a gentle soul but… he shouldn’t hold his breath.
Haru-san began tentatively, “I-I know this sounds a bit out of the blue but…”
She trailed off, opening her mouth to continue, only to stop short.
“What is it?” Ken cut in, after her second attempt.
“I was just wondering… have you met Mitsuru Kirijo?” she finally blurted out. “I know she lives on Port Island, running the Kirijo Group, and she went to your old school…”
Ken blinked.
Okay, he wasn’t expecting that… he surprisingly hadn’t been bothered much about Mitsuru-san, seeing that she was a celebrity in her own right. Other than the occasional stupid rumor of someone asking if they were dating. But she was not in the public’s eye as much as say—Yukari-san or Rise-san—but she was well known, as she was one of the few female CEOs.
“A fan, are you?”
Haru-san blushed, looking down at the ground for a moment.
“Y-Yes… She’s so young but she’s done so much. She took over the Kirijo Group when she was around our age… and she’s shaping the Kirijo Group in what she wants, not letting anyone tell her what to do.”
She sighed longingly before staring at the ground, apparently finding it fascinating.
“And the fact that she’s accomplished everything without being married. She’s just so strong… it’s admirable.”
Ken smiled. Maybe he should mention this to Mitsuru-san some time.
“I’m sure that she would be flattered that you think of her so highly,” he mentioned.
She squeaked, her face turning pink.
“I didn’t mean…” she stammered out, nervously fiddling with her hair. “I was just… I just wanted to know if that rumor was true…”
“I hope you don’t mean the rumor some of our classmates pass around, no we are not dating. But yes, I have met her. The press likes to exaggerate Mitsuru-san’s inapproachability,” Ken said dryly. “It’s not really a bother, Haru-san. If anything, she’ll probably be pleased.”
“If you say so, Amada-kun.” She smiled shyly at him but then blinked. “Wait… dating?”
“Don’t worry about it, it’s a silly rumor started up because I happen to know her and went to the same school as her. People have wild imaginations here.” Ken waved off.
Thankfully it seemed she hadn’t heard of that rumor.
She then opened her mouth to say something else but was cut off by the bell ringing.
She sighed. “Oh… we should get to class.”
She bowed politely, shyly meeting Ken’s gaze.
“It was nice meeting you,” she said sincerely. “And thank you again for your help.”
Ken smiled at her. “It was no problem, really.”
“I’ll see you around then, Amada-kun!” She waved at him before disappearing down the stairs.
Haru-san was a bit… strange, but she was nice. Though he had to wonder why she was so keen on keeping her family name a secret.
Friday, July 1st, 2016
Niijima-san was tense today. She wasn’t paying much attention during class, and she seemed… distracted when spoken to. Maybe… the Phantom Thieves were planning on striking today. They had cleared the Palace completely, after all…
Though he didn’t completely understand what the Treasure was, exactly…
Niijima-san breathed a sigh of relief when the final bell rang, signaling the end of school. She hastily gathered her supplies, before standing up.
The sound of the door sliding open made him look up.
“Hey, Makoto, you ready to go?” Takamaki-san cheerfully waved at her.
Huh. Were they on first name status now?
“Y-Yeah!” Niijima-san nodded, all while smiling nervously. “Let’s go, Anne.”
Well, that answered his question. Though this just cemented his suspicions. Ken hastily finished packing away his belongings, before making a beeline for the train. The flash of blonde hair made it very easy to locate the Phantom Thieves.
“Are you sure that Kaneshiro got the calling card?” Amamiya-san asked.
Niijima-san nodded. “Positive. Ryuji and I plastered calling cards everywhere. There’s just no way that his henchmen missed it. And with the reputation the calling cards have… they’re bound to bring it to him.”
“It took forever for her to be satisfied,” Sakamoto-san lamented.
He had heard enough. Time to go back to the penthouse.
He all but ran back to the penthouse. He picked up his weapon before he took a few deep breaths. This was it, he would see how exactly they would steal Kaneshiro’s heart.
Then he activated the app.
The atmosphere… felt incredibly heavy. It felt hard to breathe. Did the calling card have such a strong effect on Kaneshiro’s psyche?
At least he didn’t have to count on the Phantom Thieves to summon the stairs, once he had stepped foot inside the Palace. He hurried up the steps, heading for the heart of the Palace.
He aimed to be a bit more careful, the Phantom Thieves hid around a lot when dodging Shadows, he wasn’t exactly like them, but it made it easier to try and mimic how they avoid conflict after seeing them do it. He was actually able to reach to the heart of this Palace without having a need to pull out his weapon or Persona to fight off threats. And good reason too, they were on high alert. Ken was quite lucky. Maybe he was getting better at sneaking around.
The Phantom Thieves were already fighting what he assumed to be Shadow Kaneshiro’s monstrous form. It was outlandish, to put it lightly. He was basically a human fly.
Though he supposed the Full Moon Shadows were rather strange, as well. He wasn’t sure which was stranger, the Hanged Man Shadow or the Hermit Shadow.
There wasn’t much of a place to hide, though… this place resembled a vault.
There was the entrance. He could go through and watch the fight. He didn’t have the best view, but he wasn’t here to watch the fight. He was here to discover just how desires were stolen.
The Phantom Thieves were vicious as they attacked Kaneshiro. They were giving all they had in this fight.
But Kaneshiro was far from done. Even though the Phantom Thieves had been relentless, he was only panting a bit.
“Heh… not bad,” he gasped out. “Guess I’ll have to bring out my big guns, then!”
“Big guns…?” Kitagawa-san asked.
But what Ken had thought was just a metal door began to spin—no, it was unscrewing. It was a… metal pig.
He had seen stranger things…
Kaneshiro gloated, “Hehe, meet my guardian robot!”
“Is that really a pig?!” Sakamoto-san demanded.
“Well, if it looks like a pig, and probably acts like one…” Amamiya-san said dryly.
“It’s not a pig!” Kaneshiro growled. “It’s my Piggytron! And it’s time for you to die!”
And that wasn’t the strangest name, but…
“Not a chance in hell, asshat!” Sakamoto-san hollered back at him.
“Fine… Eat this!”
Missiles shot from Piggytron’s snout, striking all of the Phantom Thieves. It even knocked Niijima-san off of her Persona, but Kitagawa-san took heavier damage than everyone else, letting out a pained cry as he skidded backwards.
“Fox is down!” Morgana shouted. “Somebody cover for him!”
But then Kaneshiro took the opportunity to move again, firing right at Takamaki-san, knocking her down as well.
“Hehehe! Time for VIP form! Goooo, Piggytron!”
Piggytron began to spin, speeding towards directly at Takamaki-san.
“Panther!” Amamiya-san was nothing but a black blur as he raced to Takamaki-san’ side, scooping her up in his arms before darting out of the metal pig’s path. Niijima-san rushed over to Kitagawa-san’s side, helping him up.
Amamiya-san carefully set down Takamaki-san, before whipping his head in the direction of Morgana.
“Mona, I need some healing now!” Amamiya-san barked, before sliding an arm around Takamaki-san’s waist to support her.
He had suspected that Amamiya-san liked her, but this was really confirming it. Ken then shook his head, to snap him out of his thoughts.
“Who am I—Minako-san?” he grumbled to himself.
“On it!” Mona shouted before sprinting over to their side.
“Panther, hang in there…” Amamiya-san then gingerly touched her shoulder with his free hand, which only made Takamaki-san wince.
Ken ripped off his mask, summoning Kala-Nemi. He cast Diarama as the same time as Mona, which seemed to completely heal Takamaki-san’s injuries.
“Wow, Mona’s powers have really gotten stronger!” she exclaimed as Amamiya-san helped her up.
Ken ducked behind the vault door however, the cat-thing looked puzzled and glanced in his direction. He shook it off and smiled up at her.
“I will continue to grow stronger for you, Panther!”
She giggled at him but then then she clenched a hand into a fist, letting out a little growl.
“But he’s gonna pay for that!”
“But how are we going to stop it?” Sakamoto-san darted to their side. “That pig is out of control! He has us on the rocks ‘cause of it!”
“I’ll show you,” Takamaki-san declared, before ripping her mask off with one hand. “Carmen!”
Her Persona appeared, flames exploding around her.
“Dude, a little warning next time?!” Sakamoto-san cried, jumping backwards. “What was that?!”
“Money’s everything to him.”
Takamaki-san pointed to the burning yen bills.
“The best way to get his attention is to destroy it,” she said proudly.
“My money!” Kaneshiro cried out, before growling. “You’re gonna pay for that!”
“Uh-oh.” Takamaki-san gulped. “I didn’t think about this…”
“Yeah, I can see that!” Sakamoto-san retorted.
Niijima-san just sighed and shook her head.
“Oh shut up, Skull!” she snapped back.
“Scatter!” Amamiya-san shouted.
They didn’t hesitate on listening to him, fleeing in different directions.
Kitagawa-san dove to the side as Piggytron rolled in his direction, before ripping off his mask. “Goemon!”
Ice crystallized on the floor, but Piggytron just steamrolled over it. It looked like Kitagawa-san’s ice magic wasn’t that powerful…
As Piggytron rolled all over the room, it sent some gold coins flying. The force was strong enough to send a few pieces landing in front of Ken.
“Rakshasa!” Amamiya-san ripped off his mask, and a Persona clad in red armor appeared. It leapt into the air, somersaulting, before slashing with the two swords it carried. But it barely made a dent into Piggytron.
“Dammit!” he cursed, sounding frustrated.
“Johanna!” Niijima-san cried out.
Johanna’s engine roared as she flung a nuclear spell at Kaneshiro, but Piggytron was undeterred.
“Dammit, we need a distraction!” Sakamoto-san snapped.
“Can we perhaps trick Kaneshiro with something?” Kitagawa-san shouted before his Persona slashed at Piggytron.
Takamaki-san then whipped out the gun she carried before rapidly firing it. Unfortunately, the bullets were barely making a dent.
“Eat this!” Kaneshiro fired back, before Piggytron fired missiles from his snout.
“I don’t think so!” Mona shouted, using Kitagawa-san’s shoulder as a stepping stone; blue flared around him. “Come forth, Zorro!”
Wind whipped through the air, deflecting some of the missiles, striking Piggytron instead. But some of the missiles managed to push past the wind spell.
Sakamoto-san jumped in front of Kitagawa-san.
“Captain Kidd!” he shouted.
There was a crackle in the air as Captain Kidd fired an electric bolt, destroying the rest of the missiles. The electric bolt surged forward, slamming right into Piggytron.
“I think Fox had a good idea; he needs to be baited! Anything valuable should be of use. What do you have on you Joker? Preferably of high value?” Niijima-san suggested.
“But we can’t throw our supplies!” Takamaki-san sputtered. “We need them!”
“Just one item should do the trick!” Niijima-san protested.
“Throw money at ‘em!” Sakamoto-san shouted his suggestion.
“Skull, we need that too!” Niijima-san snapped.
Kaneshiro was interested in gold… Gold…
“Wait, would I be able to distract Kaneshiro?” Ken thought to himself.
With the Phantom Thieves distracted, they didn’t see Ken at the door. He snatched up a gold piece.
Ken ripped off his mask, the still foreign word coming to mind. Kouga.
A bright light flared to life, striking the gold coin in his hand. Ken quickly angled the light so that Kaneshiro would get a faceful. Kaneshiro suddenly screeched to a halt as he looked around wildly.
“I see gold!” he cried. “Where is it?!”
“Gold…?” Amamiya-san repeated, sounding baffled.
“Joker, you need to focus!” Mona admonished.
“Ugh, you’re right,” Amamiya-san grumbled, before he raised his voice, suddenly authoritative. “Everyone, wallop it with everything you’ve got! Mona, try to knock him off!”
“Wreck ‘em, Captain Kidd!”
“Dance, Carmen!”
“Show your might, Zorro!”
“Goemon, strike!”
“Come, Johanna!”
Piggytron was struck with a dazzling display of elements, fire intertwining with electricity, Goemon striking it hard enough that Piggytron shook violently. Johanna’s spell exploded, leaving Kaneshiro precariously wobbling. A blast of wind sent Kaneshiro tumbling from the ground.
“We’ve got him!” Mona shouted, as the Phantom Thieves jumped in a circle, pointing their guns at Kaneshiro.
“No… please…” Kaneshiro begged.
“Yes, please,” Amamiya-san hissed. “Let’s do it, guys!”
Brandishing their weapons, the Phantom Thieves lunged forward and walloped Kaneshiro with all their might.
“No, stop!” Kaneshiro cried, staggering backwards.
He tripped, falling backwards and landing flat on his bottom. He honestly looked pathetic and… scared.
“I… I yield!” he whimpered out.
“This is how your victims felt,” Amamiya-san growled out as he stalked forward.
The conviction in his voice was clear. He… truly believed in punishing criminals, didn’t he?
He spat out, “They were alone and helpless. Doesn’t feel so good when you’re on the receiving end, doesn’t it?”
“Stop!” Kaneshiro cried, crawling away from the advancing Phantom Thieves. “I’m a victim too, okay!? I grew up poor. Nobody wanted me around.”
“That doesn’t give you a free pass to do whatever the hell you want,” Sakamoto-san spat, his hands balling into fists.
Takamaki-san said, “Not to mention how completely disgusting you are with women! You threatened to strip Queen naked and take pictures of her to sell to perverts! And how many others did you do that too as well?!”
He… did… what? He knew that Kaneshiro was a disgusting man but this was an entirely different level… Ken wanted to be sick. Kaneshiro wanted to do that to Niijima-san…?
“Panther’s right,” Kitagawa-san said flatly. “You’re nothing but despicable. Just because you had humble beginnings doesn’t mean you should turn to crime, taking advantage of youth… ruining countless lives.”
“Alright, alright!” he whimpered out. “What do you want from me?”
“You gotta turn yourself in for the shit you’ve pulled,” Sakamoto-san said flatly.
“Feel remorse for the lives you’ve ruined,” Niijima-san said, before shaking her head. “The lives you snuffed out to ‘protect’ yours—”
She cut herself off.
“Um… Mona…? Are you feeling okay?”
“TREASUREEEEE!” Mona was on the top of the giant gold bar and there… was no other word to describe it. He was nuzzling it.
“Um… what’s he doing…?” she questioned.
That was a good question…
“Uh… he does that,” Amamiya-san said with a wince. “Have no idea why, though.”
Kitagawa-san peeled Mona away from the gold bar. “Skull, if you don’t mind?”
He nodded at the Treasure, as he was occupied with holding Mona.
“Yeah, of course.” Sakamoto-san nodded, before picking up the gold bar with a grunt.
“That’s the treasure?” Niijima-san frowned. “The source of Kaneshiro’s warped desires?”
Ken frowned. The treasure… was Kaneshiro’s desires…?
“It’ll take on a different form in the real world,” Takamaki-san explained. “But we have to get out of here now.”
“What? Why?”
“The treasure is the source of Kaneshiro’s desires. The Palace is Kaneshiro’s warped heart. Take that away and…” Amamiya-san prompted.
So that was how they did it… Ken would have to remember that when he reported to Mitsuru-san.
But then Kitagawa-san spoke up, making him snap to attention.
“The Palace is going to self-destruct,” Kitagawa-san finished. “So we must hasten to leave.”
…What.
The Palace was going to blow up?!
“Mona, hurry up and transform!” Sakamoto-san snapped.
“Okay, okay!”
“But you know… you’re using the Metaverse completely wrong,” Kaneshiro began.
“What…?” Niijima-san breathed.
“There’s a criminal using other people’s Palaces to accomplish whatever they damn well please. They don’t care about consequences… psychotic breakdowns, mental shutdowns… anything goes.”
Wait, did that mean he knew something about who was behind this? How did Kaneshiro get that kind of intel?
“Is that the same person Madarame was talking about?” Kitagawa-san muttered out.
“Spill it!” Sakamoto-san stormed up to Kaneshiro, grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket and hauling him to his feet. “Who the hell are you talking about?!”
“The one in the black mask is way more powerful than you all. But he’s not the only one you should be worried about!”
“What? What the hell are you talking about?!”
A loud explosion was heard in the distance.
“Skull, there’s no time!” Amamiya-san snapped. “We have to go now!”
“But…!” he began to protest.
Amamiya-san swiped through the air. “The place is going to blow up! That’s an order!”
Why did the whole thing have to blow up? Why did the Palaces have to be so intricate? Tartarus was no walk in the park, but at least they didn’t have to worry about running away after beating the guardian Shadows.
The Thieves scrambled to get inside the cat-bus. Ken sprinted after them, taking a running leap. He was barely able to keep a grip on the edge as the engine roared to life.
“Wait, there’s no road!” Niijima-san said in a panic.
“It’s kinda too late to turn back!” Amamiya-san snapped back.
The last thing Ken was aware of was the Phantom Thieves’ panicked screams.
Landing on the pavement was fun. Ugh, and his hands had just finished healing.
Wait a minute. Pavement?
So he didn’t get transported back to his place. But where had he landed? Ken slowly opened his eyes… and the first thing he saw was Niijima-san’s face.
“A-AMADA-KUN?!” she sputtered out. “What—how…?”
“Crap! This isn’t good!” Ken thought in panic.
The other Phantom Thieves were gaping at him as well.
“Why is he all tangled up in a pile with us as we reemerged from the Metaverse?” Kitagawa-kun asked.
“Because he was in the Palace!” he heard that cat-thing—Mona’s—voice, but didn’t see him.
“Wait—last week when we were exploring the Palace…” Takamaki-san trailed off.
Ken didn’t say anything. There wasn’t anything to say. He had revealed his identity in the worst way possible… he just ran.
Notes:
Some notes on the battle—I decided that for Palace explorations, Ren leads a team of four, just like in the Persona main games. However, during boss battles, everyone will participate.
But anyways… Ken messed up, hasn’t he? Had to happen eventually.
Though honestly, I’m just glad to be wrapping up Kaneshiro’s arc. It’s not one of my favorites, and Futaba’s arc is. I’ve got a lot of plans for Futaba’s arc, hehe.
Feedback as usual is always appreciated~
Edit Notes (5/2/24): Some slight changes to the Makoto&Anne conversation along with some expansion on other scenes. Thank you to my wonderful beta angelrin89!
Chapter 7: Ch. 6: The Downfall of Kaneshiro
Summary:
While waiting to see if Kaneshiro's heart will be changed, the Phantom Thieves confront Ken about why exactly he was in the Metaverse.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Friday, July 1st, 2016
"Amada-kun, wait!" Makoto scrambled to her feet, but he was too fast, melting into the crowd all too easily.
Was he really the Persona-user they had seen? As Makoto desperately tried to make sense of everything, Ryuji's angry voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Are you serious?! Amada-senpai is really that guy Kaneshiro and Madarame were talkin' about?"
"No," Makoto said fiercely, whirling around to glare at Ryuji. "It's not possible, okay? Amada-kun would not be the black masked Persona-user, not with what Kaneshiro said about him."
Ryuji squinted at her, looking rather suspicious. "Not with—Makoto, are you hearing yourself? All he said was he was stronger than us and said that the Metaverse was being used to do those shutdowns and breakdowns! Why are you defending him? We hardly know him! Being all smiles and polite doesn't prove he's not capable of that!"
"There's no way that could be Amada-kun!" Makoto snapped, clenching her fists.
"Both of you, stop arguing!" Ren interjected, quickly stepping in between them.
"Yeah and like, let's not jump the gun." Anne chimed in.
" Wha'dya mean?" Ryuji demanded.
"I mean, we just know that Amada-senpai can enter the Metaverse and was there when the Palace was destroyed. That doesn't mean that he's that black masked Persona-user!" Anne pointed out.
"And as you said Ryuji. We don't really know him. Yes, he could have done it—" Yusuke started to say.
"Or he could have not done it," Morgana finished for him. "It's too early to say for certain, we'll need to confront him to understand his intentions and how he was able to enter the Metaverse. Or when he got his powers."
Makoto smiled, feeling relieved. At least she didn't feel so alone now.
"Why the hell would he be spying on us then?!" Ryuji demanded.
"Yeah, but you can't just go up to him and call him a criminal!" Anne retorted. "There has to be a good explanation. Haven't you heard about what he was like at his old school? He's like… a model student."
Ryuji argued, "But that would give him the perfect cover!"
"That's enough, both of you," Yusuke snapped, stepping between the two blondes. "Morgana is right. We need to confront him to confirm this. We should not argue over this."
To emphasize his point, he gestured to the people staring at them.
He then hissed out quietly, "Especially not here."
Makoto said diplomatically, "Look… I understand you're suspicious, Ryuji and he definitely does himself no favors by running, but I can vouch—"
"No, you can't," Ren cut in.
Makoto looked at him in shock. Next to her, Anne sucked in a breath next to Makoto.
"But Ren—" she began.
Ren held up a hand, and Anne's protest died down. Morgana looked up at him with an unreadable expression and Ren let out a heavy exhale as his shoulders slumped. He put his hands in his pocket and straightened his posture and eyed the whole group.
"Not here, we'll discuss this more at the hideout. Yusuke's right," Ren said sternly.
Makoto still wasn't used to seeing this side of him. He didn't do it often; Ren had quite a mischievous side to him, prone to quips and one-liners. But when things got really serious… he buckled down and took charge. He really did have the potential to be a good leader; it's no wonder he was their leader, beyond his ability to wield multiple Personas.
They all quietly nodded, gathered themselves and headed to the station. Everyone was silent the whole trip. Not a single word until they were inside LeBlanc. They gave a quiet greeting to Sojiro who just waved them off as he was changing the channel for a customer.
Things felt a bit awkward so Makoto felt it might be best to get started on at least opening the suitcase. Luckily, she remembered the combination she saw Kaneshiro do more than once. The guy was so weird. Constantly closing and opening that suitcase to flaunt his money at her, at his girlfriend, at his men.
But after Makoto opened the briefcase and they discovered that the money inside the briefcase was fake, the conversation quickly turned back to Amada-kun.
Yusuke said with a frown, "I met him that one time, but how do you all know him?"
Anne reclined against her seat, toying with her pigtails for a moment.
She explained, "Well, Ren and I met with him once for intel on Kaneshiro. He seemed nice. Smart and studious. Someone who would just keep his head down during all of this trouble, you know?"
"Trained with him at the gym. He's like… super polite, but it was fun once he loosened up." Ryuji shrugged, then he frowned, "But man... it's really him?"
"You're jumping to conclusions," Makoto snapped, irritation surging through her, "You hardly know him! You only met him once and already—"
"Oh yeah, what's your argument, then?" Ryuji challenged.
"Both of you, stop," Ren said a little more loudly.
There was that stern voice again. Ren was just sitting on his bed with his arms crossed as he eyed them all. Annoyance glinted in his dark eyes.
"Ryuji, I understand you're just worried for us all if he could be the real deal. But you aren't thinking with your head straight. You're getting paranoid."
Makoto smiled in relief.
Ren then looked at her with such a stern expression she almost flinched. She hadn't seen anyone give her a stare like that beyond her big sister. That look that made her feel like she was in trouble. It would be amusing to see that expression on someone who was younger than her, not to mention Ren of all people. But instead, she just felt herself sit up straight like she would when Sae would eye her with that "I'm disappointed in you" look. She noticed Anne stiffen next to her too.
"Ren, I thought you didn't agree with Ryuji?" Anne asked with a confused expression.
"I don't agree with either of you," Ren just stated flatly.
"Huh?"
"Anne, you and Makoto are also not being rational. You especially Makoto. Just because someone has a clean record doesn't clear them of suspicions, especially when the Metaverse is concerned. And he appeared to have been following us. You can't ignore that," Ren explained, before his eyes shifted over to Makoto. "You also can't act like you are the authority on knowing someone you also barely know. Ryuji may have only worked out with him once. You also only known him for a couple weeks at best. Hardly enough time to really make a judgement call on someone."
Makoto could only wince.
"We all need to take a step back and think about this more rationally. There are too many things that give off red flags about him at the moment, however something is bugging me."
"And what's that?" Morgana inquired.
Ren looked around the room again. "The day he transferred. It was after we dealt with Madarame."
"That's right, Amada-kun transferred to Shujin the day I…" Makoto looked away. "That was the day I confronted you all about being the Phantom Thieves."
Anne placed a comforting hand on her arm. She just weakly smiled at her.
Ren just nodded. "Exactly, Madarame mentioned the black masked Persona-user even before he transferred. Now that doesn't necessarily mean he still couldn't be the culprit. That could also mean they were starting to suspect or even figured out who the Phantom Thieves actually are. So, they decided to have him go more undercover."
They all sat in silence at that.
Ren just sighed, fiddling with his glasses. "But that feels like extra work, if they knew who we already are, why not just deal with us a more direct way? Unless he's gathering intel."
"Ugh! RenRen, all your speculating is making my head hurt!" Ryuji complained.
"Well now you see my point." Ren smirked.
Morgana chuckled and then chimed in, "We really don't know about this individual or him. Our best course of action would be to confront him and find out as much as we can. Hopefully he will be willing to talk, but if he keeps bolting that could be a problem and not a good look for him. Unless Ryuji traumatized him with chasing after him that one time…"
"Shuddup!" Ryuji glared at Morgana.
Morgana chuckled and stuck his tongue out.
"Agreed, Ren is correct. We really don't know this Amada-san very well. Who he works for, or if he even is working for someone," Yusuke said as he leaned back against the wall.
"Right. We need to corner him and agree to a chat. If he means us no harm, then he should agree to it. Of course, we'll need to not be scary and get him to feel he's in no danger."
There was an idle pause for a few seconds. Ryuji then broke it.
"What? No funny jab about 'don't scare him by being a thug, Ryuji' or something?" Ryuji said sarcastically.
"I wasn't thinking it actually but if you need to be reminded…" Morgana said in a sing-song voice.
"Can it!"
Makoto couldn't help but start to giggle, Anne joined in with her. Soon the whole group started to laugh.
Makoto understood where Ren was coming from. They should be fair, not assume guilt or innocence until they hear out his side and look into it more. There are too many variables to just cast judgement one way or the other.
But still… she just couldn't believe that of Amada-kun. He was nice to her when everyone else had been hostile. He insisted on sharing his lunch with her when he found out that she hadn't brought one. There wasn't a motive for that… She hadn't even been part of the Phantom Thieves at that part. They hadn't even been friendly.
Though Makoto had to admit there was how he asked about the Phantom Thieves… but that could've been just curiosity. Everyone talked about the Phantom Thieves these days.
She shook her head. Ren was right. She can't let her bias cloud her judgement if he was a potential threat. They must meet him and hear his side of the story.
"Where is Amada-senpai even from? Does anyone know?" Ryuji asked.
"Port Island," Yusuke said automatically.
"How the eff do you know that?"
"He mentioned it to Yusuke, when we ran into him last Sunday," Ren answered for him. "Yusuke picked up on his accent and asked him where he was from."
"Port Island…" Anne frowned, curling a strand of hair around her finger. "That sounds familiar for some reason."
Well, she couldn't really blame Anne for not recalling. Port Island wasn't exactly famous, not like Tokyo, Kyoto, or any of the other big Japanese cities.
"It's best known for being a man-made island and for being the headquarters of the Kirijo Group. Apparently, he knows the CEO personally," Makoto added, recalling what he had rattled off to those girls bombarding him with questions.
"So… we pretty much have mostly basic facts," Morgana concluded with a sigh.
"Yeah, there hasn't been much concrete, maybe that's why there were a bunch of rumors about him," Anne said with a shrug.
Morgana's tail swished back and forth in agitation. "This is frustrating. What I really want to know is how exactly he got into the Metaverse in the first place…"
"No kidding!" Ryuji grumbled out.
"He could have gotten dragged along with us? Much like when Anne used the app to escape Madarame, but she brought me along for the ride," Yusuke offered but then he looked down at the table, letting out a quiet sigh. "Though there's also why he was present while we fought Kaneshiro."
"That's like with me, I tailed Ryuji and Ren secretly and ended up dragged into Kamoshida's Palace," Anne said with a frown as she crossed her legs.
Ren then suddenly looked up; his eyebrows were slightly raised as he rested both of his hands on his lap.
"I think… he was helping us during the fight."
Morgana frowned, his tail swishing back and forth. "What do you mean, Ren?"
Ren leaned back against the wall from where he was sitting on his bed, crossing his arms again. His expression more contemplative.
"The flash of light," he stated, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"The light…?" Realization then made Yusuke's eyes light up with understanding and he leaned forward. "That's right… what distracted Kaneshiro!"
"And there was something else that bothered me…" Ren stated, now fiddling with a lock of his hair.
"Huh? Wha'dya mean, RenRen?" Ryuji asked.
Ren elaborated, "When Morgana healed Anne… it completely healed her injuries. Morgana's no slouch in healing, but his healing abilities aren't at that level."
"Yet." Morgana corrected but then added, "But Ren is right. I noticed something was off when I healed Lady Anne."
Anne nodded. "Yeah, it felt… different than how Morgana's healing spells feel. Like, Morgana's healing always feels like you're being touched by a cool breeze. But I felt… warm with that spell."
Makoto blinked. It was so odd how even the same spell could feel differently, depending on the Persona-user.
Morgana then shook his head. "But I didn't feel as if there was an outside force that was enhancing me, but the spell seemed much stronger. If this Amada has a Persona that can also heal, that would make the most sense as Makoto wasn't nearby to help me."
Makoto stilled at that. That was right, she was nowhere nearby when Anne was knocked down, but she knew that the gun attack had hit Anne hard. Not to mention that Kaneshiro had tried to flatten her like a pancake. If Ren hadn't been so fast… Makoto couldn't help but shudder at the thought.
Makoto frowned. "But if he was aiding us in battle… then why did he run away?"
"Well, considering that Ryuji tried to attack him last time we encountered him…" Morgana said dryly, shooting Ryuji a rather sardonic look.
Ryuji grumbled. "I'll apologize to him, okay?"
"That could be the case, or it could be he still has something to hide. Don't let your guard down," Ren advised. "We can't be quick to judge, but we can't be quick to take it easy either."
That was the most sensible thing to do. Makoto couldn't argue with him there. The group all nodded in unison.
"We'll need to confront him at school." Makoto tapped a finger against her chin. "I can clear the student council room during lunch and we can talk to him there. Not tomorrow though—we have a meeting. But Monday will probably work."
Yusuke frowned. "I wish I could be present."
"We could put you on speaker phone," Ren said lightly, his eyes sparkling with mirth.
Yusuke nodded. "Oh, that's a good solution. I approve."
"Dude," Ryuji said, shaking his head, "Ren was joking."
"Ren may have been joking, but it's not a bad idea to have Yusuke on call. Just probably don't talk at all during it, Yusuke, I don't think he'd be trusting if he sees a phone being pulled out with someone listening in," Morgana said, nodding firmly as he ignored the banter amongst the boys. "Be sure to get to him quickly, because I'm sure that he'll try to run away from you, Makoto."
Makoto nodded firmly. "I will."
Ken had run all the way back to the penthouse. And all the while, he had run the options in his head.
Why didn't he just use the app to leave the Metaverse? He was so stupid!
Mitsuru-san was going to be furious with him too. He couldn't be more obvious unless he had plastered his intentions on a billboard.
As he was alone in the elevator, Ken just let out a groan, thumping his head against the glass wall. How could he mess up this badly? If it was anyone else, they wouldn't have made the same mistake. They would have stayed calm and figured out a different route to escape.
"I'm an idiot," he thought gloomily to himself.
The elevator doors slid open, and Ken took the few steps it took to reach the door before unlocking it. He could hear Akihiko-san and Minako-san's familiar laughter, and it took only one glance to see Shinjiro-san was video calling with them.
"Hey, Ken-kun!" Minako-san greeted him cheerfully with a wave.
But Akihiko-san frowned, his eyes filling with concern. "You look beat. What happened, Ken?"
"Did that Persona-user show up again?" Shinjiro-san scrutinized him closely as he all but threw himself in the chair next to his guardian.
"No… not that…" Ken slumped in his seat.
"But?" Minako-san prompted.
Ken sighed. He might as well say it now. At least Minako-san and Akihiko-san would be nice about it.
He mumbled out, "I… kinda… slipped up. The Phantom Thieves saw me today in the Metaverse."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up, Ken-kun," Minako-san said sternly, holding up a hand.
Akihiko-san gave a concerned frown. "Mina's right, Ken. Seriously, what happened exactly?"
"Well…" Ken took in a deep breath. "I followed the Phantom Thieves into Kaneshiro's Palace and they fought him because he was trying to defend his Treasure—"
"So he's a western dragon?" Akihiko-san quipped.
"Shush, Aki," Minako-san scolded impatiently, smacking her husband's shoulder lightly. "Let Ken-kun talk."
"Plus, that was a lame joke," Shinjiro-san grumbled.
"Ugh, shuddup Shinji!"
Ken rolled his eyes before continued.
"But anyways, the Treasure is apparently the form of his distorted desires, which is what they mean in the calling card. They beat him and took the treasure and because of that, the Palace started to collapse. And how the hell was I supposed to know that the Palaces blow up?!"
Ken glared down at the table, feeling frustrated. Shouldn't they have mentioned it to Niijima-san with the last preparations?! But no, it's just "SURPRISE! We gotta make a dramatic escape while the base explodes!"
"They should really include in the job description—must be able to run like hell and because of that I—" Ken wavered when he realized that Minako-san was laughing.
"Must be able to run like hell!" Minako-san choked out, before she howled with laughter. "Good one, Ken-kun!"
"It's not that funny, Minako," Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
Ken just rubbed his temples as they were all bantering. He was definitely going to have a headache in the morning. That Palace explosion probably just took ten years off his life.
Akihiko-san just shrugged helplessly, even as his lips twitched into a smile. "I rather have this than Minako-san's… other mood swings."
"It looks like Amagi has possessed her."
"Shinji!" Akihiko-san exclaimed, shooting him a look.
"What?" Shinjiro-san snorted, folding his arms over his chest. "It's true. She laughs like a crazed hyena."
"But anyways…" Akihiko-san looked at Ken as Minako-san finally calmed down. "…What were you going to say?"
"There's not much else to say," Ken said with a shrug. "I had to climb onto their cat-bus—"
"—I still won't believe that until I see it," Shinjiro-san said dryly.
"We've seen weirder stuff, Shinji," Akihiko-san pointed out. "Like Teddie-Teddie's human form. Or some of the Shadow selves we ran into at Inaba."
"…Are you done?" Ken asked dryly.
Akihiko-san just offered him a sheepish look. "…Sorry."
Ken just slumped in the sofa next to Shinji and quirked a brow at everyone.
Minako-san just giggled. "It takes forever to tell a story with us, huh?"
Ken just sighed, looking down at his lap. "And the Phantom Thieves escaped the Palace and… I came with them. So… they saw me."
"And what they did say?" Akihiko-san asked.
"I don't know. I ran the moment I realized what had happened… I… this isn't the first time they saw me."
Ken winced as everyone gaped at him.
"What do you mean 'first time', Ken?" Shinjiro said in a dangerously low tone.
The last thing he needed with this headache was to get lectured.
"So, one of the times I followed them in, I slipped up. They spotted me. Sakamoto-san and Takamaki-san gave chase. Sakamoto-san was quite… aggressive... in chasing after me," Ken said with a grimace.
"Well yeah you probably looked a tad bit on the suspicious side now," Minako-san said with a nervous laugh.
Shinjiro-san just groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Greaaaaat. Mitsuru's gonna flip shit…"
"You don't have to remind me…" Ken muttered with a shudder, "That's why I ran away. I didn't need to get chased down again. Sakamoto-san looked really angry. Probably thought I was a threat like that black masked Persona-user."
It was bad enough that the Phantom Thieves had seen him before… Mitsuru-san would have forgiven that, considering how fast he had gotten away from them. But this? This may warrant an execution. He loved Mitsuru-san but… she was honestly really scary when she was mad.
"She won't," Minako-san said sternly, shaking her head firmly.
When Ken looked at her, she just smiled, before raising her index finger.
"She cares more about your safety, Ken-kun. I know that Mitsuru would rather you compromise your identity than let yourself remain in the Palace. She'll be glad that you're more or less okay." Her eyes softened. "I'm glad that you're okay. So… don't be so hard on yourself, okay?"
Ken sighed heavily. "I still don't know what to say… because I really doubt that the Phantom Thieves will just brush this aside."
Minako-san gave a thoughtful hum, tapping her chin. "Well… I'd say stick to the truth as much as possible."
"Yeah, that'll go well," Shinjiro-san deadpanned. "'I moved here just so I can spy on you because my upperclassman thinks that you could go AWOL and abuse your powers. Nothing personal, though'."
Minako-san glared at him. But Shinjiro-san barely blinked at that.
"Haha, you're hilarious, Shinji," she said flatly. "I meant use half-truths, dummy."
"Who are you calling a dummy?!" Shinjiro-san snapped.
"You, you dummy," Akihiko-san snickered.
Ken rolled his eyes. He started to massage his left eyebrow to help ebb away the headache. He was really going to need some Bylenol after this…
"Children, all of them," he grumbled to himself.
Minako-san snickered at the two of them, before she began to elaborate on her statement.
"But like… that you're a Persona-user, you got sucked into the Metaverse once because you were around when they used the app—that kind of idea."
"And maybe something about you being curious how they operated?" Akihiko-san suggested. "I mean, they're the talk of the nation… I mean…"
He quirked an eyebrow at Ken.
"Weren't you, before you moved to Tokyo?" he asked.
Wait, did they know…?
Minako-san nudged him in the side, giving Akihiko-san a playful smile.
"You're pretty good at this cover story," she teased. "You sure you really should be a cop?"
"That's only because I had to make up some stories to get that guy out of trouble." Akihiko-san pointed at Shinjiro-san, raising a single brow at him.
"Me?" Shinjiro-san scowled at him. "That's real rich, coming from you, Aki. You were always beating up boys for picking on Miki!"
"Yeah, but how about the time you tried to bring in that stray cat?" he retorted. "Or what about why it took so long to drag you to the barbershop?"
"Why was that?" Ken wanted to know.
Akihiko-san just smirked. "He kept trying to run away and I had to chase after him."
Shinjiro-san crossed his arms over his chest again, looking away with a scowl.
"My hair wasn't even that long," he grumbled.
Minako-san and Ken just laughed.
"Somehow, this doesn't surprise me," Minako-san teased lightly.
She then started to quiet down her laughter as she looked at Ken with more concern.
Ken frowned. "Is something the matter?"
"Get some rest tonight," Minako-san demanded. "Fuuka-chan mentioned something about you nearly falling asleep at dinner? You shouldn't be doing that, Ken-kun."
Shinjiro-san told her, didn't he? Ugh, that snitch…
"Jeez, you'll be well prepared for your kid when it comes, if you're nagging Ken like that," Shinjiro-san muttered.
Akihiko-san coughed something into his fist that sounded suspiciously close to "Hypocrite!"
Shinjiro-san narrowed his eyes dangerously at the screen. "What was that Aki?"
Akihiko-san just blinked innocently at him. "Don't know what you're talking about, Shinji."
"Like hell you do," he retorted.
"Now, now, boys, do I have to separate you?" Minako-san teased.
"They're hundreds of kilometers apart already, Minako-san," Ken pointed out.
Minako-san scowled at him. "Don't be so technical, Ken-kun."
Ken sighed, he excused himself to go to the kitchen to get some painkillers. But not after promising Minako-san he would try to go to bed earlier tonight.
Monday, July 4th, 2016
Ken had talked to Mitsuru-san on Saturday, and as Minako-san had predicted, she was more relieved that Ken hadn't been hurt. She really knew them so well, didn't she?
Mitsuru-san had been intrigued about what he had reported what he had seen, even though Ken didn't have the full picture. Though Ken couldn't help but feel that he had let her down. Mitsuru-san had stressed to him so much that he was to keep himself out of sight. And what did he do? He let the Phantom Thieves clearly see him.
Stupid exploding Palace…
And he couldn't help but feel on edge throughout the school day. On Saturday, Niijima-san would sneak glances at him—but that was it really. Call him paranoid but… he couldn't help but think that the Phantom Thieves were going to ambush him at some point.
The bell finally rang for lunch, but before Ken could even move, Niijima-san's hand shot out, wrapping around his wrist.
"I apologize, Amada-kun, but I really need to talk to you," she said, all while smiling politely. "You don't mind, do you?"
Speak of the devil…
Ken gritted his teeth. 'Yes, Niijima-san, I do mind', was what he wanted to say. He wanted to come up with some excuse for why he couldn't talk to her in private, but everyone was staring and whispering and had he mentioned that he hated his life right now? No? Well, he did.
"As you wish," he muttered.
Niijima-san released him long enough so that they could get up but then she took his wrist again, pulling him in the direction of the student council room.
What did Minako-san and Akihiko-san say about his cover story again? He needed to sell this well, if he didn't want the Phantom Thieves to figure out the truth. Granted, almost nobody knew that the Shadow Operatives even existed, but the Phantom Thieves didn't exactly hide their hatred for the police.
The door sliding open pulled Ken out of his thoughts. Amamiya-san was leaning against the wall, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He straightened up when they entered the room. Sakamoto-san and Takamaki-san sat at one side of the table, both messing with their phones.
"Hey, Senpai." Amamiya-san offered him a smile, but it only made Ken even more wary.
"Time for you to spill it!" Sakamoto-san jumped to his feet, slamming his hands palm first onto the table; the force was loud enough to make Ken flinch. "Just why were you spying on us?!"
"Ryuji… didn't we talk about this?" He heard the cat-thing, Mona, chided with exasperation.
Ken looked around the room but didn't see where the mascot looking creature was hiding. Amamiya-san looked at Ken with a raised brow but stayed quiet. Ken looked down at his feet awkwardly.
Ryuji grumbled but let Takamaki-san pull him back into his seat.
"Why don't you sit down, Amada-kun?" Niijima-san asked.
She phrased it as a request, but Ken knew better.
He slowly sat down, choosing the seat across from Takamaki-san. Sakamoto-san looked at him suspiciously and it took all of Ken's willpower to not shrink into his seat.
"Ryuji does pose a good question though…" Amamiya-san took a step forward, his eyes narrowed. "Why were you there? How long have you known about the Metaverse?"
"Two weeks," Ken said, silently grateful that was the actual truth.
Niijima-san frowned. "Two weeks? But… that was the same time when I…"
"It was June 19th," Ken corrected. "I was walking through Shibuya when I suddenly found myself inside an entirely different world."
Takamaki-san's brow furrowed at that. "June 19th… That was when we found Kaneshiro's Palace."
Ken showed his phone's screen to them, so they could see the glowing red eye.
"The app appeared on my phone and I… kinda panicked. When it asked me if I wanted to leave, I pressed yes and I was back in the real world."
Takamaki-san slowly turned to look at Ryuji, her aquamarine eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Nobody will see us, huh?" she asked acidly.
Sakamoto-san was a tad… carefree about that, he had to admit. Ken was really grateful about how he was able to slip into the Palace from the penthouse. That rather simplified things for him.
Sakamoto-san cried out, "How was I supposed to know?! Besides that, you and Yusuke went along with it!"
Takamaki-san sputtered some excuse under her breath as she twirled some strands of hair around her index finger. He couldn't hear what she said but she was definitely pouting.
Amamiya-san however ignored it and just glared at Sakamoto-san.
"And need I remind you that I said your justification was really dumb Ryuji, but you didn't listen to me," he chided, giving Sakamoto-san a rather pointed look.
Ken blinked. That look on Amamiya-san's face, just now… It rather reminded him of Minato-san. Especially during the trips when Minato-san had taken all of the boys. Akihiko-san and Junpei-san occasionally needed some… reining in.
But Sakamoto-san's protest suddenly pulled Ken away from his trip down memory lane.
"Oh, give me a break, RenRen—!"
"Hey, hey, not so loud." A cat hopped out of Amamiya-san's bag. "We'll get attention if you keep this up!"
Ken blinked and stared. That voice… sounded familiar. But did that… come from his therapy cat?
"Am I hallucinating… did that cat just talk?" he asked incredulously.
"Excuse me, but I'm not a cat!" Amamiya's cat fired back, puffing up with anger. "I'm a noble human, trapped in this feline body!"
But that voice… that voice was the same voice as the mascot looking creature. The one they called Mona. Ken's eyes went wide. So unlike Teddie-san, this cat-thing turned into… an actual cat.
Was he so stressed that he was hallucinating…?
Ken stared, just barely managing to stop his jaw from dropping.
"Someone pinch me… the cat-monster talks," Ken mumbled out.
Mona yowled. "Who are you calling a cat-monster?! Is it so hard to believe after dealing with Shadows?"
Ken winced, pressing a hand against his temple. "No, but it's just… I just didn't expect that Mona to be an actual cat!"
"I'm not a—"
"Morgana." Amamiya-san stared at the cat pointedly.
The feline settled down, but continued to grumble under his breath.
"Morgana? I thought you called him Mona in there?" Ken raised a brow.
The cat perked up, "Correct. I am Morgana. But in the Metaverse, my codename is Mona. We all have codenames."
Ken just nodded, not really sure how to respond. He should be used to weird things by now. He shouldn't feel so strange that he was talking to a domestic house pet… but he did.
"Are you really a Persona-user?" Sakamoto-san demanded. "Ren seems to think that you helped heal Anne when we fought Kaneshiro. And you're the reason why Kaneshiro got distracted."
Wait, he caught onto that? Amamiya-san was sharp. He really had thought he had been subtle. Well, with healing Takamaki-san, at least. He knew that he was running a risk with his light spell.
"Did you awaken in the Metaverse then?" Niijima-san asked, looking intrigued. "I had to confront Kaneshiro before my Persona emerged."
Ken shook his head. "It's… complicated, but I awakened to my Persona before I moved out here."
"There are other Persona-users around?!" Sakamoto-san blurted out, his brown eyes wide with shock.
Well… he couldn't blame them for being surprised. It would be easy to assume that this was just an isolated situation.
"But how did you even gain your Persona?" Morgana quizzed.
"I… rather not get into it," Ken said, looking away. "It's a long story. A really long story."
"I'm sorry. But if you want us to trust you, you'll have to give us something more than that," Amamiya-san said seriously, crossing his arms over his chest.
Ken subtly swallowed, praying that his nervousness wasn't showing up on his face. He should've expected that they wouldn't let him skate by with that excuse.
But… what else could he say? Some story about Black Mask attacking him and that caused him to awaken to his Persona? Well... he supposed in a way that had happened, but they'd probably think he was insane. Besides that, Ken was already feeling a little guilty about spinning this story to them.
"It's just... I don't exactly like talking about—"
Niijima-san interrupted him. "Amada-kun, please… I want to believe in you. But… I do have to agree with the others. Your actions are suspicious. And I can't let my bias get in the way. Can I trust you? Can we trust you? Please tell us how you got your Persona."
He wished he could honor her. But he can't tell them the full truth. But he did need to give them something or this would get worse. Ken let out a sigh.
"Strange things… I couldn't explain, they just kept happening. As some of you already know, I moved here from Port Island. When I was a kid, there were… things going on," Ken started to explain. "It was bizarre and unsettling."
"Bizarre how?" Takamaki-san asked.
"Um… there were some odd rumors, things that couldn't be logically disproven. I remember people acting off and… I didn't understand it. People not acting like themselves, no desire to take care of themselves and just… collapsing. I heard it was called Apathy Syndrome; I didn't really get it."
The group stilled and looked around at each other. Morgana was sitting on the table in front of Amamiya-san and then moved over to sit in front of Ken, he looked more curious instead of uncertain like the others.
"Well, go on," the cat encouraged him to continue.
Ken nodded and let out a sigh. "I'm no expert on what happened or why it happened. It was all mysterious. But things went back to normal eventually and I just moved on with my life, not thinking about that stuff. But then… things changed. These past couple of years… new weird stuff started happening. And I just couldn't help but be reminded of what I heard of Apathy Syndrome."
"Do you mean the Psychotic Breakdowns and Mental Shutdowns?" Niijima-san asked.
Ken gave her a nod. He then crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.
"There were several instances over the past couple years," he said slowly. "Like… there was a mall my friends and I often go to back home. One day, the owner of it suddenly changed completely. He started attacking his staff and then barricaded himself in his office, threatening to burn the whole mall down if they called the cops on him. His son begged him to calm down, eventually, coaxed him out. The cops were waiting and knocked him out. The next day he didn't remember a single thing."
Ken looked back at the others and they all had mixed looks of shock and pity. Ken knitted his brows and licked his lips. He felt awful for the man but nothing could be done for him now. Not yet. But once they get to the bottom of this all then maybe things can be set right.
"The owner of a boutique chain you can only find on Port Island that was planning on franchising out to other cities undergone a similar situation. One of the police commissioners too. He attacked some of the police department out of the blue. As the news called it, Psychotic Breakdowns," Ken explained.
He was just grateful that Akihiko-san had been nursing a nasty stomach bug with the incident concerning the police commissioner. He'd hate if Akihiko-san had been caught in the middle of that.
Amamiya-san started twirling around a pencil in his right hand but was still listening intently.
"I don't know if you guys remember the news about a month ago, but the Wild Duck Burger restaurant chain took a huge hit in stock. The chain originated from Port Island. People stopped going there for a bit because of an… incident with a chef that created a scandal." Ken felt heat rush to his cheeks as he recounted… that incident.
A lot more people started going to Big Bang Burger after that…
Sakamoto-san winced, "Oh yeah, that nude selfie incident. Yeesh…"
Ken nodded at him and cleared his throat. He quickly inhaled as his face became more somber.
"A member of the city council however… is in a vegetative state." Ken winced as he closed his eyes.
These events were all true. Mitsuru-san detailed this all in a report that he would need when further investigating the incidents happening in Tokyo too. He had heard of a couple things in passing but Mitsuru-san had thought it would be prudent if she had compiled all of this together for him.
"Wait, does that mean—"
Ken cut off Niijima-san. "Yes, as the news put it. A mental shutdown. They're lucky they survived it. I've heard the reports that some have died from undergoing those."
Niijima-san looked down at her feet. Amamiya-san and Sakamoto-san looked tense. Morgana looked over to Takamaki-san, who had tightened her jaw staring out the window.
"I… I couldn't help but fear what that meant. I wasn't sure if it was connected to that weird phenomenon going on when I was a kid. Or if they were completely unrelated. But I… I was tired of seeing good people getting hurt. I wanted to do something about it. So I decided to investigate it myself. I know… I was definitely in over my head. But I couldn't take it anymore."
The last part was true at least.
Ken rubbed his neck and took a deep breath. Amamiya-san had an unreadable expression and Ken did his best to keep his poker face under his gaze. He hoped he sounded convincing.
"I don't know… how I ended up in that—what was it again? The Metaverse, right?" Ken feigned ignorance.
The whole group nodded.
"Right… I kind of started calling it a Shadow Nest, felt like a fitting name for it at the time. But that's not important. Anyways… I was leaving home from school to head home when well… that was the last thing I remember." Ken crossed his arms and tried to looked confused as he was spinning this tale.
He might as well make good use of that black masked individual. He was bad news for all parties no matter how you looked at it.
Sakamoto-san tilted his head, "Last thing you remember?"
Ken nodded towards him, "Yeah, one moment I was walking home. Then nothing… it was all blank. I just woke up in that place. I think… I think I was ambushed. I can't remember. My head was sore though."
More like his whole body was sore when that guy got the drop on him.
"Ambushed? So your attacker dragged you into the Metaverse. Did you get a good look at them?" Takamaki-san inquired.
"Yes and no." Ken admitted, "I never saw his face."
Amamiya-san sat up straighter.
"His face? Your attacker was a male? What did he look like?" the Phantom Thief leader asked.
"I couldn't see his face at all, like I said. He kept covering it when…" Ken trailed off, realization dawned on him.
The whole fight, when his attacker used that freaky Persona, he kept covering his face with his hand. The way Personas are summoned here is with a mask. And anytime he removed his, he always made certain to block his face. The black masked Persona-user was keeping his identity a secret. Was he concerned that Ken would be able to identify him? Did that mean he knew Ken? He shuddered at that thought. Hopefully not, maybe he was just worried that meant he thought Ken might notice him if they ran into each other outside the Metaverse. But then… did that mean he was someone that would be recognizable?
"Yo? Earth to Amada-senpai?" Sakamoto-san cut through his thoughts.
Ken slightly jumped. And looked around them all. They looked a bit confused and concerned.
"Ah… sorry."
Niijima-san eyed him sympathetically. "Are you alright?"
He smiled politely and waved it off, "I'll be okay. Sorry… it still gives me goosebumps, thinking about him. That guy was… well… I was lucky. The Shadows I ran into after him weren't anywhere close to as dangerous as that guy. He's the reason I awoken to my Persona."
Well re-awoken but he needed them to not suspect him at the moment. But he wasn't lying about one thing. Whoever that person is… he definitely made Ken really nervous. He barely repressed a shudder, thinking about how that guy came close to killing him.
"I honestly thought I was going to die in that moment." Ken recounted, "But then I heard the voice of my Persona. It urged me to not give up and I couldn't die there. I managed to get away. Just barely. But that guy… he had powers similar to us."
"Similar to… similar to us. You mean he had a Persona?!" Morgana asked in shock.
Ken just nodded, "Yeah, and it was a tough one. His outfit looked more… sinister compared to me, and definitely compared to all your attire when you go to that place. His outfit was dark, he kept his distance but I could tell it was a dark clad outfit, and he had on a black mask—"
"Wait what?" Morgana interjected.
Sakamoto-san jumped to his feet, his chair almost fell backwards, wobbling a bit before settling. Amamiya-san dropped his pencil that he had been twirling around previously. Takamaki-san gasped before her head whipped over to Amamiya-san. Niijima-san looked towards her teammates with concern but seemed the least nervous, which made sense… she was the newest member of their team.
"A black mask, this Persona-user had a black mask? Are you sure?" the cat asked very seriously.
Ken just nodded. His tale was filled with half truths and lies. But at the very least he knew that whoever that person was, they were going to be a danger to everyone. And what he suspected, could be linked to these breakdowns and shutdowns, if what Kaneshiro said was true.
"Then Madarame and Kaneshiro weren't lying, this creep definitely does exist." Takamaki-san said nervously towards Amamiya-san while twiddling her thumbs.
"I managed to get away by the skin of my teeth. I've ran into some of those Shadows not long after," Ken said as he knew he had to keep it vague on the timeline and keep up with the half-truths. "I knew if I was ever to run into those things again or that black masked guy, I'd need to be better equipped. But still… I think he just wanted to silence me for looking into thing."
Amamiya-san bent down to pick up his pencil. Sakamoto-san had a mixed expression on his face that Ken wasn't sure what that meant.
Ken cleared his throat. "I was kinda worried he'd find me again. I don't know if I'd be ready to face him again, he was just too strong. Thankfully, my guardian recently told me we were moving to Tokyo. I thought I would be safer finally, he wouldn't able to track me down with luck. I still wanted to look into these mysterious things, but I realized I wasn't nearly ready and should get more prepared if I was to tackle all this weird stuff again."
"That does make sense." Niijima-san nodded.
Ken then awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and tried to look as sheepish as possible.
"Um, please… don't tell my guardian about any of this. He doesn't know about all of the trouble I've been getting into. I don't want to worry him."
He definitely didn't want them to confront Shinjiro-san or look into him. Hopefully he can keep them far away from looking into the Shadow Operatives, for Mitsuru-san's sake.
Morgana chuckled, "Don't sweat it, we know what it means to live a double life."
Ken sighed a breath of relief. And gave Morgana a sincere smile. He hated lying to them. He knew his mission but still, they didn't feel… like they were bad people. He knew he needed to look at the bigger picture and not let himself be clouded by bias.
Ken however realized he needed to quickly plug a hole.
"Please, promise me you guys won't go investigate those incidents yourselves, at least… not until you are much stronger!"
There is a chance they could investigate those themselves and nothing would happen, or… if his lie was actually true. And these guys wouldn't stand a chance. That black masked Persona-user was way too strong. Ken barely made it out alive and he's more experienced than any of them.
"Wait, is he that powerful? But you got away—"
Ken cut off Sakamoto-san, "No! Kaneshiro would be nothing compared to this guy! Not all of you combined I think would be ready. I was lucky. If you have to investigate who is behind all that, and I suspect that black masked Persona-user at least knows what is responsible for these incidents, then be very careful and be extremely discrete!"
The group was silent for a several seconds, all looking back and forth between each other. At their level they couldn't handle someone like that guy. He hoped they'd heed his warning. He still wasn't sure fully about them yet, even if his heart wanted him to lean in one direction completely. Regardless he didn't want them to run headfirst into trouble.
Amamiya-san sat up straight.
"He sounds ruthless, if he has you this nervous." Amamiya-san leaned back in his chair again and put his hands in his pocket. "But I appreciate the warning. I don't plan on running our group headfirst into something that we aren't ready for."
Ken relaxed into his chair and let out a sigh of relief. Not really caring how he looked to them in that moment. At least they weren't going to be reckless with something like this. And more importantly, if they did go chasing him and anything doesn't match what Ken says, he's in trouble. For Ken's mission and their safety… that absolutely needs to be avoided.
Morgana spoke up, "What can you tell us about him? Anything you remember?"
"Well... let's see…" Ken looked between Sakamoto-san and Amamiya-san, "I don't know if it's accurate, I was mostly avoiding his attacks and trying to keep my distance. But I think he could be around my height or the two of you, Amamiya-san and Sakamoto-san."
Amamiya-san just nodded.
Ken tapped his chin and closed his eyes.
"He… his outfit was black and…either a dark blue or purple, I'm not sure, he moved around so fast. He wielded a pistol that had a silencer on it. And he had a serrated sword. He… covered his face the whole time he summoned his Persona. Which means he was smart enough to realize if I got away, he needed to keep his identity a secret. However… he saw my face." Ken couldn't help but shiver at that last part.
If he had any luck, he'd not run into him in the real world. But somehow, he just knew that wasn't the last he was going to see of his black masked attacker.
"Amada-senpai, for what it's worth, we do kinda owe you for that save with Kaneshiro. So if you feel you are in danger of that dude, just let us know," Sakamoto-san said.
Ken's eyes shot open and he looked over at Sakamoto-san in surprise.
"You'd be willing to do that? But I thought I was suspicious?"
Sakamoto-san narrowed his eyes. "Damn straight you're suspicious! You ain't off the hook that easily! But you did us a solid, and I am not the kinda guy who doesn't pay people back if they owe us! Besides, seems like that guy is bad news for everyone!"
Ken winced and slumped in his seat. So much for hoping he was earning the trust of the one who was skeptical of him the most.
Takamaki-san groaned and shook her head. Niijima-san just rolled her eyes but then cleared her throat to get the group's attention.
"Back to the topic at hand… if you felt unprepared, why did you come back?" Niijima-san asked, "Why did you follow the others, and go back into the Metaverse, risking seeing him possibly again?"
Ken grimaced. "Like I said… I was tired of seeing innocent people hurt."
And… it was technically true. He just felt that it wasn't right to back away, not when Mitsuru-san and everyone were doing their hardest to help innocents, people who couldn't defend themselves.
Ken then shrugged. "I just figured I'd have to be more careful going forward. And to be completely honest… I was curious. I couldn't stop thinking about it once I left that Shadow Ne—I mean… right Metaverse. Sorry. But anyways… so I tried it one more time. And… that was when I saw you entering… the Palace, was it?"
"Yeah, that's right." Amamiya-san nodded.
"I heard you guys talking and it made me realize you were the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. And I… I wanted to know how you did it."
Ken then hesitated, unsure if he should say what he's been thinking about for the past few weeks.
"Hm? What's the matter?" Takamaki-san asked, her blue eyes filled with concern.
"It's nothing but um…" Ken ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Spit it out already!" Sakamoto-san said impatiently.
Morgana huffed. "Tsk, you have no patience, Ryuji."
"Can it, you stupid cat!"
"Guys…" Amamiya-san said; his voice was quiet but the authority in his voice made them immediately settle down.
Ken just smiled awkwardly. He might as well say it.
"Your goal… resounded with me," Ken admitted. "A long time ago, the police wronged me as well. They accepted a lie that a powerful group manufactured to protect themselves… a lie about how my mother had died. Officially, she died because of a car accident. Nobody knew the truth. I couldn't help but feel angry that they wouldn't punish the true culprit, that they just swallowed a convenient lie."
"Amada-kun…" Niijima-san breathed, her eyes filled with sympathy. "I… I had no idea…"
Ken just shrugged. "It's… something I don't really like to talk about."
As much as he loved SEES, and he wouldn't trade them for anything… Ken couldn't help but wish that his mother didn't have to die. He hated it but his memories of her were becoming vaguer and vaguer as he grew older. Sometimes he wondered if he didn't have pictures of her… he'd eventually forget her face.
"That's… That's effed up!" Sakamoto-san slammed a hand on the table again, looking at him fiercely. "They just let it go?! You've gotta tell me that her killer was punished!"
If only he knew. Somehow, he didn't think that they would take just who Shinjiro-san was too lightly.
"Two years after my mother's death, the one responsible got caught up in some trouble and was shot by… someone insane. But after all of that, it didn't make me feel better," Ken stated.
"At least your mom can rest easy, yeah?" Sakamoto-san offered.
Ken smiled to himself. Technically yes, but not for the reasons Sakamoto-san was thinking of. There was so much nuance to that situation he didn't understand as a kid at first. He couldn't explain it to them all. He wasn't comfortable explaining it to them for one. But for the other… would they judge him? Forgiving the one who killed her?
Would they find him weak for letting go of his anger? Becoming close to Shinjiro-san? No… that was too personal. They might not understand.
He then continued, "But because of that… I forced myself to move on. My mother would've wanted me to live, not be hung over her death."
"That's very mature of you, Senpai," Takamaki-san complimented, only to frown. "Though I don't think I would be able to do that, if Kamoshida went through something similar…"
"Kamoshida was terrorizing you personally," Ren said quietly, taking a few steps forward to place a hand on her shoulder. "I don't think you can compare the situations, Anne."
Ken nodded, "He's right, Takamaki-san. Besides, we've all had our own kinds of suffering… I don't think it's beneficial to argue who has suffered more."
"Dude, what did I tell ya about being so formal…" Sakamoto-san groused, shooting him a look.
Niijima-san just arched an eyebrow at him. "I don't know about you, Ryuji, but I can't help but think that you could take a page out of Amada-kun's book."
"I'm fine just the way I am!" he grumbled.
"But anyways… I'm glad that you feel that way, Senpai," Amamiya-san broke in, quickly rolling his eyes with a smile before gesturing to his friends, "About us. That's one of our goals… to inspire people to fight back."
"Well, it is pretty noble—"
"But dude," Sakamoto-san blurted out, "why use a spear? Are you c—"
"I am not compensating for anything," Ken cut him off, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.
This again? Junpei-san had made that kind of joke a million times. Of course, Junpei-san had been referring to his diminutive height when he was younger, but he wasn't stupid. And besides that, he was taller than Sakamoto-san.
He clarified, "I've been practicing soujutsu since I was in middle school."
"Ryuji!" Niijima-san scolded, a slight blush on her face. "You shouldn't joke about that."
"You can't blame me for being curious!" he grumbled.
Amamiya-san just cracked a smirk. "I'm just surprised you understood the joke, Makoto."
"Ren! That's hardly gentleman-like!" Morgana scolded just as Niijima-san exclaimed, "How sheltered do you think I am?!"
"Ahem!" Takamaki-san then cleared her throat. "But… Senpai…"
Ken turned to look at her and she smiled hesitantly.
"You won't say anything to anyone, will you?" she said anxiously, clasping her hands together.
Ken shook his head, offering her a small smile to reassure her. She was normally such a cheerful girl… but she looked so anxious right now, her lips pursed together and a glimmer of fear in her eyes.
He gave a reassuring smile. "You have nothing to worry about, Takamaki-san. I won't be going to the police about this, I promise."
Just Mitsuru-san, really… But what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.
"Okay…" All tension seemed to leave Takamaki-san and she sighed in relief. "That's a load off of my shoulders."
"Duuude…" Sakamoto-san suddenly gaped at the clock. "Is lunch really almost over?!"
Takamaki-san squeaked. "A-Are you serious?"
"Relax, we still have over ten minutes," Amamiya-san said, looking rather unfazed.
Ken couldn't help but wonder if that was a Wild Card trait. Even though Minako-san was energetic, she never seemed to lose her head during combat.
"I will say, this conversation isn't over yet. We'll talk with you again Amada-senpai. But thank you for your time." Amamiya-san waved off.
The second-years all made their farewells, before scurrying out of the door with Morgana in tow. Ken just stared after them. They were certainly… colorful.
Niijima-san just sighed fondly, shaking her head. "Those three…"
"They seem pretty close," Ken mused.
"Well… they went through a lot in April together," Niijima-san said quietly, folding her hands in her lap.
She then looked at him hesitantly. She was biting her lower lip, looking guilty for some reason.
"What is it?" Ken frowned at her as he rose to his feet.
"It's just…" Niijima-san sighed heavily, looking down at her lap. "I'm sorry that you had to disclose that about your mother…"
"Don't be," Ken was quick to reassure her. "You didn't force me to talk about my mom… And besides..."
He pursed his lips together, wondering if he should touch on her father.
He finally settled on, "I'm sorry what happened to your father. He didn't deserve that."
Niijima-san bit her lip before lifting her chin. "So…you were there. Weren't you? You were there when I awakened to my Persona?"
Ken couldn't help but feel guilty. But he nodded his head.
"Kaneshiro will be rotting in jail for the rest of his life. It's nothing more than he deserves. And Dad... I like to think that he's pleased with my choice." Niijima-san stood up straighter.
"I'm sure he is." Ken gave her a smile. "And... don't feel bad about my mom, really. I just wanted to let you know how I felt."
She said abruptly, "I was the same too. I thought the Phantom Thieves were people to be admired… especially with how they handled Kamoshida…"
She must feel terribly guilty about that. He didn't know the full story, but from the news coverage… Kamoshida really made Ekoda look like child's play.
"More people should stand up to those kinds of injustice…" Ken mused.
He couldn't help but wonder if people weren't so complacent, would Minato-san even need to die? Would people have called out to Nyx? He knew that Minato-san had died happy, knowing that he had saved the world—no, that he had protected his friends—but the what ifs came to his mind from time to time.
"Amada-kun… it… it's not up to me, but…" Niijima-san looked at him carefully. "I think you wouldn't make a bad Phantom Thief."
What? She thought what? Ken looked around, before pointing at himself.
"Me? You're referring to me?" he asked dumbly, even though he knew perfectly well that he was the only other person in the room.
"Yes, you," Niijima-san laughed gently, her lips curving into a smile.
"But—"
"You helped heal Anne and you're the one to turn the tides against Kaneshiro. And well… I was rather impressed with you when you jumped over the railing."
Ken tried not to groan, and he felt his face warm up with embarrassment. He just remembered his instincts screaming at him to run, to get as far away as possible. And it hurt like hell when he had jumped.
"I'm going to try to forget that ever happened," he grumbled, stepping closer to the door. "Hopefully before lunch ends."
Though he doubted it, seeing that there were less than ten minutes left…
"You should call me by my first name."
Ken blinked at her, pausing at the door. "…I beg your pardon?"
"Ren, Anne, Ryuji, and Yusuke all call me Makoto," she explained, tucking her hair behind her ear. "And they should call me Senpai, as they do with you. But I told early on that I would rather them just call me Makoto. I'd… like for you to call me Makoto as well."
"Well… if that's what you really want, Makoto—Makoto-san," Ken said, unable to stop himself from stumbling over her name.
It felt so strange to just drop the honorific. Especially since they hadn't known each other for that long. It felt more natural to refer to her as he did with everyone in SEES and the Investigation Team.
"Difficult for you?" she teased lightly.
"I'm not used to it." Ken smiled sheepishly. "But I don't mind if you want to call me by my first name."
While he always was polite when it came addressing people (annoyingly so, according to Minako-san), he never minded being called by his first name. Out of everyone in SEES, only Mitsuru-san and Aigis-san would address him formally. The others all just called him by his first name, although the other girls did attach an honorific to his name. The Investigation Team seemed to follow his senpai in how they addressed him, as well.
Makoto-san just smiled at him. "I'd like that."
Shinjiro could count a total of six puppies curled up against a black shiba inu.
The screen then jostled as Fuuka moved her laptop back to the desk.
"I'm surprised about their fur colors," Shinjiro remarked.
Most of the puppies had tan and black fur, though there was one puppy with cream fur.
Fuuka let out a hum. "Well, Koro-chan is albino. It's probably recessive genes."
Shinjiro just shrugged. "You're the scientist, not me."
He really needed to get moving. Aki and Minako were having their first kid, and he wouldn't be surprised if Yoshino got pregnant soon. Takeba's twins were growing like weeds. Koromaru had his own litter of puppies now. Watch Ken get a girlfriend before he got the chance to propose.
Nah, that wouldn't happen. Ken was even more uninterested than Aki, even though he actually acknowledged the fangirls.
Minako had joked about having a better selection of engagement rings in Tokyo, but they were also more expensive. But none of the rings he had seen jumped out at him. None of them seemed to fit Fuuka. He didn't want to half-ass it either and just pick out a flashy ring. Fuuka deserved better than that.
Fuuka just giggled in response.
"Well, biology isn't exactly my specialty," she said lightly, before looking at him curiously.
Shinjiro frowned. "What is it?"
"It's just…" Fuuka trailed off with a sigh.
She then wrapped her arms around herself, looking sad.
"I asked for a few days off this month and I was told no. I thought it would've been nice to visit, since Ken-kun will be off for the summer soon."
Figures... Shinjiro hated Fuuka's boss. On the couple occasions that he was able to visit Fuuka during work, her boss would always give him that judgmental look. He always micromanaged everything too. But he knew that Fuuka was fortunate to have found a good job fresh out of university, even with her talent, so Shinjiro kept his mouth shut around him even when he was being a prick to Fuuka.
"Well, there's no stopping us from going to visit Port Island," Shinjiro said. "We probably should, anyways, with Obon coming up."
And besides that, it would be nice to just go back to Port Island. And to actually sleep in his bed with Fuuka. Mitsuru had (of course) fitted his bedroom with a nice bed, but it wasn't the same. He missed the feeling of Fuuka curled up to him. Tokyo was just… so big. He didn't know how anyone could see Tokyo as home.
Fuuka raised an eyebrow. "Why not make it your birthday, then? Obon is only a couple days after that."
"Yeah, I should celebrate me getting old," Shinjiro deadpanned.
"Shinji." Fuuka shot him an exasperated look. "You're turning twenty-five. You're hardly old."
"Aki is gonna rub it in my face," he grumbled.
"Akihiko-senpai is only a month younger than you."
Shinjiro rolled his eyes. "You think he cares?"
Fuuka just shook her head.
"You're impossible," she said, but her voice was affectionate.
"Love you too," Shinjiro-san said dryly, before glancing at the clock on his laptop—he didn't want to lose track of time.
It was nearly six already? Time had really flown by.
"I've gotta go, though. I should start cooking dinner."
"Okay. Love you." Fuuka smiled sweetly at him.
Shinjiro felt his face warm. He didn't know what he did to deserve her, but he sure as hell wasn't complaining.
After they exchanged goodbyes, Fuuka hung up the call, making the screen go black. Shinjiro was on his feet, pushing the chair in, just as the door leading outside opened.
"I'm home," Ken announced, shutting the door behind him.
Shinjiro turned to look at him. "Hey. How was school today?"
Ken just threw himself onto the couch with a long-suffering groan. This made Shinjiro-san raise an eyebrow. That was more of a Minako thing, not a Ken thing.
"The Phantom Thieves confronted me today," he muttered. "I managed to come up with a cover story."
Shinjiro crossed his arms over his chest. "Then why do you look so bummed out?"
Ken rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. He was quiet, long enough for Shinjiro to want to tell him to spit it out already. But then he spoke.
"One of them suggested that I could make a decent Phantom Thief. I still don't know how to take that," Ken said flatly.
Ken, a Phantom Thief? Was he serious?
Shinjiro just stared. "Please tell me you're joking."
"Yeah, because I'm known for being a jokester," Ken deadpanned as he sat up.
God, Mitsuru would actually throw a fit if they actually asked Ken that. Probably freak people out too by creating a goddamn blizzard in July.
"Did they buy the story at least?"
"I think so. I took Minako-san and Akihiko-san's suggestions and managed to come up with something…" Ken shrugged. "Maybe if I'm lucky they'll just forget about me so I can continue with keeping tabs on them."
Somehow, he really doubted that, but there was no way he was gonna say that to Ken. He was being hard enough on himself, even without Shinjiro adding anything.
Saturday, July 9th, 2016
The next few days flew by quickly. Ren had busied himself with hanging out with his friends and working jobs as a way to distract himself from the approaching deadline. He had started to hang out with Makoto now that they didn't have to worry about Kaneshiro, and it was funny to see how she reacted to certain things.
But it was a relief to see the news spam about Kaneshiro turning himself in. With his disgusting, often disturbing, comments about women, Ren was more than happy to see that man behind bars.
And to see their approval on the Phan-Site jump was nice too.
If only exams weren't so close. He hadn't done too well during the last exam…
But now they had gathered in Leblanc, enjoying the day together.
"Hey, hey, what should we do to celebrate? We did a buffet for Kamoshida, a hotpot party for Madarame… we should do something big!" Ryuji said eagerly.
"Hold it." Makoto held up a hand, sternly staring at Ryuji. "Exams are coming up in less than a week. Have you been studying?"
You could have heard crickets chirping, if you were in the countryside.
Makoto looked from Ryuji to Anne to Yusuke to Ren, looking unimpressed. "…Are you serious? I literally asked you this a few days ago, Ren…"
"Hey, I convinced you to take a break," Ren said with a shrug. "But I'm doing okay-ish."
"Okay-ish isn't enough," Makoto said flatly. "You should really keep up your grades."
She shook her head, letting out a soft sigh.
"We shouldn't celebrate until exams are over. You need to focus on studying," she stated.
"Whaaaat?" Anne groaned, sinking low into her seat. "But I'm no good at school, unless it's English…"
"I have a scholarship because of my art," Yusuke volunteered.
Makoto insisted, "You still need to keep up your grades. If you do poorly, your scholarship could be revoked."
"Revoked? But I am doing fine enough!" Yusuke frowned at her.
Makoto crossed her arms. "Then you will be able to keep up when I test you to see how prepared you are, all of you."
"We can have all the fun you want, afterwards…" She paused for a moment, pursing her lips, then added, "Within reason, of course."
"Fiiiiine, whatever you say… Momkoto." Ren teased.
Makoto shook her head in exasperation. "That… was awful Ren."
Ren just snickered in response.
Anne sat up, her eyes brightening with excitement. "Ooh, maybe we can catch the fireworks festival! It's the Monday after exams, so it'd be perfect!"
"Did you not hear what I said?" Makoto sighed.
"No, no, I hear you!" Anne waved her off, flapping a hand at Makoto.
But then she clasped her hands together, giving Makoto an imploring look. She batted her eyes at Makoto, making Ren chuckle. She was really too cute.
"Though… it'd be a biiiig help if you helped us study! You're like the top of your grade, right?" Anne asked. "You said you wanted to test us anyway!"
Makoto's face flushed. "It's… It's not a big deal… But alright, I'll help you."
Then she looked to Ren, looking curious.
She asked, "Though, what's our next move? Regarding the Phantom Thieves."
Ren's hand drifted up to his bangs to toy with them as he thought.
"We'll have to show you Mementos," Ren said.
"Mementos…?"
"It's basically a place that acts as everyone's Palace," Morgana explained. "It's how we change the smaller scale targets' hearts."
Makoto's eyes widened. "I was wondering how you were handling those requests… but what do you mean, everyone's Palace?"
Ryuji sighed, slumping in his seat. "Eh… you'll see when we show you, it's kinda easier to explain it once you see it. But man… the targets are getting tougher and tougher in there…"
Yusuke remarked, "Naturally. But in turn, we are getting stronger."
Morgana then walked across the table, leaping into Ren's lap. "But besides all that, what's the verdict? What are we gonna do about Amada?"
Yusuke leaned against his seat and said, "Yes, I was wondering that myself when Anne called me and put me on speaker so I could listen in."
Anne nodded. "I'm so glad he promised not to tell anyone. And so far, it seems he is keeping his word."
"Yeah, but how can we know we can trust him to keep his promise?" Ryuji argued. "We still don't know him that much. What if this is all some trick or something?"
"Well…" Ren said slowly, "we could always ask him to join us."
Five heads whipped to stare at him.
"Hear me out," Ren said, holding up a hand.
"Go on…" Yusuke said slowly.
"He's at least a little experienced. He helped save our butts when we fought Kaneshiro. And you have to agree that from what you've seen… he's nice enough, isn't he? Plus, he does agree for what we fight for, and if it's really a trick, we could sus it out quickly. I was on the fence with him, but I'm starting to think he might be the real deal."
Makoto chuckled. "I honestly had the same thought about Ken."
"I think… we shouldn't be so eager to let him in so quickly. I think we should all keep an eye on him from a distance. Still get to know him and if we're more certain then we can extend the invite," Morgana suggested.
Ren was going to respond to Morgana but then realized what Makoto said. So he was Ken now, huh? Just a few days ago, Makoto was calling him Amada-kun. Seems like he earned her trust rather quickly.
The others were discussing the pros and cons of what Ren suggested. The most surprising is Ryuji seemed to be softening up on his distrust of Ken during their conversation.
Ren just got up to start making coffee for himself and the others, as well as a glass and fill it up with ice so he can get a soda for Ryuji.
"But I dunno, Ren…" Ryuji shrugged and cut through the chatter. "I think we should hold on that a bit. I mean, Morgana sorta does have a point. Wait and get to know 'em more before considering letting him in on us, y'know?"
Ren nodded. "Fair enough."
The one named Ryuji had been talking about a fireworks festival, but that wasn't what had caught Futaba's attention.
It was this other they had apparently encountered in their… thievery. The one named Ken Amada. It probably wouldn't have caught Futaba's attention, if she hadn't tried to hack into the archives of the Shadow Operatives repeatedly over the years.
Mom had always been super vague about why she was helping them or just who exactly they were, but Futaba couldn't help but wonder if they knew something about her research. But they had good security, so all Futaba managed to dig up recently was a folder of files. It was like… a profile on a person each.
Futaba didn't really know the connection the people in the folder had. It would've been age, since most of them listed were born either in 1991 or 1992, but Ken Amada stuck out like a sore thumb. He was only a few years older than Futaba, born in 1998. Though she didn't get what exactly S.E.E.S. was supposed to be. Were they spies?
It was the least she could do. Find her mom's research…
"Futaba…" a voice hissed. "Have you forgotten what you've done?!"
Futaba looked up fearfully to see a pair of wild, bloodshot eyes.
"You killed me! You stopped me from completing my research!"
"No…" Futaba whimpered, shaking her head hard. "It's not real…"
She gripped the edge of the desk.
"You're not real!" she repeated, desperately praying that it was true.
"Futaba?" There was a rapping sound on her door. "Are you okay?"
Futaba bit her lip, raising her head.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay, Sojiro!" she said shakily.
"Are you sure?" Sojiro asked slowly. "Er… are you hungry? I made curry for you…"
Futaba's stomach growled at just the mention, but Futaba ignored it. "Maybe later."
"Okay… I'll just leave it here for you. Don't let it get cold."
She heard his footsteps fade away, and Futaba turned back to the computer screen. Maybe… it was time for her to reach out to the Phantom Thieves. Futaba bit her lip. No—she couldn't… it was just so embarrassing to reach out to them. It was all in her head. She should be able to beat this.
But Ken Amada… he may have an answer about her mom's research. Maybe… if she managed to find her mom's research, this would all stop haunting her.
Now to find out this guy's phone number…
Notes:
Pretty much a bridge between the Kaneshiro and Futaba arcs, since the Thieves had roughly a week of downtime with the date, I set for them to steal Kaneshiro's heart. I hope the Thieves' confronting Ken was satisfactory, though. But they're far from done with Ken~
Edit Notes (5/6/24): Heavy edits on the PTs confronting Ken scene, including Ken coming up with a more thorough cover-up. Thank you to my beta angelrin89!
Chapter 8: Ch. 7: Medjed's Declaration
Summary:
Ken receives an unexpected message from someone calling themselves Alibaba, as summer vacation approaches. Medjed declares war on the Phantom Thieves, and somehow Ken gets dragged into Alibaba's ploy to get the Phantom Thieves to choose their next target.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Saturday, July 16th, 2016
It was rather sad that exams were a break for him. Fortunately, Gekkoukan prided itself on its excellent curriculum, so Ken found the exams not being so bad as they could've been. But still, Ken's hand had cramped a bit because he was rushing to write during the essay portion of the exam.
And summer vacation was on the horizon. They would have one more week, and then that one assembly on the twenty-fifth, but after that… he would be free for a month.
Well, sorta… he still had to keep tabs on the Phantom Thieves, after all.
Though Ken had found through checking their website that they were focusing on targeting smaller criminals right now. Of course, Makoto-san might tell him if he asked, but he didn't want to broadcast that he was still following them around.
And he was still wondering when Amamiya-san would pull him aside again. He said on no uncertain terms that the previous conversation wasn't going to be the last. Ken managed to smooth things over but he could tell they still had some understandable hang-ups with him. So… it'd be best to keep his head low, so not to rouse their suspicions again. He swore that last confrontation shaved about a decade off his life.
A buzzing sound broke through Ken's thoughts, and he retrieved his phone from his bag. Shinjiro-san was probably asking him to pick up something that he missed during the last grocery store trip—
Message from: Unknown User
Ken grumbled with a heavy frown. Spam most likely.
But then he read the messages. A pit formed in his stomach.
[Unknown User]: Ken Amada, correct?
[Unknown User]: Tell me… just what is your connection to the Shadow Operatives?
Ken's hands began to tremble. How did they get that information…?
No… he had to calm down. He had to handle this rationally… Pursing his lips, Ken began to tap out a response.
[Ken]: Who is this? I don't know what you're talking about.
[Unknown User]: Heh… don't play dumb. I have my sources, you know.
[Unknown User]: I also know about that group… SEES. Kinda weird how you're part of some top-secret group and still in high school.
[Unknown User]: And… you may call me Alibaba.
Crap… this was bad. No, that was an understatement. This was horrifying. Just how did they get information about SEES? That was classified information.
Ken felt cold all of a sudden. That black masked Persona-user saw his face. Was that guy stalking him? Is there any chance this was him? Or someone connected to him? Did he just endanger everyone?
"Ken?" He felt a hand on his shoulder and he instinctively flinched. "What's the matter? You suddenly got all pale…"
Ken snapped to attention, turning to see that Makoto-san was looking at him in concern.
"I-I'm fine," he quickly lied, before managing a weak smile.
When Makoto-san looked unconvinced, he hastened to elaborate.
"I guess I've been pushing myself too hard with studying. Shinjiro-san has been harping on me for working too hard a lot lately, actually." He somehow managed to muster a weak smile that wasn't completely faked.
He had to cram a bit for exams, after all. He really didn't know how Minato-san and Minako-san had handled juggling their duties as field leaders and school and more.
"I probably should get home… I'll see you at school next week, Makoto-san."
As he fumbled with an excuse, he put away with his things as quickly as he could without arousing Makoto-san's suspicions.
"Um, okay…" Makoto-san still looked puzzled, but she waved goodbye at him. "See you."
Ken nodded before hurrying out of the classroom.
He ran all the way back to Shibuya, and back to the complex he and Shinjiro-san were staying at. The elevators were taking too long and he actually started jogging up the steps. He could use the excuse he was winded from running if anyone looked at him funny.
He bolted down the hall and quickly unlocked the door. Once he made it back to his bedroom, he fell onto his bed with a groan. Just great, he cleared up one thing, then this had to happen. At least none of the neighbors saw him running like a chicken with his head cut off.
The question was… how did this happen? There was a reason why he never corresponded with Mitsuru-san outside of the penthouse.
That black masked Persona-user… how would he know about the Shadow Operatives? He would've had to working for Shido—which Aigis-san did speculate—but Shido probably kept that information to himself. Unless he has Shido pegged all wrong. No… the more he thought about it, if Mitsuru-san was a threat, some of his underlings would need to be kept informed.
Ken wasn't someone that should be on their radar! That was the point of this! But maybe he's barking up the wrong tree. Maybe the black masked attacker wasn't the one looking into him and messaging him.
But then who was messaging him and how did they dig up all this info on Ken?!
Ken pressed his hand to his now aching temple. This was just a pain…
He sighed, before forcing himself to sit up. He had to tell Mitsuru-san about this, and Shinjjiro-san too when he got off work. He sighed heavily and reached for his laptop.
Time to get this over with… stressing over what-ifs wasn't productive.
The quiet click-clack of Mitsuru typing on her keyboard was the only sound in the room. The work really seemed to never end. She sighed to herself and rubbed the back of her neck before taking a sip of water. She then set the cup back down next to her keyboard on the coaster. But then she was startled as the video call app suddenly booted up, signaling that she had a call.
Mitsuru's eyebrow raised as she saw it was from Amada... odd. Amada usually waited to call in the evening. It must be important.
Amada looked frazzled for some reason.
She greeted, "Hello, Amada. Is something the matter?"
"Mitsuru-san, I…" He looked nervous, swallowing hard before speaking. "I received a message."
"From?" she prompted.
"That's it, I just don't know!" Amada burst out, his eyes now wide with panic.
Mitsuru lightly tapped her index finger on the desk. This kind of outburst would have fit Yukari or Akihiko, but not Amada. He was quite distraught over… something.
Amada blurted out, "I… I received a message shortly after school ended. And the message asked me how I was involved with the Shadow Operatives. They knew me by name too! And even SEES!"
Mitsuru just blinked, too stunned for a split moment.
Mitsuru frowned, before inquiring, "Are you sure? Perhaps you misinterpreted things, did they mention those organizations exact—"
Amada just shook his head firmly.
"Mitsuru-san, they mentioned both, verbatim!" he exclaimed and pulled out his phone. "I don't know clearly you can see this but…"
Mitsuru squinted at the screen, her eyes then widening as she read the few messages. This was not good.
"I didn't say anything about the Shadow Operatives!" Amada continued. "Or SEES! I don't know how this happened!"
"Calm down, Amada," Mitsuru said, trying not to frown at how distressed he was.
Amada would probably take it as her being displeased with him. She still recalled how nervous he had been when he had told her about the aftermath of Kaneshiro's defeat at the hands of the Phantom Thieves.
She attempted a reassuring smile, before laying a hand over her chest.
"I promise you that I believe in you. And… I know you're not the vocal type."
Unlike Iori or Minako. But even they wouldn't betray the team in confidence to something so serious as this.
She drummed her fingers against her desk for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts.
"There have been several attempts to hack into our archive," she mused. "Luckily, Yamagishi is very skilled in what she does and is able to protect our data. However, they must have slipped through the firewall and retrieved something regarding you."
"You've… you've been hacked?" Amada looked horrified.
Mitsuru nodded.
"But don't worry, Amada, I'll arrange for someone to look into this," she looked at him sternly. "And you are to take some leisure time today. I know from Shinjiro that today was your last exam today. You shouldn't stress yourself so much, Amada. Don't respond to those messages, and do not fret. We'll look into this. I'll keep you posted."
Amada had been working hard after all. He did deserve a break.
"I know, I know…" he grumbled; but then his expression softened. "Um… thanks, Mitsuru-san."
Mitsuru smiled at him. "Anytime, Amada. Farewell."
After Amada said his own goodbye, he cut off the connection. Mitsuru lounged against her seat, glancing at the clock for a moment. It was past 4:30. Maybe if she headed out now, she would be able to catch Yamagishi before she left for work. It was a little earlier than usual, but she was always nagged at by Minako and Yukari to relax a little. She could afford to leave work a little early for once.
After quickly organizing her paperwork and shutting off her laptop, she set off. Since she needed to get there faster, Mitsuru was able to ride her motorcycle. She had an image to preserve, after all, so she couldn't ride her motorcycle as much.
The ride was shorter than Mitsuru would've liked, but she caught Yamagishi at the right time. Yamagishi looked rather tired, but she perked up as Mitsuru approached her.
"Mitsuru-senpai? What are you doing here?"
"Hello, Yamagishi." Mitsuru smiled at her in greeting. "Do you have time to talk?"
Yamagishi blinked. "Um… sure? I was going to meet up with Junpei-kun, Chidori-chan, Akihiko-senpai, and Minako-chan for dinner, but I have some time…"
"Wonderful. But do you think we could talk at your apartment? I rather have some privacy."
"Oh, sure." She nodded.
Mitsuru took Yamagishi back to the apartment, where she was greeted by Koromaru. He then whined, rubbing against Yamagishi's leg, blinking up at her imploringly.
"You're so spoiled," Yamagishi sighed, shaking her head. "Shinji really pampered you."
Mitsuru just laughed. "He's always had a soft spot for Koromaru."
Yamagishi put on a pot of tea, feeding Koromaru and the mother of his pups while waiting for the kettle to finish boiling water. She poured two cups and they settled on the couch.
"What's this about, Mitsuru-senpai?" Yamagishi broke the silence.
Mitsuru blew on her tea, before taking a careful sip so not to scald her tongue.
"I need you to go to Tokyo."
Confusion clouded Yamagishi's face, so Mitsuru continued.
"Amada's phone was hacked. Someone by the name of Alibaba questioned him on his involvement with the Shadow Operatives, as well as SEES. I was hoping that you would be able to discern something."
"Are… are you sure that's a good idea?" Yamagishi asked, looking hesitant.
Mitsuru took another sip of her tea before speaking again. "I understand your concerns but I have a strong hunch this has nothing to do with Shido. However, I am still uneasy."
Then she looked at Yamagishi.
"Not to mention, it'll set Amada's mind to order. He was rather… distressed when he called me. Besides…" Mitsuru added, arching an eyebrow at her, "I thought you would have been pleased with the excuse to see Shinjiro and Amada."
Mitsuru set her teacup down gingerly.
"Well…" Yamagishi just gave her an embarrassed smile.
Mitsuru just chuckled to herself. Yamagishi always held herself like an open book. To be frank, it was nice with all of the underhanded people she had to put up with her work.
Yamagishi smiled lightly. "It would be nice. So… when should I go?"
Mitsuru-san stared down at her tea, mulling it over.
She said, "I'll book you the next train ride available. So probably tomorrow… or Monday."
"Oh, but…" Yamagishi frowned, as if something occurred to her. "My work…"
Mitsuru waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about it. I will clear it with your superiors."
She would make up some excuse. The company Yamagishi worked for depended on the Kirijo Group so Yamagishi's boss would be probably falling over himself to ingratiate with her. Mitsuru found it tiring at times but she might as well use it to her advantage.
Mitsuru let out a thoughtful hum, tapping her chin with her free hand. "You should probably stay for about… half a week."
Yamagishi had taken that moment to sip at her tea right before Mitsuru said this, and she almost choked slightly hearing her words.
"T-Three days?!" Yamagishi sputtered out; her eyes wide with shock. "What—but…"
Mitsuru held up a hand to stall her.
"You deserve it, Yamagishi. You should get a chance to enjoy some time with Shinjiro as well. I'll handle it, I promise," she insisted.
For more reasons than one… even though she understood Shinjiro's reasonings on why he would come accompany Amada to Tokyo, she couldn't help but feel bad. They had spent most of their relationship in a long-distance relationship, after all.
Yamagishi just sighed, shaking her head. "Sometimes your influence is just scary, Senpai…"
Then a soft smile formed on her face before bowing her head slightly.
"But thank you. I'll do my best to figure out who had hacked Ken-kun's phone."
"I should be thanking you, Yamagishi. But you're most welcome."
Monday, July 18th, 2016
Tokyo was packed as always. Fuuka had honestly not missed how crowded Tokyo was. She personally found it… stifling.
Though as she passed, she saw several posters plastered on the walls, advertising some kind of firework festival. Maybe she could talk the boys into coming out to see it. It sounded like it could be fun.
Fuuka compared the building to the address that Mitsuru-senpai had given her. And then again.
She started to understand Shinji's misgivings about this.
But it wasn't like they could really do anything about it… Fuuka rode the elevator to the top floor, showing a deceitful plain door in a small hallway. She knocked on the door.
"Who's at the door?" she heard Shinji say.
"I didn't invite anyone over if that's what you're asking," Ken responded.
"Probably some salesman," Shinji groused, sounding rather annoyed—you could practically see the scowl on his face.
Fuuka couldn't help but giggle at the memory of Shinji scaring away a particularly persistent salesman. She heard his footsteps approach, and the door opened.
"Look, we're not—" Then Shinji's eyes bugged out, gaping at her. "Fuuka?"
"Shinji!" Fuuka exclaimed, throwing her arms around him before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.
Shinji moved his hands to rest on her shoulders, all while leaning down so Fuuka didn't stand on her tiptoes so much. It felt so nice to be in his arms again.
Then Shinji suddenly pulled away, confusion swimming in his eyes. "Fuuka, it's great to see you, but why are you here?"
"Mitsuru-senpai arranged it, so that I could see if I could trace the identity of whoever hacked Ken-kun's phone," Fuuka explained, before peeking behind her boyfriend, completely expecting Ken to be sitting at the table or the couch. "Um… speaking of that, where is Ken-kun? I heard him talking to you before…"
"What are you talking about?" Shinji turned around, only to groan. "Where the hell did he run off to?"
She heard Ken's voice from around the corner. "Cleaning up the magazines you left all over the living room. It was a mess."
Ken entered her field of vision, giving Shinji a dry look.
"Wouldn't want Fuuka-san to see how many you have around the house, right?" He gave Shinji a pointed look, before shrugging. "Besides, I figured it'd give you a little alone time."
"Why do you always have to be a smartass?" Shinji grumbled, before stepping aside to let Fuuka come inside.
Fuuka quietly giggled to herself. Honestly, Shinji had himself to blame for that.
Fuuka then put a hand on Shinji's arm, before looking to Ken. "Ken-kun, I need to see your phone. Let's see if I can figure out just who hacked your phone."
Ken dug it out of his pocket, holding it out to Fuuka, but Shinji snatched it out of his hand.
"Not so fast," he said briskly.
Ken huffed at him with mild annoyance while Fuuka blinked at him in confusion, he looked down at her.
"First things first. Did you even eat anything yet?"
"Um…" Fuuka just clasped her hands behind her back, giving her boyfriend a sheepish look.
Shinji rolled his eyes, "Yeah, that's what I thought. Come on, I'll whip you up something first."
Fuuka tugged at his sleeve. "Can we cook together, then? I missed that."
"Just don't let the food burn," Ken muttered, shooting them a peeved look.
Shinji hissed, "What was that?"
Her boyfriend narrowed his eyes dangerously at Ken, but Ken was unfazed after four years of being raised by him.
"Oh, nothing," he said lightly, waving a hand. "Have fun, you two."
"Smartass…" he grumbled under his breath.
Fuuka couldn't help but giggle quietly to herself again.
They whipped up something they knew could be made rather quickly. Shinji suggested oyakodon. It turned out rather tasty.
Fuuka was quite proud of herself, even after learning how to cook well—it always felt like an accomplishment to her, after she had struggled for so long. The egg and rice turned out quite fluffy. But Shinji had to handle the onions. She could never avoid tearing up a lot when chopping them, even with that trick of soaking them in cold water. Shinji of course cooked the chicken to perfection with the onions too.
After they finished cooking and Fuuka had eaten her fill, she set to work.
She sat down on the kitchen table with her laptop in front of her. Shinji handed her Ken's phone and he took her empty bowl and his to the kitchen. Fuuka could hear him starting cleanup. He left her be even after he finished as he knew she'd need to concentrate.
It took a few hours, but Fuuka was able to trace the source.
She entered Ken's bedroom. He was sprawled on his stomach while reading some book, but he looked up when Fuuka stepped inside. He rolled onto his back before sitting up.
"Well… I think it isn't Shido," Fuuka began, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I… actually recognize the signature."
Ken frowned at that. "Signature?"
Fuuka explained, "All hackers have little quirks. If you know what to look for, you'll be able to pick up the hints to just who hacked it. But I recognize this hacker's signature as the same person who has tried to crack my codes protecting our data. And the same as Medjed."
"Medjed…?" Ken repeated, before his brows furrowed together. "But… I thought Medjed was that group of hackers."
Fuuka shook her head. "You weren't really in the know, with that. But Medjed was originally one person. He or she had made their appearance about… two years ago? Though from what I know, the original Medjed hacked for 'good'."
"Like how Yukari-san asked you to hack into the Kirijo Group database?" Ken asked with a wry smile.
Fuuka swatted at him for that. "Similar. But anyways, at some point, others began to take on the mantle of Medjed and soon became the group of hackers we know today."
Ken frowned again. "But what would this Alibaba want with me? And what do they have to do with Medjed? Wouldn't it make more sense to go after Mitsuru-san or Minako-san?"
Fuuka pursed her lips. That's what she couldn't figure out, unfortunately.
Fuuka sighed, before admitting, "I don't know. But I only brought up Medjed as an example, not related to this mysterious texter, at least I hope they aren't. But anyways… I don't think that this is connected to Shido or his network, so you don't have to worry about that."
Ken nodded in understanding. "I see… I guess I freaked out about nothing after all."
Fuuka placed a hand over Ken's, gently rubbing her thumb over the top of Ken's hand.
She reassured, "It's not nothing. You had good reasons to be worried. And besides, it gives me a good excuse to see you."
Ken let out a little grumble as Fuuka gave him a light hug, but he didn't pull away.
Fuuka however couldn't help but frown in concern now. She pulled him back slightly to look at Ken more seriously, but still worried.
"You should still be careful. We don't know what this person is after, why they singled you out, if they are alone or work for someone." Fuuka couldn't help but hold onto his shoulders a little tighter. "And there is still that rogue Persona-user that attacked you too. Please… just—"
She trailed off, biting her lip. She had been frightened when Shinji had told of her about that mishap. Even though Shinji had reassured her that Ken was perfectly fine, aside from a few scrapes, but Fuuka had been unable to get a wink of sleep the following night. The idea of losing Ken because of a rogue Persona-user… terrified her.
Ken suddenly spoke up, interrupting Fuuka's ruminations. "I know, I understand Fuuka-san. I promise I'll be more careful."
She let out a sigh and gave him a warm smile, which he returned.
"And you will be sure to not push yourself too hard?" Fuuka pushed lightly.
Ken grumbled with a smile, "Yeah, yeah. You and everyone else keep saying that. But I will."
Fuuka laughed lightly. "Then maybe you should listen."
"Fair enough…" Ken chuckled.
She let go of his shoulders finally and relaxed her posture a bit more. She shouldn't let herself get so tense; it could bring Ken unnecessary worry.
"Are you going to come up for Shinjiro-san's birthday then?" Ken inquired.
"I… I don't know," Fuuka admitted. "I'd like to, but I don't know how much we should push things. Though Shinji was talking about coming back to Port Island last time we video called… we'll have to see, Ken-kun."
Then she squeezed his hand before giving him a smile.
"Now… how about we have some fun tonight, hmm?" she suggested.
Ken blinked owlishly at her before uttering, "Huh?"
"I saw some advertising about a firework festival on my way here," Fuuka explained. "I thought it'd be fun to go. What do you say?"
Ken looked at her blankly. "I guess… but good luck convincing Shinjiro-san."
"Oh, that shouldn't be too hard to do."
Fuuka then shrugged. Shinji's been dragged to festivals before by Minako, after all.
"Only because you have him whipped," Ken mumbled out.
"I-I do not!"
"Just a little more… and done!" Anne showed Makoto the mirror with a flourish. "What do you think?"
Makoto just smiled, admiring her reflection—showing her wearing a yukata.
Makoto turned, looking to Anne. "You did a great job. I don't think I could have dressed up without your help, Anne."
"It's no prob!" she said cheerfully, flashing Makoto a thumbs up. "But come on, we've gotta get a move on. The boys are probably getting impatient."
"You mean Ryuji," Makoto quipped, drawing giggles from her friend.
Anne said lightly, "You know him so well already. Ryuji said he wanted to eat some food and play some games before the actual fireworks too."
It really was a good thing she lived in Shibuya.
While it was hard to hurry with their yukatas, they did their best. And then she tripped over a crack.
"Anne!"
"Ow…" Anne moaned, before she pushed herself up. Nothing seemed to be torn at least.
"Takamaki-san?"
Makoto helped her up, and Anne turned to see it was Amada-senpai who had called out to her. He was dressed casually but he looked nice. He wore a dark blue polo shirt with an orange collar, placket, and cuffs, a pair of white pants, and orange tennis shoes.
He wasn't alone either, accompanied by an older couple. They looked like they were both in their mid-twenties.
Amada-senpai frowned in concern. "Are you okay?"
Anne waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine! Guess that wasn't the most graceful move…"
"Yeah, it was kinda hard to miss that," the older man said dryly.
"Shinji, don't be rude," the older woman scolded, before kneeling to her level.
She gently pulled Anne to her feet by taking both of Anne's hands. She was on the petite side. Anne was certain she might be about six inches taller than her. But she had managed to pull her up somehow. She then handed Anne an embroidered handkerchief. Anne wiped at her face, wincing at the amount of dirt rubbed on the cloth.
"Is my yukata okay still?" Anne asked anxiously, twisting around to get a better look.
This was a gift from her parents. And she would hate for it to get ruined.
"Miraculously," Makoto reassured, before she looked curiously at the older man and woman.
"This is my guardian, Shinjiro Aragaki," Amada-senpai introduced, catching onto Makoto's silent question. "And this is his girlfriend, Fuuka Yamagishi."
"It's nice to meet you. You must be Ken-kun's classmates, right?" She smiled warmly.
Fuuka-san was pretty in that delicate kind of way. Her light sea green hair was smoothed back into a single long braid, and her bangs looked so soft. She had a rather serene smile. But despite her almost fragile frame, there was an air about her that somewhat reminded her of Makoto, for some reason. She really wasn't sure why she got that impression.
Her outfit was pretty cute. She was wearing a lavender top with a darker purple star pattern and a long white skirt, paired with brown sandals.
Makoto nodded. "Though schoolmates would be a better way to put it. I'm in Ken's class, but Anne is a year younger than us."
"Niijima, huh…?" Shinjiro-san turned his gaze on Makoto.
Shinjiro-san was a bit… imposing, if Anne was honest. He and his girlfriend seemed to be on opposite sides of the spectrum when it came to looks. Fuuka-san had a fair complexion, while Shinjiro-san was tan. His thick, dark brown hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and honestly… there was something intimidating about his gaze. He was dressed rather casually, only wearing a black shirt, a pair of maroon pants, and simple black and white sneakers. For some reason, he was carrying an umbrella. But he almost seemed like he was glaring… or maybe he always looked like he was grumpy when he actually wasn't?
Though… was he really Amada-senpai's guardian? He was so… young. And the way Amada-senpai had talked, it seemed like his mom died a while ago.
"Yes…?" Makoto looked taken aback by his question.
"It's nothing," he quickly dismissed. "Ken just mentioned that you were the student council president."
"…Oh."
There was something odd about him. But maybe he just didn't know how to socialize properly. But she felt like her and Makoto were being scrutinized for some reason. He didn't mention anything to her but he gave her a sort of glare expression too.
Did he not like them or something? He was kind of hard to read.
"Is it just the two of you?" Fuuka-san asked.
"Oh no, we were going to meet up with a couple friends before… Anne tripped," Makoto said with a wince.
"Sorry about that…" Anne said sheepishly.
But then an idea struck her.
"Hey, would you like to come with us, Senpai? I'm sure the boys won't mind."
She didn't know much about him but… she couldn't help but wonder if Amada-senpai was a little lonely. It was rough moving to a brand-new school. She knew from experience. Besides, she felt her gut was right and he wasn't a bad person. Maybe if he hung around them more, any doubts that were had about him could be dispelled. They did suggest to Ren they should get to know Amada-senpai more before making any major decision with him.
"Er… well…"
Fuuka-san interjected, "That's a good idea actually! You really should spend more time with people your age, Ken-kun."
"Fuuka-san!" he complained, a whine ever so slightly present in his voice, as his cheeks reddened.
Anne couldn't help but giggle. He was just… so composed most of the time. So it was kinda funny to see him get embarrassed like this.
"She's not wrong," Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
"Like you can talk, Shinjiro-san," Amada-senpai fired back, glowering at him.
"Yeah?"
Amada-senpai just huffed in response, "Sometimes I wonder how you and Mitsuru-san didn't kill each other when you started to live at the dorm."
"Now, now, that's enough," Fuuka-san scolded, even though her voice remained mild. "Come on, Shinji, I think I saw a takoyaki stand. Let's get one and share!"
Without warning, she pulled on her boyfriend's arm and dragged him away—quite a feat, seeing that he was over a head taller than her. She barely reached his shoulder actually…
Though maybe Shinjiro-san just let her. She couldn't imagine being that much shorter than your boyfriend though. Anne would like to kiss someone without craning her neck so much.
"Well, I guess she… took the choice out of your hands." Makoto said slowly.
"Oh, that's fairly tame actually," Amada-senpai dismissed, before offering them a sheepish smile. "Uh… should we get going then?"
Anne nodded. "Yeah!"
They led him to the agreed meeting spot and Ryuji was the first to see them.
"Finally! What took you so long?!" he complained.
"Why do you have to be so impatient?!" Anne shot back.
"Hey, it was worth it, in my opinion." Ren approached them.
And per their suggestion, he wasn't wearing his glasses. Anne's breath caught in her throat. He looked… really handsome without them.
Not that he wasn't before… but she never really took a good look at his eyes whether here or the Metaverse. She knew he had grey eyes, but… she couldn't help but notice how gorgeous they were. He was definitely handsome but she was wondering why she never really noticed that about him before.
He'd… actually make a pretty decent model. She could hear Kamiya-san right now offering him his list of several agencies that would love to pick him up and then follow up with asking if he'd pose for a few photos with some of his girls. Plastering her and Ren on some bench and telling them to drape their arms over each other; she could practically hear him saying "But don't forget to smile!"
"You girls look beautiful," he added, but he was looking straight at Anne.
Anne quickly looked away, trying not to blush at his compliment. "Haha! You're such a flatterer, Ren."
What is she doing thinking about him modeling with her all of a sudden?
"Why is Amada-san with you?" Yusuke asked.
Thank goodness Yusuke was here to distract her from the weird train of thought she was on all of a sudden. She lightly smiled to herself and shook her head. She gave a more cheerful smile toward Amada-senpai, hoping he'd feel welcome.
"Oh, well…" Makoto shifted nervously. "We ran into him earlier and invited him to spend some time with us. That, and his guardian kinda left him to his own devices, so…"
At the mention of Amada-senpai's guardian she suddenly remembered his girlfriend and she still had her handkerchief. Anne felt a little embarrassed, she'll have to make sure to return it soon. If they don't run into her again maybe she can just give it to Amada-senpai to return it to her.
"That's not a problem to me," Ren said with a smile. "We were gonna ambush you at some point anyways."
"Huh?!" Amada-senpai looked taken aback, his face growing a little pale.
Ren burst out laughing. "Kidding… maybe."
"Ren, stop picking on him." Anne tried to hold back a giggle.
"Okay, okay. I will for now… so, what do you wanna do first?" Ren asked.
"FOOD!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Come on, man, I'm starving!"
Nobody objected, so they went to hunt for the food stalls. Anne wasn't super hungry but… festival food. It was just the best.
"There's so much food!" Morgana gasped. "Can I eat all of it?!"
"Cool it Morgana." Ryuji rolled his eyes. "Just because you aren't like regular cats and can eat regular people food doesn't mean you have the size of a regular person stomach."
"I am not a—!"
"Would you both not start arguing this soon into celebration?" Makoto chastised.
Anne giggled as Ryuji and Morgana pouted but kept quiet, while Makoto shook her head before turning to a pamphlet.
Yusuke looked mournfully at the okonomiyaki stand. "Alas, if only I had more than a hundred yen…"
"You… what?" Amada-senpai looked startled. "You only have a hundred yen on you?!"
"Well, I did have to pay for the train ticket…"
"And you didn't think to bring enough for the festival and the train?" Amada-senpai said shocked.
"I see Amada-senpai is slowly learning about Yusuke being a literal starving artist." Ren shook his head.
"Literal starve—Amamiya-san, is this another one of your jokes or… never mind, doesn't matter." Amada-senpai grabbed Yusuke's arm. "Come on, I'll pay."
"Oh, that's not necessary, Amada-san…" Yusuke began.
He retorted, "I'm making it necessary."
Then he let out a little sigh, shaking his head.
"Seriously, you have to take care of yourself…" He then suddenly blinked before he muttered out, "Good grief, I'm really turning into Shinjiro-san…"
Anne giggled and shook her head. Ken's guardian must be a softie deep down then, because he sure didn't act like it to her, but if what Amada-senpai is implying then it sounds like he's just the tough guy with a soft center type.
She then happily taking a bite of her cotton candy. It was so good. She beamed as it quickly dissolved in her mouth.
Ryuji asked with a scowl, "God, how can you eat that crap? It's literally just sugar on a stick."
Anne stuck her tongue at him, "So? It tastes good."
She pointedly took another bite. Ryuji rolled his eyes at her but Anne didn't care.
"Ryuji does have a point, Anne. Every time I see you eating, you're eating some kind of sweet. It can't be healthy. Not just for your heart and weight, but also your teeth," Makoto said with a frown.
Anne pouted. "I'm at a healthy weight! Plus, I brush every day, floss, and even use mouthwash! Besides, it's a festival! Who comes to a festival to think about healthy food?!"
Ren pointed out, "Some people just have a lot of metabolism. I guess Anne is just one of them. Though…"
He nudged her in the side, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Maybe I could help by eating some of it?" he suggested.
Anne rolled her eyes at him. "Sheesh, you don't have to ask me like that."
"Really eager for it, eh, RenRen?" Ryuji said, as Anne held out the stick to him and Ren gratefully took a bite.
Ren's tongue darted out to lick the stray strands on his lips. "Mm… it's really sweet."
"I say you're more into getting an indirect kiss from Anne." Ryuji snorted.
"W-Wha…?!" Anne sputtered. "T-That's not it at all! Sheesh, Ryuji!"
"Don't 'sheesh' me!" Ryuji said. "Tell her RenRen!"
"Honestly, you three…" Makoto sighed, pressing a hand against her temple.
Ren shrugged. "It's good, what can I say? It's really sweet."
"What's really sweet?" Amada-senpai and Yusuke had returned, Yusuke happily eating an okonomiyaki.
"That sugar on a stick Anne's been chomping on," Ryuji snorted.
"Just how many calories is in that?" Makoto wondered, her eyes on the cotton candy. "Maybe the vendor will have a nutrition menu…"
"Makoto, not again!" Anne laughed.
"What do you mean, again?" Amada-senpai asked, looking confused.
Anne explained, "I took her to get crepes once. She kept pestering the crepe shop for the nutrition menu and got all offended when they couldn't offer her one."
"It's protocol to have one!" Makoto protested, as her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.
Amada-senpai shot her an amused glance. "I never thought you'd be someone like that."
"Is it so wrong to be concerned about my health? Besides, you were the one pestering me to not skip lunch the day we met," Makoto grumbled.
Amada-senpai huffed. "There's a difference from telling you to eat when you're obviously drained to you demanding the nutrition values of a crepe."
"You…" Makoto huffed, obviously grasping for a retort.
"Amada-san does have a good point, though," Yusuke said.
"Yusuke!" Makoto protested.
"What? I'm just stating my observations."
"Guess it's pick on Makoto day," Ryuji snickered.
"We have to give you a break every now and then, Ryuji," Morgana quipped.
"Aw, shuddup!"
After they diffused Morgana and Ryuji's budding bickering, they were able to get some free samples from a couple stalls... Yusuke especially.
Ren, Amada-senpai, and Makoto grabbed some takoyaki and shared it with the rest of the group. Anne went and got some shaved ice for herself and gave one to Yusuke since he expressed interest in one. She got herself a strawberry flavored one, and Yusuke a mango flavored one. Ren managed to sneak in some karaage to share with Morgana. Ryuji meanwhile scarfed down a beef skewer.
After they finished eating, they went to scope out the games. They were missing some of the typical games, like the water balloons and the goldfish scooping game, but they had most of them.
"Hey, check out the masks!" Ryuji exclaimed. "There's even a fox one, perfect for you Yusuke!"
"Hmm… the quality is horrible," Yusuke decided. "Mine is far superior."
"Kitagawa-san, that's rude," Amada-senpai whispered to him, before shooting an apologetic glance at the vendor.
"They have so many different ones though," Ren noted, before keeping his voice low. "Guess that fits us in a way, huh?"
Morgana then stuck his head out of Ren's bag. "Hey, where did Makoto go?"
Anne looked around, scanning for Makoto's yukata. "Oh, I see her!"
She pointed at the shooting game booth. As they came closer, Ren could see what prize she was after.
"Got your eye on the Buchimaru plushie?" Ren teased as they approached.
"Dude, you like Buchimaru?" Ryuji asked incredulously.
"S-So, what if I do?!" Makoto stammered out, her face turning red. "Maybe I was just testing my shooting skills a-and this is a notoriously difficult game—"
"I'll give it a shot."
Anne stared at Amada-senpai calmly sliding a five-hundred-yen coin across the table.
"You sure you just want one try?" the vendor asked, raising an eyebrow. "Another five hundred and you'll get two more."
"I'll be fine," Amada-senpai dismissed, picking up the rifle.
He then narrowed his eyes, before firing. The bullet shot out, knocking down the huge Buchimaru plushie with no effort.
"Damn, he's a good shot," Ryuji muttered to Ren. "I never would've pegged him for that."
"My idea isn't so bad, huh?" Ren whispered back.
"You shouldn't discuss this when he's right there," Morgana scolded, though he looked rather uneasy.
The vendor grumbled to himself, before fetching the toy and handing Amada-senpai his prize.
"Marvelous!" Yusuke crowed, somehow having whipped out his sketchpad from… somewhere.
He held it up, showing a quick sketch of Amada-senpai firing the rifle.
He gushed, "That determination… that focus! It'll be a wonderful drawing!"
"Uh…" Amada-senpai blinked at him, looking rather bewildered even as he handed the plushie to Makoto. "…Thanks?"
"You get used to Yusuke after a while," Ren chuckled, patting the older boy's shoulder.
Anne giggled again as Amada-senpai just looked confused. The older boy just sighed and shook his head.
"Though I'm surprised you're such a good marksman," Morgana said.
Amada-senpai suddenly looked awkward, averting his eyes. "Well… I was taught by a friend. She likes shooting games and she gave me a few tips."
"T-Thank you, Ken," Makoto said, before squeezing the toy tightly to her chest. "It's so soft…"
Ren glanced up and Anne noticed he was looking at the darkening sky.
"Hey, we probably should try and get good spots. I think it's almost time for it to start," Ren suggested.
They headed off, but they had barely got to see any fireworks before the downpour ruined it. They quickly scrambled to find a place to find a shelter, but of course, everyone else had the same idea. Anne was wringing out her yukata, trying her best to squeeze out the water.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and heard Makoto lightly say her name. She looked up at Makoto, wondering what she needed before she awkwardly motioning behind Anne.
Ren, Ryuji, and Yusuke were all playing the innocent, but she wasn't fooled. They all had faces of kids with their hands caught in the cookie jar and pretending they weren't trying to steal. Amada-senpai was shaking his head in disapproval.
"Jeez…" Anne sighed, rolling her eyes. "I guess I should be glad that someone wasn't trying to get a look."
"Honestly…" Makoto sighed as well, shaking her head too.
"Looks like you need help there," Ryuji mumbled teasingly.
Anne felt irritation bubble up as her face twisted into a scowl. She moved past Makoto to grab Ryuji by the shirt as she glared daggers at him.
"Oh, you wanna help? Go in there and buy a towel then!" she chastised, giving him a light shake.
Yusuke and Ren were smart enough to keep their mouths' shut about obviously getting a good look at her leg, Ryuji however… he was such a little kid sometimes. Always pushing it. He could be so annoying sometimes.
Anne let go of Ryuji as she noticed Amada-senpai chuckle to himself. He composed himself and coughed awkwardly when he noticed Anne watching him.
"Sorry… you both remind me of friends of mine," he said with a polite smile, only to do a double-take and look past Anne. "Haru-san?"
A girl with short curly hair turned at his voice. She was a bit on the short side, about half a head shorter than Anne.
"Oh, Amada-kun!" She waved at him, before stepping closer to them and shutting her umbrella. "I didn't know you were going to the festival."
Amada-senpai admitted, "It was… a last-minute thing. Are you with your family?"
"Well, my father couldn't make it, so I just went on my own. But um… who are your friends?" she asked politely.
"Oh, well, most of them go to Shujin actually…"
They quickly introduced themselves, and she, in turn, introduced herself as Haru. She was rather polite, but in the demure kind of way. Though the fact that she wouldn't give her surname struck Anne as rather odd. But hey, it took all kinds of people, right?
But then her phone rang. She pulled it out from the small bag she carried.
"Hello, Father."
Though she couldn't quite make out what he was saying… the voice sounded angry for some reason.
"F-Father, I was just speaking to some schoolmates…" she protested weakly.
Then she paused to hear what he had to say, and then she sighed. She pursed her lips together.
"Yes, Father…" her voice was barely audible. "Thank Sugimura-san for me…"
Her father must have been extremely strict and overprotective or something.
"I… I have to go," Haru said quietly. "My father thinks it's best I get out of the rain."
Ryuji blurted out, "Hold on a minute! Just what the hell did your old man say to you!?"
"Ryuji, you shouldn't—" Yusuke began, but Ryuji cut him off.
"Like hell I don't!" he retorted.
But then he turned to Haru, his eyes filled with concern.
"Listen, if your dad is being a shitty asshole to you, you should really report him to the Phan-site. Maybe they could change his heart."
"Ryuji—" Makoto began sternly, but Haru interrupted.
"It's okay. I know that he means well, Niijima-san." Haru bowed at Ryuji before giving him a soft smile. "I appreciate your concern, Sakamoto-kun. Thank you. You're very kind, but… it's not what you think."
She then walked off, entering the black car that pulled up to the curb for several minutes.
"Seriously, what the hell?!" Ryuji snapped. "Her old man seemed awful from that one conversation! Oi, Senpai, you know her last name? Maybe we can find something!"
Amada-senpai just shrugged. "Your guess is just good as mine. She only gave me her first name."
"Holy shit what if her dad is mafia too—"
Yusuke gave him a stern look. "Ryuji, don't jump conclusions. You have such a hyperactive imagination…"
"Well, I have to admit that Ryuji's got a point." Morgana popped his head out of the bag. "The whole situation around her seems off… but Yusuke is right. We can't jump to conclusions."
"Ken!"
They all turned their heads at the call. Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san came into view, both protected by the rain with the umbrella Shinjiro-san carried.
"Oh, you're soaked!" Fuuka-san immediately began to fuss over Amada-senpai, standing on her toes to run her fingers through his dripping hair.
"Fuuka-san, stop fussing. It's just a little water." Amada-senpai sighed.
"Yeah, but that 'little water' can get you sick," Shinjiro-san deadpanned before handing the umbrella to Amada-senpai. "Here, you and Fuuka share the umbrella. Good thing our place isn't that far."
Amada-senpai glanced at everyone else and back to his guardian. "Actually… I was thinking maybe we could let them take shelter for a little bit? Until the rain dies down."
Fuuka-san tilted her head slightly. "Well, in that case, you should share the umbrella with someone else. You are all so soaked…"
"Mm… in that case…" Amada-senpai looked at Makoto. "Do you want to share the umbrella with me, Makoto-san?"
Shinjiro-san glanced at Amada-senpai with eyebrow raised. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"W-What's that supposed to mean?!" Amada-senpai demanded before his cheeks started to turn pink. "Her yukata is white. She shouldn't be getting wetter than she is already."
He just smirked, looking away. "Nothing."
"Ugh, forget it," Amada-senpai huffed, before handing the umbrella to Makoto. "You share with Takamaki-san. I'm going on ahead."
"H-Hey, wait up, Ken-kun!"
Makoto wiped her bangs off with her now damp cloth as she followed the group into the rather nice apartment complex.
"This is seriously where you live?!" Ryuji was unabashedly gaping at well—everything.
"Ryuji, don't stare. It's rude," Makoto whispered, nudging him.
"But have you seen—"
"Ryuji, I have eyes too."
They went up in the elevator, riding up to the top. Shinjiro-san then unlocked the lone door, revealing an airy room, that seemed to blend a living room, dining room, and a kitchen all in one.
"Ken, go change out of your clothes," Shinjiro-san said absently. "You'll get sick."
She couldn't help but feel slightly jealous he would be able to get into a change of clothes. If only she knew this was going to happen, she could have packed some extra clothes.
Makoto rubbed her arms, shivering a little, watching Ken disappear down the hallway. Her yukata was sticking to her skin rather uncomfortably. Fuuka-san pursed her lips together when she looked at them, her eyes filling with sympathy.
"Shinji, where do you keep the towels?" she inquired, turning to her boyfriend.
"Cabinet right by the bathroom."
After thanking him, Fuuka-san went down the hallway. A few moments later, she returned, carrying a pile of neatly folded towels.
She said, "Here. We can't really offer a change of clothes, but… You should at least be able to dry yourself a little."
"We'll just have to withstand it for a while," Anne said, accepting a towel, rubbing it through her hair. "Thank you."
The others gave her their own thanks, before gratefully taking a towel. Fuuka-san smiled at Makoto when she took a towel, and unwittingly, Makoto smiled back. She couldn't explain it but… she felt a draw to the woman. Like they had some kind of connection.
"So… what do you two do as a living?" Yusuke asked.
"Hm?" Fuuka-san turned to look at Yusuke. "Oh, well…"
She paused, before letting out an embarrassed laugh. She then gave them a sheepish smile.
"…I just realized that I never got your names," she admitted.
"Oh, my name is Yusuke Kitagawa," Yusuke introduced himself with a low bow.
The boys introduced themselves as Ken returned to the living room. For some reason, he was carrying a pile of clothes. "I noticed that you guys were really soaked, so I figured that I'd lend you a change of clothes while you're here."
Though… what he was wearing… was a bit of a surprise. He was wearing a simple tee shirt and a pair of sweats. A hand towel was draped around his shoulders to catch the water droplets that occasionally dripped from his hair. They were very normal pajamas but… Ken seemed so… put together.
"Sweet! Thanks, Senpai!" Ryuji cheered.
"It's still so weird to hear people call Ken that," she heard Shinjiro-san murmur to his girlfriend.
"Oh, wait, not that one, Sakamoto-san. That's for Kitagawa-san since he's a bit taller than me."
"Dude, enough with the formalities!" Ryuji complained.
Shinjiro-san snorted. "You're barking up the wrong tree. Ken doesn't do casual."
"So says the man who still calls Yukari-chan and Junpei-kun by their last names still," Fuuka-san lightly teased.
"Hmph."
"And excuse me for wanting to be polite," Ken said dryly.
"He still uses your first name though!" Ryuji continued to complain.
"Well, not entirely," Anne commented, glancing at her. "He calls Makoto by her first name."
Fuuka-san just giggled, reaching to ruffle Ken's hair. "He's always been a polite boy. Even when he was only eleven years old."
"Fuuka-san, you know I hate that!" Ken complained, quickly darting out of her reach.
He was… pouting. It was rather adorable, with that moody frown of his. It was just… endearing.
"Aw, but you have such soft hair…"
"You do?" Anne asked. "Let me feel!"
"What did I just say?" Ken huffed, even as his cheeks turned pink. "I'm not a dog!"
"My fur is velvety soft, Lady Anne!" Morgana chimed in.
"Jeez, you brought your cat?" Shinjiro-san demanded. "Did you even feed him yet?"
"I was planning on it?" Ren offered.
"Tsk… excuses," Shinjiro-san grumbled, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "Give me a sec."
He then moved to the kitchen, grumbling to himself.
"You should really get changed though," Fuuka-san said to the boys. "The bathroom is the second room down the hallways."
"Oh yeah…"
"My thanks again, Amada-san," Yusuke added.
Then Fuuka-san frowned. "Hey, Ken-kun, why did you grab so many?"
"Oh, well… I was thinking…" For some reason, Ken's face reddened a bit. "I think the girls have to be more uncomfortable since their yukatas have to be sticking to their skin, and since you're a lot shorter than both of them, I thought…" He looked away, unable to finish the sentence.
When Makoto picked up one set of clothes, a pleasant scent drifted from it. Now that she thought about it, Ken did wear cologne.
"Thank you, Ken," she said. "It was very thoughtful of you."
"Thanks, Senpai!" Anne chirped, happily picking up the other set of clothes. She saw Fuuka-san pick up a towel and begin to rub down Morgana, earning some happy purrs from the feline.
They waited for the boys to return from changing before heading for the bathroom. It was a relief to strip out of her soaked yukata and to properly dry herself. The tee shirt hung on her frame loosely, so Makoto ended up tying it at the end to fit her a little better. The sweats had an elastic band, so she just pulled on the drawstrings to fit her.
By the time they got back, the table was covered with food.
"Uh… what is this?" Anne blinked owlishly at the table.
"It's called food," Shinjiro-san deadpanned. "You eat it."
Fuuka-san sighed before admonishing, "Shinji, don't be rude. Honestly, and you complain when Ken-kun sasses you."
She folded her arms over her chest. Shinjiro-san grumbled in response.
"You only have yourself to blame," she said flatly.
"Tch…" was all he had to offer as a comeback.
Ryuji leaned over to Ren, whispering, "Wow, she's got him whipped."
"Fuuka-san uses a whip on Shinjiro-san?" Yusuke frowned, tilting his head. "Why would she do that?"
"Dude, it's an expression."
"What is it referring to, then?"
Anne lightly bopped all of them on the back of the head with the back of her hands.
Anne hissed, "That's enough, you three! Jeez, don't talk about that kind of stuff when they're in earshot!"
Ren frowned with a light glare. "Why am I getting singled out, it was mostly those two?"
Morgana just snickered in Ren's lap. Ren flicked him in the nose in response. And Morgana glared up at him.
Makoto held back a giggle at her friends' antics.
"Um… but we did eat a bit at the festival," Makoto said slowly, as a way to distract herself.
"Yeah, and since when do festivals offer you healthy food? And probably not very filling," he scoffed.
"Well… he has a point," Makoto murmured.
He then sighed. "Besides, I'm guessing the fireworks festival was a way to celebrate the end of exams, yeah? But the storm ruined it. It's not much, but…"
"You're a good person, huh?" Anne noted.
Shinjiro-san looked rather taken aback. Makoto blinked. Were his ears turning pink?
He stuttered out, "I-It's nothing. Just… just eat as much as you want, alright?"
The food all looked really tasty. It was impressive how quickly he whipped this out while they were all changing. He must have had some of the dishes prepared in parts to make cooking quicker. Makoto sometimes did that when she had exams coming up but knew her and her sister would be too busy for dinner, and take-out several days in a row was out of the question. No nutrition in that.
"Hey, why do you have some shrimp tempura on this tiny plate?" Ryuji asked.
"It's for the cat. Morgana, right?" Shinjiro-san asked.
Morgana bristled at being called a cat, but he jumped on the table and took a little nibble.
"So good!" he purred out.
Makoto caught that Shinjiro-san was smiling at Morgana lightly. He masked it quickly when he noticed eyes on him.
Makoto pretended to not notice, looking away and smiled to herself. So he was one of those types. Gruff but actually has a soft center.
"Uh… he likes to eat at the table," Ren said sheepishly. "That won't be a problem, right?"
"Well, considering that our dog always gets Shinji to give him the best cuts…" Ken gave his guardian a dry look. "…Not really."
"You try and say no to that face," Shinjiro-san retorted.
Well that just outright confirmed he was tough on the outside but soft deep down, he might as well admit it at that point.
"Did you all not move out here?" Makoto inquired.
Their various comments made it seem that Fuuka-san didn't normally live here.
"Oh no, I live on Port Island," Fuuka-san explained. "Shinji and Ken-kun living here is… temporary. Shouldn't be more than a year."
"So… you'll be moving back?" Makoto asked hesitantly, feeling her heart sink for some reason.
Shinjiro-san shook his head. "No, we'll probably stick it out here until Ken graduates. There's no reason to go through another transfer. It's just a pain in the ass."
"A long-distance relationship, huh? That must suck." Anne winced.
Fuuka-san laughed lightly. "It's not so bad. We video call a lot, at least twice a week. And we did this before, actually. I studied at Tokyo U after I graduated from Gekkoukan. My major was computer science."
"Is that so?" Yusuke blinked at her. "Forgive me, Yamagishi-san, but you don't seem like the type…"
Fuuka-san giggled. "No, it's okay. I get that a lot."
Makoto could see what Yusuke meant though. She could see Fuuka-san as a nurse or a teacher possibly.
"You must be really smart if you got into Tokyo U though," Makoto said in awe.
That was her first choice in university, actually. Probably for most people, but… it was the university Sae attended as well. It made Makoto want to get accepted there as well.
"What do you like to do, though?" Fuuka-san asked.
"Oh, a lot of just about everything," Ren said with a shrug. "And hanging out with my friends."
"Reminds me of a certain someone I know," Shinjiro-san muttered.
Makoto quirked her head slightly and thought, "Hm? Someone like Ren…?"
"I model," Anne piped up. "It started as a casual thing, but I realized that it's something I really should take more seriously!"
"One of our friends is a model as well," Fuuka-san said. "Though you'll probably recognize her more from her acting career."
"Who is it?" Ren asked.
Ken raised an eyebrow. "I assume you know of Yukari Takeba?"
"Dude…" Ryuji gaped at Ken. "You know Yukari Takeba?!"
"Yes…?"
He just grinned. "She's so hot."
Ken wrinkled his nose. "Can you not talk about her like that?"
"Dude, do you have eyes?!"
Makoto sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead.
"She's also like an older sister to me," Ken deadpanned.
She should probably switch the topic from Yukari Takeba for his sake.
"Any other famous senpai you have?" Makoto said in a more half joking manner.
He hesitated for a moment. "No."
Shinjiro-san came from behind her; he took her and Ryuji's empty plates.
"Not unless you count the time Aki bodyguarded for Mitsuru for an event and he sarcastically said his credentials included him wrestling a bear," Shinjiro-san said dryly. "The media really had fun with that…"
"I don't think Minako-san is ever going to let that go…" Ken said with a sigh.
Fuuka-san began to laugh, until her eyes drifted to the living room. Then her eyes turned as wide as saucers, and she hastily stood up.
"Fuuka?" Shinjiro-san looked confused as she rushed into the living room. "What's wrong?"
The TV had been playing, though the volume had been turned down so they could talk.
"To the Phantom Thieves causing an uproar in Japan: Do not speak of your false justice. We do not need the spread of such falsehood. We are the true executors of justice."
"W-What? Who is that?" Makoto sat up and thought in shock.
"What the hell?" Ryuji uttered.
"However, we are magnanimous. We will give you an opportunity to repent your ways. If you agree to a change of heart, we will accept you as our own. If you reject our offer, the hammer of justice will find you."
A change of heart… who was this?
"We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil."
"Was that… was that what Mishima was talking about?" Morgana breathed.
"What about Mishima?" Ryuji asked.
Shinjiro-san turned around, quirking a brow at Ryuji.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Shinjiro-san demanded.
She could understand his confusion, no one but Morgana brought up Mishima. So that would sound random. Not like regular people could understand him after all.
"I… n-never mind, it's nothing." Ryuji ducked his head.
Yusuke coughed a little as he sat up. Attention now drawn to him instead of Ryuji.
"It's getting late though," Yusuke said slowly. "I believe we should go now, before the trains stop running."
"Are you sure?" Fuuka-san looked bewildered.
It was Ren's turn to stand up now as he turned to Fuuka-san and Shinjiro-san.
Ren said, "Yeah, I agree with Yusuke. We should head back. My guardian will give me hell if I'm late…"
Makoto decided to speak up as well. "Anne and I live in Shibuya, so we'll just head home together."
She bowed her head at Shinjiro-san.
"But thank you for the meal, Shinjiro-san. It was delicious."
The whole group gave slight bows to their hosts, Ryuji's a bit more awkward than others. Yusuke, Ren and Ryuji changed back into their clothes which were damp but seemed to dry off a little.
Makoto reluctantly changed back into her still wet yukata and after Anne had finished dressing. She wished it dried a little more when they hung it up. She was now lamenting she wasn't wearing casual clothes like the guys; they weren't fully dry but at least their clothes weren't as uncomfortable.
When they headed out the apartment building Morgana and Ren briefly talked about what Mishima told them about Medjed. The group grew quiet after they went their separate ways, but not before promising to talk more tomorrow.
The two girls headed back to Anne's apartment first. It was quiet on the way back, and Makoto barely registered Anne's goodbye.
Medjed had declared war on them. Just how were they supposed to tackle this?
Thursday, July 21st, 2016
Despite Fuuka-san's reassurances that Alibaba had nothing to do with Shido, but… but the messages would still occasionally trickle in.
What do you know about Wakaba Isshiki? The Shadow Operatives knew about her research about cognitive psience… I need to know!
You know how the Phantom Thieves steal hearts, right? I need someone to be targeted. Can you do it? They don't seem willing to fulfill my little request.
Ken sighed to himself, staring at the most recent messages. Just what was Alibaba after? Wakaba Isshiki… pricked at his memory for some reason. He couldn't help but feel it was important. And cognitive psience… that sounded familiar too.
Wouldn't that be connected to the Metaverse? They talked about cognition during their jaunts in Kaneshiro's Palace.
Maybe he needed to talk to Makoto-san about this. Besides that, it was a bit… worrisome, with the statement Medjed had released a couple days ago.
And as if his thoughts had summoned her, Makoto-san had appeared in his sight. Talking to some boy in a tan peacoat. She didn't look very happy to see him though.
Then he came closer… and saw just who he was. Chin length, almost shaggy brown hair, bangs curling down near his right eye… reddish brown eyes…
"Oh. Him." Ken rolled his eyes.
Ken tried not to grimace.
He had nothing against Goro Akechi, even though he couldn't help but wonder why exactly he was so happy to give frequent interviews instead of actually looking into the mental shutdowns, like he was supposedly doing. But it was annoying when people told you repeatedly that you look like Goro Akechi.
Or hear people give constant praises how he's even better than the previous Detective Prince. No offense to Akechi-san. But that did not endear him to the guy in the slightest when he's met Naoto-san.
Though he supposed that wasn't fair. After all it wasn't like he was saying that he was better than Naoto-san. Just his fans and the media. And sure, the new Detective Prince rubbed him the wrong way with the press tours he seemed to go on but he doesn't know the guy. And maybe the tv interviews don't show him in a true light. After all, you can't believe everything you see on TV.
He sighed to himself, swallowing his annoyance. He needed to be fair.
"I hear your sister has been going around, investigating into cognitive psience," Akechi-san was saying.
Makoto-san's sister was a prosecutor… why would she be looking into that?
Makoto-san narrowed her eyes, noticeably stiffening. "Sis doesn't really like discussing cases with me."
"Hmm, I suppose that makes sense." He cupped his chin in his hand, in deep thought. "She probably should be consulting experts, after all."
Ken couldn't help but feel his eyebrow twitch but he already told himself he was going to be fair. Maybe Akechi-san just didn't realize how… rude that sounded.
Ken pointedly cleared his throat, before smiling slightly at Makoto-san. "Good morning, Makoto-san."
"Oh, Ken!" Makoto-san's eyes lit up, her lips curving into a smile. "Good morning."
Akechi-san turned to look at him. "Oh, who is this, Niijima-san? A friend?"
"Why yes," Makoto-san said coolly, her voice clipped when she looked at Akechi-san. "This is Ken Amada. He's recently moved to Tokyo."
"Really…"
For some reason, Ken felt uncomfortable with Akechi-san's eyes on him. Something about his eyes felt familiar. But then he shook that thought off. He seen the guy on TV more than once before, of course he would have seen his eyes. Maybe he was more tired than he thought.
But what was weirder, Akechi-san was looking at him as if there was a sense of familiarity too. He looked him over up and down and just flashed him the same smile he always wore on TV.
Akechi-san laughed. "I could have sworn we've met before! Have you been to Tokyo before you moved out here?"
Ken shook his head, frowning. "Not that I know of. I think you're mistaking me for someone else."
What kind of question was that?
"Strange, I can't help but feel like I've seen you somewhere before. Maybe you have one of those faces." Akechi-san then pressed a hand to his mouth, stifling a chuckle. "But are you sure we never met? Do I not seem familiar? Aside from seeing me on television, I suppose. More and more people have been asking me for interviews, after all."
Okay, he was a bit aggravating. And a bit of a braggart. This was the guy they were saying surpassed Naoto-san? Why did it seem like he was mocking Ken for some reason? He felt like there was some inside joke he wasn't aware of.
Ken held back sarcasm slipping into his voice, "Pretty sure I'd remember meeting someone as famous as you."
"Fair enough. I just couldn't help the feeling of déjà vu seeing you is all." Akechi-san waved off.
The weird part… Ken actually kind of agreed with him. He got a weird feeling seeing him as well. But it made him feel uncomfortable for some reason. But maybe that was because his bias he was trying to hold back. He wanted to be fair… but this guy was rubbing him the wrong way no different than on TV.
"Are you done, Akechi-kun?" Makoto-san looked rather annoyed herself, with her lips pursed together as if she was stopping herself from making a comment. "Don't you have an interview to catch?"
Akechi-san politely laughed, "As a matter of fact, Niijima-san. I do. People are curious what I have to say about the whole Medjed incident, with the challenge they made to the Phantom Thieves."
He then shrugged, before spreading his hands. Ken grumbled to himself. He was acting rather pompous. How irritating.
He then mused, "Though, I suppose Medjed does have a point… the Phantom Thieves are making a mockery of justice, after all."
Ken narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat.
"You've made it perfectly clearly that you think that the Phantom Thieves are nothing more than criminals themselves on your various interviews. You don't have to repeat it," he said dryly.
He tilted his head at Ken. "And I suppose you believe that the Phantom Thieves are better than law enforcers?"
"They get things done at least," Ken retorted before he narrowed his eyes at Akechi-san. "While you've been running off giving who knows how many interviews."
Makoto-san's jaw dropped, and he swore he saw her eyes bug out.
"My, you're a blunt one, aren't you? " Akechi-san laughed again. "The Phantom Thieves are vigilantes at best. Arrogant ones, at that. But I can understand why you'd come to your conclusion."
Makoto-san noticeably stiffened at his statement—not that he blamed her.
Ken had to fight to not roll his eyes. Did he really say that? Really? He could not talk about arrogance, not with how he acted like he was the high authority. Though the public's opinions of him didn't exactly help.
"For what? Stating that they'll make their targets confess—something that they do end up doing." Ken shrugged. "They're just fulfilling their promises."
"And we're really late for school now!" Makoto-san suddenly interjected, grabbing his arm. "Come on, Ken, we don't wanna be late."
"Hold on a moment." Akechi-san spoke up.
Makoto-san winced but halted from pulling Ken away.
Akechi-san held out his right hand, obvious wanting to hand shake. Ken couldn't help but quirk a brow at him.
"Quite rude of me to hold this whole conversation and not properly introduce myself, you already know who I am, but it would feel rude not too," he said politely.
Ken sighed internally but he shouldn't be rude. He pulled away from Makoto-san before he took Akechi-san's hand and shook it.
Akechi-san flashed another smile. "Goro Akechi. And I must say, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Amada-san. I apologize if we got off on the wrong foot, but talking with you has been most interesting. I do hope we'll run into each other again."
"Of course…" Ken said diplomatically. "Nice to meet you as well. Sorry if I came across as curt."
"Nonsense… I found it quite valuable. Hearing the opinions of those who sympathize with the Phantom Thieves gives me much to think about for my investigations." Akechi-san waved off as he let go of Ken's hand. "But I must be off, I kept you both long enough."
Makoto took his arm again and just gave Akechi-san a slight nod as a goodbye, before dragging Ken away and into the train that would take them to Shujin. Once they arrived, she pulled him aside, before she smacked his shoulder.
She scolded, "What were you thinking? Do you want people to talk about you? You have to be socially inept to not know how popular Akechi-kun is, right now!"
"He rubbed me the wrong way," Ken muttered.
Makoto-san just let out an exasperated sigh, before pressing a hand to her forehead.
"Honestly…" she muttered. "L-Look, I appreciate you defending the Phantom Thieves, but… you didn't have to."
"I did it because I wanted to. Besides, he was being rude to you, wasn't he?"
Makoto-san sighed, a weary look on her face.
"It's just… in his nature," she muttered. "For as long as I've known him."
"Have you known him for long?"
Makoto-san's forehead wrinkled as she thought.
"Not as long as you think. Akechi-kun only started becoming really popular in this last year and he was paired with my older sister for investigations. I became acquainted with him when I would bring lunch to my sister. She…"
Makoto-san winced, pursing her lips together.
"She has a tendency to forget lunch when she's deep into a case."
That was right… since Makoto-san's older sister was a prosecutor, she would need a detective partner. Though he had to wonder just how old Makoto-san's sister was.
"I only talked to him a handful of times. Sometimes she'd invite me to have lunch with them for a short bit before I had to head out. One time he came by while we were having dinner. I was alone with him for a short bit when she excused herself to go get changed. I guess they had a break in some case," Makoto explained.
She then looked down at her shoes and sighed while they continued walking.
"And they were gone before you know it. I… will admit he always rubbed me the wrong way too. Not just because the few conversations we had, where he was a bit… much. But… it's nothing, I'm not here to whine about family life."
Ken frowned at that. It sounded like her sister spent more time with Akechi-san than with her. He should probably switch the subject to distract her mood.
And anyways… this was a good chance to talk to Makoto-san, right? It was early in the morning, so they didn't have to worry about the annoying gossips rampant in Shujin. (Seriously, why were they so obsessed with gossiping…)
"Makoto-san?"
"Hm?"
"There's something I want to talk to you about," Ken mumbled out before he could get cold feet.
When she looked at him, questions in her eyes, he spoke again.
"I… I think I have a clue for the target you've been looking into. The one Alibaba has offered you."
Makoto-san's eyes turned as wide as saucers. "Hang on, how do you know that?"
Ken explained, "For some reason… Alibaba reached out to me. Last Saturday, to be exact, but they have been sending messages to me every now and then…"
Makoto-san gave a little gasp, her eyes wide. "What kind of messages?"
"Well… the most recent one asked me if I… I knew how to steal desires," he said softly, then his voice became more nervous, "They seem unsure if you'll fulfill the request. It… kind of creeped me out that they knew—I knew—who you all were. I never blabbed to anyone like the police or online!"
Makoto placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, I believe you. This further confirms whoever they are must be watching us closely."
"That's not remotely unnerving," Ken said sarcastically.
"It's just so… vague," Makoto-san confessed. "We don't know if we should, or if we should trust them. So we haven't really made many moves to try to contact them further."
She sighed, stroking her chin for a moment.
"I'll talk to Ren during school and organize a meeting with everyone… we should talk about this in private."
They all met in the student council room, Makoto-san made all the arrangements. Ken had to admit she was impressive from pulling all this off and making certain no one would see anything suspicious.
Are you for real?!" Sakamoto-san was gaping at Ken. "You can't be serious, man!"
Kitagawa-san leaned against his seat, drumming his fingers on the table.
"Just how did Alibaba discover all of our identities? Why would they go to Amada-san first? It came as a shock when Ren received the first message, but it makes sense as he's our leader," Kitagawa-san said, looking rather puzzled.
"Maybe Alibaba had a reason to go to Amada-senpai first…" Takamaki-san gazed at Ken, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Maybe Alibaba didn't want to reach out to us at first. Look at how they seem to be holding their cards tightly to their chest."
"Perhaps it's because he's not a Phantom Thief. An outside party that is aware of us and we were in contact." Morgana hopped out of Ren's bag.
"Yes, but that's most unsettling, that means they must be watching us closely, but from where, and when?" Kitagawa-san said with concern.
Amamiya-san nodded. "I guess that makes sense. People are always speculating about what we do is right or wrong… so someone in contact with the group but not part of the group makes sense to approach. But I agree with Yusuke, that is creepy. How did they find out that fact about Senpai? And our identities as well. They even got me and Amada-senpai's numbers."
"Yes, that is the part that troubles me a lot. How Alibaba was able to contact you both…" Morgana said, before sitting down, curling his tail around himself. "They must be a master hacker or something. Similar to Medjed."
Sakamoto-san huffed. "Dude, did you not see the stunt that Alibaba pulled? Alibaba hit the entire school while trying to show off to Ren his abilities."
"Though, it seems like Alibaba considers you an honorary Phantom Thief somewhat." Makoto-san looked thoughtful, before looking over to Amamiya-san. "You did bring up the idea before…"
Ken blinked and stared at the whole group who looked in deep thought.
What idea?
"I did…" Amamiya-san said with a laugh, before his eyes swept over to his friends. "Well? What do you guys think?"
Takamaki-san shrugged with a smile. "Well, Amada-senpai seems like he's being dragged into things no matter what… I think you were right, Ren."
"I agree," Kitagawa-san pronounced.
What was going on?
"You know what I think," Makoto-san said with a smile.
Think about what?! Will someone tell him what exactly was going on?
"He's capable." Morgana nodded. "And he hasn't ratted us out yet or tried to flee the country. I feel that should be worth pointing out."
For some reason Ken felt nervous and wasn't sure he was liking where this was going or not.
"Well, he did save our asses with Kaneshiro…" Sakamoto-san grinned. "I had my doubts about him, but I think… I dunno, I feel like I was wrong about you. You're pretty alright, Senpai."
Amamiya-san stood up from his chair. And Ken couldn't help but feel like mentally swallowing a rock in his throat that wasn't even there. He felt more nervous by the second, even with all the friendly smiles around him.
"Amada-senpai, will you join the Phantom Thieves?"
Notes:
I know that the fireworks festival in P5 didn't include food and games, but after researching a bit, food and game stalls are usually set up during these kind of events. So I changed it, because I really did wish that the Phantom Thieves got to actually have some fun, instead of just having the rain ruining the show.
So… Akechi. I know there are a lot of headcanons floating around that Ken and Akechi will become good friends in PQ2, but they won't be in this. Why? Because while their backgrounds and motivations to become a Persona-user are very similar… their actual personalities are very different. Akechi gives off a front of being a people's person, even though he has a tendency to rub some people the wrong way sometimes with his attitude. Ken is more serious and tends to be drawn towards down to earth characters as friends (Akihiko, Shinji in the movies, Naoto and Kanji in PQ/Ultimax, and etc.) So it's really a personality clash (in the beginning). However, their relationship is rather complicated and I'm looking forward to delving into it.
But thank you again to everyone else who has been showing support for this story! It sometimes really blows my mind to see that people really like this.
Edits (5/19/24): Mostly embellishments throughout the chapter and some changes were made to reflect some previous edits. Thank you to angelrin89 for betaing!
Chapter 9: Ch. 8: A New Member
Summary:
Ken gives his answer to the Phantom Thieves, and Medjed officially declares war on the Phantom Thieves. This leads to the Phantom Thieves meeting Alibaba for the first time.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Thursday, July 21st, 2016
In the seven years Ken has known Mitsuru-san, he could count the times he had seen her shocked on one hand. This… was one of these rare moments. He would definitely say this was the most uncomfortable video call he’s ever had, so far.
Unsurprisingly, Shinjiro-san was the one to break the silence.
He stared down Ken. "You have got to be shitting me. They seriously asked you to join them?"
"You think I would joke about this?" Ken returned, looking at his guardian incredulously.
Mitsuru-san suddenly looked weary, as she pressed two fingers against her temple. She let out a deep breath and ran some fingers through her hair.
Shinjiro-san squeezed his left knee with his left hand, his jaw tightened. Ken couldn’t help but feel suffocated by the tension in the room.
"Is there anything else I need to know?" her voice was even but short.
Shinjiro-san stared at him, his gaze scrutinizing. Ken tried not to squirm under it.
"Please tell me that you're not considering actually joining them," he said, his voice now dangerously quiet.
Ken hesitated for a moment, before he averted his eyes. He bit the inside of his lip and took a deep breath through his nose.
“Okay, I won’t tell you,” Ken mumbled out.
"Amada!" Mitsuru-san exclaimed, just as Shinjiro-san growled out, "That is not funny."
Ken held up both of his hands, saying hurriedly, "I have a good reason, I promise."
Shinjiro-san scoffed. "And here I was thinking that you decided to catch up and become a rebellious teenager."
"Shinjiro." Mitsuru-san frowned disapprovingly at him, before nodding at Ken. "Amada, if you will."
Ken tried not to gulp. She had that neutral tone to her voice, like when she really wanted to hide what she thought… Ken shook his head. He just had to explain his reasonings.
Ken explained slowly, trying to keep his voice steady. "Well, I was thinking about what you wanted me to do. And I thought it would be easier to keep track of their activity if I worked on the inside. And… I still don't know everything about them. Like, how do they clear those requests on the Phan-site, for instance. And furthermore, what is the root of the Shadow nest? The Palaces just seem to be offshoots."
And besides that, maybe if he witnessed everything they did… maybe he could convince Mitsuru-san that they had truly good intentions. From what he had seen, they truly wanted to help people suffering under those abusing their power.
"Hmm…"
Ken bit his lip as his heart began to pound hard against his chest. Mitsuru-san didn't sound like she was going to reject the idea but…
"Mitsuru, don't tell me that you actually approve!" Shinjiro-san suddenly snapped, glaring at her through the screen.
"Amada has some good points," Mitsuru-san said calmly. But then she pursed her lips, apparently thinking over something. She finally asked, “Though, Amada… what did you tell them? Regarding your answer?"
"They're giving me until Sunday for an answer. But… that's not everything," Ken answered.
"Hm?" Mitsuru-san raised an eyebrow, a silent prompt for him to continue.
Ken sighed. "Alibaba hasn't stopped messaging me. Their last message was asking me if I knew how to steal desires but… that's not what bothered me. The message before was asking me about cognitive psience. Is that something the Kirijo Group… researched?"
Ken trailed off, noticing how all the blood drained from Mitsuru-san's face.
"W-What's wrong, Mitsuru-san?" he asked.
"Cognitive psience?" Mitsuru-san repeated faintly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Amada… are you positive that's what it is?"
"Did Alibaba ask you about Isshiki?" Shinjiro-san had gone completely tense as well.
"Okay, what do I not know?" Ken grumbled, feeling annoyance flare inside of him.
As he pulled out of the Shadow Operatives, he was kept in the dark with a lot of things. Ken understood why, but it was a bit irritating that they didn't enlighten him about this, especially with him taking on the mission.
Mitsuru-san exhaled deeply. "Isshiki… Wakaba Isshiki, was a former Kirijo scientist, but not long after I founded the Shadow Operatives, she sought me out. She was able to enlighten me on some of the research that Ikutsuki destroyed. I got to know her quite well…"
Mitsuru-san continued to tell him the story of Isshiki-san, her continued interest in Shadows. How she was fascinated if it could alter a person's mindset. How she apparently committed suicide, claiming that she killed herself because she couldn't handle raising her young daughter, Futaba-san alone, but not before destroying her research. But Mitsuru-san had seen past that, and crossed paths with Masayoshi Shido due to the investigation. Unfortunately… there was no evidence to prove otherwise. Nothing but cold trails that lead to dead ends. All evidence seemed to point to the official story. But Mitsuru-san refused to accept that, she said it was completely out of character.
He couldn't help but be shaken up after how Mitsuru-san said that she had watched her mother die, right in front of her eyes. Nobody… should have to see that.
"W-What happened to her daughter though?" Ken asked.
"That… I don't know, Amada."
Mitsuru-san pursed her lips together, her eyes now downcast.
"I never was able to discover that, aside from the fact that she was put with family, apparently. But…"
She just gripped her left forearm with her other hand, biting her lower lip. He hoped it was just the monitor, but… she looked a little pale.
"I'll let you go for the night, Amada," she said quietly. "You have a lot to think about…"
Ken opened his mouth but froze for a moment. He then shut it his mouth, let out a heavy breath through his nose and looked down at his feet.
Ken nodded. "Understood… goodbye, Mitsuru-san."
The call then disconnected, and Ken sat in silence for several moments trying to digest the story Mitsuru-san had just told him. He couldn't help but feel worried for her daughter, Futaba-san. He could sympathize with that kind of pain…
But he was suddenly jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of a mug being set on the table. He hadn’t even heard Shinjiro-san leave the room during the end of the call.
It had been more Fuuka-san's practice to make tea when someone was upset, but Shinjiro-san had picked up on the habit over the years as well. Somehow drinking tea helped him feel better, if only it was a little bit.
"Drink," Shinjiro-san ordered before his lips grew thin with disapproval. "Mitsuru shouldn't have dumped the entire story on you."
He rubbed the back of his neck before he let out a heavy breath.
"Not after the shit you've seen," he said wearily.
Ken lifted the mug to his lips and took a careful sip so not to scald his tongue.
"I'm glad she did," he said quietly, lowering the mug slightly. "It's something I needed to know, honestly, there was more to it she wanted to say, that I wished to hear. But I know it’s not my place. Mitsuru-san will share it if I need to know."
Shinjiro-san looked at him carefully, his gray eyes narrowed on him.
He demanded, "Why didn't you say anything more about Alibaba, Ken? I thought the messages had stopped."
"Didn't want to worry you," Ken mumbled before taking another sip, this time bigger.
Sometimes… he wondered if it would have better for Shinjiro-san if he hadn't chosen to take on the burden of becoming his guardian. Shinjiro-san had already made up for accidentally killing Ken's mother ages ago, when he had protected Ken from being murdered by Takaya. But for some reason, that hadn't been enough. But Shinjiro-san had to worry about footing his bills. If he didn't, maybe he would have opened a restaurant by now. Or have enough money to propose to Fuuka-san.
He was grateful that Shinjiro-san took care of him… but he couldn't help but feel like a burden sometimes.
Shinjiro-san let out a breath through his nose, before rubbing his face.
"Didn't wanna worry me, huh? Bit too late for that."
Then he looked at Ken, his expression serious.
"Ken, be straight with me. Are you really thinking about joining them?"
"I… I think so." Ken took another careful sip. "You heard my reasons…"
"Right…" Shinjiro-san muttered, a dark look crossing his face.
Ken frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's nothing," he dismissed, shaking his head.
He then heaved out another sigh before looking to Ken, his gaze scrutinizing. Ken couldn’t help but wonder what was on his mind before he let out a deeper sigh.
"Look, Ken, you're not a kid anymore. I can't really tell you what to do anymore. But…"
He then suddenly trailed off. An unreadable expression was in Shinjiro-san’s eyes.
"But…?" Ken questioned.
"It's nothing," he said, his voice curt.
Shinjiro-san looked away—much to Ken's irritation. He wanted to say something, but he wasn't for some reason… just like Mitsuru-san earlier. He knew they had their reasons. But he wish they’d be more open with him sometimes.
"Look, just be careful if you do say yes, okay? This is different than just following them around."
"I know…" Ken looked down at his mug. "I'll be careful, I promise."
He looked up at his guardian.
"You don't have to keep repeating yourself, you know…" he said quietly.
"Uh-huh…" Shinjiro-san looked and sounded utterly unconvinced, raising an eyebrow at Ken. "So says the one who nearly got caught up in an explosion. And outed himself because of that."
"You know that wasn't my fault," he ground out, all while glowering at his guardian.
Ken then huffed. There were no other examples of a Shadow nest just falling apart like that. How was he supposed to know?!
"Seriously, who just expects the place to fall apart?" he demanded.
"So you've told me," Shinjiro-san droned, before he straightened up. "But come on, let's get dinner started."
"Coming…” Ken sighed as he followed after him.
He was vaguely aware of Shinjiro-san acknowledging that and heading inside for the kitchen.
Shinjiro-san started pulling ingredients out of the fridge.
“Ken, can you go get the rice, I’m feeling gyudon tonight, if that’s good with you?” he asked.
Ken just nodded and opened up the cabinet, and pulled down the big container filled with all the rice grains. He then dumped a few cups of rice in the rice cooker and began to wash it. It took a few rounds until the water ran clear. After draining the last of the water, he added just enough water for the rice to cook and turned on the rice cooker.
“So… what did you think of them?” Ken asked as he moved next to get the onions ready.
Shinjiro-san stopped slicing the beef for a moment and looked up at Ken.
“The Phantom Thieves?” he raised a brow.
Ken just nodded as he brought the sliced onions in a bowl to Shinjiro-san, who then handed him the green onions for Ken to start chopping. Shinjiro-san sighed and went back to finishing slicing the beef.
“They’re idiots,” he said bluntly.
Ken winced at that harsh assessment… but could understand his first impression of them wasn’t exactly some well-oiled team taking down criminals.
Shinjiro-san let out a sigh as he got out the big pan. He had almost a… torn look. He accepted the bowl of green onions from Ken and seemed in deep thought as he got the onions and beef started. He then handed two eggs for Ken to cook separately. Cooking sunny side up was the easy part.
“They seemed… normal. Almost like… regular high school kids,” Shinjiro-san said as he moved the sizzling meat and onions around the pan with his spatula. “For a moment… I could almost like you be around them.”
That caused Ken to stop his focus on the eggs for a second.
Shinjiro-san warned, “But we still barely know them, there could still be something they are hiding. Don’t let your guard down around them.”
Ken frowned but gave him a nod, as he finished cooking the eggs. He then moved to add some water to the electric kettle for them to drink tea later.
Ken decided to break some of the tension. “Pity… I think the cat liked you.”
Shinjiro-san frowned. “Yeah, he was a cute little shit.”
Ken couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. Shinjiro-san glared at him immediately, that made Ken laugh more. Shinjiro-san snorted, but shook his head with a smile.
The rice finished, and Ken began to scoop it out for then Shinjiro-san to add the finishing touches to their meal.
Somehow, the invitation had just sunk in. The Phantom Thieves really wanted him to join. It was all unanimous. He just… never expected anything like to happen when he had come to Tokyo.
Saturday, July 23rd, 2016
The Phantom Thieves had kept their distance these past couple days. And he appreciated it but… Ken couldn't help but feel the pressure. Tomorrow he would have to give them an answer.
And while the Phantom Thieves were nice enough to give him a little space, he could not say the same about his former teammates. Junpei-san especially wanted to know. Though Ken wasn't surprised that everyone had managed to find out. Shinjiro-san probably told Akihiko-san, who couldn't hide anything from Minako-san even to save his life… and Minako-san wouldn't hesitate to tell everyone else.
Though he supposed it was nice that they weren't trying to sway him against this…
But what the Phantom Thieves were up against… Medjed, this was an entirely different level. And furthermore, there was the mystery of Alibaba. Just who were they? Given that they knew about Isshiki-san and the Shadow Operatives—not to mention SEES.
The fact that they were keen on requesting a change of heart… was serious. Just what was really Alibaba after?
Was Alibaba dangerous? Or were they in danger? Or was it both?
He shook his head. None of these questions were helping, he needed more intel. And he wasn’t going to get it by spinning around in his own head. Ken needed to know what messages Amamiya-san was sent by Alibaba. Maybe that would shed more light on their true motives and even who they are.
And if that was the case, there was one way he could easily get that info without needed to duck around or ask for Fuuka-san to hack into anything. But Amamiya-san wouldn't give it to him so lightly... unless he joined.
Either way, it was dangerous for Mitsuru-san and the others, knowing some unknown person knew sensitive details that could potentially be bad for her if it got out. He needed to get to the bottom of this, for hers and everyone else’s sakes in the Shadow Ops.
He made up his mind. He was leaning this way anyway, but this sealed the deal for him.
Ken reached for his phone. Amamiya-san had given him his chat ID last Thursday.
Message Sent To: Ren Amamiya
[Ken]: Hello? Amamiya-san?
Ken couldn't help but fidget during the wait. It took several minutes for him to reply.
[Ren Amamiya]: Hey, Senpai. What's up?
[Ken]: I know we agreed to talk tomorrow but… I've made my decision.
[Ken]: I want to join the Phantom Thieves.
[Ren Amamiya]: Welcome aboard, then.
[Ren Amamiya]: Hm… I guess we'll just stick to the old meeting place, then.
Ken pulled a face. It may suit the others fine to have that meeting place, but he really could not afford detection. Not with Shido breathing down Mitsuru-san's neck. Ken stared down at the phone, pondering over how to propose a more private meeting place.
[Ken]: Actually… I'd like to offer my place as a meeting spot. It'd be safer to hold meetings in private.
[Ren Amamiya]: I guess that'll make sense.
[Ren Amamiya]: I know we were there briefly, but still text me your address and I'll pass it onto everyone.
[Ren Amamiya]: I don’t think any of us got the room number when we followed you guys there after the downpour. Plus, I’d be worried about certain others getting lost.
[Ken]: Of course.
Ken couldn’t help but wonder which members he was concerned about that would get lost. Not that it mattered. He shrugged and sent the address. Amamiya-san wished him good night. He had officially joined the Phantom Thieves.
Though a ping alerted him being added to a group chat labelled The Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
But when he checked the chat, the latest conversation was them debating whether or not he'd join.
[Ken]: …Was my joining really that important for you to discuss like this…?
[Ryuji]: cRAP
[Anne]: ummm
[Yusuke]: You cannot blame us for being curious
[Anne]: We plead the fifth?
[Makoto]: …Anne, that pertains to American law, not Japanese law
[Anne]: MAKOTO SHHH
[Anne]: HE DIDN'T HAVE TO KNOW THAT
[Ren]: Senpai, what color do you want to be?
[Ren]: Red, dark blue, light blue, pink, and yellow are taken
[Ryuji]: dude
[Ryuji]: how are you taking it this so calmly?
[Ren]: Eh
[Ryuji]: DON'T "EH" ME, ESPECIALLY YOU ADDING HIM TO THE CHAT
[Ryuji]: AND SO CASUALLY WITHOUT WARNING US
[Ren]: Too bad
[Ren]: I do what I want
[Ryuji]: Ugh, eff you
[Yusuke]: …Forgive us, Amada-san.
[Yusuke]: We are a rather colorful group.
[Makoto]: That's… an understatement.
[Ken]: It's okay, I'm used to arguing in group chats.
He couldn't help but think of some of the arguments Yukari-san and Junpei-san have had…
[Ken]: And Amamiya-san, I like orange.
[Anne]: …You know, I pegged you as someone who likes darker colors
[Ken]: …Why?
[Ryuji]: Uh, maybe because you stick to the dress code like
[Ryuji]: perfectly?
[Ryuji]: Aside from you having black pants
Ken just grumbled to himself. Amamiya-san also adhered to the dress code perfectly, even more than Ken did, but he got no such comments from Sakamoto-san.
[Makoto]: That's enough, all of you.
[Makoto]: Welcome to the team, Ken
[Anne]: Yeah!
[Anne]: …wait do we still stick to Senpai?
[Anne]: I don't wanna take liberties, y'know?
[Ken]: Ah… just do whatever makes you comfortable? I don't mind either way…
[Yusuke]: Though, since now you're part of the team… won't you consider being my model now?
[Ryuji]: wait what
[Ryuji]: WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOW?
[Anne]: DON'T SAY YES KEN
[Ken]: Er… do I want to know…?
[Ren]: No
[Ken]: Are you going to further elaborate?
[Anne]: NO
Well, this was going to be interesting, to say the least…
Sunday, July 24th, 2016
Shinjiro-san and Ken were side by side, washing and drying dishes. Normally this activity was surprisingly relaxing. But in the moment, it wasn’t. Ken winced at the older man glaring down at him.
"You're kicking me out for the rest of the day?"
"I'm sorry, Shinjiro-san," Ken said, as he dried the plate Shinjiro-san had just handed to him. "But do you want them to continue to be out in the open?"
"I guess not," he relented.
He then reached for a towel, drying his hands.
"Especially with you joining them… though next time, run it by me first," Shinjiro-san instructed.
"Sorry, I will next time," Ken promised.
Shinjiro-san just sighed, dragging a hand through his hair.
"Just 'reconnaissance', huh?" he mused, before he snorted.
He then cracked a rueful smile.
"Should've known it wouldn't be that simple."
Ken had a heavy frown, but before he could say anything, Shinjiro-san spoke again.
"Don't apologize for it, Ken. You have good intentions for it. And I meant what I told you before…"
He just exhaled deeply.
"Just… don't drop your guard, now that you're working with a team now. If anything, you need to keep your guard up even more."
Ken nodded. "I will."
Shinjiro-san nodded. "Alright… I'll get out of your hair now then. Text me whenever you're done, so I know when I can come back. I guess I could go run some errands or something."
Ken promised he would, and then he bade Shinjiro-san farewell. But not ten minutes after Shinjiro-san left, he heard a knock on the door.
The whole gang was on the other side. They sure were prompt.
"Heya, Ken!" Takamaki-san chirped, waving cheerily at him.
"Still can't get over this place…" Sakamoto-san muttered under his breath.
"Good morning," Kitagawa-san greeted before making a bow. "Though I must say, your apartment has a lot to work on, aesthetic wise."
"Yusuke, be nice." Takamaki-san turned to chastise him, hands on her hips.
"Thanks again for offering your place," Amamiya-san said, plopping down on the larger couch.
Morgana hopped out of his bag, then jumped over to the coffee table, he then licked his paw and looked around the place with a curious look.
Sakamoto-san and Takamaki-san sat on either side of Amamiya-san. Morgana smiled, hopping off the coffee table, claiming Takamaki-san's lap.
"It's no problem," Ken said, with a wave of his hand. "A better hideout was necessary."
It was just reckless of them to go with that kind of hideout. He would have expected that someone would have pointed out the flaws in that, especially after Makoto-san managed to figure out their identities.
"Though, it may be a bit inconvenient…" Makoto-san pursed her lips together. "The target we're looking into… we think they live in Yongen-jaya."
Makoto-san and Kitagawa-san sat on the sofa across from the other three, just on the other side of the coffee table.
"Yongen-jaya?" Ken echoed.
Ken frowned, before stroking his chin. It… didn't ring a bell.
"I don't think I've heard of it," he stated.
"Well, that's 'cause it's more of a ward for people to live in, instead of businesses and things to do," Sakamoto-san interjected before gesturing to Amamiya-san. "RenRen lives there, actually."
"Oh, I see—"
Then Ken blinked as the nickname finally sunk in.
"RenRen?" he repeated incredulously.
Amamiya-san just shrugged. "A nickname he came up with the day we met."
Amamiya-san nudged Sakamoto-san in the side before he smiled mischievously.
"Which just so happens to work with your name too—"
"Rejected," Ken said flatly, which only caused Takamaki-san and Sakamoto-san to crack up in laughter.
"Aw, you get to keep your special name then, huh?" Takamaki-san teased.
"I happen to be incredible and here I thought that you were aware of that, don’t need a nickname to be incredible," Amamiya-san said in a faux haughty voice.
Sakamoto-san had a… grin that reminded him too much of Junpei-san or Minako-san all of a sudden. Which meant some joke at his expense probably.
“We’ll have to come up with something special for him then. How about… Kenpai?”
Everyone in the room cringed at that, except Kitagawa-san who wasn't paying attention and more looking at the furniture in the room with curiosity. Ken cringed most of all, the very thought just... no.
Amamiya-san elbowed Ryuji with a laugh but was still scowling despite that.
“Man—that pun was so bad, even I hated it.”
Sakamoto-san just laughed more. “Sorry, sorry, couldn’t resist a bad joke. Don’t worry Senpai, I would cringe saying that in public.”
Ken said sarcastically, “Thank you for your generosity.”
He then shook his head, letting out a long-suffering sigh. They all certainly were an interesting bunch.
Takamaki-san giggled at the pun comment from Amamiya-san and bumped his shoulder with hers, her eyes sparkling with mirth. This made Ken raise an eyebrow. He had heard the gossip about their relationship, but it was really something else seeing how close they were with his own eyes. Far as he knew, they were only friends, but he couldn't help but wonder how long that would last.
"God, you can be such a dork!" she giggled out.
“Me? Ryuji said the terrible joke!” Amamiya-san said in fake hurt.
“Yeah, guess you rubbed off on him,” Takamaki-san said then stuck her tongue out.
Ren then gasped before barely holding back a laugh. “You wound me to suggest I’d tell a joke like that!”
Ken walked towards Makoto-san and sat down next to her on the other side.
"Are they always like this?" he murmured to her.
"Take a look at Ryuji," Makoto-san said with a wry smile.
Her eyes then flickered to Sakamoto-san, who was shooting his friends annoyed looks.
Kitagawa-san seemed no longer interested in the room as he tapped Makoto-san on the shoulder.
He inquired, "Though shouldn't we discuss weaponry for Amada-san? If I recall right, you used a spear…"
"Yeah, that's right." Ken nodded, before his gaze moved to Amamiya-san. "I assume that you're in charge of weapons, right?"
"Ren is in charge with supplies in general," Makoto-san explained.
"That's what I thought." Ken nodded.
They just gave him bewildered looks as he suddenly stood.
"Give me a second."
Ken slipped into the hallway that included his and Shinjiro-san's bedrooms and the bathrooms. His bedroom was the first room to the left. He opened the door, kneeling down to reach under his bed. He drew out the box that held his spear. He then went to his desk, opening one of the drawers, rummaging through his equipment.
The glint of black caught his eye first. The ring of darkness… was incredibly useful. He didn't have to worry about his weakness being exploited.
But… that would only cast suspicion on him. He would have to leave it behind. At least he could give Amamiya the medicine—barring the soma—as well as the two traesto gems he had left. He dumped them in the drawstring bag he used to carry his supplies, slid the band over his wrist before picking up the box lying on the floor.
"Catch."
Ken dropped the box onto the floor, before tossing Amamiya-san the bag.
Amamiya-san opened the bag. "Medicine? And snuff souls… what are these gems?"
"It's what I used to escape the Palace," Ken answered, undoing the clasps of the box.
“How did you know how to get this stuff?” Sakamoto-san raised a brow at him.
The last thing he needed was for Sakamoto-san to start doubting him again. Ken winced, and tried to look like he didn’t enjoy recounting bad memories.
“Let’s just say… unfortunately a lot of trial and error in that place. Many lessons were learned, lessons I don’t want to deal with again.”
They didn’t need to know he was mostly talking about Tartarus actually. This seemed to pacify Sakamoto-san and the others at least who were giving him weird looks at first. They now seemed to eye him with understanding and sympathy, they could probably relate dealing with Shadows themselves now.
Amamiya-san eyed him neutrally and Ken couldn’t help but feel nervous. Was he still being scrutinized? Or was Ken slipping? He needed to make certain he is to be considered trustworthy; Mitsuru-san was counting on him. Ken tried to relax his posture a little.
Amamiya-san then flashed an easy-going smile. "Well thanks, I really needed some more items that'll restore our energy for spell casting."
Ken just nodded.
"Oh, and Senpai?" Amamiya-san had a more half-smile now, raising an eyebrow. "You can relax a little more. You're not in an interrogation. I wouldn't ask you to join if I thought you weren't to be trusted."
Ken felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"Right... sorry about that. And thank you." Ken gave him a small smile.
"Sure, the medicine is great and all, but nothing beats you making us some more coffee," Takamaki-san said with a playful smile.
Ken just blinked and looked towards Makoto-san in confusion. Coffee? Was that a code for something? Or was she being literal? How was coffee better than medical supplies?
"Don't ask," Makoto-san said quickly. "You'll see… eventually."
"Is that a real spear?" Kitagawa-san interrupted and leaned over Makoto-san to try and get a better look, "The craftsmanship is beautiful."
Makoto-san grumbled in annoyance and gently pushed him back.
"What else would it be?" Ken said with a frown.
"You've seriously been running around the Palace with a real weapon?" Sakamoto-san questioned. "All of our weapons are imitations."
Well, that explained how they had guns. But imitations? Those can work on Shadows?
“How… do your weapons not break?” Ken couldn’t help but ask.
“It’s all about the cognition,” Morgana began to explain. “The Shadows see our weapons and guns, and they may be fake, but they are quality fakes. They look real enough to the Shadows that don’t know the difference. In the cognitive world, that make them more real to the enemies who see you as a threat. They perceive you and your weapons as a danger, that cognition is the edge we use to defeat them.”
That was strange… but it did somewhat make sense.
“Plus, it’s not like we can go around purchasing actual firearms.” Amamiya-san shrugged.
“So how did you get your hands on that spear?” Sakamoto-san asked.
“Yeah, that’s a real one. How did you get your hands on that? Aren’t those like…banned?” Takamaki-san added.
“It’s not like I take it outside. That’s when you get in trouble… I only ever took it outside when I had to get to the Palace, but even then, I concealed it.” Ken explained sheepishly.
To prove a point, he stood up and showed how the spear worked for retracting it when he concealed it, before taking it back out of his sleeve and returning to normal when he fights. Takamaki-san and Kitagawa-san then lightly clapped after this display and Ken felt his face burn.
Ken grumbled as he sat back down, “This isn’t a circus performance.”
“That’s impressive craftsmanship though. And it appears in excellent condition,” Kitagawa-san said.
“Yeah. I practiced soujutsu growing up. I know my way around using one already. I’ve been taking care of it because…” Ken nodded before trying to swallow subtly.
He had to come up with an explanation and fast…
“Well… it belonged to my dad,” he said finally. “I didn’t know him very well.”
Ken closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Hoping he would come across this wasn’t easy to explain so they wouldn’t poke and prod at his lie.
Ken then continued, “He and my mom divorced so long ago; I can barely remember him. He… died not long after he and my mom got a divorce. It was the only thing I had to use when defending myself against those Shadows at the time… I know, I shouldn’t be using something so important. But it was all I had.”
Everyone started to eye him with pity and he couldn’t meet their eyes at that lie. He looked at his feet. Hoping it would read as shame for using a family heirloom or something. He felt so… dirty, making a bold-faced lie like that, to elicit sympathy so they wouldn’t find him suspicious. He knew he was doing this for Mitsuru-san… but he hated lying to them.
“If you want Amada-senpai, I can look into getting you a new weapon, one that is an imitation like ours, so you don’t have to keep using something so important.” Amamiya-san offered.
That would be the correct thing to suggest in this scenario had Ken been telling the truth. He was already stuck in this lie, and the guilt that followed. But he hated Amamiya-san was concerned for him after this stupid lie.
Ken chose his words carefully. “I… appreciate the offer Amamiya-san. And I might take you up on it someday. For now, if it’s alright with you, I’ll stick with my father’s spear.”
He hated that caused Amamiya-san and the others to look at him with pity again.
“Of course, Senpai.”
Morgana was still curled up in Takamaki-san’s lap. Even he was eyeing Ken with pity. But a smile then formed on his face and he cleared his throat, catching everyone’s attention.
"But anyways, we should get Ken up to speed!" Morgana hopped onto the table. "We've found some interesting information since we've last spoken."
He wished he could thank Morgana for changing the subject. But he was just doing it because he was being nice, not because he was saving Ken from the fact, he was so dishonest.
He wished he could ebb away this giant knot in his stomach.
"And what would that be?" Ken asked instead.
"Alibaba is… Futaba Sakura, the requested target," Morgana said.
Wait… Futaba, he heard that name earlier…
Right, Mitsuru-san said Isshiki-san had a daughter named Futaba. Could this be a coincidence? But then again, her name would be Futaba Isshiki. Still, the déjà vu he felt didn’t sit well with him all of a sudden.
"Who’s Futaba?" he asked, only for Morgana’s Alibaba comment to fully sink in. He then held up a hand. “Wait back up, you know who Alibaba is? And what do you mean they are the target?”
"Oh, sorry…" Takamaki-san said. "We think she's connected to Sojiro Sakura somehow. He's Ren's guardian."
That just raised more questions.
“Not helping with the lost context I’m afraid.” Ken frowned.
Makoto-san sighed next to him, then spoke up.
“Apologies, to start from the beginning, yes we managed to figure out who Alibaba is. As Anne said, she’s a girl named Futaba Sakura, who we believe might be connected to Ren’s guardian, Sojiro Sakura. Alibaba specifically requested we change the heart of Futaba Sakura.”
That raised even more questions. Ken just blinked and stared at everyone.
“That’s… what?”
“Makoto, I’m afraid that confused him even more.” Morgana grumbled.
Amamiya-san placed his right hand on his forehead and shook his head as he let out a groan. He then cleared his throat and began to explain the whole story from the top for Ken to get up to speed on.
This Alibaba was blackmailing them, contacting Amamiya-san about what they knew about the group, threatening to go to the police unless they change the heart of someone for them. That someone by the name of Futaba Sakura. After poking and prodding at the situation, eventually they discovered Alibaba was in fact Futaba Sakura themselves. And this Futaba-san has some kind of connection to Sakura-san. They still are trying to figure out what the connection is, though they suspect that she could be his daughter. And more importantly how unusual it is for a target to request their own heart to be changed. They are trying to figure out why that is the case as well.
"Sojiro reacted pretty badly when we asked… some are suspecting that he's abusing her or something," Amamiya-san explained.
Amamiya-san looked torn however after saying that. And a bit confused. Ken couldn’t help but feel that Amamiya-san didn’t fully believe it. But he couldn’t blame him. Abuse… that was a serious accusation.
Sakamoto-san nodded. "Yeah, that's why we're gonna confront him today!"
"Hmm…" Ken stroked his chin, "Well, if you want my opinion—I think you need to corner Sakura-san with this information you gathered. And I think I have something to add to that."
"You do?" Makoto frowned as she sat down beside him.
"Yes—because you see, Alibaba contacted me about a woman named Wakaba Isshiki… a friend of my senpai. I asked her about it, and she told me more about Isshiki-san. She committed suicide about two years ago, and she had a young daughter named Futaba also."
"S-Suicide?" Takamaki-san repeated numbly, her face going pale.
"Anne…" Amamiya-san sighed out.
He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with concern.
Ken frowned. He couldn't help but wonder why Takamaki-san had that kind of reaction.
"That's simply awful," Kitagawa-san said with a frown. "And that is rather suspicious. What are the odds this Alibaba is asking about this Isshiki-san who had a daughter named Futaba. And Alibaba also happened to be named Futaba? We should confront Boss over this as well."
Ken couldn’t help but nod. Now that he had more puzzle pieces from learning about the messages Amamiya-san… this couldn’t be a coincidence. Mitsuru-san said she didn’t know what happened to Futaba-san.
Could she have been adopted by Ren’s guardian?
Morgana exclaimed, "So, it's settled! We'll confront Boss at his house this time, not LeBlanc."
The group all nodded in unison except Ken. He just smiled awkwardly and excused himself briefly to go put his spear back away. He returned quickly as he could and saw everyone was already standing up and gathering their things.
"Now that Amada-senpai has returned, we feast!" Sakamoto-san cheered, pumping his fist.
"We what?" Ken asked, feeling baffled.
"Oh yeah, you don't know!" Takamaki-san said.
Amamiya-san began to explain. "Treasures manifest differently in the real world compared to the Metaverse, basically the treasures are their distortion and what they are in the real world is the source of what caused it in physical form. Kamoshida had an Olympic medal, Madarame's was the real Sayuri… Kaneshiro's was play money. But it was in a pretty fancy briefcase so we sold it. We decided on sushi to celebrate our victory against Kaneshiro since… the fireworks festival was a huge bust."
"Don't remind me," Morgana grumbled out.
“Don’t complain, we’re getting sushi after all.” Amamiya-san laughed.
Morgana immediately perked up and quietly purred to himself about fatty tuna.
"But hey, we got to eat Shinjiro-san's cooking due to that!" Takamaki-san chimed in, clasping her hands together. "Mmm, that man should definitely open a restaurant. I'd definitely go!"
"Anne, you're drooling," Sakamoto-san snickered out.
She blinked before wiping at the corner of her mouth. Only to realize there was no drool there. Sakamoto-san burst out laughing as she reddened with anger.
"Shut up, Ryuji!" she yelled, even as Sakamoto-san continued to laugh. "Ugh, you're the worst!"
"No, you're just gullible!" he said smugly.
"Why you—!"
She lunged for him, only for Sakamoto-san to run behind Amamiya-san who shook his head at the two. Makoto-san sighed next to him.
"Loud as always," Kitagawa-san sighed, pressing two fingers against his temple.
Makoto-san just shook her head. "I've never met any two people who are as loud as them."
Amamiya-san just laughed, but still played mediator with them.
"I know two people who bicker as much as they seem to do," Ken said dryly.
But even then, he knew that Yukari-san and Junpei-san cared for each other so much. Not to mention there was Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san…
Sakamoto-san and Takamaki-san settled down thankfully.
"I cannot fathom that," Kitagawa-san said with wide eyes.
"Maybe you should introduce us some time," Amamiya-san jested.
"Mm, perhaps," Ken said, trying to sound uncommitting.
"Just leave me out of it," Morgana huffed. "Ryuji seriously doesn't know how to treat a lady. I'd rather not see more of it."
Makoto-san shook her head, "Alright, let’s not dilly dally any more than we have to. We should be heading out…"
Ken then smiled. "Yeah. You should enjoy yourself—"
Amamiya-san frowned. "You're joining us, right, Senpai?"
"H-Huh? Me too?" Ken asked, feeling bewildered at the casual invitation.
"You helped us prevail against Kaneshiro after all," Kitagawa-san pointed out. "I don't see why you shouldn't join us.”
“Also duh, this is for the Phantom Thieves to celebrate. You’re one of us now.” Sakamoto-san grinned as he put an arm around Ken.
"It's just—uhh…" Ken felt his face heat up. "I didn't do much…"
They were kind people, weren't they? That knot that started forming in his stomach from his earlier lie just only grew.
"Modesty may be a virtue but there is such a thing of too much of a good thing," Amamiya-san said teasingly, his lips quirking up in a mischievous smile.
Makoto-san just smiled. "Ryuji is right, you are one of us now—so you should celebrate with us."
Even though her words were kind, Ken felt the knots in his stomach grow cold. They were welcoming him with open arms. Was it really okay to hide the truth from them?
He took a deep breath. He had to focus on the mission. Mitsuru-san and everyone were relying on him.
Ken hadn't had high quality sushi in so long. The last time was… when he graduated from middle school, he believed? Mitsuru-san had ordered it for the party and had insisted that he deserved it since he graduated top of the class.
However, he could do without Sakamoto-san almost blowing their cover.
They were heading to the train station when a voice suddenly called out to Makoto-san.
"Niijima-san?"
Makoto-san's voice was cordial, but cool, as she greeted him. "Akechi-kun, this is a surprise. What are you doing here?"
"I was just passing through," Akechi-san stated. "Though I have to say… you have collected quite a group of friends…"
Ken couldn't help but frown. Something nagged at him, watching Akechi-san's eyes sweep over the group. He didn’t like it. Something felt off about that brief scanning over everyone, despite his TV friendly smile.
"Yusuke Kitagawa, correct?" Akechi-san asked, his eyes flickering to Kitagawa-san.
"Yes, a pleasure to meet you, and you are?" Kitagawa-san answered, before inclining his head at Akechi-san.
Akechi-san looked momentarily surprised at that, but just smiled again. “Goro Akechi.”
Ken couldn't help but be confused, Kitagawa-san brought up Akechi-san before in a conversation with Sakamoto-san earlier, when they were leaving the restaurant. About how they would prove him wrong about their justice.
Yusuke nodded. “Ah, right. The one from TV. Forgive me I don’t really watch it much.”
Oh... wait, this was Kitagawa-san subtly insulting Akechi-san. He never expected that out of him.
Akechi hummed, before adjusting his tie. "Oh, that’s alright. But… if I am not mistaken—you are the former pupil of Madarame… is that right?"
"Yes, that's correct," Kitagawa-san murmured, even as his posture grew tense. "Though I'm surprised you were aware of this."
Akechi-san tilted his head, smiling politely.
"Well, I'd be a rather poor detective if I didn't know that at least,” he then chuckled. "Fortunately, that isn't the case."
Ken frowned. He was such a braggart.
"Though you could work on your modesty," Ken muttered under his breath.
Akechi-san turned to look at him, eyebrow quirked. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that, Amada-kun."
"Nothing. You must have imagined things." Ken smiled politely.
He needed to deflect Akechi's attention somehow…
Ken cleared his throat. "Though, I hear you've been officially added to the team investigating the Phantom Thieves. I'm surprised you have time to waste talking to us."
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sakamoto-san gape at him before he whispered something to Amamiya-san. Amamiya-san quickly nudged him back. Well, it was true. He couldn't explain it but… something about Akechi-san rubbed him in the wrong way.
Takamaki-san's eyes went wide. "Oh, I didn't hear about that. About you investigating the Phantom Thieves."
"Yes, they argued quite a bit over it due to my age. Much like how they often did not respect my predecessor a few years ago when she was simply a high school student," Akechi-san said.
Ken tried not to pull a face at that. Had he even spoken to Naoto-san? What did he know what Naoto-san went through?
Akechi's eyes suddenly lit up. "Though, speaking of which… you're all fans of the Phantom Thieves, wouldn't you say? Have you seen the latest message Medjed posted on their website?"
"This can't be good," Makoto-san sighed, pulling out her phone.
"English again…" Sakamoto-san grumbled out.
Takamaki-san suddenly gasped. Had she really read through it that quickly? But then again, Takamaki-san looked like she had some Caucasian blood in her, though he wasn't sure to what degree. It would make sense that she would know English better than most.
"Wait what?!" she sputtered out.
"What does it say?" Sakamoto-san demanded.
"You are quite the fan, it seems," Akechi-san noted. "Though I do doubt the wisdom being a fan of such a group."
Sakamoto-san scowled, hands clenching into fists. "How about you mind your own business?!"
"Ryuji, that's enough," Makoto-san said, reaching out to touch his arm.
"Seriously, Anne, what does it say?" Amamiya-san asked.
She gave one small nod, before reading from her phone.
"'We are disappointed in the people of Japan and their belief in the Phantom Thieves' false justice. Hence, we shall proceed with our plan to cleanse Japan. This process will commence on August 21st. As a result, the Japanese economy shall suffer devastating damages.'"
Ken sharply inhaled at that. Did Medjed consider the Phantom Thieves to be that big of a threat?
"Keep going, Anne," Makoto-san urged her to finish the translation.
"'However, we are magnanimous. We will give the Phantom Thieves one final opportunity to repent. As proof of this repentance, we demand that they reveal their identities to the public. We will attack if these demands remain unmet. The future of Japan rests with the Phantom Thieves. We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil.'" Takamaki-san then looked up, licking her lips. "That's everything."
"W-What?!" Sakamoto-san burst out, loud enough to get the attention of some passing people. "Are you for real?!"
"Ryuji!" Takamaki-san hissed, glaring at him. "Indoor voice!"
"We're outside," he retorted.
"I believe Anne is saying that we should not garner attention with your shouting, Ryuji," Kitagawa-san said blandly.
"Oh?" Akechi-san tilted his head, scrutinizing Sakamoto-san. "You're quite invested in this, no?"
His gaze was really unsettling. It was almost calculating. Akechi-san was… testing them, weren't they?
Did he at least suspect their identities? Was he searching for solid proof then? This was bad… especially since he was officially investigating the Phantom Thieves now. He had to divert Akechi-san's attention somehow…
Ken opened his mouth but Amamiya-san beat him to the punch.
"You seem rather calm about the threat, wouldn't you say?" Amamiya-san asked in an even tone, then placed his hands in his pocket. "Wouldn't this be breaking news?"
Akechi-san just chuckled. "Well, Amamiya-kun… it could be just a meaningless threat. Though I have to say—your reactions are rather interesting. And most of you attend Shujin, don't you? The same place where Kamoshida was employed…"
"Yeah, what of it?" Sakamoto-san challenged.
"Is it not odd that your group seems to gain a new member every time the Phantom Thieves take down a new criminal?" Akechi inquired.
“What are you stalking us or something? Don’t you have real criminals to catch? Or are you that bored because the Phantom Thieves are doing your jobs for you?” Amamiya-san said with a wry smile, coupled with a raise of his eyebrow.
Akechi-san’s brow twitched but he ignored Amamiya-san’s barb. He just crossed his arms, plastering another one of his TV smiles.
"So, we're not allowed to make friends?" Makoto-san said icily. "Is that why we're under suspicion, Akechi-kun?"
He smiled thinly. "Defensive as always, Niijima-san."
Makoto-san scowled at him, but Sakamoto-san beat her to the punch.
He demanded, "What do you want, Akechi? I know you didn't come over here for no reason."
Akechi-san just shrugged. "I was just curious… especially since Niijima-san has always had trouble befriending people."
Ken frowned. That was just uncalled for, to insult Makoto-san like that. Besides that, Akechi-san didn't seem like he was exactly swimming in friends. Real friends, not people who just fawned over him.
"And now you welcome her into your group? It's a bit suspicious, wouldn't you say?" he questioned curiously.
“Is there a reason you’re singling her out in particular?” Ken moved in front of Makoto-san.
“Senpai, he’s probably just mad she’s not squealing over him like the rest of his empty-headed fans.” Sakamoto-san moved next to Ken.
Takamaki-san then moved to stand with them in front of Makoto-san. “Add me to that list then. Seriously, you’d think a guy who appears that often on interviews would know how to properly talk to a lady.”
“Guys…” Makoto-san smiled, but then shook her head. “Let’s all take it down a notch. We’re in public after all. Let’s not argue. But I do appreciate you all.”
Ken caught it for a split moment, but Akechi-san was rolling his eyes. But he must’ve caught Ken looking at him, because he masked it quickly with another affable smile.
"But you know, I’ll throw you a bone Mr. Detective. Haven't you heard the juicy secret? Ryuji's a Phantom Thief," Amamiya-san announced blithely, out of the blue.
Ken blinked. What on Earth was Amamiya-san doing?
"Say what?!" Sakamoto-san gaped at him. "What the hell, dude?!"
Makoto-san and Takamaki-san turned to their leader, eyeing him with confusion.
"Ren, what…?" Kitagawa-san said, turning to make certain Akechi-san didn’t see how shocked his expression was.
"Yep." Amamiya-san nodded, with a cheeky grin. "I mean it’s just so obvious, the police should be embarrassed he’s the real mastermind. And he and his minions don’t just steal hearts, they also trap wind in nets!”
Oh, so that was Amamiya-san's ploy. Ken started to chuckle. As did Makoto-san and Takamaki-san. Sakamoto-san still looked at his friend annoyed. Kitagawa-san just smiled and shook his head.
Akechi-san actually laughed too. But it was a more polite laugh, not out of genuine amusement. But… Ken couldn’t help but notice that he looked… aggravated too, with how his jaw clenched. He quickly masked it with that TV smile of his, though.
“Sorry, I can be such a kidder sometimes. But if you want my opinion, there is something suspicious going on here. And I’m staring right at the source.” Amamiya-san said with a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “Following around a bunch of students just to pick mostly on one girl because she has friends now? To heckle the student who is a victim of his teacher? Kinda weird creepy behavior. Whatever your angle is, we’re not interested.”
Everyone grew a bit tense at that. Akechi-san actually seemed taken aback for a moment. They all remained quiet for a few short seconds. Akechi-san regained his composure however.
"You always manage to surprise me, Amamiya-kun.” He quirked an eyebrow, "I suppose you'll continue to do so."
"I try," Amamiya-san said with a casual shrug, a cockier smirk tugged at his lips this time.
Akechi-san then sighed. "Though, I must get going. I am needed at the station."
It was silent for several moments, even after Akechi-san had disappeared from their sights.
All of them in unison took a deep breath of relief. That was far more stressful than he’d care to admit.
"You know, I'm surprised that you have taken a disliking to Akechi, Amada-san," Kitagawa-san said after a moment.
"Why wouldn't I?" Ken scoffed, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "He's…he just rubs me the wrong way. And I prefer the original Detective Prince."
"Wait, there's an original?" Sakamoto-san asked.
"He is called the second coming of the Detective Prince," Takamaki-san said. "And I've heard the original was seriously a prodigy."
Makoto-san nodded. "Yes, Naoto Shirogane. She's the fifth Shirogane to become a detective. And Anne's right, Shirogane-san became a detective when she was thirteen or fourteen. I believe their family have been detectives for over a century. She helped solve the Hanged Man case that took place in Inaba."
"Wait, the original was a girl?" Sakamoto-san asked, his eyes wide with shock. "Why is she a 'Prince' then?"
"I heard it was because she didn't want to be treated differently. She pretended to be a boy for a time, I heard she admitted the truth in high school. She made a pretty convincing boy from what I read. I remember the press freaking out when she came out as a girl," Amamiya-san remarked.
"The criminal justice community is not… kind to women," Makoto-san said with a grimace. "So she had a good reason to masquerade as a male. My sister… has had a hard time being taken seriously as a female prosecutor. I admit, Shirogane-san is an inspiration to many women who decide to work in law enforcement jobs.”
"Though I must ask you something, Ren," Kitagawa-san stated.
Amamiya-san nodded. "Shoot."
He let out a frustrated sigh, folding his arms over his chest. "Was what you said to Akechi really necessary?"
"Hey, it worked," he shrugged, spreading out his hands. "I needed to do something to get Akechi to stop his little interrogation."
Ken chided, "And this is why you need to be more careful. I personally think he's suspicious of all of you."
Though he had to wonder, why did Akechi-san even alert them to Medjed's announcement? Just what was his motive?
“Us…” Morgana said as his head finally popped out of Amamiya-san’s bag.
“Hm?” Ken looked down towards him.
“We should be careful because he’s suspicious of all of us. That would include you too. You’re one of us now,” Morgana corrected.
Ken deflated a bit, feeling his cheeks grow warm at such an obvious stumble. “Ah… right.”
After that, they headed back to the penthouse to discuss everything they had learned. They agreed that they had to confront Sakura-san. They were there for about fifteen or so minutes. Ken alerted Shinjiro-san ahead of time they would be heading back briefly to store some leftovers for him. But they’d be heading back out soon.
Amamiya-san then took them to Yongen-jaya.
Morgana was in a rather… melancholic mood. As the sushi Amamiya-san saved for him was decided to be used as a peace offering for Sakura-san, an excuse to confront him by offering him some leftovers.
Morgana complained that the leftovers Ken bought for Shinjiro-san should have been the sacrificial lamb instead. Takamaki-san told him to stop complaining, and Shinjiro-san deserved a thanks from all of them for the delicious meal the other day. Makoto-san then chimed in that they didn’t think about this idea for a peace offering until after they left Ken’s place.
He was… sort of half listening in the conversation. Too distracted by the anticipation and anxiousness of what they might find out when confronting Sakura-san.
Yongen-jaya was a tiny ward, mainly for residential homes from the looks of it. Though Ken had noticed there were a few small businesses. Amamiya-san had led them down an alley, stopping at the last house.
But Amamiya-san was now fiddling with the door lock with this lockpick he was carrying in his bag for some reason. Morgana was sitting on the door step, sulking at the loss of his sushi. Ken couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him, honestly.
"Jeez, it looks it's gonna rain again," Sakamoto-san grumbled, glancing up at the darkening sky.
Takamaki-san nodded while grimacing, "Yeah, it looks like we may get a thunderstorm tonight."
"A-Are you serious?" Makoto-san said, her voice cracking ever so slightly.
"Do you have astraphobia, Makoto?" Kitagawa-san inquired.
Makoto-san glowered at him; she had one nasty glare but Kitagawa-san hardly blinked.
"No. I just don't want to get soaked again," she stated, still glaring at him.
Someone was being defensive, that was a bit odd for her.
"I think we all just lucked out, not getting sick from the fireworks festival," Takamaki-san sighed, shaking her head.
"Annnd here we go!" Amamiya-san pronounced, grinning proudly as he tossed away his lockpick, which disappeared into the bushes.
"What are you doing?" Ken frowned.
"Eh, I'll just make another." Amamiya-san waved him off. "I'm due to a tool crafting session soon anyways."
Tool crafting?
Morgana chuckled and looked at Amamiya-san with… pride?
Ken just sighed and shook his head, pushing the question out of his mind. It’ll come up later if it’s relevant information, he’s sure.
They then entered the house, which was cloaked in darkness. Ken couldn't help but shudder. He wasn't fond of the dark, even before he had awakened to his Persona. He couldn't sleep in absolute darkness. It was nothing crippling but… he'd rather avoid it if possible.
"Can someone find the lights?" Makoto asked, her voice unusually unsteady.
"Hang on a sec…" Sakamoto-san's voice sounded far away. "Think I've found it."
He then groaned, cursing under his breath.
"What's wrong?" Morgana asked urgently.
Sakamoto-san grumbled out, "I think… the lights are busted."
"Of course they are," Ken said dryly, only to pause when he saw Makoto-san in the dim lighting.
Ken had to squint a bit to make out her features, but he could see that she had become deathly pale. Was something the matter?
He stepped closer to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Is something wrong, Makoto-san?"
"Wrong?" she repeated. "Of course not! I'm fine!"
Her voice was uncharacteristically high-pitched, which didn't exactly help to sell her performance.
"I'm perfect, in fact!" she insisted.
Ken stared at her blankly.
Makoto-san's shoulders slumped in resignation.
"I may… not do so well in the dark," she admitted in a small voice.
He could sympathize with that. Though Makoto-san looked far more affected than he was. But what could he do to help her?
"Er… if you want, you could hold onto my arm?" he offered.
When Makoto-san's expression turned startled, the implications began to set in. He didn't want her to think that he was hitting on her or anything weird.
"O-Only if you want to, though!" he added hastily.
Makoto-san blinked at him, before she gave him a hesitant smile. She then reached out to take his arm.
"Um… thank you, Ken," she murmured, but he could hear the smile in her voice.
"An—" Ken stopped short, before correcting himself. "N-No problem."
Why was he so… awkward? Was it because this was a classic "subtle" move guys pulled on girls all the time? Whatever, he had to focus. They needed to locate Sakura-san.
Kitagawa-san inquired, "Ren, are you positive you have the right place? Boss doesn't appear to be here…"
Ken couldn't help but frown. He might have a point there.
"The plaque read Sakura though," Takamaki-san pointed out. "I don't think there are many Sakura families here, let alone in Yongen-jaya."
Amamiya-san just nodded in agreement.
"This was the address given to me by my…” For some reason, Amamiya-san hesitated before he continued, “Well I got this address from my parents… before I started school that is. I ended up here first before finding LeBlanc. There was this delivery guy who redirected me to LeBlanc. This has to be the place."
He sounded a little tense at the start there. That was unusual for Amamiya-san; he usually was rather easy-going. But his parents was obviously a sore point… Ken couldn’t help but frown, wondering what Amamiya-san’s relationship with his parents was like.
"Debating about this isn't going to help us," Morgana grumbled.
Sakamoto-san suddenly called out, "Hey, Futaba, you here?! We just wanna talk!"
"Sakamoto-san—" Ken began.
"Dude, when are you gonna drop the formal stuff, we’re a team now."
Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, he corrected himself. "Fine. Ryuji-san, I don't think that's a good idea."
Takamaki-san suggested, "Yeah, we probably should investigate the rooms separately. Like half of us could take the rooms down here, while the other half take upstairs—"
They all froze as the familiar sound of wood creaking began to echo throughout the house. Someone was definitely here.
"W-What was that?" Makoto-san squeaked out, gripping his arm tightly.
Ken couldn't help but wince as her fingernails dug into his arm. He wouldn't be surprised if she left a mark on him. She really had an iron grip on him.
"U-Um, actually…" Takamaki-san said shakily, "I-I'll check the back porch!"
"Wuss," Sakamoto-san scoffed. "I didn't know you were a scaredy-cat."
"Gr…" Takamaki-san growled before Ken heard her stamp her foot. "Shut up, Ryuji!"
"Ryuji, don't pick on Anne," Amamiya-san sighed.
"Yeah, Ryuji!" Takamaki-san said childishly.
Ken then saw Amamiya-san turn to Takamaki-san.
"And Anne, calm down, okay? This isn't a horror movie—you could always do what Makoto is doing." It was hard to not hear the smirk in his voice.
"Don't kid around like that, Ren!" she huffed.
"Dude, seriously?" Sakamoto-san groaned.
Was Amamiya-san trying to get her to notice him and she just wasn't getting it? He was definitely trying to flirt with her. Maybe Takamaki-san was just on the oblivious side.
"Horror has such a horrible aesthetic anyways," Kitagawa-san said absently. "So much gore and they usually have horrible special effects."
“Not remotely true! There are several that have some of the most top-tier special effects! You’ve only seen the trashy ones!” Sakamoto-san complained.
“I fail to see how this conversation is helping,” Morgana said flatly, sounding a little peeved at all the banter.
The girls were rather freaked out, though. Takamaki-san looked ready to bolt, and there was how Makoto-san clung to his arm like it was like a lifeline. He didn't mind letting Makoto-san cling onto him, but he hadn't really expected it from her of all people. And… she definitely was squeezing too tight. He wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up with a mark of some kind. Though he supposed the thunder rumbling in the background didn't exactly help.
Ken knew better than to comment on it, though. The girls would just get mad at him and knowing that Makoto-san had a secretly volatile temper, it would be best to just keep his mouth shut on that subject. Especially since he would be in the perfect position to get smacked.
Ken's gaze fell onto the wooden flight of stairs. He could see a small figure, cloaked in darkness, slowly descending the stairs.
So that was the source of the sound.
"Hm?" Kitagawa-san turned his head. "Do you see something?"
"On the stairs," Ken said.
"D-Don't point it out!" Makoto-san all but whined out. "C-Can we just go?"
She was all but hyperventilating and her grasp on Ken's arm tightened.
"Boss isn't here and we're trespassing and… and… Let's just go, okay?! We can come back another time!" Makoto-san exclaimed.
Morgana insisted, "We can't! We're already here—we might as well see it through!"
But Ken suddenly felt a pair of eyes boring into him. He was very familiar with the sensation, sadly. Makoto-san must have felt it too because he felt her stiffen. She slowly turned.
And in that moment, lightning flashed, illuminating the figure standing behind them. Ken could only make out long orange hair and a large pair of glasses. It was a tad startling, but Ken was more curious than anything.
Makoto-san however, didn't exactly take it so calmly.
She shrieked loudly; the loudest sound Ken had heard her make. This only caused the shorter girl to scream back, blasting all of their eardrums. She fled back up the stairs, but Makoto-san didn't seem to notice. Makoto-san's arms suddenly latched completely around him, before yanking him closer to her. She then buried her face against his shoulder.
"I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" she blurted out in a rush, all while still clinging onto him.
For a moment, Ken was frozen. His face felt as hot as a furnace. Then he snapped back to reality. He had to comfort her.
"M-Makoto-san, you need to calm down…" Ken said shakily, while gingerly trying to untangle himself from her strong grip.
But this only made Makoto-san panic.
"Nonono, don't leave me! Sis, help me!" she begged.
"I'm not leaving you—" Ken began, only to be cut off.
"Getting cozy?" Amamiya-san asked teasingly.
Ken said through gritted teeth, feeling a strong urge to hit the younger boy, "Amamiya-san, you are not helping."
They all suddenly realized however the girl that was there, was gone now.
“Wait!” Sakamoto-san groaned. "Dammit! We were so close…"
“That must have been her!” Kitagawa-san exclaimed, “Futaba Sakura, right?”
Takamaki-san's voice began to quiver. "Do you think Futaba-chan will be okay? I hope we didn't scare her too badly…"
Sakamoto-san made an annoyed huff. "Uh, what's this we? I think she would've been fine if Makoto hadn't screamed at her!"
"Will you knock it off?" Ken hissed, his eyes flickering to Makoto-san.
She had calmed down enough to stop latching onto him. But she still looked on edge. Ken sighed to himself. He just wished he could do something to ease her mind.
"This is quite enough," Kitagawa-san sighed. "We'll just have to try again another d—"
"Futaba?!" Loud footsteps thumped against the floor, and a moment later, the door slammed open. "Futaba, are you okay?!"
"B-Boss!" Takamaki-san squeaked.
"Annnd we're dead," Amamiya-san muttered under his breath.
"I promise we can explain!" Kitagawa-san said hurriedly.
"Don't move!" the newcomer ordered.
He then groped around for a flashlight before shining the light right in their eyes. Ken grimaced as spots of light started to dance in front of his eyes. He really hoped that they wouldn't get arrested for this.
Then the middle-aged man suddenly gasped. "Wait… Ren?!"
"H-Hey, Sojiro?" Amamiya-san said weakly.
“What… wait what are all of you doing here?!”
This wasn't awkward. At all.
He certainly wasn’t making the best first impression to Amamiya-san’s guardian. Ken let out a deep sigh.
Ken's head was spinning. Some of the information Sakura-san had offered him was just… overwhelming.
The fact that she had been suffering the whole time since her mother died made Ken feel simply horrified. Her becoming a shut-in, suffering from auditory and visual hallucinations… Poor Futaba-san.
"We were totally off the mark." Sakamoto-san shook his head. "You heard Boss… he only cares 'bout Futaba's wellbeing. There's no way that he's abusing her."
“We did find out earlier today at the sushi restaurant that Boss also has no Palace,” Kitagawa-san reminded them.
"I-I mean, that's a relief, isn't it?" Takamaki-san asked, obviously looking to look on the bright side. "Especially since Ren is under his care…"
She then bit her lip, before wrapping her arms around herself.
Her voice was soft with sympathy. "But poor Futaba-chan… isn't there something we can do?"
He didn't blame her for being worried. For Futaba-san to have auditory and visual hallucinations… something horrible must have happened for her to be that traumatized. Mitsuru-san did say that Futaba-san witnessed her mother’s death.
A part of Ken couldn't help but wonder… just how much damage has that poor girl been subject to? And he was concerned about what exactly she saw and heard…
But the question was, what had happened? And just why did Futaba-san think that she was responsible for her mother's death?
"Is it… possible for her to still have a Palace?" Ken said slowly. "What even are the requirements to have a Palace?"
"Well, it just requires having your desires to be heavily distorted, according to Morgana," Amamiya-san said.
They all stopped, realizing they were absent a furry companion.
"Where is he, anyways?" Makoto-san inquired with a frown.
"Don't worry about him. He's pretty smart," Sakamoto-san spoke up. "And Yongen-jaya ain't that big. I'm sure that he'll find his way back here, no problem. Maybe he’s just hungry… we did kinda screw him out of a special dinner."
Ken winced at that again. Morgana was really looking forward to that.
"But shall we test it?" Kitagawa-san inquired, already pulling out his phone.
Kitagawa-san’s brow furrowed and he frowned heavily as he stared down at the device.
"What would the keywords even be, I wonder?” Makoto-san asked.
Ken's eyebrow rose. They were going to try to crack the code now? This should be interesting.
"Let's see…" Sakamoto-san said, pulling out his phone. His voice was uncertain as he spoke again. "How 'bout… the Futaba Sakura who lives in Sojiro Sakura's house?"
"Candidate found."
Makoto-san straightened up, before rubbing her chin. "It's a hit. For the location, I think the only place would be Boss's house."
Sakamoto-san gave a distracted nod.
"Okay… let's see. Sojiro Sakura's house?" he said uncertainly.
The app reacted positively to that input again as well. This whole method was just so weird but also fascinating at the same time.
"Now we just need the distortion…" Makoto-san mused.
"Distortion?" Ken asked, feeling rather confused with the term.
"It's how the host views their palace as," Takamaki-san explained, brushing her pigtail behind her back. "For Kamoshida, he viewed himself as a king and our school as his castle."
Oh, so that made sense, Kaneshiro felt like he owned the city of Shibuya. That was why it looked like that.
But what would Futaba-san’s even look like? The app said she was a candidate.
"How about prison?" Amamiya-san suggested.
"Candidate not found."
"Damn, of course," Sakamoto-san sighed, scrunching up his face. "I've got no other ideas…"
Ken glanced at the others. "We probably should speak to Futaba-san tomorrow. It might give us a better image of everything if we can talk to her."
"We should prepare to enter the Palace then," Kitagawa-san stated.
"Oh, that reminds me." Amamiya-san suddenly snapped his fingers, before turning to Ken. "What kind of gun do you think you want to use?"
In hindsight, he should have seen this coming. But still… the thought of using an actual gun was odd. Not to mention, he was a little afraid of hitting one of his new teammates if he misfired. But then again, the way Takamaki-san used her gun wasn't exactly the safest way—maybe he'd be okay?
"A kind of what?" Ken repeated.
Sakamoto-san's voice grew impatient, before he waved his hands. "A gun! We use them to hold up Shadows—you've gotta have one!"
"They're only model guns," Makoto-san said hurriedly, shooting the two younger boys an exasperated look. "Don't worry. Ren just goes to an airsoft shop and buys everything there."
While he did have his Evoker… force of habit would probably have him try to shoot himself. And that would not turn out well.
"I guess… a handgun?" Ken shrugged. "I don't exactly have much knowledge on guns."
Takamaki-san shook her head. "Ren has pistols. You have to pick something else."
"Well, how was I supposed to know that?" Ken grumbled, even though he knew perfectly well that Amamiya-san used a pistol during the fights.
“I mean… you were skulking around us that last time,” Sakamoto-san said with a shrug.
Ken cut in defensively, “I wasn’t paying attention to what type of gun he was using!”
Which was a total lie.
"Eh, it's fine." Amamiya-san waved a hand. "There are so many types of guns. What do you want him to use? A grenade launcher?"
Ken made a face at that suggestion. Amamiya-san just chuckled and leaned back against the wall.
“I’ll think of something for you more fitting, don’t worry,” he said while putting his hands in his pocket.
"So, we're settled then?" Makoto-san said. "We'll meet in front of Boss's house tomorrow morning… to talk to Futaba-chan."
"Eleven good for everyone?" Amamiya-san asked.
Makoto-san suddenly froze, before she pressed a hand against her temple.
"Ah, sorry, I just remembered. We have the school assembly tomorrow," she stated.
Right, he couldn't even remember what the assembly was going to be about…
"Ugh, what a pain," Sakamoto-san complained.
"We'll text you, Yusuke, when we're done," Amamiya-san said with a sigh.
Kitagawa-san nodded in agreement. "That's fine by me. But perhaps if our meeting is around lunchtime, I probably should bring bean sprouts to munch on the train then…"
Bean sprouts? Yeah, Shinjiro-san would really not be happy with Kitagawa-san's eating habits. Ken made a mental note to make a lunch for Kitagawa-san. Someone had to feed him.
After that, everyone dispersed, heading for their respective homes. Well, except for Amamiya-san.
"Aren't you going to where you're staying at?" Ken asked with a frown.
Amamiya-san just offered him a wry smile. "Already at it."
"You live here?" Ken asked, unable to stop himself from staring; he then pressed a hand to his temple. "I'm sorry if I unintentionally rubbed where I'm staying at in your face."
He waved Ken off with an easygoing smile, which made Ken relax a little.
Amamiya-san shrugged. "Nah, it's cool. I mean you were nice enough to offer shelter from the rain."
"If you say so…" Ken then paused at the door, looking at Amamiya-san. "And um, thank you for welcoming me onto the team."
Amamiya-san just grinned at him. "I'm sure you'll make a great addition."
Then he paused, his expression thoughtful.
Ken frowned quizzically at him. "What is it?"
"You've had experience in that soujutsu, right? I was wondering… can you teach me anything, like combat training of any sort?" Amamiya-san asked.
Teach him? Just what could he teach Amamiya-san?
Ken pursed his lips together.
"Well, I suppose I could teach you how to… fight in tandem?" he said tentatively.
There was the situation with Sho Minazuki. Maybe Amamiya-san would find that useful.
"I used to fight with a partner, so I have some experience in that. And I suppose I can help you out with determining Shadows' weaknesses as well. Though in return… I would like to hear more about your exploits in the past. This stuff is… weird and freaky. But I wanna learn more about it. The more I learn, the better help I can be."
Amamiya-san nodded, before flashing him a grin. "You've got yourself a deal."
Then he looked straight at Ken, the corner of his mouth twitching. It took Ken a minute to realize that the younger boy was stifling a smile.
"But you know… Ryuji is right. It wouldn't kill you to be less formal with us. We're teammates now, right? Loosen up!"
Ken sighed softly. Minako-san often told him a similar thing.
"I suppose you're right… Ama—Ren-san."
Ken felt his face warm up in embarrassment as the younger boy burst into laughter.
"So close!" he laughed. "We'll work on getting you to stop being so polite."
Ken glowered at him. "W-What's wrong with being polite?"
The younger boy gave him a cheeky grin, "It is when you act like twice your age."
"I'm going home."
"I don't hear a denial," he said in a sing-song voice.
"Good night, Ren-san."
Thou art I… and I am thou.
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
that breakth thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Adjustment Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power…
ADJUSTMENT CONFIDANT
Rank 1 (Shadow Elimination): Ken may suggest two elements when Ren targets a Shadow for analysis, if the weakness is unknown. One of these elements will be the Shadow's weakness.
Rank 2 (Baton Pass)
Rank 3 (Fusion Raid): Two party members may perform a special co-op attack when all Shadows are all knocked down (essentially the P4G special co-op attacks/P5R's showtime attacks)
Rank 4 (Follow Up Attack)
Rank 5 (Veteran Talk)
Rank 6 (Harisen Recovery)
Rank 7 (Unison Attack): Two or more party members may step in with a special attack, after Ren knocks down a Shadow.
Rank 8 (Endure)
Rank 9 (Protect)
Rank 10 (Co-op Attack): Chance for Ren and a party member to have a special co-op attack to knock down all Shadows, after Ren knocks down one Shadow
Personas: Ammit (level 31), Astraea (level 40), Jeanne d'Arc (level 48), Janus (level 54), Forseti (level 63), Shamash (level 68), Adraestia (level 75)
Ultimate Persona: Ma'at (level 83)
Notes:
So, Ken has officially joined the Phantom Thieves! And Ren has initiated his confidant with Ken.
Though for anyone who is confused about Ken's confidant arcana, the Adjustment arcana is an alternate reading of the Justice arcana from the Thoth deck.
Adjustment seeks balance and growth around core principles, but never forgets that understanding the past brings insight to the future. Finding harmony with the higher self brings stability to both the internal and external landscapes.
Credit to Death_Prince_3 for inspiring the confidant bonuses.
Edit Notes (5/22/24): Expansions on most of the scenes, including the Akechi appearance featuring more interactions with Akechi and Ren. I would like to note that “trapping wind in nets” is a Japanese saying, similar to the Western saying “hell would freeze over” or “pigs would fly”. Thank you again to my beta angelrin89 for her hard work!
Chapter 10: Ch. 9: The Pyramid of Wrath
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves finally gain access to Futaba's Palace.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Monday, July 25th, 2016
It felt almost nostalgic being in a group discussing their next plan of action before tackling the Shadow nest (or Palace in this case) mixed in with the mundane complaints of the day to day. Even with some of them teasing him that he’s too formal and should start being more casual with them. So to compensate, he would…sorta. He wasn’t dropping the honorific unless he felt like it, no mature how much Ryuji-san and Ren-san teased him.
The group all met up at LeBlanc again, specifically in Ren-san’s… room. He was quite surprised Sakura-san placed him in an attic. Though after what Sakura-san explained about Futaba-san’s situation…it was understandable.
The two big differences were that he wasn’t the youngest of the group this time, and… he was a total liar.
No… one difference. He wasn’t honest about his intentions when he joined SEES either. Yes, he and Shinjiro-san were able to move past that. But it still stings thinking about the past.
Ken tried to ignore the guilt that kept clinging to him; the several lies he had to tell to keep him from seeming suspicious so he could spy on them all for Mitsuru-san.
Ryuji-san’s voice cut through Ken’s thoughts suddenly.
"God, why couldn't the school just send us a friggin' email or something," he groaned, before dropping down on a seat and slouching in it. "That assembly a complete waste of time."
"Don't complain," Makoto-san sighed, before sitting down herself. She then crossed her legs. "At least it's over now. And now we can focus on how to help Futaba."
Ren-san then turned to Morgana, frowning heavily. "Seriously, Morgana, where did you go last night? You had me worried."
Morgana sighed, his ears drooping. "Sorry, but I found it the perfect opportunity to do some snooping. I discovered something important."
Ken raised an eyebrow at that. Morgana's size definitely worked in his advantage. Though he was surprised that Sakura-san hadn't noticed him. Or that Futaba-san hadn’t screamed when some strange cat showed up. Maybe there was more to Morgana’s “recon” than what meant the eye.
Morgana then took a deep breath. "Futaba was listening in on us in LeBlanc."
"How so?" Yusuke-san paused in eating the lunch Ken had prepared for him.
"A bug?" Ken guessed.
If they had discussed him in the aftermath of Kaneshiro's defeat… that would explain how Futaba knew about him being in Tokyo.
"More or less," Morgana said with a nod. "She seems to be quite a technological genius."
"But… why listen in on the café?" Anne-san asked with a frown.
Makoto-san stroked her chin as she thought. "Ren has never met her before… perhaps Futaba had the bug even before Ren even moved out here. Maybe it was a way for her to keep an eye on Boss."
"Who knows?" Ryuji-san sighed, before shaking his head. "She's a tough nut to crack, like Boss said."
Makoto-san continued, "But either way, we will need her help, if we are to stand up to Medjed. Her hacking abilities seem to be unparalleled, if she can so easily hack into Ren and Ken's phones."
That's true and he thought Fuuka-san was good. Especially with how she managed to piece together the video Yukari-san's dad had made… which Ikutsuki had attempted to destroy. But this was completely different. He wasn’t even sure Fuuka-san could do what Futaba-san did.
“How would she even bug this place though... she doesn’t even go outside?” Ryuji-san asked.
Makoto-san crossed her arms and closed her eyes for a moment, after a few seconds she opened up her eyes again.
“Well most likely, she must have bugged something Boss would have had to brought in himself. For example, if she bought him something online, tinkered with it, then handed it to him to bring into the café,” she theorized.
That would make the most sense, Ken had to agree with that.
Anne-san mused, "I wonder what Futaba-chan's Palace will be like…"
She absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around her finger, before biting her lip.
"She must not be like the other Palace rulers we've seen. If she has a Palace, her mindset must be a bit… warped," she added, sadness tingeing her voice.
While all of them were naturally concerned for Futaba-san, Anne-san was especially concerned for some reason. Ken couldn't help but wonder why. Not that he'd pry of course, but he couldn't help but feel a little curious.
“Yes, combine that with all that loss she endured… that probably will contribute to her Palace I would imagine… I can’t help but feel for her. Not knowing one parent ever, and the only one who is your world, taken from you, and she had to see it with her own eyes....” Makoto-san’s lower lip trembled for a moment, but she took a deep breath and sat up straighter.
But even so… Ken noticed her hands fisting her skirt, belying her still turbulent emotions. Especially since her knuckles had gone white.
Makoto-san then sighed heavily before smoothing out her skirt. “Sorry… I know our situations aren’t similar. I just… sympathize, she must have felt so lonely. And it was so worse for her.”
Yusuke-san put a comforting hand on Makoto-san’s shoulder.
“Your situations are not a contest, so don’t treat what you endured as lesser pain to hers,” the artist said before he stepped back. “I too can understand to a point how she probably feels, but my circumstances were also different, that doesn’t make it lesser. All the more reason we should save her. So she doesn’t have to be lonely anymore, we can have her back. Like you all did for me.”
Ken’s eyes widened slightly. He knew Yusuke was an artist, so he was eloquent with words at times, but he seemed a bit… socially unaware. However, he was so thoughtful with his words here for his friend.
He felt bad for Makoto-san but was hesitant for a moment on what to say to comfort her. Yusuke-san seemed to know exactly what to say, and Makoto-san gave him a small smile, while Anne-san placed a comforting hand on her friend’s elbow. Makoto-san gave her a nod as well.
They were good people. He knew he needed to keep himself from getting biased, but… he found it hard to believe this group could go rogue. He sighed to himself. He needed to remember he was doing this for Mitsuru-san and the others.
Ken shook his head. "That doesn't necessarily mean she's bad. Everyone has a Shadow… insecurities that they don't want to admit. I assume that people with Palaces have lost control of their Shadow and have allowed it to rule their mindset."
Everyone else stared at him, questions burning in their eyes.
"Oops…" Ken thought sheepishly to himself.
He couldn't reveal too much to them. He had to be more careful.
"Um… how would you know that?" Makoto-san finally asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Oh… I studied a little bit of Jung during my spare time," Ken said, quickly averting his eyes. “Personas and Shadows are an important part of that subject… albeit I don’t think Jung had quite the Metaverse in mind when talking about the concepts.”
He remembered Fuuka-san talking a little about that. She had taken a few psychology classes for fun during university, and she had explained to Ken how Personas and Shadows were an actual concept in Jungian psychology.
"I been thinking about when looking into this stuff on my own before I met you all, how interesting Jungian fits with some of the stuff I found in that place. Sure, there are discrepancies… of the supernatural kind… but anyways, you'd be surprised how much it applies to Personas and Shadows," he added.
"Oh, that never occurred to me," Yusuke-san admitted. "That is fascinating though."
"Hey, we're veering off topic, we can discuss philosophy some other time," Ren-san interjected.
Ken sighed but gave Ren-san a nod. Ken mentally kicked himself for letting his mouth run a little back there but was grateful he actually managed to convince them of that one. He really needed to be more careful.
"Futaba-chan is just so young though…" Anne-san trailed off with a sigh, closing her eyes. "Just what happened to her for the distortions to occur…?"
Ken bit his lip, looking down at his lap.
"She watched her mother die. I think that would be enough to traumatize anyone," he said quietly.
Yusuke-san's expression became troubled, before pursing his lips. "I'm honestly concerned about the hallucinations Boss has mentioned…"
"Maybe… the shit she's been hearing and seeing… is connected to some memories that Futaba's been pushin' away? I mean, Boss said she saw some creepy shit… like her mom watching her," Ryuji-san suggested.
Anne-san opened her eyes, before she shuddered.
"D-Do you have to put it that way?" she asked with a wince.
Morgana said sadly, "Sorry, Lady Anne, but it's true. I think Ryuji is right… Futaba is most likely repressing some kind of memory. The memory may have become warped due to the trauma."
"So… we have to go after her Treasure," Ren-san concluded.
“Will that help her?” Makoto-san asked with uncertainty. “Would our powers work in this scenario? She’s not like the others. We won’t cause more problems for her… will we?”
Ren-san shook his head and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Who knows, but we have to try. The only way we can know how to help her, is to go to her Palace. We’ll proceed with caution, of course.”
Anne-san's expression turned determined before she looked at each and every one of them. "So, do we have an agreement? Futaba-chan's Palace is our next target."
The whole group nodded in unison. Ken felt himself exhale a breath he didn’t realize he was holding in.
"Though… I'm a bit worried," Morgana said.
"Whadya mean?" Ryuji-san frowned.
Morgana sighed before he stared down at the table. "Well, it's just… the irregularity of the case. Someone asking for their heart to be stolen is not something that usually occurs. We have no idea what the Palace will be like…"
Ken raised an eyebrow at that. "You didn't know how the Palace set-up would be for Kaneshiro, right? Just assume that the Palace is just another obstacle you have to tackle… and be prepared for anything."
"It's not that…!" Morgana shook his head.
Ken was honestly surprised that there was a quiver of uncertainty in his voice. From what he had seen, Morgana was rather boastful and confident.
"I just… I don't know what we'll face. This is nothing like what we faced before… not even close. All Palaces before saw us as a threat. None of them wanted their desires stolen. Here we have one blatantly asking us. It’s just… on paper it sounds like that would be easy. But my instincts tell me it will be the opposite. I just… feel really uneasy," he stated, still sounding troubled.
"We still have to, Morgana," Ren-san said quietly, before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Even without Medjed… Futaba has been suffering for quite some time. Especially since she's so young… we can't leave this be. Besides, it’s not like we haven’t ran into trouble before."
Morgana hesitantly nodded. "True, I just wanted that to be voiced, be prepared for the unexpected because this is so unusual. I doubt her Palace will roll out the red carpet for us."
Anne-san smiled lightly and petted Morgana on top of his head.
“As long as we stick together as a team, we’ll come out on top like we always have,” she encouraged.
Morgana sighed with a smile and nodded his head.
"But the last keyword…" Ken mused. "Just what could it be?"
Yusuke-san stated, "I think… we should ask Futaba herself. It should provide an important clue…"
"That sounds good to me." Ren-san nodded in approval. "We should get going, then."
Then Yusuke-san handed Ken the bento box with a grateful smile. Ken was glad he committed to start doing this. Shinjiro-san would have a heart attack if he heard about Yusuke-san’s diet and insist on it himself.
"My thanks, though. The meal was quite delicious. Not on par to Shinjiro-san's cooking, but still, very delicious,” Yusuke-san said sincerely.
"Yusuke!" Anne-san scolded. "And after he cooked for you—!"
Yusuke-san stared blankly at her, before tilting his head slightly. "I called his cooking delicious. I do not understand."
"No, it's okay," Ken dismissed with a wave of his hand, before Anne-san could berate Yusuke-san further. "Shinjiro-san is an excellent cook. I know I'm not quite at his level."
He wasn't offended. Ken knew he was a good cook, but it paled in comparison to Shinjiro-san's cooking.
Anne-san sighed softly, before cupping her cheek. She then gave him a sideway glance.
"Still… it's impressive that you know how to cook. A lot of girls find that attractive in a guy," she remarked teasingly.
Ken felt his face flush. "Um… T-Thank you?"
Why was she bringing this up?
"You know," Ren-san said casually, suddenly leaning towards her, "Sojiro promised to teach me how to cook curry… you should taste test for me, Anne."
Anne-san giggled. "Sure, I'd love to. There's nothing better than free food!"
Ren-san fake gasped, clasping a hand to his chest, "Using me for just free food, Anne? I see how it is."
This just made Anne-san laugh even more. "Hey you're the one to suggest it!"
As the two of them bantered, Ryuji-san grimaced behind their backs. Ken couldn't help but wonder if he felt like he was a third wheel. Minako-san often joked about third wheeling with Minato-san and Yukari-san back when they were living at the dorm, but she was always egging on their relationship. It was no surprise though, with Minato-san being her brother and Yukari-san was her best friend.
Makoto-san chided, "Enough chit-chat. We should get to Boss's house now."
They were going now? What to do about the bento box? It was a high probability that they would enter the Palace…
"Ken, you can just leave it here for now," Ren-san said as if he was reading Ken's mind. "Sojiro's house isn't too far away, so you can just come by and pick up after we're wrapped up for the day."
Ken nodded with a smile, leaving it on the table they had been gathered around just a few minutes ago. Then he noticed that Ren was still seated, even as everyone else was leaving.
"Um, aren't you coming…?" he asked.
"We'll catch up in a minute," Ren said, stroking the top of Morgana's head. "Go ahead."
Morgana looked awfully down about… something. The question was—what exactly?
But he doubted that he would get Ren to say it. It was clear as day that Morgana didn't want it broadcasted so… all he could was respect Ren's request and catch up with the others.
"A labyrinth, maybe?"
Candidate not found.
"Um…" Anne-san clasped her hands before her back, her lips pursed together. "Maybe oasis?"
"Another dud…" Ryuji-san sighed, shaking his head as the app rejected that keyword.
"How about hell?" Yusuke-san suggested.
Ken winced. That was a rather morbid suggestion.
Ren just shook his head.
"I don't think this will work," Ken sighed. "We need to talk to Futaba-san directly or something..."
Yusuke-san just frowned, folding his arms over his chest. "But… how? Surely, the door will be locked after last night."
"Uh, the same way as last time?" Ren-san said. "We'd have to use another lockpick but…"
"I've got you covered this time," Morgana spoke up.
He was perched on the brick wall, but he jumped on the opposite side, landing right in front of the door.
"And besides, I know where Futaba's room is. We'll be able to speak with her for sure."
"But there's Boss…" Makoto-san said with a wince.
Her eyes flickered to meet Ken's, before her face flushed and she quickly looked away.
She then quickly stated, "He won't buy any excuse…"
"He's at work, though," Anne-san pointed out, one hand on her hip. "It should be fine."
Ken winced. "I don't think she's quite talking about that. There's nothing stopping Futaba-san from telling him that we came into the house."
"Well, an apology is in order anyways. And like Yusuke said… we have to talk to Futaba if we wanna crack the code," Ren-san pointed out.
"That is true," Ken conceded before he sighed. "Well, let's just hope this will turn out well…"
He just hoped this wouldn't blow up in their faces.
Ryuji-san suddenly slapped his back, causing him to stumble forward a bit.
"Come on, don't be such a downer! You've gotta think more positive, man!" he said cheerfully.
Ryuji-san really liked to look on the positive side, didn't he? Though admittedly Ryuji did remind him a bit of Junpei-san… so he supposed it shouldn't come off as that much of a surprise.
"And she did get into contact with Ren repeatedly," Makoto-san looked thoughtful as she stroked her chin. "Hopefully, this means she'll willingly talk to him."
Yusuke-san nodded in agreement. "I don't see why not. Besides, Ren is a person you can easily talk to."
Ren swept a low bow.
"I try," he drawled.
Ken couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He noticed Ryuji did too and opened his mouth, but he stopped whatever he was going to say when they all heard a click.
"And done!" Morgana said proudly.
Ken still wanted to know how something that didn’t have opposable thumbs could unlock things.
"Hey, good timing, Morgana!" Anne-san said pumping a fist and flashing a cheerful smile. "Let's go!"
The juniors went in first, but Ken felt a tug on his sleeve. Makoto-san was gripping his sleeve, a light blush dusting her cheeks.
"Um… can we talk really quickly?" she asked, looking rather anxious.
Ken frowned. "What's wrong?"
"I just…"
She bowed her head, looking flustered.
"I wanted to apologize for last night," she mumbled out.
She then sighed, before running her fingers through her hair.
"I behaved inappropriately… I scared Futaba-chan and I… um…"
She then looked away, probably to hide her blush.
"D-Don't make me say it," she said, sounding embarrassed.
"It's okay, Makoto-san," Ken said, offering her a smile to reassure her, "You were just… scared. I admit it was a bit… unexpected, but you didn't do anything offensive."
"But I—"
Ken put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll let you in on a secret. I'm not great in the dark either."
"Y-You aren't?" Makoto-san gasped, her eyes growing as wide as saucers. "But you seemed so… composed last night."
"It's not… as debilitating as with you," Ken admitted, before he rubbed his arm. "And I've had to deal with the dark a fair amount. I can handle it to a degree, but I can't sleep in complete darkness. There's nothing wrong with being afraid of the dark. It's a common fear."
"So… we're okay? Really?" Makoto-san's voice was hopeful.
Ken answered with a smile, "We're more than fine. But come on, we should really get g—"
"Oi, Makoto, are you getting cold feet or somethin'?!" Ryuji-san suddenly hollered at them, making them both jump.
Ryuji-san then yelped—judging from the sound, he just got smacked.
"Ryuji, inside voice!" Anne-san snapped at him.
"You both are being loud though…" Yusuke-san's voice faintly chided them.
"Should have known someone would have picked up on it," Makoto-san sighed, shaking her head. "But you're right, Ken. Come on."
It was so uncomfortable, and not just because they were all cramped inside the Mona-bus with the AC barely working.
The Palace was scorching hot. Nothing but a cloudless sky, a blazing sun, and sand as far as the eyes could see. The world of her heart was a lifeless desert for miles on end.
That was unnerving in of itself, but… that wasn't what Ken was focused on. The keyword for her Palace had been “tomb”.
“This will be the place where I will die.”
Futaba-san was suicidal. She was scared and alone and… felt helpless. Ken's fingers gripped the top of the seat where Ryuji-san and Ren-san sat. Just what would be in the depths in her Palace? He doubted it'd be pretty.
He… didn't like to think about the time he had entertained similar thoughts. He had been consumed by the thoughts of finally rejoining Mom once he had finally gotten revenge. Ken just shuddered at the thought. He was really grateful to Shinjiro-san for showing him the right path, not to mention Akihiko-san for giving him a push forward after he was consumed with guilt over what Takaya had done.
"FINALLY!" Ryuji-san suddenly shouted, snapping Ken out of his thoughts. "That's it, isn't it?"
Makoto-san's voice was filled with awe. "A pyramid. Yes, that must be it."
"And it fits the Golden Ratio… perfectly," Yusuke-san said dreamily. "How marvelous. I never thought a pyramid would be this stunning…"
"I'm… surprised you can tell," Ren-san said with a chuckle.
Yusuke-san contradicted, "Nonsense! Anyone with a good eye can tell."
They all piled out of the Morgana-bus, and a moment later, Morgana was back to his normal self. But Ken couldn't help but grimace. If anything, the heat was worse.
"Are you okay?" He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Makoto-san looking at him in concern.
"Just… wasn't handling the heat well," Ken quickly lied.
Though not completely a lie if he was honest with himself. He could tolerate the cold much better than the heat. He remembered Akihiko-san taking him aside to ask him about it, as he was concerned about Ken catching a cold with him continuing to wear shorts during the winter.
"Joker prepares coffee to keep our energy up. I'm sure it's iced because of that," Makoto-san said, before pressing her hand against her mouth as she studied him closely. "Oh, but if you're sweating so much, you probably are a bit dehydrated. It might not be a good idea to drink coffee then. Hmm…"
"Makoto-san, it's okay—" Ken began.
"Hey, hey, none of that!" Morgana cut in, leveling a surprisingly potent disapproving stare at Ken.
Ken couldn't help but feel taken aback. What had Morgana all bothered?
"She's Queen here. You have to stick to the code names!" he lectured, paws on his hips.
Right… he forgot that was a thing. They really took the whole Phantom Thief thing seriously. Though honestly, he shuddered to think of what kind of codenames that Minako-san and Junpei-san would cook up.
Anne-san's eyes lit up. "Oooh, we've gotta give him a code name! Any ideas?"
"We should probably wait to see his outfit completely," Ren-san mused. "It's a bit weird that we haven't transformed yet, though…"
"What triggers it then?" Ken asked.
"The owner of the Palace has to view you as a threat," Morgana explained, before frowning.
Then why did Kaneshiro consider him a threat then? He had never met Ken. Ken then shook his head. It wasn't important. Kaneshiro's Palace was gone, after all. There was still so much of this he needed to learn for Mitsuru-san, it will probably be explained to him along the way.
Morgana stared down at the ground. "But hmm… it may be troublesome if we have to fight Shadows…"
"We'll just deal with it when the time comes, then. We have our weapons, at least," Ren-san said, sounding a bit carefree. "Come on, let's go."
Ren-san was the impulsive type, wasn't he?
They then entered the Palace, which was surprisingly cool. Ken had no idea why exactly, but he wasn't complaining.
"It feels like… air conditioning," Yusuke-san observed, tilting his head. "Why is that?"
Morgana cocked his head, before letting out a thoughtful hum. "Well, this is Futaba's Palace. And she always stays in her room, barely venturing outside of it, right? So, her cognition is influencing the Palace. That is why it’s so harsh outside, she never goes out there. It’s so much safer in her room, comfortable."
Cognition seriously influenced this Shadow nest. That was… interesting. It really showed that Shadow nests varied from place to place. And he thought the TV world was different… he supposed this was somewhat similar to that, but it seems even more extreme.
"A bit odd… but I can't say I have any complaints," Yusuke-san remarked.
"Amen to that," Ren-san chimed in.
Ren-san led them up the stairs, and saw a chasm waiting for them, only with small pillars keeping them from falling to their deaths, to leap across.
“This is starting to feel like some kind of movie or something,” Anne-san griped. “I hope this isn’t the part where a giant boulder crushes us after we pick up some golden artifact.”
Ryuji-san snorted. “This isn’t the set of Iowa Jones.”
“Well if it was, Panther’s got a whip, let’s get her a hat to go with it.” Ren-san snickered.
“Stop joking around,” Morgana said with a glare.
Makoto-san sighed, “Just be careful and watch your step.”
They all filtered through one by one, carefully leaping across each pillar. Ken couldn’t help but find it surreal watching the group all do this in their civilian attire, due to Futaba-san not seeing them as a threat, as they put it.
But the group safely made it to the other side. Then they ascended many, many stairs. Everyone was panting by the time they reached the top.
"Hey, there's someone there…" Yusuke-san said slowly.
There was a girl with bright orange hair, clad in an Egyptian style dress, an ornate gold headdress on the top of her head, stared at them with her brilliant gold eyes.
“Hey, is this—?” Ryuji-san cut himself off as he looked towards Morgana.
Morgana just shook his head.
“That’s Futaba’s Shadow. It isn’t the real her.”
It was unnerving how much she resembled the Investigation Team's Shadows… and his Shadow. That had been a fake but that Shadow had hit a nerve in him, hard. It had been eerie how it seemed to know his insecurities at the time. But at the same time, that encounter was what caused him to wake up. It had helped him realize that he was trying to live in the past.
Futaba-san’s Shadow just stared at them blankly.
“Oh yeah, you’ve seen her face,” Ryuji-san said to Morgana. “Hers is dressed kinda like a queen, I guess.”
She had an empty stare but she seemed to tense just slightly.
Makoto-san lightly stepped forward and said in a gentle tone, “You’re Futaba Sakura, I’m sorry to intrude, but we came here at your request.”
Yusuke-san hesitantly stepped forward. "May it be alright if we go further?”
She continued to remain silent and stare at them all. Ryuji-san sighed and tapped his foot out of impatience.
"Hey, where's the Treasure?" Ryuji-san stepped close to her.
Futaba-san slightly stiffened at Ryuji-san's approach. Unfortunately, Ryuji-san didn't seem to notice it.
"You want us to steal it, don't ya? You know where we need to go, right?" Ryuji-san asked.
"Skull, I don't think that's a good idea…" Morgana warned.
He was right. Ken wasn't a fan of people stepping into his personal bubble, so he didn't blame Futaba-san for becoming a little cagey.
"But she wants us to take her treasure!" he protested at Morgana with a glare. "Shouldn't she lead us to it?"
He had a point but… Ryuji-san wasn't noticing the Shadow's body language. She stood rigidly. Her eyes were impassive. Nothing about her implied that she was happy to see them.
"Hey, don't just stare at us!" Ryuji-san huffed, an impatient edge entering his voice. "Come on, say something.”
"Skull…" Ren-san began but was cut off by Anne-san.
"Don't be like that!" she hissed, shooting him a glare as she marched forward.
Whatever Ryuji-san wanted to say, died in his throat as he sighed to himself and stepped back. Anne-san then quickly inhaled to calm herself down.
"I-I'm sorry, Futaba-chan… It’s okay, there’s no need to be scared.” Her voice was gentle and apologetic.
It was probably so not to overwhelm her. It was a good move but despite her gentleness with Futaba-san's Shadow, she was unmoved. She just blinked owlishly at Anne.
"Can you tell us where your most treasured possession is?" Anne-san tried to coax Futaba-san, obviously not willing to give up.
More uncomfortable silence. Ken sighed to himself and rubbed the back of his neck.
Ren-san stepped forward and reached out to touch her shoulder. "Panther, I don't think she wants to talk."
"Indeed… This is going nowhere, unfortunately. It appears she does not wish to tell us." Yusuke-san then paused, pursing his lips. "Or even deign to speak to us at all."
Ryuji-san sighed, shaking his head. "Let's just go. This was a total bust."
But then Futaba-san suddenly spoke.
"Those who plunder my tomb… why have you come here?" Her voice came out as a hiss, its pitch lower than Ken had expected.
Her voice was… distorted, much like the Shadow selves he had encountered in Inaba. Ken barely repressed a shudder, recalling facing his own Shadow self. It was a fake, concocted by the mastermind of the incident, but it was… unnerving how his Shadow knew exactly where to poke at. And to think that the Investigation Team gained their Personas by facing their deepest insecurities…
Anne-san gasped, her eyes filled with shock.
“She talked…!” Then she suddenly faltered. “Wait but…”
“What’re you sayin’?” Ryuji-san turned around and crossed his arms in confusion.
"You wanted us to steal your treasure though," Ren-san said with a frown. "Isn't that right?"
She just blinked at him, her eyes suddenly clouding over. "If you believe you can steal it… you can go ahead and try."
"That's… rather defiant sounding," Morgana said in a guarded tone.
“Perhaps this is that ‘tsundere’ thing where someone is harsh or sweet depending on the mood.” Yusuke-san tilted his head.
Ken just shook his head with a sigh. “Not sure that’s what’s going on here.”
"I suppose, but still her actions are rather… baffling," Yusuke-san stated with a frown before he turned back to Futaba-san’s Shadow. "You wish for us to steal your Treasure… but now you're saying… not to?”
The Shadow tensed more as she said, “Considering the state that my Palace is in… there is no way that you can steal it."
That wasn't it. Ken looked into her eyes. Even though she was rather bold with her words, Ken could see her trembling slightly. She was scared. Sakura-san had mentioned how she constantly pushed people away. Was this affecting her Shadow?
Then… disembodied voices began to echo through the chamber.
Creepy child…
You killed her!
You’re a plague!
“Hey, the hell is this?” Ryuji-san asked anxiously.
What were these awful voices? Why are they saying these things? Sakura-san mentioned she blamed herself for her mother’s death… was this her subconscious lashing out at herself?
"What are these voices?" Yusuke-san muttered out, a little tense.
The whole group looked around in bewilderment but all equally getting uncomfortable. And the voices continued to echo throughout the chamber.
Don’t come near me!
Murderer!
Say something!
Shadow Futaba-san then crumpled to her knees, her dress billowing around her as she clutched her head with both of her hands. Anne-san took a step forward, only to hesitate and draw back. She looked so unsure but scared for Futaba-san’s Shadow. Her hands clenched around the handle of her whip.
"Murderer?" Makoto-san repeated, her voice numb. "What in the world…?"
You're the one who killed her!
This is all your fault!
Wait… what if these weren’t thoughts from her own mind. What if… people actually said this to her?!
“Don’t tell me… there were people in her life who’d say such horrible things to her…" Makoto-san closed her eyes and hugged herself, she looked extremely uncomfortable.
It seemed Makoto-san had similar speculation he did. Ken just swallowed a lump in his throat.
He tried not to get wrapped up in his own thoughts, but he couldn’t help but be drawn back to the past. The fact that he had felt that nobody had cared for him had driven him to feel suicidal. But this? How long… had she suffered through this? Alone?
“This is horrible…” Anne-san sounded like she was holding back tears, her voice shaky.
"Seriously… what the hell?" Ryuji-san choked out. "This is… This is effed up."
That was an… understatement. Ken just felt… sick to his stomach.
The voices just would not stop.
Monster!
Disgusting brat!
Always your fault!
It should have been you!
But then Ken noticed that Shadow Futaba-san rose to her feet. Her face was completely emotionless. He felt a shiver crawl up his back.
"That's right…" she said hollowly. "I did it. I am the one who killed my mother."
“What…?” Ryuji-san turned to her Shadow in disbelief.
Suddenly there was a screeching sound, and the whole Palace seemed to shake. Dust fell through the cracks. Anne-san let out a yelp, hastily stepping back. She stumbled into Ren-san but he steadied her, almost instinctively.
"What was that?!" Anne-san demanded.
Shadow Futaba spread her hands in front of her. "My mother exists here. It's a reminder of what I have done."
"What…?" Ren-san frowned. "But… she's dead. How is that possible?"
"I will remain here. I will do so… until I die."
"You can’t think like that!" Ken blurted out, stepping forward.
"Wait!" Makoto-san tried to intervene, but Ken shook off her hand.
He looked back to the Shadow. He knew that it was merely a Shadow, not the real Futaba-san. But he didn't care. He had to say it.
"That can’t be what she wants for you!" Ken shook his head. “I don't believe that… she would have wanted you to live."
Shinjiro-san's words to him, seven years ago, echoed in his mind.
“You have your whole life ahead of you, Ken… don't waste it.”
Futaba had to realize the same thing. He hadn't met Isshiki-san himself but… Mitsuru-san was convinced that she loved Futaba dearly. Sakura-san did too. There had to be a disparity. Something had to be mistaken.
"He's right!" Anne-san cried out. "Your mother would have wanted you to be happy! She wouldn't want you to be miserable!"
Anne-san's voice broke then, biting her lip. Makoto-san put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Those voices… even if they are voices from those you love, you have to remember the good times, don’t let scornful words define you,” she said, also on the verge of tears.
Anne-san nodded next to her.
“And even still, you aren’t alone, we’ve come to help you.” Anne-san tried to stand taller as she spoke.
“And it’s not just that. The Boss…I mean Sojiro Sakura, the man who took you in. He cares about you so much Futaba-chan. He just wants to see you happy,” Makoto-san said with conviction.
There was silence for a brief moment as Futaba-san’s Shadow looked down at her feet.
"There's no fighting it…" Shadow Futaba-san's voice was numb.
Then blue flames flared up around all of them, transforming their civilian clothing into their Phantom Thief attire.
"Crap!" Ryuji-san yelped.
"She sees us as a threat now…" Yusuke-san said. "What now?!"
Then a boulder dropped down, as Shadow Futaba-san disappeared.
"We run!" Ren-san shouted.
"Bad day, bad day, bad day!" Morgana shouted as they bolted down the stairs.
They were forced to run down all of the stairs. They finally managed to find some cover as the boulder continued to roll down the stairs and down into the chasm.
"God, that was too close," Ryuji-san moaned, leaning down and clutching his knees, “Goddammit, real booby traps too? This is actually starting to be like Iowa effin’ Jones! There better not be snakes in here!”
Ken just panted for air. He didn't know if he'd ever get used to this…
"I thought the rock was gonna flatten us into pancakes…" Morgana said after letting out a loud breath of relief.
"Don't joke about that, Mona," Anne-san groaned, clutching her chest. "I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest."
She then all but collapsed onto the floor with a soft moan.
The pathway ahead had been completely closed off. The largest sliding door appeared and closed off the stairs.
They took several moments to catch their breath, but then they turned their attention to the door that had shut them out.
"But… now what?" Yusuke-san asked. "It appears that Futaba does not want us to go further in."
Ken approached the door, sliding his hand over it. That symbol… it was probably the key to opening the door.
He stated, "I think we'll just have to do it the hard way. This symbol must be connected to how we'll unlock the door…"
"She… literally slammed the door in our faces," Yusuke-san sighed.
"So, we'll have to explore the Palace to do so," Makoto-san said, arms folded over her chest. "And unlock the mystery of that symbol…"
Morgana sighed, folding his arms over his chest. "But I think we should retreat for now. This will be even rougher than Kaneshiro's Palace, without a doubt. We need time to prepare."
"Futaba-chan…" Anne-san bit her lip. "Will she really be okay if we stop for the day…?"
"I'm sure she will," Ren-san said, giving her a reassuring smile.
Anne-san sighed. "I just can't help but worry…"
"We'll save her, Panther," Makoto-san reassured her, putting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder again. "Don't worry. We'll end her suffering."
She smiled half-heartedly. "You're right, Queen."
"But anyways…" Ren-san interjected, "We have one more thing to do."
He gestured to Ken.
Yusuke-san just nodded. "Ah, that's correct. His code name."
Ryuji-san suddenly approached him, staring hard at him. Ken was a bit… unnerved by the staring.
"Tuxedo Visor! Y’know, from Sailor Eclipse!” Ryuji-san said as he snapped his fingers. “That's what you've been reminding me of!"
“What? No, that was because the outfit resembled the Gekkoukan uniform…!” Ken thought, even as heat rushed into his cheeks; hopefully the mask covered it up.
"Oh my god, you're right!" Anne-san gasped, her eyes growing wide. "He even has a domino mask!"
"Um… I think you're stretching it a bit," Makoto-san said slowly. “Isn’t his mask a completely different shape anyways?”
"What's Tuxedo Visor?" Morgana asked, looking around and giving them all baffled looks.
"Nothing important!" Ken snapped.
At least someone didn’t know.
"No way, Queen!" Anne-san contradicted, shaking her head hard enough that her pigtails bounced a little. "Come on, he totally looks like a gentleman thief! Kinda princely with the tuxedo get-up if you ask me."
"Well… I can't deny that," Makoto-san admitted.
He really did not want to have this conversation. Though he supposed he should be grateful that Junpei-san was nowhere near close enough to hear this. He'd never hear the end of it.
Ryuji-san suddenly crowed, "I've got it! Let's do… Tux Boy!"
"Uh, no," Ken deadpanned. "Not in a billion years and not even if you paid me ten million yen."
“How about Visor then?” Morgana tilted his head.
Ken fought the urge to glare, Morgana had asked innocently, after all. He wasn’t picking on him and didn’t know about Sailor Eclipse. So he just shook his head politely.
Ken sighed. “I’m not that character, so I’d like to avoid being stuck with a name referencing that.”
"How about Kamen?" Yusuke-san suggested. "Your costume does inspire it."
Kamen, that was like Kamen Driver. Wait, what was he thinking?! Yusuke-san was thinking about Tuxedo Visor, they were all still stuck on that reference and… that was just embarrassing to think about.
"No," Ken said firmly.
"Jeez, you're a picky one," Ryuji-san laughed.
"I'm not going to be called something ridiculous," Ken said flatly.
"The sad thing is that it's not even the most ridiculous names," Makoto-san sighed. "Skull wanted to name me Shoulder Pads…"
"Hey, your name was hard, okay?!" Ryuji-san cried. "It's what stood out to me."
"You could've suggested Rider, with how her whole shtick is a motorcycle rider," Yusuke-san said.
"Shuddup!" Ryuji-san groaned out, before proceeding to sulk.
"Can we stop talking about this…" Makoto-san was blushing slightly, and was now fidgeting awkwardly. "W-We still need to figure out a codename."
“How about Domino? The mask is a domino mask, and it’s even black and white,” Yusuke-san suggested this time.
It was a decent suggestion but Ken still wasn’t really feeling like it fit him.
“Better than the previous ones, but I’ll have to decline. I just… I don’t know,” Ken mumbled; he could feel his cheeks were probably still pink.
“You don’t vibe with it, that’s fine.” Ren-san shrugged.
"Hmm…" Anne-san mused, tilting her head. "Well, we did name Queen based off of… how she held herself. Maybe we should do something similar. Not just looking at the outfit for inspiration, you know?"
"Hmm…" Ren-san looked at him up and down, a considering light in his eyes.
"Joker, do you have an idea?" Yusuke-san asked, tilting his head slightly. "You do come up with good code names. You came up with mine and Queen's."
"You weren't here when we were brainstorming for mine," Anne-san said flatly.
"I still think Sexy Cat was a good name," Ren said, flashing her a smirk.
“Never mind… this is not instilling confidence,” Ken thought to himself, feeling dread pool in his stomach.
"But I was thinking… Ace," Ren-san said simply. "You're a very fast learner at being a Persona-user, after all. Plus, you have combat experience. You were like a hidden ace up our sleeve we didn’t even realize we had for the Kaneshiro fight."
Ken felt his face grow warm again. No pressure there on expectations.
He… didn’t hate it. It was… kinda cool.
"I, er… well… if you think so…" he mumbled out, suddenly feeling bashful for different reasons.
"Damn, and I thought you were one of those cool and collected senpai types," Ryuji-san snickered.
"Skull!" Anne-san smacked his arm. "He's still our senpai—don't be rude!"
"Is Ace good for you?" Morgana turned to face him, and Ken nodded. "Okay, it's settled then."
He gave a little hop before flashing Ken a smile.
"Your code name will be Ace!" Morgana exclaimed.
It was kinda cute how passionate Morgana was about these codenames. He’d imagine Kanji-san would be ecstatic to meet Morgana, probably would want to pet him and hold him.
"Shall we head back then?" Yusuke-san asked.
"I'm… perfectly okay with that," Makoto-san said with a wince.
"Yeah." Ren-san nodded. "Good work, everyone."
"On what, not getting smushed?" Anne-san grumbled. "I’d like to avoid being on the set of Iowa Jones from now on…"
But despite her joking, Ken couldn't help but notice the look in her eyes. But he left it be. He didn’t know them as well yet.
“We got the key words, and we are getting more of an understanding of the state of her heart, and we know for certain now she will see us as a threat. Progress is progress. No matter how big or small.” Ren-san shrugged.
Ken couldn’t help but be surprised in moments like this. Despite their short time knowing each other, Ren-san had surprised him more than once. He seemed just so carefree. But there are glimpses of wisdom there. Perhaps… he is exactly what is needed for a Wild Card user, like the others.
No… he must remember to not be clouded by biases. He was doing this for Mitsuru-san and the others.
“Let’s head out.” Morgana said, cutting through his thoughts.
Ren-san nodded, they made their way out of the cold pyramid, and into the hot desert again. Ren-san pushing the app, and eventually the temperature returned to a much more bearable (in comparison) summer heat in Yongen-Jaya.
“Well, I’ll catch you all later…” Makoto already darted off without much of a word.
That was… odd. Ren frowned. But she was already around the corner, so he left it alone for now.
The others seemed tense after Makoto left like that. Not that he could blame them… after all, Futaba’s Palace was quite concerning.
"It never boggles my mind to see how time passes so quickly while we're in the Metaverse," he said casually to lighten the mood.
The sun was setting, the sky streaked with hues of pinks and purples. Ren could feel the exhaustion setting in already.
"I know," Anne sighed before she stretched. "I think… I think I'll head home now."
Ren put a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to look up in surprise.
Ren asked, "Actually, do you think… you could spare some time to talk? Ken, too."
"Me?" The older boy frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Can you?" Ren pressed.
He didn't want to say it in front of everyone. Both of them deserved a little privacy. But… it was his job as the leader to make sure everyone was holding up okay. And… Anne and Ken's reactions worried him the most. Makoto’s did as well, especially with how she darted off, but he’ll have to check in on her later. He didn’t want Ken and Anne to do the same.
He knew why Anne was affected so badly, because of what happened with Shiho… but Ken? He had no idea. In all honesty, the older boy was a bit of a mystery to Ren still. He seemed guarded for some reason. He wasn’t… cold exactly, but he seemed to hold all of his cards close to his chest. Polite, but a little… distant.
But his outburst? Something was obviously up. He wasn't exactly sure, But still, he needed to check if he'd be okay, going further into Futaba's Palace. He wouldn't pry if Ken didn't want to talk, but Ren didn't want to push him into continuing if this reminded him of something painful.
"I… alright," he conceded with a sigh.
"Anne?" Ren asked, giving her a pleading look.
He wanted to make sure she'd be okay. Anne has always been so empathetic. She saw past the rumors about him. She was so pained when she watched Shiho struggle through her therapy. And Futaba was obviously going through a lot of pain.
It didn't take a genius to realize that she was thinking about how Shiho had felt after Kamoshida pulled his shit. It was… one of the things he loved about her, but he still was worried about her. She had looked so pained when Futaba's Shadow drew away.
"Okay, okay, you don't have to give me that look," she sighed, shaking her head. "Jeez, and I thought boys couldn't pull off the puppy dog look that well…"
Ren just gave her a half smile.
"We should get out of here, though," Ryuji stated. "Before Boss comes home and realizes we're hanging 'round here."
Yusuke nodded, "Especially me. I will have to walk home. I'm afraid that I do not have enough for the train fare."
"You what?!" Ryuji gaped at him.
Ren just sighed. Typical Yusuke. Though he couldn't blame Ryuji for worrying.
"Yusuke, why didn't you speak up?" Anne demanded. "We could have given you money—"
"I thought it was not important…"
Ken sighed in response, shaking his head.
"Of course, you did," he muttered, before digging out his wallet and drawing out several one-thousand yen bills.
Yusuke frowned. "You don't have to—"
"Yes, I do," Ken cut in, leveling an unimpressed stare at Yusuke, "Look, just take the money. It's going to be dark soon. I don't want you to get mugged or anything because you're walking in the dark."
Yusuke sighed, before finally accepting the money. "My thanks."
"Come on, let's get going then." Ryuji tugged on Yusuke's sleeve.
"We'll see you later," Anne said, giving him a smile.
Ryuji then nodded. "Hit us up when you're ready to go back!"
They left the alley together, while Ryuji and Yusuke left for the train station, while Ren led Anne and Ken to LeBlanc. Sojiro was wiping down the counter when Ren opened the door, but he looked up when they entered.
"Oh hey," he said, straightening up. "About time you got back."
Ren just flashed a grin at him. "What's wrong? Ready to go home?"
"Haha, very funny," he said dryly; before he picked up the rag he was using to clean the counter and smacking Ren on the head with it. "A bit late to be hanging out with friends, though, isn't it?"
"Well, we just—" Anne began, only for her to pause.
"I promised them some coffee as a pick-me-up," Ren cut in smoothly. "It's been a long day."
Sojiro frowned, before adjusting his glasses. "Well… okay. Don't use too many of my good beans, though."
"Will do." Ren saluted him, offering him a grin.
Sojiro just snorted in response.
"Freeloader," he muttered, but Ren noticed a smile tugging at his lips. "But good night."
"Good night," Anne and Ken chorused.
"At least some kids have manners still," he muttered before opening the door. "Don't forget to—"
"Flip the sign," Ren finished, barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes. "You've told me a hundred times already."
Sojiro rolled his eyes. "Good night, Ren."
He then stepped out and let the door slam behind him.
Anne just quirked an eyebrow at him, before perching herself onto one of the bar seats.
"You know… you should be more polite to him. Boss is actually really nice," she stated.
Ken noted, "He reminds me a little of Shinjiro-san. The gruffness to him. But I'm sure he's a lot nicer than he lets on."
Ren huffed, "He was an ass to me when I first moved here. Telling me not to stick my nose into trouble and everything. Calling me a pain and basically treated me like a delinquent."
Sure, he improved a lot. But you better get as good as you give as they say.
"How's that working out for you?" Ken said dryly before sitting down next to Anne.
"Hey, trouble comes looking for me," Ren quipped, sliding into the free seat next to Anne.
He swung his bag into his lap, but Morgana just jumped out of his bag, onto the counter, settling right in front of Anne.
"I didn't go and ask for it." Ren added.
Anne scratched Morgana right under his chin, before glancing towards Ren.
She inquired, "Ren… why did you ask us to come with you?"
Ren took the moment to take Anne's hand and squeeze it lightly. She looked at him in surprise, pink lightly dusting her cheeks. Ren just smiled. She always looked so pretty, but Ren thought she was the cutest when she blushed like that. But Ren pushed that aside. Anne was upset and besides that, Anne was probably nowhere ready for a relationship. No matter how much he wanted it.
The flirting was light-hearted fun. It was his way of masking how he really felt by making light of it. And it seemed to work, with how Anne would always joke around with him.
Ren asked, "Anne… are you okay? I know Futaba reminded you of Shiho…"
Anne's eyes softened with understanding.
"Oh…" But then she offered him one of her genuine smiles, her eyes sparkling. "Thank you, Ren… but I'm okay. I just… want to help Futaba-chan. I don't want her to feel that kind of pain."
Then she slipped her hand out of Ren's grasp, resting it on her lap.
"And… I just think… would we have known if it wasn't for Medjed…?"
"It's not good to dwell on what ifs," Ken said quietly. "Futaba-san reached out to you, and that's good enough."
"What about you, though?" Morgana asked, turning to look at Ken. "What you said…"
Ken pursed his lips together, before he looked down at his lap. His shoulders tensed and he gripped at his kneecaps. For several moments, he was silent. Then… he finally spoke up.
"A long time ago I had felt the way Futaba-san feels now,” he said softly, all but a whisper.
Wait… Ken was suicidal in the past? Ren was honestly shocked. He didn't seem like it at all. He seemed so put together.
Anne's eyes went wide. "Ken…"
"But… I feel the same way as you, Anne-san." Ken turned, looking at them. "Futaba-san doesn't deserve to live like this. It's more of a half-life, locking herself away from everyone."
He closed his eyes, his lips slightly curving up. "It just makes me want to help her… like how I was helped."
Ren couldn't help but wonder what the story behind that was, and who was there for him. Maybe Shinjiro-san perhaps? But he wouldn’t pry too much, not unless Ken was ready to talk about it. Ren wanted him to trust them. He just seemed so guarded.
Ken then opened his eyes and looked past Anne, meeting Ren's eyes.
"I'll be okay, really. It definitely won't be easy, but I want to do this," he said, now smiling even more.
"If you think so. I just… don't want to push you into something if it brings back painful memories. Both of you," Ren said.
Anne smiled warmly at him. It made his heart skip a beat. He crushed the emotion down, now wasn’t the time to be selfish and focusing on his feelings for her.
"Thank you, Ren," she said sincerely. "But it'll be okay."
Then her expression became determined, and her hand resting in her lap curled into a fist.
"I'm going to help Futaba-chan… it won't be like Shiho. Never again," she vowed.
Ren couldn't help but smile at her. He loved seeing Panther in Anne. He loved how fierce she could be, and yet she was loving and caring. Even to a practical stranger, like Futaba.
Ken then gave him a funny look. He couldn’t place the expression? Was Ken annoyed? What did he do? Oh well, if it’s important then he’ll speak up about it.
"I think you'll be the best one to reach out to Futaba, Lady Anne!" Morgana exclaimed. "After all… who wouldn't want to talk to you? You're beautiful and kind…"
Ren just sighed to himself. Sometimes he wondered how Anne didn't notice Morgana laying it on so thick.
Anne just giggled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Morgana. But she’ll need all of us, not just me."
She then glanced at the clock, her eyes widening before she gasped.
"God, it's getting late…" Anne slipped out of her seat. "I probably should get going. My caretaker is here today, and I don't want her to worry…"
She waved at them, flashing them her trademark cheery smile.
"Bye, guys! I'll see you around!"
They said bye to her, and with one last wave, she exited LeBlanc. The room became quiet for a moment again.
Ken then went back up to the attic to retrieve the bento box. Ren then turned to Morgana.
"Hey Morgana, I need to talk to Ken about something else… stay here, okay?"
Morgana looked puzzled, but he nodded.
"Say Ken—" Ren began, only to be cut off.
"Really?" Ken groaned.
Ren frowned. "Um… what? What did I do?"
This was… not a side he expected to see from his senpai.
Ken let out an aggravated sigh. "Do I have to take a picture? The way you look at Anne-san…"
He shook his head before giving a little huff.
"Absolutely besotted," he said flatly. "And I thought Kanji-san had it bad.”
Kanji-san? Must be another senpai. But still, Ken was asking about him and Anne? It wasn't that obvious that he liked her, right?
"L-Look—"
"Anne-san likes you back too. You're obviously really close." Ken then shook his head. “How are you two not dating?"
He did not expect the older boy to start complaining about this.
"I have… a couple of reasons," Ren said, and then Ken gave him a look which encouraged him to continue. "Well, for one… Morgana. He really likes Anne."
"If Morgana really likes Anne-san, he'd accept it if Anne-san has genuine feelings for someone else," Ken said flatly, sounding rather unimpressed. “Also… no offense, but I don’t think it would work out.”
“Hey he said that body is temporary due to the distortions, once we get rid of them, he’s supposed to go back to normal… he thinks.” Ren shrugged. "Besides—"
"What other excuse do you have?" Ken cut him off.
"Well… a second reason is that, I want to leave it in Anne's hands." Ren let out a heavy exhale. "Anne was hurt… by Kamoshida in a different way than Ryuji and me…"
Ren shook his head, clenching his hands into fists.
"You know what Kamoshida's reputation is like," Ren said with narrowed eyes.
It still pissed him off, thinking about how Kamoshida treated Anne. The way she had cried to him about feeling so trapped… that never left Ren.
Ken's expression softened. "Look, Ren-san, I know we haven't known each other for that long, but you're not like Kamoshida. You would treat Anne-san like gold."
He then sighed.
"I just… don't want you to wait on her, when you could be with her now," he said quietly.
Ren blinked.
"I learned a long time ago that you should take what happiness you can," Ken continued. "You never know when it'll be cut off suddenly."
"Ken—"
Ren was speechless. The way he was talking… it seemed like Ken had his own regrets.
“Ken… I appreciate that, but it’s not that simple. Yes I have my feelings, but she has scars that… look I don’t want to push her into something that could make her uncomfortable if she isn’t ready.”
Ken rubbed the back of his neck and gave Ren a nod.
“I understand, just don’t assume any signals she might give on how she feels. A lot of girls tend to hint at how they feel, wanting the person they care about to make the first move, I’m not saying you should just run out there and put the moves on her just…” Ken trailed off and shook his head. “Just know the balance of giving her space but not too much. Try to read her cues.”
That sounded wise but also confusing… but he supposed that was normal for romance. Why couldn’t these things ever be so cut and dry?
Ken then heaved out a sigh. "I should get going too. Shinjiro-san will be worried. Good night, Ren-san."
"Good night…"
Ren watched him leave, but Ren couldn't find in himself to move. Just what exactly had Ken gone through? That kind of advice… sounded like it belonged to someone much older…
Just who was Ken Amada?
Notes:
I hope this quicker update makes up for how I took nearly two weeks for last chapter. A good chunk of this chapter was actually written when I updated last time, because I had originally intended for the first intro to Futaba's Palace to be in Chapter 8.
As usual, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Edits (6/13/24): Added in some tweaks to meeting Futaba’s Shadow—expanding on some of the PTs’ reactions, as well as adding in honorifics for when Ken refers to Futaba. Further tweaks were also added to the final scene where Ren speaks to Ken and Anne. And some fun with Bland Product names haha. Thank you again to angelrin89 for her beta work!!
Chapter 11: Ch. 10: To Be A Phantom Thief
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Tuesday, July 26th, 2016
"This is the shop you wanted to take me?" Ken asked incredulously.
Ren gave him a confused look, raising an eyebrow at Ken. Like he had done with both Yusuke and Makoto, he had invited Ken to come with him to the airsoft shop to pick out a gun. Ken had mentioned a gun type he'd like to use, but it had been awfully vague.
"Is there something wrong with it?" Ren asked.
"No, it's just…" he trailed off, an odd look crossing his face. "This alley is where I encountered Kaneshiro's henchman."
He had nearly forgotten about that. Though he could now ask Ken something.
"What did you even do to the guy? Mishima mentioned something about you 'holding him off'…"
Ken looked at him blankly. "Nothing at all."
Morgana popped out of Ren's bag, shooting Ken an annoyed look.
"You don't have to lie," he said indignantly.
"You didn't let me finish," Ken said calmly, raising an eyebrow at Morgana.
Morgana just huffed in response.
"I didn't do anything. Shinjiro-san was… passing through the area and he heard the exchange," Ken said as he scratched his nose.
"So, Shinjiro-san beat him up?" Ren asked.
Ren couldn't help but help a slight twinge of pity for the guy. But just a slight one. Shinjiro-san was kinda on the intimidating side. And looked like he could easily snap the bones in your body if you pissed him off enough.
"He gave the guy a black eye," Ken admitted, before he winced. "And… may have broken his nose…"
Morgana grimaced and muttered an apology to Ken for thinking he was lying.
Ren winced as well. "Remind me to never get on his bad side."
"Duly noted," he said, smiling wryly.
Then he rubbed the back of his neck, before flashing a sheepish smile.
"Though to be fair, he was threatening me. I doubt you will have the same issue."
Shinjiro-san was the protective type, huh? But then again, Ren could totally see him looming threatening over a poor sap.
"I think you have more muscle on you, though," Morgana piped up. "I don't think Ren would be a threat to you. Besides, you have an advantage with your spear if you got into a fight."
"Hey!" Ren glared at Morgana. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Morgana!"
Morgana just blinked at him. "Just saying how it is, Ren. But we keep doing the training in your room and you'll keep up."
"Traitor," Ren grumbled, drawing a quiet laugh from Ken before he pushed the door open.
Morgana just flashed him a mischievous grin.
But then he glanced towards Ken again. "Speaking of Shinjiro-san, does he happen to work at Crossroads? I never got to ask you about that."
"Yeah, he works a few nights every week there," Ken answered. "Not sure why he hasn't quit, since that was meant to be a temporary job…"
The two walked through the door. Ken looked around a bit uncertain but still curious. Iwai lowered the newspaper, quirking an eyebrow when his eyes settled on them. Ken tensed up a bit but Ren stepped forward with a small wave and flashed Iwai an easygoing grin.
"Welcome back," he greeted, folding the newspaper. "What do you need today, kid?"
"A new gun purchase, Iwai," Ren answered, letting the door go after Ken stepped inside.
He then strode forward, stopping in front of the glass counter. He glanced down, taking note of the new stock.
"And weapon upgrades," he added.
He couldn't afford armor upgrades yet, so he'd have to work at the flower shop for a few shifts. Beating Shadows do pay well but that's not the most consistent income amounts to rely on. Not if you want a steady paycheck anyway.
Iwai's eyes took on a shrewd light, as they flicked towards Ken.
"You know the type you want, or do you want me to show all I have right now?" he inquired, sounding amused for some reason.
"We'll just browse," Ren answered.
Despite what Ken had said… he had drifted away from the handguns for some reason. It was a bit odd, but maybe he had just changed his mind. Then he paused at a hybrid handgun/pistol.
"Got your eye on the machine pistol?" Iwai got up, leaning one hand on the counter. "Wanna hold it?"
"Sure," Ken answered, giving a small nod.
Iwai unlocked the glass door, pulling out the pistol and handed it to Ken. Ken ran his hand over the gun, a considering look in his eyes.
Iwai's cellphone started to ring. He walked away a few steps and answered his phone.
Ren leaned in close, taking care to keep his voice low so Iwai couldn't overhear. "Your weapon of choice is longer than most. Why not go for it?"
"Yeah, I agree." Ken nodded.
"I have customers, but I'll call you back when I'm finished up, Kaoru," Ren heard Iwai say.
He hung up and turned around, slipping his phone back into his pocket. Ren grinned and waved Iwai over.
"Iwai, I'll take this." When Iwai nodded, taking the gun from Ken, Ren continued with, "And can I take a look at the weapons you've got? The usual."
"Yeah, sure, kid."
Iwai moved to go grab some inventory. Then Ken just raised a brow as he looked at Ren incredulously.
"How does he not question this?" Ken whispered to him.
"Iwai is a pretty interesting guy." Ren shrugged.
But he probably shouldn't mention that Iwai was former yakuza… Ken didn't exactly have a naïve streak like Makoto, but he doubted that Ken would be thrilled to find that out. Though, Ren had to wonder how he was going to sneak out a spear. Okay, Yusuke's katanas weren't exactly inconspicuous, but spears were long. Maybe he could ask Iwai to ship it or… something. Oh well, that was a problem for future Ren.
Ken gave him a flat look, looking rather unimpressed with Ren.
"Is there something you aren't telling me?" he deadpanned.
Ren teased, "New members don't get access to all the trade secrets right away, earn your keep and maybe I'll spill the top-secret info."
Ken just rolled his eyes at him but watched him make the purchases. Ren frowned as he riffled through his yen bills in his wallet. Damn, if only he didn't have to worry about buying Personas for better fusions. If the people in the Velvet Room were supposed to help him, you'd think they wouldn't try to drain every last yen from him. What did those drill sergeant twins need money for anyway? They never leave that place.
Ren sighed to himself, before handing over the money to Iwai. He needed to stock up on medicine too. He'd just have to demand money from the Shadows a lot during their next visit to the Palace. That combined with the flower shop paychecks should help. Handling the money was… rough. Though sad to say, he was the most responsible with the money. Makoto would probably handle it just fine however, but he imagined she'd probably be more frugal with it. Which while smart, they do unfortunately need the supplies.
They left the shop before Ken pulled out his wallet, pulling out a few thousand-yen bills. "Here… it's not much but the bill was rather… steep, I suppose it's fair anyway since you paid for my part. I'd give you more but after Yusuke-san's comment…"
"Say no more," Ren laughed. "I appreciate it anyways."
"Speaking of Yusuke-san, have you ever tried making up a budget for him? I can't help but be worried with some of the comments he has made regarding his eating habits… and spending habits," Ken inquired with a heavy frown.
"Oh, Makoto tried." Ren shook his head with a smile. "Key word being tried. I think Yusuke tossed it away after one day."
Makoto had been thrilled when she found out about that.
"Good grief," he sighed, shaking his head.
Ren couldn't help but let out a chuckle, and he heard Morgana did as well from within his bag.
Morgana popped his head back out of the bag.
"It's Yusuke after all. He's dependable in many areas, this however is not one of them," Morgana snarked.
Ken just sighed and shook his head. Ren nodded and gave a shrug.
"Are you free for the afternoon, though?" Ren asked, as they walked to the train station. "Maybe we could hang out for today?"
Ken frowned. "I thought you needed time to prepare to gather everything?"
"Yeah, but I think after yesterday… we need to have a little fun, don't you think?" Ren stated simply.
Ken's expression turned thoughtful.
"Well… I guess you're right," he relented.
Ren just grinned in response, feeling pleased that he had accepted Ren's invitation. He was really curious about Ken, after Ken's words last night left him wondering.
"So… what do you have in mind?" Ken inquired.
"Are you hungry? We could get lunch," Ren suggested. "We can go after I drop everything off at LeBlanc."
"Can we go somewhere with seafood?!" Morgana perked up.
Morgana complained that he couldn't go with them, but Ren promised him this time he would get takeout and it wouldn't be given as a peace offering to Sojiro.
"So... clarify some rumors for me?"
"Here we go..." Ken grumbled, but he nodded.
Ren had to smother a smirk. Well, there was no reason why he couldn't have some fun while he was at it, right?
"Are you dating—"
"No," Ken cut him off with an eye-roll. "The answer's no."
He took a bite of his food. The oyakodon was quite tasty at least.
"I've never dated anyone. And especially not someone who's been like an older sister figure to me for as long as I've known her. The people spreading that don't know a thing about me, and certainly aren't doing themselves favors by spreading it considering they all express interest in me," he stated flatly.
"Never?" Ren echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Never," Ken repeated, only for his expression to become bitter and he glared down at his food. "Why would I date someone who's only interested in me for shallow reasons while gossiping about me?"
Someone was salty. But Ken did have a good reason… the girls sighing over Ken only talked about how they found him so handsome.
Ren tilted his head. "What about your school record? Anne mentioned something about you being pretty much of a model student..."
"I worked for the scholarship, so it'd be easier on Shinjiro-san," Ken dismissed. "Gekkoukan isn't exactly cheap."
That did make sense since Shinjiro-san looked like he was in his mid-twenties. Though he had to wonder just how long ago Shinjiro-san got custody of Ken.
"Anything else?" Ken asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.
"Nah, I'm good." Ren shook his head. "But it's bound to happen. People are curious when a new kid comes in."
Something flashed in Ken's eyes, and then he looked guilty. "I'm sorry, Ren-san... I didn't mean—"
Ren held up a hand to halt him.
"I'm gonna stop you right there. It's not your fault. Kamoshida leaked my record. You were just lucky that you got to come here after we took down Kamoshida," Ren said.
He had heard rumors that Ken was a member of the soccer team, and that he was apparently good. And considering what Kamoshida had done to Ryuji because he made the volleyball team look bad... he'd probably see Ken as just a threat for breathing if he shown up earlier.
But then Ken's eyes filled with curiosity. "What... exactly happened? Why did you come to Tokyo?"
Ren sighed. He should've seen this coming. He had to tell Ryuji his story, and he was there when he had transferred to Shujin. He explained it a bit more to both Ryuji and Yusuke after Yusuke had joined them.
"It was several months ago, in my old town..." Ren began.
It never got easier to tell it. He still felt so betrayed by the whole damn system. He was just trying to help that woman, but that asshole decided to rig the whole system. And even now, Ren couldn't remember his face. It made his stomach every time he tried. The woman, she was either too powerless, too scared, or bought off to do anything for him. He'd sadly never know.
And his parents... didn't exactly help. They grew cold and distant with him. They didn't want a son who had a criminal record. It still hurt to remember how that they could barely muster a goodbye to him.
"That's just awful..." Ken's voice was hollow. "That man... is nothing but scum for doing that to you."
"In a way, it was good for me," Ren said bitterly, before he took another bite of food. "Sure, I could do without people judging me, spreading rumors about me, having a mark on my record, the arrest… but me moving here... meeting Ryuji, Anne, and the others... it's something I wouldn't trade for anything in the world."
And well... that little incident had been part of the trigger to him awakening to Arsene. And he loved being a Phantom Thief. It was so freeing, to not have to hide behind that timid facade.
"Isn't there anything we can do about this, though?" Ken asked, looking thoughtful now.
Ren shook his head, giving Ken a rueful smile.
"I don't think so... Ryuji did suggest stealing his heart, but... he was really powerful. He was able to take me to court without giving out his name. And you need the full name for the app to work. And to be completely honest, I don't even remember what the guy looks like."
He didn't think Ken was informed of that. So, it was good to tell him now.
"Is that... even possible, to not be named in a court document when accusing someone of something?" Ken's eyes went wide.
Ren just shrugged. To give Ken credit, if it hadn't happened to him, Ren would've questioned it as well.
"But anyways, don't apologize, Ken. If I didn't come to Tokyo... who knows how long Kamoshida would have been terrorizing the school and Yusuke would still be under Madarame's thumb. Not to mention all of Kaneshiro's victims… I'm glad I came to Tokyo... for multiple reasons."
All of his friends would be suffering in some way. No… this was the best way. You could almost call it fate.
Ken looked surprised for a moment and then... he smiled? Ren frowned.
"Why are you smiling like that?"
"Oh, it's just..." Ken rubbed the back of his neck before giving Ren a sheepish smile. "You remind me of someone I know."
"A good thing or a bad thing?" Ren quirked an eyebrow at him.
Ken just laughed. "A very good thing, I promise."
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 2.
Ken can now use Baton Pass!
Wednesday, July 27th, 2016
"Dude, Anne, why are you just eating rabbit food?" Ryuji-san raised a brow at her.
Anne-san reached for her water, taking a sip.
"Can't eat much," she mumbled.
She then grimaced at the salad in front of her. But her face then grew determined as she took a bite.
"Not if I wanna take modeling seriously…" she said firmly.
"Starving yourself isn't the way, though," Ken said with a frown.
He couldn't help but recall Shinjiro-san's rant after hearing about Yukari-san's diet a few years back.
"There are healthy options without just relying on salads. Salads can be pretty boring to eat so it makes it easier to break your diet."
Anne-san and Ryuji-san had invited him out to hang out, since there was no word about going back to the Palace. Though, that did make sense, since Ren-san did mention that he was going to prepare for their next venture into Futaba's Palace. And if he had the same mindset as Minato-san and Minako-san… they were in for the long haul when they did go back.
"I'm not starving myself but sheesh, I know! Ughhh… why are all of the good foods so bad for you?!" she whined out.
"I can talk to Shinjiro-san to see if he can come up with a diet for you," Ken offered. "He's done it for a friend in the past."
Anne-san perked up at that, her blue eyes brightening with excitement.
"Would Shinjiro-san be willing to cook any of those dishes?" she asked, doing her best to keep her voice casual.
Ken snorted. "If you want him to. Shinjiro-san loves to cook in case you can't tell."
"Yeah, 'cause anyone will cook up food for a bunch of kids he just met," Ryuji-san scoffed, rolling his eyes.
Ken just huffed. It wasn't always like that. He remembered how Minako-san had to work on convincing him for cooking for the entire dorm that one time. And the begging must've really stuck with him, since they had that unplanned dorm dinner right after the tsunami.
Ryuji-san then leaned forward. "But anyways, let's do something fun today after lunch! What do ya guys wanna do?"
Anne-san opened her mouth to respond, but then her phone let out a ping. She reached for her phone, quickly reading the message. She then pocketed her phone, turning back to them.
"Can we do a rain check? I just got a message from Shiho. She's wrapping her therapy sessions today, and she asked if I could come…" she said, a small frown appearing on her face.
Despite that being good news—whoever this Shiho person was, she had to be important to Anne-san—Anne-san didn't look very happy. There was some kind of emotion in her eyes that Ken couldn't quite identify.
"Shiho's family will be moving soon."
Ryuji-san's eyes widened. "Hang on—Suzui's moving? I thought she was gonna come back to Shujin after she was all recovered."
"Yeah, they are…" Anne-san sighed, biting her lip. "Her dad went and asked for a transfer at his job."
Her lips seemed to quiver for a moment, and she wrapped her arms around herself.
"They thought a more suburban area would be better for Shiho. You know, getting away from Tokyo completely."
She sounded so devastated, and Ken noticed a small tear forming in the corner of her eye. She must be close friends with this Shiho person.
"Anne… I'm sorry," Ryuji-san said quietly.
"I-It's for the best," Anne-san mumbled, before she forced a halfhearted smile on her face. "But yeah, sorry guys…"
She looked down at the table, letting out a sigh.
"I don't mean to be a downer… but I want to be there for her."
Ken finally figured out the emotion in her eyes before. Guilt. That was it. But the name Shiho… Ren-san had mentioned it before.
Ken froze as it suddenly clicked in his mind. Going by what Ren-san had said, Shiho went through something similar as Futaba-san, which was why Anne was so pained looking at Shadow Futaba-san. Ren had mentioned that Kamoshida fellow too. Which meant…
Shiho… she was the victim that Kamoshida had assaulted. She must have been that kept anonymous on the news a few months back while he was still in Port Island, the one who had attempted suicide out of pure shame. Ken's stomach twisted into knots at this realization. And if he had to guess… she was the last straw for the original Phantom Thieves, the catalyst to push them into action.
"Do you want us to come with you?" Ryuji-san asked, frowning; then he looked at Ken sheepishly. "If that's cool with you, man."
"Well, I—" Ken began but was quickly cut off.
"Oh nonono," Anne-san began to shake her head, "I don't want today to be a downer! Especially since we're basically playing the waiting game 'till we have to go back to Futaba's Palace…"
She then glanced at Ken, looking guilty once more.
"Plus, Ken's never even met Shiho. I can just go on my own, really!"
Ken spoke up, "I wouldn't mind meeting your friend. It's important to you and we both don't have anything planned so…"
"Yeah, come on, Anne!" Ryuji-san exclaimed. "The more the merrier, right? I'm sure Suzui would appreciate a bunch of friendly faces and shit, right?"
"I…" Anne-san's eyes softened, and she gave them a grateful smile. "Okay. We'll go after we finish up with lunch."
Suzui-san's face brightened up as she saw who walked through the door.
"Anne, you made it!"
"Of course I did!" Anne-san said, before embracing the dark-haired girl.
She was about Anne-san's height, dressed in loose but not baggy clothing. Ken supposed it made sense since she was doing physical therapy.
Anne-san then pulled away, examining her closely as she kept her hands on Suzui-san's shoulders. "How are you feeling?"
Suzui-san just giggled. "I'm fine, really. I feel a lot stronger than before… I still get a bit tired while exerting myself but…"
Her expression grew determined.
"I have to go back, as soon as possible," she declared. "I'm not going to let him dictate how I live my life anymore… I don't want to hesitate anymore."
So… he was right. This explained… a lot about Anne-san's behavior with Futaba-san. But honestly, he felt the same way. Nobody should feel so trapped that they feel that suicide was the only escape.
"Shiho…" Anne-san sighed, before finally releasing her.
Ryuji-san coughed, awkwardly shuffling his feet. "You really are looking a lot better, Suzui."
"Sakamoto-kun..." Suzui-san smiled warmly at him. "Thank you for coming. I didn't mean to pull Anne away from whenever you were doing..."
Then she raised an eyebrow at Anne-san.
"Though I'm surprised you haven't brought Ren-kun with you."
Anne-san blinked in surprise. "W-Well, Ren is hanging out with Makoto today... I couldn't drag him away from his plans like that!"
Ryuji-san just rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, it's nothing really, Suzui."
He waved a hand, giving her a cheerful smile.
"I mean, this is a pretty big milestone." Then he flashed a thumbs up. "'Sides, we didn't really know what to do after lunch. You didn't really interrupt anything."
Suzui-san giggled. "If you say so, Sakamoto-kun."
Then her eyes flickered to Ken, and then she turned back to Anne-san. She was smiling in amusement.
"Should I be jealous? It seems every time I turn around, you've made a new friend, Anne," she said teasingly.
Ken cleared his throat before bowing. "It's nice to meet you, Suzui-san. My name is Ken Amada."
Ryuji-san slapped him on the back, making him stumble forward a step. "Come on, man, you've really gotta loosen up. Suzui's in our year, so technically you're her senpai still."
Ken just grumbled to himself. He wasn't that stiff!
Anne-san poked him in the side. "Makoto's right, you know, Ryuji. You really could learn a thing or two from Ken. Girls like polite guys, y'know!"
"Well, not everyone is into the gentlemanly type like you, Anne," Suzui-san lightly teased, before nudging her in the side. "Though I assume he and Niijima-senpai have their hands full watching all of you."
"Hey!" Anne protested, puffing out her cheeks briefly in a pout. "They do not!"
Ken smiled to himself but didn't say anything. She didn't need to know he begged to differ.
Ryuji-san raised an eyebrow. "Hang on, you brought Makoto here before, Anne?"
"Yeah... she... ah..." Anne-san winced. "She really felt the need to apologize to Shiho."
Suzui-san just shook her head. "There was nothing for her to say, really. Kamoshida... had everyone under his thumb. She wasn't really able to do anything..."
She then smiled.
"But I'm just grateful that the Phantom Thieves took care of him. I'll always be thankful for them."
"So, you support the Phantom Thieves?" Ken raised an eyebrow.
She nodded firmly. "Mm-hm. They got rid of Kamoshida... and there's Madarame and Kaneshiro now too. I even heard some bullies at our school were taken care of by them. I know that people are still unsure of them, but I'll stand with them no matter what."
Ryuji-san just grinned. "Heh, they prolly appreciate that, Suzui."
"Shiho?" A dark-haired woman suddenly approached them. "Come on, it's time for your last session."
"Okay, Mom." Suzui-san nodded, before looking at them. "I'll see you around."
Anne-san sighed as the door closed behind Suzui-san before she folded her arms over her chest. "Shiho's so strong."
Her voice was almost wistful. Though Ken had to agree. Even though he had just met her, Suzui-san seemed to possess a quiet strength. It was admirable.
"Hey, don't count yourself out." Ryuji-san put a hand on her shoulder before cracking a smile. "I mean, you're pretty tough. You pretty much wrecked shit when you awakened to Carmen."
Anne-san managed a smile. "Thanks, Ryuji."
Ken nodded, "You shouldn't really discount yourself, Anne-san. You're emotionally strong, too."
"Thanks… but sometimes I just don't feel that way…" Anne-san looked down with a sigh, her hands clenching into fists. "I shouldn't have gotten so upset with Futaba-chan and I—!"
"For what?" Ken asked. "For feeling for her? For wanting to help her?"
Anne-san looked at him, her eyes wide.
Ken heaved out a sigh. "Anne-san… there's nothing wrong with being so empathetic that you literally feel for Futaba-san. It shows that you have a big heart. Not to mention that it just gives you more of a motivation to heal her heart."
And seeing Suzui-san… slowly healing from what she had gone through gave him hope for Futaba-san. Suzui-san wasn't completely healed yet, and that was okay. It would be the same for Futaba-san. He really doubted that even with stealing her heart, Futaba wouldn't be completely cured. She would still have anxiety. She would have trouble socializing. But that would be okay. They'd help her through that.
"That shit she was put through…" Ryuji grimaced, "…it was really screwed up. No kid should go through that kind of crap, 'specially after losing their mom so suddenly."
"Y-Yeah…" Anne slowly nodded before she raised her head.
Her eyes were filled with determination, the fire Ken was already familiar with. "You're right. We helped Shiho and everyone messed up by Kamoshida…"
Her hands clenched, before she pumped a fist.
"We can't stop here! There's no reason why we can't help Futaba-chan!" she exclaimed passionately.
"That's the spirit." Ken smiled at her.
"If only RenRen would take us into the Palace," Ryuji-san grumbled.
"Do you want us to get killed?" Anne-san retorted, shooting him a look that just reminded him of Yukari-san. "Ren's got a good reason, okay? We need the proper equipment before going back in or we'll be in big trouble."
Though that was hardly a surprise. Minato-san and Minako-san operated in a similar way.
"Then why is he hanging out with Makoto today?" he demanded with a huff. "I'd get it if he was working that job with the yakuza…"
"A job with the what?" Ken choked out.
"Uhhh…" Ryuji-san clamped his mouth shut as Anne-san glared at him, her arms folded over her chest. "N-Nothing."
He definitely needed a talk with Ren-san. He was really working with the yakuza?! What was he thinking?! What was next, Ren getting free medicine by agreeing to be some back-alley doctor's human test subject with illegal drugs?
Most couples unwound with a glass of wine, talk about how their day went. And sometimes Minako did relax with her husband in that way—but not lately, since alcohol was strictly off limits until she had the baby… maybe longer if she decided to breastfeed. But tonight?
"Did you really expect Ken to accept the offer?" Aki was absentmindedly playing with her hair.
Minako let out a satisfied hum, before settling against his shoulder.
"Not one hundred percent," she admitted. "But when Mitsuru-senpai told me, she said that he did lean towards it."
Aki just laughed. "Junpei was so sure he'd say no."
Minako stifled a laugh. Junpei was so annoyed when the news started to spread amongst their group of friends.
"He should know better than to bet against me."
However, the reaction that stood out to her the most was Fuuka. Aigis took it logically, as she always did. Yukari was surprised, but expressed the wish that Ken be careful while doing so… And Shinji… well, he was keeping how he felt about it to himself. But Fuuka? She was completely unsurprised. Now, she knew that Fuuka had grown closer to Ken over the years. But she couldn't help but feel a bit unsettled. Did Fuuka know something she didn't?
"Fuuka-chan met them, you know," Minako said.
Aki looked at her in surprise, eyebrow raised.
"The Phantom Thieves," she quickly clarified, answering his unspoken question. "She said… they were a nice group of people."
Fuuka had described them as quite lively, comparing them to the Investigation Team in that aspect. But kids Ken's age… kids that knew how Ken had felt years ago…
Aki's silver eyes filled with confusion before reaching to lace their hands together.
"Where are you going with this, Mina?" he asked.
Minako said quietly, "You know that Ken-kun hasn't had that many friends in his life. He isn't as close to his soccer club friends as he used to be, when he gave up soccer… and adding the apparent reason for why the Phantom Thieves were founded…"
She let out a sigh.
"I know that Ken-kun would never dream of turning his back on us…" she said quickly.
It's just that… she couldn't help but wonder. What if Ken got attached to the Phantom Thieves, attached enough to start feeling conflicted? Torn between the two groups?
Aki met her gaze, looking rather solemn. "But you think his judgment might become clouded. That he might become biased."
"Pretty much," Minako sighed. "And… I'm scared for him, Aki… we still don't know if Shido knows about the identities of the Phantom Thieves, and there is the matter of that rouge Persona-user that attacked Ken. Who is he? Is he in leagues with Shido? Will he attack him again?"
Minako's eyes began to sting with tears.
"What if… what if we let Ken-kun just paint a huge target on his back?"
And it'd be her fault. She convinced Mitsuru-senpai to send Ken to Tokyo. She couldn't lose someone close to her again… not this way. Ken was like a little brother to her. She'd never forgive herself if she was the reason if he was lost.
"Hey."
Minako's train of thought stopped as Aki reached out to wipe away her tears.
"No what ifs, Mina," he said gently. "Ken's not alone. You know that Shinji's watching out for him. And he'll notice if Ken's off about his judgments."
She smiled up at him. He could be so levelheaded. Their friends—herself included—often ribbed him for being somewhat impulsive, especially when it came to a fight. But when it came down to it, he was thoughtful. And she needed to hear that kind of reassurance.
Minako managed a weak smile. "I'm sorry, Aki… hormones, you know?"
Aki just laughed softly before cupping her cheek.
"You don't have to apologize, Mina. You're just worried… especially after this whole thing with Medjed," he said with a reassuring smile.
Minako nodded slowly.
"I wish… there was some way to deal with Shido," she mumbled.
Aki was quiet for a moment. "Maybe… Ken can bring up Shido as the next target, after this Medjed situation blows over."
"That would solve a lot of our problems, wouldn't it?" Minako sighed before giving her husband a rueful smile.
"Well, there's the whole the government still really hates Mitsuru," Aki said dryly.
Minako just chuckled. "They really know how to hold a grudge, don't they?"
It just sucked that they had to play the waiting game. Minako reached down to stroke her stomach. She'd be five months along soon. She could only pray that the world her child would be born into would be a safe one…
"I dunno though, Aki… something tells me it's not going to be that easy," she thought to herself.
She could only pray that nothing would happen to Ken...
Saturday, July 30th, 2016
Ken woke up to a text from the Phantom Thieves group chat, with Ren-san announcing that they'd be going back to the Palace today. Though it was a bit odd, dressing in his casual outfit to go into a Shadow nest. He was too used to fighting in his school uniform. Even during the P-1 Grand Prix… he had fought in his school uniform. Though granted, his outfit would be changed into his thief outfit…
"Ken, is the Metaverse making you hungrier than usual or somethin'?"
Ken snapped out of his thoughts, his spoon halfway to his mouth. He had been mechanically eating breakfast, hardly registering it. He lowered the spoon, looking to Shinjiro-san.
"It's like you've been making two lunches for yourself," his guardian added.
"Er… no," Ken said slowly. "You see, Yusuke-san has been making these… comments that worry me. Like… eating bean sprouts for a meal. So I made him lunch a few days ago."
He winced, before blowing his bangs out of his face.
"Sorry, I should have mentioned it to you," he apologized.
"Bean sprouts," Shinjiro-san repeated flatly.
Was it his imagination or did Shinjiro-san's eye twitch?
Shinjiro-san just grumbled to himself, "It's fine. I was just wondering."
Yeah, Shinjiro-san was definitely planning on making lunches for Yusuke-san from now on. He recognized that look in Shinjiro-san's eyes.
After Ken finished up breakfast, he said goodbye to Shinjiro-san. He then made a beeline for the train station to go to Yongen-jaya. Ren-san had told them to meet directly in front of Sakura-san's house.
Apparently he had been the last to arrive, given Ryuji-san's exuberant greeting and excited waving.
Ryuji-san then turned to Ren-san. "Hey, RenRen! Ken's here now!"
"I can see that, Ryuji," Ren-san laughed, his dark eyes dancing with amusement. "Is everyone ready, then?"
"Let's do this!" Anne-san exclaimed, pumping a fist.
Morgana poked his head out of Ren-san's bag. "Let's go, then."
Morgana ducked into Ren-san's bag, clutching Ren-san's phone with his little paws. Ren-san accepted it with a thanks before activating the app.
Unlike before, where they had been transported to a sand dune, they were standing at the base of the pyramid. Well, at least they didn't have to put up with the sweltering heat as much… Ken could already feel sweat beading at his brow, with how he was wearing mostly black in this heat.
Ren-san let out a thoughtful hum as he tapped his chin. "Ace's up for sure."
His eyes then swept to the rest of the group as his lips grew pursed.
"Let's go with Panther and Skull for now," he announced.
Ren-san then passed out the weapons to the group for their upgrades. He still was a bit surprised at the weapon choices for some of them.
Ren-san then finished passing out the guns, before leading them into the Palace. The door was still there… blocking the way forward.
"Ugh—still…" Ryuji-san groaned, before thumping his fist against the door.
"I don't know why you expected it to change, Skull," Yusuke-san said dryly. "Obstacles were never removed before, that's why you guys did what you did for Madarame, plus we needed Queen for the obstacle presented in Kaneshiro's…"
"Yeah yeah yeah, I know I know. I just… wish it'd be a little simpler for once," Ryuji-san sighed, a heavy frown on his lips.
"Do you still wish to pass?"
They all jumped at the sudden voice, whirling around to face Futaba-san's Shadow. She looked at them calmly.
"W-What?" Makoto-san's eyes were wide.
"I need you to do something for me," the Shadow continued, her voice neutral. "A bandit in the nearby town has stolen something from me. Retrieve it, and I will help you."
Yeah, he was kinda missing Tartarus. Tartarus just felt… simpler.
"Oh, now you're helping us…" Ryuji-san grumbled, before scowling. "Make up your effin' mind already!"
"Skull!" Anne-san hissed.
"It doesn't matter to me either way," she said impassively.
"Well… I suppose we'll have to do this 'favor'," Morgana grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. "Joker, let's head outside and look for this town."
Ren-san nodded before leading them outside. Ren-san looked back and forth, before running onto a platform that Ken hadn't noticed before.
He then pointed at the distance. "You think this is it?"
"It has to be…" Makoto-san said, walking up to stand next to him. "Mona, could you…?"
Morgana nodded firmly, before jumping in the air and transforming into his bus form. They loaded onto the bus and headed for the town.
The town… was like a ghost town. There was nobody there. They ended up in a town square sort of area.
Morgana frowned. "Isn't it strange that we can't seem to find anyone here? I wonder if this is her cognition of Yongen-jaya…"
"It is somewhat odd for it to be so deserted. Not even a Shadow…" Yusuke-san frowned.
"Could be because Futaba doesn't interact with anyone in the area because she stays her room. So maybe her cognition treats it as the residents are practically not there, just a collection of buildings out her window." Makoto-san theorized sadly.
"Didn't Futaba's Shadow mention something about a stolen item?" Yusuke-san asked, puzzled. "If this is her Palace, then the Shadows should be under her domain."
"It's possible because of her mental state… she's not in complete control," Ken voiced his theory aloud. "Maybe there is a chance there are some rogue Shadows."
"That's… a bit worrying if your theory is right Ace," Makoto-san said nervously.
"Hey, are you guys looking for something? I thought I heard someone rustling 'round here."
They all jumped at the unfamiliar voice.
He didn't think he'd ever get used to normal Shadows talking. He could remember the occasional cackling from a Shadow but they never spoken words. Though the whole Shadow self was still hard to wrap his mind around sometimes, even though he had witnessed it with his own eyes.
"Joker, you think…?" Morgana said lowly.
"Yeah," Ren-san agreed quietly, tensing up.
"What are you whispering about?" The Shadow cocked his head. "Awfully suspicious, wouldn't you say?"
"Aw, shuddup asshat!" Ryuji-san growled out, before taking a menacing step towards the Shadow.
However, the Shadow didn't look intimidated at all.
"You can't talk 'bout suspicious… you're that bandit, aren't ya?!" Ryuji-san then accused, pointing a finger at the Shadow.
"Return what you stole," Ken said, narrowing his eyes.
The Shadow just chuckled. "Sure. If you can catch me!"
Without warning, he turned on his heel and bolted.
"Hey wait a minute!" Anne-san shouted; she then dragged a hand down her face, before letting out a growl. "Of course!"
"There's no time to gripe about it," Makoto-san said sternly. "Come on, we have to chase after him!"
Unfortunately, Ken felt his theory might be correct after all. There were a few Shadows hiding out in this deserted town, they were probably in league with that other Shadow. There were about four of them, they managed to take them all down one by one.
Ken couldn't help but be annoyed at the time they wasted, especially in this heat. Chasing this Shadow was getting to be a real chore.
They found him in an alley, but he just taunted them before running off in the other direction again. Awfully arrogant for someone who just lost his allies.
They tried several times, but he was just too fast. But… Ken couldn't help but notice something. Ken grabbed Ren by the sleeve, and the younger boy looked at him in surprise.
"Hang on, Joker—I have an idea. We'll have to corner him at the square."
"Corner him?" Ren echoed, before his eyes widened. "Of course!"
He tapped his fist into his palm. He then turned to the members who weren't part of the active team.
"Mona, Fox, and Queen. I want you to loop around and push him towards the square. We'll be waiting for him there."
"A pincer movement…" Makoto-san's eyes went wide before she nodded in approval. "That just might work!"
Ren-san led them back to the square, edging around the corners. It was just in time too because they heard pounding footsteps approaching.
Ryuji-san reached for his shotgun, quickly firing a warning shot. The Shadow jumped backwards.
"You're that desperate to fight me, huh? Fine!" The Shadow spat out.
It then trembled once, before transforming into a great golden bird. Which… looked awfully familiar.
Wasn't that one of the Personas used in that one fusion spell? Ken's mind raced to remember its strengths and weaknesses again.
"Joker," Ken whispered. "What are Panther and Skull's weaknesses?"
Ren-san looked at him in confusion. "Er… Panther is weak to ice and Skull is weak to wind."
At Ren-san's words, Ken was confident he remembered the creature's elements. Then he whipped his head around to Ryuji-san.
"Take this!" the Shadow growled.
"Skull, block!" Ken yelled. "I think its element is wind!"
"Ugh, are you serious?!" he groaned, but he crossed his arms over his chest to brace himself.
The Shadow then flapped its wings violently, whipping up a powerful gust. That was definitely a Magarudyne. If he remembered right, the Persona had been fairly high leveled. He hoped they weren't in over their heads…
"Any idea on a weakness?" Ren-san shouted at him.
"Electricity maybe? Or we could try using our guns? Though I've never shot at one of these things," Ken suggested tentatively.
The use of guns was something new to fighting Shadows for him. He had no idea if that would work but it was worth a chance to test what its weaknesses were.
"You've seen one of these things before?" Anne-san asked incredulously.
Ken cursed himself and his big mouth but exclaimed instead, "Unfortunately, and it was very strong. I got away though at least."
"Storytime later! Let's give shooting the thing a try!" Ren-san interrupted and pulled out his pistol, aiming right at the Shadow.
The Shadow responded by launching another Magarudyne. The gust was strong enough to send the gun flying right out of Ren-san's hand.
And this time Ryuji-san wasn't fast enough to block, so he was sent flying. He hit the wall with a sickening crack.
"Skull!" Anne-san shrieked.
"Skull, why didn't you block?!" Morgana demanded.
The Shadow cackled, before soaring higher in the sky.
"This is bad… I have to do something!" Ken thought in panic.
Light magic would do neutral damage at best if he recalled correctly. Ken's eyes then were drawn to the powerful wings. Ken's grasp on his spear tightened before he threw it. It nailed the Shadow right in the wing, drawing a pained screech. Anne-san then darted forward, brandishing her whip. It coiled around one of the Shadow's legs, and Anne-san yanked hard, both hands on the grip. The Shadow yanked back, but Anne-san gritted her teeth, dug in her heels, and tugged harder.
Ren slid in next to her, ripping off his mask.
"Orthus!" he shouted, summoning a brown canine, which then blasted fire at the Shadow.
Ken ran over to Ryuji-san, helping him up in a sitting position. Blood dripped from a shallow cut on the back of his head, staining his bleached hair. He supported the back of Ryuji-san's head and neck with one arm, and he ripped his mask off with his free hand. Kala-Nemi appeared and Ken concentrated on healing him.
"Ugh…" Ryuji-san groaned.
Ken helped him up. Ken checked his injury, and to his relief, it seemed to have closed up.
"Thanks, man…" Ryuji-san then mumbled.
But then he caught sight of the Shadow once more, and he let out an annoyed growl.
"Ugh, that asshole is gonna pay!" He then reached up to rip his mask off. "Let's do this, Captain!"
His Persona appeared, firing an electric bolt at the Shadow. The Shadow hissed in pain as the attack struck, but unfortunately, electricity wasn't its weakness.
This Shadow was more intelligent than the others if it knew to knock the gun out of Ren-san's hand. But then again, it was guarding something…
Ren-san and Anne-san came running up to them.
"Any ideas?" Ren-san asked urgently.
"I think if we try to shoot him, he'll just try to knock the gun out of our hands…" Anne-san said with a frown. "Joker, do you have a Persona that can use gun attacks…?"
Ren-san just grimaced, shaking his head. "Nope. Those are kinda rare."
"My Persona has it," Ken spoke up.
"Oh, that's perfect!" Anne-san enthused.
"Joker!" Makoto-san called out to them. "I think everyone but Ace should distract the Shadow. Then Ace can hit it from behind."
"Sounds like a plan." Ryuji-san nodded firmly before smacking a fist into his open palm. "Let's do this!"
"Skull, you should stay back though," Morgana warned. "We don't want you to have a repeat."
"Yeah, yeah!" he grumbled.
"Okay, Panther, you're with me, then!" Ren-san exclaimed.
"Always, Joker!" Anne-san cried, before sprinting after him.
Anne-san moved first, summoning Carmen to unleash a dazzling display of flames. Ren-san followed up with summoning Rakshasa, which slashed repeatedly at the Shadow, forcing it stay on the defensive. Rakshasa then sprung backwards, allowing Ryuji-san's Persona to fire lightning at the Shadow.
And Ken crept closer as the Shadow divebombed at Ren-san. Anne-san tackled him out of the way, causing them to roll together for a moment. Just as the Shadow began to rise, Ken ripped off his mask.
"Do it, Kala-Nemi!" he cried out.
The bullet Kala-Nemi launched clipped the Shadow in the wing, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Gotcha!" Ryuji-san crowed as they surrounded him, aiming their guns at the Shadow.
"Joker, let's do it!" Ken called to him.
Ren-san just cracked a grin. "Of course."
They lunged forward, attacking the Shadow with all of their might. The Shadow fell under their assault, leaving behind only a papyrus scroll.
He had to admit, there was quite a rush doing the their "All Out Attack" with them. It had been so long since he had done one. Back in P-1 Grand Prix, they had split up their forces with that surge of Shadows. So… it had been seven years since.
"So this is what she seeks?" Yusuke-san frowned quizzically. "Interesting… I wonder what it is exactly."
"Phew!" Ryuji-san sighed as Ren-san picked up the papyrus. "God, that was just a pain in the ass…"
Anne-san sighed, toying with a strand of blonde hair. "We should've brought Fox with us this time…"
Ren-san nodded. "Let's swap him in. It's not your fault, Skull, but you deserve a break."
Ryuji-san shrugged. "You're the boss."
"I thought that was Sojiro," Ren-san quipped, which only caused the boys to crack up.
"That's enough messing around," Makoto-san chided, folding her arms over her chest.
"Yeah, we should get back to the Palace now though, to deliver… whatever this is to Futaba-san's Shadow," Ken said.
Anne-san grimaced to herself. "This isn't the weirdest thing. Kamoshida's Palace made us collect eyeballs to stop a trap."
Ken cringed at how strange that sounded. He then wiped sweat off his neck. They really should get out of this heat before they got heat exhaustion.
Ryuji-san then slung an arm around Ken's shoulders. "But thanks, man. You kinda saved my ass back there."
"It was nothing," Ken dismissed. "Joker and Panther distracted the Shadow more so that I could heal you."
"Oh? So now you're okay with dropping the honorifics?" Ren-san teased.
Ken glowered at the younger boy. "Don't start! These are codenames! You guys are serious about them!"
"Just drop the honorifics then!" Ryuji-san said.
"There's no need to complain about this," Yusuke-san admonished. "It's not Ace's fault that you have no manners compared to him, Skull."
Morgana burst into laughter as Ryuji-san sputtered in indignation.
"What the hell, Fox?!" he cried out as Ren-san and Anne-san dissolved into laughter as well.
Makoto-san pointedly cleared her throat.
"That's enough, everyone," she said sternly.
"Fox really went for the throat," Ren-san snickered out.
Makoto-san let out a little sigh and shook her head, but Ken couldn't help but notice a smile tugging at her lips. Then she glanced towards Ken.
"Though I'm surprised how versatile your Persona is... you have bless magic, healing magic, and gun attacks," she remarked.
"And you did know the Shadow's weakness..." Morgana said, though there was a funny look on his face.
"Oh… well… as I mentioned I did encounter that Shadow in the past, but it was… a little different from what I remember, that one was even stronger than this one. Which… I'm not going to complain about." Ken said.
"That's super useful!" Ryuji-san exclaimed. "Even Mona can't do that!"
"W-Wha—" Morgana glared at Ryuji-san. "HEY!"
"It's nothing special, really," Ken said quickly, wanting to defuse the brewing argument.
He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with this situation. He didn't want to try and upstage Morgana… He just wanted to use his past knowledge for everyone's benefit. Besides the gun weakness was a lucky guess on his part.
Ken shifted uncomfortably as he wiped more sweat off his brow. Makoto-san handed him a small cloth which he silently thanked her for.
"Shall we get going?" Yusuke-san inquired. "We have work to do still, and I'd really like to get out of this dreadful heat."
Ren-san nodded. "Yeah, Fox is right. Let's head back to the main part of the Palace."
They exited the town and Morgana transformed into the bus so they could get back to the Palace. They reentered the pyramid and spoke to Shadow Futaba-san, so they could return the papyrus to her.
He hated this Palace. He really did. It was blistering hot outside and they had to chase around a stupid bandit. Then when they returned, they were greeted with being thrown into a pit of quicksand deep into the underground of the Palace.
And now they had to deal with a Shadow called Mot.
He hated Mot. He really hated Mot.
It turned him into a mouse.
"Aww!" Anne-san cooed, scooping him up. "He's so cute!"
"Cute?! I am not cute!" Ken fumed to himself.
He was a mouse, for crying out loud. But the only thing that came out of his mouth were squeaks.
"Don't you think he's cute, Queen?" Anne-san asked, turning to the brunette.
"Uh… Panther…?" Ren-san asked. "Why don't you give him to Queen until this… wears off? We have the Shadow to fight still."
"Ugh, fiiiiine." Anne-san pouted for a moment, before handing him over to Makoto-san.
Makoto-san held him for a moment in her cupped hands, looking like she was trying hard not to laugh with how she was pressing her lips together.
"You don't have to pout. Panther's right, you know. You make a very cute mouse," she said in amusement.
He was not pouting. But Ken didn't bother to open his mouth, since Makoto-san wouldn't be able to understand a word he was saying. He learned that earlier that he'd only squeak when he tried to say something. And that was embarrassing enough.
"She'd probably hate it if it happened to her," Ken thought sulkily.
Makoto-san just rubbed the top of his head with the tip of her index finger, all while smiling. Somehow Makoto-san of all people fawning over him made it even more humiliating.
Just why him of all people?!
"Uh, Queen?" Morgana suddenly spoke up. "I think you should put him down. He could turn back any minute now."
"I guess you're right…" Makoto-san sighed, before setting him down on the floor.
"So… you like cute things, huh?" Ryuji-san asked.
Makoto-san froze at that, a pink tinge creeping to her cheeks. "I-I was curious, that's all!"
Ken suddenly felt a tingling sensation before he was surrounded by a puff of smoke. He was suddenly human again. He then snatched up his spear, glaring at the Shadow. Yusuke-san was focusing on the Shadow Mot had summoned, since it was weak to ice, while Ren-san and Anne-san were fighting Mot. He ripped off his mask.
The blast of light sent Mot sprawling, allowing them to go for an All-Out Attack.
When the Shadows fell, Ken stared at Ren-san.
"This is never going to be brought up again," he ground out.
Ren-san cracked a grin. "Aw, c'mon, you were kinda cute—"
"What did I just say?!"
The whole group paused when they saw Sakura-san appear before them. He was completely purple in color from head to toe and see-through, like a hologram. And he was dressed like an Egyptian priest.
"What the—" Ryuji-san began only to be shushed by Morgana when Sakura-san spoke.
"To free the Pharaoh from her turmoil, you must do. Quite a few puzzles for you. The answer lies in the letter obtained. Which is why the Pharaoh now reigns."
He then vanished quickly after Ren pressed the button and a puzzle appeared on the screen in front of them
"What… the hell? That was Boss right?" Ryuji-san asked in confusion.
"I think… that was Futaba's cognition of him?" Morgana speculated, head cocked. "He seemed so… harmless compared to other ones."
"I think he was trying to give us a clue…" Makoto-san stated with curiosity.
"Of course, Boss is desperately trying to help her in the real world. Even if his results aren't bearing fruit, and he was someone who was friends with her mother," Yusuke-san said, hand on chin. "So, her cognition of him isn't one of a nefarious nature. Just someone who tries to provide help, but the cognition's cryptic words could mean that while she understands the real Boss is trying to help, his words just can't quite reach her."
Ken nodded. "I think your theory is on the right track Fox."
"What did he say about a letter, what did he mean?" Anne-san asked, her hand tilted.
"Only one way to find out," Ren-san said with a shrug.
Ken couldn't help but rub his temples while he watched Ren-san fiddle with the puzzle in front of them. He just felt exhausted… and drained. Not to mention some of the close calls they had, especially with Futaba-san's Shadow nearly getting them with that arrow trap of hers…
"Here we go," Ren-san announced, cracking a proud smile.
The puzzle glowed white for a moment before showing an image of Futaba-san sitting on a throne, holding a scepter, while three men in black suits stood before her. It probably would've been fairly normal if it wasn't for the men have falcon heads. Though, didn't most Egyptian murals have something similar?
"My mom...?" A childish voice echoed throughout the chamber. "She wrote a note before she..."
"Yes, that's right. It says... I should have never birthed Futaba... she was nothing but a burden to me."
"Mom... hated me?" The voice trembled. "B-Because I was a bad kid?"
"You must have been quite a nuisance to her... though it's not your fault entirely. I assume that part of the blame lies at your mother's feet. She had a mental breakdown of sorts... She destroyed her life's work because of it, however."
"She what? No! She always talked about how important it was for her to finish it..."
"Yes... it's quite a pity, isn't it? She might have saved herself some grief had she not had a child out of wedlock. Quite selfish of her to keep you instead of put you up for adoption or at least marry to protect you and herself. But it seemed taking you and this research on was too much of a burden for her."
"Mom..." the last part came out as a whimper, and it only made Ken's stomach twist into knots.
Futaba-san... why did they do this to her? She did nothing to deserve this! She should've gotten comfort, for losing her mother... not this. And he couldn't help but think back to the twins, it wasn't Futaba-san's fault she was born out of wedlock. She wasn't a burden because of that!
But… as Ken looked at the mural, something started to nag at him.
"That guy..." Ryuji-san hissed, his hands clenched into fists as he glared up at the mural. "He's pissing me off!"
"But it looks like he just read the note out to her," Ken said with a frown. "That's so odd. It feels so… callous to just break the news like this."
Makoto-san stroked her chin in deep thought. "You think that they lied about the circumstances of what happened?"
"I'm not sure. It just strikes me as odd to do it this way," Ken said, folding his arms over his chest.
Yusuke-san tilted his head slightly. "But why lie to her? What gain would they have to lie to a young girl like that?"
"Well, some people are just that messed up, regardless of the contents of the note, just reading it in front of her like that..." Anne-san bit her lip, only for her to suddenly scowl. "This is pissing me off! Where are these guys?!"
"Panther it was in the past, we can't punish them now, only help Futaba. But we have an answer now," Ren-san said, trying to sound encouraging.
But then he grimaced—something must've occurred to him.
"About why Futaba believes that she's the reason her mother's dead..." Ren-san then let out a sigh. "This is so screwed up though. And those other voices from earlier... was she alone when they read the note out to her?"
Ken shook his head. "I don't think so. Isshiki-san's death is officially a suicide. It wouldn't make sense for people to accuse Futaba unless they were present to hear the man in black reading the note aloud."
Ken then sighed, looking to the ground. He could still recall his mother's funeral. The well-wishers talking about how kind and welcoming she was. How sorry they were that he lost her at such a young age. He had hated it all. And for Futaba-san to deal with that kind of grief and in addition to these men claiming that Isshiki-san saw her as nothing but a burden.
It just made his stomach churn. It made him sick, want to track down these men and demand why they would do such a thing to her. To do that to anyone would be messed up… but to a young girl who was barely a teenager? It was just vile.
Anne-san wrapped her arms around herself. "Then... the reason why she hears the voices..."
Her breath hitched and she seemed to shrink into herself. The realization seemed to sink in just at the same time.
"The guilt and the trauma must have caused her hallucinations," Yusuke-san sighed, his voice somber. "The people who did this to her are despicable..."
His hands moved to grip the hilt of his katana at his hip. They were covered by light blue gloves right now, but Ken wouldn't be surprised if his knuckles were turning white with how he clutched at the sword's hilt.
"They're nothing but scum," he spat out the last word like it was a curse word.
"She lost her mother already..." Makoto-san closed her eyes. "Why would they pour salt into the wound like that?"
Morgana frowned and said thoughtfully, "I can't help but wonder what was so important about this research of her mother? To cause so much grief over it."
He wished that he could say.
"Maybe we'll find out when we go into deeper..." Makoto-san mused, only for her expression to steel. "But... the important part is that we help Futaba-chan."
Ryuji-san pumped his fist. "Should we get going then?"
"Let's find the next safe room and we'll head home," Ren-san said. "All of us are pretty drained, and I don't think it's a good idea for us to continue."
"But...!"
"Relax, Skull, we made good progress today!" Morgana exclaimed.
"How far would you say we are, Mona?" Makoto-san inquired.
Morgana tilted his head. "Hm… my guess is about halfway."
That was a relief...
The sooner they helped Futaba-san... the better.
Notes:
I really meant to get this chapter out sooner, but I just... wasn’t satisfied with how I wrote the Adjustment rank 2 scene, so I ended up rewriting it a few times.
Also tweaked Mot’s weakness to light, since Ken’s the new party member of the team, and the team member usually has the element that the miniboss is weak to.
And happy late birthday, Anne!
Edit Notes (6/25/24): After talking with my beta angelrin89, we decided to add something extra to the Palace—a cognitive Sojiro, to add onto the added cognitions featured in Okumura and Sae's Palaces. The first scene with the Shadow graverobber was embellished on too, to explain the Shadow's behavior.
Chapter 12: Ch. 11: Down Time
Summary:
While Ren starts to gather supplies for another Palace run, the Phantom Thieves take a breather.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, July 31st, 2016
Ren hadn't meant to sleep in, really. But he was just so tired after the Palace exploration. And by the time he had gotten up—nearly eleven—Sojiro was already serving a couple of his regulars. Which only meant that Ren had to find breakfast/lunch somewhere else. Too bad though, since Sojiro's curry really was something else.
He sighed to himself as he walked out of the train station.
"Ren-san?"
Ren turned at the sudden voice, seeing that it was Ken.
"Hey, Ken." Ren grinned at him, waving at him as Ken came closer. "What are you up to?"
"Just running a couple errands," Ken answered, before he shrugged. "What about you?"
"Well, I woke up late so I've gotta go buy lunch somewhere. I was thinking the diner actually," Ren explained.
"You… woke up late?" Ken repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that Boss feeds him most of the time, but since he had customers, Ren had to look somewhere else," Morgana piped up.
Then he gave Ren a disapproving look, and Ren sighed, bracing for the incoming lecture. He swore Morgana nagged at him more than his mom ever did.
"This is why I tell you to get some sleep at an early time!" he scolded.
As if he could forget. Most of the time, Morgana was dragging him to bed by 10:00, a bedtime he hadn't had since junior high.
"You've told me… repeatedly, Morgana," Ren said dryly.
"Well, maybe if it'd stick in your head already—"
"Why don't we go back to my place so I can cook you some food, then?" Ken cut off their bickering, shooting them a look. "My errands can wait another day."
Ren stared at him for a moment. Then he shook his head. "No, it's okay, Ken. It's different with Yusuke, since he barely has any money…"
"And you're in charge of our funds," Ken retorted, giving him an unimpressed look. "Shinjiro-san does the shopping on Saturday evenings, so we have plenty of food."
He had a stubborn look in his eye. He probably wouldn't take no as an answer.
Ren sighed. "Okay, okay…"
Then he rubbed the back of his neck, before sheepishly thanking Ken. It was quiet for the first few minutes, but Ken suddenly broke the silence.
"Hey," he leaned in close to Ren, keeping his voice low, "Why do you operate during the day, anyways?"
Ren stopped walking and gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?"
Ken just crossed his arms over his chest. "…Ren-san, tell me. What do phantom thieves have in common?"
"Well, they leave a calling card, announcing that they're going to take something," Ren said, ticking off his fingers. "Something of value…"
Ken just raised an eyebrow at him, before walking again as well. "And when do they usually steal them?"
Ren rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… It was Morgana's idea?"
"HEY!" Morgana protested, popping out of Ren's bag. "You can really ruin your health by staying up too late!" he continued to lecture.
Then he leveled an irate glare at Ken, but Ken hardly blinked. Ren was beginning to think he had some kind of immunity to glares, given how he had a scary as hell guardian.
"Don't tell me that you stay up late to study or something!" Morgana demanded of Ken, almost leaning out of the bag.
Ren sighed, before pushing Morgana back into his bag despite his protests. He didn't want Morgana to tumble out of the bag and hurt himself.
"Okay, I won't tell you then," Ken deadpanned.
Ren just stifled a laugh as Morgana started to sputter. The people in the lobby started to stare so Morgana just slunk back into his bag. He poked his head out slightly while the people stopped looking their way, just to narrow his eyes up at Ken.
"To be honest Ken, I agree with Morgana's advice. We are only high school students after all. And we live all over the place. It's not like we all live in one apartment complex together," Ren pointed out. "How would all of us be able to sneak out and get back home without anyone noticing? Not to mention the train schedules. Plus, we'd be run even more ragged if we did it at night, like I said, just high school students."
Morgana smiled up at him in triumph and looked at Ken smugly. Ken just frowned at scratched his head sheepishly.
"Sorry… never thought of it that way. I guess I kinda forgot about the whole part where we all are spread out across town." Ken sighed.
Morgana then glared at Ken, actually causing him to flinch.
"Ren, can you let me stay at Ken's place tonight?" he grumbled. "I'm going to make him go to bed on time if he insists on bad sleep habits as a good strategy for the Metaverse and his academics."
"You'll be competing with Shinjiro-san, then," Ken deadpanned, before pressing the elevator button.
"Or maybe he's just after Shinjiro-san spoiling him with good food," Ren snickered, giving Ken a sly smile.
Then the doors opened, and they were able to step inside the elevator. Ken then took the moment to press the button for the top floor.
"He kept talking about the shrimp tempura that Shinjiro-san made him the night of the festival. The texture, how it was perfectly seasoned…."
"Hey! I'm right here!" Morgana snapped. "And that is not true!"
"Oh, that's too bad." Ken's eyes slid to Ren, somehow managing to keep a straight face. "I think we have a little tuna left from last night, but I guess if you're not that fond of Shinjiro-san's cooking, you probably don't want it…"
Ren had to fight the urge to start snickering again. Ken did have a sense of humor after all.
"That's…!" Morgana's eyes became huge at Ken's statement.
Ren had to bite down on his lip hard. Oh man, Ken already had Morgana pegged. Though, he had to admit, it wasn't that hard.
"He… may… be a good cook…" he grumbled out.
"That wasn't so hard, now was it, Morgana?" Ren teased.
Morgana's retort was cut off by the elevator doors opening. He followed Ken down the hallway as they made small talk about school. Morgana piping in instead about how Ren was doing better on his tests compared to last time. Ren then pinched Morgana on the cheeks and his companion hissed at him. Ken stifled a laugh and told them to keep it down to not disturb the neighbors. Ken then unlocked the door and let them in. Ren slipped off his shoes, leaving them by the door, just as Morgana jumped out of his bag, before jumping onto one of the seats.
Though he had to wonder just how they could afford this kind of place, with Shinjiro-san working for Crossroads. And some other job too, but still. That second job must have been some nice job to pay himself this well.
Unless he was some high stakes gambler and made killings. Ren shook his head, and shot down that overactive imaginative thought. He didn't know the man very well but from what he has seen, that was extremely unlikely for Shinjiro-san.
Ken was already pulling out ingredients from the fridge and a cupboard near the stove. The appliances were all really nice. Ren hadn't gotten the chance to look at it the other night.
"What are you making?" Morgana asked, hopping into Ren's lap now.
"Omurice," Ken answered, before he began to chop up an onion.
Omurice, huh? Well, he wouldn't turn it down for a couple reasons. One, Ken had offered to cook for him and two, omurice was always a classic. He hadn't had it in a while, actually.
"So… what were your errands?" Ren asked, to make conversation.
Ken hesitated for a moment, before turning back to chopping up the ingredients.
"Well… I was going to the bookstore today," he admitted. "It's not a big deal, I can always go tomorrow. What about you?"
"I, uh… haven't really figured that out," Ren admitted. "Maybe work at the flower shop today. They pay me pretty well, especially if I impress the customer with the floral arrangement I put together for them."
It was honestly a really fun job. So far it was his favorite part-time job.
"The flower shop?" Ken looked up for a moment, raising an eyebrow, before turning his attention back to cooking.
He dropped the onion into the pan, which sizzled loudly when it hit the hot oil. The aromatic scent already was making Ren's mouth water.
"I have a hard time picturing you doing that," Ken remarked.
"Hey, sometimes you can't be picky," Ren said. "And it's a lot better than the beef bowl shop job I took a couple months ago… the convenience store is hit or miss, but at least the employees there are all nice."
The beef bowl job was just… insane. Not to mention if the customers bitched you out for making one little mistake. The nights he worked there… Morgana didn't have to tell him to go to bed. He would all but fall onto his bed once he got home. And it was ridiculous they refused to hire more staff and expected him to do the job of like three or four people.
"That's true," Ken said with a nod, before stirring the onions.
After a while, he dropped the chicken he had diced up into the pan, before adding some rice. While that finished cooking, he started to beat eggs in a bowl. Ren couldn't help but feel fascinated, watching him. His movements were rather fluid. It must be a recipe he knew by heart.
But then Ken suddenly spoke up with disappointment in his tone.
"Though… Ryuji-san tells me that you work for a yakuza?"
Ren gulped as Ken shut off the stove, staring at him expectantly.
"First of all, former yakuza, it's not my place to ask why but he's left that life behind! And it was to get discounts on guns and other things," he said quickly. "And he offered it to me, not the other way around!"
Ren was gonna smack Ryuji for leaving out important context. Ken however just sighed, shaking his head. He then pursed his lips together.
"If you say so," he muttered, even as he continued to frown. "Though I suppose if you've been working for him for a while, there's nothing I can really say. I hope you're being careful however."
He better not mention that he started working with Iwai just about a little over three weeks ago… It had taken him ages to work up the guts to ask Iwai about the contents in the bag.
But if Ken had this reaction about Iwai, he hoped no one will bring up his deal with Takemi, and being her guinea pig for her medicine.
Ken then turned his attention back to the stove, turning it back on to cook the eggs. A few minutes later, Ken set a plate in front of Ren, and a smaller plate for Morgana.
"Mm, it smells so good!" Morgana practically inhaled the scent, before he dove in.
"Thanks again, Ken," Ren said, before taking a bite.
Flavor immediately flooded his mouth. And it just tasted so… comforting. And the egg itself was so fluffy. Honestly… it was probably the best omurice he's ever had.
"This tastes amazing," Ren said, setting down his fork.
Ken's cheeks took a slightly pink tint as he sat across from Ren. "Thanks, it's one of my favorite recipes that Shinjiro-san has taught me, actually…"
"Omurice a favorite meal, then?"
"There's that…" Ken said with a slight smile but then his eyes softened. "But I love it because Shinjiro-san somehow managed to replicate how my mom would make it for me."
So, it had some sentimental value.
"You loved your mom a lot, didn't you?"
Ken nodded. "She… was always there for me, even though it was tough without my dad… they separated when I was pretty young, so my mom was the only parent I really knew. Shinjiro-san's been great though! Don't get me wrong."
Ren just quirked an eyebrow at him. "How much older is he?"
"He's seven years older," Ken answered. "But a couple of my senpai call him Dad as a joke, so he's always had that aura about him, you know?"
He was only seven years older? And he was willing to take care of Ken like that… Ren couldn't help but feel impressed.
Despite that Ren gave him a nod. He wasn't sure about dad energy; he'd compare the older man more to a grouchy mother hen from what he'd seen. But that's splitting hairs.
"That's pretty impressive," Ren commented. "I mean… with Shinjiro-san being your guardian."
"Yeah…" Ken sighed, his expression suddenly becoming sad for some reason. "Shinjiro-san has always looked after me."
Though he had to wonder just how young he was when he met Shinjiro-san. From Ken's last statement, it must have been for a while.
Ken stood up and stretched. "But anyways, when you're done do you want to check out the entertainment room?"
"An entertainment room?" Ren repeated, staring at him. "How can you even afford this?"
"It's on loan from a friend of Shinjiro-san's," Ken said with a wave of his hand. "You like BBR? You seem like the type."
Bop Bop Revolution, huh?
Ren grinned. "A game you'll definitely lose at? You are so on."
"I should've known that your virtues don't include modesty," Ken sighed, though his eyes were glinting with amusement.
Ren just smirked. "Hey, it's not bragging if it's true."
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 3.
Fusion Raid: Two party members may perform a special co-op attack when all Shadows are all knocked down.
Monday, August 1st, 2016
Since his plans for gift hunting were rather… derailed yesterday, Ken was going to be doing that today. Not that he minded too much. Hanging out with Ren-san yesterday was fun. Though with Ren-san and Yusuke-san… he had to wonder about the eating habits about the others. Anne-san mentioned dieting for her job, and there were the others' comments about her sweet tooth…
He really needed to visit the Pusemon Center at one point. Miyuki and Kaito have been begging for presents from there. But he'd worry about that later. Shinjiro-san's birthday was closer. A lot closer…
It was only ten days away and he still had no idea what to give his guardian. And it was a big milestone—he was turning twenty-five.
"Ugh, why didn't I go shopping earlier?" Ken grumbled to himself, even though he already knew the answer.
A combination of worrying about the mission, finals, and then Alibaba stuff, Futaba-san, and Medjed completely distracted him.
Shinjiro-san wasn't a hard person to please when it came to birthday presents. He was usually happy with Ken giving him something like a cookbook filled with foreign recipes. But… twenty-five was a milestone. He couldn't help but feel that he should do something more this year.
Not to mention how Shinjiro-san had decided that he needed to keep an eye on Ken because he wanted to do the mission. He needed to make up for that. Not to mention that he was starting to suspect that they may still be handling Futaba-san's Palace when Shinjiro-san's birthday came along… and Shinjiro-san was asking for time off at work so they could visit Port Island.
The thing was that he had no idea where to begin.
Ken sighed, before rubbing his temples. Well, if he got really desperate, he could always look at engagement rings, in case Shinjiro-san had missed something—
"HEEEEEEY, KEN!"
Ken just about jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice. Of course, it was Ryuji-san. It was never not Ryuji-san. But he wasn't alone. Yusuke-san was staring sternly at Ryuji for his yelling.
"Ryuji, I do not think it is prudent to destroy Ken's eardrums like that," he said flatly.
"Sorry, man…" Ryuji-san rubbed the back of his neck, offering Ken a sheepish smile. "But you really looked out of it! Like you were overthinking something."
Well, that wasn't a lie. Ryuji-san could be surprisingly perceptive.
"Well, I was certainly thinking about something," Ken sighed. "But I wasn't sure how to continue…"
Ryuji-san just cocked his head. "You prolly need some food. Y'know, brainpower!"
He tapped his temple with a grin. Ken laughed quietly and shook his head. His energy was sometimes contagious.
"And maybe you could talk to us 'bout it? It seems like it's a problem," Ryuji-san offered.
"Well, not exactly a problem…" Ken said, before letting out a huff of air, ruffling his bangs.
He couldn't help but feel a little frustrated at himself.
"Honestly, I should've started a while ago… it's nothing but my fault," he lamented.
"Hey, hey, none of that!" Ryuji-san scolded, looking uncharacteristically stern. "I mean, shit's been crazy, yeah?"
"And you shouldn't really put yourself down like that." Yusuke-san joined in the chastisement as well. "You've been busy, have you not? We all have been. Not to mention that we were concerned with exams not too long ago."
"So… lunch?" Ryuji-san nudged him. "Promised Yusuke a while ago that I'd take him out for beef bowls. Wanna come with?"
The mention of beef bowls just made him smile. It reminded him of Akihiko-san.
"Okay," he said with a nod.
And maybe Ryuji-san was right. Maybe he needed some advice for a starting point.
Ryuji-san grinned at him. "Sweet! Come on, it's not too far!"
Ryuji-san then led the two of them to a modestly sized beef bowl shop. It was pandemonium, employees trading shouts while customers impatiently waited for their orders.
"Rush hour," Ken sighed, with a shake of his head.
"How uncouth," Yusuke-san said with disdain. "How could anyone enjoy an establishment such as this?"
Guess he shouldn't mention that he really liked Wild-Duck, back on Port Island. Though part of his positive feelings had to do with the races he had with his soccer teammates after practice. Those had been really fun, especially when Koromaru joined in. But Wild-Duck had been falling on hard times, since Big Bang Burger was growing in popularity so fast. It was too bad though… he didn't really like Big Bang all that much compared to Wild-Duck.
"Hey, man, they all can't be five-star restaurants," Ryuji-san huffed, "And it's really good, I promise."
Ken couldn't help but think that Ryuji-san would probably hate dining at five-star restaurants. Especially with the tiny proportions.
Yusuke-san sniffed, looking rather unconvinced. "If you say so, Ryuji."
"Just wait until I can take you to Ogikubo, Yusuke!" Ryuji waved his arms in excitement.
"What's Ogikubo?" Ken asked.
"Oh, it's a district here in Tokyo. But the ramen is simply the best! Nothing can compare!" Ryuji-san said enthusiastically.
At least he knew that somebody else was concerned about Yusuke's diet. Or more specifically, his lack of one.
"I'll be the judge of that, not you," Yusuke stated, looking rather unimpressed.
They waited in line to order, though they had to stop Yusuke-san from ordering something that wasn't even on the menu. He felt so bad for the cashier, who looked like she was a first-year high schooler. Soon enough, they received their food, and managed to find three seats.
"Hey, man, you've gotta eat more!" Ryuji-san scolded, before reaching for the ginger and piling it in Yusuke's bowl.
"Hmm, it seems you remember my technique." Yusuke-san sounded pleased.
"Dude, that was for sushi," Ryuji-san sighed, before turning to Ken.
Ken jerked his bowl away before Ryuji-san could add any to his.
"I already have Shinjiro-san nagging me in that department," he said, raising an eyebrow. "I don't need you to do that too."
Ryuji just smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, man. Guess my mom's rubbed off of me."
So… Ryuji's mother was alive. And judging from that statement, he seemed fond of his mother. Ken knew better to pry, but he couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't pulled Ryuji from Shujin after Kamoshida broke his leg. Just… who would let their child be in the same school where their teacher assaulted said child?
Yusuke-san then set down his chopsticks. "Ken… what ails you? Ryuji is correct in that you looked rather… perplexed out on the street."
Ryuji-san looked over at him expectingly after he picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, popping it in his mouth. Ken took a bite of food as well, taking the time to gather his thoughts together.
"Well… Shinjiro-san's birthday is coming up in about a week and a half. I meant to go looking for presents yesterday, but Ren's unhealthy eating habits interrupted that."
"Ren's what?" Ryuji-san repeated, looking rather baffled.
"He apparently relies on Sakura-san a lot for breakfast. I took back to my place and made him something. We ended up hanging out, so my plans kinda got shot." Ken answered.
"So, he missed breakfast for one morning and decided to go out to eat and you call that bad eating habits? Kinda anal man, RenRen is not Yusuke."
"I said unhealthy!"
"Same thing. And again, one morning? Dude not allowed to accidentally sleep in for one morning?"
"Forget I said anything…" Ken grumbled.
"I'm just saying, he's pretty on top of things normally. You can't really lump his eating habits with Yusuke."
"Indeed, his spending habits are also admirable." Yusuke-san said with a proud smile.
Ryuji-san scowled with disappointment. "Yeah, it's a good thing that he can't be lumped with ya in that regard either."
Yusuke-san didn't seem to register the jab as he took a sip of his tea and bite of his rice. Ken sighed and took another bite of beef. Ryuji-san shook his head and took a sip of his soda.
Yusuke-san let out a thoughtful hum after swallowing another bite of his food. "Just what are Aragaki-san's interests?"
"Cooking," Ken said automatically. "And animals."
Ryuji-san let out a guffaw. "Animals?! Didn't peg Shinjiro-san as an animal lover."
"He had cooked specifically for Morgana." Yusuke-san closed his eyes. "I am unsurprised."
"I always thought it was 'cause he felt bad for Morgana getting soaked like that…" Ryuji-san said sheepishly.
Ryuji-san scratched the back of his head with his free hand. He shoved a huge bite of food in his mouth and then gulped down some more of his soda. Yusuke-san eyed him with a rather unimpressed expression but Ryuji-san ignored it. Ken was tempted to tell him not to put so much food in his mouth, lest he choke, but he decided to hold his tongue.
"I mean, ain't that why he cooked for us?" he asked.
"Ryuji, take smaller bites and don't eat and drink so fast. You are also being far too loud with how you eat. You are a man, not a boar," Yusuke-san sighed.
"Yeah, yeah… I don't need table manner lectures from someone who has sucky feeding habits himself." Ryuji-san rolled his eyes.
Ken couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He took another sip of his water and cleared his throat.
"Some of it was leftovers from when Fuuka-san surprised us that morning," Ken said. "Though Shinjiro-san really does love to cook. It wasn't really a problem for him."
"I can taste his passion," Yusuke-san mused, before opening his eyes. "You are truly fortunate to taste that on a daily basis."
"Dude, why you gotta be so dramatic?" Ryuji groused.
"I am merely stating the truth." Yusuke-san said before finishing off his tea.
Ken just laughed. "I'll be sure to pass on the compliment to Shinjiro-san."
Ryuji-san slouched in his chair and set down his chopsticks.
"Though seriously… why are you stressing 'bout this?" Ryuji-san's forehead wrinkled. "Shinjiro-san doesn't seem the type of guy to make a huge deal outta a birthday."
Ken took another bite of rice while Yusuke-san spoke up.
"Speaking of birthdays, when is yours?" Yusuke-san inquired. "Ren is quite determined to not miss another birthday, after discovering too late that Ryuji's birthday had passed."
Ken winced. "My birthday is June 24th."
"Whaaaat?" Ryuji stared at him. "How come you never said anything?"
Ken shrugged. "It's not a big deal to me. I'm more than happy to get well wishes from the people I care about."
Honestly, it was nice to have a quiet birthday—well, during the school day, at least—for once. The girls at Shujin pointed and whispered but they didn't outright fawn over him like the girls at Gekkoukan.
"Nah, man, we've gotta catch up after we deal with—"
Ken stared exasperatedly at Ryuji-san, who winced.
He then cleared his throat. "—our little problem. Ren took me video game bingeing when he found out 'bout my birthday. We should do something special!"
He poked Yusuke-san in the shoulder, giving the taller boy a playful grin.
"Yusuke's birthday won't be 'till January, so a birthday celebration should be fun!"
Ken couldn't help but feel curious. "When are the girls' birthdays then?"
Ryuji-san scratched the back of his head.
"Uhh, I dunno 'bout Makoto, but Anne's birthday is in November. Ren told me that his birthday is May 22nd." He shook his head. "Dunno why he didn't say anything."
"Could say the same thing about you, Ryuji-san," Ken said.
"Hey, it was around the time we were gonna steal Kaneshiro's treasure," Ryuji-san defended. "Felt off to just announce it like that."
"That's fair," Yusuke-san said with a chuckle. "And shows a dedication to what we do."
"Well… what we do is special to me. It makes me feel like I actually belong, y'know?" Ryuji-san rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly sheepish. "That's why… I get so excited sometimes. I don't mean to yell, but sometimes it comes out…"
"Ryuji-san…"
Now Ken couldn't help but feel bad for giving him grief about that.
"I'm sorry…"
Ryuji-san waved his hands before giving Ken a reassuring smile. "It's cool, man! I mean, you're right, I need to be more careful."
He then shook his head, his expression becoming serious.
"But anyways, about Shinjiro-san… why is it such a big deal to you?" he asked.
Ken sighed. "I guess I just want to thank him? For what he's done for me. He wasn't even twenty-one when he gained custody of me. I didn't ask him of this… but he did it anyways."
"Just why did he then?" Yusuke-san looked a bit sad at that.
That… well he obviously couldn't tell them the truth. They definitely wouldn't understand. Not to mention even if he was comfortable sharing, it was far too long of a story.
"He was there when my mother died," Ken said instead. "He felt horrible that he couldn't do anything to stop it… and he felt awful that I was orphaned… he lost his parents when he was young as well."
Ken couldn't help but cringe a little. Lying to them, even if it was half-truths, was making his stomach squirm again.
Ryuji-san's eyes went wide. "Damn… he shouldn't blame himself, though! I mean, it's not like he killed your mom!"
Ken turned away and couldn't help but wince. That just cemented they wouldn't understand. After piecing together some of the stories of the Phantom Thieves… he knew that they'd have a hard time coming to terms of the truth of his mother's death.
"It was quite altruistic of him to do so, though," Yusuke-san said, before he sighed deeply. "If only there were more people like him."
"Yusuke…" Ryuji-san looked at him sadly.
He couldn't help but feel a little confused.
"Madarame was more like a father to me than anything," Yusuke-san said, apparently catching onto Ken's confusion.
Ken sucked in a breath.
"That's terrible. I'm sorry you went through that," Ken said quietly.
Yusuke-san just smiled faintly at Ken's statement.
"I appreciate your condolences. But to the subject of the matter… I believe that Shinjiro-san will be happy to receive any gift from you." He then pressed a hand to his chest. "As long as it's heartfelt. It matters not what the gift is… but the feelings that come from the gift giver."
Yusuke-san could be so eloquent. Ken couldn't help but smile softly.
"There's gotta be something, man!" Ryuji-san exclaimed.
"I…" Ken looked down at the table.
There was… Mom's old engagement ring. It was a pretty ring, too. Ken had little interest in jewelry, like most guys, but he had to admit that it was a nice ring. And while Fuuka-san didn't wear a ton of jewelry, she was fond of pearl jewelry.
"Shinjiro-san wants to propose to Fuuka-san."
"Whoa, really?" Ryuji-san gasped, before he scrunched up his nose. "Ain't they on the young side, though?"
"Not particularly," Yusuke-san stated. "There is the belief that a woman should be married by the age of twenty-five."
Right… the whole Christmas cake concept. Personally, Ken found the whole idea dumb. You got married when you felt ready. You shouldn't feel pressured to marry to make some deadline.
Ryuji-san just scoffed. "That's so dumb. A woman doesn't magically turn into a hideous hag once she turns twenty-six!"
Ken couldn't help but laugh at Ryuji-san's blunt assessment.
"Regardless, they have been together for quite some time," Ken mentioned. "They've been dating since their last year of high school. And Shinjiro-san's best friend has been married for a year already. And another friend got married last March."
"I see, they're high school sweethearts." Yusuke-san reached for his drink. "If they've survived this far, I'm sure they'll go the distance. I only wish them the best."
Ryuji-san frowned. "But you seriously aren't going to go out and buy an engagement ring, though? That shit's gotta be expensive!"
Ken shook his head. "Not exactly. I was bequeathed part of my inheritance when I turned eighteen… And my mother left me her old engagement ring."
Possibly to sell, possibly to give the woman he wanted to marry. But Shinjiro-san wanted to propose now. He could always get a new ring if he ever found someone he wanted to marry.
Yusuke-san's eyes lit up. "So you'll give it to him, and he could always customize it a bit to suit Yamagishi-san better. That would be cheaper than buying a new ring all together."
"And you were thinking 'bout something he really wants." Ryuji-san flashed him a grin before giving him a thumbs up. "He'll appreciate it for sure, Ken."
"Thank you for helping me though," Ken said sincerely. "I really appreciate it."
"Hey, no prob, man!" Ryuji-san slung an arm around Ken's shoulders, all while grinning. "What are friends for? But now that's settled, wanna hang out with me and Yusuke for the rest of the day?"
Friends. Ken had to fight the urge to grimace but he bit that down. They were all so nice but he only kept lying to them.
Ken forced himself a smile. "Um, if you don't mind."
"Nonsense." Yusuke-san smiled. "Someone will have to help me rein in Ryuji, regardless."
"Hey, don't talk like I'm not here!" Ryuji-san huffed. "If anyone needs reining it's you! Mr. spending all my budget on chocolates without checking if Anne's family would say yes!"
Ken was distracted from his thoughts as he blinked up at the two in confusion.
"I'm… missing some context."
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016
The bookstore on Central Street was a lot neater than Bookworms. But still… they didn't seem to have what he was looking for…
"Ken?"
Ken whirled around to see that it was Makoto-san.
"Oh, hello, Makoto-san," he greeted, before his eyes flickered to the book that Makoto-san was holding. "What are you buying?"
"Oh, this?" Makoto-san adjusted her grip. "It's just a bestseller from America. I buy books in English to practice reading English."
She winced, before giving a little sigh.
"English isn't my strong suit," she admitted with a sheepish smile.
"Well, English isn't exactly an easy language," he sighed.
"I don't even know why we even need to study it, unless you plan on studying English as a major," Makoto-san mused before her eyes slid over to Ken. "Though, what are you looking for today?"
"Well, I was looking for books… about helping someone with depression," Ken admitted quietly.
Then he glanced around. There were only a few people in the bookstore today, but he didn't want anyone eavesdropping.
He kept his voice low. "I know that you've pulled off miracles, but I think it won't be enough. It'll be a good first step, but I want to see if there's anything else we can do to help with Futaba-san."
"Ken…" Makoto-san's eyes softened, and she touched his shoulder for a moment. "That was thoughtful of you. Honestly, it never occurred to me. But what you're saying makes sense… Futaba-chan will still retain her personality. We probably will have to take steps to help her afterwards. It's kind of you to be already thinking of helping Futaba-chan like this."
Ken felt his cheeks flush. "It's nothing really."
Then he gave a little sigh.
"Though I haven't really found anything on the subject…" he mumbled out.
Makoto-san pursed her lips, her expression turning pensive. "Hmm… maybe they'll be due a shipment soon. You should check again another day. Though, have you looked around for books that you'd want to read for fun?"
Ken shook his head. "I have a few books that I still need to finish reading, so I'm good in that regard."
"Oh, I see." Makoto-san nodded.
He still remembered how she ran out that day after they left Futaba-san's Palace when they first arrived. Something about it was bugging her. She kept her lips sealed tight. Yusuke-san seemed to know what to say to help her a bit, and Anne-san seemed to help comfort her. They were probably both helping each other.
He got a better idea of why Anne-san was so upset, but not Makoto-san. Not that anyone wouldn't be upset for Futaba-san's situation. But this…seemed almost personal.
He wasn't sure to ask her what bothered her though. It's not like she was a close personal friend of several years. He tried asking her about it a few days ago in private but the words to his question just wouldn't come out.
He wasn't sure why it was so much easier to open up to Ren-san and Anne-san a little bit of why it affected him personally, than asking Makoto-san why it did for her.
He was distracted from his thoughts when Makoto-san spoke up.
Makoto-san nodded. "Do you want to get lunch then?"
"Oh sure," Ken agreed.
Makoto-san smiled. "Just let me pay and we could go find a place."
She pressed her index finger against her lips as she thought.
She asked, "Have you eaten at LeBlanc yet? The curry is quite delicious. You would think that coffee and curry is an odd combination, but it's actually quite delicious. The coffee Boss brews is excellent, as well. Oh, unless you're a tea person…"
"I like both," Ken answered. "Shinjiro-san wouldn't let me drink coffee until my first year of high school, so he'd brew me low caffeinated tea for the mornings."
Makoto-san just laughed, before heading for the counter. "He sounds a bit like Sis. She'd chide me when I was younger for drinking soda… saying that there are so many preservatives in it."
Shinjiro-san probably had her beat though, he imagined.
Makoto-san paid for her book, which she then put away in her bag, before they headed for the train station. Since it was somewhat early for lunch, they managed to get seats instead of being sandwiched between people. Which was honestly a relief. It'd be awkward to have to stand so close to Makoto-san.
"Hey, Ken?"
"Hm?" Ken turned to look at her. "What's wrong?"
"Have you seen Anne lately?" she asked tentatively. "I think I did something to upset her…"
Well, considering the last time Anne-san was upset at Makoto-san… he didn't blame her for being a bit concerned.
"I haven't seen her since we entered Futaba-san's Palace last time," Ken stated. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, it's just… strange." Makoto-san frowned, before halting in her steps. "She texted me out of the blue last night… asking if we were friends… and saying that I could tell her anything…"
That was strange. And somewhat unlike Anne-san.
"When was the last time you saw her?" he asked.
"Ah… two days ago, I believe? We went out for crepes… Anne was really happy, since the crepes with extra crème were regular price…" She shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought you'd have more insight than me."
"You've known her longer than me," Ken pointed out.
"Yeah, but—" Makoto-san sighed, shaking her head. "Never mind. Maybe I should just ask Anne straight out…"
Did Makoto-san not tell Anne-san about why she ran off that day right after they left Futaba-san's Palace? He'd assume if she'd open up to anyone about that, it would be Anne-san. Maybe that's why Anne-san was upset?
"That may be the best solution." Ken offered her a smile that he hoped was encouraging; he wanted to cheer her up.
Ken pushed the door open, allowing Makoto-san to step inside. She gave him a smile of thanks before walking inside the café. Though she abruptly stopped short.
"Sis?" she gasped out.
The woman looked up at Makoto-san's voice. "…Makoto?"
She was rather beautiful. She had the same elegant, yet stern air that Mitsuru-san often carried herself with. She had long steel gray hair, her bangs swept aside, and her eyes were red, albeit a darker shade than Makoto-san's. They seemed to have a tint of brown to them, whereas Makoto's eyes were a deeper red.
Though when Makoto walked up to her, Ken could see the resemblance between the two sisters, especially in their facial features.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh, um, I ran into a friend earlier and I invited him out to lunch…" Makoto-san said awkwardly, suddenly looking nervous.
"A friend?"
Makoto-san's sister's eyes widened when they fell on Ken. Then she coughed, clearing her throat.
"Forgive me, I didn't mean to stare. Something about you reminded me of Akechi-kun somewhat. I don't know if Makoto has told you this, but he's my partner."
Ken had to refrain from cringing right then and there. But he needed to be polite.
"Oh, I met him before actually. Though… I'm curious to what about me reminds you of him," Ken said instead.
"Not sure… forget I mentioned it." Makoto-san's sister waved it off.
"Sis, this is Ken Amada," Makoto-san introduced. "He moved out here in June. And Ken, this is my older sister, Sae Niijima."
For some reason… her eyes narrowed on him the moment Makoto addressed him. Ken couldn't help but feel confused. What was that about? But still, he needed to be polite.
Ken bowed his head. "It's nice to meet you, Niijima-san."
"Likewise, Amada-kun," she said coolly. "Tell me, where do you come from?"
"Tatsumi Port Island," he answered.
"Port Island…" she repeated, her expression thoughtful. "That's quite far from here. Though isn't that where the Apathy Syndrome phenomenon occurred back in 2009?"
"Apathy Syndrome?" Makoto-san echoed, sounding rather puzzled.
How… did she know about that? Most people had forgotten that it even existed, a result of how the Dark Hour disappeared. It blurred out people's memories, despite how prevalent it had been. While there were government records about the Dark Hour… how did a civilian know about that?
But then Ken realized she was staring at him.
"I… uh… maybe? I was just a kid in 2009," Ken quickly tried to sound confused by her question in hopes of sounding ignorant.
"Is that so?" She folded her arms over her chest, her eyes scrutinizing.
Ken suddenly felt very small, like she was examining him with a microscope. She was a prosecutor, wasn't she? She would probably be very good at sniffing out lies then…
"Are you done grilling my customers now?" Sakura-san groused, leveling a stern glare at Niijima-san.
As Niijima-san turned to shoot Sakura-san an irate look, Ken gave a soft sigh of relief.
Sakura-san then huffed, "It's bad enough that you've been tryin' to interrogate me for days now—"
"Days?" Makoto-san repeated, though her expression was more… resigned.
Niijima-san scowled at him. "If you would just tell me what I need to know—"
"I told you all I know already!" he hissed out, his face starting to redden with anger. "Get out of my shop! Quit obstructing my business!"
Though… he could only think of one thing that she could be after… Akechi had mentioned that she was looking into cognitive psience for some reason. And if they were partners, maybe they were both looking into the mental shutdowns. The two incidents were extremely similar after all. That would also explain her interest in Apathy Syndrome as well.
Niijima-san's scowl deepened, but then she glanced at Makoto-san before sighing.
"…Fine." She stood up, setting down a one-thousand-yen bill on the counter. "I have work to do anyhow. Keep the change."
"Sis, wait—!" Makoto-san bit her lip. "What have you been asking Boss? He just runs a coffee shop…"
"It's just something pertaining to my work…" Niijima-san sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Don't worry about it, Makoto. It's… complicated."
"But—" Makoto-san then cut herself off, her shoulders slumping.
Ken couldn't help but frown. He didn't like seeing her so… dejected.
She looked up at her sister. "Okay… are you staying at work overnight again?"
But then Niijima-san's expression softened ever so slightly.
"I'm sorry… but yes. I have too much on my plate right now…" She then stroked the top of Makoto-san's head for a moment. "Don't stay out too late today, okay?"
"All right," Makoto-san relented with a sigh.
Niijima-san nodded, pleased at Makoto-san's answer, before opening the door and stepping outside.
Ken frowned at the look of Makoto's face. It was a mix of concerned, upset, and just… resignation. He put a hand on her shoulder, which seemed to jolt her back to reality.
"I'm sorry, Ken… I just—"
"There's no need to apologize," Ken cut her off. "Your sister… her actions are pretty—"
Brazen, in all honesty. The fact that Sakura-san seemed angry with her was rather telling.
"…Bold," he finally said, not wanting to upset Makoto-san.
She looked up to her sister if he recalled correctly. A horrible thought crossed Ken's mind. Was Makoto-san touchy because of those voices in Futaba-san's Palace? Was her sister… no, surely not. She seemed pushy, but Futaba-san's palace implied at the very least she was being verbally abused by others. He hardly knew Makoto-san's sister, it wouldn't be fair to make assumptions just because she was a bit on the officious side.
"And I'd be worried too if Shinjiro-san was overworking himself like your sister is," he added, to try and reassure her.
Makoto smiled softly. "Thank you."
"Though kid…" Sakura-san began, "I didn't know you were from Port Island."
There was an… odd look on Sakura-san's face now.
"Oh, well… I thought it wasn't relevant." Ken shrugged.
Did Sakura-san know about the Shadow Operatives then? He made a mental note to ask Mitsuru-san if the name Sojiro Sakura sounded familiar to her, he was close to Futaba-san's mother after all.
Sakura-san looked at him carefully for a moment before he shook his head. "What can I get you today?"
"It's kinda hot…" Makoto-san said, "So can we get iced coffee with your curry today?"
"Coming right up." Sakura-san nodded, before heading for the kitchen to prepare their curry.
They then sat at the closest booth, though Ken noticed that Makoto-san still looked rather despondent.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ken asked carefully.
Makoto-san was silent for a long time, long enough for Sakura-san to come out and serve them their drinks. She waited til he left back to continue on his curry before she spoke up.
"My sister… she was always rather… brilliant, if not a prodigy. She became a prosecutor at the young age of twenty-two. But… Dad died not long after."
"That's… rather impressive," Ken said. "Though… I didn't realize that you lost your father a few years back… that must have been hard on her. To be so young, and to now take care of your little sister."
Makoto-san smiled sadly, and nodded. "Sis… she handled it the best she could. She started chasing after promotions so she could support us both. But…"
"You don't approve I'm assuming, of how much she's pushing herself to get there, or what she's doing to get those promotions?" Ken guessed.
"A… little of both." Makoto-san reached for the sugar and cream, mixing in one of each, before taking a sip. "She's become so… aggressive during her investigations lately. She's been working herself so hard to get promotions."
He had… heard of bad things about the court system. It was greatly skewed towards the prosecution. Though he hadn't realized just how complicated their relationship was. He had thought it was more Makoto-san not wanting Niijima-san to worry about her. It sounds like she rather admired her sister but also was disappointed in her.
"In all honesty, I was a little jealous when I got to see what exactly Shinjiro-san was like."
Ken's head shot up at that, and Makoto-san just let out a self-depreciative laugh.
"It's silly but… I wish that Sis was a little more like him. It's pretty obvious that he cares about you."
"That's not true."
Makoto looked up at him in shock.
He hastily added, "Not about Shinjiro-san. But your sister. I think she does care… but she doesn't show it very easily. If she didn't really care… why would she tell you to not stay out too long, I saw the way she looked at you, there was a soft expression in her eyes before she left."
Not to mention that she had all but patted her head. He just… didn't think that a sister who viewed taking care of her younger sister as a duty would do things like that. He felt guilty for his previous thought about Makoto-san's sister regarding how Makoto-san reacted to Futaba-san's Palace. He didn't know the woman; he shouldn't be quick to thoughts like that.
Makoto was quiet for a moment.
"I didn't think of it in that way," she admitted. "I just…"
She sighed, absentmindedly stirring her coffee with her straw.
"I just wish there was a way for us to become close again. She was a lot older than me, but she'd always indulge me when I wanted to play 'police officer' when I was a little girl," she said with a wistful smile.
Ken couldn't help but smile at the mental image of a little Makoto-san barging into Niijima-san's bedroom and begging her to play. She must have been a cute little girl. Though Makoto-san had wanted to be a police officer like her father when she was young. He wondered if she still wanted to.
"You'll find a way." Ken gave her an encouraging smile.
"Thanks, Ken." Makoto-san gave him a smile of her own.
She really had a nice smile... Ken couldn't help but feel warm, looking at it.
But then her expression grew serious. "Though first… we have other matters to deal with."
"Like maybe actually eating your meal?" Sakura-san's irritated voice cut through the air. "Sheesh… at the rate you two are going, it's gonna get cold."
They looked down, and sure enough there were two plates of curry in front of them.
Ken couldn't help but smile a bit at that. Yeah, he was definitely cut from the same cloth as Shinjiro-san.
"S-Sorry!" Makoto-san stammered out, her cheeks turning red. "We just… got caught up in our conversation."
"Yeah, I can see that," Sakura-san said dryly.
"Oh, I'm so embarrassed…" Makoto-san sighed as he walked away.
"It's okay. I mean we're still paying him," Ken said lightly.
Makoto-san giggled. "I suppose that's true."
Ken just smiled, glad that he succeeded in cheering her up.
However, Makoto-san was right… They had Futaba-san to worry about first. Not to mention Medjed, considering that it took time for stealing the target's desires to set in.
He hoped that they would go back soon, so they could finish the Palace faster…
Notes:
The mention of Shinji making omurice like Ken's mom had made it comes from the Weird Masquerade. I know it's not quite canon, but there were some cute moments, especially with Shinji and Ken. I thought that moment in particular was really cute, so I thought I'd include it.
Though I think it's kinda fanon that Sae is 25 (with the comments about how Sae should be looking for a husband, and there's a concept that a woman becomes undesirable after the age of 25), but it's not really mentioned when she became a prosecutor. But I decided it was shortly before Sae and Makoto's father died, since I think Sae's need to provide for Makoto pushed her to work harder so that she could gain promotions faster.
Edit Notes (6/25/24): Some extra dialogue in the confidant scene. There was also some expansion on Makoto, after discussing with my beta, to give her more spotlight and more of the big sister role she takes on with Futaba. thank you again to my beta angelrin89!
Chapter 13: Ch. 12: Finish Line
Summary:
Ren finds out a little more about Ken's past while finishing up the preparations for Futaba's Palace. The Phantom Thieves finish exploring Futaba's Palace.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016
"You got the time off?!" Fuuka's eyes began to sparkle with excitement, as she beamed at him. "Shinji, that's wonderful!"
Shinjiro rubbed the back of his neck, "Was nothin' really. Though I gotta admit, it was a pain in the ass to get it for my day job…"
"What days did you ask off?" Fuuka asked.
"From the 10th to the 17th. I'd come back on the 16th, though. Figured I could use one day in Tokyo so I don't jump right back to work,” he said.
Fuuka nodded. "You could use it."
Then she suddenly frowned, before her brows furrowed together in thought.
"But why are you keeping the night job still? Isn't it tiring?"
"It's not that bad," he said, waving a hand at her. "I'm fine, Fuuka. I could always use some more cash."
"If you say so…" Fuuka didn't sound convinced though as she bit her lip. "But anyways, have you told Ken-kun about this yet?"
"Haven't gotten the chance to really talk to him 'bout it," Shinjiro admitted.
He couldn’t help but frown. He knew that certain people liked to give him crap for how he ‘hovered’ over Ken, but it’s not his fault that Ken sometimes neglected his health.
"He's been out a lot lately. I know that he went into the Palace last Saturday," Shinjiro mentioned.
Then Fuuka looked at him oddly, before doing that head tilt she did when she observed something. "What is it, Shinji?"
Shinjiro let out the breath he was holding. "They've only made it 'bout halfway through the Palace, according to Ken," he muttered. "And this is pretty important to Ken… with what he found out about Isshiki's daughter."
But he couldn't blame Ken. Her thoughts weren't exactly… pleasant.
Fuuka's expression then grew worried. "And there's only a week left…"
"So yeah. Can't exactly ask Ken to drop this—"
"I'm home," Ken announced, cutting Shinjiro off. "Hi, Shinjiro-san, Fuuka-san."
"Hi, Ken-kun," Fuuka greeted him with a warm smile. "How was your day?"
"Okay," he said with a shrug. "Went to the bookstore and ran into Makoto-san. We got lunch… and I ended up meeting her older sister."
"Moving fast, huh?" Shinjiro couldn't resist the joke.
"Wha…?" Then Ken flushed bright red, before glaring at him. "Shinjiro-san, we're just friends!"
"Come on, Ken-kun, you know that Shinji is just joking," Fuuka said.
"I hate his jokes," Ken grumbled, before he started to pout.
"You know, I could always tell Minako about her," Shinjiro deadpanned; he couldn’t help but smirk at Ken stiffening.
"Shinji, that's enough," Fuuka scolded, frowning at him. "Stop picking on him."
"Thank you, Fuuka-san," Ken muttered, only for him to look up. "I just remembered something… Futaba-san's adoptive father is Sojiro Sakura… do you know if he knew about the Shadow Operatives?"
Fuuka tapped her chin, letting out a thoughtful hum. "Not that I know of. But I'll ask Minako-chan after I get off for tonight."
"Really?" Ken frowned. "Because Makoto-san's older sister… I think she was asking him about cognitive psience."
Shinjiro narrowed his eyes. That was kinda… suspicious.
"Asking him?" Shinjiro repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Er…" Ken began to fidget, staring at the ground for a moment before he admitted, "More interrogating him about it.”
"Jeez, she sounds like a piece of work…" Shinjiro muttered.
“She’s a prosecutor…” Ken pointed out.
"But anyways!" Fuuka said abruptly, clapping her hands together. "Um, Ken-kun, Shinji was telling me that he was able to get about a week off…"
Guilt immediately filled Ken's face, before he suddenly looked down to the floor.
"I'm sorry, Fuuka-san, but… we still have a lot of ground to cover with Futaba's Palace and—” He sighed, raising his head. "…I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. There will be other times when we can go back," Shinjiro stated.
Ken looked at him in surprise but he just waved it off.
Ken shook his head firmly. "You should still go, Shinjiro-san. It'll be your birthday, and you deserve to be with everyone. And… you should visit Mom too while you're at it. During Obon. I'll be okay for just a week. I won't blow up the kitchen or anything."
Shinjiro examined him closely. This would be the first time Ken would miss visiting his mom's grave during Obon. But there could be other times where Ken would be able to visit… and the situation with Isshiki's daughter was pretty serious… But he could use a break from Tokyo. He wasn't a huge fan of the place. He didn't know how the hell Fuuka lived here for four years while attending Tokyo U. And it was only a week...
"Fine," he said finally, before nodding. "But I'm calling you every day, since we've still got Shido to think about."
Ken gave a frustrated huff, the puff of air ruffling his bangs.
"Why am I not surprised," he deadpanned, which only made Fuuka giggle.
"You should have seen it coming, Ken-kun," Fuuka teased. "Think about what happened last time."
"How could I forget?" he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.
Shinjiro muttered, "And I probably should get to freezing you some meals… can't have you eating like Aki…"
"You're never going to let that go, are you, Shinji?" Fuuka laughed.
"I let that idiot out of my sight for two years and he comes back half naked and looks like he's been downing protein drinks every single day since he left."
Of course that idiot didn't know why the fuck it was weird to waltz around wearing nothing but a cape. God, Aki could be so clueless sometimes. Not helping matters was Mitsuru was walking around in a fucking skin tight catsuit with a fur coat on. Did those two sign up for dressing up for someone’s kink? To make it worse, neither of them thought it was weird.
"Should I be offended that you're comparing me to Akihiko-san in that manner?" Ken looked at Fuuka, looking unamused. "I think I should be."
"Well, you did idolize Akihiko-senpai when you were younger," Fuuka gently teased, her eyes twinkling. "Can you blame Shinji for being a little worried?"
Shinjiro looked at Ken sternly. "So yeah… making you meals ahead of time."
Ken just rolled his eyes in response. "Oh joy. I can't wait to see the fridge absolutely stuffed…"
Fuuka just giggled. "Most people wouldn't find that a problem, Ken-kun."
Thursday, August 4th, 2016
"So, what's the plan for today?" Morgana asked, sounding almost cheerful. He was in a good mood because Sojiro gave him some cream today. "Another test with Takemi?"
Ren shook his head. "Takemi's wrapped them up, remember?"
"Hmm, and Iwai only has you work at night…" Morgana mused. "Or maybe you want to spend time with someone today?"
"Maybe—" Ren stopped short.
Ken was staring intently at the ward map, his lips pursed together.
"What are you looking at, Ken?" Morgana piped up, only for Ken to jump and let out a surprised yelp.
Ren just grinned at him. "So, what are you looking for?"
"Don't do that," he grumbled, looking straight at Morgana.
Morgana just sniffed in response. "It's not my fault you weren't paying attention.”
Ken sighed, before straightening up. "But to answer your question… I was looking to see if there was a nearby shrine…"
"A shrine?" Ren repeated. "Why do you want to go to a shrine?"
"Oh, well..." Ken ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "I haven't really prayed to my mother lately. And we don't exactly have a family altar so…"
Ren couldn’t help but frown, he hoped he didn’t come across as rude.
"Well… I can't say I'm really familiar with shrines, but there is Meiji Shrine. It's near Shinjuku, I think?" Ren scratched the back of his head. "Not really sure."
"Meiji Shrine…?" Ken repeated while crinkling his brow. "Isn't that more of a tourist attraction?"
Ren shrugged. "That's the only one I really know about, sorry, Ken. Shrines aren't exactly on my list of places to go."
He always associated shrines with old people if he was being honest. Like, yeah, some girls were superstitious and bought love charms, but they were probably in the minority. But… he supposed it fit Ken, since his mother's death affected him so badly.
Ken just pursed his lips together. "Well, I suppose a more populated area would be better.”
“A more populated area?” Ren repeated.
"When I ran into Kaneshiro’s minion,” Ken clarified, before cracking a smile. “Shinjiro-san still harps on that…"
"Do you want me to go with you? I haven't really figured out what I wanted to do today," Ren offered.
Ken just raised an eyebrow. "You really do keep yourself busy, huh?"
His expression became wistful. No… more nostalgic? Ren couldn’t help but feel confused.
"I… guess?" Ren tilted his head. "I mean, it's Tokyo, there’s so much to do here. My old town… well it’s not the same."
Ren winced the second he brought up Shimoda. It was annoying he couldn’t even think about the happier times without feeling a tinge of bitterness laced in there. There was something nice about places like Shimoda. Not that there was nothing to do there. But it always felt like there was something new around the corner in Tokyo and it was just so big. So many sights and sounds and people. It was exciting.
But there was something nice about a humble smaller city too. But he didn’t even feel like giving Shimoda glowing reviews, or a nice compare and contrast to Tokyo.
His expression scrunched up as he felt his vexation build thinking of his neighbors and friends only to hear Ken clear his throat next to him. He didn’t mean to space out like that. Ken probably noticed how frustrated Ren was for a moment.
"I mean it is understandable. Big city and all… but anyways if you don't mind going to a shrine, I'd love the company," Ken said with a polite smile.
Ren just nodded, a quiet sigh of relief. He was glad Ken wasn’t going to pry further. It seemed he understood perfectly it was still a sore subject. Ren explained the story to him before, but he didn’t go into complete detail of everything that night, or everything after.
Ken was a pretty great guy. He was glad he asked him to join. Every day kept reinforcing his judgement he had about him.
“Let’s go then!” Ren exclaimed.
The ride to Meiji Shrine was cramped, but it was nothing Ren wasn't used to. Ken seemed to be a different story, as he stumbled out.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to the feeling," the older boy muttered, all while stretching his muscles. "Back on Port Island, we never had this problem. But then again, I really only rode the train to go to school.”
"At least you had a subway system. It was completely new to me," Ren replied with a slight laugh.
"Really?"
"Yeah." Ren nodded.
Ren sighed, it was still a sore subject, but maybe it wouldn’t kill him to talk a little bit about his small city. It’s not like he had to talk about the people there.
“My hometown is more of a quiet but old area. I lived out in the countryside, by the ocean. Every day feels like there is something new or interesting here, but I do admit it would be cool if we could put Tokyo by the beach,” Ren said with a chuckle.
He hoped Ken wouldn’t notice his smile was more forced.
Ken’s brow furrowed at that. "Then why did a politician go there?"
Ren froze. He clenched his jaw and squeezed the strap of his bag. His whole posture gone stiff in that moment as he couldn’t help but hear that scumbag’s voice again in his mind.
Ken noticed and immediately regretted it, eyeing him with pity.
“Ren-san, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up… the question just slipped out.”
"It’s okay Ken, you don’t have to apologize. As for that dick… who knows?" Ren said with a scowl. "To terrorize the female citizens? Like that one murderer from Inaba?”
“Yeah… you’re right, who knows?" Ken got a funny look on his face for some reason.
Though, then again, that case had been... creepy. The way the victims had been hung on telephone poles had to be disturbing to see. Even though that had been years ago, he still remembered how that case made national news.
Then he shook his head, "But anyways, let's get going."
The walk to Meiji Shrine was short, though as Ken predicted, it had more tourists than actual people. Tourists, both Japanese and foreign, chattered away excitedly as they milled around the area. Some of them, mostly younger people, were examining the charms.
Though… he was a bit surprised that Morgana hadn’t made a comment yet. But when he looked to his bag, he found a rather amusing sight.
Ren tried to not laugh too loud as Morgana had actually fallen asleep inside his bag. Not sure how though, with the loud and rowdy train and the brisk walk to the shrine. He made certain to walk carefully to not bump into anyone to let Morgana enjoy his rest.
Ken sighed. "This really is a busy place. It's beautiful, at least."
"What was the shrine like back at home, then?" Ren asked while rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh…" Ken looked back at him. "It was fairly small, but it felt more familiar, if that makes sense? I spent a lot of time there when I was younger."
Just how lonely was he during his childhood if a shrine was 'familiar' to him? Didn't he have any friends? It was honestly a sad thought.
Ren carefully set his bag down next to his feet as gently as possible to not disturb Morgana.
“Forget dogs, let sleeping cats lie,” Ren thought with a quiet chuckle.
They went through the motions of cleansing their body for the shrine, before Ken approached the main area to pray. His lips moved faintly as he prayed, but Ren wasn't able to read his lips.
Ken said suddenly, "You know, I think I would have idolized the Phantom Thieves when I was younger."
Ren blinked. He hadn’t even realized Ken had stopped praying.
"Huh?"
"I've… just been thinking about it lately. As I told you before… my mother's death was declared an accident but I knew the truth. It was covered up. I guess I've been thinking about it, with Isshiki-san…" Ken confessed.
Ren looked down at his feet and frowned.
"That would have been a prime target for us," Ren stated quietly.
"I've made my peace with my mother's death but…" Ken's expression was mournful.
Despite it being a warm day, he suddenly wrapped his arms around himself.
"I can't help but think that there are other kids who probably went through the same thing. The authorities cover up the crime… and only the victims really know what truly happened."
Ain't that the truth… Even now people refused to believe he was innocent. Kamoshida never really admitted breaking Ryuji's leg was nothing but an act of spite. Madarame's crimes had claimed too many people, and the world will sadly never know his most famous piece, the Sayuri, really looked like. And the men who terrorized Futaba… they were probably behind Wakaba's death. But who knows where they are now.
However, he couldn't help but be curious. Ren cleared his throat and put his hands in his pockets.
"Hey, Ken… if you don't mind me asking…" He took a deep breath. "When did you lose your mom?"
Ken was quiet for a moment, and Ren was about to apologize and take back his question. He opened his mouth but Ken spoke up before he could say sorry.
"It'll be a decade next year."
Ren's eyes widened as his brain quickly processed the math. This year would be nine years so that meant…
"You were nine when you lost your mom?"
Ren felt sick to his stomach. He was nine…
He was that young when he wanted to die. Just how could he have overcome that? No wonder he was so upset when he saw that Futaba was suicidal.
"And nobody really cared enough…?" Ren asked numbly.
"Well, my mom only had distant relatives around. My dad… he and my mom divorced when I was pretty young, as you already know,” Ken explained. “The neighbors… had their own take on the reason why, but Mom always hated hearing it. He died not too long after they separated. My mom's parents died in a car crash when I was five. My mom had a twin sister but… she became estranged from the family for some reason. My mom would never tell me why, so I guess I'll never know."
Ren couldn’t help but grimace. He had no idea that Ken's family history was... kind of convoluted. But he was curious about Ken's aunt. Just what had she done to be estranged?
"But that doesn't matter anymore." Ken shook his head. "I have more than enough family now… My senpai, they all became my family."
Ren felt himself smiling softly despite Ken’s story. Things do have a way of working themselves out. He hoped they could get Futaba to that point too.
"Maybe that's why you've taken to looking out for people so much," Ren joked lightly.
Ken looked startled at his statement. Ren couldn’t help but feel a little baffled that he didn’t notice what he’s been doing for the others.
Ren waved a hand. "I mean, come on. You cook for Yusuke and ask after his financial status, not too mention you lend him some money occasionally. You let Makoto hang onto you back when we met Futaba because she was obviously scared that night. You worry about Futaba… not to mention the food you made for me the other day."
Ken's cheeks went pink before he rubbed the back of his neck. Ren couldn’t help but snicker. Ken getting flustered was kinda funny to see.
"I guess… Shinjiro-san has rubbed off on me," he mumbled out.
Ren just grinned. "Come on, it's nothing to be embarrassed about."
"I find that hard to believe when you're grinning at me like that," Ken said flatly, before shaking his head. "But still... thank you for coming with me today, Ren-san. I know it's not exactly your first choice to visit."
"Eh, it's no biggie. Seeing Meiji Shrine was pretty cool. And I'm pretty sure that Yusuke would love to come here some time, so I'll show him the way." Ren said as he shoved his hands in his pockets again.
He was starting to understand more about what Ken had gone through. But Ren couldn't help but feel that Ken was holding back… about something.
Ren shook his head. He was probably imagining it. Ken was just a reserved person. And he doubted that Ken told many people the things he just told Ren today.
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 4.
Follow-Up Attack: Chance to perform a follow-up attack if Ren fails to down an enemy.
Saturday, August 6th, 2016
Anne sighed to herself as she impatiently tapped her fingers against her belly. Her lips pursed into a heavy frown.
“Ren, how could you not tell me…?”
Nope, too confrontational.
“So… you and Makoto have become pretty close lately, huh?”
Another nope. That would just be kinda… out of the blue.
“No Makoto, I don’t hate you. I’m just avoiding you because you and Ren are obviously a thing and it would be too awkward to ask you about it.”
That’s a really big nope. Coming on way too strong.
Anne just groaned, falling back onto her bed. She had spent the last fifteen minutes trying to come up with a way to bring up what she saw… a few days ago to Ren or Makoto.
Anne had been returning from a photoshoot, which did not feature Mika (thank God), so she had done great. Then she suddenly found herself craving a Frui-Tea. Since it was a bit healthier than the other sweet drinks, she had decided that she should indulge herself a little bit.
But then… she saw Ren and Makoto at the diner.
She knew that they had been hanging out more, ever since they beat Kaneshiro. Ren had even relayed some of the more entertaining things that had happened to her, like how Makoto took to playing video games.
But the fact that they were with another couple… made it all too clear. Their hands were clasped together, and Ren only gripped her hand tighter when the guy stranger leaned towards Makoto. He was clearly being protective. Makoto seemed awfully nervous for some reason.
And seeing them together… had just twisted her insides. She couldn't help but feel hurt. Wasn't Ren one of her best friends? She thought that she and Makoto had become pretty good friends lately too. Why did they feel the need to keep this from her?
No, she was just lying to herself. Anne sat up, hugging her legs. She was hurt because… she liked Ren. There had always been something about him. His kindness to her, especially when he didn't know her, but he listened to her about her problems with Kamoshida. He inspired her to stop putting up with Kamoshida's crap, for Shiho and for herself. He helped her become mentally stronger. He helped her slowly realize that modeling wasn't just a side hobby for her anymore. It was something that she wanted to pursue seriously.
But Makoto clearly liked him, and she wouldn't get between that. They were together now. She was too late.
And it made all too much sense. Opposites attract, didn't they? And they were the leaders of the group, it was only natural that they would grow close. And Makoto had a lot going for her. She was composed, smart, and she kicked some serious butt. And she was super cute when she got all embarrassed and people pointed out how cute she was being. Not to mention her legs were seriously toned. Guys probably would dig that, no question. And she also had that “studious, well-mannered girl but hides a hardcore biker chick”, thing going on.
It was only obvious that Ren would fall for her. She was… so cool. As much as it squeezed at her heart, she couldn’t bring herself to be mad at Makoto.
She would be supportive… even if it hurt to think of them in that way. Though the biggest thought rattling in Anne's mind was… why hide it? If they were double dating with two strangers (though, Anne had to admit the black-haired girl looked vaguely familiar), why not tell everyone else? Ryuji was Ren's best friend, and Makoto was getting pretty close to Ken…
Her phone, which she had dropped onto the bed, suddenly went off. After unlocking her phone, she saw it was a message from Shiho.
[Shiho]: Hey, Anne…
[Shiho]: Can you come up to the school roof with me today?
[Shiho]: We'll be moving tomorrow so… this is my last chance.
Anne's heart gave a little squeeze. Shiho… she didn't understand why her best friend wanted to go back, but this was basically her last request before she moved. She couldn't say no.
[Anne]: Of course. I'll be there asap!
And yet, she didn't want to do this alone.
Before she knew it, her fingers were moving, typing up the one number she kept avoiding.
"Anne?" Ren sounded confused on the line. "What's up?"
"Hey, Ren." Anne took a deep breath. "Are you free today? Shiho wants to go to the school roof and I…"
Ren asked quietly, "Do you want me to come with you? I can go if you need me to."
Anne slowly nodded, even though Ren couldn't see.
"Please…" she murmured, her fingers clenching around her phone.
"I'll be there," Ren promised, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "I'll meet you in front of the school gates."
Anne smiled. "Thanks, Ren. You're the best!"
"Oh, I know," he drawled.
Anne huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes. Despite everything… Futaba's Palace, Shiho moving away, and her stupid heart, he still found ways to make her smile.
"Ego, Ren,” she said teasingly.
"Bye," Ren laughed, and she could practically see his eyes dancing with mirth.
Anne left her apartment, heading over to Shiho's to come pick her up. Shiho was reassuring her mom that she'd be fine, and should be back soon. And Anne helped her get to Aoyama-Itchome, which was all but deserted. Anne made sure to let her know that Ren would be tagging along with them too.
"Hey, Shiho…" she began. "How are we even going to get inside? It's closed because of summer…"
"I… contacted Niijima-senpai," Shiho admitted, toying with her ponytail. "She said it was okay, when I explained my reasons…"
"What are they?" Anne asked.
Shiho shook her head. "I'll tell you on the roof, okay? I'm sure Amamiya-san is thinking the same thing… and I'd prefer to explain it just once to the both of you."
Anne agreed with a nod. Before long the train pulled into the station. They walked to the school gate, where both Ren and Makoto were standing, all while talking quietly about something. Makoto noticed them, so she nudged Ren in the side.
Anne tried not to let her heart twist again at the sight of those two together, chatting away, looking closer than ever. They were doing this for Shiho. Her selfish, hurt feelings had no place here right now.
"You know this is just a one-time thing, right?" Makoto asked, all while holding a ring of keys out to Shiho.
Shiho just smiled, while accepting the keys before bowing. "Of course, Senpai. Thank you for understanding."
"Any time, Suzui-san," she said sincerely. "I just… I wish—"
"Senpai, you've apologized several times already," Shiho cut her off, holding up a hand to halt Makoto and gave her a sincere smile, "And my answer is always the same."
"You really should forgive yourself already, Makoto," Ren said quietly. "We all forgive you."
"Ren…" Makoto smiled for a moment. "You're right. I'm sorry…"
"And there you go again," Anne sighed.
Makoto gave them a sheepish smile before she shook her head.
"Don't take too long up there, okay?" she said with a melancholic smile.
Ren and Anne helped Shiho up to the roof, though Anne noticed that Shiho was doing fairly well. They had to help support her once they got to the third floor, though.
"How are you feeling, Shiho?" Anne asked, after helping her best friend sit down.
"I'm… okay." Shiho let out a deep breath and said, "I just wish that I had made it all the way…"
Ren put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing pretty well."
Shiho smiled slightly. "Thank you. Especially since I know that Anne asked you to come here at the last minute."
Anne just smiled at Ren. "Isn't he super reliable?"
"And kind and helpful and supportive," Shiho added, quirking an eyebrow at Anne. "You've told me—several times."
"S-Shiho!" Anne felt her cheeks begin to burn with embarrassment.
"Gossiping about me, huh?" Ren nudged her in the side, flashing her a grin. "I guess I'll let it slide, since you were saying such nice things about me."
Shiho suddenly became somber, wordlessly rising to her feet. She walked to the edge, staring out at the courtyard. She gripped the fencing.
"We're so high up…" she said faintly. "I… I forgot just how tall Shujin is."
The one thing that Anne was grateful that Kobayakawa had done was replace the fencing. Make it so high that it was near impossible to climb over…
The image of Shiho standing there made Anne's blood run cold, panic squeezing her heart tightly. She knew that they'd be able to stop Shiho, but…
Ren frowned. "Shiho… shouldn't you stay back…?"
"No…" Shiho shook her head. "I'm fine. I just…"
She looked down, before pressing a hand against her chest.
"I needed to reenact the moment. The feelings… the same place I stood…" Shiho bit her lip.
"And… how do you feel?" Anne asked slowly.
"I didn't want to die," Shiho said softly. "But… there was this voice screaming at me. I want this pain to go away. I need a way to escape… I want to forget what Kamoshida had done to me. I-It told me to come up here. It told me to jump. Just one moment of pain… and it'll be all gone."
Anne wrapped her arms around herself. Shiho… she was in so much pain. Why didn’t she notice?
"Anne. Don't blame yourself." Anne looked up to see that Ren was staring at her with serious eyes. "Shiho's here. She's alive and well. Kamoshida's rotting in prison, like how he deserves. But you can't blame yourself."
He seemed to know exactly where her thoughts were going.
"Amamiya-san's right, Anne." Shiho turned to look at her. "It's nobody's fault but Kamoshida's. But…"
Her expression grew serious, and she wrapped her arms around herself.
“That person is part of me too. My weakness… I needed to see if she would come back."
"And she's gone?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.
Shiho nodded, a soft smile on her face, "She doesn't exist anymore."
"Shiho… you're so strong," Anne breathed out. "I've watched your progress… and it's just amazing."
Shiho gave a little nod, "Maybe… but it's only because you've supported me this whole time. Visiting me… cheering me on… I don't think I would have had the motivation if I didn't have that support."
"Shiho… I…" Anne shook her head. "That was nothing."
"No, that's not true,” Shiho responded firmly, before meeting Anne’s eyes.
Anne blinked in surprise, but then Shiho kept talking.
"I've seen you trying to make yourself strong. Striving to be a model, dreaming of becoming an action star. Hearing about how you deal with Mika. Your dreams, they motivated you so much. The way your eyes would sparkle with passion… how fired you got when telling me about them. With you working so hard, I couldn't stay in my hospital bed moping. It made me realize, I wanted to chase my dreams too."
Anne found herself blushing. All of that praise, and she hadn't really done anything. Except come to realize that she wanted to be a legit model. She wanted to show the world just who she was.
"And what would that be?" Ren asked.
Shiho was quiet for a moment. She lifted her head to look at the sky for a second, before turning back to look at Ren.
"To become… a volleyball Olympic star,” she clenched her fist. "I want to prove to Kamoshida. That I'm just as good as—no. I'm better than him. I'll destroy his record.”
“That’s an amazing goal, Shiho!” Anne enthused. “I know you can do it!”
Shiho then smiled. “But you… being able to change others. That's true strength."
She suddenly stepped forward, and hugged Anne. Anne instinctively hugged Shiho back.
"Thank you. Thank you for showing me the way. I love you, Anne. So much…" Shiho’s voice cracked at the last part.
"Shiho…!" Anne's eyes began to fill with tears before choking out. "I'm not strong… I'm not strong at all. If Ren and Ryuji hadn't stood with me for Kamoshida… if I had lost you, I don't know what I'd do…"
She'd never forget what Shiho had done for her… by befriending her. People really underestimated the power of a helping hand.
"I'm sorry," Shiho murmured, her arms tightening around Anne. "For having to move away. I wish that the memory wasn't so strong…"
Anne pulled away slightly, to look at her best friend straight in the eye.
"Shiho… I'm going to be the top model, you hear me?! That way, you'll be able to see me still…"
The tears began to fall but Anne forced herself to keep talking.
"I'll… I'll be in so many magazines… and I'll say tons of good stuff in the interviews! S-So…" she pulled away completely to start wiping at her eyes. "Stay healthy… work hard, but not too much! And keep in touch… please…"
She didn't want her to leave. But she had to. It was the best for Shiho…
"Always, Anne," Shiho promised, before hugging her again. "And I'll come to visit… once I can smile from the bottom of my heart."
"Y-You better," Anne choked out.
Shiho gently wiped at the last of her tears, before going to embrace Ren as well.
"Thank you as well, Ren-kun,” she said softly. "It was always nice when you visited with Anne."
Then she leaned in close, whispering something to Ren.
Ren just smiled at her, before nodding. "Always."
There was a soft knock, and Makoto peered inside. "Ah… Suzui-san's parents are here. They… got a bit worried."
"Of course they did…" Shiho sighed. "But I suppose they shouldn't be kept waiting."
They saw Shiho downstairs, before Anne hurried back up to the roof to watch the car leave. It just felt so… final. Shiho was really leaving…
But no… she can't cry. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry! Then she turned to face Ren.
"I… I'm going to be the number one model," she swore, pressing a hand to her chest. "Not just a good model, but the best!"
"Anne…" Ren put a hand on her shoulder, his voice gentle. "You'll do it. You can do anything you set your mind to…"
"I'll follow the diet Shinjiro-san made up for me… I'll come up with a regiment that'll tone up my body… I'll exercise every day,” she swore.
Anne knew she was rambling, but she knew Ren didn't mind. He never did.
"I'll study different languages too so I can do international events! I'm going to help Shiho… in the only way I can. By showing her how hard I'm working."
"Make her proud. Make yourself proud…” His eyes then softened as he looked at her. “I'm already so proud of you."
"Yeah!" Anne nodded firmly. "Shiho will definitely…"
Her eyes began to tear up again. No! Dammit, why…
"She'll definitely…" Anne managed to get out.
The floodgates seem to burst, and the tears came pouring out.
She started to sob as a fresh wave of loneliness hit her. "Dammit… why… I know this is the best for her, but I… I feel so alone and I…!"
She gasped as she felt Ren's arms wrap tightly around her. He rubbed circles into her back with one hand, stroking her hair with the other, all while holding her tight.
"That's not true, Anne. You have me, Anne, I swear to you. Hell will have to freeze over before I leave you. And it's not just me… There's Ryuji, Morgana, Yusuke, Makoto, and Ken… they all care about you."
His thumb tenderly brushed a tear right by her eye, making her breath catch.
"I don't want to hear that from you ever again, Anne. You're never alone."
Despite herself, Anne burrowed against Ren. He felt so warm and wonderful… The scent of coffee tickled her nose.
"Ren, I…" It was on the tip of her tongue.
I love you. I've loved you longer than I've realized.
But she couldn't. She didn't want to destroy their friendship. Ren was happy dating Makoto. And Makoto was waiting for them so she could lock up. How could she be so selfish. Makoto was her friend.
"Anne…?"
"I just wanted to thank you," she said softly, forcing a smile. "For always being there for me."
Ren still looked confused, but then his arms tightened around her. "Always, Anne."
Monday, August 8th, 2016
"Everyone, let's move out!" Ren-san broke into a run… only to trip over his coattails and land right on his face.
"Damn, haven't seen that in a while," Ryuji-san commented with a snicker. "Smooth, Joker."
That… made Ken a bit nervous, with his cape.
Ren-san mumbled something, something that Ken strongly suspected was “Shut up, Skull”. Makoto-san let out an exasperated sigh, before helping Ren-san up.
"Though you didn't tell us the party set-up for this time," Makoto-san stated.
"Oh, right." Ren-san tapped his chin. "Let's do… Queen, Fox, and Ace."
Ken was a bit confused when he noticed Anne-san let out a quiet sigh. She looked a bit dejected. But he shook his head, her friend recently moved away. It was only natural she wouldn’t be in better spirits.
They went up to the area they had just cleared, and Ren opened the door just across from the safe room. A stone slab near the entrance read the Chamber of Guilt.
Ren-san placed his hand on the slab and then jumped back as a small glowing purple orb flew out. It then began to take shape. It was that hologram-looking cognition of Sakura-san again.
“Heed these words oh Phantom Thieves, to be of help you should believe. When red and blue align in view, proper guidance clears the path anew,” he intoned.
After his riddle, he vanished once more.
“Hmm… his words are as cryptic as ever,” Anne-san said as she crossed her arms.
"Maybe… there's some kind of light we've gotta shine?" Ryuji-san suggested.
"Perhaps." Yusuke-san absently ran his hand on the hilt of his blade. "We will probably have to go in further and see."
Ren-san led the way, fighting Shadows all the while. He unveiled a couple new Personas, such as Ame-no-Uzume and Pisaca, both being Personas he had never seen before.
They eventually came face to face with Shadow Futaba-san.
"You're late. What took you so long?" Despite her words, she sounded… almost nonplussed.
To add to that, she all but waltzed away, walking to the left.
"Joker, I don't think—" Ken began.
"What choice do we have, Ace?" Ren-san swept his hand, gesturing to the bottomless pit to the right. "It's a dead end."
Ken sighed.
"I guess you're right," he muttered, before following Ren-san down the path.
But then something began to rumble, shaking the entire area.
“What the…?!” Ken thought in panic, taking a step backwards.
"Um… that sound…" Makoto-san took a couple steps back as well, before a familiar boulder appeared.
“I never wanna see an Iowa Jones movie, even when I’m human again!” Morgana shouted.
"Not again!" Anne-san moaned.
They booked it out of there before they could get crushed.
"Do I have to say it?" Ken said flatly towards Ren.
"No," Ren-san grumbled, before his eyes turned bright red.
Ren's ability… the Third Eye, as he called it, unnerved Ken a bit. Ren mumbling “Focus…” to himself did take away some of the creepiness. He didn't know how Ren attained that ability. Was he born with it? He was pretty sure that it wasn't a Wild Card ability.
But then Ren-san ran forward, suddenly kneeling in front of the wall.
"Check it out." He gestured to the hole.
"It's… rather on the small side," Yusuke-san said with a frown. "This will be pleasant…"
But they all managed to squeeze through, finding themselves in a large room with… several sarcophagi. Morgana stepped forward, probably to scout the area, when the ground suddenly fell away.
"Mona!" Ryuji-san snatched him up before he could fall to his death; then he grumbled, "Jeez… this place really is a death trap,"
He gingerly set Morgana down. Morgana took a few deep breaths, trying to compose himself again.
"Y-Yeah…" Morgana said shakily, before looking up at Ryuji-san. "Thanks, Skull."
“No problem…” Ryuji-san sighed.
"We'll just have to be careful about where we step…" Ken said after sighing a breath of relief.
A flight of stairs led them to both a button and a stone slab. But when Ren-san tried pressing it, it didn't budge. Ren-san frowned, before trying to whack at it harder. Yusuke-san grabbed his wrist before he could try again.
"Joker, I don't think that will work," he said flatly.
"Maybe we need to activate it somehow?" Makoto-san suggested. "The stone slab isn't lit up like the others we've seen."
"Ugh, this area's a huge pain in the ass already," Ryuji-san grumbled.
"Oh, stop complaining," Anne-san chided, hands on her hips. "We'll just have to keep exploring!"
Ren-san turned to the right, ambushing the Shadow lurking by the door, before they continued forward. They eventually came across a plank blocking the area. But Ren-san just kicked it down, and opened the door at the end of the path. This eventually led them to another slab. When Ren-san touched it, it glowed purple.
Sakura-san’s cognition appeared again. This time he didn’t say a word. He just had stone carving tools in his hands, but they were holograms as well. He made a motion as if he was striking the slab. The whole room glowed a bright purple light. When the light dissipated, Sakura-san’s cognition was gone. But there was writing glowing on the stone slab, but it was glowing with a blue light this time.
"Something showed up…" Anne-san commented. "It's kinda gibberish though… B01010…"
"Let's head back," Ken suggested. "They must be connected, like the stone slab with the mural we saw."
"But what does that thing mean?" Morgana frowned. "It sounds almost like a code for something…"
A code… now that Morgana mentioned it, he was right. It was like… binary, wasn't it? But it's not like there was a computer floating around where they could enter this code in…
But when they stepped outside, the ground started to shake. Futaba-san really liked making earthquakes, didn't she?
But on one side of the room, holographic orbs appeared, floating above what he had assumed were sarcophagi. And they were all… blue.
"Holy crap…" Ryuji-san breathed. "What is that?!"
"Maybe we have to apply that B01010 to it somehow…" Yusuke-san suggested. "Shall we take a closer look?"
Ren-san led them back to the main area. Though Ken noticed that one of the holograms was bluer than the rest.
“Wait hang on, do you remember the Boss’s cognition? His riddle mentioned something about blue and red,” Makoto-san pointed out.
“Oh yeah, that’s right!” Ryuji-san exclaimed. “Then this might be related to his clue!”
"Hmm…" Morgana tilted his head. "Maybe… 0 means we have to shut down the image."
"Let's try that." Ren-san nodded.
He approached the second sarcophagus and pressed the control panel. He ignored the third and fifth images, but shut down the rest.
"What do we do now then?" Ryuji-san asked.
"Let's try checking the button Joker couldn’t get to work," Ken suggested. "I saw the stone slab all lit up when we went past it earlier, after we came back in here after meeting Sakura-san’s cognition again.”
And this time it worked, unlocking the glowing blue door that they couldn't get to open earlier. (And Ren-san had tried. Several times. Morgana had to nudge him into exploring a different area.)
They entered inside. This area was more of a maze, but they managed to find another stone slab. When Ren-san touched it, it glowed purple again. Sakura-san’s cognition appeared once more with his tools and repeated the same process as previously. Vanishing in a flash of purple light. This time the glowing clue was the color red, not blue.
"R01100 and B10011 this time," Anne-san noted, toying with one of her pigtails. "We'll have to change the holograms again?"
"Looks like it," Makoto-san said with a nod. "This is definitely related to the riddle Boss’s cognition gave us. First blue, now red? Come on, let's go back and check."
When they came back out, the other side activated its holograms. Ren-san deactivated the holograms needed, before going back to the button. But when he pressed the button, the area shook violently, hard enough for Morgana to lose his balance.
"Oof…" Morgana groaned. "That was definitely the strongest reaction so far…"
But then Ken looked up, sharply inhaling at the alarming sight.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" he asked.
Boulders were… rolling down the path.
Anne-san audibly gulped; her eyes wide as she took a step backwards. "That's not good."
"Yeah, that's kinda an understatement!" Ryuji-san yelped. "They ain't stopping… What are we gonna do!?"
"Joker, you must do something!" Yusuke-san's eyes were wide with panic.
"Okay, okay! You don’t have to yell at me!" he exclaimed, holding up his hands.
He then turned, punching the button again. And again.
"Joker, you're making it worse!" Anne-san shouted, as the boulders seemed to pick up their speed.
"I know, I know!" Ren-san yelled, furiously pounding his fist against the button. "I'm trying to fix it, okay?!"
“Yes, try to fix the problem. By repeatedly pressing the button causing the problem,” Ken mentally snarked.
This wasn’t good. But what could they do?
But then Ren-san's leg suddenly lashed out and he kicked the button. (He really liked kicking things, didn't he…?) But the boulders slowed, before finally stopping.
"Who knew you had to break the button to fix this," Ken deadpanned.
Ren-san sighed in relief. "Whatever works, right?"
Ren-san led them to climb up the boulders (this was seriously what the stone slab meant?), and eventually led them to a room that held another mural puzzle. Ren-san placed his hand on the slab again, and another purple light appeared, Sakura-san’s hologram-cognition appeared again. This time he spoke a riddle like he did once before.
“In the Pharaoh's gaze, a tragedy unfolds. A mother's end, and everything grows cold. Secrets of the past, in darkness they're entwined. Untangle truth from lies, heal our Pharoah’s heart and mind.”
Ren-san frowned heavily at these words as Sakura-san’s cognition vanished once again. Ken couldn’t help but feel dread forming in the pit of his stomach as Ren-san put the puzzle on the mural together, forming a clear image… and what a horrible image.
This time, it was an image of Futaba-san on the ground, weeping, as a dark-haired woman threw herself in front of an oncoming car. Ken’s eyes widened at that. This was a bit more shocking than the previous mural.
"Mom, no!" The sound of sobbing echoed through the chamber. "Mom, wake up! Please! You were just tired, from your work… that's why you fell into the street, right…?"
Makoto-san’s eyes widened. “This is… horrible… poor Futaba-chan.”
Anne-san squeezed her eyes shut, wrapping her arms around herself.
"She was in the state of denial," Yusuke stated, closing his eyes, "No wonder, with how she suddenly lost her mother…"
"I'm sorry, Miss, but we have to take your mother—”
"NO! Mom, WAKE UP!" Futaba's voice had turned hysterical, before breaking off into sobs. "She's not… she can't be…"
He remembered what happened when his mother died. Shinjiro-san's Persona had destroyed the wall of his house, and his mom had gotten him up. They had meant to escape the house together, but then Castor had destroyed the wall. The shrapnel would have pierced him, if his mother hadn't run forward and embraced him.
Despite how cold the air was, that room felt hot for some reason. Every time he took a breath, it felt like the air was freezing up in his lungs. His heart filled with dread, like someone was squeezing it tight in their hands.
He remembered her blood soaking his clothes. Castor continued going berserk, and pierced her from behind. But she just held onto him tighter, as the blood drained out of her. He remembered how Mom had collapsed to the ground. He remembered shaking her and begging her to wake up already. He remembered her slick blood staining his hands. He remembered the police and the paramedics coming, how he had to be dragged away from her so the paramedics could examine her.
His stomach twisted into knots, and it felt as if someone dropped a large rock into his throat and it was trapped in there. His tongue felt so dry. His palms felt clammy and itchy underneath his gloves. He could almost hear his heartbeat for some reason in his head, feel it throbbing up there instead of his chest.
"Ace? Ace!" Makoto-san was shaking him hard, her hands gripping his shoulders tightly.
Ken hazily realized that he was shaking. Ken tried to take a deep breath but he just couldn’t stop the tremors wrecking his body.
"Ace, just breathe!" Makoto-san’s begging voice somehow pulled him out of his haze.
Ken suddenly inhaled sharply, before he stared wide-eyed at Makoto-san. He then took in a shaky breath.
"I…"
"It’s okay…” she shushed him before her hands slipped over his shoulders.
She then turned to look at Ren-san.
"Joker, just go find the safe room up ahead… we'll catch up."
Ren-san looked at him carefully, before nodding. He led the rest of them forward. They all eyed him with concern but followed Ren-san out.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Makoto-san asked gently, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"No," Ken said hoarsely, his throat constricting painfully. "I can't… I just…"
He couldn't begin to think about making a version about how his mother died, to fit the story he gave the Phantom Thieves. He didn't want to think about it. His head was still pounding, even as he was trying to steady his breathing.
"It’s alright, you don’t have to," Makoto-san said softly.
They stood there silently for a moment. Makoto just kept her hand on his shoulder, giving him a moment to truly steady his breathing again. Once he finally started to relax, she slowly moved closer and embraced him.
"I'm sorry this reminded you of your mom.” Her voice shook but her hold around him was firm. "Futaba-chan didn't deserve this… and neither did you."
He stilled in her hold. The room didn’t feel so hot anymore. It felt quite cool again. But her embrace was still warm and it was… comforting.
But still… He wished he didn’t have to burden her like this. And normally he’d be mortified someone he wasn’t as close to seeing him fall apart at the seams like this, forced to comfort him like a child.
But he didn’t agonize over that in the moment, all he wanted to do was calm down and keep breathing, relaxing in the warm embrace.
His stomach finally settled down and his throat didn’t feel so dry anymore. He was starting to feel like himself again. His eyes shot open and he pulled away. But… didn't Makoto's father die because of a traffic "accident"? And she was taking the time to comfort him?
"Queen, your dad…" Ken muttered.
"Dad… he knew that his job was an occupational hazard. And…" Makoto-san looked down. "Sis refused to let me see the body for a day. At the time, I was angry but… it probably was for the best. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m alright, but thank you for thinking of me."
She then reached out, squeezing his hand. Ken stared at their joined hands for a moment. Makoto-san’s hand was warm, even through their gloves.
"But are you feeling better now?" she asked softly.
"A little. And… thank you for being there for me."
Even if… he didn’t deserve this kindness from her.
“Of course, Ace,” Makoto-san said, giving him a reassuring smile. “That’s what friends are for.”
“They are,” Ken agreed with a nod. He quickly looked away, to try and stave the guilt welling up inside of him again. “But um… maybe we should try to catch up with the others now."
Makoto-san just nodded, giving him that pretty smile of hers. “Yes, let’s go.”
"Show me your true form!"
After Ken's… episode, Ren had swapped him out with Morgana. But that was fine. He had been keeping Ken in the main party for the last stretch and most of their last run… he could use a break.
The canine Shadow wasn't that strange black dog that carried a scale. It was… weird, if he was being honest.
It had the head of a crocodile, but with a lion's mane. Its body was more like a hippo, but ridges ran down its spine, before forming a crocodile's tail. And it had paws more like a lion. Then again, he's seen some pretty weird Shadows. Like how Angel had this weird bondage look going on.
"Nice!" Morgana cheered. "You've got the first move, Joker!"
"Any idea on this one's weakness, Ace?" Ren asked.
"Sorry…" Ken shook his head. "I've never seen this one before."
Damn… well he might as well experiment then.
"Ame-no-Uzume!"
One of his new Personas appeared with a flash. She had been kinda a pain to fuse, since Caroline and Justine had demanded a special one as one of their requests. She made a sweeping motion with her arm, before bright pink energy surrounded the Shadow, throwing it backwards against the wall.
But it recovered rather quickly… Damn, it probably wasn’t weak to psy magic then.
"Zorro, show your might!" Morgana exclaimed, before his Persona appeared and slashed with his rapier, whipping up a Garula spell.
Ame-no-Uzume had electricity and ice spells, so he could try those too.
Makoto then made her move, summoning a Freila spell. But it seemed to resist her spell.
Ryuji then ran forward, swinging with his club, but it also seemed to resist that. Dammit, this was gonna be an annoying one, wasn't it?
"My turn!" the Shadow growled, its voice surprisingly feminine.
It swiped forward, before blasting a Maeiga spell. It was really a good thing that none of them were weak to curse.
"Joker, try Bless since it's using Curse attacks!" Morgana exclaimed.
It was running a risk but… this Shadow was a tough one. He rifled through his Personas, before finally calling forth Principality. She raised her staff, a bright light flaring from it. The Shadow toppled over, earning a cheer from Ryuji.
"Wait!" the Shadow growled. "You're just going to shoot me?"
"You could always join me," Ren suggested, praying that Yoshida's newest technique worked.
"Join you…" the Shadow repeated. "Oh! That's right… I'm not a Shadow. I live in the sea of souls. My name is Ammit… and starting now, I am you… and you are me…"
Ammit then transformed into blue flames, flying towards Ren's mask. He felt Ammit's presence inside of him now.
"Oooh, nice, Joker!" Morgana cheered. "That's a new one, isn't it?"
"It's almost as annoying as that black dog one," Ryuji grumbled.
"Yeah, pretty much," Ren sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But anyways… let's get going!"
"Yet another puzzle…" Yusuke sighed, arms folding over his chest. "I wonder what this one will show us…"
Before Ren could do anything, the Sojiro hologram appeared once more. He eyed them all passively before settling his gaze on Ren. The cognition spoke up once again.
“Day by day, into the research her mother delves. The Pharaoh reaches out, but the mother repels? These memories and the letter's words weigh heavy, questioning her love. Is she a burden, or does her mother's care rise above? A harsh lie or tragic truth? Pierce through it all, find the proof.”
The hologram vanished once more, and Ren was silent for a small moment. The more they unraveled, the more painful yet confusing it all was. He barely parted his lips and took a quick deep breath, letting out an exhale through his nose. He then leaned forward, and began to work on the next puzzle. It took slightly longer than the previous ones, but thankfully it didn’t look so grim compared to the last one.
“This one isn’t so bad, it looks kinda, innocent…” Anne said with a sigh of relief.
“I was kinda worried considering how complicated it looked for a moment there.” Morgan nodded, “Not too mention the last one.”
It showed an image of Futaba, tugging onto her mom's clothes. Wakaba was holding a stack of papers, while a computer desk sat to the right.
"Mom… I'm so bored…" Futaba's voice, high-pitched and whining, echoed throughout the room. "Can't we take a vacation?"
"Futaba, I told you," a stern voice sighed. "My work has reached a critical stage. It's far too important for me to stop now."
“I can’t help but feel bad for her, y’know? When I was a kid, I’d beg my mom to take me out to do stuff all the time. Sometimes I felt like it was so unfair and she prolly saw me as a pain… she sacrificed a lot for me. And all I gave her was trouble,” Ryuji said sadly before rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess… in a way I can see why Futaba would blame herself.”
"It's not easy raising a child on one income…" Makoto’s expression grew melancholic at that. “I felt so many days my dad cared more for his job than me. And I barely see my sister anymore. I can only imagine how frustrating that is for a young girl as well as a single parent.”
“Yeah, I can't help but feel a little bad for Futaba," Anne added. "I always hated it when my parents had to delay returning home because of something coming up with work…"
“Yeah, my mother did her best to support me. She seemed exhausted so many days, I didn’t appreciate it always at the time. I wish I didn’t take it for granted back then, but at least now I understand how much she did for me,” Ken said with a bittersweet smile.
"Not even for the weekend?! Your work is stupid!" Futaba huffed out. "I hate your work!"
"Futaba!" Wakaba sounded aggravated now. "Don't you dare say that! My work will be revolutionary! Honestly, Futaba… I’m doing this for the both of us."
"Do you think… Futaba knows what her mother was researching?" Yusuke asked with a frown. "Just what made it 'revolutionary'?"
"That's the real question, isn't it?" Morgana sighed, folding his arms over his chest. "I have a feeling that Boss knows something, with how that woman has been interrogating him…"
"Not that we can really make him talk. It was like pulling teeth to get him to talk about Futaba in the first place,” Ren grumbled, frowning at the memory.
"That's not important," Ken said quietly. "Isshiki-san's research… has been lost. Even if Futaba knew what exactly her mother was researching… she was thirteen. I don't think she would've disclosed everything to Futaba."
"I would really like to know what it was exactly," Makoto mused. "But I think Ace is right."
"But come on, the way is open… Let's push forward!" Anne urged.
They all moved to leave but Ren stopped when he noticed Yusuke still lingered at the mural, his head tilting at it slightly. Morgana noticed this as well and moved to stand next to Yusuke. Looking up at the mural, then back at Yusuke, and back to the mural. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.
The rest of the group seemed to notice, they all stopped in their tracks. Ryuji opened his mouth to say something but Ren placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.
They all stayed silent. Waiting for Yusuke or Morgana to speak up first. It stayed silent for only a minute longer.
“Yen for your thoughts?” Morgana asked their tallest member.
Yusuke seemed to break out of his trance, looking down at Morgana.
“Apologies. I can’t remember my mother. And I didn’t know my father. No memories, no mementos…” Yusuke then closed his eyes.
They all knew what happened with Yusuke and his mother. But Madarame had brought up his dad as well. Yusuke never said anything though so… Ren had assumed it never bothered him. Apparently that assumption was wrong.
Yusuke gave a short exhale before opening his eyes. “I just wonder, what they would have thought of me. What would my childhood have been like had one of them lived? Would they be proud? Find me exhausting? I suppose it’s pointless to get dragged into what ifs…”
Ken stepped forward to stand next to Yusuke on his other side.
“I don’t remember my dad much. Some days I did think back after my mom died, I wished he’d never died just to get me away from the place I was staying,” Ken said with a sigh. “Other days, I wondered if he hated me and mom and didn’t care for him at all. I wasn’t in the best headspace back then. But now I’m sorta… uncertain. I don’t know what he’d think of me or if he’d like me.”
Yusuke frowned and crossed his arms as he listened intently to Ken.
“But I suppose it’s okay if you indulge in what ifs sometimes. I used to do it. I sometimes wondered if he lived if he would have taken me in and probably give me a decent life. Or maybe not.” Ken closed his eyes, an almost… nostalgic smile on his face. “But then I remembered had the things that happened put me on the path I’m on now. I never would have made the friends I made, and become the person I am. I suppose, I’m okay with it now.”
Makoto then moved to stand by Morgana.
“It was… hard for my dad. Being without my mom, I only faintly remember it. But I won’t deny I got caught up in what ifs myself. Like had Mom lived, maybe things would be different for me, and especially for Sis. Maybe… Dad would be able to come home for a while. It’s a bit childish but…” Makoto hugged herself and looked up at Futaba on the mural, a mournful frown on her face. “I often indulged in so many what ifs had my father not died. But Ace is right, I wouldn’t be where I am now, had those things not happened. And for what it’s worth, I think your fathers would be proud of both of you, your mothers too.”
Anne stepped forward and placed Makoto into a one-armed hug, she returned the favor. Ryuji stepped forward after Ren nodded to him. Ryuji then placed one arm around Ken and the other arm around Yusuke, Ken stiffened a bit but said nothing.
Ren moved forward and knelt down behind Morgana.
“Yen for your thoughts, Mona?”
Morgana looked up at the others, and back at the mural. His voice was barely above a whisper.
“I… guess I can’t help but wonder if I had any parents, I can’t remember what my life was like before when I was human. Did I… ever indulge in what ifs like you guys? Would they be…” Morgana trailed off and shook his head, his ears drooping. “No… now isn’t the time for this. Futaba needs us to steal that treasure. We Phantom Thieves have a job to do.”
Ren frowned; he hoped Morgana would start becoming more comfortable sharing his vulnerabilities, but he still wasn’t there yet. He sighed but gave Morgana a small smile.
“Lead the way.”
Morgana grinned and darted ahead, everyone untangling and following after. Yusuke still lingered and gave Ren a puzzled look.
“Is he alright? I didn’t hear what he mumbled to you.”
“He’ll be alright Fox. But he’s right, we should get going, how are you feeling?” Ren asked.
Yusuke nodded and gave a faint smile. “Quite fine. It’s… funny how things like this bring people closer together, despite how stressful and perilous this is. I can only hope we can bring Futaba closure as well.”
Ren just gave him a small nod in agreement. They caught up with the others quickly. They found themselves in the main hall. The door blocking the way slid down, allowing them to climb the rest of the stairs. But… another large door was blocking the way. Morgana’s eyes grew affixed on the door before he gave a little hop of excitement.
“The treasure is definitely behind this door! I can feel it!” Morgana exclaimed.
"Hey, doesn't this look familiar?" Anne cocked her head. "I feel that I've seen this before."
"That's… Futaba's bedroom door!" Morgana exclaimed. "This is it… I think we've finished the Palace completely!"
"But… we need to open the door," Makoto said, rubbing her chin.
"So, Futaba's cognition needs to change," Yusuke stated. "I assume that we must have her open the way for us, I doubt Panther wearing many layers of clothing and stalling while stripping them off will be of use while Mona unlocks the real door."
"Open the way…?" Ken asked, blinking. Then it seemed to click as he looked between Yusuke and Anne. “I’m sorry… what? Panther does what?”
“Never mind that! It’s in the past! Stop bringing that up Fox!” Anne stomped her foot while her cheeks matched the color of her mask.
Ryuji bit his lip, holding back the urge to laugh. Anne shot him a look that made it clear she better not hear a peep out of him. Morgana cleared his throat to catch the group’s attention.
"Since Palaces are ruled by their hosts' cognitions… if we can change their mindsets, we can get rid of obstacles such as these," Morgana explained, looking to Ken—who was nodding as Morgana continued to elaborate. "We've had to do it with Madarame and Kaneshiro. But this means, we'll have to be prepared when we ask Futaba to open the door. We will have to present the calling card to her."
"Okay." Ren nodded. "Just give me a few days to gather supplies, and I'll figure out the best time to strike."
"Sounds good to me!" Ryuji cheered, pumping his fist.
"Futaba-chan… we'll save you," Anne vowed, pressing a hand against her chest. "No matter what!"
“You won’t be in pain any longer soon, Futaba-chan,” Makoto murmured, her voice quiet but firm.
"You want to live…" Ken added softly. "Just hang in there a little longer…"
“We shall remove the distortions that plague your heart, just wait for us,” Yusuke said with resolve as he crossed his arms.
"So, we're clear, right?" Morgana said firmly. "We'll prepare the calling card and Joker will decide when we strike."
Ren looked back at the last door blocking their way. He couldn’t help but feel confused. The murals had painted a different picture of Wakaba than Sojiro’s story about Wakaba.
Just what… was the truth?
AMMIT
History: The Egyptian goddess of divine retribution. She sat by the scales of Ma’at, ready for when Anubis tested souls against the feather of truth. If they were judged to be impure, Ammit would devour the soul.
Level: 31
Affinity: Curse
Blocks: Curse
Resists: Physical, Nuclear
Weakness: Bless
Spells: Maeiga, Vicious Strike, Ominous Words
Notes:
Like how Ryuji unlocks the area Ogikubo in his rank 4 event, Ken's rank 4 would unlock Meiji Shrine, instead of Ren having to unlock it by either accepting Anne's invite on August 6th (if you've cleared the Palace beforehand) or reading about it in a book.
In the artbook, Ken's parents are stated to have divorced shortly after he was born. The stuff about Ken's mother's family is something I came up with, just for this story, though.
I've seen people give Anne's rank 9 crap for the friendship route, but the original choices were "You have me" and "You have us". So I adjusted it a bit here. I like the scene where you romance Anne, but I have a fun scene planned for how they get together next chapter hehe.
Ken states that his mother died protecting him when he confronts Shinji about her death. I do think that Ken's relatively recovered, even in Ultimax, but I think hearing Futaba getting traumatized from Wakaba dying would have triggered him.
And for the chapters where I introduce Personas that fall under Adjustment, I will do a little blurb, describing their skills and affinities. Ammit isn't the best fit for the arcana, but I had to stick to the theme Futaba's Palace's Shadows have.
Though I have a question. Would anyone like to see how Ren's confidants have progressed so far? I've thought of making up a list for it anyways, but I don't mind sharing if anyone wants to see it! I think it'd be a tad confusing to keep track, since I make side mentions of the confidants for the most part.
But anyways, we're approaching Futaba's Treasure being stolen at last! Until next time!
Edit Notes (7/1/24): Elaboration on Ken's panic attack + adding more of Cognitive Sojiro. Thank you to my wonderful beta angelrin89 for her hard work!
Chapter 14: Ch. 13: Resolution
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves prepare to steal Futaba's Treasure, and deliver the calling card to her.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Monday, August 8th, 2016
“I’m home—" Ken paused as a familiar scent hit his nostrils.
“We had too much leftover rice.” Shinjiro-san was as nonchalant as he could be, turning to glance at him before turning his attention back to the stove.
But he knew better. Shinjiro-san must have remembered what he had talked about the last time they went into Futaba-san’s Palace. Though Mitsuru-san had been far from… happy, hearing about what exactly had happened to Futaba-san.
He had yet to tell either of them about… this however. Mitsuru-san wouldn’t like this either. She’d probably just worry more… he was now debating on whether or not he should bring it up. Obviously, he’d have to talk about what they learned in her Palace. But the other part… the part involving him…
He was distracted from those thoughts when the sound of a metal spoon clanged on the ground. He glanced over and saw Shinjiro-san silently curse to himself. He was carrying the dishes, empty cups, and the utensils on the plates over to the table. One of the spoons fell off the plates. Shinjiro-san shook his head and placed everything on the table, and bent down to pick the spoon back up and place it on the table. He moved back to the stove after that.
Ken sighed to himself, welcoming the distraction. He moved to fill the electric kettle with water before grabbing two cups for himself and Shinjiro-san.
While Shinjiro-san finished cooking the omurice, Ken just ended up brewing some green tea. It was… a good distraction, as the scent of the omurice just made him think of Mom.
And despite the omurice being as delicious as always, Ken found himself forcing himself to take large bites. He didn’t even register the taste of the green tea as he sipped it in between bites.
He only could think of how he had a flashback of when his mom died. And Makoto-san had to see him… like that. Why did it affect him so badly? He thought he had moved on from his mother’s death.
“Ken…” he lifted his head at Shinjiro-san’s voice. “Don’t force yourself to eat like that.”
“Sorry,” Ken mumbled out, before pushing away the plate.
Omurice was one of his favorite meals, but it just tasted like ash to him right now. The large bites he forced himself to down just felt heavy in his stomach.
Ken’s eyes shut for a moment. “I just…”
“Don’t apologize,” Shinjiro-san said, all while scrutinizing his face. “What exactly happened at the Palace today?”
There was a long… pregnant pause.
Ken didn’t know what to say. Seeing what Futaba-san had gone through was just horrifying. But hearing how Futaba-san had reacted to her mother’s death had been the worst for him. It had just… hit too close to home.
“We… finished the Palace today,” Ken finally said. “We’ll be going after the Treasure soon…”
But Shinjiro-san didn’t say anything. He just waited. Ken folded his hands in his lap before taking in a shaky breath. He started to twiddle his thumbs as he spoke.
“You know… how I told you about how we saw a mural during our last visit? And how we heard voices, connected to the scene depicted in the mural?” Ken said slowly. “We saw two more today. And the first…”
Ken bit his lip. His heart ached, thinking about it.
“We heard Futaba-san’s reaction to her mother’s death,” he finally got out.
Shinjiro-san sucked in a breath. “What happened?”
“She was… hysterical,” Ken said quietly, his hands untangling so he could instead grip his knees. “She was begging her mom to wake up…”
“Ken, are you—” Shinjiro-san stopped short, giving a single shake of his head, before he spoke again. “I’m sorry you had to hear that kind of shit.”
He heaved out a sigh, rubbing at his face for a moment. Then he looked to Ken, his expression grave.
“Look, Ken, I know I’m kinda shit at talking ‘bout stuff with feelings, but you can always talk to me ‘bout this.” His expression darkened. “…I know hearing that had to hit you personally.”
That’s right. He always had Shinjiro-san. All of SEES flashed through his mind as well. He couldn’t help give of a small smile as each face came to mind. His smile faltered for a moment when a new face appeared into his mind. Makoto-san’s concerned face made its way there. He paused for a split moment, and the small smile returned. He had many friends who cared about him. It wasn’t shameful for him to still remember his mother…
And this only meant it was more important for them to save Futaba-san. They had to save her. To give her a similar peace of mind.
“It’s okay if you’re not hungry, you should just get some rest,” Shinjiro-san continued. “You look beat.”
Ken managed a more relaxed expression. “Thank you, Shinjiro-san.”
Ken sucked in a breath. He must look pretty awful if Shinjiro-san told him not to feed himself. But he got up to put away the meal Shinjiro-san just cooked. No sense wasting it, he can have leftovers later. Ken cleaned up his dishes and then headed for his room.
He fell onto his bed with a sigh. Going into the Metaverse was exhausting. He felt like he could sleep now, actually. But a buzzing sound caught his attention. He dug out his phone and winced when he saw he had… several messages.
Message From: Makoto Niijima
[Makoto Niijima]: Ken, I just… wanted to check up on you.
[Makoto Niijima]: I know that you seemed fine after we caught up with the others, but…
[Makoto Niijima]: I can’t help but worry.
[Makoto Niijima]: I understand if you need space but… I’d be more than happy to listen to you if you need someone
[Makoto Niijima]: Am I assuming too much…?
[Makoto Niijima]: Sorry…
Despite himself, Ken found himself smiling. He honestly hadn’t expected this.
[Ken Amada]: Thank you for checking up on me.
[Ken Amada]: I’m… okay. Not great, but I can handle it.
[Ken Amada]: Sorry for not responding earlier, I was talking to Shinjiro-san…
[Makoto Niijima]: Oh!
[Makoto Niijima]: I’m glad…
[Makoto Niijima]: But if you do need to talk, I’ll listen…
[Makoto Niijima]: I… already failed once in not listening to people.
[Makoto Niijima]: I don’t want to do it again…
Ken frowned at the last part. This… was about the whole thing with Kamoshida, wasn’t it? He supposed that this would be weighing on Makoto for a long time.
[Ken Amada]: Makoto-san, you really shouldn’t blame yourself like that…
[Ken Amada]: But thank you… I appreciate your concern.
[Ken Amada]: And I’ll keep that in mind.
[Ken Amada]: But… I’m honestly really tired. I think I’m going to bed soon.
[Makoto Niijima]: Okay. Sleep well, Ken.
[Ken Amada]: Thanks. You too, Makoto-san.
But before he started his usual routine before bed, he checked his other messages, which happened to be in the group chat. Everyone had sent him some kind of message, asking after him. Their concern was… touching.
And yet… he felt a pang of guilt. Was it really okay to be lying to them about this? Shouldn’t he be more honest about the reason why he even came to Tokyo?
What was he thinking? Mitsuru-san was counting on him; not to mention that Shinjiro-san warned him. But… he couldn’t help it. They really seemed like they were good people. He was finding it more difficult to find reasons to doubt them with each day.
And if they ever found out the truth… they would probably resent him for lying to them about the whole thing.
Wednesday, August 10th, 2016
Shinjiro stifled a yawn, before zipping up his duffel bag. That was everything. He swung it over his shoulder, before leaving his bedroom. He went to the living room, dropping it by the door, before making a quick breakfast. Just some eggs and toast, nothing too fancy. He finished eating, before his eyes moved back to the hallway. It was still kinda early—eight—so Ken was probably still sleeping.
“Shinjiro-san, wait!” Ken all but stumbled into the living room, clutching a box tightly.
Or not…
He was dressed in his usual street clothes, but his hair was sticking up everywhere.
“Ken?” Shinjiro frowned at him. “Jeez, you look like a mess.”
Ken retorted, “I’m going to ignore that. Did you really think I would sleep in when you were leaving today?”
Shinjiro rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, it’s kinda early…”
“I’ve gotten up earlier,” Ken said, shaking his head. “Come on, let’s get going.”
“Go brush your hair first, Ken,” Shinjiro said dryly. “I’m not late, so I can wait for you to make sure your hair doesn’t look like a bird’s nest.”
Ken grumbled for a moment, before trotting back to his bathroom. He came back a few minutes later, his hair a lot neater now.
The walk to the station was brisk. That was one thing he didn’t like about Tokyo. Everyone was in a rush. Port Island wasn’t exactly sleepy like Inaba was, but he didn’t feel like someone would knock him over because they were late for work.
“Be careful, okay?” Shinjiro said lowly as they approached the train station.
Ken huffed, grumbling at Shinjiro’s fretting, but he didn’t care.
“Don’t go to bed too late. You don’t have schoolwork to worry about, so you don’t have to stay up. And eat everything I prepare for you. And—”
“Shinjiro-san,” Ken cut him off, shooting him a look. “I know, okay? I won’t get into any trouble while you’re gone… I’m not the same little kid anymore, remember?”
“You can’t blame me for worrying. Especially since you’re preparing to help Isshiki’s daughter soon,” Shinjiro grumbled.
And this will be Ken’s first major fight in a long time. Not counting that rouge Persona-user who tried to kill Ken, of course… (which only added to his points of worrying). There was Kaneshiro too, but that was mostly side line assistance. And fighting the Shadows in that Nest and the Nest of Isshiki’s daughter were small potatoes compared to the one ruling the place.
Would they even fight Isshiki’s daughter’s Shadow? Didn’t the Investigation Team’s Shadows go berserk because they were denied? But Isshiki’s daughter wouldn’t be there… not that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be dangerous.
Ken’s voice cut through his worrying thoughts.
“I know, I know,” Ken grumbled. “But um…”
Ken then stopped in his tracks, before he suddenly held out the box he was carrying since this morning to Shinjiro.
Then he smiled faintly. “Happy early birthday, Shinjiro-san.”
“Thanks…” Shinjiro said slowly, before taking it from Ken.
He gave it a little rattle, but it didn’t give him any hint of just what it was.
“Ah, don’t open it yet!” Ken yelped, his eyes filling with panic.
Shinjiro stared and Ken began to fidget.
“Just wait until you get on the train,” he said.
Shinjiro blinked at the request. Weird but… whatever.
He then glanced at the clock. Shit. He had to get going before the train took off.
Shinjiro reached out, ruffling Ken’s hair.
“Shinjiro-san!” he whined out, swatting at Shinjiro’s hand.
He always hated when any of that did to him. Which is why it was fun, even he had to agree with Minako on that.
Shinjiro cracked a smirk, “I’ll see you in a week, Ken.”
Ken grumbled, but he gave a little wave. Shinjiro then hastened for the station that would take him back to Port Island, but an unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke right behind him.
“So, you know Amada-kun pretty well.”
The unfamiliar voice made Shinjiro turn around. It was a gray-haired woman, who was surprisingly tall, even with her heels she was definitely over 160 cm. Even though she was still shorter than him, she stood tall with her back straight, looking up at him with a firm gaze.
“What of it?” Shinjiro asked. “How do you even know about Ken?”
The woman just folded her arms over her chest, eyeing him critically. Shinjiro couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance. The woman had barely spoken but she was already rubbing him in the wrong way.
“He was with my little sister once,” she mentioned. “I take it that you come from Port Island as well?”
Little sister…? He squinted at the woman, until it hit him. She resembled Niijima, mostly in the face. They both had red eyes, but the younger sister’s eyes were a brighter shade of red.
But Shinjiro suddenly registered her comment about Ken and Niijima. Though what the hell was that question about? What, did this woman think they were on a date or something?
“What of it?” Shinjiro asked. “That’s none of your business.”
The woman clicked her tongue, looking irritated with Shinjiro now, which was nothing new. “There’s no need to be rude. Though I’d like to know… just what are Amada-kun’s intentions to my sister?”
“Intentions?” Shinjiro repeated, staring at the woman. “They’re friends. You’ve heard of that, right?”
He knew that, even though it was too fun to heckle Ken about the possibility, after all of the crap Ken has given him and Fuuka. He was entitled to a little payback.
But besides that, he didn’t like what this woman was implying. Ken would never be the type to take advantage of a girl.
“My sister never calls a boy by his first name,” Niijima deadpanned.
Ken rarely called his peers by their first name either, but that didn’t mean they were secretly making out. Niijima was making him remember Mitsuru’s prissy princess act when he had first met her.
Shinjiro just rolled his eyes, unable to hold back a scoff.
“Apparently kids aren’t allowed to have friends of the opposite sex these days without a family member coming up with conspiracy theories. Look, I’m not here to be harassed about who your sister befriends, but Ken is a good kid who isn’t the type of guy you’re thinking of. And if you didn’t notice, I have a train to catch, and I don’t want to miss it,” Shinjiro said flatly.
He had no patience for a woman like her. Without another word, he walked away, ignoring the woman’s brief sputtering. Once he was settled on the train, he opened the box Ken had given him. On top was a piece of paper, folded into two. Shinjiro picked that up, unfolding it. He had to squint a bit to make out Ken’s handwriting. He really didn’t know why Ken wasn’t looking to become a doctor. He had the practice with him being one of the team’s dedicated healers and he was definitely smart enough to become one. And he definitely had the handwriting for it sometimes.
Dear Shinjiro-san,
First of all, happy early birthday. Or happy birthday, depending on when you open this. But anyways… I wanted to give you something special this year. Especially… after the move and everything. I know you prefer simple presents. Presents that you’ll use on more of an everyday basis. But I wanted to give you something special this year, to thank you for everything you’ve done for me over the years…
So, I’m giving you my mother’s old engagement ring. I don’t know why my parents divorced, but I still think that Mom still loved Dad in her own way. She always hated to hear him being bad mouthed. She continued to wear the ring. And I know… how much you want a ring special for Fuuka-san.
He… what?! Shinjiro looked back into the box, and sure enough, there was a dark blue velvet box. He picked it up, popping it open. Nestled inside the white lining was a platinum ring. The setting were two flowers, the petals being pearls and the centers being sapphires. It had a vintage look to it, the band twisted into almost resembling vines.
And I know what you’re gonna say. ‘You should use this when you wanna propose’ or ‘This is too much, what the hell Ken’. But it’s not. It’s really not. You’ve changed my life in so many ways. You literally yanked me onto the right path, by saving my life. You took me in when most people your age are worried about university or having fun… This is my thank you for the past seven years.
(Also, if you try to give the ring back to me, I’m just going to keep shoving it in with all your cooking utensils. Or maybe in your shoes? Or even your sock drawer. You will never be able to return this, I’ll make sure it always finds its way back to you, count on that. So don’t even think about it talking me out of it.)
Ken
Shinjiro just sighed, shaking his head. He could be such a stubborn little shit sometimes…
He didn’t even do anything special. It was only the right thing to do, after what happened with Ken’s mom, accident or no. He started looking after Ken as a way for atonement… but that stopped being the case a long time ago. Ken needed someone to look after him. And… the kid was basically family now. He was doing what only came natural at this point.
But if Ken really did mean what he said… he would absolutely refuse to take it back. There was no chance Shinjiro could talk him out of it, he clearly meant that threat. He didn’t even want to think about how mortified he’d be if Fuuka would come over during one of her visits and discover a ring in with all the whisks.
Shinjiro examined the ring again. This ring… it would suit Fuuka well. He might as well use Ken’s present well.
Anne took in a few deep breaths and steeled herself.
Today, she would get Ren and Makoto to stop hiding about their relationship. There was nothing to be ashamed of. She didn’t even know why they were keeping it on the downlow in the first place.
After greeting Boss with a smile and wave, Anne scaled the stairs leading up to Ren’s room. Ryuji was the only one in the room, surprisingly.
“’Sup, Anne!” he greeted her cheerfully, giving a little wave. “You’re here early!”
Anne stuck her tongue at him.
“You’re one to talk, Ryuji! You’ve gotten how many tardies over the years?!” she huffed.
Ryuji scowled at her. “Hey! I’ve gotten better lately!”
“Suuure, Ryuji.” Anne couldn’t help but feel a little better, teasing him; it was a welcome distraction.
Unfortunately, Ryuji switched gears. “But hey, do you think we’ll be going in today? I mean, RenRen called us here for a reason, right?”
“Where is Ren?” Anne asked.
“Went to run an errand with Makoto,” Ryuji answered with a shrug. “He’ll be back soon.”
“Right…. an errand,” Anne thought to herself sarcastically.
Why did they feel like they had to sneak away and hide it from everyone? She really would not want to see Ren kiss Makoto, but they didn’t have to make up excuses like that.
Ryuji squinted at her. “What’s with that look on your face?”
“Whaaaat?” Anne did her best to blink innocently at Ryuji.
Though judging by Ryuji’s annoyed expression, she was pretty sure that she had failed.
But Anne just pressed forward. “Me? This is just my face.”
“Right.” Ryuji eyed her suspiciously. “Seriously, Anne, Ren’s been tellin’ me you’ve been acting kinda weird lately. Something on your mind?”
Anne sucked in a breath. Ryuji had no idea what he had just asked. But… Ryuji was Ren’s best friend. They had been attached to the hip since the first day of school. If Ren had told anyone… it would be Ryuji, right?
“Hey, Ryuji… Ren would tell you anything… right?” she asked tentatively.
“Uhh… what?” Ryuji frowned. “Okay, seriously, what’s up, Anne? I know that you were down ‘bout Suzui leaving but this has gotta be beyond this.”
“Does he talk girls with you? Because I saw him on a date with Makoto several days ago,” Anne blurted out.
“Him… and Makoto,” Ryuji repeated, his eyes wide. “Dude, are you sure ‘bout that? Because he told me—”
He then shut his mouth, panic filling his eyes.
He blurted out, “Uhhh… never mind. It’s nothing!”
“Never mind what?” Anne demanded, eyes narrowing at Ryuji.
She advanced on him, grabbing him by the shirt. Ryuji yelped but Anne didn’t care. She shook him a little.
“What did he tell you?!”
“I can’t tell you!” he yelped, all while squirming in her grip. “It’s the bro code! Have mercy on me, Anne!”
Anne let out a frustrated growl. So, Ren told Ryuji and not her?! Ryuji! She knew that Ren and Ryuji were best friends but come on!
Before she could grill Ryuji any further, there was a sudden cough. “Um… am I interrupting something?”
They both turned their heads to see that Ken had arrived. He was carrying one of those tiered bento lunchboxes.
Ryuji then broke free of Anne’s grasp, all but sprinting to Ken. “Ken! How are you doing today?!”
He then leaned in, whispering frantically to Ken. Ken just raised an eyebrow at Ryuji, before giving him one of those sorta sarcastic smiles Ken seemed fond of using.
Anne growled under her breath. Ryuji so knew something. Well fine then… he couldn’t run forever. She would get it out of him, one way or another!
“What’s with the huge lunch though, dude?” Ryuji asked.
“You need to help me finish this,” Ken groaned. “Shinjiro-san’s cooked so much for me because he apparently doesn’t trust me, and for some reason he expects me to just order takeout while he’s on Port Island. However he ended up cooking double portions, I think he autopiloted and made meals for two for all the meals he made.”
“Port Island?” Anne parroted, looking at him curiously. “What’s he doing there?”
“Just visiting for a week,” Ken said quickly.
“Wait a minute…” Ryuji squinted at Ken. “Isn’t his birthday coming up? Like reallyyyy soon?”
Anne gasped, “It is? Is that why he’s visiting Port Island?”
Though, she had to wonder how Ryuji knew that. Ken would have had to tell him that.
“Yeah, that’s the reason,” Ken said slowly, looking at her warily.
Ryuji sighed, before rubbing at his face. “Dude, why didn’t you say somethin’ to Ren? He would’ve understood. You must miss Port Island. And everyone back there.”
“It’s… it’s okay.” Ken’s voice was quiet. “Futaba-san is more important. I couldn’t ask Ren-san to delay things just so I can visit home… that would be just selfish. There will be other times I can visit, like during winter break… but Futaba-san’s situation is a lot more urgent.”
Anne huffed. “God, you’re stubborn.”
“Oh, I’m the stubborn one?” Ken quickly glanced at Ryuji, before looking back at Anne with a raised eyebrow.
Well… he had a point there.
“HEY!” Ryuji protested. “Don’t drag me into this too!”
“Oh, hey, almost everyone’s here.” Ren and Makoto came up, arms filled with paper bags, and Morgana jumped out of Ren’s shoulder bag.
“What took you guys so long?” Ryuji asked.
Ren and Makoto took the moment to relieve their burdens before Ren spoke up.
“Picking up some new upgrades on guns from Iwai,” Ren explained. “And some new powerful medicine, courtesy of Takemi.”
“Takemi?” Ken repeated.
“Oh, she’s a doctor who works here in Yongen-jaya,” Ren answered. “Been doing her some favors in return of some really good medicine that we use in the Metaverse. She gives me some nice discounts too.”
“Though, honestly, I don’t really approve of the ‘favors’ you do for her…” Makoto sighed. “She calls you a guinea pig of all things…”
“She… what?” Ken looked startled for a moment.
Then he gave Ren one of those flat eyed stares of his.
“Ren-san…” he ground out, drawing out Ren’s name, “What exactly have you been doing?”
“First of all, all her stuff are herbal medicines that she has me test so you both can cool it. And besides… gotta do whatcha gotta do,” Ren said with a shrug. “But anyways, we’re just waiting on Yusuke, from the looks of it…”
Then he noticed Ken holding onto a bento box.
“Bringing lunch again?” he asked with an amused smile.
“Courtesy of Shinjiro-san,” he answered, though he didn’t look too happy that Ren had sorta dodged his question.
Anne had to admit that she was a little… taken aback when Ren had explained to her and Ryuji how exactly he got ahold of the medicine, back when they were dealing with Kamoshida. But he assured them both that Takemi’s medications relied more on herbal concoctions than anything and were completely safe. She trusted him, and they did help out a lot in the metaverse.
“Shinjiro-san cooked me way too much food… so I thought I’d share with you guys,” he finished.
Ren just grinned. “Nice. Shinjiro-san is an awesome cook. Gimme a sec, and I’ll grab everyone some utensils. I’m sure Sojiro won’t mind if I steal them for a bit.”
He then disappeared down the stairs again, and Anne took the time to look over Makoto. She seemed a bit flushed, though it could be from the heat more than anything. She didn’t appear to have any hickeys and her lips didn’t seem swollen…
“Is… there something on my face?” Makoto asked hesitantly.
“O-Oh, it’s nothing!” Anne did her best to laugh, but she didn’t think it worked, judging from the face Ryuji made.
She then coughed, clasping her hands together. She would have to gently steer Makoto in the right direction.
“But sooo… any reason why you went with Ren today?” she asked innocently.
“Because… there were a lot of things to carry…?” Makoto raised an eyebrow, but then her expression became apologetic. “Sorry for making you wait…”
“Nonono, it’s okay!” Anne said hastily not wanting to make Makoto feel bad. “We didn’t wait too long, you know! I was just surprised that you went with Ren! Though, you have gotten closer lately.”
Makoto still looked confused. “Um… yes? We have been spending more time together lately…”
Frantically behind Makoto’s back, Ryuji was slashing at his neck and mouthing “no” at Anne.
“What? Why the heck was he backing her and Ren up about hiding their relationship?!” Anne thought with annoyance.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me…” Ken suddenly uttered.
“Kidding me?” Makoto repeated. “About what…?”
“Come on, Makoto, you really should stop trying to hide it!” Anne exclaimed, starting to feel frustrated now.
Why did she feel so ashamed? Ren had to be an amazing boyfriend. Didn’t she want to hold his hand in public? Or maybe even give him a kiss on the cheek?
“Hide what?” Ren asked, having returned upstairs, completely oblivious to their conversation.
He had grabbed napkins, plates, knives, and forks, and he set it down on the table. For some reason, Ken was starting to glower at him.
“Ren, we’re your friends, right?” Anne demanded, hands on her hips as she stepped closer to him.
“Oh, dear god,” Ken suddenly sighed out.
She glanced at him to see that he was pressing a hand to his forehead.
“This is just a mess,” Ken said and shook his head.
“You don’t hafta tell me,” Ryuji muttered.
This annoyed her more. They both knew something. So either she was the only one things were being hidden from, or they probably figured some stuff out before she did, but also said nothing.
“Uh… yeah?” Ren said slowly all while raising an eyebrow at her, before looking over to the other boys. “Mind telling me what’s going on?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Ken said flatly, folding his arms over his chest. “You brought this on yourself. You should’ve just listened to my advice.”
Anne felt irritation flare inside her. Ryuji at least seemed to imply he knew something but not the whole thing. But Ken was definitely implying he talked to Ren about this. So he knew! And Ren made him agree to keep quiet? That made no sense!
Well, that only gave her a bigger reason to get them to admit it!
“And friends don’t hide things from each other!” Anne continued, pressing on.
Ren gave her a baffled look, but Anne just kept pressing forward. She would get them to understand, like it or not!
“There’s no need to be ashamed, okay?! It’s something to be embraced! We’re all friends! Why did you have to hide it from us?!”
“A-Anne, you’re really not making any sense…” Makoto said, her eyes wide. “Just what are you talking about…?”
Anne slammed her hands on the table, making it rattle for a moment. Makoto jumped at the sudden sound.
Anne was tired of beating around the bush if they were gonna keep being stubborn and not admit the truth.
“Look, I know you guys are dating, okay?!” she yelled out.
The room was completely silent. And the silence continued far longer than Anne would have liked. She felt herself internally shrinking.
“…What?” Makoto said weakly, as the blood drained from her face. “Wait, Anne, we’re not… this is just a misunderstanding!”
Despite the awkwardness she felt, Anne knew she had to press forward. She can’t let them continue pretending like everything is normal.
“Don’t lie to me, Makoto! I saw you two at the diner!” Anne retorted, pointing an accusing finger at her. “I don’t know why you’re trying to deny it! You’re so, so lucky, okay?! Ren’s so kind and thoughtful and he’ll probably come up with the best dates and—”
Anne bit her lip as her chest constricted painfully. She had to take the moment to start rapidly blinking to hold back tears. Didn’t Makoto know how fortunate she was?
“This… is why I told you to ask Anne-san out already, Ren-san,” Ken interrupted. “Do you need any more proof now?!”
And all Anne’s thoughts came crashing to a halt. Ken told Ren what now?
“Wha?” Anne said weakly.
“You told Ren to do what?!” Morgana cried. “Why would you—”
“EFF THIS I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!”
Ryuji suddenly shoved Anne, causing her to stumble forward. She would have fallen flat onto her face if Ren hadn’t caught her.
“Ryuji!” Makoto gasped, her eyes growing wide. “Anne could’ve been hurt—”
But Ryuji just ignored her. “Come on, man! You’ve liked her since freakin’ June, prolly longer—”
He what? He liked her back? For that long?!
“JUST KISS HER ALREADY DAMMIT!” Ryuji yelled out.
“Ren, I-I…” Anne’s face began to burn with embarrassment.
And Ren? A small smile crept onto his face, only to quickly morph into a smirk.
“So…” he drawled out, “you thought that I was dating Makoto?”
“B-But… the diner… and you have to work closely together,” Anne blurted out.
She was babbling. She knew she was babbling. But she had to try to explain herself! Just—he liked her?!
“You’ve been spending a lot of time with her ever since we beat Kaneshiro and… and…”
“Anne, Ren and I are just friends,” Makoto sighed. “He was just… helping me with a favor.”
“But I saw you holding hands!” Anne cried out. “And you guys were obviously nervous! That was like your first date, right?! That’s why you were double dating with that weird older guy and the other girl! To put less pressure on you guys!”
Her head was spinning. That look he was giving her. He was holding her. What Ryuji and Ken had said—none of this made sense?
Ren just leaned in close, and her eyes went wide. Their faces were four, five centimeters apart. Her face felt so hot that you could probably fry an egg on it.
Ren’s grasp on Anne just tightened before he smiled at her. “You really don’t have to worry about Makoto… or any other girl. You’ve had me captivated since the day I met you.”
He… what? Back on the very first day?
“Though… I’m just glad the feeling’s mutual.” Ren’s smile suddenly morphed into a mischievous smirk. “You’ve really fallen for me, huh?”
“Dude, really?” Ryuji whined. “Why you gotta do this here?”
“And using that awful pun,” Ken grumbled.
“C’mon, Ryuji, you’re the one that told me to kiss her already.” Ren said jokingly.
“I didn’t mean obnoxiously flirting and shit!” Ryuji huffed as he rolled his eyes.
During the banter, Morgana started to dart out of the attic.
“Um… should we give you some privacy? Wait, Morgana, where are you going?!” Makoto asked.
“Anywhere but here!”
“This just… kinda exploded.” Ken suddenly sighed. “I’ll go talk to Morgana.”
Ren frowned, before releasing Anne. “Ken, I don’t know… maybe I should be the one to talk to him—”
“You…” Ken ground out, pointing at Ren, “are going to do what I told you to do two weeks ago.”
He looked at Ren sternly. Anne couldn’t help but straighten up under his stony stare.
“I’ll talk to Morgana. I know how it feels when you like someone, but they like another friend.” Ken finished saying.
And without another word, he disappeared down the flight of stairs. Anne just fiddled with her pigtails, her face still burning.
“We’ll just… er…” Makoto stammered out. “We’ll just get some coffee from Boss!”
“But I hate coffee!” Ryuji protested.
“Just come on!” Makoto hissed, before grabbing his wrist and dragging him toward the stairs.
“Ow ow ow!” Ryuji yelped out. “Holy shit, you need to trim your nails, Makoto!”
“Then take the hint next time!” Makoto retorted, her voice fading away as they descended the stairs.
And this left them completely alone.
“Anne—" Ren began, but Anne cut him off.
“You really… you really like me?”
Shock was clear in Ren’s dark eyes.
“Anne… why are you so surprised?” he asked incredulously.
“It’s just…” Anne bit her lip, before looking at him in the eyes. “I… I only have my looks going for me. Makoto’s a genius, she helps you lead the Phantom Thieves, she’s pretty elegant, knows those kickass moves, and I…”
“Hey.” Ren tilted her chin up, cutting her off.
Anne’s breath hitched at his touch. Then he smiled at her again, summoning the butterflies in her stomach once again.
“That is not true, Anne,” he said earnestly. “Yeah, you’re beautiful. I’ll admit you left me breathless when we had first met. But most importantly, you’re kind. You care so much for the people you love. You gave me a chance, when you didn’t know a thing about me except for the rumors. Ryuji only gave me a chance after I saved his life from Kamoshida’s goons. He was actually kinda an ass to me when we first met… not that he’s a bad person. I understand how jaded he was. But you… you still showed me kindness first when others wouldn’t.”
Ren rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.
“I love how passionate you can get. Anyone would have been pissed at the shit Mika pulled… but not you. You just wanted to outdo her by your own merits.”
Anne felt her eyes filling with tears. Growing up, she was always complimented on just her looks.
Oh, look how beautiful your hair is!
Your eyes are just so lovely…
Your skin is flawless… just like a porcelain doll.
But Ren… he saw past that. He saw her. Just like how he had seen past the rumors about her, when he had comforted her at the diner…
“Anne… please don’t cry.” Ren’s quiet plea snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Dummy…” Anne wiped at her eyes, before offering him a watery smile. “I’m crying because I’m happy.”
Ren’s eyes softened, and he reached out to cup her cheek.
“I’m glad,” he said, as his thumb brushed away the last of her tears. “I want nothing more to see you smile. You have a beautiful smile.”
“Then kiss me.”
“As my lady commands,” Ren breathed, before leaning in.
Unsurprisingly, Ren tasted of coffee. He had really developed a taste for it ever since he started living in LeBlanc’s attic. But he kissed her again and again, leaving her breathless. It honestly left Anne weak in the knees.
Lack of oxygen eventually forced them to come up for air. Anne’s cheeks were warm as she looked at Ren.
“So… I’m your lady now?”
“Do you want to be?” Ren asked, reaching to take her hand.
“Of course I do!” Anne slid her arms around his neck, and his hands went to rest at her hips. “A million times yes.”
“Good.” Ren’s lips curved into a smile. “Shall we celebrate it then?”
“What do you have in mind?” Anne raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, I think you know what I mean,” Ren said airily, before leaning to close the distance between them.
Ken was glad that Morgana was a cat in this instance. It made it all too easy to find him pawing at the door. Ken quickly scooped him up, ignoring Morgana’s protests.
“Put me down this instant!” he hissed out, squirming in Ken’s arms. “I don’t want to talk to you, especially after what you told Ren… and Ren! He knew that I love Lady Anne! How could he do this to me?!”
“Uh, kid, is everything okay?” Sakura-san said with a frown as he started at the hissing cat.
“It’s fine,” Ken said to the older man, giving him a reassuring smile. “Morgana is just feeling… antsy. I’m going to take him out for a bit.”
Once he stepped outside, Ken exhaled deeply. He really did not sign up for this crap, but he had to do damage control. He took Morgana to just outside the train station. He was thankful that Yongen-jaya was a quiet area. Less of a chance for people to come out of the station and see him talk to a cat. While Ren-san seemed fine with talking to Morgana in public on a daily basis, he rather not be seen as a crazy cat whisperer.
“I can’t believe you did this!!” Morgana snapped out.
Ken sighed in exasperation. “Morgana, I just told Ren-san that if he likes Anne-san, he should ask her out—there was no sense in waffling about it.”
This past March—March 5th to be exact—Ken had overheard a conversation between Yukari-san and Junpei-san. They were talking about Junpei-san’s upcoming wedding to Chidori-san and how Yukari-san was surprised that they hadn’t gotten married sooner, with how much they loved each other. Junpei-san had just laughed and said that he wanted to be more confident that he could provide for Chidori-san. At that… Yukari-san just smiled.
“I understand that, Junpei but… you should make your time with her count. Don’t let yourself have any regrets. Sometimes I wish…”
She had trailed off at that point and Junpei-san put a hand on her shoulder.
“You made him happy, Yuka-tan. That’s what really matters.”
But that conversation had… struck him. He had known for a long time that every day should count, but to show the people you love that you do love them… that was what’s important.
Morgana looked away, sulking. “Do my feelings not matter? I bet he was laughing at me all along! I told him so many times how much I love Lady Anne! And then… I find out you were pushing for it too! How is that supposed to make me feel?”
“Morgana…” Ken sighed.
He needed to try and figure out how to make Morgana understand. As tempting as it was to get a spray bottle and spritz some water on Morgana, he doubted that it’d help matters. Not to mention that wasn’t exactly empathetic.
“Don’t ‘Morgana’ me, Mister Perfect!” Morgana snapped out. “I have a right to be upset about this!”
That comment took Ken aback a little.
“I’m not perfect,” Ken said with a frown. “Where did you get that from?”
“Like you don’t know,” Morgana hissed out, glowering at him.
He really didn’t. But whatever. He’d deal with that later.
“Morgana,” he sighed, “look, I know that you like Anne-san. A lot. But—”
Morgana glared at him. “How could you tell Ren to go after Lady Anne? There’s no other girl for me! Ren… he hangs out with so many girls. Surely, there has to be someone else that’s interested in him…”
“Are you listening to yourself?” Ken demanded, feeling irritation surge through him.
He knew it sucked when you liked someone, and they couldn’t see you in that kind of light. He remembered being so jealous when Akihiko-san and Minako-san started dating. At the time he had hated that Minako-san had only seen him like a little brother. He understood the feeling.
But he didn’t want a rift to form within the group because of how upset Morgana was. If you loved someone—you looked out for their well-being first. To do otherwise would be just selfish.
“Do Anne-san’s feelings not matter?” Ken asked coolly, gazing sternly down at Morgana.
Normally, Ken would not be so blunt. He was always conscious of being polite, even when he was not fond of the other person. However, gentleness would not work here.
This seemed to cause Morgana to pause. Good, that meant he could be willing to listen.
“What about Ren-san?” he added.
“I—” Morgana’s eyes went huge, before he lowered his head. “O-Of course… Ren—he’s my best friend…”
“It is not fair to think Ren-san has a duty to not act on his feelings just because you like Anne-san and you’re friends. You just said that his feelings don’t matter and there are plenty of other girls he should go chase,” Ken couldn’t help but lecture. “And Anne-san likes Ren-san. If you really love someone, you need to put their happiness first. What you deem perfect for you will not be the case for the other party sometimes.”
“I… I didn’t mean it like…” Morgana sounded so dejected as he trailed off. “Of course… of course their feelings matter… it’s just…”
Ken took a deep breath so that he could calm down. Because Morgana did get his hopes up for nothing. But he still couldn’t help but pity him.
He said gently, “I’m sorry that Anne-san doesn’t see you in that kind of light, but it’s not fair for you to expect Ren-san to take a step back just because you like Anne-san too. And it’s not fair to Anne-san, she clearly is in love with him. And besides… don’t you agree that both Ren-san and Anne-san deserve some happiness? After Kamoshida? And how Ren-san’s reputation has been dragged through the mud because of his record?”
Morgana was silent for a long time. “Does… Ren really like Lady Anne? Would he treat her well?”
Morgana must be really infatuated with Anne-san, if he didn’t notice the way Ren-san looked at her.
“Come now, you know that answer better than I do. You live with him, you know his character,” he said. “And you know that Ren-san and Anne-san deserve this. I know right now you feel that Anne is the only girl for you but… there will be other girls in the future, I promise.”
Morgana sighed, before his ears lowered, all but folding against his skull.
He mumbled out, “You’re right. I’m sorry for blaming you… and… yeah, Ren would treat her very well.”
Ken sighed for the umpteenth time today. He really hated drama.
“I’m not the one you have to apologize to, Morgana.” Ken said as he scratched the side of his neck.
“I know, I know…” Morgana ducked his head. “Let’s go back so I can get this over with…”
He gave Morgana a crooked smile, and took him back to LeBlanc. Yusuke-san had apparently arrived during their absence. Honestly, he wished he was in Yusuke-san’s shoes.
“Morgana!” Ren-san rushed up to them, before looking uncertain at Morgana.
“Ren… I…”
Morgana raised his head to look at Ren-san straight in the eyes. He then took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry for reacting the way I have been. It was unfair and… well… uncouth and ungentlemanly and I…”
He sighed, before he tensed up in Ken’s arms. Morgana looked down at the ground for a moment, taking another deep breath. He looked back up again more resolute.
“Treat Lady Anne like she’s royalty!” he said firmly. “You better make her the happiest girl in the world! Or else I’ll… I’ll claw your eyes out in your sleep! And I’ll scratch up your face good! I’ll make sure that no other girl will look your way!”
Ren-san then stared for a moment before he threw back his head and laughed.
“You’ve got it, buddy,” Ren-san said after his laugh died a bit down.
Ren-san then started patting Morgana on the head. Since Morgana couldn’t see, Ken just rolled his eyes.
“And no need to worry about that. Anne means a lot to me.” Ren took a step back and gave Morgana a thumbs up.
Morgana smiled a little and nodded his head.
“I’m… sorry again. You and Lady Anne’s happiness should matter more than… well…” Morgana trailed off.
Ren-san shook his head and took Morgana from Ken. He started to rub his head and Morgana started to look embarrassed.
“I get why you reacted the way you did. Bygones?” Ren-san gave him a small smile.
Morgana relaxed a little, the tension in his little body melting away. “Yeah… bygones…”
Ken couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. Then he caught himself, just why was he getting so worried about romance and dramas between this group? He’s supposed to be spying on them for Mitsuru-san and the others. A familiar twist in his gut appeared as the guilt set in. As well as previous words warning him about being careful about his bias and not getting attached.
Makoto-san cleared her throat, pulling him out of those thoughts.
“Now that’s taken care of…” She looked at Ren-san expectedly.
Ren-san nodded. “Right. Our preparations are complete. Yusuke, do you have the calling card?”
“What do you take me for?” Yusuke-san scoffed.
He pulled a bright red card out of his sketchbook. The familiar emblem of the Phantom Thieves was emblazoned on the back.
“Yusuke-san, can I see?” Ken asked.
Yusuke-san nodded, before holding it out to him.
It was like Kamoshida and Madarame, at least from what he heard. Accusing of the host of the palace of a sin. In Futaba’s case, her sin would be “sloth”. Too bad he can’t really take a picture without looking suspicious…
But then he realized something… the café’s proprietor was missing.
“Um… did Sakura-san go somewhere?” Ken asked.
“Oh yeah, Boss stepped out,” Ryuji-san informed him. “Said something about getting something at the convenience store real quick, he told us we could hang out but he flipped the sign to closed to the rest of the customers.”
He nodded towards the door.
Ken gave a nod. That made sense. Though that meant they’d have to wait for him to get back…
Anne-san finally came down the stairs. She looked over at Ren-san and Morgana, worry in her eyes. Ren-san just smiled at her and gave her a nod. He then walked over to her with Morgana in hand. Anne-san held her hands out and he passed Morgana to her. Morgana then leaned forward to mumble something in her ear and she had a sad smile on her face. She whispered something back and gave him a hug.
If Ken had to guess he was probably apologizing to her too.
Anne-san looked over and noticed the calling card that Ken handed back to Yusuke-san.
“So, we’re doing it today?” Anne-san asked as she set Morgana down on the counter, her eyes growing bright. “We’ll be saving Futaba-chan?”
“What do you think we’ll be facing?” Ryuji-san asked. “Futaba’s Shadow is so… weird. Like she helps us sometimes but then she tries to kill us other times!”
“I think that’s because of her fear of people,” Ken mentioned.
“Yes, all those traps feel like a manifestation of a defense mechanism. She is probably so used to pushing people away who want to reach her,” Yusuke-san added.
Ren-san nodded and placed his hands in his pocket. “Right… which is why no matter how much Sojiro tried, he wasn’t reaching her.”
“She wants help, but she’s also terrified of getting hurt…” Makoto-san said sadly. “That’s why she seems to be flip-flopping from two different attitudes.”
If that was how Futaba-san felt, Ken could definitely sympathize.
Morgana nodded. “Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.”
Then he narrowed his eyes before he began to pace on the counter.
“Though we have to be prepared. Futaba’s Shadow will be prepared to defend the Treasure. And the Shadows we’ve faced in her Palace were stronger than any we’ve seen. We can’t let our guard down,” he said seriously.
Yusuke-san frowned. “Though… isn’t it strange that we haven’t encountered to what Futaba’s Shadow referred to her as her mother?”
That’s right… Shadow Futaba had mentioned her when they first managed to visit the Palace. It seemed almost… monstrous if it was strong enough to make the Palace shake. Though the question was… why haven’t they seen it?
“Hopefully whatever that is, doesn’t end up as an obstacle for us,” Ren-san suggested. “Though… it may be tricky convincing Futaba to open the door to us…”
“We have to!” Anne-san exclaimed, her hands clenching into fists. “Futaba-chan is counting on us… we can’t stop now!”
Yusuke-san let out a thoughtful hum. “Perhaps… we should be just straight with her. Explain why we need her to open the door to us, so we can steal her heart.”
“It may work…” Ken said slowly, before he grimaced. “Or Futaba could panic and call Sakura-san on us.”
“Oi, stop being so negative, Ken!” Ryuji-san swatted his shoulder. “I mean, it’s worth a try, ain’t it?”
“As of now… it’s our best bet,” Makoto-san said. “The reason that door is there is because of her cognition. We need to change it. She has to open it for us.”
They had a point, he had to admit.
Ren-san stood up. “Agreed. Come on. Let’s pay Futaba a little visit.”
It’s been sixteen days since the Phantom Thieves had last spoken to her. If they were planning on taking her desires… wouldn’t they have done it by now?
What was the point? They can’t fix her. She was a hopeless case. She killed her mom. Matricide… she was guilty of matricide. And she could never forget it, with how Mom would show up from time to time. And the voices; they never stopped. Futaba squeezed her eyes shut, wrapping her arms around her legs.
Maybe it’d be easier if she just gave up. Sojiro wouldn’t have to worry about her. She was slowly dying anyways. What was the point in dragging it out…?
Futaba blinked. There was… another her? She was wearing Egyptian clothing for some reason.
“What’s going on? This isn’t… I never had one like this…”
“I am the other you.”
Her gaze was stern. Just like Mom’s.
Was this just another hallucination? But… this felt… different.
“How long are you going to keep blaming yourself?” the illusion demanded, staring at her with those strange golden eyes. “How long are you going to shut yourself from the world?”
Blaming… herself… for Mom dying… but it was the truth. If she had never been born, Mom probably would have been happier. She could throw herself completely into her work.
“You need to wake up!” she said sharply. “You need to realize the truth already. What happened to your mother…”
But… she already knew the truth.
“Why rely on the Phantom Thieves? Do you really think you’re that incapable of doing anything? Are you just going to simply give up and hide away from the world forever? Are you going to avert your eyes from the truth?” she demanded.
But she felt so powerless. There was a voice hissing in her ear. That she made her mom’s life miserable. She did nothing but drained money from Sojiro’s pocket.
Her other self slowly exhaled. “Fine. I guess I’ll kill them in the other world…”
Without another word, the other Futaba disappeared. Futaba blinked once. And then twice.
W-What was that about?
The sound of knocking jolted Futaba out of her thoughts. But she remained silent. Maybe if she ignored them, they would just go away…
“Futaba?” It was Ren. “Futaba… Alibaba… it’s me.”
Panic spiked through her. It was them?! They were here?! And then there was the sound of meowing. It was that cat again.
“Alibaba, we have to talk to you!” It was Makoto now. “Please… even if it’s through text, it’s urgent that we talk to you!”
Futaba grabbed her phone and started tapping out an answer.
Message Sent To: Ren Amamiya
[Alibaba]: You should’ve warned me.
“Allow us to explain,” Yusuke began. “We need you to open the door if you desire for us to steal your heart. You must let us in! I know you’re frightened, but we only have your best wishes at heart.”
Futaba gulped. T-They weren’t serious, were they? How could they just drop a level twenty encounter on her when she was just a measly level five?!
“You have to do this if you want us to change your heart,” Makoto spoke up again, but in a gentle tone.
“Please Futaba-chan. We’re here to help,” begged the other girl.
The loud one, Ryuji, then spoke up. “Come on Futaba, it’s no biggie. Just take a deep breath and open the door.”
Futaba just shrunk back at his words, her stomach churning at the mere thought. Easy for him to say!
[Alibaba]: I’m not mentally prepared!
[Ren]: You have to. You can do it.
Futaba huffed to herself, glaring at the door.
“You want to open the door, don’t you?”
Futaba’s breath hitched in her throat, before her eyes widened. It was him. Ken Amada.
“You know, deep down, this is what you want. You want to change… that’s why you contacted the Phantom Thieves in the first place.”
“Stop tryin’ to resist!” The loud voice coupled with a loud thump against the door startled Futaba. “We wouldn’t do this if we didn’t have to! We wouldn’t make you do this if you didn’t want to.”
That Ryuji guy again! He was so pushy!
“Ryuji!” Anne hissed.
She heard Ryuji yelp, “Why the hell did you pinch me?!”
Anne hissed again in response, “God, don’t you have any sense of tact?!”
Futaba had a heavy frown. They all sounded like… characters on a tv show. Ones that all got along and knew each other for a while. Probably picked each other up when they needed it most, but more importantly, had the strength to grab the hand extended. But she wasn’t like that. She wasn’t a character in a show that could rely on their friends and weaponize the bonds they built.
She shut her eyes and shook her head. She took a deep breath to try and steady her shaking and snapped her eyes open, before typing out a response, asking for some more time. They then accepted it, but Makoto threatened to kick down the door if she didn’t open up after they give her a ten second head start.
What happened to that girl’s gentle tone a minute ago?!
Futaba frantically looked around for the head replica of one of her favorite tv show characters. She could face them if she wore it, right?!
“Where is it?!” she thought in panic, as she dug through her things.
She didn’t have time for this! Wait! There was the closet! Of course. You had to have a strategy outfitted for every encounter! Futaba scrambled to the closet, opening the closet’s door before pushing her bedroom door open ever so slightly. She then dashed for the closet door, shutting it close.
“Holy craaaap…” Ryuji breathed.
Futaba could hear the frown in Ren’s voice. “Just what is this?”
“How old is Futaba again?” Makoto asked. “Look at some of the books she has!”
“Medical science, information technology, biology, psychology…” Ken said thoughtfully. “She is only fifteen, right?”
Futaba puffed out her cheeks. It’s not her fault she was born in February! They weren’t that much older than her!
“But hey…” Anne began, “…where did Futaba-chan run off to?”
“Uh… underneath the desk or bed?” Ryuji suggested. “I mean, she’s prolly little, if you look at her Shadow…”
Futaba glared at that. She was not little! She was just a slow grower! This Ryuji really did have no tact.
Then Yusuke spoke. “I do not see anyone under the bed. Oh, perhaps the closet…”
Futaba’s eyes went wide as she heard footsteps approach. The closet slid only a couple centimeters, before Futaba’s hands shot out, grabbing the handle, and yanking it shut.
“I let you in!” Futaba shouted. “Now steal my heart already!”
And only a few seconds later, she heard meowing again.
“He’s right… this probably added another barrier to the Treasure,” Ren muttered.
What did he mean by that? Then there was more meowing from that cat. Why did they bring that thing anyway?
“Explain yourselves!” she demanded. “What are you even talking about?!”
“We need to change your cognition to steal your heart, Futaba-chan,” Makoto said calmly. “It won’t help if you hide away from us.”
“That’s right, Futaba-chan,” Anne added, her voice gentle. “Please… won’t you come out? We won’t hurt you—I promise!”
Futaba just burrowed deeper, all while scowling. Why did this have to be so complicated?!
Makoto wondered aloud. “Would she even understand if we explained…? Honestly, sometimes I have a hard time wrapping my mind around it and I’ve witnessed it firsthand.”
They mentioned her cognition… Wait… was this related to that stuff her mom was researching?
“So basically…” Futaba said slowly, “My cognition is a hindrance, keeping you from the core of my cognitive world?”
There was a pregnant pause before one of them spoke up again.
“Damn… she got it?” Ryuji’s voice filled with disbelief. “Didn’t expect that.”
Despite herself, Futaba smiled proudly. Well, of course. She had absorbed what she was allowed to hear about from her mom’s research like a sponge.
Makoto asked. “How do you know about that?”
Futaba clamped her mouth shut. She didn’t feel comfortable answering that.
“Futaba-chan… why didn’t you just ask us for help?” Anne asked calmly. “We’re dedicated to helping people who can’t help themselves. We would’ve listened to your request.”
Futaba bit her lip as her cheeks started to burn.
“Was… embarrassed…” she mumbled out.
“I get it, Futaba-san.”
Futaba heard some lighter footsteps approach. She heard a hand being dragged along the door. It was that Ken Amada guy.
“Asking for help isn’t easy. I completely understand where you’re coming from…”
Futaba bit her lip. Somehow, she doubted that.
“But… how do you know about the cognitive world?” Makoto asked. “Honestly, I never would’ve thought such a thing existed had I not stumbled into it…”
“Makoto-san, is this really the time to ask?” Ken sighed. “We’re wasting time…”
“But we have to get her to trust us…” she retorted.
“Wait a sec…” Anne said slowly. “Ren, didn’t you mention Boss getting grilled by that one lady…?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Ren confirmed.
Futaba winced at the memory of hearing the woman harass Sojiro. The idea of her orchestrating Sojiro losing custody just… terrified her.
Ren let out aggravated sigh, “Sojiro was pretty agitated about that…”
“Are you saying… your mother was researching into cognitive science?” Yusuke asked.
“What exactly is that? Studying the brain?” Ryuji asked.
Futaba couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Despite herself, Futaba found herself correcting them.
“It’s cognitive psience, with a psi in front! Less science, more supernatural. That’s the important part.”
“I’m… surprised that you know so much about it,” Ken said. “You were fairly young when your mother was researching into it.”
“Please, I wasn’t a baby!” Futaba scoffed.
Mom may not have always liked Futaba peeking into her research but she couldn’t help herself. Reading it made her feel closer to her mom.
“But hey… Futaba-chan,” Anne began, “…did you really kill your mother?”
Futaba stiffened, before she wrapped her arms around herself. Why did she have to bring that up…?
“Anne, what are you—” Ryuji began, only to be cut off.
“Shush!” Anne snapped. “It was an accident. The people who came and read her suicide note claimed otherwise. Maternity neurosis? That can’t be true! Your mother… your mother that your cognitive world showed us is completely different from the mother Boss told us about! What’s the difference? Please… tell us.”
“My… mom…” Futaba choked out, as her head throbbed painfully.
Why did it hurt so much…? This was worse than a migraine.
“T-The one… who killed her…”
Futaba felt a tear trickle down her cheek and she wrapped her arms around her torso even tighter.
It was her… right…?
Makoto sighed. “She can’t remember… because her heart has become distorted. We shouldn’t press her further.”
Anne sighed as well.
“I’m sorry, Futaba-chan. I shouldn’t have pushed you…” she said mournfully.
Futaba’s hands clenched into fist after wiping away her tear. She needed to know. The distortions in her mind… they could remove it. She would just have to do her part in it. They said she was creating barriers, then she must remove it quick. One and done. This was a co-op attack!
She shoved the door open and jumped out.
“Steal it already!” she shouted.
She was standing on one leg, hands extended, her head facing downwards while her eyes shut tight. Her whole body trembling as she struggled to balance on one leg.
There was another pregnant pause.
“Uh… is she serious?” Ken said slowly.
“Don’t make fun of me!” Futaba exclaimed, keeping her eyes screwed shut. “Hurry it up! I revealed myself, so steal my heart already!”
She heard Ren’s voice, sounding amused. “Well… I’m not surprised that she doesn’t fully get it. It’s not exactly a straight and cut process. It took me a couple of times to understand when Morgana explained it to me…”
“How do we explain this…” Ken muttered.
“Ah, Futaba-chan…” She felt a hand on her shoulder.
She opened her eyes to see Makoto looking down at her, smiling apologetically. She couldn’t help but freeze up and tense at the contact.
“W-We can’t steal it here. You just really had to open the closet door…” she said awkwardly.
What?! Why weren’t they clear about this?!
“Um, look, Futaba.” Ren sighed. “Sorry we weren’t clear about the process. But we don’t steal your heart here.”
So, they managed to travel to her cognitive world then? Her mother’s theories were correct then!
But more to the point. The silence stretched on; she felt all the eyes on her. She put both feet on the ground and lowered her arms as Makoto let her go.
“I-I see…” Futaba said shakily, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment.
Time to find a hole to crawl into and never come out… her closet worked. She walked backwards and slammed the closet door shut.
“F-Futaba-chan, wait!” Anne cried, before she rapped lightly on the door. “Don’t go back inside!”
“Futaba-chan, please come back out,” Makoto pleaded.
“Why did you trick me?!” she demanded.
“Okay, that’s enough!” Ken suddenly snapped, sounding rather aggravated now.
Futaba couldn’t help but flinch at his sharp tone.
“Listen, Futaba-san, we have a perfectly good reason for this. It’s like how you put it. Your cognition is blocking our way to the core. Just how much do you know about the cognitive world?” Ken sounded tired.
“I-I know there’s a world of cognition. I don’t know how to get to it though…”
“That’s where we come in,” Ryuji said.
Futaba blinked. Were they going to tell her how to do it then?
“That’s how we’ll change your heart. But you’ve gotta keep the door open or else it’ll block our way!” Ryuji explained.
“How do you do it then?” Futaba asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Oh, um…” Makoto said, “we use a smartphone app. I-I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true!”
“An… app?” Futaba echoed.
What kind of person could even create such a thing?
“Yes, we need to enter the right information and it’ll take us to the cognitive world,” Makoto answered.
“A name, a place, and a distortion… that’s what we need to use the app,” Ryuji said.
“I-I don’t think it’s wise to share this information…” Ken said slowly.
“She doesn’t have the app,” Yusuke pointed out. “What would she do with this information?”
Ken then sighed. “I suppose so. But I think we should really get going…”
“Wait!” Futaba blurted out. “Can… Can I come?”
“Is that… even possible?” Ren asked. “I mean, a host in their cognitive world... it seems like a contradiction to me. I’m sorry, Futaba… but no. We don’t know if it’s safe for you.”
The cat began to meow again. Talkative kitty, wasn’t it?
“Never mind that she doesn’t have a way to defend herself,” Ken muttered.
Defend herself? What was he talking about?
Futaba grumbled to herself. But if she couldn’t come, that was that…
“I’ll leave it to you, then,” she mumbled out.
“Good!” Ryuji said cheerfully. “And don’t forget your promise!”
She heard the bedroom door open and as fading footsteps came to stop to linger by said door.
“Ken, don’t forget to give her the calling card! Look Futaba, just close your eyes and open that closet door, kay?” Ryuji offered in a friendly voice. “We’ll leave your house as soon as Ken here gives you the calling card but we need you to leave that door open for just a moment while he’s still here.”
Maybe that Ryuji guy wasn’t so bad after all. He was still too loud though; his near-shouting made her ears hurt…
“Don’t worry, Ryuji-san. I will,” Ken answered.
The sound of footsteps appeared again but were getting further away by the second.
Futaba’s breath hitched as she heard Ken’s footsteps approach. She shut her eyes and opened the door a little so that way an arm can fit in.
“Futaba-san. I know deep down you know what you want. You wouldn’t have reached out to the Phantom Thieves if you didn’t have the desire to help yourself. You don’t really want to die. Not like this.”
She didn’t know what to say as she kept her eyes tightly shut. The way he talked… it almost sounded like he actually understood how it felt.
Ken’s voice softened. “I can understand what it’s like. I know you’re scared. We’ll help you as much as we can, but you have to take the final step. You want to live—truly live, don’t you?”
They were alone. She could ask him just who the Shadow Operatives were. But he sounded so earnest. He was here to help her… there would be other times to ask him…
“You can’t stay in here forever. You have your whole life ahead of you… I can tell you have a brilliant mind. Don’t waste it, Futaba-san.”
“I…”
“It’s okay. I know… we kinda dumped a lot of information on you. But I promise that we’ll do everything in our power to help you.”
She felt a piece of paper placed in her hand.
“We need you to read this, so your cognitive core will manifest. I’ll leave you to read it, okay?”
Futaba didn’t move for several moments. She waited until his footsteps disappeared too. She fully opened the door, and true to his word, Ken was gone. Futaba stepped out and looked down at the red card in her hands. His words suddenly echoed in her mind.
You want to live—truly live, don’t you?
You have your whole life ahead of you…
For some reason, those words really resonated with her…
Futaba took a deep breath before she slowly began to read the card.
Notes:
Okay, so the boss fight and Futaba's awakening ended up being a lot longer than I had expected. I had only written up to the awakening and it's already close to 3k. So! I ended up splitting the chapter because I didn't want the chapter to be an absolute monster. The next chapter will probably be shorter than my usual average but ehhh.
But I hope my fellow Ren/Anne shippers enjoyed seeing how they get together!
Until next time! I'm hoping to get the next chapter out soon, since it's more of a reinterpretation of a canon scene, but we'll see.
Edit Notes (7/28/24): Sae's height has been changed to reflect her canon height, at the time of writing the chapter I was under the impression she was 6'0". All future references of her height will be corrected to reflect this. Thank you to angelrin89 for her wonderful edits!
Chapter 15: Ch. 14: I'll Face Myself
Summary:
Futaba faces her inner demons, and Oracle is born.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Wednesday, August 10th, 2016
“Is everyone ready?” Ren-san surveyed them all, only for them to nod furiously.
This was it. They were finally going to change Futaba-san’s heart.
But honestly it was a bit strange for him. There was no full moon looming in the sky. They were standing in a pyramid, not in the old dorm. And Ren’s style of leadership was rather… different than both Minato-san and Minako-san’s.
Minato-san and Minako-san were as different as night and day. Ken remembered finding it hard to believe that they were siblings, let alone twins, when he had first met them. But they held themselves with a quiet confidence, capable of whipping out strategies within a blink of an eye. Minako-san would break their tenseness that came with a full moon mission using her cheerful attitude, which often prompted Minato-san to tease her in his own way. As different as they were… they were an unbeatable team.
Ren-san was… impulsive. He experimented and adapted. He wasn’t afraid of attacking their opponents’ weak side. Though honestly, he could have gone without mugging Shadows…
Neither way was superior, though. Ren-san was a good leader. He looked out for everyone, even though both he and Makoto-san were older than him by a year.
But then again… Ken looked up the flight of stairs. He had bigger things to worry about. Like the whole thing with Futaba-san. He meant every word he said to her in private.
And her Shadow still concerned him. Her whole Palace did. The back and forth between the booby traps and Sakura-san’s cognition trying to give them helpful clues. Her Shadow wanting them to help, to dropping them into a sand pit and sending the other Shadows on high alert after them… Would her Shadow be in disarray? Bounce back and forth between begging for help and attacking them?
Those murals made it clear she desperately needed help. She can’t shoulder this pain and torment any longer.
Ken felt a hand on his shoulder, which made him jump slightly. Makoto-san gave him an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, it looked like you were a bit nervous,” Makoto-san said gently. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah… I’m fine.” Ken forced himself to smile at her.
He didn’t want her to worry. Especially since she was fretting over him just a couple days ago.
“I’m just… thinking,” he added.
Makoto-san gave his shoulder a light squeeze.
“Everything will be fine… we’ll save Futaba-chan,” she said with conviction.
She suited confidence very well. There was a sparkle in her eyes, as she stood tall.
Ken just offered her a small smile. “I hope you’re right.”
“Let’s do this, guys!” Ren-san called out to them, before sprinting up the stairs.
They raced up the several flights of stairs, only to stop before the great door… that was slowly disappearing.
“Yes, it worked!” Ryuji-san cheered, pumping his fist.
“Heh, what did you expect?!” Morgana demanded, grinning widely. “Come on, the Treasure awaits us!”
“Wait…” Yusuke-san stopped and looked around.
“What is it, Fox?” Anne-san asked.
Yusuke-san placed his index finger and thumb on his chin. “I was just wondering… Boss’s cognition is not greeting us one more time it seems? I would have expected him to give some final words or something.”
“Oh yeah, you’d think he’d drop more cryptic shit at us or something. Or some last speech or whatever.” Ryuji-san shrugged.
Ken looked around and now it made him wonder why that was as well. Though he supposed Boss’s cognition had only one purpose and that was to leave hints. Just as Ken thought this, Makoto-san and Morgana voiced his thoughts aloud.
Makoto-san clasped her hands behind her back as she spoke, “It makes sense actually. Boss’s cognition thus far has appeared to give us clues on how to go in further or hints about Futaba-chan’s past.”
Morgana nodded next to her. “Exactly. He essentially already served his purpose. She’s at war with wanting help and wanting to push us away. Boss’s cognition fulfilled the former.”
Ren-san cleared his throat, interrupting them all.
“We shouldn’t linger, the Palace is on high alert. We need to keep going. Futaba’s treasure isn’t going to steal itself,” he pointed out.
The group all nodded in unison and moved forward now that the way was finally open.
The lift took them higher up, taking them to a chamber where holograms of computer screens flickered in and out. Ken actually recognized some of the symbols from Fuuka-san’s work.
“Wow… this is incredible,” Anne-san breathed, as she twisted around to survey the entire area. “This is really the core of Futaba-chan’s Palace?”
Yusuke-san nodded sagely. “Indeed, it suits a hacker’s aesthetic very well.”
“But where’s the Treasure?” Makoto-san asked, looking back and forth. “And where’s Futaba-chan’s Shadow?”
Morgana directed them upwards, claiming that the Treasure was somewhere up. Apparently, he could smell it. There’s a bloodhound joke he could make but considering Morgana’s appearance that wouldn’t exactly work…
They climbed several stairs, dodging Shadows for the most part, before they eventually entered a room that was lit up with an odd green light.
In fact, the only thing inside was a sarcophagus.
“Is this really it?” Ryuji-san grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. “Dude, talk about a letdown…”
“Come on, don’t talk like that, Skull,” Anne-san scolded, hands on her hips. “It doesn’t matter what Futaba-chan’s Treasure is…”
“We should take a look so we can take the Treasure,” Makoto-san said.
“Isn’t it… a bit strange though?” Ken asked. “Wouldn’t the host be defending it? Like with Kaneshiro…”
“Don’t jinx us, Ace,” Ren-san warned, before quirking an eyebrow at Ken. “I wouldn’t mind an easier heist…”
“TREASURE!”
And Morgana has been set off. You could practically see the stars in his eyes. Though he had to wonder why Morgana did get that way…
Ryuji-san started to move to push the sarcophagus open, and Morgana ran up to join him. Just as Morgana peeked his head inside the sarcophagus, the room began to shake.
Anne-san nervously inched closer to Ren-san. “Um… What was that?”
Where was Futaba-san’s Shadow? This was getting more concerning by the minute. The room was shaking more and more, the group all fell down, scrambling to try and maintain balance. It was as if there was an earthquake.
A few bricks were suddenly torn away from the top. A single bloodshot eye appeared.
“FUTABAAAAAAA!”
Ken winced as the roar blasted his eardrums.
“What was that?!” Ken thought with a panic.
“D-Don’t tell me…” Morgana whimpered out; he had apparently come to some kind of realization.
“Everyone, look out!” Ren-san shouted, as the rest of the bricks began to crumble away.
Ken used his arm to shield his face as a wild wind began to tear through the air, ripping away the bricks. An especially powerful gust sent Ryuji-san and Morgana flying. He whipped his head back, and to his relief, they had just skidded back several feet. If they had fallen off the pyramid, at this height…
“Seriously, what is this?! This is just insane!” Anne-san shouted; her arm was thrown up to shield her face as well.
“It’s… it’s a cognition!” Morgana said through gritted teeth. “A cognition formed by Futaba!”
"A cognition…? Wait…" Ken thought.
It hit him like a ton of bricks. It resembled a Sphinx… but the woman’s face… it was like the woman in the murals!
“It’s Futaba-san’s cognition of her mother!” Ken gasped.
“Then why is she tryin’ to kill us?!” Ryuji-san demanded. “None of the cognitions attacked us before! They were creepy slaves and other shit, but not like this!”
“And none of the ones were like Boss’s before either, remember?!” Anne-san argued back.
“No time to speculate or argue!” Yusuke-san shouted. “We need to avoid—ack!”
Bricks and stone were falling everywhere, with how the cognition of Isshiki-san was tearing apart the chamber so she could attack them. Somehow, miraculously, they managed to escape that unscathed.
The cognition had completely torn away the walls of the chamber, leaving them on top of the pyramid. The cognition then launched itself in the air, flying high above their heads. But the way it was flying about, it reminded him of how they weren’t able to hit the Hanged Man Shadow while it floated in the air. Not even Yukari-san’s arrows could strike it. But it had to have a weakness, didn’t it? The Hanged Man Shadow had those statues. But what of this? She was far away and just circling around like a shark in the air.
“Do not approach the pharaoh’s tomb!” she spat out venomously. “Misfortune will befall you now!”
But since they had wanted to take Futaba-san’s Treasure, her cognition of her mother wanted to kill them for it? Just what was Futaba-san’s Treasure?
Her subconscious was truly at war with itself. But it seemed the destructive side was winning. The Palace itself, the Shadows that guarded it, the many puzzles, the booby traps, and now this monstrous cognition… all with the intent of trying to push away any who try to help her. Only the Sakura-san cognition seemed to be the last shred left that wasn’t destructive.
They had to help her. They couldn’t let this continue. It’s clear just by her mother’s cognition that it will only get worse before it’s too late. And if they fail…
Ken shook his head. No… he couldn’t think like that!
But this was bad. If Yukari-san was here, she might be able to shoot it down, but that wasn’t the case. Most of the weapons here were close range…
“Mona, do you have any ideas on how to tackle this?” Ren-san shouted.
“We… we have no choice, Joker…” Uncertainty made Morgana’s voice waver and he stared at the ground.
Then his little paws balled into fists before he looked to Ren-san. He gave a little nod.
“We’ll have to use our spells and guns to take it down! I’ll try to figure out some kind of weakness while we’re at it!”
“Got it!”
They opened fire, but it barely did any damage to Isshiki-san’s cognition. It didn’t exactly help that the distance caused their spells to peter out. This had just… gone from bad to worse. They would get too tired out if they kept using spells recklessly.
But what could they do? Aim for her wings? But the distance would allow her to dodge it all too easily…
“Ace, look out!”
Ken looked up, only for the cognition to slam her paw down on him. Ken squirmed underneath but the cognition just pressed hard. Ken wheezed for air. It was starting to grow difficult to breathe…
“Johanna!” Makoto-san shouted, before he heard an explosion.
The cognition growled, but finally let him up, taking to the skies again. Ken jerked up in a sitting position, desperately gulping for air.
“Ace!”
Makoto-san suddenly knelt in front of him, helping him up. She put a hand on his shoulder, before closing her eyes in concentration. A warm feeling swept through his body, healing most of his injuries.
“Ace, you need to focus,” she chided. “You really looked like you were zoning out.”
“I’m sorry… I was just thinking about how to handle this…” Ken quickly apologized.
He then looked back up at the cognition with a frown, which was still soaring high in the air.
“I’ve faced a similar Shadow before I joined up with you guys… but that Shadow had a weakness to target. I don’t know if this one does. I was thinking we could target her wings, but I think we’re just too far away.”
“We’ll just have to buy some time, until Mona can figure out something…” Makoto-san sighed before she smiled at him. “I’m glad that my attack made it let up though…”
Ken winced. “Thanks, Queen.”
The cognition then drew in close, flapping her wings hard. The force knocked them all several meters backwards. He heard Ryuji let out a pained cry as he skidded backwards.
That attack was definitely wind based… And the cognition was taking advantage of that.
Ken gritted his teeth, before tearing off his mask. Kala-Nemi appeared with a flash, firing at the cognition.
“Goemon!” Yusuke-san summoned his Persona, before pointing at the cognition. “Take this!”
Ice formed around her paw, and the cognition growled, shaking it violently to shake off the ice. But Ren-san and Makoto-san took advantage of the brief distraction to fire attacks at her.
When the cognition recoiled, Ren-san took the opportunity to shoot with his gun.
Anne-san darted over to Ryuji-san, helping him up. But even at a distance, Ken could see that his eyes were unfocused, and he swayed back and forth. The cognition snarled, raising her paw to slam down on Ryuji-san.
But Morgana quickly intervened by summoning Zorro. Anne-san supported Ryuji-san with one arm, but she tore off her mask with her free hand.
Carmen’s cigar glowed bright red, before flames roared to life. The cognition hissed in pain as the flames licked at her paw. Morgana then took the opportunity to heal Ryuji-san, with the cognition momentarily distracted.
The cognition let out a roar, before ascending the sky, higher than before.
“Everyone, brace yourselves!” Morgana shouted. “She’s rearing up for a powerful attack! It looks like she wants to divebomb at us!”
He wished that Fuuka-san was here. Morgana was decent enough during the Palace explorations. (Although admittedly, he only could compare Fuuka-san to Rise-san, and he hadn’t exactly seen much of Rise-san in action. He heard Mitsuru-san had briefly before Fuuka-san joined but he hadn’t joined SEES until after Fuuka-san.) But they really needed someone who focused on analyzing. Especially for a fight where a weakness was unclear…
The cognition flew in the air, for several moments. Ken couldn’t help but feel antsy, even as he tensed. It was like the whole thing with the Hermit Shadow again. The Hermit Shadow took a long time to charge up that attack, but it had really packed a punch.
And then a loud, piercing sound, like a missile, echoed through the air.
Isshiki-san’s cognition struck, divebombing at them all. A section of the ground was destroyed, even. But thankfully nobody was standing there. But the force was strong enough to send Ken to his knees.
“Mona, have you figured anything out?!” Ryuji-san demanded, all while pushing himself up in a sitting position.
“I’m sorry… I don’t know!” Morgana cried out.
He sounded utterly miserable. It was extremely unlike him. He prided himself on being an advisor to Ren-san. Admittedly he was very good at what he did.
“There’s no pattern… I… I…” He sounded so helpless before uttering, “I’m sorry.”
“What are we going to do, then?!” Yusuke-san exclaimed.
“If Mona can’t figure out a weakness…” Anne-san breathed out.
“M-Mom?”
Ken’s head whipped to the sound of the voice. It was Futaba-san. She had followed them inside?! But… how? It was only then Ken noticed; Sakura-san’s cognition was standing besides Futaba-san. The holographic priest gave her a bow and a smile, before vanishing.
“So-Sojiro? Where did you go?” Futaba-san ran up to the spot where the cognition was standing, before he vanished.
“Futaba-chan?!” Anne-san cried, immediately on alert. “What are you doing here… how did you get here?!”
Ren-san, on the other hand, just stiffened. He then abruptly dragged a hand down his face.
“When we used the Nav to go inside the Palace… she must’ve received it too!” Ren-san exclaimed.
Dammit… and she remembered what they had told her about the app.
“What is this going to do to her Palace…?” Yusuke-san asked.
“Are you seriously asking that now?!” Ken snapped, irritation flaring inside of him.
He knew that it was worrisome, but they should be more concerned with the cognition. Not to mention, the cognition was angry at Futaba-san. She was in more danger than anyone else here.
“Futaba-san, you have to go back! It’s too dangerous for you to be here!” he said urgently.
“I can’t leave now that I’m—” But Futaba suddenly stiffened, her eyes growing wide with fear.
Her knees suddenly buckled together, before she fell down.
“No… no…” she whimpered out, before falling to her knees.
She pressed her headphones hard against her ears, as if it was her lifeline.
“It’s my fault…” she choked out.
Then it suddenly struck Ken. Her headphones… were they meant to block out her auditory hallucinations? He remembered Sakura-san talking about how Futaba-san suffered from both visual and auditory hallucinations. She must be hearing the accusations again.
“Futaba-san!” Ken staggered to his feet and rushed over to her, grabbing her by the shoulders.
He shook her lightly. He had to snap her out of this.
“Futaba-san, you have to snap out of it! Those men… they said those things just to hurt you! You have to fight through it!”
“I…” Uncertainty shone in her eyes. “I… no… they’re right…”
“Ace is right!” Anne-san had joined him, kneeling beside him. “You know the truth, don’t you? Your mother loved you! She never hated you! She didn’t regret giving birth to you!”
“No… It’s my fault…” Futaba-san’s voice cracked, and Ken felt his heart break hearing the pain in her voice. “It’s my fault that Mom…”
She squeezed her eyes shut, a single tear trickling down her cheek.
“No, you can’t blame yourself, Futaba-chan!” Makoto-san said.
She knelt by Futaba-san’s other side, placing a comforting hand on the younger girl’s shoulder. She hesitated for a moment, but then she reached out, brushing the tear away from Futaba-san’s face.
“Your mother’s death was a tragedy, but it’s not your fault! The mother who loved you is not a lie!” she insisted.
“That was all just a front,” Futaba-san mumbled out, her voice shaky before she started shouting. “She hated me! Because she had to take care of me, she couldn’t fully focus on her research… I was just a burden to her! A leech… had she been married maybe it would’ve different, but I was just in the way! A problem! They all knew it! Her family! Those men! I was just a parasite she got saddled with! And she killed herself because she couldn’t handle it anymore…!”
Ken opened his mouth, but he found himself at a loss of words. Ken’s hands curled into fists. Could… this be Miyuki and Kaito’s thoughts had Yukari-san not… He vigorously shook his head. He can’t think like this right now.
He hated this! Their words weren’t reaching Futaba-san. How could they help her?
“That’s right… it’s all your fault!” the cognition spat. “You killed me! You were such a nuisance! I should have never had you! I would have been able to focus on my research… if it wasn’t for you!”
“Hng…”
The hurt in her eyes were as clear as day. Just looking at her made his heart ache. Just what could they say to get to her? Ken released her but didn’t move away from her.
“Futaba-chan…” Anne-san whispered, her voice cracking ever so slightly.
Makoto-san looked at a loss what to say, her hands suddenly clenching around her kneecaps.
“Your life is pointless!” the cognition hissed out, venom dripping from her voice. “Nobody cares about you!”
“Nobody cares about me…” Futaba repeated faintly, more tears streaming down her face.
“Futaba-chan, no!” Makoto-san shook her head. “That’s not true! We care about you! Boss too! He’s worried sick about you!”
Futaba-san just shook her head. “I’m just a burden to Sojiro. And people are on his case because they think he’s a bad parent… It would be better if I just…”
Ken swallowed hard. He… understood the feeling. But it had to be even worse for Futaba-san, because of the supposed abuse Sakura-san was being accused of on Futaba-san. She had to feel helpless… because she couldn’t talk to people. Testify that it was nothing but a lie. That he was one of the only people who even tried to help her.
“No!” Ken raised his head to see that Ren-san was the one who spoke. “Futaba, that is not true!”
Ren-san’s voice was fierce as he stared at Futaba.
“Sojiro loves you. He only cares that you’re happy. That’s why he brought the doctors to you… but he backed off when you wouldn’t see them, because he knew that it made you uncomfortable. That’s why he buys anything you ask for. Feeds you anything you want, like his curry. All he wants is to see you happy again!”
Futaba-san’s eyes were filled with shock, before whispering, “He… he does?”
Futaba-san then suddenly clutched her head with a pained cry. Her face contorted as she pressed her hands against her temples.
“W-What’s the truth…” she whimpered out, squeezing her eyes shut. “I… I don’t know!”
“Futaba-san…” Ken murmured, feeling his heart break watching her.
What could he do to help her? Why couldn’t he reach out to her like Akihiko-san had to him…? Akihiko-san had been blunt with him, but that’s what he needed. He didn’t need to be told: It’ll be okay.
He needed to be snapped back to reality and Akihiko-san had. From what he remembered—it had seemed almost effortless.
“Because she thinks she killed her mother…” Makoto-san said slowly, “And because she thinks she should be dead—Futaba-chan gave birth to a Palace where her mother wants her dead?”
“Futaba-chan, you need to look!” Anne-san cried, her voice growing desperate. “Really look at her! This is not your mom!”
“She loved you…” Ken said, a sad smile on his face.
“Yeah, very much! Boss told us all about it!” Ryuji-san exclaimed.
“Guys, the cognition is circling again…” Morgana warned, keeping his focus on Isshiki-san’s cognition while they tried to get through to Futaba-san.
“Open your eyes, Futaba-chan!” Anne-san begged.
“Those men mar her memory with ugly brushes, trying to paint a false picture of her. But the one we were told of from Boss is of a woman who cared deeply about her child,” Yusuke-san said passionately. Then he looked to Futaba-san. “Do not give into the illusion!”
“No, she didn’t…” Futaba-san mumbled out.
Makoto-san exclaimed, “Listen to us! Boss told us everything. She was a single mother… but did her best to raise you. This is just a false memory foisted upon you by the men in black!”
“A false memory…?” Futaba-san repeated, her voice faint.
And then… Shadow Futaba materialized.
“Ugh, not now!” Ryuji-san moaned out. “We can’t fight them both!”
He then reached up for his mask, but a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.
“Wait, Skull!” Ren said sharply, shaking his head. “Look at her face.”
He was right. There was no malevolence coming from Shadow Futaba. If anything, she looked determined.
“Futaba Sakura! You have to remember!” she exclaimed.
Ken’s eyes widened. Futaba-san’s Shadow… it really was a Shadow of repressed feelings, both good and bad. Or maybe, to be more accurate, Futaba-san’s repressed memories.
Futaba-san’s eyes suddenly glazed over. She was silent for several minutes. The Shadow seemed to disappear again. What was going on with Futaba-san? They all looked at each other with worry. But were distracted by the howls of Isshiki-san’s cognition. After another minute, Futaba-san finally lifted her head. She slowly climbed to her feet.
“She’s up!” Ryuji-san exclaimed.
This place… everything about it was beyond Futaba’s wildest dreams. She ended up at a pyramid. Sojiro was a purple hologram dressed like an Egyptian priest that leads her to some doppelganger of hers also dressed like some kind of Egyptian royalty or something.
And now… a giant monster with her mother’s face, telling her everything was indeed her fault and she should die. It all hurt so much to think about. She fell to her knees. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t silence the jeers and awful memories.
But all too soon, everything was silent around her. The lighting all around her in a green hue. And standing in front of her was the other her, with the golden eyes.
“You’re the reason she committed suicide. You were just getting in the way of her research. Or that’s what we kept saying over and over for years. Why did you think it was suicide?” the other her questioned.
Futaba answered weakly, “Because of the note…”
“Exactly.” The other her nodded. “The men in black suits read her suicide note to you. And what was written on it?”
“All of her complaints…” Futaba hung her head low, “About me.”
The other her bent down and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Yes. The shock and the pain led you to avert your eyes. But they kept reading it aloud in front of your relatives. Think hard... was that suicide note real? Did those words sound like how she would phrase things? You never even got the chance to see the handwriting. None of your family did. They didn’t question any of it. But… deep down… I know you have doubts, because they are my doubts.”
Futaba felt her breath hitch but she still didn’t look up.
“Deep in your subconscious you knew something about this didn’t add up. Would the mother we loved so much truly have written that?”
Futaba licked her lips as she shook her head, she still couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with the other her.
“When she was alive… did she ever say such horrible things to you?”
Futaba felt as if the wind was knocked out of her from her other self. She froze briefly. Then shakily moved her hands from the side of her head as she finally met the gaze of the other Futaba.
The other her let go of her shoulder and stood up as she stared down at Futaba with a gaze that reminded her too much of her mother.
Futaba didn’t know where she found the strength, but she rose to her feet.
“No! She scolded me whenever I had tantrums. But she never talked to me like that! Never called me any of those things! She… she cared for me!” Futaba found her voice.
Futaba didn’t even recognize the sound of her own voice. She sounded so… sure of herself.
The other her nodded and asked, “Then what about the suicide note?”
“A total lie! It has to be!” Futaba found herself shouting.
The other her nodded in approval. “You finally see the truth you’ve locked away deep in your heart. You were used! They must have forged her suicide note and laid the blame of her death upon you, then destroyed her life’s work!”
Futaba felt herself shaking but not in fear for once. No, she felt… angry.
“They trampled all over your heart when you were still just a child!” The other her raised her hand to point at Futaba. “Yes! You’re angry! Good! Get mad! Don’t forgive those rotten adults who stole her from us!”
Futaba took a deep breath, staring at the ground once more, before looking up at her other self again. More anger was burning in her eyes.
“It’s because I couldn’t face myself, or Mom’s death… the thought any of it could be true just…” Futaba shook her head and stomped her foot. “Even then, why did they have to yell at me like that?!”
It all became bright again. The group… those Phantom Thieves were around her once more…
“She’s up!” Ryuji exclaimed.
“Futaba-chan?!” Anne expressed with worry.
A sharp pain pierced through her skull. Futaba clung to both sides of her head as she winced. She never had a headache like this one before. It felt so different from the others.
A feminine voice from within called out to her.
“What denies you is an illusion. A curse put upon you by the heartless. You knew from the very beginning. And yet… you cowered from fear.”
“That’s right… I knew but I…” Futaba said weakly but tried to gain her footing despite the piercing headache.
The monster with her mother’s face screamed out from the distance, “It’s all your fault…! This time, you’ll be the one to die!”
“Will you die as you’re told?” the voice continued. “Just who will you obey? Cursed words spat out by an illusion? Or the truth within your own soul?”
“It’s all your fault! It’s ALL your fault!” the monster wailed as it flapped its wings, creating a gust of wind that nearly knocked everyone off their feet.
“I won’t let those distorted lies deceive me anymore…” Futaba winced as she stood more upright. “I won’t be led astray by other’s voices anymore either!”
She lifted her face towards the cognition, glaring up at it. Determination burned in her eyes.
“You are not my mom! You’re just a lie created by those horrid adults… I… I…” her hands clenched into fists. “I will never, ever forgive them!”
“Don’t tell me…” Ren-san breathed out, his eyes widening in shock. “But this is completely different from the rest of us!”
That wasn’t entirely accurate but Ken could understand why Ren-san would feel that way. While the circumstances are definitely different, Futaba-san would be fueled by her anger at the people who hurt her; instead of how the others had awakened to their Persona by embracing their sense of rebellion. This… was her rebellion.
At Futaba-san’s declaration, blue flames exploded around her, cloaking her body for a moment. When it faded, Shadow Futaba floated above her host, becoming translucent. Shadow Futaba’s form began to shift, transforming into a… UFO?
Wait a minute… wasn’t this how the Investigation Team awakened to their Personas? Their Shadow-self became their Persona… He still remembered how Kanji-san and Naoto-san had explained it to him. It had been hard to wrap his mind around, even after he had defeated his false Shadow-self. But now… he was witnessing it firsthand.
Tentacles then extended from the Persona, lifting Futaba into the air before she disappeared into it. That was… unexpected. Whenever Fuuka-san summoned Juno, she just appeared inside the glass orb that made up the lower half of Juno’s body. This was entirely different however.
Understandably the rest of the Phantom Thieves were concerned, they never dealt anything like this before.
“Futaba-chan?!” Makoto-san cried out.
“Don’t worry! I’m okay!”
Ken’s eyes widened as a similar sensation hit him. Futaba-san wasn’t talking aloud. She was speaking to them telepathically. This was how Fuuka-san spoke to them when they were in Tartarus!
And just right when he was thinking that they needed someone who focused on support… Futaba-san’s Persona was like Rise-san’s and Fuuka-san’s!
“Dude, what was that?!” Ryuji-san demanded.
“It’s okay!” Ken said, turning to face everyone.
When they looked to him in confusion, Ken started to clarify.
“Mona, let her take your place! You can focus on attacking now! Her Persona… I think it specializes in support! She should be able to help us find a weakness!”
“Personas can do that?!” Anne-san sounded bewildered.
“I’ve gone through countless Personas, and none of them can do that…” Ren-san shook his head, sounding more than just a little skeptical. “Are you sure about this, Ace?”
Ken mentally stumbled at Ren-san’s question. Shoot, he had to be careful. He just nodded firmly.
“Positive! We all heard her voice just now, right?” Ken looked around and they all nodded at him. “That has to be the reason, right? She’ll give us support and be able to help us coordinate! Just watch her in action! I can feel I’m right!”
He almost slipped up again, but thankfully he managed to recover. He had to remember Mitsuru-san was counting on him too.
“Yeah!” Futaba-san sounded completely different now.
Her voice was filled with energy and determination. Her liveliness caught Ken caught off guard. This was Futaba-san’s true self, wasn’t it?
“Necronomicon and I will lead you to victory! That thing’s gotta go, help me get rid of it!” she exclaimed.
“Don’t let us down!” Ren-san said with a grin. “But let’s do this!”
“But just how are we going to take down this thing?” Yusuke-san asked. “She’s impossible to deal with!”
“This will be no prob!” Futaba-san declared.
Necronomicon zoomed into view, before a bright green light suddenly radiated from it. A ballista appeared, out of nowhere.
“This is my cognitive world! So that just means I can hack into this, no problem!”
“I’m not even gonna pretend I understand how this works…” Ryuji-san shook his head and rubbed his neck.
“This is too… overwhelming,” Yusuke-san groaned, shaking his head.
“Shoot her with this!” Futaba-san continued, ignoring Yusuke-san and Ryuji-san’s complaints. “And then you can beat the crap out of her!”
“Someone needs to man the ballista!” Ren-san said.
“I’ll do it!” Anne-san interjected, before sprinting over to the ballista. “I’ll shoot her down, no problem! I am gonna protect Futaba-chan from all these horrible thoughts that made her want to die!”
Ren-san flashed a proud smile at her for a moment before he snapped back into leader mode. Ren-san gestured to the cognition.
“Everyone, distract her! We can do this!” he barked out.
“Right!” they exclaimed.
Ken summoned Kala-Nemi to heal up everyone. Ren summoned Ame-no-Uzume, which fired a Zionga spell at the cognition.
Goemon summoned a flurry of ice, and Zorro sent it hurtling wicked fast with a Garula spell. But before Makoto-san could move, the cognition pounced, swiping with her paw. Ken and Morgana managed to dodge, but the others weren’t so lucky.
But since she was so close… Ken ripped off his mask, summoning Kala-Nemi. Golden light flared, making the cognition hiss with pain.
“Zorro, show your might!” Morgana followed suit, blue flaring around him for a moment. Zorro slashed with his rapier, summoning a flurry of wind.
While the cognition was distracted, Ken hurried to help Makoto-san up.
“Thanks,” Makoto-san said, before pressing a hand against her abdomen with a wince. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that leaves a bruise, though…”
“I can heal that too,” Ken reminded.
Makoto-san gave him a small smile. But they snapped to attention as the cognition launched her counterattack.
She blasted a powerful gale at them, but they managed to hold their ground. The cognition let out an annoyed growl before launching into the air.
“Fireee!” Futaba-san suddenly crowed out.
Ken whipped his head to see that Anne-san had the ballista aimed at the cognition. The arrow tore through the air, striking the cognition right in the chest. She let out a screech of pain before she started to tumble down. She crashed hard enough to make the ground shake violently. She clung to the edge of the pyramid, swaying back and forth from dizziness.
“Yes!” Anne-san cheered, before running back to join them.
“Everyone, go all out while we can!” Ren-san ordered.
“Hey, Ace!” Ryuji-san called out to him. “Wanna a lift?”
“A… lift?” Ken said slowly.
“You know, I’ll get you close and personal to Futaba’s mom! Double attack it while you’re at it!”
Ken nodded. “Let’s do it.”
Ryuji-san crouched down, cupping his hands so Ken could step onto it. With a grunt, Ryuji threw him in the air. Ken narrowed his eyes as he made his descent, before stabbing the cognition right in the face. He then hurled his spear right at the cognition’s chest, before ripping his mask. Kala-Nemi appeared, just as Ryuji-san summoned his Persona.
They launched their attacks right at the same time, light and lightning intertwining together.
He dropped to the ground, just as Makoto-san summoned a Freila spell, not letting up on the attacks to overwhelm the cognition.
“Nice!” Ryuji cheered, flashing him a thumbs up.
He had to admit… that was pretty fun. Ken bent down to retrieve his spear.
“Hey, stop messing around!” Morgana scolded. “Focus!”
“Relax Mona, we haven’t forgotten what’s at stake!” Ryuji-san huffed.
Futaba-san’s voice echoed in all their minds again.
“Hmm… it looks like she’s weaker to physical attacks!” Futaba-san noted. “Go get ‘em!”
“That’s my specialty!” Ryuji-san said with a grin, pointing to himself then Yusuke-san, “Fox, you too!”
Physical attacks though? He wondered if gun attacks were the same, then.
“Let’s do this, Captain!” Ryuji-san bellowed.
Captain Kidd appeared, before quickly lunging forward, striking the cognition several times.
“Right behind you Skull!” Yusuke-san ripped his mask off to summon his Persona again.
Goemon sped towards the cognition, slashing at the cognition right in the face. Goemon then leapt out of the way before the cognition could counter. Morgana was already moving to the offensive, as Yusuke-san’s move gave him an opening. Zorro darted forward and strike with his own attack. Makoto then followed up with a physical attack she rarely used, speeding up to ram into the cognition, the impact exploding like a bomb.
Anne-san’s Persona didn’t have physical based attacks, so she whipped out her gun and let loose.
It was in that moment that the cognition finally recovered, attempting to swipe at them again. Ken threw himself to the ground, managing to dodge it but most of the others weren’t so lucky. She then pushed off—making the ground shake—and ascending the sky once again. The others managed to get to their feet. But then Ken noticed that the cognition was considerably tired out, her movements slower than before.
“Halfway through!” Futaba-san shouted, her voice now gleeful.
“Someone will have to man the ballista,” Yusuke-san said.
Ren-san nodded, before turning to Ken. “Ace, you wanna give it a go?”
Ken nodded. “Yeah. Leave it to me!”
Ken ran to the ballista, grabbing the handles. His teammates continued to distract the cognition as he leveled the arrow at her. Futaba-san coached him through it, something he appreciated. He had barely noticed Futaba-san’s comments she was giving to the others, since he was more occupied with watching for an opening. His hands were aching from handling such a heavy device, but he pushed through. But it was a relief when he finally managed to fire the arrow, nailing his target perfectly.
The cognition collapsed again, allowing them to open fire.
“Show no mercy!” Ren-san commanded, sweeping his hand at the cognition.
They jumped to follow Ren-san’s order. They were determined to defeat the monster that Futaba-san’s mind had given birth to… due to her belief that her mother committed suicide because of her. It was like… facing Futaba-san’s inner demon in a way (without actually fighting her Shadow).
Ken fired another attack, which made the cognition slump against the pyramid.
“Yes!” Ryuji-san crowed, pumping a fist.
They formed a half circle, aiming their guns at the cognition. Ren stood in the center, aiming his pistol right at her chest.
“Futaba… if only I had never birthed you…” the cognition said weakly, “then I…”
“No matter what you say to me…” Futaba-san said slowly before her voice grew determined. “I will live!”
Ken couldn’t help but smile proudly at that. Futaba-san… she had realized the truth she had been burying this whole time. And she had done it all by herself.
“FIRE!” Futaba shouted, her voice ringing with her newly found determination.
Ren pulled the trigger, the bullet hurtling towards the cognition. Red spurted from the cognition as the cognition shrieked with pain. She lost her grip on the pyramid, plummeting to the ground. Before she finally dissolved into thin air.
“We… we did it,” Makoto gasped out.
She then sank to her knees, before letting out a relieved laugh.
“That was… that was too close…” she breathed out.
“Agreed,” Ken sighed, leaning against his spear for support.
He then looked up to the sky, where Necronomicon was hovering. The tentacles reemerged, wrapped around Futaba-san, slowly depositing her back to the ground.
Futaba-san twisted around to look at what she was wearing. To be fair, it probably was shocking to her to be suddenly wear this. It had been weird for him too.
“Whoa… this is new!” she breathed out.
Like the other girls, her suit was skin-tight. It was mostly black, with green glowing lines outlining it. But her mask caught his eye more. They were more goggles than an actual mask, actually. She looked like she stepped out of a sci-fi anime.
“Dude, you were amazing!” Ryuji-san ran up to her, grinning at her. “Seriously, we would’ve been screwed if you hadn’t saved us!”
“Skull put it rather bluntly, but… I have to agree.” Yusuke-san smiled. “You truly have overcome your inner demons.”
“Uh… thanks?” Futaba-san tilted her head.
A bright light suddenly appeared, blinding them all for a moment. Then Futaba-san gasped, her eyes growing wide.
“Mom?!” she cried out.
It was Isshiki-san. But the image of her was translucent. Was this her spirit?
No, that was silly… this was probably Futaba-san’s true cognition of Isshiki-san. Now that she rejected the lies forced on her, her true perception of her mother can emerge.
“Futaba…” Isshiki-san’s voice was soft. “Thank you for choosing to remember the real me.”
Futaba-san sniffled, pushing up her goggles to wipe at her eyes. “I’m… I’m so sorry, Mom. I’m sorry for being so selfish, Mom…”
She suddenly made a movement to approach Isshiki-san, but the dark-haired woman shook her head firmly.
“Futaba, you can’t come here,” she said gently but firmly.
“But I finally got to see you again…!” Futaba protested. “After so long!”
He understood the feeling. He would love to talk to his mother again, even for a minute. But he could also see why Futaba-san’s cognition was stopping her. It wasn’t healthy to dwell on the dead…
“Futaba-san, you can’t,” Ken said quietly. “Although she’s just a memory of your mother, she’s right…”
“But…” Futaba-san’s bottom lip trembled.
She was going to start crying, wasn’t she? He was not good with crying girls.
Isshiki-san’s voice was still gentle but firm. “Futaba… you’re being selfish again.”
Futaba-san made a little sound in her throat.
“Mom, I…” Futaba-san’s voice suddenly broke. “I love you… I-I’m sorry I didn’t say it enough to you before you…”
Isshiki-san’s expression was loving as she looked at Futaba-san. But her image suddenly flickered.
“Futaba, I love you too. Take care of yourself, please. I want nothing more than for you to live your life to the fullest. I’ve always wanted that for you. You have others to rely on now too. Don’t forget that. Don’t forget those around you now. And don’t forget your real memories of me. Keep both close in your heart always, and you’ll never be alone again.”
Ken swallowed hard at hearing those words. He remembered talking to his mother’s grave countless times… telling her that he was okay now because he had Shinjiro-san and the others to look after him.
Futaba-san probably needed to hear this as well.
Then Isshiki-san disappeared. Futaba-san was silent for a moment, her lips slightly parted. The group all huddled around her in silence as well. Everyone looking at each other, wanting to say something to her but not sure what to say first.
“Right. Medjed…” Futaba-san then turned on her heel without another word.
That was… not what he expected.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Ren-san raised an eyebrow.
“Home, duh,” Futaba-san said with a shrug. “I can do that since I have the Nav.”
Ren-san gave Ken an aside glance. Ken just shrugged. He wasn’t sure what to make of this mood change as Futaba-san just… walked out without another word.
“She… marches to the beat of her own drum, I suppose.” Yusuke-san said slowly.
“Yeah, no kidding!” Ryuji-san huffed, before scowling. “Not even a thanks.”
“Well, you said it yourself,” Makoto-san pointed out. “She saved us…”
“She really is a strange one,” Yusuke-san sighed, shaking his head.
Anne-san rolled her eyes in response, putting her hands on her hips. “You’re one to talk, Fox.”
“She… She really did a great job,” Morgana said faintly. “Far better than me.”
Ken knelt so that he was closer to Morgana’s level. “Hey. Don’t say that. You’ve guided everyone through the Palaces well. You taught everyone how to be a Phantom Thief. That’s not a small feat. Also, we never would have made it through this desert on foot.”
Despite his attitude, Morgana did have some insecurities. And he understood what it felt like when you think you’re not contributing enough…
“But I couldn’t…” Morgana mumbled out, “not with the cognition…”
“Honestly, I think only Futaba could have helped us with this…” Ren-san knelt beside Morgana, putting a hand on his head.
When Morgana looked at him in surprise, Ren-san continued.
“You saw how the cognition was… it was totally out of any of our leagues. I don’t think any of us could have guided us to beat that thing. Not Queen, not Ace, and certainly not me. Don’t beat yourself up. We all hit hurdles sometimes, but that’s why we’re all a team. We need each other to succeed. And Ace is right, we’d all be barbeque in that desert without our trusty Morganamobile.”
“Really?” Morgana said slowly.
“I prefer the term Monabus,” Yusuke-san said but then was elbowed by Makoto-san.
He gave her a look and she shushed him. This puzzled him even more. Ken just shook his head, Yusuke-san didn’t know how to read the room sometimes…
Ren-san ignored them, he offered Morgana a playful smile. “We’re partners, remember? Or did you forget that?”
“Well…” Morgana trailed off but was interrupted by Anne-san.
“Uhh, guys? The Treasure is gone…”
“What?!” Morgana yelped, before running over to the sarcophagus. “How is this possible?!”
Then he gasped, his eyes growing wide with some kind of realization.
“Wait, I get it… the Palace, without a ruler to hold it together… the Treasure has no need to be a core!”
“Wait then… what’s holding this together?” Ryuji-san gestured to everything around them.
“Oh no,” Ken groaned. “Here we go…”
“Not only did Futaba enter her own Palace…” Makoto-san said slowly, “but her Shadow transformed into a Persona! This place…”
“It’s going to self-destruct, isn’t it?” Ren-san deadpanned.
“How did it hold up so long?!” Anne-san cried out.
The ground started a familiar shake.
“The Treasure must have clung on for so long because Futaba herself was here along with her awakened Persona, clinging to their desire for Futaba to make peace with her past, but once she made peace, it vanished!” Morgana explained as he ran to the edge, “Come on, let’s go!”
“Hang on, we’re going to run down here?” Ken said in disbelief.
“We don’t have a choice!” Morgana fired back at him, whirling around to face him. “Come on, before the Palace collapses completely!”
They ran down the edge of the pyramid, and Anne-san eventually tossed Morgana in the air so he could transform into his bus form. (She didn’t have to be that rough with him.) They all but fell into the bus, and Makoto-san floored the gas pedal, speeding out of the Metaverse and into the real world before the Pyramid fell on top of them.
For some reason… they found themselves in front of LeBlanc, instead of Sakura-san’s house.
Ryuji-san let out a groan. “You guys okay?”
“Define… okay…” Ken groaned as well, pushing himself up into a sitting position. “I hate the getaways…”
“You don’t really have a good history with them, do you?” Makoto-san laughed softly.
“Hmph.” Ken glowered at the ground. “I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.”
“In Ken-ese…” Ren-san said in a sagely voice, pointing an index finger to the sky, “…that means yes.”
“I didn’t ask you, Ren-san,” Ken grumbled.
“Hey, where did Futaba-chan go?” Makoto-san asked in confusion as they slowly stood up.
“Oh, that’s right…” Yusuke-san looked around. “Though, I suppose she could’ve just walked home…”
“Hey, what’s going on out here?” The door swung open, revealing Sakura-san; he stepped outside, blinking at them. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Um…” Anne-san winced. “We… we… came here for some coffee!”
Anne-san bobbed her head before she beamed at Sakura-san.
“Yeah! Your coffee really hits the spot, Boss!” she declared.
Okay, that wasn’t the most terrible acting but… it still made him cringe a bit.
Makoto-san nodded as well. “We might as well, since we came all this way to visit with Ren.”
“I’m not thirsty though,” Yusuke-san said, apparently oblivious to what Anne-san and Makoto-san were trying to do.
Ken had to fight the urge to facepalm. Yusuke-san… still not reading the room it seems.
“Though, doesn’t coffee make you even thirstier?” Yusuke-san said. “It won’t fulfill our thirst. In fact, it would dehydrate—”
Makoto-san quickly elbowed his side again, making him yelp.
“Yeah, iced coffee sounds great,” Ken said smoothly, diverting Sakura-san’s attention away from Yusuke-san. “Especially in this heat.”
“Don’t I know it,” Sakura-san sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Though with this many customers…”
He pointed at Ren-san, who stared in confusion.
“Come in and help me.”
“W-What?” Ren-san asked dumbly.
“Did I stutter?” Sakura-san retorted, folding his arms over his chest.
He looked at Ren sternly.
“Come on, especially after how I’m serving your friends,” he said, before grabbing Ren-san by the arm and hauling him inside.
“Oh, um, actually—I have a quick errand I have to do… I just remembered about it. So I’ll catch up later!” Makoto-san said quickly.
Anne-san caught her eye and nodded. “Okay, Makoto. See you soon!”
The others went inside LeBlanc, before Makoto-san stopped Ken, before holding onto his arm.
“I was hoping that Ren could come to check up on Futaba-chan, but Boss kinda stole him away… but you were pretty worried about her also… Come on, let’s go.”
Ken nodded, before following her out of the alley. Though Ken noticed as she walked, she would wince a bit ever so often. Ken couldn’t help but frown at the sight of her pained expression.
“What’s wrong?” Ken finally managed to ask her when they stepped into the alley that led to the Sakura residence.
“Oh…” Makoto halted in her walking, before speaking again. “It’s just… I got knocked into a pillar when you were working on firing the ballista,” Makoto explained, resting a hand on her lower back. “I’ll… I’ll be okay. I just need to rest…”
Ken frowned, before reaching out to her. He didn’t like seeing her in pain. “Could I?”
“Huh?” Makoto blinked at him, before lowering her hand, moving it to her side once more. “What are you talking about?”
“Just trust me.”
Ken rested a hand on her back, careful not to touch anywhere… inappropriate. He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on Kala-Nemi. Kala-Nemi’s presence in his mind was fainter, as they weren’t in a Shadow nest, but he could still feel it. He hadn’t been able to sense it so well in years but with him fighting in a Shadow nest on a regular basis, it made his senses sharper.
He concentrated for a moment, before his hand began to tingle with a healing spell.
Makoto stiffened for a moment, all while her cheeks turned pink (because well, he was touching her in a place where she wasn’t usually touched), but then relaxed as the spell swept through her.
It was the most he could do in the real world, unlike his senpai who could summon their Personas in the real world. But he was glad that he could do this at least.
“That’s incredible,” Makoto-san breathed in awe. “I didn’t know that you could in the real world…”
“I’ve been practicing,” Ken admitted, pulling back his hand.
It’s been so long he almost forgotten how to do it, so he needed to get the practice in. Not that Makoto needed to know the first part.
He hated lying to them all so much…
“Could you… teach me?” Makoto-san asked hesitantly. “Sis has asked me a couple of times if I’ve taken a fall…”
She then sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“It’s nice to know that she’s concerned but… I’ve had a hard time explaining the bruises. I don’t want her panicking and thinking I have some secret boyfriend who… well, is a thug,” Makoto-san winced, then shook her head. “My sister is very observant but also comes to the worst conclusions.”
“Hmm…” Ken clicked his tongue, as he thought about how to explain it. “It’s just really focus. You have to focus on your Persona’s presence in your mind and concentrate on the healing spell. There’s not really anything I can teach you.”
“I see…” Makoto’s expression turned thoughtful before she shook her head.
She then clapped her hands together once, before turning back to Sakura-san’s home.
“But anyhow! Let’s check up on Futaba,” Makoto-san said, but then she suddenly froze.
“What’s wrong—?” he began to ask.
Futaba-san was slumped against the wall.
“F-Futaba-chan?” Makoto-san’s voice was filled with panic, as she knelt right in front of Futaba-san.
She shook the smaller girl lightly, but her head just lolled forward. If anything, Makoto-san just knocked her glasses askew.
“Please say something!” she begged.
Ken knelt down and took Futaba-san’s wrist, checking for a pulse. To his relief, he could feel one… albeit a slow one since she seemed to be unconscious.
“It’s okay, Makoto-san,” Ken said. “She’s just sleeping.”
“O-Oh… thank goodness…” Makoto-san let go of Futaba-san before she dropped down to her knees. “I thought… because her awakening is so different than ours, that we did something wrong…”
“While it’s true that Futaba-san’s case is very different,” Ken said. “But you know that Personas and Shadows are two sides of one coin, right? That’s probably why Ren-san gains new Personas with the Shadows.”
Or something like that. But he could still remember Kanji-san’s surprise when his Shadow hadn’t turned into a Persona back during the crisis with Sho Minazuki. A Persona manifested due to strength of heart… due to self-awareness. It was no surprise that people could gain Personas in many kinds of ways.
If they had killed Futaba’s Shadow, it’d be a different story. That would probably lead to disastrous consequences, which could be related to the mental shutdowns (not that they had the evidence for it yet, but he couldn’t help but wonder after spending time with the Phantom Thieves). But this wasn’t the case. It had transformed into Necronomicon. Futaba-san was safe… in that matter.
Makoto-san’s brow furrowed as she digested what Ken had said.
“It really was a different case with Futaba-chan…” Makoto-san suddenly bit her lip. “I’m glad that she got to get some self-closure with her mother’s cognition but…”
Ken met her gaze. He understood completely.
“But it makes you wish that you had the same chance but with your dad,” he said softly.
Makoto-san nodded furiously. “I know that Dad’s death wasn’t as entwined with Kaneshiro as it was with Futaba-chan and her mother, but I wish that I could talk to him just for a moment… I miss him so much…”
“I’m sure that he’s still watching over you,” Ken said, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving her a comforting smile.
Makoto-san smiled softly. “Thank you, Ken.”
But then she turned her attention back to Futaba-san, her expression turning worried again.
“But…” Makoto-san seemed to shake as she gazed at Futaba-san’s unconscious form, “what should we do…? What’s wrong with her?”
“Didn’t Ren-san mention something about knowing a doctor in Yongen-jaya?” Ken asked, turning to look at her. “I’ll take Futaba-san back into her room, and you can message Ren to contact her to meet you. It’d be better to have a professional opinion.”
“Okay.” Makoto-san nodded. “That’s a good plan.”
Ken lifted Futaba-san with ease. She didn’t even shift as he adjusted his grip on her so he wouldn’t drop her. Should he be concerned that Futaba-san felt so light? She was quite petite, shorter than Fuuka-san even, but still he couldn’t help but wonder if she was eating healthy.
He carried her into the house, laying her on top of her bed. Her room… was rather messy. Maybe he could tidy up a little while he waited for Makoto-san.
Ken had managed to toss out all of the bowls of ramen and other trash bags. (There goes eating healthy, but if she eats this much instant where did she put it all? She was so thin!) And cleared up some of the manga volumes on the floor, stacking them on Futaba-san’s desk, when he heard a knock on the door.
Makoto-san cautiously opened the door, peeking inside. “Oh, you managed to clean up a bit.”
“Yeah… it was bothering me,” Ken said with a wince.
“So, this is the girl, huh?”
The doctor was not what he had expected. Ken’s eyes were immediately drawn to her legs. Ken quickly mentally smacked himself for staring.
She looked like she was in her late twenties or early thirties. She had short navy blue hair and was dressed in a punk fashion. She wore a black mini-dress under her white lab coat, a black studded choker, and a pair of gladiator sandals.
Ren-san had some… weird associates.
So, this was the woman experimenting medicine on him? Though Ren-san did state it was all herbal it still had him… concerned. Meeting her did not change the mixed feelings he had, even if her medicine did help them in the Metaverse.
But he supposed that wasn’t entirely fair to Ren-san… Minato-san and Minako-san had some weird friends too.
They stood back as they let Takemi, as Makoto-san told him the doctor’s name in a whisper, examine Futaba-san.
“You know,” Takemi said casually, “this is going to cost you. House calls aren’t cheap.”
“O-Oh… I see…” Makoto-san winced. “How much will that be?”
“Makoto-san, she’s joking,” Ken said, having caught the look on her face.
It was all too familiar to how Minato-san would make jokes.
“Oh…” Makoto-san shook her head. “But how is she?”
“She’s fine. Her pulse, temperature, blood pressure, and breathing… they’re all normal. No ocular abnormalities either. She just appears to be in a stupor. Furthermore, she lacks muscle for her age, and I don’t think she has much stamina.”
It took Ken to register all she had said.
“A stupor?” Ken repeated, before it hit him. “Oh… I think I get it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. Futaba-san probably only eats what she likes,” Ken pointed out.
The ramen bowls that littered her room were proof of that. Shinjiro-san would probably have a fit at that, honestly…
“She’s probably not eating healthily… which contributed to her body to being unbalanced. She must get tired out easily if she hasn’t been eating properly.”
“Hmm, not bad.” Takemi looked at him curiously. “It appears that’s not the case with you.”
Ken just rubbed the back of his neck, offering her a sheepish smile. Shinjiro-san was very… insistent on him eating healthily. He remembered that his old friends on soccer club would rib him about that…
“This really is an abnormal case…” Makoto-san mumbled to herself, only to jump when Ken nudged her in the side.
They couldn’t let Takemi catch onto their activities at all. Though he had to wonder what she said to Takemi to get her to come examine Futaba-san.
“B-But anyways!” Makoto-san bowed. “Thank you for helping us out here. I know that you didn’t have to.”
“No problem.” Takemi shrugged. “I’ll just expect my little guinea pig to buy a bit more than he usually does next time he visits me.”
Guinea pig? And Ren-san actually did let her call him that? That wasn’t a joke earlier when Makoto-san brought it up?!
But then Takemi left, leaving them alone with Futaba-san. Futaba-san slept through it all, smiling gently in her sleep.
Ken sighed. “We’ll have to tell Sakura-san. He’ll find out eventually anyways.”
Makoto nodded in agreement. “Let’s head back to LeBlanc then.”
They returned to LeBlanc and told Sakura-san about how they found Futaba-san passed out in front of the house and helped her inside. He hurried back, and the others followed suit.
Sakura-san gently prodded his adoptive daughter.
“Hey, Futaba?” He shook her shoulder gently. “Hey…?”
Futaba-san just let out a soft moan, before rolling onto her side.
“Jeez… not again,” Sakura-san sighed, shaking his head.
“Again?” Yusuke-san echoed. “What do you mean by that?”
“It happens every so often,” Sakura-san began.
“F-For real?!” Ryuji-san demanded.
“She just used up all of her energy,” Sakura-san explained. “Like batteries running out of juice, but… you found her outside?”
Makoto-san just nodded.
“She… actually stepped outside.” Sakura-san was so shocked, his eyes wide.
“I-I think you should be more concerned about this, if this is a common thing…” Ken said shakily, “I mean her eating habits… and the lack of exercise…”
He’d know that Shinjiro-san would be. Maybe it was because Sakura-san spoiled Futaba in that way. And she hadn’t exactly been getting exercise…
“I can’t force her to exercise. And I tried changing up her diet but… after a while it got hard. She would refuse to eat much unless I gave her certain foods. She’s been so fragile, I just did what I could to make her comfortable,” Sakura-san said, before he shrugged; but then he smiled. “But she’ll stay this way for a few days and she’ll be up to her usual self.”
“A few days?!” Anne-san exclaimed. “Shouldn’t you take her to a doctor? There’s one right here in Yongen-jaya…”
“I would, if she’d let me…” Sakura-san sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “But I’ll make sure that she’ll get plenty of rest. Let me close the store and you kids can go home.”
Ken sighed. He was being a bit harsh on Sakura-san. He can’t forget Futaba-san’s mental state before all this. He shouldn’t start critiquing Futaba’s diet and exercise when she wasn’t in the best headspace and Sakura-san was doing the best he could despite it all.
But… as soon as she woke up, he was going to make certain she started having some healthier habits. Ease some of Sakura-san’s worries, of course.
“H-He can’t be serious,” Morgana said shakily. “A few days… We don’t have time! Medjed is going through with its threat in like ten days!”
“Morgana…” Ken whispered warningly, shooting the cat a look. “I know that the situation with Medjed is serious, but Futaba-san’s wellbeing was our priority.”
“He’s right, Morgana. Besides that, awakening to a Persona is tiring enough,” Makoto-san added in a quiet tone.
Thankfully Sakura-san didn’t hear them talking to the cat. Sakura-san left to go watch his shop, Ren-san promising him they would all leave soon, they just wanted to stay a bit longer to watch over Futaba-san.
If he remembered correctly… Minato-san and Minako-san actually slept for an entire week after awakening to their Personas Orpheus and Eurydice.
“I know but…” Morgana sighed, lowering his head. “…I’m sorry. You’re right.”
Then Futaba-san let out a contented sigh. Ken looked to see that her eyes flickered open, and she was staring up at the ceiling.
“That’s right… Medjed...” she sighed again.
Ken wasn’t surprised at the drowsiness of her voice. She blinked sleepily; her voice was now heavy with exhaustion.
“Mm… so tired… gonna sleep some more…”
“Wait, can’t you—” Ryuji-san hung his head as Futaba rolled over and began to sleep again, letting out an annoyed groan.
“We’ll just have to wait,” Makoto-san sighed, folding her arms over her chest. “It’s a bit worrisome, though… but it’s not like we know any other hackers…”
Well, they didn’t know any. Though he didn’t know if Fuuka-san was that good. She was extremely talented, but he didn’t think she could take on Medjed. And the stuff Futaba-san did was next level, it shocked all of them.
No… the best solution was to wait.
They all slowly made their way out. Trying to be quiet as possible as they left, wanting to give Futaba-san the rest she desperately needed.
Soon as Ken shut the front door behind him, Ryuji-san finally spoke up.
“Hey Morgana, when we were in the Palace, you got a brief glimpse right?”
Morgana was perched on Ren-san’s shoulder, giving him a puzzled look. Ren-san just shrugged. Morgana tilted his head towards Ryuji-san.
“Huh? Of what?”
“You know, that Sarcophilus or whatever?” Ryuji-san clarified.
Makoto-san let out an exasperated sigh. “Sarcophagus, not Sarcophilus! Those are two different things.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah—same difference.” Ryuji-san waved her off. “But you got to peak your head in there, yeah? Did you get to make out her Treasure?”
“They are not the same actually. Sarcophilus is a genus of carnivorous marsupial best known for its only living member, the Tasmanian devil,” Yusuke-san interjected with a smile; Anne-san and Ryuji-san blinked at him in confusion and he responded with a huff, “I actually studied for my midterms and got that one right.”
“Ugh! Not the point! Will you hair-splitters stop interrupting and turning this into a class lecture!” Ryuji-san exclaimed.
Makoto-san giggled at him. Ren-san chuckled and rolled his eyes. Ken couldn’t help but sigh again. Morgana just shook his head.
Morgana then seemed in deep thought while Yusuke-san and Ryuji-san had some back-and-forth bickering. Morgana cleared his throat loudly while Makoto-san already broke up the debate.
“I do remember. At the time I wasn’t sure really since I only saw it briefly.”
Anne-san leaned forward, “So what was it, Morgana?”
“I saw a single scroll lying in there.” Morgana nodded.
They all remained silent for a few seconds.
“I… wonder what it would represent.” Yusuke-san tapped his index finger on his chin.
Ren-san played with his hair, seemingly in deep thought. His eyes widened, then his face morphed into one of pity.
Ken inquired, “Ren-san… what’s wrong?”
“I think… that scroll must have represented the fake suicide note.” Ren-san answered slowly.
The group all quietly gasped. They all looked around at each other, heavy frowns on their faces.
“The… mural… the first one we saw…” Anne-san wrapped her arms around herself.
“Yeah… those men in the black suits…” Ken trailed out. “They had a scroll in their hands in that mural… it represented the suicide note.”
“It... was staring at us the whole time, wasn’t it?” Morgana sighed somberly.
Ren-san reached over and lightly pet Morgana’s head. Morgana didn’t complain as he relaxed his posture while still perched on Ren-san’s shoulder. Makoto-san placed a comforting hand on Anne-san’s shoulder. Anne-san let out a deep breath but gave Makoto-san a sad smile. Yusuke-san began to fidget where he was standing, a quiet sorrowful look on his face.
“Whoa guys? Why are we all so down?” Ryuji-san looked around at everyone, “It sucks that happened, and honestly it does sadly make a lot of sense that would be the source of her desires. After all that’s where the shit all started for her. But that is in the past right? We helped save her! She’s gonna be okay now!”
Everyone was quiet for a moment, but they all seemed to relax finally. Everyone smiling a bit now. Ryuji-san wasn’t exactly elegant with his words, but he knew what to say when it counted.
“Yeah, she’s gonna be fine…” Ken let out a sigh of relief.
Thursday, August 11th, 2016
“The girl seriously just passed out?”
“Yeah, pretty much.” Ken stifled a yawn with his hand.
Shinjiro frowned, before glancing at the clock on his laptop. It was past ten. Ken didn’t have bags under his eyes but… “Ken, have you been getting enough sleep? You look like you haven’t gotten any sleep.”
“I’m fine, Shinjiro-san…” he sighed, before yawning again. “I’m just tired after the fight we had. We got put through the wringer.”
“What exactly happened?” Shinjiro demanded.
“A Sphinx tried to kill us.”
“Ken,” Shinjiro ground out.
He really hated it when Ken tried masking things by dodging the question.
“We just… struggled with her cognition of Isshiki-san until Futaba-san entered her Palace and awakened to her Persona. Her Shadow changed into her Persona and everything.”
“It did?” Fuuka suddenly approached, peering over Shinjiro’s shoulder.
She rested her chin on his shoulder as she looked at Ken. “That sounds an awfully like how the Investigation Team gained their Personas.”
“But their Shadows went all berserk,” Shinjiro said. “From what you’ve told us, looks like her Shadow was more like Teddie.”
His lips formed a thin line as a memory came floating to his mind.
“No actually… she sounds more like Metis.”
Despite everything, he couldn’t forget about how Metis had attacked Ken when she first showed up. Aki had to restrain him from attacking the then interloper. But be that as it may, she was trying to help Aigis. Isshiki’s girl sounded like she had an erratic Shadow from what Ken described. Pushing them away, but also wanting help. In the end, she just wanted to help the girl.
“But anyways, I’m glad that Futaba-chan will be okay,” Fuuka cut in. “You’ll be checking up on her, won’t you?”
“Yeah, we will.” Ken rubbed his face. “Sakura-san claims she’s always out for a few days at the very least but…”
Ken then sighed, before pursing his lips. Shinjiro frowned. He hoped that Ken wouldn’t be stressing out too much over this.
“Everyone’s pretty worried. Medjed’s deadline isn’t too far away.”
Shinjiro made a face. “Sheesh… what the hell has he been feeding her?”
Ken fidgeted for a moment. “I don’t know the extent of it but I found a lot of ramen bowls in her room…”
Why wasn’t he surprised? The Phantom Thieves in general seemed to have shitty eating habits. Kitagawa seemed to starve himself so he could buy art supplies. Takamaki had an even bigger sweet tooth than Takeba. And given that Amamiya lived in the attic of a café, he highly doubted the kid was getting to eat half decent food. Niijima and Sakamoto seemed to be the only ones getting decent meals.
“It’s not Sakura-san’s fault… Futaba-san had not been mentally well for a while. He tried to encourage healthier habits but nothing really worked. So he just did what she was willing to eat so she’d be more comfortable,” Ken said with a frown.
Shinjiro sighed. Ken must have noticed how irritated he looked. Depression did encourage bad habits. He shouldn’t blame her guardian. And for all he knew maybe Amamiya did eat better, it’s not like he saw what the kid ate every day. It’s not fair to Sojiro Sakura to assume the worst because of those conditions.
Amamiya only lived in the attic because of how badly Sakura was doing mentally. And Sakura’s eating habits made more sense when Ken put it like that. But it still wouldn’t do.
Maybe he should just start sending Ken off with meals when he went to see the group. Somebody had to give them proper nutrition. Why did teenagers have to have crappy eating habits?
“What’s with that face?” Ken quirked a brow at him. “You’re still glaring.”
“Nothing,” Shinjiro dismissed. “You’re imagining it.”
“Uh-huh.” Ken sounded completely unconvinced. “Sure, Shinjiro-san.”
“What are you planning, Shinji?” Shinjiro turned his head to see Fuuka raise an eyebrow at him. “You’re making that face.”
“Tch, did you two decide that you just have to pick on me today?” Shinjiro grumbled.
Fuuka just giggled before leaning forward to kiss his cheek. “Well, I suppose we should be nice today of all days. It is your birthday, after all.”
“Yeah, happy birthday, Shinjiro-san.” Ken fidgeted again, before looking at Shinjiro hesitantly. “Um… did you like…?”
“Yeah. It was great, Ken,” Shinjiro said quickly.
“Oh, what did you get him?” Fuuka asked, apparently oblivious to the brief panic that appeared on Ken’s face.
“Uh… well…”
“Just a cookbook with Korean recipes,” Shinjiro said quickly.
Hopefully Fuuka would buy that lie. Because he really didn’t want to screw up the actual proposal. Minako and Takeba would both murder him if he screwed it up. They would never let him hear the end of it.
“Oh.” Fuuka blinked, before she finally nodded.
Ken’s shoulders just slumped in relief. He didn’t blame him. He was kinda worried that Fuuka wouldn’t accept his lie.
“That’s a nice present, Ken-kun! Maybe we should look through it for dinner tomorrow night, Shinji. Since we’re having dinner with everyone tonight for your birthday.”
“Fuck…” He thought wincing internally.
God dammit… where the hell was he supposed to come up with a Korean cookbook? Would Bookworms have anything like that?
“Maybe…” Shinjiro drew out the word, all while desperately trying to come out with an excuse. “But I was thinking about cooking your favorite stuff for tomorrow night. Since you probably haven’t had it in a while.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary, Shinji! It’s sweet of you, though.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ken rolling his eyes. He really couldn’t wait for the day when Ken got a girlfriend, whenever the hell that was. Then it would be time for payback.
“But since it’s summer vacation, I think I’m just gonna go back to bed,” Ken said with a yawn. “I’m still pretty tired.”
“You’ll be okay by yourself, right?” Fuuka asked, before she frowned in concern. “You shouldn’t sleep the entire day, though! Maybe you should set an alarm…”
“I know, I know,” Ken groaned. “I already have Shinjiro-san nagging at me…”
Fuuka smiled apologetically. “I know, but can you blame me? It’s been a long time since you’ve been by yourself…”
“So, I can live in a dorm when I’m thirteen, but I can’t be trusted to take care of myself when I’m eighteen,” Ken deadpanned, before rolling his eyes. “Good to know.”
Shinjiro rolled his eyes. “Quit being a smartass, Ken. Fuuka’s just worried.”
“Yeah, like she’s the only one,” Ken said dryly, before his expression softened. “But… enjoy your birthday, Shinjiro-san.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Shinjiro waved it off. “Try and get some rest, yeah?”
“Will do.”
Ken gave one last wave, before he cut off the connection.
KALA-NEMI
Level: 36
Skills: Makouha, Kouga, Recarm, Diarama, Mediarama, Snap, Hamaon, Mahama
Next Skill: Makouga (Level 38)
Notes:
I know that I said I expected the chapter to be on the shorter side but uh… it just didn't happen. Whups. But anyways, Futaba's Palace has finally been completed! It was mostly canon scenes but… I really enjoyed writing my own spin of things. Ryuji and Ken's co-op attack was inspired by their (and Anne and Morgana's) unison attack from PQ2, in case anyone was wondering.
I also will be updating Kala-Nemi's skillset at the conclusion of every Palace. And in this AU, Makoto will only learn Diarama/Diaharan, so there aren't three dedicated healers on the team.
And happy late P3D/P5D release day! I got to play already and I already adore the game. Been thinking of what songs Ken would have in this AU's version of P5D, and I picture him having Road Less Taken and Wait and See (I know it's SEES's battle theme and this is more P5 oriented but shhh). May write an omake about Caroline and Justine's first social scene in this AU, but we'll see.
Edit Notes (8/9/24): After discussing things with my beta angelrin89, we decided to tweak the Treasure to not being Futaba herself. It doesn't fit with the lore super well, since Futaba herself can't be the root of her distorted cognitions. We agreed that it should be the fake suicide note and we added some dialogue to reflect that. Thank you again, angelrin89, for your wonderful work!
Chapter 16: Ch. 15: Waiting Game
Summary:
The days trickle by as the Phantom Thieves wait for Futaba to regain consciousness. Will she wake up in time to help them?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Saturday, August 13th, 2016
"Are the Phantom Thieves really going to do nothing about Medjed?"
"It's kinda scary… I couldn't access my bank account this morning."
"But it's more than a week away from the twenty-first!"
Makoto refrained from trying to bite her bottom lip. Her face twisted into a heavy frown as she took a deep breath through her nose, trying to tune out the discussion. Everyone was really counting on the Phantom Thieves, weren't they?
But they couldn't do anything. Not with Futaba resting so much. But… she was worried, even though Sakura-san seemed to think that this was normal. Apparently, she would be awake in short bursts to eat and go to the bathroom, but she’d pass right out immediately after doing so. Makoto had been so concerned when Ren relayed it, but he shrugged and repeated that Sojiro said this wasn’t out of the ordinary when she over exerted herself… that she had to keep resting until she was ready. Makoto had been exhausted after awakening to Johanna, but… it had been three days. How could she not be worried? Ren had at least promised that he would keep an eye out for her and keep them all updated, but there was still no news.
They still had over a week, at least…
Even though her family didn't really observe the holiday Obon, Makoto still liked to visit the shrine and pray to both of her parents during the holiday. Sae had joined her in the past years but… not this year.
Sae… had been staying over at work more and more. Sae had snapped at her a few days ago when she had attempted to suggest that she should slow down, and at least rest at their home.
She had hoped that her sister would be able to change her mindset without her Treasure being stolen, but the odds weren't looking good. But at the same time, she was hesitant to bring it up to everyone…
It just felt selfish. She sighed to herself and closed the MetaNav, not even wanting to think about the bubble in the pit of her stomach. Her sister’s name… labeled “candidate found” on the app. The implications to that were obvious.
Makoto shook her head, trying to push the thoughts out of her mind. She slowly took a deep breath, to try and loosen the knots forming in her stomach. She shouldn't be focusing on that. She should try to keep her mind off of that and the Medjed stuff…
The train finally pulled to a stop. Makoto waited for the way to clear up before stepping outside. As she looked towards the way to the shrine, she noticed Ken stepping out from another compartment.
Makoto blinked, surprised that they had missed each other completely.
Makoto picked up the pace so she could catch up to him. "Ken! Wait up!”
Ken’s eyes widened when he turned his head and saw Makoto. "Makoto-san? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was just… I was going to visit the shrine today," Makoto answered. "Are you planning on doing that as well?"
Ken nodded. "I was. Had to look it up, though, since the last time I asked, Ren-san could only tell me about Meiji Shrine."
"Ren has only been here two months longer than you," Makoto said. "You probably should have asked Yusuke or me, since Anne told me that her parents are just… out of the country, and both of Ryuji's parents are alive…"
Though she’s heard some gossip regarding Mr. Sakamoto… Makoto quickly shook her head, trying to push the thought of her head. Ryuji didn’t like talking about his dad for a reason.
Ken nodded. "Sometimes I forget that, with how Ren-san seems to know how to navigate Tokyo so well…"
"I can understand that, he’s quite quick to adapt, I’ve noticed," Makoto chuckled. "He took me around Tokyo a few times, and it still surprises me how well he seems to know the area already. And I've been living in Tokyo all my life."
"I visited Tokyo once, when I was pretty young…" Ken mused. "I was only five at the time. My memories of that visit are pretty blurry, though."
Makoto lightly laughed. "Wouldn't it be funny if we crossed paths and never realized it?"
"I doubt it," Ken chuckled. "It’s quite a huge city."
“That’s true,” Makoto said, nodding.
They finally reached the shrine and took turns to pray. They first cleansed themselves with the holy water and then took the available incense, lighting it with the available flame. Ken inhaled as he bowed his head, shutting his eyes as he prayed.
Makoto couldn’t help but watch him, only averting her eyes and pretending to watch the crowd as Ken opened his eyes. It’d be a bit awkward for him to realize that she was almost… staring.
Ken then stuck the incense sticks inside the holder, gazing at the curling smoke wafting from the incense sticks with a pensive expression. Then he seemed to snap out of it, shaking his head. He then cleared his throat, turning back to Makoto.
“So… do you do this every year then?”
Makoto hesitated. “Yes, I don’t always make the trip to the family grave, but I like to offer my offerings at a shrine at least.”
She and Sae had made the trip the first year after Dad passed… But last year and this year…
Makoto fought back the urge to sigh.
"Um… If you don't mind me asking…”
Makoto forced herself to stop brooding, looking back to Ken.
"How old were you… when your mother died?” Ken asked.
Makoto bit her lip. "She got sick when I was six. There was nothing that could be done…"
It wasn't as dramatic as her father being murdered by Kaneshiro and getting away with that for a while. Or Madarame cruelly allowing Yusuke's mother to die so he could steal her work. Or how Ken's mother was murdered in front of him.
But you couldn't fight an illness either.
Ken didn't say anything, but Makoto could see the understanding in his eyes. And she was grateful for that. She despised hearing “I'm sorry” when she knew that they didn't really mean it. Not that Ken wouldn’t have meant it. It’s just not what she wanted to hear right now.
Sometimes… she struggled to remember how her mother was like before she became ill. She knew that Mom was quite the beauty from photographs—and looking at Sae. Sae had inherited her gray hair from Mom. Her face was so similar to their mom too. And the rare moments Sae smiled, it looked like Mom’s, but had inherited her eye color from their dad. But Makoto couldn't remember what her voice sounded like. Or if she wore perfume. Or if she liked to sing.
But the thing she remembered the most vividly was… how her death had affected Dad and Sae.
Though Ken's question had sparked a curiosity in her. About his mother.
"Do you… have a picture?" Makoto asked hesitantly. "Of your mom."
Ken just nodded, before pulling out his phone. They shuffled away to allow other visitors have their turn at praying. It took him about a minute of scrolling, but he handed Makoto his phone. On the screen was a picture of a faded photograph. Despite Ken being… eight or nine, from the looks of it, he was easily recognizable. She didn't realize that his face used to be so cherubic. He honestly looked adorable, but Makoto kept that to herself. Somehow, she got the feeling that Ken would not appreciate her voicing that. Most boys seemed to have an aversion to be associated with anything cute after all.
Though looking between the woman in the picture and the boy standing before her, she could really see the family resemblance. Ken seemed to take after his mother, especially with his facial features. They had the same hair color. Her bangs even swept in the same way as Ken. She had an… unique eye color. Maroon? It was almost… reddish brown. Though something… nagged at Makoto. She couldn't put her finger on it, though…
But looking at the bright smile on Ken's face just… made Makoto sad. She had seen Ken smile, truly smile, and it always made her feel warm when she saw it. But it didn't quite match that smile in this photograph. Though she supposed that was just childhood innocence. He didn't deserve to have it stolen away from him so young…
"She's beautiful," Makoto finally said, handing the phone back to him. "And she really looks like you."
"A lot of people say that…" Ken said, shaking his head; then he hesitantly added, “But… thanks.”
Better that than the disbelief she often got, when people found out that Sae was her older sister. She had gotten, “You look nothing alike”, all too often. However recently she was getting comments that people were starting to see a little bit of a resemblance between the two. Maybe Makoto needed to grow up a bit more for those family features to settle in more?
But something suddenly struck Makoto.
“But Ken, couldn’t you have visited Port Island for Obon?"
Ken's smile was sad. "I couldn’t… not with Medjed, and worrying about Futaba-san."
"Ken?"
"Truth be told, Shinjiro-san is out of town right now." Ken looked straight at her. "He's at Port Island."
Makoto's eyes widened. "Ken, just how long has he been gone?"
"Three days."
Three days ago… that was the tenth. Makoto's heart sank. The tenth. The day they completed Futaba's Palace. If they had been a little faster, maybe Ken could've visited Port Island. Did he even have homesickness? But he had prioritized Futaba and Medjed over visiting Port Island.
Maybe if he had just told Ren—
No, that wasn’t right. Ren was preparing for their battle. It was his call on when they would start infiltrations and send in calling cards… Ren had his reasons.
But even so… Makoto couldn’t help but feel guilty.
"Makoto-san, don't blame yourself for this."
Ken gently placed a hand over her balled up fist. When had she started doing that…?
"Or anyone else. Futaba-san's wellbeing is more important."
He smiled slightly but it didn’t take away how guilty Makoto felt.
“It’s okay, really,” he tried to reassure her.
His smile didn't reach his eyes. But Makoto didn't push it. She had a feeling that Ken would just… clam up about it if she pushed things.
"Okay," Makoto said reluctantly before clearing her throat. "Would you like to get lunch, then? I don't know if you ate before you left, but I had a pretty light breakfast this morning."
Surprise flashed in his eyes for a moment, only to be replaced by relief.
Then Ken nodded. "Sure. What do you have in mind?"
"Oh, let me take a look…"
Even as Makoto pulled up restaurants nearby on her phone, her mind was racing. She felt… that Ken needed to be made up to, somehow.
Ken did need to be welcomed into the Phantom Thieves officially still. Maybe a party was in order…
Sunday, August 14th, 2016
"There's still no news on Isshiki, is there?"
Shinjiro sighed. Medjed, Medjed, and more Medjed.
He was just sick and tired of hearing people talk about it. You'd think that there would be other news to focus on, but no. When Aki had called him up, asking if he wanted to hang out, he hadn't expected to be brought into Mitsuru's penthouse. Or to be grilled about Isshiki's daughter.
He had tried to distract them by asking where Minako was. But Aki just replied that Minako’s school friend, Hasegawa, was in town and Minako was spending time with her.
So here Shinjiro was… unfortunately.
"Far as I know of, no," he said. "But both Minato and Minako got knocked out for a week, didn't they?"
"Yeah, but isn't the situation a bit different with them?" Aki asked, before he took a sip of his beer.
"There are too many… anomalies with her," Mitsuru admitted, before drumming her fingers along the tabletop.
Shinjiro just rolled his eyes. That was putting it lightly. Ken was starting to get seriously worried about Isshiki’s daughter. From what he was told, she would wake up at least to eat, drink, and go to the bathroom, but had no energy beyond that and go right back to sleep after. This was described as… “normal” for her. He failed to see how any of it was normal, Ken did too obviously, but it was out of their hands.
Mitsuru then heaved out a sigh. "We hardly know much about Palaces, to begin with. But the fact that her Shadow had become her Persona… perhaps that could be a reason why things are so different here."
"Not really," Shinjiro deadpanned. "Ken told me that she kinda has shitty eating habits from what he saw. And doesn't exercise."
Shinjiro shook his head and took a sip from his water bottle.
“Yes, but combine that with her mental state these past few years and awakening to a Persona…” Mitsuru mused as she crossed her arms.
"No wonder that she's still sleeping then," Aki said, shaking his head. "Though they're running out of time… There's a week left."
Aki took another sip of beer, letting out a sigh. Mitsuru uncrossed her arms and tapped her chin with the side of her thumb, in deep thought.
"It is… rather odd, though," Mitsuru said.
"What do you mean, Mitsuru?" Aki asked, turning to look at her.
"Medjed's threat… feels more like baiting," Mitsuru said slowly, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Only a week passed after Kaneshiro's downfall, and then they come out with this? Why? Why didn't they speak out earlier?"
"Well, Kaneshiro kinda brought them under the radar," Aki pointed out. "I mean, a schoolteacher isn't much, even if he was an abusive asshole. And a plagiarizing artist, even one who was abusing his students… it's not extremely impressive in comparison to a mob boss."
"I suppose…" Mitsuru sighed, but she still sounded unsure.
Shinjiro set down his water bottle, glancing at his two friends.
“Mitsuru has a point, Aki. Something about this stinks. Fuuka told me that Medjed normally targets big companies, sometimes government officials.” Shinjiro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “The Phantom Thieves while making some waves, at the end of the day, are just a group of noble vigilantes to the public. But to the law and politicians they’re annoying wannabe criminals parading as heroes. They aren’t some super important tech company or some government bigshot asshole.”
Aki paused from taking another sip of his beer as he let the thought sit, a heavy frown on his lips. Mitsuru leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees.
"Well put Shinjiro, but another pressing matter is still Isshiki…” Mitsuru let out a gusty exhale before tightly pursing her lips together. “I’m still concerned how this has all happened to her. Perhaps if I had—"
"Oi, Mitsuru, don't pull this again," Shinjiro cut her off.
It was better for everyone if he cut her off before she started to really think things over. She really thought of the what ifs and maybes way too much.
"You wanted to help her, but that asshole Shido, is being a major thorn in our side. There wasn't anythin' you could do,” Shinjiro pointed out.
He really had to nip her guilt in the bud. Though if he voiced it, Mitsuru would probably bring up his own issues with guilt.
"I suppose…" Mitsuru muttered, before resting her cheek in her hand. "I just wish there was something more I could have done…"
Aki sighed and set down the beer can on the coffee table.
"But…" Aki's brow suddenly furrowed, all while frowning deeply. "I am a bit worried about when she wakes up."
Shinjiro refrained from smirking. Aki was trying to switch the direction of the conversation so she wouldn’t dwell on it.
Mitsuru frowned, curiosity filling her red eyes. She then glanced at him.
"What are you talking about, Akihiko?" she inquired.
"She knows about the Phantom Thieves…" Aki said slowly, "and if she's Alibaba… she knows that Ken's a Shadow Operative."
There was a pregnant pause after what Aki just said.
…Well shit.
He didn’t even consider that…
Mitsuru immediately sat up, panic filling her face. "I… I didn't think about that, but Akihiko's right. What are we going to do about that?"
Damn it all… he should've known there would have been consequences to Ken's choice…
"I think… Ken will just have to play dumb." Shinjiro grimaced. "The Shadow Operatives are a secret organization. What would a high school student have to do with that?"
He then sighed heavily, before rubbing his face. What a pain. He couldn’t blame for Ken wanting to help but shit. Shinjiro couldn’t help but feel irritated at the situation. He couldn’t blame Isshiki’s daughter for wanting to know more about her mom, but this put them in a complicated situation.
"I'll have to warn Ken when I get back to Tokyo,” he muttered out.
He just hoped that Ken would be able to keep up the front… He was getting more and more worried for Ken. Getting attached was… dangerous in this situation. Shinjiro wasn’t entirely sure if they would turn on Ken or not. Sure, they seemed to like Ken fine. But… if they ever found out about Ken’s true intentions… things could get ugly. And he was afraid that kind of rejection would crush Ken.
"If Isshiki doesn't awaken by then," Mitsuru said doubtfully, pursing her lips together. "Granted, there's only two more days, but still…"
"Fine, I'll talk to him about it when I call tonight," Shinjiro grumbled.
They could just hightail it back to Port Island, but it'd look too suspicious. Dammit. And Isshiki's daughter wanted to know about Isshiki's research. They knew of her research, the gist of it. But they didn't know the gritty details. But Isshiki's daughter… she didn't know that. And she was determined as hell. There was no way she'd accept an excuse.
"Though, Shinjiro…" Mitsuru began. "Have you gotten the chance to visit the Metaverse?"
"Nope." Shinjiro took the moment to take a drink. "Why would I?"
"Why wouldn't you—Shinjiro!"
"I know what my name is, Mitsuru," Shinjiro deadpanned.
"Stop picking on her." Aki elbowed him on the side, shooting him a look.
Shinjiro rolled his eyes, unable to stop the twinge of annoyance. He could guess what Aki was gonna say.
"But seriously, Shinji, you've been there for two months, and you're seriously telling me that you haven't asked Ken to show you the Metaverse or anything?" Aki incredulously asked.
Shinjiro sighed, feeling a headache going on.
Not this again. He could respect his friends’ decision, but he didn’t like getting bugged about this.
"You know I don't like getting involved with Shadows. The last time I got involved was because somebody…" he stared at the other two, "…got their asses kidnapped, and someone had to save them.”
"Shinjiro, your Persona… it's stable," Mitsuru argued, after a quick glare for the mention of the Sho Minazuki incident. "It's been stable ever since Castor became Aeneas. You don't have to be afraid about losing control again—”
"That ain't it," Shinjiro cut her off, then sighed. "Look, I ain't like you, Mitsuru."
He had only joined SEES the first time, because Aki seriously didn't know what he was getting into. Somebody had to watch his gung-ho ass. Mitsuru had to twist his arm to agree to being listed on the Shadow Operatives database when the organization was founded in 2011. After all of the shit with Tartarus, he just wanted to move past that. Sure, he'd step up if his friends got into some deep shit, but he already dodged death once. Going for a second time would be pushing it.
"And if Amada needs you? Would you change your mind then? Should you not prepare for worst case scenarios to be there?" Mitsuru countered, raising an eyebrow.
Shinjiro just scowled at her. He didn't need to confirm something that Mitsuru already knew. Sometimes he didn't know who was more annoying about being able to read him, Mitsuru or Minako.
More annoyingly… she had a point. And he hated that.
"B-But anyways…" Aki cleared his throat. "Um, Mina decided that she wanted to find out the gender after all. At the last visit to the doctor."
That was nowhere as subtle as his previous endeavor in switching topics. Shinjiro winced and shook his head.
"Oh?" Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Aki answered, "We're uh… we're having a girl."
Aki fidgeted for a moment, before an almost goofy smile spread across his face.
"Still haven't picked a name, though,” he added.
"Would've thought you'd go for Miki," Shinjiro said.
Aki didn't look surprised, before he shook his head. "Nope… I considered it, but I've decided that I want my kids to have their own identities. Mina agrees too. We won't name any boys we have after Minato, either."
"Already planning for more, Aki?"
"Oh, shuddup, Shinji." Aki halfheartedly punched him in the shoulder. "What about you? Have you even gotten your hands on a ring yet?"
"Sorta…" Shinjiro dug out the velvet box, sliding it to Aki.
Aki popped it open, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, this is pretty nice. Kinda vintage, though. Where did you get it from?"
"That's… Amada's mother's ring, is it not?" Mitsuru tilted her head, studying it closely. "Yes… I'm sure of it."
He should’ve figured that Mitsuru had sorted through Ken's inheritance.
"It was… Ken's birthday present to me this year." Shinjiro let out a frustrated sigh. "He wrote me a note and everything. Threatened to throw it in my sock drawer or with all my cooking stuff, if I try to give it back. Stubborn brat."
He shook his head, letting out a little huff. It was just… utterly unexpected. He knew how much Ken still revered his mom, so he never would’ve expected this coming.
"That kid is far too headstrong for his own good sometimes," he grumbled out.
"And who do you think Amada learned it from?" Mitsuru closed her eyes, a smile formed on her lips. "You can give Amada a run for his money… by far.”
She then took a sip of her tea, her lips still curled into a smirk.
"Tch, you're one to talk," Shinjiro retorted, before he rolled his eyes at her. "Remember your whole 'I must take on my family's burden on my own' shtick?"
Mitsuru opened her eyes to glower at him, before biting out, "I do not sound like that, Shinjiro. Where on earth did you get that from?"
"I dunno, Mitsuru, I think it's not as far off as you think," Aki said, his face breaking into a grin.
Shinjiro snorted as well. "You really don't remember what you were like, huh?"
Mitsuru gritted her teeth. "I was fifteen. I ought to execute you both for that implication…"
"Bring it on, Mitsuru," Shinjiro taunted with a smirk, even as all color drained from Aki's face.
Ken just stared blankly at his friends gathered outside the front door. "Um… is something the matter?"
"We're gonna do your welcome party now, man!" Ryuji-san cheered, smiling brightly before pumping his fist. "Plus, we've gotta make up for your birthday too!"
"T-That's not really necessary—" Ken began to protest, only to be cut off.
"Denied!" Anne-san announced.
Ken blinked, before uttering, "What?"
"Your protests have been denied," Anne-san said, hands on her hips. "We welcome every member of the team, so that's what we're doing right now!"
"You're… not going to take no for an answer, are you?" Ken said slowly.
"Nope!" Anne-san all but sang out before she smiled sunnily at him. "Glad to see that you get the picture!"
She was really channeling Minako-san right now…
Ken just shook his head. But despite himself, a smile tugged at his lips. It was pretty nice of them. And honestly, he's been feeling restless lately. Though he couldn't help but notice that Makoto-san looked somewhat nervous, with how she was fidgeting and biting her lower lip. Like she was gauging his reaction.
He sighed softly before he opened the door further and stepped aside to let everyone in to the apartment.
"I still can't get over this place," Ryuji-san said, flopping onto the sofa.
"Indeed, its aesthetic is rather off," Yusuke-san said absently.
Ryuji-san shot him an incredulous look. "Uh, that wasn't what I meant."
"I stopped by the video rental shop and grabbed a few movies." Ren-san waved a plastic bag at Ken. "Dunno what your taste is exactly."
"Ooh, did you get Bubbly Hills?" Anne-san asked, her eyes growing bright. "I loved it the first time we watched it together!"
"Why would Ken want to watch a stupid romcom?" Ryuji-san scoffed, rolling his eyes at Anne-san. "Action is where it's at!"
"Just because you don't like romcoms doesn't mean everyone does!" Anne-san retorted, her cheeks looking like a puffer fish.
“Come on, you guys—” Makoto-san began to say, but she was cut off.
"And besides, what's so fun about watching buildings blow up?!" Anne-san said.
"Pretty sure Ken would side with me!" Ryuji-san fired back.
"He would not!" Anne-san shot back, before turning to look at him. "Right, Ken?"
Ken just sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. Those two could be just as bad as Junpei-san and Yukari-san. And they just had to drag him into their little argument. (But for the record, he hated romantic comedies.)
"Come on, don't argue," Makoto-san chided. "And don't drag Ken into your argument…"
The two juniors just grumbled, before Ren-san shot his best friend and girlfriend a playful smirk. Anne-san responded by sticking her tongue out at him.
Ken began, "But either way, we could watch a movie. Or…"
"Or what?" Yusuke-san asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We have an entertainment room," Ken explained. "I thought you'd might enjoy that more—”
"Holy shit, are you for real?!" Ryuji-san gasped, his eyes growing wide. "Where?!"
Ren-san grinned, as he was the only one who had been inside the entertainment room before.
"Yeah, that was pretty fun,” he glanced at Makoto-san. "We have got to teach Makoto about Nario Kars."
"Nario Kars…?" Makoto-san repeated slowly. "It's that racing game, right?"
"You already have tons of experience with knocking people outta your way. You’ll be a total natural!" Ryuji-san snickered.
"H-Hey, those are Shadows, not people!" Makoto-san protested, before her cheeks went pink.
Teddie-san would be so offended if he heard that. He'd probably say something along the lines of… "Shadows are people, too!" Now that he thought about it… Teddie-san wouldn't take too well to the Shadow negotiations. Or maybe he'd be happy because more cognizant Shadows.
Maybe he should stop thinking about this… it was making his head hurt.
"But the room's the one all the way down this hallway," Ken pointed to the hallway that held the entertainment room and laundry room (as well as a couple of other rooms).
"Sweet!" Ryuji-san's face broke into a grin. "Come on, let's see what they have!"
"I don't know how to play these video games, though…" Poor Yusuke-san looked bewildered at the whole conversation.
"We'll teach you then!" Anne-san chirped, grabbing his arm; she began to tug him down the hallway. "Come on!"
Morgana sighed. "Not that I can enjoy that. I really wish I could return to my human form already…"
"Oh, Morgana…" Makoto-san sighed. "We'll just have to keep exploring Mementos…"
"Mementos?" Ken repeated.
Morgana explained, "It's where we clear the smaller requests posted on the Phan-Site. Have you met Mishima? He's a friend of Ren's. A second-year at Shujin like Ren, Lady Anne, and Ryuji. He runs the website."
That was pretty impressive. Anything programming related was beyond him. He remembered Fuuka-san attempting to teach him, after he showed some interest in some of her projects. It… hadn't turned out well. It was like Fuuka-san was speaking French to him.
"Can't say I have," Ken admitted.
Mishima-san? Didn’t ring any bells for him.
"Though from what I've heard, Ren does tend to let the requests build up," Makoto-san said. "We may be waiting a little longer..."
Morgana then sighed. "I'll just… watch them play, I guess… I have nothing better to do."
Ken winced, as guilt suddenly twinged inside of him. He didn't realize just how alienating it'd be for Morgana. Maybe he shouldn't have suggested it in the first place, but he wanted to break up Ryuji-san and Anne-san's arguing.
"Though we do have some fish in the freezer, Morgana," Ken said, "Do you want some later?"
Morgana's face lit up at his suggestion, immediately perking up. Ken had to stifle the urge to chuckle—he doubted that Morgana would appreciate that.
"Can I, really?"
"It's the least I can do." Ken glanced over to Makoto-san, after Morgana thanked him and darted after the juniors. "Are you planning on joining them?"
"Maybe later…" Makoto-san chewed on her lip for a moment before her eyes flicked to Ken.
She looked nervous still. She opened her mouth several times, only to quickly shut it.
After several attempts, Ken quickly cut in. “Is something the matter?”
Makoto-san pursed her lips, before glancing towards him nervously.
"Um, Ken… I know that we kinda jumped this on you, but I couldn't stop thinking about us being the reason why you couldn't visit home. So, I thought…" she trailed off after that, but Ken could guess what she was going to say.
"You're not intruding or bothering me, Makoto-san." Ken gave her a reassuring smile. "It was… thoughtful of you."
It was kind of her. He remembered seeing how guilty she had become.
"Things have been… rather monotonous lately,” he admitted, rubbing his arm for a moment.
"They'll do that to you," Makoto mused, a fond smile forming on her face. "Even though they can be so… rambunctious sometimes."
Ken raised an eyebrow, shooting her an amused look. "Uh-huh. Like you're one to talk, Miss Fists of Justice."
Makoto-san blushed, before she smiled sheepishly. "It… it just comes out, okay?"
When Makoto-san smiled like that, it was… endearing. It was often shy, almost hesitant. But it made her entire face light up. Just looking at it made him feel warm. Sometimes Ken still found it mind-boggling to see Queen and Makoto were one and the same, but it suited her in a way. He could understand the need of hiding a certain facet of your personality.
"You don't have to be embarrassed about it," Ken said with a wry smile. “There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun while fighting Shadows.”
He couldn’t help but think of how Junpei-san would sometimes yell: “Junpei has leveled up!” during Tartarus runs.
“I suppose it’s just hard to remind myself of that,” Makoto-san sighed out, wrapping an arm around herself. “Even though it’s been nearly two months since I’ve awakened to Johanna.”
Then she suddenly blinked.
“Oh… we met a little over two months ago,” she mused.
At Ken’s questioning look, she blushed slightly, before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
“I was just thinking that it does feel longer than that,” she admitted with a sheepish smile. “That I’ve known you longer.”
Well… she was right. Minako-san's visit felt so long ago, almost a lifetime ago.
Had it really been such a short time since he joined the Phantom Thieves? It had honestly blurred together. Even though they had only spent a few days in the Palace, it felt like they had been worrying about Futaba-san for ages, far longer than just a couple weeks.
He hoped that she woke up soon, even if… that could also lead to some issues. Ignoring the Medjed problem, he just wanted her to be okay.
"Ken?"
Ken looked up, to see Makoto-san looking at him in concern. Ken winced. He had completely zoned out, hadn’t he?
"It's nothing…” He quickly gave her a smile that he hoped was reassuring. "I was just thinking that you were right.”
“Am I that boring to talk to?” Makoto-san joked lightly.
Ken’s eyes widened before waving his hands at her. He didn’t want her to get that impression at all.
Ken said hastily, “No, not at all! It’s just—”
He pursed his lips.
“I was just thinking about Futaba-san. I hope she wakes up soon.”
Makoto-san smiled softly, before placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Try not to worry about her so much. I know we’re all worried about her, but don’t stress yourself out over this,” she said with a kind smile.
Ken gave a little sigh. “I’ll try—”
"Heyyy!"
The sudden call from Anne-san made them both jump and Makoto-san jerked her hand off of Ken’s shoulder.
"Jeez, what's taking you guys so long?" she huffed, hands on her hips. "Ren challenged me to a dance-off on the BBR machine, and everyone else is gonna be judging! Come on!"
"Should've known that you and Ren-san would be insanely good dancers." Ken shook his head.
"Well, yeah, but I'm gonna leave him in the dust!" Anne-san boasted, pressing a hand against her chest.
"We'll see about that, Anne!" Ren-san called back; his voice was muffled from the distance.
Ken huffed at that, before rolling his eyes.
"It's rude to eavesdrop, Ren," Anne-san shot back as she scowled and then whipped around to look at Ken and Makoto-san. "But come on! Let's get started!"
Makoto-san just shook her head. "Honestly, they're all such a handful."
"Yeah, but would you have it any other way?" Ken asked, quirking a brow at her.
Makoto smiled fondly, before shaking her head. "No."
"So… you really haven't explained what exactly happened between you and Makoto."
Anne twirled one of her pigtails, watching her boyfriend rummage through the drinks they brought and selecting one. They had spent nearly an hour competing with each other on the BBR machine. But they were both tired… and very thirsty from all the dancing.
It was just amazing how there was a room completely dedicated to games. It was like… a haven to her. She preferred playing on handhelds, but still.
Ren looked at her, before he nodded.
"I haven't," he agreed, before motioning for her to join him at the dinner table.
Anne sat next to him, looking at him expectantly.
"Makoto and I started hanging out, but then she asked me to help her stake out Shinjuku," he explained. "To follow some rumors. We ended up meeting Eiko Takao, who's a third-year like her and Ken. Makoto found out that she was dating a host, and she tried to warn Eiko about the dangers, but she wouldn't listen. She said that Makoto was inexperienced with romance, so she wouldn't understand."
"Ouch." Anne winced. "That was kinda mean of her to say that."
Just… there was nothing wrong with being inexperienced with dating. And Makoto was just trying to look out for this Eiko girl.
Ren frowned. "Yeah, she’s not exactly the most tactful person. And honestly, she’s extremely ignorant herself, so a very pot calling kettle black situation.”
Anne got the feeling this girl really rubbed Ren the wrong way.
Ren then explained that Makoto asked Ren to pose as her boyfriend, and asked Eiko to do a double date with them and Eiko’s boyfriend. And that they went on their first “date” at the diner, which was probably what Anne had seen.
Anne looked at him cautiously.
"So, you don't see Makoto in that kind of light… at all?"
She fiddled with her hair again, looking down at the table. She found it a little embarrassing to look at Ren right now. He had told her that he had eyes for nobody but her. But still, she couldn’t help but feel self-conscious.
Anne mumbled out, "I mean, you had to pretend that you were her boyfriend…"
Ren just laughed softly, making Anne look up. He was shaking his head, his eyes glimmering with amusement. He took her hand, lightly squeezing it.
"No. I don't,” he spoke with such confidence that it caught Anne off guard.
He pulled away briefly, and twirled a strand of his hair, drawing Anne’s attention. It was a tic that Ren had—he did it when he was in deep thought or trying to think of how to phrase something.
"Really, Makoto's more like a nagging older sister to me. Like, when I first asked her if she wanted to hang out… she wanted to know how my grades were first. She thought that if they weren't high enough… I should focus more on studying."
Anne sighed, shaking her head. "That sounds a lot like her. Remember how she was tutoring Ryuji before our summer exams happened?"
Ren nodded in agreement. Anne did appreciate Makoto’s help, but there was just no way that Anne could ever match her in smarts.
Ren then met her gaze. "And it just… didn't feel right, either. It was weird to just pretend. ‘Sides she isn’t really my type. So, you don't have to worry about Makoto or any other girl, I promise. I’ll be honest… my mind kept drifting over to you during those pretend dates. You’re the only one for me, Anne.”
Anne’s breath caught at his declaration, her eyes growing wide.
Ren’s smile was a mix of gentle and confident. It gave her butterflies in her tummy while also filling her with warmth like a sip of hot cocoa.
Ren’s fingers tightened around Anne’s hand again. “You didn't quite have me at love at first sight, but my attention has always been on you."
Anne drew her hand away, feeling her face flush. Even though he had said those incredibly sweet words to her last Thursday, she still had a hard time wrapping her mind around it.
"H-how can you say those kinds of things without even blushing?" she finally grumbled out.
Ren just flashed a smirk at her. "Because it's me."
He leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"So modest." Anne rolled her eyes at him. "But um… how long do you think that we will have to date in secret? Not from the group… I mean, the school."
Ren's expression grew somber. "I don't know. Makoto's still gathering info on Tsukasa—the guy Eiko's dating. I'm hoping it's not that much longer, but we'll have to see how it goes…"
He then sighed, before uncertainty flashed in his eyes. But then his next statement made Anne wince.
"Not to mention the whole thing with Medjed…"
Anne winced. "I… I hope Futaba-chan can help us… Or else we'll have to give up our identities…"
She tried to not think about how her parents would react to that kind of news…
"No."
"No?" Anne parroted, before she looked at him in confusion.
"You won't," Ren said, his expression suddenly steeling. "If worse comes to worst… I'll go to the police and turn myself in. Hopefully they'll be satisfied with the leader."
"WHAT?!" Anne clamped her hand over her mouth, even as panic washed over her.
That… came out a lot louder than she had wanted.
"Anne…"
"Don't 'Anne' me, Ren Amamiya!" Anne stood up and dropped his hand.
She stomped her feet and poking him hard in the chest. Anne’s chest suddenly felt tight.
"You can't… you can't just give yourself up like that!" she choked out.
"My future is pretty bleak, Anne." Ren shrugged, as if it was just a fact of life.
That statement made her heart sink. She could recall Ren talking about his past to the boys, back at the hotpot party. He still didn’t feel that helpless, did he?
"Nobody will want to accept a criminal in a good university, and that means no good job… Anne, I've seen you at your best. You would have a bright future as a model. Yusuke has his talents as an artist. Ryuji could easily become an athlete again. Makoto and Ken, they're both pretty damn smart. You saw that they tied for first at exams, didn't you?"
"That is not true!" Anne said fiercely. "Shujin is a well-known school! You're smart! You're amazing, too, Ren! Any university would be lucky to have you! It's not fair for you to just throw your life away just to protect us!"
"It is," Ren contradicted. "You guys are the first real friends I've made… it'll be worth it if I can protect you guys."
"We're a group, Ren," Anne fired back. "If one goes down, we all go down. We've been hell or high water from the start."
“Huh?” Ren raised a brow at her.
“It’s a western saying, like no matter how bad things get we’re all here for each other.”
“I see, so it’s like that phrase, ‘even if it rains, or if spears falls’, right?” Ren shrugged.
He was being too… casual about this. She didn’t like it. She then seized one of his hands, holding them in her two hands. Anne looked at him with begging eyes.
"Ren… promise me you won't turn yourself in just to protect us."
"Anne…" Ren looked taken aback by her plea.
"Please!" she begged, her grasp on his hand tightening. “I want a future with you in it, so don’t talk like that.”
Tears were beginning to prick at her eyes. The idea of losing Ren—never getting to see him again because he had turned himself in to the police—was terrifying.
"I don't… I don't want to lose you," she confessed. "You promised that you wouldn't leave me, remember?"
Ren's eyes softened, before he sighed. He ran an agitated hand through his hair.
“Alright. You win, Anne,” he relented and then he gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry for scaring you like that.”
Anne bit her lip. "It's okay, Ren. Just… please don't scare me like that again."
He pulled her into a hug and they didn’t move. She just tightened the embrace, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. He planted a soft kiss on top of her head.
They still had a week left to go. It would be fine. Futaba-chan would wake up in time… right?
Tuesday, August 16th, 2016
Ken looked up from where he was sitting. "So... how was the trip?"
Shinjiro-san dropped his duffel bag on the coffee table, before answering. "Nothing too special."
He then sank down onto the loveseat. Ken looked at him expectantly. He could hear a but in his guardian’s words.
"But it was pretty tense with people freaking over Medjed. The summer festival was cancelled."
Ken's eyes widened. "They did? I didn't think people would be panicking so far away…”
Shinjiro-san shook his head. "Port Island isn't that far away. It's not like it's in Hokkaido. But yeah." Shinjiro-san rubbed his face. "People are panicking. It's… weird. Almost cult-like, with how they're talking about whether or not the Phantom Thieves are gonna take action."
"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration," Ken protested. "I've overheard a little but… it's not like we're doing anything bad. Not… not like the Cult of Nyx."
Not that Shinjiro-san had the joy of experiencing that. But he was well acquainted with Strega, more acquainted than the rest of them, really…
Shinjiro-san inhaled for a moment, before looking back at Ken.
"Right, sorry. But Fuuka's been taking care of your mom's grave pretty well. We made some mochi for her as an offering."
"I'm glad to hear that," Ken said, giving him a thankful smile, but that quickly faded as a thought struck him. "I hope Mitsuru-san hasn't been stressing so much about everything, though..."
Shinjiro-san scoffed before rolling his eyes. "Have you met Mitsuru? She's still blaming herself with Isshiki's daughter. Speaking of that… is she still asleep?"
"Far as I know... yeah," Ken confirmed with a nod of his head. "The group chat has been asking Ren about her every day."
"Figures," Shinjiro-san muttered, absently rubbing his arm. "But I know that we talked 'bout this before but..."
Ken exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. He slouched in his seat then looked up, a big frown on his face.
"Do we really need to talk about Futaba-san again?” he asked quietly.
Shinjiro-san reminding him about that little problem hadn't been fun on Sunday night. It was quite a problem. Even if he made a point to never be alone with Futaba-san, given with what Sakura-san has told him about her, she may just blurt it out in front of everyone.
And that would be simply disastrous. If the truth came out like that, they would be rightly furious. They'd probably hate him for hiding the truth from him. And just the thought of it made Ken's insides twist.
Shinjiro-san said flatly, "She hacked your phone."
Shinjiro-san rested his hands on his knees, looking at him seriously.
"She's probably hellbent on finding out what you know. She wants to know what the hell happened to Isshiki’s research. What it was, since I doubt she knows the full extent, given how she was barely a teenager when Isshiki died.”
"But I didn't even know..." Ken muttered. "Not until you and Mitsuru-san explained things to me."
Shinjiro-san sighed. "She doesn't know that. And she's at least sorta informed 'bout what Isshiki researched, from what you told me. She'll probably assume that you know 'specially since you're older."
Ken bit his lip. How much did Futaba-san even know about the Shadow Operatives? What had Isshiki-san known if she was a former Kirijo scientist? Had Futaba-san even met any of them in person?
But… maybe he could use the same tactic as before.
"What if... I gave her some half-truths?" Ken suggested tentatively. "Like SEES was meant to fight Shadows that lived on Port Island... The Shadow Operatives is SEES's successor…"
It was sad that telling half-truths was the closest he'd get. But he seriously doubted that anyone would take it well if he did tell the truth.
Shinjiro-san folded his arms over his chest, thinking it over. Ken fidgeted nervously as his guardian seemed to mull it over.
"Mitsuru doesn't want civilians to know about us," Shinjiro-san said finally. "But I don't know if you really have a choice, like with the Phantom Thieves giving you the third degree after Kaneshiro's Palace blew up."
He then heaved out a sigh, rubbing at the faint stubble at his chin. Ken frowned.
Shinjiro-san must be more stressed than what he was letting on. Normally he disliked facial hair and shaved it whenever it started growing.
But… this was really his only option, wasn’t it? Now that he had to just think what exactly to say to Futaba-san.
"You know, I would've been fine with another cookbook." Shinjiro-san's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
He had the velvet box out now, the box resting in the center of his palm.
"Seriously, it's a nice present and all, but it was your mom's. Don't you wanna keep it?" Shinjiro-san asked.
"What am I going to do with a ring now?" Ken looked at him flatly. "Shinjiro-san, I am serious about shoving that in your sock drawer if you try to give it back to me, or your cooking utensils, or your shoes, or—”
“Alright, alright! Fine! I get it! You win… asshole,” Shinjiro-san relented, letting out an exasperated sigh.
He tucked the ring box away. Ken smiled, pleased. He was glad that he could convince Shinjiro-san to keep the ring and use it to propose to Fuuka-san.
Marriage wasn’t exactly something he was thinking about right now—he was still underage anyways and still in high school, to boot. But… that probably won’t be for a while, if ever. And he meant what he said in his letter to Shinjiro-san. He may not agree, but Ken wanted to repay him for everything he did for Ken. He… helped put him on the right path, despite everything between them. He nearly died to save Ken’s life. If anything, this felt like a small gesture in comparison to what he felt like he owed the man. But it would do for now.
"I just thought you'd might want to keep it as a memento, at the very least,” his guardian grumbled out.
Ken started to shake his head, but one word made him remember his short conversation with Morgana.
"That reminds me. I found out where the Phantom Thieves have been fulfilling those small requests, the ones on the Phan-Site."
For some reason, Shinjiro-san suddenly smirked.
Ken then faltered. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
"It’s not that.” Shinjiro-san waved his hand, his smirk deepening for some reason. “Have you checked the website lately?"
"Um… no?" Ken said slowly.
A sudden snicker escaped Shinjiro-san. "Someone requested Mitsuru. Claiming that she was abusing her power as CEO. Minako seems to think a business rival, or something had submitted her name to eliminate her as a threat."
Ken couldn’t help but smack his forehead.
“Are they really this stupid?” Ken thought with incredulity.
Mitsuru-san had established herself as an anomaly. She donated several million yen to charities, she pushed for Gekkoukan to accept more scholarships, targeting students from poor or broken families, she was known to treat her employees well…
"Mitsuru-san must have been thrilled," Ken said dryly.
"She went into the training room and froze all of the dummies before attacking them with her rapier," Shinjiro-san said. "Minako had to go in and calm her down."
"Minako-san really is the best person for that," Ken muttered.
"Pretty much." Shinjiro-san then got to his feet and stretched.
Ken sighed. “It wouldn’t work anyway.”
“Hm?” Shinjiro-san raised a brow.
“She has a Persona. The request only works if a target has a Shadow that the Desire can be taken from to change their heart. Not that whoever submitted it would know that,” Ken explained.
Metis’s explanation about Personas being tamed Shadows flashed in his mind briefly.
“That’s true…” Shinjiro-san shrugged before looking straight at Ken. "Fuuka's gonna visit again next week, by the way.”
He said so nonchalantly that it took Ken aback.
He stared blankly at Shinjiro-san. "Wasn't last time an emergency?"
"It'll be short, like last time." Shinjiro-san rubbed the side of his neck. "'Sides, Takeba's got that fan event coming up at the near end of the month, and Fuuka would like to see her. And the twins."
Oh, that was right. He had completely forgotten about that.
This fan event was going to be one of Yukari-san's last. After the new season concluded at the end of the year, she was leaving. She was planning on moving back to Port Island, because her schedule now made her insanely busy, sometimes rivalling Mitsuru-san at times. She said she didn't want to miss more of the twins' childhoods.
It just had slipped his mind, with him worrying about Futaba-san.
Shinjiro-san snorted. "I can't believe you forgot. I still remember when Takeba had surprised you with that tour of the area for your birthday. You nearly passed out when the whole group gave you that autographed poster."
"I was fourteen!" Ken protested. "And the poster was a limited edition, meant to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the franchise! And nobody gave me a warning! Do you have any idea how much those things sell for online right now?! I was lucky to get it when I did!"
Shinjiro-san just smirked. "You do know what the meaning of surprise, right?"
"That's… you…" Ken glowered at him.
Why did everyone take such joy from messing with him?
Shinjiro-san just laughed, before mussing up Ken's hair. "Never gets old."
Ken just scowled at him before smacking his hand away. He then began to smooth his hair back to how it was originally.
Ken asked in a deadpan, "Shouldn't you be getting some rest?"
Shinjiro-san said almost cheerfully, "I dunno, this is pretty relaxing."
"Not to me!" Ken protested.
"That ain't my problem, then." Shinjiro-san snickered.
“I’m going back to my room.” Ken stomped out of there with a huff.
Friday, August 19th, 2016
Futaba had been asleep for nine days. Nine. It was officially getting ridiculous. Sojiro assured him she would still at least wake up to eat, drink and go to the restroom… but the fact she’d immediately pass out right after that would be comical if it wasn’t so concerning!
He had promised Anne that he wouldn't turn himself in, but Ren was afraid of the consequences for everyone if he didn't.
Ren sighed to himself, rubbing his temples. He was the leader. He had to do something. Because hell would freeze over before he let anything bad happen to his friends. Morgana suddenly crawled into his lap, rubbing his head against his arm but Ren barely registered it.
“Are you really brooding?”
Ren jumped at the sudden voice. Standing at the top of the stairs was Ken, all while smiling wryly.
"Ken?" Ren tilted his head. "What are you doing here?"
“Finally, he’s out of his trance!” Morgana lightly poked Ren in the chest with his paw.
“Ah… sorry about that Morgana.” Ren frowned down at his furry companion but then looked back up towards Ken, “Sorry for being in a daze.”
"It’s okay… just thought I'd come by." Ken shrugged. "Sakura-san just gave me the okay to come up here. It's okay if you're not free today, though."
Ren rubbed the back of his head. "I don't mind. What do you want to do?"
"How about… a video game?" Ken offered. "I don't have much experience with retro games, though."
"I'll be your senpai in this field, then," Ren quipped. "Come on."
Ken just rolled his eyes. "So, what games do you have?"
"Star Forneus and Gambla Goemon," Ren answered, as he connected the console to the TV set and booted both up.
He then sat back down on the ground; Morgana climbed into his lap again. Ren pat the ground next to him for Ken to sit down.
"Goemon?" Ken raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t know Yusuke’s Persona starred in a retro game. But… uh… which game do you prefer?”
"Because neither are based off Ishikawa Goemon, apparently?” Morgana shook his head.
“Morgana, he’s kidding.” Ren lightly laughed.
Morgana became sheepish. “Oh… I knew that.”
Ren laughed and shook his head. Ken sighed with a smile as he sat down next to Ren.
“But anyways to answer your question Ken, Star Forneus is more fun in my opinion. It's one of those starship games. You know, at the arcade?"
"The arcade… Port Island didn't quite have retro games," Ken commented.
He accepted the game controller Ren handed him.
"We had a haunted house, a photo booth, a quiz game…"
"Sounds kinda boring to me," Ren said as the game came to life on the screen. "What did you even do on Port Island, if your video games suck like that?"
Ken rolled his eyes at him before starting up the level.
"We had a karaoke place. The arcade had more games, I just didn't really go to the arcade. I have a couple of video game consoles, so… why spend money at an arcade? I did both soccer club and student council up until the school year started up this past April."
"You're helping Makoto with student council, aren't you?" Ren asked as he watched Ken play.
He fumbled for a few seconds but since this was level one, he didn't die from the delay. But Ken gave a distracted nod.
"What made you quit?" Ren asked.
"I thought I should focus on my studies," Ken said absently, his eyes focused on the screen. "I wanted to get good grades so I would be accepted into Tokyo University."
"What are you aiming to be, a doctor?" Ren asked, eyebrow quirked. "You do have the experience, with your healing abilities… and you do have the discipline for studying to become one."
"Nope. I want to study to become a defense attorney."
A defense attorney? Somehow, it was kinda fitting. Ken did strike him as the kinda guy who would wanna help the underdogs. Which was why he was a natural fit for the Phantom Thieves.
"And yet, you're a Phantom Thief now," Ren remarked. "But becoming an attorney… it won't be easy."
Ken just hummed in agreement. "That's why I wanted to become one. One of my senpai—Shinjiro-san's best friend, works as a police officer. And some of the things I've heard over the years… I dunno… maybe I could help some of them have a voice.”
This was kinda a surprise. Ken was rather pragmatic minded. Sometimes Ren thought that he was more levelheaded than Makoto since Makoto had some… hotheaded moments. But at the same time, he was surprisingly… optimistic.
Though, Ren had to admit that he would’ve never pegged Shinjiro-san to be best friends with a cop of all people. Ren bit his lip, trying to not let his thoughts linger too much there. Too many painful memories.
But… it was too bad Ken wasn’t an attorney already, then maybe he could have helped Ren. Ren shook his head and focused on the level, pushing that selfish thought out of his mind.
"What about you, though?" Ken suddenly asked. "Anything in mind?"
"I haven't really thought about it," Ren admitted, watching the animation of the mothership imploding. "Kinda hard, with my future being so unsure."
"Don't talk like that."
"Huh?"
Ken then paused the game, turning to look at him
He said sternly, "You don't have to demean yourself… I saw your score for the exam. You ranked number five in your year for this exam. You're smart… you're charismatic… Who knows? There could be a lot of opportunities for you. You’re a natural leader."
"Me? A natural leader?" Ren raised a brow.
“Y-Yeah.” Ken frowned.
“You don’t sound so sure of yourself,” Ren couldn’t help but snark.
“Look… you lead this team really well!” Ken retorted quickly. “You’re quick to adapt! You’re good at negotiating with Shadows! You could really put that to use and have a leadership role in the future.”
“I concur with Ken, you do have a knack for it, Ren.” Morgana nodded in his lap.
Ren placed his elbow on his knee and rested his cheek into his hand. He let out a sigh.
Ren then deadpanned, “Right… maybe I should run for prime minister.”
There was a slight pause.
“A politician?” Ken tapped the edge of the controller. “Why not?”
Ren said in disbelief, "You're joking, right? A politician is the reason why I'm here in the first place. He indirectly caused me to awaken to my Persona."
Ken just arched an eyebrow. "It'd be a good way to give him a middle finger, wouldn't it?"
Ren just laughed. That was rather blunt but given how Shinjiro-san didn’t mince words… maybe it shouldn’t be such a surprise. Still, it was rather amusing since Ken was sometimes rather eloquent.
"Yeah, good one, Ken. That idea—it’s crazy if you ask me," he stated.
"It's just a thought." Ken shrugged. "You're already trying to create change. You're laying a good foundation already."
Just… him? A politician? Sure, it'd be great to be in power, to change things so that there wouldn't be a reason for the Phantom Thieves to be created. But nobody would give him the chance. No way in hell.
"Riiiight, and Akechi is gonna join the Phantom Thieves." Ren snorted. "I'll be lucky if I make it to the end of the school year and complete my probation."
Ken suddenly leaned over and swatted him at the back of his head. Ren yelped. That swat actually stung a little.
"What did I say earlier?" he scolded, narrowing his eyes.
Ren grumbled at that, but Ken’s next words made him sit up.
"And you will. Especially since you're like them… you'll probably accomplish the impossible, if you set your mind to it."
Wait, them? Just who was Ken referring to?
"What are you talking about? Them who?"
Ken froze for a moment, looking like a deer in headlights.
"Sorry I…” Ken sighed. “Forget it… sorry for lecturing you.”
Ken had told him before that he reminded Ken of… someone he knew. And now this person had done the impossible…? Just what was that supposed to mean? But Ken said ‘them’… which implies more than one person.
Ken however unpaused the game, so that was the end of that conversation.
Ren sighed to himself. Maybe Ken will talk about when he feels comfortable. He had a feeling it might be a sore subject.
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 5.
Veteran Talk: If Ren fails in Shadow negotiation, Ken may step in and allow for another chance.
Notes:
Obon has been previously mentioned, during a discussion between Shinji and Fuuka. Obon is a Buddhist holiday, meant to honor deceased ancestors. And given that all of the main cast come from a broken family in some kind of degree, I thought it should have a small focus in this story.
And yes, Shinji has an ultimate Persona in this story. Shinji mentions in PQ that he doesn't want Castor to change, so he doesn't forget Ken's mother's death. But since Shinji and Ken have long made amends and have moved past October fourth for the most part, I think that would merit Shinji gaining a new resolution.
Until next time! And happy holidays, everyone!
Edit Notes (9/3/24): Did some small tweaks, expanded some of the scenes to make things more consistent with our previous edits. I also want to note that the saying that Ren cites a Japanese saying, “even if it rains or when spears fall” which means similar to “no matter what happens”. A big thank you to my wonderful beta angelrin89 for the edits she’s made for the chapter!
Chapter 17: Ch. 16: Futaba's Training
Summary:
Futaba gets to know the Phantom Thieves, and with their help, slowly adjusts to socializing again.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, August 21st, 2016
Ren’s footsteps felt heavy as he walked down the stairs from the attic. He looked up to see Sojiro at the counter, getting things organized to be ready to open shop for the day. Morgana then climbed out of the bag; his front paws pressed against his left shoulder.
“Isn’t today our deadline for dealing with Medjed?” Morgana asked before his ears drooped. “Futaba’s still asleep too… this won’t be good.”
“We can’t panic about that yet.” Ren whispered, trying to help uplift his spirits.
He didn’t want Morgana to know just how terrified he actually felt however.
Sojiro then looked up from the counter, looking tired.
“Hey…” he greeted with a nod.
Ren put his hands in his pocket and took a quiet breath, trying to relax and not appear nervous.
He then asked, “How’s Futaba?”
Sojiro sighed and leaned against the counter. “Same as always.”
That wasn’t good. Ren sucked in a breath through his nose and tried to remain calm. He was distracted from his growing panic when he heard the light sound of glass caught his attention. Sojiro placed a mug on top of a plate on the counter.
“Today’s the day Wakaba passed. I do this every year…” He motioned for the mug on the counter. “Here, I got a cup for you too.”
“Thanks, Sojiro,” Ren gave him a sad smile.
His footsteps were light as he walked to the counter, but his insides felt heavy. He sat down, ignoring the dread that felt like a rock that sunk to the bottom of his stomach.
The coffee tasted really good, despite his growing anxiety. It was warm, smooth, and he detected a hint of something fruity in the blend. Some kind of berry, he wasn’t sure. Sojiro took a sip of his own coffee before setting it back down. He pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and a lighter, lighting it. He then placed the lighter back into his pocket. He let out another sigh, blowing smoke through his nose. Ren tried to not wrinkle his nose. He never cared for the smell of smoke.
“Futaba reminds me so much of her mother. She’s a smart girl. Doesn’t just go with the flow, either,” Sojiro said evenly. Then his voice became melancholic, as his gaze grew downcast. “Wakaba… your work and your kid were so fulfilling for you. Why’d you have to die so suddenly?”
Ren said nothing, not sure what to say to comfort him. It was obvious Futaba’s mom meant a lot to him. He couldn’t imagine how he’d feel losing any one of his Thieves so suddenly, and in a manner framed in the way her death was.
"That reminds me… you saw me talking to that prosecutor—”
Ren cut Sojiro off, “Wait, prosecutor?”
“Ah… the woman in the suit from the other week,” Sojiro answered.
“Oh right, her… what about her?” Ren tilted his head slightly.
Morgana stayed in the bag, his head only peeking out, but he was listening to their conversation intently.
“It’s just… I remembered you were really bothered by that,” Sojiro said, then exhaled some more smoke through his nose. “She might come back, so I guess I should tell you about it.”
Ren nodded, taking a larger sip of the coffee now that it’s cooled off a bit more. Sojiro leaned over to take a sip of his coffee, placing the cup back down. He took another smoke, this time exhaling a stream of smoke through his lips. He shook his head and leaned against the counter.
“That woman was trying to get information on Wakaba’s research outta me,” Sojiro explained, tapping his middle and index finger on the counter.
Morgana’s ears perked up. “Hey… Could that be related to what we heard in the Palace? The people who were probably responsible for destroying Wakaba’s research?”
Sojiro let out another puff of smoke and said, “You don’t need to know what the research was about. Just know there was some trouble around it. Obviously, Wakaba got dragged into that as well.”
Ren kept his face impassive as he took another swig of the coffee. Unfortunately, there was a good chance Ren might know more than even Sojiro about this. Not that he needed to know that, besides outing them, that would just cause the man to worry more. Morgana had the same thought, looking up at Ren with a troubled expression. He just reached over and rubbed behind his left ear while taking another sip of coffee.
Sojiro put his cigarette out in the ashtray on the counter. Another heavy sigh escaped his lips.
“They ruled her death a suicide… but I have my doubts,” Sojiro said with an expression that was a mix of anger and regret.
“Poor Boss…” Morgana leaned his face into Ren’s hand, a heavy sigh now escaping from him. “If only he knew he was on the right track, not that we can prove it yet.”
Ren gave him a sad smile, scratching his ear a few more times before pulling away. He took another sip of coffee.
Sojiro rubbed the back of his neck, and placed his coffee cup on the counter next to Ren, not in the mood to drink more, it seemed.
“Supposedly, there were people who wanted to take her research, and use it for their own benefit,” Sojiro said before he shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t have a lick of evidence. That’s why I haven’t told Futaba any of this. I don’t want to cause her more trouble.”
Morgana frowned and his ears drooped again. “Futaba already suspects the same thing, judging by what we saw in the Palace. But if Boss knew this, it’d only cause him to worry more for her.”
Sojiro shifted his weight to more on his left side as he crossed his arms.
“Still… there’s one thing I regret,” he said solemnly. “It was right before Wakaba died. She told me, 'I think I might die’. I brushed it off, thinking it was another one of her bad jokes. If only… I had taken her more seriously.”
Ren felt a spark flare up in him. Futaba’s mom… knew that someone was after her?
“There’s nothing you could have done. You couldn’t have predicted this situation. It’s easy to judge things in hindsight for what you have no knowledge of at the time, don’t start doing that to yourself,” Ren said sternly as he gripped the mug tightly.
Sojiro just stared at him, blinking two times. He was completely taken aback.
“I suppose… you have a point.” Sojiro rested both hands on the counter and let out a heavy exhale. “For the longest time, I blamed myself and said I had to make up for it. You know… that’s one of the reasons I took Futaba in… redemption.”
Ren stared at the coffee in his cup, a little bit left. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked back up at Sojiro with pity.
Sojiro balled his hands into fists over the counter. “She went through such horrible things. Those heartless relatives of hers kept yelling at her. Blaming her.”
Ren took the last sip of his coffee as he looked over to Morgana. He looked rather melancholic himself.
“Hey…” Sojiro asked sincerely. “How do you heal emotional scars?”
Ren looked into his empty mug, a heavy frown on his face. That felt like a loaded answer. His false glasses drooped a bit down his nose, so he pushed them up.
“I suppose… that depends on the person. Some people need to be left be and work through it themselves. Others need you to reach out, wanting the assistance and comfort.” He put down the mug before he let out a sigh. “I don’t know to be honest. It just depends on the person. But no matter the person, all wounds take time to heal.”
Sojiro crossed his arms again and nodded, “That’s true. And I do agree. I’m waiting for it to happen, but…”
They were all distracted by the sound of door opening, the small bells ringing. They all turned to look at who entered the shop.
Sojiro looked startled for a brief moment and Ren had to admit his jaw slightly dropped.
“Futaba…?!” Sojiro, Ren, and Morgana said in unison.
She walked over gingerly to take the seat next to Ren. Not saying any greeting. She just slouched against the bar, tilting her head slightly. She reached over and grabbed Sojiro’s coffee cup, pulling it to her lips to take a sip. She placed the cup back down and had a slight pout curl on her lips.
“It’s cold…” she mumbled.
“Huh?” Sojiro stared at her blankly.
Futaba narrowed her eyes towards Sojiro, “You can’t sell this.”
“Uhhh… is that her biggest concern?” Morgana mumbled next to him.
Sojiro just shook his head, face still agape. “N-Never mind that! How did you get here…?!”
Futaba pouted again, sarcasm in her voice. “I used my legs, I can walk…”
“I don’t think that’s what he means.” Ren shook his head.
Sojiro leaned forward, concern in his eyes. “You’re… okay?”
“Is… that bad?” Futaba tilted her head.
“Th-that’s not it.” Sojiro quickly took the cold coffee cup. “I’m just shocked to see you out of the house.”
“Oh…” Futaba looked down at her hands. “I’m… sorry I worried you so much.”
Sojiro rubbed his eyes under his glasses. He then turned around, his back facing them. He sounded like he was trying to take deep breaths but choked on them. Ren couldn’t help but give a small smile staring at Sojiro’s back. He was clearly trying to hide the fact that he was starting to tear up.
“He may be a hard-ass at times, but Sojiro can be quite the softie deep down,” Ren mused to himself as he reached over to pet Morgana again.
Morgana smiled and leaned into his hand, a purr escaping him as he too was glancing over in Sojiro’s direction.
Monday, August 22nd, 2016
The shrill ringing of her phone dragged Mitsuru out of the haze of sleep. She rubbed her eyes for a moment, before reaching for the device on the nightstand. She didn’t want to check what time it was, in hopes it wasn’t too early.
"Hello?" Mitsuru’s voice was still hoarse from sleep; she cleared her throat, before saying much clearer, "Excuse me, may I ask who is calling?"
Yamagishi's voice was loud, clear, and very insistent. "Mitsuru-senpai, it’s me. You have to look at Medjed's website. Right now."
The mention of Medjed was like dumping a bucket of ice-cold water on top of her head. Mitsuru immediately sat up. Medjed's deadline had been yesterday, the second anniversary of Isshiki's death. They went through with it?! Dread made her stomach sink.
Mitsuru slid out of her bed, keeping her phone pressed to her ear. She started to pace around her bed.
"Yamagishi, just how bad is the damage?" she demanded.
Medjed had threatened to crash the economy itself, in their letter to the Phantom Thieves. Had they truly gone through that threat?
"Mitsuru-senpai, it's… it’s not that…" Yamagishi suddenly trailed off.
Mitsuru stopped pacing around her bed. Her eyebrows crinkled in confusion.
"What are you referring to, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru frowned.
“You… you have to see their website it’s… it’s unbelievable,” Yamagishi breathed out.
Mitsuru ran some fingers through her bangs and sighed. She grabbed her black bathrobe hanging on the door, setting the phone down briefly on her dresser, to put the robe on. Most of the staff should be out or in bed, but she didn’t want to be seen in her tank top and pajama bottoms.
She grabbed the phone again, and moved to leave her room, shutting the door behind her. She had reached her study, where her laptop was resting on top of her desk. She booted it up, before opening up an internet browser. Her manicured nails tapped out Medjed's website url.
"Medjed lost, Mitsuru-senpai. Someone from Medjed also got their information leaked…"
Mitsuru hardly registered Yamagishi’s words.
The website had loaded. And the webpage was now branded with the now well-known symbol of the Phantom Thieves.
Medjed got hacked?! Yamagishi wasn’t joking; this was just… unbelievable.
"And… that's not all," Yamagishi said in disbelief. "Senpai, you have to look at the Phan-Site."
Mitsuru's eyes narrowed at the mention of the website. The site where some fool had listed her as a target. If she ever discovered whoever submitted her as a request… they would be begging for an execution.
Mitsuru only to type a little before the browser's history filled it out for her. She had… checked the website more than she's like to admit.
Then Mitsuru's jaw dropped.
Are the Phantom Thieves just?
The poll question had been rather skewed towards no. Mitsuru had refrained from answering, however. But… the yes result had jumped to nearly forty percent.
It had only been hours since it seemed this poll was put up… and yet the approval had jumped that much?!
"Yamagishi, have you contacted Amada?" Mitsuru demanded. "What does he have to say about this?"
Yamagishi audibly swallowed.
"Well… I did try to call Ken-kun. But he’s not answering. I don’t know if he’s awake yet,” she explained.
"Does this mean… Isshiki's daughter had truly done this?" Mitsuru wondered aloud, feeling utterly baffled.
She was only fifteen! How is this possible?! She thought that Yamagishi was brilliant at this kind of thing but… it appeared that Futaba Sakura was in a completely different league. Isshiki was brilliant herself but… she was an adult. Her daughter did this as a teenager!
Yamagishi let out a strained laugh. "Your guess is as good as mine, Senpai."
Everyone really needed to learn how to have a better poker face. After Futaba-san had shown up, Sakura-san had shooed them towards the attic. Ken had been the last to slide out of his seat, so he saw the report change to an interview with Shido.
Ken slowly inhaled at the sight of the man. He was the one responsible for the threat against Mitsuru-san. And what he was saying was concerning. It sounded like he wanted to create some sort of utopia… there had to be a catch. There was always a catch with these types.
"Hm?" Sakura-san looked at him quizzically. "Something the matter?"
"It's nothing," Ken said quietly, turning away from the television screen.
Ken let out a quiet exhale through his nose, turning to Sakura-san. He couldn’t stop himself from making a comment.
"This Shido person is awfully charismatic,” Ken said neutrally. “Isn't he?"
"Yeah, you could say that again." Sakura-san sighed.
He sounded almost nonchalant, but Ken noticed that something flashed in his eyes. That was interesting. He hoped that meant Sakura-san wasn’t gonna buy into Shido’s empty platitudes.
Sakura-san shrugged and poured himself a cup of coffee. "But anyways, you're a bit young to be focusing on a politician like that. You can't even vote yet. Go on upstairs with the others."
Ken tried not to frown. He started to wonder, if Sakura-san was friends with Isshiki-san, how much did he know about her research?
Those men in the black suits in Futaba-san’s Palace… they claimed Isshiki-san destroyed her work, but that was more likely their doing. Did Sakura-san even have an inkling to what could have happened, or the identity of those who destroyed her work? Did he know an inkling of the context of what Isshiki-san was working on?
“You okay, kid?” Sakura-san raised a brow.
Ken realized he was staring into space. He probably was weirding Sakura-san out. Ken internally winced.
“Ah… sorry. A lot on my mind lately. Guess I’m more tired than I thought.” Ken made up a quick excuse then gave a polite bow. “Thank you for the hospitality, Sakura-san.”
Sakura-san laughed. “You know you can call me Boss, right?”
Ken chuckled nervously. “Old habits die hard.”
Minako-san complained on occasion that he still used honorifics with them. But it just felt… off… to not to.
“Well… at least I can’t say you lack in manners,” Sakura-san chuckled out. “But you made the others wait long enough, go on. I’m sure they’re wondering if you fell in the toilet seat or something.”
Ken waved with an awkward laugh, then excused himself. He headed up the stairs where everyone was gathered.
"What took you so long?" Ren-san asked, turning to look at Ken as he entered the attic.
Ryuji snickered. “Hey when you gotta go, you gotta go.”
Ken resisted the urge to snort. Sakura-san was a little off on his prediction of jokes they’d make.
"I got caught up by the news report," Ken answered instead. “And then I ended up talking to Sakura-san for a little bit.”
Anne-san wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I thought it was just some politician talking… so boring."
"Yeah, like celebrity gossip is much better," Ryuji-san scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I dunno why everyone's all over Risette dating someone."
That was right. Yu-san and Rise-san were planning on going public soon about their relationship, weren't they? The fact had completely slipped his mind, even though he had heard Fuuka-san talking about it with Rise-san before he and Shinjiro-san had moved to Tokyo. Rise-san had been so excited about it… which was understandable—she and Yu-san have been together for a long time, after all.
Anne-san, however, looked unimpressed with Ryuji-san.
"Don't pretend you're not a Risette fan. You were so sore when you couldn't get a ticket to the LMB fest, back then,” Anne-san rolled her eyes. “You whined about it at middle school with one of the other kids you used to do track with. You probably didn't know Shiho and I were around the corner but… we were."
Ryuji-san blinked. "Wait what?"
"But… I wonder who her boyfriend is though.” Anne-san ignored him, turning her attention back to Ren-san.
“Nah quit lying, Anne! I did not care about—”
Ren-san cut off Ryuji-san. “I suppose it doesn’t really matter who her new boyfriend is, Anne. Just as long as he treats her right.”
Anne-san smiled at Ren-san. “That’s true!”
Ryuji-san scowled at them both. “Oh god, she’s corrupting him!”
"But anyways…" Makoto-san quickly interjected before an argument could start. "We were talking about how the cognitive forms are determined by the master of the Palace. Since before, they were always in the background."
Anne-san's expression darkened, before her hands clenched into fists. "You weren’t there for Kamoshida.”
Makoto-san’s eyes widened. “Oh… Anne, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hit a sore spot. I heard scarce details about it from Ren.”
“Ryuji told me a little of it as well,” Yusuke-san added, before a frown formed on his face. “What a grotesque man.”
Ren-san placed a hand on Anne-san’s shoulder. “Hey, you gotta admit, it was pretty badass for you to wreck Kamoshida’s image of you.”
Anne-san reluctantly nodded but gave him a smile of thanks.
Ken couldn’t help but shiver, considering what Kamoshida was arrested for… he didn’t even want to imagine what that man imagined for the whole school… and for Anne-san. He felt pity for her and all of Kamoshida’s victims increase.
“Let’s not dwell on that, and focus on current events…” Morgana spoke up, switching the focus on the conversation to make Anne-san more comfortable.
Ken's eyes then wandered to Futaba-san, who had taken over the bed. She was quiet but seemed rather okay. After everything she through… He softly smiled. He couldn’t help but the wave of relief seeing how much she’d improved already, just by leaving her home.
Morgana’s voice suddenly snapped Ken out of his musings. They were still having a conversation about the different cognitions.
"Meanwhile Yusuke and the other students were merely just a painting to Madarame…" Morgana mused, tilting his head. "The range that the Palaces have… is really something."
"I really do wonder how far Futaba's mother had gone with her research," Yusuke-san added. "If those men in black were so desperate to frame her for destroying her work…”
“That’s still a theory. We don’t even know who those men are or what they were planning to do. But my hunch is they wanted to steal her work and just made it look like it was destroyed.” Makoto-san bit the nail of her right thumb.
“Do you… think so?” Anne-san asked with worry.
Yusuke-san nodded and crossed his arms. “Her research must have been fascinating. But I can’t help but wonder what they’d want with it, if your theory is correct that is, Makoto.”
"Do you think she knows?" Ryuji-san asked, subtly gesturing to Futaba-san. "It was called… cognitive psience, yeah?"
She was right there. Then again, she didn't seem too interested in talking to them.
"Abuse of her research, what if it led to death… and it may be related to the psychotic breakdowns," Makoto-san said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. "We still haven't been able to unravel that mystery."
"It's like they've lost all consciousness…" Ken said slowly.
Ken tried not to wince. This really had its similarities to Apathy Syndrome. He never talked about it, but the Apathy Syndrome cases slowly escalating during the last month before they fought Nyx had honestly scared him. It was like… they had lost their souls.
Ken slowly took a deep breath, to try and push it out of his head.
"And given that it's connected to cognition… it's most likely connected to the Metaverse,” Ken said, hoping his voice came out as even.
Yusuke-san just tilted his head quizzically. "But the question is… how? How is this all connected? Just who is causing the mental shutdowns and breakdowns?"
He had a niggling suspicion, that the black-masked Persona-user had a hand in this. But given how they only had that single encounter… Ken wasn’t sure how right he was. And it’s not like he could actually voice these thoughts.
So, he just kept quiet.
"If Makoto is right, and the research is stolen, by whoever is doing this," Morgana interjected. "But hmm… I'm not sure how we'd be able to track them down. In any case… if these are linked, it would take more than one person to orchestrate these events.”
"What about you, Futaba?" Ryuji-san looked at her. "Is there anything you know 'bout this?"
Futaba-san stood up and walked right past everyone. Not even a peep from her.
Makoto-san tentatively took a step towards her, concerning filling her eyes.
"Um… Futaba-chan? Did you hear Ryuji?" she said gently.
Futaba-san didn’t answer her either, she just went down the stairs quickly.
"Oh, she heard you both," Ken said dryly. "She's just choosing not to answer."
They all sighed and reviewed what they knew from each major Shadow fight. In just a few short minutes, Futaba-san came back up the stairs with yet another bowl of ramen. Futaba's expression lit up as she dug into the food.
Makoto-san sighed. "Why don't we… give her some time to eat, then? Maybe she’ll be willing to answer questions after her snack."
They agreed, so Ren-san and Anne-san went down to bring up some cups of coffee (and a soda for Ryuji-san) and they drank that while waiting for Futaba to finish eating. Even then, she kept her distance, remaining on Ren-san’s bed.
"I can’t help but wonder…" Yusuke-san began. "Futaba may be a genius, but just how could she crush Medjed so easily? She's so young…"
He had to agree. Fuuka-san was able to piece together part of the original video that Yukari-san's father had made, but this… this was on an entirely different level.
“Underestimate me if you dare…” Futaba-san mumbled.
Everyone stopped sipping their drinks to stare at her. All were surprised to finally hear her speak.
"She spoke!" Ren-san gasped, clutching a hand to his chest. "It's a miracle!"
"Hey, don't mock me!" She scrunched up her nose at Ren-san. "But anyways, the one who taunted the Phantom Thieves were in Japan."
Morgana tilted his head, “Really? Are they dangerous?”
Futaba-san shrugged. “The Medjed members in Japan are nothing special."
"How do you know that…?" Anne-san asked.
Futaba-san adjusted her glasses for a moment, before smirking in triumph. "I'm the founder."
Ken felt his jaw drop.
She was the original Medjed?! Then the one who had tried to hack the Shadow Operatives' database was Futaba-san. He was so… stupid. It made perfect sense. Fuuka-san had described it happening two years ago. That fit the timeline…
But that meant she was a prodigy in hacking at thirteen?!
Futaba-san began to explain. "It was only me at first… back when I was called the hacker of justice. And then some other guys… basically stole the name, taking it for themselves."
"And those are the ones who pulled off the cybercrimes, I'm guessing," Ryuji-san said.
"Yep. It was too much effort to expose everyone, so… I just let them be." Futaba-san shrugged.
"So, just to clarify, you're the true Medjed, and the ones who threatened us were just… copycats?" Makoto-san asked, her eyes wide.
"Why didn't you just inform us of the truth…?" Yusuke-san asked.
"Because I'm not Medjed anymore." Futaba-san lifted her chin. "I'm Alibaba now. Or whatever name you want to call me as a Phantom Thief."
"Just inviting yourself in, I see," Ken said dryly.
"I did good, didn't I?" Futaba-san demanded. "I bet you'll be running around like headless chickens this whole time."
Morgana bristled at that. "Hang on a moment! I may not be as good as you, but I have not been leading these guys into danger, okay?!"
Futaba-san simply shrugged. "Okay, kitty."
Morgana looked even more wound up at that. Looks like he would have to do damage control…
"Morgana, it's all right," Ken said, before the feline could make further protests. "Futaba-san's just missing a little something."
"She is?" Ryuji-san scratched the back of his head.
"Yes, it's called tact," Ken deadpanned.
Makoto-san cleared her throat, choking back a snort, before glancing towards the younger girl.
"So… how did you find out about us?" she asked.
Futaba-san hummed before drawing her knees to her chest. "Secret."
Makoto-san winced. "Okay… Where did you learn how to hack?"
Futaba-san pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Private."
"Okayyy, Makoto…" Anne-san put a hand on her wrist before Makoto-san could try again. "I don’t think this tactic is working with her. We’ll have to try again next time.”
Makoto-san made an exasperated sound. He honestly didn’t blame her for feeling frustrated.
"But we have to help her somehow. Not to mention the more details she gives us we can help her, and help us as a group.”
He couldn’t help but smile at Makoto-san. She was being pragmatic but also trying to aid Futaba too. But Futaba-san didn’t fully seem comfortable yet, even after the change of heart.
"So, let's get to know her," Ren-san said, stepping forward. "We have school on September first. That gives us… a week and a half.”
Yusuke-san stroked his chin in thought.
"Perhaps we could start with getting her to open up to us," he suggested. "How are everyone's schedules tomorrow? I happen to be free."
"I am too," Ken answered. "Not the day after, though, Fuuka-san's visiting."
"I can come tomorrow, too," Makoto-san chimed in. "What about you—Anne and Ryuji?"
Futaba-san stiffened, and she stared at Makoto-san in horror. Ken sighed to himself. They would really have to ease her into this…
"Not me." Anne-san shook her head, smiling apologetically. "I have a shoot tomorrow."
"Promised to help my mom out tomorrow with cleaning the house," Ryuji-san said, likewise shooting Makoto-san an apologetic look. "I can the day after, though."
"Okay, we'll split it up in two days, then," Ren-san decided. "Yusuke, Makoto, and Ken will spend the day with her tomorrow. Anne and Ryuji can on Wednesday. I'll be there both days. We'll slowly work her up."
"Oh, let's end it with the beach!" Ryuji-san suggested. "It'll be Futaba's final exam!"
"You… you want me to go to the beach?" Futaba-san adamantly shook her head. "I don't know…"
"Aw, come onnnnn…" Ryuji-san whined.
"How about we do your first outing with the Feathermen Rangers fan event on the twenty-eighth, then?" Ken suggested.
It would be perfect. He’d get to see Yukari-san with that too.
"I saw that you had the limited edition of the Victory rangers action figures. When we were in your room the other day,” he added hastily.
There was a beat of silence, and Ken realized that everyone was staring at him.
The smirk on Ren-san’s face could only be described as the cheshire cat.
"And just how do you know about that event?" he asked innocently, even as his expression screamed otherwise.
It really was like a cat playing with his toy. No wonder he took quickly to Morgana.
"U-Uh… well…" Ken stammered out, feeling his face redden. "That's… That's… because…"
Okay, he knew that he had nothing to be embarrassed about. But he was eighteen. Feathermen was geared towards elementary students! Not to mention that everyone seemed to take a joy in teasing him about it.
It honestly reminded him the time Minato-san asked him if he happened to have a Feathermen figurine. Ken had forgotten about hiding that he loved the show and rambled on about it for five minutes. Minato-san had taken in stride at least and promised to watch the show with him some time.
"You could always plead the fifth!" Anne-san suggested.
"Again, that applies to America, not Japan, Anne," Makoto-san sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"You're acting like I'm being put on trial here," Ken muttered.
"Sooo... do you plead innocent or guilty?" Ryuji-san interjected with a grin.
"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer!"
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016
Ken sneezed as a cloud of dust rose in the air. Okay, maybe keeping the box that contained his Feathermen DVDs under his bed wasn't the best idea. He opened the box, selecting a couple each from the different seasons he had amassed. Yukari-san liked to joke that she had it so easy when it came to birthday presents from him, ever since she had obtained her job.
He slipped them in his school satchel, before giving out a yawn. It was earlier than he usually got up during the summer. He usually ended up sleeping until ten, but he got up early since they would be spending the entire day with Futaba. He had gotten up early enough to see Shinjiro-san getting ready.
Speaking of that, Shinjiro-san should be leaving soon. He should say goodbye…
Ken walked out to the kitchen, just in time to see Shinjiro-san finish pushing something from a wok into a bento box. Three bento boxes were stacked beside it, and there was one last one on the table.
"What's this for?"
"The Phantom Thieves' diets are shit… well most of them," Shinjiro-san said bluntly, turning to face him. "And since you're spending the whole day with 'em, might as well ensure that they're getting a good meal today."
"Is this necessary?" Ken groaned.
Shinjiro-san just snorted in response. "Quit whining. Don't ask questions you know the answer to already."
Shinjiro-san then reached for the coffee pot and poured it in a mug filled with ice. He then stirred in milk before he transferred it into a thermos.
"Isshiki's daughter’s diet is especially shitty, but considering what she’s gone through, I thought I'd leave her diet alone,” he then added.
For now, was left unsaid but Ken heard it loud and clear.
"I guess you're just not happy unless you're nagging at someone for their eating habits," Ken said dryly.
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault teenagers have shitty eating habits. Can't forget how about you used to buy bento boxes from convenience stores."
"I was twelve."
"They don't have an excuse then," Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
Ken rolled his eyes.
"Fine, fine," he grumbled. "Are you heading out to work now?"
"Yeah." Shinjiro-san nodded. "Good luck with Isshiki's daughter."
After Shinjiro-san left, Ken prepared his own breakfast. He was nearly finished with it when the group chat went off. Apparently, Yusuke was there already, asking for Futaba to open up. So, they were meeting up at the Sakura house today…
He quickly finished eating and washed the dishes before he grabbed his bag and left the apartment. He met Makoto-san at the train station, so they rode the train together.
Ren-san answered the door, greeting them with, "Morning, guys. Yusuke's already here, so let's get started."
He stepped aside, and after they removed their shoes, they entered the house. The house was surprisingly neat considering as far as he knew, Sakura-san was a bachelor. They climbed the stairs and entered Futaba-san's room. She was sitting at her desk… wearing some kind of… weird mask? He couldn't even begin to describe it.
"Futaba-san, you mind taking that off?" Ken sighed.
"What even is that…?" Makoto-san asked.
"Don't worry about that." Futaba-san's voice was muffled. "This way I can interact with you with no problem!"
She sounded so proud too.
"Such Avant-garde design…" Yusuke-san nodded in appreciation, staring at her through his hands forming a frame. "You have excellent taste."
Of course, Yusuke-san would think of the aesthetic. Whatever this aesthetic is supposed to be… he couldn’t say.
They eventually convinced Futaba-san to take off it off, but she still wouldn't look at them.
"L-Let's get started then, shall we?" Makoto-san said shakily, before biting her lip. "Um… let's start with a simple conversation."
"Why is that?" Morgana asked.
"It's the start of true communication," Makoto-san answered with a sagely nod. "We should take small steps first. I don’t wanna rush her into something she’s not ready for. So… baby steps."
"You seem confident," Ren laughed, a smile tugging at his lips.
All the while, Yusuke-san wandered over to stand by Futaba-san. His back was turned to her, for some reason. Ken raised an eyebrow at that, but he ignored it for now. They had to focus on helping Futaba-san.
Makoto-san tapped her chin. "Let's start with… food. Or maybe the weather?”
Somehow, he didn't think Futaba-san would care too much about the weather.
"Speaking of food, can we eat the food that Ken brought?" Ren-san asked. "Had to skip breakfast today."
He was lucky that Shinjiro-san was so insistent on feeding everyone properly.
"You have got to stop doing that," Ken sighed. "You have to eat something, even if it's just cup ramen."
“Why do you phrase it like it’s a common thing? I do it twice in all the times that you’ve known me.” Ren rolled his eyes, “You aren’t my mom. Besides I doubt your own mother-hen would agree with me on eating instant noodles.”
“Shinjiro-san is no hen! I mean… whatever. I can get the food.” Ken grumbled with a blush.
Ren-san just snickered. Ken pulled out the bento boxes and laid them out on Futaba-san’s bed.
"Okay, let's start with food," Makoto-san said, as Ren-san opened up one of the bento boxes.
Ren-san’s expression lit up as he took the first bite. He fed Morgana as well, the cooked bits of fish. Morgana was especially happy. Shinjiro-san definitely snuck those in for him. Ken smirked and shook his head.
"What do you like to eat, Futaba-chan?" Makoto-san inquired.
Futaba-san shrugged. "Organic ones."
Organic? That was a surprise, with how many ramen bowls he had collected… but… organic what?
"She means what dishes are your favorites," Ken said, feeling a pang of pity when Makoto-san's face fell at Futaba's expression growing bored.
Futaba-san rested her cheek against her hand, her eyes growing dull.
"L-Let's try something else!" Makoto-san said hastily, before biting her lip. "How about the weather? The heat wave doesn't look like it's looking up any time soon…"
Futaba-san let out a gusty sigh, slumping against her chair. Ken couldn’t help but cringe.
Ren-san coughed awkwardly. "Futaba spends all day in her room. With air conditioning."
Makoto-san visibly deflated at that. "Oh. You're right…"
Ken's eyes fell to her computer. "What kind of coding do you know how to do?"
Futaba-san sat up at that, blinking owlishly at Ken.
"What do you mean?" she said, sounding confused.
"Have you tried making any video games?" Ken asked.
Her tank did have a Pentris design, after all. Not to mention all that computer imagery in her Palace.
"My senpai made a couple while she was in university,” he elaborated.
"Um… I've made a phone game actually—" Futaba-san then cut herself, freezing in place.
Her eyes suddenly glued themselves at Yusuke-san. They suddenly grew huge, horror filling them.
Wait a minute. Wasn't that where Futaba-san kept her Victory action figures?
"Yusuke… what exactly have you been doing?" Ren-san asked slowly.
"Come and take a look at the piece of art I've created!" Yusuke-san announced with a proud smile, turning around to face them all.
Then he stepped aside, presenting the figurines with a flourish.
Ken knew he shouldn't be staring—it was rude after all—but what the hell was that?! Somehow, Yusuke had managed to mix every head with a different colored torso, arms, and legs. It was an… atrocity. The poses seemed oddly familiar though of what he arranged it in. He couldn’t place where he’s seen it before, an anime perhaps? Not important however, he shouldn’t mess with stuff that isn’t his.
"Yusuke-san…" Ken ground out, suddenly feeling the need for some coffee. "What on Earth is that?"
Yusuke-san tilted his head. "What's the matter?"
Did he really not realize what he had done?!
Ken opened his mouth several times before he finally managed to find the words.
"What's the matter—you completely ruined her figurines!" Ken exclaimed, unable to keep the irritation from his voice. "The colors are all matched up with the wrong bodies?!”
"You're taking this rather seriously, Ken," Ren-san said with a smirk.
"They’re just toys. What's the big deal, anyways?" Morgana interrupted, before Ken could think of a retort.
Why was Ren-san giving him that smirk? Why can’t he let Ken knowing about Featherman go?! Those poses were familiar, they had to be from an anime, he was sure of he might have seen that before! Why couldn’t Ren-san pick on Yusuke-san for that! Yusuke-san must be a fan of it like he was with Featherman!
Futaba-san pushed Yusuke-san aside, her mouth agape.
"My children…" she whimpered out, her hands reaching out to the mangled action figures. "What did you do to my children?!"
She sounded ready to cry and honestly Ken didn’t blame her.
Blunt as always, Yusuke-san just continued on blithely. "They were shoddily made."
Yusuke-san really does not know how to read the room still, it seems.
"They are not shoddily made!" Futaba-san stomped her foot, a fire flaring in her eyes now. "They're limited edition, to commemorate the end of Victory!"
She then let out a little growl, glowering at Yusuke-san.
"I won't forgive you for this, Inari!" she spat out.
"Inari?" Yusuke-san echoed; his head tilted.
"Your thief clothes are like a fox." Futaba-san pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "According to Japanese folklore, foxes like inarizushi… so thus, you are Inari."
That was a bit convoluted. Then again, they've established that Futaba-san's train of thought wasn't exactly… straight. But Yusuke-san was a bit of an odd duck himself. This made for a rather explosive combination apparently.
"Rrgh… and they were in the perfect poses too!" Futaba-san moaned, before she craned her head up to glare at Yusuke.
It was almost comical to look at it, given how Yusuke-san was a good head and a half taller than Futaba-san.
"It was so much work to get them just right!" she griped, before she picked up the figure that had Pink Argus’s torso.
Yusuke-san just crossed his arms over his chest, looking unimpressed. "You claim you work so hard, but the aesthetic was horrendous."
Futaba-san scoffed, before rolling her eyes. "You wouldn't know aesthetic even if it slapped you hard across the face."
"F-Futaba-chan, that's not—"
Makoto-san tried to deescalate but was interrupted.
"Excuse me?!" Yusuke-san sputtered out, glowering at Futaba-san. "How dare you say something like that to someone like me!"
"Can you please just calm down—"
Makoto-san tried again, but her efforts were in vain as Futaba-san cut her off.
"Yeah, well it's totally true!"
Ken pressed a hand to his forehead as an argument broke out. Honestly, it was somewhat of a feat to get such a reaction from Yusuke-san, but it was… irritating. He was really feeling like he was a babysitter sometimes…
Makoto-san quickly clapped her hands.
“Come on, guys, break it up," she scolded. "Is there anything you'd like to do, Futaba-chan?"
The argument died down a bit. Yusuke-san and Futaba-san just glowered and pouted at each other. Ken couldn’t help but sigh. He needed to divert some attention.
“Um, I did bring some Feathermen DVDs," Ken volunteered, pulling out the top DVD from his bag.
Futaba then gasped, her eyes growing wide for a moment before she snatched the DVD from his hands.
"How did you get the Yukari Takeba to sign this?! She's my personal hero!" she demanded, her eyes glowing with delight.
"Isn't she your senpai?" Makoto-san asked.
"SHE'S YOUR SENPAI?!" Futaba-san suddenly was up in all his space before he could even blink.
Her eyes shone with excitement. "I'll give you five thousand—no, ten thousand—yen for this!"
Ken frowned. "It's not for sale. It's my personal DVD and it was a present."
That and he didn't want to give it up…
Futaba-san pouted. "Meanie. Fine… but come on, Victory's the best version! Let's go!"
"I think R was the best, actually," Ken said.
"Nuh-uh!" Futaba-san shook her head, before waving her arms about.
It was like she was an entirely different person now, with how animated she had become.
"Victory opened up so many doors! Red Hawk is no longer shoehorned as the leader! And it had been the best action scenes!" she insisted.
Her voice was so lively now. It was giving him whiplash, if he was being honest. But… Ken couldn’t help but focus on the Red Hawk comment.
Ken raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean shoehorned?"
"Come on, you can't tell me that Pink Argus wasn't awesome!" Futaba-san argued. "You should know this already, but Yukari Takeba does all of her stunts by herself! No stunt doubles! Plus, she practiced archery ever since she was in high school! She's so cool!"
She was starry-eyed as she gushed about Yukari-san. So… Futaba-san was a big-time fan of Yukari-san huh? Ken was already planning on seeing Yukari-san, but maybe Futaba-san needed some extra motivation.
"If you come to the fan event, I can ask if you can meet her," he offered.
Futaba-san’s eyes just about popped out of her eye sockets.
“Really?!” she cried out, then she gave a little nod, clenching her hands into fists. "Okay, I've gotta grind then!"
"Grind?" Makoto-san asked, looking utterly lost.
It might as well be all Greek to her if Ken had to guess. Ken wasn’t much of a gamer, but he liked playing when Minako-san, Fuuka-san, and Junpei-san invited him to.
"It's referring to video games," Ren-san answered, giving Makoto-san an amused smile. "But you want to watch Victory now, then?"
"Yeah!" Futaba-san cheered before darting out of the room, still clutching Ken’s DVD.
"Futaba-chan, wait!"
Makoto-san and Yusuke-san scrambled after her, and out of the room.
Ken could feel Ren-san’s eyes on him.
Ren-san sidled close to Ken, his face breaking out in a wide grin.
“So… you're a real Feathermen fan, huh?" he drawled out.
"D-Don't laugh," Ken muttered, feeling his face flush. "I just thought… Futaba-san could use a common ground…"
Ren-san snickered. "Aw, don't be like that way. Feathermen's a classic, after all."
"You're still laughing at me," Ken said flatly.
Ren-san just smirked. "I mean, it is kinda funny. You of all people, being a Feathermen fan?"
"I'm not the one who has glow in the dark stars plastered on my ceiling," Ken retorted.
"No need to be jealous," Ren-san teased.
Ken just huffed. “Come on, let’s catch up with the others.”
Ren-san snickered. “Ah, but you don’t deny it.”
“S-Shut up!”
They had accomplished what they had meant to. But Makoto couldn't help but think back about how embarrassing it had all been.
What was she thinking, asking Futaba what she thought about the weather?! Yusuke and Ken had both managed to talk to Futaba, but she had utterly failed. (Well if you could call an argument a success, but Yusuke did get Futaba to engage in a conversation even if heated and he wasn’t even intending for it.) She still didn't know how to talk to people sometimes. Not if it wasn't related to phantom thief business or studying…
She suddenly felt a light touch on her elbow.
"Makoto-san, you've been awfully quiet."
Since they lived in the same district, Ken was walking her home. She had told him it wasn’t necessary, but Ken had insisted on it.
"It's nothing…" Makoto mumbled, not wanting to worry him. "It's… silly…"
Ken just tilted his head, studying her.
"You don't have to dismiss it," he said.
‘You can talk to me’ hung in the air. Makoto bit her lip, before looking up.
"Can we talk in private?" she asked quietly.
Ken nodded. "Okay. There's the diner nearby, I think…"
After arriving at the diner, they grabbed a table and ordered a cup of coffee each. Makoto stared down at the mug, trying to pull her thoughts together.
"It's ridiculous," she finally said. “But I felt useless today. I couldn't think of anything to talk about with Futaba. Both you and Yusuke managed to do it… but I failed."
She sighed before forcing herself to take a sip of coffee. Not as good as Café Leblanc’s. A mix of hazelnut and cinnamon with the coffee. Boss’s coffee would be more balanced however, a perfect blend of the flavors, this one had a stronger hint of hazelnut over the cinnamon. It still tasted nice however.
"I may be the student council president, but I don't know how to talk to people. Not when it counts,” she lamented with a sigh.
Eiko was right. She was like a robot…
Ken was quiet for a moment. But then he set down his mug.
"Makoto-san, Futaba-san doesn't exactly know how to talk to people. A conversation is a two-way street. And besides, Futaba-san and Yusuke-san got into an argument for the most part. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself."
Makoto heaved out a sigh. "I know, I know, it's stupid."
Ken corrected, "No, because it's not true. You can talk to me fine, can't you?"
Makoto blinked at him. "Well, that's because…"
"We're friends?” he finished her sentence then sighed. "Look, it was just luck that Futaba happened to be really into something I like. I know what it's like, to not be able to strike up a conversation…"
He blew his bangs out of his face, before raising his mug to his lips. For a reason, his eyes suddenly grew sad. He took a sip and set the drink back down.
"People used to say I acted cold, like I held myself at a distance. And in a way, it was true. I tried acting older than I was, because I was desperate for people to treat me not like a kid…” Ken stared down at his mug as he spoke. “And that made it harder for me when I realized that I had only one childhood and I shouldn't rush things. I felt like I couldn't connect to people my age. But even after I realized this… it was hard."
Ken shrugged at that, like it wasn’t a big deal.
Makoto couldn’t help but feel a little surprised. Okay, maybe Ken could be serious—though she supposed that she can’t really talk—but he was so kind. Not just to her, but he had been patient with Futaba. And he tried to look out for everyone.
"But it's better now, isn't it?" Makoto asked.
Ken continued to stare at his mug, trailing his finger along the rim.
"I suppose. It's… been a while since I've really spent time with people my age," he admitted. "I quit soccer club at the beginning of this year, and I guess… I just drifted away from my friends in soccer. I felt odd about trying to strike a conversation with them."
"Ken…"
She had never really thought what Ken was like, back on Port Island. Several of her female classmates liked him still, even though Ken never gave them a second glance. It was honestly a little irksome since they didn’t even know him. But she had always assumed that he had been popular.
"It's okay." Ken looked up, meeting her gaze. "It's just… it's not something you experience, Makoto-san. It's more common than you think. And…"
He then hesitated for a moment, before smiling gently at her.
"You're wonderful, just the way you are. I like you already. You don’t need to change."
Makoto blushed at his kind words before she smiled back at him. "Thank you, Ken."
Wednesday, August 24th, 2016
Since the end of summer vacation was creeping closer and closer, Ken had closed himself in his room and worked on his schoolwork. Shinjiro-san had understood and told him that he could pick up Fuuka-san on his own.
He was so absorbed in his work that he didn't even notice when they came back. Or that his door was slowly being nudged open.
He had definitely noticed Koromaru knocking him down from his chair, though.
Koromaru let him sit up (though he spent a couple of minutes happily licking Ken's face) before he crawled into Ken's lap. Ken stroked the top of his head before giving him a proper hug. Koromaru just barked again, before licking his cheek.
A clicking sound caught his attention, and he whipped his head to see that Fuuka-san was standing at the doorway, her phone in her hand. Ken shot her a dirty look.
"Aw, don't look at me like that, Ken-kun," Fuuka-san said, pressing her free hand against her cheek. "That was just adorable! I couldn't not take a picture of it."
Ken grumbled to himself. Girls and their weird thing for cuteness. He just didn’t get it.
"I'm surprised you brought Koromaru with you," Ken said, determined to change the subject. "Not that I'm not glad but…"
Koromaru then barked, before tugging at Ken's shirt.
"She didn't just bring Koro," Shinjiro-san said dryly. "She brought the entire family. She thought that you should meet the puppies."
He didn’t even realize Shinjiro-san was standing behind her; he was so quiet til now.
But on that note, sometimes he forgot that Koromaru even had puppies. It was kinda funny to think about, Koromaru being a dad now.
Koromaru barked again, this time more insistent, so he got up and followed Koromaru out of his room.
A black furred shiba inu lounged on the couch. Two black and tan puppies were passed out on the couch, snuggled close to her. She looked at Ken curiously, but let Ken stroke the top of her head. The remaining four puppies, three of them also with black and tan fur, one with cream fur, frolicked in the living room, despite the long train ride.
"What's her name, Fuuka-san?" Ken asked, moving his hand so she could sniff it.
She seemed to deem him satisfactory, since she licked his hand.
"Hoshi," Fuuka-san answered. "Since her tail has a white tip."
“Hoshi?” Ken repeated then tilted his head slightly. “Wouldn’t a name more like Mashiro fit her then? Since the white tip is more the reason why you picked it?”
“Oh! Sorry, well you see I was thinking of stars in the night sky how they are little white lights,” Fuuka-san explained with a smile. “Since she’s a dark colored dog with a little bit of white on her, it reminded me of stars. Hence Hoshi…”
“Ah… I see. That does make sense now that you explain it.” Ken nodded.
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes. “Didn’t realize you were the name critic.”
Ken glared and opened his mouth. Fuuka-san just gave a weak smile and put her hand on Shinjiro-san, stopping them from getting into an argument.
“Now, now… let’s not get wound up. I can understand why he was confused at first,” she said gently.
Shinjiro-san shrugged and Ken just grumbled. But it was silly to get into a debate over that, so he agreed he should just let it go.
Ken studied Hoshi closely instead. She was definitely younger than Koromaru, but she wasn't super young. Maybe around Koromaru's age around the time Sho Minazuki had shown up? The dog just blinked placidly at him.
Sometimes he wondered how they had ended up with shiba inus that went against the stereotype. Sure, Koromaru was fairly independent and extraordinarily intelligent, but he had lost track of the number of times Koromaru had come to one of them, so he could curl up in one of their laps. And Koromaru was the opposite of a brat.
Someone suddenly knocked on the door, making all three of them look up. Fuuka-san was closest to the door, so she went to answer it. She opened it, revealing that it was Ren-san, Anne-san, and Ryuji-san.
"Oh, hey there, Fuuka-san!" Ryuji-san greeted cheerfully, giving her a wave. "How are ya?"
Fuuka-san took a step back.
"O-Oh… hello, Ryuji-kun," she greeted.
Ken couldn’t help but grimace. It’s not like they were expecting visitors.
Anne-san giggled. "Yeah, we were hanging out with Ren, and we didn't have much to do. Ken mentioned you were visiting, so we thought we'd say hello! We never did thank you properly for that dinner you gave us the day we met."
"Oh, that was mostly Shinji, not me,” Fuuka-san was quick to dismiss. “But you did come all this way, so why don't you come in?"
"Are you… fostering?" Ren-san asked slowly, stepping inside, and looking curiously at the puppies running around.
He then turned, quirking an eyebrow at Ken.
"You didn't mention anything about that, Ken,” he remarked.
"It's because we're not," Shinjiro-san deadpanned. "Someone just went and decided to have a litter of puppies."
Koromaru just cocked his head and gave Shinjiro-san the typical puppy dog eyes.
Shinjiro-san just scoffed in response. "Don't look at me like that, Koro, you know what you did."
"Aww, he's adorable!" Anne-san cooed, her eyes growing bright. She clasped her hands together. "You know, I thought albino animals are supposed to look creepy but he’s just adorable!”
Ken just laughed. "You can pet him. Koromaru's pretty friendly."
Anne-san's eyes lit up and she all but ran to Koromaru, kneeling down and rubbing the top of his head. Koromaru shut his eyes, leaning into Anne's hand.
“Aww, who’s a good boy?” Anne-san cooed. “That’s right—you are!”
"You've got some competition, RenRen," Ryuji-san teased, nudging Ren-san in the side.
Ren-san just scoffed, rolling his eyes at Ryuji-san. However, Ryuji-san ignored that, turning to face Ken.
"But damn, I never knew you owned a dog!" he exclaimed.
"It never came up," Ken pointed out.
"That's fair," Ren-san said with a light laugh, only to look down at his bag.
Morgana was being awfully quiet, now that he thought about it…
"Not feeling like coming out, Morgana?" Ren-san asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm good," Morgana grumbled. "It's already chaotic enough with all of these dogs running around."
"Taking a dislike to dogs, huh?" Ryuji-san asked, smirking now. "Wonder why…"
"I am not a cat!" Morgana hissed out.
Fuuka-san and Shinjiro-san just stared blankly. It took a moment for Ken to realize what was going on. He honestly forgot that you had to visit the Metaverse and have your cognition changed to understand Morgana.
Ryuji-san opened his mouth to retort, but then the smallest of the puppies suddenly wandered over and sat right at his feet. Ryuji blinked down at him, before a slow smile spread across his face.
"Oh, hey, little guy. Want some attention?" he asked with a chuckle.
He bent down, scooping the puppy up—holding it right to his face. The puppy gave a yip before licking at Ryuji-san’s cheek.
"Damn, you're a regular fuzzball, aren't ya?" he chuckled.
The puppy barked in response, and Ryuji-san grinned.
“Should’ve known you were more of a dog person,” Ren-san teased, earning a snicker from Ryuji-san.
"So, how has the search for homes been going?" Anne-san asked, looking to Fuuka-san for the answer.
"Oh, it's going well," Fuuka-san answered. "Three of the puppies have found homes already."
Ken would bet good money that Kanji-san and Naoto-san would be getting one of them…
"Y'know, I've always kinda wanted a dog," Ryuji-san admitted. "My old man hated 'em, though, so my mom always had to say no."
"I mean, I don't really blame you. They’re all so cute!" Anne-san laughed, before she cooed over the cream furred puppy.
"They're not that cute," Morgana grumbled as Anne-san petted the puppy.
"Jealous, Morgana?" Ren-san teased. "Come on, we all love you."
"I'm not jealous…!"
"Seriously, why do you bring that cat of yours everywhere," Shinjiro-san complained. "The dogs aside, doesn't the cat ever get bored?"
Ren-san smirked and looked right at Ken. “Why? He’s a therapy cat.”
Ken couldn’t help but cover half his face with his left hand and shake his head.
“Is there a joke I’m missing?” Shinjiro-san raised a brow.
“Inside joke.” Ren-san shrugged, then said, “But Morgana just loves coming with me everywhere. Needy li’l guy, I can’t help but indulge him.”
Okay, he knew that Ren-san was joking, but he couldn’t help but think there was a grain of truth in it. Ken held back a chuckle as he noticed Morgana glowering at Ren for the needy comment.
"Are you serious about that, though, Ryuji-san?" Ken asked instead, turning to the blond boy. "I know that some of the puppies have been claimed already, but…"
Ryuji-san blinked. "Uh… yeah. If my mom's up for it, that is. She wouldn't be happy if I just brought home a puppy."
Fuuka-san tapped her lips with her index finger, letting out a thoughtful hum.
"They were born at the beginning of July, so unfortunately, they can't leave their mother yet. There are psychological changes to the puppies if they're taken away too early. But… I was thinking of visiting during October."
"You are?" Ken asked, frowning.
This was news to him. It was nice that Fuuka-san was planning on visiting more but…
"Mm-hm." Fuuka-san nodded. "For the fourth. I always felt bad that I could never come to visit before, while I was studying at Tokyo U."
"Oh, is that your anniversary?" Anne-san asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's a… memorable date, that's for sure," Fuuka-san said slowly, ever so slightly wincing.
Ken bit his lip, trying not to think of that anniversary. Anne-san didn't seem to pick up on it, though.
"But if you're interested in taking in the puppy and your mother is open to the idea, I could always bring him down with me," Fuuka-san said with a kind smile.
"Shouldn't we give you somethin'?" Ryuji frowned, looking at Koromaru and then Hoshi. "They're both shiba inus, aren't they? Don't people pay a shit ton of money for purebred dogs? I feel kinda bad for just taking ‘im."
"It's more important that they get good homes, not owners only interested in showing off a dog like it's a trophy," Shinjiro-san said darkly. "People have tried to offer us money for Koro, but that sure as hell ain't happening."
"That's really generous of you." Anne-san sighed longingly, pressing a hand to her cheek. "I wish that I could do the same, but my parents have a strict no pets policy. They hate the idea of dog or cat hair on the furniture."
She had a huge pout on her face. Ken didn’t blame her. Ken had always loved animals. He honestly missed Koromaru’s presence in Tokyo.
"You could always play with this little guy," Ren-san laughed, pointing at a pouting Morgana. Then he turned to his best friend. "Any idea for names, Ryuji?"
Ryuji scratched his nose, his forehead wrinkling as he thought. "Uhh… how 'bout… Shoyu?"
"Shoyu?" Shinjiro-san said incredulously. "You wanna name him after soy sauce specifically?"
"More likely it’s because he loves ramen so much… that is a very Ryuji-san thing to do." Ken shook his head.
"Aw, shuddup, Ken!" Ryuji-san huffed, scowling at Ken.
Ren-san and Anne-san just laughed at him, though.
“I dunno, it’s pretty accurate,” Anne-san teased.
"Shuddup! Names are hard, okay?! And shoyu ramen is a classic!" Ryuji-san cried out. “Back me up, RenRen!”
Ren-san just smirked, folding his arms over his chest. “Eh… not feeling up to it.”
“Traitor!” Ryuji-san’s voice turned outraged.
Ken just shrugged. "I'm just saying, it's a very you-thing to look to food for inspiration."
"Kinda have to agree with Ken, Ryuji." Ren-san's eyes were twinkling with barely contained laughter.
"Are you for real, man?!"
Thursday, August 25th, 2016
Futaba let out a loud squeak as she dropped a dish, catching Ren's attention.
"Futaba, are you okay?" Ren asked, looking to her in concern.
Futaba nodded slowly, biting her lip. "It just startled me."
Sojiro just laughed. "Be more careful next time, yeah?"
Sometimes it was so… weird, how gentle Sojiro was with Futaba. It was the complete flip of how he had treated Ren when he had first moved out here. Though that probably wasn’t the best comparison considering she was his adopted daughter meanwhile Ren was a stranger he took in.
Futaba’s voice distracted him from his train of thought.
"What are you staring at?"
Ren tried for an innocent look. "Nothing. But Sojiro's right, Futaba, you need to be more careful. You don't have to rush, especially since there's not a mountain of dishes from our truckloads of non-existent customers."
"Haha, you're hilarious, Ren," Sojiro said dryly, before smacking him on the head with the dish rag he carried. "If you have time to joke around, you can brew coffee then."
Ren just grinned cheekily, before saluting him. "Sir, yes, sir!"
Sojiro looked ready to retort, but then the bell chimed. A middle-aged man had arrived at the café.
"Hey, Boss! The usual, extra strong!" he called out jovially, a carefree smile on his face.
"Coming right up," Sojiro said, slipping into courteous mode. "Ren, watch Futaba, won't you?"
"I don't need to be watched," Futaba said sulkily, all while pouting.
Ren just grinned, patting her head. "Just keep it up, okay? I'll clean this up."
Futaba nodded, apparently determined to finish the dishes. Ren had finished sweeping up when the customer spoke up.
"Sooo, another part-timer?" He laughed, shaking his head. "Man, smooth as always, huh? What number is she again?"
First of all, disgusting. Futaba was fifteen. Second of all, was Sojiro was really that much of a casanova? He couldn’t really picture it to be honest.
"It's nothing like that," Sojiro sighed.
The customer started joking about how Sojiro apparently went for older women usually, and then he started rambling about some crap with Guatemala coffee.
"Ren, come on, don't stare," Sojiro scolded. "Bring him his coffee—”
He was cut off by a sudden scream.
"H-here's your coffee."
Ren turned to see that Futaba had taken the coffee… while wearing that ridiculous mask of hers. Where did that even come from? He was pretty sure that Futaba hadn't brought that with her this morning. The customer’s chest was heaving, a hand pressed against it.
"Where in the world did she…" Sojiro sighed, this time more resigned. "Hey, Futaba, how many times have I told you not to show up in front of people wearing that damn thing?"
The door suddenly opened, and in stepped Fuuka-san and Shinjiro-san. Shinjiro-san took one look at Futaba, before saying, "What the fuck is she wearing?"
"Um… I guess we came at a bad time…" Fuuka-san said slowly, all while wincing.
"Oh hey, Shinjiro-san, Fuuka-san," Ren greeted, waving at them. "Didn't figure you'd find us. We're kinda in a bad location."
"Why does it feel like you know half of the city by now?" Sojiro shook his head, before narrowing his eyes at Ren.
He looked fairly unimpressed with Ren’s previous quip too.
"And you're not here to give wisecracks. You're here to work," he said sternly.
"Hey, I have a good reason," Ren defended. "Shinjiro-san is Ken's guardian, and he's dating Fuuka-san. She's visiting from Port Island."
For some reason, Sojiro seemed to stiffen at Port Island before he looked at them.
"Well, it's nice to meet you,” he then tilted his head, looking at Shinjiro-san specifically. "Though, aren't you on the young side to be a guardian?"
"And what's your point?" Shinjiro-san deadpanned, though his expression seemed to scream not this shit again.
He must get that a lot. Though Ren had to admit it was kinda weird. Who takes a look at a kid, and decides that they should adopt the kid because their relatives don't give a shit about them?
Ren suddenly felt his eyes naturally fall on Futaba all of a sudden and realized how dumb he was for thinking that about Shinjiro-san.
Sojiro held up his hands in surrender. "It’s nothing. But anyways, what can I get you?"
"One curry and two coffees?" Fuuka-san requested politely. "Ken-kun has told me that your curry is simply delicious."
"I'll determine that," Shinjiro-san muttered. "And Sakura, I've got some tips if you’re interested in helping fix the shitty diets of teen—"
Fuuka-san sighed. "Shinji… really? Right now? We just met him."
"But Fuuka—" Shinjiro-san cut himself off, as Fuuka-san's expression became disappointed.
He started grumbling to himself, since apparently his girlfriend wasn’t allowing him to be rude to Sojiro. Ren fought back a snicker. Ryuji was right… he was whipped.
"Anywayyy…" Sojiro drew out, looking confused, not sure what to make of the newcomers.
He waved the couple to a booth. After they seated themselves, he gave them a genial smile.
"I'll prepare your curry now. Ren will take care of your coffee."
To emphasize his point, Ren stepped forward and gave them a little gave.
"Any cream or sugar?" Ren asked.
"Black," Shinjiro-san said shortly.
Fuuka-san let out a thoughtful hum, before answering. "Two creams and three sugars, please."
"Ooh, can I try making it?" Futaba asked eagerly, following Ren to behind the counter.
"We'll… practice first, okay?" Ren said quickly. "My first try wasn't great."
Sojiro had to walk him through the entire process, all while grumbling about people's reliance on instant coffee.
"Meanie," Futaba grumbled, a pout in her voice.
"You can bring it over to them," Ren reassured. "Though you should be more polite with the customer this time."
“Eh. We’ll see.”
“Futaba!” Ren couldn’t help but laugh though.
Ren finished brewing the coffees and mixed in the requested amount of cream and sugar for Fuuka-san. He then handed them off to Futaba.
"Thank you, Futaba-chan." Fuuka-san smiled at her, even though Futaba set down the cup roughly, spilling a little bit of coffee.
"Huh?" Futaba tilted her head. "You know my name?"
"Ken-kun's mentioned you," she explained before picking up her cup and taking a careful sip. "He was worried about you for a while…"
Futaba was quiet for a moment. "I see… he seems nice. He knows his stuff about Feathermen Rangers."
"Yeah, he's a good kid," Shinjiro-san said absently, taking his own sip of coffee.
Shinjiro-san then stiffened when he realized that Ren was staring at him before he narrowed his eyes.
"Don't you dare tell him that I said that," he bit out, his voice turning threatening.
Someone was defensive. Ren had to bite his lip so he wouldn't start laughing. He almost wanted to just say “tsundere” to the man’s face but knew that was a death wish.
Fuuka-san leaned up to give him a quick peck on the cheek. "You don't have to get all embarrassed, Shinji. It’s cute."
"I'm not embarrassed," he huffed.
“If it’s not embarrassment, why are you blushing then?” Ren dared to be brave and tease him, even as Shinjiro-san glowered at him.
"Jeez, you're crowding," Sojiro scolded Ren, coming up with a plate heaped with curry. "At least go behind the counter."
Fuuka-san picked up the fork and dug in. Her face lit up as she took a bite, her eyes practically glowing with delight.
"Mm, it's delicious!" she pressed a hand to her cheek, before letting out a content sigh.
She turned to Shinjiro-san, offering the fork covered with saucey rice.
"Shinji, you have to try. It really is delicious!" she urged.
Shinjiro-san looked unconvinced, even as he took the fork from her. Maybe he should be working as a food critic, instead of working at Crossroads.
He took a bite, and his face grew thoughtful.
"It's… decent," he said grudgingly.
He took another bite, slowly chewing.
"I can taste cinnamon… saffron? There are a bunch of spices I'd never think to use in curry, too…" he mumbled out.
"There's a reason why it's the signature dish here," Sojiro said smugly.
Shinjiro-san's stare was flat. "And the only dish."
"It's a coffee shop," Sojiro retorted. "We don't need a huge variety of dishes."
"Shouldn't there be coffee cake or tiramisu?"
"Shinji, you hate sweets," Fuuka-san pointed out. "Also stop being so rude! He can decide what’s best for his menu."
Shinjiro-san grumbled, “I’m just saying…”
"Kids these days…" Sojiro grumbled also.
“But seriously why curry?” Shinjiro-san pushed despite Fuuka-san frowning at him.
Sojiro shrugged and went back to the counter. “Why not? It’s unique. No other coffee shop like mine.”
“Because it’s personal!” Futaba suddenly shouted.
Everyone stopped to look at her. She shrunk in herself at the sudden attention. Ren was thankful that other pretentious customer had long gone after Fuuka-san and Shinjiro-san showed up. Ren barely noticed his absence til now. But it was a relief, he wouldn’t want to have that creep around while Futaba was clearly upset.
Shinjiro-san didn’t realize it, but he pricked at a nerve.
“This curry is special to our family!” Futaba shouted again. “So what if he doesn’t serve sweets and pastries with his coffee! J-J-Jerk!”
Ren pushed down the anxious feelings present seeing Futaba start to get upset, he could tell she was ready to bolt upstairs with how she began shaking. He moved to stand next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, blocking her view of Fuuka-san and Shinjiro-san.
She let out a tiny gasp, her lip quivering. He just gave her a nod and she gave him a weak smile. She smacked her cheeks with both hands and let out a nod, despite the fact she still looked scared.
“I’m… I’m okay. Thanks, Key Item.” Futaba declared quietly to him.
Ren gave her a grin and let go of her shoulder. Sojiro walked over to them, obviously concerned. Futaba just smiled at him, putting on a much braver face.
They heard a loud sigh, Ren turned to see Shinjiro-san had a rather guilty expression.
“Look… sorry,” he said before he rubbed his neck. “I know I can be an ass sometimes. I didn’t mean the curry is bad or anything—just unusual—but I could learn to be more… tactful.”
Fuuka-san suddenly chuckled. She then blushed, holding a hand over her mouth when everyone looked at her.
“Sorry, I was just… thinking about what a couple of our friends would say about Shinji’s apology,” she said with a sheepish smile.
Shinjiro-san grumbled at that comment but didn’t complain further.
“But if there’s a sentimental reason, I think it makes your curry that much more special, Sakura-san,” Fuuka-san continued with a sweet smile. She then stirred her coffee for a moment, taking a small sip. “I’ll admit that I never thought that coffee would pair so well with curry.”
“Yeah… sorry again,” Shinjiro-san muttered out.
Sojiro put a hand on Futaba’s shoulder and said, “Apology accepted… right?”
Futaba looked down at her feet for a moment, she took a deep breath through her nose and nodded up to him.
“Y-Yeah. Apology accepted sir!”
Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san continued their meal, all while taking time to talk to both Ren and Futaba. Ren wasn't sure how it happened, but Fuuka-san even managed to convince Futaba to put her mask upstairs, as she was doing fine so far without it. Futaba seemed to really take a liking to her, for some reason. Though watching the two of them interact… Ren noticed that Fuuka-san was pretty observant, almost having an instinct on how to communicate with Futaba without making her uncomfortable.
They bid the two farewell after their plates have been long empty for some time. Ren grabbed both to start washing them.
"Phew…" Sojiro sighed, shaking his head. "This was an interesting day."
"I did good, though, didn't I?" Futaba said cheerfully.
"A few… hiccups,” Sojiro said wiping off his glasses with his apron. “But overall, yeah."
Futaba beamed up at her adoptive father.
Morgana trotted down the stairs and Sojiro placed a plate on the ground with some treats on it for him. Morgana’s eyes twinkled and dug in. Ren held back a snarky comment towards Sojiro about being a pushover regarding Morgana.
Futaba ignored this, stepping closer to Ren, excitement in her eyes.
"Alright, Key Item!" she pumped her fist. "I leveled up! This is one step closer to finishing the quest!"
"Great job, Futaba,” Ren grinned at her then frowned. “But… are you gonna keep calling me that?”
Futaba’s face fell. “I-Is it weird?”
Shit.
“N-No, not weird… just surprising,” Ren said.
Futaba scuffed her shoe against the floor. “I can stop if you want me to…”
“No, don’t.” Ren put a hand on her shoulder. “It just caught me off guard. You can call me that if you really want to.”
Futaba’s expression lit up at that.
“Got it, Key Item!”
Saturday, August 27th, 2016
Message From: Futaba Sakura
[Futaba Sakura]: We need to talk
[Futaba Sakura]: I need to knowww
[Futaba Sakura]: Just are who the Shadow Operatives?
[Ken Amada]: I'll be at your house at 9:30 tomorrow
[Ken Amada]: We should talk then.
Ken had to take in several deep breaths, before knocking on the door. He could do this.
But… would telling her really be such a bad thing? It'd be helpful if he had someone that knew about Shido. Maybe then he could convince everyone that it'd be better if they targeted Shido. But on the other hand, Mitsuru-san would not be happy if he just went and blabbed details to someone he didn't really know. She probably would get execution mad, with the Shadow Operatives being a secret organization. But on the other hand, the Investigation Team found out about them…
Maybe he should try to convince Mitsuru-san it'd be a good idea to tell them. They'd understand, wouldn't they? Shido was not who he seemed. He didn't know if he could convince that Shido would be a good target, just by claiming that there was more than met the eye.
The door suddenly swung open, making him jump. Futaba-san stared at him, her hair a tangled mess, and dark circles under her eyes.
"You," she ground out, "are. Evilllll."
"I'm evil for making you get up at 9:30?" Ken frowned.
"Why couldn't it be later?" she whined with a pout.
"Isn't Ren-san coming over, though?" Ken asked. "And you wanted to talk to me, didn't you?"
"Ugh. Fine." Futaba-san pouted again before turning on her heel and trudging inside.
Ken removed his shoes and followed her inside, shutting the door behind him. The air conditioning was a relief, if he was being honest. The heat really wasn't letting up. Port Island wasn't cool, but it had the sea breeze at least.
Futaba-san plopped onto the couch, patting the spot next to her.
"So… do you know what happened to my mom's research?" she blurted out as Ken sat down next to her. "What it was?! Come on, you've gotta know something!"
"Futaba-san, I never met your mother. I never heard of cognitive psience until you mentioned it,” Ken said gently.
Futaba-san's eyes went wide. "Wha…? How can that be? My mom talked to the Shadow Operatives! Constantly!"
Ken fought the urge to sigh. Why the hell did Isshiki-san talk to this to a thirteen-year-old? Furthermore, why did she bring Futaba with her when she talked with Mitsuru-san?
"Futaba-san, who did you meet? Out of the Shadow Operatives?" he finally said.
"Um…" Futaba scrunched up her nose. "Mitsuru Kirijo. And a lady with auburn hair and red eyes. Miyako, I think?"
"Her name is Minako," Ken corrected. "But Futaba-san, look…"
He pressed a hand to his forehead as he struggled to find a way to phrase it. He didn’t want to screw up, but he also knew that Futaba-san did deserve some kind of explanation.
He said slowly, "The Shadow Operatives are… complicated. From my understanding, when the group started out, they were actually called SEES. That team would move on to become the Shadow Operatives. The Shadow Operatives are meant to fight Shadows at a larger scale."
“Which is what you are, a Shadow Op,” Futaba stated.
Ken rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of what he could admit. “Uh… not… well not exactly.”
Technically he wasn’t a full time one so that wasn’t a total lie.
“Huh?” Futaba tilted her head.
“But never mind that, the Shadow Operatives—"
Futaba-san asked, "So do they often fight the Shadows like the Phantom Thieves do, like in Palaces like mine?"
“Well not exactly like Palaces…” Ken scratched his chin. “But anyways…”
"So, are they like superheroes?" Futaba-san's eyes went wide. "Saving people from being killed, right?"
"Well… not exactly." Ken pursed his lips together, trying to gather together his thoughts.
He had to try and explain about SEES, in a way that he couldn’t give things away. This felt so much harder than coming up with the half-lies he told everyone else a month ago.
Ken sighed. "You know about the mental shutdowns, right? How people have been causing accidents due to it… it's because their Shadow has been killed.”
"Shadow?" Futaba-san repeated.
"Shadows are… the wild, untamed part of humans," Ken said. "But it's still a part of your psyche. If you destroy your Shadow… you become… soulless. Lifeless."
Futaba-san's eyes widened. "But my mom's research… I remember her talking about it. If you remove the core of someone's twisted cognition, the twisted cognition will disappear. How is that different?"
"Killing a Shadow and defeating it is different, from what I understand," Ken explained. "Though, honestly, I've only witnessed one change of heart, and that was Kaneshiro. He was defeated and they took his Treasure, what your mother called the 'core'. I think the Shadow is forced to return to Kaneshiro, while his Treasure was taken from him."
Futaba-san quirked a brow. "I guess that makes sense. This stuff is prettyyy complicated."
"It is," Ken agreed.
He sighed quietly. Maybe it’d be safe to talk about Tartarus? Vaguely, of course. Ken swallowed down the lump in his throat. He hated this. He hated trying to live a lie, it only being safe to talk to Shinjiro-san about this kind of thing.
“Is… that what happened to me? Did you guys take my core?” Futaba-san asked, interrupting his thoughts.
Ken shook his head, “No, you awoke to your Persona before we could. In a way, you changed your own heart by facing your Shadow. Your treasure—your core—it vanished.”
“What was my c—I mean treasure?” she inquired while scratching her cheek.
Ken licked his dry lips and fought back a wince.
“I dunno. I didn’t get to see it. With the Cognition fight and the collapse of the palace… it all became a blur by the time we left.”
That was also technically true. He never did get to see it. And in the rush of it all he didn’t really think about it, at least not until Ryuji-san brought it up after the fact. And Morgana told them what he saw…
“You never answered my question about my mother’s research.” Futaba switched the topic back.
Ken looked away from her so she didn’t see him cringe. The topic was slowly moving away from that as he honestly didn’t know about it as much as she’d think. But regardless that would involve more questions about the Shadow Operatives. He couldn’t help but feel anxious.
“Futaba-san… I never met your mother. I don’t know anything about her research,” he answered evenly.
“But you are part of the Shadow Ops,” Futaba-san said as she sat up straighter.
Ken rubbed his temples. “As I said before—”
“You say ‘not exactly’ but what you really mean is ‘kinda sorta’ right?” Futaba-san questioned.
Ken opened his mouth but he couldn’t muster a response for some reason.
Futaba-san then stood up. “You personally know Mitsuru Kirijo. And you corrected me on that other woman—Minako, you said her name was. Both Shadow Operatives my mother knew! You personally know the other ones I bet.”
“Futaba-san, look—"
Futaba-san glared at him, hands clenching into fists. “You know about the Shadow Operatives before you even met the Phantom Thieves, this conversation is evidence of that since they have no knowledge of them, that never came up once in my Palace from what I gathered in their chat logs!”
“You’ve been spying on their—"
“Yes, I have!” she cut him off. “They have no knowledge of this SEES stuff or the Shadow Ops! But you know them, which means the Kirijo CEO trusts you enough to know her secrets or… you’re a part of it. You’ve been dancing around it this whole conversation, but you know a lot more than you let on, even if you don’t know my mom!”
She would not let him get a word in… every time he tried—she shot him down with a metaphorical slugger after another. Ken was struggling to even think what to counter with. He was stuck in a bear trap right now.
“You know, I could easily hack into your phone, and find out more info there that you are hiding.” Futaba narrowed her eyes dangerously at him. “What are you holding back from me. From the Phantom Thieves.”
Ken took a sharp breath and rubbed his forehead. What to say? He looked down at his feet and shook his head.
“So… why haven’t you yet?” he asked hesitantly.
He heard a tremble in her voice. “I… I wanna to hear it from you. I wanna hear… wanna hear the whole story from you. You helped… me. I… I owe you to hear it from your mouth.”
Ken jolted his head upward to look at her finally from where he was sitting. She was… not mad? He was starting to get worried she was distrusting of him.
“What… do you want to know?” Ken asked hesitantly.
“I listened in on your conversations in the past with the Phantom Thieves. You… you had a Persona before meeting them, right?” She tilted her head, scrunching up her nose.
Ken tried not to appear as nervous as he felt. He gave her a simple nod.
Futaba-san clasped both hands behind her back. “I remember it being vague but… you implied it was a recent-ish thing from what I gathered. But… is that the truth? You know about these organizations long before this group was even formed… how long did you actually have your Persona?”
Ken bit his lip. He should try to come up with some story. More strongly reinforce the lies and half truths he’d been telling so far. Mitsuru-san was counting on him.
“Why do you need to know?” Ken found himself asking before he could stop himself.
Futaba-san looked at her feet this time, a pregnant pause hung between them. When she looked up, she had such a sad look in her eyes.
“You saved me…” Her eyebrows furrowed and her lower lip started to curl slightly. “But… so did they. I want to believe you. But I don’t want them to get hurt either…”
Another pregnant pause. Ken looked at the clock ticking on the wall. Each tick of the clock growing louder in his mind with each passing second.
A lie… of some kind to cover this up. Denial perhaps. Or just leave. No… none of those would work. It would make things worse. Futaba-san was already so smart for her age. For a girl that didn’t know how to interact with people much… she sure knew how to read him.
Ken heaved out a loud sigh. He was tired of this. Tired of the lies. Tired of the half-truths. Tired of the pretending.
“Mitsuru-san… Shinjiro-san… I’m so sorry,” he thought to himself.
He patted the seat next to him, motioning Futaba-san to sit back down. She quirked her head slightly but obliged the silent request.
"My Persona… I had for seven years. But I haven't fought Shadows in years, until I came to Tokyo," Ken finally said.
"Seven years?!" Futaba-san gasped out, gaping at him.
Futaba-san's eyes were as wide as saucers; the effect was magnified by her huge glasses.
"That's crazy! You’re eighteen now, so you fought Shadows when you were eleven?!" she cried out.
Ken nodded. “I was. It wasn't easy convincing the others to let me fight, but…"
Though that had been all Ikutsuki. He still could remember everyone's reactions quite vividly. None of them had been thrilled with the idea, due to his age.
Futaba-san chewed her bottom lip. "The others… Like Mitsuru Kirijo, that Minako lady, and I'm guessing the other people on the list."
"What list?" Ken frowned.
"Oops." Futaba-san's hand moved to her mouth before she lowered it; she sheepishly smiled. "Um… I may have hacked into the database?"
At least he knew how Futaba-san had found out about him. Seeing that he had been a Shadow Operative for barely a year before he left the organization.
Ken sighed. "Okay, we need to talk about your little habit."
"What do you mean?" She frowned.
"You shouldn't have a bug at LeBlanc." Ken frowned sternly at her. "We talked about it being due to you were keeping an eye on Sakura-san, but either way, it's an invasion of privacy."
"I wouldn't have contacted you otherwise!" Futaba-san protested. "I wouldn't have found about the Phantom Thieves!"
Ken just raised an eyebrow.
She huffed before slouching in her seat. "Ugh. Fiiiine. I'll deactivate the bug…"
Then she grumbled out something that sounded suspiciously close to killjoy. Ken just rolled his eyes. This was for the better.
Considering how Ren and Anne may… continue forward with their relationship, it'd be better for Futaba-san in the long run. So she wouldn't get traumatized by overhearing something she shouldn't. Then again, didn't Futaba-san spend a lot of time on the internet…? Either way, it'd be better for Futaba-san's sanity, even if she wasn't so innocent.
"Good." Ken smiled at her, before he stood up. "Look we need to keep this between us, okay? I promise I’ll explain later. But please promise me you’ll—"
“Wait…!”
Ken jumped slightly, she was a bit loud all of a sudden and it did catch him off guard.
“Why… why did you lie to the Phantom Thieves?” She looked so disappointed.
Ken bit his lip and looked away. Taking a deep breath through his nose, trying not to let his posture tense up so much. He already admitted far more top-secret stuff in comparison today. He was tired of all the lies. What’s one more truth?
“I must confess… I’m a bit of a hypocrite Futaba-san.” His eyes were glued to his feet as he spoke. “I am lecturing you about spying and… well…”
He shook his head. Shame curled all around his heart, like needles prickling it. A small gasp interrupted him from his pity party. Ken dared to look up to see Futaba-san’s face so shocked.
“You… were spying on them… for the Shadow Ops?” she asked tentatively.
He winced but nodded.
“But… why?”
Ken sighed and took a few steps forward. “It’s a long story to explain their caution, which if you had the full picture you’d understand where they were coming from. Not to mention why I was chosen for this mission. I… can’t explain it all in full detail right now. But please understand, I will tell you the full truth, Futaba-san. Soon… just… this has to stay between us for now.”
Futaba-san was now the one sighing. She still looked disappointed but gave him a nod.
“I see… they don’t trust them,” she said as she straightened her glasses.
Ken opened his mouth but Futaba-san shook her head at him. He frowned and scratched the side of his neck.
“You don’t have to say it. But I can see it in your eyes,” Futaba-san said with an even heavier frown. “A lot of people in this country don’t trust them. So I guess that’s no surprise. But they saved my life. They really do help people like me. And that’s good enough for me. But… what about you?”
Ken was a bit taken aback at that question. His mouth was slightly agape while Futaba-san looked at him expectingly.
She persisted, “Do you think they are trustworthy?”
Ken put his hands in his pockets and a long pause sat between them. He looked back at the clock on the wall. The faces of Ren-san, Anne-san, Ryuji-san, Yusuke-san, Morgana, and Makoto-san all flashed in his mind.
Did he trust them? Did he think they were good people? Shinjiro-san warned him, but truth be told, he trusted them for a while. He was warned about getting attached and letting biases cloud his judgement. But he didn’t care, the truth was, he felt they could be trusted.
They were not Strega!
“I… I do think they are good people. But it’s not up to me. Not right now. But I do aim to convince those who still have reservations… soon,” he finally answered.
Futaba-san beamed up at him, light practically shining in her eyes. The earlier disappointment was completely gone. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was suddenly holding. Futaba-san didn’t hate him, he realized that’s what he was suddenly dreading would be the outcome of this conversation.
Ken slowly turned to the door but Futaba-san stopped him again, running ahead and blocking his path.
"I…I look forward to hearing the whole story. And I think the others would too." Futaba-san adjusted her glasses, continuing to smile nervously. "It doesn't have to be today but…"
Ken’s stomach twisted at her words. Facing them all… telling them the truth. Their reactions… it did terrify him. But he was tired of hiding this from them. They should know, they could be trusted with this. He was sure of it, he honestly… he could stake his life on that.
Maybe he could convince Mitsuru-san. Mitsuru-san would understand, wouldn't she? She had been fairly understanding and patient with him. The Shadow Operatives was a secret organization but…
It'd be better in the long run if they worked together. He just had to convince Mitsuru-san that they could be trusted. They weren't going to abuse the Metaverse. He was positive about that. That was why she was so adamant on the secrecy, why his mission was originally intended to be reconnaissance. He could convince Mitsuru-san… right?
Ken said finally, "Yes definitely not today. But… soon."
Now he had to convince the others this was the right thing to do…
Notes:
P3D shows that Ken buys bento lunches from convenience stores, with Minato wondering if that's healthy for him. And given how Shinji is about eating healthily… suffice to say, he wasn't too happy when he found out.
But next chapter will wrap up summer vacation! The next chapter is going to be fun, since it'll involve the Feathermen fan event and the beach episode.
Edit Notes (9/21/24): Added in a scene to show Ren and Sojiro’s reactions to Futaba. Futaba and Ken’s scene was altered to further align with the changes about Ken’s cover story. A BIG thank you to my beta angelrin89 for all the edits and tweaks she made to the chapter.
I also wanted to thank you guys for hitting over 200 kudos!
Chapter 18: Ch. 17: The First Outing
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves take Futaba out in public for the first time, to meet Yukari Takeba. A certain pair of twins get into mischief, and they end up running into Goro Akechi.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, August 28th, 2016
“Ren. Reeeeeen.”
He was being poked in the forehead. Repeatedly. He tried to bat away the poker. But they just changed targets, poking his shoulder now. And they were poking harder now. Ren groaned. They weren’t going to relent, were they?
He opened his eyes, revealing that the poker was Futaba. Her face was centimeters away from him. She was on top of him.
“Good morning to you too,” he said dryly.
“Get up, Ren!” she demanded, giving his chest a light smack. “We’re going to meet Yukari Takeba today!”
“This is too early for this…” Morgana groaned from the floor.
If he had to guess, Futaba removed Morgana from his usual spot at Ren’s side so she could poke Ren awake.
“It’s 9:30! Not super early! Come onnnn, can we please go?” she wheedled, all but pouting at Ren. “The line’s going to get crazy if we wait too long!”
“Someone’s excited.” Ren smothered a grin, watching Futaba’s expression grow impatient.
“Ren!” she whined out.
His phone suddenly rung. Ren groggily took the call, putting them on speaker.
“Hello—”
“Ren-san, please get up before Futaba-san gets some bright idea, like dumping water on you,” Ken said dryly.
Futaba brightened at that. “Oooh, that’s a great idea!”
“Okay, okay!” Ren groaned, jerking up in a sitting position. “I’m up!”
Over the phone, Ren heard Ryuji’s hearty laugh. “I’m telling ya—we should’ve sent Anne up.”
Futaba snagged Ren’s phone. “We want him to get up, not stay in bed, Ryuji!”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Anne cried over the phone.
Well, Futaba did have a point. Cuddling with Anne did sound great. Unfortunately, that will have to wait for another time.
Ren rolled his eyes before stealing back his phone. “I’ll be down in a few. Now hush, before Sojiro kicks you all out.”
He didn’t let his friends get in another word, hanging up. He shooed Futaba out so he could get ready for the day. He quickly got dressed, not wanting Futaba to come barging back upstairs.
He scooped up Morgana after his companion finished eating out of his bowl. Morgana climbed into his bag rather quickly, it was becoming as easy as breathing for him at this point. Ren held back a laugh at that thought, remembering Shinjiro-san’s bafflement at it.
He did a quick once over, making sure he had everything. Then he headed down the stairs.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Anne greeted him, smiling playfully at him.
“Morning.”
If they weren’t in LeBlanc, he would’ve given her a good morning kiss. However, he settled for a quick kiss on the cheek, drawing a happy giggle from Anne.
“So, what’s the plan, exactly?” he asked, after everyone else greeted him.
“The signing is located on the outskirts of Akihabara,” Ken explained.
Ren noticed that he had brought yet another pile of bento boxes today. Shinjiro-san was really insistent on eating healthy, wasn’t he? Maybe he should get a job as a nutritionist instead. Probably would do really good in that. Instead of annoying just them, he could annoy the rest of the country with his mother-henning. Though he supposed he shouldn’t be too hard on him, he was getting Yusuke to eat properly when the meals were provided.
“You’ll know when you’ll see it. It’s actually one of their smaller events, but I assume that they’ll be in costume, at least…”
Kinda surprising, since it was Tokyo.
Futaba bounced in her seat. Her face was practically shimmering with excitement.
“They better be!” she cried out.
“Wearing costumes in this kind of heat?” Yusuke grimaced, before he shook his head. “I can’t say that I envy them. Especially the black ranger.”
“We should be okay, at least,” Ryuji said, holding up a plastic bag. “Grabbed some drinks I had in the house, since this will prolly be an all-day thing. You can have the drink I grabbed from the fridge, Yusuke. I know you can’t stand the heat too much.”
Yusuke inclined his head at Ryuji. “My thanks, Ryuji.”
“Yeah, good thinking, Ryuji.” Ren grinned at his best friend. “Didn’t even think about that.”
“Well, you were sleeping like a baby just ten, twenty minutes ago,” Anne teased, before she playfully poked his cheek. “I don’t even know how you slept through Futaba texting the group chat.”
“I got the real deal instead,” Ren said dryly. “She’s a very determined poking expert.”
Futaba stuck her tongue at him, before taking a sip of her orange juice. “Can we go now?”
Ken pushed one of the bento boxes at Ren, a pair of chopsticks on top. “Eat a little before we go. I don’t want you passing out from lack of food.”
“Okay, Mom,” Ren teased.
Ken flushed in embarrassment before grumbling under his breath.
He selected an onigiri and took a bite. He didn’t know how Shinjiro-san did it… but he took completely normal food and made you feel that you were eating something completely new. The flavors… the freshness… it really was something else. Shinjiro-san should really be running a restaurant, if being a nutritionist wasn’t in the cards. He’d definitely be a customer.
“This is really good,” Ren commented. “I bet Shinjiro-san would run a great restaurant if he wanted.”
Ken’s expression suddenly shifted from embarrassment to… sadness?
“Yeah… he would,” Ken said in a neutral tone.
That was weird… Ren couldn’t help but wonder what that was about.
“But I’ll eat some more later, okay?” Ren said, after finishing a second onigiri. “I think Futaba may run out of the door if we make her wait anymore.”
“Can go now, pleeeeease?!” Futaba said eagerly.
Sojiro eyed his daughter warily, before pursing his lips together. “Are you sure about this, Futaba?”
“Absolutely!” Futaba nodded firmly, clenched both hands into fists while fire burned in her eyes. “Don’t worry about me, Sojiro! I’ve trained for nearly a week for this!”
“Jeez, do you have to be so dramatic…” Morgana grumbled.
“Shut it, kitty.”
“Futaba, be nice!” Anne chided.
“He should be nice too, then!”
Sojiro set down the plate he was cleaning and just raised an eyebrow. “Futaba… he was just meowing.”
Ren covered his mouth and snorted, he shifted to clearing his throat. Attempting to make it sound like he was holding back a cough.
Futaba looked at Ren. And Ren just gave her an expecting look back.
“Uhh… well he was meowing in a sassy way!” Futaba insisted.
Sojiro didn’t see it, but Ken covered his forehead with his left hand then shook his head. Ren held back a snicker. Sojiro just rolled his eyes.
“You need to start being nicer to that little guy,” he said, crossing his arms.
Morgana just smirked triumphantly. Ren let out a quiet snort and shoved him gently back in the bag. Morgana protested but Ren wouldn’t be deterred.
Ren shook his head, “Alright little guy, you’re not supposed to be seen on the train, remember?”
As they headed out the door, Morgana stood his head out again and stuck his tongue out at Futaba. She of course did it right back.
“Boss told you to be nice to me,” Morgana said haughtily.
Futaba then pinched his cheeks and he whined. Ren rolled his eyes and batted her hands away.
“Sojiro isn’t here, and you’re supposed to stay in the bag.” Futaba scrunched up her nose, before flashing Morgana a smug look. “Unlike you, I’m allowed on public transport.”
“Why you—!”
Makoto finally interjected, “Alright, that’s enough, children!”
Ren couldn’t help but chuckle. Today would certainly be interesting.
They all made it to Akihabara. More or less, Futaba was still glued to Makoto and Anne.
She couldn’t help it, this was way different than spending one on one time with the Thieves, leaving Sojiro’s house to walk to LeBlanc, or serving customers at LeBlanc. Yongen-jaya was quiet and relaxed. There was some chatter but here—the dozens of conversations were overcrowding her senses. Not to mention how packed the train was. Too close. Too small. This was just a box that moved with everyone shoved in so close. And it almost felt like it was getting smaller with each stop, more people piling in.
She knows she shouldn’t panic. But she did. She leapt forward and clung onto Makoto. If only she brought her mask, she just needed… to hide her face. If she didn’t see anyone, then it would be fine. She grabbed Makoto’s shirt; it was long and loose. She tried to hide under that.
Makoto yelped; Futaba felt bad for startling her, but she was starting to feel like the train was shrinking. She just needed to not see anyone and it would be okay.
Someone pulled her away, and out from under Makoto’s shirt. She about flipped, all but hyperventilating. Ken was the one who did it, and she understood why. Yes, it was not proper to be doing what she did in public, but she needed to hide. She needed to cover her head. Why did she ever let Ren talk her into leaving the mask behind!?
Ken tried to console her, and Makoto was saying something in a soft tone too, but she couldn’t hear it above the chatter in the crowd. Anne was next to her. So, she dove on Anne next. Anne yelped but she couldn’t stop herself. She’d apologize to her later, and Makoto too. Futaba grabbed Anne’s soft fluffy long hair, yes! Her pigtails! So long and soft, a perfect camouflage!
She didn’t care how ridiculous she looked, hiding her face in Anne’s hair. She didn’t have to see anyone in her pretty hair. She wouldn’t see the train getting smaller or the weird looks she was no doubt getting.
Thankfully, Anne didn’t move. She gently told Futaba that she was gonna be okay. Makoto said the same thing too, holding her hand for the rest of the ride.
Futaba could feel herself breathe again. She did it! She survived all the way to their last stop! She couldn’t wait to tell Sojiro she conquered the ultimate challenge!
Anne and Makoto stayed close by her side the whole way out of the train station and deeper into Akihabara.
The crowds weren’t… nearly as bad as on the train.
“Are you gonna be alright?” Inari inquired behind her.
She looked up and nodded at him. He nodded and moved back to whatever conversation he was having with Ryuji.
Inari wasn’t so bad… when he wasn’t messing with her figurines. Ryuji, Ken, and Ren also checked on how she was doing as well. Each in their own ways. Even Mona looked at her with concern too.
Ryuji asked if she was thirsty, but Futaba could tell from his eyes that he was worried. Ren pat her on the head and gave her a smile before sneaking a snack in his bag (for Mona). And Ken disappeared briefly, but came running out of a store, and in his hand was her favorite brand of instant noodles. She beamed up at him and he told her that this will be her reward she can have later, for getting through that train ride. He placed them back in his bag from the convenience store while they kept walking.
“I’m… gonna be okay, Mom. I made some… really nice friends,” Futaba couldn’t help but think to herself while she looked up at the sky.
Ren couldn’t help but laugh quietly watching how animated Futaba was being. As they got closer, there were signs of the latest Feathermen team, broadcasting the event.
“This season was pretty cool! I wish Pink Argus could be the leader again… but they had Yukari Takeba return as a mentor! She totally pulled off the older and wiser vibe! And man, some of the stunts she pulls! It’s like she’s done it in real life!”
Yusuke, Makoto, and Anne all were lost at this, though. The R incarnation of Feathermen had been one of Ren’s favorite shows as a kid, though, so he had no problem keeping up.
But then Makoto suddenly cleared her throat.
“You mentioned that she did her own stunts before… she must be quite the athlete, then,” she remarked.
“Yukari-san has been practicing archery since high school,” Ken answered. “She kept up with that until now.”
Futaba nodded enthusiastically at that. “She’s got some wicked skill with the bow! You know, they did a showcase of her doing archery a few years back! Man, it was so cool! She did so many trick shots!”
“You really do look up to her, huh?” Ryuji asked.
“Mm-hm!” Futaba suddenly cocked her head, looking towards Ren. “You know, she’s kinda like the Phantom Thieves. Reinforcing justice and all that.”
“I suppose, in a way,” Ken said, before lowering his voice. “Though the Phantom Thieves operate in the dark while the Feathermen Rangers are fairly… open about their actions.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Futaba chewed her lip, before she glanced at Ren. “Hey, do you ever change costumes?”
“Of course not,” Morgana huffed. “The costumes represent our ideas of rebellion. We’re not going to dress up as your silly rangers!”
“Take that back, kitty!” Futaba glared at him.
“Make me!” Morgana retorted.
“Behave, children,” Ken sighed, just as Makoto-san said, “Honestly… can’t you two get along?”
“I suppose when the Palace Ruler recognizes us as a threat, our civilian clothes change to our thief attire,” Yusuke bent over slightly and mumbled quietly towards Futaba, to make certain pedestrians don’t hear them. “Would that count?”
“I guess.” Futaba shrugged, then gave Ryuji a knowing look. “Slick in being careful though Inari. I can see you learned from the mistake of others.”
“How the hell?! You weren’t on the team during those times!” Ryuji shouted.
“Times… plural?” Futaba raised a brow at him.
“S-Shuddup!”
Makoto stood in between the two. “Can you both please not make a scene?”
“Sorry…” Ryuji and Futaba said in unison.
Ren had to stifle a laugh. They were getting in sync about this kind of thing.
Ren’s eyes slid to Anne, before his lips suddenly quirked into a grin. “So, Anne… you up for dressing as Pink Argus?”
Anne smacked his shoulder, shaking her head with a smile. She then grabbed his sleeve, pulling him closer to her.
“Isn’t one skintight suit enough for you?” she whispered to him, just loud enough for them all to hear.
Ren just grinned at her. “Nope. Not even close.”
“Stop flirting already, jeez,” Ryuji grumbled. “God, I was hoping you would stop flirting in front of us once you got together for real.”
“That’s a naïve thought,” Ken sighed. “Trust me… I know.”
He sounded… tired. He must’ve had to walk in on this kind of thing a lot, before he and Shinjiro-san moved to Tokyo.
“Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san?” Makoto asked, eyebrow raised.
“Them, along with my other senpai who’ve been together since high school…” Ken huffed.
Anne blinked. “Wait, seriously? Isn’t it super rare for couples in high school to make it that far?”
Ken just shrugged. “They’re used to beating the odds.”
“Huh?”
Beating… the odds? That was weird, to put lightly. Then again, Ren did get a feeling that Ken had seen more than a kid their age should, judging by his reaction to the mural in Futaba’s palace. Then there was also the advice he was giving him about pursuing Anne. And that one comment the other day. Being just like “them”, whoever them was.
Ken still kept mum about that, in particular. To be honest, Ren would be lying if he claimed it didn’t bug him…
Ren shook his head. He just wished… Ken would open up more. But there was no sense in brooding over it, Ken would open up about it… eventually.
And he’s never been to Akihabara. He could see several stores he’d wanna check out on his own spare time.
But Ren could see they had made it once he noticed the swelling crowd of elementary and middle school students. A lot of them were wearing Feathermen t-shirts.
“This is… a rather long line.” Yusuke’s eyes were wide with shock. “Is Feathermen truly this popular?”
“Hey, Feathermen’s a classic,” Ryuji said. “It was my favorite when we were in elementary school.”
“You did the poses, didn’t you?” Ren snickered.
“Didn’t you?” Ryuji retorted.
Ren just held up his hands. “Guilty as charged.”
Anne wrinkled her nose. “Can’t say I know much about Feathermen.”
“Ah, that’s right. You grew up in America, did you not?” Yusuke asked. “It’d make sense that you wouldn’t know much of Feathermen. I myself didn’t get to watch the show until Futaba insisted on it, since Sensei… didn’t quite believe in television.”
“No… television?” Futaba repeated, eyes wide with horror. “You’ve been deprived, Inari!”
“I didn’t watch much of Feathermen,” Makoto admitted with a sheepish smile. “I watched it mostly because Sis wanted to…”
From what she described of her sister that… was a shock to hear.
“Your sister watched Feathermen?” Ken said slowly, eyebrow quirked. “I… I find that hard to believe.”
Makoto just raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think you can comment on that, Ken.”
Ken’s face flushed at that. “Okay, I see your point.”
“Oh, there she is!” Futaba said gleefully, jumping up and down for a moment in her excitement.
Ren turned in the same direction as Futaba and saw a pretty woman with light brown hair pose with a junior high student and elementary student. Their resemblance made Ren assume that they were siblings. She spoke to them after the photo, and the younger of the two shyly held up a DVD case. She took it with a smile, before pulling out a pen.
“She’s so pretty,” Morgana said, almost tipping himself out of Ren’s bag as he peered out. “Almost as lovely as Lady Anne!”
“I’d say she’s hotter than Anne,” Ryuji added.
“Eh, I wouldn’t say that myself,” Ren said with a shrug, loosely draping an arm around Anne’s waist.
Ken shot Ryuji a dirty look. “Can you not talk about her like that?”
“It’s true, though!” Ryuji protested.
Ken just sighed with a slight scowl.
“Indeed, she is quite lovely,” Yusuke breathed out. “She is a model, is she not? Perhaps I could—”
“You ask her to model for your art, and you may get smacked across the face,” Ken deadpanned. “And I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t gawk at her like that.”
This must be pretty awkward for Ken. He treated Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san like they were his older siblings, so it must be the same for Yukari-san.
Yusuke blanched at that. “I-I see…”
“That’s just uncouth,” Morgana huffed. “A simple no would work.”
“So, how did Anne-san react when Yusuke-san asked her to be his model?” Ken raised an eyebrow.
“Well… she very firmly told him no,” Morgana said weakly.
That was putting it lightly…
“Dude, she totally flipped out,” Ryuji said to Ken. “Her face was redder than her suit.”
“Shut up, Ryuji!” Anne snapped, her face flushing.
“Dude, it’s true!”
“That’s what I thought,” Ken said dryly.
“And how does that disprove my point?! You’re not Yukari. Just a simple no is fine.” Morgana rolled his eyes.
Perhaps he should interject, another fight was starting to brew again, and in this line, they were already getting stares.
“Do we need to have a little chat about this…?” Makoto asked, narrowing her eyes on Yusuke.
Yusuke shook his head hard. “No. I-I understand that I shouldn’t ask strangers to model for me unprompted. Asking Anne that was a mistake. I didn’t mean any offense, I promise!”
Anne’s expression softened at that. “Well… it’s not completely bad. I mean, we did get to meet you through that. And you got awaken to your Persona and see the real Sayuri!”
Yusuke blinked in surprise before awkwardly clearing his throat. “Thank you, Anne. I do appreciate that sentiment.”
“But jeez, Inari, you have no people skills,” Futaba sighed.
It was Yusuke’s turn to narrow his eyes. “I believe you of all people cannot say that, Futaba.”
Futaba just stuck her tongue at Yusuke. He responded by letting out an exasperated sigh.
“Futaba-san, come on.” Ken nudged her side. “We’re almost there.”
“Ooh, you’re right!” Futaba’s excitement was practically palpable. “But hey, Ken, has she ever taken you on tours? Let you meet her co-stars?”
“Yeah, she has.” Ken nodded. “She surprised me a complete tour for my fourteenth birthday. Shortly after all of the paperwork was finalized, with Shinjiro-san taking me in. I thought I was going to pass out with shock… Especially after Yukari-san got the whole main cast to take a group picture with me.”
Futaba griped, “Ugh, you’re so lucky! I wish I knew her back then!”
“You’re meeting her now, at least,” Anne said, before giving her shoulder a light squeeze.
Then Anne gave her a teasing smile.
Anne teased, “Try not to freak out too hard, okay?”
Ren couldn’t help but grin. He couldn’t blame Anne for teasing a little.
“Hey!” Futaba cried out, drawing out laughs from half the group.
“Don’t be mad that Lady Anne’s right,” Morgana grumbled out.
“Zip it, kitty!”
The group in front of them wrapped up with Yukari-san, before they darted to the line for meeting Red Hawk. Futaba let out a little squeak, before all but running to her.
“Ah, Futaba-chan, correct?” Yukari-san asked
Futaba nodded rather vigorously and Yukari-san flashed her a bright smile.
“It’s nice to meet you, Futaba-chan!”
“Same!” Futaba then froze, her cheeks turning red. “Um. You’re not Futaba. I’m Futaba.”
She then cleared her throat, awkwardly shifting her weight from foot to foot.
“U-Um… Victory was a huge comfort to me, after my mom died… you were just amazing! And cool! Totally awesome!”
As they came closer, Ren couldn’t help but gawk a little. She really was pretty, though Anne was definitely prettier, in his unbiased opinion. Being her boyfriend didn’t make him biased.
But something about her did remind him of Anne a little bit? Her smile maybe? She did do some modeling supposedly and Anne was a model.
“Aw, thanks.” Yukari-san smiled at her.
Her eyes swept over the group before landing on Ken. Then her eyes softened with fondness, before her smile grew even wider.
“Hey, Ken-kun. It’s been so long!” she exclaimed taking a few steps forward.
Without warning, she pulled Ken into a hug. Ken stiffened for a moment before returning the hug with a sheepish smile. Ren had to stifle the urge to laugh. Ken was just so awkward. Yukari-san must’ve caught sight of him, since she suddenly winked at Ren, her eyes twinkling with barely suppressed humor.
“You look well, Yukari-san,” Ken said as the older woman released him. “How are you?”
“Oh, same old, same old,” she dismissed with a wave of her hand.
But then she looked to the others with a friendly smile. Ren had to admit, he was a little surprised about how nice she was being. She was a celebrity after all, even ignoring that they were friends with Ken. She almost seemed… normal.
Most of the ones he’s seen on tv were so… vapid, vain, and repeat whatever talking points probably fed to them by their agency or whatever corporate product they’re meant to help sell.
He’s only ever met two in person however and they couldn’t be more different.
The one who immediately came to mind was Akechi. And the first time he met; the politeness almost felt as rehearsed as the tv interview they had to play audience to. But also, like maybe he was bored of everyone around him and Ren and his friends seemed less boring in comparison. The second time there was a hint of something… patronizing there. Especially towards Ken, for some reason. Despite that being the first time the two met.
Maybe he was being unfair, but Akechi rubbed him the wrong way. And it wasn’t just because what he said about the Phantom Thieves. But maybe he’s overthinking it. But it also seemed like he was… fishing for something. He can’t forget Akechi is closely tied with the police.
The only other person to draw up for comparison was Hifumi. He hasn’t hung out with her as much but from the few nights he has, he can tell she’s really nice. She gets a little too into her shogi at times, it reminded Ren almost of Yusuke with art. But she didn’t have her head too much in the clouds. But he could tell from the last time they spoke; she wasn’t happy with how things are right now. If his suspicions were right, she’s got another one of those typical controlling moms.
Not that Hifumi wasn’t normal like Yukari-san was coming off… he just didn’t know her as well yet. But she seems like a good person, just not calling all the shots in her life at the moment unfortunately.
Yukari-san said, “But it’s nice to meet you all too! Ken-kun has talked a lot about you.”
“Didn’t you know you were a gossip, Ken,” Ren couldn’t help but tease.
Ken grimaced at that. “That would be you, not me, Ren-san.”
“Hey, now you’re just deflecting!” Ren said with a playful smile, drawing laughter from their friends.
“But I hope Ken has been saying nice things about us at least,” Ryuji joked lightly.
Yukari-san tapped her chin in thought. “Hmm… I’d say about 90%.”
“So, what’s the 10% and who is the biggest percentage of tha—”
Yusuke stepped forward, cutting off Futaba.
“I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.” Yusuke bowed low at the waist even as Futaba glared daggers at Yusuke’s back. “Ken has some rather accomplished senpais, from the looks of it.”
Ren had to hold back a laugh. Yusuke didn’t even realize he cut off Futaba. She was glowering up at him too. But now that Yusuke brought it up… he had a good point. Mitsuru Kirijo was a no brainer. Yukari Takeba was a famous actress and model. Shinjiro-san was extremely talented with cooking. Fuuka-san was apparently pretty damn good at programming. What was next, a secret agent?
“It’s nice to meet you!” Anne said cheerfully. “You’re so pretty! Then again, you are a model, right?”
“Oh, you’re Anne Takamaki, right?” Yukari looked at her up and down, looking thoughtful. “Ken-kun mentioned that you’re thinking of pursuing a job as a model full-time, right? We should talk about that sometime!”
Anne took a step back, shock spreading across her face.
“Huh?!” she gasped out.
Then she started to blush a little out of embarrassment, waving her hands. Ren just grinned. Anne was really too cute.
“Oh no, no, I don’t want to waste your time—" she began to protest.
“It’s no problem!” Yukari-san waved her off with a smile. “Besides, you’re a friend of Ken-kun.”
Her smile suddenly turned conspiring, making Ken sigh and grumble under his breath.
Her voice lowered to a stage whisper. “You know, he used to have a major problem with making friends.”
“Yukari-san!” Ken flushed, and it definitely wasn’t from the heat. “That was in junior high! Not now!”
“Why am I not surprised?” Ren grinned at him, which only made Ken glare.
Yukari-san just pressed a hand against her cheeks, her eyes sparkling with mirth. “Aw, but this was a completely new city. You can’t blame me for being worried…”
Ryuji broke into snickers and wouldn’t stop even as Makoto elbowed him hard.
“Yukari-san!” Ken exclaimed, all but whining, before he glared at her. “Did Minako-san put you up to this?”
Ren couldn’t hold back his laughter. Ken’s poutiness was just too funny. He was all moody frowns and crossed arms. It was completely different than how he usually was. It was so… childish. It was funny since Ken was mature for the most part but apparently he still had his childish moments.
Yukari-san just ruffled his hair with a giggle—which earned her an annoyed glare. “Not this time.”
Futaba shifted nervously for a moment, before she thrust out her boxset of Feathermen DVDs right into Yukari-san’s face. She finally found the nerve to do what she’s been really wanting this whole time.
“C-Could you please sign this?” she blurted out. “I’m sorry I’ve just been waiting so long for this moment!”
“Oh, sorry about that, Futaba-chan,” Yukari-san quickly apologized.
Yukari-san nudged the boxset out of her face and then taking it. She then pulled out her pen and began to scribble out a message before she signed it with a flourish, handing it back to Futaba.
She slowly took it, hands shaking. It was like she was holding the Holy Grail.
“Thank you! Thank you!” Futaba then pounced on Ken, making him stumble back a couple steps, before saying gleefully, “And thank you for helping me meet her!”
“Futaba, you could’ve made Ken fall,” Makoto chided.
“It’s fine, Makoto-san,” Ken said to her, before he awkwardly patted Futaba on her head. “I’m glad to help.”
Yukari-san put her hands on her hips, flashing Ken an unimpressed stare. “Oh, I see how it is. You can do it to Futaba-chan, but you get all sulky if I do it to you.”
Ken just shot her a sour look. “I’m not trying to mess up Futaba-san’s hair on purpose.”
“So, if I didn’t, could I—”
“No,” Ken said firmly, all while rolling his eyes. “Besides, I’m not a kid anymore.”
“Oh, and Futaba-chan is a little baby to you, then?” Yukari-san gave him a teasing look, raising an eyebrow.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Ken grumbled.
Ren looked over at Ryuji and he too was trying to hold back a laugh. They both end up covering their mouths and let out a quiet snort.
Futaba ignored all the banter, teasing, and Ren and Ryuji trying not to laugh while Ken glared at them. She was just beaming up at her hero.
She hugged the boxset to her chest. "Thank you so much for this!"
She then lovingly stroked the box, her eyes glowing with happiness. Ren couldn’t help but smile at sight. It was nice to see her this happy, after everything she’s been through.
"I can't believe it's actually autographed now!" she gushed, tracing her index finger over Yukari-san’s flowing script.
Yusuke just smiled. “Congratulations. Though I do not understand why you would allow her to defile your DVDs like that…”
Futaba’s face scrunched up in annoyance. “D-Defile?! Ugh, you just don’t get it—"
“But all that lovely artwork is covered up,” Yusuke interrupted her. “An artist would put their signature on the back of the canvas or in the bottom corner. Not to mention she didn’t make this artwork and now it’s got Pointie ink all over it.”
“Oh! Inari, you beyond don’t get it! This is her art! She’s the actress playing her character you uncultured—!”
Yukari-san then reached out, an arm around Futaba’s shoulders. The insult died immediately in Futaba’s throat as Yukari-san pulled her close. She stared up at the older woman, stars in her eyes.
“So, who’s going to take the picture?” she interjected.
Ren couldn’t help but smirk, impressed. That was pretty clever of Yukari-san, to defuse the argument like that.
“I’ll do it!” Anne said brightly, holding up her phone. “Say… um…”
She pursed her lips as she thought, tapping her index finger against her chin for a moment. Then her eyes lit up.
“Oh, I know! Say… Feathermen Victory!”
“Feathermen Victory!” they chorused, striking a pose.
Futaba’s smile could light up a room. It was really a good idea of Ken to suggest this for Futaba. It’s what she needed to get her feet wet for an outing.
“God, that’s such a nerdy thing to say though,” Ryuji shook his head.
“Whatever makes them happy,” Makoto chuckled, before she shrugged. “But what should we do now?”
“Well, maybe we could walk around the d—” Ken began.
“Yukari-san!” A rather frazzled looking woman scrambled up to her, whispering frantically in her ear.
Ken frowned, looking… concerned for some reason. Did he recognize her?
Yukari-san’s eyes went wide. “They’ve what?!”
She quickly pulled out her phone, and pulled off her glove of her left hand as she quickly sent a text message if he had to guess. She then whispered something back to the woman.
“Yukari-san, what’s the matter?” Yusuke inquired.
“It’s the twins, isn’t it?” Ken sighed, folding his arms over his chest. "They've escaped, haven't they?"
The twins? What was that supposed to mean?
“Give him a prize,” Yukari-san sighed, rubbing her hand against her forehead. “I’ve got to go find them before—”
She took a step away from them, but Ken grabbed her arm, halting her movement. She tilted her head at him, slight eyebrow raised.
“Hang on, Yukari-san. Let us look for them. There are more of us anyway, so we can cover more ground,” he then glanced over to them, his expression turning apologetic. “Um, if you guys don’t mind…”
“Of course,” Ren said, before turning to everyone else. “Right, guys?”
“But what’s going on, exactly?” Makoto asked.
Anne nodded. “Yeah. Who are the twins?”
“They’re Yukari-san’s…” Ken hesitated for a moment before his expression steeled. “They’re her children. They’re good kids, really, but they’re… mischievous.”
“I didn’t realize you were married, Takeba-san,” Yusuke commented.
Yukari-san and Ken both stiffened at Yusuke’s comment for some reason.
Yukari-san bit her lip, pain suddenly flashing in her eyes. Her right thumb suddenly brushed over her left ring finger. That caught his attention, wondering what that was about. He then realized she still had her glove off, he then noticed a silver glint under her thumb.
Oh… Ren felt like an idiot for not connecting two and two. Her husband probably passed away. That or he left her. That would explain why she was clearly uncomfortable while covering her wedding ring.
“I’m not married. Their father died before I even found out I was pregnant,” she said softly.
Her voice wavered slightly when she spoke the word “died”. Ken just gave her a sad look.
Ren couldn’t help but feel like as if someone dunked a bucket of cold water on them. He couldn’t imagine how mortified Yusuke felt.
Yusuke’s eyes widened with horror. “I apologize for the—"
“No, no, it’s fine,” Yukari-san cut him off, holding up a hand, but looking weary. “I get that a lot.”
Ken just bit his lip, looking down.
Ren couldn’t help but feel a rush of sympathy for her. Granted, he hadn’t paid much attention to Yukari Takeba. Truth be told, he was more of a Lisa Silverman fan—who had played Pink Asas, plus he had stopped watching Feathermen by junior high.
Losing her boyfriend and having bastard kids—twins at that… that had to be rough. And how old even was she when she had them? He wondered what the ring was though she was wearing, since she wasn’t married? A gift? Not like that mattered right now.
But… she looked rather young, for a mother. That brought the question of how old her kids are. A couple of toddlers running around unchecked terrified him. They could easily be snatched…
It was evident that his friends were shocked by this reveal too, with how quiet and morose they had become.
“Just try to find them as soon as you can,” Yukari-san pleaded. “I know that they can only be in Akihabara but…”
“Don’t worry, Yukari-san, we’ll find them.” Ken gave her a reassuring smile, which she weakly returned. “We’ll bring them back as soon as possible.”
“Thank you, everyone,” she murmured.
They headed for a secluded area, before Ken spoke again.
“Thanks for agreeing to help,” Ken sighed.
“It’s no problem, Ken,” Makoto said with a reassuring smile. “But… what do they look like exactly? So we know what we’re looking for.”
Futaba nodded. “Yeah, Makoto’s right. We should know that.”
“Right.” Ken nodded as well. “Well, they’re fraternal twins—Miyuki and Kaito. They take more after their dad—they both have dark blue hair.”
“Like Yusuke?” Anne asked.
Ken glanced at Yusuke for a moment. “Not as dark as Yusuke-san’s, but that’s a good comparison. Miyuki usually wears a hairband with a little navy bow on it. She has grayish blue eyes. Kaito has brown eyes like Yukari-san. They’re almost six years old, their birthday is next month actually. Hang on… I think I have a photo from last New Year’s…”
They were five?! Now he really was wondering just how old Yukari-san was.
Ken was occupied, looking through his phone. He finally held up his phone, showing a picture of Shinjiro-san with two blue-haired twins. They were baking from the looks of it, with flour smeared all over their faces.
Morgana climbed out of the bag without Ren realizing until he felt him standing on his shoulder, peering over to look at the photo also.
“Awww, they’re so cute!” Anne gushed, clasping her hands in front of her.
Ken just gave a tired chuckle. “Yeah, I can’t deny it. But um, they kinda have an… attitude.”
“An attitude?” Yusuke frowned.
Ryuji shrugged. “I mean… they are kids. Ain’t that typical?”
“Let’s just say Yukari-san can have a… barbed tongue when she feels like it. And the twins picked on it,” Ken said with a sheepish smile.
“That would also be typical of kids, picking up on things from their parents,” Makoto nodded.
Ryuji suddenly shifted on his feet, coughing. “Uh… if you don’t mind me asking…”
He trailed off but Ken just asked, “What is it, Ryuji?”
“I was wonderin’…” Ryuji scratched the back of his head. “Just how old is Yukari-san?”
Ken tensed at that. “She’s turning twenty-four in October.”
Ren stilled at that. She was only a teenager when she became a mom? She would have been just about a little older than Makoto when she had them! Which meant… she was pregnant in her last year of high school!
Ren quickly shook his head, mentally chiding himself for that thought. It’s not fair to start going down that road. He’d be no better than the people who looked at Anne and assumed the worst because her looks. He didn’t know Yukari-san’s circumstances. And her boyfriend died too on top of it while she had to be pregnant with her kids alone.
Besides that, they were little kids, wandering who knows where… their main objective was to find them as soon as possible.
“Okay, this is what we’re going to do,” Ren said, turning to address everyone.
A plan was already formulating in his head.
“We’ll break into pairs and split up. We’ll be able to cover more ground that way.” He then looked at Futaba. “Futaba, I understand if you don’t want to…”
“No!” Futaba shook her head, determination filling her eyes. “I’ll have to go out in public. I don’t need to sit out.”
“Okay.” Ren looked at his girlfriend. “Anne, you should pair up with Futaba. Ryuji and Yusuke. Ken and Makoto. And Morgana is with me.”
“Let’s go, then!” Ryuji said, smacking his fist into his open palm. “Yukari-san’s prolly having a heart attack, so it’ll be better if we find them as soon as possible.”
They separated from each other, only for Morgana to poke him in the cheek with his paw.
“Hey, um… Ren?” he said tentatively. “What’s the big deal? About her being unmarried and having kids?”
Ren stopped in his tracks, wincing. He sometimes forgot that Morgana was occasionally oblivious to the intricacies of society. Morgana was smart so he picked up things fast.
“It’s complicated… but people don’t look to kindly on those who have kids out of wedlock. I suppose I can understand it if you worry about things like deadbeats taking advantage of their partner and leaving them but…” Ren said with a frown. “I mean you remember Futaba’s Palace. What those voices said about Futaba, and especially her mother.”
Morgana looked down at his feet.
“That still didn’t make sense to me. She took care of her daughter and loved her, what’s the big deal?” Morgana asked.
“I agree Morgana. I suppose to a point, I can kinda get it. There are deadbeats out there. People who are irresponsible. And marriage can provide security to the spouses and the kids. But marriage wouldn’t magically fix all problems, especially with people like that. Not every family is the same and not everyone is meant to be a family.” Ren shook his head and let out a sigh.
Some people weren’t… meant to be parents.
“And then you have people like Futaba’s mom who get blamed for just doing what they can despite all that,” Ren said, scowling at the thought. “And even worse… her kid. That’s the part that doesn’t make the most sense. Even if the parents are irresponsible, or a deadbeat, how is that the kid’s fault?”
“Is that why Ken got all stiff then?”
“If they’re almost, they were born when Ken was twelve,” Ren said, before he frowned. “It might’ve been Ken’s first exposure to this kind of crap, and it’s obvious he cares a lot for Yukari-san.”
Morgana hummed, but a heavy frown on his face. His tail swished back and forth. He then crawled down Ren’s arm and back into the bag.
“We should probably try to find them as soon as possible,” he said quietly.
Ren nodded. “Yeah. We have a lot of ground to cover.”
This wasn’t how Makoto had expected to spend part of her day doing. But still, Makoto hoped that they would be able to locate the children soon.
“Is there anything you’d think that would catch their attention?” Makoto asked, turning to look at her friend.
“The only thing I can think of is a video game shop…” Ken said slowly. “They like to watch their aunt play with another school friend. Their real interest is the Pusemon Center—they’ve been begging me to get them something from there for ages.”
“At least it’s in a different district,” Makoto said to reassure him.
Ken nodded in response, but his expression was still worried.
“I’m surprised they just ran off like that without one of Yukari-san’s handlers being able to keep track of them,” Makoto mentioned.
Anything to distract Ken from getting too worried. Besides, if you get too worried you might not think straight and miss something important in situations like this.
“They get bored easily.” Ken shrugged. “You would too, if you had to occupy yourself for hours while your mom did her job… Like I said, they’re good kids. They just like to get into mischief, and you’d be surprised how quiet and fast they’d be when they want to run off.”
Makoto raised an eyebrow. “Like what kind of mischief?”
“Let’s see…” Ken let out a thoughtful hum before his lips curled into a smile. “Well, there was the time that we were at their aunt’s house, and it was close to Valentine’s Day. She loves making sweets, so she was making chocolate by scratch. They both have quite a sweet tooth, so they got the bright idea of climbing the counter and getting into the chocolate. They smeared chocolate everywhere… Their face, their hair, their clothes…”
Oh dear. Poor Yukari-san. Twins had to be tiring enough.
“And there was the time they got hungry at night and got into the pantry,” Ken mused.
His eyes lit up as he recalled the story. Makoto couldn’t help but smile. It was a side that she hadn’t seen from Ken, but she liked seeing it. She had never really thought about Ken’s attitude towards children, but he seemed genuinely fond of these two.
“They found coffee beans on the shelf and thought it was some kind of chocolate candy.” Ken then laughed. “Needless to say, they were not impressed with the taste.”
Makoto laughed. “You really weren’t kidding when you said they were mischief makers. They sound like quite a handful. I don’t envy their babysitter.”
“Yeah…” Ken’s expression then grew serious. “Come on, we’re wasting time.”
They searched the streets, even asking a few passing people if they had seen a blue haired boy or girl. But no such luck. The longer the search took, the more Makoto was growing worried. Had they been snatched up? She really hoped that was the case!
Ken sighed, a heavy frown tugging at his lips. “I wish we had Koromaru with us… He’d be able to sniff them out.”
Makoto was confused for a moment but the name sounded vaguely familiar. It took a few seconds but she remembered where she heard the name. Anne had texted to her, gushing about the dogs that Fuuka-san had brought with her for this visit, that was the name of one of them.
She shook her head; she couldn’t be focused on that right now.
“Calm down.” Makoto grasped his hand and gave it a light squeeze. “We still have a lot of ground to cover. We’ll find them.”
She tried to speak confidently. She could sense that Ken was starting to panic, so she needed to help calm him down so he’d think more clearly.
Ken heaved out a sigh.
“I’m sorry, I just—" Ken then froze, suddenly inhaling sharply.
Without another word, he pulled her towards a police officer who was talking to a little girl with dark blue hair. Makoto had to hasten her pace so that she wouldn’t trip over her feet.
“Come on, I want to help you,” the officer coaxed. “Where are your parents, young lady?”
The little girl looked at him up and down, looking incredibly unimpressed for a five-year-old. Her arms were crossed.
“My mommy says not to talk to strangers. And I don’t know you,” she said flatly.
But despite her blunt words, she was… well, adorable. She had silky dark blue hair that went down to her shoulders. A black headband with a dark blue checked bow rested on top of her head, pulling back her bangs. She was wearing a dark blue dress with white polka dots along with a belt. She wore black sandals on her little feet.
“Come on, I just want to help—” the police officer tried again.
The little girl just huffed in response, turning her nose up at him.
“Miyuki!” Ken called.
She perked up at his voice, turning to look at Ken. She let out a delighted giggle before dashing over to him.
“Uncle Ken!” she said cheerfully, before latching onto his leg in a hug.
“Young man, do you know this little girl?” The officer frowned, looking suspiciously at Ken.
“Yes, yes, I’m so sorry.” Ken pulled his hand away from Makoto’s.
Makoto blinked. She didn’t even realize that he was still holding her hand.
He then rested his head on top of Miyuki’s head, before bowing his head.
“Thank you for trying to help her,” he added.
Then he crouched to her level. The little girl’s expression suddenly turned petulant, as if she sensed what Ken was going to say.
“Miyuki, you should apologize to him,” he said firmly.
“Was just listening to what Mommy told me…” she said sulkily, a faint pout on her lips.
“It’s all right.” The officer waved him off with a friendly smile. “Just make sure that she doesn’t run off again.”
“I’ll do that,” Ken said.
He waited for the officer to walk away before looking sternly down at Miyuki. Miyuki cringed slightly.
“Miyuki, do you have any idea how worried your mom is right now?” he scolded.
She shrunk back, biting her lip. She scuffed the ground with her shoe.
“S-Sorry, Uncle Ken… but we were just soooo bored! And this is Tokyo!” Miyuki waved her hands to emphasize her point but Ken just raised an eyebrow at her.
She faltered, fidgeting for a moment. Ken was clearly used to her antics. Makoto couldn’t help but find it a little… cute.
“We just thought we could explore a little while Mommy met with people…” she mumbled out.
Ken sighed. “Where is Kaito?”
“I-I dunno…”
“Great…” Ken muttered before pinching the bridge of his nose.
Makoto rested a hand on his arm, making him look up.
“At least we’re halfway done, Ken,” she pointed out. “For all we know, the others may have found him already.”
“Um… who are you?” Miyuki asked with a rather sassy tone, but her face looked uncertain as she peered up from behind Ken.
She was kinda blunt, wasn’t she? But she understood the girl’s nervousness. Makoto was a stranger to her after all.
Makoto knelt down so she was eye level with her. “I’m Makoto Niijima. I’m one of Ken’s friends.”
Miyuki suddenly squinted at her. “Waaaaait… are you Uncle Ken’s girlfriend?”
“W-What?” Makoto squeaked out, feeling her cheeks grow hot. “N-No, it’s not like that! We’re just friends!”
Miyuki blinked. She looked bewildered as she looked up at Ken.
“You have friends who are girls, Uncle Ken?” she asked, slightly tilting her head.
Ken sighed even though his cheeks were rather pink. “Yes, Miyuki.”
Makoto just raised an eyebrow. “Why is this a shock?”
“It’s ‘cause Auntie Mina always says that Ken runs away from girls when he can. Oh, and Uncle Junpei says Uncle Ken could be a lady-killer if you wanted to, which I don’t get since the only thing he kills are like spiders! And you’re always nice to me and Mommy and Auntie Mina and Auntie Fuuka and—”
“Okay, okay, Miyuki, we get it,” Ken cut her rambling off by holding up a hand.
Then Ken’s expression suddenly darkened, muttering something about killing Junpei-san.
Though, Makoto couldn’t help but wonder just how popular was Ken with girls back on Port Island. And… why did the idea of that bother her?
“Well, given how our classmates pestered him, they must’ve bothered Ken quite a bit,” she reasoned to herself. “And Ken doesn’t deserve that.”
“Uncle Junpei says funny stuff sometimes,” Miyuki mumbled before Ken helped Makoto stand up. “But that’s okay! He’s really nice! I hope we get to see Uncle Junpei and Auntie Chidori more when we move to Port Island!”
Makoto frowned. “Move? Are you moving there while your mother works?”
“Not… exactly.” Ken shook his head. “Yukari-san is quitting acting entirely, so she can focus on raising the twins. Especially since they’ll be starting school next April. She’s taking the money she’s made to invest into a boutique. She’s always been into fashion, so it seems like a good fit…”
“I see.” Makoto nodded.
It did make sense, especially since Yukari-san was a single mother. And it was good that she was putting her children first.
“Futaba’s going to be disappointed, though,” she couldn’t help but comment.
“Uncle Ken, you have more than one friend who’s a girl?!” Miyuki gasped, wide-eyed. “Maybe Uncle Junpei is right… you’ll find a girl you’ll like-like here!”
Ken just pressed a hand to his forehead, all while sighing. “I really wish Junpei-san and Minako-san would stop speculating on my lack of a love life.”
So, Ken has never dated before…? In hindsight, it made sense. Makoto still remembered that he had looked extremely uncomfortable with their female classmates crowding him, fishing for details.
Makoto pursed her lips, suddenly feeling a flash of irritation. Did the girls even bother to get to know him?
“But anyways…” Ken shook his head, before frowning at Miyuki. “When did you lose Kaito?”
Miyuki began to fidget, before she bit her lip. “Um… I was looking at something in the store, and then I turned around and he was gone!”
“Oh dear,” Makoto sighed, shaking her head before she turned to Ken. “What should we do then? Bring her back to Yukari-san or should we look for Kaito-kun first?”
“Well—”
Ken was suddenly cut off a shrill ringing sound. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. He took the call, putting it on speaker.
“Ken, can you talk to Kaito?” Ren’s voice echoed from the device. “He’s being uh…”
“A little snot!” Ryuji burst out. “He doesn’t believe that we’re your friends or that Yukari-san asked us to help find him—”
Ken sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Sorry, Kaito’s picked up some things from Yukari-san… Give Kaito the phone.”
“Hang on,” Ren said.
“I don’t wanna take the phone!”
“Kaito Arisato, I know that Yukari-san has taught you better manners than this,” Ken started to lecture, yelling into the phone.
Makoto couldn’t help but stare. Ken rarely raised his voice, after all, and this was the first time she’s heard him yell.
But Ken was clearly hoping he could hear and frowning even though Kaito couldn’t see. Ken was starting to go on a tirade now, however.
“Honestly! I swear, Yukari-san better take away dessert from you for two weeks at the very least—!”
“No dessert for two whole weeks?!” Miyuki gasped, her eyes filling with horror.
“But anyways, where are you?” Ken asked. “Makoto-san and I found Miyuki, so we can bring them back to Yukari-san.”
Ren responded, something Makoto couldn’t make out (he must have taken the phone off speaker).
Ken nodded. “Thanks again, Ren-san. Bye.”
“Uncle Ken, you don’t mean that, right? Two weeks is a long time!” Miyuki asked anxiously, her eyes wide as she wrung her hands.
Makoto had to fight the urge to start laughing. She looked so panicked, like the threat of losing dessert was serious business to her.
Ken just raised an eyebrow, before huffing out a laugh. “We’ll see. Though if it was up to Shinjiro-san, you’d be deprived of dessert for longer. He thinks you and Kaito eat too many sweets as it is.”
“Uncle Shinji always dumps veggies on our plates,” Miyuki complained with a pout. “They’re yucky.”
“They’re good for you,” Ken said, all while a fond smile formed on his lips.
She liked seeing Ken like this. It was a completely different side of him, but it was… heartwarming. He’d make a good father someday she felt.
“They don’t taste good,” Miyuki said disdainfully. “I don’t like ‘em.”
“Ah, Ken.” Makoto touched his arm. “Don’t you think we should get going?”
Ken turned back to her. “Sorry. But yeah, you’re right, Makoto-san."
He then took Miyuki’s hand.
"Come on, let's go and save them from Kaito.” He shook his head but then his face grew stern again. “You better apologize to your mother.”
Miyuki winced but nodded.
Ren wasn’t sure how to get into Kaito’s good graces, so… he had resorted to buying the kid a sweet. Not even bribing him with Morgana had worked. The rejection hadn’t exactly pleased Morgana.
Anne and Futaba had managed to find them before Ken and Makoto, and for some reason, the kid didn’t believe that the two girls were Ken’s friends for whatever reason. Even more so than when Ren had attempted to convince him.
“He looks nothing like Takeba-san,” Yusuke murmured.
“Well, Ken did say that they took after their dad,” Ren pointed out. “Though, Ken called him Kaito Arisato. Isn’t that a bit weird?”
He wondered if Arisato was Yukari-san’s boyfriend’s name. But since he passed away before the kids were born, shouldn’t they legally have their mother’s name?
But Yusuke did have a point. Kaito had dark blue hair, though it was a lighter shade than Yusuke’s, like Ken had said. His bangs were due for a cut, falling into his big brown eyes. He was wearing a dark blue graphic tee shirt and a pair of shorts.
To put it shortly, his resemblance to his mom was more… subtle, like the shape of his eyes and face.
“Who cares about that?” Futaba complained, before huffing. “He’s like a baby gremlin. I can’t believe he’s Yukari Takeba’s kid!”
That made Kaito look up. “You like my mommy?”
“Well, yeah!” Futaba nodded. “She’s like a superhero.”
Kaito’s face softened. “She is.”
Then a sunny smile broke out on his face. His adoration was clear as day.
“She’s the best mommy anyone can ask for! She gives the bestest hugs and she makes yummy food and she’s always tellin’ Miyu and me that she loves us a lot! She calls us her treasures.”
Clearly, a way to get on his good side was to compliment his mom. Futaba had that in the bag, at least.
“Aww, that’s just adorable,” Anne cooed, pressing a hand to her cheek. “He’s adorable.”
“Should I be jealous?” Ren quirked an eyebrow at his girlfriend.
Anne snickered at him, before elbowing him in the side. “Oh please. Like a five-year-old is any competition for you.”
Ren opened his mouth to reply to her quip, but then out of the corner of his eyes, Ren noticed a couple of middle-aged women suddenly stopping to stare at them. Their faces were pinched, like they saw something they didn’t like.
The shorter of the women pursed her lips. “Isn’t that… one of them? One of Yukari Takeba’s bastards?”
“The boy, yes…” her companion sniffed. “Honestly, what were they thinking, hiring a woman who became a mother in high school? It sets a horrible example to children who watch the show!”
The first woman nodded in agreement. “I’m not surprised if she bribed her way to her job… I think I remember hearing she’s friends with some really rich heiress or something.”
“Ugh… typical. Probably some brat who got whatever she wanted and surrounded herself with irresponsible partying kids. I hear rich brats do that all the time,” the taller one scoffed. “No doubt Takeba easily got into the good graces of such a lifestyle. The only thing she has going for her I’ll admit is she’s got a beautiful body. Probably got knocked up on some yacht I bet, schmoozing and living it up. Kids these days don’t understand the meaning of sacrifice or decorum.”
“She would never!” Futaba hissed, her hands clenching into fists.
Ren quickly turned to Kaito, who had just frozen in place. Those women were badmouthing his mom and they were calling him a bastard. Did he even know what a bastard was? He hoped not, but that would lead him to asking questions…
Ryuji suddenly growled, scowling in their direction.
“Haven’t you heard of minding your own damn business?!” he yelled at them, shaking his fist at them.
“Well, I never…” the first woman muttered.
“Never had any manners.” Yusuke sniffed, his eyes full of disdain as he stared at the pair. “Jealousy is an ugly thing. What a bad combination.”
Both women scowled but skulked away.
Anne huffed, before she shot a dirty look at the two retreating women. “Ugh! I hate those kind of people…”
Ryuji glared at their backs as well, his fists clenching into fists.
“Seriously, they have no effin’ business. And saying that sh—uhh, trash!” he quickly corrected himself, “To a little kid!”
“What…” Kaito said faintly, “what’s a bastard?”
Ren sighed to himself. How to even tackle this? He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Uh-oh,” Futaba gulped.
“This is not good,” Morgana breathed out.
“How do we put this…” Yusuke wondered.
Dammit… Yukari-san wasn’t going to be happy with them, was she?
“Ah, Amamiya-kun!” Ren’s head whipped towards the familiar voice.
Goro Akechi came to a stop in front of them. Ren fought the urge to groan aloud. Why him now of all times? Were the gods cursing him because he thought of Akechi earlier?
“What’s Akechi doing here?” Morgana hissed out.
“Like hell if I know,” Ryuji grumbled out with a fierce scowl.
Ren shot them both a silencing look and they winced in apology.
“Oh, hello. I didn’t know you were… babysitting?” he said, oblivious to everything.
“You didn’t answer my question!” Kaito huffed, looking between all of them. “What’s a bastard?”
“You want something else to eat? How about mochi? Or takoyaki!” Futaba said, her voice growing high pitched.
Ren didn’t blame her for panicking. He hoped that Kaito would be appeased, but Ren didn’t have high hopes.
Akechi glanced in Futaba’s direction. His eyes grew wide for a moment before he quickly looked away.
“No!” Kaito’s brown eyes snapped in anger before he stomped his foot once. “I wanna know what a bastard is!”
An emotion that Ren couldn’t put his finger on flickered in Akechi’s eyes. He closed his eyes for a minute.
“You’re… you’re awfully young to have heard that,” he said quietly, opening his eyes. “But… it was only a matter of time before you heard it.”
A part of Ren wanted to speak up. He felt that this was something Yukari-san should be talking to Kaito about. But it was too late because Akechi kept going.
“A bastard… is someone whose parents aren’t married. Many people, closeminded people, believe that makes you less important than someone who does. Some people think they’re just a mistake. Sometimes people treat the mother badly for having the child in the first place,” Akechi explained, almost clinical about it.
“But… but that’s not Mommy’s fault…” Kaito mumbled, his eyes wide. “Me and Miyu… shouldn’t have been born? We’re a mistake?”
Ken’s voice, suddenly agitated, suddenly came from behind them. “What’s going on?”
Makoto and Ken had arrived, along with a third person… child actually.
“Kaito?!”
A little girl with Kaito’s hair color darted forward, throwing her arms around him. Ken and Makoto followed, though Ken frowned in the direction of Akechi.
“Akechi-san, just what did you say to Kaito?” Ken demanded, his voice suddenly turning fierce.
The little girl scowled, looking at Akechi up and down. “I know him. He’s the one that always talks about being a detective but never solves crimes.”
Damn… that was brutal, from a little girl. Ryuji seemed to agree too, judging from the low whistle he just gave. Anne quickly jabbed him in the ribs for that, shooting him a glare.
“Miyuki-chan, that was…” Makoto began, before her voice trailed off.
“It’s true,” Miyuki grumbled, suddenly looking petulant. “Naoto-san is a lot cooler.”
“I was just…” Akechi began. “I mean Naoto-san is incredible but… but that’s not important right now. I wasn’t…”
“Ken, he was just explaining what a bastard was,” Ren said quickly.
Ken’s eyes widened at that. Ren winced but continued with his explanation.
“Two gossiping women were staring and talking about Kaito, and he overheard ‘bastard’. It’s… not like he wasn’t explaining for no reason. Kaito kept insisting on an explanation,” Ren added awkwardly. “Don’t blame Akechi for just answering his question…”
Even if… Akechi should’ve been more tactful.
“But I’m sure he’s more used to talking to reporters and cops over kids,” Ren added hastily.
He may not be a fan of Akechi, but Ren had to begrudgingly admit that it wasn’t all Akechi’s fault. He just screwed up with the explanation.
Ken slowly inhaled, before looking towards the little boy. “Kaito, are you okay?”
Kaito was quiet for a long time.
“Uncle Ken, should Mommy have never had us?” he said finally.
He jabbed a finger in Akechi’s direction, even as his eyes began to water. Ren couldn’t help but wince. Seeing a little kid cry like that… it wasn’t fun. But Ren couldn’t think of what to say.
“He said… some people think a bastard is a mistake… and that a bastard’s mommy is treated badly for having ‘em…” he mumbled out. “And it’s true, those mean ladies, they said mean things about Mommy. And Auntie Mitsuru too, just for being Mommy’s friend. They said she paid for Mommy to get her job. I think… I think that’s what they meant. They said a lot of stuff I didn’t get.”
“Kaito-kun…” Anne whispered, and Ren could see the way Anne’s heart was breaking for the little boy.
He glanced over at Ryuji. He could tell that the innocent question hit hard for him with how his mom had to work doubly as hard after separating from his abusive father.
Ken didn’t say a thing for several moments. He crouched down to Kaito’s level.
“Look at me, Kaito,” he said quietly, before beckoning Miyuki closer. “You too, Miyuki.”
He waited for the little girl to join her twin, before speaking again. He reached out, stroking the top of Kaito’s head for a moment.
“What does Yukari-san call you two?” he said.
“She always says we’re her treasures…” Miyuki murmured.
“Because why?” Ken asked.
“’Cause Daddy died before she had us…” Kaito mumbled. “And she really, really loved Daddy. So much that she doesn’t want to get married if it’s not to him.”
“There’s your answer,” Ken said simply, giving them a gentle smile. “You two are the last gift Minato-san gave Yukari-san. You don’t listen to the people who tell you that you weren’t meant to be born. Or the people who think that Yukari-san is lesser for having you. They don’t matter. They speak cruelly because they’re so miserable that they like to make other people sad.”
“That’s stupid,” Kaito said flatly. “Mommy didn’t do anything to that mean lady and… and…”
His eyes began to fill with tears again, trickling down his chubby cheeks.
“She said that Mommy shouldn’t have her job! And that she’s a bad example! She’s so mean! Mommy didn’t do anything to her! That’s not okay!”
Ren noticed it for a second, but Akechi glared briefly. He masked it so quickly he almost didn’t catch it. Maybe there was more to this guy than he gave him credit… even if he still rubbed him the wrong way and was snooping around their business.
“Why would she be mean to Mommy…?” Miyuki whimpered, wringing her hands.
Well… some people are just spiteful and become jealous when they see someone more fortunate. But Ren held his tongue. He didn’t want to risk upsetting the kids further.
“Don’t listen to them,” Ken said softly.
He pulled out a handkerchief out of his pocket and gently wiped away the tears from their eyes.
Ken said firmly, “They don’t matter. The people who do matter love you, don’t they? They know the truth, right?”
They both nodded, slowly, before they hugged him tightly.
“You’re quite fortunate, you know,” Akechi said, looking down at the twins. “Your mother obviously adores you and you have quite a doting uncle…”
Though Ren couldn’t help but notice that there was a… wistfulness to Akechi’s voice. Ren raised an eyebrow. That was a little strange.
“I don’t dote…” Ken’s cheeks turned pink, before he stood up.
“I mean he has a point. And it is cute, Ken,” Anne giggled, to which Makoto nodded.
“You were pretty gentle with them, Ken,” Yusuke chuckled. “It was quite heartwarming.”
“And… I’d like to apologize too.” Akechi knelt down to their level.
Miyuki frowned at him, but Akechi smiled apologetically. Despite her tense expression never wavering, Akechi pushed forward with his apology.
“I simply thought to explain people’s mindsets. I didn’t want to upset you…” He then smiled wryly. “I have a tendency to sometimes put my foot in my mouth.”
Miyuki looked at Akechi’s feet, her brow wrinkled, and then looked back up at him. “How big is your mouth? It doesn’t look like it’d fit your shoe size.”
Ren had to choke back a laugh at that. She said it so matter-of-factly. Little kids could be just so candid. Honestly it was a little refreshing.
Akechi let out that laugh Ren grew to find annoying. The one on TV all his fangirls swooned at.
“It’s just a saying. Basically, it means I say something without realizing it comes across embarrassing or offensive,” Akechi explained.
Kaito crossed his arms and nodded. “You should talk to real life people more then. Instead of the ones on TV. Mommy says a lot of TV people are very fake. Talking to fake people can’t be very helpful for you, Mister.”
Akechi let out that laugh again. “Yes. Your mother does have a point there.”
Miyuki then stomped her left foot and jabbed a finger at Akechi.
“I dunno why you don’t like the Phantom Thieves either,” Miyuki continued. “They’re cool. Like real heroes!”
“All right, all right, enough. I am sure Akechi-san didn’t come here to hear a lecture from you both.” Ken sighed, shaking his head even as wry amusement filled his eyes. “Speaking of heroes, let’s get you back to Yukari-san.”
“But Kaito has a snack!” Miyuki huffed, pointing at her brother. “I want a snack!”
Ken turned and stared at Ren. “Why does Kaito have a snack, Ren-san?”
Ren rubbed the back of his neck. “He was still being grumpy with us.”
“Kaito, share your snack with Miyuki,” Ken decided. “That way, you’ll both have an appetite and Shinjiro-san won’t scold you both for ruining your appetite for dinner.”
“Fineeee…” Kaito grumbled, before handing off his taiyaki to his twin sister.
Miyuki’s expression lit up, before she took a big bite.
“Ah, Miyu, not so big!” Kaito cried out.
“Amada-kun, I’m really sorry—" Akechi began, as the twins began to bicker over how Miyuki was apparently hogging the treat now.
Ken just held up a hand to halt him.
“It’s fine, Akechi-san,” Ken said wearily. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.”
He looked down at the twins, now happily distracted (even if they were bickering over the taiyaki) before he let out a little sigh.
“I’ll admit that I would’ve preferred it to be later, but I can’t change things. What’s done is done.”
Yusuke cleared his throat. “Ken, you should probably get them back to their mother before she goes mad with worry.”
Ken nodded. “Yeah, I will.”
Then he placed one hand on each twin’s shoulders, making them look up at him.
“Say goodbye, Miyuki, Kaito,” he said in a coaxing voice.
The twins looked at all of them, before chorusing, “Goodbye!”
“That’s such a heartwarming sight…” Yusuke sighed as Ken took their hands and led them back to Yukari-san. “Alas, if only I had my sketchpad.”
Akechi sighed, a sad smile on his lips.
“They truly are lucky… Amada-kun really does treat them like they’re his family. If only I had been that fortunate…” he said wistfully.
Ren raised a brow. Akechi’s behavior earlier… Ren couldn’t help but think, this must be personal.
“Akechi?” Ren turned to him. “You don’t mean…”
“Ah, I suppose the cat’s out of the bag.” Akechi shrugged, as it didn’t bother him. “I’m a bastard child as well. My mother was in a relationship with a man… who just threw her away like yesterday’s trash, after she discovered that she was pregnant. I was constantly reminded of my status growing up… and it only worsened after she died.”
Damn. He never would have expected that. No wonder he glared when Kaito said that woman called Yukari-san a bad example. Probably hit close to home.
Makoto’s eyes widened at that. “Akechi-kun… I had no idea.”
“Ah, but isn’t it karma?” Akechi smiled that overly saccharine smile of his.
Ren huffed and shook his head.
“Here we go,” he thought sardonically to himself.
“The man threw me and my mother away like trash, but I’ve risen above expectations.” He smirked. “I’m a celebrity now… he would have never expected that out of me. None of them would, all who looked down on my mother and me.”
Futaba bit her lip, watching Akechi. She was a bastard child too. He remembered Sojiro mentioning that Futaba’s father was never in the picture. And the awful things those voices said in her palace… the way her relatives treated her.
Though he supposed that’s why Akechi liked showing up on interviews, talking about his job. Maybe he hoped his mother’s naysayers would see him on television, rub it in where he’s at.
“A lot of men can be dickheads,” Ryuji muttered. “I feel ya, Akechi.”
Akechi just nodded then turned to face Ren. Ren raised a brow when Akechi flashed him that tv smile of his.
“Thank you, by the way. You didn’t have to come to my defense. I know our last meeting was a bit… frosty. I do apologize for how I spoke to you and your friends,” Akechi said with a sigh as he scratched his cheek. “The investigation has everyone… antsy. I suppose I was a bit stressed that day. But regardless I am sorry. And I do thank you.”
Ren couldn’t help but shift awkwardly, a bit uncomfortable with Akechi apologizing to him and thanking him.
“Don’t mention it. Bygones,” Ren replied neutrally.
“Splendid!” Akechi clapped a hand on the back of his right shoulder. “Glad to hear we can move past this. I’d hate to part on unfriendlier terms this time.”
Makoto then narrowed her eyes at him. She masked it with a more polite expression as she coughed into her hand.
“Forgive me for interrupting, I have to ask… why are you here, Akechi-kun? Is Sis here with you?” she glanced around the crowd. “I can’t imagine your investigations needed here?”
Akechi just raised his hands. “No, nothing to do with the investigations and she isn’t here. It’s not what you think, Niijima-san.”
“What would that be?” Makoto asked blandly.
He let go of Ren and took two steps back while properly facing Makoto.
“I have to admit, I am a fan of Feathermen. And one of Yukari Takeba’s last appearances… I just wanted to get a glimpse of her. She really is a marvelous actress. Though I have to wonder where she learned all of those stunts…”
Ren couldn’t help but feel a little skeptical at that claim.
Ryuji seemed to agree, as he coughed into his hand. The cough sounded suspiciously close to “Bullshit!”
“She’s just that cool.” Futaba folded her arms over her chest, giving a little nod. “She’s like an acting god.”
Yusuke nodded, a smile on his lips. “Indeed. Not to mention, she is rather… down to earth. That’s a trait that I found most celebrities lack.”
“And she’s super nice,” Anne chimed in, before pressing a hand against her cheek. “I wonder if she has any advice about acting…”
“You really need it,” Ryuji muttered.
He then yelped as Anne abruptly jabbed him in the side.
“Hey!” Ryuji looked towards him. “Ren, Anne jabbed me!”
“You totally asked for it,” she spat out, glaring daggers at Ryuji.
Ren let out a laugh. Morgana popped his head out slightly from the bag and grumbled towards Ryuji.
Ren raised his hands. “I’m staying out of this, Ryuji. Sorry.”
“Traitor!” Ryuji cried out. “Now you’re smooching Anne, are you always gonna take her side now?!”
Ren shrugged. “No, I’m just being smart.”
“No, you’re being a traitor, man!”
“I’m seconding Ren being smart,” Futaba voiced.
Yusuke blinked. “Is this the concept of ‘hoes before bros’?”
“Dude, it’s bros before hoes,” Ryuji sighed out.
Makoto whipped her head around in Ryuji’s direction, planting both hands on her hips.
“Ryuji, what are you teaching Yusuke?!” Makoto snapped at him.
Ryuji flinched at that, now sweating bullets under Makoto’s stern glare. “I uh… I plead the fifth?”
“I told you before, that’s an American law!” Makoto practically growled at him, glaring daggers at him.
“Heh. You really are a lively group.” Akechi looked between them. “And rather close, too. I must say, I somewhat… envy it.”
“Jeez, Kaito’s right.” Ryuji shook his head. “Maybe you just need to talk to more people.”
“Perhaps.” Akechi glanced at Ren. “But we’ll speak another time, yes?”
He then turned to leave.
“I’ll see you again, I’m sure!” he called over his shoulder with a wave.
He was then gone, presumably to check out the Feathermen event. Ren just shook his head. Honestly… Akechi was a bit of a mystery still. Though he did feel like he understood the older boy a little better now… even if he still did rub him the wrong way.
“Hey, hey, Uncle Ken, have you met the Phantom Thieves?”
“I don’t know, Kaito. Phantom Thieves have to keep their identities a secret.”
“No fair, Uncle Ken! You should say yes or no!”
Despite it being a few hours since the incident, Yukari was still seething. How dare they talk about her children in that kind of way? They were both innocents.
And in a way, she was angry at Akechi too. He had planted the idea that she regretted having the twins in their heads. And she never would. Sometimes it was hard, looking at the twins. They resembled Minato so much… But they were the symbol that Minato loved her.
“Yukari-chan?” Fuuka’s gentle voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
She pushed a mug filled with steaming tea towards Yukari. She smiled weakly at her friend. Fuuka was a firm believer in that tea helped soothe people. Shinjiro-senpai picked up on this habit, as well.
“I could use an actual drink,” Yukari lamented, before she took a sip of the tea. “But thanks, Fuuka.”
“Mommy?” It was Miyuki who had spoken.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, looking to her daughter.
Now that Miyuki had her attention, she climbed into Yukari’s lap. She was growing so big now. Soon she wouldn’t be able to hold her or Kaito in her lap comfortably. Miyuki hugged her around the neck, before kissing her cheek.
“Love you,” she said quietly, before looking up at her with eyes so much like Minato’s. “Uncle Ken said that people like that mean lady don’t matter.”
Yukari smiled. “You’re right, sweetie.”
She kissed her on the top of her head, before running her fingers through Miyuki’s silky hair. She felt a pang as she cuddled her daughter close. Miyuki was growing bigger and bigger every day.
“I love you, too,” she said, swallowing down the lump in her throat.
She caught Fuuka looking at them, a wistful look in her eyes. What she wanted to know was when would Shinjiro-senpai finally propose. Akihiko-senpai had told Minako about Ken’s gift to Shinjiro-senpai, and Minako had told her. Though Fuuka’s hand was small. Maybe he was getting it resized.
“Um… Mommy?” Miyuki said slowly. “Auntie Fuuka says that two or three puppies need homes… Can we have one?”
“So that’s what you were after?” Shinjiro-senpai said dryly.
“Wanted to hug Mommy before…” Miyuki mumbled, before she pouted.
Yukari sighed. “We’ll see, sweetie. We won’t be able to move back to Port Island until January or February. They may have found homes by then.”
Miyuki’s face fell at that statement. Her lips curled into such a darling little pout.
“That’s so far away,” she whined.
“Should play with the puppies while you can, then.” Shinjiro-senpai nodded at the puppies romping together.
Miyuki grumbled, before slipping off of Yukari’s lap and joining Kaito and Ken. Once she thought that Miyuki wouldn’t hear her, Yukari let out a huge sigh, before rubbing her eyes.
“Yukari-chan, you shouldn’t be so upset,” Fuuka said gently.
She stepped around the table so she could give Yukari a quick hug.
“It would’ve happened sooner or later…” she said in a soothing voice.
“They’re five!” Yukari hissed out.
She clenched her hand as anger flared inside of her. Fuuka looked at her silently, before reaching out to touch Yukari’s balled up fist. She gently rubbed circles against the back of Yukari’s hand. Slowly, Fuuka’s ministrations drained the anger out of Yukari.
“They don’t… they shouldn’t have…”
She slumped in her seat, staring down at her tea. Her reflection stared back at her. She just… felt so uncertain. She could never regret having her twins. But doubt was welling up in her now. Was she wrong, in that she refused to start dating again?
“Have I… made a mistake?” she asked in a small voice. “Should I have tried dating again? They do deserve a father…”
Her eyes then drifted to her hand… more specifically the ring on it. Minato had left it amongst his belongings. It was supposed to be his White Day present to her. It wasn’t the flashiest ring.
It was a simple thin silver band, with three rose quartzes carved into hearts. The band was carved to form smaller hearts in between the rose quartzes. She ran a finger over the ring, giving a little sigh.
“They do have one, Takeba,” Shinjiro-senpai said sharply.
Yukari looked up at him in shock. Shinjiro-san rubbed the back of his neck, before sighing.
“Minato’s dead, but he’s still their dad. And you’re doing a fine job, juggling your job and raising ‘em. Anyone tells you otherwise? Fuck ‘em.”
“Shinji’s right, Yukari-chan.” Fuuka reached out, laying a hand on Yukari’s arm, giving her a kind smile. “The twins will grow up with stories about Minato-kun. They’ll know what their father was like.”
“Okay,” Yukari whispered, before looking between the two of them.
Her heart gave a painful squeeze. Sometimes she missed Minato so much that it physically hurt. It was like when Minato had died, he had taken a part of her heart. She had things to live for, but she still missed him so much…
She mumbled out. “Thanks. I guess I needed the reminder…”
Even though she moved on with her life… the scars would always ache for what could have been.
“It’s no problem, Yukari-chan.” Fuuka smiled warmly at her.
“But you met the Phantom Thieves today, yeah?” Shinjiro-senpai kept his voice low, keeping in mind that the twins might overhear.
“Mm-hm.” Yukari nodded. “They seemed friendly.”
Even though watching Ren and Anne together made her a little sad. It was clear that Ren wasn’t Minato. If anything, Ren reminded her more of Minako, with the way he seemed to enjoy teasing people. But still, she was a bit jealous of them…
“I’m more worried that they’re a bad influence on Ken,” Shinjiro-senpai grumbled.
“Oh, don’t be such a worrywart.” Yukari waved a hand. “Ken-kun’s a smart kid. If anything, I think that he would be a good influence on them.”
“You mentioned how they were starting to meet here, before they decided to target Futaba-chan, right?” Fuuka looked at Shinjiro-senpai.
“Yeah.” Shinjiro-senpai nodded. “Won’t be surprised if they move back here as their new hideout.”
Fuuka just winced. “Do we… always have to talk about them? Can’t we talk about something else? At least for tonight…”
“Well—" Yukari began, only to be cut off by a yelp.
“She bit me!”
Ken just huffed out a laugh. “She’s still a puppy, Kaito. She doesn’t know any better.”
“She should,” Kaito grumbled. “I bet I never did anything like that as a baby.”
“Well, you would always try to yank on my hair…”
“I did not!” Kaito protested.
“Kid, we have pictures and videos that say otherwise,” Shinjiro-senpai said dryly, before he stood up. “Oi, Ken, bandage Kaito up. Gotta get dinner started.”
“Of course, you say that now,” Ken deadpanned.
Shinjiro-senpai just scowled. “You try cooking for them. They’re picky as h—eck.” Shinjiro-senpai changed at the last minute, as he caught sight of Yukari’s glare.
“Not our fault veggies are yucky,” Miyuki grumbled.
“’Sides, Uncle Junpei says it’s good to have… um…” Kaito’s face scrunched up, only for it to brighten. “High salads!”
“Standards, Kaito-kun,” Fuuka corrected with a giggle. “Though I think Junpei-kun was talking about something else…”
“Wha’cha mean, Auntie Fuuka?” Miyuki asked.
“Um…” Fuuka looked desperately at Yukari, but she just shrugged.
“You wanted to talk about something else, Fuuka,” she pointed out.
Yukari couldn’t help but giggle at the chagrined look on Fuuka’s face.
“T-That’s not what I meant!”
The twins playing with the puppies had worn them out completely, and they passed out not long after dinner. Shinjiro-senpai offered to help her back to the hotel, which Yukari gratefully accepted. It wasn’t easy managing the two of them. But Ken had disappeared right after dinner for some reason… and she wanted to say goodbye.
But when she approached Ken’s bedroom, she could hear: “You want to what?!”
That was… Mitsuru-senpai’s voice. Yukari pushed open the door, making Ken flinch. “So… what’s going on?”
She kicked the door shut with her foot, before putting her hands on her hips.
“Um… well…” Ken stammered, very much looking like deer in headlights.
Mitsuru-senpai pursed her lips. She looked rather displeased. In fact, she had a similar expression to the face she had when Akihiko-senpai wanted to get back to fighting before his ribs fully healed.
“Amada wishes to tell the Phantom Thieves the truth,” she said stiffly.
“About what?” Yukari asked, tilting her head. “About us? About why Ken-kun’s here?”
“Mitsuru-san, please,” Ken pleaded, his bottom lip quivering ever so slightly. “I don’t want there to be secrets anymore. It’s not fair to everyone. They don’t have bad intentions!”
Mitsuru-senpai narrowed her eyes at Ken’s plea. “We’re meant to be a secret organization, Amada. We cannot—”
“That’s not fair! The Investigation Team knows about us!” Ken protested.
“Those were different circumstances and you know it!” Mitsuru-senpai retorted.
“How?!” Ken cried, suddenly looking miserable. “Mitsuru-san, it’s not right. I can’t… I can’t keep telling half-truths and lies! It’s been eating at me…! It’s starting to drive me crazy!”
Yukari couldn’t help but gasp at that. How long has Ken been bottling this up? She glanced at the image of Mitsuru-senpai. Ken was distracted so he didn’t see the shellshocked expression on the older woman’s face.
“If I explained everything, maybe we could go after Shido. He wouldn’t be able to threaten you anymore! And Futaba-san deserves the truth, especially!” Ken said passionately. “It’s not fair to her, for me to keep secrets about just who we suspect ordered her mother’s death. Please!”
Yukari couldn’t help but sigh.
Honestly… she was starting to have doubts about continuing Ken spy on these kids. Especially after meeting them in person. They didn’t feel like Strega… they felt more reminiscent of the Investigation Team in her eyes. Just a group of kids trying to do what the law couldn’t.
Mitsuru-senpai was wavering. Yukari could sense that. She just needed to give her a little push.
“Mitsuru-senpai,” Yukari said softly, “Ken-kun is right. Secrets destroy trust.”
She remembered all too vividly about how she felt about Mitsuru-senpai originally. A lot of problems could have been resolved if they had been open with each other. And judging by the look on Mitsuru-senpai’s face… she was thinking about it too.
“And I met them today,” Yukari continued. “I didn’t talk to them too long, but they seem like good kids. I think you can trust them. Naoto-kun was investigating us, but you chose to put trust in her. And look at you guys, now.”
Honestly, even to this day… she was unsure why they had trusted the Investigation Team so easily. They had every reason not to. The Investigation Team could’ve been mistrustful, after finding out about what exactly happened to Labrys. But… they didn’t. And they were close friends to this day.
Mitsuru-senpai’s shoulders slumped. “Do you truly believe that they can be trusted?”
“They’ve only gone after people that needed their hearts changed. They don’t go changing hearts just because. It’s not for attention…! They genuinely believe in what they are doing! They want to help people!” Ken insisted.
“You do understand that you’ll have to explain the entire story to them, don’t you?” Mitsuru-senpai pursed her lips. “In all honesty, I’m not sure if they’ll trust us, Amada.”
Yukari had to admit, Mitsuru-senpai did pose a good point. Yukari understood, though—she had been slow to trust before as well.
Ken slowly took a deep breath, his hands suddenly twisting the bottom of his shirt.
“And you’re saying that it’d be better to just hide everything from them? That won’t get their trust either,” he countered. “Besides… Futaba-san… she was willing to give me a chance and wanted to hear me out. And she has faith in them. I… want to believe in that faith.”
It became very quiet for several moments. Yukari felt her body tense while waiting for Mitsuru-senpai to answer.
Mitsuru-senpai let out a weary sigh. “Very well, Amada. You have my permission to tell the Phantom Thieves everything.”
Ken’s face lit up. Yukari always found it a pity that Ken’s childhood had shaped him in a way that he rarely smiled so openly. When he smiled… it made him look young, closer to his actual age.
God… sometimes looking at Ken really made it hit home just how young they were during their incident. They were just kids. The Phantom Thieves were so young too. They were so broken by the system that they forced themselves to step up and take action. The thought of that made Yukari’s heart ache.
Wasn’t the whole point of creating the Shadow Operatives was so that teenagers wouldn’t have to step up like they had to? It just… wasn’t fair.
“Thank you, Mitsuru-san.” Ken bowed his head. “I’m sure you won’t regret it.”
“Regret… you could always request that Isshiki’s daughter trace whoever requested me as a hit.” Mitsuru-senpai didn’t exactly scowl, but she came pretty close with that deep frown.
Yukari winced. She had heard from Minako how pleased Mitsuru-senpai had been about that Phan-Site request.
“Honestly, if I ever get my hands on that fool… I’ll show them regret…” she practically hissed out.
She almost felt sorry for the moron. Almost.
Mitsuru-senpai then sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. Then she forced a smile.
“Well… I’m afraid I must go. I have a mountain of paperwork to deal with…” Then she nodded at Yukari. “Good night, Yukari, Amada. Say hello to Miyuki and Kaito for me, as well.”
Mitsuru waved a hand before she shut off the connection. Ken then turned to Yukari; the relief in his eyes was clear as day.
“Yukari-san… I…” He bowed his head, swallowing hard. “Thank you. I think your reminder of what happened in the past is what convinced Mitsuru-san.”
“No problem, Ken-kun.” Yukari smiled at him.
She then reached out, ruffling his hair. Ken swatted at her hand with an annoyed huff.
“You really do care about them, don’t you?” she asked teasingly.
“I…” Ken blushed, before mumbling out, “I do…”
“Aw, Ken-kun, you don’t have to be embarrassed.” Yukari ruffled his hair again, making him glower for a moment. “I meant what I said about them, you know. They’re good kids. They’ll listen to you.”
Ken slowly smiled. “Thanks, Yukari-san. I’ll probably ask to do it the day after tomorrow…”
“Why not tomorrow?” Yukari raised an eyebrow at him.
Ken ran a hand through his hair.
“We’re going to the beach tomorrow. The past week we’ve been working with Futaba-san so that she can handle going outside and being around people,” he explained.
Yukari frowned. Just how traumatized had Futaba been…? Then again, she had been suicidal. She had heard from Shinjiro-senpai that Ken had just about worried himself sick about Futaba’s wellbeing.
Yukari closed her eyes for a moment. The poor girl. While she had never fallen as low as Futaba, she couldn’t help but think back to how miserable she had been when she had lost Minato. And losing her own father…
“Yukari-san?”
She snapped back to reality. Ken was staring at her in concern.
“Sorry, I just—I was thinking,” Yukari said evasively and then smiled at Ken, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Give her my best, okay?”
“I will,” Ken promised with a nod.
Yukari then leaned in close, hugging him and then kissing him on the cheek. “I have to go now, though… I’m surprised Shinjiro-senpai isn’t looking for me.”
Ken just nodded before hugging her. “Okay. Hopefully we’ll see you soon.”
Yukari just flashed him a smile as she drew back. “Maybe for Christmas. Minako will have had the baby by then too…”
She had to make arrangements so she could be there for birth. Minako had been a big support when Yukari had been pregnant with the twins. She was determined to not miss the birth.
“Yeah… good night, Yukari-san,” Ken said.
“Night, Ken-kun.”
Notes:
Okay, so I lied. The beach episode is going to be a standalone chapter. This chapter kept stretching longer and longer. Depending on how long the next chapter gets, summer vacation will be wrapped up in one or two more chapters.
I also redid the Justice rank 3 scene, since it’s really shoehorned in the game. One thing I think the anime did right is how they changed the timing of Akechi’s revelation and connecting it to Futaba’s struggles. (That did have the downside of reducing the focus on Futaba and Sojiro, but we can’t have everything.)
Speaking of Akechi, I really thought that Dark Sun dropped the ball with him. All of that buildup and they wrapped up the confrontation with him in less than ten minutes. You’d think with the huge focus on him, Dark Sun would have spent more time on that. Ah well, the anime is gonna wrap up in March and we’ll probably get more news on P5R then…
Edit Notes (9/29/24): Added in a scene in Futaba’s POV about her anxiety, at my beta angelrin89’s suggestion, to show that Futaba’s anxiety is still present which ties into Futaba’s confidant. We also expanded on the bastard conversations present in the chapter. Thank you again to angelrin89 for her wonderful edits!
Chapter 19: Ch. 18: Final Days Of Summer
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves take Futaba to the beach, completing her training. The day after, Ken has a little story to tell to the Phantom Thieves...
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Monday, August 29th, 2016
Ken woke up to Koromaru pouncing on him and licking his face.
“Haven’t had this treatment in a while,” Ken muttered as Koromaru happily lapped at his face.
He then gently pushed Koromaru off of him. As much as he loved Koromaru, he was heavy. Koromaru didn’t seem to mind though. He just sat on his haunches before letting out a bark.
“Aw, don’t blame Koro-chan, Ken-kun.” Fuuka-san was standing at the door. “We’ll have to go to the station in about an hour.”
She then crossed across the room, leaning in close to give him a kiss on the cheek before smoothing out his bangs. Ken gave her an annoyed stare as she ran her fingers through his hair.
“Quit it, Fuuka-san,” he grumbled out.
“This grumpy in the morning? Don’t tell me that Shinji’s rubbing off on you,” she lightly teased him.
Ken huffed. “Nobody’s grumpier than Shinjiro-san.”
Fuuka-san just giggled. “If you say so, Ken-kun.”
Ken wanted to just flop back in bed to sleep in just a few more minutes. But for all he knew, the others would be texting the group chat. Plus Fuuka-san and Koromaru would be leaving soon…
“Okay, okay, I’m up,” Ken muttered out before throwing back the covers.
Fuuka-san laughed lightly. “I’m going to help Shinji prepare breakfast. I’ll make you some coffee.”
“Thanks, Fuuka-san,” he said through yawns.
After shooing Koromaru out of his room, Ken got dressed. He put on a new pair of swim trunks he recently got. It was black with two diagonal stripes, one white and the other orange. He double-checked and smiled to himself. He did remember to leave his black sandals in his duffle bag so he could change into them once he’s at the door. He also packed a change of clothes, sunblock, and the other things he would need for the beach. At least he didn’t burn that easily. He nodded to himself, setting down the small green duffle bag on his bed.
He walked over to the bathroom and began washing his face. After drying off and then brushing his teeth, he glanced at himself in the mirror. He frowned slightly as he brushed through his bangs lightly with his fingers. He sighed to himself, giving himself another once over. He wasn’t sure if he should just go with his usual polo shirt… It was still pretty hot, but he hated the staring…
He shook his head and trotted back to the dresser, pulling a white polo out. After shutting it, he sliding the polo over his head.
He ran over to his closet, quickly grabbing an old beach towel he’s had for a few years, shoving it in the duffel bag. After zipping it up, he headed out of the room. To nobody’s surprise, Koromaru was happily eating dog food, mixed with steak. Shinjiro-san really did spoil him…
“Morning, Ken,” Shinjiro-san greeted, setting down the last plate.
“Morning,” Ken answered after stifling a yawn.
Fuuka-san stood at the counter, pouring out coffee as she hummed a little ditty to herself. Ken helped her carry the cups to the table and then they sat down to eat.
He was still pretty tired, so he tuned out their conversation. He focused on eating and sipping at his coffee. Fuuka-san always seemed to know the right amount of cream and sugar.
“…be there when you talk to them.”
Ken jerked at that, looking at his guardian with wide eyes. “What?”
Shinjiro-san looked at him flatly. “I want to be there when you talk to the Phantom Thieves.”
“You… you do?”
“I do,” Shinjiro-san affirmed. “You’re going to drop the bombshell that they’ve already met, what, half of the team already? Besides that, you don’t know if things won’t go south.”
“But—!“ Ken began to protest.
Shinjiro-san held up a hand, cutting Ken off.
But when Ken hesitantly looked back, Shinjiro-san’s expression slightly softened. “Ken, I know that you trust them. But you have to think about their attitudes toward the police. They may trust you but they may not agree with Mitsuru and what she stands for. Things could get ugly. I’m not going to let you field them all by yourself.”
He had a point… but the Phantom Thieves wouldn’t get violent with him.
Ren-san wasn’t violent like the school believed him to be; all those rumors were false about him. Ryuji-san only attacked Kamoshida because he was provoked into a confrontation so the man could claim self-defense and frame Ryuji-san as some thug. Sure Anne-san and Makoto-san could have tempers… but they weren’t the type to just viciously attack someone. Yusuke-san definitely wasn’t the aggressive type. Futaba-san was basically light as a feather, even soaking wet. You could push her with just a finger and she’d stumble. Morgana… well he had the body of a domestic cat.
Ken was still afraid they’d all hate him now. He didn’t know how badly they’d take the news. But still, Futaba-san had faith. He did too, even if he was still scared of their rejection. But even in all of Ken’s worst-case scenario what ifs, he could not see any of them getting violent with him.
They weren’t a threat. They wouldn’t be a threat to him. Even if they felt betrayed… they would never resort to that. He was very confident. He’d seen how they behaved and acted, both in and out of the Metaverse.
He had faith in them.
But Shinjiro-san didn’t… he didn’t know them like Ken did. He had always been a bit of a worry-wart. He’d just have to see for himself why Ken was so certain they weren’t going to react as worse as he’s thinking.
“Okay.” Ken slowly nodded. “I’m planning on asking them to come tomorrow… will that be okay for you, to skip work?”
“I’ll call in sick. I’ll just not get paid that day then.” Shinjiro-san shrugged.
Ken winced. Shinjiro-san seemed fine with it but he couldn’t help but feel… guilty.
“Good luck, you two,” Fuuka-san suddenly spoke up, biting her lower lip. “I hope it goes well…”
“Thanks, Fuuka-san.” Ken smiled weakly.
Fuuka-san finished her breakfast first so she got up to herd the puppies and Hoshi into the carrier. Ken couldn’t help but watch her as she busied herself with that task.
Ken couldn’t help but frown. He could understand why Shinjiro-san couldn’t propose to her during the Port Island visit, but he had expected Shinjiro-san to propose during this visit.
With that in mind, Ken then leaned closer to his guardian and whispered, “You do realize that Minako-san is going to be mad when she sees no ring on Fuuka-san’s hand, right?”
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes at Ken. “I’ll just point at the jeweler. The ring’s still being resized.”
“Hm? You say something, Shinji?”
Shinjiro-san stiffened at Fuuka-san’s innocent question. Luckily, Shinjiro-san was saved from having to answer because someone knocked on the door.
Fuuka-san then frowned. “I wonder who that is…”
Ken got up to answer the door, revealing Makoto-san and Anne-san.
“Morning!” Anne-san cheered, bouncing with energy. “Since we all live in Shibuya, we thought we’d all head for the train station together~!”
She then broke off, her eyes brightening at the sight of Koromaru. Ken had to stifle a laugh at that. Morgana was probably a little annoyed at how Anne-san obviously adored Koromaru.
“Oh, good morning, Koro-chan!”
She then knelt down, opening her arms to Koromaru. Koromaru bounded forward and happily licked her face. She didn’t seem to mind at all, though.
“Aw, you remember me!” she cooed, before scratching him behind the ear.
“You didn’t mention he was an albino,” Makoto-san commented.
She then hesitated for a moment before kneeling down to pet him. She suddenly jerked her hand away as Koromaru nosed it.
“It’s okay,” Ken said. “Koromaru is just trying to get to know you.”
Makoto-san just smiled sheepishly before a slight blush dusted her cheeks. “Sorry… I don’t have much experience with animals. The apartments we’ve lived in never allowed pets…”
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Ken said with a smile.
She leaned down one more time and let Koromaru sniff her hand again, despite some hesitance still in her eyes. Koromaru leaned his head forward into her hand, letting out a tiny whine. And his eyes got so big and sad. He was really laying it on thick. Ken stifled a laugh.
Makoto-san was definitely falling for it though. She looked guilty and started scratching behind his ear, slower than Anne-san. A light smile appeared on her face as Koromaru started panting with his own big smile.
He started to whine a little when she stopped the scratches, she looked a bit guilty. Ken just shot Koromaru a look. Koromaru actually looked annoyed at Ken for a moment before heading out of the room and back to the kitchen.
Fuuka-san smiled. “Good morning, girls. Would you like some coffee?”
“No, it’s all right,” Makoto-san declined. “Thank you for offering.”
After Anne-san declined as well, Fuuka-san just nodded. “So, are you excited for the beach?”
Anne nodded as both girls got to their feet. “I’m so ready for the beach! Haven’t been since summer started and Makoto and I bought new swimsuits when we were getting one for Futaba!”
Makoto-san began to fidget. “I still don’t know about the swimsuit I got…”
“No, you’ll look great!” Anne-san contradicted before she gave Makoto-san a reassuring smile. “It’s a more modest bikini and it looks so cute! Stop worrying!”
Ken then nodded in agreement. “I’m sure that you’ll look nice, Makoto-san. You always do, anyways.”
Makoto-san’s blush deepened, before she smiled hesitantly. “Thank you, Ken.”
Koromaru then looked up, looked between him and Makoto-san, before barking.
“Huh?” Makoto-san blinked down at Koromaru. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Shinjiro-san said dryly; for some reason, he looked… annoyed. “Koro just has a lot to say.”
Fuuka-san suddenly nudged Shinjiro-san in the side, shooting him a look. Ken quirked a brow in confusion. Just what were those reactions for? They were acting a little strange.
Fuuka-san then turned to Koromaru, clapping her hands together once.
“Come on, Koro-chan. We’ll have to put you in the carrier soon…” she said in a coaxing voice.
Koromaru let out a soft whine, but he padded over to the carrier at Fuuka-san’s feet.
Ken shook his head, taking the black sandals out of the duffle bag and slipping them on. He zipped the duffle bag back shut again. Turning to Fuuka-san and Shinjiro-san, he gave them a wave while following Anne-san and Makoto-san out.
“Have fun at the beach, though!” Fuuka-san waved with a cheerful expression.
“We will,” Anne chirped. “Thanks, Fuuka-san!”
The sun was practically scorching, forcing them to take cover under an umbrella. The boys had all changed into their swimsuits pretty quickly. But since Ken was already in his swimsuit, he found a table to claim while they waited for the girls. The wait for the women’s changing area was a lot longer so they were just killing time until the girls came back.
Ren-san pressed a soda can against his neck with a sigh, before he grumbled out, “Didn’t expect it to be this hot. I would’ve thought there’d be more of a breeze, with the ocean being right there. It was never this hot where I grew up…”
“For real,” Ryuji-san sighed, sucking on the topsicle he had bought earlier.
Ken unscrewed the cap off his water and took a long swig. He wiped off the sweat of his brow right after, letting out a light sigh. Port Island had its fair of heat waves but today was truly sweltering.
He reached in his duffle bag and handed Yusuke-san some lemonade he bought from the vending machine. Yusuke nodded and accepted it gratefully.
Ken was surprised how fast Yusuke-san drank it. The bottle was already empty just a few seconds after handing it to him. Poor guy must have been really thirsty. It seemed to perk him up thankfully.
“That lemonade was most refreshing. I must thank you, Ken,” Yusuke-san said with an earnest smile. “I feel reborn anew and ready to endure this hellish weather.”
Ken gave him a smile and a half-nod. Yusuke-san could be a bit dramatic sometimes, but he was just so sincere.
“Aren’t you two hot?” Ryuji-san suddenly asked, looking at both Ken and Yusuke-san. “You’re makin’ me sweat just looking at you. How is just lemonade gonna cool you off when you’re in that, Yusuke?”
Come to think of it, Yusuke-san wearing a sweater, even if a very light one… was an interesting choice on a day like this. He did have it slightly unzipped, but that didn’t look comfortable to wear. Ken’s polo was light to wear, and it was short sleeved. Not to mention it was comfortable enough material, even in this heat.
“It is not preferable, I’ll admit,” Yusuke-san said. “But you need the ladies to keep guessing.”
Ken just blinked three times, staring blankly at the younger boy. What did he just say? That was… not something he’d expect to hear from Yusuke-san of all people.
Ren-san and Ryuji-san were also just blinking and staring. At least he wasn’t alone in his bewilderment at Yusuke-san’s words. He said that with a completely straight face too…
“Guessing what?” Morgana asked.
“Nothing! Nothing at all!” Ryuji-san yelped, waving his hands like crazy.
His movements were wild enough that it sent a couple droplets from the melting topsicle flying and splattering on the table.
Yusuke-san blinked. “I don’t know what that means, though...”
“Oh, thank God,” Ren-san muttered before slumping in his seat.
Ken rubbed his temples. He did not want a headache this early on in the day.
“Where did you even hear that?” Ken grumbled.
“When I was walking to the station, I heard a lady and her cohost on the radio,” Yusuke-san recanted. “They were both joking around I feel. I heard one of them say that.”
Ryuji-san sighed. “Dude… you don’t have to repeat everything you hear.”
“But your commitment to wanting to get noticed by a girl is commendable,” Ren-san teased. “But trying to get a date isn’t that easy.”
“Ah, so that’s what it’s referring to.” Yusuke-san had a contemplative look while he rested his chin on his right hand. “I’m… not sure why you would need to make a lady guess or what she would be guessing. Wouldn’t the more straightforward approach in courtship be better?”
“Let’s… talk about this later.” Ken felt his ears start to burn.
“Do you too wish for the ladies to keep guessing, Ken?” Yusuke-san asked, oblivious as always.
Ken’s face started to grow hot, which had nothing to do with the summer heat.
“Actually, I was going to take it off for swimming,” he quickly lied. “But it’s getting too hot, so I’ll take it off now.”
To prove his point, he quickly unbuttoned his polo enough so he could slip it off. He pointedly ignored Ren-san and Ryuji-san’s snickers as he pulled the shirt over his head, stuffing it in his bag.
But the sound of crunching sand made them all look up. Anne-san gave a little wave, before sheepishly smiling.
“Sorry for the wait!” she said.
Ren-san quickly placed his soda can on the table as he laid his eyes on his girlfriend.
“I’ve never seen such a stunning sight.”
Ken fought the urge to roll his eyes. At least they didn’t get handsy in front of everyone. Though he did have to pretend that Anne-san wasn’t checking Ren-san out too.
“Indeed, your swimsuit matched your bright and colorful personality,” Yusuke-san declared, framing Anne with his hands. “You look wonderful.”
Morgana purred. “You look stunning, Lady Anne! Absolutely meowvelous!”
Ken grimaced at Morgana’s last comment. He hated puns so much.
However, Ken had to admit that Anne-san’s swimsuit did suit her, with the bright flowers splashed on the fabric. It showed off her figure pretty well too; Ken had a feeling that Ren-san would probably stick close to Anne-san for the most part.
And then Ken’s eyes were caught by Makoto-san. As Anne mentioned before, Makoto-san was wearing a more modest swimsuit—a white bikini top and a matching skirt. Anne made a good choice. Simple and elegant, a perfect fit for Makoto-san. It showed off her slim and toned figure very well.
Wait, what was he thinking?
To his surprise, Makoto-san was staring at him too, shock in her eyes. Ken felt heat flush his cheeks again as Makoto-san continued to stare at him unabashedly.
“Um… is something the matter?” he asked, feeling more than a little awkward.
You would’ve thought that he had dumped a bucket of water on her head, judging how startled she looked.
“O-Oh, I’m just… surprised. With how many scars you have.”
Ken winced. It’s part of why he preferred to wear a shirt. Granted they were faded but…
Morgana tilted his head. “Hm… Makoto is right. I didn’t realize you had so many…”
“Well, he’s fought before, with all that martial arts training.” Ryuji-san’s sudden poke made him jump. “Most of ‘em are pretty faded.”
“Can we please not talk about this…?” Ken muttered.
“This is perfect!”
Ken felt his shoulders slump in relief at Futaba-san’s interruption. And then… he actually saw her.
Futaba-san’s head was wrapped in a… towel. She was wearing a bikini, more on the cuter side than Makoto-san and Anne-san’s swimsuits. It had frills, and was yellow with red polka dots. But due to her being essentially blinded, she just stumbled forward, her arms flailing wildly.
“I think she needs perfect redefined,” Ryuji-san mumbled.
Makoto-san sighed, before walking over to Futaba-san. She began to unravel the towel, slowly unmasking Futaba.
“There’s nothing perfect about this. Come on now,” she said gently. “You conquered the train a few times, and the Featherman event. You can handle this.”
Futaba-san’s bright hair cascaded down her back. The swimsuit really suited her, matching perfectly with her orange hair and youthful face.
“There... much better. You look great,” Makoto-san gave her a smile, and a light touch on the shoulder.
Futaba-san anxiously looked around. She didn’t seem to relax until Ren-san smiled to reassure her.
“Like Makoto said… you look great, Futaba,” he said.
She then smiled shyly, pink dusting her cheeks as the tension in her shoulders seemed to melt away. “T-Thanks.”
They then headed towards the area they had set up before Anne-san spoke. “There are a lot of people here today… Guess it makes sense since summer’s almost over.”
“Are you going to be okay, Futaba-san?” Ken asked, frowning.
Maybe they should’ve done something else. She still seemed a bit hesitant. Futaba-san looked around, taking a step back as she took in all of the people.
She squared her shoulders and said, “N-No… it’s okay. You guys are here.”
She smiled shyly again. It was hard to remember that she was actually shy and introverted, after seeing how lively she can be.
“Let’s have some fun!” Ryuji-san cheered, pumping a fist. “But first… how ‘bout we eat first?”
“Always thinking with your stomach,” Anne-san teased, poking him in the side.
“Aw, quit that!” Ryuji-san swatted her hand away, his expression morphing into an annoyed scowl. “Unless you’ve got something else in mind, I just thought getting food would be the best way to go!”
“No, he’s right.” Yusuke-san shook his head. “The salty air is making me famished.”
Somehow Ken got the feeling it wasn’t just the sea air… Yusuke-san probably skipped breakfast again because that money went to art supplies or train tickets.
Ryuji-san collected money from everyone (except for Yusuke-san) and repeated everyone’s orders just to make sure he got it.
Then he paused, squatting in front of Morgana. “Morgana, what do you wanna eat?”
Morgana blinked up at him. “Uh… grilled fish if you can find it?”
“Heh. Figures…” Ryuji-san patted him on the head, all while laughing. “I’m on it.”
Ren-san went with him to carry the orders, all while Futaba-san reached for the familiar bowl of ramen out of her bag.
“Ramen again?” Ken sighed.
“It’s my staple food.” Futaba-san smirked.
Futaba-san’s situation was complicated. He understood that. And Sakura-san was doing the best he could despite those circumstances. But now that she’s improving… Shinjiro-san may insist on feeding her meals himself. He hoped he wouldn’t pester Sakura-san again about recipe suggestions. Maybe he can curb it by suggesting to bring an extra bento for her with the other prepared meals he makes.
Ren-san and Ryuji-san returned soon after and passed out the food.
Anne-san of course wanted some sweets, so they got her strawberry mochi. Makoto-san wasn’t craving something sweet but she did want something cold for a snack. She requested for some kakigōri. Both girls also wanted some takoyaki as well. Ken knew that wouldn’t be filling for either, so he asked Ryuji-san to buy some yakitori for them also, just so they’d have some protein. He made sure to hand Ryuji-san some money for it. Both girls were pleasantly surprised and thanked him for it.
Futaba-san, while insistent on her ramen bowl, Ryuji-san still went and got her some more to eat. He got her some takoyaki, grilled corn, and also one yakitori.
Ryuji-san of course bought multiple yakitori for himself. He handed a skewer for Ken and Yusuke-san too. He also passed Yusuke-san over some okonomiyaki. He then passed Ken over a box which he thanked Ryuji-san for. Inside it was a mix of shrimp and vegetable tempura along with two riceballs.
Ren-san got himself what looked like a simple bento box. A mix of grilled fish and vegetables along with some riceballs, from the looks of it. He leaned down and handed a rather large chunk of grilled fish for Morgana to start munching on, who happily ate it up.
He also bought some slices of watermelon for them all to share. They also passed around some fresh water bottles, it was very cold to the touch, it actually felt good just holding it. Ken quickly placed the bottle on his neck to help cool himself off a bit.
It seems everyone would be eating or drinking something cold, and at least had some protein, and a fruit or veggie to eat.
Ken shook his head and thought to himself, “I’m starting to sound like Shinjiro-san.”
They settled onto the blanket and dug into their lunch. Despite the heat beating down on them, it felt rather nice. And the food was delicious. The watermelon in particular was really sweet. Though… he could’ve gone without Ryuji-san challenging the boys to a watermelon eating contest. Only Yusuke-san accepted the challenge but they both wound up dripping juice on the blanket, making Anne-san and Makoto-san chastise them for eating messily.
He looked around at his new group of friends. Guilt twisted in his gut again, and he lightly shook his head. Now wasn’t the time to think about that. Today was supposed to be a day of celebration. Besides, he will be telling them all the truth very soon. What they do with the news… well that remained to be seen. He took a deep breath, pushing the feelings away, he took a bite of the sweet potato tempura.
“Everything okay, Ken?” Morgana looked up at him in concern.
Ken just smiled down at him, “It’s nothing. Just after everything happened… this is nice. I’m glad we came here.”
Ryuji-san took a huge gulp of his food before he gave a wide grin. “You can say that again!”
“Mm-hm, we earned this victory! And I think this is a perfect choice for a celebration, as well a way to end our summer vacation with a bang! I love the beach!” Anne-san exclaimed, tilting her head and let out a happy sigh. “There’s just something about it, you know? Sand between your toes, the ocean, the breeze… it’s all so awesome.”
“Oh, can we rent a banana boat?” Futaba-san asked eagerly, a noodle hanging from the corner of her mouth.
Makoto-san sighed, reaching out to wipe at the corner of Futaba-san’s mouth, as she was preoccupied with tugging at Anne-san’s arm.
“Pleaseeee?” she begged.
“We’ll check it out,” Makoto-san promised.
“Hang on!” Ryuji-san held up a hand. “You’re seriously gonna ditch us?”
“Come on, we’ll do something as a group later. We’re not exactly made of money, most of the budget went to food anyway—we can’t afford a bigger banana boat,” Anne-san pointed out.
Ren-san looked between them, a thoughtful look entering his eyes. “You know… we have seven people. Anyone up for beach volleyball later?”
“That sounds like fun.” Makoto-san nodded with a smile. “Though how would we divide the teams?”
“I’m referee,” Futaba-san announced. “I lack in stamina, so I would be the weak link.”
Anne-san snapped her fingers, before letting out a gusty sigh. “Darn, I was hoping for girls versus boys.”
“How are you planning on dividing the teams, then?” Yusuke-san asked, with a quirked eyebrow.
Ren-san grinned. “How about… me, Ryuji, and Anne for one team, and Yusuke, Makoto, and Ken for the other team?”
Ryuji-san just nudged Ren-san in the side. “You just don’t want Anne to give ya a pretty smile and you get all dopey.”
Morgana made a grumbling sound at that, curling into himself. Ken eyed Morgana warily. He knew the feline was trying to be happy for the two of them, but he could sympathize. It wasn’t easy getting over your first crush.
However, nobody seemed to notice.
“Who’s dopey?!” Ren-san snapped at him.
“The nerd in glasses of course,” Ryuji-san taunted.
“Uh, if anyone’s a nerd, it’s definitely Ken,” Ren-san argued.
Ken rolled his eyes before smacking both boys with the top end of his chopsticks.
“Please don’t drag me into your petty argument,” Ken deadpanned.
“Ooooh, he doesn’t deny he’s a nerd,” Futaba-san said with a snicker.
“But anyways—” Makoto-san interjected. “How about this—Anne and I will be on the same team as Yusuke, and Ken, Ren, and Ryuji will be on the other team. Sound fair enough?”
“That sounds fair,” Yusuke-san said with a nod. “I look forward to this competition.”
Morgana just sighed, his ears drooping. “I wish I could do more…”
“Aw, Morgana…” Anne-san frowned as she reached out to stroke his fur. “Should we look for another activity?”
Morgana sighed. “No, it’s… nothing.”
Ken couldn’t help but frown at that. That was an evasive answer, if he ever saw one. But… how would he even begin to address this? Morgana was… prideful, to put it lightly. He might get offended if Ken attempted to address it now.
“I guess… I’ll keep quiet for now,” Ken thought, as his frown deepened.
After they finished eating, the girls got up to go pick up the banana boat. And it wasn’t long before Ryuji-san started to complain.
Ryuji-san scowled. “This sucks! I can’t believe they ditched us!”
“You’re acting like they up and left us for the rest of the day,” Ken said dryly. “Relax. It shouldn’t be that long.”
“Yeah, but…” Ryuji-san groaned. “Come on! Look at us! We’re practically celebrities now! We’ve made headlines!”
“Ryuji-san…” Ken hissed, shooting him a look.
“Okay, okay!” he huffed, before angrily kicking at the sand.
Morgana sputtered as the wind suddenly blew the sand into his face. Ren-san shot Ryuji-san a look, and he grumbled out an apology while Ren helped Morgana clean off the sand in his face. But then Ryuji-san got fired up all over again.
“I just… we should be doing something fun too, dammit!” he huffed out.
“We could rent something to do in the water too?” Ken suggested.
“Nonono, you don’t get me, Ken!” Ryuji-san waved his hands wildly, before he smirked. “I’m talking about something fun with girls.”
“He’s joking, right…?”
Ken knew it was a rhetoric question but there was a slight chance it was true. He could hope.
“Please tell me he is,” he pleaded.
“I believe he is not,” Yusuke-san said blandly. “Does it involve helping me keep the ladies guessing, as they say?”
“Please stop bringing that up…” Ken pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Come on, we’ve got some practice already!” Ryuji-san argued. “We could totally steal girls’ hearts! Anne, Makoto, and Futaba don’t get it… they just see us as guys, not men!”
Ren-san craned an eyebrow at that declaration. “You do know I’m dating Anne now, right? I’ve stolen her heart.”
Ryuji-san snorted, rolling his eyes. “Dude, nobody could miss that—”
“So I can’t do that!” Ren-san exclaimed, all while staring at Ryuji-san.
“You could referee!” Ryuji-san countered.
He clearly was keen on this idea. Ken, on the other hand knew where this would lead. Ryuji-san would just rush headfirst into rejection and disappointment, dragging them into it. No thank you.
“That’s a no from me too. I have no interest in picking up girls,” Ken said flatly, pressing a hand against his forehead.
“Dude, are you serious?” Ryuji-san squinted at him, before his eyes lit up.
Ken didn’t like that look in his eye. It reminded Ken too much of Junpei-san when he got an “idea” in his head.
“Oh man…” Ryuji-san shook his head before he let out a hearty laugh. “It’s so freakin’ obvious.”
Ken’s lips curled into a frown as he raised a single brow. Just what was he talking about? What was so obvious?
“Oh?” Yusuke-san raised an eyebrow. “Do you care to elucidate?”
“You have your eye on someone, don’tcha?” Ryuji-san grinned wildly at Ken.
Ken did a slight double-take. Where the heck did Ryuji-san get that idea?!
“I mean, Ren’s got Anne, but you… you’re as free as a bird.” He jabbed a finger in Ken’s direction. “That’s why you don’t wanna go and pick up girls! Someone caught your eye!”
He was grinning, like he had struck gold. Ken opened his mouth, only for a croaking sound to suddenly escape his mouth. Ken’s face flushed at that, especially as Ren-san and Ryuji-san started snickering like crazy. It was starting to feel like he could fry an egg on his face with how hot it felt.
Somehow Ken managed to find his voice.
“You’re being ridiculous!” Ken hissed out. “I most certainly do not! I just don’t want to flirt with random girls!”
“Who is it, huh?!” Ryuji-san started to badger him.
He then elbowed Ken, wiggling his eyebrows. Ken wanted to find some hole to crawl into and hide from everyone. He hated this kind of talk.
Minako-san and Junpei-san would always playfully rib him about all the girls who had crushes on him. Fuuka-san and Yukari-san would scold them for it but it always was so embarrassing…
Ryuji-san rubbed his chin. “It’s gotta be some girl back on Port Island? I mean, it’s definitely not Anne, especially ‘cause you pushed for RenRen to ask her out. And Makoto’s pretty, but she’s scary as hell sometimes!”
Ren-san smirked impishly. Ken really hated that expression sometimes.
“Unless of course there is someone at school that catches your fancy?” he asked in a sing-song tone. “We do have a lot of cute girls going to our school, after all.”
“Oh yeah! That’s a good point!” Ryuji-san snickered.
“There’s nobody!” Ken hissed out, glaring daggers at Ryuji-san.
He wasn’t against being in a relationship. He just had no interest in something that came from purely physical attraction. What was the point if you just cared about how pretty your partner was? It just felt… shallow. And pointless. Maybe this was due to how most of his teammates were fortunate enough to find love when they were his age but… it just wasn’t even a priority right now for him anyway! What was the big deal?
“That’s a pretty intense denial, Ken,” Ren-san teased, flashing Ken a lopsided smirk. “Though I’m kinda curious… what kind of girl is your type?”
“Do we really have to do this?” Ken didn’t particular care that he was whining right now.
“All women are my type,” Yusuke-san said matter-of-factly.
The conversation came to an abrupt halt and everyone turned to stare at Yusuke-san.
He blinked owlishly at them, cocking his head slightly. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Just shoot me now,” Ken grumbled to himself.
Ren-san let out a snort, which then turned into much louder laughter. Ryuji-san and Morgana joined him in laughter. Ken rolled his eyes and shook his head, but still finally managed to smile despite their teasing.
“I fail to see what is humorous.” Yusuke-san tilted his head. “There are so many lovely women out there. All each beautiful like different types of paintings, all with their own story to tell and their own style to impress.”
Ren-san cleared his throat and waved lightly. Ryuji-san and Morgana settled down from their snickering as well.
“No, it’s not that Yusuke. You didn’t say anything wrong,” Ren-san said, before he paused to take a sip of his water bottle. “But that elaboration was very poetic and very you.”
Yusuke-san gave a small smile. “I see, thank you.”
Ryuji-san took a huge gulp of his water bottle. He noticed Yusuke-san’s water bottle was empty in his hands, so he reached into his bag and tossed Yusuke-san a can of lemonade. He then turned back to Ren-san, a grin on his face.
“How ‘bout you start, then, RenRen?” Ryuji-san nudged Ren-san in the side.
Ren-san just blinked, before a smile slowly curled at his lips. “I don’t have one.”
“Wha—?” Ryuji-san gaped at him. “What are you talking ‘bout?”
“Dark hair, light hair, tall, short… they don’t matter to me,” Ren-san shrugged. “If I like someone… I like them.”
Ryuji-san snorted. “Dude, that’s gotta be the most cliché thing to say.”
Yusuke-san tilted his head. “May I ask about Anne, then?”
“I guess I never told you but…”
Ryuji-san groaned before muttering under his breath, “Here we go…”
“Honestly, my arrival to Tokyo wasn’t… pleasant. Everyone just kept reminding me of the whole incident, rubbing it in my face how I should have not stuck my nose in it, or I’m a trouble-maker… you know… fun stuff,” Ren-san couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “And the metaphorical cherry on top was how I ended up stuck in the rain.”
Ken gave a wince in sympathy. He had imagined Ren-san had it rough, but he hadn’t expected it to be like that.
“But I took shelter under a store and Anne took cover there too. When she caught me staring… she just smiled. I had been in Tokyo for barely a day…” Ren-san had a rather bittersweet smile that slowly changed to adoring. “But Anne was the first person to show me any shred of kindness since before the incident, if I’m being honest.”
Ren-san was definitely besotted. Not that it was a bad thing. It’s clear Anne-san was good for him. But still, he could give Kanji-san a run for his money with how enamored he was with the girl that captured his heart.
He wondered what Kanji-san would think of Ren-san. He knew that Kanji-san and Ryuji-san would get along, at least…
Ren-san shrugged. “Anne’s both strong and kind. I just like her. I can’t really pin what exactly about her that got my attention first. I like… all of her. She’s just amazing. She makes me incredibly happy, just to be around her.”
“A well thought out response, Ren,” Yusuke-san chuckled.
Then he let out a thoughtful hum, closing his eyes for a moment. Was Yusuke-san seriously thinking about this?
“Though I must concur with your line of thought. I do not have a personal preference for a romantic partner. There are different kinds of beauty… and all of them are just wonderful,” Yusuke-san said in a more thoughtful tone. “But if I were to be in a romantic relationship, I would want them to inspire me… to be my Mona Lisa.”
Yes, he did state earlier all women were his type. On anyone else that comment might come across pretentious but Yusuke-san of course is completely sincere and means what he says. He can word things a bit too flowery but that too was genuine.
“Mona… Lisa?” Morgana repeated.
“It’s a famous painting in the Louvre, a famous art museum in Paris. Over the centuries, people have marveled over the mystery of her smile. I can only dream of creating such a work of art,” Yusuke-san explained.
“Like the Sayuri!” Morgana smiled and scratched his ear with his back leg. “Though that really does suit you, huh, Yusuke?”
Yusuke-san gave a small smile to him with a light nod in response.
“What about you, Ryuji?” Yusuke-san asked.
“Don’t laugh… but…” Ryuji-san smiled sheepishly. “A kind, graceful girl who I can protect.”
He then crossed his arms over his chest, his expression suddenly despondent.
“My dad… he was a piece of shit,” he said through gritted teeth. “He would take his anger out of Mom and she’d protect me from getting hit by that bastard.”
He shook his head, before his hands clenched into fists. Ken’s eyes widened at that. Ryuji-san had mentioned how his dad was scum in the past. He didn’t realize it was that bad. But that did explain why Ryuji-san had such a deeply rooted distaste for adults who abused their power…
“It was such a relief when he left,” he muttered, staring down at the ground. “I want to be the opposite of him. To always protect my girl… and always make her smile.”
Morgana’s ears suddenly drooped. “…I didn’t know the extent of how bad your dad was.”
“It ain’t easy to talk about, so how could you know?” Ryuji-san rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly sheepish. “But yeah, it’s lame, isn’t it?”
Yusuke-san shook his head. “It’s not. There’s no need to demean yourself, Ryuji.”
Ryuji-san blinked at that. “Oh, thanks—”
“Though, that being said, I don’t think you’re going the right way about meeting a girl,” Yusuke-san finished.
“Whataya mean?!” Ryuji-san swatted his shoulder “What would you know?”
“More than you it seems…” Yusuke-san just sighed.
“Ah shuddup!” Ryuji-san shook a fist at him.
But then he turned to Ken, making him stiffen.
“But anyways, what ‘bout you, Ken? It’s your turn now!” he prodded.
Ken frowned as he thought. He… honestly didn’t know.
Minako-san… just what had he liked about her? He remembered that the first thing that had caught his attention was her hair. It had a summer day when he had met her, so the sun had shone on her hair, making the red in her hair gleam. And he had found himself admiring how cheerful she was, how she was able to lift everyone up with just a little remark, how brave she was, how powerful she was in battle… the list went on.
But… he didn’t know if that was something he just liked in general. Or was it because those were the parts that made up Minako-san, and he had liked her?
“I don’t know.” Ken shrugged. “I just know that I don’t really care about a specific hair or eye color.”
“Laaaame.” Ryuji-san groaned. “After we talked so much… there’s gotta be a personality type you like at least, then! If you can’t think about physical features that are appealing to you!”
“I’m telling you, I don’t know… it’s not something I really thought about before,” Ken frowned.
He knew it when he found a girl pretty in passing but he didn’t know about what preferences he had. It was just… not something he thought of.
“You know…” Morgana spoke up. “The girls have been gone for a while. Maybe we should check up on them.”
“Yeah, let’s go—" Ren-san then blinked in confusion.
“What’s wrong?” Ken asked with a frown.
Ren-san scratched the back of his head. “Um… where did Yusuke go?”
He had just… walked off. They couldn’t see him anywhere. Maybe he got hit with some inspiration? That would be just like Yusuke-san…
“Whatever, let’s find the girls first,” Ryuji-san said, waving his hand before he frowned. “I hope Futaba didn’t get overwhelmed…”
Ren-san nodded, before looking to Morgana. “Come on, Morgana.”
Morgana nodded, before jumping onto Ren’s shoulder, curling his body around Ren’s neck to balance himself. Ren grimaced.
“Not what I meant, but okay,” he grumbled out.
They didn’t have to search for long before they heard Anne-san’s indignant voice. Ren-san’s mouth immediately tightened. He couldn’t blame him for getting on edge. Anne-san sounded really upset and frustrated at someone. They also heard Makoto-san sounding a bit flustered as well.
If he had to guess… probably a couple of guys were probably hitting on them and wouldn’t take a hint.
“Figures,” Ken sighed.
“Come on, let’s hurry,” Ryuji-san urged.
“I’m telling you, we’re here with friends!” Anne-san hissed out, before she stomped her foot. “So buzz off already!”
Standing rather close to Anne-san and Makoto-san were two older men. They both had bronze colored skin, Ken couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that. They probably spent a lot of time in tanning beds or putting on special lotion. Just looking at them caused warning bells to ring in Ken’s head however.
Makoto-san put a restraining hand on Anne-san’s shoulder, before Anne-san could really lose her temper and let the two men really have it. Her element wasn’t fire for nothing, after all.
“Anne’s right,” she said, her voice like steel. “If you will please excuse us, we’ve been making them wait for a while…”
The taller of the men grabbed Makoto-san’s wrist, making her flinch.
He then crooned, “C’mon, baby, we just want to invite you and your pretty friend onto our boat. We’re having a party. Tons of celebs will be there, too.”
Ken’s blood started to boil for two reasons. One, he was touching Makoto-san without permission. Two, he was speaking to her in such a condescending manner.
“Are you even listening to us?!” Anne-san’s hands clenched into fists.
She was probably ready to throw a punch at the rate these idiots were going.
Makoto-san’s smile was strained, as she yanked her arm free. “We really have to go—!”
“Come on, we just want to have fun with you girls!"
Ren-san narrowed his eyes, before marching up to them. He then pointedly cleared his throat.
“Sorry for the wait,” he said, though Ken could tell that he was struggling to keep his voice casual.
Though Ken honestly couldn’t blame him. An older man was trying to hit on the girls and had… skeevy intentions.
He could see what Ren-san was doing, though. Making a scene would probably embarrass the girls. Not to mention if things got hairy and those older men tried to get into a fight… well there’s no telling how bad things could get if it escalated and who would get hurt. Plus, there is Ren-san’s record to think of.
“Yeah, how was the banana boat ride?” Ryuji-san kept his voice nonchalant. “Hope it was worth the money.”
“Where’s Futaba-san?” Ken asked.
They eyed the three newcomers, both looking mildly annoyed and disappointed.
One of the men rubbed the back of his neck, and let out a sigh. “Huh, so you weren’t wrong about being with friends…”
“That’s right,” Ren-san said, his voice cool and clipped.
He then pointedly grabbed Anne-san’s hand and glaring at the two men.
Anne-san squeezed Ren-san’s hand for a moment, before glaring at the two men. “That’s what we were saying from the start!”
“Tch…” The taller of the two shook his head. “Are you bored spending all of your time with boys? Wouldn’t you enjoy spending time with men?”
“Men?” Makoto-san echoed, before narrowing her eyes. “Where? I don’t see any here, until our friends showed up.”
“Excuse me?” The men took a menacing step towards Makoto-san, glaring, but Makoto just glared back.
“We have no interest in spending time with you,” she said coldly. “Do you understand now?”
“Or have your brains been fried by the tanning machines you obviously frequent?” Ken asked dryly.
“How childish…” The taller one shrugged. “Fine. We’ll let the children play with children.”
“So… you admit you were creeps, huh?! Hitting on girls you think are children because they turn you down, isn’t the win you think it is, freaks!” Ryuji-san yelled at them but they just hastened away.
They might have run off but thankfully Ryuji-san making a scene at that moment caused some of the beach goers to shoot the men dirty looks as they scurried away.
“Good riddance!” Anne-san hissed.
“Thank goodness…” Makoto-san breathed in relief, pressing a hand to her chest. “I thought they would never go away.”
Ken frowned. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. He didn’t squeeze hard enough to hurt me… see?” Makoto-san showed him her wrist.
Ken could only see Makoto’s fair skin, not a blemish in sight. A wave of relief hit him. He was glad that Makoto-san was unharmed at least.
“Those two seriously gave me Kamoshida vibes.” Ryuji-san scowled, before awkwardly shuffling his feet. “Uh… do you wanna go home then? I know that must’ve been a hair-raising experience.”
Morgana hopped forward and gently nudged his head against both Makoto-san’s right ankle, then Anne-san’s left ankle. He may say he wasn’t a cat but he sure had the mannerisms down.
“Ryuji’s right. It must’ve been unpleasant. We can leave if you would feel more comfortable.” Morgana nodded.
Anne-san slipped her hand out of Ren-san’s, placing both of hers on her hips. “No, we’re here to have fun. We aren’t going to let two creeps ruin things.”
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Ren-san flashed her a playful smile. “Though you seemed like you were ready to pounce on them if they didn’t leave you two alone.”
“Kitty has claws,” Ryuji-san stage whispered.
Anne-san stuck her tongue out at him. “Sometimes you have to do what you have to do.”
“Though, seriously… where is Futaba-san?” Ken asked.
Makoto-san frowned. “She got separated from us. Anne and I were trying to find her when we were… intercepted.”
But then a familiar voice suddenly rang out.
“Inari, let me see!”
They all turned to see Yusuke-san and Futaba-san slipping out of the crowd. And surprise, surprise… they were arguing. And clutched tightly in Yusuke-san’s hands were… something large and red?
“Are those lobsters?” Makoto asked slowly.
Morgana’s eyes lit up, before darted through the crowds and bounded to Yusuke-san and Futaba-san.
“Are you planned on roasting them?! Make them into sashimi?! Or make them into lo mein?” he asked eagerly at Yusuke-san’s feet.
Morgana was drooling, wasn’t he?
“I think drawing them would be more likely,” Anne-san commented with a giggle, folding her arms over her chest.
“Inari won’t let me see!” Futaba-san complained, before she tried to grab the lobster right out of Yusuke’s hand.
“Enough of your vile postulations!” Yusuke exclaimed, all while using his height advantage to hold the lobsters out of Futaba’s reach. “How dare you imply that I wish to eat them?! These are purely for the sake of visual appreciation!”
His gaze turned adoring, and if he had a free hand, he’d probably be stroking them.
“I had to have them… I haven’t been struck with such inspiration since I had laid eyes on Anne for the first time!” he gushed out.
“You’re comparing me to a lobster?!” Anne-san exclaimed, her eye twitching ever so slightly.
“No, it’s two lobsters. And they are red like your Metaverse outfit,” Ren-san teased, earning a glare from his girlfriend for the crack.
“Lady Anne is far more lovely than a lobster!” Morgana seconded.
“RenRen’s got a point. You both are red,” Ryuji-san teased, quickly dodging Anne-san’s smack.
“Inari, I just wanna hold one!” Futaba-san let out a frustrated huff, then turned to Ken with a pout on her face. “Ken, make him share!”
“Ken, make her stop!” Yusuke-san snapped. “I bought them with my own money! They’re mine and mine alone! I won’t hand them over!”
They were joking, right?
“Did he seriously just say that?” Morgana sounded absolutely baffled before he winced. “What are you, their dad?”
These two certainly were trying his patience. If he was a dad, they’d be getting some discipline.
Ken just facepalmed in response. “Since when am I the one in charge…? Shouldn’t you be turning to Ren-san?”
Ren-san just shrugged. “It’s not my fault you act more like a dad than me.”
“So I’m the dad now, am I?” Ken crossed his arms over his chest. “Then you’re both grounded.”
“WHAT?!” they chorused together before Futaba-san pointed up at him. “But he started it!”
“No, you did!” Yusuke-san retorted. “I bought them! I am of no obligation to share them with you! They aren’t for eating!”
“You are definitely grounded. I don’t care who started it, I’ll finish it!” Ken announced.
Ren-san, Ryuji-san, and Anne-san burst into laughter. Makoto-san tried to suppress a laugh. She held a hand to her mouth to stifle her giggles, but her eyes were dancing with amusement.
Just good grief. Sometimes he didn’t know how Yukari-san did it…
The setting sun painted orange hues in the sky, the golden rays making the ocean glow. They had really spent the whole day, playing in the water, sunbathing, and generally just enjoying themselves. It was nice after worrying about Medjed and Futaba-san for so long.
“You know, I really haven’t had fun like this on the beach in the longest time,” Anne-san mused, gazing out at the sea. “I’ve been to a lot of beaches, when my parents took me with them on their travels. But there’s something about going to the beach, with your friends.”
“It’s been a while for me, too,” Ren-san said wistfully. “I live right by the coast, but… it’s not like I’ve had an opportunity to hang out with friends. Not after… the crap that happened.”
Had Ren-san’s parents even bothered to contact him since the transfer? Ken couldn’t help but feel a twinge at that.
“But enough about that…” Ren-san shook his head before heaving out a sigh. “Sorry. Don’t wanna kill the mood.”
Ryuji-san slung an arm around Ren-san’s shoulder. “Man, don’t be. Your parents don’t know what they’re missing.”
Ken glanced over at Futaba-san. The younger girl was sitting on the sand now, her knees drawn to her chest as she stared out at the horizon.
“Is something wrong, Futaba-san?” he asked with a concerned frown.
“You’ve done quite well today,” Yusuke-san chimed in. “You don’t seem bothered by the crowds at all.”
Futaba-san just cracked a grin, before flashing a victory sign. “Hehe! It seems that I’ve gone up ten levels! I’m ready to take on the rest!”
“So, basically the trip was a success,” Morgana said with a nod.
But then Futaba-san’s expression suddenly darkened.
“But still, finding out the truth about my mom’s death…” she trailed off for a moment, biting her lower lip.
Her eyes lost some of their spark.
“You don’t have to talk about your mother right now, you know,” Makoto-san spoke up, before crouching to touch the younger girl’s shoulder.
“It’s still raw,” Ken added. “Don’t push yourself, Futaba-san.”
Futaba-san looked up, before a small smile flitted across her face. “I know, but I want to. You’ve all been pretty patient with me, even when I could hardly look at you. I never really said it but… thanks for all you’ve done for me.”
“We would never leave you hanging, after what you’ve been through!” Anne-san exclaimed.
Futaba-san nodded. She was quiet for a moment, as if she was trying to put her thoughts to words.
“It’s so overwhelming. For the past two years, I thought it was completely my fault…” Her voice suddenly wobbled at that, and Makoto-san’s hand moved to pull her into a one-armed hug. “Everyone looked at me, thinking I was a murderer. I… I ended up hating this world. That’s why I shut myself in and covered my ears.”
“Futaba…” Anne-san’s voice grew soft with sympathy, tears glimmering in her blue eyes.
“It’d felt like I wasn’t really awake. I’d wake up, hate myself for what happened to Mom and go to sleep. Then the cycle would start all over again.”
Ken swallowed hard, to try and force down the lump forming in his throat. He really understood how Futaba-san felt. Not to her extreme but… he had felt there was no point in living.
“But you’re not like that, anymore,” Ren-san said quietly.
“No. I…” Futaba-san’s expression steeled before she stood up to face them all. “You guys woke me up. You pulled me out of my nightmare. And I… I can’t forgive whoever killed her!”
Her eyes burned with righteous anger, before she placed a hand over her heart.
“I really looked up to her. It was my aspiration to be like her… there was so much I wish I could’ve told Mom back when she was still alive.” Futaba-san’s voice was filled with a mix of determination and regret.
“What she studied…” Makoto-san folded her arms over her chest. “It was called cognitive psience? That’s what you told us.”
Futaba-san closed her eyes, before she seemed to recite something. “The cognitive world can be distorted with desires. If it becomes distorted… a person begins to exhibit problematic behavior in reality.”
She then reopened her eyes, pacing the sand.
“The cognitive world disappears when you remove its core… and further problematic actions stop.”
“That sounds like Palaces…” Anne-san said, her eyes wide. “So, your mom was researching Palaces?”
Ken spoke up. “No surprise there. She quickly grasped the concept of Palaces due to her knowing about her mother’s research.”
He then met Futaba-san’s eyes. Ken covered his mouth with his hand, taking a deep breath through his nose. He lowered his hand and stood up a little straighter.
“She must have been murdered because of it,” he said seriously. “I assume that she wanted to utilize it in some sort of therapy but… someone didn’t want that knowledge to get out.”
That was what Mitsuru-san certainly thought. He wished he could say more, but he stilled his tongue. He had to figure out how to bring this up, before they split up before night.
Ken slowly inhaled, but more quietly through his lips this time. He had to calm down. He had time.
Yusuke-san’s lips formed a thin line. “Or someone wanted to abuse that knowledge.”
That was a scary thought. And if what Mitsuru-san suspected was true, that meant Shido would be the one abusing it.
“But how could she know about the Metaverse?” Morgana questioned. “Normal people can’t enter the Metaverse.”
Ken discreetly bit lightly the inside of his cheek. Trying to keep his expression neutral. Now wasn’t the time yet to divulge the news. Very soon though, he will tell them all everything. Then he won’t have to carry this ugly guilt that twists inside him anymore.
“It’s a bit strange that you yourself recognized that your desires were distorted…” Yusuke-san commented, arms folded over his chest. “Not many people come to that realization.”
“Still pretty crazy how you asked us to steal your heart…” Ryuji-san shook his head.
Futaba-san adjusted her glasses for a moment. She started drawing circles in the sand with her foot rather aimlessly.
“You know, I didn’t believe you originally. I thought it was crazy…” she lightly sighed.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Ren-san quipped.
“To be fair, there weren’t many people who believed in us originally,” Morgana pointed out.
Futaba-san rolled her eyes. “But anyways, then I overheard you talking about things in LeBlanc…”
Ken narrowed his eyes at Futaba-san, which made her huff. She then marched up to Ken before stomping her foot.
“I know, I know! I did what I promised, okay? Stop looking at me like that!” She pouted.
This earned them a couple of weird looks. Futaba-san looked at the group and back at Ken.
She gave the one of the most annoyed expression he’d ever seen on her. Second only to Yusuke-san defiling her Feathermen figurines.
“This fun-sucker told me I have to deactivate the bugs.” Futaba-san jabbed her index finger up at him. “And to stop spying on people because it’s immoral or whatever!”
“Hey! It’s highly unethical and an invasion of privacy!” Ken retorted indignantly. “I get you were worried about Sakura-san, but there are better ways to keep tabs on someone! It’s not like you need it anymore now that you conquered your fears!”
That earned a couple of chuckles from the others and an approving nod from Makoto. The group then moved on from the subject. Futaba-san saved him after that slip up. He had to admit he was grateful.
It turned out that Makoto-san’s sister Sae had been threatening Sakura-san. Her drive was worrisome. Without a doubt, she would continue to look into this.
And one of the reasons why Futaba-san was so desperate for her heart to be stolen was because she wanted to help Sakura-san. To stop Niijima-san from going to the authorities and claiming that Sakura-san was an abusive guardian. Ken honestly didn’t blame her for being desperate, especially since Sakura-san turned out to be such a kind guardian to her.
“In all honesty, I was surprised by your concern.” Futaba-san looked between all of them. “I didn’t think you would worry so much.”
“We’ve been in your situation, y’know,” Ryuji-san said while rubbing the back of his neck. “Feeling helpless. Watching from the sidelines. We couldn’t let you go through the same thing.”
Futaba-san nodded. “Thank you. Um…”
She bit her lip again, chewing on it for a few seconds. Ken almost wanted to tell her to ease up, she could break the skin and cause it to bleed at the rate she was going.
“Was it?” Anne-san asked with a frown.
Futaba-san let out a little sigh. “I’ll be honest. I don’t want to go after changing people’s hearts. I want to learn about what happened to my mom, who wanted to steal her research so badly…”
“What do you mean?” Yusuke-san asked, raising an eyebrow.
Futaba-san’s expression was dead serious before she stood up.
“I saw it in her notes… if you kill the self in the cognitive world, the self in the real world will lose consciousness.” Her voice was on edge.
Morgana gasped. “Then mental shutdowns…”
It was very similar to Apathy Syndrome. He felt there were similarities between the two already, but this confirmed things.
“That was what Sis mentioned before…” Makoto-san said slowly. “And Kaneshiro had mentioned a person in a black mask… and using the Metaverse for…”
She couldn’t finish her thought, as she started to shudder a little bit. Anne-san took a couple steps forward and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Anne-san finished the statement. “The mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns…”
Ren-san narrowed his eyes. “Kaneshiro said we weren’t using our powers to the fullest as he put it… not like the one in the black mask…
“Yes, the criminal who was abusing the Metaverse.” Yusuke-san nodded, before he stroked at his chin. “Hmm… it appears that the puzzle pieces are assembling themselves.”
Ryuji-san looked angry, but he too slightly trembled like Makoto-san.
“This is so effed up. There is someone out there with powers like ours?” he asked through gritted teeth, then shook his head. “No… worse than ours. And they’re going around and… causing all this shit, hurting so many people.”
Morgana hung his head low. Anne-san had a very concerned look on her expression, Makoto-san’s expression matched hers. Yusuke-san looked troubled, but his expression was more subdued in comparison to Ryuji-san. Ren-san put his hands in his swim trunks pockets and closed his eyes, inhaling a sharp breath.
“To think… someone is out there with powers similar to ours and… using it in such a way,” Morgana said with disgust.
Ken bit his lip. He actually fought that Persona-user. These guys had every right to be concerned, but they didn’t realize just how dangerous that guy was; only an inkling.
However, all their reactions just proved Ken was right when he argued in their favor of being told the truth. They were nothing like Strega and they wouldn’t become it either.
Futaba-san nodded, before her eyes suddenly had a faraway look. “Before my mom died… she didn’t seem right. She had gone all quiet… and wouldn’t respond, even when I pulled on her arm. And she didn’t throw herself into the street, so the car would run her over. It was more that she fell…”
He remembered that flashback of sorts in the Palace. All of this was disturbing. Strega had taken advantage of the Dark Hour to murder people, but this was on a new level. The mental shutdowns… Ken could tell there had to be a deeper purpose for it. He knew they were only at the tip of the iceberg.
“What happened to your mom’s research though?” Anne-san asked. “It was destroyed, according to Boss.”
Futaba-san shook her head. She licked her lips and started to shake, but not out of fear or concern. She was very angry and trying to contain it.
“No. It’s worse than that. All evidence of Mom’s research was wiped away. Like she never conducted it in the first place.” Her hands balled into fists, before she narrowed her eyes. “It was them; I know it. The men in black… who read out the fake suicide note to me.”
If it was true... that was just cruel of Shido. It wasn’t enough to orchestrate Isshiki-san’s death. He had to torture Futaba-san too… for no real reason. Why make a child go through this? Unless of course he didn’t even care about how it looked, and the people under him were given… freedom on how to cover it up.
That thought made him equally as ill. But it was also likely that Shido didn’t give Futaba-san much thought, saw her no differently an ant on the road. Probably left that up to the discretion of his little minions.
Well... if Mitsuru-san’s theory was correct, but Ken was pretty sure she was.
But suddenly, Futaba-san’s anger melted away. She started to look a bit more nervous as she twiddled her thumbs.
“If I can stay with you guys… I’m sure I’ll… be able to find out what happened,” Futaba-san said hesitantly. “Is that okay? If I have a personal reason for this…?”
Ren-san walked forward and put a hand on her shoulder, making her jump a little. She relaxed as she looked up into Ren-san’s eyes. He just gave her a reassuring smile.
“We all had personal reasons to fight back. You’re the same as us, Futaba…” Ren-san’s tone was gentler than Ken was used to hearing.
Ken stepped forward and also gave her a reassuring smile.
“And you helped us out a lot already in the one fight you’ve been in. You’ve earned your place, Futaba,” he answered with a nod.
“Yeah, you seriously saved our asses when Morgana couldn’t do a single thing!” Ryuji-san exclaimed.
Ken winced. That… was definitely gonna start a fight.
“Hey!” Morgana hissed out. “I was trying my best! You know that was a freak accident! The odds were stacked against us!”
He hated being right.
“Yeah, but Futaba is so much better at it than you!” Ryuji-san said.
“Ryuji-san! Why are you picking a fight with him right now?” Ken scolded.
“What? I’m not trying to pick a fight, I’m just saying—”
Makoto-san cut him off. “How is this helping?!”
Ryuji-san scoffed and rolled his eyes, but thankfully didn’t protest further. Ken turned down to look at Morgana and he opened his mouth to say something but Morgana cut him off.
Morgana huffed. “Just… forget it. It’s not important.”
Ken looked to Ren-san who let out a sigh and played with one of his bangs while doing so. He let go of his strands of hair and shook his head. Ken probably shouldn’t try to butt in. Morgana clearly wanted to drop it, and if it became a bigger concern, Ren-san would intervene. He was the group leader, as well as Ryuji-san’s best friend as well as Morgana’s… well not pet owner… I guess roommate would be the better word.
Ryuji-san dropped it, and Morgana didn’t want to drag it out. So Ken would drop it as well, for now.
Ren-san coughed. “Uh… shouldn’t we come up with a code name for Futaba?”
Futaba-san tilted her head. “A code name?”
“It was Morgana’s idea,” Anne-san explained. “It’s not cool to use our real names.”
“Oh yeah…” Futaba-san tapped her chin. “I was kinda wondering why you guys kept calling the cat Morgana in the café, but when I met him in my Palace, he was called Mona. You all kept calling each other nicknames too.”
“Code names…” Morgana corrected before he glowered. “And I am NOT a cat!”
Futaba-san just shrugged with a giggle. Ken shook his head.
“How about… PC?” Ren-san offered, but the mischievous grin he was wearing made it obvious that he was messing around.
Futaba scrunched up her nose and furiously shook her head.
“It’s not funny to offer such a dumb name,” she huffed.
“How about Pharaoh?” Ryuji-san suggested.
Futaba-san just straightened her glasses, giving him a deadpan expression. “I’ll curse you.”
“Huh?! What’s wrong with that suggestion?” Ryuji-san exclaimed. “It fits with your whole Palace massif!”
“That’s motif, not massif,” Yusuke-san corrected. “A massif is a compact group of mountains.”
Ryuji-san stomped his foot in annoyance. “Whatever! You know what I mean!”
Anne-san let out a sigh and crossed her arms while Makoto-san gave a half-smile and a giggle. Ryuji-san just continued to grumble.
Futaba-san let out a thoughtful hum, before her eyes lit up. She then flashed a victory sign.
“Call me… Oracle.” She straightened her glasses again, but with a dramatic flair this time. “With my vision, I’ll guide you to victory!”
“Of course!” Anne-san giggled. “Not even Ren has a Persona that can do what you did.”
“Hey!” Ren-san protested with a laugh.
Ryuji-san just nudged Ren-san in the side, grinning. “Anne’s got a point there, RenRen!”
Ken cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention before they started devolving into a pointless debate.
“There’s also something I want to say…” Ken said hesitantly.
They were all here. He would have to bite the bullet some time. Ken took a deep breath, to try and calm down his racing heart. Things would be okay. He had faith in them.
“What’s bugging ya?” Ryuji-san asked.
“The truth is… I want to tell you everything about what happened to me, how I awakened to my Persona…” Ken said.
“But… you already told us the story,” Anne-san sounded puzzled.
“Wait do you want to tell us here?” Yusuke-san looked bewildered.
Ken bit his lip before shaking his head. “Not here. And… I left out some details. Are you guys free tomorrow? This will be a lengthy conversation…”
“I’m game,” Ren-san said, only to be seconded by everyone else.
Ren-san still had concern in his eyes however. As did Makoto-san. He didn’t meet her gaze.
“Is everything okay Ken?” Ren-san asked.
“I’ll… explain it all tomorrow. I know I’m being all vague right now,” Ken pushed down the anxiety swirling in his chest. “But trust me. It will be a long conversation. We should leave before we miss the train rides back home. It’s been a long day. Let’s rest up and meet tomorrow.”
This was it… tomorrow he would lay out the truth.
Tuesday, August 30th, 2016
“What do you think that Ken wants to talk to us about?” Morgana asked. “He looked… nervous.”
“Who knows?” Ren shrugged. “Though if you ask me… I don’t think Ken’s had a very happy childhood.”
From what Ken had told him, and what he had inferred with some of the things Ken has said… It didn’t paint a super happy picture.
“I don’t see what that has to do with when he awoke to his Persona,” Morgana pointed out. “Besides, don’t quite a few of you in the group have unhappy childhoods?”
“Touché,” he acknowledged with a light laugh, but then got serious. “However, even if he awoke to his Persona during this mess… that doesn’t mean his childhood wouldn’t play a part in it, Morgana. I mean look at Yusuke and… Futaba.”
He glanced over at Futaba, thankfully she hadn’t heard Ren and Morgana’s conversation.
“What they went through did shape their inner selves and their awakenings,” he pointed out.
Morgana nodded with a thoughtful hum. “That’s true…”
Morgana ducked his head inside the bag as they walked past a huge group of people that were exiting the apartment complex Ken lived at. Morgana had a habit of it, even if they were in places that weren’t against pets being in public. But he supposed that wasn’t exactly a bad habit to have.
Futaba gave a little gasp as they stepped into the building’s lobby. “Dang, this is a pretty fancy place! Ken must be loaded.”
“He mentioned to me this is on loan from a friend of his guardian, actually,” Ren mentioned.
“Huh… wonder how much cash that friend has and if they wanna be my friend.” Futaba joked lightly.
Ren couldn’t help but let out a laugh as he pat Futaba on the shoulder.
“Morning, guys!” Anne greeted, darting over to them where she stood with the others before the elevator.
Ryuji and Yusuke were right behind her. Makoto then followed behind them not fifteen seconds later.
Anne embraced him and Ren took a moment to huge her back. Ren pointedly ignored the gagging sounds Ryuji were making before he kissed his girlfriend’s cheek.
“Should we head up now?” Yusuke asked.
Ren nodded. “Yeah, let’s do it.”
They rode up the elevator, before Makoto knocked on the door. But it wasn’t Ken who answered the door.
It was Shinjiro-san.
“Aragaki-san?” Yusuke frowned; a bit surprised to see him. “How are you doing this—?“
“Ken will explain. Come in,” he said coolly, while cutting Yusuke’s greeting off.
Wait… was Shinjiro-san sticking around?
Ken surely was going to explain this when they shuffled into his room or something. No way he’d have this conversation in front of his guardian. Especially not the part with them.
This was just odd. Anytime Ken invited them around when discussing these things, he made certain to do it strategically when Shinjiro-san would be away at work or on errands… or like when he went to Port Island.
They filed in, before Ken stood up from the loveseat. “Good morning, everyone.”
“Ken, what’s this about?” Ren asked, the questions burning in his mind. “Why is Shinjiro-san…?”
Ken swallowed hard, suddenly fidgeting. “Sit down. I have a lot to explain.”
Ken waited for them to get comfortable. He stared down at his lap, long enough for Shinjiro-san to prod him. He looked up, giving them an awkward smile, before clearing his throat.
Ren felt his anxiety grow. Shinjiro-san was not leaving the room. Ken did realize that they can’t have conversations like this openly in front of someone not in the group? Ken wasn’t stupid.
It hit Ren like a bolt of lightning. Shinjiro-san must know Ken has a Persona! And if he’s inviting him to this conversation… he broke the vow that they don’t talk about their activities to anyone outside the group.
But why? Yeah, Ren knew that Ken was close to his guardian but… that wouldn’t be enough of a reason for Ken to break the agreed-on rule.
Ken suddenly licked his lips. “But to start with… you were wondering how Futaba-san’s mother knew about the Metaverse yesterday. But I think that’s not exactly the case. She knew about Shadows and Personas, before researching cognitive psience.”
“And how would you know that?” Makoto frowned.
“No, that’s not what I’m interested in,” Ren cut in, his voice icy. “Why are we having this conversation in front of your guardian? Why is he here?
Ken flinched. Shinjiro-san looked angry, like he would pounce on Ren for daring to question him being there. But Ren wasn't gonna let the man intimidate him, not this time. Not when his team was at stake.
“You told him… didn’t you? About us?” Ren did his best to not sound hurt and pissed as he felt. “About what we do? You went and told him everything... didn't you?”
Ken fidgeted for a moment. Avoiding eye contact with Ren. Instead, he chose to address Makoto’s question.
“I know Makoto-san… because she worked for the Kirijo Group originally, researching Shadows.”
“WHAT?!”
They all suddenly tried to talk over themselves.
Ren however felt his blood start to boil. He glared at Shinjiro-san, who was glaring back at him, then he turned to glare at Ken.
“Why aren’t you answering my question? Why is he here? He knows! Doesn’t he?!” Ren hated that he had to raise his voice.
But the group silenced their chatter after hearing Ren cut through it. They all had mixed looks of suspicion, fear, concern, and hurt.
Morgana was the first to call Ken a liar, as he hopped out of Ren’s bag. Ryuji demanded to know what Ken meant by the Kirijo Group and what they have to do with Ken ratting them out to Shinjiro-san. Anne was begging Ken to explain himself, that he can’t be a liar. Makoto was asking clarification on her question and Ren’s. Yusuke was demanding to know what else is Ken hiding from them, and if he did indeed tell Shinjiro-san about them. Morgana then jumped in again demanding how he knows about what Futaba’s mom was researching.
“All of you, pipe down!” Shinjiro-san snarled out with a silencing glare; when they all settled down, he added in a quieter voice, “Let Ken explain everything, from the top.”
The group all sat back down. The tension in the room was so thick, not even a knife would cut through it.
Shinjiro-san let out a heavy sigh and crossed his arms. “Yes, I know about all of you. Yes, I know about his Persona and yours. Let Ken give his side of the story first before you all go panicking thinking I’m gonna turn you into the police or some shit.”
The all exchanged wary glances amongst themselves. Shinjiro-san leaned forward and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Ken seems to have a lot of faith in you guys. That once he explains everything, that you guys will understand… he kept insisting that to me when I had my doubts,” he said and then turned to Ren. “I hope you prove him right and not me.”
Ren matched his gaze. He still was not gonna let the man intimidate him this time. Knowing Shinjiro-san knew about them the whole time put him on edge. He had a team to protect. But… he would still hear what Ken had to say. Despite how angry he felt at the moment knowing Ken had been keeping things from them, especially something like this.
“It’ll be okay… you can tell us. We’re gonna listen,” Futaba finally spoke up.
It then hit Ren that Futaba was the only one who hadn’t reacted like the rest of them. He didn’t even register that much she hadn’t at the time. Maybe it was because Futaba hadn't spent so much time with Ken?
“I remember hearing about the Kirijo Group before. But what do they have to do with researching Shadows… I do not understand?” Yusuke asked more calmly.
“Is that why my mom would go see Mitsuru Kirijo then?” Futaba asked. “She worked for the Kirijo Group?”
Both Shinjiro-san and Ken nodded. Just who was Shinjiro-san? Why is he privy to things about this?
“Futaba-san’s mother used to work for the Kirijo Group, back before Futaba-san was even born,” Ken answered.
“Why did she leave?” Makoto’s eyebrows knitted together. “Working for the Kirijo Group is a high honor.”
For some reason, Ken and Shinjiro-san exchanged a look. Ren didn’t like that look. It was almost… uneasy.
Was there more to the Kirijo Group than what met the eye? He remembered Mishima mentioning to him that someone had nominated the Kirijo Group CEO as a target, but he had laughed it off. Were there shady things going on with them after all?
Shinjiro-san shrugged. “We have no clue why Isshiki left. Might have been she wanted to go in a different direction with her research, she didn’t work well with the head at the time… only she would know the answer.”
“How would you know that, though…?” Makoto frowned. “Futaba’s fifteen and you’re twenty-five or so…”
“Yeah, you’re not that old,” Ryuji said, making Ken snort quietly.
“Isshiki came back, a couple years after Mitsuru took charge of the Kirijo Group,” Shinjiro-san said, before he grabbed one of the throw pillows and casually smacking Ken with it. Ken glared at Shinjiro-san for that but didn’t comment on being smacked with a pillow.
“Wait… Mitsuru? As in… Mitsuru Kirijo?” Makoto asked.
Ken just nodded.
Anne’s jaw dropped slightly. “You’re on a first name basis with the Mitsuru Kirijo?”
As strange as it was Shinjiro-san seemed to be well acquainted with the current CEO… he felt the group was starting to get distracted from the bigger question hanging in the air.
Ren cut in before Shinjiro-san could answer Anne’s question. “What’s this got to do with how you got your Persona?”
“I was about to get into that actually…” Ken replied, before he dragged his fingers through his hair in agitation. “It started on December second, 1999…”
Ken talked for a long time. He explained about the former head of the Kirijo Group, Mitsuru-san’s grandfather, hired many people to not just research Shadows, but they experimented on them. How the experiments led to an explosion, creating the phenomena they called the Dark Hour and a place crawling with Shadows, a placed called Tartarus.
“The Kirijo Group seriously created this whole mess?!” Ryuji interjected. “Maybe the person who asked for a hit on Mitsuru Kirijo was right…!”
“Mitsuru isn’t her grandfather, Sakamoto!” Shinjiro-san abruptly snapped, the sharpness in his voice making everyone look at him in shock.
Well, except for Ken. He didn’t bat an eye at the older man’s outburst. This was clearly a touchy subject however.
“You have no idea what she went through and the shit that bastard did… how much that affected her! She’ll have to live with that!” Shinjiro-san snarled out. “She gave up her childhood, to try and reverse the mistakes her family had made! She’s spent years trying to clean up the shit that crusty old bastard made!”
The group was stunned in silence for a brief moment. They all looked around at each other, too shocked to say anything. Ryuji gripped his knees, mumbling an apology. Ren noticed from the corner of his eye that Ken was eyeing Ryuji sympathetically, unlike Shinjiro-san.
“Does… she have a Persona too?” Morgana asked hesitantly.
Shinjiro-san turned to Ken, confused. Ken just gave him a half-smile. He must have told Shinjiro-san that Morgana can talk too. Ken just nodded towards Morgana.
“Guess that Phan-Site request wouldn’t work anyway… she doesn’t have a Shadow,” Anne said with an awkward smile, probably hoping to pacify Shinjiro-san.
“To think… she’s got a Persona also…” Futaba said slowly. “Just how many of them are there?”
Shinjiro-san sighed. “Countless, kid. And probably more that we don’t even know of.”
“So let me get this straight,” Makoto spoke up, turning her gaze onto Ken. “The Kirijo Group created an actual Shadow nest on the island, then why didn’t people evacuate…?”
Ken just winced. “The people most likely wouldn’t notice. The Dark Hour is… complicated to get into. But people like us, would notice it. Normal people wouldn’t. And there was… a lot of cover ups too. Like Mitsuru-san’s father… how he died. Though I suppose that one is understandable. The public… they wouldn’t understand nor need to know about that one.”
Ren frowned, drawing blanks on what he remembered reading about the death of the CEO before Mitsuru-san. He remembered seeing something about a sudden illness.
“When you say people like us… you mean Persona-users?” Yusuke asked.
Ken nodded.
“And… the other cover ups you were alluding too?” Yusuke then asked hesitantly.
Shinjiro-san’s wry expression suddenly turned serious. “They built Gekkoukan on top of where the experiments took place to try and mask it.”
Ryuji gaped at Ken. “Hang on, you seriously went to a school that would sprout Shadows?!”
Ken shook his head. “I didn’t… but my senpai did.”
Suddenly it clicked why Shinjiro-san knew all this stuff and why he was on a first name basis with the current CEO of the Kirijo Group (from what Ren remembered hearing, the Kirijo Group basically funded that school). They were both from Port Island. Shinjiro-san would have gone to that school.
“That’s what you were saying? That you met your senpai because of the Shadows running around on Port Island?” Ren turned from Ken and then to Shinjiro-san. “Wait a second, if you know all this stuff… do you have a Persona?”
There was an expression that Ren couldn’t pinpoint, in Shinjiro-san’s eyes. He wasn’t sure what that was about. Shinjiro-san turned to Ken however, both exchanging an unreadable expression. They seemed to have a conversation with just their eyes.
After a pause, Shinjiro-san sighed, giving Ren a nod.
But that left the question… when did Ken actually get his Persona? If Ken knows all this… that put his original story into question.
“The story you told us… it’s a fabrication.” Ren gave Ken a rather stern expression. “When did you really get your Persona?”
Ken looked at his feet while clasping his hands together tightly. He started to fidget and took a deep breath. He finally looked up after several seconds of silence.
“Yes… I had my Persona a lot earlier than what I implied to you all. I was eleven when I got it,” Ken said reluctantly.
The room was dead silent. Everyone’s eyes went wide with shock. Ren felt as if his heart dropped into his stomach.
Eleven… eleven! Eleven years old?!
“E-Eleven?” Anne’s voice trembled slightly, her hand covering her mouth. “But you were just…”
“A kid…” Ken finished for her and rubbed the back of his neck. “I know.”
Ryuji shot up out of his seat. “What the hell?! But you… don’t tell me you were allowed to fight as a kid?!”
Ken sighed and looked away from Ryuji. Ren could tell from his uncomfortable expression… he absolutely fought Shadows as a kid.
“But… you would’ve been far too young!” Anne stood up also. “Why… who would let you do something so dangerous?!”
“Sit down, both of you. The story ain’t over,” Shinjiro-san said flatly. “There’s more. A lot more.”
“More to this harrowing tale of allowing an eleven-year-old boy fighting against monsters that would rip him apart? Yes, I imagine there must be more context…” Yusuke said rather bitterly.
It caught Ren off guard, he didn’t expect that tone from him.
“Please do enlighten us how he was allowed to partake in something so life threatening constantly. I’m curious to know why Ken was essentially a child soldier.”
That actually made Shinjiro-san and Ken both wince. He expected Shinjiro-san to bite his head off for that comment. Instead he looked… as if someone dumped a bucket of cold water on him. Ken gave Shinjiro-san a softer expression however. This caused Shinjiro-san to relax. Ken cleared his throat.
“Please… I understand this is a lot to take in, but I need you to hear the whole thing,” Ken pleaded.
Yusuke sighed, still looking rather unhappy, but nodded. Ryuji and Anne both sat back down as well in response. Ken gave a sigh of relief before a small smile formed on his face.
So they began to explain more about the Shadows, a death god, and the experiment. Apparently, Death (yes the Death) had been separated into thirteen different entities. But the thirteenth, the one called Death was forcibly sealed away. Into a little boy.
But years passed by. Mitsuru Kirijo had awakened to her Persona first, and reached out to Akihiko Sanada, Shinjiro-san’s best friend since childhood, when they were both in middle school. He had accepted it, but Shinjiro-san thought it was too dangerous, so he went after them. It turned out he had the ability too, the Potential as they called it. They had formed the group SEES, dedicated to investigating Tartarus.
“So… you can determine the ‘potential’ in people? Just how?” Makoto seemed intrigued by the idea.
“Well…” Ken swallowed hard, his eyes darting back and forth. “Our means of summoning is um… different. Very different. I had to adapt when coming to the Metaverse. But originally, I didn’t have an outfit to reflect my will of rebellion. And I summoned my Persona much differently until I met you all.”
“What do you mean?” Yusuke asked.
Ken gestured to the coffee table, where a silver briefcase sat on. “You should open it.”
Ren frowned, wondering what Ken meant. Morgana hopped out of his lap and onto the table. Sniffing at the briefcase for a moment, Morgana then took a few steps back and sitting down. He eyed it curiously but waited for Ren to move. He reached out and picked up the briefcase, setting it in his lap. He undid the latches, revealing a red armband marked S.E.E.S. in black. The only other thing inside was a… silver gun. It too had S.E.E.S. engraved on the barrel.
“What’s the gun for? Do you fight Shadows with it?” Ryuji asked, leaning forward to peek inside.
Ken and Shinjiro-san actually winced.
“I guess that is what they are… technically used for,” Shinjiro-san’s tone would normally be sarcastic but it didn’t have any of his usual bite to it, he sounded almost… uncomfortable.
“To face Death… to fight it and the Shadows that came from it… you need to metaphorically face death in yourself,” Ken explained with an almost guilty expression.
Ryuji still seemed puzzled and scratched his head. Anne equally seemed confused as she looked to Ren and Makoto, clearly hoping one of them would explain it in layman’s terms. Ren just put his hand on his chin.
Were these guns the equivalent of their masks? But how would they use that to summon their Shadows? Guns can only be used to fire a bullet to cause harm. If they aren’t used to fight Shadows directly, as Shinjiro-san’s comment suggested, then it was an indirect way to fight them. So, they had to be used to summon Personas then.
But Ken and Shinjiro-san seemed almost uncomfortable trying to explain how they summon them with these guns.
Wait… metaphorically face death. Did they… did they have to metaphorically, kill themselves?!
Ren just stared in horror, a pit forming in his stomach as he lifted the gun for everyone to see.
Makoto sharply inhaled, apparently drawing the same conclusion as Ren.
“Y-you can’t be serious,” she choked out, pressing a hand against her mouth for a moment. “You can’t tell me that you…?”
Makoto trailed off at the last part before she bit her lip. She didn’t want to say it. He didn’t really blame her.
Ren tried to imagine a younger version of Ken picking up the gun. Shooting himself with this thing. His stomach churned at the mere thought. This was—it was so messed up! What the hell?!
Ken closed his eyes, remaining silent for a moment. A quiet yes hung in the air.
“In order to summon in our circumstances, you… have to accept death,” Ken said, opening his eyes again. “The evokers stimulate that—”
“Wait, are you actually saying you point these things at yourselves, pull the trigger, and that’s how the Persona will pop out?!” Ryuji exclaimed; his eyes widened when Ken nodded in response. “You gotta be shitting me! That’s effed up!”
“You were a child,” Morgana breathed out. “How could you…?”
Shinjiro-san looked as if he was about to ask Ken what Morgana said, only to be cut off.
“Yes why… why was Ken allowed to participate in this?” Yusuke spoke up again, his eyes narrowed.
Ken and Shinjiro-san exchanged a look again. Shinjiro-san let out a heavy sigh.
“It wasn’t like he was something Mitsuru wanted. She and Aki protested… there was… another party that pretty much pushed for it,” he answered with disgust.
Ken sat straighter. “I was the one who—"
Shinjiro-san cut him off. “You were just a kid. You didn’t know any better. So don’t say it was your choice. It definitely was not a choice you share a blame in. Ikutsuki took advantage of how you felt just because he wanted another sacrifice.”
“Wait… sacrifice?” Morgana tilted his head. “Ikutsuki?”
Shinjiro-san did get a chance to ask what Morgana said. So Anne repeated it. Shinjiro-san let out another sigh and said that was another can of worms but tried to give them the short version on the history of this Ikutsuki guy. And what a bastard that guy was…
They said they’d explain the sacrifice stuff later as they were starting to get sidetracked from what Ken wanted to talk about first. But while they tried to move back into the topic. Ren could only think the reason being Ken could fight… would fight... had to do with his mother’s death. How his childhood was stolen from him…
“So you, Kirijo-san, and Akihiko-san fought Shadows for a while?” Anne said hesitantly, looking at Shinjiro-san, which only made them stiffen.
“It was Mitsuru and Aki for a while,” Shinjiro-san said finally. “I left… after Ken’s mother died…”
“Ohhh right…” Ryuji said. “You mentioned that he was there when your mom died, right, Ken?”
“Yes…” Ken said with hesitation, then added quickly, “But anyways, as Shinjiro-san said… it was Mitsuru-san and Akihiko-san for a while. But then Yukari-san—”
“She’s one, too?!” Futaba blurted out. “Yukari Takeba is a Persona user like us?!”
Ren almost wanted to say now was not the time to start fangirling but thankfully Yusuke spoke up and distracted her.
“Does this mean that Fuuka-san is one, too, then?” Yusuke guessed. “Since you’re quite familiar with her, Ken.”
Ken nodded. “Yes, to both. Yukari-san’s abilities are a lot like Morgana, wind and healing, and Fuuka-san was our navigator.”
That explained how Ken seemed to know about Futaba’s abilities. Ren didn’t think much of it at the time but…
Ken then explained how Akihiko-san’s now wife, Minako, and her twin brother, Minato, returned to Port Island after ten years of moving around. How they awakened to their Personas, after the dorm was attacked by a large Shadow… and their Wild Card abilities.
“There’s seriously more like Ren?” Morgana demanded.
Shinjiro-san looked to Ken, annoyed again, obviously wanting a translation for Morgana.
Ren couldn’t help but sit there with his mouth slightly agape, however. There were… more Wild Cards? Like him?
Ken looked to Ren with a rather wry smile.
“I can honestly say that there’s nobody like Ren-san,” Ken said before he turned to Shinjiro-san. “Morgana was just asking if there really are more people like Ren-san.”
He didn’t think that there would be more like him. What were they like? Were they the leaders of that SEES group too? Are there even more Persona users out there beyond just SEES? The idea of other Persona-user groups was just… too much to wrap his head around.
But a group of Persona-users… hiding in the shadows. Where were they when all of this started…?
Ken then moved the conversation back to explain the large Shadows would appear at every full moon. How SEES had made it their mission to eliminate these Shadows, to hopefully eliminate the Dark Hour.
It made too much sense. Some of the things Ken had said, the way he had acted, the vibe Ren had gotten that he had seen far more than a kid their age should’ve. Even his lies about how good he was at fighting.
“So that story about that spear being a family heirloom…” Ren quirked a brow and crossed his arms.
Ken had a guilty look on his face as he looked down at the ground.
“I’m… sorry I lied to you about that,” Ken sounded really ashamed too.
Ken looked so crestfallen.
Ren was still really mad. He felt nothing but empathy when Ken told the story about the spear and his father, only for it to be a completely fabrication. But still… Ken deserved to be heard out, and he was willing to divulge this much of the real truth to them so far.
Ren sighed to himself and relaxed his posture. He apologized for interrupting Ken’s explanation. Ken gave a weak smile back and continued explaining them further about the Shadows and the Dark Hour. Then eventually talking about others joined SEES, others the group hasn’t met yet, like a Junpei Iori, and someone named Aigis. Then he started talking more about how as they fought these Shadows, more worrying signs started to pop up. Describing how some people changed.
“This is the case of Apathy Syndrome, isn’t it?” Makoto asked quietly. “What Sis asked you before…”
Ken bit his lip before his gaze lowered to the ground.
He said softly, “It’s… complicated. Your sister does not know of Shadows and Personas. People had forgotten all about Apathy Syndrome, what gone down during that year… We had nearly forgotten.”
Ren winced. That was pretty freaky to think about.
“What is Apathy Syndrome?” Anne asked hesitantly. “This is the first time I’ve heard of the phrase…”
Ken pursed his lips for a moment, before speaking. “Apathy Syndrome was noted by the media for only affecting residents on Port Island. As I explained a minute ago about people started changing… we called the people who suffered from it the Lost. When you’re first inflicted, you would collapse and lapse into a vegetative state.”
“It was like a half-life,” Shinjiro-san continued the explanation. “You were alive and breathin’, but you couldn’t move, eat, or take care of yourselves. You were alive but you weren’t living.”
Futaba curled into herself, drawing her knees to her chest, and wrapping her arms around her legs. A soft whimper escaped her lips.
“Like Mom…” She started to tremble.
“Futaba…” Anne scooted closer to Futaba and wrapped an arm around her.
Makoto also scooted in from the other side, embracing Futaba. Futaba sunk into to their touch, offering the older girls a grateful smile.
“Like the mental shutdowns,” Yusuke added. “The mere idea of this happening before is just…”
“Insane?” Ren offered.
“I was thinking ludicrous, but that does suffice,” Yusuke chuckled, only for it to quickly fade away.
“But… how?” Morgana asked. “From what you’ve described, there’s no Shadow selves there.”
Ken nodded. “That’s right. Normally, people are protected from Tartarus and the Dark Hour by changing into coffins… but sometimes people are called to Tartarus by Shadows. Their psyches would be eaten by Shadows, and that’s what left them as a shell.”
Ren fought the urge to grimace. That was… grim to say the least.
“That’s so freaky,” Ryuji muttered. “Seriously, if you didn’t have a Persona, you turned into a coffin?!”
No wonder Ken seemed to take many things in stride. It seemed like Ken had seen worse. Much worse. He couldn’t help but shudder. Ren was glad that he hadn’t become a Persona-user until this year now. The Dark Hour just seemed like… the stuff of nightmares.
“This does explain a lot though,” Morgana suddenly spoke up. “I was wondering about your ‘past experience’ but this is…”
Ken suddenly bit his lip, chewing on it. “Though, there was the matter of why I joined SEES. My Persona wasn’t always Kala-Nemi.”
“Stop chewing on your lip,” Shinjiro-san suddenly reprimanded, giving Ken a stern stare. “You’re gonna make it bleed at the rate you’re going. You’re just as bad as Fuuka is about this.”
“Can we get back to your Persona?” Futaba asked.
“Yeah, your Persona wasn’t always—” Morgana cut himself off, his eyes wide. “Just what do you mean by that?”
Ken winced. “Sorry about that. But a Persona is a facet of yourself. So you have to go through a significant change for your Persona to shift into another. When I first joined SEES, my Persona was Nemesis.”
“Nemesis?” Anne tilted her head. “Doesn’t that mean ‘enemy’?”
“No… that’s not what… that’s not what my Persona meant.” Ken shook his head; his eyes seemed more distant. “While you all have Personas that reflect figures of rebellion… ours reflected Greek mythology.”
“Oh… Nemesis, the Greek goddess of vengeance,” Makoto explained to the group. “That’s what your Persona represented then, I assume. If it operates similar to how our inner selves represent our will to rebel.”
Ken’s words to them back—when they had confronted him at school, after catching him in the Palace with them—suddenly floated to Ren’s mind.
“Two years after my mother’s death, the one responsible got caught up in some trouble and was shot by… someone insane. But after all that, it didn’t make me feel better… But because of that… I forced myself to move on. My mother would’ve wanted me to live, not hung over her death.”
Ken… wasn’t kidding when he said he was in a bad place when he was younger.
“You mentioned your mother’s murder was covered up, right?” Ren choked on the word ‘murder’, but he forced it out.
Ken winced, a silent confirmation of Ren’s words.
“Someone powerful was behind that. Ken… I’m not accusing Mitsuru-san of anything, but it was mentioned she was trying to clean up the mess her family left behind… was this…” Ren trailed off.
“Holy shit, did that Mitsuru lady’s family cover up the murder of your mom?!” Ryuji slammed his hands on the coffee table.
Shinjiro-san stiffened at that and Ken gave his guardian a worried look.
Futaba was clearly unsettled by this conversation, Morgana quietly jumped over to her lap. She hugged him close while listening to the conversation.
Yusuke gasped. “Wait… they did, didn’t they? I can see it on both your faces…”
Both Anne and Makoto clasped their hands over their mouths, their expression horrified. Futaba’s mouth was agape as she held onto Morgana tightly, who was equally speechless.
Ken said hastily, “It was an accident. I didn’t understand the full story at the time…”
“How is a coverup an accident?!” Anne spat out.
“No, I… I didn’t mean the coverup.” Ken started to stutter, wringing his hands for a moment. “Yes… yes, her family covered it up. But it’s not what you guys think, it was just an accident—"
“An accident…” Makoto repeated before lowering her hands. “I can understand forgiving Kirijo-san. She is not her family. But you can’t tell me that you forgave the murderer? You don’t accidentally murder someone. I know that you shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but… murderers don’t deserve forgiveness.”
Shinjiro-san’s expression was… unreadable, though he had gone completely tense.
“Who said he’s dead?” He then looked at Ken. “Did you tell them that he’s dead?”
“No, I just… said that they were shot…” Ken looked uneasily up at him.
Shinjiro-san then sighed before rubbing at his eyes.
Ren raised a brow. What… were these two talking about? He had an uneasy feeling sinking in his stomach again.
“Fuck it,” Shinjiro-san muttered. “Ken, I know that you’re just worried ‘bout what they’ll think of me, but you can’t keep beating around the bush.”
Did… did he just say ‘me’? ‘What they’ll think of me?’ What… what did he mean by that?
The sinking feeling twisted worse in his stomach. Almost like food poisoning, churning and churning.
His mind went through memories, flashes of first meeting Shinjiro-san. Of him and Fuuka-san inviting them over and giving them a meal after the rain ruining the firework festival. Of Ken handing them out all bento boxes, saying they were prepared by Shinjiro-san, worried for their diet. Flashes of the banter between Ken and Shinjiro-san. The fondness and teasing…
Now he eyed Shinjiro-san’s hands, they were clean. Not a single stain. But as Ren blinked, suddenly he saw blood covering his hands.
Ren froze in place, dread squeezing his heart in his chest as it hammered like a jackhammer. Wanting to burst out.
Ryuji’s voice was distant, he felt briefly his hand tapping him on the shoulder. He wasn’t sure what he said. He didn’t even register everyone staring at him.
Suddenly one voice did cut through the sensation.
“Amamiya… you alright? You’re as pale as a ghost.” Shinjiro-san eyed him with worry.
“You…” Ren choked out. “You’re the one who killed his mother.”
It was like a spark was lit. The room erupted.
“Shinjiro-san’s the one who killed your mom?!” Makoto exclaimed, leaping to her feet. “How could you forgive that?! And he’s your guardian now?!”
“Ken, that’s just screwed up!” Ryuji shook his head, “How the hell can you trust him?!”
“Ryuji’s correct! This is just unforgivable!” Yusuke’s expression hardened, both hands clenching into fists. “To live under the roof of the man who caused your mother to die! How can he live, looking at you every day, knowing he is the cause of her death?! The reason she’s no longer here with you!”
“I… how could you keep something like this from us?!” Anne looked so torn. “We sat around enjoying a meal with someone who killed your mother?! I don’t understand, Ken! And we’re just supposed to casually accept meals from the guy who took away the one person who meant the whole world to you?!”
Makoto and Yusuke looked the most outraged. Which was understandable, considering what Madarame and Kaneshiro did to their families.
“Stop!” Futaba shouted, jumping to her feet, still clinging onto Morgana. “We never got to hear the full story! Sure, it looks bad, but like… we don’t have the full picture yet.”
The group were stunned in silence for a moment. Morgana looked up at Futaba with a sad expression, as Futaba looked to be on the verge of tears.
“I… I thought I knew the whole truth about Mom. But it turns out, that wasn’t the real truth. Let’s… let’s hear the whole story. Okay?” she asked with her lip quivering.
The group all took a deep breath and sat back down. Makoto and Anne both giving Futaba a quick hug again, and quietly muttering an apology for upsetting her. Ken shot Futaba a sad but grateful smile.
Shinjiro-san ran his fingers through his hair as he slumped in his seat. He had a faraway look in his eyes. He took a deep breath through his nose and sat up straighter.
“My Persona wasn’t the most stable thing when I was sixteen. I lost control of it during an outing with Aki and Mitsuru, and we were in a residential area,” Shinjiro-san said, his voice sounding drained.
A Persona could be… unstable? That didn’t make any sense to him.
He did remember when he first awakened to Arsene, his will of rebellion would flicker a couple of times off and on, while they were making his escape. From what Morgana explained, basically it wasn’t completely stable yet, his awakening. But Arsene never attacked him or the others. Just Ren sometimes briefly lost access to the powers, but it always came back quickly. But after that first day he never had an incident like that ever again.
“Your inner self… your Shadow… it wasn’t fully tamed? I never heard of that before,” Morgana said with surprise.
That’s right… it was stated that their Personas were their Shadows. Futaba’s awakening making the point crystal clear as her Shadow literally transformed into her Persona.
“What did he say?” Shinjiro-san turned to Ken.
“He was saying how Personas are Shadows, and he’s never heard of a Shadow not being fully tamed for a Persona user,” Ken explained.
Shinjiro-san pinched the bridge of his nose, a darker look on his face. Ken looked very conflicted.
“It’s… difficult to explain. But I didn’t have complete control,” Shinjiro-san rubbed his face, looking rather uncomfortable sharing this. “I’m not like Aki and Mitsuru. They were dedicated to their mission and the cause. I only joined because I wanted to watch Aki’s back. I wasn’t fully committed. I think… well obviously, my inner self sensed my doubts and fears.”
Makoto spoke up. “But… you were only sixteen. All of us around here have doubts and fears too. None of our Personas—"
Shinjiro-san cut her off. “The way you summon them, the mindset behind them. Is different. Do your fears and doubts conflict with your rebellion? Your cause? How we summon them… the mindset we had to have… it’s not the same.”
“You…” Makoto covered her mouth, a look of pity in her eyes. “You… you mentally had to be prepared to die… to face death.”
He didn’t answer. Shinjiro-san tried to keep a straight face, but he glanced away, and shame filled his eyes. It hit Ren… this Akihiko person and Mitsuru-san, they weren’t scared of dying. But Shinjiro-san, in that moment, was… despite joining this dangerous life to try and protect his friend.
It’s not like the Phantom Thieves weren’t risking their lives either, there were huge stakes every time, not including death. But still… it put some things into perspective about Shinjiro-san.
“I… I know me living with Shinjiro-san might seem… strange to you all. I can promise you my younger self wouldn’t dare imagine this is where we’d end up. At first, I thought that Shinjiro-san was scum,” Ken admitted.
He grew quiet for a moment, staring down at his hands.
“I hated him… for killing my mom while he got to walk free because the Kirijo Group had protected him, written off Mom’s death with a car crash,” Ken said in a biting tone that was mixed in with regret. “I just couldn’t understand why. But… all this time, it was never some deliberate act. He had no control…”
He suddenly began to shake like a leaf. His hands suddenly curled around the armrests of the loveseat.
“He spent two years hating himself for it. He took experimental drugs to suppress his Persona, he hated it that much because his Persona going out of control was why my mom died,” Ken covered his mouth with his left hand, his eyes looking so tired. “And then, he rejoined SEES when he heard from Akihiko-san that I was joining the team. I saw how much he actually cared. He would throw himself in harm’s way if he thought that a Shadow would knock me out…”
Ren blinked at that. Shinjiro-san… was trying to atone for his actions this whole time?
He said softly, “Things aren’t always so black and white. Shinjiro-san spent two years trying to atone for accidentally killing my mom. He almost died to protect me.”
Shinjiro-san turned to Ken and grumbled. “Don’t make me sound like a saint. I couldn’t let that bastard hurt you. You were just a kid.”
“Don’t downplay how monumental it was to me that you saved my life almost at the cost of your own,” Ken lightly scolded.
The earlier dread Ren had felt started to evaporate slowly. He couldn’t help but give a weak smile watching the exchange between the two.
“Your mom dying… is that what you took my situation so seriously?” Futaba asked.
Ken looked down at his lap before giving a little nod, a sincere smile on his face.
“I was in a similar spot, Futaba-san. I know what it’s like,” he answered. “I pushed people away. I couldn’t watch you suffer through this alone.”
A little gasp escaped Futaba and her eyes went round. “I… I…”
She seemed genuinely speechless.
Yusuke coughed, looking a little awkward.
“I am sorry to interrupt, but I had a question.” Then he cleared his throat. “You mentioned that your mother’s murderer got shot before… he did that to protect you, didn’t he?”
Ken nodded. “Yes.”
Ken and Shinjiro-san explained about Strega, how the Kirijo Group had rounded up orphans to experiment on to see if they could combat Shadows. They revealed someone named Chidori Yoshino was once a member but ultimately grew to reject their ideas due to her meeting this Junpei-san they mentioned previously. The two apparently fell in love… so even if her tale was a sad one, it had a happy ending with him at least.
Ken cleared his throat, probably realizing he was getting off track when talking about Junpei-san and Chidori-san.
He then explained the Kirijo Group had developed the drugs in the first place, since Strega’s Personas were forced unnaturally, and would attempt to kill them if they didn’t keep taking the drugs. Ten years of having to take those drugs and it was slowly killing them.
And how the ringleader, Takaya, wasn’t too enthusiastic about SEES wanting to get rid of the Dark Hour. And he wanted to stop them.
That was still wild to him and hard to even picture. A forced Persona awakening. It… made Ren’s skin crawl thinking about it.
“I… had called Shinjiro-san out on October 4th, the night of the full moon. It was the second anniversary of Mom’s death…” Ken said with a regretful look.
Ken looked a little anxious at this part, fidgeting with his hands. Ren couldn’t help but grimace. It must’ve been really hard recounting this.
“I wanted to confront him… about Mom. But I felt so conflicted. I had seen what Shinjiro-san was like.” Ken hung his head down in shame as he recounted this. “I felt like I had no choice… I had only pushed myself to live because I had convinced myself that the only point of me living was to avenge Mom.”
Ken then fell silent as he lifted his head up, his expression growing dark.
Ren stared at him. The implication hit him, like a rock being dropped into the pit of his stomach. He had known that Ken had been in a bad place, as a kid. But to this extent? Were there other kids like him? Who felt that they were pushed to the brink and felt like that they only could do one thing?
Ren couldn’t help but feel sad at this…
“Takaya showed up during all of this,” Shinjiro-san said. “He wanted to kill us both, but not before finding out just who was determining the locations of the Shadows.”
A strangled gasp escaped Anne. “Hang on! You said that was Fuuka-san, right?!”
Fuuka-san was a petite woman. And she was so nice. She couldn’t hurt a fly. And yet… this Takaya guy wanted to kill her?!
“Yeah, Ken trying to be all noble, tried to claim that he was the navigator.” Shinjiro-san stared at Ken. “So… Takaya tried to shoot him.”
Makoto bit her lip, then said sadly, “But you got in the way…”
“Shot right in the chest,” Shinjiro-san smiled sardonically, lightly touching his chest. “If Minako hadn’t found my old pocket watch that she returned to me, I probably would’ve died that night.”
Ren now understood what Ken was talking about. Why he was willing to forgive the one responsible for his mother’s death… he was willing to atone with his life, and didn’t hesitate to do so.
But… the Kirijo Group still made him feel uncomfortable. The way they had manipulated the scenes… it reminded him all too much of his accuser. This Mitsuru-san was trying to fix the mistakes of those that came before her… but it still just left a sour taste in his mouth.
Ken then took over on sharing the story, since Shinjiro-san fell into a coma after that. Explaining how they were tricked about the full moon Shadows, how that would instigate a doomsday where everyone would become like the Lost.
That was just… unbelievable. That Ken had made the resolution to fight, even if he had died trying. And their leader, this Minato-san, had died to defeat Death. (It was still hard to wrap his head around that they fought an actual deity. It sounded like something out of a TV show or novel.)
To think… Ken went through all that as a child…
Anne’s voice was suddenly faint. “But… your leader died? He died… to protect the world?”
Ren reached out, grabbing her hand, and squeezing it tightly. Anne looked up, giving him a sad smile before squeezing back. He… honestly didn’t know if he would have the strength to pretend that everything was okay, knowing that he would have to leave his loved ones soon like this Minato-san did.
But… the Kirijo Group was why he had Death sealed in him in the first place. How could any of them forgive that? Yeah, it wasn’t Mitsuru-san’s fault. But he wouldn’t know if he would be comfortable working for said group in their shoes, even if she was trying to reform it.
“He did…” Ken said quietly.
“And you’re saying that he was Ren’s age?” Morgana said, aghast at this revelation.
“He was so young…” Makoto muttered, before her hands twisted the hem of her shirt. “You said his last name was Arisato. Is… is he related to—he’s the twins’ father, isn’t he?”
Ken just answered with a little nod.
That explained… a lot. Why Ken had been on the defensive when Yusuke had unintentionally forced Yukari-san to admit that she was an unmarried mother. They mentioned the father passed away and Yukari-san was a teenager when she had the twins. It was matching up…
Ren pulled off his false glasses and rubbed his eyes. He already felt bad for Yukari-san and her children, but now this just made the pity grow tenfold. The world was saved… at the cost of someone she held so dear to her.
“He was that young—shit! He was our age!” Ryuji’s voice cracked as he stared down at his lap. “That… that’s effed up, man.”
Yusuke murmured, “He was so brave… I can’t imagine, standing up to face Death itself like that.”
The room fell silent for a minute. Everyone just absorbing everything they’ve been told. Futaba fidgeted in her seat a bit, still clinging to Morgana. She took a breath, and broke the silence.
“I’m sorry to move the conversation forward… but you never answered my question fully last time. What are the Shadow Operatives?” Futaba asked.
Wait… last time? And just what did she mean by Shadow Operatives? She’d been acting a little strange from the start when they got here… come to think of it.
“I beg your pardon?” Yusuke frowned. “The Shadow what?”
Ken slouched a bit in his seat, his elbows resting against his knees, before lightly clasping his hands together.
“The Shadow Operatives were founded by Mitsuru-san in 2011. Its purpose was to deal with Shadows on a larger scale. It took Mitsuru-san a year to finally get the government to agree to setting it up. We have different sectors all over Japan,” Ken explained.
“Well, it’s most of Japan now…” Shinjiro-san corrected in a bitter tone.
The group all did a double-take at that. All looking at one another in shock at what they just heard. Ken and Shinjiro-san were affiliated with those in the government?!
“They’re government?” Makoto asked in disbelief.
“A secret organization tied to the government but… yeah,” Ken answered.
In all honesty, Ren did not trust the government. The system they enforced was broken as hell. He was just one example of that. Why would they choose to ally with the government?
Anne jolted upright, sitting up straight, her back stiff as a board. She looked pretty nervous.
“You guys are government?!” Anne exclaimed, not quite echoing Ren’s earlier thoughts, but pretty close.
Shinjiro-san shook his head, looking annoyed. “No! We’re not… it’s complicated. But no, we aren’t government agents, relax!”
Anne relaxed a little. Ren reached over to hold her hand again. She squeezed it back. He put his false glasses back on with his other hand, while continuing to hold Anne’s hand with his right hand.
“What do you mean by ‘mostly’ now?” Yusuke inquired, getting back to the topic.
Makoto nodded. “Yeah, that means some of the divisions were closed down, right?”
“Just one,” Shinjiro-san answered, folding his arms over his chest. “Tokyo’s sector was shut down completely.”
That caused Ren to sit up straighter. Tokyo? The capital? That made no sense. That should be the most important place for a government to want covered.
Yusuke frowned. “But why? Tokyo is no doubt the largest but what motive would the government have?”
“Would they even get what Shadows are?” Ryuji shook his head. “I know that I would’ve called you crazy if I hadn’t seen this shit with my own eyes.”
“Good thing you aren’t most people,” Morgana ribbed, making Ryuji glare at him.
Futaba squeezed Morgana a bit too tight, causing him to whine a complaint at her. She just shushed him. Shinjiro-san looked a bit confused at this one-sided debate, from his perspective, but shook his head.
“It’s not the government who orchestrated the shutdown,” Shinjiro-san said flatly.
His eyes then flicked to Futaba, before he nodded in her direction. Futaba straightened up at that, leaning forward slightly.
“It was the guy who Mitsuru is pretty sure is the one responsible for your mother’s death. Mitsuru had also wanted Ken to see what his next move was,” he finished.
“Mom…?” Futaba stared at Shinjiro-san, her voice was almost fevered when she spoke again. “You know who killed my mom?!”
“No, like I said, she’s speculating who the one responsible is. But she’s pretty confident on her hunch. And… I agree with her. He’d benefit a lot from her death.” Shinjiro-san narrowed his eyes.
Ken said in a serious tone, “His name is Masayoshi Shido.”
Ryuji and Yusuke both looked at each other confused. Morgana also looked puzzled. Ren didn’t pay much attention to politics, but he’s pretty sure he’s heard that name before. Anne had a look that she might know that name, but isn’t sure. Makoto definitely looked like she recognized who that was, shock in her eyes. Futaba he couldn’t tell how she felt, as she wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.
“Who?” Ryuji asked.
“He’s a Diet member,” Ken answered, then added with a frown. “We still don’t have proof he did is responsible though. But that is something Mitsuru-san was hoping we might be able to prove. She… regrets not being able to better protect your mother.”
Futaba licked her lips and started to tremble again, letting out a shaky breath. She settled down a bit when Morgana nuzzled against her chin. She hugged him tightly again.
Shinjiro-san scoffed. “He’s always going on and on about reshaping Japan to a better country, but it’s a load of shit. He doesn’t give a damn about anyone but himself.”
“A politician, huh…” Ren scowled.
Just like him. The man who ruined his life, whoever that bastard was.
“The Shadow Operatives were blocked from action…” Yusuke said as he placed his index and middle finger over his lips, while his thumb under his chin. “So then… they sent you?”
Ken and Shinjiro-san nodded in unison.
“Even though this Shido guy seems pretty dangerous…?” Anne questioned.
Ren frowned. “And there’s the guy behind the mental shutdowns. Weren’t they worried about you getting mixed up in some trouble?”
“Of course we were,” Shinjiro-san snapped, before Ken could even open his mouth. “Look, Mitsuru didn’t force Ken into it. He wanted to do it. I sure as hell wasn’t encouraging him to take it, I came along to be his backup should he need it.”
Shinjiro-san didn’t want Ken to do this? He knew Shinjiro-san came across as protective when they met, this just reinforced how genuine that was, knowing their history now.
“It felt wrong… to look away,” Ken said quietly. “Mitsuru-san assumed that I would just be doing… reconnaissance. Just sneaking around and keeping an eye on you.”
Ryuji scratched the back of his head. “What the heck is recon—oh! It’s gathering info, right?”
Ken nodded. And before Anne or Morgana could make a teasing remark at Ryuji, Makoto cut them off with a clear of her throat.
Makoto cleared her throat. “Is that why you were trying to ask me about them, the day we met?”
Ken didn’t answer her question. But the guilty look on his face was more than enough of an answer.
Ren felt a pit form in his stomach. That was right. If he was sent here to look into the Phantom Thieves… he looked between his friends. They… didn’t know what to think of it. He could see it in their eyes.
“You… were sent to spy on us,” Ren tried not to sound as hurt as he felt.
Ken actually flinched in response to Ren’s comment.
“Was it all a lie, Ken?” Ren demanded in a low tone. “You wanting to join the Phantom Thieves… was it just to—?”
Ren’s voice broke off, as his free hand tightened over his knee. Anne squeezed his other hand tighter, but not enough to hurt him. She was obviously trying to get his attention, probably to shoot him a comforting smile. But he couldn’t look at her. He couldn’t look at anyone, his eyes burning holes into the ground as he stared at his feet.
He couldn’t say it. He didn’t want to think about it. He was backstabbed by the law. His parents turned their backs on him. His so-called friends wanted nothing to do with him. He couldn’t bear another betrayal.
“No!” Ken exclaimed so loudly that it caused Ren to finally look up.
Ken’s eyes were wide with panic. Ren opened his mouth to respond, but Ken wasn’t finished speaking.
“No… I’d never…” Ken’s voice suddenly broke. “I… I wasn’t entirely truthful about why I was in the Metaverse. I glossed over a lot of things, but I did not lie about empathizing with you and your goals. I did not lie about wanting to join you! I… I did not lie about wanting to be your friend! I promise that was real!"
Ren stared at him. Sincerity shone in his eyes, even as his body went all rigid. And his nervousness when they first came in.
He could’ve kept quiet if he had ill intentions. He should have, if he just cared about relaying their plans. But he didn’t, he wanted all of them to know the truth.
“I believe you, Ken,” Ren said softly.
Ken froze for a moment, his jaw slightly dropped. He then sagged back into his chair in relief. He looked as if all his energy had been sapped out of him, yet a small smile adorned his face.
“Th-Thank you.” His voice trembled.
“Seriously, man… this is just…” Ryuji shook his head. “I wouldn’t have expected this. In a million years. But…”
Then he flashed Ken his trademark lopsided grin.
He gave Ken a thumbs-up. “I believe ya. You wouldn’t have bothered to tell us the truth, if you just cared ‘bout spying on us.”
Futaba then spoke. “I’m the rookie, but… you wouldn’t have said those things to me, if you just were here to spy. You wouldn’t have run to me when my fake memories were coming at me. And… you told me a real lead for me about my mom…”
Futaba’s hands clenched into fists, but when she looked up, her smile was bright.
“I believe you, too,” she said with a sincere smile.
“You wouldn’t go out of your way to bring me meals if you did not care.” Yusuke smiled, before shaking his head. “Truth be told, I would be more shocked if we hadn’t just come out with an encounter with a hacker. And after everything we seen in the Metaverse too.”
“Yeah… seriously.” Anne smiled at Ken. “I’m guessing you were the one pushing Ren to go for it with me. You wouldn’t bother talking to us, besides the Phantom Thief work, if you just were relaying everything to Kirijo-san. You wouldn’t have worried so much about Futaba, so determined to help her if you didn’t care.”
Makoto smiled lightly as she looked at Anne, but then directed her gaze at Ken.
“You know, you were the first one to be genuinely nice to me, for the longest time. It was just a simple act but it’s stuck in my mind since then. And… everyone else basically said it.” She let out a chuckle. “And besides that, you coming out with the truth is telling. You didn’t want any secrets between us…”
For some reason, Makoto began to smile sadly. Ren raised a brow, wondering what that was about. Shinjiro-san then cleared his throat, catching their attention.
“You really know how to lay on the sap, don’t you?” Shinjiro-san said dryly before his expression softened slightly. “But I’m glad. I can see that you have Ken’s back.”
Ken just stared at all of them for a long time. Disbelief was written all over his face.
“I… thank you so much.” His voice cracked, as he shook his head. “I… I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
“Jeez, it’s not like it’s a big deal…” Ryuji said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Ren nodded in agreement. “Yeah, seriously. You’re telling us the full truth, so we’re just returning the favor.”
Ken shook his head. A tired and sad smile on his face.
“I’ve been just so worried about you all hating me for hiding the truth…” Ken admitted.
“Well…” Ren grinned. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with us.”
Ken blinked at that, before a slow smile spread across his face. “I suppose I am. Thank you… Ren.”
It took a moment for it to sink in. Everyone in the group (including Shinjiro-san), barring Ken, all blinked in unison. Then everyone’s eyes went wide at the same time.
“Did he just—” Ren thought in disbelief.
“Holy shit! No honorific!” Ryuji gasped.
“No kidding! I was starting to think we were gonna be permanently stuck with the honorific,” Anne said with a giggle.
Ken blushed at that, grumbling to himself for a moment. “Sorry for wanting to be polite.”
“We told you that it’s okay to be informal for ages!” Ryuji cried out.
“Come on, guys, leave him alone,” Makoto chided. “It’s not a bad thing.”
“Practically everyone else is younger though,” Futaba said, with a raised eyebrow. “It’s overkill.”
“Haha, very funny,” Ken grumbled.
Shinjiro-san just smirked at him. “Be careful, Ken, before Minako starts begging you to drop the honorific with her.”
“That’s not happening,” Ken grumbled. “You guys are so much older than me.”
“Tell that to her,” Shinjiro-san shook his head, still smirking; then he added sarcastically, “But who knew Mr. Manners can finally loosen up for once.”
“Shut up…” Ken said weakly with a blush.
Anne and Ryuji snorted. Giggles started to fill up the room. It didn’t help when Ken crossed his arms and pouted. It took a little less than a minute for everyone to settle down.
Ken rolled his eyes, before turning back to them. “Um, there’s one last thing though…”
“Oh, really?” Ren couldn’t help but joke a little after all of these bombshells. “What, you were telling us the truth about running into the black masked Persona user and not just pulling our leg to gain our trust or something?”
Ken paused, looking almost shocked at Ren’s words. That caused Ren to raise a brow, slightly confused at Ken’s reaction to his joke.
Ken bit his lip lightly and sighed. “I wasn’t lying about that…”
Ren couldn’t help but feel guilty. Ken took his joke seriously.
“Ken, look, I’m sorry. I was joking,” Ren tried to quickly coverup his mistake. “I could tell you were telling the truth that day when you described him. You were way too unnerved when describing him for that to be acting.”
“I’m sorry too… I guess I’m still worried you guys might not trust me even after all this.” Ken pursed his lips again. “Speaking of him though… I can’t tell you much more than I already did that day. But he was the reason it triggered me being able to use Kala-Nemi in the Metaverse without my Evoker but… I was no match for him. He was strong and fast… I had to use the environment to get the advantage and escape. He was so… sadistic too.”
Shinjiro-san’s expression twisted at that. For a moment, Ren couldn’t help but wonder if his parents would react the same way if Ren was put in that kind of situation.
But still… Ren had to focus on the heart of the matter.
This was… bad. Ken had the edge on them when they had first explored Futaba’s Palace, though they had eventually caught up in abilities. But if Ken was no match for him… there was no way that they were.
No wonder Ken panicked when they first interrogated him, and he begged them to not go after him yet.
But then Ken’s words helped jog Ren’s memory. They met Ken in Kaneshiro’s palace. So that must be where he fought the guy. Ken didn’t have access to Mementos or any other Palace yet without them explaining to him how the Metaverse worked. And he didn’t have the app until after meeting them.
“Hang on, don’t you remember how we found a part of Kaneshiro’s Palace torn up? Were you the one who created that damage?” Ren asked.
“That was him, not me,” Ken said. “I just egged him on to do it.”
Anne gasped. “There were piles of bricks everywhere!”
“Um… guys?” Morgana interjected. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Yusuke leaned back against his seat and crossed his arms. A dour expression on his face.
“No, this means that this Persona-user… knows of us too,” Yusuke said grimly. “Am I correct in that is your line of thought?”
Morgana just nodded.
Makoto frowned. “This is concerning… that means that he could be watching our every move.”
Morgana scowled. “That could even mean he could have been following us into Kamoshida and Madarame’s Palaces also…”
“D-Don’t put it like that,” Futaba shivered. “That means… he was crawling in my mind too…”
Morgana winced. “Didn’t mean it like that…”
Ryuji sat up straight and scratched the side of his head in frustration while gritting his teeth.
“So… what’s our next move then?” Ryuji asked. “We go after this Shido guy? He sounds like he’s a real thorn in y’all’s side.”
“We have to!” Futaba leapt to her feet, hands balling into fists. “If what Ken says is correct, then we could find proof what he did to my mom in his Palace!”
Makoto’s eyes grew wide with panic. “Hang on a minute! Futaba, I understand how you’re feeling. I do… But we can’t act rashly. Acting rashly just creates… a whole mess.”
Makoto couldn’t help but grimace. Probably remembered how she handled the Kaneshiro stuff at first. Futaba opened her mouth to protest but Ren had to unfortunately cut her off. Makoto had a point after all.
“Makoto’s right,” Ren interjected. “If this guy’s powerful enough to shut down something connected to the Kirijo Group…”
He then sighed, before silently apologizing to Ken.
“And in all honesty, after hearing all about the crap the Kirijo Group pulled, I’m not sure if I can’t take Mitsuru-san’s word for it.”
Ken and Futaba both looked ready to protest, but Ren held up a hand.
“I’m not saying no, okay?” Ren said. “I just want to look more into it before we decide whether or not we’ll target this Shido guy. We can’t swing in all gung-ho. Remember, you said yourself you didn’t have proof. I have no doubt this guy is probably shady. Nearly all politicians are. But we have to be smarter about this.”
Ren then noticed Shinjiro-san staring at him. He had an almost… wistful look in his eyes.
“Did I say something wrong?” Ren tilted his head.
Shinjiro-san shook his head, an unreadable expression on his face. He leaned back into his chair and rubbed the side of his neck.
“You’re fine Amamiya,” Shinjiro-san stated. “That was a good point you made. You just… reminded me of someone is all.”
Ren couldn’t help but wonder now… if that someone was this Minato-san they talked about…
Makoto suddenly wrapped her arms around herself, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. Ren then turned to her, wondering what was troubling her.
She pulled her thumb up to her lips and bit on the nail. “That’s… not all we have to worry about. Sis’s been working on the case investigating us. We’ll have to figure out what to do with that…”
“Your sister’s investigating into this?” Shinjiro-san frowned. “Has she suspected anything about your… after school activities?”
Makoto shook her head. “She… practically lives at the precinct.”
“Kinda got that vibe when I met her at the train station,” Shinjiro-san muttered.
“Wait, you met her?” Makoto looked surprised, but then her expression morphed into a frown. “I hope she didn’t pester you or anything.”
Shinjiro-san glanced in Ken’s direction and then Makoto’s, a little snort escaping him. Ren couldn’t help but feel confused. What was that about?
“It was nothing. Nothing important, at least,” he dismissed with the wave of his hand.
“Oh. I’m glad about that at least…” Makoto looked puzzled.
Makoto then had a hesitant smile and shrugged lightly. She then stood up, smoothing down her clothes.
“But um… thank you for having us…” she gave Shinjiro-san a polite bow. “But we shouldn’t intrude any longer.”
Shinjiro-san waved her off. “You’re here. Might as well feed you for giving us, what, two, three hours of your time?”
Ren looked at his phone. It was about a little over two hours. It didn’t feel that long.
But then it seemed Shinjiro-san’s words had just reminded his stomach it was lacking food. Ren’s stomach let out a growl.
“More like Shinjiro-san wants to feed you ‘proper’ food,” Ken muttered.
Shinjiro-san grabbed a throw pillow again and smacked Ken on the head.
“Ren… did you really mean what you said?”
Her boyfriend just raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to have to be more specific about that, Anne.”
“It’s just crazy. Ken being affiliated with a secret organization, and all of Ken’s senpai being Persona-users…” she sighed. “I was asking about… Ken though. Did you mean what you said to him about believing him?”
“I trust Ken,” Ren said simply. “What about you?”
“I do,” Anne said honestly. “If he had joined us to just spy on us, he wouldn’t be concerned with Futaba. He wouldn’t go out of his way to feed Yusuke. Or arrange to help me with my diet for modeling. And he wouldn’t spend time with us the way he has, not in a more personal way.”
“I don’t trust the Shadow Operatives as a whole, though,” Ren said flatly, folding his arms over his chest. “Them choosing to be a government subunit… all the crap they pulled, the experiments… it’s like a huge conspiracy. I know the Shadow Operatives shouldn’t be considered the same as the Kirijo Group of old… it’s a lot to take in. But I do trust Ken.”
“Yeah…” Anne wrapped her arms around herself. “I just can’t believe…”
She choked on a sob, as tears began to well up in her eyes.
“Lady Anne!” Morgana’s voice was filled with panic. “D-Don’t cry!”
She had known that Yukari-san had loved and lost. Not too many girls would have kept a baby while in high school still. But to that kind of extent… she didn’t know how Yukari-san had the strength to move on.
“I can’t help but think of what Yukari-san went through. I can’t imagine going through that like her…” Anne said as she started to wipe her eyes.
Ren gently touched her shoulder. “I’m here, Anne. I’m still here.”
“I… I know.” Anne bit her lip. “I just… poor Yukari-san… from everything Ken and Shinjiro-san talked about… she had lost her dad, and just around the time she came to terms to his death, she lost her boyfriend…”
It wasn’t just her. SEES seemed to have all kinds of sad stories. Not that it was a competition, many of her friends also had sad stories. But she still couldn’t help but feel bad for them.
“I can’t believe that Ken had carried all of this for so many years…” she muttered, then smiled weakly. “Guess you didn’t expect this when you came to Tokyo, huh?”
Ren brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. He then cupped her cheek, a gentle smile on his face.
“Nope. But I don’t regret it. I wouldn’t have met any of you guys,” he huffed out with a laugh. “Maybe if I ever find the prick who got me in this whole mess… I’ll thank him.”
Anne managed a weak giggle. “Maybe I will, too. I wouldn’t have met you if it wasn’t for all of this, after all.”
Morgana cleared his throat. The two pulled away and chuckled. She honestly forgot Morgana was poking his head out of the bag and with them. He had a look that screamed ‘get a room’.
Ren then twirled a strand of his hair in between his fingers as he thought.
“Though I think Makoto has a point… with her sister that she mentioned. We’ll have to look into things with Shido but… Niijima is on our tail. We’ll have to figure out what she’s looking into exactly…”
Anne hummed. “Makoto will be in charge of that, then.”
“Yeah, Futaba says she’s gonna work on… something.”
“Right,” Morgana muttered. “She’s really looking to prove herself immediately…”
Anne frowned in his direction. Morgana had been doubting himself lately it seemed. She would have to talk to Ren in private—somehow—about this sometime soon. Morgana seemed even more down because of Ken revealing everything.
Anne giggled instead, hoping to distract him. “Guess you can’t take the hacker out of Futaba, huh?”
Ren could only nod. Since they were standing right in front of her apartment door, Ren just leaned forward and kissed her sweetly.
“I’m not going to leave you, Anne,” he said quietly, cupping her cheek again as he gazed into her eyes. “I promise.”
Anne smiled weakly. “Thank you, Ren. I’ll see you soon, right?”
Ren cracked a grin as he pulled away. “Of course. I mean, school’s starting in two days.”
Anne groaned, before she hung her head. She grabbed onto her pigtails and yanked them in frustration.
“Ugh… don’t remind me!” she whined.
Ren just chuckled, shaking his head. “I missed sitting behind you, you know.”
Anne lightly swatted his arm before giggling. “You’re so silly sometimes!”
“I’m called Joker for a reason, you know.” Ren grinned. “See ya, Anne.”
He then strolled away, as Morgana scolded him for mentioning his codename out in public. Anne just watched him go with a goofy smile. Sometimes she couldn’t believe that he liked her back.
Anne shook her head, before digging out her keys and unlocking the door. It was her caretaker’s night off, so Anne just flopped onto the couch. What a day. It hadn’t even completely sunk in…
Finding out about Ken, the truth behind how he gained his Persona… and a big lead on who could have potentially gotten Futaba’s mother killed. But even then, Ren had a point. Could the Shadow Operatives be trusted? They seemed kinda suspicious.
Ken trusted them but… there was a lot they didn’t know. They would have to judge this Shido with their own eyes too.
She got the feeling that things were going to get a lot crazier…
Notes:
Okay, this is my longest chapter yet, but I felt that I couldn’t split it up. So combined beach episode and Ken’s little story. I skimmed over a lot of SEES’s story, but I wanted to focus more on the reactions over repeating what most people know.
I also decided that the Phantom Thieves’ Personas will change to their ultimates in story scenes, much like Persona 3’s. I felt that P3’s did it better because the character growth does not feel optional, which I felt it did in P4/P5, with the ultimates being locked behind maxing out the Social Link/Confidant.
But yeah. The Phantom Thieves trust Ken, but they’re not all too sure about the Shadow Operatives, since they’ve been burned by authorities and there’s Ren’s little encounter with Shido. A lot of people expected it to be a huge explosion, but I don’t want this to overshadow Haru’s arc. Haru’s arc was just overpowered with Morgana’s little self-identity crisis, but I intend for it not to happen here. The conflict will be a sideplot, because I want to address the Phantom Thieves’ lack of trust in adults.
Edit Notes (11/2/24): Heavy edits on Ken opening up about the truth scene. Thank you again to angelrin89 for her wonderful edits!
Chapter 20: Ch. 19: Back To School
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves (minus Futaba) return to school, which is abuzz with the Phantom Thieves' victory over Medjed. The Phantom Thieves decide on their next move, and settle on focusing on determining what exactly Sae's next move is going to be. The Phantom Thieves also introduce Mementos to Ken and Futaba.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Thursday, September 1st, 2016
Ken stifled a yawn as he walked down the pavement. Everyone else was background noise around him as he kept an even pace to Shujin.
The first day of the semester always sucked. He was already missing sleeping in.
"Morning, Ken!" He turned to see Ryuji jog up to him.
"Good morning, Ryuji," he said absentmindedly.
Ryuji suddenly cocked his head. "What's with the new look?"
Ken flushed before tugging at the collar of his shirt. He had thought it'd be better if he wore something that was more... him, instead of completely sticking to the dress code. Before it was about him trying to blend in, after all. So, he ended up digging out the orange dress shirt he wore during summer while attending Gekkoukan. But he decided to not go with changing out the school uniform pants.
"I just needed a change, that's all," Ken said, giving a light shrug.
"Well, it looks good on ya!" Ryuji gave him a thumbs up, before leaning in close to whisper, "But dude, I got up early today to go and jog, and you wouldn't believe the things I heard people talk 'bout us.”
Ken just blinked. He had kinda zoned out during the train ride to school.
"Dude, isn't this amazing?!" Ryuji asked, slinging an arm over his shoulders. "It's like, a complete flip from their attitudes when we left for the summer!"
Ken just raised an eyebrow at Ryuji. "Someone's excited. Especially for the first day of the semester."
Ryuji just gave him a little shove. And scratched the left side of his head with his other hand.
"Aw, shut it," he grumbled. "I think I’m allowed to be excited after all the trash-talk we had to keep hearing…"
"I suppose so." Ken shrugged again.
He hadn’t really worried too much what others thought about him. So it really wasn’t a concern of his. But he supposed with how the law and media have been gunning after them, he could see why it would matter to Ryuji. Plus, how many in the school treated Ryuji in the past (as well as Anne, Makoto, and Ren too), this would be more important to him.
Ken rubbed the back of his neck and glanced over to Ryuji. He could understand Ryuji’s perspective now that he thought more on it, but getting too worried about what others thought about you could lead into trouble… in his experience.
He opened his mouth to say something, but then a couple of students walked by them, gossiping (well no shock there) and it distracted Ken from his thoughts.
A male student who looked like he used a large amount of hair gel with his slicked back, dark hair spoke up, "Seriously, man! I really can't believe the Phantom Thieves could be students here!"
His friend with spiky brown hair replied back, "Yeah, they took down Kamoshida first. I wonder who their next target is."
Ryuji just nudged him, a wide grin on his face. He was clearly still excited about the Phantom Thieves’ newly found popularity.
Ken just rolled his eyes at him, before he began to walk again.
"You need to work on your poker face, Ryuji,” Ken grumbled.
Ryuji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. But hey, you got the text, right? About us getting together today, after school?"
"Yeah, of course. We're going to my place, after all," Ken answered.
"Wait, I just realized… Is Shinjiro-san gonna be there?" Ryuji asked.
"It depends, on how fast we get out of school,” Ken replied, suppressing another yawn. “He starts work at five, so he usually leaves around four, sometimes earlier."
"Jeez, he's a busy one," Ryuji grumbled, as they passed the gate and entered the main building. "I think we'll have to figure out what Makoto's sis's next move is."
"Yeah, that makes sense…” Ken couldn’t help but frown.
They would have to do research on Shido too. They would have to try and figure out if Shido really was behind Isshiki-san’s death, like how Mitsuru-san had suspected. On top of that, they needed to determine what his Palace was and where it was. But before that... they had to prioritize and figure out how to outmaneuver Makoto's sister. But beyond that, he was a little concerned about how Makoto would take all of this.
A familiar female voice called out, "Hey Ryuji! Hurry up or you’ll be late!”
Anne and Ren were standing at the foot of the stairs, waving at their fellow junior.
"See you later, man!" Ryuji said with a cheerful wave, before jogging over to Ren and Anne. They began to chat as they ascended the stairs to the second floor.
Ken watched them go before heading for 3-D. He pushed the door open, and he immediately spotted Makoto sitting at her desk.
"Good morning," Ken greeted, sliding into his seat as Makoto turned to a fresh page on her notebook.
Makoto smiled at him. "Good morning, Ken.”
She then paused as the chattering of their classmates grew even louder. She gave a delicate cough before looking back to him.
"They really can't stop talking about the Phantom Thieves, can they?” she questioned.
"Apparently not." Ken shook his head before he leaned in closer to Makoto, murmuring, "Ryuji told me he overheard some people talking about it while he was on a morning jog, too."
Makoto chewed on her bottom lip for a moment.
"I don't know if you heard about the article written about Shujin but…" Makoto shook her head. "It's… bad. Principal Kobayakawa is… laying low, because of it."
Oh… that was the first time he had heard of it.
"Shujin's reputation is really plummeting…" Ken said slowly, before glancing at his friend, "Isn't it?"
Makoto winced, running her fingers through her bangs. "It looks like it. People seem to be working themselves into a frenzy about how the Phantom Thieves took down Medjed too…"
Maybe Shinjiro-san had a point when he called the interest in the Phantom Thieves almost cult-like… this made him a little uneasy.
The hours quickly flew by, even though the teachers had to constantly scold their classmates about focusing on the Phantom Thieves instead of the class. It actually reminded him of his Gekkoukan classmates gossiping about the Phantom Thieves' debut.
"Ren, shouldn't we go get Futaba first…?" Anne asked. "Yongen-jaya isn't that far away."
Ren shook his head. "Nah—Yusuke texted me and told me that he could go get Futaba since Kosei apparently let out early today."
"Hopefully they won't make a scene," Ken muttered.
"Come on, they're not that bad, Ken," Ryuji laughed.
Ken just stared at him. "They fought over lobsters, Ryuji. Lobsters."
Anne and Makoto both let out a giggle. Ren stifled a chuckle himself.
"I mean, they're in a packed train," Anne said with a shrug. "I don't think they would find something to argue over. At least… I hope so.”
“Don’t jinx it…” Ren teased.
Ken just shook his head with an exasperated sigh. Ren and Ryuji both chuckled at his reaction.
The train ride to Shibuya was short, and the walk to the apartment complex was lively. At one point, Anne had gotten sidetracked by crepes being half off today, forcing Ren and Ryuji to all but drag her away.
"Honestly, Anne, just the cream alone is so fattening…" Makoto sighed, shaking her head at the younger girl.
"They're so good though," Anne moaned. "I can't help it. They call to me!"
Makoto sighed. "You’re being ridiculous, Anne."
"But they do!" Anne whined.
Ken had to smother a smile at their antics… even if he did agree with Makoto. Ren seemed to agree, snickering to himself.
Morgana popped his head out of Ren’s bag briefly. Rolling his eyes at the group, before he let out a yawn. He let out a quiet grumble of being awoken from his nap. Ren chuckled and shook his head, before turning back to Anne.
Ren just laughed, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Guess we'll have to come up with a calorie burning routine for you, yeah?"
"Yeah, if Ryuji would just—”
"I ain't a trainer!" Ryuji retorted. "Come up with your own routine!"
"You're an athlete!" Anne stuck her tongue out at him.
"So is Ken!” Ryuji griped. “Why aren't you bugging him about this?!"
"Please don't drag me into this," Ken sighed, cradling his face with his palm as he eyed the two blondes warily.
Ren laughed at Anne and Ryuji's bickering; Makoto just rolled her eyes but did let out a snort. Ken then sighed, looking to Ren.
"But Ren, did Yusuke mention if he's going to be in the lobby or upstairs?" he inquired.
"I think upstairs?" Ren said. "I mean, more privacy."
"Yeah, that makes sense." Ken began to dig out for his key as they approached the complex.
"The friend you mentioned before…" Makoto said hesitantly. "The one who's giving you the place to stay. It's Kirijo-san, isn't it?"
Ken nodded. "Yeah, it is. It was agreed I needed lodging since I was doing this for her, so she’s paid for it…"
They walked into the building and sure enough, Yusuke and Futaba were not in the lobby. Which meant they’d be waiting for them outside Ken’s apartment.
The group then entered the elevator, filing in one by one. They stood in relative silence as they waited for it to reach Ken’s floor. The elevator doors opened, revealing Yusuke and Futaba. Futaba was sitting on the ground. She had brought her laptop and she was tapping furiously away at it.
"Hey, guys," Ren greeted, before cocking an eyebrow at them. "I hope you didn't run into any trouble."
Yusuke shook his head. "None at all. Futaba was rather surprised when I had showed up at her door."
"Such a patronizing Inari…" Futaba grumbled, shooting him an annoyed glance. "I can handle myself just fine! I don't need to be babysat by him!"
Anne put her hands on her hips, but she still had a smile on her face.
"Hey, there's nothing bad about needing help," Anne said gently.
She crouched to Futaba’s level, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Yusuke was just concerned." She glanced in his direction. "Right?"
Yusuke just tilted his head; he was clearly confused by Futaba’s mood.
“Had I done something wrong? I thought she was uncomfortable on trains still?” Yusuke asked.
Futaba had a guilty look in her eyes but then pouted, looking away. Anne sighed, and Ren couldn’t help but snicker. Makoto then crouched down next to Anne.
“Come on, Futaba… that was nice of him to look out for you,” Makoto coaxed.
Ren took a step forward, a sympathetic look in his eyes. He shook his head and flashed her a friendly smile.
“He’s not babying you, Futaba. You still do get a little uncomfortable on trains. As a team, we look out for one another.” Ren put his hands in his pocket as he spoke and then his smile turned into a cheeky grin. “Or… are you still upset about the figurines and him not sharing his lobsters?”
“Hmph!” Futaba closed up her laptop and stood up.
She was starting to blush a little bit. Though honestly, Ken did sympathize a little with Futaba. He still remembered how everyone else seemed to fuss over him, especially during those grueling training sessions in Tartarus. He remembered Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san giving him a ride on their backs when he felt exhausted to his very core, a few times. He remembered trying to argue against it the first time but Akihiko-san had ignored his protests, picking up Ken and carried him back to the dorm.
It’s rough being the youngest member of a team sometimes…
Ken then cleared his throat and took a few steps forward towards the front door.
"Come on, let's get inside." Ken unlocked it to let everyone inside.
They removed their shoes and left them by the door, before finding seats on the two couches. The second-years squished into the larger couch, with Morgana crawling into Anne's lap, while he, Makoto, and Futaba sat together.
"So, what's this meeting about?" Yusuke asked.
"Okay, so…" Ren rubbed his chin for a moment. "I was thinking. We need a game plan about our next step. Everyone is watching us, so we can't make a misstep."
Ryuji grinned. "Yeah, seriously! Look at us! The Phan-site is getting so many hits now!"
"And our rating is at sixty percent now! This is honestly amazing!" Anne exclaimed.
"Seriously, we're like heroes now!" Ryuji's eyes were gleaming with more excitement. "We've really made it big!"
Ken had to admit that it was rather impressive.
Ren chided with a frown, "Hey, calm down. But yeah, we've got a lot to think about. There's the black masked guy running around too…"
Makoto squeezed the hem of her skirt as she looked down at her lap. There was a conflicted look in her eyes. Ken frowned seeing this.
"Sis…" Makoto said almost reluctantly.
He almost wanted to touch her shoulder to comfort her, but for some reason fought against this instinct. Before he could mull over why he felt conflicted doing so, Futaba broke his thoughts as she spoke up.
"And Shido…" Futaba's voice came out as a hiss, before she clenched her hands into fists.
Ren nodded towards Futaba. He straightened his glasses and cleared his throat.
"So, we'll have to deal with them in succession," Ren spoke up, his tone serious. “Divide and conquer. Dealing with Makoto's sister seems to be the best way. She just…"
Ren sighed, glancing at Makoto. His expression was sympathetic. Makoto just bit her lip lightly.
"No offense, Makoto, but she's honestly kinda scary. The way she seems to have a one-track mind when it comes to investigating…" Ren said a bit bluntly, but his eyes still held pity.
Makoto shook her head. Then she clasped her hands together in her lap, letting out a loud exhale. Ken fought another urge to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He wasn’t sure why he felt so hesitant to comfort her all of a sudden.
"No, I… I understand," Makoto murmured. "Sis came home in a foul mood, right after Medjed withdrew their threat. She was angry because we made 'fools' out of the police department… the SIU…"
"The SIU?" Ryuji repeated. "What's that?"
"The Special Investigation Unit," Makoto replied evenly. "It's an elite team, meant to deal with government scandals and equally serious cases."
Ryuji let out a low whistle. "Damn—how old is your sister again?"
"Twenty-five," Makoto answered.
"The same age as Shinjiro-san, then," Ken commented.
"Jeez…" Anne winced. "That's honestly kinda scary. But she’s that young and got a job with them?"
Makoto only nodded.
Ken couldn’t help but admit that was impressive. To get a job under the SIU at Shinjiro-san’s age was nothing to sneeze at. She must have been really talented as a lawyer, but that also made dealing with her troublesome too.
"But what can we do?" Yusuke asked. "If your sister is tied to such a powerful group… I doubt that she would be forthcoming with you."
"Well, I can't exactly say you're wrong, Yusuke…" Makoto heaved out a heavy sigh, closing her eyes. "I'll be honest. I'm lucky if I see her three nights out of the week. She's that dedicated to work…"
Ken felt something in his heart twinged at that statement. There was… something hidden in that tone, something almost… longing. Makoto had been alone at home for several nights? He couldn’t help but think back to a time before Shinjiro-san… before SEES. He shook his head. He didn’t want to dwell on the past again.
He was about to reach forward and actually comfort her this time, not sure why he kept hesitating to do so. But he stopped himself when he turned to notice Futaba hesitantly, and awkwardly pat Makoto on the shoulder. She blushed when Makoto flashed her a grateful smile, and Futaba quickly shoved her hands in her pockets.
"There's nothing wrong with having a passion for work but…" Morgana studied Makoto, smiling sadly. "That's not it, is it?"
"No," Makoto answered, albeit reluctantly.
That… reminded him of how Minako-san and Yukari-san often got onto Mitsuru-san's case for being so hyper focused on her work. But somehow, he doubted that Niijima-san had that kind of luxury.
The thought was… saddening. On top of that, she had Makoto to worry about…
"She was already looking into us, with her interest in cognitive psience," Morgana said, hopping out of Anne’s lap and onto the coffee table. "We have to plan what our next move is."
"So, we'll basically be playing shogi with her," Ren said.
“Don’t you mean chess?” Anne quirked a brow.
"I know the saying, I’m just more familiar with shogi.” Ren winked before his expression turned serious again. “But regardless, we have to stay one step ahead of her.”
Makoto rubbed her forearm, her expression turning more thoughtful. The room was silent for a few moments, all probably thinking the same thing… so Ken decided to voice what he knew they were all thinking.
"The question is… how?" Ken asked. "If she won't tell Makoto…"
A rather sinister sounding giggle escaped from Futaba.
"Hehe…" Futaba had a rather cheeky grin. "Silly KenKen—”
"Don't call me that,” Ken interrupted.
Her smile grew even more mischievous. “What about Kenpai, then?”
His ears started to burn as he grimaced at that awful nickname.
Puns were truly a blight to humanity.
“That’s even worse! Never call me that!” Ken exclaimed, shaking his head.
Futaba shrugged and waved him off. "I’m just messing with ya! But! I have a solution to that!"
She whipped out a USB drive. Ken quirked a brow at that. That was odd. What did she intend to do with that?
"Your sister has a laptop for work, right?" she asked, looking at Makoto. "Just pop this little baby in and it'll copy everything on the hard drive. You don't even have to sign into the computer."
Ken couldn’t help but wince. Beyond an invasion of her sister’s privacy, that had to be breaking more than one law. Considering her sister was a prosecutor and the data she had would be for several cases.
"I don't know about this…" Ken said uncertainly.
“What? It’s the best answer to our problems!” Futaba rolled her eyes; she rubbed under her nose while flashing a confident grin. “You wanna know what she’s looking into? Go straight to the source, without even having to ask her! And you got the best hacker on your side!”
"Come on, Ken!" Ryuji shook his head. "I mean, Futaba's solution is a pretty good one! And it's not like we're looking to see if she has any sexy pictures—”
"Ryuji!" Makoto exclaimed, looking rather horrified. "My sister… she's not like that, okay?!"
She sighed, wrapping an arm around her. Ken pursed his lips at that. He didn’t want Makoto to be uncomfortable but… he had to admit that Ryuji and Futaba had a point.
He supposed, the police were gunning after them anyway… and it’s not like Futaba hasn’t already invaded privacy of several others, and considering she admitted to being the original founder of Medjed…
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Despite the logic, he wasn’t comfortable with it either; what if she got caught? But… if they kept worrying about things like that, they wouldn’t be Phantom Thieves in the first place.
He hung his head and let out another sigh. “I… suppose you guys have a point.”
"Well… alright…” Makoto relented. “I'll… I'll… do it. I don't know when my sister will come home though."
"Don't rush. I mean, if she's away, she could be strategizing… or something. Just make sure to be careful about it. We don’t need this tomorrow morning or something,” Ren advised, before his trademark smirk appeared. “I don’t need you rushing in like you did with Kaneshiro."
“Ah yes, no need for repeats of reckless endangerment. Though at least your sister isn’t mafia,” Yusuke said bluntly despite his sincere smile.
Makoto glared at them both and slightly pouted, but didn’t retort. Everyone let out a quiet snicker except for Futaba who just looked at everyone confused. But Ken couldn’t help but eye Makoto with sympathy.
It’s too bad they didn’t know anyone close to the SIU to look into this. That way Makoto wouldn’t have to take this risk. But their hands were tied, as much as he hated to admit it, Futaba’s plan did make the most sense.
"I’ll be careful," Makoto said instead, and took the USB from Futaba.
But despite her agreement, Ken still felt uneasy. But there wasn’t much they could do at this stage regarding her.
He didn't know the whole story with Niijima-san but, he had already seen what Makoto is like with her sister. He could only hope that Makoto wouldn’t get caught. If she did… he doubted that Niijima-san’s reaction would be pretty.
Friday, September 2nd, 2016
You would think with a day to talk about the Phantom Thieves would be enough. But apparently not. In all honesty, Ken found it… disturbing. Surely, there was something else to talk about?
This interest… it wasn't natural. People talked like they were almost in a fever. It felt almost suffocating.
Ken stood up, making Makoto glance at him in surprise.
Makoto studied him closely, concern in her red eyes. "Ken, what's wrong?"
"It… it's nothing." Ken winced, forcing himself to smile so to reassure her. "I need some air."
"Are you feeling sick?" Makoto pressed.
"No, it's just… I need a break," Ken said wearily.
Makoto's eyes swept over to their gossiping classmates. Her expression then filled with understanding. She gave him a nod, placing a hand lightly over her chest as she let out a breath.
"I agree with that," she said quietly. "Can I come with you, then?"
Ken just smiled at her. "You don't even have to ask."
They ended up going to the roof, and Ken found himself staring at the skyline. Shujin offered a nice view, but it really highlighted how big Tokyo was. You could see everything on Port Island if you stood on the roof of Gekkoukan—not so much here.
"What's on your mind?" Makoto asked, a worried expression worn on her face.
"Um… a lot actually.” Ken felt his shoulders slump.
Makoto just gave him a nod, encouraging him to elaborate. Ken sighed before wrapping an arm around himself.
"Everyone seems to be expecting us to go for someone even bigger than Medjed.” Ken placed another hand on the fence, fingers squeezing around the steel wire. “Their expectations are… suffocating. And… It's kinda stupid, but I found myself thinking about Port Island, looking out here."
"It's not stupid. You grew up there, didn't you? All your life?" Makoto looked at him straight in the eye. "There's nothing wrong with missing Port Island. You must have fond memories there."
Ken had a bit of a wistful smile on his face. Despite all that happened, Port Island was home. Home to so many wonderful memories. So many good ones that outweighed the bad ones. Besides… it was Mom’s home too.
"I did. Just a couple nights before we were supposed to be fighting with Nyx, we went on a walk. We ended up at the local shrine.” Ken couldn’t help but reminisce. “There was a playground built right next there, so we kinda… stayed there. Akihiko-san scolded me for going down the slide in a 'boring' way."
A snicker then escaped his lips.
Akihiko-san’s stunt had caused a commotion. Mitsuru-san had scolded him, while Minako-san and Junpei-san egged him on to do another round. Minato-san had shaken his head in exasperation while Yukari-san grumbled about him catching a cold.
"He took off his shirt in the middle of the winter, too. He thought he could use it to slide down faster."
"Akihiko-san sounds like a… character." Makoto covered her mouth with a hand, a small snort escaped despite her best efforts. "He's childhood friends with Shinjiro-san… right?"
This time Ken let out a snort, while shaking his head.
"Yeah, that's right. They would get into the silliest arguments…" Ken mused. "Like, who could open a pickle jar the fastest. I think one time they tried to see who withstand standing next to a furnace the longest."
"I… I can't imagine that," Makoto laughed, only for her expression to grow somber. "Hey, Ken? Do you… regret coming to Tokyo? Getting entangled with all of this…"
Ken immediately shook his head.
He replied, "I don't. I… I know this isn't the safest thing to do but it… feels right. Besides…"
He glanced in her direction, giving her a smile.
"I wouldn't have met you and everyone else if I had stayed on Port Island,” he said sincerely. “And for that… I’m grateful."
Makoto’s expression softened. A small smile on her face. She placed a hand on the steel wire fence as well. Then she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, opening her mouth, about to say something.
But before she could speak, the door suddenly opened, and out stepped Haru-san. She blinked at them.
"Oh… I didn't expect anyone to be here…"
"Hello, Haru-san," Makoto greeted. "Are you here to tend to the flowers?"
Haru-san shook her head, a polite smile on her lips.
"Actually, I'm here for the vegetables!" She beamed, pride shining in her eyes. "The first crop should be ready for harvest!"
Ken looked over to see that she had indeed cultivated quite an impressive crop of vegetables. The tomatoes especially were impressive, plump and round, the skin a brilliant shade of red.
"Wow… these look incredible," Makoto complimented. "You grew them all by yourself!"
"Mm-hm!" Her head bobbed, before clasping her hands behind her back. "All natural too!"
"They must be full of nutrients…" Ken mused.
Makoto giggled next to him.
"Shinjiro-san would approve, no?" Makoto asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Hm?" Haru-san tilted her head. "Who would that be?"
"He's my guardian. He likes to cook. He's trying to save up money to open up a restaurant at some point,” Ken explained.
"Oh!" Haru-san’s eyes lit up. "If he's really such a good cook, why don't you bring some of the vegetables to him? I would love to hear some input from a cook!"
"I didn't mean…" Ken began to protest, but she was already plucking a couple of the ripest tomatoes from the vine. "Shouldn't you be taking them? You grew them…"
"I insist," she added, holding them out to Ken. "Tell me what your guardian thinks!"
"But—" Ken tried to protest again.
However, Makoto caught his eye and gave a small shake of her head. He sighed, before accepting the tomatoes.
"Very well. I'll let you know,” Ken said, trying not to sound reluctant.
"Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly at him. "Though, Amada-kun, Niijima-san…"
She tilted her head.
"What are you doing here, exactly?"
Ken and Makoto exchanged looks. Before Makoto cleared her throat.
"Well…" Makoto pursed her lips. "We just needed a break from all of the speculating about the Phantom Thieves…"
"Oh…" Haru-san bit her lip. "So… you aren't fans?"
Ken shook his head. "That's not it. We both think the Phantom Thieves' work is… admirable. It's just a bit wearisome to keep hearing the speculation of their next target like… they’re discussing a TV show."
Haru-san nodded as her expression grew pensive. She clasped a hand around one of her tomatoes before gently setting it in a basket.
“I see…” Her voice became slightly hesitant. “Then… I guess that means you haven’t submitted any names to the poll on the website… have you?”
Ken and Makoto shared an uneasy look. The poll... it honestly unnerved Ken. He had overheard people talking about just submitting their boss's name to the website, some even their parents, or teachers. That wasn't what the Phantom Thieves were meant to do...
"We haven't…" Makoto said cautiously. "What about you, Haru-san?"
She just smiled sadly. "I have. There are… so many people in this world that should have their hearts changed…"
Ken frowned. He hoped she wasn’t like the rest of their classmates… wanting to change the heart of someone for selfish and personal reasons. She didn’t seem like the type… this whole thing probably just had him on edge.
"So… it turns out that the school trip is going to be Hawaii, after all." Makoto rifled through the papers, her eyes going back and forth as she skimmed the contents. "I'm honestly surprised…"
"So who goes?" Ken asked.
"First-years and second-years. So, it doesn't really pertain to us,” she answered before she let out a laugh. "I suppose we'll have to ask the juniors to take pictures, huh?"
"Yeah, looks like it—"
Ken was interrupted by the door sliding open, revealing a woman in her early thirties with dark, unkempt hair.
"Oh, Ms. Kawakami," Makoto bowed her head in greeting. "Is there something Principal Kobayakawa needed…?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that, Niijima-san." Ms. Kawakami shook her head.
The second-year teacher then folded her arms over her chest. She took a deep breath, glancing at Ken first, then Makoto.
"But as you know… the article written about Shujin Academy has led to some suspicion. Most of the faculty is required to remain here. So… we're lacking some chaperones. You two are both dedicated students, so…" She sighed. "Will you come and be chaperones? They asked we recruit some reliable third years."
Makoto looked back at Ken, then at Ms. Kawakami. She blinked twice before clearing her throat.
“Wait, you mean both of us?” Makoto asked, with a slight head tilt.
Ms. Kawakami just nodded in response. Makoto exchanged a glance at Ken, a bit hesitant.
Makoto sighed, looking conflicted.
Ken could tell she was a bit unsure because of what was going on with her sister. He was pretty certain Mitsuru-san and the others wouldn’t be too against him going, especially if most of the group was going to be going anyway. Not much Ken could do with just Futaba and Morgana anyways.
And Makoto did say she barely saw her sister these days. Ren also did say they shouldn’t rush into this. Maybe getting away for a bit would do her some good.
Ken spoke up, "Well… if you really have need of us.”
Makoto looked to Ken in shock. He just gave her a small smile.
“I’m sure your sister won’t mind, after all this will look good on an application, I’m sure. Volunteer work for the school and all that.” Ken shrugged.
Makoto gave him a weak smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Yeah… I’m sure she’d be fine with it…” Makoto composed herself, standing straighter. “Yes, we’ll both go Ms. Kawakami. I’m sure both our guardians will approve, no problem.”
Ms. Kawakami let out the most… exhausted sigh Ken has ever heard in his life. But one tinged with relief.
"Thank you." Ms. Kawakami finally smiled, despite her slumped shoulders. "Seriously… thank you."
"I-It's no problem…" Makoto said awkwardly.
Ms. Kawakami bid them farewell, leaving them alone in the room. Ken just turned to Makoto.
"That’s seriously unprofessional of the school to ask students to fill in for teachers because they need to cover their hide about Kamoshida,” Ken said, unimpressed.
"Oh, stop." Makoto huffed. "You know that the situation is… difficult. And it's too late to cancel. You did volunteer us."
Ken gave her a weak smile.
“Yeah, sorry. I think there isn’t much we can do with losing most of the group anyway for this trip. I’m sure Mitsuru-san and the others will agree I could use a break anyway,” Ken explained. “Especially when we don’t have our next move fully planned out yet.”
Makoto hugged her books to her chest and heaved out a sigh.
“I suppose…” she frowned.
"Ren didn’t want us to rush into anything anyway, after all…" Ken pointed out. "Looks like we'll be going to Hawaii too, then. We could all use the break. Take the time we need for a breather before coming back to coordinate our next move."
“You do have a point there,” Makoto just smiled. "Let's make some good memories there then."
Sunday, September 4th, 2016
Makoto was glad Ren came with her to Shinjuku. He at least knew the area a little bit better from when he had to meet up with that reporter woman. Ren motioned for her to follow, walking up to a barker standing outside a bar, who looked extremely cheerful.
They already heard an unsavory rumor from one barker but it wasn’t enough. A rumor was a rumor. They needed something more like a witness testimony.
"Do you know a Tsukasa?" Ren asked.
The friendly looking man's face suddenly darkened.
"Tsukasa… that bastard…" he hissed out.
"So, you know him?" Makoto asked.
The barker just shook his head, obvious disgust in his face however.
"I know of him, not personally affiliated if that’s what you mean.” He sounded offended.
Ren held a hand up. “We weren’t asking that, just if you knew the name or anything you could tell us about him.”
The guy had a guarded look, then sucked in a breath. He looked really angry as his hands clenched into fists.
“It's the sake bottle trick, isn't it?" he said wearily before he dropped his hands by his sides. "Get that girl out of there. He's known for wrecking lives…”
Makoto and Ren exchanged worrisome looks.
“Sake… bottle trick?” Ren asked hesitantly.
The barker scowled. Makoto couldn’t help but grimace. She didn’t like where this was going.
“The bastard breaks a sake bottle, and then ends up selling his latest girl's life to pay it back." He then scowled. "Happened to one of my friend’s daughters… a little bit older than you, she should have been worried about college, not that shitbag."
Makoto felt a pit form in her stomach. That was just awful to hear. But… she had a chance to save Eiko.
"We have proof now." She looked at Ren. "Come on, Eiko's shift is almost over."
Ren then lightly bowed to the barker. “Thank you. We won’t let him ruin the life of another person.”
Makoto hoped that her plan worked…
She bowed to the barker as well. Then her and Ren turned on their heels and she led Ren to where she knew Eiko worked.
Eiko emerged from the building and she began to scan the crowd. Probably looking for her “boyfriend”. Her eyes finally landing on Makoto and Ren. Eiko gave a flat look.
"What do you want?" Eiko huffed, raising an eyebrow.
Makoto winced. She was still mad about her refusing to give her some money, wasn't she?
"Um… Eiko… look." She took a deep breath. "W-We did some investigating into Tsukasa. He's infamous for tricking girls into debt… and forcing them to sell themselves."
"Are you serious?" Eiko demanded, narrowing her eyes. "Ugh! I've had enough of your lying bullshit, Makoto!"
"Hey, don’t talk to her like that,” Ren snapped. “Makoto’s just worried! Look, we spoke to a couple barkers around here around here. One in particular told us some not so good things about your boyfriend. He said that Tsukasa ruined the life of his friend’s daughter."
"The money favors start off as little requests… but it'll keep piling up. Eventually, he'll ask you to sell your body!" Makoto took a step forward. "Eiko, please, reconsider your relationship with Tsukasa. I’m just worried about you—”
"Shut up!" Eiko snapped.
Her sharp tone made Makoto wince but she refused to back down. She stood up straighter, giving Eiko a serious look. Eiko just glared at her.
"Leave me alone, Makoto!" She shook her head, letting out a huff. "Forget this… I have a date with Tsukasa today, anyways."
Tsukasa suddenly waltzed up, snaking an arm around Eiko’s waist.
"Hey, did I make you wait, babe? Came a little late after your text but I guess you're already here…" He then glanced over at Makoto and Ren. "Oh, hey, I remember you guys. Want to stop by my club? It'll be a blast!"
It took every ounce of Makoto’s self control to not deck this disgusting creep. Just how old was he anyway? He had to at least be in his early twenties, if not older. Taking advantage of a high school girl like this? He was such a… honestly, she couldn’t even think of an insult right now that would be fitting. But just looking at that smirk disgusted her.
"They were lying about you, honey." Eiko frowned. "They made up all of this stuff about you tricking girls into debt… and selling themselves. But that's just a big lie, right?"
"Huh…? They seriously spouted that kind of crap?" Tsukasa shook his head, smiling at Eiko. "Listen to me… I'd never lie to you, princess."
Ren had an even expression, but his posture was very tense, while standing next to her. She didn’t blame him; this man was so slimy.
"It's always princess, isn't it?" Makoto asked, narrowing her eyes at Tsukasa. "Why don't you ever call her by her real name? Or are there too many princesses to remember by name?"
Tsukasa was silent for a moment, but then he smiled cheerfully down at Eiko.
"Come on, I know you! You just texted me, remember?" Tsukasa’s smile morphed into a grin. "I'd never forget you, Makoto."
Makoto exchanged glances with Ren. He gave her a smirk. Makoto couldn’t help but smile as well.
Hook, line, sinker.
"I knew it…" Makoto tucked her hair behind her ear. "I was the one to text you. I mimicked Eiko's texting style, so you'd think I was her. Trying to mimic how she would use emojis was a bit tricky but thankfully I studied her texting style to me to get it just right.”
She took a step forward, staring down Tsukasa.
"Admit it. Every girl you get money from is your princess. You have too many princesses that you can't even remember their names!" Makoto glared up at him.
Tsukasa gaped at her, his eyes all but bugging out. Makoto couldn’t help but feel satisfied at this.
"You see now… don't you?" Ren turned to Eiko, his expression stern. "Tsukasa is just tricking you, Eiko!"
"B-But you tricked him!" Eiko protested, shaking her head hard.
Makoto fought back a sigh. She knew that abuse victims sometimes would deny the fact that they were abused… not that he physically abused her, thank heavens. But he’d definitely been using her and lying to her. Manipulating her feelings and considering she’d ask Makoto for money… he was trying already to coerce money out of her.
Eiko was a victim of his… but she still needed her to see reason. She can’t keep deluding herself.
“Stop lying to yourself, Eiko!” Makoto begged. “What Tsukasa offered you… it’s not love!”
Eiko’s head suddenly snapped up and anger flared in her eyes.
"What do you know about love, huh?” Eiko spat. “Tsukasa is all that I have! Just leave me alone already!”
Besides her, Ren tensed up. Makoto closed her eyes for a second.
Why… Why wouldn’t she just listen?
“You’ll never know real love! Just because you go on a few dates with some bad boy from the sticks?! What do you know!?” Eiko stamped her foot. “Little Miss-Know-It-All! You think you know better than everyone else, but you don’t understand this!”
She hated this; she didn’t want to watch on helplessly again. Sae was… different; it felt like… whatever Makoto said to her, it was like… talking to a stone wall. Unchanging, unmovable.
But Eiko, she wasn’t as tangled up with this Tsukasa business; she could still get out of this web, she had a chance. His other victims didn’t get that chance yet… she just had to snap out of it.
Eiko jabbed a finger at Makoto. “You’re just jealous of us! Go crying to your boyfriend and the teachers who all worship you, Miss Perfect! Stay away from me! You’re not a real friend of mine! You just want to ruin my life! Get lost you lying… you… I hate you!”
Makoto felt as if someone dumped a bucket of ice water over her. She sucked in a sharp breath.
Without realizing it, Makoto had stepped forward before smacking Eiko. Eiko stumbled back a step, gripping her cheek.
“Damn,” Ren uttered, his voice full of awe.
But Makoto ignored that. She had Eiko to worry about still.
"Snap out of it!" Makoto pleaded. "Eiko, you're too good for him! He has you wrapped around his finger, but that's not true! 'Tsukasa is all that I have’ and ‘I’m trying to ruin your life’? Is that what you really believe? That's not true! You know it's not true! I know you’re hurt but I won’t let you push me away and ignore the truth!”
Eiko still had her hand on her cheek, hot tears started to well up in her eyes, her glare still fixed on Makoto.
“Just shut up already! You just can’t stop yourself from sticking your nose into stuff that doesn’t concern you, can’t you?!” Eiko yelled out.
“No,” Makoto said seriously. “I won’t let my friend throw her life away. I swore I would never be blinded again. Look at him, Eiko. Really look at him, Eiko! He’s not what he promised you!”
Eiko gazed at Tsukasa. The tears finally began to spill out of her eyes and she choked back a sob.
“I knew it was too good to be true. But I… I just wanted to be wanted…” Eiko then shook her head before choking back another sob. “I-It doesn’t matter anymore…!”
Without another word, she turned on her heel and fled.
“EIKO!” Makoto called out.
But Ren grabbed her wrist.
“Let her go, Makoto,” he said quietly. “We have bigger fish to fry, remember?”
“Right…”
“You think this changes anything?” Tsukasa scowled at her. “If you think I’ll take it easy on you, just because you’re a chick—you’ve got another thing coming.”
“I dare you,” Makoto goaded him, swiping her arm through the air. “I come from a long line of police officers. Do you really want to trifle with me?”
“What…?”
“Toying with people is just a game to you, isn’t it?” Ren spat out. “You’re despicable, just messing with girls like that.”
Makoto’s heart gave a squeeze. Ren was right… she hated that those girls were caught in a downspiral. Tsukasa must’ve chosen his targets well. Picking the low-hanging fruit. The girls without a support system.
It made her sick.
“So what?” Tsukasa then scowled before jabbing a finger in Makoto and Ren’s direction. “But you better sleep with one eye open. This isn’t over.”
“Whoa, did you see that?” a female passerby whispered.
Her companion nodded. “Yeah, that girl was fighting with a host. Wonder what that was about? They were really going at it…”
Makoto gulped. She could say something but… would they even be taken seriously?
“Why am I not surprised that you went lookin’ for trouble?”
Makoto jumped at the sound of Shinjiro-san’s voice.
“S-Shinjiro-san?” she stammered out. “What are you doing here?”
“Work,” he said dryly. “What about you?”
“Um…”
“Trying to help a friend,” Ren cut in smoothly.
Shinjiro-san stared hard at them. Makoto couldn’t help but squirm a little under his intense gaze. Then he glared at the gossiping onlookers. They gulped before hastening away.
“That guy’s terrifying, what’s his problem…?”
“Shhh… not so loud. C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
“Feh.” Shinjiro-san then rolled his eyes. “Come on, let’s get you outta here. But while we’re at it… why don’t you tell me the full story?”
It was phrased as a question but his tone said otherwise.
She was right, of course…
Shinjiro-san lectured them the moment they finished the story, scolding them for being reckless, not going to anyone else for help. He finally ran out of steam, when they reached the place where Shinjiro-san seemed to be heading for, a bar called Crossroads.
They were seated at the bar but the manager gave them glasses of water. She couldn’t help but feel sheepish after recounting the story.
“Well, I’m glad that we got Tsukasa away from Eiko. But still…” Ren frowned, looking troubled.
Makoto took a sip of water. “I know. We can’t let him get away with any more. But um, Ren…”
When Ren looked at her, she sighed, bowing her head.
"I'm sorry for getting all worked up like that. That's why I always try to remain composed… or else I get carried away as you saw back there…” Makoto then bit her lip. “Also… what Eiko said about you… I’m really sorry.”
Ren just smiled and waved her off. “No big deal, Makoto. I’ve heard worse.”
Makoto was about to say something but was distracted by the sound of Shinjiro-san letting out a snort.
"Usually composed and getting carried away? Reminds me of a certain someone I know," Shinjiro-san muttered under his breath.
Makoto just looked at him curiously. Who was he referring to?
But Shinjiro-san turned away, having been waved over by his boss for something.
"Seriously Makoto… it’s fine," Ren said, catching her attention. "And it’s okay to lose composure every once in a while. It’s not good to bottle up your feelings like that."
"I suppose…" Makoto pursed her lips together. "But I'm surprised that you're familiar with this. You… know so much…"
"A little too much, if you asked me," Shinjiro-san said, eyeing Ren.
Makoto ignored that jab from Shinjiro-san.
"And I know too little. You have so much more life experience than me, Ren. And you're younger than me…" She shifted in her seat. "Honestly, getting to know you and Eiko has given me a lot to think about."
No… it was her whole experience with being a Phantom Thief. Her main motivation was to help Sae but… she was grateful for the other things her experiences have taught her so far.
"There's so much you can miss by burying your head in a book…" Makoto admitted.
She then stirred the ice in her water with the straw, heaving out a sigh.
"There are just some things that you can’t get from a book or school… something you can only be taught by life…" Ren said simply. “Things you have to experience it yourself."
"Yes, even after all of this… I still struggle to reach out to people. And I still don't understand…" Makoto cut herself off, biting her lip.
Love… She didn't understand it now. She knew that Ren and Anne adored each other, that they supported each other through their own personal struggles. But… how did you know that you felt romantic attraction towards someone? Even when Ren held her hand, when he was posing as her boyfriend, she didn't really feel anything different.
Makoto stirred the ice in her drink again. “Eiko… has a point. I don’t understand love.”
"And neither did she. I think you have a better understanding than her. Makoto, you could tell she wasn’t truly being loved by someone who would appreciate her. You saw through his act from day one,” Ren pointed out.
Makoto nodded weakly before taking a sip of her drink. Ren then gave her an encouraging smile.
“And anyways… you'll find someone someday. There's no need to rush." His eyes then softened. "Trust me, when you do… it's the best feeling."
He'd know, wouldn't he? At least that was another good thing coming out of this… Ren and Anne would finally be able to date in the open. She still felt bad that they had to wait nearly a month…
"Mm… I suppose you're right—"
But then the door suddenly pushed open. Ken was standing there.
"Shinjiro-san!"
Shinjiro-san paused in pouring drinks for two people sitting in the back, setting down the bottle before he looked at his ward.
"Ken? What are you doing here?"
Ken just gave him a wry smile, before holding up a bento box. "Someone forgot their dinner today… I didn't want you to go hungry, since your shift ends at one in the morning."
There was a bigger woman in the back, dressed in a kimono, with a shorter woman with black hair, sitting in the back. The woman with the short black hair just raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, so this is the kid you're taking care of, Aragaki? He certainly looks like a smart boy,” she teased.
Ken gave his guardian an annoyed look now, before handing the box to Shinjiro-san.
“What have you been talking about behind my back?" he demanded with a huff.
The woman in the kimono just chuckled. "It's nothing bad, honey, I promise. Right, Aragaki?”
“W-Whatever…” Despite that, pink tinged at Shinjiro-san’s cheeks.
Makoto had to stifle a giggle; maybe in his own way, Shinjiro-san was bragging about Ken.
"I'll have to take your word for it," Ken sighed, before stepping closer to Makoto and Ren. "Though, what are you guys doing here? This is a bar…"
Makoto bit her lip. Ken hadn't been thrilled with what she was planning on doing before.
"Um… W-We kinda caused a scene when confronting Tsukasa…"
"He nearly hit Niijima," Shinjiro-san said flatly.
"He what?!" Ken gaped at him before his eyes darted over to Makoto. “Makoto, are you okay?! Why did he almost hit you?!”
Makoto caught his hand, which caught his attention.
"Ken, please don't," she pleaded. “He didn't lay a finger on me. It's sweet of you to be worried, but I'm okay."
Ken looked down at her, pink flushing his cheeks, but he didn't pull away. Makoto just heard Ren sipping his water rather loudly next to her, however. Why was he doing that? She would scold him for bad table manners if it wasn't for the fact that she was talking to Ken.
"As long as you're okay," he finally said, before he sighed. "But Makoto, I really wish you wouldn't be so reckless…"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shinjiro-san staring incredulously at them. Why was he looking at them like that?
Ren just gave Ken a playful smile. "You could use a walk on the wild side once in a while, you know."
"Hell no," Shinjiro-san said flatly.
He glared at Ren but Ren just shrugged it off, taking another sip of water. This time his sip was much quieter.
"Ken makes me worry enough already. I don't need you to fill ideas like that in his head," he griped.
Ken just rolled his eyes at his guardian before snarking, "Thank you for having so much faith in me."
"But you should get home," Shinjiro-san said, ignoring Ken’s complaint. "It's gonna get dark sooner than later."
"Okay, Dad," Ren said teasingly, all while flashing his trademark grin at him.
"Watch it, Amamiya," Shinjiro-san snapped, before glowering at Ren.
Shinjiro-san snatched Ren’s empty water glass, fixing his glare on Ren while cleaning it. Ren just snickered.
"Are you two children done?" Ken deadpanned.
"Okay, okay, I'm done." Ren held up his hands with a chuckle before he looked at Makoto. "Like I said… you don't have to rush, Makoto."
Ken looked back and forth between Ren and Makoto, confusion in his eyes.
"Rush…?" Ken frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"U-Um, it’s really not a big deal!" Makoto blurted out, feeling her face flush for some reason.
The idea of Ken knowing what they were talking about was… embarrassing. He'd probably think it was silly since he didn’t have an interest in dating.
"Okay…?" Ken asked slowly.
His brows crinkled; he was clearly still puzzled. But he was willing to let it slide, at least.
"It’s going to be getting late soon," Shinjiro-san said. "You don't want to be in Shinjuku at night."
"Well, if that's the case, why don't we head home together, then?" Ken suggested.
"You're right…" Makoto agreed, before she stood up. She then bowed before the adults. "Thank you for having us."
"Oh, it's nothing." The woman in the kimono waved her hand. "Besides…"
She nodded in Ren's direction before giving a wry smile.
"He's no stranger here, after all. He's always helping Ichiko-chan.” She gave a little wink.
“Oi, Aragaki, my cup table is looking dry…” the dark-haired woman whined but she turned to Ren. “I hope to see you soon with some more scoops, don’t let me down.”
The woman in the kimono chuckled and rolled her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Learn to be patient already!” Shinjiro-san barked as he grabbed the drinks for the two women.
Ken then looked back at the woman, then back to Ren, blinking three times.
"What are they talking about?" Ken asked with a flat look.
Ren sighed, giving Ken an annoyed look as he crossed his arms over his chest. “This again? Chill out, Ken, I’m literally just giving her intel about the Phantom Thieves for her work. Her sources have been dried up.”
Ken grumbled, “Why meet her in a bar?”
“Her idea, not mine,” Ren said as he put his hands in his pockets.
Ken huffed, blowing his bangs out of his face. Makoto couldn’t help but awkwardly feel out of place all of a sudden.
“She’s not yakuza, is she?” Ken deadpanned.
Ren rolled his eyes. “For the last time, he left that life behind and is legit.”
Makoto slightly tilted her head and gave a weak smile, not sure how she could jump in to defend Ren. He really did have… unusual choices in allies outside of the Phantom Thieves.
“I’m… not even going to comment on what I just heard…” Shinjiro-san pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Ohya’s choices in sources aside… you should really head home.”
The woman in the kimono nodded. “Yes, it is getting late. It’s not safe for young’uns like you. Should I walk you to the train station?”
“No, no, we’re fine.” Makoto waved her hands. “You’ve been more than enough accommodating! Thank you…”
She trailed off, realizing that she never caught her name.
“Lala-chan, dear,” she supplied kindly.
“Thank you, Lala-san.” Makoto bowed. “We really appreciate you letting us stay here.”
“It’s no problem. After what Aragaki told me, it’s the least I can do.” She beamed down at her.
After Ren thanked Lala-san as well and waved to the woman in the back who happily took the drink from Shinjiro-san. The woman gave Ren a little peace sign, and told him to be on the lookout for her next article. Ren thanked them all again before walking out.
Makoto and Ken followed after him.
“Hey…” Makoto trailed off. “Will Tsukasa keep at it, though?”
Ren frowned. “Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised. He was tricking girls into debt and forcing them to pay it off… trafficking them…”
Ken folded his arms over his chest.
“I’m pretty sure everyone else would agree that he’s a suitable target.”
Ren then nodded. “Yeah, we can talk to everyone tomorrow. And well… you haven’t seen Mementos yet, Ken.”
Ken just lifted a brow.
“Something tells me this will be interesting.”
Tuesday, September 6th, 2016
Ken sat down by Ren’s work bench. Ren had called a meeting in the attic of Leblanc. Makoto and Anne were sitting on the sofa. Ryuji was leaning against the window, next to Ken. Yusuke was eyeing some new decorations Ren had on a shelf in the corner. Ren was sitting on his bed, next to Futaba, who had Morgana in her lap.
"Should we really be doing this today? You're leaving for Hawaii tomorrow!" Morgana’s tone was more worried despite the frustrated expression on his face.
Ren just shrugged. "You overheard what I said to Makoto and Ken yesterday in the bag, didn’t you? We can’t put this off. I want to get Tsukasa to fess up. Not to mention… there’s all the other targets.”
"I guess you have a point," Morgana grumbled. "You shouldn't put it off so much! And you’re gonna be so tired on the flight!"
"It'll be fine," Ren dismissed, waving his hand. "Though, Ken… I have a question for you."
"What is it?" Ken asked.
"Your Evoker," Ren said carefully. “I still can’t wrap my head around how you guys use it…”
“Yeah it’s…” Anne hesitated for a moment. “It’s… intense. You guys gotta be in that mindset to make it work!”
“No offense… it’s kinda creepy if you ask me,” Ryuji mumbled out.
Yusuke shuddered. "I'll stick to our method, thanks."
"Right, because ripping off the mask from your skin hard enough that you bleed profusely is completely painless," Ken said dryly. "No method of awakening to your Persona is… harmless. You have to confront yourself, in order to tame your Shadow."
Truth be told, Ken didn’t prefer either method. It still came naturally to him, even if that black-masked Persona-user had stopped from using it during their battle.
"Though I'm guessing that all of you confronted death. Outside of the mindset of the Evokers… I mean…" Makoto looked uneasy at that.
"More or less," Ken said. "A lot of us in SEES… had lost someone they had loved. Fuuka-san and Junpei-san were the two exceptions, but they didn't have a happy childhood either way…"
He trailed off at that, biting his lip.
"That's why you care about them so much, huh?" Futaba asked. "Because you guys didn't have anyone else…"
"Yeah," Ken said.
He was reluctant to say more, given how everyone was still unsure about the Shadow Operatives.
Hopefully, someday… they would realize that the Shadow Operatives weren't so different from the Phantom Thieves. They were all taking steps in order to ease Minato-san's burden, even just a little bit.
"Ken… can I…" Makoto bit her lip. "Can I try using the Evoker? It may be morbid but I'm curious. To see what it's like."
She wanted to what? Then again, Makoto had been interested in how they were able to determine the potential…
"Do we really have to focus on this?" Morgana grumbled. "The past is the past…"
"It would be useful if we could summon in the real world," Yusuke pointed out, before he winced. "Though the method itself… would be difficult to use, I'd find. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable utilizing an Evoker."
“Yeah…” Futaba mumbled, looking down.
They all seemed to wince. Futaba was getting better every day but… it probably lingered on her mind still. Ken cleared his throat.
“So, um… Mementos?” Ken spoke up, hoping to change the subject.
Morgana nodded. “So, think of the people we find here as… mini-Palace rulers. They’ve become distorted but not distorted enough to form a Palace yet. If we don’t change their hearts, however, they very may well form Palaces.”
“I see…” Ken leaned his elbow against Ren’s work bench.
Shadow nests really did come in all shapes and forms, didn’t they?
“And we’ve had an agreement that we will always go in as a team,” Anne added. “And there has to be a mutual agreement for us to target someone.”
It was good to hear they had rules for smaller targets like this too, not just their big ones. Further proof that he was right when he told Shinjiro-san and Mitsuru-san they could all be trusted.
"Okay, we have a lot of targets today," Morgana announced. "We have the couple blackmailing Kawakami, a boss abusing his employees, a person attacking innocent cats, and Ohya's boss trying to silence her…"
Ken’s eyes widened. Ms. Kawakami and Ohya-san, too?
Ohya-san didn’t appear so distressed when he met up with Ren and Makoto previously. Even told him to keep an eye out for her next paper. She could be referring to Medjed… but Ken couldn’t help but worry maybe she suspected… he shook his head. She would have probably put the name of her boss onto the website. No need to jump to conclusions.
"And someone who's trying to shut down areas of Yongen-jaya for development and a gamer using cheats," Ren continued. "And lastly… Tsukasa Sumisawa, who almost scammed Makoto's friend, Eiko."
Makoto winced. “I checked the site before we met up, Eiko posted about Tsukasa too.”
Oh… that was good to hear. Maybe she had a change of heart, then (no pun intended).
"Jeez…" Anne huffed, shaking her head, "…seven targets. You've let them pile up, Ren."
Ren just smirked at her.
"You mean like you let your summer homework pile up?" he asked innocently.
"Yeah, exactly—" Anne paused before blushing bright red. She then glared at Ren. "Hey!"
Ren just gave her a mischievous grin. "Just speaking the truth."
"You shouldn't bully your girlfriend," Anne said sulkily.
Ryuji just snickered; Anne told him he’s a hypocrite for laughing at her. Before an argument could start up, Makoto coughed, giving them a pointed look. They both ducked their heads, muttering out an apology.
"So we’re agreed? Let's do this, then," Morgana said firmly.
The keyword was simply Mementos, which was… surprising, considering the hoops they had to jump through in order to access Futaba's Palace. Not to mention the research they had to do for Kaneshiro.
But Morgana did say it was different from Palaces.
Mementos turned out to be a subway. This was strange, but then again, Gekkoukan High turned into a mysterious tower at the stroke of midnight. He couldn't really judge.
Blue flames swept over them, replacing their school uniforms (and Futaba's street clothes) into their thief outfits.
Futaba twisted around, examining her outfit. "Huh. This will take a while to get used to."
"This is Mementos?" Ken asked, looking around. "Not sure what I was expecting… but this wasn't exactly it."
"Well, it's not exactly that Tartarus you explained to us," Ryuji said, shrugging. "But yeah. This is Mementos. Not terribly exciting like Palaces, but yeah. This is the place where we fill requests."
Though… he wasn't so sure about that. If anything, it did kind of remind him of Tartarus.
There was the question of what exactly Fuuka-san had detected originally. If Mementos was everyone's Palace, and they had an easier access to the place… wouldn't it make sense that Juno would be able to sense Mementos more easily?
Well… either way, he'd have to see. At least he didn't have to worry about running into the Reaper here. The Reaper had been just… the stuff of nightmares. He was pretty sure that those encounters had shaved off at least a decade of his life.
"The Shadows…" Ken said slowly, "they're like in the Palaces, right?"
Morgana just stared blankly at him. "What else would they look like?"
"Well…" Ken folded his arms. "You know how I talked about the full moon Shadows?"
"Dude, those sound kinda freaky," Ryuji commented. "They're closer to what we had seen with the Palace hosts except for Futaba's, but still different."
Ken nodded. "Yeah… Minato-san and Minako-san, they had never tried to talk to the Shadows we fought. They… were a bit strange, to be honest."
"We've fought pixies, angels, a freaking demon on a toilet—"
"I'm not gonna ask." Ken shook his head.
But then again, some of the Personas Minato-san and Minako-san had used were… bizarre.
Like… Mara.
"But yeah…” Ken continued to explain, “some of the Shadows we had fought were strange. We had fought Shadows who had looked like a tank…"
Not to mention the Justice and Chariot Shadows… Though Ken decided to refrain from elaborating on that.
Ren had a curious look in his eyes. He turned to Ken, with his hands in his pockets.
"But you said they had the Wild Card ability. How did they gain their Personas, then?" Ren asked with a frown.
"I'm guessing that you went into the blue room? The Velvet Room," Ken said.
"The… Velvet Room?" Anne repeated with a frown.
Everyone else had quizzical looks but Ren outright gaped at Ken.
"What the… How do you know about that, Ken?" Ren asked.
Ken just winced, running his fingers through his hair. "It's a long story, but the entire group of SEES had visited the Velvet Room at one place… shortly after Minato-san had died."
Ken had to fight the urge to grimace.
The Abyss of Time… That had been a difficult but necessary ordeal…
"Just how many more 'long stories' do you have?" Makoto raised an eyebrow at him.
"Two more, I guess," Ken answered. "But another time, okay? We're wasting time, aren't we?"
Technically three if he wanted to talk about the incident with the Midnight Stage. Mitsuru-san had not been happy about how the Investigation Team had just jumped into things. She had griped about the trouble that had given her for two weeks…
Though honestly, the idea of it was strange. Purging Shadows by dancing? The mere idea was ridiculous.
"Dude, what the hell have you seen…" Ryuji grumbled.
"Yeah, I want to know what crazy thing that you've seen that makes a talking cat seem normal," Futaba piped up. "But anyways, Ace's got a point. Give me a sec!"
Blue flames swept away her goggles, as she summoned her Persona. Necronomicon lowered its tentacles, pulling in the depths of the UFO.
"Did another area open up?" Yusuke asked. "Since we've taken the Treasure of another Palace…"
"Yep!" Futaba answered. "Though, from what you guys told me about this place… I have a different theory as to why it keeps expanding."
"What do you mean?" Morgana questioned.
"It's more like… the more people try to search up the Phantom Thieves. The greater presence we have in people's cognition. That's what's expanding Mementos. Not just us taking Treasures."
Makoto rubbed her chin and let out a thoughtful hum. She tapped her foot lightly, in deep thought.
“Well, that does make sense." Then she glanced at Morgana. "Though, I do think that Morgana's theory did make sense with the information we had at the time…"
"I guess…" Morgana grumbled. "But… yeah. Let's get going. We cleared about thirty floors when we last visited, so we should try and explore as much of the new area as possible."
Ken couldn’t help but frown. This seemed to be a touchy subject for Morgana. Before he could say something, Anne’s voice distracted him from his thoughts.
"Ugh… I wonder how much further we have left. It feels like it drags on forever," Anne sighed.
Guess he shouldn't say just how tall Tartarus was. If he remembered right, a block alone was about fifty floors high. Though to be fair, they could only scale about twenty-five floors each month.
"Enough comments from the peanut gallery," Ren laughed. "Morgana?"
Morgana nodded, before he leapt into the air and transformed into his bus form.
It was Ken's turn to stare blankly as everyone started to climb inside. "What are you doing?"
"Did you expect us to walk through Mementos?" Yusuke inquired, tilting his head. "Mementos is quite large, I assure you. It's convenient that we have Mona's alternate form."
"If you say so…"
Ken couldn’t help but think how much SEES would have wanted a Mona-bus to make exploring through Tartarus easier. He could already hear Junpei-san complaining how unfair it was.
"Ugh, just get in the bus, Ace!" Futaba shouted, sticking her head out of the door. "Stop flapping your jaws and get in! Times a ‘wasting!"
Mementos was… interesting. Like Tartarus, the different areas seemed to be color coded. But as they continued to descend, the area grew more… twisted.
This area had become purple, but that wasn't the disturbing part. The Mementos floors had rail tracks, twisting and winding through the area. But this area… the rail tracks looked more skeletal.
At least it wasn't hard on the eyes like the fifth block of Tartarus, dubbed the disco block by Minako-san and Junpei-san. The bright colors had just… seared his eyes.
But even then… Ken couldn't help but feel uneasy. Just what was Mementos hiding…?
The targets put up a fight, though he couldn't say the same about the Shadows that had roamed Mementos. He had recognized Shadows that both came from Kaneshiro and Futaba's Palaces.
"Okay… last stop," Ren announced. "The cheater was a bust, so I'm guessing all of you are raring to bust heads, right?"
"Hell yeah we are!" Ryuji cheered.
"Let's get going." Makoto's expression grew determined. "Tsukasa must pay for his crimes."
"He's seriously scum," Anne spat. "Using and manipulating girls like that!"
Ren nodded. "Right! Let's get him!"
Ren led the way, revealing a man in his late twenties cloaked in a black and red aura.
"Money, money, money!" he chanted. "It's not my fault that girls these days are so stupid! My princesses… they make me rich as a king!"
Ken couldn’t help but the twisted feeling in his gut. What a sick man. And this is the guy that tried to start something with Ren and Makoto? Thank goodness they saved Makoto’s friend from him. But now they needed to make sure no other girl would be manipulated by this creep ever again.
Makoto scowled. "We'll make you pay!"
"No… you'll be the ones who will pay!"
His form trembled before transforming into what Ken recognized as Pazuzu.
"Joker, I think its weakness will be ice or bless!" Ken shouted.
"Go for it, then, Ace!" Ren extended a hand towards the Shadow.
Ken tore off his mask. "Kala-Nemi!"
Light surged forward, knocking the Shadow to the ground.
"Nicely done, Ace!" Futaba crowed. "Get him, guys!"
"Joker?" Ken prompted.
"Let's do it!" Ren nodded firmly.
They lunged forward, attacking the Shadow ferociously, but it was still standing when they pulled back.
"Ha!" the Shadow growled. "Take this!"
Shadowy energy exploded, the force sending Ken skidding backwards. The Shadow laughed, before leaping in the air and slamming down on the ground. The attack sent Ken flying backwards.
He heard a loud crack; the back of his head felt warm, and the fabric felt a bit sticky on his neck. Was he bleeding?
"Ace!" Futaba shrieked. "Someone help him! He's not doing too well…"
He felt… so dizzy. His vision was blurring. White and blue spots dotted his vision as well.
"Ace!"
He was vaguely aware of the sound of Johanna's engine revving, before Makoto knelt in front of him.
"Hang on, Ace…" she murmured, putting a hand on the back of his head. "Diarama!"
The pain lessened and he stopped feeling blood dripping from the back of his head. But he still felt really light-headed.
"Look out!" Futaba warned. "He's using Mudoon!"
He wasn't sure what happened next, but he felt a rush of air before he felt himself being set down on the ground again. Ken slowly blinked, before his cheeks became flushed. Makoto had… carried him?
"Ace, are you okay now?"
"Y-Yeah…"
Dammit, why was he stuttering? Ken quickly shook his head.
"Come on, let's get back to the fight.” He quickly got back to his feet.
Makoto's hand clenched into a fist as her red eyes darkened with anger. "Yeah! Let’s get him!"
The fight dragged on longer than what he had expected, since most of the targets they had fought today had been weaker than them.
But eventually Shadow Tsukasa fell, reverting to his human form.
"What… what have I done?"
"Fallen victim to your greed," Yusuke said firmly. “And preyed on innocent women who did not deserve your vile manipulations.”
"You understand what you've done is wrong now, don't you?" Makoto demanded. "What you did to Eiko… and countless other girls… it's unforgivable!"
"What should I do now then?" The Shadow asked.
"Repent," Ren said.
"I… I suppose you're right. It's the least I can do with what I've done…"
The Shadow then disappeared, leaving behind a pair of gauntlets.
"At least you get a nice pair of gloves out of this." Ren waved it at Makoto.
Makoto let out a chuckle, putting both hands behind her back.
"Yes… but…" She bit her lip. "I hope that Eiko will be okay."
"Hey." Anne put a hand on her arm, giving her a reassuring smile. "Eiko submitted him as a target. I’m sure you'll patch things up with Eiko. Just give it time."
Makoto offered her a small smile. "Thank you, Anne."
"So, Joker, what should we do now?" Yusuke asked as they walked outside. "Continue forward?"
"Nah…" Ren shook his head. "We're all pretty beat. There’s a flight most of us have to make tomorrow. And besides that, we spent a long-time fighting Tsukasa's Shadow. We might attract the Reaper."
Ken froze and just… blinked. He blinked again. And again. Opening his mouth, shutting it, then blinked again.
“Um… Ace? Is there a reason you’re resembling an owl with all that blinking?” Futaba asked.
Ken flushed red before coughing.
"W-What do you mean the Reaper's here, too?!" Ken finally blurted out.
Everyone in the group turned to look at him, all equally puzzled. Ren then spoke up.
Ren blinked slowly at him. "Too? The Reaper ran around in Tartarus?"
"Yes…" Ken grumbled. "Nearly killed us too many times…"
He still remembered how terrifying it had been the first time he had encountered Reaper. He had tripped over his feet, trying to run from the Reaper. Shinjiro-san had rushed to grab Ken, refusing to put Ken down until they were safe in the next floor.
It was official. Mementos was definitely what Fuuka-san had sensed…
"Well, in that case, let's get going then! Definitely don’t wanna run into that Shadow!" Anne said, before she stretched. "I'm beat…"
"At least we'll sleep like babies tonight. Though we probably could use that on the flight to Hawaii…" Ryuji chuckled.
Ren just laughed. "Let's go home, guys."
Notes:
Bit of a filler chapter, basically covering the start of school to the Hawaii trip. The Hawaii chapter will be fun, though.
And happy late birthday, Yusuke!
Edit Notes (12/3/24): Small expansions of certain scenes, like with the Makoto Rank 9 scene. A big thank you to my wonderful beta angelrin89.
Chapter 21: Ch. 20: Aloha!
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves head to Hawaii for their school trip.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Wednesday, September 7th, 2016
Group Chat: Former SEES
[Junpei Iori]: Dude, the fact that Shujin gets to go to HAWAII of all places
[Junpei Iori]: IS SUPER UNFAIR
[Minako Sanada]: I’ve gotta say I’m kinda jelly :(
[Yukari Takeba]: Why are you complaining…?
[Yukari Takeba]: I mean, we went to Yakushima. Multiple times!
[Junpei Iori]: BUT HAWAII YUKA-TAN
[Junpei Iori]: HAWAII!!!
[Yukari Takeba]: ugh you’re unbelievable -_-
[Akihiko Sanada]: Ken, you should try and set an alarm! Get up then, so you don’t get jet lag
Leave it to Akihiko-san to say that. Ken couldn’t help but chuckle to himself reading Junpei-san’s reaction. Maybe it would take the sting away if he got Junpei-san and everyone else a souvenir.
Ken snorted to himself again, reading over the banter once more, before tapping out a reply and then stowing away his phone. He wouldn’t be missing out on much.
“So… where exactly are we going?” Ren asked, catching his attention. They had met up at the airport and were now waiting in the sitting area for their flight. “Hawaii has multiple islands, doesn’t it?”
Makoto glanced at him, taking her eyes off the itinerary sheet she was given.
“Oahu. It’s where the capital Honolulu is located. There are some historical landmarks…” she started to answer before hesitating. “Such as Pearl Harbor.”
“Pearl Harbor, huh…” Ren winced.
Ken couldn’t help but grimace as well. It wasn’t… a pleasant part of history.
Ren then sighed. “I guess it makes sense that they’d pick that kind of area for a school trip. Gotta educate us somehow.”
“At least they won’t be dragging us from temple to temple, like we did last year.” Ken rubbed the back of his neck. “Kyoto wasn’t the most exciting place to go to. The hot springs were nice, at least.”
But at least Ken didn’t have a traumatizing experience like Minato-san, Akihiko-san, and Junpei-san apparently had.
“You’d think an elite school like Gekkoukan would be able to come up with a better trip,” Makoto mused.
“Well, sometimes Port Island is the school trip. One of Inaba’s schools had a partnership of sorts with Gekkoukan, so they come to visit Port Island around October. There’s been talks of a student exchange program, even…” Ken explained.
“Port Island is pretty famous already,” Makoto mused.
“Maybe we can visit someday,” Ren suggested. “What do you think, Anne?”
Ren turned to her. Anne simply let out a yawn before she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.
“I’m so sleepy. Thank god that the flight is on time at least…” she mumbled out.
Ren just laughed, before wrapping an arm around her waist and then kissing the crown of her head. “You should sleep on the plane. It’s what—six hours long?”
“More or less,” Ken replied. “Ms. Kawakami mentioned that it’ll be around mid-afternoon when we make it to the hotel. But that’s no surprise. International flights are always late, to accommodate the time change.”
“Jet lag is gonna suck though,” Ren remarked.
Anne leaned against his shoulder to rest her head, even just for a little while.
“I don’t even know what the time change is, now that I think about it…” Ren said.
“Probably close to half a day,” Ken sighed. “So better get ready for a long ride…”
Hawaii… a completely different country, even though Hawaii was separated from the main United States by the kilometers of ocean. Regardless, it was exciting to visit another country. They’ve had trips before, but always within Japan.
Plus, it’d be nice to take a little break from hearing about Phantom Thieves. He was tired of the constant speculation and hero-worship. Sure, his fellow Shujin students still might discuss it, but they’d probably be more preoccupied with this school trip to focus on that.
He was just grateful Makoto did get a chance to get that data that Futaba needed before they left. Futaba could focus on that with Morgana while they went on the trip.
Makoto spoke up. “It’s a pity that Morgana couldn’t come…”
Ken couldn’t help but frown. He noticed Ren had a heavy frown as well, but quickly masked it with a carefree smile.
“What, and get me busted for trying to smuggle a cat onto a plane?” Ren huffed out a laugh, before he shook his head.
He wanted to ask if Morgana was alright, but then hesitated. Morgana didn’t like pity, he had his pride. Even if he wasn’t here to scold Ken for it. It was understandable to be disappointed but there wasn’t really anything they could do in this scenario.
Ken shook his head, deciding he shouldn’t make it a bigger deal. Morgana had Futaba to keep him company and they would focus on data Futaba was cracking.
“And yet you find it okay to sneak him to school,” Ken said instead, in a rather dry tone.
“Hey, it’s way easier to hide that. I don’t have to dodge airport security first off…” Ren retorted. “But seriously, my record can’t take another hit. And Futaba promised me to take care of him while she works on decrypting whatever Makoto had copied onto the drive for her. Besides, Sojiro is a total softie for him too. So he’ll be okay.”
Makoto winced. “That’s true…”
“I’m impressed you managed to sneak Morgana into a theater that one time,” Ken mused. “Minato-san and Minako-san had tried with Koromaru, but they ended up getting kicked out of the theater.”
“Well Morgana is smaller, can fit into a bag after all,” Ren snorted.
Anne lifted her head from Ren’s shoulder to snicker. “Everyone in SEES are dog people, huh?”
“It’s hard not to love Koromaru.” Ken shrugged.
“I can’t argue with that logic.” Anne giggled, pressing a hand to her cheek. “He must have been even cuter back then.”
Makoto shook her head. “I can’t believe that an ordinary dog is a Persona-user, though. The concept is just… mind boggling.”
“Ren carts around a talking cat who can turn into a bus in the other world,” Ken said dryly, raising an eyebrow at her. “How do you think I feel?”
“Point taken…” she conceded.
Makoto then raised an eyebrow at Ren and Anne.
“Though, I’d watch it if I were you two. Our classmates will talk if you two continue to act like that,” Makoto said with worry. “I know that the thing with Eiko cleared up, but I assumed that you would wait a little longer until you were open about your relationship...”
“Let them talk,” Anne grumbled, tossing her head.
Ren just narrowly missed being smacked by one of her pigtails. Ken held back a snort when seeing that.
Anne huffed, while snuggling up to Ren more, “They thought that Ren and I had a thing from day one, after all…”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far,” Ren said.
He then smiled fondly at Anne.
“But I am looking forward to spending some free time with Anne. I mean, Hawaii is a top choice for honeymoons for a reason,” he said, his tone turning flirtatious.
“More like that he was looking forward to seeing Anne in her swimsuit again,” Ken snarked to himself.
Anne just playfully gave him a shove. “Watch it, mister.”
Makoto coughed into her hand. “I don’t mean to change the topic, but… where is Ryuji?”
Makoto took a quick look around, but Anne was the only blonde in the vicinity. Ken glanced around as well, looking for Mishima-san, seeing if maybe Ryuji was with him. His eyes spotted Mishima-san talking with Ms. Kawakami, but no Ryuji.
“He’s late…” She frowned in concern. “We’ll have to check in soon…”
As if her words had summoned him, Ryuji suddenly appeared, all but tripping over his feet.
“Speak of the devil…” Ken muttered to Makoto.
Makoto shot him an amused look but before she could say anything, Ryuji spoke up.
“Crap, I’m sorry!” he gasped out, keeling over and grasping his knees, as he panted for air. “Didn’t mean to make a mad dash like that…”
Makoto just folded her arms over her chest, staring at him sternly. “Where have you been?”
Ken was honestly surprised that she wasn’t tapping her foot out of impatience.
Ryuji was still trying to catch his breath, but he did have an apologetic look on his face while Makoto stared him down.
“Punctuality is a virtue, Ryuji,” she said, her tone turning lecturing.
“A virtue that Ryuji lacks,” Anne couldn’t help but quip, making Ren snicker.
“Sorry, sorry…” He straightened up before he held up his hands. “I got too excited last night, couldn’t sleep at all. So, I…”
He rubbed the back of his neck before letting out a sheepish chuckle.
“I kinda stayed up the whole night playing games…” he mumbled out.
“Really?” Anne shifted away from Ren, staring at him unamused. “Staying up late then sleeping in… on a day where we’re getting away on a trip?”
Ken found himself staring at Ryuji’s bag. Sure, Shinjiro-san had only packed a duffel bag when he visited Port Island in August, but he had some of his belongings back at the apartment on Port Island.
“Did you even pack enough, Ryuji?” Ken inquired.
“Whataya mean, Ken?” Ryuji scrunched up his face. “Dude, we’re only staying four nights! This is plenty!”
To punctuate his point, Ryuji gave his bag a firm pat. Ken couldn’t help but give him a skeptical look.
“He’ll make it work,” Ren said, with a shrug.
“See?” Ryuji slung an arm around Ren’s shoulder with a wide grin. “I knew that RenRen would have my back!”
“Any time, buddy.” Ren grinned at him in return.
Anne just turned unamused eyes onto her boyfriend, displeased with how he was enabling Ryuji’s carefreeness. Ken just sighed to himself. He hoped that Ryuji was right, for his sake.
“There you are.” Ms. Kawakami then approached them. “We’ll be boarding the gate soon, so get ready.”
“Yes, Ms. Kawakami,” they chorused.
Anne tugged on Ren’s sleeve. “Let’s take a selfie when we’re in Hawaii! It’ll look really pretty!”
“Okay, okay,” Ren laughed. “We will… in like eight hours.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Anne huffed.
Thursday, September 8th, 2016
They had finally made it. Going through customs was a huge pain, but it was a relief to finally climb off the bus and enter the hotel. And while the younger students got to relax a little, Ms. Kawakami called all of the third-year chaperones to go over the itinerary and what they were expected to do, over the trip.
Ken couldn’t help but smile knowing Makoto already looked over some of it before the flight, always one to be prepared. He skimmed over a little bit of it on the plane as well.
Ms. Kawakami cleared her throat. “Well… that settles almost everything.”
The second-year teacher ran her pencil along her clipboard, her lips pursed. Ken couldn’t help but feel a little bad. She looked rather… stressed.
“We just need to settle rooming arrangements. The students will have to stick to people in their homeroom, but since the chaperones are much fewer in number… you can pick your roommate without that limitation. And while it’d be preferable that you have a roommate who is the same gender of you…”
Ms. Kawakami glanced around, as there were more girls than boys, narrowing her eyes for a moment.
“I’ll let it slide. Just don’t try anything funny,” she said flatly.
Crap. He could already see a few of his female classmates staring at him like he was a piece of prime meat.
“That’ll be all. Dismissed.”
“Ken, do you want to room with me?” Makoto interjected the moment Ms. Kawakami had walked away.
Her comment earned a few irate glares from their female classmates, but Makoto ignored them. Relief immediately flooded him.
“I’d love to,” he said with a grateful smile.
He didn’t want to have to deal with girls trying to latch onto him, so he was thankful that Makoto had been so quick about asking him. She must have noticed what started to brew.
“Okay, why don’t we get our room key and then check up on the others?” Makoto suggested. “Somehow, I imagine that their picking out their roommate won’t go as smoothly…”
They ignored the glares as they both started to walk through the lobby.
“I just hope that Ren or Anne don’t do anything like sneak into each other’s room,” Ken muttered.
Makoto’s expression grew stern, before she folded her arms over her chest. “They better not… they’ll have some explaining to do if that’s the case.”
“I’m sure they’re not going to go that far,” Ken said hastily, before he lowered his voice. “They’ve only been together for a month, after all.”
And honestly, he’d prefer not to be privy on what exactly Ren and Anne have been doing. He had walked in on too many make-out sessions to be comfortable with hearing about that kind of thing.
Sometimes he wished mind bleach was an actual thing. He could have really used that during a certain incident…
But besides that… Ren had a record. He wouldn’t risk doing something that could get him in trouble with the school.
“I would hope so…” Makoto mumbled, almost under her breath. “They shouldn’t even be considering that. There are too many factors to consider, and we already have a lot on our plates…”
After checking up on the juniors and promising to meet up later to explore the nearby area, they headed to their hotel room. It was rather nice, wide and spacious… topped off with a nice view of the beach.
“Wow, it looks so beautiful,” Makoto breathed, gazing outside.
Ken had to agree with her. It definitely had a different look than Yakushima, with the palm trees swaying in the breeze, the gleaming white sand, and the clear blue ocean…
She then chuckled, “I honestly didn’t expect it to be this nice. It almost feels surreal. We’re actually in Hawaii.”
“Junpei-san was complaining that it wasn’t fair on the group chat. Gekkoukan went to Kyoto on both school trips for him.” Ken laughed, perching on the edge of the bed closer to the exit.
“There’s more than one school trip for Gekkoukan?” Makoto asked, before sitting next to him.
Ken nodded. “Yeah, second-years and third-years attend the same school trip.”
Though speaking of that, the incident that happened when his senpai went to Kyoto for their school trip came to mind…
He then cleared his throat before looking to Makoto. “Um… look… if you need me to step out when you’re… in the shower, I completely understand.”
It would probably be for the better for them to set boundaries. He didn’t want to do anything that made Makoto uncomfortable.
“No… no, that’s not necessary.” Makoto’s expression softened as she turned to face him. “I know that you wouldn’t dream of doing anything inappropriate… I trust you, Ken. I can get changed in the bathroom, and you can change in here, when the time comes for that.”
“Makoto…” Ken felt his face warm up, before looking away.
It felt… nice that she trusted him so implicitly. And he appreciated her suggestion. They would have their privacy without intruding on one another.
“Um...” Makoto fidgeted for a moment, before she nodded towards the door. “Shall we, then? Today’s a free day, so I think it’d be nice to just spend time on the beach with everyone.”
Ken nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”
They returned to the lobby, where the juniors were lounging in the seating area. Ryuji was texting on his phone, while Anne had stolen Ren’s glasses from him and was now currently wearing them. It looked almost comical on her, the glasses magnifying her eyes. Ren definitely pulled it off a lot better.
“I can see just fine, you know,” she said. “Is your vision even bad?”
Ren snatched them back before sliding them back onto his face. “That’s because they’re just glass. I thought it would help me blend in. Jeez, you should already know this.”
Anne stuck her tongue out at him in response. Mumbling something about being asleep when he explained some of the story to them.
“At least you don’t need them… at all,” Ken said dryly.
“Oh, yeah, that’s right…” Ren said. “When Anne and I met you for the first time, you were wearing reading glasses.”
“Usually, we say hello for a greeting, Senpai. Where are your manners?” Ryuji snickered, before pocketing his phone.
Ken grumbled and blushed a little. He didn’t exactly greet them, true. But they were the ones who want him to be casual with them.
Ken just shrugged, and turned back to Ren to reply to his previous comment instead. “Shinjiro-san claims that I shouldn’t have spent so many nights staying up to study or work on student council tasks.”
Ryuji snorted. “He kinda has a point, y’know.”
Ken just stared at him. “And you were late to arrive to the airport for what reason again?”
Ryuji glowered at him for it. Ren walked over to Ryuji, a mischievous look on his face.
“You walked right into that, Ryuji.” Ren laughed and nudged Ryuji.
“Ugh, shuddup RenRen!” Ryuji retorted, which only made Ren smirk more.
That was when a couple girls wearing the Shujin uniform passed by. They stopped at Ryuji’s outburst, their eyes honing in on Makoto for some reason. One of the girls was taller, about Ryuji’s height. Her companion was the opposite, she was about Haru-san’s height.
“I can’t believe they asked her to chaperone,” the taller one whispered, but not quiet enough as they could hear her. “What were they thinking?”
“She’s a total teacher’s pet, that’s why,” her shorter companion huffed. “I really hope she’s not going to chaperone our group.”
The taller one turned her nose up in disdain. “You’d think she’d stay at Shujin during all of this, with Kobayakawa in hot water. She’s his favorite after all. You’d think she’d want to help him.”
Ken gritted his teeth, his hand clenching into a fist. These girls failed to realized that it was on the authority figures to deal with it, not hers. And Makoto was deeply contrite once she had realized the truth. Not to mention, she was not favored by Kobayakawa for any reason other than he was manipulating her so he could use her… that and she got good grades so it looks good for the school.
But either way, she didn’t deserve to be bad-mouthed like that.
“Hey!” Ryuji leapt to his feet, glaring at the girls.
They jumped at his voice and stared at him.
“How about you shut your damn—”
Makoto reached and grabbed his arm.
“Ryuji, don’t…” She was staring down at her hand that was grabbing Ryuji’s arm, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s okay. Really…”
Ryuji scowled, but reluctantly sat down. Makoto sat back down with the others.
“Whatever, Sakamoto,” the first girl said with a scoff.
Her friend nudged her in the side, staring at Ken now. Ken couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.
“I hope that Amada-senpai is our chaperone, though. He’s so cute,” she whispered excitedly.
It took all of his willpower to not facepalm right then and there. It felt like he’d never escape that. Not to mention… he’d never be interested in a girl who bad-mouthed Makoto.
“Let’s go, guys,” Anne interjected, shooting the girls a quick glare.
For someone as nice as Anne, she had one nasty glare.
“We have better things to do than hang around here, don’t we?” she added.
“Yeah, we could be having fun now,” Ren agreed, before standing up. “Let’s go.”
Ken however decided he would say something. He turned to the pair, they seemed excited at first, only to change to nervousness when they noticed Ken glared at them.
He said coldly, “You know… if you’re going to gossip about your fellow students, learn to whisper quieter.”
He turned on his heels to join the group. They all thankfully waited for him, standing by the entrance. Makoto stayed awfully quiet as they left the hotel.
The outside air felt nice at least. The group moved towards some palm trees outside the hotel.
Ken couldn’t help but frown after several minutes. The beautiful weather or leaving the hotel didn’t seem to improve Makoto’s mood. So, he started to clear his throat to get her attention.
“You didn’t deserve that,” Ken said, the moment they came to a stop under the shade of the palm trees.
“I don’t know about that…” Makoto answered, folding her arms over her chest.
Her expression was rather guilty. She bit her lip, sharply inhaling through her nose. She then looked up towards the top of the palm tree.
“I let down a lot of people. I should’ve known there was more to Kamoshida,” she said and then gestured to Ren, Anne, and Ryuji. “I let all three of you down.”
“Makoto, stop,” Ren interjected. “Would it be nice to get the fresh start at a new school? Yeah, it would’ve. But that was on Kamoshida, not you. You had no control over that.”
Anne moved over, giving Makoto a one-armed hug. Ryuji took two steps forward and clapped a hand on her shoulder. Makoto gave them both a bittersweet smile.
She then let out a heavy sigh, her tension leaving her. A softer smile was on her face now.
“But I suppose… it’s not all bad,” she said lightly. “It did lead to me befriending you all, even if our start was rather… rocky. I am grateful for that. I know better now—I won’t ever turn my eyes away from the truth again.”
“Hey, we believe in ya!” Ryuji said cheerfully.
“Hehe…” Anne smiled brightly, and gave Makoto a slightly tighter hug. “We’re glad to have you.”
Makoto gave Anne a hug back. And to Ryuji’s surprise, she gave one to him as well. He gave her a one-arm hug, despite looking a bit awkward. Then she moved over to hug Ren, who just smiled and gave her a light pat on the back. Makoto then moved over to him, pulling him into a hug. Ken couldn’t help but feel his cheeks heat up, but he returned her hug.
“Thank you everyone, I’m grateful to have you all as friends,” Makoto said sincerely.
Ken pulled away from the embrace, giving her a nod. Then rubbed the back of his head. He let out a sigh, his mind going back to those shallow girls.
“I just hope that neither of us have to chaperone those girls,” Ken grumbled.
Their behavior left a bad taste in his mouth still, even if Makoto seemed to take it in stride.
“Though I’ve got a question…” Ren said, glancing at Makoto first and then Ken. “Which one of you are going to chaperone us during the class outings?”
Ken shifted on his feet. “Well, given the behavior of those girls, and how I doubt that they’re in the minority… I think Makoto would be the better choice if Ms. Kawakami gives us a choice.”
Makoto’s expression soured for some reason. “And the girls taking the opportunity to harass you in hopes you’ll find one of them attractive is better?”
Ken just sheepishly smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Okay, you have a point. Though it’s nothing I’ve dealt with before…”
Makoto just scowled. “That doesn’t make it okay. You’re obviously not interested! They should take the hint… and they might get worse after you saying something to them before we left the hotel.”
She had a point there. But that didn’t mean he wanted to leave her alone with them still.
“Hey, it might be divided in classes,” Ryuji offered, before he abruptly slung an arm around Ken’s shoulders. “I can protect Ken from the scary, terrifying girls who want him to take them out on a date.”
“Your sacrifice is well appreciated, Ryuji,” Ren said solemnly, placing a hand over his chest. “I wish you good luck on this task.”
“Honestly, you two…” Makoto sighed, as their serious façade broke and they started to crack up.
“Aw, just let them have their fun,” Anne laughed.
She snagged her boyfriend’s sleeve, giving a light tug. Ren tilted his head towards her, looking puzzled. Her eyes lit up, a wide smile spread across her face.
“Ren, remember how I wanted to take a selfie of us in Hawaii? We should totally do it now!” she exclaimed.
“Good idea, Anne,” Ren laughed, pulling out his phone.
“Will we be able to fit in though?” Makoto wondered.
“Eh, we’ll be fine as long as we squish a lot,” Ryuji said.
“We’ll make it work!” Anne said, determination filling her face.
Ren was right though. It was a tight fit, but they finally managed it. Ren raised his phone in triumph. The group all smooshed in together, Ryuji pulling him in with an arm around his shoulder and holding him a little bit tight. Ken held back a snarky comment and just looked up at Ren’s phone.
Anne quickly fixed her hair, getting her pose ready. Makoto smoothed out the collar on her shirt. The whole group looked up at his phone, flashing it a smile.
“Say aloha!” he exclaimed.
“Aloha!” they all chorused in unison.
Friday, September 9th, 2016
They were all engrossed in a conversation that Ken didn’t even notice a certain someone walk up to join in on the conversation, up until he made his presence casually known. Agreeing with Ryuji’s commentary, the whole group did a double-take a few seconds before Ryuji finally noticed. Ryuji then stopped mid-sentence and whipped his head back around again.
“YUSUKE?!”
Ryuji’s outburst earned them a few stares. But Yusuke didn’t seem bothered by it.
“Overseas travel has been quite an eyeopener,” he declared. “I do wish that we would be staying here longer.”
Ken couldn’t help but stare, baffled. Why was he being so casual about this?!
“What are you doing here?!” Anne cried; her eyes were wide with shock as she continued to gape at him.
“Didn’t you mention that your school would be going to Los Angeles?” Makoto asked quizzically.
Yusuke simply gave a shrug. “They apparently couldn’t land on the west coast, due to a terrible storm. There were no signs of it letting up, so the destination was changed to Hawaii last minute.”
“A storm…?” Ken asked. “I thought that was more of an east coast thing, with hurricanes. Isn’t the west coast more known for earthquakes?”
“Actually, I read that while not as common as the east coast, they can get them in the west coast. Just not as often in comparison to a state like Florida,” Makoto explained.
Guess it was a good thing the school wasn’t requesting they go to Destiny World in Florida.
Ren then snarked, “And I thought we had bad coordination on this trip.”
“Makoto, why did you read up on that? Scared we might get some storms here?” Ryuji teased.
“Look, I was just curious about the USA and if they have typhoons like we do! It’s typhoon season in Japan so... And I was checking the weather for many coastal states, not just Hawaii!” Makoto glared, then started to blush a little. “I… then started reading more and more about storms they get over there. I ended up down a rabbit hole reading about tornadoes too.”
“That’s a little much, don’t you think?” Ren noted dryly.
“I-It is not!” Makoto protested, her pink cheeks darkening. “I-It was interesting anyways!”
Anne giggled and just pat Makoto on the back, which didn’t help her blushing. Ryuji then turned to Yusuke, quirking a brow at him.
“But ugh… Do you just… bring rain everywhere you go?!” Ryuji grumbled.
“It did rain heavily at the fireworks festival too…” Makoto added, her eyes wide.
“Don’t go bringing any storms here!” Anne exclaimed with a wary expression.
Yusuke just nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
Ken couldn’t help but roll his eyes. They seriously didn’t believe in Yusuke being a jinx?
“I think that’s a bit of a jump,” Ken said, frowning at them. “I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.”
“Well, just think of it as a good thing.” Ren smiled at Yusuke. “I mean, it’ll be nice to hang out, right?”
Ren then clapped a hand on Yusuke’s back. Snapping a selfie with him and quickly sending a text to Futaba, probably so she would be shocked on Yusuke now being with them too.
All their phones buzzed after that, but Ken chose to ignore it. He just shot Ren a look.
Ken coughed. “There aren’t any plans after this. Is there anything you want to do? Ryuji mentioned wanted to go diving before…”
“Oh, wait!” Ryuji interjected, his eyes growing wide. “I’ve gotta go shop for souvenirs. Promised my mom I’d get her something nice.”
“Just don’t beg me for money this time, Ryuji,” Anne snarked.
Ryuji huffed, “That was one time! Will you ever let that go?!”
Ren couldn’t help but snicker. Putting an arm around Ryuji and Anne, breaking up a potential fight, without scolding the two however like Ken himself would, or Makoto would.
He couldn’t help but be reminded of Minako-san, reining in Junpei-san and Yukari-san from a potential argument. She would do it with a good-nature grin and redirect their attention.
Ren nodded. “That’s a good idea, Ryuji. I should get some things for everyone back in Japan. And I’m sure Shiho would love whatever you get her, Anne.”
That was a good suggestion. But it couldn’t help but make Ken wonder, what would Shinjiro-san like? Macadamia nuts? Coconut oil…? Though, despite how much he had harped Ken for not drinking that much coffee when he was younger, he always did prefer drinking coffee over tea. And there was everyone else too. Mitsuru-san would probably like Kona coffee. But then again, Minako-san would probably get on his case for encouraging her to drink coffee…
“Thinking about what to get Shinjiro-san?” Makoto asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
“That, and everyone else…” Ken shook his head. “I have a big list of people to shop for.”
“Yeah… I don’t envy you, Ken,” Anne said with a wince.
Ken shrugged. “I mean, they’ve given me a lot over the years. It’s only fair.”
“So… it’s decided?” Yusuke raised an eyebrow. “We will go shopping in our spare time today.”
Ren nodded in agreement, before tucking his hands into his pockets.
“Yeah, it’s pretty much unanimous. Hey look at that, we’re off duty and still keeping to our unanimous rule.” Ren couldn’t help but chuckle before clearing his throat. “Let’s get going then. We’re burning daylight.”
Ryuji just shook his head. “Dude, you don’t have to make it sound so serious…”
Since it was… Hawaii, souvenir shops were everywhere. Anne insisted on dragging them to what it seemed was every store. But Ken supposed she had a point. There were some stores selling at a higher price than others.
He had found gifts for some of SEES so far at least. He got a bag of Kona coffee for Akihiko-san, a package of chocolate-dipped macadamia nuts for Yukari-san, a jar of local guava jam for Minako-san, and a wooden fountain pen with flower carvings for Mitsuru-san. He even found a cookbook full of Hawaiian recipes for Shinjiro-san.
“Have you found anything here, Ken?” Anne asked.
“I’m starting to think that maybe I should just get the twins the Honolulu cookies like you suggested three stores ago,” Ken grumbled.
“Hey! There’s nothing wrong with that!” Anne laughed. “My nana makes amazingggg shortbread but you can’t beat the Honolulu Cookie company! My favorite flavor’s the chocolate dipped macadamia, by the way.”
“But didn’t you say that Kaito-kun and Miyuki-chan were barred from sweets for two weeks?” Makoto asked teasingly.
Ken huffed. “Well, it’s almost been two weeks. It’ll be two weeks, maybe even three weeks by the time I get them the cookies.”
What to get Fuuka-san though? Junpei-san too… And should he get something for Chidori-san as well? Maybe he should get a couple gift, something for the two of them? There was also Aigis-san and Labrys-san to think of as well…
Ken couldn’t help but sigh to himself.
Anne snickered before grabbing a box of the guava cookies. “I should mail a box to my dad too.”
“Where do your parents work anyways, Anne?” Ken asked.
He realized he didn’t really know much about Anne’s family.
“My parents are fashion designers,” Anne explained. “My dad grew up in New York City—one of the fashion centers of the world. He came to Tokyo for his studies, met Mom during university, and they started the company after they graduated. As for where they work… it’s just wherever their work takes them. I think they’re in Milan right now.”
That sounded similar to when Akihiko-san was traveling the world after Mitsuru-san asked him to join the Shadow Operatives, back when she first created the organization. His messages were sometimes quite sporadic.
“Any idea for your mom?” Makoto asked.
Anne smiled brightly before rummaging in her bag. She took out a jewelry box, opening it to reveal a wooden pendant in the shape of… some flower.
“Mom’s always loved plumerias,” she said. “It’s her favorite flower so I thought she’d like this.”
Ken never paid much attention to jewelry (or flowers), he had to admit, but he couldn’t deny the craftsmanship that had gone into this piece.
“It’s lovely, Anne,” Makoto complimented.
But even as she smiled, she looked a little… sad. Ken had to wonder why.
Anne smiled brightly. “Thanks. I just want to get something for my grandparents and then my caretaker now.”
Then she turned, something apparently catching her eye. She pulled a brightly patterned sarong from the nearby clothing rack.
“Oooh, this would be cute with a bikini top,” Anne mused. “I think I’m gonna try it on!”
Without another word, she took off. Makoto just shook her head.
“She really has an eye for shopping,” she said with a rueful smile. “You should’ve seen her when we went shopping for Futaba’s swimming suit. She even picked out about a dozen swimsuits for me.”
Not wanting his mind to veer into something… inappropriate, Ken decided to redirect it.
“Have you found anything for your sister yet?”
Instead, Makoto’s expression became… conflicted.
“I… not really,” she mumbled out. “Just, nothing feels right. Or… personal enough, I suppose. I wish… I wasn’t struggling so much to find Sis something. I feel it shouldn’t be this hard.”
Ken tilted his head. “What about Kona coffee? That’s something you can only get here.”
Makoto just smiled wryly at that. “And encourage her to pull more all-nighters?”
“That’s a good point,” Ken conceded. “I figured since she enjoyed getting coffee at… well…”
Ken couldn’t help but wince after his comment. He probably shouldn’t bring up her visits to LeBlanc.
But she had a point, if she was pulling all-nighters often, that might not be a good idea. There was a reason why he decided to get something aside from coffee for Mitsuru-san…
“Forget coffee… maybe jewelry?” Ken suggested. “I think I saw something with that black stone… obsidian?”
“Black jet,” Makoto corrected. “Some of the pieces I saw were lovely but I’m not sure if they’re Sis’s style exactly.”
That was fair, he supposed. Yukari-san was pretty picky with her jewelry so he could understand Makoto’s hesitance.
Makoto sighed. “I do want to get her something, though. She’s been working so hard and I just… want her to know that I think about her.”
“I’m sure she knows that,” Ken tried to reassure her.
He wished that Makoto wouldn’t be so hard on herself. A gift from someone you loved didn’t have to be big. Though… he had to wonder what kind of relationship Makoto had with her sister then. It was… obviously strained but at the same time Makoto seemed to admire her…
He didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Ken shook his head for a moment. He should be focusing on Makoto.
Makoto’s eyes grew distant, a contemplative look entering her red eyes. Ken bit his lip, watching her.
“Why don’t we look around some more?” Ken suggested. “It’s a big store.”
Makoto chuckled. “You don’t have to help me.”
“I know but I want to,” Ken said with a light shrug.
Besides, along the way he could find gifts for the others too. They could both help each other out, if she wanted anyways.
Makoto smiled softly. “Well… if you’d want to, I always welcome the company.”
They sorted through the merchandise again. There were some dry fruits which Makoto considered for longer than some of the other options but she looked… unsure.
But then Ken stopped in front of the display with candles. Makoto stopped for a moment, picking one up to smell. The candle was rather nice, with a wooden lid and a glass jar, carved with flowers. Ken recognized one as jasmine but the larger flower? He had no clue.
She suddenly paused, blinking.
“This scent is… familiar,” she admitted, and then turned the candle in her hand to look at the label. “Jasmine and gardenia.”
Ken just helplessly shrugged. “I’ll be honest, I don’t really notice the difference between most floral scents.”
“Are you the same with flowers themselves then?” Makoto lightly teased, raising an eyebrow.
“I know the base ones like roses and lilies and cherry blossoms…” Ken grumbled out.
He also knew that Yukari-san’s favorite flower was the gerbera. On her seventeenth birthday, Minato-san had gotten her a bracelet with a gerbera charm. But he never paid much attention to flowers.
“At least there’s that,” Makoto said with a chuckle. “I’ve always been fond of white lilies, myself.”
Ken huffed. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind for the future.”
“Hey!”
They turned at Ryuji’s voice. He looked at them impatiently.
“You guys done yet? Anne’s ready to move onto the next store already. Ugh, how does RenRen put up with these shopping marathons…?”
“At least we’re wearing walking shoes,” Ken noted dryly.
“Hang on, let me buy something really quick,” Makoto said quickly. “Sorry, I’ll meet you at the entrance when I’m done.”
“I need to buy the cookies for the twins too,” Ken said with a wince.
“Jeez… how many more gifts do you have to get?” Ryuji said with wide eyes.
“I still need gifts for Fuuka-san, Junpei-san, Aigis-san, Labrys-san, and Chidori-san.” Ken then shrugged. “It’s not a big deal—I’m used to having a large shopping list.”
“I don’t envy ya though,” Ryuji grumbled out. “But anyways—I’ll see ya at the entrance. Maybe I can find some shaved ice or somethin’…”
“Don’t eat anything that’ll ruin your appetite,” Makoto chided lightly.
“Are you serious? It’s ice… flavored ice… how is that gonna ruin my appetite?” Ryuji raised a brow at her.
Makoto started to blush at that comment. Ken couldn’t help but admit it was kinda cute when she got flustered.
“E-Excuse me for being considerate about your appetite, it’s still sugar in that ice!” she barked at a retreating Ryuji.
They finally got all their shopping done. But it was nearly seven so they were discussing where to go to eat for dinner.
“I noticed a Big Bang place while we were walking,” Anne noted. “I’m surprised that they’re all the way in Hawaii.”
“Okumura Foods has expanded enough for them to go international,” Makoto mentioned. “It’s surprising with how rapidly they expanded.”
“Okumura…” Ren repeated.
“Does it ring a bell with ya?” Ryuji asked.
“Well, Mishima mentioned to me this morning that the CEO of Okumura Foods has climbed to the top of the poll,” Ren clarified. “You know, the one where people can vote who we should target first?”
Anne made a face. “This isn’t a popularity contest…”
“It’s pretty great, though, isn’t it?” Ryuji asked, excited. “People actually know about us here! All the way in America! We’ve really made it big!”
“It is quite amazing.” Yusuke nodded. “We’ve come a long way.”
“Next thing you know, we’ll be getting gaudy Phantom Thief merchandise,” Ken said dryly.
Ren elbowed him in the side. “Quit being such a grump about this. It’s a good thing that the people are starting to see how hard we’ve been working.”
“Yeah, we can’t let people down!” Ryuji added, his eyes burning with fervor, and then pumped his fist. “We’ve really gotta wow people when we make our next move!”
“Keep it down, Ryuji,” Makoto admonished, her voice turning chiding. “But still… I do agree. People are expecting great things now…”
“Don’t worry, we’ll do great. We just gotta take it one step at a time,” Ren reassured.
“We should proceed with caution, though,” Yusuke warned.
Yusuke’s stomach then cut through their chatter, one of the loudest growls he’s ever heard from a stomach. Ken couldn’t help but sigh. Even on a school trip, Yusuke still had poor eating habits.
“But anyhow, that’s enough talk of that for today. I am rather famished,” Yusuke said casually, as if his stomach didn’t just sound like a snarling bear.
“It is close to lunch time in Japan, I believe, so it’s not surprising.” Ken nodded. “Where do you want to go?”
The group all started walking towards where they saw some places to eat around the shops, Yusuke in the front of the group.
Anne suggested, “Let’s do something that’s really Hawaiian! Like Hawaiian barbeque! Ooooh, or poke bowls!”
Ryuji joked, “Jeez, and you’re supposed to be on a diet? Better watch it.”
Ken couldn’t help but cringe a little. Poking fun at a woman’s diet was never a good idea. He would know. As would Junpei-san.
Anne let out a little growl, scowling at him as her hands clenched into fists.
“Ugh, shut up, Ryuji!” she snarled out.
“Anne, you look fine the way you are,” Ren reassured her, before flashing her a smile. “Perfect, in fact.”
Anne’s cheeks took on a pink hue, but she suddenly ran into Yusuke’s back.
“Oh, sorry, Yusuke!” she hastily replied.
“Is something the matter, Yusuke?” Makoto asked, a concerned frown appearing on her face.
Yusuke turned to look at them. “Isn’t that the girl we met at the festival?”
“Huh?” Ren glanced at their friend, before following his line of sight. “I think you’re right. Same hair.”
Ken looked to see that it was Haru-san. She was gazing at the Big Bang Burger restaurant, her expression almost… mournful. Oh, that was right… she was a chaperone too. Maybe he should’ve said hello earlier.
“She really is cute,” Ryuji remarked, staring at her. “Wonder why she’s so bummed out about—”
Ryuji then suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Ohhh, right… she’s a girl. She probably cares about her figure and has sworn off burgers! But burgers taste really good, so she wishes she could eat ‘em!”
There was a very pregnant pause. Both Anne and Makoto gave him unimpressed stares.
If he had dared to say that in the presence of any of his female teammates, he’d probably come out with some kind of physical damage. Save for Aigis-san. Aigis-san would probably lament that she doesn’t know what burgers taste like.
Ryuji looked between the two girls, bewildered. “What? Ain’t it true?”
Ken just sighed.
“Really, Ryuji?” Anne deadpanned.
“I do not believe you are supposed to say that, Ryuji,” Yusuke said, his eyes solemn. “I believe you have made a faux pas.”
“W-What’s that supposed to mean?!”
Haru-san then heaved out a sigh, interrupting the bickering, before trudging down the sidewalk. Ken couldn’t help but frown, watching her go.
“She seems… lonely,” Makoto said softly, her eyes filling with pity.
“Let’s catch up with her, then,” Ryuji suggested, his expression becoming determined. “Invite her to dinner!”
Without warning, he rushed after Haru-san.
“H-Hey, Ryuji, wait!”
All of her classmates and juniors seemed to be enjoying themselves. But all Haru could think of was how Sugimura had dropped heavy hints that he would like to visit a tropical paradise for their… honeymoon. Just the idea of him having his hands on her… even more than he did now just made her skin crawl.
Everything felt like a countdown. Slowly dwindling to the day where she would have to walk down the aisle, vow to tie herself to a man whose very gaze made her shudder. Just thinking about it made Haru want to cry. She just felt trapped… doomed to a future that she just knew would make her absolutely miserable.
“Hey! Haru-senpai! Wait up!”
Blinking in confusion, Haru turned to see Sakamoto-kun skid to a stop right in front of her, his friends not too far behind. It was a bit startling for him to stand so close to him, if she was being honest. Haru quickly took a step backwards, so that he wasn’t in her personal space.
“Is there something you need, Sakamoto-kun?” she asked, trying her best to infuse some kind of energy in her voice.
She wasn’t sure if she had succeeded but it was so hard. Pretending that everything was okay still.
“Uh, yeah!” He bobbed his head.
But then he rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish. Haru couldn’t help but wonder what it was that he wanted.
“We were talking ‘bout heading for dinner now, and it looks like you’re… uh…” He flashed her an almost nervous smile. “Do you wanna join us?”
Haru just stared at him. They wanted her to join them…?
“Jeez, you can be fast when you wanna, Ryuji,” Takamaki-san huffed to her fellow blond, before flashing Haru a brilliant smile.
She had been indifferent to the rumors about the foreign blonde, but seeing that smile… Haru couldn’t see how anyone could view her as a stuck-up or unpleasant.
There were rumors about Sakamoto-kun too. But she wondered how much of them were true, for him or Takamaki-san, especially with Kamoshida being exposed for the horrible man he was.
“Whaddya say?” Sakamoto-kun asked, giving her a friendly smile as well.
“I… I don’t mean to intrude,” Haru said hesitantly, watching as the others caught up.
“Nah, the more the merrier!” Amamiya-kun interjected, giving her a friendly smile.
Haru couldn’t help but blush a little. She had never seen him up close except that one time at the festival. She had to admit… he was quite handsome. Much more handsome than Sugimura, though all four boys present in this group could boast that, in her opinion.
Their friendly faces felt far more authentic than any smile Sugimura gave. So maybe she was biased in finding them all far more handsome than him. But just looking at their smiles didn’t make her skin crawl.
“But Ren’s correct,” the blue haired boy—Kitagawa-kun—added with a gentle smile. “We simply wish to enjoy your company as well. Nobody should be eating alone, especially when on an outing.”
Haru just blinked. This was a new experience. She could see the sincerity shining from each and every face. It wasn’t because of her father. They didn’t even know her surname. They… geniunely wanted to hang out with her.
“Very well. I’d love to,” she agreed.
“The tomatoes were delicious by the way,” Amada-kun informed her. “Shinjiro-san really was impressed by them.”
“Thank you.” Haru couldn’t help but smiled, pleased at the compliment.
Gardening was one of the few joys she indulged in now, and to hear that someone had enjoyed the fruits of her labor so much made Haru happy.
“And um… if you don’t mind…” She bit her lip. “Can we not go to Big Bang Burger?”
She didn’t want to see how foreigners ran the chain here. She didn’t want the reminder.
“See, what did I tell ya?!” Sakamoto-kun whirled on his friends, triumphant over… something. “I was right!”
Niijima-san just folded her arms over her chest, her stare flat. “Ryuji, no. That is definitely not the case.”
“Say what?!” he cried out.
Haru couldn’t help but laugh softly. She had noticed that they had gravitated towards each other over the past few months. They were definitely close.
“Do I… want to know?” she asked.
“No,” Amada-kun said dryly. “No, you don’t.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it, then.” Haru offered them a shy smile. “I saw a delicious looking barbeque place a couple blocks down, I’d love to try it.”
Morgana was bored out of his mind. Not even the lectures he sat in with Ren were this bad. All he was doing was watching Futaba typing, her fingers practically flying over the keyboard.
“Ooh, found it! And another…” the girl chuckled to herself, before leaning in close to the screen.
“What did you find?” Morgana asked.
Maybe he could talk things out with Futaba then. He’d finally be able to do something!
“Still working. Can’t tell you,” Futaba said flippantly before turning back to her work.
Morgana just sighed to himself.
“She can handle this without me…” he thought miserably to himself.
First it had been Ken. He was only a year older than Ren, but he had years of experience. Even though Morgana had been irritated by Ken’s lack of knowledge regarding the Baton Pass, he caught up quickly. And even before he had told them, he just needed to take a look and he’d be able to guess the Shadow’s weakness.
Ren used to look to Morgana for that kind of advice… but now he looked to Ken. And if not Ken, then they had Makoto. She was responsible, level-headed, and pragmatic… and like Ken, she could heal too.
And now… there was Futaba. The young girl could do everything Morgana used to. Her Persona apparently had no skills in combat, but she by far surpassed him in terms of analysis. And not to mention, they would’ve been sunk if Futaba hadn’t done the counter-hack against the fake Medjed. And she could figure out the real reason why Mementos was expanding.
“All I’m good for is driving them around in Mementos. I’m basically useless...” Morgana couldn’t help but lament.
But Futaba suddenly gave him an annoyed look.
“Kitty! Your mumbling’s distracting me! If you got something to say, just spit it out,” she said flatly.
Morgana felt a retort bubble up, and one that was rather unkind. He snapped his mouth shut, swallowing that harsh thought back down. It wouldn’t be right to take it out on Futaba, no matter how much it hurt that she was better than him. He sucked in a sharp breath, he needed to give her some kind of answer.
“It’s nothing,” Morgana said stiffly.
Futaba narrowed her eyes at him before suddenly grabbing him and forcibly petting him.
“Let me go!” Morgana snapped, trying to squirm away from her.
Futaba just grinned in response. “You feel so nice, though.”
Would it kill her to be a little gentler at least? Not that she realized she was practically rubbing salt in the wounds. Plus, it was so demeaning…
“I do not!” Morgana scowled.
“So smooth and silky. It’s kinda hard to believe fur this soft belongs to a human,” Futaba chuckled.
Morgana jerked away from her.
“Don’t make me say it again! I’m a human,” he spat out, laying emphasis on the final word.
Futaba raised an eyebrow.
“Couldn’t you just be assuming that? I had the wrong assumptions about my mom for the longest time.” Futaba said matter of factly.
Morgana shook his head. “That’s not the same! I understand myself better than anyone!”
A Shadow punching him in the gut would hurt less. But he was human! He was sure of it! He may be useless but… but he was definitely human! He had to be! It was all he knew!
Futaba shrugged. “That’s true.”
She then turned back to her computer, back into her element.
Morgana just tiredly looked at her. A seed of doubt now there, nagging at him. He… didn’t know what to do. The dreams he’s been having… could it be the truth?
Was he really not human? Was he… a monster?
Did he even belong with everyone…?
Saturday, September 10th, 2016
It was the third day of their trip, but it felt like it had passed by in a blink of an eye. This would be their last final day.
“Are you ready to go, Makoto?” He rapped lightly on the bathroom door.
“One second!” Makoto responded.
Moments later, the door swung open, and Makoto stepped out, smoothing out her uniform.
“Sorry, my hair was being a bit unruly today.”
“I can understand that. But you look great,” Ken said with a laugh.
After grabbing what they needed for the day, they headed out. The hotel offered free breakfast, buffet style. Though Ken couldn’t help but think that Shinjiro-san would side-eye most of the available choices.
But he supposed… Yusuke would be able to eat at least and not skip a meal, now that he knew the hotel breakfast food was free. Ken couldn’t help but sigh to himself at that thought.
They left their room and started walking down one of the hallways, by several rooms, towards the exit. Makoto quickly sent out a text, he assumed to some of the others. Ken absentmindedly thought that Ren and Mishima-san’s room was in this hallway, while she texted.
Today seemed to be pretty lax, though, since it was technically the last day. They would have several hours to themselves, after returning to the hotel. They had a half day tomorrow, but they would be flying back to Tokyo tomorrow night.
“Do you have any plans for the free time?” Makoto suddenly asked, as if she had been reading his thoughts.
Ken paused at that. “No, nothing really.”
Makoto then said, “Oh, I was just thinking… it’d be nice if we could spend that time together. Especially since our duties have us separate for the most part…”
Well, he couldn’t deny that wasn’t the truth. It turned out that Ryuji was right, and the groups were restricted by classes. Ken ended up being responsible for Ryuji’s group, while Makoto took care of Ren and Anne’s group. It would be nice to spend time with Makoto.
Besides that, Ryuji might get it in his head that he wanted to go and hit on girls during their free time too. He reminded him a little bit too much of Junpei-san at times. Though he heard of similar stories of misadventures from the Investigation Team too… but Yosuke-san and Kanji-san didn’t like talking about those times (Teddie-san, however, did).
“Sure. I’d love to—”
The door in front of them suddenly opened, and out stepped… Ren and Anne, the former’s arm around the latter’s waist. They stared at Ken and Makoto in horror, very much like deer in headlights. Anne quickly scrambled away from Ren, blood draining from both of their faces.
“Uh… h-hey?” Anne stammered out.
“G-Good morning?” Ren looked unnaturally nervous, too.
“Ren Amamiya… Anne Takamaki…” Makoto ground out, before tapping her foot impatiently. “You have 30 seconds to give me a good explanation.”
Anne paled even more. “C-Come on, Makoto—”
“29, 28, 27, 26, 25…!” Makoto snapped out as she counted down.
Anne just shrunk back with a squeak, before ducking behind Ren and using him as a shield.
“I-I just got locked out of my room, because my roommate took the key with her when she went to be with her boyfriend so I went to stay with Ren and Mishima! Nothing happened! I swear!” she said nervously. “Ryuji got locked out of his room too! So, he stayed with us last night also!”
Anne began to fiddle with her pigtails, looking at Makoto nervously from behind Ren.
“And you didn’t ask us for help…?” Ken raised an eyebrow. “Or maybe go to the front desk? Or—”
“Okay, okay, I get it!” Anne groaned, continuing to fidget. “I may have wanted to see Ren a teensy, tiny bit…”
Ren cut in, “Like she said, we didn’t do anything. Kinda kills the mood with Ryuji and Mishima there.”
Ken couldn’t help but shake his head, that was besides the point. Anne being there could have gotten any one of the boys in trouble. But Ren still had a record. They were lucky it was just Ken and Makoto who found them.
“Well…” Makoto’s frown softened. “I suppose that’s fine. Just take care to not repeat this. If any of the teachers saw you in there… Mishima, Ryuji and Ren could have been in trouble. And Ryuji not being in his room could get him scolded.”
Ren rubbed the back of his neck. Anne peeked out behind her boyfriend, looking sheepish.
“I feel like the students who are the reason Anne and Ryuji being locked out of their rooms is the bigger problem here,” Ren pointed out.
Well… Ren had a point there.
“Still, next time if there is a scenario like that, you should have told a teacher, or one of us,” Ken added. “Let them get in trouble. No need for you to do something that could get you in trouble too.”
The two apologized again, but he had to admit he did kind of pity Ryuji and Anne for being put in that situation.
Both juniors’ shoulders slumped in relief, but Ken eyed Ren carefully. He didn’t know just how far their relationship had gone so far, and frankly… he didn’t care to find out. If he had it his way, all the couples he knew wouldn’t broadcast it to him. But still he better make sure that Ren knew the meaning of protection.
“Okay, let’s go get breakfast now then!” Anne smiled brightly now. “Don’t want to miss out on the good stuff!”
“Read: pancakes,” Ren intoned. “The closest we have to crepes, after all.”
Anne scowled at him for a moment before she smacked his shoulder. “Oh, shush, Ren!”
When asked where Ryuji was, Ren mentioned he and Mishima-san actually were both up earlier and got some breakfast, and Ryuji offered to help Mishima-san with some last-minute shopping. Ken couldn’t help but find it funny how well Ryuji and Mishima-san got along, they were both so different.
Anne then took the opportunity to drag Makoto off, all while chattering about what she wanted to have for breakfast this morning. Ken couldn't help but stare as Anne pulled Makoto off, waving aside Makoto's protests to wait for Ken and Ren. Ren was about to follow but Ken grabbed Ren by the shoulder.
“Ren, a word please.”
Ren cringed. “I thought—”
“You don’t get off that easily,” Ken said flatly, raising an eyebrow at the younger boy. “Look… I don’t particularly care if you and Anne are sleeping with each other or if you want to do it with her in the future.”
Ren’s only answer was an awkward cough. Ken couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
“But I do care if you’re being stupid about it. None of this pullout nonsense. If you’re going to sleep with Anne… Use. Protection,” he ground out.
Ren held up his hands. “Come on, Ken—”
“I mean it, Ren.” Ken stared at him. “Don’t be stupid about this. This isn’t just about you having a record… I lived with a group of teenagers for a year and a half. I’ve had the… misfortune of learning that they usually forget to lock the door.”
He loved the twins, but he really would prefer not to deal with another teen pregnancy.
It was Ren’s turn to stare. “Wait, did you learn—”
“Take it as you will. I’m not going to confirm anything,” Ken said dryly.
After that, Ken refused to talk any more on the subject, despite Ren’s prodding, and they eventually caught up with the girls. They then met with Ryuji and Mishima-san, the latter finished shopping. Both had already ate but still joined the group. After they got their food and sat down, Ryuji spoke up.
“Sooo…” Ryuji began, “what’s the plan today?”
“It’s a half day, really,” Ken answered before taking a bite of the American omelette he got. “The entire afternoon will be yours to do whatever you want… within reason.”
Ren immediately turned to Anne. “So, Anne, could you free up your schedule for little ol’ me?”
Anne giggled. “Depends, what do you have in mind?”
Ren grinned at her. “Me, you, and the beach. Sounds perfect, right?”
Anne let out a hum, before she offered him a bright smile. “I’d love to.”
She then pushed her plate away from her, glancing past them for some reason. She then stood up rather quickly from her chair.
“I see my roommate though, gonna ask her for the key so I can freshen up a bit before we go,” she said.
She then gave Ren a quick kiss on the cheek, before standing up and walking up to a dark-haired girl. Ren watched her go with an almost goofy smile.
“I… I can’t believe you two are together…” Mishima-san said slowly.
“We were keeping it quiet at first. Sorry… for not telling you,” Ren admitted with a guilty look.
“No… it’s okay.” Mishima-san shook his head. “I mean, I get it. You were just protecting her, I assume? After all, with what people say about you and… all the rumors they said about her with Kamoshida.”
“Yeah. Something like that.” Ren had a faraway look in his eyes.
Ken couldn’t help but frown seeing that expression on him.
Ren then leaned over, stacking his empty plate over Anne’s abandoned one. He then stood up.
“Gonna grab seconds. I’ll be back,” Ren said.
There was an awkward silence after Ren left. Mishima-san had a guilty look on his face but then pulled out his phone. Probably to distract himself. Ryuji frowned, looking at Ren piling on food on his plate. For some reason, Ryuji started to grin like crazy. And Ken knew that look. He was planning something.
Ken sighed. “Ryuji...”
“Whaaaat?”
He did his best to go for innocent. It didn’t really work. Ken just stared, feeling exasperated.
“What are you planning?” he said flatly, looking at him suspiciously.
“It’s just…” Ryuji’s smile turned sly. “This is Ren and Anne’s first real date, yeah? I mean, sure they’ve done dates at LeBlanc, where they’re probably all cutesy with each other and feeding each other dinner, but this is a totally different level! Don’t you wanna spy on them?”
Makoto set down her cup of yogurt and shot him a sharp look.
She looked scandalized. “Ryuji, you shouldn’t spy on them!”
“Do I want to watch Ren and Anne making eyes at each other and possibly make out or do I want the afternoon to relax?” Ken asked rhetorically, eyeing his friend. “What a tough decision.”
Mishima-san let out a snicker. “Good one, Senpai.”
Ken just gave a nod, acknowledging Mishima-san's statement.
“Aw, c’mon, don’t you wanna see what Ren does? And take notes!” Ryuji cajoled, leaning closer to Ken. “For when you’re dating someone?”
“That probably won’t happen in a long time, Ryuji,” Ken said dryly, before he picked up his coffee and took a small sip. “And if Anne finds out? It’s your funeral.”
“Actually, Sakamoto has a good point…” Mishima-san said thoughtfully.
“So, you’re in?” Ryuji asked with a grin.
“Honestly!” Makoto sighed, before pinching the bridge of her nose.
She then gave him a stern look, staring at him hard.
“Ryuji, you are not to spy on Ren and Anne. They deserve some private time together and as you said… on a proper date.”
“But—” Ryuji began to protest.
Makoto’s stern look turned into a glare.
“Ugh! Fine!” Ryuji groaned, before muttering under his breath something that sounded suspiciously close to killjoy.
Makoto frowned harder. “I heard that.”
“Niijima-senpai really doesn’t give you a break, huh, Sakamoto?” Mishima-san mused before another snicker escaped him. “Then again, you are the type to be totally scared of women.”
Ryuji snapped around, shooting a glare at Mishima-san. He just took a couple steps backward and gave a fake innocent look, holding his hands up. Mishima-san seemed to have gotten more comfortable around them lately, especially Ryuji-san. It was a stark contrast to the boy he met previously when he first transferred.
“Ugh, shuddup, Mishima! You’re one to talk!” Ryuji exclaimed while he jabbed his pointer finger at him.
“H-Hey!” Mishima-san exclaimed while rubbing the back of his neck.
It was nice… to get a breather. Organizing everyone, making sure nobody got left behind. It was more stressful than he had imagined. He had a new respect for their teachers.
At least he was assigned a group of boys to chaperone.
“You too?” Makoto sighed.
Ken replied, “This trip has been fun, but not exactly lacking in stress. Though I enjoy our free time more, since that leaves us able to spend time with everyone.”
Makoto nodded, a soft smile on her face, as she tapped one of her feet.
“That is nice. Although…” She tilted her head, suddenly curious. “A shirt today?”
Ken shrugged. “Usually, I prefer to wear a shirt, actually. Last time at the beach, it was um, too hot.”
He didn’t want to tell Makoto the real reason why. He hated all the looks he got, and not just because of the scars.
“Comparable to outside of Futaba’s Palace, if you ask me,” he quickly added.
Makoto just gave an affirmative hum.
“Though speaking of Futaba…” Her expression notably darkened. “Do you think she’s done analyzing the data I got from Sis?”
Knowing Futaba, the answer was probably yes. Her talent honestly made her… terrifying. What she had done to Ren’s phone couldn’t help but make him feel a little paranoid that she had done something to his phone.
But her voice had… gone all quiet. He did make her promise to stop doing all that. But somehow, he doubted that would be enough. She’d probably be more covert about it so he wouldn’t notice.
“Makoto… do you need to talk about it?” He asked as he gently put a hand on her shoulder.
“There’s nothing really to say…” Makoto shrugged, before biting her lip. “We… need to know what Sis’s plans are. So we’re one step ahead of her…”
It sounded like Makoto was more trying to convince herself. But it looked like she wasn’t too eager to discuss this. Her relationship with her older sister seemed… complicated. Really complicated.
Then again, he couldn’t really talk, with Shinjiro-san. He couldn’t imagine sneaking around his senpai, either. More so Mitsuru-san, but the point still stood.
“I’m here, if you ever need to talk about it,” Ken said finally.
Makoto offered him a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“I know. Thank you, Ken…” She then sighed, wrapping an arm around herself. “We should be trying to enjoy ourselves… I didn’t mean to bring down the mood.”
“I am enjoying my time with you,” Ken interjected, before he raised an eyebrow at her. “Unless I’m boring you, of course…”
Makoto blinked at him, a look of surprise on her face.
“That’s not it at all!” Makoto exclaimed.
Her expressive grew pensive like she was thinking on how to word it. Ken didn’t blame her though; it was her sister, after all. He tried to lighten the mood with that tease about him being boring to her, but it didn’t seem to take effect.
“It’s just that… I wish that I could do more to figure what Sis is up to…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ken said. “Futaba is helping up out in that department, remember?”
“Yeah…” Makoto tried to smile.
She heaved out another sigh, her eyes scanned the scenery. Then her gaze stopped at a stall selling fruit smoothies. Makoto then gestured at it, a small but more sincere smile on her face.
“Want to get one?” She asked.
“Sure.” Ken nodded.
They walked at an even pace, not taking them long to reach the stand. Thankfully there was only one customer there, who already picked up their order and left. So he and Makoto wouldn’t have to wait thankfully.
“Hi there!” greeted the stall vendor.
The stall vendor was a young woman, in her mid-twenties. She looked like she was Polynesian, with her jet-black hair, dark eyes, and tanned complexion.
Her smile was friendly as she politely inquired, “What can I get you two?”
“Hmm…” Makoto rubbed her chin. “I’ll try pina colada. That’s pineapple and coconut, right?”
“Yep! Though your accent…” she tilted her head. “You’re Japanese, aren’t you?”
“That’s right,” Ken answered.
The woman laughed. “I have to admit, I’m a bit envious of you. You may not be from Tokyo, but I bet you hear news of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts a lot faster, don’t you?”
Makoto blinked. “You’ve heard of the Phantom Thieves all the way here?!”
The woman nodded as she sliced the fruit for Makoto’s smoothie. She then loaded it into the blender. She then pressed a button on the blender.
“It’s pretty exciting news after all! It’d be nice if they went global though! I could think of a few people I’d love to request as targets.”
Ken blinked. That was… unexpected. The woman gave a delicate cough, as she released her hold on the button.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t be rambling like this on the job,” she said before she looked to Ken. “And what about you? Do you want a smoothie too?”
Ken did a quick glance over the menu, as the woman poured out Makoto’s smoothie.
“I’ll take a strawberry smoothie,” he decided.
She smiled and nodded towards him. She finished Makoto’s order, putting a lid on the cup, and handing it and a straw over to Makoto. Then she turned and quickly blended up a smoothie for Ken. Once finished she got a lid as well for him, handed him the cup with a straw too.
“That will be eight dollars and fifty cents,” the friendly woman said as she turned to her cash register. “Or do you want to split the check?”
“I’ve got it,” Ken said.
He reached for his wallet in his pocket. He handed the woman a ten-dollar bill. He had to say, it was a bit weird how many coins the American currency had. He kept forgetting which silver coin was which. The Japanese currency kept it simple with calling everything yen.
“Let me pay you back later then,” Makoto said.
“That’s not necessary,” Ken replied. “That’s not even five hundred yen.”
“But—”
Ken cut her off. “Makoto, it’s fine.”
The woman just laughed, looking amused for some reason. He hated how that grin of hers reminded him of Minako-san, which meant something ‘funny’ at his expense. But he could be misreading her, he’s not from America after all.
“But anyways, your change will be one dollar and fifty cents. Enjoy the rest of your stay!” She said with a wave.
She gave him a dollar and two large silver coins—quarters, if he remembered right.
“We will,” they chorused together.
Ken hadn’t drunk smoothies all that much, but this one was pretty good. The fruit she used tasted pretty fresh too. Shinjiro-san would probably approve.
“Do you want to try some?” Makoto suddenly asked, holding out her cup to Ken.
Ken blinked in response; wouldn’t people find that weird?
He remembered one time, right before Minato-san and Yukari-san started dating—just right after they came back from Yakushima. Minato-san stole Yukari-san’s milkshake to drink, and Yukari-san started getting mad at him for it. Then Junpei-san started teasing Minato-san for wanting to steal an indirect kiss from Yukari-san. Then that led to Yukari-san to getting mad at Junpei-san…
Wait, what was he thinking? Makoto just was offering him a drink, maybe as thanks for paying for her. He was just overthinking this!
Ken just nodded, before offering her to drink from his smoothie. Both agreed the other picked something delicious and handed their drinks back to each other. After that, they sat quietly. But it wasn’t awkward. It was a pleasant quiet, one where they were enjoying each other’s presence.
“I’m honestly surprised,” Makoto suddenly spoke, after taking another sip from her smoothie. “That a place as far as Hawaii has heard of the Phantom Thieves.”
Ken just shrugged. “Well, Futaba seemed to imply that Medjed is a world-wide thing. It is surprising but… it was probably inevitable for us too I guess, considering she took Medjed down in our name.”
“I suppose so. But worldwide? No pressure there, right?” Makoto chuckled.
Ken just offered her a smile. “We can handle it.”
But Ken couldn’t help but sigh. Where had the time gone? Soon, they would have to return to Tokyo, and resume their lives…
Sae’s eyes were narrowed on her.
“How could you?” she spat out. “Becoming a Phantom Thief! It was all to spite me, wasn’t it?”
“No, Sis, please…” Makoto took a step closer to Sae. “It’s not that.”
“No sister of mine would become a criminal,” Sae spat, before turning on her heel.
She looked over her shoulder, her eyes colder than ice. The glare pierced right through Makoto’s soul. A pit was beginning to form in Makoto’s stomach.
“So, I suppose you’re no sister of mine,” she spat out.
Makoto felt like she had the rug yanked from underneath her feet.
“W-What?”
“Goodbye, Makoto.”
Makoto… Makoto…
She couldn’t mean that, could she…? Sae still cared for her, didn’t she? Then why had she abandoned her, leaving her alone in the cold dark apartment.
Makoto, WAKE UP!
Makoto’s eyes snapped open with a gasp. She realized that Ken had been shaking her awake. They were back at the hotel. She was still on the school trip.
It was a dream. It was just a horrible dream. Sae didn’t hate her, thank goodness!
Something wet splashed onto her hand. Makoto blinked and another wet droplet splashed onto her hand.
Makoto then quickly turned away from Ken, hastily wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. It was bad enough that Ken had to see her having a nightmare, but the fact that he had seen her crying… just made it doubly worse.
“Makoto, look at me.” Ken lightly grasped her shoulder.
“Go back to bed, Ken,” Makoto said hoarsely, before she swallowed thickly. “It… it’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing!” Ken snapped, suddenly climbing onto Makoto’s bed so that he was in front of her again.
“It’s just a dream, I’m stupid for being so affected by—”
“You’re not stupid, Makoto!” Ken retorted, shaking his head. “You’re allowed to get upset over something. You’re not weak for crying about something that distresses you, especially a nightmare.”
Makoto bit her lip before mumbling out, “I just feel like a scared little girl.”
She then swiped at her eyes again. She hated crying. It made her feel helpless and not… in control.
Ken was quiet for a moment. “You don’t have to talk about your dream. But… something is bothering you…”
Makoto bit her lip, before forcing herself to meet Ken’s gaze. Even in the dim moonlight, she could see Ken’s concerned expression.
Makoto took in a deep breath. She could trust Ken.
“Sis… she’s so important to me. She’s the only family I have left… but at the same time, I can’t agree with what she’s doing.” She sat up and curled into a ball, hugging her legs. “And the Phantom Thieves have been the first people to accept me in the longest time… it’s silly I suppose that I worry about her opinion so much…”
“It’s not,” Ken said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She's your sister. And you love her."
Of course he could say that... he didn’t feel like he’d have to choose…
“I know I’m lucky,” Ken said quietly, as if he had read her mind. “Mitsuru-san almost said no to me. I don’t know if I would have it in me to defy her, if she had told me no. She’s done so much for me over the years. And… I don’t know if I could choose between the two of you.”
That made sense. From Ken’s story, she knew that SEES had forged a tight bond due to the tribulations they had faced together. They had become a family, a family many of them never had when they were younger… or family they lost but found a new one.
Ken then spoke up again. “And even then, I still worried… that you would be hurt… feel betrayed about me masking the truth. I was scared that you would… hate me for this…”
Ken’s expression… it was so raw. He hadn’t been this open, even when he had spilled the entire story. Ken had been struggling to keep it together, but he had managed it.
“Ken, I…” Makoto trailed off, looking at her feet.
Makoto swallowed hard, letting go of her legs and relaxing her posture. She slowly placed a hand over one of his. It took a moment for Makoto to register that his hand was trembling.
“I don’t think I could hate you… ever,” she admitted quietly.
A soft smile touched his lips. But then his expression grew somber.
Ken said sympathetically, “I don’t know your sister. But I do believe that she does love you and just wants the best for you. I don’t think that she’d hate you over this…”
“I hope so…” Makoto murmured.
She wanted to believe that it was the truth. She didn't know if she could handle it if it wasn't.
Ken was quiet for a moment; he stared out the window. It was peaceful like this. She heard him suck in a breath before he turned back to her.
“Tell me more about your sister,” he said finally.
Makoto looked at him, surprised evident on her face. Ken cleared his throat.
He clarified, “Back before… she had to step up and become your guardian.”
Makoto felt her shoulders slump, but a bittersweet smile curled onto her face. She licked her dry lips and took in a breath.
“You know already that she’s a pretty big fan of Neo Feathermen. She would sometimes ask me to play me hero with her. I would act as the civilian in danger while she swooped in to save the day…” Makoto said with a small chuckle.
She talked for what felt was a long time. Memories that she hadn't thought of in years came bubbling to the surface. Sometimes, she desperately missed those days. It had never been easy, with their dad as a single parent… But it had been easier. Sae had mothered her even back then due to the death of their mother, but... Sae was different then. More optimistic.
She had remembered more than one dinner conversation when Sae had enthusiastically discussed her law classes, and how she couldn't wait to become a prosecutor so she could punish wrong doers. Just like their father. That her and father would be an unstoppable team. Dad would arrest the bad guys, and Sae would make sure they wouldn’t escape the consequences of breaking the law.
She had honestly forgotten how many good memories she had with Sae. Their strained relationship had occupied her mind completely.
Eventually, she felt her eyelids droop, as exhaustion covered her like a cloak. She felt Ken’s weight on the bed shift, probably to climb back into his bed, but she reached out and grabbed at his shirt. He inhaled sharply, looking at her wide-eyed.
“Stay here,” she murmured.
“Makoto, I don’t know…”
She just… she felt steadier with him around. His presence was just… comforting to her.
“Please, Ken," she pleaded with wide eyes.
A long silence hung in the air between them. It felt almost like it lasted forever; it was almost suffocating.
“Is this what you really want?” Ken finally asked, quietly.
“It is.”
She heard him sigh.
“Alright…” he murmured. “Good night, Makoto.”
He laid back next to her, but his back faced her, to give her privacy. Such a gentleman…
“Good night, Ken.”
Sunday, September 11th, 2016
Makoto blinked sleepily at the already bright sunlight streaming through the window. She felt so... warm and comfortable. Even her pillow felt nice and toasty. Which was odd, since the pillows were actually kinda... wait a minute.
Makoto felt her cheeks grow warm before she quickly inched away. This was... this was definitely a don't ask, don't tell moment. Her pillow was... Ken. Just a few minutes ago, she had buried her face against his shoulder. When did that happen?!
Then the memories of last night started to flood in. Makoto pressed a hand to her now burning face. She had all but begged him to sleep with her. Er, sleep in the same bed as her—not... the other kind of activity...
Why was she thinking that? Makoto quickly shook her head, to try and shake the thoughts out of her mind. That kind of thinking was just inappropriate!
Why would she ask her friend to lie next to her!? That was crossing the line! He clearly felt bad for her, how could she take advantage of his kindness like that and put him in such a position!? She should apologize!
Makoto rubbed her still hot face, before she grimaced. She must have it on her mind because of seeing Ren and Anne leaving his room together. And the conclusions that she had jumped to just yesterday morning. Yes, that was it.
Still, Ken was rather... cute when he was sleeping. Ken had gotten up earlier than her the past two mornings since they had roomed together, so she’d never seen him like this. His cheeks were flushed pink from sleep, and he looked... more peaceful while he slept. His bangs fell into his eyes. Makoto eyed his hair. Both Fuuka-san and Yukari-san had been fond of mussing up his hair, even though Ken hated it. Fuuka-san claimed it was rather soft. Ken was asleep, so... why not?
Makoto ran her fingers through his hair. In the sun, there were glints of russet in his hair. And honestly... his hair was softer than hers. Though she had to wonder why Ken hated his hair being touched. She could see why Fuuka-san and Yukari-san liked to ruffle his hair.
"Having fun?"
Makoto let out a squeak, pulling her hand away from Ken's hair in an instant and quickly scrambling to her side of the bed.
Ken huffed out a laugh, before he sat up. Ken's hair stuck up in several places, a far cry from his usual neat hairstyle.
"Good morning to you too," he said dryly, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame it somewhat, before he stifled a yawn. "Just so you know, I hate it when Fuuka-san and Yukari-san did it because I hate my hair getting all mussed up. I'm not saying I love waking up to you playing with my hair, it's not annoying."
"O-Oh... I guess that makes sense." Makoto nodded awkwardly.
Did he read her mind? She shook her head; that was a ridiculous thought.
An awkward silence fell between them. Makoto began to fidget. Of course it'd be awkward, they had shared a bed last night!
"How are you feeling?" Ken suddenly asked.
"Oh... much better." She hesitantly met his gaze. "Um... thank you. For everything last night."
"Anytime, Makoto." He just gave her a tired smile. "I'm glad that you're feeling better."
He then rubbed the back of his neck, his expression pensive.
Ken said softly, "And... I meant what I said last night. I don't think I can ever express how much you and everyone else's acceptance meant to me."
"Ken..." Makoto breathed.
There was another pregnant pause, Ken’s cheeks started to turn red. He let out an awkward cough.
"I... I better go freshen up," he mumbled out, before making a hasty retreat.
Makoto watched him go. She supposed that Ken just wanted to move past this whole thing. It was a one-time thing, after all. She hated that she put him in that position. Should she still apologize if he doesn’t want to talk about it again? Still, she felt like she owed him an apology.
She also couldn’t help that she felt bad, being disappointed that he got up and left. Why would she be anyway? He’s been more than enough of a good friend to her. Asking more of his time and attention? No… that was selfish.
She needed to squash this disappointed feeling down.
Monday, September 12th, 2016
Makoto was glad that she had the afternoon and evening to rest up. When she had gotten home, she had showered, napped a little, before preparing dinner. She was studying when the door opened, and Sae stepped through.
"Hey, Sis," she greeted.
"Hello, Makoto," she said.
She then glanced at the textbooks spread in front of Makoto. She smiled, looking pleased.
"You just got back from your trip and you're already studying." She nodded her head. "That’s the right attitude, Makoto. Your hard work will pay off for you if you keep it up."
Makoto smiled, Ken’s words still in her mind. She had to hold onto hope.
She pushed away one of her papers, things were already off to a nice start in this conversation, she didn’t want to waste her chance. She would give it to Sae and maybe they could talk about her trip. It would be nice to just… talk. Like they used to.
"I got a souvenir for you," Makoto said, before standing up. "I should get it for you—”
"Wait, Makoto," Sae said tautly, before her grasp on her bag strap tightened.
Makoto couldn’t help but start to frown. Sae looked… tense. Something bad happened. It was obvious, Sae hesitated to bring it up to her.
"There's something you need to know,” Sae said as her posture stiffened. “Just yesterday... Principal Kobayakawa passed away."
Makoto’s hand slid off the souvenir bag handle, as it flew to cover her mouth while she let out a gasp.
"P-Passed away? From what?"
The principal was middle aged and heavier weight sure, but it wasn't like he'd just drop dead from a heart attack so quickly. As far as she knew him, he hadn’t been on any medication or anything.
Sae folded her arms over her chest, her expression troubled.
"He was crossing the road when he suddenly stopped. He was hit by a truck, head-on. Death by external trauma. And some people... they believe it was suicide. From all of the investigations into Shujin."
"Did he really commit suicide?" Makoto tried to keep her nerves in check but it still slipped into her tone.
"I don't believe that," Sae answered quickly. "He was walking towards the police station at the time of his death. If he was really suicidal, why would he be walking there? He had even taken a taxi there. No..."
Sae shook her head, her lips pursed. That look in her eye… it made Makoto nervous.
"There's something suspicious about this,” she stated.
Makoto couldn’t help but lean against the table to support her weight as everything sunk in. Principal Kobayakawa was really dead. He certainly didn’t endear himself to her, but this was still… it was a horrible death.
And now… Makoto couldn’t help but think about what Ken’s associates suspect about the mental shutdowns… and the words of Kaneshiro’s Shadow.
Was this connected to the rogue Persona-user Kaneshiro talked about, the one Ken barely survived a fight against?
"Wait..." Makoto said slowly. "You think this is another incident? A mental shutdown...?"
"Even if he had a sudden shift of his mind... it's unnatural… I can only think of a change of a heart," Sae answered with narrowed eyes.
Makoto felt as if an ice-cold bucket had been dumped on her. She thought they were responsible?! It took all of Makoto’s self-control to not gape at her sister.
"Are you really saying that he was targeted by the Phantom Thieves?!" Makoto exclaimed. "That's just impossible!"
Sae glared at her in disappointment. Makoto couldn’t help but shrink.
"Makoto…” Sae sounded so exasperated as she spoke. “You still don't hold that childish notion that the Phantom Thieves are just misunderstood heroes, do you? The Phantom Thieves are nothing but menaces. They pervert justice."
"But...!" Makoto began to protest.
She had to calm down. She didn't want a repeat of what happened before. Makoto took a deep breath to steady herself. Sae would never listen to her that way.
"Sis, you can't deny that they've done a lot of good. And... I don't think it makes sense they would do this. Didn't they always send a calling card before? And their purpose was to make the person confess to their crimes,” Makoto pointed out. “Besides their targets keep getting bigger and bigger! A principal of a high school is small time in comparison to everything they’ve done after their first target.”
Not to mention they had an alibi, with the exception of Morgana and Futaba, all of the Thieves were in Hawaii at the time this happened. And it’s not like Futaba and Morgana would do this, disregarding it would be out of character, they were too busy going over Sae’s files. Not that Makoto could admit any of this to get them off… it would just throw them out of the pan and into the fire.
Sae rubbed her chin, suddenly thoughtful. "Well, you had to have spoken with him lately... had Principal Kobayakawa seemed any different?"
Had he? He had seemed nervous for some reason. But anyone would be, with the investigations. So, Makoto shook her head.
“He seemed under a lot of pressure, but anyone would be with the scandal he was in… other than that he seemed normal,” Makoto answered evenly.
"I see..." Sae sighed, before her expression became determined. "I... I have to catch them.”
But Makoto heard it loud and clear. Just hearing it made Makoto's heart sink.
"But Sis..." Makoto began to protest. "You don't have to—"
"Yes, I do," Sae all but snarled out, making Makoto flinch at the fierceness of her tone. When Makoto shrunk back, Sae slowly inhaled. Then when she spoke again, her voice was a little calmer. "I'm being charged with stopping the Phantom Thieves, and should I fail... I don't know what will happen."
She then sighed again, folding her arms across her chest.
"I’m… sorry for dropping this news on you right now. You're busy studying. I'll leave you be," she said quietly.
Makoto's stomach twisted into knots as she watched her elder sister leave.
Her eyes lingered once more on the bag, holding her gift. She heaved out a sigh. Maybe she should just go leave it in Sae’s bedroom.
She wasn't particularly religious, but she prayed that she wouldn't have to choose between her sister or the Phantom Thieves...
Notes:
Happy Valentine's Day! Finally got this chapter done.
Some of you may recognize the scene with the Kamehameha statue. I took it from a deleted scene in P5, and tweaked it.
I was asked this on FF, but I thought I'd clarify. Out of the Phantom Thieves, there are going to be only two canon ships: Ken/Makoto and Ren/Anne.
And the updates will be slowing down a little bit. I intend to update at least once a month, but I've also started to work on oneshots for the Shuann/RenAnn/AkirAnn week that me and my friends have been organizing. I want to make submissions for each day, so I need more time to work on them. If you're a fan of the ship and are interested in participating, you should check out the tumblr (shuann-week) or twitter (@ShuannWeek)!
Edit Notes (12/14/24): Added in a scene to replace the scene with the King Kamehameha statue, to further allude to Makoto's issues with Sae. Many thanks to my wonderful beta angelrin89 for her wonderful changes!
Chapter 22: Ch. 21: Change Of Plans
Summary:
Principal Kobayakawa's death has several ripple effects. The Phantom Thieves discuss the data from Sae, and visit the Diet Building. However, they have an encounter that has them reconsidering the decision to look into Shido as a target.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Tuesday, September 13th, 2016
Shinjiro-san let out a sigh and said, “Ken, you need to eat.”
Ken just pushed the plate of food aside, shaking his head.
“I’m not hungry,” he mumbled out, reluctantly meeting Shinjiro-san’s gaze. “Must be the jetlag still.”
That was just… an excuse. But he just couldn’t bring himself to continue eating. Not only that, but the few bites he managed to get down just tasted like ash.
Shinjiro-san just sighed, before pressing a hand to his forehead. “You know that wasn’t your—”
“He died!” Ken snapped, only for guilt to flood him.
Shinjiro-san was just trying to reassure him. He shouldn’t bite off his head for that. He stared down at the table.
“And just how he died… it’s not exactly a Strega assassination, but it isn’t pretty either,” he mumbled out.
“A full-on collision…” Shinjiro-san muttered, before turning back to the fridge and opening it.
He rummaged around for a moment, before pulling out a couple of onigiri. He wrapped them in plastic, before setting them on top of Ken’s bento box. Probably to sneak eat if he got hungry during the morning classes.
He then looked to Ken seriously. “Look, Ken, try not to listen to whatever crap the students are gonna spout. Let them talk.”
Shinjiro-san had said something similar right after he had gained guardianship of Ken. One of his teachers had made an offhanded remark about how he couldn’t believe that Shinjiro-san would normally want to take guardianship of someone unless he had an ulterior motive. But Shinjiro-san hadn’t cared. He had just shrugged things off. Sometimes he didn’t know how Shinjiro-san just didn’t care what people thought of him.
“I’ll try…” Ken murmured, before he let out an involuntary yawn.
He had barely gotten any sleep last night, with the combination of the news and the major jetlag. Today was definitely going to suck.
Shinjiro-san just huffed out a laugh, smiling slightly as he looked to Ken in amusement.
“Knew that the jetlag would kick your ass,” he said dryly, shaking his head. “Try not to pass out during class.”
Ken rolled his eyes. Yeah, that was Shinjiro-san for you. He certainly had a way with “comforting” words. And yet… that somehow made him feel a little better.
“Duly noted,” he deadpanned, before he stood up. “I better get going now, though.”
The walk to Shujin felt… tense. The news seemed to have leaked out to some of his classmates, and they were discussing it, not taking care to keep their voices down.
“Did he seriously die?!”
“Who cares, man? He totally deserved it. He was gonna let Shujin go down the tubes.”
Ken’s stomach twisted into knots, almost as if he ate bad seafood, despite barely eating any breakfast. The lack of empathy… it just made him sick. Principal Kobayakawa was no saint, but…
He forced himself to stare out of the window of the train. He just had to tune it out. What they said didn’t matter…
The train ride seemed to last forever. It was a relief when the train conductor finally announced that they had stopped at Aoyama-Itchome Station. It took some squeezing to get out of the door, but it felt like he could actually breathe once he was outside.
He went straight for his classroom, and he gratefully sank into his chair. He pressed a hand to his forehead. This was going to be a long day. He could feel it already.
His phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it off. It was a text from Makoto, asking him to meet her in the student council room.
Ken couldn’t help but frown, wondering what was wrong But Makoto wouldn’t ask him to come see her like this, if there wasn’t something wrong so…
He climbed the two flights of stairs, before finding the student council room and sliding open the door. Makoto was sitting at the table, all alone. She was idly spinning a pen in between her fingers.
“Makoto?”
Makoto gave a little gasp, the pen slipping from her fingers. She then raised her head, and Ken fought the urge to wince. Her eyes looked a bit puffy; that was an all too familiar sight. When Mitsuru-san didn’t get enough sleep, she’d would try to hide her dark circles with make-up. It would hide some of the effect, but overtime, he’d come to notice still.
Makoto looked just… exhausted.
“I’m glad you could come.” She wrung her hands for a moment. “I didn’t expect you to come so fast…”
“I just got to the classroom when you texted me,” Ken explained.
“I see.” Makoto patted the seat next to her. “Come sit.”
“What’s the matter, Makoto?” Ken asked.
Makoto sighed heavily before rubbing at her face. “It’s just… they’re cancelling the first morning class. An emergency assembly of sorts. The teachers called the student council and informed us just now in a meeting.”
An assembly…
Ken couldn’t help but frown as a sigh escaped his lips. He ran some fingers through his bangs before sitting down as Makoto asked.
“This is about the… incident, isn’t it?” Ken asked quietly.
Makoto gave a nod. “Sis told me a little. Eyewitnesses reported that he just stood there, not getting out of the way when the truck was crossing the street.”
Ken felt his blood run cold. “You’re not saying…”
“I don’t know.” Makoto bit her lip. “Sis says the running theory from the detectives it’s him committing suicide, with the stress of the investigation and the fallout of Shujin’s reputation, but…”
Ken met her eyes, picking up what she was leaving unsaid.
It felt like too much of a set-up. It was too suspicious…
He completely agreed.
“What do we do now?” Ken asked seriously.
Makoto looked down at the table.
“That’s the thing,” she answered, her voice barely audible. “I… I don’t know. We’ll have to talk to everyone about this after school.”
He was definitely right about it being a long day. The callousness of some of their classmates was just… appalling. Their lack of caring that Kobayakawa had died, especially in a horrible way, seemed to pass over their heads.
He didn’t like the man at all. But that seemed too cruel of a fate, even for the likes of him. He should face consequences for the things he had done… not death.
Though the implication that one of the girls had said—that the Phantom Thieves had targeted him…
Would he have thought the same, had he not gotten involved? The fact that he wasn’t sure wasn’t very reassuring… He couldn’t help but sigh again.
“That was a big one.” Ren’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Yes, well…” Ken glanced at his friend, before he grimaced. “Today wasn’t exactly stress free.”
Ren shook his head. “No kidding. I know it’d be crazy since our principal died, but… what we got was on a completely different level.”
Futaba fidgeted for a moment from where she was sitting, looking to Ren nervously.
“What should we start off with?” she asked.
“We need to talk about what exactly happened with Principal Kobayakawa,” Makoto said with a wince.
“I’ve already seen some forums talking about it,” Anne said. “People seemed to find it—”
“A spectacle…” Ryuji finished for her, a scowl on his face the whole time. “So far nobody’s been saying it’s ‘cause of the Phantom Thieves but…”
“It’s only a matter of time, I assume,” Yusuke sighed. “If what you described at the assembly was as bad as it sounds… somebody will come to that conclusion eventually.”
“That tabloid’s article doesn’t help.” Ken couldn’t help but wince. “Dealing with that kind of pressure from the media… That would be a logical explanation to the incident.”
Ken then licked his lips, looking down at his lap. His breath felt shaky for a moment. The callous comments swirled around his mind, but one comment that bugged him a lot…
“But that’s not accurate Ryuji. I did hear one classmate… she was strongly implying that we could have done it to Kobayakawa… and she implied that was a good thing too.” Ken said, as he tried to keep his voice even.
The blood drained from Ryuji’s face. “You’re shitting me?”
Ken just shook his head, wishing it was some twisted joke.
“There are so many questions to be asked,” Morgana muttered. “And… no answers.”
Anne’s voice began to shake. “I mean, obviously we d-didn’t do it—but you don’t th-think… A-Aren’t we kinda responsible for Principal Kobayakawa’s suicide…?”
Ryuji sat straight up; his head whipped around to Anne’s direction.
“Anne, whataya mean?” Ryuji demanded.
“I mean, this whole incident with the tabloids… it happened b-because we stole Kamoshida’s heart to begin with.” Anne wrapped her hands around herself. “M-Maybe if we hadn’t done anything, he wouldn’t—”
“No!” The fierceness in Ren’s voice made them all look up. “Anne, don’t you dare blame yourself for this!”
He pointed at Ryuji.
“Are you going to blame Ryuji for losing his temper when Kamoshida purposely provoked him so he could break Ryuji’s leg? Or Mishima for being scared to speak out, even though Kobayakawa was silencing everyone?” Ren said as he stood straight up.
He then started to walk to the center of the room, his eyes fixated on Anne.
“Or you for trying to appease Kamoshida so he wouldn’t punish Shiho? Kobayakawa may not have deserved dying like that, but he covered up Kamoshida’s crimes!” Ren’s hands clenched into fists at his side. “He let Kamoshida pull that crap with his blessing.”
Ren’s expression held nothing but pure disgust.
Personally, Ken couldn’t help but feel horrified. He knew it was bad, knew that Kobayakawa was complicit… he heard Kamoshida screwed over Ryuji… and what he put Anne and the volleyball team through. Not to mention what he also put Makoto through after that… But this?
Even still… the man already was exposed for this. His reputation was in shambles. Death was… not an appropriate consequence for Kobayakawa.
But that isn’t what Ren was saying, he knew that. He was just trying to reassure Anne. Ken sighed to himself. He needed to calm himself down. He was starting to get worked up. This whole thing has him on edge.
“You… You’re right,” Anne murmured. “I’m sorry, Ren…”
Ren just squeezed her shoulder. “You didn’t deserve that kind of torment, Anne. Nobody did…”
She nodded and he gave her a quick embrace. The group all let out a heavy sigh. Everyone was on edge, not that he blamed them.
“Forgive the interruption… but it’s not quite suicide,” Makoto interjected, causing all attention to shift onto her.
She looked a little unsettled, but she pushed forward.
“Well… at least Sis doesn’t think that’s the case anymore,” she quickly amended. “The detectives on the case at first felt that way. She has a different theory.”
Ken didn’t like where this was going.
“She suspects that it was a change of heart, but there was something that bothered me. She said that Kobayakawa just suddenly stopped walking, in the middle of the road. Didn’t even acknowledge the truck that ended up killing him, despite it honking at him before…” Makoto paused as she winced. “Before it… ran him over.”
Wait, she wasn’t saying…?!
“W-Wait, do you think that means…” Anne’s eyes were wide. “Principal Kobayakawa had a mental shutdown?!”
Futaba curled into a ball in her chair. She started to shiver a little.
“T-That does sound a lot like what happened with Mom,” she mumbled out.
Makoto took a few steps forward, placing a comforting hand on Futaba’s shoulder. Futaba took a few deep breaths, and relaxed her posture. She nodded up at Makoto, a silent thank you. Makoto then sat down next to her as Futaba turned toward her laptop.
Ken moved behind her to see that Futaba had several articles pulled up on an internet browser.
“There’s a lot of opinions online, though. Like… ‘He deserved it’… ‘covering up crimes is wrong’,” she commented.
“Well, that’s true,” Ryuji muttered.
Ren sighed. “Not the point, Ryuji. I mean, it’s wrong that he covered up Kamoshida but his death…”
He trailed off, pursing his lips together.
Ken looked away. He could sympathize with Ryuji feeling bitter. Ken hadn’t been affected by Kobayakawa like how most of his friends had. But still, he had to agree with Ren—the way he died… it wasn’t right. He noticed that Yusuke looked unsure as well.
“But the question is… why?” Morgana piped up. “Why would he be the subject of a mental shutdown? And if Shido is really is behind those, like your Kirijo friend suspects Ken… then why target a high school principal, he isn't as high profile or of great consequence in the grand scheme of things?”
“That’s the million-yen question, isn’t it?” Ken sighed. “Shujin’s reputation is rather prestigious but… he does feel rather small time in comparison.”
“There’s more,” Yusuke interjected, looking up from his phone with a grimace. “More than one person has proclaimed that, ‘Only the Phantom Thieves are on our side!’ Claiming that we should replace the government itself.”
The government?! That was just insane!
“H-Holy shit…” Ryuji breathed.
Ken couldn’t help but shiver. This was starting to get frightening.
This was like… fanaticism. Like… when the Cult of Nyx swept through the city. Except they were the ones looked upon as saviors. Personas granted them powers that they normally could only dream of having, but… they weren’t gods.
“It’s not just that.” Ren shook his head. “I’ve heard people talking about Phantom Thieves merch too. I found it a little excessive but still harmless at the time, but coupled with the public opinion right now…”
Ken pressed his lips together. “The Phantom Thieves are talked all over the country. And internationally as well…”
“This is scary…” Anne murmured, biting the inside of her lower lip. “W-What’s going on…?”
Ren just looked at her in concern, worry in his eyes. He then blinked, sucked in a sharp breath, and the worry disappeared.
He was trying to hold it together, wasn’t he? For them?
“Now I can’t help but wonder if we’re doing the right thing…” Makoto murmured.
Ken looked over at her. She had a point. Ren had agreed to look into targeting Shido but this was starting to get worrisome. Not to mention Principal Kobayakawa’s death was looking like it was connected to Shido.
“I mean, doesn’t he deserve it?” Ryuji asked.
His comments were met with alarmed stares.
“He covered all of that shit, and he only cared that Kamoshida added to Shujin’s rep,” Ryuji argued.
“Ryuji!” Ken stared at his friend in horror. “He may not have been the best person, but he literally died two days ago!”
He hadn’t even found any joy when Takaya and Jin had died on the Day of the Fall. It just felt… wrong to speak ill of someone when their corpse wasn’t even cold in the grave.
“Come on, guys, losing your head now is not how we Phantom Thieves do this,” Morgana suddenly spoke up.
“Morgana is right.” Ren sighed. “Arguing about this isn’t going to help. This whole talk has us all on edge, we should focus on the mission ahead. We’ll worry about the rest later.”
Morgana then nodded in Futaba’s direction. “We met here to discuss the data we’ve obtained from Makoto’s sister.”
“That’s true.” Yusuke sighed, shaking his head. “I must confess… it had completely slipped my mind.”
“It’s a… mess.” Futaba winced, before pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “First… she’s researching into cases of people collapsing suddenly. Because of that, she’s looking into Apathy Syndrome.”
“Apathy Syndrome?” Ken repeated. “She’s still looking into that?”
“Whataya mean by that?” Ryuji asked with a frown.
Ken sat up straight and scratched the back of his neck as he sucked in a quick breath.
“I was with Makoto once, when we ran into Niijima-san,” he explained. “She inquired into Apathy Syndrome, after finding out that I’m from Port Island.”
Futaba suddenly bit her lip, chewing on it for a moment.
“About that… she seems to think that Shinjiro-san is research worthy too,” she said.
“What?!” Ken gasped.
Futaba just shrugged. “That’s all I really know, sorry.”
She would know that Shinjiro-san was his guardian but why did she think that Shinjiro-san was worth looking into her to build her case? This was all just… bizarre.
Even if she technically was on the mark about that, what with their involvement with SEES and everything that happened on Port Island. But by all accounts, on the outside looking in, there’s nothing that would connect to that. Him and Shinjiro-san on paper couldn’t be connected to Apathy Syndrome. They only happened to live where it happened.
Either she had one heck of a detective instinct (or prosecutor in this case), or she might be connected to something worrisome that would give her more insight into things most normal people shouldn’t know.
“But um, she seemed to note that most of these incidents… the breakdowns I mean… they seemed to recently benefit one person the most. Kunikazu Okumura, the CEO of Okumura Foods—better known for being the owner of Big Bang Burger franchise.”
Futaba glanced back at her screen, tapping on her keyboard for a moment. She then repositioned her laptop, showing an image of a dark haired, middle-aged man wearing glasses.
“A lot of Big Bang’s rivals have had some kind of scandal over the past few months. Wild Duck Burger—some employee had some nude selfies incident. An arson happened in Haneruya Foods factory. A Goodness Food driver had a breakdown while driving, lost control of his vehicle and killed four people.”
“Damn… I didn’t even think those could be connected,” Ren admitted, shaking his head.
“It’s not quite groundbreaking news,” Yusuke remarked. “Especially compared to that subway accident that occurred back in April. Though coupling this with the supposed rumors of Big Bang Burger overworking their employees is… concerning.”
“Okumura seems like target worthy to me,” Ryuji said.
He then looked at everyone else.
“What about you guys?” he asked.
“I don’t know—maybe?” Futaba shrugged. “But we need to look more into Shido too. After he might be…”
Her lip quivered and she lowered her head. Makoto and Anne gave her sad looks.
“I don’t know…” Morgana suddenly spoke up.
He looked at Futaba uncertainly.
“The poll voted Okumura too… we could always look into Shido afterwards,” Morgana pointed out. “And Makoto’s sister seems very concerned about him enough to suspect him to be connected to some of these incidents, doesn’t that warrant looking into?”
“Yeah but… we don’t do this for popularity contests. Right?” Futaba pointed out. “He does sound concerning and we should take care of him later too. But Mitsuru-san suspects that this Shido guy could be behind what happened to Mom! And possibly other stuff too, isn’t that one of the reasons why only Ken and Shinjiro-san could come, and not the rest of the Shadow Ops?”
Ken pursed his lips. “Well… I’ll admit it’s somewhat worrisome with Big Bang rivals being targeted. But I agree with Futaba, we should also be looking into Shido.”
Morgana just scowled at him. “Did you even listen what I said?”
Ken couldn’t help but feel annoyed. “I did. But we talked about Shido first after I told you all the truth and determining if Mitsuru-san’s hunch is right. Besides that, I don’t think we should let the public influence our targets so much.”
“But there has to be a reason why Okumura has been requested a lot on the Phan-Site! All those rumors how he treats his employees! Isn’t this not like what we heard with Madarame? And that turned out to be real!” Morgana retorted.
Yusuke flinched and looked away but said nothing after that. Ken couldn’t help but frown.
“And the stuff that Makoto’s sister found! If all these incidents happen that benefit him, like Niijima suspects, then he might know about the Persona-user you fought Ken!” Morgana’s hair started to raise a bit. “The one Madarame and Kaneshiro told us about! Weren’t you all suspecting that he was connected to the ones doing the breakdowns?!”
“Weren’t you the one earlier saying we Phantom Thieves shouldn’t lose our cool?!” Futaba jumped to her feet.
“Hey, hey, enough!” Anne interjected, taking a step forward. “Jeez, don’t go for each other’s throats.”
She looked between them, frowning at them. But then she folded her arms across her chest.
“But still, from what you told us, Shido seems like a potential bigger evil. He’s government after all. They have way more power. And if Mitsuru-san’s hunch is right… then what happened to Futaba’s mom is also connected to the breakdowns and shutdowns. What do you think, Ren?” she asked, turning to her boyfriend.
Ren took off his glasses, let out a heavy sigh, and pinched his nose.
“I hear what you are saying Morgana. Okumura does look potentially connected to this. But this jump in popularity he has while the public has been acting unnatural about us has me… on edge. I can’t explain it but I just don’t feel comfortable going after him right this minute,” Ren explained; his voice was neutral, probably to try and soften the blow.
Ken held back the urge to sigh in relief. Yusuke and Anne seemed to relax as well. Makoto fidgeted in her seat but said nothing. Futaba sat back down and did actually let out a sigh. Ryuji crossed his arms and frowned, looking conflicted.
“But… we did make a resolution to look into Shido. We promised Ken and Shinjiro-san, as well as Mitsuru-san. Especially if he has Futaba’s mother’s research… that makes him dangerous,” Ren continued explaining. “If he is the reason Wakaba was killed… that makes him connected to the breakdowns and shutdowns, just like Okumura potentially. It could even be possible we could find out more about these breakdowns by looking into Shido.”
Morgana had an unreadable expression. Contrasting to Ryuji’s, who looked like he calmed down and now had a more contemplative look, thanks to Ren’s words.
“Remember what Kaneshiro said? How people could employ the services of someone who used those powers to cause the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns. It’s very possible we could be stumbling onto something much bigger, much worse.” Ren then started to pace the room a bit as he finished his explanation. “And it’s all connected to that Persona user that Ken fought. If Mitsuru-san’s hunch is right, Morgana, then Shido would probably know more about it. He is a politician after all, and running for Prime Minister. We can always tackle Okumura next. I’m not saying we shouldn’t look into him, let’s just wait for this craze to die down.”
Morgana didn’t look very happy at Ren’s decision. He actually looked somewhat… sulky.
“Fine…” he muttered out.
Makoto cleared her throat and stood up.
“I think that’s a good idea. And after all, if Shido knows nothing, we could always look into Okumura after that. We now basically have two leads that could lead us to figuring out who this black masked Persona user is, as well as the mystery of the breakdowns and shutdowns,” she said diplomatically.
“We need to uncover some more information on Shido, then. Perhaps we can discover something if we go to the Diet Building…” Yusuke said.
“That’s a sound idea, Yusuke,” Makoto nodded. “Shall we set off now then?”
The Diet Building was located in a district that Ken had never visited before, the Nagatacho district. The Diet Building was impressive, carved from white stone. A small flight of stairs led up to an area with pillars, also carved from white stone. The entrance was just beyond that. An iron gate surrounded the area completely, but since it was the afternoon still, the gates were open. There was tour groups congregated at the foot of the stairs.
“Hmm… we didn’t think this through…” Anne mumbled, tilting her head slightly. “Even if we got inside without attracting attention, how are we going to get info on Shido…?”
“I mean, it’s kinda tough unless we happen to find him campaigning,” Ryuji grumbled, scuffing his shoe before he kicked a pebble.
Futaba’s hands clenched into fists.
“We’ve gotta try still!” she argued.
“Hey, I’m not saying I’m giving up!” Ryuji protested, holding up his hands in surrender. “Jeez. Chill, Futaba!”
Futaba opened her mouth, but Ken put a hand on her shoulder.
“Futaba, he didn’t mean anything by that. Trust me… it wasn’t easy to gather enough information to unlock your Palace,” Ken said in a low voice.
Futaba appeared mollified by that, rocking on her heels for a moment. “Hmm, I could always hack into—”
“Futaba, how many times do I have to go over this?” Ken deadpanned. “It’s illegal.”
Futaba just narrowed her eyes before planting both of her hands on her hips.
“Yeah, ‘cause what you’ve been doing lately is soooo legal,” she scoffed.
Ken automatically opened his mouth to retort, only to shut it. He glared at her. He didn’t have a counter for that.
“She’s got you there,” Ren teased, making Ken glower at him instead.
But then Ren’s expression grew steely as he looked back to the Diet Building.
“But anyways… let’s take a look inside. Especially since we made the commute the way here,” he said.
“This will not be an easy target,” Morgana mumbled to himself as they entered the building.
Inside the building was even more opulent. Ken couldn’t help but feel like a tourist as he looked around.
“I must say…” Yusuke breathed. “I did not expect it to look so… luxurious.”
“It does make sense, though, doesn’t it?” Makoto asked. “I mean, this is where the elected officials decide on laws and such… I don’t think there’s such a thing as a plain government building.”
“That is true, I do suppose,” Yusuke agreed, before he grimaced. “Though I must say, I do feel out of place here.”
“I mean, tourists come here all the time, don’t they?” Ryuji asked. “If Americans and Europeans can come and gawk at the place, why can’t we?”
Ken couldn’t help but slightly nod at that comment. He… had a point.
Morgana slightly poked his head out of the bag, looking up at Ren.
“So, this is where Yoshida worked, before he fell out of favor, huh?” Morgana asked.
Ren however shoved Morgana’s head back into the bag, quickly turning around to make sure no staff member was around to see that. That could easily get them—or Ren, at least—kicked out. He sighed in relief; the tour guide was talking to a foreign family. Asking her questions and pointing to their pamphlet.
Morgana just mumbled out a quick apology from within the bag.
But Ken was curious about the name Morgana brought up.
“Yoshida?” Ken asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Oh, he’s a politician that I help out sometimes,” Ren explained with a wave of his hand. “He makes really great speeches, so he’s been teaching me that.”
He definitely didn’t expect that. Ren certainly knew how to attract all sorts of types. Two of Ren’s associates consisted of a doctor who seemed to give him herbal medicine under the table and a former yakuza. Sure… why not add a fallen politician into the mix?
Then again, Minato-san had some odd friends too. None of them had expected Tanaka of all people to show up at Minato-san’s funeral.
He had no idea why Ren would want to learn how to make speeches, though. Especially when Ren scoffed at the idea of becoming a politician when Ken brought it up when Ren suggested it. (Sure, Ren was being sarcastic, but Ken hated how he underestimated himself.)
He supposed being comfortable with making speeches in front of a crowd and learning leadership skills would help solidify Ren being more comfortable as a leader, even if it was tips from someone that fallen out of favor.
“Amamiya-kun?”
They all turned as one at the familiar voice. It was Haru-san, still dressed in her school uniform.
“I… I’m surprised to find you all here,” she said slowly.
“We… uhhhh…” Ryuji’s eyes were wide with panic.
He didn’t really blame Ryuji for panicking. They had not expected to run into anyone that would recognize them.
“I could say the same about you,” Ren cut in smoothly.
“Oh… um…” Haru-san bit her lip, staring at the floor while fidgeting. “I’m actually here with my father and—”
“Haru, what are you doing?” a sharp voice suddenly cut through the air.
A tall, dark-haired man suddenly appeared what felt like was out of nowhere.
“Wait… that’s…” Anne whispered.
Ken couldn’t help but flinch. He… matched the photo Futaba had shown them earlier.
That was… Kunikazu Okumura. CEO of Okumura Foods. He’s the one whose name jumped soon as Mishima-san opened up the polls for voting on a next target.
“I-I was just speaking to some classmates, Father,” Haru-san said meekly, still looking downward.
Wait. Father?!
They looked nothing alike… Though granted, he’s known his fair share of relatives who looked nothing alike. Minato-san and Minako-san were the prime example, of course, being twin siblings who didn’t share hair or eye color. The twins also took after Minato-san, but they still have features from Yukari-san. But these two? He couldn’t see it… Okumura was sharp features and angles, while Haru-san’s features were gentle and soft.
Makoto stepped forward, to Ken’s surprise. She gave a polite bow towards Okumura.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I’d like to thank you for allowing your daughter to help Shujin during the school trip. My name is Makoto Niijima, I’m the student council president,” Makoto introduced herself, her tone perfectly perfunctory. “Haru-san was extremely helpful, and we are grateful she was available for us on such short notice. You’ll be pleased to know she set a wonderful example for the underclassman.”
Haru-san finally looked up. A mix of relief but still seemed uncomfortable. Ken couldn’t help but feel… she looked like a deer in headlights still.
Ken now realized what Makoto was doing. She was trying to learn more about a target that seems to be popular on the site while also trying to keep things diplomatic for Haru-san. But Haru-san's body language... Ken couldn't help but frown. She kept fussing with her clothes, occasionally biting her lip as she watched her father.
Okumura just nodded; his face neutral.
“As expected of a daughter of my family,” he stated simply.
“Wait, you’re an Okumura?!” Ryuji blurted out as his eyes widened with shock.
This really explained why she was so keen on hiding her surname. The Okumura family wasn’t quite the powerhouse that the Kirijo family was, but it still held enough presence to turn people’s heads.
“That’s right,” Okumura said coldly, the distaste in his voice as clear as day.
Makoto winced; Ken couldn’t help but grimace slightly himself. Her chances of learning more just got shot down. That look said more than anything, he was clearly offended. (Not that he could blame Ryuji, it was indeed a shock, even if he could have phrased that better.)
He was staring at Ryuji with pure distaste. His hair in particular he was fixated on.
“My daughter is above associating with people such as you,” he stated, a hint of dismissal in his voice.
Ken had to fight to keep his expression neutral. What was his problem? Then again, there were some of Mitsuru-san’s peers who looked down on SEES as a whole… but still. Just because Ryuji could be a bit blunt didn’t mean the whole group should be looked down on. Especially after Makoto showed him nothing but respect.
“Indeed. My fiancée should be careful about who she speaks with.”
Joining them was a man several years older than them. He looked like he was in his late twenties. His brown hair was slicked back, and he wore an almost completely white suit.
“Wait, fiancée?!” Ken thought to himself.
“After all, she will be marrying a future politician.”
He then smiled, a smarmy smile that prickled at Ken’s nerves before he looked over at Okumura.
“And hopefully she’ll be the daughter of a soon-to-be politician,” he remarked.
Makoto cleared her throat. “I apologize Haru-san. I didn’t intend to offend your family or be a distraction. Ken and I were just showing some of the underclassmen the Diet Building.”
“Babysitting, are we?” the fiancé asked pompously.
Before Ryuji could bite the guy’s head off, Ken stepped in front of him.
“As student council and as upperclassmen, it is our duty and privilege to help our classmates. There’s only so much you can learn from books. Getting out and seeing the places that the news and textbooks talk about is especially enriching,” Ken said evenly.
“Yes well, that is noble of you, but these don’t exactly look like the smartest bunch. You student council kids are just wasting energy,” he scoffed and gave a light shrug. “Much like we are right now.”
“I apologize, Sugimura-san.” Her voice was feather-soft, before Haru-san stared at the floor, apparently finding it fascinating. “I just… was surprised to see them here, that’s all…”
“Okay no, can we back up? Did you actually say fiancée?!” Anne blurted out. “You can’t be serious! She’s only…”
“You know the minimum age of marriage, Anne,” Makoto said quietly.
But despite that, Makoto almost seemed to recoil at that. He didn’t blame her. An arranged marriage… it seemed old-fashioned, something that belonged in the last century.
He remembered everything Mitsuru-san went through with her own arranged marriage (that thankfully was broken off). Her own parents had been an arranged match—albeit one that eventually blossomed into a love match, but… Haru-san looked so obviously unhappy with this arrangement.
He imagined that Mitsuru-san’s parents were at least courteous to each other from the start. But Haru-san looked so nervous.
And there was something about Haru-san’s fiancé that felt… off. Beyond the haughty attitude and obvious age difference. Ken couldn’t exactly put his finger on what it was, however… but the guy made him wary.
“It’s still wrong!” Anne protested.
“You’d do well to watch your tongue, girl,” her fiancé snarled out, before he ogled at Anne. “Pretty looks can only get you so far.”
“Leering at other women when you are engaged is most unbecoming of a future spouse.” Yusuke finally spoke up.
Anne looked ready to add that, the fury in her eyes plain to see. But then Ren stepped forward, partially blocking Anne from view of this jerk, who wouldn’t stop ogling Anne’s legs the whole time he addressed her. He didn’t blame Ren for that. Ren’s eyes were narrowed dangerously.
“You know, it’s polite to look at someone’s face when speaking to them.” His voice was light, but there was a hint of steel in his tone. “But of course you don’t need to be reminded that, right?”
“Yeah!” Futaba interjected, hands both clenched into fists. “Like Yusuke said, if you’re happily engaged, you shouldn’t be looking at Anne like that!”
Haru-san seemed to cringe ever so slightly at Futaba’s words. Their past conversations made all too much sense. She admired Mitsuru-san, for being a single woman, yet being able to hold her power confidently. She wanted someone’s heart to be changed, and after meeting her wonderful fiancé, he was starting to sympathize. Her father didn’t seem pleasant either. Maybe she’d like both of their hearts to change.
Big Bang’s profits… were they all for just launching their CEO into politics? Maybe he shouldn’t have dismissed Okumura as a target so quickly earlier…
“Listen here, you little brat…” Sugimura hissed out, narrowing his eyes. “Someone obviously was remiss when you were to learn manners!”
“Could say the same to you!” Ryuji quickly jumped to Futaba’s defense, glowering at Sugimura.
Makoto drew Futaba away, tugging her closer as if she was afraid of what would happen if she let the man too close.
“Excuse us,” she said, her voice cool and polite. But her eyes were filled with barely veiled disdain. “We were preparing to leave when Haru-san approached us.”
She glanced at Ren for confirmation, who didn’t look too happy, but he reluctantly nodded.
“See you at school, Senpai…” Ryuji mumbled out.
“I’ll… see you,” she murmured.
They hastened away, but nobody spoke until they returned back to the penthouse. But then Yusuke abruptly broke the silence.
“He’s just like Sensei.”
Anne bit her lip hard. She leaned forward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“Yusuke…” she whispered.
“It’s disgraceful!” Yusuke spat out, anger smoldering in his gray eyes. “I’ll admit that I do not know Haru-san very well. But from the looks of it, she’s a daughter that any man would take pride in. And yet that vile man would seek to sell her off to the highest bidder like that?!”
“And the guy…” Futaba scrunched up her nose. “I think he’s in his late twenties. That’s just…”
“Is he really engaged to her?” Morgana piped up. “She’s in Makoto and Ken’s year, right? You’re all teenagers. She can’t get married.”
“Not… exactly,” Makoto said with a wince. “According to Japanese law, girls sixteen or older can marry with parental permission. The age requirement is slightly older for boys, though. I believe it’s eighteen.”
“Mitsuru-san was betrothed when she was our age too,” Ken said. “She eventually kicked her fiancé to the curb, but for a time… she had intended to go through it. For the sake of the Kirijo Group.”
Futaba looked up, blinking in surprise.
“First time I’ve heard of that.”
Ken looked to her in exasperation.
“You were eight when Mitsuru-san broke off the engagement. It wasn’t even a long engagement.”
“But… But that’s wrong!” Morgana suddenly protested, a fire lighting up in his bright blue eyes. “She obviously doesn’t even like him. Why is her father trying to force her to marry someone she doesn’t love?!”
Ken just winced. Unfortunately… some people still dismissed that.
“Because he’s obviously an abusive piece of shit,” Ryuji spat out. “He’s just using her as a tool, like what Madarame tried with Yusuke!”
Ren huffed, ruffling his bangs. “Now… I’m not sure who to target.”
He gestured at Futaba’s laptop with a frown.
“Okumura being voted to the top… the whole reveal that he wants to be a politician… Gotta say, I’m just a little suspicious.”
“Big Bang’s profits…” Ken said slowly. “It could be just funding for his campaign. Maybe that’s why he’s so eager to expand.”
“We need more information,” Makoto sighed, shaking her head. “We can’t decide if Okumura is worthy of being a target but if he is…”
“Maybe he could lead us to some info on Shido,” Ryuji offered. “I mean, he’s gotta be in certain circles, if he’s looking to be a politician. It’d be easier than just running around like headless chickens. And like you guys said this morning, they both could potentially be connected to the black masked guy that Ken fought!”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a closer look...” Futaba crossed her arms. “But yeah, I think this could work.”
“Oh, now you change your minds…” Morgana mumbled under his breath.
“Okay, let’s divide up the work, then,” Ren said.
His voice took on an authoritative tone, as he touched his chin.
“I’ll take Morgana and visit the Big Bang place on Central Street tomorrow. Futaba, I want you to dig up on more info about Okumura. Yusuke, can you help her out with that?”
Futaba and Yusuke nodded, and Ren flashed them a smile of thanks. Then he turned to Ryuji and Anne.
“Ryuji, Anne… can you look into who exactly this Sugimura guy is and why Okumura could be making Haru-senpai marry him? Ken, Makoto… I want you to talk to Haru-senpai tomorrow.”
“Wait. Why us?” Ken frowned.
“Duh, you’re all third-years,” Ren pointed out. “You all go to classes on the same level, it’ll be faster for you guys to find her during school. Besides… she might be more comfortable talking to you two over anyone else, being around her age.”
“Alright… I suppose that makes sense.” Makoto bit her lip before nodding.
She probably was a bit nervous, after the whole thing with Futaba…
But… if it wasn’t for Haru-san… Would he have agreed to look into her father otherwise? Weren’t the supposed reports of overworking enough? He started to feel guilty for getting so worked up in their debate over the next target.
“So, we’re decided then?” Anne asked, her expression determined. “We’re going to look more into Okumura?”
“I’d say so, yeah.” Ren nodded. “Okay, that’s all for today, guys.”
Today had been just… a blur. Makoto couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed…
First it had been dealing with the aftermath of Principal Kobayakawa’s death. Then it was them switching focus on targets completely.
And now Haru-san…
Hearing Sugimura’s words and watching his eyes linger on Anne made Makoto’s skin crawl. And the thought of her classmate being married to such a man was just… sickening.
She had only been vaguely aware of her classmate before. But nobody should be forced into marriage like that.
The juniors had slowly trickled out. Ren and Futaba were walking Anne home, before heading back to Yongen-jaya, while Yusuke and Ryuji departed together.
But Ken… Makoto looked over at her friend, whose eyes were glazed over as he stared out of the window.
“Is… something the matter?” she asked hesitantly, walking over to him.
Ken then seemed to snap out of it, his eyes flickering to Makoto.
“It’s… It’s…” He shook his head, before wrapping an arm around his torso. “I feel a little… selfish.”
“Selfish?” Makoto echoed, frowning at him. “What do you mean?”
“Haru-san—her father’s treatment of her. That’s what pushed me into rethinking Okumura as a potential target.”
“Ken, you’re just concerned,” Makoto said. “About Shido. He’s aiming to become Prime Minister… and if Mitsuru-san’s hunch is right about him orchestrating Futaba’s mother’s death…”
“Mitsuru-san is also afraid that he wants Aigis-san,” Ken said abruptly.
Honestly, it was bizarre. To think that a robot could be a Persona-user. But the Kirijo Group had managed it. But if Shido knew of Personas and Shadows and Black Mask worked for him… having a robot under his command would benefit him. A robot could withstand more damage than a human can.
Mitsuru-san’s theories about Shido unnerved her… she only wanted to hope she was wrong. But she didn’t have any reason to believe that Mitsuru-san would be mistaken… and that’s what scared her just as much.
Ken’s eyes suddenly grew distant as he spoke again. “Aigis-san once had her will stolen from her. Forced to turn against us.”
Ken sighed before sinking into a chair at the dinner table. He rubbed at his face.
“If you recall from the story I told you, that had led to the death of Mitsuru-san’s father. I think… if she had to go through that again, it would destroy her,” Ken said quietly, his expression looking so heartbroken.
“Ken, you’re not selfish for wanting prioritize investigating someone like Shido,” Makoto said, gently touching his shoulder. “You trust Mitsuru-san. I think you have every right to be just as concerned as she is.”
When he didn’t respond, Makoto bit her lip. What could she do, to help him feel better about this?
“You’re just worried about your friend. And Shido… if all your suspicions are true, he is a dangerous man,” she added with conviction in her tone. “You’re not selfish, for putting that above what the public was voting for. We’re not mercenaries or attack dogs that the public can just set on public enemy number one. That’s treading dangerous territory.”
To her relief, Ken looked up with a little, but grateful smile. He then placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I suppose you’re right… I just felt that I was selfish because seeing how Okumura treated his daughter is what made me reconsider things… and not the rumors about him, or how your sister suspects he could be connected to the breakdowns somehow.”
“And Mitsuru-san suspects an actual politician is connected to those, I don’t blame you for prioritizing that. Besides… forcing his daughter into marriage, to an awful man like that…” Makoto couldn’t help but frown. “It’s hard to stomach. You could just see how tense and uncomfortable she was.”
Ken could only nod in response. Makoto took two steps forward and let out a sigh. She turned to look over to him.
“To tell you the truth, I had been sure that I didn’t want to marry not too long ago.” Makoto admitted.
“What changed your mind, then?” Ken asked.
“Just a mix of things, I suppose.” Makoto shrugged lightly and gave a half-smile. “I won’t lie though… I fully admit seeing Ren and Anne helped contribute to this. I’m starting to see why people say that love can move mountains. Your senpai… they’ve been together since high school, haven’t they?”
“I know it’s rare but… it’s not exactly common for you to go through the tribulations that Persona-users do,” Ken said, his expression becoming pensive. “You can’t exactly share this kind of things with just anyone.”
Makoto gave a nod with a thoughtful hum. She had never thought of it that way. But… it made sense. Even seven years later, that group were all still friends. Not many people could boast of having a tight friendship with their high school friends.
She… hoped that the same would apply to the Phantom Thieves themselves, in the future.
Ken was silent for a few more moments before he rose to his feet. He then turned back to look at Makoto.
“Though, how do you want to handle Haru-san?” he asked.
Makoto let out a breath that was louder than she intended. She didn’t want this to end up like the disaster that was their first time with Futaba.
“Well… I think we should probably find her during lunch. Invite her to eat lunch with us?” she suggested tentatively. “Maybe as an apology for making a scene like that?”
“That’s a great idea.” Ken smiled at her. “Don’t worry about lunch. I’ll make it for tomorrow. And…”
He suddenly reached out and touched her wrist. Makoto’s breath caught in her throat. It just… was surprising. It had completely caught her off guard.
Ken then smiled at her. His smile always seemed so gentle.
“Just relax, with Haru-san. I think part of the problem with Futaba was that you were trying to force things. You’ve spoken to Haru-san just fine before. You’ll be fine.”
Looking into Ken’s eyes… she actually believed it.
She gave him a soft smile. “Thank you, Ken. I appreciate that, really…”
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016
The bell rang shrilly, signaling the beginning of lunch. Makoto caught Ken’s eye before they both stood up.
“Where should we look for her?” Makoto murmured to him.
She scanned the sea of the students, hoping to find a flash of light brown. At least Haru-san’s hair was fairly unique with how curly it was, making it easier to seek her out.
Ken was scanning around next to her. He then lightly grabbed the fabric of her sleeve.
“Let’s try for the entrance to the roof,” Ken suggested. “I think she spends a lot of time up there…”
But then a voice suddenly called out to them.
“Amada-kun? Niijima-san?”
Their heads turned to see Haru-san was standing not too far from them, her hands clasped behind her back.
As Phantom Thieves, they learned how quickly their luck was fickle. Some days good, some days bad. This felt like good luck… but the day was still young so she probably shouldn’t jinx it.
Haru-san looked nervous however, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
“D-Do you have time to speak today?” she stammered out, fidgeting with her hands as she spoke.
Ken and Makoto looked at each other. They had to put on the act that they had to think about it, after all. It might look weird if they were seeking her out at the same time too, they didn’t want to cause her discomfort.
After a moment, Makoto shrugged. Ken turned back to Haru-san with a smile.
“We’d love to,” Ken answered.
Makoto silently sighed a breath of relief.
“Thank you so much.” Relief flooded her face. “Let’s go to the roof, then…”
So, they followed Haru-san down the hallway. Then they went up the roof. Ken pushed the door open, leaning on it to keep it open and allowing both Makoto and Haru-san to step forward.
“How can we help you, Haru-san?” Makoto asked, attempting a friendly smile.
She just had to keep it natural. Don’t force it… just like Ken advised.
Haru-san bit her lip, before she bowed low at the waist. “I-I just wanted to apologize to you and your friends. For my father’s behavior…”
“Haru-san, you’re not your father,” Ken interjected. “You don’t need to apologize about that.”
Haru-san stuttered out, “B-But…”
“Haru-san, believe me when I say I know the feeling,” Makoto said gently. “I’ve… I’ve been compared to my older sister too many times.”
Haru-san bit her lip. “I suppose that makes sense… Thank you for your understanding.”
“Why don’t you join us for lunch?” Ken suggested.
That was smart of Ken, making it look that it just struck him. Makoto couldn’t help but smile.
“I made this to share with Makoto, since she often forgets to make lunch for herself, but there’s plenty for a third person,” he said with a small smile.
Makoto huffed, before nudging Ken in the side. He just had to bring their first conversation up. Not that Haru-san knew that had been just one time, but it was a good cover to invite her to lunch.
Haru-san frowned. “Ah, I-I don’t know… I should really watch my figure…”
Wait, what? Makoto glanced over at her form. Haru-san’s figure looked fine to her. Though… that might not be her own thoughts. Makoto wasn’t the gambling type, but she’d bet good money that Sugimura had told her this…
“You’re fine the way you are,” Makoto quickly reassured her. “And besides that, you may pass out if you don’t eat anything.”
Haru-san just blinked before a small smile appeared on her face.
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” she asked rhetorically.
“I believe you know the answer to that already,” Ken said with a wry smile.
Haru-san then smiled, before she giggled, a pretty sound almost like tinkling bells. She had such an adorable smile too.
“Fair enough. Very well, then.”
They sat on the ground, before Ken opened the lid. Several pieces of tonkatsu sat on a pile of fluffy white rice. Tucked to the side were a few pieces of tamagoyaki. There was shrimp tempura, croquettes… There was also a salad, with a container of dressing nestled on top.
“Wow…” Haru-san’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “You cooked this, Amada-kun?”
Ken rubbed the back of his neck, a slight flush coming to his cheeks. “It’s nothing too fancy. You should see some of the things Shinjiro-san can make.”
“Yes, Ken’s guardian is an amazing cook! But don’t sell yourself short. You’re a great cook yourself,” Makoto admonished. “Everything looks delicious.”
Haru-san let out a happy hum, before accepting the pair of chopsticks Ken passed her.
“I have to agree with Niijima-san. I don’t know how to cook at all.” But then her expression grew sad. “Though I suppose I should start learning, since I’m to be a wife soon…”
“Haru-san…” Makoto began.
“Niijima-san, don’t. Please.” Her bottom lip trembled.
Makoto’s heart cracked, seeing the sight. She looked so unhappy in that moment. She wished she could do something to keep Haru-san far away from both her father and that vile Sugimura.
“I… I’m a daughter of the Okumura family. I have duties to my family…” she said in a halting voice.
“But marriage?” Ken questioned. “There are other ways you can help your family, surely. And besides that, you won’t be an adult for at least another two years… You should be allowed to find yourself before even considering marriage.”
“It’s kind and thoughtful of you to say that but…” She bit her lip, before saying softly, “It’s just not the same.”
“You should be allowed to choose someone you love.” Makoto protested, then started to trail off, “It’s not fair for your father to betroth to someone…”
She… didn’t know how to phrase this eloquently. She was struggling to find the right words.
“You shouldn’t have to concern yourself with marriage at this age,” Makoto finally settled on, speaking gently, “My older sister, for one, always pushed for me to focus more on my studies and getting into a good school, then finding a good job before focusing on things like that.”
And she felt to some degree that was still sound advice. And yet… she also missed her sister. She hardly ever saw her. Somewhere along the way, telling her to not focus on rushing into creating a family… she started avoiding her own.
Makoto shook her head. She couldn’t focus on her family problems right now. Not when Haru-san was going through this right now.
“Your sister sounds like she’s quite smart, probably has a respectable job too.” Haru-san said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Oh yes… she’s a prosecutor. And very talented at it.” Makoto nodded. “I know she would be very angry if our parents tried to arrange myself or herself… into a marriage with a person like Sugimura…”
Makoto then covered her mouth, looking at Haru-san with an apologetic look. Haru-san held up a hand, and gave her a sweet smile.
“You didn’t offend me Niijima-san. And your older sister sounds incredible. I wish I could be more independent like her. Our country is in good hands with a prosecutor like her, I’ll bet.” Haru-san’s smile turned bittersweet. “I am afraid… I can’t be independent. Love is merely a benefit for marriages involving the upper class. Not… everybody is fortunate enough to find love at a young age.”
For some reason, she looked at the both of them.
“Why are you looking at us like that?” Ken asked slowly.
There was an awkward pause. Haru-san looked back and forth at them while Makoto moved to take a bite of her lunch.
She just blinked at them. “Aren’t you two dating?”
Makoto choked on the piece of tonkatsu she had been chewing on. She coughed several times before she finally caught her breath. Her face felt as hot as a furnace.
“W-We’re just friends!” she all but shouted out.
Her eyes darted to Ken, whose cheeks were slowly growing redder and redder.
“I-I’m not sure where you got that misconception, Haru-san—” he began.
“You cook for her,” Haru-san pointed out. “She also wanted to room with you back in Hawaii. There was also the time I saw you together on the roof—”
“This is just a huge misunderstanding! It’s not like that!” Makoto exclaimed.
Her cheeks were so hot. At this rate, she might have to find a bucket of water to dunk her head in. Goodness, she was starting to feel that she could fry an egg on her face.
“With Hawaii it’s because our classmates won’t stop heckling him! Was I supposed to just throw Ken to the wolves?! All they care about is flirting with him and bothering him so much…!” The last part came out as a grumble.
She really hated how the girls never seemed to get the hint. Ken had zero interest in any of them, but they couldn’t get it through their skulls. Not to mention that their interest in him was just… superficial. They didn’t even try to get to know him… So of course she had to step up…
“I see…” Haru-san didn’t look convinced at this, though. “My apologies for assuming…"
Then her expression grew pensive. She sighed, brushing a curl away from her face.
“I appreciate you both. But… I have duties to my family. Duties to my father. I can’t just ignore that. That’s why I agreed to marry Sugimura-san. It’s… it’s a mutual benefit for both of our families,” she said sadly.
A benefit? It sounded so cold. Haru-san just seemed resigned to things. She was just keeping her head down it seemed.
“What about your duty to yourself? You deserve to be happy, Haru-san… Do you want to marry Sugimura-san?” Ken then asked, his expression tense. “Because your father can’t force you to say I do. You have your own free will… you don’t have to tie yourself to Sugimura-san if you truly don’t want to.”
“Free will…” Haru-san repeated, her voice filled with wonder.
Makoto couldn’t help but feel sad for her. It seemed so out of reach for Haru-san.
“I… I don’t know,” she finally admitted, her voice breaking. “I don’t know what I want, Amada-kun…”
“You deserve the chance to figure that out. It’s not fair for your father to decide your future for you like that,” Ken said gently.
Haru-san bit her lip, before she shakily stood up.
She then bowed to them both. “I’m sorry but I should go. I shouldn’t have brought this up. But… I do apologize still, and please let your friends know of my apology as well. Goodbye.”
She then smiled weakly, before thanking Ken for the food. She then hastily left the roof and the door slammed behind her.
Ken sighed. “Duties, huh…?”
“That’s just… that’s just not fair to her…” Makoto said. “She seems like a kind girl from what I’ve seen. She deserves someone who thinks the world of her.”
Ken couldn’t help but shudder. “Yeah, I can imagine the life Sugimura would put her through. It’s not a pretty image. And… everyone who marries deserves to marry for love.”
“They do,” Makoto agreed.
Love…
“Not… everyone is fortunate to find love at a young age.”
And… Haru-san thought… they were in love?
Makoto’s cheeks began to burn again at the mere thought. That was… ridiculous.
She snuck a look at Ken, who seemed to be looking at Tokyo’s skyline. A comfortable silence had fallen between them. She would be lying if she said that she didn’t find Ken attractive. She had always thought if she was to choose a romantic partner, she’d prefer someone who was both smart and practiced martial arts.
But… there was so much more to Ken than that. He was kind. She didn’t think that she could forget how he had invited to eat lunch with her, when they had been strangers, as he noticed that she had no lunch on her. Ken had done it without thinking. He cared about Futaba’s wellbeing too, after they delved more into her past. He never hesitated on comforting her when she was stewing on her insecurities. And… and there was what happened just a few nights ago.
He had told her that he was scared of being hated over his secrets… And she had told him that she could never hate him. She could never do something like that… not to him.
Never to him…
She sighed… it seemed so obvious. It wasn’t ridiculous at all.
Makoto’s fingers curled around the hem of her skirt as she gazed at Ken.
She had never realized it. Somehow, it had become completely natural for her to feel happy to be by his side. She wouldn’t be able to pinpoint when exactly she had fallen for him but…
All she knew was that she did have feelings for him. She wasn’t ready to label it as love, but… she felt something for him.
And to think, just a couple weeks ago, Ren was telling her that she’ll find someone to love someday.
But… Ken wasn’t interested. He didn’t want to date, at all. That much was obvious, with how he constantly cringed at the other girls’ attention on him. Maybe she could have pushed herself to do something about it, but she wasn’t going to press it if Ken didn’t want a relationship. Their friendship was just too important to risk that.
And they had more important things to worry about. Romance should be the last thing on her mind. Okumura was shaping up to be someone they should target, in her eyes. They would have to see what the others had discovered…
Notes:
So, I've changed things a bit with the title and summary. I've never completely liked the title of Justice For All, but I just figured out what I want to call it instead. I felt that the title was more generic. I feel this title refers more to Ken getting involved in the events of P5 due to him being an unknown factor to Shido, and it also references to Ken's codename being Ace.
Though I always found it interesting how Haru came to the conclusion that she can't abide her father's crimes any longer, and that she wants to actively fight against her betrothal. I wanted to write about her slowly coming to that conclusion, which is why she's made an appearance in every chapter ever since school started up.
Also, I didn't make up any of the scandals with Big Bang's rivals. These were all taken from news reports in the game.
And yeah, Makoto was the first to figure out her feelings. Mostly since love has been on her mind with the whole thing regarding Eiko. Haru just had to give her a little push. As for Ken... he's gonna be oblivious for a little longer, but he will have figured it out sometime during this arc.
Edited on 2/1/25. Many thanks to my wonderful beta angelrin89.
Chapter 23: Ch. 22: Fate Is In Your Hands
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves exchange the intel they gathered, and make a visit to Big Bang's headquarters. They didn't expect Haru to be there, however...
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Thursday, September 15th, 2016
"You're looking into… Okumura?"
At least Minako-san sounded more confused than anything.
"I know, I know," Ken sighed. "But… we couldn't find much info on Shido by going to the Diet Building. We don't know how to gather intel on him… and we ran into Okumura there. He revealed that he's aiming to enter politics, and furthermore some intel Futaba gathered points to something… fishy."
Minako-san was quiet for a long time. He could see her chewing her lip absentmindedly as she thought, though.
"Can't say I envy you, Ken-kun," she finally said, letting out a quiet sigh. "Dealing with Tartarus definitely feels a lot simpler."
"Can't argue with that. But we ended up splitting up on getting info… Ren had Makoto and I talk to his daughter Haru-san, who's apparently arranged to marry some guy Sugimura—”
"SUGIMURA?!"
Ken's hand jerked his phone away from his ear. That was... loud. His eardrums were ringing from Minako-san’s near-screech.
After rubbing his ear, he pressed the phone to it again. "Should I know who that is, or something?”
“Do you mean Hisayoshi Sugimura?!” Minako-san exclaimed.
Ken pulled the phone slightly away from his ear again. “Minako-san, you don’t have to shout so loud, I can hear you. And I think so? I don’t remember if that was his full name, but that sounds familiar…”
“Did he brag about family lineage? Creepily ogling any of your friends? Brag about wealth or status? Wears a pretentious suit? Looking down on anyone like he owns the place?” Minako-san said with obvious disdain.
“Well, he didn’t mention anything about his family, we kinda hurried out of there when we met him. But he did have that attitude and… he was staring rather inappropriately at Anne,” Ken said with a heavy frown.
"Yeah, I figured…" Minako-san sounded exasperated. "And I have a feeling it’s the same guy. There is a very affluential family in that has been around in the political scene for some time, the Sugimuras. About three years ago, the Sugimura family decided they really could use the Kirijo fortune.”
He could practically see her rolling her eyes.
"It'd be useful for campaigning. So, their son set about 'charming' Mitsuru-senpai, to try and get her to marry him." Minako-san didn’t even bother to hide a snort.
Ken said drolly, "Let me guess… she wasn't too happy with that."
Minako-san burst into giggles. Ken couldn’t help but smile hearing her giggles, even if she couldn’t see his face.
"Is that even a question, Ken-kun? Mitsuru-senpai eats guys like that Sugimura for breakfast. But wait…" Her voice grew suspicious. "Sugimura is older than Mitsuru-senpai… How old is this Haru…?"
Ken winced. "She's in my year."
Minako-san immediately started gagging. "Ugh, that's just typical! This is just like Mitsuru-senpai's ex-fiancé!"
“I am pretty sure this is the same Sugimura then. The Sugimura we met mentioned something about Haru-san’s father wanting to be a politician in the future. We did run into them all at the Diet Building,” Ken explained.
“And he ogled your friend, Anne?! I hope one of you guys at least decked him!” Minako said with barely contained anger. “And what color was his pretentious suit this time?”
Ken opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by some sharp rapping on the door. He covered his phone's speaker.
"I'll be there in a second!" he called out.
Then he turned back to his phone, frowning. It seemed that this call would be cut short.
"Sorry, Minako-san, I have to go. You should rest up,” Ken said.
Minako-san huffed. "Ugh, you sound just like Aki. I'm pregnant, not helpless!"
Ken rolled his eyes, letting out a huff. "Bye, Minako-san."
She just giggled, before chirping, "Bye, Ken-kun!"
He hung up before going to answer the door. Everyone was waiting outside.
"Sorry about that," he apologized. "I was talking to Minako-san on the phone."
"Don't worry about it. We weren't waiting for long,” Anne quickly reassured him.
Ren and Anne sat down first on one side. Futaba sat down next to her. And Ryuji just leaned against the armrest of the sofa. Ken sat down at the sofa across from them. Yusuke sat next to him, and Makoto sat next to Yusuke.
"Okay, let me go first. Visited the Big Bang place on Central Street," Ren said.
Morgana leapt out of his bag and onto the coffee table.
"The employees look pretty exhausted," Morgana chimed in. "I never paid attention when Ren wanted to do the Big Bang Challenge, but the manager kept urging the employees to go faster and faster."
“That doesn’t sound good…” Makoto sighed.
Morgana just frowned. "I just don’t get it. Surely they can afford to hire more employees, to ease the workload."
"Hmm… it appears that they're utilizing a simple business model," Yusuke noted, but he was frowning as well. "Minimize the costs and maximize the work input.”
Ryuji just scowled upon hearing that, clenching his hands into fists.
"Makes me sick just hearin' about this shit. Big Bang is an international company now. They don't need to maximize profit like that!" he spat out.
"But is that it?" Makoto asked slowly, tilting her head. "That's wrong, I'll admit, but not what we usually look for in targets…"
"Usually, I'd agree with you, Makoto… but I tried to talk with a Big Bang employee on break.” Ren said with a nod. “Pretended I was thinking of applying here, but the guy was super close-mouthed. It…"
He suddenly grimaced before looking over to Ryuji.
"It reminded me of when Ryuji and I tried to ask the volleyball team members about Kamoshida's abuse. He kept trying to deflect my questions."
Ryuji grimaced. “That’s not a good sign.”
"That is a bit more suspicious…" Makoto admitted, rubbing her chin before she glanced over at Ken. "But Ken and I spoke to Haru-san, as you requested."
Anne immediately straightened up at the mention of Haru-san.
"Did she seem okay?" Anne asked, a concerned frown on her lips.
"She apologized to us, for something that she didn't even do." Ken couldn't fight back a grimace.
Hearing her mindset about why she was committing to the arranged marriage, it made Ken angry that her father was pushing into this, while persuading her that it was good for them as a whole. She was her own person—she should make that decision, nobody else.
"We spoke to her about her arranged marriage but she…" Ken trailed off with a sigh.
"I… I feel so bad for her," Makoto confessed. "While I don't doubt that arranged marriages do occasionally develop into true affection and love… that's not the case for the most part. I mean we all saw how he acted when we ran into them at the Diet Building. She seems… just resigned to things. And it's all for the benefit of her father."
Though honestly, Ken had a hard time agreeing with Haru-san's attitude about being loyal to your family. His blood relatives had only saw him as a burden, a drain of their funds. The only blood relative who had unconditionally loved him was Mom.
"It's… not that simple," Yusuke interjected.
Everyone turned to him. He had such a… melancholic look on his face.
“Yusuke?” Morgana asked.
Yusuke's hands were clenched tightly, so tight that his knuckles were white. He slowly raised his eyes to look at all of them.
"You have to understand… it's not simple to just rebel against a parental figure. You want to believe that they're still kind and good, that they're concerned about what's best for you,” he said solemnly.
He… hadn't thought of that. Madarame's confession had whizzed by him, since he had been caught up with the preparations with the move to Tokyo. Yusuke was an orphan… he sometimes forgot it was brought up that Madarame was the closest thing that Yusuke had to a father. He didn’t like talking about him much either.
Why Yusuke had gotten so worked up after seeing Okumura made all too much sense now.
Ken couldn’t help but put a hand on Yusuke’s shoulder. Yusuke flashed him a small smile.
"Yusuke…" Anne breathed, a small frown on her face.
"But… I digress." Yusuke suddenly coughed, shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat. "I wish… to aid Haru-san. Her father shackling her to someone despicable like Sugimura. He’s all but selling her to that wretched man. It’s something I won’t stand for.”
"Gahh… he seriously needs a scorpion dropped inside one of his pretentious suits!” Ryuji exclaimed.
Ken held back a snort. Minako-san would like Ryuji.
"But anyways, my turn!" Futaba chirped, looking up from her laptop. "Inari and I looked into the history of Okumura Foods. From the looks of it, he's the third head of the company, but it only gained serious profit when he inherited the company after his father died. His father actually died in debt. He ran a café, sorta like LeBlanc."
Anne then leaned over to look at what Futaba was reading off.
"But what really caught our attention is the growth Okumura Foods has developed over just the past two years," Yusuke added. "We dug further, and Okumura Foods gained this growth after all sort of scandals happened to their main rivals."
Morgana hopped over to Ren’s lap. Then he climbed off him to walk along the arm of the sofa, then the back. He then stopped when he leaned over and slightly climbed on Futaba’s shoulders, so he could peer at her laptop.
"Two years… that's when the mental shutdowns began. We still don't know who exactly the black masked Persona-user is. If we target Okumura, maybe we can gather some intel on their identity,” Morgana suggested. “Maybe we won’t have to wait for Shido to get that information.”
"That's a fair point," Ren said, before he turned to Anne and Ryuji. "Any information on Sugimura?"
Anne bit her lip. "Nothing super solid, Ren… Hisayoshi Sugimura, seems to be expecting to be a politician. His family has produced several politicians. Family connections and all. Like three generations of politicians from what I found…"
"It's like a dynasty or some shit," Ryuji said, shaking his head. "They're pretty rich too, but if I had to guess, they're agreeing to the marriage 'cause the Okumura’s are richer. So it’s obviously a tradeoff for them. One wants the clout and rep, but the other wants the treasure trove.”
That would tie into what Minako-san had told him. The Sugimuras wanted Mitsuru’s family for her wealth.
"Sugimura must be just another stepping stone for Okumura's goal," Ren said as he frowned in distaste. “I do vaguely recall Sugimura saying something to Haru’s father about how Haru will become the daughter of a future politician.”
Ren then pulled out his phone.
“Oh right, we should check if Okumura has a Palace to begin with,” Morgana said. “Didn’t think about that.”
“Glad you read my mind, Morgana,” Ren said with a chuckle.
Ken couldn’t help but quietly cough under his breath. That had completely slipped his mind as well, embarrassingly enough.
"I’d be surprised if he wasn’t in Mementos at the very least, with how he acted," Yusuke said firmly.
"Well… let's find out." Ren unlocked his phone before pulling up the app and then speaking Okumura’s full name, “Kunikazu Okumura…”
They waited only for a couple of seconds.
"Candidate found."
Everyone’s eyes narrowed.
"So… it's a hit," Morgana said. "Hmm… not sure where exactly the Palace would be."
"Couldn't it be like… all of Japan?" Ryuji scratched the back of his neck. "I mean, think about it. Big Bang's literally everywhere. And remember like how Kaneshiro saw all of Shibuya as his property."
Makoto rubbed her chin. "That's a good point, but I don't think that's it. While his cognition is warped, we can’t say it’s for the same reason as Kaneshiro. Besides, Big Bang Burger has gone international now.”
Ken suggested, “Maybe a headquarters. It should be in Tokyo, if the CEO lives in the city…"
Ren then sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.
“Okumura Foods Headquarters…” he said.
“Candidate found.”
Everyone couldn’t help but lean forward with anticipation. They all turned to Futaba.
"Let me do a quick search," Futaba said, before she began humming to herself as she tapped away at her laptop.
"Should we bring in all of our equipment?" Ken asked. "It may be… difficult for us, if we don't transform, with Shadows lurking about."
Ren just met his gaze. "If Okumura is connected with the shutdowns in any way… I don't think we have to worry about that."
Ken nodded with a frown. He had to admit Ren had a point with that.
"Found it!" Futaba exclaimed. "It's in the Marunouchi district."
Marunouchi? It was one of the central business districts in Tokyo if he remembered right. It'd only be fitting for Okumura Foods' headquarters to be located there.
“Well, at least we know for certain he’s definitely not in Mementos,” Anne said as she crossed her arms.
Futaba nodded next to her and closed her laptop.
"Okay. Let's go then," Ren said, grabbing his bag.
Morgana seemed to take that as his cue, as he jumped into the satchel.
The walk to the station was short, and they purchased their tickets to Tokyo Station. They were fairly cheap, but Ken insisted on paying for Yusuke's ticket. Yusuke really was scrapping for money. While that was pocket change for him, it wasn't exactly the case for Yusuke.
It took them nearly twenty minutes to arrive at the station, and even longer to locate the building.
"Okay… let's get cracking, then," Ren sighed, his phone in his hand. "Any ideas, guys?"
"Diet Building…?" Anne suggested tentatively.
Ryuji shook his head. "Nope. How 'bout… mansion?"
Ken fought the urge to sigh. Both negatives… Figuring out the keywords was just annoying.
"I think… we're looking at it in the wrong manner, again," Yusuke stated. "Big Bang Burger was started by Okumura, correct? And it's the source of his funding. Perhaps that can lead to a clue."
“Bank! Y’know, since his company gives him money!” Ryuji threw in another suggestion.
The app yet again rejected that keyword.
“I don’t think it’d be a bank again…” Makoto replied with a sigh.
“Hey… worth a shot,” Ryuji shrugged.
Morgana groaned. “Ugh! We’re getting nowhere with this!”
His eyes suddenly affixed onto the building.
“Maybe there’s a clue inside,” he mused.
“Wait, what?” Makoto gave him a startled look. “Morgana, we can’t just go inside! We would look suspicious…”
“That’s fine, I’ll go in myself then,” Morgana declared.
"Wait, Morgana—!" Ren began to protest.
But Morgana didn't listen, jumping out of Ren's bag and darted off into the bushes. He completely vanished from sight, no doubt using the landscape to his advantage to hide himself while he made his way to the building.
"Greaaaaat…" Ryuji grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Now what?"
"We should go after him!" Futaba then looked uncertainly at Ren. "Right?"
Ren frowned with a tiny grumble. He pulled of his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a heavy breath.
"I don't know… Morgana would be upset if we went and fetched him like this. He seemed pretty set on doing this. Besides that, he’s small, so he’d know how to hide himself,” Ren stated as he put his glasses back on. “And even if he is discovered, they’d just call me or Sojiro once they find the ID. We’re not exactly as small and easy to hide in comparison. I think they’d ask more questions about a group of teenagers entering the building…"
He shrugged, before folding his arms over his chest.
"So… we wait for Morgana to come back."
Haru didn't know why Father insisted on her sitting in on board meetings. While she was her father's only child, she wasn't naïve enough to think that she would be inheriting the company when her father stepped down as CEO. Not when she was marrying Sugimura…
He would control the family company… much like every aspect of her life.
Haru couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when Father closed the meeting. She slowly rose to her feet. Maybe she could go home now, tend to her garden before she started her schoolwork. It was… one of the few leisure activities she enjoyed.
"Haru, where are you going?" Father asked, just when she was about to open the door.
Haru bowed her head.
"My apologies, Father, but I really must return home," she murmured.
She did her best to keep her voice as polite as possible. Anything to make her look like a dutiful daughter.
"The meeting was… insightful, but I must work on my assignments,” she said.
Father studied her closely, before he gave a curt nod. "Very well. An Okumura must not shirk their work."
"Yes, Father." Haru bowed to him again before she exited the room.
When did her father become so cold and calculating? She didn't understand…
Amada-kun's words to her yesterday were still rooted in her mind. Did she really have a choice in this? What would happen if she said no? She didn't want to lose her father's love…
She couldn’t help but feel a twinge in her heart. Remembering her father and grandfather showing her how they both prefer to make cakes. They would get into light-hearted debates about following the recipe book exactly and where it was okay to experiment a little. Both laughing when she got flour all over herself.
She… was starting to forget the sound of her father’s laughter, now that she thought about it.
Haru sighed as she brushed a strand of her curls behind her ear while walking towards the elevator. She gingerly pressed the button and waited for the doors to open. Mercifully, no one was inside, so she could be alone.
She was a coward. She submitted her father's name on the Phantom Aficionado Website, but she was afraid to defy her father any further…
The elevator went down, and thankfully did not stop at all. Another small mercy. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone from the company right now. The doors opened and she exited out.
"Seriously, how did it get in here?!"
Huh? Haru snapped to attention. The secretary and one of the interns were speaking in frantic whispers, the intern doing his best to hold onto a squirming black cat.
Though… that cat look oddly familiar for some reason. But she couldn't put her finger where exactly.
"What's the matter?" she inquired.
"Oh, Okumura-san!" The intern did his best to bow, all while still holding the squirming cat. "We found this cat in the building. B-But don't worry, I will dispose of the cat as soon as possible!"
There was… fear in the little cat’s eyes. She couldn’t help but pity the poor thing. The intern probably didn’t mean to, but it was obviously giving the little cat a fright.
Haru shook her head before giving the intern a kind smile. "There's no need for that. I was on my way out already. I can take him off your hands."
"Oh, but…" The intern frowned. "He's kinda feisty. He scratched me a couple times. I don't want you to be harmed, Okumura-san. Your father wouldn't be pleased."
Haru fought the urge to sigh. It always came down to the matter of her father. They were courteous only because they feared Father and his reaction.
"I'm sure it's because you were chasing him earlier." Haru then smiled at the cat.
He had such bright blue eyes. He was honestly really adorable. She held out her arms.
"You want to come out with me, don't you?" she asked with a smile.
The cat settled down, before letting out a series of meows. He then squirmed his way free before jumping into Haru's arms. She let out a giggle, gently rubbing the cat's ears.
"Shall I call a car, Okumura-san?" the secretary asked, already plucking her phone from the desk.
"No, it's all right," Haru declined with a shake of her head. "The walk will do me good."
The secretary just frowned, but she reluctantly nodded. "If you believe so…"
She bade the two a farewell before heading for the doors. And to her surprise, she saw Amamiya-kun and his friends gathered near the gate, talking quietly amongst themselves. The cat meowed several times, catching Amamiya-kun's attention for some reason.
"Morgana!" he exclaimed, before the cat leapt to the ground and darting back to Amamiya-kun.
He knelt down, scooping up the cat, apparently named Morgana, and then jumping into the satchel on Amamiya-kun's shoulder.
He popped his head back out of the satchel and meowed up at the group.
"Jeez, you shouldn't just run off like that," Takamaki-san immediately began to fuss, frowning at Morgana.
Morgana's ears just lowered, pressed against his skull, before letting out another series of meows. If it was possible for a cat to look abashed, Morgana certainly did.
"Hello, Senpai," Amamiya-kun greeted, he then fidgeted awkwardly for some reason before speaking again. "We were just… passing by when Morgana ran out."
Haru couldn't help but frown. Passing by…? This district wasn't exactly popular amongst teenagers. She couldn’t help be curious where they were all headed.
“I see…" she said slowly.
She then looked over at a petite girl, and was pretty certain she’d never met her before. She had bright orange hair and was even shorter than Haru. She’d never seen her at school however. Did she go to that school with Kitagawa-kun?
Haru couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy creep in seeing them all together again. She quickly squashed it down. It wasn’t fair to feel that. She enjoyed many privileges in life. Ones they probably would dream of. How selfish of her to want what they all have. She really should learn better by now.
The petite girl seemed a little nervous, as she noticed Haru’s gaze, grabbing onto the sleeve of Niijima-san.
"Hello…" Haru smiled gently at the younger teen, to try and reassure her. "I don't believe we've met."
"This is Futaba Sakura," Niijima-san introduced, and the now named Sakura-kun gave a little wave, even though she still looked a bit unsure. "She's the daughter of Ren’s guardian."
Haru couldn’t help but be puzzled for a moment at the mention of guardian. But then she remembered Amamiya-kun was on probation…
She cleared her throat and gave the girl a smile and a polite bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-kun.”
Sakura-kun nodded and let go of Niijima-san. But still stuck close by her. Poor thing, she must be the shy type.
She was interrupted at the sound of someone clearing their throat. It was Amada-kun. He looked a bit awkward, as did Sakamoto-kun next to him. Sakamoto-kun rubbed the back of his neck, rather sheepishly.
"We didn't expect you to be 'round here, Haru-senpai," he commented.
"My father wished for me to sit in on the board meeting today," Haru said, clasping her hands behind her back. "I usually don't really visit the headquarters…"
There was a bit of an awkward pause. As if none of them knew what to ask next. Kitagawa-kun then walked around Amada-kun, and politely bowed towards Haru. He had a small smile on his face.
"How are you, Haru-san?" Kitagawa-kun suddenly inquired, his smile faded to an expression of concern. "I must confess, we were… concerned after meeting your father…"
Haru's eyes widened. She still felt guilty for the way her father talked to Sakamoto-kun, as well as the others just because they associated with him. And especially when Niijima-san was nothing but cordial with them. And then there was… the way Sugimura treated Takamaki-san.
Oh! And her! Sakura-kun! She was the girl with them that day!
She couldn’t help but grimace. Sugimura was rude to her too.
"O-Oh… I'm fine," she quickly fibbed, averting her eyes. "It's fine."
She then turned to Sakura-kun, a heavy frown on her face. Her eyes swept over the group, before landing on Sakamoto-kun again.
“I am so sorry for not recognizing you earlier,” she said as she looked back at Sakura-kun again. “You were with the others at the Diet Building the other day. I am dreadfully sorry for how my fiancé talked to you, as well as how he treated you all. And my father as well.”
She raised her head and looked at them all with an apologetic look again.
Sugimura had been furious and rather… jealous. That had not been a fun conversation. She still had a bit of a bruise on her arm still… she wished he wouldn’t have grabbed her arm so tightly like that, as he was pulling her into the car after her father.
Though she noticed that everyone else was frowning… exchanging looks.
"Look, Senpai, you don't…" Takamaki-san winced, before she wrapped her arms around herself. "We're… just a bit worried about you. That Sugimura isn't exactly… nice."
"Far from it," Amamiya-kun agreed, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you for your concern." Haru stared down at the ground, feeling uncomfortable.
She felt bad enough about spilling her feelings to Niijima-san and Amada-kun; she didn’t need to burden them further. But even though Niijima-san and Amada-kun weren’t upset with her because of that, she still felt the need to apologize to everyone else too. It only seemed right.
She coughed slightly into her hand as she lifted her head up again.
"So, what brings you here?" she asked, hoping to change the subject.
"I… er…" Sakamoto-kun's eyes went wide with panic. "We were… uh… scoping out possible internships? For Yusuke especially! He's never got enough money, y'know."
Haru frowned. “Um… I don’t think Father has advertised for internships.”
“Besides that, Ryuji, internships are usually unpaid,” Kitagawa-kun sniffed. “Furthermore, Big Bang Burger is hardly something I wish to work for. It doesn’t fall in the line of what I desire to work towards.”
Sakamoto-kun scowled at him. “Well, money is money!”
“Money is money, indeed…” Haru thought to herself as she looked to her feet again. “That seemed to be Father’s mindset lately.”
But still… Kitagawa-kun seemed so disinterested in a potential internship or job with Big Bang Burgers. Something felt… off about Sakamoto-kun’s statement.
Not to mention, Haru was unsure why Takamaki-san would want to intern for her father, when she had a burgeoning career as a model.
Haru then shook her head. Maybe she was reading too much into it. Sakamoto-kun could just be well meaning at pushing to help his friends with suggestions but not understanding their deeper wants.
It could be… for their best interest…
She sighed to herself and bit her lip. Now wasn’t the time to whine over her situation again or project onto others. It could be an innocent suggestion between friends. It’s not like her situation at all.
“Hey, Senpai?”
Haru then jumped, a bit startled. She then stood rigid at the sound of Amamiya-kun’s voice
“Y-Yes?” Her voice cracked.
“Whoa, we don’t bite,” he said with a light laugh, holding up his hands. “I was wondering… have you been working closely with your dad lately? I am a bit surprised that you’re here actually.”
Haru rubbed her left elbow with her right hand. “Ah, well… It’s because Father asked me to. I’ll be in charge of the company at one point, after all.”
That lie felt so hollow on her lips. It wouldn’t be a true leadership position. That would go to her new “husband”.
Amada-kun then cleared his throat. “That is admirable. I assume it will be after you graduate then? I believe your father mentioned an interest in going into politics.”
Haru’s gaze lowered to the ground. It honestly saddened her to think about, Father abandoning the family business like this.
“I… suppose.”
Dread filled her belly; like a cold, sharp rock was just dropped into her stomach. She needed to escape this conversation. All talk about her future… just made her so anxious.
Haru then bowed her head. “I apologize, I am expected back home. Please excuse me.”
“See you, Senpai,” Takamaki-san said with a small smile.
The sentiment was echoed by the others and Haru couldn’t help but feel relieved.
As Haru walked towards the station, Haru reached into her bag to pull out her phone. But she couldn’t find it in the usual small compartment she kept her phone in. She stepped to the side to rummage through her bag more thoroughly.
But she had brought her phone with her today. Father had texted her earlier, wanting to know why she was late and where she was, when she first entered the building.
Maybe she left it in the conference room…?
Haru sighed lightly. She would have to turn back.
She turned on her heel, walking back towards the building. Then she stopped short as she saw a flash of moving shadows. She peered around the corner of the sign, nothing there. But she faintly heard voices. She walked closer to where it was. Amamiya-kun and his friends were… trying to hide in the bushes?
“Anything, Morgana?” Amamiya-kun was saying.
Haru heard some meows from Morgana. She couldn’t help but frown, her eyebrows furrowed. Why was he talking to his cat like that? And in such an urgent tone?
“It’s okay, Morgana, it could happen to anyone,” Takamaki-san said next.
“But… that leaves us back to square one,” Amada-kun sighed. “Maybe we need to look at this at a different angle. We have the name and place… just what would Okumura’s distortion be?”
“Distortion? What do they mean?” Haru thought as she slightly tilted her head.
Some more meows.
“Big Bang?” Niijima-san suddenly said. “It’s a scientific theory saying that the universe expanded from a single molecule.”
“Big Bang Burger does have a space theme…” Amamiya-kun said thoughtfully. “Maybe something related to space then?”
“Like a satellite?” Kitagawa-kun inquired.
The group all shook their heads as they stared at their phones, a mechanical voice that made Haru jump which simply said, ‘no candidate found’.
“Hmm… ringworld,” Niijima-san supplied.
The group all sighed again while staring at their phones, the voice said the same thing. They all seemed disappointed.
“The Death Sun!” Sakamoto-kun exclaimed.
The mechanical voice repeated it’s denial. They all looked down at their phones and then all gave Sakamoto-kun unimpressed looks.
His tone got more defensive, “What?! I’m sure even Okumura seen the Solar Wars movies!”
The cat then seemed to actually hiss at Sakamoto-kun, while he glared back. Takamaki-san flicked Sakamoto-kun in the ear. He then spun around to clearly get irate with her but stopped in his tracks when Niijima-san told them all to settle down, in a very annoyed hushed tone.
Takamaki-san, Sakamoto-kun, and even Amamiya-kun’s cat all bowed their head sheepishly at her.
They certainly were an… interesting bunch.
“Hmm… the Death Sun…” Amamiya-kun then tapped his chin. “What about… Space station?”
The mechanical voice said the same denial again. Amamiya-kun frowned as he groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. He tapped his foot and then looked down at his phone again.
“A spaceport?” Amamiya-kun suggested.
Haru felt intrigued. The mechanical voice said ‘match found’ this time. The whole group all turned to each other, each beaming down at their phones.
“Alright!” Sakamoto-kun cheered. “You got it again, RenRen! That’s our leader for ya!”
“Thank you, thank you,” Amamiya-kun laughed, his voice suddenly humorous.
“Enough horsing around,” Niijima-san chided. “We have work to do…”
The group all stood up a bit straighter. Everyone except Amamiya-kun put their phones in their pocket.
“Yeah, let’s head into the Palace!” Sakamoto-kun exclaimed, only to be hushed by Amada-kun.
“Palace…?” Haru murmured out, only to clap both hands over her mouth.
She didn’t mean to speak that aloud! Now they were gonna to realize…! She heard a muffled curse and then something hitting the pavement.
“W-What was that?” Niijima-san asked as Amamiya-kun grumbled.
“G-Guys, run! It’s the Okumura heiress!” she heard Sakura-san hiss.
“Shit!”
“Way to go, Ryuji!” Takamaki-san reprimanded.
“Never mind that, just run!” Amada-kun snapped.
She heard some rustling before the group broke free, making a run for it.
This was her chance… to talk to them, instead of just submitting a request on the website and praying that her cries for help would be answered. She was starting to think it could be possible.
Their behavior was very strange. The way they acted around her didn’t add up. But they kept asking questions about her family, her fiancé, her father. They… were they the Phantom Thieves? Coming to save her? Were her prayers being answered?
She had to catch them!
So Haru raced after them, even as they ignored her pleas to stop.
Her shoes weren't the best for running but she had to try. Though she ended up bumping into an older man in his mid-twenties, wearing a long black coat over a maroon turtleneck. A dark gray scarf hung loosely around his neck. His dark brown hair was tied in a low ponytail, and his piercing steel gray eyes were… intimidating for some reason.
Haru quickly bowed, contrite. "I'm so sorry, sir! Please excuse me!"
Normally, she would’ve waited to hear his response.
But not this time. She had to try and catch up to them. She wasn't going to rat them out (if they were who she thought they were, and the more she thought about it, the more she was confident she was right). She just wanted them to listen about targeting her father…
Shinjiro hadn't been thrilled with Minako’s suggestion that he follow the kids to the Okumura Foods Headquarters, but Minako being her usually annoyingly persistent self had insisted on it. Looked like he was right to listen to her, however. Though she was more worried about them being caught, since there were guards crawling everywhere.
He had hung around; not close enough for Ken to realize that he was there but close enough to keep an eye out for them.
So when he saw Ken and his friends running off, only to be followed by a girl who screamed fancy by her clothes… he knew something had gone wrong. Wait, she was that girl that Ken mentioned to him. That heiress girl, Haru Okumura.
Looked like he still had to save Ken sometimes.
He followed after the girl, who ducked into an alley.
"Please wait!" she pleaded, panting and sounding winded. "I'm not… I have a request!"
"Haru-senpai, it's really not what you think!" Takamaki protested, her voice going up an octave higher than usual.
Shinjiro just pressed a hand to his forehead, fighting the urge not to cringe. Maybe Takeba should give her some acting lessons. Takamaki probably had an awful poker face too.
"No, please!" Okumura cried. "It's just—I wanted to talk to you… about my father."
"What about him?" Niijima asked warily.
"You… are you all the… I mean, that is to say… you've seen the requests, have you not?" Her voice had grown quiet.
"Move," a voice suddenly hissed at his ear.
Someone waltzed by him, and Shinjiro only saw the back of him as he entered the alley.
"You!" Sakamoto hissed out. "What are you doing here?!"
"Why shouldn't I be tracking down my lovely fiancée?" he asked silkily. "Especially as I walk out of the office and see her chasing after a bunch of hooligans. She might need my rescue."
"You?! Rescue?! Don’t make me laugh!" Ken sounded outraged now, and he could imagine Ken glowering at this guy. “What’s your deal anyway? We’re her schoolmates, her business with us is hers!”
"My deal is my fiancée spending time with other men when all of her attention should be on me," the man spat out. "She'll be a married woman soon after all. I won't tolerate my wife to pay any attention to other men. Besides… why are you all running? Probably up to something no doubt, I can look the other way if you stop talking to my fiancée."
"Being a creep and now resorting to blackmail?" Amamiya asked unimpressed.
“Seems that way," Ken said dryly.
"Do not mock me!" the man growled. "I am a Sugimura! My pedigree is better than all of yours put together!"
God, not even when Mitsuru had acted like a prissy little princess had she spouted such bull. Though figures it'd be Sugimura. Minako had warned him about the guy too.
"Must make up for several other things," Kitagawa noted.
"Excuse me?!" Sugimura growled. "Just what are you implying?!"
"Isn't it obvious? You throw around your money and status to make up for your severe lacking where it counts," Kitagawa bit out.
Shinjiro had to press his hand against his face, stifling a chuckle. The dumb prick had it coming.
“Excuse you?!” Sugimura sounded scandalized.
He could tell that Kitagawa wasn't implying what Sugimura thought he was implying but... Sugimura clearly didn't see it that way.
"Come on, Haru, we're going back to my place," Sugimura hissed out, and the girl yelped when she was yanked closer to him and let out a chuckle. "We can… entertain ourselves, in several ways."
"You creep!" Takamaki growled out.
"Get your hands off of her!" Niijima snapped, and Shinjiro took a look to see that Niijima pulled Okumura out of his grasp.
"You don't get to tell me what to do!" Sugimura retorted.
His free hand flew at Niijima's face. But Ken grabbed her by the wrist, yanking both girls backwards out of Sugimura's range.
The prick shouted, "She's my fiancée! Keep your nose out of people's business!"
Then the cat suddenly hissed, jumping out of Amamiya's bag, latching onto Sugimura’s leg. He clawed at the pants and bit his calf. Sugimura shook his leg violently. And swung his leg in a kick motion hard, launching Amamiya’s cat into the brick wall.
Shinjiro couldn’t help but wince at the sound of impact.
Okumura let out a squeak. "S-Sugimura-san!"
"What, am I supposed to let that mangy cat mangle me? Do you have any idea how much this suit costs?" Sugimura scoffed.
Shinjiro rolled his eyes. It never surprised him to see the “upper crust” have huge-ass egos, but it was sure annoying to witness. He couldn’t stand people who didn’t know the meaning of humility.
"He completely deserved that, the dumb animal,” Sugimura scoffed.
"Morgana!" Sakamoto yelled.
He and Amamiya ran to the cat. Amamiya knelt down, carefully scooping the cat in his arms. Sakamoto glared at Sugimura.
"You asshole!" he growled.
Amamiya lightly touched his head, before the cat weakly lifted his head and letting out a soft meow.
"Morgana, why did you…?" The cat meowed again before Amamiya's face softened. "Jeez… that was reckless of you.”
"You scum!" Ken hissed out, releasing Niijima's wrist.
He glared daggers at the man as his hands clenched into fists. He sucked in an unsteady breath.
"I don't give a flying crap about your stupid family pedigree, but what gives you the right to manhandle a woman like that?! Hurting an animal like that?! Your head is obviously stuck into four centuries ago!" Ken growled out.
Shinjiro couldn't help but smirk. Ken didn't know it, but he was setting up a good opportunity for Shinjiro to scare the shit out of Sugimura. As Ken continued to rant and chew Sugimura out, Takamaki and Kitagawa hurried over to Okumura, whispering frantically to her. Okumura just whispered something back to them, but her expression was more… resigned. The sight made Shinjiro's heart clench. For some reason… she reminded him of Fuuka.
"You brat!" Sugimura raged, glaring at Ken. "Who do you think you are, to lecture me?! You really think you can threaten me?! Besides, that animal attacked me! It was self-defense!”
While technically true, he didn’t need to use that much force. The cat was pretty small and couldn’t do any real serious damage to the guy like Koromaru could. If only he brought Koromaru. Then the prick would have more than just his suit to cry about.
Screw it. He was tired of playing bystander. Shinjiro rounded the corner and walked briskly towards them.
"No, but I can," Shinjiro growled.
He couldn't help but smirk as Sugimura whipped around and his eyes went as wide as dinner plates. Of course, he didn’t have the spine to face someone who could kick his ass with ease. Cowards like him wouldn’t have the stones to fight Shinjiro, picking on teenage girls and little cats was all this pathetic cretin could do.
"S-Shinjiro-san?" Ken stammered out.
"You're… you're one of Kirijo's dogs," Sugimura hissed out.
"Yeah, and you're a little bitch," Shinjiro returned, unable to stop himself from smirking as Sugimura's face turned bright red with anger.
He deserved to be taken down a peg or two. But Shinjiro wasn’t done.
"What's the matter, Sugimura?" he couldn't help but taunt. "Bitter that Mitsuru saw right past your little act to get your hands on her money? So, the best you can do is leech on someone who can’t even legally drink alcohol yet? Always knew you were more vermin than man."
"Kirijo was a fool to not ally with us!" Sugimura retorted as his hands clenched into fists. "She's just a sentimental woman… what does she know about investment? Finances?! We could've created a truly powerful partnership… but she threw it all away! And what would a peasant like you know of manhood! You’re just a charity project of Kirijo’s!”
"Oh yeah, 'cause Mitsuru must be a real idiot for not wanting your family to use her family's money," Shinjiro mocked. “And if you’re what’s considered for a real man, then humanity’s standards must have dropped.”
What an entitled asshole. It was really dumb how he thought he could waltz in and think that Mitsuru would fall right at his feet.
"Though I bet your family is still trying to ally with Mitsuru… considering your dad is a politician. Bet Mitsuru will love hearing about how you manhandled your fiancée and how you tried to hit another girl. Not too mention assaulted someone’s pet cat. Probably will get in a lot of trouble with your father too, if Mitsuru's pissed at you,” Shinjiro couldn’t help but point out.
"That's… you…" Sugimura sputtered out, apparently unable to think of a good retort… or even a full sentence.
"Her family still has friends in high places… ones your family would wish to be friends with. I’m sure your father wouldn’t be happy if this affected his chances at potential alliances. Would you like me to call Mitsuru right now?" Shinjiro asked, as Sugimura's eyes went wide with fear. "Or… you can just leave now."
Sugimura scowled before staring at Haru.
"This isn't over, Haru. Your father will find out about this. He won't tolerate you spending time with riff-raff and neither will I."
He then shoved past Shinjiro, disappearing from their sight.
And this was why Mitsuru could almost never convince him to go to one of the stupid balls that the upper class liked throwing so much. Some of Mitsuru's 'peers' had such huge egos that he was surprised that they could fit through the door.
"Thank God," Takamaki breathed, hand over her heart, before turning to Okumura. "Hey… are you alright?"
She gingerly took the shorter girl's arm, and she just winced. A strangled gasp then escaped the blonde girl's throat.
"Haru-senpai, your arm!" she exclaimed, worry filling her eyes.
"It's nothing…" she mumbled out, but she stared down at the ground.
"You can't just accept that!" Sakura blurted out, her hands then clenched into fists. "It's wrong! Your dad's just treating you like some property that he can hand over for more money! And that creep! There’s no way you can marry someone like that!"
Kitagawa added with equal disdain, "Your father is nothing but scum! He can't just hand you off like that! Especially to a disgusting man such as Sugimura!"
"I…" Okumura looked overwhelmed by everything.
"Alright, alright, enough…" Shinjiro cut in. "Yelling about this kind of thing in public ain't exactly the smartest thing to do."
The group all quieted down a bit. Amamiya just eyed the group quietly while holding onto the cat, petting him gingerly, worry in his eyes.
They should definitely check on the cat too. That poor thing hit the wall hard. Ken noticed as well, as he eyed Amamiya and the cat with pity.
"Maybe we could go back to our place?" Ken suggested. "We should patch up Morgana too."
Okumura gasped. "Oh, that's right!"
She scrambled over to Amamiya's side, gently running a hand over Morgana's spine.
"Thank you for trying to defend me," Okumura said sweetly. "It was so brave of you…"
He meowed and Sakamoto scoffed before he rolled his eyes. "Cocky as always."
Okumura blinked at him. "Huh?”
"Uh…!" Sakamoto stiffened, panic filling his eyes.
Shinjiro fought the urge to facepalm. How was Sakamoto this carefree all the time? He remembered that Ken told him that Sakamoto nearly blew it regarding their secret with Niijima too before she joined. It was by the mercy of some higher power that Sakamoto hadn’t gotten them all arrested with his big mouth by now.
"Oh, Ryuji's just a cat whisperer," Amamiya said with a completely straight face.
"Dude!" Sakamoto cried, making Sakura burst into laughter.
"I know you want to keep it a secret, Ryuji…" Amamiya shook his head seriously. "But it's something that should be embraced."
"Indeed!" Okumura nodded enthusiastically. "I wish I could talk to animals! Then I could thank him properly!"
"Ren, I hate you," Sakamoto grumbled.
Amamiya just smirked at him. "Love you too, buddy."
Guess it was just a Wild Card thing to be a little shit.
"Ah..." Niijima shifted on her feet. "Should we get going then?"
"Yeah, it’s not good to linger for too long!" Takamaki nodded enthusiastically. "Let's go, Senpai!"
"Huh…?" Okumura looked at Takamaki in confusion. "Me too…?"
"I'm fairly sure that Ken meant you as well. Am I correct in my assumption?" Kitagawa asked as he tilted his head towards Ken.
Ken nodded. "Yeah. We should look at your injury, too."
"Oh, but…" Okumura looked down at her feet. "It's not necessary…"
"It's fine," Shinjiro said, making her look up in surprise. "Ken's right, we should look at it. May be just a bruise, but you shouldn't just dismiss it."
"We should talk too," Amamiya interjected, before frowning at her. "Sorry we just kinda left you in the dust."
She bit her lip, staring down at the ground. "Okay."
"How are you feeling, Morgana?" Ken asked, having finished securing the bandage around Morgana's torso.
He put the roll back in the first aid kid and snapped it shut. Makoto was currently tending to Haru-san.
"A bit sore…" Morgana then hissed as Ren prodded him slightly in the side. "Okay… a lot sore.”
"Morgana, that was really reckless," Ren scolded with a deep frown. "You could have been hurt way worse."
"I know, I know…" Morgana mumbled out.
His ears drooped, practically pressed against his skull now.
"I just… I couldn't sit there and do nothing,” he sighed.
Ren's eyes softened with sympathy. "I understand that, but you're lucky that none of your ribs are broken… you don’t need to be so rash, especially in this body. We’re not in the Metaverse."
Morgana flinched at the ‘in this body’ comment. But Ken knew that was a touchy subject for Morgana so he didn’t pile on.
"Maybe we can go to the Metaverse later then,” Morgana suggested half-heartedly instead.
He had never tried it on a cat (or Koromaru, for that matter), but he could try… And Haru-san was distracted right now.
Ken placed a hand on Morgana's back before concentrating on Kala-Nemi.
Diarama.
Blue surrounded Morgana for a moment. Morgana blinked several times, before arching his back.
"Wow! That's a lot better!" He then cocked his head. "How… did you do that?"
"Healing is easy to channel, once you have the hang of it," Ken said quietly, speaking out of the corner of his mouth so not to get Haru-san’s attention. "It's a matter of focus. The pain won't go away completely, but it should heal rather quickly."
Morgana gave a little frown. "I… I didn't know that."
"Morgana!" Futaba chirped.
She pushed Ken aside. A second later, Morgana yowled. But Futaba just ignored that.
"I'm so glad that you're okay!" Futaba rubbed her cheek against his.
She then set him down on the table and started to pinch his cheeks.
"Call her off! I'm hurt!" Morgana whined.
"Your face isn't hurt!" Futaba exclaimed, sounding almost gleeful. "This is your punishment for worrying us!"
"Ren!" Morgana cried out, squirming in Futaba's grasp. "Save me!"
Ren just sighed, shaking his head. "Come on, Futaba, that's enough. He's been manhandled enough for one night. Besides he’s still mending."
Shinjiro-san scoffed as he entered the room, a tray filled with mugs, enough for each of them. They were filled with herbal tea; Ken could smell the mix of chamomile with honey and lemon.
"Jeez, have you even had a pet before? It looks like you're torturing the thing with how he's yowling," Shinjiro-san scolded.
Futaba stuck her tongue out at him and he rolled his eyes. Futaba still took the mug from him and Shinjiro-san snorted. The girls all took a sip of the tea at the same time, Anne let out a happy sigh and smiled up at Shinjiro-san. Haru-san didn't meet his eyes, but she bowed lightly, before taking another sip. Makoto gave him a nod of thanks, as did Yusuke and Ren. Ryuji… surprisingly guzzled almost all of his. Then looked up sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, admitting he was a bit thirsty. Shinjiro-san just rolled his eyes again. Then looked over at Ken, handing him the last mug with herbal tea.
"I need to pick up some groceries at the store," he said nonchalantly, glancing over at Haru-san for a moment. "You'll be fine on your own, right?"
That was shrewd of Shinjiro-san, quickly making an excuse to leave. Haru-san didn't know that Shinjiro-san was aware of all of this.
Ken nodded. "We’ll be fine. See you, Shinjiro-san."
Shinjiro-san nodded, but not before returning to the kitchen. He came back out with a bowl filled with heavy cream and placed it in front of Morgana.
Morgana’s eyes lit up and he started to lap it up. Futaba raised a brow seeing this.
“Cats aren’t supposed to have that stuff you know,” she said.
Morgana glared up at her. “I am not a cat!”
Shinjiro-san just tilted his head at Morgana, probably wondering what he was hissing about. He then turned to Futaba.
“He’s not exactly your garden variety domestic short hair. He’ll live.”
Shinjiro-san then turned on his heel, giving them a quick wave. Everyone threw in their own goodbyes, before Shinjiro-san left.
Ken then looked over, and noticed Morgana sulking. His ears drooping again. He wasn’t licking up the cream like he was previously. He couldn’t help but frown.
Haru-san’s voice distracted him from his thoughts about Morgana’s behavior.
"Your guardian… is rough on the edges, but he's very kind," Haru-san said with a hesitant smile. "I can see it in his eyes."
Ryuji finished off his tea and set the mug down on the coffee table.
"I dunno, Shinjiro-san's pretty scary," Ryuji said, plopping onto the couch. "He looks like he could snap your spine into two if you pissed him off enough…"
Ken rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his tea, before sitting next to Ryuji. "He's not that bad. You've seen what he's really like."
Anne finished off her tea, setting the mug down on the table too. Makoto and Yusuke did as well.
Anne nodded. "Yeah, he's like one of those guys who acts all tough but is a total softie! And Fuuka-san seems to have him completely wrapped around her finger."
Ren, Ken, and Futaba finished off their tea finally. They then set the empty mugs on the table next to everyone else’s.
Ren just threw him a smirk. "Yeah, Ken wouldn't make fun of him if he didn't know he could get away with it."
"Oh, stop." Anne smacked his shoulder, rolling her eyes at him. "Besides, we brought Haru-senpai to talk, remember?"
“Why don’t you sit down, Haru-san?" Makoto suggested.
Haru-san was quiet during their whole interaction. Just sipping the tea while observing them all. She finally finished, gingerly setting the mug on the table with the others. Haru-san chose to sit in the loveseat. Futaba and Ren sat at the couch with Ken and Ryuji, while Makoto, Anne, and Yusuke sat on the smaller couch.
"So… were you all… were you at the headquarters to… change my father’s heart?" Haru-san asked softly. "You're… the Phantom Thieves?”
Ren inhaled. "Yes. We are."
"Then Kamoshida… Madarame… Kaneshiro…"
"All us!" Ryuji boasted with a wide smile. "Pretty cool, right?"
"Ryuji…" Makoto sighed.
"What? Can't we take pride in this?!"
Haru-san let out a sigh of relief however. She looked to be on the verge of tears, her eyes looking glassy.
"Then please… listen to my request," Haru-san pleaded before she quickly bowed her head. "Please steal my father's heart!"
Her hands gripped the hem of her skirt.
"My father… he has slowly changed over the years. But, these past two years feels even more different, worse… colder. A gap was forming, but slow, that I didn’t even notice it for a while. But in recent years, it’s accelerated," she whispered. "I don't recognize him anymore. I… I don't want to marry Sugimura-san."
Yusuke sucked in a sharp breath through his nose, while he crossed his arms.
"Rightfully so… Haru-san, I understand how you feel," he said quietly. "I know that it's not easy to fight against a parental figure…"
Haru-san's eyes grew wide. She then looked down at her lap and bit her lip.
"Kitagawa-kun… I…" She gave a little nod. "Thank you…"
"What can you tell us?" Makoto asked, leaning forward. "There's so many rumors circulating about the abuse. Is it true?"
"I… I don't know, honestly." Haru-san looked up; her lip quivered slightly. "It's not easy for me to see how my father has twisted Okumura Foods so much."
The group fell silent for a moment. Futaba interrupted the pause as she cleared her throat.
"But hey! After we saw you at the Diet Building, we decided to look into your dad. We're gonna target him. Um…" She fidgeted for a moment. "I-I never had a dad.”
Haru-san looked at Futaba with pity, her mouth opening to say something but Futaba cut her off.
"It’s okay! I have Sojiro now! But… listen to me ramble, um…! I-I'm sorry that your dad is using you like this… and not acting like a dad should…" Futaba said with sorrow. "You don't deserve that."
"Asshole dads…" Ryuji scoffed, before he scowled. "Ain't nothing new."
"Father wasn't always this awful…" Haru-san said. "I just don't understand when exactly he had changed."
Makoto leaned forward in her seat, clasping her hands together. A regretful expression formed on her face; she then closed her eyes, shaking her head.
"People change," she murmured. "Sometimes not for the better."
Ken bit his lip. He couldn’t help but think about Makoto’s nightmare about her sister during the last night of their Hawaii trip.
"I'm sorry that Sugimura has targeted you like this," Anne said softly, before she grimaced. "You don't deserve that, Senpai. It's not right… to be the target of a creep."
Ken couldn’t help but wince at that too. That would hit a little too close to home for Anne.
Anne then clenched her hands into fists. "And the stuff he spouted about going to his place! Ugh! I kinda wished I punched him…!"
Shinjiro-san could have easily done that. But he hadn't. Probably since he knew that the Sugimuras could press charges. But that was why Shinjiro-san had attacked him verbally. Not that he was any less relentless.
"Whoa, Anne, calm down." Ren shot her an amused look. "Sugimura isn't here."
"I still wish that I punched him," Anne grumbled.
“That makes two of us,” Makoto and Ryuji said in unison.
They both looked at each other. The group couldn’t help but snort and they all started to giggle a bit. Ken shook his head, but his smile faded when he noticed Morgana was still sulking in the corner. The bowl Shinjiro-san gave him still practically full.
He hadn’t said anything the whole conversation. Was he still in pain? Or was there something else going on?
Haru-san cleared her throat, interrupting his thoughts again. She shifted in her seat, and gave them all a polite bow. She lifted her head and flashed them all a sad smile.
"Your concern means a lot to me.” She then winced. “Though, that's right… You and Mr. Kamoshida…"
Anne bit her lip, and slowly exhaled through her nose.
“Yeah, but…" Her expression then grew determined. "We'll be targeting your father. We'll make sure that you won't suffer under him much longer."
"Thank you, Takamaki-san." Haru-san clasped her hands in her lap. "I… I know it's cowardly but…"
"It's not cowardly to wish for your father to change," Yusuke cut in. "Haru-san, you're nothing but the victim in this. You at least are aware that your father is in the wrong here. It… took me a while to actually admit this for myself."
Ryuji looked at Yusuke, a hard frown on his face. "Madarame screwed you up. It ain't easy to admit that kind of crap."
"But it’s not… I just wish I could do something more about this since this is my father we’re talking about,” Haru-san confessed.
"Uhh…" Futaba shook her head. "Sorry, no can do. It's sorta…"
"A trade secret," Ken interjected.
"Oh… I see…" Haru-san's face fell. "I suppose that makes sense. The Phantom Thieves are like superheroes. And I'm just… me."
"Nonono, that's not what we meant!" Futaba cried.
"It's… dangerous, Haru-san," Makoto said gently. "It's best to leave you out of this…"
Haru-san then slowly stood up before she gave a weak smile. Ken couldn’t help but feel guilty, looking at her plaintive expression, but it really was for the best. She was a civilian, after all.
"Thank you for the hospitality, but I must head home." She winced, brushing a curl out of her face. "My father won't be pleased that I've been out for so long…"
"Let me go with you. It's starting to get dark anyways," Makoto spoke up.
"It's probably out of the way…" Haru-san began to protest, waving her hands. "I'll be fine! Really!"
"It's nothing, Haru-san," Makoto insisted.
Haru-san then sighed before bowing her head. "Very well. Thank you, Niijima-san."
Soon after, everyone else began to depart. Ryuji and Yusuke left together, so Ryuji could pay for Yusuke's train ticket.
Morgana quietly hopped into Ren’s bag without a word to anyone.
Ken frowned. Something was definitely up. But it was getting late. Maybe Morgana’s mood would improve tomorrow. It hadn’t exactly been a fun night, and he was hurt for his troubles too. He should let Morgana get some rest. And if something is bothering him, he’ll talk to Ren about it anyways.
Ren and Futaba left with Anne, intending to walk her back to her apartment before catching the train back to Yongen-jaya.
And so… he was left alone. His head was swirling with all of the things he had seen and heard today.
Okumura… he was going to pay for what he was putting Haru-san through. They had to get to the bottom of all this…
Futaba suddenly tugged on Anne's hand. "Anne, is everything okay?"
Anne looked at the younger girl. "Huh? Of course it is…"
"It's just…" Ren looked at her carefully, before taking her hand. He gave it a little squeeze. "You've been quiet."
"It's not… it's just…" Anne trailed off, unsure to put it.
She had been angry enough when they had met Sugimura the first time. But this last encounter… just made her blood boil when she just thought about it. How could Haru-senpai's father put her through this? Her parents were absent in her lives a lot thanks to work, but… she knew that they loved her. And they’d never put Anne through something like that.
"Haru-senpai just gave me a lot to think about." She looked over at Futaba. "When I had first awakened to Carmen, all I could think about is making Kamoshida pay. But… that feels selfish."
"For what…?" Ren asked. "For making you want to fight back? Assert yourself? There's nothing wrong with that, Anne."
"I know but…" Anne looked back at Futaba. "Futaba, and now Haru-senpai… helping them… is what being a Phantom Thief is really about. Helping those who can't fight back."
She had never felt so strongly about this. Fighting for the weak… being a hero, as Haru-senpai put it. She may admire the villains for being so strong and confident, but… they weren't villains. They were meant to help people who couldn't fight back. That was a cause worth fighting for.
They weren't here for fame or recognition.
"You did save me," Futaba piped up, a bright smile and blush on her face. "I’m glad to be on a team filled with my own personal superheroes!”
Anne laughed. "Thanks, Futaba."
"We'll save Haru," Futaba said with a firm nod. "And everyone else under Okumura's thumb!"
Yes… this was what they were here to do.
That was when Carmen's voice began to whisper to her.
Thou art I… and I am thou. Thine resolution hast transformed me… and hast given me a new form. I am…
"Hecate?" Anne murmured.
She felt… stronger and… at peace.
"Anne?" Ren frowned at her.
Anne just smiled at her boyfriend, slipping her hand out of Futaba's. "It's nothing."
Ren just laughed.
"You're so silly sometimes." He leaned in close and kissed her sweetly. "But I love you.”
Anne giggled. "I love you too, Ren. I feel with you at my side… I can do anything."
"Uhh—you know I'm still here, right?" Futaba grumbled.
"Sorry, Futaba," Ren laughed, though the smirk on his face told her that he really wasn't. "Come on, let's get you home, Anne."
Unbeknownst to them all, Morgana was looking at the three sadly as he peeked out of the bag, feeling like a fourth wheel.
Friday, September 16th, 2016
Haru delicately nibbled at the crepe the chef had prepared for her. It was expertly made, with powdered sugar and sliced strawberries on top. But she could barely taste it.
She could feel Father's eyes on her. His displeasure was clear in his eyes.
Haru reached for her cup of tea, taking a slow sip to savor the taste. When she set it down, Father spoke.
"Haru… Sugimura-san tells me that you didn't immediately return here.”
Haru stiffened at that. "There was a… misunderstanding.”
"Sugimura-san also tells me you've been ignoring his calls. Doing your best to avoid him." Father's eyes narrowed dangerously on her and he fiercely scowled. "You do recall that this match has been made for the interests of this family, yes? You know your duty to your family?"
More the interests of him. But Haru held her tongue in that regard. That would do nothing but infuriate him.
"Yes, Father," she said softly.
Father scrutinized her face closely, before he finally nodded.
"Good," he said coolly. "Sugimura has also informed me that he would be pleased to welcome you in his home within a month."
"W-What?" Haru couldn’t stop the stutter in her voice.
"You are to be his bride after graduation," Father stated. "It's only natural that you become acquainted with how the household is run. After all, you will be running it once you are his wife. Sugimura believes that you should come to him on the eleventh."
Haru lowered her eyes, murmuring an agreement all while blinking furiously. She couldn't cry. What had happened to Father? Was it Mother's death? Grandfather’s death? The debts? Or was it all of it?
This wasn't the man who had cried out of relief, when well-wishers had visited Grandfather's café to honor his death. This wasn't her father.
The Phantom Thieves had promised… they had promised that—!
No.
She was going to make sure of it personally.
Amada-kun was right the other day. She couldn't just wait and pray for a miracle. She had to seize her own fate. She didn't want to marry Sugimura. She was positive being married to him would be nothing but hell.
She knew it was dangerous, but she was done with being complacent. She wasn't going to just keep submitting Father's name to the Phantom Aficionado Site and sit there hoping that he would change.
It was time for her to take action.
Notes:
Haru’s starting to hit her limit… Can’t wait to get her awakening. That will be fun.
But yeah, Sugimura is acquainted with Mitsuru. Tried to woo her before, but Mitsuru wasn’t having it. Gotta say, I really enjoyed writing Shinji dragging him.
And Anne is the first to get her ultimate. I think a lot of people ignore how empathetic she is, so I wanted to tie that into her ultimate awakening.
Edited 3/15/25. Many thanks to angelrin89 for her wonderful edits!
Chapter 24: Ch. 23: Enter Noir, the Phantom Thief
Summary:
Haru confronts her father's Shadow, and Noir is born.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Friday, September 16th, 2016
Haru slowly peeked out from the corner. She needed to confirm that the Phantom Thieves were going to Okumura Foods' headquarters. She didn't want to follow them to no avail.
She had resolved to do something. The Phantom Thieves were going to change her father's heart… and she was going to follow them until she saw what exactly they would do.
Her goal was to follow Sakamoto-kun. He seemed like the easiest target, with how he didn't easily notice his surroundings. Since Takamaki-san and Amamiya-kun were classmates, she accompanied the boy who seemed to be the leader. And two people had the twice the chance to detect her so…
There was something about Amada-kun held himself made her feel that he preferred to be on the cautious side than not. Niijima-san was rather sharp too, so Haru felt that it was best to not follow her either. So, the choice was narrowed down to Sakamoto-kun.
The younger boy munched on a snack as he casually walked down the stairs from the second floor. He paid her no mind as he passed by, walking out of the entrance. Haru let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
She followed Sakamoto-kun to the train station, and Sakamoto-kun was waiting for the train for Marunouchi. Her heart soared at that. They were going back.
She scurried over to the booth to purchase a ticket, but she was careful to keep her distance. Sakamoto-kun may not be the most perceptive person around but he wasn't stupid.
Haru couldn't help but feel antsy during the ride, though. Just what were they going to do…? How did they change hearts, as their calling cards proclaimed?
It was a relief when the conductor announced that they had arrived at Marunouchi Station. It was an odd feeling… especially since that usually brought her anxiety.
Haru stepped off of the train, scanning the area for Sakamoto-kun's bright blond hair. She followed him, ducking behind a billboard close to the entrance of Okumura Food's headquarters.
"Hey, Ryuji," Amamiya-kun greeted. "We can go now, right?"
Go…? Haru couldn't help but frown. Were they planning on going inside the building?
She had remembered reading on a forum, speculation that the Phantom Thieves changed people's hearts by… blackmailing them. Was it really true?
"Yeah, sorry 'bout the wait!" Sakamoto-kun sounded sheepish. Morgana then meowed, making him huff loudly. "Ugh, shuddup, Morgana!"
"Ryuji, you'll attract attention," Niijima-san chided.
"Sorry…" he mumbled out, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I'd prefer it if we had more privacy," Amada-kun murmured; Haru had to strain to hear his quieter voice.
Haru shrunk further into her hiding spot. She didn't want him to catch wind that she was here…
"It'll be fine, Ken!" Sakura-kun said confidently. "I mean, who's gonna be around here now? Stop being such a worrywart!"
"I suppose…" Amada-kun said slowly, but he spoke haltingly like he didn't fully believe Sakura-kun. He then sighed, looking to Amamiya-kun. "But yeah, let's go, Ren."
"And so he has spoken," Amamiya-kun said teasingly. "But okay, okay… Kunikazu Okumura. Okumura Foods Headquarters. Spaceport."
A mechanical voice then spoke. "Beginning navigation."
"W-What? Why did Amamiya-kun speak those random words?" Haru thought to herself.
Haru peeked out, and she had to clamp a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't cry out in shock. They were disappearing?!
Haru's body moved without warning. She rushed over to where they stood. But then suddenly, she found standing in a… spaceport, was it?
"W-What happened?" she uttered, feeling utterly bewildered as she took in her surroundings.
Where was she?! And what did the Phantom Thieves do? Was this… their secret on how they changed people's hearts? It was all so confusing…
Haru couldn't help but wonder what they did to change people's hearts. Was… Haru in over her head?
"No… what am I saying?" she asked herself, shaking her head.
She had resolved to stand aside no longer and pray for a miracle. She was going to take matters in her own hands now.
Ken didn't think he would ever get used to how… ornate Palaces were. It was like they had stepped inside of a movie. A sci-fi movie, to be precise.
Everything was all high tech. The Shadows had taken on a robotic form, though they looked nothing like any robot that Ken had seen.
"Seriously, this is so cool!" Futaba clasped her hands together; if Ken was the betting type, he'd bet that Futaba's eyes were shining like no other right now. "It's like we're on an actual sci-fi movie set!"
"You're not gonna fangirl on us, like with Yukari-san, right?" Ryuji snickered.
Futaba stuck her tongue at him. "Better sci-fi than your pointless action movies, Skull."
"Whataya mean pointless?!"
"Okay, okay, enough," Makoto chided, before glancing over to Ren. "Joker, we should get moving."
"Agreed. Alright, so… starting team…" Ren rubbed his chin. "Let's go with Mona, Fox, and Queen today."
Morgana looked at him in surprise for some reason, but then he nodded. "Let's get started, then."
And so they began. They traveled down a hall, the team that Ren had selected fighting the occasional Shadow. They eventually came across a door.
"Beginning biometric scan," a computerized voice announced. A moment later, a bright red light scanned over them. "Biometric scan failed. Access denied."
"Biometric…?" Anne asked.
"Ugh, don't tell me…" Ryuji groaned before glaring briefly at the door. "This is gonna be like annoying block like Oracle's?!"
"Annoying?" Futaba asked indignant.
"Do not fret Oracle, Kaneshiro also had a pesky block that kept us from accessing his palace. Queen foolishly imperiled her life so we could get in." Yusuke patted Futaba on the shoulder.
"Hey!" Makoto protested.
Ryuji grinned. "Don't worry Queen, thanks to your recklessness, we got in."
Makoto glared and grumbled at his "defense."
"Madarame's had one too," Anne quickly pointed out to take attention away from Makoto.
Makoto asked, "Oh really?"
Ryuji suddenly snickered. "Yeah, Panther had to distract Fox with—"
Anne immediately cut off Ryuji. "Yeah we're done with this conversation!"
Makoto sighed however, wincing ever so slightly. Ken couldn't help but frown, recalling how she had endangered herself with Kaneshiro. That incident had been… rather anxiety inducing; he still recalled the way Ryuji had jumped in front of a car in order to hail a taxi, to chase after Makoto like that. Not to mention how Anne alluded to how that Kaneshiro had wanted to take pictures of Makoto in an incriminating position.
Anger bubbled up in Ken at the thought but he quickly shook his head. He had to focus.
"But… biometric…" Anne repeated. "What does that mean?"
"It's related to biology," Ken said slowly. "Though… don't places like this in movies usually require like a fingerprint scan? Or scanning your iris? Something along those lines."
He had heard that Mitsuru-san was thinking of investing in that kind of security, especially for the Shadow Operatives headquarters. Though Ken had no idea exactly how it worked.
"Crap…" Ren groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I think you're right…"
"M-Maybe we can do something to the door?" Ryuji said desperately. "I mean, c-c'mon, Queen can blow up things with her Persona! Can't we do something to it?!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Skull," Morgana scolded. "It's never worked before, so why would it now?!"
"I'm just trying to find a way to get in!" Ryuji retorted.
"Did you really think that you could target me?"
The sudden voice made them all freeze.
From the shadows out stepped… well, Shadow Okumura. He looked even stranger than Shadow Kaneshiro. Why did Shadow selves in the Metaverse have to look so… weird? The twelve Shadows of Nyx weren't exactly normal but still…
He was clad in an astronaut's suit, but the helmet had two antennas sticking out of it, making him look like an alien. His dark blue skin and eerily golden eyes didn't help either. But the actual suit was covered with glowing buttons, a black cape draped over his shoulders.
"This looks familiar…" Anne murmured.
Ryuji just snickered. "I'm surprised he's not carrying a red laser sword."
"Guys!" Ken hissed at them.
But Shadow Okumura chuckled, his eyes gleaming in excitement. "Oh, I'll be greatly rewarded for this! I will be the one to deliver the Phantom Thieves! What luck!"
"Not a chance in hell, you bastard!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"It will be you who pays," Yusuke bit out, glowering at Shadow Okumura.
"Is that all you care about?" Ken demanded, his hand wrapping around the shaft of his spear. "Rewards? Riches?"
"Silence!" he barked out, glaring at Ken. "You think you understand what it's like?! I had to claw my way up to success! I had to clean up my father's messes! You're just a naïve brat who knows nothing! I won't go back…"
He shook his head before clenching his hands into fists.
"Never. I will climb higher and higher… The sky isn't even the limit! 'Overcome failure at any cost if it means betraying others…' That is the Okumura family motto. Failing is not a possibility. Not for me!" he declared.
"And it doesn't matter who you crush?!" Anne demanded. "You're nothing but scum!"
Makoto just shook her head. "What an awful motto…"
"Utterly cutthroat," Yusuke muttered.
"Ugh, you need to beat the crap outta him!" Futaba exclaimed, her hands clenching into fists.
"F-Father…?"
They all whirled around to see that Haru-san was standing in the doorway.
"Haru-senpai?!" Anne gaped at her. "What are you doing here?!"
Haru-san glanced over at them, but her eyes focused on Okumura. "Father, why are you dressed like that…?"
Shadow Okumura's eyes narrowed dangerously at her. She flinched and took a step backwards. Out of the corner of Ken's eye, he saw Ryuji stiffen at that.
"What are you doing here, Haru? Are you here with them?" He spat out the word like someone would spit out vermin.
"Haru-san, we told you it was too dangerous!" Ken exclaimed.
Why couldn't anyone just listen? Okay, Futaba following them inside had saved them from her mother's cognitive self, but still.
"I… I know." Haru-san's expression grew determined. "I'm sorry, Amada-kun, but… I can't. A conversation with my father this morning convinced me… I… I can't stand back anymore. I have to take action to get what I want!"
Shadow Okumura nodded enthusiastically, a smarmy smile stretching at his lips. "So, you pushed the Phantom Thieves into coming here, didn't you?"
He laughed, rubbing his hands together. Ken couldn't help but tense at that. He knew that Okumura wasn't exactly a saint, but the way he was misunderstanding his daughter was just…
"My, what a dutiful daughter I have… you'd do anything I ask, wouldn't you? Even deliver the Phantom Thieves to me, correct?" Okumura asked.
"No, that's not…!" Haru-san shook her head, before she pressed a hand against her chest. "Father, that's not it! The truth is—I've come to realize that I no longer wish to adhere to your demands! It's not right! And I… I want to change your heart!"
At her declaration, Shadow Okumura's expression morphed into a rather fierce scowl.
He snarled. "You don't intend to follow through with the marriage?! It's for the good of the family! The company! How dare you defy me?! You've wanted for nothing, and you turn your back on me?!"
"I…" Haru-san flinched at Shadow Okumura, shrinking back.
Ken's hands clenched into fists, watching her.
"It's wrong… what you're doing… And it's…" Her expression seemed to steel. "You claim it's for the good of the company and our family, but that's just a bunch of lies! You're pushing for this marriage because it'll benefit you and only you!"
"So… you've made your resolution, have you, Haru-san?" Yusuke asked.
Haru-san's eyes flew to Yusuke, her expression startled. But then she slowly nodded.
She said sadly, "This… this is why the company has a bad reputation…"
Then her hand clenched into one fist and her eyes flew to her father.
"Because all you do is treat them like tools!" she spat out.
She shook her head, her eyes growing hard.
"No more, Father! It's wrong! Grandfather would be ashamed of the man you've become… Mother even more so!" she cried out.
"Do not mention them…" he hissed out. "To gain, you must give! One must be resolved to give even more if they wish to stand above others. All of my work… it is to boost me to an entirely new level… the world of politics!"
"So your theory was correct, Ace," Makoto said grimly.
"The cold reality of kicking people down is a part of business!" Okumura continued, apparently intent on giving them a motive rant. "Virtue and sentiment are for losers."
He may not be privy to how exactly Mitsuru-san ran the Kirijo Group, but he knew that Mitsuru-san would never do such a thing. And the Kirijo Group was as powerful as ever.
"And for what?!" Haru-san demanded, dropping her hand. "Father, can't you see that you're slowly destroying your soul?! I… I won't stand for this! Your heart must be changed!"
"My own daughter, betraying me like this…" Shadow Okumura scowled fiercely. "I won't tolerate this disobedience… Sugimura will squash that out of you."
"You were the one going on and on about betrayal for your own benefit!" Futaba exclaimed, scowling at him as well.
She looked at Haru-san in concern, who was cringing at the mention of Sugimura.
Futaba added, "You're nothing but a hypocrite!"
"Seriously, you don't deserve Haru!" Morgana spat out.
"H-Huh…? A-A talking cat…?" Haru-san asked, eyes wide.
Did she really just notice Morgana now…?
"I'm not a—!" Morgana groaned, cutting himself off. "Ugh, never mind…"
"Hmm… It appears we cannot go forward with our deal, Okumura-san." Appearing by Shadow Okumura's side was… a cognition of Sugimura.
"W-What?!" Haru-san's eyes were as wide as saucers, as she took another step backwards. "Sugimura-san?!"
Then his eyes seemed to drink in Haru-san, and he licked his lips. Ken felt his stomach turn inside out at the sight.
"What a pity. She was such a lovely girl… I will mourn this loss," Cognitive Sugimura sighed out.
"Can he be more of a creep?!" Anne hissed, her hands all but strangling the handle of her whip as if she was imagining she was wringing Sugimura's neck.
"And why not?" Shadow Okumura turned to Cognitive Sugimura.
Cognitive Sugimura gave a disdainful sniff. "Your daughter is more interested in interacting with riff-raff than spending time with me. She keeps companies with thieves."
Ken sucked in a breath. If this was truly Okumura’s cognition of Sugimura, he still was okay with marrying Haru to such scum…? Ken couldn’t help but feel disgusted but also… he pitied Haru-san.
Cognitive Sugimura just shook his head at this like he wasn't scum himself.
"Who's to say that things will change once we marry? No… my father would never accept such a bride. He expects his daughter-in-law to be of the highest caliber, after all. Such a pity though… my father thought such an alliance would have benefited us both so much..." Cognitive Sugimura heaved out a heavy sigh at that.
"Riff-raff…?" Yusuke repeated with disgust. "The only shameful people in this room is you and Okumura."
Shadow Okumura just shrugged, waving a hand. "Then take her as your lover or however else you'll please. You don't have to take her as your lawful wife anymore. I don't particularly care."
"Huh?!" Haru-san stumbled back at that, as her eyes grew wide with shock. "Lover…?"
Cognitive Sugimura just nodded, a lustful grin on his face. "Yes… Yes… that will do just fine."
Ken fought the urge to grimace as disgust welled up inside of him.
"You piece of shit!" Ryuji exclaimed, hands clenching into fists.
Anne snarled, "You're disgusting! How dare you call yourself her father! She's not some car you rent out, you scumbag!"
"He… he really went there," Futaba breathed.
Haru-san said tearfully, "You… you would sell me to that man… and make me his plaything?! All to satisfy your ambitions?!"
Haru-san's voice cracked as she fell to her knees.
"I… I was raised under this company. I was taught that I must put it first for as long as I can remember… I accepted a political marriage for your sake! I had convinced that it was for the best… that I should listen to what you want…" A choked-out sob escaped her as she looked helplessly up at Okumura. "Father… why?!"
She sounded so broken. But… this was no surprise to him. Some people… just did not care for their children… their family as they should. As far as Ken's relatives were concerned, he was nothing to them.
"I am your father. You will do what I say!" Shadow Okumura gazed at her, no pity in his eyes.
Ken scowled to himself, his fingers curling around his spear once more. This selfish dirt-bag!
"Why are you fretting so? You should be honored that you are fulfilling your role as my daughter. That's the only value you've had from the very beginning," Okumura said, shrugging carelessly.
Only value?!
"How can a man say something like that… to his own daughter?!" Makoto demanded, looking rightfully horrified.
"Some parents are just rotten to the core, Queen," Ryuji answered her while Yusuke nodded in agreement behind him.
"I think I'm gonna be sick…" Ren muttered.
"That makes two of us." Morgana sneered at Okumura's Shadow.
Ken kept his eyes on Haru-san. She was… shaking. She wouldn't stop shaking.
Ken blinked. No, her hands… they were clenching into fists. She wasn't shaking because she was scared.
"You are not my father…" Haru-san said lowly.
Okumura narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"
She was shaking because she was angry. Haru-san staggered to her feet.
She then repeated in a hiss, "You are not my father."
She lifted her head, a defiant expression on her face.
"You know what fathers do?! They raise you! They protect you! They love you! You have failed in all accounts! You're not the man who mourned Mother's death for months! You're not the man who cried out of joy because Grandfather's customers loved him so much that they wanted to pay tribute to him after his passing! That man was my father, you are not him! You're a cold, unfeeling man who knows only greed and lust for power!"
"Holy shit…" Ryuji breathed. "She's really letting him have it…"
"Oh, she's just getting warmed up," Ren commented, all while keeping her eyes on Haru-san.
"Not to mention that you want to sell me to a disgusting man who just wants his hands on my body! You don't care if he just plays with me and throws me aside!"
Her voice was slowly rising as she continued her rant.
"You are not my father! You're a twisted man who just wears his face! You abuse workers! You've pushed me into accepting marriage to Sugimura all to satisfy what you want! You may protest until you're blue in the face, but the claims about it being for the 'good' of the company is nothing but lies! You've never even considered about what I wanted!"
Haru-san must have had these thoughts for the longest time. She was just voicing them now.
Haru-san's arm then swept through the air. "No more! You've quoted the family motto to me countless times… maybe it's time I betrayed you for my benefit! Why should I be loyal to a man who's just interested at throwing me away like trash?!"
Her hands clenched into fists, before she looked at Shadow Okumura straight in the eye. Her eyes flickered a golden color for a moment.
"I… I… will never forgive this!" she finally shrieked out.
Futaba's breath suddenly hitched. "It's… it's really happening."
"So… she has the potential as well," Yusuke commented, before his hand clenched into a fist. "Good! She'll be able to fight back!"
Suddenly a spotlight shone, directed on Haru-san.
Where did that come from…?
"Ahhh…" A haughty feminine voice echoed throughout the room. "It's about time that you've made up your mind, my dear fated princess."
Haru let out a sharp cry, clutching her head as she fell to her knees once again. Pain seemed to explode from her skull. For a moment her vision was flooded with blue flames. She suddenly felt something weigh against her face.
"Freedom for you must stem from betrayal. And as you said… why do you owe loyalty to such a vile man? A man who just uses everyone around him as stepping-stones… A man who just sees you as a pawn! He's just begging for betrayal. If you still yearn for freedom, you must not stray from your path. Now tell me… who shall you betray?"
Yes… that's true. She loved her father… but this man before her was not him. She owed him nothing. If she desired freedom, she must continue down this path.
"My heart… has been set. You know that, most of all, don't you… Milady?" She then looked up at this thing wearing her father's face. "You will not use me as a tool any longer!"
"Yes, that gaze!" A deep, throaty chuckle. "I can finally reveal myself! I am thou… thou art I…"
Haru's fingers brushed against her face, latching onto the edge of what she realized was a mask—like the Phantom Thieves. She tugged and pulled at it; she couldn't explain it, but she had to get this mask off her face.
"Let us adorn your departure into freedom… with a beautiful betrayal!"
"Come, Milady!" Haru cried, finally tearing off her mask, droplets of blood flying as blue flames swept over her body.
It hurt at first. But it felt so good, it felt so free. It felt right!
When the blue flames died away, she was revealed to have a completely new outfit. Ken thought Haru-san looked like she had stepped right out of the book The Three Musketeers.
But her Persona… Milady…
It looked like an upper-class woman, with an elaborate pink ballgown with golden flowers scattered over the fabric. Back in the… 1800s? He wasn't entirely sure. She even held a masquerade mask in one hand, hiding her face, though that mask was gold and pink. But then suddenly her skirts flew apart, revealing gatling guns.
"Holy shit!" Ryuji yelped, staggering backwards.
"Was my awakening like this?" Futaba whispered.
"You were… a special case," Ken said with a wince.
"Farewell, dear father." Haru-san dipped her hat, before looking up to stare at Shadow Okumura right in the eyes. She then pointed at him. "I am no longer your subservient puppet!"
"Hmph. As you wish."
Shadow Okumura then turned, his cape swaying as he looked at Cognitive Sugimura. He stood in front of the door, the biometric door apparently accepting the scan.
"Deal with them as you see fit."
The cognition of Sugimura then laughed. "Very well. I'll toy with her until I get bored! A high school fiancée… what a turn on!"
Ken grimaced. And to think, he didn’t expect Sugimura to get any worse. Sadly, he kept failing to meet Ken’s minimal expectations.
He then transformed into a large robot, one mostly white with a few splashes of purple—a mimicry of his business suit.
He then swung wildly at Haru-san, but Milady just blocked the swing with a feather fan. Her skirts then swept aside to reveal the guns once more, blasting Cognitive Sugimura backwards.
"How dare you!" the robot ground out.
"I think you don't understand," Haru-san bit out. "I am done letting you toy with me! I'll chop off your hands if that is what's needed to get the message to sink in!"
Anne blasted the robot with some fire from her Persona.
"Or perhaps you should go for another body part," Anne spat out.
Ken couldn't help but cringe at the thinly veiled threat. Sugimura may deserve that but… these women were not to be trifled with. He could understand Anne's anger at Haru-san's situation however. It probably was more personal for her considering the circumstances.
Haru-san then held out her hand, and blue flames formed a battle axe. She leapt in the air, swung the axe with ease, leaving a huge gash right in the chest. She landed easily on her feet, not even looking winded.
Just… how. Okay, the axe was a bit smaller than the ones Shinjiro-san used but still! He still had no idea how Shinjiro-san comfortably used axes in battle, and yet Haru-san had swung with one arm.
"Holy crap," Ren breathed.
"Girls are scary, man," Ryuji mumbled, shaking his head. "Girls who have Personas doubly so."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Ken muttered, his mind automatically veering to the women of SEES.
"Mm-hm." Yusuke nodded. "Just look at Queen and Panther."
"Um, can you not talk like we're not here?" Anne demanded, hands on her hips.
She did not look amused with their little conversation.
"Hey, come on, Panther, I'd take that as a compliment." Ren winked at her. "Seeing you in battle is always amazing. In more ways than one."
Anne's face immediately reddened.
"Let's just destroy this creep already!" she huffed, waving at Cognitive Sugimura.
"Honestly, Joker, now is not that time," Makoto chided, before shaking her head.
"Right." Ren snapped to attention, giving a quick nod. "Mona, Fox, let's get to it, then!"
"As you command, Joker!" Yusuke exclaimed, before he and Morgana leapt into the fray with Ren.
"You dare…" Cognitive Sugimura gritted out.
"Yes, we dare," Ren cut him off, turning fierce eyes at Cognitive Sugimura. "That's what the Phantom Thieves do! We dare to challenge the authorities who abuse their powers!"
"That's right!" Morgana nodded firmly, pointing at Cognitive Sugimura. "We're the Phantom Thieves… here to take your bride!"
"Zouchouten!" Ren tore off his mask, summoning a new Persona.
Zouchouten thrust his sword forward. Electricity sparked at the tip, shooting forward and striking Cognitive Sugimura right in the gash that Haru-san had created. Sugimura just stumbled backwards for a moment, but quickly righted himself.
"My turn! Witness my resolve!" Morgana declared, as blue flared around him.
Zorro slashed with his rapier, whipping up a powerful gust of wind that sent Sugimura's two robot cronies flying against the wall. Cognitive Sugimura itself fought to withstand the powerful gale.
Futaba cheered. "Oooh, nicely done, Mona! Come on, pass the baton already!"
Morgana flicked an annoyed glance at Futaba, before bounding over to Yusuke's side.
"Do it!" Morgana leapt in the air and slapping Yusuke's outstretched palm.
"Understood! I will not waste this power…" Yusuke nodded firmly before he ripped off his mask. "Take this!"
Goemon slashed at Cognitive Sugimura several times, widening the gash even further. They weren't even letting Cognitive Sugimura get an opportunity to attack.
"Milady, come!" Haru-san exclaimed, summoning her Persona.
She swept her fan, a ray of hot pink energy shooting out from the fan. The psychic energy surrounded Cognitive Sugimura, lifting him up and tossing him as easily as a rag doll against the wall. Cognitive Sugimura slumped against the wall, twitching ever so slightly.
"Defeated by… inferior brats… how?!" Cognitive Sugimura gritted out.
Ren spat out. "That's your problem. You keep underestimating your enemies. You underestimated Haru-senpai the most of all!"
"That's right," Haru-san said, before twisting to look at Ren. "Come, it's time to punish them!"
"Gladly!" Yusuke seconded.
At Ren's nod, they lunged forward. Cognitive Sugimura and his lackeys fell too easily.
Haru-san was panting heavily.
"He's… gone…" she murmured.
Her legs suddenly wobbled, as if they were about to give way. But Yusuke lunged forward, catching her by the arms just in time before she collapsed to her knees. He cautiously released her, relaxing when Haru-san immediately didn't fall down.
"Haru-san, are you okay?" he asked, his expression concerned.
"Okay?!" Ryuji demanded, before he began to wave his arms. "Dude, she was a total badass! She was like WHAAAAM! Did you see what she did to Sugimura with that axe of hers?! And holy shit that magic spell of hers!"
Haru-san just let out a weak giggle.
"Thank you, Sakamoto-kun…" She then paused and blinked. "…I think?"
"Crudely put but…" Morgana smiled, before nodding firmly. "I have to agree. You were like… like a Beauty Thief!"
"A… what thief?" Futaba raised an eyebrow.
"You know…" Morgana looked down, embarrassed. "One of those beautiful heroes who moonlight as vigilantes!"
Futaba looked at Ren, unamused. "What kind of shows have you been watching?"
Ren just shrugged at her. "Gotta have some variety. You should try it sometime."
Futaba scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Pass. I'll stick to the good stuff."
Anne nudged Ren in the side so to stop his retort, before smiling brightly at Haru-san. "Seriously, you were amazing, Senpai. You really showed Sugimura! And your dad!"
"Thank you…" Haru-san smiled. "I… I want to take control of my own fate. I have my own free will… it's time that I actually realized that."
Free will, huh…?
Ken just smiled at her. "I'm glad that you have, Haru-san."
"It… It feels so freeing," she confessed. "It's like I've been reborn."
Ryuji laughed. "Hey, we've all been there. You've gotta break free from all the shit society's piled on ya, you know?"
Haru-san just giggled. "Yes… I've finally begun to understand."
Then she suddenly swayed for a moment, pressing a hand to her forehead. All color seemed to drain from her face within seconds.
"But… I feel awfully dizzy," she mumbled out.
Makoto frowned in concern. "We should get you out of here. Awakening to your Persona takes a lot out of you."
"Can you walk?" Morgana asked.
Haru-san just blinked at him. "I'm not entirely sure who you are but… thank you for your concern… Mona, was it? May I call you Mona-chan? It just seems to suit you."
Morgana looked like he wanted to protest—badly— at the cute nickname, but he seemed to deflate at Haru-san's smiling face.
"If that's what you'd like," he mumbled out.
Haru-san said. "But… I'll be okay. You'll… explain more about this, won't you?"
"We will," Ken promised. "But… let's get out of here first."
"So, the place where we were just now… is a physical manifestation of my father's heart?" Haru-san asked. "And the two people we saw weren't the real Father and Sugimura-san?"
They had returned to Ken’s home, sitting Haru down to explain further on Palaces. At least Haru-san wasn’t too overwhelmed about it.
She seemed to accept the explanation about Morgana talking rather easily… Makoto was rather impressed.
Morgana nodded. "Yep! That was your father's cognition of Sugimura. How he views Sugimura."
She let out a weary sigh. "So… Father knew of Sugimura's nature all along."
"Haru-senpai…" Anne's voice went soft with sympathy as Haru's hands fisted at her skirt.
"Oh, Father… what made you change so much…?" Haru lamented.
"You mentioned other family before," Makoto ventured. "Your grandfather especially…"
Haru-san nodded firmly. "That's correct. My grandfather… he was a very kind man. He ran a small coffeeshop."
Her expression could only be described as nostalgic as she smiled gently, and her eyes grew soft.
"I remember Father taking me there a couple times when I was a little girl… before he died. I distinctly remember how cozy it felt… Grandfather didn't care about the profit… he just wanted to serve people. And… what stood out the most to me is when Father took me to the café, shortly after Grandfather's death. You see… many of Grandfather's regulars came to the café, shortly after his death. They brought flowers and other mementos, like coffee cups. They wanted to mourn a man that they had come to respect and care for deeply."
Haru-san's eyes squeezed shut and she seemed to tremble for a moment.
"Father had cried and cried at that. I remember asking him why he was so sad when people had obviously thought so well of Grandfather… and he just told me that he was crying… because he was happy."
It seemed from just that little information… Haru-san took more after her deceased grandfather.
Though she could understand Haru-san's feelings. You sometimes could only just helplessly watch as the differences only pushed you further and further away from a loved one.
"So he really wasn't always like this," Yusuke said slowly.
"At least… that's what I believe." Haru-san placed a hand over her chest, opening her eyes. "But my father is no longer like that. He just sees everyone as a potential pawn. He's been consumed by greed. Please…"
She quickly bowed her head.
"Allow me to join you! I may not understand everything regarding Personas and Shadows… but I want to change my father's heart personally!" she pleaded.
Changing a loved one's heart…
Well, she could really relate to that.
Makoto bit her lip, gripping the hem of her skirt. Maybe… she should have brought up Sae's Palace sooner, when she still had the chance…
She desperately wanted Sae to be more like the older sister she remembered. She didn't want that Sae to be just a memory… But at the same time, she was afraid. Afraid of what she might find in that palace. What… was the inside of her sister's heart truly like?
She was such a coward.
"Senpai, we were never going to turn you down," Ren said, flashing her an amused smile.
For some reason, Haru-san seemed to blush a little at that, staring down hard at her lap.
"Seriously, you were amazing back there," Ren complimented.
"T-Thank you, Amamiya-kun." Haru-san's blush then darkened at that, before looking up at him shyly.
"…Oh," Makoto thought with a frown.
Makoto looked over to Anne. Did she notice that? Anne met her gaze, before giving a very slight shake of her head.
So… Anne had noticed it. But she didn't seem upset. Maybe she had no reason to be jealous since she had been dating Ren for over a month now. She was secure in how Ren felt about her, so she saw no need to be jealous.
But she did have to wonder when Haru-san started to crush on Ren.
"Call me Ren," he insisted, before he threw Ken a playful smirk. "Don't want a repeat of Ken."
Ken's expression was unamused. "Excuse me for wanting to be polite."
Ryuji huffed. "Seriously, man, it took like a freakin' month to get you to drop it! Just… come on! You call Shinjiro-san Shinjiro-san for crying out loud, and you've known him for seven years!"
"That's different, and you know it. He's seven years older than me!" Ken retorted.
Ren raised an eyebrow, before smirking. "So? Futaba calls Sojiro with no honorifics and he's definitely old enough to be her biological dad."
Ken scowled at him but didn't give a retort.
"So… you want to be on first names basis?" Haru-san asked slowly.
"If you want," Futaba piped up all while smiling. "I mean, we're all friends here!"
"Friends…" she echoed softly, her eyes growing wide with wonder. "That is… a new experience, I must confess."
She looked down at her lap, letting out a little sigh.
"When I was little, things were different… Like I mentioned before, my grandfather was running his coffee shop. Father was kinder. Mother was alive then. I even remember a friend of my father’s visiting from time to time. She was always so kind to me. But then… as I got older, people were kind to me because they wished to please my father. Adults… people my age… it didn't matter. It felt that nobody was genuinely kind to me because they wanted to get to know me. They just wanted to be rewarded by my father…"
She then looked up, a sweet smile on her lips. Makoto couldn't help but smile as well.
"But you treated me so kindly when you didn't know my surname. I… I would love to be on first name basis with all of you."
"Welcome aboard, Haru!" Ryuji then blinked. "Uh, shit, should we stick to senpai still…? I mean, Makoto and Ken don't care but…"
Haru-san just laughed softly.
"Just Haru is fine, Ryuji-kun." Then she looked over to Ren. "But Personas… Shadows… I must confess it does sound vaguely familiar."
"Oh, that's 'cause it's Jungian psychology, one of the oldest psychologies!" Futaba interjected.
Haru-san looked to her in curiosity but then she cleared her throat.
"And what we saw… was my father's Shadow?" Haru-san asked slowly. "He looked so strange."
"Essentially he's the representation of all of your father's negative repressed emotions. Not all Shadow selves are representations of negative emotions, but most tend to be. I'm not all too experienced in it, but they tend to have golden eyes." Ken explained.
"But going against your father…" Makoto said slowly. "Are you prepared for that?"
Haru-san nodded firmly. "Yes. It's wrong for my father to continue the way he has been…"
"And it's not like it's the first father figure we've gone against…"
Haru-san looked over at Yusuke. "What do you mean, Yusuke-kun?"
Yusuke heaved out a sigh.
"Well... Madarame was my mentor. But he was more than that to me… he was the closest to a father that I've had." Then he looked at Haru-san. "So I know how you feel. Maybe not entirely, but…"
Haru-san just smiled, placing a hand over Yusuke's. Yusuke suddenly grew still, looking at Haru-san with wide eyes.
She said sincerely, "Thank you, Yusuke-kun. That's… why you were concerned earlier… wasn't it?"
Yusuke cleared his throat, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. "I didn't want to see someone suffer the same thing as me."
Madarame… Okumura… how could Yusuke and Haru-san be so selfless?
"But anywayssss…" Futaba suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts. "If Haru's gonna join the team, she's gonna need a codename!"
"Oh, right!" Anne nodded enthusiastically, before letting out a thoughtful hum. "Hmm… what should we go for?"
"Her mask is a domino mask…" Yusuke said slowly. "How about Domino?"
Haru-san's nose wrinkled. "I don't particularly like that. No offense, Yusuke-kun."
"Your costume is totally Three Musketeers," Anne piped up. "Maybe we should pick something from that?"
"Musketeer?" Ryuji suggested.
"That's a bit too obvious," Morgana grumbled.
"Yeah, it'd be like us calling you Thug," Futaba agreed.
"Hey, I don't see you coming up with any ideas!" he retorted.
Well, Makoto had to agree that it was a bit… on the nose. Though it wasn't a terrible suggestion… unlike Ryuji's idea for her.
Haru-san's eyes lit up. She let out a delighted gasp before clapping her hands together once.
"Oh, I know! I want to be called… Noir," she announced.
"Noir…" Ken echoed, his expression growing thoughtful. "That's French for black."
Haru-san nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I thought it would be fitting, since the Phantom Thieves operate on the dark side of justice. C'est magnifique, non?"
Her voice had taken on a flawless French accent at the last part. Though Makoto supposed it made sense—her father must want her to come off as learned and well… speaking French was definitely impressive.
Ken just raised an eyebrow at that.
"Oh, you'd definitely get along with Mitsuru-san," he said dryly. "Better be careful, though. Mitsuru-san might like you enough to want to adopt you."
Haru-san's eyes glowed with delight. "Adopted by Kirijo-san… Oh, that would be wonderful! Just imagine what I could learn from her!"
For some reason, Ken blanched at that before he mumbled out, "Right… that would be great…"
Ryuji squinted at him. "Isn't she like a big sister to you?"
"She is! It's just…" his voice then lowered to a murmur, "Mitsuru-san's kinda scary…"
"So? Haru's got a big axe!" Futaba scoffed.
"Futaba!" Makoto rolled her eyes.
"Oh, speaking of weapons… Haru…" Yusuke looked over to her. "We need to consider what gun to get for you."
"Oh, that's true…" A considering look settled in her eyes. "Oh! I've always thought it'd be fun to try out using a grenade launcher!"
"A… grenade launcher? Is she for real?" Ryuji gulped.
"Um… She's enthusiastic, at least?" Anne offered.
Enthusiastic was one word to describe this. Not exactly the word she'd use, though…
Haru-san just gave a weak giggle. "Too much?"
Ren said. "No, it'll be fine. I mean, come on, look at she wielded that axe. I'll stop by the airsoft shop tomorrow and pick something up."
Haru-san just clapped lightly. "Thank you, Ren-kun! I can reimburse you the money too…"
"No, no, it's fine." Ren shook his head. "We've got funding for this."
Anne mumbled. "Thank god we can demand money from Shadows. We'd be totally broke if we had to buy this on our own."
"Though isn't it kinda weird that they have money?" Futaba piped up. "I mean, they're Shadows! Just figments of the mind! Why would they have money?!"
"Just… 'cause?" Ryuji offered.
Futaba just stared at him, unimpressed. "That's a lame theory, Ryuji."
"Hm, for once, I must concur with Futaba," Yusuke intoned.
"HEY!"
As the banter died down, Ken decided to offer everyone some refreshments. As they were enjoying the snacks and drinks, Ken also decided to bring up the topic of his past as a Persona-user. Ren guessed it was because he didn't want to keep it under wraps, after agonizing about the truth with the rest of the group for so long. Haru looked almost awed as Ken finished explaining.
"So you were a Persona-user before all of this, Ken-kun?" Haru asked.
Ken rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… It's um, complicated, but Mitsuru-san sent me here to look into everything that was going on in Tokyo…"
"Kirijo-san is one too?! That's just amazing!" Haru gasped. "She must know so much!"
"Ken knows a lot already though," Anne said. "He's been really helpful when it comes to fighting Shadows!"
Ken rubbed the back of his neck, blushing faintly at Anne’s compliment. "It's nothing much, really…"
"Though you didn't really explain about how you know about Shadow selves…" Morgana grumbled out.
Ken blinked at that. "Oh… that."
Ren looked at Morgana in concern. He seemed… tense for some reason.
Morgana was acting weird ever since he got back from Hawaii, but he seemed to be okay when they went into the palace today.
Ken was talking again. "Well… that was due to another incident…"
"Oh, right, you mentioned that before," Ren said. "It's a 'long story', as you put it."
Ken huffed out a laugh, before rolling his eyes at Ren. "It really is, okay? But… it happened about four years ago, and in Inaba."
"Inaba?!" Futaba repeated, her eyes wide with shock. "Wasn't that where that creepy murder case happened? The guy who murdered those two women just because he was bored?"
"The Adachi case, the Hanged Man case, call it what you like." Ken waved his hand. "But that case… it wasn't an ordinary case."
"So you're saying, it was… related to Shadows?" Ryuji asked.
Ken nodded. "Honestly, I don't know the whole story, but the Shadow nest was called the Midnight Channel. You could enter it… through the TV."
"A TV?" Makoto frowned. "That seems a bit…"
Ken just raised an eyebrow. "We use a cellphone app to enter the Metaverse."
Makoto ducked her head, looking a little embarrassed.
Futaba snickered. "He's got you there, Makoto."
Normally Ren would join in but… he couldn't help but feel intrigued by this revelation.
"So… you would encounter Shadow selves there too?" Ren asked.
Ken nodded. "Pretty much. The Persona-users who solved the case had to face their Shadows in order to gain their Personas. And a few months after solving the case in December 2011, the Midnight Channel started back up and that incident… was how we had met them."
"So there's… more," Morgana said. "I should've known…"
"Huh?" Anne blinked. "What are you talking about, Morgana?"
There was that tone. Ren noticed sometimes late at night ever since Futaba joined, Morgana would seem almost melancholic but then he'd dodge the subject.
Morgana suddenly stood up shakily. "I thought… we were special. That we were the only ones who could handle this kind of thing. But that's not true at all. There's a secret society of Persona-users, and they could just waltz in if it wasn't for Shido…"
No… not since Futaba joined. Now that Ren thought about it, Morgana had been off since before Futaba. But he always brushed it off. Was it because of Ken or Makoto? It was around the time after they defeated Kaneshiro where Morgana would sometimes act off. But he always laughed it off after he got into a sour mood.
Morgana let out a mirthless laugh. And Ren couldn't help but feel worried.
"Shido… this is how this is all began… Nobody cared what I thought. You guys were all set on targeting Shido before all of this. I'm just extra. Surplus."
"Where is he getting all these ideas?" Ren thought to himself.
How could he think he was just surplus?
"Morgana, wait, what are you—" Ren began but Morgana shook his head.
"Makoto is the advisor. Ken has the experience." Morgana's voice grew higher and higher with his distress. "And Futaba—she could figure out the Metaverse better than I could ever dream of! I'm useless."
"Morgana, that's not true—!" Makoto spoke up.
"Yes, it is," Morgana interrupted. "I don't need your pity! I can find the truth about me, all by myself. I… I don't need you to keep feeling sorry for me."
"Morgana, what's gotten into you?! Just calm down and talk to us!" Ren pleaded but Morgana just stared at him with sad eyes.
"I never belonged here," Morgana whispered. "But it's time I'd stop pretending otherwise."
And right before their eyes, Morgana disappeared.
"MORGANA!"
Did Morgana just escape into the Metaverse? Morgana did mention before that he could travel into the Metaverse without the app. Besides that, they were in Shibuya right now after all. But what had Morgana been bottling up this entire time? He… didn't feel like he belonged here?
"Ren, you need to breathe." Ken's voice snapped Ren out of his panicking thoughts.
Ren took in a shaky breath before he pressed a hand against his face. Ken was right—he had to compose himself. He slowly dropped his hand before turning to his friends.
"Okay… where would Morgana go?" Makoto pressed a finger to her chin in deep thought.
"I think that Morgana went to Mementos," Ren said.
"Mementos?" Haru asked, tilting her head.
Ren grimaced. It wasn't right to just throw Haru into this…
"Um, it's where we fulfill requests," Futaba said nervously. "You know, on the Phan-Site. B-But you don't have to come with us. It's not fair, when you just joined us."
Haru shook her head before her eyes grew steely with determination. "No, I disagree. This is one of my teammates, after all. And…"
Her expression suddenly turned pensive before she shook her head.
"…Never mind. But I digress. Let's go, everyone."
The Shadow let out a pained shriek before finally disintegrating into ash. Morgana let out a groan. The Shadow was resistant to wind, which had made Morgana's job that much more difficult.
"That was too close…" he uttered.
He then called on Zorro to heal his injuries. How many floors did he have left until he would reach the bottom?
Maybe Futaba would be able to tell him—
Morgana quickly mentally smacked himself for that thought. What was he thinking?! He shouldn't rely on her…
Morgana let out a huff. He wished he could just transform into his bus-form, but he needed someone to drive him. But… whining about it wouldn't help. He just had to get to the bottom of Mementos. Complaining about it would accomplish nothing.
But he couldn't help but feel… lonely. During all of their bouts to Mementos, their exploration had been filled with chatter. They talked about the silliest things—last time they were in Mementos, Yusuke had been musing about eating a mushroom he had found in the park of all things. Ken had chewed him out for this, and he had gotten even more flustered when Yusuke didn't grasp why Ken was freaked out so much. But this silence just felt suffocating.
Morgana shook his head. What was he thinking? He couldn't never go back. He never belonged there to start with…
Ren didn't need him. None of them did. Why would they need him? They had Futaba to guide them and she was far better at it. Ken has more experience than he ever will. Makoto was a much better tactician. And to top it off, he's not even the only healer. Ken, Lady Anne, and Makoto could easily fill the void.
Whatever new powers Haru will start to develop as she grows will probably be better suited than anything he can do too.
No… he was just a burden. They were better off. He can accomplish his goal on his own.
But a sudden sound grabbed Morgana's attention. Morgana gasped, his heart sinking into his stomach as he registered it completely.
It was the sound of rattling chains.
"No, no, no…" Morgana uttered, his breath becoming short and ragged.
He had to find a way out! Morgana ran back where he came from.
It was easier to retrace his steps back to the stairs that led to the previous floor. But the sight lurking by the stairs made Morgana screech to a stop, dread collecting at the pit of his stomach.
It was here.
A dark aura seemed to radiate from it. Morgana had always seen it at a distance. Ren always heeded his warnings about the dangers of this particular Shadow.
Morgana shook his head. Even when his life was in danger, he was thinking about Ren? What was wrong with him?!
Morgana gritted his teeth. He had to try to run away!
Morgana quickly summoned Zorro. A burst of wind launched Morgana in the air but as he was airborne, the Shadow took fire. The bullet struck him right in the chest, slamming him hard against the wall. Morgana just coughed, his chest aching horribly from the blow.
Morgana quickly summoned Zorro to cast a healing spell but that's when the Shadow attacked once more. Morgana's vision began to spin.
He dragged himself to his feet. No… he wouldn't give up. Not until the bitter end. The Shadow suddenly unleashed a burst of lightning. Morgana braced himself; he might survive this if he guarded at least.
"CAPTAIN KIDD!"
Captain Kidd suddenly appeared with a flash, absorbing the blast. Ryuji grunted from the attack.
"He hits like a damn truck," Ryuji muttered. Then he looked to Morgana. "You okay, Mona?!"
Irritation flared inside of him. "Why did you come after me?! You don't care about me! Stop pretending you do!"
Ryuji jerked, looking like he was slapped in the face and his eyes went wide with bewilderment underneath his mask.
"The hell you talking about?" he sputtered out.
"Skull, Mona, stay on guard!" Futaba shouted from within Necronomicon. "We need to stay on our toes if we wanna survive this!"
Even as she spoke, Yusuke and Makoto's Personas appeared, attacking in unison.
"Oracle, focus on figuring out an escape route!" Ren ordered before summoning Isis.
"This is just… none of your business!" Morgana shouted.
He summoned Zorro, flinging a Garula spell at the Reaper. The Reaper then leveled his revolver at Morgana once more, firing it. Morgana scrambled out of the way, only for the Reaper to unleash a nuclear blast.
The blast sent Morgana flying and he was vaguely aware of Haru crying out in pain. Morgana struggled to stand up when he felt a healing spell envelope him.
"Noir's down! Cover for her!" Futaba said anxiously.
"Mona!" Ren reached down to help Morgana up, but Morgana slapped Ren's hands away.
He felt a stab of guilt as Ren looked at him, stung. But he refused to let this charade to going on.
"Just leave me be!" Morgana shouted. "You can be heroes, stop Okumura! Stop Shido! Why do you insist on coming after me? My problems don't concern you!"
"That's where you're wrong, Mona!" Anne cried.
The Shadow turned his attention on her, launching an ice spell at her. She dove for the floor, rolling for a moment. She panted, catching her breath.
"You're our friend! So we're making it our problem!" she shouted.
A breath caught in his throat. Did they… really care? About him?
The Reaper fired wildly at them, and they threw themselves at the ground to dodge.
"We really need a strategy to deal with this," Makoto said. "We can't keep reacting to his attacks. We'll burn out our energy before we even make a dent…"
Ryuji and Yusuke quickly summoned their Personas, both slamming hard into the Reaper. That momentarily distracted him, allowing Haru to follow up with a gun attack. Morgana summoned Zorro to heal all three of them.
"Ace?" Ren said cautiously. "Do you have any ideas?"
Ken just shook his head, his mouth forming a grim line. "We're nowhere close to being able to defeat the Reaper. It is possible to defeat him, but we can't take him down with our current strength."
Well… brute strength isn't the only way.
Morgana said, "Then we have to play keepaway. Until Oracle can find us an opening."
Ren nodded before he raised his voice as he ordered, "Break into small groups!"
As he spoke, he summoned a new Persona, one he called Lachesis. Wind swirled around the Persona but the Reaper all but shrugged it off. It pointed its gun at Ren, but Kala-Nemi flung a light spell at the Reaper a moment before it went off. The bright light threw off the Reaper's aim and the attack hit the wall behind Ren.
For some reason, Ren paused, staring at the wall. He then shook his head before pulling out his gun and firing it at the Reaper. The Reaper quickly shrugged off the blow, but it was a good distraction—allowing Yusuke to attack with Goemon.
Goemon sped towards the Reaper, slashing several times right at the Reaper's chest. Haru followed up right after with a gun attack; she seemed to be a quick study.
Black oozed from the injury, but the Reaper quickly shook it off.
Anne and Makoto jumped in, firing off their respective elemental spells.
Bright blue sparks surrounded the Reaper before a burst of electricity struck at all of them. The blast of electricity sent Morgana flying backwards and everything went black. The last thing he heard was Futaba shrieking his codename.
But then something warm suddenly enveloped him.
"…Mona!"
Morgana gasped, his eyes snapping open. Ken was bent over him, Kala-Nemi hovering above them. A blue aura surrounded the Persona as Ken healed Morgana with a Diarama spell to take care of the rest of the injuries. Morgana couldn't help but feel embarrassed that Ken had to revive him.
"…Thanks," Morgana mumbled out before averting his eyes.
He forced himself to look back to the Reaper. Ren was leading in an all-out assault against the Reaper. Ren seemed to be trying to drive the Reaper into one part of the wall.
"What is Joker doing?" Morgana couldn't help but feel flabbergasted.
"His usual thing, I suppose," Ken muttered under his breath.
As Morgana stared at the wall further, he noticed the cracks running through it. Was Ren planning on just knocking the Reaper into the wall?
"Goemon!"
"Captain Kidd!"
Morgana snapped back to reality to see Yusuke and Ryuji team up to launch another dual physical attack. Haru then followed up with a psy spell.
Ren was like a blur, alternating between Personas and occasionally firing out a bullet. Morgana jumped to his feet, summoning Zorro. Zorro slashed with his rapier, whipping up a gale. Anne quickly summoned Hecate. Hecate's flames surged forward, melding with Zorro's wind spell, and creating a flaming tempest that struck the Reaper right in the chest.
But the Reaper shook off the blow before firing wildly at them once more. Morgana crossed his arms over his chest, hoping to brace the blow but it still stung fiercely. He could feel Ken's Mediarama spell settle over them, healing their injuries.
Morgana gritted his teeth. Was there no end to this?
The Reaper fired once more, aiming right at Ren.
"Arahabaki!" Ren shouted.
A stone figure suddenly slammed down, right in front of Ren. The gun attack was reflected right back at the Reaper; it was strong enough to push the Reaper back into the wall.
"Now—hit him with everything you've got!" Ren shouted before summoning Thoth.
Thoth unleashed an Almighty spell.
"Zorro!" Morgana yelled out; his Persona whipped up a burst of wind.
Ice suddenly crystallized, thanks to Goemon. The ice was swept up in the Garula spell, forming a small gale of ice and wind. Goemon then followed up with a physical attack.
Ryuji fired two times with his gun before bellowing out, "Captain Kidd!"
Captain Kidd crashed down against the Reaper, falling back to let Anne and Makoto attack. Johanna's engine roared as Makoto let loose a powerful Freila spell. Hecate's flames surged forward, making the Reaper flinch from the powerful fire attack.
"Milady!"
"Kala-Nemi!"
There was a loud crack as the Reaper was thrown backwards into the wall.
"RUN GUYS!" Futaba shrieked.
"C'mon, Mona, we need you!" Ryuji said.
Morgana nodded before leaping in the air and transforming into his bus form. The moment he slammed to the ground, he felt Ren yanking open the door. He could feel everyone else climbing inside.
"Floor it, Joker!" Anne cried out.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Ren said before slamming down on the gas pedal.
There was a loud banging sound. The Reaper had recovered and was preparing another attack. Another shot created a crack on the floor.
"There!" Yusuke said. "There's the next floor!"
Everyone practically spilled out and Morgana joined them in rushing to the next floor.
"That just about shaved five years off my life," Ryuji groaned out.
Anne let out a strained laugh. "No kidding…"
Once they found the stairs, Ren had used a Goho-M to whisk them back to the entrance. They then returned to the real world, Ken's apartment specifically.
Morgana couldn't help but feel uncomfortable though.
Ren cleared his throat. "Um… so enough beating around the bush."
Morgana sighed, dread pooling inside his stomach.
"Morgana… please. Just tell us what's going on," Ren said quietly. "We can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong."
Morgana stared down at the ground, swallowing hard. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't form them.
"It's okay, Mona-chan," Haru said gently. She reached over and petted him for a moment; Morgana couldn't help but lean into her touch. "We won't judge you. Take your time. I won't pretend I know your problems but just know that I will listen. And that goes double for everyone else here."
At her words, everyone nodded.
"I just… I don't have a place here anymore. I meant what I said… why do you need me? And… Ryuji was saying that I was being useless now that Futaba was here… and Futaba, I didn't want to admit it, but what you said, if you are right… that thought scares me!”
It was like a dam breaking. Once he was talking, the words were spilling out.
“What if I'm wrong and you're right! What if I'm not human! What if I'm some kind of monster or worse! Just what am I?! Why can't I remember!? What if I never do?! I can't ask you to risk yourself for something so… I'm just a burden! A useless burden who isn't good at navigation or tactics and I don't have all the answers!"
At Morgana's outburst, tears started to spill out and he turned away in shame trying to rub them off his face.
Several people turned to stare at Ryuji and Futaba; they glared more at Ryuji but both of them flinched under the stares.
"I-I didn't mean like that!" Ryuji said defensively. "I just—I was messin' around! You know, like how you'd make fun of me if my attack missed a Shadow… I wouldn't have shot off my mouth like that if I had known it was really hurting your feelings."
He let out a sigh, rubbing at his face. He then lowered his hand. A small frown tugged at his lips.
"But… I'm sorry, Morgana. I wasn't thinking like usual… I didn't mean anything serious by it, but it was still shitty of me to do…"
"I…" Morgana sighed. "It's true though… what do I bring to the table?"
"Is that what you think?" Ken abruptly asked. "That we would only want you around if you have a special skill no one else has and 'pulled your weight'?"
Morgana cringed. "It sounds stupid when you put it like that…"
But that's when Ken shook his head.
"It's not stupid. I understand, Morgana," Ken said quietly. "I was in your shoes once, you know."
"Ken…?" Futaba asked.
"You mentioned me being 'knowledgeable'. But I once was the youngest member of the team. It was a struggle to keep up with everyone. I got tired more easily than everyone else. It felt that I had to work twice as hard to be up to par. But your place on this team isn't because of your knowledge of the Metaverse, Personas, or Shadows."
"It's because you're our friend, Morgana," Ren finished for Ken.
Morgana lowered his head, shame flooding him. "I…"
He just… was at a loss of words. How could he have questioned his place with them?
"And… I'm sorry as well, Morgana," Ken said.
Morgana looked up to see that his eyes were filled with regret.
"I realize now that I hurt you by trying to override your input and insisting on targeting Shido… It was wrong of me and I'm really sorry for making you feel invalidated," Ken said sincerely.
Morgana felt himself speechless.
Futaba fidgeted for a moment. “Um… I’m sorry too, Morgana. When I heard that Shido might’ve been responsible for Mom’s death, I became a little… short-sighted, I guess, and pushed too hard. I didn’t think about your feelings at all. I shot my mouth around you too and I didn’t realize that would’ve hurt you so much.”
She ducked her head.
“My mom used to say that my mouth was like a sieve. No filter at all. But still, it’s not an excuse and I wanna do better.”
"Morgana… I kinda know what you're going through, as well," Makoto spoke up.
Morgana looked up at her in surprise. "You do?"
Makoto winced before absently rubbing at her arm. "Yes, the incident with Kaneshiro… it's embarrassing to look back on it, but… it wasn't my proudest moment—how I reacted to everything. I was being pushed from many sides into so many directions. I felt lost and the pressure kept building."
She suddenly bit her lip, her eyes growing glossy. She then took a shuddering breath.
"One night, I tried to confide to… someone… I care about… about some things. They didn't take my thoughts on a particular subject very well and lashed out at me," she said softly. "They did immediately regret it but regardless, their harsh words stung, and unfortunately we can't take back the things we said."
Everyone went still, Makoto took a deep breath and continued.
"That was why I was so reckless that day. Useless… that was one word that I never wanted to be. I just wanted to be useful to someone. I just wanted to belong. I caused you guys so much trouble, but thankfully it all worked out. And now… I know where I belong. Those hurtful words by that person still hurt, but I have a place with you all, and that's all that matters. I'm sorry we all made you feel this way, but you belong with us too. That's all that matters, right?" Makoto said gently.
Morgana blinked. He didn't know how to respond to it, so he awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Is it really okay if I stay?" Morgana asked cautiously. "You all have such noble goals and want to stop so much evil and help others? What am I compared to that…?"
Ryuji then rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a slow breath.
"I really am sorry, Morgana. I didn't mean to hurt ya. It was stupid of me to say crap like that. It wasn't cool of me, even if I didn't know how much it was bugging you…" Ryuji then clenched his hands into fists. "You don't need a 'reason' to stay. We're friends, aren't we? That's more than enough!"
Morgana couldn't help but stare. He hadn't expected Ryuji to say that of all things.
Futaba wrung her hands for a moment. "I'm sorry about saying that you might be wrong about being human. It was dumb of me to say it… And… I really appreciate you staying the night—the night that I technically met you all in person… you staying with me that night… it was nice."
Morgana blinked, turning away. He hadn't expected Futaba to pick up on that…
"A-And don't forget!" Ryuji suddenly interjected. "You've done so much for us! You chased after me and Ren about Kamoshida's Treasure, remember? You're anything but useless!"
Ren nodded. "Yeah… we would've been seriously sunk without you, Morgana. Ryuji and I would've been expelled and… who knows what would've happened to Anne."
"Not to mention how S—" Yusuke pursed his lips for a moment, clearing his throat. "Don't forget Madarame's manipulation of me."
Makoto said, "And all of those kids that Kaneshiro exhorted! And…"
She trailed off at the last part, but Futaba finished it for him.
"I would've been trapped by my guilt and my belief that I was responsible for my mom's death. I would probably be dead if you hadn't stolen my Treasure," Futaba said bluntly, the last part making Haru gasp.
Morgana stared down at the floor. He just… felt too emotional, he couldn't look at his friends right now. It literally clogged up his throat.
"I just… I just…"
Tears began to well up in his eyes and sobs began to wrack his body. He couldn't help but feel relieved. They wanted him around. They came after him and didn't give up even after he lashed out at them.
He felt someone pick him up, a faint floral scent wafting towards his nose. He looked up to see Haru smiling gently at him.
"It's okay, Mona-chan," she said gently. "Everyone wants a place to belong, don't they? And it's understandable that you were scared…"
Morgana gulped for air. "I'm sorry for all of this."
"Don't be," Makoto said, shaking her head. "We've all had our moments, after all."
Ren said, "And we'll work on Mementos in between our pursuit of Okumura and Shido."
Morgana hesitantly looked at him. "But our targets…"
Ren interjected. "They're important but so is finding out the truth about you!"
Makoto said. "We're sorry, Morgana. We never meant to belittle you or your feelings."
"We will not forget this again," Yusuke promised.
"And if you ever have doubts, don't you dare change the subject, talk to me about this stuff Morgana." Ren ordered with a smile. "You're my best friend Morgana, we don't keep things from each other. You listen to me all the time, let me do the same."
"I thought Ryuji was your best friend?" Yusuke asked.
"I'm allowed to have more than one!" Ren smirked.
Morgana's breath caught in his throat and he forced himself to look down.
"S-Sorry… I'm usually not a mess like this," he mumbled out.
"No, you're just a huge nag about me going to bed at a ridiculously early time," Ren spoke up, his usual teasing smile on his face.
Morgana puffed at that. "Hey! You stay up too late if I let you! Or you'd eat unhealthy food if Sojiro didn't feed you—"
"Did Shinjiro-san suddenly possess you?" Ken muttered out.
"S-Shut up!" Morgana cried out, even as the others started laughing at Ken's quip. "Am I a bad person for caring about Ren's health?!"
"Maybe change your approach?" Anne suggested.
"That's not what I meant!" Morgana exclaimed.
"Okay, okay, enough," Makoto said in between her chuckles. "I think that's enough picking on Morgana today."
"But tomorrow's a new day," Futaba said with a sly smile.
Suddenly Ren grew serious. "Futaba is right… tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow, we'll be officially targeting Okumura for all the crap he's done for the sake of his ambition."
Morgana tilted his head, studying Haru's expression. She was nodding in agreement.
She was so strong. And surprisingly perceptive as well. Morgana just hoped that she wouldn't find it too difficult to deal with the entire ugly truth of her father's heart…
It wasn't long until everyone started to disperse, heading for their homes for the night. Ken was relieved if he was being honest. It had been such a long day. He would do it again, if necessary, but fighting the Reaper was never fun.
It was then that Ken noticed that Ren, Morgana, and Futaba were still lingering, when everyone else had departed already.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Well… it's something I wanted to ask you," Ren then pressed his lips together, looking away for a moment before speaking. "So… the Inaba Persona-users. Is it safe to guess that they had a Wild Card too?"
Ken blinked. Out of all of the things he had expected to come out of Ren's mouth, he hadn't expected that.
"Yes. His name is Yu Narukami," he answered.
"Yu Narukami…" Morgana mumbled out. "Why have I heard that somewhere?"
Ken sighed. "He's been getting some attention from the media. He's um… Rise Kujikawa's boyfriend."
He wouldn't spill how long they've been together, though. He trusted them, but idols dating was a taboo. Besides that, they were framing it to the press so that they recently got together…
"Oh… I think I saw that on TV. Like, one morning during breakfast," Ren mused, only to blink a few times. "Wait, does that mean she's a Persona-user too?"
"Yes, Rise-san was their scanner," Ken explained.
Though he couldn't help but wonder what Ren was getting at…
"Hang on... Rise-san? You're on first name terms with a pop star?" Futaba asked incredulously.
Ken just smiled sheepishly in response. Wonder how she'd react, knowing that Fuuka-san in particular was close to her.
"Why are you asking, anyways?" Morgana asked.
Ren shrugged. "I mean… I thought my power was unique. And then you just announce that you knew two Wild Cards. And there's this Narukami guy. I'm just… curious, I guess."
Ken pursed his lips. "…Do you want to talk to Yu-san then? Or Minako-san."
Ren shrugged. "It'd be cool if you could swing it. No pressure if you can't."
Ken nodded. "I'll see what I can do."
Just… another day. Right now, he was more interested in crashing for the night after everything that happened today.
And… he'd need it. Okumura's Palace seemed to be the toughest one they've encountered yet…
Notes:
Haru's awakened and joined the team! Had fun with her awakening in this chapter. Even though she never becomes Beauty Thief in this, I had to make a little reference to it.
Edit as of 5/25/22: After conferring with my editor, angelrin89, I've decided to change things in how Morgana's arc is resolved. It'll tie into the Mementos arc nicely. Thank you again to my amazing beta for her work!
And the IT characters won't be so prevalent in this story, but I have plans to work in some P4 appearances.
I also wanted to thank you guys for giving this story over 300 kudos! It still blows my mind to see the love and support this story receives.
Chapter 25: Ch. 24: Lasting Impressions
Summary:
Sae attempts to speak with Shinjiro about Apathy Syndrome, as she continues her investigation. Not too long after, Haru spends some time with Makoto and Ken, and discovers that she has more in common with Makoto than she realizes.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Saturday, September 17th, 2016
"Wait so they are actually going after Okumura, then? It kinda feels pointless to me.”
Shinjiro rolled his eyes at Aki’s remark.
“Aki, they ain’t cops. They don’t go busting in with a warrant or something,” he said dryly, keeping his voice low. “They have reasons to target him beyond just he’s a corrupt CEO and a shitty dad.”
He was on break from his job at Crossroads so he had stepped outside to talk in an alleyway. But since it was late, Shinjiro was trying not to draw attention as he leaned against the brick wall.
“Information received from hacking a prosecutor’s computer which is nothing more than her speculation with nothing she can connect isn’t exactly what I’d call top quality intel. What happened to targeting Shido?” Aki asked.
“I get this stuff isn’t our style, but they saw Okumura’s Shadow and the stuff he said. And it’s not like we’re strangers to hacking in our circles,” Shinjiro added. “I agree Shido is bigger fish to fry, but if it wasn’t for the stuff Sakura pulled up from Niijima sister’s files… it looks like Okumura could be associated with Shido. I should reiterate, if Mitsuru is right about Shido being connected to all these scandals, which I agree with her, but I gotta put that out there. Remember… we don’t have any hard intel on him either, it’s all circumstantial.”
“Touche…” Aki sighed.
Shinjiro rubbed the back of his neck. “Besides… like I said, they saw Okumura’s shadow, saw what his darkest side he buries is like. And it wasn’t pretty for little Miss Heiress, seeing the messed up distorted thoughts of her father… what he’s selling her out to. Hell, even outside of the Metaverse… you weren’t there to hear the bullshit Sugimura was spouting.”
Mitsuru had been engaged once too. But she had the power to break the engagement once she found the courage, thanks to Minato and Minako’s support. Okumura… didn’t have that. She was under her shitty dad’s thumb.
Aki was silent for several moments, to the point where Shinjiro thought that the connection had cut off before he spoke again. “Define how bad.”
Shinjiro just snorted. “Let’s just say if Mitsuru was there, she would’ve executed him right there on the spot.”
Though he wouldn’t lie. He would pay good money to see that. Only Minako and Aigis had been there when Mitsuru kicked Sugimura to the curb and told him to scram. He wouldn’t be surprised that Sugimura had put Mitsuru’s name on the site out of spite.
“She nearly did when Sugimura tried to ‘court’ her a few years back.”
“But anyways… Shido’s been building his powerbase, and Okumura’s old man most likely connected to it. Plus, there is the rumors about the company and how they treat their employees and a lot of rivals of Big Bang Burger having scandals after another which is convenient for them. Add to the fact Ken heard Sugimura say to his soon to be daddy-in-law that he’s aiming to go into politics,” Shinjiro pinched the bridge of his nose while he continued to explain. “They’re hoping to poke him for some info, so they know where to go to target Shido. But also, to see if this unravels more about that masked Persona user.”
Aki just let out a thoughtful hum. “Makes sense. Mitsuru’s probably going to get antsy about all of this though…”
Shinjiro rolled his eyes, even though Aki couldn’t see it. “Yeah, well, tell her that they can’t really help it. Probably would help if you told her about the Okumura girl being engaged to Sugimura.”
“Please tell me you didn’t beat him up.”
Shinjiro just scoffed. “Look, I know there’s a difference between fighting you and a spoiled brat. Just scared him a little, besides I don’t feel like going to jail over that prick. Some things would be worth that but that trash isn’t one of them.”
“Yeah, that’s really assuring.” Aki snorted out a laugh. “Your definition of scaring someone a little is a bit skewed, Shinji.”
Shinjiro grumbled under his breath. Not his fault that people were pussies. But he quickly checked the time on his phone.
Fuck, he only had one minute left. Lala was a pretty lenient boss but he didn’t want to push it to the letter.
“Whatever, Aki,” he huffed. “But I gotta go—break’s almost over.”
He hung up after Aki said his own goodbye, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
As Shinjiro walked through the doors, he couldn’t help but frown as Amamiya sat with Ohya. Ohya was gabbing as usual, while she eagerly jotted down her notes. Amamiya caught Shinjiro’s eye and smiled sheepishly.
Shinjiro huffed to himself. He had cornered Ohya about Amamiya but she waved him off; she claimed he was just helping her with meeting her quota for her job. Shinjiro still didn’t like it, though. Amamiya played a dangerous game. She could sniff out what he really is, and that would endanger the group.
But he knew Ohya wouldn’t sell them out, at least. Now that he knew her better, he knew she wouldn’t. But he couldn’t trust the publication she worked for at all. That boss of hers especially.
Not soon after Shinjiro returned back to work, Amamiya had gotten up with Ohya. They both walked to the door, and Amamiya walked out. Shinjiro wished he could follow Amamiya out, just to make sure that he got on the train safely. Then Ohya plopped onto one of the bar stools, demanding yet another drink, grabbing Shinjiro’s attention.
Several minutes passed, and the customers slowly began to trickle out of the bar. But that was then the door opened, revealing Niijima’s older sister. She stepped inside and pointedly seated herself right in front of where Shinjiro was standing.
“Hello, Aragaki,” she greeted, her voice cool.
“Niijima,” Shinjiro returned, his voice curt. “What can I get for you? This doesn’t look like a place you’d go to.”
Niijima leaned forward, her voice dropping to barely a whisper. “Some information would be nice.”
Shinjiro couldn’t help but narrow his eyes, before forcing himself to look as neutral as possible.
So that was her game, was it? Ken had talked a little about how Niijima’s older sister was determined to get some more info on the mental shutdowns. She had apparently put him down as a potential lead. How Niijima got that idea in her head… he had no clue.
“Sorry, but we’re fresh out of that. Can I start you off with White Wine Spritz? You don’t look like the type to enjoy beer,” Shinjiro said blandly. “It’s a classy drink and not too hard on the stomach.”
Niijima’s expression turned baffled, her brow furrowing together. Shinjiro had to stamp the urge to snicker.
“Though judging from your line of work, I’d recommend something a little bit sweet and tart, but still not too hard on ya. Paloma is a decent cocktail… you look like the type. It would take some edge off but it’s still light enough that it wouldn’t get in the way of late work nights…” he suggested with a straight face.
Niijima blinked at him several times, before irritation flashed in her eyes.
“What are you doing?” she ground out, leaning in close to him.
Shinjiro stifled the urge to smirk. Had to be professional while on the job, after all.
He just raised a single brow. “My job, what else?”
“Stop playing games,” she retorted.
“What games?” Shinjiro asked while cleaning a glass; he had to fight back another smirk as Niijima’s eye started to twitch. “I work as a bartender. This is my job. But are you sure you don’t want to order something? You look like you need to unwind a little.”
She snarled out, “I don’t need to unwind!”
Her outburst drew just about everyone’s attention. Well, everyone who wasn’t totally wasted.
Lala raised an eyebrow and gave him a disapproving look, but Shinjiro quickly shook his head. Lala hesitated for a moment, but a customer waved her over. He’d probably have to explain later…
After shooting him a look that screamed “Watch yourself”, she went to go help the other customer.
Niijima coughed, fidgeting until everyone settled down. But she stared at Shinjiro intently. Her hands clenched into fists until her knuckles turned white.
“Amada-kun may be too young to remember about Apathy Syndrome, but you were eighteen at the height of the activity,” she said lowly. “You have to know something.”
Shinjiro just scowled at her before snapping out, “How ‘bout you leave Ken out of this? What the hell are you doing, asking him about this crap?”
He knew that Niijima had met Ken before. Otherwise she wouldn’t have recognized him at the train station. But what exactly had she tried to pry out of Ken? He made a note to ask Ken about this tomorrow. Ken had never said anything, probably not wanting to worry Shinjiro.
It was likely that Ken just sidestepped Niijima’s questions, mindful of what to share while keeping the rest tight to his chest. But it still pissed off Shinjiro that Niijima was bothering him about this.
“So, you do know something.” She smiled victoriously.
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t…” Shinjiro said, shrugging. “You’re not gonna play that shitty game you played with Sakura with me.”
It still disgusted him to know that Niijima had threatened to take away Sakura from her adopted father. She had no right to stick her nose into that, job be damned.
“How do you…?” Niijima scowled, shaking her head.
She then folded her arms over her chest, staring hard at Shinjiro but he didn’t bat an eye.
“I was just doing what I had to do. As I am now. Just tell me what you know about Apathy Syndrome. From what little I’ve managed to dig up… it could be a key to the mental shutdowns,” she said, her voice growing urgent.
“I ain’t telling you shit, Niijima, and you can’t fucking make me,” Shinjiro bit out, narrowing his eyes at her.
There was something in Niijima’s eyes that… unnerved him. There was an intensity to them, that he didn’t like at all.
“And ‘sides, a testimony from just a guy off the streets?” He stared at her coolly. “That probably won’t fly in court.”
Niijima scowled. “But—”
“If you’re not gonna order a drink…” Shinjiro nodded in the direction of the exit. “There’s the door.”
Niijima exhaled deeply, but her expression was almost venomous. Yeah, like he hasn’t dealt with that before. Niijima may have intimidated someone else, but not him.
“This isn’t over, Aragaki,” she hissed out.
Yeah… it was far from over. Shinjiro couldn’t help but scowl a little, watching her leave. And he thought that Mitsuru was a bratty princess when they had first met, but someone stole that crown in his opinion.
He was glad that Ken had warned him about this, after Sakura had deciphered the info that they had taken from Niijima’s laptop. He wasn’t a huge fan of the method, but the warning had prepared him a little.
Though maybe he shouldn’t antagonize Niijima so much, with how Ken was behaving around her little sister…
“Someone you know, Aragaki?” Lala finally asked.
Well damn this was a little awkward. But Shinjiro had to hold back a smirk as an idea popped in his head.
Shinjiro straightened before looking towards his boss.
“Just some conspiracy theorist who needs to blow off some steam, I tried recommending a couple of cocktails. But you know how it is when they insist they are definitely not obsessed about UFOs and they are completely rational,” Shinjiro fibbed smoothly while cleaning off another glass. “Though I recommend Ohya staying away from that one if she ever comes back. She’s got enough on her plate, and that lady would just give her a headache.”
Monday, September 19th, 2016
“I’m glad that they let the third-years off the hook for booths,” Ken grumbled, as he thumbed through a file. “Things are crazy enough already… I really don’t envy the juniors.”
“Well, it’s not like we’re not busy ourselves,” Makoto sighed, leafing through her own file.
There was so much preparing to do for the school festival, even though it was over a month away. Makoto raised her arms high, stretching out and letting them fall to her sides, before rolling her shoulders. She let out a sigh, some of the stiffness went away thankfully.
“We’ll have to run a vote about our guest speaker soon…” Makoto mused.
“Guess it’s a good thing that Ren’s not jumping into things right away,” Ken muttered, before dragging his free hand through his hair.
His bangs fell into his eyes, due to his mussing up his hair, and Makoto had to fight back the urge to brush it out of his eyes.
Makoto shook her head. She had to get her head on straight. She was acting nothing better than the girls who liked Ken just because they thought he was cute. She kinda wished that Haru-san hadn’t pushed her to realize it. Then she wouldn’t be pining over a friend who only saw her just that… a friend.
Makoto quickly turned her attention to the file in her hands, so to distract herself from her thoughts. The first-years had turned in what attractions they wanted to do for the school festival. Most of them were fairly common options but some of them were a bit… silly.
“A group date café?” Makoto rubbed her eyes. “That’s an odd one, honestly.”
“I’ve heard of that before,” Ken said, before he shrugged. “Not something I’d particularly want to partake in but… it’s not exactly new.”
“O-Oh, I see…”
She had that double date with Eiko, but she… couldn’t help but feel incredibly awkward during all of that. But she supposed it hadn’t really helped that she had asked Ren to help her when Ren had feelings for Anne…
“Though the guest speaker…” Ken frowned. “Just what are we supposed to get?”
“Oh, most people want an idol or some other celebrity,” Makoto explained, feeling relieved that Ken had changed the subject. “Last year, Risette had won the poll, but we didn’t get to book her. She was too busy so her agent declined our request.”
Though she suspected the demand for Risette was due to how she had seemed to transform once she had turned twenty. She was always a pretty girl, but she had blossomed into a gorgeous woman once she hit twenty. There was just… a certain magnetism to her.
“That’s no surprise,” Ken mused. “Though that makes the whole guest speaker thing rather pointless to me, considering I already know her.”
“I don’t suppose I could ask you to put in a request for us should she or Yukari-san got requested?” Makoto teased.
Ken rolled his eyes. “Not a chance. Also, why a celebrity anyway? Feels like a hassle just to book, not to mention wouldn’t they expect to be paid considering it would be a gig?”
Makoto sighed. “From my understanding it’s never been too ludicrous for fees in the past for the school. And well.. it’s kind of a tradition.”
Though she also remembered the other tradition Shujin had. She would avoid that at all costs, even though it was highly unlikely that she would be chosen for the Shujin Sharing Special. She’d probably die of embarrassment, right there on the spot if the MC had asked her something if she fancied anyone.
“Guess you can’t do anything about that, then.” Ken shrugged. “We’re about done today, right?”
Makoto nodded. “Just about. I need to drop off some paperwork at the office, though…”
They straightened up the student council room before Ken accompanied her to the administration office to drop off the paperwork. It was still… chaos. The vice principal was acting as principal, and it seemed they wouldn’t hire a new one until the next school year.
Though that wasn’t a surprise. It was really only a week ago since Principal Kobayakawa had died. Even though it had felt a lot longer…
“I could really use a pick-me-up,” Ken muttered, before he stifled a yawn. “I need to catch up on some studying… Been kinda neglecting that.”
“Why don’t we stop by the diner on Central Street?” Makoto suggested. “For some coffee. Or we could stop by LeBlanc—”
A sudden movement by the stairs caught her eye and she glanced over to see Haru-san was descending the stairs.
“Oh, Makoto-chan, Ken-kun!” Haru-san greeted, hastening over to their side. She then tilted her head slightly. “Student council work?”
Makoto nodded with a smile. “Yes, that’s right. I assume that you’re tending to the garden, Haru-san?”
Haru-san just nodded enthusiastically, her curls bouncing a bit, before her eyes began to sparkle. “The vegetables are looking wonderful! I should be able to harvest some soon.”
“That’s great, Haru-san,” Ken said with a slight smile.
But then she tilted her head. “Are you heading back right now? If not… I was wondering if you would like to get some coffee. Um...”
She then smiled shyly, clasping her hands behind her back. She slightly bowed; her curls bounced slightly against her shoulders as she did so.
“I’d like to get you know better… O-Of course, I want to get to know everyone but we’re in the same year so…”
She trailed off, biting her lip. Makoto just gave her a reassuring smile. She could relate to Haru-san, though when she had joined, everyone had been her junior.
But it did feel a bit awkward, she wasn’t used to being very social. At least not with people her age. It helped being around Ken, but she still felt a little awkward with him at first too. It wasn’t easy making new friends when you weren’t used to fitting in anyway. She wondered… if Haru-san felt the same.
Makoto couldn’t help but frown at that thought.
“We were just talking about that. Getting coffee, I mean,” Ken noted, before turning back to Makoto. “What do you say? I’m fine with that if you are.”
Makoto smiled again. “I’d love to, we were thinking of doing some studying as well, if you want to join us for that.”
“Oh, wonderful!” Haru-san’s smile turned bright. “Do you have any recommendations then?”
“You know how Ren’s guardian runs a café?” Makoto asked. “Ren actually… lives in the attic.”
Haru-san’s eyes widened as she gaped at Makoto.
“H-He is?!” She then looked down. “I knew about his probation but… I thought he would be living in his probation officer’s house…”
“There’s a reason why Ren has joked about living with me and Shinjiro-san before,” Ken said dryly.
“To be fair, Shinjiro-san is a phenomenal chef,” Makoto said lightly. “I’m sure Ren has more than one reason.”
Ken just snorted. “You think I don’t know that? But I’m guessing we’re going with LeBlanc?”
“What do you think, Haru-san?” Makoto prompted.
Haru-san just nodded enthusiastically. “I’d love to try it! Let’s go!”
Since it was later in the afternoon, the train leaving Aoyama-Itchome was a little less crowded than usual. Makoto was glad that Yongen-jaya wasn’t too far away.
“Oh…” Haru-san spun around slowly, taking in the small neighborhood. “How quaint.”
“Where do you live, then?” Ken raised an eyebrow.
“Ah… the Hiroo district,” Haru-san answered.
Makoto just nudged Ken in the side. “I don’t think you can complain about that, Ken. You live in a penthouse, of all things.”
Ken just rolled his eyes at her, before letting out a huff. “You know perfectly well that place is on loan from Mitsuru-san. We have a perfectly normal apartment back on Port Island, thank you.”
“There’s no need to argue,” Haru-san was quick to interject, holding up placating hands.
Makoto just blinked. She hadn’t really thought of it as arguing. Bickering, perhaps, but it didn’t mean they were fighting. Ken certainly did this with Shinjiro-san… constantly.
“Oh… we didn’t mean it like that,” Makoto said with an awkward smiling, waving her right hand. “Just a little banter between friends.”
Haru-san blinked. “Oh… I see. I apologize. I just didn’t want you to fight…”
Ken just gave her an encouraging smile. “It’s okay. I’m sorry that we worried you.”
“A-Ah, it’s okay!” Haru-san waved her hands. “Um, shall we head off then?”
They both nodded before heading for the train station. When they arrived at Yongen-jaya, they led Haru-san to LeBlanc, and the bell chimed cheerfully when Ken pushed open the door, allowing both her and Haru-san to step in first.
Makoto inhaled the scent of coffee. There was really something comforting about LeBlanc.
Sojiro just looked up when they entered. He was wiping a mug clean.
“Oh, hey, it’s been a while,” he greeted.
“Hello, Boss,” Makoto greeted.
Ken waved. “Hello, Sakura-san.”
Sojiro just chuckled, his eyes now on Haru-san.
“It seems that you’re constantly adding to your group of friends.” He then smiled at her. “Hello. I’m Sojiro Sakura, but you can call me Boss.”
Haru-san quickly bowed. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Boss-san. I’m Haru Okumura.”
Sojiro raised an eyebrow but then smiled. “Just Boss is fine.”
Haru-san gave a small smile and nodded. Makoto couldn’t help but sigh, a small smile on her face as well. She was glad Sojiro didn’t really give a reaction to Haru-san’s name. She probably preferred it.
Sojiro motioned for one of the booths by the door. “Why don’t you take a seat? What can I get you? Coffee? Curry? Or both?”
“Just a simple latte for me, nothing too fancy, Sakura-san. And I’m afraid I’ll have to skip the curry this time,” Ken requested. “It’s getting close to dinner, after all.”
“Taking all the fun out of it kid, but alright.” Sojiro chuckled.
Makoto couldn’t help but smile wryly. Ken was probably thinking about Shinjiro-san’s reaction if he came home and skipped dinner, due to eating curry right now.
“Would you like to share a curry?” Haru-san inquired, turning to Makoto. “I’d love to try it, but I’m afraid that’s simply too much for me to eat on my own…”
Well… it’s not like Sae will be home to eat dinner with. Makoto had to fight back a sigh at the thought before she forced herself to smile.
“I’d love to,” she answered. “Sojiro’s curry is really delicious, you’ll love it Haru-san.”
“Wonderful!” She beamed at Makoto for a moment, before turning back to Sojiro. “I’d love some coffee too, though. The house blend, please?”
“I’ll just have that mocha java you made me that last time, Boss,” Makoto added, before sitting down at the booth.
Haru-san sat next to her while Ken sat opposite of them.
“Decaf again, I assume Makoto?” Sojiro asked while he started making Ken’s drink.
“Yes please, I don’t want to end up staying up too late by mistake if I can help it,” Makoto laughed. “And as for the curry, surprise us today. Haru-san’s never had your curry before. So, pick whichever one you think will make a great first impression.”
“Well, if you insist…” Sojiro said with a wry grin.
The café owner then moved to grab some ingredients from the fridge.
“So, this is really where Ren-kun lives?” Haru-san asked, looking around, and then smiled fondly. “It… reminds me of my grandfather’s old café. It has the same… cozy feel.”
Makoto let out an affirmative hum. She glanced over and noticed Sojiro start making her and Haru-san’s coffees. Before he turned back to the curry.
“Though it’s been a while since we’ve visited LeBlanc as a group,” she mused, glancing over at Ken. “It had to be…”
“It hasn’t been that long ago,” Ken said. “It was back when Futaba woke up.”
“Woke up?” Haru-san echoed, a puzzled frown on her face. “What do you mean?”
“Futaba was our last target, actually,” Makoto said after a moment of hesitation. “Her cognition was distorted because of… multiple reasons. She was a shut-in, so she requested us to steal her heart. In return, she would deal with Medjed.”
Haru-san’s eyes went wide as her mouth gaped.
“She’s so young…” she breathed out, though she took care to keep her voice low. “She really took down Medjed? All by herself?”
Ken opened his mouth to say something but then Sojiro came by, carrying a tray with their cups of coffee and containers of cream and sugar balanced on top.
“Enjoy,” he said, passing out the cups and setting down the sugar and cream on top of the table. “I’ll be done with the curry soon.”
Ken didn’t even touch the cream and sugar. Haru-san just tilted her head at that.
“No cream or sugar?” she asked. “Honestly, I can’t imagine doing that…”
Ken just lowered his cup slightly, his lips suddenly forming a wry smile. “I don’t need any cream or sugar. It’s already got milk. Cream or sugar would be overkill.”
“But no hot sauce, I’d assume.” Makoto teased.
Ken immediately blushed. “I regret you being told that story.”
Makoto just giggled and Haru-san had a contemplative look on her face for some reason. Ken shook his head and took a sip.
“The latte is fine as it is. Just a little bit of steamed milk. Not too much… and besides, I’d had enough milk to last a lifetime,” Ken grumbled.
Makoto raised a brow at that, “What do you mean?”
“Ah, well…” Ken shifted in his seat, his smile turning sheepish as he lowered the cup to the table. “I… I was short in elementary school. And you know what they say about calcium…”
“Oh, that’s just adorable, Ken-kun!” Haru-san cooed, pressing a hand to her cheek before letting out a giggle.
Ken just scowled at that, a hint of a pout on his lips.
“Why do girls always say that?” he grumbled.
“Why do guys find it an insult when people find them cute?” Makoto asked back. “It is what it is. Haru-san is just observing what she sees. Being called cute is a compliment.”
Ken just narrowed his eyes at her. “And you agree with her?”
“Well…!” Makoto felt a flush spread across her face before she began to fiddle with a lock of her hair. “Um… maybe?”
Very smooth of her… She internally winced. How did Ren make flirting look so easy? He didn’t even bat an eye when he complimented Anne. In fact, he never failed to couple his flirting with a charming smile. Meanwhile, she was turned into a blushing mess.
Not that she should be trying to flirt with Ken. Why did it have to be so hard to like a friend? How did anyone handle having a crush on a good friend…?
Ken froze for a moment, pink beginning to creep on his cheeks again.
Why did she have to say something weird like that?! Of course he would be embarrassed! If it wouldn’t embarrass her even more, Makoto would have slammed her head against the table. She just sounded so awkward…
Haru-san pointedly cleared her throat.
“Well, it’s two against one, Ken-kun,” she teased lightly. “I’m afraid you’ve lost this round.”
Ken just grumbled, before folding his arms over his chest and looked away. Then he looked past their booth.
“Curry’s coming,” he deflected.
“Oh, wonderful!” Haru-san’s eyes gleamed as Sojiro placed the platter heaped with fluffy rice, with thick curry generously ladled on top, in front of them. “I must confess, I do prefer simple food over fancy food.”
Sojiro just laughed, slipping a hand in his pocket. “Be prepared for this curry to knock off your socks, then. It’s my best dish, after all.”
“I’m sure it’ll be delicious, Boss.” Haru-san nodded with excitement.
She picked up her fork and took a dainty bite. She had barely started to chew when her eyes began to sparkle.
After she swallowed, she exclaimed, “This is simply delicious!”
She then let out a wistful sigh, pressing her free hand against her cheek. There was a longing look in her eyes now.
“I’ve always wanted to learn how to cook such meals… There’s just something about a home-cooked meal that makes it more special to me than five-star restaurant food,” she commented.
She could understand Haru-san’s mindset. Makoto looked forward to the rare occasions when Sae came home early enough for them to sit down and eat dinner together. And even before then, getting to enjoy a meal with Sae and Dad had always been wonderful. But it felt so long ago… even if it was just three years ago.
“And these vegetables are just delicious.” Haru-san moved her spoon around her plate to look at everything. “I can see potatoes, carrots, onions, and mushrooms. The chicken is really good too!”
Sojiro just chuckled. “Well glad you like it. I’ll be cleaning some dishes, holler if you guys need anything.”
They all thanked Sojiro as he walked back to the kitchen.
Ken smiled before taking another sip of his coffee.
“You would probably get along well with Shinjiro-san,” he said with a glance towards Haru-san. “We rarely go out to restaurants for dinner. And usually when we do… he claims that he can make it better.”
Haru-san just giggled. “Well, in that case, maybe he should open a restaurant then.”
Ken suddenly faltered at that, staring down at the table.
“Yeah, he should…” he said, his voice barely audible.
“Ken…?” Makoto asked, setting down her fork and reaching over to touch the hand resting on top of the table.
Ken just smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s nothing, Makoto. Nothing important, at least…”
“Ken-kun…” Ken stiffened at Haru-san’s voice. “Is something the matter?”’
Ken just heaved out a sigh, before rubbing his face. When his hand lowered, his expression was… weary.
“Shinjiro-san does want to open his own restaurant back on Port Island. The problem is… me.”
“You?” Haru-san frowned. “You’re… not making sense, Ken-kun.”
“I’m another mouth to feed. Shinjiro-san has my schooling to think about too. I do what I can to ease the finances but…” He shrugged helplessly. “I even gave Shinjiro-san my mother’s old engagement ring to give to Fuuka-san when he proposes but… it’s not much.”
Watching Ken’s face was… upsetting. He really thought that he was a burden on Shinjiro-san…
“Stop it…” Makoto said lowly.
“Huh?”
“You’re talking like you’re some kind of… leech,” Makoto said as she squeezed the hem of her skirt. “You’re not, okay?! You gave him something that belonged to your mother. And from what you’ve talked about her, that is not something you would give away lightly. And Shinjiro-san cares about you, a lot. There’s simply no way that he would view you as a burden!”
Haru-san just smiled softly. She gingerly set her spoon back down on the table.
“Makoto-chan is right,” Haru-san said as clasped her hands together in her lap. “Besides, he chose to take you in, correct? I’ll admit that I don’t know Shinjiro-san all too well… but he seems like a kind man. He probably cares about you a lot.”
She then sighed, biting her lower lip.
“You shouldn’t take that lightly,” she finished in a lower tone.
Ken looked shocked, before closing his eyes for a moment. “You’re right… I’m sorry.”
Things got quiet for quite a few minutes. Everyone going back to drinking their coffee. Haru-san and Makoto taking turns taking a few bites out of the delicious curry. Haru-san then set her spoon down again, breaking the silence once more.
“But I was wondering…” Haru-san frowned. “Why wouldn’t Kirijo-san offer aid?”
“Oh, she has,” Ken sighed as he set his latte back down. “But Shinjiro-san’s a bit… weird about accepting Mitsuru-san’s help. He views it as charity. He grumbled enough about the penthouse.”
She… hadn’t expected Shinjiro-san to have a bit of a prideful streak. But then again, she honestly can’t say she knows him that well. He’s usually out when they were around. And he wasn’t easily… approachable.
“That’s rather silly if you ask me,” Haru-san said with a frown.
Ken just shrugged.
“Well, maybe you should do something about it then,” he said dryly. “You’re similar to Fuuka-san in a couple ways. Maybe he’d listen to you.”
“Oh!” Haru-san’s eyes lit up. “Perhaps I can, after we deal with Father—“
“H-Haru-san, Ken was joking,” Makoto said, putting a hand on her arm; then she turned to Ken, shooting him an exasperated look. “You shouldn’t use sarcasm on someone who’ll take it at face value.”
Before Ken could even open his mouth, the door suddenly opened.
Sojiro straightened up. “Welcome to—”
Sae stepped inside. Sojiro just scowled.
“Hello…” he said flatly.
Makoto bit the corner of her mouth. She didn’t blame Sojiro for being a bit… cold with Sae. Not that she was one to talk with how she approached the Phantom Thieves. She shook her head and took another sip of her coffee. She needed to stop comparing herself to her sister.
Besides… Anne and Ryuji forgave her. As did Ren, Morgana, and Yusuke. She didn’t even know if Sae was sorry about how she treated Sojiro and what she threatened to do. And she hated that she was uncertain of that. Even a few years ago she’d be certain her sister would apologize for something like that. No… she’d be certain her sister wouldn’t pull something like that.
“Makoto-chan?” Haru whispered, and Makoto turned to see confusion swimming in her light brown eyes. “What’s the matter?”
“It’s… It’s complicated,” Makoto mumbled out.
Sae just sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Listen, Sakura-san, I was just trying to do what I thought was right at the time… And are you really going to turn away a customer? Your coffee is one of the finest in Tokyo, after all.”
Makoto fought the urge to sigh. She was still trying to justify her actions? She didn’t even want to think what Futaba would do if Sae followed through on that threat. It was obvious, even in her fragile state, Sojiro was the only thing that kept her afloat. Even if she was losing that fight, he was her one lifeline.
Makoto shuddered even at the thought of it. She didn’t want to dwell on such scary thoughts. They made her feel uneasy. She took another sip of coffee before setting it back down.
She then felt something brush against her hand. She looked to see Ken giving her an encouraging smile. Just seeing it made her heart flutter. She couldn’t help but smile back.
Sojiro clicked his tongue loudly.
“Fine,” he said in a clipped voice. “Just don’t harass the other customers.”
Sae’s eyes then flicked to where they were sitting out.
“Makoto…” she said slowly. “I didn’t know you were a fan of this café as well.”
Ken then withdrew his hand, looking at Sae calmly.
“A friend of ours works here sometimes,” he said, somehow keeping his expression rather blank. “And we spend time with him here. And the coffee is excellent. Is that really a surprise?”
“Hmm, I suppose.” Sae studied Ken closely.
To Ken’s credit, he didn’t flinch under his sister’s gaze. Probably helped he went back to sipping his latte. Sae then ran some fingers through her hair as she huffed out a sigh.
“Amada-kun, your guardian is awfully stubborn,” Sae said flatly.
“I’m sorry?” Ken looked taken aback as he lowered his cup.
Makoto could feel a pit forming in her stomach. So then Futaba’s analysis of the files was right after all. She was looking into Apathy Syndrome… and she thought Shinjiro-san was some intel.
And Sae had tried to blackmail Sojiro before. Who’s to say that she wouldn’t try it again? With how she was trying to justify her blackmail of Sojiro… Makoto felt her heart squeeze. Just what happened to make her sister change so much?
“Sis… please tell me you didn’t…”
“He was ridiculously tight-lipped,” Sae huffed, brushing her bangs out of her face. “And where he worked… I didn’t want to cause a scene.”
Something flashed in Ken’s eyes but he lowered his gaze.
“I’m sorry, that’s just in Shinjiro-san’s nature,” he stated in a clipped voice. “He’s never exactly been the most social type. I hope he didn’t offend you.”
Sae sighed and just shook her head. “You can relax. I am not offended. Just mildly annoyed. And confused how he could raise someone with decent manners.”
Makoto couldn’t help but blanch. “S-Sis.”
“Makoto, it’s fine. Shinjiro-san is a bit prickly sometimes, after all,” Ken said neutrally.
He was looking down at his cup. Probably so Sae couldn’t see his face, but Makoto could see the way Ken tensed up. She looked to Sae and hoped her sister would drop it.
Sae gave a small nod, the only acknowledgment of Ken’s statement before her eyes moved to Haru-san. “And who might you be?”
“H-Hello…” Haru-san said nervously, brushing a curl from her face. “I-I’m Haru Okumura…”
Sae’s expression turned intrigued. “Okumura, you say…?”
“I’m warning you,” Sojiro said sharply, glaring at Sae. “Do not harass my customers. Don’t think I won’t kick you out if you do.”
Sae’s expression grew tight and she narrowed her eyes at Sojiro. “I didn’t realize my little sister and her classmates were off limits for an older sister to talk to?”
“Um...” Haru-san cleared her throat before she looked at the clock. “It’s starting to get late. Maybe we should head home.”
Sojiro nodded firmly. “Let me get you a to-go box for the curry, then.”
Ken just simply bowed at Sojiro and left first. Haru-san took the box of curry from Sojiro and bowed to him as well, before following Ken out. Makoto sighed as she lingered.
“Sis… will you be out late again?” Makoto asked hesitantly.
“I’m sorry Makoto, I am probably going to be pulling an all-nighter. Don’t wait up for me,” Sae stated as she sat down at the bar.
Makoto tried to hide her disappointment in her face. It hurt more that Sojiro was eyeing her with pity.
“Well don’t push yourself too hard. You know what they say about sleep being important for a sharp mind.” Makoto attempted to make a light joke, but it felt so hollow.
Sae turned and gave her a simple nod, then a light wave. She then turned back to Sojiro.
“House blend. No sugar, just cream.”
Makoto just bowed to Sojiro and then left. Soon as the door chimed behind her, she dashed ahead to the end of the street where Ken and Haru-san were waiting.
It was a relief to leave the café. Seeing Sae’s behavior was just… hard to watch. She didn’t want to think that their differences had created a too big chasm for them to close, but… sometimes she couldn’t help but think it was too late already.
“I… I can’t believe that’s your sister.”
“That’s nothing new,” Makoto murmured. “Sis is just… a completely different person from before…”
Haru-san’s expression softened.
“I’m sorry,” she said gently. “I… I know how that feels.”
Makoto just smiled weakly. “Thank you, Haru-san, but...”
She couldn’t help but frown and shake her head. She was being selfish. Sae’s behavior was wrong, but at least Sae didn’t demand something like that of Makoto. Why should she be complaining about Sae when Haru-san had her father trying to sell her future to Sugimura?
Haru-san seemed to pick up on it, she placed a comforting hand on Makoto’s shoulder.
“I won’t pretend I know everything going on in your life. And I won’t act like our family members are comparable. But it isn’t a contest. You’re allowed to feel hurt because the one you love is changing for the worst,” she said gently.
Makoto bit her lip and lightly nodded. “You’re right. And I’m sorry you have to endure so much, Haru-san. But thank you. It… it hurts a lot. I wish you could have met her a few years ago. She really is brilliant. She just…”
“It seems that she’s more determined to find something about the mental shutdowns case,” Ken remarked, folding his arms over his chest. “Though sad to say, it’s more common than it should be with people enforcing the law.”
Makoto just sighed. “I’m… I’m sorry that you had to see that.”
“Oh, Mako-chan, don’t apologize!” Haru-san shook her head, somehow still smiling. “It’s not like you haven’t witnessed some of the darkest parts of my father…”
“That’s true—” Makoto blinked. “Wait, Mako-chan?”
“Ah, well…” Haru-san clasped her hands behind her back, suddenly sheepish. “It just… slipped out? I didn’t realize that we had more in common than I realized and you are the same age as me… I understand if you don’t like it. I’ll stop if you want me to!”
“No, no… it’s fine. I’ve never had someone call me that before.” Makoto smiled. “It’s… nice.”
Haru-san—no, Haru—beamed at her.
“I’m glad! I’ve said this before, but… I’m so glad that I’ve found you all,” she confessed. “I’ve never had friends who truly cared…”
“You’re not the only one, Haru,” Ken said. “And… we’ll take on your father soon. I promise.”
“Oh, wonderful!” Haru beamed at him as well. “I’ve been hoping that was the case. I could use some stress relief after all!”
Okay, she could understand the stress relief, but Haru really did sound too happy about fighting Shadows…
Wednesday, September 21st, 2016
“Your total’s three hundred twenty-thousand-yen, kid,” Iwai said as he bagged up the merchandise.
Ren fought back a groan, before pulling out his wallet to dig out the needed money. Even after all of the loot they had found in Futaba’s Palace and then Mementos, today’s purchase cost an arm and leg. Anne had a good point when she said that it was a good thing that Shadows somehow dropped money. Not to mention that he could demand more by negotiating with Shadows.
Sometimes he wondered if the other Persona-user team leaders had this problem…
He pulled out several bills, before laying them on the table. Iwai just raised an eyebrow, before scooping up the pile to count them.
After he finished counting, he just looked back at Ren, before letting out a chuckle. “You know, I really gotta wonder where you get this kinda cash.”
Ren just shrugged. “You’ve got your secrets… I’ve got mine.”
What else could he say?
Ren put his hand in his pockets and tried to relax. Iwai was more than a former Yakuza; he was a dad. And dads have an annoying habit of sniffing out something you don’t want them to know.
Iwai let out a snort and shook his head.
“You got me there, kid,” he acknowledged with a smirk. “But hey, you free tonight? I’ve got some work for ya if you can swing it.”
“I’ll think about it, Iwai,” Ren replied with another shrug.
Iwai rolled his eyes and smirked at him.
“No pressure if you can’t,” he said, before handing them over. “Though I’ve gotta wonder, why do you need an axe all of the sudden? Need some firewood to chop?”
“Something like that…” Ren said casually while he glanced down in the bag, double-checking he got everything he needed.
He wasn’t gonna question where Haru had learned to swing that axe of hers, but he wasn’t gonna complain as long as she used them against the Shadows and not him.
“Just don’t do anything illegal,” Iwai quipped.
Ren just smirked. “That’s rich, coming from you.”
Iwai let out a laugh. “Hey, if anything it’s fitting coming from me. I know what getting into trouble is like. And you shouldn’t go asking for it.”
Ren raised his hand in farewell. “Yeah, yeah… later, Iwai. Thanks again.”
Iwai just nodded at him. “See ya, kid.”
“So, we’ve got weapons covered,” Morgana popped his head out soon as they got out of the shop. “Should we buy some medicine from Takemi then?”
Ren started to walk away, he could already see bustling crowds on the main street.
“I dunno, Morgana,” Ren answered out of the corner of his mouth, as he usually did. “The weapon purchases were steep enough… and Futaba’s summarized Haru’s abilities for me. She knows a spell that can cure any ailment, apparently. So, we can strike that off the list… I think we can just stick to buying the medicine for injuries, so you and Ken don’t get so wiped out healing us.”
Morgana shook his head.
“That’s risky, Ren,” he scolded.
“Tell that to my wallet,” Ren sighed, shaking his head.
He would have to visit the Velvet Room sometime before they entered the Palace again. See what kind of Personas he could fuse… And that was pretty killer on his wallet too…
“Fair enough,” Morgana grumbled. “What do you want to do then?”
“Not too sure,” Ren admitted. “We’ve gotta hang tight for a couple more days… I’m gonna whip up some more coffee and curry for the couple next nights, so we can have more energy to keep going in the Palace.”
He could ask Kawakami to come over and make coffee for him, but her rates were also killer.
“You know, you could also ask some of the others to go buy some medicine too.” Morgana pointed out.
“Yeah, but I’m the one that actually knows Takemi, and it’s my responsibility anyways.” Ren grumbled.
He pushed his way through the crowds to head towards the train station.
“Still, be that as it may… you could always give a list of things, and list what her prices are, and give it to Makoto or Ken and leave it to their discretion.” Morgana advised. “You could always message Takemi too and say one of your friends is showing up in your place for shopping.”
Ren rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah… I get what you’re saying Morgana. I’ll think about it. I still dunno… besides, Takemi might just end up scaring them away with joking about experimenting on them. I can’t see Ken or especially Makoto understanding her brand of humor.”
Morgana sighed. “I get what you mean… still, it’s just a suggestion. But I do think making more coffee and curry is a good idea! We could make some more tools too before bed as well.”
“Yeah, sounds good. Maybe I’ll swing by LeBlanc first to drop off everything because this is so damn heavy…” Ren started to slump his shoulders.
Ryuji and Haru’s weapons were hands down the heaviest weapons, but Ken’s was definitely the most cumbersome with how long spears were. He really questioned how Ken could wield a spear back when he was a kid—wouldn’t he be like half the size of the spear?
“Need a hand, then?”
As if his thoughts had summoned him, Ken had appeared out of nowhere. (Well, not really. He was pretty close to the train station, after all.)
“Uh, yeah, that would be great—“ Ren’s stomach rumbling loudly suddenly cut him off.
Ken sighed. “Again, Ren?”
“Once again, stop acting like I’m Yusuke. Just because I only missed breakfast two times, in all the time I’ve known you. I ate breakfast today! It’s past lunchtime and I’ve been running errands!” Ren exclaimed defensively.
Ken just shook his head but chuckled.
“You should’ve eaten in between your errands. Come on, we’re going back to my place,” Ken droned, grabbing one of the bags from Ren. “I only nag because Yusuke is bad enough…”
“Don’t worry, I have my emotional support cat to ensure that I’m well taken care of,” Ren joked lightly.
“Stop bringing that up!” Morgana whined out.
This just made both Ren and Ken laugh.
The walk back to Ken’s place was brief. They left Ren’s purchases near the door, though not so close so that if Shinjiro-san returned, he would trip over them.
“We have way too much leftovers,” Ken said, before ducking into the kitchen. “Let me heat that up for you…”
Ren found himself walking around the living room. He hadn’t really noticed during his previous visits, but there were quite a few framed photographs set up on the glass table right underneath the plasma screen TV.
One was a shot of Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san standing at the kitchen counter, his hand over hers as he guided her into chopping some vegetables. They looked like they were in their late teens. They were both wearing a fancy school uniform, probably Gekkoukan’s. Shinjiro-san’s hair was shorter, while Fuuka-san’s hair was several shades darker and went to her shoulders. His expression was surprisingly gentle as he seemed to coach her. Ren couldn’t help but snicker a little at Shinjiro-san being a total softie.
Another was a shot of Ken on the soccer field, wearing a teal uniform. He looked a few years younger, though—maybe fifteen or so? He seemed to have made a headshot as the ball flew towards the opposing goal.
And the last picture was a group picture, though Shinjiro-san wasn’t in it. It was far from being a good picture though. One guy was falling backwards of all things, his baseball cap knocked askew, while several of the people looked on in alarm. Everyone but the older man with an eyepatch wore a red armband. But Ren’s eyes were drawn to two people, in particular. They seemed to be opposites in several ways. A blue haired boy with silver headphones hanging around his neck, his eyes a cool gray-blue. An auburn-haired girl with bright red headphones, and her eyes were crimson red.
“Ren, what are you—oh.”
Ren hastily set down the photo.
“Sorry, I just… didn’t notice this before,” he said sheepishly.
Ken waved him off, flashing a small smile as he glanced back at some of the photos.
“It’s fine. The last couple times you’ve come here were more so for business, and Fuuka-san just put them up during her last visit.” He then let out a chuckle, before smiling an amused smile. “She thought the area looked a little bare, so she brought a few photographs and set them up.”
“She looks so… different,” Ren remarked. “When she was what… seventeen? Eighteen?”
Not to say that she was plain or anything in the photo. She was more cute than anything, but Fuuka-san had matured into being more… graceful. She was apparently a bit of a late bloomer, from the looks of it.
Ken nodded and glanced that cooking picture, a nostalgic look on his face.
“That was before Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san started dating during their last year of high school. Minako-san snapped a photo of them in the kitchen, and gave a copy to Fuuka-san right after they graduated from Gekkoukan.” But then his eyes traveled to the third photograph, before a soft sigh escaped him. “That’s the closest we have to a group picture.”
Ren then looked back at it. “Of SEES?”
Ken let out an affirmative hum. “That night… wasn’t particularly happy. But Fuuka-san wanted a reminder of all of us, I think.”
“Then… which one is…?”
“Minato-san?” Ken guessed. “The one with the dark blue hair.”
Ren couldn’t help but wince mentally. He felt a bit dumb once Ken had said that. He had stated before that Miyuki and Kaito had inherited most of their looks from their dad, and they both had dark blue hair. Though looking at the girls in the picture… Minako-san had to be the auburn-haired girl. She had the same type of headphones.
Though… he couldn’t help but be curious.
“Tell me about them,” he said suddenly.
Ken just blinked owlishly at him after a pause.
Ren clarified, “I mean… about everyone. They’re important to you, but I’ve only known what they’ve accomplished at a group.”
“Well…” Ken sighed, rubbing his left elbow. “Come on, let’s sit down. Your food’s getting cold. I’ll tell you more while you eat.”
The leftovers turned out to be lo mein. (He better not tell Yusuke. He’d probably find it an atrocity, given how attached he became to those lobsters of his.) Ken had taken some of the extra lobster, removed the shells, and gave Morgana that to eat. While it wasn’t the fatty tuna Morgana adored so much, Morgana greatly appreciated it judging from the happy sounds he was making.
Ken let out a thoughtful hum. “Well, to start with… there’s Mitsuru-san.”
Ren couldn’t help but stiffen at the mention of her name. But he quickly shoved that out of his mind. Judging her was just as bad as how everyone jumped to the conclusion that he was a crazy, violent delinquent when he first moved here.
“She’s a total ice queen, according to the media,” Ren said. “Is that true?”
“Hmm… but yes and no. Mitsuru-san tends to try and fix things on her own, and she’s tried to take on her family’s burden on her own shoulders several times. But at the same time, she always tried to look after all of us.” Ken’s lips twitched into a smile. “This was before I had even met them all, but when Fuuka-san had disappeared and her homeroom teacher hadn’t done anything to try and find her, Mitsuru-san raked him over the coals for pulling that stunt. Minako-san said that they never got to find out what his punishment was…”
“Damn, we could’ve used that with Kamoshida,” Ren said, before he frowned. “Probably would’ve saved us a lot of grief…”
From what Anne had said about Shiho, she used to be a bit of a goofball. But by the time Ren had met her, she had been kind, but quiet. He kinda wished that he got to know his girlfriend’s best friend better. Before Kamoshida had pulled all of his shit.
Ren winced. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to distract you.”
“Speaking of distractions…” Ken just raised an eyebrow at him. “You should really eat before it gets cold.”
Ren sheepishly began to eat again. It really was delicious. Some restaurants Ren had gone to before had watery sauces with hardly any season. But it wasn’t the case here. The sauce was rich, lingering on Ren’s tongue.
“Let’s see… Akihiko-san is a cop. He decided to become one about… four years ago? He had a bit of a crisis after our incident because he shaped his purpose around fighting Shadows for the longest time…”
Well… Ren could understand that. He couldn’t imagine going back to a normal life, after trekking the Metaverse for so long.
“He grew up with Shinjiro-san in the same orphanage,” Ken continued, before he laughed. “I wish you were there when they came face to face with each other, after not seeing each other for over two years.”
Ken snickered for a moment before covering his mouth with a hand.
“He took one look at Akihiko-san and went, ‘Aki, what the actual hell?! What are you wearing?!’.”
Ren couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Ken mimicking Shinjiro-san’s voice. Ken’s voice was far from high, but Shinjiro-san had a rather gravelly voice.
Ken then continued to talk about some of the stupid competitions they had gotten up to over the years. It was a bit hard to believe, with them having a pickle jar opening contest, but there was just no way that Ken would make this shit up.
Ken talked for a long time. About Minako-san—who was apparently his first and only crush. (Well, according to him, at least. Ren personally didn’t see that.) How she was the first one out of SEES to treat him as an equal, though she did have her moments when she had fawned over him.
Aigis-san, being a robot, actually looked closer to their age. Though over the years, she had developed a weird sense of humor. She apparently tended to sass Mitsuru-san. But the idea of a robot becoming more human was… really hard for Ren to wrap his mind around. Though Ken just had to point out the weird stuff they had seen.
Junpei-san was apparently very similar to Ryuji, and he was a PE teacher at a junior high on Port Island. And as Yusuke had mentioned before, he was married to Chidori Yoshino. Who he apparently absolutely adored and would do anything she asked of him.
He then started to share stories about Yukari-san and the bickering she’d have back and forth with Junpei-san.
“Then Yukari-san really is like the Anne to Junpei-san’s Ryuji?” Ren asked. “I find that hard to believe.”
Ken just laughed. “Yukari-san’s got a better handle on her temper nowadays, but Junpei-san is really good at pushing her buttons. Though of course, him saying something he shouldn’t to the twins is a really good way to set her off.”
Ren snickered. “What did he do, get them to swear for their first word?”
“Nah.” Ken suddenly cracked a smile. “Their first word was actually… Junpei in a way. Because you see, Yukari-san has a… nickname for Junpei-san when she’s mad at him. ‘Stupei’, Yukari-san was yelling at him for some reason I can’t remember, and the twins just… imitated her.”
Ren burst into laughter. “I bet he never lived that down.”
Ken just nodded. “He would constantly try to bribe the twins into saying something else.”
Ren couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at that.
“Aren’t babies not supposed to have that much sweets?” He asked.
Ken just raised an eyebrow at him. “You tried to bribe Kaito with sweets.”
“He’s five, not a baby.” Ren corrected. “What else could I do? He didn’t even like Morgana, kids love kitties and dogs!”
“You tried to bribe Kaito…” Ken said slowly. “…with Morgana?”
“He was being all huffy and pouty,” Morgana piped up. “I don’t blame Ren… not that I’d want his sticky fingers all over me.”
Ken just snorted. Ren couldn’t help but chuckle as well.
“I suppose. Yukari-san did teach them not to trust strangers all too easily.”
Well, yeah… that made sense. Ren remembered his dad drilling that into his head when he was a kid.
“That makes sense with them wandering off as often as you implied,” Ren said, trying to distract himself from his thought of Dad. “Them going off with just anyone… would be bad.”
Ken nodded absentmindedly as Ken’s eyes traveled back to the group picture. His expression looked… conflicted. Rather bittersweet.
“And that leaves… Minato-san.”
Ren frowned. “He was the leader, wasn’t he?”
“In a way,” Ken just smiled wryly when Ren gave him a confused frown. “Because Minato-san and Minako-san were co-field leaders. But Mitsuru-san was the overall head of SEES.”
Ren rubbed the back of his neck.. Well… that made sense in a way. Morgana often offered advice to him, after all, as did Ken.
“Though… what was he like?” Ren asked.
The whole idea of having predecessors—senpai, in a way—was still mindboggling to him. And from what Ken had said from before, SEES did view the male Arisato twin to be their field leader, though Minako-san was his lieutenant of sorts.
Ken let out a thoughtful hum.
“He was… quiet. He kept to himself a lot, but he always was pretty insightful.” He then shook his head. “He would make the strangest jokes sometimes. One time, he insisted to me, with a completely straight face… that he drank coffee with hot sauce.”
“H-Hot sauce?” Ren couldn’t help but gape at him. “And you… you bought it?!”
“Hey, I was eleven!” Ken quickly defended. “And he sounded so serious about it…”
“Oh my god, Ken.”
Just thinking about it made him cringe. Just the idea of hot sauce tainting coffee like that…
“Shut up, Ren,” he grumbled out.
Ren laughed then turned back to finish the last few bites of his meal. He wiped off his lips with his napkin then turned back to Ken.
“Anything else I should know about him?”
“Well…” Ken’s expression turned thoughtful. “He was… very protective of Minako-san. When she started dating Akihiko-san, he took Akihiko-san on a solo run inside Tartarus.”
Ren couldn’t help but cringe. He’s never met the man, but he couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Dealing with an overprotective sibling couldn’t be fun.
Ken then huffed out a laugh.
“Minako-san was not happy with that…” But then his face became somber. “He didn't breathe a word about how he was slowly dying. He wanted us to have the illusion that everything was okay until he passed away."
His lips then trembled for a moment before he closed his eyes, taking in a slow deep breath.
"He always had a weird way of showing his concern…" he said sadly, reopening his eyes.
Ren's eyes widened. There was nothing he could say to that. Hiding the truth like that. He couldn't imagine doing it.
"I wish that I had spent more time with him before he had died," Ken continued quietly. "I always had fun with him when he watched Feathermen with me. One time he took me to the movies… But Minato-san always seemed so busy at night. Sometimes I have no idea how you manage to juggle so much.”
“I mean, it’s a good way to stop yourself from being bored,” Ren said with a shrug. “Though… I can see why you’re so attached to them now. It’s nice to hear about them instead of their exploits.”
Ken then smiled sheepishly. “I guess we didn’t get to talk about the things we did in between the fights, huh?”
“Hey, I don’t blame you.” Ren said as he slumped a bit in his seat. “It probably would’ve taken you days to talk about it all. But Ken…”
“Hm?”
“You’ve talked about the Shadow Operatives before…” he said carefully. “Are you planning on joining them full time?”
“Well…” Ken pursed his lips. “If you asked me this just a few years ago, I would have said yes without hesitation. But honestly, now… I’m not so sure. I’ve wanted to become a defense attorney for a couple years now… but… what we’ve been up to has had me thinking that there’s something more I can do. To even the odds for people who don’t have a voice.”
“Well, nobody said that changing society was easy,” Ren pointed out.
Ken just rolled his eyes at Ren. Morgana peered up at Ken curiously as he curled up on Ren’s lap.
“That’s a lofty goal, anyways.” His eyes suddenly grew far away. “But… it’s a noble one. Maybe we can ease his burden this way…”
Ken bringing up his former leader couldn’t help but make him think… could he make the same sacrifice? Sacrificing himself to ensure his friends’ safety?
Ren shook his head. No… he didn’t want to dwell on the what ifs. Nothing good came out of that.
“It definitely won’t be easy,” Ren agreed. “But nothing worth fighting for is, right?”
Ken just smiled. “You’re right, Ren.”
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 6.
Harisen Recovery: Chance to cure status ailment inflicted on party member.
Notes:
Shinji and Sae’s relationship is gonna be… interesting. They’re somewhat foils in this. I really can’t wait to dive more into that, because Shinji will have a lot to say about Sae’s actions. But that’ll be later on in the story.
Though while I think that Makoto and Haru could have a great friendship, I always thought the way the game went about it was… strange. They couldn’t touch on it as much as they could’ve. So I tweaked the whole Mako-chan thing. I also did not make up Aoyama-Itchome being for the wealthy. I looked into where the wealthy live in Tokyo, and since Haru attends Shujin I thought it'd work well.
I never showed it but the Adjustment Confidant rank 6 would be locked until after 8/30 (the day where Ken reveals the truth). Someone remarked that it was a pity that we didn't get Ken's perspective on Minato's death but I was saving it for this rank.
Edited 4/5/25. Many thanks to my wonderful beta angelrin89!
Chapter 26: Ch. 25: The Spaceport of Greed
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves make their first visit to Okumura's Palace and they gradually witness Okumura's sins be brought to light. And not long after, Ken visits Ren at LeBlanc and makes good on his promise.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Friday, September 23rd, 2016
"Is everyone ready?" Ren spoke up.
The cool breeze rustled the leaves around them. The building loomed in the distance, casting a harsh shadow over the pavement. Knowing what it represented, it was a bit intimidating to look at now.
At everyone's nod, Ren activated the app. The familiar hum of it vibrated in the air before Okumura's Palace, the Spaceport of Greed, opened before them. It was always a little disorienting how barely noticeable the shift was from the real world to the Metaverse, until you get to the source of the distortion.
There was an oppressive cold air in Okumura's palace. Not the chill of winter, it was just a more sterile kind of cold that felt heavy for some reason.
Ren shook his head, not wanting to dwell on it.
He then turned and passed out the new weapons he had purchased. (Why did Haru have to pick such a heavy weapon?) Everyone played with their new weapons a bit in their hands, testing the grip and feel of each.
Ren scanned each of them, assessing the pros and cons of who should be vanguard and rearguard. He tapped his chin briefly. That brief skirmish with Sugimura's cognition wasn't enough to tell him of all the enemy types to expect.
Haru would definitely volunteer regardless, it would be personal. Best not get in the way of something so important for her, not that he wanted to stop her. After all, he had Yusuke on the active team for the most part when they infiltrated Madarame's Palace, Makoto for Kaneshiro's Palace and so forth.
Besides, if he had to deal with anyone as tough as the Sugimura cognition, he'll need someone who can pack a punch, and someone who is a good healer.
"Noir, you're definitely in today," he announced, before his hand drifted up to cup his chin. "Hmm… let's do Fox and Ace, too… the rest of you know what to do. Watch our rear, that way we don't get ambushed, and we'll need clear escape routes in case of a retreat."
He would swap people out more, though. He had a feeling that it was going to be a long run. After the named members stepped forward, flanking Ren, he just looked over his shoulder at them.
Everyone nodded in agreement. They all gripped tightly onto their equipment.
"If we are forced to retreat, Queen… I want you and Mona prepared immediately to get us out of there fast."
Morgana nodded. "One quick getaway will be easy with me and Queen."
Makoto smiled and pat Morgana on the head. "Definitely, we'll leave the Shadows in our dust."
"Then let's get this show on the road!" Futaba exclaimed quietly, pumping a fist.
Ren chuckled, it felt like everyone was even more in sync than before. The team was amped up. They had their rough patches, but with Haru now on the team, and they made amends with Morgana… it felt like they came out even stronger.
The group moved in silence through the dimly lit hallways, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the smooth walls. Eventually, they arrived at the massive door that had previously blocked their path. Its cold, polished surface gleamed obnoxiously in the dim light.
"This thing again…" Ryuji scowled.
Anne put her hands on her hips. "Any ideas on how to get past this?"
The sharp click of her boots against the floor as she tapped her foot was the only other sound for a moment.
"Well, it's a biometric scan. And it let in Okumura…" Futaba said as she tapped her chin. She then let out a gasp and pointed at Haru. "Noir! Try standing in front of it. Just you. Everyone else, back up."
"Leave it to me," Haru said firmly, stepping forward.
A green light flashed and scanned over her. Haru stayed completely still as she stood by patiently. The screen above the door lit up with green letters: ACCEPTED.
"It makes sense, good thinking Oracle! Okumura would have something that would only allow his family in… he puts so much stock in the Okumura name," Morgana said, before his face broke into a grin. "This door is nothing, now that we have Noir on our side!"
They passed through the door, descending to a lower floor using the elevator. Ren didn't expect it to move so fast. Anne nearly stumbled into him when it first shot down. Though he supposed it shouldn't have been too surprising, this palace was some futuristic spaceport…
When they stepped out… they seemed to be in some kind of terminal. The air felt even more cold and sterile… if that was possible. A building with antennas perched on top caught their attention, it definitely felt pulled right out of a sci-fi movie.
"That building…" Morgana broke the silence.
Ren turned to see Morgana staring up at the building with antennas. Their furry companion had that transfixed look he got whenever he sensed their target. Ren couldn't help but smirk.
"I can sense the Treasure." Morgana announced, and jabbed his finger up towards the building in the distance. "We'll have to get in there… somehow."
Ren then heard Yusuke sigh rather loudly next to him.
"Easier said than done." Yusuke frowned and glanced around. "There doesn't seem to be any clear path for us to take."
"We'll have to figure it out as we go," Ken said, absentmindedly twirling his spear. "Besides, not like we haven't dealt with hinderances before."
Yusuke chuckled, "I suppose you have a point there, Ace."
"Yeah, besides, figuring it out as we go is more Joker's style anyway," Ryuji joked before elbowing Ren in the side. "Coming with stuff on the fly and somehow it works out in the end."
"Hey!" Ren protested, before briefly glaring at Ryuji. "Jeez, you act like I'm Iowa Jones or something…"
Haru blinked. "Iowa what?"
Anne just giggled. "Some really fun American adventure movies. Remind me to show them to you after this, Noir!"
"Oh, that sounds delightful!" Haru chimed in, clapping her hands together. "Oh, I think I might have heard of them. Is he the guy with the whip and hat?"
"Hey, focus!" Morgana chided. "We can't let our guard down until we find the Treasure, remember?"
"Yes, sir!" Haru did a quick salute.
Her enthusiasm was certainly infectious. Ren couldn't help but smile. Haru was already starting to fit in nicely with their group.
Makoto cleared her throat and gestured for them to point ahead. Before returning to watch the rear with Morgana and Anne, Ryuji followed suit. Futaba just giggled and Ren couldn't help but shrug as he looked ahead.
There were some sliding doors on both sides of them, very sleek and large. But everything in this place was big, so that shouldn't surprise him at this point.
Ren motioned for everyone to follow, and went to the right.
As the door hissed open, a flicker of motion caught his eye—a Shadow lurking just beyond. Instinct took over.
Ren raised his pistol and fired. The shot rang out, echoing sharply down the hallway. The Shadow recoiled from the impact before splitting apart, morphing into three grotesque forms—slick, black slime looking things that glistened like oil under the sterile lighting.
They reminded him of the Slimes, but those Shadows were green, not dark. And these ones looked a little bigger too.
"Any idea, Ace?" Ren called out to him.
Ken made a face. "No idea. I've seen one that's green but I don't think they have the same qualities."
Ren couldn't help but grimace, so Ken had only about as much information on this Shadow type as Ren did. They'll have to just play it by ear then and hope for the best.
"Head in the game!" Futaba shouted from within Necronomicon. "Seriously, focus, guys!"
"You do the same, then!" Ren quipped, twirling his gun in one hand.
What affinity did Slime even have? He fused Slime away ages ago, but he couldn't remember what Slime's affinity was, for the life of him. Maybe he should just try experimenting with the Personas he had.
One of the Shadows lurched forward, its body swayed unnaturally before it slammed against Haru. The impact made her stumble, a grunt escaping her lips as she caught herself on one knee.
Her head rose slowly. Fury flickered in her eyes.
"Oh shoot, Noir's pissed now! Look out!" Futaba warned.
Haru then swung her axe with such force that Ren was surprised that she didn't cleave it into two. Ren gulped, suddenly realizing what happened. The Shadow must have some weird status effect. Noir wasn't thinking straight and attacking in a blind rage. It did something to her. While it made her stronger, she lacked focus and won't defend herself in such a state. Not to mention that would wear her energy out faster. Better take care of that now.
He reached into his pouch, retrieving one of Takemi's pills. Haru was getting ready for her next attack, so focused on her enemy, she didn't even register his approach until he gently but firmly tipped her chin up and pressed the capsule to her lips.
She blinked, startled. Her expression relaxed, and she started to breath more evenly again.
"Oh—thank you…" Haru blushed.
Ren couldn't help but smile. It's rough being new to the team but he didn't want her to feel embarrassed.
Ren just shrugged, then added with a wave, "Don't mention it. But be careful, okay?"
Haru nodded as Ren moved back into position and shot at one of the approaching slime type Shadows.
Ken then dashed forward, lunging forward with his spear. He stabbed the Shadow several times before making a sweeping motion. He then pulled out his gun, shooting it right in the face.
"Nice!" Futaba crowed. Ren could hear the grin in her voice. "Keep it up, Ace!"
Ken then tore off his mask, summoning Kala-Nemi. Kala-Nemi's torso spun, before tendrils of light sprang to life and striking all three Shadows. One of the Slimes disintegrated instantly, consumed by the elemental attack. The others writhed, weakened and easy pickings for them.
They surrounded the two Shadows, pointing their guns at them.
"Let's get them!" Ren exclaimed, before they lunged forward.
They rushed forward as one, a synchronized assault that shredded the remaining Shadows. As the final one burst into mist, they all sighed a breath of relief. Ren felt the tension escape his shoulders. It was a pretty great first start for their venture into the Palace. They took out their first threats and no one—save Haru—had taken a hit. Even that had been very minor.
Ren turned to face the group.
"Okay, let's keep it… up…" He trailed off, blinking at the sight.
Makoto was… staring at Ken. And was she blushing? Ren couldn't help but smirk. When did this happen? Must be a pretty new change.
Anne nudged him in the side, eyes narrowed. "What are you smirking about?"
"Nothing~!" Ren said in a singsong voice, but his girlfriend's raised brow told him that it wasn't working. "Don't know what you're talking about, Panther."
"Uh-huh," she drawled out, hands on her hips now. "Suuuure."
Ren pressed a hand against his chest. "Don't you trust me, Panther?"
"Oh, I trust you with most of the time. But not when your pants are clearly on fire."
Ren stared at her blankly. "My… huh? None of those enemies had fire attacks? My clothes aren't—"
Anne rolled her eyes and shook her head. Ren frowned at that reaction.
"No, cause you're a liar, liar! Pants on fire! Look… it's a western saying, forget it." She sighed and crossed her arms. "You're really lucky you're cute."
"I think about how lucky I am every day," Ren quipped, before grinning at her.
Anne huffed, but a small, reluctant smile betrayed her; then she grumbled with a blush. "You're such a charmer."
"Do you really gotta do this here?" Ryuji whined suddenly, behind them, making both of them jump. "Sheesh, I guess we're lucky you're keeping your hands to yourself…"
"Ugh, shut up, Skull!" Anne spun on her heels to glare at Ryuji.
The two were now bickering with each other, with Yusuke to remind them both to keep their voices down to not alert other Shadows. Ren just chuckled to himself, falling into step behind the others as they pressed deeper into the Palace.
With Anne distracted, Ren slid over to Makoto.
"You know looking from afar is all good," he whispered to her. "But… you might want to make an actual move."
"W-Wha…?" Makoto's blush deepened before glaring at Ren. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"Uh-huh." Ren nodded understandably, before giving his friend a sly smile. "And you definitely weren't staring at Ken just now. I mean, what he pulled off with that spear was kinda impressive, though…"
He gave her a sideway glance with an arched brow. Ren had to fight back a smirk as Makoto started to fidget, her face flushed a little. Her lower lip curled out into a pout as she stared at the ground while walking.
Oh, she was making this too easy…
Ren pressed on, as his grin widened, "A little flirting never hurt anyone, you know. Maybe that's why the fake dating never worked with us, huh?"
"You… it's not… I don't think I..." Makoto turned as red as a tomato as she trailed off.
Ren just snickered; it was very funny but also surprising to see this side of Makoto. She did express some insecurities about this aspect of teenage social life while they were fake dating. But this was different. She was definitely crushing hard and obviously didn't know what to do with it.
Perhaps he should soften up a bit… just this once.
Ren gave a casual shrug. "Hey, no judgment. Just saying, you could do worse."
Makoto bit her lip and sucked in a breath through her nose.
"Hypothetically speaking… what would you suggest?" Makoto said quietly.
"Well…" Ren drawled out. "You probably wouldn't be interested in classic punny pickup lines, I'd imagine."
Makoto scrunched up her nose. "You'd imagine right…"
Makoto obviously wouldn't be the pickup line type. He supposed he could give her some American pickup lines he looked up to see how Anne would react (which she laughed and called him goofy but it worked in getting her to laugh so Ren considered it a success). Ken would have no idea on those, and his reaction could be funny.
But that might be too confusing if she wanted to get Ken's attention for a pickup line. Maybe something more direct but not too in your face, like a Destiny movie. And it would be funny to see Ken's reaction to that still.
"You fight good."
He could practically see Ken's baffled expression. But before he could open his mouth, someone interrupted.
"Uh… what are you two whispering about?"
Makoto's head snapped at the sound of Ken's voice.
"N-Nothing!" she blurted out, and then looked at Ren. "But come on, Joker, let's get a move on."
Ren shrugged. "Sorry, got distracted. But… think about what I said, Queen."
Makoto let out a sigh. "I'll think about it."
Morgana just looked back and forth at Ren and Makoto, then he turned to Ren. He eyed Ren skeptically. Ren couldn't help but snicker at that.
"Do I want to know?" Morgana sighed.
Ren just waved him off with a chuckle. "It's not a big deal."
Morgana just shrugged. The rest of their friends looked a little confused except… save for Futaba. She was snickering, probably guessing what had happened.
"Okay, if you and Futaba are up to something, I definitely don't want in…" Morgana winced.
They cautiously moved through the corridor, looting any treasure chests they find and peaking around the corners for any potential Shadow ambushes. The group came across another large door. Haru stepped forward but there was no light coming off it to scan her. It was apparent this door had different security.
"Hmm…" Morgana frowned, looking around the area. "Wait, there's a slot here. For a card?"
Haru's eyes lit up in recognition.
"Oh—that must be for a card key." She brushed her gloved fingers along the edge of the panel, "At the company's headquarters, some areas are restricted unless you've got the right clearance level. I bet we need the Chief Manager's authorization."
Makoto rubbed her chin and let out an exhale.
"I see…" Makoto frowned. "I feel it is safe to assume we'll need to look for a cognition of a person like that here."
Morgana nodded. "And I assume with how Cognitive Sugimura and his lackeys appeared… this Chief Manager cognition would most likely be a robot."
"Alright…" Ryuji cracked his knuckles. "Let's beat up the guy and steal his card key, then."
Yusuke sighed wearily. "You make us sound so… uncouth. Like we're mugging him."
"If he's anything that like piece of shit Sugimura dude, I don't see the problem with punishing an evil cognition. Besides, he ain't real." Ryuji said defensively.
Ryuji had a point, as they can count on one hand of a benevolent cognition in these Palaces. But on the other… Yusuke wasn't wrong that Ryuji probably didn't have to phrase it like they were muggers.
"Skull's got a point, though. Okumura already shown us a precedence for hostile cognitions," Ren said, tugging at his gloves. "If we just stand around here discussing, it'll accomplish nothing. Let's get going."
So, they pushed forward, winding through all the cold metal corridors. It wasn't long until they found a safe room.
Everyone piled in and sat down and started to relax a bit. Futaba let out a breath of relief.
"I am not made for all this running around," she whined.
Makoto frowned and passed over a water bottle to Futaba.
"You really need to get outside a little bit more and maybe go for walks Futaba. Being inside all day isn't good for your stamina," Makoto advised.
Futaba just downed the water bottle and let out a loud gasp after drinking nearly the whole thing.
Her lips curled out into a pout and she narrowed her eyes. "I am a creature meant for the indoors. Besides… I have been getting out a bit more. I go to LeBlanc more often."
Makoto let out an exasperated sigh. "Not the same thing."
Anne just giggled and shook her head. She then scanned over the room with a slight frown.
"Are there any injuries we should take care of here?" Anne asked. "It'd be better to treat them here than outside where Shadows are running around."
Ren did a quick once over of everyone. There were some minor injuries, so maybe it'd be best to treat them right now. He passed out the medicine, so Morgana and Ken could reserve their energy for casting spells in battle.
Yusuke, Ken and Haru's cuts and small bruises healed up quickly. Anne and Makoto and Ryuji had only minor cuts, protecting them from an ambush as the rearguard. Morgana thankfully only had a tiny cut. But Ren still felt he should take some of the medicine too.
He bought plenty of medicine recently so they were fine on supplies.
"What is this place, exactly?" Haru asked, looking around; she turned back to face them, her expression was puzzled. "It seems… closed off."
"It's called a safe room. Mona explained it as… a place where the Palace owner's cognition is… weaker? Shadows can't come in here, so it's where we can take a little breather," Makoto explained.
"How are you guys feeling, though?" Ren asked. "Do you need anything to restore your strength? I brewed a lot of coffee in prep for this."
"I'm feeling fine, but what about you two?" Haru asked, turning to Yusuke and Ken.
Yusuke shook his head.
"I am feeling fine," he stated. "Of course, that's due to me using a mix of physical attacks and spells."
"Likewise," Ken agreed. "I can keep going."
With the Chief Manager, it'd probably be a tough fight. He'd probably swap out the current team after that. But they didn't seem tired, so Ren saw no need to swap them out right now. Not to mention that Ken seemed to compliment Haru's fighting style pretty well. He had to wonder if one of the members of SEES used an axe. He seemed to know just how Haru would strike when she used her axe.
"Sounds good to me." Morgana nodded. "Should we get going then, Joker?"
"Yeah, I think we got the needed breather," Ren agreed, standing up.
But as he left, he could see Futaba's eyes on him. Ren just raised an eyebrow at her. But Futaba seemed to shrug before moving towards the door.
Ren raised an eyebrow. What was that about?
After their quick break in the safe room, they continued to explore. It didn't take long before they encountered the Chief Manager—a towering robot much like Sugimura-san's robot version. He was barking orders like and quite full of himself. That's no way to be a boss… which is unfortunate that her father has a perception of someone like this and still knowingly hired him.
Haru couldn't help but frown at that thought and shook her head. She shouldn't dwell on that right now. Soon she will free his heart of corruption, and then they can build this company to what he wished it to be more like. The one he talked about making after Grandfather died. He would build it up so it would be successful and Haru and her children would never have to fear living in debt and would be comfortable, but he'd still strive to make it something that could provide opportunities for everyone, to make her grandfather proud.
She'll find a way… she has to help him remember the man he used to be so long ago. Before he was lost completely.
"Honestly, that Chief Manager was a real pain in the ass… but at least we got the key card." Ryuji sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Haru smiled sympathetically at him. The battle was indeed intense, but they emerged victorious, and Haru had to admit—as nerve-wracking as it was, there was a small thrill to it. They felt like real heroes, like she was reading a novel about heroes fighting against corruption that pressed down on the humble people.
They thankfully ducked around hallways, avoiding any unnecessary confrontations with Shadows. It looked like another security door, but thankfully not a Shadow in sight.
Morgana tilted his head up at her, "Is something the matter, Noir? You've been quiet."
She just shook her head. "No, Mona-chan. I suppose… I'm just grateful you all let me join."
Morgana nodded and handed her something. She blinked down at it.
"It's a lockpick. Joker and I make a tone of these for the really hard to open treasures. Since you're one of us… I suppose I can spare you one."
She giggled and put it in her pocket. "I can't wait to pick my first lock then. Thank you."
The group then stopped walking. Haru stumbled, nearly crashing into the back of Ren, but he turned around in the nick of time and caught her before she was off balance. She couldn't help but blush as she pulled away.
"S-Sorry…"
Ren just waved with a light smile and turned to face the large door. She bit the inside of her cheek as Anne came up next to him and stood rather close as she watched him insert the key card in. She felt silly… he already had someone important to him. And they both seemed rather wonderful. She still only barely knew him.
She wished she would stop feeling butterflies around him… just because he was nice to her. They were all so nice to her… and they were all being so welcoming… she shouldn't expect more. Besides, what's the point in pining after someone who already happily in a relationship (that she noticed, Anne seemed very loving towards him).
Ren placed it in the slot and… nothing.
It said something about needing access from the Chief Director?
"Looks like we'll need another key card, one from this Chief Director," Ken suggested. "Mitsuru-san has similar security measures like this."
"She has a space station like this too?" Futaba asked sarcastically.
Ken rolled his eyes and said flatly, "Obviously not…"
Haru couldn't help but giggle. She quickly peeked around the corner to make sure there weren't any Shadows.
"This hallway looks clear, everyone. Let's explore that way, maybe we can find the Chief Manager in this direction." Haru pointed down the corridor.
Ren peaked down the hall then turned to Futaba.
"Anything, Oracle?" Ren prompted.
"Lemme do a quick scan." Blue flames swept away Futaba's mask, and she disappeared into Necronomicon; lights flashed green as she scanned the area. "Hmm… I can sense several large Shadows in rooms… It's probably one of them."
"So how can we figure out which one is the real one?" Anne asked.
Haru had to agree. She was really unsure on how to go about that. That sounded difficult… they probably looked one and the same. Futaba did have a rather impressive Persona however.
"Everyone, look out!" Morgana suddenly barked out.
In an instant, they ducked behind one of the nearby holograms, pressing close together as the familiar clanking of heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. A squad of robots—the same model that had fought alongside the Cognitive Sugimura-san—marched past and disappeared into a room up ahead, the door hissing shut behind them.
"Oooh, perfect!" Ryuji grinned as they came out of hiding. "Let's go ask 'em who's the Chief Manager!"
"Skull, I don't think that would be prudent." Yusuke frowned. "They could easily report us and we would get swarmed."
Ryuji's expression turned sheepish. "Oh yeah…"
"There's gotta be a way to get some intel though…" Anne frowned, biting her lip.
"There's always eavesdropping," Futaba offered, making Ken glower at her for some reason. "Ugh, don't give me that look, Ace."
"What look?" Ken droned out.
Futaba stuck her tongue out at him. "The only other way would be to beat them up for info!"
Ken just sighed, before rubbing his face with one hand. "Right… that is true."
Haru couldn't help but blink at them quizzically, and glanced down at Makoto who just sighed.
"Um… am I missing something…?" Haru asked tentatively.
Futaba fidgeted for a moment. "I… may have wiretapped LeBlanc before meeting everyone…"
Haru's eyes widened. She almost let out a yelp in surprise but Makoto quickly covered her mouth.
"She was scolded for it. Please Noir, remember to keep your voice down," Makoto urged quietly.
Haru gave her an apologetic look as Makoto took her hand off her mouth. Makoto then glared at Futaba who just winced.
"Don't worry… I convinced her to stop," Ken quickly interjected.
They certainly were an… interesting group. To be so casual about this. But she should be mindful of her surroundings, she can't let every off comment make her drop her guard and get the others in trouble.
"Anyways, let's get us some intel," Ren said, striding forward already.
Ren was just so… confident. She bit the inside of her lower lip, trying to squash down the butterflies she felt again. Now was not the time for that.
They snuck into the room, crouching and crawling so they wouldn't get caught.
The Chief Clerk has it easy… all he does is munch on sweets all day.
This job never ends…
This job… never ends…?
Haru's heart squeezed painfully. She heard rumors of some employees felt they were being worked to the bone, but just hearing this out of cognitions, in her father's own Palace… the world of his subconscious.
She had to save him from himself, she can't hesitate. Not just for her sake, but especially for the company, all the employees who count on them.
She jolted when she felt a hand lightly squeeze her shoulder. She looked up to see concern in cool gray eyes.
"Noir, are you alright?" Yusuke asked, there was a pause. Then he sighed, squaring his shoulders. "Sorry… I shouldn't pry. Let's get going, shall we?"
Haru just smiled weakly at Yusuke. It was sweet of him to be so concerned…
"Yes, of course." She nodded.
"Though aren't we looking for the Chief Director?" Ryuji interjected. "These guys were talking about the Chief Clerk."
"We may have to work our way up," Ken mused. "Maybe there are areas that we can access with the Clerk's cardkey that we can't right now."
"That's a solid theory," Futaba chimed in. "I mean, it's like… we've gotta fight the minibosses before the head honcho."
Mini… bosses? Haru tilted her head. What was Futaba talking about? But either way, they had a good point. They would have to work their way up.
Guided by Futaba's readings, they made their way toward the large signals she had detected earlier. This had to be someone important, they had to guess.
"Got something big behind this door," Futaba muttered, her voice slightly hesitant. "It could be the Clerk maybe."
Ren stepped forward, fishing into bag.
"Let's try the diplomatic route first," he said dryly, pulling out a handful of sweets.
The door hissed open to reveal a tall, spindly red robot—its limbs almost too long for its body, eyes glowing. It blinked at the sight of the snacks… then tilted its head.
"SLACKERS OFF THE JOB?! TRYING TO BRIBE ME?!"
It powered up and charged forward at them, rearing for combat.
"YOU WILL WORK TIL YOU DIE! NO SLACKING EVER! YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING LOSERS!"
"Yeah, that tracks," Ryuji groaned before they all dodged the first attack.
The battle was brief but intense. Sparks flew as the machine attacked them wildly, voice crackling with static as it shouted corporate mantra. But the Phantom Thieves overwhelmed it, and it finally crumbled to the ground, before it fell apart. The pieces of the cognition then exploded.
"We shouldn't linger. We made too much noise in here for a Shadow to not notice. Thankfully it dropped us a couple needed hints about the director in that corporate jargon it was yammering about during the fight." Ren announced to the group.
Haru couldn't help but press a hand to her mouth. Still thinking about how it said that employees needed to work til they died. She just… she just felt sick. This was built up by their family! How could Father allow their family name and company to fall so far? Why was he so desperate to build up wealth like this? To the point of abusing his employees like this?
They were people too… They must feel stuck here because there aren't any other opportunities for them.
Haru pushed it out of her mind. They had to take her father's treasure. It was the only way to help the Okumura Foods employees.
Haru then felt a tap at her shoulder.
"Noir… do you need to take a break?" Anne asked hesitantly. "We could… We could go back to the safe room…"
Anne was just concerned and it was sweet, but… she didn't want to be the reason why everyone stopped in their progress.
"No." Haru lifted her chin.
Anne's concerned expression didn't fade. Haru shook her head and gave her a small smile.
"Let's press forward. The sooner we take care of this, the better."
But as they pressed forward, Haru felt her heart sinking further and further, as they eavesdropped on the employees.
There is no future for us if the company doesn't turn a profit! We have no choice but to push on with all of our effort. This is just the way it is…
The section chief always says, "this is for your own good". It always makes me so mad…
Don't worry, someone will surely do something about this eventually.
Life is only work. They make you surrender your hopes, dreams, and personalities.
She knew that their family hadn't always been so prosperous. In a way she was grateful for the lifestyle her father had given her, before he decided to betroth her to Sugimura. But this…? Nothing could be worth destroying multiple lives like this…
"Noir." Makoto's voice was whisper-soft and filled with pity. No… not just that. Understanding.
Haru squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
"Let's go find the Chief Director," she whispered. "We have the information we need…"
She didn't know how much further they had left but… she had a feeling they had a way to go before reaching her father's Treasure. They had to make him realize his issues.
It hurt that at every turn; she had to keep being reminded how much her father had fallen from the man she once knew…
The battle with the Chief Director was tougher than any of the previous cognitions so far, even Sugimura's Cognition. But they all managed. Makoto quickly stretched out her muscles in her shoulders and arms, while letting out a sigh of relief.
They returned to the original door and Ren inserted the card key in. They took the lift up, and it took them to an area with glowing platforms. They leapt across, dodging Shadows, all while climbing upwards. Makoto was relieved when they finally found their way in front of the building.
"Sweet!" Ryuji cheered, pumping a fist. "This is where the Treasure is, right, Mona?"
Morgana looked up at the building, before giving a firm nod. "Just past this building, but we're definitely getting warmer. Let's get moving, guys!"
"But isn't it odd that we haven't found anything on the mental shutdowns?" Yusuke asked with a frown. "We should've found something, with the suspicious trend of mental shutdowns paired with Big Bang's rivals…"
"I mean… Okumura took down his rivals with mental shutdowns but he's not the one actually doing it. It's entirely possible he goes through a third-party to keep the methods and conspirators hidden. We know the black masked Persona user is connected. Kaneshiro told us as much. And you guys mentioned to me before Madarame said something similar." Ken tapped his chin while speaking.
Everyone nodded in response. Ken sighed and rubbed the back of his neck before speaking up again.
"But if Mitsuru-san's hunch is right—then Shido's the one responsible for everything, and he's not going to leave an easy trail for us to follow if he is involved, even in the Metaverse. Whether or not he is the one responsible, whoever is in charge didn't want a paper trail, in or out of the real world," Ken finished.
Yusuke crossed his arms. "That would make sense with your going through a third-party theory. That way all parties could feign ignorance if one of them got caught. It would explain why Sen—Madarame… and Kaneshiro heard of this black masked Persona user, but not whoever has them on their payroll."
"Right... they would need to cover all bases. It's like that saying, only a fool deals with a fool. The mastermind would be very careful. Probably doesn't trust anyone," Makoto voiced her theory aloud. "It's also equally possible Okumura is similar in that regard. He might use what he can from them, but still keeps his distance because he doesn't trust any of them either. Plus, it would protect him in a similar fashion if someone got caught…"
Makoto glanced over to Haru. Her expression was just… pained. Makoto's heart twisted up, looking at her. And Yusuke… he had to go through Madarame's Palace too, she wasn't there to see it, but she could tell it still lingered on his mind.
She closed her eyes. This was why she was afraid to bring up Sae's Palace, but… they were willing to do something about their loved ones.
She didn't know if Sae was that far gone yet, but she hoped desperately that her sister was still on the edge.
"Shido…" Haru said slowly, and Makoto opened her eyes to look back at her. "Father has spoken with him before. He's been over at dinner once. I think if I remember right, Father was planning to donate to Shido's campaign fund for Prime Minister. Father always did say it was a pity that Shido was a bachelor and therefore, had no children. If Shido had a son… Father would've chosen him to betroth to me in a heartbeat. He says Shido is someone to be respected."
"He really is just shopping around for the best political advantage…" Anne looked to Haru with a sympathetic frown, "I'm so sorry, Haru."
Haru just nodded slowly. Futaba cleared her throat, causing the group to look back at her.
"Well… while that is a small connection, it's not nearly enough that we need to prove they are in cahoots." Futaba interjected with a frown.
"Let's worry about that later… come on, guys," Ren said as he straightened his cuffs. "We're getting closer to the Treasure. We can't stop here."
They entered the building and took a lift down. They found a safe room, taking a short break. Ren swapped out the current team, choosing Morgana, Ryuji, and Makoto as the active team. Makoto looked back and frowned at Haru who nodded in understanding at being chosen to swap out for rear guard.
She could understand Haru's desire, this was personal. But Ren was right… she shouldn't push herself.
But when they pressed forward, they discovered that the building they were in was a… factory of sorts.
"Escape to Utopia…" Futaba said slowly. "Do you think they're… building something?"
"Wait a sec…" Ryuji narrowed his eyes, drawing closer to the window. "Aren't the robots moving kinda weird?"
They all moved closer. They could hear the robots chanting, "Deliverance" several times, before one collapsed.
"It matches what we heard while listening for clues before." Haru wrapped her arms around herself. "How… how could he have changed so much since I was a kid? It's like… a stranger has come in and taken over my father, and I didn't even notice until he was gone."
She then pressed a hand against the window. Makoto bit her lip and hung her head down. While what Haru was enduring something worse… she knew exactly how this felt. When someone started to change gradually for the worse, and you don't even notice until… they did something that felt like a slap in the face. You're left questioning when did the change start… and why had you not noticed at all until things got worse? And… could you even have stopped it?
"And… this factory set-up… is almost identical to our bun factory…" Haru then heaved out a sigh, before squeezing her eyes shut. "Father… he truly doesn't care for anyone but himself…"
"Noir… don't let yourself be overwhelmed. I understand this is hard…" Yusuke put a hand on her shoulder. "You vowed to change your father's heart. Believe me when I saw that I know how difficult it is to see someone like your father reveal his true colors, but you mustn't lose heart. You'll see this through, won't you?"
Haru looked up at him in surprise, before she smiled. "Thank you, Fox. I… I needed that. After seeing all of this already… And I know that there's more to come that will hurt just as much…"
Yusuke just smiled back at her. "But of course, Noir. That's what friends are for, no?"
Haru giggled lightly. "Yes… you're right."
Makoto sighed. Wishing she could have given Haru some comfort as well. But she was grateful for Yusuke to help break her out of it.
"But a utopia, huh…?" Ren shook his head, with a frown. "Okumura's got a messed-up sense of a utopia."
"All he cares about is himself…" Anne murmured. "It's sickening, everyone is just a stepping stone for him!"
"Yeah, but it gives us an even bigger reason to take him down and change his heart, right?" Ryuji rolled his shoulders, before turning away. "Let's go!"
They entered the factory, before running straight for the door. According to Morgana, the Treasure was a straight shoot for the door ahead. But when they approached, several things happened. Blocks fell from the ceiling, and they saw one of the machine arms break.
Anne grabbed Ren's arm, yanking him backwards.
"What the hell…" he breathed.
"Are you okay, Joker?" Anne asked, frowning in concern.
"Yeah." Ren nodded at her, but then scowled ahead. "Should've known it wouldn't be that easy. Especially with no authentication."
"That broke way too easily…" Ken muttered, sounding rather… disturbed.
Makoto winced. Did this mean that happened a lot with Big Bang Burger? Or one of the factories? Either way she didn't like the implication of this.
"Let's try and find some way around it then," Futaba said, tapping on her chin. "I saw that arm collapse before the metal almost crushed us. Maybe it fell to the other side."
"You're… saying that a bit too casually, Oracle," Ryuji complained.
After checking around, Ren found a control panel that allowed them to increase the arm speed. Ren rubbed his chin. Makoto looked over his shoulder to see what settings it had. She couldn't believe there was a setting for ten times the current speed.
"Hm… Let's go for ten times the speed!" he announced, and before anyone could say anything, he pressed the button to confirm the change.
The nearby robotic arm then… went berserk, before finally collapsing onto the other side.
"Well, that's one way to do it," Ren quipped. "Looks like we have a bridge now."
Makoto refrained from a sarcastic comment how Ren chose the most ludicrous setting… but she couldn't deny it did provide them a way across.
"But still…" Yusuke frowned. "This truly does show how overworked the machines are…"
"And the same could probably be said about the workers," Makoto said grimly with a heavy frown.
"I… wouldn't be surprised if that was the case," Haru murmured, her hands tightening around her axe's handle. "But… with that arm collapsing, we can climb it and cross to the other side, right? Let's go check it out!"
Makoto sighed. She could see that Haru was trying to push herself to doing something more… proactive. It was something she had done in the past but she really hoped that Haru wouldn't hurt herself while doing so.
Ren led them across the broken arm, and they continued to explore the area and search for another console for them to take advantage of. But then a Shadow caught sight of them.
Ren pulled out his knife and took a swipe at the Shadow. The Shadow broke into three, forming three female… vampires? That was the closest comparison Makoto could think of.
"Who are you?!" the Shadows demanded.
One of them twirled, before a sickly green aura surrounded them all. Makoto felt her limbs grow heavy.
"Be careful, your agility's down!" Futaba warned. "And these guys can inflict Fear on you!"
Some of the status ailments were… really irritating to deal with. Fear basically paralyzed you. Sometimes it would make you flee.
"Noted!" Ren shouted. "Be on your guard, guys! Ace, do you have any ideas for weaknesses?"
"Hmm… I'd try light or wind attacks," Ken answered.
"Sweet," Ren said, his face breaking into a grin. "Mona, you know what to do!"
But another of the Shadows struck first. A black aura surrounded her before it exploded in a wave. They all somehow managed to dodge the spell, but since Ken was standing behind Ren… it hit him.
"A-Ace?" Anne asked.
Makoto whipped around just in time to see Ken backing away from Anne. He shook his head as Anne reached out to him.
"It's better if I should just go." Ken's voice was feverish. "I'm just dragging you into problems that don't involve you."
"What…?" Yusuke asked. "Ace, snap out of it!"
Ken just shook his head vehemently, slowly backing away. "It's better if I just… stay away from you. For good."
Without warning, he turned on his heel and fled down the path where they had just come from.
"Ace!" Makoto cried out. She wanted to chase after him, but she forced herself to stay rooted on the spot.
"Panther, switch with Queen!" Ren suddenly shouted. He then gave her a little nod, before looking pointedly down the way Ken had ran away.
Makoto's breath hitched but she nodded.
Anne took her spot, already tearing off her mask. "Hecate!"
While their last trip to Mementos had been the first time Anne had used Hecate… the fact that Anne's Persona had actually changed was a little mind boggling. Even though Ken had said that it was perfectly natural for Personas to change… it was surreal.
But Makoto quickly pushed all thoughts out of her mind and looked down the path. Luckily, they had killed the Shadows down this path. But even so, she had to find him.
But… what had he been talking about? The fevered way he had talked could be like babbling but… it still bothered her.
Makoto shook her head, pushing that thought aside. She'd worry about that after she found Ken.
She ran back the path they came. Her footsteps echoed softly against the metal floor. Her heart pounded with every turn she took, scanning every corner. Then finally, just beyond some crates, she spotted a familiar figure.
Ken was crouched in front of a glass window, his back to her, completely still. His shoulders were tense, posture rigid, like he was holding his breath.
"Ace," she called out softly to him.
She winced as she noticed him flinch. Makoto grabbed him by the sleeve, holding him in place.
"Ace," she repeated, crouching so that they were eye level. "It's okay…"
She wasn't used to seeing Ken scared. He rarely did. When he told the truth… and in Futaba's Palace when he clearly had a panic attack. She really hoped he was okay. Sure, the Shadow hit him with her weird spell that affects his cognitive functions. But still… she hoped it didn't make him relieve something painful.
"No, it's not," Ken insisted, his eyes wild. "I always drag people into trouble, and they get hurt from it! Why would it be any different this time? Why did I tell you about Shido? He's not your problem… I'm just burdening you with my problems. I'm a burden."
"Ace, stop." Makoto's hand moved to his shoulder, slowly moving down to his arm so she could grasp his hand. Ken's fingers weakly curled around her hand. "You're not a burden. You didn't force us to look into Shido, either. We wanted to."
"I'm weak," Ken whispered, his hand slid out of hers, as he looked to the ground. "I've always been… It's not just Shinjiro-san who had to save me. Akihiko-san had to talk me out of doing something stupid right after Shinjiro-san had died. And during the Shadow incident right before I left the Shadow Operatives, I had to be saved from a Shadow again…"
"Nobody is strong one hundred percent of the time," Makoto said softly. She tilted his chin up so he was forced to look at her. "You're being too hard on yourself. This isn't you, Ken. The Shadow hit you with her weird spell. You gotta shake it off."
But there was still doubt in his eyes. Makoto bit her lip. What could she do to make him believe her?
There was what she had done when Ken seemed to flashback to his mother's death, back in Futaba's Palace. She could do that. It was just a hug.
She took a deep breath, before wrapping her arms around him tightly.
"You said before that you should've just stayed away," she murmured, somehow keeping her voice steady as her heart pounded so hard that she felt it might burst from her chest. "I'm… I'm glad that you came to Tokyo."
She was about to pull away when Ken's arms suddenly wrapped around her waist.
"I'm… I'm glad I met you," he mumbled out.
Makoto felt suddenly dizzy. Last time, it had been just her hugging him. But this time… he was hugging her back and his arms felt so strong.
Makoto mentally smacked herself. Now wasn't the time to fantasize about Ken.
"So… you're okay?" she asked, pulling away.
If Ken kept hugging her, she'd probably go beat red and he'd notice how hot her face would get. Ken's smile was gentle and warm. She wanted to tell him to knock that off, it was making her belly flip when he looked at her like that. She just bit the inside of her cheek instead.
"I'm more than okay…" He hesitated for a moment, his cheeks growing a warm shade of pink. "And… thank you, Makoto. I… needed that kind of reminder. That Shadow did a number on me, I guess?"
"Yeah… those spells are the worst." Makoto weakly laughed.
She helped Ken up and they headed back for the general area where everyone had been fighting the Shadows. They were crouching, hiding from the Shadows' patrol. Thankfully the Shadow turned back around to patrol up ahead. Everyone sighed a breath of relief and came out of their hiding spot.
Makoto let out an awkward cough. "Um… sorry for taking so long…"
"Ace!" Futaba jumped to her feet and launched herself at Ken without warning, making him stagger back a couple steps. "Seriously, you had us worried! What took you so long?!"
"I'm sorry for worrying about you," Ken apologized, awkwardly patting her on top of her head.
"You better!" she huffed, puffing her cheeks out at him.
Yusuke frowned, tilting his head slightly.
"But... your Persona can use that move called Energy Shower, Queen," he pointed out. "Why didn't you?"
Makoto felt herself blush and she inadvertently elbowed Yusuke out of reflex. He flinched and yelped.
"This again? What was that for? Am I ruining some lie again like in front of Boss?" Yusuke asked as he rubbed his arm.
Makoto felt herself blush even harder. But she really shouldn't have been so childish to react that way to Yusuke. She really was letting her embarrassment get the better of her.
"I'm… sorry Yusuke, for reacting like that." She then coughed and looked away. "I just… I forgot about that ability all of a sudden, you see…"
"Someone's embarrassed I see. Were you hit with a Makajama attack then?" Ren teased, flashing her a knowing smirk.
Clearly, she elbowed the wrong Phantom Thief out of instinct. She glowered at Ren, he just wouldn't stop, would he?
"I'm sure Queen was just caught up in the heat of the moment. It's nothing to focus on," Haru piped up, though she was smiling knowingly.
Makoto fought the urge to press both hands against her face. Or crawl into the nearest hole. Did everyone know about this? Just the thought of it made Makoto want to die.
"Though Joker's got a point." Ryuji flashed her a knowing grin as well. "That's not something you'd usually do, Queen."
Did she need to tattoo on her forehead I like Ken Amada? Was it that obvious?!
Ryuji and Ren yelped in unison as Anne abruptly grabbed their ears and giving both of their ears a hard tug. Makoto let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Anne had stepped in.
"Okay, that's enough, both of you," she droned. "Ace's fine, and Queen's back, so we can continue now, right? Stop giving her a hard time!"
"Bossy, bossy," Ren sighed, shaking his head as Anne released them. "Maybe you should be the leader, then."
Anne just responded by sticking out her tongue at him. "We're wasting time."
Morgana coughed. "Anyhow, Panther's right. Let's keep up this pace!"
"Seriously, how are we gonna stop those effin' presses?!"
Ryuji had a point in being so… concerned. Haru hadn't expected that of all things to show up in her father's palace.
"Calm down," Morgana chided, frowning in Ryuji's direction. "Yelling about it won't solve anything."
"There's gotta be something around here that can help with these machines…" Ren sighed. "Come on, guys, let's get to exploring."
They navigated their way through the factory that twisted and turned, Haru wasn't even sure what it was supposed to be making in this place. They eventually found a control panel. On the screen, it read: Now changing shifts!
"Lunch and Break…" Anne read aloud. "Huh… what's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, lunch is usually longer than a break…" Ren said thoughtfully. "Maybe it'd help with our little pressing problem."
Haru couldn't help but giggle. Maybe it was a corny joke, but somehow Ren managed to deliver it well.
Ken immediately groaned.
"Puns are and never will be funny," he said flatly.
"You're no fun, Ace," Ren grumbled before selecting lunch.
Haru couldn't help but giggle at the two. This must be usual banter for them.
Ren then activated the command. The hydraulic presses slowed down to a halt. An automatic voice then rang out.
"It is now lunchtime! Let us consume our slop and gleefully reenergize!" A mechanical voice rang out.
Yusuke looked at the panel then turned back to the group in horror.
"This…don't tell me the lunchtime command is a mere thirty seconds?!" Yusuke suddenly blurted out, pointing at the screen.
Sure enough, there was a glowing red timer, slowly ticking down to zero.
"And lunch is the longest break…" Makoto said, with a frown. "Isn't this breaking labor laws?"
"I'm sure it's not that way in the real world. But more of Okumura's perception of it. Which… doesn't bode well for his own schedule either if he mentally sees this as acceptable." Morgana winced.
Haru couldn't help but feel her heart drop hearing that. Not only did this imply the employees were getting shorter break times in the real world, but… as Morgana said, this would imply her father felt it's acceptable for all to have that. Including him. Now that she thought about it… eating a meal (when he was ever around for it) was the only time he ever sat down to unwind. Even then he was still always on some business call or doing trade.
His work had consumed him so much, that he didn't allow himself to breath. No… he would see it as a weakness now. And by extension, no one could be weak either…
"They probably use some kind of loophole for shorter breaks…" Ken mused. "I can't fathom what it would be, but someone had to have noticed that…"
"Or they could've been silenced, lower on the totem pole guys were probably threatened to be replaced. Any complaint to higher up was probably ignored," Futaba mumbled. "We didn't even look into that… Inari and I focused on the rivals."
At Futaba's statement, Haru's heart gave a painful squeeze.
Had Father truly done anything to maintain the status quo? When had he become so… ruthless?
"Right…" Ren said as the timer hit zero.
The automatic voice then talked about how the employees were supposed to gleefully return to work.
"Okay, guys, we're gonna have to make a break for it when I hit lunch again. Ready?" At everyone's nod, he selected lunch again. "Run, guys!"
But a Shadow caught sight of them and ran towards them. Haru gripped her axe tightly before lunging towards it. They were forced to fight it, but of course that caused the timer to reset completely. It took a couple minutes, but it was thankfully a weaker Shadow.
The group were all exasperated as they returned to the control panel.
"If only we could be in two places at once…" Haru lamented while fiddling with the handle of her axe.
Ren sighed, wiping some perspiration from his brow. "This is gonna be harder than expected…"
"Yeah, no kidding!" Ryuji groaned, leaning forward as he rested his hands on his knees.
"Wait, Noir may be onto something…" Ken said slowly.
"I was?" Haru asked with a frown.
Ken nodded. "We're a pretty big group now… why not use that to our advantage?"
"What do you propose, Ace?" Yusuke asked.
"Remember back in Futaba's Palace, when we used a pincher movement to trap the bandit?" Ken asked. "Why not use the rear-guard team to bait the Shadows?"
"Like… shooting their guns and attracting their attention somewhere else?" Makoto continued, rubbing her chin. "Hmm… we do have a limited time, and it would increase security, but these Shadows are a hassle."
"That's not a bad idea," Ren said, looking thoughtful. "Let's try it out…"
"We've got nothing to lose…" Anne sighed.
They tensed as Ren selected lunch. Ren let the rear-guard members run ahead and bait the Shadows with their guns as Makoto had proposed. And as Ken predicted, they ran towards the source of the gunshot.
Haru scrambled up the hydraulic lift; she found herself struggling a little, her muscles burning. But then Yusuke pulled her up completely. Haru barely could give him a smile in thanks before they were forced to scramble off the lift.
"We… did… it…" Futaba got out in between pants.
That was when they noticed another control panel.
"And… we have several more to go," Anne said flatly. "This is gonna be fun."
After much tediousness… jumping and running as Haru felt her heart hammering in her ears. Somehow… they did it. They got through every hydraulic press. Eventually the rear team eventually caught up with them. It was a relief when they finally cleared the area, and unfortunately had to go through all the hydraulic presses and time crunches. But they all managed.
They thankfully stumbled across another safe room.
"I'm beat," Ryuji groaned, plopping down in a seat. "What about you guys?"
"More than beat," Morgana agreed with a sigh.
"I think this is a good place to leave off," Ren said, before looking towards Morgana. "What do you think?"
"Hmm… I think we're over halfway through the Palace…" Morgana said. "If we keep up the pace, we should be able to clear it during our next visit!"
"But…" Haru began to protest.
"Hey, calm down," Ryuji said.
"Skull telling someone else to calm down?" Morgana snipped. "I really must be tired. It's like I'm dreaming."
"Oh, shuddup!" Ryuji retorted. "But anyways, we can't push ourselves so hard, y'know? You'll collapse out of exhaustion."
Ren nodded and gently pat Haru on her shoulder.
"Skull's right, Noir," he said sympathetically. "We're making great progress. We'll visit the Palace again and reach the Treasure. That's a promise."
"Oh… okay," Haru said with a frown.
They were right. It would be unwise to continue after being so worn down. She wanted to put an end to her father's atrocities… save his company… save herself… save him from himself.
But she must be patient. They got this far… her new friends will help her put a stop to this soon.
"Ugh, I hate that it gets dark earlier now." Anne pouted.
Ren chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. "It has perks too, though."
"Mm, I suppose…"
Anne slid an arm around his waist, giving it a light squeeze. But then she gave a light sigh, gazing up towards the sky.
"Poor Haru, though… and she has to go back home after we found out about how her dad views his employees. It must've been a shock, to find out one of your parents would feel something like that."
Ren couldn't help but frown. He worried about how Haru was feeling too…
And well… he could sympathize. His parents weren't at Okumura's level but that horrible night when everything went wrong… he saw a different side to his parents. And everything that went down that night… he still couldn't forgive that.
"Yeah… but all we can do is support her," Morgana said, poking his head from Ren's satchel.
Anne nodded, pumping both of her fists. "You're right!"
"Though… what about your parents, Anne?" Ren asked. "I know they're not around a lot…"
Anne shook her head. "Don't worry about it, not hiding anything about that. They're just… super busy but it's their dream since even before they became a couple. And they always talk with me on the phone and video call."
She then bit her lip, peeking at Ren.
"And… I do want them to meet you in person. I would rather that than over video call. I'm hoping to get them to come around New Year's, if not sooner."
"Sure, that gives me plenty of time to prepare," Ren said lightly.
Anne swatted his shoulder. "Stop! They'll love you! I think Dad especially will like you."
Ren chuckled, kissing her forehead. "If you say so."
Before Anne could say anything else, Ren's phone suddenly buzzed. Thinking it was from the group chat; Ren fished his phone from his pocket. But he saw that Futaba had made a new group chat—one with him, Futaba, and Ryuji.
Group Chat: Futaba Sakura, Ren Amamiya, Ryuji Sakamoto
[Ren: Is there a reason for this gc?
[Futaba: don't play dumb Ren. I wanna know what were you saying to Makoto that made her so red at the start of the palace exploring!
[Ren: you don't wanna guess? :) :) :)
[Futaba: UGH
[Futaba: fine, you were teasing her about Ken, weren't you?
[Ren: Guilty as charged
[Ryuji: surprised she didn't use her FISTS OF JUSTICE on ya
[Ren: nah she was too embarrassed. It was funny lmao
[Ren: tried feeding her a pickup line but she didn't bite
[Ryuji: kinda funny that Ken hasn't had a clue tho
[Ryuji: even with all the girls chasing after him
[Ren: from what he's told me
[Ren: Ken's always been chased after girls who were obvious about it.
[Ren: and well… not their friends
[Futaba: lmao so you're saying Makoto has an uphill battle
"What are you grinning at?" Morgana asked, his voice suspicious.
Ren just waved a hand in dismissal. "Nothing."
"Riiight." Anne's expression deadpanned.
Ren chuckled before leaning to kiss her forehead again. "Fine, Futaba was bringing up Makoto and Ken."
Anne rolled her eyes before giving him a light push.
"You're not gonna do something stupid like lock them in a room, are you?"
"Well now that you spoke it in the universe…"
"Ren!"
As she scolded him, Anne put her hands on her hips. Her lower lip curled outward into the most adorable angry pout.
"Fine, fine, I won't meddle," Ren said, raising his hands.
Anne eyed him suspiciously. "You better keep your word."
"Don't I always?" Ren laughed as he walked her up to her apartment complex.
As they stood in front of her door, Anne sighed and shook her head. "You're ridiculous. And a dork."
"But I'm your ridiculous dork!" Ren said cheerfully.
Anne just giggled and kissed his cheek.
"And don't you forget it!" she said teasingly as she nuzzled his cheek. "Anyways, g'night!"
Ren watched her leave before checking the group chat once again. Ren's eyebrow raised.
He couldn't help but start to snicker in amusement.
[Ryuji: wonder when they'll get their act together. Betcha it won't be till after they graduate
[Futaba: you really think Ken's gonna be dumb for another six months? Ha! I betcha they'll get together before November
[Ren: can I join in on this bet?
[Ryuji: oooh we're putting money into this?
[Ren: 3000 yen that Makoto and Ken get their act together sometime in December, just in time for Christmas ;)
[Ryuji: we gonna bet on who confesses first?
[Ren: nah, I think if we bet on the intimate details and Makoto finds out…
[Futaba: Skull punching bag!
[Ryuji: why am I the one getting punched?!
Morgana groaned as he read over the chat.
"You promised Lady Anne—"
"That I wouldn't interfere," Ren said breezily. "Not that I wouldn't bet on them."
Morgana huffed. "You sure you don't wanna become a lawyer? I bet you could sniff out all the loopholes."
Ren fought the urge to grimace. He still remembered that douchebag prosecutor from the trial earlier this year…
"I don't think so," Ren said dryly.
Saturday, September 24th, 2016
Being productive was all good and well, but Ren loved the lazy afternoons as well. Especially when he spent them with Anne. They had snuck upstairs—though Sojiro had given him a smarmy grin when he saw it was Anne by his side. (Okay, it really wasn't sneaking.)
Anne let out a pleased hum as Ren kissed down her neck. He really appreciated that Anne wore a top that bared her neck… It made everything more… accessible. His hands slid down her sides, before he wrapped his arms around her waist before going to kiss her on the lips again. Anne's hands ran over his chest for a moment before they slid into his hair. She gave a light tug, and he couldn't help but groan. Anne just responded by giggling before skimming her hands over his sides. Somewhere along the way, they had cast their jackets aside and were taking the time to slowly enjoy exploring each other's bodies.
"Ren? Sakura-san said that you were up… here…"
They both snapped to attention, looking towards the stairs. Ken was standing at the top of the stairs, his hand tightly clamped over his eyes.
"Ken!" Anne gasped, immediately flushing red as Ren rolled over so she could sit up. "Uhhh… we were just…"
"Save it," Ken droned, still refusing to drop his hand. "Just… make yourself presentable so I can actually look at the two of you."
They began adjusting their clothes before Anne leaned over and began to rub at his lips.
"Lip gloss," she whispered to him.
"I loved it," Ren whispered back, making Anne roll her eyes at him.
"Is it safe now?"
"Safe?" Ren echoed. "Jeez, you act like you walked in on something a lot worse."
Ken just responded by dropping his hand and giving him a stern glare. "That kind of thing better not be happening without the right precautions."
"What are you? Our mother?" Ren just shrugged. "You already told me once, you don't have to again."
"Huh?!" Anne sputtered, turning bright red. "H-Hey, it's not like that!"
Ken responded by shooting a withering look. "Yes, because hook-ups in our age bracket are mostly planned."
"That's not—ugh! You better have a good reason for this!" Anne grumbled.
Ren just snickered. Kinda funny that Anne couldn't refute it.
He's had a couple relationships. More casual ones, several first dates but it was rare for it to continue past it. Anne was really his first serious relationship.
He'd be lying if there was more he'd like to explore with her, but he was content to wait. Her comfort was his highest priority, after all.
Ken just nodded. "Well… I do actually."
Then he frowned.
"Wait, is Morgana even here?"
"He went for a walk around the neighborhood, you think he'd hang around while we're having alone time?" Ren asked.
Ken's face scrunched up. "I guess that makes sense."
Then he shook his head, folding his arms over his chest.
"Now, Ren, you've talked to me before about wanting to speak to another Wild Card."
Ken spoke carefully, his gaze scrutinizing. Ren straightened up at that.
Yeah, he asked Ken about it. But he didn't think Ken could actually pull it off. Ren frowned as a thought struck him.
"Wait, I thought the other Shadow Operatives couldn't come to Tokyo. Are you thinking of a video call?" he asked cautiously.
Ken shook his head. "No, not quite. You know how I told you about there being Persona-users in Inaba before, right?"
"Yeah, they solved the Hanged Man Case, didn't they?"
Even though Shimoda wasn't close to Inaba—nearly a couple hundred kilometers apart in distance—he still remembered the ripple effects of that case. His parents had been kinda cagey about it too. There had been a huge uproar over the killer being a part of the police force when that was exposed.
Ken nodded, before letting out an affirmative hum. "Their leader, Yu Narukami, is their Wild Card. And he's visiting Inaba this weekend. It's because of Rise-san. She had some time off, so he decided to come and visit with everyone."
Anne and Ren just turned and blinked at each other. Anne then looked over at a certain poster she gifted Ren that was hanging on the wall currently.
Anne shook her head. "I can't believe you're on first name terms with Risette. And you're so casual about meeting up with her."
Ken just rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, I'm not even that close to her… Fuuka-san's pretty good friends with her, though."
Ren had to raise an eyebrow at that. Fuuka-san was not the first person he'd think would click with Risette.
But he couldn't help but wonder… just how many celebrities did Ken even know? Two of his senpai were famous in their fields of work, which was weird enough. And now he's acquainted with Risette? Who just happened to be friends with Fuuka-san?
But then what Ken was trying to propose sunk in.
"Wait a sec… you want us to go to Inaba?" he asked slowly.
Ken just sighed, before giving a shrug. "I know it's not ideal, but Yu-san is studying at the University of Kyoto right now. That's a lot further than Inaba. I checked last night, and a train to Inaba is only an hour and a half away. We could be gone and back before you know it. Yu-san would be expecting us, but he understands if you don't want to go… with school and all."
Talking to a Wild Card… meeting them in person. That wouldn't be an opportunity that would come around any time soon. And he had asked Ken if he could help with that…
Ren took a deep breath, before looking at Ken steadily. "Let's do it."
Ken blinked. "You really want to do it?"
Ren gave him a small smile and nod.
"Yeah. You did what you promised, Ken. I don't want to throw your efforts in your face. Though…" He looked at his friend. "Do you think we could bring… everyone?"
"Everyone?" Ken repeated, rubbing his chin for a moment. "Well, if they are up for it…"
Ren let out a quiet sigh. Part of his reasoning was… kinda selfish. He felt a bit nervous about going to see this older Wild Card. What if this guy judged him for what they were doing? They solved the Hanged Man case, which had stumped the police for nearly a year. Though, it'd be not as bad as compared to meeting Minako-san. Her brother died to save the world from Death. How could he compare to that?
Anne glanced over at him, blonde brows furrowing for a moment. There was a… thoughtful look in her bright eyes. But then she reached for her phone.
"I'll text the others, and give everyone a time limit to answer," she said. "What time is the first train to Inaba anyways?"
"Umm…" Ken's forehead wrinkled for a moment. "I think it was 9?"
"Well that's perfect," Anne mused, as her fingers flew across her phone screen. "We can grab an early lunch before we go to see this Narukami-san. Oooh, I wonder what kind of food we'll find there!"
Their phones went off just as she finished, since she understandably messaged the Phantom Thieves group chat. They couldn't help but all chuckle.
"But anyways, thanks, Ken," Ren said, looking at the older boy. "You didn't have to do this."
Ken just shrugged.
"You asked me to. It's nothing really… But anyways…" He gave them a wry smile. "I'll leave you two be. I've intruded on your alone time long enough."
"A-Alone time?" Anne squeaked out, her face flushing.
"It's not like you're being chaperoned," Ken said dryly before he ducked to dodge the pillow Anne chucked at him.
Ren had to choke a laugh. Maybe Ken had a lot of practice dodging projectiles while living with Shinjiro-san.
He was already descending the stairs now. "And that's my cue to leave."
Anne fumed, pouting for a moment before she plopped onto the bed.
"The nerve of him… I feel a little sorry for Shinjiro-san now." But then she looked at him with a beaming smile as he joined her on the bed. "But hey, it's so cool that you get to talk to another Wild Card like this!"
"Yeah…" Ren did his best to infuse some enthusiasm in his voice. "It's great that Ken pulled this for me."
"Ren…?" Anne spoke up hesitantly, resting a hand on his arm. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, Anne," Ren said.
"Uh-uh." Anne frowned at him, wagging a finger at him. "Don't try to lie to me. Come on, talk to me. What's bugging you?"
Ren heaved out a sigh.
"What if… I'm not good enough?" He hated how weak he sounded, but it was how he felt. "Not a good enough Wild Card, not a good enough leader…"
Anne touched his cheek for a moment, smiling warmly at him. Her other hand took his right hand and their fingers interlocked.
"Ren, no talking about what ifs, remember?" She then leaned in and kissed his cheek. "It'll be fine, Ren… I don't think Narukami-san will expect you to be like him. You're you and he's him. And… I wouldn't change a single thing about you. My confident, sexy boyfriend who makes a kickass leader. I wouldn't want any other leader."
She slightly blushed as she giggled.
"Ohhh, I'm sexy, am I?" Ren couldn't but grin at her.
She really had a way to cheer him up and make his worries melt away. She was just so… optimistic. She was like the sun, all fire and warmth.
"Shall I demonstrate further?" he teased.
Anne just giggled, but she didn't smack him. Not even playfully.
"Of course you focus on that." She huffed with a wry grin.
"Don't give me ammo then." Ren grinned before leaning in to give his girlfriend a kiss.
Notes:
I hope the first half of Okumura's Palace was interesting enough to read, given it spans most of the chapter. Some of the mechanics were... difficult to translate.
I hope this chapter answers the question of just which Wild Card Ren will be meeting in person. I took some liberation with the train time, but I’m basing Inaba's location off of Fuefuki, the Japanese city that seems to be Inaba's inspiration.
Updated on 6/15/25.
Chapter 27: Ch. 26: The Inaba Trip
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves meet the Investigation Team. Shenanigans ensue.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, September 25th, 2016
“Last stop… Yasoinaba Station… I repeat, Yasoinaba…”
The conductor’s voice dragged Ken out of his slumber. He blinked several times before rubbing his eyes. Oh right, they were on the train riding to Inaba. He must’ve fallen asleep at some point.
He then shifted, only to realize there was a weight on his shoulder. Ken felt his cheeks warm when he realized just what the source was.
Makoto had fallen asleep on his shoulder. And she looked so peaceful when asleep. He almost felt bad for having to wake her up. Her hair fell in her face as she shifted slightly, and Ken brushed it away without thinking. Makoto was sitting closer than she usually would… if they were sitting closer, it’d be almost like back in Okumura’s Palace.
Ken groaned, pressing a hand to his still flushed face. When he had been hit with Evil Smile, what he said was a blur. What he did remember was Makoto comforted him, the way she held his hand, and the way she had hugged him.
Ken normally wasn’t fond of being touched. He didn’t mind being touched on the shoulder or being briefly touched on the arm—that was usually how his male senpai showed affection anyways. But hugs, even ones from Minako-san or Fuuka-san which were strictly platonic, made him a bit squirmy. But with Makoto… it was different. It felt nice, and he honestly had been a little disappointed when Makoto had pulled away.
But now, he was just a little… confused. Makoto was his friend. Why did he feel so off all of a sudden with her?
Ken then shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away. It wasn’t just Makoto who had fallen asleep; both Haru and Futaba had wound up napping too. He needed to get all three of them up.
“Hey, guys, wake up,” he said, before reaching to shake Makoto awake.
“Huuuh?” Futaba blinked her eyes open, before yawning. She then patted her face, frowning when she discovered that her face was bare. “Where are my glasses…?”
“Mm… we’re here?” Haru asked, yawning herself. She rubbed her eyes, before looking around. “That was shorter than I had suspected.”
“Yeah, it is only an hour and a half,” Ken answered, before looking over to Futaba. “And Futaba, I took your glasses and put them in the front compartment of your bag. I didn’t want them to fall off your face during the train ride.”
Futaba yawned again, though she did try to stifle it with her hand. “Thanks. Though early train rides should be made illegal…”
Haru just giggled. “Futaba-chan, it wasn’t that early.”
“I had to get up at eight today, Haru! Eight!” she whined, giving a small pout.
Ken had to stifle a laugh. Though he had to wonder if Futaba had forgotten that you had to get up at seven for school…
But Makoto was still asleep; jeez, she must’ve been really tired. Ken continued to shake her until Makoto woke up with a gasp.
Her cheeks went pink before she yanked away from him. Her eyes were wide with shock.
“S-Sorry! I’m… I didn’t mean to fall asleep like—!”
Ken couldn’t help but frown. Was sleeping on him so embarrassing?
“Makoto, it’s fine—”
The door suddenly slid open and Anne stuck her head inside.
“Hey, what are you guys doing sitting around?” she asked with a frown. “This is our stop!”
Thank heavens for Anne’s timely interruption. She saved him from the uncharted waters of an awkward conversation they were devolving into. He couldn’t imagine continuing this in front of Haru and Futaba (especially Futaba).
“Sorry, all of us were napping,” Ken said, before he stood up. “But yeah, you’re right, Anne.”
They grabbed their various bags and met up with the rest of the second-years. Their group was too big for them to get just one compartment, so they had split into two.
Ryuji looked around the moment they stepped out of the station and into Inaba. He shook his head.
“Damn, I knew that Inaba would be kinda sleepy—but I didn’t think it’d be that quiet,” he said as crossed his arms and frowned.
“I like it,” Haru said with a content smile. “It’s quaint. A change of pace after Tokyo.”
“Indeed.” Yusuke nodded firmly. “The countryside is picturesque. I imagine that you could paint some lovely landscape pieces here.”
Ren just shrugged. “Eh… I’m used to that kind of thing. My hometown’s pretty much like this most of the year… when it’s not tourist season. But even then, it’s still not as swamped compared to other coastal towns during the vacation periods.”
“Oh, right, I forgot that you came from a more isolated town…” Makoto remarked. “Where are you from again?”
Ren shifted uncomfortably, fiddling with his glasses for a moment. “I’m from Shimoda. It’s a port town but they’re really big on the historical aspect of Shimoda.”
“History?” Ryuji frowned. “What exactly is your port town famous for?”
“It was the first port to welcome Americans or whatever,” Ren grumbled. “Besides beaches and hot springs, you would get bored living in a resort town after a while. Doing the same activities over and over will make you sick of it, if it’s all you do. It’s really different from Tokyo.”
Haru gave a small hum. “Tokyo must’ve been an exciting change for you, then, Ren-kun.”
“Not… at first. Considering the circumstances. But that quickly changed over time. Especially after making some new friends and starting up the Phantom Thieves.” Ren nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “And I get to see a lot of new sights all the time. Meet new faces constantly. Tokyo is a lot more exciting, which is nice.”
Anne smiled and squeezed his hand.
“Be that as it may, the city life can be overwhelming. I wouldn’t mind a quiet place like this for a time.” Makoto sighed. “It has such a comfortable feeling here. And I’d love to visit Shimoda too, and not just for the historical aspects… which I know you’re about to quip about Ren.”
Ren let go of Anne's hand briefly. He then held both hands in the air in mock ‘I surrender’ fashion.
“I plead the fifth,” he declared with a smirk.
Makoto just rolled her eyes. Anne couldn’t help but giggle at her boyfriend’s antics, and held onto his right hand again. Ryuji snorted, then looked around the scenery of Inaba with a skeptical look.
“Dude, it looks like you could fall asleep just walkin’ around here. What do you even do here?” Ryuji groused.
“I don’t know about that,” Ken said, folding his arms over his chest. “Granted, I wasn’t in Inaba for too long when I last visited, but the people are quite lively. It makes the town bigger than what it seems.”
Haru smiled, looking over some of the buildings in response. She looked over at a café in the distance, with a wistful expression. Futaba quirked an eyebrow in her direction. Before she could say something, Makoto cleared her throat.
“But anyways…” Makoto glanced over at Ken. “Shall we get going? Where are we going, by the way?”
Ken explained, “Yu-san stays with his uncle and younger cousin when he visits Inaba. We’ll be going to their residence.”
Ren suddenly tensed at that, making Anne frown. She squeezed his hand for a moment, making Ren smile at her in response.
Ken had to wonder what that was about. Though he supposed that given how everyone was a bit cautious about the Shadow Operatives, Ren would be a bit leery of meeting other Persona-users.
He had no idea what Yu-san even thought of the Phantom Thieves. Or any of the Investigation Team, for that matter.
Aside from Yu-san and Rise-san… who was home? He knew that Yukiko-san and Kanji-san were a given, since they were working with their families’ businesses. Yukiko-san commuted to Okina University part-time, though. He forgot what her major was… but she wanted to do something on the side to see what will attract more customers. And Naoto-san was having some trouble finding work lately…
“Helloooo?” The sound of snapping fingers dragged him out of his thoughts, making him flinch.
Ryuji just grumbled in response, folding his arms over his chest.
“Dude, why are you zoning out on us like that?” he complained.
Ken sighed, rubbing his face for a moment. “Sorry. I was just… thinking.”
“Ryuji, there’s no need to be so impatient. Ken’s not all that much more familiar with Inaba than us,” Yusuke chided.
“No, no… he’s right.” Ken sighed, rubbing his temples. “Come on.”
They entered the shopping district. It was pretty lively with several of the denizens coming and going in the family-owned businesses.
“That torii gate…” Makoto stared at it with a frown. “Is that gold?”
“Daaaamn…” Ryuji gaped at it. “You’re right! How the hell can they afford that?!”
“Oh, you must be new here.” A passing by housewife turned to look at them. “This shrine is really special. If you make a wish, it somehow miraculously comes true! We truly have a benevolent spirit watching over us.”
“Huh.” Ren tilted his head. “Sounds like a bit of an urban myth… I’ll admit the gold gate is very impressive though.”
The housewife let out an airy laugh.
“Well, you can believe me or not. Though, if you want a real urban myth, you should hear about the Midnight Channel! It was the craze just a few years ago.” She then shook her head, looking wistfully towards the south entrance. “It’d be right about time for Namatame-san to make his usual speech, but he’s moved higher up. I do hope that he does visit soon. He made a wonderful mayor.”
“Namatame-san…?” Haru questioned, tilting her head.
The housewife shook her head. “Look at me, talking your ears off. You kids probably have some place to go! What brings you here to little Inaba?”
“Oh, we’re here to visit with a… friend,” Ken said. “Do you know Officer Dojima’s nephew?”
“Do I?” she echoed with a laugh. “There isn’t a soul in Inaba who doesn’t know who Yu Narukami is! He was such a polite young man. It came as a huge surprise when the news came out that he was dating Rise-chan. They’ve been friends since high school but Rise-chan being an idol had to keep herself at an arms-length apart.” She then smiled. “They do make a sweet couple, though.”
Right… if only she knew just how long they had been dating. Ken flashed her a small smile regardless and nodded, as if this was news to him. No sense in bringing that up.
“But anyways, you shouldn’t keep Narukami-kun waiting,” she said, with a wave of a hand. “It was nice to meeting you all!”
“It was nice speaking to you,” Makoto said politely.
The housewife had barely stepped away when Ken’s phone suddenly went off.
Message From: Yu Narukami
[Yu Narukami]: Shinjiro-san told me that you’re coming after all
[Yu Narukami]: I know it’s around lunch time, so we ordered Aiya’s takeout
[Ken Amada]: Um… did Shinjiro-san tell you that we’re bringing everyone?
[Yu Narukami]: Yeah, he did
[Yu Narukami]: Don’t worry about the price. You’re high school students after all
[Ken Amada]: …University students aren’t much richer
Ken couldn’t help but frown after a few minutes of no quick response. That was just like Yu-san… of course he’d want to make sure they wouldn’t pay and were taken care of.
“That was from Yu-san,” he said, slipping his phone into his pocket. “He said he ordered lunch from a local restaurant so we should just head straight there.”
“Oooh, sweet!” Ryuji cheered, pumping his fist. “I’m starving!”
“Since when aren’t you?” Morgana snarked.
“Ugh, shuddup, Morgana!” Ryuji retorted. “How come you never make fun of Anne when she talks ‘bout being hungry, huh?!”
“Hey, don’t drag me into this!” Anne cried, glaring at Ryuji. “And… I don’t complain about being hungry often anyway.”
Ren just chuckled at the two of them. “Come on, guys, settle down. We have to walk to Narukami’s uncle’s place still.”
“And you’re making a scene…” Futaba mumbled at first. Then she said much louder, “But there seriously aren’t any trains here? This is seriously primitive.”
Yusuke frowned. “I do not see the issue. I usually walk while commuting.”
Even though Yusuke had mentioned this before, it was always unsettling. Especially since the train fare always felt like inconsequential. Besides, some parts of Shibuya were really unsafe, especially during Kaneshiro’s grip on it. The more he thought about it… the more it seemed like a benevolent spirit or god was looking after Yusuke.
Haru coughed, shuffling her feet. “This is getting us nowhere. Lead the way, Ken-kun.”
Ken activated the GPS app on his phone before inputting the address that Yu-san had sent him earlier. He then proceeded to lead his friends towards Dojima-san’s residence.
Ken couldn’t help but smile as they winded through the quiet town. Most people not paying their little group any mind. Just small families or friends walking around the shops, and making small talk. It was night and day compared to the crowds and noise of Tokyo.
It was… quaint. There was a charm to Inaba he couldn’t deny.
As they made their way out of the business district and into the neighborhoods, the atmosphere remained peaceful. Just a few families out gardening, or kids playing with their friends. A couple walking their dog.
Their own group made small talk during it, but Ken honestly didn’t absorb anything anyone was saying. He was enjoying the peace around them.
The metal plaque that read Dojima residence out in front confirmed that they had found the right house, so Ken rang the doorbell. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ren tensing up again.
Yu-san was really nice. He hoped that Ren wouldn’t let his trepidation affect his conversation with Yu-san.
“Coming!” Rise-san’s melodic voice rang out.
“Dude, is that Narukami’s cousin?” Ryuji asked. “She has a hot voice!”
Ken immediately cringed. Not that Ryuji knew how old Nanako-san was or that he just confused Yu-san’s girlfriend with his cousin. But he couldn’t help but imagine what Yu-san’s reaction would be if he heard that… or Dojima-san…
“Not… quite…” Ken began with a voice. “It’s—”
The door yanked open, revealing a short woman in her early twenties. Copper hair cascaded down several centimeters past her shoulders. She was dressed in a gold mini-dress with a zigzag pattern, paired with black translucent tights.
“Ken-kun, you’re here!” Rise-san said with her usual bright smile; and then she giggled, pressing a hand to her cheek. “Fuuka-chan is right. You just keep getting more and more handsome as the years go by.”
“Rise-saaaaan…” he groaned.
Why did she have to be like… this? Yes, that was her personality, but must she do it in front of everyone?
“Hey, I’m just stating the truth!” Rise-san winked at him, her brown eyes twinkling. “Sooo… have you been charming the ladies in Tokyo? Or do you have a special lady of your own now?”
“Rise-san!” Ken’s cheeks flushed and he fought the urge to start smacking his head against the wall. “I don’t… there isn’t anyone, okay?!”
Just why was he letting her teases get to him more than usual? It wasn’t like he hadn’t been teased about this before…
“Holyyyy shit….” Ryuji gaped at Rise-san and then back to Ken. “You… you know, Risette?”
“Am I… missing something?” Yusuke asked, tilting his head.
Rise-san just giggled and flashed Yusuke a wink.
“Aw, a pure soul!” Rise-san cooed.
She then glanced over the whole group. Her smile growing wider by the second as her eyes sparkled with excitement. Rise-san always was… a bit too extroverted at times. But that probably came with the territory if you become an idol.
“It’s nice to meet all of you! I’m Rise Kujikawa, but Rise’s just fine! Some people—” she looked pointedly at Ken, “—are a tad too formal!”
Ken just grumbled and shot her a look. She just winked at him. Yep… she was gonna be extra annoying at him on purpose today. He could feel it.
He felt a strong grip on his shoulder. Ken turned to see a very excited Ryuji, who practically had stars in his eyes. He couldn’t help but sigh.
“I can’t believe you know Risette!!” Ryuji exclaimed, before punching Ken in the shoulder. “Dude! Why didn’t you tell us?! She’s even hotter in person!”
Anne grabbed him by the ear and yanked hard, making Ryuji yelp in pain. “She has a boyfriend! Don’t you have any manners?!”
Ken frowned and rubbed his shoulder. “Not that he should say that to her face, even if she didn’t have a boyfriend.”
“Oh Ken-kun, he means no harm.” Rise-san giggled.
Ken grumbled again. True he didn’t, but Ryuji should work on his bluntness, regardless.
Futaba then cleared her throat and pushed her glasses up. She stared up at Yusuke, looking very unimpressed.
“You seriously live under a rock though, Inari,” Futaba complained. “Haven’t you seen the posters for her latest album, Sapphire?”
“Oh, that’s right…” Yusuke said.
“Yep, that’s me! Though I do wish the agency hadn’t used my old look. I haven’t sported that look in years.” She then shook her head. “But here I am, talking your ears off! Come in, guys! We can make proper introductions inside!”
They removed their shoes, and Ken was relieved to see that Ren had relaxed slightly with Rise-san’s chattering. There was something about Rise-san that made people at ease.
Rise-san suddenly latched onto Ken’s arm, tugging him close.
“Soo…” Her smile turned devious. “Shinjiro-san is planning to propose to Fuuka-chan soon… right?”
Ken couldn’t help but wince. He should’ve known that would have gotten out to Rise-san eventually. While Rise-san was very close to Fuuka-san, she was also good friends with both Yukari-san and Minako-san. And they were both in the loop about Shinjiro-san wanting to propose…
“He is… it’s not helping that Fuuka-san has only been able to visit for a few days at a time.”
“Hmmm…” Rise-san studied him closely. “He better make it a good one. I offered to help him with ideas, but noooo… my ideas are too ‘crazy’ apparently. And it better be soon. Or else I’m coming after him. I’m having a concert in November, so it’s not like I won’t have a reason to be in Tokyo!”
Ken just winced again. “Duly noted, Rise-san. I’ll let Shinjiro-san know.”
And by let him know, he meant absolutely not. Shinjiro-san always complained that they already had one Minako-san, when Rise-san was around. Shinjiro-san or Fuuka-san haven’t even mentioned to him when Fuuka-san was visiting next.
Rise-san just giggled. “I just wanted to let you know. I want Fuuka-chan to be happy!”
While he agreed, he didn’t want to rush Shinjiro-san until he felt the time was right.
“It must be nice to be out in the open about dating Yu-san, huh?” Ken said, changing the subject.
“Oh, you have no idea, Ken-kun.” Rise-san winked, then flashed him a sly smile. “So… you really don’t have a lady in mind? Really? With all of your pretty lady friends now?”
Ken groaned. Not even Minako-san teased him about this. (Well… not yet.)
Even if Anne wasn’t taken by Ren, he couldn’t see himself dating her. Ren may find her silly moments endearing but he didn’t. And Futaba, she was nearly three years younger. Not that there was something wrong with it… but he didn’t look at her that way. If anything, he saw her more like a younger sister. And Haru… she was nice, but he honestly didn't know much about her still. He supposed if he had to pick… he would choose Makoto. She was smart, pretty, and he always enjoyed spending time with her…
Wait… what was he thinking?
“Oooh, you’re blushing!” Rise-san giggled, all while smiling deviously. “So, who is it, hmm?”
Okay, he understood why Shinjiro-san called Rise-san nosy. Rise-san was always nice to him, but apparently, he was a new target to her now.
“We’ve been making everyone wait,” Ken blurted out. “We better go.”
“Heeeey!” Rise-san protested. “You get back here, Ken-kun!”
Ren hated that he was nervous about this. Why should he care about this random stranger’s opinion of him? It’s not like many people thought highly of him. Not even his own parents did. Who cared if Yu Narukami thought he was an obnoxious delinquent who had too much time on his hands?
Oh wait, he did. He thought it’d be good for him to meet a fellow Wild Card but the Shadow Operatives were already doubting their intentions. Why would Yu Narukami and his team be any different? Especially since Naoto Shirogane was famous for helping solve the Adachi case at the young age of sixteen. Why would a detective trust him? He didn’t know if Shirogane was even part of Narukami’s team, but it was kinda suspicious…
Anne silently took Ren’s hand and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Ren looked at her, and she just smiled softly at him. Ren squeezed her hand back. He thanks his lucky stars for having her as a girlfriend every day.
They stepped into the living room, which was modestly sized. There was a couch, but Ren’s eyes were drawn to the kotatsu. Just like his old house.
Sitting on the couch were three adults, all looking like they were in their early twenties, while another sat on the floor. Ren’s eyes were immediately drawn to the man sitting on the couch at the far right.
He had steel gray hair in a bowl cut style—but somehow, he managed to pull it off—and his eyes were gray. There was something piercing about his gaze. Confidence radiated around him, and he held himself tall and proud. He was dressed rather fancily with a black dress shirt under a light gray vest and a yellow tie and a pair of light gray slacks.
That must be Narukami. He had that air about him… he could tell this man was a leader.
Two women sat with the gray-haired man. The taller of the two had a slender, willow-like build. She had long jet-black hair, pulled back in a French braid, porcelain skin, and dark eyes. She sorta was like Hifumi, in how she looked like a traditional Japanese beauty. To top it off, she wore a red kimono with a white lily pattern and a yellow obi.
The shorter woman had dark blue hair that she wore up in a ponytail. Even though she was sitting down, Ren could see that she was positively tiny. She wore a white top and black suspenders. She seemed to be observing all of them. Ren honestly felt like he was underneath a magnifying glass.
Leaning against the shorter woman’s legs was a… extremely tall man. Ren could tell that he was tall, even though he sat on the floor. He was built like a brick wall, with broad shoulders and muscled arms. He was almost dressed like a biker, with his black jacket and jeans. He had a dark blue scarf tucked into his jacket.
“So… are you just gonna stare at us the whole time?”
Ren snapped to attention. It was the taller man who spoke.
“Kanji-kun…” The blue-haired woman nudged his side with her foot, giving him a reproving look. “That was rude.”
“…Sorry, Naoto,” he grumbled.
Ren wasn’t sure why, but he got the feeling he’s seen the blue-haired woman before. But he couldn’t place where.
That was then Ken entered the living room, looking flustered for some reason. Rise grumbled about him running off before perching herself on the couch’s arm next to the one he was pretty sure was Narukami.
“I was wondering what took you so long, Rise,” the gray-haired man laughed softly. “Pestering Ken about Shinjiro-san proposing, right?”
Rise just giggled, her eyes twinkling. “Something like that~”
Ken just groaned, pressing a hand against his face. “She is quite the handful, Yu-san.”
Okay, what did Rise say to Ken? And he wanted to know her secrets. It was always fun to see Ken flustered.
The blue haired woman coughed. “It’s been a while, Ken-kun,” she said, a gentle smile on her face. “I hope you’ve been well.”
“Yeah!” The tall man leaned forward, smiling widely at Ken. “How ya been, Ken? Haven’t gotten to talk to you in months.”
The ones that called themselves Kanji and Naoto seemed pretty fond of Ken. Similar to how SEES treated Ken as their collective younger brother.
Ken rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, sorry… Things have been kinda crazy.”
The gray-haired man chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Yeah, no kidding. We never would have expected you of all people to join the Phantom Thieves,” he said.
“It’s so exciting though!” the dark-haired woman exclaimed. “I’m a bit jealous of Ken-kun, I must admit. Being a Phantom Thief… it must be so exciting!”
Wait, what? She… really thought that? She looked like a traditional Japanese lady… Ren supposed looks could be deceiving.
Then again, they did have Haru. She looked all demure, but she was pretty scary with that axe of hers. Not to mention when she had Milady use her gun attack…
“Ahaha… it’s nothing really.” Ken bowed his head. “I hope you’re all well.”
The taller man just gave Ken a pointed look. “Dude, we’re always telling you that you don’t hafta be so polite… for crying out loud, you’re only two years younger than me.”
That reminded him of how Ren had to give Ken a very hard nudge to get him drop formalities. At least Ken didn’t use the -san honorific with them anymore. Though if he had to guess, Ken stuck to that since he was the youngest for the longest time.
But… he didn’t realize the tallest man was that young. If he had to guess between the two men in the room, he’d assume the gray-haired gentlemen was younger. The taller man just… seemed older. Ren was assuming he was in his mid to late twenties. Not only two years older than Ken.
“Speak for yourself, Kanji,” Rise teased, leaning forward all while resting her hand the gray-haired man’s arm. Her smile could only be described as impish. “You’re the baby of the group, after all.”
The taller man scowled at Rise. “Ugh, shuddup, Rise! We’re in the same school year! And I’m born in January!”
“You’re still the baby of the group!” She stuck her tongue out at him.
That was when the dark-haired woman started to chortle.
“Kanji-kun… wearing baby clothes…” She then burst into a laughing fit, clutching her stomach. “That’s such a funny sight! Just imagine it…!”
“And you set off Yukiko-senpai,” the blue haired woman sighed, shaking her head.
The gray-haired man cleared his throat.
“Settle down,” he said calmly, somehow able to speak above the woman’s hysterical laughter. “We should introduce ourselves.”
Ren could hear Futaba muttering to Ryuji and Yusuke behind him, “Three guesses who’s the leader, and the first two don’t count.
“Yeah, for real,” Ryuji mumbled.
“Seems like you’ve already figured me out but…” the gray-haired man straightened his posture, before his eyes met Ren’s. “My name is Yu Narukami. For the longest time, I was the most recent Wild Card.”
Yep… he thought so. But like Futaba said, it was obvious this had to be Narukami.
“Rise Kujikawa,” Rise said with a bright smile, before winking at them. “But you all seem to know me quite well.”
“Naoto Shirogane,” Shirogane introduced herself, before she grimaced. “Kindly refrain from using the moniker the media gave me. I don’t particularly like being called it.”
Wait… now that he looked at her… so she was Naoto Shirogane! He thought she looked kinda familiar but he wasn’t sure.
He couldn’t help but wonder why Shirogane didn’t like that title. Though what did she think of Akechi, anyways? Shirogane stayed away from the spotlight.
“The…” Makoto gaped at Shirogane. “The Detective Prince?!”
“Any other celebrities you know, Ken?” Futaba demanded. “Seriously, first Mitsuru Kirijo and Yukari Takeba! And then Risette and the Detective Prince?!”
Shirogane’s expression became flat. “…What did I just say?”
Futaba just laughed sheepishly before ducking her head, mumbling a small apology. Makoto winced and mumbled out a small apology as well.
“Come on, it’s not that big of a deal…” Anne said. “I mean, we have Haru.”
“Okumura Foods ain't comparable to the Kirijo Group, Anne!” Ryuji protested. “And seriously… Risette and the Detective Prince?! You’ve been holding out on us, Ken!”
“Was… no one listening to what I asked?” Shirogane crossed her arms.
Ken sighed. “So, I should’ve just listed all the celebrities I know…?”
“Yes,” Futaba said brightly. “Glad to know you’re catching on!”
Ken rolled his eyes. “Duly noted.”
Shirogane coughed and put her hands on her hips, looking slightly annoyed.
“I don’t know why I bother… moving on.” She then smiled at the unnamed man. “You’re next, Kanji-kun.”
“Uh right… Kanji Tatsumi,” Tatsumi said, before scratching his cheek. “Er… I help run my family’s textile business?”
Textile? This guy worked with sewing? Or maybe he handled the business side of things. Though that was weird in itself. But he did say it was a family business. Then again, he folded quickly when Naoto scolded him, perhaps he’s just tough one minute but a softie the next.
The black-haired woman finally calmed down with her laughing fit, apparently regaining her poise. “I’m Yukiko Amagi. I’m the junior manager of the Amagi Inn, a traditional inn.”
“The Amagi Inn…” Yusuke said thoughtfully. “It’s rather famous for its onsens, isn’t it?”
Amagi nodded. “That’s the main draw for people staying at the inn. If we have time today, maybe we can use the hot springs. It’s been a while since I’ve soaked in them myself.”
The girls all made gasps of delight. Anne turned to him with a twinkle in her eye, silently begging him to say yes to the offer.
“That sounds wonderful!” Haru exclaimed, lightly clapping her hands together.
Before Ren could open his mouth to answer, Narukami cleared his throat. Everyone stopped their brief chatter and turned to him.
“But now we’ve introduced ourselves… it’s your turn,” he said politely.
All of the Phantom Thieves introduced themselves (sans Ken and Morgana, Ken since they already knew him, and Morgana because they can’t understand him). Narukami’s team seemed nice enough at least. Ren found himself relaxing a little.
Narukami invited them to sit around the kotatsu, since the adults had taken the couch. Morgana wiggled out of Ren’s bag, jumping on top of the kotatsu.
A strangled sound escaped Tatsumi. Ren glanced over and raised a brow. Tatsumi’s hands twitched, and a strained look on his face. Like he was trying to hold something in.
Amagi just giggled. “Someone’s excited.”
Shirogane let out a small chuckle. “Kanji-kun, it’s alright if you want to ask. I’m sure that’s fine.”
Ren wondered what she meant by that.
“He’s so… cute…” He was blushing. “It looks like he’s wearing little socks!”
Ren couldn’t help but blink and stare. That was… not what he expected to hear.
Morgana just hissed. “Don’t patronize me!”
“Can I pet him?” Tatsumi pleaded.
“Stop treating me like I’m a cat!” Morgana shouted. “I’m not a cat!”
The group all blinked and exchanged looks at each other, and back at Morgana. Ren couldn’t help but laugh.
Ren leaned toward to Ken, who sat to his right. “It’s so surprising they can’t understand Morgana. Being they are Persona-users and all too.”
Ken shrugged and murmured, “Makes sense… Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san can’t understand him either.”
That was true. So, it seemed it really was the case it has nothing to do with being a Persona-user. You had to hear Morgana in the Metaverse first, then you could understand him in the real world. That’s how it worked for Yusuke, Makoto, Ken, Futaba, and Haru.
Then again, a lot of things about Morgana was an odd case to begin with. Though Morgana was pretty convinced that his memories lurked at the bottom of Mementos. That may be connected.
Tatsumi looked disappointed. “So… I’m guessing, no?”
“Don’t feel bad, Kanji-san,” Ken said. “Morgana’s prickly to begin with.”
“Don’t spread lies about me!” Morgana protested.
“Is it though?” Ryuji asked, smirking at Morgana.
“Ugh! Shut up, Ryuji!”
“Settle down, you two,” Makoto chided, before she let out a sigh. “Honestly…”
“Are you… arguing with the cat?” Amagi asked slowly.
All of Narukami’s friends and Narukami himself looked at them all completely bewildered. Shirogane just stood up and walked over to inspect Morgana intently, a finger on her chin.
It was somewhat comical.
“I had noticed this feline keeps responding to our conversation. Is he… like Koromaru-san?” Shirogane asked, looking towards Ken.
“Uh… not quite. But he is a Persona-user.” Ken answered.
That made Narukami and all his friends gasp.
“Wait… you don’t know about Morgana?” Anne asked, her eyes wide.
Narukami shrugged. “It’s not like we’ve been holding a video conference. Yeah, Ken reports to Mitsuru-san, but we’re not privy to everything he tells her. Their organization is pretty secret, anyways.”
“So says the part-time Shadow Operative,” Rise teased.
Narukami just laughed. She giggled and patted him on the shoulder. He rolled his eyes but then held her hand, lightly pulling her down to sit by him since there was a free spot on the couch; since Shirogane was now busy inspecting Morgana. But keeping a distance, mumbling she promises to respect his boundaries as she could sense by his hissing at Tatsumi he didn’t want to be touched by strangers. Ren couldn’t help but chuckle as Morgana eyed Shirogane warily, and kept shooting Ren looks to come save him.
“Okay, I guess I’m not the best person to say that. But either way, we have a vague way of how you operate in the…” He frowned. “Metaworld, was it?”
“Metaverse,” Yusuke corrected.
Narukami nodded and sat up straighter in his seat while Rise hugged onto his arm. Ren could only imagine how many guys probably hated his guts on the fact that he and Risette were an item.
Shirogane coughed. “Yu-senpai, I believe that you promised everyone lunch? Perhaps we can exchange stories while we eat? Before the food gets cold.”
“Yeah, you’re right, Naoto.” Narukami nodded, then looked over to everyone else. “Sound good to you?”
“Hell yeah!” Ryuji nodded vigorously. “I’m starving!”
It took some time to serve the food, but they settled in the living room and dug into the meal.
Narukami had gotten the food from a place called Aiya’s, a Chinese diner in the shopping district. Narukami mentioned briefly that a friend of theirs from high school, Aika, will become the owner of the place once she graduates from university. Apparently, it’s a family business, which made sense. He was pretty sure the majority of the shops he noticed while heading to the Dojima residence were all family businesses.
Ren dug into his share with gusto. It had been a while since he’s had Chinese take-out.
As they all started to dig in, that was when Narukami and his friends started to tell the tale of how they started to investigate the mysterious murders… and obtained their Personas.
“Wait, wait, wait—!” Ryuji waved his chopsticks for a moment. “You go inside a TV? That’s so weird!”
“Yes, about as strange as accessing a Shadow nest by using a phone app,” Ken said dryly, before taking a bite of an eggroll. “Imagine that.”
Futaba snickered at Ryuji’s chagrined expression. “He got you there, Ryuji.”
Tatsumi just laughed at that, smirking in Ken’s direction. “After ya see enough weird shit, you just kinda shrug it off, don’tcha?”
“Pretty much,” Ken agreed.
Though Ren had to agree with Ryuji… the whole story of the Midnight Channel was pretty trippy. Turned out that they fought a goddess as well. Though he had to wonder what kind of other bizarre stuff Ken had witnessed.
“You really have accomplished a lot… haven’t you?” Haru said.
Rise then interjected, “Hey, come on, it’s not like you’ve been twiddling your thumbs! I mean, you’ve been choosing your targets because you want to help people who can’t fight back, right? That’s pretty noble in itself. There’s no need to downplay yourselves or compare yourselves to us.”
Ren hesitated for a moment, before bringing the chicken to his lips, slowly chewing. He didn’t think that they would understand.
“Comparison is the thief of joy, after all,” Shirogane agreed.
Yusuke frowned. “Ah, no offense, Shirogane-san, but I thought that you would be the last person to…”
Shirogane placed her right hand over her right eye, before dragging her hand up and running her fingers through her bangs. She then let out an exasperated sigh.
“I’m by no means, associated with Goro Akechi,” she said dryly. “Frankly, my so-called successor is…”
“Showboat braggart…?” Amagi suggested with annoyance.
“Egotistical pretty boy?” Tatsumi offered with a smirk.
Shirogane gave a disapproving look towards the two. “That’s a bit harsh, you guys. He’s more—"
“An attention whore?” Rise added with a giggle, then frowned when Shirogane shot her a look. “Stop being so nice Naoto-kun. He has nothing on you. I don’t know why the media eats him up so much.”
“And they act like his farts smell like roses. Seriously the shilling they give that little shit—!”
“Kanji-kun…” Shirogane sighed. “In their defense, Goro Akechi likes the spotlight and enjoys speaking of his exploits. He’s a charming young man, one that many find handsome. It’s no wonder that the media enjoys speaking of him, they love a rising star after all.”
Tatsumi mumbled sheepishly, “S-Sorry…”
Shirogane then cleared her throat, while Narukami looked at his friends with amusement twinkling in his eyes.
“I think he has a point with his argument that your actions could make people too self-reliant, to the point of danger,” Shirogane stated. “However, his argument holds less ground for me with his assertion that justice must be upheld through the law. The law is malleable, after all.”
She… agreed with them? The original Detective Prince? Ren knew it was rude, but he couldn’t help but stare.
“Not to mention how we didn’t let the police take care of things for us,” Narukami added. “Yosuke, Chie, and I decided to form the Investigation Team to begin with, because we felt we couldn’t let the police just take care of the case and let more people die.”
They… had taken things in their own hands as well. Ren had to admit that he wasn’t expecting that. He had formed all of these assumptions in his head. That the older Persona-users wouldn’t know how they felt, how they probably wouldn’t come to an understanding…
But… was that any better with how people formed assumptions about him because of his record? Ren couldn’t help but feel a bit ashamed of all of his preconceptions.
“Wow…” Anne whispered. “It seems so simple when you put it that way.”
Futaba nodded vigorously. “I thought you would be totally giving us the side-eye.”
Haru winced. “Ah, Futaba-chan, you shouldn’t just outright say it.”
“No, it’s fair,” Narukami said. “The confessions of the criminals who personally affected you… it’s completely understandable that you mistrust adults.”
Amagi let out a sigh as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“But I hope that you understand now that we don’t have to be your enemies,” Amagi said with a gentle smile.
No… they didn’t. Ren could see that now. He was still unsure about the Shadow Operatives as a group overall… but the Investigation Team seemed to understand their motivations. They didn’t seem so intimidating now…
“But anyways, Senpai and Ren-kun probably have a lot to talk about!” Rise chirped, before winking at her boyfriend. “We’ll get out of your hair then. We’ll take everyone else around town.”
They helped clean the area. The girls all took any dirty dishes to the sink, Narukami said to just leave them in there, and he and his cousin will wash them later. The boys rounded up all the trash and took it outside. With everything cleaned up, they said their goodbyes and left the house.
Ren stood there alone for a moment, before Anne came running back. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Then she leaned in to whisper in his ear.
“It’ll be fine.”
He nodded and sucked in a breath. She squeezed his hand and he gave her a smile. She gave him a gentle smile back, before turning to join the others who waited for her at the end of the street.
When he looked back, he saw that Rise was whispering something to Narukami as well, before she quickly pulled him down (Narukami was a lot taller than her), so she could plant a bigger kiss on Narukami’s cheek and then left with Anne. She shot her boyfriend a wink and then blew him a kiss. Narukami just watched her go with a fond smile.
“She’s not subtle, is she?” Ren asked.
“No, she isn’t,” Narukami agreed, still smiling rather goofily.
Ren couldn’t help but grimace. Did he ever make a face like that concerning Anne? Ken claimed that he looked besotted with Anne sometimes, but he couldn’t help but feel Ken exaggerated a little with that.
Narukami’s face snapped back to attention, looking more serious. “But… you’re the newest Wild Card?”
Ren swallowed. “I am…”
Narukami suddenly let out a laugh, brushing his bangs out of his face.
“This is… still all very new to me,” he confessed. “Not being the youngest Wild Card anymore. Having a junior in that regard.”
Ren took in a shaky breath. “It’s… new to me having a senpai in that field at all, if it’s any consolation.”
Narukami smiled faintly. He placed his hands in his pocket and looked towards their retreating friends who started to disappear up the hill and around the corner.
“You seem to have gathered a good group of friends.” He then closed his eyes. “It brings back memories of when I was in high school.”
Ren raised an eyebrow when Narukami opened his eyes again. “You’re not that old… you’re what—twenty-one?”
“Twenty-two,” he corrected, all while smiling nostalgically. “It feels so long ago somedays… and others, it feels just like yesterday…”
Ren shoved his hand in his pockets also; he could feel his frame tense. He looked down at the ground and clenched his teeth. He sucked in a breath through his nose, trying to calm himself down.
“How did you do it?” Ren asked. “Not too long ago, when we went to steal Futaba’s Treasure… her twisted cognition of her mother nearly killed us. If Futaba hadn’t followed us in and awakened to her Persona, we wouldn’t have made it out of there. I don’t want that to happen again…”
He didn’t want to be a failure, not after hearing of the past Wild Cards’ feats. Would he even measure up?
“Ren.” Narukami looked at him straight in the eyes. “Don’t compare yourself to me. Or Minako-san or Aigis. And definitely not Minato-san.”
“A-Aigis? There’s another one?” Ren exclaimed. “Wait… isn’t she the android that is part of the Shadow Ops? Ken mentioned her. Her too?!”
Narukami let out a long sigh. “It’s… a long story. Her case is much different than the rest of ours but… never mind. It’s not my place, sorry… I shouldn’t have mentioned it. But regardless, you shouldn’t compare yourself to any of us.”
“Kinda hard when one of my teammates was led by two of them,” Ren muttered. “And now apparently he also worked alongside a third?”
Narukami tilted his head before remarking, “I didn’t connect to Ken as well as Kanji or Naoto, but I doubt he’s disappointed in you, in comparison to any of us. Has… he ever brought up Minato-san to you when you’re exploring the Palaces?”
“No…”
Ken only brought up his deceased leader when explaining SEES’s story and when Ren had asked him. But still… Ren couldn’t help but wonder… In hindsight, he realized that Ren reminded Ken of his two leaders. But was it a good thing? A bad thing? He hated that he felt so uncertain.
“You’re not me,” Narukami said. “And you’re not the Arisatos. I’m not either. I haven’t seen you in combat, so I can’t say what your strengths are. But your friends listen to you for a reason. You don’t have to doubt yourself because you suddenly know that there were Wild Cards before you.”
Ren looked back at him. Narukami was right. What was he doing, second guessing himself like this? He had made a resolve to fight against criminals who oppressed those who couldn’t fight back. He didn’t need to be anyone but himself.
Ren smiled. “Thanks. I think I needed that reminder.”
“You’re allowed to have doubts,” Narukami said. “There were times where I…”
Narukami’s eyes suddenly clouded over before he looked down at his lap. Then he cleared his throat, lifting his head to look Ren in the eye once more.
“I know that it was pretty strange myself when I met Minako-san. I wasn’t the only one with this power. But…” He looked away, a wistful smile on his face. “One thing that the Wild Cards have in common is that your bonds are your true power. Keep your friends close and you can accomplish anything.”
Ren just stared. For a moment he wasn’t sure how to react. Things remained silent for several seconds. Ren couldn’t help but while the words sunk in.
“That’s so corny.”
Narukami’s eyes popped open. His expression could only be described to be like a kicked puppy.
“C-Corny?” he repeated, sounding baffled.
Ren couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. God, and to think, just a few hours, he was nervous about meeting this guy. Ren wished that Ken had told him what a massive dork Narukami was.
As per Rise-san’s suggestion, they were taken around Inaba. Their first stop had been the shopping district. It seemed rather lively at the moment, with people coming and going out of the shops. The Investigation Team as a whole was well known. They were stopped a couple times by some elementary students, who called Kanji-san “Sensei”, quizzing him about advice for a… sewing project they had. Even though he had mentioned working with textiles before, Makoto had a hard time connecting him with traditionally feminine work.
There was also the son of the managers of Konishi’s Liquors. Yukiko-san seemed especially happy to chat with him. Supposedly it was because of the delivery that the Amagi Inn was expecting but… Makoto had to wonder, with how Yukiko-san’s eyes sparkled around him.
Then they went to the Samegawa River, the water so beautiful and clear. It sparkled under the golden sunlight and Makoto could see fish darting about. Morgana jumped out of Haru’s arms, batting at a nearby fish. He then leaned too far when the fish swam out of Morgana’s reach, falling headfirst into the river.
Ryuji burst into laughter as Morgana sputtered before crawling back to shore. Morgana was completely drenched, his fur sopping with water.
Rise-san giggled, before fishing out a handkerchief to start drying him off.
“Aw, Morgana, you could’ve sweet talked Senpai into giving you some fish! He’s got such a soft spot for cats.” She then glanced around. “Anyone else have handkerchiefs? Morgana should be dried off or I think he’ll get a cold.”
They managed to dry off Morgana with the handkerchiefs they all carried with them, but Morgana’s fur was still slightly damp.
Morgana looked particularly grumpy (not that she blamed him), then plopped onto the grass.
“Ugh,” he groaned out. “Ren makes it so easy when he fished at the fishing pond…”
Anne giggled before sitting down herself, stretching out her legs. She scratched behind Morgana’s ear. “I’m pretty sure Ren used a fishing rod, Morgana.”
“Oh, Ren-kun fishes a bit?” Yukiko-san asked. “So does Yu-kun. He says it’s relaxing.”
“Yeah, that sounds like Senpai,” Kanji-san said, his voice fond. “But yeah… that’s about it for Inaba, I guess.” He shrugged. “Must be pretty boring for you city people.”
Haru clapped her hands together, her smile growing wider. “When we walked around the shopping district… it sounded so lively! I think that the people here make it worth living here in Inaba. That’s just… the feeling I get.”
Naoto-san just chuckled, before sitting down next to Kanji-san. “You described it quite well. I always look forward to returning to Inaba for a short reprieve after I close a case.”
“And Kanji has nothing to do with that, riiiight?” Rise-san interjected, a sly smile on her lips.
Makoto quickly looked at her phone so she wouldn’t be glancing in Rise-san’s direction. She would have to be careful and not let things slip around her. She seemed the type to tease people about their crushes.
“This again, Rise?!” Kanji-san glowered at Rise-san, but she didn’t look fazed at all.
Makoto didn’t know how, because Kanji-san had a rather nasty glare, but Rise-san just giggled at this more. She must be used to this. Then again, he might be scary-looking when he glares like that, but he was quite kind.
“Seriously! We’ve been datin’ for nearly a year, when are you gonna let it go?!” he grumbled out.
Rise-san tapped her chin, smiling rather mischievously. “Hmm… probably never.”
Yukiko-san just laughed softly. “Hmm, that does sound like Rise-chan.”
Rise-san just shrugged. “Guilty.”
Ryuji just leaned in close towards Ken and Anne. His jaw slightly dropping as he looked towards Rise-san.
“Can’t believe this is really Risette!” he exclaimed in a hushed tone.
Ken just looked at him, exasperated. “Ryuji, she’s just a normal person.”
“You’ve known Risette for years, man!” Ryuji protested. “You could’ve given us a warning, y’know!”
Ryuji’s outburst caught the attention of the older Persona-users and they glanced at him quizzically.
“Ryuji-kun, you’re not very… quiet,” Yukiko-san said delicately.
“That’s Ryuji to a T,” Futaba said lightly.
“Ugh, shuddup!” Ryuji scowled at her. “Besides, you can’t really talk with how you totally fangirled over Yukari-san! You were totally babbling ‘round her!”
“Um, that’s because it’s Yukari Takeba!” Futaba scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. “Pink Argus trumps any singer.”
“I’m not sure Featherman versus a singer has any objective merit in quality comparison. Simply put, it’s apples and oranges…” Yusuke tilted his head. “Furthermore, I believe that you’re only reacting in this way because you find Kujikawa-san rather attractive, Ryuji.”
Anne grinned. “She was so his celebrity crush when we were in junior high.”
“HEY!” Ryuji scowled at her. “Jeez, why are you throwing me under the bus like this?!”
Some of the older Persona-users chuckled. Rise-san giggled the loudest.
She winked at Ryuji. “I should’ve expected one of you to be a fan. I’d be more than happy to take a picture with you.”
“Seriously?!” Ryuji exclaimed. “Dude… someone pinch me!”
Yusuke obliged him and he yelped. He rubbed where Yusuke. had pinched him.
“Shit! Yusuke, I didn’t mean to actually pinch me!” he whined out.
Yusuke just shrugged. Haru looked back at Makoto and they giggled together at Yusuke and Ryuji’s antics. Morgana, who was now in Haru’s arms, just rolled his eyes.
Naoto-san sighed, shaking her head as Rise-san indulged Ryuji and then Anne… and even Futaba who apologized for her earlier comment about saying Yukari-san was better (She insisted she didn’t mean it, is actually a big fan, and just gets defensive over Yukari-san). Haru, Makoto, and Yusuke rejoined the older Persona-users, since they didn’t have much interest in taking pictures.
“You’ve certainly found a… colorful group of friends, Ken-kun,” Naoto-san remarked.
Ken rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah… though you could say that about your own group of friends too.”
Ken just smiled and looked over at Rise-san showing Futaba how to pose like her for another selfie. Futaba looked a bit nervous and Rise-san just kept giggling and helping pose her for more pictures. She was not fazed by Futaba’s shyness, if anything this seemed to motivate Rise-san more to encourage her.
“She just… commands your attention,” Yusuke remarked before folding his arms over his chest. “I don’t think I can even begin to capture her essence.”
“That’s Rise for ya.” Kanji-san shrugged. “She’s definitely one of a kind.”
Yukiko-san nodded as she ran her hands over her lap to smooth out her kimono a bit.
“That much hasn’t changed since we’ve been in high school.” Then she smiled fondly. “I hope all of us will be able to get together soon. It was nice to see Rise-chan and Yu-kun for the weekend, but it’s not the same without all of us.”
Ken nodded. “I can understand that. It was really nice.”
Haru glanced around the group.
“So… who else is there?” Haru asked.
“Oh, there’s Chie and Yosuke-kun,” Yukiko-san answered. “Chie’s my best friend and she’s currently in the police academy. Yosuke-kun’s majoring in business.”
Apparently, Anne was done with pictures. She came back to join them just in time to overhear Yukiko-san.
“Hey! Makoto’s interested in going into the police force too!” Anne exclaimed.
Makoto’s cheeks went warm. She coughed into her left hand, trying to not get too flustered.
“W-Well, I just recently figured that out,” she said bashfully.
Naoto-san let out a small hum. “Well, I would welcome you as a colleague. It’s an admirable goal, though it certainly doesn’t lack its hurdles.”
“I know,” Makoto said softly. “My sister works in law and she’s… dealt with some difficulties.”
But then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Ken gently smiling at her.
“But I know you can do it,” Ken said.
Makoto felt her cheeks grow hotter. She cleared her throat, desperately trying to will the heat from her cheeks.
“Thank you… I’ve been feeling adrift on what I want to do but now that I do know… I want to see it through,” Makoto said.
It seemed they were all done with pictures now. Rise-san, Futaba, and Ryuji all joined them.
Naoto-san nodded. “I know how you feel. Yu-senpai helped me see something I had forgotten—how much joy I took in solving mysteries.”
Yusuke nodded firmly. “Ren helped stoke passion in my art once more.”
Ryuji just grinned. “Same for me and RenRen! I know that he’ll always have my back!”
Makoto couldn’t help but smile. It seemed that Wild Cards were cut from the same cloth.
But then her gaze moved over to where Naoto-san sat with Kanji-san. The small detective was leaning against her boyfriend, holding his hand in her lap. And it wasn’t just those two. Yukiko-san and Rise-san were talking with Anne and Futaba, both older women looking rather engrossed by the conversation.
They had their own lives, but Inaba seemed to keep calling them back. She hoped that she would stay close with her friends after graduation…
“Though I must say…” Haru voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “I’m curious about how you met the Shadow Operatives to begin with.”
“Ah…” Naoto-san nodded. “That is quite a story too…”
At Naoto-san’s words, Futaba and Ryuji sat down on the ground with the rest of the group. Yukiko-san scooched over a bit to make room for Rise-san.
They began to explain about how they met Labrys, Aigis-san’s “older sister”, who had been pushed into the TV world and she had formed her own dungeon due to her bottled up feelings.
Though Makoto couldn’t help but feel intrigued at the idea of the TV world still existing. After all, Ken had said that Tartarus and the Dark Hour had been wiped from existence after Minato-san had sealed away Nyx.
This had led the Investigation Team to meet Mitsuru-san, Minako-san, Akihiko-san, and Aigis-san. But even though they had saved Labrys, there were some unanswered questions, such as who kidnapped Labrys to begin with. Or who had been pulling the strings the whole time.
And they would be shortly answered on the last day of Golden Week. The Shadow Operatives had been kidnapped, so the rest of SEES had to step in.
Though Makoto had a hard time making sense of this red fog… or these so-called Shadow selves…
“We actually met Ken-kun here on this bank. Though Kanji-kun… he just threw himself in danger’s way for Ken-kun.” Naoto-san said with a smile.
“Wasn’t gonna let a kid get hurt like that,” Kanji-san grumbled.
And Sho Minazuki… he seemed to really lash out at the world with his upbringing. Though Makoto couldn’t help but wonder just how hard Mitsuru-san took it when she was reminded of her family’s sins.
“Seriously, you guys fought another god?” Futaba asked incredulously. “What is this? A video game? Is there secret hidden boss you’ll have to tackle next?”
Yukiko-san just shrugged. “Technically, it had been Yu-kun, Labrys, and Minako-san. Labrys and Minako-san worked together to take down Hi-no-Kagutsuchi, and Yu-kun and Adachi-san landed the final blow.”
“Yeah, he kinda shot himself in the foot with that.” Kanji-san smirked. “He was the one who let Adachi out to begin with.”
“Dude… this is just too crazy…” Ryuji shook his head. “I hope that we never have to do any crazy shit like that.”
“Beyond what we already do?” Morgana quipped.
Ryuji just glared but then laughed, “Okay, you got me there. But you know I meant crazier than what we already do.”
The older Persona-users just blinked at Morgana, probably still confused at his meows.
Rise-san shook her head and giggled, looking at her friends. “We’ve seen some crazy stuff over the years, huh?”
Naoto-san just smiled in response. “We have. Though I don’t think anything can ever compare to the Midnight Stage…”
Kanji-san groaned. “I don’t think we can ever forget that…”
“We’ll stick to fighting in the Metaverse, thank you,” Yusuke said dryly.
“I do wish that I could visit the Metaverse,” Naoto-san mused, rubbing her chin. “It really seems fascinating…”
“I mean technically we could take them to the Metaverse, but it’s not a tourist destination… even if they are seasoned veterans, I don’t think we should drag them into our mess… not when they all have lives of their own.” Morgana said slowly.
Yukiko-san eyed Morgana curiously. She then looked back up at Makoto.
“What did he say?” She asked.
Makoto just smiled at Morgana.
“He said while we technically could bring you there, he doesn’t want to cause you trouble, and you all have your own lives to lead. But I’m curious… what’s the TV World like?” Makoto asked.
For some reason, they exchanged an uneasy look.
“Well…” Yukiko-san said slowly, “I suppose we could take you.”
“What’s the matter?” Ken asked. “Is something wrong with the TV World?”
Kanji-san rubbed his face. “Ted’s been visiting it on and off. He totally freaked out when he saw that the TV World reverted from the peaceful place it was.”
Ken frowned. “That’s… strange.”
“Hmm… it’s… hard to explain. When we defeated Izanami, the fog was lifted. We were able to see the beauty in people’s hearts…” she pursed her lips, until it formed a thin line, “but lately…”
“People are… scared,” Rise-san said with a wince. “The mental shutdowns, the psychotic breakdowns… Even with us knowing, it’s still scary. I can only imagine what it’s like to people who don’t.”
Anne winced, wrapping her arms around herself. “Yeah, all those incidents… they were really scary.”
“At least Teddie said there’s no fog,” Yukiko-san offered. “It’s just… there are dungeons if we venture further from the usual spot.”
“Do you want to go still?” Ken asked.
Morgana nodded. “Yeah. I really want to see what it’s like.”
Everyone else added their agreements, so Naoto-san nodded.
“All right.” She then stood up. “We’ll head to Junes then.”
They were led to Junes, the large department store sticking out like a sore thumb in the small country town.
“Is Teddie-san working today?” Ken asked, looking at Kanji-san.
He nodded in response while scratching his shoulder.
“Yeah, he got called in, because some part timers called in sick today. Ted was pretty upset about that…” He then glanced in the distance. “Speak of the devil.”
Rise-san intercepted the brightly colored mascot with a laugh. “Hello to you too, Teddie. You’re almost done for the day, right?”
“Save me, Rise-chan!” he whined.
Futaba sidled close.
“That’s… the Junes mascot,” she said.
“I remember going to the Junes in Tokyo with my mom. The guy in the costume was griping about it so much, grumbling ‘bout who the hell came up with this costume.” Ryuji snorted.
Anne giggled. “Guess we have the answer.”
“Yeah, no kidding!”
Yusuke’s eyes were filled with disdain. “The costume’s coloring is blinding. They’re so garish.”
“Yusuke!” Makoto scolded.
“It’s true, you cannot deny it, Makoto.” Yusuke defended.
Haru just giggled. Morgana popped his head out of her large purse and sighed.
Makoto sighed as well. Sometimes she wished she could convey that just because something was true… you shouldn’t say it.
“Woooow!” Teddie-san suddenly pushed forward, looking back and forth. “KenKen! You could’ve said that you had a bunch of cuties as friends!”
But before Ken could even open his mouth, he zipped over to Anne.
“What’s your name, cutie? You have blonde hair and blue eyes… just like me!”
Makoto blinked. Was… the mascot hitting on her?
“Teddie-san…” Ken sighed. “Anne’s off limits. She has a boyfriend.”
“Oh, I see…” Teddie-san suddenly was in front of Makoto, giving her a bit of whiplash. “What about you, hmm? Would you like to score with me?”
Yukiko-san suddenly scowled. “Can you please drop that score thing already?! It’s been years!”
Makoto just stared blankly at him. He wanted to… score? What was that supposed to mean? He was… flirting, right? He was flirting. But what did scoring even mean?
“Teddie-san!” Ken suddenly snapped, shifting from exasperated to irritated, pinching the bridge of his nose. “When I told you that Anne has a boyfriend… I didn’t mean move onto Makoto! Can you not flirt with my friends?”
“Oh, KenKen, you’re such a wet blanket! I didn’t even get a chance to flirt with the other two cuties!” Teddie-san huffed.
“Umm… I’m okay, thank… you?” Haru said awkwardly.
“Hard pass…” Futaba scowled.
Teddie-san looked shocked by that response, but before he could whine, Kanji-san told him to stop making a scene. Anne then tilted her head a bit, then turned to Ken.
“KenKen…?” Anne echoed. “I thought you didn’t like being called that, with how you told Futaba not to call you that.”
“I don’t,” Ken deadpanned.
“But I bet you three are single, unlike Anne-chan!” he protested.
“I don’t date furries,” Futaba said flatly.
“F-Futaba!” Makoto blanched at her blunt remark.
Haru fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “Umm… I’m sorry, Teddie-san, but unfortunately, it would never work out. I’m engaged.”
“H-Haru!” Makoto was about to say more but Haru made a shushing motion.
Haru then leaned forward and whispered, “I know, I definitely don’t want this engagement, but I would prefer to not have our new friend to flirt with me. Best let him down gently, to not hurt his feelings.”
“Ah… of course…” Makoto said as she scratched her cheek.
Teddie-san looked so… sad. Kanji muttered to him to give it up, but then his eyes seemed to burn with determination. He could… sure flip his emotions like the toss of a coin.
“Mako-chan! You are still single! And aren’t small minded like Fufu-chan! Or taken like Anne-chan and Haru-chan!”
“Did he just call me Fufu-chan?” Futaba asked incredulously.
Naoto-san, Kanji-san, Yukiko-san, and even Rise-san all groaned. This seemed to be a common battle for them regarding him.
Makoto cleared her throat and turned to Teddie-san.
“U-Um… that may be true but… I’m not interested, Teddie-san.” She smiled apologetically at him, before her face began to burn. “I… I have feelings for someone else.”
“You… You do?” Ken asked.
His face could only be described as flabbergasted.
She shouldn’t have said that. But she had to deter Teddie-san somehow… right? Right? God, she hoped she didn’t regret opening her mouth like that…
“Oooh, she said it!” Futaba cackled, a knowing grin on her face.
She was starting to regret it. Futaba’s grin was uncannily like Ren’s. She was probably spending too much time around Ren…
“Maybe we should head to the electronics department?” Anne quickly interjected. “I mean, we’re kinda a big group…”
“Electronics?” Teddie-san echoed with a frown. “Are you going back?”
“Yes.” Naoto-san nodded, smiling apologetically. “We’ll be careful, Teddie. And when we come back… hopefully you’ll be off work. However, Anne-san… we’re not going to the electronics department. Yosuke-senpai realized near the end of his senior year that the certain brands of TVs, like the one we used, would soon be considered obsolete, so he had it tucked away in the back.”
“Hmm… okay.”
Teddie nodded, before he rummaged around and produced a ring of keys, handing it over to the petite woman.
“I trust you, Nao-chan! Though, if KenKen brought his friends… who’s Sensei’s junior?” He quickly scanned the area, his eyes lighting up, and jabbed a finger in Yusuke’s direction, “It’s you, isn’t it?!”
“Me?” Yusuke blinked at Teddie-san.
“Ted…” Kanji-san groaned. “What the hell makes you think that?”
“Silly Kanji! He looks like Mina-chan’s brother!” he exclaimed.
“Uhh… that’s stretching it a bit,” Ken said.
“He’s got blue hair!”
“So does Naoto-san,” Ken pointed out. “And don’t you have a classmate who had blue hair?”
“Why are we talking about this?” Morgana moaned. “This is pointless!”
Teddie-san turned at Morgana’s voice. He then spotted him popping out of Haru’s purse.
“Oh! A kitty!” He then laughed. “But I bet my fur’s silkier than his!”
“Excuse me?!” Morgana bristled at that. “You take that back, you garish colored doll!”
“Translation?” Rise-san asked.
“Um… Mona-chan says hello?” Haru offered.
“Somehow…” Yukiko-san tilted her head, “I feel that’s not the truth.”
“This is looking to be quite a crowd.”
Makoto turned around to see that both Ren and Yu-san had entered Junes. Ren looked at ease, a bit of a flip of how he had radiated trepidation earlier.
“Ren!” Anne exclaimed, running over to him. “How was your talk?”
“Good." Ren smiled at her, before taking her hand; then his smile turned sardonic as he looked over to Ken. “You could’ve mentioned that he was a huge dork. He was going on about the power of friendship of all things.”
“Hmm… that does sound like Yu-kun,” Yukiko-san mused.
“Yukiko!” Yu-san protested, but the dark-haired woman just shrugged at him.
Rise-san just giggled, before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the cheek. “Aw, Senpai, don’t pout. It’s very endearing.”
“It doesn’t sound like it,” he mumbled. “But anyways, Rise mentioned that you wanted to visit the TV world?”
“I wish I could go, but I’ll join you later!” Teddie-san exclaimed, before he heaved out a huge sigh. “I better get back to work before Papa Hanamura yells at me for slacking off…”
“Papa… Hanamura?” Anne echoed, raising an eyebrow as Teddie-san walked away.
Naoto-san chuckled. “Yosuke-senpai’s parents adopted Teddie shortly before Yosuke-senpai graduated. He calls Yosuke-senpai’s mother ‘Mama Hanamura’ as well.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet,” Haru cooed. “So, Hanamura-san is like Teddie-san’s older brother?”
“Yeah, pretty much. Yosuke gripes a lot about him, but everyone knows how much he cares about Teddie.” He then shook his head before lowering his voice. “But anyways, let’s get you to the TV world.”
Yu-san led them to the backroom, and they were somehow able to slip past the employees’ notice. They entered a room and Kanji-san flicked on the light. A plasma screen was pushed against the opposite wall, and Yu-san walked up to it confidently. He touched the screen, and his touch sent ripples across the screen.
“Whoa!” Ryuji’s eyes were wide with shock. “Daaaamn… even with your story, I wasn’t expecting that!”
“Minako-san relayed the story… but it’s something else actually seeing it,” Ken remarked.
Yu-san pulled his hand away, turning to face them.
“Ready to go inside?” he asked, smiling fondly now.
Without another word, he turned around and plunged into the TV.
Ren blinked at the TV. “Damn. Didn’t know what I was expecting but…”
Rise-san giggled. “It’s not something you see every day. See you on the other side!”
She and Yukiko-san jumped in first, quickly followed by Naoto-san and Kanji-san… leaving them alone. Even though Makoto had been the one to broach the idea… she did feel a bit uneasy about the whole thing. Ken hadn’t even visited the TV world…
“This is just freaky. I’ll take the Metaverse any day.” Futaba muttered.
Ken just let out an exasperated sigh.
“Why don’t you come with me, then?” He then glanced. “If you’re still feeling unsure, maybe we should pair off then.”
“Well… since it was Makoto’s idea to begin with…” Ryuji gave Makoto a push forward. “She should go with you!”
It took some willpower for Makoto to not glare at Ryuji, since that would probably just confuse Ken. And she had confused him enough already. What did she ever do to him?! (Okay, she nagged at him a lot about his schoolwork. And she did think that he could have a more balanced diet, instead of just eating beef bowls… but still!)
“Well, sure,” Ken said, though he raised an eyebrow at Ryuji. But then he turned back to Makoto. “Let’s go then, Makoto.”
They stepped forward and Ken pressed his hand against the screen. His touch sent waves rippling across the screen, before his hand began to sink inside.
Without warning, he used his free hand to snag Makoto by the wrist and pulled her in with him. Makoto let out a squeak, as they were suddenly engulfed in white. It was like they were free falling. But Ken suddenly twisted so that she landed on him when they hit the ground. His arms even went around her to steady her.
Makoto’s face heated up. He was touching her waist. His hands on her felt… nice. And she really should shove that thought of her mind.
For a moment, she just stared down at Ken, whose face was starting to grow pink. Of course he was embarrassed, she was on top of him, for heaven’s sake.
“T-Thanks,” she stuttered out.
At least she knew how to talk still. How did someone have a crush on a good friend and not die of embarrassment?
Naoto-san suddenly coughed.
“Ah, Makoto-san… you might want to get up so Ken-kun can too,” she said delicately.
“R-Right!” She quickly scrambled to her feet, extending a hand to help Ken up.
Ken just rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s no problem, really.”
Everyone else soon dropped down. Even Ren, who was normally so dexterous, had stumbled. He would’ve fallen on his face if Yu-san hadn’t steadied him. But the most glaring part wasn’t even their surroundings…
“Mona, you’re in your Metaverse form!” Ryuji said.
“I am…” Morgana twisted around. “That is strange.”
“Forget that,” Yu-san said, suddenly serious.
“W-What are you doing?” Morgana backed away from the advancing man. “Don’t try to pet me or I’ll… meowwwww…”
Yu-san rubbed the top of Morgana’s head, scratching behind Morgana’s ears. He even rubbed Morgana’s cheeks. And Morgana seemed to be in nirvana, judging by his blissful expression.
“I’m next, Senpai!” Kanji-san exclaimed, rushing over.
Naoto-san just sighed. “Shouldn’t they be more concerned about how we can suddenly understand him…? Or… why he looks like that now? I suppose he really isn’t like Koromaru-san then…”
That was a bit strange… perhaps it’s not the Metaverse is the reason Morgana takes the form. But it has to be Shadow nest related? Or perhaps… there is something connecting these alternate realities. Maybe the TV World and the Metaverse are part of something greater.
“For people who fought gods, they don’t act like it.” Futaba said flatly.
“Well, how should they act like then?” Rise-san asked, raising an eyebrow at Futaba. “Senpai’s always been a sucker for cats, and Kanji even more so… for anything cute. You should’ve seen him when he brought Momo home.”
“Momo?” Haru asked.
“Oh, that’s one of Masamune’s pups,” Yukiko-san answered. “Fuuka-san promised him one.”
“Masamune?” Yusuke echoed, eyebrow raised. “As in… the Sengoku general?”
Ken just sighed heavily, pressing a hand to his forehead. “Yukiko-san, we’ve told you a million times. His name is Koromaru. I don’t know why you try to give him such strange names…”
Yukiko-san just frowned at him. “I think Masamune suits him well.”
“You’ve said the same thing when you tried to rename him Chosokabe, Yukimura, and Akechi.”
“Damn, that’s confusing for Koromaru. And a horrible taste in a name on one of them,” Ren snickered.
“You have no idea…” Ken grumbled. “Also… Ren be quiet. You know she means the historical figure, not the celebrity.”
Ren just laughed and clapped a hand on Ken’s back who still looked at Ren, completely unamused.
“Soooo cute!” Kanji exclaimed, rubbing Morgana’s head rather vigorously. “And so soft!”
Naoto-san just sighed softly, her expression both exasperated and fond. “Kanji-kun… that’s enough. He’s not a toy.”
“You really like cute stuff, huh?” Ryuji asked.
“Yeah? I like cute shit,” he said confidently. “So what?”
Ryuji held his hands up and was about to say something, probably to pacify him, but then Haru spoke up.
“You mentioned that you help run a textile shop. I think it’s wonderful that you’re continuing your family’s business,” she smiled.
“And you know how to sew and knit, right?” Ryuji asked, trying to sound polite.
“Hold on…” Yu-san stepped forward with a frown. “There’s nothing wrong with that kind of thing— “
“Huh?” Ryuji scratched the back of his head. “Wha’cha talking ‘bout? I think that kinda thing super cool! My mom’s always like handmade gifts more! I was thinkin’ it’d be cool if I could knit my mom a scarf! She always gets pretty cold so I bet she’d love that!”
Yu-san blinked and then coughed awkwardly. He then smiled apologetically at Ryuji. Morgana got ahold of himself and slapped away Kanji-san’s hands. Kanji-san just pouted.
Naoto-san laughed. “Pity you’re only here for today. Perhaps if you were here for longer, you could have enrolled in one of Kanji-kun’s sewing classes.”
“Dude, that would be so awesome!” Ryuji then hung his head. “Man, why can’t Inaba be closer…?”
Haru just giggled. “I didn’t know you loved your mother so much, Ryuji-kun.”
Ryuji then coughed, his cheeks suddenly growing red. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“It’s just been me and her for the longest time, y’know… It ain’t a big deal.” He then pointedly looked around. “But this is it, huh…?”
“Yeah, this is the TV world.” Yu-san nodded and looked out into the distance. “I bet if we walked far enough, we could actually visit everyone’s dungeons.”
This earned him a few unamused stares. Oddly enough, Rise-san was the only one who didn’t react in such a way.
“You described it earlier… losing control of your Shadow self. And if they’re not rescued in time… the Shadows will kill them?” Yusuke asked with concern.
“That’s the gist of it. Our Shadow selves… they represented things deep in our hearts… something we didn’t want to admit.” Yukiko-san nodded.
“And facing ourselves just made us stronger!” Kanji-san clenched his fist. “That’s how we got our Personas.”
Though Kanji-san, Yukiko-san, and Naoto-san all seemed a little… embarrassed by their places. But then again, they represented their darker parts, negative feelings, and doubts…
What must it be like, to stare into your inner demons? Your misconceptions? Your self-loathing? The expectations others have of you that hang over your head? Your own heavy expectations you place on yourself? All those bottled-up insecurities?
They only ever had to hear the voices of their inner selves come out when they needed them most to rebel against the Palace Rulers, save for Futaba that is. Then again… Futaba did meet her Shadow. Perhaps she would know what they were describing… not that she’d ever pry into something so personal.
Makoto looked over at Futaba, who had an unreadable expression.
“That does hold some similarities to Palaces,” Ren noted, looking down at Morgana. “That’s probably why Morgana took on his Metaverse—Shadow nest?—form here.”
“That… does sound similar to how I got my Persona…” Futaba mumbled.
Anne placed a hand on Futaba’s shoulder. Makoto couldn’t help but walk forward quickly to do the same. Placing her hand on Futaba’s other shoulder. Futaba placed her hands over both of theirs, and flashed up a reassuring smile to both of them. Relieved she was alright, Ann and Makoto let go.
Ren looked back to Ken. “Guess this is how you got your knowledge of Shadow selves.”
Ken just let out an exasperated sigh, though pink tinged his cheeks. “You talk like I’m some sort of walking encyclopedia about this kind of thing.”
“It seems like you don’t know about the Metaverse all too well,” Naoto-san noted, tilting her head. “Though perhaps you will find some more information the more you descend Mementos.”
“I can’t deny that the Metaverse is a… strange place,” Haru agreed. “When we come here, we don’t change into our Metaverse suits.”
“Well…” Anne tilted her head. “We stay in our normal clothes, if the Palace ruler doesn’t view us a threat.”
Ren nodded. “Right, since we’re not at someone’s Palace, there is no need for our Will of Rebellion at the moment.”
“What’s this about Metaverse suits?” Yukiko-san asked. “And… Will of Rebellion?”
“Oh, um… when we visit Palaces, we transform into a suit, granted to us by our Persona. It comes with a mask, which we have to rip off to summon.” Makoto explained to Yukiko-san. “They represent what is called our Will of Rebellion. It protects us from the distortion of the Palace rules. And I suppose it represents us rebelling against the twisted rule of the Palace ruler.”
Ryuji suddenly looked gobsmacked and started to shake his head.
“Waitwaitwait…” He jabbed his pointer finger at the older Persona-users. “If you don’t have special clothes… what do you wear?”
“Our school uniforms?” Yu-san raised an eyebrow. “Or our usual attire we wear during the day… I’ve never heard of such an occurrence, you guys get uniforms?”
“Yeah, well, we’ve never heard of jumping into an effin’ TV until today!” Ryuji retorted.
“Okay, you have us there,” Yu-san acknowledged, making them laugh.
“What about Ken-kun, though?” Rise-san interjected. “How does he summon?”
“Like the rest of us… did you think he’d still use his Evoker?” Makoto asked sincerely.
“Ohh, so he gets a costume as well!” Yukiko-san’s eyes brightened with excitement. “What is it?”
“Why am I suddenly dragged into this…?” Ken sighed.
Futaba just poked him in the side, making him jump. “You’re part of our team now. Comes with the territory. Besides, you should be used to this.”
Ken just rolled his eyes and grumbled.
“Special costumes created by your Persona…” Kanji-san muttered under his breath. “What kind of material would they use…? It’s gotta be pretty sturdy, ‘specially with how crazy strong Shadows can be… Damn! I wish I could see.”
Was Kanji-san… gushing about fabric? Then again, he did work with fabrics, so it made sense.
Naoto-san just chuckled, smiling fondly. “It seems that you’ve piqued Kanji-kun’s interest.”
“Though if you want to know about Ken’s outfit still…” Ren smiled slyly.
“No! She’ll just blab to Minako!” Ken exclaimed.
Ren just laughed and shrugged. “Sorry Rise, I guess I’ll have to keep quiet for now… I don’t want to deal with a grumpy Ken on the ride back.”
“Aww, party pooper!” Rise-san stuck her tongue out. “Now I wish I could see you in the Metaverse even more!”
Ken just pressed a hand to his face.
“Do you not… like it?” Makoto asked. “Because you look… nice in it.”
Anne had once said that Ken looked almost princely as Ace. There was something… dashing about Ken’s Metaverse costume. He really did look good in blazers.
Ken lowered his hand. “Um, it’s not that… it’s just…”
“You’re definitely getting me more curious about it,s” Rise-san teased in a singsong voice.
“That’s enough heckling Ken for today, you can tease him later about it Rise.” Yu-san smirked but shook his head.
Rise-san just stuck her tongue out again and then giggled.
“I think we’ve spent long enough talking.” Yu-san rolled his shoulders, before gesturing towards the stack of televisions. “Let’s head back.”
They took turns exiting the TV world, and Makoto stumbled when they made it back to the real world. But somebody grabbed her by the shoulders, steadying her. She blushed when she glanced back and saw it was Ken. It always had to be Ken…
But then she was suddenly hit by a wave of exhaustion. She winced, pressing a hand to her forehead.
“We didn’t even fight any Shadows,” Futaba said. “Why are we tired…?”
“Visiting a Shadow nest still will tucker ya out,” Kanji-san said. “They always do. I guess you guys probably wouldn’t notice because you always fought Shadows when going to your Metaverse.”
“No… now that you mention it, I would always get tired after we first started investigations into the Palaces. Even when we haven’t done any fighting yet.” Makoto nodded.
“Hmm…” Yukiko-san tilted her head, before reaching into the purse that dangled from her shoulder. She drew out her phone. “Oh, it’s about to change to the women’s time. For the hot springs.” She then turned to the two older women. “Rise-chan? Naoto-kun? The offer’s free to you, too!”
“What about you, Yukiko-senpai?” Naoto-san asked. “Do you have free time left?”
“Oh, Mother gave me the whole day off,” Yukiko-san said. “So, I can join you too.”
A hot spring… Makoto had gone with Sae to go soak in one about… a year ago? Two years ago? Though she did remember that it had been nice.
“I’m game!” Rise-san exclaimed. “What about you girls?”
Anne smiled at them. “That sounds awesome! Thank you, Yukiko-san.”
“Well, what are we gonna do then?!” Ryuji demanded.
“We could always go fishing?” Yu-san offered.
“Pass…”
Crystalline water cascaded down in a small waterfall, filling a large pool. Amazingly enough, it was completely empty. Steam rose from the water, making Makoto anticipate that the water was rather hot.
Futaba would confirm that, dipping her foot into the water, only to yelp.
“Hot! Hot!” She yanked her foot out, waving it back and forth frantically to cool it off.
“Jeez, you’re like a little kid,” Anne laughed, perching on the rocks. “Just relax, okay? Your body will adjust.”
“This is my first time, okay?” Futaba grumbled, before sitting next to Anne.
“How’s your hair, Futaba-chan?” Yukiko-san inquired. “I hope I didn’t wind it too tight.”
It was etiquette for women with long hair to tie back their hair so it wouldn’t drop in the water. Makoto was glad that she didn’t have to worry about that. But Futaba was used to just wearing her hair down, so Yukiko-san had done her hair, twisting Futaba’s long orange locks into a neat bun, expertly sticking pins in it so it wouldn’t loosen.
Futaba shook her head. “Nah, it’s good.”
Anne loosened her towel, slipping into the water before folding the towel and setting it neatly on the rocks. She let out a blissful sigh.
“Oooh, this feels amazing…” She then looked at Yukiko-san. “And you grew up with this? I’m a bit jealous!”
Yukiko-san laughed. “Well, that also came with me having to help my mother with the inn since I was very young.”
“Hehe, true.”
They all gradually entered the pool, and Makoto winced as the hot water touched her skin. It took a few moments for her body to adjust.
“Oh, when was the last time we were able to do this kind of thing…?” Rise-san asked, looking to her two friends.
“Hmm…” Naoto-san let out a thoughtful hum. “I think it was right around graduation for us…? Though Kanji-kun was the only one to actually graduate from Yasogami…”
“Yeah, it was both online classes for us,” Rise-san mused. “But I can’t believe it’s really been that long! Has it really been three years…?”
“It is a pity that Chie-senpai couldn’t get away…” Naoto-san remarked.
“She was pretty disappointed…” Yukiko-san said with a nod. “Though I’m glad that Yu-kun decided to come back to Inaba this weekend.”
Rise-san just giggled. “You don’t have to tell me! Though we were stopped so many times during our date yesterday.”
Naoto-san chuckled. “Well, you and Yu-senpai are very well known around here.”
“You’re one to talk, Naoto-kun!”
“So… how long have you been together?” Anne asked.
Rise-san’s cheeks reddened, as a slow smile spread across her face. “It’s been a while.”
That was… awfully vague. But then again, idols weren’t supposed to date so they could appeal to their fans better. Makoto supposed it shouldn’t be a surprise that Rise-san wasn’t broadcasting just how long she’s been dating Yu-san. They had just met, after all…
Rise-san smiled coyly. “What about you, Anne-chan? You and Ren-kun make a cute couple.”
It was Anne’s turn to blush, her cheeks turning pink.
“N-Not long. It’s been…” she frowned, chewing on her lip for a moment, “six weeks, I think?”
Haru looked at her in surprise. “I… I didn’t know that you were together for that long…”
Was it her imagination or did Haru sound a little… sad?
Anne just let out an embarrassed laugh, her cheeks still glowing pink. “Y-Yeah, it happened right before we went into Futaba’s Palace for the last time.”
Makoto couldn’t help but shake her head. That little… scene had been… something else. Though that had been her fault, with her dragging Ren into the fake dating…
“Man, I can’t believe I missed that,” Futaba sighed.
She really didn't miss anything, in Makoto's opinion. It was kinda embarrassing to watch Ren flirt with Anne.
“But… you’re happy together now, right?” Haru asked.
Anne nodded, smiling but almost bashful. “Yeah! Ren just… makes me feel so loved.”
Makoto couldn't help but smile. She was glad that the two of them could be happy like this.
“What about you, Makoto-chan?” Rise-san asked, smiling deviously. “It’s pretty obvious that you’re sweet on Ken-kun.”
“W-What?” Makoto stammered out, before sinking lower into the water. “It’s… um… we’re just friends!”
“Rise!” Naoto exclaimed, shooting her an exasperated look. “You shouldn’t pry into this kind of thing…”
“It’s… it’s stupid,” Makoto mumbled, wrapping an arm around her chest. “Ken just sees me as a friend.”
And why would he? She wasn’t cheerful and vivacious like Anne, quirky and energetic like Futaba, or even sweet and elegant like Haru. She had to content herself with being Ken’s good friend…
“Wait… Mako-chan… are you actually…?” Haru trailed off.
Makoto sank into the water, only her nose up exposed to the air.
Futaba gasped. “I knew something was up!”
“When did this even happen?” Anne asked. “I thought something was up after the last day at Hawaii but… you suddenly started blushing like crazy around him—”
Futaba interjected. “And there’s the time in Okumura’s Palace—!”
Futaba was cut off as Makoto started to sit up quickly, the water splashing around her
“Stooooop!” Makoto let out a moan, pressing both hands to her face.
She knew she was whining, but it was… mortifying to hear this.
Haru eyed Makoto with sympathy and gave her a small smile. “I’m curious myself, Mako-chan. You were adamant that you were just friends before and then I joined you…”
Makoto sighed, lowering her hands. She then sank further into the spring, only her chin on down, in the water.
“It… it was when we went to talk to you about your father,” she admitted with a small pout. “And you assumed that we were dating and it got me thinking about it… and it just… hit me. I kinda buried myself in the books for the longest time. I just thought that didn’t interest me. So, when I realized I liked Ken, it was like a switch flicked on… I’m pathetic, aren’t I…?”
She felt all flustered around Ken; she sounded foolish when she opened her mouth. It was enough to make Makoto want to crawl into a hole.
“There’s nothing wrong with having a crush, Makoto-chan.” Yukiko-san suddenly put a hand on her shoulder, making Makoto look up. Her gentle smile relaxed Makoto a bit. “Especially on a good friend. Love should blossom from a good friendship anyways.”
Rise-san’s smile turned sly, before her eyes slid to Naoto-san. “Naoto-kun knows that the best. She and Kanji had been friends for nearly three years and then she realized that she liked him. Took them over a year to actually get their acts together.”
Naoto-san’s face flushed. “Rise!”
“You know it’s true, Naoto-kun~!” she sang out.
Yukiko-san just chuckled at the two of them. “Well, to be fair, Kanji-kun has had a crush on you since your first year of high school.”
“First year of high school?” Futaba’s eyes were wide. “That’s like a romance out of a manga!”
Rise-san pressed her fingers to her lips and giggled. Naoto-san grumbled.
“See?” She gestured to Futaba. “Futaba-chan gets it!”
“Why did you drag me into this…?” Naoto-san muttered.
Yukiko-san chuckled and shook her head, letting go of Makoto’s shoulder.
“Though, Makoto…” Anne swam closer to her. “You should just… try to relax with Ken, y’know? No offense, but lately you’ve been…”
“A flustered mess,” Futaba offered, before smiling impishly.
“Though I assume Ren’s teasing hasn’t been helping.” Anne rolled her eyes.
Makoto winced. She noticed that, did she? Ren really just enjoyed messing with people too much…
Rise-san giggled. “Gosh, I wish that Ren-kun could meet Minako-san. I have a feeling that they would get along just swimmingly.”
Naoto-san just sighed. “Please don’t… I feel like they’d leave a trail of mass destruction…”
“I doubt I’m the type he’d be interested in. I don’t know much about dating. And there are way cuter girls than me out there…” Makoto mumbled.
Anne scratched her right temple but smiled.
“Come on Makoto, just… relax with Ken, okay? You’ve already got a foot on the other girls, since you’re close friends with him,” she said encouragingly. “And you get along great. He already likes you enough as is. Stop sweating it. The biggest mistake I made when I thought Ren liked you, was I kept comparing myself to you. Ken’s not good friends with those other girls. He’s good friends with you.”
“Yeah, and I can already tell there is plenty to like about you.” Yukiko-san nodded.
Rise-san, Naoto-san, Futaba and Haru all nodded in agreement as well.
“Exactly, they just met you and can see how loveable you are! Besides, you are really cute Makoto. Don’t let anyone tell you any different!” Ann said with a defensive huff.
Makoto stared down at the water. Anne’s advice… made sense. She seemed to think that there might be a chance that Ken liked her back…
She hoped that Anne was right…
Ken stared at Ryuji, utterly unimpressed. “No.”
“Just a little peek, that’s it!” Ryuji insisted.
Ken fought the urge to smack his friend. Instead, he pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s disrespectful to the girls, even if you ‘peek’. And secondly… do you want to die?”
Ryuji blinked. “Uh, what?”
“Anne would burn you to a crisp, Makoto would beat the crap out of you, and do I have to remind you of how well Haru wields that axe of hers?”
Not to mention the time his senpai got caught by the girls in the Kyoto hot springs. For years, he had been in the dark. But this past New Year’s, Junpei-san got insanely drunk while having a drinking contest with Minako-san. He babbled on about that incident, and how Mitsuru-san had punished them all by executing them all then and there. So yeah. He wasn’t touching that with a three-meter pole.
Ren blinked. “Now that I think about it… we do have a scary group of girls.”
Ken rolled his eyes. He seriously didn’t realize this until now…? Or was he being sarcastic?
“So, no, I do not want to spy on the girls.” Ken reiterated. “I don’t have a death wish.”
“You don’t have to be so dramatic,” Ren said, raising an eyebrow at him.
“You’re telling… me this,” Ken said flatly.
Ren blinked, before tilting his head slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ryuji stared at him incredulously. “Uh, dude, you’re kinda the king of drama.”
Yusuke looked thoughtful, chewing on his lip for a moment. Then he nodded. “Hm. I’m inclined to agree with Ryuji and Ken.”
Ren huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Traitors, all of you.”
“You’re just proving their point, Ren,” Morgana said from where he lounged on a pillow.
“Even you, Morgana?!” Ren clutched his heart. “I thought you would never betray me!”
Yu-san and Kanji-san just looked on with amusement, before Yu-san took a sip of beer that one of the Amagi Inn employees had offered the two men.
“You run around with a colorful group of people, Ken.”
“Don’t I know it,” Ken sighed, rubbing his face.
Ryuji suddenly slung an arm around Ken’s neck, nearly strangling him. “Oh, don’t act like you’re too cool for us! You know you love us!”
“I don’t think strangling Ken is the best way to go about showing affection, Ryuji,” Yusuke said.
“Exhibit A,” Yu-san intoned before Ryuji released Ken.
Kanji-san just snorted. “Like we’re any better, Senpai.”
“Hmm that’s true—”
The door suddenly slammed open with a force that made them all look up.
“Teddie’s here!” Teddie-san announced, barging into the room in his human form.
Morgana yelped, darting away before Teddie-san could trample in.
“Can’t you come in a little quieter?!” he snapped.
“Hmm?” Teddie-san turned. “Oh, you’re that kitty!”
“Hey to you too, Ted,” Kanji-san said dryly.
“Ooh, did you miss me, Kanji?” Teddie blinked at him. “You should’ve just told me! Do you need a bear hug?
“Ugh shuddup you—!" Kanji-san then suddenly cut himself off, staring… at something that Teddie-san was holding. “Why are you carrying chopsticks?”
“Ah… so you see—”
“Oh, I see them!” Haru suddenly entered the room, her skin glowing. Then she paused, blinking at Teddie-san. “Oh, hello…”
“You’ve met him before,” Yu-san said. “This is Teddie.”
“Oh right, the furry mascot who is actually really Shadow that somehow gained a human form,” Futaba said, stepping inside. “Still dunno how that’s even possible by just doing sit-ups.”
“We’re not entirely sure how it’s possible either,” Naoto-san added. “Admittedly this happened months before I knew the entire truth.”
“Maybe you should try sit-ups too, Morgana!” Ryuji suggested. “I mean, it can’t hurt to try!”
Morgana huffed. “Teddie’s was a Shadow! I’m human!”
“Hey, how was the hot springs?” Ren quickly cut in, before a bickering fest could break out.
“It was amazing,” Anne sighed, plopping down to sit next to Ren. “They even had all these skincare products to use afterwards! My skin feels so soft now!”
Ren just grinned at her. “I don’t know, your skin always feels soft to me.”
Anne rolled her eyes at him, but then she smiled. “Oh shush...”
Why did they feel the need to flirt in front of people? How did they not get embarrassed about it?
They make some quick introductions to Teddie-san and Ken was silently grateful that he didn’t try to flirt with the girls anymore. It had been annoying that Teddie-san had tried to flirt with Makoto, after finding out that Anne was taken. Not that him messing with Haru or Futaba was preferable either.
Thankfully, that was corrected.
“You didn’t answer Kanji’s question, Teddie.”
“Oh, right!” He perked up at Yu-san’s question. “You see, I was thinking… this is a special occasion! Meeting a new group of Persona-users, and it wasn’t a crisis like when we met Mitchan and the others—!”
“Mitchan?” Yusuke repeated incredulously.
“Mitsuru-san,” Ken supplied.
“And she lets him call her that?!” Futaba exclaimed.
“More like you can’t stop Hurricane Teddie,” Kanji-san muttered.
“Don’t be so rude!” Teddie-san huffed, hands on his hips, but then thrust his hand out. “But anyhow… I was thinking that we should commemorate this! So… we should play the King’s Game!”
The reactions were immediate.
“HELL NO, TED!” Kanji-san hollered.
“Teddie, do you not recall what happened last time?!” Naoto-san snapped, glowering at him for a moment. “Senpai, can you please—”
“I like the idea,” Yukiko-san piped up.
Kanji-san slapped his forehead. “Ugh, of course you would.”
Ken felt that he was missing some context here…
“Uhh… what’s the King’s Game…?” Ryuji whispered to Ken.
“Don’t look at me!” Ken whispered back.
“Senpai, can’t you say something—" Naoto-san said.
Yu-san just shrugged. “It was fun enough last time. What about you guys?”
“Um… I don’t think any of us know what this King’s Game is,” Haru interjected. “So we really can’t say yes or no…”
“It’s more or less… a truth or dare game,” Naoto-san sighed. “The last time we played… it was embarrassing, to put it lightly.”
Ren shrugged. “Sounds fun enough to me.”
“Of course you would say that,” Ken sighed. “But… I suppose that I owe Yu-san a favor for even agreeing to letting us come… if three more people agree with Ren, I’ll vote yes.”
Futaba just grinned, rubbing her hands together. “This should be good! I’m in!”
And of course… Ryuji being Ryuji was all for it. Morgana claimed that he probably couldn’t even do any the dares, so he was sitting this out. Yusuke didn’t care either way. And Haru thought it was fun, so she had said yes.
He hoped he didn’t regret this.
“If we’re going to do this…” Naoto-san’s eyes swept through the group as Teddie-san gleefully dropped the chopsticks in a plastic cup, setting in the center of the circle they formed. “I’m laying down some rules. For one… no inappropriate commands. Furthermore, no commands that will force the person to cheat on their partner of sorts.”
Ken eyed Ren, who was fighting back a smirk. Wait a minute…
“And Ren,” Ken added, frowning sternly, “no using the Third Eye.”
“The… Third Eye?” Yukiko-san echoed.
“It’s an ability that Igor gave me. It lets me catch things that you usually would miss.” Ren then turned to Ken, “And I’m offended that you think that I would—”
“Just taking precautions,” Ken said flatly.
Yu-san just crossed his arms and had… a rather unreadable expression.
Yu-san was frowning. “Igor never gave me any sort of ability…”
Ren faltered at that. “Really?”
“Hmm… maybe he felt circumstances were different this time.” Even though Yu-san’s rationalization made sense… his expression was troubled. “Anyhow, it’s not important.”
“Let’s begin!” Teddie-san cheered, jiggling the plastic cup enthusiastically.
He selected a chopstick, before passing it off to Yukiko-san. It took a minute to pass one off to everyone.
Ren suddenly smirked, flashing the chopstick marked with red at everyone. “Looks like I’m the King for the first round.”
“Oh boy…” Anne groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead.
He didn't blame her for being apprehensive.
“And my command as King…” Ren’s eyes twinkled behind his glasses. “Is for Number 7 to serenade either their significant other or their person of choice.”
“You want me to do WHAT?!” Kanji-san squawked out, his face growing red. “I don’t know any freaking serenades!”
Naoto-san just slouched in her seat. “Ren-kun… is that necessary?”
“I believe the King’s order is…” Ren pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, all while smirking, “Absolute.”
“Ken, you should’ve just said no,” Makoto said flatly.
Ken grumbled out, “I realize that now…”
Kanji-san followed Ren’s command albeit with a lot of grumbling. He knelt in front of Naoto-san, taking her hand. Both of their faces were bright red.
“Uh… let’s see…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Roses are red… violets are blue, you’re so freaking smart and cute, and I… love you?”
Naoto-san’s face was still so red, but she smiled shyly at Kanji-san. “I love you too, Kanji-kun.”
“Hmm…” Ren rubbed his chin. “That’s more love poetry, but I’ll take it.”
“Nice, nice, Ren-kun!” Rise-san said cheerfully, nodding in approval. “A good first command!”
“Ugh, screw you, Rise!” Kanji-san scowled at her.
“Just saying the truth, Kanji!”
They put the chopsticks back into the cup and redrew.
“Oooh, it’s me!” Yukiko-san exclaimed.
She showed off her chopstick with excitement. Then she tapped her chin for a moment, letting out a thoughtful hum. A large smile appeared on her face all of a sudden. That was never good.
“Number 5… I order you to give Number 1 a piggyback ride!”
Yusuke’s forehead furrowed. “I’m number 5… who’s number 1 then?”
“That would be me!” Futaba jumped to her feet.
Yusuke tilted his head before he stood up. “Go on then.”
“Uh… Yusuke?” Ryuji spoke up. “Don’tcha have to y’know… kneel down? You’re like a head and a half taller than Futaba.”
“She can climb.”
Ken sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. “Yusuke, come on, don’t be childish.”
“I am not,” he said, raising his chin.
Ken fought the urge to roll his eyes. Futaba puffed out her cheeks, a look of determination settling in her eyes.
Her hands clenched into fists. “Fine! Just watch me!”
It was… rather comical watching Futaba pounce onto Yusuke’s back, her grabbing onto the back of Yusuke’s shirt to get a good grip on him. She scrambled him up like he was a tree, and she was panting by the time she was perched on his back. She smiled victoriously, flashing a V sign at them.
But then she dropped her head onto Yusuke’s shoulder. “Ugh, this is why I don’t exercise.”
Okay, they would have to change that. This isn’t the first time he noticed she had poor stamina. He would have to convince Futaba to start exercising, since that probably contributed to her sleeping so much after awakening to her Persona. Ryuji would probably like training with Futaba, wouldn’t he?
Haru clapped. “Bravo! Good job, Futaba-chan!”
Yu-san chuckled. “Very nice. Though Yusuke, you could’ve just knelt down…”
“She needs the exercise,” Yusuke said, kneeling down so Futaba could drop to the ground.
“Ugh, screw you, Inari,” Futaba huffed before darting back to her spot next to Anne.
They redrew for the third round, before Teddie-san let out a cheer. “Teddie’s got the red! That means Teddie’s the King!”
“Oh no…” Naoto-san sighed.
He could understand why Naoto-san was a bit… concerned. Teddie-san was just… shameless.
“I order Number 2 to plant a big ol’ smooch on the person they’d like to date the most!”
“W-WHAT?!” Makoto blurted out, suddenly blushing furiously. “Y-You can’t be serious, Teddie-san!”
“This is pushing it, Teddie…” Yu-san scolded. “Makoto, you don’t have to—”
But then Makoto’s jaw tightened. “No, it’s fine. If Kanji-san can say a love poem to Naoto-san… then I can do this.”
Was she seriously going to admit this? She had said that she liked someone before, and Futaba seemed to know who it was…
There had to be only one person… it had to be Ren.
It made sense. Ren was very charismatic, after all. And at one point, all of the girls in SEES had feelings for Minato-san… It seemed to be a Wild Card thing.
Wait, why was Makoto approaching him?
Makoto’s face was glowing like the setting sun, as she knelt in front of him. Her hands rested on his shoulders before she swiftly leaned in, pressing her lips to his cheek.
“W-Wha…?” Ken’s face flushed as well. “M-Makoto…?”
Makoto pulled away, but where her lips touched his cheek still burned. Wait, Makoto… she… No, that wasn’t it… She probably picked him because she didn’t want to make a scene by kissing Ren. Especially after they were both there when Ren and Anne got together…
Futaba pushed her glasses up her nose. “Makoto, I think you broke Ken.”
“You didn’t say where I had to kiss him,” Makoto announced. “So this satisfies the command, doesn’t it?”
“Damn, so that’s it…?” Ryuji shook his head.
Yeah, she only kissed him because she didn’t want things to be awkward…
But… why did he feel disappointed…?
Yu’s head was spinning, even after the Phantom Thieves had departed for Tokyo.
He liked Ren. He really did. But something was nagging at him.
Igor was an observer. He was there to help the Wild Cards, but not to the degree of bestowing a strange ability. Yu couldn’t help but feel unsettled.
Marie had left Inaba months ago to look into why the Velvet Room had been shut away… and they haven’t heard anything from her since.
What did this all mean?
“Senpai?” Rise gently touched his arm, catching his attention. He looked down to see concern in Rise’s brown eyes. “You looked so far away just now…”
“I was just… thinking.” Yu smiled at her to reassure her. “They were a good group of kids, aren’t they?”
“Not the type that I’d expect Ken to run around with. But yeah, gotta agree with you there, Senpai. They’re good kids,” Kanji remarked.
“I do wish I could’ve asked more about my… successor…” Naoto commented with a frown. “There’s something so… off about his rise to fame. Not to mention the cases he solves.”
“They don’t seem to like Akechi-kun too much,” Yukiko observed, brushing her hair back.
“Well, he’s been badmouthing the Phantom Thieves,” Rise said. “I’m not surprised… and to be fair… we kinda bad-mouthed him too, Yukiko-senpai.”
“You two and Kanji-kun did,” Naoto corrected with exasperation.
“Well, I mean duh! Why wouldn’t they, Nao-chan!?” Teddie interjected. “He basically stole your name!”
Naoto let out another sigh. “Honestly, that was all the media. I didn’t ask for that name either.”
“You’re a hundred times the detective Akechi would ever be,” Kanji huffed.
Naoto smiled warmly at him. “Thank you, Kanji-kun. However, I don’t think I can judge him unless I actually meet him. And I don’t think I would. Not by a longshot. Akechi-kun doesn’t have a reason to visit a small town like Inaba.”
Yukiko then looked at her wrist watch and let out a gasp.
“I can’t believe how late it is…” Yukiko then let out a small laugh. “Goodness, I can’t remember the last time I had a full day off like this…”
Rise chirped. “Hey, you deserve it, Yukiko-senpai! Just look at how much popular the Amagi Inn is compared to when we were in high school!”
Yukiko smiled. “Thanks, Rise-chan.”
They then headed their separate ways: Teddie for Yosuke’s house, Kanji and Naoto for Tatsumi Textiles, and Yu walked Rise back to his uncle’s place so they could have dinner with his cousin and uncle.
“So…” Yu gave his girlfriend a knowing look. “When are you going to text Fuuka-san about the information on Makoto?”
“Why, Senpai?” Rise gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “I would do no such thing—!”
“You texted her already, haven’t you?” Yu laughed.
“Hehe… Maybe.” Rise winked. “Though is it a crime to want everyone to be as happy as we are right now?”
Yu smiled, before wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her close. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
“Well, I can’t fault you for that, I suppose,” he said fondly.
Especially with what they were dealing with right now… they could use all the happiness they could get.
“Hehe... I knew you’d see it my way.” Rise’s expression then grew serious. “Though, seriously, what’s up? You were in deep thought mode.”
Yu admitted, “Some things about the Velvet Room… unsettled me. I don’t think Ken noticed, since while he’s been to the Velvet Room… he doesn’t know just how involved Igor is.”
“Hmm…” Rise tilted her head. “I’d normally say have Minako-san talk to Ren, but they’re still kinda ambivalent about the Shadow Operatives… aren’t they?”
“I can’t blame them, to be honest,” Yu sighed. “I mean… to start with Ryuji and Anne were both screwed over by people who should’ve supported them. Futaba’s relatives were horrible to her… And what Haru’s father planned for her…”
“Yeah…” Rise sighed, before she frowned. “I wish we could help them.”
“That makes two of us,” Yu agreed. “But I guess… we’ll have to wait and see.”
He just hoped his gut feeling about the Velvet Room was wrong…
Notes:
Sorry about the late update! But as you can see, this update was… a bit of a monster. I had so much I wanted to cover and I didn’t think I could split it. And I had plans for a Nanako cameo, but ah well.
But yeah! Some Investigation Team-Phantom Thieves interactions for you. I really hope I did it justice. And… Ken is getting to the realization, I promise. He won’t be oblivious for much longer.
We also finally got some news on P5R and P5S. Not terribly excited for P5S, but I'm intrigued by the info we got in P5R's trailer! However, I won't be incorporating anything from P5R into this story. I'm way too deep into the story to wait for P5R to come out. I'm hoping to be done with the story by the end of this year, but we'll see.
And happy late birthday to Makoto and Naoto!
Edited on 6/23/25. Many thanks to my wonderful beta angelrin89.
Chapter 28: Ch. 27: Conflicting Feelings
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves enjoy some down time, but Ken is still rather confused over what happened in Inaba.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Tuesday, September 27th, 2016
"I order Number 2 to plant a big ol’ smooch on the person they’d like to date the most!”
But Makoto just saw Ken as just a friend… didn’t she?
It was just… a stupid dare. It didn’t mean anything. And besides, if Makoto was to like a guy—as she claimed to Teddie-san—it’d be Ren. They had pretended to be a couple already. Maybe Makoto just pretended that she just saw Ren as a friend, since Ren liked Anne.
Besides, for all he knew, Makoto had lied to Teddie-san, to stop his flirting.
Ken heaved out a sigh, pressing a hand to his forehead. Dammit, why couldn’t he stop thinking about this…? The clean, fresh scent of her shampoo… the way her lips had felt again his cheek… and how he couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like to have her lips pressed again his—
Ken shook his head furiously, feeling heat rise up in his cheeks. Makoto was just a friend! What was he doing, thinking about her like that?!
Ken just groaned, whipping off his reading glasses so he could press his hand to his burning face. What was wrong with him? Why did he have to be so confused?
He stared down at his notebook. He had made an excuse to Makoto that he had needed to study, with everything going on, but he had barely written anything down.
What was going on? Was he just… attracted to Makoto? She was a pretty girl…
But this was nothing like back when he had a crush on Minako-san… He could still remember the butterflies that fluttered in his stomach and how his heart pounded when he was around her.
But with Makoto? He felt comfortable around her. When she smiled at him, he felt warm, but his pulse didn’t race at it. It only felt natural to comfort her when she was sad… because that’s what friends do.
Could that be it? She was a pretty girl and they got along. Besides his crush on Minako-san, he doesn’t really have any experience of being in love, let alone infatuation. Was he just mistaking his close friendship bond with romantic feelings, perhaps? Maybe the kiss on the cheek made him doubt himself.
He was just… so confused. And he couldn’t really talk to anyone about this… Ren would be absolutely merciless about this. And Ryuji… yeah, no. He’d probably concoct some harebrained scheme to see if Makoto liked him back or worse—blabbing to Makoto. And Yusuke was completely oblivious to this kind of thing.
There was also Morgana… but Morgana’s only experience when it came to romance kind of blew up in his face… And he would probably just tell him to talk to Ren about it.
And there was no way he’d go to his male senpai about this… Junpei-san would have a ball of teasing him, Akihiko-san would flounder, and Shinjiro-san would probably have his are you kidding me look.
He just… hoped it would go away soon. It’s been two days since their visit to Inaba… and he still couldn’t make sense of this whole thing.
He might as well go home. No sense in brooding over this, hogging one of the library’s tables when someone else could use it better than him. Ken gathered up his belongings, stuffing them in his bag, before slinging his schoolbag over his shoulder.
Ken was descending the last flight of stairs, when he saw Ren and Futaba enter the building.
“Oh! Ken!” Futaba greeted, waving at him enthusiastically before darting up to him. Ren followed her at a more sedate pace. “I came to explore a real high school!”
Ken blinked at them. “Why do you want to explore Shujin?”
Futaba winced, adjusting her glasses. She rocked on the balls of her feet for a moment.
“Um… you see…”
Futaba quickly explained that she used to make a promise list with her mother, earning herself a reward by completely the list. She now was repeating the process with Ren, to try and rehabilitate herself. So she could go around more comfortably, without having to rely on Ren so much.
“So… you picked Shujin?” Ken asked.
“Better Shujin than Kosei.” Ren shrugged. “The only people I know who go there are Yusuke and Hifumi.”
“…Hifumi?” Ken raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar name.
“She’s one of my friends,” Ren explained. “You know Hifumi Togo, right?”
That name did sound familiar. Ken couldn’t quite put his finger on why exactly. Though he should have figured that Ren had even more friends he had never met. He still remembered how many people had come to Minato-san’s funeral… and how many of those people had made speeches about him.
“She’s that shogi prodigy, isn’t she?” Futaba piped up. “They call her the Venus of Shogi, don’t they?”
“Yep, you got it. But anyways…” Ren cleared his throat. “I thought Shujin would be better since I actually know it… kind of.”
Ren really didn’t stick around school, did he…? But then again, he doubted any clubs would want to do anything with him. So, he couldn’t really blame Ren for that.
Ren then added, “And I doubt I would be allowed to show her around Kosei without help. Hifumi doesn’t have a free schedule for that. And Yusuke and Futaba would end up bickering for some reason…”
“Only because Inari antagonizes me!” Futaba declared.
Ken rolled his eyes. “It’s rarely ever on purpose and I can think of plenty of times you started it too.”
Futaba just stuck her tongue out at him.
“Anyyyyways…” Ren cut off whatever retort Futaba was about to make. “If the faculty doesn’t like it all that much, we could always ask Makoto for help to clear it up.”
Ken couldn’t help but stiffen. He didn’t need a reminder of Makoto right now, not when he suddenly had jumbled up thoughts about her.
But he had to admit that they did have a point, with going to Makoto about this.
“Everything okay Ken? You look kinda unhappy.” Futaba frowned at him.
“It’s… It’s nothing… just tired.” Ken quickly looked away from Futaba. It was nothing… It should be nothing… “You should go find Makoto then. In case you run into any faculty.”
Ren studied him closely, his lips pursed together.
“Why don’t you come with us, Ken?” he suggested, tucking one hand in his pocket. “It could be fun. And well…”
He looked down at Futaba, playfully smirking at her for a moment.
“Futaba can be a bit of a handful.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Futaba’s hands flew to her hips, before she let out a huff.
Ken smothered the urge to smile. He had a feeling that Futaba knew exactly what Ren meant.
Then she looked hopefully at Ken. “But Ren’s right about that, y’know! It could be fun!”
She wasn’t going to take no for an answer, was she? For someone who refused to come out of her house not too long ago, Futaba was surprisingly forceful.
“If that’s what you want,” Ken said, trying not to sigh.
He just… didn’t want to make things awkward with Makoto. He didn’t even know what exactly he felt…
“Yayyy!” Futaba cheered, giving a little hop. Her eyes were gleaming with excitement. “But where’s Makoto?”
Ken blinked at her. “I’ve been studying at the library. I haven’t been with Makoto.”
“Well, you can’t blame Futaba for thinking that,” Ren said, raising an eyebrow at Ken. “You spend a lot of time with her.”
When Ken opened his mouth to protest that they didn’t spend that much time together, Ren cut him off, looking rather amused.
“It’s not a bad thing, Ken.” Ren shook his head with a chuckle.
“Futaba?”
Ken turned around to see that Makoto was descending the stairs as well.
She asked, “What are you doing here?”
Ren and Futaba explained again their reasoning, and Makoto’s lips puckered together in thought.
Ken founded himself staring at her lips. Ken immediately mentally smacked himself for the traitorous thought and forced himself to look down at the floor. He needed to stop it. Makoto was just his friend.
“A promise list…” she said slowly. “I think it’s a good strategy, to ease you into interacting with strangers again.”
“So, it’s okay?” Futaba piped up. “Ren said that we’d go on a tour!”
Makoto blinked, before slowly turning to Ren. “And you just volunteered me for this?”
Ren shrugged. “I mean, you’re the student council president. Isn’t it kinda your job to show people the school?”
“That’s…” Makoto sighed. “Okay, I see your point. Though I suppose it’s a good thing that most of the students are gone, and the teachers are in a meeting right now.”
“Yes!” Futaba pumped her fist. “With so little people around, this will be easier than fighting a trash mob!”
Makoto just blinked owlishly at her. “A trash… what?”
“Note to self: educate Makoto on video game slang…” Futaba muttered to herself, pretending to write on her hand. “Oh, and introduce her to video games in general!”
“I’m not that illiterate with video games!” Makoto protested. “I’ve been to the arcades! And I had a GameLad Enhanced as a kid…”
“Didn’t even have the original GameLad or the GLE’s successor I bet, not to mention PC games and console games…” Futaba adjusted her glasses, narrowing her eyes at Makoto. “Do you know about Super Bash Bros?”
Makoto frowned. “Super Bash… what?”
Futaba smirked, looking rather smug. “I rest my case. Your own classmates have some of the top players in the most recent game.”
“H-Hey!”
Ken quickly explained, “It’s a popular fighting game made by Mintendo.”
Ren grinned. “I get really into it, honestly. Sometimes I wish I could jump in and be one of the fighters, you know?”
Futaba grinned. “That would be soooo awesome. You could bust out your Persona! And shoot them with your gun! Like… BAM! They’d never see it coming!”
Ken let out an exasperated sigh. “You do know Mintendo prides itself in being family friendly, right?”
“Someone hasn’t seen some of the third-party characters they’ve allowed.” Futaba put her hands on her hips. “Even back in 2008, one of the guest fighters was from an M-rated game. Also, if they were so family friendly, they wouldn’t have done bunny girl cosplay promotion for a certain witchy gaming icon.”
“Ah… right.” Makoto coughed. “Shall we get started then?”
The tour didn’t start out well, with them showing Futaba the cafeteria. Futaba started talking about some of her bad experiences—which admittedly, cafeterias did not offer the best food—so Makoto hastily suggested they move on. So, they moved onto the library. Futaba looked around, humming for a moment.
She then snapped her fingers. “This place should be a recreational room! You know, with video games!”
“Um… Futaba…” Ken said slowly. “No high school has that kind of thing.”
“Whaaaaat?!” Futaba rounded on him. “Come on, that can’t be true! Gekkoukan’s gotta be super rich!”
“Just because the Kirijo Group personally funds Gekkoukan High doesn’t mean we have a gaming room…” Ken crossed his arms over his chest. “Sure, the school receives funding for the top technology but… video games…? That’s ridiculous.”
“No video game clubs?!” Futaba balked.
“Well, there is computer—”
Futaba cut him off. “I don’t mean programming clubs that I can cakewalk them all blindfolded! I mean gaming!”
Ken and Makoto sighed and shook their heads in unison. Ren covered his mouth to stifle a chuckle while standing behind them.
“What about your house then, huh?” Futaba insisted.
“I assume that’s Minako-san’s doing. She can be very… persuasive.”
“Ugh, lame.” Futaba grumbled. “I mean, the library’s got books, but I’ve got that at home!”
“Don’t you read mostly manga? I doubt you own everything in here. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to read literature for a change, you know.” Ren then rubbed his chin. “Oh, speaking of that, I’ve gotta return The Three Musketeers soon.”
“I’m surprised that you can read that,” Makoto commented. “English is already difficult enough to read, but making sense of the classics with how wordy they are… It gives me a headache, honestly.”
Ren just laughed. “Well, my English is getting better, thanks to Anne.”
“English isn’t that hard to learn. A lot of coding uses English. I found the easiest way to practice what I learned, is to play an MMO with English speakers…” Futaba shrugged. “Though I can’t say I could hold a conversation with Anne perfectly in English. Just the basics needed for teamwork… or hacking.”
Makoto just blinked. “That’s… incredible, Futaba. Wish I could say I picked up the basics as quickly as you did.”
“It can be complicated, but not too bad once you get the hang of it,” Ken tried to reassure. “Though I guess, I’m a little biased. They started us on elementary English during the fifth grade.”
Ren just looked at him in shock. “You’re kidding, right?”
Ken rolled his eyes at him. “Yeah, because I’m known for my jokes.”
“Oh, right, that would mean the world is ending.” Ren smirked. “My mistake.”
Ken glared at Ren. Makoto cleared her throat to interrupt them. She crossed her arms and let out a heavy sigh.
“Well, Gekkoukan is known for being one of the top schools in the country,” Makoto said, giving them both exasperated looks. “Though I will say that’s a bit extreme, making fifth graders studying to that kind of level.”
Ken rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.
He then shrugged. “It’s prepared me well. I can say that at least.”
Makoto turned to Futaba and gently placed her left hand on Futaba’s right shoulder.
“Do you want to look at any books you might be interested in, Futaba?” Makoto offered. “You like sci-fi, don’t you? There’s a section dedicated just for that. One of us could check it out for you.”
“That’s… okay….” Futaba stared past Makoto, a little frown on her face. She was… staring at the shelf? “One time I memorized the books’ order on the shelf. I just glanced at them and I remembered the exact order.”
Makoto let her shoulder go as Futaba walked a couple steps forward as she glanced around the library.
“You must have some impressive photographic memory, I bet,” Ren stated.
Futaba shrugged, as if it was no big deal.
“The kids at school didn’t believe me when I said it. They thought I was making it up. And when I recited the order to prove it, they just…” she squeezed her eyes shut, “…laughed at me. They called me a freak.”
Ken grimaced. Kids could be needlessly cruel. But he didn’t realize the extent of how ostracized Futaba had been from her peers when she was young. He knew about her relatives… but it seemed the mistreatment didn’t end with them.
“Am I… weird?”
Ren stood behind her and put both hands on her shoulder, making her look up. He quickly shook his head.
“No way,” he insisted. “They’re just jealous of your talent.”
But instead of being reassured, Futaba just frowned.
“I don’t wanna be talented, if people make fun of me for it…” She then heaved out a sigh. “School’s just the worst…”
“Come on, Futaba—” Makoto began.
Futaba puffed out her cheeks, giving a small stamp of her foot.
“It’s true!” she snapped out. “People were awful to me! Nobody would ever like me…”
Makoto placed a hand on her chest as she looked down at her feet. Ren refused to let go of Futaba’s shoulders, clearly tried to think of what to say next. Ken sighed and bit his lip, equally unsure as them of what to say to comfort her.
Futaba then her head. “Why did I think this was a good idea…? Things are never going to change…”
Ken frowned. Futaba had a defeatist attitude, regarding this. But… that wasn’t healthy.
“That’s not true,“ Ren insisted again. “You know that’s not true Futaba. Are you going to run away from all you promised yourself after coming this far?”
Futaba just pressed her lips together, giving a small shake. She wrapped her arms around herself. She clearly was still at war with herself, but Ren’s words struck a nerve… but she was still hesitant.
Ken couldn’t just keep quiet if she was going to doubt herself like this again.
“You say things never change,” Ken said quietly. “But it’s not true. Just look at where you were just three months ago… You stayed in your room. You wouldn’t even talk to Sakura-san. But you’re slowly improving, Futaba. And the worst thing you could do is give up.”
Futaba was silent for a moment. “I… do you really think so?”
“Of course he does, and I agree!” Ren interjected. “You may have struggled to make friends before, but you’re not the same person as you were before, Futaba.”
“And the fact that you’re looking to fulfill the things on your promise list is really saying something. You said that nobody would ever like you… but that’s not true. We like you, don’t we?” Makoto took a few steps forward, smiling gently. “I know that things have changed for me since I’ve met everyone.”
“Ugh…” Futaba’s face scrunched up. “Why do you have to be so logical about it?”
“See? If they agree with me, you can’t really argue about it.” Ren smirked, but then lightly squeezed Futaba’s shoulders. “But you feel a little better about things now, don’t you?”
Futaba bit her lip and sucked in a sharp breath through her nose.
“Yeah… but…” Futaba looked back at him defiantly. “Don’t expect me to beg Sojiro to enroll me in Shujin any time soon!”
Ken sighed. Well, it was better than nothing. They just had to keep taking little steps.
And then he caught Makoto’s eye, but he quickly looked away. It was easy to forget while they were showing Futaba around but he still felt… funny with Makoto.
This was all Rise-san’s fault. And Teddie-san’s fault. Now he was all jumbled up because of how Makoto kissed his cheek! He just had to distance himself from Makoto until he figured himself out…
Thursday, September 29th, 2016
“So… how ya feelin’, Mina-tan?”
Minako groaned, before sticking a spoonful of taro ice cream in her mouth. The combination of the sweet and nutty taste was very much needed. It was super creamy and cold too. Heaven to her taste buds right now. Minako had always thought she was fairly tolerant of the heat (unlike Mitsuru-senpai, who hated the heat and always suffered in the summer) but this summer was especially bad due to her pregnancy. The doctor assured her it was perfectly normal but it was a pain to deal with.
Chidori just laughed softly.
Sometimes it still boggled her mind seeing how different Chidori was. She was more… gentle and kind. Though she did have her blunt moments too, which was part of how she kept Junpei in line.
One thing stayed the same though—her fashion sense. She still liked wearing gothic lolita dresses. Today she was wearing a mostly white dress, with black lace trimming and a skyscraper pattern near the bottom of her skirt.
Chidori smoothed out her skirt a bit and smiled. “Well, Yukari did ask you to take care of the twins for a couple months while she finishes wrapping up the last of the shoots. That should occupy your time.”
Junpei frowned. “Speaking of that… are you sure you can keep up with ‘em? I mean, you are getting there—”
“Are you calling me fat?!” Minako demanded, narrowing her eyes at Junpei.
“Wha—?” Junpei blanched at that, all color draining from his face. “No! Shit, not at all! I just meant—!”
Chidori just patted his arm in sympathy, raising an eyebrow at her husband. “It never gets easier for you, hmm?”
“Hey!” Junpei protested.
Minako just grumbled. Well, she supposed that Junpei was just concerned. She probably should let it slide. “You’re lucky I’m holding a spoon, not a fork.”
Suddenly the front door opened, and Aki stepped through.
“Mina, I’m home!” he announced. “And look who I brought!”
“AUNTIE MINA!” The twins pushed Aki out of the way, clambering on the couch to give her a big hug.
Minako hugged the two of them. Their petite arms wrapped around her back as she felt little hands squeeze onto her shirt.
She ruffled both of their hair, smiling down at her niece and nephew. “You’ve gotten so big since I’ve seen you last!”
“Silly Auntie Mina!” Miyuki sighed, sounding more exasperated than she should, as she shook her head at Minako. “You saw us in July! It’s not that long ago!”
“Jeez, you two!” Yukari scolded, striding forward. Her hands were on her hips. “You nearly knocked over Akihiko-senpai over!”
The twins both smiled sheepishly at Yukari’s chastisement, ducking their heads.
“Sorry, Uncle Aki,” they chorused together, all while smiling cutely at Aki.
“Aw…” Aki rubbed the back of his neck, a small smile creeping onto his face. “Who could stay mad at these two for long?”
Minako couldn’t help but giggle. The twins were admittedly very good at the puppy dog eyes. But she was glad that the twins seemed happy and well. If she was present when those bitchy women had called her precious nephew a bastard… she would have happily wrung their necks. Not to mention that they seemed to begrudge Yukari having a well-established career as an actress. Jealous harpies.
“But you’re so big now, Auntie Mina…!” Kaito’s eyes were round before his fingers brushed against her stomach. “How much long until you’re having the baby?”
Junpei just snorted. “You’re lucky that it’s still cute for you to ask that, Kaito…”
Then he yelped as Yukari suddenly grabbed him by the ear and yanked hard.
“Yowch!” He pulled away from Yukari, nursing his now sore ear. He whined out, “Yuka-tan, that hurts!”
“It’s supposed to!” Yukari fired back, glowering at him. “Jeez, what are you doing?!”
“Hey, I’m just saying…!”
She retorted, “And I’m saying that’s something stupid to say! Jeez, sometimes I swear you don’t even know the meaning of tact, saying crap like that!”
“Mommy said a bad word!” Miyuki gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth in horror.
Minako couldn’t help but laugh at how scandalized her niece sounded. She giggled more, when she heard her nephew mumble to his sister that their mommy needs to brush her teeth and clean out bad words.
Chidori sighed, shaking her head. “You’re just getting into all kinds of trouble with women today, aren’t you, Junpei…?”
Junpei just rubbed under his nose with his index finger and laughed.
“What about you, Chidorita?” Junpei asked innocently, sidling close to her. “Am I in trouble with you?”
Chidori just huffed, but a slight blush came to her cheeks. “No… not me.”
Yukari huffed as well, shaking her head for a moment. But then she turned to Minako, her eyes softening.
“Thanks for taking the twins while I finish wrapping up these last shoots. Especially since you’re approaching your last trimester.” She ran a hand through her hair. “It’s getting really crazy…”
“It’s no problem, Yukari-chan. You know that we love the twins and would be more than happy to take care of them,” Minako reassured.
The twins then grabbed onto Aki’s arms and he lifted them both up. Then slowly spinning around as the kids laughed in delight while they clung onto his arms tightly.
Yukari and Minako laughed as they watched Aki play with the kids.
“But still… thanks. Once we move out here, I’d be more than happy to babysit, if you and Akihiko-senpai need a date night or something. Speaking of that…” She gave Minako a once over. “How are you feeling? I know that you’re finally getting over your cravings but…”
Aki set down Miyuki and Kaito. The twins complained as Aki explained he didn’t want to make them too dizzy so they should take a quick break.
“Oh, I’m fine.” Minako rested a hand on her stomach. “The baby’s been kicking some more—”
“THE BABY KICKS YOU?!” Kaito demanded, outrage clear on his round face.
“Kicking’s not nice!” Miyuki scowled as well. “’Specially kicking your mommy!”
“That’s right!” Junpei mock gasped, suddenly hoisting Miyuki up by the waist and making her squeal with laughter. He grinned at Aki. “So, are you gonna haul your baby to jail once she’s born?”
“You’re being silly, Junpei.” Chidori sighed, shaking her head before smiling at Miyuki and then Kaito. “It’s natural for the baby to do that. You did that when Yukari was expecting you as well.”
“Whaaaat?” Miyuki puffed out her cheeks for a moment, before pouting at Chidori. “No way, Auntie Chidori!”
Junpei laughed and pat Miyuki on the head before he set her down.
“Yeah, we would never hurt Mommy!” Kaito insisted indignantly.
Yukari just laughed, ruffling Kaito’s hair for a moment. “Sorry, sweetie, but it’s true.”
The twins just gasped in response and looked towards each other in shock. Minako couldn’t help but giggle at them again. Their innocence was so precious… and kind of hilarious.
Minako smiled as her daughter kicked in response, as if she knew that they were talking about her. Her hand glided to where the baby was talking, smiling as she felt a light thump against her palm.
“Don’t worry you two, it doesn’t hurt. In fact… it feels nice,” Minako said with a nod.
“Nice?” Miyuki frowned, looking rather skeptical.
Minako couldn’t help it as her smile widened. The twins had never met Minato, but there was no question her brother had left his mark on his two children.
Minako beckoned Kaito and Miyuki forward. She took their hands, guiding them where the baby was kicking. She smiled as twin expressions of delight bloomed across their faces.
“Hey, it tickles!” Kaito exclaimed, his eyes shining with delight. “You feel this every time the baby kicks, Auntie Mina?”
“Yep!” Minako nodded.
“How much sooner until the baby comes?” Miyuki piped up. “I wanna play with the baby!”
“A little under three months,” Aki said. “The baby’s going to be born a couple weeks before Christmas.”
“But you can’t play with your cousin right away,” Junpei chimed in. “She’ll be very small.”
“Whaaaat?!” Miyuki pouted. “It feels like it’s been ages and ages! And we have to wait even longer?!”
“And it’s a girl too!” Kaito then winced when he noticed Yukari give him a flat look. “I don’t hate girls! I just wanna play with a baby boy too!”
Yukari just let out a sigh and shook her head. Kaito then looked up at Aki.
“Hey, hey, do you think that Uncle Junpei and Auntie Chidori could have a baby too?” Kaito asked as he gestured to the pair.
“W-What?” Chidori stammered out, before exchanging an embarrassed look with Junpei. “Um… that probably won’t be happening soon, Kaito-kun.”
The twins both crossed their arms in disappointment. Kaito, however, seemed the most disappointed.
“Aww nuts…!” her nephew grumbled.
Minako giggled. The twins really could be a riot.
She then wiggled her eyebrows at Junpei and Chidori. “Not ready yet, huh? But Junpei’s great with kids!”
Chidori let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s just not happening now, Minako.”
“Aw, but it’d be so cute if our kids would grow up as best friends…” Minako winked.
Junpei blushed and coughed into his fist awkwardly. Chidori tried to say something, as her cheeks got pink. Whatever statement she was about to make got cut off by the sound of Junpei’s stomach growling. Chidori then sighed in relief. Minako and Yukari couldn’t help but start laughing while the twins just looked at the adults confused.
As it was past noon, Aki offered to cook lunch. Aki was a decent enough cook when he followed recipes, so she had no complaints. (Shinji had given Aki a cookbook, after witnessing one too many of Aki’s schemes to incorporate vitamins to the point where it ruined the meal.) She was just glad that she could eat food again without getting nauseous. Feeling like she was gonna puke just from smelling certain foods wasn’t fun.
After lunch, Minako put on Neo Feathermen for the twins—naturally, it was one of their favorite shows. Specifically, the Victory incarnation.
It was cute to hear them to yell, “Yeah, go Mommy!”
“Sooo… Yuka-tan?” Junpei suddenly interjected. “How long are you gonna stick around until you gotta jet?”
Yukari rubbed her left shoulder and let out a sigh. She then sat down and slumped a little in the chair. Man, she must be really tired.
She glanced over to Junpei and gave him a small smile.
“I’ll be staying until Thursday morning,” Yukari answered. “I need to talk to the real estate agent about the house I’m buying, not to mentioning the place in Paulownia that I want to lease for the boutique…” She rubbed her face for a moment. “God, I can’t believe it’s been nearly six years since we graduated.”
Minako jumped a little feeling a much harder kick than normal. Her baby was certainly very active today. She giggled to herself and rubbed her belly.
It was wild to think about how much has changed since they were teenagers. She certainly couldn’t imagine herself becoming a mom six years after graduation.
“Hey, it’s not like we’re old geezers!” Minako joked, making everyone laugh. “But seriously… I’m glad everything’s working out. And it’ll be a few months and you’ll be back on Port Island!”
Yukari nodded and smiled, as she rubbed her shoulders again. Chidori then got up and started to massage Yukari’s shoulders, to her surprise. Minako did remember Junpei once saying Chidori was actually pretty good at giving him massages when he was tensed up after long days being a PE teacher.
“Thank you, Chidori. But yeah... I’m glad to be able to come back.” Yukari then tilted her head. “But you know, I heard from Rise-chan that Ken took…”
She looked carefully at the twins. They did tend to hear what they shouldn’t, after all.
“That he took his friends to visit last Sunday,” she said finally. “Did you hear from Yu-kun about how it exactly went down?”
“Yu-kun seemed to get on with Ren-kun,” Minako said, trying not to wince.
Aki caught her eye, frowning slightly, but he didn’t say anything. At least nobody picked up on it. Though knowing Aki, he would probably be talking to her about this in private later.
“Everyone seemed to,” she finished.
She had confided in her husband when Yu-kun had called her about her perspective, when he had picked up an… odd conversation between Ken and Ren. The Third Eye ability… it seemed supernatural, even by their standards. But… she didn’t know what they could do. It would be best to keep quiet for now. God, if only Elizabeth would drop in. She swore that Elizabeth was the textbook definition of a loose cannon…
“That’s good,” Yukari said.
They hadn’t heard the kids sneak up on them. Chidori nearly jumped when they came into her peripheral.
“Are you talking about Uncle Ken’s friends?” Miyuki piped up.
“Oh, you remember them, sweetie?” Minako asked.
Miyuki nodded. “Uh huh. They were nice! The frizzy hair guy even bought Kaito a snack!”
“Frizzy… hair…?” Chidori questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Miyuki nodded enthusiastically. “Uh-huh! He had really big glasses! It covered a lot of his face! Oh, and one of the girls was really pretty! Her hair was like gold!”
Kaito’s bottom lip curled out with a pout as he stomped his foot; he looked (adorably) scandalized.
“Nobody’s as pretty as Mommy though!” Kaito quickly snapped.
Miyuki scowled at him. Her cute face mimicking her twin brother’s and she stomped her foot in response also.
“Didn’t say she was prettier than Mommy!” She huffed.
Yukari huffed as well, but a light blush came to her face. “You two…”
Minako couldn’t help but smile sadly, looking at her niece and nephew. She only had fuzzy memories of her and Minato at that age. She wondered if they ever had fights like that when they were small.
“So, Ken’s got some pretty lady friends, huh?” Junpei grinned at the twins. “Wanna tell me more about them?”
Minako was grateful for Junpei cutting in, distracting Minako from her thoughts. She rubbed her belly for a little comfort still. Her brother wouldn’t want her dwelling on such things…
Her niece scrunched up her face and tapped her chin in deep thought.
“Umm... there was the girl…” Miyuki looked down at the floor. “She was with Uncle Ken when he went to find me and Kaito. What was her name?”
“Makoto!” Kaito piped up, raising his hand like he was in school.
“Yeah!” Miyuki jabbed her index finger, pointing at her brother in excitement. “She kinda reminded me of Auntie Mitsuru.”
Minako tapped her cheek as she recalled what was told to her about the friends Ken has made.
“Makoto…” Minako repeated. “She’s the student council president of Shujin, if I remember right?”
She looked over to Yukari who nodded in response.
It would make sense; Ken was student council as well was the more studious type. He would be more comfortable to hang out with someone with similar vibes.
“Soo… Miyu-tan,” Junpei drawled out, a wide grin on his face. “There’s a whole package of mochi ice cream with your name on it if you tell us more about Ken’s lady friends.”
“REALLY?!” Miyuki gasped.
Minako couldn’t help but giggle. Her niece and nephew really did have a weakness for sweets. Better for them, she supposed.
“Hey, hey! What about me, Uncle Junpei?!” Kaito demanded indignantly, grabbing onto Junpei’s sleeve. “I want mochi ice cream too!”
“Stupei! What do you think you’re doing?!” Yukari cried out, before smacking his shoulder. “You know I don’t like it when you guys try bribing the twins with sweets!”
Junpei winced as he tried to mumble an apology quickly. The twins whined but Yukari gave them ‘the look’ and they immediately stopped complaining.
“Don’t do it again! Sheesh…” Yukari said with a huff, hands on her hips.
“Come on, Yuka-tan, aren’t you a little curious about it?” Junpei wheedled.
Yukari faltered for a split second but then she shot Junpei an annoyed look. “H-Hey! That has nothing to do with you trying coerce my kids with sweets, again! Knock it off!”
Aki and Chidori chuckled in unison. Chidori moved back to sitting down next to Junpei.
“Oh jeez…” Aki shook his head. “Poor Ken. Maybe it’s a good thing that he never found a girlfriend.”
“Poor Ken-kun indeed,” Chidori muttered. “I bet he’s sneezing like crazy right now.”
Minako just snickered before sharing a conspiring grin with Junpei.
She winked at her friend. “That just means the real fun starts when he actually does get a girlfriend.”
Junpei snickered and gave Minako a high-five. Yukari looked at them flatly, unimpressed. Chidori shook her head. Aki just crossed his arms.
“Mina, you shouldn’t torture Ken,” her husband grumbled.
Minako just stuck her tongue out. Yukari rolled her eyes and ushered the twins back into the other room to get back to watching their show.
Junpei took his hat off and set it on the coffee table. He started combing through his hair before putting his hat off. A big grin never left his face the whole time.
“Maybe we can get Fuuka to feel things out when she visits next week,” Junpei snickered.
There was their bet to think about too… Ken was graduating in less than six months too.
“Holy crap, Ken is only six months away from graduating?! God, I feel old…” Minako thought to herself.
Chidori lightly tapped the bill of Junpei’s baseball hat. Her lips pursed with slight disapproval.
She let out a sigh. “Junpei, don’t bug Ken-kun about this kind of thing. If it’ll happen, it will.”
“But—”
Chidori just raised an eyebrow, giving Junpei a disappointed look.
Junpei huffed, crossing his arms over his chest in a pout. “Fiiiiine.”
Chidori then smiled lightly, which caused Junpei to grin again as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Yukari walked in right as this was happening, she slightly smiled seeing the two. She sat down on the other side of Minako.
“You’re so whipped, Junpei,” Minako teased.
“We’ve known that since high school,” Yukari quipped.
Kaito and Miyuki popped their heads back in, Minako wondered if she should tell Aki to give it up and turn off the TV. It didn’t seem to be keeping the kids interested compared to usual.
Yukari sighed next to her, she was probably thinking the same thing too.
“What’s whipped mean?” Kaito tilted his head, looking rather mystified.
“It means Uncle Junpei will do whatever Auntie Chidori wants him to,” Minako said, before throwing an innocent smile Junpei’s way. “Right, Junpei?”
“HEY!” Junpei glared at her.
“That’s silly, Aunt Mina!” Miyuki piped up.
“Thank you, Miyu-tan—”
“All guys are like that!” she finished, all while smiling sunnily.
Minako stifled a loud laugh that would rival Yukiko; thankfully she had self-control to not unleash it. Would Junpei be mad if she snapped a picture right now? The look on his face was just priceless.
“Wha—” Aki stared, dumbfounded at Miyuki. “No, they aren’t! I’m not!”
“But you do whatever Auntie Mina wants you to!” Kaito protested. “And it’s the same with Uncle Shinji and Auntie Fuuka. Only Uncle Ken isn’t like that and he doesn’t have someone he like-likes.”
“That’s—!” Aki glared at Minako, Yukari, and Chidori, who were all beginning to giggle. “Stop laughing! It’s not true! It’s not!”
Minako stood up to walk over and pat her husband’s arm. “Aww, it’s okay, Aki, I still love you.”
Minako then blinked flatly at the dramatic gagging sounds behind her. She turned around to see the twins looking at her and Aki.
“Gross!” Kaito and Miyuki chorused, identical looks of disgust on their faces.
This just made everyone break into laughter. The twins would definitely bring some liveliness in the house…
It honestly would be a welcome distraction from all of the Phantom Thief business… and how she couldn’t do anything to look into the Velvet Room…
“You kids will get it someday,” Chidori said with a smile.
“Eww! No way!” The twins exclaimed in unison.
Saturday, October 1st, 2016
Ren knew that time was ticking away. There were ten days before the deadline, to be exact. But in all honesty, they weren’t ready to go back. He felt that he would have to upgrade their weapons again, before they faced off with Okumura…
He looked over at Anne, who was texting on her phone.
“Hey, Ren?” she whispered, leaning in close. “Are we going to visit Okumura’s Palace today?”
Ren shook his head. “Sorry, Anne. Iwai promised me the goods if I helped him out a couple more nights. But soon, okay?”
His girlfriend had a disappointed yet worried look. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“Come on, you know I wouldn’t push us past the deadline. We’ll take care of it very soon. I promise,” Ren said quietly with a reassuring smile.
Anne gave a small smile as she placed her hand over his own, on her shoulder. She gave it a light squeeze as she let out a sigh. She then let go of his hand. She slid her phone back into her pocket.
“Okay.” Anne frowned. “I guess that works out… I got asked if I was free today by my agency.”
Ren smiled at her. “That’s great! You’re getting more gigs, huh?”
Anne just nodded, her smile grew much wider now. “Yeah! It’s all thanks to you, Ren.”
Ren shook his head. “Come on, give yourself some more credit, Anne. I just gave you a push to the right direction.”
Anne giggled, before standing up and walking up to him. She cupped his cheek with one hand, leaning in to kiss his nose.
He was very tempted to wrap his arms around her waist and give her a kiss on the lips… but he doubted now was the time or place… in front of all his classmates. Anne probably would prefer when they had more privacy for him to be bold.
“You’re still my light, Ren. You make me want to be better,” she said with tenderness.
He lightly held onto the hand she placed on his cheek, pulling it away from his cheek and instead to his lips. He gave her knuckles a light kiss instead.
Ren just smiled up at her. “Love you too. Knock ‘em, dead, Panther.”
Anne giggled before her cheeks went pink. But she nodded and gave him a wink. She reluctantly pulled her hand away to gather her things.
Anne then blew him a quick kiss before she headed out of the classroom. Ren ignored the whispers and stares as he packed up and left the classroom as well. Let them talk. He had other things to concern himself with.
He began to run things in his mind as he descended the flight of stairs leading to the first floor. Maybe he should check with Futaba, to see if she wanted to continue with her promise list? Or maybe practice with Shinya? He’d need to double check some of his texts and see who was available.
“—study with me today?”
He looked at the voice, stopping in his tracks. Makoto and Ken were standing right outside their classroom, but Ken looked like he desperately wanted to bolt with how he shifted weight between his two feet.
Damn, he had hoped that roping—okay, kinda forcing—Ken into helping him and Makoto show Futaba around Shujin would… diffuse the awkwardness between them. Ken honestly seemed like he didn’t know what to feel.
Should’ve known he would kinda suck with girls. But still… you’d think after what Makoto did in Inaba would prove to him without a shadow of a doubt how she felt.
Or was that the problem? Either Ken wasn’t interested (he doubted that), was clueless (most likely), or was interested but not ready (an argument could be made for likely also).
Ken just tugged at the cuff of his blazer. Man, it was kinda weird seeing Ken in the winter uniform. Especially since the orange sweater vest he wore over his turtleneck made him look more like a dressed down version of Ace.
“Fuuka-san’s visiting for the next few days. I really shouldn’t stay that long today, Makoto.” He forced a smile. “Maybe another time.”
“Okay.” Makoto’s face fell. “Say hi to Fuuka-san for me then.”
Ren couldn’t help but raise a brow as he watched the scene unfold.
“Jeez… nothing like drama, I guess,” Morgana grumbled, poking his head out of Ren’s bag.
“Shhh, Morgana,” Ren quickly shushed him. “Don’t want them to know that we’re listening.”
He watched Makoto turn away, a sad smile on her face. Dammit, he had to catch up to Ken. Snap him out of this somehow. Ren swore that he really needed to be paid for this.
He ran after Ken, ignoring Morgana’s yelps. Okay, it was a little rough on Morgana—Ren would have to buy something nice for him to make it up to him—but he had to be fast. Ken was fast even when he was walking.
“Ken! Ken, wait up!” he called out to his friend.
Ken stopped in his tracks, turning around to face Ren. “Ren? What’s wrong?”
“I was just…”
Ren wanted to kick himself. What was he supposed to say?
“I was kinda eavesdropping on you and Makoto, and you need to get over the fact that you have a huge crush on her.”
Yeah, no. Ken would get all defensive and huffy on him. Maybe even pouty. He might be able to figure out a way to ease into the conversation but…
“I just… wanted to hang out today!” he said quickly. “It’s been a while, since it’s been just us, you know?”
“Okay.” Ken just sighed, rubbing his face. “What do you want to do?”
Wow, Ken was out of it. He didn’t even question it. He would have to seriously talk to Ken about this. And why was Ken even reacting like this? Ken told him before that he had a huge crush on Minako-san back when he was in elementary school. Ren was pretty confident he liked Makoto a lot more than he was leading on. But this was strange in comparison to how Ken described his first crush.
Okay… he definitely must be in denial. That had to be it!
“Though, I just wanted to ask—is everything okay?” Ren asked.
Ken cringed. “W-What do you mean?”
“Just thought it was a little weird for you to brush off Makoto is all,” Ren said.
Ken frowned before blowing his bangs out of his face. “It’s… nothing. Just something I needed to work out myself.”
Ren had to fight back a snort. And Futaba thought they’d get together by next month?
“Well, I’m all ears if you ever need some advice or anything,” Ren said.
Ken paled slightly before he cleared his throat. “And I thought that our roles would be switched. I am older than you after all.”
“By less than a year,” Ren laughed.
But he wouldn’t push things further. Maybe Ken needed some time to figure out his feelings. It might be better to sit back and watch—with popcorn in hand, of course.
Ken rolled his eyes. “But anyways… what were you thinking of doing? Unless you wanted to play twenty questions.”
“How about Akihibara?” Ren suggested, before smothering the grin threatening to break across his face. “We could look for Neo Feathermen figurines—!”
“I’m really regretting letting you find out about that,” he muttered while pinching the bridge of his nose.
Ren couldn’t help but chuckle. Morgana popped his head out slightly and cleared his throat.
“You better hurry and catch the trains, the one leaving for Akihabara leaves soon at this time, doesn’t it?” Morgana reminded.
Ren laughed and nodded. He quietly thanked Morgana as he hid back into the bag before anyone noticed.
Ren just smirked at Ken. “Your secret would’ve come out, one way or another. But you can tell me all about your collections on the train.”
Though he had to admit, it was too fun to tease Ken. It was just funny to see him getting all embarrassed and flustered, especially since it was over Feathermen.
Ken huffed. “Forget it! Let’s just go then…”
Ren was still surprised that Ken enjoyed reading manga and playing video games. Like, he knew that Ken wasn’t quite what you’d guess him to be at first glance but still. He could be too serious sometimes.
Like no offense to Ken, but he kinda had a stick up his butt… that usually doesn’t give one the impression you’d kick back and enjoy manga and video games. But maybe he should have more faith… after all he does enjoy Neo Featherman.
Despite how Ken had been far from amused by his suggestion, they did end up going into a hybrid video game/figurine shop. They had mostly figurines from anime or video games, but they had some from TV shows. Funnily enough, one of them was of Yukari-san.
“Is it ever weird to see her on TV?” Ren couldn’t help but ask.
Ken just cringed. “It’s weirder to hear people talk about her because they think she’s attractive.”
“Yeah, okay, that’s fair…” Ren thought with a wince. “Never had a relative or someone close as a sibling that is famous and sought after, thankfully I never saw my mom in her career heyday…”
Ren then clenched his jaw at the thought of his mother. He looked around at the shops to distract himself of that.
Maybe he could shop around for some video games for his Mintendo S3D. His retro console was fun and all, but he picked up his S3D again because Anne was especially into portables. It was fun battling her in Pusemon, even though she constantly kicked his ass.
They walked into one of the game stores around the corner. The shelves in the front were lined with all the latest games. While the ones in the back were decorated with memorabilia and retro games.
“What are you looking for?” Ken asked.
“Nothing in particular.” Ren shrugged, as he looked over the shelves. “But it’d be nice to play another game. The games I have right now are getting a bit stale.”
“That’s understandable,” Ken said. “What games do you like?”
“JRPGs are pretty fun,” Ren answered. “I like Campfire Emblem, too.”
But then something caught his eye. He picked up the case, which read Soul of Justice. Ren frowned, he forgot about the new Legendary Lawyer game.
He turned to Ken with a grin, holding the case out to him. “Maybe you should play this. You do want to be a defense attorney, after all.”
Ken rolled his eyes at him.
“Haha, very funny,” he said dryly, looking rather unamused. “You’re not the first to make that joke, you know.”
“I’m not?” Ren snapped his fingers. “Oh well, darn…”
Ken just snorted in response. Then he scratched the back of his head with a loud sigh.
“Junpei-san thought it’d be funny to show me the original trilogy shortly after I started to become interested in law,” Ken replied.
“Well—you have plenty of chances for the original trilogy. Podcom seems insistent on rereleasing it I swear once a year. And announces it’s on sale like every other month or something…” Ren quipped with an eyeroll.
Ren slipped the game back on the shelf. His fingers grazed past several games, none really catching his eye at the moment. Ren couldn’t help but snicker seeing the Detective Pusemon game.
Ren then cleared his throat. “What did make you interested in law, anyways? I mean, it’s a pretty typical career for student council, but…”
“Well, I suppose I got inspired after hearing Akihiko-san talk about how skewed the law is towards the prosecution.” Ken rubbed the back of his neck. “And well…”
Ren raised an eyebrow. “Well?”
“Well…” Ken said slowly. “It’s just… it’s pretty impressive too. Becoming a lawyer… it’s a very respectable career. How many times have you heard an adult brag to their neighbor about their smart lawyer kid or something?”
Ken then winced, as if he knew that it was a lame excuse. Ren folded his arms over his chest.
“I don’t believe that,” he said flatly. “You’ve never cared about reputation. You didn’t give a crap when people were staring and whispering about us talking, I recall…”
Ken couldn’t help but wince again. He scratched his chin and sucked in a quick breath.
“It’s… it’s complicated,” he muttered out.
“Then clarify.” Ren quirked an eyebrow at him.
Ken let out a frustrated sigh, running his hand through his hair. “You’re really stubborn, you know that, right…?”
“It just means that I don’t give up,” Ren quipped. “Come on, out with it.”
“Have it your way…” Ken grumbled out.
The hint of the pout in his voice made Ren snicker. Ken then lightly nudged Ren and then pointed outside.
“Can we step out with this?” he asked.
Ren nodded and straightened his glasses. They were only browsing anyway. He followed behind Ken, who was walking a bit fast, trying to beat a huge crowd that was crossing the street.
Ken then sat down at a bench next to a shop, the area wasn’t that busy in comparison to the other shops. Ren sat next to him, straightening his cuffs while he waited for Ken to speak up. Ken was quiet for a moment, his brows furrowed together as he stared down at the ground.
“What did you think of Shinjiro-san when you first met him?” he finally said, lifting his head.
Ren frowned, scratching the back of his head as he remembered his first run in with Shinjiro-san.
“Well… a bit on the prickly side,” Ren admitted, though prickly might be an understatement; the guy was basically a porcupine. “And then it was… unexpected of him to suddenly cook for us.”
In hindsight, maybe that was why Ken didn’t care about Ren’s reputation to begin with. Ken just talked to him like a normal person.
Ken smiled half-heartedly. “Better than most people’s first impression of him. Better than mine.”
“You can’t be hard on yourself for that,” Ren said quietly. “Your circumstances are different. But… why are you even asking me about this?”
Ken fidgeted for a moment. He tapped his foot on the ground as he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Well… people always assumed that Shinjiro-san was a violent delinquent. Some of my classmates had older siblings who had attended Gekkoukan High, when Shinjiro-san had been shot,” Ken answered with a wince. “Nobody had known the truth… so people assumed that he got shot by a gangster. When he had taken custody of me, people just… wondered why.”
“But how would people know?” Ren asked.
Ken hung his head down and let out an exasperated sigh. He lifted his head back up and brushed some bangs out of his eyes.
“After everyone graduated from Gekkoukan, we removed all of the SEES equipment and Mitsuru-san left it open to other students,” Ken explained. “She allowed me to stay there and I got to know my dormmates over the past couple years, before Shinjiro-san took me in. Though I guess part of it was my fault…”
Ren raised a brow but gestured for Ken to continue.
Ken rubbed his temple. “I was kinda vague about why I was suddenly moving out, and they met Shinjiro-san and jumped to conclusions that he wasn’t… a nice guy. It doesn’t help that Shinjiro-san literally doesn’t care about people’s opinions.”
Well, that was certainly true about Ken’s guardian. But Ken still looked very troubled. Ren licked his lips and let out a sigh.
“But… what’s bugging you then?”
Ken shrugged. “I guess… it just got to me, especially in high school. The classic literature teacher at Gekkoukan, Mister Ekoda… he really didn’t like Shinjiro-san. Fuuka-san had been in his homeroom, and when she had disappeared in Tartarus, he had covered her disappearance for the ‘good’ of the school.”
Ren couldn’t help but glower. It seemed like garbage teachers were just a staple of any school. No matter the location or year. What an unfortunate universal constant…
“He always took on a tone of surprise when he saw me working for student council,” Ken’s posture stiffened as he said this. “He’d make backhanded compliments all the time… like it’s nice to see that you’re such a hard worker… though I’m not sure where you learned that from.”
“He sounds like an ass,” Ren said flatly.
“That’s an… apt way to put it,” Ken nodded with a heavy frown.
Ren just put a hand on Ken’s shoulder as Ken let out a loud exhale. Ken gave a half smile and nod, then sat up straight. Ren let go as Ken continued to explain.
“He wasn’t too happy when Mitsuru-san introduced more scholarship students.” Ken gave a half-hearted shrug. “And I dunno… it just got to me.”
Ken’s posture started to relax somewhat. However, there was a sudden fire behind his eyes. He placed both hands in his lap and started to squeeze his knees.
“Especially since Shinjiro-san didn’t have to take me in. And I guess, that I just wanted to prove people wrong. That Shinjiro-san wasn’t bringing me down… I already burden him enough.” Ken said passionately, “And just think of what all his naysayers would say when they see the kid that Shinjiro-san took in became a defense attorney! They’d definitely be forced to eat crow!”
Ren took off his false glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. He placed them back on and straightened them out.
“But that’s not a good reason to do that,” Ren shook his head. When Ken looked to him, Ren continued. “It sounds like you’re just doing it… going along with it. The fact that you seemed to be bouncing between that and being a Shadow Operative kinda proves my point. I know you’re graduating in the spring, but you don’t have to jump into this. Especially since you decided on this pretty quickly.”
Ken’s shoulders started to slump a little bit at hearing Ren’s words. He had a mixed expression, torn about Ren’s words, if Ren had to guess.
“It just… doesn’t seem too far away. University entrance exams are only a few months away.” Ken shrugged; then he blinked, pressing a hand to his face. “Oh my god, entrance exams are only a few months away… And I haven’t studied all that much…”
Ren laughed. Though… he was a little bit worried about how Ken just brushed aside what he had said about Shinjiro-san and being a ‘burden’.
Ren reassured him, clapping a hand on Ken’s back. “I’m sure you’ll do fine. You tied with Makoto for the top score out of the third years during the last exam. But hey… you know that Shinjiro-san cares about you, right? He’s not taking care of you out of duty.”
Though he had to wonder just who had been taking care of Ken before he had met SEES… Ken never said it, but Ren could guess that Ken’s family didn’t care about him. Though that was nothing new…
Ken was silent for several moments. A small smile curled onto Ken’s lips.
“Yeah, I know…” he said quietly. “I… think I just need to be reminded of that.”
Ren just smiled. “Anytime, Ken…”
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 7.
Unison Attack: Two or more party members may step in with a special attack, after Ren knocks down a Shadow.
Notes:
Sorry for the wait, especially for a filler chapter. The Adjustment Confidant scene was giving me a lot of trouble.
But the next update will be a good one, though. A certain anniversary is coming up, and we’ll finally get to wrapping up Okumura’s Palace. The Okumura arc will be finished in the chapter after the next.
Edited on 9/10/25.
Chapter 29: Ch. 28: Good Parents, Bad Parents
Summary:
October fourth rolls by, and Ken comes to a realization. Not soon after, the Phantom Thieves visit Okumura's Palace once more and even more of Okumura's sins come to light.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Tuesday, October 4th, 2016
A crash dragged Ken out of his sleep. He rubbed his eyes, feeling disoriented.
“Ken!” Mom rushed to his side, tugging on his arm. “Come on, honey, get up. There’s—”
Another crash, this time louder. Ken couldn’t help but flinch at the sound. His brain still felt foggy, but he was slowly becoming more alert of his surroundings.
Ken stood on wobbly legs. “Mom, what’s going on?”
Mom bit her lip. “I don’t know. But we can ask questions later. We need to get out. Now.”
The tone of her voice brooked no argument. She snatched Ken’s jacket from where it hung on the doorknob, saying that Ken would need it when they got outside. Ken let her tow him out of his room, as the walls shook violently. When they reached the living room, they could see that… something broke through the wall. A black gleaming monster, astride on a horse, tore through the house with no abandon.
Was… he dreaming still? What was that thing?
Glass shards flew everywhere. Ken couldn’t move… he just stared in horror.
Mom didn’t hesitate. She jumped in the way, shielding Ken from the shrapnel. She just gasped as it pierced her in the back.
“M-Mom?” he croaked out.
She gave a pained moan as she fell to her knees, her hand pressed against her chest. Though the only source of light was moonlight streaming from above, it was enough for Ken to see the red staining her hand.
“Mom!”
Mom just gave him a pained smile even as the monster disappeared. Blood was pooling at their feet.
Ken frantically tried to press his jacket against Mom, trying to find where she was bleeding so bad.
But Mom just pushed that aside, giving him a gentle smile.
“I… I love you,” she got out. She then pressed her hand against his cheek, cupping it like she had done countless times. “I love you so much, Ken…”
Her voice cracked for a moment before forcing more past her lips.
“You’re my everything. Please don’t forget that,” she was shaking. “And… I’m sorry.”
She finally crumpled to the floor, blood pooling from her back.
“Mom? MOM!” Ken fell to his knees, shaking her. “Mom, please wake up!”
Her blood stained his hands, but he didn’t care.
But she didn’t respond. Ken bit his lip. Was she dead? Tears stung at his eyes. What had even happened? One moment, he had his mom and another… he didn’t.
“What the fuck did I do?”
Ken whipped around to see a teenager in the rubble of his house. In the dim lighting, he could barely make the dark brown of his hair.
“There’s no time for that!” Another voice, this one feminine. “We have to go. Now.”
“What the fuck—did you see what I did?!”
“You killed her…” Ken mumbled; he was shaking, and he couldn’t stop. “You… You killed my mom! You monster! I HATE YOU!”
Why… why did he have to take Mom away?
Ken looked back at Mom. There was so much blood…
The scenery around him changed, the person crumpled on the ground changed… but the pool of blood remained the same…
Still just… so much blood.
Even though Shinjiro-san’s trench coat was maroon, nobody could miss the dark blood soaking through the thick fabric.
“Why?” Ken blurted out, staring at Shinjiro-san in horror.
He didn’t understand… why did Shinjiro-san protect him?
“Heh…” Shinjiro-san tried to smile, but it only came out as a grimace. “What’s with the long face? Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“But I…!” Ken bit his lip. “That’s not—!”
He just didn’t know anymore… He felt torn enough about wanting to kill Shinjiro-san in the first place. He saw with his own eyes that Shinjiro-san was a good person.
But he had told himself that his reason for living had been to avenge his mother. Nobody knew the truth… but him. He owed it to Mom, to avenge her. Especially since she had died protecting him.
“It’s alright… give yourself time. Let your anger be your strength. You’re just a kid… you’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Don’t waste it. Make it your own.”
A blur of voices.
A coma… A very slight chance of him waking up.
It was his fault… If he hadn’t been so stupid and called Shinjiro-san out for something he was conflicted on. If he hadn’t been so caught up with the idea of revenge, then Shinjiro-san would be still okay…
Ken woke up with a gasp, shaky all over. He pressed a hand against his forehead, now clammy with sweat. It was just a dream… a horrible dream.
Ken’s jaw clenched tightly. He didn’t even have to look to know what the date was.
October fourth…
It gradually got easier over the years, the sting would always be there however. He couldn’t forget what had happened. He didn’t always dream of his mother’s death or when Shinjiro-san almost died protecting him on the anniversary, but… some hurts would never fully go away he supposed.
He heaved out a sigh, rubbing his face. Maybe it was a reminder… because he couldn’t visit Mom’s grave today. He had always visited Mom’s grave on the anniversary…
His door creaked open. Koromaru squeezed through, darting over to his bed. Instead of his usual playful pounce and licking of Ken’s face, Koromaru jumped onto Ken’s bed by his feet. His ruby eyes were mournful as he curled into Ken’s lap.
Koromaru was always good at sensing emotions.
Ken spent several moments just petting Koromaru. It was nice. It… helped calm his nerves a bit.
His fur felt especially soft today. He must have recently gotten a bath.
“Thanks, boy,” he murmured.
Koromaru let out a soft whine before he licked Ken’s face. Ken let out a weak chuckle at that and scratched behind Koromaru’s ears.
Someone lightly rapped on the door.
“Ken-kun?” Fuuka-san called. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” he answered.
Fuuka-san pushed the door completely open, already dressed.
“Morning,” she said softly, walking to stand next to the side of his bed.
She then studied his face intently, her eyes softening with sympathy.
“How are you feeling today, Ken-kun?”
Ken shrugged. “Okay, I guess… I—um—had the dream.”
Fuuka-san let out a soft sigh as she sat down. She looked down at her lap. She smoothed her hands over her skirt, her fingers eventually lacing together in her lap. She then lifted her chin back up to look over at Ken, concern in her eyes.
She inquired gently, “Do you need to talk about it?”
“Not really…” Ken mumbled out, making Koromaru whine.
“Okay…” She nodded again.
She let out another quiet sigh before leaning in to lightly kiss his forehead. She gently ran her fingers through his hair.
“You should get dressed. Shinji’s calling Shujin so you can have a sick day,” she said with a tender smile.
Ken couldn’t help but sigh. “He… didn’t have to do that.”
It had become routine for Shinjiro-san to do that, ever since he had gained custody of Ken. But… part of that was to visit Mom’s grave. And they couldn’t exactly do that today…
Fuuka-san smiled. “Well, he’s doing it right now. And he can’t exactly take it back. Besides that, you’ve had a lot on your plate lately, Ken-kun. With pursuing things with Okumura, organizing that trip to Inaba… and can’t forget how exams are coming up in just a couple weeks.”
Ken groaned, pressing a hand to his face. “Don’t remind me.”
Fuuka-san giggled lightly. She then placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You’ll be fine, Ken-kun. You always do well in exams. But, regardless, I think a day where you can take it easy would be good for you…” she advised.
Ken scowled. “You act like I’m a workaholic.”
Fuuka-san just smiled. “The way Shinji talks, you seem like it sometimes.”
Ken rolled his eyes and pulled away from Fuuka-san’s hand.
“You know that Shinjiro-san talks crap. A lot...” Ken groaned. “He can be so full of—"
“Language, Ken-kun!” Fuuka-san’s tone was scolding, but the twinkle in her eyes told him otherwise.
Ken rolled his eyes again. “I’m not Shinjiro-san, I was going to say it. He is full of it.”
Fuuka-san giggled and shook her head. “Well anyways… I’m going to let you get ready for the day. Shinji’s probably starting breakfast, so I’ll give him a hand.”
After that, she left.
Ken nudged Koromaru off his lap so he could crawl out of bed. After freshening up with a shower and his usual routine, he slipped on his favorite hoodie and a pair of jeans. He may dress properly with the school uniform for the most part, he did like being comfortable. He didn’t touch his phone, though. He knew that there would be messages from everyone else in SEES, at the very least… He’d get to it eventually.
Ken then headed for the living room. Fuuka-san was setting the table all while humming a little tune under her breath. And Shinjiro-san was pouring coffee for the three of them. It was a normal scene for them before the move but it felt like it’s been years since he’s seen since this, rather than just months.
“Good morning,” he greeted quietly.
“Morning,” Shinjiro-san answered, as he measured out sugar and cream out for Fuuka-san’s cup of coffee. “Go ahead and sit down.”
Ken grabbed the two mugs Shinjiro-san had already poured out, setting them on the table. Ken sat down just as Fuuka-san did. Shinjiro-san brought Fuuka-san’s mug to the table before he sat down himself.
Fuuka-san let out a soft hum before she took a long sip of the coffee.
She then lowered her mug. “I must admit that this pales in comparison to Sakura-san’s brews.”
Shinjiro-san snorted, before sipping his own coffee. “I would hope so, given that’s how he makes his living.”
Ken ignored their light banter, choosing to dig into his breakfast. Shinjiro-san had made omurice, like he always did on October fourth.
To be honest, it took Shinjiro-san several tries to perfect his omurice recipe. Not that it wasn’t good the first time, but it wasn’t like his mother’s version. But Shinjiro-san tried again and again…
In fact, he didn’t perfect it until the first October fourth after his near brush of death.
He still remembered tearing up, because it was like he was tasting Mom’s cooking all over again. Of course, Shinjiro-san had panicked in a very Shinjiro-san-like way, before Ken corrected him and clarified on why he was crying.
He was snapped out of his musings by a sudden sharp rap on the door.
“What the hell…?” Shinjiro-san questioned with an annoyed scowl.
“I’ve got it,” Ken said, standing up and pushing in his chair.
He was the closest to the door, after all.
He crossed the short distance to the front door, opening it to reveal Futaba… who rather looked like a drowned rat. Her waist length hair was absolutely soaked, water dripping from it. Her clothes stuck to her skin. Her dark green parka was zipped up for once, probably since the shirt she wore was white.
“F-Futaba?”
“You…” She let out an annoyed growl, before standing on her tiptoes to poke Ken in the chest. “Why are you suddenly sucking at answering your phone?!”
“I haven’t checked it today,” Ken said quickly.
Futaba huffed, her cheeks puffed out in disappointed annoyance. But then her expression morphed into concern.
“Um, l-look… I know today’s not… easy for you. I… I was worried so I came to see you. Especially with how you were so worried about me because of my mom…”
Oh…
Ken felt a twinge of uncomfortable guilt settle in his stomach.
Ken couldn’t help but grimace, taking in her appearance again. “But… why didn’t you bring an umbrella?”
Futaba grumbled out, “I kinda… forgot it… at the train. I had already left the station when I realized it.”
That was a complete Futaba move…
“Futaba-chan, why don’t you come in?” Fuuka-san quickly interjected, rising to her feet. “You must be freezing.”
Shinjiro-san was already on his feet, disappearing down the hallway. He returned moments later, holding one of their larger towels.
“Dry yourself off, Sakura.” He approached her, handing over the towel. “Mitsuru would kill me if we ruined the flooring.”
“Thanks,” Futaba mumbled, wrapping the fluffy towel around herself.
Fuuka-san tilted her head, letting out a thoughtful hum. “My clothes might be a little bit big on you, but not too much. You can borrow some. We can throw your clothes into the dryer for you.”
She had apparently made her mind, as she turned on her heel and strode down the hallway. Moments later, she returned with a set of clothes. Futaba took it, staring at the clothes like it was a foreign creature. A long woolen turquoise sweater, paired with black leggings. Ken recognized as one of Fuuka-san’s favorite outfits when she wanted to be comfortable.
“It’s so… different,” Futaba said before she looked up at Fuuka-san. “But… umm… thank you.”
Fuuka-san just giggled, patting Futaba on the head. “Wow, I haven’t been able to do this since Ken-kun hit his first growth spurt.”
“Why do you always have to treat me like I’m a child…?” Ken grumbled.
While Futaba went to the bathroom to change, Ken looked into the fridge for the extra portion that Shinjiro-san cooked—because Shinjiro-san always made extras. He pulled it out, heating it up briefly. Shinjiro-san plugged into the electric kettle to get the water boiling for a cup of tea for Futaba. (No surprise that Shinjiro-san didn’t want Futaba to drink coffee, she’d probably rib him for not being a master brewer like Sakura-san or something.)
Futaba returned, clad in the clothes that Fuuka-san lent her. She carried her wet clothes at arm-length. They did look just a little bigger on her, but not too dramatic of a difference. Futaba was only slightly shorter than Fuuka-san. But her body was incredibly petite, some parts of the shirt and leggings weren’t nearly as fitted. (Probably because Fuuka-san at least does exercise more than a certain teenage hacker.)
Shinjiro-san took her clothes, disappearing down the hallway where the laundry room was. Futaba plopped into the seat next to Ken’s, running her fingers through her wet hair before looking down at her plate.
“Thanks!” she exclaimed cheerfully. “Wow, omurice! I haven’t had this in the longest time!”
Then she reached for the mug, and took a gulp. Then a huge frown appeared on her face.
“Hey, why do I get tea? You all have coffee!” Futaba complained.
Shinjiro-san just snorted, sitting down again. “Maybe ‘cause you’re tiny? Coffee stunts your growth.”
“Whaaaat?” Futaba puffed out her cheeks, glaring at Shinjiro-san. “Fuuka-san is not that much taller! Lame excuse! I live with someone who makes coffee and curry for a living! I drink coffee plenty of times! I bet you’re insecure!”
Ken just sighed. “Why are you dragging Fuuka-san into this…?”
“Why is that the only part of her statement you object to?” Shinjiro-san huffed, before looking over to Fuuka-san’s plate. “Fuuka, are you hungry still?”
“Shinji, I’m fine,” she insisted.
Shinjiro-san grumbled, “You worked overtime for a week, just to take half a week off.”
“It was worth it,” Fuuka-san insisted, before giving him her sweet smile. “I got to see you and Ken-kun after all.”
Shinjiro-san immediately shut up at that, a slight pink tingeing his cheeks. Ken just snorted, taking another sip of his coffee. There was a reason why everyone else joked that there were two people that Shinjiro-san was soft for: Fuuka-san and… Koromaru.
Futaba suddenly squeaked, jerking in her seat. She banged her knee against the table, making it rattle.
Ken looked down. Koromaru was brushing against Futaba’s legs, probably to beg for seconds. “It’s okay, Futaba. This is just Koromaru. He’s just begging for scraps because a certain someone likes to spoil him.”
“That’s enough, Ken-kun,” Fuuka-san said mildly. “There’s no need to tease Shinji like that.”
“Oh, he just surprised me is all… he’s pretty cute…” Futaba reached down, scratching Koromaru behind the ears. “Cuter than Morgana!”
“Better not let him know that,” Ken said dryly.
Futaba began to snicker.
“I won’t tell if you don’t,” she picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite and her face lit up. “Wow! This is pretty good! Almost on par with Sojiro’s curry for me!”
She then took another big bite and began to chew furiously, making Ken sigh.
“Slow down… It’s not going to run away from you,” he shook his head.
“But ish good!” she protested through the mouthful of food in her mouth.
“Why do I even bother…” Shinjiro-san groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead for a moment. He then shot Ken an annoyed glare. “Why can’t you make friends with people who eat right… or have better table manners?”
“There are just a few instances and it was beyond Futaba’s control,” Ken defended. “And Ren’s been telling me that he goes out and buys ingredients and cooks himself… besides, Ryuji and Futaba are the only one who have bad table manners.”
Futaba snapped her head in Ken’s direction. “Excuse you?!”
Ken and Shinjiro-san ignored her as they continued their discussion.
“Yeah, well, Takamaki’s obsessed with sweets, Sakamoto likes ramen way too much—”
“This coming from a regular of Hagakure?” Fuuka-san spoke up, her tone teasing.
Shinjiro-san just grumbled in response. Fuuka-san just patted his arm.
Shinjiro-san muttered, “It’s fine if they like certain things. Just a matter of balance.”
“And they do eat beyond those things. Ren got after me more than once because I started getting after him the rare times he ever skipped out on breakfast.” Ken sighed after wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I… am embarrassed to admit I just assumed they had bad habits. Their life was so much more different than ours was. But they aren’t irresponsible.”
“Yes… it’s okay to slip up every once in a while, when it comes to diet.” Fuuka-san nodded. “But perhaps Shinji’s just rubbing off on you.”
Shinjiro-san snorted but made no comment. Futaba just resumed to stuffing her face during this conversation.
“Yusuke is the only real main issue,” Ken muttered.
Futaba gulped down another bite and wiped off her mouth. She then took another sip of her tea before speaking up.
“Yeah, can’t believe he picks mushrooms from the park…” Futaba trailed off as Shinjiro-san’s eyebrow began to twitch out of annoyance.
Ken tried not to cringe. Perhaps he should invite Yusuke over more often.
“But anyways… how do you like the food?” Ken tried to quickly change the subject before Shinjiro-san lost it and started making bentos out of every food they have in the fridge for Yusuke.
“It’s good!” Futaba gave a thumbs up. “Like I said, nearly as good as Sojiro’s curry!”
Fuuka-san just laughed softly before leaning forward. “So, Futaba-chan, you really like Sakura-san’s curry?”
“Oh, um…” Futaba looked down at her plate. “Actually, Sojiro came up with it… but Mom was the one who perfected it. I couldn’t even look at a plate of curry for a while because of that.”
“I had no idea,” Ken said quietly.
The table gone silent. Fuuka-san gently set down her coffee, unsure what to say to comfort Futaba. Shinjiro had an unreadable expression but his posture was tensing up. Futaba just coughed, and gave an anxious smile.
“Well, it’s not something Sojiro exactly advertises,” Futaba said awkwardly as she picked up her chopsticks again. “A-Anyways, let’s dig in! It’ll get cold if we don’t!”
Ken sighed but was impressed that Futaba herself changed the topic. They continued eating breakfast. Futaba was still a bit shy, but Fuuka-san managed to coax her into talking by bringing up what she was working on during work. That really brought her out of her shell, and Futaba started rattling off all kinds of jargon that Ken had no idea meant. He was happy to see that Futaba was relaxing around Fuuka-san and to a lesser extent, Shinjiro-san.
After they finished breakfast and the table was cleared, Shinjiro-san waved Ken away from the sink.
“Go entertain Sakura,” he said. “She’s here to see you, not us.”
“You sure?” Ken asked with a frown.
“Yeah. Now shoo.”
Ken rolled his eyes, fighting back the urge to say something snarky. Futaba gave him a questioning look as he walked back to her.
“I’ve been relieved of dishwashing duty. Do you want to go to my room?”
“Uh… sure,” she bit her lip.
She was quiet as Ken led her to his room. When he opened his room, Futaba let out an excited gasp.
“No way!” Futaba cried out. “You got the thirtieth anniversary poster of Neo Feathermen Rangers?! And the entire Victory cast signed it! So cool!”
Her eyes were sparkling and she looked prepared to gush further but then she blinked, shaking her head.
She then wrung her hands, biting her lip.
“S-Sorry, I got distracted. But… how are you feeling? About your mom, I mean.”
Ken lightly bit the inside of his cheek, but tried not to let it show. He worried her enough.
Ken just gave a light shrug. “I’m okay. It’s… easier when I’m with the others.”
But then something occurred to him. Futaba… had become a shut-in by the time the first anniversary of Isshiki-san’s death. And it was worse for her because she had thought she was the one responsible for Isshiki-san’s death.
He placed a light hand on her shoulder. “I’m… sorry that you had to go through your mother’s death anniversary all alone last year.”
Futaba gave a little sniff, pulling away from him. Ken grimaced, maybe he shouldn’t have said something.
She then took off her glasses to rub at her eyes. “T-Thanks, Ken… this year wasn’t so bad. I mean, I got on to take those posers who took the Medjed name! And… I made some new friends.”
She really had come a long way since they first met. It made Ken give a small smile.
Futaba then wandered over to his desk, suddenly picking up the framed picture of him and Mom. That was their last summer vacation, just two months before she died.
“This is you and your mom, right?” At Ken’s nod, Futaba examined it closer. “She’s pretty. You look a lot like her, except for your eyes.”
Ken had to admit he always struggled on how to respond to that kind of statement. So he just smiled and nodded.
“Do you… mind telling me more about her?” she asked hesitantly before setting down the photo.
Ken was silent for a moment, mulling on her request.
Futaba pressed her lips into a thin line, but then relaxed her posture. “I just thought… it might help to talk about the good memories too. S-Sorry, it’s kinda dumb…”
“It’s not dumb,” Ken interrupted. “Don’t demean yourself like that.”
He then gestured for her to join him in sitting at the foot of his bed. When she did, Ken tapped his right arm with his left index finger.
“Well… Mom was a pretty good cook,” he finally settled on before letting out a light laugh. “But she was awful at sewing and knitting…”
He still had the scarf that Mom had knit for him, even though he had outgrown it long ago. He really wished that he had worn it when she was alive. She had been so proud that she had finally made something half-decent too. And he had kept lying to her about why he couldn’t wear it.
Even now, he felt a pang of regret upon recalling it.
But looking back at Futaba, he knew that she was right. He shouldn’t focus on the sad memories…
Hours passed by and the rain still wouldn’t let up. So, Futaba ended up staying for a long time. Ken didn’t mind though. It was a good… distraction.
Koromaru snuck back to his room again after a while, probably to go take a nap.
“Ugh, I hate rain,” Futaba grumbled, staring outside the window. “It’s just so… wet.”
“Water is wet, dumbass,” Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
“Shinji,” Fuuka-san rebuked.
But before Shinjiro-san could respond, Futaba spoke up again.
“I’m complaining for the sake of complaining, duh!” Futaba protested, before sticking her tongue out at him. “Venting is one of life’s joys, killjoy!”
Shinjiro-san opened his mouth to fire back a response—surprise, surprise—when a knock sounded on the door. Ken went to answer the door, only to stare wide-eyed at the person on the other side.
“M-Makoto?”
Shock at her sudden appearance aside… he had to admit he was grateful for that. He did not have the energy to deal with Shinjiro-san to seriously argue back at Futaba’s silly debate about complaining over rain.
“G-Good afternoon.” Makoto hastily bowed.
Once she straightened up, she smoothed out the edge of her light jacket. Water slightly dripping from the umbrella folded up at her side.
“Sorry, I should’ve messaged before.”
“Not that he was very good about responding today,” Futaba grumbled. “I texted him and I got a blank look from him.”
Ken smiled sheepishly. “Sorry… But you didn’t have to come out all of this way, Makoto. I appreciate it but…”
For some reason, Shinjiro-san just sighed. What was he sighing over? Out of all of his friends, Makoto should be the one he found least exasperation with… he couldn’t think of a single thing Makoto would do to offend him. And Shinjiro-san wouldn’t be the type to hold a grudge over someone’s family member… so he doubted that reaction had something to do with her older sister.
Makoto’s cheeks went pink as she began to fidget.
She wouldn’t look him in the eye as she sheepishly confessed, “I wanted to come see you, though. It’s no problem to me.”
She… wanted to see him?
Ken didn’t know why, but it made his heart skip a beat for a moment.
He suddenly felt a sharp flick to the side of his head.
“Are you gonna to just gape at Niijima or are you gonna let her in?” Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
“Wha—?” Ken whipped around to glare at his guardian. “I’m not gaping!”
“Gape, stare, gawk, take your pick,” Shinjiro-san deadpanned, all while ticking off his fingers. “Your vocabulary’s decent enough.”
“Ugh!” Ken fumed, folding his arms over his chest. “You’re impossible to deal with sometimes!”
“Shinji, that’s enough,” Fuuka-san chastised, before she turned to Ken. “Ken-kun, shouldn’t you let Makoto-chan inside?”
“Tch, you and the other girls always side with him,” Shinjiro-san grumbled.
Ken stepped aside to let Makoto come in. He took her umbrella from her.
“Um… do you want to come to my room then?” Ken said. “Futaba?”
“Hmm… I’m good. Maybe later,” Futaba answered, before turning to Shinjiro-san. “Shinjiro-san! I hunger! Feed me!”
“Do I look like your personal chef to you?” Shinjiro-san grumbled. “And we didn’t eat that long ago!”
Ken couldn’t help but snort as Futaba talked to Shinjiro-san the same way she spoke to Sakura-san.
“You’ve had me bring food to the others how many times?” Ken asked, before quickly sidestepping the throw pillow Shinjiro-san chucked in his direction.
“Ken-kun, don’t pick on Shinji like that,” Fuuka-san chided.
“Fine, fine,” Ken sighed.
Makoto gave a half-smile as she watched the exchange. Ken just cleared his throat and motioned to her to follow after him.
As Makoto followed him to the room, she said, “Fuuka-san kinda has a point.”
“Not like he doesn’t dish it out himself,” Ken grumbled.
Makoto just raised an eyebrow. “But you could be better than that.”
There was something… different when Makoto chastised him.
“I suppose you’re right,” Ken said finally.
Koromaru perked up when they entered the room, jumping off the bed and crowding Makoto. Makoto let out a quiet chuckle, before kneeling down and scratching him behind the ear. Koromaru barked before enthusiastically licking her face, making Makoto squeak.
“He likes you,” Ken offered, leaning her umbrella against the wall.
Makoto shot him an annoyed glare. “I can see that,” she grumbled out, digging out a handkerchief and wiping the dog drool from her face.
She then unzipped her bag, pulling out a folder. She held it out to him.
“I, um, copied the notes for today for you. It’s nothing too difficult, but I thought you wouldn’t want to miss any of it…” She then bit her lip, looking up at him. “Um… are you really okay, Ken? I know that you texted us about it hours ago but…”
“It’s not just because it’s the anniversary of Mom’s death.”
Makoto looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”
Ken sighed, sitting at the edge of his bed. “Sure, my mom’s death is a big part of it…”
He then rubbed his face. Koromaru jumped onto the bed, resting his head on Ken’s lap. He stroked the top of Koromaru’s head. It let him string his thoughts together.
He sucked in a deep breath, before letting it out.
“I didn’t go into everything about October fourth, because I wanted to tell you the entire story of what happened back in 2009. But…” He looked down at his lap. “I was completely consumed by my bitter feelings. I felt like I had to avenge her… because she died protecting me.”
He bit his lip and clenched his fists.
Ken admitted, “Sometimes I think I haven’t changed much. I can be so narrowminded sometimes. Back then, I knew Shinjiro-san was a good person. But I couldn’t let it go…”
“Is this about what happened before we decided to target Okumura?”
Ken ran his fingers through his hair as he sighed again.
“Not completely,” he answered. “I hesitated for the longest time about telling you and everyone the truth about me. And if I had kept silent and you found out…?”
He let out a short, mirthless laugh. Ken looked down at Koromaru who let out a small whine. Ken scratched his ear and gave him a small smile to try and reassure him.
He then pulled away to absently rubbed his forearm before continuing, “It would’ve been my fault one hundred percent, if that angered everyone else. I would’ve deserved it.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself, Ken.” Makoto suddenly took his free hand. “You were a child when you lost your mother and you were told that it was all in your head. And to see your mother die, protecting you… I can’t imagine how it would feel.”
His eyes then met hers. Her red eyes were filled with compassion.
“I didn’t know you back then. But I know you now. You’ve always tried to look after us. With Futaba, especially. I know that you regret a lot due to what happened in the past but… it’s shaped you into the person you are today, hasn’t it?” She squeezed his hand. “I think that’s worth something.”
“Makoto…” Ken breathed.
He was just… speechless. She really thought of him in that way?
Makoto’s cheeks began to turn a warm shade of pink, but she was practically glowing.
Wait… glowing?
He wasn’t sure where that thought came from, but it sounded right. She seemed like she was glowing to him for some reason.
“I-I’m just stating the truth, you know…” she mumbled out, suddenly fiddling with her headband.
Ken just nodded, not really sure what to say. He felt Koromaru’s wet nose nudge his hand, so he absently began to pet him while Makoto continued speaking.
“I’m glad that you’re holding up okay,” she abruptly withdrew her hand from his, resting it on her knee. “I know that it’ll still be difficult for me when Dad’s death anniversary comes.”
“It hasn’t come up yet?” Ken couldn’t help but mentally kick himself for not thinking about Makoto.
Makoto shook her head. “No, it’s in November. November nineteenth, to be exact.”
A soft sigh passed her lips as she pressed her knuckles to her cheek.
Ken then kicked himself again… was that insensitive to ask? Should he have phrased that better? He was never the most adept with this kind of thing. That was something more… Minato-san’s department.
“I wonder what he’d think of all of this. Of me…” Her voice became wistful and sad.
Makoto jolted slightly when Ken rested his hand on her arm. He winced; he didn’t mean to startle her. What would Minato-san have said in his place? Or Mom? She always knew how to put him at ease.
Ken shook his head. He shouldn’t think of things like that right now. They wouldn’t want him to do that either.
“I’m sure that he’d be proud of you,” he said quietly. “You’ve talked about how hard I’m on myself, but I think the same could apply to yourself.”
Makoto then sighed. “Well, I guess I’m just used to not being good enough… Especially when I look at what Sis has accomplished so far. She put herself on the fast track to become a prosecutor.”
Ken’s eyes widened as he sat up straighter. He squeezed her arm lightly out of impulse hearing her words.
“That’s not true,” Ken said sharply. “Look, Makoto, I don’t know your sister too well… But she seems a little difficult to approach. She’s forged her own path, and it’s rather admirable. You’ve just picked another path than hers… It’s not lesser. And… I can think of at least one person who prefers the younger sister.”
The moment the words passed his lips, the meaning sunk into his brain. That could be read as flirting. W-Where did that come from? Sure, he was a bit confused about being around Makoto right now but…
It wasn’t like he liked her that way.
Sure, she was pretty—no, just calling her pretty wasn’t enough. She was beautiful.
But that was a purely objective thing. All of the girls in their group of friends were rather pretty—there was nothing wrong with acknowledging that.
He enjoyed spending his time with her, even if it was just in companionable silence whether it was working on student council work or just studying with her. That just meant that they had more in common than he did with the other girls—and the boys, for that matter.
“Ken…” Makoto’s voice snapped him out of his panic. “Thank you.”
She was… smiling at him, gentle and warm. Ken’s heart suddenly started to flutter in his chest.
When did this even happen?! Panic started to bubble inside of him as he tried to comb through all of the times he had spent with Makoto… and he couldn’t pick out the moment he had…
No… that wasn’t right. He started feeling confused about her when she had pulled him out of his fear. He was just… in denial. Because he didn’t want to admit it. He even avoided her about it, after what happened in Inaba… He had been just running away from his feelings.
But then he realized that Makoto was… staring at him in confusion.
“No—!” Ken suddenly coughed.
Dammit, his voice hadn’t cracked like this for years. He coughed again.
“No problem,” he said lamely. “That’s what friends are for.”
Right… friends.
That was what all they would be…
“Mwehehehe!”
Shinjiro leaned towards Fuuka, glancing over at the now cackling Sakura and then back at his girlfriend.
He asked with a raised brow, “Should we be worried?”
“Um… well, Futaba-chan is eavesdropping,” Fuuka shot the young girl a concerned look, before taking a step closer to her. “Futaba-chan?”
She looked up at Fuuka’s voice. “Oh hey! You wanna hear the recording?”
To add to it, she waggled her phone at Fuuka.
Shinjiro sighed, rubbing a hand against his forehead. She was giving him a headache. Why did more and more Minakos keep popping up? First Kujikawa and now Sakura. Maybe he was just doomed to be annoyed by redheads (even if her hair wasn’t natural unlike Minako and Kujikawa).
“Why are you eavesdropping on them?” Shinjiro said flatly.
“Oh well… they’re alone and I wanted to see if I’ll win the bet!” Sakura answered.
Fuuka blinked. “Bet?”
Shinjiro could feel a headache coming on.
“Ohh, well, me and Ryuji and Ren bet over when Makoto and Ken will figure they like each other and start dating,” Futaba said. “Wanna join in?”
Shinjiro groaned. Were they seriously that bored? But then again, Minako and Iori bet over anything under the sun…
“Hell no,” he grumbled.
“I think I’ll stay out of it too,” Fuuka said with a light laugh.
“Aw… well, Ryuji said they wouldn’t figure it out until graduation but I don’t think Ken’s that dumb.”
Shinjiro just grimaced. That was… debatable.
Who knew that Ken would be so damn clueless? That was more Aki’s style. But then again, back in August, Ken was all oh, I’m sure you look great in your swimsuit, Makoto! Friends totally say that to each other!
“Ah… um… I see…” Fuuka fidgeted for a moment.
At least someone else here was sane.
“Are you sure you don’t want in on the bet?” Sakura tilted her head. “We’re betting three thousand yen each!”
Shinjiro groaned again and rubbed his left temple.
“You… are not allowed to meet Minako,” he ground out, pointing at her. “Or Iori.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?!” she demanded, puffing her cheeks out at him. “And I’ve met her before!”
“That doesn’t count. Do you even remember anything ‘bout her?” Shinjiro shot back.
“Uhh…”
Sakura’s sheepish smile was all he needed to know.
Shinjiro snorted. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“You can’t really fault her for that, Shinji. That was over two years ago,” Fuuka defended.
The sound of a throat clearing interrupted them.
“Weren’t you hungry, Futaba?”
“Ken!” Sakura jumped to her feet. “Shinjiro-san is tired and he doesn’t want to cook.”
“Really?” Ken raised an eyebrow. “That’s new. But anyways, if Shinjiro-san’s too tired, I can cook you something.”
Was he serious? That was a total half-assed lie.
“You’re the best, Ken!” Sakura cheered, latching onto his arm. “You should make something for Makoto too!”
She then shot Niijima a knowing grin. Yeah, Sakura was absolutely not allowed to meet Minako. Who knew what kind of havoc they’d cause.
Ken gave Niijima an almost panicked look.
“Oh, um…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “If she wants me to…”
What the fuck was that about?
“Oh no, it’s fine!” Niijima protested.
“Makoto, you should never turn down free food!” Sakura reprimanded, wagging her finger at the older girl.
Fuuka just giggled, watching the banter. “Well… this was an interesting October fourth… wasn’t it?”
“Sure, if you mean a huge fucking headache,” Shinjiro deadpanned.
“Come on, Shinji, it wasn’t all bad,” Fuuka protested.
“Well… I can’t exactly complain,” Shinjiro said, taking her hand. “You’re here, after all.”
Six years ago, Minako had told him that while October fourth had bad memories for him in the past… it didn’t mean the date always had to. He still sometimes dreamt of the time he lost control of Castor but… he knew he wasn’t that person anymore. He was happy, something he thought he shouldn’t be after accidentally killing Ken’s mother.
Though it’d be nice if Ken’s friends didn’t give him a headache. Aki, Minako, and Iori were bad enough.
Thursday, October 6th, 2016
There was less than a week left before she was supposed to be shipped to Sugimura’s. The mere thought of Sugimura having her alone in his house just made Haru’s skin crawl. Who knew what he’d try to do…
Oh, Haru hoped that they would be able to change Father’s heart in time…
“Okay, is everyone ready to head out?” Ren asked.
When everyone nodded in response to his question, he let out a thoughtful hum before rubbing his chin.
He then nodded. “Let’s see… definitely going with Noir. Ace… and Queen.”
“Hey, team senpai today!” Ryuji said with a laugh.
Ren winked at them. “I’ll try to pull my weight.”
Instead of Ken’s usually exasperated reaction to Ren’s quip, Ken just shifted uncomfortably. “Um… right.”
Makoto cleared her throat. “S-Shall we get going?”
Haru blinked at the two of them, tilting her head slightly. She wanted to ask them what was wrong, but given how they were acting right now… they’d panic, wouldn’t they?
Futaba seemed to confirm that with how she was snickering to herself. She didn’t even bother holding her hand over her mouth.
Ren shot Futaba an amused look for a moment, before he straightened his cuff.
“Yeah, Queen’s right. Let’s head out!”
---------
They were reaching closer to the factory depths. But there was something in their way…
“FOR THE COMPANY! FOR OUR WONDERFUL PRESIDENT OKUMURA! ANY WHO APPROACHES THIS PLACE WILL BE CRUSHED! WE SHALL CARRY OUT OUR PRESIDENT’S WILL WITH GLEE!”
Haru tensed as Ren, Makoto, and Ken drew their weapons, preparing for battle.
These were supposed elite employees… but why were they so small?
“Kushinada-hime!” Ren cried out, tearing off a mask.
A single Mapsio spell knocked them down flat, leaving their small limbs flailing. Haru blinked.
That was… odd. She was expecting it to put up more of a fight…
“Go, Joker!” Futaba cheered from within her Persona.
Ren grinned before turning to pivot, facing everyone else participating.
“Let’s do this!”
They lunged in unison, attacking their adversaries viciously. They were little more than smashed pieces but then Futaba let out a sharp cry.
“More incoming!”
It looked like the cognitions they had just defeated… A pit was beginning to form in Haru’s stomach. Something felt wrong…
Like before, they took out the cognitions quite easily… only to be replaced by yet another wave. It went on and on until… nobody rushed forward to take the fallen robots’ place.
“The heck…?” Ryuji said in disbelief. “That was as easy as hell.”
Morgana grimaced. “Well… they’re brainwashed and overworked and forced to go up against an impossible enemy. I hope that when I become human again, nobody treats me like that.”
“Nobody deserves to be treated like that… just expected to churn out work until you collapse,” Ken said quietly. “I remember Mitsuru-san got some opposition when she wanted to raise the pay of the employees working for the Kirijo Group. The argument was that there wasn’t enough of a profit margin to justify it.”
Even though Ken’s voice was even as he stated it, Haru could hear the disgust creeping into his voice.
Haru could only look down at the floor.
Father… how far he’s fallen to view his employees like this…
She couldn’t help but feel so… ashamed. She had not advertised her surname at school so not to get preferential treatment from her classmates when introducing herself but…
She had never been ashamed to be an Okumura… until now. She just… didn’t know how far Father had gone.
She felt something touch her ankle. She looked down and noticed it was Morgana placing his hand (paw) on her.
“Come on, let’s keep going! Don’t look so down, Noir,” he encouraged.
Haru forced a smile. “You’re right, Mona-chan…”
Ren led them towards the door, but when they stepped through, Futaba gasped. “What the…?”
“Fuel addition has increased output! Incinerator throughput has reached 270%!”
Haru dropped her axe, making Ryuji yelp. Her hands flew to her mouth, as they watched a conveyor belt dump a robot inside the incinerator.
No… why…
“The employees…” Yusuke breathed. “They’re being dumped inside the incinerator…”
“All of the employees then…” Ken said. “They’re being turned into…”
“Fuel for the company…” Makoto finished for him.
Ren tensed up. “And that means… what’s running the company is…”
“People’s lives…” Haru said softly.
She… felt so disgusted with herself. She had been living in the lap of luxury. Her fine clothes, the food she ate, her education… they were all paid for with the lives of her father’s workers. Their lives fueled the company. Why hadn’t she questioned it before? Why did it take this long for her eyes to be opened?!
Hot tears spilled down her cheeks. She peeled off her mask, angrily wiping at them.
She… couldn’t forgive Father for this. When had he crossed the line? When had he decided that nothing was too much? Didn’t Father see how wrong this was?!
And the employees were just trying to survive. And Father… he abused that. They were stepping stones… as she became.
Mother… grandfather… and herself… When did her father lose sight of all that he once held dear?
“Noir…?” Yusuke asked.
“It… It’s nothing.” Haru stared mournfully as more and more robots were dumped into the furnace. Her heart gave a painful squeeze as she watched their bodies sink under the lava. “I cannot allow my father to continue with this. I will make him atone for what he’s done. I… I cannot forgive my father for this!”
Anne placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Noir…” she said softly.
Haru just nodded to her. She patted Anne’s hand before pulling away.
“Wh-what makes him believe that he has the right to do this…? That money in his pocket should be placed above innocent lives… people who just wanted to make a living?!” Haru shook her head, kneeling down to pick up her axe. “Let’s go! We must change his heart!”
Ken was disoriented… for more than one reason.
He had to admit that the airshafts had been cool. At first. But after spending fifteen, twenty minutes wandering around… he was over it. Beyond over it.
And then there was Makoto.
After he had gotten over his crush on Minako-san during the sixth grade, girls had barely been on his radar. The fact that girls only seemed to notice him after he joined the soccer club only made him want to ignore them. And yet somehow, he had fallen for Makoto without him noticing. How on earth did that even happen?
Not that it mattered… if Makoto was to like someone, it’d be Ren. Of course, there was Anne head over heels for him and Haru also seemed to be taken with him as well. It seemed to be a Wild Card thing…
Could he just… not feel this? He hated feeling all jittery and flustered from just looking at Makoto.
…They needed to fight some Shadows already... The adrenaline of battle helped him forget about his jumbled-up emotions.
They landed in the area where they had started… but a Shadow was lurking about. Ren actually groaned aloud when it spotted them but he grabbed his knife, slashing right in the Shadow’s face.
The Shadow split into three… Scathachs? Wasn’t that… one of Minato-san and Minako-san’s most powerful Personas? If he remembered right, they also used it in one of their fusion spells…
First Arhabaki and now Scathach? What was next—them fighting Norn?
“Any ideas on weaknesses, Ace?” Ren asked.
“Er…” Ken rubbed his chin.
What was Scathach’s weakness? He couldn’t remember… Minato-san and Minako-san really had too many Personas… did Scathach even have a weakness?
“It was pretty strong… it might not have a weakness,” Ken said with a wince.
“This one’s average, though,” Futaba piped up from her vantage point inside of Necronomicon. “Right around you guys’ strength!”
Ken blinked. Not even one of the stronger Shadows? This was just too strange…
Then again, they’d probably be in trouble if this Scathach matched the power of Minato-san and Minako-san’s Scathach…
A ring of fire exploded from one of the Scathachs, fanned by the gust of wind produced by another of the Scathachs.
The last Scathach was suddenly in front of him, slashing at him several times before knocking him down with one final jab. Ken stumbled backwards, the back of his head hitting the wall hard enough so that he saw stars.
“Ace!” Futaba shrieked. “Come on, get up!”
Ken’s hand clenched around his spear, blinking several times as he struggled to move. But his muscles just refused to listen.
He was seeing purple and blue lights dot his vision. It felt like the ground was spinning.
He looked up with blurry eyes to see that a Scathach was hovering above him, a flame dancing above her palm.
“JOHANNA!”
The Scathach was knocked away with a blue blast. Makoto then charged forward on Johanna, slamming Scathach with such a force that she was sent flying. He was vaguely aware of Haru summoning Milady.
The purple and blue dots finally left his field of vision and things stopped looking blurry.
Makoto then dismounted from Johanna, hurrying over to him before she dropped to her knees. She helped him sit up, her hands lightly resting on his shoulders, leaning in close as she scrutinized him. And suddenly, he was dizzy for more than one reason.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m… I’m okay,” he managed to spit out. “Thanks, Queen.”
Makoto let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad.”
She then slid her hands off of his shoulders, moving one of them to grasp his hand and pulled him up with her.
“Come on,” she said over her shoulder. “We have Shadows to fight.”
They rejoined the fight and, in the end, Ren managed to convince Scathach to join him. Ren ended up swapping Ken out for Morgana, but he had no complaints. It gave him an excuse to hang back in the rearguard and catch his breath after that last attack.
Plus… catch his breath regarding how confused he felt around Makoto.
Ren had talked to him about not ignoring Makoto, after they had hung out last week, so he knew that he couldn’t keep fobbing her off with lame excuses. And Ren was right… it wasn’t fair to Makoto either.
He just… had no idea how to handle this sudden influx of feelings.
“I think we deserve a little break after this whole maze…” Ren waved his hand, sweeping the area. “So, let’s head back to the safe room and rest for a little bit. We could use a breather.”
Since they were back where they had started, the trek back to the safe room didn’t take long. Ken was just relieved to sit back down. He felt drained… more drained than he had initially realized. He didn’t mind Morgana taking over. He probably should until Ren decided that they needed head back.
His eyes suddenly drifted over to Makoto. She was stretching. Working out the kinks in her body. Sometimes he forgot just how toned Makoto was…
He needed to stop it! Ken suddenly felt the urge to introduce his face to the table. What was wrong with him?! Makoto might be attractive, but that didn’t give him the right to stare…
Logic dictated that he ought to try and get over these overwhelming emotions, like he had with Minako-san. But… something in him balked at the idea. Was it really a bad idea to try and go for it…?
Ken rubbed his temples. What was he thinking? Of course it’d be a bad idea! It wasn’t at all like the case of Ren and Anne. He honestly felt like logic and emotion kept yanking him back and forth. It was giving him vertigo.
“Heeeeey, Ace!” Ryuji’s exuberant voice snapped Ken out of his ruminations. “Wanna see some pictures of Shoyu?!”
Shoyu… that was what Ryuji had named Koromaru’s puppy. As promised, Fuuka-san had brought a puppy with her during her recent visit.
Meeting Ryuji’s mother had been… interesting. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting Mrs. Sakamoto to be like, but he didn’t expect her to open her mouth and a thicker Kansai accent than Labrys-san’s to come out. She had been very nice, though. He could see where Ryuji had picked up some of his mannerisms from, though.
Ryuji rambled on and on about his new puppy as he scrolled through the pictures on his phone. Shoyu seemed like a bit of a troublemaker, but Ryuji had energy to spare to deal with him. A good match. Though who knew that Ryuji would be so… doting?
To be fair, you probably wouldn’t expect that from Shinjiro-san either.
That was when Anne came over, sighing over Ryuji’s pictures. She even snatched Ryuji’s phone out of his hands so she could get a closer look, forcing Ken to step in.
But with Ryuji’s attention on Anne, he was left brooding in his thoughts again. Ken just sighed, before his eyes drifted over to Makoto again. He felt pathetic. Utterly pathetic.
“So.” Ren had taken Ryuji’s spot next to him, a glint in his dark eyes.
“So…?” Ken echoed.
An all too familiar mischievous grin was on his face. “So… when did you realize that you liked Queen?”
“W-Wha…?” Ken felt his face flush.
His hand wrapped around the shaft of his spear, like it was an anchor. For a moment, all he could see was Minako’s mischievous smirk as she teased Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san after they started dating.
“O-Of course I like her,” he stammered out. “She’s my friend.”
Ren tilted his head, and raised a brow. Then a devious light entering his eyes.
“What’s that for?” Ken glowered at Ren.
He then smirked smugly. “So, do you stare at all of the girls, like you do to Queen? Not sure how I feel about that, if you do that to Panther.”
“That’s—!” Ken felt his face burn even hotter. He squeezed his spear even tighter as he glared at Ren again. “Why do you have to put it like that?!”
Ren just smiled innocently. “Well, do you?”
Why did Ren have to be like this?! He was just telling himself not to stare at Makoto and Ren just had to point it out.
Ken forced himself to lower his spear. It wouldn’t do to keep squeezing his spear like it was a stress ball.
“Okay, I like her,” he hissed at Ren. “Happy now?”
Ren’s expression grew thoughtful before leaning close to murmur, “You know… someone wise once told me… you should take what happiness you can. Pretty solid advice, right?”
“That’s… you…” Ken was floundering before hissing out, “This is different, okay?!”
Ren just smirked, leaning back in his seat. “Clarify for me, then.”
Well for one, Anne liked Ren back.
Besides that, Makoto pretended to date Ren for a few weeks. Ren was like Minato-san—he remembered how Minato-san had obliviously charmed several girls, including Fuuka-san, Fushimi-san, Nishiwaki-san… On top of that Yukari-san, of course.
Ken could tell the way Haru looked at Ren. She was starting to crush on him. Then of course there was Anne, obviously. He didn’t know that girl from Yusuke’s school, but he wouldn’t be surprised if she was crushing on Ren too.
And then there was the fake dating with Makoto… Ren was a bit too charismatic for his own good.
Next to Ren, Ken was nothing but a pale shadow.
He wasn’t exactly jealous of Ren (Ken didn’t want or need his own legion of admirers)—especially when Ren obviously had eyes for nobody save but Anne… but he knew better. He was just being realistic. No way that Makoto would ever look at him like that.
Not that he could ever tell Ren this.
“S-Shouldn’t we get back to the exploration?” Ken stammered out. “W-We can’t stay here forever!”
“Fine, fine, I suppose you’re right,” Ren grumbled.
Ken let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.
But then Ren leaned in close, eyebrow raised. “But you know you can talk to me if you need it, right?”
No. Not about this. Ken forced a smile.
“Thanks, Joker. I’ll keep that in mind,” Ken whispered.
He would just have to put it out of his head. Get over it, like his crush on Minako-san.
But despite that, his eyes lingered on Makoto. She was talking with Anne, a small smile appearing on her face. It was… distracting.
Ken sighed before pressing a hand against his face. He hated this—he didn’t want this to affect his friendship with Makoto. But it was just… so hard.
But he had to put his feelings out of his head. He had to focus on helping everyone make it to the Treasure. The important part was to get Okumura to see the error of his ways and save Haru from a terrible fate.
It had taken a long time but… they had finally done it.
Haru gazed at the hazy orb, which according to Morgana, represented the Treasure… the physical manifestation of her father’s twisted desires.
Though she wasn’t sure what exactly the factory had been “building”. That really bothered her. Not to mention the mental shutdowns everyone told her about… That was rather worrisome, as well.
But… that meant she would have to face her father. Her flesh and blood. She had such a difficult time connecting the despicable man whose sins were on display in this Palace… to the father she remembered.
What would her grandfather say if he could see what has become of her father? And what of her mother?
Mother… she wished she could remember her better. Grandfather told her that her father and mother loved each other very much.
Grandfather… how she remembered his gentle embrace and kind voice. And the wonderful smell of the delicious things he made.
Would they be able to do this, if they were in her shoes? Would they have been able to save Father from himself?
“Noir?” Makoto gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “We need to get going…”
“R-Right!” Haru forced a smile. “You’re right, Queen…”
Over Makoto’s shoulder, Yusuke’s eyes met hers. She could see the sympathy swimming in his gray eyes.
They slipped into the safe room they had found near the Treasure, before Ren activated the app once more. They were whisked back to the real world.
“So… when will we be sending the calling card?” Ken asked.
Ryuji pounded a fist into his palm. “Yeah! Okumura’s got a lot of explaining to do!”
“Don’t worry, guys, it’ll be soon,” Ren reassured, with a confident smile on his lips. “Two days tops. I just need to upgrade our equipment and make sure we’re all stocked up on medicine… Don’t worry, Haru. We’ll make sure your father regrets every action he’s made.”
His hand stretched out to her. And Haru bowed her head to hide her blush, as she mumbled out a thank you. She collected herself to then shake his hand.
Ren was just a friend. He already had someone he loved dearly. Her heart twisted uncomfortably at that thought. She wondered if she would find someone special someday, the way Ren and Anne found each other.
“I can’t even begin to count how many thank yous would be enough for everyone,” Haru said sincerely as she let go of his hand.
Yes… let it go. She must move on with this infatuation. Ren and Anne were her friends. Letting it fester would hurt her.
“Not necessary on the counting!” Anne winked.
“Yeah, what are friends for?” Ren just shrugged.
It was hard. He was so nice to her. If only she was betrothed to someone like him and not Sugimura.
Haru then shook her head. The group thankfully locked in conversation, oblivious to what is going on in Haru’s head.
She bit her lip and sucked in a breath through her nose. Her gaze swept over each and every one of her friends. This group… they’ve been so good to her. She had many nice friends. Not just Ren. A smile found its way on her lips at that thought.
She would free her father, and move on with her life. She’ll be able to reconnect with him. They could make the company even better once he atones for those he hurts. And… they would send Sugimura packing.
Yes… she can move on with it all. The discomfort in her heart started to not hurt as bad once she thought of the future.
Who knows…? Maybe she’ll find the love she always dreamed of too, someday.
Morgana’s voice then cut through her thoughts.
“We’re getting so close!” Morgana exclaimed, his eyes burning like blue fire. “We’ll be one step closer to our goals after this…!”
“Calm down, Morgana,” Anne scolded. “We have to take things one step at a time…”
Morgana’s tail swished as he exclaimed, “I know, I know! But imagine what this will do for us!”
“Settle down…” Makoto chided. “It’s getting late, anyways… We should all head back home.”
Haru just blinked. She didn’t realize that evening was approaching so quickly…
But even so, after bidding farewell to her friends, Haru found herself gazing at Okumura Foods’ HQ. It was big. It felt so impersonal.
And yet… could she really accept sending her father to jail? Was it right for her to decide…? And if Father was arrested… what would happen to the employees? There was so much she was so unsure of…
She was so foolish. Imagining her and her father rebuilding the company back up to something Grandfather would be proud of. How naïve… of course her father wouldn’t be able to. He’d go to jail.
Haru bit her lip as she felt her eyes start to sting a little. Of course, she would still stop him… but… how would she help the employees after the fact? Would there be a power vacuum?
Oh… her father’s board of directors…
Could any of them be trusted to help rebuild the company? Would any of them even care about the employees?
“Haru?”
Haru flinched at the sudden hand on her shoulder. She whirled around to see it was Yusuke.
“Yusuke-kun!” she gasped, clutching a hand to her chest. “Y-You startled me!”
“My apologies, Haru.” Yusuke quickly bowed. “I did not mean to frighten you. I just thought… you could use a listening ear.”
Haru looked down, ashamed. She was just a couple months shy of turning eighteen. She was a school year above Yusuke. Yusuke and the other juniors should be looking up to her as someone to lean on…
“I don’t think Father will be home,” she murmured. “Let’s go there.”
“As you wish.”
The walk home was quiet. She honestly didn’t know Yusuke that well. She knew that he was a scholarship student of Kosei High, he was formerly Madarame’s student, and… he struggled with bills and was constantly hungry (according to Ryuji and Futaba, they said it was his own fault regarding food).
“Why don’t you sit down?” she prompted. “I’ll make us some tea.”
She was trained in tea ceremony, but she saw no need in that. She set a tea kettle to boil. She sorted through the types of tea they had while she waited for the water to boil.
She tapped her index finger on her chin. Perhaps earl grey? Though, the amount of caffeine during this time of day might not be a good idea. She eventually settled on a rose hibiscus tea.
After steeping the tea long enough, she poured it in two porcelain tea cups and carried them over on a tray.
“These tea cups seem to be handcrafted,” Yusuke remarked, before gently blowing on his tea and taking a careful sip. “Mmm… this tea is exquisite.”
“Thank you, Yusuke-kun.” Haru looked down at her own tea. “My mother’s parents gifted the tea set to her when she and Father got married.”
“What happened to your mother?” Yusuke inquired.
Haru bit her lip, looking down her lap. “She died in childbirth. When I was four, she became pregnant again… and my little brother had been stillborn. I don’t have many memories of her, but I remember that Mother was gentle and kind…”
Yusuke’s eyes widened. “I… I’m so sorry, Haru. I didn’t mean to rehash that…”
“It’s okay, Yusuke-kun.” Haru smiled to reassure him. “I don’t remember much of her… it’s difficult to mourn someone you hardly remember.”
“I can relate to that.” Yusuke set down his cup. “I haven’t really discussed it but the Sayuri… It was actually a painting of my mother, holding me as an infant. Madarame’s Shadow revealed that he let her die and it was an atrocious crime, I cannot deny that. However, I felt Sensei’s betrayal, his façade as a kind and benevolent man being a lie… more sharply than him being responsible for my mother’s death.”
Haru sighed as she set her cup down as well. She couldn’t help but slump her posture in her seat.
“How did you accept fighting him? I can’t deny that seeing all of Father’s crimes has made me want to see him atone but… I…!” Haru closed her eyes. “Part of me wavers… I can’t help but feel weak about that. For still feeling affection towards him…”
Yusuke grimaced, a mix of disgust and sorrow in his eyes. He then looked down at his lap.
“I was blinded by Sensei’s actions,” Yusuke said. “I did not want to admit what I already knew. It took me having to face his Shadow to realize just how much I was lying to myself. You are not weak for feeling affection towards your father still, Haru… Not everything is black and white, unfortunately.”
He then lifted his head up towards her. And he smiled, a gentle curve to his mouth.
“But you don’t have to shoulder the burden alone, Haru. We are here for you,” he assured.
She already realized today she had wonderful friends she made… it felt funny how quickly she forgot that meant it was okay to lean on them too.
Haru looked into his eyes. “T-Thank you, Yusuke-kun. I needed that reminder…”
“Anytime, Haru.” He then reached for his satchel. “May I show you something?”
“What is it?” Haru asked as she tilted her head slightly.
Yusuke’s hand fished out his sketchbook from the satchel. He flipped through it, apparently searching for a specific drawing.
His eyes sparkled a little. “Ah, here we are.”
He handed it over to her. Haru took it and looked down. She couldn’t help but gasp.
It was a colored sketch… of her. Her as Noir, her axe on her shoulder… with Milady in the background. Milady’s artillery was pointed at some unseen enemy. The detail was incredible. Blue flames encircled them, reminiscent of when she awakened and when they transformed into Phantom Thieves in the Metaverse.
Haru didn’t know why her throat felt dry all of a sudden. She cleared her throat quickly.
“Is this… really me?” she asked with awe.
“It is.” Yusuke nodded. “I recently developed my passion for art once more… but you… stoked a fire in me. You were a sight to see… you shed all of your inhibitions. And that zeal you displayed was truly inspiring. You were determined to fight…! Don’t lose heart, Haru. You may hesitate but we’ll be here to reassure you.”
“T-Thank you, Yusuke-kun…” Haru looked down at the sketch. “I can’t believe you drew this… mostly from memory!”
“The moment you awakened was seared in my mind. It was truly incredible.” Yusuke gently eased the sketchpad out of her hands, before tearing out the paper. “Keep it, Haru. I think looking at it will remind you that you are both Haru Okumura and Noir. They’re both sides of you.”
“Yusuke-kun…” Haru breathed. “Thank you… thank you for everything.”
His gentle reminder… the beautiful sketch…
“It’s nothing, Haru.” Yusuke shook his head. “I merely saw a friend in need. It’s nothing more than what I should do.”
It fell silent for a moment as Yusuke finished his tea. He then stood up to Haru’s disappointment.
“Thank you for the tea, but I really should get going… I’m afraid that I’ll miss the train if I dawdle too much.”
Haru grabbed his sleeve. “Give me a moment, please,” she requested. She then reached for her bag, pulling out her wallet. She dug through it, rifling through it.
“Haru, you don’t need to pay me—”
“You didn’t need to talk to me…” Haru said, pressing several ten-thousand-yen bills in his hand.
Yusuke gaped at her. But she closed his fingers over the money. Truly, his words—no, his friendship would mean so much more than the money.
“But you did. You reassured me. Just let me do this,” Haru pleaded. “Let me help you, Yusuke-kun… in the way I can.”
Yusuke let out a soft sigh. “Very well, Haru. As you wish…”
“And again, Yusuke-kun… thank you.”
She could do it… she could face her father. She was going to make him atone for his crimes… So many people have suffered under his hand. It was nothing more than her duty.
And whatever came after… she had friends she could lean on through that too.
Notes:
So… consider this my late Mother’s Day chapter. It discussed a lot about parents in general. I knew from the start that I wanted to cover October 4th when the time came but I didn’t expect it to span so long. And of course, there’s Okumura in the latter half of the chapter.
And I truly believe that we had a lost opportunity by not having Yusuke empathize with Haru. There’s more of an emphasis on Madarame over his mother, after all, and they’re the only Phantom Thieves with a father figure who are Palace rulers.
We’re reaching the end of Okumura’s arc soon! Next chapter will involve the confrontation with Okumura.
And… with the PQ2 videos floating on the web, I’m seriously considering a side project of Ace in the Hole’s version of PQ2. It wouldn’t be a full on adaption, like this, but it’d be a series of oneshots. Would anyone be interested in reading that?
Edited on 9/18/25. A big thank you to my wonderful beta angelrin89.
Chapter 30: Ch. 29: Crash Landing
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves face down Shadow Okumura... leading to consequences they hadn't expected.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Friday, October 7th, 2016
The red card fit in Haru’s palm comfortably, but it felt heavy in her hand.
It was finally time.
It was just… incredible that this little card would allow them to steal Father’s Treasure. Now… she just needed to plant it so Father would read it.
She couldn’t help but admire Yusuke’s handiwork, down to the now infamous Phantom Thieves logo and the actual message.
Sir Kunikazu Okumura, the great profiteering sinner of greed. The success and global fame exists due to the tyranny you rain over your employees. Thus, we have decided to make you confess all your crimes with your own mouth.
From, The Phantom Thieves of Hearts
Now all there was left to do was to plant it…
Haru looked back and forth. None of their servants were in sight. She slipped into his study, placing it right on top of his paperwork.
Now she just needed to wait and see… how Father reacted to the calling card. Haru took a deep breath to steady herself as she stepped outside of Father’s study.
She could do this. Yusuke’s kind words echoed in her mind. They would… steal Father’s heart and make him atone.
Saturday, October 8th, 2016
It was finally time to steal Father’s treasure. They had huddled behind an advertisement board, close to the building.
“Now how to sneak in…” Ren mused.
“There’s always the bushes again,” Ryuji suggested.
“I saw you that time,” Haru said quietly.
“Hmm…” Ren looked hesitant now, rubbing his chin. “Well maybe we could—”
But then Makoto suddenly gasped, grabbing Ren’s wrist.
“Wait!” she whispered.
“What’s wrong?” Anne whispered back, her eyes swimming with confusion.
Haru carefully peered around. “Isn’t that… your sister, Mako-chan? And… that’s Goro Akechi, isn’t he?”
“Damn!” Ryuji hissed out, his face twisting into a scowl. “What are they doing here?!”
“Futaba did discover that Niijima-san had traced several mental shutdowns to Okumura,” Yusuke said. “Perhaps she’s secured a search warrant?”
“And Akechi is her partner,” Ken added. “It’s no surprise that he’s here as well…”
“Should we go back, then?” Haru frowned. “What if they see us…?”
She regretted the moment she said that. The blood drained out of Makoto’s face at that, and she seemed to tremble for a moment. Ken gave her a worried glance. She seemed distracted and didn’t notice Ken start to reach out to touch her arm. But then he wavered, pressing his lips together and shook his head before retracting his hand.
Haru didn’t have time to ponder over this, though. Not when anxiety was squeezing at her heart.
“We can’t!” Morgana exclaimed. “Sending the calling card will only allow the Treasure to manifest for one day. It’s now or never.”
“Shh, Morgana. Keep your voice down,” Ren hushed.
“Oh… I didn’t know about that…” Haru said.
“It just slipped our minds,” Ren said, smiling reassuringly. “Still… this is kinda a problem… We have to come up with a solution… and fast.”
“Hmm…” Futaba looked to Morgana. “I think I have an idea.”
Morgana narrowed his eyes at Futaba. “…What are you looking at me for?”
“Well…” Futaba glanced at Haru, smiling cheekily. “Remember how Haru found us out? Morgana ran inside…”
“And maybe a certain someone could be looking for clerical work for some extra money.” Ken eyed Yusuke. “And his friends came for moral support.”
Yusuke frowned. “Why is it me that’s being targeted?”
Anne huffed. “It’s just an example, Yusuke.”
“So basically, we break into smaller groups and slip inside… before activating the app…” Ren rubbed his chin again before he nodded. “I think that could work…”
“Using the app in a different place of the area of the Palace will still land you there… We’ll just meet there,” Ken said.
“Sounds like a plan!” Ryuji flashed them a thumbs up.
Still, Haru was worried… She hoped that they could slip in without much notice.
Haru went in first, because nobody would question if the CEO’s daughter would come into the HQ. She often attended the meetings, after all.
She got a few curious stares but Haru did her best to maintain her polite smile. But then someone called out to her.
“Okumura-san? A moment, please?”
Haru froze at the pleasant voice. But she slowly turned to face him.
“Akechi-kun,” she greeted politely, before bowing. “How can I help you?”
Akechi-kun’s smile was pleasant, but she couldn’t help but notice it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Haru couldn’t help but feel somewhat reminded of Ken for some odd reason. They didn’t look identical or anything but they shared some facial features… the slope of his jawline… even the shape of his eyes.
Akechi-kun bowed his head and Haru smiled weakly to acknowledge the gesture.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Okumura-san. I don’t know if you’re aware but…” He sucked in a sharp breath. “Your father was sent a calling card.”
Haru forced herself to widen her eyes, trying to look surprised by this revelation.
“He was? But why?”
She was lying between her teeth, of course. She was there when Father had called the police, demanding that something be done. She was so foolish! Why didn’t she think that police would be here…?
“Yes.” Akechi-kun nodded. “He was rather concerned so he contacted the police department today, due to that. It’s concerning that they were able to slip in, undetected, and plant the calling card in his study. That’s what we can’t figure out…”
Haru nodded feebly, trying to act like a frightened daughter.
“That’s just… frightening. And for someone to threaten my father like that…” Haru trailed off. “What had he done to attract the Phantom Thieves’ attention…? I know that people have been submitting his name to the site but…”
“We’ll do our best to protect your father.” He gave her an encouraging smile. “Don’t fret, Okumura-san.”
Haru said meekly, “Thank you, Akechi-kun. But will you please excuse me? I should go warn my fiancé about this.”
She hoped her tense posture helped the air of being afraid for her father.
It felt odd lying like this. It came out so easily yet felt like sand in mouth. She licked her dry lips and gave him a lightly.
“Of course.” Akechi-kun gave a nod.
Haru couldn’t help but feel relieved that he bought it. But she kept her posture tense, letting her stress of the situation be the only thing visible to help with the lie.
“I shouldn’t be talking your ear off like this, my apologies…” He let out a nervous laugh. “Sae-san always says that I talk way too much… Have a nice day, Okumura-san.”
After giving her a bow, Akechi-kun wandered back over to the police officers gathered by the door. But why had Akechi-kun approached her? Haru bit her lip as she stepped inside. Did he think that she would have an idea…?
She waved off the employees’ greetings, before she slipped into a room to activate the app. It whisked her to the Metaverse. It was nerve wracking, waiting for her friends. She wrung her hands as anxiety pooled in her stomach.
But to her relief, Yusuke, Makoto, and Ken eventually appeared.
“Noir, what did Akechi want?” Makoto asked with a frown.
Haru winced. She didn’t think Makoto had spotted them talking.
“I don’t know. He just told me that he and your older sister were there because Father called the police when he found the calling card. Maybe he wanted to know if I had an idea of how the calling card reached him…”
“That’s… awfully tame of him.” Yusuke folded his arms over his chest. “He’s been clear on his stance on the Phantom Thieves… he thinks that we’re nothing better than our targets for interfering with ‘justice’.”
“Maybe he’s softening towards it?” Haru offered. “People can change their minds.”
“Now that I think about it…” Yusuke rubbed his chin. “His interviews have been lessening.”
“Though that could be contributed to his dwindling popularity…” Ken said, looking skeptical. “There’s a lot we don’t know about Akechi.”
“It’s probably better if we keep that way,” Makoto said grimly. “We can’t afford to get caught…”
Haru winced. That was right, Makoto’s sister was a prosecutor. It must be difficult on her.
“It also could be he could sense you are already stressed about the news he told you regarding your father.” Ken put his hand on his chin, his expression growing pensive. “Probably didn’t want to upset you further. He might be famous, but your dad is much higher up on the social ladder than him.”
“True, and with as you said Ken, his popularity isn’t what it was a few months ago. It would be wiser for him not to upset people with clout or connection.” Yusuke nodded.
Haru couldn’t help but frown. She was grateful for the new friends she made. It was always exhausting to be concerned with optics. The very thought was maddening. Her friends never cared about that sort of thing, and she would protect this new life she created for herself with them. It was one of the many reasons she must save her father from himself.
Her inner musings were distracted when the remaining Shujin juniors, Futaba, and Morgana appeared.
“Good, everyone’s here.” Morgana bounded up to them. “Are you guys ready? Our only objective today… is to steal the Treasure!”
They then took off, easily making their way to the location of Father’s Treasure.
Ryuji suddenly stopped short. “Whoa… what is that?!”
“Woooow!” Futaba gasped. “A UFO?! That’s so cool!”
Ken’s smile was exasperated. “Your Persona’s a UFO, Oracle.”
“So?! Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate others!”
A UFO… why would Father want to create that?
Above their heads, a PA system crackled. “The SS Utopia will soon enter its launch sequence from the shipbuilding dock. After retrieval of the main core, the launch sequence will commence.”
Anne blinked. “SS Utopia? Wait…”
“That must have been what the workers have been talking about…” Makoto mused.
“Father did say that he was going to ascend to the political world…” Haru shook her head. “Never mind that he’s using so many people as stepping stones…”
“Noir…” Anne’s voice was soft and filled with pity, as she lightly touched Haru’s shoulder.
“You could say that the company itself is a stepping stone for him…” Yusuke said grimly. “How despicable… This makes Sensei’s crimes seem like child’s play.”
“Oi, don’t degrade yourself about that,” Ryuji interjected. “What Madarame was pretty damn shitty too, Fox.”
Ren shook his head. “But even so… this proves he could become a greater threat down the line, even more so than he is already.”
“But wait a sec… they were talking about the UFO launching!” Ryuji exclaimed. “If that happens… Okumura will get away!”
Futaba groaned. “Ugh… Skull’s right! Let’s hurry!”
Morgana nodded vigorously. “Lead the way, Joker!”
They ran forward, only to stop as a gleaming silver orb came into their view.
“That’s it… that’s the Treasure!” Morgana exclaimed.
As they approached, the ground began to shake violently.
A voice announced, “Emergency launch sequence will soon be activated. Certain areas may be shut off or destroyed. I repeat, emergency launch sequence will soon be activated. All personnel are advised to evacuate immediately to the safe area of the facility.”
The Treasure was suddenly lifted, disappearing into the UFO. That was when Father’s voice echoed throughout the area.
“I don’t have any time for you thieves. I must make my exit. You can all stand and watch in despair as you go down along with this base! Your destruction is imminent!”
“Father!” Haru stepped forward, ignoring his laughter. “No! Think about all of the people still here…!”
“Noir, he’s not…” Morgana said sadly.
Haru lowered her head.
“I know, Mona-chan,” she whispered, unable to stop her voice from cracking. She had to blink rapidly to hold back her tears. “I know… but I can’t help it!”
Father… was it truly too late for him?
“Noir… I know it’s hard but this place isn’t the real world. But when we stop here today, we’ll help protect those who are in the real Okumura Foods,” Morgana explained. “His mind is already in the process to abandon this place, mentally signifying that he’s ready to see himself the ruler of a different palace.”
“Right, and we’ll stop him before that happens…!” Ren declared. “You’ll stop him!”
Haru bit her lip and tried to suck in a shaky breath.
“Noir…” Futaba said with pity.
“Y-You’re right… I cannot wallow in my sadness,” Haru said.
Makoto nodded. “Let’s hurry.”
They rushed up the ramp that Futaba had pointed out to them, dodging the Shadows as best as they could.
“Dammit…” Ryuji hissed. “We’re running outta time!”
“Stop bellyaching and keep running, Skull!” Morgana snapped. “We can make it!”
It was a long sprint, but they finally made it. They caught up to Father just in time. He was just about to board the UFO.
“Looks like we finally caught you,” Yusuke panted out. He drew out his sword, pointing it at Father. “Prepare to confess your sins!”
“I…” Father’s face was etched with… remorse. “I’m sorry! I… I’ve had a change of heart. I don’t want to die! I can’t die until I repent!”
“You… have?” Haru breathed.
“Oh, Haru… my sweet daughter…” Father sighed, placing a hand over his chest. “You were such a loving girl… You always did whatever I asked you, no questions asked. The extra lessons, going with me to speak with my peers, even agreeing to an arranged marriage. You’re a daughter any man would take pride in.”
Haru couldn’t help but feel her lip tremble for a small moment as she took a deep breath.
“Something’s up…” Ken muttered, narrowing his eyes.
“Yeah, seriously…” Ryuji shook his head. “Did he hit his head or somethin’?”
“Don’t you remember, Haru?” Father continued. “You cried your eyes out when my work kept me from attending your first sports day. That was when you stopped talking back to me.”
Haru looked down. She… still remembered that. She had looked frantically for him… for so long. And she broke down crying because Father had promised he’d be there. But… maybe something deep down in her had realized that maybe Father hadn’t intended to be there. At all.
“But still… you stood up against me and you have become an independent woman…” Father’s smile looked proud. “Nothing can make a father happier than seeing that!”
“You… You really think that, Father?” Haru asked. “I… I don’t know what to say…”
All she really wanted was the kind father she once knew. She just… didn’t really understand how he changed so drastically.
She shook her head to try and clear her mind. “I can’t believe that you remember something that happened years ago…”
She bit her lip. She had to do this. She needed to confront him… even if it was just his Shadow.
“Father… why? I remember when you would pour your heart into making delicious food… The friendly debates with Grandfather of how to best prepare a recipe to best satisfy customers. You wanted to bring joy to others. Why did you change?” She couldn’t stop her voice from cracking.
“Haru, please forgive me…”
He dropped down to his knees, once more. It wasn’t quite kowtowing, but to see him humble himself like this… it was just so overwhelming.
“But I would never last if my Treasure was stolen! Please, don’t do it! I’m begging you!”
Haru cautiously approached him. “Father… let’s go back, then.”
“And so we shall!” Father suddenly whipped out a remote.
A forcefield sprung to life, separating Haru from everyone else. It was only at the last minute that Morgana managed to jump to Haru’s side. Angry cries came from the rest of her friends, and Ryuji even took his club and tried to strike at it.
“What?! Father… you…” Anger started to burn through her veins. “You tricked me!”
“Come now, Haru…”
Father extended a hand out to Haru. He looked angry and vexed. But something deep in his eyes, a flicker of yearning. Did she imagine that? Was he tricking her again? Or was there really hope she could save him?
“Do you really want to be my enemy, Haru?” His voice was coaxing, softer than any tone than he had used with her recently. “You’re my flesh and blood. I do not want to fight you, Haru. I love you, my dear. We can fix everything that’s gone wrong with us… you want that, don’t you?”
Haru squeezed her eyes shut. Of course. Father was up to his old tricks again. Using her love for him again… she’s such a fool. She can’t save him with words alone anymore. It’s been long past that point. She’s figured this out already. She’s reminded herself over and over of this fact.
Her conversation with Yusuke flickered in her mind. She gritted her teeth remembering his words.
They must steal the source of his distortion; it’s the only way to save him from himself. She can’t be distracted by doubts or her selfish desires anymore.
“Noir!” Ryuji pounded hard on the force field. It rattled from the force of his blows, but it didn’t give way. “Don’t listen to him! Remember all of the shit he’s done!”
“Father, I…” Haru pressed a hand to her chest. “Words cannot describe how much I long for us to be a family again.”
“You mustn’t, Noir!” Yusuke exclaimed. “You know the truth!”
“I…” Haru bit her lip.
“Noir, no!” Anne cried, pressing her hands against the force field. Her voice grew shrill as she pleaded, “Don’t listen to him! He’s just manipulating you!”
“You’re my only flesh and blood…” Haru said softly. “I cannot forget that.”
Father’s face broke into a wide smile as he rose to his feet.
“However…”
Her grip tightened on her axe before she swung the flat of the blade at Father’s face not once, but twice. The glass of his helmet cracked from the force of her attack.
He reeled from the blows, stumbling backwards but Haru darted forward and slammed the butt of her axe into Okumura’s abdomen. He keeled over with a groan, dropping the remote. It fell to the ground with a clatter.
“You fool! How dare you betray me?!” Father snarled at her.
“How could you be such a hypocrite?” Ren spat at him. “You’re willing to do the same to Noir!”
“Silence!” Father snapped before his eyes flicked to Morgana. “And what about you? You sound like a reasonable fellow. Besides… you never really had a place with them, did you? I’ve witnessed you bickering with them in here while fighting my employees. Betray your team and I’ll give you a place to belong!”
“Mona, don’t listen to him!” Ryuji yelled. “You do belong already!”
Morgana had grown stiff. “It’s true… I wished so many times that I could really belong. Be more like them… But I’m stuck in this body…”
“You’re still one of us, Mona! Please don’t…” Makoto trailed off.
“Join me, and I’ll help you achieve your goal,” Father said. “What do you say? Shall we head off to higher heights… together?”
Morgana paused, only for his expression to harden. “You’re so stupid… to think I’d betray my friends over empty promises from a man like you.”
He whipped out his slingshot, firing three times.
“You little—!” Father snapped out.
“Noir, help me out!” Morgana urged. “I’ll distract him and—!”
Father snatched up the remote once more. “So… this is goodbye.”
Haru seized Morgana before hurling him with all her might at Father. The extra force was what Morgana needed to knock Father down. With the brief distraction, Morgana easily snatched the remote right out of Father’s hands.
“Checkmate!” Morgana crowed before slamming the button on the remote control.
As the forcefield dissipated, Haru whirled back to her father.
She pointed her axe at Father. “I cannot abide what you’ve done, Father! Abusing your employees! Making them believe that there’s no other option! Fueling the company with human lives!”
Haru couldn’t stop her voice from cracking. She couldn’t believe that in the years she had enjoyed luxury… it had been thanks to the countless employees that Father had broken. A part of her couldn’t help but think it was too late, that her father was corrupted beyond everything.
But another part of her wanted to fight. She wanted to see if the man she still remembered fondly was there. And the only way to find out… was to fight his Shadow.
“I will fight you, Father, because it’s the right thing to do! And nothing you say will dissuade me! I am not your tool! Not anymore!” she declared.
“You… fool…” Father hissed out. “You sentimental fool! What happiness comes from pursuing justice but losing the battle anyways?!”
“What happiness comes from profit that only can be achieved by crushing the lives of others?!” Haru shot back.
“Better that than fail!” Father retorted. “I refuse to go back to wallowing in debt and misery! I refuse!”
He then shook his head, before sweeping his hand through the air.
“Regardless, I will soon set sail in the political realm! To the upper echelons of the world! To utopia! My name shall be etched in the annals of history!”
Haru couldn’t help but clench her teeth as she heard this.
“So, he’s just chasing fame…” Ken noted with a heavy frown.
Her father’s Shadow glared at her. Then gestured to all her friends with pure hatred in his eyes.
“Why… Why would you choose them over me?” Father demanded.
“Why…?” Haru questioned. “I choose them because they offered me kindness! They encouraged me to fight back!”
She could see her friends flanking both of her sides. She couldn’t help but feel relieved. She just didn’t know how she bore any difficulties without her friends’ support…
“I can’t stand by and watch you commit these crimes… all for the sake of greed! I will not back down! Prepare yourself, Father! For this is where you will fall!” Haru declared.
“Hmph… there’s plenty time before launch…” A chair zoomed out of nowhere, and Father seated himself. “I will crush you all!”
Ren pulled out his dagger and pointed it towards her father.
“It’ll be you who will be crushed!” Ren retorted.
“Hit us with your best shot, Okumura!” Anne exclaimed, grip tightening around the handle of her whip. “We’re ready!”
Father snapped his fingers and silver pods shot down, releasing several of the robots they had fought before.
“Panther, it’s yours!” Futaba cheered on. “Turn ‘em to ashes, so we can beat up Okumura!”
“Gladly!” Anne exclaimed. “Hecate!”
Flames danced through the air, engulfing the robots. They fell to her powerful fire spell with little resistance.
“Hmph… That was just a warm-up.” Father snapped his fingers. “Try your hand with these!”
The silver pods returned, and the same robots stepped out.
“Argh!” Ryuji groaned. “It’s like those ‘elite’ workers from before!”
Haru’s heart clenched, thinking of what that represented.
“Any problem can be solved with manpower… that is the strength of my company!” Father declared.
“Yes, it’s not like you’ve been utilizing mental shutdowns,” Ken deadpanned, spinning his spear in his hand. “Don’t make me laugh, you’re no real leader. I know someone who is leagues above you as a CEO.”
“Don’t backtalk me you little—!" Father hissed out before he shook his head. “Men! Attack!”
“They’re just small fry!” Ren shouted. “We can take them! Reserve your strength!”
“Joker’s right…” Morgana said. “He’s probably hiding the big guns. We can’t let ourselves get worn out!”
Ren summoned Okuninishi once more, and he cast the strength increasing spell. Haru worked with Ken to wipe out the robots with their gun attacks.
Another snap of Father’s fingers summoned yet another wave of robots. Two of them were the blue robots they had been fighting before, but the remaining two were yellow.
Anne sent the robots to the ground with a well-placed fire spell, before dashing over to Yusuke, passing the baton.
“Goemon!” he called his Persona’s name as he ripped off his mask.
His Persona appeared with a flash. Snow and ice appeared in a flurry. One robot fell to the assault, collapsing to the ground, but the other managed to dodge.
“I sense another weakness!” Futaba shouted. “It’s weak to Psy magic!”
“Do it, Noir!” Yusuke exclaimed, offering his hand.
Haru took the baton, feeling power surge through her as she tore off her mask.
“Milady!”
Pink outlined the robot as Milady sent it flying. With the robots all flat on the ground, she was able to summon Milady again. Her skirts flew back, shooting bullets in all of the robots. That attack destroyed them.
Father summoned yet another wave of robots… was there really no end? The three yellow robots were accompanied by the gangly red robot they had fought… the one that was supposed to be the Chief Clerk.
Captain Kidd rammed into the robots so hard that they were sent flying. They crashed to the ground, just in time to caught in the explosion that Johanna produced. The red robot collapsed to the ground. Zorro whipped up a gale, but the yellow robots seem to shrug it off.
But an attack from both Milady and Goemon felled the remaining of the robots. Ken finished them off, nailing them with a gun attack.
More of the red robots… accompanied by the blue gangly robot.
They slowly chipped through the waves of robots. It felt like it was coming to no end… They weren’t particularly strong, but they just kept coming…
But then Father did something strange.
“Show your dedication!” He then threw a sheet of paper at the blue robot.
It then grew stiff, before it began to tremble. Black smoke began to pour from it.
“What’s going on…?” Ren questioned. “Oracle?”
“Crap…” Futaba breathed. “Beat that robot and do it fast! It’ll explode! And it’s a big one! It’ll probably hit all of you!”
Ren swore under his breath.
“You heard Oracle!” he barked. “Go all out on the blue one!”
But the red robots formed a wall around the robot that Father had set to explode.
“Get outta our way, dammit!” Ryuji growled as Yusuke whipped out his assault rifle, quickly firing bullets into the robots. “Whip ‘em, Captain Kidd!”
Captain Kidd sent the robots flying. Anne cracked her whip, wrapping around the torso of one of the robots, and she sent it flying at the blue robot. They skidded backwards. Moments later, Makoto whizzed by, astride on Johanna. Johanna glowed blue for a moment, before a nuclear explosion came to life.
But one of the robots managed to dodge the attack. It then raised its arms. It twitched for a moment, before smoke began to pour out. But a wave of blue light swept through the area, healing all of its allies. It swayed on the side, like it was nearly out of energy.
“Ugh! It healed all of the damage you dealt!” Futaba fumed. “That’s such a cheap move!”
“Yes… that’s it! Show your dedication!” Father suddenly exclaimed.
“Brace yourselves!” Ren shouted, just as the robot exploded like a bomb.
The backlash was strong enough to send Haru flying backwards. Haru couldn’t help but let out a cry as she painfully skidded backwards.
“Come on, guys, don’t lag!” Futaba exclaimed. “Hang on… here come the buffs!”
The symbols on Necronomicon flashed a bright green before rainbow light seemed to surround them. Haru felt her muscles grow lighter… strength filling her veins… it felt incredible.
“Greatly appreciated, Oracle!” Ren said, quickly pivoting around to flash Futaba—or rather Necronomicon—a thumbs up.
Morgana’s healing spell swept over them like a pleasant spring breeze.
“Stand tall, Noir…” Yusuke said before grabbing Haru’s hand and pulling back on her feet.
Haru nodded and gave him a quick smile.
“Fortuna!”
All the while, Ren summoned a new Persona, a dark blue haired woman with part of her torso replaced with a spinning wheel. She spun the wheel with one hand, whipping up a powerful gust of wind that struck at all of the robots. The red robots resisted the attack, but the blue robot was sent sprawling.
“Queen, it’s yours!”
Makoto raced forward on Johanna, slapping Ren’s hand. With the boosted power, she was able to destroy the rest of the robots with a single blast.
Father summoned another wave of robots. Two of the blue and two of them were large, hulking robots.
“Here it comes…” Ken said grimly.
Ren summoned Scathach. A gust of wind rippled from her, knocking down the blue robots flat.
“Mona, take it!” he ordered, and Morgana leapt in the air, slapping Ren’s outstretched hand.
Zorro whipped up a hurricane that tore into the robots, destroying the blue ones. But the green robots were barely pushed back, even with Morgana powered up from the baton pass.
The ground shook as the green robot approached. It seemed focused on Yusuke.
“Milady, please!” Haru cried.
Milady swept her fan, a translucent shield forming around Yusuke. The robot struck a moment later, but the attack harmlessly bounced back and reflected against the robot.
“My thanks, Noir!” Yusuke called out to her.
Anne darted forward, quickly firing several bullets. Hecate appeared above her, lighting the bullets on fire.
The robot stumbled backwards, giving Ken an opening to attack with his spear. He then summoned Kala-Nemi, launching a light spell. Yusuke then summoned Goemon, slamming down in the ground, creating shockwaves that made the robots wobble precariously.
Ren darted in, slashing furiously at one of the robots. The moment the robot stumbled, he nailed it with his pistol.
Ryuji let out a little whoop. “Nice one, Joker! Show him who’s boss!”
This was a good opening…
“Panther, Queen!” Haru called out. “Let’s do this!”
“Understood!” Makoto exclaimed.
Anne pumped her fist before saying, “Right behind you, Noir!”
They charged forward as a unit.
“Milady!” Haru called her Persona forth, pointing at the robots.
Bullets flew forward, making the robots stumble backwards. Anne jumped forward, summoning Hecate with one hand. Ribbons of fire danced, before Anne cracked her whip. Makoto then jumped forward, nailing a robot with a well-placed punch. The punch was strong enough to send the robot flying into the other. Haru then swept in with a wide swing of her axe.
“Together now!” Makoto cried, clenching her fist. “JOHANNA!”
“MILADY!”
“HECATE!”
Hecate’s flames struck first, but just a second later, Milady’s Psy spell caught the robots in its grasp, tossing them both in the air with ease. Gravity sent them crashing down, and a heartbeat later, Johanna created a nuclear explosion that reduced them to rubble.
Haru was panting during their attack. Sweat trickled down her brow. That attack had been… intense.
“Woohoo!” Futaba cheered. “You really kicked their asses!”
“What…?” Father gasped. “Even them?! It seems that ordinary workers are not fit for this job!”
Haru looked over to see her father’s Shadow, he was sweating underneath the helmet a bit. She’d never seen that expression on him before. If he was getting nervous, then they could win… they just needed one more push and take his treasure!
Haru couldn’t help but feel hope in her heart.
Father then let out a thoughtful hum, before his hand clenched over his arm rest. “Yes… It is time… to call them out.”
“Bring it on, you asshat!” Ryuji shouted. “We can take anything you throw at us!”
“Come… Executive Director! And bring her with you!”
“Her…?” Yusuke questioned.
Two silver pods dropped down. One was huge, and out stepped an even larger robot than the green ones, clad in a black business suit. And the second…
“WHAT?!” Haru couldn’t help but cry out.
She stared with wide eyes.
“I will do whatever Father requests of me.”
It was… a robotic version of her.
“That… that looks like Noir!” Anne squeaked out.
Morgana huffed. “I was beginning to wonder why we hadn’t seen a cognitive Noir yet…”
Haru’s legs felt frozen. Even her… she was a robot here too…
She couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath, like the wind was knocked out of her for a moment. Haru let out a quiet gasp when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Yusuke. He had pity in his eyes. He just simply gave her a nod.
Yes… she must focus. She has to save her father from what he’d become. No matter how much it hurt. She returned the nod to Yusuke, and mouthed him a quiet thank you.
“Guys, you’ve got to hurry!” Futaba yelled, her voice cracking for a moment. “Half of your time’s up!”
“Let’s go all out, everyone!” Ren urged. “Come!”
“Lemme give you a boost!” Futaba exclaimed. “Hmm… this one! Defense up!”
Necronomicon’s symbols flashed again before a purple aura shimmered around them.
“Yeah, let’s do this!” Ryuji shouted. “Captain Kidd!”
But then the cognitive version of her raised her hand, pointing at the robot.
“Skull, wait…!” Ken shouted.
But Captain Kidd crashed into the robot. But Ryuji stumbled back, swearing under his breath as he straightened himself out.
“Damn!” Ren hissed out. “That version of Noir can fight like all the other robots we fought so far! Be careful!”
Haru’s lips tightened at that before she heaved her grenade launcher. She fired at her cognitive self, but she didn’t even look fazed. Anger surged through her. She was just a doll… just like what Father wanted her to be…
She grasped her axe with both hands and rushed forward. Her cognitive self just calmly blocked her strike with her arm.
“Why…?!” Haru hissed out, straining to push her axe against the robotic version of her. “Can’t you see…?”
“I was born to further the Okumura line,” she said tonelessly. “I am here to be molded as Father deems fit. I must protect Okumura Foods… no matter what. Their benefit is mine.”
Hot tears stung at Haru’s eyes. Further the Okumura line…
All of the visits to the doctors. The doctors commenting on what foods to avoid if you want to have healthy children. Certain diets told she should maintain if she wants to have healthy skin and weight. After all… “You don’t want to look bad for the cameras on your wedding day. We can’t have your skin looking dry, and you know cameras always add extra weight in pictures.” And then later, her diet being adjusted because she had to be tiny… slender… Sugimura’s type of woman, a petite piece of arm candy.
Was that really how her father viewed her?
“WRONG!” A whip wound around her cognitive self’s arm, yanking her to the side; Anne then stomped her foot. “Noir’s her own person! How dare you suggest anything otherwise!”
Makoto hissed out. “She’s not some broodmare! That’s your daughter!”
“Queen and Panther are right!” Morgana declared, jumping on Haru’s shoulder for a moment before doing a somersault and slashing downwards on her cognitive self. “Noir, you’re not defined by your family… by Okumura Foods… only yourself!”
They were right… She couldn’t lose heart!
She gritted her teeth and wiped away the hot tears pricking the corner of her eyes.
“Milady!” Haru tore off her mask.
Pink outlined her cognitive self, lifting her in the air. When she was sent tumbling down, Haru swung her axe, cleaving her into two.
Haru stared at the broken pieces. She wasn’t that girl… not anymore. She wouldn’t listen docilely anymore.
“We’ve really got to focus on taking down that… thing,” Anne said with a grimace.
Haru nodded. “Yes, you’re right.”
“Hey, Mona!” Ryuji called out to him. “Wanna do a double attack with Captain Kidd?”
“Let’s do it!” Morgana said with a firm nod, sprinting over to Ryuji’s side.
Ryuji summoned Captain Kidd, and Morgana jumped on top, perching on the bow.
Captain Kidd raced forward, ramming into the robot. Morgana then jumped off, slashing with his sword. Blue flared around him and Zorro nailed the robot with Miracle Punch.
“Awesome team up, you two!” Futaba complimented. “I’m honestly a bit surprised…”
Haru was impressed with their teamwork as well. Even more so they didn’t fire back a retort at Futaba for her quip. Morgana and Ryuji got back into defensive positions, eyeing her father’s Shadow.
“Noir!” Ken called to her. “Care for a team up as well?”
“Gun attacks?” she asked, and a beat later, Ken nodded. “Let’s do it!”
Their doubled attack forced the robot to be on the defensive. Haru couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated at how their efforts were just slowly chipping away at the robot.
“What are you doing?!” Father yelled. “Work harder! You’re not allowed to fall here! You will kill the thieves, even if it costs you your life!”
Haru’s stomach twisted at his words. Father… why…?
“For the… prosperity of Okumura Foods!” the robot intoned as a blue light flashed.
“Accept your defeat!” Father declared, snapping his fingers.
A sickly yellow light emitted them, before both Yusuke and Ryuji began to sway. Yusuke clutched his stomach. “So… hungry…” he groaned out.
“That’s nothing new,” Morgana quipped.
“For real…!” Ryuji said, sounding woozy as he clutched his stomach as well. “I could really use some ramen now!”
“Gah!” Futaba groaned. “Fox and Skull are hungry! Their attack powers seriously weakened!”
“Noir, try to get one of them cured!” Ren ordered, before whipping out his pistol and firing several bullets. Anne summoned Hecate to set his bullets alight.
“I’ll make you into a human burger!” the robot declared.
“A human… what…?” Makoto questioned.
“Brace yourselves!” Ren barked out.
And it wasn’t a moment too soon… The robot raised his arms. A burger rained down from the sky.
“FOOOOOOD!” Ryuji and Yusuke cried out in unison.
But then the burger started to glow, before detonating like a bomb as it struck the ground. Due to Haru bracing herself, she only staggered back but…
Her entire body was aching horribly.
“What… What WAS that?!” Morgana exclaimed, sounding flabbergasted.
“I have no idea but… it cured Skull and Fox at least,” Ken said dryly.
“Well, that’s one way to feed Fox, I guess,” Anne quipped.
“Looks like Shinjiro-san’s chopped liver now, then,” Ren quipped right back at her. “But anyways, let’s go all out on this guy! I don’t know about you, but I’d rather avoid another attack like that!”
“Understood!” they exclaimed.
Futaba then swooped in, buffing them with that rainbow light again.
Ren summoned Astraea again, strengthening himself with that yellow spell that he had used on Morgana during their last visit.
Hecate’s flames were bolstered by Zorro’s gust of wind. Yusuke used Goemon to freeze the robot’s legs in place. He then jumped backwards as Makoto charged forward on Johanna, letting loose a powerful Freila spell. Electricity crackled around Kala-Nemi’s light spell, striking right in the center of the robot’s torso. Milady fired away, shooting several bullets with her artillery.
“It’s time!” Ren declared. “White Rider!”
White Rider charged forward, slamming into the robot with such a great force that it sent the robot down onto its knees.
“Oi, Fox! Ace!” Ryuji cracked his knuckles. “Let’s kick some ass!”
“Let’s have at it,” Yusuke declared, before Ken nodded in agreement.
“Show no mercy!” Ken shouted, before the three boys rushed at the robot.
Ken used his spear as a pole vault, launching himself him in the air. He then jabbed downwards, creating a large gash in the robot.
“You’re mine!” Yusuke growled out, before slashing with his katana. He yanked his sword out, sidestepping so Ryuji could smash his club against the robot.
“Let’s get him!” Ryuji shouted. “CAPTAIN KIDD!”
“GOEMON!”
“KALA-NEMI!”
Goemon’s ice spell struck first, the ice quickly spreading across the robot’s body. Kala-Nemi’s gun attack shattered the ice before the bow of Captain Kidd’s ship crackled with electricity. A lightning bolt exploded from the tip, exploding as it struck inside the robot.
The robot staggered backwards, before finally—finally—falling.
“YES!” Futaba crowed. “You guys did it!”
“No! It can’t be!” Father hands tightened on the arm rests of his chair. “Is there anyone here?!”
Silver pods appeared but nobody showed up.
“CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!” Father cried out, to no avail.
“You’ve been abandoned, Father…” Haru said softly. “You have… no one.”
“This can’t be…” Father gasped out.
“Noir!” Ren extended his hand out to Okumura. “It’s all yours!”
“Haru… no… please…” Father pleaded, his voice suddenly cracking. “Don’t do this!”
Haru studied him closely. Father truly looked frightened. He did not want it to end like this. But… she had to do this. She couldn’t let Father continue the way he had. For both their sakes… she needed to end this.
“Adieu, Father,” Haru murmured, before she tore off her mask. “Milady!”
A pink light surrounded Father, lifting him in the air. He landed in a heap on the ground. A final bullet shot out, striking Father right in the chest. He fell forward, and there was a loud crack.
He dragged himself to his knees. “So… I’m the last of a line of failures…”
Was that… how he viewed their family?
“Do you really resent Grandfather, Father…?” Haru asked.
“Haru, I…” Father looked down. “Your grandfather was a very kind man… too kind. He would give the shirt on his own back to a stranger… even at his own expense. I did admire my father but also... I always thought to myself, growing up… that I would never do that. So many things they could never provide for me… I vowed to never do that to you.”
A broken sob suddenly escaped him. Haru’s breath hitched, watching him. A memory suddenly trickled in her mind.
Her father weeping at Mother’s gravestone. Apologizing to her for not being enough, for not being able to get her the care she needed when she was in labor…
“Your mother would detest me for all I’ve done. You… look so much like her, Haru.”
Haru’s heart ached for him. She could understand his mindset. She far from agreed but… she knew that Father had a difficult childhood because his family never had enough money needed.
But Grandfather always seemed so happy despite this… it was clear her father wasn’t. And then Grandfather passed away… then Mother too…
Father then looked up. “Haru, I will rescind the arrangements with Sugimura’s family. I… I never should’ve…”
He then pressed his forehead and palms against the floor. Haru’s eyes widened at the sight.
“Haru… I failed you. I failed your mother. I failed my father. I failed this company. But I will do what I can to make it right.”
“Father…” Haru sighed.
The group was silent for only a couple of minutes. None of them moved. Haru struggled to say something more.
Ren finally spoke up. “We can’t loiter for long. Haru I’m sorry… we need to get information from him and take his treasure.”
Haru nodded. This wasn’t just about how she was wronged…
“All right, tell us!” Ryuji marched forward. “Who’s been doing all the crazy shit with the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns?!”
“You… you know of that?” Father questioned.
“You ordered so many…” Ken stated. “Wild Duck, Haneruya Foods, Goodness Food… They were all for your benefit.”
Her Father straightened himself upright and sighed heavily.
“Yes, I admit to that…” Okumura muttered; he quickly looked up, his eyes wide. “But all I did was make requests! I heard many others did the same!”
Okumura then started to tremble, and to Haru’s surprise, he started to quietly cry.
“So… a dead end,” Ren groaned. Then he whispered toward Ken, “We need a lead on Shido…”
Ken sighed. “It can’t be helped. Let’s grab the treasure and get out of here.”
Makoto picked up Morgana to hold him up to grab the treasure that was glowing and floating. Morgana snatched it, then Makoto set him down. Morgana still looked annoyed they didn’t get any new leads however.
“Dammit…” Morgana wobbled as the ground suddenly gave an especially strong tremor. “We’ll have to speak with him… in the real world. I think we should bolt…”
“Once his heart has been changed.” Anne looked over to Haru, giving her an encouraging smile. “Which should be soon.”
Morgana ran over to Haru and held up the treasure to her.
“Take it, Noir,” Makoto said while Morgana nodded.
Haru leaned down and slowly took the Treasure. It glowed and sparkled in her hand. Just what would it be in the real world?
“Get ready,” Ren warned.
“Ready for—?” Haru let out a cry as she staggered forward from another tremor.
Yusuke grasped her by the shoulders, holding her upright.
“And here we go,” Ken said flatly.
“Hold on a sec…!” Morgana flipped into the air.
He then turned into his bus form.
“Woo! Go Mona!” Futaba cheered.
“Come on, Noir.” Yusuke guided her to board the bus.
Haru nodded before following her friends into the “Monamobile” as Futaba called it. They were close… to reforming Father’s heart for good.
It was too easy.
Goro watched as the strange bus sped away. He had heard most of Okumura’s rant. He had no qualms about what he was about to do.
His bottom lip curled as he stared at the pathetic Shadow on the ground. This vermin… he would gladly take out, regardless of Shido’s orders.
He was no better than Shido… absolute scum who would just throw out their children like trash. That daughter of his would probably be better off anyway. She’ll inherit a fortune too, so she’ll be set for life. All in all, she’ll get off easier regardless.
If she’s smart, when the public fallout happened, she’ll distance herself from the gaggle of hassles she’d acquainted herself with. If she doesn’t… they’ll drag her down with them.
Not his problem...
His footsteps were light as he approached Okumura’s Shadow. What a pathetic, sniveling creature…
“Who… Who’s there…?” he asked, looking up.
Akechi pulled the trigger. The Shadow didn’t make a sound as he died.
The Phantom Thieves had just signed their own death warrants. This was the first step… to their downfall.
Sunday, October 9th, 2016
Shinjiro really hated when people played with their food. Food was there to be eaten, not a toy. Ken absentmindedly pushed the contents of the stew in his bowl, before finally spooning a little and raising it to his lips.
Ken had been… quiet for the past few days. Since October fourth, but something told him that it wasn’t because of the anniversary. In the past, Ken was usually sad on the day of, but he managed to overcome it on the same day.
Shinjiro waited until Ken finished chewing the bite of food in his mouth before opening his mouth.
“So…” He eyed Ken. “Are you going to tell me what’s up?”
Ken stiffened. “What… do you mean?”
Shinjiro snorted before he set down his spoon. “Cute, Ken. The innocent act worked when you’re twelve. But now? Not so much.”
He looked at Ken sternly, before resting his cheek on his hand.
Shinjiro then pointed his spoon at Ken. “Spill it. Something’s bugging you.”
“N-Nothing’s wrong.” Ken quickly averted his eyes.
Shinjiro fought the urge to roll his eyes. If Ken thought that was gonna fool him… well he had another thing coming.
“Bullshit,” Shinjiro deadpanned. “Seriously, what the hell’s going on, Ken? You’re not exactly sulking but you’re pretty damn close to it.”
“Am not...” Ken grumbled under his breath.
Shinjiro raised an eyebrow as Ken started to faintly pout.
“Did you get into a fight with one of your friends?” Shinjiro pressed. “Was Amamiya being an idiot again?”
“No, I didn’t fight with Ren…” Ken answered cautiously. “And he’s not an idiot… just… reckless sometimes…”
Shinjiro resisted the urge to argue back against that comment. If Ken was in a defensive mood, making jokes at Amamiya’s expense wouldn’t fly.
Something was definitely wrong however if he’s starting to get in a defensive mood. For that to be the case it must be with someone close… but not with Amamiya?
Shinjiro considered Ken’s group of friends. It was undeniable that even though that Ken liked all of the Phantom Thieves, he was considerably closer to a few of them. Like Amamiya, Sakura, or…
“What about Niijima, then?”
“No!” Ken shook his head. “I didn’t get in an argument with Makoto… it’s just…”
He trailed off, before biting his lip. Shinjiro just sighed. Why couldn’t he just come out and say it?
“It’s stupid,” he mumbled out, staring down at the table. “Nothing worth talking about.”
Defensive and evasive… bad combination.
“But it has to do with Niijima, right?” Shinjiro raised an eyebrow at him.
“I don’t see why you need to pry into this,” Ken deflected.
Shinjiro groaned. The kid was still way too stubborn. Like trying to pull teeth with the roots still attached. Why can’t he just say what he felt?
Shinjiro urged, “Come on, Ken, just tell me. I can’t help you if you keep it bottled up.”
The silence dragged on and on. To the point where Shinjiro was tempted to smack him. He usually reserved that for Aki, but he didn’t have time for this.
The silence broke when Ken set down his utensils and let out a loud sigh.
Ken mumbled, “How… how did you realize that you liked Fuuka-san?”
Shinjiro grimaced.
He had never expected to have this conversation with Ken. Ignoring his lack of interest in girls, Ken was rather level-headed and mature for his age—something Takeba frequently reminded Iori of. Shinjiro had never considered that Ken would even need this kind of advice.
“See?!”
The sound of a chair scraping against the floor snapped Shinjiro out of his numb thoughts. Ken was pacing in front of the table now.
“I told you it was stupid! But you insisted! It’s not a big deal…!” Ken started talking faster all of a sudden. “It’s no big deal! It’s fine… I’ll get over it like I did with Minako-san! It’ll be no problem!”
Shinjiro just stared at Ken, who was furiously pacing now, circling around the table. He had… no words. Was he seriously panicking over having a crush?
Okay… he definitely had a crush on Niijima. He had a strong hunch for a while now.
“Ken, you kinda dropped this all of a sudden—!" Shinjiro began only to cut himself off. He scowled in Ken’s direction. “And for fuck’s sake, stop pacing already! You’re making me dizzy.”
Ken stopped in his tracks. “I told you, it’s fine! It’s stupid… it’s just a crush. Nothing to get worked up about!”
Shinjiro just groaned, fighting the urge to slam his face against the table. He settled for pressing his hand against his forehead.
Why the hell was he panicking like this? Especially since he’s had a crush on Minako years ago… Was it because it’s been years since he’s had a crush, so it was kicking him right into panic mode?
“Says the boy who is working himself up into a frenzy.” Shinjiro pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed. “And why do you have to get over it? Looks to me that Niijima likes you. A lot.”
Ken then stopped and stared. “Nii—who said anything about me liking Makoto? Wh-Why would you assume it’s her?!”
“Because it’s obvious, dumbass…” Shinjiro scoffed. “Takamaki is taken and Sakura—you treat her like a little sister. You only recently gotten closer to Okumura, and you don’t care for the girls in your school. Niijima is one of your closest friends, and you’re always making stupid goo-goo eyes at her.”
“What do you mean obvious?!” Ken whined out, then he glared. “And I do not make goo-goo eyes!”
Shinjiro just rolled his eyes at his charge. Did Ken really not see how unsubtle it was how close him and Niijima have been as of late?
“Let’s see… you met her in July, right? And when I met her just a few weeks later, you were calling her by her first name. Might’ve used an honorific then, but still.”
Ken opened his mouth to argue, so Shinjiro held up a hand.
“Don’t give me an excuse that she’s your age. If that was the case, you’d be calling Amamiya and the others by their first names. I remember pretty clearly that Sakamoto was bitching ‘bout you being so formal. And there was the whole thing with her swimsuit…”
“I was being polite!” Ken protested. “She was unsure about how she’d looked.”
“Uh-huh. Sure it was,” Shinjiro deadpanned. “So tell me, if Sakura said she was insecure about how she looked in a swimsuit, would you go on about how she ‘always’ looks great?”
Ken’s face turned red.
“She was insecure actually—!”
Shinjiro crossed his arms. “And did you give her the exactly same compliment?”
“Well, her case was different! I mean she was getting over all that—!”
“Not the point, Ken,” Shinjiro groaned. “You’re dodging…”
Ken stared at him in disbelief even with him blushing so hard, but Shinjiro just shrugged.
“Your exchange at Crossroads stood out at me.” He raised an eyebrow at Ken. “Takamaki seems like the affectionate type, you know. Would you let her hold your hand like you let Niijima do?”
“Wha—?” Ken shook his head. “No… that’d be weird! Anne’s dating Ren!”
Shinjiro reached for his drink—if only it was hard alcohol—before taking a quick sip. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Well… no…” Ken mumbled out. “But I never really thought about it…”
Shinjiro just raised an eyebrow. “You let Niijima do it without even questioning it.”
He shrugged even as Ken sputtered, scrambling for an excuse. Not that he’d find one.
“Look, Ken, I’ve known you since you were a kid. I’ve seen you around other girls. It may not be obvious to other people, but it is to me. You do treat Niijima differently compared to other girls.”
He still remembered how Ken would get mobbed by girls after his soccer games. All the saccharine cooing along the lines of “Amada-kun, you did amazing out there!”
They fluttered around him like butterflies around a big, bright flower, touching his arm and batting their eyelashes at him, hoping to get his attention for more than five seconds. And Ken was polite but he would move away as soon as he could get away with it, he never liked the girls his age touching him so casually. He would deflect and say that his family was waiting for him.
Iori always teased him mercilessly about running away from a bunch of girls, when he’s dealt with scarier things but Ken always grumbled about hating how girls would always invade his personal space. But he never objected when Niijima did that.
Ken was silent for a moment, but then his face crumpled.
“It doesn’t matter. If anything, Makoto would like…” he trailed off at that, but it didn’t take a genius guess who he was referring to.
At Ken’s pained expression, Shinjiro couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity. Though Ken was being a tad dramatic about this. Maybe this was Amamiya’s influence.
But years ago, he had thought similar thoughts when it came to Fuuka.
The first couple weeks after he had woken up from his coma had been… rough. He had to be hooked up to machinery as he slowly regained his strength. Mitsuru had brought Fuuka to help out with the machinery monitoring. He was all too used to the yelling, tears, and overall emotional reactions, but Fuuka had been quiet yet supportive. It had been a breath of fresh air, having her show quiet support.
And then Mitsuru had forced him to finish high school. Fuuka had offered to personally tutor him, since he’s never been the greatest at school. In turn, he roped her into helping him cook dinner for everyone, since he noticed that she was still trying to improve.
It had been gradual, but he noticed how Fuuka was so quietly determined… how much she cared about her friends. But it had just taken one smile from her to realize that he had fallen for her.
But they had been drastically different… he had thought that he didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell with her. He was stuck quietly crushing, getting red as hell when they were cooking together or Fuuka was tutoring him.
If Minako and Takeba hadn’t pushed Fuuka into asking him out, he probably wouldn’t have made a move.
But he’d rather eat glass than tell Ken that though.
“Ken, look…” he said quietly. “I don’t know Niijima all that much. But she pretended to date Amamiya for weeks. If she was interested in him, she would’ve been in a good position to do something ‘bout that.”
Ken just sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked down at the ground instead of at Shinjiro. Shinjiro just sighed himself.
“Also not like it matters even if you were right. Amamiya likes Takamaki and they are together. Niijima would have to move on anyway,” Shinjiro answered seriously. “But regardless of what you say… I can tell he’s not her type. Just by the way they interact, they don’t have that kind of interest for each other.”
“But…” Ken faltered before sitting back down in his chair. “I just… I don’t see why she’d like me.”
“Why not?” Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. “Girls constantly chase after you.”
Ken grimaced before wrapping an arm around himself.
“You know perfectly well that they don’t know me,” he said quietly.
“Wouldn’t that make more sense to tell Niijima how you feel? She wouldn’t throw your feelings in your face,” Shinjiro countered. He then sighed. “Look, Ken… if you just keep quiet, you’ll never know. Wouldn’t it be better for you to take the chance?”
He could mention to Ken that he was pretty sure that Niijima liked him back. She wasn’t exactly subtle with how she constantly blushed around him and fidgeted when talking to him.
But then he decided against it. Ken would probably deny it, insisting that Shinjiro was looking at it through rose-tinted lens or some other shit.
But Ken still looked unhappy as he pressed his knuckles against his cheek.
“Or I could make things terribly awkward if she doesn’t like me back. And I would hate it if I ruined things. She’s a really good friend… I feel that I can talk to her about anything.”
Ken seriously had a problem with overthinking. Sometimes Shinjiro wondered how he didn’t get a headache with how much he would overthink at times.
Shinjiro just groaned, pressing both hands to his face. Of course, Ken had to be dumb with love. Ken had idolized Aki when he was a kid. He had taken after Aki, being a sport star with gushing fangirls, up to this past year. Of course, he’d be stupid with this.
“Plus, it would throw things off with our Phantom Thief work,” Ken continued to ramble, only to pause. He shot Shinjiro an annoyed look. “Stop giving me that look!”
“What look?” Shinjiro said flatly, folding his arms over his chest.
“Your ‘oh my god what an idiot’ look,” Ken stated. “The one you usually save for Akihiko-san.”
“Well, if the shoe fits—”
“Have you not been listening to me?!” Ken cried out.
Shinjiro was surprised that he wasn’t flailing.
Shinjiro groaned yet again. Could Ken chill the fuck out already? It wasn’t the end of the world if he liked a friend. Ugh, he really needed a stiff drink. Preferably two.
“Look, Ken…” Shinjiro rubbed his forehead. At the very least, he needed some aspirin after all of this. “I’ve given you what I think what you should do. But it’s in your hands.”
Ken’s head drooped before mumbling, “I was afraid you were gonna say that.”
He cared for the idiot, but he could be such a pain…
Ken poked at his dinner for a bit longer before he groaned, standing up.
“Sorry, I’m not hungry.”
He picked up his bowl of stew, moving to store it away in the fridge.
Shinjiro waved him away from the sink full of dirty dishes.
“It’s fine, Ken.”
He blinked in surprise before mumbling out a thanks. Shinjiro just sighed to himself before Ken excused himself.
Aki and Minako had their work cut out for him.
Shinjiro gave a wry smile. The thought of Aki failing to give any helpful love advice, if he and Minako ever ended up having a son, was funny at least.
As if his thoughts had summoned him, his phone rang. He took one glance at the caller id before answering. “What is it, Aki?”
“Jeez, you sound cranky,” Aki remarked. “And on a Sunday, too. Did you have an argument with Ken?”
Shinjiro groaned. “It’s not that. Be grateful that this kid of yours is a girl. Won’t be running to you about dating advice.”
“…What?” Shinjiro could hear the frown in Aki’s voice. “Shinji, what are you talking about?”
Shinjiro rubbed his forehead. “Ken’s been acting kinda weird this past week, so I asked him what’s going on. And what does he do? Dump all of this crap on me about how he’s crushing on Niijima and when I suggest that he’d do something, he’s all ‘no, no, I can’t do that!’. Then what the hell am I supposed to tell him then?!”
“Uh… Shinji?” Aki said hesitantly. “We’re talking about the same Ken, right? Our Ken?”
“Who else could I be talking about, Aki?!” Shinjiro snapped into his phone.
“Okay, okay, you don’t have to yell at me,” Aki huffed. “Seriously, Shinji, Ken… likes someone? That’s kinda hard for me to wrap my mind around. He’s never paid attention to the girls at Gekkoukan.”
Shinjiro snorted. “Uh-huh. What about you with girls before you met Minako, huh?”
“Shut up,” Aki retorted before he awkwardly cleared his throat. “But uh… good luck with that, then, Shinji. That sounds rough.”
Shinjiro heaved out a sigh.
“Don’t I know it,” he grumbled. “Maybe I should just run out and buy a pack of beer. I need a drink.”
“I don’t think getting drunk over this is gonna solve anything.” Aki then paused. “Are you getting a midlife crisis over this?”
Shinjiro scowled, even though he knew that Aki couldn’t see. He knew what Aki was alluding to—Minako and Junpei often joked that Shinjiro was the closest Ken had to a dad.
“Get bent, Aki!” he snarled out. “You’d have to be middle aged to have one of those, dumbass!”
Aki snickered. “Correcting me on something like that? And I recall you claimed Ken mirrors me a lot, who is mirroring who now?”
“Shut up, you asshole.”
Aki just laughed. “Takes one to know one, right?”
Tuesday, October 11th, 2016
Message From: Ken Amada
[Ken Amada]: Mitsuru-san, Haru told us this morning that her father called for a press conference. It’ll probably be like when Madarame confessed to his crimes. She did mention he seemed to be feeling a bit sick however but was still going through with it. According to Yusuke, this sounded similar to what happened before with Madarame.
[Mitsuru Kirijo]: Understood, Amada. Thank you for letting me know.
Mitsuru set her phone down on her desk, before rising to her feet. She gazed out of the window of her office. Hearing about Okumura’s sins hit… a little too close to home.
Of course, her grandfather had endangered so many people with his experiments and had nearly brought on the Fall… so her family’s sins were more… intense than Kunikazu Okumura’s.
But it was the same principle.
She had to wonder what Okumura’s daughter, Haru… was feeling about all of this. The Kirijo Group’s sins were never revealed to the public… their powerbase was too strong. But Okumura Foods? It didn’t have that kind of protection.
What would become of Haru Okumura, never mind the countless workers employed by Okumura Foods? Okumura Foods was an international business, so it wouldn’t just affect people living in Tokyo. There was even a Big Bang Burger built right here in Port Island. If she wasn’t mistaken, Ken told her he saw one in Hawaii.
Mitsuru just… couldn’t shake off an ominous feeling… that Okumura’s confession would not be so simple.
A soft sigh passed her lips. Hopefully Okumura would be able to give some information on Shido… so Shido could finally be taken down. Maybe she should see if everyone could watch the stream together…
When Ken had woke up this morning, he hadn’t expected to be going to Destinyland, of all places.
“Wow!” Futaba’s eyes went wide with shock. “This is… amazing.”
“Have you never been to Destinyland, Futaba?” Anne asked.
Ren nudged her in the side. “And you have?”
Anne nodded. “Technically it’s called Destinyworld. The one in Florida. Back when my parents still took me with them during their travels to America. I’ve never been to any of the other international ones however.”
“Oh, what do your parents do for a living, Anne-chan?” Haru inquired.
“My parents are fashion designers,” Anne explained. “They’re not exactly high end like Chonel, but their jobs are pretty demanding. They’re flying off from country to country most of the time. We’ve lived in Finland… America, just to name a couple places. They eventually decided that I should have some stability and that I should be staying in one place, so they sent me back to Tokyo back in junior high.”
Ken frowned. He never really thought about Anne’s family life. She never really seemed to talk about it, so he assumed she had at least a decent family life. Then again, there was the situation with Kamoshida…
Haru winced.
“That… must be rough, Anne-chan,” she said softly.
Anne shook her head, her smile a little too bright. “But we’re not here to talk about that! Man, I can’t believe we’re at Destinyland for a celebration party!”
“Yeah, talk about the real VIP treatment!” Ryuji said with a grin.
“I think you’ve created a monster, Haru,” Ken said dryly.
Haru weakly giggled. “I just thought we might as well take advantage of this…”
Ren elbowed Ken in the side. “You’re one to talk. You’ve known Mitsuru Kirijo for years, haven’t you?”
Ken smiled sheepishly. “Well… I can’t deny that Mitsuru-san has treated us before… like take us to Yakushima but she’s never done anything this extravagant.”
“Well, this kind of thing is difficult to beat,” Makoto remarked. “Thank you for doing this, Haru.”
Haru’s smile turned bright. “It’s nothing, really! I… I’m just glad to share it with all of you.”
Futaba coughed. “But we should have some fun then! We’ve got a few hours until the stream, right?”
Haru nodded. “I was thinking that we could get together at around seven. The employees will have prepared some food for us!”
Yusuke closed his eyes but had a very eager smile on his face. “Wonderful. I truly appreciate it, Haru.”
Haru laughed. “It’s no problem, Yusuke-kun!”
Ken couldn’t help but snort. Even though Shinjiro-san’s been trying to improve Yusuke’s eating habits and diet… it didn’t change Yusuke was always transparently excited for any meal provided to him.
“Sooo, who wants to hit the roller coaster?” Ryuji drawled out.
“Ooh, me!” Anne said. “What about you, Ren?”
“Sure.” Ren linked his arm with hers. “Are you going to latch onto me, though?”
“Pffft!” Anne shook her head. “I love rollercoasters! But be careful… I scream really loudly.”
Ren raised an eyebrow. “Huh. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Ken grimaced. He did not need to hear that.
“Waitwaitwait!” Anne cried, waving her hands frantically. “That’s not—get your head out of the gutter!”
“You’re the one jumping to conclusions, Anne,” Ren said innocently, but that mischievous grin gave him away. “Maybe you’re the one who’s got their head in the gutter.”
Anne smacked his shoulder.
“You’re awful!” she huffed, even as her cheeks grew pink. “Absolutely awful!”
“And yet, you still love me,” Ren said with a smirk.
Ken couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
But then a sad smile found its way onto his face. It wasn’t exactly the same dynamic… but he could already see Minato-san teasing Yukari-san in a similar fashion.
Ken was brought out of his more somber thoughts when Futaba lightly shoved past him to walk over to Haru.
“I wanna see Haru try her hand at that hammer game!” Futaba interjected. “You know, the one where you swing it, and you try to hit the bell!”
Yusuke looked towards the famous castle.
“Hmm… I wish to sketch that,” he announced. “It is truly a magnificent sight.”
“Ugh, Inari, you want to draw?” Futaba complained. “We’re at Destinyland! We should be having fun!”
“Drawing is something I wholeheartedly enjoy,” Yusuke said plainly. “Just like how you find joy in those video games of yours. I don’t complain about your hobby so kindly do the same for me.”
“Okay, okay, sheesh,” Futaba grumbled.
“Anyway… we’re gonna head off now!” Anne said. “See you guys later!”
“Sooo, can we go to the carnival games then?” Futaba asked.
“Actually… I’d like to stay with Yusuke-kun.” Haru clasped her hands behind her back, smiling bashfully. “I… I never realized just how talented Yusuke-kun was with drawing until recently. I’d like to watch.”
At Futaba’s pouting, Makoto put a hand on her shoulder.
“Come on, Futaba, there’s got to be some kind of attraction you want to do…” She then bit her lip. “How about the bumper cars?”
Futaba let out a hum. Then her eyes lit up.
“Oh! How about Cosmo Mountain?” Her eyes began to sparkle. “We’ll get a show and it’s a roller coaster! It should be fun!”
Haru was handed the hammer by the attendant. She wobbled under its weight for a moment before her hands wrapped around the handle more tightly. She squared her shoulders and swung.
The puck shot up, gradually slowing down as it made its ascent. But it managed to strike the bell, even if it was just barely.
Ken’s jaw dropped and couldn’t help but stare. He knew that Haru was strong with her lugging around those heavy bags of fertilizers but this was something else.
“Oh…” Haru tilted her head.
She seemed oblivious to the attendant’s bug-eyed stare. To be fair, Ken would be shocked if a petite stranger had managed to pull that off too.
“I just made it…”
“Only just?!” Futaba cried out, waving her hands about. “You hit it! That’s freakishly hard! Like boss level hard!”
Haru giggled. “I suppose I was hoping that I would make it more than just by the skin of my teeth.”
“You should take your victory, Haru,” Yusuke stated. “However, I am unsurprised. You have a strong will, a strong heart… of course you would be physically strong as well.”
He wasn’t sure if that was how it worked. If that was the case, Yukari-san would be really strong.
Then again, Yukari-san did beat Akihiko-san in an arm-wrestling contest once. Shinjiro-san never let him forget that…
Haru giggled, smiling up at him. “Thank you, Yusuke-kun. You’re so sweet sometimes.”
“Pffft, sweet?” Futaba scoffed. “Inari’s more of a sourpuss.”
Yusuke glared, but Makoto cut in before another argument could break out.
“Be nice, Futaba,” Makoto chided. “But anyways… is there any last thing you’d like to do…? It’s twenty to seven.”
“Haru, why don’t you pick?” Ken said. “Since you did this because Futaba pleaded with you.”
“Hmm…” Haru’s eyes then lit up. “Oh! How about the Haunted Manor?”
Makoto immediately blanched at that, tensing up at that. Right… her fear of the dark. Though honestly, Ken wasn’t too keen on going on that kind of ride either. Even if it wasn’t that spooky…
“Actually, I’d like to see the castle up close,” Ken cut in. “Makoto, do you want to come with me?”
The tension in Makoto’s shoulders seemed to melt away. “That sounds like fun. I’d love to.”
Futaba snickered for a moment. “Have fun with that. Haru, Inari! Onward!”
They exchanged goodbyes, before he and Makoto headed towards the castle.
“Um… thank you about that,” Makoto murmured. “I know you just made that up because I don’t really like the dark… Or horror…”
He didn’t feel the need to correct her that Haunted Manor was a more family friendly rated version of horror, not an outright haunted attraction walkthrough that is really meant to make you scream and run. That wouldn’t help with her nerves anyway…
Then she smiled at him, making heat flood his cheeks.
“N-No problem,” he managed to spit out.
Why couldn’t he say something smoother like ‘Anything for you’. He wished he knew just how Ren got to be so smooth and charming.
Makoto’s smile widened, as she looked around.
“This really is a beautiful place… Dad was always so busy with work and Sis had piles of schoolwork… so we never could go.” She shook her head. “I would’ve liked to go to even Seaside Park. I’ve never been to there, either.”
“Maybe we could go sometime.” The suggestion slipped from Ken without him thinking.
He blushed furiously when Makoto looked at him in surprise.
“I-I mean, all of us!” he blurted out.
Could he find a hole to crawl into?
“Mm…” Makoto nodded. “That would be nice.”
Was it his imagination or did she sound a little disappointed…?
Of course, it was just his imagination. Ken sighed to himself, only to snap to attention when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Ken fished out his phone to see just who it was. A message from Junpei-san? His face suddenly started to burn with embarrassment as he read the message.
[Junpei Iori]: Sooo… A little birdy tells me someone has a cruuuuush ;)
Ken pressed a hand to his forehead.
Dammit Shinjiro-san… He could easily guess what had happened. Shinjiro-san had been clearly frustrated with him during their conversation. He probably vented to Akihiko-san. Akihiko-san then blabbed to Minako-san, because he can’t hide a secret from her to save his life. And Minako-san told Junpei-san.
Just great.
Though it was especially embarrassing because Junpei-san just had to text him now…
They reached the castle, so they scaled the winding staircase.
“Oh wow…” Makoto breathed as she leaned against the railing. “The view’s… incredible.”
She was right… the view showed Tokyo’s skyline beautifully. As it was approaching night time, some of the lights were turned on. It made the city glow.
It really brought home just how big Tokyo was. It really made Port Island look tiny.
Soft laughter reached his ears. Ken looked over to see that Ren and Anne were having an impromptu dance over by another balcony.
Well… it was more that they were holding each other all while swaying. But then Ren spun Anne, before abruptly dipping her. Anne smiled up at him, her arms going around his neck. Ren then leaned in close, kissing Anne.
A soft sigh passed his lips. Ren had parroted Ken’s advice back to him but it was just… not the same. Not even close. Makoto just viewed him as a close friend…
“Poor Ryuji,” Makoto suddenly commented. “Ren and Anne probably gave him the slip for some… privacy.”
Oh… that was right. He hoped that Ryuji wasn’t too mad about that. But then again, the three of them were rather close. Ryuji should forgive them.
But then something boomed above their heads. They looked up to see that various bursts of color were lighting up the night sky.
“Oh!”
Makoto’s eyes grew wide with awe. She tilted her head up, gazing at the fireworks.
“So beautiful…” she breathed out.
Ken gazed at Makoto, his attention on her entirely.
“Yeah,” he said softly.
“Ugh, have you seriously been making out here THE WHOLE TIME?!” Ryuji’s brash voice suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts.
“R-Ryuji!” Anne squeaked out. “We were just…”
“Yeah, save it,” Ryuji huffed. “I hope you don’t have any shoots planned any time, Anne. You’ve got a bunch of hickeys everywhere—”
“Oops.” Ren didn’t sound apologetic at all.
“Honestly…” Makoto sighed to herself.
“That’s Ren and Anne for you,” Ken sighed as well.
He was starting to think that he’d better buy contraception for the two of them. Better that than Ren and Anne being unprepared with Ren having an impulsive streak in him.
“But Ryuji probably is looking for them since it’s seven. Let’s meet with everyone else.”
It was time for the press conference.
Cameras flashed as Okumura rose to his feet. Okumura thanked everyone for coming to the press conference.
“Today, I’d like to elaborate upon the whole truth behind my company’s labor situation.”
“This is it…!” Ryuji hissed out.
“Ryuji, shush!” Anne admonished.
“How my employees were forced to work under severe conditions, how lax we were with sanitation.”
He didn’t like Big Bang Burger to begin with but that reminder was just…
Then he looked up to see that Haru’s expression had become morose. A far cry with how she had been cheerful when with everyone.
“And how my corporation acted as a whole to cover up every facet of this scandal. For all of this…” Okumura’s voice suddenly cracked, bowing low at the waist. “I wholeheartedly apologize.”
A journalist quickly jumped in with a question. “So, are you saying all of this was done under your orders?”
Okumura squeezed his eyes shut. “Yes. I… I am solely responsible.”
The journalist then pressed forward with another question. “We heard that dozens of your employees were forced to resign due to mysterious illness. Furthermore, these happened to be officials who opposed your proposals for oversea expansion. The same thing happened to executives of competing companies who were looking to expand abroad. Is all of this true?”
“Yes,” Okumura answered.
The journalist continued to press Okumura, asking for confirmation that if his other inquiries were true.
Okumura grimaced, before swallowing hard. Ken frowned. He looked a little… unwell; his face was almost ashen gray. Yusuke mentioned Madarame was sick too before his confession but… something seemed off for some reason…
He looked over to Yusuke, Ren, Ryuji, Anne, and Morgana. They had the most experience when it came to witnessing confessions. Even Makoto didn’t get to see Kaneshiro’s (but she did see Madarame’s on TV, not that she understood everything fully as that was before her joining). And Futaba’s situation was very different.
But the five of his friends were just glued to their screens in anticipation… no apprehension whatsoever.
Perhaps, he must be thinking too hard about this then.
“About that…” Okumura said slowly. “I have a critical piece of information to announce here today.”
“Here it comes,” Morgana breathed. “Okumura… he’ll reveal the person behind the mental shutdowns!”
Okumura took a sudden breath to steady himself. But then his face contorted with pain, his hands clutching at his chest. He jerked backwards, panting heavily all while pained cries fell from his lips. His eyes then rolled backwards, only showing the whites of his eyes. He then stumbled forward, his face nearly hitting the table.
“What on earth…?!” Yusuke breathed.
“F-Father?!” Haru squeaked out.
Then Okumura’s head slowly raised… revealing that black had oozed from his eyes, dripping down his face all the way to his chin.
Screams from the audience echoed from their phones’ speakers, but Ken just stared in horror. His phone slipped from his fingers.
Bile welled up in his throat. He… was going to be sick…
He remembered seeing something similar… when the Shadows ate someone’s psyche.
This was a mental shutdown…
But… why?! What had they done wrong this time? They had left Okumura’s Shadow alive…
They followed the exact steps that was done with Kaneshiro from his understanding… as well as Madarame and Kamoshida. What changed? All three of them weren’t having reactions like this!
“W-What happened to Father?!” Haru blurted out. “That’s… That’s like the mental shutdown, isn’t it?!”
Tears were welling up in Haru’s eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
“I… I don’t understand…” Ren said faintly, all color draining from his face. “We just defeated the Shadow self… we didn’t kill it!”
“Morgana, what the hell was that?!” Ryuji demanded.
“I-I want to know just as much as you guys!” Morgana exclaimed. “There… this isn’t right! We followed all the steps exactly! Same as the others! This… it shouldn’t happen like this!”
His ears lowered.
“I’m sorry, Haru,” he croaked out.
“Father…” Haru choked out, her voice suddenly cracking. Her pained voice was like a stab to the heart. “Father! I-I did this to you… What have I done?!”
Anne suddenly stood up, wrapping her arm around Haru’s shoulder.
“Breathe, Haru,” she said gently, before fishing out a handkerchief and handing it over to Haru. “Breathe.”
“Anne’s right,” Makoto spoke up, putting a hand on Haru’s other shoulder. “You have to stay c—”
“I… I can’t stay here,” Haru blurted out, interrupting Makoto.
Her eyes were red… still filled with tears.
“Father collapsed… they took them to a hospital, then, right? I… I need to be there!”
“Haru, wait—" Ren began.
“I’m sorry!” Haru shook her head, before fleeing the area.
“Haru, wait!” Ryuji called after her.
But Haru didn’t listen to his plea, disappearing out of their view.
Anne’s shoulders then slumped. “This… This isn’t our fault, is it? We did it just like before!”
“This is just… so sudden…” Yusuke said. “What had happened…?”
“I don’t know… why would be there be a difference when we did everything the same as you guys did before?” Ken asked.
Ryuji’s hand clenched into a fist. “Dammit… how did this happen?!”
But a sudden sniffle grabbed all of their attentions.
“Mom…” Futaba’s voice cracked, before her eyes began to well with tears as well.
She then screwed her eyes shut, a single tear trickling down her face.
“I remember now… this is just like what happened to Mom!”
“H-Hey, it’s okay!” Ryuji’s voice was panicked, as he patted Futaba’s shoulder.
Ken felt his blood run cold at her words. The same as… her mother?
Futaba sniffled again, taking off her glasses to wipe at her eyes. Anne and Makoto quickly sat down next to her, starting to comfort her.
“Ken…” Yusuke looked over to him. “What happened to the victims of Apathy Syndrome? You mentioned how they became unresponsive…”
Ken swallowed. “Apathy Syndrome didn’t kill them… when we killed the Full Moon Shadows, it seemed to restore them.”
“So there’s a chance that Okumura will be okay?” Ren said, his voice suddenly shaky. “I… I hope my mistake didn’t kill him…”
“Stop!” Anne cried, pushing the chair back and standing up. “Ren, don’t you dare blame yourself for this! And this isn’t the same thing as what happened on Port Island… we can’t just…”
“I know but… dammit!” Ren suddenly thumped the table, making it rattle violently. “WHY?! I… We thought we were doing good… to help the helpless… What the hell happened?!”
“This is all just…” Makoto closed her eyes, “This is insane… I think we need to get our bearings. We should head home for the night.”
His friends all murmured their assent to that and they broke into groups to start heading back home.
Ken walked home in a daze. Just… Just how was Mitsuru-san going to react to all of this?
You could hear a pin drop.
Minako slowly looked to Mitsuru-senpai. Her face was pale… all blood had drained out of her face.
“That… that was like Apathy Syndrome!” Junpei blurted out. “What the hell happened?!”
Chidori was shaking slightly. “I… I could’ve gone my entire life without seeing that.”
“No… it was worse than that…” Minako mumbled.
Chidori then shuddered, so Junpei wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.
“Ken-kun and the others wouldn’t have made some kind of mistake like that…” Fuuka protested, her eyes wide. “But… what could’ve gone wrong?”
“Ken-san encountered another Persona-user… who was not a Phantom Thief,” Aigis said flatly. “Back when he first accessed the Metaverse.”
“WHAT?!” Junpei blurted out. “And you’re telling us now?!”
Did that mean… this Persona-user was the one responsible for what happened to Okumura?
“I did not intend for it to be a secret. We had been discussing the intruder with Ken and instructing him to be more careful. It… slipped our focus to inform the entire group of this,” Aigis admitted apologetically.
“But this means… that Persona-user is probably…” Fuuka said faintly.
“Working for Shido,” Mitsuru-senpai finally spoke. “Shido… is working to undermine the Phantom Thieves.”
Minako pressed both hands to her face. What had she done? The risks were so high already. They knew that. And it increased with each month… but this… this changed things.
“Which means… Ken-kun could be in more danger,” she moaned out.
And it was her stupid idea. Stupid! What was she thinking?!
“Oh man…” Aki frowned. “B-But hey, that just means Ken and the others need to investigate Shido immediate—”
“No.” Mitsuru-senpai’s voice cut through the air, the sharp tone immediately silencing Aki.
“Wait, Mitsuru-senpai, what are you—?" Minako began.
“I…” Mitsuru-senpai squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
She trembled slightly before she drew in a deep breath.
“I will not allow Amada to be endangered like this… I cannot. I’m sure that Shinjiro would agree with me… that he and Amada should return to Port Island.”
KALA-NEMI
Level: 46
Skills: Makouga, Kouga, Hamaon, Diarama, Mediarama, Recarm, One Shot Kill, Triple Down
Next Skill: Marakunda (Level 49)
Notes:
I hope the Okumura confrontation was satisfactory. I had a little trouble with that.
So, about the PQ2 spinoff… I will be writing it. It’ll be a side project, so I would write when inspiration strikes. So Ace in the
Hole will continue to have my main focus. However… expect this to be the last update until after July.Why? Because Shuann Week is closing in and I still haven’t finished all of my prompts. I have two more left. School is also wrapping up and there’s finals and projects that I have to worry about.
Updated on 10/11/25. Many thanks to my beta, angelrin89.
Chapter 31: Ch. 30: Aftermath
Summary:
The aftermath of Okumura's death sends ripples throughout all of Japan, leaving the Phantom Thieves utterly shaken.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Tuesday, October 11th, 2016
“You want me to go back to Port Island?!”
“Amada—" Mitsuru-san began, her voice becoming placating.
But Ken wouldn’t have it.
“Don’t give me that, Mitsuru-san!” Ken retorted, his hands clenching into fists. “You saw what happened to Haru’s father! How can you ask me to leave after all of that?!”
“That’s exactly why I want you to!” Mitsuru-san snapped, anger flushing her cheeks. “I can’t prove it, but I have a very bad feeling that Shido set this up so to discredit the Phantom Thieves! And who knows what he’ll do next?!”
She then took in a shuddering breath. It was… mind boggling to see her so unnerved, if Ken was being honest. Her hands seemed to tremble but then she seemed to mask it by adjusting the cuff of her sleeve.
Mitsuru-san sighed somberly. “Sending you to Tokyo was clearly a mistake. I need to rectify that at once. You and Shinjiro are returning to Port Island as soon as I can arrange it.”
The word mistake was like a stab to the heart. It wasn’t a mistake. Coming here to Tokyo… befriending everyone… it was the opposite of a mistake.
He had to change her mind… He couldn’t go back to Port Island. Not like this.
“But—" Ken began to protest, only to be cut off.
“Stop fighting me on this!” Mitsuru-san suddenly snapped out, the force in her voice making him flinch.
He had never been the direct subject of her ire. He couldn’t help but sink back into his chair. He didn’t want to fight with Mitsuru-san but this… he couldn’t just placidly accept.
“Don’t—” Her voice suddenly cracked, before she closed her eyes and bowed her head. “I can’t bury another person I care about…”
She slowly raised her head up. Her eyes had become glossy.
“Someone who died too young… I can’t…” she whispered.
Ken bit his lip. He could understand Mitsuru-san’s viewpoint but it was still very wrong.
“Mitsuru-san, please,” he pleaded, his voice cracking as well. “Don’t make me come back to Port Island. I can’t. Not like this. I helped create this mess. D-Don’t make me leave, I’m begging you.”
“Amada…” Mitsuru-san’s face crumpled for a moment, before her expression steeled. She said firmly, “No. This is for your own protection.”
“How is this any better than Takadera-san trying to forcibly disband SEES after your father’s death?” Ken argued. “You’re doing the exact same thing!”
Mitsuru-san’s hands slammed onto her desk as she glared at Ken through the screen.
“Don’t you dare compare that situation to this,” Mitsuru-san snapped. “I’m not drugging you and forcibly keeping you under house arrest! Aren’t you listening to me?! This is for your own good!”
“And are you listening to me?” Ken returned, his fingernails digging into his palms. “I’m part of the Phantom Thieves… it’s only right that I stay and help figure out what to do about this. How is it fair if I get to flee, while the ones responsible has their eyes on everyone else?!”
Mitsuru-san let out a heavy sigh.
“Fair…” Mitsuru-san repeated before wrapping an arm around herself. “If only the world operated on that.”
There was a distant look in her eye. Ken’s stomach tied itself in knots. He could hazard a guess on what Mitsuru-san was thinking of…
“Knock it off, both of you,” Shinjiro interjected, speaking for the first time since Mitsuru-san had made her call. “You’re both exhausted by everything today. You’re jumping the gun, Mitsuru. We’ll talk again when your head’s clearer.”
And without another word, he shut Ken’s laptop, effectively cutting off the video call. Ken knew that Mitsuru-san would be most likely furious at that. But he’d worry about that another time.
Ken slumped in his chair, pressing both hands against his face. As if he didn’t feel awful enough already. He could feel Shinjiro-san’s eyes on him. He sighed, dropping his hands.
“Go ahead and yell at me,” he mumbled out.
“I’m not gonna yell at you, Ken.” Shinjiro-san pulled up a chair, sitting across from him.
Ken eyed his guardian warily. “I’m hearing a ‘but’ in that.”
Shinjiro-san snorted before a wry expression crossed his face.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can see where Mitsuru is coming from. You were baited into targeting Okumura. If Shido is the one who is responsible, and you know I think he is, then we don’t know what his next move is. Regardless, the ones responsible for this breakdown mess is clearly looking to take you all down.”
He looked Ken right in the eye, his expression dead serious.
“You can’t deny that, can you?”
“No,” Ken admitted. “But—”
“Wasn’t done yet,” Shinjiro-san cut him off, holding up a hand. “And I can see your point too, Ken. You’re right. It wouldn’t be fair for you to slip out and the others have to deal with this shit.”
He sighed, rubbing his forehead this time.
“Not to mention that Okumura is probably gonna lose her old man. He had pretty crappy plans for her, but she loved him, didn’t he? She wanted to see if there was still good in him… I heard… the lucky ones that survive having breakdowns, they’re in a coma and can’t wake up. But that’s only if they are healthy and young...”
Ken looked down at his lap, feeling guilt stab at him. But Shinjiro-san’s next words made him look up.
“That may help to convince Mitsuru. Remind her that there’s a girl that’s going through what she went through.”
Ken’s heart clenched at that. Haru would be devastated if Okumura died…
If what Shinjiro-san was suggesting was true... then Shido or whoever wanted to implicate them. And it hurt just thinking about it… He knew exactly what it was like to lose a parent so suddenly. And Haru had talked about how she had yearned to repair her relationship with her father. The closest she got was her father’s Shadow attempting to apologize to her… telling her that he didn’t deserve her.
But Okumura would die, most likely tonight. Haru would never get the chance she wanted so badly.
But Ken couldn’t help but feel confused. He knew that Shinjiro-san wasn’t a fan of this plan to begin with… getting involved with the Shadow Operatives again.
“What’s with that look?” Shinjiro-san looked irritated.
“I don’t understand,” Ken said quietly. “I thought that you would be siding with Mitsuru-san… I-I thought you’d be glad to leave Tokyo and come back to Port Island…”
Shinjiro-san exhaled and rubbed the left side of his neck.
“I’m still not thrilled with all of this,” he said flatly. “But… this is important to you. And I know that you’ve connected to your friends in ways that you haven’t been able to connect to others before. I don’t wanna take that away from you. I have to respect how you feel.”
Shinjiro-san… he really was observant. He hadn’t even realized that Shinjiro-san had picked up on that.
“And stop giving me that sappy as fuck look,” Shinjiro-san said dryly, before rising to his feet.
He then passed by Ken, only to pause and touch his shoulder.
“Get some rest, Ken. It’s been a long day for you, and you need sleep.”
A long day, huh…? And he could only imagine that it’d be so much worse for Haru…
Wednesday, October 12th, 2016
Today had been nothing but crap. Constant talk about Okumura’s death… speculation about maybe the Phantom Thieves killed him…
Ren felt lousier and lousier by the second.
And nobody was able to get ahold of Haru. All of their texts were left unread. She wouldn’t answer their calls. He was worried about her… she lost her father so suddenly. There was no way she was okay.
For a moment, Ren wondered what would’ve been like to suddenly lose his dad like that. But Ren quickly shoved that thought away. This wasn’t about him. It was about Haru.
And… it was all his fault.
He was an awful leader. He was a pathetic Wild Card. He bet that none of the past Wild Cards had screwed up the way he had…
“Ren…?” Morgana said hesitantly. “You’ve been really quiet today.”
Ren looked at his friend sadly. He couldn’t muster the energy to act confident. Not today… he really felt that all of their work was absolutely meaningless.
They’ve done good, haven’t they? They had stopped Kamoshida, saving Anne from being taken advantage of any further than that scum already did… not to mention everyone he had been physically abusing. How he treated the girls on the volleyball team, especially Shiho….
Madarame was committing fraud while taking advantage of his students. And Yusuke never denied those rumors of… abuse, just side-stepping the subject. Plus, there was the fact he just let Yusuke’s mother die.
Kaneshiro was exhorting countless of people… destroying people’s lives. Trafficking drugs… not to mention who knows else what, considering what he wanted to do to Makoto and her sister…
He sighed, looking down at Morgana who looked back with expectant eyes.
“Sorry, Morgana… I just, I can’t help but feel that I’m a screwup.” He let out a bitter laugh. “Maybe Sojiro was right. Should’ve just kept my nose outta trouble…”
“Don’t you dare say that!” Morgana said sharply.
Ren grimaced but Morgana wasn’t finished with his reprimand.
“Ren, I know that Okumura died… but don’t you dare deny what we’ve done over the past few months! You’re not a screwup because of this. You’ve done so many good things, Ren…” His blue eyes swam with sadness. “Can’t you see that?”
Ren pulled off his glasses so he could rub at his face. “Sorry. I just…”
“I know, Ren,” Morgana mumbled out before closing his eyes. “Believe me, I know… you don’t think I didn’t question all along if I was of any use to you all? Holding everyone back? You all woke me up to see how foolish I was. Now it’s your turn to wake up.”
Ren rubbed the top of Morgana’s head. “Morgana… I’m sorry. You’re right. Thanks... I needed to hear that.”
Morgana just smirked and nuzzled his head into Ren’s hand some more.
“I’ll always support you, Ren.”
They then jumped a little when Ren’s phone went off. Ren reached into his pocket, eyebrow raising as he read the messages.
Group: The Phantom Thieves of Hearts
[Ken]: We really need to meet today. It’s urgent
[Anne]: Urgent? What do you mean, Ken?
[Ken]: …It’s better to say it in person…
[Yusuke]: …?
[Ryuji]: your place as usual, yeah?
[Ken]: No
[Futaba]: What do you mean no?!
[Ken]: It’s… complicated. Can we meet in LeBlanc’s attic?
[Makoto]: Ken…?
Ren frowned, before he stowed away his phone. Just what was going on? What did Ken want to tell them?
Ren’s blood ran cold as a thought suddenly struck him. What if Kirijo had forbidden Ken to keep working with them? Would Ken listen to her demand?
He clenched his teeth.
“Ren…” Morgana murmured, shifting so he could reach out and bat at Ren’s arm. “Let’s get to LeBlanc.”
Ren sighed for what felt like the millionth time today. Today just sucked and wasn’t gonna get better, he feared.
“Yeah… Let’s try and catch the train before it pulls out.”
And to think, just a few days ago, he had felt on top of the world. He had a group of great, loyal friends, a girlfriend that he absolutely adored… and he felt like he was accomplishing something! Not to mention that the public seemed to actually approve of him. Of their work.
Was that where they went wrong? They were starting to actually care more what the public thought of them?
Thankfully they were able to catch the train. Ren wished he had some earbuds or headphones so he could block out the gossip, however… Everyone kept speculating about Okumura’s death. If only there was a hole he could crawl into.
The short train ride felt agonizing, and for once not because of the huge crowd. He couldn’t help but sigh in relief soon as he got off. He darted immediately to the café soon as he exited the station.
Ren inhaled the scent of coffee as he stepped inside of LeBlanc. Anne was sitting at the booth, but she perked up when she saw it was him. She hopped off her seat and went over to him, taking his hand. She gave a light squeeze, giving him a sad smile.
He wasn’t the only one being affected by this. He really had to pull himself together. For everyone else’s sake. He was the leader, after all…
“You’re back early.”
Sojiro’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Ren looked over to see Sojiro shaking his head.
“It’s been really crazy. Everyone has been freaking out over that CEO’s death…” Sojiro sighed.
Ren couldn’t help but slightly tense up. Sojiro didn’t know but it just rubbed the salt in his wounds.
Anne looked at Ren with concern.
“U-Um, let’s not focus on such scary topics! Let’s focus on why we’re all meeting up! We’re doing a study group today!” Anne quickly lied. “Exams are starting on the seventeenth!”
“Oh?” Sojiro raised an eyebrow before looking to Ren. “You’ll probably do well. You made it to the top ten last time, if I remember correctly.”
“Yeah.” Ren forced a smile. “Just gotta throw myself into it. Wouldn’t be surprised if Futaba popped in, though. She’d be mad if there’s a group get together and she’s not included.”
Sojiro laughed. “Can’t argue with that. I’m glad that you’ve been spending time with her.”
“It’s nothing, Boss,” Anne said with a wave of her hand. “I’ll shoot her a text! We love having her! Plus, she could totally help me with math! Anyway, see you later!”
She then took Ren’s hand, tugging him towards the attic.
Her acting still wasn’t the best but it’s improved. Anne’s unease was easily explained away already by her mentioning the Okumura subject was “scary” to talk about. Sojiro would probably find her dragging Ren away from it quickly as possible to get away from it because of discomfort or something.
Ren sank onto his bed once they were alone in the attic. He silently cursed to himself. Everything seemed to just fall apart within a blink of an eye.
“Ren, please…” Anne’s plea made him look back to her.
She cupped his cheek with one hand, her eyes filling with sadness as she gazed at him.
“Don’t blame yourself for this. We did the same with Okumura as we did with Kamoshida, Madarame, and Kaneshiro. How were we supposed to know that this would happen?”
“But Haru…” Ren began.
“After all we’ve been through together with her…” Anne said gently. “Do you really think that she would blame you for this…?”
She bit her lip. Then she took a deep breath.
“And I still remember the look on her face when Okumura’s Shadow was trying to make amends with her before we grabbed his treasure. Maybe it wasn’t quite forgiveness but she could empathize with her dad. If she can do that, she won’t blame you for this, Ren…”
Morgana jumped out of Ren’s bag. “Lady Anne’s correct. Haru is such a kind-hearted girl.”
“If you’re not a Shadow, that is,” Ren muttered, half-heartedly trying to make a joke.
Ren didn’t know why Morgana looked as if he was smacked in the face, his eyes growing round. He was about to ask Morgana what was wrong but Anne interjected.
“Stop self-deprecating, Ren!” Anne smacked his shoulder. “The thing is that Haru won’t blame you… or us. I know you’re our leader, Ren, but we all had a part in this. We all messed up…”
“But I…” Ren hung his head. “I feel like such a failure. There was talk on the news about how countless people have lost their jobs… and they have no other ends. I bet that no other Wild Card screwed up like I did…”
“Stop comparing yourself!” Anne latched onto his shoulders.
Worry lurked in her blue eyes.
“Ren, please stop,” she begged. “Beating yourself up about this won’t help you. You’re only human. You shouldn’t push all these expectations onto yourself.”
Ren sighed heavily. “I just… I just feel so lost.”
“We all do, Ren…” Morgana said quietly. “But blaming yourself for this… something that was out of your control… That won’t help. And take it from me… comparing yourself never helps. I’ll support you always, I already told you that. Like you all did for me.”
Ren was glad to see whatever came over Morgana a minute ago seemed to no longer be bugging him. But now he felt guilty. Morgana did already say this to him and he didn’t really internalize it. He reached over and pet Morgana on top of his head.
Morgana had a sad look in his eyes, Ren realized they looked more like pity. He really needed to stop making his girlfriend and friend worry for him.
“We’ll figure it out the way we always do then,” Anne said gently. “Together.”
She took his other hand in both of hers. Then she looked at him right in the eye.
“Hell or high water, remember?” she said gently.
Ren’s lips twitched into a smile. “Even… if it rains or if spears fall, I remember. Thanks, both of you… for knocking some sense into me.”
Anne squeezed his hand tighter while Morgana nuzzled his face into Ren’s other hand some more.
“Well, if that didn’t work, I would’ve had Morgana bring out the claws,” Anne tried to muster a joke.
“And he’d probably listen to you too,” Ren replied.
“I’m right here…” Morgana grumbled.
Futaba interjected, “Are we interrupting something?”
Ren, Anne, and Morgana sat up and looked towards the entryway. Ryuji, Futaba, and Yusuke had arrived together.
“No,” Anne answered as Ren stood up. “We were just… talking.”
They pulled up chairs and sat at the table together.
“Has anyone been able to get ahold of Haru?” Yusuke asked. “I’m… concerned for her.”
Futaba pulled out her phone. “I hacked into her phone, just to check up on her. She’s… been in meetings all day.”
If Ken was here, he’d probably chastise Futaba for that kind of thing. But Ren would have them have that kind of argument over Ken just having to leave Tokyo…
“That makes sense,” Anne murmured, a sad, sympathetic smile on her face. “She has to make arrangements for her dad’s funeral, and there’s the whole thing with Okumura Foods…”
“She just lost her old man too…” Ryuji rubbed his face for a moment.
Despite all the bad blood between Ryuji and his scummy dad, there was nothing but sympathy on Ryuji’s face.
Ren couldn’t help but squeeze his hands together as the guilt started to gnaw at him again for the situation she was in.
Ren was… not on the best terms with his parents. But he couldn’t help but wonder how he would react if he were in Haru’s shoes. He didn’t even want to entertain that thought. It made an uncomfortable feeling settle in his stomach and he immediately pushed that thought away.
He didn’t even realize how tense he was until he felt a slight pat on his head. He couldn’t help but slightly jump. He looked over to see Futaba staring at him with sympathy but clearly feeling awkward.
“S-Sorry…” she mumbled.
Ren just smiled at her. “Don’t be. I appreciate the thought.”
He really needed to work on his poker face. Futaba was noticing how upset he was too. He should be helping his team feel more at ease, not the other way around.
“And Haru’s getting thrown in with all this crap. I hope she’ll be okay,” Ryuji’s voice cut in.
“I was thinking of visiting her tomorrow,” Yusuke said. “Would anyone like to accompany me?”
“I… I would,” Futaba said shakily.
Ren couldn’t help but give her a pat on the back and gave her a sad smile. Futaba would really understand, wouldn’t she?
“I would what?” Makoto interjected.
They all turned to see Makoto standing at the entryway.
“Ah…” Yusuke winced. “Tomorrow I was thinking of visiting Haru. I know that she’s most likely busy but… I’m concerned after the radio silence today.”
“I see.” Makoto wrapped her arms around herself for a moment, looking down to the ground. “May I come as well?”
Yusuke just smiled before he nodded. “Of course. You’re more than welcome.”
“Um…” Futaba fidgeted for a moment, watching Makoto seat herself. “Do you have any idea why Ken called this meeting? Did he tell you anything during class?”
Makoto just let out a soft sigh but worry flickered in her eyes.
“Your guess is as good as mine. He’s been withdrawn, but… after what happened last night…” she said quietly.
Ren sighed as well, looking down at the table. Didn’t that sum up all of them? Besides him, Anne took his hand from under the table and gave a light squeeze. Ren squeezed back.
“Sorry for being late.”
Ren looked up. Ken sighed heavily, rubbing at his face. He looked just as worn out as Ren felt.
“Ken, what’s the matter?” Yusuke didn’t mince his words, locking his eyes with Ken’s. “You didn’t say much but from what I can garner… it sounded serious.”
Ken bit his lip, chewing it for a moment. He rubbed his arm. Ren couldn’t help but fidget, waiting for the bombshell.
“There… There’s no easy way to say this…” he mumbled out, running his fingers through his hair. He then inhaled. “Mitsuru-san called last night after I got home. She… She says that she wants me to return to Port Island.”
Ren felt his heart sank. Of course his gut feeling was right. There was no way that the Shadow Operatives would trust them after this mess-up.
And now Ken was going to leave. Why did he have to mess up so badly?
“Are you for real?!” Ryuji burst out. “You can’t leave!”
Futaba nodded vigorously, her hands clenched into fists. “R-Ryuji’s right! She can’t seriously be asking this!”
“This is preposterous,” Yusuke protested as well. “After all of this time… she’s recalling you back to Port Island?”
“I-It’s not in her hands,” Makoto added, her voice suddenly shaky. “She’s not your guardian. Shinjiro-san is!”
Ken just looked at them all wearily. “Mitsuru-san is paying for my tuition at Shujin Academy. She gave us lodging. It’s… it’s not in my hands. Or Shinjiro-san’s.”
He then squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.
“I pleaded with her to reconsider… I don’t want to go back to Port Island… I don’t want to leave all of you…”
Anne’s eyes filled with sympathy and sadness.
“Ken…” she said softly.
“What does Shinjiro-san think about all of this, though?” Morgana asked.
Ken rubbed his face. “Well… Shinjiro-san wasn’t thrilled with the whole idea. Me coming to Tokyo to begin with. Back when Minako-san proposed the idea, he actually got a little mad at her…”
“Wait a sec…” Ryuji’s face scrunched up at that. “Why would he be pissed ‘bout that?”
“It’s… It’s complicated.” Ken sighed. “Shinjiro-san got involved with SEES to begin with because he thought Akihiko-san joining them in the first place was reckless. He rejoined SEES because of me… And the last time he fought with his Persona, it was because Mitsuru-san, Aigis-san, Akihiko-san, and Minako-san had gotten kidnapped.”
“So it’s always been a personal reason,” Makoto summarized.
“That’s… kinda…” Ren trailed off, not knowing how to phrase it.
He knew that Ken viewed Shinjiro-san highly.
“Shinjiro-san has his reasons,” Ken said, sounding a bit defensive. “Especially with how he nearly died back in 2009.”
Yusuke let out a thoughtful hum.
“But where are you going with this, Ken?” he inquired.
“Right.” Ken winced. “Shinjiro-san kinda… cut the conversation short. He told her that she was jumping the gun before shutting my laptop close.”
“Shinjiro-san really doesn’t give a crap, huh?” Ryuji commented.
Ken’s lips twitched into a crooked smile at the remark.
“No, he doesn’t.”
Then he quickly grew somber before he slowly exhaled, ruffling his bangs.
“But after all of that… we had a conversation, as well,” Ken explained. “He told me that while he understood Mitsuru-san’s fears… he can understand my side of things.”
“Oh, that is good news!” Anne perked up at that, hope glimmering in her eyes.
“Why don’t we talk to her then?” Futaba piped up. “Mitsuru-san.”
“Wha…?” Ken’s eyes widened at that. “I don’t know about that…”
“Ken, pleaseeee!” Futaba wheedled, clasping her hands in front of her. Her eyes went huge. “Maybe if we tried to talk to her… she’d understand where you’re coming from more!”
Ken let out a loud sigh.
He looked rather unsure as he dragged his fingers through his hair. “I… alright. I’ll see if I can video call her tomorrow—”
“Actually…” Yusuke began, “…not tomorrow.”
“No?” Ken frowned, tilting his head slightly.
“We were talking about seeing Haru tomorrow,” Makoto said softly. “Just to see how she’s holding up, with her not responding to our messages.”
Ken bit his lip. “I s-see. Umm… do you think I could come too?”
Oh… of course he’d want to come too. He lost a parent suddenly due to Shadow activity too… Plus he was connecting to Haru even before she joined.
Yusuke nodded firmly. “Of course.”
“Is there anyone else who wants to come?” Makoto asked.
Ren shook his head.
“No… It’s probably for the better,” he said quietly. “We don’t want to overwhelm Haru with too many visitors.”
Yusuke nodded in agreement.
“I think Ren’s right. It would be for the best… considering everything she’s been dealing with.” Yusuke said with a frown.
There was a quiet sigh from everyone. As well as a few uneasy glances. Ren could sympathize. It was a lot at once, and they weren’t sure where things would go from here.
He’d need to put up a strong front for the group. Moping if he was good enough compared to the previous Wild Cards only made the others worry.
“So… we’re all good for today, yeah?” Ryuji asked hesitantly.
“It appears so,” Yusuke said. “I’ll see all of you on Friday, then.”
Ken sucked in a breath and looked rather anxious.
“If we can even convince Mitsuru-san,” he mumbled. “She’s awfully stubborn when she wants to. She’ll probably dig in her heels…”
“Then we’ll just have to out-stubborn her.” Anne gave him a reassuring smile. “I mean, Ryuji alone could probably get the job done.”
“HEY!”
“Mwehehe, you can’t deny the truth,” Futaba snickered at Ryuji; then she turned to Ren. “I’ll be heading back, okay? I’ll say bye to Sojiro for you!”
“Futaba, wait,” Morgana called out to her. “Um… I was wondering if you could…”
“Could…?” Futaba asked.
“I-I’ll explain on the way, okay?” Morgana huffed; and then bowed his head. “Please…”
“Morgana…?” Yusuke raised a brow.
“I-It’s nothing bad, okay?” Morgana grumbled and turned back to Futaba again, his voice now pleading, “Please, Futaba…?”
Futaba had a sad smile for a split second, but quickly masked it with her trademark smirk.
“Well… kitty is saying please?” Futaba mused, before nodding her head firmly. “Okay. I’ll accept your quest!”
Yusuke just shook his head.
“Must you always inject such odd jargon when you speak?” Yusuke sighed.
“You’re one to talk, Inari!” Futaba retorted, as she scooped up Morgana.
Yusuke and Futaba continued to bicker as they descended down the stairs. Ryuji glanced over to Ren, but Ren made a shooing gesture. He tried to force a smile to reassure his best friend. Ryuji bit his lip, before calling out to Yusuke to wait up.
Makoto looked at Ken, and she opened her mouth for a moment. But then she wavered, hastily shutting her mouth close.
Ken rubbed his face. He looked so… tired.
“I’ll walk you home, Makoto,” he muttered.
Makoto looked startled at that, her cheeks going pink. But then she gave a shy smile before gesturing for Ken to come follow her.
So they left together, leaving Ren alone with his girlfriend. Ren heaved out a sigh before standing up. He walked over to his bed.
“Do you… want to talk about it?” Anne asked softly, rising to her feet.
“Ken… could leave,” Ren said numbly, sinking onto his bed.
“Ren…” Anne sat next to him, turning to face him.
She pulled him into a tight hug. He shuddered slightly in her arms as he sucked in a sharp breath. He tried to hold in his breath for a moment in hopes to calm down the anxiousness that was building inside him.
“Shh…” she crooned, running her fingers through his hair. “This isn’t your fault, okay?”
He was used to being the leader. The one with the plan. The confident one.
But now… it felt like he had nothing. And he was going to lose one of his friends.
“We’ll take it one step at a time,” Anne said softly. “Just take a moment to breathe.”
“How can you be so confident?” Ren mumbled out.
Anne just smiled at him before leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead. “Because I’m with you.”
“And you say I pull out lines without even batting an eye.”
Anne giggled. “I guess you’re rubbing off on me.”
Ren hugged her close, his arms wrapping around her waist.
“Anne… can you… stay with me tonight?” he murmured, looking into her eyes.
Anne’s smile turned gentle as she looked at him. “Of course…”
She wants me to return to Port Island.
Those eight words kept echoing in Makoto’s head.
If Ken left Tokyo… would she ever see him again? Even if they resolved everything with the shutdowns. Makoto wasn’t sure if the Shadow Operatives would ever want to come near them again. She hated that she was so unsure about it.
And if Ken left for good… without her telling him how she felt…
She didn’t know if she could bear it. But at the same time, what if Ken didn’t return her feelings and he ended up staying in Tokyo…? She didn’t want to ruin things.
She frowned to herself. Was now really the time to be thinking about something like this? Haru lost her father. The Phantom Thieves are now suspected as being responsible for it by some. Ken was clearly upset about potentially being sent away. And there was still the matter regarding her… sister.
Also… Ren clearly looked tired and stressed out when she left… and she never even asked if he was alright. Maybe she should message him later, he might not want to say anything in front of the whole group. She owed that to him as a friend.
Or… would that be seen as a bother? He does have a girlfriend. Would he even appreciate this? He might only want to talk about those things with his best friends or his girlfriend. Maybe she should ask Anne… or would that be a bother and she should leave it be?
“Ah, Makoto… we’re at your apartment complex.”
Makoto snapped to attention, and she looked at Ken. “Ah… right.”
She was overthinking again. She should get a grip. She was spacing out and stressing over too many thoughts.
Ken smiled halfheartedly, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said softly.
“Ken, wait!” Makoto blurted, grabbing one of his hands.
Ken froze; his eyes grew very wide.
“I… I…” she stammered out.
Wait, what was she doing? She couldn’t just dump this on him now. Especially with how he must be feeling. Not to mention she wasn’t in the best head space right now, overthinking so many thoughts at once.
Makoto licked her lips for a moment, before forcing herself to smile.
“We… We’ll figure something out,” she said trying sound more confident than how she felt. “We’ll convince Kirijo-san that you need to stay here.”
Ken’s lips formed a sad smile, before his fingers curled around hers. “I hope you’re right, Makoto.”
“I mean… Kirijo-san is just looking out for your safety…” Makoto bit her lip.
Her knowledge of Mitsuru Kirijo came from the media. She was supposed to be a beautiful woman. Fierce and unwilling to back down from a challenge.
“I know…” Ken sighed, before he rubbed his face with his free hand.
Makoto blinked owlishly. He hadn’t let go of her hand. Makoto wasn’t sure what that meant. But she didn’t want to let go.
“I just wish that she had listened to what I said…” he said sadly.
“We’ll make sure that she listens to us, then.” Makoto gently squeezed his hand. She then admitted in a small voice, “Ken, I… I don’t want you to leave.
“Makoto…” Ken looked at her, his brown eyes softening. “I don’t either. I never expected to befriend any of you… but now I have a hard time imagining my life without you… you all.”
He heaved out another sigh, biting his lip.
“I hope you’re right. Because without Mitsuru-san’s support, we can’t stay in Tokyo,” Ken admitted. “Shinjiro-san for sure can’t afford the tuition.”
Makoto bit her lip. She had to pray that they could convince her then. “Like Anne said… we’ll have to out-stubborn her.”
“It… could be worse,” Ken admitted. “Shinjiro-san could be agreeing with her. He… He’s not a fan of Tokyo.”
“He’s not?” Makoto tilted her head at that.
“He says it’s too frantic. Some people are too much in a rush and would ‘bulldoze people over to get where they’re going’, in his words.”
Makoto couldn’t help laugh a little at that. To say Shinjiro-san was blunt was putting it lightly.
“And he puts up with it… because he was worried about you going to Tokyo alone?” Makoto guessed.
“Pretty much,” Ken agreed, a fond smile touching his lips.
Makoto started to smile a little wider. Ken and Shinjiro-san really were close.
“But speaking of Shinjiro-san…” He looked towards the elevator. “I probably should get going.”
His hand finally slid out of Makoto’s.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Makoto,” he said quietly.
Makoto watched him leave, biting her lip as he disappeared out of her sight.
She tried to act confident, but… she was scared that Kirijo-san wouldn’t be convinced. And that would mean Ken would leave Tokyo…
Should she… tell him of her feelings? She might regret it if she did? Or… is she being selfish with all that is happening?
Makoto shook her head, pinching herself to snap her out of her thoughts. She had to think positively. If she was convinced that they’d fail, then they would have lost the battle already. No need for a self-fulfilling prophesy. And can’t go into another overthinking spiral again if she’s being selfish or childish, and if it is the right time, and all the other things going on that has everyone worried.
She then let out a soft sigh as a wave of exhaustion hit her. What a day…
Makoto knew that today was going to be rough, with what happened last night. But she had no idea just how rough it’d be. She should just get inside and heat the leftovers from last night. She fished out her keys from her schoolbag before unlocking the door.
“Do you always come home this late?”
Makoto let out a surprised squeak, her bag dropping to the floor. She couldn’t help but gape at her sister. Sae was sitting at the couch, her eyes on her laptop.
“Sis?!” she gasped. “W-What are you doing here?”
Sae stopped typing, looking up to raise an eyebrow at Makoto.
“I live here, why is that a surprise?” she asked blandly.
“Oh! No, it’s not like that!” Makoto said hastily, waving her hands for a moment.
She was scrambling. She was so distracted with Okumura’s death and then the bomb Ken just dropped. She hadn’t expected for Sae to be home when she had been so absent lately.
“It’s just…” She trailed off for a moment, wrapping an arm around herself. “You’ve been so busy lately, Sis. You just startled me, since you’re not home most nights. I gotten so used to you staying at the office…”
Sae pursed her lips.
“Yes, but it’s not like the Phantom Thieves have been giving me a break,” she said darkly.
Then she let out a deep sight before she tucked her hair behind her ear.
A small smile appeared on her face. “However, they are giving me a chance of a promotion, so I suppose I can’t complain all that much.”
Makoto blinked at her, cocking her head slightly. “A… A promotion?”
Sae nodded firmly, a now proud smile on her face. “Yes, the SIU director called me into his office earlier today. He said that I’m now being put in charge of the investigation of the Phantom Thieves.”
Makoto could hear the anticipation in her voice. And yet… Makoto could feel dread pooling in the pit of her stomach.
“If I’m successful, I’ll be promoted. So, I’ve started with speaking to Haru Okumura. You’ve become friends with her lately, haven’t you?”
“I… I see. Yes, we… became acquainted on the school trip since some of us third-years were asked to help chaperon with the teachers. We became friends ever since then… She’s very nice,” Makoto forced a smile as she stepped closer to her sister, she hated how she had to tell half-truths and lies to her sister. “Oh… Congratulations too, Sis.”
Sae was always ambitious. She wanted to prove herself. But… everything she’s noticed about Sae lately was bothersome.
Not that Makoto could voice it to Sae. She smoothed out a wrinkle on her left sleeve, and continued with a forced smile.
“You’ve always been a hard worker… you deserve it.” She then bit her lip. “But… how is Haru? I’ve reached out to her but… she hasn’t been responsive. Understandably with what happened to her father but I’m worried about her.”
Sae’s expression grew serious. Something flickered in her eyes before she dropped her gaze to the floor.
“She’s… not well,” she admitted. “Very quiet and withdrawn. She seemed to draw into herself even further when her fiancé came to see her.”
Sugimura… Makoto quickly clasped her hands behind her back so she wouldn’t clench her hands into fists. Of course. Okumura didn’t have time to break the engagement. Poor Haru. That must have been like salt rubbed into the wound.
“I see,” Makoto said slowly, forcing herself to keep a neutral expression. “I… I feel so awful for Haru.”
“It’s not easy to lose a parent at any age.” There was a certain tightness in Sae’s voice.
Makoto licked her dry lips, lowering her head.
Sae had been thirteen when their mother passed away. Makoto’s memories of that were fuzzy due to her young age. But Sae had always been so cagey about their father’s death.
“I know. I just wish I could do something for Haru…” Makoto said quietly.
Sae just let out a hum before shutting her laptop. She stroked her chin.
“This is why the Phantom Thieves must be stopped. Who knows who they’ll target next?” Sae then pressed her knuckles against her cheek. “Though Akechi-kun keeps raising the point to me that Okumura feels like a step down from the Phantom Thieves. I think his theory is off base personally. I’ll just have to keep digging into this. I will close this case… no matter what.”
No matter what.
That was just how Sae operated. She pursued her goals relentlessly.
But why was Akechi bringing that up to Sae?
“Good luck, Sis,” Makoto said, knowing that was what Sae expected. “Um… I’ll get dinner started, then? You’ll need it if you’re going to throw yourself into this case.”
Sae smiled at Makoto. “Thank you, Makoto. I can always depend on you.”
Makoto forced another smile before hastening away from her sister. Now that she was away from Sae’s eyes, she pressed her hands against the kitchen counter.
Everything was all too much.
Between Haru’s situation and Ken possibly moving back… she had thought they had a lot on their hands. And now this issue with Sae is going to get worse if something isn’t done.
She would have to come clean about Sae having a Palace to everyone… wouldn’t she?
Thursday, October 13th, 2016
Yusuke couldn’t deny the opulence of the Okumura residence. The architecture was a work of art. The modern furniture was tasteful and elegant. Paintings with superb technique.
And yet… it was so cold. He couldn’t help but compare it to LeBlanc. Warmth was infused in the very air whenever Yusuke was in LeBlanc. Even though returning to the atelier brought on… mixed feelings to Yusuke, he still had fond memories of Madarame teaching him how to draw, how to paint…
He couldn’t help but wonder if Haru had any happy memories in her home like Yusuke had with the atelier. She had said that her father was once kind and found joy in creating food, but…
He just couldn’t imagine Haru growing up in such a place. Despite her upbringing, Haru was kind and gentle, never failing to have a warm smile on her face. Yusuke could only wonder how this was the case.
They were told to sit by the maid who ushered them inside. But Yusuke couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. How was Haru holding up? Was she… upset at them?
They had succeeded every time until now. But her father ended up getting killed this time.
“Guys!”
They turned their heads to see that Morgana was in Haru’s arms.
“Morgana?” Makoto’s eyes went wide. “What are you doing here?!”
“Mona-chan showed up last night,” Haru explained, seating herself at the loveseat.
Her grip loosened on Morgana, presumably so Morgana could wander away if he so wished. But Morgana remained firmly planted in Haru’s lap.
Yusuke felt his heart sink as he took a good look at her face. Dark circles were under her eyes, highlighted by how pale her skin was. It looked almost… ashen. There was a redness to her eyes that hinted that she had been crying. Her smile was wobbly.
Yusuke gripped his knees, watching her.
Of course she wasn’t holding up well. She had just lost her father and she had expressed a wish to reconcile with him. She wanted to make amends so badly…
Morgana lowered his head.
“I was worried,” he mumbled out.
“So that’s what you were asking Futaba yesterday, then?” Yusuke inquired.
Morgana nodded. “I needed help getting directions here and cats aren’t allowed to ride the bus alone… and besides, Ren was taking everything really hard so… I felt that he should be resting. I didn’t want to bother him about this…”
“Ren-kun…” Haru said softly, her eyes filling with concern. “Is he okay?”
“What about you, Haru?” Futaba asked.
Haru winced and forced her eyes shut.
“I… I’m o—" Then she stopped short, falling silent.
Morgana grimaced before rubbing against her arm. Haru took in a shuddering breath before reaching to pet Morgana’s head.
“I’m holding up the best I can,” she said finally.
“Haru…” Yusuke said quietly. “I…”
The words were heavy on his tongue. What could he say to her? He had no memories of his mother, and he had no idea of the whereabouts of his father. Whether he was alive or dead… Yusuke couldn’t say.
The Sayuri was the closest tie he had to his mother. But he never would have known the personal tie he had to the Sayuri, if it wasn’t for them confronting Madarame’s Shadow. He knew that his mother loved him, pouring such emotion in the Sayuri, knowing that she was slowly dying. But that couldn’t replace actual memories.
“They said they did their best to sedate Father.” Haru forced a smile, a smile that was too brittle to belong on Haru’s face. “P-Please don’t blame yourselves.”
Had she been worrying about them too? Perhaps… it came to her mind, because Morgana got Futaba to take him to Haru’s home last night.
Ken just grimaced, his eyes growing distant.
“Haru… there’s something you need to know,” Makoto said slowly. “A-About your father. I-I know the official excuse is that it’s a sudden heart attack but…”
“A necessary cover story I suppose… Mitsuru-san’s father’s death was credited to a sudden illness,” Ken suddenly said. “Ikutsuki shot him. A bullet right to the chest.”
He looked down at his hands.
“It’s never the truth,” he added bitterly.
Yusuke winced. There were times he had forgotten the deck of cards life had handed Ken. Watching his mother die and then being able to do nothing as a dear companion sacrificed himself for the sake of his companions… It wasn’t easy even if Ken had found a group of people who loved him like a younger brother.
“B-But anyhow…” Makoto cleared her throat. “We repeated the process of stealing someone’s Treasure but we failed here. I’m sorry, Haru. We promised you to change your father’s heart. But we’ve utterly failed.”
She bowed her head in apology. Haru was quick to react.
“Mako-chan, please don’t blame yourself!” Haru exclaimed, holding up her hands. Then she looked to everyone else. “None of you should blame yourselves. You’ve expressed your wish to help me so many times… So… don’t take on these burdens, please. L-Losing Father was…”
Her lip trembled for a moment, but then she closed her eyes. She drew a deep breath.
“It’s unfortunate, but I know that this was not your intention.”
She was just trying to maintain a strong front, even now. Even when suffering through this loss… she was trying to uplift them.
“B-But… at least your engagement has been broken, right?” Futaba asked.
Makoto winced at that. Haru’s face just crumpled at that.
“N-No…” Her voice suddenly cracked as she opened her eyes.
Yusuke’s hands clenched into fists at the glimmer of tears in her eyes. She blinked rapidly before speaking again.
“Father had been so unwell s-since we took his Treasure… he wasn’t able to meet with the Sugimuras. I-In fact… the board is pushing for the marriage, to salvage the company. To them… Sugimura is their savior.”
“What?!” Yusuke was on his feet. “How dare they?! And how dare Sugimura take advantage of the situation?!”
“Haru…” Ken’s voice snapped Yusuke out of his rage, and he looked to see that Ken’s hands were gripping his knees tightly. “I can speak to Mitsuru-san. Maybe she can offer aid to Okumura Foods. The board shouldn’t be forcing you to marry Sugimura.”
“No. I-It’s okay…” Haru looked to him. She gave him a gentle smile. “I… I appreciate the concern and your offer, but… you have enough on your plate, Ken-kun. Have you talked to Kirijo-san about what happened?”
Ken winced. “Um, yeah… Mitsuru-san isn’t happy with the situation. She um… wants me to come back to Port Island.”
Haru gasped. “W-What?!”
Ken then shook his head. “It’ll be okay. I’ll figure something out. I don’t want to leave you guys to this mess.”
Haru bit her lip. “I’m sorry… I’ve created such a mess for you.”
“We wanted to do it,” Futaba said. “But that happened to your dad.”
“Futaba-chan?” Haru looked a little confused.
“Um, well, my mom died in a similar way. I just—” Futaba bowed her head. “Nobody should have to die like that. I’m sorry. I should’ve been more on the alert, I’m the navigator—”
“Please, stop blaming yourselves!” Haru blurted out. “You had good intentions. It’s not your fault.”
Makoto sighed. “Is there anything we can do for you, at least?”
Haru’s expression became conflicted. Then she shook her head.
“No, it’s all right. I apologize for not being… very present in the text messages. The company board is pushing for a funeral as soon as possible and we’ve set it on Sunday. I’ve been caught up with the arrangements, which is why I was silent for the past few days…”
Except… was that truly the case? Yusuke had felt incredible with the reaction to Medjed…
Had they… been swept up in their success?
“So soon…” Makoto murmured, pulling Yusuke out of his ruminations.
Makoto was only fifteen when her father had died… Yusuke assumed that her elder sister had taken care of those arrangements.
“The sooner the better I suppose…” Haru forced yet another smile. “I-I’m sorry, but please excuse me…”
“Haru, wait.” Ken’s quiet voice halted Haru in her tracks. She looked at him with wide eyes. “You don’t have to bear the burden all on your shoulders. That’s what we’re here for… as your friends.”
Haru ducked her head, possibly to hide her tears.
“I understand, Ken-kun,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
Something told him that Haru would not heed Ken’s words… At least not yet. Haru’s emotions must be in a turbulence.
“And yet, whose fault is that?” A voice whispered to Yusuke. “You should have taken a step back. You should’ve seen that it was all too perfect…”
“Yusuke…?” Makoto’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. “W-We should go.”
“My apologies,” Yusuke mumbled out, before rising to his feet.
Futaba collected Morgana in her arms, before they all set outside.
“Yusuke…” Ken said slowly. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Yusuke parroted back, before letting out a short, mirthless laugh. “You were there, were you not?”
“Yusuke…” Morgana began.
“Morgana, do not try and placate me,” Yusuke cut him off, before sweeping his arm towards the Okumura residence. “You saw the toll this is taking on Haru!”
And she was all alone right now.
“Stop it,” Futaba mumbled out.
“I will not! What… What has become of us…? What has become of me? I savored the good opinion of the people, the fame that we had earned! I… I…” Yusuke looked down on the ground. Then his head shot up, his gaze sweeping between his friends. “I’m no better than Madarame!”
“I said STOP IT, YUSUKE! SHUT UP!” Futaba suddenly shrieked out, the screech making the rest of them wince.
She clenched her hands into fists.
“You… stop talking yourself down,” she ground out. “Yeah, we got cocky and bought into our hype! But are you abusive?! Are you a cheat?”
She shook her head vigorously.
“No! You’re the opposite of that! You’re many things, which include annoying, having one track mind, and…” She trailed off, shaking her head again. “But you are not like that guy! You’re a good person, okay? You’ve been worried about Haru this whole time. Madarame was willing to squeeze every last drop out of his students, as long as he had cash to burn! I may have not been on the team then, but I heard enough what you all been through!”
Futaba then looked down at Morgana who frowned but nodded.
“Mona filled me some bits and pieces of the past targets, while you guys were in Hawaii. And what you guys did was incredible! You guys saved so many people!” Futaba exclaimed as she stomped her foot. “And me! I wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for you guys! So don’t you dare ever compare my heroes to scum like your teacher!”
Yusuke just stared at Futaba. To speak frankly, Futaba pushed his buttons so easily. But he… he had never thought that she thought of him in that way.
“Yusuke…” Makoto said softly, “Futaba’s right, you know. We made a mistake… and Haru suffered from it. And I wish desperately that we could take it back.”
“We were careless,” Ken said quietly. “We thought that this would answer our problems. But Haru’s right in a way. We can’t keep beating ourselves up for this.
“I…” Yusuke bowed his head. “You’re right. I just got so caught up after seeing Haru that I…”
He lifted his head to look at his friends.
“But this is a bitter lesson. We… no I… will never be caught up in the wave of fame again.”
He wasn’t Madarame. But this experience had taught him… that humility always had to be on the forefront of his mind.
“We mustn’t forget why the Phantom Thieves were founded in the first place,” Morgana said seriously. “Plus, there was that debate on what target to go after that only hurt how in sync we’ve been in the past. And of course… I’m partly to blame as well. I was so caught up in my hurt feelings I should’ve sensed something was amiss.”
Futaba frowned and scooped up Morgana and gave him a little hug. Yusuke and Makoto sadly smiled at him.
“Yes…” Yusuke bowed his head. “We all lost focus. It will not happen again. I swear it.”
Thou art I… and I am thou. Thine resolve hast transformed me… and hast given me a new form. I am…
“Kamu… Susano-o…” Yusuke breathed out.
“Huh?” Futaba looked at him in confusion. “What are you mumbling about, Inari?”
“My Persona… I’m not sure how I know this… but I can just feel it. Somehow my Persona has changed,” Yusuke announced. “Goemon… has given rise to Kamu Susano-o.”
“Oh, that’s incredible, Yusuke!” Makoto complimented, smiling warmly at him. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you, Makoto.”
He was not like Madarame. He was going to fight for what was right… not because it gave him fame. He’d never lose sight of what was right again.
Friday, October 14th, 2016
Makoto watched with growing trepidation as Ken and Futaba fussed with his laptop and the webcam that Futaba had brought with her. This would project the video call onto the admittedly high-end television set.
“And here we go!” Futaba crowed, flashing a victory sign. “You just gotta call her now, Ken!”
“Simple, right…?” Ken said dryly, before he smiled at Futaba. “But thanks, Futaba.”
“I can’t believe that we’re actually talking to Mitsuru Kirijo though!” Anne exclaimed.
“I mean, we’ve met the rest of the celebrities Ken knows,” Ren quipped. “Maybe it was only a matter of time.”
Ken rolled his eyes in Ren’s direction, before he started the call. He set his laptop aside, before joining them on the large couch. They watched with bated breath as the call connected.
“Hello?”
Makoto’s breath caught.
She had heard from the media that Mitsuru Kirijo was a gorgeous woman. Incredibly beautiful, the media proclaimed. She never really cared to look her up however, she wasn’t really interested in the lives of major CEOs unless they got caught up in one of Sae’s or her father’s cases. And even then, they were just a curiosity at best. School was more important after all.
But she hadn’t expected the reports to be accurate. She was downright stunning.
Her red hair was swept up into an elegant bun, while her bangs curled down to nearly her chin. Her eyes matched the shade of her hair perfectly. She wore a black jacket that was fastened with one silver button. She was elegant, with an air of authority to her.
She was… somewhat like Sae.
But then shock filled her eyes. “W-What…?”
Ken just ran his hand through his hair, smiling weakly at her. “Um, hi, Mitsuru-san.”
“Amada…” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“We’re sorry for this huge mess!” Ryuji shouted.
“Please don’t drag Ken back to Port Island!” Anne pleaded, clasping her hands in front of her.
Futaba pushed herself in front and shouted, “You can’t make him go back! You can’t!”
Kirijo-san’s only answer was to blink several times. In honesty, she looked… flabbergasted at the whole thing. But then again, she was being screamed at…
“You guys…” Ken just sighed, sounding rather embarrassed as he placed a hand on his face.
Kirijo-san just coughed into her hand, then made a sweeping glance at the group through the screen.
“I suppose Shinjiro was not exaggerating when he claimed that you were a…” She paused, seemingly pondering over something. “A… colorful group.”
But then her eyes locked onto Futaba, regret suddenly filling them.
“And you must be Isshiki’s daughter. Futaba, correct?”
The fire suddenly died in Futaba’s eyes and she tried to shrink into herself.
“Uhh, yeah, that’s me,” she squeaked out.
“I…” Kirijo-san closed her eyes for a moment. “I… beg for your forgiveness. I pursued the truth of your mother’s death but… I drew back when Shido made his threat. I didn’t know of your wellbeing… and it turned out that was a mistake.”
A sad smile pulled at Kirijo-san’s lips.
“You truly do resemble your mother.” Then she paused, frowning. She looked puzzled for some reason. “Well, save for your hair. I’m surprised that you chose such a vivid hair color to dye your hair.”
“Wait… wait… wait…” Ryuji turned shocked eyes onto Futaba, before his jaw dropped. “You dye your hair?!”
“Um, duh!” Futaba said flatly, looking unimpressed with Ryuji. “My hair’s bright orange. You seriously thought this—”
She seized a chunk of her hair, waving it at Ryuji.
“—is natural?!”
“Look I’m just used to seeing your hair like that! It feels natural to see you that way!” Ryuji defended.
Futaba crossed her arms and gave Ryuji an unimpressed look.
“Coming from the guy who bleaches his hair? Well, I’m used to seeing you that way! Guess you naturally look like a delinquent?”
“What?!”
Yusuke said flatly. “I believe we’re veering off topic.”
“That’s putting it lightly,” Ken grumbled out.
Kirijo-san let out an awkward cough and Ryuji and Futaba sat back down. Both of them rubbing their necks, looking sheepish.
Futaba adjusted her glasses for a moment. “But umm… I-It turned out for the best! I-I mean, I wouldn’t have met everyone if it wasn’t for what happened…”
Then she clasped her hands together.
“P-Please don’t make Ken go back to Port Island!” she begged all while her lips trembled. “He… He’s the one who told me that I couldn’t keep hiding from the world.”
“I…” Kirijo-san looked taken aback by that. “I knew Amada was deeply concerned about you but… I—”
“I’m sorry,” Ren suddenly interrupted.
Ren’s stance was usually relaxed. But now he was so… rigid.
“I… beg your pardon…” Kirijo-san then tilted her head. “Ah, you’re Amamiya, are you not?”
“That’s me.” Ren audibly swallowed. “I’m so, so sorry for what happened.”
“C-C’mon, Ren, you can’t keep blaming yourself—" Morgana began.
“I’m not really blaming myself, Morgana,” Ren said.
Kirijo-san flicked her eyes towards Morgana, curiosity filling them. Oh, of course… she couldn’t understand Morgana.
“Not anymore. However, I know that you trusted us enough to give us information… information we might not have uncovered for a long time. And… we blew it. Haru’s dad is dead, and if what Madarame and Kaneshiro told us what was true… then I suspect that black masked persona user is behind this. We let our guard down.”
Makoto had never heard Ren humble himself like this…
“We became overconfident,” Yusuke added sorrowfully. “Our growth in popularity was a hindrance to our focus. We just thought we would be able to continue freely, and not consider the consequences. And now… Okumura is dead.”
“Hm…” A considering light entered Kirijo-san’s eyes. “This is all well and good but… this is just convincing me that it’s better to recall Amada to Port Island. It’s become too dangerous.”
“No…” Anne whimpered out, her eyes filling with tears. “Please don’t…”
Makoto felt her heart sink as she watched Ken’s face crumple. Kirijo-san wasn’t convinced…
“This is just running away!” Ryuji snapped out. “You’re lookin’ away from the real problem here!”
Everyone else slightly gasped at Ryuji’s outburst. Makoto inhaled sharply at Ryuji’s words.
Running away…
“Will it help if you look away?” Makoto said lowly. “What would it resolve?”
Ryuji was right. They can’t look away from this. Makoto knew all too well, despite how painful it was to admit she was at fault for this very thing.
“I… beg your pardon?” Kirijo-san’s eyes widened at that. “Just… what are you alluding to?”
“Makoto…?” Ken questioned.
“Makoto, wait—” Ryuji began. “You don’t hafta—”
But she cut him off, shaking her head.
“Yes, I do.” She then inhaled. “Ken has mentioned to you that I’m the student council president of Shujin, correct?”
Kirijo-san just raised an eyebrow at that, but she slowly nodded. Makoto winced, bracing herself for admitting her fallacies once more.
“I was blind to the truth about Kamoshida. Even after he confessed to his crimes, I didn’t want to admit how the school administration had failed, I would try to justify it.” Makoto admitted this, looking away as she did. “I ignored what my instincts told me. But… digging your head in the sand accomplishes nothing.”
Makoto then hugged herself as she licked her dry lips.
“I understand that you want to just protect Ken. But this will solve nothing. You have to face things head on to make things right. And besides… what good will it do if Ken goes back to Port Island?” Makoto questioned.
Kirijo-san’s eyes widened at that. She had… struck a nerve, hadn’t she?
“Y-You just said that you felt bad because you couldn’t do more after Mom died…” Futaba said slowly, chewing on her lips as she wrung her hands. “But… Is this much different?”
“I…”
“Give it up already, Mitsuru.” Shinjiro-san’s gruff voice made Makoto jump.
Futaba yelped, slipping out of her seat and landing on the floor.
“J-Jeez!” she sputtered out. “Did you down like three stealth potions or what?!”
“Futaba!” Makoto exclaimed. “Are you okay?!”
Futaba winced, before she rubbed her bottom.
“I’ll live,” she said.
Shinjiro-san ignored her and walked forward into view for Kirijo-san. He just crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
“Hello to you too, Shinjiro,” Kirijo-san greeted, her voice suddenly dry.
Shinjiro-san then shrugged, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.
Then she looked back at them, before she heaved out a sigh.
“You’re really adamant on this, aren’t you, Amada?” she said quietly.
But before Ken could even open his mouth, Shinjiro-san beat him to the punch.
“You should’ve figured that out when Ken actually argued with you when you called.” Shinjiro-san snorted.
Kirijo-san looked irritated at that—somehow Makoto did not expect Shinjiro-san to have this kind of relationship with Kirijo-san, but in hindsight it did make sense…
“And if you thought so, then why did you insist on waiting until exams were over to discuss this? You literally cut off the conversation!”
Before Shinjiro-san could say anything, Yusuke suddenly spoke up.
“It appears that Shinjiro-san, as Ryuji would put it, does not give a shi—”
“Yusuke!” Makoto gasped, before she glared at Ryuji. “Ryuji, what are you doing, teaching Yusuke that kind of language?!”
“What?!” Ryuji demanded. “C’mon, Makoto, Yusuke ain’t a baby! Hell, I bet Futaba’s seen worse with her surfing the web so much! And she’s the youngest!”
“Hey, don’t drag me into this!” Futaba retorted.
Ken sighed and shook his head, crossing his arms.
“I don’t know why you’re surprised, Makoto,” Ken said dryly.
“Fear not Makoto, I know Ryuji and Shinjiro-san’s language is barbaric,” Yusuke said with a smile.
“What was that?!” Ryuji and Shinjiro-san said in unison before glaring daggers at Yusuke.
The argument that was about to start was halted by the sound of a soft chuckle. They turned to the monitor to see Kirijo-san covering her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle.
“I see that what Shinjiro has been telling me hasn’t been a stretch,” she said with amusement.
“And just what is that?” Ren raised a brow.
“Tch…” Shinjiro-san huffed, pointedly looking away. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“I think we’re growing on him,” Ren stage whispered to Futaba.
“And I think you need to mind your own business, Amamiya,” Shinjiro-san retorted. “’Sides, it’d be a complete pain in the ass to transfer Ken back to Gekkoukan after all of this.”
Anne giggled. “Suuure, that’s the real problem, Shinjiro-san.”
Shinjiro-san glowered at her for that.
“Um…” Futaba fidgeted for a moment, smiling awkwardly at Kirijo-san. “S-Sorry about bring up Mom earlier…”
“Mitsuru’s stubborn as a mule,” Shinjiro-san dismissed. “Besides she deals with ass-kissers all the damn time. I bet someone laying the truth out to her like that was a breath of fresh air.”
Kirijo-san just glowered at him through the screen.
“Must you always be so crude, Shinjiro?” she practically growled out.
“Am I wrong?” he shot back with a smirk. (Something told her that Shinjiro-san liked irritating Kirijo-san…)
Kirijo-san just exhaled, before shooting Shinjiro-san a look.
“You’re impossible.” Then she looked to Futaba. “And don’t worry about it, Sakura. I… I honestly deserved that.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Shinjiro-san waved her off.
Makoto found herself looking back and forth between the two of them. Kirijo-san just seemed so… poised. And yet Shinjiro-san tore that down without even blinking. Then she happened to glance over to Ken. He wasn’t even batting an eye at the arguing pair.
“Is this normal?” Makoto whispered, leaning closer to him.
“Hmm?” Ken turned to her.
Makoto motioned to Kirijo-san and Shinjiro-san subtly.
“Oh, that?” He waved a hand. “It’s nothing really. You should see Shinjiro-san when he’s with Akihiko-san…”
Makoto gave a crooked smile. Well, if it was normal then she supposed there was no reason to be concerned.
“I’m glad that this has been resolved!” Anne said gleefully, clasping her hands together. But then she faltered. “Oh, but Haru… You went and saw her yesterday, didn’t you?”
Anne then bit her lip, looking downcast. Ryuji perked up, concern in his eyes.
“Oh, yeah, how is she?” Ryuji asked.
Morgana sighed. His ears then drooped down as he looked to his paws.
“Not good,” he mumbled out. “Not good at all.”
“Haru…” Yusuke gripped his knees tightly, a somber look in his eyes. “She put on a brave face and yet…”
Ren frowned, leaning against the sofa. He placed his hands in his pockets and looked towards the ceiling for a brief moment. He then let out a sigh before looking back at the group.
“I see,” Ren said. “Maybe she needs some time but…”
“The fact that she still hasn’t been replying to our messages… speaks volumes,” Ken said worriedly.
Makoto winced. She had sent Haru text messages, saying that she would always be happy to listen to Haru, should she need it… But still, nothing. But on the other hand, when Dad died… Makoto could barely bring herself to speak to anyone. The pitying whispers and looks… she had despised it all.
“You’re speaking of Okumura’s daughter, correct?” Kirijo-san inquired.
“Yeah…” Ren ran a hand through his hair. “She’s drawing into herself. She’ll barely talk to us.”
Something flashed in Kirijo-san’s eyes. Was that… understanding? Then again, Ken did mention something about her father’s death just yesterday.
“I see…” Kirijo-san said softly, before turning to Ken. “Amada, tell me, when is Okumura’s funeral?”
Ken blinked at that. “Um… It’s… Sunday, wasn’t it?”
“I think you’re right,” Yusuke said with a nod.
Ken asked tentatively, “Would… you like me to confirm, Mitsuru-san?”
“Please do.” Then Kirijo-san smiled at all of them. “I wasn’t expecting this. But… I must say, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
The group all nodded, relieved but still unsure.
Kirijo-san then looked back at Ken. “You’ll all look out for him, won’t you?”
“Mitsuru-san!” Ken complained. “Stop treating me like a child!”
“Oh, you’re really helping your case there, Ken,” Shinjiro-san snarked, and Ken glowered at him in response.
Ken then crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a small huff. But Kirijo-san just laughed good-naturedly, smiling warmly at Ken.
“It’s purely out of worry, Amada.” Then she gave a little wave. “Again, it was nice to meet you. I hope that one day, we’ll be able to speak… in person.”
Then she cut off the connection.
And then… it sunk in. Ken wasn’t going back to Port Island. He was going to stay here in Tokyo!
This was such a relief…
“She’s nice…” Ren said after a moment of silence. “Nicer than I thought she’d be.”
“Just wait until she gets execution mad,” Shinjiro-san grumbled out. “Then you’ll be runnin’ for the hills.”
…Execution? Had Kirijo-san… killed people?
“It’s an inside joke! Don’t worry, he doesn’t mean literally,” Ken said hastily, noticing Makoto’s expression.
“Who cares ‘bout that?!” Ryuji suddenly flung an arm around Ken’s shoulders, and Makoto jumped as in his enthusiasm, Ryuji accidentally smacked Makoto. “We should count this as a small victory!”
“Ooh, let’s go out and eat somewhere together!” Anne suggested.
“Oden!” Futaba shouted gleefully.
“If we’re gonna go that route, ramen all the way!” Ryuji retorted.
Shinjiro-san groaned and his expression was that of pure disappointment.
“If you want food to celebrate, I can cook for you,” he said, doing his best to sound nonchalant.
Ryuji, Yusuke, Futaba, and Anne all looked extremely excited. Ren just smiled and laughed as he noticed Morgana’s mouth was watering.
Makoto had to admit; it was always nice eating Shinjiro-san’s cooking.
“No sense in eating that sodium loaded crap…” He then tapped Ken on the shoulder. “Oi, help me out here. Cooking for about nine people.”
“Oh, I can help you cook then,” Makoto offered. “If you’re cooking for so many, it’s only right that we try and help out.”
For some reason, Shinjiro-san swallowed hard. He looked… wary. That was strange, what was that reaction?
“Oh, relax.” Ken rolled his eyes at his guardian. “Makoto cooks for herself all the time.”
Was she… missing something? Was this some other inside joke?
“Hmm…” Shinjiro-san then snorted, before walking towards the kitchen. “Suit yourself then.”
Makoto went to follow him, but Ken gently grasped her hand to stop her.
“Makoto…” he said softly, “Thank you. It’s what you said that changed Mitsuru-san’s mind.”
Makoto felt her face warm at Ken’s smile.
“A-Anything for you,” she managed to spit out. “A-And it wasn’t just me. Ryuji got that ball rolling, I just added onto his comment. He’s so blunt you know, cuts right to the point!”
Oh… now she was rambling. She needed to quit while she was ahead.
Makoto cleared her throat. “I-I’m so glad that you’re allowed to stay.”
Light pink flushed Ken’s cheeks, before he coughed. “U-Um… we should go join Shinjiro-san or he’ll chew us out.”
Makoto managed a smile. “We can’t have that, can we?”
She… needed to tell him how she felt. Maybe not today or tomorrow but… soon. This experience taught her that she couldn’t keep waiting forever for a sign.
Sunday, October 16th, 2016
Ever since she was a girl, Haru had hated staring. At first, it had been marveling over what a pretty little child she was. But then as Okumura Foods grew… the staring morphed into Okumura’s daughter.
But this… this had to be the worst.
The speeches were insincere. And she could feel people glancing in her direction. Haru stared ahead at the tomb. She stayed silent even as Father was buried at the family grave.
The funeral dragged on and on…
She had to force poised answers, accepting the condolences from strangers. To make it worse, Sugimura was by her side, always keeping a hand on her arm. His touch just made her skin crawl, even though her blouse covered her down to her wrists.
It should have been a reprieve to return home. No… the house. A home was filled with love and good memories. This lacked both.
Haru collapsed onto her bed, grasping her pillow and hugging it to her chest. Tears filled her eyes but she blinked furiously to push them back. It didn’t matter. Father was still dead. Sugimura was still demanding to marry her… On top of that, there was someone after the Phantom Thieves.
It was all so hopeless.
She slightly jumped at the sound of a light knock on the door.
“Lady Haru?” the maid, Keiko, said gently.
Haru forced herself to sit up.
“What is it, Keiko?” she called.
“One of your school friends is here to see you…” Keiko trailed off for a moment. “Should I turn him away?”
“N-No, it’s fine.” Haru tried to swallow down the lump in her throat. “Show him to the parlor, please. I will come down in a moment.”
“Understood, Lady Haru,” Keiko said dutifully.
Haru heaved herself up, smoothing out the rumples in her clothes. She took a moment to check her appearance in the mirror to make sure that she looked composed.
She then stepped out, and made her way to the parlor. She was surprised to see it was Ken.
“Hello, Ken-kun,” she greeted, doing her best to smile at him. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh, well…” Ken reached into his phone and unlocked it, holding it out to her.
Haru just stared blankly at her friend, feeling utterly confused. Ken rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, looking sheepish as he elaborated.
“I—we… spoke to Mitsuru-san the other day,” he said gently. “She told me that she would like to speak to you, and I didn’t feel comfortable with giving her your number without your permission so she suggested this.”
Haru stared down at it. Speaking to Mitsuru Kirijo, someone she deeply admired. It should’ve been a dream. But with her feeling so jumbled up… she’d probably sound like a fool.
“I don’t know…” Haru bit her lip. “I don’t know what I would even talk to her about.”
Ken’s expression became… distant for some reason. He slowly exhaled before speaking again.
“Mitsuru-san would understand your situation better than anyone. Please, talk to her. You don’t have to do it here if you want privacy… You can go back to your room.”
“A-Alright,” she relented, before taking Ken’s phone.
He gave her an encouraging smile as she trudged back to her room. As she walked up to her door, she went into his contact list, scrolling through it.
Haru recognized several of the names in Ken’s contacts, both of their friends and his senpai. The contact list was small so they jumped out at him.
She found Mitsuru-san’s number and pressed call as she opened her door.
The call connected just as Haru sat on the edge of her bed.
“Hello?”
Haru inhaled, rubbing at her left forearm.
“H-Hello,” she stammered out. “Um… I’m Haru Okumura.”
“It’s a pleasure, Okumura-san,” Kirijo-san said, her voice surprisingly warm for a woman with an ice queen reputation. Then she was quiet for several seconds. “First of all, I wish to extend my condolences about your loss of your father.”
Haru squeezed her eyes shut.
“T-Thank you,” she croaked out. “It was all so sudden and I…”
Kirijo-san’s soft breathing just made her anxiety spike. She would just embarrass herself in front of Kirijo-san…
“I’ll admit I never knew your father but… I know that kind of pain is never easy.”
Haru just gave a tiny nod even though the older woman couldn’t see. It haunted Haru’s mind constantly. The what-ifs had plagued her constantly.
She was too young to really grieve her mother. The memories she had of Mother were faint and as she got older, they seemed to slip away like particles of sand slipping through her fingers. She had flashes really. A cloud of sweet floral perfume. The little ditty she’d hum under her breath as she lovingly cared for her flowers in front of their first house.
But with Father’s death, she felt grief too keenly. It was suffocating. The happy memories of her childhood overwhelmed her constantly, threatening to choke her. They overpowered even the harsh, unhappy memories of the recent years. Her childhood thoughts were mocking her; of the love she once had. And lost… again. And now there was no hope of that ever returning.
“I just… don’t know how to proceed from here,” Haru whispered.
She had so many questions for Father. But… they would go unanswered. The answers had died with Father.
Haru swallowed, trying not to think of Father lying in the Okumura family tomb.
“I can sympathize,” Kirijo-san said in a sympathetic voice. She was quiet for another moment before clearing her throat. “May I… recount the tale of how my father died?”
Ken had said she would understand Haru better than anyone. Just what did he mean by that? Well, there was only one way to find out…
“You… you may,” Haru said hesitantly.
“Thank you. I’m not sure what Amada has told you of my family but we have… some skeletons in our closet. My grandfather had been completely consumed in his goal in creating a time manipulation device. But the experiments conducted under him were simply heinous. Many people suffered and died because of him. I… still feel the shadow of his influence today.”
Haru’s eyes widened. The Kirijos really had dark secrets like that? She hadn’t realized that at all… Ken had never said anything about that to her. She doubted he was hiding it from her. Maybe he hadn’t felt it was urgent to tell Haru with everything going on.
Then again… she had only recently joined the group. He probably hadn’t had the time yet. Or hadn’t known her well enough to divulge such things.
But then Kirijo-san spoke again.
“However… my father was deeply ashamed by all his father’s actions. He wished to atone for all of our family’s sins. The reason why I became a Persona-user was fueled by my desire to aid my father. But the night after we slain the twelfth Full Moon Shadow, we were betrayed by our advisor, Ikutsuki. And when my father confronted him… the confrontation ended with both of them losing their lives. I remember hopelessly trying to staunch the blood flow from Father’s injury, but… I failed.”
Haru pressed a hand to her mouth. That was just… horrible.
“I was completely consumed in my grief. I couldn’t help but think that if only I could have acted faster… if I hadn’t trusted Ikutsuki so blindly… then I’d still have my father.” Then there was a sound that sounded oddly like a sniffle. “I felt so lost. I was just… numb. I felt that I had lost all drive to do anything.”
“What… What snapped you out of it?” Haru asked.
“Well... I was reminded of what I had to do by a dear friend… No, my best friend,” she quickly corrected. “Lean on your friends, Okumura-san. They’ll be more than happy to let you lean on them.”
Her friends…
Haru closed her eyes.
It was so easy to forget. Even though she had told herself this after witnessing the last parts of Father’s Palace.
She had been so shocked when Morgana showed up just a few days ago. His whispered: You don’t have to talk now. But I wanted to be there for you. And so, he had, curling up with Haru in her bed that night. His soft purrs had lulled Haru to sleep…
She reached for her own phone, opening it to various messages from her friends.
Hey, Haru, I’m here if you want to talk! Text me, okay? – Anne
Haru… I’m so sorry about your dad… But I’ve been told that I’m a pretty good listener. Hit me up if you need it – Ren
Chin up, Haru! Don’t let ‘em get to ya! If you need some ass kicking to be done, I’m your guy – Ryuji
If you ever want to talk… I don’t know if my words can help. But I know what it’s like to lose someone you love… I would always lend you an ear… and a shoulder to lean on. If you want that is. Take your time, and take care of yourself. — Makoto
Futaba… Makoto… and Ken… they had visited her the other day too. They understood what it was like to lose a parent so suddenly.
And Yusuke… he was always so kind to her. Her eyes drifted over to where his sketch of Noir was pinned to the wall. He helped inspire her when she was so unsure of facing Father…
“He wasn’t the best father, Kirijo-san,” Haru choked out. “He’s been slowly neglecting me as a daughter over the past few years… But I—I miss the father who cared and loved for me so dearly as a child!”
She then began to sob, tears dripping down her cheeks. It was like a dam breaking. She hadn’t shed any tears during the funeral. But she couldn’t stop now.
“Why…? Why did the chance to make amends have to be snatched away?!”
“Okumura… I know that you have your regrets. But you have your friends. And… I don’t mind if you need someone to talk to about this kind of ordeal.”
Haru gulped, trying to calm down. “You’re so kind, Kirijo-san.”
“Life has taught me many lessons. Harsh, bitter ones… but the one I’ll never regret learning is learning how to lean on people.”
Haru couldn’t help but nod. She was right. She hated burdening her friends. There was a voice in the back of her mind that suggested that she was just being a problem. But that voice was wrong.
“You’re right,” Haru said softly. “I have wonderful friends… I’m not alone…”
She then wiped at her eyes and then her damp cheeks.
“Thank you, Kirijo-san. I needed that reminder. And thank you for reaching out to me. I needed this. All of this…” Haru said sincerely.
“It’s nothing, Okumura.” Haru could hear the smile in her voice. “No one can stand on their own. You need to lean on others… I learned that several years ago, and I’m all the better for it.”
She looked down at her phone, looking over the messages again.
She still wasn’t done grieving for her father. But she knew that she could always count on her friends to be there for her. She didn’t have to suffer through this alone.
Notes:
I think I misled some of you. I meant that I would be putting the fic on hold until I'm done with Shuann Week! (Though, I'll admit I thought I'd be updating after Shuann Week, not the last day of…)
But anyways! You didn't think I'd actually let Ken go back to Port Island, did you? This works out especially nicely, since the PTs were due a conversation with Mitsuru. Ultimax alludes to the drama CDs New Moon & Full Moon, so I thought I'd continue it here. I thought it'd tie in nicely.
I also strongly believe that P5 really glossed over Haru's grief. She literally bounces back in what... two days? And Haru seems rather okay. So, I tweaked it a bit. And yes, Yusuke is the second to gain his ultimate Persona!
Next chapter should be a good one! It's the school festival chapter and hopefully will be posted for the anniversary of the fic! It's really been nearly a year since I've posted Ace in the Hole. Again, I want to thank you for all the support!
Edited on 11/4/25. A big thank you to my amazing beta angelrin89.
Chapter 32: Ch. 31: The School Festival
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves start to plan out their next move. Due to people voting Akechi to be the school festival's guest by a vast majority, they decide to take advantage of that. But the least they can do is have fun at the festival, right?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Friday, October 21st, 2016
Exams had come and gone, leaving the school preparing for the school festival. But despite that, the Phantom Thieves were still a hot topic amongst the students of Shujin Academy.
Ken tried not to grit his teeth at the whispers.
“The Phantom Thieves are really crazy… you think they’ll strike at someone else at the school again?”
“Oh, yeah… Kamoshida and Kobayakawa… But who else would they’d go for?”
He exchanged an uneasy look with Makoto. Just like that… public opinion of them had completely flipped.
“Come on,” she murmured at him, before reaching for her schoolbag. “We need to get going.”
Futaba had called for a meeting today. She actually wanted to meet up sooner, but with exams… They asked her to wait just a little longer.
“Niijima-san, wait!” One of their classmates stepped forward. “You’re on cleanup duty today.”
“Oh…” Makoto said.
Ken couldn’t help but bite the inside of his cheek. They were all under a lot of pressure. Ken would offer to do it in her place to help ease some burdens… but that wouldn’t exactly help as Futaba called for all of them into a meeting.
Makoto pressed her hand against her forehead with a soft sigh. “Forgive me, I’ve had a lot on my mind. It completely slipped my mind.”
“Well, you do have a lot going on with the school festival coming up,” their classmate remarked before tilting her head. “Hey, when are we going to find out about the special guest speaker?”
“Ah right…” Makoto blinked at that. “In a couple days. We’ll be counting up your votes soon.”
“Oh, awesome!” Their classmate smiled brightly before clapping her hands together once. “I hope Akechi-kun wins!”
Ken did his very best to keep himself from making a grimace. Akechi-san’s fans were… bothersome.
“You will have to see, Miyasaki-san,” Makoto said, doing her best to keep a neutral face as well.
Ken couldn’t help but cover his mouth and smirk. He could tell how tense Makoto’s posture was that she was really annoyed.
Makoto then turned to Ken. “But Ken, why don’t you go on ahead? I’ll catch up.”
Ken shook his head after lowering his hand from his mouth. “No, it’s fine. I can help out, if it’ll speed things up. Anything to make your load easier. I know you’ve had a lot to worry about.”
Makoto looked taken aback by this, before she coughed and shuffled her feet.
“T-Thank you.” Makoto cleared her throat and straightened her posture.
Their classmates slowly trickled out, as they along with the other assigned students went through the necessary chores. The soft chatting suddenly screeched to a halt at the sound of the door sliding open.
Ken turned around from clapping the board erasers (he honestly couldn’t believe that Shujin still used chalk). He then noticed someone enter from the corner of his eye. He turned to see it was Haru who had entered the classroom.
“O-Okumura-san!” One of the students stammered out. “Um… hey, how are you feeling?”
“Yoichi!” His friend smacked his shoulder. “Are you seriously asking that?!”
“But—!”
“It’s alright,” Haru said with a gentle smile.
The students all looked uneasy and uncomfortable and he honestly couldn’t blame them.
Haru bobbed back and forth on her feet for a brief moment. “I was hoping that Mako-chan and Ken-kun were still here but they’re busy with this so…”
“T-There’s so many people here!” Yoichi-san blurted out, all but running towards Ken and snatching the erasers out of his hands.
Before Ken could fully process at what he was doing, he then started to lightly shove Ken away. Ken could only blink at his reaction. One of the other girls did the same with Makoto.
Yoichi-san said hastily, “Niijima, Amada, why don’t you get going? You don’t want Okumura-san to wait!”
“Oh, it’s okay…" Haru looked guilty.
Makoto just bowed to the other students and muttered a thank you. Ken did the same as well. Haru looked unsure but Makoto gave her a reassuring smile so they turned around and left together.
“Ah… I suppose we should count our blessings?” Makoto shook her head. “We were let off lightly. Now we won’t have to explain to Futaba why we had to be late.”
Ken just sighed. “I suppose you have a point there...”
Haru just smiled sheepishly, clasping her hands behind her back.
“Um… that wasn’t the intended reaction,” she said softly.
Ken shook his head and gave Haru a sympathetic smile.
“Well, we do have things to do…” he said dryly. “Don’t worry about it. If anything, your timing was impeccable.”
He then went to the corner where they stashed their bags, picking up both his and Makoto’s bags.
“How are you feeling, Haru?” Makoto asked gently, as they stepped out of the classroom.
She then turned and snagged her schoolbag from Ken. Haru just smiled faintly at Makoto’s question.
“I’m doing… better,” she admitted.
Haru stopped in her tracks. Ken and Makoto turned to her. Ken did his best not to eye her with too much pity. She wanted to not worry everyone. Ken knew better than anyone how looks of pity make your efforts in that endeavor feel just too feeble.
“Not good but…” Haru placed a hand on her heart, closing her eyes. Then she shook her head, opening her eyes. “It’s still… upsetting, knowing how Father died… However, I know that I have so many people who care for me.”
Haru’s gentle smile appeared on her face. Ken could only give her a smile back. It was a relief to know that Haru was doing a little better. “Thank you for all your concern. I’m sorry that I didn’t reach out to you earlier…”
“It’s understandable,” Ken hesitantly reached out and patted her shoulder. “You just lost your father… you should be allowed to grieve.”
“Ken’s right. But… you know you can always look to us for support, right?” Makoto asked gently.
Haru smiled before she nodded enthusiastically. “Mm-hm! Someone… reminded me of that recently.”
Ken couldn’t help but smile to himself. He was relieved that Mitsuru-san was able to speak to Haru. She would understand Haru better than anybody else.
“I’m glad,” Makoto replied, smiling warmly at Haru. “I don’t mean to fret, but we’ve all been so worried. But I hope you know it’s because we care.”
Haru nodded and gave a sad smile.
“I am grateful for you all. And… I should really apologize to everyone at the meeting,” Haru then lifted her head. “I… have a lot to tell everyone at the meeting.”
“What exactly is that?” Ken couldn’t help but ask.
Haru just shook her head. “Let’s meet with everyone. I rather only say this once.”
“The police found a calling card in Kobayakawa’s office?!” Ryuji exclaimed.
Haru nodded firmly. “That’s what I heard Mako-chan’s older sister say. The day she visited to investigate…”
She then swallowed before fiddling with her sweater cuff.
“She came to ask questions about Father’s death,” she finished in a whisper.
The start of the meeting had been lively, even by their standards. Haru had been all but mobbed by everyone else, asking her how she was feeling and etc. Haru seemed to take the questions in stride, smiling at them warmly before giving them reassurances. But then… Haru’s mood darkened, before she repeated her statement that she had something to tell everyone.
“Did you know anything about this, Makoto?” Morgana asked, a frown in his voice.
Makoto just winced. “Ah… well…”
“Well?!” Futaba repeated. “You knew?!”
Makoto winced but took a deep breath and straightened her posture.
“I knew that my sister has been put in charge of the investigation of… us,” Makoto admitted. “Sis told me shortly after… what happened that she was being promoted to spearheading the investigation.”
Ryuji spoke up, “I mean, shit’s been pretty crazy lately, yeah? I dunno how I’d react to a third bombshell.”
“I can’t deny that,” Ken nodded. “That being said… this basically spells out we were baited in targeting Okumura. Add that to the reveal to that there was a calling card planted in Kobayakawa’s office.”
Futaba pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “That reminds me of why I wanted to say before.”
“Go on, Futaba.” Ren nodded towards her.
Futaba winced, fiddling for a moment. Then her expression hardened as she steeled herself.
Futaba straightened her glasses. “I did some digging on the Phan-Site. Even talked to Nishima a bit—”
“Uhh, you mean Mishima, right?” Ryuji interjected.
“Close enough!” Futaba waved an impatient hand at Ryuji. “Anyways! We did some digging on the Phan-Site. The poll was… rigged. If Ken’s Shadow Ops friends are right about Shido being the ringleader… then he must’ve wanted Okumura to be targeted for more than one reason.”
“Okumura inspired to be a politician, did he not?” Yusuke asked. “That’s… probably a contribution.”
“So, Father might have died anyways…” Haru said faintly.
Anne immediately slipped an arm around Haru, giving her a light squeeze. “Hey… I can’t even imagine how sad you’re feeling right now but… his Shadow did seem to want to make amends with you. I think deep down, he still loved you, he just… needed you to help him see the light.”
Haru did her best to not start crying again. Anne was sweet and a good friend. She was really trying. But the words did nothing to bring her comfort. Haru blinked her eyes rapidly and sucked in a deep breath to help compose herself. She felt calmer after exhaling.
Haru smiled weakly at Anne. “Y-You’re right.”
Ken bit his lips as he crossed his arms, an unsettling pit started to form in his stomach.
“That’s not all, though…” Futaba continued. “Medjed’s threat… it was set up by a complete phony.”
Ryuji’s eyes widened at that. “You’re shittin’ me! Even Medjed?!”
“So…” Ken unfolded his arms. “That was this group’s ploy to begin with. Build our fame, only to completely discredit us.”
“But man… what kind of web have we been caught into?” Ren asked, his lips suddenly pursed together.
An uneasy look spread amongst his friends. But Ken could understand… He still remembered the horrified look on Minato-san’s face after Ryoji-san unveiled the complete truth. They had looked to Minato-san for inspiration, but in that moment, the rug had been yanked out underneath him.
“Let’s not focus on that,” Ren interjected. “What we need to do is figure out how exactly we’ll be tackling this.”
“You’re right,” Ken agreed, then turned to Makoto. “So basically, your sister is after us… the police think we’re behind Kobayakawa’s death, and… lastly, there are a lot of people up top that must have rigged things so that we would want to go after Okumura.”
“If its powerful people involved, I’m starting to think at the very least… Shido at the has to be involved in some way. I know there is no evidence, which is part of the problem you and the Shadow Ops ran into, Ken.” Futaba said.
Ken nodded, the sinking feeling in his stomach grew.
“Shido stands to benefit a lot if he’s involved. He’s been very anti-Phantom Thief the second a reporter asked him what he thinks about us,” Morgana pointed out.
“And he is running for Prime Minister… he’s already a powerful politician… but if he wins…” Makoto bit the nail of her thumb.
“Ken… if at all possible, if there is any intel that Mitsuru-san feels implicates Shido, even if it’s circumstantial… have her send it to you. We can have Futaba look into it,” Ren instructed before he looked over to Futaba. “Don’t directly look into Shido yet, if they’re keeping an eye on us, we need to be extra careful. But watch the news, see who Shido is surrounded with, look into those people.”
Ken nodded next to Futaba but kept silent.
He couldn’t help but be impressed with how cautious Ren was being. But Ren had a point. If Shido was either the ringleader, or just another branch connected to a bigger tree like Okumura was… they’d need to be careful. Their failure with Okumura made that very clear.
“Well… we’d be closely watched if we ignore the police,” Haru said hesitantly. “Wouldn’t it be better if we try and get the police off our trails first?”
“Hmm…” Yusuke rubbed his chin for a moment. “I see your point Ren, but we should minimize contact with Mitsuru-san.”
Ken looked over to Yusuke in confusion.
“I mean if it comes to sending intel… not the other things you have to discuss with her, I assure you. I know you all have never been hacked into. But if they had to send you Ken as backup because Mitsuru-san can’t be seen in Tokyo, having her send you any information on Shido could carry a risk,” Yusuke pointed out. “Even if your lines are well protected.”
“What do you mean?” Anne asked.
“Yeah, what are we supposed to do?” Ryuji asked.
“Going after Shido or anyone who surrounds him is too bold, that is what you’re going to say, isn’t it Yusuke?” Makoto asked seriously.
Yusuke just nodded as he leaned back against the wall. Makoto cleared her throat and looked over to Ren.
“I agree with Yusuke. We don’t know how deep this conspiracy goes, and who is all involved. Our enemies have proven to be crafty by springing us into this trap.” Makoto crossed her arms and leaned against the table. “As it stands… they’re going to probably want to spring another one on us.”
“Then I suggest… we go with what Haru proposed,” Morgana spoke up.
“What I proposed, Mona-chan?” Haru tilted her head.
Morgana just nodded then hopped onto the bed to address the group.
“They dug their claws in way too many places. We need to eliminate a more immediate threat, the arm of the law… We can’t plan any counter attack with the police sniffing after our trail. And if Makoto’s sister has been placed in charge of the investigation… well two birds, one stone. We can get the police off our trail and get some new intel to help us out in how to better prepare for our next move against our hidden enemy. We’ve already got intel through Makoto’s sister before.”
Ken glanced towards Makoto. She looked… uneasy, with her lips pursed.
“Makoto?” he asked, reaching out to lightly touch her hand.
His touch jolted her, and she flinched. Ken quickly retracted his hand. He should have known that this would bother her. She had a nightmare about her sister finding out the truth after all…
“It’s… just…” Makoto trailed off. “Sis has been different lately. I was lucky to see her two… three times a week before. But I’ve only seen her once since she’s told me about her promotion.”
“She wanted to punish Sojiro just because he wouldn’t tell her what she wanted,” Futaba said with narrowed eyes. She then lifted her chin. “She’s a jerk.”
Ken’s immediate reaction was to want to chide Futaba for it. But Niijima-san’s threat towards Sakura-san was beyond the pale, given everything Sakura-san had done for Futaba. Not to mention that Futaba loved her adoptive father.
But still… it felt a bit cruel. Like slapping Makoto in the face almost. Even if that’s not what Futaba is trying to do, and her anger is understandable.
“I can’t judge as I’ve never met her…” Anne trailed off for a moment. “But that is pretty concerning.”
Makoto looked as if she wanted to shrivel up, then and there. Ken was hesitant if he should try again to reach forward to comfort her.
“And prosecutors… they’ll often do whatever it takes to get a win,” Ren said stiffly. “Wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same for Makoto’s sister… no offense, Makoto.”
Makoto was silent, but with the way she wrapped her arms around herself… It was like she was curling into herself. But then again, they were pretty against Niijima-san. He himself felt uncomfortable when someone made a less than… complimentary comment about the Shadow Operatives. Not to mention how Makoto looked up to her sister.
He… didn’t like seeing her so uncomfortable.
“That’s enough theorizing,” Ken spoke up. “Okay, so, Niijima-san isn’t an… option. Do you know of anyone in particular that is working in Tokyo PD then?”
Ryuji then scowled. “Well, there is… Akechi.”
“Akechi-kun…” Makoto repeated. “There is the guest speaker for the school festival.”
“Oh, the school festival!” Anne perked up, her eyes sparkling at that. “I completely forgot with how things went all crazy!”
“You haven’t had your school festival yet?” Yusuke frowned. “Kosei had it back in September.”
“And you didn’t invite us?!” Ryuji exclaimed.
Ren shook his head. “I was hoping that we’d get to see that peacock of yours too.”
“My apologies.” Yusuke bowed his head. “There’s always next year.”
Ken just raised a brow at Ren and Ryuji. Now was not the time for that.
“But the guest speaker…” Haru said. “You think that Akechi-kun may win that…? The past two years Mako-chan and I have attended Shujin, the guest speaker declined the request.”
“His popularity has been spiking lately,” Morgana mused. “Remember, Ren? He was giving an interview just last night.”
Ren nodded. “Yeah… but he did a complete a hundred and eighty…”
“What do you mean?” Haru asked. “Forgive me but I’ve been avoiding the news…”
“Yeah, don’t blue ball us!” Ryuji agreed.
“It’s… It’s not as big as you think,” Ren said. “Akechi had another interview and he said… that the Phantom Thieves did not kill Okumura.”
“Are you for real?!” Futaba blurted out. “He’s been against this group since day one? I remember seeing him on the news saying he suspected you all could be connected to the mental shutdown incidents!”
Makoto bit the fingernail of her thumb again, in thought. She then swept her gaze over everyone in the room.
“You know, we haven’t counted the poll votes,” she said. “I’ll be counting the votes tomorrow… and I will let you know.”
“Wait, all of them?!” Anne said, eyes wide. “There’s like… five hundred people voting, though! That’s way too much for just one person!”
Makoto raised her hands. “Oh, no, I can’t ask to—!”
“Too late,” Anne announced, raising her chin. “I’m helping.”
“Yes, it’s only fair,” Haru chimed in. “Let us help you with this, Mako-chan. This is pertaining with our work. Not to mention it’ll happen much quicker!”
At Anne and Haru’s determined expressions, Makoto just hung her head.
“Oh, alright. If you insist,” she relented.
Ren just looked in the direction of Anne, giving a small chuckle.
He then titled his head, his grin widening. “Nothing can stop you, huh?”
“Oh, shut up,” Anne huffed out, sticking her tongue out at Ren.
But despite Ren’s apparent lighthearted attitude, Ken was… concerned. He knew that a leader’s burden was heavy. He had seen it with both Minato-san and Minako-san, how Mitsuru-san felt that she had to shoulder her burdens on her own…
“I know that we’ve made… mistakes. A lot of them.” Ren ran a hand through his hair. “But we’ll fix this. We just gotta take it one step at a time.”
“Hell yeah!” Ryuji pumped a fist, flashing Ren a grin. “That’s our RenRen!”
Unless he was misreading things. He could be overly fretting over this. Ryuji and Anne seemed at ease, they knew probably better than anyone. But still… Ken couldn’t help but be concerned.
The meeting slowly drew to a close. After a quick whispered exchange with Ren, Morgana darted off to go with Haru for the evening. Ryuji and Yusuke left with Futaba, presumably to walk her back to the Sakura residence before departing to their respective homes.
His eyes lingered on Makoto for a moment, but he pushed that out of his mind. He could talk to Makoto about her sister another time. He was still worried about Ren, too.
Ken watched Makoto turn on her heels to leave with Anne, before he looked towards Ren.
Ren just shook his head. “You don’t have to check up on me like this, you know.”
Ken frowned and started to open his mouth. And then Ren held up his hand, not letting Ken speak.
“I’m not going to lie…” He heaved out a sigh. “I still feel a bit… lost about the whole situation. The police coming after us, this whole thing being a setup… I feel like all of this is a nightmare and I’m waiting to wake up already…”
Ken knew better than anyone how he’s felt that feeling more than once in his life. His frown deepened as he heard this.
“But it’s not,” Ren said, a somber expression on his face.
He was very similar to Minako-san in that manner. Joking around, acting lighthearted to reassure everyone else. Minako-san had once remarked that Yu-san reminded her of Minato-san. They had the same calm levelheadedness to them. But Ren? He had the same fire, as Minako-san. Minako-san had kept them together with her cheerful attitude, but Ren’s joking around and flat-out charisma had a similar effect.
“We’ll get through this, Ren,” Ken said, trying to smile so to reassure his friend.
“Thanks, Ken.” Ren smiled halfheartedly. “I’d probably be more down about it if Morgana and Anne hadn’t yanked me out of my thoughts the other day…”
He heaved out a sigh, pulling off his glasses to rub his face.
“Damn, what a mess we’ve gotten into, huh…?” Ren sucked in a heavy breath.
“At least this mistake isn’t causing the end of the world,” Ken said.
Ren looked up with a raised brow. But his eyes widened slightly.
Ken just rubbed the back of his neck. “And just so you know, you’re a great leader, Ren. You’ve heard of the other Wild Cards’ accomplishments, but they’ve had their own sorrows and regrets too, Ren. They’ve made all kinds of mistakes too, they’re only human.”
Ren looked away and became extremely stiff. Ken couldn’t help but bite the inside of his cheek. Was that the wrong thing to say? It was hard to know. But Ren preferred if you spoke from the heart. Besides… Ken felt it was the honest truth.
“But… it’s not my place to talk about it in more depth,” Ken continued. “I just… wanted to let you know that.”
Ren turned to face him. He has a crooked smile, even if his eyes still looked so sad. It would be a lot to ask Ren to be alright suddenly and not second guess himself, be stressed, or feel guilt. But still… he was trying. And Ken was grateful to see him try to weather it all regardless. Ren was stronger than many realized.
“Thanks, Ken…” Ren said sincerely.
Saturday, October 22nd, 2016
Makoto should have seen this coming.
Goro Akechi had won the poll. He had won by a landslide.
Needless to say, Ryuji was very unhappy. While Ryuji sat at the corner of the table and complained, everyone else glanced at each other with mixed feelings.
“The timing is a bit… tight.” Makoto tapped a finger on her chin. “But… I’ll make it work. Tomorrow is Sunday, so I could come by the precinct and ‘bump’ into Akechi there. He and my sister are partners, after all…”
To the point where Sae had called her more than once in order to explain that she was doing something with Akechi… going over a case, Akechi pestering her for dinner.
Sometimes it felt that Sae cared more about Akechi than her…
As much as Akechi ruffled her feathers… it was a good chance for her to find out about what exactly the police were planning. So she hoped that he would say yes…
Everyone helped her clean up all the ballots, stowing them back into the box. They were wrapping up when Anne spoke up.
“Hey, Ren, I know that it’s kinda sudden but do you think that we could… go out on a date tomorrow?” Anne asked.
Ren frowned, shaking his head. “Sorry, Anne. Mishima wanted to tell me something—something super important—but with the ballot count, I had to tell him tomorrow. I don’t think he’d be happy if I shrugged him off another time.”
“Oh…” Anne’s face fell at that.
“But my evening tomorrow is free. Care for dinner and a movie, my lady?” Ren asked.
Anne’s face lit up at that, before she nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”
Makoto smiled slightly at their exchange. It was nice to see that they were trying to take as much happiness when they could.
“I guess we’re just sitting on our hands ‘till the festival, then?” Ryuji asked, before he grumbled. “I hope it’s not too lame.”
Anne giggled weakly. “Well… our stall is going to be a maid café. There’s that, at least!”
“H-Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!”
“Glad that we don’t have to deal with setting up stalls,” Ken said dryly. “Have you checked with Yusuke, though? How is he going to come if Kosei is still in session?”
“Futaba said something about hacking the school systems to excuse him,” Ren said.
Ken’s only response was to press his hand against his face. “Of course she did.”
“It’s… effective, at least?” Haru offered.
“It’s many things, but I wouldn’t use effective to describe it,” Ken grumbled out. “What ever happened to the normal ‘faking that you don’t feel well to get out early’?”
“Never thought I’d hear you of all people suggest that,” Ren teased.
Ken just rolled his eyes while Anne giggled at their exchange.
“But we’re done here, yeah?” Ryuji asked. “Guess I’ll see ya on Monday, then!”
While she was almost completely sure that Akechi would say yes, given his penchant for the spotlight… she couldn’t help but think that it was almost guaranteed that they had to do something to neutralize the police. They had to stop the investigation, or at least cause for delays.
And given that Sae was now in charge of the investigation, they would have to steal her heart.
But Makoto was afraid… no, she was terrified. What if the black masked Persona user swooped in and killed Sae’s Shadow too…? Losing her sister… just the idea of it made Makoto want to cry.
Despite the gulf that was slowly growing larger and larger between them, Makoto still loved Sae. She didn’t want to lose her…
But what choice did she have? She really should have spoken up about Sae before… after she had found out that Sae had attempted to blackmail Sojiro into telling her what he knew or else he would lose Futaba. Maybe she could have saved everyone some grief…
“Makoto?” Ken’s voice suddenly snapped her out of her musing.
She realized that Ken had his hand on her shoulder.
“It’s late… you should go home too,” he said with slight concern.
Makoto slowly blinked at him. “Oh, you’re right…”
She stood up, pushing in her chair. She retrieved her schoolbag.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I just… was thinking.”
“No, it’s okay,” Ken reassured her as they left the student council room together. “With everything that’s been going on, there must be a lot on your mind.”
“Yes…” Makoto said faintly.
They walked side by side; Makoto could see even from the corner of her eye that Ken was worried. He kept looking at her with concern. Makoto heaved out a sigh.
“I just… I don’t know anymore, Ken.” She adjusted the strap of her bag. “It’s not just the police investigation. Why did Sis have to be put in charge of the investigation…?”
It was childish, but she couldn’t help but wish that. It wouldn’t solve everything but…
“Makoto… you’re just talking yourself in circles,” Ken said, suddenly grasping her hand for a moment. “Take a deep breath, okay? We’ve talked about taking things one step at a time.”
She bit her bottom lip and nodded her head. She took a couple deep breaths through her nose, trying to calm down.
He then hesitated for a moment, before his eyes met hers. “You’re putting unnecessary stress on yourself…”
Makoto sighed, her shoulders slumping. She licked her dry lips before speaking again.
“You’re right… I just…” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, looking back to Ken. “I don’t want to go against Sis. I don’t want her to be like Madarame or Okumura…”
Ken stared at her for a moment. “Makoto…? What are you—?”
Makoto interjected, “I… I should have told everyone this a long time ago. Shortly after we defeated Kaneshiro’s Palace… I got thinking… Sis has changed for a while now… She basically called our father foolish for believing in justice… So I…”
She quickly silently prayed that Ken wouldn’t hate her for this.
“I put her name in the Meta-Nav… and I got a hit,” she confessed.
Makoto winced, bracing herself for Ken’s reaction.
The shock on his face was as clear as day. “Makoto…”
“And things just kept coming up.” She started pacing in front of the school entrance. “F-First Medjed… and then afterwards, you told us the truth and we thought we would be looking more into Shido and maybe targeting him if we found a connection…”
She then looked down to the ground with a big sigh.
“I’m just making excuses,” she mumbled out. “I should have spoken up… especially after finding out about what she was trying to do with Boss…”
She forced herself to look back at Ken. His eyes were wide with shock.
“Please don’t hate me,” she blurted out.
This seemed to jolt Ken out of his shock. He took a quick deep breath before moving closer to her. She jumped a little when Ken put his hands on her shoulders. She found herself blushing a little at his touch and their proximity.
“Makoto… I’d never hate you. And besides…” He drew his fingers away, taking a step backwards. “I’ve had my own fair share of secrets and you accepted me. It’d be wrong of me to not offer you the same.”
“Ken, I…” Makoto’s breath suddenly caught, before she quickly coughed.
When he put it that way… it kind of made her feel silly for being so worried about his reaction.
“Thank you…” She whispered.
Ken gave her a gentle smile. It was a weight off her shoulders seeing that smile of his.
“But you really should tell everyone about this… after the school festival. Akechi’s intel on the police… may tell us something you won’t like, regarding your sister.”
Makoto exhaled. He was right. Keeping it a secret… wouldn’t help.
“You’re right,” she said. “I will…”
Then she looked towards the direction of the subway. They really had to get home… With the days growing shorter, twilight was approaching. A strong gale suddenly blew through, making Makoto shiver.
There was a rustle of clothing, before Ken suddenly draped his blazer over her shoulders. A subtle cologne scent drifted to her nose.
“W-Wait, what about you?” Makoto stammered out. “I-I don’t want you to catch a cold!”
“It’s fine,” Ken said with a wave of his hand. “I’ve always been able to tolerate the cold better, and I don’t want you getting sick. You can give it back to me on Monday.”
“T-Thank you.” Makoto felt her face heat up, as she tugged Ken’s blazer more tightly around her.
It was so warm…
As they walked towards the station, Makoto kept stealing glances towards Ken. Talking things out with Ken… always made her feel better. She really needed to figure out how to tell him how she felt. Maybe she should write out what she wanted to say and practice it…?
Tuesday, October 25th, 2016
The excitement in the air was palpable. Banners hung high in the air, bright letters spelling out: WELCOME TO THE SHUJIN SCHOOL FESTIVAL.
Ken shouldn’t be surprised how crowded it was. And yet it did impress him.
"I'm surprised by how successful the festival is," Yusuke remarked.
"There's so many people…" Futaba mumbled out, huddling behind Anne and grasping onto the back of her varsity jacket.
"Come on, you've been working on this, Futaba. There's nothing to be scared of," Ren encouraged.
"Ren's right," Anne said, twisting around to smile at Futaba. "Let's have fun today!"
"Futaba's got a point though…" Ryuji said as he surveyed the crowd. "There's a lot more people comin' than last year."
He knew that everyone back in Gekkoukan looked forward to the school festival as a much-needed break from their rigorous coursework. And Shujin wasn't exactly a bad school per say. Each to their own, he supposed.
Ken remarked, "Well, Shujin has gained notoriety over the months. Kamoshida… Kobayakawa… the Phantom Thieves…"
"And Akechi's a guest speaker." Ryuji grimaced, his mouth twisting in disapproval. "Betcha some of his fangirls are comin' just for him."
"Wouldn't be surprised," Makoto agreed, before fiddling with the strap of her schoolbag; she then lowered her voice as she warned, "There also may be some police officers in plainclothes."
"We should really be cautious of what we discuss," Morgana piped up, poking his head out of Ren's bag. "Be careful, everyone. Act like normal students."
"Bossy, bossy." Futaba clicked her tongue, then she shuffled her feet nervously. "But um… what do you normally do at school festivals?"
"That's right. I forgot you haven't gotten to attend one yet, Futaba-chan. Although, this will be the first time I get to attend all days of a school festival,” Haru giggled, then waved her hand when she noticed a worried look from Makoto and Futaba. “Oh, it’s not what you think. It has nothing to do with Fath—well… it’s more I never had a group of friends I could go with.”
Anne placed a hand on Haru’s shoulder. She just smiled at Anne.
“Really, it’s okay… it was more… I would hang out with some classmates for a bit. But… I never had a group of friends I truly connected with at school. I always left early. Which is a shame. I find these events to be quite charming. But now…” Haru looked over to Futaba. “I have you all. I think this will be quite fun.”
Ryuji grinned. "Yeah, we’ll make plenty of memories together. And don’t sweat it Futaba. Just go around the exhibits, enjoy the food… Come on, just think of it like the beach! There's just one rule: have fun!"
Futaba hesitantly nodded her head but did flash Ryuji and Haru a smile.
"I just hope this ends better than the fireworks festival," Yusuke remarked.
Ryuji then hung his head. "Why didja have to remind me…?"
"The rain did let us meet Haru, though. And we did get a good meal from Shinjiro-san,” Ren said with a grin.
Ken rolled his eyes at Ren. "Of course you’d think of that."
"Hey, you get to enjoy his cooking every day. We don't have the same luxury,” Ren quipped.
"Oh…" Haru tilted her head slightly. "Is his cooking that delicious?"
"It's definitely top tier!" Futaba said, pumping both of her fists with a firm nod. "Though I could without the nagging about my diet. Pffft, he must have been a mother hen in a past life…"
Ken snorted quietly. Well, to a degree, he could see Shinjiro-san’s point of view… Futaba did love her instant ramen, after all.
“What do you guys want to do first?” he said instead.
Yusuke inquired, "What did your classes do, by chance? I'm curious to see your stands."
Ren and Anne exchanged a look. Anne looked rather sheepish. Ren looked mildly disappointed.
"Our class… took the cliche route. Maid café,” Ren sighed.
"I'm so glad I didn't pull the short end of the stick," Anne grumbled out, shaking her head hard enough that her pigtails bobbed a little bit.
Ken grimaced. He remembered Yukari-san stomping in one day, in an absolutely foul mood because she had drawn the short stick and was forced to be the one dressing up as a maid for her club’s café. Maybe it was a good thing that the storm had led the school to cancel.
Though he supposed Ren should thank his lucky stars. He remembered once hearing Rise-san laughing to Fuuka-san about something Yu-san’s class did. From how Rise-san described it, it sounded extremely embarrassing.
Makoto nodded. "I can understand that. My class did that last year as well."
Makoto had mentioned that to him months ago… he wondered how Makoto would have reacted to that suggestion. Did she find it silly, or did she actually like the idea? Would she participate?
No, that’s silly… Makoto definitely wouldn’t have gone for that sort of thing back then. She’d probably have been embarrassed at the suggestion of dressing up. She’d most likely handle budgeting and help set up.
Ken cleared his throat and refused to let this train of thought travel any further before he regretted it.
Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "My class did a haunted house."
"Oh, a haunted house!" Haru's eyes lit up. "Can we go see it?!"
Yusuke asked, "You… want to see it? Forgive me, but aren't most girls terrified of the dark? Makoto and Anne both were… and Futaba screamed too back then as well—”
He cut himself off when Anne and Makoto glared at him. Futaba crossed her arms and stomped her foot.
“I am a creature of darkness who barely goes outside! I screamed because you idiots startled me!” Futaba yelled.
And this was why Ken tried avoiding pissing off girls as much as possible.
“Relax Futaba, Yusuke clearly misunderstood,” Morgana sighed.
"It can be scary, but I know this sounds odd, but I find horror exciting!" Haru piped up. "I'm really looking forward to that one Steven Queen movie coming out in a couple weeks, one of his most popular horror books is getting split into two movies!"
Ken tried not to cringe. Horror was just… not up his alley. And he really hated jump scares. Sometimes he had a recurring dream where he and his friends were trapped in an abandoned school and that some zombie baby was chasing them. He wasn’t sure why but it always left him shaky and trembling whenever he woke up with a jolt.
“Never took you for a fan of horror, Haru,” Ren raised a brow. “I figured gore would gross you out.”
“Oh… yes that part isn’t exactly the part I love. But it’s more for the dread and the tension. The creepy atmosphere. Supernatural and psychological scares. As well as the action when the heroes defeat the evil monster that created so much pain and fear.” Haru started to surprisingly get animated, her eyes lighting up as she continued to explain. “Suspenseful but a light still at the end of the tunnel. Besides… it’s good to be scared. Tests your limits!”
“I have to say, never expected to see this side of you.” Yusuke smiled.
Haru then smiled sheepishly. “Too be honest, my favorite are the more vintage horror movies, from the black and white era. There is something so charming about them. Even with the limit of the technology of their time, they worked their hardest to really make you feel the tension and fear.”
Makoto cleared her throat, rather loudly. Ken couldn’t help but smile at her sympathetically.
"But anyhow," Makoto said, clearly wanting to change the subject. "Don't drop your guard. Yusuke and Futaba may be part of the investigation too."
"That police interrogation being sprung on us during school hours was real fun," Ryuji grumbled out.
"You said it, buddy," Ren sighed. "But anyways, since Haru requested it… haunted house it is!"
Makoto just blanched at that, all blood draining from her face. Ken sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he watched her expression.
"Hey, Makoto…" Ken said to her in a low voice, as they ascended the stairs for the second floor. "You know what happened back at Sojiro-san's house…? Um, you can do it again if necessary."
Makoto looked at him in surprise. "That's kind of you, but… it really is a silly fear. Thank you, though."
"Okay…" Ken said, continuing to speak quietly. "I just thought I'd offer."
Some of the things they heard though on their way upstairs… it was so unnerving. The students were all gossiping, some about the Phantom Thieves. Some even called Kamoshida a victim. Ken tried to push it out of his mind, but… one couldn’t help but feel their insides twist hearing that.
Even if in some other timeline, the Phantom Thieves really were guilty of what happened to Okumura and Kobayakawa… that didn’t change what Kamoshida and the other targets did. He just hoped none of the volleyball students or Anne heard any of this.
They arrived at Ryuji's classroom with a large sign that read: HAUNTED HOUSE.
They entered the area. It was a typical haunted house attraction. They were shrouded in darkness… sound effects. Though Ken was surprised they sprung for a fog machine.
In the darkness, he saw someone spring forward. But then someone else grabbed them from behind, hauling them backwards as one hand pulled at their mask.
"W-WHA—?!"
"I'll reveal your true form!" Ren exclaimed, over the poor student's surprised cries.
"Dude!" Ryuji cried. "Are you for real?!"
"Ren, let him go!" Anne yelled.
Ken just marched over to Ren, smacking the backside of his head.
"Are you serious?" Ken said flatly as the poor volunteer scurried away from Ren.
They would definitely believe that Ren was a crazy violent delinquent like the rumors claimed after this…
Ren only smiled sheepishly. "I… uh… got caught in the moment."
"Ren struck a terrifying figure…" Yusuke mused, framing Ren with his fingers. "Pity I can't draw in this lighting."
Haru giggled. "Oh, Yusuke-kun… You're so passionate about art!"
"Passionate is a word to describe it," Futaba grumbled out.
"Seriously, dude, why did you have to pull that? I bet they're gonna run away from ya whenever they see you now!" Ryuji grumbled.
"What's the difference?" Ren asked with a shrug.
"I think Ren completely killed the vibe they were going for," Makoto sighed.
Even in the dim light, Ken could see that she was smiling. She had such a nice smile…
Even though she was the one to caution them about there being eyes everywhere… he was glad that she was enjoying herself.
Ken and the others made their way through the halls.
"Aww, it's so cute!" Anne cooed.
Anne stared at the plushie offered as one of the prizes for the shooting game. For some odd reason it reminded Ken of the Jack Frost Persona.
"How much?" Ren asked the person running the stall.
"Five hundred," they answered and Ren pulled out a five-hundred-yen coin, flipping it in the air.
The student fumbled with it, giving Ren an annoyed look before warily handing Ren the gun.
Ren was such a showoff sometimes…
"You look pretty confident, RenRen." Ryuji elbowed him in the side with a grin.
Ren just winked, before giving Ken a knowing grin. "Ken's not the only one with good marksmanship. Just watch. I've been doing some special training."
Ken raised an eyebrow at that. There was something in Ren’s tone that felt like it was alluding to something…
Ken then blinked as a memory suddenly came to him. He completely forgot that he had won that Buchimaru toy for Makoto. Back before he even joined the team… That felt like a lifetime ago…
"Ooh, you've been doing some grinding, huh? Willing to put your money where your mouth is?" Futaba asked cheekily.
"Gambling?" Yusuke sighed, shaking his head. "How uncouth…"
Futaba just stuck her tongue out at Yusuke. "Zip it, Inari!"
"Shh, that's enough," Haru hushed. "Ren-kun needs to concentrate!"
Ren was definitely channeling his inner Joker. Though Ken had to admit that over the past month, Ren had gotten good at wielding that pistol of his. Ren had no problem knocking down his prize.
Ren didn't even bother hiding his victorious smile as he was handed the doll by the grumbling vendor.
"For you, my lady." Ren presented the Jack Frost looking doll to Anne with a flourish. "A token of my love."
"You're such a dork!" Anne giggled, happily accepting it and giving it a light squeeze.
"I must say that your lessons with Shinya have really made you a good shot," Morgana praised, even though he was pointedly looking down as Anne gave Ren a thank you kiss on the cheek.
"Well, I try…" Ren said with a laugh; then he looked amongst everyone else. "Anyone want me to try and win something?"
Haru let out a thoughtful hum, before she said, "Oh! How about that one?"
She pointed to a figurine of a dark-haired man who for some reason… was wearing pink boxers. It was… interesting, to put lightly.
"What an avant-garde design," Yusuke mused, hand on his chin. "You have excellent taste, Haru."
Haru just giggled. "Thanks, Yusuke-kun."
"I'll do my best." Ren paid the vendor again and he was given the gun once more.
He nabbed it right in the chest and it fell from the shelf. The rather peeved student passed it to Ren, who handed it over to Haru.
"Thank you, Ren-kun!" Haru said with a bright smile.
"Amamiya...?"
Ken turned to see that Mishima-san had approached them. He looked… nervous.
Well… things may be a little awkward, since just last Sunday… Ren had called everyone up and they had come to a decision that Mishima-san had become too warped and needed his heart stolen. But in the end, Ren cancelled it. Claimed that Mishima-san didn't need his heart changed and they left Mementos.
But Ren just gave Mishima-san a friendly smile. "Hey, Mishima. Enjoying the festival?"
Mishima-san just gave a stiff little nod. "W-What about you?" he stammered out.
"Yeah, we've had a lot of fun," Anne said with a bright smile.
Ryuji grabbed Ren around the shoulders. "You should've seen what this guy did back at the haunted h—”
He was cut off by Futaba's sudden shriek.
"Futaba!" Makoto chided. "There's no need to yell."
"But what's wrong, Futaba-chan?" Haru asked.
Futaba pointed with a trembling finger. "P-Pink—"
"Oh wow, is that really the limited-edition figurine of Pink Argus?!" Mishima-san exclaimed, his gray eyes wide with awe. "Man, Yukari Takeba is just so pretty. I wonder why she's never dated anyone…"
Ken had to fight the urge to grimace. He knew it came with the territory of being a celebrity but it was just so weird to still hear her being talked about like this.
Morgana sniffed then rolled his eyes.
"You and your dolls," he said disdainfully.
"Action figures!" Futaba emphasized, giving Morgana a stern look.
"Um, yeah." The vendor then cast Ren an annoyed look. "So, are you gonna go for this too?"
"Well, I—" Ren suddenly stopped, a glint gleaming in his dark eyes. "I'm not. But he will!"
Then he grabbed Mishima-san by the arm.
"I-I'm what?!" Mishima-san sputtered out. "T-There's no way I can—"
"Stop putting yourself down," Ren said sharply. "You're not a zero, Mishima! You need to believe in yourself. Besides, you been to the arcade with me and Ryuji. You got this!"
“What RenRen said! Knock ‘em dead Mishima!” Ryuji pumped a fist.
"You can do it, Mishima-kun!" Anne said cheerfully.
"Y-Yeah!" Mishima-san nodded unsteadily. "You're right… I can do this!"
The gun was handed over, but Mishima-san's hand trembled slightly as he took aim.
"Calm yourself," Yusuke admonished gently. "If you hesitate, you won't hit your target. You must desire to hit it with all your might!"
"I think… everyone is taking this a little too seriously," Makoto sighed out.
"Just a little," Ken said dryly.
But Mishima-san just narrowed his eyes, his eyes on the prize. His hand stopped shaking as he pulled the trigger.
The figurine was knocked off the shelf.
The grumbling attendant handed it to Mishima-san. "I can understand getting one on the first try, but three?"
Ren just smirked. "Don't worry. That's all we want. See you."
"Amamiya, look, I—" Mishima-san began.
"Mishima, you don't have to say it," Ren cut him off, keeping his voice low. "You changed your heart, all on your own. That's the important part."
"Amamiya…" The shock was clear on Mishima's face; he ducked his head, staring down at the floor. "Thank you…"
Then he abruptly coughed.
"O-Oh, here you go." He handed the figurine over to Futaba. "Victory's my favorite incarnation… what about you?"
Futaba's eyes lit up at that. "You too?! Everyone says R is the best version but I say it is nostalgia talking!"
That absolutely was not true. But Ken held his tongue.
Mishima-san nodded vigorously. "The action scenes are always so great and the theme song is the best!"
"I know right?! I could sing it all day!"
"Me too!"
"Um…" Haru leaned in close, bewilderment clear in her eyes. "W-What is Feathermen?"
Ken could only wince.
"You too?!" Futaba's head whipped in Haru's direction. "You've been deprived!"
"Futaba, it's not a big deal," Makoto attempted to placate her.
"Feathermen's a classic!"
"Hmph, Feathermen is hardly The Tale of Genji," Yusuke sniffed. "You exaggerate far too much."
Futaba stared at him incredulously. "You're telling me this?"
Yusuke blinked owlishly at her. "I do not understand."
"Ugh, of course you would!" Futaba huffed.
Futaba started to tap her foot impatiently while she argued with Yusuke again. Yusuke crossed his arms and turned his nose up while he argued back. Honestly it was like dealing with grade-schoolers sometimes.
"Do they… do this a lot?" Mishima-san leaned in close.
Ken just sighed. "You have no idea…"
After parting ways with Mishima-san, Haru said that she wanted to eat at a stall. So Anne and Ren took them to their class's stand.
"Well…" Ken said slowly, "at least we can talk a little more freely here."
"Maid Takoyaki…" Ryuji repeated with a shake of his head. "Seriously that's such a bad pun."
"Hand-Maid Takoyaki might've been a better name," Ren said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Ken just stared, unimpressed. "It really wouldn't…"
Puns were just the worst. It only made him think of Ikutsuki's god awful puns. And the less he thought about that horrible man, the better.
"That's enough," Morgana scolded. "We need to act normal, but this is bordering ridiculous."
"Nothing is normal anymore…" Haru murmured with a frown.
"Heya!" One of Ren and Anne's female classmates approached them, injecting pep in her voice before curtseying. "Welcome home! Can I take your order?"
Yeah, she had nothing on Kikuno-san… To be fair, she was professionally trained but…
"Isn't that… unprofessional?" Yusuke asked.
"Yeah, what happened to the atmosphere?!" Ryuji demanded.
He couldn't help but wonder what Ryuji would think of Kikuno-san.
Yusuke then examined the menu. "They certainly have a lot of strange flavors here…"
"I would… prefer a not so… exotic flavor," Makoto said.
"Agreed," Ryuji grumbled. "Who knows what they've added here...”
It couldn't be that bad, could it? He's enjoyed the weird takoyaki back at the strip mall well enough.
"If you ever go to the strip mall on Port Island… don't get the takoyaki," Ken said.
"Huh?!" Ryuji stared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Mystery ingredient," Ken said.
"And you ate it?!" Makoto said with wide eyes.
"On occasion," Ken said with a wave of his hand. "It wasn't my favorite by any stretch of imagination, but I liked it well enough."
Haru just giggled. "I'd love to try it someday. Are we going for the normal one then?"
The maid shook her head. "I'm sorry but we just sold our last one to the customer before you!"
Ken couldn't help but suspect that was a lie. He sighed and sat down at the open table. Futaba and Anne joined him at the table.
"How about… mentai cheese?" Yusuke asked.
"We're out of cod roe," the maid said cheerfully. “Why don’t you all take a seat with your friends as we go over the menu?”
Everyone else started to sit at the open table. All exchanging awkward glances as the maid followed Ren who sat down.
"Okay… what is available then?" Ren asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah!" Ryuji said, frowning. "This whole menu is shaping out to be a sham!"
"Um… if you wait five or six hours, we can offer squid!" The girl said sheepishly.
"This is just…" Makoto shook her head, before shooting Anne and Ren incredulous looks.
"Ehehe…" Anne smiled weakly, toying with her hair. "We mayyy have spent most of our budget on making the costume look nice."
Ryuji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I can see that! Jeez, I know our haunted house wasn't great, but…"
"Ryuji-kun, that's enough," Haru chided firmly but gently; then she turned to the maid. "What do you recommend then?"
The maid clapped her hands and smiled. "Oh, I recommend the Russian takoyaki. Shall I get that for you?"
"Yes, please," Haru said with her usual sweet smile.
"Just hurry," Futaba moaned out, head on the desk. "I hunger!"
Ken wasn’t sure why but he had a bad feeling regarding the order. He never heard of a Russian dish variant of takoyaki. Unless it had nothing to do with the country of Russia and was a reference to something? Ken didn’t care to keep up with fads.
"We'll get it out as soon as possible," the maid said cheerfully. "Thank you!"
"Anyways…" Ren shook his head. "All of the things we overheard today was just…"
Anne slammed her hand on the table, sparks practically flying from her blue eyes.
"People are saying Kamoshida is a victim! I can't believe that! I swear I need crepe therapy after hearing all of that!" She hissed under her breath.
Ken winced. She did hear that awful commentary after all. He hoped those ignorant students only talked loud enough for Ken to hear.
"When you were in the haunted house," Morgana added, "I took the opportunity to look around. I heard some conjecture that the principal was killed for knowing too much."
"But ain't it a bit weird?" Ryuji asked. "He was on his way to the police station. What if he was in cahoots with Shido?"
Ken doubted that Shido would directly be in contact with a high school principal. The man was running for prime minister. Shujin was a nice school but it wasn’t like a fancy boarding school for rich kids and children of politicians.
"Mm… this is purely conjecture as well," Yusuke said. "But I feel Ryuji may be onto something.
“I disagree,” Makoto spoke up. “We don’t have evidence directly linking Shido yet, he’s just someone Mitsuru-san speculates, don’t forget that. Besides, Kobayakawa isn’t nearly important enough. If Shido is a part of this group or the one in charge, it’s possible Kobayakawa was in contact with the group.”
“I’m with Makoto. Shujin was a well-regarded school until the Kamoshida scandal but it’s not even the most elite school in the country.” Ken nodded and crossed his arms. “Why would someone running for prime minister be in direct contact with Kobayakawa?”
“Agreed, if Kobayakawa was linked to this mysterious group that Shido is potentially a part of, most likely he’d be in contact with one of the other members. If Shido is in charge, he’d never speak directly to anyone in lower ranking.” Makoto tapped her chin.
Ren rested his elbows on the table. “Makes sense. If you’re up top, you wouldn’t want ones who’d easily squeal to know you’re in charge. That’d be top secret. So, whether Shido was in the higher rankings of this conspiracy or directly calling the shots… It’s doubtful Kobayakawa was in direct contact with him.”
So why kill him then? Ken had a feeling it wasn’t as simple as Shido himself called in the hit because he felt threatened by a meager prep high school principal. But someone clearly put out a hit on him. Or was it unrelated and another thing this conspiracy group was doing to mess with them and try and frame them? Or intimidation? Letting them know they could be next?
This was making Ken’s head heard trying to figure it out. But maybe Ryuji and Yusuke did have a point but it was much more complicated than that? Ken rubbed his temples as he started to feel a headache coming on. Shinjiro-san would probably say he has steam coming out of his ears for thinking so hard.
Makoto sighed but nodded. “Right… hypothetically speaking, if the principal was a part of this group, he’d be on the lower end of the totem pole. And if police speculate the Phantom Thieves could be connected to his students or staff, pressure would be put on him to find something out.”
Ren raised both brows as he looked at Makoto. Makoto and Ken mirrored his expression. It seemed Morgana must have had the same thought as all three of them.
“Wait! When he pressured Makoto to try and find out about the Phantom Thieves!” Morgana exclaimed. “It would be easier to have a student in the student council he could coerce to try and find out who in the student body or staff if someone is suspicious! And it takes attention off him!”
Makoto bit her lip and looked down at her lap. Ken reached over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, mixed emotions in her face. But she gave him a small smile and nod.
“Oh, I see. Kobayakawa would be in huge trouble if he’s not getting them any results or answers.” Yusuke rubbed his chin in thought.
“Yeah… and if he fears they would ice him out, his only option left would be to snitch on his superiors.” Futaba gritted her teeth. “And… they got wind of it… and he had a shutdown… right in front of traffic.”
Ken let go of Makoto’s shoulder as she moved to hug Futaba. Anne moved over to do the same.
Ryuji balled his hands into fists. “This is all theory and shit… but it is starting to make sense.”
"Yes…" Ken muttered. "But I think we're all avoiding the hottest topic…"
Futaba needed them to change subjects. Ken looked towards Ren and Haru as he cleared his throat, looking over at Futaba subtly. Both of them nodded.
"Goro Akechi's popularity has once again skyrocketed," Haru murmured, her eyes downcast.
"All because of the Phantom Thieves!" Futaba growled out. "Can you believe that?!"
Anne and Makoto were a bit startled at Futaba’s mood change as they released her.
"And Akechi was a bit downcast with how he was a bit discredited from our 'rise'." Ren shook his head. "Not that it matters. We'll be doing our thing… without caring about the public's opinion."
"I'm still surprised that he said yes," Makoto said, shifting in her seat.
"Just look at 'im on TV," Ryuji scoffed.
Anne nodded. "He definitely seems at home in the limelight."
Morgana looked down. "I know we're doing this for intel but… what if this is a trap?"
A heavy silence fell. Morgana had a good point. Akechi-san was still an enigma…
Ren said, "Come on, guys, think positive. We can get through this. Besides we can’t go jumping at shadows for fear of every person could be connected to those trying to stop us.”
Morgana snickered. “Shadows huh?”
Ren snorted. “For once, pun not intended."
The group quietly snickered. Everyone was still anxious, but thankfully Ren helped ease tensions a little.
"Do you have the questions planned out, Mako-chan?" Haru asked. "You're leading the Q&A, right?"
Makoto nodded firmly. She rested a hand on her chest.
"Yes, that's right," Makoto took a deep breath "I’ll… do my best."
"Thank you for waiting!" the maid's cheerful voice cut through the air.
Everyone slightly jumped in their chair, clearly caught off guard by her sudden appearance.
She carried their takoyaki, but she… kinda… plopped it down on the table. One of the takoyaki balls almost fell out.
"Hey, look!" Anne did her best to infuse enthusiasm in her voice. "It's freshly made!"
Futaba glared as her lips curled into a pout. She shook her head and then straightened her glasses.
"Lies! I totally heard a microwave go off!" She then looked amongst them. "You heard it, didn't you?"
Anne just let out a nervous giggle.
"It's not like we should really expect crispy takoyaki at a school festival…" Ryuji sighed and then looked down at the takoyaki. "What makes it Russian? Some special sauce…?"
"Ooh, what about jam?" Haru suggested. "That sounds quite delicious!"
"Well… one of them is…" the maid wavered for a moment, "special."
"So… Russian roulette," Ren raised a brow.
"Three guesses which one it is, and the first two don't count," Ken deadpanned.
All of them looked normal, save for a very clearly bright red one.
"I'd prefer the most beautifully shaped one…" Yusuke said, before frowning. "But unfortunately, all of them are misshapen."
Haru just blinked. "Aren't you going to eat? You were hungry earlier, right, Futaba-chan?"
"Yeah, but…" Futaba looked down at the takoyaki, disdain etched on her face.
"I think I will try the special one," Haru announced.
"You're a… brave one," Makoto said with wide eyes.
"What if I want it?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, I see…" Haru chewed her lip. "How about we do a quick competition then?”
Ren just laughed, “What, like janken?”
"Oh, everyone's here."
The familiar voice had them all looking down the hallway. Goro Akechi was approaching them, his usual TV smile on his face.
Beside him, Makoto stiffened. "Akechi-kun…?! T-The panel isn't until tomorrow…"
"I just thought I'd check out the venue, that's all," he replied with a casual shrug. "I can't make a mistake… there's so many people watching me after all."
"Someone's eager," Futaba mumbled under her breath, watching Akechi-san with narrowed eyes.
"But… people ended up recognizing me and bombarded me with questions…" Akechi-san sighed and placed a hand on his temple. "I didn't expect this to this extent…"
“That’s your own fault for not changing up your appearance in public, duh.” Ryuji grumbled under his breath.
Ken shot Futaba and Ryuji warning looks. He had ambivalent feelings about Akechi-san too, but Akechi-san would start noticing the whispers if they kept up. They could at least keep their sarcastic comments in their head. (After all, that’s what Ken did.)
Akechi-san looked in his direction.
He then shook his head. "Oh well… I escaped them and that's what is important."
"Isn't that convenient," Morgana grumbled out from under the table.
“That’s a relief, I can’t imagine how annoying that’d be being stopped every five seconds,” Ken said before an awkward cough, hopefully Akechi-san didn’t notice the meowing under the table.
Akechi-san just waved it off, and then was distracted by whatever he was going to say when he noticed their food.
"Oh, takoyaki!" A smile came onto his face. "May I have one?"
Ren shrugged. "Go ahead."
"Thank you!" He beamed at Ren. "I must confess, I'm quite famished. I only had an apple for breakfast."
He picked up the stick, selecting the… bright red ball.
"Ah…!" Haru's eyes widened at that.
"The Russian one…" Anne said in a hushed voice.
"We'll just call this my performance fee," Akechi-san said, before popping it right in his mouth.
“Shouldn’t we stop him?” Makoto whispered anxiously.
Ryuji had the biggest grin on his face and whispered, “It’s fine! Man needs to eat.”
Rather childish of Ryuji but… well, at least they would see what exactly was special about it.
"Mm!" Akechi-san said through a mouthful of food, "it's rather deli—”
He then cut himself off, his face growing red rather rapidly.
"HHHNGH?!"
Ken grimaced. He figured it must have been a spicy one.
Akechi-san pressed a hand against his mouth. Ken was honestly surprised that he hadn't spat out the takoyaki.
"Pride cometh before one's fall," Ren said gravely.
"Y-You really shouldn't have eaten it in one bite…" Anne said with wide eyes.
"Ngh… this is…!" Akechi-san choked out, his eyes watering. "M-My throat...This is… Urk! And my stomach… it… it burns!"
"Do you require water?" Yusuke asked sincerely. "I admit that I enjoy spice to an extent but I have a feeling that this has pressed past the threshold…"
"W-Who, me?" Akechi-san grimaced. "D-Don't be silly! I… I love spicy food. Haha… Ha…"
"I think we broke him," Futaba whispered.
"P-Please excuse me… I will...I will see you tomorrow."
He then turned around, before stiffly shuffling away.
"Wow… he's really holding it together.” Anne mused as she placed a finger on her cheek. “Even though he was waddling like a comedian."
"I think he was crying a little bit," Ken remarked.
Yusuke narrowed his eyes, before shifting in a more comfortable position. "But… was he really just checking out the venue?"
"Do you think he suspects then?" Haru frowned.
"He said… everyone's here." Futaba pressed a finger against her mouth.
“E-Everyone?” Anne bit the inside of her cheek.
Yusuke crossed his arms. “This is no good, I’m starting to wonder if I’m paranoid or if this is of true concern.”
That idea was… disturbing. Very disturbing. But if Akechi-san knew their identities… what exactly could they do about it?
Wednesday, October 26th, 2016
It was time for the panel to begin. Ken couldn’t help but clench his fists slightly; his nerves still a bit on edge from the earlier exchange.
Makoto introduced Akechi-san as their guest of honor. Akechi-san joked around a bit, but Makoto wasted no time and quickly launched into questioning Akechi-san.
"Everyone is abuzz about the Phantom Thieves. I was wondering if you could go into more detail about the actual investigative progress,” she said.
Ken rolled his eyes as Akechi-san held a hand to his mouth.
"My… I am not used to being on the receiving end of interrogating.” Akechi-san had an easygoing tone. “Please, Niijima-san… go easy on me."
Laughter echoed in the auditorium, which only made Ken roll his eyes even more. Ken leaned against the railing, looking towards his friends.
"How much do you think he knows?" he asked quietly.
Ren pressed his lips into a thin line, quiet for a moment. Then he let out a sigh, leaning against the rail, and putting his hands into his pocket.
“Hard to say…” Ren frowned as he looked over his shoulder at the stage. “The whole exchange felt off, but I can’t help but think I could be paranoid.”
“I mean, it’s hard not to be considering what happened with…” Morgana mumbled quietly, glancing in Haru’s direction and his ears drooped. “Well, you know…”
Ren frowned but nodded down at Morgana.
Morgana cleared his throat. “But honestly, we’ve had some strange interactions with the guy. He’s a hard one to read. I can’t help but think he might suspect something. Especially after that exchange when he first met Yusuke and Ken when we were all ran into him at the train station…”
"Oh right… I forgot about that," Anne gripped the hem of her jacket, an anxious look on her face.
Ken bit the inside of his cheek as his fists tightened at his side. A sinking feeling made his way into his stomach again.
"C'mon, Makoto…!" Ryuji hissed out. "You gotta get it outta him!"
"Ken."
Ken started at the sudden voice. "Shinjiro-san!"
"Hey." Shinjiro-san then ruffled Ken's hair, much to his irritation.
Ken immediately began to pat down his hair but he glanced back at his guardian as Shinjiro-san spoke again.
"Sorry I couldn't make it yesterday. My work schedule is a bitch."
"It's fine," Ken said. "I know you can't help it."
"Just feel a little bad since I've always been able to make it to the school festival in the past," Shinjiro-san muttered, then coughed, looking towards the stage. "So Niijima's questioning Akechi already, huh?"
"So far Akechi's been kinda dodging Makoto's questions. Saying that there's no leads… and the motive is unclear,” Ren replied.
"But… that means the police doesn't know much about us, then…" Haru said tentatively. "That's good, isn't it?"
Ken shook his head. "Yusuke’s suspicions earlier… and now Morgana’s comments, I can't help but wonder if… Akechi knows something."
"Shh, Makoto's asking him another question!" Anne said in a hushed voice.
Makoto asked in an even tone, "Even with this country's power… arresting them is proving to be difficult. Is that true?"
Akechi-san chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't put it that way but essentially you are correct."
Shinjiro-san’s grip tightened around the railing.
"Hmm…"
"Shinjiro-san?" Ken asked, turning to look at his guardian.
"Like you've discussed before… it is weird that Akechi suddenly changed his tune. Especially with him saying how he's gonna arrest the Phantom Thieves himself. Now he says that the Phantom Thieves aren't murderers..." Shinjiro-san narrowed his eyes. "What’s his angle?"
They turned their attention to Makoto questioning exactly what Shinjiro-san was talking about.
"Aren't you a little too comfortable interrogating people?" Akechi-san tilted his head. "Why, it's as if you're a prosecutor. Like sister, like sister—I suppose.”
The auditorium was filled with laughter, it felt so artificial. Like a live studio audience that clapped on command. It was both annoying and unsettling to Ken how quickly people act like this when gathered into a crowd, surrounding someone popular.
Shinjiro-san just scoffed. "He's really eating this up, ain't he?"
Makoto coughed but smiled politely. "I beg your pardon. But… this is something I'm particularly interested in, so I can't help it. Please excuse my… zeal. But won't you tell us? Why do you think they're innocent when you were so insistent that they were unjust before?"
"Mako-chan is really pressing for an answer, isn't she?" Haru mused.
"Tch…" Shinjiro-san scoffed a little. "Guess Mr. TV Personality has a point after all, she did pick up some things from her sister."
"Not a fan too, huh…?" Futaba asked.
Ken frowned, even though he understood Futaba’s reasons fully… and even sympathized. But lately, he had been feeling uncomfortable when Makoto’s sister comes up. But Makoto wasn’t even around to be hurt by this. Still, he couldn’t help but feel bad on her behalf.
Ken suddenly realized Shinjiro-san was looking at him. Before Ken could ask him what’s wrong, Shinjiro-san just turned back to watch Makoto and Akechi-san.
But then Akechi-san spoke. "Every person they've targeted were truly criminals. Kamoshida from this very school, Madarame, Kaneshiro… they all had committed heinous crimes. And while it was a… tragedy for Okumura to die so suddenly…”
Akechi-san closed his eyes and crossed his arms. Ken couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the intentional pause. Akechi-san then opened his eyes.
“But let us not forget he did confess to those rumors about him and his company being true. He did mistreat his employees horribly and encourage it on a grand scale. And there is the other matter of sabotaging competition,” Akechi-san pointed out. “But that also poses the question… why was Okumura alone killed?"
Haru's expression grew pained during this whole part, which was understandable… it is her father being discussed. Futaba reached out, tightly squeezing Haru's hand. Haru just bit her lip, squeezing Futaba's hand back.
"Why is that?" Makoto questioned.
"I must admit… I cannot deduce reason. That's why I believe that the Phantom Thieves are innocent of murder and a different party framed them."
"It still comes off as a surprise, given how adamant you've been about the Phantom Thieves," Makoto commented.
"I'm very aware. I still have my criticisms of them thus far," Akechi-san said. "And this is a big if but… if the Phantom Thieves are who I think they are, then I believe that the Phantom Thieves would never commit murder."
Ken felt his heart skip a beat, and it felt like his stomach dropped. Akechi-san knew, after all? Is this a bluff?
"He's not saying…?!" Morgana choked out.
"Fuck," Shinjiro-san hissed out. "You better hope Niijima wraps this up quickly. And get out as soon as possible."
Somehow Makoto managed to keep her composure. "That comment just now… does the police know of the Phantom Thieves' identities…?"
Akechi-san shook his head. "Oh no. They haven't gotten that far."
"That cocky little…" Ryuji hissed out.
"However, I've come to my own conclusions of the true identities of the Phantom Thieves."
"He… could be bluffing," Yusuke said.
Ken wanted to agree with Yusuke. But his heart felt like it was running a marathon right now. This had to be a horrible dream. They were starting to suspect the possibility. But… no, it seems it was becoming a reality.
But Akechi-san's declaration sent the audience in a tizzy.
"He's lying…" Futaba wrapped her arms around herself. "H-He has to be…!"
Ken was impressed how Makoto showed no hint of a reaction to his statements.
"Oh?" Akechi-san asked, turning his head towards Makoto. "You're not going to ask me who they are?"
Shinjiro-san scowled. "Damn that little… he's just messing with Niijima now."
Ken gripped the railing. He wished that Akechi-san would stop toying with Makoto…
"I’m no fool. I know how these things work. It may have repercussions on the investigation," Makoto said diplomatically. "Are you sure you can share that with us?"
"It's more so my personal opinion.” Akechi-san smiled and waved his hand. "So it doesn't pose a problem towards the investigation. However… there is a possibility that everyone present will hear the truth before the police or media."
"The truth…?" Ren said anxiously.
Makoto looked at a loss for words. But she didn't get a chance to speak, as a phone suddenly went off.
"Ah, it's mine." Akechi-san reached into his coat's pocket, pulling out his phone.
Ken couldn’t help but let out a huge sigh. He hadn’t even realized he was holding his breath until now.
"My apologies, but I can't turn off my phone due to my job." He then turned to look at Makoto. "Would you mind if I step away for about… ten minutes or so?"
Makoto nodded and then announced that they would be taking a recess of ten minutes. The student body naturally started to whine and complain. But then… Akechi-san did something odd. He stepped closer to Makoto, speaking to her quietly.
Makoto looked composed, but Ken couldn’t help but feel she was a bit stiffer when nodding back to him. She then stepped behind the curtains. A moment later, their phones went off.
"We're not out of the woods yet," Ren said with a grimace, as he read the message from Makoto. "Makoto says that Akechi wants to talk with us in the PE faculty office."
“Wait, us, as in… us, us?!” Anne squeaked out.
"Damn!" Ryuji smacked the railing. "We're dead. Deader than roadkill!"
"Could we just… not go?" Futaba asked.
Ken heard Shinjiro-san mumble a string of curses under his breath.
"Something tells me that Akechi will not let this go," Yusuke said with a grim smile. "We might as well get this over with."
Ken just sighed, before looking to Shinjiro-san. "Shinjiro-san, I need you to go back to the apartment. I don't want Akechi to see you and connect you to me."
Shinjiro-san stood up straighter as he put his hands in his pockets. He just shook his head with a hard frown on his face.
"I'll go into the crowd. I'm not gonna ditch you if Akechi's planning on pulling some crap. I’ll message Aki and Mitsuru too and be on standby," he insisted. "Just… good luck with 'im."
They would need it…
"What do you want?"
Makoto couldn't help but feel foolish. Yusuke had broached the idea of Akechi knowing their identities, and she still let Akechi manipulate her.
"Oh, it's simple," Akechi said with a chuckle. "I want to join the Phantom Thieves."
The room went dead silent for several seconds. The ticking clock in the corner of the room was unbearably loud because of how still and quiet it became.
He wanted to what?!
"S-So why are you talking to us?" Anne fiddled with one of her pigtails. "It's not like we're the Phantom Thieves…!"
"Nice try, Takamaki-san…” Then Akechi's tone became less jovial. "Or should I call you Panther?"
Makoto sucked in her breath. This was really not good. He even knew Anne’s codename.
This immediately had everyone on edge. Ren pulled Anne behind him as he glared at Akechi. Ryuji cracked one of his knuckles as he stood next to Ren. The group huddled closer together, each one of them either had looks of rage or concern.
"Where did you hear that name?" Ren demanded.
Even though he spoke coolly, Makoto could hear a slight tremor in his voice.
"The Phantom Thieves… able to transverse another world.” Akechi let out a chuckle as he rested his fingers against his chin. “This answers too many questions."
"Answer Ren's question, dammit!" Ryuji snapped out, his hand balling into a fist. "How do you know about us, but more importantly, where did you hear that name?!"
"My, you have quite the guard dog, Amamiya-kun." Akechi smiled that saccharine smile of his.
Anne quickly grabbed onto Ryuji's hand just in case he actually tried to sock Akechi in the face.
"But to answer your question… I was actually brought into that world not too long ago. I was investigating Okumura Foods Headquarters with Sae-san."
Wait! When they entered Okumura's Palace… to steal his Treasure…
"W-We were so careful, though…!" Anne squeaked out.
"I was brought into the strange new world," Akechi explained; then he held up his phone, showing the familiar Meta-Nav. "And I saw… all of you."
"No effin' way…" Ryuji breathed out.
"You were intent on taking Okumura's heart… But I couldn't help but overhear the horrible things he said to you, Okumura-san." He then smiled apologetically. "I'm terribly sorry about your father…"
Something felt off. How did the Shadows in Okumura’s palace not know there was an ordinary person walking around? Yes, some of them would have been preoccupied with that weird alarm… but still, one of them would be bound to notice when a Palace is at its most high alert after a calling card is sent.
Makoto couldn’t help but narrow her eyes.
"Thank you," Haru said stiffly. "But I know I am blessed with wonderful friends… who will support me through anything."
Something flashed in Akechi’s eyes. But then the look in his eyes disappeared. Maybe Makoto had been imagining it?
"But as I was observing you all… I was attacked by a black masked Persona user. He was absolutely terrifying… He was like a dark demon. But for some reason… he attacked me. I was frightened. I couldn't help but think… I can't die here. I need to determine the truth."
Ken stiffened at that before his eyes narrowed at Akechi.
"What a coincidence," he said flatly. "And I assumed you awakened to a Persona?"
The black masked Persona user… Ken had talked about being attacked by him too. That was… fishy.
"Is that what it's called?" Akechi tilted his head. "That special power?"
"It is…" Morgana said slowly. "Though that isn't very rebellious."
Akechi then blinked and stared. "Did that cat just… talk?"
"Um, yeah. You saw the cartoony cat with us in the Palace?" Futaba nodded at Morgana. "That's Morgana."
“Oh…I see. How interesting. So, he takes a different form when here? Hmm… this is a strange thing to wrap my head around." Akechi shook his head.
Everyone looked around at each other with mixed expressions. Haru looked especially uneasy. She stood behind Yusuke and Ken, a heavy frown on her face.
"I’m getting off topic, I’ll ask more about how that works later. I'm here to offer you a deal.” Akechi said as he turned to Ren. “I meant what I said… I don't believe you to be the type to be murderers. And the police are on your tails. They're hell bent on apprehending you… and Sae-san most of all, because they're convinced that you're behind the murders."
Makoto bit her lip. Of course she was. She just… didn't realize how deep this would go when she joined the Phantom Thieves. She'd never regret it however. They've changed her in so many positive ways.
Haru just stared, wide eyed. "They're… they're going to treat me as my father's murderer?!"
"Haru…" Futaba scooted over to her, giving her a quick hug.
Haru lightly hugged her back. She was biting her lower lip to keep it from quivering. Makoto wanted to rush over to comfort her herself. But she needed to keep an eye on Akechi and observe everything. Not just his words but how he carried himself.
That was something Sae taught her while she was in law school. Observe people’s words, expressions, and body language. When backed into a corner, things like this could help make or break for many cases.
Akechi already had them cornered, and had the upper hand. Whether or not he was sincere could be deduced if she was paying attention to him carefully.
"I can't overlook such abuse…" Akechi replied with a slight glare. "Which is why I wish to strike a deal with you. The justice I uphold cannot allow this farce to continue."
He wanted to work with them? Makoto had to fight back a grimace.
"Justice, huh?" Ken muttered.
"What's your condition…?" Yusuke asked.
"Ah, you're shrewder than I assumed," Akechi commended. "You probably know of Sae-san leading the investigation, correct? The higher ups are… anxious to close this case. She may… do something drastic to please her higher ups."
"Sis…" Makoto sighed, closing her eyes.
What happened to her justice? She had always been so excited to become a prosecutor as a university student. She said she wanted to change things from the inside…
"What of evidence?" Yusuke asked. "They have no proof!"
"There's a reason why prosecutors have a 99% chance of victory," Ken said with a sigh. "Court cases… are often rigged in favor of the prosecution."
"You can say that again," Ren muttered, a touch of bitterness in his voice.
"Oh?" Akechi tilted his head. "You seem that you have some knowledge on this."
"My guardian's best friend is a police officer," Ken said coolly. "He's seen what prosecutors have done first hand."
"Your guardian?" Akechi echoed. “Your parents are…?”
"Not that it’s any of your business… my mother has been dead for years, my father even longer." Ken's voice grew testy, almost taking on an icy tone. "My guardian has been looking out for me for years. Satisfied with my response, detective?”
Makoto winced at that. Whether or not Akechi was sincere, he stepped on a landmine.
Akechi coughed awkwardly, standing a little straighter.
"Forgive me, I didn't mean to pry." Then he looked pointedly at Makoto. "But anyhow, Sae-san may be pushed into fabricating evidence… a confession, if she's pressured enough."
"Make it up…" Makoto said faintly, feeling her heart sink to the pit of her stomach.
What happened to sour Sae so much? To be tempted into fabricating evidence?
"That's bullshit!" Ryuji shouted, hands clenching into fists. "What are we… scapecoats?!"
Yusuke coughed. "I believe you mean scapegoats, Ryuji."
"Whatever!" Ryuji grumbled out.
"You'll be found guilty if you're caught…" Akechi ignored Ryuji's outburst, and turned to Ren again. "And it'll be treated as a very serious crime. From what I understand, it’ll be far worse for you, since you have a record."
Makoto winced. She couldn't help but think of her nightmare about Sae discovering the truth and disowning her…
But what Akechi said was true. No matter how bad it would be for the police to catch any of them, it would be double so for Ren.
“So what, you’re warning us out of the kindness of your heart? Get the cops off our backs?” Ryuji asked sarcastically.
Akechi just snorted and shrugged. Before he spoke up, Yusuke beat him to it.
“Ryuji, if that was the case, he would not call us back here. Nor would he request to join,” Yusuke stated simply.
Ryuji whispered in an exasperated tone, “I know that, I was just being a smartass!”
Akechi sighed and crossed his arms.
"And I cannot sway the police from this course of action." Akechi looked towards Yusuke. "So, I need your assistance. However, in exchange of me turning a blind eye… I request that you disband the Phantom Thieves after this. This is a good deal, no?"
Akechi had that TV smile on his face after his statement. Makoto’s stomach clenched.
That was a horrible deal! But Makoto forced herself to stay silent, lest she say something she’d regret.
They… needed more intel. Perhaps… they could turn this around. She remembered Sae talking about taking moments you are backed into a corner and turning everything on its head the second you find an opening when working on a case.
Sae… she missed when Sae would tell her all about her early cases or law school.
Makoto shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to be distracted with the past.
"But wait, Morgana…!" Anne voice cut through Makoto’s thoughts.
Anne was talking about their promise to try and uncover the truth of Morgana. She was right… they couldn't just give up what they promised him either.
"Give up being the Phantom Thieves…?" Futaba asked. "You can't be serious…"
Akechi looked bewildered. "I thought this was a rather good deal…"
"Give us a couple of days," Ren said, slipping his hands into his pant pockets. "You kinda dumped a lot on us."
Makoto was impressed with how composed Ren has been this whole conversation. He lost his cool a bit at the start. But after that he’s been completely relaxed, even when Akechi brought up his record.
"That… is reasonable. I will await your answer then." Akechi nodded and then turned back to Makoto. "Shall we return to the panel, then?"
"Yes…” Makoto muttered.
Though she had a feeling that Akechi would make up some excuse to get away…
And she was right. It was so… draining, dealing with the fallout. The student body was not happy with the excuse that Akechi had a work emergency and was forced to leave.
But it couldn’t be helped. She did the best she could to smooth it over.
After all of that, Makoto found herself walking towards the student council room in a daze.
Akechi… wanted to target Sae's Palace… didn't he? He brought her sister up a lot in their conversation. She had hoped desperately that it wouldn't come to this. But… it appeared that Sae… had been pushed to the edge.
Was there something she could have done to stop this? Maybe she should have tried harder to dissuade Sae… then maybe they wouldn't be in this mess. No… That was just wishful thinking. Someone would be put in charge of the investigation regardless.
As nice as it would be if she could just jump in and have Ren talk to her Shadow the way they simply dealt with Mishima-kun’s… it wouldn’t end that way. They’d have to fight her Shadow. Sae was much more proud and stubborn than Mishima-kun.
His distortion had to do with always being mistreated, low self-esteem, and used to being practically invisible. Ren (and Ryuji as well) only needed to say a few words and leave his Shadow to stew on those thoughts. That subconsciously was imprinting on Mishima-kun no doubt. But it was only receptive because Mishima-kun himself was having doubts about his actions too in reality.
Sae thought she was in the right… and she didn’t want to imagine what a worse exaggeration of that would look like inside her heart.
She knew all this. But it didn't make the idea of going into her sister's Palace, seeing visual representation of her sins… any more palatable.
The sound of the door sliding open snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up expecting to see a teacher, not Ken.
"Hey…" he greeted her before stepping inside and closing the door behind.
"Hi…" Makoto watched him step closer and take a seat next to her.
Before he said anything, Ken reached out and rested his hand on top of hers.
"I just… wanted to check up on you," Ken wavered for a moment. "Especially since the after party started."
"I'm fine…" Makoto stopped short when Ken shot her a look. She sighed before admitting, "...I could be better."
Makoto couldn’t help but look up at the ceiling as she sucked in a heavy breath through her nose. She let out a sigh, and turned to Ken.
"I just… don't savor the idea of working with Akechi-kun. He's always… rubbed me the wrong way,” Makoto admitted.
She wondered if she was letting her bias color her perception of their previous conversation. But something felt amiss.
Ken pursed his lips. "Well, I can't deny that I'm… suspicious of him, with how he abruptly changed his tune. I'm still not entirely happy with him, for what happened with Kaito."
He suddenly pulled his hand away, only to grasp her hand resting in her lap.
"I know that things are so uncertain regarding your sister right now. But… you're not alone in this. You have Ren, Anne, Ryuji, Morgana, Yusuke, Futaba, Haru…" He then coughed, suddenly staring down at the floor. "A-And you have me… You'll always have me."
Makoto felt a smile creep onto her face. Despite everything, she did feel a lot lighter at his words.
She said sincerely, "Ken… thank you."
Ken just squeezed her hand, smiling at her. "Anytime."
She should tell him… now. They were alone. Everyone was at the afterparty so nobody would walk in…
Makoto sucked in a shaky breath. She could do this… she could be bold.
"Ken, listen, I… I have something to tell you,” Makoto swallowed a lump in her throat.
When Ken looked at her in concern, it felt like her heart was going to explode.
"I…" She swallowed again. "I really, really like you. More than a friend should."
At Ken's sharp inhale, Makoto felt her heart sink. Shock was etched all over his face.
"I know that you'd never like me back." Makoto blinked rapidly.
She couldn't cry. Not here. She already got the words out; she needed to follow through. Deal with the fallout later. Get this off her chest, now!
"But… I felt that I was going to explode if I didn't tell you e-especially with Kirijo-san wanting you to go back to Port Island… and... and—I'M SORRY!" She stood up, yanking her hand away. "I'm sorry… j-just forget I said anything…"
She could hear the scraping of the chair as Ken hastily stood up.
"Makoto… wait!"
Makoto spun around to face him.
"You can't tell me anything that I don't know!" she retorted.
"That is not true," Ken insisted.
He suddenly grasped her wrist, gently pulling her closer to him.
"Because for one…" he began, suddenly blushing, "I do like you back."
Makoto just stared at him with wide eyes.
"You… You do?" Makoto asked hesitantly.
Ken just nodded slowly, his cheeks turning bright red. His cheeks were practically glowing.
"Then… why didn't you say anything?" Makoto squeaked out.
All this time… he liked her back?
"Ah, well…" Ken ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "I figured… that you'd prefer someone more like Ren…"
"Ren?" Makoto repeated. "What makes you say that?"
"W-Well, you pretended to date him before!" he protested. “And well… Ren’s… Ren.”
Makoto wrinkled her nose. That honestly made no sense to her. Ren wasn’t her type. Plus he was already seeing someone. Makoto wouldn’t crush on someone taken.
"Don't get me wrong, Ren's a great friend but he's just that… a friend. Not to mention that he doesn’t know when to quit it with his teasing…" Then she frowned. "How can you miss all the hints I tried to drop?"
"You… did?"
Ken looked genuinely confused, especially with how his eyebrows furrowed together, but Makoto couldn't help but feel exasperated.
"The King's Game?" Makoto folded her arms over her chest.
"That was a dare!" he protested, but then his eyebrows knitted together. "Wait… that time in Okumura's Palace… you and Ren were whispering to each other and you were blushing!”
“I was told to kiss someone I liked, remember?!” Makoto exclaimed then felt her face heat up. "And… because he was clearly starting to tell I liked someone and wanted to tease me!”
"Okay I’ll give you the King’s game! But what else is a guy supposed to think when they see a girl hanging around with another guy!” Ken defended.
Makoto felt herself blush even harder. True, it would look weird on the outside. But that kiss should’ve cleared things up immediately.
That was when Ken laughed, suddenly smiling wryly.
"I guess… I'm a bit more blind than I thought. The girl I wanted…” He suddenly interlocked their fingers together once more all while his smile turned warm. “She wanted me too.”
“Is that really a surprise?” Makoto couldn’t help but ask.
You had to be blind to see that several girls found him attractive, after all…
Ken just shrugged and chuckled a little.
“No girl bothered to get to know me,” he said, frowning. “They saw the cute athlete… and that was enough in their eyes.”
“That’s not true,” Makoto said, shaking her head.
She looked down at their linked hands so she could gather her thoughts.
“If they bothered to get to know you, they’d know that you try your hardest to look out for people… You’ve carried hardship since you were young… and you do your best so that others don’t suffer like you did. They’re foolish for not seeing how wonderful you are…” Makoto trailed off, biting her lip.
Why did she keep rambling? She must sound so silly…
But that was when Ken’s eyes softened.
“I think you’re wonderful too.” Makoto found herself blushing at the sincerity in his eyes. “I… feel comfortable when I’m with you. When you’re down… I want nothing more to see you smile. I know that you’ve had… turmoil over your sister, but I can’t help but admire your loyalty to her still. I… I don’t know when exactly I fell for you but… I like you, Makoto. A lot.”
“Ken, I…” The words were stuck in her throat. Makoto swallowed hard. “I really like you. I… I don’t know much about love but I... I can’t help but feel that I understand it a bit more with you…”
Ken suddenly lifted Makoto's chin up with one hand, making her heart hammer hard against her chest. "May I kiss you, then?"
"Please," Makoto whispered.
It wasn't fireworks or a choir singing, but it was nice. Really nice. She could feel Ken tentatively place his hands on her waist. She felt her eyes flutter shut as they continued to kiss. They kissed, slow and gentle, until they were both left breathless.
"Makoto… will you be my girlfriend?" he murmured.
"Yes…" she breathed out, before her smile faltered. “But… I don’t know if I’ll be a good girlfriend. This is all… very new to me.”
“Well…” Ken said with a shy smile. “I don’t exactly know how to be a boyfriend either. We’ll figure it out together…”
“Together,” Makoto repeated, her voice barely above a murmur.
She… wanted to kiss him again. She grasped the lapels of his blazer, tugging him down for another kiss. Their first few kisses had been almost tentative. But this felt so… so peaceful. She could see why people enjoyed kissing so much.
"Oi, Ken, are you done—” Shinjiro-san walked in, his voice stopping short as he just stared at them.
They hastily yanked apart, and Makoto felt the blood rushing to her face. Of course, Shinjiro-san walked in on them kissing.
For the past couple months since Makoto had met him, Shinjiro-san's almost constant mood was… grumpy. But shock was written all over his face now. His jaw was practically on the floor as he stared at them with bugged out eyes. Then he coughed, hastily shutting his mouth.
"Damn… kissin’ Nijima,” he mumbled while rubbing his temples.
His Adam's apple bobbed for a moment as he swallowed hard.
He pointed at Ken and glared. "You… are not allowed to make fun of me and Fuuka again. Ever."
Without another word, he turned around and shut the door behind him. Very firmly.
"Oh my god." Makoto pressed a hand against her burning face.
"Shinjiro-san will get over it," Ken said with a wave of his hand. "I can't tell you how many times I've walked in on him and Fuuka-san…"
Maybe she dodged a bullet with how Sae was completely uninterested in dating. But still… it was so embarrassing. Though Shinjiro-san’s… intrusion made her realize something…
“When should we tell everyone?” she asked quietly.
Ken pursed his lips. “Well… things are crazy right now. Maybe it’d be better to keep it quiet for a few days. We’ll tell them… but after things with Akechi have settled a bit.”
“I… I’d like that.” Makoto smiled at him. “I wouldn’t mind having you to myself… even if it’s just for a little while…”
The caller ID said it was Shinjiro calling. Did he have more information regarding Akechi? Hopefully so, she was waiting anxiously for more after that bombshell of a text.
So, she took the call. "Hello?"
"Mitsuru, you need to get your scientists to invent mind bleach," Shinjiro said flatly.
Mitsuru blinked. Several times.
Mind bleach… She had heard the phrase be tossed around by both Minako and Iori more than once. Usually because they saw something they didn't wish to see.
And that Amada probably could have used it after a… certain incident.
But… why did Shinjiro want it? What did this have to do with Akechi?
"What makes it so urgent, Shinjiro?" she inquired. “Does this have anything to do with your urgent text regarding Akechi?”
A silence. But then he abruptly broke it with a low growl, coming from the back of his throat.
"No… still standing by regarding that. Ken told me in a text that they told Akechi they’d give him an answer in a few days. No this is… I may have… walked in on Ken suckin' face with Niijima," he grumbled out.
Mitsuru arched an eyebrow, even though Shinjiro couldn't see.
"Is that really all?" she asked dryly.
Though… Amada and Niijima, hm? They were sitting together during the video call, if she remembered correctly… And there was the look on her face, before Niijima came up with her counterargument.
Well, this just gave her another reason to get to know the younger girl eventually. Something about her had piqued Mitsuru’s attention anyways. Possibly the mention of Niijima being the student council president, much like how Mitsuru was as a third year.
"Don't use that judgmental as fuck tone with me," he retorted.
"Is such defensiveness necessary? You've claimed for years that you couldn't wait for Amada to find a romantic partner so you could get some revenge."
His only retort was his usual "tch".
"Is there any other news regarding what Akechi said?” Mitsuru asked instead.
“Not beyond what I detailed in the text I sent to you and Aki,” Shinjiro responded crisply.
She could understand Shinjiro’s apprehension regarding this. It was very problematic.
Mitsuru leaned a little forward, holding her phone a little tighter. “What about Amada? What’s his opinion on this proposition?”
Shinjiro snorted through the line.
"Ken trusts him as much as he can throw him," Shinjiro replied bluntly. "He was perfectly clear 'bout that. He's gonna talk to Amamiya. Prolly switch the hideout to LeBlanc, like when they were targeting Sakura's Palace."
Mitsuru lightly bit the nail of her thumb. She didn’t like this one bit. But all they could do was wait for now. She was regretting not forcing Amada to come back home.
"I see…” Mitsuru sighed. “Please keep me posted, Shinjiro."
"Yeah… will do,” Shinjiro said gruffly.
Notes:
We've finally reached the beginning of the Sae arc! I'm really looking forward to this arc, and I hope you are too!
And yes… Ken/Makoto is finally CANON. Took them a year worth of chapters, but they're finally canon. I think I've been teasing this ship for a while, but I hope the slowburn was worth the wait.
But today's a special date… because it's been exactly one year since I've posted the prologue of Ace in the Hole! (On Fanfiction.net, but I posted the AO3 version on the same day, at night.) I'm still dumbfounded by the reception of this fic… We've hit over 500 kudos! Someone even recommended it on TV Tropes. So again, thank you for all of the support! And as you can see, I've commissioned ScruffyTurtles to draw Ken as Ace and he's done a superb job of it!
I also wanted to add that I've posted the PQ2 fic, Persona Q2: The Ace Edition! And again, I want to thank everyone for their support!
Edited on 11/20/25. Many thanks to my amazing beta angelrin89.
Chapter 33: Ch. 32: The Casino of Envy
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves convene to discuss the topic of Sae Niijima. During all of this, Sojiro finds out the truth of Ren and Futaba's activities.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Wednesday, October 26th, 2016
"I still can't believe you yelled that for all of the school to hear," Futaba snickered, grinning at Ren.
Ren just grinned back at her. He didn't know what had possessed him to yell, "I've always loved you!", but the look on Anne's face had been just… priceless. Absolutely priceless.
"It offered a good distraction, yeah?" Ren shrugged before pressing his hands against the back of his head.
Though Anne dragging him up to the rooftop was nice too. He would never say no to stealing some time alone with Anne.
"Uh huh." Futaba stared, unimpressed. "Suuuure. That's totally why you did it."
"I didn't say it was the only reason," Ren quipped with a smirk.
"You act like we've been partying," Morgana grumbled out, before sticking his head out of Ren's bag. "Sheesh, it wouldn't kill you to take this a little more seriously."
Futaba just responded by sticking her tongue out at Morgana. "Oh shush, Morgana!" she huffed out. "It wouldn't kill you to find some entertainment in all this. We haven't forgotten what Akechi is doing…"
"And we're back to LeBlanc again…" Morgana commented. "I do get why Ken's being cautious…" He heaved out a sigh. "…I don't know if we can trust Akechi."
"Can't forget his comment about pancakes back in June," Ren said. "Ken thinks that his story about that black masked Persona-user attacking him was… fishy."
"What do you mean?" Futaba asked.
"Ken told me a little more in depth about his encounter with the guy," Ren said, after glancing around if anyone was lurking about. "He attacked Ken without any prompting. Said some things to Ken that… triggered him to awaken to his Persona again. Sorta."
"Again?" Morgana echoed.
"Yeah, Ken's Persona was a bit different before he got into the Metaverse," Ren explained. "He could use electric skills and apparently he only had the instant-kill light spells from before. But him forming a 'contract' with Kala-Nemi caused him to develop differently, from the looks of it."
"That really is strange…" Morgana remarked. "But no matter… it's late. We should get Futaba home-"
"But I'm hungry!" Futaba all but whined out. "Let's get Sojiro to make us some curry, Ren!"
"Honestly, why didn't you eat more at the festival then?" Morgana huffed out.
But Futaba completely ignored Morgana, making a beeline for LeBlanc. "Sojiroooooooo!" she called out.
There was something… off. Sojiro was sitting by the bar, and the angle shadowed his face.
Futaba faltered at his silence, before she began to fidget. "S-Sojiro…?"
Then he sat up and the thing he held in his hand made Ren's blood run cold. "I was cleaning up…" His voice was neutral, but his expression just screamed what the hell is this?
Fuck. Fuck.
"…And I found this," Sojiro finished.
Futaba gasped, taking a quick step backwards.
"This is a calling card…" Sojiro continued, in that eerily calm voice. That was when his eyes narrowed dangerously on the two of them. "…Right? I've read about it online."
"Y-You went into my room without permission?!" Futaba squeaked out.
"I'll apologize as much as you want later," Sojiro said curtly. "So… what is the meaning of this?"
"That's…" Futaba whimpered, before she began to wring her hands.
"Is it really something to get flustered over?" he demanded. Then he bowed his head. "…I knew it. This just isn't some game you're playing." Futaba began to shake as Sojiro continued with his interrogation. "…Why aren't you saying anything?"
"You haven't been letting us," Ren interjected, and the glare Sojiro threw his way was cold enough to make his blood freeze.
"Why did you keep it?!" Morgana hissed out.
"I… I mean…" Futaba continued to wring her hands. "It was memorable…"
"Explain," Sojiro snapped out.
"It's complicated," Ren began.
"Complicated?" Sojiro echoed. "So you can't explain it?"
"Stop putting words in my mouth!" Ren exclaimed. "Dammit, Sojiro, we… we have an explanation, I swear!"
"Ex… plain…" Futaba whimpered out. Ren turned his head to see that Futaba had her arms wrapped around herself. "I…"
"Futaba!" Morgana exclaimed. Then he winced. "If this keeps up… then Futaba will…"
"I'll get to the point," Sojiro said briskly. "Is this a real one? Did they… trigger a change of heart in you?"
That was when Futaba began to sob, tear welling in her eyes before spilling down her cheeks. "Ever since… Mom died… there was no exit…"
That was when Sojiro wavered the moment Futaba said "Mom". So that was how it was, huh… Ren did have a niggling suspicion that when Sojiro had spoken of Futaba's late mother… he had feelings for her.
"I was trapped in a labyrinth of my own heart," she choked out. "I knew I had to leave it but I couldn't do it by myself…" She then pulled off her glasses and began to wipe at her face.
"Futaba…" Sojiro's expression softened. "Sit down… both of you. I should at least listen to what the two of you have to say."
So they sat down, only for Futaba to blurt out: "The Phantom Thieves saved me… from my own messed up heart…" She then leaned forward, gripping the edge of the table. "It's the same as Mom's research… they changed my cognition!"
"Seriously…?" Sojiro sighed, before his lips pressed into a thin line. "Wakaba's research… altering one's cognition. I wondered about it myself too. But still…" He stared down at the table.
"So… you always knew?" Ren asked.
"I thought it was really weird that she wanted to go to the beach all of the sudden," Sojiro admitted. "Even the doctors had thrown in the towel."
Futaba couldn't stifle her sobs again and Ren gently rubbed circles in her back. To his relief, it was soothing her.
"I had just thought… other kids could've been the support she needed. Better than any adult could offer her. But as I watched the tabloid shows, day in and day out… I couldn't help but wonder. Futaba changed so abruptly… It seemed similar to what these Phantom Thieves are doing."
Futaba let out a little gasp. "Wow…"
Sojiro readjusted his glasses, cracking a smile. "I'm still your guardian, you know. I'd never overlook such a drastic change in your behavior."
"Sojiro…" Futaba breathed.
"But still, to think that what the Phantom Thieves have been doing… and Wakaba's research… they're seriously connected—basically the same thing?" He then heaved out a sigh. "…Back in the day, I used to be a government official."
"You were with the government?" Ren said in disbelief.
"My job was to be the bridge between the government and the lab Wakaba worked at. She had quite a resume under her belt… She used to work for the Kirijo Group, you know."
"…We know," Ren said.
"…You do?" Sojiro frowned at that, before shaking his head. "…But anyhow, that's how I got to know her. One night, we were out drinking and she said something… odd to me. She said… 'I feel I'm going to die soon. In an odd way.' Who wouldn't take that as a joke…?"
"So… Mom knew…?" Futaba asked.
"I just laughed it off." His expression darkened. "But… it happened. Exactly as she said. If I had just listened to her, then maybe she would be still…" He trailed off for a moment, only for his jaw to tighten. "If anything were to happen to you, Futaba, I'd… I'd feel like I've let her down. But there's something I want to ask you…" Ren sat up as Sojiro turned his gaze to him, "judging from your reactions, you knew about this calling card, didn't you? You should've known that a change of heart would have happened to Futaba." Sojiro's eyes then narrowed. "Is there a connection between you and them?"
"Wellll…" Ren lowered his head, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't talk his way outta this. "You… You're looking at the leader."
"You're the leader?!" Sojiro sputtered out. "But then again, now that I think about it, you kept collecting friends who seemed to be connected to the people whose hearts that had been changed." He then rubbed his chin. "I just can't place your friend… the brown haired one, from Port Island."
Ren winced. "He's… the reason why we knew about Futaba's mom working for the Kirijo Group," he admitted. "Ken's acquainted with the Kirijo Group head. I… I know it sounds crazy, but with how we change hearts is by… entering a world represented by someone's cognition."
"You have that power?!" Sojiro inhaled sharply. "The power of Persona?"
"You know about that?" Futaba yelped out.
Sojiro nodded. "The government wanted to keep tabs on the Kirijo Group… and Persona-users in general." Then he shook his head. "What's a kid your age doing, connected to Kirijo like that?"
"Er…" Ren winced before mentally apologizing to Ken. "Well… Ken's actually had his Persona for… seven years."
"And he lived on Port Island during that?" Sojiro demanded. Then he sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Good god… it was during that incident, wasn't it?"
"You… you know about that?" Ren asked.
"He told you?" Sojiro sighed, shaking his head. "I… I don't know if I'm okay with this. Especially you, Futaba."
"Sojiro, please don't tell me to stop!" Futaba abruptly stood up. "B-Becoming a Phantom Thief is one of the best things that has happened to me!"
"Futaba…" Ren breathed.
"I… I have friends! Friends who have stood by me, seen the labyrinth of my heart…" Futaba laid a hand over her heart. "They've seen my Shadow, like Jungian psychology describes! They helped me remember the truth about my mom! And Mom…" Tears pricked at Futaba's eyes. "I… I have to find out the truth! I will make sure that Shido's gonna suffer for what he's done to Mom… No matter what… I swear… I'm going to make sure he regrets even thinking about hurting her! And her research… her life's work! He's going to pay for stealing it away!"
"Holy hell, can you stop dropping bombs on me?" Sojiro moaned out, burying his face in both hands. "How the hell do you know about Shido?!"
Futaba just laughed nervously. "Um… Ken told us?"
Sojiro dropped his hands so he could stare incredulously at them. "Just how much does this kid know?!"
"He's close to Mitsuru Kirijo," Ren said. "It took him a while for him to trust us with that kind of info, though."
Sojiro just sighed. "…You're really determined, aren't you?"
Futaba nodded furiously. "I can't look away. Now that my vision is clear."
"I can't either." Ren shook his head. "There's no turning back… The ship has sailed, a long time ago."
"I still can't believe it…" Sojiro sighed. "I housed the leader of the Phantom Thieves for months…" He then looked to Futaba. "…But you did help Futaba. I can't overlook that."
"Sojiro…!" Futaba bit her lip.
"…I won't lie, I was wracked with guilt after Wakaba died…" Sojiro said quietly. "I kept asking myself… what if I had done something? My past regrets about Wakaba… they keep gnawing at me in the back of my mind." He then cleared his throat, looking at Futaba. "So… in a way, I took Futaba in as a way… to atone for that."
Futaba shook her head furiously. "It's not your fault, Sojiro."
"And yet, I ran away. But here you are… standing up to people abusing authority." He took off his glasses to rub at his face. "I should be ashamed, really."
"Well… if there were more people to question things… we wouldn't be the Phantom Thieves," Ren said. "We started with Kamoshida because he was waltzing around the school like he owned the damn place… he wanted to rape Anne, all because he wanted her…"
His hands tightened around his knees at that.
"And… nobody knows?" Sojiro asked incredulously.
"There are some people," Ren admitted. Kawakami, Yoshida, Takemi… "Most of them are people who helped me out here and there…"
"But no parents or guardians?" Sojiro asked.
Ren just squirmed in his seat. "Well… there's one…"
Sojiro eyed him. "…Let me guess. It's Ken's guardian, isn't it?"
"We have a winner?" Ren asked weakly.
Sojiro sighed. "Ask him if I can talk to him about all of this… I can't get my head wrapped around this." He then stood up. "Come on, Futaba. Let's go home."
"Aw, but…" Futaba pouted, only for her stomach to start rumbling.
"I'll fix up something for her, and I'll walk her home after all of this," Ren offered.
After a moment, Sojiro nodded. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."
So he left, shutting the door behind him.
Futaba threw herself into a bar seat, letting her head flop down onto the table. "I… I thought my heart was about to explode," Futaba moaned out.
Ren chuckled, before pulling out ingredients from the fridge. "But we managed to talk our way out. That's a huge relief."
"You're telling me…" Futaba grumbled out.
"You're really determined to make Shido fall, aren't you?" Morgana asked.
Understandably, he had stayed quiet during the whole "explanation". Sojiro wouldn't have a freaking clue what Morgana was saying.
Futaba nodded furiously. "Of course! It's not just Mom, though… What he did to Mom was awful… but just look at all the crap he's pulled. He killed Haru's dad all because he was in the way and needed someone to die to blame us… He stopped the few people who could've stopped him two years ago… I want to take him down so that all of the people who have suffered because of his crap… won't have to anymore…"
Ren looked at her in surprise. "Futaba…"
"I… I have had a lot to think about," Futaba confessed. "I thought we were untouchable… It was like I was sitting behind a computer and being Medjed all over again. But… all of this was a wake-up call."
"It has been for all of us," Morgana said solemnly.
Futaba nodded. "And what Inari had been telling me, Morgana, Makoto, and Ken got me thinking… We were so confident that things were going dandy for us because so far it had. We thought it'd get us even more approval. But that's not why we should be Phantom Thieves. I… I know that I'm still not the best person I can be. Talking to strangers still freak me out. But…! I want to! I want to be the one to save people this time!"
Ren smiled at her. "We're with you… all the way."
Futaba grinned back at him, only for her to close her eyes. Then her lips parted, a word slipping out.
"Prometheus…"
"Prometheus?" Morgana asked.
"Prometheus," Futaba repeated, opening her eyes. They were bright with excitement. "That's my new Persona! It changed! Like Anne and Inari!"
"So another one for the books," Ren mused.
So far it's been three of them… He couldn't help but wonder who would be next.
"Rennn! You promised me curry!" Futaba's voice snapped him out of his musings. "Hurry before I pass out from hunger!"
Ren just chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, just you wait. This curry will knock your socks off, I promise."
Thursday, October 27th , 2016
"So… last meeting at Ken's place for a while, huh?" Ryuji flopped onto the larger couch. "Back to LeBlanc, I'm guessin'."
"Pretty much," Ken said. "I don't trust Akechi, despite all of his claims. Not to mention we have a few things around here that could implicate us."
"Like what?" Makoto asked.
"Well, our Evokers for one," Ken answered. Then his hand went into his blazer's pocket, pulling out a bronze badge. He held it up, so everyone could see it. There was a S above two crossed rapiers. "This is the badge of the Shadow Operatives. All members, including the Special Suppression Unit, carry one."
"The… Special Suppression Unit?" Yusuke asked. "What is this exactly?"
"Oh, right, sorry…" Ken shook his head. "It's a division that Mitsuru-san established within the Shadow Operatives. It's like… a back-up squad for emergencies. I was on it along with Yukari-san, Junpei-san, and Shinjiro-san four years ago. But I decided to leave it entirely because I kept trying to focus on the past and it was hindering me."
"Jeez, you must've been a serious fourteen year old," Ryuji grumbled out.
"You talk like he's not serious now," Ren quipped.
Ken huffed at the two of them for a moment, before speaking again. "Anyways, Mitsuru-san gave it back to me when I agreed to the mission." He rolled the badge in between his fingers for a moment. "But since then… they've made it… a bit more important that members carry it."
"What do you mean by that?" Anne asked.
"Mitsuru-san, Akihiko-san, Aigis-san, and Minako-san were kidnapped during the incident where we met the Investigation Team four years ago. It was only luck that we saw that we were taken. So Mitsuru-san decided to have it so that the badges had a chip imbedded inside of it, so we can track a GPS signal."
"She really pulls no stops, doesn't she?" Morgana asked.
Ken nodded before slipping it back into his pocket. So Ken carried that badge on him wherever he went, huh… Ren had no idea. "…Anyhow, Ren and I talked it over during lunch and we've agreed that it's too risky to continue meeting here. So when Akechi asks to meet, and I imagine it will be soon… we will at LeBlanc."
"We could've just discussed this over text, though…." Anne said, her eyebrows scrunching together. "Why call this meeting?"
Makoto coughed. "A-Actually… I have another reason for this. B-Because you see… There's something I need to tell you."
"Whataya mean, Makoto?" Ryuji asked.
"J-Just let me show you." Makoto reached into her bag, her hand trembling for some reason. Ren stared at her. What was Makoto doing? For a moment, her eyes met with Ken's. She then inhaled shakily, drawing out her phone. "Sae Niijima." Her voice was barely audible as she spoke.
"Result found."
Ren felt a pit form in his stomach. No… way…
"That's the Nav!" Haru gasped, her eyes wide. "Mako-chan… then that means…!"
"I know…" Makoto's voice had taken on a timid tone. "I'm so, so sorry… I just… I had hoped that Sis wasn't too far gone… that she could change on her heart on her own. I-I know that you and Yusuke went against your father figures… I should have done the same. E-Especially since Sis was threatening Boss with taking away Futaba from him." She looked over to Futaba, bowing her head. "I'm so sorry, Futaba… I should've spoken up. Probably would have saved you and Boss some grief."
Futaba was silent for what felt like ages. But then she spoke.
"…I get it."
"Y-You do?" Makoto stammered out, her eyes wide with shock.
Futaba slowly nodded. "I could've approached you guys way before than I had," she said, chewing on her bottom lip. "But… I didn't. I was scared… a-and embarrassed about asking for help."
"Futaba…" Makoto said quietly, her voice slightly above a murmur.
"So um…!" Futaba began to wring her hands. "I-I'm still mad at your sister, for threatening Sojiro like that… B-But I can understand why you couldn't speak up about it."
"And besides, everything kept piling up and up," Anne added. "We were worrying about Medjed, then we found out about Shido and then Okumura happened…"
"Furthermore, I can understand why…" Yusuke said quietly. "I know not if your sister is too far gone, as I've never met her… But if it was possible, I would have avoided fighting Sen—Madarame."
Ren winced in sympathy. After all of this time, Yusuke still have conflicted feelings about Madarame.
Haru nodded as well. "Father pushed me into drastic action. He just… would not listen to me and what I wanted… He didn't care that Sugimura was such an awful man. I don't know what your relationship with your sister is like… but I understand. Fighting your family… is not easy."
"…But if your sis's got a Palace, that's gotta be why Akechi's enlisted us," Ryuji said.
"What's he got to gain from all of this, though…" Ren said. "That's what we need to find out."
Anne nodded. "He's definitely up to something. He's been badmouthing us this whole time. He can't just do a complete flip like that…"
"So…" Morgana hopped onto the coffee table, arching his back for a moment. "Futaba. Is it possible to eavesdrop onto Akechi's phone? So we can monitor him for a bit?"
"Hmm…" Futaba chewed on her bottom lip. "I don't know… That's a bit tricky, even for me."
"Modest as always," Yusuke sighed.
"Zip it, Inari!" Futaba glared at him briefly. "But… I would have to bug his phone directly." But then her face lit up, like a metaphorical light bulb went off. "Wait! I've got it!" She began to rub her hands together. "Mwehehe, just you wait.. Akechi won't know what hit him!"
"…Are you planning on telling us, Futaba-chan?" Haru asked.
Futaba just grinned, before pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Nope! You'll find out soon enough."
"Why am I not surprised?" Ken deadpanned.
"We should make a new chat though," Ryuji said, taking out his phone. "So we can talk without Akechi lookin' at our texts."
He tapped at it for a moment, before all of their phones went off.
"…The Real Phantom Thieves of Hearts?" Anne read alone, an eyebrow raised.
"What?" Ryuji huffed, folding his arms over his chest. "You know it's true!"
"…It works, doesn't it?" Haru offered.
Ryuji just hung his head. "You don't have to say it like you pity me…"
"Well, if the shoe fits…" Morgana began.
"Ugh, shuddup, Morgana!"
"That's enough, you two," Makoto sighed, shaking her head. "But since we seemed to have covered everything… what do you say to going out for dinner tonight?"
"I'm game!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Sojiro is talking to Shinjiro-san," Ren said. "What do you think, Futaba?"
Futaba's head bobbed, her eyes filled with eagerness. "Let's do it!"
"I'd never say no to having a meal together with my friends," Haru declared. "There's just something about it… don't you agree?"
"I ask for hotpot," Yusuke said. "The weather calls for it, wouldn't you say?"
It was getting chillier. Hotpot really would hit the spot…
"Oooh, yeah, that sounds awesome!" Ryuji nodded vigorously.
"Well, it's not like we have enough food to cook for so many people," Ken said. "Just let me drop my bag in my room."
Makoto followed him with her eyes for a moment, before she cleared her throat. "Um, I actually need to freshen up. I'll be back soon."
Anne watched her leave for the hallway that Ken had disappeared into, frowning a bit. "…Is it me or are Ken and Makoto acting a little… different?" Anne turned to look at Ren, her blonde brows furrowed together.
"What are you talking about?" Ryuji scoffed. "Makoto's giving Ken goo-goo eyes again. Nothing new." He then smirked in Futaba's direction. "You're so gonna lose."
"…Lose what?" Yusuke asked.
Futaba snickered, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Wellll… we may have bet on when Ken and Makoto get their act together." Then she pointed at Ryuji. "And you can't talk. You thinking that they'll be taking all the way 'till graduation is just stupid."
"You bet on them?!" Anne demanded before whirling around to glare at Ren. "REN!"
"I mean, aren't you curious when it'll happen?" Ren quickly defended.
"You don't have to bet on it!" Anne hissed between her teeth. "Ugh, I'd expect this from Ryuji-"
"HEY!" Ryuji protested. "What the hell, Anne?!"
"You know it's true, Ryuji," Anne huffed out, shooting him a sharp look. "But seriously… when it happens, it happens."
"It seems like such a… trivial thing to gamble on," Yusuke said.
"…At least it's not hurting anyone?" Haru offered.
Morgana just sighed. "We really should get going if we're going to get to the restaurant before rush hour," he reminded. "Someone should get Ken and Makoto to hurry up."
"You're such a nag sometimes, Morgana," Futaba sighed out.
"I am not!"
Shinjiro had to admit—begrudgingly—that Sakura knew how to brew coffee. His coffee completely blew Chagall Café's out of the water.
But he didn't want to be here, sitting across from Sakura at a booth and nursing a cup of coffee. Waiting for Sakura to demand answers. But this silence was as thick as pea soup. He had to break the ice…
So Shinjiro lowered the cup to the table. "So, you know."
"I do," Sakura said, a certain tightness to his voice, "…Mister Shadow Operative."
Shinjiro snorted. "I help out Mitsuru when she needs me but I'm not a Shadow Op."
"Is Kirijo involved in this, then?" he demanded. "This Phantom Thief business?"
Shinjiro couldn't help but bark out a laugh. "Trust me, if Mitsuru could come here without Shido dangling blackmail over her head, Shido would've been a popsicle ages ago. And I'd be here, watching on the sidelines. With popcorn." He eyed Sakura. "Ken and I moved out here because Shido was stirring up shit, to keep an eye on things. This was a last resort."
"And his solution was to join the Phantom Thieves?" Then Sakura's voice suddenly broke. "He… He's only a kid. It's not right. How could you just turn a blind eye to all of this?!"
Did Sakura just imply what Shinjiro thought he was?
"You think I agreed to this without thinking?" Shinjiro snapped. He could feel his patience wearing thin. "Jumped to the call? Hell no."
Sakura just stared at him, his jaw working but nothing came out.
"You think I don't worry?" Shinjiro practically snarled out. "Do you really think I think everything's fucking dandy?"
"I-" Sakura began, but Shinjiro didn't let him continue.
"Ken's mine just as much as your daughter is yours." Shinjiro narrowed his eyes at Sakura. "And you probably think Amamiya as yours too. If you dare imply that I don't give a shit 'bout Ken's been up to again, I don't care if you've got two decades on me. I. Will. Kick. Your. Ass."
Sakura's jaw worked again, but this time he seemed to have found his voice. "Has anyone told you that you're very blunt?"
"Many times," Shinjiro said flatly, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.
"…How can you not go crazy out of worry though?" Sakura asked. "Just thinking about it is enough to give me a heart attack. Especially Ren! He's been doing this for half a year!"
"They may be young, but they're not exactly kids anymore," Shinjiro said. "The shit they've been through… stole their innocence. Besides that, I've seen them together. They may argue and fight, but they'll be there for each other thick or thin." Shinjiro raised his cup to his lips, only to grimace at the lukewarm drink. "Have some faith in them."
Silence suddenly stretched out. Shinjiro studied Sakura's face closely, but he couldn't read the older man's face. Well, he wasn't exactly as good as Minako in that department…
And then he spoke.
"First Ren and Futaba try and comfort me, and now I'm having a twenty-something lecturing me." A wry smile suddenly spread across Sakura's face. "I guess… I'll have to trust these kids, then."
Shinjiro then scoffed. "Yeah, like you can stop them."
"Is that a crack about my age?!"
Friday, October 28th, 2016
They were meeting with Akechi today.
Makoto sat in the booth closest to the door with Ken seated beside her. Haru was across from her. Yusuke was lounging against the bench where Haru sat. On the other side, Ren and Anne sat together. Sitting across from them were Ryuji and Futaba.
"…So we're gonna play dumb with 'im, right?" Ryuji asked.
"Essentially, yes." Makoto nodded. "We need to know what Akechi-kun wants, but if we give him an inkling that we know about Sis's Palace beforehand… he may look at what else we know more closely."
"I think that you can say that you knew, Makoto," Yusuke stated. "It is the truth, after all."
Makoto's heart clenched at that. There wasn't an ounce of malice in Yusuke's words. But it was a reminder that things might have gone south. Futaba might not have forgiven her.
She was already dreading when they actually went to Sae's Palace… She didn't want to see how warped her sister had become. She hadn't been there for Madarame's Palace. But she had seen how hurt Haru had been as they continued to explore Okumura's Palace, as more and more of her father's sins were unveiled.
Ken suddenly slipped his hand into hers, giving it a light squeeze. They were sitting close enough so that nobody would notice that. But it was a quick motion. Makoto inhaled as Ken drew his hand away.
She had to focus on the positive.
"Are you okay, Mako-chan?" Haru asked hesitantly.
"I'm… I'm fine." Makoto tried to smile at her friend. But before she could speak again, the door swung open and in walked Akechi.
"My, what a quaint café," he mused, looking around LeBlanc. "And yet it's so… comfortable. It feels like you could live here."
Ren coughed. "Well, I do."
"You do?" Akechi's eyes widened with shock. "That… That honestly comes off as a surprise."
"I am on probation," Ren said. He tried to sound nonchalant about it, but there was a certain tightness to his voice.
Akechi winced. "Ah… I beg your pardon, but I didn't know of that…"
Makoto pointedly cleared her throat. "Let's not dance around the subject, Akechi-kun." She looked at him squarely in the eyes, but Akechi just stared back, his expression almost… serene. "What exactly do you want from us?"
Akechi straightened up. "…You're aware of Sae-san's behavior, are you not, Niijima-san?"
Makoto's fingers curled around the edge of the table. "She is my sister," she said stiffly. "I'd have to be blind to not notice how she's changed."
Akechi winced again, before brushing his bangs out of his eyes. "Ah, forgive me. It's just… Sae-san is more than just a partner to me."
"…So, you've got the hots for her?" Ryuji asked.
Makoto opened her mouth but the only thing that came out was a strangled sound.
Sae… and Akechi? Sae… Sae would never date him!
…Right?
Good god, how could she not know… She felt like a failure of a sister for not knowing Sae's taste in partners, aside from Sae's demands that they'd excel in well… everything.
Akechi let out a nervous laugh. "You misunderstand me. Don't get me wrong, Sae-san is a very beautiful woman. But she is seven years my senior. I just meant that I've grown to care for her."
Makoto let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. That was a relief.
Akechi then let out a short cough. "But anyhow, I digress. Sae-san has put a bounty of any information she can find on the Phantom Thieves."
"…They're getting desperate," Ren noted, somehow so, so calm. "They must really hate our guts."
"Hate is a strong word," Akechi said.
"But I think Ren is rather accurate." Yusuke's voice was even. "I assume that the police was rather embarrassed of Kaneshiro's fall. Upstaged by us."
"Well… Sae-san did say that you did make us look foolish," Akechi admitted. "And as the months passed by, not to mention with…" He looked hesitantly towards Haru, looking like he was ready to speak but he was afraid of upsetting Haru.
"…My father's death." Haru's voice trembled, but only just slightly. "Please go on, Akechi-kun."
"Thank you." Akechi nodded. "…They're getting extremely desperate to close this case… no matter what. Forced confessions, falsified evidence… you name it."
"Dammit!" Ryuji hissed out, before pounding the table hard enough for it to rattle loudly. "Eff the police! They're all full of crooks! Every last one of them!"
"That's… That's not entirely true, Ryuji…" Ken said with a wince.
"Yeah, yeah, your senpai's a cop," Ryuji grumbled. He didn't seem to be in the mood to be comforted about this subject. "He's like one effin' drop in a barrel!"
"Oh?" Akechi tilted his head. "Who would this be?"
"I don't see how this is relevant," Ken replied coolly. "We're deriving from the subject."
Makoto's hands dropped down to her lap. "Sis…" she murmured, her hand tightening over her knee. "Why would you…?"
"Makoto…" Anne's voice was sad as she looked to her, her eyes filled with sympathy.
"But what do you want us to do, then?" As he spoke, Ken placed his hand over Makoto's, gently rubbing circles onto the top of her hand.
"I've heard many things of Sae-san's actions," Akechi said. "Blackmail… coerced confessions… Lately she's told me a few times that she's determined to win… no matter the cost. So, after I ventured inside the Palace… I grew curious. I entered Sae-san's name in the app and got a hit."
"Yeah… I know a little about how she likes to blackmail," Futaba mumbled out.
Makoto winced.
Futaba…
"You're not answering Ken!" Ryuji retorted. "Answer us, Akechi! This is all good and dandy, but this does jack shit unless you tell us what the hell you want us to do about it? Or do you want us to just talk about the issues like how you kept blabbering about how we kept 'disrespecting' justice? While you did shit to punish the real crooks!"
"R-Ryuji…" Morgana mumbled out. "Calm down…"
"Why the hell should we trust you?" Ryuji spat out, his voice filled with bitterness. Makoto hadn't heard him sound so bitter since…
She was at odds with everyone, back in June.
"You're all talk but you never put it into action," Ryuji finished. "You're always justice, justice, justice! I bet you have a high and mighty sense of justice because it's for the good of the people or whatever other crap you've been spouting!"
"Come on, Ryuji…" Anne mumbled out.
"You know it's effin' true, Anne!"
Anne fell silent. She had no rebuttal. But then Akechi spoke once more.
"Allow me to explain… Sae-san's sense of justice has become warped. You see, Sae-san was not always like this. When I met her roughly two years ago… she had told me her aspirations. She was well aware of the criminal justice's reputation, that it's so skewed towards the prosecution. Sae-san desired to change it from the inside."
"…Sounds like someone else I know," Ren said evenly, giving Makoto a meaningful look.
"But… she's going around blackmailing people now," Futaba said. "You're saying her cognition has been distorted? That's why she's been acting the way she has?"
"In a way, yes." Akechi nodded. "Women working in criminal justice have a great disadvantage. There's a reason why the original Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane, masqueraded as a male years ago. Perhaps Sae-san has grown jaded and frustrated due to this."
"…So we go for her heart, then?" Morgana asked. "Well… it's not the first time we've gone after a family member."
"Ah, you must be referring to Okumura…" Akechi noted, a sad smile coming across his face.
"Not just Haru," Ren said. "Yusuke thought Madarame as a father…"
Makoto just stared down. "I…" She then bit her lip. "…So Sis's sense of justice has become warped," she said. "Or has she lost it completely?"
"I know not," Akechi admitted. "I just know that Sae-san's heart… it must be changed. For everyone's sakes." Then he looked over to Ryuji. "…You challenged me on my views of justice." He then shifted his weight, so he wasn't leaning against the counter anymore, now standing upright. "It's simple, really. A man… utterly despicable had wronged me… and my mother. It had led to her premature death. I absolutely despise that man and people of his ilk. My contempt of such people… that fuels my justice."
Ryuji was silent. Akechi had… shocked him into silence.
"You have accomplished a miracle, Akechi," Yusuke intoned. "You've silenced Ryuji."
Futaba nodded furiously. "Wow, that's pretty amazing, Akechi!"
Ryuji then snapped back to reality, whipping his head back and forth so to glare at the two of them. "Ugh, shuddup, both of you…!"
Futaba just responded by sticking her tongue at him.
"But an awful adult…" Haru mused. "I had no idea you had to deal with such a thing."
Akechi just smiled sadly. "I know the media believes that I live a charmed life… but it's far from the case." Then he coughed. "But anyhow, this arrangement will also protect Sae-san," Akechi continued. "For… she is in danger."
"Danger…?" Ken asked. "What do you mean?"
"It's simple, really." Makoto fought the urge to grimace at his words. Why did Akechi always have to say something like that? He sounded so… arrogant when doing so. "You see, the culprit… will most likely target her. A mental shutdown. And then it would be pinned onto the Phantom Thieves, for they would've acted out of 'desperation'."
Even though she contemplated it before… hearing it on Akechi's lips made her heart clench. She squeezed her eyes shut. She could not cry. She could not. Ken's hand slid over hers, gently rubbing circles on the top of her hand. Makoto inhaled.
"I… I see," she whispered.
"Do you have to say it so… so…!" Anne stood up from her seat, glaring at Akechi. "God, for someone who people gush over for being so polite, you have no tact!"
Akechi winced. "Forgive me, Niijima-san, but you must understand the severity of this situation. If we take Sae-san's heart… she will both come to her senses and she'll be protected from a mental shutdown. It is a good deal… is it not?"
"I… I don't know…" Makoto mumbled out.
"Come now, don't you want to protect your sister, Niijima-san?" Akechi pressed, stepping forward. "I know you care for her a great deal."
"It… It's not that simple," Makoto said sharply. "We jumped the gun with Okumura and he paid for our mistake with his life. Do you blame us for trying to think on it first?" She then looked towards her friends. "…What do you think, Ren? You are our leader, after all…"
Ren was silent for a moment, twirling a finger around one of his curls. Then he rose to his feet to look at all of them. "I don't know if your sister is still capable of reformation, Makoto," he said flatly. "She's not shy of trying to force people's hand by blackmail. And well…" His calm smile suddenly turned brittle, his eyes turning stony. "…I'm an example of how prosecutors can screw people up so easily."
"Ren-kun…" Haru said softly, twisting around to look at him.
"I am grateful for coming here. I wouldn't have met all of you if it hadn't. But damn…" Ren shook his head. "It's messed up. Really messed up."
Morgana coughed. "…What were you getting at, Ren?"
"Huh?" Ren blinked, shaking his head. "Sorry, I got sidetracked." Ryuji and Futaba started to snicker at Ren's admission. "Hey, don't forget I'm the leader!" he huffed out.
"A dorky leader," Futaba quipped through her snickers.
"HEY!" Ren protested.
"Futaba, that's enough," Ken sighed out, shaking his head as laughter bubbled from both Ryuji and Anne. They were undeterred, even as Ren glowered at the both of them. He fell back into his seat, pouting like a little child even as Anne leaned in, quickly pecking his cheek.
"Killjoy!" Futaba called out, which just made Ken roll his eyes.
"But anyways…" Ren interjected. "Akechi's right. We'll be able to protect your sister from a mental shutdown, get her off our backs… The pros really outweigh the cons. It's really a win-win situation."
"Except for Morgana…" Anne said softly. "We… We need to find out why he's stuck in this form."
"Lady Anne…" Morgana sighed. "I appreciate your concern, but… when Ren lays it out like that, I can't deny it. We need to join forces with Akechi."
"I must concur, as well," Yusuke said. "This is our best option, and perhaps we'd be saving other people from Makoto's sister. If she's so intent on securing wins… then perhaps she has…"
"…Wait, are you saying that she basically sent innocent people to jail?!" Ryuji yelped out.
Akechi winced. "…Unfortunately, that is a high possibility." Then he shook his head, his eyes landing on Ren. "…Though, I must commend you for your… words. You certainly have a silver tongue. And a way with your friends."
Something flashed in Akechi's eyes. And maybe she was imagining it but… it almost sounded like there was a tightness in his voice.
He then pulled out his phone from his jacket pocket, staring down the screen. "Might we be able to go inside the Palace today?" he asked. "I would like to see for it myself…"
"We should really do it tomorrow," Ren said. "For one, we need time to get to where Niijima's Palace is. And it's getting late…"
Akechi sighed softly. "Well… I have to concur with that," he admitted. "So, tomorrow we will meet at the courthouse. I believe that's the most likely spot for Sae-san's Palace to form."
Makoto stood up. "If that's all, please excuse me," she said flatly.
She made it halfway to the station when a voice called out to her. "Mako-chan! Please wait!" She turned to see a panting Haru skid to a stop right in front of her. She pressed a hand against her chest as she caught her breath. "I'm… glad I caught you…"
"I'm fine, Haru…" Makoto said quietly.
"You're not," she persisted. "Mako-chan, we… we're friends, aren't we? I just… I just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you… like you and everyone else did for me. Let me return the favor…"
Seeing her earnest expression hurt. How could she accept things so easily…? Her, Yusuke, and Futaba…
"I don't understand…" Makoto said quietly.
"Don't understand what, Mako-chan?" Haru looked at her quizzically, tilting her head slightly.
"You… You accepted that you had to fight your father. That his sins were just unacceptable," she murmured. "Yusuke as well. And you still worry about me… I… I…"
I don't really deserve it.
"Mako-chan…" Haru's eyes softened. "I can't speak for Yusuke-kun, but I would've given anything so that my hand was not forced. That I did not have to fight Father. In the last few years, our relationship has soured but… I still have so many good memories of him. He was the only parent I've had, for most of my life." She suddenly grabbed onto Makoto's hand. "…I understand your conflict," she said softly. "I had to be reassured by Yusuke-kun that this was the right course of action, after we carved our path to the Treasure." She then gave Makoto a gentle smile, before pressing her free hand against her chest again. "…It's okay, Mako-chan. I understand."
Makoto bit her lip. "…It's not fair that you lost your father after all of that," she said softly. "It's really not. Especially since you wanted to make amends with him so badly."
"…That's why this is important to me," Haru said. "It may be too late for me and Father but it's not for you and your sister."
"Haru…"
Makoto's heart swelled as she looked at her friend. Haru was truly kindhearted. She couldn't think of anything else to say except… "…Thank you, Haru."
"Anytime, Mako-chan."
"Things have really escalated… haven't they?"
Shinjiro let out a weary sigh, before rubbing his face. He then looked back to Fuuka, her teal eyes filled with concern. "…Yeah. That's putting it lightly, Fuuka."
Fuuka bit her lip, suddenly silent. "What… What do you think he wants?"
"Nothing good, that's for sure," Shinjiro said flatly. "Ken and Amamiya agreed that it'd probably be better if they acted like LeBlanc was their meet-up spot. Akechi's entire story is fishy. Pretty damn close to what happened to Ken when he first found the Metaverse."
"…But Akechi… working for Shido?" Fuuka said slowly, before chewing on her bottom lip again. "Or maybe we're jumping to conclusions… He's just… so unexpected, being a detective."
Shinjiro just scoffed. "It's not like this is the first time it's happened. There's Adachi, remember?"
"That is true," Fuuka agreed.
"But look… Fuuka…" Shinjiro said slowly. "I was thinking…"
"…About what?" she asked.
Shinjiro sighed heavily. "I know you've been visiting like once a month…" he said quietly. "And I do miss you like hell when you're not here. But I don't think it's a good idea for you to do that anymore. With all this shit coming out, Shido purposefully trapping the kids… Akechi may be workin' for him… I dunno if it's safe for you to come to Tokyo anymore."
If Shido ever got ahold of Fuuka… he'd sic Aeneas on the bastard. And then punch him in the face for good measure.
"Oh," Fuuka said faintly, before her face fell. "I see… I… I can see your point…"
Shinjiro grimaced. "I… er… sorry 'bout this, Fuuka…"
"Don't apologize, Shinji," Fuuka suddenly spoke sharply, staring sternly at him. (Well as sternly as Fuuka can muster.) "I won't lie… it is disappointing," she admitted, before her eyes softened. "But you're just concerned about my safety." Then she winced. "…Besides, I'm pretty sure that my boss hates me for all of the time I've asked off. Maybe this is for the best…"
Shinjiro scowled. "He doesn't know who exactly he hired. You're worth of ten of his other employees."
Fuuka laughed softly. "That's sweet of you to say, Shinji, but… it's not true. I have a long way to go. I've only been in the workforce for a year, after all. Or even compared to Futaba-chan."
"Yeah, well, Sakura is sorta one in a million." Shinjiro rolled his eyes. "Then again, I could say that of all of the Phantom Thieves…"
"Speaking of that…" Fuuka cocked her head. "…Mitsuru-senpai's schedule cleared up enough that she was able to get dinner with everyone today… Ken-kun is dating Makoto-chan now?"
Shinjiro just groaned. He really wished that he could erase the image from his mind. "Walked in on them suckin' face…" he grumbled out.
Fuuka bit her lip, looking like she was holding back a laugh. "I see."
"Stop laughing." Shinjiro glowered at her.
"Your reaction is just very funny, Shinji," Fuuka giggled, her teal eyes now sparkling. "Have you gotten to talk to the two of them since then?"
"Well…" Shinjiro-san hesitated for a moment. "…I was thinking of askin' Ken to invite her over sometime. Y'know, for dinner."
"I think that's a wonderful idea," Fuuka said with a smile. "It'd be nice to get to know Makoto-chan, wouldn't it? Since, um… Ken-kun can't exactly get to know Makoto-chan's sister right now…"
"Lucky Ken," Shinjiro said under his breath.
"You've met her, then?" Fuuka asked, even as she shot Shinjiro a look for his small crack.
"Yeah and she's… something." Shinjiro grimaced. "But still, can't hold that over Niijima… Ken really likes her."
Fuuka just giggled. "I'm glad that Ken-kun's found someone. Though I can't imagine Junpei-kun was happy to find out that he lost the bet he had with Minako-chan."
Shinjiro just rolled his eyes. "Iori losing a bet to Minako? You act like it's something that doesn't happen every day."
"Speaking of Minako-chan… she's really curious about Makoto-chan."
"Of course she is." Shinjiro scoffed. "Maybe I should prepare Ken's will, then," Shinjiro said dryly. "He's definitely gonna to die of embarrassment once Minako can get ahold of Niijima."
"Minako-chan's not that bad."
Shinjiro stared at her.
"…Okay, she can be pretty bad," Fuuka relented. "So, when do you think you'll invite her over?"
Shinjiro then shrugged. "I guess I could ask Ken to invite her tomorrow night," he said. "Ken said that they were meeting with Akechi again tomorrow, so they can crack the code of Niijima's Palace. Ken can bring her over after they were done with all of that."
Fuuka just nodded, smiling. "That sounds good to me."
…Though, he'd better make Ken help him with dinner. Because he really did not want to see them suckin' face again. He really wished that mind bleach existed.
Sunday, October 29th, 2016
"I rarely get to see Sae-san directly but…" Akechi trailed off for a moment. "…I think I've figured out her course of action." Akechi seemed to pause dramatically. "On the twentieth, an investigation will be done at Shujin Academy, as well as the Sakura residence."
"No!" Futaba's hands clenched into fists. "Y-You can't be serious!"
"She has looked into Sojiro-san before…" Ken said quietly.
Makoto just stared down at the ground silently. She had gone completely rigid. Ken sighed quietly to himself. He wished he could take her hand or something… Comfort her… somehow.
"But that means our time limit is November twentieth…" Yusuke said through pursed lips. "Roughly three weeks."
"However… Sae-san will be pulling no stops," Akechi continued. "This has led me to believe that she won't have enough manpower until the twentieth."
…Manpower. That word made the situation more… real?
"We'll take your word for it, Akechi," Ren spoke up, before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Let's just focus on what we're here to do… infiltrating the Palace."
"I can't believe how late it is…" Anne said. "It took us ages to get here…"
"Which is why we should make haste." Akechi reached into his pocket, pulling out his state-of-the-art phone. "Shall we-"
Futaba suddenly gasped. "No way…!"
Akechi blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
Futaba suddenly jumped, snatching Akechi's phone out of his hands. "This is the model I wanted!" she gushed, her eyes shining as she lovingly stared down at the device. "You're so lucky!"
Anne then coughed. "Uhh, sorry about this, it's just…"
"It's okay." Akechi flashed her a quick smile even as Futaba exclaimed over Akechi's phone in the background. "…Sae-san told me the gist."
Makoto then looked up. "Oh, Akechi-kun, maybe we should exchange contact now? I added you to the group chat, but it'd be best if you have everyone's phone numbers, in case you need to contact just one of us.
"Maybe I can—" Akechi tried to reach for his phone but Futaba just danced out of the way. Even though Futaba was much older, Ken was reminded of how the twins would hold on tight when they wanted to play with a phone.
"…I'll message you everyone's numbers later," Makoto said with a sigh.
"Futaba-chan is certainly… unique," Haru said, lightly giggling.
"You can say that again," Yusuke sighed, shaking his head.
Though Ken noticed Morgana's eyes were affixed onto Futaba. Hmm. Was there more than what met the eye, then?
"Mmhm, you can say that again," Akechi said with a sigh. "I just hope I'm not out of a phone…"
But then Futaba stepped forward. "But man, you've got it all… good looks, state-of-the-art phone… talk about cheating."
"Um…" Akechi blinked at Futaba uncertainly.
"She's saying you're a catch," Ryuji said, before making a long pause. He then scratched the back of his head. "…At least, I think that's what it is."
"But anyways, now that's settled…" Ken folded his arms over his chest. "…We do need to figure out the keywords of Niijima-san's Palace."
Makoto closed her eyes, clasping her hands behind her. She then let out a soft hum. "Sis has called the courthouse… a place of competition where she must always win," she stated, before opening her eyes.
"…No surprise there," Ren said. "With how aggressive she's been… and I haven't even seen her in the courthouse."
"It does sound like Sae-san," Akechi agreed. "Ever since I've met her… she's fought tooth and nail to be the best… so that she may prevail."
"A competition is a match of some sort…" Yusuke said. "Perhaps a martial-arts ring?"
"Well, Sis does know kickboxing…" Makoto trailed off.
"Jeez, and with how tall she is?" Ren winced. "She must kick some serious ass."
"Well, she is Makoto's sis," Ryuji snickered.
"Come on, boys, save the banter for later!" Anne chided, before pulling out her phone. "Let's plug it in… Sae Niijima… Courthouse… Martial Arts Ring?"
"Conditions have not been met."
"How about an arena then?" Haru suggested. "Or a stadium?"
Annnd another negative.
"There are other competitions where fighting is not involved," Akechi said. "I feel that is the case here."
Futaba perked up. "It's gotta be gambling, then!"
"Racetrack?" Ryuji suggested. "Oh, maybe pachinko!"
"Does that even count as gambling…?" Ken asked.
"It better!" Ryuji huffed. "You have any idea how much money I used to blow at the arcade on those?!"
Gambling… There had to be something they had missed.
"You played cards at the school trip," Morgana said. "What was that game called…?"
"Blackjack," Ren supplied.
"Don't forget poker," Anne chimed in.
Wait a minute…
"It's a casino," he and Makoto said in unison, only to stare at each other for a moment. They then quickly whipped their heads away.
"Candidate found."
"Ah, you got it!" Haru clapped her hands together. "Good job, Mako-chan, Ken-kun!"
"That's… a bit of a trip," Akechi commented, before looking to Makoto. "I certainly see Sae-san in you," he said admiringly.
Makoto just winced. "…Let's just go inside, already."
"Sheesh, someone's impatient today." Futaba clicked her tongue.
But they slipped into the Metaverse. They were forced to sneak to the actual Palace, though. The casino was bright and flashy, almost blinding their eyes with the light.
"How odd…" Akechi mused. "Everywhere else seems to be a normal cityscape."
"Look at that…" Yusuke pointed over to the building next to the casino.
"Looks like a police station to me," Ren said.
"It is," Makoto confirmed. "I'd recognize that anywhere."
"I had no idea they were right next to each other…" Haru breathed.
"It does make sense," Ken said. "Transporting the accused to the courthouse… It'd be easier if the station is closer."
"I suppose you're right on that," Morgana said. "Still… a police station… never a good sight for a Phantom Thief."
"Our attire hasn't changed, though…" Akechi mused. "Does that mean Sae-san doesn't see us as a threat yet?"
"…You seem to have picked up fast," Ryuji said, staring at Akechi.
Akechi let out a nervous chuckle. "Forgive me, this is just my observations…"
"Correct observations," Ren said. "Kudos to you, Akechi."
"Why thank you."
"Maybe when we step inside the actual Palace, we'll transform," Morgana said. "You know that I always transform when I enter the Metaverse, so the rules don't apply to me."
Makoto then cast her gaze towards Akechi. "…Though that reminds me, we do need a codename for him."
"A name for myself…" Akechi let out a thoughtful hum. "What about all of you?"
"Well, I'm called Joker," Ren said.
"Joker?" Akechi asked, tilting his head. "Why is that?"
"Well, it's because he's like our trump card," Morgana said. "His ability to adapt… change… it's part of why he's our leader!"
"Yeah, he's amazing," Anne agreed, smiling at Ren.
"I see…" Akechi pursed his lips, before his face suddenly lit up. "Aha! I have it!" Then he smiled proudly. "I want to be called Ace."
…Well, this was awkward. Ken couldn't help but fidget a little. He looked so proud too…
"Well, Akechi-" Ren began.
"Allow me to explain!" Akechi interrupted, holding up a hand. "I have been called an ace detective, after all. And the ace playing card… it can be the highest or lowest of the card deck. The joker and ace… we'll be a perfect team!"
Maybe Akechi should be an actor instead of a detective. That was… really dramatic.
…Even if it bordered arrogance.
Ryuji scoffed. "Someone's got his head up his a-"
"Ryuji, that's enough," Makoto quickly reprimanded, before she turned to Akechi. "I'm sorry, Akechi-kun, but you can't have Ace as your codename."
"Oh?" Akechi's brow furrowed at that. "Why is that?"
"It's kinda taken already," Morgana said, before pointing at Ken. Ken just gave an awkward little wave. "And he's been Ace for months now. You need a different codename."
"Oh." Akechi seemed to… deflate. "I see. That's a pity." He then seemed to study Ken. "May I ask why you have the codename Ace, though?"
Crap. How could he talk his way out of this? He didn't want Akechi to ask questions on why he was experienced with Personas and Shadows.
"Well, it's obvious once you get a second look," Ren said silkily. He looked like he was smothering a smile. "You see, Ken's talented in many departments. He's smart, athletic, and he can even cook. He even tied with Makoto in the last two exams." He then suddenly smirked. "The only part he's a bit iffy on is his experience with g—yowch!"
"Reeeeen…" Anne said through gritted teeth as she yanked harder on Ren's ear. "That's enough."
"Thank you, Anne," Ken said dryly before staring flatly at Ren. It was hard to ignore the way Makoto fidgeted nervously at Ren's words, though. And how Futaba was snickering at said fidgeting. "Moving on…"
"It's difficult to decide on when we have not even seen the costume in question…" Yusuke sighed.
"I see…" Akechi said. "So you used your outfit as a basis for the codename?"
"Yes, several of us decided on our codenames based on our appearance." Haru nodded. "Like you saw Anne-chan… her outfit resembles a cat so she goes by Panther."
"Oh, that does explain a lot." Akechi then rubbed his chin before letting out a thoughtful hum. "How about… Karusu, then? For raven."
"Are your clothes all black then?" Yusuke asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The reverse, actually," Akechi stated. "If our codenames are to hide our identities… wouldn't that be better?"
"That makes no sense," Futaba said bluntly before she jabbed a finger in Akechi's direction. "And besides, if you saw us in action, you have to know that we all have English codenames!"
"Raven, then?" Akechi suggested.
Anne let out a nervous giggle. "I don't think I'd be able to take that seriously… There's a superhero in a show I really liked watching as a kid. Her name was Raven." She then tilted her head. "If you want a bird that's black all over… why not go with Crow?"
"Crow…" Akechi tested it, before nodding. "How fitting. Crows have a reputation of being intelligent and adaptable, you know. It suits me perfectly, does it not?"
"…Ugh," Ryuji grumbled to himself, looking away with a huff.
Ugh was right… Should he remind Akechi that crows were also symbols of bad luck?
"So we're settled, then?" Morgana asked. "You will be known as Crow in the Metaverse."
"Got it." Akechi nodded. "Shall we head inside, then?"
Lively music seemed to echo from inside of the casino, but it did nothing to calm down Makoto's nerves.
"All right, so today I'm gonna go with…" Ren scanned from between them. "Well, Makoto's a given." He chewed on his lip for a moment. "Morgana. And… Akechi."
"Understood," Akechi said firmly.
"…Let's do this," Makoto said.
So Ren led them up the rooftop, as their usual method of entry. She just… never expected Sae's Palace to be so… so colorful.
"I must say…" Akechi panted out, "I did not expect this to be so tiring."
"Oh, quit your complaining," Ryuji huffed. "You think this is bad? Just wait until a Shadow blindsides ya."
"That may be but…" Akechi trailed off. "…Don't you feel restricted by your school uniforms?"
"It's not too bad," Ken stated, before he eyed Akechi. (Well, given how he used to run around in a school uniform while fighting Shadows, of course he'd find this easy.) "…But I suppose running and climbing in a peacoat isn't the most comfortable thing to do."
"Well, we are here at least," Yusuke interjected. "Let's get inside."
Ren nodded. "Yeah, we've got work to do."
So he opened the door and they slipped inside. The moment they stepped foot inside, the familiar blue flames flared up, engulfing their clothes. They were left in their Phantom Thief outfits.
"So it appears we are now viewed as a threat." Akechi looked down at his gloved hands.
"…Dude, are you really gonna be wearing that outfit?" Ryuji asked.
"It's just what he views as a rebel," Morgana stated.
"A rebel—" Ryuji scoffed. "He looks like he belongs in a marching band! And what's with that mask?!"
"Uhhh, I think it's more of a fairytale prince," Anne said. "He kinda reminds me of Prince Charming from Destiny's version of Cinderella."
"It looks stupid," Ryuji declared. "That's not gonna help 'im blend in!"
"…Did you really just say that to Panther?" Futaba asked.
"Well… still! I think he looks dumb." He then looked at Ken. "I mean, at least Ace wears black!"
"Please don't drag me into this," Ken sighed.
"Even if he looks a little like Tuxedo Mask," Ren quipped, his usual grin on his face. "Though he could really use a rose."
Ken glowered at him for the crack. "The joke wasn't funny the first or second time, you know."
"Third time's the charm then!" Ren just smirked as Ken's indignant glare intensified.
Makoto coughed. "You look fine in the costume, Ace."
Ken faltered at that, a blush rising in his cheeks. "I… er… thank you," he stammered out, before his blush intensified as Ryuji and Futaba both started to snicker.
Though comparing Ken to Akechi, they… both had a princely look to them. Though their outfits were near flips of each other. Ken wore more black with splashes of white and orange, while Akechi wore white with embellishments of gold and red.
Though she really did prefer Ken's outfit. Ken looked really good in it. He may wear a blazer due to their school uniform, but there was something about Ken's Phantom Thief outfit that was so… dashing.
"…mental image of a person who sticks to the justice."
Wait, Akechi was speaking? Makoto quickly looked back to Akechi. Though out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ren smirking knowingly.
"Well, I think your mask is more apt to piercing than sticking…" Haru said, before she looked down to the crowd. "But that aside, the people down there look completely normal."
"But you saw the flashy signs, Noir," Futaba said. "We're definitely in a casino. This is Niijima's Palace."
"Ah, that's right, we should get Crow up to speed on cognitive beings," Yusuke said.
Ren nodded. "Yeah, that's right. So basically, cognitive beings are like… well, they're how the Palace ruler views people." He winced. "Like Kamoshida viewed Anne as well…"
"A hussy," Anne said flatly, all while scowling. "Who only existed to be Kamoshida's little cheerleader."
"Not to mention how Okumura viewed Noir…" Yusuke said darkly.
"Jeez, you're gonna throw 'im off with all those fancy terms…" Ryuji said.
Akechi let out a hum. "So, what you're saying is that… since these people look like normal people… Sae-san's view of others is surprisingly undistorted."
"You got it?" Morgana asked. "Color me impressed…"
Makoto frowned. That was… fast. Makoto's eyes traveled back to Ken, whose eyes were narrowed. He was also frowning slightly. He thought something was up… didn't he?
"But considering what I see… I find it hard to believe that this is not an ordinary casino," Akechi said. "How curious…"
"But not all cognitions are normal," Yusuke stated. "We had to fight the cognition of Futaba's mother in her Palace—"
"You had a Palace?!" Akechi gasped out, whipping his head towards Futaba.
Futaba pushed up her goggles, revealing a sour expression. "…Yeah," she said quietly. "People manipulated me into thinking that Mom killed herself because she hated me so much. I was stuck in a labyrinth of my own heart."
"They… They did what?" Akechi said faintly. "I… I knew of your mother being dead but I… I didn't realize it was that horrible. I… I'm so, so sorry."
Akechi was… awfully shaken by this. But why? Then again, Akechi had only his mother in his life, if she recalled correctly. But still… something nagged at Makoto. That didn't feel like the whole story.
"It's fine, Crow," Futaba said. "Everyone saved me from myself."
Ken coughed. "…But as Fox was saying, we fought Futaba's cognition of Isshiki-san in her Palace. We also fought a cognitive self of Noir's fiancé as well as Okumura's cognition of Noir herself. And we should be careful. Not everything is what meets the eye."
"…I wonder if Sis has any cognitive beings herself, though," Makoto murmured.
It could be anyone… Maybe Sae's boss, the SIU director. Akechi. Herself. Maybe even…
Their father.
She remembered envying Futaba for getting to say goodbye to her mother. Her father was suddenly ripped away from her too… She longed for the chance to say goodbye.
"…Queen, don't," Haru murmured. Her voice was soft, but there was an urgency to it. "Try to focus on what's important."
"…You're right," Makoto sighed. "It's not… right to focus on that."
"But is this what you have to go through every time?" Akechi asked, turning to Ren.
Ren nodded. "Yeah. Are you ready, Akechi?"
"I am somewhat nervous…" Akechi admitted. "But I want to rise up to the challenge."
"Just don't slow us down," Morgana told him. "Everyone plays their part in the heists."
"I will not allow that to happen," Akechi declared, pressing a hand to his chest. "I will prove myself vital to the operation, just you wait…!"
Makoto exhaled quietly, before her hand clenched into a fist. She couldn't explain it but his tone just… irked her. Ken caught her gaze before quickly rolling his eyes.
But then a movement caught her eye. Haru was twirling her index finger near her temple, before looking towards Akechi and then away. Since Akechi was looking straight at Ren, he wasn't noticing Haru's gestures. Makoto had to bite her lip so she wouldn't start laughing.
Morgana looked at the two of them sharply for a moment, before speaking. "But anyways, we should head inside. We're here to infiltrate, not talk, after all!"
"We do have our work cut out…" Yusuke mused. "We need to cut a path to the Treasure… and we need time to deliver the calling card to Niijima."
"So the calling card is a necessary step?!" Akechi gasped, unexpectantly pumping his fist. "I just thought it was for show!"
"…Yeah, it is," Ren said. "But come on, Mona's right. Let's do this!"
So they took off, jumping from ledge to ledge. They were blocked from using the door they had found, but Ren looked back and forth before running to the wall and crouching. "Vent time, guys," he announced.
"Well, I think math class is a huge pain in the ass," Ryuji said with a smirk.
"Isn't it always?" Ren quipped before diving inside.
"I didn't expect us to do this at all," Akechi gasped. "I must say… it's impressive that you caught sight of that, Joker… Just how did you do that?"
"Trade secret," Ren said, a grin in his voice. "Sorry, can't tell ya."
Akechi looked like he wanted to protested but Ken nudged him in the side, signaling him to enter the vent.
It took them a while to pop out of the other side, but then Sae's voice cut through the air.
"Welcome. Come on out, petty thieves."
"She can see us?!" Ryuji yelped. "Oracle, you didn't sense her?!"
"Hey, I'm not in scanning mode right now!" Futaba retorted.
"You're after the Treasure, are you not?" Sae asked, breezing past their bickering. "Come on down, and I will tell you where it is."
Makoto squinted. Sae was wearing… a black dress. And a big hat.
"That's an obvious trap!" Morgana shook his head. "We're not gonna fall for that!"
Sae then chuckled. "It's not a lie. I want to do this fair and square."
"…There's gotta be some catch," Ken said with a frown.
"You're not going to run, are you?" Sae called up to them.
Ren gritted his teeth. "I guess… we can't really run," he sighed.
So they jumped down and approached Sae, who was flanked by two security guards.
And Sae's Shadow… she looked… er, interesting.
Bold, black eyeliner circled her bright gold eyes. The big hat on her head had bright yellow roses, with a couple of playing cards tucked into the large blooms. And the dress… Sae usually dressed so conservatively. But the dress she wore had a sheer cover, with the cut showing off her clevage.
"The Treasure is located on the Manager's Floor, at the highest point of the building."
Like Ken said, there had to be a catch…
"But why are you telling us this?" Makoto asked.
"It's as I said before…" Sae shrugged elegantly. "I wish to go about this in the fairest manner possible."
Lies. Makoto's stomach clenched, just looking at her sister's Shadow. She wanted to protest—say something—but the words were stuck in her throat.
She wanted to ask: What changed? How could you spit on Dad's ideals so much? Do you even care about Dad anymore? She had so many questions and yet… she couldn't voice any of them.
Sae continued, "First, I ask that you come up to my location. We will continue this there…"
Then she snapped her fingers, making herself and the guards disappear.
Ryuji ran over to the railing, and they quickly joined him. Ryuji swore under his breath as he leaned over. "Dammit, that's cheating!" he shouted as the elevator ascended to the next floor.
"That's enough, Skull," Akechi said. "We must give chase."
"I do feel that something's up though…" Ren said before he heaved out a sigh. He rubbed his face for a moment. "But I guess we have no choice."
They hurried down the stairs and Ryuji pressed the button to go up.
"Authentication required. Please insert your member's card."
"Are you for real?!" Ryuji growled out before furiously jabbing at the button.
The automated voice kept playing again and again, before Ken grabbed his wrist. "…I don't think that will work, Skull," he said dryly before releasing Ryuji's wrist.
"Then what the hell are we supposed to do then?!" Ryuji cried out, before banging the glass door with a fist.
"Hmm…" Akechi rubbed his chin. "Casinos usually have a membership system called a player's club. Some locations are limited, based on your rank. Perhaps it is the same here."
"Where can we get such a membership then?" Haru asked.
"Something tells me it's not that simple…" Yusuke said. "…As it always is."
But then a Shadow suddenly stepped out, making Haru yelp.
"Annnnd here we go," Ren drawled out. He drew his dagger from his belt, tossing it in the air and deftly catching it by the hilt.
"It really won't be easy for us," Akechi mused.
"She must be challenging us… to challenge the security to make it to her," Yusuke stated. He then shook his head. "Bah. I should've known…"
The Shadow then transformed into well… a bipedal leopard, a sword in each hand.
"No need to worry," Akechi spoke up, staring at the Shadow. "I do need to prove myself to you all, don't I?"
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Ren asked. "We do things as a team, after all."
"Persona!" Futaba called out, summoning her Persona. But a gasp caught her attention.
Makoto turned around to see Futaba disappear into a glowing orb, rainbow flames flickering around it. "Oracle, your Persona!" she gasped out.
"Hehe!" Futaba chuckled. "Prometheus and I have your back!"
"Hah." Akechi smiled confidently. "Your aid is appreciated, but not need. Just watch." He then stepped forward, tearing off his mask. "Take them down, Robin Hood!"
His Persona leapt forward at Akechi's command, swinging his bow to send it crashing against the Shadow's head. The force was strong enough to make the Shadow crumple to the ground.
Ren let out a low whistle. "Damn, impressive." He then looked towards Makoto and Morgana. "Let's destroy him!"
They lunged forward and decimated the Shadow. Morgana then whipped around, giving Akechi a little nod. "Not bad for your first bout."
"And I'm capable of much more," Akechi said with a pleased smile.
"Is modesty part of the list?" Ken muttered under his breath.
"I beg your pardon, Ace?" Akechi asked.
"One victory is all well and good," Ken said dryly, "but you can get too cocky. I assume that you want to go after more Shadows?"
"Well…"
"Ace is right. We'll get ambushed and worn down too easily," Ren said.
"…Very well." Akechi gave a little nod. "I'll follow your lead then. Let's call it a day."
With winter rapidly approaching, it was getting dark faster. So it was nearly pitch black when Makoto and Ken made it back to his place.
She… didn't know what to think about Sae's Shadow. But she knew that it was going to get worse…
Fair and square… Except she didn't intend to… did she? Not with how she wasn't above to falsifying evidence to get the conviction she needed… Not when she so desperately wanted to capture the Phantom Thieves. No matter what the cost.
Ken was just inserting the key into the lock when he suddenly turned slightly. His hand stilled, and he turned to look at her. He didn't speak, just silently stepping forward and hugging her close.
Makoto curled into his embrace, before mumbling out, "I'm sorry…"
"Don't apologize," Ken murmured to her, suddenly cupping her cheek. His thumb brushed against her cheekbone for a moment. "I… I know it's difficult. I saw how hard it was for Haru to see her father's Shadow. And I know you look up to Niijima-san."
"There's so much I want to ask her," Makoto mumbled out as he lowered his hand. "What… What happened to her? I used to admire her so much. Her drive to change things from within… She wanted to punish criminals. And now she… I don't even know. I'm afraid of how she'd react to me being part of the Phantom Thieves."
Ken sighed quietly at that, suddenly smiling sadly at her. "Makoto…"
"I've accepted that she needs to be stopped," Makoto said. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "But… god, I don't want her to have gone off the edge. I want to believe that there's still good in her heart. That she still believes in justice… I didn't want it to have to end like this…"
"Futaba changed her heart for the better," Ken said. "Maybe there's hope for Niijima-san still. I don't know. I don't really know your sister that well…"
Though she would have to fix that… eventually. She would have to tell Sae that she was dating Ken at some point but… not now. She didn't even know how Sae would react to that kind of news, if she was being honest.
Makoto gave him a tiny smile. "Thank you, Ken."
Ken shrugged. "I really didn't do anything."
"You're there for me… that's more than enough."
Makoto then pushed herself on her toes, looping her arms around his neck and kissing him.
One of his hands slowly went to her waist, while the other cradled the back of her head. Makoto had to admit that she didn't really see why people enjoyed kissing so much but she… she understood now. His touch felt so good and she didn't want it to end. Maybe she could see why people enjoyed open-mouthed kisses so much-
But then the sound of someone clearing their throat pulled Makoto back to reality. Makoto pulled back to see that Shinjiro-san was staring at them, looking as flustered as she'd ever seen him. No… his expression was more… are you kidding me?
Makoto then let out a nervous chuckle, even as her face flushed at being caught. Again. "H-Hello, Shinjiro-san." Then she cursed to herself for her voice suddenly cracking. She hastily took a couple steps away from Ken. "We… um… we were just…"
He then scoffed. "Yeah. Swapping spit. I got a good eyeball of that." He then sighed heavily, before rubbing his face. "Is this gonna be a thing now?" he asked flatly.
"You're one to talk," Ken grumbled under his breath.
Shinjiro-san glowered at him. "Are you really gonna start this? Now?"
"Let's see…" Ken began to tick off his fingers. "I've walked in on you and Fuuka-san on the couch countless times. And the time you burned dinner because you two were… occupied with each other." Ken then gave his guardian a flat-eyed stare. "…Do I have to go on?"
"I've walked in on you two twice already," Shinjiro-san fired back. They really could go forever, couldn't they? "You've been together for half a week."
"Ah, um…" Makoto cleared her throat. "I-Is there a reason why you left the apartment?"
"Yeah." Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes. "Because someone had texted me that they were entering the building and I was wondering what was holding you two up."
"…Oh," Ken muttered.
"Yeah. Oh," Shinjiro-san repeated snarkily. Then he sighed. "…Just come inside," he grumbled out. "It's getting pretty late and I'm guessing you haven't eaten since lunchtime."
"We had a lot going on today," Ken defended.
"Yeah, yeah…" Shinjiro-san huffed, turning so he can head back inside. "Though I guess I should be glad that neither of you have fainted from lack of food."
Ken rolled his eyes at him, before he slipped his hand into Makoto's. "Sorry about this," he muttered. "Shinjiro-san has a tendency to, well…"
"It's okay." Makoto then squeezed his hand. "…I don't mind."
She really didn't… She was a little nervous about talking to Shinjiro-san almost one on one, but the bickering between him and Ken… alleviated things a bit. Hopefully… this dinner would help her keep her mind off of her sister's Palace.
Notes:
Sorry about the wait! I got Fire Emblem 3 Houses at launch, and it ate into a lot of my free time. The PQ2 fic is more streamlined (and shorter) which is why it was updated earlier this month. Things also went a bit slowly, because I was working on a couple of Ann Takamaki Week pieces.
And the little joke about Akechi wanting the Ace codename... It's actually a bit of an inside joke with my friend angelrin89. You see, she has a lot of good ideas of tweaking Akechi's writing. And one of them is that his codename is Ace, and some of her reasoning is brought up by Akechi in this chapter.
But I hope this nice and long chapter made up for the wait!
Chapter 34: Ch. 33: The Plan
Summary:
Futaba planting the bug on Akechi's phone bears fruit, revealing that he and Shido are plotting to kill Ren. So in turn, the Phantom Thieves hatch a plan to prevent this, all while throwing Shido off their scent.
Notes:
WARNING: there's a mild sex scene in this chapter. It's not explicit, but I thought I throw out a warning in case you're not comfortable with those kind of scenes. If you want to skip it all together, I suggest you check out the version on fanfiction.net.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Monday, October 31st, 2016
“They suspect nothing, Shido-san.”
Shido eyed Goro carefully. “So they’re really fooled, aren’t they?”
Goro nodded firmly. “Yes. They’ve let me join their ranks without much resistance.”
Shido scoffed in response to Goro’s answer. “They truly are children, aren’t they?” he asked, twirling a pen in between his fingers. “What a bunch of gullible fools.” Then he met Goro’s gaze. “…So tell me about the leader.”
“His name is Ren Amamiya,” Goro answered, pausing at Shido’s… perplexed expression. “A second year attending Shujin Academy. He is under the custody of Sojiro Sakura, and is on probation. For how long, I’m not sure… But it appears he must’ve committed a serious crime to be put on probation.”
“Or just your typical delinquent,” Shido scoffed, unimpressed. “Is there any other standouts?”
“Well…” Goro hesitated for a moment. He hadn’t missed the way Amada looked at him suspiciously during his story. “There’s… Ken Amada.”
Shido stilled for a moment, but then he narrowed his eyes at Goro.
“Don’t just stand there and gawk,” he said acidly. “Tell me about him.”
“Well… he’s a transfer student from what I’ve garnered,” Goro explained. “From Port Island especially…”
“Port Island…” Shido repeated, his hand closing around the pen he had been toying with before he hissed out, “Kirijo. This is her doing.”
Goro frowned. “The incident from 2009? Surely he wasn’t involved… We were both children then.”
Goro had done his best to look into his information, but it was frustratingly veiled. The most he had been able to dig up was that he had been under the guardianship of a man named Shinjiro Aragaki since 2012.
“Don’t let him fool you, Akechi,” Shido said silkily. “Kirijo was a mere child of eight when she awakened to her power, according to my sources. It’s possible that he may have been involved then. Kirijo despises me.”
He then scoffed, not bothering to hide his disdain.
“That woman should just stick to what women do best.”
“Of course, Shido-san.”
Goro plastered on a pleasant smile even though what he really wanted to do was take the gun in his pocket and shoot him in the face. But he couldn’t… he needed his revenge.
And of course Shido would think that. He wouldn’t have tossed his mother like yesterday’s trash if he didn’t think otherwise.
“But anyhow, keep tabs on Amada,” Shido continued. “We have no concrete proof yet… but I want that to change.”
Goro bowed his head. “I will, sir.”
There was something about him that… nagged at Goro anyways.
“Now then…”
Shido steepled his fingers, looking straight into Goro’s eyes.
“Let’s talk about how we’re going to cripple those thieves once and for all.”
Tuesday, November 1st, 2016
Futaba had called for a meeting. Ren couldn’t help but be surprised that she found something that fast. It had been what… three… four days since she planted the bug?
“How bad is it?” Ren looked towards Futaba.
Futaba swallowed hard, before pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
“…Just listen,” she said.
She then fiddled with her laptop for a moment before a recording began to play.
“So you’re sure that you have their trust?”
Ren froze at that voice. It tugged at his memory. But… why?
Anne gently touched his wrist, snapping him back to reality. Right. He had to focus…
Akechi suddenly scoffed. “I fed them a sob story about being wronged by authority, just like them. They fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. They don’t suspect a thing.”
“Maybe we should’ve named him Rat, instead of Crow,” Ryuji hissed, only to be quickly hushed by Makoto.
“So the plan will go as planned,” Shido said. “The Phantom Thieves will follow their usual routine. But instead of them escaping to safety… we’ll ambush them.”
“Indeed. I ’ll make up something… so they’ll confront Sae-san on the nineteenth. And your men will be mobilized, so we can corner them.”
“Once we eliminate the leader… the Phantom Thieves will be easy pickings.”
…Well, shit. He’d knew that Akechi was up to something but… Akechi and Shido wanted to kill him.
“…Eliminate?” Haru whispered. “I… I thought it was bad but…!”
Anne’s hand slid down to take Ren’s hand, her grip tight. Ren quickly squeezed back, to reassure his girlfriend that he was still here.
“So how will you do it?”
Akechi hummed. “Let me see… how about we say that he stole the guard’s gun and committed suicide? Too prideful to remain in captivity… So better die with some pride before he’s properly interrogated.”
“He’s one to talk about pride,” Yusuke said lowly.
“Very well. Do not fail me, Akechi.”
“Do not worry, Shido-san. I have a particular room I’ve got in mind. The incredibly small interrogation room. Public security questioning will occur on the first day… and with that room, my task will be simple.”
“And what about the guard stationed there? There will be questions for him. Questions he might not be able to answer without arousing suspicion. Is he on our payroll?”
“Yes, the guard will be one of ours. I’ll take him out, do not fret. And thus, the dangerous criminal responsible for the mass mental shutdowns shall end his own life. When he does, you will become a great hero who saved Japan from evil. As will I, of course.”
“You worry about sealing the deal for now instead of fantasizing of being seen as a hero. Don’t you dare screw this up or you’ll suffer the consequences.”
“Don’t you worry, Shido-san. This plan is foolproof.”
Then the recording went dead.
Ren just stared. He should have known that there was a catch. Akechi’s deal… it was too convenient. Not to mention his fishy behavior.
There were too many things that added up. He was the culprit.
“I want him… to pay for this,” Ren growled out. “He’s scum! Utterly despicable!” He drew his hand out of Anne’s so he could ball both into fists.
“You’re not the only one…” Futaba said flatly. “If he’s the culprit… he killed Mom. I… I…”
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. But she reopened them, they were burning with anger.
“I want him to pay for everything he’s done ,” she hissed out.
“And he killed Father’s Shadow, right after we defeated him,” Haru added.
She squeezed her eyes shut, her shoulders trembling. Yusuke reached out, placing it on her shoulder.
“He… He took away the chance I had to fix things with Father…” She then opened her eyes, revealing them to be devoid of Haru’s usual warmth. “I won’t forgive him for this.”
“Futaba, Haru, you both need to calm down. We can’t be impulsive with this,” Ken warned.
The unspoken words hung in the air: We can’t afford to this time.
“I… I’m sorry, Ken-kun, but I…!”
Haru then stopped short, before she bowed her head.
“…You’re right. We… We need to focus on how to save Ren-kun.”
“Just how are we going to fool Akechi.” Yusuke then swallowed hard. “Not to mention Shido…”
“Okay, we need to look at the facts,” Makoto said slowly. “It seems that Akechi is going to ambush us… which means he’ll bring in a police force from reality.”
“…Is that even possible though?” Anne asked tentatively.
Morgana stated, “Non-Persona users have been brought into the Metaverse countless times. Of course, all of you awakened, but there’s no rule that you have the… what’s the word…”
“We always called it the potential,” Ken said.
“Right, the potential,” Morgana said with a nod. “You don’t necessarily need the potential. But anyhow, the bottom line is that Akechi and Shido are looking to corner us.”
“He’s a disgrace to the Detective Prince name,” Yusuke said, his bottom lip curling in disgust. “Not to mention how he’s been working with Makoto’s older sister and yet he’s…”
“A crazy murderous maniac?” Ryuji offered.
“Aptly put, Ryuji,” Yusuke chuckled out, but it was… halfhearted.
“But we need a way to get both Akechi and Shido off of our backs,” Anne said, before she crossed her legs. “Or else they’ll keep coming after us…”
She then gulped, her expression worried.
“But Ren especially.”
Ren swallowed hard. He tried to joke around, to put his friends at ease. But this time? He had nothing. Death… seemed to be staring at him, right in the face. And it was terrifying.
Holy hell, how did Minato-san accept that he was dying so easily? He didn’t want to die. Murdered by Akechi, of all ways to go… Not to mention Shido said that they were going to target everyone else… Panic was welling up inside of him. He had nothing—what were they going to do?!
Hifumi still easily trumped him at shogi. He was no chessmaster. He… He was doomed, wasn’t he?
“The police station…” Futaba murmured.
“…What?” Morgana asked.
“The police station is part of Makoto’s sister’s Palace,” Futaba said, a spark suddenly lighting up in her eyes. “Remember how Yusuke pointed out that there were different buildings aside from the casino, that looked completely ordinary. And Makoto confirmed it.”
“Okay, but how does that help us?” Ryuji asked impatiently. “Breaking Ren out is totally doable for us, but that doesn’t help us with Shido breathin’ down our necks!”
Futaba scowled at him, hopping to her feet and jabbing her index finger in Ryuji’s face.
“Let me finish!” she said sternly.
She then began pacing back and forth.
“Just think about it…” she said. “Makoto brought up cognitive selves that her sister conjured up. What if… we tricked Akechi into shooting a cognitive Ren?”
“A… A cognitive Ren-kun?” Haru echoed.
“We need to figure out what interrogation room Akechi is talking about,” Makoto said. “And… plant the cognitive Ren, so to speak?”
Futaba nodded furiously, her purple eyes growing bright with excitement. “Yeah! Akechi will think he’s killed Ren, but it’s really the cognitive self!”
“Wait, wait, wait, back up, Futaba,” Ken interjected. “They’ll be dragging Ren to the real world for this.”
“You underestimate me, Ken!” Futaba made a face at him. She then pulled her phone out of her parka’s pocket. “Look, I can activate the Nav remotely. Been experimenting a bit—”
“Of course you have,” Yusuke sighed.
“Shush, Inari!” Futaba grumbled out. “And then I just… need some kind of signal so I know when to drag Akechi to the Metaverse!”
“Maybe…” Ken pursed his lips, doubt written all over his face.
“I think it’s a good plan,” Haru said.
“…We would need Makoto’s sister to show Ren’s phone,” Yusuke said. “Furthermore, if this is to work, we can’t steal her Treasure. But we need to fool Akechi in that we are…”
“Okay, so we gotta make a decoy then,” Ryuji said. “Makoto, you think you can make somethin’ like that?”
Makoto bit her lip. “I think… I have an idea on what would work,” she said. “A briefcase… with something inside.”
“…But there is a catch with this, isn’t it?” Morgana asked.
Futaba winced. “Ren… you know already, don’t you?”
“I need to be captured by the police… don’t I?” Ren said quietly.
“Ren, NO!” Anne leapt to her feet, her blue eyes wide with panic. “You… You can’t be serious…!”
Ren then looked between all of his friends, before he looked to Anne. “It won’t be easy,” he admitted. “This plan… is crazily risky. But if we can pull this off, then this may be just what we need to pull the wool over Shido’s eyes. It’ll protect not just me… but all of you.” He then drew a deep breath. “…I’m in.”
Anne looked like she wanted to protest some more, but she just plopped back down into her seat, her eyes becoming listless.
“Okay, we need to determine the interrogation room, then,” Futaba said. “Should we all just go in tomorrow then?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Haru answered. “Shido may have eyes everywhere. If we continue to meet together like this… Shido may think it suspicious.”
“So a small group, then,” Ren said.
“I can check,” Makoto said quietly. “Who wants to join me?”
“I can,” Ken answered.
“Me too!” Haru chimed in.
“So the senpai, huh?” Ryuji tried to crack a smile, but it was too bright. “What do ya think, RenRen?”
Ren nodded. “That sounds good to me too. Makoto, Ken, Haru—just report your findings over the group chat. That sound good, everyone?”
His answer were several solemn nods.
Ren then stood up. “Good. Dismissed, everyone.”
Everyone slowly trickled out. Even Morgana, after Anne murmured something to him. Morgana then ran down the stairs, calling for Futaba to wait for him.
But Anne remained seated, her rosebud lips puckered in a melancholy frown.
Ren winced, before walking up to stand behind Anne. He brushed one pigtail out of the way, caressing her shoulder. He hoped that it could comfort her, even just a little.
“Look, Anne, I—”
“I don’t like this plan, Ren,” Anne said. “The idea of it failing terrifies me.”
She then abruptly stood up to face him, tears sparkling in her eyes. She then suddenly latched onto him, burying her face against his shoulder.
She began to sob, her tears soaking his shoulder. “I can’t lose you... I can’t. You mean so much to me…”
Ren’s hands slid to her waist, hugging her close.
“Anne, I’m sorry,” he murmured, taking a moment to inhale her sweet scent. “I’m sorry that I can’t guarantee anything.”
He then tilted her chin up before kissing her.
He said firmly, “But I’m gonna do my best when my part comes. I want to come back to you. I don’t want to leave you and everyone.”
“Ren…” Anne choked out, only for her expression to suddenly steel. She then pushed herself up to her toes, kissing him fiercely.
Ren held her close, kissing her just as fiercely. All of his senses drunk in Anne. Somewhere along the way, they stumbled over to his bed. Anne straddled his hips, tugging down his turtleneck’s collar so his throat was exposed.
“Anne.” Ren grabbed onto her wrist. “Wait—we may… uh… go a bit too far…”
Anne’s eyes then softened, and she slid away from him. She tucked her legs underneath her. “Ren… I’m ready,” she said seriously. “We’ve been dating for nearly three months… I love you. And… this kinda was a wake-up call. I want to experience everything with you…”
“Are you sure?” Ren pressed. “I don’t want to rush you into anything.”
Anne shook her head fiercely. “You’re not.” Then she looked at him pleadingly. “Ren… please,” she whispered. “I know we haven’t really talked about it but… I really want this.” She then bit her lip. “I… I want you.”
Ren then scooted closer to her, leaning in for a kiss. His teeth grazed against her bottom lip, drawing a breathy little moan from her.
“I hope you’re ready then, my lady,” he murmured, silently thanking Ken for buying condoms for him. Ken had been adamant that Ren take them, before emphasizing that he had no excuse for unprotected sex now.
“I am,” Anne murmured back, desire burning blue fire in her eyes.
Ren carefully unbound her pigtails, letting her hair fall in waves. Anne’s hands slid themselves in his hair, tugging as they leaned in for a kiss again. He slowly pushed Anne down onto the bed, before Ren moved down to press light kisses along her jawline and then nipping down her throat.
They spent a long time just exploring, gradually peeling their clothes off of each other. He wanted to burn the memory in his mind, Anne’s breathy I love you, all the little sounds she was making, how her bare skin felt underneath his hands…
He had never slept with someone before, his only ‘experience’ being sex scenes from movies and overhearing other boys bragging about scoring. But he thought that he was doing something right with how Anne gasped out his name. And… well. He discovered that he was into getting his hair pulled. A lot. He let Anne set the pace… he didn’t want to do anything that made her uncomfortable. And the way Anne touched him… simply made his skin burn. Her hands trailed a blaze everywhere she touched.
“Ren… no hickeys,” Anne gasped out, squirming underneath him as he nibbled at the juncture where her jaw met her neck. He had discovered a long time ago that it was a sensitive spot for her. “I have a shoot in a couple days…”
Ren just pulled away, smirking at her. “Well…” he drawled out, “I suppose I’ll have to leave them where nobody will look.” He then gave her bare breast a squeeze. “Like here, perhaps?”
“Ohh, just you wait, mister…” Anne groused out. “I’ll get you for this…”
“I don’t see you complaining, my lady,” Ren snickered, before replacing his hand with his mouth.
She certainly didn’t complain after that. And he thought that it felt nice to touch her breasts without any clothes in the way… But using his mouth beat that, hands down.
…Though Anne wasn’t lying when she swore that she would get revenge. Ren was used to being in charge, but damn, it was hot when Anne took initiative. Hecate may be her Persona now, but Carmen clearly left a mark on his girlfriend’s soul.
It seemed like ages before he ripped open the condom, but it felt so worth it. There was no need to rush. Their pace was slow at first, but gradually sped up. She was more than able to keep up with him, her hips rising up to meet his thrusts.
But after they finished their lovemaking, Anne quickly fell asleep. But not Ren. As happy as he was to share this moment with Anne, all he had found out today loomed over his head. He still was scared that the plan may not work. So much depended on this plan.
Ren drew Anne close to him, inhaling her sweet scent for a moment before kissing her on the temple. Sometimes it felt surreal that he had only know Anne for roughly half a year. His coming to Tokyo really felt like a lifetime ago.
This plan… it was risky. He couldn’t deny it. But he was going to do his damn best to make sure it did succeed.
“This idea is rather risky.”
Shinjiro huffed at her, giving Mitsuru his almost trademark flat-eyed stare. “You don’t have to tell me twice, Mitsuru,” he retorted.
Mitsuru stifled the urge to roll her eyes at him, before she lounged against the back of her chair. She crossed her legs, before brushing a stubborn strand of hair out of her eyes. “…So, I assume that you asked Amada that you’d be the one to tell me because you have an idea to… tackle this issue.”
Shinjiro just gave a little smirk in response. “This was what I was thinking… the biggest part that bugs me is how they’re relying on Niijima to accept the phone from Amamiya. And Sakura would then use the phone to drag Akechi into the Metaverse. And I dunno if they can really rely on her.”
“You speak as if you’re well acquainted with Sae Niijima,” Mitsuru remarked, arching an eyebrow at him.
Shinjiro just scoffed. “Just the couple times I’ve talked with her are enough,” he groused, folding his arms over his chest. “She’s a real piece of work.” Then a smirk formed on his face. “Reminds me a little bit of how you were a total prissy princess when we first met.”
Mitsuru felt her face flush. “I may not have held myself with as much decorum as I should’ve… but you’re one to talk,” she retorted. “You were picking fights with Akihiko left and right!” She then inhaled, to try and calm herself down. Shinjiro truly had a talent in knowing which buttons to press. “…So, what’s this idea of yours?”
“I thought… why not have someone else drag Akechi into the Metaverse?” Shinjiro said simply.
Mitsuru’s eyes narrowed. “…And who would that be that someone?”
Shinjiro just snorted. “We know a couple Persona-users in the force,” he said nonchalantly—well, as nonchalantly as Shinjiro could pull off. “Take your pick.”
Mitsuru pursed her lips. Akihiko or Satonaka… “Well, we have until the twentieth,” she said finally. “I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with asking Akihiko, though. Minako would only be weeks away from her due date.” She then tapped her chin. “…Well, I suppose I could bring the idea to Akihiko and Minako. No promises on that…” She then exhaled. “…Though there’s Satonaka as well. I can pull some strings, so Satonaka will be able to slip away.” But then she frowned. “…Though I wish there was a way for us to monitor this,” she muttered out.
“There is,” Shinjiro said.
“Oh?”
“Kujikawa’s having a concert on the eighteenth,” he stated. “Thanks to Sakura’s hacking, we know that Shido and Akechi are planning on springing the trap on the nineteenth. That means Amamiya will be taken into custody on that day. We can hide Kujikawa in a more secluded area, and she can be mission control from a distance.”
Well… colored her impressed. “You’ve certainly put some thought into it.”
Shinjiro just responded with a shrug. “Kinda have to, with the stakes we’re dealin’ with.”
…She wished that he was wrong. That he could afford to be wrong… But they couldn’t be complacent. They had to stay involved. Not with the lives of the Phantom Thieves at stake.
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016
Haru wasn’t quite sure what she was expecting but the police station was just so… plain. Gray walls. Identical doors…
“What do you think, Queen?” Haru asked, turning to face her friend. “You’ve mentioned that you visited your sister here before…”
Makoto just gave a little nod, before folding her arms over her chest. “It definitely looks exactly the same to me…” she trailed off for a moment, before she shook her head. “…I remember getting rather lost, when I brought Sis a bento lunch.” She then grimaced. “…She has a bad habit of forgetting to eat lunch. If you let her, she’ll eat a granola bar for her lunch. So, I would make lunch for her so she would get the proper nutrition.”
It was Ken’s turn to grimace.
“…She sounds like Shinjiro-san’s anti-thesis,” he muttered. “We still need to track down that interrogation room.”
“It’d be in a dead end, wouldn’t it?” Haru asked.
Makoto just pursed her lips.
“I assume so. But I think we should check every room, just in case. We don’t want to loop around, because of an assumption.”
“Let’s split up, then,” Ken suggested. “We can cover more ground that way.”
Makoto nodded. “That sounds like a good plan.”
They all chose a nearby room. The room Haru chose was an office. It was all very… bureaucratic. Very standard. A desk, files neatly stacked on top… A bookcase, filled with law books. Not even a framed picture to hint who this office belonged to.
That was one off the list, at least…
Haru then stepped out of the room, just in time to see Ken disappear into the room Makoto went into. Haru couldn’t help but frown. Maybe he was checking up on Makoto?
Would it be… awkward to enter the room? Should she wait for them?
“…this is definitely Sis’s office.” Makoto’s voice floated from inside.
“I see,” Haru heard Ken say.
“There’s one difference, though…” Makoto said. “There… There’s a picture of us with Dad here…”
Panic spiked inside of Haru. She shouldn’t be eavesdropping! It was wrong! Haru wrung her hands for a moment, before she took a deep breath. She quickly knocked on the door.
“Um, Queen?” she called, before turning the doorknob. “Ace? I’m coming in…”
She then pushed the door open, only to see Ken take a hasty step away from Makoto. They had been… standing awfully close to each other… Haru quickly shook her head. She was… imagining things. She turned her attention to Makoto, who was clutching a picture frame so tightly that her knuckles were nearly white.
“Queen?” she asked.
Makoto pursed her lips together.
“…This is my sister’s office,” she said quietly, before she stared down at the picture frame in her hands. “But… I found one difference.”
Wordlessly, she extended her hand. A silent invitation for Haru to take it. So she gently took it, looking down at the wooden picture frame.
To the left, stood Niijima-san. She looked like she was in her early twenties. Her silver hair was tied up in a high ponytail. Her smile was reserved, but her eyes… they told a different story. They shone with pride and accomplishment. Haru had noticed that there was almost an air of… exhaustion to the real life Niijima-san.
In the center was a man with Makoto’s dark brown hair, cut neatly, and his eyes matched his hair color. He beamed at the camera, pride radiating from him.
And to his right was Makoto. She was… fourteen? Fifteen? Definitely in junior high. Her hair was slightly longer back then, a dark blue headband pushing her bangs out of her face. She looked more… lighthearted. Haru had to wonder what exactly happened to cause Makoto to change in demeanor.
“…This was during Sis’s graduation from law school,” Makoto said softly. “Just a few months before… before Dad died.”
Haru bit her lip. “…I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
Makoto squeezed her eyes shut.
“I just want her back.”
Her voice suddenly broke, and she seemed like on the verge of tears. She then shook her head.
“I… I’m s-sorry. It’s one little thing and I just had to be set off… What is wrong with me?”
“Don’t degrade yourself.” Ken suddenly grasped Makoto’s wrist, his gaze gentle as he looked at her.
Haru couldn’t help but fidget a little bit. She couldn't help but feel a little awkward.
“There’s nothing wrong with feeling upset over this,” he said sincerely.
Why didn’t they just… do something about it? At least she had a reason for not speaking up about her crush. Ren was happy with Anne… and sometimes it was hard to see Ren casually flirting with Anne. But they were happy together… and that was the important part.
But Ken and Makoto did not have that excuse. Maybe she should take a leaf out of the movies’ books… Haru wasn’t a big fan of romance movies (it had no substance), but locking a couple in a room should work, right?
“…But why is it here?” Makoto asked quietly. “I visited Sis right before the Sunday before the festival, to ask Akechi-kun if he could come be the guest speaker. Sis doesn’t have this picture in her office in reality…”
“Maybe…” Haru began tentatively, “…it’s on her mind then.”
“What do you mean by that?” Makoto asked.
Haru traced the frame with her index finger. “Your father was a police officer, right?” At Makoto’s nod, she continued. “He strongly believed in justice… Maybe your sister knows, deep in her heart, that she shouldn’t be doing this. Abusing and twisting the law… manipulating the evidence, so it’s in her favor. Maybe she still remembers what she wanted, when she became a prosecutor in the first place.”
Makoto pressed her lips together until it formed a thin line. “I… I hope you’re right.”
But that was when footsteps sounded. Haru’s heart thudded hard as she exchanged panicked expressions with her friends. Just who was here?!
Then the person appeared in the doorway. It… It was Goro Akechi.
“Akechi-kun?!” Makoto gasped out. “Wh… What are you doing here?”
“Oh, Niijima-san,” Akechi greeted.
His smile wasn’t his usual charismatic smile. It seemed more… genuine.
“I didn’t know you were visiting. Are you here to bring Sae-san a bento lunch today? Oh, and did you bring these two with you today? This is certainly a first."
“Yes!” Makoto blurted out, enthusiastically nodding. “H-Have you seen Sis? I er… haven’t seen her anywhere.”
“Unfortunately, no,” he answered, shaking his head.
Akechi-kun couldn’t be this gullible…
Wait. They had explained cognitive forms to her when they encountered Father's cognition of Sugimura. Was he...?
“I was hoping that she would be here but…” He heaved out a sigh, a small frown forming on his face. “…Sae-san has been in and out so much. She’s really been running herself ragged.”
“It’s the Phantom Thieves case,” Ken stated. “She really is keen on finding them.”
“It’s not that simple...” Akechi-kun suddenly trailed off. “I’m not privy to everything but… I get the feeling that Sae-san must succeed… or there will be consequences.”
“Consequences…?” Haru asked.
Akechi shook his head. “Again, I don’t know everything. But I can’t help but worry…” Then he flashed Makoto a charming smile. “At least she has a kind sister to look after her.”
…Huh? Where did this come from?
“I… ah… thank you…?” Makoto asked slowly. She looked almost… bewildered by his words. “It’s nothing, really…”
Makoto’s discomfort was… palpable. Haru couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable herself. Haru quickly averted her eyes, before her eyes landed on Ken. Her friend had his arms folded over his chest as he scowled rather darkly at Akechi-kun.
“Oh, please don’t downgrade it, Niijima-san,” he said. “I’m especially envious when Sae-san receives a bento lunch from you. I would love to receive a handmade lunch from you.”
Was… Ken’s eye twitching? She wasn’t imagining it, was she? Though Haru couldn’t help but feel a bit… unsettled by what Akechi-kun was implying. Because well… usually a family member would do that…
”It’s nothing special, really,” Makoto protested. Her stance was completely rigid. “I know that I could improve my cooking so much…”
“It still would be nice to receive it from you,” Akechi-kun said, flashing Makoto yet another smile. He then took Makoto’s hand, even though she was still rather stiff. “Though perhaps I could settle for a d-“
“You keep your hands off her!”
There was a flash of black, and the next thing Haru knew, Akechi-kun was lying flat on the ground, out cold. There was a growing welt on his face where Ken had punched him.
Without another word, Ken then stormed off. Haru looked down at the unconscious Akechi-kun. At least that solved one thing… Though er… that didn’t answer a whole lot…
“Queen… what was that about?” Haru ventured.
“His behavior…” Makoto frowned. “I think… he must be Sis’s cognition of Akechi-kun.”
Haru’s eyes widened. “She truly views Akechi-kun as that…?”
Makoto then sighed, closing her eyes. “Well… sometimes I think that Sis prefers his company to mine. I can’t tell you how many times she’s called me, saying that I should just eat by myself. Because Akechi-kun wants sushi for dinner or the case was too important and she and Akechi-kun really needed to look over this.”
“Mako-chan…” Haru said quietly.
Though his behavior towards Makoto… did Niijima-san hope that they would end up together?
“It’s fine. I’m more concerned about what he said, regarding about Sis’s worry of there being a consequence for failure…” Makoto then bit her lip, before shaking her head. “…I’m going to check up on Ace,” she said.
“Oh, let me come with you, then—” Haru began.
“Just let me talk to him first,” Makoto said. “It’s okay… It’ll be quick.”
Without another word, she then left to go find Ken. Haru frowned. No… it didn’t feel right. She had to check up on them… Especially since she was pretty sure that Ken had punched the cognitive Akechi-kun for getting too comfortable with Makoto out of jealousy.
So she left the room, searching for wherever Ken had went. Her search took her down another corridor. She found that the door was left slightly ajar, so she quietly pushed it open to see that Ken and Makoto were in a room that was definitely not an office.
“I’m fine,” Ken said tersely.
“You’re not,” Makoto insisted, grabbing him by the shoulder. “You… You….” She trailed off for a moment. “…Wait a minute. Are you jealous?”
…Huh? The way Makoto was talking, it was like…
Ken stiffened at that. “I’m not…” he mumbled out. Makoto then narrowed her eyes, before punching him in the shoulder. The force was strong enough to send him stumbling a few steps. “Ow!” He massaged his shoulder for a moment. “What was that for?!”
“You think I’d ever go for Akechi-kun?” The distaste was clear in Makoto’s voice. “He’s degrading, rude behind a mask of politeness, not to mention arrogant.” She then stepped closer to Ken. “How do you think I feel about the girls?” she added quietly.
“…You know I don’t like the girls’ attention.”
Makoto gave a small huff, folding her arms over her chest. “And I wouldn’t like something similar from Akechi-kun.” Then she lowered her arms. “I thought I made myself clear..."
Ken then looked to her before taking one step closer to her. Then he lowered his head to kiss her. Makoto’s fingers slid through his hair as he drew her closer, hands on her waist. What… How long has this been going on?!
Then a strangled sound reached her ears. It took Haru a moment that it came from her. She immediately clamped a hand over her mouth, but… it was too late.
They instantly yanked apart, both of their heads whipping towards her direction.
“I… um,” Haru stammered out, before she stepped closer to the two of them, “I know you said not to follow—and are you really together?!”
That was when they blushed, their sheepish smiles being the only answer Haru needed.
Haru beamed at them before catching them both in a hug. “I’m so happy for the both of you,” she said, before she smiled knowingly at Makoto. “So much for just being friends, hmm?”
“That… That was before I realized it!” Makoto’s blush deepened at that
Haru giggled for a moment, before she frowned at them. “…But why the secret?”
They exchanged a look, before Ken rubbed the back of his neck. “Well…” he said slowly, “it’s not like we intended to keep it a secret forever… Just until things calmed down with Akechi.”
“Oh,” Haru said quietly. “So how long have you been together, then?”
“Um, a week,” Makoto answered.
“That’s not as long as I thought,” Haru admitted. “Though…”
“Though…?” Ken repeated warily.
“After we find the interrogation room, I’m calling a meeting,” she announced. “You’re telling everyone else!”
They both immediately paled at that.
“S-So soon…?” Makoto stammered out.
“Yes.” Haru folded her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”
“…Of course not, Noir.”
“So… what’s this meeting for?” Ryuji asked. “I thought you were just gonna confirm if we’re all good over text? Right, Ren?” He turned his head to see Ren was absentmindedly playing with Anne’s hair. Ryuji groaned. “Helloooo? Are you back on Earth yet?”
“Huh?” Ren snapped to attention. “You say something, Ryuji?”
Futaba just burst out laughing at the chagrined expression on Ryuji’s face.
…Sometimes he swore that he needed a spray bottle for the two of them.
“Sorry, buddy, it’s just been… a long day, you know?” Ren shrugged weakly. “Hearing the gossip about us…”
“At least our class doesn’t join in on the gossip,” Anne offered.
“Uh huh, that’s why you were getting all cuddly in front of us!” Ryuji retorted.
“Ahem!” Haru cleared her throat, before looking pointedly at both Ken and Makoto. “Ken-kun and Mako-chan have something to tell you, though.”
Ken coughed into his hand. “It’s just… well—”
“Ken and I… have been dating for about a week,” Makoto blurted out.
There was a silence. For about ten seconds. And then—
“HA!” Futaba crowed, jumping to her feet. There was a victorious grin on her face as she held out her hand expectantly. “I win! Pay up, suckers! So much for me losing, right?!”
Somehow, Ken was not surprised. His girlfriend, on the other hand…
“You… You bet on us?” Her face skipped turning pink, jumping right to bright crimson. “This… This is just unbelievable!”
“I’m not,” Ken deadpanned.
“WHAT?!” Makoto whipped around to face him, incredulity written all over her face. “They… They bet on us, Ken!”
Ken just shrugged. “Maybe I’ve been desensitized, then. Junpei-san and Minako-san would bet over everything under the sun…” He then grimaced for a moment. “They even bet over whether or not I would find a girlfriend by the time I graduated from junior high. Junpei-san was sure that he’d win…”
Now that had been embarrassing.
“Good thing that he lost that bet, huh, Makoto?” Ren called out, his typical smirk on his face.
“Did… Did you really see it all coming?” Makoto asked.
“Uh, duh,” Futaba said flatly. “You were always giving Ken heart eyes. Ken was just too dumb to see it.”
“Hey!” Ken protested.
“Well… Ken-kun… you have to admit that you were rather dense about Mako-chan’s affections,” Haru said delicately. “It wasn’t like she was subtle about it.”
“Haru!” Makoto gasped.
“Well, it’s not like Haru’s lying…” Anne trailed off.
“You all are horrible,” Makoto grumbled out.
Ryuji snickered. “Well, I may be three thousand yen poorer—”
“You bet three thousand yen over this?!”
Ken made a mental note to never tell Makoto about some of the crazy bets Minako-san and Junpei has made over the years. Makoto would probably get a stroke.
“—but I’m happy for ya!” Ryuji said hastily, before flashing them a thumbs up. “It’s ‘bout time!”
“A fine match,” Yusuke declared. “But I must ask that I—”
“No,” he and Makoto chorused, their voices firm.
“What?!” Yusuke sputtered. “But you didn’t even hear me out!”
“We don’t have to,” Ken said flatly. “You wanted to paint us like Adam or Eve, didn’t you?”
“That’s—” Yusuke’s jaw dropped, before his eyes seemed to bug out of his head, “—how did you know?!”
“It’s not like you’re subtle about this kind of thing, Yusuke,” Morgana grumbled out.
That was when the door opened, and Shinjiro-san stepped inside. “Sheesh, you’re making a huge ruckus,” he grumbled out. “What’s going on?”
His friends called out various greetings, before Anne said, “Ken and Makoto were just telling us that they’re dating now. Did you know yet?”
Shinjiro-san just snorted. “Didn’t have to be told,” he grumbled out. “Walked in on them suckin’ face already. Twice.”
“Twice?!” Ryuji burst out laughing. “In just a week?!”
“Oh my…” Haru started to giggle, though at least she had the grace to try and muffle her giggles by holding a hand to her mouth.
“Great… there are two now,” Morgana grumbled out.
“Can’t keep your hands to yourself, huh?” Ren smirked. “Wouldn’t have pegged you two to be like that.”
“You… You of all people can not say that!” Makoto protested.
“Shinjiro-saaaaan…” Ken groaned out, dragging his hands down his now burning face. “Why.”
Shinjiro-san’s only response was to smirk. “Payback’s a bitch, Ken.”
Sunday, November 20th, 2016
Amamiya was getting close to wrapping up his story. Sae wasn’t sure if she believed his fantastical story. Amamiya may be drugged and he seemed utterly convinced in his story… but it was just so… so bizarre. Sae still struggled with wrapping her mind around it. And the idea that there were other groups of “Persona-users” was even more ludicrous. Especially the fact that Mitsuru Kirijo supposedly led a secret government unit staffed by these so-called Persona users.
But then Amamiya seemed to space out, his dark eyes glazing over. Sae snapped her fingers in front of his face, making him flinch.
“Hey… are you still with me?” she asked, before crossing her arms. “You entered my Palace. What happened after that?”
Amamiya blinked slowly. He pressed his forehead.
“It's hard to remember,” he slurred out.
Once again, Sae cursed the fact that those fools drugged him. It wasn’t enough to just inject him once. No, they injected him five bloody times.
“Oh. I do remember something."
Sae eagerly leaned forward, waiting for what he would say. However... it wasn't what she had expected. At all.
"Ken and Makoto finally started dating."
It took a moment for it to sink in.
Makoto and that Amada boy… they were what?! Makoto was far too young for that kind of relationship! And Aragaki… he-
Wait. That was months ago. And according to Amamiya, Amada and Aragaki had moved out to Tokyo in June. She had met Amada in August. And since then, three months would have passed… sufficient time for Makoto to develop feelings for the boy. Had she really been so neglectful that she wouldn’t notice her little sister having romantic feelings for someone?
Sae gritted her teeth for a moment, before she clutched at the edge of the table. “Tell me everything you know,” she demanded. “How long have they been together?!”
Amamiya just blinked at her, as if he didn’t comprehend. “Er… A few weeks?”
A few weeks… so Makoto hasn’t been sneaking around her for months at least. But still…! How could Makoto not tell her?
“Would you have cared?” Amamiya’s eyes suddenly focused on her. “If she came to you and told you about this?”
“I…” Sae’s voice suddenly caught in her throat.
Why couldn’t she answer? Of course, she would have! Makoto was her little sister, her flesh and blood. Her only remaining family. She remembered holding Makoto as a newborn. Their mother had been sleeping, completely spent from labor. But their father had crouched in front of Sae, before he said something.
“You’re a big sister now, Sae. You’ll always look out for her, won’t you?”
Sae swallowed hard. Except… she hadn’t. She hadn't realized that Makoto had reached out to the Phantom Thieves. And a small nagging voice in the back of her mind couldn't help but ask: Was Makoto a Phantom Thief?
And now… she apparently was in a romantic relationship with someone for weeks.
…Though she wasn’t sure what kind of person this boy was, especially with that rude guardian of his…
“I… need answers.” Sae stood up. She had to speak to Makoto about this, she needed a confirmation—
“…Aren’t you forgetting something?” Amamiya asked, tilting his head. “What happened to interrogating me?”
Sae gritted her teeth. Blast it… he was right. Especially since the clock was ticking. She forced herself to sit. She’d deal with this new… tidbit later.
“…Fine. Continue with your story.”
Thursday, November 3rd, 2016
“More and more paperwork…” Ken grumbled out, before running his fingers through his hair. “I swear the faculty just loves to dump their work on you.”
Makoto just laughed softly, giving her boyfriend an amused look. “You didn’t have to accompany me today, you know. You could have gone home after school.”
Ken shrugged. “Between schoolwork and our… extracurricular activities… I should take the time I can get with you.”
Makoto couldn’t help but blush. While there was no denying how charismatic Ren was, she couldn’t help but prefer Ken’s thoughtfulness. It was just… sweet.
“…Flatterer,” she managed to mumble out, turning her head away so Ken wouldn’t see her blushing like a lovestruck schoolgirl.
“Just speaking the truth,” Ken said, almost nonchalantly, before he turned her face back to look at him. Then he leaned in for a short, yet sweet kiss.
But then Makoto pulled him in for another kiss. Every time Ken kissed her… she felt so warm. He seemed to wait for her to set the pace. Though she couldn’t help but wonder it would be like to sit in his lap while kissing him-
Then two piercing sounds interrupted their session. Oh, for the love of…
“I thought Ren said that we’re not going to the Palace today,” Ken grumbled out, reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone. “I asked him earlier this morning, when I ran into him at the train station…”
“Well, you know Ren,” Makoto sighed. “He usually takes at least a week before we go into a Palace…”
And while she understood why Ren did that, she couldn’t help but feel especially antsy this time. They had over two weeks to tackle Sae’s Palace…
But she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow as she read the text message, which happened to be from Ryuji. “It’s Ryuji… He says that we shouldn’t be sitting on our hands?” She shook her head, chuckling quietly. “…Somehow, I feel that those aren’t Ryuji’s words.”
“Most likely Morgana,” Ken summarized, before he reached for his bag. “We’re pretty much done here, aren’t we? We better get going before we get bombarded with text messages.”
After Makoto slipped the finished paperwork into a folder and slipped it in her bag—she’d take care of the last bit at home tonight—she stood up. Then Ken took her hand.
Makoto’s fingers curled around Ken’s palm as they walked out of the school. Holding Ken’s hand felt… nice. She remembered that it had felt… awkward holding Ren’s hand, during their stint of fake dating. But it was completely different when she held Ken’s hand.
She then let out a soft sigh, looking up at her boyfriend. “This is nice,” she said softly. “Things have been really crazy since well…” She heaved out a sigh. “…Akechi-kun joined us.”
Ken’s grip just tightened at that. The plan… she couldn’t help but second guess it. Was it good enough? It had to. Ren would die if they failed…
“But then again…” Ken said suddenly, “…things are always crazy for us.”
“…Can’t argue against that.” But Makoto’s lips quirked up in a smile. She appreciated him trying to change the subject a bit. She needed to have faith. If she didn’t believe in the plan, they would be doomed to fail. “Sometimes I can’t believe the reason you moved out here was because you wanted to keep tabs on the Phantom Thieves.”
Ken rolled his eyes at her, giving a small huff. “Look at who’s talking. You weren’t exactly on good terms with everyone when I first moved out here.”
Makoto just looked at him with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. He just had to remind her. She knew that he said it all jest, but still…! “You…”
“Are absolutely correct?” Ken asked, raising an eyebrow. She didn’t know if she wanted to smack it off or shut him up with a kiss. “Why yes, yes I am.” Makoto let go of his hand, before socking his shoulder lightly. “Ow.” Ken rubbed his shoulder, but Makoto knew perfectly well that it didn’t hurt him.
“Ren’s really a bad influence on you,” she grumbled with a shake of her head. “And don’t even pretend that hurt. I barely hit you.”
“I’ve seen what you can do when you’re trying.” Ken gave her an amused smile. “Even when you’re not trying, you hit hard.”
It was Makoto’s turn to huff. “Oh hush.”
But they fell into a companionable silence. Makoto didn’t mind though. His company was enough. Though Ken pulled out his phone, texting someone—Shinjiro-san, she presumed.
“Texting Shinjiro-san?” she asked. They were meeting up, after all.
Ken let out an affirmative hum before giving a small nod. Then he pocketed his phone. “He wants to know if you want to come over for dinner tonight.”
“Oh…” Makoto’s eyes widened for a moment. “I’d love to.”
“I’ll let him know,” Ken said with a smile. But then his brow suddenly furrowed, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Makoto couldn’t help but frown. Was something wrong?
“…Hey, Makoto?” he asked.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Nothing’s wrong.” He gave her a small smile. “I just…” he trailed off for a moment. “I was wondering if Ren doesn’t call us to go into the Palace on Sunday… do you want to do something together? Just the two of us?”
“Oh!” Makoto’s eyes widened. That made perfect sense now that she thought about it… “Ohhh…” Then she blushed, before fingering the hem of her skirt. Their first date…! That was exciting to think about, even though Makoto couldn’t help but feel a little nervous at the same time… “I’d love to…” She smiled at him shyly. “But what were you thinking…? Like, dinner and a movie?”
“Ah…” Ken’s eyebrows furrowed together.
Makoto couldn’t help but feel a spike of panic. That was the typical date set-up, wasn’t it? Or maybe it was just… too boring? She should’ve suggested something more interesting-
“That sounds nice but…” Ken said slowly. “I was thinking… Seaside Park.”
Makoto blinked at him. “Seaside Park…” she repeated.
Did he remember their discussion at Destinyland? That was awfully sweet of him.
Ken frowned. “W-Well, if you don’t feel up to it, your suggestion is-“
“Nonono!” Makoto blurted out, waving her hands back and forth for a moment. “F-Forget I said dinner and a movie! I don’t even know what’s even airing right now!” She then coughed, all while blushing furiously. There were people staring at them… She was practically shouting, after all. “I-I mean, that sounds great.”
Ken smiled gently at her. “I’m glad.”
Makoto then cleared her throat, an embarrassed flush still burning in her cheeks, before looking towards the train station, which was in sight. “We should probably get going… see what exactly Morgana has in mind for us.”
What a long day… Makoto didn’t know why she felt so spent. She even ended up sleeping on the train.
“Makoto, this is our stop.” Ken was shaking her awake.
Makoto blinked her eyes open. “I… I’m awake.”
“I can see that,” Ken chuckled, before taking her hand. His grip then tightened on her hand as they squeezed their way out so they wouldn’t get separated.
“Sorry for being so tired,” Makoto stifled a yawn. “I just… This bout in Mementos was so… exhausting.”
“Don’t feel bad,” Ken reassured. “Mementos is tiring. Though spending so much time in Tartarus sometimes made you sick. At least Mementos doesn’t have that.”
Makoto wrinkled her nose. “Tartarus really seems rough.”
“Oh, you don’t have to tell me,” Ken said. “It had nearly three hundred floors.”
Makoto cringed. “I hope Mementos doesn’t have nearly as many floors.”
Ken huffed out a laugh. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
They then entered the lobby. It took a couple of minutes for the elevator to reach the bottom floor. Once they were inside, Makoto leaned her head against Ken’s shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair, the sensation drawing out a pleased hum from Makoto.
The elevator eventually pulled to a stop, before the doors slid open. Makoto straightened up once they did, following her boyfriend to the door. Ken opened the door after a moment of fishing through his bag for the key.
“Shinjiro-san, I’m home,” he called out, before he toed off his shoes. Makoto slipped off her boots, neatly setting them by the door.
“Hey,” Shinjiro-san called back, though his attention was on the stove. “Good timing. Dinner will be done in a few.”
“I’ll make tea, then,” Ken said.
Again, Makoto was struck with the domesticity. Last time she was over for dinner, Shinjiro-san had dragged Ken into helping him with dinner. They bickered, Shinjiro-san griped about how he caught them in the hallway, and yet Makoto could sense the affection underlining his gruff attitude.
Makoto couldn’t remember the last time she had gotten a home cooked meal by someone else, before she had met Ken. Dad did his best, but he could only manage the most basic meals.
Makoto then shook her head. She was a guest. She should try and offer some help…
“Should I set the table, then?” she offered, stepping closer to the kitchen.
“If you wanna.” Shinjiro-san then pointed to a drawer. “Plates are in the cabinet above. If you’re not feeling up for tea, we’ve got juice in the fridge.”
“No, tea’s fine,” Makoto answered.
And as Shinjiro-san promised, dinner was served within a few minutes. Just smelling it made Makoto’s stomach rumble. She had no idea what Shinjiro-san did to make his food taste and smell so good. He really was capable of magic in the kitchen.
“So…” Shinjiro-san looked between them. “…You two look like crap. Was it that bad today?”
“Thanks, Shinjiro-san,” Ken huffed out before rolling his eyes at his guardian. Then Ken blew at his tea, before taking a careful sip. “Mementos is Mementos, I suppose. It’s tiring. It felt like we stayed there for the longest time.”
Makoto nodded. “It was just… rough today.” She then lifted a morsel of food to her lips. “Though I suppose it’s a relief to handle that cheating Shadow…”
It was… odd, speaking of fighting Shadows with someone else aside from her friends. While Sojiro now knew of Ren and Futaba being Phantom Thieves, she doubted that either of her friends brought it up and discussed it with him.
Shinjiro-san snorted. “Fighting Shadows will always kick your ass. Dunno why Mitsuru and Minako wanna do it as part of their job.”
Makoto’s brow furrowed together for a moment. Ken had explained what the Shadow Operatives were, but she was still confused about some things…
Ken then paused in eating, looking at her. “…Is something the matter, Makoto?”
“Oh no, it’s nothing wrong!” Makoto waved her hand. “It’s just… well, the way Shinjiro-san’s talking makes it soun like he’s not a Shadow Operative.”
“I’m not,” Shinjiro-san answered. “Outta all of us, only Minako and Aigis are full timers. Mitsuru’s got the Kirijo Group to worry about, so she usually defers leadership to Minako. Aki, Takeba, and Iori are part of the reserve team, since they rather focus on their jobs and in Takeba’s case, her kids. I guess Ken could be considered a reserve too with this mission.”
Makoto blinked. “…Not you and Fuuka-san?”
“Fuuka-san still helps out,” Ken said. “She’s the reason why we knew of the Shadow activity in the first place.”
Shinjiro-san nodded. “Yeah, Mitsuru asked her to do scans, after Kamoshida confessed.”
Fuuka-san… sounded really powerful, regarding her scanning capabilities. Tokyo was rather far away from Port Island. She couldn’t help but wonder how Futaba compared to her two older counterparts.
“But what about you, Shinjiro-san?” Makoto couldn’t help but ask.
Shinjiro was about to take a bite of food, but he put down his chopsticks at Makoto’s question. “I’ll help out if I’m needed, but I don’t go chasing after that kind of life. Feels more like an old part of my life.”
Would… she ever feel that way about being a Phantom Thief? Would she look at it as a closed chapter when she was older? The thought… unsettled her. She just… loved being a Phantom Thief. It brought her freedom.
“…But anyways, enough on that.” Shinjiro-san looked straight at Makoto. “…Ken’s mentioned to me that you wanna be a cop.”
Makoto gave a little nod. “That’s right… I was thinking about how corrupt the system is. And I… I want to change that. I don’t want to live in a society where it’s the norm for the police force to look away.”
Shinjiro-san’s expression then… shifted. It was more neutral before but now… he almost looked… impressed?
“Well, color me impressed… You really wanna change things, huh?” Then his expression darkened. “…Unlike a certain someone I can name.”
“Shinjiro-san…” Ken began, exasperation edging in his voice.
Makoto winced. “…Sis really hasn’t left a good impression, has she?” she asked quietly.
Shinjiro-san just grunted. “You can say that again,” he deadpanned. “Has Ken told you that Aki’s a police officer too?”
Makoto blinked before turning to Ken. “That’s Akihiko-san, right?”
Ken nodded. “Yeah, that’s Akihiko-san.”
Shinjiro-san then snorted. “Though sometimes it’s weird thinkin’ about it… He used to tussle with punks all the time for…” He wavered for a moment. “…For bullyin’ someone who didn’t deserve it.”
“And like you didn’t jump into said fights,” Ken said wryly.
Makoto found herself relaxing, listening to Ken banter with Shinjiro-san. She learned things that Ken had never spoke of, like how Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san had grown up together in the same orphanage. Or how Akihiko-san traveled the world for two years after graduating from high school. Makoto was almost sorry to have to go back to her apartment. While Shinjiro-san still referred her by her surname, Makoto couldn’t help but notice he wasn’t as surly as before.
Maybe one day… she and Sae would be able to have a family dinner like this.
Notes:
Shinji and Mitsuru are hatching their own plan, just in case Ren is not able to convince Sae. I promise that there will be a good reason for the extra players to be present on the nineteenth.
Some of you may recognize the scene with Ken and Makoto on November 3rd. That is indeed the scene in the PQ2 fic’s prologue. I felt I needed to acknowledge it at least.
And the moment where Ken gets jealous of cognitive!Akechi hitting on Makoto is inspired by the ahem… argument between Akihiko and Ken if you romance both as Minako. While I don’t approve of the cheating route or dating Ken, it IS rather funny and I wanted to give a little shoutout to it.
Chapter 35: Ch. 34: Whims of Fate
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves begin to infiltrate Sae's Palace, but Sae isn't willing to let their job be an easy one.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Friday, November 4th, 2016
"What should we do today?" Morgana asked, peeking out of Ren's bag to peer at him.
Ren just shook his head. "Well, we're definitely not gonna to go to the Palace today," he stated. "I'm still kinda tired from our Mementos run yesterday."
Morgana made a face. "Okay, I do get that." He then sighed. "Mementos really felt… odd, yesterday. I wonder why that is…"
"Mementos is just weird, period," Ren grumbled out.
Maybe he could check if Haru was free today… So he climbed up the couple flights of stairs to access the roof. But when he opened the door to take a peek, it looked like she wasn't there…
"Ren?"
He turned to see it was Ken. "Oh, hey, Ken," he greeted. "What's up?"
"It's just… uh… well…" Ken seemed to find the ground fascinating all of the sudden. "I was just… I was just wondering how likely it would be for us to go to the Palace on Sunday."
Ren tilted his head. "Oh?"
Ren couldn't help but cackle to himself as Ken predictably stiffened. Ken really made it too easy.
"Got plans on Sunday?" he asked, doing his best to sound innocent.
Ken then glowered at him, even as his cheeks burned red. "Fine, I want to take Makoto out on our first date on Sunday. Are you happy now?"
"That's fine," Ren laughed before giving a nod. "I think tomorrow would be good for Palace exploration, then. Though…" He gave his friend a sly smile. "You should get Makoto flowers. Girls love flowers."
Ken then huffed, before staring at Ren flatly. "What, you want me to get her roses? That's more Anne's thing, isn't it?"
Ren smothered a grin, before responding, "Oh, I was thinking a cactus flower, actually."
Sometimes, he couldn't help but think that learning hanakotoba while he was working at the flower shop was worth it. Definitely worth it.
"A cactus flower…?" Ken narrowed his eyes before pulling out his phone. After a moment of staring down at his phone, he then flushed crimson. "REN!"
Ren couldn't stop laughing even after Ken swatted the back of his head. "Your face," he snickered out. "I should take a picture of it!"
"Shut up," he grumbled out before huffing again.
Morgana just sighed. "You're really impossible sometimes, Ren."
"Love you too," Ren said with a smirk. "But anyways, you want to hang out today? I was hoping that Haru would be able to hang out, but she's not around. We haven't gotten to hang out in like, a month."
Ken just rolled his eyes at Ren. "Depends, are you gonna continue being…" Ken trailed off, before waving a hand towards all of Ren.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "You just gestured to all of me."
"Gee, I wonder why," Ken deadpanned.
"Okay, okay, I get it," Ren laughed, holding up his hands. "I promise no more teasing you about Makoto this afternoon. Good enough for you?"
"I suppose," he grumbled out. "What do you even have in mind?"
"How about Central Street?" Ren suggested. "I've been wanting to check up on Taihodo's stock… see if there's any new books in."
"Sounds good," Ken agreed, before raising an eyebrow at Ren. "Though, I'm surprised that you would go out of your way to buy books like that."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Ren grumbled at him. "I read!"
"You seem more the type to play video games over choosing to read a book."
"Hey, I'm a multi-faceted person!" Ren pressed a hand to his chest, before giving Ken a little frown. "I have many talents and many hobbies!"
Ken then snorted, before rolling his eyes at Ren. "Yeah, and being modest is one of them," he deadpanned.
"Hey, it's confidence," Ren protested.
Ken then huffed out a laugh, before a smile tugged at the lips. "Okay, Mr. Confidence… lead the way, then."
They headed off for Central Street. The bookstore turned out to be a bust, though. Ren had bought a copy of the books available already.
"So, what do you want to do then?" Ren asked. "Sorry about that…"
"It's not a big deal." Ken then let out a thoughtful hum. "Well, maybe we can go to the arcade—"
"Do you really waste your time like this all the time, Ken?"
The cheerful mood just… evaporated away. Ken's smile melted away, before he stiffened.
The speaker was a middle-aged man. He had graying dark hair and brown eyes, dressed in a business suit. Ren couldn't help but feel confused. Who was this man and why was Ken so unhappy to see him?
"Are you going to just gawk or are you going to greet me?" he asked sharply before folding his arms over his chest.
Well. Someone was Mister Sunshine.
Then the man spoke again.
"Hmph. I see that he's been as bad of an influence I thought he would."
Ken just tensed at that, his entire body going rigid. "Hello, Uncle," he said, speaking a bit hesitantly. "What brings you here to Tokyo?"
"Uncle?!" Ren repeated in disbelief.
Though… he was kinda bugged with how Ken was… talking. While Ken would never speak as casually as Ryuji, it seemed like he was trying to be as polite as possible with his uncle. No... stiff was a better word.
"I'm here on a business trip," he answered coolly.
He then looked up and down at the two of them, before his lips tightened. Disapproval just oozed from his every pore.
"And why exactly are you here?" he asked. He then stared hard at Ken, his eyes affixed on the school emblem on Ken's blazer. "Attending Shujin Academy, a school of ill reputation… Let me guess, it must be because Aragaki can't afford to pay for Gekkoukan. Tell me, has he gotten a real job in the past four years or does he still insist on taking on menial jobs?"
Whoa, whoa, whoa—what?!
"Why do you have always to drag Shinjiro-san into this?" Ken asked, his voice suddenly shaky. "There's nothing wrong with what he does… He's good at it…"
His uncle scowled. "Well, excuse me for wanting you to do better. You're the only one to carry the surname Amada. I don't even know why you keep on trying to defend Aragaki. You're wasting your breath."
Oh jeez. He was one of those people, obsessed with the family name. Ren bet that he only had daughters, with the way he was lecturing Ken...
"You seem to hold an awfully big grudge against Shinjiro-san." Ren did his best to keep his voice light.
Seriously, what was his problem? But Ren sensed that Ken wasn't going to fight back, so he'd have to step in.
"I've met him several times, you know. He may not be the most… genial guy, but you're acting like he's a crook or something."
Ken's uncle then narrowed his eyes. He looked pretty unimpressed. "So says a nobody," he said flatly. "I can tell by just looking at you… you're nothing special."
Damn, he was judgmental as hell. At least he was used to be dissed like that. Though honestly, being called a nobody was being nice. Some people were still convinced he was a crazy violent delinquent. Though Ken had a different stance on it…
"Leave Ren out of this!" Ken exclaimed, frustration edging in his voice. "Why… Why do you always insist on doing this…?"
"Is it a crime now to want you to have a good future? Wasting your time like this… What good will it do for your future? You should be studying or doing something productive."
"Hey, Ken's future is perfectly fine!" Ren defended, before he glared at Ken's uncle. He was seriously being a huge asshole. "He's on the top of the class… He also works with the student council president with student council duties. He's got plenty of accomplishments under his belt."
"That's nothing special," he said flatly. But he then shook his head. "You know, Hikari was always so proud of you. She adored you. But now… I'm not so sure."
Something in Ken seemed to snap before he scowled fiercely. "Shut up! Don't you dare drag Mom into this! Don't act like you know her! You never gave a crap about her!"
Oh shit. Ken's uncle had pushed a button he shouldn't have.
"Don't you dare raise your voice at me—"
"I'll do what I want to!" Ken spat out. "You didn't give a crap before Mom died. You don't get to waltz up to me, insult Shinjiro-san, insult my friend like this. You wonder why I always defend Shinjiro-san?! Because he's always looked out for me. He always cared…"
Ken's voice suddenly broke at the last part and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.
"Even when I didn't deserve it. But you…" Ken was shaking again, but this time from anger. Anger smoldered in his eyes as he glowered at his uncle. "You always just did the bare minimum!"
"You—"
"—need to get going?" Ren cut in, before flashing an innocent smile. "Why yes, yes, we do." Then he turned to Ken. "Right, Ken?"
Ken nodded before shooting his uncle another dirty look. "Yeah, let's get out of here."
"Don't you dare walk away from me!" Ken's uncle shouted after them.
"Too bad, we are!" Ren called over his shoulder, before flashing him a cheeky smile. "See ya!"
They ended up ducking into the beef bowl restaurant. Let him try and make a scene in a restaurant.
"You want to order something?" he asked his friend.
Ken sighed before rubbing his face. "Might as well if we're going to stay here."
They ordered and after watching the chaos for a few minutes (working at this shop was hands down the worst job he had taken), they were handed their food. They managed to snag two spots together.
"So… your uncle is a piece of work," Ren said.
"He's… really my father's cousin," Ken sighed out. "He shares my surname, but he has only daughters so…"
Ren could only scoff. "That's real rich of him, then." He took a bite of his food before he spoke again. "I'm sorry, though. You know it's not true. And it was low of him to bring up your mom."
"…They didn't care after my dad died." Ken's voice grew hollow. "They were willing to sit aside for years. Let my mom work so hard. I don't even know how she remained so positive about the situation. She always had a smile and hug for me. But when she died, my uncle comes in, 'helping' me out of the good of his heart. And when he heard that Shinjiro-san wanted to become my guardian, he got all indignant like he raised me… Like I said before, he only did the bare minimum."
"He's a real snob," Ren said firmly. "You shouldn't listen to him. He's spewing nothing but crap. Shinjiro-san probably doesn't give a shit. You shouldn't, either."
Ken looked down at his meal before taking a bite of food. "Frankly, I hardly consider him family." He then shrugged. "Mom was the only member of my family who ever loved me… Everyone else saw me as nothing but an obligation." Then he smiled sadly. "Though I wish I could do something about Shinjiro-san."
"What do you mean?"
"Did you really think that Shinjiro-san would be content with working for someone forever?" Ken asked, before he took another bite of food. "Mitsuru-san has asked him to be her personal chef, but he put it pretty plainly."
Ren snorted. He probably said: Hell no. Though what Ken was saying left him curious…
"Then what does he want to do, then?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He wants to open his own restaurant," Ken said. "More… comfort food? Dishes that remind you of home. Shinjiro-san hates fancy food. He says that there's no point in adding 'frills' like that."
Ren snorted. "Sojiro says the same, when I try to do latte art."
"Yeah, Minako-san says he's no fun when he complains about that…" Then Ken bit his lip. "But opening a business is so expensive… and he has me to worry about."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "…I mean, it's not like he's friends with a wealthy CEO…"
Ken snorted. "Mitsuru-san has offered. Several times. She'd buy him a building if he'd let her."
Ren laughed. "Maybe Haru would have better luck, yeah?"
"Ren, don't be ridiculous." Ken shook his head, an exasperated smile tugging at his lips. "It's fine… I'll be graduating soon. Shinjiro-san won't have to worry about me after that…" He then reached for his drink, taking a sip. "…I do want to prove my uncle wrong, though. Just because Shinjiro-san isn't interested in being a businessman doesn't mean that he's a lazy no-gooder."
"Besides, if he wanted a say in what you were doing, maybe he should've been more involved in your life." Ren shrugged. "Far as I'm concerned, your uncle is just full of shit."
He grinned as Ken cracked a genuine smile. He was glad that he could cheer up Ken, even it was just a little.
"And I believe in you. I think you can accomplish anything you set your mind to."
"…Heh." Ken closed his eyes for a moment. "Thanks, Ren. I appreciate it."
But he was honestly worried. The way Ken put it made it seem like he felt that was nothing but a burden to Shinjiro-san. And it was exactly the opposite. He would have to figure out… something. He just… had a feeling that Ken would not be assured unless Shinjiro-san told him. Hmm…
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 8.
Endure: Chance to withstand an otherwise fatal attack with 1 HP remaining.
Saturday, November 5th, 2016
"So, what's the plan?" Morgana turned to look at Ren. "We need a card key to access the elevator…"
"Yeah, we can't move on unless we find one." Ryuji then scoffed, before he began to scowl rather fiercely. "She wants to play it fair, huh? What a bunch of bull."
Makoto had no argument. Though what Sae's cognitive Akechi had said… lingered in her mind. What made Sae believe that she needed to succeed in this case? She wished that Sae felt comfortable enough to confide into her… But then again, if Sae felt she could… maybe she wouldn't even have a Palace in the first place.
"Yes, it's very unlikely that we'll be able to find a member's card lying around in the hall…" Akechi mused, placing a hand under his chin.
"Well, that's pretty obvious," Futaba muttered.
"So, I suppose that we'll have to explore then." Ken glanced towards Ren. "There has to be a backroom of sorts. We may have better luck there."
"Wait, what makes you think that?" Anne asked with a frown.
"Well, we always did find something when exploring…" Ken explained with a sheepish smile.
"…Heh, you're actually on the right track, Ace." Akechi chuckled. "However, let's get to the backroom, before I explain."
"…Why not just tell us now?" Haru asked.
"I hate to admit it, but I think Crow's right," Morgana admitted. "We do need to get our mission started, after all."
"If you think that's the right course of action," Yusuke sighed. "So… who will you take with you today, Joker?"
Ren let out a thoughtful hum. "Let's go with Queen, Crow, and Mona for now."
Makoto stepped forward, along with Akechi and Morgana. Ren then proceeded to lead them down the path they took, where they encountered Sae. But then he looped around, leading them to a backroom.
"Okay, Crow, what's your idea?" Ren asked.
"We look for a customer data terminal," Akechi stated. "After all, we do have a hacker with us, don't we?"
"Oh yeah, you've gotta register and pay for that kind of crap…" Ryuji said. "I guess it makes sense…"
"Indeed." Akechi smiled proudly. "Now shall we get going?"
At Ren's nod, they took off. It was a maze… Though Makoto's attention was drawn to all of the graffiti. Papers were plastered everywhere, with phrases such as: SUCCESS and WINNER TAKES ALL boldly written in spray paint.
They eventually came across a door. But bars blocked their way.
"It appears we need another keycard to continue," Yusuke commented, tapping onto the lock mechanism besides the door.
"Ugh, not again…" Anne groaned before she hung her head. "It was such a pain in Okumura's Palace…"
"Hopefully the search won't be so long this time…" Haru said.
"Well, complaining about it won't solve anything." Morgana gave a little impatient hop. "Joker, let's get to searching."
Their search led them to discover an intimidating Shadow. The aura… it was incredible.
Ryuji let out a quiet whistle. "Damn, that's a seriously scary Shadow…"
"I don't need to be Oracle to know that's a tough one…" Anne said softly.
"He's obviously guarding something…" Ren said slowly. "So, let's get him!"
He started to dash forward, but Ken grabbed him by the back of his coat. "Hold it, Joker," he said flatly. "Look at where the Shadow is standing. I think we can try and find a route, so we sneak up on the Shadow."
Ren pouted briefly. "You're no fun sometimes…"
"We don't know what kind of Shadow we're dealing with," Morgana pointed out. "Every advantage we can get would work to our benefit."
"Fiiiine," Ren grumbled out. "We'll do it the slow way."
Ken just rolled his eyes in response. "You'll thank me later."
It took some exploring, but Ren led them to a vent—earning a comment from Akechi: do you do this a lot? They crept around for a little bit, but they managed to loop back, finding themselves facing the back of the Shadow.
Ren then darted forward, leaping onto the Shadow's back. He tore off the mask with ease, before jumping backwards.
"I'll never get used to that," Akechi remarked as he ran forward along with Makoto and Morgana.
"You better get used to it, then!" Ren called out to him. "It's how we do things here!"
"Enough banter, Joker!" Morgana chided. "Focus!"
These Shadows were… bizarre. Their skins were green, with wispy lavender hair cascading down. A similarly colored wrap was around their shoulders. They both wielded a sword that Makoto couldn't put a name to.
"Mona, watch out!" Ken warned. "They have an electricity affinity."
"Ugh, of course they do," Ren grumbled. "Any idea on a weakness then?"
"Ice… or wind?" Ken suggested tentatively.
Ren nodded. "Gotcha." He then turned to look at the active party. "What are you waiting for? Let's get them!"
"Charge, Johanna!" Makoto ripped off her mask, feeling Johanna appear underneath her. Johanna glowed bright blue for a moment before a nuclear blast tore forward, slamming into both Shadows.
Despite what Ken had guessed to be their weaknesses… Makoto couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated that she hadn't struck at their weakness. At least it was just normal damage, she supposed…
Though, she was concerned for Morgana, if Ken was right about the Shadows' affinity… She hoped that Ren had something up his sleeve…
"Scathach!" Ren shouted.
The blast of wind knocked one Shadow to the ground but the other one managed to dodge, so the still standing Shadow struck.
Bolts of lightning sparked to life, hurtling towards them.
But then there was a howl of wind, before the gale clashed with the bolts of lightning, throwing them off course. Makoto had to duck so she wouldn't be hit by the lightning.
"Joker, what are you—GAH!"
Makoto whipped her head to see that Ren had snatched up Morgana, chucking him towards Ken. Ken had to spring forward in order to make sure Morgana didn't hit the ground.
"Really, Joker?!" Ken snapped at him before he set Morgana back on the ground.
"Skull, you're in!" Ren called, ignoring Ken. "Stick to physical attacks!"
"Uhh… okay?" Ryuji said.
"That's one way to do it…?" Haru giggled weakly.
Though Makoto caught sight of Akechi looking curiously at Ren. He looked almost… baffled. Then he shook his head. "Now, Robin!" he ordered.
Robin Hood pulled his bow, and an arrow of light formed. It struck the Shadow that had managed to dodge Ren's attack before.
"Whip 'em, Persona!" Ryuji shouted, and Captain Kidd jabbed several times with his mast.
"Heh, not bad, Skull," Akechi chuckled. "I'm impressed."
"Focus, Crow!" Futaba reprimanded. "Joker, heads up, this Shadow's got fire attacks too! Keep that in mind with your bazillion Personas! So don't let them target your weakness!"
"Your… what?" Akechi gasped. "You have more than one Persona?!"
"Oh yeah, that's kinda Joker's thing." Makoto could hear the shrug in Futaba's voice. "But anyways, enough chitchat! Let's see… you guys need a power up!"
Red light shimmered around them, and Makoto could feel the familiar strength surging through her.
They went all out, unleashing spells (or in Ryuji's case, physical attacks), and the Shadows eventually fell. This yielded their prize, a key card.
"Annnd here we go." Ren stooped down, picking up the key card and holding it up in triumph. "This will give us some more access!"
"I… I don't understand," Akechi said faintly. "You… You have more than one Persona, Joker?"
"Yeah, like Oracle said, Joker's got a gazillion." Ryuji snorted.
"I don't have a gazillion," Ren huffed as he pocketed the card key. "Okay, I know I have a lot, but you're way exaggerating, Skull."
"Oh yeah?" Ryuji folded his arms over his chest. "How many do you have then?"
Ren opened his mouth, only to shut it. He then narrowed his eyes. "I don't know," he begrudgingly admitted.
"So, you've got a gazillion!" Ryuji said triumphantly.
"I'm telling you, it's not that much!" Ren argued.
"Prove it, then!"
"Are you serious, Skull?!"
"That's enough, boys!" Anne chided, hands on her hips. "We shouldn't really stand around bickering like this, you know! We could get ambushed by a Shadow!"
They grumbled out in unison, "Fiiiiine."
"Our leader and his right-hand man, everyone," Ken deadpanned.
Haru just giggled. "Come now, Ace, it just shows how close they are!"
Akechi coughed. "Though I must say… I am impressed with how you managed to divert the lightning attack, Joker. You're rather good with thinking on your feet, aren't you? A good characteristic for a leader."
That look in his eye…it unsettled Makoto. But before Makoto could put her finger on what kind of emotion it was… it had disappeared. His expression was replaced by his typical saccharine smile.
"…I suppose so." Yusuke frowned in confusion. "But Panther is right, we should get going…"
They managed to find their way to the database as Akechi suggested. Though Ken had been slightly amused that Futaba's choice in a fake name, Shinji Nakonohara. But with the member card in hand, they managed to gain access to the elevator. Unfortunately, they were still limited from the High Limitss Floor…
They stepped through the doors onto the Members' Floor. It very much looked like a ritzy casino, with all the slot machines. Playing cards seemed to rain down like confetti. But that wasn't what caught her attention.
Sae's Shadow stepped towards them, flanked by bodyguards once more.
"Sis…?" she asked.
"Ohh, so you wanna settle this right now, huh?" Ryuji asked. Then he cracked his knuckles. "Well, bring it on!"
"Skull, you know we can't do that…" Yusuke said lowly.
Sae then scoffed, shaking her head. "Do not speak to me as if we are equals." She looked Ryuji up and down, disgust making her lip curl. "I am the manager of this casino, as well as its number one player. At the moment, you lack the qualifications to fight me."
"You're the one cheating your way to wins," Ren said boldly. "And you know how the saying goes… cheaters never prosper. How can you take pride in wins that you had to cheat your way to?"
"Hmph, you're just saying that you're too weak to face me on," Sae said coldly. "As if I didn't know that. You're nowhere near my level."
Makoto winced. It never came out of Sae's mouth, but she has been compared to Sae… countless times. She really felt that she was far beneath Sae's level…
"She's a snotty little…" Ryuji growled out.
"…She truly looks down on us," Yusuke commented.
Sae then flipped her hair, placing a hand on her hip. "I had to win time and time again, to earn respect. My number one rank. If you wish to face me…" She gave a little smirk. "…You must continue to win, as well. Can you do that?"
"How condescending…" The distaste in Ken's voice was clear. "Are you challenging us or patronizing us?"
"These are my rules." Sae shrugged. "If you want to face me… you must adhere to my rules."
"But what do you mean by continuing to win?" Haru asked tentatively.
"So… you're asking us to play in the casino," Akechi stated.
"Correct." Sae gave a little nod. "Do you have the confidence to win?"
"We might rip out the rug underneath you if you're not careful." Makoto tried her best to sound confident.
Besting her sister… would it even be possible? And there had to be some kind of catch. Gambling always had a trick to it…
Then Makoto stared at Sae. "Don't underestimate us."
Sae chuckled, but there was no humor to her laugh. "I don't expect much from you… but I will be waiting."
Then there was a bright flash. They whipped around to see Sae ascending to the higher floor in the elevator.
Morgana folded his little arms over his chest. "She really is different than our other opponents. She'd rather scheme than fight us with brute force."
"…Not that I'd want to fight Sae-san with brute force." Akechi let out a nervous chuckle. "I have seen her fight off a would-be mugger. I almost pitied him with how she managed to kick him right in the face…"
"But we should focus on the issue at hand…" Yusuke stated, before he folded his arms over his chest. "How are we going to gamble our win to the top?"
"Um… I have no experience with this…" Haru said softly, looking at everyone nervously.
Anne approached the slots, uncertainty in her voice as she spoke. "I've never done anything like this either… Can we really do this? What about you guys?"
"Well, I'd be concerned if you had experience with gambling in a casino," Ken said dryly. "Considering that we're all underage."
Anne flapped a hand at him. "Not the point!"
"Do you count blackjack as gambling?" Ren shrugged.
"That hardly counts." Ryuji shook his head.
Ken sighed. "The closest is watching Junpei-san lose his money to Minako-san in poker."
"Who would those be?" Akechi asked.
"Ah…" Ken winced. "Just my senpai back on Port Island."
"We really don't have time to waste though…" Ren said.
"No need to worry…" Akechi flashed a smile. "Just follow my lead."
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "You know how to do this?"
"I do, Queen." He nodded. "I'm well informed on what it takes to win. I will ensure that victory is mine."
…Hmph. Did he have to be so arrogant about it? And Sae really thought she'd be attracted enough to date Akechi? She didn't think so.
"But we must hurry… I do want to change Sae-san's heart as soon as possible." Akechi then looked towards her. "I know we haven't always gotten along. But… I know you care about Sae-san deeply. I do, as well… I don't want her to keep continuing like this. She wasn't always like this…"
Makoto couldn't help but feel taken aback. Did… Did he really care for Sae? She didn't know. She hated that she was questioning this. He was aiming to kill Ren. She shouldn't empathize with him.
"She's just… become distorted," Makoto said quietly. "She used to believe so strongly in justice. She became a prosecutor because she wanted to change things from the inside. She had heard from Dad how skewed things were for the defense… She had hoped to change that."
"…What changed her then?" Ren asked.
"I…I believe it's connected to our father's death." Makoto closed her eyes.
She still could recall Dad's funeral, how Sae was so curt with everyone trying to extend condolences. If she remembered right, Sae would get especially testy when someone tried to reiterate that he was such a brave man and a wonderful police officer. Her heart clenched at the memory.
"Sis tried to take on the burden all by herself. Trying to earn a living for us both, earn a promotion in a male oriented society… and uphold justice all at the same time."
"It's no wonder that she has changed so much then." Anne's voice was soft with sympathy. "She lost sight of why she pursued justice to begin with."
Maybe she… wasn't so different. After all, it wasn't so long ago that she was just listening to her higher ups.
Ren coughed. "…We really should get moving though."
"But we should review the situation first," Anne stated. "We basically need to win… But how much do we have to win?"
"We'll have to increase our rank," Ken said. "In order to gain access to the next floor…"
"We need a new member's card to unlock our way to the high limits floor…" Futaba said. "Maybe we can walk around and ask? Uh…! I'll be support! As usual!"
Ren smirked at her. "Don't worry. We've got this."
Ren led them to the cashier, his features shadowy. It was a bit… unsettling to look into his red eyes.
"Ah, welcome. We've been informed of your coming. The manager is quite eager for you to show off what you have. A gift for you… one thousand coins."
What… What did this mean?
"Uh… thanks." Ren looked unsettled but he slid the card to the cashier.
"Are you seriously giving us these for free?" Anne sputtered out.
"Maybe it's a show of confidence," Akechi mused, resting a hand on his chin. "She truly has no intention in losing…"
"Now, to the left, we have our dice games… and to the right we have the slots," the cashier continued to explain, ignoring Akechi's speculations. "However, we recommend the dice game to beginners. And furthermore, you may exchange your coins for prizes."
"What kind of prizes?" Haru asked.
"Well, our most desired prize is a member's card, that will grant you access to the high limits floor."
"Ah…!" Futaba gasped. "We need that!"
"It'll cost you fifty thousand coins."
"Fifty… thousand?!" Ryuji yelped. "That's crazy! How are we gonna pull that shit off?"
"Ah… I see." Akechi looked towards Ren. "She wants us to obtain that card by winning coins in the casino."
"We also allow for you to borrow as many coins as you have."
"I don't believe that is prudent…" Yusuke said.
"Yeah, I agree." Ken nodded. "There has to be some catch…"
"Let's head to the dice game," Morgana suggested. "We might as well get started."
"Wait," Akechi interjected. "I have something I'd like to discuss…"
He motioned for them to step away from the cashier.
"I believe that these games are rigged," he stated.
"I mean, it is a casino," Ren said. "I'd be shocked if it wasn't."
"Keep in mind that this is Niijima-san's cognition of the courthouse," Ken said. "Where she was rather particular about scoring wins."
"Most prosecutors are," Ren mumbled out.
But it was hard to miss the bitterness in his voice.
"Joker…" Anne said quietly, grabbing onto his hand. "But still, if Queen's sister is so determined to win, how are we going to…?!"
"We can't afford to lose," Yusuke stated firmly. "If we don't win… then all of us…"
"It won't happen," Ren cut in, his grip on Anne's hand tightened. "I'll make sure of it. Come on, we're burning sunlight."
So they headed off to the dice games. But every time Ren attempted to predict the sum of the three dice, it ended up in a loss.
"It appears my thought was correct," Akechi said. Apparently, he was ignoring that Ren had pointed out that already. Makoto had to hold her tongue so she couldn't bring it up. Let Akechi think he was so smart for this rather obvious observation. "It is rigged…"
"So what are we gonna do, cheat back?" Ryuji scoffed.
"You're actually not on the wrong track, Skull." Akechi smiled thinly. "We need to disable whatever is rigging the game. There must be some kind of control room that determines this."
"That's a good way to handle it," Morgana agreed. "Joker, let's try and find a way to find this control room!"
After some searching, Ren found another vent.
"Here we go again…" Akechi sighed. "I never would've thought I'd do this kind of thing…"
"It is very James Bind, isn't it?" Anne giggled. "Though the movies always made the vents roomier than they really are…"
But the vent led them to a backroom of sorts. They had to sneak through the halls, fighting Shadows, but their search eventually bore fruit. They found the control room, with a Shadow at the panel.
When they confronted the Shadow, it transformed into a skeletal like creature. Fortunately, it was weak to bless magic, so when Akechi attacked with Robin Hood, he knocked down the Shadow. Personally, Makoto was grateful that this fight was on the easier side… It made everything simpler.
She could've gone without Akechi's gloating, though.
"It really was fortunate that I was in the active team right now, is it not?" Akechi asked.
"…Ugh," Futaba grumbled out.
"Ace has bless attacks too, Crow," Yusuke said.
"A-Ah…" Akechi faltered at that. "Oh, but does he have curse attacks? Robin Hood has those."
"No, but he's got gun attacks," Ryuji said. "And he can heal up just as well as Mona."
…Not to mention that Ken was more modest. Ugh. She wished Ren had put Ken on the team, but no, they had to pretend that everything was fine with Akechi.
Ken coughed. "…Thanks for the vote of confidence but… shouldn't we check and see if we can win now?"
"Actually…" Akechi began. "I was thinking that we could… cheat back."
"What do you mean by that?" Haru asked.
"Sae-san is intent on winning by cheating… We've gotten this far. Why not have the odds in our favor?"
"Hmm… you have a point, Crow," Ren admitted. "Oracle, can you handle this?"
Futaba just grinned at him, flashing a peace sign. "Just leave it to me!"
Dealing with the slots worked similarly. They had to hack into the terminals. It took some looping around and fighting through Shadows (as usual). But once they hacked into the systems, they earned enough coins.
But when they turned around to head towards the elevator… the figure standing in front made Makoto stop dead in her tracks.
"It can't be…!" Haru breathed out.
"You have got to be kidding…" Ken muttered.
"Dad…!" Makoto choked out. "You… You're here?!"
It was… Sae's cognition of their father. He looked exactly like he had the day he had died. Well… save for his outfit. He was dressed in a black suit and tie.
"Dad?!" Ryuji repeated. "Then that's…?"
"It must be Niijima's cognition of him," Morgana said grimly.
"What a clever trick," Sae bit out.
"We merely followed your rules," Ren called out, a smirk in his voice.
"Hmph. I am the manager of the casino, and the rules dictate that I am the victor!"
"Sae-san really is becoming desperate… She is at the end of her wits." Akechi muttered. "…In this world and the real one."
"I believe that our guests will be leaving now," Sae announced.
Then the cognitive version of Dad advanced. "Yes… they're nothing but trouble. Nothing but lowly crooks… thieves." His eyes hardened as he smacked the police baton in his hand. "I will eliminate them… as I have with everyone else."
Then he lunged forward.
"Queen, Crow, Mona, spread out!" Ren shouted, before tearing off his mask. "Red Rider!"
A red horseback figure appeared with a flash. He divebombed at Cognitive Dad, making him reel back. Morgana fired as quickly as he could, the rain of pellets forcing him to keep his distance. But then he let out a frustrated growl, charging through and completely ignored the pellets that Morgana fired at him. He raised his baton and brought it down, sending Morgana flying backwards.
"Mona!" Futaba cried out. "Hang on…!"
Prometheus flashed brightly before Makoto could feel the familiar warm sensation filling her veins.
"Dammit…" Ren hissed out. "Mona, switch out! Ace, you're in!"
She just… couldn't comprehend all of this. So… Sae really had their father in the back of her mind after all…?
"Queen, heads up!" Futaba shouted.
There was a sudden clang as Ken pushed himself in front of her, intercepting the blow with the shaft of his spear. She had to snap out of this! This wasn't Dad… just Sae's warped version of him.
Ken was straining underneath the force of the cognitive self's weight. Makoto skirted around him, jabbing for his side. This diverted his attention enough for Ken to get the upper hand and knock his weapon away.
"You think that'll stop me?" he growled out, glaring at Ken. "I'll take you down… No matter the cost!"
"We won't make that easy!" Ren shouted, as he charged forward. "Okuninishi!"
Ken grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards as a blast of fire forced the cognitive self on the defense. Then Akechi summoned Robin Hood, which nocked an arrow. The tip glowed bright purple as the Persona let the arrow fly, striking the ground and then exploding like a bomb. The almighty attack sent him flying.
Makoto summoned Johanna, her Persona's engine roaring in her ears as she blasted forward. She rammed into the cognitive self, sending him reeling.
But he managed to catch his balance just in time. Then a dark, shadowy aura surrounded him.
…Oh no.
A straw doll appeared before her.
Makoto hated Mudoon, more so than Hamaon. She hated how it flooded her senses, surrounding her with darkness until she blacked out. She could only watch, paralyzed as it—
Makoto was suddenly shoved to the ground.
"Ace, what are you doing?!" Futaba screeched.
Ken was slumped to the ground, panting. He swayed a little but… he was still okay. The relief that flooded her was swiftly replaced by rage as the cognitive self charged towards Ken.
She scrambled to her feet before she ran forward. His movements seemed to slow down before her eyes. She reached out and grabbed his wrist. She pivoted on her feet, flipping him over her shoulder.
"Nice, Queen!" Futaba crowed out.
"You really think that can take me down?" He staggered to his feet, a cocky smile on his face even as he swayed back and forth.
She couldn't help but feel angry… This wasn't her father, the man she admired so much and aspired to be like. He was arrogant, too confident in his ability in being able to take them down.
"I don't think… I know," Ren said. "White Rider!"
White Rider appeared, before slamming down on the ground. The ground shook violently. Makoto then turned to check up on Ken, but he was fairly healed up. He must have healed himself while she was distracted with fighting the cognitive self.
"I can't believe you did that," Makoto complained with a huff. "I'm not the one weak to curse attacks!"
"I would rather it be me than you."
Makoto narrowed her eyes before punching her boyfriend's shoulder. "Don't you dare do that again," she warned before turning back to the battle.
"Lemme give you a boost!" Futaba chimed in. "Speed up!"
The boost in agility was a welcome change. Makoto summoned Johanna once more, unleashing another nuclear spell. Ren then swooped in, summoning a rainbow snake-like Persona. A purple light suddenly surrounded the cognitive self, weakening its defenses.
"Kala-Nemi!"
"Robin Hood!"
An arrow glowing with shadowy energy was wrapped around Kala-Nemi's blast of light, both slamming into him, right in the chest. That was the final blow they needed, as the cognitive self of her father disappeared.
"…How pathetic. He's just as weak as he was in life. Foolish, cocky… the list goes on."
Makoto tensed up at the voice. "Sis!" she cried out. "You can't mean that!"
She was begging… Please… oh, please don't let Sae hate their father…
"Hmph. Take it as you will." The coldness in Sae's voice just made Makoto's heart sink. "Though the idea that you still think of yourselves as my equals is so… pathetic. You're nothing but losers."
"What was that?!" Ryuji growled out, and she turned to see that Ryuji's hands were now fists. "We've been playing by your rules! Don't throw a hissy fit because you don't like it turned on ya!"
Sae laughed. "Criminal trials are nothing but a gamble to be won, and us prosecutors arrange the gambling table."
"It's honestly… sad to see how she sees things," Ken muttered.
"Losses are unacceptable! We must win, even if it's due to false charges!"
"A…Are you serious, Sis?" Makoto managed to choke out. But when she got no reply, her hands tightened into fists. "Answer me, dammit!" she cried out, unable to stop her voice from cracking.
"Queen…" Haru called out to her sadly.
"Don't think such a petty trick will allow you to defeat me. I may have to acknowledge your skills, if you make it to the manager's floor, however."
"May, huh?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
No amount of joking from Ren would distract Makoto from what Sae was saying. Why… Why couldn't she listen?! Her voice just fell to deaf ears.
"Sae-san… why?" Akechi asked. "This… This isn't the real you… Viewing trials that could give the defendant the death penalty… a gamble? No… I can't believe this."
"How horrendous," Yusuke muttered. "Niijima-san… she's completely distorted." Then he frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just like…"
"…You don't have to say it, Fox," Anne said sadly.
"We have to stop her!" Makoto exclaimed. "Quickly!"
"Calm down, Queen," Ren said. "We'll save her… together."
"We all feel the same way, Queen," Haru said. When Makoto turned to look at her friend, she was smiling gently. "We will save her. I swear it…"
Ken then moved to stand next to her, taking her hand. "…We're all with you," he murmured, before squeezing her hand.
Makoto took a deep breath. "…Thank you," she whispered out.
Ren then stepped forward, scanning the card. Then a mechanical voice spoke. "Authentication complete. The following floors are now available: the standard floor, the member's floor, and the high limit's floor."
"Still no manager's floor, huh?" Anne mused.
"Maybe it's the one after the high limits," Ken suggested.
"Actually, I can sense only one floor above us," Futaba corrected. "Maybe it's like… a VIP area."
Yusuke then shook his head before looking up. His eyes were steely with resolve. "We're wasting time. Let us go!"
They boarded the elevator and rode up to the high limits floor. But they were greeted by an unwelcome sight. A wooden door and fence.
"Outta the way," Ryuji demanded, glaring at another shadowy cashier/dealer.
"Beyond this point is the high limits floor," he said calmly. "Do you have a reservation?"
"Whaddya mean, reservation?!" Ryuji cried out.
"Okayyy, amp it down, Skull." Ren put a hand on Ryuji's shoulder. He then sighed. "Okay, Mona, what kind of requirement do you think this is?"
"It must be related to Niijima's cognition somehow…" Morgana said slowly. "Queen, Crow? Any ideas?"
"Sae-san needs to think of us being able to enter…" Akechi said slowly. "So this floor must be the equivalent of… only authorized personnel are given access to."
"What would that equate in the real world?" Ken asked.
"As the courtroom, I assume," he stated. "Not many people would sit in on trials, as you can probably guess."
"You really are picking up on the rules of the cognitive world," Morgana said. "Color me impressed."
"Heh." Akechi's smile was bashful. "My thanks."
"That aside…" Haru said softly. "…How are we going to get inside the courtroom?"
Futaba then pointed to Ryuji. "Ryuji, go piss off the police!"
"Hell no!" he yelped out. "Are you crazy, Oracle?!"
"Pretty sure there's another way, Oracle." Though Ren had a few chuckles at Ryuji's expense.
"Sitting in on a trial that my sister would be attending," Makoto stated. "That should do it." Then she rubbed her chin. "Though we would need to know her schedule."
"Leave that to me," Akechi interjected. "I am Sae-san's partner after all. I would be privy to that kind of information."
"So… I guess we'll have to head back," Anne stated.
"Our hands are pretty tied until Niijima-san's cognition is changed," Ken agreed. "Though I imagine the real work will begin once we're inside…"
"Yeah, no kidding." Ryuji grimaced. "Joker barely swapped out the team today. Man, and I was hoping to whale on some more Shadows today… Could've used some stress relief."
Ren just chuckled at him. "I'll be sure to put you on the team next time then, Skull."
Ryuji pumped his fist. "Sweet!"
Morgana huffed before rolling his eyes at Ryuji. "Let's head back, then!"
They made their way back to the entrance, before activating the app so they could leave. Makoto felt a wave of exhaustion hit her… and it wasn't just from the usual fatigue from visiting a Palace.
Sae… her views on Dad…
Was her sense of justice truly gone?
"…Hey."
She looked up to see that it was Ken. "Hi," she answered back before taking his hand.
"Listen, Makoto…" he began, "I understand if you don't want to go out like we talked about before, after what we saw today…"
"No." Makoto squeezed his hand. "I… I think I need this more than ever."
Ken smiled at her. "If that's what you want."
"I do…" she trailed off, only to find herself blushing at how Haru was looking at the two of them.
She couldn't help but feel a bit… exposed. They were just holding hands but… how much had Haru overheard?
"What's wrong?" Ken frowned quizzically.
"Hello, Ken-kun!" Haru said, making him flinch. "Mind if I borrow Mako-chan for a little bit?"
And without waiting for Ken's reply, she grabbed Makoto by the wrist and dragged her away.
"Are you really going out on your first date with Ken-kun tomorrow?!" Haru's eyes brightened. "How exciting!"
"I… ah…" Makoto ducked her head, feeling herself blush again. "Y-Yes… I, um… probably should look for something nicer to wear for that…"
"Oh, if you're worried about that…" Haru frowned before turning to look at where Anne was standing with Ren and Yusuke. "Anne-chan! Can you come over here, please?"
"What's up?" Anne asked as she approached the two of them.
"Mako-chan is going on her first date with Ken-kun," Haru explained. "You always dress so nicely… Do you think you have a good idea on what she should wear?"
Anne tapped her chin, before her blue eyes brightened. "Actually, I do! My parents have made various styles of clothes… We have them back at the apartment. I think I know just would look nice on you too!" She then hooked her arm into Makoto's. "Want to sleep over tonight? I can help you get ready tomorrow if you want!"
Makoto blushed, smiling shyly at Anne. "That would be great."
"It's settled, then!" Anne giggled. "Haru, do you want to join us? While Makoto's off on her date with Ken, we could binge movies! Oooh, and sweets!"
Haru giggled. "That sounds so much fun! It could be a girl's night! And morning after, I suppose."
Panic immediately spiked through Makoto. "D-Don't tell Futaba!" she squeaked out. "She… She'll…!"
"What, she'll hack your phone and see if she can get a picture of you two kissing?" Anne snickered, nudging Makoto in the side. "Though, I thought you would be used to be this kind of thing already. Shinjiro-san says he's walked in on you two already—"
"Anne!"
"And how do you think I discovered them?" Haru chimed in, before starting to giggle.
"Haru!" Makoto protested. "It's just… I-I didn't think you'd follow after me…!"
"Oh my god, you two are terrible!" Anne joined Haru in giggling.
"You're the ones who are terrible…" Makoto grumbled out. "I'm going to say goodnight to Ken before we go…"
"Oh, so you can kiss him goodnight?" Anne asked innocently.
Makoto sputtered at Anne and Haru started giggling again. It looked like Ren had really rubbed onto Anne… Sometimes she wondered why she wanted friends…
It was another slow night. Shinjiro hated those nights because they always were so damn tiring. He nodded off way too easily. Shinjiro straightened up as the door opened. But in stumbled Niijima, looking tired and miserable.
"Okay… what do you want now?" Shinjiro grumbled out.
"Nothing from you," Niijima snapped out before all but throwing herself in the seat. "I just want a hard drink."
Shinjiro still disliked the woman. Didn't matter that Ken was dating her little sister. Though the way she said struck a chord in him. He could still recall how his body refused to forget about he killed Ken's mom. How he kept coming back to the spot where she died.
"Drinking won't help you forget," Shinjiro stated. "Though maybe it would've helped if you didn't accept a nearly impossible case."
"Don't you dare lecture me," she hissed out, glowering at Shinjiro. But Shinjiro just looked calmly back at her. "I'm doing my best. I'm doing all that I can!"
"Are you?" Shinjiro asked evenly. "Will it be worth it, Niijima?"
"What… What are you talking about?"
"Are you even happy where you are?" Shinjiro asked. "I know someone personally who loves his job as a cop…"
Anger flared in her eyes when he said 'cop' but Shinjiro didn't give a flying crap. He knew that Ken worried about what would happen if Niijima remained set in her ways.
He didn't like Niijima. Not one whit. But he cared about Ken and well… his girlfriend was growing on him.
"What about you? Can you claim that you like being a prosecutor still? Doesn't even have to be love."
"I…" She swallowed hard.
"Your old man was a cop," he said. "I'm assuming that justice was connected to it, yeah?"
Niijima inhaled sharply. "Don't you dare lecture me," she repeated, though her voice was definitely… weaker this time.
"Why?" Shinjiro raised an eyebrow.
Because he was right?
"I… I'm doing this for good," Niijima said. "The Phantom Thieves are menaces… They need to be stopped."
Shinjiro eyed her, before he closed his eyes. "Heh."
"What's so damn funny?!" she demanded, glaring at him. (She didn't even compare to Mitsuru, and even then, Mitsuru wasn't even that scary.)
"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself," Shinjiro said evenly before he eyed Niijima. "Am I wrong?"
"I…" Niijima faltered before her expression hardened. "You know nothing, Aragaki," she hissed out.
"Then educate me," Shinjiro deadpanned.
"You… You'd never understand the circumstances." Niijima then shook her head. "I… I need to get back to work," she muttered out, tucking her hair behind her ear.
Not understanding the circumstances, huh? If only Niijima had a clue about just how close he was tied to this case. Though… Shinjiro couldn't help but notice the doubt in Niijima's eyes…
Maybe there was hope for her, after all.
Sunday, November 6th, 2016
The outfit Anne had in mind for Makoto was a navy-blue trench coat dress, with two rows of three silver buttons fastening it shut, and the skirt flaring out due to the black petticoat attached. It was elegant, which was Makoto's preference when it came to clothes, but with an extra flare of femininity. It was something she had never considered wearing but… maybe stepping out of her comfort zone more often would be good.
"Ah!" Anne's eyes gleamed with excitement as she clapped her hands together once. "I knew it'd look great on you, Makoto!"
"You look very pretty, Mako-chan," Haru agreed with a smile.
Makoto flushed before tucking her hair behind her ear. "T-Thank you." Then she looked towards Anne. "Um, what did you wear to your first date with Ren?"
Anne giggled. "Well, technically our first real date was in Hawaii. And you've seen that swimsuit."
"What do you mean by real?" Haru asked.
"Oh, uh…" Anne let out a nervous laugh. "Ren and I started dating in August but uh… he was helping out Makoto with a little favor… So, we had to wait another month before going public." Then she coughed, shuffling her feet for a moment. "But anyways, shoes! What size are you, Makoto?"
"Oh, um, twenty-three."
Makoto couldn't help but feel relieved that Anne had changed the subject. This subject was just… embarrassing to discuss.
"Ooh, perfect!" Anne cheered. "You can just borrow one of my gazillion pairs of shoes, then… Uh…" She then looked towards her closet, giving a small gulp before glancing towards Makoto. "Just… don't give me a lecture about this."
"What are you—" Haru began in confusion.
Anne then threw open her closet, before she dragged Haru backwards so the two of them wouldn't be buried by the clothes avalanche.
"O-Oh, I see…" Haru stared, wide-eyed. "That's… a lot of clothes."
Makoto just sighed before she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Anne, I'm coming over another time to help you clean up this mess."
Anne just let out a nervous laugh. "I-I appreciate it."
Then Makoto blinked, her eyes focusing on a very familiar shirt hung up in her closet. "Wait a minute… is that Ren's shirt?!"
It looked eerily close to the shirt that Ren had worn on days off in the summer…
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Anne exclaimed, nervously twirling her hair. When Makoto stared at her incredulously, she started to fidget. "O-Okay, maybeee…"
She had no comment.
"But anyways, here's the shoes I wanted to show you!" Anne snatched up a nice pair of black knee-high leather boots before practically shoving them at Makoto. "Come on, try it on!"
"I feel like a model," Makoto mumbled out before she sat down on the loveseat to pull on the boots.
Anne giggled. "Oh, trust me, this is nothing."
She finished zipping up the boots for standing. There was a slight heel, but it was about the same as the heels she wore as Queen.
"Oooh, you look so pretty, Mako-chan!" Haru exclaimed, clapping her hands lightly.
"Are you comfortable, though?" Anne asked, frowning in concern. "I know that I picked out all of this… but do you like wearing it?"
Makoto nodded. "I am. It's… different but… I've been staying in my comfort zone for too long. Wearing something a bit different than what I usually would is… nice."
"Where are you going?" Haru asked, perching herself on the edge of Anne's bed.
"Seaside Park," she answered. "I mentioned to him once that I would like to go there, and when we talked about it a few days ago… he brought it up again."
"Aww, that's sweet." Anne smiled.
"Anne?" Makoto whispered.
"What's the matter?" She frowned.
"I'm…. I'm a little nervous," she confessed, before biting her lip. "I've never gone out on a date… How did you…?"
"You know… Ren is my first boyfriend," Anne stated. But then she smiled. "The point of a date is to have fun with whoever you're going out with. Don't try and overthink it."
"Is it more of a don't think… feel kind of situation?" Haru asked.
Anne blinked. "…I didn't know you watched Bruce Lee, Haru."
Haru giggled. "I watched it because Mako-chan recommended it."
"They're very well-made movies!" Makoto protested. "It's well directed, the choreography is good, and…!"
Anne giggled. "You don't have to explain yourself, Makoto. You like what you like."
That was when the doorbell rang, causing Anne and Haru to grin at her. She was then all but pushed out of Anne's room. Makoto shot her two friends a quick glare (who just cheerfully waved back at her) before going to answer the door.
"Hey, Mako—" Ken's expression suddenly turned dumbfounded, his eyes bugging out and his mouth hanging open.
Makoto took the moment to look at what her boyfriend was wearing. He was wearing a black trench coat that he wore open over a beige turtleneck, paired with black jeans and a pair of white and orange canvas tops. An orange scarf was wrapped snugly around his neck.
Ken then gulped. "Y-You look really pretty, Makoto." He then tugged at the collar of his jacket, blushing a little. "Maybe I should've dressed a bit nicer."
"No, you look fine! Great!" Makoto blurted out. She then coughed, before she noticed the basket hanging off his arm. "What's the basket for?"
"Oh, um… I thought it'd be nice if we could have a picnic for lunch," Ken answered.
Oh. Of course. Makoto couldn't help but feel a little foolish. What else would he be carrying a basket for?
"I-I mean if you want, I'd be more than happy to take you to a restaurant," Ken said hastily. "I just thought—!"
Makoto leaned up, kissing his cheek. It was very effective in cutting him off. "It's a sweet thought," she said sincerely. "I'd love to. Um… should we get going?"
"Have fun, you two~!" Anne called out sweetly, just as Ken took her hand.
Sometimes she wondered if having Anne and Haru helping her get ready was worth the teasing…
Since Mitsuru-senpai had told her about the plan, and Shinji's idea to have a back-up in case Amamiya-kun failed… Minako couldn't help but think that… more hands-on deck would be better.
"I think you should go to Tokyo on the nineteenth, Aki."
Aki blinked, in the middle of pouring his coffee. Then he seemed to snap out of it, setting down the coffee pot. "Mina…"
"I know what you're going to say, Aki…" Minako rested her hand on her abdomen. As if she knew her daddy was thinking about her, their daughter started to kick. "…I know you aren't comfortable with leaving me. But I still have a few more weeks before I have our baby. Chie-chan is a wonderful cop in the making, but… I don't know." She wrapped her arms around herself. "…Something's telling me that this operation could change things. A lot."
"But Mina…"
"If it'll make you feel better, I can ask Fuuka-chan or Aigis to stay with me, if you don't like the idea of me handling the twins alone." She walked up to her husband, pressing her hand against his cheek. "Please, Aki… There's a lot at stake here…"
"I…" Aki heaved out a sigh, his hand curling around her wrist. "…I left you once before."
"It was not just you," Minako gently reminded. "I was grieving too. We both had lost part of ourselves after Minato died and the Dark Hour was eliminated. We needed time to figure ourselves out." She slid her hand out of Aki's grasp, before she pushed herself up on her toes, kissing his cheek. "You're like a boomerang," she joked lightly. "I know that you'll come back to me."
Aki just chuckled before bending down to kiss her brow. "You're so stubborn," he sighed out, affection filling his voice.
"Ha!" Minako poked him in the chest, making him jump. Minako snickered a little at his reaction. He was always so sensitive there. "You're one to talk!"
"Are you sure that you want me to go?" Aki asked. "I trust Chie, she can get the job done."
"I am," Minako said firmly. "Besides, I bet she'll be thrilled to see her master again in person."
Aki just huffed out a laugh, an embarrassed blush dusting his cheeks pink. "If only I could deal with Shido myself…"
"Aki…" she scolded. "We have to do this subtly."
"I know, I know…" Aki then shook his head. "I just feel so… impatient. I wish that we could just deal with Shido."
"You just want to punch him."
"What, and you don't?" Aki fired back. "Especially with what Shido threatened to do with Aigis and Labrys?"
"…Okay, you have a point there," Minako grumbled out. "I wish we could just watch Mitsuru-senpai kick his ass…"
"I'd pay good money for that," Aki chuckled. "But we'll have to just wait and see."
"Wait and see what?"
They both jumped to see that Kaito was up. (Miyuki was much like Minato, in that she really liked sleeping in.)
"Uhh…" Aki gulped. "A m-movie?"
"Oh. What kind of movie?"
"P-Pach-Saw," Aki stuttered out.
"Oh." Kaito frowned. "Never heard of it. Tell me if it's good, Uncle Aki!"
"…I'll do that, Kaito." Aki rubbed the back of his neck. "So… who's hungry?"
"Me!" Kaito cheered, jumping up and down.
"Someone's happy today," Minako remarked.
"We're gonna see everyone tonight!" Kaito said cheerfully. "I can't wait!"
Minako ruffled his hair. "Hehe, if you're that excited, maybe we can video call Yukari-chan tonight, then. Or Shinji and Ken-kun."
"Yay!" Kaito jumped up and down. "Can we really?!"
"Of course we can, kiddo." Aki smiled down at him. "Why don't you run off and play? I'll get started on breakfast."
Minako waited for Kaito to run off before turning to her husband with a grin. "Pach-Saw, Aki?" Minako couldn't help but tease, nudging him in the side. "Really?"
"It was the first movie that came to mind!"
To get to Seaside Park, you could either take the train—as per most locations in Tokyo—or you could take a water bus. They decided that it would be more interesting to take the water bus.
They took the train to Asakusa and caught the water bus. Even though she had lived in Tokyo all her life, it was a completely new look of her hometown. There was a breeze, but a pleasant one.
Despite the name, Seaside Park was more of a waterfront. You weren't allowed to swim in Tokyo Bay, but you were allowed to participate in other activities, such as paddle boarding and windsurfing.
It was a little past one by the time they had stepped off the water bus, so they went to find a spot on the lawn so they could eat the food that Ken had brought with him.
Ken had essentially packed a bento box lunch. Though the sausage he had made was something that Makoto had never eaten before. It had a… sweetness to it. But somehow the flavors blended together so well that it made the sausage delicious.
"What is this?" she asked. "I've never had this before…"
"It's called nem nuong," Ken said. "It's a Vietnamese dish. Shinjiro-san has put them in both spring rolls or just on top of vermicelli noodles."
"It's delicious." Makoto took another bite of it. "All of it." Then she faltered when she noticed that Ken was… staring at her.
"S-Sorry!" he stammered out. "It's just… you look so nice today…"
Makoto smoothed down her skirt before looking back to her boyfriend. "Um, would you prefer if I wore clothes more like this then?"
She had never thought that her sense of fashion was plain, but now that she thought about it… Anne was very fashionable, befitting the daughter of two fashion designers. And Haru always dressed so elegantly and beautifully… Even Futaba's style made her a stand-out.
"No," Ken said. "You blew me away today but… there's nothing wrong with the clothes you usually wear." Then he suddenly blushed. "You're beautiful just the way you are."
Ken thought… she was beautiful?
Makoto quickly ducked her head, before she tucked her hair behind her ear. "W-Well, I probably would have been lost if Haru hadn't stepped in and asked Anne to help me get ready…"
That was when Ken snorted. "I didn't get nearly as much help earlier today…"
"What do you mean?"
"Well…" Pink suddenly tinged Ken's cheeks. "I really did not know what to wear for today… Shinjiro-san walked in on me digging through my closet and he just gave me this look. His what the hell are you doing look." He then mimicked Shinjiro-san's voice at the last part, but it was such a change from Ken's usual voice that Makoto couldn't help but giggle a little bit.
"W-Well… I think you look really nice…" Makoto said. Then she let her eyes travel to the Ferris Wheel in the distance. "I never realized how tall the Ferris Wheel is… It's supposed to be one hundred and fifteen meters high. I wonder how long the ride will be then…"
Ugh! Why was she babbling about ridiculous trivia like that?!
At least Ken didn't seem to mind. "Do you want to wait until it's closer to nighttime before riding it?" Ken asked. "It's supposed to look really nice with it all lit up."
"What do you have in mind, then?" Makoto asked. "That would be a few hours away, wouldn't it? I'd love to walk on the beach but… I don't think my shoes are the best for this."
"Well… from what I've heard…" Ken said slowly, "there's a mall nearby. Fuuka-san's birthday is next month, so I would like to start looking for a gift for her…"
Oh… birthdays… It just occurred to her that she didn't know when Ken's birthday was. Didn't that make her a… bad girlfriend?
"…When is yours?"
"Huh?"
"When is your birthday?" Makoto clarified.
"Oh…" Ken blinked at her for a moment, before answering. "June twenty-fourth."
Makoto's mouth dropped. "W-Wait a minute, we had known each other by then. Why didn't you say anything?!"
Ken just raised an eyebrow at her. "I had moved only a couple weeks back then."
"Still! You should have told me!"
"Oh, yeah?" Ken then huffed. "What about you, then?"
"You were still living on Port Island back then," Makoto retorted. "My birthday is April twenty-third."
"Wait a minute… you're older than me?!" Ken sputtered out.
"Just by two months!" Makoto protested. "I-Is this a problem?"
"No, it's just…" Ken then pressed a hand to his face, a chuckle suddenly escaping him. "…I'm being a bit ridiculous about this, aren't I?"
"Well… I suppose I overreacted a little bit too," Makoto admitted. "We did talk back then… but we really didn't know each very well back then."
It had been a little under five months since they had met. Back then she had felt so isolated, adrift in her uncertainty. But now… she had good friends and a… boyfriend now. Due to what Sae had told her, she never really… looked for a potential romantic partner. Despite all of the uncertainty with dealing with Sae's Palace and Akechi… she felt so, so happy.
She then took Ken's hand. "…I'll just have to make your next birthday a good one, then."
Ken then squeezed her hand, smiling the smile that never failed in making her heart race. "…I have to do the same, then."
After they finished eating, they packed up and headed off to find the mall. As they walked, they saw the replica of the Statue of Liberty, as well as a life-sized Gundam robot.
Though calling it just a mall was majorly underestimating it. Palette Town, as the name implied, was like a town of the likes of Chinatown.
"Oh wow…" Makoto breathed, looking from one place to the next. "Do… you even know where to start?"
"From what I remember from the site…" Ken said, "the main points are Venus Fort, the Mega Web Toyota Showcase, and the Universal Design Showcase. Though the last would probably be more Yusuke's scene."
"The Toyota Showcase… that shows off all the state-of-the-art cars Toyota has been working on, right?" Makoto asked.
"Something like that." Ken nodded. "Want to check it out later? It's not quite a motorcycle showcase but…"
"Oh, stop!" Makoto huffed. "I don't even have a motorcycle license."
"Really?" Ken raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you should look into that, at least."
Makoto just shot him an exasperated look. "I don't even have a bike."
"You could always do it for the experience," Ken pointed out.
"Hmm… maybe." Makoto then raised an eyebrow. "Would you ride with me?"
"Well…" Ken found himself blushing, and his face only grew hotter at the triumphant look on Makoto's face. "I wouldn't say no if you asked…"
It took them a few minutes to find Venus Fort. They couldn't help but gawk a little once they had stepped inside. The interior was… Italian? It seemed like they had stepped into the Renaissance era, with all the décor. It was topped off with the ceiling, painted to resemble a sky.
"It's so beautiful…" Makoto sighed. "It kinda brings home that I haven't gotten to explore much, even though I've lived here my whole life…"
"We could always see these things together." Ken couldn't help but wince. Damn, that was cheesy. He could practically see Shinjiro-san's judgmental look.
But Makoto squeezed his hand. "I'd like that."
Venus Fort had three floors, so they had a lot to see. God, he didn't even know where to start…
"What do you usually get Fuuka-san for her birthday?" Makoto asked.
"Well… a mix of things," Ken admitted. "Fuuka-san loves technology, but she also loves cooking… I've bought her cookbooks before. I've also gotten her games that she's been eyeing, but she's been budgeting for necessities."
"She and Futaba must get along pretty well…" Makoto mused.
"Well, I've only seen them interact one time," Ken said. "But Futaba seems to open up to her more easily compared to most people."
Makoto's expression softened at that. "I'm glad… though Fuuka-san is a kind woman. I would be surprised to hear otherwise. Especially since they have a lot in common." Makoto then let out a hum. "Maybe you can get her a set of headphones? People use those for online gaming, right?"
Ken just snorted. "Sure, but she'll just take it apart and improve it. She fixed Minato-san and Minako-san's headphones and they both swore that she made them twice as better." Then he shook his head. "…But anyways, we don't have to just look for potential gifts for Fuuka-san. If you want to look in a shop, we should go in."
"Oh… in that case…" Makoto pointed with her free hand. "Can we look in this shop, then?"
A hobby store, huh… Makoto ended up wandering away from him at one point, but Ken didn't mind. They didn't have to be joined at the hip, after all. Since this hobby store carried some games, he checked to see if there was anything that Fuuka-san would like. It seemed like there was nothing, though…
He went to see if Makoto was ready to leave, he caught sight of her looking at a motorcycle model. She looked almost… enraptured with it. Ken had to stifle a smile. Maybe when she got to meet Mitsuru-san in person, they would have a lot to talk about it. But hmm… she seemed to really like it…
When Ken approached her, Makoto turned to face him. "Oh, Ken. Did you see anything you want to get?"
"Depends."
Makoto blinked owlishly at him. "…What do you mean?"
Ken gestured to the model. "Do you like it?"
"I… well… it's very nice…" Makoto mumbled out. "But it's most likely far too expensive…"
"Excuse me." Ken waved over an employee. "How much is that model?"
That was when it seemed to click for Makoto. "W-Wait, you aren't going to…?!"
"That'll be ten thousand yen," the employee answered. "Are you still interested in it?"
"I am," Ken answered with a nod.
"But Ken…!" Makoto began to protest. "That's too much money…!"
"I can afford it," Ken replied.
The employee just chuckled, looking very amused. "Very well. I can ring it up for you, then."
Just a couple minutes later, they were walking out of the store with the bag dangling from Makoto's wrist. "I can't believe you just spent ten thousand yen on me…" Makoto mumbled out. "You didn't even bat an eye…"
"I can afford it, Makoto," Ken reassured her. "And you do like it, don't you?"
And she deserved to be spoiled a little… Especially with what she was going through.
"I…" Makoto sighed before giving a little nod. "If you're sure…" Then she sighed, glancing at him. "…You're really setting the bar high, aren't you?"
"Since when is this a competition?" Ken raised an eyebrow at her.
Makoto huffed, but then her expression became thoughtful. "Though… it does need to be assembled… Do you want to help me put it together some time?"
"Sounds good to me." Ken smiled at her. "So… where to, next?"
They spent a couple hours at the mall, browsing through the various shops. They hadn't found anything for Fuuka-san, but at least he had a good month and a half… He'd find something.
After that, they stopped by the Boyota Showcase. It was practically like a car amusement park. Too bad that you needed a license to give one of the cars a try. Judging from the way Makoto looked at the cars, Ken had to guess that she wanted to try driving them.
By the time they stepped out, it was already dark. Though that was a given, since Daylight Savings started earlier today. But Makoto had eyes for only the Ferris Wheel.
"It's so pretty…" she breathed out.
…Though it couldn't compare to Makoto.
…Dear god, and he used to make fun of how Junpei-san, Akihiko-san, and Shinjiro-san all had their sappy moments with Chidori-san, Minako-san, and Fuuka-san. Though he didn't mind it completely…
"Do you want to ride it?" Ken asked.
"Can we?" Makoto asked. When Ken nodded, she grasped his hand and tugged him towards the line.
The line surprisingly was short, so it wasn't long until they were allowed to board a gondola.
Makoto almost looked like a little child, with how she gazed out of the window. It was… endearing, but it made him curious.
"…Have you never been inside a Ferris Wheel?" Ken asked.
"H-Huh?" Makoto snapped out of it, turning to him. She then flushed scarlet. "I-I'm sorry! B-But… um, yes… Like I mentioned before… my family didn't really have the time to go to amusement parks…"
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that." Ken took her hand.
"I still shouldn't be ignoring you…" Makoto smiled sheepishly before she scooted closer to him. "S-Should we do something… like a couple would?"
…Oh.
"Is that what you want?" Ken asked.
"Would I bring it up if that wasn't the case?"
Well. That was all the invitation he needed. He pulled her closer, slipping his arms around her waist before pressing his lips to hers. Makoto slid her arms around his neck, before beginning to play with his hair. He wasn't fond of others mussing up his hair but when Makoto touched his hair, it felt… nice.
But when they broke apart, a soft chuckle escaped Makoto.
"What is it?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Well… I was just thinking. Kissing in a Ferris Wheel… That's a pretty typical couple activity. I just… thought I'd never partake in this. At least not for a long time… Sis always told me that I needed to focus on my studies. Finding a boyfriend could come later…" Then a smile crept onto her face, even as her cheeks turned rosy pink. "…I'm glad that I was wrong about that."
Ken could feel his face warm up. "I'm glad that I came to Tokyo," he said. "So, I could meet you…"
Makoto's cheeks darkened to red. "How can you say that with a straight face? It's just so… cliché."
"You're the one whose face is as red as a tomato," Ken countered.
"You're not far behind!" Makoto protested.
They couldn't help but laugh. And to think that he had a near meltdown this morning… (Shinjiro-san had been utterly unamused by his reaction.)
But then Makoto scooted closer to Ken, resting her head against his shoulder with a content sigh. "I really needed this…" she murmured.
"Your sister…" Ken said quietly.
"…Yeah." Makoto smiled halfheartedly. "I just… don't know what to feel. Seeing how Sis viewed Dad… I just feel so shaken about this whole thing. I want to believe that Sis isn't too gone. I want her to change her heart… I don't know if I can appeal to her sense of justice still. But I still want to try… I have everyone supporting me. And… I know I have you…"
Ken leaned in, kissing her forehead. "…You'll always have me, I promise."
Makoto just smiled up at him. "I know."
Notes:
A lot happened in this chapter! I skimmed over the slots section during the Palace exploration, because I felt finding the member’s card and getting to the control room was good enough to cover this part of the Palace exploration. I also hinted that Makoto and Sae’s father would have a cognitive self in this, with the previous visit to the Palace and during the section where Ken, Makoto, and Haru were scoping out the police station in the Metaverse. Don’t expect that to be the last of him!
And Akechi… I don’t think in canon there are really any hints that he cared for Sae. I wanted to hint towards that more. I also wanted to touch up on more of his reaction to Ren being a Wild Card, given Akechi’s obsession to be seen as special.
I did some research on Seaside Park just to check I had the right details. The places that Ken mentions do exist in Odaiba irl, where Seaside Park is located. Maybe I put a little too much research in their date but it was pretty cool to read up on it!
And I want to thank my good friend, angelrin89, for betaing this chapter!
Chapter 36: Ch. 35: A Little Breather
Summary:
After the first exploration of Sae's Palace, the Phantom Thieves take some time to relax... and to plan for a certain someone's birthday. Meanwhile, Chie is visited by a couple of old friends and are asked a favor...
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Monday, November 7th, 2016
"Come on, Futaba, it'll be good for you!"
"No!" Futaba shook her head vigorously. "Why put yourself through so much pain?!"
Futaba had always hated exercising. She was always the last to finish her laps in gym. And yet Ryuji and Ken wanted her to put herself through that again?! No thank you. Following everyone in the Palaces was enough for her, thank you.
"It's a good burn, though!" Ryuji insisted. "It'll be fun! Let us show you!"
"There's nothing that will convince me to go exercising with you," Futaba said flatly.
"Nothing, huh?" Ken raised an eyebrow. "I thought you might say something like that…"
"Using your trump card, huh?" Ryuji nudged Ken in the side with a grin. "Ready to see Futaba eat her words?"
Ken just rolled his eyes at Ryuji, before producing a poster tube. He then popped it open, unfurling the poster inside.
Futaba's eyes bugged out. It was a poster of the latest incarnation of Feathermen… A fully autographed poster.
"How did you get your hands on this?!" Futaba cried out.
Ken just raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Do you really have to ask?"
"Neeeeerd," Ryuji teased, elbowing Ken in the side which just made Ken roll his eyes in response.
"You're giving it to me?!" Futaba exclaimed but Ken quickly held it over her head, out of reach.
Cheater. Why did everyone but Haru have to be annoyingly taller than her?! And even then Haru was nearly half a head taller.
"Not so fast," Ken said. "I will give it to you… if you agree to come to the gym with Ryuji and me today."
Futaba grumbled to herself. Ken was playing dirty… But still, a completely autographed poster! She couldn't pass this up! She had to have it!
"Fiiiine," she huffed before pointing at the boys. "I'm not gonna enjoy it though!"
"We'll see 'bout that!" Ryuji said with a wide grin. "Come on, onto the Protein Lovers Gym!"
After Futaba picked out an exercising outfit, they dragged her to Shibuya, paid six thousand yen for the three of them (that could have covered the cost of a game but no, apparently they had to exercise).
"Okay, Futaba, let's start with a light jog on the treadmill!" Ryuji said with a grin. "It'll be a nice warm-up!"
"Can't we do the bikes?" Futaba couldn't help but whine. "That's sitting still!"
"Futaba, it's a miracle that you haven't been lagging in the Metaverse runs," Ken said sternly, folding his arms over his chest. "We may have a situation where we need to get away as soon as we can, and you could be in trouble if you're not fast enough."
"I'm not that bad!" Futaba grumbled out.
Ryuji and Ken just exchanged a skeptical look.
"HEY! I saw that!" Futaba puffed out her cheeks. "Ugh, you guys suck."
"Prove us wrong, then," Ryuji challenged. "You can go toe to toe with the best hackers and doing a simple warm-up will scare you off?!"
"Fiiine," Futaba groaned out before she climbed the treadmill.
"You're lucky that you've never been in a sports club, y'know," Ryuji said. "Some of the drills… they were just brutal."
"I remember those sprinting drills when I first joined the soccer club," Ken mused. "Felt like my legs were going to fall off…"
"You're not helping," Futaba grumbled out.
"Hey, we're saying that you have it easy compared to what we had to deal with!" Ryuji huffed.
"We'll focus on building up your stamina today," Ken said, his tone taking the air of a teacher. "So, I want you to keep up a jog for five minutes. I don't care how slow you feel you're going. It's just important that you don't stop or start walking."
"Okay, Coach." Futaba huffed out.
"Where'd ya even learn this?" Ryuji asked as Futaba turned on the treadmill.
"Just listening in on Junpei-san, I guess," Ken said sheepishly. "He coaches a junior league baseball team, along with his job as a gym teacher. He taught me how to play baseball back in junior high. He really loves his job."
"Huh…never thought of it like that." Ryuji sounded...thoughtful. That was weird. "That does seem pretty cool when you put it like that!"
"Futaba, more jogging," Ken suddenly said, his voice sharp. "You can listen and jog at the same time."
"Slave driver," Futaba grumbled.
Ken huffed. "I heard that."
"You were supposed to!"
They did a little bit of everything. Futaba felt so tired… and her muscles were burning. But at the same time… she also… felt good? Weird.
"Are we done now?" Futaba asked.
"Not yet." Ryuji grinned before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out some scotch tape and a crumpled photo of Akechi.
"…Is there a reason why you've got a picture of Akechi in your pocket?"
"Not for the reason you're thinking!" Ryuji retorted. "It's for the punching bag!"
"Ryuji…" Ken sighed out.
"He just…pisses me off!" Ryuji hissed out. "I'd find him annoying enough even without his whole 'The Phantom Thieves are evil and just as bad as crooks' attitude, but what he's planning with Ren…" He scowled. "I can't exactly punch the real Akechi so this will do."
She could see where Ryuji was coming from. They've been stressing over this operation (and the fact that a lot of the plan was riding on her abilities was so reassuring). While everyone liked to treat her like she was their kid sister, Ren always did look out for her. The idea of Akechi killing him...just made her sick to her stomach.
"Lemme at 'im, too!" Futaba exclaimed before her hands balled into fists.
Ken just pressed a hand to his forehead. "You both can be so impossible, I'll have you know."
"Noted!" Futaba smiled cheekily.
"Don't break it or we'll have to compensate them," Ken grumbled out as they watched Ryuji whale on the punching bag. "Has Makoto been teaching you aikido or something?"
Ryuji just snickered before he gave one last punch, making the punching bag swing violently. "Nah! I'm pretty sure Makoto would be nitpicking at my technique if she was here." He then turned to look at Futaba. "Wanna give it a go, Futaba?"
"Yeah!" Futaba nodded. She let Ryuji step away, before she took his spot. She balled her fists, eyeing the punching bag. "Here it goes!" Then she swung her fist. "Ouch!" she yelped, as her hand started to throb with pain.
"Let me see." Ken gingerly took her hand, before he sighed softly. "This isn't like a pillow, you know."
"I didn't think it was," Futaba said sulkily. Ken glanced around cautiously before his hand began to glow blue. Warmth infused her hand and when Ken pulled his hand away, Futaba could feel the pain disappearing. She flexed her hand for a moment before she looked to Ken. "Thanks."
"No problem." Ken then looked to Ryuji. "What do you say about getting a snack at the diner? I think Futaba's done for the day."
"The poster!" Futaba exclaimed, clenching both of her hands into fists. "Gimmegimmegimme—!"
"Okay, okay, calm down!" Ken sighed, shaking his head.
"I think you've created a monster, Ken," Ryuji commented.
Ken just rolled his eyes in response. "Haha, you're hilarious, Ryuji."
"Don't be mad because I'm just sayin' the truth!"
But they got out of the gym, heading for the diner.
"Y'know, RenRen always said this is a good place to study," Ryuji commented, not looking up from the menu. "Dunno why."
"It's quiet, I suppose." Ken shrugged. "And he can order something to eat or drink to keep up his energy."
"Still weird..." Ryuji grumbled to himself. "But anyways...I did have fun today."
"It was...nice," Futaba grumbled out. "But—!"
"Oh, all right." Ken huffed, shooting Futaba an exasperated look. He then reached under the table, retrieving the poster tube. "You've got a one-track mind. I hope you know that."
Futaba stuck her tongue at him before she snatched the poster from him. "You know you love us."
"Hm." Ken then took a sip of his water but he didn't deny it.
"This was nice, y'know." Ryuji then heaved out a sigh, making Futaba and Ken look at him. "I just...I dunno. Stressing out 'bout Makoto's sis was getting to me." Then he scowled. "I don't even know why Makoto thinks that she's any better than the other ones we've faced."
"Ryuji..." Ken said quietly.
"I mean...! She tried to effing blackmail Boss. And all those lives she had to have wrecked, all 'cause she needed to win." Ryuji suddenly gripped the edge of the table. "I guess...I just don't get it," he said quietly. "Why Yusuke, Haru, and Makoto care so much." He then laughed, but it was flat. "I guess... I'm a shitty person... ain't I?"
"D-Don't say that!" Futaba blurted. "I... I get it." She closed her eyes. "My uncle..." she mumbled out. "He was awful to me. Sojiro probably would've been fine to let him to take care of me... if he actually did."
"Exactly!" Ryuji's eyes suddenly lowered to the table. "My old man... He was honestly super shitty. He made my mom cry so many times... He'd get pissed off and take it out on me and my mom. If he came back, said he was sorry... I could never forgive him. He's an asshole! And... he probably pales in comparison to Madarame or Okumura." He just shook his head, giving a rueful smile. "I guess Yusuke, Haru, and Makoto are just more mature than me."
"Don't say that, Ryuji," Ken said sharply. "There are some people that aren't worth forgiveness. They're nothing but scum. I know... it's complicated. But don't degrade yourself, because you've seen how conflicted Yusuke and Haru felt about facing their abusive father figures or seeing how Makoto feels about her older sister."
"You're not stupid for not wanting to forgive him," Futaba said. "I would never forgive my uncle..."
Ryuji then cracked his usual smile.
"Heh… thanks guys." Then he shook his head. "I get family being important to some people but... ugh. My mom's the only family member who's ever given two shits 'bout me."
Yeah... that was pretty much the same for her. She had believed that Mom had hated her for so long but... it wasn't the truth. Mom loved her. Although, she couldn't help but wonder if Akechi was the one responsible for killing her. If that was the case...
She would never forgive Akechi.
"Well... truth be told," Ken began, "My personal feelings align with yours, Ryuji. I can understand why Makoto feels the way she does..." Ken just sighed before he shrugged. "But like you, Mom was the only one who ever really cared about me."
"Maybe we should make a 'I Have A Shitty Dad' club?" Ryuji weakly joked.
"Heh." Ken closed his eyes for a moment. "But my point is that you shouldn't feel bad or guilty that you don't want to forgive your dad, should the chance present itself."
Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks, Ken. I guess… I needed to hear a little pep talk."
Ken's cheeks suddenly colored. "T-That was nothing."
"Aw, you don't have to feel embarrassed!" Futaba snickered at him.
A new voice interjected into the conversation.
"Might I join you?"
"A-Akechi?!" Ryuji sputtered out, staring at him. "What are you doing here?!"
"The same reason as you, I suppose," Akechi remarked, all while smiling amusedly.
Futaba was so glad that she was sitting next to Ryuji. Speaking of Ryuji, Ken gave him a quick warning look before sliding closer to the wall to accommodate Akechi.
"So, I take it that you have been exercising?" Akechi asked. "Though I must say, I would never think you would partake in that, Futaba-san."
"Yeah, well..." Futaba scrunched up her face, shooting Ken a look. "Someone dangled a fully autographed poster of Feathermen Rangers over my head!"
"Oh yes, how dare I make you do something that's good for you," Ken deadpanned.
"And you ended up enjoying yourself!" Ryuji huffed out. "You can't deny it!"
Futaba just turned and flicked him in the forehead.
"WHATCHA DO THAT FOR?!"
"Inside voice, Ryuji..." Ken sighed out, pressing a hand to his forehead.
"What inside voice?" Futaba quipped.
"Aw, shuddup..." Ryuji folded his arms over his chest, before proceeding to sulk.
"You all are so lively." Akechi laughed quietly, holding a hand over his mouth. "I must say... you are quite the fan of Feathermen Rangers, aren't you, Futaba-san?"
"Well... yeah." Futaba bit her lower lip. "Victory especially. It kinda... gave me something to look forward when I...I wasn't at the highest point of my life. The opening line of the intro always stuck with me. 'Death must not be needlessly feared... But it must not be needlessly wanted, either. So, face it and fight, Feathermen!' It was... one of the things that made me happy after Mom died."
Akechi was frozen for a moment. He looked…shaken. Some emotion flashed in his eyes before he closed them for a moment.
Then he pressed his lips together. "T-That's understandable. I…I'm sorry that your mother's death had…shaken you so much." He then coughed. "T-Though, it's good that you're taking some time to enjoy yourself now. I've discovered the date when Sae-san will be sitting in during court: next Monday."
The topic of Sae made Ryuji's face sour. He wasn't quite scowling but…the disapproval on his face was clear as day. And well, it's not like Futaba disagreed with Ryuji.
Akechi winced. "You… really don't like Sae-san, do you?"
"No shit, Sherlock," Ryuji spat out. "Like I get it. She's Makoto's sis. And your partner. But she's done all the shitty stuff that I hate about the police! Manipulating shit, throwing innocent people under the bus!" He then slammed his fist on the table, making the glasses rattle. "It pisses me off! And I bet that she would've condemned Ren if she was the one prosecuting his case!"
"And there's what she tried to do with Sojiro… she would've ruined his life," Futaba mumbled out.
A… weird look crossed Ken's face. "Well… Shinjiro-san did tell me something…"
Ryuji looked shocked; Futaba had to admit she also was surprised.
"Why would Shinjiro-san run into her?!" Ryuji demanded. "Tell us, Ken!"
"Okay, okay, calm down!" Ken hissed. "It's not as big as you would think. But she came into the bar that Shinjiro-san works at. She looked kinda stressed with the case. And… Shinjiro-san asked her if this was all worth it. And… Niijima-san couldn't answer."
"So, she's got a conscience, huh…?" Futaba asked. Then she mumbled out, "That's a surprise."
Ken just sighed. Well, she wasn't the one dating Makoto. Ken had a bias as Makoto's boyfriend. Unless Sae proved that she regretted threatening Sojiro…Futaba wasn't ready to forgive her.
"Well…I can understand your… gripes with the police," Akechi admitted. "And people in power, in general. As they say…power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Akechi seemed to hesitate for a moment.
"May I… share something… about me?"
"Nobody's stopping ya." Ryuji shrugged. "You like talking about yourself on TV, so I guess real life isn't any different."
"How you jest, Ryuji-san." Akechi laughed, but it sounded so… fake. "Thank you…" Akechi then inhaled. "As I told you a few months ago, I was born out of wedlock. My mother…she had been a fresh graduate out of university. But… in her field, it wasn't the easiest to find a job straight out of university. So, she found a job so she could support herself while she tried to get a job that she did want. She worked as a secretary for an upcoming politician."
Then a bitter look crossed his face. It honestly… was a bit unnerving. She was so used to the princely media darling.
"He knew just how to manipulate her," Akechi continued. "He whispered things in her ear…things she wanted to hear. You see, she had a sister who was fortunate to find love in high school. After university, her sister's boyfriend proposed to her and they married soon after. They were quite in love…and my mother craved the same love. But he…he would never give it to her. She told him that she was pregnant…and what did he do? He threw her away like trash…"
"What the hell?" Ryuji choked out. "That…really effed up."
She never really knew her dad. But Mom…she didn't really care. Maybe…it was a blessing that Mom marched to her own beat, as Sojiro sometimes put it.
"Another politician who only cares about himself..." Ken rubbed his forehead. "Politics seem to breed that type."
"Another?" Akechi questioned.
"Uh..." Ryuji grimaced. "It really should be on Ren to tell ya but…you did share some pretty heavy shit 'bout your family. But you know that Ren's on probation for a year, yeah?"
"Ren was just walking home when he came across some politician trying to force himself on a woman." Futaba huffed. "And he got screwed over so badly for it…!"
Akechi inhaled sharply. "Is that really the case?"
"I mean, Ryuji's many things but he's not a liar!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ryuji demanded.
"But that's why Ren's a bit... bitter towards prosecutors," Ken said quietly. "Because how his court case was honestly just a farce."
"It's so effed up how he got screwed over this." Ryuji muttered.
"Power…" Futaba said quietly. "That's all it comes down to."
"Yes," Akechi agreed. "If only we could take him down."
Futaba gulped. The way Akechi's eyes burned… it scared her a little. Something told her…that Akechi wasn't referring to the politician that messed with Ren.
"Might I join you for a bit?"
Ken had to bite back a sigh. Honestly, while his backstory wasn't… what he had expected, Ken was not particularly interested in spending more time with Akechi than he had to. But there was no polite way to say no in this situation. Sometimes he wished he could be more blunt like Shinjiro-san.
Ryuji had taken Futaba home, leaving him with Akechi.
"I suppose," Ken answered.
"How is Niijima-san?" Akechi abruptly asked.
"Why do you ask?" Ken asked, glancing towards Akechi.
Akechi winced, before he let out a heavy sigh.
"I… I know that Niijima-san is not the biggest fan of me," He said, "But… as I told her before… we do have a common ground—we both care about Sae-san. And I've only known Sae-san for two years. I can only imagine how she felt, seeing how…warped Sae-san has become."
"You're…more attached to her than I would think," Ken said slowly. "She is just your co-worker, isn't she?"
"Well… she is my coworker, yes," Akechi agreed. "But when we met… she was a bit skeptical. After all, there aren't many sixteen year old detectives running around. But… she slowly let me in. Back then, she still believed in justice somewhat. She spoke of wanting to reform the system and that… resounded with me, in a way. The justice system… it lets the downtrodden slip through the cracks. And well… she treated me kindly. Kinder than most adults have."
Was he lying? The fact that he claimed that the black masked Persona-user attacked him, and in response, Akechi had awakened to his Persona still nagged at him. He didn't know if he could trust Akechi.
"Ken-san... if I may ask." Akechi said quietly. "You've mentioned this guardian of yours before…am I correct in assuming that he's not a blood relative?"
"He's not," Ken answered. "Shinjiro-san was... well, he was a third-year attending Gekkoukan High when we met. But... he felt that the life I led wasn't healthy."
"Your..." Akechi's brow furrowed, "Life? Just what do you mean?"
Ken sighed. It was only fair—he did share a lot about his family. "Back then, I was under the custody of my father's cousin, but it was really in name. He paid the bills but I probably could've fallen in a ditch for all he cared…"
"I'm sorry about that." Akechi's eyes widened at that. "After losing your parents."
Ken shrugged. "I never really knew my dad. My parents got a divorce when I was practically a baby."
"Oh..." Akechi said lamely. "But...he didn't involve himself in your life after the divorce?"
"Well…" Ken grimaced. "It's all gossip but… apparently my parents' first real conflict was over… whether or not they were ready to be parents." He shrugged. "I don't know if it's true. Gossip can be full of gibberish."
Akechi just frowned quizzically. "It doesn't... bother you?"
Ken shrugged. "My mom always loved me. She tried to make the best of things, even if it was rough. And there were a couple hard years, after Mom died but… after I met my senpai… they gave me love. They helped me heal after my mom's death."
"You are..." Akechi swallowed hard, "Quite fortunate."
Did he look angry? Or would a better word be...bitter? But the look in his eye disappeared within a blink of an eye.
"I know I am," Ken said. "I'm very grateful to them."
"But—" Akechi hesitated for a moment, before he swallowed hard. He looked down to the ground. "I never apologized for what happened... with Takeba-san's son. I spoke carelessly."
Ken just looked at him warily. "Why bring this up now?"
Akechi looked up, a weak smile on his face.
"Well I suppose it was on my mind, with bringing up my father. Takeba-san has fortitude, for choosing to bear bastard children when she was... eighteen? And I assume the father just... deserted her."
"No," Ken snapped out.
"No?" he parroted back.
"No," Ken repeated. "Yukari-san's boyfriend... he was a good person. He loved Yukari-san very much... but something happened and..." Ken squeezed his eyes shut. "...His death was a tragedy," he finished quietly as he opened his eyes. "He lost his parents at a young age due to a tragic accident and... he would never abandon a child of his. Never."
Besides that, Minato-san would've had Minako-san to contend with.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you held him in high regard." Akechi murmured, making Ken look at him. "I just thought—" He then coughed. "I suppose I'm just jumping to conclusions. Though that being said, Takeba-san's children are... fortunate."
When Ken raised an eyebrow at that, he was quick to add more.
"They have their mother still, after all. And she is fortunate enough to have a well-paying job, being an actress." A sad smile then formed on his lips. "But as I was saying... I spoke heedlessly. I... I found out just how bastards were viewed in society when I was about... seven?" He closed his eyes for a moment. "Rumors spread... the children learned to avoid me because I was a bastard. I... I... recall my mother asking what a bastard was. She didn't say anything. She just hugged me and wept."
"Akechi... I'm sorry."
He didn't know what else to say. He used to hate that phrase, often used after someone found out that he was an orphan. But sometimes all you could do was offer sympathy.
Akechi smiled weakly. "I just wish...she hadn't died with so much pain and torment. If only he had—" He then shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. "No. Wishes... they're useless."
"Akechi-san?" Ken questioned.
"Ah, forgive me, Ken-san." Akechi forced a smile. "I've wasted enough of your time. You should get going. Your guardian must be worried for you."
Then he walked away. Ken just stared in bewilderment at Akechi's retreating back.
What was that about?
Tuesday, November 8th, 2016
From the little comments Anne has made to Ren here and there, Ren could guess that she hasn't had a birthday party in the longest time. Oh, her parents called to wish her a happy birthday. Shiho always made sure to get her an awesome birthday present. But to Ren…that simply wasn't enough.
This year was going to be different. They had a group of friends. Anne's seventeenth birthday was going to be a good one if Ren had anything to say about it. And besides...he had missed so many of his friends' birthdays already. He wasn't going to do it yet another time.
Not to mention that everyone deserved to have some fun after all of the stress they've had to deal with lately. A much needed distraction from Niijima's Palace. And well. The fact that Shido and Akechi both wanted him dead. But he did have to invite Akechi into this. Couldn't look like he didn't trust Akechi.
Earlier this morning, he had sent a text to everyone (except for Anne of course) to meet him in the attic of LeBlanc to discuss this.
"What is this about, Ren?" Morgana tilted his head at Ren. "And I noticed you didn't message Lady Anne about this meeting."
"That's because I don't want her to find out. Because you see..." Ren then paused for dramatic effect, earning him an eye roll from a certain someone. "It'll be Anne's birthday in four days."
"Oh!" Haru's eyes brightened. "You want to throw her a birthday party, don't you?" She then giggled, pressing a hand to her cheek. "That's so sweet of you, Ren-kun."
Akechi cleared his throat. "I understand that Anne-san has been your paramour for a while but—"
"What's a paramour?" Ryuji interrupted, cutting Akechi off.
"It means love interest," Makoto clarified.
"Though it is usually used to describe a lover of a married person," Ken said dryly, shooting Akechi a look. "Which Anne is most certainly not."
"Dude, you gotta show off your vocab or somethin'?" Ryuji grumbled out.
Ken just rolled his eyes. Ren couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well, I'm not opposed to this," Yusuke stated. "We have been stressed since well…" he trailed off, before pursing his lips. "...For weeks."
"Since Father died," Haru said before she smiled faintly at Yusuke. "It's okay, Yusuke-kun..."
Ren noticed something curious from the corner of his eye as he noticed Akechi shifting where he stood. He turned to glance at him better (albeit discreetly). Was that a look of guilt in Akechi's eyes? He was looking at everything else but Haru too.
"I'm down!" Futaba cried, before her shoulders suddenly hunched over. "Nggh...I don't have a birthday present ready for her though."
"It's okay, Futaba, we can go shopping for a birthday present together," Makoto reassured before patting the younger girl's shoulder. "How does that sound?"
Futaba's eyes lit up before she nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Thanks, Makoto!"
"And...I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you." She said hesitantly.
"Hm? What's up?" Futaba quirked a brow at her.
"Not here!" Makoto hastily blurted out. "We can talk about it later."
Huh. What was that about?
"Can we even pull this off though?" Morgana asked. "Lady Anne does deserve a nice party but...there are only four days before Lady Anne's birthday…"
"We can." Ren firmly nodded. "We've pulled off the impossible before. We've got this in the bag!"
"So...what do we have to cover?" Yusuke asked. "I must confess, I'm not too acquainted with the process."
"Food's a must!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Hey, Ken! You should totally ask Shinjiro-san if he can give us a hand!"
"Well... I can try," Ken said slowly, looking rather unsure. "Shinjiro-san does get tired out from his job though, so I'm not sure. Though if Shinjiro-san can't, I can cook." Then he added in a mutter, "Never would hear the end of it if Shinjiro-san ever found out that there was only junk food."
"I could always make it a catering job," Haru mused. "Oh! I'd like to give baking a try. I can make the cake! Birthday parties always need a cake!"
For some reason, Ken paled. He looked... nervous as he swallowed hard.
"Er... Haru?"
"Hm?" Haru tilted her head. "Is something the matter, Ken-kun?"
"You know how to read a cookbook, right?" Ken asked.
Haru just blinked. "Yes?"
Why was Ken suddenly paranoid? Maybe he should pry the story out of Ken sometime…
"But man, Shinjiro-san's such an awesome cook," Ryuji said with a grin. "Dude, I haven't had his cooking in ages! It'd be awesome if you could get him to cook for us!"
"If he does agree, we should invite him to the party!" Haru said.
Morgana scrunched up his face. "Something tells me that he'll say no."
"I'll try to convince him," Ken said hesitantly.
Ren quirked an eyebrow at his friend. "Is he really that much of a grump?"
Ken just huffed. "It's like pulling teeth." Then he paused. "…Well, if you're not Fuuka-san."
Ryuji snickered. "He really is whipped."
"I still do not understand that phrase…" Yusuke stated with a frown.
"…You don't need to, Yusuke," Ken said dryly.
"Ahem!" Makoto cleared her throat, before looking towards Ren. "I suppose the rest of us should handle decorating," Makoto mused.
"I ask that I be put in charge," Yusuke announced, pointedly ignoring Futaba's scoff and eyeroll. "My eye for aesthetic is unparalleled, after all."
"Well… most of you, yes." Ren looked towards his best friend. " But I have something else in mind for you, Ryuji."
"Come on, dude. Spit it out!" Ryuji said impatiently.
Ren then grinned.
"Patience is a virtue," He teased.
"RenRen!"
"That's my name, don't wear it out," Ren quipped, before smirking at the chagrined look on Ryuji's face.
"Okay, basically, I talked to Shiho a few days ago. Turns out that she was planning to surprise Anne with a visit for her birthday. So, I invited her to the party. But since I think she's most familiar with you, I figured that you'd be the best choice to go get her at the train station and bring her here."
"Didn't you visit her the most with Anne?" Makoto asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well..." Ren smiled sheepishly. "Someone's gotta distract her while everyone sets up, right?"
"Oh sure." Futaba nodded before making kissing noises. "And you can get all gross and mushy with her."
"Hey!" Ren protested. "We're not that bad!"
"Uh-huh," Ken said dryly. "Sure."
"Hey, your track record isn't exactly squeaky clean!" Ren's retorted, "You can't talk!"
Ken could only glower at him.
"Do I want to know?" Akechi tilted his head as both Ken and Makoto predictably reddened.
Ren smothered the urge to smirk. They really made it too easy.
Haru clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
"So! What should we do for decorations? And what type of cake?" She asked.
"Well, Anne really loves roses, so it'd be cool to incorporate that in the decorations…"
Thursday, November 10th, 2016
Chie was exhausted. She loved what she was working towards, becoming a police officer so she can protect people—but sometimes the training at the police academy was just brutal. Some days she felt as wiped out as the day she had awakened to Tomoe.
She had managed to start to doze off when she found herself being shaken awake. "Satonaka! Wake up!"
"Huh?" She blinked blearily up at her fellow trainee, one of the few women who was studying at the academy. "Is it time for dinner?"
She huffed, rolling her eyes. "Not quite. The original Detective Prince is here to see you."
"Naoto-kun?!" Chie yelped out, abruptly sitting up. "For what?!"
"I just said that she's here to see you." She then poked Chie in the forehead. "Might wanna wake a bit before you go see her."
Chie waved her aside with a nervous laugh. "Yeah, yeah, I'll wash my face. Thanks for letting me know about Naoto-kun."
After she went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face, she went to go find Naoto. Her friend was leaning against the wall, though she was surrounded by some of Chie's classmates.
"Hey, clear off!" Chie shouted, immediately breaking into a sprint. She then skidded to a stop, frowning at them. "Jeez, can't you let her breathe?!"
This earned her some grumbles but they scattered, leaving Chie alone with her old friend.
"Hello, Chie-senpai," Naoto greeted, a faint smile forming on her lips. "It's lovely to see you again."
"Hey, none of that!" Chie shook her head. "Come here!"
She didn't wait for Naoto to reply before grabbing Naoto in a tight hug.
"O-Oh!" Naoto's expression was flustered when Chie pulled away. Then she coughed, color rushing into her cheeks. "Um...shall we? We could go to the restaurant you always rave about."
Chie couldn't help but giggle. Ah, Naoto. She was better at interacting with others than compared to when Chie first met her, but she'd never jump for a hug like Rise would.
Though… what did Naoto want so much secrecy? Though she definitely wouldn't say no to beef bowls!
The restaurant was a short walk from the academy, which was part of why Chie liked going there. Since it was a weekday, it wasn't as busy as it could've been. Though to her surprise, there was someone waiting for them…
"Kanji-kun!" Chie beamed at him. "You're here too?!"
"Hey, Chie-senpai!" Kanji greeted her, a wide smile on his face. "How are ya?"
"Awesome. Can't wait to get outta here, though! How are your classes coming along?"
"The kids are so damn smart," he said. "You should've seen what Kaya-chan made the other day…!"
Naoto just smiled fondly at Kanji as Kanji continued to gush about his students.
"It's crazy how fast they learn!" Kanji exclaimed.
But before Chie could reply, the host called out, "Table for three! For Tatsumi-san?"
"Ah, that's us," Naoto said.
The three of them stepped forward and they were seated near the back of the restaurant. However, Naoto seemed more interested in looking through the menu first.
Chie watched Naoto flick through the menu, her dark blue eyes scanning the contents. She was as proper as ever, her posture perfect. Kanji definitely knew what was up, with how his eyes darted over to Naoto every five seconds. Then she suddenly set down her menu.
"So, Chie-senpai, tell me." Naoto looked at her squarely in the eyes. "You've been kept in the loop about the Phantom Thieves, haven't you?"
Chie let out a weak chuckle. "I-I mean you kinda have to be living under a rock to not know."
"That's not what I'm referring to, Chie-senpai."
Chie pursed her lips.
"Okay, I'll give." She then leaned forward. "They seemed like good kids from what you described." Then she winced. "Sorry I couldn't come back to Inaba to meet them."
"That's not your fault, Chie-senpai," Kanji said. "I mean, this is pretty damn important."
"Just a few more months," Chie sighed out before rubbing her forehead. "I really can't wait to get out of here."
Naoto just smiled at her. "I look forward to the day where you and I can work together in a professional setting, Chie-senpai."
"Hehe…" Chie scratched her cheek. "I dunno if I can keep up with you, Naoto-kun."
"Hey, don't put yourself down!" Kanji scolded. "I mean, Naoto's pretty much a genius—"
"Kanji-kun!" Naoto's cheeks suddenly reddened. "You're exaggerating!"
"It's true, Naoto!" Kanji argued, before turning back to Chie. "But anyways, don't put yourself down. You made some pretty sharp deductions back when we were in high school."
"Your intuition is truly something else," Naoto added.
"Thanks." Chie smiled sheepishly for a moment but then she leaned in close. "But what's this about the Phantom Thieves?"
Chie personally thought they were pretty cool. She could see why people were skeptical of them. But… tracking down crooks, not relenting until they saw said crooks in jail. She had to admit that the idea appealed to her. Though she was surprised to find out that Ken had joined them. Chie didn't get along with him like Ken did with Kanji and Naoto, but she liked the younger boy, even though he was so serious.
Naoto began, "Well—"
"Shido's going for their heads," Kanji interrupted.
"Kanji-kun!" Naoto gave Kanji an exasperated look.
Kanji huffed. "Stop pussyfooting around, Naoto! We'll take forever to get the freakin' point at the rate you're setting!"
Naoto just sighed softly. "Well… I suppose you're right."
"Slow down and back up! Can you please fill in some lines?!" Chie cried out.
Naoto sighed then began to explain that the Phantom Thieves were set up to target Medjed and Okumura. And this was all a set-up for Shido to remove a growing threat. It was… despicable.
"And Akechi turned out to be a total phony." Kanji's face scrunched up in disgust. "I knew he couldn't compare to Naoto but… this is beyond even Adachi."
Akechi, huh…? Well, she knew that so many girls went gaga for him. It was weird to hear for her though, since he was still a high school student. There was always something that rubbed her wrong too. Maybe… it was how theatrical he was, talking about how he would catch criminals.
Now, there was nothing wrong with being theatrical. She was close friends with Rise, after all. But still…she couldn't help but feel that he made justice out as a joke.
"He's planning on murdering Ren-kun. He fed them a story about how he was wronged, but when they steal Sae Niijima's Treasure…they'll be ambushed and Ren-kun will be taken captive," Naoto explained. She then frowned. "Though I must admit, there always was something that nagged at me about Akechi. His 'deductions' always felt nonsensical to me."
Chie nodded. "And he always seems…intent on putting on a show. Like a big flashy distraction." She then grimaced. "Did you guys…come to ask for help or something? What can I do?"
Kanji smirked. "Well, the Phantom Thieves came up with a plan but Shinjiro-san feels it rides too much on Ren convincing Niijima to trust him. So… the Shadow Operatives want you to join in a back-up plan."
"Back-up?"
"Rise-san will be your support," Naoto stated. "You, Chie-senpai, would fit into this plan… disguised as one of Shido's police officers. Rise-san also suggested that she do a little bit of touch-up… so your facial features are masked during the infiltration."
This was unbelievable… but still, a life was on the line. And who knew if Shido would be satisfied with the death of one? Wouldn't he go after all of them?
No. She wouldn't allow it. After all, she wanted to become a police officer to protect people. There was no way that she could say no.
Chie looked at her friends. "Count me in."
Saturday, November 12th, 2016
"So, birthday girl, care to join me for lunch today?"
Anne just raised an eyebrow.
"Depends on what the lunch is, I guess." She said playfully.
Ren gasped, "You wound me, milady! Nothing but the best for you!"
"Well, there was the time you winged the recipe for Boss's curry and fed it to me."
"That was one time."
"And this is another one time too," Anne said teasingly.
"Oh, just you wait. It'll knock your socks off." Ren promised.
"I'll be the judge of it, not you," Anne shot back.
"So, you will grace me with your presence today?" Ren caught her hand, lifting it so he could lightly kiss the back of it. "I would be honored."
"You're such a dork sometimes!" Anne couldn't help but giggle.
"But I'm your dork, riiiight?" Ren drawled out.
"And don't you forget it." Anne quipped.
Ren just grinned at her in response.
"Never, my lady."
"Though you know, my birthday isn't that special," Anne commented.
"Of course it is!" Ren exclaimed. "It was the day you were born after all. Practically a holiday!"
"Forever a drama queen," Anne teased. "So, where are we going to eat?"
"The roof," Ren answered. When Anne looked at him in surprise, he quickly added, "It's okay. Makoto gave me permission."
Anne giggled, "That brings me back."
She sighed out as they headed out of the classroom. Ren carried one of those tiered bento boxes. He really did go out today, didn't he?
Back then it had been just the two of them, Ryuji, and Morgana… planning their heist against Kamoshida. It was really weird looking back to a time before that. Back when Shiho was her only friend. Back when she felt so lonely.
"Hey, you're talking like it happened years ago." Ren gave her a playful smile as they ascended the flight of stairs, leading them to the third floor. "That was barely half a year ago."
"Still, a lot has happened," Anne replied. "We started up the Phantom Thieves… we've made so many friends."
"You started dating someone who is quite devilishly handsome." Ren finished, before flashing a smirk her way.
Anne smacked his shoulder but she was unable to stop herself from laughing. Ren was playing up his arrogance to amuse her anyways.
"Ego, Ren."
"You know you love me."
"And it is quite a trial," Anne said sarcastically.
Ren just held his hand over his mouth, his eyes twinkling with humor.
"My, my, the lady has quite a sharp tongue."
Anne huffed, before rolling her eyes at him. "And you have a silver tongue, smooth talker."
"Smooth talking isn't the only thing I can do with my mouth. Shall I demonstrate?" Ren smirked wickedly as Anne found herself blushing like crazy.
"R-Ren!"
"I was just thinking of kissing you." Ren sounded scandalized. "What were you thinking?"
"You're awful," Anne grumbled out, still feeling the heat in her cheeks.
Ren just smirked at her before kissing her quickly. "Am I?"
"At this rate we're never going to get to eat lunch, you know," Anne pointed out.
But she didn't mind entirely. Ever since they had the plan, they had been up to their eyeballs with work and school. She hadn't been able to have any alone time with him and well… it was her birthday. If it was any day that she indulged herself, it'd be today, right?
A grin just broke across his face. "I'm fine with it. Are you?"
Anne reached up and grabbed him by both lapels of his blazer, pulling him down and kissing shortly but fiercely. She pulled back, raising an eyebrow.
"That good enough for an answer?"
Ren just raised an eyebrow back at her, but then he smiled. "More than enough, my lady."
As soon as school got out, Ryuji made a beeline for the train station. Ren had texted him, saying that he'd be distracting Anne for about an hour or so. Suzui had gotten the okay from her parents to skip the afternoon classes so she could ride the train to Tokyo.
Though finding her in this crowd would probably be a pain in the ass. Black hair didn't exactly stand out around here.
"Sakamoto-kun!"
As if thinking about her summoned her, Ryuji turned to see that Suzui was waving at him. She then pushed her way to him.
"Suzui!" Ryuji greeted, before looking at her up and down for a moment. He let out a low whistle. "Damn, the countryside did ya good."
She looked… really happy. She was smiling so much and she practically radiated confidence. He was glad that she was healing from the shit that Kamoshida had done to her. Suzui really just got caught in the crossfire, a way for Kamoshida to get to Anne.
But he was rotting in jail. And Suzui seemed happier, just from looking at her.
But Suzui huffed, raising an eyebrow. "I see you haven't changed at all, Sakamoto-kun."
"W-Wha?" It then hit Ryuji that it might look like he was hitting on her. "N-No, I was just saying you look great! I-I'm not hitting on ya! U-Uh, not that you don't usually look great!"
Then he realized that Suzui was laughing.
"Calm down, Sakamoto-kun, I was just teasing." Her brown eyes were twinkling now. "Shall we?"
"Y-Yeah!" Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck. "We're holding the party at LeBlanc where—"
"Amamiya-kun lives," Suzui finished. She then smiled sheepishly. "Anne's told me a lot about Amamiya-kun. Like it's kinda ridiculous how she didn't notice that she had a crush on him."
"She's pretty crazy about RenRen," Ryuji laughed. "You should've seen the look on her face when he basically said 'yeah, I like you'."
But then Suzui's expression grew serious. "He treats her right, doesn't she?"
"Yeah!" Ryuji nodded. "Totally! She's got him whipped, I'll tell ya. And sometimes they just can't keep their hands off of each other!"
Suzui nodded, a smile curving at her lips.
"I'm glad. Because if Amamiya-kun ever hurts her…" Her face suddenly hardened, making Ryuji gulp a little, "He's dead meat."
Damn…He didn't expect Ren to get this kinda threat, with Anne's parents being constantly abroad. Wait, did they even know about Anne and Ren?
Ryuji coughed. "So how have you been doing, Suzui?"
"Me?" Suzui blinked before shrugging. "Nothing special, really… I've made some friends. My school's nice." She shrugged. "Usual school stuff."
"No volleyball club?"
Suzui winced. "No… I don't think I'm ready to go back yet."
"When you're ready, you should totally go for it. Your school's team would be lucky to have ya! Anne mentioned that you wanted to wreck Kamoshida's record as an Olympic champ. You can totally do it!"
Suzui smiled. "Thank you, Sakamoto-kun. I appreciate it."
"Any time, Suzui."
"Shiho." When Ryuji blinked at her in surprise, she continued. "It really was a shame you and I never talked that much, especially because our best friends are dating."
Ryuji just shrugged, "It's cool. I mean we're talking now."
"Mm, I suppose but…" she trailed off for a moment, looking serious. "I never got the chance to thank you."
"Huh? For what?"
"Anne told me how angry you were after finding out what Kamoshida… did to me."
Ryuji fell silent after that for a couple of seconds. This wasn't exactly a topic you wanted to dive into casually. He awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to think of what best way to approach it. Not exactly like it was his strong suit.
"Ah, I didn't do much just… it's cool. I mean anyone should be mad. You deserve better… but uh… anyways… I mean since our best friends are going out, let's not be so formal and shit. You should call me Ryuji then." Ryuji grinned at her. "But anyways, let's get ya to LeBlanc! You're in for a real treat, I'm telling ya. You remember Ken?"
"He transferred here in June, didn't he?" Shiho asked.
"Yeah. His guardian practically catered the party. He's an amazing cook! It's better than most of the restaurants out here!"
"That's a tall order," Shiho remarked as they stepped inside the train.
"You'll see!" Ryuji grinned at her. They managed to snag some seats together. "Boss—Ren's guardian—makes some pretty damn good curry too!"
"Not coffee?" Shiho raised an eyebrow.
Ryuji grumbled to himself. "I don't like coffee. It tastes so bitter and… gross. Soda all the way!"
"You sound like a little kid, you know." Shiho teased.
"Yeah, yeah, so Anne tells me." Ryuji huffed out.
The rest of the train ride passed by with Ryuji asking Shiho questions about her school. And Ryuji was more than happy to give Shiho the full story on how exactly Ren and Anne got together.
"Annnd here we are! LeBlanc!"
"Wow." Shiho's eyes went wide. "It's…smaller than I would've thought."
"Dunno what you were expecting, Shiho." Ryuji then grabbed the doorknob, pulling it open. "Hey, look who I brought!" he called out.
He then stepped inside as Shiho followed after.
"Hey there, kid." Sojiro said to Ryuji but then turned to notice Shiho, he gave her a small smile. "You're Shiho-chan, right?"
"It's nice to meet you." Shiho quickly bowed before turning everyone else with a smile. "It's nice to see you all again… and well, meet a few of you."
"A pleasure, Suzui-san." Yusuke bowed. "Anne has spoken highly of you."
"Likewise, Shiho-chan." Haru then blinked. "That's okay with you, right?"
"Of course, Senpai," Shiho reassured before her eyes fell onto Akechi. "Wow. Anne really is friends with the famous Detective Prince now."
"As Yusuke-san has said, it's a pleasure, Suzui-san." Akechi swept a bow as well, but it seemed more for… show than politeness. "I'm glad to see that you have become much… happier away from Tokyo."
"Thank you, Akechi-san." Shiho smiled, though Ryuji noticed it was more polite. Her real smile was a lot nicer.
"Oh, and this is Futaba!" Ryuji introduced, gesturing to her. "She's Boss's daughter!"
Futaba looked like she wanted to say something but then she let out a quiet whimper. She then latched onto Ken's arm; her eyes wide. Probably because Ren wasn't around.
"Oh, Futaba-chan, it's okay!" Haru soothed, rubbing Futaba's arm. "Shiho-chan is Anne-chan's best friend… there's no need to be scared!"
"Suzui-san is perfectly nice," Ken added before untangling himself from Futaba's grip.
"Girls clinging onto you… what a shocker." Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
Ken glared at his guardian. "Shinjiro-san, do you have to put it so… so weird?"
Shinjiro-san just snorted. "But am I lying?"
"I… you…" Ken then huffed, a slight blush in his cheeks. "…Shut up."
"There wasn't much to do," Makoto said. "We set up the decorations, we have the food, the cake—"
Shinjiro-san and Ken both winced at that, making Makoto glare at them.
"Are you going to tell me what has you so hesitant?"
"You don't want to know," They droned in unison.
"It'll be fine!" Makoto huffed. "Haru worked hard on the cake! But anyways, as I was saying… we do have everything ready. We just need Ren to bring Anne here."
"Sweet, that means I can get a helping of—OW!" Ryuji glared at Shinjiro-san as he rubbed the back of his head. "Why'd you hit me?!"
"He got me too." Futaba huffed out.
"Shinjiro-san, please don't hit my friends," Ken deadpanned. "They're not Akihiko-san."
"Not my fault that they want to stick their hands into the food," Shinjiro-san grumbled. "Aki, Minako, and Iori may act like little kids but they don't stick their hands in the serving platter."
"Guess he never lets you lick the spoon, huh?" Shiho asked teasingly.
"Not a chance," Shinjiro-san deadpanned before he shot Ken a look. "Remind me again why you convinced me to come again?"
"But you deserve it, Shinjiro-san!" Haru spoke up, her hands clasped together. "You were kind enough to agree to cook for us, after all!"
"Wha…?!" Shinjiro-san froze, pink creeping into his cheeks. Then he coughed, quickly looking away. "It was nothing, Okumura."
Yusuke tilted his head. "Why are you flustered?"
"Shuddup, I'm not embarrassed!" Shinjiro-san quickly fired back, fiercely glaring at Yusuke but as usual Yusuke didn't even bat an eye.
"Riiight…" Ken drawled out, giving his guardian a doubtful look. "And you'll give up on lecturing Akihiko-san on his diet too."
Shinjiro-san looked like he wanted to retort but Haru then spoke up again.
"I was actually thinking that since this is essentially a catering job, I should pay you!"
"It's a birthday party!" Shinjiro-san argued. "It's practically nothing!"
"People hire caters for birthday parties," Haru pointed out. "And if your cooking is as good as I've been told… you really should be paid for this."
"Big parties!" he emphasized. "This is nothing!" Shinjiro-san then whipped around to face Ken. "What the fuck did you tell her?!"
"Hey, Ken didn't say anything like that!" Futaba jumped in. "We were just talking about it!"
"Are they usually like this?" Shiho whispered to Ryuji.
Ryuji just turned to her with a grin. "Yeah, we can get pretty crazy, huh?"
"It's lively at least," she giggled.
"Hmm… I'd say fifteen thousand yen would suffice for your services." Haru was already pulling out her wallet, opening it up. "It'll more than cover the costs..."
"F-Fifteen thousand?!" Shinjiro-san's eyes practically bugged out. "Are you crazy, Okumura?!"
"There's no need for you to be insulting because Haru shocked you," Yusuke stated with a frown.
"To be fair, it is rather… unexpected," Akechi stated.
"There's no fucking way I can accept this, Okumura!" Shinjiro-san protested. "I've cooked too many times for get-togethers to start getting paid for this!"
"I assume that you never asked for payment from Mitsuru-san…" Makoto mused.
"She's tried," Ken deadpanned. "Several times."
But then Haru's face fell.
"B-But…you've worked so hard…" she said softly, "It's only fair that you get something out of it."
"You the type to make ladies upset?" Sojiro called to Shinjiro-san, eyebrow raised. "Didn't think you were."
"Okay, fine!" He snapped out. "Just… stop giving me those teary eyes!"
"Of course!" Haru brightened immediately before handing Shinjiro-san a wad of yen bills.
"Are you serious?" Shinjiro-san grumbled before he stuffed them in the pocket of his coat.
"No takebacks. Right, Haru?" Ryuji called out.
"None at all!" Haru confirmed cheerfully, nodding furiously enough that her curls bounced up and down.
"Honestly…" Makoto sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sure that you could've persuaded him in another way."
"Whatever works, right?" Shiho commented with a laugh.
Ken looked amused as he looked at the grumbling Shinjiro-san.
"Guess you're soft for a certain type of girl, huh?"
This earned Ken a scowl. "Don't know what you're talking about, Ken."
"Uh huh. I'm sure." Ken then scoffed. "You really suck at hiding it, Shinjiro-san."
"Isn't that a bit…impolite to act in such a way?" Akechi frowned at Ken. "You are speaking to your guardian, after all."
"Huh?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "What are ya talking about?"
"You…you're talking back to Aragaki-san," Akechi said slowly. "Isn't that…disrespectful?"
Shinjiro-san just shrugged. "Ken knows that if he gives me shit, I can give him it back."
"O-Oh, I see." Akechi then coughed. "Though I must say, you are rather…young to be a guardian, are you not?"
"Yeah, and what's your point?" Shinjiro-san deadpanned. "I don't see how that's your business, Akechi."
"Forgive me but the only situation similar to yours is Sae-san and Niijima-san and I know that they're sisters…I was just curious about yours."
"I don't care to share my business so don't poke your nose into it," Shinjiro-san said flatly.
"Shinjiro-san!" Ken exclaimed.
"Blunt as ever, I see." Sojiro said dryly.
"I'm just telling you how I see it," Shinjiro-san huffed.
Ryuji's phone suddenly buzzed.
Message From: RenRen
[RenRen]: We're getting off the train to Yongen rn
[RenRen]: Everything's ready, yeah?
Ryuji shoved his phone in his pocket. "Kill the lights! Ren's coming with Anne!"
"Huh, that's weird. Why is LeBlanc closed?"
Ren winked at her before pushing the door open. "I may have asked Sojiro to close the shop down for the day."
"Oh, you didn't have to do that." Anne trailed off, frowning.
Why was it dark? Then the lights flashed on.
"SURPRISE!"
Anne just stared, her jaw dropping open. "A-Are you serious?!"
Ren just grinned at her. "Happy birthday, Anne."
"Yeah, happy birthday!" Futaba cheered, bolting towards her and giving her a tight hug.
Then a familiar voice called out, "Happy birthday, Anne!"
The world seemed to freeze.
"S-Shiho?" Anne stammered out.
Shiho just smiled brightly at her. Her real smile. Anne hadn't seen it in forever. "Did you really think I'd forget your birthday?"
"SHIHO!"
Anne lunged for her best friend, grabbing her in a tight hug.
"Hey yourself." Shiho chuckled out.
"You seriously took the train all the way to Tokyo?!"
"Well, I didn't take a plane." Shiho quipped, before her eyes softened. "I missed you, Anne."
"Shiho…" Anne sniffled out. "I've missed you so much too!"
"I've seen some of your photoshoots too!" Shiho said. "You look amazing."
"Thank you, I—"
Anne felt her face redden as her stomach growled. Loudly.
"You didn't eat after school, I'm guessing." Sojiro gave her a wry smile.
"I knew there was going to be a lot of food, is that a crime?" Ren defended.
"I should've known something was up when you wouldn't let me get a crepe…" Anne grumbled out. "And you kept going on and on about me deserving nothing but the best today."
"Well, you do." Ren said.
"Do they always do this?" Shiho stage whispered.
"You have no idea," Ryuji grumbled out.
"Hey, I heard that!" Anne cried out.
"Well… we're kinda guilty of that." Ren admitted.
"Ren!"
"You two are just… impossible," Makoto sighed, shaking her head.
But they eventually settled down and sat down to eat. Shiho paused as she took a bite. She then swallowed.
"Okay, Ryuji-kun, I see what you're talking about."
"See?!" Ryuji's face broke into a grin. "What did I tell you?!"
"I stand corrected." Shiho smiled before taking another bite.
"Mm, it really is delicious!" Haru sighed. "Oh, I should've given you some more money, Shinjiro-san."
"Don't even think about it," Shinjiro-san said flatly.
"It's a miracle that you got him to accept some money to begin with," Ken muttered.
Ren shot him an amused look. "Are we going to get an explanation?"
"There's not much to tell," Yusuke stated. "Haru wished to pay Aragaki-san. When he refused, she was upset by it and Aragaki-san told her to just give him the money."
"Why are you making me out as a pussy?!" Shinjiro-san demanded.
"I mean…that's kinda what happened," Ken said dryly.
Shinjiro-san just glowered at him but as usual, Ken didn't even blink. "Shut up, Ken."
"What a great retort, Shinjiro-san."
"Ken, be nice," Makoto chided, nudging him in the side.
For some reason, Akechi caught Anne's eye. He was looking at both Ken and Shinjiro-san. And he was… frowning for some reason.
Did the way Ken spoke to Shinjiro-san bother him so much? Anne was used to the way they bickered but… maybe it looked different to an outsider? No… her intuition told Anne that it wasn't so simple. But she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was exactly.
When they finished eating, Sojiro then pulled out a beautifully crafted cake from the refrigerator. White frosting was expertly spread across, with various roses placed on top. In the center was a small red cat decoration. Though Ken and Shinjiro-san looked at the cake uncertainly, like they were expecting it to explode or something.
Makoto crossed her arms over her chest, leveling an annoyed stare at both Ken and Shinjiro-san. "Are you planning on telling us what exactly has you paranoid?"
"No…" They grumbled out in unison.
"Ahh, I can't wait to try it!" Anne beamed.
"I hope you like it, Anne-chan." Haru beamed back. "It took me three tries to get just right…"
"Aw, you didn't have to put in that much effort!"
But Sojiro lit the candles and everyone sang happy birthday. Looking at all the faces around her… Anne couldn't help but feel her heart swell up with happiness.
Last year, she had been utterly miserable. But now…she had so many wonderful friends and well…Ren. Although she did wish they didn't have Akechi looming over their heads.
"Make a wish, Lady Anne!" Morgana exclaimed.
Please let Ren survive the plan, she prayed before leaning over and blowing out the candles.
After that, Shinjiro-san took over and cut up the cake to serve it to everyone. And the cake was so good! The cream was whipped to perfect, the delicious strawberry flavor flooding her mouth with every bite. And the cake's texture…it was divine. Anne was in nirvana.
"Are you going to start purring?" Ren teased her lightly.
Anne weakly swatted at him. "Shush. You've got Morgana for that."
"Lady Anne!" Morgana cried out. "That… That's just unfair."
"Then what's this, huh?" Anne asked teasingly, before beginning to tickle Morgana under his chin.
"Nggh, stop that, Lady Anne!" Morgana cried out before squirming away.
"I heard purring," Ryuji snickered out.
"Your cat sure sounds indignant, Amamiya-kun." Shiho quirked an eyebrow at Ren. "And right after she—"
"She?!" Morgana practically squawked out.
"Morgana's a boy, actually," Ren corrected, shooting him a stern look.
"Oops, sorry." Shiho giggled weakly.
"What do you expect from a name like Morgana," Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
Morgana glared as Ryuji started to snicker at Shinjiro's comment.
"Grrr! Shut up, Ryuji!"
"How about we do presents now?" Makoto quickly interjected, shooting Ryuji a look.
Knowing her, Makoto probably suggested it because she was afraid Ryuji would start arguing with Morgana. In front of Sojiro and Shiho. All in all, a good call.
"Me first, me first!" Futaba cried out, before snatching up a thinly wrapped present. "Happy birthday, Anne!"
"Aw, thanks, Futaba!"
Anne accepted the package, eagerly tearing into it, revealing…
"Whoa!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Ain't that the new Pusemon game?!"
"Wait a second…" Ken frowned. "I thought it was coming out next week."
Futaba just cackled. "Don't underestimate me, Ken."
"Oh, good grief," Shinjiro-san groaned.
Ken sent Makoto an exasperated look. "Weren't you accompanying her?"
"You do realize you said that in front of Akechi, yes?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow at Futaba.
Akechi just laughed. "Come now, I don't see a harm to it. You did pay for it, yes?"
"Duh! I'm not a thief." Futaba held Ren's gaze and he had to bite his lip so he wouldn't start laughing.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Shiho tilted her head.
"Well, RenRen did steal Anne's heart," Ryuji snickered.
"RYUJI!" Anne cried out, feeling her face burn.
Ren certainly didn't help. He just grinned.
"Guilty as charged."
Shinjiro-san just grimaced. "That was awful."
"You kids…" Sojiro sighed out.
"You really do sound old when you say stuff like that, Sojiro." Futaba snickered.
"Hey, watch it, Futaba!"
"But anyways, you like portable consoles a lot, right?" Futaba asked eagerly. "I thought it'd be fun if we played together!" Then she hesitated, her shoulders hunching over. "Uh… if you're not too busy…"
Anne gathered her in a hug, making her squeak. "I'd love to play with you, Futaba. Thank you!"
"Lady Anne, you probably should select the next present," Morgana suggested.
Ryuji gave her a set of workout clothes—somehow, they were nice. And to add to that, Ken gave her a recipe book that he had hand bound, filled with recipes for sweet substitutions. And then Haru gave her a box filled with assorted premium chocolates, which made Ken shoot her an exasperated look. Makoto gave her a pair of aikido gloves, with the offer of teaching her some of the martial art. Akechi had purchased her a scarf, though Anne had to admit that it was welcome. Ever since she had awakened to Carmen, Anne felt the cold more. Shiho had made her a scrapbook, and somehow had gotten ahold of pictures of her and her friends. And Yusuke had given her…
"Oh… wow," Anne breathed out.
It was a painting of her and Ren. They stood before a reflection of water, but in the water's reflection, you could see an image of Joker and Panther.
"How long have you been working on this, Yusuke-kun?" Haru asked. "It's simply exquisite."
"I can't accept this as just a present…!" Anne protested.
"You can and you will," Yusuke stated. "I… I know that I haven't always acted so courteous to you, Anne. But you were the first to understand my feelings of… Madarame. You started the chain reaction. You've always been so kind and understanding. This is simply my thanks to you… and you are part of the reason why I've realized the true meaning of art."
"I… I am?" Anne asked dumbly.
"Yes, do you not recall? Ren described you as his ideal of beauty. And the way you described the Sayuri. It truly opened my eyes."
"Wow, Anne, he's a keeper," Shiho teased, nudging her in the side.
"So please… accept this as my humble thanks," Yusuke stated.
"This is anything but humble…" Morgana grumbled out.
"It really is a beautiful painting," Makoto offered. "You should hang it in your room."
"Okay…" Anne then looked to Yusuke, mentally vowing to herself that she would make it up to Yusuke… somehow. "Thank you, Yusuke. It really is beautiful."
"Now you're making me look bad, Yusuke." Ren reached into his pocket, drawing a slender white box. "But… here you go, Anne." He gave her a tender smile. "I know I've said it a million times today but… happy birthday."
Anne took the box, opening it to reveal a gold necklace with a sakura pendant. The petals were a paler pink gemstone, while the center was a brighter pink, almost magenta gemstone. Dangling at the bottom was a smaller golden sakura blossom.
"Uh…" Ryuji scratched the top of his head, "shouldn't you have gotten a rose necklace? It's kinda Anne's thing."
"Well… when I was looking for something to get you, I wanted to get you something that would remind me of the day we met." Ren explained. "Do you remember, Anne? The sakura trees were in full bloom, but with the rain, they were raining petals like crazy. When you noticed me, you reached out and pulled out a petal from my hair. And then… you smiled at me."
"You remember that kind of detail?" Shiho raised an eyebrow. "That's impressive, Amamiya-kun."
"Meeting Anne… really changed my world." Then Ren jerked his head towards Sojiro. "Especially since he was such a jackass to me when I first came here."
"Hey!" Sojiro glared at him. "Sheesh, can you blame me though? I didn't know what to expect!"
"I believe the first reaction would be… being polite?" Ken quipped.
"It's okay, you can say 'not bein' an asshole'," Ryuji snorted out.
"Your treatment of me really was different than the rest of the students at Shujin, Ken," Ren laughed.
"Do they truly treat you badly?" Akechi asked with a frown.
"They still think I'm a crazy delinquent so…"
Akechi looked shocked. "How can you be so blasé about their poor opinion of you?"
She guessed it came as a shock, since Akechi was once again the media darling.
"Their opinion doesn't matter. I know whose opinions do." Ren answered simply. But then he looked towards Anne. "But anyways. I just wanted to give you a reminder of the day we first met. You really mean so much to me, Anne."
"Ren-kun…" Haru's voice was filled with awe. "That… that's so thoughtful. And romantic…"
It really was. She was… speechless.
"Ren, I…" Anne quickly rubbed at her eyes. She then said softly, "This… this means a lot. More than I can ever say."
She then held out the box and gave him a small smile.
"Will you put it on me?"
He gave her a nod with a gentle smile in return. Ren fastened the necklace around her neck, before brushing her hair away from her neck.
"Beautiful," Ren breathed out, which only made Anne blush.
"Okay this is definitely getting too mushy for me," Shinjiro-san deadpanned. "Sheesh. And I thought Aki could get gross."
Sojiro snorted. "Anything you'd like to do now though?"
"Video games!" Futaba cried out. "I brought my M64 so let's play Nario Party!"
"Sounds good to me!" Anne said with a grin. "Though that's really retro," she couldn't help but comment.
"Hey, that's a classic!" Futaba argued.
"Can we really manage it with so many people?" Haru wondered aloud.
"We'll take turns," Ren said with a wink. "So, how about it, Akechi? Ready to be schooled?"
Akechi just smiled thinly. "Do not think I'll go down so easily."
"Might as well crack open a bottle while these kids go wild." Sojiro laughed. "Care to join me, Aragaki?"
"Yeah, I could use a drink. Too much craziness here," Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
"You know you love us, Shinjiro-san!" Ren called out to him.
Shinjiro-san just gave him an annoyed look. "Just go and play your video games."
The party lasted until evening. They played video games, card games, board games… Anne couldn't think of the last time she had just spent time with her friends and had fun. There was Destinyland but… that had been ruined so easily.
Though speaking of that, she was honestly a little glad that Akechi got called by the police department and he was forced to leave early.
"Hey."
Anne looked up to see Shiho settle next to her in the booth seat with a cup of coffee.
"Hi."
Shiho smiled slightly.
"You really do seem happy, Anne," She commented. "When I left, I felt awful but…I should've known I was leaving you in good hands."
She sounded almost wistful…sad. Did she…think that Anne had replaced her?
"You will forever be my best friend, Shiho." Anne turned and gave her a sideway hug. "I'm happy with my friends. They can be weird sometimes, but…I wouldn't trade them for the world. But you are still my first friend. Nobody will ever replace you."
She didn't think she could ever express how much Shiho meant to her.
"Aw, Anne…" Shiho then nudged her in the ribs. "You can be so sappy sometimes."
"Shut up!" Anne cried out, feeling her cheeks warm. "I'm trying to be sentimental here!"
"Sentimental, huh?" Shiho mused. "Fancy vocabulary. Has Amamiya-kun been tutoring you?"
"S-Shut up," Anne grumbled out.
"He treats you well, though, doesn't he?" Shiho's expression was serious. "If not, I'm afraid I'll have to kill him. I'll get him with a volleyball to the face and then…"
"Jeez, are you seriously going to give Ren the shovel talk?!"
"Nothing but the best for my best friend," Shiho quipped.
"Sheesh…" But Anne straightened up. "But to answer your question, Ren is an amazing boyfriend. He makes me feel beautiful, inside and out."
"You really are, Anne." Shiho then seemed to hesitate. "Hey, do you know why I came up to you that day?"
"Because you really thought my painting sucked?" Anne asked.
"Well…there was that," Shiho said with a giggle before she sipped at her coffee. "But I was curious. You seemed so lonely, but you bore the weight of gossip. You carried on. So, I wanted to get to know you. The way we first started talking wasn't the best icebreaker, but it helped us becoming friends. So I never regretted it. Getting to know you… it really was the best thing that could've happened to me." Then she smiled. "So… happy birthday, Anne. I'm glad that you were born."
"Shiho…" Anne sniffled out before hastily wiping at her eyes. "Why do I always cry with you around?"
"Hehe. They're happy tears, at least," Shiho commented, even as she fished out a handkerchief and handing it to Anne to dab her eyes with. But then her dark eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief. "So… how far have you gone with Amamiya-kun?"
"S-Shiho?!"
Shiho smiled mischievously. "Ryuji-kun told me all about how you two got together."
"He did what?! RYUJI!"
"Someone say my name?" Ryuji poked his head from the attic. He then paled as he got a better look at Anne. "Uh… Anne?"
"You…YOU…!" Anne fumed, jumping to her feet and slamming her hands on the table. "Don't you have anything better to tell Shiho?!"
Just…ugh! Seriously?! Was he planning on blabbing it to more people?!
"Hey, she asked and I answered!" Ryuji cried. "It's not my fault that you were completely blind to how Ren had the hots for you."
"Annnd I think you've said enough," Ken said dryly, his head appearing as well. "Come on, we were packing up anyways."
"Grr…" Anne plopped down, unable to stop herself from pouting as Ryuji hastily disappeared. "It's not like you've been embarrassed about how you started dating Makoto…"
"Shinjiro-san's already embarrassed me about it. To both you and my senpai." Ken just rolled his eyes, before cracking a wry smile. "You'll live, Anne."
"Jerk…" Anne muttered under her breath.
Shiho just patted her shoulder. "Aw, it's okay, Anne. It's cute in a way."
"Of course you say that." Anne folded her arms over her chest. "You don't have a potential boyfriend waiting for you back at your new school."
"Well…" Shiho hesitated. "Not right now. I don't think I'm ready to jump into the dating game just yet." Then she abruptly stood up. "But speaking of dating… I'd totally get it if you want to spend some time cozying up with Amamiya-kun. We can spend the day together before my train leaves tomorrow evening."
"What do you think we're gonna do?"
Shiho just gave her a little smirk. "Oh? Should I ask him?"
"No! Of course not!" Anne shouted. "There's nothing to know, okay?!"
"Sure, Anne." Shiho's skeptical tone and expression said it all. "But I'm okay to stay at your place, right?"
"Of course, of course!" Then Anne's shoulders hunched over. "Um… you really don't mind if I…?"
Shiho snickered at her.
"Of course." She then winked before standing up. "I'll catch you later, Anne."
She thanked Sojiro for the coffee before heading for the door. The rest of her friends trickled down, the games all packed up.
"Today was wonderful," Yusuke announced, before bowing at Sojiro. "Thank you for your kind hospitality, Boss."
"And thank you for the wonderful food, Shinjiro-san," Haru chimed in. "It really was delicious! I actually feel—"
Shinjiro-san gave her a flat stare. "No."
"Jeez, why are you so resistant?" Futaba grumbled out.
"It's not worth the money Okumura wants to give me," Shinjiro-san said. "It's not like the stuff you find in a five-star restaurant!"
"You hate the five-star restaurant fare," Ken pointed out.
"That's not the point!"
"But anyways…" Yusuke cleared his throat. "We really must be going. I believe we've overspent our stay. Again, thank you Boss. And to you, Shinjiro-san."
"Yeah, it really was great!" Ryuji chimed in. "Man, I can't believe that we ate everything."
"I can, with that bottomless pit you call a stomach," Morgana snickered out.
"Ugh, shuddup, Morgana!"
Ken then turned to help Shinjiro-san to pack up, but Makoto grabbed him by the sleeve. "Um, actually… Ken, can we talk real quick? In private?"
"Mwehehe…" Futaba suddenly snickered, watching them step outside of the café. "So she's giving it to him, huh?"
Haru tilted her head. "Give what?"
"Makoto felt that she should've given Ken something for his birthday since he bought her an expensive gift during their first date," Futaba explained. "She had a gift idea but she needed my help to do some adjustments."
"What kind of adjustments, may I ask?" Yusuke asked.
"Just messing with the watch mechanics so they'll vibrate if the other of the set is close enough. I was able to manage to get the signal to half a kilometer, but Makoto wanted it done as soon as possible."
Sojiro then cleared his throat. "But since the party's over, I think I'm going to just close shop." He gave Ren a smarmy grin, and Ren just shrugged helplessly back at him. "Come on, Futaba."
Futaba nodded. "Let's bring Morgana with us. I don't think you wanna be in here tonight, Mona."
Morgana sighed and grumbled out, "Yeah you're right."
Ryuji, Yusuke, and Haru followed suit, and once Ken and Makoto came back, they left with Shinjiro-san. Leaving her alone with Ren.
"Hey." Ren took a seat next to her.
Anne leaned her head against Ren's shoulder, letting out a content sigh. "Hi."
"Good birthday?" Ren asked, sliding his arm around her waist.
"You didn't have to make a big deal out of you, you know," Anne told him. "You organized the whole thing, didn't you?"
"I did," Ren insisted. "Birthdays are important and we're going to do this for Haru to when her birthday rolls around next month. And well…I know that you had pretty lonely birthdays growing up."
"Oh, Ren…" Anne sighed out. "You know I'll really have to do something special for your birthday next year. Eighteen's a big year in a lot of countries too."
"Really? That feels kinda weird."
"Not really. You're eighteen when you finish high school and then head off to university. You step away from your parents and start being independent." Anne then winked at Ren. "So, just wait until next May! I'll knock your socks off!"
"Heh." Ren closed his eyes for a moment, an amused smile spreading across his face. "I'll be the judge of that."
"Though…it was nice," She admitted. "Today was… really fun. It was a nice break after stressing over the plan and Akechi-kun so much… you know?"
Ren just looked at her sadly. Guilt was clear in his eyes.
"Sorry I just… Damn!" Anne squeezed her eyes shut. "Why?! I want to hate him for what he's doing, for being so gleeful about the idea of killing you." A tear slid down her cheek. "I hate that we have to rely on this plan that could have us slip somewhere and we're toast and y-you'll…"
"Anne. It's okay to be scared." Ren reached up, brushing a tear from her eye. "Honestly I'm a little bit too," he admitted. "And… I'm angry at Akechi for all this. He said what he told us was a sob story but I can't help but wonder if there's a grain of truth in it. Being angry at injustices… that I can understand. But he chose his path. I won't forgive him for this."
Anne bit her lip. When Ren put it that way, it sounded so simple. But…Anne couldn't help but feel that she was being silly.
"It's stupid," Anne muttered out, "We're not even done with Makoto's sister's palace and I'm already such a mess…I don't know if I can just walk away and let you be captured… I'm… I'm not strong enough."
"You are anything but weak, Anne," Ren said seriously. He drew her to him, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "You were strong, even under Kamoshida's thumb. And once you awakened to Carmen…" He let out a low whistle. "And there's how you always hold us together where we're losing our shit." He then shook his head. "Honestly… you kept me sane after the fallout with Okumura."
"Ren that's nothing, I…"
"It is," Ren contradicted. "To me, especially. You may underestimate yourself, but I never will… your support means everything to me, Anne. And I don't intend to break my promise."
Anne giggled weakly. "You really do know how to make a girl feel special, you know."
Ren then smirked. "I know."
"Ego!"
"Though…I really do owe you the last part of your birthday present."
"S-Seriously?" Anne sputtered out. "Ren, you organized a birthday party for me, you got me a beautiful necklace…what else do you have up your sleeve?!"
He really did not make things fair.
"It's your seventeenth birthday," Ren stated, before he cracked a grin. "So, I owe you seventeen kisses."
"Are you serious?" Anne couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Completely." Ren was still grinning. Then he leaned in close, giving her another forehead kiss. "That's one." Then one cheek. "Two." The other cheek. "Three…"
Anne giggled. "You're such a dork, I swear…"
"You know you love me," Ren snickered at her. "Now, come here. I owe you fourteen more kisses."
Notes:
Annnd finally done! I apologize for the wait. This chapter was giving me a really hard time and it went through a couple of rewrites, and then midterm season hit.
The updates may slow down a bit for a while.
Though onto some points of the chapter… I really do think the lack of Futaba and Akechi interacting was a missed opportunity. I also wanted to go into more of Akechi's backstory because I feel we didn't get enough of it in canon. Anne's birthday party was more for fluff, but I also wanted to cover more of how both Ren and Anne feel about the upcoming operation. And I wanted to love on Anne some more. I really do adore her.
But next chapter will wrap up Sae's Palace! I'm debating on having another chapter after it dedicated to the preparations leading up to the heist, but we'll see. Either way, I'm really looking forward to writing taking Sae's Treasure!
And on the topic of Scramble: it looks better than i thought because i told myself i wouldn't get it due to me losing interest fast with Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors. On the subject of a possible fic on it, maybe. But it probably wouldn't happen until I'm done with the main fic and at least halfway done with the PQ2 fic.
And once again, thank you to my good friend, angelrin89 for betaing this chapter! Though it's funny, we got to talking about our ideas for Akechi's backstory while I was working on this chapter and a LOT of our ideas coincided with each other. I suppose great minds think alike lol. But anyways, enough babbling from me. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Chapter 37: Ch. 36: Gambit
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves explore the second half of Sae's Palace. As they outmaneuver Sae's mechanisms, Akechi's feelings of resentment and jealousy continue to fester.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, November 13th, 2016
There was a slight chill hanging in the air, but Ren was far from cold. Ren pulled Anne closer to him, burying his nose into her hair with a content sigh.
"Mm…" Anne stirred, before slowly blinking her eyes open. "Good morning, Ren."
"Morning." Ren brushed aside her hair so he could drop a kiss on her bare shoulder. "How does it feel like to be seventeen and a day old?"
Anne just rolled her eyes at him before lightly pushing him away. She poked him in the cheek.
"Down boy. You can hear the customers too, can't you?" she said with a smirk.
"Fiiine..." Ren sighed out before giving her a quick kiss.
"Even if the shop had no customers right now, I don't think Boss would be happy to hear us, anyways," Anne quipped before she rolled out of bed.
Ren watched her with half-lidded eyes as she dressed. It was almost like a reverse strip tease. He pondered on what to do today as Anne slipped on her undergarments. Maybe he'd check around and see if he'll bump into anyone.
"Any big plans with Shiho?" he asked as she shimmied into her tights.
Anne let out a thoughtful hum, as she slid on her black undershirt.
"Probably getting a crepe. Maybe we'll go to Inokashira Park, I don't know. We might just wing it," she said with a small smile as she slipped on her varsity jacket and zipped it up.
"Sometimes those are the best hang outs," Ren commented.
Anne then picked up his boxers and threw it at his face. He sputtered as he pulled them off.
"What was that for?!" he complained.
"For just lounging in bed and giving me bedroom eyes," Anne huffed out as she began to pull her hair into her trademark twin pigtails. "Don't think I don't see you, mister."
Ren just cracked a grin.
"It's not my fault that you're so breathtakingly beautiful that I can't keep my eyes off of you for a second."
"Jeez!" Anne huffed even as her cheeks started to redden.
She was just too cute when he teased her.
"How do you say those things with such a straight face?!"
"Trade secret, I'm afraid," he said with a wink.
"Fine, keep your secrets then," Anne said dryly, before she narrowed her eyes at Ren. "And get dressed already!"
Ren just cracked a grin before pulling on his boxers.
"Methinks the lady doth protest much." He chuckled.
She huffed. "Methinks the lady will smack the gentleman if he doesn't stop being a little shit."
After Ren got dressed, they took turns to freshen up. And then they came out and sat at the bar. Fortunately, the customers they had heard earlier had left.
"So, how strong coffee do you need today?" Sojiro asked, giving the two of them a knowing grin.
"Get your head out of the gutter," Ren drawled out. "It looks like you're being a little too curious."
Anne just nudged him in the ribs. "Like you wouldn't be the same way?"
"Would not!" Ren protested.
Anne gave him a flat look. "The bet, Ren."
"What bet?" Sojiro asked as he poured them coffee.
Anne narrowed her eyes, pointed a finger at him. "This guy, Futaba, and Ryuji decided to bet on Ken and Makoto's love life. I'm surprised that Makoto didn't kick your asses for that."
Ren picked up the cup, giving it a blow before taking a sip. "Probably since Ken kinda shrugged it off."
He sighed in delight, savoring the taste. Perfectly blended, sweet and most importantly…delicious coffee. He could never comprehend how he went all his life not appreciating it until now.
It was nice, just drinking coffee with Anne. A comfortable, quiet moment before they were quite literally thrown into the lion's den. And as always, the coffee paired perfectly with the curry. He shared a plate with Anne, since she was planning to go out and eat with Shiho later.
"Hey, Ren," Sojiro suddenly interjected. "You want to pick up Morgana before you run off with whatever you're planning to do today?"
He winced, realizing he almost forgot about that. At least Morgana seemed to pick up on that they wanted alone time. It really was a good thing that he went with Futaba last night.
"Yeah, I'll do that," Ren answered.
Ren gulped down the rest of his coffee, which caused Sojiro to make a face at him. (Probably because he wasn't "savoring" the taste.)
Then he leaned over, kissing Anne on the cheek. "Have fun with Shiho today. Say hi for me."
"I will." Anne kissed his cheek too before she hopped off the bar seat and flashed him her trademark sweet smile. "Bye, Ren. I'll see you tomorrow at school."
Ren grinned at her. "I look forward to it, my lady."
Anne blew him last kiss, before she headed for the door.
"You're a complete sap with her," Sojiro stated after a moment, all while giving Ren an amused smile.
"What of it?" Ren raised an eyebrow.
"I'm just saying." Sojiro was grinning knowingly. "So. things are going pretty well, huh?"
"Yeah, you can definitely say that." Ren gave him a grin as well.
He knew he was smiling goofily, but Ren didn't really care. He jumped to the ground.
"But anyways, I'm off, Sojiro. See ya."
After he grabbed his bag from upstairs, he headed to Sojiro's house to pick up Morgana. And since they were due a Palace run tomorrow, he decided to do a little bit of restocking first. Could never be too careful.
First stop was Tae's clinic, of course, since it was right here in Yongen-jaya. He restocked up the medicine they were particularly low on. Thankfully that wasn't too bad on his wallet.
Second stop was Iwai's shop. Ren made a mental note to bring the loot to Iwai sometime, because... damn. Between him and Tae, Ren was surprised that he wasn't flat-out broke. And he didn't even buy weapons. Just guns. Weapons could wait until after they secured an infiltration route.
Well except for Akechi. No point in getting weapons for someone that was just going to stab you in the back.
But now his errands were done, Ren couldn't help but wonder what to do.
He was in Shibuya. Maybe he could see if Ken was down to hang out with him today. While they got to have fun at Anne's birthday party, some down time just the two of them sounded good to Ren right now.
Ren took out his phone to text Ken, to see if he was open to the idea. It was Sunday after all, and he could have plans with Makoto.
Message Sent: Ken
[Ren]: This is the FBI, open up
[Ken]: ...Really Ren?
[Ren]: Can I come over? I'm in Shibuya rn
[Ken]: So I'm just an afterthought now, huh?
[Ren]: Excuse u, I hold my friends very dearly I'll have you know
[Ken]: Uh-huh
[Ren]: So can I?
[Ken]: I'm rolling my eyes at you, just so you know
[Ren]: Welllll?
[Ken]: Yes, you can come over
[Ren]: Sweet, see you in a few!
It was nice that Ken's house didn't blend in the crowd. It was kinda weird thinking that it used to be their headquarters. For one mission, but still, LeBlanc was more discrete. Though Ren couldn't help but notice that the crowd was busy, even for Tokyo.
But Ken was waiting for him near the entrance.
"Hey," Ren greeted.
"Hey." Ken just raised an eyebrow, before he gave an amused smile. "Doing some shopping, I see."
Ren shrugged. "We need to be prepared tomorrow."
"Do you want to drop your things off up at the penthouse before we figure out what we want to do?" Ken asked. "If you hang around long enough, I'm sure Shinjiro-san wouldn't mind you sticking around for dinner."
"Why don't you just ask him?"
"Well, there is texting," Ken said, already fishing out his phone. "Shinjiro-san's shopping for groceries right now."
"That can't take too long, at least," Ren pointed out.
Ken smiled wryly. "If he doesn't get into an argument with the butcher about the freshness of the meat. There's a reason why he usually goes alone."
"Damn, he's picky." Ren shook his head. "But anyways, that sounds good to me. Let's head up."
They rode up the elevator to the penthouse. After Ken unlocked the door. Ren dropped his bag on the couch and Morgana climbed out.
"We have a little cream left—I think," Ken muttered, already heading for the kitchen. "Do you want some, Morgana?"
Morgana practically purred out, "Yes!"
Ken then got out a dish, poured it out for Morgana and let him at it.
"Wanna just go and blow some stress at the arcade? Gun About is great for that," Ren suggested. "Our plans were kinda blown with your class-A jerk of an uncle last time anyways."
"That would be nice," Ken admitted. "Want to go now?"
But when Ken opened the door, someone was standing on the other side. And it wasn't Shinjiro-san.
Well… speak of the devil.
The color drained out of Ken's face completely. "U-Uncle? What are you—"
"I did some digging…" Ken's uncle cut him off. "And imagine my shock when I discovered that this was where you resided. Why have you gone to Tokyo to begin with? It's cheaper to live in Port Island. Aragaki would have no reason to move you out here."
"I..." Ken's expression then hardened. "That's none of your business, Uncle."
"Of course, it's my business!" he snapped out. "You're a member of my family—"
"Family this, family that…" Ken muttered, a dark scowl on his face. "Is that all you care about?"
"There's his reputation," Ren offered.
"Thank you, Ren," Ken said dryly.
"Don't give me that backtalk!" He then scowled, folding his arms over his chest as he said accusatorily, "Kirijo-san gave you this place to live in, didn't she? Why does she favor him so?! Aragaki has done nothing to earn this."
"You don't know anything about Shinjiro-san!" Ken immediately snapped back. "You told me that I was throwing away my life already when I said I didn't want to be under your care anymore! Why put so much energy into this?!"
Ken's uncle's expression hardened. "When did you become such a brat?"
Anger surged through Ren. His attitude was really starting to piss him off.
"You don't even care about him! Don't you dare talk to him like that!" Ren snapped.
"Of course I do!" the older man shouted. "Watch your tongue and show some respect!"
"I show respect to people who earn it," Ren retorted, shooting him a fierce glare. "And you've done exactly the opposite."
"What the fuck is going on here?"
Ken paled at the new arrival. "S-Shinjiro-san…"
"Aragaki!" Ken's uncle spat out.
"Oh, it's you." Shinjiro-san didn't even bat an eye, choosing to look at Ken instead. "Ken, didn't I tell you to take out the trash while I was gone?"
Damn… that was cold.
"E-Excuse me?!" he sputtered out. "I see that you haven't learned any manners since the last time we met, Aragaki."
Shinjiro-san just raised an eyebrow, before letting out a snort.
He then mimicked Ken's uncle's tone. "And I see that you still have a stick up your a—"
"Must you be so uncouth?!" he snapped out, glowering at Shinjiro-san.
"How 'bout you not be an asshole then?" Shinjiro-san then retorted, just folding his arms over his chest.
"You—!"
"You need to get the fuck out of here?" Shinjiro-san deadpanned, before giving a firm nod, "Yeah, you do."
"You cannot force me," he spat out.
"Can I?" Shinjiro-san then drawled out, before he drew out his phone from his coat pocket. "I guess you won't care if I call Mitsuru then, and tell her that you're harassing Ken. She'll love that, especially with the way she dressed you down for how you treated Ken to begin with."
"You—You can't keep pulling her out as your trump card," he growled out. "Just because she helped you with that court case—"
"You didn't give a flying shit about Ken," Shinjiro-san practically snarled out, his eyes burning with anger. "I ain't perfect but who the fuck just leaves an elementary school aged kid in a dorm like you did?!"
"And the life you give him is any better?! He goes to Shujin Academy, a school where the principal let a heinous rapist run amok! You give him a terrible example and you're nothing but a lazy—"
"Leave him alone!" Ken's voice cracked at the last part. "You know nothing, Uncle! You weren't there when Mom died. You didn't care about my well-being. You didn't care one wit. Not before Mom died and not after. You go on and on about how Shinjiro-san is a terrible person, but he took a bullet for me. He's taught me things that you can't learn from a book. He saved me in more than one way and I won't have you just waltz in and insult him... you... you piece of shit!"
Ren actually raised an eyebrow at that, as did Shinjiro-san.
"But—"
"I don't want to hear it!" Ken snarled out. "Get lost! If I have to see your sorry face ever again. I will go to Mitsuru-san about getting a restraining order. I'm sick of you and your attitude. I don't want to see you again! Ever! Goodbye Uncle!"
"Fine." Ken's uncle stiffened. "I hope your choices don't come back and bite you."
There was a silence after he turned and left, but Shinjiro-san broke it.
"Holy shit, you actually swore at your jackass of an uncle." Shinjiro-san then stepped inside, kicking the door shut. He dumped the grocery bags on the coffee table. "Color me surprised."
"Uh... sorry..." Ken scratched his cheek, looking rather sheepish. "I just got mad."
Shinjiro-san just smirked at Ken before ruffling his hair, despite Ken's protests. "Well, I can't exactly give you crap for that. I'd be a huge hypocrite."
"Shinjiro-san…" He groaned out, his hands immediately flying up to pat down his hair. "Ugh, why does everyone like messing with my hair?"
"Dunno why you complain." Ren shrugged. "It feels nice when Anne plays with my hair."
"That's a little different, Ren," Ken deadpanned.
Ren just cracked a grin. "Just saying."
Although this was a good time to address Ken's issues.
"Hey, can I ask you a question, Shinijiro-san?" Ren interjected.
He just got a raised eyebrow in reply. "Yeah?"
"Is Ken a burden to you?" Ren asked.
"Ren?!" Ken sputtered out.
"What kind of question is that?" Shinjiro-san demanded.
"Answer the question," Ren pressed.
"Ren..." Ken hissed out, even swatting at his arm.
Shinjiro-san shot Ken a look. "What's this about?"
"Nothing—"
"It's not nothing, Ken," Ren said seriously as he cut him off.
Ken had always looked out for them. But now it was his chance to look out for Ken. This opportunity had been unexpected, but he was not letting it go.
"I..." Ken then swallowed hard as Ren continued to stare at him expectantly. He started to mumble out, "It's just...I kinda... I'm holding you back. From pursuing what you really want in life and—"
Shinjiro-san thumped him hard on the head.
"Ow!" Ken yelped before he rubbed the spot Shinjiro-san hit him. "What was that for?!"
"For getting that kind of idea in your head, you moron." He then huffed, shaking his head. "You think that I secretly gripe and groan about having to take care of you?"
He looked Ken straight in the eye. That got Ken to stand up straighter.
"Ken, I wanted to be your guardian. I always have. If I could, I would've taken you in right after graduation. And then Mitsuru got into the shit with the government and things got delayed. Mitsuru wouldn't have agreed to help me get custody if I wasn't one hundred percent sure."
"But—" Ken began but got cut off.
"I'm twenty-five, not fifty," Shinjiro-san retorted. "I have time to pursue what I really want. Plenty of it. And besides that, you gave me your mom's old engagement ring."
"That's not much—"
"Don't I get to decide that?" Shinjiro-san interrupted.
But then his expression softened.
"But my point is that... you mean a lot to me, Ken. You're probably gonna make me go gray before I turn thirty, but all of it has been worth it. I started lookin' out for you because I felt guilty 'bout taking your mom away from you. As a way of atonement. But that stopped being the reason. A long time ago."
"Why didn't you..." Ken then stopped short, before he added softly, "You never said anything."
"Ken, I'm not Mitsuru," he deadpanned.
Shinjiro-san then cleared his throat.
"I'm always gonna be shit with words. And you may have a bigger vocab than me, but you kinda suck at this too. Just know this, you'll never be a problem to me. And if you think that I'll just leave you be after you graduate from high school, you've got another thing coming."
Ken looked speechless, before he coughed, "I—uhh—thank you..."
Shinjiro-san cleared his throat as well, before tugging at the collar of his jacket.
Ren snorted. Both of them could be so awkward.
"So… any plans with Amamiya?" Shinjiro-san asked.
"We were going to the arcade, but..." Ken sighed. "I don't really feel like it anymore."
"Wanna just hang out here then?" Ren asked.
"We could stream something on my laptop," Ken suggested.
"I'm cool with that."
"I'll leave you to that then." Then he paused for a moment. "Oh, and Amamiya?"
Ren tilted his head, "Yeah?"
"You tell anyone, and I mean anyone—!" Shinjiro-san glared at him, pointing a finger at him. "You're dead meat and I swear nobody will ever find the body."
Ren just cracked a grin. "There's nothing wrong with telling Ken how much you love him—"
"Shut up, Amamiya!" Shinjiro-san growled out. "Don't think I won't punch your face in—"
"And that's our cue to go." Ken sighed before grabbing Ren's arm and dragging him to his bedroom.
Ren had never been inside of Ken's bedroom. He had kinda thought that Ken's room would be more minimalist. Ken kept his room tidy, but he had a bunch of Feathermen Ranger memorabilia. More pictures of SEES and a framed picture of a younger Ken and his mother, with a beach as a backdrop. A bookshelf was pushed against the wall, crammed with both literature and manga.
"You must think I was being stupid."
"Not stupid." Ren corrected, "Short-sighted, maybe, but not stupid."
"Heh." Ken shook his head before a small smile crept onto his face. "It's kinda ridiculous how happy it makes me feel."
"It's not ridiculous," Ren insisted before leaning against the door, looking at his friend. "So, still intent on sticking to law as a career?"
"Hmm..."
Ren quirked an eyebrow at Ken, "That's not an answer, you know."
"I don't really know yet." Ken admitted, only for him to smile. "But that's okay. There's no sense in rushing into it. And I know you'll have my back, whatever I choose."
Ren just cracked a grin. "Always, Ken."
RANK UP! Adjustment Confidant has reached Rank 9.
Protect: Chance to protect Ren from an otherwise fatal attack.
Monday, November 14th, 2016
Makoto really hoped that Akechi's hypothesis worked. After school, they went straight for the courthouse. And now they were seating themselves near the front, so Sae would have a clear view of them.
They were forced to sit in three rows, since the rows were divided into four. Futaba and Akechi took the front. She, Ken, Ren, and Anne sat in the middle; while Ryuji, Yusuke, and Haru sat behind.
"So, this is a courthouse," Haru said softly, her voice almost awed.
"Mm..." Akechi nodded. "Though I suppose it's understandable that you're looking about like this. Not many teenagers know what a courthouse looks like."
"I can't help but tense up," Yusuke muttered, rubbing his arm. "I would shudder, thinking about what it'd be like to take the stand... as a defendant."
"Yeah, no kidding," Ren stated with a bitter frown, as his eyes wandering towards the stand.
He must be thinking of when he stood there, as a defendant.
"Ren..." Anne said softly, resting a hand on his arm.
"So that's your sis. Right, Makoto?" Futaba asked, pointing to where Sae sat. "She's overflowing with the aura of a capable woman."
Makoto just smiled slightly.
"Mm-hm." She then pursed her lips. "I hope this works."
Ken quietly took her hand, giving it a light squeeze. Makoto squeezed his hand back in return, giving her boyfriend a slight smile to show that she was grateful.
"Don't you have faith in me, Niijima-san?" Akechi sighed out.
Makoto wanted to say how she really felt but then Ken gave her a quick warning look. Fortunately, Akechi was sitting in the front so he couldn't see her expression. Makoto pursed her lips together for a moment to compose herself before speaking.
"You have been right so far, Akechi-kun," Makoto stated, even though the words were almost like bile to her.
Ryuji cleared his throat. "By the way, what's this trial about?"
"The defendant is a politician accused of embezzlement," Akechi answered.
Ryuji just rolled his eyes. "Dude, layman terms for people who don't spend a gazillion hours studying."
"Oh... it's that case," Ken said slowly. "I read about it in the news. He was using government funds for his own personal use."
"Yeah, I read about it in a magazine!" Futaba nodded vigorously. "He took his mistress on vacation so they could soak in some fancy hot springs! Talk about selfish."
"I see, he was consumed by greed, even though he was quite wealthy," Haru stated, before she sighed quietly. "Much like Father…"
"Haru..." Yusuke sighed out. "You don't have to sit in on this if it dredges up painful memories."
"Yeah, you can step out." Anne nodded with agreement. "Maybe if Niijima-san sees us as a group, it'll be enough—"
"No, I'll be fine," Haru said firmly, but you could hear the smile in her voice. "Thank you, though."
"But man, if he's filthy rich like most politicians," Ryuji suddenly interjected. "Why does he gotta steal money like that?"
"Politicians just... like to take what they see. They see it and they decide it's theirs," Ren said in distaste. "I've been hanging around a former politician and he's probably like... the one exception."
He must have been talking about Yoshida-san. How Ren networked all these allies in such a short amount of time, she'll never know. But he was wise to not name drop him, not with Akechi around.
Ken sighed. "There will always be greedy people, I suppose. They're a large breed, especially amongst the elite."
"Hey, this is a bit weird but..." Anne hesitated for a moment. "What about the Phantom Thief case?"
"Yes, it's a bit odd since she's in charge of that," Haru agreed. "Can she really afford to sit in another case like this? I assume that she has her hands full with the Phantom Thief case."
"She was assigned this case before she was appointed to the Phantom Thieves case," Akechi explained. "Normally, another prosecutor would be assigned to her old case but... Sae-san is a bit of a perfectionist. If I may theorize, she may just view this as another opportunity for victory."
Makoto's hand wrapped itself tighter around Ken's.
"She always has been a perfectionist," she murmured.
"She sounds a bit like a certain someone I know," Ken mused. "She has to be nagged at to take a break sometimes." Then he paused. "…Or forcibly dragged."
He was probably referring to Mitsuru-san. Though they did have to be careful about what Ken mentioned around Akechi.
"But just how are we going to get her attention?" Yusuke questioned.
Makoto sighed, "I sent her a message right after school but I guess she didn't read it."
Like always...
"But if she didn't read it, she might not look for us." Anne bit her lip. "All of this will be meaningless unless her cognition is changed."
"I thought being optimistic was your thing?" Ken questioned.
"I know but..." Anne winced. "Sorry, I just... I'm kinda nervous. We have to change her cognition. We need to get her attention somehow."
"Ryuji, make a scene!" Futaba demanded.
"Hell no!" Ryuji cried out. "Are you nuts?! Do you want us to get kicked outta here?!"
"Ryuji, you kinda are making a scene now," Morgana said through gritted teeth, poking his head out of Ren's bag.
"Shh..." Ren shushed, before quickly pushing Morgana back into his schoolbag, but not without eliciting a yelp from Morgana. "You're not here, remember?"
"Guys…" Ken said quietly before he abruptly withdrew his hand away from Makoto's. "Look."
Sae was staring at them in shock. Then she seemed to mutter to herself, shaking her head. She looked down to the desk, her lips pursed.
"So... that's it, huh?" Ryuji asked.
"We'll be good now. right?" Anne said in a hushed voice.
"Yeah, we'll be allowed into the High Limits thingamajig now," Morgana piped up. "So let's wait out the trial and we'll head back into the Palace!"
The trial didn't last long. Sae was just relentless. The defense attorney put up a good fight but he was just no match for Sae. Not even an hour had passed before the judge pronounced the defendant guilty.
"Holy crap, she's scary," Futaba whimpered out, shrinking into her seat. "I don't want to ever face her here."
"Guess it's not just girls with Personas who are scary." Ryuji sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yes, Sae-san is quite formidable," Akechi agreed. "Not that I expect anything less from her... but now that we're finished here, shall we?"
They got up and headed for the door. Makoto couldn't help but sigh as she turned to look back at Sae. She didn't even seem to notice that they were leaving.
"Your sister was really surprised to see us, isn't she?" Ken murmured to Makoto.
Makoto exhaled through her nose.
"And yet somehow I'm not," she muttered, before rubbing her forehead, "Come on, we should—"
"Makoto, wait!"
Makoto froze at the sound of Sae's voice, before slowly turning to face her.
"Hi, Sis." She clasped her hands behind her back. "I guess you didn't read my message."
"Actually, I—" Sae then shook her head. "Never mind that."
But she still looked bewildered.
"I don't understand…" Sae trailed off with a frown. "You've never expressed interest in watching any of my court cases in the past."
Makoto pursed her lips. "There's a first time for everything, isn't it?"
Sae narrowed her eyes. "Makoto, is there something you're hiding from me?"
Makoto tried not to wince. Quite the loaded question that was.
"It's nothing like that, Niijima-san," Ken suddenly interjected. "You see, I've been considering pursuing law as a career and everyone knows how talented of a prosecutor you are. Everyone else just came for... moral support."
"Mm…" Sae looked skeptical but somehow Ken wasn't breaking a sweat. He wasn't even batting an eye. "And what path are you thinking of taking, Amada-kun?"
Ken didn't even bat an eye. "Defense attorney."
He looked so calm and confident. It was... attractive, in all honesty. Wait, she shouldn't be thinking about that now… especially with her sister right there.
"Oh?" Sae's voice remained neutral but something flickered in her eyes. "Why would that be?"
"Because somebody needs to take the side of the downtrodden," Ken answered.
"Hm..." Sae pursed her lips before placing a hand on her hip. "Rather optimistic of you. And a tad naïve, I might add."
Ken didn't look offended. Instead, he looked thoughtful. That was odd.
"So I've been told by a certain someone close to me," Ken said dryly.
"E-Excuse me?" Sae sputtered out.
"Ah..." Makoto cleared her throat. "Something the matter, Sis?"
"No, it's just—" Sae shook her head, running a hand through her hair before letting out a great sigh. "No, it's nothing."
"Congratulations with this case, Niijima-san," Ken said as he was smiling politely but there was a glint in his eyes. "Though I suppose it's not a surprise with that record of yours."
Without another word, he opened the door and stepped through.
"Bye, Sis," Makoto said quietly. "Um, will I see you at home tonight?"
Sae winced and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, "I'm sorry, Makoto but I... I have a lot of work to handle still. Especially since I insisted on this case remain mine. You'll be fine on your own tonight, won't you?"
She didn't expect any other answer.
"Of course, Sis."
Makoto gave her a one last wave before stepping outside.
Further down the hall, Ken was leaning against the wall.
"Not the best way to say hello to her," Ken muttered out, rubbing his face.
"You were nervous?" Makoto asked incredulously. "It looked like you weren't even breaking a sweat back there."
Ken just smiled halfheartedly. "Well, I have more than one reason to be nervous. It is the first time talking her after we've started dating."
"...Oh," Makoto said lamely, before she cleared her throat. "Well if it helps... I get a little bit nervous around Shinjiro-san still. Sometimes I feel like he barely tolerates me."
"Nah, Shinjiro-san likes you."
"H-He does?" Makoto couldn't help but feel taken aback by Ken's statement. She gave a small frown. "He has a funny way of showing it. He still calls me by my surname."
Sometimes it was weird thinking there was a time where Makoto had called Ken "Amada-kun" and he called her "Niijima-san".
"And he calls Junpei-san and Yukari-san by their surnames still." Ken gave her a small smile. "And there was a time he called Mitsuru-san by her surname too."
"Really? Haven't they known each other since high school?"
"They have." Ken confirmed, "It wasn't until after Shinjiro-san's... coma that he dropped the pretenses."
"Because he had a brush with death?" Makoto guessed.
"No, it's not that." Ken shook his head. "When he fell into a coma after what happened, Mitsuru-san didn't lose hope. She demanded that the scientists try and find a cure to the effects of the Persona suppressant drugs he was taking, as the side effects... they were slowly killing him. The incident turned out to give them enough time to figure out a cure. When Shinjiro-san found out, he said it was a waste of time. But he stopped calling her 'Kirijo' and switched to Mitsuru."
"Hm… I need to save his life somehow. Good to know."
Ken snorted. "If it makes you feel better, he likes you better than Junpei-san. And Rise-san."
"Really?"
Ken just raised an eyebrow. "Do I really have to elaborate why she irritates him?"
"...Oh."
"Unfortunately for him, she and Fuuka-san hit it off almost immediately after they got to have a proper conversation with each other."
Makoto couldn't help but laugh. "Poor Shinjiro-san. Though speaking of him, you alluded to him back there to set off Sis, didn't you?"
Ken just shrugged. "I figured that Shinjiro-san irritated your sister. He has a talent for that."
"It certainly worked." Then she gave her boyfriend a side glance. "You do realize that we'll have our hands full after all of this, dealing with… telling Sis."
"Oh, god. Let's not talk about that. Not with all the crap we've been dealing with." Ken grimaced, before he shook his head. "Come on, let's go catch up with the others before Ren, Ryuji, and Futaba start betting over what we've been up to or something."
"They really are unbelievable," Makoto muttered, shaking her head.
So they headed for outside, where everyone else was waiting for them.
"Finally!" Morgana grumbled. "Please tell me you weren't—"
"We weren't engaged in that activity, Morgana," Ken said dryly. "Niijima-san wanted to talk to Makoto."
Haru's eyes widened in horror. "W-What did she say?"
"Just about why we're here," Makoto said. "Ken fed her a story that he was interested in law so he wanted to watch a trial."
"Not a half-bad lie," Futaba mused, before giving him a thumbs up. "Good job!"
"Futaba!" Makoto exclaimed, shooting their youngest member an exasperated look.
"Hey, I'm complimenting him!"
Ren snickered at them.
"Okay, okay, enough already." Then he pulled his phone, his thumb hovering over the Nav. "Ready to get to work?"
"All right, the door's gone!"
For a moment, the area grew hazy, showing an image of the courtroom. Makoto couldn't help but feel relieved that it worked.
"So this is what cognition control looks like," Akechi said, wide-eyed.
"Dude, if you're shocked by this still, you're in for a world of hurt," Ryuji huffed out.
"Ha-ha, it's just so much to take in," Akechi explained.
Makoto had to repress the urge to roll her eyes. Couldn't have the liar know they were onto him.
"But anyways..." Yusuke spoke up. "Joker, there's a counter up ahead. Shall we investigate?"
"One second, Fox." Ren held up a hand. "I need to pick out the team for today."
Their leader rubbed his chin as he did a once-over the whole group.
"Well, I did promise Skull a slot for today. Queen, you up for it today? Since I used you a lot last time?"
"I'm ready." Makoto nodded firmly. "At your command, Joker."
"And... Panther," Ren decided. "Ready, everyone?"
They approached the counter; Makoto couldn't help but notice the sign above. It flashed "VICTORY OR DEFEAT".
"Welcome to the High Limits Floor, a proverbial gambling paradise," the dealer greeted. "First off, we would like to extend a welcome gift to you. Your card, please?"
Ren drew out the card, sliding it to him.
"A gift of one thousand coins to you." The dealer slid it back to Ren. "Use it well."
"Awesome!" Anne cheered, pumping her fist. "That's one thousand less coins we have to earn!"
"Only one thousand, though?" Futaba huffed. "There's like... ten of us. You should've given ten thousand to be fair! What a cheapskate."
The dealer then gave a bow. "My apologies, but the welcome gift can only be applied once."
"Of course there's a rule 'bout that," Ryuji grumbled out.
"At least it's... something?" Haru offered, "A little is better than nothing, and remember that we had to earn fifty thousand to get here!"
"Thank you for your gratitude," the dealer said. "And to add to that, here is a map to this floor."
"Just like that?" Morgana cocked his head. "Well, I won't complain about any freebies we get here."
"Let's cut to the chase." Makoto stated, "We need the member's card from your prizes. The one to access the manager's floor."
He chuckled, "Well, we do have prizes, but I'm afraid that is not one."
"Whaddya mean by that?!" Ryuji hissed, before slamming his hands on the counter.
Makoto couldn't help but cringe.
He started to shout. "How in the goddamn hell are we gonna get on the manager's floor then?!"
"Skull, inside voice," Ken sighed out. "You don't have to yell."
"You'll have your answer if you look. It's just above the flight of stairs." He gestured to the side, pointing to the stairs to the right.
And there was another flight of stairs to the left. Both conjoined to the floor above.
"Past the door you'll see what I mean."
"This sounds suspicious," Futaba mumbled out.
"Yes, but we need to look into it," Ken said before looking to Ren. "Let's go, Joker."
Ren led them up the stairs and they went through the door. They came across a golden... scale?
"That... looks like a bridge," Yusuke said uncertainly.
"I dunno, man. It looks more like a scale," Ryuji said, scratching the back of his head. "Fits with the whole courthouse, yeah?"
"Or maybe it's... both?" Anne suggested tentatively, twirling a finger around one of her pigtails. "I mean, the dealer said this was the way to the manager's floor..."
"Oracle, can you tell us about anything beyond this?" Ken asked, turning to face Futaba. "I can see that there's an area beyond it but—"
"Gimme a sec, Ace." Futaba summoned Prometheus, disappearing into the orb. "Hmm... oh yeah, I can sense the Treasure on the other side."
"That fits what the dealer told us anyhow," Akechi stated. "But what to do to lower the bridge?"
"There's a machine over there." Haru pointed. "Let's check it out!"
"Hmm—there's a card slot." Ren commented before taking out the card. He scanned it, and then an automated voice spoke.
"Member card authenticated. The required number of coins to activate the Bridge of Judgement is 100,000 coins."
"O-One hundred—" Futaba stammered out.
"T-THOUSAND?!" Anne finished for her, her mouth dropping open. "Just how are we going to collect that many?!"
"It's clear that she doesn't want us to pass," Morgana huffed out. "She keeps throwing up roadblocks. It's honestly ridiculous."
"Hey, why don't we cheat again?" Ryuji asked, "It worked for us before. Twice. Maybe Queen could jump past the bridge and she can lower it from the other side for us or somethin'?"
"I could... try," Makoto said.
Because getting one hundred thousand coins... just how could they manage that?
"Hold on—" Ken began to protest.
"I'll be fine, Ace." Makoto cut him off, placing a hand on his arm. "It can't hurt to try. One hundred thousand coins... that was two times the amount we had to get to reach here."
Ken didn't look happy about it but at least he didn't protest. Her friends backed up, giving her room as Makoto summoned Johanna.
"Good luck, Queen!" Haru exclaimed.
Makoto gave her a smile in thanks, before she revved the engines. She shot forward before she kicked forward. For a moment, she was flying through the air. But then a translucent blue wall flashed in front of her eyes. It glowed a brighter blue before a force threw her backwards.
"QUEEN!" She heard her friends cry out.
Makoto just squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the impact.
She was suddenly snatched out of the air. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Ken was the one who had caught her, now holding her bridal style.
"Do I have to even say it?" Ken asked dryly.
Makoto huffed, before reaching out to smack his arm. "No."
"I don't know why you're complaining, Ace." Ren was smirking. "You get to hold Queen all cl—OW!"
"Joker, that's enough." Anne said flatly, all while tugging on Ren's ear. "Stop teasing them."
"But it's true—ow! Panther!" He whined.
Ken just rolled his eyes.
"You're really impossible sometimes," Ken grumbled out, before setting Makoto on her feet. "You'd do the same for Panther."
"Would you, Joker?" Anne elbowed him in the side, having let go of his ear. "Ace did look very dashing back there."
"It was very romantic." Haru giggled. "Ace just swooped in to catch you, Queen."
"That's—" Makoto cleared her throat, fidgeting for a moment.
She wasn't ready to freely talk about her relationship with Ken yet. Not in front of their friends. And glancing at her boyfriend, Makoto could see that it flustered him as well.
"S-So, we definitely need to get one hundred thousand coins to pass through."
"Was worth a shot." Ryuji grumbled out, then he shuffled his feet for a moment, before clearing his throat. "Uh, sorry 'bout suggesting that, though. Was dumb of me and you almost got hurt because of it."
"Skull, you were just trying to help," Makoto reassured. "You're not stupid, And as you stated, this kind of method did work before."
"Did you really think you could beat me with such a petty trick?" Her sister's distorted voice rang out before a chuckle sounded. "There will no shortcuts to earning your way to me."
"She really is mocking us." Yusuke huffed out.
"Okay, so...I guess we just play Niijima's games," Morgana grumbled out.
"They do seem to be at a higher stake, these games," Akechi stated. "Perhaps it may not be as hopeless as we think. We just need to double our efforts."
"I hope you are correct, Crow," Yusuke sighed out, rubbing his face.
"Don't you trust me?"
Ken gave Makoto a side-eyed glance before looking back to Akechi and Makoto had to cough so she wouldn't start laughing.
"You haven't led us astray so far," Yusuke admitted.
"Anyways, time's a wasting," Ren said, dusting off his hands. "Let's get started!"
Ren once again took the lead. They eventually came across a game called the House of Darkness. She had a bad feeling about that name.
She could handle Ryuji's class's haunted house because well, they didn't have the means to do an effective haunted house. But this, this was different.
Makoto began to read the rules aloud so to distract herself. "In this game, you will attempt to escape a pitch-black maze."
She hated being right this time. She quickly shook her head and began to read again.
"But in order to escape, you must locate the owner's treasure first. The treasure holds the key to escape. You must bring the treasure to the exit in order to claim your prize."
Sae's treasure…?
"Treasure?" Morgana asked.
"Obviously not the treasure we're looking for, a Palace can't have two of them. It's probably just some trick to get out of this maze," Ren theorized.
"It probably still is symbolized by something that Sae-san holds important, being that this is a product of cognition as you all explained." Akechi rubbed his chin. "I wonder what it could be."
"Do you have any idea what that would be, Queen?" Haru asked.
"It would definitely be easier if we knew what we were looking for," Yusuke agreed.
Makoto frowned as she started to wrack her mind. She honestly couldn't think of anything.
"I can't think of anything." Makoto sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry..."
"I wonder if we could use a torch or some sort," Yusuke mused aloud. "Panther can use Hecate to light it."
Futaba pointed at Ken. "Ace, give Panther your spear!"
"Um—yeah, that's not happening," Ken said flatly. "We're not setting my spear on fire."
"Do you know how much that cost?" Ren grumbled out. "It was far from cheap."
"Joker, we may have to rely on your eyes then," Morgana said, planting his paws on his hips. "You've always been good at finding the right route."
"No pressure there," Ren said with a nervous laugh. "But I'll do my best."
They went inside, only to be met by an attendant. "Welcome to the House of Darkness, our puzzling labyrinth in the dark."
"That's kinda redundant," Ryuji grumbled out.
"Um... why are you out here like this?" Anne asked nervously. "Are you here for a fight?"
"No, of course not." The attendant shook his head. "You are valued participants after all."
"Participants?" Ken echoed. "What are you talking about?"
"You see, the rules on the high limits floor are different compared to the rest of our fine casino," the attendant began to explain. "VIPs are allowed to send substitutes into our challenges. Think of it as a horse race, but the participants are the horses."
"But... we don't have any," Anne said.
The attendant then nodded. "Yes, which is why you are the participants."
"I wouldn't like to be on the sidelines anyways!" Ryuji interjected. "Just watching would be freakin' boring!"
"For once, I agree with Skull!" Morgana added.
"What was that?" Ryuji glared at Morgana.
"Then this all pans out for you," the attendant stated, thankfully breaking up the fight. He had no mouth, but it felt to Makoto that he was smiling. "Do you need me to clarify any rules?"
"No, we got the message crystal clear from reading the rules," Haru said.
"Can we get a clue to the treasure?" Yusuke asked.
This just earned him a laugh. "I'm afraid that I cannot fulfill that request. But best of luck to you."
"Of course we get no hint," Morgana grumbled out before he lifted his chin. "But fine! We'll beat this game! Just wait and see!"
He chuckled, "I look forward to seeing your attempts."
"Hey, I know that Inari said that he wanted a torch but we do have two light users." Futaba said in a hushed voice, "Wanna try it out once we're inside?"
Ken shrugged. "It's worth a shot, I guess. Crow?"
"Hmm—we should take any advantage we can get," Akechi stated, before pursing his lips for a moment, and then he nodded. "Let's do it."
They stepped inside and they were enveloped in darkness.
Panic immediately spiked through Makoto. But then she felt someone take her hand. A familiar squeeze.
"You okay?" Ken whispered to her.
"Queen?" Haru said tentatively.
She realized that her friends were looking at her, as well. But it wasn't judging. She wasn't the same weak girl, who just blindly followed orders. She had friends who cared and loved her. She didn't have to be afraid to walk in the dark. Not when she was walking with them.
Makoto nodded. "I'm okay. S-Sorry, I just... I've never been good in the dark."
"Well you know that I'm not the greatest with the dark either," Ken said. "But anyways, I believe that we were going to test something?"
"Shall we, Ace?" Akechi asked.
"Yeah." Ken nodded.
He stepped away from Makoto, his hand slipping out of hers.
He paused momentarily, before Ken cried out, "Kala-Nemi!"
"Robin Hood!"
There was a flash of light, illuminating the area for a moment.
Futaba suddenly gasped. "Ack! Did you see that?!"
"See what? I was totally blinded!" Ryuji complained.
"Sorry about that," Ken quickly apologized.
"But what did you see, Oracle?" Morgana asked.
"Shadows everywhere! Nnngh... should've known that it wouldn't be easy."
"So, to summarize: we have to walk around in the dark, find something that we don't even know what it is, and avoiding Shadows," Yusuke said flatly. "Am I correct?"
"That about sums it up, Fox," Ren quipped.
"Ugh—why did Fox have to be right about this?" Anne whined out.
"Stop complaining, guys," Ken scolded. "Just standing around complaining won't win us this game."
"We can't even use those light spells," Futaba lamented.
"Hmm... I wouldn't say that, Oracle," Morgana said. "Maybe we can use this to our advantage, Joker, if you're feeling particularly lost, have Ace or Crow light up the area for you. It might help us out if we need to find a vent to continue our way."
"That's a wonderful idea, Mona-chan!" Haru exclaimed, giving a light clap of her hands. "You're so smart!"
"Hehe, of course." Morgana said smugly.
"Ugh—don't butter him up, Noir." Ryuji grumbled out, "He's probably as puffed up as a peacock right now."
"Grrr—shut up, Skull!" Morgana retorted.
"Ha, so I'm right?" Ryuji smirked.
"SHUT UP!"
"I'm putting them in time-out if they don't stop soon," Ken said sarcastically.
Makoto couldn't help but laugh. The pure exasperation in Ken's voice was just... amusing.
"At your lead, Joker," Akechi said.
"Yeah," Ren replied. "Follow me, guys!"
They slowly crept through the maze; Ren would sneak up on Shadows. They would defeat them. But Makoto had no idea what this treasure of Sae's was.
"Ugh... nothing." Futaba groaned out.
"And you can't sense anything, Oracle?" Akechi pressed.
"I just sense Shadows," Futaba grumbled out.
"Hey, there's a door here," Ren said. "Let's see..."
But the room was still pitch black.
"I guess this is a dead end," Haru sighed out.
"Hello? Who's there?"
That voice...
"Whataya want?!" Ryuji snapped out, ready to fight a Shadow at a moment's notice.
"S-Sorry, I just..." The high-pitched, almost childish voice trembled for a moment. "I haven't heard new voices in a long time."
"Are you lost?" Anne asked.
"U-Um, no. I live here. Kinda."
"Wait, are you a Shadow?!" Morgana demanded.
"A Shadow?" The voice turned confused. "Um... I'm a human. I have a big sister. And my dad. But they're both so busy. I wish I could see them."
No… no way. This couldn't be...
This felt like a... a joke.
"Have you ever thought about leaving?" Makoto asked.
She had to remain calm. She couldn't freak out over this.
"Leaving? But my big sister always says the world is dangerous. I need to study hard so I can handle it."
"Study?" Ken asked. "What's your name?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Makoto. Makoto Niijima."
"WHAT?!" Anne screeched out.
"Panther, shhh!" Morgana hushed.
Ken sighed. "But I see now, Niijima-san's cognition of Queen is the treasure the rules are referring to."
"I can't believe this," Makoto mumbled out.
"Umm—what are you guys talking about?" The cognition of herself sounded uncertain.
"But hey Makoto-chan," Anne said. "The world isn't so scary. Not when you're with people you can trust. Don't you want to see it?"
"Mm... it does sound nice. I don't like being in the dark. It's... kinda scary."
"Then come with us, then." Anne's voice turned coaxing. "We'll show you the way, okay?"
"Okay!" she happily agreed. "Oh, hang on...I wanna take this thing my big sister gave me! I want to see it in the light!"
That… was naïve. Very naïve. She honestly didn't know how to take this. When she had thought that Sae would have a cognition of her, she didn't really think that it would actually happen.
She was just so young and hopelessly naïve. Did Sae really just see her as just a little child?
At least she wasn't frightened by the fights with the Shadows. She almost seemed enthralled with them.
"You like seeing us beat up Shadows, huh?" Ryuji asked after one intense fight.
"Yeah! It's cool! My dad used to show me a lot of yakuza movies! My sister doesn't like it though, she says it's too violent. She says I should only use violence to protect myself."
"You like yakuza movies?" Ken whispered.
"I just do, okay?" Makoto whispered.
Ken just laughed. "I'm not judging. Just surprised. Maybe we can watch one together sometime."
"I'd like that," Makoto murmured.
"Can I come?!" the cognition blurted out.
"Cockblocked by yourself," Futaba stage whispered.
"Huh?"
"Please let us be near the end," Ken groaned out.
Fortunately, Ken's wish came true. They found the exit, but it was locked.
"Hey, can I borrow your sister's gift for a moment?" Ren asked and then said, "I think it's our ticket outside."
"I'll get it back, right?" the little girl asked nervously.
"Of course, I promise." There was a rustle as the cognition of herself handed it over. "Now let's see... aha!"
There was a click and Ren pushed the door open.
Light flooded her sight, allowing Makoto to look at the cognition of herself. She looked about seven or eight. Of course. Why did Sae see her a child…?
"Aww, she's so cute!" Anne cooed.
"Simply adorable!" Haru added.
"I just want to pinch her cheeks!" Futaba declared.
"Nooo!" The cognition of herself quickly ducked behind Ken, even using his cape to wrap herself into it. "No pinching!"
Ken just stared flatly at their female friends. He clearly wasn't amused in the slightest.
"What?" Futaba huffed. "We can't help it!"
"Anyways..." Ren cleared his throat before kneeling down. "I believe I owe you something."
Sae's gift turned out to be some kind of locket. Sae's cognition of herself unraveled herself from Ken's cape. She then took it, almost reverently, and stared hard at it.
"That's a picture of Mom," she said softly.
"So, family's been on Sae-san's mind," Akechi said before he let out a soft sigh. "Though I can relate, in a way."
Makoto wasn't sure to make of that comment. But it was hard to tell what was a truth or a lie with Goro Akechi.
"But we're out!" Ryuji said with a grin. "Let's claim our prize!"
"I don't know..." Ken trailed off, a troubled expression on his face. "I can't help but feel that there's something more to this."
"Hey." Ren pointed at Ken. "No jinxing."
Ken just huffed, staring flatly at Ren. "I'm just saying. Keep your guard up, Joker."
They continued forward, heading down the hallway. They managed to loop back to the entrance, where the attendant was waiting for them.
"What?!" He gasped out. "That's impossible! How did you...?"
"Oh shut up, you asshole," Ryuji snarled out. "We won! Now cough up our reward!"
"No, you're not allowed to pass! Not with Lady Sae's treasure!"
"B-But I wanted to go with them!" the cognition protested.
Of course, the attendant didn't listen. He transformed into a... snake? And he wasn't alone. Two blonde women accompanied him, decked out in medieval armor and wielding a sword.
"Joker, I'd avoid electricity attacks if I were you!" Ken warned.
"Damn!" Ren hissed out, "Fox, wait for my signal and switch out with Skull! Until then, stick to physical attacks, Skull!"
"Understood, Joker!" Yusuke shouted.
"Ha!"
Blue shimmered around the snake Shadow for a moment, leaving behind a glowing aura.
"Is that... Mind Charge?" Ken asked.
"Uh...my readings are giving me 'Concentrate', Ace." Futaba piped up, "Either way, it's not good. It's a huge buff for magic spells!"
"That's so not fair!" Anne groaned out.
"Good thing Mona ain't in right now." Ryuji quipped.
It was better to be safe than sorry. Makoto summoned Johanna, racing by her friends. A purple mist escaped Johanna's exhaust pipe, surrounding them and raising their defenses.
Ren seemed to have a similar idea.
"Kushinada-Hime!" He cried out.
An elegant Persona with two green combs adorning her head appeared. Red light shimmered around them, causing power to surge through their veins.
Then one of the blonde Shadows raised her sword. An almighty spell began to form.
"Ah shoot—take cover!" Futaba shouted.
The almighty spell exploded, the force throwing them all back.
"Oooh, you'll pay for that!" Anne summoned her Persona. "Dance, Hecate!"
Fireballs flared to life, knocking down the two blonde Shadows.
"Nice, Panther!" Futaba exclaimed, "That's two of them down! Come on, pass the baton!"
"Get 'em, Skull!" Anne exclaimed, slapping Ryuji's hand.
"Captain Kidd!"
The force slammed into all three Shadows, and Ren quickly cut in.
"Pazuzu!"
The new Persona's eyes flashed a dark purple. The two blonde Shadows started to cower in fear.
"Fox, you're in!" Ren barked out.
"Goemon!" Yusuke shouted, "Take this!"
Due to Anne having powerful fire attacks, they were able to eliminate the lackeys with ease. And they essentially ganged up on the last Shadow. With that strategy, the Shadow quickly fell.
"Damn, that was annoying," Ren muttered.
"He really seemed surprised that we made it out," Haru stated.
"Perhaps he was counting on us not being able to convince her to come with us," Yusuke mused. "But anyhow, we are done here."
"Are you okay?" Anne turned to Sae's cognition of Makoto.
"Yeah!" Her eyes were wide. "You guys were so cool!"
"And to top it off, we're now ten thousand coins richer." Ren announced with a smirk, waving the card at them.
"One step closer!" Morgana declared, even giving a hop of excitement. "Come on, let's find the next game—"
"You're going?" The cognition blurted out, looking dismayed.
"I'm sorry," Ren apologized. "But we have something we have to do. I hope you understand."
"Something to do...?" Then the cognition's expression grew determined, "Let me help! Umm… I can make you drinks. To keep your energy up! My sister likes it when I do that for her!"
Oh, right. There was a time where she would 'mix' drinks for Sae. She'd barge into Sae's room, holding a cup. She would make juices from carrots, spinach, and other vegetables. She really had no idea how Sae would choke them down.
"Thanks, kiddo." Ryuji ruffled her hair. "Be good, yeah? And keep out of trouble!"
"You too!"
But as they left, Makoto could only think of Sae's cognition of her.
"I don't know why you're so shocked, Queen," Akechi suddenly drawled out.
He was hanging back to speak to Makoto, as everyone else but him and Ken were heading for the exit. He wasn't quite smirking but he was pretty close.
"You do have your moments even now," he stated.
"Crow..." There was an edge to Ken's voice now, and he narrowed his eyes at Akechi.
"You do go around, shouting 'Fists of Justice' after destroying Shadows, after all," Akechi said innocently.
That little...! Would it look bad if she punched him? It wouldn't hurt... much.
"Crow, that's enough," Ken said sharply. "You're one to talk, with your laser sword and gun. There's nothing wrong with Makoto having fun with this."
"I suppose." Akechi then tilted his head. "I'm just saying that you do have your childish moments, Queen."
"Thank you for your eternal wisdom, Crow," Makoto said flatly. "I'll catch up in a moment."
Thankfully Akechi followed after the others while Ken hung back with her.
"Don't say it, Ace," Makoto muttered.
Ken didn't say anything, he just waited patiently.
"He just... ughhh!" Makoto pushed up her mask, rubbing at her eyes and then muttered out, "He really gets under my skin."
"I'm sure you're not the only one," Ken stated. "You know that Skull can't stand him."
Makoto frowned, "Is what I do... really childish?"
And she still loved Buchimaru... She thought it wasn't something to be embarrassed of but she was wrong.
"I think you forget that you're dating someone who's a huge fan of Feathermen Rangers. You like what you like. Don't let Akechi shame you into stopping." Ken huffed, then he took her hand, lightly kissing her knuckles. "You're fine, just the way you are."
Makoto felt herself blushing again. Even though her hands were covered with gloves, the slight brush was enough to send a jolt through her.
"Well…" She then cleared her throat; she really had to stop blushing like a lovestruck schoolgirl. "Maybe you can show me why you like Feathermen Rangers so much sometime?"
Ken's face then lit up, his smile making Makoto feel warm.
"I'd like that," he said softly. "Though we probably should catch up with the others before Joker starts giving us crap."
Makoto grimaced. "You're right. Let's go."
They then hurried for the exit, though Makoto couldn't help but wonder what else was in store for them.
Goro was really struggling to keep the facade up. Every time he looked at Amamiya, he could feel a flare of frustration.
After Amada and Sakamoto's words on Amamiya's probation, he had dug into Amamiya's record. The politician that ruined Amamiya's life, it struck Goro as very Shido thing to do. It had taken some snooping around but he managed to discover many things.
One was that his life before Tokyo was essentially in shambles. He had been expelled from his school. And from what he could discern, his parents were ashamed of him and essentially just packed him up and dumped him onto Sojiro Sakura. He had no semblance of a social life, save for this ragtag group of thieves.
He didn't give a shit that people were frightened of him, thought of him as a violent criminal. He was almost carefree when he said that their opinions didn't matter and he knew whose opinions did.
What a load of bullshit.
Why the hell was Amamiya so special? How could he pick up the pieces and just... move on?!
He didn't give a shit that Shido ruined his life. He managed to find a group of friends, so loyal to him. He even managed to win the heart of a beautiful girl. He had no desire for Takamaki, but he had to admit that the girl was quite the beauty and it was obvious that she all but worshipped her boyfriend.
And to rub salt in the wound, Amamiya had Goro beat in the one thing that the ace detective thought made him special.
He had multiple Personas. He had caught glimpses of the Phantom Thieves here and there even before he had officially met them at the TV studio. Even heard that cat talk. But he had no idea just how large of a repertoire Amamiya had.
Sakamoto had phrased it as Amamiya having a 'gazillion' Personas. He managed to talk to the Shadows. Persuade them to join him! A nobody—attic trash—was able to pull this off.
And Goro couldn't. Why was he so damn special? And the fact that Amamiya's friends were slavishly devoted to him... it made him sick, just thinking about it.
Then Goro's eyes happened to drift over to Amada. He felt yet another stab of jealousy.
Damn him. Why did he have to be so lucky? His guardian, Aragaki, was in his mid-twenties. And judging from Amada and Aragaki's behavior, Amada had been under his custody for years now.
Amada didn't have to worry about angering Aragaki and getting kicked to the curb. Hell, Amada purposely needled the older man. Aragaki wanted to take care of him.
And Amada's father may have not wanted to be a father, but Amada had the blessing of legitimacy. He may have lost his mother early in life, but he had countless blessings dropped into his lap.
And just what had he done to deserve it? It wasn't fair! Goro had tried his hardest to endear himself to the foster families who took him in but they all treated him like crap. If he remembered correctly, it was only a matter of months before he was dumped back onto the orphanage.
The fact that he could feel Robin Hood and Loki both resonating with Amada's Persona only contributed to his irritation.
"Excuse me?" The dealer approached the group, "A word, please?"
"What's the matter?" Amamiya asked.
"The manager would like to speak to you in the manager's room." He stated, "You'll find it right by the Battle Arena. And do hurry. The matter is urgent."
"Sis... would like to speak to us?" Niijima frowned before pursing her lips. "I wonder what that's about…"
"Only one way to find out, I suppose," Amada said, absentmindedly running his fingers down the shaft of his spear before glancing at Amamiya. "Come on, Joker. Let's get going."
"Something's gotta be up, though," Morgana muttered out. "Stay on your toes!"
"When am I ever not careful?" Amamiya scoffed.
Dead silence. And then, an awkward cough from Kitagawa.
"Um, never," Sakura stated.
"Yeah, dude." Sakamoto shook his head. "Reckless is like, your middle name."
"Okumura's Palace," Takamaki said flatly, before flipping one of her pigtails over her shoulder. "You jumping on the manager robot's back so you could fry his system."
"You can't deny it got results," Amamiya protested.
"Still very reckless of you, Joker," Okumura said.
"And it brought down the wrath of Panther on your head." Kitagawa shuddered. "Mona is correct in cautioning you."
"I see how it is." Amamiya huffed, then he gave Goro a sideways glance. "Well, at least Crow isn't betraying me."
If only he knew...
"Joker, stop being a drama queen," Amada droned.
"Make me!" Amamiya snarked childishly.
"Let's see..." Amada pointedly patted down his clothes, his expression turning perplexed. "Did I bring duct tape with me today?"
"Oh, what a pity. I had some in my schoolbag," Niijima sighed out, her hand on her cheek. "Oh well, that won't help us now."
Sakura burst out laughing at Amamiya who didn't seem too impressed with their jokes.
"You brought this out of them, Joker." She snickered.
He rolled his eyes. "You guys suck."
How annoying…
Goro pointedly cleared his throat. "Shall we get going and see what Sae-san wants? We are wasting time."
"Okay, okay." Amamiya grumbled, "Anything to make these guys to stop mocking me."
"Oh I see how it is." There was an obnoxious grin on Sakamoto's face now. "You can dish it out but you can't take it."
"We're going now!" Amamiya announced, "Let's go!"
Goro bit back the urge to glare at them all. They wasted so much time. Goro sworn that he could've finished clearing this Palace in half of the time. So much time wasted on bickering and cracking jokes. It only served to get on his last nerve.
"Welcome to the manager's room." Sae-san greeted, lounging against the chair she sat in.
The manager's room was more like a room where you played poker in. To add to it, there was a deck of cards spread on the table in front of Sae-san. A single chair was opposite of her.
The only thing missing was a pile of chips.
"Do we get to finally face the number one player herself?" Goro feigned surprise before rubbing his chin. "We're honored."
"I won't do as you wish anymore," she spat out, glaring daggers at all of them. Then she gestured to the cards. "This is my territory. This will be what we play."
"Draw poker," Goro said.
"Now, who will face me?"
"I can't do it," Okumura stated, shaking her head.
"I definitely can't as well," Kitagawa seconded. "I just think about winning..."
"Same," Sakura mumbled out.
"Maybe I can—" Takamaki began.
"Uhh—yeah, no," Sakamoto said flatly. "This takes acting. And brains. Two things you lack."
"Hello pot." Takamaki pointed at him, all the while scowling. "Meet kettle."
"Hey!"
"You just walked into that, Skull," Amada murmured. "Though I've been told that I don't have the best poker face, so I don't think I'd be a good candidate."
Morgana shook his head, "My hands can't reach the cards."
"Let me do this," Niijima declared. "I'll handle this."
"I understand how you feel." Goro stated, somehow managing to keep his expression neutral as he put a hand on her shoulder.
He ignored the way Niijima tensed up.
"But you shouldn't. She knows all too well how you think. But at the same time, that disqualifies me as well. Joker...it's up to you."
"No pressure here," Amamiya said dryly, but then his expression grew determined. "But I will win!"
He was always so sure of himself. It nearly bordered arrogance, it was so vexing.
"We'll be counting on ya!" Sakamoto encouraged.
"Confidence is unnecessary," Sakura stated. "This is a game of luck."
"Don't get too cocky, Joker," Amada warned.
"Okay, okay, sheesh..." Amamiya grumbled out, "You don't have to kill my vibe."
"Good luck, Joker." Goro said neutrally, giving him a nod and then he looked to Sae-san once more. "May the best player win."
"Oh, I intend to." She drawled out, only for her game face to appear. "Now then, there will be no need for chips in this game. This match will be decided on the poker hands we both hold. If you can win against me, even once, I will admit my defeat."
"What's she acting all cocky for?" Sakamoto grumbled out.
"She wishes to break our will," Kitagawa stated.
"Make her eat her words, Joker!" Takamaki exclaimed, her hands clenched. "I'll be rooting for you!"
"Now let us begin."
The two players drew their cards.
"Wait are you for real?!" Sakamoto hissed out, peering over Amamiya's shoulder.
"This is great!" Sakura said, "This is one strong hand!"
"Hm..." Amada was looking towards Sae-san, who was smirking widely.
"Hm?!" Sakura tugged on his sleeve, "Don't be cynical, Ace! She's obviously acting overly cocky!"
"We'll see," he said neutrally.
"Quiet," Niijima shushed them.
"I'll exchange four cards," Sae-san announced, much to everyone's surprise. "Will you?"
Amamiya shook his head, "I will keep mine."
"Come on, Joker!" Okumura whispered.
Ugh… they were really all cheerleaders for Amamiya.
"Four of a kind," Amamiya said confidently, spreading his cards for Sae-san to see.
"Straight flush," Sae-san said smugly, flashing Amamiya a smirk.
"We lost..." Goro murmured.
"Don't worry," Okumura soothed. "We'll get her the next time!"
"Don't count on it," Sae-san growled out, aiming a fierce glare at Amamiya.
Sae-san was obviously cheating. And they had to get out of here, so they could finish the infiltration route. Securing treasures was such an irksome hassle. The thieves would be more productive if they just eliminated the source of the troubles instead of wasting so much time with this Treasure and calling card nonsense. But these people didn't seem to understand how to be efficient.
Goro then paused, his gaze drifting over to Sae-san
Well… maybe not this time. After all, Sae-san did have a brilliant mind. Even her superiors were forced to admit that. Goro would be lying if he claimed that he had no respect for her. She was one of the few—if not the only—competent people he worked with. Most of them were brainless fools who only knew how to be simpering sycophants.
However, an idea struck Goro.
"Are you ready to lose once again?"
"Do not worry," Goro stated, patting Amamiya's shoulder. He took the opportunity to slip a royal flush into Amamiya's sleeve.
Amamiya just blinked up at him. Subtle recognition flashed in his eyes, thankfully he was discreet about it. He's not as hopeless as the rest of his teammates it seems.
"Thanks, Crow." Then he smiled ruefully. "It seems I need some luck on my side."
"Not even all the luck in the world will be enough to best me," Sae-san boasted. "Now, shall we—?"
"One moment, please," Goro interjected. "Please allow me to be the dealer this time. It is unfair for one of the players to be the dealer. You will need a good explanation if you wish to deny me that."
"Hmph." Sae-san narrowed her eyes before she crossed her legs. "Very well."
He then picked up Morgana, earning an indignant yelp. "Hey, what are you doing?!"
"It's a well-known notion that black cats are considered unlucky," he mused. "However, some people believe that they actually bring good luck. I wonder... which side of the coin do you represent?"
"Wha...?"
Goro then quickly whispered the plan to Morgana before drawing out his own deck of cards. But he made sure that his movements weren't as stealthy as usual, so Sae-san would catch sight of him.
"However, you must use the cards I've prepared," Sae-san said firmly, her golden eyes glinting. "That, I will not budge on. You will have to discard the deck in your hand."
"So, you saw through my plan?" Goro sighed, crafting disappointment on his face, "How unfortunate."
"Uh-oh." Sakamoto gulped. "We're toast."
"Stay calm," Niijima insisted.
"We can't exploit any weaknesses..." Kitagawa muttered.
"Crap hand too," Sakura groaned out.
Now it was time to put his plan in action. He asked Sae-san to swap in a different player, and she allowed it. She was so cocky. She didn't notice that his "slip-up" was merely a red herring. Morgana took his spot on Amamiya's lap. Perfect... now, all that was left, was for Amamiya to slip Morgana the royal flush.
"Four of a kind," Sae-san said smugly. "And what of you?"
"Arrogance isn't a good look on you, Sae-san." Goro said silkily, "Well, Mona?"
Morgana just chuckled, cracking a wide grin.
"Uh… what's with that cocky look?" Sakamoto asked suspiciously.
"It looks like I'm quite the lucky cat!" he gloated, his grin turning smug. "Royal. Flush."
"WHAT?!" Sae-san screeched out, blasting all of their ears. "That's impossible! You had a terrible hand!"
"What happened to that terrible hand?" Amada asked.
"HOW?!"
"We seriously won?" Takamaki asked.
"How could I...?" Sae-san then let out a growl, before slamming the cards on the table. "This is unforgivable!"
She then glared at Amamiya, who just stared back calmly. He didn't even bat an eye, as if he was the one to come with this plan... such impudence.
"Let's take this elsewhere. I'll beat you in another game," the Shadow hissed.
"I look forward to it." Amamiya said cheekily.
"Grr... don't be so damn cocky," she spat out. "You got lucky this time."
"What happened to luck wouldn't help us win?" he asked innocently.
If looks could kill, Amamiya would be six feet under. While as amusing as that sounded, he'd be out of a job if that was the case.
She then gritted her teeth, before snapping her fingers. There was a flash of light and then she was gone.
"What just happened?" Niijima asked.
Morgana then proceeded to explain Goro's plan. The teenage detective couldn't help but smile smugly. Of course it was a brilliant plan.
"Damn." Sakamoto shook his head. "Who knew a squeaky-clean detective would know how to cheat like that?"
"Heh, it really has nothing to do with my profession," Goro stated. "After all, poker is simply an acting game. Misleading your opponent. It's simply a matter of who is the best actor."
And that was why he was an excellent poker player. Because nobody knew what his true intentions were. Not Shido. Not Amamiya. And most certainly not any of his foolish followers.
Goro allowed his eyes to linger on Amamiya. This was one thing where Goro had the edge. He would always be one step ahead of him.
They had finally earned enough coins for the bridge. The Battle Arena had been rough, but Ren had managed to beat them. Though hearing his friends cheer him on had definitely given Ren motivation to fight harder.
Though he wished that Ryuji hadn't tried to climb the fence, after he realized that the attendant had lied. He appreciated the sentiment and all, but Ryuji didn't deserve getting fried like that. And Ryuji resisted electricity.
"Authenticating member's card." Ren couldn't help but tap his foot impatiently. "The required number of coins to activate the Bridge of Judgement is 100,000 coins."
"Yeah, yeah, we know that!" Ryuji snapped out, thumping his fist against the top of the machine. "Just let us through already!"
But that was when the mechanical voice was replaced by a familiar voice. "You have done well, to earn all of those coins."
"That's...?!" Makoto gasped out. "Sis?!"
"I never expected you to come this far. I have to commend you for your vigorous efforts. However, you will never step foot in the manager's floor. Not if I have anything to say about it. From this moment forward, the number of coins for the bridge will increase to one million coins!"
"One million?!" Haru gasped, "But that's—"
"She's just going to continuously move the goalpost." Ken said grimly.
"That's not fair!" Futaba protested. "You can't give us an impossible task like that!"
"Ah, so you finally realize it," Shadow Niijima drawled out. "That is the point. Your task will forever be impossible! Hence I will forever be victorious."
Ryuji just growled, "Winning ain't everything, y'know! There's more important stuff you've gotta worry about!"
"You could really use a hobby," Ren said flatly. "Like... I dunno, knitting, singing? There's gotta be a better way to handle your pent-up energy."
"Silence!" she snarled out. "No amount of whining or mockery will force me to yield! I will stand the victor! As it stands, you need one million coins to pass. You merely have a tenth of it."
"Do we now?"
Akechi suddenly stepped forward, folding his arms over his chest.
"I beg to differ, Sae-san."
"What?" She hissed, "What trick do you have up your sleeve now?!"
"How do you have a million coins?" Anne asked.
"Do we remember that we were allowed to borrow as many coins as we have on our card?" Akechi asked.
"But that would only put us at two hundred thousand..." Haru said.
"Let me finish, Noir." Akechi closed his eyes for a moment, a pleased smile touching his lips, "For example, borrowing ten thousand coins; it would've given twenty thousand coins, instead of ten thousand coins. And then at the battle arena, if you bet on Joker as a guest… it would increase to four hundred sixty thousand."
"You're speaking hypothetically, though." Makoto stated, "That's not what happened."
"Unless..." Yusuke trailed off, his eyes narrowed. "That's not the case."
Akechi just smiled thinly before producing a card, "That would be correct."
Ken's eyes widened, "You never threw away the card after Oracle told you to."
"Yes, I assume that Sae-san would have some trick up her sleeve. After all, I've seen her tenacity with my own eyes. Victory would literally have to be pried out of her hands."
"You may act smug, Akechi-kun, but you can't do simple math," Shadow Niijima growled out. "One hundred thousand and four hundred sixty thousand equals five hundred sixty thousand! You're still short!"
"Ah, but what if I borrowed the maximum amount a second time?" Akechi countered. "That would mean I have nine hundred twenty thousand and Joker has one hundred thousand and I believe...that would give us well over one million coins. Even after paying back the original ten thousand coins. We have enough coins for your Bridge of Judgement."
"B-But what about the coins we borrowed?" Ryuji protested. "We can't pay that back!"
"Skull's right," Yusuke stated. "That's a hefty amount of debt we've incurred."
Akechi just shook his head. "We will deal with Sae-san soon enough. We don't need to worry about the debt."
"Not something I'd expect you to say, Crow," Ken commented.
"Oh?" Akechi tilted his head. "I suppose I'm learning a bit from you all, skirting the edges around the system."
"We don't go around incurring debt!" Morgana protested.
Futaba shook her head. "Man, I think we're corrupting our goody two shoes detective."
At some point all his friends deserve to win an Academy Award for their acting.
"We should make haste, though." Yusuke met Ren's eyes. "Before she changes her mind."
"Yeah." Ren quickly scanned the card again.
The machine asked him if he wanted to activate the bridge and he hastily selected yes. Countless blue coins poured onto the right scale, balancing the two scales. Then it spun, revealing the bridge. It had lowered, the bridge fitting in place so they could cross.
"Yes!" Anne cheered, pumping her fist. "Let's go!"
And so they did, running across the bridge and into the manager's floor, where the Treasure was waiting for them.
"We've made it!" Morgana exclaimed. "This will be the place where we steal Niijima's Treasure!"
"Sis... soon," Makoto whispered.
"Niijima-san..." Akechi said sympathetically, putting a hand on her arm.
Makoto didn't respond, just pulling her arm away and then folding her arms over her chest.
"How uncouth of you, to just barge into here!" Shadow Niijima's voice suddenly rang out. "Elegance is required for victory as well, you know!"
"I don't think you can claim being elegant, after insisting that you'll win at all costs, no matter what you do," Ken said dryly.
"Not to mention your huge hissy fit after we beat you in the poker game!" Ryuji added.
"You destroyed countless lives," Yusuke continued. "Have you no guilt for that?!"
"Hmph... you just mean to distract me. It appears that my games haven't satiated you."
"Of course she ignores the question," Ryuji grumbled.
"She will not acknowledge her faults," Akechi stated. "But that will soon change, will it not?"
"I hope so," Makoto sighed out.
"You may have succeeded in besting me in my games, but not anymore! I will triumph over you in this next game, a game of life and death! No matter who I face, I will not lose!"
"Again, a hobby would do you wonders!" Ren called out.
"Silence! You're just like the others." Then a pause. "No, you actually have the courage to mock me to my face at least."
"Sis..." Makoto's voice suddenly cracked, looking down on the ground, "I never knew. Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"
"Queen..." Ken's voice was soft with sympathy.
"We should take her Treasure as soon as possible, Joker," Anne said determinedly. "This can't go on any longer!"
"Yeah, the sooner the better!" Ryuji added.
"I have to disagree," Akechi stated. "I believe we should wait until right before the time limit."
"You wish to take her Treasure, on the nineteenth?" Ken asked.
"May I ask why?" Yusuke asked. "Joker does take some time to gather supplies, I must admit, but... to set the date like that... that is pushing it too close. I'm not comfortable with such a suggestion."
"Sae-san is a realist," Akechi stated. "Even if she does believe in the Phantom Thieves...I doubt she knows of your method of how you steal hearts. She may expect that she will become a target."
"Well, yeah." Ren shrugged, "Somehow I don't think she'd be into fantastical stories. Honestly, I'm surprised that you accepted it so easily."
"I cannot deny what I see with my own eyes," Akechi said.
Oh and definitely among other reasons, Ren's quite sure.
"But you're saying that since she's expecting this," Haru ventured. "The calling card's effect would be moot?"
Sounded like bullshit but okay.
"What do you think, Queen?" Ryuji asked. "I mean… she's your sis. Do you think Crow's got a good point?"
"Honestly I can't claim that I know Sis anymore." Makoto said somberly. "After witnessing all of this, it really feels that we're strangers."
Yusuke and Haru both looked down, suddenly finding the floor fascinating. Anne just looked at Makoto with sad eyes, her lip quivering ever so slightly.
Ren cleared his throat. It was up to him to get his friends back on track. "So, we'll meet on the eighteenth, to confirm the calling card."
He wanted to say more, to try and comfort Makoto, but Akechi interrupted.
"Yes, I believe that's the best course of action," Akechi stated. "And the Treasure will form once the calling card is sent?"
Morgana nodded, "Yeah, once Niijima is aware of the danger, the Treasure will take form."
"What will it look like?" the detective inquired.
"It depends on the person," Anne explained. "Kamoshida thought of himself as the king of the school, so his took on the form of a big fancy crown in the Metaverse. And when we got to the real world, it turned into his Olympic medal."
"Madarame's took on the form of the true Sayuri," Yusuke added, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Kaneshiro's was fake money," Makoto said.
"My Treasure was... me," Futaba said lamely.
"And Father's took on the form of a spaceship model kit," Haru explained. "It was one that he wanted as a young child."
"I see, I see..." Akechi nodded. "A wide variety, from the looks of it."
"We'll just have to wait and see what Niijima-san's Treasure looks like," Ken stated. "It's the fourteenth...so we only have four days until we need to send the calling card."
"Mm... it appears that the Treasure represents the beginning of the ruler's aspirations."
"Fox, do you have the calling card ready?" Morgana asked.
"Yes, I began to create it during the wait for the court case." Yusuke said, "I'll have it ready for the eighteenth, I promise."
"Five days," Makoto said solemnly. "It feels so close and yet so far away..."
Ren caught Makoto's eye and she gave a little nod, so little so that Akechi wouldn't notice.
The last step of their plan still needed to be completed. Makoto just needed to create the fake Treasure and then they would plant it in the Palace.
"So you've cleared the Palace, yeah?"
After they left the Palace, Ken had invited her over to have dinner at his place. Makoto happily accepted the invitation, but Makoto figured that she could create the fake Treasure while they were at it. They stopped by her apartment to grab a few things before going to Ken's.
"Yeah," Ken answered. "Akechi fed us a lie about why we can't take the Treasure beforehand."
Shinjiro-san grunted. "And how half-assed was it?"
"It was... a decent lie," Makoto admitted. "Maybe if we weren't assuming that he was such a liar, we may have been fooled."
"Wouldn't be surprised if he practiced the lines in front of a mirror," Ken muttered under his breath.
"Mm..."
Makoto then turned the page of the album she had brought. She was looking for a specific photo. Then she scowled, catching sight of a picture of herself at around eight.
"Are you still upset about what Niijima-san's cognition of you was?" Ken asked.
"Just a little," Makoto mumbled out.
"Niijima had a cognition of you?" Shinjiro-san asked, surprise filling his face.
Makoto made a frustrated sound, "She did and she sees me as nothing but a child! It's embarrassing! She doesn't take me seriously. And of all things... she put the cognition of me in the dark!"
"I wouldn't say that, Niijima."
Makoto just frowned, "What do you mean?"
"Take Ken for an example," Shinjiro-san glanced towards Ken. "He can tell you how much Mitsuru, Takeba, Minako, and Fuuka still baby him."
"Hey, why are you dragging me into this?!" Ken demanded indignantly, glaring at his guardian.
"Shuddup Ken, it's to cheer up your girlfriend," he retorted.
This only drew out grumbling from Ken. Shinjiro-san then looked back to Makoto.
"I know that you don't really appreciate this. But your sister is like seven years older, yeah? She probably remembers the day you were born. She can't really help it."
"I can't believe you're defending her," Ken said in disbelief.
"Don't sound so shocked," Shinjiro-san snapped at him.
"Well..." Makoto placed a hand on her cheek, looking Shinjiro-san right in the eyes. "I suppose you know the feeling, don't you, Shinjiro-san?"
Shinjiro-san immediately started to sputter. It just got worse as Ken started to laugh.
"Shuddup! That's the last time I try and cheer you up!" He snarled then grabbed a pillow, smacking Ken with it. "And this is all your fault, ain't it?"
"I'm sure Ren carries some of the blame," Ken quipped.
Makoto just smiled. She felt a little better now. She picked up the album once more, in order to search for the picture she had in mind for the decoy.
"That's the picture that we found in the police station," Ken noted.
"Mm-hm." Makoto had to wiggle it so that she could pull it out.
Did someone put two pictures in this sleeve?
"I think it'd be fitting and it would be enough to fool Akechi-kun should he ask to see the Treasure."
She managed to pull it out, and her suspicion was right as another picture floated to the floor.
Shinjiro-san picked it up, only for him to stop short. He then squinted at the picture.
"Shinjiro-san?" Ken asked hesitantly. "Is something the matter?"
"Ken, wanna explain this?"
Shinjiro-san held up the picture. The picture was of two children. One was her at around five and the other was...
"Is that me?!" Ken sputtered out. his head whipping to look at her, "We look..."
"Five." Makoto finished, "And the woman who we're sleeping on, that's..."
"That's my mom." Ken looked just as bewildered as her. "I... what?"
"Why were you even in Tokyo?" Makoto asked.
Ken's eyebrows furrowed together, "My maternal grandparents' funeral. But that doesn't—"
Ken suddenly grew still. his eyes becoming wide.
"No... I remember now. I wanted to go to the park after that long train ride. Mom took me to the park so I'd stop complaining. I ended up wandering away from her and I couldn't find her."
Makoto gasped as the memory suddenly hit her. "And I was with Dad when we found you crying."
She remembered; her mother wanted more family outings as her illness started to take its toll on her. She wanted more good memories.
"After your dad helped me find Mom... we played together." Ken continued.
And when it was time to go home, she didn't want to lose her new friend. But their parents managed to soothe them. And as Dad was carrying her away, Ken had called out to her.
"We'll see each other again, right?"
"Yeah! And we'll go to school together and have lots of fun!"
"I-I can't believe it." Makoto shook her head before looking at her boyfriend. "I wasn't serious when I said that we could've met each other the first time you came to Tokyo."
"Me either." Ken huffed out a laugh, only for his expression to grow somber. "Though, that must have been the only positive thing that happened during that trip, from what I remember."
"Your grandparents' funeral?" Shinjiro-san guessed.
"Not just that." Ken sighed out. "My mom, she had a twin sister. She never explained it to me, but something...bad happened with her sister. It drove a wedge between her and the rest of the family. Mom paid for her sister to come to Tokyo, but..."
"But?" Makoto prompted.
"I don't really know." Ken admitted then his eyes hardened as he explained, "My memories are kinda foggy with that. I remember Mom got two hotel rooms for me, her, her sister, and her son. She had a son around my age...I think we were watching Neo Feathermen on TV, when all this yelling started to happen. I mainly remember that my aunt's yelling really upset Mom. We ended up leaving the hotel because of it. And honestly? I don't want to remember the exact details. It was the first time... I saw my mom cry."
"She wanted to make amends after losing her parents... didn't she?" Makoto guessed.
Ken nodded solemnly.
"That's my guess..." He then heaved out a sigh. "But I guess some bonds are just too fractured to mend. Mom never spoke of her after that."
"It must have been devastating," Makoto said softly. "On top of her parents dying, for her sister to just walk out on her."
She could really feel for Ken's mother. Makoto just prayed that would not be the case for her and Sae. But maybe that was why Ken's mother died protecting him. She would rather die than lose another member of her family.
"Is she even alive?" Makoto asked. "Your aunt, I mean."
"I don't know. She was alive back when Mom died, but the courts ruled that she wasn't fit to take me in for some reason," Ken said quietly, only for his expression to sour. "So custody of me was passed to the next of kin, my father's cousin. Not that I care to see either of them."
"You don't need 'em, Ken," Shinjiro-san stated.
Ken just gave him a little smile. "I know."
Shinjiro-san then cleared his throat, looking a bit flustered. "I... gotta start fixing dinner. Just stay here and relax, yeah?"
Makoto then placed the photo in the briefcase, before shutting it. She looked down at it and suddenly felt a wave of anxiety. She didn't know if she could do this.
"It will work."
Ken slid his hand over hers. Makoto then bit her lip.
"If this plan is to work... we can't change her heart," she said softly.
"You've believed in your sister this whole time," he said quietly. "You believed that she could change without us stealing her Treasure. She was led down the wrong path... but I think you can help her find her way back."
Makoto felt a small smile come onto her face. "You really have too much faith in me."
"I have just the right amount," Ken returned. "But stressing about this isn't healthy, Makoto. We have a few more days before hell breaks loose. Let's try and enjoy it."
"I suppose." Makoto then rested her head on his shoulder. "Do you want to watch some Feathermen, then?"
Ken just let out a thoughtful hum before he slid an arm around her waist, "I actually have something else in mind for us to watch."
Makoto then sat up, raising an eyebrow at him. "And what would that be?"
Ken huffed out a laugh. "So Makoto, tell me... have you ever watched Kamen Driver?"
"Better run away when you still can, Niijima," Shinjiro-san called out. "Run before he can drag you into tokusatsu hell. But then again... it's a show that won't encourage ya to start making out."
"S-Shinjiro-san!" Ken's face immediately reddened.
Makoto felt her own face warm up.
"I-It's not like that, okay?!" Ken sputtered.
"That's what they all say," Shinjiro-san drawled out.
Ken opened his mouth to retort but Makoto quickly pressed her index finger against his lips to quickly shush him.
"I think Kamen Driver sounds great. I'd love to try it out, Ken."
They still needed to complete the final preparations for the heist... but Ken was right. They should enjoy what time they had before everything went insane.
JOAN OF ARC
History: Nicknamed the Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc is considered a heroine of France for her role during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years' War and was made a Roman Catholic saint. Joan claimed to have received visions of the archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria instructing her to support Charles VII and recover France from English domination late in the Hundred Years' War. The unanointed King Charles VII sent Joan to the Siege of Orléans as part of a relief army. She gained prominence after the siege was lifted only nine days later. Several additional swift victories led to Charles VII's consecration at Reims.
Level: 53
Affinity: Bless, Almighty, Physical
Blocks: Bless
Resists: Electricity, Ice
Weakness: Fire
Spells: Revolution (innate), Megidola (innate), Kouga (innate), Makouga (level 54), Deatbound (level 55)
Notes:
The mini-boss fight with the House of Darkness is accompanied by two Shadows. This Shadow is Joan of Arc. It is a bit of a reference to ScruffyTurtle's Adult Confidant AU. Sae's Persona is Jeanne d'Arc. The skillset and affinities have just been tweaked to befit her higher level.
And as for cognitive Makoto. My friend and beta, angelrin89, had the idea of more…benign cognitions within the Palaces. One of her ideas was a cognitive Makoto, who's like Quasimodo/Rapunzel, locked into a room filled with books, that she will be incorporating into her fic that she's eventually going to publish. I tweaked her idea. incorporating it in the darkness maze. (Because would you really want to read a section where the Phantom Thieves just stumble around in the dark?) And with how Makoto wants to help Sae, I thought it'd be a cute idea for cognitive Makoto to offer drinks to the party after clearing the darkness maze as a way to restore their SP slightly. Speaking of my wonderful beta, a big shoutout to her for making the Akechi's POV even better. Her little tweaks and embellishments made the section so much better.
The poker scene is also not my own creation. There was apparently a cut out scene with Shadow Sae confronting them and challenging them to a game, I just embellished it a bit.
I also headcanon that Ken's a general tokusatsu fan. Feathermen Rangers is just his absolute favorite. But more importantly… the scene with the photograph album. I teased the idea of Ken and Makoto meeting as kids in Chapter 15, the chapter after Futaba's awakening, but it's more to connect Ken's mom's situation with her twin sister and Makoto & Sae's relationship. And of course, adding another hint to what I've been hinting throughout the story.
And… we're almost at the casino heist! We will have a chapter dedicated to the preparations for the heist for Chapter 37 and Chapter 38 will be the actual heist! I'm really excited to write the heist, for more than one reason.
I've also been asked about Royal a couple times, probably since it was released nearly two weeks ago. I just want to reiterate that the concept of this fic was conceived with the vanilla version of P5 in mind. While I had posted the prologue on July 30th 2018. I've been planning this fic since late 2017. When Royal was announced, I was in the middle of the Okumura arc. It would've been rather forced to just insert Kasumi, especially since we didn't know much of her. I also would think it would be unfair to the readers who are waiting for the western release to suddenly drop Royal spoilers into the fic.
But anyways, enough rambling! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, guys!
Chapter 38: Ch. 37: Let The Dice Fly High
Summary:
The final preparations before the casino heist.
Notes:
Another pre-sex scene in this chapter. If you're not fond of that kind of content, please read the version on fanfiction.net.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Wednesday, November 16th, 2016
"Rise-chan, you haven't explained on why you want to stay in Tokyo for so long."
Rise just blinked at Inoue-san, allowing a sugary smile to come across her face. Inoue-san sometimes acted more of a father figure to her than her actual dad, but there was just no way that she could explain the real reason. Inoue-san would probably think that she had hit her head or something, anyhow.
"Tokyo is a big city, Inoue-san," Rise stated, letting herself pout for a moment. She let out a gusty sigh, placing a hand on her chest. "I have a few friends who will be in town at the end of the week. Is it a crime to want to catch up with them? And I haven't seen Chie-senpai in person since she graduated from Yasogami three years ago. This is an opportunity that won't come by often."
His brows remained creased, still somewhat bothered.
She tilted her head. "Is it really too much to ask?"
"W-Well... I have to admit that your launch into a proper pop star has been an even bigger success than we thought." Inoue-san heaved out a sigh, then he cracked a proud smile, before giving a small nod. "Alright, you have until the twentieth, and then it's back to work!"
"That's all I ask, Inoue-san!" Rise said cheerfully before playfully blowing him a kiss.
"You're too much sometimes, Rise-chan!" Inoue-san just laughed heartily, shaking his head; but his voice was full of warmth, not exasperation. "Sometimes I wonder how Narukami-kun deals with you."
"Aw, Senpai knows that he's the only one who has my heart!" Rise giggled before wiggling her fingers at Inoue-san. "But I'll see you soon, Inoue-san!"
The walk back to the apartment was shorter than Rise expected. She didn't stay there a whole lot, but it was her home away from Inaba.
She had barely flopped onto her bed, when her phone began to buzz.
Group Chat: The Investigation Team
[Chie-senpai]: Heyyy guys! Are you down for a group video chat?
[Naoto-kun]: What's the occasion?
[Chie-senpai]: I just thought it'd be nice, y'know?
[Chie-senpai]: It's been 4ever since we've been able to get together as a group!
Rise immediately typed out a reply saying yes. She beamed as her friends all agreed. She then grabbed her laptop, booting it up.
Chie-senpai started the call, and one by one, her friends appeared on the screen.
"Hey guys!" Chie-senpai said brightly.
Yu just closed his eyes but had a small smile on his lips.
"It's been a while since we've all been together," her boyfriend said.
"Yeah, sorry, we were prettyyyy close with a full out reunion in September." Yosuke-senpai just winced.
"YOSUKE YOU RUINED IT!" Teddie all but wailed out, pouting at his adoptive brother.
"Oh, shut it, Ted!" Yosuke-senpai retorted. "I wanted to come but school was kicking my ass! I'm not a genius like my partner here, dammit!"
"Yeah, Yosuke-senpai's got a point there," Kanji snorted out.
"Hey, are you calling me dumb?!" Yosuke-senpai protested.
"Jeez, we seriously going there already?" Chie-senpai shook her head, a small laugh escaping her. "Typical Yosuke. You haven't changed a single bit."
"Yeah, feeling the love, Chie," he huffed out with a roll of his eyes. "I'm guessing that you're kicking the asses of your male classmates. Just like in high school."
"Oh, shut it!" Chie-senpai practically growled out. "That only happened to you!"
"So, I have special treatment?" Yosuke-senpai winked at her, a lopsided smile on his face. "Good to know, Chie."
"Oh my, what is this…. is Yosuke trying to score?!" Teddie gasped out.
Both Yosuke-senpai and Chie-senpai's faces reddened.
"SHUT IT TEDDIE!" they shouted in unison.
Some of the group couldn't help but chuckle at their expense. Yukiko-senpai however scowled.
"When are we going to drop this scoring business?!" she demanded.
Rise never did understand why the "scoring" comments that was a running gag in their group always seemed to upset Yukiko-senpai. There was clearly a story there but she forbidden anyone to elaborate. Rise suspected it was embarrassing and probably had something to do with her senpai's shadow.
"Probably... never?" Yu offered.
Despite Yukiko-senpai having a fire-based Persona, she had one icy cold stare. One that she directed at Yu.
Naoto cleared her throat. "So anyways... when will you get to Tokyo, Chie-senpai?"
"Oh yeah!" Rise perked up at that, giving Chie-senpai a big smile. "I can't wait to see you, Chie-senpai!"
Chie-senpai nodded vigorously.
"Me too! So, Master is gonna take a train. Mitsuru-san is providing a car so we'll drive to Tokyo together. He'll drop me off at Rise-chan's place, and he'll stay at Shinjiro-san and Ken-kun's place." She blinked before scratching her cheek. "Er—it's Mitsuru-san's place really, isn't it?"
Yu flicked his hand before shaking his head.
"Semantics... not really important." His expression grew solemn, a small frown coming across his face. "It's really happening."
"Yeah, no pressure..." Kanji muttered out, frowning. "That Amamiya dude seems like a good kid. He doesn't deserve to get killed cause he's an obstacle to that asshole politician."
"Ugh! I wish I could sentence Shido to several kicks in the face!" Chie-senpai huffed.
Yukiko-senpai narrowed her eyes. "I think he deserves one of your famous galactic punts, after what he's put Mitsuru-san and everyone else through."
"You know you can't," Naoto chided. "For one thing that would be assaulting a politician. But more importantly, there's a reason why the Phantom Thieves came up with this plan to begin with. They need Shido off their tails."
"Is Shinjiro-san joining you?" Yukiko-senpai asked.
Rise shook her head. "He said that he'll be there during the operation, but mostly to make sure nobody gets too close while I'm guiding Chie-senpai and Akihiko-san."
"It's kinda weird since Gakky had this idea in the first place!" Teddie chimed in.
"He could not be participating at all," Yu stated with a shrug.
"We will need to figure out how to slip into the ranks though." Chie wrapped an arm around her torso, rubbing it with her free hand. "And that's not even the hardest part."
"Hey, what happened to your endless optimism?" Yosuke-senpai huffed, a stern look on his face. "You'll kick ass, just like usual, Chie."
Then he winked.
"Don't think... feel, remember?"
Chie-senpai scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Well in this situation, I do need to think a bit." Then a tiny smile crept onto her face. "But... thanks, Yosuke."
Rise had to fight the smile creeping onto her face. She had always assumed that there had been a spark between her two senpai, but nothing really came out of it. But maybe they would just be slow about it... like a certain couple of her friends.
"Oooh, I can feel the love tonight!" Teddie teased.
Then they both reddened again before yelling in unison, "TEDDIE!"
"Anyways... moving on..." Yu sighed as he scratched his cheek.
"You know—I'm surprised that Fuuka-san isn't coming as well. Didn't the Shadow Operatives talk about how she could teleport them out of Tartarus with her powers?" Yukiko-senpai inquired.
Rise frowned at that.
"Fuuka-chan told me that Shinjiro-san said that it'd be better for her to stay on Port Island until this whole thing blows over." She scowled. "I'm going to have words with him, you know. He had two chances to propose to Fuuka-chan but nooo, he's dragging his feet!"
Yu just chuckled, a smirk coming across his face. "Take it easy on him, Rise."
"We'll see." The singer glowered.
"Maybe I should warn him," Kanji snorted out.
"But that aside—" Yosuke-senpai interjected. "Ken's showing you this... Mentos, yeah? In case you need your Personas."
"Mementos, Yosuke-senpai," Naoto corrected.
"Eh, close enough." He shrugged.
Chie-senpai rolled her eyes at Yosuke-senpai.
"But yeah, that's the plan," the tomboy said. Then she tilted her head. "But I've gotta say, I'm pretty curious to see how it'll look. According to Ken-kun, it's got its similarities to Tartarus. And we never got to get a look at Tartarus, so I think that'll be cool."
"I'm more curious about Ken-kun's costume," Rise giggled out, pressing a hand to her cheek. "He acted so embarrassed. It was just adorable."
"Don't torment him too much, Rise-chan," Yukiko-senpai said lightly.
"It's not my fault that he embarrasses more easily than Kanji," the singer teased.
"H-Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Kanji sputtered out, his cheeks slightly flushed.
Rise stuck out her tongue.
"Is an impersonation needed?" she asked innocently.
Kanji scowled at her. "Ugh—shuddup, Rise!"
"Anymore chaos you plan on unleashing, Rise-chan?" Chie-senpai rolled her eyes again.
"Well..." Rise smiled slyly. "I may have promised Minako-san some pictures of Makoto-chan. Minako-san's very curious about her."
"Poor Ken-kun." Yukiko-senpai giggled.
"Sheesh, you're probably gonna scare the poor girl off at that rate," Yosuke-senpai snorted.
"And before KenKen can score!" Teddie shook his head. "That's just mean, Rise-chan."
"Teddie…" Yukiko-senpai growled out.
"Enough, enough," Yu snickered, holding up placating hands. "Remember that Yukiko can easily get her hands on you, Teddie."
"But you'll protect me, won't you, Sensei?!" Teddie whined.
"Depends on how angry Yukiko is..." Yu quipped, only for his expression to grow serious. "But you'll be careful, won't you? This isn't a game."
Yukiko-senpai nodded. "Mm-hm. There is a reason why we've steered clear of Tokyo for these past couple years. Even Naoto-kun!"
Naoto sighed as she crossed her arms. "Not that they really want me to solve their cases. They have Goro Akechi."
"Yukiko, Yu-kun..." Chie-senpai said softly, before her expression grew serious as well. "Yeah, of course we'll be careful!"
"Don't you worry, Yu-senpai!" Rise nodded. "We won't get caught."
Yosuke-senpai cleared his throat, grabbing the group's attention.
"C'mon, guys, cheer up! It's been a while since we've been able to talk in a group like this. Let's not get down 'bout this," he said.
"Wow, that was actually pretty smart of you, Yosuke," Chie-senpai said lightly, her eyes twinkling.
"HEY!" He looked indignant, then coughed awkwardly. "So, what's going on in Inaba?"
"Oh! Me! Me!" Teddie cried out; and without waiting for the go ahead, he blurted out, "Nana-chan has a crush!"
"WHAT?!" Yu blurted out.
"Aw, Senpai, you know this isn't the first time," Rise giggled. "First you, then Ken-kun."
"Don't remind me..." Yu grumbled out.
But with that, their conversation turned much more lighthearted. Rise couldn't help but feel happy. She would forever treasure the year she spent in Inaba. It had brought her so many dear friends. But they had to return to their lives, and end the call.
Rise closed the laptop before she concentrated. She held out her palm. A tarot card flickered to life, surrounding by blue flames. She closed her hand over it.
They had spent two years, wringing their hands, as Shido continued to wreak havoc for his power grab. This was their chance to change this.
They couldn't fail. They had to ensure Ren's survival.
"I want to tell everyone about the reinforcements," Amada stated, much to Mitsuru's surprise.
"Are you sure about this, Amada?" she asked.
Amada nodded firmly. "I am. It just doesn't feel right to hide it. I don't want any secrets."
Mitsuru pursed her lips. Amada did pose a good point. She had hidden the truth from her friends once. And that had been such a mistake. This may be to ensure the Phantom Thieves' protection but now that she thought about it...it wouldn't do to hide this.
"Very well Amada," she conceded with a small nod, "I admit that you pose a good point. You have my permission. When Akihiko and Satonaka arrive to Tokyo tomorrow, you should call a meeting so they can meet Akihiko and Satonaka. But are all the preparations complete?"
"Practically... Makoto made the fake treasure and she's planted it. We're just counting down the last few days until we send the calling card. That'll be on the eighteenth. And then on the nineteenth, we'll confront Niijima-san's Shadow," Amada replied.
"Very soon then," Mitsuru commented. "And you'll be bringing Akihiko, Satonaka, and Kujikawa into the Metaverse tomorrow, I assume?"
Amada grimaced for some reason.
"That's the plan. Though there's a rule about us not entering the Metaverse alone, so everyone may insist on coming," he explained.
Mitsuru just raised an eyebrow at Amada's expression, but she decided not to comment on it. Then she cleared her throat.
"I'll let you go then." She smiled gently. "Best of luck, Amada."
Amada just flashed her a smile in return.
"Thanks, Mitsuru-san. I'll talk to you soon." He nodded.
She then checked her phone after the call ended. Minako had asked to have a group dinner before Akihiko departed for Tokyo tomorrow. They had agreed to meet at Akihiko and Minako's house at six. It was still a good hour before she could depart.
Mitsuru sighed, before turning back to her paperwork. Sometimes she swore that was all she did as the CEO. Her phone suddenly rang. She pulled it out, glancing at the screen. She raised an eyebrow at the caller ID.
"Hello, Nanjo-san," Mitsuru greeted, before lounging against her seat. "What can I do for you today?"
Kei Nanjo... the head of the Nanjo Group, which the Kirijo Group had branched off from. Shortly after she established the Shadow Operatives, they had crossed paths. He easily agreed to joining, even bringing in some of his old comrades into the fray.
Although she still remembered how put-out he was when she refused to give him the number one. Honestly, he could be so arrogant. He was a good man but he was definitely overstepping there.
"Kirijo." Nanjo's voice was cordial, but Mitsuru could detect a hint of irritation in his voice. "When you informed me that you were sending one of your inner circles to Tokyo, I was not aware that it was the child."
Mitsuru sighed, "It was to protect Amada. The less people who know, the less danger he'll be in."
Nanjo exhaled gustily. "I thought the point of the Shadow Operatives was so high school students would never have to step up to the plate."
"You think I have a choice in this?" Mitsuru didn't care if she sounded waspish. "You think I liked the idea of it? Especially after Amada decided to leave the organization until after he graduated from high school?"
"Then why—"
"We knew nothing about the Phantom Thieves, that's why!" Mitsuru snapped out. "The hints pointed to them being high school students. And...it ended up helping Amada in the long run."
"Just what are you talking about?" he questioned.
"It doesn't matter," Mitsuru said curtly.
Nanjo sighed once again. "And Shido?"
Mitsuru tapped her fingers impatiently against the desk. "We're in the process of eliminating the targets on the Phantom Thieves' backs."
"W-What?" Nanjo's voice was incredulous. "Are you planning on clarifying, Kirijo? What on earth are you planning? Shido has been threatening you for the last two years."
"It's not what I'm planning," Mitsuru replied coolly. "The Phantom Thieves have concocted a plan to pull the wool over Shido's eyes. If they can pull it off—"
"If? How could you let them be such a loose cannon?!" he interjected.
"They've been pushed into a corner," Mitsuru retorted.
She then took in a deep breath. Her nerves have been on edge for so long. She could feel her patience waning. But she didn't have to take it out on Nanjo.
"Promise me that you will not speak of this to another soul," she warned. "We must keep this under wraps."
After a long pause, the man let out a sigh.
"I promise. Now go on," Nanjo said coolly.
Mitsuru then proceeded to explain the plan.
"But Shinjiro was concerned so we came up with a backup plan. Insurance, so to speak."
"As he should. And Amada did not think of this before?"
"Do not speak of Amada like that, Nanjo," Mitsuru snapped. "He's perfectly capable. He's proven himself many times over. Without him, we would have been left in the dark about the Phantom Thieves. And in return, the Phantom Thieves would not know of Shido to begin with."
"I suppose I will have to trust your judgment, Kirijo. But still—I have a bad feeling about this. Masayoshi Shido is not someone to be trifled with. He will do anything to claw his way to power."
"That's why the extra forces are being sent," Mitsuru answered. "It is to ensure so that Amamiya isn't murdered in cold blood."
Nanjo let out a weary sigh.
"I hope this gamble pays off in the end. We cannot allow Shido to win."
Thursday, November 17th, 2016
"So... this is the place, Master?" Chie asked.
Akihiko nodded, looking up and down at the building in question.
"Yeah, this definitely looks like a place owned by Mitsuru."
Shinji wasn't kidding though. His best friend had griped so much about it, complaining that it was over the top. At the time, Akihiko had thought Shinji was just being his usual self when Mitsuru helped him out but this time...nope.
Though... he should really call Mina. He had promised that he would once he and Chie made it to Tokyo.
"Hey, can I call Mina before we go up?" Akihiko asked. "I want to let her know that we made it."
"Oh!" Chie's eyes widened for a moment before she nodded vigorously. "Yeah, go ahead!"
Akihiko flashed her a smile in thanks before pulling out his phone. Mina almost immediately picked up.
"Aki?"
"Hey." Akihiko smiled slightly. "Chie and I made it to Tokyo."
"Oh, that's great!" There was some shuffling in the background, "A bit later than the ETA you texted me at the last pit stop, though."
Akihiko grimaced before running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah, traffic in Tokyo is insane. I forgot how bad it was. Remember when we all came down for Fuuka's graduation?"
"It wasn't that long ago, Aki." Mina was quiet for a moment. "You'll be careful, won't you? If you're caught…"
Akihiko's grip on his phone tightened.
"I'll be careful, Mina. I promise," he said seriously.
"Sorry..." Mina's voice was suddenly watery. "T-The hormones, y'know?"
"Mina..."
A lump suddenly formed in Akihiko's throat. He then swallowed hard.
"I'll come back to you and our baby. Soon, I promise. But how are you feeling?" he inquired with concern.
"Tired!" Mina answered immediately. "I'm so ready to get this baby out of me. I'm as big as a whale and I still have a few weeks to go!"
"You still look beautiful," Akihiko said with a slight smile. "Aigis is taking good care of you, right? Making sure that the twins aren't giving you trouble?"
"Of course she is." Mina giggled. "Do you remember how she followed Minato's cue and threatened you as well?"
Akihiko suppressed the urge to cringe. "I try not to."
"Wuss."
He could practically see the playful smile on Mina's face.
"It's not my fault that Aigis is protective of your entire family," he retorted.
"CHIE-SENPAI!"
Akihiko nearly dropped his phone.
Rise came charging out of nowhere, all but tackling Chie with a tight hug.
"Oof!"
After the initial shock, Chie let out a joyful laugh. She hugged the other woman back.
"Hey, Rise-chan!"
Rise must be trying to blend in. There was something off about her face. And her hair was tied up in a high ponytail.
"Rise-chan?" Mina asked with a laugh.
"Lucky guess, right?" Akihiko snorted with a smile. "But I guess I should go, Mina. Business...I'll talk to you tonight, okay?"
"Okay. I love you, Aki."
"Love you too, Mina. Bye."
After Mina said her own goodbye, Akihiko hung up and walked up to the two women.
"You know, it really is weird to see you without any make-up," Chie said.
Rise just giggled, winking at her.
"But a good disguise, isn't it? You look great though, Chie-senpai! You look so cute with a ponytail!"
"Hehe... thanks." Chie fidgeted for a moment, twirling the end of her ponytail around her finger, "I just thought a different look would be good, you know?"
"Oh, totally!" Rise nodded enthusiastically.
"We should get up to the penthouse before we get attention," Akihiko reminded them.
"Oh, right!" Chie smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Master."
They made their way up to the top and Akihiko knocked. A moment later, the door swung open, revealing Shinji.
"Hey, Shinji," Akihiko greeted. "How are—ACK!"
Rise shoved him to the side, stalking forward with a predatory gleam in her eyes.
"Shinjiro-san~" she sang out. "You know what I'm going to say, aren't you?"
"Oh, here we go," Chie sighed, pressing a hand against her forehead. "Rise-chan, it's not really your business—"
"Fuck off, Kujikawa. I don't see how that's any of your business," Shinji said flatly, glowering at Rise.
Rise just tutted as she wagged her right index finger at Shinji.
"How rude! Do you really kiss Fuuka-chan with that mouth?" Then she put her hands on her hips, "And it is my business because Fuuka-chan is a good friend! Three months! You've had three months to propose, now that you have a ring—"
"Shoot me now," Shinji groaned out.
He hoped that Ken would get here soon, so that he wouldn't have to stop Shinji from killing Rise.
Chie let out a nervous laugh.
"So..." She shifted her weight to her other foot, clasping her hands behind her back. "When's Ken-kun getting here?"
"And the rest of his friends?" Akihiko asked.
Chie turned to Akihiko with surprise written all over her face.
"Wait, he's bringing them?" Chie squawked out.
"Yeah, Ken wouldn't budge on that," Shinji stated. "He could admit that the plan's not perfect. But he refused to let us sneak around the Phantom Thieves. Mitsuru agreed about it too. I'm surprised that she didn't tell you, Aki."
Akihiko rubbed his forehead. "She must've forgotten. She's been kinda stressed."
"Well... I can't say I disagree," Rise stated. "They still don't trust us one hundred percent, do they?"
"Sakamoto's mindset is pretty much 'fuck the police'," Shinji said flatly.
Akihiko rubbed his forehead again before glancing over at Chie.
"This will be fun," he said dryly.
"Oh relax!" Rise huffed, crossing her arms. "They were fine with Naoto-kun, despite them not really being fans of Goro Akechi."
Shinji huffed before rolling his eyes.
"Come on, get inside. I'll make you some food. Especially since Aki and Satonaka have been driving for so long."
Chie perked up at that. "Yes! It's been so long since I've had your cooking, Shinjiro-san!"
Ken lead the group on the sidewalk, heading towards his and Shinjiro-san's temporary home.
"So, who's exactly here?" Ryuji asked.
Ken glanced towards him.
"Well, there's two of them. Chie Satonaka is one of the two Investigation Team members you haven't met yet. She's training to be a police officer," he explained.
Ryuji grimaced. "Another cop?"
"Chie Satonaka...that name sounds familiar for some reason," Makoto murmured, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Oh I know! She was on a TV special a couple months ago! The police academy she's attending is supposed to be the cream of the crop! They talked about her kung fu skills! I also heard that they were planning on doing a follow-up on police officers!" Futaba exclaimed.
"But if she's in the Investigation Team..." Yusuke trailed off for a moment. "She can't be that much older than us, correct?"
"She's twenty-two. Chie-san was Yu-san's classmate," Ken replied, then glanced towards Anne. "I think you'd like her, Anne. You have similar outlooks on life."
"Is that so?" Anne tilted her head before smiling. "I look forward to meeting her then."
Ryuji still looked a bit ambivalent, but he was finally starting to relax a bit. The others seemed to relax a bit more quickly than him, as expected.
"And what about the other, Ken-kun?" Haru inquired.
"That would be Akihiko-san," Ken answered as they entered the building, "He's Shinjiro-san's best friend, as I've mentioned before. Though, I am surprised that he came here to begin with."
"And why is that?" Morgana asked.
"Well you see, he's married to Minako-san. She'll be having their baby in a few weeks—"
"Wait, what?" Haru frowned as they stepped inside the elevator. "You never mentioned that before, Ken-kun!"
"What was I supposed to say? 'By the way everyone, my senpais are having a baby?' Or something like that?" Ken shrugged.
"Yeah, exactly," Futaba teased.
Ken rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"I'll remember that for next time," he deadpanned.
Ken shot a quick sideways glance at Ren. He'd been oddly quiet this whole time. He hoped Ren wasn't nervous about meeting Chie-san and Akihiko-san. Not that it wouldn't be understandable considering his circumstances. But he hoped at least his new friends would come to trust them as he did.
Ken then unzipped his bag, rummaging for his keys. He vaguely registered the elevator door open just as he managed to fish it out.
"GIVE IT BACK, KUJIKAWA!"
"That was Shinjiro-san, right?" Anne asked.
"Oh boy..." Ken sighed. "We better get inside before Shinjiro-san attempts to murder Rise-san."
Just what mischief was Rise-san up to this time? He hastily unlocked the door.
"I'm home—"
"Oh, Ken-kun!" Rise-san skidded to a stop. "And everyone else!"
There was a twinkle in her eyes that didn't sit well with Ken.
"Rise-san, what did you—" Makoto began.
"Oh nothing!" Rise-san waved off Makoto.
She was hiding something behind her back with her other hand.
"Wait, what are you holding?" Anne asked.
Ken marched over to the singer and quickly snatched the object she was hiding. A familiar velvet box now was in his hand. He frowned with exasperation.
"Really, Rise-san?"
Rise-san flashed her trademark puppy dog pout.
"Aw, you're no fun," she whined. But then she giggled all while winking. "But I hear that you're the one who gave that to Shinjiro-san in the first place. If only he would actually propose!"
Shinjiro-san stomped up to them, looking rather miffed.
"That's none of your fuckin' business," he growled out.
Shinjiro-san snatched the box from Ken, stuffing it into his pocket.
"Hey, good timing, Ken," Akihiko-san said with a grin, approaching them.
As usual, he had to ruffle his hair. Ken quickly deflected Akihiko-san's hand.
"Why are all of you so obsessed with touching my hair?" he grumbled out.
Before Akihiko-san could respond, Chie-san quickly clapped her hands, getting everyone's attention.
"So... should we get down to business?"
Akihiko-san nodded.
"Let's start with introductions first," he suggested, his eyes flickering towards Ren.
Shinjiro-san just scoffed under his breath, rolling his eyes in Akihiko-san's direction.
"Way to be subtle, Aki," he grumbled under his breath.
His friends all introduced themselves, and then Chie-san and Akihiko-san gave their introductions.
Akihiko-san was dressed in his usual outfit: a light gray dress shirt that he rolled up to his elbows, a red tie hanging loosely around his neck (he always loosened it when he wasn't working), paired with a pair of black dress pants. Chie-san, on the other hand, was dressed more casually. She was wearing a striped turtleneck, the larger stripes being a dark green while the smaller ones were yellowed, paired with ripped blue jeans. She had grown her hair out since he had last seen her, tying in a short side ponytail.
"So now that we all know each other…" Rise-san then winked at Ken once again. "Finally figured it out, huh?"
Ken felt his face redden.
"Rise-san!" He exclaimed.
"You should've seen him figure out what to wear for his first date with Niijima," Shinjiro-san muttered.
"Oh?" Ren quirked an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"
"We're here to have a meeting!" Ken snapped. "Not to go into depth about—"
"Your love life?" Ren supplied with that annoying grin of his.
"Aw, we're not?" Rise-san pressed a hand against her cheek. "Too bad."
Ken felt a bit relieved however, despite the teasing at his expense. Other than introducing himself, this was the first time Ren spoke. Perhaps he had nothing to worry about.
"Just be glad that Minako-san isn't here, Ken-kun," Chie-san quipped.
"Mina is pretty keen on meeting you, Makoto," Akihiko-san agreed.
"To embarrass Ken or to interrogate Makoto?" Futaba asked playfully.
"I'd say both, actually." Akihiko shrugged with a small smirk.
"Great, where's the nearest hole to crawl into?" Ken muttered out.
He heard Ren snort next to him.
"And you call me dramatic?" he snarked.
"You beat Ken, hands down." Ryuji joked, "It ain't even a competition, RenRen."
Anne nudged Ren and Ryuji in their sides. Ren just smirked at his girlfriend while he rubbed his side. Ryuji quietly complained to himself as he rubbed his side.
"Come on, we're getting seriously off topic," Anne pointed out.
"Right." Akihiko-san cleared his throat. "Your plan's good. This isn't meant to be an insult towards you, I promise..."
"Do you have something else in mind?" Haru asked.
"We're not changing your plan. Just offering backup," Akihiko responded.
"Your plan rides on tricking that Akechi," Chie-san stated. "And we don't know if Sae Niijima will know what to do if you hand her your phone, Ren-kun. Or if you'll even succeed in persuading her to help you. We will be monitoring things and we will interfere if needed—get Akechi into the Metaverse if Niijima can't. We also need to consider how to sneak you out if you do succeed. Rise-chan will be integral to that part. She'll guide us out of the police station. She can sense ordinary people, so she'll be able to warn us about incoming people."
"Crap, we just assumed we'd get Makoto's sis to help with that part." Ryuji gulped.
"If you succeed in convincing her to help you. That's a huge gamble. And even if that all pans out, what if something happens and both she and you are in danger?" Akihiko-san asked as he looked directly at Ren.
Ren had an unreadable expression, but Ken did notice his posture became stiffer.
"But you would need the app for your suggestion to work, wouldn't you?" Morgana asked.
"Oh." Akihiko-san blinked. "This must be the talking cat we heard about."
"I AM NOT A CAT!" Morgana yowled. "How many times do I have to say that?!"
"What is he saying now?" Shinjiro-san grumbled.
Futaba snickered, "He's saying he wants fatty tuna!"
"That's not what I said!" Morgana protested, before adding sheepishly, "Though I wouldn't say no to fatty tuna."
Ken rolled his eyes. "Morgana is just saying that he's not a cat. And... he was asking about how you were planning on acquiring the app."
"Well, that's easy," Rise-san said. "Ken-kun can just take us inside, right?"
"No, not just Ken," Ren said sternly. "We made a pact when Morgana introduced us to Mementos. No one goes in solo or even no more than less than four of us. Mementos is dangerous."
"Really?" Akihiko-san scratched his head. "Minato and Mina would take us to Tartarus, even if a couple of people had plans."
Rise-san didn't seem too concerned.
"So what if it's dangerous? Not like any of us haven't dealt with dangerous supernatural stuff before."
Ken had to admit, she did have a point there.
Ryuji shook his head, "Well this ain't your Tartarus or that TV world or whatever. It's Mementos."
"Ryuji is right. I know you all are experienced Persona users, but other than Ken, none of you have been in the Metaverse. Even Ken struggled a bit when he first appeared there," Makoto agreed.
"Yeah, I mean kids who excel with the highest grades in high school can still go to college and struggle to get good grades. We don't doubt your experience, but you're all big fish in a new pond. You can't expect everything to be the same," Futaba chimed in.
And Ken had to admit they all had good points too.
"We agreed to this as a group and I don't see why we should break that pact," Ren declared, and his tone made it clear there was no room for arguments.
Rise-san frowned but didn't protest further. Akihiko-san and Chie-san gave each other a slight nod. Shinjiro-san was surprisingly quiet during this whole debate.
"I guess that means you'll be taking us to Mementos then," Chie-san said. "Let's get going!"
Morgana sighed before looking to Ken. "Care to do the honors, Ken?"
"Gladly." Ken nodded.
He could feel the older Persona-users' curious looks as he dug out his phone.
"Mementos..." He spoke into the app.
"Beginning navigation."
Akihiko was glad that there was no falling like with the TV world. He couldn't help but look around curiously.
Ken wasn't kidding when he said it was a subway. His gaze happened to fall on Ken as he seemed to… transform. Blue fire engulfed his school uniform, replacing his Shujin jacket with a familiar looking blazer. Gold circles fastened a black cape to his shoulders. A white dress shirt and an orange vest.
"Have you ever seen this, Shinji?" Akihiko whispered to his best friend.
"Nope. Looks a little like the Gekkoukan uniform," Shinji replied after shaking his head.
"Huh, you're right." Akihiko rubbed his chin. "Wonder if that's because Ken always fought Shadows in his school uniform before."
"Are you two done psychoanalyzing my outfit?" Ken asked, a testy edge to his voice.
Shinji just gave him a smirk. "Definitely fits you, Ken."
Pink edged around Ken's mask. Ken quickly looked away.
"Shut up, Shinjiro-san."
"I don't see why you're embarrassed, Ken-kun. You look just adorable. If only my phone worked right now!" Rise clasped her hands together; then a devious grin appeared on her face as she looked at Makoto. "And I didn't know that was your preference, Ken-kun."
"Preference?" Makoto questioned. "What are you implying?"
Ren just smirked. "Oh, just that he's into—"
Ken glowered at Ren. "Shut. Up. Joker."
"What are you going to do?" Ren taunted with a smirk.
Okay, he could see why Ren reminded Shinji of Mina. He definitely had that devious air to him. Kinda made sense, though. Yu reminded Akihiko an awful lot of Minato.
"I could always add hot sauce to your coffee," Ken deadpanned.
"I beg your pardon?" Yusuke asked, only to be cut off by Ren's gasp.
The dark-haired boy looked just scandalized.
"Ace... why would you taint coffee like that?! Good luck convincing Sojiro to ever allow you into his café after you defile his coffee like that!"
Akihiko couldn't tell if Ren was being over dramatic on purpose or if he did take coffee that seriously. If he really was anything like Minako, then it could go either way.
"Maybe because you won't stop being a jerk!" Ken said childishly.
Akihiko had to fight back the urge to laugh. It was always amusing when Ken dropped being so serious and let his juvenile instincts take hold.
"Play nice, boys!" Anne chided, before poking Ren's side. "And stop picking on Ace, Joker."
"Did you hear what he said to me?" Ren whined even more dramatically. "Save me, Panther!"
Yep, he was definitely being over dramatic on purpose. He'd seen Mina do this routine more than once.
"You asked for it and you know it!" Ken practically was pouting.
Makoto elbowed Ken in the side.
"That's enough," she chided, even though her face was a bit pink at what Rise had insinuated. "And should you really argue with Joker in front of your senpai like this?"
Ken just snorted before looking pointedly at Akihiko and Shinji.
"I wouldn't get in a fist fight with Joker."
"I'd so win anyways," Ren said haughtily, pressing a hand against his chest.
"Someone's being over confident," Yusuke remarked.
"Et tu, Fox?" Ren glared at Yusuke.
"I mean you use daggers while Ace use spears," Futaba piped up. "I can't pick up a spear. So by default, Ace is probably physically stronger."
"In your case, that's because you have no upper strength whatsoever, Oracle," Yusuke said blandly.
"You're one to talk, Inari!" Futaba huffed as she stomped her foot.
"How many times have I told you to cease with that nickname?" Yusuke complained.
"Okay, enough. Let's play nice, everyone," Ken exclaimed, even as a smile tugged at his lips.
Akihiko remained silent during all the immature bickering. He slid closer to Shinji.
"Is this what you were talking about?" he whispered. "Why they're good for Ken?"
"Use your brain, dumbass," Shinji hissed back at him.
He could see what Shinji was talking about. Ken had made an effort to befriend other kids. He had been especially close to two members of the soccer team. But he probably couldn't open himself fully because he had to hide such a big part of him.
And Ken would always be a member of SEES, but he really was like the collective younger brother. They had their own lives to lead. But with the Phantom Thieves, he had both. Friends his age, friends who understood what he went through.
And... a girlfriend.
Akihiko glanced towards Makoto. He wasn't quite sure of what to make of her. Both Ken and Shinji talked a little about Makoto aspired to become a police officer to try and change the system from the inside. Though judging for the brass knuckles she wore on her hands... it might be interesting to try and spar with her some time. Though he probably should do that when Shinji was out of earshot.
"Hey uhh..." Chie looked bewildered. "Why are you using those weird names? Like Joker, Ace, Fox, Oracle—"
"That's because we use codenames!"
The high-pitched voice was completely unfamiliar. Akihiko looked around, bewildered.
"Down here!"
"A demon cat?!" Chie yelped, grabbing onto Rise's arm for a moment. Then her expression grew determined. "Come on, Haraedo-no-Okami…!"
"Chie-san, wait!" Ken cried out, holding up his hands. "It's just Morgana!"
Shinji frowned before looking up and down at the cartoonish cat. He looked completely unimpressed.
"I'm not sure what I was imagining ya to sound like but... this ain't it."
"Hmph! How rude!" Morgana glared at Shinji. "But as I was saying, we use codenames! For example, I'm Mona! And he's Joker."
"Codenames?" Chie echoed. "That's a new thing."
"Yeah, you didn't exactly mention that, Ken," Akihiko remarked.
Ken toyed with his glove as he sighed.
"Didn't think it was an important detail," he mumbled out.
"But you're Ace, huh?" Rise tilted her head. "It suits you."
"A-Anyway—!" Ken coughed into his hand. "Rise-san needs to see if she can summon."
Rise blinked before straightening up.
"Right!" She smiled brightly. "But I've been practicing! I can summon in the real world, so this should be easy peasy!"
"Wait... for real?!" Ryuji cried out, wide-eyed. "You can summon in the real world?!"
"Most of us can." Akihiko nodded. "At least out of everyone in SEES."
"How is that even possible?" Yusuke asked.
Akihiko frowned as he tried to think of how to explain this.
"Well… a Persona-user usually requires a 'medium' to summon. For us, it was Evokers." Then he gestured to Rise and Chie. "For the Investigation Team, it manifested as tarot cards that they had to shatter with their weapon. Though in Rise's case, she was able to do it with just her mind. And for you, it's your mask."
"But the medium is sort of a crutch." Shinji picked up the explanation. "It just makes it easier to summon. You need to be able to connect with your Persona and focus. It takes a great deal of concentration, and it'll tucker you out a lot more than using a medium. It'll take ya years to master the ability. Most of us outta SEES got the hang of it ages ago."
Akihiko then held out his hand, concentrating. He felt the usual tingle that came with him channeling electricity through his hand.
"Whoa!" Ryuji yelped, eyes wide. "That's so cool! I wanna do that!"
"That's like when Ace uses his healing powers in the real world," Makoto commented.
"Yeah, it's taken a lot of practice, but it is pretty useful once you've nailed it." Akihiko closed his fist.
Anne turned away from Akihiko to glance at Chie.
"Are you there yet, Chie-san?" Anne asked.
Chie just shook her head, smiling ruefully.
"Not quite, I'm afraid. Though honestly it's been like, four years, since I've been out in the field."
"What about you, Ace?" Futaba asked. "I mean, you can heal in the real world."
Ken ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm afraid that I can't."
"Hey, what you can do is pretty cool already!" Ryuji quickly interjected.
"Thanks, Skull." Ken smiled ruefully. "But it just means that I have quite a bit to go still."
Haru cleared her throat, catching their attention.
"Do you want to summon just to check though, Rise-san?" Haru looked at Rise in concern. "Since this is a new environment."
"Oh... good idea." Rise nodded.
"Stand back, guys. Rise-chan's Persona needs a lot of space." Chie warned.
Rise closed her eyes for a moment, holding out her hand. A blue tarot card shimmered to life, before spinning above Rise's palm. It shattered into a million pieces before a tall elegant figure appeared above Rise, fitting a red visor over her eyes. Planets spun around them.
"Holy crap!" Futaba gasped.
"And I thought Necronomicon was something else." Ren commented.
"Wow, this place is huge!" Rise gasped. "We have at least forty—no, maybe fifty floors! And they're a lot bigger than in the TV world. And these Shadows' readings…I've never encountered them before."
"You can sense all that?" Haru's eyes widened in shock. "That's incredible!"
Rise dismissed her Persona.
"Hmm, it's not quite a clear picture." She gave a little frown, before a sigh escaped her. "I bet if Fuuka-chan was here, she'd be able to tell us more."
"Aw, Rise-chan…" Chie shook her head, before she placed a hand on Rise's shoulder. "You know, you're a great scanner too! Not to mention how your Persona can fight too! Nobody can boast of that!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Futaba cried, "Your Persona can what?!"
"Oh… that's right." Ken rubbed the back of his head. "Rise-san never mentioned that before."
Rise giggled, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Yep, Kouzeon has a different form! She can fight in that form. The form was born out of my resolve to be able to protect my friends."
"I can't do that though," Futaba said softly.
Rise then approached her, placing a hand on Futaba's shoulder.
"But you can do things I can't do," she said kindly. "Ken-kun—ah, Ace—mentioned something about you being able to turn the tides if the Shadows get a drop on you. I can't do that. And Fuuka-chan can't—and she can scan for Shadows super far away! We've all got our talents and weaknesses. Don't make the same mistake as me, okay?"
Futaba bit her lip before giving a little nod, "Okay."
"Though I gotta say…" Akihiko began. "I'm kinda curious about what Mementos looks like from the inside. Mind if we—"
"We're not prepared for a Mementos run," Ken cut him off. "You guys don't even have weapons!"
"You're such an idiot, Aki," Shinji deadpanned.
"Shut up, Shinji!"
After they left Mementos, everyone went their separate ways. Though Ken made a point in getting Makoto out of there as soon as possible. He didn't want Rise-san to start teasing them again. He was really not looking forward to when he had to introduce Makoto to Junpei-san and Minako-san.
When he entered the penthouse once more, Shinjiro-san was setting up his laptop.
"Video call with everyone." He answered Ken's unspoken question. "Minako called and said that everyone's free."
Akihiko-san nodded as he adjusted the webcam.
"I know you've talked to Mitsuru recently but it would be nice to talk to everyone. It's been ages since we've been able to do that." Then he squinted at the webcam. "Gimme a sec—aha! Here we go! Shinji, go ahead and plug in your laptop."
Shinjiro-san nodded. The TV then flickered on, showing a split screen.
"Hey guys!" Minako-san greeted cheerfully, waving at them.
"Haven't seen your faces in a while, Shinjiro-san, Ken!" Junpei-san added with a cheeky smile.
Yukari-san sighed, "That's what you have to say, Junpei?"
"Hey, just trying to break the ice here!" Junpei-san quickly defended.
Fuuka-san just giggled softly. "But anyway…how's everything?"
"Oh, you know… trying not to get my friend killed—just the usual," Ken deadpanned.
"You met the Phantom Thieves today, I assume?" Mitsuru-san inquired.
Akihiko-san nodded. "Yeah, they all seem pretty nice kids actually—"
"Wait, wait, wait." Minako-san held up a hand. "Aki… you met Makoto-chan and you didn't put me on the phone?!"
Ken groaned. At the rate this was going, he was never going to introduce Makoto to the others.
"Priorities, Minako." Yukari-san sighed, shaking her head.
"It's a priority for me!"
"A-Anyways, where are the twins?" Ken stammered out.
"I believe Ken-san is attempting to deflect," Aigis-san stated.
"Aigis-san!" he protested.
"Can't blame us for being curious, Ken," Junpei-san snickered. "You wouldn't give any girl a second look and then Mako-tan comes along and steals your heart."
"Iori, that was a lame joke," Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
"HEY!" He protested.
Chidori-san just giggled from beside Junpei-san.
"I thought it was funny," she said with a soft smile.
"And that's all that matters!" Junpei-san smiled goofily.
Fuuka smiled at their exchange while she shook her head. Her expression then changed to that of concern.
"Another two days though," Fuuka-san said quietly. "Do you feel ready…?"
Ken sighed but he still nodded.
"As ready as we can be. We'll discuss the calling card tomorrow, so to give Akechi the illusion that we're showing him how we go about it." Then he pursed his lips. "I hope giving the calling card to Niijima-san won't be so hard on Makoto, though," he added quietly.
He was really worried for her. Haru may have loved her father, but Makoto had aspired to be like her sister.
"I can't imagine how she feels, being forced to fight against her sister." Aigis-san then looked down, her expression pensive. "But my sister might."
"All you can do is be there for her, Ken-kun," Chidori-san sighed. Then she said gently, "And I imagine everyone else will be there to support her too."
"Have more faith in her." Akihiko-san suddenly spoke up. "She's resolved to save her sister. I can understand how she feels."
"Aki…" Minako-san breathed out.
"I'm okay, Mina. Gives me more motivation to see this succeed, yeah?" Akihiko-san smiled half-heartedly.
"That's correct." Mitsuru-san said with a firm nod. "And after this… you will pursue Shido?"
Ken sighed, running his right hand through his hair.
"Yes. I don't know how we'll figure out the keywords to his Palace, but we have to take down Shido. Before it's too late."
"I've heard talk of him lately," Shinjiro-san said suddenly, before he let out a scoff. "Saying that he's got the right idea about this country. What a load of bullshit."
Mitsuru-san spoke up suddenly. "Nanjo spoke with me yesterday. Amada, please take caution. You may have backup in Akihiko and Satonaka, but the plan also rides on you fooling Shido into thinking that the Phantom Thieves will be neutralized with the death of Amamiya."
Ken grimaced. He tried not to think of it but... Mitsuru-san was right.
"I know, Mitsuru-san… believe me, I know what's exactly at stake."
"You're being too uptight, Mitsuru-senpai. I know I didn't get to talk to your friends all that much, Ken-kun… but you are a close-knit group from what I've seen. You'll do whatever it takes to make sure that Ren-kun makes it out okay," Yukari-san said with encouragement.
"What's this?" Junpei-san gasped, clutching at his chest. "Yuka-tan being positive?"
"Junpei…" Chidori began, only to be cut off.
"Oh, shut up, Junpei!" Yukari scowled at him. "Just wait until I get back to Port Island!"
"You two never will stop bickering, huh?" Shinjiro-san commented.
"You're one to talk, Shinjiro-san," Ken said dryly.
Minako-san clapped her hands three times, very loudly, to get everyone's attention. It also was to defuse any senseless bickering.
"Anyways… don't worry, Mitsuru-senpai! They've got this in the bag! Akechi won't know what hit him!" she exclaimed.
Goro abruptly sneezed. Was someone talking about him behind his back? Not that it mattered. He wiped his nose with a tissue in his pocket, discarding the trash in a small bin by the door as he walked into Shido's office.
"You wished to see me, Shido-san?"
Shido turned to face Goro, remaining seated at his desk.
"Yes, that's right," he said with an unreadable expression.
Goro just tilted his head.
"And why would that be? I assure you that the preparations are complete." He allowed a small smirk come across his face. "The Phantom Thieves won't know what hit them. Before the night ends, Amamiya will be in police custody."
"And you will bring my men into that place a day before, correct?"
"Correct, I don't think it'd be wise to do it right before I'm supposed to met with Amamiya and his lackeys." The young detective nodded.
"Fine." Shido then steepled his fingers together, resting his chin on them. "We will soon bring those pathetic thieves to heel."
"Which is nothing more than what they deserve, Shido-san." Goro allowed his TV smile to appear on his face. "Amamiya had best savor these last couple days."
"Once he's dead, the rest will be easy pickings." Shido nodded, a smug smile on his face.
Shido was so arrogant that it was aggravating. He and Amamiya—they were cut from the same cloth. So cocky and thinking they were untouchable just because of a little taste of power.
"And we will deal with Kirijo soon after," Goro stated.
"Hm."
"Something else on your mind, Shido-san?" Goro raised an eyebrow.
"Don't be impertinent," Shido snapped, he plucked a manila folder lying on the desk. "This will answer your question."
Goro frowned but he took it from Shido. He flipped it open, revealing a koseki, or a Japanese family record. To be specific… his old family record. When he had come to Shido, offering his services, he had asked for one boon. He wanted new records. He wanted a new life, starting with a new name. He had kept his first name, but he had chosen Akechi, to fit the detective persona he had begun to cultivate. He'd be like Kogoro Akechi, the Japanese Sherlock Holmes.
He started to skim through the list.
Eiji Himura—born on February 18th, 1950, died on August 20th, 2003
- Married Hoshimi Ikeda in 1971
Hoshimi Himura—born on September 7th, 1951, died on August 20th, 2003
- Married Eiji Himura in 1971
Tsukiko Himura—born on August 31st, 1973, died on January 30th, 2008
- Had one son: Goro Himura
Hikari Himura—born on August 31st, 1973, died on October 4th, 2007
- Married Kazuhiro Amada in 1996
Goro felt himself halt in his tracks after skimming the list over.
Amada?!
"I…" Goro blinked. "Is this really true?"
"It is." Shido smirked. "Are you sure that you've never met in the past?"
Goro racked his brain. It had to be impossible! There was simply no way—wait. The first time he had ever set foot in Tokyo…
"Don't let go of my hand, Goro."
"Okay, Mama."
Goro had never been in Tokyo. And it was much nicer than where they lived. Not that he'd ever say it to Mama. His mama worked so hard and she was usually really tired. But she always had a smile and a hug for Goro.
He just wished her eyes weren't so sad all the time.
"Mama?" Goro bit his lip. "Can I ask you a question?"
"What's the matter, sweetheart?"
"Why are we here?"
His mama pulled him in a less busy area before crouching in front of Goro.
"My sister asked if we could come see her." But Mama's lips twisted, like when she was unhappy but didn't want to say it because she didn't want to be rude. "But I can guess what she wants."
Goro blinked. "You have a sister, Mama?"
Goro's only family was his mama. He didn't have a papa, unlike most kids, for some reason. Mama always got sad when he started to ask, so Goro had learned to not talk about it.
"I do." Mama gave a small nod. "And she has a son your age—your cousin."
"But how come you never talked about her?"
Mama's lips formed a thin line.
"We... got into a fight a long time ago, before you were born."
"A fight? Why don't you two just say sorry, then?" Goro asked.
His mama sighed before a sad smile formed on her lips.
"It's a bit more complicated than that, sweetheart."
"Oh. Okay."
She smiled slightly before leaning down to kiss Goro's forehead.
"Come on, sweetheart. We shouldn't waste any more time."
They started walking again. She took him to a fancy building. Mama spoke to someone behind the desk and she led him to a door. Goro didn't understand why Mama didn't open the door, instead pressing a button. And then there was a ding and the door opened. She pushed another button and then suddenly they were going up.
When it stopped moving, Mama took Goro's hand once again. She led him to another door. She took a deep breath before knocking.
"One moment!" some lady called out.
Then the door opened, revealing a lady who looked an awful lot like Mama. She had the same brown hair and reddish-brown eyes as both he and Mama did. Her bangs were like Mama's too. But she wore her hair in a side ponytail, though. While Mama wore her hair down.
"Suki... it's nice to see you."
Suki? He scrunched up his nose in confusion. Mama's name was Tsukiko, not Suki.
"Hikari," Mama said stiffly, her voice oddly cold. "You look well."
She then sighed; her coldness slightly melted away. Then she looked back to Goro, her eyes softening.
"Goro, this is my sister, Hikari." She gestured to the lady. "Hikari, this is my son, Goro."
"He looks very much like you," Mama's sister said softly before crouching to Goro's level; she smiled at him. "Hi, Goro-kun. It's nice to meet you."
"Um… hi." Goro quickly hid behind Mama's leg.
She had a pretty smile and she looked like Mama, but Goro didn't do well with strangers.
"Please, come in," Mama's sister said, rising to her feet.
She then stepped aside so Goro and his mama could come into the room and she looked down at Goro.
"Goro-kun, my son Ken is watching Feathermen Rangers. Would you like to join him?"
"Can I, Mama?" Goro asked eagerly.
He loved that show. But he wasn't able to watch much, since Mama couldn't afford cable. She did her best to borrow DVDs from the library though.
Mama gave a little frown. "Well… I suppose I don't see the harm. He is your cousin, after all."
"Cousin?" Goro echoed.
"Hikari is my sister," Mama said. "And Ken-kun is her son, so he's your cousin."
"Oh."
Goro couldn't help but think that having more family would be nice. He hoped that Mama and Mama's sister would make up. Mama needed friends… she looked so lonely and sad sometimes.
Ken was his age. He had brown hair like Goro, with the same bangs as Mama's sister. He had regular brown eyes instead of reddish brown, though.
He turned his attention from the TV, blinking at Mama and Goro. "U-Um… hello."
Mama's sister just smiled, her eyes becoming warm. She then picked up the remote, turning off the TV.
"Ken, do you remember what I told you yesterday?" she asked.
He tilted his head a bit, a small frown on his face. "That your sister is coming, right?"
"That's right." Mama's sister's smile turned pleased before she began to stroke his hair. "This is my sister, Tsukiko. And her son, Goro-kun."
Now she was calling her Tsukiko instead of Suki? Well at least she got the name right this time.
"It's nice to meet you," he said politely, only to turn to his mama. "But Mommy, are we doing anything today? Could I play with Makoto-chan again?"
"Oh, Ken…" Mama's sister sighed. "I don't know where Makoto-chan's family lives."
Ken's expression fell.
"Oh, okay. Sorry, Mommy."
"It's okay, honey."
Mama cleared her throat. "It's nice to meet you, Ken-kun."
Ken just blinked at her and shyly said, "Hello…"
"Aunt Suki," Mama cut in. "Hikari used to call me Suki when we were young."
Oh… so that's why she called her Suki earlier.
"Suki…" Mama's sister whispered.
Goro was confused. She almost looked like she wanted to cry, but she was smiling. Mama sighed before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"We… We have a lot to talk about, Hikari," she said quietly.
"We do." She nodded. "I booked the conjoined room for you and Goro-kun. We can talk there."
After their mamas left, Ken patted the spot next to him. After Goro climbed onto the bed, Ken spoke.
"Do you like Feathermen Rangers?" Ken asked. "Or do you wanna watch something e—"
"No!" Goro cried out, shaking his head furiously. "I love that show!"
Ken's face lit up.
"It's my favorite! Red Hawk's the best!" he gushed.
"He's cool," Goro said, giving a small nod. "But I like Feather Horned Owl the best."
Ken nodded in agreement.
"They're all cool," his cousin said, before making a face of disgust. "But it's really gross when Pink Argus and Red Hawk kiss."
"That's definitely the worst part of the show," Goro agreed before plopping on the bed. "I wish that Mama could get cable so I could watch it more!"
"You don't?!" Ken gasped, his eyes growing wide as saucers. "I can't imagine not having cable!"
"Nope." Goro ducked his head. "I-Is that weird?"
"I dunno. I haven't gotten to play with a lot of kids," Ken admitted, his expression then brightening. "But I got to play with someone yesterday! Mommy and me met Makoto-chan in the park. She was fun to play with."
Goro recoiled. A girl? Wasn't this cousin of his aware of the dangers?
"Don't girls have cooties?"
"Do they? I dunno... but Makoto-chan was really nice."
Goro wrinkled his nose. "You seem to really like her. Do you like-like her? Like the way Red Hawk and Pink Argus do?"
"Ew!" Ken shuddered, looking disgusted. "Why would I kiss Makoto-chan?! That's just weird!"
"If you say so." Goro snatched up the remote, clicking the button to turn on the TV.
They sat there, watching the episode with bated breath. Goro didn't quite understand what was going on but he always loved watching the Feathermen Rangers in action! He'd love to have special powers like the Rangers.
But the episode ended, switching to commercials. A commercial showed the Feathermen R action figures, and Ken pointed at the screen.
"I've got Red Hawk!" he said. "Do you have any, Goro?"
Goro shook his head.
"I'd love to but… Mommy says she can't afford it…"
Ken bit his lip. He looked sad. His expression quickly changed as his eyes lit up.
"I know! I brought him with me! Let me get him and you can play with it for now!" his cousin offered.
"Really?!" His jaw dropped.
Ken nodded.
"Mommy says we gotta share and it's not fair that you can't have one on your own… gimme a sec!"
He jumped off the bed before grabbing a suitcase. He began to dig through it. He was mumbling something under his breath. It was a good five minutes before he looked up again.
"I can't find it." Ken frowned, biting his lip. Then his expression brightened. "But I bet Mommy knows where it is! I'll go ask her!"
"Are you sure?" Goro asked. "I think our mamas were talking…"
"How long can they talk though?" Ken shook his head. "It'll be fine! Come on!"
He followed Ken to the door but before either of them could reach for the doorknob, Mama spoke.
"I came here to see you," Mama snapped. "Not to say goodbye to them."
"What?! You're not coming to the funeral?"
"Why should I?! They betrayed me! All but threw me to the streets!"
"Suki… I know this is asking a lot. But… don't you want to say goodbye at least? I know that things between you and Mom and Dad did not go well last time you spoke but… we were happy once."
"No, Hikari. You know what I have to do to support myself and Goro?"
Mama sounded angry. Really angry. It honestly kinda scared Goro. Goro looked wide-eyed at Ken. His cousin looked scared too.
"I had to whore myself out."
Hole? What was Mama talking about?
"I have to let my clients do what they want with my body. And I had to do it with a smile. If they wanted to have their way with me afterwards… how can I say no? Money is money, after all."
"S-Suki, I didn't know—"
"That's your problem, Hikari!" Mama snapped, before adding bitterly, "You always were the lucky one."
"Wh-What? What are you talking about?"
"You were always the favorite! Mom and Dad never had anything to complain about with you! Not to mention how life has favored you!"
"How am I lucky?!" Mama's sister suddenly snapped.
"Oh, I don't know—maybe because you found Kazuhiro when we were just juniors in high school? It was like a fairy tale romance."
"A fairy tale?" Mama's sister then sighed. "Kaz and I… we divorced for a few reasons. I still love him, but… we just were not meant to be."
"You still got love."
Mama sounded…angry. And tired at the same time, somehow.
But there was a long silence.
"I…I warned you, Suki." Mama's sister's voice cracked. "I knew that he was abusing you. He told you what you wanted to hear. He just was manipulating you and once he got what he wanted…"
"Shut up, Hikari!" Mama shouted. "I've heard that crap from you a hundred times! And you expect me to go along with all this. Expect me to pretend that I've actually given a thought to Mom and Dad after these years. They disowned me! Hung me up to dry! They couldn't bear to have a daughter who got knocked up! They wanted me to get an abortion! They wanted me to kill my baby!"
"What's knocked up?" Ken whispered.
"I dunno…" Goro whispered back. "I've only heard of knocking on a door…"
And what was that about killing? His grandparents had wanted him dead?
"I never agreed—"
"You let them cut me off!" Mama's voice suddenly cracked. "T-That hurts, Hikari. We had been together for so long—since before birth—and you just watched."
"That's not true! I begged and pleaded with them not to! I tried to get you, Mom, and Dad to agree to just talk but you all refused! I wanted you to talk to me but you wouldn't let me get a word in! What was I supposed to do? It felt like a miracle that you agreed to come! Suki, please, I don't want you to keep all this anger in. I want us to be sisters again! Let our sons know each other!"
"So, you're saying I shouldn't be angry?!" Mama snapped. "After all they did to me! At least you were sympathetic to my situation, even if you kept trying to lecture me!"
"I-I'm not saying—" She then cut herself off. "Suki, please, all I want is for us to be a family again…"
"SHUT UP HIKARI!" Mama shouted at the top of her lungs. "God, I can't stand your attitude! You're always making some kind of excuse for them! You just have to be the dutiful daughter! What about me?! I'm your twin sister!"
"I love you, Suki, why don't you believe me?!"
Mama's voice suddenly became cold and quiet, like when she was really angry.
"That makes one of us."
A choked sound came from her sister. "W-What?"
"You always called me naïve for loving him. And maybe I was. A little. But you… I can't stand your attitude! You never knew what it was like—"
"Kaz and I divorced when Ken was two and he died less than a year after!"
"You think that compares to how I've had to work myself to the bone and how I had to become a whore just to survive?!"
"I didn't say it was! I'm just saying that my life is not perfect! I'm not 'favored' like you say!"
"You don't get it, Hikari! You never understood how I feel!"
"Help me understand then," Mama's sister begged. "Please Suki. Don't push me away…"
"No. It was obviously a mistake to come here," Mama said, her voice unusually cold. "Goodbye, Hikari."
"No! Suki, please—"
"Let go of me! Can't you get it through your thick skull?! You're lying to yourself when you claim to love me. At least I'm not deluding myself!"
"W-What are you saying?"
Mama made a frustrated sound.
"Do I have to spell it out?! I'm saying that I HATE YOU!" she screamed.
There was a dead silence. Then a sniffle.
"Okay. I get it, Tsukiko." Another sniffle. "But remember this. I love you. And I always will. I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me. I really am. I failed you as a sister. I had hoped to fix that mistake today, but… I see that's not going to happen. I hope you and Goro-kun have a happy life."
Goro looked at Ken and they scrambled back to the bed. The door opened and Mama's sister walked out.
There were tears in Mama's sister's eyes. Why was she crying? She was a grown up!
"Mommy?" Ken ran up to her, hugging her leg. He begged, "D-Don't cry!"
"Ken…"
She picked him up, hugging him close. She smiled, but her eyes still looked so sad.
"H-How about we go to the park for a bit, hmm?"
"You mean I can't watch Neo Feathermen with Goro? Mommy, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, sweetie. It's… It's nothing."
Goro didn't want to listen anymore. He ran in to see Mama.
Mama sat on the bed; her eyes were dull as she stared outside the window.
"Mama?" Goro whispered, tugging at her sleeve.
"Goro..." she breathed out.
She reached for him, pulling him into her lap. Goro let her cuddle him for a moment before speaking.
"Mama…" he said quietly. "What happened?"
"It's a long story, sweetie."
"We have time, Mama."
Mama's arms tightened around Goro. "My mom and dad… they died."
Goro tilted his head, looking up at his mama.
"Died?" he repeated.
Mama winced before brushing her bangs out of her eyes. "It means they went to sleep. Forever. They're gone… forever."
"Oh." But then he frowned. "But what's that have to do about what you were talking 'bout to your sister?"
Mama sighed.
"Before you were born, my parents made me… very sad. They were upset with something I decided to do. They didn't want me in the family anymore."
"What did they say?"
She squeezed her eyes tightly and she seemed to tremble. "That's not important."
"But your sister looked so sad," Goro said faintly. "D-Do you really hate her?"
"I said something I didn't mean," Mama whispered, as she clutched Goro tighter. "I was so angry at Hikari."
"You don't hate her?" When she gave a little nod, Goro suggested, "Why not just say sorry then?"
Mama's bottom lip trembled, before she buried her face in Goro's hair. He felt something wet fall into his hair.
"I just wish it was that simple, sweetheart. I really do…I think…it's too late. Something broke today—and I don't think I can fix it."
Four years later, Goro was working on his homework at the kitchen table when the doorbell rang. Goro set down his pencil before he went to open the door.
"Is this the Himura residence?"
Goro frowned. "Uh… yeah?"
Who are you? was on the tip of Goro's tongue
"Yes…" the man stressed with a frown. "Young man, is your mother home? Tsukiko Himura?"
"D-Do you want to be alone with her? I'll find her and get out of the house."
Goro fought the urge to sigh. Where could he go now? Maybe he could check for some change and take the train to the library?
"What are you—" The man sighed, as a weird expression came onto his face. "Never mind. Yes, I'd like to speak with your mother but you don't need to leave the house."
"Okay." Goro shifted on his feet uneasily. "Y-You can sit on the couch. Um…who should I tell her who it is?"
His face seemed to scrunch up, but he gave a little nod before sitting on the edge of the couch. "My name is Isao Amada."
Goro gave a little nod to acknowledge the man's statement. He then shut the door before heading for his mom's room.
Mom was curled on her side, clutching a pillow to her chest. Goro felt guilty for doing this, but he didn't think the man would be happy if he came out and told him that Mom was sleeping.
Goro crept up to Mom, before poking her cheek.
"Mom?" He whispered.
"Mm…" Mom slowly blinked her eyes open before she rubbed at her eyes. "Goro?"
"Hi Mom." Goro then bit his lip. "A man named Isao Amada is here to see you."
"Isao? I see…" His mom sat up immediately.
"Mom?"
"It's nothing, sweetheart." Mom leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "Let me freshen up and I'll go talk to him. But after you tell Amada-san that I'm coming, go to your room."
"Huh? Why?" Goro tilted his head. "Who is that man, Mom?"
"Nobody you need to concern yourself with," Mom said firmly all while running her fingers through her hair. "Goro, go do your homework in your room. I mean it. This is probably a conversation for adults."
Goro bowed his head.
"If you say so, Mom."
He headed downstairs to talk to the man once more.
"Mom will be down in a sec," he said.
"And just what was the woman doing?"
Goro recognized that tone. His teachers often used that tone with him. They talked him down, assuming that he was so stupid. Goro decided that he didn't like this man.
"Calm down, Amada-san," Mom said sharply. She folded her arms over her chest. "Come into the kitchen. We'll talk there."
"Very well."
He stood up, his mouth twisting as he took a good look at Mom.
Goro ducked into the hallway, but once he heard the adults seat themselves in the kitchen, he darted forward. He had to know why Mom didn't seem to like him.
"I haven't seen you since Hikari married Kazuhiro," Mom said flatly. "What do you want?"
"Hikari's dead."
"WHAT?!" Mom then coughed. "What do you mean she's dead?"
"It was an accident. A drunk driver lost control of his vehicle and he hit the house. Hikari was protecting Ken from the looks of it."
"I…" Mom coughed again. "When's the funeral?"
"It already happened. It was a quick and quiet affair. The head of the Kirijo Group himself paid for all the expenses."
"You… You buried my sister and didn't bother to contact me before?!"
"And why should I cater to you? You're a disgrace. You can barely take care of yourself. And what kind of future will your son have? Oh wait." He let out a short laugh. "He won't have one because he's a bastard."
"You leave Goro out of this!" Mom snapped. "He's a smart boy, he'll be fine—"
"You ruined him because of your choices. I'm glad that I have gained custody of Ken. He won't be ruined by a woman of loose morals."
Morals? But Mom wasn't a bad person. Why was this man saying she was?
"I…no…" Mom then let out a little sob, then a sniffle. "That's not true… Are you going to take in Ken-kun then?"
"No, he will be attending Gekkoukan's elementary branch. He will be placed in a dormitory."
"You—what?! Hika—Hikari isn't even cold in the ground and you don't even think to console him?! He needs affection more than anything! How dare you!"
"That is all I have to say to you. I thought you deserved this courtesy at least."
The horrible man finally left.
There was silence. And then a sniffle. And then more. Mom…was crying.
"He's right… isn't he?" Mom's voice suddenly broke. "Have I doomed Goro?"
Goro wanted to run in and hug Mom. It didn't matter that he was practically a grown up now. She really sounded like she needed a hug. But Goro remained rooted on the spot. He could not let Mom know that he had been listening in.
He was broken from his thoughts when he heard her choking back a sob.
"Hika… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was a terrible sister. I-I never hated you. I was just angry at the situation and how you seemed to have it better. A-And now… you're dead. I can't tell you that I'm sorry for that day. Or how I love you." Goro heard Mom let out a wail. "I didn't even get to say goodbye! I can't even help your son!"
Goro sank to the ground. He couldn't imagine losing his mother so suddenly. He felt tears roll down his cheeks.
"There's so many things I didn't say… and I'm so sorry…" Mom said as she continued to weep.
Mom had committed suicide just a few months later. He remembered that during the last months of her life, she had been… so miserable. She tried to act cheerful to him, but she couldn't hide the redness in her eyes. And when she had killed herself, she had left him a note. Apologizing to him. For ruining his life. And so his life was turned upside down.
This was just unbelievable. As if he didn't need any more proof that some higher being hated him.
He remembered asking Amada: Have we met before? Before, he had been amused by how Amada did not recognize him as the Persona-user he had fought. But they really had met before.
Was this some kind of sick joke? Ever since his mom died, Goro had longed for some kind of family. But he remembered what the courts had said.
No immediate family. He will have to go into the foster system.
And now he had family. Family who absolutely despised him.
Goro was not a fool. He could see that Amada disliked him. He hid it better than Sakamoto—but that was not difficult. Goro could see the disdain in Amada's eyes every time Goro looked at him.
And Amada…he didn't care about his situation.
His father did not want to be a father, much like Shido. Shido had tossed his mom to the curb for a reason, after all. Amada's mother—Goro's aunt—was dead. And he couldn't help but suspect now that not all was what it seemed with Amada's mother's death.
And yet, he got love. His senpai gave him love apparently. And he didn't even earn it! Goro had always tried his best to win affection from his old foster families. But they refused to give it to him. They viewed him as just trash. He was always dumped back onto the orphanage. It was a hellish cycle.
Some people had all the luck. Even some bastards. Takeba's bastards came to mind. Oh poor them. They lived the pampered lives of a celebrity's children. Nobody aside his mom had ever comforted him when he realized just how difficult a life of a bastard was. It was infuriating—maddening, even.
But even then, Amada was a fool. A naïve fool. How could anyone believe in justice with this kind of society? Perhaps life has coddled him far too much.
But then it hit Goro. Why had Shido brought this up to begin with?
He gave Shido a sharp look.
"May I ask why you are telling me this, Shido-san?"
Shido just chuckled darkly, before a malicious smile spread across his face.
"Listen closely, Akechi. Because I know just how to ensure that Kirijo never sticks her nose in my business ever again."
Friday, November 18th, 2016
"LeBlanc is really empty today," Haru observed before seating herself.
"More coffee for us, at least?" Anne joked.
Makoto sighed quietly, folding her arms over her chest. She had to hide how her hands were shaking.
"But ain't LeBlanc usually empty?" Ryuji interjected. "This is no surprise."
"Ryuji, don't be rude. Or I'll tell Boss you're slandering him and LeBlanc," Ren teased.
"Dude?!" Ryuji sputtered out.
"We're all witnesses," Futaba jested with a mischievous smile. "You can't back out of it now."
"Enough picking on Ryuji. Let's cut to the chase." Ken sighed.
"Yes, we should discuss how exactly to deliver the calling card to Mako-chan's sister." Haru nodded.
"Considering how big the hype's been getting…" Anne trailed off for a moment with a frown. "She'd prolly think it's a prank, wouldn't she?"
"Why not let me handle it?" Akechi suggested, "I can put it on Sae-san's desk at the office. People wouldn't suspect that I'm up to something. We are partners, after all."
"That's not a good idea," Ren said. "If you look at the pattern of how we sent the calling card, we are always careful so that the calling card won't be traced back to us."
"Oh?" Akechi tilted his head.
Morgana nodded, "That's right. With Kamoshida, Ryuji plastered it all over the bulletin board, so it could've been any student."
"And we sent the calling card at Madarame's gallery." Yusuke added.
"Ryuji and I placed countless copies all over Shibuya so that it would catch Kaneshiro's men's eyes." Makoto added.
"And while our target was Medjed, we stole Futaba's Treasure…so we hand delivered it to her." Ken explained.
"I see…" Akechi bowed his head. "Heh. I really am inexperienced with this, aren't I?"
"Yeah, like we didn't know that…" Ryuji grumbled under his breath. Then he spoke louder: "But we still gotta figure this out. Or else we won't be able to steal Makoto's sis's Treasure."
"Let me do it. I'll make sure to bring in the mail. I can claim to Sis that I found the calling card in the mailbox." Makoto said firmly.
"But Makoto…" Futaba bit her lip. "That's still kinda risky… what if your sister doesn't buy it?"
"I know it is, Futaba," Makoto replied seriously. "But we all have to take risks for this heist to succeed."
In more ways than one. Even with the backup they had, Makoto couldn't help but worry about all this. She didn't want Sae to become a target. She didn't want Ren to die. But she had to face it all with a smile.
They all had a part in this—and this was hers.
"Have faith in her," Ren suddenly interjected. "She's hardly a newbie when it comes to danger."
Anne was still frowning but she nodded. "Yeah! Good luck, Makoto."
"We will leave it to you, then," Akechi said thoughtfully. "Thank you for agreeing to this. Though… I will need to step up my game as well, then."
"It's not a competition, you know." Ken said dryly.
"Forgive me." Akechi bowed his head. "I just feel this way since this is Sae-san we're talking about. She's very important to me."
She held back the urge to glare at him. Sometimes she wondered if Akechi could keep track of all his lies. He seemed genuine, but Makoto couldn't help but be doubtful of what he said. After all, he claimed to string them all along with a 'sob story' to Shido.
"Our last heist," Morgana said quietly. "It feels…surreal, if I'm being honest."
"I must confess that it's strange," Yusuke stated, folding his arms over his chest. "I've only been a Phantom Thief for scarcely more than six months. And yet… it feels like such an important part of my identity now."
"You're telling me." Ryuji heaved out a sigh. "It's just kinda great to… cut loose, y'know?"
"There is no feeling like it," Ren stated, closing his eyes for a moment.
"But you did promise that you would give it up," Akechi interjected. "In exchange for my aid."
"Like you could've done this on your own," Ryuji grumbled.
"Ryuji, that's enough." Ken sighed. "Akechi-san did fulfill his end of the bargain…so we must do the same. It is the honorable thing to do."
Honor… Akechi probably didn't even know the meaning of that.
"Thank you, Ken-san," Akechi said.
"But anyways…" Ren cleared his throat. "We'll meet up at LeBlanc at around six tomorrow evening. Then we'll head for the courthouse."
"Later than usual," Ken commented. "We stole Futaba's Treasure in the afternoon."
"And Father's, as soon as we could get to the headquarters after school." Haru added.
"We have to keep in mind about the people around," Ren reminded. "But anyways—get some rest, all of you."
"That's right!" Morgana seconded. "We need everyone at our best to—"
A phone suddenly rang.
"Ah, excuse me." Akechi then pulled out his phone. "Hello, this is Goro Akechi speaking."
Akechi then frowned.
"Ah, I see. It's really that urgent?" He sighed and gave a nod, "I understand. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Police station?" Ren asked.
"Yes, unfortunately." Akechi nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow evening."
Even after the door slammed shut, it was silent. It seemed… finalized. The heist was really happening.
Haru broke the silence.
"Where do you think Akechi-kun's going? That felt like…" She trailed off with a frown.
"It does feel awfully convenient." Ken remarked, before shaking his head. "But no matter. It lets us talk in private."
Ryuji's face scrunched up in disgust.
"But to answer Haru's question…" he said, "if I gotta guess—prolly to go run off to his boss and brag 'bout how everything's set."
"Everything's all set on our end, isn't it?" Morgana asked. "The Treasure's been planted."
"Mm." Makoto nodded. "I stepped inside the Palace a couple days ago to plant it."
"Makoto…" Futaba said quietly.
Makoto gave her a tiny smile in thanks. She appreciated that Futaba supported her, even with her personal feelings about Sae.
"We're all stocked up on medicine and weapons." Ren then added, "And it just so happens that it cost an arm and leg so I had to cut corners somewhere. How unfortunate for Akechi."
"Someone's feeling petty," Anne teased lightly, nudging him in the side.
"Considering he's setting me up, I think my pettiness is warranted," Ren said haughtily.
They all heard a shaky sigh come from Haru.
"I'm nervous," Haru confessed, before pressing a hand against her chest. "I know that we've done all we can so we have the upper hand. And we even have Ken-kun's senpai helping. But…"
"They're here to make sure the plan succeeds. We still have to do our part," Ken stated.
This earned some uneasy looks. This was risky—she could not deny that. However, this was their best shot.
"We cannot drop our guard, even for a second. The end goal is for Ren's capture and then…" Yusuke trailed off grimly.
Anne bit her lip, looking down. Makoto tried not to wince. She really wished it didn't have come to this. She couldn't even begin to imagine how Anne would feel, having to allow her boyfriend to endanger himself like this.
"Let's not end on this on a sour note," Haru said gently before forcing a smile as she held up her tea cup. "Here's to us!"
"I'd drink to that!" Ryuji laughed.
"Nobody in this room can legally drink for another two years at the very least," Morgana grumbled out.
Ryuji glared at him. "Don't ruin the moment."
"Hey. How are ya holding up?"
Ren just smiled ruefully at Ryuji.
"Doing as well as I could, I guess."
Ryuji sighed, "This plan better work…we can't lose ya, RenRen."
"Since when are you a pessimist?" Morgana asked.
"I can't be nervous?" Ryuji demanded.
"When did I say that?" Morgana huffed out.
"That's enough, boys!" Anne chided, hands on her hips. Then she glanced at every one last of them. "But you know… it's been a while since it's just been the four of us."
Anne clasped both hands behind her back as she sighed, staring at the wall.
"This won't be the end, Lady Anne. We still need to take down Shido after this," Morgana said seriously.
"And get to the bottom of Mementos. We need to find out what exactly happened to you," Ren reminded with a smile.
"Ren…" The feline looked quite touched but shook it off and coughed. "Though Lady Anne is right—it has been a while. It's felt so long since we started the Phantom Thieves."
"Almost exactly seven months since we decided that we had to take down Kamoshida," she replied with a fond smile.
"Yeah." Ren closed his eyes. "But I wouldn't trade it for the world."
"Someone's feelin' corny." Ryuji slung an arm around Ren, but there was a big grin on Ryuji's face. "But this heist has gotta be our biggest one! Let's make it count!"
"Which means that you have to get your rest tonight!" Morgana said. "No staying up!"
"You see what I have to put up with?" Ren gestured to Morgana.
"Excuse me?!" Morgana sputtered. "How dare I be concerned about your health?"
"Once it hit nine o'clock, doesn't matter what I'm doing, 'Aren't you tired today? Let's go to sleep already.' Please…" Ren sighed.
"I do not sound like that!" Morgana squawked.
Ryuji and Anne both burst into laughter. Ryuji even keeled over, his arms wrapped around his stomach.
"Care to enlighten me then?" Ren tilted his head with a smirk.
"It's just—well—you need sleep okay?! Who knows what kind of habits you'd get into if it wasn't for me! You'd probably be drinking liters and liters of coffee!" Morgana exclaimed.
"I would not!" Ren protested.
"I dunno Ren. We may need to sign you up for CAA—Coffee Addict Anonymous." Anne teased.
Anne started to giggle and Ryuji joined her in chuckling at Ren's expense.
"This is the last time I'm ever making either of you coffee," Ren huffed.
Anne just blew him a kiss.
"You sure about that?" she asked with a wink.
"Ugh, you two are so gross," Ryuji said as he scrunched up his nose.
Morgana shook his head and gave a little sigh.
"I hope Makoto will be okay, though."
"Yusuke told me that he and Haru had some plans to drop by her apartment and check up on her in person," Ryuji stated. "I think outta all of us, they'd understand what she's feelin'."
Anne nodded vigorously.
"Definitely. But I'm gonna text her though. I can't imagine what it'd be like. My parents aren't always there but… they aren't warped like Madarame, Okumura, and Niijima were."
"It's not fun," Ryuji said flatly.
Ren sighed, "Ryuji…"
"But this ain't about me. This is about ensuring you'll make it out, buddy. That's the most important thing."
Ren couldn't help but crack a smile at that comment. He truly was lucky to have friends like them.
"I've been talking about our escape routes with Futaba," Morgana said. "She said it might be better to split into three groups. We don't know if Shido's men will try to go for us… Ren's gonna draw their eyes, but can't be too careful."
"I don't know about that…" Anne trailed off with a frown. "Wouldn't it be better if we stayed in one group?"
Ren frowned. That wouldn't work at all. Ryuji however beat him to it.
"That's not being stealthy though. And we don't exactly blend in the crowd," his best friend pointed out.
Ren winced as another thought came to him. He hoped that none of Shido's men would go after his friends. Hopefully they'd be satisfied just chasing after him.
"I'll just have to do some kind of crazy stunt to draw their attention, then," Ren stated. "The point is for me to get caught anyways."
"Don't joke about that!" Anne quickly snapped.
Her eyes suddenly glassy. Her hands were clenched tightly and a slight tremor ran through her body.
"Ren, this isn't a game. You could die!" she added in a whisper.
Ren cringed inwardly. He wasn't actually treating the situation like a game. He just wanted to lighten the mood. It was apparent that was a bad joke and it did nothing to lighten the mood.
"I'm sorry, Anne," he quickly apologized. "I was just trying ease some tensions; I know how serious this is. I promise I'm not taking this lightly."
"Ren, you've gotta be careful." Ryuji was extremely serious. "We can't lose ya."
His best friend's phone then went off. Ryuji checked it and glanced up at the rest of them.
"Bet my ma's been wondering how much longer I'll be 'til I get home." He then pocketed his phone. "I should head back now. Don't wanna worry her."
Morgana then looked to Anne and then at Ren. He cleared his throat.
"I'll stay with Futaba tonight. Let's head out together, Ryuji," he stated.
"Yeah of course. I'll take ya to Futaba and Boss before I head home."
Ren watched the two of them leave, before he sighed. He looked towards his girlfriend.
"I really am sorry…" he apologized again.
"Promise me that you won't do anything too reckless, Ren," Anne pleaded, suddenly clasping one of his hands in both of hers. "I'm worried enough already."
Ren sighed again before his hand slid against her cheek. "I promised you that I would come back to you. I don't intend to break it."
He then embraced her.
"You've had too many people leave you," he murmured as Anne rested her head against his chest. "And I don't intend on adding to it. I swear I'll make it out there alive. I won't let them break me."
"Ren…"
Anne looked like she was at a loss for words. Then she grabbed his blazer with both hands and dragged him down for a searing kiss. Ren's hands slid down to her waist, holding her close. Anne ran her fingers through his hair, giving one of his curls a small tug.
When they came up for air, Anne spoke. "I want to stay with you tonight."
"Oh?"
Anne rolled her eyes. "Well… I wouldn't say no to that. But I really just want you to hold me. I don't want to be alone. Not tonight."
He understood how she felt. And he would gladly accommodate. But a thought crossed his mind that caused Ren to raise an eyebrow.
"If you're going to sleep over, what are you going to sleep in, then?"
"Still mulling through my options." Anne gave him a playful smile. "I do have my tights and my undershirt. I'd be plenty warm since we'd be cuddling. Or I could steal some of your clothes. Wearing your boyfriend's clothes is supposed to be very comfortable. Or…" She winked. "I could always do what I did the night of my birthday."
"So many options… shall I convince you of doing my favorite option?" Ren said with a grin.
"Can you?" Anne challenged with a smirk.
"Shall I start the persuasion then?" He wiggled both his brows teasingly.
Anne's expression just screamed bring it.
Ren just grinned before he tugged Anne up the stairs and onto his bed. He then lowered his head to kiss her, all while fumbling for her hair ties. Anne kept herself busy, though, as she pushed his blazer off his shoulders.
"You better not lose more hair ties," Anne warned. "I don't have an infinite number of them, you know!"
Ren just winked at her. "You'll improvise."
Anne rolled her eyes at him. "Come here."
She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely. Every touch still left him breathless. He hoped that if he and Anne stayed together further down the road, she would never stop leaving him breathless. Sometimes he wondered how he managed to luck out and win Anne's heart.
"We really shouldn't stay up all night, though," Anne whispered, pressing her forehead against his. "Morgana's right—we do need our rest."
"Ah, my lady..." Ren smirked. "There's so much we can do in an hour or two..."
"Ohhh?" Anne drawled out.
"Want me to show you?" he asked before removing his glasses and setting it aside.
"Pffft, if you can keep up with me," she scoffed.
Anne then flipped them so she was on top, entangling them into the sheets. Her expression grew soft, as she cupped his jaw with one hand. "I love you," she said earnestly.
"I love you too," Ren said. "So much, Anne."
"I'll be waiting for you," Anne whispered. "So... come back to me."
"I always will," Ren vowed. "I swear it."
Ren slipped off Anne's blazer and hoodie first, tossing them to the floor. Anne just shivered due to the cold air. Ren just pulled her into his lap completely, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Better warm you up," he said huskily.
He pressed kisses down her neck, nipping and sucking slowly at her skin all while caressing her soft skin. A soft moan escaped her as he continued to tease her.
He personally found it more fun to go slowly than to go from zero to one hundred. Seeing the look on Anne's face… was a turn on.
Anne then gave him a small push before grabbing at his turtleneck with both hands, tugging and pulling it over his head.
She ran her hands all over his chest before leaning forward and peppering light feathery kisses along his jawline. She slowly worked her way down his throat, her light kisses turning into sucks and nips. As always, her touch left a blaze. He felt… so warm even though it was actually freezing in the attic.
Ren groaned, fisting the sheets as Anne kissed the center of his collarbone. She then shifted in his lap, purposefully brushing against him.
“You’re a little devil,” he groaned out.
“I guess that you’re rubbing off on me,” Anne said with a cheeky smile.
Ren found that he had no retort for her. So instead he went to tug down her leggings. God, he loved her leggings. They hugged her slim, slender legs perfectly. But he loved looking at her bare legs more.
“So... is this a confirmation that you’re a leg man?” Anne asked jokingly.
“Nah.” Ren smirked at her. “I’m an Anne Takamaki kind of guy. I love every last inch of her.”
“Such a charmer,” Anne sighed before winking. “Good thing that I’m a Ren Amamiya kind of girl.”
Ren then flipped them so he was on top once more, before he cupped her face. He kissed her hungrily and Anne eagerly kissed him back, running her fingers through his curls.
He ran a hand down her back before finally brushing his fingers against her bra. It took a couple tries but he managed to undo her bra.
Anne then shifted upwards so he could pull it off of her.
“Yep.” Ren smirked before he gave her a squeeze. “Here’s another part I love.”
“You’re such a dork,” Anne said teasingly, her hands on his hips, her thumb rubbing lazy circles.
“Ahh, but I’m your dork.”
Ren then pushed her down, losing himself in her. He really did not want this to be their last moment together. He wanted many, many more...
"Madame Sae Niijima, a great sinner of jealousy."
Makoto bowed her head, biting her lip, as Sae continued to read the calling card aloud.
"You have lost yourself amidst your obsession with success. For its sake, you are willing to promote injustice as justice. From… the Phantom Thieves of Hearts." Sae then looked to Makoto, her lips barely more than a thin line. "Just where did you find this, Makoto?"
"I found it in our mailbox," Makoto said, hesitantly meeting Sae's eyes. "They… They know where we live."
"I see." Sae's expression hardened. "To think that they would have the audacity to send me one!"
She crushed the calling card, crumpling it into a ball.
"They brand me a criminal and plan to change my heart!" she spat out, her voice dripping with venom. "How hypocritical of them! They're the crooks, not me! What absolute nonsense! They only care about disposing of those who are an inconvenience for them!"
And yet… her Palace had shown that was how Sae viewed her opponents. To hear Sae deride the Phantom Thieves was like a stab to Makoto's heart. Ren would have to reveal the truth to Sae eventually. She did not know how Sae would react to that kind of news and she hated it.
"Fine…" Sae dropped the calling card on the coffee table, her hands both forming fists. "I'll just have to catch them first! They won't brainwash me! They won't!"
Makoto tried not to wince, looking down at her lap. This was her chance to dig for some information…
"And when you do… you'll be interrogating them, won't you?"
Sae looked at her sharply. "I wouldn't think you'd approve of this, Makoto. You had thought, months ago, that Dad would approve of them."
"Well, I…" Makoto's mouth was suddenly dry. She swallowed hard. "I realized that you're right. Dad is dead. His opinion would not matter."
She prayed that Dad would forgive her for saying such things.
"And things have changed. I see things differently now."
Sae then sighed before running a hand through her hair. "Well, you're right. It'll be a top security interrogation room. Underground."
Yes! That meant their gambit was correct. Makoto had to fight to keep her face neutral.
"Unfortunately…" Sae brushed her bangs out of her face before rising to her feet, "my time will be limited. But I will do whatever it takes to make them divulge their secrets!"
She then walked for the door, only to pause as she passed Makoto.
"But…" Sae shook her head, resting her hand on top of the sofa. "Let's not focus on all the negatives."
"Sis…?"
"Makoto, I know that I haven't had the opportunity to spend time with you as an older sister should." Sae looked down to her. "I was thinking… after this case has been resolved—we should go on a trip to the hot springs. Just the two of us. I'm sure with this case, I would be able to secure the time off. How does that sound?"
"Sis…" Makoto swallowed hard before she grabbed for Sae's hand. "P-Please remember that I'm always on your side!" she blurted out. "I won't let anyone hurt you! I-I promise!"
Sae was silent for a moment. She looked perplexed, only for her to smile softly. "You've always been a strange one, Makoto."
But then Sae's free hand settled on top of Makoto's head, gently stroking it.
"But I really wouldn't trade you for anyone in the world."
Sae gave her one last smile, before bidding her good night. She had to head back to the office. And she planned to inform her superior about the calling card.
Once the door closed, Makoto leaned against the sofa, suddenly trembling. Everything was set now. Sae was on guard, allowing her Treasure to form. Makoto couldn't help but wonder what her Treasure was exactly.
Her hands… they wouldn't stop shaking. Makoto squeezed her eyes shut, before curling her hands into fists. So much was riding on this. Would it be all for naught? The idea of watching from the sidelines, helpless once again, terrified her. So much.
Her phone started to buzz. Makoto's eyes widened as she saw just what it was.
Messages… from all her friends.
[Haru Okumura]: Mako-chan… don't lose faith. It won't be a repeat of Father. I swear it.
[Ryuji Sakamoto]: i won't lie
[Ryuji Sakamoto]: i'm not your sis's biggest fan
[Ryuji Sakamoto]: but i'll support ya all the way, i swear it
[Anne Takamaki]: Makoto… are you okay? I know this has been hard on you. I can't imagine how you feel… But I'm here for you okay? Always.
[Ren Amamiya]: I know this has been crazily stressful. But don't lose heart
[Ren Amamiya]: And… if you need to talk about it, I'm just a phone call away.
[Ren Amamiya]: I'll hear you out, even if I don't… think too highly of prosecutors
[Futaba Sakura]: I'm not so good with words. But if you need to talk about anything… I'll try to listen.
[Ken Amada]: Makoto… have faith. You believe that your sister still has a sense of justice. But… you need to believe in yourself, as well. You're much stronger than you give yourself credit for.
[Yusuke Kitagawa]: I know you must feel terribly conflicted about this, Makoto. Facing a loved one… is not easy. Believe me… I know. But do not forgot that you aren't alone. We stand together.
She wasn't alone. She had her friends to lean on, even if some of them did not have a high opinion of Sae. She was not the same girl she was five months ago. She was no longer adrift, unsure in what she wanted to pursue. She had friends—incredibly loyal friends. She knew that she would fight for justice—fight tooth and nail for it. She would show Sae what true justice was.
Makoto felt a sudden peace wash over her. She felt calm… and confident. She was ready to show Sae what she was made of.
Thou art I… and I am thou. Thine resolve hast transformed me… and hast given me a new form. I am…
"Anat," Makoto breathed out.
She could feel it. Johanna had taken on a new form. She felt… stronger.
Then she heard sudden knocking. Makoto couldn't help but frown. Could Sae have forgotten her keys? That was oddly careless of her, but she did have a lot on her mind. She got up from the couch to answer the door.
Makoto's eyes widened. "Haru? Yusuke?"
"Hello, Mako-chan." Haru smiled hesitantly at her. "U-Um, Yusuke-kun and I were just—"
"We were concerned about you," Yusuke finished for her. "I know we could have called you but…"
"It just felt impersonal to just call," Haru added. "I—I hope you don't mind."
Haru really thought that Makoto would mind? It was so kind of them to do this.
Makoto couldn't help but smile at her two friends. "Not at all," she told them. "Why don't you come in? I can make you some tea."
"Some tea would be lovely, Mako-chan," Haru said with a smile. "Yusuke-kun?"
"I won't say no," Yusuke chuckled.
Makoto stepped aside, letting her friends remove their shoes before she ushered them to the living room. She let them settle down on the couch together before she headed for the kitchen. She started the kettle before she rummaged around for some snacks. It was past dinner time but she did have to be a good host. Besides that, Yusuke's stomach seemed to be a bottomless pit. She doubted that Yusuke would turn down free food.
Though she had to wonder if Yusuke and Haru had a similar conversation before they went to steal Okumura's Treasure. After all, Yusuke had been so worried for Haru before. A part of Makoto wished that she had reached to Haru before too…
The tea kettle started to whistle, making Makoto jump. She poured out the boiling water into three cups. She then assembled the mugs and plate of snacks onto a tray and carried it out. She set it on the coffee table.
Haru then clasped her hands together in her lap as Makoto sat down. "How are you feeling, Mako-chan?" she asked tentatively.
"I still feel incredibly nervous," Makoto confessed, placing a hand on her chest.
"Why am I hearing a but in that?" Yusuke asked before selecting a mug and taking a careful sip.
"I want to believe in Sis," Makoto said quietly. She took her own mug of tea, blowing on it before drinking. "She admitted to me in a way that she was neglecting me… Maybe it's not too late for us. And I know everyone's supporting me, even if they don't like Sis. Mishima-kun changed his heart, all on his own. I will help Sis change her heart. I want her to see that this is not the path she should follow."
"Think nothing of it," Yusuke dismissed. "We are your friends, after all. And I must admit… your situation does hit a little close to home."
"What about you, Yusuke-kun?" Haru asked gently.
Pain flashed in Yusuke's eyes for a moment. He was all tensed up. But then he took in a shuddering breath.
"I felt… incredibly anxious, I must confess. Madarame was the only parent I could remember. I called him Sensei but… I saw him as my father. I remember sitting in his lap as he sat in front of an easel. He guided my hand while teaching me the various techniques of art. I remember aspiring to be just like him."
A mirthless laugh escaped him.
"What a joke," he added sadly.
"Yusuke…" Makoto swallowed hard.
Yusuke had never shared anything like this before.
"Yusuke-kun, you're worth ten—no, a hundred—Madarames!" Haru said fiercely, her grasp on her own mug tightening. "You're kind and intelligent and your art is phenomenal! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
"Haru's right. You're a wonderful friend, Yusuke. And strong. I can't imagine what it was like for you to go through all that," Makoto seconded.
"Mm-hm, Yusuke-kun was the one who pushed for the two of us to come see you." Haru said.
Yusuke's cheeks tinged a slight pink.
"You're exaggerating, Haru. Besides, I know how much saving Niijima-san means to you…"
Makoto flashed Yusuke a small smile before she turned to Haru.
"Haru…" Makoto began tentatively. "Just how are you doing?"
Haru closed her eyes for a moment.
"I would be lying if I said that I'm ready to move on from Father's death. But… I have things to do. I want his killer to be brought to justice. I can't mope around and wallow in my grief. That won't solve anything. I know I have my friends. There are things for me to do. And you and Niijima-san—you two still have a chance. I want to make it happen. No matter what."
"Y-You…" Makoto hastily wiped at her wet eyes. "You're so kind, Haru…"
Haru let out a nervous giggle.
"I think you're the one exaggerating, Mako-chan."
"I have to agree with Makoto, Haru," Yusuke declared. "You are both strong and kind."
Haru blushed at the compliment before quickly composing herself.
"But…I'm glad that you feel confident about this, Mako-chan. To be honest, I was a bit worried," she admitted.
"Thank you. Your support means a lot to me. All of you…" Makoto smiled.
"It's nothing, Makoto. That's what friends are for, no?" Yusuke replied after shaking his head.
"Of course." Makoto nodded, then said, "And um… if you ever need to talk about Madarame, Yusuke, I'd be happy to listen."
Yusuke blinked before giving a small nod.
"Thank you, Makoto." Then he pulled out his phone, a thoughtful frown appeared on his face. "But we best get going. The trains will stop running soon and I really should escort Haru back first."
"That's not necessary, Yusuke-kun!" Haru protested.
"Nonsense. It's the chivalrous thing to do," Yusuke insisted.
Makoto couldn't help but smile to herself as the two of them bickered lightly. Perhaps there was something brewing between the two of them. They would be sweet together.
Not to mention, it'd give Ren and Futaba a new target. She silently chuckled to herself at that thought.
She saw Yusuke and Haru to the door. The door closed with a soft click. Makoto let her eyes drift over to the family picture that hung on the wall. Their last family portrait, before her mom had died.
Dad's death day was tomorrow. But she couldn't visit his grave. Not with how crazy tomorrow was going to be. Dad would understand, right?
Makoto's phone suddenly went off. She answered the call without checking the ID.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Makoto."
"Oh! Ken…" Makoto tucked a strand behind her ear. "Is something the matter?"
"No, nothing like that…" He trailed off a moment. "I just wanted to check up on you. I would've visited you in person but Shinjiro-san said that you'd be fine and that I 'shouldn't run to your side all the damn time'."
Makoto couldn't help but giggle softly.
"You're really terrible at imitating his voice, you know," she teased.
"So…?" Ken prompted.
"I'm fine, Ken," she said softly. "Everyone… they messaged me. We'll face Sis together and we'll make sure that Ren gets out there alive. Especially since Akihiko-san and Chie-san are backing us up…I know that we shouldn't be cocky but I feel confident about tomorrow. We will succeed."
"I'm glad. But I was thinking...we will be meeting up at six in Leblanc. We would have a few hours in between that and school ending. You should go visit your parents' graves. Tomorrow is the day your dad died, right?"
Makoto's grip on her phone tightened.
"You remember?" she breathed out.
"Of course I do," Ken answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You remembered the day my mom died."
"I-I didn't expect…" she trailed off for a moment. "But we probably have preparations to do."
"Ren has the equipment covered. We have the fake Treasure planted. There's nothing huge that we have to take care of." A soft sigh, as he said gently, "Makoto…I think it would be good for you. Especially since your sister has veered so far from her previous goal and ideals. Ideals that your father taught you."
Makoto bit her lip.
"Okay," she whispered. "Will you come with me?"
Ken was quiet for a moment.
"If you want me to."
"I do."
"I will then," he promised. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, then. Good night, Makoto."
"Good night, Ken."
Notes:
And the preparations for the heist are finally complete! This really did turn out to be a long chapter, though. It just kept running away from me! But at least I'm making up for the longer wait! But anyways! Next chapter will cover the heist and the escape from the Palace. I'm really looking forward to covering it!
Many of you have correctly predicted that Ken and Akechi are cousins. I dropped several hints to this—noting their physical resemblance several times, mentioning Ken's mom has an estranged twin sister, while noting that Ken has a strong resemblance to her. Ken's mother is also mentioned to have Akechi's coloring. Akechi also mentions that his mother had a twin sister. Fun fact: Ken and Akechi canonically have the same blood type—AB.
I know that several people are fans of the theory that Ken is Shido's son (especially amongst my reader base), but I'm personally not a fan of the concept. The game mentions that Akechi has a striking resemblance to his mother, so it doesn't make sense for his and Ken's physical resemblance to be explained by Shido being their father.
And some trivia! Ken's mother's name is Hikari. Hikari means light. Akechi's mother's name is Tsukiko, which means moon child. I chose Tsukiko specifically, since light is associated with day and naturally moon is associated with night.
But Akechi talks about how he wanted new personal records when he approached Shido in his narrative. Part of it is because I think Ken would've questioned things if his mother's maiden name is Akechi. Especially since people keep mentioning that he looks like Akechi. Another reason is that I can see Akechi wanting a new identity and styling himself after the Japanese Sherlock Holmes.
I also like to thank my friend, turtledeen for helping me out with the Kei Nanjo cameo! I've alluded to the P1/P2 characters before and I thought I'd use this to answer how the Shadow Ops are acquainted with them. And as usual, big shoutout to my beta, angelrin89! She actually pulled an all nighter to get this edited so many thanks to her!
And lastly, I mentioned this during my last update for the PQ2 fic but… Ace in the Hole has a TV Tropes page! I've linked in the summary so take a look!. Shoutout to hirowriter for creating it in the first place! Feel free to edit and add to it, as you see fit!
Chapter 39: Ch. 38: To Gamble All Or Nothing
Summary:
The casino heist has arrived.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Saturday, November 19th, 2016
Once the final school bell had rung, the group chat had been hit with a flurry of messages from her friends. Makoto forced herself to slip her phone into her skirt's pocket, looking to her boyfriend.
"Ready to go, Makoto?" he asked.
At her nod, they picked up their bags and headed to the train.
"Hey... I didn't really think to ask what food your parents liked," Ken said quietly. "But maybe we could stop by a bakery to offer them something?"
"That sounds like a good idea." Makoto nodded. "There's one by the apartment that we used to go to a lot. Dad would swear by their matcha cheesecake. We could get a slice or two. And maybe we should stop by a flower shop."
"There's the one that Ren used to work for," Ken said thoughtfully. "What flowers did you have in mind?"
"Well, white chrysanthemums are a given." Makoto answered.
Ken nodded. "Of course."
White chrysanthemums traditionally symbolized grief and were the most common flower seen at funerals. Though her mom also favored a different flower.
"And if possible, I'd like to get some pink peonies," Makoto continued. "It was Mom's favorite flower, according to Dad and Sis. When we visited her grave back when Dad was alive, he would always buy her a bouquet of them."
"We can do that," Ken said, before he rubbed his chin. "So... bakery first and then we'll stop by the underground mall for flowers."
Makoto just smiled. "That sounds like a good plan."
She then took his hand, giving him a slight smile as he rubbed the back of her hand. The train ride was pleasant, since it was surprisingly empty for a Saturday afternoon. She couldn't help but wonder what everyone else was up to. She wouldn't be surprised if Ren and Anne were stealing some time together before the operation.
However, she couldn't imagine what it was like… having to watch your boyfriend endanger himself like that. Makoto let her eyes linger on Ken for a moment. She sighed. She hoped that she never would have to go through that.
But unlike the train, the bakery was packed. But luckily, they managed to get a couple slices of matcha cheesecake. After Makoto paid, they walked to the underground mall.
"I don't think I've ever been inside here." Ken admitted as he glanced around.
"Well, it's not like the stores here would interest you." Makoto chuckled, only for her eyes to land on a sign. "Oh, here we are."
"Welcome!" The owner greeted them with a bright, friendly smile. "How may I help you?"
"A bouquet of white chrysanthemums, please," Makoto requested. "And would you happen to have any pink peonies on hand?"
"Let's see..." she said while she turned around to check.
She hummed a little tune as she checked through her inventory.
"Look at that! We have both. I was a bit afraid that we wouldn't, since we were running low after a woman stopped by yesterday. She wanted a bouquet of pink peonies as well."
"Thank you." Makoto said before she took a quick glance of the other flowers.
They really were lovely.
"Your flowers are beautiful, by the way." Makoto complimented then asked, "Our friend used to work here, actually. Do you remember Ren Amamiya? He said he really enjoyed his work here."
"Oh, Ren-kun?" She perked up at that. "He was wonderful! Shame he had to go; he went all out! Did you know that he studied hanakotoba for this job?"
Ken's expression soured for some reason. "I'm well aware."
Makoto blinked in confusion at that. What had Ren done now?
"But anyways, let me whip up the bouquets!" The owner said, "One moment, please!"
She expertly arranged the chrysanthemums in an artful bouquet, and then the peonies. She then tied a white ribbon around the chrysanthemum bouquet and a pink ribbon for the peonies.
"Let's see... that will be a thousand yen for the chrysanthemums and two thousand yen for the peonies...so that'll be three thousand yen all together." She announced.
Ken pulled out his wallet before Makoto could even blink, fishing out a pair of two-thousand-yen bills.
"Ken!" she hissed at him.
Ken raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"
"You—you don't have to pay!"
Ken didn't look fazed.
"You paid for the cake."
"This is a lot more than the cake!"
Makoto reached for the yen bills but unfortunately, he was half a head taller than her. And he had long arms. He easily handed the bills off to the owner, even as Makoto glared at him.
The owner's lips twitched, as if she was trying not to laugh.
"Miss, I wouldn't complain about having a generous boyfriend," she said with a bemused smile.
"Yeah, you shouldn't complain," Ken agreed.
He wasn't quite smirking but it didn't stop Makoto from wanting to wipe that expression off his face.
Makoto smacked his arm in response, before narrowing her eyes at him.
"Shush, you."
She would have to make it up to him. Maybe make him lunch? But would that impress him after Shinjiro-san's cooking? Maybe she should insist on footing the bill for their next date. They hadn't gone out another date yet, after all.
They took the train again, to the district where the graveyard was. Makoto gripped Ken's hand with her free hand as they slowly picked through the graves.
But they finally came across the Niijima family grave. Makoto had vague memories of her mother's funeral. Her father had both of their names carved into the grave after Mom died, with his name painted red, as tradition dictated.
Hideki Niijima
Masami Niijima
Something struck Makoto as odd, though. She had packed some cloths as well as extra water bottles to clean the grave. But the grave looked like it was recently cleaned. Someone had left a bouquet of pink peonies, as well. Makoto lightly touched the delicate pink petals.
Had Sae visited recently?
No, that was ridiculous. Her sister was far too busy.
Something brushed against her arm.
"Makoto, are you okay?" Ken asked quietly.
"I… I was just thinking."
Makoto then looked to the grave. She wished she had packed some incense… She set down the bouquets of flowers and then the on the grave before speaking.
"Umm… hi Dad, hi Mom." She said softly, "I'm sorry that I haven't visited in a while. Things have been really crazy these past few months."
She looked down at the photograph of Dad.
"S-Sometimes I wonder what you'd think, Dad. Of the Phantom Thieves. I like to think that you would approve of them, with how strongly you felt about justice. I would hope so since I am one." She then let in a shuddering breath, "Sis and I actually got into a fight over this. Sis got so angry over it."
She closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to breathe more slowly.
"But joining the Phantom Thieves was one of the best things I could have done," Makoto admitted quietly. "I stopped blindly following orders. I have friends now."
Ken squeezed her hand as he gave her a soft, gentle smile.
"T-This is Ken," she introduced. "We've been dating for a few weeks now but he's become really important to me. I-I think you would like him. Both of you. You actually met him, Dad. A long time ago."
She then let out a short laugh.
"I haven't told Sis about him yet, though. I just… I'm not sure what she'll even think."
Makoto had a niggling suspicion that Sae would be displeased with it. Sae always drummed it in her that studies were a top priority. But she couldn't see how it was a bad thing. She had seen how happy Ren and Anne were in a relationship. And being with Ken...just made her so happy. He gave her a reason to smile, even when her doubts and worries gnawed at her mind.
How could something like that be a bad thing?
"Niijima-san," Ken spoke up.
They both inched closer together.
"I... I care about your daughter so much. I think you would be proud of her. She's beautiful and strong and she just cares. So much. She wants to follow in your footsteps, Niijima-san, and become the police commissioner of Tokyo. And I think she's more than capable of doing it. I believe that she can do anything she sets her mind to." He spoke softly.
Makoto couldn't help but blush at his words. Ken often reassured her, but he did not voice his thoughts of her often.
"T-That's right. I want to help build a society where true justice is enforced." Makoto said, "You remember how Sis said the same? But...I'm afraid she lost her way. I swear I won't, though."
Then she swallowed hard.
"S-Sis..." Makoto murmured. "I-I don't know what happened. But she's lost her sense of justice. I want to remind her though. You remember her dream, don't you, Dad? She wanted to change the system from within. Give the accused a voice, since the justice system is so skewed towards the prosecution."
She then reached out, tracing the kanji of her family name.
"I won't let her continue down the path she's taken," she vowed. "I'll ensure it, I swear. I know she's still in there. I just need to remind her that her sense of justice is still there. Just you watch."
Makoto finally smiled, after finishing her declaration. She then pressed a light kiss against her fingertips, then brushing it against the grave.
"I love you," she whispered, swallowing down the lump in her throat, "I-I'll make you proud, I promise."
Makoto wasn't sure what happened. But then a sudden breeze blew through, tickling her cheek. Makoto could have sworn she heard whispered through the air, "You already have."
She stilled for a moment. Was it...?
Makoto then shook her head. "Ken, let's go… We should start to head to LeBlanc."
Ken looked like he wanted to say something, but he slowly nodded.
"Okay."
They then started to walk away but then Ken looked to her.
"Hey. How are you feeling?"
"I just... don't want to be proven wrong." Makoto mumbled out, "I have to restore Sis's faith."
"And you will."
Ken suddenly pulled her into an embrace.
"I meant what I said. You set too many limitations on yourself, Makoto. You are capable. You're strong—stronger than you give yourself credit for."
Makoto looked to him. Then she pushed herself up on her toes, giving him a brief kiss.
"Thank you, Ken," she said softly. "And... thank you for pushing for this. I think I did need to tell my parents. Not just about Sis. But everything…"
Ken just smiled at her. "Any time, Makoto."
The trek to LeBlanc was pleasant. At least... until they saw Akechi by the door. Makoto had to fight off the urge to grimace.
"Cutting it rather close, aren't you?"
Irritation flared inside of Makoto the moment she heard Akechi's aggravating voice. But Ken quickly shot her a warning look.
"I could say the same of you, Akechi-san," Ken said, his voice cool yet polite.
"With Sae-san receiving the call card, it was hectic at the precinct to say the very least." Akechi then shook his head. "Now of course it's none of my business what you do in private. But—"
"We weren't on a date!" Makoto snapped.
The nerve of him! Of course they knew how important this day was. How dare he imply otherwise!
"We were visiting my parents." Makoto then clarified before Akechi could say more.
She didn't know what it was about Akechi. He always managed to set her temper on edge.
Akechi's face became ashen, his expression becoming remorseful.
"Ah… that's right. It's around that time, isn't it?"
"What are you alluding to?" Ken asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Sae-san mentioned to me that your father died in November. She even took me there to visit once during our investigations."
Sae did that? Makoto immediately thought to the peonies that she had found on the grave. Makoto's heart gave a painful squeeze. Could her suspicions be true?
"Though I do have to envy you." Akechi stated.
"Envy?" Makoto repeated.
What was he talking about now?
Akechi just smiled sadly.
"I'm well aware that your father's death was a tragedy. But…your father was a good man. A hero." He let out a sigh. "My father... is the exact opposite."
Then his expression darkened.
"Such a despicable man. Despite being lauded by his peers... he's nothing but trash."
He spat out the last word. His tone turned so vehement... so hateful. It was honestly startling.
"We could change his heart, you know," Ken spoke up. "We could continue working together."
Something flashed in Akechi's eyes. But then he smiled that TV smile of his.
"Ah, you flatter me, Ken-san, but I must decline. We had a deal, yes? And society must stop relying on 'saviors' so much."
Sometimes Makoto couldn't believe Ken's acting. But then again, he had to be discreet when keeping tabs on them when he first came to Tokyo.
"Right..." Ken said finally. "That is disappointing, Akechi-san, but we will respect your wishes."
"Thank you, Ken-san." Akechi flashed him a smile. "I'll see you inside."
"You're unbelievable, you know," Makoto murmured to him once the door slammed shut behind Akechi.
"Gotta keep up the masquerade, right?" Ken muttered.
He then leaned down, giving her a quick kiss.
"Are you ready?"
"As ready as I will be." Makoto sighed. "Let's go."
"The day has come. Are you prepared?" Haru asked.
"More than ready, Haru," Ren said confidently. "We've got this in the bag."
"Don't be so cocky, Ren-san," Akechi remarked. "If we become too arrogant...it might just lead to our downfall."
Makoto just narrowed her eyes at Akechi.
"So saith the hypocrite," she thought to herself.
"Don't be a killjoy, Akechi," Ryuji grumbled out.
"But anyways…" Ken quickly interjected. "Your sister got the calling card, okay, Makoto?"
Makoto nodded.
"I heard her read it aloud, as well. Very poetic words, Yusuke," she complimented.
"I try." Yusuke simply nodded.
"Hey, Makoto, are you...?" Futaba said as she began to fidget.
"I'm okay, Futaba, I promise. I appreciate your concern, though," Makoto reassured their youngest member, giving her a tiny smile.
"Let's give it our all. There's too much riding on this! It's no longer just our reputations!" Anne said.
"Yeah, our lives are at stake here, too!" Ryuji added.
"I am not afraid," Makoto stated. "I will save my sister. No matter what!"
"So much has happened since I formed the team with Ren, Ryuji, and Lady Anne..." Morgana shook his head. "But that just means we have to give it our all! Especially since we've formed a pretty formidable team!"
Out of the corner of Makoto's eye, she spotted Ken surreptitiously tapping out a message on his phone. Makoto assumed that it was to let the older Persona-users know that they were going in, to fight Sae.
"But anyways! This is our last heist! Ren, give us the signal!" Morgana looked up at their leader.
Ren slowly stood up, a smile creeping onto his face.
"Guys, let's do this! It's showtime!" Ren exclaimed.
They then headed off for the courthouse, quickly slipping into the Metaverse. They made a beeline for the treasure, but the moment they stepped into the room where the Treasure was…
"What happened to the Treasure?!" Ryuji cried out.
Sae's voice then rang out.
"It seems you have come, just as I've planned."
"Don't act all cocky! We've outsmarted you before!" Anne shouted.
"But why did she say 'as planned'?" Morgana questioned.
Yusuke inquired, "Was the Treasure's placement just...bait?"
"It was placed in an easily reachable spot, now that I think about it," Ken said slowly.
"This is just another set-up?!" Haru gasped.
Haru's grip on her axe tightened.
"Why—why does there always have to be a set-up?" Haru lamented.
"Noir, please calm down. Sae-san may have tricked us but… we will emerge victorious." Akechi stated.
"First off, allow me to compliment you," Sae's Shadow remarked through the speakers. "I never expected you would be able to make it so far."
"Save your breath. Where's the Treasure?!" Futaba huffed.
But then a roulette on the wall suddenly spun, disappearing to reveal another route. They heard Sae's laughter echo throughout the room.
"Come… we shall put an end to this, once and for all."
"She's challenging us..." Ken muttered. "What does she have up her sleeve this time?"
No, it was more mockery. Just what was Sae's Shadow planning for them?
"Only one way to find out!" Ryuji cracked his knuckles. "Get ready to kick some ass!"
"Skull's right, let's go!" Morgana seconded.
Futaba then knelt down, feeling Morgana's forehead with a quizzical frown.
"Huh. No fever. I thought you were sick, with how you're agreeing with Skull," Futaba snickered.
"HEY!" Both Morgana and Ryuji squawked indignantly, drawing out a few laughs.
Ren snickered at the chagrined expression on Morgana's face.
"Anyways! Enough comments from the peanut gallery! Let's go!" Ren commanded.
They headed up the path, entering yet another elevator. It took them to a completely different area. Makoto wanted to survey the area, but the large television flickered to life, showing the face of Sae's Shadow.
"What kind of game will it be this time? No matter what tricks you have… we will emerge victorious." Akechi called out.
Her sister's Shadow then scoffed.
"You're making a grave mistake, if you think you have me cornered. I only guided you because it will allow me to fight you to my heart's content."
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"You think you know how to claw your way to victory? Don't make me laugh! I've had to do this since day one. My coworkers and superiors looked at me and just saw a pretty girl. They refused to take me seriously! The only way I earned their respect was fighting tooth and nail for victory!" she hissed.
"So that's how she became distorted. Crow mentioned that she had noble intentions originally and yet…" Yusuke murmured.
Ken muttered, "Unfortunately, that happens a lot to women who work for criminal justice."
"She sounds a lot like Father," Haru said sadly.
"Father..." Sae echoed, before her lips formed a thin line. "When my father died in the line of duty, I hated his killer. With all my heart."
"Sis! I found out who killed him! It was Kaneshiro!" Makoto called out to her.
"Queen… she can't hear you. Not now," Anne said gently.
"I'm hearing a but in this anyways." Ren muttered, his attention on Sae and not the two girls next to him.
Sae's lip suddenly curled in disgust.
"Dying to uphold justice sounds virtuous. But what about the ones left to clean up the mess? Damn him… damn him!"
Her hands curled into fists.
"Can you imagine the hardships I had to face?! What do most people in their early twenties do? They get drunk! They do incredibly stupid things! But me? I had to take on so many burdens. I wasn't even allowed to mourn my father, because I had all these responsibilities foisted onto me!"
"I…I don't know what to say," Anne mumbled out.
Morgana sighed, his ears drooping. "Although I guess it's kinda understandable but…"
Akechi just sighed. "I had truly thought your intentions were more noble than that, Sae-san."
"She's lost control…" Futaba sighed with pity.
"That's putting it lightly." Ren then shook his head. "But no matter, we'll help her see the light!"
"Justice cannot yield to evil! I must win! No matter what!" Sae's Shadow shouted.
"Someone's feeling self-righteous," Ken quipped.
Ryuji's eyes were wide, "Yeah, no kidding!"
"Silence!" Sae snapped.
She glared hard at all the Phantom Thieves.
"All we need to do is to determine who's right… is battle," Sae declared.
Rise tuned out everything. Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san's bickering. Chie-senpai practicing her katas.
Kouzeon swept through the area, stretching out as far as her signal could reach. Rise could detect the fuzzy auras that signaled people who were not Persona-users. There was an insane amount of them.
"Shido is really going all out," Rise stated.
She dismissed Kouzeon. She placed her hands on her hips, a frown forming on her face.
"This is like a small army."
Chie-senpai bit her lip, bouncing lightly on her feet. It was her way of fidgeting—a nervous tic.
"I hope they'll be okay," she said warily.
"Have faith in them, Chie," Akihiko-san said. "They've dealt with strong foes before."
"Don't get so cocky, Aki..." Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
"Who said anything about that?!" Akihiko-san barked back.
"Now, now… play nice, boys!" Rise teased.
"Come on, don't joke around like this," Chie-senpai chided. "We have to be alert! We have to make sure that Ren-kun makes it okay."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Shinjiro-san grumbled out, before looking over to Rise. "Kujikawa, can you figure out what's going on with Niijima's Shadow now?"
Rise held up a finger. "One sec."
She summoned Kouzeon again. She honed on Ken's signal, since his was the most familiar to her.
"It doesn't seem that they're battling yet," Rise murmured before she concentrated harder.
She could pick up little snippets of the conversation if she concentrated hard enough. It seemed like… Niijima's Shadow was challenging them now?
"This is so weird..." Rise mumbled to herself.
"Whatcha talking about, Rise-chan?" Chie-senpai asked.
"Well..." Rise trailed off for a moment; she needed it to gather her thoughts. "You remember how the Shadow self took on a form that resembled the host at first? Then it went berserk when the person denied their Shadow. Niijima's Shadow is giving me a reading like before the pre-berserk phase."
"Huh? Well... maybe the Shadows here just take on a humanoid form, then?" Chie-senpai theorized.
"That's not it," the two men said in unison.
Shinjiro-san then clarified, "Ken's reported that Kaneshiro took on a form of a humanoid fly. The case of Sakura was different, but they fought Sakura's cognition of Isshiki, which took the form of a sphinx."
"Maybe… she wants to play with them at first," Rise suggested.
"Given what Ken's mentioned about Niijima's Palace..." Akihiko-san frowned. "That would make a lot of sense."
Akihiko-san then let out a little grumble.
"I hate having to wait around like this," he complained, crossing his arms over his chest.
Shinjiro-san snorted, rolling his eyes at his best friend.
"You'll get your share of the action soon enough. Don't be so impatient, Aki."
A roulette wheel. It was too fitting with the Palace.
"A clash of brute strength is simply uncalled for on this stage," Sae's Shadow stated.
Makoto tensed up. Sae had made her appearance. Sae then smiled but it was devoid of warmth. It was smug, oozed confidence.
"Just what is her plan?" Yusuke asked.
"I wish I knew," Akechi murmured.
Ryuji then let out a frustrated growl, taking a few menacing steps towards Sae.
"No more coins or messing around!"
His arm then swiped through the air.
He declared, "We ain't following your damn rules!"
Sae just chuckled, her golden eyes glinting with amusement.
"Oh, you will. There is no room for negotiation. You will know… soon enough."
Then her image flickered, showing a brutish monster.
Makoto's eyes widened, taking a step backwards. "What was that?!"
"Now come at me!" Sae goaded with a smirk.
Makoto felt her chest squeeze in anxiety. She was so much worse than Makoto had thought. What had happened?
"Gladly!" Ren exclaimed, before pointing at Sae. "Let's take her out!"
Sae just sneered, "I'd like to see you try."
"Be on your guard, everyone!" Morgana warned.
"Okay, let's do it! I'll back you guys up… no matter what!" Futaba shouted.
"Let's do this fair and square!" Sae declared.
"Sis! Stop lying to yourself, please!" Makoto cried out.
"What are you talking about?" Sae asked, then hissed, "I'm not lying to myself! You Phantom Thieves initiate your own justice...this is mine! If you think that I will take it easy because you're my little sister...you're even more foolish than I thought!"
Makoto's eyes widened at that.
"I…" Makoto's voice was shaky.
"Silence!" Haru's voice was usually so gentle, but it was as sharp as a blade now.
She stalked forward, pointing her axe at Sae.
"You really have no idea, do you? What it means to watch someone you love deeply become merely a shadow of themselves?" she questioned.
Sae scowled, before spitting out, "Don't think to lecture me!"
"You really don't know how Queen feels. How much she's wanted to save you. You keep underestimating her," Ken added.
"Yes, that's right…" Akechi was suddenly standing right next to Makoto. "We'll save her… together!"
Makoto gave a numb nod before turning her eyes towards Sae. She could do this. She felt strangely calm about this.
"What's the matter? You may have the support from your friends...but you'll still always be useless!" taunted the Shadow.
"That's where you're wrong, Sis… I challenge you, because I know this is not what you want! Hollow victories, chasing after promotions—and for what? Are you happy where you are?"
Makoto then shook her head before placing a hand over her chest.
"I don't believe you are. I remember how you used to be. You were more than my big sister… you were closer to being my mom, because I can barely remember our real mother. I want you back, Sis! And I'll do whatever it takes to do it! I won't stand aside and let you make this mistake! I know that you're better than me in several ways. You were always a prodigy. It seemed everything I could do, you did better. Some people saw me as nothing more than your little sister. But I won't lose here! I refuse! I'll show you, Sis, that I'm not some useless little girl!"
"Pretty words—but I don't believe you can back up those words." Sae spat out.
"Just watch!" Makoto shouted.
She then lifted her hand, tearing off her mask.
"CHARGE, ANAT!"
Her new Persona appeared with a flash, eliciting a few gasps from her friends. But she couldn't help but notice that Ken just gave her a smile, like it was no surprise to him. Makoto quickly shook her head—she had to focus! She then pointed at Sae. Anat raised a hand.
A powerful nuclear blast bloomed to life, throwing Sae backwards.
This seemed to be the cue that her friends needed.
Morgana leapt through the air, slashing with his scimitar. He then jumped backwards, allowing Yusuke to cut in with a sweep of his katana. Milady's psy attack then lifted her to the air, making Sae easy pickings for Captain Kidd.
But before anyone else could strike, Sae hauled herself to her feet, before snapping her fingers.
"One against so many…let's even the odds, shall we?"
The roulette then began to spin.
"What the…?!" Futaba cried out.
"Now, let us play a game of roulette. The stakes will be… our lives. You may play safely, but the rewards will be unimpressive. Or you could risk it, and claim high rewards."
Then Sae flicked her hair over her shoulder.
"Of course, acts of violence are forbidden here. One must follow the rules."
Futaba made a frustrated sound then exclaimed, "We already told you that we're not playing by your rules anymore!"
Sae just shrugged in response.
"That's fine by me... such troublesome people will face the penalty."
"Just what is she talking about?" Ken asked.
"I don't know…" Ren then grimaced. "But I sure don't want to find out."
"We'll just have to tread carefully. Be careful, Joker!" Makoto said.
"The roulette though…" Futaba trailed off for a moment—you could hear the frown in her voice. "What are we supposed to do?"
"If I were to guess... we should be predicting where the ball should fall," Yusuke said.
Ryuji huffed. "Sorta like that dice game…"
Makoto had a bad feeling about this. Sae had cheated so many times during the Palace. Why should this be any different?
"Joker, we can't—"
"We have to go along with it for now," Morgana said grimly before flicking his gaze up at Prometheus. "Oracle, try and see if you can analyze anything!"
"Will do!" Futaba interjected.
"What will you bet? Are you going to go with a safer bet with smaller rewards or a high-risk bet with higher rewards?" Sae taunted.
"We'll do a safer bet." Ren then frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together. "I bet that it'll end on a... red number."
The roulette then began to slow down, a ball appearing out of nowhere. It seemed to stop at a red number, earning cheers from Haru, Ryuji, and Anne—only for it to drop into a black number at the very last moment.
"Wha…?!" Futaba sputtered. "Is this for real?!"
"That's utterly ridiculous!" Yusuke protested.
"Oh, what a shame you lost. Perhaps you'll have better luck next time," Sae said mockingly.
Makoto suddenly felt the energy drain out of her. She gasped, before pressing a hand against her forehead. It felt like when the Shadows drained part of her lifeforce out of her, to restore damage. The damage they had managed to inflict onto Sae was completely reversed.
"You cheating little…!" Ryuji growled.
Enraged, the former track star charged at her blindly.
"Skull, NO!" Futaba shrieked.
But Ryuji didn't listen, swinging his bat at Sae. But a barrier suddenly appeared, reflecting the damage back onto Ryuji. The recoil was strong enough to send him reeling back, falling backwards.
"SKULL!" Ren shouted before whipping towards Morgana, "Dammit, Mona—"
"On it!" Morgana interrupted.
The cat sprinted over to Ryuji. He immediately summoned Zorro to cast Diaharan.
"You asked for it," Sae said carelessly, before giving a shrug. "You broke the rules, thus—you'll be penalized. Those who cannot follow rules are not to be tolerated. That is simply how society works."
Sae really felt that way? Makoto felt sick to her stomach.
"You're the cheater!" Ryuji seethed, hauling himself to his feet.
"Skull, don't move so fast! I'm not done with you!" Morgana scolded.
"This isn't working," Ren muttered as everyone else crowded close to him.
"We have to figure out something, though! Did any of you figure out anything?" Haru inquired.
"The ball seemed to float over a red number. For a moment but... at the last moment, it rolled to black. Isn't that suspicious?" Ken said quietly.
"That must be part of the trick!" Yusuke exclaimed. "But... we can't just accuse her."
Akechi rubbed his chin, "So, we'll catch her in the act. After all, she is a lawyer. Blind accusations are powerless in court unless you have evidence."
"But… what is the trick? Do any of you guys have an idea…? I'm stumped." Anne asked tentatively.
"It seemed to float." Ren repeated Ken's words. "Like… a glass lid or something."
"Ah! That makes perfect sense!" Haru's eyes went wide.
"This is what we'll do." Ren lowered his voice. "We'll keep up the act but Ace, we need you to snipe the glass lid at the right moment. Oracle, when the time comes... you'll give her hell. We'll distract her—now, go!"
"Are you ready to bet?" Sae called out to them.
"Hold your horses! After what happened, I have to think over this carefully," Ren exclaimed.
Ren was really milking his dramatic tendencies. At least it was distracting Sae. Using her peripheral vision, Makoto could see Ken climb up the edge before he hid behind one of the large golden pots. She hoped that Sae didn't catch him. She doubted that she'd take kindly to the plan.
Sae tapped her foot impatiently. "We don't have all day. Society waits for no one."
"Fine, fine..." Ren sighed gustily, shaking his head. "So pushy. I'm feeling lucky. How about we go with the ball landing between… one to twelve?"
"After that kind of blunder?" Sae just chuckled, a confident smirk appearing on her face. "Well, let's find out!"
At the snap of Sae's fingers, the roulette began to spin. Makoto couldn't help but tense up; it took all of her willpower not to look at where Ken was hiding. Eventually the roulette then slowed down. There was the sound of a bullet being fired. A moment later, glass shattered and the ball fell onto the slot that read 11.
"Wha… WHAT?!"
Sae actually staggered back, shock written all over her face. Then she suddenly fell to her knees.
"Gotcha!" Futaba crowed. "Everyone!"
They surrounded Sae, before pointed their guns at her. Then Futaba spoke again.
"What was that about playing fair and square, huh?! You were totally cheating! Like always! You're nothing but a spoiled brat, throwing a temper tantrum when it just so happens that you're on the losing end!" Futaba demanded.
Sae let out a frustrated growl, her shoulders shaking with anger.
Ken looked nervously at Sae. "Uh, Oracle, you might want to calm d—"
"No way, Ace! I'm just getting warmed up! You know why you cheat? It's because you're weak. You degrade us, insult us, calling us losers. But who's the real loser?! You can't even lose with grace. You're just a wimp! Something who can't ever win unless she cheats her way to it! And to hell if you hurt innocent people because of it! You disgust me!" Futaba spat out.
"Shut up… SHUT UP! SHUT UPPPP!" Sae screeched, managing to push herself up slightly.
Then a dark aura flared around her for a moment. What Sae was wearing… it was definitely different. She resembled an almost demonic knight, decked out in black spiked armor. Instead of a hand, she had a rocket launcher. In her other hand, she held a red sword.
"Sis?!" Makoto cried out.
Yusuke took an uncertain step backwards. "What on earth?!"
"That moment before then…" Makoto murmured. "It wasn't my imagination."
Ken added, "I was wondering about that. After from what we've faced before."
Sae then let out a demonic screech, making them all wince.
"Cheating? Unfair?! SILENCE! This is my world!"
"Annnd she's lost her marbles," Ren said dryly.
Ryuji grumbled out, "More like Queen's temper runs in the family."
Makoto shot him a flat look. "I'm right here, you know."
"If you want a fair fight… then I'll give it to you!" Sae spat out, ignoring their little banter. "To hell with this game!"
Then she slammed down her sword.
"But I think that with so many adversaries, I require a partner of my own!"
"Bring it on!" Futaba shouted. "We'll take you down, no matter what! No matter what big guns you whip out!"
But a pool of black formed, a familiar figure emerging from it. His appearance contrasted with Sae's, as he was decked out in his police uniform once more. But he wielded some kind of high-tech tonfa, instead of the police baton from before.
Makoto just bit her lip. Not again…
"Sae-san... your father again?" Akechi asked.
"Silence, crooks!" he barked out, before his grip on his tonfas tightened. "I will bring you to justice! Your victory from before...nothing but a fluke!"
He then pointed at Sae. A blue forcefield suddenly sprung up around her.
"Oracle, what was that?" Ren demanded before looking towards Prometheus.
"A barrier. I don't see any weak spots…you'll probably have to take him down before Niijima!" Futaba reported.
"Well that's just great," Ren deadpanned.
"Be on your guard, everyone! He's most likely stronger than before!" Haru exclaimed.
"You don't have to tell us twice," Ken quipped.
Ryuji hefted his weapon onto his shoulder. "Let's kick some ass!"
"I couldn't have said it better, Skull!" Ren said with a grin.
Morgana summoned a gust of air, launching him into the air. He then slashed down with his scimitar. The cognition of Dad quickly blocked with his tonfa. But then Ryuji cut in, swinging his bat at his kneecaps. The blow downed him, making him fall to one knee with a grunt.
"Skull, Mona, get back!" Haru shouted before she tore off her mask. "Milady!"
Ryuji and Morgana scrambled out of the way as Milady fired away.
"I don't see why you think you have the moral high ground," Sae spat out. "As long as you win… it doesn't matter what methods you use. Don't you have the same philosophy?"
"Hell no!" Ryuji snapped.
"Don't you dare compare the two of us!" Yusuke added furiously, a fierce glower on his face. "We're not cheating and manipulating our way to victory!"
"We only change hearts to help people! People who were helpless in their situation!" Makoto exclaimed.
Sae just would not acknowledge her actions. She was deflecting. Makoto gritted her teeth. She had to get to Sae… she had to.
"Nothing but excuses! I will take you down!" vowed the cognition. "No matter what! You're nothing but disgusting criminals! You control the hearts of others to achieve your own goals!"
"Everyone, they won't back down!" Ren barked out. "And either will we! Go all out!"
"You're so arrogant," the cognition spat out. "This will not be like before. Lady Sae and I will emerge victorious!"
"You're one to talk about arrogance!" Akechi called out. "Robin Hood!"
But the cognition of her dad charged forward, dodging Robin Hood's Megidola spell with ease. There was a resounding crack as Akechi was struck hard in the face. The force was strong enough to send Akechi stumbling to the ground. Then he seemed to twist the handle of his tonfa. It seemed to transform before their eyes, before he aimed it at Akechi.
A gunshot rang out.
Akechi rolled to the side, clutching his arm as his face contorted with pain. Red spread from his shoulder, staining the snowy white fabric.
But before the cognition of her dad could make another move, he was cut off by a barrage of bullets, courtesy of both Ken and Haru. He jumped backwards to dodge the attack, but Makoto was ready for him.
"Charge, Anat!" she exclaimed, tearing off her mask.
The nuclear spell's blast caught him off guard. Then Ken darted forward, jabbing forward. But as the cognition moved to block the strike, Ken suddenly swung his spear upwards, whapping him hard in the face.
Ken then quipped, "They never protect the face."
The cognition of Dad growled.
"You…!"
He was abruptly cut off by Captain Kidd crashing against him. Mona then somersaulted off of Captain Kidd, a burst of wind flaring to life. Yusuke and Anne then proceeded to launch their own attacks—fierce strikes from Kamu Susano-o and an inferno from Hecate.
But that left… she whipped around to see her boyfriend carefully helping up Akechi.
"I—" Akechi then stopped short. "Thank you. I didn't expect you to come to my rescue."
"Like I was going to just stand there and let him shoot you down," Ken muttered. "But you need to be less cocky. What's the saying? Pride cometh before one's fall?"
Akechi just quirked an eyebrow, "Some sources say it's 'pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall'."
"Same thing," Ken huffed with a roll of his eyes.
Makoto spoke up, "He's strong. It does make sense, though… Sis could never beat Dad in a spar before he died."
"Queen."
Makoto turned her head to look at Akechi.
"Your father taught you aikido, did he not? I can see it in his stance."
Makoto slowly nodded.
Ken's eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah, I see what you mean. That means you know his fighting style the best out of all of us, right?"
"What?! That's—Dad was at a much higher level than me! I can't beat him! There's simply no way!" Makoto shook her head in protest.
"Have you not heard of the phrase 'the student surpasses the master'?" Akechi asked. "You can, Niijima-san. Or was your speech to Sae-san nothing but mindless boasting?"
"No… it wasn't," she uttered quietly.
"You can do it, Queen." Ken smiled at her for a moment, before he glanced up at Prometheus. "Oracle, do you have any data on him?"
"Hmm… his specs lean towards being a glass cannon." Futaba reported.
Ken sighed and shook his head.
"In layman's terms, please?" he asked dryly.
"Ugh, I mean he's fast and strong, stupid! But he'll probably drop like a rock if you get a good punch in," Futaba explained.
Akechi winced. "I can definitely attest to the strong part."
"Speaking of that…" Ken grabbed Akechi by the wrist. "Let me tend to that."
"That's not necessary, you should reserve your strength for something graver—"
"Graver than a shot to the shoulder? Last time I checked that's pretty grave. Didn't think you were the reckless type, Crow," Ken replied.
"But it's just a scratch. I've dealt with worse; I can assure you," Akechi stated.
Ken made a frustrated sound. "Quit being so stubborn."
"Why do you care so much?" he suddenly asked, only to trail off with. "I thought…"
Ken blew his bangs out of his face.
"You really think I wouldn't care? After you got shot? I would think after working together for the past few weeks, you'd know I'm not heartless," Ken said before frowning.
Akechi's lips suddenly quirked into a smile. A genuine one, not that saccharine smile he saved for TV broadcasts.
"You deride me for being stubborn but you are quite stubborn yourself, Ace," Akechi quipped.
"Takes one to know one," Makoto said wearily.
"I suppose," Akechi said haltingly.
"Queen!" Futaba abruptly called out to her. "I think I've got something. Break his stance, and he'll come crashing down."
Makoto swallowed hard.
"Easier said than done, Oracle."
She then sighed, looking towards the cognition of her father. She was one of the faster people on the team. But Makoto couldn't help but feel doubtful.
"I know, I know. But you can do it, Queen! I know you can!" Futaba encouraged.
At least she had a vote of confidence.
But just how could she get a hit in? Her eyes then drifted over to Sae. She needed to do it though. They had to properly confront Sae.
"Queen, what's the plan?" Ren asked.
"I need to get in close. But can you get him on the defensive?" Makoto asked.
She hated having to make up plans on the fly, but she really had no choice here.
Ren just nodded, giving her a thumbs up.
"Sounds like a good plan!"
"Joker, this is hardly a plan."
"Sometimes you gotta think on your feet. We'll find a way to take him down, don't worry, Queen."
Makoto sighed, "I hope you're right, Joker."
"We could use some help though, Oracle!" Ren called up to Futaba.
"Needy, needy... but here I go! Speed up!" Futaba exclaimed.
Green light shimmered around them, and Makoto could feel a lightness in her limbs now.
"Follow my lead, everyone!" Ren shouted, before tearing off his mask. "Seth!"
The dragon Ren summoned divebombed at the cognition of her dad, which he easily dodged by jumping backwards.
Her other friends struck. Hecate's flames intertwined with the bullets produced by Milady. Captain Kidd and Kamu Susano-o's powerful strikes caused tremors in the ground, but the cognition of her dad stood firm. Morgana had to swap from unleashing powerful gusts of wind to healing up everyone. Futaba hovered above their heads, occasionally healing them or offering them some kind of power up.
Futaba's advice echoed in her mind. Break his stance.
But how? Makoto found herself hovering at the edges.
Ren suddenly charged forward, shooting with his pistol. The cognition of her dad just narrowed his eyes before he lunged for Ren. But then Ken cut in, blocking the blow with his spear. The cognition pressed forward, but Ken suddenly jerked his arm up, sending the tonfa flying.
Light suddenly flared, making the cognition cry out. He stumbled backwards before he threw an arm over his eyes.
"Queen, now!" Akechi shouted.
Makoto darted forward, sweeping with her leg. The cognition was sent crashing down.
"Fox! Noir! You'll help me out, won't you?" She exclaimed, turning to look at her friends.
"Do you need to ask?" Yusuke questioned with a near scoff.
"Of course, Queen!" Haru just smiled.
"Y-You cannot…" the cognition said weakly, struggling to sit up.
"Watch us! MILADY!" Haru charged forward.
Milady's psychic spell lifted the cognition in the air.
"KAMU SUSANO-O!"
Kamu Susano-o slashed through the air several times, which the cognition was helpless to dodge.
"Goodbye, Dad," Makoto whispered.
Milady dropped the psychic spell. Makoto tore off her mask.
"ANAT!" she cried out.
The cognition of her dad barely hit the ground when the nuclear spell exploded.
The blue shield finally disappeared.
"What?! But how?!" Sae screeched.
They all stared Sae's shadow down. Akechi just smirked at her.
"Are you finally ready to face us head on?" Akechi scoffed.
"You keep on underestimatin' us! That's your biggest mistake!" Ryuji huffed.
Anne added, "No more hiding!"
"Fine, I'll crush you myself!" Sae growled.
"Bring it on! We'll take you on!" Ren goaded with a smirk.
Sae's response was to unleash a barrage of bullets from her rocket launcher, forcing them to scatter.
"You just don't understand—what I've had to do... to just survive! Nobody understands—!"
Makoto closed her eyes. Why hadn't Sae just talked to her? She would've listened. Maybe Sae wouldn't have turned out so warped if she had some support.
Then Sae suddenly shook her head, before charging forward. She swung wildly at Ren, but Haru quickly threw up a shield. She let out a sharp cry, stumbling backwards. But in the last moment, she caught herself. Ren took a moment to summon Kushinada-Hime, who lifted her arms. Red light shimmered around all of them, strengthening them.
Makoto couldn't focus on the past though; she had to focus on the present and the future. Sae would never feel this way again. Not if she had anything to say about it.
Morgana summoned Zorro, who whipped up a fierce gale. But Sae held fast, digging in her heels. She then charged forward.
"Kamu Susano-o!" Yusuke shouted.
A thin layer of ice suddenly appeared on the ground, causing Sae to slip and fall.
"Nice, Fox!" Futaba cheered.
Sae let out a frustrated growl, before digging her sword into the ice and using her sword as a crutch.
Several arrows of light cut through the air, a few digging into her thigh.
And yet, Makoto couldn't help but hesitate at joining the fray.
"Queen, you gotta snap out of this!"
Makoto jumped at the sound of Futaba's voice.
"I know this is not easy. But you've gotta! Your sis won't see sense any other way!"
Was there no other way though? They didn't have to fight Mishima.
Makoto shook her head. She had to just take the plunge. This was for Sae's own good.
"Stop looking at me like that! You—you're no longer my little sister! You're my enemy!" Sae snarled.
Ken suddenly darted in between them, blocking Sae's blow with the shaft of his spear. He turned slightly, catching Makoto's eye. Then he gave a hard shove, before swinging his spear at Sae's knees. Ken jumped to the side just as Anat appeared. The nuclear spell sent Sae sprawling.
"Nice move," Ken murmured.
"It only happened because you gave me an opening," Makoto muttered.
What was she going to do? It felt like no matter what, Sae would hold fast. That was just the type of person Sae was: stubborn and strong.
The battle seemed to drag on and on. And even though Sae was taking on nine enemies, she managed to keep up. Morgana and Ken had to keep switching from unleashing attacks to heal up everyone. It didn't matter how many brutal attacks from Ryuji and Yusuke. Or the amount of gun attacks from Haru and Ken. Or the variety of spells that Ren flung at her, or the powerful flames that Anne produced. She even withstood almighty spells from Akechi.
But Ren got a lucky shot, knocking Sae down to one knee.
"I'm... not done yet..." She breathed out.
Makoto ran forward.
"Sis! Please listen to me!"
Sae let out a frustrated growl before staggering to her feet.
"Why, so you can preach at me about how righteous you are and how wrong I am?! What does my little sister know?!"
"No, Sis!" Makoto shook her head fervently. "I told you before, I will always be on your side! No matter what! I'm doing this because I love you."
Sae seemed to falter, before shaking her head again.
She then hissed out, "Don't lie to me!"
She started to charge towards Makoto, only to be cut off by Hecate bombarding Sae with several fireballs.
"But it's true, Sis! I meant what I said before. I only want you back, Sis," Makoto begged.
"Well, keep wishing!" Sae snarled out before giving Hecate a swipe of her sword.
"You compared your actions to what we do before," Makoto continued.
She was forced to jump backwards as Sae launched another attack with her rocket launcher. Makoto coughed as black smoke began to pour out due to the rocket striking the ground.
"There's nothing wrong with exposing truths that otherwise would've been protected by the law!" Makoto persisted. "That's what we aim to do! We want to punish criminals who are protected by the system!"
Sae seemed to freeze at that, allowing Captain Kidd to sweep in with a fierce attack. With a burst of wind, Morgana leapt off Captain Kidd and slashed down.
"Remember how you felt when you first decided you wanted to be a prosecutor? Don't you remember the look on Dad's face when you told him your goal?"
She clutched her chest, silently praying that her words would reach her. She didn't want her words to fall on deaf ears.
"Stop dredging up the past! I'm not who I used to be!" Sae shouted.
Bolts of lightning stopped Sae in her tracks, courtesy of Ren. Kamu Susano-o then swept in, knocking Sae off her feet.
"You told me that you wanted to provide defendants a fighting chance!" Akechi called out to her, "Because nobody else could help them. Sae-san, do you still feel that way? Or do you just care about tallying up wins now?"
"You wanted to reform the system...just like we do!" Makoto continued, "Please try to remember, Sis! I know you still have your justice. Not this twisted sense of it… I know it's still in there!"
"I…" Sae suddenly let out a pained groan, struggling to her feet. "I don't know…"
A black aura suddenly surrounded her. When it faded away, it revealed Sae's original form.
"Sis!" Makoto cried out, racing over to her sister's side.
She dropped to her knees in front of Sae, grabbing Sae's hands. They were clammy and cold to the touch, but Makoto didn't care.
"Makoto…" Sae whispered. "I… I don't know what to believe."
"Sis, listen to me," Makoto said, giving Sae's hands a tight squeeze. "I mean every word I said. I know that you still have a sense of justice. You just lost your way, because of how Dad's death thrust you in a role that you just weren't ready for."
Makoto felt hot tears sting at her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sis…I'm so sorry. I didn't know the pain you were going through. I was too wrapped up in my own grief and then wanting to do you proud. You always seemed so strong. You seemed so smart and capable. I didn't know what you were going through." She bowed her head then added shakily, "F-Forgive me…"
She had to reach out to Sae. Somehow…
"I lost my sense of justice too," Makoto said softly. "I turned away from the truth, because I wanted to please the higher ups so badly. But I learned that's no way to live. To willingly blind yourself. You… You understand that, do you, Sis?"
"I…"
"I want you to be able to lean on me too, Sis. In the real world… let's talk this out."
Ryuji suddenly cleared his throat, a sheepish smile on his face as he held up the briefcase that Makoto had planted.
"Uhh… Fox and I got the Treasure."
"Good job, Skull!" Morgana complimented.
Akechi smiled, looking pleased.
"We just need to make our escape," Akechi stated. "Sae-san will be safe from any attempts on her life now. She won't be able to have a mental shutdown."
Then his eyes flickered to Ren.
"Though I must say, this deal we've made… has been quite the experience. I still can't believe that I, a detective, have been working alongside the infamous Phantom Thieves."
Ryuji huffed. "Yeah, yeah…"
"We could always continue," Morgana piped up.
"No, none of that." Akechi smiled thinly. "Ace tried that earlier today. We made a promise, no?"
"Was worth a try…" Anne gave a weak giggle.
"Now, we just need to get out of here. We still need to actually steal Niijima-san's Treasure." Then Ken looked to Makoto. "Queen?"
Makoto swallowed hard before she shakily stood up.
"Yes, I know. Let's go—"
Futaba suddenly gasped.
"G-Guys! This is bad. Really bad!"
It was time.
It was showtime. Ren schooled his expression to be neutral as Futaba suddenly stiffened.
She then pressed both hands to her temples, concentrating.
"G-Guys!" She squeaked out, then bit her lip. "This is bad. Really bad!"
"What's wrong, Oracle?" Ken asked.
Ryuji demanded, "Yeah seriously, what's going on?!"
"Enemies ahead! Lots and lots of them! Shadows and… humans?! How did they get here?" Futaba reported.
Futaba then sucked in a breath.
"This is bad… I can sense the Shadows getting all riled up!"
"W-What?" Haru's eyes widened. "But how...?"
"And why are all the Shadows all agitated?" Makoto inquired, before she shook her head. "Never mind that. Our priority is to escape from here."
"We have had some... interesting escapes, but none like this," Yusuke stated.
Ryuji just grimaced. "But with all these people crawling around... This won't be easy."
"Let me be a distraction," Ren spoke up before surveying his friends. "I can lead them off. You guys can get to safety and I'll rendezvous with you. The usual spot, yeah?"
"What?! B-But Joker, that's too dangerous—!" Anne squeaked out.
For someone who wasn't the best actress, Anne was definitely bringing her A-game. Her big blue eyes were the size of dinner plates, suddenly glassy. Both her bottom lip and hands trembled.
"Believe in him, Panther," Ryuji said firmly. "This guy has wiggled his way outta impossible situations time and time again. He'll come back to us, yeah?"
Ryuji's eyes then met Ren's as he handed over the fake Treasure.
"Of course, I will," Ren said firmly.
Ken sighed, "Don't do anything too reckless."
Morgana then huffed out a laugh.
"You might as well ask him to give up coffee. Or go to bed on time."
"You wound me, both of you!" Ren teased.
"They're just speaking the truth," Yusuke quipped with a fond smile.
"Joker… please be careful. We can't lose you," Makoto cautioned.
"Same goes for all of you. You've become important to me. All of you," Ren said seriously.
He then reached into his pockets, pulling out several smoke bombs.
"Break into three groups. Mona, you're in charge of Group A. Skull and Panther, you'll be with him. Queen, you'll lead Group B. You've got Fox and Noir with you. And Group C… Ace, you lead. You'll take Crow and Oracle with you."
These were the last of his smoke bombs. Thankfully Kawakami had scrounged him up some free time today so he could craft these. But it'd be worth it if it got his friends out of a scrape. His conversation with Ryuji and Anne yesterday still burned in his mind. If they were chased by Shido's men, maybe this will help them get a quick getaway.
The atmosphere was heavy. This was it. His friends all looked at him solemnly, worry clear in their eyes.
Anne then looked at him sternly.
"Joker, if you don't come back to us, I'll never forgive you!"
Determination burned in her eyes. Despite what Anne said, he didn't always know what to say. But hey, actions spoke louder than words.
He grabbed her by the shoulders, drawing a squeak from her. He then captured her lips, giving her a quick, yet intense kiss. For a moment, he just focused on the girl in his arms. It was nice but unfortunately, they had more important things to take care of.
He released Anne from his embrace. Her expression was dreamy, her eyes slightly glazed and a pink flush to her cheeks.
He winked at her. "That's a promise, my lady."
Then he turned on his heel and ran.
Truth be told, Ren didn't really know where he was going. Thank goodness for Futaba. He didn't know what he'd do without her. She navigated him to the main area of the casino.
Ren fought the urge to smirk. Time to have some fun.
The crowd murmured uncertainly as he leapt back and forth. Ren suddenly stopped, watching the men in black push their way through. Shido was really pulling the big guns, wasn't he? Ren allowed a smirk to curve at his lips.
"Looking for me?" Ren called out, waggling the fake Treasure to add the effect. "Wow, you guys are simply terrible at your jobs!"
"It's him! Get him!" one man shouted.
"Gotta be faster than that to catch me, boys!" Ren taunted, before allowing another smirk to appear across his face.
He gave a jaunty little wave. Because hey, he might as well have fun with this.
"See ya!"
He then hightailed it out of there. Over Futaba's comm, his friends offered their commentary.
"Excellent work, Joker," Morgana complimented him. "Quite a show you gave them."
"They'll be out for blood, though. Did you really have to challenge them like that? That's just asking for trouble." Ken sighed.
"Don't be such a killjoy, Ace," Ryuji groaned.
Ken quickly retorted with, "Excuse me for being cautious."
Makoto chided, "That's enough, both of you."
"But Mona's right! You were great out there, Joker!" Anne cheered.
"Only you could do that, Joker." Yusuke then added, "Skull can only dream of pulling that kind of feat."
"Oh, shuddup Inari!" Ryuji snapped.
Haru just laughed. "Someone's feeling lively today."
"Enough, enough." Akechi laughed. "We need to slip off to the rendezvous, remember? I'd hate to keep Joker waiting!"
Whatever you say, traitor. At least Ren didn't have to smother the urge to scowl.
"I'll meet you guys there. See you soon! Focus on meeting up outside!" Ren promised.
"There he is!" came a shout.
"And this is the part where I run," Ren muttered under his breath.
"Really, Joker? You make the lamest jokes sometimes." Futaba snorted.
"Uh, excuse me, but I'm a comedy genius," Ren huffed as he made a dash for freedom. "My name's Joker after all."
"That's very debatable," Ken snarked.
Ren could practically see him shaking his head.
Ren retorted, "You're the last person to critique my jokes, you don't have a sense of humor."
"Now is really not the time for this!" Makoto scoffed.
He made it to a balcony, only to be cut off by a group of Shadows.
"Take 'em down, Joker!" Anne cheered.
He smirked, feeling a surge of confidence. He couldn't let his girlfriend down after all.
He leapt forward, his fingers already grasping on the edges of the Shadow's mask. He tore it off, revealing a Shadow he's never seen before.
It was almost like a bull… robot? Weird. But then again, he's fought some really weird Shadows. Ren didn't think anything could beat that demon on a toilet or weird dick slime Shadow they had fought at Kamoshida's Palace.
Fire suddenly shot out of his eyes and Ren had to jump backwards. Ren reached up to tear off his mask, only for a voice to echo in his mind.
"Have you forgotten me?"
Wait…
Arsène?
You have done well these past few months, channeling your furious power. Now use that power… to defeat the enemies before you! Call my name... and my power will be yours to command once more!
"ARSÈNE!" Ren shouted.
Arsène appeared with a flash. Ren couldn't help but grin. Yeah, it was time to kick some Shadow ass.
Arsène was strong. Much stronger. He used powerful curse spells, was able to block the Shadows' attacks by shielding himself with his wings… It wasn't long before the Shadows fell.
He couldn't believe it. It was as his Persona had promised. But Arsene felt stronger somehow. How? Ren wasn't entirely sure. But he had a feeling that he'd find out. Very soon.
Arsène suddenly appeared before him.
"Your fate… will soon be determined. Recall everything. Remember the bonds you've forged with your friends."
His friends' faces flashed in his minds. Yes… he had faith in them. Not just his fellow partners-in-crime. All of his Confidants.
"If you are fated to continue beyond this point… then we surely will meet again."
He was going to survive. He'd make Niijima believe in him.
"Hello? Are you just gonna stand there, gawking?"
"Hey, I'm allowed to rest a little, aren't I? Where to now, Oracle?" Ren asked.
"Uhh—the door in front of you?"
"Someone's feeling snarky today," Ren quipped, but he ran for the door.
He had to duck and sneak around Shido's men. But it was all too easy for him, with how he's honed these skills for months now.
"So… where to now, Oracle?" Ren asked as he burst through the door.
Nothing.
Ren frowned, before cautiously speaking.
"Oracle?"
No answer. Crap.
It must be because of them dodging Shido's men. Damn. Ren really hoped that she and Ken were okay.
What if Anne had been right?
No... he couldn't worry about that. Not now, he had to focus on the mission right now, and he had no navigator. Time to fall back to his default plan: winging it.
Shido really wasn't pulling any of the stops when it came to this operation. It hammered in how desperate he was to take them down.
Ken sighed, looking back in the direction of where they had come from. He really hoped that Ren would be okay.
"This is really insane," Anne muttered, hugging herself for a moment.
Ryuji shook his head, "Yeah, no kidding!"
"Come on, guys, no bickering." Morgana's voice took the air of a stern teacher. "We have to get to the meeting point! Joker's waiting for us!"
Sometimes it amazed him how much of an act he and his friends were putting up.
Ken forced himself to look at Morgana. "Right. We'll meet you there."
Ryuji flashed them all a big grin before giving a quick salute.
"See ya on the other side!"
The original Phantom Thieves then took off, tearing down the path. Ken found his eyes drifting to his girlfriend, who was looking back to where they had fought Niijima-san. A soft sigh escaped her lips.
Haru nudged Makoto in the side.
"Queen?"
"I… I'm fine." Makoto closed her eyes for a moment. "I just hoped that I reached out to Sis…"
"I'm sure you did, Queen." Yusuke sighed.
Ken grabbed her by the arm.
"Queen, have faith in yourself. What you said to your sister...came from your heart. If she isn't too far gone, as you believe, your words should reach her."
"But don't forget that we still have things to do," Akechi stated.
Ken shot him an irritated glare. That was really not helping.
But then Makoto looked to him, her expression unreadable. She didn't say anything. Instead she grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket, pulling him down for a kiss. Ken's hands moved up to cradle her face.
For a moment the world seemed to fade away. The stress and worry over this past month just...melted away. Then Makoto suddenly broke off the kiss.
"You're right, Ace," she said softly before she suddenly coughed. "And you, Crow."
But then she smiled. Makoto really did have a beautiful smile. Especially when she felt confident.
"So… I'll see you soon. Keep Oracle out of trouble!"
"Hey!" Futaba puffed up in anger. "What's that supposed to mean?!"
"You could not do this when I have a sketchpad in hand?" Yusuke complained. "How inconsiderate of you."
Makoto rolled her eyes, before grabbing onto Yusuke's sleeve.
"Come on, let's get going already."
Ken coughed before glancing to Futaba and Akechi.
"Jeez, Queen really pulled a shoujo move on you back there," Futaba teased. "You're speechless."
Ken rolled his eyes.
"Moving on. You need to keep an eye on Joker."
"But—"
"Oracle." He shot her a glare.
Futaba huffed before pouting for a moment.
"You're no fun."
Akechi just chuckled, "I believe Queen thinks otherwise."
Ken just groaned, "Oh great... you too."
Akechi just smiled innocently.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Ace," he lightly teased.
"Ugh…" Ken grumbled.
Even Akechi delighted in teasing him... wonderful.
But they headed off. Unfortunately, they had to stop ever so often so that Futaba could communicate with Ren. Especially with how he ended up having to fight a Shadow at one point.
"So this is Arsène, huh?" Futaba clenched her hands into fists, "His power level… it's over eight thousand!"
Akechi stared blankly. "I… do not understand."
"Um—hello? Have you never watched Phoenix Ball Z?"
"I cannot say I have," he said sheepishly.
"You uncultured swine!" Futaba gasped.
"Come on, we got to go. You can scold Crow for not watching that show later. How far are we?" Ken chided.
"Hmm…" Futaba pressed both hands against her temples. "I'd say about…two thirds?"
Akechi straightened up. "Shall we get going then—"
The loud sound of pounding footsteps cut him off.
It was a group of ten men. One of the men pressed a finger against his ear.
"This is Sector Four. We've located the secondary target."
What… target?
Ken quickly shook his head.
He couldn't worry about that now! They had to get out. Now.
"Secondary target?" Futaba asked numbly.
"No time for that, move!" Ken said sharply.
"But what about Joker?! He's counting on me!" Futaba protested.
Akechi interjected. "He's known for working on the fly. We must get to safety!"
"We can't take any chances! Come on!" Ken agreed.
"Stop! Or we'll shoot!" One man shouted.
"What I wouldn't give for Noir to be here…" Futaba moaned out. "I know we can't really be busting our Personas with them but why not shoot at them?"
"I'd rather not," Ken said.
He preferred to use Kala-Nemi's gun attacks over shooting his gun. And even when they fought Strega, it was still different… they were rogue Persona-users; besides that, they had used their Personas to fight against Strega, not their weapons. But these guys… they were just humans.
"It's best not to. We may be held liable by the law if we attack them," Akechi seconded.
"Oh sure, but they can shoot at us," Futaba griped.
Ken just grabbed her arm and dragged her along with him. They ran for god knew how long. Ken honestly wished that Ren had given them a Goho-M instead of a smoke bomb…
"Up there!" Akechi pointed above. "Perhaps we can find one of those vents our leader seems so fond of climbing through…"
Ken nodded, "Good idea."
Then he pulled out one of the smoke bombs that Ren gave him and threw it in the direction of the men.
The moment it struck the ground, black smoke began to pour out. It was chaos—men shouting in disarray, a couple of stray bullets. Ken grabbed Futaba by the hand, before giving her a boost.
This wasn't good. This was not good. Futaba already was exhausted, panting and sweating.
"I can… find an escape route." Futaba gasped out, "We just gotta get far enough."
Akechi frowned. "I hope Joker is all right."
Out of the corner of Ken's eye, he saw the men pointing their guns at them. Without thinking, he shoved both Futaba and Akechi to the ground. Most of the bullets just ricocheted off the wall, bouncing away from them. But one managed to nick his shoulder.
Ken sunk to his knees, biting down on his lower lip so not to scream.
Futaba scrambled to her feet.
"Ace!"
Ken grimaced, before concentrating to heal his shoulder.
"I'm fine," he lied as he tried not to grimace.
God, and Shinjiro-san took two bullets head on. One right in the chest. How did he do it?
"C-Come on, we gotta get moving..." Ken said.
But the men still gave chase. And even now, Ken couldn't decide just which of them they were after. A part of Ken wanted to use the second smoke bomb, but he couldn't help but hesitate. They didn't know how close they were to the exit. Futaba can't pinpoint the meet-up place like this...
"This isn't good," Akechi said grimly, turning his head to look at the men. "We must come up with a strategy and fast."
"No duh!" Futaba snapped out.
Ken looked over his shoulder and then back to his companions.
"There's so many of them… and they have one target, apparently..." he mumbled out.
"Allow me to act as a diversion, then. Just think of it as thanks for earlier," Akechi stated as he cracked a smile.
"Did you fall and hit your head, Crow?!" Ken had to stop and stare in disbelief.
Akechi just tilted his head. "Ah, I didn't know you cared so much, Ace."
"You realize that this will just encourage you to be shot at more right?" he questioned the high school detective.
What was his angle? Did Akechi even know about this? And if he managed to lead off the men, this meant that there would be less of a chance of success of whoever the target was being captured.
Or maybe Shido hadn't even told him about this.
"That's fine. You two need to get to safety. Get in contact with Joker." Akechi cracked a wry smile. "Hopefully he's not too lost without you, Oracle."
Without waiting for Ken or Futaba to say anything else, he turned on his heel and ran towards the men.
Something inside of Ken rebelled against just letting Akechi running off like that. He had felt hollow when Takaya had died… maybe that was it.
"Wait, Crow!"
The moment Akechi whipped around to face him, Ken threw him the remaining smoke bomb; he barely managed to catch it. Akechi looked to him in surprise.
"Don't do anything stupid," Ken added.
Determination filled Akechi's face.
"Likewise, to you."
"Ace…" Futaba turned her head to look at Ken. "Why did you do that?"
"Let me get back to you on that when I figure that out." Ken sighed.
Futaba just snorted.
"You're unbelievable. For someone who's such a grump sometimes, you can also be too nice for your own good…" she quipped.
Ken opened his mouth to reply, only to shut it when they heard a shout, "Don't let them out of your sight!"
"Uh-oh... come on, Oracle!"
He quickly looked over his shoulder. Three men. Akechi must have managed to get the attention of the majority of them, then.
Some more gunshots. Ken managed to dodge, but Futaba wasn't so lucky. Her pained scream rattled in Ken's ears. He whipped around to see Futaba on the ground, whimpering as she clutched her shoulder.
"Oracle!"
"One wrong move and she dies."
One man stalked forward, pointing a gun right at Ken's chest. His heart started to hammer hard against his chest. His eyes darted to Futaba, with the other two men pointing their guns at her.
"Drop your weapons. Now."
One man stepped forward, yanking Futaba up by her hair, which made her yelp.
No, no, no… Ken's legs almost gave way.
"Do I have to repeat myself or are you truly stupid?" the man said coldly.
Ken squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before he dropped his spear. Then he reached for the gun holster and drew out his gun. It joined his spear.
"What do you want?"
He had to stall for time. Maybe if he talked, it could provide a distraction big enough for Futaba to break free. His eyes darted to Futaba once more. She was shaking.
Of course she was scared! God, how could he be so stupid? Why hadn't he made sure that Futaba was in front of him?! Maybe then, he could've shielded Futaba at least.
"It's not what we want," the third man sneered. "We're just following orders."
Of course. But why? What did Shido want?
"I didn't think she'd be such a pipsqueak, though," her captor remarked, his tone almost idle as if he was discussing the weather.
Ken wanted to summon Kala-Nemi so badly, sic his Persona on these men, but he couldn't. One wrong move and Futaba could pay dearly for it. Not to mention these guys were still humans. One wrong move and he could kill them. They may work for Shido, but that didn't mean he had any right to play as executioner.
"She's the one feeding the damn thieves their info, though," the first man stated. "And according to our sources…the daughter of Wakaba Isshiki."
Ken felt his heart freeze after hearing that. They recognized Futaba. That was definitely not good.
Futaba's captor smirked. "Who knows what she knows about cognitive psience. Not to mention, the actual Phantom Thieves."
The very thought of Futaba being in vicinity of Shido made him ill. Shido was absolutely ruthless. What if… Futaba couldn't tell him anything that he wanted to hear? What would happen then? Was… Was she the second target those men mentioned?
"Ace, run… please run! Meet up with the others!" Futaba begged.
"No! I'm not abandoning you!" Ken snapped.
The what ifs were running in his mind. He would not let someone get hurt for the sake of his safety. Never again. It happened twice already. Not to mention that Futaba was essential for the plan to work. They needed this plan to work. Ren's life was on the line too.
"Please." Ken's voice cracked as he dropped to his knees. He then pleaded, "Let her go. She's only fifteen—"
He didn't care if he looked pathetic. He just needed Futaba to be safe.
"No sell. Want to try again?" one of the men mocked.
Ken bit his lip. It was worth a shot, but...obviously the chances of that working were slim. Incredibly slim.
What could he do?! He had to get Futaba out of there. She was the one who needed to get to safety. But then an idea suddenly struck Ken, like a bolt of lightning.
It was reckless. Ken could not deny that. But what else could he do? Two lives. No, even more, possibly. Shido might not be satisfied. He could go after everyone else. All their lives over his…. this was the only way.
Ken drew a shaky breath, before he squared his shoulders. It took all his willpower to speak the next three words.
"Take me instead."
"Both men in black and cops from the look of it," Chie observed. "Hmm… I think I'll have to blend in at wherever they're taking Ren-kun."
"It's not far. Remember what Ken-kun told us? The police station is right by the courthouse," Rise piped up.
"Well, that makes it a bit easier for us," Akihiko said before he straightened up. "But… I guess it'll be just be me here then."
"Aki, wait."
Akihiko stopped at Shinjiro's words, and he turned to look at him. "Yeah, Shinji?"
"Don't do anythin' stupid," Shinji said finally. "We haven't been sneaking around for months for you to mess it up and get caught."
"Um, what's this we? Hasn't it been just Ken-kun?" Rise asked teasingly.
Shinjiro glowered at her; Rise really knew how to push his buttons. He should speak up before Rise annoyed Shinji further.
Akihiko just grinned at his best friend. "Yeah, I'll be careful, don't worry."
He then took off, slipping into the crowd. With the chaos, it was too easy to blend in.
"The targets are slippery…" one man grumbled.
"We just need to apprehend the two main targets. Our intel gave us pretty concise information. The one with black messy hair. And the brown-haired kid in black."
A pit formed in Akihiko's stomach.
Shit. Shitshitshit—
Why didn't they realize this before?! Shido wanted to neutralize all of the threats. And taking Ken as a hostage… would give Shido leverage against Mitsuru!
Dammit… what should he do? What can he do? He was supposed to help Ren but the idea of Ken being in danger made Akihiko feel ill.
"Akihiko-san!" Rise suddenly exclaimed. "Change of plans."
"W-What?" Akihiko lowered his voice. "Rise—"
"Ken-kun and Futaba-chan are in danger," Rise said bluntly. "They've been cornered by Shido's men. Shinjiro-san is on his way, but you're definitely closer to Ken-kun and Futaba-chan. You have to go. NOW!"
Oh god. Oh god. Akihiko felt sick to his stomach.
"Stop floundering around, Aki!" Shinji snapped at him over Rise's comm. "I know what we planned, but that bastard Shido pulled a fast one on us. We gotta move and fast!"
"You're right." Akihiko muttered before he took a peek around the corner. "Rise, I need directions."
He hoped he wasn't too late…
"Take me instead."
W-What?! What was Ken saying?!
"Ohhh?" Her captor drawled out, "Why would we do that?"
Ken didn't bat an eye, as he laid a hand over his chest.
"I'm the second-in-command. It's only natural, since I have the most experience out of everyone."
He spoke so evenly, his expression neutral. Futaba just stared at him in horror.
What was he—no! He couldn't be serious…
"Ace—NO!" Futaba shook her head desperately. "What are you doing?! He's lying!"
"Quiet, girl!" one of the men snarled.
Her captor studied Ken, his gaze scrutinizing.
"And you would just come willingly?"
Ken narrowed his eyes.
"Let Oracle go. Let her walk out of here, unharmed, and I will go with you."
Her captor looked at his cohorts, "What do you think?"
"That should guarantee the Phantom Thieves' fall," one man mused. "They wouldn't dare to rise again if both leader and the second-in-command are taken out of the picture."
No, no, no… This couldn't be happening! This was a nightmare. Futaba wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. Ken was basically agreeing to be dragged to Shido for who knows what! Ken had done his best to hide his ties to the Shadow Operatives from Akechi but... he was doing this to protect her. Because they needed her to save Ren.
The thought was enough to make Futaba want to cry.
"You don't want him, take me instead!" Futaba begged.
Ken snapped, "Oracle, quiet!"
She wanted to scream. At him. Her life was not worth more than his! So why was he so easily giving himself up?!
This was a common thing. The hero trading himself to protect a loved one. But she never wanted to happen in real life.
"Very well, we accept your deal."
Futaba was suddenly thrown to the ground.
"We'll even let you say goodbye."
Ken dropped down to Futaba's level, carefully helping her up.
"Ace…why? You—" Futaba choked out.
"Shh—it'll be okay." Ken's voice was impossibly gentle, before he smoothed her hair out of her face.
Then his hand settled on top of her shoulder, concentrating to heal her. Futaba could not be soothed by that. Not when her stomach was churning like a whirlpool.
Why did Ken give himself up so easily?!
"No, it won't!" Futaba cried out, hot tears pricking at her eyes. "Why are you lying to me?! Do you realize what will happen?!"
Her chest felt tight; it was so hard to breathe…
Please… someone come save us! She internally begged.
Ken's expression faltered at that.
"I have an… inkling," he said softly.
"Why…" Futaba sniffled. "Why did you this?"
Ken pulled her close for a hug. Futaba clung to him. Ken was not a huggy kind of person. The most affection he had shown her was him patting her head.
"You should know the answer already," he whispered to her.
Right… because she was instrumental to the plan.
Futaba was suddenly torn away from Ken.
Nonono—
"Time's up."
One man grabbed Ken by the collar, hauling Ken to his feet.
"Say good night, brat," he drawled out, a malicious smile on his face.
Futaba suddenly noticed a syringe in his hand. He then plunged the syringe into Ken's neck. The drug was fast acting. The man released Ken's collar. Ken then collapsed to the ground, blue flames flaring around him. His Metaverse costume was replaced by Ken's school uniform.
"P-Please…" Futaba suddenly found her voice. "D-Don't do this."
The second man sneered, "What a pathetic little girl."
The last man added, "Consider yourself lucky, girly. Your friend here demanded safe passage for you, and well…what kind of people would we be if we broke our promise?"
"No—please! Don't take him away!" Futaba begged.
She didn't care if she sounded pathetic.
The man just smirked.
"Orders are orders. And we can't come emptyhanded," he chuckled. "Our benefactor would have our heads."
At his statement, the realization hit Futaba like a pile of rocks.
"You… wanted him from the start." Futaba croaked out.
Oh god, oh god, it was a bluff. It was a bluff. And it was all her fault.
It took a moment for Futaba to push past the haze of panic. Ken… they took him.
"No... NO! Bring him back! PLEASE!" she cried out, to no avail.
Futaba tore off her goggles, throwing it aside. Tears scalded her cheeks.
"Ace… Ken… I'm sorry," she sobbed out as she curled into a ball. She pressed a face against her knees. "I'M SORRY! I…I…"
She wasn't strong enough. She wasn't fast enough, like Ken had warned her just a few weeks ago.
Why couldn't she have powers like Rise-san? To fight? Maybe then they wouldn't have gotten caught. She should have found a way to escape. It was her job to navigate.
She had managed to turn the tides countless times. Why had this been any different?
A broken sob escaped her.
Just a few months ago, she had thought that she was the one responsible for Mom's death. But it turned out to be a lie fabricated by Shido's men. But this?
Nothing could resolve her from this guilt. She'd be responsible for whatever happened to Ken. And she couldn't even imagine what Shido had planned for him.
Her tears just wouldn't stop coming.
So Futaba just buried her face in her hands and wept.
Notes:
I wanted to emphasize that Sae was not too far gone, so Makoto was able to talk her down.
Papa Niijima's weapons were inspired by Juna Crawford in Trails of Cold Steel III. Her tonfas had two modes: Striker and Gunner. Striker Mode had her use tonfas in a traditional manner, while Gunner had her tonfas be able to shoot.
Additionally, the DBZ ref. It originally was 8000, not 9000. The Ocean dub changed it. Speaking of refs, does anyone recognize where I got the chapter title?
So… the cliffhanger. As I started outlining Sae's arc, it occurred to me that Ken shouldn't get away without a personal confrontation with Shido. The older Persona-users' involvement was not a complete red herring. Chie and Rise will be helping out Ren. But Akihiko and Shinji? Well, that's another story.
And please bear with me with the slower updates. I have plans to write for a few shipping weeks (AkiHam/Shuann/YusuHaru/Shuyuka), which are coming up in a few months. But I swear I won't give up on this fic. It's my baby, and I intend to finish it.
Lastly, I've set up a tumblr for this fic! Find it here!
Some people have been messaging me on fanfiction.net but I'm terrible at replying, which I apologize for. I'll be posting fanart I've commissioned and some silly memes I've made. Feel free to ask me questions on there!
Speaking of fanart, I've commissioned two pieces since last update!
One is of Ken/Makoto. You can find it here.
The other is of Ken and an AU Akechi. Specifically, my beta Erin's AU! It's in the works still but it's really amazing! I look forward to the day she publishes it! You can find it here.
EDIT: My beta's AU is now up! Find it here.
(Also it's my birthday! Sooo reviews are much appreciated! :D)
/shot
Chapter 40: Ch. 39: Zugzwang
Summary:
Zugzwang: A situation in which the obligation to make a move in one's turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage.
Or, Ken's kidnapping leaves everyone shook and unsure on what to do. But the Phantom Thieves and the Shadow Operatives have to take action before it's too late.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
For the hundredth time this night, Shinjiro cursed to himself.
"Dammit, how could we all miss this?" he thought.
Shinjiro shook his head, shoving the thought out of his mind. He had to focus on getting to Ken.
Kujikawa had directed him to the area where Ken and the Sakura girl was supposed to be at. On his way, he quickly ran into Aki. They gave a nod and now both were running towards where Ken was. He really hoped that he and Aki would get there to bash some skulls in, not find out that something happened to Ken.
"Where to now, Rise?" Aki asked suddenly.
Her silence made them both very uneasy.
"Rise?" Aki's voice was tentative.
"I… I can't sense Ken-kun anymore."
Kujikawa's voice suddenly broke.
"I-I'm sorry," she said, sounding close to tears. "I am so sorry. I-If I had realized things sooner…"
She might as well punched him in the gut.
Fuck. Fuck, this was not happening. This was a god damn nightmare.
What the hell did Shido have planned? What did he want with Ken?
This was his fault; he didn't even think of this! And he insisted to come to Tokyo with Ken so this kind of thing wouldn't happen.
"Shinji… you gotta snap outta it!" Aki urged him in a low voice, grabbing him by the shoulder.
The moment his eyes locked with his friend, Shinjiro's shame was suddenly engulfed by a wave of rage.
He couldn't wallow in self-pity. Shido was the root of everything. He fucked with countless people. And now he took Ken.
When he got ahold of Shido, the bastard was dead meat.
Shinjiro quickly shook off Aki's hand.
"We need to track down Shido. Now."
"W-Wait, you can't be serious, Shinjiro-san!" Kujikawa squeaked out.
Shinjiro narrowed his eyes, before hissing out, "Did I stutter, Kujikawa?"
"Shinji, you need to calm down."
Aki grabbed him by the shoulder again.
"I don't care!" Shinjiro snarled out, glowering at his friend, "Use your brain, Aki. What do you think Shido's gonna do with Ken? Huh? Offer him some fancy tea and pastries? I don't fucking care, I want Shido dead. I'm going to wring his neck and then—"
Aki's expression suddenly hardened before he pulled his hand away. It then balled into a fist before Aki suddenly socked Shinjiro right in the face. The force was strong enough to send Shinjiro stumbling back a few steps.
"Son of a—"
"Guys, don't fight!" Kujikawa cried out, but Aki ignored her.
"I care about Ken too, you know!" Aki suddenly seized him by both shoulders, a fierce glower on his face. "You seriously think I'm not worried too?!"
"I didn't—"
But Aki then suddenly broke away, before he rubbed at his face.
"But we can't fly off the handle. You know that, Shinji. You always gave me crap for being reckless. Follow your own advice. We have to be careful about this. As much as I'd love to punch Shido's face in, we can't. We have to be smart about this."
He silently cursed to himself; he hated to admit it but Aki was right.
"Sorry, I just—I got so mad and…" Shinjiro muttered out.
"I understand being mad, Shinji," Aki cut him off, before giving him a tiny smile. "Believe me, I do."
Rise cut in anxiously, "Futaba-chan is still there. She's not answering me though."
"Let's find her. We need to find out what the hell happened." Shinjiro nodded.
Kujikawa directed them to Sakura. As they got closer and closer, they heard a weird sound.
"Is that…?" Aki asked slowly. "Crying?"
"Only one way to find out. C'mon, Aki," Shinjiro replied.
Sure enough, Sakura was huddled in a corner, her knees drawn up to her chest as she sobbed.
"Futaba!" Aki called out to her.
Sakura's head shot up, her face tearstained. Her eyes were bloodshot, glassy with unshed tears. Her face was red and blotchy.
"Oh man…" Aki sighed.
Aki rubbed his jaw before carefully approaching Sakura. He then crouched in front of her, before he sharply inhaled.
"Futaba, your shoulder!"
Aki then lifted his hand, already glowing with the blue aura of Diaharan.
"Ken already healed me," Sakura said flatly.
While Sakura was no social butterfly like Takamaki or Kujikawa, Sakura's voice was always filled with energy whenever Shinjiro saw her. But now, all emotion was devoid of her voice. It was unnerving, coming from her. But then again, the way Ken had talked about her Palace… he had to fight back the urge to wince.
Something in Sakura seemed to crack and the dams broke. She started to shake.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I couldn't—I couldn't…" Sakura croaked.
This seemed to bring on another wave of tears. She hung her head down in shame.
She then said miserably, "I failed as a scanner. M-Maybe if I could fight like Rise, then Ken would've—"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Futaba-chan!" Kujikawa interrupted, her voice unusually fierce.
Apparently, she had been listening this whole damn time.
Sakura flinched at Kujikawa's voice, but this seemed to catch her attention. She was still crying but at least she was momentarily distracted. It seemed to help her slightly calm down.
Kujikawa heaved out a heavy sigh.
"I know how you feel, believe me. But this situation… it's not normal. It was a set-up. So please, stop beating yourself up over this, Futaba-chan!"
Shinjiro let out a sigh himself as Sakura finally seemed to calm down a bit more.
"Sakura, what happened?" he questioned.
"I… I…" She was on the verge of sobbing again, shaking so hard that her hair was quivering.
"Shinji…" Aki hissed at him.
He sighed again; he understood his friend wanting to be more careful with her but they still needed to know.
Sakura struggled to her feet, wiping at her eyes. Shinjiro's hand dove into his pocket, digging out a handkerchief. He wordlessly offered it to her. She wiped at her eyes first before nosily blowing her nose. Shinjiro tried not to grimace. He was just going to let her keep the thing.
She sniffled several times before speaking shakily.
"A squadron of Shido's men came. They said that they found the secondary target. So we ran. Akechi eventually broke off from us, claiming that he wanted to lead off the men. But three of them remained. They chased after us."
Then she squeezed her eyes shut, before she hugged herself. She looked so vulnerable. She looked like a little girl in that moment. Sometimes Shinjiro forgot that she was only fifteen. She was just a kid.
"I got caught. I-I was too slow and—and…"
"And then what?" Aki pressed gently.
"Ken got scared. They claimed that they were gonna take me to Shido. So he lied and said he was the second-in-command and—why was he so stupid?! Why did he have to take the fall?!" She choked back on another sob.
"Dammit… not again…" Shinjiro thought to himself.
Shinjiro stomped down the urge to curse aloud, forcing himself to settle for balling his hands into fists.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault," Sakura whimpered.
"It's not!" Shinjiro snapped.
Sakura flinched at the force of his voice, making Shinjiro sigh yet again. He had to be gentle about this.
"This shit, it's all on Shido. Not you, not Ken—Shido's to blame. We'll figure something out, Sakura. We will get Ken back."
He had to be careful about talking though. They never knew who was lurking around.
"B-But how?"
Aki quickly interjected, "First, you've got the plan to enact. After Akechi ditches you to go after Ren, stop by Shinji and Ken's place. We'll talk over things and figure something out, don't worry."
His friend gave the young teen an encouraging smile.
Shinjiro replied gruffly, "They'll be worried for ya. You should get back to the others before they start a search party."
"What am I going to tell Queen?" Sakura fretted, wringing her hands now.
Aki gave her another reassuring smile.
"Don't worry about it. It'll be fine. But get going, okay?" he said gently.
"Okay." She nodded uncertainly.
Sakura sniffled, before swiping at her eyes one last time. She took her goggles off her head, slipping it over her eyes. She took off to resume reuniting with her teammates.
It was quiet for several moments, even after Sakura disappeared out of sight. Shinjiro just felt… numb. He couldn't even describe the feeling. It just gnawed at him.
Aki suddenly shook his head. He then walked forward, apparently looking to investigate. Shinjiro heavily exhaled through his nostrils, rubbing his face. What a disaster.
Aki then returned, wordlessly holding up a spear and a gun.
Shinjiro squeezed his eyes shut, another wave of guilt washed over him seeing those.
"Let's carry 'em outta here," he said hoarsely. "We need to meet up with Satonaka and Kujikawa before leaving."
If any god was out there listening, he pleaded with them that Ken would make it back safely to them.
"Ken… please be okay."
"Come on, Shinji," Aki said quietly.
Shinjiro just sighed. "Yeah, I'm coming."
Something was wrong. Very wrong. Ken's group still hadn't shown up yet.
Makoto shook her head as a fresh wave of anxiety hit her. She was just being paranoid. They were gonna be fine.
A sudden frigid gust suddenly blew through, making Makoto shiver.
"I-It'll be okay," Haru said haltingly before resting a hand on Makoto's arm. "They just had to keep taking a break. You know, so Oracle could guide Joker."
"Mm-hm." Makoto nodded nervously.
Haru was trying to be comforting, after all. But nothing would calm her down until Ken's group made it back. She was so worried. Why had they lost communication? They had no idea where Ren was either.
Haru forced a smile on her face. "Just you wait, Queen! They'll come through any minute—"
The door abruptly slammed open, grabbing everyone's attention instantly.
"Jeez, what took you so—" Ryuji began.
Akechi stumbled out, panting heavily. He was alone.
Makoto felt a pit form in her stomach. What had happened? Where were Ken and Futaba?
"Where are Ace and Oracle, Crow?" Anne voiced Makoto's thoughts.
Akechi winced.
"Did they not make it back yet?" he asked.
Yusuke frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"There was a squadron after one of us." Akechi said slowly, "I broke away from Ace and Oracle, in hopes of leading them off."
"And you just left them?!" Ryuji sounded furious, his hands balling into fists.
Makoto felt sick to her stomach.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god!" she thought in panic.
Had something happened to them? Had one of them been captured? Or worse—both?
"We gotta go back!" Ryuji shouted, hand clenched tightly around his bat.
"We mustn't! Don't you recall Joker's orders? Furthermore, what if we get caught as well?!" Yusuke argued.
"Yeah, but what about our friends?!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Skull, Fox, stop! Calm down!" Anne pleaded, even grabbing Ryuji's arm.
Ryuji brushed her off as he retorted, "How can I be calm with shit like this?!"
It was chaos. Yusuke and Ryuji continued to argue, their argument growing more and more heated. Anne and Morgana joined in. Anne taking Yusuke's side of the argument, and Morgana surprisingly siding with Ryuji and not Anne for once. Haru and Akechi were staying out of it for now.
But the tension was escalating and this bickering was getting them nowhere. Makoto felt something in her snap.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
They froze at the anger in her voice, before staring wide-eyed at her.
"Now then, we can discuss this civilly," Makoto said curtly, folding her arms over her chest.
They heard an awkward cough, drawing their attention to Akechi.
"I'm sorry…" Akechi apologized. "Perhaps I shouldn't have separated from them."
Makoto pursed her lips so she wouldn't say anything that she'd regret. Well… more so scream. But she couldn't let Akechi catch wind of how she really felt.
"You were just trying to help, Crow," she said stiffly.
Haru shuffled on her feet, looking uncertain.
"What's the matter, Noir?" Akechi asked.
Haru quickly cleared her throat.
"I do agree with Skull. We do need to find out if they're okay," she stated calmly.
"I agree as well," Makoto said with a nod. "Now then—"
The door suddenly slammed open, making them all jump.
"Oh thank goodness!" she mentally exclaimed.
"ORACLE!" Anne cried.
Anne then ran over to Futaba to hug her, only to falter.
"Wait… where's Ace?"
Makoto felt her heart drop back to her stomach.
Makoto forced herself to look at Futaba. The younger girl seemed to tremble in Anne's arms. Then she pushed the goggles up her face, revealing her eyes. They were bloodshot from crying.
Makoto felt her knees knock together once, but somehow, she managed to stay standing.
"No… no… Please tell me that Ace is okay, Oracle!" Makoto pleaded, her voice suddenly cracking.
Futaba whispered out, "I-I'm sorry, Queen…"
Ryuji let out a growl. "Dammit! How did this happen?!"
"Don't make her talk about it now, Skull. Can't you see how distraught she is?" Anne admonished.
Anne suddenly let out a squeak. She pulled away, gingerly touching Futaba's shoulder.
"Wait, is this blood?!" she demanded.
Morgana then stepped forward. "Let me—"
"Ace healed me already." Futaba cut off Morgana.
The look on Futaba's face was pure misery.
"How could he be so stupid?!" Futaba burst out. "He lied just to protect me! H-He offered to take my place and it was their plan the whole time!"
The last part came out as a wail.
It was dead silent. But then Makoto caught sight of the mournful look on Anne's face. No, it was sympathy.
Makoto forced herself to look away, towards the entrance of the Palace. She then gripped the railing tightly. She could not let her friends see the despair on her face.
She felt sick. Sick to her stomach. They had never considered Shido going after Ken.
She squeezed her eyes shut as her hands began to tremble.
And now Ken was in enemy's hands. Why did he have to sacrifice himself like that? But on the other hand, it'd be just as bad if Ken and Futaba had switched places. And given how much Ken still blamed himself for what happened on October fourth, there was just no way that he could have just walked away. Even if he was given the chance.
But why? Why did they have to take him? And what did Shido even want with him? She should've seen this coming. She should've protected him!
"Queen… are you okay?" Haru asked tentatively, reaching out to touch Makoto's arm.
Makoto bit her lip, before she clutched the railing even tighter.
No, she would not be okay until she knew that Ken was safe. But she had to be strong.
"We need to focus," she stated and somehow, she managed to keep her voice steady. "Oracle, we lost contact due to this… mishap. Can you get into contact with Joker?"
Yusuke then walked up to Makoto, peering over the railing. He suddenly gasped.
"Fox?" Haru asked.
"We're… we're too late," he breathed out.
Makoto squeezed her eyes shut. She had mentally prepared for this. And yet… it did not compare to the real thing.
Anne broke away from Futaba, running over to the railing.
"Joker!" She cried out. "No… No…"
She sank to her knees, tears coming to her eyes. With what they knew what was going to happen to Ren and this news of Ken… It must've been too easy for Anne to fake it.
It was horrible but… with the disappearance of her boyfriend, Makoto could just look numb. She didn't have the energy for this…
"Dammit!"
Ryuji swung around, to punch the wall, but Haru grabbed onto his wrist.
Haru pleaded, "Skull, p-please… This won't help!"
"I'm just so… so pissed! If Ace wasn't bad enough but now Joker?! How the hell did they even get in here?!" Ryuji seethed.
He was trembling, his hands both balled into fists now. If Akechi wasn't around and Ken wasn't taken too, she'd compliment him on his good acting as well.
"Noir's right, Skull," Morgana said mournfully.
Futaba whispered, "I-I'm sorry, if I hadn't—"
"Oh, Oracle…" Makoto walked over to hug her, stroking her hair now. "Please don't blame yourself."
Anne rushed over to hug Futaba from behind but placing a comforting hand on Makoto' right shoulder as well. Yusuke awkwardly patted Futaba on her right shoulder as well.
"We did not foresee any of this. It is not your fault, Oracle."
Futaba just sniffled, her eyes getting glassy again.
"H-How can I not? Both Joker and Ace…"
Akechi abruptly cleared his throat, "Joker already sacrificed himself so we could escape. If we linger any longer then his actions will be for nothing. We have a lot to discuss. Let's resume this conversation in the real world."
Makoto fought the urge to scowl.
"That… that two-faced snake!"
He had known this was coming, didn't he? And she didn't think that she could despise Akechi more.
Makoto paused from her internal fury as she realized that everyone else was looking at her. She fought the urge to sigh.
Right, neither Ren or Ken were present. So everyone else would be looking at her for what to do.
"Crow's right," she said, even though the words tasted bitter on her tongue. "Let's head back. Oracle, do you think we can meet at LeBlanc?"
"I don't see why not…" Futaba mumbled out.
"Worse comes to worst… I'll pick the key," Morgana stated. "Let's go."
It had been a complete success. Goro was actually impressed with how he had fooled the Phantom Thieves so much.
The cat got the door to LeBlanc open. They all shuffled inside.
Sakura was sandwiched in between both Takamaki and Sae-san's sister, both girls still trying their best to comfort her. The younger girl was still distraught. He also noticed Takamaki still eye Niijima with sympathy.
Even though there wasn't a speck of blood on her civilian clothes, Goro couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty when he looked at the younger girl. He hadn't thought that Shido's men would actually succeed in shooting her. And judging from her nearly hysterical words, it was the reason how Shido's men were able to take his cousin into custody.
It was for the better. She just was caught in the crossfire, just like with… the death of Wakaba Isshiki. It was not his fault. This was all part of the plan.
Goro quickly shook his head. He couldn't let his mind wander. Especially tonight and tomorrow would be so important to his plans. He was getting so close.
Goro clasped his hands behind his back, before speaking.
"I believe I know of where the men took Ren-san."
"Oh?" Niijima asked, her voice numb.
She seemed almost detached, regarding Amamiya's situation. Though she always seemed closer to Amada—Ken? He was honestly confused about how to address his cousin…
But either way, it wasn't like she will see either again.
"W-Where would that be, Akechi-kun?" Okumura inquired.
"The Phantom Thieves have been a thorn in the police's side for months. In fact, right after Kaneshiro's fall, Sae-san was so angry about how they looked like incompetent fools."
Niijima stiffened at that.
"Sure, go ahead and rub salt in the wound," Sakamoto spat out, a fierce glower on his face.
"Ryuji!" Takamaki hissed at him.
"He's being a total asshat!" Sakamoto argued.
"That's enough, Ryuji," Kitagawa said firmly, his voice disapproving.
Morgana chided, "Now isn't the time to pick a fight."
Okumura placed a hand gently on Sakamoto's shoulder.
"This situation has left us shaken, Ryuji-kun. But we shouldn't take it out on people who aren't responsible," Okumura said softly, her expression somber.
Goro had to press his lips together for a moment. If only Okumura knew.
Morgana then urged, "Go on, Akechi."
"Yes, as I was saying… Ren-san, as the leader of the Phantom Thieves, will be seen as a serious threat. Probably a code red. He will be taken to a maximum-security facility."
"So you're saying there's no way we can save Ren," Morgana spoke up.
Goro shook his head.
"I didn't say that."
He rested a hand over his chest.
"With me on your side, it should be easy to save Ren-san. I'll slip into the police station. They'll trust me. And I'll be able to go in and interrogate him. I'll figure out some way to get the two of us to safety."
The Phantom Thieves looked at each other warily.
"That's… quite bold of you," Niijima said cautiously.
Goro just shrugged. "I cannot afford to hesitate. Not with so much at stake."
"What about Ken, though?" Sakura said, her voice hollow.
Goro sighed, allowing a look of sorrow to appear on his face.
"Perhaps he's been taken to the same facility," he said, placing a hand on his chin. "If I can locate him, I will try to save him as well."
"So… you have no idea," Niijima said flatly.
Goro let a small frown appear on his face.
"I apologize, Niijima-san, but… there's nothing else I can do. I will do my best, but we must take care of Ren-san. At the very least."
"Something doesn't add up," Ryuji said in a low tone.
Makoto felt the hair on her neck stand up, she didn't like that tone.
"I beg your pardon?" Akechi asked.
"Your deal was we stop doing our Phantom Thieves gig and you help us with this heist so the cops will get off our backs, right? Tell me Mr. Detective Prince, what's in it for you? Why take such a huge risk for us? You can just cut loose and go home."
"Ryuji!" Anne exclaimed.
Makoto felt her internal panic grow. What was he doing?!
"No! I am not gonna keep quiet! Let's cut the shit—you know I don't like you, yeah?" Ryuji barked.
"Yes, I did tend to get the distinct impression your tolerance for me was quite low," Akechi said, a bemused smile on his face.
"So I'll repeat myself, what's in it for you Akechi? We aren't exactly all bffs for life or some shit. You're taking a huge gamble for us. And I wanna know why," Ryuji insisted.
Akechi just stared at Ryuji, almost taken aback if Makoto had to guess. She still wasn't sure what Ryuji was doing. Was he trying to blow their cover?
Akechi just swallowed as he had an unreadable expression in his eyes.
"I understand your reservations about me. But while I disagree with your methods, that doesn't mean I wished for this outcome. I feel partly responsible for what happened to Ken-san. And I have grown to respect Ren-san despite our differences."
Ryuji just gave him a harder stare, nearly scowling at Akechi. "And for that reason you'll make the gamble?"
"Ryuji, stop! He gave his reasons, we need his help! What are you doing?!" Anne shouted.
Anne's attempts to try and salvage the situation went ignored. Ryuji just continued to glare at Akechi, and the tension in the room became even more suffocating.
Ryuji's expression was dead cold.
"Akechi, this is serious. That's my best friend in there who put his life on the line, for us. And now Ken got tangled in this garbage, and you don't even know for certain if he's even in the same place. If you want me to trust you, then you gotta swear you'll do everything in your power to save them, or I say your deal is shit and we break them out our own way," he declared.
Everyone in the room gasped.
What on Earth was he thinking?!
"Pardon me if I sound rude, but how would you exactly accomplish that?" Akechi questioned neutrally.
"We changed your sis's heart Makoto, maybe she can help us."
Akechi's expression grew stern. "Even with a change of heart, convincing her to help you would be a huge longshot. And the longer we stick around squabbling, the worse this becomes. Ren-san and Ken-san don't have a lot of time. We need to make a decision now."
Everyone looked at Ryuji desperately, hoping he'd drop it.
It was silent for a very long time. You could cut the tension with a butter-knife.
Ryuji let out an exasperated groan.
"If I go along with this you better swear to me that they'll come back in one piece!" Ryuji insisted again.
Akechi just smiled. "I promise, I won't let you down."
"I promise, I won't let you down," Goro said.
Morgana sighed, "We'll leave you to it, then."
He had to admit he was a bit nervous for a second there. If Sakamoto started to get the rest to distrust him that would be a problem. He couldn't just walk away after everything he had planned out, but he couldn't just kill them yet either.
True, he could definitely defeat them all in the Metaverse—especially with their beloved leader being MIA. But this wasn't the Metaverse—this was in the real world. He can't just shoot them all and be done with it. This was in a neighborhood, there would be witnesses. Plus, a struggle could occur, and without back up that is too risky.
He needed to play his cards more carefully. Thankfully the others were so desperate to save their two friends they were ignoring Sakamoto's suspicions.
Sakamoto spoke up again, "Akechi, you better keep your promise about Ren. He ain't just our leader… he's important to all of us. And if you forget about Ken then I swear I'll kick your ass so bad that even your fangirls wouldn't want to look at you!"
Goro just smiled. "I swear that I will do my best to reach him in time."
He was surprised when Sakamoto put his hand out for a shake. Well he can pretend bygones for now if that's what Sakamoto wants. He reached forward to clasp Sakamoto's hand. He was startled by how hard the blond gripped him.
"I mean it. Don't you dare let us down. Because it's not just me you'll have to answer to. All of us want them back. And I know two girls who will fry your pretty boy ass in a heartbeat if you let them die," he whispered.
Goro just nodded with a neutral expression. He'd have to think of a more creative way to kill Sakamoto, since he was so desperate to go looking for trouble.
The others murmured their wishes of good luck, but their eyes were wary. Had they truly lost hope?
Not like it wasn't entirely unwarranted.
The bell chimed as he opened the door and let it shut behind him.
Though Goro couldn't help but wonder… how would Aragaki react to all this? From his cousin's words, he could summarize that he cared deeply for his guardian and the feeling was mutual.
"It's for the best," he thought to himself as he walked down the street.
A familiar sleek black car caught his eye. Goro walked up to the door, opening it and sliding into the seat.
"Akechi-san…" the driver greeted him. "Our benefactor would like to speak to you before you set off for your mission. He wants a briefing."
Goro couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. Was Shido that nervous about this? This plan was foolproof.
"Akechi-san?"
Goro blinked, before looking at the driver.
"Well, if he so desires it… how can I say no?"
During the car ride, Goro found him fingering his pistol gun as he stared outside the window. Just what did Shido want to say?
But the car gradually pulled to a stop. Goro thanked the man, before walking out. As usual, there were some men patrolling the area. Though Goro found himself noticing that they were all new faces. Perhaps Shido had sent all his best men to capture Amamiya.
He easily found Shido's office. He knocked on the door three times.
"Sir, it's me," Goro called out.
"Get in," Shido demanded brusquely.
Goro stifled the urge to sigh—he was just so demanding.
He opened the door, stepping inside.
"Sir… you wished to see me? Is there something the matter?" Goro asked cautiously.
"Have they taken the bait?" Shido said without preamble.
Goro could only nod. "Of course, Shido-san."
Goro quickly schooled his expression into an obedient one.
Goro then said, "I was expecting to be on my way to the police station."
"I won't tolerate any slip-ups," Shido said flatly. "Not tonight. I want Amamiya dead within twenty-four hours."
Goro smiled politely. "Have I ever let you down, Shido-san?"
Shido's lips twitched into that familiar smug smile.
"No, you haven't. You've been loyal to me since the day we met."
"Thank you, sir."
Goro lowered his gaze, so that Shido would not see his expression.
"Is Amada in custody now?"
Goro tried to be casual about it, but he didn't know how much he succeeded.
Shido just raised an eyebrow, "Suddenly interested in him, are we?"
He then smirked before leading him down the hallway. They walked all the way down, before Shido unlocked a door.
His cousin was lying on a hospital bed, his chest rising and falling slightly. It was really like he was asleep. The only thing that really ruined the image was that he was handcuffed to the bed's railing. Though it would be nearly suicide to try and run. Shido's men were everywhere, after all.
"He's still out?" Goro couldn't help but be surprised.
It had been nearly an hour since they had left Sae-san's Palace, after all.
But Shido just gave a nod.
"The drug I gave my men was powerful. It's meant to suppress the power both you and he have. He should be out for another hour. Maybe two."
"I see."
Goro's hand slid into his coat, his fingers wrapping around the smoke bomb he had been given. He did not understand… why did his cousin help him out so much?
Did he actually dare to have hope? It had to be guaranteed that Ken would accept the deal. Shido would destroy him otherwise. He should temper his expectations, but he couldn't help but think of the possibilities. That there was hope that he could have family that actually cared for him. And then… they could utterly destroy Shido, together.
He fought back a malicious smile from forming on his face from that thought.
"Ryuji, what the hell were you thinking?!" Anne scolded.
Ryuji frowned. This was getting old. He was constantly getting that question basically screamed at him by everyone.
"Why don't you all broadcast it in stereo?" he complained, rubbing his ears.
Makoto glared at him. "This is not something to joke about!"
"You nearly blew our cover!" Morgana hissed.
Ryuji let out a sigh, as he dug through the fridge for a soda. He needed something really cold and really fizzy.
Today was way too intense for his liking. And worse, now Ken was in trouble too.
"I was doing what you said Makoto, keep him off our scent," Ryuji said flatly as he found what he was looking for.
He shut the door before he eagerly cracked open the soda can. He began to chug down the citrus flavored drink.
"You're keeping him off our scent by letting him know we find him suspicious?" Yusuke asked incredulously.
Futaba huffed, before shooting Ryuji an annoyed glare. "That sounds dumb, even for you Ryuji."
"Everyone please, let's let Ryuji-kun explain. I'm sure he has a reasonable explanation," Haru said in a placating tone. But then she glared at him too. "You do have a reasonable explanation?"
"God, everyone wants to bite my ass tonight. C'mon, guys think about it! Wouldn't Akechi be way more suspicious if all of us are so cooperative, and trusting and shit?!" he shouted.
It was a struggle to lower his voice, with his anxiety about his friends, not to mention his other friends giving him so much crap.
Ryuji then sighed. "I mean he's with the police, and he practically blackmailed us to get onto the team! That has to raise a few eyebrows for him if he noticed we're buying what he's selling too easily! So I voiced some little doubt, then let him think he's won! Sheesh!"
"Well that's—" Whatever argument Futaba had died in her throat, and she ended up blinking at him.
Everyone looked around, mixed looks of embarrassment and shock.
"That actually… makes a lot of sense," Makoto admitted, almost sounding awed.
Ryuji couldn't help but smirk.
"Okay, fine, I take back the dumb comment," Futaba said sheepishly. "You're not that dumb."
"Gee, thanks Futaba," Ryuji said sarcastically.
"I have to hand it to Ryuji, for you, that's actually an astute observation," Morgana said.
Ryuji's smirk disappeared as he glared at the cat sitting on the counter.
"You didn't have to add that 'for you' part, you damn cat!"
"Mitsuru-senpai, you really gotta take it easier," Iori said.
Mitsuru whirled around, glaring at the baseball player.
"I will rest easy when I hear news of Amamiya's wellbeing," she said icily. "Not a moment sooner. Is that clear?"
Iori just cringed before quickly hiding behind Minako.
"Crystal," he squeaked out.
Mitsuru had invited the remaining members of SEES to spend the evening together. She had thought it would help stave off the anxiety she had felt. Labrys had agreed to watch the twins tonight. They were quite excited, since Yukari was really wrapping up with the final shootings. She promised them a video call tonight.
And besides that, the twins would bound to notice the tense atmosphere if they were left with them. Though beside the promised video call, the twins liked Labrys.
Minako just giggled, "I don't think that's execution worthy, Junpei."
"Still scary," he said sulkily.
"It appears that Junpei-san will never learn his lesson," Aigis intoned.
Iori protested, "H-Hey, that's just cruel, Ai-chan!"
Yamagishi just gave her a soft smile, before walking up to Mitsuru. Mitsuru just sighed heavily.
"I know..." the petite woman said softly, her eyes filled with sympathy. "I wish I could be there."
"I would've arranged something for you, if you had wished it." Mitsuru sighed, unable to stifle the small stab of guilt; she knew it was business but she was well aware that Yamagishi missed both Shinjiro and Amada.
Yamagishi pursed her lips in response and shook her head.
"Maybe after all of this is over and we can breathe easily," she said finally, before wrapping an arm around her abdomen. "It's too late now anyways. It's happening as we speak. There's no sense in lamenting about something we can't change."
Koromaru crept up to Yamagishi, brushing up against her leg with a soft whine. Yamagishi gave him a faint smile.
"Everything will be fine, Koro-chan. You'll see."
Yamagishi then dropped down to stroke Koromaru on top of his head.
"This truly feels like an eternity," Aigis lamented. "I do not relish waiting more."
"Speaking of waiting…" Minako's hand rested on her stomach as she joked lightly, "I can't wait to get this kid out of me. I can't believe I still have three weeks to go."
"And then you'll be running yourself ragged taking care of your baby," Yoshino teased, sitting next to Iori.
Minako giggled. "True. I feel that Yukari-chan was superhuman, having the twins and still managing to get pretty decent grades."
She then gave her swollen bump a rub, a gentle smile coming across her face.
"And I can't wait to meet our little girl."
"You're seriously not gonna tell us the name though?" Iori complained.
A sly smile just formed on Minako's face. "Patience is a virtue, Junpei."
"A virtue I don't have!"
"So you admit it, Junpei-kun," Yamagishi teased lightly, her eyes suddenly sparkling.
"I'm not even sure if Junpei-san knows the meaning of patience," Aigis intoned.
"HEY!"
Yoshino just laughed.
"It's the truth, Junpei," she stated.
"You too, Chidorita?!"
Mitsuru couldn't help but smile. Perhaps this was what they needed. They didn't have to discuss the operation.
Her phone suddenly went off. Mitsuru frowned in confusion. Just who could that be? She retrieved her phone, unlocking it.
But the sight that greeted her made her blood run cold.
It was a picture. A picture of an unconscious Amada trussed up, apparently thrown into the back of a van. It was accompanied with a message.
Lose something, Kirijo?
Mitsuru's hand began to tremble. It shook so hard that her phone slipped through her fingers.
No. No. This was impossible! Amada, he was—no!
"Mitsuru-senpai?!" Minako exclaimed, hastily rising to her feet. "What's wrong?"
Mitsuru pursed her lips together. She had to be honest about this.
"Shido has Amada in his custody," she said tensely.
You could have heard a pin drop. Her friends all stared at her, wide-eyed.
Then Iori let out a strained laugh.
"Haha, that's a good one, Senpai!"
But Yoshino's lips formed a thin line, a shrewd light gleaming in her dark brown eyes.
She pleaded, "Please tell me you're joking?"
Mitsuru squeezed her eyes shut before all but forcing the words from her lips.
"I'm not."
"No…" Yamagishi whispered before her legs gave way and she collapsed to the floor. "No!"
Tears began to swim in her eyes.
"No… no… not Ken-kun…" she moaned out.
Koromaru just let out a whimper, his ruby eyes filled with anxiety. He nosed Yamagishi's hand, but she barely noticed.
"Ken-kun…" Minako said faintly.
Her friend's face was unusually pale, all blood drained from her face. That was when she began to hyperventilate.
"Minako-san? Minako-san, please calm down!" Aigis rushed to her side.
"It's all my fault… it's all my fault! What have I done?!" Minako whimpered.
Iori then shouted, "Mina-tan, you gotta breathe! It's not your fault!"
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" she shrieked out.
Tears suddenly were streaming down Minako's face.
"It was my idea to send him to Tokyo! MINE! Nobody else's! And now… Shido has gotten ahold of him! It's my fault, Junpei! He could be beaten! Killed! Do you understand how serious this is?!"
Yamagishi said tearfully, "Minako-chan, please calm down—"
"NO! It's my fault! Stop trying to ignore what I've done—"
Minako suddenly let out a pained cry, her hand flying to her belly.
"Minako!" Mitsuru shouted, all but flying to her friend.
"Hurts…" She choked out, before making a sharp cry. "AH!"
"What the hell's going on?!" Iori demanded.
Yoshino gasped, wide-eyed. "The baby! Has her water broke?!"
"It is like when Yukari-chan went into labor…" Yamagishi said.
"No… no…" Minako moaned out, before sobbing out, "It's not time yet!"
The stress… it was causing her to have the child prematurely.
"Minako-chan, breathe, please."
Yamagishi scrambled to her feet, before she grasped Minako's hand. Yamagishi was somehow incredibly calm.
"Squeeze my hand if you need it, okay?"
"That won't help," Minako sobbed out. "It's all my fault… If Shido does something to Ken-kun, then it's all my fault!"
"M-Minako-chan, please…think about your baby! We can control that. W-We'll get into contact with Shinji and Akihiko-senpai. They'll save Ken-kun. Okay? We need to get you to the hospital!" Yamagishi pleaded.
Aigis then suddenly stooped down, picking up Minako with ease. She then proceeded to kick down the door, rushing Minako out.
Mitsuru just buried her face in her hands. This was… a disaster. What was going on?
Why didn't she listen to her instinct? It had tried to tell her—twice!
But she couldn't talk about that. Not now. Especially with how Minako had blamed herself so much just now.
And Shido… If something happened to Amada, she didn't care. Bureaucratic red tape, be damned. The man would be begging for an execution by the time she was through with him.
"Mitsuru-senpai?" Yamagishi's tentative voice snapped Mitsuru out of her thoughts.
Mitsuru's eyes darted to Yamagishi, before she sighed.
"Forgive me, Yamagishi, I…"
"It's not your fault, Senpai," Iori quickly cut in. "We'll get into contact with Akihiko-senpai and Shinjiro-senpai soon, yeah? You know that they won't take this lying down."
"Y-Yes… that's right… Ken-kun will be fine. You'll see." Yamagishi nodded.
Iori suddenly scowled, his hands clenching into fists.
"Damn Shido! I knew he was a bastard before but…" He spat out.
"This is personal now," Yamagishi said quietly, her expression grave.
Yoshino suddenly extended her hand, resting a hand on her husband's arm.
"Getting angry won't do anything, Junpei," she said softly.
"She is right, though." Mitsuru gave a little nod. "We need to tend to Minako."
"And we need to inform Labrys… Someone will have to tell Akihiko-senpai about Minako-chan going into labor as well." Yamagishi sighed, a resigned frown on her lips.
"Damn Shido… Akihiko-senpai and Shinjiro-senpai better raise hell," Iori hissed out, a fire burning in his eyes.
Yamagishi then begged softly, "Junpei-kun, please… getting angry about it won't help."
But despite everything, a tremor ran through Yamagishi's body. Koromaru brushed up against her legs, giving a quiet whimper.
Yamagishi was trying to put on a brave face but… Mitsuru knew better. She was bound to worry for Shinjiro as well…
Mitsuru just hoped that her two oldest friends would be able to do something…
They all gathered at Ken's place after Futaba told them what Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san told her to do.
"Okay, we need to hear the full story, Futaba."
Futaba slumped in her seat.
They had chosen to gather around the dining table instead of the living room. It was almost like they were gathered around a war table.
Futaba squeezed her eyes for a moment. Makoto's heart ached at the sight. She looked so… so devastated.
"Ken… why did you have to be so self-sacrificial?" Makoto internally lamented, before biting her lip.
But she couldn't think about it. She had to stay strong. And she couldn't do that, if she thought about what had happened to her boyfriend. The what-ifs would simply drive her insane.
"Futaba, please… we need to know as much as we can," Makoto pleaded gently.
Futaba sighed. "O-Okay."
So she started to recount the story. Makoto couldn't help but sigh as Futaba explained about Akechi wanting to break away from the group, to try and lead off the men.
"Ken… you idiot…" Ryuji groaned out, shaking his head. "Ren gave us the smoke bombs so we could get away just in case we get caught!"
"Go on, Futaba-chan," Rise-san urged.
Futaba's shoulders hunched over, a tremor running through her body. Anne slipped an arm around Futaba's shoulders, giving her a one-armed hug.
"It's okay, Futaba. You know that everyone isn't upset," Makoto said even more gently.
Futaba's gaze met Makoto's for a moment. She ducked her head.
"Right," she mumbled out before she raised her head.
Futaba then moved onto how she had gotten shot and how Ken was desperate to get Futaba out of their grasp. Makoto found herself gripping her knees as Futaba explained that they ended up drugging Ken—
"THEY DRUGGED HIM?!"
To say that Shinjiro-san was easily irritated was putting it lightly. But… Makoto had never heard him shout. And honestly… it was somewhat frightening.
Shinjiro-san's eyes flashed dangerously, before his hand clenched into a fist. His eyes were like a tumultuous storm. A faint blue aura seemed to surround him, and something started to coalesce behind him.
"Shinji!" Akihiko-san grabbed his best friend's arm, his silver eyes wide with panic. "You've got to calm down!"
Shinjiro-san suddenly blinked, before he scowled.
"Sorry…" he muttered out.
Futaba's eyes were as big as saucers as she stared at Shinjiro-san in awe.
She then breathed out, "Holy crap, his power…"
Rise-san blinked in confusion. "But… Ken-kun's Metaverse outfit went poof when he got drugged?"
Chie-san rubbed her chin, looking deep in thought.
"Wouldn't put it that way, Rise-chan. The drug must have blocked out Ken's connection to his Persona. You know, like a more severe version of silence."
"Or it suppressed Kala-Nemi. Almost sounds like the pills the Kirijo Group made for Strega," Akihiko-san mused quietly, a grim expression on his face.
"But it was in a syringe according to Futaba," Yusuke stated. "Could it be that Shido managed to steal some of the Kirijo Group's research?"
Akihiko-san said with a glare, "Wouldn't put it past him—"
But he was abruptly cut off, as his phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out, pressing it to his ear without hesitation.
"Hello?"
The voice that emitted from the device was talking fast… and they had a thick Kansai accent.
"WHAT?!" Akihiko-san suddenly exploded; his eyes went wide with panic. "But that's impossible! Mina's due date isn't for another three weeks!"
"Master?" Chie-san tentatively asked.
"Shido did what?! Damn that bastard!" Akihiko-san growled out.
Shinjiro-san snapped, "Aki, what the hell's going on?"
"One sec, Labrys," he said into the phone.
Labrys? Wait, wasn't that the name of Aigis-san's sister? Why was she calling Akihiko-san? On top of that, Minako-san was going into labor early?!
Akihiko-san lowered the phone, his face set into a grim frown.
"Two things. Shido sent a picture of Ken to Mitsuru as a taunt. Mina completely flipped out and she's gone into labor."
"WHAT?!"
The cry came from several people in the room, and Makoto found herself tensing up. This was bad. Really bad…
"Ken-kun…" Rise-san began to wring her hands. "What is Shido planning to do with him?"
"I don't know, okay?!" Akihiko-san snapped, his eyes flashing with anger.
Akihiko-san pressed his phone back to his ear.
"Labrys, I'm getting back to Port Island as soon as I can. Tell Mina, okay?"
There was a murmur on the phone.
"NO!" A woman's voice suddenly screeched out, making them all cringe. "Give me the phone, Labrys! NOW!"
There seemed to be arguing over the other end. But this Labrys appeared to give in. There was a murmur on the other end again before Akihiko-san fumbled to put the phone on speaker.
"Aki, listen to me, okay? I want you to stay there. You need to—"
She broke off with a pained cry.
"Mina!" Akihiko-san gasped, looking anguished at what he was hearing.
"I'm… I'm okay. It's just labor pains. You need to stay there, Aki… make sure Ken-kun gets out okay. Bring him back… Please… It's my fault that Ken-kun went to Tokyo to the first place. I can't do anything about it… but you can. You and Shinji. Promise me, Aki!"
Akihiko-san squeezed his eyes shut as his wife's voice just cracked.
"Okay…" He whispered. "This—This isn't how I wanted—"
"W-We'll work with it, okay? Save Ken-kun. Please."
The line then went dead.
Akihiko-san's face suddenly crumpled, and his shoulders began to shake.
"Dammit… Dammit!" he hissed out.
Chie-san began, "H-Hey, Master, it's not your fault—"
"Mina's been fretting about this already!" Akihiko-san snapped. "I told her it was nothing!"
Then he laughed bitterly.
"I wish it was nothing. I only came because Mina convinced me that she'd be fine without me for a couple days. And now…"
"It's all my fault. I insisted on comin' with Ken, because I thought that he needed back-up. And when he needed it the most… I wasn't there," Shinjiro-san muttered.
"I should've noticed it sooner. Why didn't I?" Rise-san lamented.
Futaba interjected with, "N-No, it's my fault… I should've figured out something."
"And Anne thought that it might happened… why didn't we listen?" Ryuji mumbled.
"Your reasoning was good though, Ryuji…" Anne protested.
"But still!"
Ryuji's shoulders were shaking.
He hissed out, "Dammit… why didn't we see this coming?"
Makoto felt something in her snap again. She slammed her fist onto the table, hard enough to make it rattle.
"STOP IT! ALL OF YOU!"
Everyone seemed to freeze. But Makoto was done. Playing the blame game wasn't going to accomplish anything. She had played that game before and Anne had to snap her out of it.
Makoto then jabbed a finger in the direction of the older Persona-users.
"You. Stop blaming yourself. Yes, you have years of experience compared to us. But you're not omniscient! You came here to help Ren, of course you were focused on him!"
Then she pointed to Futaba.
"And Futaba, stop blaming yourself. Yes, you got caught by Shido's men. That led to a domino effect, so Ken could be kidnapped. But we've heard how ruthless Shido is. Maybe they would've found a way regardless. Besides it would have been disastrous if they harmed you or took you away!"
"You're not mad at me?" Futaba asked in a small voice.
Makoto closed her eyes for a moment.
"Of course, I'm not mad at you. This wasn't your fault! I love Ken but if something happened to you… I don't even want to entertain that thought either."
There were shocked looks from all of her friends. She had never admitted aloud that she loved Ken, but… it felt right. But that didn't matter right now.
She reached over to grasp onto Futaba's left hand, giving it a tender squeeze.
"I could never blame you for what happened," she said sincerely.
Futaba's eyes were wet but she didn't shed a tear this time. She just nodded at Makoto as she let out a quiet sniffle.
"But Anne actually brought up—" Ryuji began.
Makoto cut him off, "No! I mean it. Cut it out, all of you! Blaming ourselves won't save Ken. Action will."
Haru spoke up, her voice hesitant. "But Mako-chan… what do you propose we do?"
Makoto's eyes narrowed.
"We're going to rescue Ken of course."
Morgana mused, "A real life heist, huh? I like it."
Akihiko-san chuckled, though it was a shaky laugh.
"Okay, Miss Strategist… What's the plan?"
Makoto nodded towards him.
"We need to figure three things. One… we need to locate Ken," she stated.
"Futaba can get that done, no prob!" Ryuji interjected.
Chie-san asked, "Just need to trace Ken-kun's phone's GPS, right?"
"Leave it to me!" Futaba nodded vigorously.
She whipped out her phone and began to furiously type away.
"Two…" Makoto continued, "we need to decide what we need to do to get Ken out of there. And three: how are we going to accomplish it?"
Futaba suddenly let out a frustrated cry.
"What's wrong Futaba-chan?" Chie-san asked.
"Arghhh…" she fumed. "They deactivated his phone! Or maybe they destroyed it! I… I can't track it down."
"But without that…" Haru's eyes grew wide with fear. "We can't track down Ken-kun!"
Makoto bit her lip. That would definitely throw a wrench into things.
Yusuke then held up a hand. "Wait a minute. There's still something…"
"Yusuke-kun? What are you talking about?" Rise-san asked.
"Back when we first decided to target Makoto's older sister… Ken showed us this badge, stamped with the Shadow Operatives' emblem. Do you remember?" Yusuke inquired.
Anne nodded eagerly. "That's right! He said that it was installed with some kind of tracking device!"
Ryuji slammed his fist into his open palm.
"Then we track that!" He exclaimed.
"I'll get into contact with Fuuka, then," Shinjiro-san stated, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Sakura, she'll be able to talk you through it."
"M-Me?" Futaba squeaked out.
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes.
"Yes, you. What other Sakura is there?" he questioned.
This earned him a sharp jab in the ribs (courtesy of Akihiko-san) and a smack on the head (thanks to Rise-san).
"Jeez, Shinjiro-san! Have some tact, will you?!" Rise-san scolded.
"Seriously, Shinji…" Akihiko-san seconded.
Shinjiro-san glared at him. "Ohhh no… You of all people can't lecture me on lack of tact."
"I can and I will!" Akihiko-san said childishly.
Chie-san admonished, "Hey, hey! Focus, guys!"
Shinjiro-san huffed. "I'm going to check Ken's room. Just to make sure that he has the badge."
"Okay so…" Ryuji said. "What about Ren? Are any of you guys gonna go help him?"
Akihiko-san looked uneasy at that. His hands clenched around his knees.
He then said softly, "Even if I hadn't promised Mina, I would prioritize Ken over Ren. I'm sorry."
Yusuke just shrugged, before letting out a soft sigh. "It's only natural. You've known Ken since he was a child. And you only met Ren a couple days ago."
Akihiko-san still looked guilty though.
"Hey!" Anne spoke up. "I have faith in Ren, okay? He'll be fine. Just fine! He'll be back with us soon!"
She then smiled, but it was almost brittle. Makoto looked down at her lap, so she wouldn't have to see Anne keep faking a smile. Anne was really putting on a brave face.
"Hey, don't forget us!" Chie-san exclaimed before pounding her fist in her palm, "Rise-chan and I will help Ren-kun."
Rise nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about it, Akihiko-san. Focus on Ken-kun. We'll make sure that Ren-kun gets out of there safely."
Ryuji then leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees.
"Come on, let's brainstorm on what we gotta do to actually save Ken," he urged.
Everyone in the room nodded solemnly.
"I was thinking that maybe we could use Morgana to our advantage. After all, with Akechi heading for the police station, nobody in that building should be able to understand Morgana but Ken…" Makoto said.
It took them over an hour to figure out a plan.
Shinjiro and Aki were to ambush two of Shido's men and then would sneak in. They would send Morgana to slip in close to Ken. Use him to tell Ken that he needed to trick Shido into saying something incriminating. They needed to play off of Shido's fear. That this would cast a shadow on his representation.
"Kinda ironic, since Ken always got on my case about blackmail…" Sakura said.
"I don't like this plan all that much." Niijima sighed. "But we can't afford to falter."
Sakura was using Shinjiro's phone, conversing with Fuuka. The younger girl was typing away furiously on her laptop, all while his phone was pressed to his ear.
"It's the best we can do," Aki said grimly.
"I think it's a good plan," Okumura chimed in. "And then we can—!"
Okumura's complexion suddenly grew ashen.
"Oh no…" she whispered.
Kitagawa frowned. "What is it, Haru?"
"Mako-chan…" she said urgently. "Do you remember the time we went into your sister's Palace? To investigate the police station?"
Niijima suddenly blushed, fidgeting for a moment. Shinjiro fought the urge to roll his eyes; it wasn't hard to figure out what had happened. Apparently, she and Ken couldn't keep their hands off each other, even in a Shadow nest.
But what the hell was Okumura talking about?
"W-What about it?" Niijima asked.
Okumura's expression suddenly grew impatient.
"Your sister's cognition of Akechi-kun! What if… Akechi-kun runs into that?"
"Shit!" Sakamoto hissed out. "That'll mess up everything!"
Satonaka then let out a nervous laugh.
"And I can't exactly just go beating up Akechi either. I can't tell the difference."
He'd pay good money for that personally. Especially with that… what did the Investigation Team call Satonaka's special move again? Galactic punt?
Okumura suddenly said, "Let me go, then. I will know."
Morgana then protested, "Haru, wait! I know you're angry but—"
"Angry?" the curly-haired girl questioned.
A frightening smile appeared on her face. She then tilted her head.
"What are you talking about, Mona-chan?" Okumura said sweetly—too sweetly.
Aki seemed to shiver.
"Same as Mitsuru…" Aki mumbled out.
Shinjiro just huffed, "I can't believe it's been like a fucking decade and Mitsuru can still make you shit your pants. Even when she's not here."
"Oh shut up, Shinji! You're just abnormal about her, okay?!"
Kujikawa tapped her chin, before remarking, "She does give me the same vibe as Mitsuru-san, actually."
"Moving on…" Satonaka deadpanned.
"But you can't, Haru!" Sakura protested; her eyes wide. "You can't go in alone!"
"Who said anything about Haru going in alone?" Takamaki spoke up, her expression steely. "It's a rule to never go into the Metaverse alone, remember? And besides that, I've got a bone to pick with him too…"
"Oh great, we have two girls on the warpath," Shinjiro griped, before flicking his eyes towards Niijima. "You planning on joining them?"
Niijima shook her head. "No. I have higher priorities."
"And you need me for this plan!" Futaba seconded.
Shinjiro glowered at Niijima. "Who said that you could come?"
Niijima's eyes flashed with anger. "If you think I'm just going to sit here, wringing my hands, you've got another thing coming!"
"Yeah, and Ken would kill me if he found out that I let you endanger yourself!" Shinjiro argued.
"You're taking Futaba and Morgana already," Niijima countered. "What's one more person?"
"They're needed for the plan, dumbass!" Shinjiro retorted.
Shinjiro just groaned as a familiar stubborn look appeared on Niijima's face. She clearly wasn't going to back down.
"What about you two?" he grumbled out, looking at Sakamoto and Kitagawa.
Kitagawa cleared his throat. "I believe that I should accompany Anne and Haru. Ensure that they don't get… carried away."
Sakamoto fidgeted before cracking a sheepish smile.
"I mean, I don't like the idea of just sitting 'round." He admitted.
Shinjiro groaned, before pointing at Aki. "If Ken gets pissed at me for letting them tag along, I'm blaming you."
"What?!" Aki sputtered out. "You've gotta be joking! How is this my fault?!"
Satonaka and Kujikawa just exchanged a look before they started laughing.
"Never change, you two," Kujikawa said through her giggles.
Sakura then gave a little cough. "Uh, Shinjiro-san? Fuuka-san asked me to tell you that she wanted to talk to you before you head out."
Shinjiro was hit with a wave of guilt. Fuuka. Why didn't he think about talking to her? She had to be worried sick.
"Fine…" Shinjiro sighed, holding out his hand for his phone. "Give it here."
He left the living room, opting to head for his bedroom. He didn't want the others to listen in on when he talked to Fuuka. Besides that, he needed to gear up. He didn't know if he needed to summon Aeneas, but better safe than sorry.
But… he had to pass by Ken's room.
His chest tightened at the sight. Shinjiro closed his eyes.
It'll be fine… They would bring Ken back.
Had he been wrong in backing Ken? Back when Mitsuru had wanted to recall the two of them. But then again… being forced back to Port Island would have devastated Ken. He might have even resented them over it.
Shinjiro sighed. He hated having all these doubts bouncing around in his head. He needed to talk to Fuuka…
As the phone rang, he pulled out his SEES briefcase. He had it popped open when Fuuka picked up.
"Shinji?"
Fuuka's voice was slightly hoarse. She must've been crying.
"Hey, Fuuka. Sorry about all this… I didn't even think to call you…" He apologized.
"Shinji, stop," Fuuka's voice suddenly turned sharp. Then her voice dropped back to her usual gentle tone. "You were just worried about Ken-kun, that's all. How can I blame you for that?"
Shinjiro heaved out a sigh.
"How are you holding up though?"
As awful as he was feeling, he had to imagine that it was worse for everyone back on Port Island.
"I'm dealing," Fuuka said quietly. "I suppose… Minako-chan going into labor kinda gives me something to do."
Shinjiro couldn't help but cringe. He still remembered the lungs Takeba had when she had been in labor. He swore women got ten times louder while they were in labor.
"What exactly happened with that?"
Fuuka heaved out a sigh.
"She freaked out when Mitsuru-senpai told us. She started blaming herself. She wouldn't listen when we tried to calm her down and…"
Fuuka cut herself off, before taking in a deep breath.
"But we can deal with this. Tell Akihiko-senpai not to blame himself, though. I know that Minako-chan had to convince him to come to Tokyo, because he didn't like leaving Minako-chan so late in her pregnancy."
"I'll try," Shinjiro muttered out.
"And Shinji?"
"Yeah?"
"Please be careful," she begged, her voice unexpectedly breaking. "You're walking straight into Shido's territory. I'm worried about Ken-kun, but… I don't know if I can bear it if you got hurt over this. I can't lose you either."
Shinjiro closed his eyes.
He vowed, "I won't. We'll save Ken, Fuuka. And if I get to punch Shido during this… all the better."
"Shinji!"
Fuuka was laughing now, though, and Shinjiro couldn't help but smile at the sound.
"You're not serious, are you?" Fuuka asked.
"You tell me."
There was some murmuring on Fuuka's end of the line.
"Oh… Mitsuru-senpai wants to talk to me." Fuuka said, regret tingeing her voice.
Shinjiro frowned. About what? Eh… probably not important.
"I'll let you go then."
"I love you," Fuuka said softly.
"I love you too. I'll bring back Ken… soon," he said with a small smile.
Fuuka gave a little chuckle. "I know you will."
Ken's head was pounding painfully, as if someone had taken a jackhammer to his head.
"Nngh…" Ken couldn't help but groan out.
His eyes fluttered open, only for Ken to find himself in the dark.
What… had happened?
He lifted his hand to press it against his forehead, only to find that his arms were restrained by… something.
Panic started to claw at his heart. Ken squeezed his eyes shut—even though it didn't make much of a difference.
What was going on? Where was he? What had happened?
"Calm down," he muttered to himself before reopening his eyes. "Think…"
Wait… they were escaping Niijima-san's Palace, when they were cornered by Shido's men. They took Futaba hostage… Ken didn't know what to do so… he had traded himself.
"Stupid…" he hissed at himself. "Stupid! I should've known it was a bluff…"
Now he was right at the heart of enemy territory. And he was… literally in the dark.
He was shaking. He could not stop shaking. He felt weak and shaky… was it an aftereffect from the drug? And… for the first time in forever, he was alone.
Ken turned his head as he heard a door open. A moment later, he was suddenly blinded by bright light. He had to blink away the spots dancing in front of his eyes.
"Awake, are we?"
It was one of the men who had ambushed him and Futaba.
Ken just scowled at him, but he didn't speak. Ken refused to give this man the satisfaction.
"Hmph… you had a lot to say before."
The man had a key in his hand. With his free hand, he grasped Ken's arm—tight enough to bruise. He undid the handcuffs that tethered him to the bed, before yanking Ken off. He fell hard onto the floor.
Ken pushed himself up, but his arms were trembling. He felt so weak, like all strength had been sapped from his limbs. What did the drug do to him…?
But maybe he could make a break for it… If he could just get on his feet.
His vision suddenly blurred. Nope, he couldn't. He felt so weak and woozy…
He was suddenly kicked in the ribs. His head banged against one of the bed's legs.
"Get up."
The man suddenly grabbed a fistful of Ken's hair, tugging hard enough to feel like he was tearing out some of Ken's hair. He literally yanked Ken up, before twisting Ken's arms behind him. There was a quiet click as the man fastened the handcuffs around Ken's wrists again.
"Walk."
He gave Ken a shove towards the door. Ken was barely able to catch his balance. He suddenly pressed something cold and metal against Ken's back.
With the man breathing down his neck, Ken was forced to walk. It was almost like a… lab? Or maybe it was like the Kirijo Tower back on Port Island. He wasn't sure.
The man then opened a door, showing a surprisingly opulent room.
Ken was suddenly shoved into a chair. Another man pointed a gun right at Ken as the first man fiddled with the handcuffs, cuffing him to the chair.
Great. Just great. His situation was just getting better and better.
"Now sit here like a good boy," he mocked. "Our benefactor will be with you soon."
"Oh goodie. I just can't wait," Ken muttered under his breath.
He and his cohort left leaving Ken alone once more. Ken tried to tug at the handcuffs, but it was secured tightly. The metal was starting to dig into his wrists too.
What was the purpose of his capture? What did Shido want?
Please be careful, Ken-kun. Please… don't do anything reckless. Fuuka-san's words to him so long ago echoed in his mind.
Ken let out a frustrated sigh.
"Sorry, Fuuka-san. I didn't mean to break my promise," he muttered.
Then the door suddenly opened.
A man dressed in a three-piece suit stepped through. He was completely bald, but he looked very fit for his age—late forties, early fifties.
He just gave Ken a little smirk as he shut the door behind him.
"So… you're the infamous Ken Amada."
Notes:
…
…
…Yes, another cliffhanger. Sorry guys xD
Next chapter won't have one though, I promise.
But anyways! I have a few announcements!
The first is that Glorialancaster on AO3 contacted me about translating Ace in the Hole in Chinese! You can find the link here: https://ruizhiruwo148.lofter.com/post/1f31cb0b_1c751d59e
Secondarily, my wonderful beta, angelrin89, has posted her P5 rewrite! The ships are Shuann, Ryukoto, YusuHaru, Mishima/Futaba, and OC/Hifumi, so if you're a fan of any of these ships, I highly recommend that you check it out! I'm super excited by everything she's got planned! You can find it here!
And speaking of Erin, she was really great with this chapter! She made a bunch of great suggestions. She wrote the scene with Ryuji tricking Akechi, as she thought that it would've gone too smoothly without any objections. I think it really added to the whole Cafe LeBlanc scene! (Seriously, go check out her fic, guys. There's only one chapter up right now, but it's a great intro to her AU)
I've been asked about a Scramble fic in this verse by a few people. To be honest, I am tempted. However, I have to prioritize. I have this fic still, not to mention the PQ2 fic. I also have my next longfic decided on, which I'll share more on as this fic comes to a close. A Scramble fic is a hesitant maybe, but it won't happen until I've gotten to play the game.
Chapter 41: Ch. 40: Counterstrike
Summary:
Ken meets Shido face to face. Meanwhile, Shinjiro and Akihiko's group moves to save him and for once, get back at Shido.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Mitsuru was pacing around the room and tried to keep herself calm. She wasn't sure how well she managed.
"You don't mind if I use Shido as target practice, right?" Yukari hissed through the phone.
Needless to say, the actress had been far from pleased at the bad news.
"Not before I get my hands on him. He'll be begging for an execution by the time I'm through with him," Mitsuru said darkly, unable to stop herself from scowling
It wasn't just Amada. It was the fact that Minako had ended going into premature labor that infuriated Mitsuru so. And her friend's hysterics continued to ring in Mitsuru's ears.
"Hey, Mitsuru-senpai…" Yukari's anxious voice cut through her ruminations.
Mitsuru responded, "Yes, Yukari?"
"The baby…" Yukari trailed off for a moment. "Do the doctors know if there will be any complications yet?"
Mitsuru didn't blame Yukari for her anxiety. Especially since Minako had been Yukari's first friend for the longest time. Mitsuru knew that Yukari considered herself one of her best friends now… but she had a special bond with Minako. Not to mention that Minako was the twins' aunt. And had things been a little different… they probably would have been sisters-in-law by now.
"Hiraga was telling me a little," Mitsuru said.
"Hiraga? Wait… as in Keisuke Hiraga? Wasn't he one of Minato's friends? The president of the photography club?"
Mitsuru nodded out of habit, despite the fact that Yukari couldn't see her.
"The very same. We got to Minako to the hospital and she's been settled into the maternity ward. They gave her an epidural. It's for the best, to numb the pain she's in."
It was comforting to tell Yukari this. She could handle this.
"But Amada… no… I need to have faith in Akihiko and Shinjiro," she thought to herself.
She rubbed the back of her neck as she began to resume her pacing around the room.
Yukari then let out a heavy sigh, probably frowning as she said, "Poor Minako, she must have been bottling up these worries for so long. And then this had to happen…"
"It was just like a dam breaking. But as I was saying… Hiraga was explaining some things to us. Fortunately, Minako is thirty-seven weeks along so it's an early term birth, over premature. Statistically, a baby born before thirty-nine weeks is more susceptible to health problems, but Hiraga doesn't think there will be issues. Just that the baby will be born small," Mitsuru explained.
"I went through the same lecture, Senpai," Yukari reminded Mitsuru, sounding rather amused now. "Over six years ago. Speaking of which, how are the twins?"
"Aigis and Labrys are watching over them. They want to see Minako, but that's… not the best place for them to be."
"Mm… I wish I could be there. I promised I'd be back on Port Island before Minako's due date…" Yukari was probably biting her lip.
"Yukari, it's not your fault… This situation—"
"I know, I know. But I'll be on the first flight to Iwatodai Airport tomorrow."
Mitsuru just frowned. "Didn't you still have some shootings?"
"This is a family emergency!" Yukari said hotly; she was probably scowling now. "If people have an issue with it, then too bad. They'll just have to deal with it."
Mitsuru couldn't help but chuckle, "I have no objections."
"What about the others, though?" Yukari asked.
Mitsuru answered, "Iori and Yoshino are sitting with Minako. And Yamagishi…"
Mitsuru stopped short.
Yamagishi was on the phone as well, speaking to Shinjiro. From where Mitsuru stood, she could hear what Yamagishi was saying. Even though her tone was fairly even, the look on her face told a different story.
Even as she was reassuring Shinjiro, her lip quivered. She looked like she was barely holding herself together.
"Please be careful," Yamagishi suddenly pled, her voice suddenly cracking. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "I don't know if I can bear it if you got hurt over this."
Mitsuru wanted to kick herself. Why didn't she think of sending Yamagishi? Juno had the ability to whisk everyone back to Tartarus's lobby… She would've been able to save Amada.
Yamagishi would've said yes, if she had asked. Without hesitation. And now… she was bound to worry about both Shinjiro and Amada. Especially with the distance between them.
Though, speaking of Amada… should she continue to risk his safety? Amada was adamant on staying but Mitsuru couldn't help but fear for him. On the other hand, there was what Niijima had said to her.
Maybe she should ask Yamagishi what she thought.
"Mitsuru-senpai?"
"I'm sorry, Yukari, it's just… There's something I have to do."
"Well, then take care of it then! I'll see you soon."
After her own goodbye, Mitsuru hung up. Then she tapped on Yamagishi's shoulder.
"Yamagishi, a word?"
Yamagishi blinked at her, before giving a tiny nod. She then spoke into the phone, explaining to Shinjiro that she had to go. A tiny smile curved at her lips, though it was ruined by the dull look in her eyes. Yamagishi then slipped her phone into her purse, looking to Mitsuru.
"What's the matter, Mitsuru-senpai?"
Mitsuru pursed her lips together.
"I just… Yamagishi, I want to know your opinion on what we should do after Amamiya's… faked death..." Mitsuru trailed off.
Yamagishi pursed her lips together. Then she looked up at Mitsuru.
"Mitsuru-senpai, you can be straight with me. You're thinking that it'd might be better to bring back Ken-kun… don't you?"
"Well, I just—"
Mitsuru then heaved out a sigh.
"I don't know what to do honestly," she admitted quietly. "I wanted your opinion."
Yamagishi clasped her hands together behind her, before looking Mitsuru right in the eye.
"It wouldn't be fair to do that. Not just because of what Makoto-chan told you. But think about it, Mitsuru-senpai… Shido has directly gone after Ken-kun," she stated simply. "Do you think it'll matter after this? No matter what plan they come off, Shido won't take it lightly. And besides… doesn't Ken-kun deserve to help with taking Shido down after all of this?"
It was true… the closest Amada had gotten to how he had personally resounded with Sakura's situation.
But still… she didn't like this, at all.
Mitsuru sighed, rubbing at her face. She really needed a vacation from all of this.
"We'll discuss this with Amada later. For now, we wait."
"So… you're the infamous Ken Amada."
Ken leaned against the chair, trying to look nonchalant even as his heart thudded hard against his chest. He wasn't sure how much he succeeded given how he was cuffed down.
"Depends, who am I speaking to?" Ken asked coolly.
He only got a chuckle in response.
"I'm told that you're an intelligent one, boy. Use that brain of yours."
Ken looked away, pursing his lips.
Ken would have to be brain dead to not realize who the man was. But he needed to stall for time—figure out what to do. He needed to come up with something. Although it was difficult. His brain felt all fuzzy. Must be whatever they used to drug him with.
"You're Masayoshi Shido," Ken stated, focusing his gaze on the rug.
Shido roughly grabbed Ken by the chin, forcing Ken to look at him. He fought back the urge to glare at Shido. Instead, Ken forced his expression to remain neutral.
"Pay your respects to your betters, boy," he all but growled out.
It took all of his willpower to not scoff.
"Respect? Don't make me laugh. As if someone as arrogant and despicable as you deserve any," Ken thought with distaste.
He threatened to confiscate Aigis-san and Labrys-san, not to mention his threats towards Mitsuru-san.
He ordered the deaths of Isshiki-san and Okumura, devastating his two friends. The pain of a beloved parent cut deeply, a pain that Ken was more than familiar with. And in Futaba's case, he had caused her to become suicidal for two years.
And it was his behest that Akechi was going to try to kill Ren.
Words could not describe how much Ken despised him.
Ken met Shido's gaze steadily.
"Betters…" he echoed; somehow, he managed to keep his voice cool before he craned an eyebrow. "That's funny, I don't see anyone like that here."
The crack was worth it even when Shido suddenly struck him, making his cheek sting painfully.
"Impudent brat! How dare you disrespect me?!" Shido seethed, glaring daggers at Ken.
"You make it too easy." Ken kept that one to himself while he pressed his lips together.
Shido suddenly straightened himself, before readjusting his tie. But judging from Shido's tense posture, Ken's words got to him more than he'd like to admit. Ken had to stifle to the urge to smile victoriously at that.
Ken then demanded, "What do you want with me? I doubt that you're here to offer me tea and pastries."
Shido didn't answer right away. He walked to his desk, picking up a manila folder.
He spoke without preamble.
"You've been student council since junior high. Not to mention your athletic abilities. Furthermore, you're intelligent enough to win a scholarship."
Ken couldn't help but feel baffled. What was he up to?
"What are you—"
"Your talents are wasted on the people you've allied with," Shido said bluntly.
"Who are you to decide that?" Ken said with a scowl.
Shido ignored his retort before asking, "Why throw your potential away?"
Ken gave an irritated huff.
"The nerve of this creep..." he grumbled to himself.
"What—and you'd be better to help me?" He let some sarcasm slip into his voice.
Ken couldn't help but feel disgusted. Shido's mindset was so cold. What was this, a business transaction? He felt like a useful commodity all of a sudden instead of an individual.
Shido just smirked in response. In all honesty, Ken didn't consider what Shido was really like underneath the charismatic politician. But he really getting under his skin.
It dawned on Ken that it reminded him of when Akechi's arrogance irritated him.
Shido then tilted his head, allowing a look of pity fill his face.
"You know, it is rather sad how Kirijo has you wrapped so tightly around her finger."
Anger suddenly flared inside Ken and he glared.
"Don't patronize me!" he hissed out.
Shido just shrugged. "But it's true. The Kirijo Group is the one who's responsible for your mother's death, are they not?"
"You—"
Ken narrowed his eyes as the anger drained out of him.
How on earth did he know that? The Kirijo Group kept the truth about his mom's death under wraps. Did Shido have some of the former Kirijo Group employees working for him?
But then Ken realized that Shido was looking at him, an amused smirk on his face. Ken really wished that he could wipe that smug expression from Shido's face.
"My mother died from an accident…" Ken finally said.
It was the truth. Shinjiro-san never meant to lose control of Castor that night.
The politician just clicked his tongue in response, shaking his head in disappointment.
"Kirijo really has you convinced otherwise, hasn't she?" Shido sighed out. "What a pity. I wonder how your mother would react if she saw you like this."
He glared at Shido once again. The man was really good at being aggravating.
"Don't speak like you know my mom!" Ken spat out.
Shido just chuckled.
"Oh, but I did."
"This is so humiliating."
Morgana glowered at the collar in Futaba's hand.
"Come on, Morgana, what's more important to you?! Your pride or Ken's life?!" Ryuji demanded.
Morgana huffed, "Oh quit it with the guilt trip! Of course Ken's life is more important! What do you take me for?! I just have some criticisms about the aesthetics—"
"Quit whining about aesthetics, cat, you're not Kitagawa," Shinjiro-san grumbled.
Morgana all but puffed up with anger. "I am NOT a cat!"
"Yeah okay we get it, stop arguing already." Akihiko-san rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, you both are acting like little babies," Futaba piled on.
"Excuse you?!" Morgana and Shinjiro exclaimed in unison while they glared at Futaba.
Now the three of them were arguing and Makoto could feel a headache coming on while Ryuji and Akihiko-san (of all people) tried to get them to calm down.
Makoto took a deep breath, taking a moment to rub her temples. She needed to remain calm. Everyone was counting on her, especially Ken.
To make the plan work, they had to grab some of Futaba's equipment. So here they were, in the Sakura house. Sojiro had been understandably confused, so they had to hastily explain what had happened.
Sojiro had been horrified to learn of what had happened. Needless to say, he wasn't thrilled with the plan, especially with how instrumental Futaba was to it. But thankfully he accepted that Futaba was adamant on helping to save Ken. They still all had to promise him that she was to be returned home in one piece.
Even so, Makoto couldn't help but feel antsy. She'd probably feel better once they were on the road, following the coordinates that Futaba and Fuuka-san had traced, using Ken's Shadow Operative badge.
Not to mention there was Anne, Yusuke, and Haru. They had left with Rise-san and Chie-san in a separate car to sneak back into the Palace. She really hoped that they would be careful. Even though Anne scolded Ryuji from time to time for being reckless, the blonde had her hotheaded moments as well.
Add the other stressful problem to the equation… Akechi was going to try to murder Ren.
Haru was usually very sweet, but she was dealing with the cognition of Akechi. Makoto didn't know what Haru thought of Akechi being her father's murderer. She still remembered the rush of anger when Kaneshiro had gloated about pulling the strings of her dad's murder. It had been burning and all-consuming.
Something told her that Haru might unleash her ire on Sae's cognition of Akechi—since she couldn't do that with the real Akechi. She really hoped that Yusuke would be able to play damage control.
But she was still concerned for Futaba. Hopefully they would be able to keep her out of harm's way this time.
"Guys please…" Makoto spoke up. "Now's not the time for bickering, we're wasting time."
Shinjiro said nothing but he crossed his arms. Futaba gave a little huff and looked away briefly. Morgana scowled but he gave a little nod.
Their feline companion then allowed Futaba to slip the collar around his neck.
The plan was to have Morgana record the incriminating evidence. Futaba had attached a recording device to the collar for that very purpose. Him being so small gave him quite the advantage.
Futaba then dusted herself off, standing up, before darting back to her desk. She yanked open a drawer, rummaging through it.
She mumbled out, "I know it's here somewhere…"
Akihiko-san looked quizzically at them, as if he expected them to know how Futaba's mind worked. Ryuji just shrugged at him in response.
"Don't look at us, man. Futaba can be a huge mystery," Ryuji stated.
Makoto couldn't help but nod in agreement. Shinjiro-san just gave them both an incredulous look in response.
"Aha!" Futaba suddenly crowed.
She then whipped around, holding up several earpieces in her open palm.
Ryuji just squinted. "What the hell are these?"
Futaba smiled proudly.
"Communication devices! I was thinking that since you guys are gonna have to separate from Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san during the rescue attempt, this is a good way to keep in contact. I even have one for Morgana. More of a mini radio though."
"We have those, developed by the Kirijo Group's R&D as well," Akihiko-san noted, before he heaved out a sigh. "I wish I had thought of bringing that…"
Makoto implored, "Akihiko-san, please don't be so hard on yourself. We were all stressed…"
He just sighed, rubbing at his jaw. "I know… I just can't help but keep running the what-ifs in my head. I just don't want to lose a third person I care about."
A third? One was Minato-san obviously but who was the second? Makoto sighed to herself. It wasn't the right time to ask about it.
Futaba cleared her throat. "But anyways… Ren brought them in for me the other day—I think Iwai gave them to him as a little freebie? He asked me to look into making them work in the Metaverse! Still haven't quite gotten it yet but it'll work perfectly fine in the real world!"
"That is pretty smart," Shinjiro-san admitted.
Akihiko-san frowned, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Who's Iwai?" he asked.
"One of Ren's contacts. That's all you need to know," Morgana answered.
"That ain't suspicious at all," Shinjiro-san said dryly.
"Maybe me and Makoto can look around," Ryuji suggested, obviously looking to change the subject. "See if we can find the drug you guys were talking about."
Morgana shook his head.
"We won't know that's what they drugged Ken with though. Just looking at the coloration isn't enough. And besides that, Futaba only caught a glimpse of the syringe, remember? Besides that, we shouldn't leave Futaba alone. After all, Ken's hand was forced because Futaba was captured. We can't have a repeat of that," he practically lectured Ryuji.
Ryuji deflated at that. "Oh, yeah…"
"It's still a good idea, Ryuji," Makoto said hastily, giving him a reassuring smile. "We can see what we can find. And who knows? Maybe we'll be able to discover something that will help us figure out the keywords to his Palace."
"Don't do anything reckless," Morgana grumbled.
"E-Excuse me?" Makoto demanded.
Morgana just flicked his tail. He didn't have eyebrows but Makoto could feel like he was raising one brow in disapproval.
"Do I have to remind you what happened with Kaneshiro?"
"T-That was months ago!" she protested, feeling an embarrassed blush flush her cheeks.
"Do I wanna know what happened?" Akihiko-san whispered to Shinjiro-san, who just shrugged in response.
Futaba suddenly frowned. "Is this going to be enough…? Maybe I can find something else that will help us out!"
Makoto quickly grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Futaba, please, you're doing more than enough," she said reassuringly.
Futaba's lip suddenly quivered.
"We have to make this work…" she whispered.
"And we will."
Makoto quickly hugged the younger girl, stroking her back.
It honestly broke Makoto's heart to see how fragile Futaba had become over this situation.
Futaba buried herself deeper into Makoto's embrace, shaking like a leaf.
"Please remember that it isn't your fault, okay?" Makoto pleaded softly, stroking Futaba's hair for a moment.
"R-Right." Futaba suddenly pulled away, her eyes too bright and a bit too much pep infused in her voice. "But let's move! We're burning daylight!"
"It's night," Akihiko-san pointed out.
Futaba scowled, jabbing a finger in the silver haired man's direction. "It's a saying! A figure of speech! But anyways, enough chit-chat! We need to move!"
"Pushy, pushy..." Morgana grumbled before jumping from on top of Futaba's desk, landing on Ryuji's shoulder.
"You're the last person to criticize anyone about being bossy." Ryuji snorted.
"Why you—!" Morgana growled.
"That's enough." Shinjiro plucked Morgana off Ryuji, setting the cat down and glaring at the two. "No more bickering."
Akihiko-san rubbed his forehead with a tired expression; he probably had the same headache Makoto was getting again.
"Says the guy who was bickering with a teenager and a cat earlier," Akihiko-san mumbled.
"You got something to say Aki?" Shinjiro-san glared at his friend.
"Okay enough… we need to get a move on," Makoto grumbled.
"That's what I was saying," Futaba complained.
Akihiko-san managed to herd her friends out of the door. Makoto let out a frustrated sigh, before rubbing her temples once more. Now really was not the time for the bickering. She really hoped they could manage without anymore headaches, literal and figurative.
"I'm guessing that they're like this a lot?" Shinjiro-san asked.
Makoto blinked. "U-Um, well, it's not that bad, it's just…"
"You don't have to explain yourself. Kinda reminds me of us, our crazy group I mean. No wonder it's so easy to give into their barbs."
Makoto could have sworn she saw a hint of a smile. Then Shinjiro-san heaved out a sigh himself.
He said wearily, "I hope this plan of yours works, Niijima. I don't even want to think about the alternative outcome."
Makoto swallowed hard. She couldn't think about it. Just the mere thought of losing Ken was just too much to bear.
"We'll make it work; we have to. Failure isn't an option." She spoke more confidently than she felt.
"You know… I am surprised," he said.
"About what?" Makoto asked; she couldn't help but feel confused.
"You've been doubting yourself about facing your sister this past month," he said bluntly. "And yet, you pulled yourself together when shit was going down. You had the guts to tell everyone to shut the fuck up and stop moping about the situation."
Makoto began to protest, "I didn't—"
"It's the gist of it," Shinjiro-san cut her off, holding up a hand.
Then he gave her a small smile.
"Just take the compliment."
Makoto bit her lip. For some reason, she felt the need to explain.
"It's well—Ken has always had faith in me. Even when I didn't have any. I want to prove that he's right… especially when he needs me the most."
Shinjiro-san's expression was pensive. Then he closed his eyes for a moment.
"Heh. I think you've proven yourself, Makoto."
Makoto looked at him, wide-eyed.
"W-Wait, you—"
"But let's get moving, yeah?" he said nonchalantly. "Ken needs us. We can't waste any more time."
Then he brushed past Makoto, already exiting Futaba's bedroom.
Makoto just stared at his retreating figure, before shaking her head. Her boyfriend's guardian continued to be an enigma and yet she couldn't help but feel a little pleased about this. He almost sounded impressed with her.
But… he was right. They needed this plan to work.
She just hoped that Ken would be okay.
Shinjiro didn't know what to think of this location.
He was more than aware that not all of Tokyo was bustling city life. Yongen-jaya was proof of that. But he couldn't help but feel extremely on edge. This place looked almost like a lab of sorts. Though he supposed that Shido would want a more secluded area. He needed to be away from the public's eye if he was gonna plot.
It didn't matter. Ken was the priority. He couldn't slip up now. He had to focus.
This was similar to how Minazuki orchestrated the kidnappings. That went fine. This would be the same.
"Hey Shinji, we're here," Aki said quietly, snapping Shinjiro out of his thoughts.
"Right," he muttered out before carefully pushing the door open.
Makoto opened the door on her side, Morgana riding on her shoulder as she climbed out. Sakura climbed out after her and then Sakamoto. Their expressions were pensive. But they were looking at him and Aki. The teenagers were taking a step backwards, expecting the two of them to take the lead.
Shinjiro warned. "Stay back. We don't want you to be seen."
Morgana looked like he wanted to protest, but Makoto gave a quick shake of her head.
They crept towards the entrance, when Morgana suddenly tutted.
"Keep your footsteps lighter," Morgana muttered, looking straight at both Shinjiro and Aki.
Shinjiro didn't know how, but the cat had the most disapproving look on his face.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shinjiro frowned.
"You gotta step lighter or else you'll give yourself away," Morgana lectured. "And you wanna get the drop on Shido's men, right?"
Shinjiro narrowed his eyes. Bossy little furball. His behavior kinda reminded him of how Mitsuru took the lead when SEES had just formed. Though he had to begrudgingly admit that Morgana had a point. Not that he'd give him that satisfaction.
Aki crossed his arms.
"It's worth a shot."
"Of course it is! This is basic Phantom Thief stuff here. Have you guys never heard of stealth before?" Morgana said haughtily.
Sakamoto joked lightly, "See what we hafta put up with?"
"Why you—"
Makoto silenced him with a stern look. Personally, he was glad. He usually could tolerate jokes and traded barbs but not tonight.
"We never really had to worry about that sort of stuff." Aki shrugged. "But I understand your point."
Shinjiro just nodded numbly. He felt sick, sick to his stomach. What was Shido planning on doing to Ken to have leverage over Mitsuru? If only Shido wasn't so powerful. The bastard deserved a good deck in the face and then some.
But they moved forward, circling around the area. It turned out that the building was fenced off completely. At least there wasn't any barbed wire on the top of it.
Shinjiro and Aki looked at each other and then the fence. Too easy. There had been countless times of them climbing fences (and getting into trouble) when they were kids.
They grabbed onto the fence and scaled it all too easily.
His friend just grinned.
"Looks like you haven't gotten rusty at all," Aki teased.
Shinjiro snorted. "Please. I'd think you'd be the one who got rusty, being a squeaky-clean cop now."
"Wait you're—" Makoto's eyes were wide.
"You gotta move fast," Akihiko-san whispered. "Come on, we gotta hustle!"
"And 'sides, Ken tells me you've done a bunch of crazy stunts," Shinjiro added.
Makoto looked uncertain still, but Sakamoto shrugged before grabbing onto the fence himself. Makoto then sighed before climbing up herself. The two teens dropped down onto the other side without any urging from either Shinjiro or Aki.
But that left Sakura. She seemed reluctant, before she shook her head.
"I can't… I'm no good at this…"
Something in Sakamoto seemed to snap, and he grabbed onto the fencing.
"Futaba, this ain't you! You're not that weak girl who would hide away from everything! You're a Phantom Thief! You're more than capable, okay? Telling yourself that you can't is not helping. And besides, you ran along with us in the Palaces! You're strong—stronger than you're telling yourself."
Sakura blinked, before her expression steeled.
"You're right, Ryuji… What am I doing?"
"Feeling sorry for yourself," Sakamoto said flatly.
Sakura stuck her tongue out at him, which made Sakamoto grin in response.
She complained, "Ugh, you've got no tact. You'll never win a girl's heart that way."
Sakamoto scowled at her. "Hey, you're one to talk!"
"Hey, I'm not the one after a girlfriend," Sakura quipped, hands on her hips.
Then Sakura grabbed onto the fence, struggling to climb up but she managed to get high enough so that Aki could grab her. He swung her over. Sakura trembled for a moment, but she screwed her eyes shut before she let go.
Makoto caught her, making Sakura look at her in surprise.
But Makoto just smiled. "I've got you."
Sakura smiled back. "Um… thanks."
Shinjiro and Aki then dropped to the ground. They took a moment to dust themselves off before they hustled for a hiding place. Shido had a few men patrolling the area. It was a good thing they were all wearing dark clothing.
They had to go slowly in order to survey the area. Though Morgana kept hissing at Shinjiro and Aki to duck and cover for a hiding place. Makoto, Sakamoto, and Sakura all had no problem. It seemed almost instinctual for them.
"You have no self-preservation," Morgana complained quietly.
"Shut it before I stuff you in the fuckin' bag," Shinjiro snapped in a hushed tone.
Makoto chided in a whisper, "That's enough. We've found the least patrolled area, haven't we?"
"Kinda weird though, don'tcha think?" Sakamoto voiced.
Aki frowned. "Yeah, you'd think this being Shido's little… hideaway, it'd be way more heavily guarded."
Shinjiro clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"Shido must be concentrating his forces at the police station to make sure Amamiya doesn't escape," he guessed.
Aki's frown deepened, before he stroked his chin for a moment. "Which will make Chie and Rise's job harder."
"Don't focus on that. Have faith in them," Morgana said briskly. "Besides that, remember that Shido's decision should make our job less difficult."
"Ready to draw them out, Morgana?" Makoto asked in a low voice.
Morgana sighed. "…Yeah."
He then jumped down from Makoto's shoulder, trotting ahead.
It wasn't long until they heard voices. Shinjiro tensed up as they grew closer.
"How did a cat get in here?"
"Cats get into everything though. But anyways, we need to focus on the job, remember?"
"Pffft, please. There's going to be nothing happening tonight. You really think Kirijo's agent is actually going to be stupid enough to try and run away? Not that he can with that drug in his system. I've heard it's a whopper. And Kirijo's inner circle has always been so spineless."
Aki glanced at Shinjiro for a moment before springing forward, tackling one to the ground.
"So we're spineless now, Shinji?" he said casually, twisting Shido's man's arms behind his back like he was making an arrest.
Shinjiro then advanced on the other man, whose expression was growing more and more terrified.
"Yeah that's hilarious," Shinjiro said dryly. "Because all I see is a bunch of pussies."
"Y-You…" he stuttered out, shakily holding onto his radio.
Shinjiro just smacked it out of his hand, before crushing it under his foot.
"Yeah, it's me," Shinjiro snarled out. "And you're gonna regret the day you sided with Shido, you spineless pansy."
He grabbed for the gun at his hip, but Shinjiro just grabbed his wrist and twisted until he yelped in pain, the pistol slipping out of his fingers. Shinjiro then yanked him forward enough so Shinjiro could headbutt him right in the head. He collapsed in a heap.
Shinjiro scoffed. That was too easy. A quick glance told him that Aki was successful in knocking out his opponent and was now stripping him of his clothes. Shinjiro stripped his opponent of his own clothes.
"Shinji, rope," Aki said.
Shinjiro turned and caught the coil of rope Aki threw him. Shinjiro bound his arms tightly to his torso before securing it with a tight knot. They then threw the two men in the bushes.
But Shinjiro noticed that the teens were all gaping at him.
"You just—" Sakamoto broke off, just staring at them with wide eyes.
"You didn't even break a sweat…" Makoto looked awed.
"Or even use your Persona!" Sakura yelped. "I'm glad you're on our side!"
"Tch, this is nothing," Shinjiro scoffed. "But anyways, Aki and I probably should find some… privacy…"
He trailed off as a sudden movement caught his eye. He glared at Aki. The idiot!
Aki was already stripping, casting aside his shirt.
"W-What?" Makoto stammered out, her face suddenly turning a dark shade of scarlet.
"The fuck you doing, Aki?!" Shinjiro snarled out, before marching over to his idiot of a best friend.
He then thumped Aki hard on the head—not that would knock any real sense into him.
Aki just stared at him, baffled. "Getting the disguise on?"
"Why the fuck are you stripping in front of everyone, then?!" he hissed.
Ugh. How the hell did this idiot survive on his own for two years?
Sakamoto let out a low whistle. "Damn. Look at that scar on his chest. Badass..."
"Pffft, who cares about that?" Sakura scoffed before greedily staring at Aki's bare chest. "Minako-san's lucky—Akihiko-san's a total beefcake!"
"Futaba!" Makoto scolded.
"What? I have eyes, of course I'm going to look!"
"You're being rude!" she hissed.
Sakura just grinned impishly.
"Though I guess you don't care because you've got Ken to oogle."
Shinjiro grumbled, he really did not need to know that. It was annoying enough to walk in on them trading spit. Though he supposed he should be thankful that he hadn't at least walked in on them groping each other. Then he'd really need brain bleach.
"That—That's not why I'm saying that!" Makoto protested.
"Ohhh, so you do oogle Ken?" Sakura quirked an eyebrow at Makoto, a devious glint in her eyes. "Don't forget that I see all from Prometheus."
"Always the quiet ones, huh?" Sakamoto teased.
Makoto's eye seemed to twitch. She might've done something if Morgana hadn't spoke up.
Morgana rolled his eyes. "Pipe down, all of you. Do you want to get caught? Sheesh. Did you forget all of my teachings?"
"Teenagers…" Shinjiro sighed.
Aki just chuckled, nudging Shinjiro in the side.
He teased, "You sound old when you talk like that, Shinji."
"Yeah, like Shinjiro-san doesn't act like a cranky old man already," Sakamoto snickered.
Shinjiro let out a low growl. "Are you asking for an ass kicking, Sakamoto?"
Aki nudged him once again. "C'mon, Shinji, we've got work to do."
"Hmph."
Makoto suddenly sighed. "I hope Haru's group is doing okay."
"She'll be fine, Makoto!" Morgana reassured. "I trust in all of them."
Sakura frowned. "Though I'm a bit more worried for your sis's cognition of Akechi."
Sakamoto asked, "You really think that Haru will beat the crap outta him?"
Aki blinked in confusion. "Are we talking about the same Haru?"
"Two thousand yen that Haru beats up the cognitive Akechi," Sakura challenged, sticking out her hand. "What do you say, Ryuji?"
Sakamoto stared at Sakura's hand for a moment. Then his face broke into a wide grin.
"Deal!" he declared, grabbing Sakura's hand and shaking it vigorously.
"Futaba! Ryuji!" Makoto scolded. "Really?"
"It's like Minako and Iori all over again…" Shinjiro grumbled.
"Can't argue with you there?" Aki sighed, shaking his head.
"Hey now!" Morgana scolded, looking sternly at both Sakamoto and Sakura. "We gotta focus on getting inside."
"What a killjoy," Futaba quipped.
"Excuse me?!"
Even though Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san had taken down the front guards all too easily, Makoto couldn't help but feel antsy. What about inside? It'd be worse, wouldn't it?
"Oi, Makoto, you still there?" Ryuji's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
"I… I'm fine," Makoto quickly lied.
Ryuji gave a concerned frown but fortunately he didn't press Makoto. Makoto wasn't exactly in the mood to elaborate right now. She cared more about enacting the plan so they could get Ken out of here sooner.
"I'm ready," Shinjiro-san suddenly announced, making Makoto jump.
Shinjiro-san surprisingly filled out the police officer outfit rather well. He had also pulled his hair up in a higher ponytail, compared to the low ponytail he seemed to prefer. The difference was striking. It made him less scruffy—though Makoto supposed that was the point.
Akihiko-san nodded; his expression was dead serious. "Let's go then."
They let the two older men take the lead. The plan was to find the control room first. After all, they'd be in trouble if the men operating the room caught onto them.
But the tricky part was to get Morgana to find Ken so he could tell Ken the plan… They were hoping to find a vent, like in the Metaverse, but Makoto couldn't help but be worried. They needed this plan to work. Makoto shook her head, pushing it out of her mind. She couldn't be fussing over this. She had to focus.
They crept through the halls, though Makoto felt a bit antsy. She didn't like being so out in the open, especially when they were supposed to be sneaking.
Akihiko-san slowly pushed open the door, peering inside. Then he turned to look at them, giving a little nod.
"Bingo. This is the place we want."
But before any of them could respond, voices floated from inside.
"This is so boring," one man complained.
"Nothing's going to happen here. The kid will agree to Shido-san's deal if he has a single brain cell. It's suicide to go against him. You might as well be dead. I kinda wish I was posted at the police station. At least there's something to do."
"And have to deal with all the high-strung higher-ups? I'll pass. Shido will kill them if this plan is botched up."
The other man laughed. "Please. Like their leader can escape."
Futaba suddenly stiffened, blood draining from her face.
"Futaba?" Makoto asked.
"That voice…" she said faintly, only for her expression to harden as she whispered, "I recognize it. He's one of the guys who ambushed us!"
They all froze at that. It didn't occur to Makoto at all that they would run into any of the men who had helped capture Ken.
"Gives us more of a reason to beat the shit out of them," Shinjiro said flatly, his expression darkening.
Akihiko-san peered inside to get a better look, only to look back at Shinjiro-san.
"There's only two of them," he reported, before he cracked his knuckles. "Ready, Shinji?"
Shinjiro-san nodded curtly. "Let's go."
It wasn't long until there was a cacophony of startled cries and shouts. But Makoto still waited for Akihiko-san to signal it was safe. Once they heard "It's clear" the three teenagers piled in. The two men were on the floor, knocked out. Their radios were smashed to pieces as well. There were considerably more bruises on their faces than the other men.
Ryuji let out a nervous laugh. "Uh… so this is a reminder not to mess with Shinjiro-san?"
Shinjiro-san cracked his knuckles in response.
"That felt good," he stated with a smirk.
Ryuji gulped. "Remind me to never piss you off."
Shinjiro-san scoffed. "No promises."
"Okay… stage one is complete," Morgana said. "Now comes the hard part."
"Right." Akihiko-san gave a firm nod.
"You know, there is one thing that's bugging me..." Futaba said tentatively.
Makoto frowned, as she tried to think of what that would be.
"What would that be, Futaba?" Makoto asked.
"Ken's phone. I mean, we should try to get it back, right? There's gotta be some incriminating info on there…" Futaba pointed out.
"I mean there's all the contacts…" Akihiko-san trailed off. "But Mitsuru had Ken talk to her on video chat on his laptop, right?"
"Yeah, that's right." Shinjiro-san gave a little nod, before he stared at Futaba. "Not that it helped with a certain someone."
"Who? Me?" Futaba blinked at him.
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes in response.
"Don't pull an Amamiya, Sakura," he deadpanned.
Makoto found her eyes wandering as the banter continued. She managed to catch sight of a vent.
"I've found a way for Morgana to sneak to Ken," she said, pointing to the vent.
"Pretty high up, though," Morgana noted.
Ryuji groaned, hanging his head.
He lamented, "It was way easier in the Metaverse."
Akihiko-san's gaze turned to scrutinizing, before he looked to Shinjiro-san and then Ryuji for some reason.
"Shinji, let Ryuji climb on you. I bet he can get the vent open. Then Morgana can climb inside."
Shinjiro-san gave him an irritated glare.
"Are you kidding?" he demanded. "Why not you?!"
Akihiko-san folded his arms over his chest, quirking an eyebrow. "I mean, he's kinda the same height as me."
"I'm not that much taller!" Shinjiro-san retorted.
This earned him a scoff and an eye roll. "Oh, now you say that."
"Ahem!" Makoto cleared her throat, before she shot them a pointed look. "Are you two done?"
Shinjiro-san grumbled out, "Let's get it over with."
Shinjiro-san crouched down so Ryuji could climb onto his shoulders. Morgana clung to Ryuji's shoulders for dear life as Shinjiro-san slowly straightened up. Ryuji flailed his arms for a moment.
"Holy shit!" Ryuji scrambled to maintain his balance.
"Just hurry up," Shinjiro-san grunted out. "You're not exactly as light as a feather."
Futaba snickered to herself before snapping a quick picture with her phone. Makoto looked at her sternly, but Futaba just shrugged at her. Makoto just let out an exasperated sigh. Only Futaba would do that.
"Well, maybe Ren too..." she mentally sighed to herself.
It took Ryuji several tries to finally wrench the vent open. Ryuji tossed it aside before allowing Morgana to climb up his head.
"You've got this, Morgana!" Ryuji whispered.
"Be careful, Morgana!" Futaba voiced; hands clenched. "But you've gotta hurry!"
"Okay, okay, sheesh, no pressure…" the feline grumbled out.
"You've got this," Makoto encouraged.
Morgana's expression softened. "I won't let you down."
Then he disappeared into the vent. Makoto bit her lip. She hated that this plan had so much uncertainty. She could only just pray that Morgana could find Ken.
Shinjiro-san then lowered himself enough so that Ryuji could jump back down to the ground.
"I just wish that we could notify Ken that we're here," Akihiko-san sighed, frowning to himself as he absentmindedly rubbed his arm.
"Never mind that, Aki," Shinjiro-san snapped—he was clearly on edge. "Let's get moving."
"Wait!" Makoto blurted out, only to slap a hand over her mouth.
She just reddened as the two older men looked to her in confusion.
Makoto stammered out, "I-I just wanted to say… Be careful."
Futaba was the one working from the shadows but… Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san would be the one doing the actual rescue. And she knew that Ken would just blame himself if they got seriously injured for him.
Especially Shinjiro-san.
She just… wished she could do more.
"We will." Akihiko-san gave her a reassuring smile.
The two men then ducked out of the room. Makoto gave a little sigh before glancing up towards the vent. She could only hope that Morgana could find Ken quickly.
"Hey... try to breathe, Makoto."
Makoto looked towards Ryuji, who just smiled sheepishly. But she couldn't fault him for his obvious attempt to try and get her mind off of things.
"U-Um, you know… I didn't get the chance to say this earlier, but you were pretty impressive back there, Makoto. It's great that you could talk some sense into your sis's Shadow so she'd stop fighting," Futaba voiced.
Makoto smiled and slightly blushed. "Thank you. To be honest, I'm just surprised as you are that I managed to pull it off."
"Hey, you've changed a lot, Makoto." Ryuji grinned. "I remember back when I just thought of ya as just the robotic student council president."
Makoto glared at him briefly, feeling her cheeks heat up.
"Please do not bring that up," she requested sternly.
Ryuji protested, "Hey, I meant that as a compliment! I just meant that you've matured a lot and also that I realize I had the wrong idea about ya!"
"Same ol' Ryuji," Futaba quipped with a teasing smile.
"Hey, that's not true!" Ryuji retorted. "Besides, you didn't meet us till August! How do you know how I was like before that?"
Futaba just smiled sheepishly.
"It was the bug, wasn't it?" Makoto said with a sigh.
In that moment, Futaba's face fell.
"Ken would always get on my case for bugging LeBlanc," Futaba said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself. "I found it pretty annoying, the way he'd nag at me but…"
Tears started to form in her eyes.
"H-Hey, don't cry!" Ryuji blurted out in a panic, reaching out to awkwardly pat Futaba on the shoulder. "Ken wouldn't want ya to be blubbering over him like this!"
Futaba glared at him before angrily wiping at her eyes. "Who's blubbering?!"
Makoto chided, "Come on, settle down. We can't really afford Shido's men looking in."
"Yeah, sorry..." Ryuji apologized.
It then became quiet. Makoto wasn't sure how long, however. Makoto found herself stopping herself from pacing several times. She felt… restless. They were always on the move in the Palaces, even when they needed to be stealthy. But this? She couldn't help but feel that she was waiting on her hands.
"I hate feeling so powerless," she lamented to herself.
Though from the looks of it, Ryuji wasn't faring much better, with the way he impatiently tapped his foot. Futaba sat on the floor, her laptop resting in her lap.
"Do you think Morgana is getting close?" Futaba suddenly asked.
Makoto sighed, folding her arms over her chest.
"I certainly hope so," she said softly.
Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "Akihiko-san did have a good point back there—it would be good to notify Ken. To give him a little hope, y'know?"
"Wait!" Futaba suddenly looked up; her eyes wide as saucers. "Makoto! Your present to Ken!"
Makoto's eyes widened before her eyes flicked to her wrist. "That's right. I… I can't believe that I completely forgot."
Even though it was just a week ago…
"Is something wrong, Makoto?" Ken looked confused.
"It's nothing wrong…" Makoto said slowly. "B-But I got you a little something! As a late birthday present!"
Ken frowned. "You didn't have to get me anything."
"But I wanted to! Especially with what you bought me during our first date…"
Makoto then fumbled with the box for a moment before handing it to her boyfriend.
Ken opened to reveal a silver watch inside.
"A watch?"
"I got Futaba to fiddle with it, to sync with the one I have here."
Makoto fumbled with her sleeve, showing him that she wore a similar watch, only more feminine.
"If you twist the knob counterclockwise and if you're within the distance of half a kilometer, it'll start vibrating."
Makoto found herself panicking a little at Ken's thoughtful expression.
"N-Not that I need to know where you are every moment! That's not it at all! I just thought—it'd be…"
Ken caught her wrist with his free hand, pulling her in for a quick kiss.
"You didn't have to go on a tangent like that, you know," Ken said, an amused smile tugging at his lips.
"S-Sorry, I just…" Makoto winced, before tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I wanted to find you something good… I haven't really done any shopping for someone's birthday present in ages."
"It's a wonderful present," Ken reassured her, his amused smile growing more affectionate. "Thanks, Makoto. I won't ever take it off."
"Really?"
"I promise."
She hadn't thought she'd be using it just a week after giving it to him, though…
"But you should hold off on it for now," Ryuji advised. "Don't wanna tip off Shido, y'know? We should wait 'til Morgana finds Ken."
Oh… he had a good point. Makoto nodded to acknowledge what he said, before turning her attention to the monitors. She couldn't help but scowl at the image of Shido standing over her boyfriend. She really wished that she could just get Ken away from him.
She really hoped that Morgana would find him soon…
"You did not know my mother," Ken snapped.
Shido chuckled. "Ah, but I did. Her name was Hikari Himura. She married your father right after she graduated from university."
Ken tensed up. Himura was his mother's maiden name. His parents had gotten married after his mother had graduated from university.
But how did his mom know Shido of all people? N-No, Shido was just trying to mess with his head. His power could let him dig into people's information.
"Quite a tragedy, her death." Shido's tone was conversational, as if he was discussing the weather. "Although… I must admit, looking over the official records… something doesn't quite add up."
"Shut. Up," Ken ground out through gritted teeth.
"A bit sensitive, are we? Do you know more than you're letting on, perhaps?"
Ken glared at Shido. His blood was boiling with how casually Shido spoke of his mom's death. He didn't know anything about how Ken felt.
"I said shut up!" he hissed.
"I think I know why you're so attached to Kirijo and her cohorts," Shido continued, blatantly ignoring Ken. "It's because you were alone for so long. It couldn't have been easy, having no father in your life for as long as you can remember. And then you lose your mother at a young age."
Ken narrowed his eyes. "Is this the part where you tell me your sob story so you can tell me that you and I aren't so different?"
Shido's eye seemed to twitch for a moment before he forced a smile.
"No, it is not," he said evenly. "However, I just want to point out that your attachment is unnecessary. And besides that… what would your mother think?"
Anger immediately flooded Ken's entire being.
Did he… seriously try to pull that card?
But then Shido spoke again.
"They're nothing but hypocrites. The Phantom Thieves do nothing but steal free will from people, just like how your mother's death was unjustly stolen for her. They've probably convinced you that they're on the side of justice but they do nothing but twist it. You really think your mother would be proud of something like that?"
"That's—" Ken's protest died in his throat.
"No… Shido is just spewing this drivel to get inside my head." Ken thought to himself.
And yet, Ken couldn't pull together a counterargument.
Ken suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He immediately tensed at Shido's touch. In fact, his skin started to crawl, as if it could not abide even Shido touching him.
"I know why you felt this way…" he said silkily. "Today's society is not how it should be. But my goal is to shape it into something better. Isn't that why you joined the Phantom Thieves?"
Ken shook his head. That was a bald-faced lie. Shido is a heartless man with empty promises, no silver-tongue and honeyed words would change that.
"Stop it…" he said weakly. "And… why do you even want me?"
Shido then smirked, "Do you recall that I said that your attachment is unnecessary? You do have family who cares. I have it on good authority."
Ken hissed out, "That's a lie. The only living family I have is my father's cousin and his family. And I know just how much he doesn't care about me."
Shido shook his head. "That's not true. You have a cousin. Someone your age, in fact."
"Someone… my age? There was only that one kid, my aunt's son—"
He paused from that thought as an implication started to settle in him that he didn't like.
"Wait a minute... wasn't his name... Goro?"
But his name would be Goro Himura—not Goro Akechi. He was jumping to conclusions. Goro wasn't exactly some rare uncommon name. He met a few kids throughout his school life with that same name.
Except... Akihiko-san had ended taking his adoptive parents' surname. And Akechi had talked a little about his mother to him before.
"You see, she had a sister who was fortunate to find love in high school. After university, her sister's boyfriend proposed to her and they married soon after. They were quite in love…and my mother craved the same love."
He glared at the memory and his hands curled into fists. It was ludicrous, Akechi—his cousin?!
Shido had all but admitted that Akechi was working with him. But he never said Akechi specifically was his cousin. But even if that were true... Shido seriously wanted him to think that was a good thing? Akechi was the one responsible for the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns.
Why would Shido think he'd welcome this kind of news?! Did he really think that he was so desperate? Not when he had so many people who cared for him. This was grasping at straws whether or not it was true... And he didn't even know if Shido was truly referring to Akechi.
Of course, he'd think poorly of the Phantom Thieves. They were a threat to Shido. And they were not taking away people's free will! They were just removing people's twisted cognitions, which made them confront all of the crimes they've done. All of their targets had to be convinced that they were doing the right thing to turn themselves in. Their twisted cognitions had blinded them from the truth… making them think that their actions were okay and that they should escape the law.
And of course he looked down on his friends that made up SEES. People who risked their lives to preserve life and overcome Death. Shido could never understand that because he didn't value human life on even a basic level.
Shido… he had hurt so many people. Orchestrated the deaths of innocents. And for what? What was worth all of these lives?
"Did you really think that kidnapping me and feeding me this garbage would work?" Ken spat out. "You're really trying to hold the moral high ground? You think you're so smug but you only clawed your way to power because you think that nothing is too high of a price. You're nothing but a self-absorbed egotist, someone who can't even bother to even do the dirty work—"
Shido's expression remained neutral before his hand slipped into his pocket. He then whipped out a two-pronged device before jabbing it against Ken's side. Ken thought he heard electricity crackle before pain seemed to explode everywhere. It was intense, all consuming. He had been hurt by electric spells before. But that had been child's play compared to this.
Ken was only aware of the pain and his screams.
Eventually the pain dulled to a haze and Ken looked up at Shido with blurry eyes.
"You should really reconsider this, Amada..." Shido said coldly, "I tried to be kind. But either way, I will get what I want from Kirijo. Whether you join me or not. And you were fortunate this time."
The politician gave Ken a malicious smile.
"Overexposure to electroshocks can lead to burns… or worse."
"Don't react," Ken told himself sternly. "He's just trying to get a rise out of you."
Shido then shrugged. "But I suppose that I've given you a lot to think about."
But he paused at the door.
"Though, don't forget… I'm in the position to hurt people you care about very much. Shall I start with your guardian first? I'm sure that I can find some kind of crime to pin onto him. Though I suppose people wouldn't miss him terribly if a little… accident was to befall him. Which would be simpler, I wonder?"
Ken's eyes widened at that. But he couldn't speak.
Shido then continued, "And just so you know… you shouldn't even think of trying to run away. This place is crawling with guards. And if you do try to run away, I will make your life all that much harder."
Once he was gone, Ken allowed himself to slump in his seat.
What kind of mess had he gotten himself into now? What did Shido's threat even mean? What was he going to do to Mitsuru-san?
He couldn't stop shaking.
All of this was his fault. If only he had been faster, smarter… But no, he had been careless. And now Mitsuru-san was going to suffer somehow. Because of him. And what about Ren? Would he really be okay?
Did everyone know by now what happened? Ken closed his eyes as Futaba's tearful face flashed in his mind. He didn't mean to distress her but… what if they had tried to hurt Futaba to sell the bluff? No… it was the best decision.
Right?
But even so… he really hoped that Futaba was able to get to safety. Hopefully they all got away... but even if they did, Ren's fate was still up in the air.
No, he couldn't think like that. They planned as best as they could. They all most likely got away, save for himself and Ren it seemed. Though he didn't want to really think about everyone else's reactions.
Especially Shinjiro-san's, not after he promised his guardian no unnecessary risks. But Shido wanted to force Mitsuru-san's hand, no matter what. Perhaps, if he pretended to cooperate with Shido, it'd be better for everyone else.
"What am I saying?" Ken quickly shook his head.
That was crazy talk! He'd be in over his head if he tried that. But he couldn't think of any way out. Panic started to gnaw at his heart. Ken bit his lip.
Was it really hopeless?
Ken was suddenly snapped out of his wild thoughts as his wristwatch suddenly started to vibrate. It was just for a moment but he definitely felt it.
"What the…? Wait a minute, no! This means—Makoto is here!" he thought with panic.
Did that mean everyone else had come as well? His friends must have come up with some kind of plan to try and rescue him.
"No! No! No why are they—they should be worried about Ren's life! Not mine! What are they thinking?!"
It should have been reassuring. But instead, Ken felt even more terrified. He wasn't worth the risk. What would Shido even do if he caught wind of them being here? He'd kill them. And he didn't want to have someone else die for him. Not again.
First it had been Mom. Then Shinjiro-san's near-death experience. He didn't need there to be a third time!
The scream was how Morgana found Ken. It was faint, but it was unmistakable.
Morgana broke into a sprint, running for how who knew how long. Morgana panted for a moment before peering out of the grate.
"Bingo," he whispered with a smile.
Ken had his head lowered; his shoulders hunched over. Morgana studied him closely. What had that scream been about? What had Shido done to him? He better not hurt him too much or he'll have to find the man and claw his face off.
Suddenly the radio on his collar crackled.
"Morgana? Can we get a status update?" Makoto asked.
"I found him," Morgana hissed. "I need to figure out to get down but you can talk to him soon, okay?"
"Roger."
The line then went dead. Morgana cocked his head, pondering on the best way to get his attention. But then a suddenly buzzing sound caught Morgana's attention. Ken's expression first morphed to confusion. Then recognition shone in his eyes. But for some reason, Ken started mumbling to himself.
Maybe… he should just go for the simple approach, to get Ken's attention.
"Pssst! Ken!" Morgana hissed, batting at the grate with a paw. "Up here!"
Ken's head jerked up, his eyes wide with shock.
"Morgana?"
"Just hang on, okay?"
Morgana tackled the grate, but it didn't budge a centimeter.
"Ouch…" he groaned out.
"Morgana—"
"I've got this, okay?" Morgana interrupted; he couldn't help but feel annoyed though.
Can't Ken have a little more faith in him?
Morgana pushed against the grate, straining hard against it. He grumbled to himself. Ryuji had made it look so easy!
"Morgana, hold on—" Ken tried again.
"Can you wait for like thirty seconds?!" Morgana couldn't help but snap.
He paused for a second to think. There had been that movie he had watched with Ren several weeks ago. Maybe he could use the same principle. He had to use his head… just not in the typical way.
Morgana backed up before sprinting forward. He headbutted hard against the grate and there was a crashing sound. Suddenly Morgana found himself tumbling to the ground.
"Ouch…" he groaned out. "Not my brightest plan. Hopefully no one heard that."
He rubbed his head with one paw before he trotted over to Ken, suddenly feeling a rush of embarrassment.
"Don't tell Ryuji, he'd totally make fun of me for not being my usual graceful self."
Morgana paused, taking a good look at his friend. There was a bright red mark on Ken's cheek as if someone had slapped him. But that wouldn't have made Ken scream in pain.
Even though he wanted to berate Ken for his actions, Morgana held his tongue. Morgana had no idea how much time they had before Shido returned.
"Morgana, please…"
"I don't know how much time I've got," Morgana said briskly. "But we've come up with a plan to save you—"
"Will you just listen to me?!" Ken suddenly burst out.
Morgana stared, wide-eyed.
"Find the others. Get out of here. I'm not worth the risk. I can't…"
His voice grew more and more hysterical, before it suddenly cracked. Ken then shook his head.
"I can't ask that of you all!"
Morgana stared at him for a moment before the words finally sunk in. Then anger flared inside of him.
Was he serious? How could he ask that?!
"Well, good, because we would do it anyways! No asking needed!" Morgana snapped.
Ken shook his head. "Ren's life is in immediate danger! Go save him! I'm not worth the risk!"
"Oh, for the love of—we don't need your permission to save you Ken!" Morgana exclaimed before he leaped into Ken's lap. "We are gonna save both of you—we won't abandon one or the other! Got it?!"
Then the radio on Morgana's collar suddenly crackled.
"Seconded!" Futaba added. "Nuh-uh! Rejected! You hear me, Ken? Your request is rejected!"
"Of course they were listening in," Morgana thought to himself, before shaking his head.
"Seriously, Ken, are you nuts?!" Ryuji interjected; his voice incredulous.
Ken began to protest, "But—"
"No buts, man!" Ryuji snapped, cutting Ken off. "You're one of us! You'd be as big of a loss as losing RenRen!"
Makoto asked, "How could you even ask that? We've dealt with dangerous things all the time. When you're a Persona-user… isn't it an occupational hazard?"
Morgana just looked at Ken, feeling smug.
Ken sighed, blowing his bangs out of his face.
"I'm sorry… It's just—"
"It's okay to be scared, Ken. We don't know what you've been through…"
Makoto's voice suddenly broke; Morgana could've sworn that he heard a little sniffle.
"We've all been so worried about you. And I—we can't lose you. We've come this far." Then her voice suddenly grew fierce. "We will get you out of here."
"And I don't like this defeatist attitude!" Morgana added. "You're a Phantom Thief! We don't just roll over and give up! Absolutely disgraceful! Ren would tell you the same thing!"
Morgana then looked up at Ken's face; but the look on his face was just unreadable.
"I… I'm sorry."
Ken then let out a short, depreciative laugh, shaking his head.
"I don't know what's wrong with me… I just can't stop thinking about what Shido said."
"Look at me," Morgana said sternly.
"Wha—"
Morgana scratched his claws against Ken's cheek. Not hard enough so that it would leave a mark—it was more like a graze if anything—but hopefully hard enough to snap Ken out of whatever this was.
"Ow!" Ken yelped. "What was that for?!"
Morgana ground out, "WAKE. UP. You're just letting Shido bully you into submission!"
"I don't even want to know what you're doing," Makoto sighed. "But Ken… you were prepared to face Death nearly seven years ago. You didn't know you would succeed. But you and everyone else managed it. And we're pulling all of the stops to make sure that we succeed here as well."
Ken's expression went from unsure to thoughtful.
Ryuji then added, "You can't let Shido beat you into giving up! That goes against everything we stand for! Makoto's right—if you had the balls to stand up against Death itself when you were just a kid, you can stand up against Shido and his threats!"
"I…"
Ken closed his eyes for a moment. But when he reopened them, there was a fire burning in them.
"You're right. I can't let him beat me down."
Then he took a deep breath.
"So... what's the plan?"
Morgana couldn't help but grin. "Now that's more like it!"
Ryuji felt like he was going to lose it. He really wished he could do something. Anything than just pacing in this room like a caged animal.
"Ryuji, you're making me dizzy," Futaba said sharply. "Knock it off already!"
Ryuji groaned before stopping in his tracks.
"Sorry, just going stir crazy here."
He hated sitting on his hands. He wanted to help his friend somehow. Maybe he'd feel better if they could find out something about Shido, like Makoto had mentioned before.
He wished that Yusuke hadn't gone with Haru and Anne. Maybe if they had one more person here, maybe then two of them could split off while the third protected Futaba.
Futaba frowned. "I mean… you're used to constantly moving around Palaces, aren't you?"
Ryuji nodded vigorously. "Yeah, even when RenRen picked someone else to fight Shadows, we were always doing something, at least following close behind as the vanguard, y'know? I just feel so… frustrated. We're stuck inside here and we can't even do anything to help Ken! Don't get me wrong, I totally get why we gotta. But I can't help but wish that I could do more than just this."
Makoto sighed softly.
"I can relate," she said quietly.
Then her expression darkened, before her hands clenched into fists.
"I just… I can't believe that Shido would do that to Ken."
Ryuji tried not to grimace. The security cameras had showed them exactly what had Shido was doing. Makoto had occupied herself with trying to comfort Futaba, but the look on her face, it was pure anguish. And as hard as she tried, she couldn't stop the shaking of her voice even as she soothed Futaba.
Even though Makoto had told them not to blame themselves, Ryuji couldn't help but kick himself for their blindness. Maybe if they had been more alert, they could've prevented all of this.
Ryuji wasn't looking forward to Ren finding out. His best friend was definitely gonna take this news hard. He had made the decision to go with the plan, despite everything, to protect them. Ren was probably gonna blame himself for this.
"I can," Futaba suddenly spat out, interrupting Ryuji's thoughts. "Shido will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Even killing people for it. It's obvious that he has no boundaries."
Makoto bit her lip. "I just don't… understand why so many people would follow Shido. He's a monster."
Ryuji scratched the back of his head.
He pointed out, "I mean people have followed crazies before all because they're good at talking—persuading. Like that German leader guy back in World War II."
Futaba raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised that you've paid attention enough to remember that."
"Hey! I ain't that dumb!" Ryuji protested.
"…so dead…"
Makoto stiffened at that, pursing her lips. She crept towards the door, crouching down and pressing her ear against it.
"Makoto—" Ryuji began.
"Shhh!" Makoto hushed him, holding a finger to her lips.
Both Ryuji and Futaba slowly edged to the door as well. He wished that they could open the door, even just slightly but that would be suicide.
"—kid… so stupid… No point in saying no."
"Wait a second. They're talking about Ken, aren't they?" Ryuji thought.
Once that sunk in, Ryuji clenched one of his hands into a fist. Shido's men were at least vaguely aware what was going on, then. How could they be okay with this bullshit?! It made Ryuji just sick.
"What can I say? Kids can be so damn naïve. Shido's a visionary. He'll be the one to steer this country in the right direction."
"A visionary? Is this idiot nuts?! Shido was the one ordering all the mental shutdowns!" Ryuji thought with a glare.
"Then again, he might not be all there. I heard Shido specifically picked out that drug. You know… the one that Kirijo's old scientists brought with them. They've really refined it from the prototype, though."
Ryuji slowly looked to Makoto. She was taking short, measured breaths—almost like that meditation thing. Then she opened her eyes.
Makoto's eyes were smoldering with anger, her hands balling into fists. Anger seemed to radiate from her.
"Makoto," Futaba called out softly, grabbing her sleeve. "You've gotta…"
Makoto then inhaled sharply, closing her eyes for a moment. She slowly unclenched her hands.
"Right," she whispered.
She motioned for them to move away from the door. It was probably smart to do that since… Shido's men might be able to hear their voices if they lingered. And then they'd be sunk.
"That drug… Shinjiro-san and Ken said that it was developed to suppress a Persona," Ryuji said carefully, looking at the girls seriously. "But… Shinjiro-san took it before. He said the side-effects would slowly kill ya."
"And that it sent your body out of whack," Futaba recalled, wrapping an arm around herself.
"For Shinjiro-san, it was that his body couldn't maintain body temperature and was always losing body heat," Makoto stated, a grim frown on her face.
Makoto's expression notably darkened. Though, he couldn't blame her for feeling pissed.
"Shido chose this drug on purpose, didn't he? He has such a warped sense of humor!" she seethed, suddenly pacing. "And you heard them! It's not even tested! That little—that twisted—"
"Bastard?" Ryuji offered.
Makoto coughed before her lips twitched into a smile.
"Yes. I suppose that's the word to describe him," she said.
"But what can we even do about this…?" Futaba asked.
Makoto bit her lip.
"We have to get a sample! We don't know what they've done to 'refine' it. And they injected it right into Ken. It has to be more potent that way, right? Mitsuru-san can probably get it analyzed. The Kirijo Group formulated some kind of cure for Shinjiro-san, didn't they? And we're catching it early! And maybe we can take Ken to Takemi-san. She owes Ren several favors so she can probably examine him without complaining…"
Sometime during her rambling, Makoto started to pace again. Ryuji was starting to get dizzy, watching her. Now he knew how Futaba felt. He reached out, grabbing her by the shoulder.
"Makoto, you gotta slow down!"
Futaba let out a false gasp, pressing a hand against her chest.
"Wow, Ryuji of all people's saying that?" Futaba asked sarcastically.
"Aw, shuddup!" Ryuji huffed, shooting Futaba a quick glare before turning back to Makoto. "But anyways, how are we gonna pull off that first thing? We can't just leave—leaving Futaba alone is especially a bad idea! I know you're worried about Ken but we gotta be smart about this."
Makoto sighed heavily, before her shoulders slumped.
"You're right, Ryuji, I just—on top of everything, we find out about this? When will tonight stop getting worse?"
Her voice unexpectedly cracked and Makoto suddenly looked like she wanted to cry.
"Shit, I got her upset! Ugh, why couldn't I be better with words like Ren?" he mentally lamented.
"S-Shit, don't cry!" Ryuji blurted out, before patting her shoulder awkwardly.
"You really don't know how to talk to people sometimes," Futaba said dryly.
Ryuji glared at her before retorting, "Like you can talk!"
This somehow drew a watery giggle from Makoto.
"I suppose that we should give Ryuji some credit for the effort at least," she teased.
"You too, Makoto?!" Ryuji complained, which just made the girls laugh.
But then Futaba suddenly snapped her fingers.
"I got it!" she exclaimed. "We can contact Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san about this. I mean, Ken still needs to get Shido to admit his involvement with the mental shutdowns and everything. They can look around for us and hopefully grab a sample for us."
Makoto's eyes widened. "That's not a bad idea…"
Makoto chewed on her bottom lip, looking thoughtful. Then she glanced at Ryuji.
"What do you think?"
It was probably their best bet. It'd be a bad idea to leave this room.
Ryuji nodded. "I think it's a good idea. But… y'know that reminds me…"
"What?" Futaba asked with hands on her hips.
"Oh, it's nothing serious. Just something that Shido's little lapdogs said—it's buggin' me. Something about Shido steering this country in the right direction. Can you believe that shit? Talk about sucking his dick. What bullshit, don't make me laugh. Assholes…"
"They are insufferable, I agree. But let's forget about them. We got work to do after all," Makoto encouraged with a smirk.
Ryuji smacked his fist against his open palm.
"I'm so ready to kick his ass after all of this!" he exclaimed.
First it had been Futaba's mom. Then the people who went through a mental shutdown or a psychotic breakdown. And the innocents who got hurt, just to make Shido look good. Then Haru's dad. And he painted a huge target on Ren's head. And finally, he kidnapped Ken.
"Shido, you piece of shit, you have it coming. The most outta all of all our targets," Ryuji thought viciously.
Futaba opened her mouth to say something, only to freeze.
"Uh-oh..." she uttered with a wince.
"Something on your mind, Futaba?" Makoto asked, glancing at the younger girl.
Futaba fidgeted nervously for a moment before readjusting her glasses.
"So… who wants to tell Shinjiro-san that Shido ordered Ken to be drugged by a refined version of the drug that nearly killed him?"
"Oh goddammit…" Ryuji couldn't help but cringe.
He didn't even think about that. Shinjiro-san was gonna flip shit. The man was scary enough already, but tonight showed that he really wasn't a man to be messed with. Maybe it was a good thing that he wouldn't find out until after they got Ken out of here. Shinjiro-san would probably rip off Shido's head or even sic his Persona on Shido if he knew about this beforehand.
He rubbed his neck and sighed. But… they had to tell the two older men why they needed the sample so badly.
"I nominate Makoto!" Ryuji shouted, pointing at her.
"What?!" Makoto glared at him. "Why me?"
"I second that notion!" Futaba chimed in.
"W-What?" Makoto gaped at her. "You too, Futaba?!"
"You're outnumbered this time," Ryuji snickered.
"Don't make me smack you," Makoto complained with a glare.
Akihiko really hated playing the waiting game.
But they needed the signal from Futaba before they could proceed. They needed that leverage over Shido before they could break Ken out.
But he hated it. Action allowed him to stop thinking about Mina. And their baby.
It should've been a happy moment. But Shido… just had to ruin everything. He knew that it was better for him to be here, to help rescue Ken, but he couldn't help but think about Mina. She excelled at hiding how she felt, but this… this was the last straw.
He could only pray that their baby would be born safely. Especially for Mina's sake. She'd never forgive herself if something happened to their daughter. He wished he could be with her. He couldn't take away her pain, but he hated that he couldn't be with her.
They had talked about it. Mina had even joked about crushing his hand. But he had always thought he would be in the room with her while she gave birth.
But Shido made her break down, giving her so much anguish by kidnapping Ken. And if anything happened to Mina or their baby because of this, he would pummel Shido's face so bad that not even plastic surgery could save him.
Shido was always a threat. He had been a pain to all of them this whole time.
But this… this just made things so much more personal.
Ken was like his little brother. Akihiko would be the first to admit that he had never been the greatest with kids. But he still remembered meeting Ken for the first time. The way his eyes shone, pure admiration shining clear as day. It wasn't before long before Akihiko found himself growing fond of him, even though he didn't always know how to talk to Ken.
He was no longer that little kid who looked at Akihiko with hero worship. Ken had grown from a confused kid to a young adult. A leader. Someone who looked after people, instead of being the one who needed to be looked after.
And he was not going to lose another loved one. He refused to look on helplessly, like how he was forced to watch the orphanage burn to the ground, with Miki inside.
As much as he wanted to beat the crap out of Shido for even coming up with this plan to begin with, Akihiko knew that he had to remain calm. Acting recklessly would cost them. Dearly.
Akihiko let his eyes travel over to Shinji. His expression was stony, his posture tense.
"Stop slouching," Akihiko muttered, shooting Shinji a look.
Shinji let out a little grumble before reluctantly straightening up.
"Where the hell is that bastard?" Shinji grumbled out.
As if it was an answer to Shinji's question, the relative silence was shattered with a scream.
Akihiko's blood began to boil when the realization hit him.
Ken was the one screaming. Just what was Shido doing to him?!
Akihiko squeezed his eyes shut to regain his bearings. If only that would shut out the screaming.
"Keep calm. You have to keep calm…" he chanted to himself.
Ken didn't need him to flip out. He can't freak out. Not now. He wouldn't be any help to Ken if he let himself be blinded by anger.
He then turned to look at his best friend. Shinji's jaw was clenched tightly, and his eyes were stormy with barely suppressed anger.
"Fucking hell… I'd rip Shido's head off if he wouldn't come up with some bullshit reason to toss me in jail," he growled out.
"You and me both," Akihiko muttered.
Shido just kept giving him reasons to hate the man even more.
"Get in line, Aki," Shinji retorted, speaking out of the corner of his mouth.
Akihiko gave a little scoff, giving him a little sideways glance. "Who says you get to go first?"
Shinji snorted. "Cause I'm his guardian. That means I'm the one who gets first dibs on whoever fucks with him."
Akihiko had to fake a cough so he wouldn't start laughing and blow their cover.
"Sheesh, the kid must be really dumb."
One of the patrolling officers had been the one to make the remark. Akihiko had to stifle the urge to stiffen at that comment. Anger began to pool at the pit of his stomach.
His companion just nodded. "I heard that Shido was really hoping that he'd say yes… He'd get all kind of intel on Kirijo and her cronies that way then."
Akihiko's hands clenched into fists, practically biting his tongue so he wouldn't snap. How dare Ken have principles?! And refuse to be Shido's lapdog like all of the people in this building. And how could they just turn a blind eye to Shido blatantly doing something to Ken?! Akihiko didn't want to imagine what Shido was doing.
Ken was prideful. He didn't like to show weakness, not if he could help it. Though, Akihiko could recall one incident when a Gigas Shadow backhanded Ken and he smacked hard against the wall. And even then, Ken hadn't screamed from the pain.
It just sickened him to see people like Shido's men to be so blasé about it. Shido was obviously looking to just use Ken as a tool.
Shinji suddenly elbowed Akihiko hard in the side, snapping Akihiko out of his thoughts. And then without another word, he turned around and headed in the opposite direction. Akihiko forced an apologetic smile on his face before he went after Shinji.
"Shido has got to be off his rocker if he thinks that he can talk Ken into turning traitor," Shinji all but snarled out once they were alone. "He had enough trouble hiding the truth from all of 'em before. And there was the time he freaked out at Sakura hacking his phone and revealed that she knew about us! Now what? He's torturing Ken for our secrets?!"
Thankfully Shinji's rant was quiet even as he shook with rage. Though, Akihiko didn't blame him for reacting this way, at all. Akihiko desperately wished that he could dish out the punishment Shido so rightfully deserved.
He remembered when Mitsuru had wanted to bring Ken back to Port Island. And if he was honest with himself, if she wanted to do it after all of this, Akihiko would probably back her up. After everything tonight, he didn't want Shido anywhere close to Ken.
"I just want this to be over with," Shinji suddenly said before he rubbed at his eyes. "I just—fuck! I want to get Ken the hell away from Shido."
"You and me both, Shinji."
Akihiko tried to give his best friend a reassuring smile. He wasn't sure how much he succeeded. It was getting harder and harder to muster the energy to keep up his confident façade.
"We haven't gotten the signal for Futaba yet, though. We need to be patient."
"You don't have to tell me, Aki." Shinji's voice grew testy.
Akihiko just held his hands up in surrender.
"I'm just saying—"
"Hey, can you talk?"
Akihiko's eyes widened at the sound of Futaba's voice.
"What is it, Sakura?" Shinji asked in a low voice.
"The thing is… uhhh… Makoto you talk to them!"
"Oh, for the love of—" Makoto cut herself with a sigh. "Um… hi, Shinjiro-san, Akihiko-san."
"This doesn't sound like the signal... out with it." Shinji warned.
"It's important, I promise! It's just… well…"
Makoto trailed off for a moment. But then she exhaled.
"We overheard a couple of Shido's men talking. About the drug they used on Ken, exactly."
"What... exactly?" Akihiko asked slowly.
"Please try to—I know it would be hard to remain calm but…" she trailed off awkwardly.
Then the realization hit him, like a pile of bricks. His stomach started to churn.
"Oh... oh shit! She isn't seriously saying this is…?!" Akihiko thought with panic.
Akihiko quickly glanced over to Shinji. Thunderous didn't even begin to describe the look on Shinji's face. His best friend had one of his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles had gone white. Akihiko quickly shook his head. He had to focus.
"Makoto… are you seriously implying what I think you are?" Akihiko demanded, "I swear if this is a joke—!"
She retorted, "It's not! Why on earth would I joke about this kind of thing?!"
Akihiko gritted his teeth. He hated all of this tiptoeing around. Sure, his job demanded that he not swing in gung-ho, so that the culprit doesn't get away but… it never had been so personal before. He really wanted to just run in, grab Ken, and get the hell out of here already. But… that would be just suicide.
He hated this so much.
"I'm sorry," Akihiko quickly apologized.
Makoto said curtly, "It's fine."
"Do you have a plan on how to handle this then?" Shinji interjected; his voice had grown extremely tense.
"With this being Shido's hideaway… we thought that there should be some kind of sample of the drug. We need you to track it down."
Akihiko's eyes met Shinji's.
"What do you think, Shinji?" he asked lowly.
Shinji's lips formed a thin line. He seemed to mull it over for a long time, long enough to make Akihiko feel antsy about it. And then, he finally spoke.
"Anything on Morgana's end?"
"We talked to Ken briefly. But we're waiting for Shido to get back."
That was weird. She was being kinda… close mouthed about this. Wouldn't she talk more about Ken? Was he alright? Then again, was this before or after Shido had hurt Ken? Akihiko decided that it'd be better to just push it aside for now. He'd find out soon enough anyway, like it or not.
"That just means we gotta hustle," Akihiko said.
Makoto had the right idea. If they got ahold of the drug, Mitsuru's scientists would be able to analyze the components and determine if it's as lethal—if not more—than the original. And from what Futaba had described… it was powerful. It had knocked Ken out almost immediately, additionally to sealing away Kala-Nemi.
Akihiko gritted his teeth. He really wanted to punch Shido for pulling this crap.
"We'll talk to you later," Shinji said.
"Mm-hm. Good luck," Futaba said.
Akihiko heaved out a sigh, rubbing his forehead.
Mina had been right to stop him, to order him to stay. Once the adrenaline had faded, Akihiko would have hated himself for leaving Ken. Especially with everything they had learned tonight. How could he even contemplate that?
"Aki… I don't know about you, but I'm really raring to bust some heads," Shinji suddenly hissed. "Shido may be protected with how he's twisting the force, but that same protection doesn't cover his men."
Akihiko lightly smacked his fist into his palm.
"Let's get started, then."
They moved as quickly as they could without drawing suspicion. But nothing stood out to Akihiko. But then they finally came to a room at the end of one hall.
Shinji gently pushed it open, to reveal a room that almost seemed like a hospital room. This had to be a good room to investigate, wasn't it?
They split up to scour the room. Akihiko pulled open a drawer, squinting at the contents. There were several syringes. Which was it? Maybe they should just take them all?
But then a glint of gold caught Akihiko's eye. He couldn't stop a little gasp from escaping him. The Shadow Operatives pin.
Akihiko quickly snatched it up. He hadn't thought that they would take the pin away from Ken. They must have found it while searching Ken. But Akihiko was just grateful that they didn't realize that it had a GPS mechanism. They really would have been sunk without it.
"Found Ken's phone," Shinji said gruffly, holding up the device.
"We'll need to have it examined by Fuuka or Futaba then… you don't know what they've done to it exactly."
"Why is this door open—?"
It suddenly creaked open, revealing a middle-aged man in a lab coat.
"Why are you in here?" The man demanded, striding inside. "This was only meant to hold—"
Then he cut himself off, his eyes growing as large as saucers. He made a choking sound.
"Aragaki?! Sanada?! What are you doing here?"
So, he recognized the two of them? He was most likely a former Kirijo scientist then.
"For a man of science… you sure are a fuckin' idiot," Shinji deadpanned.
"You little—"
The man's face noticeably reddened in anger from Shinji's crack; Akihiko could've sworn his eye started to twitch. But then he suddenly reached into his pocket, drawing out something.
"I was hoping to utilize Amada as a guinea pig… but what's two more?"
The scientist then lunged forward, syringe in hand.
But Shinji was faster. He easily pinned the man to the wall. Shinji's expression was pure fury; in fact, he radiated fury.
That pencil-necked idiot actually thought he could get the drop on Shinji? What a joke.
Shinji demanded, "Talk! You used to work for the Kirijo Group, didn't you?!"
But somehow, he met Shinji's angry glare rather calmly.
"What did Kirijo expect? Both she and her father were both so narrow-minded. Kouetsu-sama was a visionary. We could've shaped the world into something better. But Shido… he has the right idea as well. And I'm allowed to choose to work for who I wish, no?"
"And you brought that drug to him?!" Akihiko hissed.
He really wished knowledge of that drug could be erased, destroyed. It had brought no good to anyone.
"Why not? I knew it could be refined… perfected. It just needed a test run… on a Persona-user, that is. I'm relieved to find out that it still does its job to suppress a Persona. I do miss running my experiments on a Persona-user. I hope Shido-san will allow it."
Oh, hell no! He was seriously one of those scientists who experimented on Mitsuru when she was a kid?! And he was admitting that he wanted to use Ken as a guinea pig?!
But a sudden movement caught Akihiko's eye. The scientist still had the syringe, his fingers curling around it.
For a moment, Akihiko's vision turned red.
"Shinji!" he shouted, before shoving Shinji away.
"The fuck, Aki—"
Akihiko's hand clenched into a fist. He threw a punch right at the man's temple. A good clean blow to the temple could easily knock a man out. And fortunately, he managed to hit bullseye.
Shinji seemed to be speechless, staring at the now knocked out scientist.
"He was going to use it on you," Akihiko said, in order to break the silence.
But at the same time, Akihiko couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. The man was a civilian, after all. An older one, to boot.
But he brought the drug to Shido… even made it more dangerous with Shido's help. He was talking about making Ken a guinea pig for whatever sick experiments he could dream of. And he was going to drug Shinji, after everything Mitsuru did to ensure that they wouldn't have to worry about the drug killing him.
Shinji didn't respond, instead of choosing to bend down and retrieve the syringe.
"At least we have the damn thing now," Shinji muttered.
"Yeah. Let's get out of here."
Shinji managed to find something to secure the needle so he wouldn't accidentally poke himself as he tucked the syringe away, as well as Ken's phone before they stepped out of the room. Akihiko stuck his head out, to check if anyone was lurking out. The coast was clear, at least. That kind of mess up could have cost them.
Akihiko mumbled out, "Sorry… that really wasn't my best move."
"What are you apologizing for?" When Akihiko looked at him in surprise, Shinji continued, "Don't beat yourself up, Aki. We couldn't let him squeal."
"It just set me off. When I realized that he was gonna try and drug you. On top of everything he had admitted…"
Shinji made a face at him.
"Like I would've let him," he grumbled out.
"Since when are you the egoistical type?" Akihiko quipped, nudging Shinji in the side.
He wasn't sure if his smile was forced, though.
Shinji rolled his eyes, before giving Akihiko a light sock in the shoulder.
"Come on, let's get going. We need to be ready."
Morgana had put it so simply. But it wasn't that easy. Not by a longshot. But still, Ken had to try though. He couldn't let Shido beat him down.
He had to calm down though… If he panicked, he'd just give everything away. Ken closed his eyes, trying to will his pounding heart to slow down. How could he even start this…?
"Wait, that's it! Futaba's mother… she was the first mental shutdown. It'd make perfect sense to start with her, wouldn't it?" Ken mentally asked himself.
But then he'd still have to figure out where to go from there. His thoughts were interrupted when the door swung open and once again Shido stepped through. Ken tried not to tense up as he approached.
"So… have you thought things out?"
Ken swallowed hard. His heart pounded hard against his chest, so hard that it felt like it would burst.
"I… I want to ask some questions," he managed to spit out.
Shido seemed to ponder Ken's request for a moment. Then he nodded.
"Very well. That's fair enough."
"You keep saying that you could offer me so much more than Mitsuru-san," he said slowly.
He tried not to gag on his words. It was just so self-serving.
"But what do you want me to do exactly?"
"You're aware of the mental shutdowns, aren't you?"
Ken lowered his gaze to the floor for a moment, so that he wouldn't be tempted to roll his eyes. Who did Shido take him for, an idiot?
"You would have to be an oblivious fool to not know about them," Ken said flatly.
Shido's tone suddenly turned flattering. "And you're far from being either."
Ken kept his face neutral. He hoped his expression didn't betray anything, however.
"This guy is a real schmoozer, isn't he?" he couldn't help but think to himself.
"But what of the mental shutdowns?" Ken asked.
"I'm sure you're aware of the… dangers of the other world. While the person under my employment is good… it'd be better if there was more than one agent operating. Surely, you felt much safer once traveling in a group."
That was right. There were so many unanswered questions, regarding Akechi. He had lied to them about how he had awakened to his Persona… and the mental shutdown incidents have been occurring for little over two years now. But that must mean that he went to Shido before that.
But the big question was… why? Why would Akechi go to Shido about this? For clout? What would Akechi gain from this, exactly?
But then Ken realized that Shido was watching him closely.
"It is safer in a group," Ken agreed. "But why resort to that kind of thing?"
Ken had to keep up his poker face, to not show how ill he felt at the thought. Shido actually wanted him to work alongside Akechi to murder people for him?!
Behind his back, Ken's hands clenched into fists. Shido purposely traumatized Futaba just because he could.
His anger was bubbling to the surface. Despite keeping a straight face, he couldn't help but slip out his next words.
"You… You ordered the death of an innocent woman, Wakaba Isshiki."
Shido barked out a laugh.
"Oh, Wakaba Isshiki? She was practically begging for it. She was such a stubborn fool… what a pity. She had a brilliant mind. But she refused to give me what I wanted. And I always get what I want."
Despite everything, Ken could feel red-hot anger flare inside him. Shido could repeat that lie until he was blue in the face, but that was just a bunch of crock.
"And Futaba?" he demanded. "What did she do to you? She was a child!"
Just thinking about it made Ken feel furious. Futaba was already grieving over her mom, but Shido just had to rub salt in the wound. And for what? Just to watch her reaction? How sick was he?!
And… there was everyone else he had hurt.
There were countless people that Shido had decided were needed sacrifices. Innocents who had been caught up in the backlash, people chosen to be scapegoats.
"You dare to question me?" Shido demanded. "You've had no idea what I've had to do to get where I am now, you brat!"
"Name calling. How mature," Ken couldn't help but think, before cracking a wry smile.
Shido's hands clenched into fists.
"What's so funny?" he demanded.
Ken just narrowed his eyes in response.
He spat out, "All I see is a man who throws a fit when he doesn't get what he wants. On top of that, everything you've built… it isn't even from your own work. You make everyone do it for you. Nothing but a bunch of corrupt yes-men you pocketed and some false celebrity-detective to do the real heavy lifting for you!"
"You impudent wretch..." Shido hissed. "Don't you know who I am? I'm the one in control. Every move I've made has been in preparation for my ascension to the top! The mental shutdowns, psychotic breakdowns—everything! I don't need to do it myself. All these fools in this country are nothing but my puppets!"
"I'll never be your puppet!" Ken fired back.
Shido's face contorted with rage for a moment. Then he jabbed a finger right in Ken's face.
"You may not fear me, but I'm sure that Kirijo doesn't feel the same way. She'll bend once she sees that I will harm you. Women are so soft-hearted and weak."
Anger flared inside of Ken. Was he really insulting Mitsuru-san? Mitsuru-san had been nothing but strong. She had carried so much burden and she tried to do it all on her own. And to have to watch Shido just stand there, deride her like this, the nerve of this scum!
"Mitsuru-san is worth a thousand of you!" Ken retorted. "The only reason she hasn't acted before is because of you abusing power! Because if she could act, you'd be nothing but dust under her heel she'd crush without remorse!"
"I could shoot you right here and now," Shido hissed out.
"Try it!" Ken snapped. "You took me because you want leverage against Mitsuru-san. You won't kill me. I'm no use to you dead."
Shido's eye twitched for a moment before he pulled out that torture device once more.
"I can't kill you… but I'm sure that Kirijo will break if I torture you long enough in front of her. After all, what's two machines compared to a human's life?"
Ken glared at Shido.
"Aigis-san and Labrys-san aren't just machines! They've developed souls! They've felt both joy and grief, mourned people that they loved deeply! They've certainly felt more than you!"
"You brazen idiot…" Shido began, his grip tightening around the device.
But then, he froze at a sudden loud thump.
Then the door slammed open. Shido's men were tossed into the room with a solid thud. They just let out a pained groan.
"Hello Shido," Akihiko-san said, casually dusting off his hands. "We're here to take Ken back."
Shido took a step backwards.
"What are you two doing here?" he demanded.
"Did you really expect to snatch Ken like that and for us to do shit?" Shinjiro-san snarled out.
His expression seemed to soften slightly though as his gaze fell on Ken. But then it hardened once more as he looked to Shido again.
"Can you give me one reason not to beat the crap out of you?" he ground out.
But then a sudden movement caught Ken's eye.
He tried to warn them, "Shin—"
Ken was cut off as something jabbed against his neck. The intense, all-consuming pain engulfed him once more. He barely registered Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san's shouts. All he was truly aware of was the painful electric shocks.
By the time the haze of pain had faded away, Ken could only stare in horror at the sight of Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san pinned to the ground by Shido's men.
Shido specifically had a gun pointed right at Shinjiro-san.
"I mentioned that I would target your guardian first, didn't I?"
Shinjiro-san didn't flinch. Instead, Shinjiro-san just glared up at him.
"Now, tell me where your associates are," Shido demanded. "You didn't come alone, did you?"
"Go to hell," Shinjiro-san spat.
"No, please! Don't!" Ken begged.
Shido then turned to smirk.
"This is your weakness? How predictable… then again, my men were able to capture you by playing with your heart already. And well, you know the saying: Don't fix what's not broken."
Panic began to well up inside of him. Please not again! He wasn't going to let Shinjiro-san die! He couldn't!
He had to do something… But what?! He couldn't summon Kala-Nemi. Not in the real world, without an Evoker. His hands were literally tied…
If only he could summon Kala-Nemi. He could create a flare of light—distract Shido and his men.
Akihiko-san strained against the man's grip, only to hiss in pain as the man just tightened his grip.
"Ken…" Akihiko-san managed to choke out. "Don't let him win."
Ken squeezed his eyes shut. But how? He couldn't do anything. Not like this.
"You don't have the balls to do it, Shido," Shinjiro-san spat out.
Shido's eye twitched at the insult.
"You little—"
"You don't get anything outta it," Shinjiro-san retorted. "The whole purpose of taking Ken was to force Mitsuru to do what you wanted. You get nothing outta killing me. And you really think you've got the guts to pull the trigger? Don't make me laugh. You made a whole goddamn career out of making people do the dirty work for you. Why the hell should I be afraid of a total pussy like you?"
Shinjiro-san was right.
Why should he be afraid? Why should he give up? Dismissing that he could summon Kala-Nemi? He never really tried. He could use Kala-Nemi's healing magic already. What was stopping him from doing the whole deal, then? He couldn't roll over and give up!
He could feel Kala-Nemi's presence in his mind. He just needed to focus. The drug had slowly weakened, he could do this...
He wasn't a helpless child anymore. He was determined to see this through. He would see Shido fall from grace. All of those lives he had destroyed… they demanded justice.
He couldn't give up.
He mentally pleaded, "Kala-Nemi, please. Hear my call."
He couldn't let Shido win. He needed to fight back. He was a Shadow Operative and a Phantom Thief. He wanted to live to fight for another day.
Blue suddenly surrounded him. And then Kala-Nemi's voice resonated in his mind, making his eyes widen.
"Thou art I… and I am thou. Thine resolution hast transformed me… and hast given me a new form. I am..."
"Hear my call… TYR!" Ken exclaimed.
Ken's new Persona took on a more humanoid form, compared to both Nemesis and Kala-Nemi. A flowing orange piece of fabric was tied around his forehead. A black cape was fastened in place with a golden emblem. Maybe it was the lighting, but Akihiko could've sworn the golden emblem bore the Shadow Operatives' symbol. Underneath the cape, he wore silver chain armor. In one hand, the Persona held a spear. But… the Persona was missing its other hand. Instead, it had almost like… a prosthetic—a prosthetic hand cannon, to be exact.
But then Tyr began to glow a bright gold. Akihiko automatically squeezed his eyes shut. But Shido and his men weren't so lucky from being blinded by the flash of light.
Akihiko tore himself free; judging from the curse he heard, Shinji had managed the same, as well. He whipped around, jabbing his former captor hard in the stomach. He keeled over in pain, allowing Akihiko to strike him down with a well-placed punch.
"You think you've won with that light show?!" Shido barked.
He then whirled around, pointing the gun right at Ken.
"Aeneas!" Shinji shouted, a blue aura flaring around him.
A translucent blue shield sprung in front of Ken. The bullet ricocheted from the shield, and struck the bookcase to the left.
"Damn you!" Shido hissed out.
Before he could say any more, he was cut off by the shrill ringing of his phone. Akihiko couldn't help but crack a grin.
"And that's checkmate," he thought viciously.
Then a tinny version of Shido's voice rang out.
"Oh, Wakaba Isshiki? She was practically begging for it. She was such a stubborn fool… what a pity. She had a brilliant mind. But she refused to give me what I wanted. And I always get what I want."
"I'm the one in control. Every move I've made has been in preparation for my ascension to the top! The mental shutdowns, psychotic breakdowns—everything! I don't need to do it myself. All these fools in this country are nothing but my puppets!"
The blood completely drained out of Shido's face.
"That's… h-how?"
Akihiko couldn't help but smirk. Revenge was sweet.
"Sucks to get blackmailed, doesn't it, Shido?" Shinji spat out. "Payback's a bitch."
"It'd suck for this to get out to the public, wouldn't it?" Akihiko added. "Especially so close to the election."
A black blur then lunged forward. Morgana dove at Shido's pocket, coming out with a key clenched tightly in between his teeth. Shido surged forward but Akihiko and Shinji moved as one, barricading Shido from Ken.
"Try us," Akihiko dared with a fierce glare.
Shido gritted his teeth.
"What do you want?" he hissed out.
Shinji crossed his arms over his chest. "It's simple. You let Ken go free, and keep the hell away from Mitsuru and the rest of us... and we will keep this recording our secret."
Shido's eyes burned with hatred. If looks could kill, Goro Akechi would be out of a job.
"You think that this will stop me?" Shido spat out. "The leader of the Phantom Thieves will die! By one of my men's hand!"
"This is about the Shadow Operatives; you made a mistake messing with one of us! Those are our terms." Akihiko refused to budge.
Shido clenched his fists. The silence seemed to stretch forever… Akihiko licked his lips, praying that their gambit would work.
He hissed out, "I see, abandoning the Phantom Thieves to protect yourselves. I suppose I can understand… fine, I can leave your little group alone for now. If only so I can finally crush your whole organization once I'm prime minister."
Then there was a quiet clinking sound. Ken slowly staggered to his feet, suddenly looking dazed. His eyes were glazed over with exhaustion. Akihiko grabbed him by the shoulders.
"I've got you," he murmured.
Ken could only give a tired nod, a small smile curving his lips. Akihiko shut his eyes for a moment.
Ken was okay. He'll be okay. Akihiko wanted to cry out of relief. Despite everything, they had managed to eke out a win. They had nearly blown it, but they managed it.
He felt a little disgusted, allowing Shido to think they abandoned Ken's friends, but it was worth it to get the man to finally cave. And hopefully it will help keep Ren Amamiya safe and his gambit a success.
Akihiko had to half-carry, half-support Ken out of there. Ken looked completely exhausted. His breath came in short, shallow huffs. If Akihiko had to guess, summoning in the real world, while under the strain of the drug, had drained Ken. Honestly Akihiko was a little surprised that he hadn't passed out.
As they hurried down the hall, Shinji pressed a finger to his ear, before hissing, "Get out of there."
They met the kids at the entrance, but Shinji motioned for them to hustle. Futaba looked like she wanted to protest, but Makoto just put a hand on her shoulder.
They made a beeline for the car. Akihiko then eased Ken so that he was leaning against the car's side. He was thankful they mentioned to Futaba before they arrived to erase the security footage soon as they got there and bug it so it won't record when they left. They wouldn't know of three Phantom Thieves' involvement with this break-out. They can't have Shido suspecting Ren could escape their trap. His life depended on that fact.
"You okay, Ken?" Akihiko murmured, running his fingers through Ken's hair.
Ken just gave a little nod. He must be really exhausted, if he wasn't gonna complain about his hair being touched.
"You really worried us back there." Akihiko couldn't stop his voice from cracking.
"I'm sorry," Ken murmured. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"I know, I know…" Akihiko closed his eyes for a moment, to will the tears away.
He had thought it was awful to hear Ken's screaming from a distance. But it had been a thousand times worse to hear it, while in the same room. He felt so helpless.
"Aki," Shinji said quietly, before jerking his head in Futaba's direction.
Akihiko smiled sheepishly before pulling away from Ken. Futaba didn't waste a second before she flew at Ken. She clutched at the lapels of his jacket.
"Stupid! STUPID! YOU'RE! SO! STUPID!" Futaba blubbered out, punctuating every word with a small yank of his lapels with every word.
"I know…" Ken mumbled out. "I'm sorry, Futaba. For what I put you through."
Futaba just gave another sob.
"You better be!" she snapped before squeezing him in a tight hug.
Ryuji then let out a strained laugh. "You really put us through the wringer tonight, Ken. As if we didn't have to put up with enough crap already!"
Morgana grumbled, "Jeez, Ryuji… You sure know how to make people feel great."
"Oh shuddup, Morgana!"
Ken then slid down the side of the car as Futaba released him, a grimace marring his face.
Makoto then fell to her knees. She embraced Ken, tears flowing down her cheeks as she did so.
"Thank goodness! Oh thank God!" she sniffled. "You have no idea how worried I've been!"
She buried her face against his shoulder, all while clinging to him. When she pulled away, Akihiko could see that she was still crying. Ken weakly raised a hand, gently brushing a tear from her face.
"Don't cry, Makoto, please..." he murmured.
Makoto's eyes seemed to flash for a moment. "Then don't get kidnapped and I won't have a reason to cry!"
She then released him, wiping at her eyes before reaching to grab his hand and pull him back up. Then Ken looked over Makoto's shoulder, his eyes meeting with Shinji's.
"Shinjiro-san—" Ken began.
"Just shut up, you dumbass!"
Makoto hastily stepped aside for Shinji, who pulled Ken in for a tight hug.
"You idiot, you goddamn idiot…!" Shinji choked out.
With a jolt, Akihiko realized that Shinji was crying. When was the last time he had seen Shinji cry?
It… probably was Miki's funeral. After the funeral was all wrapped up and Akihiko broke down in front of her grave. He had put a hand on Akihiko's shoulder, waiting for him to stop crying. And then Akihiko looked at his friend, only to realize that Shinji had been crying the entire time as well.
"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?!" Shinji demanded.
Ken swallowed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"
"You better be sorry, you jackass! Never do that to me again!"
Ken just nodded numbly, all the fight from earlier completely sapped out of him.
But Akihiko kept his eyes on the boy. Ken's eyes were completely glazed over. Needless to say, he wasn't surprised at all when Ken suddenly pressed a hand to his face, swaying for a moment before finally fainting. He was lucky that Shinji was already holding onto him so he didn't faceplant into the asphalt.
"Ken!" Futaba cried out.
Shinji groused, "Oh for fuck's sake…"
"Not surprised, after everything," Akihiko stated.
Makoto nodded. "There was the fight with Sis, then Ken got drugged and then summoned his Persona for the first time in the real world without an Evoker…"
"We should really get out of here before Shido comes for us with a vengeance," Morgana suggested.
They thankfully knocked out most of the guards that would have been in their way before they rescued Ken, but they still were lucky they managed to make it back to the car without being followed. Their threat to Shido must have actually made him nervous if he didn't just turn around and order his men to chase them down. That was good for them. With that, and Futaba bugging the cameras, things might be looking up for the Phantom Thieves if the rescue of their leader went off without a hitch.
But Morgana was right, it wasn't smart to be lingering here. He nodded toward the feline in agreement.
"Yeah, let's go," Shinji said in agreement as they loaded up quickly.
Shinjiro had never been so happy to be back at the penthouse. Aki and Sakamoto supported Ken while Shinjiro unlocked the door.
"Should we put Ken on the couch?"
"Bed," Shinjiro said shortly. "Best to take a look at him and see his injuries. I'll go grab the first aid kit."
"Got it."
Shinjiro grabbed the first aid kit from the bathroom. Sakamoto had made himself scarce, but Aki had disposed of Ken's jacket and was in the process of pulling the turtleneck over Ken's head.
"You know, that's a weird look on you," Aki said casually, giving Shinjiro a quick glance.
Shinjiro huffed. "Yeah, yeah, it wasn't by choice."
He then sat on the edge of the bed.
Shinjiro asked, "What's the verdict?"
"Found several bruises," Aki said absently. "The biggest are the ones on his wrists."
To demonstrate, Aki gingerly took ahold of Ken's wrist. Dark rings circled around Ken's wrist from the handcuffs chafing his skin.
Aki's hand glowed blue with a Diaharan spell before he gently prodded at Ken's ribs.
"I don't think anything's broken, but we need to get a doctor's verdict. They might be bruised though. He'll most likely need a cold compress in the morning, then."
Aki then ran his hand gently over Ken's torso. His expression darkened.
"I can't believe Shido. Electroshock torture? That's just barbaric!" he fumed.
"You don't have to tell me," Shinjiro muttered out. "He probably would've tortured Ken, if he thought doing it in front of Mitsuru would've gotten him results."
Aki sighed before rubbing at his eyes.
"Everyone back home is going to flip out," he said wearily.
Shinjiro looked to his friend.
"I want Ken to be examined at the Iwatodai Hospital."
Aki drew a sharp breath before staring at Shinjiro.
"Shinji…" Aki then stopped short when Shinjiro held up a hand.
"He was drugged… by an improved version of those goddamn pills. We're not going to get the answers we need in Tokyo. They won't know shit."
Aki's expression turned contemplative. Then he spoke.
"Wait a couple days. I'll bring the sample we grabbed to Mitsuru. She'll have her scientists analyze it—compare it to the original drug. Besides that, Ren is still in trouble…"
Shinjiro sighed, rubbing his forehead. What Aki was saying—it wasn't unreasonable.
"But hey, Shinji…" Aki said suddenly. "What are you gonna do… after Ken recovers?"
Shinjiro looked to his friend.
"What would you do?"
"If I was Ken's guardian, you mean?"
Aki then let out a short, humorless laugh.
"I'd take Ken and put as much distance between him and Shido. I had hoped that Shido had never caught onto Ken being here. And tonight has been pure hell. I don't want a repeat of this."
But then Aki gave him a knowing look.
"But you're not going to do that, are you?"
"Shido targeted Ken specifically," Shinjiro said. "I don't like it, but… he deserves to see this through, doesn't he? At the very least, I know that Ken would argue against that. He's too goddamn stubborn. He'd probably find a way to sneak away from us even if we did drag him back to Port Island."
Akihiko sighed, shaking his head.
"You've really gotten soft for Ken, haven't you?" he teased lightly.
Shinjiro glowered at him but said nothing. It was true after all.
Aki abruptly stood up, heading for the door without a word. He was puzzled by this but when Aki yanked the door open, what happened next answered his question.
Sakura and Sakamoto both fell in—Sakamoto nearly crushing Sakura and Morgana—with a flustered Makoto, who managed to not fall over, already making apologies.
Shinjiro rolled his eyes. They were just unbelievable.
"We were just—we were hoping…" Makoto fumbled with her words, only to redden when her eyes fell on the still shirtless Ken.
Shinjiro could only roll his eyes. It seemed Sakura's teasing had a grain of salt to them.
"We just wanted to see how Ken is doing, all right?" Sakamoto grumbled defensively as Sakura pushed him off of her.
Aki folded his arms over his chest, giving them all an exasperated look.
He said flatly, "Ken's completely knocked out. You can see him in the morning, okay? I get you're worried but he needs rest. Come on, I'll drive you guys home. It's pretty late anyways."
"Good practice for your kid's future friends, right?" Shinjiro deadpanned.
"Oh shut it, Shinji," Aki grumbled, though it was halfhearted.
Though that mention did make Shinjiro think… Makoto would be going back to an empty apartment, wouldn't she? While she's probably had to do that before, Shinjiro couldn't help but feel unease at that after everything tonight.
And even though Sakura covered their tracks so Shido wouldn't suspect the involvement of those three… he had to imagine how suffocating it would feel for her. To be home alone while her sister was interrogating Amamiya. The plan had merit, even without getting Satonaka and Kujikawa involved. But with or without their involvement it was extremely risky.
If worst came to worst… Amamiya would be dead. And who knows what could happen to her sister. The prosecutor had no idea of Goro Akechi's true nature. If things go to hell in a handbasket, she could become a causality.
This was originally Makoto's plan after all… her gamble.
He didn't like Sae Niijima that much. But she was still Makoto's sister. The stress was obvious on her face, she wasn't doing a good job hiding it.
Makoto spoke up, "It's quite all right. My apartment isn't far. I can walk."
She was trying to put on a brave face, but it was failing badly. He noticed her hands she had clasped together in front of her were trembling.
"It's too dangerous to walk out at night," Shinjiro rebuked. "But I don't mind if you really wanna stay over tonight."
Aki shot him an incredulous look, so Shinjiro stared back at him, eyebrow raised.
"Go play chauffeur."
Aki rolled his eyes before mouthing "soft" at him. He then ushered Sakura and Sakamoto out of the room.
"Shinjiro-san… thank you," Makoto said softly, even blushing a little in embarrassment.
"It was nothing," Shinjiro dismissed.
Being in a home with others close by might hopefully ease some of her nerves, especially Ken. Didn't take a genius to see how special he was to her.
He then stood up to dig out something for Makoto to wear. The school uniform couldn't be comfortable to sleep in, after all. He pulled out one of Ken's sleeping outfits, tossing it at her.
She then left to go change in the bathroom. Shinjiro took the moment to dress Ken in sleepwear. Shinjiro let out a weary sigh as he sank into the chair by Ken's desk. He could feel the energy literally drain out of him. He felt so… exhausted. Both mentally and physically.
His phone suddenly rang. He shot a look at Ken. He was still knocked out cold, but Shinjiro figured that Makoto would want to sit with him after everything. So he left the room, quietly shutting the door. He headed for his own bedroom, taking a quick look at the caller ID before answering.
"Yeah?"
"Shinji?" Fuuka said softly. "Um, is this a bad time?"
"Fuuka…" Shinji sighed, rubbing at his face. "No, it's okay. I'm just… tired. But Ken is safe."
Fuuka let out a soft sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness… this night has been a mess. But everyone will be so relieved to hear this news. I knew you guys would save him."
He… wasn't looking forward to recounting the story. And there was no way in hell that he and Aki could get away with not telling it.
Fuuka suddenly asked, "How is Ken-kun? Can I talk to him?"
"He passed out shortly after we got him out of there. He's in bed right now."
"I see…" Fuuka's tone became disappointed. "I suppose that it's warranted after everything. Poor Ken-kun."
Shinjiro's grasp on his phone tightened. She really had no idea.
"Shinji?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you okay? You must be exhausted."
Shinjiro ran a hand through his hair.
"Well, you know," he said carelessly. "Nothing a good night's sleep can't fix."
"That's not what I'm talking about, Shinji."
He should've known that Fuuka wouldn't let that half-assed excuse slide by. Shinjiro just rubbed at his eyes.
"Hey, how's Minako? Aki's been really worried."
Fuuka probably wouldn't be pleased at him dodging the question, but he was genuinely worried for her too.
Fuuka sighed but responded calmly, "The doctors say Minako and her baby aren't in any danger. But they do want to keep them at the hospital for an extra night or two to monitor them to be extra careful. It will probably be several hours until the baby arrives. It's stressful but they're gonna be okay."
Shinjiro let out a sigh of relief, at least Aki would be able to get some sleep tonight.
"You didn't answer my question. Shinji, please, talk to me," Fuuka urged gently.
Shinjiro rubbed his neck as he let out a heavy exhale.
"I just… fuck, Fuuka. He was probably planning on torturing Ken while trying to 'negotiate' with Mitsuru. He did it right in front of Aki and me. And I couldn't… I couldn't do a damn thing."
He couldn't stop his voice from cracking. Even though he knew that Makoto had a good point about blaming themselves, a small part of him couldn't help but wonder if he could've prevented this all. They'd be stressed about Amamiya, sure, but at least they would only be rescuing one teenager, not two.
"T-Torture?"
Oh fuck. Why did he have to mention that?
Shinjiro closed his eyes for a moment. "It was... electroshock torture. He got Ken a couple times and..."
He couldn't finish the sentence. Ken's pain filled screams were still rattling in his skull. Holy hell, he never wanted to hear that again. Ever.
On top of that, he didn't want to worry Fuuka any more.
"I'm sorry, Shinji…" Fuuka suddenly sniffled. "I'm so sorry, I even thought about asking Mitsuru-senpai if I could come with Akihiko-senpai, but I kept thinking that you had a good point. And we already had several people working to help Ren-kun. I never thought—maybe if I was there, I could've teleported Ken-kun and Futaba-chan to safety."
Shinjiro swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. He hated hearing Fuuka break down and cry about this. Especially since he couldn't even give her a hug.
"Fuuka… don't cry. It's okay, Ken's safe now."
Fuuka sniffled again.
"I'm sorry, I just—I haven't been able to stop thinking about this…"
Shinjiro then cleared his throat.
He said gruffly, "Don't blame yourself. We'll have to be doubly careful after all of this, but we did manage to dish some revenge to Shido. That's that bright spot of this whole shitty night."
To his relief, Fuuka managed a watery giggle.
"I suppose there's that silver lining," she chuckled.
Then she was quiet for a moment.
"I miss you, Shinji," Fuuka suddenly confessed. "Calling just isn't the same…"
"I miss you too. I hope all of this will be over soon," he answered sincerely.
Fuuka sighed, "I hope so too… But I'll let you go, Shinji. You should really get some rest."
Shinjiro gave a little nod. "You too, Fuuka."
"Good night, Shinji." He could hear the smile in Fuuka's voice. "I love you."
"Love you too. Night, Fuuka."
With that, Shinjiro finally hung up. He then got up and stretched. He would check up on Ken one last time before crashing.
He ambled over to Ken's room, carefully opening it. Then he did a double-take at the sight that greeted him.
Makoto was passed out in the chair by Ken's bed. But despite everything, she still gripped Ken's hand tightly.
She looked younger when she was sleeping. But she was only eighteen. On top of all the stress about her sister, there was the crap that happened tonight… and Amamiya's fate.
"Fucking hell… one thing at a time Shinjiro, these kids will pull through. They gotta," he whispered.
Shinjiro just shook his head before picking her up and setting her down on the other side of the bed.
He then slipped out, pulling out a spare blanket from the cupboard where they stored all the bedding. He draped it over Makoto. He then glanced down at his charge. Ken was curled onto his side, his expression peaceful.
Ken was safe. Even after this hellish night, he was okay… relatively. Shinjiro was still worried about what Shido had done to him—and then Amamiya's situation, but they'd deal with it, just like with Ken.
But at least for tonight… he could finally breathe easy.
TYR
History: In Norse mythology, Tyr is the god of war and the lawgiver amongst the gods. Most notably, Tyr was crucial in the binding of the dread wolf, Fenrir. He alone was the only one brave enough to agree to placing his hand in Fenrir's maw, allowing the Norse gods to bind Fenrir. He lost his hand as a result of this, however. Tyr is also associated with the Roman god, Mars.
Arcana: Justice
Level: 56
Elements: Bless, Gun, Healing
Blocks: Bless
Resists: Psy
Weakness: Curse
Spells: Makouga, Kougaon, Mediarama, Diaharan, One Shot Kill, Marakunda, Bless Boost, Samarecarm
Art by lilshironeko
Notes:
Soooo… I apologize for the wait. There were a lot of contributing factors to the delay. I was trying to write for shipping weeks, but then I hit a motivation slump hard. Also got caught up playing Trails of Cold Steel 3. Man, I forgot how much I love that series.
BUT I HOPE THIS CHAPTER MAKES UP FOR THE WAIT.
A lot of stuff happened. I want to discuss Tyr for Ken's third tier Persona. One big thing is that while Forseti is indeed the Norse god of justice, Tyr's domain was also said to include justice as well. And there's some interesting parallels with Akechi's "true" Persona being Loki and Ken getting Tyr. As I mention in the blurb, Tyr made a serious sacrifice to help his brethren. While Loki isn't evil persay, he ended up screwing over the gods a lot. Additionally, Tyr was often compared to Mars, the Roman god of war! While Mars' Greek counterpart, Ares, wasn't the most pleasant guy around, Mars was more disciplined. Mars was depicted as a guardian, someone brought strength and honor in battle. He was also considered one of the greatest gods in the Roman pantheon, only second to Jupiter, the king of gods. Additionally, Tyr's best known myth revolves him help trick an enemy into being heavily crippled. Quite fitting for what Ken goes through, no?
Though speaking of Personas, I just want to assure you that we will get an Aeneas description in the future. Just didn't fit with the scene I had here.
I've also gotten a few more art pieces commissioned! Check it out on Tumblr (personaaceinthehole). Most notably, I've gotten an All Out Attack art for Ace! I want to thank my beta angelrin89 for helping me figure out what to do for the actual art. Additionally, coolman229 also surprised me with editing some exploding Shadows to add to the authenticity! I've included the edited version at the end of this chapter (because I really love it a lot).
I also would like to announce that my beta angelrin89 and I have decided that it'll be best for her to go through the rest of the story and edit it. So everything is up to par to the content she did edit! And as usual, she did a FANTASTIC job editing this! Her tweaks to the chapter made everything better!
Anyways, I've talked your ears off long enough. Please leave a review and tell me what you think!
Chapter 42: Ch. 41: Game, Set, Match
Summary:
November 19th was a roller coaster. But November 20th isn't much better. Ken deals with the aftermath of everything that happened to him last night. Not to mention... Ren is still in interrogation.
Notes:
IMPORTANT NOTE! While discussing edits with my beta angelrin89, she reminded me how people end up in the Metaverse (they just slowly disappear from the real world). As the plan hinges on this, I've gone back in the chapters where the characters are mentioned to enter the Metaverse through a portal. These chapters include chapter 3 (The Metaverse), 4 (Awakening), 19 (Last Days Of Summer), and 23 (Enter Noir, The Phantom Thief). On a similar note, the prologue, chapters 1 and 2 have been updated. Thank you to angelrin89 for the edits!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, November 20th, 2016
The sound of a baby's wail had never sounded so wonderful to Minako. She collapsed against the pillows, panting heavily.
"Congrats, Minako-san." Keisuke-senpai beamed at her.
"My baby… she's okay?" Minako croaked out.
Keisuke-senpai nodded with a smile. "We'll need to check her vitals, but I think she'll be just fine. She's a trooper after all… just like her mother."
"My baby's okay. My baby is okay!" she thought to herself.
Tears began to trickle down her face and she held out her arms.
"I want to hold her," she demanded.
"In just a moment, Minako-san," he reassured her. "But… do you have a name in mind?"
He nodded at the nurse, who held a clipboard in her hands. Minako blinked.
She nodded. "I do. May I…?"
The nurse looked surprised but she held it out to Minako. She gazed at the birth certificate for a moment.
Her and Aki's names were already written down. She felt a pang at the thought of her husband. He and Shinji had to have rescued Ken already… right? She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
"Oh, please let it have gone okay," she internally begged.
She then turned her attention to the birth certificate once more, picking up the pen. Then she wrote her daughter's name for the first time: Kiyomi Sanada.
"A lovely name, Sanada-san," the nurse said. "We'll do our best to run the tests so you can have her back as soon as possible."
Hiraga-senpai then left with the nurse. Minako sighed wearily, trying not to wince at the dull pain permeating every part of her body. Who knew how tiring giving birth was?
"Mina-tan?"
She looked up at Junpei with blurry eyes.
"Ken-kun… he's okay, right?"
Her friend gave her a small smile, before he nodded. "He's okay."
Minako turned her head to see Fuuka approach. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, but she was smiling reassuringly.
"I spoke to Shinji a few hours ago," she explained. "They got him out of there. He ended up fainting though, so he's in bed right now."
Minako slumped in the bed.
"That's a relief…" she breathed.
Though she had to wonder why Ken had ended up fainting. She really wanted to speak to Ken. She needed to hear his voice to reassure herself. But in a few hours, whenever Ken would wake up.
She suddenly yawned and turned her head to look at the window. It was pitch black.
"God, what time is it?" Minako asked.
"About 3 o'clock I think," Junpei said with a shrug.
Fuuka squeezed her shoulder before saying, "You should rest up, Minako-chan."
Minako shook her head.
"Not until I hold Kiyo-chan."
"So stubborn," Junpei teased.
Minako stuck her tongue out at him.
"You're one to talk!" she exclaimed.
Fuuka giggled, shaking her head at the two of them.
"Why don't I braid your hair, then, Minako-chan?" she suggested. "Your hair is a little… messy."
Minako smiled, before giving a little nod.
It was soothing to have Fuuka comb her hair and then plait her hair in a single braid. Though Minako found herself stealing looks at Fuuka. Her friend's expression was calm, but she didn't miss the signs that Fuuka had been crying.
"There we go." Fuuka smiled, before securing Minako's new braid with a hair tie.
"Hey… Fuuka-chan?" Minako said quietly, before she could lose her nerve. "How are you holding up?"
Fuuka tensed up at that. For a moment Minako wondered that she had made a mistake. But then Fuuka opened her mouth.
"I—I'd be lying if I said that I was okay," she stated.
Then tears began to pool in her eyes, before dripping down her cheeks.
"What Shido did to Ken-kun… he's truly a monster."
The vehemence in Fuuka's voice was shocking. She was just so nice. She had befriended Natsuki, her former bully, after all. But then again Natsuki Moriyama, at her worst, was nothing compared to Shido. The man was tearing apart the country for the sake of his ambition.
"A part of me feels angry… but a bigger part of me keeps running the what ifs in my mind. I knew this night would be stressful already. But I…"
Fuuka squeezed her eyes shut, tears continuing to trickled down her face.
"I wish I could've done something to prevent all of this. I know Shinji only told me a little of what happened to Ken-kun tonight, so that I wouldn't worry. But the little I know..."
Minako felt her blood run cold.
"Fuuka-chan... what did Shido do?"
Fuuka froze.
"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything..." she mumbled.
"Hey, that's enough, Fuuka."
Minako and Fuuka both looked to Junpei in surprise.
"Ken's okay. We should celebrate that small victory... 'specially since Shinjiro-senpai and Akihiko-senpai managed to turn the tables against Shido. I know that Shido's a huge bastard, but Ken will be okay. He's not fragile. He's tougher than he looks."
Fuuka froze at that. Then she reached up to brush away the tears from her eyes.
"You're right, Junpei-kun."
"And Mina-tan, stop blaming yourself!" Junpei said sternly. "Yeah, it was your idea to begin with. But Mitsuru-senpai let Ken decide what he wanted to do. Neither of you forced him. You just laid the facts out and he said, 'yeah I'll do it'. And even when shit went down with Okumura, and Mitsuru-senpai wanted to recall him back to Port Island. He dug in his heels and refused to return. Ken's not a kid anymore. Yeah things got bad, but don't forget that we managed to come up on top."
For a moment, Minako was speechless. She could only think about the panic and terror that flooded every part of her at Mitsuru-senpai's reluctant admission.
But… he was right. Ken had made the decision to go and then he made the decision to stay. For a moment, Minako couldn't help but wonder… what would Ken choose to do after graduation?
But Fuuka then shook her head, a small smile forming on her face.
"You're right, Junpei-kun. I just… I suppose I still see the little boy we first met in high school."
"Even though he completely towers over you," Minako couldn't help but tease.
Fuuka pouted at that. "H-Hey, he's way taller than you too, Minako-chan!"
Junpei boasted, "At least he's not taller than me."
Minako huffed, "I hope Ken-kun gets a sudden growth spurt just so he gets taller than you, Junpei."
"H-Hey!" Junpei protested.
The door suddenly opened, revealing a nurse cradling a bundle swaddled in a pink blanket. At that, Minako's heart began to race.
"Sanada-san?" The nurse smiled. "A certain someone is eager to meet you."
She was vaguely aware of Fuuka and Junpei excusing themselves, probably to leave her alone with Kiyomi.
Then the nurse walked up to Minako, easing the bundle into her arms.
For a moment, Minako didn't know how to feel. Kiyomi was fast asleep. She was small… but perfect. Her skin was a healthy pink and when Minako reached out to gently touch her cheek, it was soft—softer than a rose petal. Wispy auburn hair was already growing on top of her head.
This was her child. Her baby. Minako had waited months to meet her and… she now understood. She had heard stories of unconditional love. Of mothers showing supernatural strength, in order to save their child.
She bent her head, to kiss Kiyomi's forehead. That was when Kiyomi stirred, blinking sleepily up at her.
She had her father's eyes.
"Hi, Kiyo-chan…" she murmured, "I'm your mommy."
Kiyomi just blinked slowly up at her before giving a soft little coo.
She wished that Aki was here, to share this moment with her. But it was really better for him to stay, to help save Ken.
"I-I'm glad that you made it okay… so I can meet you. A-And I know that your daddy can't wait to meet you."
Minako sniffled, feeling tears filling her eyes once more. Kiyomi was born safe and healthy. Ken had been rescued. Despite the chaos, they had managed these small victories. So… Minako couldn't help but feel hopeful that they would be able to flip things completely on Shido.
It was warm. Ken slowly blinked his eyes open.
There was a weight on his arm but it wasn't unpleasant. Ken yawned again before moving to rub at his eyes.
He realized with a jolt what the weight on his arm was.
Makoto had both arms wrapped around his one arm. Okay, maybe he shouldn't be surprised but Makoto had a strong grip.
Though… that led to more questions than answers. Why was Makoto in his bed?!
He was… pulling a blank. He didn't even remember going back to the penthouse. Why couldn't he remember?
Makoto then gave a little murmur before pulling him closer to her.
"She looks so cute…" he mused to himself. "No, stop it! Focus on the matter at hand! Now's not the time! What even happened last night…?"
He remembered fighting Niijima-san. Ren biding them farewell. And then what? The gears in his mind turned as slowly but surely, images began to surface.
"That was right… we were trying to escape when Shido's men took Futaba hostage," Ken thought with a grimace.
The rest of his memories from last night slowly trickled into his mind. Him waking up… Shido's threats. His fear for his friends—that Shido would end up killing them for this.
"And he… almost did." Ken thought grimly to himself, the image of Shido pointing a gun at Shinjiro-san flashing in his mind.
He felt sick. Sick to his stomach. He had probably put everyone through hell last night—he had almost gotten Shinjiro-san killed again, for his sake.
Not to mention that Ren's life still was in danger. He knew Ren had to be captured… especially with the way Futaba was forced to cut off communications. But aside from that, Ken didn't have a clue what was going on.
He just felt like a… mess. A dull pain had permeated his entire body and even his bones seemed to ache. Was it whatever Shido's men had injected in him? Or the electrocution?
Ken was suddenly startled out of his thoughts when a warm hand settled against his cheek. He looked back to Makoto, who was now wide awake.
"Makoto," he whispered.
Makoto just smiled warmly at him before her thumb brushed against his cheekbone.
"How are you feeling?" she murmured.
"I—" Ken then shook his head, before stuttering out, "W-We're in the same bed."
Makoto just raised an eyebrow, looking amused for some reason.
"We've shared a bed before," she reminded him.
"Well—that was… different," Ken said lamely.
Makoto's eyes softened.
"Last night… I didn't want to leave you," she admitted. "I vaguely remember Shinjiro-san putting me on the bed."
"He did?" Ken said dumbly.
Makoto chuckled, "He told me that I could stay over last night."
Then her cheeks suddenly flushed pink before she coughed into her free hand.
"I wasn't expecting to wake up next to you but I'm glad that I did. It tells me that last night wasn't a dream… and we managed to save you."
Ken's throat constricted painfully and he swallowed hard.
"Makoto, I—"
He trailed off at that. How could he even begin to apologize to her—to everyone? Not to mention everyone back on Port Island… there was no way that they didn't know. If anything, Mitsuru-san would want a report after everything that transpired last night.
Makoto abruptly dropped her hand from his cheek, slowly sitting up. Ken struggled to sit up as well, even as his body protested at the movement.
Makoto hesitated for a moment, but then she reached out to hug him. Ken found himself shaking in her arms.
Ken choked out, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I put everyone through hell last night and I—"
"Ken… shhh…" Makoto murmured before reaching up to brush away the tears filling his eyes. "It's not your fault."
Her voice suddenly cracked as she clutched at his shirt with her free hand.
"You were the victim. You have nothing to apologize for."
For a long time, Makoto just held him close, running her fingers through his hair, occasionally pressing a light kiss against his temple. Ken rubbed at his eyes, suddenly feeling embarrassed for breaking down and crying in front of his girlfriend.
"Sorry for just crying like that…" he mumbled out.
Makoto shook her head. "You went through a traumatic situation. You shouldn't be ashamed of crying. Tears aren't a sign of weakness. Please… you've always tried to be there for me, Futaba—everyone. You can lean on us."
Ken gave a weak nod before resting his head against Makoto's shoulder. She absentmindedly stroked his hair.
Ken then shifted to edge closer to Makoto, but he suddenly felt a painful twinge.
Makoto stopped short at Ken's wince, her eyes filling with concern. "What's wrong?"
"My sides suddenly hurt," Ken muttered.
Makoto bit her lip, chewing on it for a moment.
"Um… I'd like to take a look," she said hesitantly. "But I understand if you don't want me to do it. I could check if Shinjiro-san or Akihiko-san is awake…"
Ken shook his head. "No, it's okay. And… it's not like you haven't seen me without a shirt."
Makoto blushed a little at that, before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I suppose that's true."
Makoto left to fetch the first aid kit in the bathroom. After she returned, she helped Ken remove his shirt. She then helped him ease into a lying down position before she gently prodded at his ribs.
"How does it feel?" she asked. "I don't think anything's broken."
Ken cringed. "It just feels really… tender."
Makoto bit her lip.
"It's probably bruised. We'll need to get you some pain medication then… and a cold compress to get the swelling down. I wish I could do more…" she said with a heavy frown.
Then she touched his wrist. Ken tried not to cringe. He still remembered how the handcuffs had dug into his skin. Ken noticed something flash in Makoto's eyes before her expression became neutral.
She then gently nudged Ken's shoulder. Ken got her silent cue to roll over. She had to help him though. He hated feeling so weak.
Makoto then sharply inhaled. "Your back has a bruise too. Did Shido do anything to you before…?"
Ken bit his lip. Probably from when he got shoved off the bed.
"I probably got off lighter than Ren, though," Ken mumbled out.
Makoto froze at that. "That's—"
"Shido has the police under his thumb!" Ken exclaimed bitterly before he lowered his voice. "And you can't think that Ren will be treated nicely..."
He had forgiven Mitsuru-san. He had understood why the Kirijo Group had to hide the truth of his mother's death. But he still remembered how condescending that police officer had been. It stung, even after nearly a decade. And that wasn't even touching how Shido had complete control over the cops here.
"We'll take care of Ren too." Makoto assured him, "Takemi-san is in Yongen-jaya, after all. She'll look him over, no questions asked."
Ken let out a heavy sigh. She did have a point. He just couldn't help but worry. He didn't want to lose another friend.
He suddenly jumped as he felt Makoto's fingertip tracing the faded round scar on his shoulder.
"What happened here?" she asked quietly.
Ken cringed. "Um… so on the Promised Day, we fought Takaya. He ended shooting at me."
Makoto sharply inhaled at that, looking at him with wide eyes.
"I remembered thinking—I can't have this happen again—so I jumped out of the way. So it ended up just nicking my shoulder."
Though he remembered the way Akihiko-san and Minako-san had both flipped out at that. Minato-san had been livid too, but those two had been on the warpath. That had been the turning point against their fight with Takaya.
Makoto then shook her head.
"What about… this one?" she asked, tracing a scar on his upper arm.
"That was from the Hermit Shadow—it was like an electric wire monster. It hit me with a wire before letting out a burst of electricity." Ken then frowned as the memory flooded his mind, "Shinjiro-san actually saved me from that. He used his Persona, Castor, to cut the wires."
Makoto winced. "So that wasn't the first time that you…"
It hit him what she was implying.
"You saw it?"
Makoto didn't respond at first. She helped Ken sit up before aiding him put his shirt back on.
"Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san helped Futaba, Ryuji, and me to the control room and there were cameras…" Makoto then trailed off, before her expression hardened.
Her hands then clenched into fists as they rested in her lap.
"Shido is truly despicable," she hissed out.
Ken sighed to himself. He hadn't thought that the others would've seen the torture. He shivered, thinking about Shido's malicious smile, the painful electric shocks. And he hated that Shido had utilized the torture to get the upper hand on Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san.
"Though… I suppose this isn't important now." Makoto's tone then softened, as did her expression. "We got you away from Shido."
He hoped that Futaba would be able to enact the plan to save Ren, though… it'd be beyond horrible if after everything, the plan fell through and Akechi succeeded in murdering Ren. No, he couldn't think like that. They will succeed. They had to.
"Have faith in him, Ken," Makoto said, as if she read his mind—or perhaps, it was his expression. "And Rise-san and Chie-san will lend a hand, too. Ren will come out on top, just like he always has."
"The plan has to work," Ken mumbled out.
He already told himself he couldn't think like that, and yet he was starting to feel anxiety plant doubts in him again.
Makoto gently chided, "Don't be pessimistic. That's more Shinjiro-san's shtick anyways."
Despite everything, Ken managed to huff out a laugh.
"It's not nice to make fun of him like that," he said sarcastically.
"I think you just want to be the only one who teases him," Makoto fired back playfully.
Then she reached out, stroking his cheek. Normally, Ken might've been embarrassed with so much physical contact. But right now, it was comforting.
"But you should get some rest," Makoto said gently. "It's been a long night and it's still early."
Ken yawned. "I suppose… but I could say the same for you."
She chuckled, "I'm not going anywhere."
After Makoto helped him lie back down, she pulled the covers more snugly over the two of them. She then hesitated for a moment before reaching out to him again, wrapping her arms loosely around him.
"Is this… okay?" she asked quietly.
Makoto's embrace was warm. He slowly inhaled in her scent. It was clean and soothing.
"It is."
Shinjiro grumbled to himself as he practically stumbled into the bathroom. He honestly felt like shit.
He hadn't slept well last night, despite his exhaustion. His stupid brain kept conjuring up what-ifs.
He splashed some water on his face before going through his morning routine. After he was dressed, Shinjiro went to take a look into Ken's bedroom. He carefully opened the door, peering inside. And the sight that greeted him made Shinjiro raise an eyebrow.
Ken and Makoto were curled together in bed, looking a lot cozier than last night. Shinjiro snorted to himself. They were lucky that Kujikawa was occupied with ensuring that Amamiya made it out in one piece. He could only imagine how the pop star would react if she saw this.
He gently closed the door shut. No sense in waking them up. They needed the rest.
Shinjiro then walked out to the living room. Aki was sitting at the table by the kitchen, already obnoxiously alert.
"Morning, Shinji!" he said cheerfully.
Shinjiro rolled his eyes before going to grab a cup of coffee. He sat next to Aki, who was grinning like an idiot.
"So… good news?" he asked, lowering his mug.
Without warning, Aki shoved his phone in Shinjiro's face.
Shinjiro fumbled with the phone for a moment. He shot Aki a dirty look before looking at the phone screen.
It was a picture of a baby swaddled in pink. Already there was a frilly headband with a white flower on her head.
Shinjiro rolled his eyes. He'd recognize that thing any day. He remembered the day the girls dragged him, Iori, and Ken to go baby shopping for Takeba. He could still remember Ken's boredom as the girls exclaimed over the baby clothes. But that meant Takeba sent some of Miyuki's old baby things to Minako and Aki. Though Shinjiro couldn't help notice that it fit loosely on her head.
Someone had set up a letterboard, spelling out her name in both hiragana and kanji. Below the name was the date and time of birth, followed by her weight and length.
Shinjiro couldn't help but wince at the weight, however. 2.3 kilograms. He hoped that Kiyomi's development wouldn't be hindered by her early birth. Then again, the twins were born weeks before the due date and they turned out fine.
There was another picture, with Minako holding the baby. She still looked exhausted, but happy.
He was glad. If something happened to the baby, it would've devastated Minako. And she would blame herself for it completely. And he didn't want to think what Aki's reaction would be.
"She's not a wrinkled potato at least." Shinjiro said dryly, before handing the phone back to Aki.
Aki frowned.
"Are you blind?! Kiyomi is so cute! She's got to be the cutest baby in the world!" he exclaimed.
Shinjiro rolled his eyes. "Great, Minako had you whipped already. And now your daughter has you completely whipped and she's what—six hours old? Quite impressive I suppose, Aki."
He opened his mouth, only to sputter as Shinjiro turned to head into the kitchen.
"Hey, where are you going?!"
"The kitchen, dumbass," Shinjiro snarked. "It's pretty clear that you can't cook for shit. Makes me wonder how Minako survived for the past few months."
"Shut up! I cook fine if I have a recipe!" Aki retorted.
Shinjiro scoffed, "That's hardly cooking, if you have your eyes glued to a piece of paper the whole damn thing."
"H-Hey, that's not true!" he protested.
"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that, Aki." Shinjiro rolled his eyes. "But seriously, I need to get breakfast started."
He decided that he'd make American style omelets after scrounging around in the fridge. Ken needed to eat a big breakfast today. Now that Shinjiro thought about it, part of why Ken passed out could be because of lack of food in his system.
At least he'd have some peace and quiet while he began cooking the eggs. He could let everything slip by him, as he moved on autopilot while he flipped the eggs. He'd done it so often it was second nature.
He had plated all of the omelets when he heard Aki in the next room.
"Ken!" Aki exclaimed.
He wiped off his hands before hurrying out of the kitchen. Makoto was helping Ken into a seat. Shinjiro studied Ken closely. He was paler than usual but at least Shinjiro could say that he had no dark shadows under his eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Aki quizzed.
"Tired and sore," Ken muttered out. "Kinda lightheaded too."
Aki frowned before reaching out, brushing Ken's bangs to press his hand against Ken's forehead.
"You're not feverish at least," he noted.
Ken just seemed to accept the fussing. That raised a red flag for Shinjiro. He was definitely getting some food in him, pronto.
"It's probably because you haven't eaten in over half a day," Shinjiro cut in. "Give me a sec."
He then turned back to fetch the omelets. He set the plate with the biggest one in front of Ken.
"Eat all of it. You need to get your strength back up," Shinjiro ordered.
"Okay, Shinjiro-san." Ken picked up his fork and began to cut into it.
Shinjiro couldn't help but frown. Usually that kind of fussing would've earned him a smartass comment, along the lines of "Yes, Mom."
Last night's worries all came rushing back. Yeah, the drug's side effects didn't happen until Shinjiro regularly took those damn pills but… there were different factors to consider.
A part of Shinjiro just wanted to haul Ken back to Port Island, to the hell with everything else. But he knew that Ken would be unhappy if he pulled that. Besides that, it'd be just cowardly. Shinjiro sighed to himself before sitting down himself and digging in.
He found himself stealing looks at Ken. Shinjiro didn't like what he saw. Ken was usually quiet, but he almost looked… skittish.
"Then again… Ken went through some shit last night. Expecting him to bounce back immediately would be idiotic," he sighed to himself.
"I'm sorry for worrying you last night." Ken suddenly said in a small voice.
Shinjiro froze at that. Then he slowly set down his fork.
He said lowly, "Ken, do not blame yourself. It was out of everyone's control just like… that night. Do I want to punch Shido badly? Yeah, I do. But I never blamed you for that."
He couldn't help but pull a sardonic smile.
"And besides, I'd be the biggest hypocrite if I gave you shit for it."
Ken blinked, looking like he was at a loss for words.
"Yeah, don't worry about it, Ken!" Aki said reassuringly, vigorously nodding his head. "Mina and the baby are fine too—"
"What?" Ken stared blankly at Aki.
Shinjiro had to fight the urge to slap his forehead.
"Typical Akihiko Sanada move..." he groaned to himself.
"U-Uh…!" Aki's expression turned panicked.
"Minako-san had the baby early?" Ken said numbly.
Then he bit his lip, staring down at his plate.
"Is it… because of what happened last night?" he asked bleakly.
Aki dropped his fork to wave his hands at Ken.
"I-It's okay, Ken! Honest! Like I said, they're both fine!" He exclaimed nervously.
Aki then stood up, pulling out his phone. He shoved it right in Ken's face. Ken leaned away from it, shooting Aki an annoyed glance.
"I can't see if you just shove it in my face," he complained before taking the device.
Shinjiro watched his charge's expression, but he had to begrudgingly admit that Ken was getting better at a poker face. Makoto was looking to Ken as well, her brow furrowed together.
"She's cute, Akihiko-san," he said finally.
Aki shot Shinjiro a triumphant look, which made Shinjiro roll his eyes. What was with it with dads turning into mush around their daughters? He could only imagine how Iori would behave if he and Yoshino had a daughter. Probably spouting crap like, "I have the cutest and tiniest baby!"
Makoto then leaned in close and peered over Ken's shoulder, her lips curving into a slight smile.
"I'm glad that she seems healthy," she murmured.
But then Aki's phone suddenly went off. Ken glanced down at the screen before holding it out to Akihiko-san.
"It's Mitsuru-san," he said.
Aki took back his phone.
"Hey, Mitsuru—" he then paused, raising his eyebrow as Mitsuru spoke. "Uh-huh... I'll put him on."
Then he held it back to Ken.
"Actually, it's for you," he informed Ken.
Ken paled for a moment. He then took the phone back.
"Excuse me," he mumbled out before getting up for some privacy.
"Ken, wait—" Makoto began.
"I'll be fine, Makoto. Don't worry," Ken dismissed.
Before Makoto could protest further, he left the kitchen table. If Shinjiro had to guess, he was going back to his room.
Makoto closed her eyes.
"Doesn't he get that I worry more when he says stuff like that?" she lamented.
Aki sighed, rubbing his temples. "I didn't even get to check Ken's injuries…"
"You can after Mitsuru is done with Ken. And after he finishes breakfast," Shinjiro said shortly.
Makoto then coughed. "Um, I hope you don't mind but the others would like to see Ken too… Futaba said she can handle monitoring Ren's phone using her laptop. Futaba said that Sis is still interrogating Ren."
Shinjiro waved his hand. "It's fine. Though… what exactly is going on right now?"
"Ren is telling Sis the entire story," she answered.
"Telling a civilian all of this?" Aki's brow furrowed at that, his expression becoming doubtful. "I don't know about you, but personally I think your sis will assume Ren's gone nuts."
"She has to!" Makoto said fiercely, before she mumbled, "Otherwise…"
Her expression wavered for a moment, but then she put a hand over her chest.
"I believe in Ren. He'll pull it off," she said firmly.
Shinjiro sighed. "I hope you're right."
Aki just glanced in the direction of their bedrooms. "I hope Mitsuru doesn't chew Ken out too badly though."
Makoto looked bewildered. "Is she that scary? Ken seems to be pretty scared of angering her."
"With good reason," Aki said, wincing.
Shinjiro scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Aki's just a wuss."
"Shut up, Shinji!"
Ken sighed to himself. He really was not looking forward to this. But he couldn't keep dragging his feet. He looked down to the phone.
"I can do this. Mitsuru-san should understand… right?" Ken tried to think positively as he sat on the edge of his bed.
He then took a deep breath before raising the phone to his ear.
"H-Hello?" He couldn't stop the stutter.
"Hello, Amada." Mitsuru-san's voice was cold, frigid as ice.
Ken couldn't help but cringe. Mitsuru-san was using that voice. The voice that Minako-san and Junpei-san jokingly called the Queen Mitsuru voice.
"I thought that kind of action would be something more Akihiko would do. But I have to ask… why? What. Exactly. Happened?"
Ken squeezed the phone.
"I can explain," he said meekly.
"I certainly would hope so," Mitsuru-san said coolly, before demanding, "Do you have any idea how worried all of us have been?! Minako—she… she blamed your fate on herself! And Yamagishi…"
Ken felt something in him crack.
"I know I messed up, okay?!"
"Amada—"
"I-I should've figured out something. I couldn't stop Futaba from being captured. I couldn't think of what to do s-so I offered to take her place. And because of my actions, Minako-san could've lost the baby last night and I've worried everyone to death and Shinjiro-san could've gotten shot last night and I'm so, so sorry…"
Ken gulped for air. It was so hard to breathe. He didn't know what hurt more, the feeling of failure or the fact that he had hurt so many of his loved ones.
"I… I'm so sorry, Amada. Truly. I should have heard your side first," Mitsuru-san said contritely. "That being said… you shouldn't blame yourself."
"But I should have known better… I should've seen that they were bluffing about taking Futaba to Shido," Ken mumbled out.
"I was three years older than you when I was captured by Minazuki," Mitsuru-san said gently. "I've been worried sick about you, but that doesn't excuse what I said to you… how I made you feel. Please, forgive me."
Ken closed his eyes.
"I forgive you, Mitsuru-san."
Ken heard her make a silent hum through the line, she was probably nodding her head too in response.
"That being said… how are you feeling?" Mitsuru-san asked.
Ken winced.
"Not… the greatest, if I'm being honest. Makoto mentioned that my ribs are probably bruised… and I have a lot of bruises all over."
"Niijima?" Mitsuru-san sounded confused for a moment. "Though I suppose she'd be the first one to come over after everything last night."
"Y-Yeah, she was really worried," Ken stammered out.
He could only imagine how Mitsuru-san would react if she found out that they had slept in the same bed together. Or that it wasn't the first-time last night. Shinjiro-san was rather lax in that regard; he let Ken be alone with Makoto with minimal ribbing.
Mitsuru-san said, "Which I can understand."
She then heaved out a sigh.
"I'd like to speak to Shinjiro and Akihiko as well as you. Can you ask them to join the conversation?" she asked.
"Okay," Ken agreed before standing up.
He opened the door before stepping out the living room.
"Shinjiro-san, Akihiko-san? Mitsuru-san would like to talk to you now too," he said.
The two older men exchanged a look, before Akihiko-san nodded.
"Sure, Ken."
Makoto shuffled on her feet, biting her lip.
"Makoto?" Ken asked.
"I was considering it already but… since you'll be talking to Mitsuru-san, I probably should go back to my apartment for a quick shower and so I can change into a fresh set of clothes."
She then gestured to herself.
"I think you'd like your clothes back anyways."
Ken felt himself blush a little at that.
She then smiled. "I'll be back soon, though."
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off. Ken jumped when Shinjiro-san snapped his fingers right in front of his face.
"You remember Mitsuru wanted to talk, yeah?" his guardian said dryly.
"I remember," Ken said defensively.
They then sat on the couch, putting Akihiko-san's phone on the coffee table and setting the call on speaker.
"What's up, Mitsuru?" Akihiko-san asked.
"I'd like a better image of everything that occurred last night. Amada told me a little of what happened that led to his capture but I want to know what happened otherwise."
Akihiko-san coughed. "Uh—Mitsuru, before we get into that… there's something we gotta tell you."
"Oh…?" Mitsuru-san sounded quizzical.
"I'm guessing you know that Ken traded himself for Futaba, not knowing it was a bluff. But…" Akihiko-san winced.
"Shido has some of the old Kirijo scientists under his thumb," Shinjiro-san said flatly.
"W-What?" Ken managed to stutter out, alarm spiking inside of him.
There was a long silence.
Akihiko-san cleared his throat. "Mitsuru?"
"So you're saying… the scientists who agreed with my grandfather are with Shido now?"
The fury brimming from Mitsuru-san's voice was unmistakable. Ken shivered. He wouldn't be surprised if Mitsuru-san made the room temperature drop like she did whenever she was especially ticked off.
"That's not all either…" Akihiko-san said, folding his arms over his chest. "Makoto, Ryuji, and Futaba—they came with us last night. They managed to overhear a conversation about that. That Shido kinda… gave the men who kidnapped Ken a refined version of the Persona suppressors."
The Persona suppressors…?
Those words caused a memory to float back into his mind.
The man grasping Ken's collar tightly before injecting a syringe into his neck. Then his blood felt like it had turned into ice—it had been so cold. Then he felt Kala-Nemi's presence disappear in his mind. His vision had then blurred and everything went black.
That had been a version of the drugs Shinjiro-san had taken for two years? And Shinjiro-san had taken it willingly. Not to mention Chidori-san, as well… she had taken it for a decade. And she had started taking it when she was just a child.
But then Mitsuru-san's outraged voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Shido!? He really—"
"Yeah," Akihiko-san said flatly.
"How dare he?! And those fools who joined him—they'll be begging for an execution when I get my hands on them, you hear me?!"
"You have no idea how lucky he is, being able to hide behind the law," Shinjiro-san said darkly.
"Um… that's not all though," Ken said hesitantly. "Not even you two heard this…"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Akihiko-san asked.
Ken slumped in his seat. "Um, well—Shido tried to convince me that it'd be better if I worked for him and not Mitsuru-san…"
"Of course he did…"
Ken could practically hear the scowl in Mitsuru-san's voice.
"And well, he made a couple of claims…" Ken said cautiously. "One… he supposedly knew Mom somehow. And two, he kinda implied that... Goro Akechi was my cousin."
"What?! Akechi—your cousin?" Akihiko-san gasped.
"Amada, he could be lying," Mitsuru-san said gently. "You shouldn't believe him."
"That's not it. To be perfectly honest, I still am not sure. Heck, at the time I thought it was all a lie—it's coming from Shido, after all. I still kinda think it's a lie, but... my mom had a sister. My aunt had a son my age, and his name was also Goro." Ken shook his head. "I remember meeting him years ago, right after my grandparents died."
"Though that doesn't explain how Shido knew Mom... if he is telling the truth. Though… didn't Akechi need a reason to want to work for Shido? I thought he'd do it for fame but—didn't Akechi mention that his father was a greedy politician? Who threw away his mother like yesterday's trash after she became pregnant?" Ken thought to himself.
He cut that thought off. No, that was crazy talk. Akechi, Shido's son?
"I see…" Mitsuru-san said thoughtfully. "I can look into your family records—and see if I can do the same with Akechi. But that being said… even if Akechi is your cousin, this changes nothing about who you are Amada."
"Who I am?" Ken asked before he shook his head. "We're not even sure if he's telling the truth, first off. And even if he was… somehow… I don't know how you can say that changes nothing? It changes everything! How do you think I can live with knowing that I'm… I share blood with someone who can do... all that! Without remorse!"
"Ken—"
He wouldn't be placated by whatever Akihiko-san was trying to say in order to reassure him.
"He killed Isshiki-san!" Ken interjected. "And Okumura… Not to mention all of those innocent people who died as a result of the psychotic breakdowns! And those that didn't die still had their lives ruined from those psychotic breakdowns!"
The biggest thing that got to him about Akechi was how Akechi had murdered Isshiki-san and Okumura. Sure, Okumura had his own sins. But Haru had still loved him very deeply and his death had devastated her. And Futaba losing her mother had sent her spiraling into depression for two years with no hope of clawing out until she had reached out to them.
But then Mitsuru-san spoke, making him sit up.
"You forgave me for my family's actions, no? I'm not my grandfather and if Akechi is your cousin—you're not him. You're your own person."
Ken shook his head vigorously. "This isn't about forgiveness! Of course, I'm not Akechi! But it's still... I'm supposed to be content being related to a murderer?!"
He felt Akihiko-san place a hand on his shoulder.
"Ken, calm down and listen. No one is saying you should be okay with it. But Mitsuru's absolutely right. Come on, we've been telling Mitsuru for years to not beat herself up about her bastard of a grandfather. Why wouldn't we say the same to you? She's right, yes it sucks, but it changes nothing about how we feel about you."
"Thank you, Akihiko. Exactly what I was trying to say," Mitsuru-san said.
Ken felt himself at a loss for words. Akihiko gave him a gentle squeeze on his shoulder again and a small smile.
"Okay, sorry for that outburst… so um... thank you," he mumbled.
It got quiet again for several seconds. No one said anything for a bit, he could feel Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san's stares on him while he just stared at the wall. Mitsuru-san took his silence as a cue that he wasn't going to argue further.
"So… what else happened last night?"
Shinjiro-san scowled. "Shido probably figured the best way to get to you by torturing Ken. He was torturing Ken with some kind of electroshock device."
"He what?!" Mitsuru-san snarled out.
"I know, we feel the same... but don't worry, Mitsuru," Akihiko-san reassured. "I gave Ken a quick check-up last night. There weren't any electric burns on him."
"That's good." Mitsuru-san sounded relieved at Akihiko-san's reassurance. "However, I'd like a professional check you, Amada."
"Ren knows a doctor in the district he lives in," Ken offered.
"That may be good for a preliminary check-up…" Mitsuru-san mused.
Shinjiro-san spoke up, "But they won't know what to do about the drug. I wanted to talk to you about this, Mitsuru. I think it'd be best if Ken and I came back—"
Ken cut him off.
"What?! But Shinjiro-san—"
Only to be cut off in response by Shinjiro-san.
"For a few days..." he huffed as he rolled his eyes at Ken. "Come on, Ken, I know you. You'd probably pout at me if I made you come back to Port Island for good. Followed by kicking and screaming."
Ken glared. "I would not! I'm not a kid!"
"Riiiight."
It was clear that Shinjiro-san didn't buy it.
Ken opened his mouth to retort, only for Akihiko-san to speak up.
"That's not what you said last night…" Akihiko-san snorted, shooting Shinjiro-san a knowing grin.
Shinjiro-san glowered at the other man.
"Shuddup, Aki."
"Make me!" Akihiko-san said childishly.
Mitsuru-san snapped, "Gentlemen, if you would please desist! Honestly, when will you two ever grow up?"
"At least I'm not a pussy about horror movies," Shinjiro-san scoffed.
Mitsuru-san sputtered at that. "I am not a coward about horror!"
Shinjiro-san shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Mitsuru."
"You're just incorrigible. And now is really not the time for this," Mitsuru-san grumbled.
She cleared her throat.
"But anyways… regarding Amamiya—what's the status on that?"
Ken then explained, "Makoto and I talked to Futaba on the phone. Ren is recounting what happened, regarding the Phantom Thieves, to her. He was wrapping up how they took care of Kamoshida when we called Futaba. We don't know how much time Ren has left though. Futaba mentioned something about Niijima-san not being given as much time as usual."
"Usually the time frame is twenty-four hours," Akihiko-san said, rubbing his chin.
"Has Sakura managed to discern Amamiya's state?" Mitsuru-san inquired. "That's one of my concerns, given how Shido treats his 'obstacles'."
Ken grimaced. "He sounded kinda… out of it, according to Futaba. We're all worried about that but… he's been lucid enough to tell Niijima-san the story so… I think we can only hold onto hope."
Shinjiro-san shrugged. "Guess that's the only thing we can do."
Akihiko-san nodded. "Yeah. But hey, Mitsuru, how's Mina? I'm planning to leave soon, to head back to Port Island. I know that I was supposed to bring back Chie but…"
"I understand, Akihiko. Don't fret about Satonaka—I'll make arrangements for transportation for her."
Ken could hear the smile in Mitsuru-san's voice. Akihiko-san's shoulders just slumped in relief.
"But as for Minako… She's exhausted from the labor," Mitsuru-san said. "She was given an epidural so that made her even more drowsy. Right now, she's sleeping. Are you planning on leaving soon then, Akihiko?"
Akihiko-san nodded. "Yeah, I wanted to see Ken before I left."
Then he frowned.
"Though… I'd like to take another look at everything. Heal him a little," Akihiko-san said.
"But didn't Niijima already take a look this morning?" Mitsuru sounded confused. "That's what Amada told me."
Ken shrunk into his seat as the two men turned to stare at him.
Shinjiro-san drawled out, "You're right. Aki's just lightheaded because this idiot got up too early this morning."
Mitsuru-san sighed in exasperation. "Honestly, Akihiko, I know you're an early riser but you need your rest."
"Hey! Besides, who's the workaholic between the two of us?!" Akihiko-san protested.
Mitsuru-san then laughed. "But I suppose I'll leave you to it. Oh, and Amada, you should take some pain killers. You should inquire if you can be prescribed any stronger medication. Over the counter medicine might not be as effective."
"Understood, Mitsuru-san," Ken mumbled out.
"Good. I shall speak with you all later."
Then the line went dead.
"So… you don't mind Makoto taking off your shirt huh?" Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
"Shut up," Ken said through gritted teeth, even as his face grew hot.
Akihiko-san raised an eyebrow. "You know… I am surprised that you didn't freak out when you woke up to Makoto in your bed."
"That's—I had higher priorities, okay?!" Ken managed to sputter out.
"You did take your sweet time getting up." Shinjiro-san rubbed his chin. "Were you two busy with something?"
Ken protested, "We didn't do anything!"
Okay, they did some kissing. But nothing serious, unlike the time he had walked in on Ren and Anne. But they didn't need to know that.
Akihiko-san just raised an eyebrow.
"Someone's defensive today. Do we need to get you protection?" he asked teasingly.
Ken dropped his face into his hands.
"I hate you both."
Makoto shivered, drawing her jacket tightly against her body in hopes of conserving body heat. The cold frigid air stung at her cheeks, so she hastened towards the penthouse.
"Hey! Makoto!"
Makoto turned her head to see Ryuji and Futaba running towards her. Makoto noticed that Morgana was riding in the usual bag that Ren carried on days off, hanging off Ryuji's shoulder. Futaba had her own cargo too—a laptop bag.
"Ugh, you're gonna make me sick," Morgana griped.
Ryuji ignored Morgana's complaint.
"I'm surprised to see ya out here."
Makoto nodded. "Mitsuru-san called and wanted to talk to Ken, as well as Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san… I figured that I could run back to my apartment and shower."
"Oh yeah, that's a good reason." Ryuji then suddenly snapped his fingers. "That reminds me, Anne went to meet up with Yusuke and Haru first. She said somethin' about going to see the doctor lady Ren helps out sometimes, to see if she can get anything stronger than the regular painkillers for Ken. So, I figured I'd grab Futaba and Morgana and we could head over together."
"How's Ken though?" Futaba asked anxiously.
Makoto winced. What could she say? Futaba felt bad enough about what happened. How could Makoto tell her what happened this morning? She had never seen Ken break down like that. It honestly broke her heart to see it.
She had despised Akechi before, for his smug attitude. Then he dragged Sae into his plan to kill Ren. But if he had anything to do with the plan to abduct Ken... Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the mere thought.
She suddenly jumped as Ryuji put a hand on her shoulder.
"Why are you asking Makoto when we can all see for ourselves in a moment?" he asked.
Futaba blinked.
"I guess you're right… for once…" she grumbled out.
"HEY!"
"Don't be mad that Futaba is just saying the truth," Morgana quipped with a big grin.
"Remind me, who was the one who kept Akechi off our scent when he was all 'oh don't worry I'll save Ren' shit? Oh right. Me. And I seem to recall you two said I was right when I did that?" Ryuji snarked in annoyance.
Futaba and Morgana glared but had no retort. Makoto couldn't help but quietly giggle.
The three of them all grumbled and pouted, but at least they stopped arguing. Ryuji then glanced in Makoto's direction, and she mouthed "thank you" at him.
They headed straight for the penthouse after that. Akihiko-san opened the door, though Makoto noticed that there was a duffel bag sitting by the door. He must be heading back to Port Island soon, then.
"KEN!"
Shinjiro-san intercepted Futaba before she could hug Ken, though.
"Hold your horses, Sakura. Ken's in pain so you can't go in full throttle. And no hitting him for being an idiot," he said.
Ken rolled his eyes.
"Thanks, Shinjiro-san," he said dryly.
Shinjiro-san then let Futaba go and she darted to Ken.
"Y-You're so…" Futaba began to tear up; then she burst out, "You're so stupid! A complete dummy! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"
The last part came out choked. Though Ken looked down at her before pulling her into a careful hug. He began to rub her back.
"I'm sorry, Futaba. I really am… for putting you through that," Ken said softly.
Futaba sniffled before pulling off her glasses to wipe at her eyes. "Y-You better be! And all because you were prioritizing the plan!"
Ken frowned. "That wasn't it, you know."
"Huh...?" Futaba frowned.
Ken's face flushed.
"It's… w-well… I've grown to really care about you. I wasn't even thinking about the plan at first. All I can think about was how you were in danger."
Futaba stared at him for a moment. Then tears began to well up once more.
"Please don't cry, Futaba…" Ken said with an embarrassed smile.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Futaba got out between her sobs.
"Again with the blubbering…" Ryuji grumbled.
"I'm not blubbering!" Futaba said hotly, whipping around to glare at Ryuji.
"Okay, okay, crying!" Ryuji amended, making both Makoto and Ken give an exasperated sigh.
"I am NOT!"
"Are SO!"
"Shut up, Ryuji! You're a dummy too!"
"The hell did I do?!"
Morgana mumbled out, "Typical Ryuji…"
"Ah, forget it!" Ryuji blurted out; then he flashed Ken a grin and said, "Glad to see you're okay, man."
Ken then smiled slightly. "Thanks, Ryuji. Sorry for all of this…"
Shinjiro-san then let out a frustrated growl.
"If I hear one more apology from you today, I'm gonna knock some real sense into you. I told you, it's Shido's fault. Not yours!" he growled.
"Seriously, Ken, none of this is your fault," Akihiko-san seconded with a concerned frown.
Ken hung his head. "It's just… I feel so bad about all of this."
Morgana cleared his throat to divert attention away from Ken.
"Though why was Ken okay last night? He didn't seem to be in so much pain before…"
Akihiko-san answered, "Adrenaline, plus he was on the verge of passing out."
"I hardly even remember that," Ken muttered.
"Wait, wait, wait…" Ryuji held up a hand. "Does this mean you forgot that Shinjiro-san started crying over you?"
Shinjiro-san stiffened at that. Ken, on the other hand, just stared at Ryuji.
"What?"
"It's true!" Ryuji insisted.
Ken just blinked, before shaking his head. "Don't be ridiculous, Ryuji. I've never seen Shinjiro-san cry."
"Y-Yeah, you're being a dumbass, Sakamoto!" Shinjiro-san snapped, a blush staining his face.
"Am not!" Ryuji retorted. "Come on, guys, back me up! He was so crying last night!"
"I was not!" Shinjiro-san snapped.
"YOU SO WERE!"
"NOT!"
"YES!"
"PROVE IT THEN!"
"ARE YOU FOR REAL, MAN?!"
Akihiko-san coughed. "He kinda was crying over you, Ken."
"Seconded!" Futaba chimed in, raising her right hand.
Makoto chuckled, trying to cover her mouth with her hand; she could at least try to be polite. "I can't deny it."
"I hate all of you," Shinjiro-san grumbled with a death glare.
"Yeah, yeah, Mr. Tough Guy." Akihiko-san just smirked at Shinjiro-san before punching his arm. "This isn't gonna ruin your cred, you know."
Shinjiro-san scowled harder.
"Shut it, Aki."
"You two are just ridiculous," Ken said dryly.
"If you're being a little shit, you must be feeling better," Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
Ken huffed in response. "I don't have to be back one hundred percent to tell you that you two are being ridiculous for squabbling worse than the twins."
"Yeah, yeah." Akihiko-san walked to stand behind the couch before ruffling Ken's hair. "I really gotta get going though. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?"
"So says the man who wanted to fight Shadows even though he broke his ribs," Ken said dryly.
"Wait, what?!" Makoto thought as she stared in disbelief.
Was Ken serious? She didn't think even Ryuji would do something reckless like that.
"You weren't even there! You just heard Mitsuru giving me crap over that," Akihiko-san protested.
"When is she not giving you crap?" Shinjiro-san snarked.
Makoto coughed.
"So… you're really going now?" she asked, in an attempt to change the subject.
Akihiko-san sighed. "I'm sorry. I really am. I know I promised to help Ren but…"
He trailed off at that, a look of guilt crossing his face. Ken frowned at that, staring down at his lap.
Ryuji spoke up, "Don't worry about it."
He shook his head, before giving Akihiko-san an encouraging smile.
"I mean your wife just had your kid. Any good dad would wanna go to his newborn kid. RenRen's got plenty of back-up. You should go to her," Ryuji said.
Even though he said it to be encouraging, Makoto noticed a trace of bitterness in his voice. Makoto just winced. Ryuji must be thinking of his own father. She didn't know the full story but she had heard whispers and rumors. She just… never asked because it was insensitive. His father was obviously a sore topic for Ryuji.
Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck. "And uh... I don't have a high opinion on cops. But you're a good guy. Don't beat yourself up for wanting to see your kid and wife."
"Um… wow," Akihiko-san uttered, before letting out an awkward laugh. "I don't even know what to say to that."
"Just take the compliment. After all, it's not often that Ryuji's right." Morgana sighed.
"That's three for three now!" Ryuji declared.
Futaba grinned. "Being right only three times is not something to be proud of."
Ryuji glared at her. "You suck, Futaba."
Futaba snickered and stuck her tongue out at Ryuji.
Akihiko-san just laughed.
"Thanks for that, Ryuji. But I really do have to head out… it's gonna be a long drive back to Port Island."
"Just don't crash the car," Shinjiro-san said dryly.
Akihiko-san rolled his eyes in response. "That would be Junpei, not me."
But after bidding everyone one last farewell, Akihiko-san left. Shinjiro-san grumbled about needing to feed everyone and so headed into the kitchen to scrounge something up.
"So… how are you feeling, man?" Ryuji asked.
Ken just shrugged. "The meds have suppressed most of the pain."
Makoto bit her lip. Most, not all of it.
Morgana chimed in, "Takemi should be able to help. You know how powerful her medicine is. Over the counter medicine has nothing on her concoctions."
"Besides that, she's met you before, remember?" Makoto asked her boyfriend, as she sat next to him. "She wouldn't turn you away."
Morgana added, "Besides, she once cured a little girl that was suffering for a rare strain of a virus for free. She wouldn't say no if it was serious."
Futaba had a deep frown on her face as she seemed to ponder over something.
"Are you gonna be okay traveling tomorrow though? Riding the train when you're feeling like this wouldn't be the best idea."
Makoto suggested, "I know she's tied up right now, but we could contact Haru later. She'd be happy to call a ride for you."
Ken just sighed.
"I just don't want to be any more trouble," he mumbled out.
Ryuji stomped his foot as he glared.
"You're not! 'Sides, you know how Haru is. She's insanely nice!" he pointed out.
Ken still looked unsure so Makoto reached out to touch his shoulder.
"I know you feel bad, Ken, but we're here for you, okay?" she said softly. "Let us help you."
Ken winced. "I know, I'm s—"
"Be careful or Shinjiro-san is gonna smack some sense into ya," Ryuji jested.
Ken just gave a small smile, making Makoto smile in response. It was a start. But then his expression grew serious once again.
"He can't if he doesn't hear me. And he's busy right now. How's Ren though, Futaba?" Ken inquired.
Morgana nodded. "I'd like to know as well. I know you've been monitoring Makoto's sister interrogating him but…"
"Yeah, let me set it up so you guys can hear," Futaba said as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
She set her laptop on the dining table. She typed away for several seconds as she did some fiddling, before a tinny version of Ren's voice began to play.
"I really can't believe that Anne seriously thought that Makoto and I were dating. I mean, she's a good friend and all but… how could I look at any other girl? Anne's the entire package!"
"What does this have to do with Medjed?" Sae grumbled. "You're getting off track."
Ren said flippantly, "I'll get there. What was I talking about again?"
"Medjed?" Sae pressed, her voice hopeful.
"No, no… oh right—Anne. Seriously, Anne is amazing. Kind, beautiful and… I can't think of a third adjective."
"I'm sure that she's a lovely girl," Sae said, irritation filling her voice. "Now onto Medjed—?"
"I don't know how I lucked out..."
Ren continued to ramble on; Makoto couldn't help but feel a little bad for Sae, as Ren was only interested in talking about Anne in that moment.
"I bet you that she could've had anyone she wanted. But she picked me."
Makoto couldn't help but shake her head. Poor Sae.
"Sheesh, I haven't heard RenRen be this sappy 'bout Anne since before they started going out," Ryuji grumbled out.
"You remember Medjed, correct?" Sae tried again. "Can't you tell me more—"
"And her legs… man, her legs. They're so looooong. It feels great when they wrap around me…"
"Is Ren seriously going there?!" Makoto mentally exclaimed.
Makoto knew that she had her naïve moments but she wasn't stupid. She was perfectly aware that her two friends had reached that step. Though hearing Ren talk about this was an entirely different ballpark.
"Ren…" Ken sighed, rubbing his forehead.
There was a loud choking sound.
"I-I beg your pardon?!" Sae's voice cracked. "Are you two—please tell me that you two are using protection at least!"
"And she gives one hell of a—"
"Will you answer my question already?!"
Ken coughed, his cheeks turning pink.
"Maybe… we should turn this off for a while? We know that Ren's getting closer to wrapping up the story," he advised.
"And it's not very polite to listen in on that," Morgana seconded; if it was possible for a cat to look embarrassed, Morgana certainly did right now.
Futaba snickered, "This is gold though! Oh, I want to see your sis's face right now!"
"Futaba!" Makoto couldn't help but scold.
Makoto couldn't help but be grateful Anne wasn't here yet. She would probably die of embarrassment if she was in Anne's shoes. She glanced towards Ken. Her boyfriend was fidgeting, looking awkward.
No... they weren't even remotely close to that step. But it was still a little embarrassing to think about.
"What?"
Futaba blinked at Makoto before she shook her head vigorously. She then began to chortle.
"Who knew that it'd rattle your sis so much... and you too it seems."
"Futaba…" There was a warning edge to Ken's voice before he started to lecture, "This is an invasion of privacy. It's Ren and Anne's business and we shouldn't be listening in on it. You'd know that Ren would never dream of talking about it if he was lucid."
If only to prevent Anne from killing him. Ren wasn't the type to brag about er… scoring.
Futaba pulled a face.
"Fine, be a killjoy. I just wanted to tease Makoto some more... jerk."
"At least… he sounds lucid enough to talk," Morgana said with a grimace.
"I'm still worried about what they drugged him with though. His voice was coherent enough but…" Makoto trailed off.
That sobered Futaba in a flash.
"They might have given him truth serum," she said with a glare.
"Truth serum?" Ryuji repeated, scratching his head.
"It's stuff like ethanol, flunitrazepam, sodium thiopental—drugs that'll try to make the person give information when they're withholding it. It's kinda iffy though, because there's no chemical proven to be like a 'truth potion' like you'll see in fantasy stories. But basically, you know how some people get loopy when getting their cavities taken care of by dentists? It's kind of like that. But far sketchier and more dangerous. There's a bunch of ethical problems with it, so it's generally not used nowadays," Futaba explained.
"How utterly despicable!" Makoto thought angrily.
What had happened to make Shido feel that he had the right to do any of this?!
"So… Shido was willing to inject that into Ren," Morgana said quietly.
Ryuji's hands clenched into fists.
"Damn that bastard...!" he hissed out.
Morgana then looked up at Ryuji. "Let's not lose heart, don't forget that we have Chie and Rise to depend on too. We'll get Ren back."
Ryuji slowly nodded.
"I haven't forgotten."
However, Makoto couldn't help but worry about Ren's state after all of this. Shido had wanted Ken to join him, but that hadn't protected him from physical trauma. But Ren didn't even have that kind of protection.
A sharp knock on the door snapped Makoto out of her thoughts. She went to go answer the door. Their remaining friends stood on the other side.
"Good morning, Mako-chan!" Haru greeted her with a warm smile.
Despite the warmth in her voice, Makoto couldn't help but notice the shadows under Haru's eyes. It wasn't just her. Yusuke and Anne had it as well.
But Makoto smiled. "Good morning, everyone. Why don't you come in?"
"Hey, hey, look who's here!" Ryuji said.
"Good morning, guys!" Anne waved at them all.
Yusuke then slipped a small bag off his wrist, holding it out to Ken.
"Takemi-san sends her regards," he stated. "Though… for some reason she said that you don't have to worry about passing out unlike her 'guinea pig'. She still insists you come see her tomorrow however."
"That's reassuring…" Ken grumbled out but he took the medicine from Yusuke.
"But how are you feeling, Ken-kun?" Haru frowned in concern.
Ken shrugged. "Tired. Still feeling some pain but… nothing I can't handle."
He spoke almost nonchalantly, but the looks on their friends' faces told Makoto that they didn't buy it. Not one bit. But it's not like they could say it.
"I see…"
Haru's expression faltered at that, seeming to be at a loss on what to say.
Yusuke quickly changed the subject. "Ryuji told us that you awakened to a new Persona."
Ryuji vigorously nodded. "Yeah! And you said that you didn't think that you could summon in the real world!"
Ken gave a small shrug.
"Always a first, I suppose."
"Seriously, it was cool, man! His Persona went all supernova!"
"So unfair though…" Futaba grumbled out. "I thought that with us getting our second Personas we'd catch up and then you use a hack and got a third."
Ken raised an eyebrow.
"Uh... Sorry?"
Makoto rolled her eyes.
"Though how did last night go for you three?" Morgana asked. "You know, with Niijima's cognition of Akechi."
Yusuke sighed.
"It went a little too well if you ask me."
Just what was that tone implying? He almost seemed exasperated.
Ken frowned, before echoing, "Cognition of Akechi?"
"Haru realized last night that Niijima-san's cognition of Akechi could've screwed up our plans. So we went back to take care of him," Anne answered.
"From what Yusuke said, there's gotta be a story. Come on, spill." Ryuji grinned.
Haru and Anne exchanged a look.
"Do you really want to know, Ryuji-kun?" Haru asked.
"Duh!" Ryuji grinned wider.
"I second it!" Futaba cried.
"I want to hear it as well," Morgana stated.
Yusuke sighed, shaking his head. "Very well… I suppose it can't hurt to tell you."
Saturday, November 19th, 2016
Yusuke couldn't help but feel a wave of trepidation as his eyes swept through the Palace. Even though it hadn't been that long since they had been in the Palace, Yusuke felt nervous.
Perhaps it was due to their smaller group. His gaze flicked over to his two companions. Both of their expressions were pure steel.
"It feels… different being here," Yusuke said quietly.
"Well… we never expected to return here." Anne sighed.
"But we have a job to do," Haru said, determination filling her eyes. "Everyone is counting on us."
Yes, Ren needed them to succeed. They needed to ensure that Niijima's cognition of Akechi would be neutralized. Otherwise… their friend's life would be forfeit. And that was utterly unacceptable.
Yusuke's gaze dropped to Anne's hip. A coil of rope hung from her hip instead of the usual whip. Yusuke found the plan a bit uncouth, but it's not like they had much of a choice. They had to ensure that Cognitive Akechi couldn't run into the real Akechi.
"Let us begin," Yusuke stated.
They slipped into the police station, allowing Haru to take the lead as she was the only one that had visited the station prior.
As they snuck through, Yusuke's mind drifted to both of his friends. He knew that Aragaki-san and Sanada-san had the experience, but they were literally walking into Shido's territory to save Ken. He hoped that nothing bad happened.
And Ren… he just prayed to any god that might listen that his friend would be safe.
Especially since they had eluded the police for months, they might take it out on Ren. On top of that, he had to convince Niijima to trust him. While yes, they had Satonaka-san and Kujikawa-san to depend on, Yusuke couldn't help but feel terrified for his friend.
Yusuke shook his head.
"I mustn't be so pessimistic… I must have faith," he chided himself.
They continued their search, but as the minutes crawled by, Yusuke found himself growing more and more frustrated. Even a cognitive version of Akechi must be difficult, it seemed.
"Ugh… this is getting ridiculous," Anne seethed, hands clenched into fists. "Where the heck is he?!"
Haru looked frustrated herself but before she could even open her mouth, a voice behind them made all three tense up.
"Oh, hello there. What brings you here?"
"Speak of the devil…" Yusuke thought to himself, shaking his head slightly.
"Oh, hello, Akechi-kun." Haru's voice grew tight, her expression hardening for a moment.
Anne wasn't much better, her smile as brittle as ice and her posture tense.
Yusuke sighed quietly to himself. He couldn't help but wonder if this was how Ken felt sometimes with their more… impulsive friends.
"You know of me? Oh, of course, you must be fans. I must apologize. I'm afraid I'm too busy for autographs right now."
"Wait a moment! We're not fans!" Haru exclaimed.
"Oh?"
Akechi smiled. It was bizarre to see how earnest he was, in Yusuke's opinion. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at that. But then again, he wasn't human. But on the other hand, would it make it okay to harm Morgana or Teddie-san then? This was starting to make Yusuke's head hurt.
"I'm Haru Oku—"
Cognitive Akechi's eyes lit up with recognition. "Oh, Okumura-san! Yes, I read about you in Sae-san's report." He paused briefly, his eyes growing hesitant. "I'm... terribly sorry what happened."
His expression turned regretful, pressing a hand against his chest. But then he gave Haru a reassuring smile, not realizing Haru's expression was growing stony.
"But rest assured, Sae-san will do whatever it takes to bring your father's murderer to justice," he said sincerely.
Yusuke felt a chill crawl up his spine as he winced. That was not something he should have mentioned to Haru, he of all people. Even if it wasn't the real Akechi.
"Have you seen Sae-san by chance?" the cognition asked, oblivious to the girls' growing animosity.
Yusuke cringed with a heavy sigh. He knew that this was the best way to take out Cognitive Akechi but… he knew the girls wouldn't hold back.
"I'm afraid not, Akechi-san," Yusuke said slowly.
Akechi's brow furrowed. "Oh, I see. What a shame. I suppose I need to keep looking for her. I have an important report to give to her and she'll be so cross with me if I don't deliver it to her soon enough."
"Hold on a moment, Akechi-kun." Haru suddenly spoke, her voice suddenly turning syrupy sweet.
"Yes? What can I do for you, Okumura-san?"
Haru raised her hand before slapping him right across the face. When Akechi recoiled in shock, she punched him right in the gut.
"That was for Father," she hissed out.
"I don't... understand…?" the cognition tried speaking despite the wind being knocked out of him.
Something in Anne seemed to snap as well before she reached out to slap him as well. Yusuke couldn't help but wince as a bright red handprint appeared on Akechi's cheek. Being slapped was never fun. He knew from personal experience.
"A heartless monster could never understand! We won't let you try to kill Ren!" she growled out, her eyes burning with anger.
"Y-You know this isn't the real Akechi, right—" Yusuke tried to placate the both of them.
Haru demanded, "And you knew that Shido wanted to kidnap Ken-kun, didn't you?!"
Was it bad that Yusuke felt a twinge of pity for him? If only because Makoto's sister's cognition of him was honestly a good person... even if he wasn't real.
"W-What are you talking about?" Akechi squeaked out, scrambling away from them.
But the girls weren't to be deterred.
"And don't forget about Futaba!" Anne added. "She spent two years thinking that she killed her mom because of you!"
"Not to mention the mental shutdowns!"
"The psychotic breakdowns! You might as well kill them! They've been turned into vegetables or they're dead!"
Yusuke could only watch as the girls beat Akechi into submission. Yusuke couldn't help but stare and think about how Ken was obviously afraid of angering women. But Yusuke couldn't help but think… he had the right idea.
He really wished Ken was here.
Yusuke coughed. "Are you satisfied?"
Haru let out a nervous giggle.
"Too much?"
"Somewhat..." he thought wryly.
He shook his head.
"We'll talk about it this when we're in the real world. But for now, we still have a job to finish," he wisely stated instead.
Anne unhooked the coil of rope from her hip. Yusuke tied him up, but he wasn't satisfied until the knot wouldn't budge when Haru pulled at it. They found an empty closet to trap him inside, locking the door. After that, they left as quickly as possible.
Yusuke then looked at his friends. "Have you been bottling this up this entire time?"
Haru bit her lip before nodding reluctantly.
"It… really angered me to have to work with him," she said quietly. "Pretending that he agreed with us, all while planning to stab us in the back."
Anne sighed, folding her arms over her chest.
"I still think about what happened with Futaba. She was just a little girl. And he just—he took her mom away from Futaba. And him gloating about the plan to kill Ren!" she hissed.
"Ren will be all right soon enough," Yusuke tried to assure her. "You'll see, Anne."
He tried to speak with confidence but he wasn't sure if he succeeded. He was more than aware that he wasn't the best with words, not like how Ren was. But he needed to try.
Haru smiled slightly.
"You're right, Yusuke-kun. Ren-kun will turn out okay. He's managed to turn the tide so many times," she said with a nod.
"Even though he's given me more than one heart attack while doing so," Anne murmured.
Yusuke placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll see him again soon, Anne. I have faith in him."
Anne slowly nodded, a smile spreading across her face. "Yeah… we just need to have faith in him!"
Sunday, November 20th, 2016
"What a disappointing end to the hero of justice," Sae spoke up.
She honestly didn't know what to think. Amamiya had spun such a bizarre story in the past few hours. Sae wanted to dismiss as nothing but a farce. But despite being drugged and beaten, Amamiya spoke with such clarity.
But Amamiya's face continued to remain neutral as Sae stated that she now had a better image of how Amamiya committed his crimes. Sae really had to wonder what would break that façade.
However, Sae believed that she had an idea of potentially who Amamiya's cohorts were.
Ryuji Sakamoto and Anne Takamaki—during the Kamoshida incident. They were both personal victims of Kamoshida.
Sakamoto had his leg broken by Kamoshida, which the school claimed had been self defense. On top of that, Sakamoto had befriended Amamiya from the very beginning.
Anne Takamaki had been one of the girls that Kamoshida had sexually harassed. Her best friend was one of Kamoshida's victims. And Amamiya had revealed that they had started dating sometime during the Medjed threat… among other things.
Given Kamoshida's past transgressions against them, they would most likely be motivated to give Amamiya the information he needed to target Kamoshida.
Yusuke Kitagawa had been the last of Madarame's pupils. While Amamiya had refused to name his ally—a pupil of Madarame, it being Kitagawa made too much sense. There was a chance one of the former pupils who ran away came to him instead, but Kitagawa still was the best candidate. Somehow, Kitagawa had found the courage to approach Amamiya about his abusive mentor, she theorized.
Futaba Sakura was the daughter of the late Wakaba Isshiki. Isshiki had researched heavily into cognitive pscience and from what Amamiya had described to her… this 'Metaverse' seemed to connected to cognitive pscience. She was another potential candidate that would make for a useful ally, especially if she remembered anything about her mother's research.
Haru Okumura, as the heiress of Okumura Foods, must have known the depth of her father's scandals. She could've easily gotten involved with the Phantom Thieves, if her hunch was correct. Though if that was the case, Sae had to wonder why she'd continue to work with them after Okumura's death.
Though… Sae couldn't figure out Amada's role in this. She had managed to discern his personal ties to the Kirijo Group. She had heard whispers that the Kirijo Group had abused their powers to skirt around the law. Sae had been more intrigued by the rumors that the Kirijo Group was connected to Apathy Syndrome, which was the reason why she sought to speak to Aragaki. Not the man ever deigned her with a proper response. But still... he was another good potential candidate.
And there was Makoto.
The idea that the former principal had dangled Makoto's potential future over her head simply galled Sae. Not only that, but he kept pressuring her, and even subtle blackmail and manipulation attempts. The nerve of that despicable man! Ordinarily, Sae wouldn't speak ill of the dead but she'd make an exception for that scum.
However, her little sister—aiding the Phantom Thieves? Or worse, she was potentially one of them. Amamiya was frustratingly tight-lipped about just who his fellow Phantom Thieves were. And the thought that Makoto could be one of them was just… inconceivable.
"I'll always be on your side, Sis." Makoto's earnest voice echoed in Sae's mind.
At the time she thought Makoto was scared for her sister's life when she said that. Scared the Phantom Thieves would kill her like they might have with Okumura. But now she wasn't so sure.
If her sister was a Phantom Thief... then was she on her side? Sae couldn't help but feel hurt… and betrayed. She had spent months trying to figure out the Phantom Thief case. And she didn't even come to Sae for help. The principal was pressuring Makoto to solve the mafia and the Phantom Thieves on her own, and she never came to her.
Amamiya never said Makoto was a Phantom Thief. But he did say Makoto came to him specifically for help. Sae narrowed her eyes at that.
She took in a sharp breath through her nose as she glanced back at the watch on her wrist. The clock was ticking. She needed to draw a confession out of Amamiya and fast. She can't waste time on petty little emotions like jealousy.
So, she leaned forward, staring sternly at Amamiya.
"Care to strike a deal? If you cooperate with me, I'll consider lightening your sentence. Because if you don't… you'll be most likely sentenced to a life sentence—or perhaps, even the death penalty. You've corrupted the order of this country and caused an uprising against its very existence."
At that, Amamiya's expression suddenly turned defiant.
"Maybe because this country's legal system is broken."
"Ugh… the nerve of him," Sae grumbled to herself. "Why must he be so difficult?"
"What kind of system should allow people like Kamoshida abuse his students? Teachers are meant to protect students. Kobayakawa may not have deserved his death but he's scum for caring more about his precious reputation than the students. And what about Madarame—he ruined countless lives of his students. Some of them… thought of him as their father. And Kaneshiro had his hands everywhere—he took advantage of teenagers for blood money. And you seriously don't care after I told you that he gloated about killing your father?!"
Amamiya was growing more and more incensed.
Sae found herself at a loss of words. "I... I never... said that."
She had been shocked when Amamiya claimed that Kaneshiro had orchestrated her father's death. At the time she had convinced herself that Amamiya had fabricated that lie to get to her specifically.
Amamiya scoffed in response.
"And why should I listen to you? I don't think a deal between us will work." He scowled.
Sae raised an eyebrow.
"He's a stubborn one… and, he keeps refusing again and again to tell me the truth of his companions. Quite the chip he has on his shoulders. Where does he find his nerve?" she thought to herself.
That look he had in his eyes... it reminded her of her younger, more headstrong and foolish self when she first entered law school.
Sae said firmly, "I have a responsibility to solve this case. I will win, even if it's brokering a deal with you."
The anger seemed to drain out of Amamiya.
"Why? Why do you hone in on winning so much?"
"You claimed you went into the world of my heart. But did you see how my coworkers treat me? They look at me and they see—"
Sae stopped short before she could continue her tirade. She couldn't get sidetracked. She cleared her throat.
"Either way, your operation was leaked, and you failed to change my heart. There is no point in being obstinate now. Especially…"
She paused, as a sudden thought came to mind.
"Yes… that might be the key," Sae thought to herself.
"Especially since we still need to determine your fellow Phantom Thieves. Choose carefully and I can help you protect them. Perhaps I can see to it that they don't even get charged."
Amamiya's expression darkened.
"So you're stooping to that, huh?" he said bitterly. "That's a low blow."
"Low blow?" Sae echoed.
"I don't know what your definition is of a low blow but you're basically suggesting that I sell out my friends," he spat out.
He then shook his head.
"Makoto would be disappointed in you. You… You have no idea how much she looks up to you."
Anger flared inside of Sae at that.
"Don't you dare bring Makoto up! After everything you've said!"
"It's not my fault that you don't know her!" Amamiya snapped. "You pushed her away. Why do you think she came to me to begin with?!"
"I would've tried to do something if she had just—"
Amamiya immediately interjected, "Do not give me that! Makoto was pushed into a corner! You told her that all she should be doing is keep her head down and focus on her studies, right? That she should bury her head in the sand and hope that the oh-so-competent police will be able to catch Kaneshiro. How did that work out for you? Oh right, I was the one who got Kaneshiro to confess before your sister got sold off into sex trafficking!"
The way he worded it… they weren't that incompetent! From what Amamiya told her, he had accomplished this through supernatural means! How was that a fair comparison? And... did that really happen? Was Makoto almost…? No, she couldn't go there, not now. She gritted her teeth. She couldn't focus on this—she needed a confirmation on Amamiya's cohorts.
"Just give me a confirmation if any of these people worked with you as part of the Phantom Thief case," Sae stated.
Amamiya opened his mouth to retort, but then Sae pressed on, reading aloud the names before he could get a word in.
"Ryuji Sakamoto. Anne Takamaki. Yusuke Kitagawa. Ken Amada. Futaba Sakura. Haru Okumura. And… Makoto Niijima."
It pained her to read aloud the last name, but she needed to see this through. Even if… no, it could be possible that Makoto just went to him for help, just like Amamiya said. He could easily have been telling the truth about that. She didn't necessarily have to be a Phantom Thief.
"They were your accomplices, were they not?" Sae demanded.
Amamiya paused for a moment, frowning. Sae could see the gears turning in his head.
"Nope, not a chance. But even if you were somehow right... apparently, I'm such a terrible criminal that I've earned the death penalty. So, what do you think will happen if I name the names of those who helped me? I don't think you can do a thing to help me… even if you wanted to."
Sae couldn't help but bristle at that. He was certainly a brazen one.
Sae pushed aside her anger. She couldn't lose her head. She would drag the confession out of him somehow.
"So… you won't sell out your friends."
Sae's mind was racing. He refused to sell them out. What about his other collaborators? She had strongly suspected Sojiro Sakura to be one of them, being his probational officer. On top of that, he was Futaba Sakura's adoptive father. He would have more than enough motive to support Amamiya.
But when she probed Amamiya about that, he dug in his heels once more. He wouldn't breathe a single word about who aided him. If Sae wasn't feeling so frustrated… she might have been impressed.
She had never met anyone so stubborn.
"You really won't say anything on your teammates or collaborators?" Sae asked with exasperation. "Do you even understand what will happen to you if your sentence isn't lightened?"
He gestured to himself.
"Look at the state I'm in right now. It might as well just be me. I won't drag anyone else down with me," he said adamantly.
Sae sighed, rubbing her temples. Though there was something gnawing at the back of her mind…
Akechi-kun's recent behavior. While Akechi-kun had been vocal about his disapproval regarding the Phantom Thieves from the very beginning, he had abruptly changed his tune. And he had been acting rather odd lately…
"Let me ask just one more thing," Sae requested.
"Just one?" Amamiya asked drolly.
Sae ignored that crack and pressed forward.
"It's Goro Akechi. I'm sure you're perfectly aware that he was my partner in this case. But even so… there were rumors that he had been working alongside the Phantom Thieves. Is it true?"
Amamiya's expression grew bitter.
"Akechi was never part of my team. He was never even my friend. He may have fooled the world… but not me."
Sae raised an eyebrow at that. There was obviously… something there, that sounded too personal. But that still had nothing she could really pull from. She knew her time was practically up. She couldn't help but give a sigh.
"You really had no intention on bargaining with me," she stated.
"Never..." Amamiya said with clarity. "I don't make crooked deals."
Sae narrowed her eyes at him. "Even now, you're still acting like you're a hero of justice?"
Amamiya met her gaze confidently.
"And what about you? You dodged the question earlier but… why do you care so much about winning? Just for bragging rights, is it? I guess that's why you didn't want to tell me… as it's such a scummy reason."
He might as well have slapped her.
"That's not it at all! Do you realize what kind of life I've had to lead, in order to look just as good to my superiors?! I had to work twice as hard as my male peers to be equal to them!"
He countered, "And that condones sentencing innocent people to death? How about the way you threatened Sojiro to get what you wanted? Do you really think that your dad would've been proud of this? Makoto told me once that you wanted to become a prosecutor to improve the system. And here you are, trying to force confessions out of innocent people, all for another senseless victory? What's the point in that?"
"Don't… bring him up," Sae warned in a low voice.
She still thought about Makoto's naïveté when she brought about the Phantom Thieves months ago, how their father would've approved of them. But he wouldn't have! Dad had a strong sense of justice but… no, he was just getting into her head. He must know how highly Makoto thought of Dad… so he thought it'd be the same of her.
"Why? Is it because I'm right?" Amamiya challenged.
Damn him, she found herself at a loss of words. She had no retort for that and she hated struggled to think of what to say.
"He is NOT right about this!" she mentally hissed.
He was using Makoto and her father against her. And for what reason? Sae honestly didn't know.
"Your teammates abandoned you, throwing you to the wolves," Sae said slowly. "Why are you so adamant on defending them? Why won't you talk about them?!"
She couldn't stop the frustration from bleeding into her voice.
"It's wrong. It's a dirty tactic and it goes against justice," Amamiya said firmly.
Sae felt something in her snap. She leapt out her chair, slamming both hands onto the table.
"Don't be ridiculous! Who are you to decide such things?!"
"You call this justice?" he demanded. "Open your eyes already! Your coworkers are nothing but corrupt bastards who twist the law! Willing to throw innocents under the bus just because it's convenient to them! And you're becoming just like them!"
"Justice…" Sae repeated slowly.
Amamiya's expression softened suddenly. "Makoto believes in you. She believes that you have the means to get yourself back on the right path, like how she found her way again. Sure, there are cops who decided they wanted this as their career for selfish reasons, like getting a license to legally carry a gun. But you didn't become a prosecutor for selfish reasons. You wanted to save others. You wanted to help people."
Why did he have to keep bringing up Makoto?
"The right path…" Sae repeated.
She then glared at Amamiya as she sank back into her seat.
"You're just a child, what would you know of—"
His expression hardened as he cut her off.
"Wake up, Niijima! Think about your justice—look deep inside yourself! Why you became a prosecutor to begin with? Do you really think that justice fits your actions now?"
"That's…" Sae couldn't help but trail off.
Aragaki's words from just a couple weeks ago suddenly echoed in her mind.
"Are you even happy where you are?"
"Can you claim that you like being a prosecutor still?"
And everything Amamiya had said… it was like Sae's world had been turned upside down.
Amamiya continued to remain adamant on his stance. And yet… a small voice in the back of Sae's mind asked: Isn't he right?
"We don't even have any evidence. That's why you refuse to give in, isn't it?" She hated to admit that.
She just sighed in frustration before running a hand through her hair.
"It doesn't help that your story sounds like a fairy tale!"
Amamiya shrugged in response.
"Try living it."
She had to admit, she couldn't help but wonder about the truth as Amamiya's story went on. It wouldn't be satisfactory to just close the case like how the superiors wanted. Not to mention all the psychotic breakdown and mental shutdown cases.
"But many people have fallen victim to this. We need to learn the truth!" she exclaimed.
The truth… Sae's head was starting to hurt as she thought more and more on this.
"The truth… I don't even know what's right anymore!" she lamented. "And it's all because of your strange story!"
"Are you willing to let the true culprit go?"
He just kept pushing and pushing… Sae didn't even know why. Not to mention the way he insisted that Makoto had faith in her.
And their father.
She didn't even know what possessed her to visit the grave. She had thought she had let go of the childish ideal of upholding their father's justice and yet… Amamiya kept bringing up the word justice. Sae could see it in his eyes that he completely believed in his actions being the right path. But was it?
Sae hated that she had no answer to the question.
But then Sae noticed that Amamiya's expression was growing less and less dazed. The truth serum must be wearing off then.
She informed Amamiya of the fact but he remained silent. In fact, his gaze dropped to the table as if he couldn't bear to look at her. But then his brow furrowed as if he was thinking hard. Suddenly, his shoulders went tense.
Sae asked, "Can you hear me?"
She then peeled back her sleeve, looking at her watch.
"It looks like my time is up. And just when your mind was clearing up too. Although your story is fascinating, I won't be able to speak with you much longer."
He shook his head, clarity filling his eyes in that moment.
"Are you really giving up?" Amamiya asked. "Don't you want to win?"
"What are you getting at?" Sae demanded.
Sae couldn't help but feel frustrated. Not at Amamiya, but at herself. Why had she pushed so hard for a confession?
"It's not like I will get credit for this case, no matter happens. I had to call in a large favor just to be able to conduct this interrogation," she murmured.
This was all so pointless. Why did she realize this just now? And yet, she couldn't help but be intrigued by Amamiya's story. His conviction in his path.
Amamiya's eyes glazed over once more. Sae waved a hand in front of his face.
"Hey, are you listening to me?"
Amamiya looked up but he didn't respond. Sae sighed once more. She was truly out of time now. And yet, Sae wasn't frustrated over losing. Not this time. There were so many questions bouncing in her head and she had no answers and no time.
For example, Amamiya's capture.
"There's one last thing I need to ask you, however..." Sae stated. "There's something that has been bothering me. I was the head of the investigation, but recently, I was removed from my position. I was then told to standby and wait. And then I received the news that you were caught in the act, within some bizarre phenomenon. But that was all I was told."
Sae stroked her chin as she tried to mull over the situation. The questions continued to nag at her. Something in her gut told her that she could not ignore this.
"You were told that the police had resources that allowed them to finally catch you after how you toyed with them for months. Surely, there must have been an insider that fed them information. Do you have any inkling just who that could be?"
Amamiya seemed to be thinking it over, frowning in concentration. Sae leaned forward.
"Is any of this ringing any bells?"
Amamiya's voice was barely audible. "I remember. You wanted to make a deal with me before, right? Does the offer still stand?"
"What…?" Sae questioned, her eyes growing wide as Amamiya met her gaze.
But Amamiya didn't say anything more. Frustration welled up inside of Sae at that. She slammed her hands onto the table once more.
"If you know something, you must tell me! I won't allow it to end here! I can't!"
"My phone."
What? Sae glanced towards the table, where a silver phone rested on top.
"That's right—they confiscated your phone." Sae sat back in her chair, folding her arms over her chest. "I've been told the lock is quite complicated. But it's only a matter of time before it's cracked."
She then looked at Amamiya, baffled.
"What's so important about this smartphone? Are you planning on unlocking it and showing me the data?"
Amamiya shook his head.
"That's not it."
"Then what is?!"
Sae couldn't help but feel aggravated. Why couldn't he just tell her? But no, he insisted on playing mind games with her!
"You need to show it to him. The one responsible for why I'm here."
"Him…?" Sae blinked in confusion.
She was on her feet in a flash, slamming both hands against the table once more. She couldn't let it end here, not when Amamiya was dangling the truth right before her very eyes.
"Please…" she begged, leaning closer to him. "I need you to be clear with me! No more of this posturing! Who am I supposed to show this to?!"
"I already told you," Amamiya said calmly.
"What did you…?" Sae trailed off as she sat down once more.
"Not a teammate..." Amamiya said cryptically. "Never part of my team."
"Not a… teammate." Sae frowned as she echoed his words.
Amamiya's voice suddenly floated in her mind.
"He was never a part of my team. He was never even my friend."
Sae couldn't help but gasp as the realization hit her.
Akechi-kun had been firmly against the Phantom Thieves. And then… right after Okumura's death, he made a complete flip, defending the Phantom Thieves from the belief that they killed the CEO. Was it all to infiltrate the Phantom Thieves—only to betray them at the last minute?
And if that was the case, then Akechi-kun was connected to the mental shutdown case possibly. That was just—she had misjudged him that badly?! She couldn't help but think of all of those times they had spent together, eating lunch and dinner. The way that Akechi-kun actually had treated her seriously… that had touched Sae, even though she never expressed it.
All of it… was a lie?
"Oh… my god…" she managed to utter out.
A ghost of a smile appeared on Amamiya's face.
"It's finally clicked, has it?" he asked sardonically.
"I… You're referring to him—aren't you?"
"Just… trust me. Please."
It was a quiet plea. And yet, Sae couldn't help but hesitate.
"Just what are you plotting? I can't even begin to fathom it!" She sighed in exasperation.
"I trust you, Niijima," Amamiya said simply.
"You—what?" Sae then shook her head. "I suppose it doesn't matter. My time is now up… and my involvement in this case has come to an end."
She ran a hand through her hair, looking back at Amamiya. Indeed there was hope in his expression. Additionally, there was an honesty in his dark eyes that Sae hadn't seen in a long time. It was how… she looked like, once. Before her idealism had been crushed.
"Very well… I've listened to your entire story, so I may as well play along to the end."
After confirming that she just needed to show Akechi-kun the phone, Sae got up. She found herself lingering by the door, however, looking down at the seemingly innocuous device in her hand.
So… this would help discover the truth, huh? She couldn't help but feel very doubtful. Sae then looked back to the door, taking a deep breath.
But… maybe taking a leap of faith wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Akechi-kun? W-Why are you here?!"
Goro just smiled before reaching up to adjust his tie. "Why are you so surprised, Sae-san?"
"I needed my director to step in in order to get access and I was in charge of this case!" Sae-san's voice was incredulous. "How did you get approval?"
Goro just shrugged.
"We're in the same boat, Sae-san. I am heading up the investigation team after all. It's only natural that I have the right to interrogate the culprit, no?"
He was close—so close… But he needed to keep up a front, so she wouldn't suspect a thing.
"That was just a joke of course." Goro somehow managed a laugh, before flashing Sae-san a winsome smile. "I'm merely here to assist with the public security interrogation. I am surprised that it was this underground though. There aren't any other incarcerated here, yes?"
This of course was a rhetorical question. This was all set up… for Goro's success. Goro could practically taste it. He couldn't help but wonder how Amamiya would react to this, discover that Goro had never intended to help him. Indeed, it was the exact opposite. Goro would create his downfall.
And of course they couldn't have anyone else down here. The less witnesses, all the better. Not to mention make his job much smoother. Nobody would know… if things got a little violent.
Sae-san then frowned. "If I remember correctly… didn't you say there was another culprit aside from the Phantom Thieves?"
Goro raised an eyebrow at that. Why was she asking that?
"Don't tell me that you're suddenly sympathizing with them."
Before Sae-san could respond, Goro gave a shrug.
"And besides, that was nothing but a lie I spread to set them up."
"That's—!" Sae-san looked taken aback at that, her eyes turning as wide as saucers.
"Suddenly the honorable one, are we?" Goro thought sardonically to himself.
But instead he smiled politely. "Forgive me, Sae-san. I've been tricking you this whole time, haven't I?"
If only she knew what he really meant.
"But they say that if you wish to trick your enemies, you must first trick your allies. Sorry, I couldn't have anyone knowing."
"So, it was you..." Sae-san said quietly. "You were the informant that gave the police the information they needed to capture the leader of the Phantom Thieves."
Sae-san seemed shocked, lost in thought. Her expression turned pensive. She was acting very strange.
Goro tilted his head, allowing a confused expression to appear on his face.
"Is there a problem, Sae-san?"
Sae-san frowned, letting out a sigh. She then folded her arms across her chest.
"I suppose some of the things he said, rattled me somewhat."
"The culprit?"
"Yes... his story was quite strange. I still can't wrap my head around his tales of this supposed... never mind. He was probably trying to confuse me."
Amamiya probably was telling her about their Metaverse exploits. It would be only natural someone who never experienced it would be confused. That at least explained why she seemed so out of sorts. He probably sounded like a lunatic to her and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it, if he had to guess.
Sae-san reached into her pocket and pulled something out.
"Well never mind all that. It was probably just ravings from a drugged-up suspect. More importantly, Akechi-kun, does this phone look familiar to you?"
Goro blinked. It looked like a normal smartphone to him, set in a metallic silver case. Sure, it looked vaguely familiar but it did look like a standard phone. He couldn't help but wonder why Sae-san wished to show this to him.
"What's this for?" he asked.
"It belonged to the leader of the Phantom Thieves," Sae-san clarified. "I just thought it would pertain to your investigation."
"I appreciate it but it's not necessary," Goro declined. "After all, I worked alongside the Phantom Thieves for some time, remember?"
Besides that, he didn't need any of that data when Amamiya would be dead soon enough. That being said, Goro couldn't help but wonder what the look on Amamiya's face would be. Would it be a look of despair? He'd be utterly helpless, after all.
"True…" Sae-san acknowledged reluctantly. "It is a great accomplishment, after all. Congratulations, Akechi-kun."
Goro smiled. "There's no need to praise me, Sae-san."
Sae-san's expression turned neutral. Goro wondered if she was seething about victory being snatched from her hands once more, like with the Kaneshiro case.
It was nothing personal—he had to admit a part of him did come to respect her. He would even go as far to say he did kind of like her. But he had a job to do. She can have her victory next time. This one was his.
"Good luck in there," Sae-san said.
"Thank you, Sae-san."
"Not that I need it," Goro thought smugly to himself.
Goro hid a smile as she walked away from him. He was still smiling as he stepped inside the elevator, taking him underground.
"Heh. It's checkmate, Amamiya," Goro muttered, his smile turning vicious. "This time… you lose."
The doors slid open and Goro's heart began to pound as he walked down the hallway.
This was it. This would guarantee Shido's trust in him. There would be no more obstacles for Goro. And then the path would be clear for Shido's ascension as prime minster. And what Goro has been working towards for over two years would finally come to fruition.
Revenge was so close—he could practically taste it. And the look on Shido's face… Goro could envision it already. He was going to make Shido pay for all the years of suffering he put Goro's mother through.
But as Goro drew closer to the room where they were keeping Amamiya, he crafted a nervous expression on his face. The guard turned to look at Goro, eyebrow raised.
"May I ask that you accompany me?" Goro asked, going for a meek voice. "Going in unarmed to interrogate a murderer makes me uncomfortable…"
The guard's face turned sympathetic before he nodded. They entered the room, where Amamiya sat in. Amamiya looked exhausted, beaten black and blue. As the guard's attention was affixed on Amamiya, it was too easy for Goro to snatch his gun from his belt and then shoot him dead... the fool.
He stumbled backwards before collapsing to the ground. This allowed Goro to turn his attention on Amamiya.
He looked dazed, a complete flip from the cocky leader of the Phantom Thieves. Goro's lip curled into a sneer as he continued to stare at Amamiya.
How utterly pathetic. And to think that Goro had thought that Amamiya had triumphed over Shido, trying to destroy his life. But it was the exact opposite. He would die due to Shido's machinations. Goro, on the other hand… he'd be the one to prevail over Shido.
Why had he been frustrated over this attic trash? So what if he consorted with the bottom of the barrel? Trash belonged with trash after all.
"I owe you for all of this… thanks," Goro stated.
This was going to guarantee his revenge on Shido, after all—not that Amamiya would ever discover what exactly Goro meant.
"That's right. You and your little friends were vital to our plan. And now, it will be completed."
Amamiya didn't say anything, to Goro's annoyance. He would've liked to hear some defiance, since Amamiya was never afraid to say what was on his mind before.
"Your popularity was truly quite stunning. And that made using you all the worth while."
Still nothing. Amamiya just stared back at him with insolent eyes.
Goro gritted his teeth. This should've been a triumphant moment. But it… felt hollow. All because this wretch refused to give him the satisfaction of a proper reaction. He just kept staring at him, refusing to show any hint of submission. He had the gall to look at him with that irritating expression?!
Damn him… why did Goro feel like this was a loss? Amamiya was a pathetic loser and yet somehow… Goro felt that his refusal to speak—his refusal to show fear—was his last defiance.
Even as Goro stepped closer to him, Amamiya just met Goro's gaze confidently. Determination filled his face—in fact, he seemed to radiate it. He refused to be afraid of Goro and that… really pissed Goro off.
No more posturing. He had a job to do, after all. If this is how Amamiya wanted to die, so be it.
Goro pulled the trigger.
It was like slow-motion, the blood trickling from his temples, before dripping down his face. It splattered against the table before he fell forward, completely staining the furniture. His dark eyes were glassy but Goro had to ensure that he was dead.
Goro prodded Amamiya's head with the gun's barrel. When there was no response, Goro just smiled in satisfaction.
"Everything has gone all according to plan," he thought.
He removed the silencer, tucking it into his peacoat. Then he placed the gun in Amamiya's hand to make it seem like he had committed suicide.
"Perfect," he thought with satisfaction.
Goro couldn't stifle the urge to give a little smirk as he turned towards the door.
He had done it. Amamiya was now out of the picture and without him, the Phantom Thieves would be nothing but helpless sheep.
Goro's mind suddenly veered to his cousin. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly between him and Shido. Ah, well, he'll find out soon enough.
He then stepped through the elevator before digging out his phone. He pulled up Shido's number before pressing the device against his ear.
"Shido-san… my job is complete."
Chie was used to dealing with challenges. In high school, it had been conquering exams—not to mention the Shadows in the TV world.
Then in the police academy, it had keeping up to speed with all of the training.
But even then, Chie couldn't help but feel nervous. It didn't help that she stuck out like a sore thumb. Chie had caught glimpse of only a few women patrolling the area when she scouted. She couldn't help but feel a little paranoid that someone would call her out.
"You ready, Chie-senpai?"
"I'm fine, Rise-chan," she mumbled, taking care to keep her voice low. "It's just… nerve wracking, y'know? But hey… do you sense Ren-kun?"
"Okay, let me see…" Rise murmured, apparently focusing. "Aha! I've detected a signal of a Persona-user. That should be Ren-kun. Hmm… the signal is kinda… weak."
Chie blew her bangs out of her face.
"They must've beaten him," she said grimly.
"Those scum…" Rise seethed. "But that just means we have to get to you to Ren-kun ASAP!"
"Right…" Chie said faintly as her stomach started to churn.
She needed to bring her A-game, but Chie couldn't help but feel doubtful about pulling this off. It had been so easy to agree when Naoto and Kanji brought it up to her. But… what if she failed?
And just… how was she going to convince Niijima that she was on their side?! Chie just groaned to herself, rubbing her forehead. And she wasn't exactly great with words. She was always better at kicking at her problems. But that was not gonna fly with Niijima. Chie could tell already.
And she doubted Rise would be any better. If anything, Rise would probably freak her out even more because the whole disembodied voice thing.
Though she supposed that Ren could vouch for her. Even they didn't quite know what kind of state he'd be in.
"Chie-senpai? What's wrong?" Rise asked.
She turned her head to see Rise had dismissed her Persona.
"Y-Yeah, it's just…" Chie looked nervously around; she didn't want anyone to hear after all even though they were still hiding. "I-I'm kinda nervous. Just… what am I gonna do to convince Niijima-san to trust me? What if I'm just… not cut out for this? I shouldn't have come if I was gonna be just dead weight."
Rise's expression turned thoughtful as Chie continued to talk. Chie couldn't help but feel antsy.
"Chie-senpai, that's quitter-talk and I know you're anything but a quitter," Rise said finally.
Chie couldn't help but start at Rise's blunt words. "I-I didn't say that I was quitting…"
"Conquering your doubts is half the battle! And I've got faith in you, Chie-senpai. And what—you think that Akihiko-san would've been better? Come on, Chie-senpai. The man thought that there was nothing wrong with waltzing around half-naked. You should think more highly of yourself!" Rise replied.
Rise placed a hand on her hip, flashing her a big smile.
"You'll meet up with Niijima-san and sure, she may be doubtful at first. But you'll win her over. It's part of your charm."
Chie blushed. "I… uh… I don't think I have much charm."
Rise just scoffed, waving a hand at Chie. "Oh please! You've got tons of it, Chie-senpai! Remember how Kou-senpai tried to confess to you during graduation?"
Chie winced. "God, don't remind me. I felt so bad for turning Kou-kun down. And I don't really want that kind of charm when talking to Niijima-san."
And yet… somehow, Rise's pep talk was making her feel better. Rise really knew how to uplift people. It was part of why she captivated people so easily.
"But… thanks, Rise-chan." Chie flashed Rise a smile of her own. "You always know what to say to cheer me up."
Rise giggled. "Hey, I'm just returning the favor! You're pretty good at cheering people up too, y'know. Now… go get 'em, Chie-senpai!"
She winked at Chie.
"Go rescue Ren-kun!"
Chie nodded furiously.
"I will."
With one last look at her friend, Chie headed off. Unfortunately, she had just made it to the first floor before she hit a snag.
Goro Akechi was there. So… this was Naoto's little "successor" dubbed by the media. At first… Chie had tried not to be annoyed. But she couldn't stand him. Naoto had humility and was no showboat who constantly appeared on TV. Naoto avoided the media; this kid constantly shoved his face everywhere. She remembered when some of her detractors would say Rise loved attention and was a show off. Rise could be a bit much sometimes, but her friend was nothing compared to Goro Akechi.
Chie mumbled under her breath, "Between the two of them, it's obvious Akechi is the attention whor—"
She cut herself off when she realized Akechi was suddenly staring at her.
"Crapcrapcrapcrap! Why is he looking at me?! Don't tell me he has super hearing?!" she mentally panicked.
She needed to get a grip and stop freaking out. Maybe he wasn't going to pay her much mind.
"Is something the matter?" he addressed her.
"Oh dammit!" Chie cursed to herself.
Chie coughed into her hand, awkwardly shuffling her feet.
"Come on, Chie, think!" she scolded herself. "Don't stand there, gawking like an idiot! Come up with something!"
"H-Hello, Akechi-san! I apologize, s-sir. I just… I'm a new transfer and it's just a surprise to see you in person! I know that you've been working on the Phantom Thief case but… I was just shocked. It's an… honor to meet you."
To prove her point, Chie quickly bowed. The added bonus was that so Akechi wouldn't see Chie grimacing.
Did she really say that crap, trying to kiss Akechi's ass? She wanted to punt herself into the next blackhole. How humiliating.
"Come now, there's no need for that." Akechi laughed softly.
Chie couldn't help but feel irritated. Probably because she knew people who were truly modest.
For instance, Yu.
Yu didn't have an arrogant bone in his body. There was the King's Game, but that was because Yu wanted to screw with everyone's heads. Her former leader was definitely a strange one…
But this? This was so fake. It was obviously fishing for praise.
"If you're sure," Chie murmured out.
"But have you been getting enough sleep?" Akechi asked, suddenly curious. "I beg your pardon but a young lady such as yourself shouldn't have such heavy bags under her eyes."
"Why that little—!" Chie had to struggle to keep a scowl from her face. "Well, maybe if you weren't plotting to kill Ren-kun, then maybe I wouldn't be losing sleep, you two-faced slimeball…"
"Haven't you ever been taught to never comment on a lady's looks?" Chie asked coyly, trying to mimic Rise's tone; she really hoped she didn't sound like an idiot. "Besides that, you could use some sleep yourself, Akechi-san."
Akechi laughed. "I suppose you have a point there. But alas, my work never ends. I suppose I should handle that before I get into any trouble…"
He then nodded to Chie before brushing past her, heading for the building's entrance.
"That little… I don't have any serious bags under my eyes! That jerk…" Chie pouted to herself.
He probably spent a stupid amount of time with skincare anyways…
"He's lucky that you're undercover or he would've learned what a Galactic Punt is," Rise quipped, obviously trying to stifle her laughter.
"I wish I could've kicked him at least…" Chie grumbled to herself.
But no, she had to pretend to be all starstruck, stupid punk. They wouldn't be in this mess if him or Shido had left Ren and the others alone.
Not to mention if he knew about Ken's kidnapping. She'd find him just so she could kick him right in his pretty-boy face into the next galaxy.
She then huffed, "Okay, Rise-chan… let's go."
Rise then switched to navigator mode while hiding outside, using Ren's signal as a guide. But despite Rise's pep talk, Chie found herself getting more nervous as she slowly made her way underground. Thank goodness Kouzeon didn't rely on that kind of signal.
But it struck Chie as odd, how the guards actually thinned out as Rise told her that Chie was getting close. You'd think that Shido would be afraid of Ren somehow managing to escape.
"Ren-kun is on the other side!" Rise exclaimed as Chie came to a stop in front of the door at the end of the hallway. "You made it, Chie-senpai!"
Chie's heart began to beat fast as she pushed the door open. A tall gray-haired woman had her back turned to Chie. But then she suddenly whirled around, panic filling her eyes.
"I thought I told you to—"
Chie held up her hands in the universal 'I surrender' pose.
"I'm here to help, Niijima-san," she said slowly.
Dang, she was tall. Chie never felt on the short side—after all, only Yukiko was taller than her and Rise and Naoto were both on the petite side. But this woman was over half a head taller than Chie. She was wearing heels but still. It wasn't just her height that intimidated Chie… it was how she held herself.
So this was Makoto's older sister, huh?
"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously, snapping Chie out of her thoughts.
And she thought that Mitsuru-san was intimidating. This lady automatically was thinking that Chie was an enemy. But then again… Chie couldn't blame her. She'd have to be a little jumpy about trying to sneak out a supposed criminal outta here.
Chie nervously shifted her weight to her other foot.
"I'm Chie Satonaka. I'm, um, a police officer in training. I'll be graduating from the academy soon!" she introduced.
"Why are you here?" Niijima demanded.
"Chie…san?"
Ren's voice came out slurred and Chie's eyes fell on him.
A gasp escaped Chie.
"Oh… my god…"
Chie wanted to be sick. Those sick bastards—they had beaten Ren black and blue. Bruises mottled his fair skin, already darkening to purple. His bottom lip was busted, dried blood crusting it.
"Ren-kun… I—oh god."
For once, Chie found herself at a loss of words. She desperately wished that Yukiko was here. Her best friend was their best healer. Or even Teddie. Even Yosuke would be great in this case.
"Those bastards… what did they do to you?!"
Chie couldn't help but feel like she was a failure. She knew that the plan was risky but looking at the results of the plan… it made her sick.
"We're the adults… but Ren-kun was the one who got hurt," Chie thought sadly to herself.
"Seriously… who are you?" Niijima repeated, but the hostility had all but disappeared from her voice.
Chie swallowed hard. They didn't have a lot of time. The longer they lingered, the more they were in danger of being caught. But at the same time, if she was in Niijima-san's shoes, she'd want some kind of answer.
"You're not the only one who can call in a favor, Niijima-san," she finally said. "Ren-kun's friends… they asked me to come here tonight, to help bring him back to safety."
Ren just weakly nodded.
Niijima-san sighed, "I really need the full story once we get out of here…"
"Okay sure, but we really need to get Ren-kun out of here!" Chie said briskly.
Niijima-san reluctantly nodded. "But… how are you planning on helping me?"
"I have a way of navigating this maze," Chie said confidently.
She didn't have to know about Rise until later… Niijima-san would probably be pretty skeptical if she tried to explain Rise's abilities. She didn't even know how much Ren had told Niijima-san.
"But how? I've never met you before and your accent…"
"Aghhh no more questions!" Chie snapped, feeling her patience snap. "Look, if we keep flapping our jaws, we'll get caught! And we really don't want that! We'll give you the full story later, okay?!"
Niijima-san looked like she wanted to protest, but then she gave a reluctant nod.
"Very well. I'll hold you to that."
Pleased, Chie turned to look at Ren.
"Okay, Ren-kun, do you think you can stand?"
Ren nodded before slowly standing up. But then his face suddenly contorted with pain, sweat beading his forehead. Chie's eyes widened in alarm.
"Ren-kun! What's wrong?!"
"Earlier…" he said through gritted teeth before he leaned over, resting his arms against the table. "When the police officer tried to make me sign the confession. I was sluggish so it was too slow for him. He thought I was refusing. He then stomped on my leg. I don't think it's broken but it hurts when I put weight on it."
Chie hissed, "Sit down, sit down! You don't want to hurt yourself!"
Why did it always have to be one little thing? Chie had been unsure about how they'd smuggle Ren out already. But if Ren's leg was this bad…
"Chie-senpai, I've got it!" Rise suddenly cried out. "This whole plan—it was banking on using the Metaverse! Why not use it to sneak Ren-kun out that way? That way, you don't have to worry about hurrying. You can take it slow and once you're outside—return to the real world."
"Rise-chan, that's brilliant!" Chie exclaimed.
"Rise-chan?" Niijima-san echoed, her expression turning baffled.
"Oh uhhh—never mind that!" Chie said hastily, feeling herself blush from the embarrassment.
Chie just hoped that Niijima-san didn't think that she's lost her marbles.
"Just trust us, okay?" Ren said.
Chie raised a questioning brow at him.
"We're seriously gonna take her inside with her though?" Chie questioned.
Niijima-san looked wary. "Take me where?"
Ren just smiled. "The world... where I changed hearts."
Without another word, Ren activated the app. Chie looked around in bewilderment. It was kinda freaky how you could enter the Metaverse without realizing it.
Then Chie realized that Ren's clothes didn't change—unlike the last time they visited the Metaverse.
"Hey—what about that long coat you were wearing before?" she asked.
"We're outside the Palace. They only appear when we're inside the actual Palace. When we're considered threats to the rulers," he explained.
So they only appeared sometimes?
"These rules are weird."
Ren raised an eyebrow.
"You spent a year jumping through a TV," he pointed out.
"Touché," Chie relented.
"What are you talking about?" Niijima-san then shook her head, pressing a hand against her temple. "What on earth have I gotten myself into?"
Ren slowly stood up, unable to stop himself from wincing.
Chie wondered if she should just pick him up and get out of there. He was kinda lanky… he probably wasn't that heavy. He was about Yosuke's height now that she thought about it. And there was this one time where she had to grab him so that weird robot Shadow in Kubo's place wouldn't shish kebob him.
But she knew that guys had their pride. Maybe she should hold off.
"Hey, lean on me, okay? And let me know if we're going too fast," she said.
Ren gritted his teeth before nodding.
"Yeah."
Chie kept an arm around Ren as they hurried down the hallway. Chie couldn't help but feel worried as Ren's expression grew pained. But when she tried to slow down to accommodate him, he stubbornly shook his head.
Okay, she knew she could be pigheaded too but really?!
"Ren-kun, we can slow down if you need to—"
"No, I'm fine," he said firmly.
Niijima-san let out an exasperated sigh.
"Don't give me that look, Niijima," Ren grumbled. "You're plenty stubborn yourself."
Niijima-san looked like she wanted to retort. But then the ground suddenly shook.
"What the—an earthquake?! Now?!" Chie thought with dread.
"Uh-oh," Ren uttered.
"What do you mean, uh-oh?!" Chie demanded.
"Everyone, you need to get out of there! You gotta hurry!" Rise's voice became shrill with panic. "Niijima-san's heart must have changed and so the Palace is self-destructing!"
"That can happen?!" Chie yelped.
Ren nodded weakly. "Yeah… I've seen it happen a couple times already, actually. Futaba's one example."
"That's just—"
"I mean, we all technically kinda went through our own changes of heart after facing our shadows, didn't we?" Rise pointed out. "Just… minus the places imploding on itself. But never mind that—it's not important! You need to get out of the building before the place collapses completely and you return to the real world! You'll be in big trouble if you're in the building still!"
"If only Morgana was here…" Ren moaned out.
"We're not giving up!" Chie snapped. "We're getting outta here, you hear me?!"
"I didn't say we weren't—wait, what are you doing?!"
"Sorry, Ren-kun!"
Chie picked up Ren before she bolted for the exit.
"Satonaka-san, hold on a minute!" Niijima-san exclaimed.
Chie shouted, "No time, just run, Niijima-san!"
Chie could feel sweat forming on her forehead and her muscles burning with the exertion but she was not going to give up here!
They burst through the exit and in the distance, she could see a bright, glitzy casino slowly collapsing.
"Is that…" Niijima-san stared wide-eyed, then turned to Ren. "Then your story was true?"
Ren asked tiredly, "You really think I could make that crap up all on fly?"
"Never mind that!" Rise snapped before Niijima-san could respond. "You're not out of the woods yet! You need to find a hiding spot. You standing out in the open won't help at all!"
"R-Right!" Chie nodded.
"Uh… Chie-san, you can put me down now," Ren said awkwardly.
"Not until we're in the real world, Ren-kun. You can barely walk!"
"Really… what have I gotten myself into?" Niijima-san sighed.
But they finally emerged into the real world, constantly staying out of sight when they did so. Chie didn't relax until they met up with Rise. But when she set Ren down, he actually grinned at Chie.
"Not bad at all, Chie-san. You might be on your way to be a half-decent Phantom Thief yourself. After all, not many people can boast of stealing away a prisoner."
Niijima-san folded her arms over her chest. "So… where to next?"
"Leblanc, right?" Rise guessed.
Ren weakly nodded. "I hope we don't freak out Sojiro too much."
"Can you stand, Ren-kun?" Rise frowned in concern.
She then suddenly reached out, touching Ren's face.
"They just—they really did this to you…?" Rise's voice broke at the last part and she let out a small sniff, tears forming in her eyes.
"H-Hey, I knew I'd be okay." Ren tried to be reassuring. "You don't have to cry."
Chie let out a strained laugh.
"Tonight has just been… incredibly stressful."
Ren shook his head, letting out a strained laugh. "You're telling me…"
Niijima-san surveyed the area. They all hidden in the back alley and the area didn't have many people around. Niijima-san also knew all the blind spots from surveillance cameras thankfully.
"I think… we're in the clear. Are you going to bring him back to Leblanc then?"
Rise nodded. "Yeah. The police will probably announce the suicide tomorrow… so until then, we'll have to lay low."
"Until then...I must admit that I still have many questions but I…" A small smile formed on her face; then she closed her eyes for a moment. "This feels right. I don't regret helping you. Not one bit."
"See, this is what happens when you do the right thing," Ren said with a cheeky smile.
Niijima-san then glowered at him.
"Don't push your luck."
"Ah, you really are Makoto's sister." Ren snickered.
Niijima-san sighed, shaking her head. "Until tomorrow, then."
She then slipped away, leaving Chie and Rise alone with Ren.
"Let's get you to the car now," Chie said with a smile, placing a hand on Ren's shoulder.
This was such a relief… they had managed to smuggle Ren to safety. The finish line was in sight.
Ren nodded. "Though, I do have a question… everyone made it out okay, right?"
Oh no... how the heck were they going to break the news about Ken to him?! Ren would be devastated… especially since he took the risk to protect his friends. Chie couldn't help but think about how Yu reacted to Nanako being kidnapped. He had blamed himself… even though it had been completely out of his control.
"Ren-kun?" Rise's alarmed voice snapped Chie out of her panicking.
Ren's eyes were glazed over and he swayed slightly. Chie had to scramble to catch him in time right before he passed out.
Rise just smiled weakly.
"Uh… that's one way to avoid telling him?" she said feebly.
Chie sighed to herself. She just… really hoped that Ren wouldn't take the news badly. Ren had already it so rough already.
Beaten black and blue, injected with drugs, not to mention that Akechi nearly murdered him. And that wasn't even touching his mental state.
She just… really hoped that Ren would be okay after all of this.
Notes:
Happy late birthday Ken and Ryuji! Was hoping to get this up for Ken's birthday but my beta unfortunately had some irl complications and couldn't get to editing until a few days ago. Though speaking of Ken, I actually wrote something regarding this verse for Ken Amada Week this past week. Check it out on my profile, it's called Twenty Years Later.
Finally got this chapter up! I hope it was worth the wait! As usual, my wonderful beta did an amazing job. Her tweaks have certain scenes (like the Akechi POV) even better! Thank you again!
And before you guys ask, yes, there will be a scene where Akihiko gets to meet Kiyomi! The original plan was to have it the last scene, but I thought it'd be more fitting to end the chapter with Ren successfully making it out alive.
Speaking of Kiyomi, I want to talk a little about her name. The typical writing for Kiyomi means pure beauty, but that's not the meaning that Akihiko and Minako chose. This is how you spell her name: 希世美. "Hope, world, beauty". Given the situation that Akihiko and Minako are dealing with, I like the idea of their daughter representing a little ray of hope to them. Her birth wasn't the most peaceful due to the circumstances, but she'll be okay. And her parents will do their part to make sure that she grows up in a peaceful world.
And if anyone's wondering about how Rise is able to communicate with Chie and Sae when they moved to the Metaverse, I basically want to show how Rise's improved over the years—so she is now able to communicate with people in a Shadow nest while she's in the real world. I believe that Fuuka is the most powerful scanner out of Fuuka, Rise, and Futaba but Rise has come into her own.
Lastly, I want to announce that I have a discord server for Ace in the Hole! I post little snippets (a lot more than on tumblr actually) and fanart there. I also just want to talk with everyone who reads my stories! I also encourage people to share their own wips, for those of you who are creators! Here's the link: https://discord.gg/hMvBzyC Hope to see you there!
Speaking of the tumblr, I've posted a couple new arts. There have been a couple arts drawn for me by fans and I commissioned an art of Yukari, as well as Junpei and Chidori! And lastly, I've commissioned an art for this chapter specifically!
I'd love to hear what you think about this chapter—it really helps motivate me! Until next time!
Chapter 43: Ch. 42: Step Ahead
Summary:
The aftermath of November 20th.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, November 20th, 2016
Minako was often deemed a terrible patient. But it wasn't her fault! It was just so boring to just lie in bed. Especially with how uncomfortable hospital beds were.
It was more bearable when the nurse brought in Kiyomi. Minako was a little sad that she couldn't nurse Kiyomi quite yet, however. She had always intended to nurse her baby. She had read up on it and it was supposed to help with infections and other chronic conditions. Though Keisuke-senpai had informed her that it was doubly good now, since breast milk was especially beneficial to premature babies.
But everything with Kiyomi's examinations was going well and if they were lucky, they'd be released in a couple days.
There was a sudden knock on the door. A nurse came inside, smiling, as she carried Kiyomi over to Minako.
The nurse said warmly, "Someone missed you. Oh, and Kirijo-san called. She said your husband will be here soon."
Minako detected a tinge of disapproval in the nurse's voice but she ignored it, choosing instead to thank the nurse. Aki would've been there while she gave birth if it wasn't for Shido's crap. And Kiyomi would get to meet her daddy soon enough.
But Minako eagerly took Kiyomi in her arms, stroking her baby's cheek with her fingertip. She scrunched up her face at Minako's sudden touch for a moment. But then she opened her eyes, blinking up at Minako.
Minako smiled down at her daughter before bending down to kiss her forehead.
"Your daddy's coming to meet you soon, Kiyo-chan."
Kiyomi softly cooed.
"Your daddy isn't the best with people but he's always been so eager to meet you. He's loved you from the start. I know he'll be a good daddy. I'll do my best to be a good mommy to you too."
She really wished that Minato could meet little Kiyomi though. Her brother always did have a soft spot for kids, which was why he liked Maiko so much. He would've been a wonderful father... and uncle.
Minako just chuckled to herself as Kiyomi slowly shut her eyes.
"Tired already, are we?" she asked, giving her daughter an amused look.
No answer, but it wasn't like she was expecting one.
But then the door opened and Aki all but flew inside.
"Mina!"
It took Minako a moment to realize that Aki was clutching a pink and white bunny plush. It was adorable, with floppy ears. A white ribbon was tied in a bow around its neck.
"Aki, did you just go out and buy this?" Minako had to stifle her laughter.
"I... uh..." Aki's cheeks flushed. "I commissioned Kanji to make this for me a while ago. Since you know, what I gave you when we were teenagers."
"I remember. It's sweet, Aki," Minako said with a smile.
But then she shifted Kiyomi in her arms.
"There's someone who wants to meet you."
Aki set the bunny by the bed before Minako carefully eased Kiyomi into Aki's arms. His eyes softened as he gazed at Kiyomi's face.
"H-Hey, Kiyo..." he said shakily, keeping his voice low since Kiyomi was still sleeping. "I'm your daddy. I'm sorry that I couldn't be here when you first arrived but I promise I'll always be there for you."
Minako just smiled as she watched her husband. There was a look of wonder on his face, like Kiyo was the first baby he had ever seen. It was cute to see her husband so gently cradle Kiyomi like that.
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Aki's expression turned concerned as he looked at her.
Minako shrugged. "Sore… and bored. Mostly bored, if I'm being honest."
"You're bored?" Aki repeated incredulously, his voice shaking from barely suppressed laughter. "You just gave birth and you're complaining about being bored."
Then he actually laughed, shaking his head.
"Only you, Mina."
Minako retorted, "You're one to talk. You're a terrible patient! Remember what happened when you broke your ribs—"
"Don't remind me, Ken brought it up earlier today," Aki grumbled.
Minako immediately grew somber at that, frowning in concern. "How is he, Aki?"
Aki suddenly grimaced, his grasp on Kiyomi tightening. Her face scrunched up before she let out a soft whimper, making Aki look down at her in alarm. He inhaled before slowly loosening his grip on her, slowly rocking her to lull her back to sleep.
"He's honestly… kinda a mess, Mina," Aki said quietly.
Aki's voice shook with barely repressed anger, and then he looked at her.
"And I... I felt useless. I couldn't help him when he needed me the most."
There was what Fuuka said too. She knew something but Minako couldn't coax it out of her. Fuuka could be pretty stubborn when she wanted to be. Minako sighed to herself.
"Aki, it's not your fault. And you rescued him in the end. That's the important thing, right?" she said quietly, reaching out to touch his arm.
Aki gave a little nod.
"Although... Ken pulled through the end." Aki smiled faintly. "He summoned in the real world without a trigger for the first time. Gave Shido a real shock."
Minako's eyes widened at that.
"Really?!"
Aki's smile turned proud. "Yeah. Surprised all of us. And… Kala-Nemi changed again."
Minako gasped. "Hang on, seriously?!"
Aki just shrugged. "I mean, Ken was only eleven when Nemesis changed to Kala-Nemi. It makes sense, in my opinion."
"Mitsuru-senpai is gonna have a field day," Minako couldn't help but chuckle.
"Haha, yeah I can just imagine her face," Aki said with a small chuckle.
But then his expression turned somber as he looked back down at Kiyomi.
"Have you ever thought about our kids possibly developing the potential?"
"Aki…" Minako bit her lip.
"I-It's just—this incident got me thinking, you know? The idea of our kids being Persona-users kinda scares me. And the thought of Kiyo putting herself in danger like we did as teenagers…"
"Aki, look at me…!" Minako said firmly but softly. "We can't really think about what-ifs, you know? We promised to look towards the future. And Kiyo-chan isn't even a day old!"
Aki then gave her a little smile. "You're right, Mina. I just… got kinda freaked out after last night."
"That's why I'm here for," Minako joked lightly.
Minako was beginning to think that she should try to coax the truth out of Aki. Fuuka was being annoyingly tight-lipped about it. But that could wait for another time—like when she was finally released from the hospital. Besides that, she was curious about a certain something... or to be more accurate, someone.
"So... what do you think of Makoto-chan?" Minako asked, doing her best to sound casual.
Aki huffed out a laugh, before quickly rolling his eyes. "Really, Mina?"
"What? I'm curious! After all, Ken-kun is like my little brother. Only the best for him!" she huffed.
Aki chuckled. "Well, personally... I like her. A lot. She's been dealing with some insecurities but she's a lot stronger she's giving herself credit for. When everyone was blaming themselves for what happened, she basically told us to shut up and stop feeling bad for ourselves. And it's obvious that Ken likes her a lot too, just from how he looks at her."
"Aww!" Minako then gave her husband a knowing look. "It must be incredibly obvious if even you can see it."
"H-Hey! I wasn't that bad!" he protested.
Minako just giggled, pressing a hand against her cheek. "I had to spell out your feelings to you."
Aki grumbled at that, even pouting a little, making Minako laugh.
"Hopefully Kiyo-chan takes after me in the romance department."
Aki paled. "Don't even joke about that."
Minako snickered before teasing, "Already an overprotective daddy, huh?"
"Don't start…" he grumbled out.
But then he looked down at Kiyomi, his expression softening.
"I don't want Kiyo to grow up in a world where… crazy people like Shido are in power. I want to protect her."
Minako just smiled at her husband.
"I feel the same way, Aki. Believe me, we'll just have to do our part in ensuring that never happens, yeah?"
Aki just grinned at her.
"Yeah."
Monday, November 21st, 2016
Goro wasn't sure why Shido had called him to his office so suddenly. Surely, he trusted that Goro had gotten the job done. But he supposed that he'd never find out the truth if he kept standing around.
So Goro raised his hand, knocking firmly on the door.
"It's me, Akechi," he called out.
Shido then answered, "Enter."
"Curt as always," Goro thought with a roll of his eyes.
Goro then reached for the doorknob and pushing the door open. He noticed that Shido was holding a sheet of paper but he set it down on the desk as Goro approached. He glanced towards it. Amamiya's death certificate.
"That's the death certificate of the principal offender, correct? Is there a problem with it?" Goro couldn't help but ask.
He was somewhat curious on why Shido was looking at it. He assumed that Shido would put it aside once he had proof that Amamiya was truly dead.
Such an ignoble end for him. But Amamiya really should've known better. He was biting off more than he can chew.
But then Shido shook his head.
"No," he answered. "Nothing in particular."
He then took that moment to look at Goro.
"More importantly, you've done well with regard to the prosecutors."
Goro just gave a small nod, offering Shido a small smile. That reminded him, he had received the autopsy report regarding the SIU director not too long ago.
"Speaking of that... the cause of death for the SIU director has been settled as a stroke."
Goro had nothing personal against the SIU director. However, Shido wanted to tie all loose ends. And Goro needed Shido to believe that he would follow orders no matter what. Oh, he couldn't wait to see the look on Shido's face... when Goro snatched everything away from him at the moment of his victory. Give that bastard a taste of his own medicine.
"It is a shame though." Shido suddenly spoke up, steeping his fingers together. "I had him work quite substantially on forging evidence. His loss should be mourned."
But Shido spoke casually as if he was discussing that it was a shame that it was raining today. However, it was nothing out of the ordinary. He eliminated any of those who he viewed threats. Goro was only safe because he was the source of Shido's power. And that was why Goro wasn't going to take any chances once Shido had become prime minister.
"It was thanks to his efforts that I could enter the Phantom Thief's interrogation room too," Goro couldn't help but add.
It wouldn't hurt to remind Shido that he was the reason why Amamiya was dead now. Though Goro frowned slightly at the memory of Amamiya stubbornly holding onto his defiance to the very end. It was just frustrating, to see it. Why had Amamiya continued to dig in his heels, even when he had lost utterly and completely?
Maybe if it was anyone else, Goro would have admired them for their courage.
But Amamiya just angered him. His almost carefree attitude about how society perceived him... the way he managed to gather so many friends loyal to him. It honestly sickened Goro to think about it.
But it didn't matter. Goro had done the deed and thus, was so much closer to his goal. Nothing mattered aside from his revenge. He would make Shido regret the day that he tossed Goro's mother aside.
"The SIU is in disarray with his death. I'll take my time choosing a successor after the elections," Shido suddenly mused, stroking his chin.
It would only be a month until the elections. Goro was so close…
Goro just allowed a saccharine smile to cross his face.
"At any rate, I'm now praised as a hero, and I owe it all to the Phantom Thieves," he stated.
Shido said, "There's no doubt that this election is mine. And then... I can work towards eliminating Kirijo."
Wait, where did that come from?
Goro raised an eyebrow. "Sir, I thought you had a plan on how to handle them already. That is why you took K—my cousin, no?"
Shido's expression darkened and his hand clenched into a fist.
"Amada..." Shido hissed out. "He threw my generous offer right in front of my face! If he had only listened to me! But he was truly idiotic—deriding all of my hard work! He basically said that he'd never listen to me! On top of that he summoned that power right here. How is that even possible?!"
His cousin defied Shido? Goro couldn't help but feel stunned. He was always on the quiet side. He seemed content to stand aside in favor of Amamiya or Niijima. He would offer his input, but he didn't seem particularly ambitious as far as leadership went—despite the fact that the Phantom Thieves indicated that he had past experience in combat.
And yet he had the courage to stand up against Shido?
But… didn't that mean—? Had Shido killed him? Shido always killed those who got in his way.
Goro's heart had actually sunk a bit the thought. He had been caught completely off guard by Shido revealing that Ken was his cousin. But his mind couldn't help but veer back to Ken's acts of kindness towards him. And now he was dead? Goro could never even thank him for that, let alone possibly actually developing a relationship with him.
"Wait… what am I saying?" Akechi asked himself.
"Once I get my hands on him again, I will make him suffer," Shido spat out. "Make no mistake of it."
Goro raised a brow.
"Sir, what do you mean by... again?"
Shido scowled fiercely. "Kirijo's dogs—two of her inner circle—came for him. They knocked out most of my men, came barging in to demand him back. They... backed me into a corner and I was forced to give in."
There was something not adding up. Shido had alluded to Ken summoning his Persona in the real world. Goro wasn't even aware that it was possible. But more importantly, that meant he got away from Shido. He defied Shido and came out of it alive? Just how many people would boast of that?
"That's... I did not expect that." Goro admitted.
"Hmph—of course you wouldn't." Shido snorted, folding his arms over his chest, "I was guaranteed victory. It was a fluke that they snatched it away from me. But they'll regret it soon enough."
"So what now? Regarding... Amada and the Shadow Operatives," Goro pressed, struggling to keep his voice even.
Shido looked like he had suddenly swallowed a lemon whole.
He then stated, "We will leave them alone for now. Taking action after the death of the leader of the Phantom Thieves will only garner attention we do not need. We will handle them after my election as prime minister."
"You only realize that because I advised you against killing all the Phantom Thieves immediately and to wait until after you won," Goro grumbled to himself.
But Goro crafted an obedient expression on his face before giving a little nod.
"As you wish, sir. Very wise of you."
Shido then flicked his hand. "But that is all, Akechi. Keep up the good work."
Goro just bowed his head. "Thank you, sir."
Goro's mind was racing even as he left the building. He just... couldn't believe it.
After all of this, Ken would have a grudge against Shido, wouldn't he? On top of that—didn't his aunt allude to Shido before? Shido… was the reason why their family had been fractured. His grandparents wouldn't have disowned Goro's mother if that wasn't the case. Goro's aunt wouldn't have been stuck in between her parents and sister. On top of that, if Goro's mother hadn't been so stubborn about Shido—then maybe Goro would have grown up with Ken.
This was all of Shido's fault.
He could just imagine Ken's reaction. He'd be simply outraged once he knew the entire story—of how Shido had used his mother, how he ultimately broke up their family. He'd have to understand. Especially how his mother wanted to take Ken in when she found out about her sister's death! And even with that man, the miserable little shit who was looking down on his mother while breaking the news so insincerely about his aunt's death... interfering with his mother wanting to reach out to her nephew... yes, there could have been a chance. They could have still met with Ken eventually.
But that was stolen from them too! The despair that Shido inflicted on his mom had eventually led to her committing suicide. Surely, Ken would understand. Yes, it would all work out. Then he'd offer his help right away. On top of the personal reasons why Ken would fight against Shido—there was also how Shido had been threatening Mitsuru Kirijo.
They would make such a powerful alliance! And Ken had suggested that they'd keep working together just a couple days ago...
Surely, this would make their mothers happy too. Goro knew that his mother sorely regretted not mending her relationship with her sister until the day she had died—her suicide note even mentioned this. He still remembered the tear-stained piece of paper, lamenting about how she regretted not be able to patch things up with her sister. Goro wouldn't be surprised if it was vice versa for Ken's mother.
However, given Shido's anger towards Ken (and the Shadow Operatives as a whole), Goro would need to bide his time. Perhaps this would allow him to do some research. It always struck him as odd how Aragaki had taken guardianship of Ken. Why him of all people?
Goro needed to bide his time but fortunately he was very good at that.
Ren slowly inhaled. The familiar scent of coffee that permeated all of Leblanc was comforting. And yet… Ren couldn't forget.
All of his body was aching, all the way down to his bones. His leg especially throbbed painfully, from that bastard who decided to stomp so hard on Ren's leg that for a fleeting moment, Ren had thought he had actually broken it. He had downplayed it with Chie-san, but hell. All because Ren was slow to react to the man. Maybe it wouldn't be a problem if they hadn't drugged him.
And Ren couldn't help but feel unnerved every time he looked at his wrists. Dark bruises marred his skin, reminding Ren just how long he had been in those damn handcuffs. On top of that, his senses were... dulled from those drugs they had injected him with. It was like he was in a fog and he couldn't get out.
He had almost messed up too. He had remembered the plan just in the nick of time. What would have happened if he hadn't remembered?
He knew the answer already. Everyone would be dead. Akechi would have slowly picked them off.
"Ren?"
Ren looked up to see Sojiro walk up to him. Ren just forced himself to give the older man a weak smile.
"How are y—" He then cut himself off, shaking his head. "Do you want to come down and have some coffee? Your friends should be here soon."
Ren shook his head. "I'm good on the coffee. But you're right about everyone... I should get downstairs."
Concern shone in Sojiro's eyes, as clear as day. But at least he didn't voice it, just allowing Ren to lean against his shoulder for support. As they entered the main part of the café Ren could see that dusk was quickly approaching. Ren had just sat down when the door opened, revealing Sae Niijima.
"Good evening," she said, looking a bit nervous as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
Then she suddenly abruptly bowed her head at Sojiro.
"But first of all, I'd like to apologize to you, Sakura-san. I offer no excuses because I have none but... I am deeply sorry for what I tried to do, in order to force you to give me information. It was wrong of me to do so, when your daughter had depended on you so much."
Sojiro just stared for a moment. Ren couldn't blame him—she looked horribly guilty; she probably wasn't expecting him to forgive her.
But then he suddenly chuckled, cracking a smile.
"Well, I'd be lying if I said that I was expecting this but... apology accepted."
Then the door bell suddenly chimed once more. His friends slowly trickled inside.
"Wait a moment… did you all seriously travel in a group like this?" Sojiro asked in disbelief.
"Do not fret, Boss," Yusuke said. "We traveled in smaller groups. For example, Haru took me in a car…"
"Ryuji and Makoto came with me," Anne chimed in.
Sae then cleared her throat abruptly, before looking to Futaba. "A-Ah, Futaba-chan… I'm so sorry for how I treated you this past summer. It was wrong of me to threaten your adoptive father like that, when your situation wasn't exactly stable to begin with."
Futaba frowned but Sojiro quickly cut in.
"She apologized to me as well. Gave me a huge shock too..." Sojiro sighed, rubbing his jaw. "With how sincere she was."
Futaba's stony expression wavered.
"O-Oh…" she mumbled out.
She then looked up at Sae, swallowing hard.
"Well…" she said hesitantly, "if Sojiro can forgive you—I can too."
Anne let out a large gasp. Ren realized she was staring at him. Before he could say something, Ryuji ran over in response to Anne's loud gasp. He pushed Sojiro out of the way, and Ren was crushed in a one arm hug.
"Sup, you big bastard!"
Ren struggled to keep both feet planted on the ground but he couldn't help but smile. Ryuji's cheer was infectious as always.
"Should've known you would come up on top! Like always!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Hey it's my turn, Ryuji!" Anne huffed, "Quit hogging him!"
"Bros get dibs on hugs first!" he whined.
"I'm his girlfriend! Move it!" she growled.
Ryuji huffed, rolling his eyes but he did what Anne demanded.
Anne then caught him in a hug. She pressed her forehead against Ren's shoulder. Ren slowly wrapped his arms around her trembling form; she must've been terrified this whole time. He then gradually inhaled her scent, a sweet tropical perfume. It was soothing, to hold her in his arms.
"I'm here. It's okay," he murmured, soft enough so only she would hear.
Anne slowly nodded, looking up at him.
"Y-Yeah."
"My turn, Anne!" Futaba demanded. "No monopolizing!"
"Fair enough..." Anne said with a slight pout.
Anne sighed in disappointment but giggled as she stepped away from Ren. Futaba then threw her arms around Ren. He couldn't help but grunt a little at the force.
"I-I'm glad you're okay," she mumbled out as her grasp loosened slightly.
Ren smiled down at the girl who had slowly become like his little sister.
"It's all thanks to you."
Futaba froze for a moment before hugging Ren tightly. "I-I did nothing. You did the hard work, trying to convince Makoto's sis..."
"Suddenly so modest," Ren said lightly.
"S-Shut up! Jerk..." she huffed out and pushed him away.
She then stuck her tongue out at Ren. This drew some laughs from his friends.
"How you've been?" Anne kept her voice light, a smile on her face, but Ren could pick out the telltale signs that she was trying to force her cheerfulness.
Ren smiled to reassure her. "Pretty ghostly. I mean… I died last night."
Anne just shook her head, a weak giggle escaping her. "There you go, cracking jokes like that."
"It truly is a relief to see your face," Makoto said, pressing a hand against her chest.
"I bet that moron Akechi don't even know that we tricked him yet!" Ryuji predicted with a confident grin.
"You certainly helped with the façade, Ryuji-kun." Haru giggled.
Yusuke chuckled. "That was quite a show you gave him."
Ren raised an eyebrow. He would have to get that out of Ryuji at some point. It sounded like quite a story.
But then… Ren realized something. Ken was missing. Ren winced, pressing a hand to his forehead. How could he miss such a big detail?
"Hm? What's wrong?" Yusuke frowned.
"Where's Ken?" he asked.
A hush seemed to fall in the group and they all looked uneasy.
Morgana spoke up for the first time. "Ren... he's fine but—"
"But?" Ren repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?!"
"What are you talking about?" And what's this about Amada-kun?" Sae asked.
The door suddenly opened once more. Shinjiro-san and Chie-san ushered someone inside, someone wearing a gray jacket with a fur trimmed hood. Then they reached up, pulling it off, revealing that it was Ken.
"Wearing that hood is like sticking my head in a furnace," Ken complained with a huff.
"Quit whining, Ken!" Shinjiro-san snapped, a rebuke in his tone. "You know why you have to wear it."
"You don't have to lecture me—"
"Hey, hey, guys, no need to bicker!" Chie-san scolded, wagging her finger at them.
As they bantered, Ren studied Ken's face. He might've looked fine… it wasn't for those huge dark shadows under his eyes.
"What happened?" Will someone tell me already?!" Ren demanded.
Ken winced in response. "So, we're going to jump right into this, huh?"
But then his expression steeled, before he looked to Ren.
"Ren, look. This isn't easy to say but... you weren't the only target on the nineteenth."
It took a moment for the implication to sink in. Ren's hands began to shake.
"No… no! It was supposed to be just me!" Ren thought in panic. "Why? Why did they target Ken?"
Ken winced. "Ren, please don't blame yourself."
Ren then demanded, "How can you say that? That was why we came up with the plan… you were supposed to be all safe!"
"It caught us all off guard, Ren-kun," Chie-san said gently. "Don't beat yourself up for this."
Ren took a deep breath to calm himself. "But… why?"
Ren knew it was out of his control but… he couldn't help but feel guilty. Why didn't he see this coming?
"Shido... that damn bastard wanted leverage against Mitsuru. He thought Ken was the best way to get through to her." Shinjiro-san let out a guttural growl, his hands clenching into fists.
"It was effed up, man," Ryuji mumbled out.
"But that was why they were late. Takemi-san was giving him a check-up." Then Makoto tilted her head. "By the way... how was that?"
Ken shrugged. "Takemi-san couldn't determine much more than what we knew already. She was really concerned with the blood tests, though."
"That's..." Makoto winced.
But Ken gave her a slight smile.
"Don't worry, Makoto. We'll sort it out," he reassured her.
Makoto just pursed her lips. "I know, I just can't help but worry."
Though Ren noticed Sae giving the two of them a funny look. That was kinda concerning. If they weren't careful, she'd find out about them before they were ready.
Ren wanted to ask more about what the hell happened with Ken, but Ken gave him a pleading look. That made him waver. Ren wasn't comfortable with talking about what happened to him in front of everyone... so how could he ask the same of Ken?
"But seriously... how did you guys pull this off?" Sojiro asked incredulously.
"Ren is now 'dead'," Yusuke stated.
Makoto nodded. "It was all part of our plan."
Then Ken frowned. "Wait, I thought it would've been explained to you."
Sojiro shook his head.
"Nope, that—" he pointed at Chie-san, "—woman showed up with a friend of hers, dumped Ren on me and told me that I had to keep him safe. Then they hightailed it out of there."
Chie-san smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, uhh… Sakura-san, was it? But Rise-chan and I were nervous about being followed so we had to be hasty about it."
"Why isn't she here anyways?" Sojiro asked, curious.
"Well, her manager put her back to work," Chie-san said.
He looked baffled, raising an eyebrow. "Manager?"
Chie-san rubbed the back of her neck, looking sheepish. "Does the name Risette ring a bell?"
"That pop singer, right?" Sojiro scratched the back of his head, only for his eyes to practically pop out of his sockets. "H-Hang on, that was your friend?!"
"Kujikawa agreed to help us out because the plan itself was risky," Shinjiro-san said.
"Hmph—how rude, Shinjiro-san!" Futaba complained.
"It was a damn good one though," Ryuji said, grinning, "You gotta admit that."
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes, "I don't hafta do anything, Sakamoto."
"What a grump." Futaba pouted.
"We're getting a little off topic though," Ken interjected.
Makoto nodded. "Right, we should explain what our plan exactly was to Boss."
They took the opportunity to seat themselves at the tables and the bar before speaking again.
Ren explained, "We needed our enemy to believe that I was dead. They were after all of us, so we needed them to believe that with my death, that the Phantom Thieves would be neutralized."
"What we did was make that enemy kill his fake in the Metaverse," Makoto stated.
"Enemy? Fake?" Sojiro sputtered out, his eyes wide with shock.
Ren smiled with pity in his eyes at Sojiro. This was all new to him; he was totally lost. Poor Sojiro.
"I'm surprised that the only thing that you're not confused by is the Metaverse," Shinjiro-san said dryly, crossing his arms over his chest.
"That's—" Sojiro huffed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's what's connected to Wakaba's research, isn't it?"
"Speaking of that… Shinjiro-san told Mitsuru-san that you knew about the Shadow Operatives," Chie-san said cautiously.
"Shadow… Operatives?" Sae repeated.
Chie-san suddenly froze, before she smacked her forehead.
"Oh man, I can't believe I forgot! We promised Mitsuru-san that we'd let her listen in on it too."
Ken held a hand up to halt her. "Hang on, Chie-san. I think we need to catch up Sakura-san and Niijima-san on a few things…"
Chie-san smiled sheepishly. "You're right, Ken-kun."
They started out with explaining the Metaverse. It felt kinda weird explaining it to non-Persona users.
"So that's where you took me? When we were escaping?" Sae asked.
"Yep!" Chie-san nodded.
"Though it's only been a second time for Satonaka," Shinjiro-san said dryly.
"H-Hey, they don't have to know that!" Chie-san protested, pink dusting her cheeks.
Ren couldn't help but joke, "Hey, be nice, Shinjiro-san. We could tell on you to Fuuka-san."
Shinjiro-san narrowed his eyes. "Put a sock into it, Amamiya. You don't even have Fuuka's number."
"I can always hack into your phone for it!" Futaba said in a sing-song voice.
"Um… can't you just ask Ken for his number?" Anne asked.
"That's no fun, though!"
"Come on, we're getting off topic," Makoto interjected.
Ken grumbled, "I have a feeling that this is going to be a common thing..."
Sae was ignoring the bickering and couldn't help but stare.
"You're going to—w-what?"
"I told you that Futaba's a genius hacker," Ren said.
Sae's eyes were wide with bewilderment. "She just said it so casually though..."
Ryuji just grinned. "Welcome to dealing with Futaba on a daily basis."
Sae sighed, pressing a hand against her temple.
"What have I gotten myself into?" she questioned.
"You wanted to know, didn't you, Niijima?" Shinjiro-san asked before Chie-san pulled out her phone.
"I'm going to call Mitsuru-san!" the brown-haired woman stated. "It's better if she's here starting now."
She let it ring, setting the device down as Mitsuru-san took the call.
"It's about time you all called me, I was starting to get worried. How is Amamiya?"
Her elegant voice rang out, almost as clear as day. It was almost like she was standing with them in person.
Sae was confused at first soon as she heard Mitsuru-san's voice, but her eyes slowly widened with recognition by the time of hearing Ren's last name uttered.
"That's—!" Sae gasped.
"Yeah, yeah, the CEO of the Kirijo Group, etc, etc," Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
"Shinjiro-san, it's not something people ordinarily expect," Ken huffed.
"And shouldn't you give her more respect?" Sae demanded.
He took it that Sae admired Mitsuru-san, then. Ren couldn't help but smirk slightly. That made sense. They had some similarities.
Mitsuru-san quipped, "It's quite alright. Shinjiro wouldn't know respect even if it struck him right across the face."
Shinjiro-san glowered at the phone. "Shuddup, Mitsuru."
"Not denying it?" Yusuke murmured.
"It's Shinjiro-san..." Ken said dryly.
"Though… may I know who is present?" Mitsuru-san asked.
"Uh... there's all of Ken-kun's friends, me, Shinjiro-san, Futaba-chan's adoptive father—Sakura-san, and Niijima-san—Makoto-chan's older sister." Chie-san quickly rattled off.
"I see. Thank you, Satonaka. So Amamiya is with you then... good. How are you feeling?" Mitsuru-san inquired.
"What a loaded question…" Ren thought sardonically to himself, trying not to grimace.
"Pretty good for someone who died, I guess," he said lightly.
"I—what?"
"Oh for hell's sake." Shinjiro-san groaned. "I'm pretty sure Aigis would've gotten that was sarcasm."
"Hush, Shinjiro!" Mitsuru-san retorted.
"Great comeback, Mitsuru," he snarked before he smirked.
"Ahem!" Ken coughed, giving his guardian a pointed look. "If you two are done..."
"My apologies, Amada," Mitsuru-san said quickly.
"Hmph..." Shinjiro-san then crossed his arms, looking away.
"B-But Mitsuru-san... we were going to explain to Niijima-san and Sakura-san about the Shadow Operatives," Ken said nervously.
There was a moment of silence, as if Mitsuru-san was mulling it over.
"Hmm… I see. Well, given how they've helped us out and Sakura-san's past, I have no objections," she answered.
"Wait, what?" Ryuji asked.
"What do you mean by that, Kirijo-san?" Haru asked.
Sojiro began to explain, "I was Wakaba's liaison with the government. I knew bits and pieces of her history regarding the Kirijo Group and their... not-so-stellar past. My only knowledge is from the official records, though."
"Mm... Isshiki always spoke highly of you as well, Sakura-san. She was… very fond of you."
Sojiro's eyes widened for a moment, before his shoulders tensed.
"Yeah. I... cared a lot about her too," he said with a surprisingly thick voice.
It got quiet for a moment—very awkwardly quiet. Chie-san thankfully interrupted it with a loud clear of the throat.
"So… uh about the Shadow Operatives," Chie-san said. "It's kinda a secret organization in the government."
Mitsuru-san then took over, explaining what exactly the Shadow Operatives were. Not quite in full detail if he had to guess, probably left out several parts. But she summarized as best as she could.
"Wait, so there's like a society of these... Persona users?" Sae asked, looking baffled.
"There are more incidents than you realize. Though it's been years since we've had a huge incident like with the Metaverse," Ken explained.
"But how are you even acquainted with them?" Sae questioned.
"There was a Shadow incident seven years ago on Port Island," Ken said.
"You asked me about it, remember?" Shinjiro-san added, "It was connected to Apathy Syndrome."
"That was connected to this Persona and Shadow business?" Sae gasped.
Shinjiro-san scoffed, "Why are you so shocked, Niijima? Apathy Syndrome and mental shutdowns are the same. That's why you tried to harass me about it."
"I wasn't harassing you!" Sae retorted.
Mitsuru-san chastised, "Shinjiro, must you be so hard on her? This isn't exactly normal."
Shinjiro-san just shrugged in response. "I ain't gonna mince my words. That's more your thing, Mitsuru."
Sojiro just rolled his eyes in response.
Sojiro grumbled as he shook his head. "So this plan, you were in on it?"
"That's right!" Chie-san said with a nod.
Mitsuru-san explained, "It was the idea of another friend to send Amada here. We were concerned about the activities of the Phantom Thieves. Not that any of us expected him to become a Phantom Thief himself."
Ren didn't think that Ken ever clarified whose idea it was to send him to Tokyo. He had always assumed it had been Mitsuru-san but… apparently not.
Ken's cheeks suddenly turned pink. "It's not like I did either..."
"It's not something I'm complaining about, Amada." Mitsuru-san said, her voice turning warm. "I have to admit that Shinjiro was right—your time with them has been good for you."
Ken huffed, shooting Shinjiro-san a withering look. "So, gossiping about me to Mitsuru-san?"
Shinjiro-san snorted. "Call it what you want."
"Boys!" Chie-san scolded.
Ken and Shinjiro-san just huffed in unison, drawing laughter from everyone.
"But anyways, it did give us prior knowledge of who to look out for," Makoto said. "Especially regarding Akechi—"
"H-Hang on..." Sae raised a hand, as if to halt Makoto. "You're saying that you knew Akechi-kun was up to no good from the start?!"
"Well, to be honest we didn't figure it out until Akechi 'asked' to join us," Yusuke said.
"We knew something was up when he tried to feed us a story that he was attacked by the person behind the mental shutdowns," Ren said.
"Not to mention that he could understand Morgana all the way back in June." Ryuji added.
"Understand?" Sae asked, blinking in confusion.
"Wait… our cat can talk?!" Sojiro demanded.
Yeah, he must think that they were screwing with him.
"It's true!" Futaba said. "He's a rather chatty kitty too!"
"I AM NOT A CAT!" Morgana shouted, hopping to his feet and hissing at Futaba.
"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to scream," Shinjiro-san grumbled out.
"I just... what?" Sojiro said in disbelief. "Was he... talking just now?"
Futaba nodded and grinned up at Sojiro.
"He only meows here, but in the Metaverse he can talk. Once you hear that, your brain suddenly realizes that he was talking the whole time. It's a change in cognition!" Futaba exclaimed.
"Though you're better off just thinking he's a cat," Ryuji grumbled.
Morgana puffed up with anger. "Hey! How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a cat?! And you're just jealous of my superior wit!"
"What was that?!" Ryuji barked.
Sojiro and Sae just stared blankly as Ryuji and Morgana started to argue.
"I must admit, even with everything I've seen… this is quite bizarre," Mitsuru-san commented.
Chie-san then stepped forward, clapping her hands.
"Hey, hey, settle down, Ryuji-kun, Morgana!" she scolded.
That earned small sheepish apologies from them both.
"I just can't believe it..." Sae said quietly, before she stared down at the floor—apparently finding it fascinating. "Akechi-kun... it really was all a lie? He was using me this entire time?"
Ren could hazily recall the shock on Sae's face when he revealed that Makoto had gone to him about Kaneshiro. But... the hurt in her eyes was different. Ren couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She must have really cared about Akechi, more than she had let on.
"Sis..." Makoto mumbled out.
Sae sighed, shaking her head.
She muttered out, "Never mind that. It's... not important. We should continue this discussion. But still, why didn't you just tell me that Akechi-k—Akechi was the traitor? It would've made things simpler."
"Well, maybe because I couldn't remember to begin with…" Ren thought with a wince.
But he caught the look on Makoto's face. She heard Sae slip up and almost called him Akechi-kun. Ren couldn't help but wince. He hoped for Makoto's sake that they would be able to make amends.
But then Makoto seemed to realize that Ren was looking at her, as she quickly wiped that sad expression from her face.
She then shook her head. "That wasn't something we could simply bring up. We couldn't have you suspect Akechi. Besides, neither you nor the other investigators would have believed something like that, would you?"
"That is true," Sae acknowledged, giving a small nod. "Akechi was credited with the arrest of the Phantom Thieves. Not even I would think he was the culprit. In other words, you left him alone on purpose... that was a bold move."
"When we realized something was up, we asked Futaba to wiretap his phone," Anne piped up, before beaming at the younger girl. "It was pretty clever too, the way you pretended to exclaim over his phone all while sneaking your bug onto it."
Futaba just grinned. "Thanks. It was pretty nerve wracking though; my heart was pounding the whole time while I was doing it!"
Yusuke nodded. "Your quirky nature certainly helped the ruse."
"That was part of the act!" Futaba retorted, giving Yusuke a quick glare. "Stupid Inari…"
"Besides you're one to talk about 'quirky', Yusuke." Ryuji snorted.
"He wouldn't be Yusuke-kun without those quirks." Haru giggled.
"I do have to admit that it was rather clever of you to keep tabs on that… but I'm not sure if I approve of this," Mitsuru-san said.
Shinjiro-san scoffed. "Didn't you get Fuuka to hack into the systems for info that you were sure that your old man wasn't gonna tell you? Face it, Mitsuru—you're not exactly squeaky clean."
"Shinjiro!"
"Am I lying?"
Haru just giggled before speaking up.
"But we basically got a confirmation with Futaba-chan's recording," Haru stated. "That he was the culprit behind the mental shutdowns and that he was going to target Ren-kun."
"But why? Why would Akechi-kun do this? What motive could he have to start all of this? I'll admit that Akechi-kun could easily cause these incidents to build up his reputation as an ace detective but—" Sae cut herself off, before she sighed. "Forgive me, I'm just... having a difficult time wrapping my mind around it."
"That's because there was someone else pulling the strings. A puppet master, if you will," Mitsuru-san stated.
"Does the name Masayoshi Shido ring a bell, Niijima-san?" Ken asked.
Sae asked, "Who doesn't? Masayoshi Shido... he's the most popular candidate for our next prime minister."
Shinjiro-san's face darkened with anger. "That bastard has been too much trouble for too long. Hiding behind the law, meanwhile slapping Mitsuru with red tape... Not to mention that crap he pulled a couple nights ago!"
In that moment, Ken seemed to shrink into his seat, a look of guilt crossing his face. Makoto looked concerned and seemed to reach under the table for his hand. Ken's posture grew less tense but he still looked horribly guilty.
"What the hell happened?" Ren thought, a sense of dread filling the pit of his stomach.
"Hey, hey, Shinjiro-san, don't go there!" Chie-san admonished. "You one-upped him. That's something, right?"
Mitsuru-san said quietly, "Satonaka is right, Shinjiro. It's certainly something after over two years of him having the upper hand on us."
"I guess," Shinjiro-san said listlessly.
Sojiro coughed. "So, what about that plan? You mentioned something about getting Akechi to kill Ren's fake? Or something like that? I'm still confused."
It was an obvious ploy to change the subject but Ren was relieved to hear it.
Makoto shifted in her seat. "So, we baited Akechi in Sis's Palace, making him dispose of Sis's cognition of Ren. But the real Ren would be okay."
Sae folded her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow.
"Can you elaborate on that in more detail? What exactly happened in my cognitive world?" she asked, looking curious. "I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all of this and... I'm still not sure what happened last night."
Haru brushed a stray curl out of her face. "We're sorry for using you without your permission. Your Palace had all the conditions we needed."
"Conditions?" she echoed.
Makoto held up one finger. "First, we required a place inside the cognitive world that was the same as in reality."
"Do you remember what I told you about Kamoshida's Palace?" Ren asked. "I practically stumbled into it. I didn't realize that I had entered the Metaverse until I came across the castle. We needed something similar to that for this plan."
Ryuji nodded. "Yeah, that place's based off of the real world, after all. Anywhere that's not warped looks normal."
Ken commented, "I remember the first time I entered the Metaverse. I was kinda shocked how I had all but ran into the Metaverse. You feel nothing as you step through."
Haru giggled. "Same for me. For Okumura Foods' headquarters to suddenly turn into a spaceport. It was quite a shock."
"That's why nobody but the person who uses the Nav even realizes they're in the Metaverse," Anne explained.
"This Nav is simply extraordinary," Mitsuru-san commented. "I still have to wonder who created it."
"That is a good question..." Chie-san said, nodding.
Trying to explain a certain long-nosed man might confuse the issue further so Ren kept that to himself for now. He couldn't help but wonder if any of the past Wild Cards ever tried to explain Igor to their comrades.
"But anyways, back with Kamoshida. We came in from the station without even noticin'..." Ryuji just shook his head. "It's kinda crazy."
Ren just chuckled, "Brings back memories, huh?"
Ryuji snickered. "No shit! It feels like ages since then, but it's been what—seven months? You totally can't tell the difference if there ain't any distortions around."
"Futaba was the one to recall that there seemed to be no distortions around the police station," Yusuke stated.
"And then she reminded us about Niijima-san having cognitive selves in her Palace," Haru added.
Ken then supplied, "So we made a plan to utilize that and the interrogation room deep in the police station. Though Makoto and Futaba were the ones doing most of the work."
"It was a very clever plan," Morgana said.
Ren tried not to wince. While it was a good plan... he had nearly forgotten because of those damn drugs. He almost didn't give Sae his phone. And then where would they be?
"It was a dangerous plan," Shinjiro-san corrected, looking sternly at Morgana.
"Your plan seemed rather solid." Sae said, "Then why—?"
"That was Shinjiro's idea, actually," Mitsuru-san said with a chuckle. "He was concerned about the outcome."
"Feh." Shinjiro-san just crossed his arms over his chest, not willing to meet anyone's eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, okay, tough guy." Chie rolled her eyes.
"But Shinjiro suggested that we bring in Kujikawa and Satonaka as part of the operation. Another friend of ours was going to be part of the operation but... things became complicated."
Mitsuru-san trailed off at the last part.
"But we did really want this to succeed," Ken said quietly.
Makoto nodded, looking anxiously at Sae. "That's why I joined the Phantom Thieves originally, Sis. I wanted to heal your heart. And finding out that Akechi was going to use you... that was the last straw."
"Makoto…" Sae looked shocked at Makoto's declaration.
Her face suddenly crumpled.
"I'm sorry, Makoto. I am so sorry... I was so caught up in my obsession for success that I lost my way. My own achievements were all that mattered to me... I was desperate. I wasn't myself at all. And well, Ren-kun made sure to highlight the mistakes I've made with you."
Ren blinked, "I did?"
Sae just smiled sardonically.
"You highlighted that I had failed as a guardian... and as a sister."
"It's probably best that you don't remember certain things you said though," Ken suddenly mumbled out.
Makoto reached over, smacking Ken's arm.
"Ow!" Ken complained, shooting Makoto a look as he rubbed his arm. "It's true…"
"Is there something you need to tell me?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's nothing," Makoto insisted before shooting Ken a quick glare.
Haru then cleared her throat before speaking, "But we knew that you'd be doing the interrogation, Niijima-san."
"And regarding the location... I assume you discerned that from my laptop?" Sae asked, looking amused.
Makoto bowed her head slightly, an embarrassed blush spreading across her cheeks. "I'm sorry."
Sae waved her hand, letting out a chuckle. "Go on."
"We needed to confirm a couple of things before we could go forward with the plan," Makoto said.
"Our clothes needed to stay the same while inside the interrogation room," Haru chimed in.
Makoto nodded. "And that the scenery needed to remain the same."
"Makoto, Haru, and Ken went to check it personally," Anne added.
"And then we needed to confirm that your cognition of Ren would look the same," Makoto said.
Yusuke explained, "Ren hadn't been caught yet… but we had our answer inside your actual Palace. The people inside... looked no different than real living people."
"After that, we just had to work our way into the Palace like usual while keepin' Akechi in the dark." Ryuji then shook his head. "But maaan, he sucked at being a so-called detective."
"'I think the games are rigged'," Futaba said in a poor imitation of Akechi's voice, making both Ryuji and Ren snicker. "No duh! We're in a casino! How do you think they make money?!"
"He's a complete idiot. Nothing compared to Naoto-kun," Chie-san grumbled out.
"Naoto?" Sae echoed, eyebrow raised.
"You know, the first Detective Prince?" Chie-san asked.
Shock filled Sae's face. "H-Hang on, you know Naoto Shirogane?!"
"We went to high school together actually," Chie-san said with a sheepish smile. "I was a year above her."
"I… how many celebrities do you know?" Sae stammered out.
"Is it really important, Niijima?" Shinjiro-san questioned.
"I suppose not. B-But anyways…" Sae looked back to Makoto. "You were saying?"
"Everything went according to plan… until we faced off against your Shadow, Sis. However, it was then that we were met with a terrifying, unexpected police ambush. As a result, even though we managed to grab the Treasure, we couldn't get it out of the Metaverse... except that was an act."
Ren said, "It was all part of the plan. I was going to offer myself up as bait, act as a distraction while I carried out the Treasure."
"But the Treasure was a fake, prepared by Makoto," Ken stated.
Sojiro shouted, "Hang on, so you willingly put yourself in police custody?! That's just insane!"
"It was a risk I was willing to take," Ren said adamantly, meeting Sojiro's panicked gaze evenly. "If our enemy thought that I was taken out, he'd assume that the Phantom Thieves would fall apart. He wouldn't have to worry about us anymore. He'd leave them alone."
He then smiled sardonically before shrugging at Sojiro.
"I'm sorry, Sojiro, but I just... can't look away. I guess I can't help but stick my nose in other people's business. It's part of who I am."
"That's...!" Sojiro's eyes widened. "You still remember that?!"
Ren just shrugged. "I'm never going to forget that."
"You snot-nosed punk..." Sojiro grumbled out, but the smile tugging at his lips told Ren that he actually found it pretty funny.
Everyone else looked confused, but they seemed to shrug it off.
"It's kinda crazy how Akechi so willingly took the bait though," Anne said, shaking her head.
Sae just exhaled, shaking her head. "And I had been interrogating him with no knowledge of this. But, how did you lure Akechi into this... cognitive world's interrogation room?"
Futaba just snickered. "All I needed were the coordinates. Hehehehehe..."
"Seriously, you're too scary." Ryuji grumbled out.
"And I thought Yamagishi's skills were formidable," Mitsuru-san remarked.
"Yeah, Fuuka-san is good, but… Futaba has her easily beat," Ken seconded.
Though Ren couldn't help but be curious. He should ask Futaba how exactly she managed to pull this off later. Maybe another day, though. He was exhausted.
"But Akechi took the bait, hook, line, and sinker!" Anne chimed in.
Yusuke nodded firmly. "Indeed. He killed Niijima-san's cognition of Ren and left, thinking that he had prevailed over Ren. It must have been truly hilarious for our leader who sat idly in the real world's interrogation room."
Well... he couldn't deny that.
"Surely he was acting quite cocky by himself in that quiet chamber," Yusuke added with a chuckle.
Ren frowned. "I resent that comment..."
"And yet you can't deny it," Anne said teasingly, playfully sticking her tongue out at him.
"Jerks..." Ren grumbled out.
"Aw, I still love you though," Anne cooed.
"Gross," Ryuji grumbled out.
Anne glowered at him. "Shut it, Ryuji."
"Make me!"
"They're reminding me of Yukari and Iori..." Mitsuru-san said idly.
"You're not the first to think that, Mitsuru-san," Ken said, shaking his head.
Sae ignored the bickering and cleared her throat.
"But that's why you gave me your phone? I only took it because of what you told me."
Sae then sighed, shaking her head.
"I will admit that you really had me on the ropes. Dangling the truth right over my head."
"It got your attention, didn't it?" Ren asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. "I needed to get you to remember the real reason you became a prosecutor. You had lost your way for the sake of success."
"I just wish that I could've seen this exchange," Yusuke remarked. "It must've been a scene to behold."
"Well, I didn't see much of it, Yusuke," Ren pointed out. "I gave her my phone and had to trust in her."
Sae chuckled. "The instruction given to me was so overwhelming though. Along with our escape... Alibaba brought me to the Metaverse in order to enact the plan, didn't she?"
"Futaba visited her Palace back in August," Yusuke said.
"Gave me a heart attack though," Ken grumbled.
Futaba stuck her tongue out at him. "Pfft, please, I saved all of your butts there and you know it!"
Ken rolled his eyes. "Didn't say that it was a bad thing. Just that it was rather shocking."
Ryuji nodded. "But anyways, that's how we knew that it'd be fine to bring ya in."
"Wait, that's a thing?!" Chie-san sputtered out. "I uh… we kinda brought Niijima-san into the Metaverse again when we were escaping."
"Wait, why?" Haru asked, her brow furrowing together.
"Uh... it's well..." Ren winced. "My leg wasn't one hundred percent last night."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Makoto questioned.
At that, his friends all looked at him in concern. Ren bit the inside of his cheek. Why did he have to draw attention to this?
Chie-san sighed. "Ren-kun, you can't hide it from them forever."
She said it gently but Ren couldn't help but cringe. His friends were gonna be pissed.
"It's well... the guy who made me sign the confession. He kinda... stomped on my leg when I was all drugged up, to the point where I could hardly walk. I guess he thought that I was refusing—"
He was cut off by several angered cries.
"They did WHAT?!" Anne screeched out, her hands forming into fists.
Ryuji slammed a hand against the table, making it rattle hard. His eyes flashed with anger.
"Those bastards!" he growled out.
Yusuke's voice shook with anger. "This is simply unforgivable!"
"Ren-kun... that's horrible!" Haru trailed off with a mournful look.
"I... I didn't expect you to come out unscathed but this is..." Makoto shook her head, her expression torn. "Yusuke really put it best. It's just unforgivable."
"We'll make him pay, no matter what! Shido and every last member of his stupid conspiracy!" Futaba declared.
"If we ever see that man, let me know Ren! I'll claw his face off!" Morgana hissed.
Ken however said nothing. But the look in his eyes said more than he could have said.
Ren could only manage a small smile. He appreciated it; he really did but, he didn't want to look so weak. He was their leader, after all.
"Shido really authorized this?" Mitsuru-san questioned; her voice numb, "This is just despicable! I—"
Ken winced. "Mitsuru-san, you know what the people under Shido are like."
"I know, Amada! I just—" Mitsuru-san suddenly cut herself off, a frustrated sigh escaping her. "This is not what I wanted, when I founded the Shadow Operatives. You shouldn't have to endure this."
"I'll be okay. I know a doctor. She's the best in the city. She'll have me all patched up soon," Ren said, trying to sound reassuring.
"But there must be something I can do..." Mitsuru-san trailed off, a frown in her voice.
"Like what, buy him a shit ton of medicine?" Shinjiro-san snarked.
"Oh, what a marvelous idea, Shinjiro! I'll look into it right away!"
Ken-san coughed. "Mitsuru-san... that was a joke."
"Oh… Well, I can never tell with you, Shinjiro!"
"That's 'cause you don't have a sense of humor."
"Excuse me?!"
"Did I stutter, Mitsuru?"
Mitsuru-san huffed. "You're incorrigible."
Their argument couldn't help but make Ren laugh. He really needed some laughs after this entire month.
"Whatever." Shinjiro-san scoffed.
"But anyhow..." Sae brushed a stray strand out of her face. "I am impressed with this plan. It was literally like a game of 4D chess."
"I'm just glad that Ren could convince you. We were really worried about that," Anne stated.
"Why's that?" Sojiro asked, looking surprised.
"Well, while it's true that Mitsuru-san got a few people to give us backup, we couldn't help but be nervous. Especially with breaking out Ren..." Makoto explained.
Sae just smiled. "Still, I'm surprised you could convince me in such a short time. Were you confident you could do it?"
"RenRen does have a gold tongue," Ryuji said.
"I believe you mean silver tongue, Sakamoto," Mitsuru-san corrected.
"Same thing!"
Ren shrugged. "As confident as I could be with the plan, I guess. It's all kinda foggy due to the drugs."
Ken's expression grew somber. "That's right—Futaba told us while she was monitoring everything that she suspected that they used truth serum on you."
Sae scowled. "They injected him five times."
"Wouldn't they have overdosed him with that?!" Chie-san gasped, horror in her eyes.
"They obviously don't give a shit! Goddamn bastards!" Ryuji spat out.
"Will you truly be okay, Amamiya?" Mitsuru-san asked.
The concern in her voice was surprising. Not that he thought she was a cold bitch or anything, but she didn't know him. She mainly knew him as Ken's friend.
"I just would like to do something... to help you. I despise having my hands tied as is."
"You're fine," Ren reassured the CEO. "I appreciate the concern but you don't need to trouble yourself to getting me a personal physician or whatever else you have in mind."
She chuckled. "Well, if you insist."
Sojiro turned off the stove and let out a heavy sigh.
"I do have one question though..." Sojiro asked. "What about the 'body'?"
"Well, Satonaka-san and Kujikawa-san took Ren-kun from the police station. But afterwards, I realized that I needed to ensure that the body was never checked. By the time I returned to the supposed scene of the crime, they had a coroner. They had a coroner working to ensure Ren-kun's death was reported as a suicide. That coroner didn't take one look at the scene, and just passed along a falsified death certificate," Sae explained.
They were really too arrogant for their own good. Oh well... that would just mean that they'd fall even harder.
"Oh and don't worry about any security footage. I hacked into their system and made certain any footage from the interrogation room during the rescue would be deleted. They were prolly gonna erase the data themselves anyway since they were gonna rough him up then kill him," Futaba chimed in.
Chie-san's eyes just about bugged out of her head.
"Seriously?! They were that confident about the plan?!" she yelped, before gasping. "Wait, am I in trouble though? I would have been walking towards that interrogation room before we slipped into the Metaverse!?"
Futaba pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, before cracking a confident smirk. "No worries! Got ya covered! Any cameras you walked by I made certain to delete any evidence of you being seen in that building. With the craziness going on with announcing his suicide I highly doubt they're gonna notice something so small. Especially when they're erasing their own tracks themselves. Prolly think it's just part of that."
"They were quite sure of themselves." Yusuke sighed, shaking his head.
"Arrogant seems like the better word," Makoto noted, tilting her head slightly.
"Sometimes I wonder how they can walk through the door with their inflated egos," Ken quipped with a half-hearted smile.
"I dunno, Akechi seems to manage," Ren deadpanned.
Ryuji nearly choked on his drink as he started snickering. He grabbed some napkins cleaning his face off after that.
"I can't believe they have that kind of influence, though..." Sojiro remarked, disbelief clear in his voice.
He shook his head.
"This entire story is just mind-blowing."
"Mm, it would seem ludicrous… if it wasn't Shido we were dealing with," Mitsuru-san stated.
"Of course it did help that with the 'suicide', the police station was in disarray," Sae remarked, folding her arms over her chest. "No wonder it was so easy to spirit him away from the police station. I did have to stick around, however, to ensure that nobody would touch the morgue."
"I'm surprised that you managed to pull that off, Niijima-san," Yusuke said.
"I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest while we were getting Ren-kun out of there though!" Chie-san confessed. "Rise-chan kept telling me to relax or we would look suspicious and that would get us pulled over."
"You guys just about scared me to death with that..." Sojiro sighed.
"I'm sorry about that, again, Sakura-san..." Chie-san apologized, bowing low.
"But it's not like you could've called Sakura." Shinjiro-san snorted. "Like 'hey, don't freak out but we're bringing back the kid you're watching over. The news is lying about him being dead. See you soon!'"
"H-Hey, I don't sound like that, Shinjiro-san!" Chie-san pouted at Shinjiro-san's poor imitation of her voice.
"But... I am glad you're safe, Ren," Makoto said, sincerity shining in her eyes. "I just... I can't believe they did that to you. The callous use of violence and even drugs…"
"If he had lost consciousness and hadn't been able to tell Niijima about the phone, he would've died…" Morgana added, his gaze dropping to his feet.
Makoto nodded before placing a hand over her heart. "I'm truly glad you made it back safe, Ren."
Ren let out a small laugh. "I won't lie... it was pretty close. Even with all the help we got."
"That's not even counting how Niijima-san's Palace was self-destructing while we were escaping!" Chie-san exclaimed.
"Shinjiro was right to suggest the back-up," Mitsuru-san said. "That being said, I am thankful that the plan was a complete success. You've pulled the wool over Shido's eyes."
Anne let out a weak chuckle. "You have no idea how much it freaked me out when I saw the suicide on the news though... I knew we had to pretend that everything was okay—since Shido was keeping tabs on us but..."
Haru nodded. "Pretending to lead normal lives like that... it was so difficult."
Then she smiled warmly at Ren.
"I'm just glad you're safe, Ren-kun," she said.
"Well, I knew right away that our plan worked out," Ryuji said, flashing Ren a big grin.
Yusuke sighed heavily. "I wanted to believe, but considering what we were up against... I couldn't stop the self-doubts from festering in my mind."
Morgana just snickered. "Ryuji's a bit on the dense and carefree side."
"Can it, cat!" he hissed at the feline.
"I am NOT a cat!" Morgana retorted.
"Enough already..." Makoto chided.
Anne sighed, "It's such a relief though. We had to avoid LeBlanc like the plague until things finally calmed down."
"And you guys aren't even out of the woods yet," Shinjiro-san warned. "It's only been a day."
"Not to mention dealing with Shido himself…" Mitsuru-san sighed.
Ken nodded. "We will. And we'll take him down, no matter what."
"But first we need to make sure that you're fine, Amada." Mitsuru-san's voice grew stern. "And the doctor will need to give you a clean bill before we will even begin to discuss allowing you to continue Phantom Thief work."
Ken sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "Yes, Mitsuru-san…"
"Wow, she totally mom'd you there!" Futaba snickered.
"A-Am I not allowed to show concern for Amada?!" Mitsuru-san demanded; if Ren had to guess, she was probably blushing out of embarrassment.
"Doesn't mean it'll save you from Sakura mocking you," Shinjiro-san snarked.
"Don't be a hypocrite, Shinjiro."
"But wait… what doctor?" Ren interjected. "Didn't Takemi already examine him?"
Ken winced. "Um... that was a preliminary examination, Ren. I'm going back to Port Island—"
"WHAT?!" Ren gasped, already on his feet.
"Please let Amada finish, Amamiya," Mitsuru-san interjected.
The imperious tone made Ren stop short. He reluctantly nodded, before lowering him back into his seat.
Ken smiled faintly. "So, Shinjiro-san and I will be going back for a few days. The Kirijo Group scientists will be making sure that everything's okay with me."
"The Kirijo Group?! Isn't that overkill, Ken?" Ren stared at him in disbelief.
"It's not!" Shinjiro-san and Mitsuru-san said in unison.
"What. The. Hell?! What am I missing?" Ren thought as his body started to tense up.
It was obvious that everyone else at least had an inkling with what was going on. Ren couldn't help but feel frustrated. He got that he had just gotten into contact with everyone else, but he didn't like being left out in the dark.
Ken sighed. "Ren, I will tell you. Just... not now."
Ren might have argued the matter if he didn't catch the look on Ken's face. His eyes were practically begging Ren to not push it.
Ren sighed in defeat. "I'll hold you to that, Ken."
Sae looked back and forth at the two, she was curious but didn't comment. Then she frowned, apparently troubled by something.
"Now that I think about it, my interrogation was just a formality from the head commander. What a joke, letting me interrogate someone who was meant to die. They just wanted to avoid backlash..." The prosecutor let out a sigh, but then a small smile appeared on her face. "Very well. From here on out, I will do my upmost to assist you."
Sae then brushed some hair out of her face, an even bigger smile appearing on her lips.
"You saved me, after all," she said sincerely.
"That's reassuring to hear!" Anne exclaimed.
Sojiro nodded, before slipping his hands in his pockets.
"I'll do whatever I can to help too. Just let me know. Oh, and feel free to use the first floor when you guys want to get together to talk. You'll need a hideout where you can be safe. Just say the word and I'll close shop early."
Anne's eyes widened. "Are you sure, Boss?"
Sojiro nodded. "This guy can't leave—it'd be reckless to, after all the work you did to ensure that Shido thinks he's dead. Plus, you won't make much progress if people can hear you from downstairs. It's not like this place is the liveliest joint in town. It won't be a huge loss for me."
"We did manage before when we were targeting Futaba but this will be a big help." Makoto smiled before bowing her head. "Thank you very much."
"But seriously, how do you make a living?" Shinjiro-san grumbled.
"Shinjiro, don't be rude," Mitsuru scolded.
"It's an honest question!" Shinjiro-san huffed.
"Your definition of honest is different than most."
Ryuji shrugged. "I mean, he's got a point."
"Don't push it..." Sojiro said through narrowed eyes.
"Fine, fine… let's switch gears then. When's the election?" Ryuji asked. "We gotta take care of Shido before that, yeah?"
"It's December eighteenth," Chie-san said automatically. "Kinda weird since it'll be the first election for me when I can actually vote."
"Shido, huh..." Sojiro grimaced, for some reason.
Ren glanced over at Sojiro; his eyebrows knitted in confusion. Ren however didn't need to comment as Yusuke pretty much voiced what he was going to say.
"Hold on a moment..." Yusuke frowned, looking at Sojiro curiously. "Boss, are you acquainted with him?"
He grimaced. Sojiro pulled his glasses off for a moment, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He then placed his glasses back on and looked at Ren with a very serious expression.
"Yes, I... I strongly suspect that he arranged Wakaba's death."
Everyone in the room went still. They all were thinking the same thing. Everyone suddenly avoided looking at Futaba directly. Ren glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was sitting still and staring at the ground.
"I suspected that right after Isshiki died," Mitsuru-san spoke up. "It's... how I came into contact with Shido."
"You tried to challenge him, huh…? You're lucky. Most people are crushed by Shido, if he sees you as a problem." Sojiro shook his head.
Futaba then tensed. Makoto reached over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"We'll take him down. For Mom!" Futaba finally looked up, fire in her eyes.
"Father... why did you have to come into contact with such a horrible man?" Haru sighed, wrapping her arms around her torso.
"Haru... Futaba..." Makoto sighed, her voice soft with sympathy.
Ren looked at his two friends with pity. They'll never get back what they lost. Because of Akechi... and Shido. Ren let in a deep breath through his nose, keeping his face calm.
"Though I have to ask... why didn't you go after Shido sooner?" Sojiro asked. "You knew, from what the Shadow Operatives told you, yeah?"
Ken said, "That was the plan... but then we were... stuck. And then we found out about Haru, coupled that with the scandals around Okumura."
"Yes, and we decided to target Okumura instead," Makoto finished.
"We fell into Shido's trap but… it did bring Haru into our lives. A silver lining, so to speak," Yusuke stated, offering Haru a smile.
Haru smiled at Yusuke as well and gave him a small nod.
"But no more delays," Ren said, clenching his hands into fists. "We're gonna take down Shido, for the sake of our lives and for the sake of our country."
Mitsuru-san said, "Thank you, Amamiya. I truly wish that you wouldn't have to step up to the plate but—"
"Eh... don't sweat it." Ryuji shrugged. "If anything, it's taught us that we gotta act if we want to see change. And Shido—he's ruined Futaba's life personally. He ordered the death of Haru's dad… not to mention all the shit with the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns! That bastard's begging for a change of heart. And hopefully if we're in luck we can teach Akechi a lesson too."
Ken shifted awkwardly; his expression showed discomfort. Ren raised a brow at that. What was that about?
"Remember Ryuji, Shido is the bigger fish to fry right now," Morgana stated.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Ryuji rolled his eyes.
"Not just that, he deserves so much more than a change of heart," Makoto stated before brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "He's ruining countless lives... all for the sake of his ambition. He doesn't care who he crushes."
"But let's start with a change of heart," Ken said.
"We've agreed, then?" Morgana asked. "Our next target—Masayoshi Shido. We can't let him take this country."
They all nodded firmly.
Anne then suggested, "Let's start tomorrow then. Let's meet up after school."
But then Ryuji frowned, scratching the back of his head.
"Hang on, what about you though, Ren? You can't exactly go to school when you're 'dead'," he pointed out.
Sojiro said, "I already called in. Said that he's gone back home for a family emergency."
"Pretty much had to use the same excuse for Ken..." Shinjiro-san sighed.
"Him too?" Haru asked, blinking in confusion.
Shinjiro-san nodded, before shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah, we forced Shido into leaving us—the Shadow Operatives—alone, when we blackmailed 'im. We made him think that we were cutting ties with you guys. We can't risk Shido thinking that Ken's still associating with the Phantom Thieves," he explained.
"I see..." Makoto sighed, before biting her lip.
Ken gave her a sympathetic look. She gave him a small smile but her eyes showed she was still worried.
"But yeah, we can't let them think that RenRen is alive after all too!" Ryuji said.
"Yes, we'll be taking advantage of the police's statement that Ren-kun committed suicide," Haru began to explain. "Our leader who is presumed dead will come out of hiding to deliver a grand statement. He'll say he has escaped prison, not committed suicide, and was in fact almost killed by a criminal."
Futaba chuckled, "Everyone is gonna flip."
Sojiro shook his head with a heavy sigh.
"This plan is just too elaborate for this old fart's brain…" Sojiro said, before cracking a smile.
"I'd be lying if I claimed that I wasn't impressed," Sae stated.
"But we need to stay on our toes." Makoto said, narrowing her eyes.
Ken nodded. "Yeah, we may have won the first round, but this will definitely be our toughest battle yet."
"It's not the time to be celebratin'!" Ryuji agreed.
"These people tried to trap and kill us. There is no end to their inhuman, conniving nature. We will need to be prepared for whatever may come our way." Yusuke said solemnly.
Morgana hopped down from the chair, his expression stern.
"But for now, we need to recharge," Morgana stated. "Tomorrow—our work begins."
Futaba nodded, "Yeah, this explanation took wayyy longer than I expected. But eh, we're done for today—"
"Not quite," Sae interrupted before looking straight at Makoto and Ken.
Ren blinked. He was... forgetting something, wasn't he? Something nagged at the back of his mind.
"So, Makoto…"
"Um... what's with that look, Sis?" Makoto asked nervously.
Sae stared hard at Ken specifically.
"When were you going to tell me that you were dating Amada-kun?"
"Oh… Oh crap!" Ren's eyes widened as a fuzzy memory began to resurface. "Makoto and Ken are going to kill me for this!"
Ren's eyes darted over to Makoto and Ken. Both of them had frozen. But then Makoto spoke.
"W-What?" Makoto's voice cracked unexpectedly, her eyes growing wide with panic. "How did you—"
Sae just crossed her arms over her chest before looking pointedly at Ren.
"I... uh... I plead the fifth?" Ren offered feebly, praying that his two friends would be forgiving.
Makoto glared at that comment but was cut off before she could say anything.
"W-Well... Ren-kun was on truth serum?" Haru said, desperately trying to diffuse the tension.
Ken and Makoto both looked shocked, Makoto took a deep breath, her glare returned, but was cut off again before she could say anything.
"But yes, Ren-kun did 'blab' about certain matters," Sae said dryly before she narrowed her eyes at Makoto. "I wouldn't blame him for it though. As your friend pointed out, he was on truth serum, and was also roughed up severely by the police. So, wipe that glare off your face, young lady. You don't get to be mad at him for lying to your sister. Were you planning on telling me… ever?"
Ken looked to Makoto in sympathy, as Makoto winced. Ren looked back and forth between all of them with wide eyes as what Sae said sunk in. He blabbed about more than just that?!
"What the hell? What else did I also say to Sae? Damn drugs!" Ren thought with frustration trying to recall what else he could have possibly told the prosecutor.
But then her gaze suddenly shifted to Ken. Ken's posture stiffened as she scrutinized him, but Ren at least had to give him credit for not grimacing. He really did not envy Ken right now.
But then Ken suddenly met Sae's gaze.
"With all due respect, Niijima-san... I am not going to apologize for dating Makoto. We spent a lot of time together over the past few months. I ended up liking her. She ended up liking me. When she told me how she felt, I asked her out. That's all there is to it."
Sae froze at Ken's words. Clearly, she hadn't expected Ken to offer a retort. Though to be fair, neither was Ren. Sure, Ken was snarky towards Shinjiro-san and to a lesser extent, Akihiko-san but they were practically Ken's older brothers. But he was respectful to any other adults. Hell, he still called Sojiro—Sakura-san, even though he insisted that Boss was fine.
"That doesn't change matters! The fact is that you concealed this from me. And for what reason?" Sae retorted.
"I dunno, Niijima, would you have even cared?" Shinjiro-san demanded with a fierce glower, taking a step towards Sae.
"Shinjiro—" Mitsuru-san began to rebuke but she was swiftly cut off.
"I want to know, Niijima, because you've treated Makoto horribly. You may have regretted what you did in the past, but how could you expect her to be open about this? For all she knew, you would tell her to dump Ken because of how she needs to focus on her education or some shit." Shinjiro-san's voice suddenly turned bitter at the last part.
Ken couldn't help but visibly cringe. Ren was right there with him, even if it was true—it was still harsh. Especially since Ren already gave her the third degree earlier in the interrogation room about her past actions.
"That's…" Sae trailed off, she had no response to that.
Then she turned to Makoto. Her expression was so sad. Ren couldn't help but feel pity for her.
"Makoto, you didn't think that, did you?" Sae asked, obviously hurt.
Makoto winced, "Well…"
"Exhibit A," Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
Ren cringed. As did everyone in the room. That was not helping.
"Shinjiro! That's enough!" Mitsuru snapped through the line.
"No, I'm just getting started." Shinjiro-san glared at Sae, who just glared back.
Ren wanted to smack his forehead. Why was he trying to pick a fight when she was already down? That's only gonna make her more irritable and defensive.
"Is that what you think?! Well, who knows what things you've taught him! Living with a rude, foul-mouthed, thug!" Sae snapped. "Makoto's a bright girl—top of her class! She's responsible and diligent! She deserves the best!"
Ren hated when he was right.
Shinjiro-san's eyes flashed with anger. "You really wanna play that game, Niijima? Fine. Ken is plenty smart. Smart enough to earn a partial scholarship for Gekkoukan."
"Are you two serious?!" Makoto exclaimed, while Ken just pressed a hand against his forehead.
Sae scoffed, placing a hand on her hip. "You know the CEO of the Kirijo Group. That's not impressive."
"Hang on a moment—" Mitsuru-san began to object, but she was cut off by Shinjiro-san's retort.
"Mitsuru doesn't play favorites!" Shinjiro-san snarled out. "Ken earned it by his own merit! On top of that, he was the soccer club star and he was on the student council for years!"
"Shinjiro-san…" Ken moaned out, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Please don't do this."
But his plea fell on deaf ears.
"And presumably he quit," Sae said coolly, folding her arms over her chest. "Meanwhile Makoto was elected as the student council president."
"Sis, that's not fair!" Makoto protested. "Ken may not have an official position but he helps me out a lot with my duties!"
Ren felt his head pounding, probably from the pain he was still in and some of the after effects of the drugs he was overdosed on. But he was getting tired of all this squabbling.
"Will you all shut the hell up!" Ren snapped.
The room went silent and everyone looked at him in shock. But he was not gonna stop there. He had it. Shinjiro-san and Sae were both out of line.
"Listen to you both! Bickering like a bunch of stuck up PTA moms trying to say which honor student is the bestest ever, good god! Get a grip! You're adults! You're not Ken and Makoto's nannies! They can decide for themselves what they want and that's the end of that! Stop acting like brats and quit arguing! They're dating, stop thinking about your issues and think about how they feel!" Ren yelled.
Ren sat down in his seat, his arms crossed as his body became more tense. He wasn't finished.
He glared at Sae and Shinjiro-san.
"We get it, you both can't stand each other, deal with it! Because Makoto and Ken's feelings are more important than your pissing contest!"
Everyone was speechless. Sojiro hid it, but he just shook his head, a proud smile tugging at his lips. He was obviously impressed. Sae and Shinjiro-san stared at him wide-eyed but then looked to the ground in shame.
"I guess… I did come on too strong back there," Shinjiro-san mumbled out. "So uh… sorry 'bout that, Niijima."
Sae narrowed her eyes. "Just because you give me an apology doesn't mean I'm obligated to accept that."
Shinjiro-san's eye twitched.
"You little—"
Ren glared at Sae, ready to pop off another rant.
Ren could only hope that Ken and Makoto could get them to chill out in the future. Otherwise it would lead to a bunch of headaches.
"Hey, hey, that's enough!"
Chie suddenly shoved herself in between Shinjiro-san and Sae, obviously not wanting them to get into another argument. It was kinda comical, given that she was dwarfed by the other two adults. She planted her hands on her hips, tilting her head up to look at Sae.
"Jeez, can't you just accept Shinjiro-san's apology? He doesn't do that often, y'know!" she exclaimed,
Shinjiro-san huffed, giving her an annoyed glare, "I'm right here, Satonaka."
"I have to second Satonaka's statement," Mitsuru-san chimed in.
Shinjiro-san huffed out, "Nobody asked you, Mitsuru."
"I'm simply paying you back for all the times you've given me unwarranted opinions."
Ren could feel Mitsuru giving him an eye-roll through the phone.
"And didn't you hear Ren-kun just now?" Chie-san continued her reprimand.
But Sae huffed, looking away. "I… suppose I can do as you request. I accept your apology, Aragaki."
"Whatever."
"Jeez, Shinjiro-san, would it kill you to be a little nicer?" Chie-san huffed.
"Shut up."
"Pffft, we all know that he's a total softie," Futaba scoffed. "Remember that he c—"
"Shut it, Sakura!" Shinjiro-san snarled out.
"Hmm… Sakura seems to have you pegged already, Shinjiro," Mitsuru-san remarked.
Shinjiro-san opened his mouth to retort but Sae cleared her throat.
"There is one more matter..." Sae then turned to Ken, who looked unsure, but then she bowed. "Amada-kun, I apologize for my earlier words. I do not approve of you hiding your relationship with my sister. But I still shouldn't have been uncharitable towards you just because I dislike your guardian."
Ken was speechless at that. Shinjiro-san's eyes widened for a moment, before he scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked rather… annoyed. Regardless, it seems that they won't have to deal with that headache.
"So… are we all done for today's meeting?" Makoto asked, changing the subject quickly.
Haru giggled. "I think we are. But this took much longer than I had expected."
"Thank you for letting me talk to you all," Mitsuru-san said, a smile in her voice. "I hope to speak with you sometime in the near future."
After Mitsuru-san hung up, Chie-san picked up her phone. She just grimaced as she glanced down at it.
"Sheesh, it's almost dead," she complained.
"At least Rise-san's apartment isn't too far, Chie-san," Ken said, obviously looking to console her.
Chie-san smiled and nodded. But then she looked to Sojiro.
"But uh… you open to whipping up some curry? Ken-kun mentioned that your curry is great."
"Thinking with your stomach as usual, huh?" Shinjiro-san snarked.
"H-Hey!"
But the meeting quickly broke up soon afterwards. Makoto and Sae were some of the first to leave. Ren hoped that they would be able to work things out. He knew how badly Makoto wanted to make amends. Though, it was a bit complicated with how Sae obviously disapproved of Makoto dating behind her back. Ren thought that it wouldn't be so bad if Shinjiro-san wasn't Ken's guardian. Sae obviously could not stand Shinjiro-san for whatever reason. It made Ren kinda glad that Anne's parents were currently overseas. He wouldn't have to deal with that quite yet.
Ken awkwardly lingered near the bar, looking unsure about if their conversation was going to happen now. Ren glanced towards Anne, but Anne just gave his hand a quick squeeze.
"Go talk to Ken. I'll be here after you two are done," she whispered.
Ren smiled at her in thanks before leaning in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. He then stood up, trying not to cringe as his leg protested it. He then gestured for Ken to join him up in the attic.
Ren winced as he sank onto the couch. His leg was still throbbing painfully.
"Is it bad?" Ken asked hesitantly.
Ren shrugged. "I'll live."
"Don't act all tough," he chided, shooting Ren an exasperated look. "I can help heal it."
Without another word, his hand started to glow blue. Ken and Morgana's healing spells differed slightly. Morgana's spells felt like a cool breeze. But Ken's spells were warm, almost akin to the sun.
"They didn't break it at least," Ken murmured.
"Yeah there is that..." Ren agreed, before managing to crack a sardonic smile.
A frown appeared on Ken's face. "Please don't joke about this."
"Sorry..." Ren quickly apologized with a wince; but then he met Ken's gaze with a stern expression. "But only if you start talking about what happened, like you promised."
Ken sighed heavily, the gust of air ruffling his bangs.
Ken sat up straight. "If you insist. I'll start with what happened when we had to separate from you..."
Ken started to summarize the events... and Ren felt as if a huge block of ice was dropped into the pit of his stomach. He was horrified at the reason why Futaba suddenly had cut off communications. He had been worried, but he had forced himself to focus on the mission. But this was unforgiveable.
"They shot Futaba?!" Ren demanded, anger surging through him.
Ken nodded slowly before he bit his lip. "It was all a ploy though... they took her hostage."
If anything, that just pissed off Ren even more. They had hurt Futaba to get to Ken. So they could kidnap him. But a sudden movement caught Ren's eye. Ken's hands had been resting in his lap but they started to shake.
"I should've watched out for her more... I dragged everyone in a huge mess and I—"
"Don't blame yourself, Ken…" Ren cut him off, he refused to let his friend finish that thought.
Ken shook his head.
"No, you don't understand, Ren. Did you ever think about Akihiko-san's absence?" Ken said with such guilt in his eyes.
Ren frowned. It had slipped his mind. Akihiko-san must've gone to help them rescue Ken from Shido's grasp. But what did that have to do with why Ken looked so guilty? Did Akihiko-san get hurt during the rescue attempt?
"No, not really. Sorry, my head's still kinda foggy," Ren admitted.
Ken looked at him with pity. "Right. I'm sorry."
He then let out a deep sigh, before staring down at the floor.
"Shido gloated to Mitsuru-san about abducting me. And when Minako-san found out... she lost it. She went into labor three weeks early. She probably blamed herself. For suggesting that I go to Tokyo in the first place. And she might have lost the baby. And family—it means the world to her. The only person she had for a decade was Minato-san. If she lost the baby because of me… I don't think I could forgive myself."
"Ken..."
Ren was honestly speechless. He didn't know what to say.
But he had to try.
"How is she now?" Ren asked tentatively.
"The baby was born healthy but..."
"There's no buts then!" Ren said, holding up a finger. "That's something to celebrate. It just means that the baby was too impatient to meet her mom and dad."
Ken stared at him for a moment, before a smile tugged at his lips.
"I suppose that's one way to look at it."
"And you'll get to meet her when you go to Port Island, right?" Ren said carefully.
Ken nodded. "Yes, but um... I suppose I should get back to the story."
Ren nodded in agreement.
"They... kinda pushed how Futaba was Isshiki-san's daughter. I couldn't help but feel afraid that she was going to be taken to Shido and he'd do who knows what to her. It's just—I don't know—I was panicking. It was in the heat of the moment. So... I offered myself as a trade."
Ken then cringed, before staring down at his lap.
"It really wasn't my best moment," Ken admitted, his voice scarcely above a whisper.
"I don't blame you for wanting to protect Futaba though. I would have done the same in your shoes," Ren said quietly.
Ken looked up at Ren with slight surprise but then shook his head.
"Right, of course you would. I forgot who I was talking to."
Ren gave him a small smile. It wasn't much, but he wanted Ken to know there was nothing to be ashamed about for risking his life for Futaba.
He had never said it to her, but he considered Futaba like the little sister he never had. His parents were both focused on their careers so they didn't have him until they were in their mid-thirties. But Ren remembered always wanting a sibling. But when Futaba crashed into their lives, he found himself getting easily attached to her.
He was grateful Ken saved her, even if it was a ploy. And he was even more grateful both friends are safe now. He would feel even worse if neither of them made it back safely after he risked himself.
Ken sighed. "I can't help but think of the what-ifs... Shido's men let us say goodbye as an act of 'kindness'. She had been crying and begging them to reconsider but of course they didn't listen. They had achieved their objective, after all. They drugged me with... a refined version of the Persona suppressors."
"They what?!" Ren gaped, "What… how the hell did Shido of all people get ahold of that?!"
"Well, the Kirijo Group kinda fractured after the experiment that split Nyx into thirteen Shadows. Mitsuru-san's father wanted to atone and fix the mess that her grandfather had created. There were scientists who left the company completely. Mitsuru-san hadn't been able to track them all down, even now."
"Even though it's been what—seventeen years?" Ren said incredulously.
Ken slowly nodded. "At least one is under Shido's employ. So they brought the drug to him."
"Wait, hang on—I thought the drug was supposed to just... control your Persona? Since the Kirijo Group scientists experimented on those kids who became Strega and since it was forced, their Personas weren't as stable. And with Shinjiro-san—it messed up his temperature regulations or something, right?"
Ken shrugged. "They must have done some refinement to it. To knock out the person as well. I could feel Kala-Nemi being cut off from me before I passed out."
Ren couldn't help but shiver at the thought. He couldn't imagine that feeling. But then Ken took a deep breath, before continuing the story.
"But then... I woke up on a... hospital bed, I guess? One of Shido's men came to get me and took me to Shido."
"What was he like?" Ren asked hesitantly.
He was going to be their next target after all. He couldn't help but wonder.
Ken paused, pursing his lips as he pondered the question.
"He's... very charismatic. I will say that. He definitely knows how to be persuasive. But..."
Ken suddenly shivered, before wrapping his arms around himself.
"He was also intimidating. He knew just where to get to you...!"
Ken's shoulders then tensed at that, before dropping his hands to grip at his knees. Ren couldn't help but think of the man who 'interrogated' him. Claiming that the law wouldn't protect criminals like himself. It was sickening, to see how Shido had abused the system to this kind of degree.
A part of Ren wanted to ask Ken what exactly happened. But... at the same time, Ren wasn't sure if he could talk about what happened during interrogation. Not to Morgana, who had been both his friend and partner since Day 1. Not to Ryuji, who was the best friend he's ever had. Not to Sojiro, who had become like a dad to him. And... not to Anne. Definitely not her. He didn't want to burden her.
He didn't want to admit that he had been very afraid. The way Shido's goons had ganged up on him, kicking him to the ground. It seemed like anywhere they could reach, they hit.
It just made him feel weak.
"Ren?"
Ren snapped to attention.
"I-I'm sorry, Ken... I just..." He winced, pressing a hand against his forehead. "I'm out of it."
Ken said gently, "Don't feel bad, Ren. You've been through a lot these past couple days."
Ren somehow managed a slight smile. "We both have. But we're still here."
His friend gave him a small smile back. But then Ken then rubbed his arm, his expression morphing into a morose one.
"I'm not sure if Makoto and the others know this... but Shido tried to manipulate me into agreeing to help him. He wanted leverage on Mitsuru-san and he was determined to get it no matter what."
Ren winced. He knew that Ken really cared for Mitsuru-san. (Even though it was painfully obvious that he also had a healthy dosage of fear for the CEO).
"What a bastard, right?" Ren tried to halfheartedly joke, to try and distract Ken. "You'd never do that."
Ken heaved out a sigh. "This was just a mess. He kinda hinted to me that he knew the truth about Mom's death. And..."
He suddenly trailed off, only for anger to flash in his eyes.
"Ken…?" Ren questioned.
Ken remained silent, glaring a hole practically into the ground.
"What's that about?" Ren thought with worry.
"He claimed that he knew my mom. Like my mom would ever associate with a scumbag like him!" Ken spat out, his hands suddenly clenching into fists.
Ren blinked. He wasn't expecting that. But then the anger seemed to drain out of Ken, and his shoulders slumped.
Ken then bit his lip, "Then he... he tried to imply that Akechi of all people was my cousin."
"Your cousin?!" Ren stared at his friend in shock. "Wait a sec—is your mom's maiden name Akechi then?"
How the hell could they miss that kind of detail? There was just no way that Ken would miss that kind of thing. He was very observant.
Ken shook his head. "No, it was Himura."
Ren felt his muscle tension decrease as he sighed in relief.
"Then it's a load of crock," Ren said with a firm nod of his head. "Shido obviously wanted to screw with you."
"Family..." Ken repeated before scrunching up his nose in disgust. "Yeah, you're right! The only blood family that ever cared about me was Mom. Shinjiro-san, Fuuka-san, Minako-san, and everyone… they're my family now."
"I'm sure that they've all been worried," Ren said quietly.
His friend heaved out another sigh. "Yeah, that's putting it lightly... not looking forward to telling them what exactly happened. I talked to pretty much everyone yesterday over the phone and… there was a lot of crying from Fuuka-san, Yukari-san, and Minako-san. But I'm pretty sure Shinjiro-san or Akihiko-san haven't given anyone the full story."
He then inhaled deeply, letting out a slow exhale. There was something else he wasn't telling him? Ren steeled himself for whatever it was.
"There was one last part I haven't told you. You know how I mentioned that Shido wanted leverage on Mitsuru-san?"
Dread began to pool in the pit of his stomach.
"Yeah?" Ren said carefully.
Ken then looked down at the floor. "I remember getting angry at Shido. He basically wanted me to become a traitor."
He spat out the word like venom, his eyes hardening with anger.
"He wanted me to join him. I got so angry, he was trying to manipulate me with the memory of Mom and then... he tried to threaten my life. But Shido—he got me to shut up by using an electroshock device on me."
For a moment, Ren just stared.
"He… tortured you?" Ren said numbly.
What the hell? If he remembered right, electroshocks could go right to your heart and kill the subject. It was just barbaric—no, barbaric wasn't enough to describe it. Ren couldn't even think of a word that correctly described this.
This did explained why Ken was so off today. He almost seemed skittish. Ren clenched his fists and grit his teeth.
Ken just nodded slowly. No other words were needed.
"How much do the others know?"
Ken shrugged listlessly, "Makoto, Ryuji, and Futaba came with Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san to rescue me. They know most of it. They... saw a video recording of Shido talking to me. Anne, Yusuke and Haru went to go back into Niijima-san's Palace to take care of her cognition of Akechi."
Talking? That was too tame of a word to describe what Shido was trying to do. Wanting to force Ken to become a turncoat. Ren couldn't help but be disgusted. This just added to Shido's long list of crimes. Akechi was definitely no saint... but Shido had used Akechi's ability to claw his way to the top, even if Akechi helped him. He wouldn't be nearly as much of a threat if he didn't have his own Persona-user hitman.
"Wait, they went back?" Ren asked.
Ken nodded. "They realized that Niijima-san's cognition of him could screw things up, if Akechi ran into him."
"So what did they do?" Ren asked.
Ken let out a strained laugh, reaching up to rub the back of his neck.
"Haru and Anne, they uh… might've beaten him up?"
Ren blinked. Then what Ken said sunk in.
"Wait, are you serious? They just—" He broke off laughing. "Oh man. Did they get him good at least?"
"Ask Yusuke, not me," he quipped, before cracking a wry smile. "He was there."
"Will do." Ren snickered.
Ken smiled.
"You should've seen Ryuji when they recounted the story to us yesterday. He fell off the sofa and laughed for five minutes straight," Ken said with a wry smile.
"Only five minutes?" Ren asked teasingly.
"Might've been longer if Shinjiro-san didn't tell him to get off the floor already."
It was nice seeing Ken smiling more sincerely. Though that did remind Ren of something.
"Has he been worrying? Shinjiro-san, I mean."
Ken shrugged. "He's been hovering, but I honestly expected that."
He spoke almost nonchalantly, but Ren couldn't help but worry. Which was probably the opposite of what Ken was going for, but still. He couldn't help but think of how everyone else on Port Island was gonna react.
"But um, hey, Ken... do you think that Mitsuru-san is going to make you stay in Port Island?" Ren asked tentatively.
Ken's lips formed a thin line before he stared down at the floor.
"I... I don't know," he admitted before he rubbed his neck. "I just know that this whole incident freaked out everyone. I worried them all with this..."
Then he looked up, meeting Ren's gaze.
"But I won't go down without a fight, I swear."
"I believe you." Ren flashed a grin at his friend, only for it to fade. "But um, Ken... about Makoto's sister—I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean to—"
Ken held up a hand. "I know you didn't, Ren. You were drugged and weren't exactly in the right mind. I couldn't blame you, even if I wanted to."
Then he paused.
"But... you and Anne aren't running out of er... protection, are you?" Ken said awkwardly, even blushing a little.
Ren blinked and raised a brow. Where did that come from all of a sudden?
"Uh... no. Why are you asking?"
Ken looked away from him, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
"N-No reason." Ken's blush deepened.
Then it hit Ren.
"Ohhh… so you're interested in that now, huh?" Ren smiled slyly at his friend. "Should've known since you and Makoto are dating now—"
"W-What?!"
Ren then teased, "Pretty brave of you to ask that now, considering her sister's reaction to finding out about the dating thing."
Ken's head whipped back to Ren, his face already crimson red. Ren couldn't help but laugh. It was just way too much fun to embarrass the hell out of Ken.
Ken hissed out, "That's not it!"
"Then what is it?" Ren asked innocently.
"It's nothing important!" Ken insisted.
"Fine, I'll drag it out of you another time," Ren said with a fake pout.
"You most certainly will not!" Ken was actually pouting.
Ren just smirked. "Don't test me."
"You can be such a jerk!" Ken complained with a huff.
Ren couldn't help but laugh but he composed himself quickly. He gave Ken enough ribbing for one day. And they both been through a lot.
Ken then stood up.
"But I should get going. I shouldn't keep Shinjiro-san and Chie-san waiting. And besides that, I'm sure that Anne is waiting for her turn to talk to you."
Ren just sheepishly scratched his cheek. He honestly can't deny that.
Then Ken smiled. "Good night, Ren."
"Good night..."
Ren watched his friend go with a frown. He then pressed a hand against his face. Why hadn't he foreseen this? He couldn't help but think about how out of it Ken had looked the entire meeting.
And what if Mitsuru-san insisted that Ken stay in Port Island? Ren couldn't help but worry about that, with how last month they had all thought that Ken would be going back. He couldn't help but think of all the what-ifs.
"Ren?"
He dropped his hand to see Anne approaching him. For a moment she just stared at him. Then she sat down next to Ren, before her hand suddenly touched Ren's cheek. Her thumb then traced one of his bruises. Even though her touch was gentle, Ren had to fight back a wince.
Tears suddenly filled her eyes.
"R-Ren..." she stammered out, even as the tears continued to spill down her cheeks.
Ren tried to smile at her.
"I'm here."
"I-I'm sorry, it's just..." Anne trailed off while still sniffling.
Ren reached out to brush away the tears; from the moment she had broken down in front of him about Kamoshida, he had hated seeing her cry. The way she had cried her heart out... it had tugged at his heartstrings, from the very beginning.
"It just kinda sunk in, you know? That you got beaten up—bruised—for us. You even got drugged for all of this... Just to protect us. T-Thank you, Ren."
Ren felt something in him crack.
"B-But it wasn't enough."
"Ren? What are you talking about…?" Anne questioned, before shaking her head hard enough to make her pigtails bounce. "Of course it is!"
"The plan might've succeeded but Futaba got shot. She was caught up in the crossfire because Shido wanted to kidnap Ken. And he... Anne, did you know that he was drugged with those Persona suppressor drugs? And that he was electrocuted? Shido probably planned to torture him in order to get some leverage on Mitsuru-san."
A gasp escaped Anne, her eyes widening. "No... it's just—they were vague about what happened, just that Ken got hurt pretty badly."
Ren bit his lip, "This plan... it was supposed to protect all of you. But I failed. I didn't—"
"Stop it, Ren!"
Anne's voice suddenly cracked.
"Stop it already! It wasn't just about saving us! It was about keeping them from killing you also…" she whispered, her eyes swimming with tears. "Stop blaming yourself, okay? And... don't forget that you went through hell too. They nearly broke your leg! And they… they beat you black and saved us all. Please don't forget that!"
Ren bit his lip.
"But I almost didn't. It was almost too late, Anne. I remembered at the last second! Those drugs—they made me forget. A-And then Akechi would have gone after all of you! I just..."
She then embraced him, hugging him carefully. Ren took in a shuddering breath as he clung to his girlfriend.
They stayed in this position for what felt forever. Anne didn't speak. She ran her fingers through his hair, rubbing circles into his back.
"But you did, Ren. You beat the odds, even when they were stacked so high against you."
She then pulled away, her eyes still teary.
"So please, don't beat yourself up. We're all safe now, because of what you did. For us. Everything is going to be okay, Ren. You'll be okay, I promise."
She then reached up, cupping his face with both of her hands. Ren closed his eyes for a moment. Anne was… so warm.
"Promise me that you'll reach out if you need support, Ren. I'm sorry that you had to go through this. So sorry… But you don't have to deal with this alone. You have so many people who love you," she murmured, gently pressing their foreheads together.
As if she wanted to prove her point, she leaned up and pressed her lips against his forehead.
"I'm sorry, Anne, I just... the what-ifs keep bouncing inside my head."
"And that's okay," Anne reassured, her expression softening. "That's why you have me. I'll remind you of the truth."
Ren just nodded slowly, before pulling her into a tighter hug. His ribs gave a twinge in protest but right now Ren didn't care. He just wanted to hold her after everything.
"Will you stay with me tonight?"
Anne just smiled at him.
"Of course I will."
The commute back to the apartment was awkward. Makoto honestly didn't know what she could even say to Sae. Makoto could tell from Sae's expression that she wanted to say something but she seemed to change her mind at the last second.
Makoto sighed. She hoped that Ren and Ken would be able to talk things out. She had a feeling that they'd be able to understand what each other went through the most.
She couldn't help but grimace as Ren's bruised face floated to her mind. The police did that to him. They beat him black and blue, injected him with drugs, threatened him with his life.
This was the exact opposite of what her dad had stood for. It honestly disgusted her, thinking about how far the police had fallen. She would never allow something like that when she joined the ranks. She will stomp that out, no matter what.
"Makoto, we're here," Sae said quietly.
Makoto glanced over to Sae before giving a little nod, to acknowledge that she had heard Sae.
She wanted to say the words she had buried deep inside her heart for so long, but something stilled her tongue. Makoto couldn't help but feel... afraid. Afraid that things wouldn't change. And that her sister would be forever out of her reach.
She followed Sae into the apartment. Sae unlocked the door and they both stepped inside.
"Do you want to order takeout?" Sae asked hesitantly. "It's been a long day, after all... I feel drained, in all honesty."
"N-No it's fine, Sis... I just want a little time to rest," Makoto quickly said.
Sae nodded. "I see. But..." Then she pursed her lips together. "Can we talk, Makoto? We have a lot to discuss."
Makoto nodded slowly.
"I assume that you joined the Phantom Thieves back in June?" Sae asked once they were seated together on the sofa.
Makoto gave a heavy exhale but gave another nod.
"I don't know how much Ren told you but Principal Kobayakawa called me in back in May, to see about investigating the Phantom Thieves," Makoto said.
Sae pressed her lips into a thin line as she crossed her arms.
"He... said something along those lines. I can't believe he just dangled that over you."
Sae uncrossed her arms and rested them into her lap, but her hands suddenly clenched into fists. She let out a loud exhale, before reaching up to run a hand through her hair.
"Makoto, I… this is long overdue. I'm sorry. For what I said to you about..." She winced.
Makoto was speechless, but her sister continued.
"About eating away at my life. It's not true. I was just frustrated at work and I took it out on you. And… I couldn't help but think about how Dad spent his life, chasing after criminals like that and lost his life over it. I didn't want you to chase after the same ideals that got him killed."
"Sis…" Makoto mumbled out.
She snuck a peek at her older sister, licking her lips as her brows creased with worry. She was scared to ask it, but she had to...
"Do you believe that now?"
"No," Sae said firmly.
Makoto let out a breath she was holding in.
"I will admit that Ren-kun… he turned my entire mindset upside down. He kept pushing me to question what I was doing. I felt frustrated, but he... he reminded me of how idealistic I once was. I once believed that I would be able to change the legal system from within. That insufferable nerve... it kind of reminded me of my younger self. But I lost my way. And during all that, I ended up hurting you. I'm sorry, Makoto."
"I'm sorry too, Sis. I didn't realize the pain you were going through. I was caught up in my own grief that I didn't notice what you were going through. Please forgive me."
Sae shook her head. "I just wish that you weren't pushed to the brink like that. You shouldn't have to deal with Kaneshiro. Or any of the other targets."
Makoto then bit her lip, "Honestly, as despicable as Kaneshiro was… the situation with him—it was also a wake-up call. And I got to avenge Dad. So... I am grateful for that. And I might've not befriended everyone otherwise."
Sae's expression became conflicted. She then pursed her lips.
"We need to discuss your... relationship with Amada-kun."
"I will not break up with Ken, Sis!" Makoto said, somehow managing to keep her voice steady. "I… I like him a lot, Sis. And you'd like him if you tried to get to know him too. He's—"
Sae held up a hand to stop Makoto.
"I may strongly disapprove of his guardian—"
"Shinjiro-san is all bark and uh… mostly no bite!" Makoto said hastily. "He's not a bad person, I swear it. He's actually kinda sweet, despite the front he gives!"
"Will you let me finish?"
Makoto shrunk in her seat. She gave her sister a sheepish nod.
"I may not like Amada-kun's guardian... but I won't hold that against Amada-kun himself. Ren-kun was right to get after us earlier. So long as he doesn't distract you from your studies then I won't interfere. It would be childish of me to hold a grudge against him just because I don't like Aragaki."
Her mouth suddenly twisted in distaste. Makoto couldn't help but cringe a little. What exactly had Shinjiro-san even said to Sae?
She then sighed to herself. She would just have to convince Sae, then.
"Besides... I can always have him arrested if he breaks your heart," Sae said in a teasing tone.
Makoto was stunned. She wasn't expecting this. She almost wanted to cry.
"T-Thank you, Sis. Thank you so much!"
Sae smiled and nodded, but then her expression changed. Her sister had a look of guilt on her face.
"But let's not continue to discuss this, Makoto." Sae's face then softened before reaching out to touch Makoto's hand. "I... I want to get to know you again, Makoto. It's not too late… right?"
The earnest look on Sae's face was shocking. Tears began to fill her eyes.
She had dreamed about this—starting over with Sae again. Closing the distance. She could hardly believe that it was actually happening.
"M-Makoto? I-I'm sorry, I—"
"No, Sis." Makoto sniffled before wiping at her eyes. "I'm crying because I'm happy."
Sae then reached out to touch Makoto's face. Then she gently wiped at a tear.
"I'm sorry, Makoto. For leaving you alone for years."
"It's okay, Sis... I'm just glad that you came to your senses. I was so afraid that..." Makoto trailed off.
"I'm sorry for all the grief I put you through," Sae apologized. "But I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere. Not after I lost my way once already."
Makoto's heart gave a little squeeze. It really wasn't too late. It was like how her friends said. And… she had never been gladder that they were proven right.
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016
People just would not stop talking about the Phantom Thieves Leader's 'suicide'. Even though Anne knew it was a lie, it grated on her nerves. The official excuse was that Ren's family called in and claimed that he'd be absent for a while as he went back to his hometown. She was pretty sure that it was Futaba helping Sojiro who made that happen, though. Kawakami had apparently been covering for him too.
Anne just sighed to herself before pulling out her boxed lunch. Her caretaker usually prepared a lunch for her, but it didn't compare to the lunches Ren would bring with him.
It had only been a few days since Ren had to drop out of Shujin for his protection but she missed him already…
"At least Ren is still in Tokyo," Anne thought ruefully to herself.
She couldn't help but wonder where Ken, Shinjiro-san, and Chie-san were exactly. She really hoped that Ken would be given a clean bill by the Kirijo Group doctors.
But her stomach suddenly growled, reminding her that she needed to eat. Though she didn't really want to eat alone. Maybe she'd see if Ryuji wanted to eat with her. Or maybe even Makoto.
She exited the classroom with her lunch in hand, heading for Ryuji's classroom: 2-E. But then a voice called out to her.
"Takamaki?"
Anne couldn't help but jump, before whirling around to face Kaori Sato. Anne was honestly kinda confused. She had never talked to the newspaper club member before.
"O-Oh hey!" she said before managing a polite smile. "Do you need something, Sato?"
Sato looked thoughtful as she straightened her glasses.
"So, I've heard the news about Amamiya," she stated.
"W-Wait, does she suspect the truth? I mean, I've seen Ren talk to her a couple times... and she's part of the newspaper club!" Anne tried not to panic.
"Y-Yeah, it was urgent!" Anne mumbled out. "He was in a real hurry that I didn't even get the entire story."
She then sighed, wrapping an arm around herself. It was ridiculous. She had literally seen him yesterday. But she still missed him. She was just so used to seeing him every day. It was kinda weird to not have him idly play with her hair when he was bored by a lecture.
Sato's gaze suddenly softened. "Um... hey, I don't know if you were aware, but Amamiya has always been nice to me. Even when I believed the rumors that Kamoshida spread."
"That does sound like Ren," Anne said, shaking her head.
"We'd talk from time to time, you know. He was always curious about the latest scoop. Especially this past month with the Phantom Thieves' reputation being sullied."
Anne raised both her brows. From the way she way she talked about this, it sounded like she still supported them!
"Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves then, Sato?"
Sato nodded firmly. "Mm-hm... I mean, they got rid of Kamoshida. They forced us to look at the truth. They also helped out a lot of people in Shujin, with Kaneshiro."
Anne was surprised she'd so willingly admit this to her. After all, for all she knew, Anne could have been one of the many people who turned on them. She was impressed.
"Yeah... they did." Anne then let out a frustrated sigh, folding her arms over her chest. "And yet, the entire school seems to think that the Phantom Thieves are nothing but crazy murderers."
Sato then pressed a hand against her chest. "Everyone else in this school may turn against the Phantom Thieves but not me. I believe in them. To the very end."
Anne blinked. Honestly, all of this was reassuring. Like they hadn't quite messed up. But she had to keep up the façade that the leader of the Phantom Thieves was dead.
"I just... I can't believe that he got caught," Anne said quietly. "And then he... he..."
Anne squeezed her eyes shut.
"He killed himself," Anne managed to get out.
Sato's expression steeled, "Maybe it's a good thing that Amamiya left when he did, though. Tokyo's been thrown into chaos with the announcement of the leader of the Phantom Thieves' death."
Anne winced, "It really has. I just can't believe that they actually caught him, y'know? After everything that happened. I just hope that things calm down here. Things have been just really crazy, with Kamoshida and then Kaneshiro..."
"Yeah, and then there was how people kept thinking that the Phantom Thieves originated here," Sato remarked, stroking her chin.
Anne had to fight back a grimace. If only Sato knew that she was talking to one of them.
Then Sato played around with the pen in her hands, clicking it off and on.
"Personally, for me, I can't help but think that theory might be true... and the leader was right under all of our noses."
"T-Too bad we'll never find out, huh?"
Anne tried not to wince at the stammer. She had to keep up the act—she had to protect Ren. She was not the best actress but she was going to give it her all. Ren's life depended on how well all of them managed to keep up the act.
"Yeah, it's too bad. I bet Amamiya would be curious. I'll have to ask him if he has any theories when he gets back," she said with a rather cryptic look.
Sato's eyes then flickered to the boxed lunch in Anne's hands.
"Well, enjoy the rest of your lunch, Takamaki. I'll see you around."
Anne just gaped at her as Sato walked away. Did she seriously suspect that Ren was the leader of the Phantom Thieves?! That was what she was hinting, right? But if she suspected that then why would she say that to Anne… unless… she suspected her too?
She bit her lip, before raising her head.
No, she couldn't freak out. Sato supported them. That means that she wasn't going to rat out Ren. She needed to keep her head clear. They needed to figure out Shido's keywords later today, after all.
The sun had already begun to set by the time Moonlight Bridge was finally in sight. Shinjiro couldn't help but feel relieved.
As he pulled in front of a red light, he noticed Ken was texting someone. Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. He couldn't help but wonder if he was texting the Phantom Thieves.
"Texting Fuuka-san that we'll be there soon," Ken suddenly said, as if he caught onto what Shinjiro was thinking.
Then he suddenly looked out of the window.
"Port Island looks so different now," he commented.
Shinjiro frowned. "Not really. It's probably because it's been five months for you. I visited back in August, but you didn't."
Shinjiro had a nagging feeling that if Ken had to pick between Port Island or Tokyo, he'd pick Tokyo. He seemed to grow more comfortable with Tokyo way faster than Fuuka had and even then, Fuuka had suffered from homesickness the first few months.
Which was fine. Ken had a strong bond with the Phantom Thieves. Not that he was distant to his school friends back on Port Island, but they wouldn't be able to understand what Ken had gone through. He had honestly worried a little for Ken at the beginning of the school year when he had given up his extracurriculars. Ken had shrugged it off, saying that it was the best for entrance exams, but Shinjiro couldn't help but wonder if it ever bugged him.
He wasn't just going through the motions with soccer club. Ken wouldn't have gotten as good as he had, if he hadn't loved the sport. And as horribly boring Shinjiro found the logistics of student government, he had known that Ken had liked it a lot.
"Um, Shinjiro-san..." Ken abruptly spoke up. "The light's green."
Shinjiro blinked.
"Right."
"Must be tired from all the driving…" Shinjiro thought to himself before pressing the gas pedal.
It only took another few minutes before Shinjiro finally pulled into the apartment's parking lot. Shinjiro just sighed, rubbing his neck.
He really wished that they could've taken a train. But they wanted to remain off Shido's radar as much as possible.
"And yet I'll probably be doing this again in a few days…" Shinjiro huffed to himself.
They unloaded their duffel bags from the back before heading inside the building. Shinjiro had barely knocked when the door suddenly flew open, revealing Fuuka.
Fuuka was wearing her favorite sweater dress, a white dress that went to her mid thighs. A tan belt cinched at her waist.
For a moment, Fuuka stared at Ken, as if she wasn't sure whether or not he was really there. Then she suddenly burst into tears before all but tackling him in a hug.
Ken stumbled backwards a few steps before finally catching his balance.
"I'm s—"
"Don't you dare apologize, Ken-kun!" she suddenly snapped, pulling back slightly to glare at him; it was about as intimidating as a puppy's growl, but it was the principle of the matter. "Now hush and let me hug you."
Somehow Shinjiro had a feeling that Minako and Takeba were going to say something similar to Ken whenever they got to see him. However, despite that, Shinjiro couldn't help but worry about Ken's injuries being agitated. He knew how much it hurt.
He quickly interjected, "Hey, hey, Fuuka, ease up. His ribs are bruised."
"Oh!" Fuuka's eyes widened with horror before she immediately jerked away from Ken, "O-Oh, god! I'm so sorry, Ken-kun! I didn't mean to hurt you—"
"It's okay, Fuuka-san. I know you were just worried," Ken said quietly.
Fuuka bit her lip. "Um, maybe we should go inside? So you can rest. I've made dinner but I can warm it up any time."
Shinjiro nodded. "Yeah, you should probably lie down for a bit, Ken."
Ken opened his mouth to protest, only to shut it when Fuuka gave him her best pleading look.
"Fine..." Ken grumbled before finally stepping inside the apartment.
In the background, they could hear Koromaru's joyful barks.
Fuuka then glanced to Shinjiro, her eyes becoming worried. But she just reached out to lace their fingers together before tugging him into the apartment as well.
He noticed that Koromaru wasn't in the living room as they stepped inside. Maybe he went to go curl up with Ken.
"Hey…" Fuuka said quietly, "How are you, Shinji?"
Shinjiro tried not to wince. Fuuka was just concerned.
"Damn, what a loaded question that is." Shinjiro thought with a wry smile.
He then heaved out a sigh. He squeezed her hand lightly back as he rubbed his neck with his other hand.
"I'll be honest, Fuuka... these past three nights have been stressful as shit. Between what happened to Ken and then worrying about Amamiya getting it out there alive. And I can't help but feel like I fucked up somewhere."
He then pulled away from Fuuka to fall into the loveseat. He pressed his face into his hands.
"I was there, Fuuka. When they took him. But I was so focused on Amamiya. I should've known—we knew what kind of person Shido is. He'd be the kind of person who stooped to that kind of level. I couldn't stop it from happening. On top of that, that sicko refined those damn pills and drugged Ken with it!"
"H-He… what?!" Fuuka gasped, before clasping both hands over her mouth. "Oh my god, I didn't know that he would—"
"He did..." Shinjiro said.
He still remembered the way that Ken's body had convulsed as Shido subjected him to electric torture. And the screams—they were still haunting Shinjiro's dreams. Shido could've killed Ken from the torture and he probably wouldn't have lost any sleep.
He said hoarsely, "And I was in the room when he electrocuted Ken. He used that to distract us and then he fucking tried to threaten killing me. All to fuck with him. I couldn't save him, not when he needed me the most twice."
"Shinji… stop."
Fuuka suddenly dropped to her knees, cradling one of his hands in both of hers. She then looked up at him, her eyes swimming with tears.
"Do you think that Ken-kun could've gotten out of there without you or Akihiko-senpai?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I wasn't there, but I think Ken-kun would've given up if you hadn't come. Please stop blaming yourself for this. You didn't do anything wrong!"
"But—"
Fuuka interrupted sternly, "But nothing! You made it out alive. Both of you. And that's the important part..."
"But Ken—he's been fucked up by all of this..."
"We'll help him through it," Fuuka instantly replied. "Like before."
Shinjiro just stared at his girlfriend.
"Your patience really has no bounds."
Fuuka just giggled, the sound warming Shinjiro's heart.
"I try."
Then her eyes softened.
"But... even though it's not for good, I'm glad you two are home."
Shinjiro couldn't help but nod. "Yeah, I'm glad too."
Shinjiro wondered if this visit would be a good time to figure how the hell to ask Fuuka to marry him. He wished it wasn't so hard.
He wished he could just pull out the ring and say, "Will you marry me?"
But no, he had to figure out this incredible memorable way to propose.
"W-What?"
Fuuka's startled voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Fuuka looked shell-shocked, her jaw just about dropping to the floor.
"Shinji, you just—" Then she squeaked, turning pink. "Did you just propose?!"
"Wait… FUCK! I said that out loud?!" Shinjiro thought with panic.
Why did he have to fuck up this of all things?!
"I—I didn't mean to. Not now…"
"Yes!" Fuuka interrupted. "Yes, I'll marry you, Shinji."
"I—what?!" Shinjiro sputtered out. "But—But don't you want me to start over? Give you a memorable proposal?"
Fuuka giggled. "How could I ever forget this? I don't think I've seen you this red since I told you how I felt about you."
"S-Shut up, I ain't red!" Shinjiro snapped.
"Hmmm, you're right." Fuuka tapped her lips with her index finger before her eyes twinkled. "Red doesn't even begin to describe it. What about crimson? Scarlet?"
Shinjiro groaned. "You're just... unbelievable. Any other girl would want a flashy proposal, something that she'll wanna tell her friends about."
"I mean, sure, some girls want a spectacle." Fuuka laughed at first, but then she smiled gently. "But I just want to be your wife. I love you, Shinji, and I don't really care to make a show out of it. I don't even care if you don't have a ring."
"Fuuka, I..." Shinjiro then blinked. "Well, actually I have a ring."
He then reached into his coat's pocket, pulling out the velvet box. His hand shook for a moment as he popped it open and took it out. The sapphires sparkled under the light. He then took Fuuka's hand, sliding it onto her ring finger.
"Oh…" Fuuka breathed, her eyes growing wide as saucers as she lifted her hand to examine the ring more closely. "This ring is beautiful, Shinji. Where did you—?"
"Ken gave it to me. It was... his mom's."
Fuuka gasped. "This was Ken-kun's mother's ring?"
Shinjiro rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah. He gave it to me for my birthday and said he wasn't interested in taking it back. I know that you deserve a new ring but—"
Fuuka shook her head furiously. "No! I love it! It has sentimental meaning..."
Then Fuuka ran her finger along the ring, her eyes softening as she looked at it.
"And it's a beautiful ring. I'd be honored to wear it."
Shinjiro coughed into his hand. "I'm glad."
Then he shook his head.
"I can't believe that I've spent three months trying to come up with a plan."
Fuuka giggled before kissing him on the cheek. "It's the thought that counts, Shinji."
"Just don't tell Minako and Takeba. They'll kill me for not proposing 'right'."
"Hee-hee, your secret's safe with me."
Fuuka let Shinjiro tug her into his lap, and she rested her head against his shoulder.
"I've really missed you, Shinji. I'm glad you're home—if only for a little while," she said softly.
Shinjiro took a moment to inhale her scent. It was always mildly sweet; Fuuka liked more subtly scented shampoos and soaps, compared to how Minako liked fruity scents and how Takeba liked flowery scents.
"I've missed you too, Fuuka. Tokyo's fine and all... but it just can't beat Port Island."
Fuuka just smiled softly before lacing their fingers together. "Now you know how I felt a few years ago, huh?"
Shinjiro just nodded. "Yeah."
But Fuuka did have a point in trying to look on the positive side. Shinjiro just found it easier to focus on the negatives.
They were back on Port Island, even though it was a few days. And... Fuuka had agreed to marry him. He didn't know when the hell they could even get married, with all the shit that was going down but... it just gave them another reason to make Shido go down. So they would be able to live their lives in (relative) peace.
Notes:
And Sae's arc is finally concluded! Only took me a year, haha. But we're officially launching the Shido arc next chapter, guys! I'm REALLY excited to get into Akechi this arc, and I hope you'll like what I've cooked up!
And again, thank you to my wonderful beta angelrin89 for her edits! She has also edited Chapter 3, so be sure to check out the edits!
Oh, and happy early birthday Shinji!
Chapter 44: Ch. 43: Back To The Start
Summary:
Ken and Shinjiro make it back to Port Island, leading to a SEES reunion. They have a lot to discuss. Meanwhile, the Phantom Thieves struggle to unlock Shido's Palace. But to Ren's shock... Shido has closer ties to him than he realized.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016
Fuuka was no stranger to nightmares. She sometimes still dreamed of the time she was locked into Tartarus, October fourth, and the final battle with Nyx.
So when she woke up to Shinji tossing and turning, his face contorted, Fuuka knew immediately that she had to wake him up.
"Ken… no…" he mumbled out.
Fuuka's breath hitched at that but she knew what she needed to do. She reached out, shaking his shoulder hard.
"Shinji… Shinji! Wake up!" she whispered anxiously.
Shinji's eyes suddenly snapped open. Then he winced, realizing that Fuuka had been the one to wake him up. Fuuka bit her lip before reaching out to touch his shoulder.
"Do you need to talk about it, Shinji?" she asked.
He then closed his eyes. For a moment, Fuuka thought he was going to clam up about it. Sometimes… it was like pulling teeth to get Shinji to open up. But thankfully he spoke up.
"I keep dreaming about us failing," Shinji mumbled out. "That Shido kept torturing Ken until the electroshocks killed him. Went straight to his heart."
"Oh Shinji…" Fuuka sighed before she reached to rub his shoulder.
But despite her attempts to soothe him, he still remained tense. Fuuka bit her lip at that.
"Have you talked to Ken-kun about this at all?" she asked tentatively.
If anyone could understand… it'd be Ken.
Shinji shook his head vigorously. "No way. You haven't seen the way he's been beating himself up about this. He'd feel even worse if I so much hinted to him that I've been dreaming about this."
She could understand Shinji's reasoning but Fuuka couldn't help but think that keeping the truth from Ken would not help either. She wouldn't be surprised if Ken was suffering through nightmares too, given how he still had dreams of October fourth. And he had experienced physical trauma. It honestly broke her heart to see it.
"I get it now."
Fuuka just blinked at her fiancé. "Huh? What do you mean, Shinji?"
Shinji just stared up at the ceiling. "I know... that I freaked out everyone when I protected Ken from Takaya shooting him. But being on the other side… it's not fun. I get why Aki wanted to punch me the first time he visited me in the hospital. Not to mention how he kept yelling about how worried he was."
Fuuka crawled closer to him before leaning in to kiss his cheek.
"It's in the past, Shinji," she said gently.
Shinji nodded before rolling onto his side, looking at her. He then reached out, pulling her in his arms. Fuuka curled into his embrace; Shinji was always so warm. And for someone who wasn't too keen on physical affection, he gave the best hugs. He always made her feel safe.
She wished she could do something to help, though. It made her heart ache, thinking about the pain that both of them went through because of this entire debacle. And a part of her was honestly dreading hearing the entire story.
She knew that Shido was a despicable man, but he had made things more personal by taking Ken. And while Shinji was better adjusted with his guilt, she knew that he still wrestled with it.
"Talk to me, Fuuka," Shinji suddenly said.
Fuuka blinked. "You… huh?"
Shinji shrugged. "I feel that we haven't gotten to talk much lately. And we're awake now so… tell me about your current project."
Fuuka laughed. "And bore you with terminology you have no clue about?"
"I still like hearing 'bout it. Since it's coming from you."
"Well, if you're sure…"
So Fuuka started talking about the project like he requested. She was impressed he tried to listen and not fall asleep… but he started to lose that battle. Shinji looked close to nodding off when they suddenly heard Koromaru whimpering and scratching at the door. That immediately got his attention.
"Koro-chan…?" Fuuka mumbled out, blinking in confusion.
But Shinji just threw back the covers and went to open the door. Fuuka got up as well—she couldn't help but wonder why Koromaru was behaving like this. Normally Koromaru would never do this.
"Koro, what's wrong?" he hissed. "You're gonna wake up Ken."
Koromaru made an insistent yip before tugging at Shinji's pants. But then it dawned on Fuuka.
"Wait, is it Ken-kun?"
Koromaru barked once before running off. Shinji just about tripped over Koromaru in his haste to follow.
Though, Koromaru led them to the kitchen instead of Ken's room. The lights were dimmed instead of off. Ken was standing right by the sink, his fingers curled tightly around a glass of water. Fuuka fumbled with the light switch, flicking it on.
Ken cringed as the lights flashed on.
"Damn, that's bright," Shinji muttered out, blinking several times.
"W-What are you two doing up?" Ken stammered out.
Fuuka responded, "That's not important, Ken-kun. Is something the matter? You look… tense."
She then stepped forward, prying the glass from Ken's hand before he ended up dropping it. But when she reached out to touch his hand with her free hand, Ken abruptly pulled away from her. Fuuka's heart gave a twinge at that. It… stung a little to see Ken pull away.
He said curtly, "It's nothing, Fuuka-san. Just go back to bed. It's late."
"That's bullshit and you know it, Ken," Shinji said hotly, shooting him a stern glare as Fuuka quietly set down the glass.
Ken's jaw clenched at that and that familiar stubborn look appeared on his face. Fuuka just sighed to herself. She needed to step in before Ken completely clammed up.
She reached out, placing her hand on Shinji's arm, halting him before he could offer a retort. Then she looked at Ken.
"Ken-kun, Shinji was just worried." Then she bit her lip before peeking at Ken. "I'm worried too…"
Ken huffed, folding his arms over his chest, "Okay, okay! How do you even do that…?"
"Do what?" Fuuka asked, doing her best to hide a smile.
"You know perfectly well what you're doing," Ken grumbled out, a pout forming on his face.
They then sat down together at the couch. Koromaru then climbed up to lie on their laps. Ken was quiet for several moments, as if he was collecting his thoughts. Fuuka couldn't help but fidget a little, watching Ken absentmindedly stroke Koromaru's fur.
"I've been… dreaming about what happened with Shido."
Fuuka tried not to wince. She had suspected that. But she was suddenly was snapped out of her thoughts as Koromaru started to growl.
"Do you need to talk about it, Ken-kun?" she asked carefully.
Ken just shrugged helplessly, "There's not much to talk about, Fuuka-san. Just that… Shido followed through on his threat to kill Shinjiro-san."
His voice cracked at the last part and he cut himself off. Tears filled his eyes before they silently trickled down his cheeks. Then he reached up, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand.
"It's so stupid… everything's fine. Because of the plan, we've bought some time to defeat Shido."
Fuuka reached out, touching Ken's cheek and turning his head to force him to look at her.
"How long has it been since you started having this nightmare?"
Ken looked down at Koromaru, who just let out a small whimper. He then stood up, licking at Ken's face.
"It's been three nights."
It wasn't hard to do the math. Fuuka's heart gave a painful squeeze.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Shinji asked, frowning.
Ken looked down, ashamed. "I put you through so much grief already. I didn't want to add to it…"
"Oh, Ken-kun…" Fuuka thought sadly to herself, feeling tears prick at her eyes.
"You're not a burden!" Shinji exclaimed. "I told you that already, yeah?"
"But—" Ken sighed. "It's just… stupid."
"It's not. You wanna know why Koro got our attention so easily? I woke Fuuka up with a nightmare too," Shinji said.
Ken's eyes widened, "You… you did?"
Shinji nodded firmly. "Yeah… been having nightmares too. I keep dreaming that Shido killed you with that damn device… and I lost my shit. Lost control over Aeneas."
Fuuka's breath hitched at that last part. He hadn't told her that.
"S-Shinjiro-san…" Ken stammered out.
"I hated seeing that bastard put you through that torture," Shinji muttered. "I keep thinking of how I failed."
Ken cried out, "You didn't fail! I mean… it's not your job to protect me."
"Dumbass..." Shinji deadpanned before reaching out to flick Ken in the forehead, making him yelp in pain.
Ken scowled, rubbing his forehead.
"Shinji, no hitting," Fuuka chided with a sigh.
Koromaru then barked, as if he was seconding her.
"Tch..." Shinji looked to Ken again. "My point is—you don't have to suffer, Ken. You can always come to us 'bout this."
Ken said softly, "Okay, and… I'm sorry I didn't think about you having nightmares too, Shinjiro-san."
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes. "I swear, you apologize way too much."
"Better that than too little." Ken huffed.
"Boys!" Fuuka couldn't help but laugh. "Can't you two behave?"
"I always behave, Fuuka-san…" Ken grumbled.
"That's bullshit."
"What did I just say?" Fuuka just shook her head.
"He started it…" Both Shinji and Ken complained at the same time.
"Uh-huh." Fuuka just sighed in response, shaking her head.
But despite herself, she felt a smile curl at her lips. She had really missed this.
"She's so small!"
Yukari chuckled before leaning to kiss Kaito's cheek. "You were this small once, Kaito."
She then cooed at Kiyomi, before smiling down at the infant as she slowly rocked Kiyomi in her arms.
"She's beautiful, Minako, Akihiko-senpai."
They had gathered in the penthouse of Kirijo Tower, while waiting for Shinji, Fuuka, and Ken to arrive. The suite was spacious, spacious enough for Mitsuru-senpai to live comfortably. But Kiyomi had captured everyone's attention—like new babies were prone to do.
Though Minako was honestly grateful that Kaito and Miyuki hadn't shown any jealousy towards their new cousin. In fact, they were absolutely fascinated with Kiyomi.
Suddenly, Kaito reached out to touch Kiyomi's cheek, but pulled back at the last moment. Minako giggled. Her nephew's hesitation was honestly adorable.
"It's okay, Kaito-kun. Just be gentle, okay? She's a very new baby so we can't be rough with her."
Kaito nodded before slowly stroking Kiyomi's cheek. Kiyomi stirred slightly at the touch but still remained fast asleep.
"Wow! Her cheek is like a cloud! It's so soft!" Kaito exclaimed, his eyes widening with wonder.
"She's smaller than my doll," Miyuki commented, her eyes wide with awe.
"You'll be good cousins to little Kiyomi-chan, won't you?" Yukari chuckled.
"Of course, Mommy!" Miyuki said, nodding eagerly.
Yukari then handed Kiyomi to Chidori, who had been patiently waiting her turn. The twins immediately followed Chidori.
Minako elbowed Yukari, giving her a playful smile. "It's like they have a new toy."
Yukari laughed. "Well, better that than them being jealous of the attention on Kiyomi-chan."
Minako just chuckled. Yukari noticed that as well, huh?
But then Yukari's expression becoming concerned before her eyes looked Minako up and down.
"How are you holding up, Minako?"
Minako just shrugged in response. "Sore and tired, but that's pretty normal, isn't it?"
Yukari reached out, squeezing Minako's shoulder. "I'm glad the birth went well."
Minako's eyes traveled over to Chidori, staring at the baby swaddled in blankets.
"Me too…" She said softly before she shook her head; she then looked up at her friend. "God, Yukari-chan, I really have to give you credit. For doing it with twins."
She shook her head.
"Not to mention Mom had to do this with me and Minato…" She thought ruefully.
Personally, she hoped that she never would have twin children. Giving birth to just one kid was hard enough work. Even with the epidural.
Yukari's eyes softened, her lips curving into an affectionate smile. Her eyes settled on the twins, who were still completely enamored with their baby cousin.
"It wasn't easy," she admitted. "But it was completely worth it."
"Would you like to hold her, Labrys?" Chidori asked, looking up to the android.
Labrys seem to find Kiyomi fascinating as well. Though it was completely understandable. This had to be the first time that Labrys got to see a newborn up close, after all.
Labrys looked flustered at the question, her cheeks even becoming tinged with pink.
"I... I dunno how though…"
Chidori just laughed, before smiling reassuringly at Labrys, "It's not hard, I promise. Junpei—can you take Kiyomi-chan for a moment?"
Junpei nodded and gingerly took Kiyomi from Chidori. She then stood up, patiently arranging Labrys's arms in the right position.
"Be sure to support her neck, she needs the extra help when she's so little," Chidori explained, before motioning for Junpei to come forward and ease Kiyomi into Labrys's arms.
Minako couldn't help but giggle. It was an awfully lot like how Aigis handled being asked about holding one of the twins—though she couldn't quite remember which it was. But then again, Aigis and Labrys were sisters after all.
"Aww… she's so cute!" Labrys giggled, even as her arms trembled.
"Why don't you sit down, Sister?" Aigis suggested. "You're shaking."
"O-Oh right…" Labrys gave Aigis a sheepish smile before sitting down.
Minako kept a watchful eye though; she trusted Labrys, but she didn't want Kiyomi to be dropped. Fortunately, Kiyomi so far was a fairly easy baby to take care of. She still remembered the twins were sometimes fussy, settling for nobody but Yukari to soothe them.
"She's really sleeping through this all, though." Mitsuru-senpai remarked, eyebrow raised.
"Reminds me of a certain someone," Junpei snickered.
Minako pulled a face at Junpei, before sticking her tongue out at him.
"Hey, I'm not bad!" she retorted.
Junpei just cracked a grin. "Didn't say it was you, Mina-tan!"
Minako opened her mouth to retort, when someone suddenly knocked on the door. A hush seemed to fall, before Labrys abruptly coughed.
"U-Um, shouldn't someone get the door?"
"Allow me," Kikuno-san said before answering the door, revealing that it was Shinji, Fuuka, Ken, and Koromaru.
For a moment, it seemed like nobody knew what to say. They all walked in together in silence. Even Koromaru was quiet. It was very uncomfortable. But then Junpei stood up, a big grin on his face.
"Shinjiro-senpai! Ken! Welcome back to Port Island! And what's up, Koromaru and Fuuka?"
This shattered the tension and Ken rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly.
"Hey, everyone," he said cautiously.
"Dibs on first hug!" Minako cried before wobbly standing on her feet.
"H-Hey, that's unfair, Mina-tan!" Junpei protested.
Minako stuck her tongue at her male best friend. "Suck it, Junpei!"
"Take it easy, Mina," Aki chided, stepping close to her.
Minako just flapped a hand at her husband before hurrying over Ken as quickly as she could. She then threw her arms around Ken. They stumbled a couple steps backwards but Minako didn't really care. It took Ken a moment to react but he slowly hugged her back, before mumbling out an apology.
Minako could feel tears stinging at her eyes.
She had known for days that Ken was okay. But it seemed to finally sink in. Aki and Shinji had really rescued him. He was okay. She hadn't gotten him killed because of her foolish idea.
"Minako-san, please don't cry." Ken's soft plea suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts.
Minako sniffled before using one arm to wipe at her eyes.
"I-I can't help it!" She sniffled. "I'm just glad that you're okay!"
Then she hugged him tighter. Yukari got to hug him next. Junpei then threw his arm around Ken's shoulders before dragging him into a tight hug.
"Oi, Iori, don't break Ken," Shinji suddenly interjected, giving Junpei an annoyed look. "He's pretty banged up."
"Banged up, how?" Mitsuru-senpai asked, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"It's not as bad as Shinjiro-san is trying to say—" Ken began.
"Not as bad?" Shinji repeated. "You—"
Fuuka quickly nudged him in the side before pointedly looking to the twins.
"I could've gotten my ribs broken," Ken said.
Minako didn't like the tone of his voice. It was too… calm. Even as he tried for a reassuring smile, it didn't meet his eyes.
"U-Um, what happened to you, Uncle Ken?" Miyuki piped up, her gray-blue eyes filled with curiosity.
Ken winced, before reaching up to brush his bangs out of his face.
"I uhh… I fell down a flight of stairs?" he offered feebly.
Shinji just shot him an incredulous look for the sucky lie, but Kaito just cocked his head.
"But… you're not clumsy like Uncle Junpei," he pointed out.
"At least he didn't hit his head?" Miyuki said.
"H-Hey, I resent that!" Junpei cried out. "I am not that clumsy!"
The identical skeptical looks her niece and nephew shot Junpei was enough to make him sputter, making Minako giggle.
"Yuka-tan!" He whined, whirling to face the actress. "This is all your fault!"
Yukari's eyes narrowed before she pointed at him. "Um, how is this my fault? You are a klutz!"
"See, Mommy agrees!" Miyuki chimed in with a sunny smile.
"Aha!" Junpei pointed at Miyuki. "Exhibit A!"
Yukari huffed, unimpressed. "What kind of convoluted logic is that, Ace Defective?!"
"You're corrupting sweet Miyu-tan!"
"Since when is she sweet?" Shinji scoffed.
Miyuki just pouted at that, drawing several laughs.
"You're mean, Uncle Shinji!" she complained.
Yukari just laughed before patting her on the head.
"Aw, honey, Uncle Shinji is always mean," she said.
Yukari shot Shinji a mischievous smile, even as he glared at her.
Kaito frowned before trotting over to Ken. He looked up at him with curious eyes.
"But Uncle Ken—if you have a boo-boo, do you need it kissed better?" he pointed out.
Shinji just scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Yeah, I bet he only wants Makoto to do t—"
"Shut up, Shinjiro-san!" Ken's face reddened at that.
So teasing Ken about Makoto was a good way to embarrass him, huh? She'd have to remember that.
"It's not nice to say 'shut up', Uncle Ken!" Miyuki scolded, hands on her hips.
Minako just giggled to herself. Oh, she missed this… so much. Despite the circumstances, it was pretty nice to have everyone together.
"Yeah, Ken," Shinji said smugly, earning an annoyed glare from Ken.
Fuuka rested her hand on his arm, a disapproving frown on her face. "Shinji, stop picking on Ken-kun!"
"You always take his side," Shinji grumbled.
"Because I'm right!" Ken said childishly.
"Boys!" This time Fuuka-san swatted at both Ken and Shinji, her expression exasperated.
But that sudden movement caught Minako's eyes. Was there something… sparkling on Fuuka's finger? She glanced at Yukari, who pointedly glanced at Fuuka. Minako just grinned.
"So… Yukari-chan noticed too?" She chuckled to herself.
"Sooo… Shinjiro-senpai?" Yukari's voice turned saccharine sweet, her lips curving into an innocent smile. "Do you have any news to tell us?"
"Oh, hel—uh… help!" Shinji belatedly corrected himself from cursing in front of the twins. He then shot Yukari an annoyed look. "Takeba, you don't have to be so coy. It's annoying."
"What are you talking about?" Chidori asked, blinking in confusion.
Fuuka blushed, looking both embarrassed and pleased at the same time.
"U-Um, Shinji proposed last night," she said shyly.
To punctuate her point, she held up her hand. Ken just gave them a slight smile before they all bombarded the new couple with congratulations.
"It's about time!" Aki said.
"I must second this," Aigis chimed in with a nod.
"Congratulations, Fuuka-san, Shinjiro-san!" Labrys exclaimed.
"Oh, go to—" Shinji then cut himself off again; he glanced at the twins before glaring back at everyone. "Shut up, all of you."
Koromaru suddenly barked several times, drawing both Labrys and Aigis's attentions.
"Did Koro-chan say something about Shinjiro-senpai and Fuuka?" Yukari asked.
Aigis nodded again. "That would be correct. He says that he wishes to congratulate them for something that should've happened a long time ago."
"You too, Koro?!" Shinji groaned, making Junpei snicker.
Another series of barks. Labrys giggled, before holding a hand to her mouth.
"What now?" Shinji grumbled out.
Labrys giggled one more time. "Uhh... well, Koro-chan is sayin' that he can't wait to meet your first puppy—er… baby I mean."
"Yeah, better hop to it," Minako teased, before flashing them a cheeky grin.
"Shut it!"
"That's not nice either, Uncle Shinji!" Miyuki said in disapproval, planting her hands on her hips. "You and Uncle Ken are being naughty today!"
Shinji just growled in frustration but Fuuka giggled. At least one of them had a sense of humor. But something suddenly struck Minako and she whirled around to face Junpei.
"Oh, Junpei~!" Minako said in a sing-song voice. "PAY UP!"
"Not again!" Junpei complained, letting out an exasperated groan.
"You seriously bet over this?!" Shinji demanded.
Ken said drolly, "You're surprised?"
"I'm quite pleased to hear this as well..." Mitsuru-senpai chimed in before Shinji could come up with a retort to Ken's snarky comment.
Though honestly, Minako was a little relieved. At least Ken was feeling a little sassy. Mitsuru-senpai suddenly cracked an amused smile, before she arched a brow at Shinji.
"It has been months, no?" she asked teasingly.
"You too, Mitsuru?!"
Minako couldn't help but snicker as Shinji's face slowly grew redder and redder. Fuuka just giggled, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss against his cheek.
"It was worth the wait, Shinji," she said with a sincere smile.
"I…I'm glad." he stammered out.
Minako and the others could fluster Shinjiro with teasing and banter, but Fuuka didn't need that. All she needed was just being sweet little Fuuka.
Kaito tugged at Yukari's shirt. "Mommy, what's the big deal?"
Yukari just smiled. "Uncle Shinji and Auntie Fuuka are getting married."
"Oh..." Kaito then blinked. "Aren't they kinda married already?"
Miyuki nodded. "Yeah, Uncle Aki says that Uncle Shinji acts like a housewife."
"I do not!" Shinji snarled out, before glaring at Aki.
"I mean, you cook like a dream, you clean…" Minako began teasingly.
"SHUT UP!"
She just winked at Fuuka, ignoring Shinji's outburst. Not like she could help it. It was really too fun to pick on Shinji.
"You've landed a catch."
Fuuka just smiled gently. "I know."
Shinji somehow turned even redder at the compliment. Shinji really made it way too easy.
It was in that moment, Kiyomi suddenly started to cry. She wasn't a loud baby, but she was a squirmy one when she cried. She wriggled in Labrys's arms, who struggled to keep her in her arms.
"W-What did I do?!" Labrys squeaked out, suddenly freezing up.
"Nothing, it's probably that she's hungry." Minako stood up, taking her baby back.
"Are you going to feed her your boobie milk?" Kaito asked.
"KAITO!" Yukari scolded, hands on her hips.
"Hey, it's true," Minako said with a wink all while bouncing Kiyomi gently.
"MINAKO!" she cried out. "Don't encourage him!"
"Too late for that..." Aki mumbled out.
Minako just giggled. "Hey, Mitsuru-senpai, do you—"
"You can use the dining room," Mitsuru-senpai quickly interrupted.
Minako flashed her a smile in thanks before hurrying to the dining room. She closed the door behind her before she pulled up a chair, sinking into it. Kiyomi's cries were dwindling to whimpers as Minako unbuttoned her shirt, just enough so she could feed Kiyomi.
"Are you hungry, sweetie?" She cooed, before guiding Kiyomi to latch onto her breast.
It was still an odd sensation to get used to. But it was also soothing at the same time. She stroked the fine hairs on the top of Kiyomi's head as she drank her fill.
She finally stopped feeding, so Minako burped her before rocking her back to sleep. She quickly fell back asleep.
She smiled down at Kiyomi before rebuttoning her top.
"Sleepy already, huh?" She whispered, "You should cherish your naptimes, sweetie."
A sudden knock on the door made Minako look up.
"Um, Minako-san? Can I come in?"
Minako shifted her grip on Kiyomi so she could hold her baby more comfortably. "Oh Ken-kun, come in. I just finished feeding Kiyo-chan."
Ken gently pushed the door open but he still hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. Minako smiled at him, nodding at the chair next to her. Normally she would've patted it, but her hands were full at the moment.
"We'll need to keep our voices down—he just fell asleep. But is there something you wanna talk about?" she asked lightly once he did sit down.
He stared down at his lap, staying quiet for several moments. It honestly made Minako think of the first time she invited Ken out to grab dinner with her.
"I'm sorry for what happened on the nineteenth," Ken said finally before he looked to Kiyomi.
Minako frowned. She didn't think Ken would seek her out privately to apologize.
"Don't be..." Minako said gently.
"But—"
"Ah, ah, ah! It's not polite to interrupt!" Minako chided lightly with a finger wag.
Ken just shot her an incredulous look, but Minako giggled. She had to admit, she missed teasing Ken like this. It was different, having him sit next to her, instead of talking to him over the phone or a video call.
"Seriously, Ken-kun, don't beat yourself up over this." Minako said gently. "I won't lie… it was pretty stressful. We had to trust Aki and Shinji that they'd be able to save you. But you're safe now. We need to monitor things, but the doctors say that Kiyo-chan is perfectly healthy."
Her eyes softened, before tracing a finger gently against the curve of Kiyomi's cheek.
Minako couldn't help but joke, "She just wanted to meet everyone early."
Ken just smiled at that. "You know, Ren said something similar to that."
"I can't wait to meet him," Minako said sincerely, only to flash Ken a mischievous smile. "Speaking of people I can't wait to meet… Makoto-chan is on the top of the list."
Ken groaned, "Minako-san..."
But then a devious thought suddenly struck Minako. Ken seemed to catch on, given how he let out an exasperated sigh.
"You know, if you really wanted to make it up to me, you could always give me Makoto-chan's number!" she whispered excitedly, winking at Ken.
"That's not happening!" Ken exclaimed quietly as his face flushed pink.
Minako chuckled to herself. It was really too fun to tease Ken. He had the most adorable reactions.
"Why not?" Minako pouted at that.
"You know perfectly well why."
"Do I?" Minako asked innocently.
Ken just grumbled, his face now turning red. "You're awful."
Minako just blew him a kiss. "Aww, you know you love me!"
"And I question why…" he huffed out, now pouting.
Minako just laughed before standing up. "Come on, we do need to get back to the others."
But when they stepped back to the living room, Minako noticed that her niece and nephew were absent. She was about to ask where they were, when Kikuno-san suddenly reappeared.
"Kaito-kun and Miyuki-chan have been settled into the entertainment room, Lady Mitsuru," Kikuno-san announced. "They are now being entertained with the Destiny movie they've selected."
"Thank you, Kikuno." Mitsuru-senpai smiled in gratitude. "Could you see what paperwork I will have to handle after this meeting?"
"Of course, Lady Mitsuru."
She then bowed before exiting the penthouse, presumably to check up on Mitsuru-senpai's workload.
Minako set Kiyomi into the baby carrier on the floor, freeing her hands. She then settled on the sofa in between Aki and Junpei, but then Junpei leaned in close.
"Sooo… did you get any info outta Ken yet?" he asked, grinning.
Chidori, who was perched on the armrest next to Junpei, leaned in and gently swatted the back of his head.
"Ouch! Chidorita!"
"Junpei..." She gave her husband a disapproving frown.
"Unfortunately, no." Minako sighed, shaking her head.
But then her lips quirked up in a grin, before glancing to Ken who was sitting next to Shinji.
"But the day is still young."
Yukari, who was leaning against the side of the couch, just shook her head. But Minako didn't missed the amused grin on her face.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ken asked warily.
"You can't guess, Ken-kun? Really?" Yukari chortled, her brown eyes dancing in amusement.
"I believe Minako-san and Junpei-san seek the 'dirt' on your relationship with Makoto-san," Aigis droned, "They've wished for it for quite some time."
"That would be correct~!" Minako said gleefully.
"That's—" Ken sputtered before turning bright red. "That's none of your business!"
Junpei grinned wickedly. "Oh no, Ken. We've been waiting for this. For so long. We're not dropping this!"
"Ain't that Aki's line?" Shinji asked, even as an amused smirk tugged at his lips.
Ken glared at Shinji as Aki sputtered out a protest.
"Aw, honey, you know it's true," Minako teased, nudging her husband in the ribs.
"Can't forget…" Junpei cleared his throat before attempting to mimic Aki's voice: "'Didja see that, Shinji?!'"
"Shut up! That was seven years ago!" Aki protested, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red.
"I really hate you all," Ken muttered, a sulky pout forming on his face.
"Love you too," Minako sang out, punctuating it with a wink.
But Ken continued to pout, not willing to be consoled even as Fuuka patted his hand.
"Aww, you don't have to pout, Ken-kun," Yukari teased, her brown eyes dancing with amusement.
"I'm not pouting!" Ken protested, a whine in his voice.
Mitsuru-senpai coughed but her eyes were sparkling with barely suppressed humor. "I'm afraid you are, Amada."
"Not you too, Mitsuru-san!"
Labrys just blinked. "Why do you care about Ken-kun datin' so much?"
"It's so they can embarrass the hell out of him," Shinji deadpanned.
"I mean… he's not lying." Minako thought, amused.
Aki scoffed, "You act like you haven't embarrassed him about Makoto, Shinji. You complained to me about all the times you've walked in on them."
"That was three times!" Ken snapped, glaring at Shinji.
"Three times?" Minako echoed, snickering as Ken's blush darkened.
"Ohhh, Ken's really grown up!" Junpei cackled.
Minako just giggled, holding a hand over her mouth. The wait was so worth it, in Minako's opinion. Though she could've done without Ken's constant excuses that he had homework when she tried to fish for info before.
Chidori once again swatted at Junpei, this time at his shoulder. She gave him a frown, making Junpei grumble.
"You should really stop teasing him as much," she admonished. "It looks like poor Ken-kun will combust at any minute."
"I agree." Fuuka nodded. "Isn't it more important that he's happy?"
At her last comment, Ken's expression turned bashful. Minako just grinned.
"Aww, that's so cute!" she chuckled to herself.
"So you're saying you're not the tiniest bit curious, Fuuka?" Junpei asked.
He even held up his hand, his thumb and index finger just centimeters apart to emphasize his point.
"Umm… well…" Fuuka cracked a sheepish smile.
She didn't even have to say it. Her body language broadcast it all too clearly.
"I believe that would be a negative," Aigis droned.
"Fuuka-san!" Ken's voice turned outraged. "You too?!"
"We want the dirt, Ken-kun!" Minako laughed.
"You're outvoted, Ken!" Junpei snickered. "So spill it!"
Ken sputtered out, "Since when were we voting on this?! You can't make me tell!"
"You could always ask Shinji," Aki said dryly.
Shinji just rolled his eyes in response, ignoring the death glare Ken was shooting Aki.
"What do you want me to say—they constantly suck face when they think I'm not looking?" He deadpanned.
"That is not true!" Ken objected, even as his face turned as red as Mitsuru-senpai's hair.
"I'm honestly surprised that you two don't play footsie in front of me—"
"Shinjiro-san!"
But then Aigis's expression turned thoughtful. "Perhaps, it would be prudent to educate Ken-san on contraceptives, then?"
All blood drained out of his face at Aigis's comment. Minako had to bite her lip so she wouldn't start laughing. Though Ken was making it really hard with his reaction.
"N-No! That is not necessary!" He began to wave his hands frantically. "We're not planning on doing anything like that—!"
"Pffft, like hook-ups are planned," Junpei snorted out.
Chidori blushed, suddenly fidgeting.
"Well… Junpei is right…" she said sheepishly.
"Especially within your age bracket." Minako said with a grin.
"That's… mmmnhh…" Ken just let out an embarrassed groan, hiding his still red face in his hands.
"Everyone, that's enough," Mitsuru-senpai suddenly spoke up. "While I can't deny that this is… important…"
She abruptly coughed, her cheeks flushing.
"However, we do have other matters to handle right now."
At Mitsuru-senpai's reminder, everyone tensed up.
"Seriously, what's the full story?" Labrys asked. "We know bits and pieces, but we've been kinda in the dark this whole time."
Aigis frowned. "I would like to know as well…"
"Start with the beginning, Amada," Mitsuru-senpai said, her voice imperious.
It was phrased as a request, but they all knew better. Ken just nodded.
"As you wish, Mitsuru-san," he murmured.
Ken explained that Makoto had managed to talk down her sister's Shadow, allowing them to spring the trap. But that's when everything went wrong.
Minako couldn't help but glance over to Aki, who tensed up as Ken explained the events leading to his capture. He was gripping his kneecaps. Minako reached out, placing her hand over his. The tension in Aki's shoulders reduced and he tried to smile weakly at her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Fuuka doing something similar for Shinji.
"That's horrible…" Chidori murmured. "To shoot Futaba-chan, all to manipulate Ken-kun…"
"Trust me, at least one of the assholes paid for it," Shinji hissed, his hands clenching into fists.
"What did you do, Shinjiro-san?" Labrys frowned in puzzlement.
Mitsuru-senpai just pinched the bridge of her nose. "Please tell me you didn't do anything illegal."
Aki just snorted with laughter. When Mitsuru-senpai shot him an annoyed glare, he just grinned.
"Come on, Mitsuru. I mean, Ken's been running around with the Phantom Thieves which isn't the most legal thing to do. And besides, that we pretty much broke in and entered without consent to steal back Ken. I think that's the least of your worries."
Mitsuru-senpai's expression turned exasperated.
She demanded, "Is that supposed to reassure me, Akihiko?"
"They deserved it…" Shinji huffed.
"Too bad you didn't get a video of it," Junpei joked.
Mitsuru-senpai glared at him, making him shrink under her gaze. "Not you too, Iori!"
Yukari sighed. "Anyways, we're gonna be here for a while if we keep this up."
"You're right, Yukari." Mitsuru-senpai then sighed. "I'm sorry, Amada, but do you think you can continue?"
Ken just nodded in response. He was quiet for a moment though, rubbing his arm. Minako's heart clenched at the sight of his pained expression.
"There's not much more to say. I… traded myself for Futaba. I bluffed, claiming that I was the second-in-command. I just… I needed them to let her go."
Koromaru whimpered at that, rubbing his head against Ken's hand. Ken took in a shuddering breath, taking a moment to pet Koromaru.
Minako just winced. Didn't Ken try to protect Fuuka similarly, back during that awful night? She glanced at Shinji, who was trying—but failing—to hide his grimace. That pretty much confirmed it for Minako.
"What about the moment they… drugged you?" Aki asked carefully.
Besides her, Junpei grasped Chidori's hand. Chidori just looked to him sadly.
Chidori's memories of what happened… were hazy. But she mostly remembered her time with Junpei. Personally, Minako thought it was for the best. Chidori's time with Strega had been… painful.
"It's… It's hard to describe," Ken said slowly, before he bit his lip. "But… it felt like my blood had turned to ice. It was suddenly so cold… and I could feel Kala-Nemi cut off from me. Then everything went black."
Koromaru growled at that, and he didn't calm down until Ken started to pet him again. It was quiet for a few moments. It was a lot to digest.
"That's way different than how it felt for me." Shinji muttered.
"I see…" Mitsuru-senpai's lips formed a thin line.
"So, what happened afterwards?" Yukari asked quickly, obviously looking to change the subject.
Shinji sighed, rubbing his jaw. "Guess it's my and Aki's turn to talk then."
Aki started first, explaining that they met with the Phantom Thieves to come up with a plan.
"Blackmailing the man who perfected it into an art…" Chidori mused. "Quite fitting, if you ask me."
"Doesn't explain why you took Makoto and Ryuji with you," Ken grumbled, shooting Shinjiro-san an accusatory look.
Shinji just huffed in response, "Try saying no to 'em. They could give Minako a run for her money, when it comes to stubbornness."
"I'm not sure if I should be offended or impressed," Minako joked.
But still, Minako couldn't help but feel a little satisfied when Shinji and Aki described the beatdown they gave Shido's goons. They deserved it. Especially the asshole who gloated about being the one to abduct Ken in the first place.
"It was kinda a good thing that we brought Makoto and Ryuji—" Aki cut himself off, so he could shoot Ken an exasperated look. "Stop looking at me like that, Ken. If they weren't there, we might not have found out the exact drug they used. We had Morgana track down Ken for us since he's small and easy to miss. Besides, Futaba was able to cover all our tracks."
"I still don't like how you brought her too." Ken glared.
"We needed her to cover our tracks like Aki said. Ryuji and Makoto stayed with her to keep her safe. All of them insisted on coming. Nothing any of us said would have stopped them. You know that better than anyone." Shinji glared back.
This made Ken falter, before he stared down at the floor.
"Do you think that Shido will name all of his men though?" Chidori said, before she shivered, "If not… we may still be dealing with some troublesome people."
Ken frowned. "He should."
But he spoke haltingly. Minako sighed to herself. She couldn't blame Ken for being unsure, but at the same time, it wasn't exactly reassuring.
"Let's not focus on that," Yukari spoke up.
Mitsuru-senpai nodded. "Yukari's right."
"But that means that some of the Kirijo scientists went to Shido…" Fuuka said.
Mitsuru-senpai just let out a weary sigh. Minako couldn't help but wince. She knew that her friend still took her family's dark history so hard.
Mitsuru-senpai tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm not surprised, honestly… many of the employees disagreed with Father's changes and even more disagreed with the direction I took the Kirijo Group."
"That's not all, Mitsuru," Shinji spoke up.
Of course not… Minako had to fight the urge to grumble.
"Elaborate, then..." Mitsuru-senpai commanded, before crossing her legs.
Aki said, "They recognized Shinji and me. And he talked all creepy… like he was one of those assholes who…"
He trailed off, not willing to say it. Mitsuru-senpai just sighed softly.
"Your hypothesis is that he was one of those scientists who operated on me when I had just awakened to Penthesilia, correct?"
Aki and Shinji reluctantly nodded.
"He was talking about experimenting on Ken," Shinji spat out.
Everyone let out quiet gasps. All looking disgusted or horrified. But just then, a terrible thought suddenly struck Minako.
"Oh God! Do you think that he would've asked to experiment on Ren-kun's body then?" Minako couldn't help but ask anxiously.
"Wait you mean… dissect him like he's some kind of dead frog in science class?!" Junpei asked with disgust.
Ken blanched at that, before wrapping an arm around himself. Minako couldn't help but feel dismayed at that. Ken was just so… so withdrawn. It made Minako's heart ache to see. It almost made her think of the little boy he once was, someone who didn't trust anyone.
"Can we not discuss this?" he asked quietly.
Minako cringed, before mentally kicking herself for voicing her thoughts. Of course he wouldn't want to hear this kind of hypothesis about his friend.
"S-Sorry," she quickly apologized.
"Yeah... me too." Junpei nodded sadly.
Aigis frowned. "I apologize, Ken-san… but we need you to fill in some holes. As in when you first were roused…"
Ken slowly nodded, "Right. I woke up handcuffed to some sort of hospital bed? One of Shido's men came to get me and took me to Shido. He tried to… butter me up, I guess? Claiming that you guys were all dragging me down."
"Why would Shido wanna do that?" Labrys frowned.
Ken just shrugged.
"Because he wanted an insider? I honestly have no idea."
"It's not a bad hypothesis, Amada," Mitsuru-senpai admitted, even as she grimaced from the implications. "If he got you to agree… then he would know our secrets. If you denied him, he'd still have you as a bargaining chip."
"He might have demanded Sister and I as a tradeoff," Aigis mused before a heavier frown tugged at her lips. "After all… what is a human life compared to two machines?"
Minako's stomach twisted into knots at that. Shido getting his hands on Aigis and Labrys would've been a nightmare. Shido would turn them into murderous machines without hesitation; she still remembered how soulless Aigis's eyes had been when Ikutsuki had taken control of her. She couldn't help but think of how that would crush their spirits if that had happened to them.
Junpei immediately interjected, "That's bullshit! You and Labrys are sure a lot more human than the bastard."
"Junpei-san…" Labrys's eyes widened at that; she looked ridiculously happy at his statement.
"I…" Aigis closed her eyes. "Thank you, Junpei-san."
There was an awkward cough, they looked to see it was Aki.
"We're getting a little off topic though," he remarked.
"Akihiko is right." Mitsuru-senpai then waved a hand at Ken. "Amada, if you will."
Ken sighed. "Right… I-I don't know how but he knew about the incident where Mom died. He…"
Then his eyes hardened, his hands clenching around his kneecaps.
"He tried to insist that Mom would be ashamed of me…"
Ouch. Minako couldn't help but cringe. Ken's mom was still a sensitive topic with him. He even struggled with talking about her even now.
"And he… implied that Akechi was my cousin," Ken mumbled out.
"Whaaat?!" Yukari gasped. "That's crazy talk!"
She had to agree with Yukari personally. Ken and Akechi were like polar opposites… There was just no way that it was true.
"Mm-hm," Ken mumbled out, but he didn't look convinced.
"Ken, we've talked about this," Aki chided.
"I know, I know!" Ken sighed, before rubbing at his face. "Doesn't mean I still can't be freaked out at the idea…"
Mitsuru-senpai pursed her lips, her expression concerned.
"Let's move on," she suggested. "Amada, what else happened?"
Ken suddenly found the floor fascinating.
"And I got mad at him, for trying to force me into joining him. I egged him on—called attention to his disgusting behavior and he…"
"That's when he used that electroshock device on you," Shinji finished for Ken, his voice tense.
"He WHAT?!" Minako shouted.
For a moment, Minako saw red.
"That bastard! That low-life, self-serving, sadistic piece of shit!" she seethed to herself.
"H-Hey, calm down, Minako!" Yukari said in a shaky voice, reaching out to touch Minako's shoulder.
"This is bullshit!" Junpei spat out, his eyes darkening with anger. "Just who does he think he is?!"
"There is an upside to this..." Aki said hastily. "Ken ended up awakening to an entirely new Persona! In the real world no less! Caught Shido totally off guard."
Junpei's eyes just about bugged out of his sockets. Everyone glanced at Ken with surprise, save for Mitsuru-senpai, Shinji, and Aki.
"Wait a sec… Kala-Nemi changed to another Persona?!" Junpei exclaimed.
Ken slowly nodded. "My new Persona is Tyr."
"Tyr…" Mitsuru-senpai repeated, stroking her chin. "That's a Norse god, no?"
Minako nodded. "That sounds about right. I think… it's the Norse war god?"
"Hey, you're the mythology encyclopedia, not us," Junpei quipped.
Minako rolled her eyes before grabbing a throw pillow and throwing it at Junpei.
"H-Hey, come on, don't be immature!" Yukari rebuked.
Junpei just laughed heartily before grinning at Yukari. "Aw, lighten up, Yuka-tan! Don't be a sourpuss!"
Chidori giggled. "We could use some lightening up, in my opinion."
Junpei gave a thumbs-up to his wife in triumph, before giving Yukari a smug smile.
"See, Chidorita agrees with me!" he gloated.
Yukari just scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Chidori thinks you've hung the moon."
"And yet he's the whipped one," Minako said in a stage whisper.
"H-Hey, I object to that!" Junpei whined with a pout.
"Objection denied," Minako said.
"Rude!" Junpei cried out, drawing laughter from some of the people present in the room.
Minako couldn't help but grin, seeing that Ken was one of them. It was nice to see him loosen up a little. Of course, it would probably take some time for him to completely get over his trauma, but still it was a relief to see.
"But what happened next?" Labrys asked eagerly.
Aigis commented, "We do keep getting distracted…"
"And before we forget—Ken summoned without using an Evoker in the real world!" Aki added, flashing Ken a proud smile.
Ken's face flushed pink, but this time his blush was out of happiness. Minako couldn't help but giggle. He was really too adorable.
Shinji then smirked before saying smugly, "Threw Shido for a loop. Served that bastard right."
"You've really come a long way, Ken-kun!" Yukari complimented, beaming at Ken.
Fuuka just smiled, "He really has."
"You guys…" Ken said with an embarrassed smile.
"Gotta make up with all the teasing you got before." Labrys said teasingly.
"Labrys-san!"
"What? It's true."
Ken just fell against the sofa with a huff.
"Never change, Ken-kun." Minako thought with an affectionate smile.
They couldn't help but laugh as Ken began pouting.
"All's well ends well, I suppose," Mitsuru-senpai said with a smile.
Aigis then tapped her shoulder. "Mitsuru-san, shall I check up on the delivery?"
"Yes, Aigis, if you would."
"Delivery?" Fuuka asked, tilting her head.
"Mitsuru-san ordered sushi to celebrate," Labrys chimed in.
"Sushi?!" Ken gaped at Mitsuru-senpai. "For what?"
"For what?" The CEO just raised an eyebrow, an amused smile tugging at her lips, "For several things. One, this is the first time we've all been together in the longest time. Two, Kiyomi's birth. And three… your triumph over Shido. And while it was unexpected, Shinjiro and Yamagishi are now engaged."
"This is a little premature!" Ken protested.
"Come on, Ken-kun, I know that you still have to beat Shido for good, but Mitsuru-senpai's got a point!" Yukari said.
Minako exclaimed, "Yeah, let's feast! I haven't gotten to eat sushi for ages!"
"Oh that's right—raw fish isn't the best thing for pregnant women to eat," Chidori mused.
Minako pulled a face. Okay, she didn't get to eat sushi a whole lot, but she loved it. The diet restrictions had sucked.
"Besides, you do need to eat, Ken-kun," Fuuka gently reminded.
"Especially since your blood is gonna get drawn at the appointment," Shinji seconded.
Ken pulled a face; he wasn't afraid of needles per say, but he had always hated getting his blood drawn. But then again—who could blame him for that?
Mitsuru-senpai suddenly straightened up. "Speaking of that, the labs have been analyzing the sample Akihiko brought back with him. The scientists believe that since he was only given a single dosage, Amada should be fine."
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
"That means we have more to celebrate!" Junpei cheered, tapping his fist against his palm.
"One track mind…" Yukari sighed, shaking her head.
"Stop being a killjoy, Yuka-tan!" Junpei pouted.
As fun as it had to be with everyone… it had sadly come to an end. Shinjiro-san ended up taking Ken alone. Fuuka-san had to work; fortunately, she occasionally had to work from home and this was one of those days. So she took Koromaru back with her, while Ken and Shinjiro-san went to the hospital.
Ken honestly hated the hospital. There was just a stifling atmosphere to it. And it just reminded him of the time that Shinjiro-san had to be hooked up to machines, stuck in between a limbo of life and death.
They ran several tests. They first gave him a general examination—he was due one anyways—before drawing some blood to analyze. They then put him through some ultrasound tests, so they could check for any organ failure.
They also tested his reflexes and to his annoyance, Ken found himself reacting slower than usual.
But the doctor finally set his pen down, smiling kindly at Ken.
"You're all set now, Amada-kun. I'll step out so you can change into your clothes. When you exit the door, just turn left and go straight down to the end of the hall. That door will take you to the waiting room. "
After thanking the doctor and biding him farewell, Ken heaved himself off the examination table. He changed into his street clothes, folding the gown neatly and setting it onto the examination table. He followed the doctor's instructions and stepped out to the waiting room.
He noticed Shinjiro-san was already signing the paperwork at the front desk. He walked up to Shinjiro-san just as his guardian handed the paperwork back to the secretary.
"Ready to go?" He asked.
Ken nodded before following him outside. Shinjiro-san suddenly reached into his pocket, pulling out a ziplock bag filled with some slices of dried persimmon and holding it out to Ken.
"You had blood drawn. You need some sugar in you," he instructed.
Ken slowly took the bag from him. He opened it and picked out one piece to nibble on before they headed for the car.
Though he couldn't help but think how everyone else was doing, back in Tokyo. They were still trying to figure out the keywords for Shido's Palace, but Ken couldn't help but wonder.
Plus everyone here was pretty much working… the only exceptions were Akihiko-san and Minako-san (who were now on paternal/maternal leave) and Yukari-san (who was most likely spending time with the twins).
They were driving for just a few minutes, when Shinjiro-san suddenly spoke.
"Do you wanna walk around?" Shinjiro-san asked, "Like around Paulownia Mall. It's past three—you won't get bugged by truancy officers if they see you wandering around."
Ken blinked, "Um… what brought this on?"
Shinjiro-san kept his eyes on the road but he shrugged.
"Just thought you might be bored. And you've been away for five months. Thought it'd be good for you."
Ken frowned. "I… I suppose. Maybe I can walk Koromaru too then?"
"If that's what you want."
Maybe he could visit Mom while he was at it. He hadn't visited her since right before they had left for Tokyo. Or maybe he should wait until tomorrow… he should pay respects to her.
But then he realized that Shinjiro-san was waiting for a response.
"What are you going to do then?" Ken asked, feeling curious.
Shinjiro-san shrugged. "I'll figure something out. Maybe make something nice for Fuuka after… last night."
Ken just raised an eyebrow. "Are you even gonna tell me how exactly you proposed to Fuuka-san last night?"
He had been happy for Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san when they told him that they were engaged. But Shinjiro-san refused to explain how exactly it happened.
Shinjiro-san's cheeks suddenly flushed. "Maybe in ten years."
"Better than what Minako-san will get, I suppose," Ken quipped.
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes. "Oh she's never finding out."
Ken raised an eyebrow. "That bad, huh?"
"Shuddup."
It wasn't long until they arrived to the apartment. Koromaru was thrilled at the prospect at a walk—Ken had to wonder if Fuuka-san didn't always have time to walk Koromaru. When it was the three of them living together, they all took turns between their work. That thought was honestly sad.
Koromaru's happy yip snapped Ken out of his musings. He tugged at the leash, obviously impatient to get a move on.
"Have you missed this, Koromaru?" Ken asked.
Koromaru barked once.
"I'll take that as a yes." Ken chuckled.
It was nice to walk around Port Island again, though. It was nice to visit Bookworms too. It was much cozier than the bookstore in Shibuya. Minako-san had invited him here a couple times to browse with her. The owners were acquainted with her and were delighted to see him. They didn't mind Koromaru coming in either (in fact Bunkichi-san liked to feed Koromaru snacks), given how well behaved he was.
Ken noticed that a couple books from the Timid Teacher series were in stock. He remembered Makoto mentioning that she read it several years ago but had been meaning to buy the entire series. She was currently reading the sequel series. He bought the books, figuring that he could give it to her when he came back to Tokyo.
"Say hello to Minako-chan for us!" Bunkichi-san said cheerfully, waving goodbye.
"And tell her to be sure to bring her little baby some time!" Mitsuko-san chimed in.
"I will, thank you," Ken said with a smile.
Ken picked up a couple more gifts—a used video game for Ren's gaming system, a manga volume that Ryuji mentioned that had sold out a few weeks ago, and a box of sweets for Anne. He was wondering what to get Yusuke, Futaba, and Haru. Perhaps with Yusuke, he should just get him a gift card to a fast-food chain. He was terrible with money, but at least he could waste some on food instead of… whatever the heck Yusuke wasted money on.
But then Koromaru suddenly perked up and barked, interrupting him from his thoughts.
Ken blinked in confusion before looked in the direction Koromaru was looking.
Then he froze.
It was two of his old friends back in soccer club, Kazuki and Daichi. They had been in soccer club since the eighth grade, but unlike Ken, they had stuck with soccer this year.
Kazuki was the leaner out of the two, with dark blue hair and gray eyes. Daichi was built more stockily with brown hair that stuck up everywhere.
Things had… become awkward after he dropped soccer. So he had just buried himself into his studies. If he had to give up his extracurricular activities, he might as well go all out. But now Ken wondered if he could've stuck with it. After all, he could juggle Phantom Thief work and helping out Makoto with student council duties with no problem.
But he was abruptly yanked out of his thoughts.
"KEN?!"
Daichi really didn't know how to use an inside voice.
Ken tried not to cringe at the people who turned and stared. It was awkward. At least it was in the strip mall, not Paulownia Mall. That would've been more of a disaster, given how it was the preferred hangout for Gekkoukan students.
"Wait—Amada-kun?!"
"It's really him, isn't it?!"
Ugh. Not this again… The girls at Shujin pretty much backed off once he and Makoto were open about their relationship, much to his relief. But far as these girls knew, he was single.
Kazuki shot Daichi his are-you-serious look before grabbing him by the arm and towing him over to Ken.
"It's about time we found you!" Kazuki said loudly, his voice cracking ever so slightly.
Without warning, he dropped Daichi's arm and grabbed Ken's arm, dragging him towards Wild-Duck. Ken tried not to cringe as his ribs protested the sudden movement, giving a painful twinge. They were healing a lot faster due to the healing magic, but Ken still felt really sore.
Kazuki continued to talk loudly, "Nothing to see here! Ken's just visiting because Minako-san had her baby!"
Wait how did he—oh. Right, Kazuki's mom worked as a nurse in the maternity ward. She must've seen Minako-san on one of her shifts.
Once they were inside, Kazuki let go of Ken's arm.
He then raised an eyebrow. "You are here for Minako-san, right?"
Ken just nodded sheepishly.
"Seriously, man, not even a heads-up text that you're coming back?" Daichi grumbled, shooting Ken a glare. "You never touch your FaceStory, never mind RapidGram! You might as well have gone to America, not Tokyo. How the hell were we supposed to expect you?!"
Koromaru then barked, headbutting Daichi's leg. Daichi just laughed, kneeling down to give Koromaru a scratch behind the ear.
"Hey, Koromaru! I'm guessing you missed this guy too, huh?" He laughed.
Ken shuffled his feet. "Um, well, it was nice seeing you. You're probably busy though—"
"Hang on, Ken!" Kazuki interjected, grabbing onto Ken's arm. "Don't you wanna catch up? I mean, come on, we're standing right in front of Wild-Duck for crying out loud. I could totally treat you—"
"No, it's fine. But um… if you're sure," Ken said sheepishly.
"Sweet!" Daichi cheered, pumping a fist. "Why don't you leave Koromaru out here and we can order. We'll snag an outdoors table so Koromaru can join us."
Was he really doing this? Did they even have anything to say to each other? Ken couldn't help but feel a little anxious. They hadn't really spoken since last May or June. Kazuki and Daichi had always been a lot more outgoing than him.
But to his surprise, they remembered his usual order. Even though it had been nearly a year since they had gone to Wild-Duck together. As it was about an hour after the students got out of school, it was rather packed. It took them a while for them to get their order.
At least Koromaru was patient as always. He barked in greeting as they came out. They managed to snag a table near the entrance.
"Sooo…" Daichi drawled out.
"So?" Ken echoed.
"It must be pretty exciting to live in Tokyo huh?" Daichi asked, his eyes bright with eagerness as he leaned forward. "I mean, come on—the Phantom Thieves operate there!"
Ken cringed; he didn't even think about that. Maybe if he played it cool, they'd drop it. Though, he was surprised that they didn't have any grudge against the Phantom Thieves.
"If you're into that kind of thing," Ken said, trying to sound nonchalant as he unwrapped his burger.
He bit into it, savoring the taste. There was nothing like their secret sauce.
"Yeah, like you?" Kazuki asked, quirking an eyebrow. "You still watch Feathermen Rangers, don'tcha?"
Ken lowered his burger, glowering at him. "Oh yeah? You're the one who has a celebrity crush on Yukari-san. You watched the show just to look at her."
Daichi snorted with laughter as Kazuki sputtered, turning a bright shade of red.
"That's not fair!" Kazuki yelled. "Penalty! Penalty, I say!"
"Denied," Ken droned.
"Just eat your burger, Kazuki." Daichi snickered before picking up a few fries and stuffing them in his mouth.
Kazuki pouted. "Don't tell me what to do."
"Too bad..." Daichi stuck his tongue out at Kazuki, "Although, I'm surprised that Ken dished that out to ya."
Ken ducked his head, feeling his cheeks flush. It felt so normal to do that now, given Ren and Futaba's penchant for teasing him. But it just felt… off to be like this with Daichi and Kazuki.
Koromaru just nudged his leg, making a small yip. Ken sighed to himself. Maybe he needed to stop riling himself up.
"Uh... well, I made a couple friends who are pretty bad with teasing," he said awkwardly.
Kazuki dramatically gasped, clutching a hand to his chest. "You made friends?!"
"Do you think I'm hopeless?" Ken grumbled.
Daichi just cracked a grin. "Come on, Ken, it took you months to chill out with us. And we spent a lot of time together in soccer club."
"Well, they kinda dragged me into it…" Ken mumbled out.
"Must be pretty talented then," Kazuki remarked before taking a bite of his burger. "Like Minako-san level good."
"You can say something like that," Ken said dryly.
Ren and Minako-san did have their similarities, after all. The most glaring similarity, of course, was their love of teasing their friends.
Daichi and Kazuki exchanged a look before Daichi cleared his throat.
"So… what are they like?"
"Oh boy, where do I start?" Ken thought with a sardonic smile.
Though he supposed showing them pictures wouldn't hurt. He whipped out his phone to start showing them a group selfie they took in Hawaii. He listed off everyone's name as he pointed at each friend. He ended with Anne, mentioning that she's Ren's girlfriend now.
"Dude, he's dating that gorgeous blonde girl?!" Daichi glared at Ken's phone. "Ugh, some of the guys have all of the luck."
Kazuki snickered, "Well, at least we know that Ken isn't dating anyone."
Ken took the moment to take a sip of his soda so he wouldn't have to reply. He couldn't really fault Kazuki's reasoning. He was almost notorious for rejecting girls when he attended Gekkoukan. Teddie had compared to it to—what was it again? The Amagi Challenge? Not to mention all the times he had given his friends the Valentine's Day chocolates the girls had dumped into his shoe locker.
"Uncle Ken!"
Ken blinked, turning to look at the owner of the voice.
"Hello Miyuki and Kaito," he greeted.
"Oh hi, Kazuki-san, Daichi-san!" Kaito said cheerfully, waving at the two other boys.
"What are you guys doing here?" Kazuki asked.
"Spending the rest of the day with Mommy!" Miyuki's eyes sparkled with joy.
"And yet you run away from me," Yukari chided, coming up from behind the twins.
She placed her hands on her hips, tapping her foot.
The twins cringed. Miyuki sheepishly smiled up at Yukari while Kaito scuffed his shoe on the ground.
"Sorry Mommy…" they mumbled out.
"Oh, hey, Yukari-san!" Daichi said cheerfully, greeting her with a little wave. "We were just talking about y—OW!"
Kazuki's leg jerked, probably kicking Daichi in the shin.
"What the he—"
He faltered as Yukari-san pointedly glared at him. Not that Ken could blame him. Yukari-san had one scary glare, only second to Mitsuru-san's.
Daichi coughed, before glaring at Kazuki.
"Screw you, Kazuki."
"Honestly, you two…" Yukari-san sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"You talking to the twins or the two children?" Ken asked dryly.
Yukari-san just winked at Ken. "I'll let you decide."
"HEY!" Kazuki and Daichi said indignantly.
"You're so mean, Ken…" Kazuki grumbled out with a pout.
"Nuh-uh!" Miyuki quickly contradicted with a pout. "Uncle Ken's so nice! He sent me and Kaito the nicest Pusemon toys for our birthday!"
Ken just smiled softly. Living in Tokyo certainly had its advantages.
"It's no problem, Miyuki."
"Oh, sure you'll spoil the two of them but can't even bother to be nice to us…" Daichi shook his head. "I see how it is. And you haven't seen us in months."
"You don't have to keep reminding me, Daichi," Ken said dryly.
But Ken noticed that Kaito was eyeing the fries so he picked up several and handed it to the twins.
After Kaito finished munching on his share, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Hey, hey, Uncle Ken, I know you and Uncle Shinji are gonna be gone soon, but you'll be coming back for New Year's, right?"
Miyuki perked up at that. "Oooh, you should bring Auntie Makoto with you! Everyone hasn't met her yet!"
"Hang on… who do you mean by 'Auntie Makoto'?" Kazuki asked.
Miyuki tilted her head. "Uncle Ken's girlfriend, duh."
It took all of his willpower to not facepalm right there and now.
"Miyuki, why? What did I ever do to you?!" Ken lamented to himself.
Daichi had been sipping on his soda but he promptly choked the moment Miyuki said girlfriend. Kazuki hastily reached over to whack at his back.
Once Daichi caught his breath, they slowly looked to Ken.
"You have a girlfriend?!" they both screamed at him.
"You didn't know?" Kaito blinked in confusion. "Don't guys always brag about this kinda stuff?"
Yukari-san rolled her eyes. "Come on, you know how nice Ken-kun is. He's not the type to brag about that kind of thing."
She then smiled.
"So, who wants strawberry daifuku?"
Kaito and Miyuki's eyes both lit up; they both really loved that treat.
"Really, Mommy?!" Miyuki asked eagerly.
Yukari nodded. "Mm-hm, and I want to pick up something nice for Auntie Minako. Might as well, right?"
"Yayyy!" Kaito started jumping up and down in excitement, "You're the best, Mommy!"
Yukari giggled. "I try."
Yukari-san just shot Ken a knowing grin before leading the twins away. Ken glowered at her back as she pulled the twins away.
"Traitor…" he grumbled to himself.
"You're. Dating. Someone," Kazuki ground out. "What the hell, man?! What happened to Mr. I'm More Interested In Being Mr. Perfect Than Girls?"
Ken grumbled, "Come on, I never said that. You know why I always turned down the girls in the past. And really—Mr. Perfect?"
He couldn't deny that he was a little… overzealous with his studies at times, but seriously?
"Dude, you've always been a perfectionist."
Daichi slammed both hands on the table, hard enough to make it rattle violently. Ken was a little impressed that their soda cups didn't fall down.
He demanded, "Spill! DETAILS NOW!"
Kazuki then leaned forward. "You have a picture of her right?!"
"One at a time!" Ken complained, holding up his hands, "Jeez…"
"Don't 'jeez' us! This is huge!"
Ken rolled his eyes. Well, at least he should count his blessings that they weren't teasing him.
"Remember the Hawaii selfie? She's the girl with brown hair."
"Wait… Hawaii. That means you've seen her in a bikini, right?" Daichi then wiggled his eyebrows at Ken.
"Oh my god, really?" Ken glowered at him. "It's bad enough that Minako-san and Junpei-san have been teasing me about it but you too?"
"Have you?" Daichi pressed.
"Ugh! FINE! Yes, I've seen Makoto in a swimsuit, are you happy now?"
He didn't plan on spilling much more than that. They didn't need to know that she looked really good in that bikini. Ken blinked before he mentally slapped himself for that traitorous thought.
Kazuki then leaned forward. "Sooo… how far have you gone?"
Ken huffed, giving him an unimpressed stare.
"Are you trying to live vicariously through me?" he deadpanned.
Kazuki's cheeks colored at that. "Hey, shuddup! As far you know, I've found a girlfriend!"
"Doubtful with how much you're trying to fish for information," Ken deadpanned.
Kazuki wadded a napkin at Ken, throwing it at his head. Ken easily caught it, eyebrow raised.
"Ugh, you suck," Kazuki grumbled.
"How's soccer?" Ken quickly changed the subject.
He did not need more people heckling him about Makoto; it had been mortifying enough with his senpais. That was when both of their faces lit up.
"Oh dude, we had our yearly match with Yasogami—we totally kicked their asses!"
"You should've seen Coach Nagase's face when we destroyed his team!"
Their faces were so animated as they chattered about the various matches they played in. Ken couldn't help but feel a little sad.
Even though he knew that he didn't regret his choices, he couldn't help but wonder maybe he shouldn't have dismissed his extracurriculars so easily. And soccer had been so fun too.
He had a lot of good memories of soccer club. Practice after school. Their races to Wild-Duck. Their games…
Maybe Daichi and Kazuki didn't understand the full extent of what he went through but, they were still good friends.
Ken couldn't help but feel ashamed for forgetting that. For not trying to still remain friends with them, even after he had dropped soccer.
"Ken, is something the matter?"
Ken snapped to attention, looking to Daichi. "O-Oh, sorry… I didn't mean to zone out like that."
"Something bugging you?" Kazuki asked, tilting his head.
"N-No, it's nothing," Ken quickly lied.
"That's BS!" Daichi interjected. "Seriously Ken—what's bothering you?"
Ken sighed. "I just… I'm sorry. For not trying harder to stay friends with you."
"Dude, what do you have to apologize for?" Kazuki shook his head. "I mean, friendship is a two-way street. We didn't try very hard either."
Daichi nodded. "It's just… soccer was one of our biggest things, y'know? We were kinda at a loss on what to say to you when you left the club. But we should've tried harder."
"You should totally send us pictures of you and your Tokyo friends, though!" Kazuki said.
"And details on you and Makoto—"
"Really?!" Ken cut off Daichi, glowering at him.
"Details! We demand details!" Kazuki cried.
"You two both are ridiculous," Ken grumbled, pressing a hand against his face to hide his flushing cheeks.
Why did people care so much that he was dating now?
Daichi just grinned cheekily, "Hey you chose to befriend us."
Ken just rolled his eyes in response, "And sometimes I really question why—"
"Rude!"
Ren couldn't help but feel mentally exhausted. They had tossed out countless ideas about what Shido viewed the Diet Building as… but no dice.
"Here's my last guess—diamond mine," Haru said tiredly.
They all sighed in frustration as the app rejected that suggestion as well.
Makoto just rubbed her temples before slumping in her seat.
She sighed once more, "No good."
"Seriously… how many did we miss?" Ryuji grumbled out, before rubbing his forehead.
"Countless…" Futaba mumbled out.
Yusuke rubbed his chin before looking at Ryuji. "Perhaps Ryuji's postulation was correct. Perhaps Shido does have a barrier inside his Palace."
Ryuji's face lit up at that. "Right?!"
"Hey, it's not something to get excited about!" Anne chided. "At this rate, we'll never get access to Shido's Palace."
"Come on, we can't give up! We know all the way up to Diet Building," Morgana stated.
Ren sighed to himself. He knew that Morgana was trying to stay optimistic, but Ren couldn't help but feel discouraged. Why was this man such an enigma?
Anne leaned against the plush seat of the table, before biting her lip.
"Do you think… Ken might know? I mean, he did get to actually talk to Shido."
"Maybe, but I don't think Ken would know much. I mean, Shido was trying to twist his arm into joining him." Futaba pointed out.
"And I don't think it's the best idea to ask Ken that," Makoto said, her voice sharp.
Ren just winced. Okay, he didn't blame her for being a little protective. Ren doubted that Ken would be eager to talk about his experience.
Anne sighed, slumping in her seat.
"You're right… sorry."
He couldn't help but think of what Ken told him. Shido… deserved to burn in hell. But he'd never get his well-deserved comeuppance if they couldn't crack the damn code.
Sae looked at them curiously. "So… it works by you entering the keywords into the Metaverse Nav?"
"That's right..." Ren confirmed with a nod of his head. "Though Shido's probably the biggest pain to figure out."
"And I thought Futaba's was tough…" Anne sighed before rubbing her forehead.
Ren couldn't help but frown. They were really stumped this time. But what haven't they guessed?
Ryuji's brow suddenly furrowed together before he glanced at Sojiro.
"Boss, can you turn on the TV?" he requested. "Maybe Shido will be on there making some kind of dumb speech. Might give us a clue."
Sojiro nodded. "Sure thing."
He then picked up the remote, clicking the TV on. Ren couldn't help but scowl as an image of Akechi sitting with a talk show host flickered onto the screen.
"Goro Akechi..." Makoto hissed, both hands forming into fists.
"Him and his stupid composed face," Futaba grumbled.
It was nauseating to watch the talk show host fawn over Akechi, marveling over his stupid 'plan' to catch the Phantom Thieves. Ren just glared harder.
"Just you wait, Akechi… we're gonna take out your boss and you'll just have to watch everything fall apart before your very eyes," Ren thought as his scowl deepened.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Sae had tensed up, however. That's right—she was probably still coming to terms about the truth regarding Akechi. As much as Ren disliked Akechi, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for the older woman.
"Then, was it also your plan when you said they weren't at fault after their popularity declined?" the host inquired.
Akechi shook his head, flashing his genial smile at the camera. It just annoyed Ren. It was so damn fake.
Akechi then explained, "That was to catch them off guard. I could say I applied my profiling knowledge. Once they lost public support, someone they thought was their greatest enemy lent a hand… that's the same strategy used in romance; wouldn't you agree?"
"Romance?" Ren echoed, feeling baffled. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Bet the dude's a virgin…" Ryuji huffed.
"Not the point, guys," Anne chided.
"Anne-chan's right. But still…" Haru then narrowed her eyes, a rare scowl appearing on her face. "Why is he being treated as an ace detective of justice?! After all he's done—!"
Yusuke cautioned, "Calm down, Haru. We can't do anything but ignore this, I'm afraid."
Haru looked down at the table, ashamed. "I'm sorry, Yusuke-kun. I just…"
"I understand," Yusuke cut her off, giving her a smile. "Do not fret, Haru."
Sojiro sighed, "It's not just on TV or online. Newspapers, magazines… I see Akechi's face everywhere."
"Of course…" Ren grumbled.
"The Phantom Thieves are evil. Shido and Akechi are just… it should be the other way around," Haru said through narrowed eyes.
"They're manipulating info using the media!" Anne just shook her head, disgusted.
Ryuji grumbled, "That's the power of the news for you…"
"Leaving Akechi aside—we do need to focus on the main issue," Yusuke stated.
Morgana sighed, "I'm really stumped on how we'll be able to figure Shido's keyword."
"You mentioned Futaba-chan's keywords before..." Haru said.
"Oh boy, that was a tough one," Ren commented.
Makoto then explained, "We didn't know anything about her, so all we could do was make conjectures. Though we did eventually manage to talk to her enough so we could figure out the keywords."
Ren just winced. He still remembered the way a pit formed in his stomach when he had realized that Futaba had viewed Sojiro's house as the place she would die.
Futaba perked up at Makoto's words. "Maybe we could go see Shido directly then."
"Futaba, you can't be so reckless!" Sojiro scolded.
Futaba shrunk into her seat. "S-Sorry, Sojiro, I just…"
She then bit her lip, before she straightened up.
"I want him to pay for what he did to Mom! He can't keep getting away with this!"
"And we'll ensure that," Makoto soothed, her voice growing gentle. "But Boss is right… we can't be reckless. We need to tread carefully."
"Anyhow, that's fairly impossible," Sae suddenly spoke up.
Ren had noticed that she had been quiet the whole time they were talking about Akechi.
"Mm-hm, I imagine that he's surrounded by bodyguards and followers all the time," Haru said, nodding.
Yusuke stated, "Either way, there's no way high school students can get an appointment with him either."
Morgana's head drooped. "Yeah… Yusuke's got a good point. And it's just too risky to try and talk to him like that. Akechi probably gave him some kind of description of us so his men could monitor everyone so…"
They kept hitting roadblocks. Ren couldn't help but feel frustrated. At this rate, they'd never unlock Shido's Palace!
"Maybe… an adult can help us then?" Ryuji asked, before pointedly looking at Sae.
Sae's eyes widened at that and she took a step backwards.
"M-Me?" she stammered out, before shaking her head. "N-No, that's still impossible. Besides, that's too dangerous a method."
"Annnd back to square one," Ren deadpanned then sighed again. "I was hoping that we'd get to unlock Shido's Palace before Ken got back too…"
"This is seriously a pain." Anne groaned.
Ren opened his mouth to speak, but he was distracted by the faint sounds of… cheering? Applause? Either way, it was distracting.
"What the…?" He thought to himself.
Sojiro frowned. "What's with the ruckus outside?"
"To everyone gathered before Yongen-jaya Station!" a man cried, his voice ringing loud and clear.
"Wait… that voice…" Ren thought to himself.
"Hang on, I think that's an election campaign car," Sae stated.
"Oh right!" Haru's eyes lit up with recognition. "The candidates are currently campaigning!"
"Who are even Shido's rivals?" Yusuke asked.
Sae stroked her chin in thought. "Hmm, I do know that one of the independent candidates has been creating a stir with how he started from just a politician's secretary and climbing up the ranks in a rural country town. But that's irrelevant right now."
Ren barely registered his friends' comments. Why the hell was that voice so familiar? He was starting to get a headache, trying to remember.
Morgana spoke up, "Ren? What's w—"
But he was quickly interrupted.
"I apologize for the commotion! I am Masayoshi Shido!"
"Hang on, he said Shido, right?!" Ryuji demanded, before standing up.
"He did!" Haru confirmed, her voice growing excited.
"That voice… it kinda sounds the voice I heard before…" Ren thought to himself.
But maybe he was just imagining things…
Morgana was looking at him, though, his blue eyes shining with concern. But before he could say anything, Ryuji spoke up.
"But man, talk about lucky!" Ryuji exclaimed, excitement filling his voice. "This is our chance! We can go check him without an appointment now!"
Without warning both he and Haru rushed out of the café.
"Hey Ryuji, Haru—!" Anne began to protest, only to be interrupted by the door slamming shut.
"Come on, everyone," Makoto said.
They hastily exited the café. Morgana frowned.
"Looks like Ryuji and Haru ran off toward the station," he stated.
Ren nodded. "Makes sense, that's where Shido seemed to campaigning."
Morgana then darted a little ahead of Ren, staring down the path towards the station.
"This way—hurry!" he said urgently, only to pause, looking up at Ren. "By the way, are you okay, Ren? Did something happen? You seemed… on edge just earlier."
Ren frowned. Should he say something? Especially since he wasn't sure if Shido was that man from before…
No, it was nothing but conjecture.
"It's nothing. We should go," Ren answered.
Morgana looked skeptical, but before he could say anything, Yusuke spoke.
"Hang on, we shouldn't all go in such a big group," Yusuke interjected.
"Yusuke's right, we might look a little suspicious." Makoto nodded. "I'll go, I can take Mor—"
"No, I'll go." Ren interjected.
"Is that... wise?" Yusuke asked, his eyes growing wide.
Makoto frowned. "You're supposed to be out of sight."
"Yeah! And you're supposed to be dead, remember?" Futaba huffed.
Ren glared at his friends momentarily before he pulled his hood up.
He said firmly, "I'm going."
He would not budge on this. He needed to confirm if that voice was the one from back then.
"You're so stubborn. Just… try not to stand out." Anne let out a frustrated sigh. "And make sure Ryuji doesn't try anything dumb."
"Well... I mean Haru's with him so hopefully that will be enough." Futaba tried to smile but it didn't reach her eyes.
Makoto sighed but finally relented, "Be careful out there, Ren…"
Ren nodded and motioned for his feline companion to follow.
"Come on, Morgana."
Morgana nodded and they took off down the path. He could hear Shido's speech more and more clearly as he got closer. Ren had to begrudgingly admit that Shido was good. Charismatic, even.
Maybe he might've fallen for it, if he wasn't aware of Shido's true nature.
This bastard… he made Futaba an orphan by ordering her mom's death. He had made her suicidal for two years just for the shits and giggles. He crushed Haru's hopes of having her true father back! And he tortured Ken so callously…
Just thinking about it made Ren's blood boil.
"I humbly ask that you cast your vote for me—Masayoshi Shido! Let us all sail for a better future too! I hope to continue serving you all!"
"Shut up, you bastard," Ren thought viciously, scowling to himself. "You don't know anything!"
It pissed him off further, thinking about how earnest and genuine Yoshida was. He was serious about wanting to help people. If only there were more people like Yoshida.
He finally caught up to Ryuji and Haru, who were trying to stand on their tiptoes to look over the crowd. Though they were miserably failing—especially Haru, given how she was more on the petite side.
"Is that seriously the guy?!" Ryuji asked, before narrowing his eyes. "Hang on—I'll get some intel!"
"Ryuji-kun, wait…!" Haru cried out but Ryuji just rushed off.
Ren just groaned, before pushing through the crowd. He better make sure that Ryuji didn't do anything impulsive.
"Sorry! Excuse me!" he said hastily, even as the others complained.
Somehow, miraculously, Ryuji had caught up to Shido. He was so close. The sight of it made Ren's stomach clench.
"Heyyy! Yo, Shido-san!" Ren couldn't help but cringe at Ryuji's forced cheerful voice.
Anne may not be the best actress but Ryuji wasn't much better.
"Stand back!" one of Shido's bodyguards said sternly.
For some reason… he looked kinda familiar. What was with all this déjà vu?
Ryuji's entire stance became rigid as he approached Shido.
He insisted stubbornly, "I just wanna talk to him for a sec!"
Haru finally managed to catch up to Ryuji.
"Ryuji-kun…" Haru breathed out, her voice anxious.
"He's a busy man," the bodyguard said flatly, looking at Ryuji like he was nothing but a bug that he'd love to squish.
"The hell?!" Ryuji spat out, stomping the ground. "Ain't he supposed to hear a citizen's comments?!"
The bodyguard then growled before shoving a hand against Ryuji's chest, pushing him backwards.
"That's enough, brat!"
Ryuji suddenly froze, before his two hands clenched into fists.
"You… you're that asshole we met at the elevators! Back at the Wilton Hotel!"
Ren's brows raised… the déjà vu now making sense.
"What are you talking about?" The bodyguard apparently didn't recall.
Ren scoffed under his breath. Typical. What a dick.
Morgana let out a frustrated moan. "Ugh, that moron!"
"Come on, stop it already!" Haru grabbed Ryuji's arm.
"But these guys—" Ryuji began to protest but cut himself short soon as he looked at how worried Haru was.
Ren's stomach suddenly twisted into knots at the sight of the older man. He honestly felt… a little nauseous.
"Hey, kid." Shido stepped forward, giving Ryuji a menacing glare. "You don't want to know what happens to people who cross me."
That voice… that damn voice… why was it so familiar?! Then it suddenly struck Ren like a lightning bolt.
"Damn brat… I'll sue!"
Those words, spat at him, like venom… they had sealed his fate. That man who had destroyed his life with the snap of his fingers.
And… that wasn't the last time he had encountered the man.
He had been that asshole who had spoken so condescendingly to both Ren and Ryuji back at the Wilton Hotel—when they had wanted to celebrate their victory against Kamoshida. He was the reason they had decided to continue Phantom Thief work.
Masayoshi Shido was the man who had wrecked Ren's life.
How could he be so stupid?! Ren wanted to be sick. His stomach churned as his legs turned to jelly.
"What are you looking at?" Shido demanded curtly, staring hard at Ren. "I don't like that look in your eyes."
Ren tensed up and looked away, trying to appear meek and sheepish.
Shido then sighed, shaking his head.
"This country is filled with clueless children… I seriously worry for Japan's future." Shido then glanced at his bodyguard. "Let them go. My next appointment is coming up."
They watched Shido and his men load up in the car before they drove away. Ren just felt… numb. He seriously couldn't believe how stupid he had been. Why hadn't he thought to look into him more?! They had known about the man for three months!
"Ugh! So stupid!" he berated himself.
Ryuji angrily kicking at a stone on the ground caught his attention and Ren forced himself to look at his friends.
Ryuji, however, was still seething, "What a piece of shit. So whaddya think of seein' him in person?"
"The way he threatened you, Ryuji-kun… that had been so frightening," Haru mumbled out, her eyes wide with fear.
"Ren...?" Morgana prompted.
Ren swallowed hard. He had to tell them.
"He's the one who got me arrested," he managed to spit out.
Ryuji gave him an exasperated stare. "Yeah we know dude. He and Akechi set you up so—"
"No, you don't get it," Ren cut him off, shaking his head. "He's the reason I'm on probation!"
"Wait, hang on." Ryuji's eyes went wide. "He's the jerk you told us before?! The dick who tried to assault that lady and you tried to pull him away from her and he fell—and he got you arrested 'cause of that? The same guy? You're for real?"
Ren nodded numbly.
Haru gasped, pressing both hands against her mouth for a moment.
"This is… Ren-kun…" Her voice trailed off.
Ren squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't even know how to feel.
"Shido's… the one who ruined your life," Morgana said soberly. "And hearing his voice—it made you remember, didn't it?"
Ren fumbled to explain. "I just… it was dark and that night… was the worst night of my life and…"
Ren cut himself off with a sigh, pressing a head against his forehead. It sounded so pathetic.
"Ren-kun, please don't blame yourself!" Haru pleaded. "You were clearly in shock at the time. We don't blame you at all for forgetting."
"Yeah, he spoke one line to you and me back in May. You can't beat yourself up for this crap!" Ryuji said.
Morgana then heaved out a sigh. "Come on. Let's meet up with the others. We've got a lot of intel to share with them."
"You can't be serious!"
Anne was gaping at Ren, her mouth falling open. He just smiled weakly at his girlfriend. Ren was trying to wrap his head around it himself.
"S-Shido's the guy who set you up?! Seriously?!" Futaba exclaimed.
Yusuke just shook his head, frowning. "What kind of fate brought you two back together…?"
"A twisted one..." Ren said flatly, his hands clenching into fists. "It's definitely him. I'm positive."
"This is just unbelievable." Makoto sighed, shaking her head. "Talk about a destined connection."
Ren felt numb. Shido was the man who wrecked his life without losing a wink of sleep. Just how many other people's lives had he ruined?
Morgana just frowned, his tail swishing behind him. "Shido was involved in the cognitive research too, right? This can't be dismissed as just a coincidence…"
"Good grief." Sojiro shook his head in disbelief. "What the hell's going on here?"
Sae just cupped her chin with one hand, deep in thought.
"Shido was already a politician then, yet he sued a student and ruined his future? He must have pulled some strings so that his name wouldn't be mentioned. Furthermore, he also would've had to force that woman into making a false statement," she mused.
Yusuke said grimly, "He would do anything. We're talking about a man who ordered a hit inside the police station. He's apparently willing to crush anyone in his path."
"If Akechi's working for him, he's the one ordering all the hits." Makoto sighed, a heavy frown appearing on her face.
"Not to mention what he's put Mitsuru-san through," Haru stated.
Sae frowned in response, folding her arms over her chest. "He even has dirt on someone as powerful as Kirijo-san? That's… a little hard to wrap my head around, if I'm being honest."
"Yeah, apparently he forcibly dismantled the Tokyo branch of the Shadow Operatives," Ren replied. "Slapping her with red tape… blackmail—the works. He's the reason why Ken came to Tokyo to begin with."
"That power's gone completely to his head!" Ryuji spat out with a scowl.
But then again… the fame had also gone to their heads too. Ren shook his head, to try and push the thought out of his head. That would always be his biggest shame, but it wouldn't do to keep thinking on it.
Sojiro rubbed his jaw, suddenly looked weary.
"He can't sit still until he crushes whoever opposed him, no matter how trivial. He's always been that way," he stated somberly.
"Hang on, how do you know him?" Ren asked.
Sojiro just grimaced. "It's… a long story."
Of course it was. Ren sighed to himself. He would have to get the story out of Sojiro some other time.
"This man… he's just despicable!" Haru exclaimed.
"That's putting it lightly!" Ryuji scoffed. "Children are the future—my ass! What he's sayin' and doin' are completely different! It pisses me off! Especiallysince people were just eating up the shit he spouted like it's candy!"
He couldn't put it any better. But it was scarier than their other opponents, since Shido was looking to become the head of their country. Why couldn't there be more politicians like Yoshida?
But Anne abruptly sat up. "Hang on, now that we found out who did it, can't something be done about Ren's record?"
That… had never even occurred to him.
"I didn't even think about that!" Futaba said, unknowingly echoing Ren's thoughts.
But Sae just sighed, shaking her head.
"I'm afraid it's not so simple," she said, regret tingeing her voice. "Once the courts have made a judgment, overturning that decision will be difficult. It'd barely be possible even if proof of innocence is presented and Shido admits to his crimes."
Ren sighed to himself. Of course, because that would make things easy.
"Should've known…" Ren mumbled.
"Either way, at least you've been keeping a low profile," Makoto stated, giving Ren a reassuring smile, "And your probation will be completed in just a few months…"
"It's still completely unfair." Anne sighed.
"Seriously… I wish we could do something," Futaba mumbled out.
"It's okay, guys." Ren smiled at the two girls. "I appreciate it—but Makoto's right. Just gotta keep myself under the radar until this whole thing blows over."
Yusuke awkwardly cleared his throat. "We are deviating from the subject, however. At any rate, we need to trigger a change of heart in Shido."
Ryuji exclaimed in agreement, "Hell yeah! That bastard's got a shit ton of crimes to answer to!"
"We need to keep up our guard though," Makoto said, folding her arms over her chest. "Be that as it may, Shido's outer appearance and his true face are wholly different. It's beyond hypocritical. It's as if he's an entirely different person."
Haru remarked, "He speaks about the good of the country… It makes me wonder what really is on his mind."
Sojiro just shook his head. "That man's full of ambition to rise in the world. He only thinks of the weak as stepping stones for his success."
Ren spat out, "Typical, that bastard is lower than scum."
Ren realized that his friends were staring at him and he sighed, taking off his glasses to rub at his face.
"Sorry... I just…"
"There's no need to apologize," Yusuke cut him off, holding up a hand. "It's understandable to feel so angry at this."
Futaba seconded, "Yeah! He ruined your life… it's okay to be mad at the rotten adults who wrecked your life."
Ren smiled half-heartedly. "Thanks, guys."
Anne looked down at the table. "But Shido… he treats himself as an elite man while looking down on others. That's the worst."
Yusuke pursed his lips together.
"I assume the keyword for what he believes the Diet Building is will be utterly despicable too," Yusuke stated.
Anne looked up at that, before nodding. "It must be something self-centered and completely different from politics."
"I can't help but wonder what happened for his cognition to become twisted…" Haru wondered aloud. "For Father, it was how he grew up poor and never wanted that life again."
Then she sighed heavily, before her expression hardened.
"No, it doesn't matter. What matters now is that he's a criminal of the highest caliber. Someone like him needs to be punished as soon as possible!"
Ryuji nodded. "Let's head to the Diet Building again right after school tomorrow. I feel we'll get it this time!"
Makoto bit her lip, before her expression steeled.
"Stewing over it won't get anywhere. We'll steal his heart… no matter what."
After that, everyone was dismissed. Everyone gave Ren worried looks but Morgana gave them a shooing look before following Ren up the stairs. So all they reluctantly departed, Sojiro and Futaba included.
And even though he knew he had to keep the train schedule in mind, Ryuji was more worried about Ren, ignoring what Morgana was trying to tell 'em all. Plus Anne seemed to have a similar mindset.
"You too?" Ryuji asked.
Anne nodded, biting her lip. "Y-Yeah, Ren just looked…"
She trailed off at the last part, before she wrapped an arm around herself.
"Come on, let's go talk to him," Ryuji said, before heading up the attic stairs.
But as he got to the top of the stairs, Ryuji couldn't help but hesitate. He always had a tendency to stick his foot in his mouth. What could he even say to make Ren feel better about this? He didn't want to make Ren feel even worse. His best friend had gone through the wringer.
Then he noticed Anne standing right next to him. Her expression was conflicted… she probably didn't know how to handle this either. But her expression grew determined.
"I have to try," Ryuji thought to himself.
"RenRen?" Ryuji called out to him.
Ren was sitting on the edge of his bed, staring off into nothing. Morgana was resting his head in Ren's lap, while Ren absentmindedly stroked the top of the feline's head.
But Morgana stood up at Ryuji's voice, headbutting Ren's hand. Ren seemed to snap back to reality.
"What are you guys still doing here? The trains…"
"You really think we would leave you after that?" Anne asked, before stepping forward.
Ren leaned into Anne's embrace. She hugged him gently before reaching up to brush away his hair so she could kiss him on the temple. Normally, Ryuji would've pulled a face at that. But he could tell that his best friend needed the comfort. The way he was clinging to Anne broadcasted it.
"I just… hell..." Ren's lips suddenly twisted in a grimace. "Really? The guy who wanted to kill me… is the guy who put me on probation."
Ryuji's heart clenched at the sight. His best friend just looked so downcast. He couldn't even imagine how Ren was feeling right now.
Ren didn't speak again until Ryuji sat down on his other side.
"I remember back then… the lady I was trying to help. She was screaming for help, but nobody listened. I just couldn't… stand by. She threatened to call the cops on him. He claimed back then… 'the police are my bitches'."
Ren squeezed his eyes shut and a single tear suddenly rolled down his cheek. His hands clenched tightly around his kneecaps, tight enough that his knuckles were growing white.
Anne reached out, plucking his glasses off his face so she could brush away his tear. She then replaced the glasses, before placing a hand over his.
"He's right, you know… he basically had to point at me: 'That's him, officer. He assaulted me.' And they dragged me to jail. I remember… being scared. But at the same time… I was pissed. I was just trying to do the right thing… and I was being punished for it."
Ren just sounded so… sad at the last part. He never really liked to talk about what happened back then. Ryuji remembered back when he had first heard the story from Ren. Ren had talked all stiltedly, as if he was afraid that Ryuji was planning on rejecting him.
But right now, it just made Ryuji's blood boil. What made Shido think that this kind of crap was okay?! He knew that the Palace rulers all had their reasons on why their cognitions grew twisted, but Ryuji didn't give a rat's ass on why Shido had become this way.
Shido had hurt his best friend. So badly. And Ryuji wanted the bastard to pay for it.
"He won't get away with this, Ren." Morgana spoke up, his eyes burning with determination, "You believe us, right?"
"It's just… I don't know. It's bringing back so many bad memories. I think what stings the most is how my parents reacted to this bullshit. They thought… I was really the type to run wild."
"They didn't know what they have," Anne said fiercely, before her eyes hardened. "For them to just drop you like this… it's really unforgivable."
"Ren… you know you're surrounded by so many people who do care for you, right?" Morgana asked.
"And we'll follow you anywhere, RenRen!" Ryuji seconded.
"Hell or highwater..." Anne murmured, her grasp on Ren's hand tightening. "We've been through so much together—there's no turning back now! You told me once before that I have everyone to support me… but you also have all of us. We're all here to support you, Ren."
Ren just cracked a smile. "Thanks, guys."
He then pressed a hand against his chest.
"This time, we'll get him. We'll make him pay for all the lives he's destroyed. Karma is coming for him."
Ryuji just smacked his fist into his palm, before meeting Ren's determined gaze.
"He'll never know what hit him!" he declared.
Ryuji and Anne stuck around a little longer, until Morgana shooed them out—saying that they needed to get home before it was too late and the train station closed. Ryuji and Anne rode the train together, but they didn't have much to say. Ryuji was pretty pooped by everything.
Shido was the bastard who ruined Ren's life… he had screwed with three of his other friends. Not to mention the countless lives he had destroyed all for what—fame?
That reminded him of how he got caught up in the idea of fame.
Ryuji looked up at the train conductor announced his stop. He waved goodbye at Anne before squeezing off the train. There was still another ten minutes before he reached his apartment, so he pulled out his phone.
Wait… there was a group text.
Group Chat: The Real Phantom Thieves of Hearts
[Ken]: Was there any progress today…?
[Futaba]: Uh… a lot actually
[Ken]: Hang on, you got it?
[Haru]: Not quite, Ken-kun
[Yusuke]: You recall why Ren is on probation in the first place, yes?
[Ken]: He was accused of assault by some politician, right?
[Makoto]: It's… Shido
[Ken]: WHAT?!
[Makoto]: It's unbelievable, how many lives he's affected
[Futaba]: Seriously! But we're gonna give it another shot tomorrow
[Ken]: I see…
[Makoto]: How was your day, Ken?
[Ken]: it went okay. I saw everyone today
[Haru]: Oh, how lovely! But that means you saw Kiyomi-chan, right? Do you have any pictures?
[Futaba]: Oh… so you're one of those girls, huh, Haru? The ones who go gaga for babies
[Haru]: Babies are just so adorable!
[Ken]: Uh… I don't have any pictures, but I can ask Minako-san. I can tell that she'll take a billion pictures…
[Ken]: The Kirijo Group doctors looked me over. The tests should be done tomorrow
[Futaba]: Dang that's fast
[Ken]: I'll be happy if I don't see another needle for another year though…
[Futaba]: are you afraid of needles?
[Ken]: It's not that! I just hate getting my blood drawn
[Yusuke]: Is that it, though? You saw everyone and got examined…
[Ken]: Um, not exactly… I uh… ran into a couple of my old school friends. We were in soccer club together for 4 years
[Haru]: Oh, that sounds wonderful! I assume you caught up?
[Ken]: yeah we did
Ryuji frowned at the last part. That was weirdly brief of him to say. Ryuji then looked up to check that he was at his apartment. He dug out his keys before unlocking the door.
"Mom?" he called out, before kicking his shoes off.
The apartment was soon filled with energetic barking. Shoyu scrambled over to him before slamming right into Ryuji's shin. Ryuji just grinned before scooping up the pooch.
"Hey, boy! Didja miss me?"
Shoyu let out a cheerful bark before happily licking at Ryuji's face.
He carried Shoyu into the kitchen. He noticed there was a note on the table. After pouring out some kibble for Shoyu—who happily gobbled it up—he picked up the note.
Ryuji,
I got called in for an emergency shift but my boss promised me overtime pay. I've left some money so you can get some takeout. Don't stay up too late today, okay?
Love, Mom
Well… at least he didn't have to make something up to tell his mom. But still, it was bugging him how Ken got all… vague about when he talked 'bout his friends in soccer.
Had Ken ever brought them up? Ryuji frowned as he tried to wrack his brain. He had nothing.
Shoyu barked, looking up at Ryuji with bright eyes.
Ryuji laughed, "Should I call him, Shoyu? It's not really Ken to be like… this."
Shoyu cocked his head. Well… it's not like Shoyu can talk. But an idea struck Ryuji, and he snapped his fingers.
"Hey I know—bark once if you think I should call Ken."
Another bark.
Ryuji grinned. That settles it, I guess."
After he ordered delivery, he plopped onto the sofa and pulled up Ken's number. He impatiently drummed his fingers on his leg as it rang twice before he picked up.
"Ryuji? Is something the matter?"
He said, "Hey, Ken. I was just wondering… there was somethin' off when you talked about your old soccer buddies."
Ken's only answer was a heavy sigh.
"Seriously, what's bugging you, man?" Ryuji asked.
Over the phone, Ken slowly exhaled. Even though they were miles apart, Ryuji could practically see the little frown on Ken's face, the way his eyebrows were furrowed together.
"It's… dumb."
"I thought I was the dumb one," Ryuji lightly joked, hoping to get a laugh from Ken.
He grinned as Ken did manage a small laugh.
"You're not dumb, Ryuji."
Shoyu crawled into Ryuji's lap, rubbing his head against Ryuji's hand. Ryuji grinned, petting the puppy for a few moments before turning his attention back to his friend.
"Come on Ken, you can tell me."
Ken once again exhaled.
"I never told you what happened after I joined the soccer club, did I?"
Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "Wait, there's a story behind it?"
"Well kinda. You see, Mitsuru-san told me initially that I should try to lead a normal life. Be a kid again. I wasn't happy with it but I joined the soccer club. It's kinda funny back in the fifth grade, the teacher told us to write down what I wanted to do when I grew up and I panicked and wrote 'soccer player'."
"I can't really imagine you doing that, honestly... no offense." Ryuji admitted.
He just chuckled, "None taken. But… when I realized what I was doing… being fixated on the past, I started making an effort to get to know people more. I got close to Kazuki and Daichi especially."
"Did you get into a fight or somethin'?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that. Near the end of the school year, last spring… I just started worrying about my future. That I was focused on university so I dropped both soccer and student council. I buried myself in my studies too."
Ryuji blinked. That sounded a little like Makoto. But he stayed quiet; he had a feeling that Ken wasn't done talking about this.
"I know it was for the better, since I had no real duties to drop when I accepted the mission. But hearing Kazuki and Daichi talk about soccer… makes me miss it."
"Why not pick it up then?" Ryuji asked.
"Huh?"
Ryuji just shook his head. For someone pretty smart, Ken could be dumb sometimes.
"Nothing's stopping ya from picking it back up. Might give you something to do while hanging around your place."
"Yeah because Shinjiro-san would be thrilled if I decided to kick a soccer ball around the penthouse," he snarked.
"Hey, you could always sneak to Inokashira Park or somethin'!"
"And I'll get pulled aside for truancy."
"Just don't wear your uniform, duh."
Ken then laughed, this time a proper laugh. Ryuji just grinned in response.
"You're terrible, Ryuji."
"Not as bad as RenRen!"
"Oh, I don't know about that…" He could hear the smile in Ken's voice though. "Thanks, Ryuji. But you know… it's not too late for you either."
Ryuji frowned. "Yeah... I'm not so sure, my leg makes it pretty rough."
"There are other ways that you can get involved in sports. I know one of Minako-san's friends got into coaching. She managed Minato-san's kendo club."
"Ehhh… I dunno 'bout that. I'll think about that after all of this shit with Shido's over with."
"Yeah, I think that's the smart thing to do," Ken agreed.
Ryuji then drew his knees to his chest, shifting into a more comfortable position.
"So, you're good now?"
"Yeah, I think so. I guess I needed to hear that."
A bark suddenly echoed out from the speaker.
"Something the matter, Koromaru?"
Another bark. Ken suddenly scoffed; Ryuji imagined that he was rolling his eyes now.
"Someone's being needy."
"If you have to go, it's cool," Ryuji told his friend. "It was nice talking to ya, but we'll see you soon enough, yeah?"
Ken slowly exhaled, "Yeah, you should. Good night, Ryuji."
Despite everything, he didn't sound too confident. Ryuji tried not to wince. He just had to believe.
Thursday, November 24th , 2016
Ken shivered as a suddenly frigid wind blew through the graveyard. He pulled his coat more tightly against his body before he forced himself to walk. He promised Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san that he wouldn't be long. They would be meeting with the others later today.
But he felt that he needed to do this.
He scanned the graves as he walked briskly through the area. It took him a while to find Mom's grave.
"Hi Mom..." he murmured before crouching down to wipe at the dirt.
There wasn't much dirt; however, so he could assume that someone had visited recently. He then pulled out the incense he had brought with him before lighting it. Ken watched the wispy smoke curl from the tip of the incense.
The scent of burning incense was always comforting to him. He remembered saving up his allocated money that his uncle would give him so he'd be able to buy offerings when he visited Mom's grave in the past.
He then closed his eyes and prayed.
He inserted the incense sticks into the ground, before he stared at the grave.
"Mom, I..." He licked his lips. "I'm sorry for not being able to visit in the longest time. It's been what—almost six months since I've been able to?"
He had visited her grave right before he and Shinjiro-san had left for Tokyo. It just felt wrong not to, since he didn't know how long he'd stay in Tokyo.
"I, um… I have a lot to talk to you, actually. I've made a lot of friends in Tokyo. Sometimes I wonder how that even happened."
The words slipped out too easily, as he talked about his friends. He avoided talking about their Phantom Thief work, though—he couldn't help but feel a little paranoid about someone overhearing him.
"And… I have a girlfriend too. We started dating last month but… I like her a lot. And I think you would like her too, Mom."
He couldn't help but smile, thinking about Makoto. Even though it had been a couple days since he had last seen Makoto, he already missed her. Even though they had talked a little over the phone, it still wasn't the same. He honestly even missed working with her in the student council room.
It was just… nice to spend time with her, even when they were working on paperwork.
"She's just… so compassionate, even when she's been hurt by the person. She still loves her sister so much, even though her sister hurt her a lot. And she's just so smart and her smile…" Ken trailed off, feeling himself blush a little.
He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed talking about it.
"She makes me happy," he said lamely, but smiled regardless. "I wish you could've met her. Well—actually technically you met her but that was once and we never saw each other until earlier this year…"
Ken then paused before he bent down, picking up the picture of her. He stared at it, trying to pick out any possible similar features to Akechi.
"So many people in Japan have brown hair… and it's not like I haven't met anyone with reddish eyes. There's Minako-san, Mitsuru-san, Makoto, Niijima-san. There's no way… right?" he thought to himself.
His grasp on the picture frame tightened.
"Shido said that he knew you. T-That's not true, right? Why would you ever want to associate yourself with such a horrible man…?"
Ken's fingers suddenly trembled.
"I… I don't want to be Goro Akechi's cousin. That's nothing but nonsense… right?"
He squeezed his eyes shut. Even with Akihiko-san and Mitsuru-san's kind reassurances, the idea of Akechi being his cousin still haunted him. He had tried to kill Ren. He made Futaba and Haru orphans. He had caused so much destruction… death…
The idea of being related to someone like that made him simply nauseous. The more he learned of Shido's machinations, the more he was reminded of Strega. And Akechi was his assassin.
Shido wouldn't have risen in power so quickly if he didn't have Akechi. And his influence wouldn't be as far reaching.
Just why would Akechi offer to do this for Shido? For fame, as the supposed second Detective Prince? Money? Or… did he get some thrill out of it?
Ken shivered at that last thought, pushing it away.
"It doesn't really matter," he thought firmly to himself.
Ken brushed some hair out of his eyes.
He murmured out, "I'm being silly. Saying all of this to you, when I haven't visited you in so long."
Ken sighed softly and slightly shifted his posture.
"A lot has happened, especially recently. But… I think I'll be okay, Mom."
He could only hope that he was right about this.
Ken couldn't help but feel nervous, staring at the file in Mitsuru-san's hands. Fuuka-san abruptly took his hand under the table, squeezing it. She gave him a reassuring smile. Ken tried to return it but he just felt so nervous.
They were sitting in a conference hall in Kirijo Tower. Everyone was here, which didn't do Ken's nerves any favors. The children were absent from this meeting—Chidori-san had offered to watch them while they discussed.
Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san sat to the left of him, while Akihiko-san and Minako-san were sitting to the right of him. Mitsuru-san sat directly across him. To her left sat Junpei-san, while Aigis-san and Labrys-san sat to her right.
Mitsuru-san then lowered the file.
"The thing that stands out to me the most… is how the doctor noted that your reflexes are significantly slower," she remarked.
Ken winced. He had noticed that.
"It should come back in time, right?" Yukari-san asked, concern in her eyes.
"Yes, that would be correct." Mitsuru-san nodded.
She sighed before straightening up in her seat. Then she met Ken's eyes.
"I will allow you to continue Phantom Thief work, Amada… on two conditions."
"What exactly?" Ken asked.
"One—you are to wear the Ring of Darkness again, no exceptions. While yes, fighting Shadows is dangerous regardless of what element they have, it'll help reassure me."
"That's not so bad…" Yukari-san murmured.
"But what's the second?" Shinjiro-san asked, raising an eyebrow.
Mitsuru-san wavered for a moment before steeling herself. Ken met her gaze, albeit a bit hesitantly.
"I want you to spar with me, Amada. I want to see your Persona as well."
For a moment, it was silent. So silent that you probably could hear a pin drop. Then several people reacted.
"WHAT?!"
"Hang on, Mitsuru-senpai!" Minako-san objected.
She then jumped to her feet, slamming her hands down on the table.
Minako-san yelled, "This is crazy! No way! You can't spar with Ken-kun!"
"He's still recovering, Mitsuru-senpai!" Fuuka-san was the next to protest.
"Amada will be fighting with Shadows soon enough." Mitsuru-san was quick to counter. "This is similar, no?"
"But…!" Fuuka-san looked at a loss for words.
As the others began to voice their thoughts, Ken found himself mulling over why Mitsuru-san wanted to spar. She wasn't… battle eager like Akihiko-san. There had to be a reason for this.
"Stop!"
Ken winced as everyone froze at his shout. He reached up to brush his bangs out of his face before speaking once more.
"Mitsuru-san… I'd like to hear your reasoning why you suddenly want to fight me."
Mitsuru-san sighed. "Fair enough. I want to see how far you've come, Amada. You've been fighting Shadows for nearly half a year now. I want to see your progress. You're going against Shido—without a doubt, he'll be the most difficult obstacle you and the Phantom Thieves face."
"I see."
"But Mitsuru-san, it still would not be a good idea given Ken-san's injuries—" Aigis-san began to protest.
Ken interrupted, "I accept your challenge, Mitsuru-san."
"Very well..." Mitsuru-san nodded.
"This is crazy, Ken-kun! You're not ready to go back into combat yet!" Minako-san cried.
"Sometimes battle will throw you a curveball, Minako-san." Ken said firmly.
"But…!"
"Stop trying to baby him you guys!" Shinjiro-san suddenly spoke up. "What—do you think Mitsuru will kick his ass?"
That… was a surprise. Although he had noticed that Shinjiro-san had stayed quiet before.
"That's not it, Shinji!" Fuuka protested, even as Mitsuru-san called Kikuno-san to her.
Junpei-san spoke up, "Shinjiro-senpai's right, y'know. And Mitsuru-senpai's got a point in being worried."
Kikuno-san then handed Ken a small silver briefcase. He flipped it open to reveal an Evoker, albeit one that wasn't marked with S.E.E.S, and a holster.
Ken inhaled. He could do this. He wasn't a weak little boy anymore.
"Mitsuru-san wants to see my strength? I'll show her then," Ken thought, determination flooding him. He then stood up and following Mitsuru-san, briefcase in hand.
Mitsuru-san led them to one of the sparring halls. He could see the others exchanging worried looks. Okay, he knew that Mitsuru-san was well—Mitsuru-san. But she was right. Shadows couldn't strategize, but he needed to be ready for combat any time. He didn't want to slow down the others.
Kikuno-san appeared with a spear in one hand, a sheathed rapier in the other. Ken bent down, popping open the briefcase to pull out both the holster and Evoker. He had just slipped his Evoker into the holster when Fuuka-san approached him, her expression concerned.
"Fuuka-san, I'm not gonna—" Ken began, but she held up a hand.
Fuuka-san blurted out, "I'm sorry! I just..."
She trailed off, biting her lower lip. She then looked down at the floor. Ken frowned; he had a feeling he knew what this was about.
"It's okay, Fuuka-san." Ken said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I understand the concern."
Fuuka-san then looked up, giving him a tiny smile. "Go get Mitsuru-senpai, okay, Ken-kun?"
"I'll do my best." Ken then dug out his phone, holding it to her, "Can you hold onto this? I don't want it to get busted."
Fuuka-san nodded before taking the device from him. "Of course, Ken-kun."
Kikuno-san suddenly approached, spear in hand.
"Good luck, Ken-san." She smiled serenely. "You'll need it to beat Lady Mitsuru."
"Don't I know it," Ken muttered, shaking his head.
Mitsuru-san was one of the veterans after all. The very first to awaken to her Persona. And she was no slouch with her rapier either. She could give Akihiko-san a run for his money.
Ken squared his shoulders. He could do this. Now was not the time to be pessimistic. He has spent months fighting Shadows. He'd show everyone just how much progress he's made.
"I hope you're prepared, Amada," Mitsuru-san called to him.
She had her rapier already drawn; as always, her form was perfect.
Ken narrowed his eyes. "That's funny, I was about to say something similar to you, Mitsuru-san."
He could feel the stares. Okay, maybe Ren had more of an influence on him that he had realized. But right now, he would need that confidence.
Mitsuru-san laughed, but then her expression grew steely.
"Let's see if your confidence is well-earned."
They drew their Evokers at the same time.
"I command thee—Artemisia!"
"Come forth, Tyr!"
Minako knew that Ken had a new Persona but it was… weird to know that Kala-Nemi was gone. Maybe she just felt a little sad knowing that.
Beside her, Fuuka suddenly inhaled sharply.
"Oh my…" she breathed.
When Minako gave her friend a quizzical look, she hastened to clarify.
"Ken-kun was right. His power... it's definitely stronger. And his abilities—they're different."
"We'll have to wait and see then." Aki remarked with his arms crossed over his chest; his eyes were trained on Ken. "Didn't get to see Ken in combat when Chie and me were in Tokyo."
But Artemisia cracked her whip, sending several icicles flying. Tyr just spun his spear, before slicing through the Bufudyne spell with the axe on the bottom of his spear. He then slashed the air, blades of light flying through the air. They struck the ground, kicking up dust.
Ken took the distraction to dart forward, stabbing with his spear. Mitsuru-senpai quickly blocked with her rapier, sparks flying as the two weapons grounded against each other. But Ken seemed to win the clash, sending her stumbling backwards. Then Ken quickly swung his spear, striking Mitsuru-senpai with the flat of his spearhead.
"Ouch." Yukari couldn't help but wince in sympathy.
But then Mitsuru-senpai called out to Artemisia. Ken was quick to react, dropping his spear to duck and roll out of the way.
"Ken's gotten pretty fast." Aki sounded impressed.
But as he came to a stop, Ken suddenly winced, before pressing a hand against his side. Minako bit her lip, looking at him anxiously. This was what she was afraid of.
But then he gritted his teeth, the tell-tale blue glow of Diaharan suddenly surrounding his hand.
"Ken has that upper hand, at least," Junpei commented as Ken used his spear as a crutch and staggered to his feet.
Then Mitsuru-senpai rushed forward, apparently intent on closing the distance between them. She nailed him with a quick stab to the shoulder. Ken staggered back, making Minako frown. It was like the report said, Ken's reflexes were slower than usual.
Mitsuru-senpai pressed her advantage, slashing with her rapier. Minako bit her lip as Ken was forced to stay on the defensive. With every blow, Ken's movements were slowing.
Mitsuru-senpai grinded her rapier against Ken's spear. Ken's entire frame trembled for a moment before his expression hardened and he gave one hard shove—making Mitsuru-senpai stumble.
As she stumbled, Ken quickly summoned Tyr once more.
"Tyr!" he called out.
Tyr appeared before raising his arm cannon. A powerful blast erupted from it but Minako couldn't help but notice that it was aimed to the ground.
But then a phone rang, shattering the tension. Well, for the onlookers. Mitsuru-senpai and Ken were completely focused on their fight.
Fuuka fumbled for a moment, before she took out Ken's phone.
"Hello? Makoto-chan?"
That immediately caught Minako's attention.
"You… want to talk to Ken-kun?" Fuuka said slowly, before her eyes flickering to Ken, who was currently parrying a strike from Mitsuru-senpai. "He's kinda… busy right now."
Makoto said something in response to that. But as Fuuka listened, Minako tugged on her arm. She then gave her friend a puppy dog pout.
This was her one chance to talk to Makoto.
Fuuka faltered at that. "No, he's not in the doctor's office right now? He's umm… occupied with Mitsuru-senpai right now. I can tell him to call you back when this is all done, though."
Fuuka shook her head at Minako, aiming for a stern look.
It kinda failed. Fuuka was many things, but intimidating was not on the list.
So Minako upped the puppy dog pout, even making her bottom lip tremble. Fuuka just slowly exhaled before speaking again.
"If you're not busy, Makoto-chan—Minako-chan would like to talk to you."
Minako pumped a fist, unable to stop a grin from coming across her face.
"Success!" she cheered to herself.
Makoto spoke again, making Fuuka raise an eyebrow.
"Oh, really? Well, this is lucky then." Fuuka then smiled slightly. "Ken-kun isn't particularly keen on it."
"Pffft, Ken was being a total wuss. I'm not gonna embarrass him!" She thought to herself.
Then Fuuka handed her the phone.
"Hello? Is this Minako-san?"
The voice coming from the phone was quiet and hesitant. Even though she couldn't see Makoto, Minako smiled.
She did her best to infuse her voice with her usual cheerfulness. "Yep! That's me! So, you're the infamous Makoto Niijima, huh?"
"O-Oh, I wouldn't call myself 'infamous'…" Makoto then cleared her throat. "Actually, I'd use that to describe you."
Minako winced. "Oooh, I guess you've heard some things about me already."
Makoto managed a weak laugh.
"Yes, something like that."
Minako just quipped, "From Ken-kun or Shinji?"
"Mm, I don't think that it's fair to disclose that."
"So… tell me about yourself, Makoto-chan," Minako said, crossing her legs.
She wasn't that mean. She'd ease Makoto into the questions, before going in for the kill. It was only right. She knew nothing about Makoto and she was dating Ken. She had to ensure that Ken was dating someone trustworthy.
She could hear it in Makoto's voice as she slowly relaxed.
"Sooo…" Minako drawled out. "What made you start liking Ken-kun?"
Sudden silence.
"Makoto-chan? You still there?"
"I… um… honestly don't know." she said sheepishly.
"You don't know?" Minako couldn't help but giggle.
It kinda reminded her of how Aki didn't understand his feelings. Though that made her wonder what happened for Makoto to realize it. Because she could guess that Ken hadn't spelled it out to her.
"Okay—then what do you like about him?"
"W-Well, the first thing that stood out to me about him is that he's so… nice." She suddenly let out a nervous chuckle. "On his first day of school, he just took a look at me and he said I was working too hard and invited me to eat lunch with him. I was stressed at the time because of Kobayakawa's demands and I was alienated from the school."
Minako just smiled. "Contrary to what Shinji claims… you are right."
She remembered noticing that when she had first met him. He was a shy and kind boy beneath the attempts to seem mature.
"He just… is so kind and supportive. He believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. And it's honestly really cute when he's watching Neo Feathermen. His eyes light up and he gets so excited…"
Minako had to bite her lip so she wouldn't start giggling as Makoto continued to ramble about Ken.
But she was glad. She occasionally teased Ken about being such a girl magnet, but at the same time, she didn't like how the girls chased after him just for being a handsome athlete. Especially since she could still remember what it had been like with Aki.
They never got to know Aki. They would never know just kind and sweet he could be, underneath that confidence.
She was glad that Ken had found someone who saw there was more to him. And well… Makoto had already made it obvious that she adored Ken.
Makoto abruptly coughed.
"U-Um, I didn't mean to talk your ear off about Ken."
Minako just chuckled. "It's okay! I mean, just ask Ken or Shinji. I'm a bit of a motormouth myself."
"If you say so." Makoto still sounded embarrassed. "But um, there was actually a reason why I wanted to talk to you, Minako-san…"
"Huh?"
Makoto then cleared her throat, "I know… that you've been second guessing your nominating Ken to send to Tokyo, but I want to thank you. I'm not sure I would've met him if you hadn't. And for that, I'm incredibly grateful."
The sincerity in her voice took Minako aback. She couldn't help but feel surprised. She had heard bits and pieces from Shinji, but she hadn't expected Makoto to be so… affectionate when talking about Ken.
"I… you're welcome," Minako said finally. "I just… I care about him a lot. He means a lot to me and I couldn't help but feel afraid that I messed up by suggesting this to Mitsuru-senpai."
"You haven't," Makoto said gently. "I may be biased, but Ken is a wonderful addition to our group. I'm so grateful that I've met him."
Makoto sounded so fond and well soft as she spoke about Ken. Before Minako knew it, she blurted out a question.
"Do you love Ken-kun?"
There was a small gasp.
"Umm…"
Minako just smiled, closing her eyes. She wouldn't be surprised if Makoto was red as a beet. She was glad that Ken had found love. She couldn't help but think the stolen moments that she had with Aki, back when they were teenagers. Despite the fear, Nyx hanging over their heads—she wouldn't have traded those moments for anything in the world.
But still… a part of her felt a little sad. Ken was the closest thing she had to a little brother, after all.
"You'll take care of him, won't you?" She asked softly.
"I will..." Makoto vowed, her voice suddenly growing steady. "You have my word, I promise. Ken… means the world to me."
Minako smiled. "I'm glad—oh um… Makoto-chan, I would really like to talk to you some more… can I have your number?"
"O-Oh, I'm glad! I'm... um... not the greatest at talking."
Minako chuckled. "You're doing fine, from my perspective."
They talked a little longer, before Makoto gave Minako her number. Minako couldn't help but wonder which pictures to send Makoto first.
When she hung up, she couldn't help but giggle as her eyes fell on the screen. Ken had added a little heart emoji to Makoto's name in his phone. She wondered if anyone else knew this.
"Am I going to regret this?" Fuuka sighed as Minako handed her Ken's phone.
"Regret what?" Minako batted her eyes at Fuuka.
Fuuka just sighed, shaking her head. "I think… that's a yes."
Minako opened her mouth to reply, only to hear a crashing sound. Her head jerked back to Mitsuru-senpai and Ken.
Mitsuru-senpai was on the ground. Ken had managed to knock her Evoker away and had disarmed her. He had the tip of his spear at her throat. But even then, Ken's stance was tense, as if he expected her to come up with a counter.
Mitsuru-senpai just looked up at Ken, before chuckling.
"I yield."
Ken slowly nodded before dropping his spear. He then extended a hand, helping her up.
Mitsuru-senpai dusted off her clothes for a moment before speaking.
"C'est magnifique, Amada," she said, her lips curling into a pleased smile. "I can certainly see that you have improved."
Ken shook his head. "Yeah, but if you went one hundred percent, you would've destroyed me."
Mitsuru-senpai frowned. "I never would have with your injuries."
"I know. But I still have to keep that in mind, when we start infiltrating the Palace. Shadows won't be nearly as nice. I can't drop my guard," Ken stated.
"I can't help but notice…" Aigis began.
"Notice what, Aigis?" Yukari frowned, puzzled.
Aigis explained, "Ken-san utilized the dirty trick on occasion, from my observations. Such as attempting to trip Mitsuru-san with his spear."
Ken's cheeks turned pink. "Um—I can explain…"
Minako blinked at that. What the heck were the Phantom Thieves teaching Ken then? Mitsuru-senpai wasn't offended, at least.
She just chuckled, "I will admit that was unexpected, but we were dueling."
"And not everyone will be honorable in fights," Aki stated, his expression growing dark.
They all tensed at that.
"You'll be careful, right, Ken-kun?" Fuuka's voice suddenly became anxious, clasping her hands behind her back.
Ken smiled reassuringly. "I will, I promise."
"No more reckless stunts, got it?" Minako put her hands on her hips.
There was suddenly an awkward silence.
Yukari coughed into her hand. "Uhh... I don't think you can say that, Minako."
"Whaaat?" Minako glared at her.
Yukari reminded with an eye roll, "I mean, remember the fight with the Lovers Shadow? You screamed something along the lines of 'this is for screwing with my emotions, jerk!' before jumping on its back and got a little too naginata happy."
"Y-Yeah, well, you got pretty pissed at it too!" Minako protested.
Yukari huffed at that, her cheeks coloring. Minako snickered. She remembered prying the story out of Yukari the night after. They had been bored at the dorm so they had a girl's night with Fuuka. Fuuka had gotten tired and went to bed early. But Minako had cornered her and managed to get her to spill. Yukari had basically admitted to her that she had a small crush on Minato.
"We really oughta do somethin' special tonight though!" Labrys chimed in. "I mean, Shinjiro-san and Ken-kun are going back to Tokyo tomorrow, right?"
"Maybe we should've saved sushi for tonight then," Aki laughed.
"I wouldn't say no to another round of sushi though," Minako joked.
Aigis tilted her head. "What do Shinjiro-san and Ken-san want?"
"Oh, that's a good idea, Aigis." Yukari complimented.
Shinji just shrugged. "I don't really care. I'm not picky."
Minako stifled a laughter. So said the man who can and will nitpick the hell out of food.
"Riiight." Junpei snickered.
"You constantly critique restaurants' cooking," Mitsuru-senpai seconded, smiling in amusement.
"Well, if I'm paying for someone to cook food for me, I expect it to be done right!" Shinji snapped.
"What do you want then, Ken-kun?" Fuuka asked, getting them back on track.
Ken started fidgeting. "Well, if you don't mind… do you think we could have something like… the dorm party? I don't really want to go out for dinner tonight, to be honest…"
"Oh, that's a great idea!" Junpei exclaimed, his eyes brightening with excitement, "It's been ages since I've gotten to eat Shinjiro-senpai's cooking!"
Minako liked the idea too. She still thought about that dinner fondly, even though it had been over seven years ago.
"Tch… putting me on the spot?" Shinji grumbled.
Minako just snickered. He may complain about it, she knew that Shinji preferred cooking than going out to eat.
"I-I'd be happy to help!" Ken said hastily, even waving his hands around a little. "I just thought it'd be nice…"
Fuuka spoke up, "I think it's a sweet idea. I'd be happy to chip in too."
Shinji snorted, "As long as it's you two."
"Hey, I cook pretty well!" Minako said indignantly.
"You're also still recovering from childbirth, Minako," Yukari scolded.
Minako flapped a hand at her.
"Details…"
"You can use our kitchens if you'd like, Shinjiro. And I can cover the expenses for the ingredients," Mitsuru-senpai offered.
Shinji glowered at her. "No. You pay for most of our expenses already. I have a job, I'm fine with buying everything."
"I'm just trying to help you! You're being absolutely stubborn!" Mitsuru-senpai snapped.
Shinji scowled harder, "Look who's talking!"
"I swear this always happens." Yukari sighed, pressing a hand against her forehead.
"Sooo… where's the popcorn?" Minako quipped.
"Minako!"
Ren really hoped the old saying 'third time's the charm' was accurate. He couldn't help but feel antsy though, with the security guards lurking around.
Makoto instructed, "We need to be careful, everyone. The security guards have become suspicious of us, so we can't stay for too long."
Ren just grumbled to himself. This was the third day in a row that they had visited the Diet Building. This was really starting to get old.
"But we still don't have a hit." Futaba sighed, staring at the ground.
Then she growled, clenching her hands into fists.
"If only I could hack into Shido's brain!" she hissed.
"Quiet, Futaba!" Anne shushed, holding a finger to her lips.
"So says the girl who just waltzed up to a politician just a couple days ago," Ryuji grumbled.
"That's enough, both of you," Ren said quickly before Anne could come up with a retort.
It was usually entertaining to see his best friend and girlfriend's bickering, but now wasn't the time. They couldn't afford to attract attention.
"We do need to focus on figuring out the keyword," Yusuke agreed with a nod.
Haru frowned, before biting her lower lip in thought. She then clasped her hands behind her back.
She said slowly, "The citizens are secondary. He only cares about his own well-being and that of his lackeys…"
Ren couldn't help but frown at the reminder, his hands clenching into fists. He really wanted to make that bastard pay, for how he was screwing over the entire country.
Makoto pursed her lips, before she stroked her chin.
"He wants to become prime minister even if it means trampling on others," she stated.
"Typical..." Ryuji mumbled out.
"Fortune… rich people..." Futaba said slowly, only for her to groan and press her hands against her temples. "Ugh, I'm overloading!"
"I've really got nothing," Ryuji grumbled out.
Ren sighed to himself. He hated to admit it, but he was feeling the same.
Morgana suddenly looked at Ren. "Hey, Ren, can you think of anything based on what you've heard from him? Back when you met him before you moved to Tokyo. Just try saying anything. It doesn't matter if you guess."
Ren stared down at the ground, frowning. The memories of that night were coming more clearly. But he could remember one thing that stood out in particular…
"Incompetent fools like you just need to shut your mouths and follow where I 'steer' this country!"
Ren's face scrunched up in distaste and his hands clenched into fists. Shido really wanted to turn Japan into a dictatorship.
"Ren, do you remember something?" Anne asked, her blue eyes filling with concern.
She reached out, touching his hand gently. Ren took her hand, drawing comfort from her warmth. Then Ren nodded, before glancing at everyone.
He spoke up, "I do… that night—he claimed that he would 'steer' this country. That everyone needed to just follow him."
"Steer…?" Morgana repeated.
"Steer…" Makoto repeated as well, before she let out a gasp. "Oh... steer!"
Ren blinked at that. What was that about? And why would Makoto know that about Shido? Had she read that in an article?
Haru tilted her head. "Mako-chan? What's wrong?"
"Ryuji, Futaba—don't you remember what Shido's men were talking about when we were eavesdropping on them?" she asked urgently, turning to face their friends.
Ren opened his mouth to question when the hell this had happened, but he was interrupted by Ryuji.
"They said some shit about Shido being a visionary…" Ryuji said slowly.
"That's not all of it, though." Futaba looked up at Ryuji, before pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Don't you remember, Ryuji…? You brought it up yourself."
Ryuji's face scrunched up, only for his entire body to freeze up. Then he narrowed his eyes, his lips twisting into a scowl.
"That's right—they said that Shido was gonna steer Japan in the right direction. That kind of crap!"
So that would mean that Shido would've said that to his followers. Not just to the masses.
"Yes, that's correct. Given with Ren recalls… that might be a huge clue," Makoto said, gravely nodding.
Haru had a contemplative look in her eyes and a heavy frown on her face. She pressed her index finger against her lips.
"Steering… If that's the case, shouldn't it be some kind of vehicle?" she voiced aloud.
She had a good point; it was worth a shot.
"We have car, train, ship, plane…" Anne listed out. "It narrows the choices down a lot but we still have several options."
"I think car would be out, in my opinion," Makoto said, tapping her chin. "Given how Shido's mindset is… it's probably a larger vehicle."
"What about train, then?" Ryuji suggested.
Haru asked, "What's your reasoning for that, Ryuji-kun?"
Ryuji shrugged. "I dunno, it just kinda fits in my head? Like how fancy trains can get, y'know?"
"Plus, the Diet Building is on land." Anne pointed out.
Morgana looked up at him. "Let's give it a shot, Ren."
Ren nodded, before activating the app. Unfortunately, the app spouted the dreaded 'conditions have not been met'.
But still, Makoto had a point. Wouldn't Shido see the Diet Building as something big?
Abruptly, a memory floated in Ren's mind.
"I humbly ask that you cast your vote for me—Masayoshi Shido! Let us all sail for a better future too! I hope to continue serving you all!"
"Sail… that's it!" Ren thought to himself with wide eyes.
"Ren?" Morgana asked.
"It's a ship!" Ren blurted out.
"Condition met."
Haru squeaked in surprise. "It's a match?!"
Anne questioned, "Just kind of scenery will that be? The actual building's on land!"
"Only one way to find out…" Yusuke said gravely.
Futaba just gave Ryuji a cheeky smile. "Good thing there's no barriers, riiiight?"
"Oh shuddup!" Ryuji snapped, shooting Futaba the stink-eye. "Let's just hurry it up and go in!"
Makoto chided, "Not so fast. We can't be reckless."
"Hang on—shouldn't we wait for Ken-kun? We've always entered the Palaces together," Haru objected.
This made several people hesitate.
"Oh… that's a good point," Makoto said, pursing her lips.
"Normally… I'd say yes," Ren spoke up. "But we can't waste time. We need to get as much intel as possible while we're here. We'll just catch him up when he gets back."
When… not if. He had to trust that Ken would come back. Ken would understand, right?
Morgana said, "Ren's right. We're here already, so let's head inside the Palace."
"Are we clear of the guard's sight?" Yusuke asked.
"Hmm…" Morgana then glanced towards the wall. "Let's get close to the wall, just in case. We can't afford to get caught."
Ren took one last glance around. They were in Shido's territory now. They needed to be even more careful than usual. Once he was satisfied, he motioned for his friends to get closer.
Then he activated the app... only for nothing to change.
"What gives?" he thought, unable to stifle the flare of annoyance.
"Hang on, we're in the Metaverse, aren't we?" Ryuji asked, looking around.
Anne frowned. "Then how come nothing's changed?"
Makoto let out a thoughtful hum, before glancing around.
"Well… at least the security guards are gone. But it may be a case similar to Sis's Palace."
That was a good point. Ren sighed to himself. He needed to get his head screwed on straight. He couldn't let his personal feelings color his perception.
"The Diet Building is unchanged then…" Yusuke said slowly. "What does this mean? Is Shido's office perhaps the only thing that'll change then?"
"That's awfully small… at least the gates are open," Haru said.
Ren pointed out, "I mean, Futaba's Palace was just Sojiro's house. I remember the cognition for the safe rooms were her room, though."
Anne suddenly gasped, before gesturing to Morgana.
"Mona's changed! That confirms it then—we're in the Metaverse!"
Indeed, Morgana had changed to the cartoonish cat form that he adopted in the Metaverse. Ren couldn't stop himself from frowning though… Shido was already an enigma—figures that his Palace would be too.
"C'mon, enough flapping our jaws," Ryuji said.
"I agree with Ryuji… for once." Morgana said.
Ryuji was naturally indignant. "Hey—!"
They scouted around, but nothing seemed to have change. But then Futaba let out a startled cry.
"Futaba?!" Ryuji shouted before rushing to her side.
"What's the matter?" Yusuke inquired, frowning.
"L-Look…" she managed to utter.
They all hastily joined Futaba. They found themselves staring at an ocean. They were… standing on a cruise ship.
And Tokyo… was slowly sinking. Buildings were submerged in water, some of them nearly swallowed up. Hot anger bubbled up in Ren and he narrowed his eyes at the sight.
"Even though this country may sink, he alone will survive…" Haru murmured out, clutching a hand to her chest. "That's what this cognition's about."
"That sounds about right." Anne sighed, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Screw that!" Ryuji spat out.
His best friend was absolutely seething, anger burning in his eyes.
"This is bullshit…!" he declared. "A country that children can be proud of, my ass! It's completely sunken in his head! If a guy like this stands above everyone, we're seriously done for!"
"That's why we're here, aren't we?" Anne asked, before meeting Ryuji's eyes. "We've gotta stop him—no matter what!"
Haru tilted her head, before reaching out to touch Yusuke's arm. The artist was staring off in the distance, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Is something the matter, Yus—Fox?" she quickly corrected herself while concern filled her voice.
That was right, even though the costumes haven't appeared on yet, they're still in the Metaverse. They'd need to stick to codenames.
"I wonder if Akechi knows about this..." he said somberly. "Does he know that Shido has a Palace? And this is how he's viewing our country…? He must know if he has the same powers as us."
"Just what is he thinking?" Makoto then trailed off.
Haru frowned in response, crossing her arms.
"Whether it be for glory or for simply a reward…" Her expression hardened. "Either way, it's utterly despicable. I cannot forgive him for everything he's done."
"Same goes for me!" Futaba exclaimed, nodding. "Mom, Noir's dad, and so many people died because of him following Shido's orders!"
"Whoa there, tigers...!" Ren interjected, raising his hands in a calm down gesture.
He needed to step in before they got all worked up about this. He sympathized with his two friends—being personal victims of Shido and Akechi—but they needed to focus on their job.
"Let's focus on Shido for now, okay?" Ren reminded.
Morgana nodded. "Joker's right. We should head on in. We need to be extra careful. A Palace with not just the center of the distortion, but the entire country sunken… I can't believe there's someone with this tremendous of a desire… This will be completely different from past Palaces!"
Ryuji nodded eagerly before smacking his fist into his open palm.
"We'll take his Treasure and make 'im confess to his crimes! Shido, you better watch out—we're coming for you!"
Ren clenched one hand into a fist, before looking at all of his friends. They gazed back at him, trust clear in their eyes.
They believed in him. He owed it to them to live up to their expectations.
"Let's do this!" he exclaimed.
Makoto exclaimed, "We must put an end to this before the elections!"
"Let the infiltration begin!" Morgana proclaimed. "Joker, at your lead!"
Ren glanced around at his friends. He would have to bring Morgana with him—usually he debated between him or Ken, since they were the best healers.
"Fox, Noir, Mona—you're up," he ordered.
"At your service, Joker," Yusuke stated as he and Haru stepped up to stand beside Ren.
"Hang on—isn't it a bit weird that he doesn't see us as a threat?" Ryuji asked, suddenly scratching his head.
"It's true that our appearances are still our normal clothes…" Anne mused.
"I'd say it's like Sis's Palace," Makoto spoke up. "Remember in the police station, our clothes didn't change. Our plan hinged on that. But when we stepped inside the proper Palace, our clothes did change. So, we're probably not seen as a threat until we enter the palace... probably."
"Yeah, that sounds most likely, Queen," Morgana agreed.
Yusuke's expression was somber. "Masayoshi Shido's Palace… just what will await us?"
"We'll just have to find out for ourselves," Anne stated, folding her arms over her chest.
Once they stepped inside, blue flames flared around them, replacing their civilian clothes with their Phantom Thief suits.
"So you were right, Queen," Haru stated.
"It makes sense with what we know about Palaces," Ren mused.
Anne was looking around, her lips forming a deep frown.
"Something up, Panther?" Ren asked, raising an eyebrow at his girlfriend.
"Like, I get why Shido sees us as a threat." But then she pointed at the cognitions milling around the room. "But why are they masked?"
There were several people surrounding them. All dressed in fancy attire and with masquerade masks on. So these were Shido's versions of cognitions then.
"It's how Shido views ordinary people then, I assume?" Yusuke said thoughtfully, only for him to shake his head. "No… that doesn't seem quite right."
Makoto just folded her arms over her chest, studying the cognitions closely.
She remarked, "I'm just surprised that Shido even views them as normal people."
"Hey, everyone, focus!" Morgana said sharply. "I wouldn't be surprised if we got dragged into a battle with Shadows!"
But Ren was curious, so he approached one of the masked cognitions.
"Who are you? Did you really think that you could speak to an honored guest of Mr. Shido just like that?"
He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. Ren turned his head so the cognition wouldn't see Ren rolling his eyes. But then he caught sight of Futaba pretending to gag.
Ren couldn't help but snicker, even as Makoto poked Futaba in the ribs in an attempt to get her to quit it.
"Really, Oracle?" she hissed out.
Futaba just grinned impishly. "You have to admit it's ridiculous, though, right?"
Makoto gave Futaba an annoyed look. "I don't have to admit anything."
"Anyways… come on guys, we should move on," Anne said.
Ren nodded but he couldn't help but wonder what was up with the cognition's comment. An honored guest of Shido? Honored how, exactly?
Ren shook his head, pushing his thoughts aside before heading up the stairs. His leg throbbed with dull pain, but Ren ignored it. He had dealt with worse. But then they were suddenly intercepted by a Shadow, a white lion… thing.
He wished he could've asked Ken what he thought was the weakness but unfortunately, Ken wasn't here.
"Time to find this out the hard way!" He thought before grasping the edges of his mask.
"Arsène!" Ren called out, drawing gasps from Morgana, Ryuji, and Anne.
He just grinned at that. They weren't expecting to see him again.
Arsène swept through the air, his great black wings flapping a couple times. Then he snapped his fingers. Pulsating black and red energy exploded to life, striking the Shadow. It yowled in pain, but it seemed to take normal damage.
"Damn, that wasn't it then," Ren thought with disappointment.
"Kamu Susano-o!" Yusuke shouted.
Icicles appeared, striking the Shadow. It let out another pained cry, skidding backwards until it hit the wall.
"Very nice, Fox!" Futaba cheered.
"Joker, let's end this!" Yusuke declared, looking to him for confirmation.
"Do it!" Ren yelled.
The group preformed an all-out attack, wiping out the Shadow.
His body was still sore, but Ren had to admit that it felt good to take out his frustrations on the Shadow.
"Hang on, what was that?!" Ryuji demanded, as soon as the battle was over.
"That was Arsène!" Anne gasped, her eyes wide with shock. "How the heck did you get back Arsène?!"
"One question at a time!" Ren said, unable to hold back a laugh.
"Arsène… isn't that your original Persona, Joker?" Makoto asked.
Ren nodded. "Yeah, when I awakened—Arsène answered my call. To answer Panther's question, he appeared when Shadows intercepted me when I was trying to 'escape' the Casino Palace. I'm not giving him up again though."
"He seems way more badass than before, Joker!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Another asset for us, then." Morgana stated.
"Couldn't say it better, Mona." Ren just grinned. "But come on, this Palace isn't gonna explore itself."
Unfortunately, they didn't get too far until they hit a roadblock. Morgana had explained that he could sense the Treasure behind a great door with lion décor. There were five slots, so Ren figured that they needed to find some kind of key to gain access.
Ren couldn't help but think of what they overheard, though. An unopposed passing of whatever law Shido wanted… Japan would become a despotism. Nobody would dare speak out against him.
A chill ran down Ren's spine.
"We have to stop him… we have to," Ren thought firmly to himself.
But enough griping. He had to see what intel everyone else had found. He found Anne first. She jumped when Ren put a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh, Joker..." Anne then pressed her finger against her lips in a shushing motion.
She then subtly gestured to a woman in a dress speaking to a man in a suit. They were gossiping about one of the VIPs. Apparently, he was a descendant of nobility.
Ren couldn't help but glower as they discussed on why exactly he hung around the swimming pool all the time. What a disgusting pig. And judging with how Anne was biting her lip at their conversation, he could guess that Anne was even less thrilled than him to hear this crap.
Anne then took ahold of his sleeve, tugging him away from the cognitions.
"Figures that Shido would be chummy with an asshole like that," Anne seethed.
"You think we'll have to steal it from him?" Ren wondered aloud.
Or maybe they could persuade him, somehow.
Anne then folded her arms over her chest. "Maybe... but I found some more information, Joker."
"What is it?" He asked.
"Beyond the door is the 'VIP area' and the main assembly hall is a 'sacred place'." Anne explained.
"Sacred…? What—does he think he's a god?" Ren tried to joke.
Unfortunately, it didn't wipe away Anne's worried expression. Instead, she seemed to grow even more tense.
She heaved out a sigh. "It looks like we can't get in unless Shido accepts us."
"Don't worry, my lady," Ren said, trying to give her a reassuring smile. "We'll figure it out—like we always do."
Anne then smiled, albeit a bit sadly. "It's felt so long since I've heard you call me that."
"Panther—" He was quickly shushed by Anne pressing a finger against his lips.
"You don't need to explain to me. It was just… nice to hear." Anne smiled slightly.
Then she reached up, touching Ren's face gently.
"How are you feeling though?" she asked.
"It's getting better every day," Ren answered.
"I'm glad." Anne then lowered her hand. "But we do have work to take care of… what we found out was good but we should really scout around more."
They parted ways after exchanging a quick kiss. Ren found Makoto first. They ended overhearing some gossip that some politician was one of Shido's VIPs. Though their uncaring comments about the mental shutdowns just made Ren's blood boil.
Did they not care about human lives, then? It just made him sick.
"So, a politician…" Makoto's voice snapped Ren out of his thoughts. "I guess it makes sense, with how Shido needs allies in the Diet."
Ren just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Why couldn't there be more politicians like Yoshida? Politicians who actually cared about the people they were serving.
But he realized that Makoto was looking at him expectantly so he forced himself to speak.
"When I was with Panther earlier, we heard about a former noble. He's in the pool area."
Makoto rubbed her chin. "Hmm... and they talked about Mr. Ooe staying in the restaurant. And from what I heard before, there are three other VIPs left."
Ren grimaced in response. "I can't even imagine what the others will be like. But this is good intel. I'll check with the others though—"
"Joker, wait." Makoto reached out to touch his arm, only to change her mind at the last minute. "You know you can talk to me, right? If not me, then any of us. We'll hear you out, if you need to talk about something that's upsetting you."
Ren stared at her, surprised. He hadn't expected that from Makoto. Sure, she's always tried to look out for Futaba especially. But she never reached out to him in this way.
He couldn't help but think of how his first impressions of her were so wrong.
He managed a smile at his friend. "I'll keep in mind, Queen. But… thank you."
Ren found Futaba next, who was eyeing the cognitions with uncertainty. She looked up as she heard Ren's footsteps and she clenched both hands into fists.
"You're some kind of sadist for making me get info from complete strangers, Joker!" she complained.
He quickly apologized, "Sorry about that, Oracle. It's just…"
"I know, I know, it is better that we split up and find some intel," Futaba grumbled out. "But I gotta do it. I have to, if I want to avenge Mom!"
"That's the spirit!" Ren laughed.
"And… we gotta get him back for you too. He almost killed you—he's gotta pay for that!" Futaba added.
Ren just smiled at her. "Thanks, Oracle."
"Joker!"
They turned at the sound of Morgana's voice.
"I found Skull, Noir, and Fox. We've found some good intel. I found a safe room while exploring, so let's discuss there." He explained.
"Sir, yes, sir!" Futaba quickly saluted Morgana, who pulled a face at her playful antics.
Ren couldn't help but chuckle a little at that. But he gestured for Futaba to follow him. As they searched for the safe room, Ren noticed that there was a map pamphlet so he grabbed that.
Once they were all congregated, Makoto asked how the intel went.
"Not bad, but it could be a lot better." Anne frowned. "One of the VIPs is a noble and he hangs around the pool."
Makoto nodded. "And the VIP I found about was a politician, Mr. Ooe. He is said to spend all his time in the ship's restaurant."
Haru tilted her head. "Is that symbolic?"
"Hmm… well, I can't imagine how that would be symbolic for Mr. Ooe, but for the noble guy…" Morgana trailed off before wincing.
"He's a pig." Anne said flatly.
Ryuji let out a frustrated sigh before hanging his head.
"Least you got somethin'. They would hardly look at me. Figured it must be 'cause of how I look, since they were yammering on about image." He said glumly.
"Oh, don't feel so bad, Skull! I… I couldn't really talk to them either." Haru sighed, before brushing a stray curl out of her face. "I was so used to being quiet and listening to Father speak with his associates. And what I listened… it didn't amount to much. Just that Shido has five VIPs—which aligns with how many key slots there are…"
"Don't discount being able to listen in on conversations though," Ren spoke up.
"Yeah, it can give us plenty of intel!" Futaba seconded. "Like with your dad's Palace, remember? Don't dismiss how useful eavesdropping can be!"
"Oracle!" Makoto scolded.
Ryuji just nudged Makoto in the side, now grinning.
"So you weren't eavesdropping in on Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san the night we rescued Ken?" he asked innocently.
"That's—!" Makoto glowered at Ryuji. "Be quiet."
"That's not a no~!" Futaba said in a sing-song voice.
Yusuke cleared his throat, before Makoto could come up with a retort.
"I did manage to find some intel as well. I believe I have our third VIP. The president of a television studio."
Anne frowned. "Oh… I guess that makes sense. He'd make it really easy for Shido to get plenty of publicity."
"I was thinking along those lines as well," Makoto remarked.
"There's something bugging me..." Morgana spoke up. "The cognitions... they looked pretty human. I thought they were impressive in the casino, but this is an entire different level."
"Not to mention the masks. Why would Shido have that kind of cognition? Supposedly these cognitions are honored guests of Shido," Ren stated.
"That is rather strange. I can't even fathom the reason why," Yusuke said.
"Maybe we'll find out the more we explore the Palace?" Anne suggested.
"I did discover something though…" Makoto said. "The keycards are… letters of introduction."
"So we need five of them…" Haru said. "And we have three of them. What about the other two?"
"Oooh, I got a fourth one!" Futaba said, raising her hand. "It's the president of an IT company."
Ryuji just grimaced. "I'm starting to forget people."
"Maybe we should take notes," Ren joked lightly before growing more serious, "But jokes aside—this is good. We just need the fifth VIP."
"I've got that!" Morgana said with a grin.
"Seriously…?" Ryuji groaned, "How the hell did you get info with your looks?"
"Not important!" Morgana said sternly, before clearing his throat. "It seems like some guy they call the 'cleaner' is another VIP. I've heard that he's cautious, so it's probably best if we check the other VIPs first."
"The cleaner…? Like a janitor?" Anne asked.
Futaba said with a frown. "That makes no sense though. I mean, just look at the other VIPs! It's gotta be something else."
"It's probably a code for something then." Ren shrugged.
"Right, just what I was thinking! So anyways, to recap... we're up against five people. The politician Ooe, a former noble, a TV station president, an IT company president, and a cleaner. We get certification from them and obtain letters of introduction that'll serve as keycards," Futaba explained.
"How did you remember all of that?" Ryuji yelped.
Ren stated, "Oracle's got photographic memory. She told me a little while ago."
"But this was just hearing everything," Anne pointed out.
Makoto coughed. "Well, either way, we have a good refresher. Thank you, Oracle."
Futaba grinned. "No prob. But don't forget that the cleaner will be our last target."
"If we can't remember the VIPs—we can always reconvene in a safe room and we'll go over them all again," Makoto stated.
"That sounds like a good plan!" Haru said, clapping her hands together. "So… are we ready to wrap up for today?"
"You wanna go back already?" Ryuji asked.
"I mean, we shouldn't act so recklessly. Plus, Joker's leg…" Anne pointed out.
"Not to mention that Ace isn't here," Makoto stated.
Ryuji grimaced. "Sorry about that. You're right—let's head back for today."
Dinner was great. Ken honestly missed cooking with both Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san. Even if… Shinjiro-san got occasionally distracted by Fuuka-san's cheerful humming, leading to nearly burned food. All the while, Koromaru slunk in with Hoshi, the mother of his puppies, begging for scraps. Both Ken and Fuuka-san pretended to not see Shinji giving in.
During the dinner, Ken couldn't help but notice that… he honestly missed everyone. He had been busying himself with the Phantom Thief work along with schoolwork so it never registered.
They talked a lot longer than Ken was expecting. Yukari-san had a bunch of funny stories of actors flubbing up their lines during shootings. Junpei-san had stories about the kids he taught. Ken talked about some of the trouble that everyone in Tokyo got into. And the twins amused everyone with their usual antics.
Ken was honestly sorry that they had to end for the night. And he probably wouldn't get to see them until the trouble with Shido was sorted. The twins had passed out from the excitement so Junpei-san and Chidori-san would be helping Yukari-san back.
But as they gathered at the door to depart for their homes, Koromaru suddenly darted forward, sitting at Ken's feet. Then he barked several times.
Aigis-san and Labrys-san both cocked their heads in response.
"Something the matter, Koromaru?" Ken asked.
"I see… are you truly worried?" Aigis-san asked, frowning.
Koromaru yipped.
"Translation, please?" Shinjiro-san said dryly.
"Wow, he said please!" Minako-san gasped, clutching a hand to her chest.
As Shinjiro-san gave her a withering stare, Labrys just laughed.
"Koromaru says he wants to come with."
"Come… with?" Ken repeated dumbly. "You mean back to Tokyo?"
Koromaru answered that with a series of barks.
Aigis-san's gaze softened. "Koromaru-san was reminded of losing his beloved owner. He wishes to remain by your side, Ken-san. Even if he can't join you in combat, he wants to stay with you."
"You're such a good boy," Yukari-san cooed before kneeling down to stroke Koromaru on the head.
Koromaru gave a little whine, looking up at Ken with big red eyes. He slowly knelt down.
"You really want to, boy? You'll probably get a little bored and we'll have to put a leash on you if we're going out for walks… you don't have to."
Koromaru blinked at him before yipping.
Aigis-san smiled. "Koromaru-san wants to, Ken-san."
"Well… what do you think, Shinjiro-san?" he asked, looking up to his guardian.
Shinjiro-san sighed. "I've got no issues with it."
"Of course you wouldn't," Junpei snickered out. "You're a total softie for Koromaru."
"Shut it, Iori."
Ken ignored their bickering, choosing instead to stand up.
He asked, "Are you going to be okay though, Fuuka-san? I know Koromaru has been keeping you company."
Fuuka-san just giggled. "I'm a big girl, Ken-kun. I'll be fine. And besides, Koro-chan can keep you company while you have to stay in the penthouse."
Ken grumbled to himself. He was honestly not looking forward to the house arrest. He knew it was for his own good, but still he couldn't help but feel a little resentful towards Shido for being the reason for all of this.
"Well if you're sure, Fuuka," Shinjiro-san said, frowning.
"Once we've dealt with Shido, it'll be fine," Fuuka-san said with a reassuring smile.
"And then you can start planning the wedding right?" Minako-san asked teasingly.
Both Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san flushed at it, giving each other embarrassed looks. But then Fuuka-san smiled softly.
"Yeah, we do have that to think about. But that'll be in the future, not now."
"You could always start with picking the bridal party!" Junpei-san suggested. "Oh! Can I officiate? I got the certificate online!"
"Why do you have that?" Yukari-san arched a brow at him.
Junpei-san shrugged. "Because I was bored and Chidorita was in the zone for one of her paintings."
Fuuka-san laughed. "Only you, Junpei-kun. But I don't know. We haven't really talked much about those details yet…"
Minako-san then handed over Kiyomi to Fuuka-san so she could hug Ken.
"But anyways—take care of yourself, Ken-kun! Don't give us another heart attack!" she exclaimed.
Ken huffed, rolling his eyes at her. "I'll try not to. Though honestly, it's Ren you have to worry about."
Minako-san giggled before leaning up to kiss his cheek.
"Ah, but he's not like my little brother," she said teasingly.
"Take caution, Amada," Mitsuru-san said. "I don't want to hear from Shinjiro-san about you getting entangled into another mess."
"Yeah, yeah… I'm not a kid anymore, okay?" Ken grumbled.
Yukari-san spoke up, "Doesn't mean we can't fuss. But seriously—be careful. Shido's no walk in the park."
Ken nodded. "We will, I promise."
Akihiko-san let out a loud sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Still… can't believe that Shido's the guy who got Ren arrested in the first place," Akihiko-san muttered.
"I am not surprised..." Aigis-san intoned. "He is certainly the spiteful type."
After one last round of goodbyes (and hugs from some of the women), they slowly trickled out of the penthouse. The drive back was quiet but Ken's mind was racing.
It was almost time to go back to Tokyo. He needed to be on the top of his game, so he could help take down Shido. He couldn't afford to be complacent.
It was dark by the time Ren had returned to LeBlanc.
He was honestly exhausted. He just about dropped into bed.
"You okay?" Morgana asked, hopping out of Ren's bag.
Ren sighed, rubbing at his face before giving Morgana a tired smile. "I guess this is the part where you tell me to go to bed."
"Hey!" Morgana bristled at that. "I'm just concerned."
Ren patted Morgana for a moment before flashing his friend a tired smile.
"I know, I do appreciate it, Morgana."
Morgana looked like he wanted to say something more but Ren's phone suddenly went off, signaling that he had a text.
He took out his phone, expecting it to be a message from one of his friends. But the name made his blood run cold.
It was a message from his mom.
[Mom]: Hello, Ren. I'm sorry we haven't had much contact since… everything. But your dad and I have been concerned with everything that's been going on in Tokyo.
A hot rush of anger filled him. Really? Now she decided that she actually gave a damn about him?!
It's been nearly a year since the incident with Shido. He remembered the cold, disappointed stares of his parents. The hushed conversations about them not being present enough in his life… so he went delinquent.
He obviously meant nothing to them. Why the hell was she contacting him now out of the blue?
Ren squeezed his eyes shut. Why now, after dealing with all of the Shido crap? Did she really not know how hurt he had been? That, they of all people… should've never listened to what the other people said.
That they didn't even listen to their own son. If he ever became a father, he swore that would never happen. He'd listen to his child's side of the story first before anyone.
Ren deleted the text, before dropping his phone on the bed.
"Ren? What's wrong?" Morgana pressed his feet against Ren's non-injured leg, his bright blue eyes growing concerned. "Who messaged you?"
"It's nobody important, Morgana," Ren hissed out quietly.
"That's—" Morgana frowned. "Stop lying to me, Ren."
"Morgana…" Ren warned.
Morgana persisted, "I mean it, Ren! That obviously upset you. Don't bottle things up. Don't be like me…"
Ren stopped short of that. That was true—Morgana had bottled up his feelings of inadequacy for months.
Ren heaved out a sigh. "It was… my mom."
Morgana gasped. "Your mom?"
"Yeah…" Ren sighed. "I just… she messaged me like 'how are things, honey? We're worried because of things in Tokyo'. She really thought she could just act like she cares all of the sudden?"
Morgana sighed, looking down. "It must've been a shock."
"They don't give a damn about me," Ren said bitterly.
He normally tried not to let his bitterness about his situation engulf him. He hadn't even felt this way when telling Yusuke about his story back at the hotpot party. His friends had always talked about how much he's helped them… but he doubted that they were aware that they had helped save him as well. They had given him something to care about, instead of letting him wallow in his bitterness.
He was such a mess. He thought he had let go of it all.
"Maybe… she's sorry for how she behaved in the past?" Morgana asked tentatively. "I don't know. The only parent I've seen is Boss with Futaba. And that's pretty unconventional. And I guess Shinjiro with Ken too, but that's pretty abnormal too."
Ren sighed. "Believe me, Morgana—they're both lucky. My parents… they always were fairly busy. But I never doubted that they loved me… until the crap with Shido happened."
"We'll take Shido down, Ren," Morgana said softly. "We have to—in order to avenge you, Futaba's mom, Haru's dad… all of his victims!"
Ren managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Morgana."
"Though it is late, you know—" Morgana began.
Ren cracked a smirk. "I knew it."
"Hey!" Morgana protested. "It's true—sometimes I swear you don't know how to take care of yourself. You'd run yourself into the ground if it wasn't for me!"
Then his phone suddenly went off. For a moment, he thought it was his mom again. But it was a message from Anne. That quickly cheered him up.
Anne: Heyyy I just wanna say good night, Ren! Sweet dreams <3
Ren couldn't help but smile. Anne often texted him good night—at least on the nights where she didn't pass out with her phone on her face.
She had even set him a cute selfie this time, with her in her pajamas, with her hair down.
"Who is that from?" Morgana asked, curious.
"Anne's just saying good night," Ren said, only for his phone to go off again, this time for a phone call.
Apparently, he was popular tonight.
"Why's Ryuji calling?" Morgana asked.
"Who knows?" Ren said with a shrug, before taking the call.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself, stranger," Ren said.
Ryuji managed a short laugh. "So… I was thinking..."
"Call the presses!"
"Shuddup man!" Ryuji then coughed. "You know how we had that talk, back with the shit with the fallout with Haru's dad dying?"
"Yeah, I do."
"I was thinking… 'shit, man, I was really obsessed with the fame'. Seein' Shido's Palace, and hearing all the cognitions talk about image, power… it's so sickening. It made me think—I can't believe that I forgot our entire purpose. Why we agreed to target Kamoshida and everyone who came after."
"We all did, Ryuji," Ren said quietly. "Don't forget that."
"Yeah… I know. But it's all been a good wake-up call, y'know? I want Shido to pay—not for just what he did to you. But for all of his victims. I don't wanna see people fall through the cracks again. We really gotta be better than the people in power."
Ren found himself smiling. "Thanks, Ryuji. I know you'll always have my back."
"'Course, man!" He could easily see Ryuji nodding vigorously at that. "Even if Shido's got the masses brainwashed, we gotta wake 'em up! I… wanna save this country. We're the only ones who can."
"I agree—completely," Ren said quietly.
It was quiet for a moment. Ren couldn't help but wonder what Ryuji was thinking.
"Remember when I told you that heroes who lurk in the shadows are borin', months ago? Forget what I said. Those heroes are way cooler."
"Glad that you see it my way now," Ren joked lightly.
"I just… got so caught up in the fame. I was obsessed with the idea, after everyone gave me and my mom shit after that bastard left us. But no more. So what if people don't acknowledge what we do? I want to save everyone from Shido—because otherwise he'll enslave everyone. We can't let that happen!"
For a moment, it was quiet.
Then Ryuji suddenly breathed out: "Seiten Taisei…"
"Ryuji?"
"He's my new Persona. I get what everyone meant now—I kinda feel at peace now."
"Ryuji? At peace?" Ren gasped. "Are you sure you're not sick?"
"Oh eff you, man!" Ryuji snapped at him, making Ren burst into laughter.
"Love you too, Ryuji." Ren said with a grin.
Ryuji then sighed. "I better go, though. I've probably kept you up too long. Night, RenRen."
"Night Ryuji."
Notes:
Finally got this massive chapter out. Sorry for the wait, but hey it's a whopper of a chapter! Thank you again to angelrin89 for her stellar edits. She worked on this while having bronchitis, so major kudos to her!
It was a lot of fun to write, especially writing SEES together. I really like writing their dynamic together… which contributed to the length.
But I'm sure you've noticed the repeated mentions of Ren's parents. Ren's parents have been in the background of this fic, but Ren's bitterness about them has been firmly established. However, those of you who have read my Shuann wedding fic in this verse, you know that they eventually make amends. This will be further developed in this arc. Shido's arc is technically Ren's arc so you'll be seeing a lot of Ren's feelings about his probation, Shido screwing him over, and his relationship with his parents. Not to mention his recovery from his trauma from the interrogation.
I'd also like to remind you that I have a discord server dedicated to my fic. Join here: https://discord.gg/hMvBzyC
But there's one last thing I'd like to note before I close this author's note. Several people have been eager for me to write a Scramble fic in this verse. I'm glad you like my writing and this verse so much, but I have a lot on my plate. I have this fic, which may take another year to finish, and the PQ2 fic. I also have a couple projects I've been fleshing out. The more I'm pestered about a Scramble fic, the less I want to write it. And my desire to write said fic is very low due to the constant pestering. So please do not pester me to watch the subbed videos so I may write a Scramble fic. I have no interest in doing that—I want to experience Scramble by playing it myself when it comes to the West.
But that aside, I hope you enjoyed this massive chapter! I'd love to hear what you think!
Chapter 45: Ch. 44: Revelations
Summary:
Ken's return to Tokyo is... eventful, to put it lightly.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Friday, November 25th, 2016
"This is where your justice ends."
Pain suddenly exploded around Ren's skull. Then... he felt nothing... absolutely nothing.
But that wasn't the end of it. It was like being trapped watching a TV show but he couldn't move. He could see everything yet he wasn't there and couldn't feel anything. He watched Akechi slip out of the interrogation room, reporting to Shido. He watched the fear on his friends' faces. His heart clenched especially, watching Anne break down into tears.
"You promised me, Ren... why did you break your promise?" she choked out, clutching the necklace he had given her in one hand.
Then there was a gunshot and red suddenly spread across Anne's chest. Suddenly he could move again.
"ANNE!" he cried out, reaching out to her.
But Anne's form trembled for a moment before her knees gave way. Ren fell to his knees, reaching out to staunch the blood flow but his hands just passed through her.
"No... no..." he whispered, on the verge of tears.
He could only watch helplessly as Akechi followed each of his friends. Their expressions were worried, agitated... almost like a caged animal, even as Akechi shot them dead.
Ren just stood, horrified, watching his friends die, one by one. Was this his punishment? For not being able to save them to begin with?
But on top of that, he could hear his friends' words swirl around him.
"You did this... you weren't good enough..."
"We trusted you, Ren!"
"Is this truly how you repay our faith?!"
"N-No..." he whispered as he sunk to his knees, tears stinging at his eyes. "This—this can't be true!"
But it was true... they should've never been in this situation if he hadn't been so damn careless. How could he be so foolish about this? He had bitten off more than he could chew and his friends were the ones suffering from it.
"Ren... Ren..."
Someone speaking his name vibrated in his skull, the calls slowly growing louder.
"Ren! Ren! WAKE UP!"
Ren's eyes snapped open as he let out a sharp gasp, only to see Morgana sitting right on his chest. Morgana let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness..." he murmured, before sliding off of Ren so Ren could sit up. "You were worrying me there."
"It was just a dream..." Ren thought, his shoulders slumping with relief. "Everyone's okay. The plan succeeded..."
Ren slowly sat up and Morgana hopped onto the bed again, before Ren pressed a hand to his forehead. In the faint light, he could see Morgana tense up. He looked... conflicted about something.
"Ren... what was your dream about?" he asked tentatively.
Ren bit his lip, looking down at his lap. His friends' reminders echoed in his mind. He shouldn't bottle his feelings in...
"I dreamed I had failed," he said quietly, all but forcing the words out. Ren then swallowed hard, suddenly feeling a lump in his throat. "And... Akechi was going after everyone else. I couldn't do anything to stop it..."
Once again, tears pricked at his eyes. He just... felt so weak. He hated it! He hated it so much... He was supposed to be strong—he was the leader for hell's sake. And yet here he was hiding away.
Morgana then looked up, "But you didn't. You convinced Niijima to trust in you. You've reignited her desire to pursue justice. That's not a small thing, Ren!"
Ren just sighed heavily. He knew in his heart, that Morgana was right. But the what-ifs kept gnawing at the back of his mind.
"I know, Morgana, but..."
"No buts!" Morgana interrupted, his voice stern. "Ren... you've gotta stop focusing on the negatives! We can access Shido's Palace now. Ken's coming back later tonight... things are looking up. We can't be cocky, of course—"
Morgana then stopped short, giving Ren an irate look.
He huffed out, "Don't even start!"
"Start what?" Despite himself, Ren felt a smile tug at his lips.
"Don't play innocent," Morgana huffed out. "Now what I was saying...?"
"Things looking up?" he supplied.
Morgana nodded, "Oh right! Seriously, Ren, have confidence, okay? We'll be okay. You'll be okay."
Then he suddenly looked thoughtful.
"You know... maybe you should talk to Ken about this."
"Ken?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow at that.
Sure, Ken had suffered a lot but... Ren wasn't sure if things were the same.
Morgana nodded, though he suddenly looked somber.
"I mean, Ken has dealt with this kind of thing in the past. Not just... what happened with Shido. But he also went through a lot when he was just a kid. I'm sure Ken would understand... better than any of us."
That was really insightful of Morgana. The thought hadn't even come to mind.
"I'll think about it. I don't want to just dump it on him, just when he got back..."
Morgana sighed, before nodding reluctantly, "Fair enough."
Ren then reached out, petting him.
"But... thanks, Morgana. I know that you always have my back."
Morgana smiled. "Anytime, Ren."
But then Ren's phone buzzed. Morgana just sighed.
"Answer that and go back to bed. You need your rest."
"But I don't have to get up for school," Ren pointed out.
"Still...!" Morgana huffed out, before rolling his eyes. "You don't want to ruin your sleeping schedule. Once Shido's taken down, it'll be safe for you to go back to school. That's not too far off!"
"Yes, Mom," Ren said teasingly, before picking up his phone.
It was a message from Anne.
[Anne]: Hey are you up?
[Ren]: I am... Morgana just woke me up actually. What's up?
[Anne]: I couldn't sleep... I had a bad dream
Ren paused at that. Anne too?
[Ren]: Mind telling me what exactly?
Ren watched the three dots repeatedly pop up on the bottom of the screen as Anne typed out her message. He had a suspicion on what it was about.
[Anne]: ...I dreamed about the plan failing. I know that you're perfectly fine but I guess I needed the reassurance that you're still here, y'know?
[Ren]: I'm still here, Anne. You can't get rid of me
[Anne]: I don't want to! You're stuck with me, mister :P
Ren just smiled. He recalled Anne calling him her light... but she brought sunshine in his life. She made him smile, even on the darkest days when doubt ate away at him. He remembered how gloomy he had felt at his move to Tokyo and Sojiro and Kobayakawa had just rubbed the salt in. But then he saw Anne and he couldn't help but gawk from how beautiful she was. Then she had smiled at him. It had been like she was the one bit of color in his gray world.
[Ren]: I wouldn't change it for the world, Anne
[Anne]: Someone's feeling sappy tonight ;)
[Ren]: Yeah but you eat it up like candy
[Anne]: HEY
[Ren]: Hey I'm just stating the truth
[Anne]: You're so mean sometimes Ren...
[Ren]: Love you too
"Ren..." Morgana grumbled out, before "Go. To. Bed."
"Okay, bossy." Ren said playfully.
[Ren]: I have to go back to bed though or I'll face the wrath of Morgana
[Anne]: Haha, can't have that, can we :P
[Anne]: Good night, Ren. I love you <3
[Ren]: Night, Anne
[Ren]: I love you too
Sae wanted to meet Ken. "Properly", as she put it. So she asked Makoto about when Ken would be available to talk privately. But Makoto couldn't help but feel nervous about asking her boyfriend this.
Though Makoto was secretly glad that Sae hadn't insisted on talking to Shinjiro-san. Makoto wasn't sure if she trusted the two of them in the same room without trying to kill each other. At least not yet. She knew that if she and Ken continued dating—and she hoped that was the case—Shinjiro-san and Sae would have to learn to get along.
But still, she couldn't help but feel nervous that Sae was going to grill Ken.
She had resolved to do this yesterday, but Ken had been busy with... something. Though Fuuka-san had been awfully vague on what it was exactly. It wasn't a complete loss though, since she was able to speak with Minako-san. She could see why Ken was so fond of her. The older woman was kind and warm and funny, even though she had a penchant for teasing (much like a certain someone she knew).
"It'll be fine, Mako-chan."
Makoto had invited Haru over for a study session. Entrance exams, to be specific. Makoto's personal goal was Tokyo University, as ambitious as that was. Haru had humbler aspirations, as she'd be satisfied with any university with a good business degree.
They had gotten to talking though and Haru had confessed that she was considering trying to open a café similar to what her grandfather had run. And somehow... the conversation had shifted to Makoto telling Haru what Sae had requested.
Makoto sighed. "I don't know, Haru... what if Ken gets mad about this?"
Haru just giggled. "I don't think Ken-kun would get mad over something so trivial."
Then she suddenly clapped her hands together once, her eyes growing bright.
"Oh, I know! Ken-kun and Shinjiro-san might be tired from the drive—why don't we make dinner for them? It'll give you an excuse to go over too."
"That's..." Makoto trailed off and let out a quiet laugh. "That's very sneaky, Haru."
Haru just giggled, her light brown eyes sparkling. "I mean, we've spent so much time as Phantom Thieves..."
But still, Makoto couldn't help but feel hesitant. "Are you sure though? We did come over to study..."
Haru nodded, hard enough so that her curls bounced up and down.
"Of course! I'd like to practice more with my cooking anyways."
Makoto just sighed. "I just wish that Shinjiro-san was a little easier to impress with cooking."
Haru tilted her head. "But what about Ken-kun?"
"I... er... I've actually never cooked for him personally," Makoto mumbled out.
She never had really thought of it. Especially since Ken had been taught how to cook fairly well by Shinjiro-san. Should she try to make a bento lunch for him some time? Like maybe on a Sunday, given the huge lunches he got from Shinjiro-san for school.
Then again, he wasn't going to school right now.
What did Ken even like to eat? She knew that Ken considered omurice comfort food, because that was what his mother made him but... she wasn't quite sure.
"No time like the present, then!" Haru said cheerfully before she suddenly chewed on her bottom lip. "Oh, perhaps we should make something extra for Yusuke-kun."
Makoto blinked at that. That... was probably a good idea, given their friend's constant hunger.
They made corn miso soup, along with tempura vegetables and grilled fish. A simple dish, but it was a dish that Makoto knew how to prepare well.
Cooking with Haru was fun, though. Haru somehow always knew how to keep the conversation flowing, talking about whatever came to mind. Makoto had admittedly never paid any attention to growing plants, be it flowers or vegetables, but Haru's enthusiasm on the subject made it interesting to hear.
"Though, Mako-chan, weren't you planning on asking Ken-kun this yesterday?" Haru suddenly asked as they packed the food away.
Makoto shrugged. "He was busy with something. Something regarding Mitsuru-san. And I thought, maybe it'd be better to do this in person. It wasn't all so bad though. I got to talk to Minako-san."
Haru's eyes lit up at that. "Oh! What's she like, Mako-chan?"
"I think you'd like her. She's similar to Ren in a few ways. There's just something... magnetic about her? The way she talks to you makes it easy to talk to her. Ken's lucky to have her as a big sister figure. Oh, and she's clearly a doting mother—she's sent me several pictures of Kiyomi-chan already—"
"She has?!" Haru gasped.
"Do you want to see?" Makoto asked, fighting the urge to laugh at Haru's enthusiasm.
She couldn't help but think that when the time came—Haru would be a very doting mother. Though now she thought about it, Haru was the only one out of their group to never have met Yukari-san's twins. Makoto couldn't help but wonder how they'd like her.
Haru nodded vigorously, clasping her hands in front of her.
"Yes, please!" she exclaimed.
Makoto chuckled before pulling out her phone.
"Here you go," she said, handing the device to Haru.
Haru eagerly took her phone to look at the pictures.
"Oh, this is just adorable!" Haru gushed, her eyes sparkling. "Isn't she just precious, Mako-chan?"
Makoto nodded. "She is. I'm just glad that she was born healthy..."
Haru gave a nod as well. "Mm-hm, I'm grateful that everything seemed to pan out okay."
She then sighed longingly, which just confirmed Makoto's thoughts.
"Oh, you're so lucky, Mako-chan, for Minako-san to send you these pictures! Kiyomi-chan is so cute already—just imagine how she'll look like in a few months!" she gushed.
"I'm guessing that you'd be the type to want several children?" Makoto chuckled.
"Well... not several," Haru said with a giggle. "But I think three is a good number. I was always lonely as a child. I remember thinking it'd be so nice to have a sibling or two..."
She could honestly relate to that, due to the large age gap between her and Sae. Makoto often had to rely on her imagination and her toys for company.
Then Haru suddenly sighed, her expression falling. "But that's jumping ahead of myself... I have to focus on breaking the engagement to Sugimura..."
Makoto's stomach clenched at the mention of Sugimura.
"Maybe Sis could help?" Makoto ventured. "Maybe there's some kind of loophole we could utilize."
Haru smiled softly. "That's sweet of you to offer, Mako-chan but... this is something I have to do on my own."
"Do you have a plan?" Makoto couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"You could say that. But don't worry about me," Haru said vaguely, before flashing Makoto a brilliant smile.
Makoto still felt confused but... she trusted Haru. So she nodded.
"If you're sure, Haru."
"I am!"
Then both of their phones went off. Makoto felt her heart leap into her throat as she read the message—Ken and Shinjiro-san were back.
"Oh, good timing!" Haru said cheerily before pushing Makoto towards the door. "You should get going, Mako-chan."
"Kicking me out of my own apartment?" Makoto asked.
Haru just giggled. "Don't worry—I'm leaving too!"
But then her smile turned teasing.
"Besides... I'm sure that you're eager to see Ken-kun. I know you've missed him a lot."
"Haru!" Makoto protested, feeling her face flush.
She wasn't that obvious, was she? And it's only been a couple days since she had seen Ken.
She smiled innocently at that. "Am I lying, Mako-chan?"
"Ren is a terrible influence on you," Makoto grumbled out, unable to come up with any other retort.
But they gathered up the food and after Haru collected her belongings, they exited the apartment together. Makoto walked her to the train station, before heading for Ken's place.
She was surprised to hear barks, however. Shinjiro-san opened the door while Koromaru poked his head in between Shinjiro-san's legs. The pooch cocked his head at Makoto before barking one more time.
"Oi, Koro, pipe down," Shinjiro-san chided, gently nudging Koromaru's side with his foot. "It's just Makoto."
Makoto just bowed her head. "Good evening, Shinjiro-san. I, um, brought you dinner. I thought that you'd prefer that over ordering take-out."
To prove her point, she held up the plastic bag that contained the food. Shinjiro-san looked at her suspiciously, his lips forming a thin line.
"You didn't have to cook us dinner. You could've just come over and see Ken."
"What?!" Makoto sputtered out, feeling her cheeks heat up. "T-That's not it!"
How on earth did he figure that out?!
Shinjiro-san just snorted in response, folding his arms over his chest. He looked utterly unimpressed.
"You're an even worse liar than Ken," he said dryly, before stepping backwards so Makoto could come inside.
"I'm not a bad liar!" Makoto protested.
Shinjiro-san just smirked in response. "I just said that you're worse than Ken."
"Hmph..." Makoto huffed to herself; she couldn't help but feel a little peeved at Shinjiro-san's remark.
She then removed her shoes, setting them neatly by the door, before stepping inside. Koromaru looked up at her curiously.
"Do you remember me?" she asked hesitantly before crouching down and holding her hand.
Koromaru blinked at her before nosing her hand. He then barked a couple times before licking her hand. Makoto just giggled before petting him on the head.
"You're a smart boy, aren't you?" she couldn't help but coo.
She liked Morgana well enough. But there was something very endearing about Koromaru.
However... she was a little confused on why Koromaru was here.
"Koro insisted on coming," Shinjiro-san explained without preamble; he must've guessed what Makoto was thinking.
"He... insisted?" Makoto asked before she stood up. "So along with being a chef, you're a dog whisperer now?"
Shinjiro-san gave her a withering look. "Aigis acted as translator."
Makoto stared blankly at him. "Aigis-san can talk to dogs?"
"She and her older sister, Labrys." Then he paused and frowned. "Has Ken even explained what happened?"
Makoto shrugged. "Not as detailed as your story, but we've been given a rough summary."
After Makoto set the food on the dining table, she went to wash her hands. She liked Koromaru, but she didn't want to get any germs.
"Is Ken lying down or something?" she asked.
"He's showering," he corrected.
"I see..." Makoto responded.
Makoto wanted to ask what exactly the doctor's results were, but she held her tongue. Ken would tell all of them eventually. She just needed to be patient.
"So... how was your trip?" she asked instead.
Shinjiro-san looked surprised at her question before he shrugged in response.
"Good. I think Ken needed it. He got to relax a little..." He suddenly smirked, for some reason. "Even with the trouble that Minako and Iori gave him."
Makoto raised an eyebrow at that. "What kind of trouble?"
She could make an educated guess on what it was exactly. She had a small feeling.
"Shinjiro-san, I'm done showering, do you want—" Ken suddenly cut himself off, doing a double take; he even dropped the towel he was using to rub his hair dry. "Makoto?"
Shinjiro-san suddenly snorted, "Might as well. I won't have to watch you two make goo-goo eyes at each other."
Ken just scowled at him. "At least I don't get distracted by Makoto while I'm cooking and nearly let the food burn."
Shinjiro-san glowered at him for that jab. "Shuddup."
Ken rolled his eyes. "Why? Because it's true?"
Shinjiro-san looked like he was struggling to come up with a retort so he looked away, a scoff falling from his lips. Makoto couldn't help but giggle. She missed hearing their banter.
"Whatever, I'm going to shower. It's been a long drive."
Without another word, he stalked away. Ken turned his head, rolling his eyes once more at Shinjiro-san's back. Shinjiro-san was really lax about that kind of thing. Makoto would never have dreamed of backtalking Sae or her dad back when he was alive like Ken did with Shinjiro-san.
Makoto eyed her boyfriend, suddenly feeling tongue-tied. She had missed him—more than she had expected but she wasn't quite sure how to express herself. Sometimes she really wished that she had Anne's talent with socializing.
But then Ken stepped forward, suddenly tugging her into his arms. Makoto then inhaled, taking in Ken's fresh scent. He smelled especially nice, probably since he had just taken a shower.
"I've missed you," Ken mumbled out.
Makoto smiled softly. "I've missed you too."
She really missed seeing him in school. You would think that she'd be able to focus more on class, without her boyfriend's presence, but she found her mind drifting to how he was doing.
"Oh, um... I did bring you back something," Ken suddenly said, his voice sheepish. "A couple things actually."
Makoto blinked at him. "You did? You didn't have to."
"I know, but I wanted to. Come on, let's go to my room," Ken said with a smile.
Koromaru made a small yip, cocking his head.
"Stay, Koromaru. We'll be back soon."
"He's just a dog, you know," Makoto whispered to her boyfriend.
"A gossipy dog, you mean," Ken grumbled before tugging her towards the hallway. "There's a video recording showing that he snitched out Shinjiro-san that he was watching a cooking show to the girls."
Makoto raised an eyebrow. That was... interesting, to say the least, but she had learned to stop questioning things.
Ken opened his bedroom door, before pulling her in. Makoto glanced at him; it was only now that she realized that he never bothered picking up the hand towel that he was using to dry his hair.
"You're going to get sick, if you don't dry your hair."
"Huh?" Ken blinked at her before reaching up to finger a wet strand of hair.
"Where do you keep the towels again?" Makoto frowned, trying to wrack her brain; she could vaguely remember Fuuka-san asking Shinjiro-san the same thing, the night of the fireworks festival.
Ken smiled in amusement. "Makoto, its fine. You don't have to fuss. Ten minutes with wet hair isn't going to kill me."
"I suppose..." Makoto mumbled out.
Ken then picked up his duffel bag from the floor before pulling out a couple books and holding them out to her. They were in pretty good shape but then Makoto's eyes fell onto the title.
Her eyes widened at that. "Oh, you remembered!"
Ken just rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a good series. I think Yu-san mentioned that he read the entire series when he was in high school. But there's another thing I got you..."
Ken was suddenly blushing and he began to fidget.
"Umm... well... I found this while spending some time with my friends."
He then reached into his duffel bag again, before pulling out... a keychain. It was a plush keychain. To be specific, it was a Buchimaru keychain.
"I uhh... I honestly was thinking of just getting you the books but I saw this when spending some with a couple school friends. And I know how much you like Buchimaru and it's almost been a month since we've started dating so..." Ken trailed off before his blush deepened.
Makoto giggled before taking it from him. She then gave him a peck on the cheek.
"That was sweet of you."
She'd have to think on where she wanted to put it. Maybe her pencil case?
"But I didn't get you anything," Makoto said, frowning.
"Its fine, Makoto," Ken said quickly.
"If you say so..."
Even as she said that, she made a mental note to track down a gift for Ken.
Makoto asked, "How was your trip, though? I asked Shinjiro-san already but...?"
Ken then smiled. "It was... good. It was nice to see everyone. I don't think I realized how much I missed everyone until this trip."
But his smile suddenly turned wry.
"Though—I'll be omitting the fact that we had sushi. Don't want Morgana to get jealous."
"Can't have that, can we?" Makoto laughed, only for it to quickly fade away and she looked at her boyfriend nervously. "But um... Ken, what were the doctor's results? You never said."
Ken grimaced at that before he flexed his hand.
"The diagnosis is fairly good..." he said slowly.
"Fairly?" Makoto's heart suddenly clenched in fear.
"It's nothing terrible!" Ken hastened to reassure her, reaching out to take her hand. "Just that—my reflexes have slowed down. It'll come back in time, but it's a bit annoying."
"Just annoying? This wasn't annoying! What if this was costly in the Metaverse?" she thought with fear.
"Makoto? Makoto, breathe. It'll be okay."
Makoto's eyes snapped back to Ken. His expression was concerned. She realized that Ken had pulled her down to sit on his bed.
He then hugged her briefly. "I'll be fine, really."
"But what about in Shido's Palace—" she began.
"You know how Ren handles things..." he reminded gently before he brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. "We usually don't infiltrate the Palace for at least a week."
Makoto had to admit that he was right. While Ren could be occasionally reckless... he was always cautious when it came to ensuring that they were ready for Palace explorations. Despite all of the teasing everyone gave him, he always took Phantom Thief work seriously.
Makoto bit her lip before slowly nodding. She didn't want to tell him how frightened she had been for him, especially since she saw what Shido had done to him. She knew that Ken felt awful enough about it—she didn't want to add to his burden. He'd feel so horribly guilty if she told him.
Ken gave her another smile before leaning in to kiss her. They kissed just briefly. Too short, if you asked Makoto, but she pushed that out of her mind. She could focus on that later.
"Although, there is one thing, Ken," Makoto said slowly.
Ken just craned an eyebrow at that, "And that would be?"
Makoto winced before licking her lips, "Umm... you see... Sis wants to get to know you better. So she was wondering when you'd be available to have a talk."
"Just... the two of us?" Ken asked with a frown.
"I-I know that Sis and Shinjiro-san aren't exactly the best of friends, but she's willing to give you a chance!" Makoto hastily reassured him. "She promised me that. And that she's perfectly okay with us dating as long as it doesn't interfere with our studies. And—!"
But she was suddenly cut off by Ken leaning in and pecking her on the lips.
"That's not it." Ken then exhaled deeply before rubbing the back of his neck. "It's just—uh..."
He then sighed, looking down at his lap.
"Fuuka-san's parents are estranged from her. They never got along too well—they put pressure on her to become a doctor, something she never really wanted to do. And on top of that, when Fuuka-san was trapped in Tartarus before she awakened to her Persona..."
His expression suddenly darkened, glowering down at the floor. Then his hand resting in his lap clenched into a fist.
"They just shrugged it off. Even though she had been missing for ten days."
Makoto stared at her boyfriend with wide eyes. But she could tell that Ken wasn't finished so she stayed quiet.
"And they never approved of Shinjiro-san. Fuuka-san and Shinjiro-san agreed to a dinner so her parents could meet Shinjiro-san. It... didn't go too well. They wanted Fuuka-san to break up with Shinjiro-san. Pretty much gave her an ultimatum. Needless to say, Fuuka-san chose the person who cared for her as a person."
"Sis isn't them, though, Ken," Makoto said quietly and reached out to tilt his chin up. "She's different now."
She dropped her hands to her lap. Ken reached out, squeezing the hand resting on her knee.
"I know, and I'm happy for you. You deserve this second chance with your sister," he said sincerely, before cracking a wry smile. "But it's not stopping me from being a little nervous."
"Sis will love you!" Makoto said, speaking more confidently than she felt; to be honest, she was a little nervous.
She wanted Sae to like Ken. Ken was extremely important to her and she wanted Sae to understand that.
She somehow managed a smile. "Don't worry about it, Ken. Just be yourself."
Ken nodded. "Alright, we'll meet with Ren and the others tomorrow so... how about this Sunday at eleven?"
"Sunday at eleven..." Makoto repeated, only for something to strike her.
"What's with that look?" Ken asked suspiciously.
"Oh, I was just thinking—" Makoto gave him an aside glance, "—you might earn some points with her if you tell her that you got me to watch Feathermen. I always got bored with it when we were younger."
Ken huffed out a laugh, his lips twitching into a smile.
"Is that so?"
"What can I say? You make it more interesting!" she giggled lightly.
She then leaned up to kiss him. Ken pulled away slightly, his eyes twinkling in amusement.
"What happened to nagging me about my wet hair?"
Makoto fingered his damp hair for a moment. "You said you'd be fine with wet hair for ten minutes, right?"
A light laugh escaped Ken. She loved hearing him laugh, because it was so rare to hear it from him.
"I suppose you're right."
Then he pulled her close and kissed her.
Sae's vision was starting to blur. She rubbed at her eyes before setting aside the case file.
The Phantom Thieves' comments about overturning Ren's mark on his record kept rattling in her mind. It may be difficult... but it couldn't be impossible, right? So on the side, she had been looking into case files, to see how a false accusation could be overturned.
"What even is the time?" she wondered to herself before her stomach suddenly let out a gurgle. "It feels like I've been here for forever."
She peeled back her sleeve, glancing at her watch. It was half past six. She should try to head home for dinner. She had promised herself that she'd try to at least eat dinner with Makoto more.
Sae got up and stretched, before gathering her belongings. She tucked the case files in her bag so she could read them at home as well, before heading out.
It was honestly a little unsettling to see how the incident with Ren's "murder" was brushed to the side. And she had heard some whispers about not being to find anything online pertaining to that. It was horrifying to see the scope of Shido's power.
But the front doors suddenly slid open... revealing Akechi.
Sae's grasp on her handbag's strap tightened at the sight of him. She hadn't seen her partner for nearly a week, not since he went to go kill Ren. Seeing him again brought on the feelings of betrayal all over again.
He flashed her his trademark genial smile. "Good evening, Sae-san."
Sae pursed her lips. "Hello, Akechi-kun."
She stumbled over the honorific, as her heart gave a painful twinge.
"Why? Why was our entire relationship a farce?" she wanted to demand.
But she held her tongue. She couldn't afford to give away how she truly felt.
"Hm...?" Akechi tilted his head at her. "Is something the matter, Sae-san?"
"It's—" Sae sighed, pressing a hand against her forehead. "It's nothing. I'm just tired. I've been working on several things and I suppose it's taking a toll on me."
"Ah, hardworking as always! Though, take caution—wouldn't want wrinkles to form on your face due to the stress," Akechi said.
His tone was teasing, but Sae's stomach just twisted into knots. She wanted to grab him by the lapels of his coat, shake him while demanding just why he was doing this. There had to be at least a speck of goodness in him... right?
She was such a fool.
"Thank you for thinking of me," she managed to get out.
She bit the inside of her cheek, praying that Akechi would not notice her stilted words. She's a lawyer, bluffing and lying usually came natural. She can't let herself slip so easily. She took in a deep breath and ran some fingers through her hair, relaxing her stance. She would not let him see through her. No matter how she felt about his betrayal, she had to protect the others. He cannot suspect a thing.
Akechi tilted his head. "It's no problem, Sae-san. We are partners, after all."
Sae forced herself to nod with a neutral expression. "Yes. Of course, Akechi-kun."
She then pressed her lips together. She had to get out of here before she lost control of her emotions and revealed the truth.
"I should get going... Makoto is waiting for me," she stated.
"It's nice to hear you're spending more time with her," Akechi remarked.
She wanted to leave but Akechi followed after her briefly to still make small talk. This was going to be tougher than she thought. She kept her feelings buried but she nodded.
"Yes, I feel so guilty for paying more attention to my cases, I promised to make it up to her so—"
Suddenly Akechi laughed awkwardly. "Oh and I'm keeping you, aren't I? Do forgive me. Send her my regards. Maybe next time you could invite her to have lunch with us when she's free. I bet she would love to hear all about our cases together."
Sae bit back a snarl from escaping her throat. She had to squash down her protective instincts. Instead she flashed him a smile despite how the thought of smiling made her stomach twist.
Did Akechi even lose a wink of sleep with his plans of betrayal? A part of Sae just wanted to cut loose and demand just what was so important for Akechi to do all of this.
But somehow, she kept her composure.
"Trying to butter me up by inviting my sister won't help you, young man. You're paying for your own meal," she forced herself to tease.
Akechi pouted before he let out a chuckle. "It seems you saw through me."
She needed to leave. She couldn't stand another second of these lies. It was starting to make her sick.
"Well… we've known each other for a long time," she remarked. "But I must get going… Good night, Akechi-kun."
"Good night, Sae-san." He waved goodbye to her with a smile.
She went down the stairs and did not look back until she was out of the building. It was a relief to find her car. She immediately drove off for the apartment. Once she had parked, she rubbed at her eyes.
She need to get a grasp on her emotions. She couldn't give the game away. But she couldn't help but feel hurt so hurt by Akechi's betrayal.
At least she had Makoto again.
Sae then forced herself to climb out of the car after grabbing her bag. After locking it, she headed straight for the apartment. Their apartment was on the second floor so she just climbed the stairs. Walking helped push her thoughts out of her head.
Sae stopped at the door marked 220, digging out the apartment key to unlock it.
"Makoto, I'm home..." she called out.
"Hey, Sis!" Makoto stuck her head out of the kitchen. "Did you eat yet? I prepared something earlier."
She raised an eyebrow. Makoto was in an awfully cheerful mood.
Sae took a moment to put down her bag on the couch, before walking up to her sister.
"You're in a good mood."
"Ah...!" Makoto froze at that, before her cheek dusted pink. "W-What makes you say that?"
Then something struck Sae as she glanced at her flustered sister.
"So that's it," she thought wryly.
She quirked a brow at Makoto.
"Amada-kun's back, isn't he?"
"W-Who said anything about Ken?" Makoto all but squeaked out, her cheeks now darkening to red.
Sae had to fight the urge to chuckle. Makoto was really making it too easy to read her.
But Makoto hung her head, admitting defeat.
She murmured, "Okay, you got me. I went to see Ken earlier today. Oh, and he said that he's okay to talk to you on Sunday at eleven."
"That's good to hear," Sae said.
She pondered for a moment.
"We can talk at his apartment. Perhaps it'll make it feel less like an interrogation," she said lightly.
Makoto just smiled nervously at that. "I'll let him know about that."
Sae then sighed. "How is he?"
"Oh, he's doing well," Makoto said cautiously. "The trip seems to have helped him. You know Mitsuru-san, right? He has several other senpai who are like his older siblings. I think seeing them again has really... vitalized him, I suppose?"
Sae just smiled. "That's good to hear."
But despite herself, Sae couldn't help but smile sadly, watching Makoto's glowing face as she spoke about her boyfriend. She couldn't help but think of the little girl with big red eyes, who would come running to Sae when she had a nightmare. She depended on Sae to drive away the monsters under her bed.
But Makoto was no longer that little girl. She was eighteen now, on the cusp of adulthood. Right before her eyes, Makoto had grown up and... she had missed some of it due to her blindness.
"Sis? Is everything okay? Did something happened at work?"
Sae sighed, pursing her lips as the memory of Akechi came flooding back.
"It was... a mixed bag," she said slowly.
"A mixed bag?" Makoto echoed.
"It's been chaotic with the sudden death of the SIU director," she said, to evade the real point.
Makoto frowned, folding her arms over her chest.
"I don't think that's it, Sis," she said flatly.
Makoto stared at her, with unwavering eyes. However, Sae had to give her kudos for picking up on it. In the past, Makoto would've just dropped the subject.
Sae gestured to the couch. "Let's sit down for this."
When they did sit together, Makoto looked at her expectantly. Sae heaved out a sigh, before running a hand through her hair.
"I... saw Akechi-k—Akechi—today."
Sae bit the inside of her cheek once again. When would she manage to kick the habit?
"I... I know that he's hurt you, Makoto. And your friends. But to me, he was my partner. And... I thought he was my friend," she added in a small voice. She then wrapped an arm around her torso. "And... I think he's the one responsible for my boss's death. It's terrifying to think about the culprit I've been searching for was sitting and having bentos with me almost on a daily basis. I... I'm trying to divorce the two images from each other. The person I thought he was and the person he actually is and..."
Her hands were starting to tremble in her anger. She stilled when she felt her little sister reach over and held onto her hands.
"I know, Sis," Makoto said softly, before she touched Sae's arm briefly. She then winced for a moment. "I, um... well, you know how we had to use your Palace for our plan? We ran into your cognition of him."
The cognition selves, huh? Their plan had ridden on Ren's being there, if she recalled correctly. Honestly, Sae was still struggling to wrap her mind around this whole thing. Even though she had visited her own Palace, just minutes before its destruction.
"He was kind... earnest," Makoto continued. "You shouldn't beat yourself up for believing in his act. He's got the entire nation fooled, after all."
Sae then sighed. "It's not just that Makoto... many in the work force looked down on me. Saying a beautiful young thing like myself should worry more about finding a husband. He was... the only person that never treated me that way. And now I wonder, maybe he was just laughing at me behind my back."
"Oh Sis..." Makoto said, her eyes filling with sorrow. "It's not your fault."
Sae sighed, closing her eyes. She had never said it to Makoto, but she had... harbored hopes that Akechi and Makoto might eventually grow close and potentially start dating. Akechi... had led a lonely life so she had hoped that the two of them would bring each other happiness. Maybe he could be part of a new family.
Makoto suddenly straightened up. "How about we switch to a different topic? Too much heavy conversation isn't good for the soul. This will be a bit of an awkward question however, so bear with me..."
"Hmm?"
Sae's eyes flitted back to Makoto's face; for some reason her little sister was smiling wryly.
"Were you planning on telling me that you had hoped to play matchmaker between me and Akechi?"
Sae's jaw dropped.
"WH—How?!" she sputtered out, before coughing into her hand. "I-I mean... don't be ludicrous, Makoto!"
Makoto giggled, her eyes suddenly sparkling with mirth. "You can't hide it from me, Sis. Your cognition of Akechi was a tad... flirtatious towards me."
Then she raised an eyebrow.
"Just—really, Sis? Me and Akechi—that's never going to happen," she said bluntly.
"But I thought—with how he is..." Sae managed to choke out.
"Sis, I didn't know you were this easy to tease," Makoto said lightly. "But it's good to see it worked, you're in better spirits now."
Sae was surprised. She switched to an awkward question and teased her just because she wanted to make her feel better? She was touched... and annoyed.
"Who taught you this?" Sae demanded.
Makoto began to tick off her fingers. "Ren, Futaba... and I suppose a little from Ken and Shinjiro-san."
"Amada-kun and Aragaki?!" Sae exclaimed.
Makoto just laughed, before nodding. "Yes, them. You haven't seen them together. Not really. And you don't really know Shinjiro-san. He can be rather sweet when he wants to be."
"More like bitter," Sae grumbled out, unable to stop herself from scowling.
Sae considered herself a good debater—you have to be, in order to be a good lawyer. But Aragaki really batted away her argument without even blinking. On top of that, the man was simply infuriating, rude, ill-mannered...
"Sis..." Makoto said with a sigh.
Sae sighed. She knew that she would have to deal with Aragaki more, now that she knew that Makoto was dating his charge. But still... she couldn't help but feel irritated at the mere thought of him.
"I know, Makoto, I know. I'll play nice, for your sake."
Makoto smiled softly. "Thank you, Sis. Really, it means a lot to me."
Sae just reached out to squeeze Makoto's shoulder.
"Of course, Makoto."
Makoto then smoothed out her skirt as she stood up. "But I assume you haven't eaten in a while, yes? Let me warm up dinner so we can eat."
Sae watched her little sister disappear into the kitchen. Despite herself, she smiled. Akechi may have lied to her. But she knew now that Makoto meant what she said.
She had Makoto still, and that's what was important.
Saturday, November 26th, 2016
"Ren, wait."
Ren paused at the door, turning to look at Sojiro.
Sojiro then sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh... you might want to stop by my place, before going to take care of your plans today."
"To get Futaba?" Ren couldn't help but feel confused at Sojiro's cryptic words.
Ken was back so they were going to catch up on what happened back on Port Island. That, and let Ken know what they discovered in Shido's Palace.
"Let's go with that," Sojiro said in a halting voice, before hastily picking up a glass to clean up.
Ren rolled his eyes at the obvious lie. Yeah, right. If that was the truth, then he'd give up being a Phantom Thief.
"Wonder what Boss was talking about," Morgana commented to Ren as they walked over to Sojiro's house.
"Who knows? Sojiro was acting kinda weird," Ren said with a shrug.
But he probably would've gotten one hell of a scolding if he didn't listen.
Once he reached the doorstep, he rang the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened, revealing Futaba.
"Uh... Futaba, you know what Sojiro meant about me coming here?" he asked.
Futaba just cracked a grin before letting out her trademark mischievous giggle.
"Come in and find out. The package came in early today."
"What package? I didn't order from the TV program," Ren said, feeling more and more confused.
Plus those always arrived at the café.
"Stop lollygagging then!" Futaba said, before gesturing for Ren to follow.
Ren sighed before kicking off his shoes. He stepped inside only to smack into a pile of stacked boxes. Something inside the boxes rattled.
"Ow!" Ren rubbed his face. "Jeez, Futaba, are you ordering parts to build a computer or what?"
"Nope~! It's for you!" Futaba said with a grin. "Take a look."
Ren grumbled to himself before grabbing a box. Inside were... bandages. Loads and loads of bandages.
"What the hell?" he muttered.
"Counted 'em. There's 99 of them," Futaba informed him.
Morgana then jumped out and got another box open. "Painkillers?"
"Vitamins, supplements—you name it!" Futaba chirped.
"And you counted 99 for all of them?" Ren asked.
"Ding ding ding! Give the man a prize!" Futaba chuckled out.
"Please tell me this is for Sojiro," Ren groaned out.
"I would... but I'd be lying, Ren," Futaba said with a snicker.
"Who the heck even o—"
Ren then stopped short as a memory suddenly floated into his mind.
"But there must be something I can do..."
"Like what, buy him a shit ton of medicine?"
"Oh, what a marvelous idea, Shinjiro! I'll look into it right away!"
Ren sighed heavily, before hanging his head. "It's Mitsuru-san, isn't it?"
"You'd think Ken would've said something," Morgana grumbled.
"Hey, look on the bright side!" Futaba snickered. "We won't have to buy much medicine for the first trip to the Palace."
"But 99 each?!" Ren cried out incredulously before he rubbed the back of his neck. "Who the hell buys this much of a single thing?!"
"Mitsuru-san, apparently," Futaba quipped before smirking. "I mean, she can definitely afford it."
"What are these, by the way?" Morgana piped up.
Ren walked over to where Morgana was standing on one of the boxes. He picked up one of the contents.
"Protein shakes. Why would Mitsuru-san think I need that?! I'm fit!" Ren couldn't help but feel a little offended.
"I mean just look at Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san," Morgana pointed out. "They're very—"
Futaba exclaimed, "Ripped! Oh man, you should've seen Akihiko-san! That police uniform of his hides just how jacked he is! You could probably dry clothes on those abs!"
What was that supposed to mean? Though Ren was grateful that Ken wasn't here. Something told him that Ken would be horrified to hear this.
But Ren pushed that out of his head.
"Ken's got a similar build to me," Ren grumbled out.
"But anyways, Sojiro said that we can go see Ken now, but you gotta get these boxes to the attic after he closes," Futaba informed him.
Ren opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
"But let's go see Ken!" Futaba said brightly before grabbing Ren's wrist and dragging him towards the door.
This earned them an indignant yowl from Morgana.
"Wait for me!" he cried out.
Due to the delay, Ren, Futaba, and Morgana were one of the last to arrive.
"Someone's late," Anne teased lightly.
"You can blame Mitsuru-san," Ren grumbled before plopping next to his girlfriend.
Makoto just blinked in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean?"
Ren just huffed, choosing instead to point at Ken.
"Why didn't you warn me?!" he cried out.
"Hello to you too, Ren—it's wonderful to see you too," Ken said dryly, before raising an eyebrow, "And for the record—I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Mitsuru-san bought me a gazillion medicines! And bandages! And protein shakes! I'm in shape!" He couldn't hold back the whine at the last part.
This earned a few snickers from everyone else.
"You could always use them at the gym," Ryuji pointed out.
Ren retorted, "Not the point!"
Anne patted his hand. "Aw, don't worry, Ren! I like you the way you are!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ren exclaimed.
"Stop taking it so seriously, you dork," Anne giggled before leaning to kiss his cheek. "It means I love you!"
Ken rubbed his forehead. "Oh boy... sorry about that, Ren. Mitsuru-san was just worried. You should've seen her when Shinjiro-san first woke up from his coma. Though honestly I think the protein shakes were either Akihiko-san or Minako-san's idea. Akihiko-san does use them a lot when training and Minako-san probably thought it'd be funny."
"It is most certainly not," Ren grumbled out.
"Oh stop pouting like a baby!" Anne sighed, shaking her head.
"I'm not pouting—that's Ken's shtick."
"Hey!" Ken protested before shooting Ren an annoyed glare. "That is not true!"
"Now, now... it's not nice to pick fights, Ren-kun," Haru said in a placating tone, waving her hands in a 'calm down' gesture.
"That aside, how was Port Island, Ken?" Yusuke said, flashing Ken an amused look for his outburst.
Ken looked taken aback by the inquiry, blinking at Yusuke a couple times.
"Oh... it was good. Great, actually. Shinjiro-san proposed to Fuuka-san too."
Ren blinked. That was a surprise, to put lightly.
"Oh, congratulations to the both of them!" Haru exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
"About time!" Ryuji grumbled. "Yusuke and I gave you the idea to give your mom's old ring to Shinjiro-san like four months ago!"
"Ryuji, you wouldn't know romance, even if it bit you in the butt." Anne deadpanned.
"H-Hey!"
"You gotta think a proposal through!" Anne exclaimed, suddenly become starry-eyed as she clasped her hands in front of her. "You only can propose once, you know. It's got to be special!"
Special, huh?
"Putting the pressure on Ren, ehhh?" Futaba teased.
"I don't mind rising to the challenge," Ren said, winking at his girlfriend.
Anne swatted at his shoulder, puffing her cheeks out at him. Ren just laughed—she was really too cute.
"Don't encourage this!" she huffed out.
"But anyways..." Makoto interrupted, before giving Ken a smile. "Pass on my congratulations. Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san deserve this."
Ken smiled back at her. "Thanks, Makoto."
However, Ren couldn't help but feel curious.
"How did the proposal even go?" he asked.
Yusuke suddenly leaned forward, his eyes alert. "Yes, tell me all you know! It'd be an excellent wedding gift, if I could capture the moment of the proposal!"
Ken blinked owlishly at Yusuke, before rubbing the back of his neck. "Um... I hate to break it to you, but I wasn't there for the proposal."
"Laaaame!" Futaba huffed.
Ken rolled his eyes at her. "Stop being so nosy."
"Ren started it! And don't be a killjoy, Ken!" Futaba declared, pointing right at him.
Ryuji just grinned. "I mean, Futaba's got a point."
"About Ken needing to not be a killjoy or about Ren?" Anne quipped with a teasing smile.
"Hey!" Ken glowered at both Anne and Futaba for the cracks at him. "I am not a killjoy!"
"Nyeh." Futaba stuck her tongue out at Ken, before flashing him a playful smile.
Ren just grinned as Ken continued to glower at her. Maybe it shouldn't be at Ken's expense, but it was nice to joke around like this. Things were stressful enough with worrying about Shido, so he was glad that all of his friends could kick back and have fun still.
Yusuke then coughed. "Did anything else happen on Port Island?"
Ken shook his head. "Not really, aside from seeing everyone. It was nice to see them in person again, though. I missed everyone... more than I realized."
Ken's expression suddenly became wistful. Ren couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Ken had lucked out, with the encounter with Shido. He had to ensure that nothing like that would happen to any of his friends.
But then Ken rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking sheepish. "But I guess I was lucky that none of the girls cried."
"Ken's true weakness—crying girls," Futaba intoned in a grave voice.
Ken glowered at her.
"Be quiet..." he grumbled out, huffing.
Ren couldn't help but snicker to himself. He couldn't help but notice that Ken didn't deny it—no, it was more he couldn't deny it.
But then something suddenly sparked in Ken's eyes. "Ah, that reminds me. Ren—I found this while trying to find... something else."
He took out a drawstring bag from his jacket pocket, tossing it to Ren. Ren opened it, upending the bag into his hand. A couple of somas fell into his open palm.
Ren stared in shock. Okay, he wasn't sure what he was expecting Ken to give him, but this sure wasn't it. He honestly hadn't risked using a soma, after they had to discovered how powerful that particular medicine was. He couldn't help but think that it should be used for an absolute emergency.
"Somas?!" Morgana gasped. "Where did you get these?!"
Ken explained, "Mitsuru-san supplied them to me when I accepted the mission back in May. It was part of the supplies I gave you when I first joined you guys, but I left them out since I thought it'd might make me look suspicious."
That did make a lot of sense.
"But why did you suddenly find it again?" Ryuji asked with a frown.
Yusuke, however, pursed his lips together. "You mentioned trying to find something else."
Ken just smiled wryly. He reached under his shirt, pulling out a silver chain. Ren's eyes were immediately drawn to the black ring in between Ken's fingers.
"Good catch, Yusuke. That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about..."
Makoto reached out, but not before glancing to Ken with a questioning look in her eyes. Ken just unclasped the silver chain before handing it to her.
"What is it though, Ken-kun?" Haru asked.
"It's called the Ring of Darkness," Ken stated as Makoto started to examine it closely. "Think of it as a... charm. Minato-san gave it to me many years ago. It shielded me from my Persona's weakness."
Ren was curious about it as well, though, so he asked Makoto if he could see it as well. She handed it over without any complaints.
There was something almost... supernatural about it. While black rings were very much a thing, something in Ren's gut told him that the ring was special. Ren then peered closely at the ring—there were almost rune-like engravings carved into the metal.
No... wait. Ren looked at them more careful—now that he thought about it, they looked like ancient Greek.
Just where had Minato-san gotten this from then?
Anne exclaimed, "Hang on—seriously?! That's insane!"
Ken nodded. "Minato-san said not to ask where he got it from though—he claimed it was a long story."
"But why not bring it out earlier?" Yusuke asked with a frown.
Ken's expression faltered before he rubbed his arm. "Well... I thought it wasn't fair to you. I wanted to be on equal ground with you, I suppose."
Ren frowned at that. That made sense too. It'd be kinda crazy to see Ken just shrug off a certain type of attack. That would've raised questions that Ken wouldn't want to answer. But why did Ken feel like he had to take it out now?
"So why are you getting it out now?" Morgana unknowingly echoed Ren's thoughts.
Ken sighed. "Mitsuru-san insisted on it, if I wanted to continue Phantom Thief work."
"She's a protective one, isn't she?" Ryuji muttered.
"It's understandable though," Haru chimed in. "And Shido's been a personal obstacle for Mitsuru-san for quite some time."
"This will just give us another asset during our ventures inside Shido's Palace," Ren stated.
A bark suddenly caught all of their attentions. Koromaru then trotted over, a toy rope hanging from his mouth. He then dropped the toy in Ken's lap with a happy bark.
"Wait, Koromaru's here?" Ryuji asked.
"He insisted on coming," Ken said absentmindedly, rubbing the top of Koromaru's head.
"I wish you told me!" Ryuji complained with a huff. "I would've brought Shoyu with me then!"
Haru laughed. "Well, there's always next time, right?"
Koromaru then whined before nosing Ken's other hand. Ken huffed before picking up the toy rope. Koromaru enthusiastically made a grab for it, clamping his teeth over the other end. Ren blinked, watching the exchange. It was kinda weird, watching Ken play with Koromaru.
Though this did make Ren think of how he's tried to play with Morgana in the past. He got offended in the past, but Ren had noticed how the ball of yarn he bought had mysteriously disappeared.
"How uncouth..." Morgana grumbled from his vantage point, Haru's lap.
Koromaru then suddenly dropped the toy rope to nuzzle Ken's hand.
"Aww!" Anne cooed as Koromaru laid his head in Ken's lap. "Koromaru is sooo cute!"
"W-What about me, Lady Anne?!" Morgana whined at her.
Anne barely glanced in Morgana's direction. "Oh, you're cute too, Morgana."
Ren had to stifle a laugh.
"Outshone by the dog, eh?" he thought with a snicker.
Morgana's ears drooped. "Why do you have to sound so dismissive?!"
"R.I.P. Morgana," Futaba snickered out.
Ken just looked at Morgana in amusement before his eyes lit up in recognition. He then reached out, grabbing a bag.
"That does remind me—I did try to buy everyone a little something while I was in Port Island..."
They weren't terribly pricy gifts, but the sentiment was nice. Though Futaba just about knocked Ken down with a hug after receiving her gift—some kind of Feathermen retro game. (Koromaru hadn't been too thrilled with that, though, since he was resting his head in Ken's lap.)
"These sweets are so good, Ken!" Anne said before popping another mochi into her mouth.
Ken smiled. "I'm glad you like it. It comes from Minako-san and Yukari-san's favorite sweet shop."
"I definitely wanna visit Port Island now!" Anne exclaimed.
"I'm just your side dish, huh?" Ren lightly teased his girlfriend. "Sweets are your one true love, it looks like."
Anne just giggled in response, blowing a kiss at Ren.
"Aww, Ren—you know that there's enough love in my heart for both of you," she said with a cute smile and a wink.
Ryuji just threw a throw pillow at Anne, who instinctively batted it away. The pillow then hit Makoto, making her sputter.
"Enough with the gushy crap!" he griped.
"No!" Anne said childishly, sticking her tongue out at Ryuji.
Haru clapped her hands twice to grab everyone's attention.
"Ken-kun, you haven't told us the doctor's verdict," she said quietly.
Ken's content expression suddenly faltered. Makoto gave him a concerned look. He should've figured that she had gone to see him last night—he hadn't given her a present, after all. Ken must've told her already.
"The good news is that the doctors believe that there shouldn't be any lasting effects, due to just receiving one dose—"
Ren sighed in relief. The idea that his friend could suffer from lasting consequences plagued Ren's mind, despite the reassurances he had gotten from both Ken and Anne. It was a relief to hear that. He still couldn't help but run the what-ifs in his head...
"Is there bad news?" Morgana asked tentatively.
Ken grimaced. "Well, right now my reflexes aren't the greatest. The doctors have told me that it shouldn't be permanent though."
Ren frowned, pondering over the news. It could be worse—like Ken suffering from organ failure. Or him having lasting symptoms like Shinjiro-san and his lack of temperature control.
But would Ken be okay with fighting Shadows in the Metaverse? That was the biggest question for Ren. He could see the others exchanging uneasy looks, too.
"I'm glad it's not permanent at least," Yusuke said carefully.
Ken slowly nodded. "Yeah, I am too."
Ren sighed. What could they even say? Ren doubted Ken wanted apologies right now.
"But what about you, Ren?" Ken asked. "Takemi-san looked over you, I assume?"
Ren nodded before he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm just glad that she didn't ask many questions about what happened to me."
She knew about him being the leader of the Phantom Thieves and all, but he didn't want Takemi to worry about him. She just made her usual comments before finally giving him some pain meds. Ren would probably need them especially with the Palace runs.
Ken said with a smile. "I'm glad to hear that. Oh and what was the Palace like?"
"It was... something," Anne replied slowly.
"So eloquent, Anne," Ren couldn't help but tease her lightly.
She stuck her tongue out at him in response. He just chuckled.
Haru clarified instead, "It's a luxury cruise liner. We've managed to figure out that we need to enter the assembly hall inside the Palace but—"
"We need five letters of introduction from Shido's VIPs," Morgana finished for her.
"I see..." Ken frowned, before rubbing his chin. "That's quite troublesome."
"That's putting it very lightly," Ren thought with annoyance.
"Shido's been a pain in the ass for years, figures that his Palace would be the same," Ryuji joked lightly.
Haru looked between everyone, before suddenly clapping her hands once.
"Enough talk about Shido's Palace. Let's just enjoy ourselves for today," she suggested.
Ryuji's expression suddenly brightened. "Dude, I don't think Haru has seen the entertainment room! There's so many video games packed in there!"
"Ryuji, you shouldn't just invite yourself like that..." Makoto chided with a frown.
But Ken just laughed, shaking his head.
"It's fine, Makoto," he said with a reassuring smile.
Haru bit her lip as she glanced at Ryuji.
"Um... this is a little embarrassing but I'm not all too familiar with video games," she said with a sheepish smile.
"Uncultured swine!" Futaba gasped, clutching her hands against her chest. "Are all third-years attending Shujin like this then?!"
"Hey!" Ken and Makoto protested at the same time.
"You didn't even know about Super Nario Jubilee, Makoto!" Futaba cried. "JUBILEE! That's a total classic game! Even noobs should know about Jubilee!"
"Why are you lumping me in then?!" Ken demanded, earning an annoyed glower from Makoto.
Futaba flapped a hand at him. "Pffft, you probably didn't know until someone like Junpei-san made you play!"
Ken opened his mouth to retort, only to snap it shut. Ren started snickering—damn, Futaba had Ken's number.
"But anyways!" Futaba hopped to her feet, her eyes gleaming. "We have to educate Haru—right now!"
"H-Huh? Hang on a second, Futaba-chan!"
Futaba pulled Haru to her feet and dragged her over to the entertainment room, ignoring Haru's protests. Ren just laughed, unable to stop a grin from forming on his face. Especially when Ryuji chased after them with excitement.
"Hell yeah! Let's educate Senpai!" Ryuji called out, helping Futaba drag Haru.
"Ren-kun! Heeeeelp!" Haru cried out to him, earning laughter from several of his friends.
"I see we've awakened the beast." Yusuke quipped as he stood up.
His friends slowly followed suit. Morgana, however, jumped into Ren's lap.
"Talk to Ken," he insisted.
He then dropped to the ground, darting to the entertainment room.
Ren sighed, rubbing his face. Then he approached his friend.
He drew a deep breath, before tapping Ken on the shoulder. "Hey, Ken, can we talk for a sec?"
Ken turned to look at him. "Something the matter, Ren?"
Ren frowned, "Well, it's a little thing."
Ken stared hard at him. Then he raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Little, huh?" he asked blandly.
Ren gaped at him. "Hey! What's with that judgey look?!"
Ken huffed, "I know that look. It's your how-do-I-explain-this look."
"I do not have that look," Ren protested.
Ken just snorted. "Sure, Ren."
Ren grumbled to himself for a moment, before lifting a hand to run it through his hair.
"It just... uhh... would you say that you ever had dreams about your experiences?"
Understanding suddenly filled Ken's eyes and his expression softened with pity.
"I have..." Ken confirmed, before absentmindedly rubbing his forearm. "I've dreamed about my mom's death. The incident where Shinjiro-san almost died, and the battle with Nyx."
Then he suddenly faltered, and a grimace twisted at his lips.
"As well as... other recent events."
Ren sucked in a breath, suddenly feeling very stupid. He should've known. From what Ken had told him, it was just as traumatizing as what happened to Ren while in interrogation.
"So—how did you deal with that?"
Ken looked down at the floor for a moment.
"It helps to talk about it... don't bottle it up. Fuuka-san had to remind me this very recently."
Ren frowned.
"I hate feeling so weak, though..." Ren mumbled in admittance.
"You're not weak."
The vehemence in Ken's voice caught his attention. Ren sighed, he hadn't meant to say that out loud.
"Ren, you went through something traumatizing. And don't forget you did it to save us all. And I'm not surprised that you've been dreaming of it. One theory of why people dream is to sort through complicated feelings."
"Complicated, huh?" Ren thought with a bittersweet smile. "That's putting it mildly."
Ken then shrugged. "And... you can always talk to me if you have those dreams. I'd be happy to lend an ear."
"You got pretty pissed the last time I tried to have a 3 AM conversation," Ren pointed out.
Ken's expression suddenly deadpanned. "That's because you texted me asking whether or not a slug is a naked snail."
"Hey, I needed to know!" Ren protested with a laugh.
"Somehow I doubt that," Ken said dryly.
Ren just grinned, before a thought suddenly struck him.
"By the way, we do need to get together to talk about Haru's birthday. It's coming up soon."
Ken nodded. "That's fine. I don't know how long the planning will take but... I'm busy tomorrow afternoon."
He winced at the last part. Ren couldn't help but feel confused. What was so bad about tomorrow?
Ken sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Niijima-san wants to talk to me privately. To... get to know to me better."
Ren winced with pity. The way she had argued with Shinjiro-san still stuck in his head.
"Good luck with that, Ken. I think you'll need it."
Personally, he was a little glad that the Takamakis were working abroad still, as much as he knew Anne missed them. He didn't know what they would think of him, especially with his record.
Ken blew his bangs out of his face. "Thanks. I suppose it's just a lucky thing that it'll be just me for now."
Ren patted his shoulder. "You'll be fine."
Ren then grinned as a thought suddenly struck him.
"You know—Makoto once mentioned she's into Feathermen. Maybe you can mention—"
"I do not need to use Yukari-san to butter up Niijima-san," Ken interrupted with an eye-roll. "Makoto mentioned that to me too, by the way."
Ren just nudged Ken in the side, "Just keep it as the trump card. Though I gotta say—I don't envy you at all."
Ken said sarcastically, "Thanks, Ren—your faith in me is inspiring."
Ren just gave him a thumbs up and snarked, "Hey, you're welcome!"
"That was sarcasm, Ren."
"Really?" Ren gasped dramatically, clasping a hand to his chest. "I had no idea!"
Ken's answer to that was throwing a pillow right in Ren's face.
Sunday, November 27th, 2016
Makoto had warned her that where Aragaki and Amada-kun lived was not... exactly normal. But Sae still wasn't expecting this.
If Sae had to guess, this was Kirijo-san's doing.
She stared out of the glass wall, a heavy frown on her face. She had never expected to deal with... Makoto dating. Makoto just never seemed interested, more keen on studying.
"Or maybe you've been just blind about Makoto's wants this entire time," said a snide voice in the back of her head.
Sae sighed, pressing a hand against her temple. She just had made so many mistakes, when it came to Makoto. She couldn't help but question if she even knew her little sister.
The elevator suddenly let out a quiet ding, and the doors slid open. Sae cautiously stepped towards the door before giving a light knock.
"Get a grip!" she scolded herself. "You can talk to Amada-kun like an adult."
She could hear barking on the other side. They had a dog?
But then the door suddenly opened, revealing Amada-kun. He was wearing a different outfit than he had worn in the café a few days ago. He looked healthier, with his complexion no longer being pallid and there were less shadows underneath his eyes.
An albino shiba inu peered at her from behind Amada-kun. He cocked his head at Sae for a moment, before blinking up at her. Sae couldn't help but stare, feeling a little frozen.
"Hello Niijima-san. I hope you're doing well today," he greeted her cordially before taking a step backwards so Sae could enter.
He then turned and nudged the canine with his foot.
"Be nice, Koromaru," he said, his voice slightly chiding.
Koromaru blinked up at him before making a little yip. Amada-kun rolled his eyes, folding his arms over his chest.
"Yes, you. The innocent act works on Shinjiro-san, not me."
Koromaru let out a little whine before trotting out of the living room, heading down a hallway.
Sae coughed. "I... wasn't aware you had a pet."
"He's not a pet, he's a companion," Amada-kun corrected for some reason, and then he coughed into his hand. "But would you like some tea or coffee, Niijima-san?"
"That would be—" Sae felt herself flush as her stomach suddenly let out a growl.
Amada-kun then smiled wryly. "Ah, I see that Makoto wasn't exaggerating."
Sae's lips tightened at that. Just what had Makoto told him? He must have noticed her apprehension as he immediately clarified.
"She mentioned that you would often just grab an energy bar for meals. I'll cook you some lunch too then."
"But—!" Sae began to protest.
"Really don't worry about it, it's no trouble at all," Amada-kun said politely.
She figured it was best to not argue. He would probably do it regardless of her protests so she may as well accept his hospitality. She gave him a nod and he smiled. He gestured for her to sit down at the couch. Sae couldn't help but feel at unease as she reluctantly sat down.
He was being perfectly polite to her. But the cool politeness almost seemed like a mask to her.
She started to wonder if the second guessing of Amada-kun's hospitality had anything to do with her feelings now regarding Akechi-kun... no, he was just Akechi now. She had to stop doing this to herself.
She wondered why she even made a comparison between Amada-kun and Akechi. Was she becoming cynical at the smallest sign of kindness? It probably didn't help that something about Amada-kun's smile reminded her of her partner. She couldn't place why though.
She shook those thoughts out of her head. It was an irrational comparison. She can't be jumpy and let the other stresses outside of this situation cloud her judgement of Amada-kun.
She still didn't know how to feel about all of this. Makoto had grown up when Sae wasn't looking. She had found friends... and a boyfriend she clearly adored, if not loved.
It's true that she had once hoped that Makoto and Akechi would eventually start dating but this... felt like an entirely different level.
Sae rubbed her forehead. She couldn't help but wish there was some kind of guidebook to all this. To add all of this, Aragaki seemed more familiar with Makoto than she had expected. The mere thought that Aragaki had a leg up on her was... irksome.
Sae's eyes traveled through the living room. Her eyes were suddenly drawn by the mantle. Several pictures frames sat on top. Without realizing it, she was standing up and coming closer to get a better look.
There were various pictures. Some of Amada-kun, some without. There were a couple of group pictures of nine or ten people squishing in for a picture.
"They look so happy," Sae mused, feeling a sudden wistfulness.
Sae... honestly never really had friends, even growing up. She had been alienated by her classmates in the past for being a teacher's pet. But then Sae threw herself in her studies, aiming to be the very best prosecutor that Japan had seen.
Maybe if she had taken a different path—then maybe she wouldn't have ruined so many people's lives.
A quiet yip suddenly caught Sae's attention. She looked down to see that Koromaru had returned. He cocked his head at her.
"Ah... hello," Sae said, unable to stop herself from feeling a little awkward.
Koromaru blinked imploringly up at her.
"Umm... do you want a pat?" she asked, unsure what he wanted.
Koromaru seemed to let out an affirmative bark so Sae bent down and rubbed the top of his head. She then moved to give him a scratch behind the ear and Koromaru let out a small pleased sound.
But as Sae moved her hand away, he suddenly licked her hand.
Sae couldn't help but yelp in surprise. It was wet and warm. She moved to shake her hand, but then she realized that Aragaki and Amada-kun wouldn't appreciate dog saliva on their floor.
"Why did you do that?" she hissed out in a whisper.
"Niijima-san? Is Koromaru bothering you?"
Amada-kun suddenly reappeared, frowning at Koromaru.
"Ah, no, it's just—" Sae felt her face heat up. "H-He licked my hand."
Amada-kun's lips seemed to twitch—as if he was trying to stifle a laugh or smile.
"Well he is a dog. They do that. It's their way of saying hello," he said, the amusement in his voice clear as day.
"I-It just caught me off guard, alright?!" Sae couldn't help but snap out, feeling defensive at his comment. "I haven't been around many dogs!"
"It's nothing to be ashamed about, Niijima-san," Amada-kun said nervously, then he cleared his throat and pointed down the hallway. "The bathroom is the second door on the right, if you'd like to clean up."
"Thank you," she said stiffly.
Sae followed his directions and opened the door to a clean bathroom. She immediately stepped to the sink and turned on the faucet.
"Why does Makoto even like him?" Sae grumbled to herself, vigorously scrubbing at her hands. "Practically laughing at me for being surprised—the nerve!"
She sighed to herself. She shouldn't be hasty and make any snap judgements yet. That would defeat the purpose of coming here.
After she dried her hands, she stepped back out. Her stomach rumbled at the smell of food.
She then walked over to the living room, where a small dining table was set up. There was a bowl of stir fry, chopsticks by it, and a cup of steaming tea. Amada-kun sat opposite, with his own cup of tea.
Sae took the seat across of him.
"Um... thank you for cooking me this," she said, still feeling a little awkward.
Amada-kun shrugged. "It's no problem. Stir fry is quick and easy."
Sae cautiously picked up the bowl and took a bite. Flavor suddenly burst in her mouth. She never thought Amada-kun would be a good cook.
"This is delicious," she said before lowering her chopsticks to rest on top of her bowl. "But... I apologize for having you cook for me like this. I'm the guest after all."
"It's no problem, Niijima-san," Amada-kun said, before his expression suddenly softened. "On the day I met Makoto, I had to persuade her to sit down and eat lunch too."
"Are you two classmates?" Sae asked.
Obviously, they were in the same year but... more about Makoto she didn't know. Another stab to her pride. She would make it up to her however. She promised.
Amada-kun took a sip of tea before letting out an affirmative hum. "Back in June, I transferred into her homeroom. Our homeroom teacher put me right by where she sat."
"I see..." Sae trailed off for a moment.
She took the opportunity to take another bite of food, before washing it down with some tea.
She couldn't help but wonder, however. Aragaki had been vehement that they were just friends when she had asked him about Makoto and Amada-kun's relationship.
But she pushed that aside. She needed to stop boxing him in as just Makoto's boyfriend. He was his own person.
"You know, Shujin does consultations for post-graduation for third-years," Sae mentioned, after clearing her throat. "Right around this time. Do you have any idea what you want to do after graduation?"
Amada-kun answered, "I did mine last January. Gekkoukan believes in doing it for second-years rather than third-years."
Then he stared down at his cup.
"When I resigned from the Shadow Operatives, I thought that I would rejoin them after I graduated from high school. Then when I entered high school, I thought I wanted to become a defense attorney. To help the innocent from an unfair sentence."
Sae winced at that. All of those people she had helped imprison... it would forever lay on her conscience.
"I'm sorry. It's because of people like me that created such a system..."
"The system shaped your actions, Niijima-san. I can't deny it can be a... difficult environment to handle." Amada-kun then took another sip of his tea before he spoke, "Akihiko-san is another of my senpai. Four years ago, he decided he wanted to become a police officer, in order to protect people. He's met... more than one person who didn't have noble goals, who were aiming to do the same thing. On top of that, Naoto-san had to pretend to be someone she wasn't, so she would get the respect she was denied otherwise."
He then looked to her, his expression serious.
"It's true that you have made your fair share of mistakes. But it's never too late if you want to atone."
Sae couldn't help but blink. That outlook, she might've expected from someone older than her. But Amada-kun was several years her junior. Just what had he gone through to shape his outlook on things?
He idly traced the rip of his cup, his eyes growing sad for some reason. "Besides, I admit that I would've made some serious mistakes when I was younger, if it wasn't for Shinjiro-san pulling me back."
Despite herself, she couldn't help but pull a face at the mention of Aragaki.
Amada-kun's lips twitched into a smile before he let out a soft chuckle.
"He's really not that bad, Niijima-san. I can't deny that he can be rough on the outside... and well I know he hasn't been fair to you sometimes... but he's a kind man. He's always looked out for me, even when I didn't deserve it," he said.
"Hmph. I'll believe it when I see it." Sae sniffed before taking a bite of food.
They spent more time talking than Sae had expected. He hadn't been nearly as talkative as some of Makoto's other friends back at the café, but he seemed to do better talking one-on-one.
"I do... have one question, however," Sae said after a moment of hesitation.
Amada-kun tilted his head, "Go on."
"Are you... in love with Makoto?"
She wanted to know. He certainly cared for her, that much she had seen already.
Amada-kun's breath caught in his throat, before a flush crept into his cheeks.
"I..."
He then swallowed hard.
"Makoto is... important to me. I want to make her smile. She makes things a little brighter by just seeing her. I want to be by her side and help her reach her dreams."
His expression then considerably softened, a gentle smile creeping on his face. Sae blinked at the sight.
A part of why Sae thought it was best for Makoto to focus on her studies was because high school romances were often times passing infatuations.
But... maybe it wasn't the case for Makoto and Amada-kun.
Then his expression grew serious.
"But I don't know if it's love yet. We've only been together for a month. I'm not sure. But I care for her deeply and I just want her to be happy."
Well, that also answered her earlier question of just how long they were dating.
"I see..." Sae said softly.
If this was Makoto's choice for a boyfriend... well, she could certainly do much worse than Ken Amada... ignoring the boy's rude guardian.
Then again, Makoto could have been dating Ren. She was growing to like him, but she couldn't help but shudder at the idea of dealing with him as her little sister's boyfriend.
Sae then looked to him. "Thank you, Amada-kun. I... I know that I've made mistakes with Makoto. I realize now that I've treated her poorly. But I do want her to be happy. I'm glad that you feel this way."
Amada-kun said slowly, "I won't deny that seeing your sins personified in your Palace hurt Makoto. But I know that the two of you making amends means the world to her. I'm glad... because not everyone gets such a chance."
"Who—" Sae then stopped short.
She winced. That was right. Haru Okumura and her father...
"I won't let go of this second chance. I swear it," Sae promised, placing a hand over her heart.
Then her phone suddenly buzzed. She dug it out of her pocket, checking it for a message. Sae frowned as she skimmed the message. Even with her demotion, she was still kept rather busy.
"I have to go," Sae said with an apologetic smile. "Work calls."
Amada-kun nodded, "Do what you have to do, Niijima-san."
Sae rose to her feet, inclining her head at him, "And... take care of yourself, Amada-kun. Especially in Shido's Palace."
Amada-kun blinked, looking taken aback by her well wishes. Then he smiled.
"I'll do my best, Niijima-san."
Monday, November 28th, 2016
Goro couldn't believe his eyes.
According to this, Aragaki was the one responsible for his aunt's death. Which meant that... he was indirectly responsible for Goro's mother's death as well. He glared at that thought. Something he can take care of later, Shido comes first on his list.
It was honestly incredible how the Kirijo Group was able to mask the truth. But if that was the case, what else was the conglomerate hiding? There must be something more, given that Shido had earned the Shadow Operatives' enmity by blackmailing the head of the Kirijo Group.
He knew that Aragaki was a Persona-user, but if this report was right about his Persona going berserk—then he was a dangerous man. Then why did Ken continue to live with him?
Goro tried to think back to what Ken had said about Aragaki. How long had he been under Aragaki's guardianship? There were a lot of blanks in between the nine years since his aunt's death and now.
And the question was, why did Aragaki even care about Ken's well-being?
Not to mention that Ken spoke of Aragaki as someone he respected, if not loved. But if this was the case, it was not earned. He murdered Goro's aunt in cold blood and destroyed the house, to boot.
Wait... Ken wasn't stupid. Surely he must be aware of this? A thought crossed Goro's mind and he couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement soon as it came into his head.
Perhaps Ken was like Goro. Could it be possible he and his cousin had a lot more in common than he realized? Just biding his time for revenge—?
Goro's thoughts were cut off by the ringing of his phone. Goro fished his phone out of his pocket, grimacing at the caller ID—it was Shido. He must have a job assignment for Goro. He was annoyed at Shido interrupting his train of thought, but no matter, he can't let these small bumps in the road stop him.
He took the call, pressing it to his ear.
"Hello, sir."
"I have an assignment for you. A certain thorn must be dealt with as soon as possible. The data should be sent to your phone, delete it as soon as you read it."
Straight to the point as always. But Shido's paranoia is exactly why Goro did his best to do everything to the letter. Shido didn't trust anyone and was quite smart at hiding his tracks and cleaning up loose ends. Though he had been more and more demanding as the election drew closer. Probably so his election as prime minister would run smoothly.
"Understood, sir. I will follow up with you soon."
"Good. Don't fail me."
Then he hung up.
Goro just sighed to himself before closing the files he was reading. He stowed them away in his briefcase before standing up.
He did some research on the target; he had a hunch it would be Shido's next assignment. Heizo Tamashiro... Goro read through everything Shido sent him, checking to see if there was anything he didn't already know. Once he was certain he got the gist of everything he would need, he deleted the data as requested.
Honestly, he found it ludicrous to see how much of a hard time the Phantom Thieves had with unlocking the Palace. They were just so incompetent, with the exceptions of that weird cat, Niijima-san's sister, and his cousin. But even then, the cat was too arrogant, and the other two were held back by their incompetent teammates. Amamiya certainly had an amazing ability but he was too much of a moron and too busy playing court jester to use it properly.
"Not that that matters anymore. Such power wasted on that trash. Good riddance," he thought to himself.
Once he determined the keywords, he headed for the Palace's counterpart in real life. He made sure that he wasn't being watched before slipping into the Palace.
Goro inhaled deeply, feeling Loki's power course through him. It felt good to use Loki more instead of Robin Hood. Robin Hood was no slouch when it came to power, but Loki easily had him beat.
Heizo Tamashiro was one of Shido's political opponents, a descendant of Japanese nobility. From what he found the report, Tamashiro even had the blood of Japanese emperors in his veins.
His Palace was akin to an Egyptian temple, where he was the god that the masses worshipped. It was honestly pathetic.
Goro found it too easy to get through the Palace. The Shadows were nothing to him.
But Goro found his mind constantly drifting to Amamiya and his ragtag team of misfits. The way they would bicker, and make a game out of fighting Shadows. Why didn't they take this seriously?
Goro shook his head vigorously, trying to shake out his thoughts from his mind.
"Why am I still thinking about them?" he grumbled to himself.
They were defeated. They had fallen apart at the death of Amamiya. They didn't matter, not when his revenge was within reach. And with them scattered and their morale broken it would probably be easier swaying his cousin to his side.
Goro focused on the Shadow pacing down the hallway. He took out his gun and fired it. The bullet nailed the Shadow right in the back, before dividing into three Shadows.
All of them took on the form of a partially nude woman with a lioness's head. An Egyptian headdress sat on her head, with a cobra in the center.
"Take them down, Loki!" Goro called out his Persona.
Loki slammed down his sword, a wave of dark energy sweeping the area.
The Shadows cried out in pain, before two of them disintegrated into fine ash. But the last one was still clinging on. She crawled towards Goro.
"Wait! Please, don't shoot..."
"Would you prefer me to stab you then?" Goro asked coldly.
Honestly, what was it thinking, getting closer?
"No! Not that!" the Shadow yelped. "Please—I'll do anything! Humans want money, don't they? I have plenty of that!"
That made Goro remember how Amamiya would demand money or items from the Shadows... Goro had been surprised, but Amamiya shrugged it off, saying that being a Phantom Thief wasn't cheap. He hated to admit it, for a fool that was actually rather clever.
But that wasn't the stand-out to Goro... that was how Amamiya could use so many Personas. Goro had always assumed, even if there were other Persona-users, he was special. He had two Personas.
And yet, Sakamoto implied that Amamiya utilized countless Personas.
Amamiya was able to recruit weakened Shadows into his arsenal. What if... it was the same for Goro? None of the others had multiple Personas, not even his cousin. Only he and Amamiya had more than one. A cold smirk crawled onto Goro's face.
Goro demanded, "Join me. You want to live? Then prove your worth to me."
The Shadow stared up at him, only for her expression to light up.
"Fine... I won't let you down. I'm not a Shadow—I was once part of the sea of souls. Thou art I... and I am thou. I am Sekhmet. Those who stand in your way will fear my wrath, for I will bathe in the blood of your foes!"
She then disappeared into blue flames before they were absorbed by Goro's mask.
Goro blinked, reaching up to touch his mask. It had worked... he could scarcely believe it.
"No... what am I thinking? Of course it worked! It worked for Amamiya, didn't it?" Goro berated himself.
He was just as good—no. He was better than Amamiya. After all Amamiya relied on his 'team' to get anywhere with the Palaces. Without them? He was nothing.
He started laughing. He couldn't help it. The Phantom Thieves, Shido... none of them mattered. He would destroy any who got in his way.
But... now he's discovered this... he might as well utilize this new tool as much as possible.
Tuesday, November 29th, 2016
Goro couldn't help but stare at the building in front of him.
He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the sight. Not that he didn't have a nice place to live himself. But that was on his own dime. There was just no way that Aragaki could afford this on his salary. And obviously, it wasn't coming from Ken... Kirijo must be providing provisions for them both.
Goro shook his head. He wasn't here for that. He was here to illuminate Ken to the truth...
He could hear the whispers as he entered the lobby. Goro tried not to cringe at that. His resurge in popularity was a double-edged sword. He didn't want to draw attention to this.
But he had a reputation so he flashed the onlookers his TV smile, before giving a wave. He then hastened towards the elevator, letting a sigh of relief as the doors closed behind him.
He then reached into his jacket, pulling out the manila folder holding the family record. He anticipated that Ken may be... skeptical of the truth, so he had made a copy of the records.
Goro inhaled. This was it.
Ken had to say yes. He had to have no love for Shido, between what he had done personally to Ken himself and what happened to their family. And the Phantom Thieves were done anyway.
But none of that mattered, even if Ken was skeptical he could just show him this was worth pursuing. After all he wasn't about to expect Ken to help him and he do nothing in return. They can both get their revenge (if his hunch was right, and he was confident it was). They would take care of Shido and after Aragaki. Their mothers can rest easily.
"How wonderful... very soon it will be done. I'm so close," he thought with a suppressed chuckle.
He cleared his throat. He can't get too over-confident. He still had to get him to say yes. He swallowed his anxiousness and excitement as he straightened his tie.
The elevators then chimed, snapping Goro out of his thoughts. He stepped out, looking towards the only door on this level. He then raised one hand, rapping hard on the door.
Nobody answered.
Goro frowned. Well maybe he was being cautious after the incident with Shido.
So, he rapped harder on the door, hoping that his knocking sounded more urgent.
His decision bore success this time. Goro heard light footsteps on the other side. Then the door suddenly swung open, revealing Ken dressed in his normal casual outfit, a dark blue long jacket over a black sweater, an orange scarf, and dark blue pants.
"Akechi-san?" Ken looked taken aback. "How did you—"
He then cut himself off, pressing his lips together. His eyes darted back and forth.
Goro just raised his hands. "I needed to talk to you."
"About what?" he asked, his voice suddenly careful and guarded. "We haven't spoken since... the casino."
Goro let out a little sigh. "It's been... quite hectic. And I felt guilty so I came to express regret that I failed to save Ren-san, I know I promised the others but... I underestimated how quickly—"
"I'm sure you did what you could," Ken said curtly, before he tensed up. "I... let's not talk about what happened, okay?"
Goro searched Ken's expression. He had a sad look to his eyes, but no hostility. Good, he can still work with this. It certainly made things easier if his cousin didn't want to talk about that pathetic friend of his.
"Very well... but there's something important we must discuss. However, it's a rather delicate topic, may I come inside?"
Normally, he would wait for an invitation, but Goro sensed that Ken would not listen to a veiled request. He would have to be straightforward.
"Just come out and say it," Ken said, sounding really exhausted.
"I don't know if you want others to hear this," Goro said quietly.
Ken sighed. "Fine but we stay by the door. A... friend from out of town came in, and is sleeping. I don't want him to be disturbed. We should keep our voices down."
Goro raised a small brow but complied, stepping in as Ken let him in. He stayed on the welcome mat inside while Ken stared at him, obviously confused. He looked quite tired too.
What he said though put Goro on edge. Aragaki obviously wasn't here or Ken would have mentioned that. A friend? Was it possible one of the other Shadow Operatives were here? He definitely agreed with Ken's sentiment to not wake them. He didn't want anyone getting in his way.
Goro held out the file to him. "Please, read this. It'll make sense if you do."
Ken looked suspiciously at him before gingerly plucking the file from Goro's hands. He slowly opened it, his eyes darting back and forth. Goro sat in silent anticipation for Ken's reaction. He watched his expression morph to shock before he suddenly snapped the file shut.
"What is this supposed to mean?" Ken demanded. "Your last name is Akechi."
"I changed it recently for reasons," he said vaguely.
He would explain it to Ken, once he had agreed to work together.
Goro implored, "Listen to me... I've only recently found out that we're cousins. Think hard—we met as children, in fact."
Ken's breath caught in his throat before he stared down at the floor. "That's..."
"I know it was long ago, but do you remember?"
"Y-Yes... I remember. I remember us talking and... our mothers got into that big fight. I just never realized that—"
Goro interrupted him, "I know. Don't worry, I didn't realize when we met again that it was you. We only met once before, after all."
Goro licked his dry lips as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. His hands were shaking. He was getting too anxious and too excited. He can't screw this up.
"But our mothers would never have a falling out if it wasn't for Shido." Goro forced himself talk quietly, but venom still crept into his voice. "He drove a wedge between them. Your mother saw right through him but my mother was blinded by her feelings... our grandparents would've never had disowned my mom if it hadn't been for Shido!"
All of this... was Shido's fault. Goro was going to relish enacting his revenge on that piece of shit...
"What do you care so much about Shido?" Ken asked quietly.
"Have you not figured it out yet?" Goro asked and kept his voice quiet; he was honestly surprised that Ken hadn't pieced it together. "My no-good, self-serving father... he's Masayoshi Shido. He ruined my mom's life!"
Ken looked shell-shocked. "Shido is your father...?"
Goro's hands clenched into fists.
"He's made my life hell!" he hissed quietly. "He caused my mother to despair ever since he's discarded her. It slowly killed her. Everything I've worked towards... has been all for her."
"What do you mean... everything you worked for?" Ken croaked out, he seemed afraid.
He had to be careful about what he said next, he knew that this was a lot for Ken to find out. But he had to handle this smarter, or else he'll push his cousin against him.
"Listen, I understand how it must look. But it is as I said, everything I've done is for my mother's sake. I got close to Shido and worked directly for him. He's certainly an unpleasant asshole to have the displeasure of working with, but in the end it will be worth it. Once he lets his guard down, then I'll strike."
"You've been with him?" Ken glared.
He needed to be very careful.
"I do not approve of what he did to you. But you seen firsthand what a callous bastard he is. He needs to be brought down, for good."
"But you've still been working for Shido," Ken snarled quietly.
Good, Ken absolutely hated Shido. He could work with this.
"If only to enact my revenge. Won't you join me?"
"Wh—" The word seemed to die on Ken's tongue as he gawked at Goro.
"You suggested that we continue to work together," Goro reminded.
"Yeah, as Phantom Thieves!" Ken hissed. "Akechi-san, this is crazy!"
"It isn't!" Goro insisted quietly, even as a flare of annoyance filled him. "He personally harmed you! Don't you want revenge?!"
Why wasn't he understanding? Ken had remained silent, panic filling his eyes. Maybe Goro needed to elaborate more on what Shido had done... yes he just needed to help him understand.
"Think about it—if our mothers had never fought, there was a high possibility that we would've grown up together. Shido robbed us both of so much! Don't you want to pay him back?" Goro asked.
It still made his blood boil, thinking about it. Shido... he deserved to burn. There needed to be consequences for his actions!
"And you care about the Kirijo Group head, do you not? He's given her hell," Akechi pushed.
He had ambivalent feelings about Mitsuru Kirijo. On one hand, he knew little of her as a person, but Goro still couldn't help but dislike that Shido was so dismissive of her for simply being a woman. On the other hand, her family hid and censored what happened to Ken's mother. True, it wasn't her doing, but it still left a bad taste in his mouth that Ken trusted her so much. Though he needed to keep a clear head. It's very possible Kirijo didn't know what her family did.
But still, since Ken liked her so much, shouldn't he be jumping at the opportunity? Shido harmed Ken, tortured him, and blackmailed his Shadow Operative friends. He should be gunning for him on that alone.
"Yes but..." Ken trailed off, before wrapping one arm around his torso.
Goro sighed. Perhaps he should try a gentler approach; Ken did seem overwhelmed. It wasn't his style, but he had to make his cousin understand.
"My mother always regretted letting things end the way it did, with your mother," Goro persisted. "Shido didn't just ruin her life because he threw her away as a single pregnant woman... he indirectly ruined her relationships with her entire family, our family. From the moment she found out about your mother's death—she's regretted it. She even talked about it in her suicide note. That never would have happened if Shido didn't drive a wedge right into our family."
Ken stilled at that, before meeting Goro's eyes, his expression gentle.
"Akechi-san, I know how it feels..." he said, his voice soft with sympathy. "Really, I do. I obsessed over my mother's death for two years. I couldn't think of anything else."
So he did understand how Goro felt! His hunch was correct after all! Goro took a deep breath and tried not to let relief wash over his expression. There was a look in Ken's eye that forced him to pause.
"But... revenge is not healthy for you. You need to let go of your anger. Yes, I doubt that Shido has an ounce of goodness in him. But think—would your mother want this for you? To be obsessed with avenging her?"
Goro stared, baffled. What the hell is he talking about? Just what was his angle?
"But aren't we the same?"
"Huh... what?" Ken asked, suddenly staring at Goro in confusion.
"Isn't that why you're living with Aragaki?" Goro demanded. "Your mother's killer?"
"Wait... that's not—!" Ken started to say, his face growing pale.
But Goro just held up a hand, halting him.
"Something had been rubbing me in the wrong way about your mother's death... so I did some poking around and I discovered the truth. Aragaki killed your mother! That must be why you're living with him, right?" Goro whispered with narrowed eyes.
Ken stiffened for some reason, his expression becoming unreadable.
"You're just biding your time, gaining his trust. Once his guard has been lowered... you'll strike and get your revenge! How is that different from what I'm doing with Shido?! And believe me, I'll help you if that's what you want. You don't have to hide it from me. I'd like to take a shot at him too, after all, if he never killed your mother, my mother never would have committed suicide." Goro couldn't help but let a smile slip through as he whispered, "You can trust me. We don't have to take care of this alone. We can both get what we wanted all along. Revenge!"
"... up."
Ken suddenly uttered something, something so quiet that Goro didn't hear.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that."
Ken then met his gaze, his eyes suddenly smoldering with anger.
"I said shut the hell up," he growled out quietly.
He took one angry step towards Goro. For a moment, Goro thought he saw the glow of a blue aura surround Ken. Then he blinked and the glow around Ken had disappeared. He must have been imagining it.
"You know nothing about how I feel about Shinjiro-san." His voice was level, yet there was no mistaking the rage brimming from it. "He saved my life. He always looked out for me, even when I was an ungrateful brat and I didn't deserve his kindness! You know shit about our situation, Akechi!"
His voice had been deadly quiet but he was very much pissed. He never heard Ken ever speak like that. Goro knew he should tread carefully as clearly he went wrong somewhere but he was too vexed now. How could he defend that scum?
"You're joking? You actually care about her murderer? This isn't a ploy?" Goro asked with disgust.
"Yes I do! You don't know anything about the truth of what happened!" Ken's eyes blazed with anger. "Did you really think you can waltz in, dump this news on me and assume that I'd happily jump in on your crazy scheme?"
"But we're family—" Goro protested heatedly, but Ken refused to let him have another word.
"Sometimes family doesn't mean anything!" Ken cut him off, his eyes suddenly hard as flint. "I would know. You know who's the people who cared for me? While growing up, it was everyone back on Port Island. And now, it's them and everyone in the Phantom Thieves."
"The Phantom Thieves?" Goro repeated softly. "You mean, the group who is so pathetic and fell apart at the death of their precious leader?"
Ken froze before taking a step backwards and glared.
"Was that one of the things Shido ordered you to do?" he said quietly, his voice suddenly shaky.
Goro chuckled. "There's nothing to hide. He had it coming. So pathetic. You should've seen him sniveling, begging for his life."
Ken looked startled for a moment, fear filling his eyes. But then he regained his composure. Goro couldn't help but feel irked about that stubborn gleam in his eye. It reminded him of Amamiya's quiet defiance, his silent refusal to react to Goro's taunts.
"That's not Ren," he said firmly and folded his arms over his chest, his eyes suddenly growing cold. "And pathetic, huh? So you were jealous of someone so 'pathetic'?"
Goro opened his mouth to retort but Ken pressed forward.
"I'm not blind. I could see the way you would glare at Ren when we were in Niijima-san's Palace, when you thought nobody was looking. You were jealous of him. For what? For being a good leader, for having the trust of everyone—I don't know."
"Shut up!" Goro snapped. "I was the one who prevailed over him! I watched him bleed out on the table! He could only watch helplessly as I shot him down!"
"Why did you have to kill him?" Ken demanded, even as his voice began to shake again. "He did nothing to you!"
Nothing. Nothing! Goro wanted to snort at that. He had almost ruined it all for Goro. His plans would've gone up in flames, if he hadn't taken Amamiya out. And the fact that Ken was still so loyal to him was simply infuriating.
"Why do you take his side?!" Goro demanded.
"Because he's my friend!" Ken retorted.
"What has he even done for you?!" Goro demanded, red-hot anger suddenly spiking inside of him. "He's nothing! No—less than nothing!"
He didn't understand... just what was Amamiya's secret? What made his friends so damn loyal, to the point of near-worship? What made him so special in their eyes? He saw with his own eyes how Amamiya sometimes annoyed the crap out of his friends. And yet, they still loved him. Goro just didn't understand why.
Ken glared at him. "Don't you dare speak of Ren that way!"
And to see Ken's angry face, because Goro had insulted Amamiya... it made Goro's blood boil. It was like Amamiya was taunting him beyond the grave. He stole away his cousin's loyalty!
"You know what I see?" Ken continued, his voice growing icy. "A petty and jealous child who's completely blinded to what's really important. And you know what? I think even now, Ren's beat you. You obviously can't let go of your anger towards him."
How dare Ken try to lecture him! Shouldn't he of all people understand?!
Perhaps he just hadn't explained properly. That had to be why Ken didn't understand.
"But—"
Ken spat out, "No! You've been helping Shido this whole time! All of the blood is on your hands! Does it ever bother you? That you caused countless deaths?! You keep going on and on about wanting revenge, because of your mom. But have you considered that you might've orphaned others for your quest of revenge?! You gave Shido the tools to threaten Mitsuru-san! On top of that, you killed Ren!"
At the mention of Amamiya, his voice grew wobbly. The anguish in his eyes was clear as day. But it only worked to infuriate Goro.
"He didn't deserve any of that!" Goro shouted. "The power, his friends—nothing! Absolutely nothing!He's meaningless! And he's dead! Your loyalty means nothing!"
He moved to grab Ken's arm, but a low growl suddenly reached Goro's ears. An orange and white blur suddenly appeared and an albino shiba inu was standing in between the two of them, his lips pulled into a fierce snarl.
The shiba inu was not an intimidating species. But Goro couldn't help but feel afraid. He didn't doubt that this dog would attack, if it felt that Goro was a threat to Ken.
It kept growling at Goro, even as he took a tentative step back.
This was not going the way it was supposed to! He just... didn't understand!
"Get out," Ken spat out, his voice dripping with venom.
Goro looked at him in shock.
"But Ken—"
"GET OUT!" he suddenly screamed, his voice cracking at the last part. "Get out before I throw you out myself!"
Goro took a step back. Ken was always so mild-mannered. And yet his eyes were blazing with anger, his words spoken with such vitriol.
He pressed his lips together. He didn't know where he went wrong, but Ken had made it clear that he was furious with Goro.
He walked out and as soon as he was in the hallway, Ken slammed the door shut, the force making him cringe.
Goro didn't even make it to the elevator before he started mulling over their argument.
Ken's words about his mother... they stuck the most in his mind. Goro just squeezed his eyes shut.
"He's wrong..." Goro murmured. "Mom would want this... she would want that bastard to suffer as much as she did."
And the targets... they all had warped hearts. There was nothing wrong with what he was doing!
Right? No of course he was right. He knew what he was getting into, and he would see it through. No matter the cost.
It seemed there were some more details he needed regarding Aragaki and his cousin. But that can wait. It would be unwise to push Ken right now. Perhaps the night after the election he could try again.
Ken's knees gave way and he collapsed to the ground. His head was spinning so hard that he actually felt a little vertigo.
Goro Akechi was his cousin. And his reasoning was that his mother—Ken's aunt—wanted this. Ken honestly wanted to throw up.
All of the blood on Akechi's hands... all of those innocent people! It was for the sake of revenge. He didn't see what was wrong with his actions. He only wanted Shido to go down... hard.
Shinjiro-san was right. He was so right, when he had told Ken that even with righteous revenge... it would forever stain your hands. There was no turning back.
But did Akechi even care? Isshiki-san, Okumura-san, all those people dead because of Akechi's quest for revenge... not to mention, all of the people that also was hurt or killed along the way.
And he had almost murdered Ren. He would have murdered Ren, if it wasn't for the plan they came up with.
Yet... something nagged at Ken. He knew that a life of a bastard was not easy. He remembered how even Minako-san had tried to dissuade Yukari-san from having her child—knowing that she would have a difficult time after bearing Minato-san's illegitimate children.
He had been twelve when he had found out about the attitude about bastard children. But... Akechi had to live with the fact his entire life.
He wasn't heartless. He could understand why Akechi was bitter at his situation.
Ken's fingers curled into the carpet.
However... that couldn't negate his actions.
On top of that, it didn't even seem Akechi felt any remorse over his actions. He thought he was in the right.
And where did this leave the situation with Shido and his mom? He didn't want to think that his mother would never associate with such a heinous man but...
What if he had been just looking at her through rose-tinted glasses this whole time? He was only nine when she died. What if he had been blind to her faults due to his young age?
A quiet whimper caught his attention and he looked up to see Koromaru looking mournfully at him.
"I'm o—" Ken then stopped short.
No... he wasn't okay.
Just how did Akechi assume that Ken would be down to join him with his plan for revenge? Had he lost his marbles?
"He and Shido are more alike than he realizes," Ken muttered to himself. Then he sighed , before he gave a sad smile to Koromaru. "Sorry we woke you up buddy."
Koromaru didn't make a vocal response, choosing to nuzzle Ken's hand. Ken just heaved out a sigh before petting Koromaru on the head. As always, it was calming.
He wished Shinjiro-san was here. But he wasn't, working at Crossroads. And he didn't want to call. He didn't want to sound like a needy child.
Where was he supposed to go with this?
"It doesn't matter, I guess... as long as Akechi buys that Ren is still dead," Ken thought.
He hoped that his acting skills were enough to convince Akechi that Ren was dead. Akechi couldn't realize the truth. They would be screwed, in more ways than one, if that happened.
Ken snapped out of his thoughts—his phone was vibrating. He pulled it out of his pocket.
Text From: Makoto
[Makoto]: Hey Ken, can I come over? I... um... I missed you today.
Ken sucked in a breath. He could practically see Makoto's blushing face.
At any other time, he would've been happy to have Makoto visit. But he was still trying to make sense of things. And he couldn't just say: No, Makoto, now's not a good time.
On top of just sounding like a jerk for turning down his girlfriend like that, she'd want to know why not and then he'd have to make up some lie. And the thought of lying to his girlfriend made his insides squirm.
…Not to mention she'd probably get mad enough to want to kick his butt if he did lie to her and she figured it out.
Ken dragged a hand over his face, stifling the urge to groan.
But how could he even begin to explain this to her?
"Oh yeah, I'm doing great today, Makoto. Just found out that I'm cousins with Akechi!"
He didn't want to believe it when Shido told him that, but to have Akechi storm in here and throw it in his face, with evidence to boot really made it hard to deny anymore. And to top it off, Shido was Akechi's father. That was an entirely different can of worms. And he thought his wonderful uncle was bad enough.
"I should've just slammed the door in Akechi's face," Ken grumbled to himself.
Okay, technically he had but still...
But then a sudden memory floated in his mind—Makoto hugging him, after breaking down about the whole mess with Shido.
"You can lean on us."
Ken sighed softly. He just needed to be honest about it. He turned his attention back to his phone.
[Ken]: Um... hey. Can we... talk about something serious?
[Makoto]: Ken? Is something the matter?
Ken sucked in a breath. What a loaded question that was.
[Ken]: It's... complicated. I need to tell you in person.
[Makoto]: Okay... I'll be there as soon as I can.
His stomach still felt all tied up in knots, though. He just felt like a complete, utter mess.
Koromaru tried to distract him, but Ken could hardly register it. He eventually settled for sitting on the couch. Koromaru rested his head in Ken's lap and Ken absentmindedly stroke the top of his head. It reminded Ken of the days while he was still living at the dorm, during his second year of junior high.
He looked up at a sharp knock on the door. He shifted Koromaru off his lap, drawing out a whine from the shiba inu. He then went to answer the door. He then paused, realizing he should've peeked through the peephole before answering the door.
He was so stupid.
Fortunately, it was Makoto.
"What's the matter?" she blurted out once Ken opened the door.
Ken somehow managed a smile, before taking her hand and tugging her inside. Ken shut the door.
"Um... look. Don't be mad," he said slowly.
"Just tell me already, Ken!" Makoto abruptly snapped.
Ken couldn't help but flinch at the harshness of her tone, making her wince. She slowly inhaled, as if to calm herself.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you," she said, shame-faced.
"No, it's okay. I know that you were just feeling antsy, especially with what I said." Ken then sighed, before his hand tightened around Makoto's. "It's just... Akechi kinda came to see me a little earlier."
"WHAT?!" Makoto all but shrieked out.
Ken grabbed onto her other hand with his free hand, giving both of her hands a squeeze.
"He didn't do anything to hurt me."
Makoto looked at him, her eyes still filled with panic.
"B-But how did he even find you? You never showed Akechi where you lived! You were careful about that, especially with us worrying about him catching onto the Shadow Operatives."
He didn't even think about that. That must've meant Akechi managed to dig through his records or something. The thought was... unnerving, to put it lightly. He needed to have a talk with Fuuka-san about that. Maybe Futaba as well. See if their information could be further protected. The way Akechi had talked about Shinjiro-san also implied that he managed to dig deep into the Shadow Ops' records.
"I don't know," he admitted before guiding her to sit down on the couch.
"Wait so... what did he want with you?" Makoto asked. "Just why would he seek you out like this?"
Ken pursed his lips. He knew that Makoto was far from fond of Akechi. There had been how she had felt jealous of him, with how he monopolized Niijima-san's attention. Not to mention his personal antagonizing of her.
There was no easy way to say this. He just would have to spit it out.
"Well, um... he kinda just dumped the news that we're cousins."
Makoto stared at him. She stared and stared.
Ken coughed. "Um... Makoto?"
Her eyes suddenly narrowed, her eyes little more than slits. "Where did Akechi get such an insane idea? And why would he even say that to you?"
"Do you remember when I told you about the time my mom brought me to Tokyo? How I met my aunt's son? His name was Goro."
"B-But..."
Makoto then seemed to change her mind on whatever she was saying, choosing instead to clear her throat.
"How are you feeling?" she finally said.
Ken withdrew his hands, so he could wrap his arms around himself.
"He told me that he was doing all of this—the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns—for Shido. Just so he could get revenge on him. Well okay, he never admitted he was the one who specifically did those things, but he may as well have. He admitted he did dirty work for Shido. He admitted he went to assassinate Ren on Shido's orders."
"Wait, back up... revenge?" Makoto parroted, wide-eyed. "Against Shido? What did Shido do to him?"
Ken sucked in a breath. "Apparently... Shido's his father."
"Shido is Akechi's father?!" Makoto sputtered out, her face growing pale. "How did that happen?"
"The usual way I assume," Ken said dryly.
Makoto glared at him with flushed cheeks. "You know that's not what I meant."
"Right... sorry." Ken sighed.
He still didn't know what to make of all of this. He knew he was floundering.
"It appears that Akechi seemed intent on dropping several bombshells on you," Makoto suddenly remarked.
Ken sighed, looking down at his lap. "You can say that again."
Then Makoto suddenly reached out, tilting his chin up. Then her fingers brushed against his jawline, before turning his head so that he had to look at her.
"You still haven't answered me, you know. You never told me how you're feeling," she said softly.
Ken bit his lip as his chest painfully constricted.
Ken hissed out, "Akechi is my cousin. He's convinced that he's doing the right thing, because apparently Shido drove his mother, my aunt, to suicide. He kept insisting that it's what our moms would've wanted."
He then let out a bitter laugh.
"And he didn't care. To hell with everyone else, right?"
Ken's hands clenched around his knees. His chest was just getting tighter and tighter. He couldn't help but feel angry and disgusted.
"But... weren't you the same as him once?" a small voice whispered in the back of his mind.
"What if... I'm not so different from him?" he asked quietly. "He sounded so angry and bitter at his situation. I was at that point once."
He couldn't help but sorely regret his past actions. He knew that Shinjiro-san didn't blame him at all for the fiasco with Takaya, but it didn't mean that it absolved him of guilt.
"But aren't we the same?"
"Isn't that why you're living with Aragaki? Your mother's killer?"
Akechi's words vibrated inside his head. The moment he had spoken them, Ken had seen literal red.
"But Ken—" Makoto began, but Ken shook his head.
"He said it. I don't know how he found out, but he discovered the truth. He knew that Shinjiro-san was responsible for Mom's death. Then he—"
A little gasp escaped Makoto and she started to shake.
"You're saying that he invaded your privacy like that?"
The outrage in Makoto's voice made Ken realize that she wasn't shaking out of fear, but out of anger.
"I'm going to wring his neck," she seethed, her hands clenching into fists. "He has no right! How dare he?!"
Ken wasn't paying attention to her fury, he just rubbed his neck and sighed.
"He tried to use it as a fact to persuade me into joining his little crusade of revenge against Shido," Ken mumbled out.
Makoto stopped short at that, before studying his face closely. She suddenly hugged him. Ken rested his chin on top of Makoto's shoulder, drawing a shaky breath as she gave him a reassuring squeeze.
"You're nothing like Akechi, Ken," she said gently.
"But—" Ken began to protest.
"Let me finish!" Makoto interrupted, before her tone noticeably softened. "Maybe at one point, you felt angry. You were all alone, after losing your mother."
She then pulled back slightly, a worried frown forming on her face. Then she inhaled shakily.
"But don't forget that you made the choice to let go of your anger, Ken." She then pressed her hand against his chest, right over his heart. "Your heart is what really makes you different from Akechi. You care. You always have, even when you thought the only reason you had for living was to avenge your mother. You tried to protect Fuuka-san from Takaya killing her. That's not something Akechi would have done. You are not the same as him."
Ken pursed his lips at that. Of course he didn't want Fuuka-san to die! He'd be heartless if he didn't try to do something.
He wanted to believe in her. But doubt continued to gnaw at his heart.
The wild look in Akechi's eyes... the fevered way Akechi had talked. Had he ever looked like that? The mere thought of it made Ken want to shudder.
Not to mention that other fact...
"Okumura and Isshiki-san are dead because of Akechi," he said quietly, before hot tears started to sting at his eyes.
Ken blinked a couple times to try and push them back.
"A member of my family caused Futaba and Haru so much pain. Pain that I know all too well."
He just... couldn't comprehend Akechi justifying his actions. When Akechi lost his beloved mother and he just took away Futaba's. Maybe Akechi felt slight pangs of guilt. But it clearly wasn't enough, given the way Akechi had kept saying that he wanted to get revenge against Shido. No amount of guilt was enough to stop him from continuing to hurt more and more.
Just what would be too much, a too high price to pay?
Makoto started at his statement, her breath hitching in her throat.
"Oh..." she breathed out.
Then she suddenly picked up Ken's hand with both of hers again.
"But it's not your fault. Haru and Futaba would never hold that against you!" she exclaimed.
"But—"
Makoto suddenly let out a frustrated sigh, "Maybe you need to hear it from their own mouths then."
It took several moments for Ken to register her words.
"What?" he said dumbly.
But Makoto ignored him as her fingers rapidly tapped out a message on her phone. Then she abruptly shoved her phone back into her schoolbag, standing up. Her hand curled around his wrist before she pulled him up.
"Come on, Ken, we're going to LeBlanc," she said briskly before dragging him to the door. "We're settling this now."
"Sooo... why did you exactly call this meeting, Makoto?" Ryuji asked.
Makoto just folded her arms over her chest, before looking to Ryuji. They were all gathered around the table in the attic. Sakura-san had fulfilled his promise, closing up LeBlanc early so they could talk in private.
"Well... it's a couple things," she said after a moment of hesitation.
Ken bit his lower lip as identical looks of confusion crossed his friends' faces. But then he looked to Makoto. His girlfriend seemed to be considering how to word it.
However, he shouldn't be leaving it to her.
He put a hand on her arm to halt her. When she looked up to him in confusion, Ken abruptly cleared his throat.
"Um, the truth is... Akechi came to see me today."
He wasn't surprised to be met with silence.
Haru clasped both hands over her mouth, a slight tremor running through her body. Futaba gaped at him, before her jaw suddenly tightened. Ren tensed up at that, before narrowing his eyes. Yusuke's entire form grew rigid, before his lips pursed together so tightly that they were little more than a thin line. Anne and Ryuji exchanged startled looks. Morgana had been relaxing in Haru's lap but he was immediately on alert.
Unsurprisingly, it was Ryuji who spoke first.
"THE HELL?!"
Haru slowly lowered her hands, before her expression grew serious. "He didn't hurt you right, Ken-kun?"
"Just what did he want?" Futaba spat out.
Ren then held up a hand and everyone immediately grew quiet.
"Let him talk, guys," he said evenly.
Ken smiled faintly at Ren, before pursing his lips.
"Akechi came to see me earlier today... he told me that we were cousins."
"That's BULLSHIT!" Ryuji interjected, his voice growing more and more heated. "Did he seriously believe that you would just believe whatever shit he comes up with!?"
"Hang on, Ryuji," Yusuke said abruptly, before looking to Ken carefully.
Ken's heart started to race. He was beginning to feel queasy as a strong wave of anxiety suddenly hit him.
Ryuji faltered at that, his angry expression suddenly melting away.
"Ken-kun, you're not saying...?" Haru trailed off for a moment, her face growing pale.
Ken slowly nodded, before wrapping a single arm around himself. Makoto looked to him with sympathy before touching his shoulder. He gave her a brief smile before taking in a shaky breath and then dropping his arm back to his side. He owed his friends an explanation, after dropping this kind of bombshell.
"So..." Ren's voice cut through the silence, disbelief in his tone, "You're saying Shido didn't actually lie to you?"
"Wait... you knew?" Morgana asked with surprise.
"He mentioned to me after we had a private chat after both of us were returned safe and sound. I told him that it was a load of crap because the mouth it came from was Shido." Ren shrugged. "I didn't bring it up because it's Ken's business to tell, not mine."
Ken sighed. "Sorry guys... I didn't say anything because like Ren explained, it was told to me by Shido. He's not exactly the most trustworthy source. And disregarding Shido... I only told Makoto this before, but I've actually visited Tokyo when I was a child. When I was five, my grandparents on my mother's side died from a car accident. My mom was in charge of arranging their funeral. But... she wasn't their only child. She had a twin sister."
"I remember you telling me that there was a scandal involving your mom's twin sister," Ren voiced.
"A scandal?" Anne asked, her blonde brows furrowing together.
Ken nodded. His fuzzy memories were growing clearer. Akechi's words had begun to jog his memory.
"My aunt Tsukiko was disowned by my grandparents for reasons my mom never explained to me. She was always super vague about the circumstances. But Mom asked her to come to Tokyo when my grandparents died. She agreed, and like how Mom brought me with her... my aunt brought her son, Goro."
Wrinkles suddenly formed on Futaba's forehead, and she began to frown, making Ken falter.
"What's wrong, Futaba?" he asked hesitantly.
Futaba just shook her head.
"You should finish what you said first," she told him.
"R-Right." Ken cleared his throat. "My aunt brought her son to the hotel room and we ended up spending some time together while our moms talked. But then, their talk turned into an argument."
Ren suddenly sucked in a breath. "I remember you told me that your grandparents disowned your aunt for some kind of scandal." Then his brow furrowed together. "So... you're saying that your grandparents disowned her for becoming pregnant out of wedlock?"
Ken bit inside of his cheek for a moment before reluctantly nodding. It was honestly the truth. He couldn't help but think of Yukari-san's mother. Takeba-san was supportive of Yukari-san keeping the pregnancy, especially after she had explained how much Minato-san had meant to her.
He couldn't help but wonder, if his grandparents had been more accepting of his aunt's pregnancy... things would've been different. Very different. He could remember his aunt's angry words about his grandparents. And frankly... he couldn't really blame her for feeling bitter.
"That's simply heartless for them to do that," Yusuke murmured, a frown forming on his face.
"Yusuke!" Makoto exclaimed, looking to him in disapproval. "You're talking about Ken's grandparents—"
"It's okay, Makoto," Ken cut in, holding up a hand. "I understand where he's coming from perfectly."
And it's not like he had any emotional attachment to them. He could scarcely remember them.
Yusuke, however, was still frowning. He seemed deep in thought, staring down at the floor. But he suddenly looked up.
"But why tell you now, Ken? Surely Akechi was after something. Not just to tell you that he found out that you are cousins."
Ken sucked in a breath.
"Well... that's because he had this crazy idea—to try and rope me into a revenge plot against Shido."
It was silent for a moment. Then Ren took off his glasses, staring at Ken.
"Are you serious?" he asked incredulously.
Ken just shrugged helplessly at his friend.
"How could he ask you of that?!" Haru suddenly burst out, her voice growing more and more heated.
Her hands were clenched so tightly that her knuckles had gone white.
"Even if he doesn't know about your past, it's simply deplorable! How could anyone be simply okay with just suddenly dropping that kind of news on you and expect you to be okay with jumping on board with an insane revenge plot?!"
"You're... not mad, Haru?" Ken asked carefully.
Haru's eyes widened at that.
"Heavens no! You're a dear friend to me, Ken-kun. I'd be a hypocrite if I judged you for that." She suddenly frowned, becoming downcast. "After all... Father was no saint."
"Haru..." Yusuke murmured, reaching out to touch her hand briefly.
"Yeah!" Futaba seconded, nodding firmly. "I mean, you can be such a nag, not to mention a total stick in the mud..."
"Futaba!" Makoto reproved with a frown.
"But you're a great friend!" Futaba finished, ignoring Makoto. "You may be Akechi's cousin, but blood doesn't mean everything, you know. I mean, Haru isn't at all like her dad. Or Ryuji and his dad. I don't know who my dad is, but I don't care. I have my mom and Sojiro too. That's all that matters!"
Haru nodded in agreement, before smiling gently at Ken.
"He may be your closest living relative, Ken-kun. But you aren't Akechi. The two of you are quite different. We would be foolish if we didn't see that."
Ren smiled at Haru and Futaba before turning to Ken. "It seriously doesn't matter if Akechi is your cousin. We know the difference—that you've always got our backs, no matter what. You're our friend. You may have obsessed over the idea of avenging your mom like Akechi is right now, but you broke the cycle of revenge. And you were just a kid when that crap happened."
"I get bein' pissed about screwing over your mom, because when it's your asshole of a dad," Ryuji said, his expression darkening. "But still—all of those lives he decided to stomp over because he wanted revenge is way too much!"
"It's too high of a price to pay," Yusuke agreed with a nod. "You never believed that. You felt guilt for harboring such thoughts towards Shinjiro-san."
"Yeah, comparing yourself to Akechi is nonsense, Ken. You've proved yourself time and time again," Morgana said.
If he wasn't sitting down already, he might've collapsed to his knees in relief.
He whispered, "Thank you... thank you. I was so worried that you'd hate me for this..."
"We would never hate you for this, okay? You are nothing like Akechi!" Anne exclaimed fiercely, before clenching one hand into a fist.
Ryuji shifted in his seat. "Wait so—if Akechi is seriously your cousin... you're saying Shido screwed your aunt?"
Ken grimaced. The statement was rather crass, but unfortunately, Ken couldn't deny it. Akechi was the result of the relationship after all. Though he did have to clarify something.
"I did not need that mental image," Ren said with a shudder.
Ken rubbed his chin for a moment, "Thinking back on what I overheard Mom's argument with her sister—I think they were in an actual relationship."
The moment he said that, he pulled a face. Thinking about Shido in any kind of romantic relationship... he had to repress the urge to shudder. Even if Shido was manipulating his aunt in order to get—ugh. He was going to stop thinking about this.
Futaba wrinkled her nose before making a gagging sound. "Ew! That makes Shido like your evil uncle or something."
"They weren't married, though, Futaba-chan. I think that's stretching it," Haru said.
Morgana cracked a smile. "Gotta look for the small blessings."
But thinking back to his mom made his heart ache. Was he really wrong about her the entire time?
"Hmm?" Morgana looked to Ken sharply. "What's the matter?"
"It's nothing..." Ken muttered, wrapping his arms around himself.
Morgana swatted at Ken's hand with his tail.
"That's a lie if I ever saw one!" he scolded.
"Yeah, Morgana's right—just tell us!" Ryuji seconded, only to turn to Ren with narrowed eyes, "Don't you start, RenRen."
"Who, me?" Ren gasped, pointing at himself with sarcastic innocence.
Ryuji jabbed a finger into his face, "Yes, you! Who else would be a piece of crap about me and Morgana agreeing 'bout something?!"
"Uh... am I chopped liver?!" Futaba demanded.
Ryuji glowered at her. "Shut it."
"Why do you guys always act like it's a catastrophe happened when Ryuji and I agree, huh?!" Morgana demanded.
"Hey it's once in a blue moon when you and Ryuji agree," Anne said teasingly.
"HEY!" they protested in unison.
Ren suddenly snorted before he smirked at Morgana. "Catastrophe, huh?"
"Don't start, Ren!" Morgana hissed out.
Ren and Futaba started snickering at their pouting expressions and Ken couldn't help but laugh along as well.
But Ken quickly grew somber as his friends looked to him.
"What... what if my mom isn't as good of a person I remember?" he asked in a small voice, hating how childish he sounded. "What if I've been idealizing her this whole time?"
The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy and his friends' expressions became... conflicted. Ken couldn't help but regret voicing his thoughts. Then Futaba spoke up.
"Think hard, Ken..." Futaba said urgently, "What was your mom like?"
When Ken looked at her, her expression was dead serious.
"I..."
Ken closed his eyes.
His mother was terrible at knitting and sewing. She had been incredibly proud when she managed to finish a scarf for him, one that she had fashioned with her own hands.
She was a wonderful cook. She always would claim her cooking tasted so good to him because her secret ingredient was love. She'd always punctuate this claim by giving Ken a hug and a kiss.
Maybe she had been a little blind to her parents' faults but she loved her family with all her heart.
She had loved him so much. She always had a smile and a hug for Ken, even when she was dead tired from work.
"Mom was a good person," he said softly before his voice cracked; he swallowed down the lump suddenly forming in his throat. "She loved me..."
He missed her... he missed her so much.
Futaba nodded firmly, folding her arms over her chest. "There you have it."
"Why did you bring it up like that though, Futaba?" Yusuke asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.
Futaba's pleased expression faltered, quickly replaced by a sad one. Her lips pressed together, forming a thin line.
"I was thinking back to my Shadow pushing me to remember how my mom really was. I figured that Ken needed a similar push too."
"Oh, Futaba," Makoto sighed out, her voice soft with sympathy.
Futaba shook her head, before cracking a smile towards Makoto.
"It's okay. I needed it back then."
Anne abruptly snapped her fingers. "That reminds me. Futaba, you looked like you realized something earlier. What was that about?"
"Oh that." Futaba sat up a little. "I was just wondering—your mom's maiden name can't be Akechi, right? You're not dumb. You would've picked up on something way sooner if it was."
Ken shook his head. "No, before she married my father, her name was Hikari Himura."
But based on what Akechi said...
"Akechi was vague about it, but he changed it at some point," Ken explained. "That's what he told me."
"My theory is so that Shido wouldn't recognize him through his mother," Morgana said.
"It's true that Shido and Akechi look almost nothing alike. I think your theory may be right, Morgana. It would definitely work to shield his purposes to Shido," Makoto agreed.
"Though... it is dangerous how he managed to seek you out like that." Ren mentioned, his eyes hardening.
Makoto's expression darkened at that before folding her arms over her chest. "That isn't all. Somehow he managed to dig up info on Shinjiro-san and the truth about Ken's mother's death."
"W-What the hell?" Anne choked out, her voice cracking at the last part. "That's just—"
Haru's eyes were wide with shock.
"I know, it was stupid of me to not check before opening the door," Ken mumbled out.
"Maybe it was a bit naïve, but he's the one who stalked you, Ken. Akechi has the lion's share of the blame," Morgana argued.
Ren frowned deeply, before turning to Futaba. "Futaba, would it be possible for you to work with Fuuka-san about strengthening the defenses with the Shadow Operatives' archives? Akechi had to have gotten that due to his connections with Shido."
Futaba nodded. "I can definitely do that."
She then smirked, before pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
"By the time I'm through with it, they'll never be able to crack through the Shadow Operatives' defenses again!"
"But in order to prevent this from happening again... I think that you need to not answer the door at all, Ken," Makoto said.
Haru nodded, before adding, "We can message you for when we're planning on coming over, Ken-kun. Just for an extra bit of security."
Ken sighed before nodding. He wasn't thrilled about the whole house arrest already, but he knew that they posed a good point.
He wasn't looking forward to talking about this with Shinjiro-san, however. Shinjiro-san was not gonna be happy about this. It was a stupid move on his part, and he could already hear Shinjiro-san's lecture about this.
Ryuji pounded a fist into his palm. "This is pissing me off! I wish I could beat up some Shadows right now!"
"Whoa—calm down, Ryuji," Ren said, holding up his hands. "It'll be soon, okay?"
"We do have a few weeks until the elections," Haru added, before her expression grew determined. "We'll make Shido pay... no matter what."
Ren just nodded with a smile before rising to his feet, "Thanks for your faith, guys. But I'll tell you what—since we're all together now, how about I raid Sojiro's fridge and whip up some curry for all of us?"
Yusuke gave a little nod, "That sounds marvelous."
"Woo-hoo, free food!" Ryuji cheered with a pump of his fist.
"Always thinking with your stomach, I see," Anne snarked with a teasing smile.
Ryuji glared at her. "Ah shuddup! You're not any better than me!"
"That is not true!"
"You still inhale sweets like a vacuum!"
"You do the same with beef bowls!" Anne shot back, hands on her hips.
"Do not!"
"DO TOO!"
"Anne-chan, Ryuji-kun, please don't fight!" Haru attempted to intervene, waving her hands at the two underclassmen.
Futaba shook her head vigorously. "No, no, keep going. The TV shows lately have been so crappy. This is way more entertaining."
"Futaba-chan!" Haru exclaimed, exasperated.
Futaba cracked a mischievous grin. "That's my name, don't wear it out!"
As their friends continued to bicker amongst themselves as they headed downstairs to the café, Makoto drew close to Ken as they both stood up.
"Do I have to say I told you so?" she said, with a hint of smugness in her voice.
Ken huffed before running a hand through his hair.
"You were right. I suppose I just needed to hear it from them." he said quietly.
Makoto leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "So no more nonsense about you being just like Akechi, okay?"
"Okay, okay... you guys hammered it in already enough," Ken grumbled out.
Then a laugh suddenly escaped him.
"Akechi claimed that we were the same, when he told me that he knew about Mom's death. I got mad enough to swear at him."
Makoto's eyes narrowed at that. "So, I'm decking him the next time I see him? Good to know."
"Makoto!" Ken couldn't help but laugh. "I don't want you to get arrested for assault. Ren's record is enough."
"Hmph..." Makoto folded her arms, a cute scowl on her face. "It'd be worth it."
"No! Since when are you Ryuji?" Ken said firmly, even though the thought of his girlfriend punching Akechi was amusing.
Makoto opened her mouth to reply, but only to be interrupted.
"Makoto, Ken, stop giving each other goo-goo eyes and get your butts down here!" Ryuji bellowed from downstairs.
There was a sudden smacking sound and then a yelp from Ryuji.
"Inside voice, Ryuji!" Anne snapped at him.
"Wonder if Anne realizes she's being almost as loud as Ryuji," Ken murmured.
Makoto then gave him a sideways glance.
"So... is Shinjiro-san working at Crossroads tonight?" she asked innocently.
"Yes?" Ken quirked a brow at her tone.
"Would you be... opposed if we spent some time together after this?" Makoto asked, her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink.
Ken just cracked a smile at her. "I'd never be opposed to that."
Then he grasped her hand and tugged her towards the stairway.
"But come on, let's get downstairs before Ryuji comes looking for us." he said.
Makoto just laughed lightly before giving his hand a squeeze, "We can't have that now, can we?"
His friends filled dinner with chatter and laughter. However, Ken couldn't help but think about how Akechi looked to them with disdain.
How could Akechi expect Ken to choose him over the Phantom Thieves?
This was where he was meant to be, and Ken felt one hundred percent confident in that choice.
Notes:
So... this chapter took longer than expected. I'm really sorry, guys. With a mix of going back to school, motivation block, and uh... playing Trails of Cold Steel IV... it took a while to finish this chapter.
So. Ken and Akechi. A big reason why I made them cousins in this AU is because I wanted to draw parallels between them. The two Justice Arcana characters. I know a couple people have been expressing that the main characters need to be more sympathetic towards Akechi in reviews, but I don't believe that it's true.
Akechi killed Wakaba and Okumura, family members of the PTs. He helped Shido rise to power. He killed countless people at Shido's behest.
Ken (and the PTs) are not obligated to overlook that. Ken does pity Akechi's situation to a degree (given how he saw that Yukari was given a hard time about choosing to keep the twins instead of aborting her pregnancy, plus what he went through personally), but he can't overlook this, the fact that Akechi was going to kill Ren, and that he helped push Mitsuru in a situation where she could be easily blackmailed.
I do have something different planned for Akechi, but you'll have to wait and see what's up my sleeve.
I'm building up to the Akechi confrontation. As you saw in the first Akechi POV… he has realized that he can capture additional Personas. Which of course will influence the big fight with Akechi. This idea came from a conversation with angelrin89, and it was originally her idea. And as always, a big thank you to my wonderful beta for her hard work!
However, I do want to say something.
For the past nearly 3 months, I've been receiving several comments asking where the update is. I was even bothered about it on a separate oneshot. I have a life outside of writing. I'm allowed to write other fics. I do not want a repeat of this. It does not motivate me to want to write faster.
I've been rewriting parts of this chapter because I was really unsatisfied with everything. I WILL finish this fic, no matter what.
Additionally, I do want to mention that I know about the Scramble localization announcement. I'm excited to finally get it. But I want to reiterate that I do not want to bothered about a Scramble fic in this verse. The constant pestering is wearing my patience thin and makes me want to make a Scramble fic less. I will make my decision at the conclusion of Ace in the Hole, and that's all I have to say on the matter.
Also if you want news on my fanfiction and hear me talking about my progress on writing the chapters, I have a discord server dedicated to Ace in the Hole. You can message me here on FFnet for an invite or you can send me a message on my tumblr (eiranerys or personaaceinthehole).
And again, I want to thank everyone for their support. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you.
Chapter 46: Ch. 45: The Cruiser of Pride
Summary:
The first visit to Shido's Palace hits a few... bumps along the road.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Wednesday, November 30th, 2016
The dark-haired scientist was surprisingly pretty, even with her eerie gold eyes. Goro tightened his grip on the gun, even as she smiled kindly at him.
Her lips moved, but Goro couldn't hear the words she spoke. Not that it mattered anyways—he had a job to do.
Goro lifted his gun, leveling it right at her chest. It started to shake in his hand.
Goro didn't know why Shido wanted her dead—not that it mattered. She was simply one obstacle that Goro needed to overcome.
The tremors running through his arm abated, and Goro pulled the trigger.
Goro couldn't help but wince as black abruptly spurted out from her chest. She clutched at the wound as her form started to dissipate.
The pristine laboratory melted away, and the Shadow's form suddenly transformed. Sobbing suddenly filled the air.
Goro realized what the Shadow had transformed into with a jolt.
It was Sakura.
She was shorter, and looked like she was in junior high.
"Mom... Mom!" she wailed out, before falling to her knees and burying her face into her hands. "Please come back... I never meant any of the mean stuff I said to you. I love you, so please... come back! I need you..."
Goro just grimaced.
"You did this to her. You orphaned her," a voice taunted him.
"Shut up," Goro hissed through clenched teeth.
But the voice didn't relent. "You always resented Shido for destroying your mom... and what did you do? You do the exact thing to an innocent girl!"
Goro's hands trembled, but he clenched them into fists.
"I said shut up!" he yelled.
Sakura's sobbing grew louder and louder. Goro just grasped his hands over his ears. He tried to muffle the sound of Sakura's weeping by pressing his hands over his ears, but to no avail.
"Look at what you did!" the voice hissed.
Sakura suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced by Kunikazu Okumura.
His Shadow's slowly fading form, to be exact.
"And what of Kunikazu Okumura? Just think about what you did to his daughter!"
"He was a piece of shit!" Goro insisted. "He deserved to die!"
Kunikazu Okumura's Shadow form disappeared, only to be replaced by the man himself. Black oozed from his eyes, and you could only see the whites of his eyes.
He suddenly slumped to the ground, choking out, "Haru..."
"Father! Father!"
Goro blinked, and Okumura was gone—replaced by his daughter.
The Okumura heiress sniffled, tears welling up in her eyes. She suddenly fell to her knees.
"Why? Why did you have to die? I saw a little bit of your old self and then..." she said forlornly.
She broke into sobs, the word "father" falling repeatedly from her lips.
Goro just stared. Did she truly care about her father that much?
"I just wanted you back... why did you have to die?!"
That struck a chord in Goro. There had been countless times where he had just wanted his mother back with him.
Then the background shifted once more.
He was standing once more in the interrogation room. Amamiya was slumped over the table, his blood slowly dripping on the top. The slow dripping sound was a bit... unnerving. Then his form suddenly trembled, and he pushed himself up.
His face was still bloody. It honestly made Goro's insides squirm a little. It was like he was in a horror movie or something.
"Was it worth it, Akechi? My blood staining your hands… for the sake of revenge?" he rasped out.
"Shut up! You—you were in the way!" Goro yelled at him.
"It's nothing but excuses," Amamiya calmly reflected, his eyes like steel. "You keep running away from the truth."
Goro couldn't help but stumble back at his retort, staring with wide eyes.
Then Amamiya's form suddenly shifted, and his surroundings melted away. Goro's stomach clenched at the realization that he was standing in his childhood bedroom.
"Goro."
It was his mother.
But she stared at him with eyes filled with sadness. Her expression was disappointed. Suddenly her eyes brimmed with tears.
"Goro... this isn't worth it," she said tearfully, before a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Not for me. All of these people's lives destroyed... I just wanted you to live your life happily."
Goro opened his mouth but nothing came out. He wanted to explain that he was doing this, because Shido had wrecked both of their lives. But he couldn't speak.
Then... she faded away.
"Mom!" Goro yelled out, lunging for her.
But he grasped nothing but air.
"Mom…" he whispered, his voice unexpectedly cracking.
But suddenly, Ken's voice filled the air.
"Would your mother want this for you? To be obsessed with avenging her?"
"Shut up!" Goro yelled, clamping his hands over his ears. "You don't know how I feel! I have to avenge her!"
But the words grew louder and louder, vibrating in his skull. Goro sank to his knees.
"Shut up! SHUT UP! This isn't true!"
Goro woke up in a cold sweat, panting and gasping.
"It was just a dream... it was just a dream," Goro chanted to himself.
He stumbled over to the cabinet where he kept his album of pictures of his mother. His fingers trembled for a moment as he fumbled with it, but he managed to open it.
The album started with pictures of his mother when she was younger, even featuring some pictures before he entered her life. But further into the album, you could see the growing exhaustion and stress in her eyes. Even though it was... painful to look at it sometimes, it also served as a reminder to Goro.
Everything he had been working towards, it was for her.
He stared at the pictures.
"This is for you..." he mumbled out, before tracing his mother's face in one photo. "Shido has to pay. Y-You understand, right?"
He just couldn't comprehend why Ken didn't understand. Shido had ruined so many lives! He was trying to do what the Phantom Thieves had been doing. He wanted revenge on that bastard.
He was going to give what Shido wanted, and yank it all away from him. He wanted Shido to realize what he had done. He had created this.
If he had just swallowed his damn pride and married Goro's mother, none of this would've happened. He couldn't wait for that day for Shido to receive his comeuppance.
"I'll avenge you, Mom. No matter what," he vowed.
He had to push Sakura and Okumura out of his head. Kunikazu Okumura was a piece of shit, anyways. He had it coming. And Wakaba Isshiki—she could've prevented her death so easily if she had just given Shido what he wanted. And Amamiya was just another obstacle. He was probably going to die one way or another for being in Shido's way. If anything, Goro did him a favor. The death he granted him was much quicker than what some of Shido's little goons would have done.
It wasn't his fault.
He was so close. He was so close to finally giving Shido hell for everything he's done.
Then his mother could finally rest in peace.
Thursday, December 1st, 2016
You would think that getting to skip school was something fun. But no, Ren was bored—bored to tears. You could play only so much video games. Or read books. Or watch TV. The list went on, but eventually you exhaust your options.
Ren let out an exasperated groan. He wish he could sneak out to see someone but he didn't want to draw attention to himself. It was a vicious cycle.
Morgana sighed from where he was lounging on Ren's bed. "Ren, stop pacing. It's bad for your leg."
"It's mostly better now, Morgana," Ren said absentmindedly.
Takemi's medicine was really top-notch. Though Ren suspected that Ken's healing had also helped speed up the healing process.
"Mostly doesn't mean better," Morgana said sharply, shooting Ren a glare.
He just held up his hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay, jeez. You don't have to nag, Mom." He then paused and snickered. "Hey, maybe we should call you Mom-na in the Metaverse."
This suggestion was met with an annoyed stare.
"That was just awful, Ren."
Ren just grinned. He couldn't help but feel a little better. Maybe he just needed to pick on Morgana more, to make him feel better.
"I don't see you denying things," Ren teased, a grin tugging at his lips.
Morgana glowered at him.
"I'm now ignoring you. Though really—you could use this time to study. You will be returning to school at some point and you'll regret it if you don't keep up."
Ren grumbled to himself. He supposed Morgana had a point. But self-studying was just... not working. Even if Shujin's student population overall sucked, he couldn't help but miss it. Plus Anne's presence made things a little brighter at the very least.
"Hey-hey!" Anne greeted him cheerfully, as if his thoughts had summoned her.
Ren turned, smiling at her. "Hey yourself, beautiful."
Anne blushed at the compliment, before mumbling out a thanks. She then leaned up, cupping his face in both of her hands, before pressing her lips against his. Ren smiled against her lips for a moment before returning the kiss. It was just a brief kiss though, since Morgana was still in the room.
"How was school today?" he asked playfully once they had come up for air.
Anne scrunched up her nose in distaste. "Ugh, so boring. It's no fun without you there."
Ren grinned in response. "Is Ryuji suddenly chopped liver?"
Anne rolled her eyes at him. "Ryuji is in a different class, so I only really see him during before and after school and during lunch."
"There's Mishima too," Ren pointed out.
"Mishima-kun still gets nervous around me."
"That's because you're so beautiful that he's left speechless," Ren said with a grin.
Anne wrinkled her nose at him but she didn't do anything else. Normally she would've done something more, like smacking his shoulder or playfully pushing at him.
"Like you back on the first day of school?" she fired back, before giving his chest a small poke with her index finger.
Ren felt his cheeks grow warm. The way he gawked at Anne—like he had never seen a girl before—hadn't been his best moment.
He jumped as he suddenly felt something prod his cheek.
"Gotcha!" Anne said in a sing-song voice, looking rather pleased with herself before she giggled.
The sound was like music to his ears, so Ren couldn't help but grin.
"Even your ears are turning red!" she teased with an impish smile, her eyes shining with happiness.
"Oh shut up!" Ren couldn't help himself though, as he started to laugh.
But Anne then reached into her bag, pulling out a DVD.
"I get it if you've got plans to hang out with someone else but I was thinking—"
Ren just smiled before dipping his head to press a light kiss against her forehead.
"I've always got time for you, Anne."
Anne beamed at him, before she gave him a quick hug.
"Thank you!"
Anne brought some snacks, so they settled in a couple of chairs after Ren popped in the DVD. Morgana slipped out in order to give them some privacy. Normally during their binge sessions, Anne would've inched close until she was sitting in his lap, but she refrained from doing so. She held Ren's hand in her lap though, absentmindedly rubbing circles in the back of it.
"Is something on your mind?" he asked.
Anne was acting a little... off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
Anne suddenly started at that. "Uh well... a lot honestly."
Ren grabbed the remote and shut off the TV.
Anne giggled nervously. "Are we really doing this now?"
"Well, you're here already." Ren attempted to give her a playful smile.
Anne was quiet, twirling one finger around her pigtail.
"Well... it's a mix of things. There's the election. I had just moved back to Japan the year the election happened last time, so I didn't really notice it before. But I can't help but feel hyperaware of this election. And there's missing you at Shujin. And there's..."
She suddenly trailed off before her shoulders hunched over. She peeked up at him. Ren reached out, squeezing her knee to encourage her to say it.
She finally confessed, "I've been so worried about you. Thinking about you running around Shido's Palace just makes me sick with anxiety..."
He frowned. Ren didn't mean to make Anne worry for him so much. He reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close.
"I'm not fragile, Anne, I promise."
"That's not what I mean!" Anne said, waving her hands at him. "I just—ugh! I wanted to wring Shido's goons' necks for hurting you so badly. But it got me thinking... would you be okay in the Palace? Last time we just explored the place. But we'll be fighting Shadows and everything."
Ren kissed the top of her head, before breathing in Anne's scent for a moment. It was relaxing.
"I'll be fine, Anne. Is my leg entirely better? I hate to admit it but no. However I have to do this. I won't overdo things, I promise. I rather not have Makoto yell at me for doing something stupid."
"Well you'd deserve it if you pushed yourself too hard after everything we've talked about," Anne said, a touch of sass in her voice.
"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!" Ren pretended to pout.
Anne just giggled before lightly touching his jaw. She then reached up, kissing him for a moment.
"I may be your girlfriend but I think I'm well in my rights to tell you if you're doing something dumb."
Ren grumbled out, "Meanie."
"You'll live," Anne shot back before flashing him a playful smile.
"And another thing, Anne..."
When Anne looked to him in confusion, Ren then clarified.
"You don't have to handle me like I'll shatter like glass. You sometimes act like you're afraid that anything more than a slight touch will break me into two."
Anne was quiet, chewing on her bottom lip.
"I didn't want to hurt you," she said softly.
"And I'm telling you that I'll be fine."
To prove his point, he pulled her into his lap. He made sure to have her on his knee of his good leg.
"Well, if you insist." Anne sighed then her cheeks turned pink, "I have missed our cuddling sessions."
"Just cuddling?" Ren couldn't resist teasing her.
Anne waggled a finger at him, pulling a face at him. "Keep this up, mister—and you're never getting anything more from me again."
"Perish the thought!" Ren mock-gasped.
Anne then turned her head, kissing him.
"Then don't push your luck," she said teasingly.
"Okay, okay, I'll be good."
Anne's eyes twinkled in amusement at Ren's proclamation.
"Mm, I doubt that," she said lightly.
"Oh, my lady has so little faith in me," Ren sighed, shaking his head.
Anne laughed, shaking her head. "You're such a goof."
"But I'm your goof."
Anne leaned up, kissing his cheek. "You got that right at least."
"What do you mean at least?!"
Anne patted his cheek with an indulgent smile.
"You're a smart boy. I'm sure you can figure it out," she joked.
"Oh, you're gonna pay for that," Ren growled, as a plan formulated in his head.
"Ohhh?" Anne drawled out.
Ren smiled deviously before lightly tracing his hands against her sides. Anne's eyes widened but it was too late. Ren's smile turned into a grin as he began to tickle her.
"Ren, you're evil!" she cried out, attempting to squirm away from him.
"You asked for it," Ren snickered.
"Evil!" Anne gasped out.
Ren just grinned in response. "Evil tickle master, that's me."
Anne squirmed away from him, tumbling to the ground. She flailed for a moment before latching onto Ren's wrist and dragging him down with her.
Ren winced as they hit the floor. He would rather not do that again.
Anne gasped, her eyes growing wide. "Ren! Are you okay?!"
"Well... I'd rather not have a repeat but—"
"Hey!"
Both of them looked to see that Sojiro had come up, looking unimpressed.
"What the hell are you two up to?" he demanded. "You're making such a ruckus!"
Ren just grinned. "I mean, it's not like we're disturbing customers."
"Ren!" Anne exclaimed.
"Haha, you're hilarious," Sojiro deadpanned before looking to Anne. "Jeez, Anne-chan, how do you put up with his wisecracks?"
"Like you're any better," Ren shot back.
Sojiro scoffed. "Honestly. You two are something else."
"Love you too!" Ren called out to him.
Anne groaned. "We got Boss to actually come up here."
"Aw, come on, it's not like we're doing anything bad," Ren pointed out.
"Nooo, don't jinx us," Anne moaned out.
Ren grinned before slowly getting up. He then grabbed Anne's hand and pulled her up.
"Sorry, but the thought comes to mind."
Anne grumbled, "Whatever! Come on, let's finish our movie!"
She plopped into her empty seat, making a grab for the remote. Ren just chuckled before leaning in to kiss her temple.
"I love you, Anne."
"Hmm?" Anne looked to him in confusion.
Ren shrugged. "I just wanted to say it."
Anne blushed at that. "Well, I love you too."
Ren settled into his chair, turning his attention to the TV as Anne eagerly clicked the remote to resume the movie. He should enjoy this time with Anne since he planned on going into the Palace tomorrow…
Friday, December 2nd, 2016
"You guys weren't kidding about Shido's Palace." Ken said in surprise.
Ren just quirked an eyebrow, raising an eyebrow at Ken. "Why would we exaggerate?"
"You do have a love of exaggeration, though," Ken said dryly, before rolling his eyes.
Ren opened his mouth to retort, but Makoto let out a delicate cough.
Makoto chided, "Come on, don't start you two. We have to begin our investigation. Let's start with heading back where the central corridor is."
Yusuke nodded. "That was where the doors of the assembly hall were located, so it'd be a good start."
Ren's expression became serious. "Right. But first…"
His eyes swept through the group, his expression growing contemplative. He rubbed his chin.
"Let's go with Skull, Queen, and..."
He hesitated for a moment and his eyes rested on Ken.
"Ace," he said finally.
Ken let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding in. He had suspected that Ren would handle him somewhat… gingerly, so he was glad that Ren had proven him wrong.
Makoto looked like she wanted to protest Ren's decision, however, and Ken fought the urge to sigh. He knew that she was just worried especially with the doctor's verdict, but he would be able to handle himself fine. He was determined to not be a burden to everyone.
Anne nodded, before pumping a fist. "Let's get going then!"
"Shido, we're coming after ya!" Ryuji declared.
Makoto scolded, "Hey, Skull, don't be reckless! This is our biggest target, so we mustn't take him lightly!"
"Ugh, you can be such a killjoy…" Ryuji grumbled under his breath.
Ren just laughed, before gesturing for them to follow him.
They followed him inside, until a great big door with lions carved into them came into view.
"Is that the great assembly hall?" Ken asked.
Makoto nodded. "Yes, that's right."
Futaba pulled a face. "You should've heard the crap we heard last time... everyone basically agreed to whatever Shido proposed."
Yusuke shuddered. "Japan would become a dictatorship under Shido's rule."
"We cannot allow that to happen!" Haru interjected.
"And we won't," Ren vowed. "Let's start with tracking down the five VIPs."
"A politician, a former noble, a TV station president, an IT company president, and that cleaner guy!" Futaba quickly summarized for them.
But Ken couldn't help but feel taken aback.
"A... cleaner?"
Morgana shrugged "Don't look at me, that was the intel we got. We decided that will be our last target since it was more vague than the others. We'll probably pick up more info on the way on that one. So, let's focus on the first four Oracle mentioned!"
Huh... Ken couldn't even fathom what exactly this 'cleaner' would be.
"Joker, may I see the map?" Haru asked politely.
Ren nodded before reaching into his coat, and producing a folded piece of paper. Haru carefully opened it, scanning it quickly.
"Hmm... there appears to be a restaurant up ahead," Haru noted.
Yusuke rubbed his chin. "If I recall correctly... that's where the politician should be. We should investigate that."
Ren took the lead, but their progress was slowed down with the Shadows prowling along. Ren hesitated from where he hid from behind a pillar. But then his expression steeled and he suddenly broke into a sprint.
He jumped onto the Shadow's back, before tearing off his mask. But when he jumped back, Ren made a pained grimace.
One Shadow swiped at Ren with her dual swords, but Ken quickly intercepted by summoning Tyr. There was a loud clang as Tyr raised his spear to block the blow. He shoved the Shadow backwards, before making a sweep with his spears. Blades of light formed, striking at the Shadow and her companions, two white lion-like chimeras.
But one of the other Shadows jumped forward, swiping at Ken with one paw. The force was strong enough to send Ken staggering and he smacked into a pillar hard enough that he saw literal stars.
"Ace!" Makoto's voice grew panicked.
"Head in the game, Queen!" Futaba shouted. "Joker needs back-up!"
Ken struggled to sit up but the Shadow was coming after him again. Ken's hand clenched around the shaft of his spear, somehow managing to stab the Shadow right in the face. It roared with pain as black oozed from where Ken had stabbed it.
Ren then summoned Arsène, knocking away the Shadow.
Ken somehow managed to push himself up, using his spear as a crutch. His legs felt like jelly.
"Ace, is there any weaknesses?!" Ren shouted at him.
Ken swallowed hard. His mind was pulling a blank.
Ken shook his head. "Sorry, Joker! I can't—"
"Ace, look out!" Futaba suddenly shrieked.
Ken whipped around; the sword-wielding Shadow had leapt in the air, slashing down. Ken's hands clenched around his spear. He was about to raise his spear to block the blow, when Ryuji beat him to the punch.
"Seiten Taisei!"
A moment later, a colorful Persona came crashing down on the sword wielding Shadow.
Ken took the moment of distraction to summon Tyr again and he unleashed another light spell. Ken winced, as the bright glow caused spots to dance across his vision. But Ren took advantage of the distraction to summon Kushinada-Hime.
With an elegant flick of her wrist, chunks of ice started to form. The lion-like Shadows were knocked down, earning a cheer from both Ryuji and Futaba.
"All right, Joker!" Futaba encouraged.
Ren then looked to Makoto. "Queen, take it!"
Makoto accepted the baton pass before tearing off her mask.
"Anat!" she shouted.
The explosion was strong enough to cause a small earthquake. The Shadows were all eliminated, much to Ken's relief.
"Ace, are you okay?" Makoto all but flew to his side.
"I'm fine, Queen. Don't worry about it," Ken tried to brush it off.
He didn't want his girlfriend to panic over every time he got hurt. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle.
Makoto pressed her lips together before summoning Anat to cast a healing spell.
"Oi, Queen, stop mother-henning," Ryuji interjected.
"I am not mother-henning," Makoto snapped, glowering at Ryuji.
Ryuji opened his mouth to respond but Anne clamped a hand over Ryuji's mouth.
"We should really get to investigating," Yusuke said.
"Yeah, we can't just stand around," Anne agreed before lowering her hand.
Ren nodded. "Yeah. Come on, guys."
Their search led them to a door in the corner.
"What does this sign even say?" Haru asked with a frown.
"It's a members-only restaurant. Ristorante... Elite?" Anne noted, squinting at the sign.
Ryuji looked at her in disbelief. "Dude... Even you can't read it? You're the English girl! It's your thing!"
Anne just narrowed her eyes at Ryuji. "That sign isn't even in English."
"Then what the hell is it?!" Ryuji demanded.
Ren stared at the sign. "I think… its Italian."
"But moving on... the sign says: This restaurant is exclusive to members. Those without a membership card will be rejected," Anne remarked.
"Wait I thought you couldn't read the sign because it's not in English?" Ryuji raised a brow at Anne.
Anne huffed, "The name of the restaurant is Italian! This part of the sign is in English!"
"Oh..." was all Ryuji could say.
Ren shook his head and chuckled.
"Well..." Ren changed the subject. "This is gonna be annoying for us."
"Maybe Mona can pickpocket someone's card," Futaba said with a snicker.
Morgana glared at her. "Hey!"
Ren shrugged. "It's a fair point."
Morgana looked like he wanted to protest, but Ryuji suddenly spoke.
"You gotta be a member just to eat dinner?" Ryuji glared at the sign. "That's such bull."
"Has Mitsuru-san ever attended such a place?" Yusuke asked, looking to Ken.
Ken shrugged.
"I guess? I'm not privy to every restaurant Mitsuru-san goes to."
"Forget it. Let's head inside," Ren said briskly.
"Wait, why?" Makoto asked. "We don't have a card."
Was Ren hoping to ambush the greeter? He hoped not...
"Just follow me," Ren insisted before pushing open the door.
Makoto stared in exasperation, but she begrudgingly began to follow.
"This guy..." Anne sighed, shaking her head.
"Hey, you're the one dating him," Futaba noted with a snicker.
Anne rolled her eyes. "Doesn't mean I can't be annoyed when he does stuff like this."
"I mean, he puts up with your sugar obsession—OW!"
Ryuji yelped as Anne kicked at his shin.
"You never learn, do you, Skull?" Yusuke noted with a raised eyebrow.
"Aw shuddup!" was all Ryuji could retort with.
Ryuji was honestly lucky that Anne didn't stomp on people's feet like Yukari did. He'd be keeping that little tidbit to himself, though.
"Come on," Ken said firmly.
Not waiting for Ryuji to argue, Ken grabbed Ryuji by the arm and dragged him inside. They found themselves in a hallway.
They hastened to catch up with Ren.
The greeter was speaking to Ren. "Please present your membership card now."
"Won't you make an exception please?" Ren said in a pleading voice. "My family has been a longtime supporter of Shido-san, and someone stole our card."
The waiter sighed. "I apologize sir. I sympathize... but we cannot allow you in without a card. Perhaps you can speak to Mr. Shido for a replacement?"
Huh. So that was what Ren's angle was.
Ren sighed. "Okay, I understand. Thank you."
Ren gestured for them to head back outside.
Morgana then looked up at Ren. "So that was your game?"
Ren sighed. "It was worth a shot. Too bad it didn't work."
"It wasn't a bad strategy though," Makoto noted.
"Maybe we need to ask around?" Haru suggested. "There are a lot of people around here... someone has to know about the membership card."
Yusuke sighed. "I hope you're right, Noir."
They started asking around, but didn't get anything substantial.
Ken noticed Ren start to take off in a different direction, he was walking rather fast. Something must have caught his eye so Ken followed behind. Ren crept closer to a well-dressed duo. The male out of the two seemed to be patting his pockets for some reason.
A couple of the others followed after him, but everyone not being too close together to not draw too much attention. Even in a place where everyone wore masks, they all still stood out a bit.
The woman tilted her head. "Is something the matter? You have been acting rather finicky."
The masked man looked to his female companion. "Oh, it seems I've dropped my card for the restaurant somewhere around here..."
She tittered at that. "My, my. You won't be able to dine there without it. Have you tried consulting the staff?"
He shook his head. "Haha, not yet. I doubt there's any need to worry though. I'll try asking around the bars later. I know Mr. Shido personally, so I'm sure he'll issue me another if I can't find mine."
She laughed, her voice turning flattering. "Oh, how wonderful! I didn't know you had such lofty connections! No wonder you exude such dignity!"
Ken scrunched his nose before he rolled his eyes. This was really reminding him of Mitsuru-san's 'peers'. They all liked to play the game of sucking up.
Okay not every single one of them was bad, but Ken found the lot of them tended to be stuck-up and... pretentious. However the information they gave was just what they needed to hear.
Ren expression became triumphant, before he gestured for them to walk away.
"You hear that?" he asked.
Anne nodded eagerly. "Isn't this a good chance for us? He said he dropped his membership card."
"I think it'd be a good idea to check out the bars," Ken mentioned. "He was talking about asking at the bars, so maybe he dropped it there."
Yusuke frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am not keen on this, but we may be able to take it from him if we can find it first."
Ken privately agreed with Yusuke but they needed some way to get into the restaurant.
Ryuji nodded enthusiastically. "Hell yeah! He dropped it, so we gotta swoop in n' take it!"
They checked out the nearest bar but the bartender informed them nobody had turned in a card.
"Ah, that's too bad," Makoto said. "Joker, we should—"
"Can I have a drink?" Ren asked.
Before the bartender could respond, Ken grabbed Ren by the arm and dragged him away.
"Hey!" Ren protested. "It was a joke!"
"Sure it was," Ken said flatly.
"Joker, you're underage," Makoto scolded, only to gesture to both Ken and Haru. "We're underage still."
"Besides that, alcohol isn't as great as you think," Ken mumbled under his breath.
When he got shocked looks, Ken just rolled his eyes.
"Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san would give me a glass on special occasions, like for New Year's. It's not a big deal, plus they always rather me do it where they can keep an eye on me," he explained.
"Wait? Fuuka-san? Really? She's like super responsible." Ryuji said, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Also Shinjiro-san is one of the most uptight people I ever met, you mean he loosened up and stopped being so protective of you for five seconds?"
Okay, he knew that Shinjiro-san could be protective but Ryuji was making wrong assumptions about Shinjiro-san. He didn't go ballistic every time Ken got a bruise or something. He used to play soccer after all.
"It's not like that! He just thought it would be better to expose me to it so I don't get it from worse sources, then he can keep an eye on it in moderation! Fuuka-san understood his reasoning!" Ken said.
"Enough already! This isn't important!" Morgana interjected before turning to Ren. "Come on, Joker, we still need to track down that membership card!"
Ren grumbled. "Right, this is such a pain."
Fortunately, the next bar they checked out did get them the membership card. Though to Ken's annoyance, Ren tried to get a drink again, leading to him physically dragging Ren away a second time.
"That was actually pretty easy. Should it have been that simple?" Makoto wondered aloud as they hurried away from the bar.
"Don't go looking a gift horse in the mouth," Ken muttered. "We could have a lot more trouble getting this."
Ryuji then shrugged. "Who cares? It's all thanks to that dick Shido thinkin' everyone around him is incompetent."
"And you heard what that man said earlier..." Yusuke mused.
"About him being okay with losing his membership because Shido will just give him another?" Anne asked.
When Yusuke nodded, Haru's expression grew troubled.
"So he doesn't believe in anyone..." She then bit her lower lip. "That must be why there are so many membership cards around."
"Well, like Ace said—it's not a bad thing that it went quickly." Futaba then pointed in the direction of the restaurant. "But to the restaurant! Our first letter of recommendation awaits!"
They headed straight for the restaurant, and Ren flashed the membership card at the waiter. They were allowed inside, but the waiter warned them not to sit at a table marked with a blue flower as those tables were reserved for special guests.
"What kind of special guests?" Ryuji grumbled to himself, before shrugging. "Eh, who cares…"
"Skull, don't dismiss it so easily," Yusuke chided with a frown.
"Fox is right," Makoto seconded. "A reserved seat is special information. That may lead us to the politician we're looking for."
Ryuji's expression lit up. "For real?! Let's go, then!"
He turned to run off, but Ken grabbed him by the arm.
"Don't run in guns blazing," Ken admonished. "We need to come up with a plan on how to approach him."
Ryuji grumbled. "Okay, okay, sheesh. By the way, you don't have to grip my arm so hard!"
"We should scope out the area a little bit first," Morgana voiced.
They entered the restaurant. The opulence of the area wasn't surprising—especially since it was clearly exclusive.
Ryuji just stared with wide eyes. Haru giggled.
"A bit much to take in, isn't it, Skull?" she said teasingly.
Ryuji smiled sheepishly before he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. I just can't get enough of this place! And oh man, the food! It's gotta be out of this world!"
"Are you seriously thinking with your stomach now?!" Morgana scolded.
"Please compose yourself, Skull..." Haru chided.
"Okay, okay, sorry!" Ryuji said, before he let out a nervous chuckle.
Ken couldn't help but wonder if Ryuji was hungry right now. Maybe that's why he was thinking about the restaurant's food right now.
"Ah, that must be the table," Yusuke spoke up.
The table in the center of the room was already set, even with a bottle of red wine. And in the center of the table sat a glass vase with a tall blue flower.
"Oh, what a beautiful snapdragon!" Haru gasped.
"Getting off topic here, Noir," Morgana scolded.
"Oh right..." Haru smiled sheepishly.
Makoto folded her arms over her chest, closing her eyes for a moment as she thought.
"Why don't we have a seat at the table next to it and wait for him?" she suggested. "I can go. He may become guarded if we go in a big group."
"Shouldn't you get backup in case things go south?" Ren asked.
"Oh I see your point…"
Makoto rubbed her chin, before she turned to Ryuji all of the sudden.
"Would you like to accompany me? After all, you did seem interested in the food already," she remarked with a wry smile.
Ryuji flushed. "Uh... I guess. If you don't mind."
Makoto just grabbed his arm before she looked at Ryuji with equal parts of exasperation and fondness.
"Come on, let's go then."
She then proceeded to pull Ryuji towards a table right by the marked table.
"But shouldn't it be..." Haru suddenly trailed off.
Ken raised an eyebrow—he could guess what Haru was thinking.
"Just because we're dating?"
Haru fidgeted for a moment. "Uh well... there was... you know..."
For a moment, Ken was confused. Then it clicked, and Ken's face started to heat up.
This was about him punching Niijima-san's cognition of Akechi, wasn't it?
"Ryuji is not some cognition that will try and get frisky with her!" Ken insisted.
"Frisky... cognition?" Yusuke blinked in confusion.
Everyone was now staring at him.
"Why did I say that? Really—frisky?!" Ken mentally berated himself.
"N-Nothing! Forget I said anything!" Ken quickly denied, even as his blush darkened.
Ren smirked, folding his arms over his chest. Ken really wanted to smack that smirk off his face.
"Sounds like you have an interesting story to tell," Ren said smugly.
"Not important right now!" Ken glared.
"Sure... I'll make you tell later," Ren teased.
Haru just giggled.
"Oh don't worry Ace, Panther and I smacked him around anyway."
Yusuke tilted his head. "The frisky cognition was Akechi?"
"Can we change the subject!?" Ken exclaimed in a huff.
"Agreed… you should keep alert as well," Morgana added in a hushed voice.
He nodded in the direction of Makoto and Ryuji.
Ryuji and Makoto were speaking to Ooe—well, it was mostly Makoto talking. They weren't close enough to hear the conversation, but apparently something Ooe said alarmed both Makoto and Ryuji. He couldn't help but wonder what it was.
But then Makoto regained her composure, her expression becoming steely. Something she said seemed to have taken Ooe aback.
"Just what did Queen say?!" Haru said.
Yusuke tensed before resting his hand on the hilt of his katana.
"Prepare yourselves... things are going to take a nasty turn," he warned.
Ooe's form began to tremble, before he transformed into an eight-headed snake.
Ken's eyes widened with shock. It turned into a Shadow! They knew from past experience some cognitions can be hostile, but Shadows and cognitions were different!
"Guys!" Makoto called out to them.
He could worry about that later, Makoto and Ryuji needed backup. They jumped into action, rushing to join the two.
"Joker, I don't remember its weakness but I think its affinity is ice!" Ken said.
"Ice, huh?" Ren nodded. "Panther, stay in the back—"
The Shadow suddenly struck, lashing out.
"Joker!" Anne shrieked before tackling him to the ground.
They rolled for a moment, before Ren gave a hiss of pain.
"Dammit, this thing is way too fast!" Ryuji complained.
"Don't complain, Skull, we still gotta take it down!" Morgana barked.
Morgana then summoned Zorro, who slashed at the Shadow with his rapier. The winds Zorro's rapier whipped up were strong enough to push back the Shadow slightly.
Ren grimaced as Anne rolled off him.
"Skull, Fox, I need you to act as buffer. Ace, Noir—keep him on the defense with gun attacks! Mona, Panther, Queen—you're with me!"
It was still frustrating though, even with Skull and Fox trying to bait the Shadow so everyone else could attack it.
Futaba yelped out, "Be careful, he's charging up for an attack!"
Ken looked to the Shadow. There was a blue glow shimmering around its form, like it was charging up for a magic spell.
Ryuji and Yusuke summoned their Personas, attacking the Shadow in tandem. But the Shadow swept their Personas aside, like they were nothing but annoying flies.
This was getting really frustrating with the Shadow's long reach.
Anne suddenly darted forward, whip in hand. She cracked it before the whip wound tightly around one of the eight heads.
"Fox, Skull—one of you get this for me!" she yelled at them.
The Shadow thrashed wildly, but Anne held steadfast. She clung to the whip's handle with both hands. They were essentially playing tug-o-war, but the Shadow was slowly winning. Yusuke quickly summoned Kamu Susano-o, and neatly sliced off the head.
"Good thinking, Panther!" Makoto exclaimed.
But the Shadow didn't like that. The nearest head struck at Anne, sending her flying into a nearby table.
"Panther!" Ren yelled.
"Joker, stay put!" Ken snapped. "I'll make sure she's okay!"
Ren looked torn but he slowly nodded.
Ken rushed to Anne, slowly pulling her up in a sitting position. She let out a pained groan, slowly blinking her eyes at Ken. Her eyes were bleary.
Ken then leaned Anne against his torso before reaching up to tear off his mask. He kinda wished that he was able to summon without his mask more easily but he didn't want to push it.
"He's really boosting his power! Watch out guys!" Futaba suddenly warned.
A blue glow surrounded Anne as Tyr cast Diaharan on her.
"Panther, can you hear me?" Ken asked, feeling a little anxious as he held onto her shoulders.
"Ngggh…" Anne groaned before looking to Ken.
Relief flooded Ken as Anne blinked up at him, her eyes no longer hazy.
"Panther, Ace—look out!" Futaba suddenly screeched at them.
Without thinking, Ken shoved Anne to the ground and shielded her with his body.
Normally, Ken could easily brush off the cold. But the Bufudyne spell that had struck him was mind numbingly cold, cold enough to reach him right down to his bones. It was as powerful as a charmed Mitsuru-san hitting him with a Bufudyne.
For a moment, he thought he blacked out. But someone calling for him pulled him out of it.
"Ace! Ace!"
The haze surrounding his mind was suddenly pierced. It was Anne calling for him.
Ken's eyes snapped open to see that Anne had rolled him onto his back. But it was Makoto crouched over him. Anat hovered above her as she cast Diaharan.
"I... I'm fine," he managed to get out.
"Oh thank God!" Anne gasped. "I nearly had a heart attack when you took that attack for me!"
Ken just smiled weakly before pushing himself into a sitting position.
"That was utterly reckless of you though, Ace!" Makoto scolded, her eyes flaring with anger.
Anne shot Makoto a look. "Queen..."
"It's true!" Makoto said hotly, a hand balling into a fist.
"It's nothing different than Skull throwing himself at Joker to protect him from a hit," Anne pointed out. "It happens, Queen. Nothing to get worked up about."
"But—"
Ken reached out, touching Makoto's clenched up fist. Makoto started at his touch.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worried," he mumbled out.
But a loud crash suddenly grabbed their attention. Makoto's expression steeled before she rose to her feet. She grasped Ken's hand while doing so, pulling him up.
Ren was forcing the Shadow back with back-up from Haru. Anne ran to join them, summoning Hecate to blast powerful flames at the Shadow.
Haru suddenly summoned Milady. With a sweep of her fan, she summoned a blast of psychic energy that sent the Shadow flying backwards. Instead of recovering quickly like how the Shadow had brushed off most attacks, it swayed woozily.
"Nice, Noir!" Futaba crowed.
"Joker, let's end our opponent, once and for all!" Haru cried out.
Ren nodded, signaling everyone to rush the Shadow. Unfortunately, the Shadow managed to withstand their assault.
"Jeez, this Shadow is really annoying," Futaba grumbled.
"At least we have its weakness figured out now," Morgana interjected.
"Noir, I want you to stand back," Ren suddenly instructed. "Hit it with another psy spell when you see an opening."
Then Ren turned to Ken, Ryuji, and Yusuke.
"Skull, Fox, Ace—I want you to try and bait the Shadow so it doesn't have a chance to hit Noir. Queen, Panther, and Mona—you're with me. We need to make sure that Noir has openings to get the Shadow."
"Right!"
Ken, Ryuji, and Yusuke rushed forward.
"Hey, snake breath! Over here!" Ryuji hollered at the Shadow.
"Jeez, only you would do this, Skull," Futaba suddenly snarked.
But the Shadow just hissed in response. Then it began to glow. A purple ray shot from the Shadow and struck Ken. Ken suddenly felt woozy.
"Ace, your defense is down! Be careful!" Futaba warned.
"Oh great," Ken couldn't help but grumble.
"Wreck 'em, Seiten Taisei!" Ryuji bellowed before ripping off his mask.
Electricity crackled around the storm cloud that Ryuji's Persona was perched on for a moment, before lightning exploded from it. The Shadow hissed in pain, but Yusuke and Ken took the opportunity to attack—Kamu Susano-o launching a physical attack while Tyr blasted an attack from his gun.
"Mona, I require some assistance so I may be airborne!" Yusuke called out.
"Typical Inari," Futaba grumbled.
But Morgana indulged Yusuke, launching him in the air. Yusuke slashed downwards with his katana. Ken raised his hand, tearing off his mask.
Tyr appeared with a flash. His arm cannon blasted a gun attack at the Shadow, making it hiss in pain once more.
The Shadow was pushed backwards from the dual assault, so Ken took the opportunity to launch a second attack. Tyr swung his spear and blades of lights burst to life, slamming into the Shadow.
The temperature abruptly dropped as the Shadow launched a Bufudyne spell. Ken and Ryuji scrambled to dodge it. Since Yusuke's element was ice, he had nothing to worry about. But when Ken jumped backwards, the floor suddenly froze. Ken ended up slipping on the ice, landing hard. The next thing he knew the Shadow smacked him, and he was sent flying backwards.
He hit a table hard and Ken literally saw stars for a moment.
"ACE!" Futaba shrieked.
Ken's vision was spinning. He clutched at his head, trying to get his bearings again but his head was hurting too much. He knew that he had to get up because he'd be easy pickings if he just stayed put. But he was hit with an intense wave of vertigo.
"Ace, look out!" Haru cried out to him.
"Skull, Fox—cover Ace!" Ren was shouting orders. "Wait—dammit Queen! They got it! Get back here!"
He was vaguely aware of Ryuji and Yusuke calling on their Personas to try and distract the Shadow.
"It's charging up its next spell!" Futaba cried out. "Look out, guys!"
Someone suddenly threw themselves at Ken, knocking the breath out of him. They rolled for a moment, just barely stopping right in front of the wall. It took Ken a moment to register that it was Makoto.
"Queen?" Ken mumbled out.
"Can you get up, Ace?" she asked.
"Ace, Queen, move!" Futaba snapped at them. "It's coming after you!"
Before either of them could react, the Shadow lashed out. Makoto shoved Ken away from her before the Shadow struck her and she hit the wall hard.
For a moment Ken's mind went blank even as Futaba shrieked out Makoto's codename.
When would he stop being a liability to those he cared about? If he hadn't had trouble with fighting, then this would've never happened.
A wave of flames struck the Shadow, making it rear back. Ken pushed himself up to sit up, before crawling over to Makoto. He cradled her in his arms for a moment before he summoned Tyr to cast Samarecarm.
"Come on... come on..." he pleaded, unable to stop the desperation from creeping in his voice.
Guilt flooded him, making his stomach squirm. She was out cold, unconscious because of him.
But then his disbelief was suddenly replaced by anger. Why was he so weak? That Makoto felt that she needed to throw herself in danger for his sake?
Makoto let out a low moan of pain before her eyes fluttered open. Her eyes were glazed over. Then she suddenly clutched her head.
"Too bright..." she mumbled out, before she pressed a hand against her temple.
Too bright? What was she talking about?
Haru suddenly nailed the Shadow with another psy spell and his friends managed to defeat the Shadow for good. Even they now had the letter of recommendation they had sought, Ken didn't feel victorious. He had made things worse, because Makoto was hurt… somehow.
Makoto had been worried for him. He shouldn't have dismissed it. Maybe he should've insisted that Morgana take his place on the active team.
Then Makoto might've felt a little better about the situation.
Or maybe he should've done something to train his reflexes better. Anything would've been better than this.
"Ace! How's Queen?" Ryuji demanded as his friends rushed to him.
Makoto just curled into Ken's arms.
"Too loud..." she mumbled out.
Ren frowned before crouching in front of Ken, his eyes affixed on Makoto.
"Ace, what's the matter with Queen?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
"I don't know... she kinda clutched her head like she had a headache. And she mentioned something being 'too bright'."
"A… migraine?" Futaba tentatively suggested.
"Did… Queen hit her head earlier?" Ren asked cautiously.
"I… I don't know," Ken admitted.
It had just happened too fast. He couldn't tell.
Ren rubbed his chin before letting out a sigh. "I think if she did… she might have a concussion."
"A concussion?" Ken repeated, dread making his stomach twist into knots.
He did this to her.
"Stupid! Ugh, I'm so stupid! Why didn't I just say no earlier?" he berated himself, squeezing his eyes shut as hot tears began to sting at his eyes.
"Is Queen gonna be okay though?" Futaba asked, a frown forming on her face.
Ren nodded, giving Futaba a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry. A concussion can be debilitating, but nothing serious."
"Yeah, she's not bleeding or anything!" Ryuji said.
Ken couldn't help but shudder, as he unwilling recalled the way how Akihiko-san and Minako-san desperately tried to staunch the blood flow from Shinjiro-san's injury.
While this wasn't nearly as serious, he couldn't help but feel like a failure. He still needed protection.
"Come on, Ace, don't blame yourself," Anne pleaded.
He knew that she was trying to be soothing but Ken wasn't looking to be consoled right now. Ken blinked his tears away before looking up at Ren.
"Joker, I want you to take me off the active team," he said flatly.
Ren stared hard at him, his expression unreadable.
"Request denied."
"Wh—What?" Ken got out. "I was a liability! Queen got hurt because of me."
"You're not a liability, Ace," Ren snapped. "Why are you thinking this? Because you got smacked into a table? Panther was victim to the same thing."
"And you threw yourself in danger's way because of me," Anne seconded.
Ken argued, "That's different! I didn't get a concussion out of it!"
"It's not. Ace, you're just being too hard on yourself—" Yusuke began, his voice consoling.
"I'm not!" Ken's voice unexpectedly cracked. "Queen had been worried about me going back into battle since I got back, and I ignored it! And she got hurt because of me! The situation with Panther is not comparable!"
He couldn't stop the what-ifs from running in his head...
"Ace, you gotta breathe," Ryuji said before flicking a glance at Ren. "I think it'd be a good idea to take Queen back to the safe room we found. Ace can patch her up there."
"Oh, that's a good idea actually. Especially for you," Morgana said, looking surprised.
Ryuji looked irritated at the backhanded compliment but before he could make a retort, Haru suddenly spoke up.
"Maybe, we could scout around the area for clues about the second VIP in the meantime," Haru suggested tentatively.
Ren nodded in approval. "I think that's a good idea, Noir."
"I wouldn't mind carrying Queen—" Yusuke began to offer, but Ken shook his head.
"No," Ken said, his grasp on Makoto tightening. "It's fine. I can carry her."
The walk to the safe room was quiet. Ryuji held the door open and they filed inside.
Ken sat down, holding Makoto in his arms. Morgana let out an awkward cough.
"We'll check back in soon," he said awkwardly.
Futaba grabbed Ken's arm, tugging at it. "U-Um, Queen wouldn't want you to blame yourself, Ace..."
"Too late..." Ken thought with a sigh, but he forced a smile. "I'll try not to, Oracle."
He already had a near meltdown earlier. He shouldn't worry Futaba even more.
Ren then approached, handing Ken some medicine.
"Here. Use this to help take care of Queen."
"Thanks," Ken muttered. "But Joker—"
Ren shook his head. "I'm not letting you punish yourself for this, Ace. We're a team. We're supposed to look after each other. Queen may be your girlfriend, but she's also your teammate. She was just trying to protect you."
Haru squeezed Ken's shoulder. "It'll be okay, Ace. You're one of our best healers. Queen will be good as new thanks to you."
Ken pressed his lips together. His friends didn't seem to grasp that he felt like a screw-up.
He hardly registered what Yusuke and Ryuji said to encourage him before leaving with Haru, Futaba, and Morgana.
Anne suddenly snagged Ren by the arm, whispering something to him. Ren blinked, looking confused. He glanced back at Ken and then to Anne. He whispered something back to her but Anne just gave a nod and smiled. Ren nodded too. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the safe room.
Ken looked warily at Anne. She obviously had something to say.
"I would've done the same for Joker, Ace," she said softly. "More than once, to protect him. I'm sure Queen feels the same way especially since she went with the group to rescue you. Maybe stronger than me. She—"
Anne suddenly froze, before letting out a delicate cough.
"She cares about you a lot. More than I think you realize. You acted as her rock even with the... trouble with her sister. So, it's not a surprise to me that she would throw herself in danger because of that."
Ken remained silent; he didn't know how to respond to that.
"And... don't be so hard on yourself," Anne said softly, reaching out to touch Ken's shoulder. "I know you've been through a lot and you want to contribute like you always do. It's okay to not be at your full strength right now though."
But then her expression became conflicted as she drew her hand away.
"But that's not why you wanted to be taken off the active team. Joker saw that too, and that's why he refused you earlier. It's okay to be upset that Queen got hurt for your sake. I know that you hate feeling like you're a burden but Queen did it because she wanted to protect you."
Ken heaved out a sigh. "I'm just tired of people I care about getting hurt... because of me."
Anne suddenly reached out, smacking the back of his head. Ken yelped in pain before shooting her a glare.
"What was that for?" he asked hotly.
Anne just rolled her eyes at him, putting her hands on her hips.
"Why is it okay for you to throw yourself in danger for me then?" she asked, her voice scolding. "Or what about Oracle? And I know it's not because you have it in your head that girls are innocent sweet flowers that need protection all the time."
Ken grumbled to himself. He had no comeback for that.
Anne just sighed, looking hard at him. "Just think about what I have to say, okay? And…"
She hesitated for a moment before wrapping an arm around herself.
"Don't feel bad about missing the signs. I've been in your shoes before."
"Panther..." Ken said quietly.
Anne forced a brittle smile on her face. "But things worked out in the end. You and Queen should talk things out when she's feeling better."
She then cleared her throat, before toying with her hair. Ken couldn't help but feel guilty. He had completely forgot about what happened with Anne and Suzui-san.
"I need to go catch up with the others. I'll see you soon, Ace."
He sighed, looking down at Makoto. She was still not doing well. He'd have to see about healing her right away.
This area was a damn maze. Just looking at the hallways with the map was giving Ren a headache.
Ren sighed heavily, rubbing a temple. "Let's take a break, guys."
He then folded the map, tucking it inside his jacket.
"Though, Skull..." Morgana suddenly said, "Was there something Ooe said to you and Queen? You two looked really shocked."
Ryuji frowned as he thought. Then realization suddenly dawned in his eyes.
"Oh shit... that..."
"Well, don't keep us waiting!" Anne said impatiently.
Ryuji's frown deepened. "Okay so, according to the Ooe dude, even Kobayakawa was caught up in Shido's crazy conspiracy."
"For real?" Futaba uttered.
Ryuji nodded furiously. "Seriously! Like, he tried to leak Shido's name apparently."
"Wait, that's right..." Ren frowned heavily. "I think he died on the way to the police station."
"So Shido could've been arrested if he didn't order Kobayakawa to have a mental shutdown." Yusuke said.
Haru shuddered. "It just shows how ruthless Shido is."
Anne frowned, wrapping an arm around herself. "That explains why Kobayakawa was so desperate to use Queen to find us though. He wanted to keep ahold of his position as part of Shido's circle."
"That ain't all either. Apparently Ooe was the one who wanted the subway guy to have a psychotic breakdown," Ryuji said.
"Whaaaat?!" Anne squeaked out. "That's crazy! That incident got so many people hurt too!"
Ren nodded. If he remembered right, there were eighty people caught up in that incident too. Young couples, children, the elderly. It sickened him that Shido would order this kind of thing.
Not to mention the man who made it all possible.
Ren just couldn't understand Akechi's reasoning. Even if it was to avenge his mom, this was just too high of a price to pay.
"Figures that Shido would rub elbows with someone like that," Morgana said, pulling a face.
"There is something that's bugging me though…" Anne suddenly voiced.
When everyone looked to her in surprise, she just wrapped an arm around herself. A small frown formed on her face.
"Even though that politician was cognition, he turned into a monster. Up until Kaneshiro's Palace, cognitive beings were nothing more than weak presences."
"Oh that's a good point. I mean, there was Oracle's mother and Queen's sister's cognition of their dad too but…" Ren trailed off.
"We might've fought 'im but he still didn't turn into a Shadow," Ryuji finished for him.
"Hmm..." Morgana seemed deep in thought, his blue eyes glazed over.
"Is something the matter, Mona-chan?" Haru asked.
"I have a theory but... I'm not sure how plausible it is." He then narrowed his eyes. "I think that wasn't even a cognition."
"Oracle, do you have any idea?" Ren asked, turning to her. "I know you read your mom's research so…"
Futaba touched her chin as she thought. "It's weird because the readings were kinda wonky. Like it read mostly as a Shadow. Maybe it was like... a skin?"
Morgana frowned in response. "I've never seen anything like that before... such power is normally impossible."
"Wait, what do you mean skin?" Anne asked.
"You mean a Shadow combined with a cognition?" Morgana inquired.
Futaba frowned but nodded, "Kind of... I guess? It's weird but the best way I can describe it is a Shadow wearing a cognitive skin... if that makes any sense."
Haru's eyes lit up. "Oh! Do you think that when he did, he took the results of Oracle's mother's research for his own purposes?"
Futaba clenched both hands into fists. "Shido! You're gonna pay for twisting Mom's research like that! She wanted to help people with her research! How dare you abuse my mom's work!"
"Oracle..." Anne sighed.
Ren stepped closer to Futaba, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"We'll make sure he pays, Oracle. I swear that he'll pay for every wrongdoing he's committed and for every last life he's stomped over for his quest for power," he promised.
"I'm so ready to kick his ass!" Ryuji said, vigorously nodding.
"We still have a long way to go though," Yusuke stated.
Ryuji's head drooped. "Don't be a buzzkill, Fox!"
"I mean, Fox is just being practical," Haru pointed out. But then she pumped a fist. "Though you and Joker are right. Shido needs to pay for what he's done!"
"We still should take caution, though," Morgana piped up. "For all we know, Shido could have some other kind of hidden tricks that allows him to tamper with his own Palace."
Ren grimaced, before his hand clenched into a fist.
"Shido... wherever you are—I hope you realize your days are numbered. We'll take you down, no matter what," he swore to himself.
"Joker! Let's go check up on Queen and Ace," Anne suggested.
Haru nodded. "I hope Queen is feeling better."
As they walked back to the safe room, Anne walked briskly so she was walking right by Ren's side.
"Something on your mind?"
Anne was quiet for a moment before slipping her hand into his, intertwining their fingers together.
"Joker... would you be this upset if I was in Queen's shoes?"
The question took Ren taken aback.
"Well, I'd prefer it if it was me getting hurt instead of you," Ren admitted.
Anne sighed, shaking her head.
"It's not that I don't think you can't take care of yourself," Ren said hastily. "It just... hurts to see the one you love throw themselves into danger like that."
He could sympathize with Ken's distress, even if he refused to let Ken punish himself by removing himself from the fight.
"I love you. I don't want you to get hurt, especially after everything you had to endure," Anne said softly.
"Hopefully the fights will get better," Ren sighed.
He couldn't help but feel like a liability. He tried not to move a whole lot as he knew it wasn't the best for his leg.
Anne squeezed his hand. "Don't forget we have your back. I know that you're crazily versatile with your gazillion Personas, but let us take the charge if you need it, okay?"
Ren smiled at her before squeezing her hand back. "Okay."
Anne looked pleased, but suddenly Ryuji yelled at them to hurry up. Which then led to Morgana to start scolding him.
Ren tugged Anne forward. "Come on, let's go before Skull and Mona really get into it."
"When do they not get into it?" Anne grumbled.
But she picked up her pace and they hurried to diffuse the bickering between their two friends.
Ken inhaled briefly before summoning Tyr. Makoto just stirred slightly as he gently touched her temples, his hands glowing blue.
He had been healing her for several minutes when Makoto finally opened her eyes again. Relief flooded him as the usual bright alertness had returned to her eyes.
"Ace? What happened?" she asked before she winced. She rubbed her fingers against her temples. "Ow—my head."
"Take it easy. That Shadow hit you pretty hard." Ken said, watching her as recognition dawned in her eyes.
"Ooe... we were fighting him for the letter of recommendation," she murmured.
Ken just hummed in response before passing her some medicine to help with her pain. He watched his girlfriend for a few moments before speaking up.
"How are you feeling?" he asked tentatively.
Makoto smiled faintly. "I'm okay. My headache is starting to fade. Though um... what exactly happened?"
"Joker thought you got a concussion," Ken said quietly. "When you hit the wall earlier."
Ken winced, but there was no other way to put things.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brushed away your concerns. I should've listened to you when you got worried about me."
Makoto was quiet for a moment, a contemplative gleam in her eyes. Then she slipped off his lap and seated herself on the spot right by him.
"Ace… We need to have a talk."
Makoto became silent again before she took a deep breath. She looked to him seriously.
"As you know, Oracle, Skull, and I saw you getting... tortured. The plan was for Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san to do all the physical rescuing while Oracle would play the recording of Shido. We were hiding out in the security room with the camera footage playing. We saw a lot of the exchange between you two."
Ken sucked in a breath. There had been so much on his mind that... he had forgotten about that.
Makoto reached out, taking his hand and giving his fingers a squeeze.
"I've... dreamt about that night. I can't help but feel that..."
She stopped short, before she stared down at her lap for a moment. Then her grasp on his hand suddenly tightened.
"There have been instances where I've wondered if I could've done something had I been there with you and Oracle that night," she said quietly.
"It was nobody's fault, Queen." Ken then paused. "Well, it was Shido's fault but that's beyond the point."
Makoto chuckled softly at that. But that her expression turned sad.
"I panicked when I saw that Shadow nearly knock you out earlier. But that's unfair of me. That's ignoring how you're more than capable. I knew deep down that you could've been okay. And it wouldn't be the end of the world if you did get knocked out regardless. Mona can revive you and there's all the medicine Joker brought with him."
"I'm not mad at you for worrying. You're not the only one to worry about me." Ken smiled half-heartedly, remembering how Fuuka-san had squeezed him into a hug.
Everyone at Port Island had told him to be careful. He still felt guilty, having worried them so much.
"I'm madder at myself for brushing aside your concerns. You voiced them to me but I shoved it aside. I had already worried everyone with what... happened. But I just made you worry more."
He then gave Makoto a half-hearted smile.
"I'm sorry, Queen. And you got hurt because of me."
Makoto shook her head before reaching out to cup his cheek.
"There's nothing to forgive, Ace," she said softly.
Ken pressed his lips together. "Can you promise to not do this again? You getting hurt because of me was just—"
But even as he said it, Ken couldn't help but think that Makoto couldn't promise him about that. He knew that Makoto had a reckless streak in her after all.
Makoto was quiet, her expression suddenly pensive. She suddenly gave his hand a squeeze.
But then she suddenly shook her head.
"Ace, if our positions were swapped and I asked you this, would you agree?"
"I..." Ken opened his mouth, only to shut it.
Makoto laughed softly before scooting closer to him so she could kiss his cheek.
"That's what I thought."
"Hmph..." Ken grumbled.
Makoto's eyes just twinkled with amusement. "You don't have to pout about it."
"I am not pouting."
Makoto blinked at him. Then she gave him a knowing look, punctuated with a raised eyebrow.
Ken just huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He wished that Shinjiro-san didn't accuse him of pouting so much. That was definitely where Makoto got this idea from.
Makoto's expression suddenly grew serious.
She said softly. "I won't promise you something that I can't keep, Ace. I can't promise you I won't rush in to push you out of danger."
"I guess that was asking too much." Ken slowly exhaled.
Makoto just let out a little hum. "But... I will promise to try and remember that you won't keel over and die if a Shadow happens to attack you. The incident with Shido…"
She trailed off for a moment before biting her lower lip.
"I won't lie... it really scared me. But I also know that you're more than capable of handling yourself. I shouldn't be so overprotective."
Ken gave her hand a squeeze. "It's okay. I'm sorry for scaring you. And you were just concerned about me."
Makoto let out a heavy sigh before embracing him. She rested her chin onto his shoulder.
"But still—I'm sorry that I made you worry about me. That was the opposite I wanted."
"There's nothing to be sorry for," Ken said before dropping a kiss against the crown of her head. "I couldn't help but panic when someone I love gets hurt because of me."
Makoto's expression suddenly changed. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, only to let out a squeak. Her cheeks then turned a rosy pink.
It took a moment for what Ken said to sink in. Immediately his cheeks began to flame.
"Wait, did I really say that?!" he mentally exclaimed.
Of all times to say it! This was hardly romantic.
But it's not like he could say 'I didn't mean to say that'. While it was true, he'd be the biggest jerk if he tried to take it back and say that it was an accident.
Did he love Makoto? He had only known Makoto for less than half a year, and they've been dating for little over a month now. Makoto was the first girl since Minako-san that he had been interested in.
But then again, he had several examples of couples quickly falling in love.
And Makoto... seeing her sad always made him want to cheer her up, to make her smile. Plus he always missed her now that he was stuck staying in the penthouse.
Maybe he had been putting too much weight in the word love when it came to Makoto. He had seen Minato-san and Minako-san find solace in Yukari-san and Akihiko-san during a very dark time of their lives and they had been together for just a few months. Was that really much different than how he tried to support Makoto and vice versa?
"Ace... did you really just say...?"
Makoto trailed off at that, but he would have to be blind to miss the hopeful look on her face.
"She's really too cute," Ken thought, his cheeks flushing.
Well if he could stand up to Shido and call him out for his crap, he could confirm to his girlfriend that he loved her.
"I-I do," Ken couldn't help but stammer.
Makoto suddenly wrapped her arms around him. Then she looked up at him, her lips curving into a gentle smile. Ken's heart skipped a beat at that.
He still didn't understand how their classmates brushed off Makoto as stuck-up. Not when she had that smile.
Makoto said, "I love you too. I don't think it fully clicked until you were kidnapped but… I really love you. It may be a little cliché but..."
She suddenly blushed.
"You really do make my day a little brighter just by being there."
Ken abruptly cleared his throat. He honestly was unsure how to reply to that.
Makoto just laughed before kissing his cheek. "You don't have to be embarrassed by it."
Ken let out a little grumble in response. Makoto giggled again, only for her face to fall.
"Although... was everyone waiting for me to wake up?"
"Yes… and no," Ken said after a moment of hesitation. "The others went to scout the area while we're in the safe room."
"Joker picked up the letter of recommendation right?" Makoto asked, her lips pursed together.
Ken nodded. "Don't worry. We have it."
There was suddenly a rapping sound from the other side of the door and they pulled apart.
"Queen! Ace!" Ryuji yelled. "You guys are okay right?!"
"Ugh— Skull, can you ever keep your voice down?"
The door swung open to reveal Ryuji and Morgana, now absorbed in their bickering. Haru quickly stepped around them, rushing to give Makoto a hug.
"Oh, Queen, you're okay!" Relief filled Haru's face. "Thank goodness!"
Makoto let out a weak giggle before awkwardly returning Haru's embrace.
"Yes, Ace took good care of me. I'm sorry to have worried everyone."
"No foul, don't worry," Futaba said.
Ren looked over Makoto, his lips pursed.
"I think it'll be best for you to be off the active team for now though," he suddenly announced. "Panther will take your place. Ace..."
Ren studied Ken closely.
"Are you still insistent on being taking off the active team?"
"Would it... be okay to ask for a break?" Ken asked tentatively.
Ren gave him an appraising look. Then he smiled.
"I'm okay with that."
"Are you ready to go though?" Yusuke asked. "Of course we'll understand if you wish to rest still."
Makoto shook her head. "Let's go. We've wasted enough time already."
Ren looked pleased at that. He gestured for everyone to leave the safe room. The back of the restaurant led them to some hallways.
"So, this is going to lead us to the pool deck?" Ken asked.
Morgana let out a hum. "That's right. We're expecting to face off with the noble guy."
"And that leaves the IT president and the TV studio president," Futaba piped up.
"Don't jump ahead," Ren suddenly said. "We should focus on the noble guy first, since we should be encountering him soon."
Ryuji nodded enthusiastically before pumping his fist. "For now, let's just bust some Shadows' heads!"
"But Shadows don't always have heads," Yusuke pointed out.
Ryuji hung his head before complaining, "Ugh—don't kill my vibe!"
They couldn't help but laugh. Typical Ryuji. At least his antics were good for morale.
But for some reason, Futaba stiffened as Ren took the lead again.
"Oh hold on a sec, guys," Futaba suddenly interjected.
"Hm? What's wrong—" Haru began to ask.
Haru then let out a squeak as they were suddenly surrounded by a puff of smoke. Ken coughed, holding up a paw against his mouth.
Wait. Paw?!
"W-Wait what the shit?!" Ryuji sputtered out. "We're mice?!"
"Not again…" Ken groaned.
Haru tilted her head. "Again?"
Ken had to begrudgingly admit that Haru did look rather cute with the tiny hat of hers, but this was not funny! He thought he had escaped this after the stupid fight with Mot.
But no, apparently fate really just liked making him its chew toy.
"Oracle's Palace had a guardian that liked to turn us into mice in order to immobilize us," Ren explained. "Right, Ace?"
"Oh shut up," Ken huffed.
Morgana moaned out, "This is just wrong."
"Why, because—"
"I am not a cat!" Morgana cut off Ryuji with an annoyed glare.
"That's enough," Makoto admonished. "How are we going to fix this?"
Yusuke announced, "This is simply prepawsterous! Or... something like that."
Ken just slapped his paw over his face.
"Fox, that's as bad as Joker's puns."
"Ugh... seriously, go to hell Inari," Futaba huffed out. "Can you just come back here already?"
They scampered back to where Futaba was standing. With another puff of smoke, they were back to humans once more.
"Thank goodness we're human again!" Haru exclaimed.
"Were you really worried about you being stuck as a mouse?" Futaba asked. "At least you made a cute mouse, Noir."
"Never mind that!" Ren held up a hand, shooting Ken a glare.
He suddenly jabbed a finger in Ken's direction.
"I take offense to you saying that my puns are bad! My puns are nothing but the best!"
"That's implying puns are funny," Ken deadpanned.
"You just have no sense of humor."
"You have a lame sense of humor," Ken retorted.
"Well—"
Ren was suddenly cut off by Anne clamping a hand over his mouth.
"Can we please f—" she began.
Anne yelped, jerking her hand away from Ren's mouth.
"Did you bite me?!" she demanded.
Ren stuck his tongue out at Anne. "Not the first time it's happened. And if I recall correctly, you weren't exactly complaining last t—"
It was Ren's turn to yelp as Futaba suddenly kicked him in the shins.
"Ugh, we don't need this preview of your sex life. But anyways—it looks like we turn back when we leave the affected range. It's really not a big deal.
Anne stared at Futaba. "It most certainly is a big deal! Explain what just happened to us!"
"So demanding." Futaba wrinkled her nose at Anne. "But it seems that people Shido views as 'intruders' turn into mice when they're near those statues."
Futaba inched towards the doorway, pointing. They looked at where Futaba was pointing. There was a garish golden statue of Shido in the room. Ken hadn't even noticed that.
Morgana scowled at Futaba's statement. "So we're nothing but rodents to him, huh? That's irritating."
"Shido is such a dick," Ryuji spat out, glaring at the statue. "He really views people as stepping stones or things to crush..."
Futaba nodded, a frown forming on her lips. "I agree, but we need to be extra careful when we're in mouse form. We won't be able to open doors, and any enemy we try to fight in that state will just beat us to a pulp. We're kinda like sitting ducks if we get caught, y'know?"
Makoto sighed. "So all we can do is hide? I guess we'll have to change to a completely defensive strategy. I hope we can find a secret passage to get through there."
"Oh joy," Ken grumbled, unable to hold back a scowl.
"Someone's salty," Futaba said with a snicker.
Ken glowered at her. Of course Futaba would find this amusing. It was her fault last time.
"We shouldn't really stand around and do nothing though. It won't accomplish anything," Yusuke suddenly spoke up.
Morgana nodded, before looking at Ren. "At your lead, Joker."
Anne gave a little stretch as she surveyed the pool.
"I'm glad we finally made it," she remarked.
"That makes two of us," Ken muttered petulantly before folding his arms over his chest.
Ren smirked, before elbowing Ken in the side. "Are you still sulking about turning into a mouse?"
Ken glared at him.
"I'm not sulking," he said through gritted teeth.
"Pouting then?" Futaba offered.
"I'd say moping," Ryuji snickered out.
Ken opened his mouth to retort, but Makoto put a hand on his arm. Then she shot the troublemakers a stern stare.
"We have a job to do," she said pointedly.
Futaba opened her mouth like she was ready to make another sassy comment, but then she stopped to stare at the huge pool.
"This pool is gigantic!" Futaba gasped.
Anne could easily imagine Futaba's eyes being as big as dinner plates behind her goggles.
"It's hard to believe that it's here on this ship!" she finished.
"Wanna go for a swim later?" Ren asked teasingly.
Futaba suddenly grew pale for some reason. "Um, about that... I can't really swim."
Anne frowned. "But you played in the ocean with us—"
"That was just wading in the water," Ken suddenly interrupted. "And we didn't even stick to that for long, because Joker whipped out the water guns."
Ren just jabbed him in the side, before shooting Ken a smug look.
"You had fun, don't deny it."
Ken rolled his eyes. "Never said I didn't, Joker."
Haru sighed longingly.
"I really missed out a lot, didn't I?" she asked, her voice wistful.
Yusuke coughed. "Well... it's a bit chilly for a beach trip right now, but I wouldn't be opposed to making another trip come summer."
Haru's expression brightened and then she giggled. "Thank you, Fox."
"I'm down!" Ryuji cheered. "Let's go to Okinawa next time!"
Futaba groaned. "Do you have any idea how far Okinawa is from Tokyo? It doesn't come cheap!"
"Hey, we need to focus on collecting the letters of recommendation," Morgana reminded. "And then taking down Shido."
Anne let out a thoughtful hum. "The noble guy should be hanging around somewhere. Let's go!"
Ren took the lead and they started talking to the cognitions. It was honestly really freaky how real they looked.
"This place is great," one older man said. "No matter when I come, I always find myself surrounded by beautiful curves!"
Anne let out a little growl, but Haru grabbed onto her wrist and gave a small shake of her head. Anne scowled, but slowly nodded.
"Shut up, you pig," she seethed to herself as the guy assumed that Ren was here for the exact same reason.
Ren gave her an apologetic look, but Anne waved him off. She knew that it wasn't the truth.
They finally tracked down the noble, with a male servant standing nearby with a towel draped over his arm.
Ryuji coughed before stepping forward.
"Hey, dude, you got a sec?"
The noble looked pointedly away. Ryuji scowled for a moment but then he straightened up.
"Uhhh... Nice day today, huh?"
Ryuji was met with silence once more. Ryuji tried to make conversation by saying that he might take a dip in the pool, but it was once again a dud.
Then Ryuji turned to Anne.
"Your turn, Panther."
"Wait, what?!" Anne exclaimed.
Why did he have to just dump it on her all of the sudden?!
Anne sighed lightly; she had to try though.
She then cleared her throat. "Um... hello there. We really would like to speak to you."
She tried to sound meek, in order to sound polite. She internally grimaced. This was reminding her of how she would try to be polite around Kamoshida, to stay on his good side.
"We won't take much of your time. Will you listen?" Makoto seconded.
Haru bowed her head. "Please, sir."
The noble finally deigned himself to look at them.
"Sorry, but please leave me be. I don't have time for you rowdy children," he said, a clear tone of dismissal in his voice.
Ryuji growled. "You little—!"
Ken grabbed him by the wrist, flashing the noble a quick smile.
"I'm very sorry, sir. I know you're quite occupied."
There was an underlying of sarcasm in Ken's voice as he spoke the polite words.
"Please excuse us," Makoto added.
They hastened away but it didn't take Ryuji to make an outburst.
"The hell's with that guy?!" he demanded. "Did he really have to act all high and mighty on us?!"
Makoto's expression suddenly became exasperated.
"To be fair, you walked up to him and said, 'Hey dude'," she said dryly.
Anne couldn't help but giggle as Makoto attempted to imitate Ryuji's tone of voice.
Makoto folded her arms over her chest. "You need to approach this with more tact. This isn't your ordinary man we're dealing with."
"I know, I know!" Ryuji grumbled.
Morgana sighed, looking dejected. "Our approach doesn't matter if he won't listen to us. What are we supposed to do...?"
"Come now, don't lose heart, Mona-chan!" Haru exclaimed. "Let's speak to the people around here. Perhaps we'll learn more about that man's temperament and we'll know better how to approach him."
"A wise suggestion," Yusuke commented.
Ren nodded. "Yeah, I think that's the best way to approach it!"
He then stopped short.
"Hmm... maybe we should split up?"
"I don't think that would be a good idea with the Shadows hanging around," Ken pointed out.
Ren grimaced. "Yeah, good point."
"Okay so our goal is to collect intel. Let's talk to anyone suspicious," Morgana stated.
They spoke to a few cognitions but didn't hit anything special until this one lady mentioned that the bar rented out swimsuits. Then Ryuji started acting... weird.
He even started to rubbing his hands together, while chuckling to himself.
"Uhh... are you feeling okay, Skull?" Anne asked.
"You are reminding me of a villain right now," Yusuke said bluntly.
Ryuji suddenly pumped a fist. "I've got the perfect plan!"
He started chuckling to him, earning a few weird looks from everyone. Seriously, what was he up to?
Morgana grumbled, "That laugh was just scary."
Ryuji impatiently waved a hand at them. "Forget about that! Onward to the bar, you guys!"
Ren looked skeptically at Ryuji—Anne couldn't help but wonder if Ren had figured out what Ryuji was planning. But then he shook his head, and headed for the bar.
"Did you need something, sir?" the cognition asked.
Ren nodded, but Ryuji cut in.
"Hey, you guys rent out swimsuits, yeah? Give us some, ASAP!" he demanded, slamming a hand on the counter.
The cognition dipped his head. "But of course. Just show me your boarding pass and we'll have you sorted out—"
"Crap, sorry..." Ren winced. "I think I left it in my room. We'll have to go back and grab it."
This earned Ren a nod. "I hope to see you again, sir."
"Good thinking, Joker," Morgana praised.
"But we gotta get in!" Ryuji exclaimed.
Yusuke folded his arms over his chest. "Just what are you planning, Skull?"
"Seriously..." Makoto said. "Just what are you thinking, Skull? Is your plan to ambush him in the pool or something?"
Ryuji flapped a hand at Makoto. "I'll explain when we get the swimsuits!"
"Fine, fine," Ren sighed. "It is the only plan being offered right now, so I might as well give it a shot."
After poking around a little, Ren found a vent for them to squeeze through. Unfortunately he had to kick it in…
Anne cringed, looking nervously at the cognition manning the bar. He didn't seem to notice, thankfully.
As they crawled through the vent, Anne could hear Ryuji mumbling to himself.
"Three swimsuits... no, wait—considering who we're dealin' with, we might need four."
Ken ground out. "Skull... please tell me you're not planning what I think you're planning."
"But he's prolly into that kinda thing... we gotta weaponize this!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"Oh boy, I have a real bad feeling about this," Futaba muttered as they crawled out of the vent.
"Hold on, are we in a dressing room?" Haru asked, before biting her lip. "Why did you want us to be here so badly?"
"Just trust me on this!" Ryuji insisted, before running into one of the fitting rooms.
He started snickering.
"Oh man, this is perfect!"
Ken just sighed, pressing a hand against his forehead.
"Seriously, what the heck is Skull planning?" Anne questioned, before turning to Ken. "Hey, Ace! You figured it out, didn't you? What is the plan?"
Ken shook his head vigorously. He looked nervous for some reason.
"I don't want to say it," he said in a halting voice.
"Why?" Makoto asked, dragging out the word.
Ken cringed in response. "I don't want to get smacked."
Ryuji came out, holding four swimsuits. He then grinned evilly.
"This dude is a total perv with how he always hangs around the pool, so maybe he needs to sweet-talked by some pretty girls."
Haru gasped, taking a step back.
"Skull!" Haru then put a hand against her chest. "Are you asking us to… to seduce him?!"
Her voice squeaked at the word 'seduce'.
"This is ridiculous!" Makoto exclaimed, her face flushing red.
Ryuji turned to Ren and Ken. "Come on, back me up here!"
"Why are you looking at us specifically?" Ren asked, eyebrow raised.
Ryuji gave him a dirty look. "You know exactly why!"
Anne rolled her eyes. Ryuji was obviously thinking about how Ren and Ken actually had girlfriends. And Ryuji wondered why he was still single.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Do I?"
"You're both incorrigible." Morgana moaned out.
"No comment," Ken mumbled out.
"What?!" Ryuji cried out. "Come on, you haven't seen Queen in a bathing suit since before you started going out! You should be all for this plan!"
Makoto's blush darkened before she snarled out, "Skull!"
Ken glowered at Ryuji. "Really, Skull?"
Ren snickered. "I mean, you do sneak looks at Queen when you think nobody's loo—OW!"
Anne grabbed Ren by the ear and yanked, unable to hold back a sigh.
"Panther, OW!" Ren yowled. "Jeez, do you have to yank so hard?!"
"Of course I do," Anne said with a sweet smile.
But she turned to Ryuji.
"I hate to admit it but... Skull's reasoning is pretty good this time."
Ryuji's expression brightened. "Right?"
But something seemed to strike him, and Ryuji suddenly scowled at her.
"Wait, you're insulting me too!" he exclaimed.
"So…" Anne held out a hand. "Hand it over, Skull. I'm fine if Queen, Noir, and Oracle don't wanna to take part of this plan but I'm game."
Makoto sighed softly before folding her arms over her chest. "Well now that you've put it that way, I have to admit that I can see the merits of this plan too."
Haru nodded, before stepping forward. "Panther does have a good point. And targeting our opponent's weakness should earn us victory! Count me in too."
Futaba sighed, shaking her head. "I might as well go all in too."
"Are you sure?" Ren's teasing expression had morphed into a serious one.
Anne just put a hand on her hip, before winking at Ren. "Positive. We'll wrangle the recommendation letter from this creep."
"Wait a second—" Morgana suddenly spoke up. "You shouldn't remove your suits."
"Huh?" Anne couldn't help but feel confused.
"Remember what I told you before?" Morgana asked. "Your suits are like your armor from the distortions of the Metaverse."
Ryuji's face fell. "Shit, I forgot about that."
"What a surprise," Morgana sassed with a wide grin.
"Ugh, shuddup!" Ryuji growled.
Anne bit her lip. This was annoying.
"Oh, I think I got it!" Morgana gasped, before giving a little hop.
When everyone looked to him with a quizzical look, Morgana then cleared his throat.
"Okay. You remember what I told you about your suits representing your will of rebellion? But if the Palace ruler doesn't view you as a threat, you'll be in the clothes you were wearing before entering the Metaverse. So—I want you to try and suppress your will of rebellion, just enough so you'll be back in your civilian clothes."
"Suppressing our will of rebellion?" Haru questioned.
Futaba frowned. "Is that... possible?"
"I'm not sure," Morgana admitted. "But! You'll never know until you try! Besides, I can change my form to a car. It's all about cognition... even if it's not exactly like how I can change into a car. But it's worth a shot either way!"
"Bullshitting our way through this, huh?" Ren mused.
"Shut up, Joker!" Morgana snapped.
Anne frowned. So, she had to suppress her rebellion? It was a… weird thought. She had committed to this for so long, after all.
It took them several minutes to pull it off but Anne and the other girls managed to pull it off and they found themselves back in their civilian outfits. They then took a swimming suit from Ryuji and slipped into the fitting room to change.
"Don't you dare peek!" Futaba said, her voice muffled by the curtain.
"But you have nothing to look at, Oracle," Yusuke said bluntly.
"Fox, that was rude!" Haru admonished.
"Ah—" Yusuke fumbled for a moment, before letting out a cough. "My apologies, Oracle."
Anne ignored the bickering between Yusuke and Futaba in favor of changing into the red bikini. She took a moment to admire her reflection.
Over six months ago, she was almost ashamed of her looks. She had been miserable because of how trapped she had felt because of Kamoshida.
"A lot has changed since then," she thought with a bright smile. "A change for the better."
She then pushed back the curtain and stepped out.
"So... how do I look?" she said.
Ren grinned at her. "Beautiful. Stunning. Gorgeous—"
"Yeah, yeah, we all know that you think Panther's gorgeous, Joker," Ryuji said with an eye-roll.
"I mean it's true." Ren then stepped close to her to whisper in her ear. "You always did look amazing in red."
Anne giggled. "Why thank you, Joker."
Haru stepped out next, nervously adjusting her swimsuit. "I'm ready."
"You look stunning, Noir. The soft turquoise hue complements your coloring so well," Yusuke said.
Pink flushed Haru's cheeks and she let out a soft giggle. "Thanks, Fox."
"Gag me," Futaba grumbled as she stepped out. "I'm surrounded by mushy couples."
"Why would we do that?" Yusuke asked.
Futaba stared at Yusuke before throwing up her hands. "It's a figure of speech, Inari!"
"Would it kill you two to not bicker for like five seconds?" Ken grumbled.
Then Makoto suddenly pushed the curtain aside, wearing a purple bikini.
Anne couldn't help but giggle as Ken gaped at Makoto for a moment before a blush crept onto his face. Makoto smiled nervously but Futaba suddenly wedged herself in between them.
"None of that!" she said, an edge of annoyance to her voice. "We have work to do!"
She then started muttering about everyone being gross under her breath, making Ren snicker in response.
Morgana coughed. "Oracle's right. We'll meet you outside, okay? We'll head out through the vent so the cognition manning the bar won't suspect a thing. You'll approach the noble, and in case things go south we'll be there to back you up."
"Gotcha!" Anne said with a nod.
They waited for the boys to start crawling through the vent, before exchanging nervous looks.
Makoto just coughed. "Shall we then?"
Haru nodded. "Yes, let's do this!"
They then stepped out of the fitting room and headed straight for the noble. Anne caught sight of the boys hanging back. Seeing them was reassuring.
She took a deep breath as they approached the noble as a group.
"Hello…" Makoto said tentatively.
"It's a nice day, isn't it?" Haru asked.
The noble sat up, looking suspiciously at them. "What do you want?"
Haru looked demurely to the ground before looking shyly back to the noble.
"Um, would you grant us a letter of introduction to Mr. Shido?" she asked.
The noble raised his eyebrow at that. "A letter of introduction, you say? I would never give one to some nobodies like yourselves."
This guy was an elitist. Anne's blood was starting to simmer underneath her skin. But Anne plastered on a fake smile, as if this asshole hadn't just insulted all four of them.
"A nobody...?" Haru echoed.
Yikes. That must've stung for Haru especially.
"I've made my decision to only introduce those with a prestigious lineage. No matter how beautiful you girls may look on the outside, your ancestry cannot be changed," he said haughtily.
He might as well have turned his nose up at them.
Anne frowned to herself as Makoto and Futaba tried to persuade him further. This guy was a noble... obsessed with lineage. Maybe they could claim to be from one of the old clans—like the Taira clan? Or maybe…
She could take advantage of her looks, but in a different way.
This guy hadn't even heard her speak so maybe she could convince him!
Anne coughed, before stepping forward. "I'm quite charmed to meet you, sir. My name is Anne Windsor."
Makoto looked like she wanted to say something, but Anne quickly shot her a look. Then she smiled winsomely at the creep.
"My father is the descendant of British royalty," she said. "Surely, you're familiar with the Windsor family?"
"Seriously…?" Futaba muttered under her breath.
Anne gestured to the others. "They're the daughters of my retainers."
That got his attention in a flash. Anne fought the urge to grimace as he leered at her. What a pig.
Makoto shuffled awkwardly. "Uh, yes... Lady Anne treats us quite well."
Anne had to stifle a laugh. It was weird to hear that come out of Makoto's mouth. She was so used to hearing that from Morgana.
"Are you half British, Ann-chan?" he asked.
Anne nodded in confirmation.
"Yes, your features are definitely different from Japanese girls. One can easily tell at a glance."
Anne giggled, pretending to ignore the look he was giving her.
"People tend to have such misconceptions, but that isn't true. My hobbies include tea ceremonies. Then again, my father forced me to learn that art."
Anne cringed slightly. Was she laying it on too thick?
But the noble leaned forward, intrigued.
"I see... I sense a noble aura that is different from your servants," he said in a flattering voice.
"Oh?" Anne tilted her head. "Why thank you, you flatter me."
She tried not to gag on the words, but she kept her focus. She needed to butter this guy up so he'd hand over the letter.
"Servants...?" Haru asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
The noble nodded. "Lineage is absolute. No matter how much effort a commoner exerts, it is a gap that cannot be filled."
This guy and his stupid obsession with bloodlines. It was starting to really piss her off.
But Anne giggled once more, before batting her eyes at him. "You're absolutely correct. If only more people believed in your wisdom! I do feel a little sorry for these girls."
"For real?!" Futaba muttered.
Anne then smiled brightly at him, ignoring Futaba's comment. "By the by, about the letter of introduction. If you'd be so generous to grant me one, I'll consider introducing you to my father."
"Oh...?" He leaned forward, intrigued.
His gaze lingered on her chest, before he looked back into her eyes.
"Then consider it my way of sending my regards to him."
He pulled out a letter, and handed it over.
"Thank you kindly," Anne simpered. "You're simply too generous."
The noble stood up, looking up and down at Anne.
"But goodness, do you look great in that swimsuit. And such an amazing body as well. You look like you could be a model."
"Well, I am... but that's none of your business," Anne thought viciously.
"By the way, did you make sure to put on sunscreen?"
He suddenly grabbed Anne's hands, before running a hand over Anne's arm. Goosebumps suddenly broke out on Anne's arm. For a moment, Anne saw red.
It was like how Kamoshida would 'casually' touch her. She thought she felt blue flames flicker around her form but she tamped down on that.
"As members of prestigious family lines, why don't we get on more intimate terms?" the noble drawled out.
"Hey, stop it!" Makoto tried to intervene. "Let her go!"
He sniffed disdainfully. "Come now, you peasant servants should take off. You're making her embarrassed."
"Stop it!" Anne growled out.
"Want to try on some other swimsuits in my room?" the noble asked.
Anne clenched a hand. Screw this shit. She might've been happy to sneak away before but this asshole needed a good ass kicking.
Anne yanked her arm away. She then slammed her foot against his, making him yowl in pain. She then raised a hand before slapping him across the face.
Anne couldn't help but feel pleased as a red handprint started to form on his cheek.
"Don't touch me, you disgusting perv!" she spat out.
"Wha…?" he stammered out.
"You probably use girls without even batting an eye? You lecher!" Anne snarled. "It's your turn now!"
He looked startled at that, but Anne didn't let him speak a word. She pointed at him.
"Now that I'm done using you—get away, you creep!"
"You used me?!" he exclaimed.
"Now guys!" Anne exclaimed.
"What the—?!"
The cognition was surrounded. Anne and the girls transformed back immediately and the boys rushed over instantly.
Anne cracked her whip with a glare.
"Time for some pain!"
"Okay, we got the letter of introduction!" Anne cheered with a fist pump. "Just three more to go!"
"And the noble is down for the count," Futaba snickered.
"I wish I had a camera to capture the moment you slapped the perv in the face," Ryuji snickered.
Anne swept a bow, mimicking the gentlemanly bow that Ren occasionally made.
"Thank you, thank you," she drawled in the same posh voice she had used to fool the noble.
"Though, I have a question…" Makoto started.
"Like… did he request Shido to enact mental shutdowns for him?" Anne asked, turning back to the noble.
Haru fought the urge to wince. It was just a reminder how Father had climbed to prominence. It still saddened to think about how far her once beloved father had fallen, for the sake of the wealth he so desperately sought.
The noble had been slumped on the floor but he reluctantly looked up.
"Contrary to past methods, gaining wealth by lineage alone is quite difficult these days. That's why I begged to be allowed onto Lord Shido's ship. In return for introducing wealthy nobles to him, I requested he enact mental shutdowns for me."
"How despicable," Haru uttered.
Yusuke grimaced. "So this system of introductions is taking place in reality as well."
"It is common for wealthy people to network but this is on a different level..." Ken muttered.
Haru guessed he knew from Mitsuru-san.
The noble nodded reluctantly. "Lord Shido is extremely cautious about the passengers he chooses."
"Figures he'd be totally elitist," Ryuji grumbled.
Makoto stroked her chin for a moment. "So he's screening potential associates to find wealthy people who won't betray him."
Morgana folded his arms over his chest, a small frown on his face. "And that's why the passengers are wearing masks. He isn't deceived by people's outward appearances."
Haru couldn't help but find that a little sad. She had zero sympathy for the man for himself, but to be so jaded to not trust in anybody at all?
But then again... you could say the same about Akechi.
"Honestly, from what we've witnessed... I'm not surprised about that at all," Yusuke remarked. "Though, I must say, Panther—your acting skills have improved since the last... incident."
Anne blushed brightly before coughing into her hand. "Y-Yeah, well, but I've had a few months to practice!"
Ryuji snorted. "From what Mona said, your past performance with Fox was beyond sucky."
"It fooled Fox!" Anne snarled, glaring daggers at Ryuji.
"You consider that an accomplishment?" Ryuji laughed.
Yusuke narrowed his eyes, "Just what are you implying?"
Haru had to try and defuse the argument.
Haru coughed. "Um, should we head to the dressing room then?"
Ryuji blinked. "Whataya mean by that? You're back in your Phantom Thief threads so what does it matter?"
Makoto sighed. "Skull... we're not going back to the real world wearing swimsuits."
Morgana snorted. "I bet that was what Skull wanted."
"W-What, no! It's December! Th-That's ridiculous!" Ryuji snapped.
Haru just shook her head.
"You're blushing and stuttering," Futaba sighed.
"SHUDDUP!"
This earned a few laughs from the other boys, and Morgana looked rather smug.
"By the way, Panther—are you part British by chance?" Haru couldn't help but feel curious.
She knew that Anne was a quarter white, but she never specified exactly.
Anne started at that. "Well—not from what I know."
"How do you not know?" Morgana asked.
Anne rolled her eyes. "Well Americans tend to intermarry, so I've got a bunch of European blood in me. Danish, Swedish, and Finnish to name a few. But I know from Dad that Nana's parents were from Finland specifically."
"Now that we've covered some of Panther's family tree…" Futaba tugged at her swimsuit. "We really gotta get changed back into our normal costumes."
Makoto nodded. "Oracle's right—let's go."
So they left the boys to change out of the swimsuits, before stopping suppressing their will of rebellion after they changed back into their clothes of course. Honestly it was a relief to Haru. Suppressing her will of rebellion felt almost wrong.
They then proceeded to sneak out through the vent and met up with the boys.
"So we have two letters now. Just the TV station and the IT presidents left, along with this cleaner guy," Morgana mused.
Anne snagged the map from Ren. "Let's see… one of them is apparently at the slots, and the other doesn't leave his room? Well, the map says there's an entertainment hall up ahead. Maybe the slots are there?"
"If I have to guess, then it's the TV station president at the slots," Haru mentioned.
Yusuke let out a thoughtful hum. "Seeing for ourselves will likely be the quickest way to find out. Let us proceed onward."
They left the pool deck and found themselves in a labyrinth of hallways. Nothing special really happened until...
"We're mice again?!" Anne cried out.
"This is not funny," Ken groused.
Makoto sighed. "I guess that means there's a Shido statue here too. How troublesome."
"Hm… My ad-mice would be to pro-squeak cautiously," Yusuke stated.
Haru couldn't help but giggle but Futaba just stared at Yusuke.
"Oracle, my ad-mice would be—" Yusuke attempted again.
"I uh... think she heard you Fox." Haru let out a nervous giggle.
Futaba looked ready to smack Yusuke.
Even as a mouse, Ken still managed to pull off a flat-eyed stare.
"Don't make me smack you, Fox," he deadpanned.
"Aw, c'mon, puns is the highest form of comedy," Ren drawled out.
Ken huffed. "The worst you mean."
"I do not understand. Why do Ace and Oracle appear angry again? I thought surely this time everyone would be rolling on the floor with laughter." Yusuke sounded genuinely confused. "Joker, I believe that your book of jokes has failed me."
"Of course it was you…" Ken grumbled out.
Ren snickered. "Don't sweat it Fox, critics don't understand your budding art of comedy."
Haru couldn't help but giggle. She found it amusing how much Ken loathed puns. Even Futaba's annoyance was kinda cute. Personally, Haru didn't mind. But still, they had a job to do.
"We should really focus though," Haru voiced. "We still need to find our third target."
Ren agreed, and after going around in circles for a while... they finally managed to find themselves on the back deck.
Haru had a feeling that Ren was trying to conserve their energy for the next big fight, given how he led them to duck and cover in order to hide from the Shadows. Though Haru couldn't blame him especially since Morgana mentioned that they were stronger Shadows than usual.
But as they approached the door at the end of the hallway, a voice suddenly spoke.
"Yo, stop right there."
Haru couldn't help but freeze and she spun around. It was a man in a pinstripe suit, but Haru couldn't help but stare at the tattoos all over him. There was even a dragon tattoo coiling around his neck, peeking out from under his shirt.
"I'm talkin' to you guys. Come over here for a sec," he ordered, his voice brusque.
Anne pointed to herself. "Are you... talking about us?"
"Of course I am," he snapped.
Futaba scooted close to Ren, grasping his sleeve for a moment.
"Everyone, he looks super dangerous! I don't wanna get involved, even if he's just some old cognitive thing!" she said urgently.
He scowled at them. "What're you punks mumbling' on about? I hear you've been makin' quite a mess in here."
There was a threatening edge to his voice. Haru cringed, before instinctively moving closer to Yusuke.
Morgana shook his head vehemently. "W-We're totally not making a mess, we swear! Who are you anyway!?"
The cognition just laughed heartily at them. "Hmph! I'm the one askin' questions around here. Now, drink some salt water and reflect on what you did. I'm leavin' this to you guys. I don't got the time to waste on little punks like these."
What did he mean by that?
But the cognition snapped his fingers and one of those strong Shadows Morgana warned them against appeared.
"Look out!" Futaba cried.
Ren scowled at the sight of the Shadows. It was almost like a… ram-headed demon with angel-like wings, bronze all over.
"What a pain," he growled out, and then he jerked his head towards Yusuke. "Fox, switch out with Noir!"
"Understood!" Yusuke exclaimed.
He fell back and Haru hurried to take his place. If she had to guess, Ren was worried that the Shadow would use fire based skills.
But then it did something unexpected. One of the Shadows summoned a Bufudyne spell, downing Anne.
"Panther!" Futaba exclaimed. "Someone cover her!"
Haru tore off her mask. "Milady, please!"
The wave of psychic energy Milady summoned was enough to distract two of the Shadows, but the last Shadow managed to strike down Morgana with a well-placed Ziodyne spell.
"This Shadow really is annoying!" Futaba griped.
Ren cursed. "Dammit! Arsène!"
But the wave of curse energy was ineffective—the Shadows just shrugged it off.
Haru summoned Milady again, this time choosing to keep the Shadows at bay with a gun attack.
"You'll pay!" Anne suddenly snarled out.
Haru glanced in her direction to see that Anne had jumped to her feet.
"Panther, fall back!" Ren abruptly ordered. "Ace, take her spot!"
Anne looked taken aback but she did what Ren commanded, letting Ken to step forward.
He summoned Tyr, and with a swipe of his spear, the Persona summoned blades of light that managed to hit two of the Shadows and sending them sprawling.
"Nice, Ace! That's two of them!" Futaba cheered.
But then Prometheus began to glow, waves of green suddenly emitting from the Persona.
"Let's give you a boost! Speed up!"
"Thanks, Oracle!" Ren called to her.
"Finish this, Tyr!" Ken commanded.
The bless spell managed to hit the final Shadow and Haru, Ren, and Ken lunged forward to finish them off.
"Ugh, what a pain," Morgana groused as he summoned Zorro to heal himself.
Ryuji let out a growl, his grip on his club tightening.
"That wasn't funny, dammit! They were totally tryin' to kill us!" he snarled out.
Haru pressed her lips together for a moment. "Maybe because we caused a scene at both the restaurant and the pool. Somebody has to clean up the mess."
But then something struck Haru.
"Wait a second... clean up the mess?"
This was the cleaner?! She hadn't expected that at all!
Futaba gasped, apparently having come to the same conclusion.
"Ohhh, that's why they call him the 'cleaner'! It's 'cause he mops up any trouble that shows its face," she summarized.
"He looks like some kind of yakuza clan leader," Ken muttered. "Did you see those tattoos?"
"Hey, tattoos can be cool!" Ryuji said.
Anne shuddered, wrapping an arm around her torso. "But it wouldn't be cool if he snaps us into two."
"That should make him pretty easy to find though," Futaba mentioned. "We just gotta disturb the peace somehow."
Makoto shook her head, clicking her tongue in disapproval.
"But doing so would have an adverse effect on us finding the other letters of introduction. Let's leave him for last and hurry over to the other two first," she advised.
Yusuke nodded. "In that case, our next target should be the TV station president in the entertainment hall ahead."
"Let's go, Joker," Futaba said seriously.
They stepped through the door to find themselves in almost like… a hotel area. As they stepped forward, Haru could hear the tell-tale sounds of slot machines. It wasn't as glitzy as Niijima-san's Palace, but still above your average casino.
"This must be the entertainment hall as we expected," Makoto remarked.
"Then the slot-loving TV station president should be here. Let us search the area for him," Yusuke stated.
As they came closer to the slots area, they started to search for the elusive TV studio president.
Anne asked, "Hey, do you think he's the president of the TV station that we went to? You know, for the social studies field trip back in June."
"Social studies field trip?" Ken echoed.
"We took that trip like just a little before you transferred to Shujin," Anne clarified.
Oh that was right… she had honestly forgotten about the social studies trip. Back then, she was so worried about the engagement with Sugimura.
"It was totally dumb," Ryuji grumbled. "We were forced to give them free labor while we watched how a TV studio works."
"It wasn't bad." But then Ren suddenly pulled a face. "It's when we met Akechi though."
"That's not important right now," Morgana chided lightly.
Makoto frowned, apparently deep in thought.
"He gives letters of introduction to executives of companies who are willing to sponsor his programs. That's a difficult condition to meet…" she murmured.
Ryuji asked, "Wanna just beat it out of him?"
"Let's try not to be violent if we can get away with being diplomatic. We were close last time until that creep decided to get close and personal with Panther," Ken stated.
"Oh, I was ready to beat him up even before that," Anne said.
"Okayyy..." Ken nervously edged away from Anne.
"Did you hear what he said?! 'Oh, you girls are lovely but not my time unless you come from a good lineage.' Spare me the old-fashioned bullshit! He was begging for an ass kicking!" Anne began to rant.
"Ah, a woman after my own heart," Ren sighed longingly, before pressing a hand against his chest.
"Give me a break," Ryuji grumbled.
Haru ignored the banter, choosing to stare at the man. An executive of a company who would sponsor him... she may be struggling with the Okumura Foods board right now but he didn't know that. Okumura Foods would definitely pique his interest.
"Allow me to handle it," Haru stated, laying a hand over her heart.
This made everyone look to her in surprise. Haru gave a little frown. Was that shocking?
Ryuji looked concerned. "For real? But..."
Morgana smiled. "I'll allow it. You've got this, Noir."
"Who died and made you king?" Ryuji groused. "Last time I checked Joker's the leader, not you!"
Morgana glared at him. "Hmph! I'm certainly higher ranked than you!"
"Children, please play nice," Ken droned out before Ryuji could retaliate.
Haru pumped both fists, beaming at Morgana. "I won't let you down, Senpai!"
She then approached the TV studio president, letting out a delicate cough.
"H-Hello..." she stammered out before mentally kicking herself for it.
"Hello," he echoed, raising an eyebrow. "May I help you?"
Haru bit her lip. "Mm-hm, I believe you can. I was wondering—I'm an admirer of Masayoshi Shido."
She nearly choked on the words but she pressed forward. She would make Shido pay for orchestrating the death of her father, right when she was on the cusp of seeing her true father again.
"Won't you write me a letter of introduction to let me meet him?" she got out.
He blinked owlishly at her. "A letter of introduction? But you're so obviously a child."
Haru shook her head. "I may be young, I admit. But I am Haru Okumura, daughter of the president of Okumura Foods. I believe we sponsored you as well."
He looked taken aback by her revelation.
"Oh, you're her? It's true that I'm quite indebted to President Okumura. He funded us extremely well, after all. However, it looks like he got a little carried away. My condolences."
His voice was... condescending. Haru bit the inside of her cheek. It reminded her of the 'well-wishers' at Father's funeral. They kept telling her how brave she was and that it was a terrible loss.
He suddenly spoke again. "Regarding his exploiting management... Mr. Shido asked me to defend him as much as I could. I even threw some extra security his way, but there were limits to what I could do. The damage almost reached up to Mr. Shido himself. President Okumura had to be cut off."
"Cut off..."
Haru's stomach clenched at that. He spoke so flippantly about her father.
"How dare he!" she seethed to herself.
His body was barely cold! But this man spoke about her father as nothing but a tool!
"I see..." Haru managed to get out, before lowering her eyes demurely. "Thank you for all of your hard work."
It was like bile in her mouth but somehow she managed to get it out. She was starting to despise this man for talking about her father like this. She had so many regrets about Father, but this despicable man spoke of Father like he wasn't a person.
But this was Shido's cognition... it was really how Shido felt. Haru clasped her hands behind her back so she wouldn't be tempted to clench her hands into fists. She couldn't slip up. Everyone was depending on her to get the letter of recommendation.
"It seems he didn't just cast him off his ship, but also used him to trap the Phantom Thieves. Bravo, Mr. Shido. Truly a nasty maneuver," he suddenly remarked.
Haru gritted her teeth. It was difficult hearing that, even though they had long deduced that was the case. This was just... truly horrible. Especially since her father was the one to pay the ultimate price.
Haru managed a sweet smile. "Won't you please give me a letter of recommendation? Once our company recovers, I will arrange for us to cooperate with you in a sponsorship role."
He tilted his head, his eyes studying Haru closely.
"You're the daughter of the late president. Do you really have the authority to do that? Your employees probably resent you."
He paused, apparently thinking it over. Haru crossed her fingers behind her back, praying that he'd take the bait.
"However, I am in your father's debt, either way. I can repay some kindness to his daughter."
"Thank you... very much," Haru got out, even as her heart clenched painfully.
She closed her eyes for a moment. She didn't know if she'd ever be 'over' her father's death. Even now, her heart still bled for her father. He did horrible things but he lost sight of everything.
Sometimes she wondered if Father became obsessed with wealth because of how he couldn't afford the proper medical attention for Mother.
"But my, your father truly was a fool."
The callous remark grabbed Haru's attention right away.
"He could've lived a life of luxury if only he'd done what he was told," he laughed, shaking his head. "You know, I'm the one who broadcast the moment of his mental shutdown."
The nerve of him! Reveling in her father's mental shutdown like this?!
He was oblivious to Haru's silent seething, laughing hysterically.
"He pulled Okumura Foods out of debt. He would've been a good asset to Shido if he hadn't been so delusional. And now, he's left you with a tainted legacy. You poor thing."
"How dare you…" Haru uttered.
He stopped short. "Huh?"
"How could you speak of my father's death like that?!" Haru demanded. "Are you truly heartless?"
He looked quizzically at Haru.
"Hm? That's just business," he stated.
"Just business?! That's all you see this as?! You horrible—!"
She halted her thoughts, she was done trying to hold it all in. She took a shaky breath and licked her dry lips before speaking.
"My father may have made his own fair share of mistakes…" Haru glared at him. "But how could you delight in his mental shutdown? Are there other mental shutdowns you've broadcast for the sake of your precious ratings?"
He just swallowed hard under Haru's stern glare.
"No!" she hissed, clenching a hand into a fist. "You say that I have to grapple with a tainted legacy… but I'll prove everyone wrong. This I swear! I won't let naysayers crush me with their doubt! I will make my father and grandfather proud, and I will blow anyone who says otherwise away!"
She then reached up, tearing off her mask.
"Starting with you!" she snarled out.
Milady's voice suddenly began to resonate in her mind.
Thou art I… and I am thou. Thine resolve hast transformed me… and hast given me a new form. I am…
"ASTARTE!"
There was a loud bang and the cognition was suddenly sent flying backwards. He crashed hard against the slot machines he so loved, letting out a groan.
The cognition pushed himself up, his hands clenching into fists.
"Is that how you want to play, little girl?! Fine then!"
The cognition's form trembled once before transforming into a monkey wielding two swords. He was quickly flanked by two golden birds.
It was like... that tomb raider's Shadow form from Futaba's palace. That made things a little easier at least.
"If you think that it's so amusing to brag about showing deaths for the sake of your precious ratings, then I will gladly fight you!" Haru snapped back at the Shadow, unusually fired up.
Ren quickly did a once-over of the area. It was a little tight… it might be tough to maneuver around with everyone.
"Noir, Fox, Ace—you're with me! Everyone else, fall back!" Ren ordered.
Haru, Yusuke, and Ken rushed to join him.
"Arsène!" Ren called on his Persona.
Arsène held out one hand, a ball of dark energy pulsating to life. It then exploded, striking at the three Shadows.
Ren huffed. Damn, if only it was that easy.
"Tyr, answer my call!" Ken exclaimed, before summoning Tyr.
Blades of light slashed through the air.
"Any idea what its weakness might be?" Ren asked.
Ken shook his head. "Not that I recall."
"We'll just find this the hard way then!" Yusuke said, before ripping off his mask. "Kamu Susano-o!"
The temperature dropped significantly as Kamu Susano-o blasted ice chunks at the three Shadows. The golden birds were hit but the TV studio president managed to dodge.
"Is that all you got?" the Shadow taunted.
Then he suddenly turned to one of its lackeys. Red suddenly began to shimmer around the golden bird. Its entire countenance seemed to shift. Ren didn't know how it was possible for a bird to glare but this Shadow did.
"Aw, crap—he hit that Shadow with a rage spell. Look out, guys!" Futaba warned.
The Shadow dive-bombed at Ken but Ken was prepared. He stabbed it with his spear, before smacking it down with the opposite end of his spear. The moment the Shadow hit the ground, Ren saw an opening.
Ren snatched up his gun, shooting at the Shadow. The bullet struck at one of its wings and the Shadow let out a pained screech.
"Nice, Joker! That's how it's done!" Futaba complimented him.
Ren grinned. This was nice, having a fight go more smoothly. Then he turned to his friend.
"Ace, it's yours!"
Ken accepted the baton pass before summoning Tyr. Tyr leveled his arm cannon at the other Shadow before blasting full force.
"Great shot, Ace!" Futaba cheered.
Then Prometheus flashed above their heads.
"But let me give you a boost! Power up!"
Red shimmered around them, and Ren couldn't help but grin as he felt a surge in energy.
"Thanks, Oracle!" he called to her.
"Noir, take it!" Ken said, extending his hand to Haru.
Haru took the baton pass without hesitation. She tore off her mask, crying out, "Astarte, come!"
Haru's new Persona was very... Haru. Pink and covered with flowers… but it was coming out of a skull.
Bullets exploded from Haru's Persona, striking down all three Shadows. It immediately killed the two bird Shadows.
"Holy crap," was all Ren could utter.
"Note to self: do not piss off Noir," Futaba intoned.
He knew that Haru was boosted from the two baton passes already but still, that was kinda scary.
Haru raised her hand to her mask once more, only to change her mind. She whipped her head towards Yusuke.
"You're the last one, Fox!" she exclaimed, holding out her hand.
Yusuke nodded. "Of course, Noir!"
He darted over to her, exchanging a high-five. Yusuke summoned his Persona, but unfortunately the Shadow managed to dodge the ice spell.
"Annoying little bugger," Ren grumbled to himself.
"Ack, Inari, you blew it!" Futaba moaned out.
Yusuke grumbled under his breath before raising his hand to tear off his mask once more.
But Ren couldn't help but wonder. Maybe this Shadow would just dodge their attacks. Ren and Haru managed to hit it but…
"Fox, wait," Ren suddenly said.
"Noir, Ace—I want you to get that Shadow's attention. Do whatever you must to get its attention on you."
As Haru and Ken hurried to follow his orders, Ren turned back to Yusuke.
"Fox, I want you to watch the Shadow. We'll give you an opening, got it?"
Yusuke nodded before he gripped at the hilt of his katana. "Understood, Joker," he said gravely.
Ren grinned before whirling around to face the Shadow. He tore off his mask, summoning Arsène.
Arsène summoned another burst of dark energy but the Shadow deftly dodged the attack. Ken then swept at the Shadow with his spear. It barely managed to dodge, making Ken make a frustrated growl.
The Shadow lunged at Ken, brandishing its swords.
"Ace, move!" Haru cried out, before summoning Astarte.
The bullets Astarte shot at the Shadow forced it on the defensive.
Ren tore off his mask, summoning one of his new Personas. "Thor!"
Lightning crackled from Thor's great hammer before striking at the Shadow. Static electricity sparked from its form.
This got the Shadow's attention and it switched targets. Ren jumped backwards, only for pain to spike through his leg as he landed.
Ren sank to his knee as his leg throbbed.
"Joker!" Anne cried out to him, her voice filled with panic.
"Tyr!"
"Astarte!"
The combination of light and psy magic sent the Shadow flying.
"I'll end it!" Yusuke cried out.
Kamu Susano-o's ice spell struck the Shadow dead on, and it crumbled to dust.
"Joker!" Anne cried out, making a beeline for him.
She sank to her knees, before tearing off her mask. Hecate hovered above her as she cast a healing spell. Warmth blossomed in his leg, and he could feel the pain already fading away.
He was suddenly surrounded by his friends.
"Joker, how's your leg?" Morgana asked with worry.
"Have you been pushing yourself too hard?! We would've stopped if you were feeling pain in your leg!" Haru exclaimed nervously.
"Guys, stop!" Ken abruptly snapped. "Panther's healing now. He'll be fine."
Ren shot him a grateful look. Then he cleared his throat.
"Uhh—hey, I didn't mean to worry you. Sorry, I didn't even realize it."
Yusuke clicked his tongue in disapproval. "You need to take more caution, Joker."
"I will, I will... we'll head out after this, okay?"
"You better," Morgana grumbled.
Ryuji sighed with relief. "I'm just glad that you're okay, man. Can you stand?"
Ren nodded. "I think so."
Ryuji then grabbed his hand and slowly pulled him up. Ren winced. Okay, the pain wasn't completely gone. But this was manageable.
Makoto cleared her throat. "Well, at least we have our third letter now."
Haru nodded. "Mm-hm, that's true."
But then Haru suddenly tensed up. She turned around, facing the TV studio president. He cringed under Haru's stare.
"I assume as part of the media, you have knowledge about quite a few important topics. We will not take your life, as long as you share the knowledge that you've kept from the public," she stated calmly.
"Umm... we weren't gonna kill him," Anne said.
Morgana quickly shushed her.
"This is a good time for intel!" he said urgently.
The TV studio president swallowed hard under Haru's hard gaze.
"Do you remember, the mafia boss who confessed back in July? Well, the money he was gathering all went to Shido-san."
This drew a gasp from Makoto, her eyes growing wide with shock.
"Shido and Kaneshiro were connected?" she asked in disbelief.
The president nodded. "Indeed... as well as that old man Madarame. His counterfeit business along with Kaneshiro's mafia aided Shido-san quite a lot financially."
"Blood money," Ken said, his voice filled with disgust.
"Figures that Shido wouldn't give a crap where his money came from," Ryuji spat out.
"All of those lives ruined..." Makoto said mournfully, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. Her hands, balled into fists, then began to shake. "For this?"
"Queen..." Ken said quietly, reaching out to steady her hands.
"Sensei was involved in this?" Yusuke questioned.
Then he suddenly let out a hollow laugh, wrapping his arms around himself.
"Why am I surprised? I've known for months that he's utterly ruthless when he wants something. The lengths he went..."
"Oh… Fox." Haru murmured, her voice growing soft with sympathy.
Ryuji then looked to the president. "Hey, you were forcin' the news to be about Akechi and Shido all the time, right? I'm sick of 'em!"
Futaba coughed pointedly. Then she pushed up her goggles to give Ryuji an exasperated look.
"Skull, he isn't real, remember?"
"Oh right," Ryuji said with a sheepish smile before rubbing the back of his neck. "Tellin' him ain't gonna do shit for us."
"Shido just keeps getting worse," Ren spat out, disgust welling up in him.
He wished with all of his heart he could keep pushing on. But he knew that it would be an idiot move. He just wanted Shido to pay for his sins. All of the lives he had destroyed for the sake of his ambition. He couldn't let Shido drag Tokyo—no, all of Japan.
Ren closed his eyes for a moment. He just had to be patient. Shido would get his.
For the sake of everyone who had suffered under his hand—Ohya's friend Kayo, Wakaba Isshiki, Kunikazu Okumura... the list went on and on.
But he had to be smart about this. And they did get three out of the five letters they needed. What they had accomplished was nothing to sneeze at.
"Let's go back, guys. Good work, everyone."
"We've stopped at Shibuya. I repeat, Shibuya…"
Makoto poked Ken in the side. "Ken, this is our stop."
Ken stifled a yawn, blinking sleepily at her. "I'm coming."
Instead of heading towards his apartment, he stayed by her side. It took Makoto a moment to realize what was going on.
"Ken, you don't have to walk me home."
Ken just slipped his hand into hers, before giving a light squeeze. "I wanted to, though."
Makoto felt her cheeks warm up in response. "Are you sure, though? I know you have to be careful."
Ken nodded.
"I'm sure. Besides it's getting dark so that helps. When we're on the streets at least." He suddenly pulled a face. "And besides, I've been stuck in the penthouse for days now."
"Getting cabin fever, are we?" Makoto teased lightly.
Ken sighed. "You have no idea."
Makoto laughed softly. She never pictured Ken to be the type to get antsy like this. Maybe she could come over more, to keep him company at least.
"I'm sure Ren understands your suffering," she teased.
"Right, he has to play dead. He might be worse off than me," Ken droned out.
"It'll be over soon," she reassured her boyfriend.
"Not soon enough," Ken grumbled before running his free hand through his hair. "We still have two more letters of recommendation to get ahold of and then there's the preparation for the fight with Shido…"
But then he gave her a once-over.
"But how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Ken, don't worry," Makoto said, shaking her head. "I don't even have a headache."
A relieved sigh escaped Ken before he rubbed at the back of his neck. A sheepish smile appeared on his face.
"Sorry, I don't mean to fuss."
Makoto laughed softly. "If I got after you for that, I'd be a hypocrite."
Ken laughed at that. He then glanced towards Makoto's apartment building which was starting to come into view.
"Do you think your sister will be home?" he suddenly asked.
Makoto shrugged in response. "I honestly don't know. Sis has been coming home more often now but she does still have a busy workload."
Makoto winced; she realized now that she was painting an unfair picture of Sae.
"She's been trying, though. We've been talking more. A little about Dad, what I've been up to. It's nice."
She couldn't help but feel lame at what she said, but it was the truth. Things still felt awkward and stilted between them. She couldn't deny that. But she felt like it was the first step forward.
Ken smiled gently at her. "I'm glad to hear that. I know that it'll be hard at first but it'll come easier over time."
Makoto raised an eyebrow at that. "You talk like you're experienced with this kind of thing."
Ken let out a little laugh, amused by something.
"Well, it's not entirely the same but it was... difficult working things out with Shinjiro-san initially."
"Oh…"
Makoto couldn't help but feel a little foolish. It was hard believing that there was a time where Ken ever felt awkward around his guardian. Their relationship wasn't exactly conventionalbut it was so easy to see how much they cared about each other.
"Sorry about that…"
Ken shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry about."
He then let out a little sigh as they stopped in front of Makoto's apartment.
"Should I walk you up?"
Makoto frowned. Normally, Ken wouldn't have hesitated to walk her up. But she could understand his hesitation. Shido was supposed to believe that Ken and the Shadow Operatives had cut off ties with them.
Makoto shook her head. "It's okay. It's just a couple floors."
Ken sighed, the puff of air ruffling his bangs. "I'll see you soon... hopefully."
Makoto stood on her tiptoes, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll visit you soon," she promised.
Ken smiled at her. "Thanks, Makoto. But don't think that you have to visit me constantly."
Makoto shook her head. "It's not a chore for me, you know."
Ken laughed lightly before dipping his head to kiss her forehead. "Duly noted."
"And Ken?" Makoto looked up at him shyly before her cheeks warmed. "I love you."
It felt nice to finally get it off her chest, to say it to him.
Ken quickly embraced her. "I love you too."
He kissed her one more time before bidding her good night. She watched him until she couldn't make his form out. She pursed her lips together. Hopefully both Ken and Ren would make it back safely without any problems.
When Makoto entered the apartment, she noticed that Sae's shoes were by the door.
"Sis, I'm home," she said tentatively, feeling more than just a little awkward.
Usually she was the one to greet Sae, not the other way around.
As she walked further into the apartment, she saw that Sae had fallen asleep at the table. Files were scattered everywhere. A mug of cold tea sat nearby.
Makoto sighed, shaking her head before organizing the files. Sae suddenly stirred, as Makoto finished stacking the files.
"Makoto?" she said drowsily.
Then she gasped, sitting up straight.
"Makoto, when did you get back?" she asked.
"Just now, Sis. Did you have a rough day at work?" Makoto asked.
"Ah…" Sae suddenly coughed into her hand. "Nothing you need to concern yourself about. I'm just doing some research on the side."
"Research?" Makoto echoed.
Sae sighed, running a hand through her hair. Then she looked to Makoto.
"So… how was the Palace?" she asked.
Makoto pursed her lips together. Sae was dodging her question.
"Sis, what are you not telling me?"
Sae's lips pressed together until they became a thin line.
"I don't want to get your hopes up," she said hesitantly. "But... I've been doing some research on the side, to see if we can get Ren-kun's sentence lifted from his record."
"Really?!" Makoto gasped, her eyes growing wide.
This was a pleasant surprise. She hadn't expected Sae to be looking into this.
Sae smiled gently before giving a little nod. "Yes, really. Your conversation about getting rid of Ren-kun's record stuck in my mind."
"That's... incredible," Makoto breathed.
Sae shook her head before stifling a yawn. "Save the compliments when I actually find a way."
She then gestured Makoto to sit down.
"You never answered my question, though."
Makoto couldn't help but frown. This visit to Shido's Palace had both its ups and downs.
"Well we made a lot of progress today," she said hesitantly. "We got three out of the five letters of recommendation that we need to find the Treasure."
She hoped this response would satisfy Sae's curiosity. She wasn't sure how Sae would react to the fact that she got hurt—more seriously than usual.
Sae sighed. "You know, this still sounds like a fairytale to me…"
Makoto just shrugged. "Well Sis... believe it or not, it's very much real."
Sae suddenly frowned, squinting at her. "Do you usually... get physical injuries once you leave though?"
Makoto winced. "Ah…"
She really wished she could come up with a better response but…
"Is that a yes?" Sae was suddenly alert. "Makoto…"
Makoto said firmly, "Sis, don't. You can't change my mind. This is something I have to do. I swore that I would never close my eyes from the truth again. I have to do this. You didn't see what's in Shido's mind. He's completely warped, and he'll drag all of Japan into his scheme. I can't look away."
Sae asked, "But to the point of endangering your life? Makoto, what if it gets worse?"
Makoto shook her head. "My answer is still the same. Shido deserves to be brought to justice."
Then something suddenly struck Makoto, and her lips curled into a smile.
"Besides, it's not much more dangerous than helping a wanted criminal from escaping custody, right?"
Sae gaped at her, before a small laugh escaped her.
"I suppose you have me there."
Sae spoke stiltedly though. Makoto sighed. She could see in Sae's eyes that she wasn't happy with this.
"Sis—"
"I don't like this, Makoto," Sae said flatly. "I-I know that you've been going out and doing Phantom Thief work for months but I—this is too dangerous. Are you ready to pay any price?"
Makoto nodded without hesitation.
"I am. I refuse to back down. We've come this far and I don't intend on running away now."
Sae still looked at unease. But then she suddenly took a deep breath.
"I'm not entirely happy about this. But I know that you're nearly an adult and have the right to start making your own decisions. Just—please be careful, Makoto. Mom and Dad are gone. I can't lose you too."
Makoto reached out, touching Sae's hand resting on the table.
"Don't worry, Sis. I don't plan on getting killed out there."
Sae's face softened. "Okay... I trust you, Makoto. You are a bright girl after all. You won't do anything reckless."
Makoto tried not to cringe. Perhaps one day she'll tell Sae about what happened the day she had awakened to Johanna. But that day was not today.
"I'll have to do my part in ensuring that Shido will remain behind bars though," Sae remarked.
Makoto laughed softly. "Well you have a little time. Ren's leg is still not at 100% so he'll have to recuperate for several days before we go back in."
Sae frowned. "Is he going to be okay?"
"Well, he's covered when it comes to medicine," Makoto said hesitantly.
At least Ren's reaction to Mitsuru-san's gift was amusing.
Sae arched an eyebrow at Makoto. "I beg your pardon?"
"Ah, it's nothing." Makoto waved her hand in dismissal.
Sae shook her head, looking a little skeptical at Makoto's claim. But then she suddenly stood up.
"I'll cook dinner tonight," she announced.
Makoto blinked at that. Sae wasn't... much of a cook.
"Are you sure, Sis?"
"Yes, you need to rest."
"What are you even going to cook?" Makoto asked skeptically.
"I'll... figure it out."
Makoto laughed. "We might as well order take-out then."
Sae gave her an indignant look before folding her arms over her chest. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Makoto giggled, raising an eyebrow. "You're a smart woman, Sis. I'm sure you can figure it out."
"Quiet, you."
Notes:
And we're officially at the midpoint of the Shido arc! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! There was a lot of content I had to cover. Next chapter will be a little breather though, in preparation of the final parts of the Shido Palace.
As usual, a big thank you to my wonderful beta angelrin89! Her tweaks and polishing up the chapter are much appreciated! She helped me with figuring out about the whole swimsuit thing too because when I sat down to write that section, it struck me as odd that the girls could just… change out of the suits. While yes, gameplay wise, you CAN change out of the thief outfits and equip costumes. But the whole suddenly in Phantom Thief outfits the moment Anne reveals her true intentions just doesn't make sense. Not to mention there's the whole thing with the Metaverse costumes actually protecting the PT from distortions in the Metaverse. So a change to try and fix this small plothole.
Also I know that some people may be wondering on the SEES reactions to the cousin reveal. I'm currently working on a oneshot about that. I'll be soon releasing a oneshot collection based on the Ace in the Hole verse, covering pre-P5 timeline and beyond the conclusion of Ace in the Hole!
But long time readers probably know… I've participated in Shuann Week every year since its conception… and it's just 2 months away. So, I will be taking a small hiatus while I work on those pieces. Additionally I'm working on a Shuyuka zine (which covers both protagonist ships with Yukari) with a couple of my friends so that also eats into my time. (If you're interested in that zine, check out the twitter @Shuyukazine!)
I've also commissioned a few more art pieces! These include art of the older IT, Yu and Teddie. Almost all of the IT has art now. Thank you guys for your patience regarding this chapter and happy early Valentine's Day! I'd love to hear what you guys think about this chapter!
Chapter 47: Ch. 46: Calm Before The Storm
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves take a break from Shido's Palace. But, that doesn't mean that all is well. Ryuji and Yusuke have to shield the truth about Ren's absence from Tokyo and Makoto is facing some self-doubt. Despite all of this, they try to take a breather, especially for Haru's birthday.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Saturday, December 3rd , 2016
It was consultation day for Shujin third-years. Their homeroom teachers would speak to them about what they planned on doing after graduating from Shujin. It was happening all day, so the third-years essentially had free studying time during school hours while they waited for their turn.
Makoto wasn't called in until right before lunch.
Her homeroom teacher smiled at Makoto before gesturing for her to sit down. Makoto did so before clasping her hands in her lap.
"Don't be nervous, Niijima-san," her teacher said kindly. "This is just an informality. It won't affect your grade, don't worry."
Makoto gave a small chuckle at this before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She then slowly raised her eyes to meet her teacher's gaze.
"How about we get started with this, then?" Makoto prompted.
Her teacher just gave a short hum of agreement. Then she clapped her hands together once.
"So, Niijima-san… you're a bright young woman. I think it's safe to assume that you have plans to enter university after graduation."
Makoto nodded in response. "That's right. I already have a career in mind as well."
Her teacher looked at her curiously. Makoto just smiled slightly.
"I want to study criminal justice. I want to become a police officer like my father, and hopefully rise to the position of police commissioner."
This earned Makoto a startled look. Makoto bit the inside of her cheek. She knew that it wasn't going to be an easy path, but she wished that it didn't earn her a funny look.
"Oh, that surprises me, Niijima-san. I had thought that you would follow in your older sister's footsteps. You certainly have the brains for law school. And..." Her teacher hesitated for a moment. "Are you entirely sure? Women in the police force always have it more difficult."
Makoto pressed her lips together. She was determined to follow her own path. But she did know that her teacher's comment was well-meaning.
"Thank you but... this is the path I want to take."
What Makoto didn't share was that she was driven to join the force was because the system was corrupt, and she wanted to tackle it from the inside.
Her teacher ended up asking her a few more questions and Makoto did her best to answer it to the best of her ability. She was then dismissed and headed back to the classroom. She only had returned to class for a few minutes when the lunch bell suddenly rang. Makoto reached down to grab her bento box, only for her eyes to drift over to Ken's empty seat.
Makoto let out a soft sigh.
She really missed him at school. Even before they began dating, they had eaten lunch together practically every day. Even if she couldn't come and see Ken after school with her duties or studying, they texted every day. But it still didn't feel the same.
"Makoto? Helloooo? Are you still in lala-land?"
Makoto snapped to attention, twisting in her seat just in time to see Anne smack the back of Ryuji's head.
"Don't tease her, Ryuji," she snapped.
Ryuji stuck his tongue at Anne. "Don't tell me what to do!"
"Is there something you wanted?" Makoto asked, interrupting the incoming bickering fest between the two second-years.
Anne just nodded. "We were wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with us today."
"You do realize that it's still against the rules to be on the school roof," Makoto pointed out, even as a smile tugged at her lips.
Ryuji grinned in response.
"But there's where you come in," he said cheerfully. "Besides Haru is technically allowed to be on the roof to tend to the garden. We're just keeping her company."
Makoto let out a little laugh. "All right, all right, if you insist."
"Like we had to twist your arm to do it," Anne said, playfully smiling at Makoto.
Makoto laughed again at Anne's quip. Well, she had no retort to that. She got to her feet, picking up her bento lunch.
Ryuji grinned before making a beeline for the door. Anne took the moment to squeeze Makoto's arm, though.
"I miss seeing Ren every day too," she said softly.
Makoto just smiled weakly at her friend. "Hopefully this will be all over soon."
Anne nodded in response before clearing her throat.
"You know, Ren texted me this funny video of him teasing Morgana with a laser pen. I'll show it to you when we're on the roof."
Makoto had to stifle a laugh at the mental image. Poor Morgana. Ren really like teasing people. But still—they needed some laughs after all the stress they've been dealing with. Hopefully Haru's birthday party would help as well.
"Lead the way then, Anne."
The last bell rung shrilly, signaling the end of the school day. Makoto hummed to herself as she gathered her belongings. Once she was done packing everything away, she slung her schoolbag over her shoulder. As it was the end of the school week, she had taken care of most of her paperwork for student council. She still had some schoolwork, of course, but Makoto hoped to have some leisure time this weekend.
As she walked to the station, Makoto pulled out her phone to text Ken about a visit. Even though they had gotten to see each other yesterday, that had been mostly Phantom Thief business.
It took Ken a few minutes to respond.
[Ken]: Oh sorry Makoto. I just saw this.
[Makoto]: That's okay. I wasn't waiting for long.
[Makoto]: I hope you're not feeling too bored.
[Ken]: Not today. Ren came over with Morgana.
[Makoto]: I guessed that when I saw the video. You were the one recording it, weren't you?
[Ken]: Well… it was funny.
[Makoto]: Does Morgana know that you recorded him acting like a cat?
[Ken]: Do I look like I want to get clawed at? He did that to me once already and I don't want a repeat of that.
Makoto couldn't help but giggle at Ken's quip. Makoto spent a few more minutes texting Ken before the conductor announced that they were pulling to Shibuya's stop. She waited for the people standing up to leave the train before stepping out herself. She didn't want to be elbowed at because some people were just that impatient to get off first.
It wasn't long until Makoto arrived at the apartment building where Ken and Shinjiro-san lived. She texted Ken about arriving and he met her at the elevator.
Ken smiled down at her for a moment before giving her a quick hug.
"Hey, Makoto," he greeted.
Makoto smiled, resting her chin onto Ken's shoulder before returning the embrace.
"Hi. You missed consultation with the teachers. You know, when they ask you what you plan on doing after graduation."
Ken huffed. "I had a consultation earlier this year. I don't need it a second time."
Makoto tilted her head. "Does Gekkoukan do it at the beginning of the year, then?"
Ken shook his head. "They do it for second-years. They do it in mid-January if I remember right."
"At least you didn't miss out on it," Makoto teased lightly.
"Every student's dream, being asked what they want to do with their lives after graduation," Ken droned, the sarcasm practically dripping from every word.
Makoto laughed again. "Come on, let's get inside before Ren gets the bright idea to start spying on us."
"Like he hasn't thought of it already," Ken said under his breath.
But then he stepped towards the door, pushing it open. Ren was sitting on the couch but he looked up when the two of them entered.
"You were gone for longer than expected," Ren teased. "If I opened the door, would I have walked in on you two making out?"
Shinjiro-san looked up from some magazine, his expression deadpan.
"You don't want to see it. Trust me."
Ken scowled at his guardian. "It wasn't even that many times—!"
"To you maybe," Shinjiro-san snarked.
"Oooh, someone's been naughty," Ren said, smiling smugly.
Ken glowered at Ren in response.
"You of all people can't say that," Ken ground out.
Especially since he had just rambledon and on about Anne to Sae. Makoto still felt bad for Sae. Makoto had only heard a tiny bit, but Makoto couldn't help but feel embarrassed at the small snippet she got of what her friends did in private thanks to Futaba bugging Ren's phone.
Not that she'd ever tell Ren. Ren probably would die of embarrassment if he ever found out.
Ren opened his mouth to retort but Shinjiro-san suddenly came up from behind Ren. He dropped a bottle of pills in Ren's lap, along with a bottle of water.
"It's been four hours, Amamiya. You need to take Takemi's medicine again."
Ren grumbled before unscrewing the pill bottle's lid. After popping a pill in his mouth, he took a swig of water.
"Are you getting headaches still, Ren?" Makoto asked, feeling concerned for her friend.
Ren swallowed the last bit of water in his mouth before wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
"Yeah. It comes and goes." Ren winced before touching the side of his head. "Those cops really did a number on me."
Makoto swallowed hard. That was right. Cops had done this to Ren.
They had beaten him senseless. Given him bruises that were still healing. Had given him a limp that had lasted for days.
He had willing taken police brutality for her and everyone's sakes.
It took Makoto a moment to realize that her hands were shaking. She quickly clenched them into fists, so not to alert everyone else.
"That's why you need to take it easy," Morgana chided.
"I'm fine, Morgana. You don't need to fuss," Ren said with an eye-roll.
Ren was all smiles, but Makoto still couldn't help but feel troubled by all of this. This reminder that Ren had been hurt so badly left Makoto shaken.
Was it really okay for her to pursue this path when a good friend had been hurt so badly by said system? Was she a bad friend for wanting to pursue a career in law enforcement?
Morgana huffed.
"Yeah, yeah…" he said sulkily. "Are you still meeting up with Haru today? She said it was pretty important, right?"
Ren sighed, flapping his hand at Morgana. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I promised her and I won't back out."
He stood up before grabbing the bag he used to carry Morgana. He then scooped up Morgana and placed him in the bag.
"See you guys."
"See you, Ren," Ken said.
Makoto barely remembered to say her own farewell. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ken give her a concerned frown, but she pretended not to see it. Ren didn't seem to notice, just waving at them before stepping out.
"I wonder what Haru needed Ren for," Makoto said, doing her best to keep her voice light.
Ken shrugged. "She's working on trying to break the engagement with Sugimura… maybe she needs Ren for back-up."
"She should've just asked Mitsuru to help her. She would've torn Sugimura to shreds," Shinjiro-san deadpanned.
Ken rolled his eyes in response. "Violence isn't always the answer, Shinjiro-san."
"Besides that, I think that Haru wants to do this on her own merit," Makoto spoke up.
Though Makoto was surprised, if Haru had in fact asked Ren to help her with breaking her engagement with Sugimura. Just last week, she was still trying to figure out what to do.
Shinjiro-san gave a nod at that.
"She'll be fine. She's tougher than she looks." Then he abruptly cleared his throat. "But I'm gonna head out. Don't burn the house down while I'm gone."
Ken huffed. "You've caused food to burn more because of Fuuka-san—"
"Shuddup," Shinjiro-san snarled at Ken, glaring at him. "How many times are you gonna bring that shit up?"
"You started it," Ken said childishly.
Shinjiro-san continued to scowl before his gaze fell on Makoto. Then he smirked.
"So, Makoto, do you want to hear about what Ken dressed up for Halloween last year—"
Ken's eyes widened. "And you're late for work!"
He jumped to his feet, all but shoving Shinjiro-san to the door.
"Okay, okay, Ken, jeez—I was kidding!"
Makoto couldn't help but giggle as Ken and Shinjiro-san started to bicker. It was always amusing to watch. The bickering soon tapered off and Shinjiro-san headed off for work.
Ken then plopped down next to Makoto, still grumbling a little.
Makoto laughed. "You don't have to pout, Ken."
"I'm not pouting."
Makoto giggled again before kissing his cheek. "To be fair, you started it."
"No, Shinjiro-san did with his burning down the house comment," Ken grumbled out with a petulant frown.
Makoto let out a little sigh, shaking her head. As amusing as it was to see Ken like this, she wasn't keen on having her boyfriend sulk like this.
"So… is there anything you feel like doing?" she asked.
"Maybe later," Ken said absently before his eyes met Makoto's.
His expression suddenly was serious.
"Makoto, what was bothering you earlier? You were fine until... you saw Ren."
Makoto squeezed her eyes for a moment before biting her lip. She stared down at her lap. Ken was easier to confide in than her other friends but the words felt stuck in her throat.
She felt Ken take her hand.
"Makoto, you know you can tell me anything, right?" he asked softly, running his thumb over the back of her hand.
Makoto slowly let out a breath that she had been holding. She then hesitantly met Ken's gaze.
"Ren is still in pain," Makoto said quietly; her mouth suddenly was dry, and she had to swallow hard. "Because of what he went through interrogation."
"Makoto—"
Makoto interrupted. "Let me finish, please..."
She licked her lips and let out a shaky breath.
"Would I be a good friend if I decided to pursue criminal justice—when a friend was hurt so badly by cops?"
"Personally—I don't think so."
Makoto blinked at that. He'd be biased, wouldn't he? Since he was her boyfriend—
Then it hit her, why Ken was saying that.
Akihiko-san was a police officer. The police officer who talked to Ken after his mother's death… laughed off what Ken said, thinking it was just his wild imagination.
"But I can't dictate how Ren feels. You should talk to him. But I don't think he'd hold it against you… ever. You're different than the men in Shido's want to be better. You want to change things," Ken said softly.
Makoto felt her heart swell at that. It was nice to have someone have so much faith in her.
"Do you really think I can do it?" she asked.
Ken nodded before a small smile appeared on his face. "Honestly? I think you can do anything."
Makoto's chest suddenly felt warm.
"Thank you, Ken. It just kinda hit me with me talking about my goals earlier today and then seeing Ren was just…" she trailed off at that.
Ken just nodded. "I understand that. Especially since Ren went through so much physical trauma."
Ken's expression hardened at that.
"Unfortunately, medicine and even healing him can do so much."
Makoto bit her lip before looking to her boyfriend. She reached out, putting a hand on his arm.
"What about you, though?" she asked quietly.
Ken just smiled ruefully. "It's getting better every day but at least I haven't been feeling any physical pain—aside from the usual, anyways."
Makoto smiled hesitantly at that. "I'm glad about that."
"What about you though?" Ken asked. "No headaches or anything?"
Makoto shook her head. "Nothing, although Sis was worried when I came home last night. I told her that I need to see this through though."
"We've come this far after all." Ken nodded.
Makoto smiled before nodding. "Exactly."
With Shinjuku's reputation, Sae never liked lingering in that particular district. But she had come to Shinjuku tonight for a specific reason.
She had come to Crossroads to seek out Aragaki. She felt a little awkward, showing up where he and Amada-kun lived. It was different when she was invited.
Not to mention… she didn't want Amada-kun to overhear this conversation. Without a doubt, he'd tell Makoto about this and Sae wanted to avoid that.
Sae still couldn't get how Makoto looked last night out of her head.
She wrestled with the thoughts in her head for over an hour last night before falling into a fitful sleep. She was then plagued with terrible dreams, dreams where Makoto and her friends were dying painfully because Shido managed to get the upper hand. She had woken up in a cold sweat after that. Needless to say… she couldn't get any sleep after that.
Then she couldn't help but think about Aragaki. Maybe he would have some insight on this. He had been in the know for a few months, after all. Though, he might not even be working tonight. Aragaki's working schedule could be sporadic for all she knew.
Sae shook her head. She needed to stop being negative. If he wasn't working here tonight, she'd just check another night.
Feeling determined, Sae pushed the door open. Her eyes wandered to the bar. The proprietor—Lala, if Sae recalled correctly—was chatting with some of the customers but a little further down, Aragaki was mixing a drink.
She couldn't help but feel a little awkward as she walked towards Aragaki. Aragaki just raised an eyebrow but finished mixing the drink before handing it off to the customer.
"What are you doing here, Niijima?" he asked without preamble.
Sae pursed her lips together. "I need to talk to you. About something… important."
Lala looked over to Sae and Aragaki, eyebrow raised.
"Well, you are due for a break, Aragaki," she remarked. "Why don't you go ahead and take it right now?"
Aragaki nodded in response. "Alright."
He stepped out from behind the bar, gesturing to the door. Sae followed him out. They stepped into a nearby alley for a semblance of privacy.
"What did you wanna talk about?"
"Blunt as always," Sae thought wryly.
Sae pursed her lips together. "Yesterday was the first time I had seen Makoto in pain... because of her extracurricular activities."
Aragaki suddenly snorted at that. "That's what you wanna call it?"
Sae glowered at him. "That's what you're getting out of all I said?"
"Honestly, does he have to be so aggravating?" she thought with a huff.
Aragaki just stared at her and she just took a breath to relax... or at least try to.
"I recalled what Amada-kun went through. With Shido," she said quietly.
Aragaki noticeably stiffened at that, his entire body growing rigid. Then he looked to Sae, his eyes growing hard.
Sae winced, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I... apologize for bringing this up. I'm sure it's not a... pleasant memory."
Then Aragaki slowly exhaled, staring at the ground.
"That's like saying water is wet," he finally said. "When Shido's men kidnapped Ken, I wanted to wring their necks before punching them in the face. And Shido…"
Aragaki was not the most pleasant person, often prone to sarcasm and an irate attitude. But right now, his eyes were filled with fury.
Then he took a deep breath, pressing a hand against his face for a moment.
"But you're not here to talk about Shido," he said shortly. "You want to know why I'm fine with Ken still going after Shido, even after the shit Shido pulled with him, yeah?"
Sae could only nod.
Aragaki sighed once more, folding his arms over his chest.
"If Ken left the decision in my hands—if he let me choose to whether go back to Port Island or stay in Tokyo… I would've chosen going back to Port Island just like that."
Aragaki suddenly snapped his fingers. Then he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"But Ken made his choice. He wants to stand up and fight. And it'd be wrong of me to disrespect his choice. Maybe he's not an adult just yet. But he's pretty damn close."
Sae's breath caught in her throat. She had been struggling with that herself. She was still trying to grasp that Makoto had grown up. She was eighteen. Not legally an adult yet but she would soon.
Sae slowly nodded.
"I think that's a good way to look at it," she said finally.
She wasn't crazy about Aragaki, but Sae had to begrudgingly give him respect for his mindset. His attitude was not something Sae liked but he was obviously more mature than Sae had realized.
Sae then cleared her throat, feeling a tad awkward.
"T-Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Aragaki," she said in a stilted voice. "Especially while you're working."
Aragaki just shrugged in response. "I know it's all pretty new to you. Sakura knew about Personas and Shadows already so it's not as much of a shock to him. But you learned all of that shit because Amamiya had to earn your trust."
Sae just pressed her lips together before wrapping an arm around her torso.
"It was the other way around, really," she thought ruefully.
She was lucky that Makoto was so forgiving, willing to start over again. Not to mention Futaba Sakura…
Then she realized that Aragaki was staring at her, his gaze scrutinizing. Sae cleared her throat once more.
"Well, I'm grateful to not be in the dark," she said.
Unlike most of the Phantom Thieves' guardians, she at least knew what Makoto was up to now.
"Just know that you can't look away anymore, Niijima," Aragaki said cryptically.
Sae closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm aware. And I don't regret it. I see things with clear eyes now."
Aragaki nodded. "As long as you don't lose your way. I don't think you realize how much you hurt Makoto."
Sae winced at the blunt words. She couldn't deny it.
"I know... and I wish I could take it back."
Not to mention the hurtful words that she had shouted at Makoto that one night.
Aragaki sighed. "You can't keep on being stuck on the past, Niijima. All you can do is move forward. Your regrets just chain you down."
That man was such an enigma. He was rude, spoke callously, yet Sae was starting to see that he was quite wise at the same time. And for that, Sae had to give him her begrudging respect. Not to mention that he was apparently privy to how Makoto felt.
"I know. And I promise that I will do my part to ensure that Masayoshi Shido rots in jail for the rest of his life," Sae said quietly, pressing a hand over her heart.
Aragaki then cracked a smile. "I'll hold that promise to you, Niijima."
Sunday, December 4th, 2016
Something wet poked at Ryuji's cheek. Ryuji groaned before opening his eyes. Shoyu was sitting on his chest, letting out a little yip.
"Go back to sleep, Shoyu," he groaned out.
He picked up Shoyu and laid him on the other side of his bed. Ryuji had barely shut his eyes again when Shoyu climbed onto his chest another time.
Shoyu made another yip, this time more insistent. Ryuji cracked an eye open at him.
"You're not gonna let me go back to sleep, huh?"
Shoyu's head bobbed before making a couple barks as if to say, well, DUH.
"Okay, okay, you win." Ryuji smothered a yawn before nudging Shoyu away.
After sitting up, Ryuji took the moment to stretch. Shoyu scrambled off the bed before grabbing his leash.
"At least you like to exercise," Ryuji laughed quietly. "Glad to see that."
He bent down, taking the leash from Shoyu.
"But let's see about getting some grub first."
Ryuji then lifted Shoyu up, carrying him to the kitchen. He set him down before grabbing the dog food and pouring a generous portion. He then filled the water dish with some fresh water as well.
Shoyu eagerly gobbled that up. While he was occupied with that, Ryuji opened the fridge. He could cook some really simple stuff, like eggs. So he grabbed the carton of eggs from the fridge, as well as the bowl of day-old rice. In Ryuji's opinion, the best way to have eggs was to cook them sunny side up and serve them with white rice and drizzle soy sauce on top. The gooey yolk mixing with the rice and soy sauce was just so good.
As he cooked, he couldn't help but wonder what to do for the day, after walking Shoyu. He had some homework to do but most of it was done. He then shook his head, turning his attention back to his eggs.
He was just about finished when his mom wandered in, letting out a yawn.
"Mornin', Ryu-chan!" she said cheerfully before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.
"Morning, Mom!" Ryuji said before flashing her a quick smile. "Lemme make you something to eat."
She chuckled before reaching up to muss up Ryuji's hair. "Aww, I have the sweetest son!"
"Awww, c'mon, Mom!" Ryuji complained before pulling a face. "I'm cooking here!"
His mom just chuckled. Ryuji pulled another face at her before sliding the eggs into the bowl already filled with rice. He then cracked a couple more eggs for his mom.
Behind him, Ryuji heard his mom step closer to the table.
"Bills, spam..." Then a dragged out groan. "Ugh, more political crap. I hate hearin' about it already, why do they have to bring more of it to my doorstep?!"
Ryuji tried not to cringe. "Are you planning on not voting, Mom?"
"Oh, I plan on it. But Shido ain't getting my vote," his mom spat out. "I can't stand his type. All of his damn posturing and claiming that he'll better the lives for the sake of 'the children'. What a load of crock!"
Ryuji grinned. At least his mom wasn't suckered into Shido's bullshit.
"But anyways enough griping 'bout that..." his mom grumbled out. "Any plans today, Ryu-chan?"
Ryuji shrugged. "Uh, nothing much honestly. Shoyu woke me up so I was gonna take him out for a walk after breakfast."
Ryuji then scooped out some rice before heating it in the microwave.
She laughed. "You and Shoyu are a good match. Both of ya have too much energy for your own good."
"Hey better too much than too little energy," Ryuji retorted.
Mom laughed. "True, true. Though I am surprised that you don't have any plans with Ren-kun. Usually you two are joined at the hip."
Ryuji froze at that.
"Well... RenRen actually went home for a bit," he lied. "A family emergency. His dad got into a pretty bad accident."
He couldn't help but cringe. He always hated lying to his mom.
His mom's eyes widened at that. "I hope he'll be okay!"
"Y-Yeah, he'll be fine, y'know? RenRen's kinda stressed though so we've been mainly texting each other."
A pit was starting to form in his stomach. Ryuji swallowed hard for a moment before reaching for his glass of milk.
Mom frowned. "Hope he'll be alright. Send him my best, okay?"
Ryuji nodded.
"I will." Then he jumped to his feet. "But anyways, I'm kinda full so I'm gonna head out with Shoyu. See ya, Mom!"
He scurried out of the kitchen, with Shoyu at his heels.
"Dammit, why did Mom hafta ask after Ren?" he whined to himself as he grabbed his jacket from the coat closet.
He tugged it on before clipping Shoyu's leash to his neck. Ryuji then opened the door, a blast of cold air greeting them.
Ryuji knew that his mom was extremely grateful to Ren for becoming his friend after the fallout with his track club friends. But he hated having to lie to her.
He really hoped that they would be able to take down Shido soon, but Ren would probably need to hide out until Shido was arrested and who knew when that would happen. It always took a while for the change of heart to happen.
Barks suddenly yanked Ryuji out of his thoughts. He looked down to see that Shoyu was happily barking at another shiba inu, one wearing an orange jacket.
"Ken?!" Ryuji sputtered out.
"Shh!" his friend shushed him.
Ken was wearing the parka he had worn to the meeting at Café Leblanc, right after Ren got away from the police station, with the hood drawn up.
"I needed some air and Koromaru needed a walk so…" he shrugged helplessly.
Ryuji bent down, scratching Koromaru behind the ear.
"I don't blame ya. I'd prolly go crazy too if I was cooped inside a house constantly."
Ken shrugged in response. "It is what it is. I'll survive. It's just another couple more weeks until the election happens."
Ryuji just frowned. "Damn, dude. When you put it that way… it sounds like forever."
Ken waved his free hand—he was holding onto Koromaru's leash with one hand. "I'll live."
Ryuji nodded. "At least you have some great food to eat. You could be stuck with sucky food."
Ken huffed in response. "Did you not eat breakfast today?"
"Who do I look like to you? Yusuke?" Ryuji socked him in the arm. "I did have breakfast, just so you know! I just didn't get to finish it..."
Ken paused at that. "You didn't get to finish your breakfast?"
Ryuji winced. Crap, he didn't mean to make Ken worry.
He waved his hands at Ken. "It's nothin', really! Mom just asked me a question about RenRen and I bailed before she could ask me some more. I don't wanna blow our cover."
Ken then looked around, his entire form going rigid. Ryuji couldn't blame him for being cautious. Especially since they made Shido think that the Shadow Ops broke ties with them.
"This isn't the best place to talk about this," he muttered. "Come on, Ryuji. Let's go back to my place so we can talk in private."
Ryuji nodded before following his friend. Shoyu and Koromaru were animated during the walk but Ryuji wasn't sure what to say to his friend.
Luckily, it wasn't long until they reached to the apartment building where Ken and Shinjiro-san lived. They rode up the elevator and Ken unlocked the door.
"Shinjiro-san, I'm back," he called out.
"You're back sooner than I thought," Shinjiro-san responded.
"I ran into Ryuji." Ken gestured to him. "We're gonna head to my room, okay?"
Shinjiro-san turned, eyebrow raised. "Not hungry?"
Ken shook his head. "Maybe in a little bit."
Shinjiro-san grunted but nodded. Ryuji couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Sure, Shinjiro-san and Ken argued sometimes—and it was pretty funny most of the time—but Shinjiro-san did allow Ken certain freedoms. Prolly because he wasn't that much older than Ken but still…
They left Shoyu and Koromaru to frolic in the living room and Ken took Ryuji to his room. Ken pulled off his parka, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Never been a fan of parkas," he muttered before sliding open his closet.
Ryuji personally loved parka jackets—he found them super cozy. But he just gave a small nod, watching Ken hang up his parka. Then he pulled out his usual dark blue jacket to wear instead.
Ryuji sat on the edge of his bed while Ken sat at his chair.
"Uh, nice room," Ryuji said, feeling a bit awkward.
Ken shrugged. "Thanks, but we're not here to talk about that. You ran out on your mother today?"
"Not running out! I just… made an excuse to get away as soon as I could," Ryuji mumbled out.
Ryuji couldn't help but cringe. Okay, when he put it like that… it kinda sounded like he ran out on his mom.
He then looked up, meeting Ken's eyes. "You're pretty lucky, y'know. You don't hafta hide things from Shinjiro-san. I can't help but feel bad that I have to hide shit from Mom."
Ryuji sighed. Hiding the truth was hardly his strength.
"Ryuji…" Ken said quietly, his voice filled with sympathy.
"It was fine before because Mom didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the Phantom Thieves. But Ren's a complete different story. She hasn't gotten to meet RenRen in person, but she always loved it when I talked 'bout him. I just wish that we could stop with this bullshit. It's not fair."
He sounded like a whiny kid, but it was true. Ryuji wished that they didn't have to pretend already. It wasn't fair that Ren had to fake his death, which they had to step up and stop Shido because nobody else had the power to.
"Ryuji, just be patient. The election is in two weeks. It won't be long. Plus we still need to find two of the letters in Shido's Palace. We can't rush into this."
Ryuji looked to Ken. "Don't you hate this, though? I'd go nuts if I was stuck in my house for weeks."
Ken sighed before folding his arms over his chest.
"I'll admit that it's not the most… thrilling thing," he admitted. "But if it'll keep me safe, it's just something I have to bear. I'm sure Ren feels the same way."
Ryuji pulled a face. "He's not handling it as well as you. He sneaks out of Leblanc pretty much every day."
Ken let out a sigh at that, his expression annoyed.
"Well as long as he's careful," he muttered before looking to Ryuji. "I'm sorry you have to lie to your mother about this, though. It's not... easy."
Ryuji groaned. "You don't hafta tell me twice."
Ken nodded before he suddenly chewed on his bottom lip. "Hey, Ryuji. When do you think that I started thinking what the Phantom Thieves were doing good with stealing hearts?"
Ryuji frowned. That was a bit random.
"Uh…" Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "It was during when we were dealing with Kaneshiro, yeah?"
Ken shook his head. "I actually started thinking that after the news about Kamoshida's confession broke out."
But that was way before Ken even moved to Tokyo.
"For real?!" Ryuji demanded.
Ken nodded. "But I never said anything until I told Mitsuru-san and Shinjiro-san about Ren asking me to join the Phantom Thieves. It was... hard. Hearing about how everyone was convinced about the Phantom Thieves' actions."
"So why did you never talk 'bout it?" Ryuji couldn't help but be curious.
Ken was quiet for a moment. "I just felt weird about speaking up about it because everyone else seemed convinced otherwise. Then Minako-san asked me about going to Tokyo and I couldn't speak up about that. So don't feel bad about hiding the truth from your mother. I've had to hide some things from Shinjiro-san and the others. And you know that Makoto has had to do the same with Niijima-san. Same with Ren and Futaba with Sakura-san."
Ryuji nodded. "Plus the more I think about it, Mom probably should never find out about all of this. She'd chew me out for doing reckless shit."
Ken raised an eyebrow. "But your mother is so nice."
Ryuji snorted. "You haven't seen her all worked up."
She might actually call him Ryuji. She almost always called him Ryu-chan—though he really hoped that Ren never found out about his mom's pet name for him.
"But anyways, you are right. We won't have to hide this crap for long. I just hope that Ren will decide to go back into the Palace soon." Ryuji said.
"Well, Ren's leg needs to be at 100% before that," Ken mentioned. "Plus tomorrow is Haru's birthday."
Ryuji grinned. "I can't wait! It's gonna be g—"
He was suddenly cut out by his stomach's growling. Ryuji felt his face grow red. It didn't help as Ken started to chuckle.
"S-Shuddup! I'm a growing boy!" Ryuji cried out.
Ken let out a one last laugh before standing up. "Well let's go get you something to eat. Come on."
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji said, immediately brightening at the promise of Shinjiro-san's cooking.
"Seriously, how did you guys feed yourself before Shinjiro-san and I moved to Tokyo?" Ken questioned.
"Aw, shuddup!"
Makoto slowly inhaled in the rich scent of coffee as she stepped inside of Café Leblanc.
"Oh hey." Sojiro smiled at her.
"Hello, Boss," Makoto said, returning his smile.
She had gotten up bright and early today. With how busy Ren was, she didn't want to lose her chance to talk with Ren.
"Why don't you sit down, Makoto?" Sojiro gestured to one of the chairs at the bar. "You're here to see Ren, yeah?"
Makoto nodded before choosing to sit at the bar. "Mm-hm, that's right."
"He ran off to go hang out with Ken because he was so bored yesterday, and then something to do with his employer in Shibuya in the evening." Sojiro shook his head. "That kid… it seems like he's gotta do something or he'll go nuts."
Makoto chuckled. "That's Ren for you."
It took Makoto a moment to realize that Sojiro was brewing her a cup of coffee.
"Oh, Boss, that's not necessary!" she protested.
"It's no problem," Sojiro said. "It's still early. It gives me something to do."
He refused the money that Makoto tried to give to him. Makoto sighed before putting her wallet back into her bag. He was too kind, despite his rough edges.
Sojiro finished brewing the coffee surprisingly fast. Makoto mixed in some cream and sugar and took a careful sip.
"Delicious as always, Boss," she complimented, making him grin.
Sojiro nodded. "Glad to hear it."
He suddenly turned.
"Oh, mornin' Ren."
"Morning," he groaned out before letting out a yawn. "Hey, Makoto. Didn't think you'd swing by so early."
Morgana nodded. "Yeah, I'm surprised too. Did you need something?"
Makoto let out a delicate cough. "Well... I needed to talk to you."
"But not before breakfast," Sojiro stated. "Just hang tight. Makoto, would you like some?"
Makoto shook her head. "That's nice of you, but not necessary. I ate breakfast before coming here."
"You're not here to make me study, are you?" Ren joked lightly.
Makoto glared at him for the quip. "I haven't bothered you about studying in months."
"You can't blame a guy for wondering." Ren grinned.
Makoto just huffed in response before rolling her eyes. But then Sojiro brought Ren a plate of curry. Ren started to dig in. Makoto's eyes drifted to Ren's leg. Ren wasn't showing any hint of pain but…
"How's your leg?" Makoto blurted out.
Ren looked up at her, the fork still in his mouth. He then removed it before chewing and swallowing the bite of food.
"It's okay. I think it's almost fully healed."
Makoto let out a relieved sigh. "I'm so glad to hear about that."
"Did you come all this way to ask Ren that?" Morgana sounded confused.
Makoto pursed her lips. "It has to do with it, but it's not just that."
"Okayyy…" Ren said slowly. "Makoto, are you feeling okay?"
Makoto took a sip of coffee to stall her having to answer Ren.
"I'm fine, Ren… I'm just worried about you," she said finally.
"You don't have to fuss," Ren said before taking another bite of food.
Makoto bit her lip as a wave of anxiety hit her. Why did this have to be so hard?
"I'm your friend. I think a little fussing is needed," Makoto said lightly.
Ren snorted. "If you say so."
It took Ren another ten minutes to finish his meal which didn't exactly help Makoto's nerves. Morgana seemed to sense that Makoto wanted to talk to Ren about something serious, so he said that he was gonna walk around Yongen-jaya.
So Ren brought Makoto up to the attic. Makoto took a moment to take in Ren's room. It certainly had come a long way from the near-bare room she had walked into after they defeated Kaneshiro.
"What's the matter, Makoto?" Ren asked.
Makoto bit her lip, chewing on it. "I… I asked you about your leg because I've been thinking about something."
"Which is…?" Ren looked confused.
Makoto closed her eyes for a moment. Then she took a deep breath, looking Ren straight in the eye.
"Ren, what do you think about my dream? Be honest, please…"
Ren frowned. "You wanting to go into the police force and changing it from the inside… it's a noble goal. And I know that you can do it."
"A-And you're okay with it? Even with the police brutality you had to endure…"
Ren winced, his hand drifting to touch the mostly healed bruise on his face for a moment.
"I see…" he said quietly. "So that's why you've been acting all funny this morning."
Makoto bit her lip. "It's just… I had my consultation with my teacher yesterday. She looked at me all funny when I told her about my career choice. And then I saw you after school, and I saw that you were still healing from what happened… I couldn't help but ask myself—how could I pursue a career that has people who abuses power so easily? When they hurt my friend not just once…"
Ren spoke firmly, "Because you're not them. You're not one to accept bribes. You use your hands to fight Shadows, to deliver justice against ones who have wronged others."
Makoto looked up to see that Ren was smiling.
"And I'd be wrong to crap on your dream. You're a great friend, Makoto. I will admit—it does help to have met Akihiko-san. But I supported your dream from the beginning. I know that you'll do your part in help fixing the system, so people will stop slipping through the cracks. Chief isn't as fancy of a title as Queen buuut…" Ren winked at Makoto. "I think it'll suit you perfectly."
Makoto sighed. "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to be a bad friend…"
"And you're not," Ren said reassuringly. "I fully support your dream. I don't want kids to be in situations that we were in, where the police wouldn't listen to kids being abused by people in power. We need people who want to change broken systems. We need people like you, Makoto."
Makoto blinked. Ren was so much of a jokester that sometimes she forgot how thoughtful Ren could be.
"You're right," Makoto said with a smile.
Ren joked, "Of course I am."
Makoto smacked his shoulder in response, but Ren just laughed at her.
"Don't push your luck," Makoto grumbled out.
Ren pouted.
"But that's my thing," he said in a whining voice.
Makoto rolled her eyes at him again before standing up.
"Well… thank you for your time, Ren. Sorry if I encroached on any plans you've made…" she apologized.
Ren waved a hand at Makoto. "Eh, it's fine. I'm still waking up a little."
Makoto tucked a lock behind her ear. "But thank you for the talk. I'll see you tomorrow for Haru's birthday party!"
"See you, Makoto," Ren said with a wave.
After she said goodbye to Sojiro, she headed back home. But she pulled her phone to text Ken about this.
Message Sent: Ken
[Makoto]: You were right, Ken.
[Ken]: Told you so.
Makoto huffed. She could practically see her boyfriend's knowing, near-smug expression.
[Makoto]: Don't think I won't come over just to smack you.
Monday, December 5th, 2016
Just a few months ago, Haru was dreading her eighteenth birthday.
Ever since she had been promised that the engagement to Sugimura would be officially broken off, Haru was on cloud nine. She had never imagined feeling so free.
However, it was also a bittersweet feeling. Haru had dreamed that her birthday celebrations would eventually include Father once more.
But that hope had died along with Father.
Haru shook her head vigorously. No, she mustn't think like this! She had to think more positively.
She had woken up to birthday wishes from her friends over the group text. Her friends were probably planning a party like they had done for Anne, but Haru was willing to feign ignorance.
The school day passed by quickly. But Haru had just stepped out of her classroom when her phone went off.
Text From: Yusuke-kun
[Yusuke-kun]: Greetings, Haru. Might I bother you for some of your time today?
Haru had to stifle a smile. That was typical of Yusuke. He was always so courteous.
[Haru]: I'd love to, Yusuke-kun! What do you have in mind?
[Yusuke-kun]: Might we go to Inokashira Park? It's a beautiful day, for December especially.
[Haru]: Sure! I'll meet you there.
Yusuke was waiting for her at the entrance of the park, something tucked under his arm.
"Yusuke-kun!" Haru called out to him before hurrying to him. "I hope you haven't been waiting for long!"
Yusuke smiled gently at her. "There's nothing to worry, Haru. And again—I'd like to wish you a happy birthday."
Haru's eyes widened. "Thank you, Yusuke-kun. It's already shaping out to be a nice birthday."
Much nicer than her seventeenth birthday…
Haru quickly shook her head. No—she wasn't going to let dark thoughts sully today.
Yusuke smiled at her. "I'm glad to hear that."
He then shifted the package under his arm.
"I ah—I made you something for your birthday. I'd be delighted if you'd accept it."
Haru smiled shyly at him. She just hoped that it wasn't too expensive for Yusuke, especially with how much financial trouble he had.
"I'd be happy to receive anything from you, Yusuke-kun," she said sincerely.
Yusuke then guided her to sit at an empty bench. He handed her the package. Haru balanced the package on her knees as she pulled at the wrappings.
Unsurprisingly, it was a painting.
Yusuke had painted her. She was standing in the center of a botanical garden. The background was beautifully painted. But Haru's eyes were drawn to the painted version of herself. She was cupping a simple peony blossom in her hands, a soft smile playing at her lips.
It was simply stunning.
"Oh, Yusuke-kun… this is so beautiful!" Haru exclaimed before looking up to meet Yusuke's gaze.
Then his lips curved into a gentle smile.
"I'm honored that you like it so much," he said gently before abruptly clearing his throat. "I assume you're familiar with flower language, yes?"
Haru looked curiously at him. She had some knowledge of it though she had been schooled in ikebana more than hanakotoba. Of course, there were some meanings that came to her more easily.
For example, there was what sakura blossoms represented. Kindness, gentleness, and transience of life. The meanings of the various roses were well known as well.
Haru had to think about the meaning for peony, however.
"It symbolizes bravery, doesn't it?" Haru said hesitantly.
Yusuke smiled faintly. "That is but one of the meanings. It's also a symbol of beauty, grace, and compassion."
His smile then turned warm as he met her eyes.
"I personally think it's a perfect fit for you, Haru."
Haru's cheeks warmed at the compliment.
"I ah… thank you, Yusuke-kun," she said softly.
It meant more to her because she knew that Yusuke was completely sincere. That was one thing she truly appreciated about him. Yusuke sometimes was too blunt for his own good but Haru liked that he'd never seek to flatter her with false words. He was honest.
Yusuke suddenly frowned. "Did I offend you?"
Haru waved her hands. "No, nothing of the sort, Yusuke-kun!"
She then looked at him shyly.
"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me."
Yusuke blinked at that before a slight pink tinged at his cheeks.
"Of course. You have a loving heart, yet you are so strong." He then cleared his throat, looking a bit flustered. "Though I must ask—is everything going okay with… breaking the engagement with Sugimura?"
Haru's eyes widened at that. "Oh yes! In fact—do you want to hear about that?"
Yusuke just chuckled before giving a nod.
"I'd love to."
Saturday, December 3 rd , 2016
Ren was late. Haru couldn't help but feel anxious. Takakura-san was going to be here soon and she honestly needed the reassurance.
"Lady Haru? Amamiya-san is here to see you."
Haru whirled around to face her maid, Keiko.
Haru nodded. "Please let him in, Keiko. And that'll be all for today."
Keiko titled her head, giving Haru a questioning look. But she slowly nodded before dipping into a curtsey.
"As you wish, Lady Haru."
A few moments later, Ren stepped into the foyer.
"Sorry, Haru—I got a little sidetracked," he said with a sheepish smile.
Haru giggled. "That's all right, Ren-kun. I'm just relieved that you're here."
Ren smiled at her. He really did have a nice smile. Maybe if Ren was single, Haru might've harbored a longer lasting crush on him.
"So, what's your plan exactly?" Ren asked.
Haru answered, "I plan on brewing some coffee, from the beans that I grew myself. I want to show Takakura-san a product—something that I created from my own hands. Start to finish. I want to show him that we don't need to keep being a huge corporation. I want to return Okumura Foods to its roots."
Ren smiled before giving Haru's shoulder a small squeeze. "You'll do great. Just speak from your heart, Haru."
Haru gave a little nod before clenching both hands into fists.
"Yes! Just watch me, Ren-kun."
Haru led Ren to the kitchen. She saw a few moments where Ren seemed to want to suggest something, but he stepped down every time. Personally, Haru appreciated it. This was something she had to do on her own.
She ground the coffee beans, boiled the water, and brewed the coffee. She made three cups, one for her, one for Takakura-san, and one for Ren.
Keiko reappeared, announcing that Takakura-san had arrived. Haru thanked her before asking her to bring the coffee she had brewed to the parlor.
Takakura-san was sitting down already.
"Oh, hello, Haru-chan," he greeted as she and Ren sat down. "What was so urgent that you called me down for this?"
Haru cleared her throat. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with Takakura-san. But first... won't you try the coffee?"
Takakura-san raised an eyebrow. "You'd like me to try this?"
"Please, if only a taste. This wasn't made with particularly expensive beans or brewed by a coffee expert."
Takakura-san's expression grew composed before he reached for the porcelain cup. Haru bit the inside of her cheek as he inhaled the scent of the coffee before taking a careful sip.
"Hmm... this flavor. How interesting," he said, his voice thoughtful.
Then he turned to Haru, meeting her gaze. Haru's heart started to hammer hard against her chest. Her fingers curled around the hem of her skirt.
"What is it you wanted to discuss with me?" Takakura-san questioned. "Does it concern the company?"
Haru bowed her head for a moment. It gave her a chance to take a deep breath.
"My apologies for bothering you at such an important time." Her voice shook for a moment.
She could do this. She needed to speak from her heart!
"It's not a problem," Takakura-san said, shaking his head.
Haru bit her lip. "The truth is... after my father's passing, I couldn't bring myself to trust anyone at Okumura Foods."
Takakura-san nodded. "I see..."
"And that... that included you, Takakura-san."
Takakura-san looked down but Haru caught sight of the frown on his face. "Oh, that is quite cruel."
Haru winced before rubbing her arm. She didn't mean to hurt his feelings but how could she trust anyone? After all of this...
"M-My apologies. Um, what I wished to discuss is—"
Anxiety welled up inside of her. She could do this but her mouth had gone dry. It was like the words were stuck in her throat. Haru tried to clear her throat.
Ren suddenly reached out, putting a hand over hers.
"You can do this, Haru. Don't forget to breathe," he whispered, his eyes twinkling at her. "You need to believe in yourself."
Haru giggled. It was really impressive how Ren could be so reassuring.
"You're right, Ren-kun. I'll be okay." She then took a deep breath. "Um, Takakura-san, what did you think of the coffee? I grew the beans myself and prepared the coffee as well."
Ren nodded. "I watched her do it. She made a few mistakes but... you should've seen the look on her face. She put so much effort in this coffee."
Takakura-san looked surprised at that, before uttering, "What?"
Haru smiled at Ren for a moment. "Ren-kun is being kind. Too kind, in my opinion. I honestly don't think it's a particularly good cup of coffee. However... I put my heart into it. That's why I asked you here, Takakura-san."
Takakura-san was silent, but he reached for the coffee again and took another sip. He let out a thoughtful hum.
"And just so we're clear—I'm not suggesting we need to put this level of effort to our coffee chain. And I'm not suggesting we put a halt to the plan either. However, I don't want to serve any low-quality food to our customers," Haru said firmly.
Takakura-san slowly looked to Haru.
"You know, Haru-chan, this coffee is very much like what your grandfather used to brew."
Haru couldn't help it. She gasped.
"R-Really?" she asked.
"I used to be a regular at his café," he explained. "I even recall seeing your father and yourself there a couple times. I remember the time your grandfather gave you some coffee to try and well… you didn't particularly like it. I'm sure that your grandfather would be so happy to see you now."
Haru was speechless. She had no idea.
He said sadly. "But the way your grandfather prepared food—it spoke to me. That's why I ended up joining the company. I honestly was opposed to closing down the café but I didn't have the power to make that decision. I was planning on naming this new chain after his old café though. To make up for it."
He then folded his hands in his lap before smiling gently.
"I'm going to create a business that is loved by customers and employees alike, just like the café. A place where people can come to drink in the subtle joys of life."
"Is that so…?" Haru asked.
That sounded so wonderful.
"Haru-chan, I don't blame you for distrusting us," Takakura-san said gently. "After all, things would've been very different had someone stood up to your father."
Haru bit her lip, staring down at her lap. She couldn't help but wonder if what happened to Father would haunt her for the rest of her life. She had so many regrets. If only they could've saved him…
"Be that as it may, I can truly sense the passion in this coffee. You really do take after your grandfather."
Haru shook her head. She couldn't help but feel that was false. She had been so ungracious to Takakura-san.
"I was so rude to you…" she murmured. "I'm sorry."
Takakura-san just smiled in understanding. "I'm sorry for encouraging you to abandon your shares. I thought they were a burden to you… but I was wrong."
Ren shook his head. "You really underestimated her."
Haru's cheeks heated up. "Ren-kun!"
"That's my name, don't wear it out," he joked.
Takakura-san chuckled. "Haru-chan… if you'd like—why don't you take part in our next company meeting?"
Haru looked up, startled. She hadn't done that since before Father died.
"Really?" she asked.
Takakura-san nodded. "The truth is, the rumors that I was pleased about your father's death were troubling, to put it lightly. I understand that not everyone agrees with the vision I have for the company but... I've spent great effort struggling against our board of directors to push Okumura Foods on the right path."
She had been so wrong about Takakura-san but she was glad.
"What I need is to be able to communicate that thought as clearly as possible." He then gestured to the coffee cup. "Just as you did with this coffee. Do you think you could assist me with that? I want to build up the company from the ground up."
She couldn't help but feel shocked at that. She had thought Takakura-san was working against her and now he was asking for her help?!
"Well… I…" Haru stammered out.
"Come on, Haru, you'll do great," Ren said with a smile.
Encouraged by his words, Haru slowly rose to her feet.
"I-I would be glad to join you!"
"Excellent, your grandfather would be proud... as would your father." He heaved out a sigh. "Your father really did lose sight of what was important. I still remember what he was like before your grandfather died. Although, I believe that he never was quite the same after your mother died."
Haru frowned.
"Mother, would things have been different if you hadn't died?" Haru couldn't help but wonder.
"By the way—the coffee was just superb. Don't be so hard on yourself," Takakura-san added.
She had to look to the future. She would help reform Okumura Foods, into something that her family would be proud of!
Haru bowed before flashing Takakura-san a smile.
"Thank you very much!"
Haru then bit her lip. She had to do it. She took a breath and steeled herself.
"Also... I have something else important I needed to discuss with you. It's about Sugimura-san. I wish to call off the engagement."
"Oh, and... it seems I've made another misunderstanding," Takakura-san said with a raised brow. "I was under the impression that you were thrilled with the engagement with Sugimura-kun."
Beside her, Ren let out a disbelieving laugh. "You're kidding, right?"
Takakura-san sighed, shaking his head. "I believed that was what you wanted. I'm sorry. But that's why I was so insistent on hurrying the marriage. I wanted you to have all the support you needed."
Haru put a hand over her heart. "Um, Takakura-san, I thank you for being so concerned."
But then she turned to Ren.
"But I have friends. Wonderful friends, who have supported me through the aftermath of Father's death. I... I don't know what I'd do without them."
Takakura-san chuckled. "Oh? Just friends? I thought maybe you might prefer the young man with you over Sugimura-kun."
Haru's eyes widened. "What? O-Oh no, it's not like that! Ren-kun is a wonderful friend but he's been dating one of our friends for, um..."
She trailed off for a moment. She actually didn't know when Ren and Anne started dating.
Ren interjected. "I've been dating my girlfriend for nearly four months now. She's just wonderful, and I don't know what I'd do without her. Haru's an amazing girl though—she'll find someone who appreciates her. The way she deserves."
For some reason, Yusuke's face flashed in Haru's mind. Heat suddenly rose in her cheeks.
Why did she suddenly think of Yusuke? He was just a friend.
"Oh? And you believe Sugimura-kun can't do that?" Takakura-san inquired, before looking to Haru. "What about you, Haru-chan? What do you think of Sugimura-kun?"
"I—umm—I think he's an intelligent man..."
Haru couldn't help but cringe at the fib.
"But I have no interest in him. I don't want to be his wife. I would prefer to walk my own path. One in which the only person in control of my actions is me."
To emphasize her point, Haru placed a hand over her chest.
"Not my father, and not Sugimura-san."
"I understand." Takakura-san nodded. "You've really grown, Haru-chan. I didn't realize that you've became such a strong, kind, and mature woman. My apologies for not seeing this sooner."
"Oh... thank you. B-But what about the contract Sugimura-san made with Father?" Haru asked tentatively. "He said the reparations would be immense if I didn't go forth with the marriage."
Takakura-san blinked, suddenly looking confused. He even tilted his head slightly.
"I haven't heard such a thing about this contract. Have you seen the document?" he inquired.
"Huh? O-Oh… now that you mentioned it, I've never seen the contract." Haru replied, feeling her cheeks heat up.
She couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Why hadn't she asked about it before?
"And neither your father nor our lawyers have mentioned it to me either," Takakura-san mentioned. "It seems that he was lying to you… and maybe has had some help from people inside the company."
He then explained that some members brought him into board meetings in hopes of discouraging Takakura-san's plans. It was just awful and it made Haru a little angry to hear this.
Takakura-san promised to take care of things, but Haru couldn't help but think, maybe they needed to invoke a change of heart.
Sugimura might try this again. And she needed to ensure that Sugimura would never do this again. There was also the issue of how he behaved towards her. Even if the engagement wasn't going to happen, there is no telling how he'd react to the news. And even if she filed a restraining order, what if he treated some other poor woman the same way he treated her? No, he absolutely needed to be taken care of. She couldn't bear the thought of someone else enduring what she had to go through.
Takakura-san lingered for a little longer, enjoying his coffee before finally departing.
"Um... thank you, Ren-kun," she said, turning to her friend. "For being here. Today was a huge success, both with the company and Sugimura-san."
Ren grinned at her. "Anytime, Haru."
Haru took in a shaky breath. "I was so afraid but… when it came down to it. It was actually fairly simple. I only made it because everyone was supporting me, though. And thank you for being here with me. I think I would've lost my nerve otherwise."
"So where's my reward?" Ren joked with his usual grin.
Haru laughed, covering her mouth with her hand for a moment.
"You're so silly sometimes, Ren-kun!" she said in between giggles only to become somber; she looked at him seriously. "But… if there's anything I can do for you, I really want to return the favor. You can confide in me. I'll be there for you, I promise."
To emphasize her point, Haru placed her hand over her heart.
Ren smiled. "I know… thank you, Haru. But…"
"But?" Haru asked.
"There's something else bothering you, isn't it?" Ren asked.
Haru bit her lip. "Would it be too much… if we changed Sugimura-san's heart?" she asked quietly.
Ren looked thoughtful before shaking his head. "No. He's a conniving bastard who will hurt people again if he's given the right tools. Let's change his heart. So he can't pull this crap ever again."
"And that's the entire story," Haru said, clasping her hands in her lap.
Yusuke's expression was unreadable. But then he reached out, touching her hand. Haru couldn't help but start at the sudden touch. It wasn't unwelcome—it just startled her.
"I'm glad that you want to change Sugimura's heart, Haru," he said quietly. "The way he's treated you—it's simply deplorable."
"Yusuke-kun, it's not just that. I just… don't want him to have the opportunity to hurt more people."
Yusuke nodded. "That, I can agree on."
"Shall we take a stroll around the park?" Haru suggested. "It's a bit chilly but it really is a lovely day."
Yusuke smiled. "It'd be my honor."
Haru noticed, however, that Yusuke would check his phone periodically. Haru couldn't help but giggle to herself. It appeared that her friends were planning a surprise party for her.
"So… is it time to go to Leblanc yet, Yusuke-kun?" Haru asked.
It was Yusuke's turn to be startled. Haru couldn't help but giggle at how he looked like a deer in headlights.
"I… beg your pardon?"
"You weren't being exactly subtle with checking your phone," Haru said. "And Ren-kun mentioned something about it being important to celebrate birthdays."
A flush spread across Yusuke's face at that, made quite obvious with his pale complexion.
"Forgive me… I didn't hide it well enough from you," he murmured.
Haru just laughed, squeezing his hand for a moment. "There's nothing to forgive. I always enjoy your company, Yusuke-kun. And… it does mean a lot to me that you all took the time to plan this party out for me."
A slow smile tugged at Yusuke's lips. "The feeling is mutual, Haru, I assure you."
He then cleared his throat.
"And… the party is ready. Shall we head off?"
Haru nodded. "Yes."
The walk back was pleasant. Somehow, they always found something to talk about.
They had barely walked into the dark café when poppers suddenly went off.
"SURPRISE!"
Ren quickly deflated as he caught sight of Haru's expression. "Whaaat? You're not surprised?"
Haru giggled. "Ren-kun, you were talking about celebrating birthdays in a big way."
Futaba snapped her fingers, a scowl coming across her face. "Aw, nuts."
Anne giggled before bounding over to Haru, catching her in a tight hug. Haru gasped for a moment, but she returned the embrace.
"Happy birthday, Haru!" she cheered. "The big eighteen! Of course, we had to do something special!"
Haru smiled slightly. "Even with Shido looming over our heads?"
"Especially because of that. It's not every day that it's your birthday, Haru," Ren emphasized with a smile.
"But no talk about Phantom Thief work today!" Ryuji declared.
"You sure you can manage that, Ryuji?" Morgana snarked.
Ryuji let out a growl, glaring at Morgana. "Shuddup!"
"Children, play nice," Ken said dryly before rolling his eyes at the two of them.
Ryuji still looked sulky. "Morgana started it…"
"I did not! You did!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Uh-huh!"
"Nobody ever listens to me," Ken lamented with a shake of his head, making several people start to laugh.
Yusuke ignored the banter, choosing to carefully set down the painting he made for Haru at on the table closest to the door.
"Oooh, you painted something for Haru?" Futaba asked.
She then walked over to where Yusuke stood, reaching out to grab the painting. Yusuke then smacked her hand away.
"Do not touch," he said sternly.
Futaba puffed out her cheeks. "Hey! Don't be a jerk, Inari!"
"I am most certainly not," Yusuke sniffed. "You're going to get your fingerprints on the canvas and I won't have that!"
Haru smiled before walking over to Yusuke.
"I don't mind, Yusuke-kun. Futaba-chan's just curious, after all," she said, placing a hand on his arm.
"Nyeh!" Futaba stuck her tongue out at Yusuke.
"Hey now, Futaba, don't be rude," Sojiro scolded.
Futaba flapped a hand in Sojiro's general direction before picking up the painting.
"Nice work as always, Yusuke," Ken complimented, looking over Futaba's shoulder. "You painted Haru beautifully."
Yusuke simply shrugged in response. "It is not difficult to portray Haru's beauty."
Haru felt her cheeks warm up. Haru didn't consider herself particularly striking. So Yusuke so casually calling her beautiful felt... nice.
"Anyways…" Makoto suddenly interjected. "What do you want to do first, Haru?"
Haru frowned. "Oh well… I'm not sure, really!"
She then let out a chuckle before scratching at her cheek.
"Anne-chan's birthday party was the first one I had ever been to. A 'normal' one, I suppose. Father would sometimes bring me to birthday galas but…"
"Ew! That's so boring!" Futaba said, wrinkling her nose in distaste.
"We gotta fix that!" Ryuji said.
Ren just grinned in response. "Well, Yusuke's birthday is coming up in January, so we'll be able to fix that."
"Now that I think about it, we have a lot of birthdays in consecutive months," Anne said, pressing her index finger against her lips. "Makoto's birthday is in April, then Ren in May, then it's Ken in June, and Ryuji in July…"
"Then your birthday in November, Haru's in December, Yusuke in January, and mine in February!" Futaba said cheerfully.
Haru giggled. She hadn't thought of that, but now that Futaba and Anne pointed it out… it was rather amusing.
Though, Yusuke's birthday was in January… She'd have to find a good gift for him. Yusuke deserved it.
"So… what do you wanna do, birthday girl?" Ryuji asked with a grin.
Haru pursed her lips. "Um… what about a party game?" she asked.
Ren suddenly grinned, rubbing his hands together.
"Well, in that case… let's teach you some card games!" he said, a gleam in his eye.
"Please don't teach Haru how to gamble…" Makoto sighed.
Ren pulled a face. "But those are all of the fun games."
Haru pointedly cleared her throat before clasping her hands behind her back.
"That actually… sounds fun."
Ren grinned. "I'll get the cards."
"And I'll get the snacks!" Ryuji chimed in.
Anne shook her head at Ren and Ryuji's antics.
"They're really like little kids," she said, even as fondness edged into her voice.
Haru giggled. "You love them still, don't you?"
"That I do," Anne sighed before snagging Haru by the arm. "Come on, let's teach you some card games, Haru."
"I got the spoon first!"
"No, I did!"
As Futaba and Ryuji argued over who snagged the last spoon (and playing tug-o-war over it), Haru stretched her legs. Her friends knew a lot of cards. Anne chipped in with teaching them a few American games too, such as the game they were playing now, Spoons.
"This is the perfect game for phantom thieves," Morgana said with a purr. "Too bad I can't hold the cards very well."
Anne chuckled before petting Morgana.
"Your company's enough, Morgana."
Haru couldn't help but giggle. She couldn't help but think that Morgana really enjoyed watching them play.
"Okay, enough," Makoto chided before looking to Haru. "It's getting late—we should start eating the food."
"Sweet!" Ryuji brightened at this.
Futaba took his brief distraction to yank the spoon out of Ryuji's grasp.
"HA! I got it!" she crowed in triumph.
"You little—"
Ken rolled his eyes. "Don't be a sore winner, Futaba."
"Yeah!" Ryuji seconded with a smug smile.
"So you admit you lost?" Morgana teased.
"S-Shuddup!"
Haru giggled as Morgana and Ryuji started to bicker. It was honestly nice to relax a little.
No stressing out because of Shido.
They headed down to the café and started to feast on the food. Though it was a pity that Shinjiro-san couldn't make it.
Sojiro had cooked for them, though Haru couldn't help but feel confused. This wasn't the usual curry that Sojiro served. For one, there were no chunks of meat in it.
"The birthday girl gets the first bite!" Futaba said, bouncing up and down in her seat.
Haru frowned before taking a bite. A fresh, yet slightly bitter taste filled her mouth. Then she chewed some more, before a subtle spicy sweetness took over.
She swallowed, looking to Sojiro.
"It's delicious! Are you trying out a new recipe, Boss?"
"Something like that," he said with a grin.
Ren then smiled. "Haru, Boss made these with some of your vegetables. He's thinking about adding it to the menu."
Haru's hand flew to her mouth before squeaking out, "Really?"
"I think a vegetarian option would be good," Sojiro said with a shrug.
Oh… she didn't even know what to say to this.
"T-Thank you, Boss. This is amazing," Haru finally said.
Sojiro chuckled. "Any time, Haru-chan. I'd love to teach you the recipe some time."
"That would be marvelous!"
They continued to chat as they ate the food. But then Haru's friends insisted that she unwrap their presents before eating the cake.
"Who wants to go first?" Makoto asked.
"Oooh, me! Me!" Futaba cried, waving her hand frantically.
"Didn't you go first for Lady Anne's birthday too?" Morgana huffed.
Haru smiled softly before resting a hand on Morgana's back for a moment.
"I'd love to see what you got me, Futaba-chan."
Ren chuckled. "This is actually from both me and Futaba."
It was wrapped in lavender paper with white polka dots. A white ribbon with gold edge was tied neatly in the center. If Haru had to guess, it was Ren's handiwork. He was always so nimble with his fingers.
It was such a large present though—Haru wondered what it was.
Haru carefully unwrapped it—there was no need to rip the paper, after all—to reveal that it was a rather nice French press.
Ren grinned at her. "You were already interested in making coffee so…"
"You can be Sojiro's number two apprentice now!" Futaba said, giggling.
Haru laughed. "Ren-kun, Futaba-chan—you didn't have to!"
"Oh yes we did!" Futaba fired back.
Anne giggled. "My turn next!"
Her present was wrapped in pale pink paper, though it wasn't as nicely wrapped as Ren and Futaba's gift. She lifted the lid to reveal that there was an outfit sitting inside.
"It's getting colder and sometimes my modeling job lets me keep the clothes I wear," Anne said. "I thought this was so cute and it fits your style way better than me!"
There was a pale pink jacket with a fluffy collar, along with some tights and a matching beret.
"It's so lovely, Anne-chan!" Haru exclaimed, stroking the collar for a moment. She couldn't help but marvel at how soft it felt. "Thank you! I can't wait to try it on."
Ryuji's gift was surprisingly small. He had just put it in a small paper bag with tissue paper stuffed inside. Haru reached inside, pulling out a video game. Haru had never heard of this game, however.
"Bloodbirth is awesome, Haru! You're gonna love it!" he enthused.
Morgana frowned. "Doesn't Haru need a gaming system to play this?"
Ryuji flapped a hand. "I'll lend her my SP4!"
Makoto's gift to her was a set of gardening gloves along with a book about different techniques with grafting plants.
"I thought since you're so interested in gardening, you'd might be interested in trying to grafting plants," Makoto said sheepishly. "I believe it's quite common to do it with grape plants?"
Haru beamed at her. "This is wonderful! Thank you, Mako-chan! It's definitely something I'd like to experiment with."
Ren grinned. "Your vegetables are already pretty awesome."
"But there's always room for improvement! And maybe I'll start practicing with some rosebushes. I think that's a popular plant to graft…" Haru said.
"And we just have Ken!" Futaba cheered.
Ken rolled his eyes at her before picking up the package and handing it to Haru.
"Happy birthday, Haru," he said with a smile.
Ken gave her something similar to what he gave Anne. A recipe book, which he had handbound himself. The cover was beautiful, pale purple with darker purple wisteria creeping on the edges. When she opened it, she saw that Ken had written a table of contents. It was filled with recipes, from breakfast meals to lunch meals to dinner meals. There were even some dessert recipes as well.
Haru thumbed through it. It was at least thirty pages long. She couldn't help but wonder when Ken started to work on this.
"Are all of these Shinjiro-san's recipes?" Haru was curious.
"Most but not all," Ken answered. "Most of the dessert recipes are Fuuka-san's. She actually likes baking more than cooking."
Haru smiled before closing the book. "Then you can thank her as well. I look forward to trying out her recipes."
"Speaking of food—time for cake!" Ryuji said with a cheer.
"Ever the glutton," Morgana sighed, shaking his head.
"Can it, cat!"
Sojiro ignored their bickering, choosing instead to bring out the cake.
It was a lavender cheesecake, with frosting flowers sprinkled liberally on the top. After they sung the birthday song to her, Ren did the cutting, expertly wielding the knife.
Haru let out a happy hum as she took the first bite. The lavender flavor was sweet and delicate, and it practically melted on her tongue.
"Oh, this is so delicious!" she explained, pressing her free hand against her cheek.
"Right?" Anne beamed. "It's from one of my favorite bakeries!"
Haru turned to look at her friends' smiling faces. They all… cared about her so much. Even though they were worried and stressed about dealing with Shido, they had taken the time to organize this party for her.
"Everyone… thank you for all of this," Haru said softly.
"Of course we would," Morgana stated. "You're a dear friend to us all, Haru!"
"Mona-chan…" Haru's eyes started to water.
When she was younger, she used to have an imaginary friend. She dreamed of having a friend who cared about her, not her family connections.
"S-Shit, don't cry, Haru!" Ryuji said, leaning over to awkwardly pat at Haru's back.
Haru just smiled. Maybe she shouldn't be surprised that Ryuji misinterpreted her tears.
Haru shook her head. "No, you misunderstand, Ryuji-kun. I'm crying because I'm so happy."
"We've all been there," Anne said softly.
Haru could only just nod.
Then her friends looked to each other and then back to her.
They spoke at once.
"Happy birthday, Haru."
Tuesday, December 6th , 2016
The school day felt longer than usual, in Yusuke's opinion. He was not someone to detest schoolwork, like Ryuji and Anne. But since Ren sent out the message that they would be infiltrating Mementos today, Yusuke found himself grow impatient with anticipation.
Though Yusuke had to admit, even as lonely as it could be to be the only Kosei student out of his friends, there was an advantage to not attend Shujin.
He didn't have to pretend about being ignorant of the true reason of Ren's absence.
He barely registered the bell signaling lunch but his classmates' eager scramble to escape the classroom certainly caught his attention.
Yusuke couldn't help but grimace as his stomach gurgled from hunger. When given a choice between food or art supplies, Yusuke always chose art supplies in a heartbeat.
But still, Yusuke couldn't help but wish for lunch…
Yusuke fiddled with his phone for a moment. Perhaps Ken would be open to bringing him something before they entered Mementos? Ken obviously didn't share the same passion for cooking as his guardian, but Ken seemed to enjoy it a decent amount.
Then Yusuke heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.
How odd. Perhaps they needed a cough drop. Yusuke turned to suggest this, only to see Hifumi Togo standing right by his desk.
Togo-san was of average height, just a few centimeters taller than Haru. With her dark hair, fair complexion, and willowy build, she had a classical Japanese beauty to her; still lovely but different from Anne's exotic features, Makoto's poise, Futaba's… uniqueness, and Haru's understated elegance.
Togo-san was a curiosity. She was famous due to her reputation as a shogi player, but she seemed to be alienated from her peers. Yusuke was aware that Ren had befriended her months ago, however.
She seemed nervous so Yusuke let out a delicate cough.
"May I help you, Togo-san?" he asked.
Togo-san seemed to fiddle with her hair for a moment.
"You can, Kitagawa-kun," she said softly. "I was wondering if you might join me for lunch today."
Yusuke couldn't help but feel confused. Why was she suddenly seeking him out like this?
There were a handful of boys in the classroom, who began to titter about Togo-san's invitation. Something about girls always going for pretty boys? What on earth were they prattling on about? And why were they giving him dirty looks?
But Yusuke forced to look at Togo-san instead.
"I appreciate the invitation but… I have no lunch. So therefore, I cannot accept."
Togo-san's eyes went wide at that. "You have no lunch?! You must eat something."
Yusuke shrugged. "I'm sure that my friend would be more than happy to bring me something after school."
Togo-san shook her head. "That's hours away! Kitagawa-kun, you must take better care of yourself!"
She then reached into her bag, pressing a one-thousand yen bill into Yusuke's hand.
"Please use this to buy yourself lunch," she urged.
"Togo-san, this is far too much, it is not necessary—" Yusuke began to protest, only to be cut off by her.
"Yes, it is. You're…" She began to fidget. "You're Ren-san's friend so… I'm not opposed to calling you my friend."
Yusuke couldn't help but feel startled.
"You know of my friendship with Ren?"
Togo-san chuckled before a small smile curved at her lips. "Yes, he's mentioned you on occasion. The most memorable time was about the two of you posing in the church, I believe?"
Yusuke couldn't help but laugh. That day in the church was certainly memorable.
"And if you feel bad about the money, just join me for lunch," Togo-san added quickly. "That would be more than enough payment."
Togo-san's voice suddenly became wistful. Yusuke's heart gave a twinge at that.
Yusuke then dipped his head.
"I'd be honored to join you for lunch," he said.
Togo-san's expression turned relieved. "Wonderful! Let us go, then!"
Yusuke couldn't help but wonder if Togo-san was seeking him out in order to ask him some questions about Ren. Had Ren even been in contact with Togo-san?
She accompanied him to the student store. It took Yusuke a few minutes to choose what to buy but he settled on a croquette.
Togo-san proceeded to lead him outside, to the courtyard. They passed by the school mascot as they sought a stone bench to sit at. While the courtyard was a popular place to eat lunch, the cold weather had driven most people to stay inside the school buildings during lunch.
Once they were seated, Yusuke looked to Togo-san. He decided to be direct.
"Togo-san, why did you seek me out today?"
Togo-san tensed for a moment. "It's about... Ren-san."
Yusuke couldn't help but tense.
"What about Ren? He had a family emergency so he had to go back to Shimoda."
Shimoda was Ren's hometown, apparently about the size of Inaba. It was on the coast, so according to Ren, most people just spent their time at the beach for the most part.
Ren had told Yusuke several months ago during the hotpot party, but Ren recently reminded them all of it. Just in case they had to give an excuse for Ren, to keep up the masquerade.
Yusuke just never imagined that it'd fall to him. Most people attending Kosei High knew nothing about Ren, after all. And he had been keeping to himself ever since Ren's "capture".
Togo-san's lips suddenly pursed together before a shrewd light entered her eyes.
Yusuke couldn't help but tense up, his stomach clenching.
"Oh no," he couldn't help but think.
Then the light disappeared, and she brushed a lock of hair out of her face.
"I just want to know if he's doing well. He responded to me only once in two weeks," Togo-san said softly.
Yusuke winced. He could've claimed that Ren's phone service was not best, being in the countryside. But something stilled Yusuke's tongue. He didn't have the heart to lie to her, especially since she was asking after his wellbeing.
"He's... quite bored, where he is," Yusuke said carefully. "You know Ren—he always has to do something."
At least Yusuke spoke the truth in this instance. Ren had bemoaned, more than once, how horribly boring it was to be stuck in Café Leblanc with nobody to talk to.
Of course, Morgana took offense at that.
Togo-san chuckled. "He does seem to be quite active."
Yusuke nodded. "He's a good friend. He's done much to help me."
Togo-san smiled softly. "He is. He's quite... wonderful. He's a marvelous listener and he was the first person my age to show interest in playing shogi with me."
As she spoke, pink tinted at her cheeks to his confusion. Yusuke couldn't help but wonder if she was getting sick maybe.
Togo-san's expression suddenly grew somber.
"And I hope he doesn't get into any sort of trouble."
Yusuke couldn't help but tense up.
"What do you mean, Togo-san?" Miraculously, Yusuke managed to keep his voice steady.
Togo-san met his gaze evenly.
"You never know, with how... chaotic everything has been lately," she said in a careful tone.
Yusuke swallowed hard. Togo-san's gaze was probing, as if she was just waiting for him to make the wrong move.
"The psychotic breakdowns, the mental shutdowns... not to mention that the Phantom Thieves are still in hiding."
Yusuke could only nod.
"I must admit... it was shocking. They have helped me in the past," he said quietly.
He prayed fervently that Togo-san wouldn't hear how fast his heart was beating, hammering hard against his rib cage.
Togo-san's face fell. "Ah, that's right. You were Madarame's protégé."
Yusuke swallowed thickly at that, his heart giving a painful twinge at the mention of Madarame.
"Yes, I..." Yusuke cleared his throat. "Madarame had been keen on using my paintings and passing it off as his own creations."
It was getting easier to refer to him as just Madarame... Yusuke didn't know how to feel about that.
Togo-san nodded before twisting at the hem of her skirt.
"I… I don't think the Phantom Thieves are bad as everyone says. They helped so many people. I don't believe they killed anyone, it has to be some sort of mistake. Or maybe they were framed." Togo-san paused briefly. "And I believe... Ren-san intended to help my own situation by going to the Phantom Thieves."
Yusuke's mouth suddenly went dry.
"W-What makes you say that?" Yusuke couldn't stop himself from stammering.
Togo-san tilted her head. "On the Phan-Site, the Phantom Thieves fulfill target requests. All requests require the target's full name. The last time Ren-san and I spoke, he promised to help with my m—that is... the person giving me trouble, and he asked for her full name."
"Oh... this is troublesome," Yusuke thought to himself.
That was... awfully bold for Ren to ask the name point blank like that. Then again she appeared to be a supporter even still. But it's still a calculated risk to ask a full name with the Phantom Thieves' public image being at an all time low.
"Ren certainly has his quirks," Yusuke said with uncertainty.
Togo-san just smiled warmly. "You have nothing to fear, Kitagawa-kun. I care deeply for Ren-san and I wish nothing but his wellbeing. You'll pass on my well wishes, won't you?"
Yusuke looked at her carefully. The knots that had formed in his stomach loosened slightly.
If she was aware that Ren was a Phantom Thief and hadn't revealed it to anyone yet... she should be on their side. Yusuke should be able to trust her.
"Should I pass on everything you said to Ren?" Yusuke asked slowly.
Togo-san's eyes suddenly twinkled at him before she laughed softly.
"I think… some of our conversation should be a secret. Just between the two of us. Is that okay with you?"
Yusuke couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. Perhaps she intended to reveal to Ren that she knew that he was a Phantom Thief later?
But if she wanted to keep it a secret that she knew for now… why should Yusuke object? Besides that Ren could stand to be surprised more often.
So Yusuke gave a nod.
"As you wish, Togo-san."
Togo-san then smiled. "Thank you, Kitagawa-kun. Oh—and don't forget to eat your lunch."
Yusuke's eyes widened. He had been so distracted with their conversation that he had forgotten entirely about eating. He ripped off the wrapper before eagerly taking a bite.
Togo-san tilted her head.
"You should really eat more, Kitagawa-kun. This just isn't healthy."
"I had to withhold getting food. I was running low on paints, and I simply had to finish my project."
He had to finish Haru's birthday present, no matter what. And the look of wonderment on her face was more than worth it.
Togo-san's eyes widened at that.
"You're certainly passionate about art, aren't you?"
Yusuke nodded. "Especially since I had rekindled my fire for creating art. Don't you have anything you're passionate about, Togo-san?"
Togo-san nodded furiously. "Shogi, of course!"
Yusuke chuckled. "Perhaps you can show me some time."
Togo-san looked startled at that but then she smiled softly.
"I'd be delighted. Thank you for spending time with me. We should do this again."
Yusuke gave her small smile. "Yes, I agree."
Yusuke's stomach then grumbled again. He looked at her sheepishly.
"Do you have any food at home, Kitagawa-kun?" she asked worriedly.
"I uh... no. As I said earlier about my expenses... well, I was counting on asking a friend to get me something to eat."
"You had no money for lunch or dinner?" Her voice cracked with concern.
He then admitted, "I may have… no money for food this week."
"Oh dear. That's not happening. No sir, look... I'm going to lend you some money and you're going grocery shopping."
"But—"
"No buts!"
Haru had only been to Mementos one time before today—while Akechi was still pretending to be working with them.
So Haru couldn't help but feel new at this, even though she had two Palaces under her belt now.
Almost everyone had arrived at Café Leblanc, save for Yusuke. For now, Morgana and Ren were laying out some of the targets they'd be going after.
"I had no idea that Hifumi Togo's mother would be so…" Makoto trailed off at that.
"Hifumi said that she's gone through the wringer but…" Ren shook his head. "Doesn't condone her actions. She's gotta be snapped out of it."
"Likewise with Oda-san and his mother," Ken mentioned.
Ren nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry—we'll take care of it."
"We got a loooong visit waiting for us," Ryuji grumbled.
Anne suddenly frowned, looking to Ren. "Are you sure you'll be okay, though, Ren? It hasn't been that long since we visited Shido's Palace."
Ren nodded before giving his girlfriend a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Anne. My leg has been getting better every day. It's pretty much one hundred percent."
But was it fully recovered? Haru certainly hoped so. It's been over two weeks since Ren managed to escape from custody. She hated seeing her friend in pain.
"We can't even get started without Inari anyways—" Futaba was suddenly cut out by Yusuke.
"My apologies, I finally had some money so I took care of some grocery shopping for the week and had to drop it back off at the dorms," Yusuke got out, looking rather ruffled.
Ren waved his hand at Yusuke.
"No biggie, Yusuke. We were just talking about the targets."
Haru reached into her bag, pulling out an unopened water bottle.
"Here, Yusuke-kun. You don't want to be dehydrated."
"My thanks, Haru."
When Yusuke reached out to take the bottle, their fingers brushed against each other. Yusuke coughed, clearing his throat before taking the bottle from her hand.
"But anyways—we have a big list today," Morgana said. "We have eight targets today."
He and Ren led the debriefing with everyone throwing in their two cents on occasion.
"So, we're agreed, right?" Morgana asked.
Ryuji smacked his fist into his open palm. "Let's do this!"
"Ren, at your lead," Yusuke said.
Ren nodded. "It's showtime."
Without further ado, he pulled out his phone and activated the Meta-Nav app.
Once they were in Mementos, Futaba summoned Prometheus and disappeared into it. Rainbow lights pulsated from the Persona as Futaba scanned the area.
"Another area opened," she announced. "I can't tell how many floors we have left though…"
"That's fine, Oracle," Makoto said briskly. "We'll just find it the old-fashioned way, then."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Ren said.
Anne pumped a fist. "Let's get started!"
Ren ended up picking Morgana, Yusuke, and Anne as the starting team.
"Go faster, Joker!" Futaba urged. "Run those Shadows down!"
"I rather not have us break our necks," Ken retorted.
"Don't be a killjoy, Ace!"
This drew an annoyed huff from Ken at Futaba's accusation.
"I'm not being a killjoy!" he retorted.
"I'm with Ace, don't do anything that'll mar my face!" Morgana yelped.
"Settle down," Makoto chided with a sigh.
The Shadows that wandered Mementos weren't much of a challenge. But their targets, however were a different story. Especially Hifumi-san's mother. That was a dreadfully difficult fight, but at least they got the stubborn woman to finally understand how she was only hurting her daughter with her actions.
Eventually they reached where Sugimura was hiding.
"There he is!" Haru said.
"Sugimura…" Yusuke hissed out.
He had one hand on his sword's hilt, but he was gripping it rather tightly.
"We must make him pay!" Haru's hand clenched into a fist.
"Let's do this," Ren said.
Sugimura started to glare as they approached.
"So… you're here," he spat out. "You can't touch me! I have the power and you don't!"
"Shuddup! You're just a smug bastard who thinks he can take whatever he wants cause of your family's stupid legacy!" Ryuji growled.
Sugimura started to snicker.
"But it's the truth! Money and legacy are everything! And I will take what I want—"
His eyes turned to Haru.
"Starting with you."
His form trembled before he transformed into a...Haru felt herself blushing. How on earth could she fight that?
"Is that a dick on a chariot?" Ren deadpanned.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…" Ken groaned out. "Really—Mara?!"
So… Ken was familiar with this. Haru couldn't help but feel a bit concerned, given how Ken was only eleven when SEES was active.
"Sugimura's definitely compensating! Like what Fox said!" Ryuji said.
"Oh my god!" Anne screeched out. "We really have to fight that?!"
"This is too perfect!" Futaba got in between snorts of laughter. "Pfffft—that's just so fitting!"
"Oracle, how can you take this so calmly?!" Makoto cried out; she was blushing as well.
"Uh, Queen, I hate to break it to ya, but I've seen things wayyy worse on the internet. Once you dive into the depths of the internet, you don't come out clean."
"Everyone, focus!" Morgana snapped.
The Shadow's wheels creaked as it lunged surprisingly fast at Haru. Ken grabbed her by the arm, yanking her to the side. Anne let out a growl before whipping out her gun.
"Tyr!" Ken shouted.
His Persona appeared before flinging blades of light at the Shadow. The Shadow recoiled back.
Morgana was sneaking around, about to strike at the Shadow from behind. But the Shadow's tentacles suddenly lashed out, striking at Morgana.
"Mona-chan!" Haru cried out.
"Argh, that's it!" Anne stomped her foot before ripping off her mask. "Hecate!"
"Panther, no!" Ken suddenly said. "Its affinity is—"
Flames burst from Hecate's form, but the Shadow seemed to welcome the attack. It even seemed to heal from it.
"—fire," Ken finished lamely.
Anne scowled at that.
"You couldn't mention that sooner?!" she snapped.
"You know that makes sense," Ryuji said.
"Really, Skull?" Ken hissed.
"C'mon, man, you know it's true—"
"Okay, less banter, more fighting the Shadow!" Ren interrupted Ryuji. "Panther, you're on support, okay? Oracle, work on figuring out a weakness!"
He summoned Arsène. Unfortunately, Sugimura's Shadow seemed to shake off Arsène's curse spell. Ren clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Kamu Susano-o, give us strength!" Yusuke exclaimed.
Green light shimmered around all of them. Haru could feel a lightness to her muscles.
"This one! Defense up!" Futaba followed up with her own support spell.
"Thanks Fox and Oracle!" Ren said before grasping his mask, tearing it off.
He summoned a Persona, which he called Janus. It was… interesting. Janus had two torsos, four arms and four legs. One belonging to a man who looked to the right, while the other belonged to a woman who was looking to the left. The female torso held a three-pronged spear and a hand mirror, while the male torso held a sword.
The Persona lunged forward, striking with both the spear and sword. Shadow Sugimura howled at the attack, black oozing from the head.
"Get out of my way!" he hissed.
Flames burst from its form. Haru winced as a few stray embers landed on her. The Shadow charged at her and Haru threw herself to the side.
"Why do you have to fight back?" Shadow Sugimura demanded. "You would've wanted for nothing as my wife!"
"You would've taken away my freedom!" Haru cried. "And that's everything to me!"
"Men can never satisfy women," he complained.
"That'd be implying that you're a man," Makoto snapped.
Shadow Sugimura snarled at the insult before lunging at Makoto. Ken quickly intercepted, Tyr firing bullets at the Shadow.
"This is my chance," Haru thought, her hand tightening around her axe.
She leapt forward with a cry, swinging her axe.
Black spurted from the Shadow and he whirled around. One of Shadow Sugimura's arms suddenly shot out, grabbing Haru's shoulder. Haru tried to yank out of his grip but he latched onto her other shoulder. He then lifted her in the air.
"You're mine…" he hissed.
Haru tried to squirm, to try and free herself, but his grasp tightened on her. Her stomach clenched as the Shadow's grip on her tightened.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!"
Something barreled into Shadow Sugimura hard and Haru was sent tumbling through the air. But then someone suddenly caught her, their arms cradling her close.
She blinked, looking up to see that it was Yusuke who had caught her.
"Fox?" she whispered.
Yusuke's grip on her tightened. "I've got you, Noir."
"She's MINE! You won't take her away!" Shadow Sugimura snarled out.
Flames burst from him once more, but Yusuke twisted, shielding Haru from the attack.
"Fox!" Futaba cried out but somehow Yusuke managed to stay on his feet.
Yusuke then lowered Haru to the ground. Haru's stomach began to twist into knots. Part of Yusuke's outfit had been burned away and Haru could see reddened skin peeking out.
"Fox—" Haru began anxiously but Yusuke shook his head.
Then he looked past Haru, his eyes hardening at Sugimura.
"You're nothing but scum," he spat out. "You treated Noir like she's a pretty little jewel that you own. But that's not the case. She's probably the kindest person I've had the honor of meeting. She's her own person and you don't get to dictate anything she does!"
"We'll take you down, no matter what!" Ren said. "Let's do this, guys!"
They answered Ren's rally enthusiastically. They slowly wore down Sugimura. One more blow should do the trick.
"Noir, it's yours!" Makoto said, turning to Haru.
Haru was startled but then she steeled herself. She raised her hand, tearing off her mask.
"Astarte, come!" she cried out.
Her Persona appeared with a flash. A pink glow surrounded Shadow Sugimura, tossing him in the air. He landed hard against the ground. Haru then leapt through the air, swinging her axe.
Shadow Sugimura finally fell, his form returning to his usual humanoid self.
"What have I done? All my life… I had been given whatever my heart desired," Sugimura mumbled out. "But Haru… you never wanted me. Was I just not good enough?"
"You were a disgusting pig, that's what it is!" Anne snarled out.
"Just because your parents spoiled you rotten doesn't give you the right to see people as your property!" Morgana seconded.
Haru could only just nod before rubbing her arm. The way he had grabbed her still sent goosebumps all over her arms.
"What… what can I do?"
"Atone..." Haru said, her heart giving a painful squeeze. "Consider what you've done, Sugimura-san. If you truly regret what you've done, then you must pay for your crimes."
It should've been Father that atoned, not this disgusting man. Why did she have to be robbed of Father atoning and them perhaps getting a chance to start over again?
Why? Why?
Sugimura swallowed hard.
"Very well."
His form then began to dissolve until an axe clattered to the ground. Even that was garish with how the handle had a golden gilt to it.
"That's fitting," Ken muttered.
Haru shuddered. "Joker… would it be too much to ask you to sell it? I don't want… to touch anything associated with that man."
Ren's eyes softened with sympathy. "Of course, Noir. Hopefully it'll fetch us a good amount of money."
"Thank god that's over with!" Anne suddenly blurted out. "It was just… UGH!"
Makoto just winced. "I have to agree with Panther…"
Futaba snickered above their heads before she dismissed Prometheus and landed to the ground.
"You guys have seen nothing," she snickered.
"Oracle! What have you been looking at?!" Makoto demanded.
"Yeah, do you go around looking at that crap?!" Anne exclaimed.
Futaba's hands went to her hips. "Uh, no. I don't go looking for it. But sometimes it just pops up!"
Ryuji suddenly snickered. "Jeez, Panther, I thought you wouldn't freak out. It's not like you haven't seen a d—"
Right, with how Ren and Anne were intimate with each other…
Anne's cheeks suddenly turned redder than her suit, before a strangled sound tore from Anne's throat.
"SKULL I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"
She lunged for Ryuji, and Ken just let out a weary sigh. He pressed a hand against his forehead as Anne started to chase Ryuji around the area.
"If I never see Mara again… it'll be far too soon," he muttered.
Makoto sighed. "So… did you fight this 'Mara' before…?"
Ken shook his head. "Not fight."
Ken suddenly gave a shudder. Haru couldn't help but feel confused.
Did that mean Mara was a Persona?
Ken then confirmed her thoughts a moment later. "Minako-san used that Persona for a little while. She thought it was pretty funny. Then Mitsuru-san banned Minako-san from using it ever again, after Junpei-san made a similar joke. Though with Junpei-san… he's weak to Yukari-san's element."
"Jeez. At least Skull's new Persona resists fire," Futaba remarked.
Ren just laughed before finally intercepting Anne. Haru just shook her head.
This fight was certainly… an experience.
While Ren calmed down Anne, Ken walked up to Yusuke.
"Where does it hurt the most?" he asked.
Yusuke winced. "Ah… my back."
"I'm so sorry Fox!" Haru burst out. "If Sugimura hadn't grabbed me, then you wouldn't…"
Yusuke just smiled, putting a hand on her arm.
"I'd do that for you again, Noir. I don't regret it one bit." he said, placing his free hand over his heart.
Haru's heart began to flutter as warmth flooded her entire being. Yusuke was so sweet.
Morgana huffed. "Doesn't mean you have to throw yourself right into a fire attack."
Yusuke frowned. "I did not throw myself. I twisted."
Ken sighed in exasperation. "Stop fussing over semantics."
Without another word, he summoned Tyr to start healing Yusuke.
"So, Joker, that was the last of our requests," Morgana said, looking up to Ren.
Ren shook his head. "Let's keep pushing. We should be close to the end, right?"
Makoto nodded. "That's a good idea. We still need to get to the bottom of this. There's so much we don't know about Mementos…"
"Literally," Ryuji snickered out.
So after Ken finished healing Yusuke, they headed out. Morgana transformed into his bus form and they climbed inside.
It wasn't long until they finally reached the end of the line. The door loomed over them.
"How long do we have to go until we can finally reach the end…?" Makoto suddenly asked.
"And how many floors will it take?" Futaba sighed, folding her arms over her chest. "We've gone like forty floors or something."
"Still nothing on Mona-chan," Haru said glumly.
Morgana smiled up at Haru. "Thanks, Noir... but we do have higher priorities right now."
Right, they still needed to steal Shido's heart. Ren agreed to today's Mementos exploration because Haru felt it was urgent to deal with Sugimura as soon as possible.
Yusuke let out a thoughtful hum. "Maybe it'll change after we change Shido's heart? After all, Oracle figured out that the amount of attention the public gives us affects how much Mementos expands."
Ryuji smacked his fist into his open palm, his face breaking into a wide grin.
"Let's get to it then!" he said enthusiastically.
Ren frowned before glancing over to Ken. "Well… how are you feeling, Ace?"
Ken shrugged in response. "I'm feeling okay, personally. I'm just glad that my reflexes are finally getting back up to par."
Besides her, Makoto let out a small sigh of relief. Haru could sympathize. What both Ken and Ren had been going through had been worrisome.
Anne then frowned in response.
"But what about you, Joker?" she asked anxiously before biting her lower lip. "Is your leg okay?"
Ren nodded. "Yeah, it's taken a while, but I think I'm finally back one hundred percent."
"So we're back in business!" Ryuji cheered, pumping his fist.
Ren shook his head. "Let's not be too hasty. I want to make sure everything's in order before we tackle the last parts of Shido's Palace. Doesn't hurt to be careful."
"If only you had that philosophy during battle," Ken said dryly.
Ren stuck his tongue out at Ken. "You're just jealous that you can't think on the fly like me."
"Boys, boys…" Haru stepped in before Ken could think of a retort. "No need to fight!"
Morgana nodded. "Yeah, shouldn't we head back now? Since we've cleared all of our requests and covered as much ground as possible."
Ren nodded at that. "Right you are, Mona. Let's head back, guys."
Thursday, December 8th, 2016
Shido's requests were piling more and more. Goro wasn't surprised, with how the election was a little over a week away. Shido clearly wanted any possible threats out of the way.
And it wasn't like Goro had gone emptyhanded either.
He had managed to capture more Personas. There were some Personas too weak to even consider but now Goro had seven Personas, including Loki and Robin Hood.
But today, Goro was going to be visiting his mother's grave. He did his best to visit it at least once a month. He always visited her grave on the day of her death, however.
But first, he had some pit stops to make.
"Welcome to L'Etoile!"
Goro took a moment to inhale the scent of baked goods. While Goro found most sweets that café restaurants sold almost saccharine sweet, Goro always liked L'Etoile. It was a family-owned establishment for about three generations or so. As the name implied, they offered French pastries. However, they also incorporated Japanese flavors, such as matcha, red bean, and taro.
When Goro was a child, his mother always scraped the money together to buy a few slices of mille crepe cakes for his birthday. Mille crepe cakes were actually several especially thin crepes stacked together with cream separating the crepes.
His mother always chose taro, so that was what he'd offer his mother today.
So he patiently waited his turn. The clerk was a girl his age. It took him several moments to realize who she was. Asuka Tendou, Goro used to attend school with her. Way back when he was in elementary school.
She had delighted in bullying Goro. She mocked him for having hand-me-down uniforms, for not having his father in his life... the list went on.
Goro supposed she was pretty, with her long silky dark hair, fair complexion, and big brown eyes with long lashes. But all Goro could see was her sneering face as she tormented him for the umpteenth time.
She was nothing but hideous to him.
She let out a little gasp, even becoming starry-eyed when it was Goro's turn. Then she seemed to catch herself, clearing her throat.
"H-Hello, welcome to L'Etoile. How can I help you?" she said.
Goro flashed her his TV smile. "A slice of taro mille crepe cake, please."
Asuka busied herself with fetching the cake for him. Goro pretended not to notice the looks she stole at him.
"H-Here you are, Akechi-kun," she said. "That'll be a thousand yen."
Goro tilted his head. "Ah, you recognize me? A nobody like me?"
Asuka giggled before batting her eyes at him. "Who would call you a nobody, Akechi-kun?"
Goro stifled the urge to smile.
"You, of course," he noted dryly to himself.
"You'd be surprised," Goro said.
"Is this for here or to-go?"
"To go, please."
Asuka looked disappointed at that but she nodded. Goro handed her a one-thousand yen bill after she boxed up the cake slice. She entered it in the cash register before handing the cake to Goro.
She really didn't recognize him as the kid she used to torment at all. If only she knew. He wondered how she'd react if she realized who he was, as opposed to the celebrity she admires now.
"Have a nice day, Akechi-kun! I hope to see you soon!"
Goro gave her a wave goodbye before stepping out of the bakery. He finally allowed himself to scowl.
It really showed how fickle people were. If you dressed nicely and said the right things... you'd have everyone falling all over you.
And yet, Amamiya… he didn't care. The way he dressed was nothing special and the way he talked bordered disrespectful. And yet his friends hung on his every word like it was gospel.
Goro shook his head. He wasn't here to obsess over a dead man. He was here to visit his mother.
He stopped by the florist to pick up a bouquet of flowers. The pickings were slim, since it was December but Goro wanted to get his mother something.
The commute to the graveyard was short, but it took Goro a while to actually find his mother's grave. It was not the fanciest grave. After all they were always tight on money. He didn't even remember who arranged the funeral, if Goro was being honest.
And his mother was alone. She wasn't buried with her family, since she had been disowned.
"Hi, Mom," he said softly before crouching down in the grass.
The grass was slightly wet but Goro didn't care. He brushed at the dirt caked on the stone, taking a moment to trace the engraving.
"I'm sorry that I didn't get to see you last month," he said. "I was busy… because of him."
"But... revenge is not healthy for you. You need to let go of your anger. Yes, I doubt that Shido has an ounce of goodness in him. But think—would your mother want this for you? To be obsessed with avenging her?"
Goro shook his head, desperately trying to brush aside Ken's words. Of course his mother would want this! She'd want Shido to suffer for the hell he put her through!
"You'd be proud of me, wouldn't you? I'm an ace detective... and I'll be the one to bring down the man who made your life hell," Goro said in a small voice.
He knew it was childish to seek the approval of his deceased mother. But he couldn't get Ken's words out of his head. They kept popping up at the most inconvenient times, such as when he was fulfilling one of Shido's requests.
Of course, Goro was met with nothing but silence. Goro couldn't help but sigh. It was nice and everything to talk to his mother's grave, but it didn't erase that she was gone. He felt the loss of his mother so keenly still. Goro couldn't help but think that the hurt would never go away.
But still, he tried to force a smile. "I've met your sister's son, Ken… but he doesn't understand. He's so attached to Amamiya and everyone. I don't understand... why does he care about them so much? Why didn't he just listen to me about that bastard?"
Goro's hands clenched around his kneecaps.
"And… I found out who killed your sister, Mom. He's not that much older than myself… he's in his mid-twenties."
The file was vague on how exactly Aragaki murdered Goro's aunt. But it didn't erase the fact that he murdered her in cold blood. Goro really couldn't understand Ken's fondness for the man. The softness in Ken's eyes, the genuine affection… it was almost maddening.
Goro then drew a shuddering breath. "He's the one 'taking care' of Ken now, I don't know what he did to take Ken's misplaced loyalty, but I'll make him see the light. And I'll make sure Aragaki pays too, after I take care of the bastard first… those two. They are the reason you died, they practically murdered you themselves. I'll ensure it they suffer, so you can rest in peace. "
Goro's breath then grew ragged as he stared at the engraving of his mother's name.
"It's not fair. You never did anything wrong! Why did you repeatedly get punished?"
First it was Shido ruining his mother's life. Then it was his grandparents being stubborn and deciding to disown her. Then her sister was murdered. On top of that, she died in a deep depression, consumed by her guilt that she couldn't give him a better life or that she couldn't make amends with her once beloved sister.
Goro then shut his eyes.
Bemoaning the fact would do nothing. All he could do was avenge her, by ensuring Shido's downfall. He was going to rip everything away from him before pulling the trigger.
He wanted Shido to realize just who Goro was—the child he had so callously abandoned—before Goro destroyed his life.
Then it was Aragaki's turn.
"Sorry. I can't help but think of the what-ifs. I just… I wished things could've gone better for you."
Goro reached out, running his hand along the grave. It was freezing, even piercing Goro's glove. It was cold… like how his mother's body had been the day he had discovered her dead in bed.
The night before, she had kissed him goodnight and told him how much she loved him. Goro hadn't known the turmoil she had been going through or how she planned to take her life by overdosing on sleeping pills.
"But I can make sure that bastard will regret what he's done to you, and I will make certain to make Aragaki regret what he did to your sister. Since Ken is too indoctrinated by those idiots in the Shadow Ops, then later the Phantom Thieves. Yes... they are probably to blame for why Ken lost his nerve. I don't buy one minute a dangerous bastard like Aragaki saved his life," Goro said softly. "I swear it, Mom. I promise they will pay."
He then sighed.
"I'll see you soon," he said quietly, "I'll bring a better selection of flowers next time."
He then laid down the offering on the grave, the cake in the center and the flowers to the right of it.
"Goodbye, Mom."
JANUS
History: In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict, and hence war and peace.
Level: 51
Affinity: Bless, Support
Blocks: Bless
Resists: Curse
Weakness: None
Spells: Kougaon (innate), Dekaja (innate), Tetrakarn (level 53), Makougaon (level 56)
Notes:
I'm really sorry about the wait! Things have been hectic. I got fully vaccinated, school's been super busy, plus motivation block always sucks. But I'm quite pleased with how the chapter turned out.
With Makoto, I thought it'd be interesting to explore her feeling unsure about her dream especially with what Ren went through. I thought it'd be nice to show this, to emphasize that they've come full circle, with how the game emphasizes how much the PTs distrust Makoto (for understandable reasons).
I'm aware that the PTs express distaste for the cops in P5S but I think with the circumstances in Ace in the Hole, the PTs would feel differently.
I also wanted to show the pressure of hiding the truth about Ren's disappearance from the public eye through the eyes of a couple of the PTs. You'll see more of this next chapter as well.
And I couldn't go without celebrating Haru's birthday! I've also decided to tag YusuHaru on the AO3 version, since the ship tease can get pretty explicit.
And lastly... Akechi. I wanted to explore more of his feelings on the past and well... to emphasize how much his thoughts are occupied with the thoughts of revenge.
The Akechi confrontation is coming soon! I'm so excited to show it.
Please let me know what you think! And a big thank you to my wonderful beta angelrin89 for her work as usual!
Chapter 48: Ch. 47: Tipping the Scale
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves finally rev up to finish up Shido's Palace. Unfortunately... Akechi manages to catch wind of their plans.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Saturday, December 10th , 2016
Minako slowly became aware of the sound of a baby's wail. Minako groaned, slowly blinking her eyes open.
Sometimes, she wondered how any parent survived the newborn phase with their sanity intact. But then she felt a hand on her arm.
"Mina, I've got this," Aki said.
"But what about—" Minako began.
"You fed her just an hour ago," Aki pointed out.
Minako dropped her head against Aki's shoulder.
"It's all a blur to me now," she mumbled out.
Aki laughed before pressing a kiss against her forehead. "I'll be back soon."
He then climbed out of bed. Minako laid back on the bed, exhaustion settling over her. She loved Kiyomi to bits and pieces, but people were not kidding when they said parenthood was exhausting. And it would be months before Kiyomi could crawl or even walk. She had even more respect for Yukari for choosing to keep the twins, especially given the timing.
Aki had quieted down Kiyomi and finally silence filled the air once more. But as time passed by, Minako couldn't help but wonder what was occupying Aki. Maybe he fell asleep in the rocking chair. She didn't want him to get a crick in his neck in the morning… she better go get him.
So she crawled out of bed herself. Minako shivered for a moment as the cold air cut right through her clothes. It really was getting colder. She fumbled for her fuzzy robe, which hung on a nearby chair. She slipped it on before tying the sash around her. She then headed for the nursery.
It turned out that she was wrong about Aki falling asleep in the rocking chair. He was sitting in the rocking chair, but he was wide awake. The little sounds coming from the bundle in his arms told her that Kiyomi was awake too.
Minako couldn't help but smile. There was something incredibly sweet about a grown man just cradling a baby to his chest so gently.
The rocking chair creaked slightly as Aki continued to rock Kiyomi. They had positioned the rocking chair so that it was close to the window. The moon was nearly full, illuminating her husband and daughter.
"Not tired, are you?" he asked softly.
Minako blinked, wondering if he had spotted her. But then she realized Aki was looking down at Kiyomi. Her heart warmed at the soft expression on Aki's face.
"It's okay. Sometimes I have to stay up for the late-night shift. It's sometimes a pain in the neck but it's worth it. I want to protect the people I care about… and that includes you now, Kiyo. I love you... and I want to protect from anyone who wants to hurt you."
Aki suddenly tensed before he slowly inhaled.
"You had an aunt, you know. No... not any of the sometimes-scary women you met already."
Minako had to bite her lip to stop herself from giggling. She always found how Aki was scared by most of the women of SEES pretty amusing. The only exception was Fuuka because she was well... sweet little Fuuka.
"She was my little sister. She meant the world to me after we lost our parents so suddenly…"
Minako's heart gave a squeeze. She understood the feeling, Minato had been the only one she had been able to cling to after her parents' deaths.
Aki's expression turned regretful, his lips forming a deep frown. "I... couldn't protect her. I was just a kid, but I couldn't help but feel that I could've done something. But I promise that I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. I want you to grow up in a world that's better than the world I grew up in." Aki suddenly hugged Kiyomi close. "Mina would probably tease me for rambling on and on like this, but it's how I feel."
Minako couldn't help but feel offended.
"Why would I do that?" she asked, finally stepping into the room.
Aki flinched at that. "M-Mina?! I thought you were sleeping!"
"I thought I'd check up on you," Minako said before stepping closer to her husband and child.
She then held out her hands, letting out a dramatic sigh.
"And Mommy was getting lonely. So gimme."
Aki let out a soft chuckle before rising to his feet and handing over Kiyomi. Kiyomi gave a soft coo. Kiyomi had recently reached a healthier weight for her age; Minako was able to breathe more easily because of that. She was now adorably plump with the chubbiest cheeks. She had thought the twins were cute but no… Kiyomi definitely surpassed them in cuteness.
Kiyomi lifted her hands, waving them for a moment before latching onto Minako's hair and giving it a firm yank.
Minako winced before gently disentangling her hands from Minako's hair.
"Ow, please don't pull at Mommy's hair, Kiyo-chan." But then she cradled Kiyomi close with a smile. "But hi to you too, Kiyo-chan. Did you miss me?"
She got no response, but it wasn't like Minako was expecting one. She rocked Kiyomi gently, swaying to and fro. Every once in a while, Minako would look up to see Aki watching them with a smile playing at his lips.
Minako then began to hum a melody under her breath as she noticed Kiyomi's eyelids fluttering shut. It felt surreal sometimes, despite the sleepless nights and holding Kiyomi in her arms. She had a child now. She just… couldn't understand why anyone would forsake their child. She had loved Kiyomi ever since she had found out that she was pregnant, but that love had become even more fiercer ever since Kiyomi had come into the real world.
Kiyomi's soft breaths evened out, making Minako smile softly. She was just too adorable.
"I love you, baby girl," she whispered before planting a kiss against Kiyomi's forehead.
But Minako laid Kiyomi into her crib. She kissed her fingertip before brushing it against Kiyomi's cheek.
"Good night, Kiyo-chan," she whispered.
After Aki kissed Kiyomi goodnight as well, they headed for their bedroom.
"Aki… I feel the same as you," Minako said quietly.
Aki laughed softly before pulling her into his arms. Minako curled into his embrace before she rested her cheek against his chest.
"You heard everything, didn't you?" he asked.
"You know how nosy I am," Minako shot back.
Aki was quiet for a moment, idly playing with her hair.
He asked. "How close do you think they are to Shido?"
Minako closed her eyes. "They're over halfway, I think Ken-kun reported that they should be going back into the Palace soon."
Aki nodded before letting out a yawn.
"Hopefully they'll take care of him soon," he said drowsily.
Minako leaned up and pressed a brief kiss against his cheek.
"Let's get some rest. You know that Kiyo-chan will be waking us up in an hour or two."
"Mm-hm. Night, Mina."
"Night, Aki."
She then snuggled into Aki's arms and drifted all too easily back to sleep.
"Anne-chan! Over here!"
Mika let out a barely audible growl but Anne paid her no mind. Anne tossed her hair over her shoulder before flashing a smile at the camera.
"Oooh, you're just marvelous today, Anne-chan!" the cameraman said, hastily snapping several pictures.
It was weird, pretending that everything was normal. But Anne had to keep up the masquerade. She tried not to show it, but she was starting to feel anxious.
The election was eight days away. She knew better than to rush Ren but she was getting nervous… She just wanted Shido to pay for all the crap he's pulled for the past two years…
"None of that now!" Anne chided herself. "I have to focus!"
And she had something to look forward to. She'd be meeting up with Ryuji and Futaba after her photoshoot. They were shopping in Akihibara, where the shoot was located. She was dressed in an almost cyberpunk style outfit. The outfits she was modelling were nice, but punk wasn't really her thing. She felt that it'd look good on Makoto though.
But still, it made Anne immensely happy to think how far Futaba had come.
"Anne-chan, over here!" the photographer called out to her once more.
Anne quickly plastered on another smile. It was time for her to put her all into this.
The photoshoot went by faster than Anne had expected and before she knew it, she and Mika had ducked into the dressing area. Anne quickly dressed into her street clothes, feeling much comfortable in them. The clothes she was modeling were gorgeous, but nothing beat her own clothes.
She was about to head out when Mika suddenly stepped out, adjusting her sweater dress. It was simple but chic. Yet Anne couldn't help but tense up.
"Where's your precious boyfriend today?" Mika asked, her voice snide.
Anne huffed. Of course she'd bring up Ren...
"Ren had a family emergency, so he went back to his hometown," Anne recited the usual excuse.
She really wondered how long she would have to use that old excuse. It was starting to get really exhausting, hiding the truth about Ren.
Mika sniffed before flipping her hair.
"A likely excuse," she sneered. "I bet your boyfriend got sick of you and moved onto the next pretty thing."
Anne bit the inside of her cheek. Like Ren would ever do that to her.
"Think what you wanna think, Mika," she said curtly; she refused to rise to Mika's bait. "I know the truth. Ren loves me."
Anne then touched her necklace's pendant, smiling softly. She still couldn't believe how much thought Ren had put into her birthday present. She was really so lucky to have Ren.
Mika then started to stare at the necklace, her eyes filled with envy. Then she scowled darkly. But Anne ignored her, picking up her bag and walking out of the changing area.
"Usually you two are glued at the hip. What happened?" Mika continued to follow her.
Anne whirled around, narrowing her eyes at Mika.
"Nothing happened," she said slowly, struggling to keep a rein on her temper.
She couldn't help but feel touchy. She knew she had to mask the truth well to protect her boyfriend but it was starting to get to her. And Mika's usual snotty attitude was not helping.
"ANNE!" The sudden voice made Anne jump.
Anne staggered back a couple steps as Futaba threw her arms around Anne abruptly.
Anne let out a short laugh. "Hey, Futaba! Where's Ryuji?"
"His mom called. Apparently he forgot to help her with something so he had to run back home," Futaba said. "Pffft, what a total Ryuji move."
Anne giggled. Well, she couldn't argue against that.
Futaba then looked up at Anne. "But what dessert do ya have in mind? All the walking around has me starving! I need fuel!"
Mika narrowed her eyes at Anne. "You really aren't taking modeling seriously, aren't you?"
Anne bristled at the accusation. "That's not true! Just because I eat sweets on occasion doesn't mean I sit around stuffing my face!"
Futaba frowned at that, her brows furrowing together.
"Wait… you don't eat sweets? At all? I can't imagine doing that!" Futaba suddenly tapped her chin, letting out a thoughtful hum. "Anne's also experimenting with some skin regiments. She had me help her research them. I don't think it's worth it though. Wayyyy too much of a hassle."
Mika's eye was starting to twitch as she looked Futaba up and down. It took Anne a moment to realize that Mika was irritated that Futaba ate whatever she wanted and didn't care about a skin regiment, but Futaba was still as cute as a button.
Anne forced out a laugh. "But it's getting late. Let's head out, Futaba!"
Anne snatched Futaba's hand and dragged her away from Mika as fast as she could.
"Was what that about?" Futaba asked.
Anne let out a strained laugh. "Mika gets... competitive."
Futaba scrunched her face at that. "But I'm not even a model! I've got nothing to do with her!"
Anne sighed, shaking her head. "Never mind her. She's not important."
She was eager to get her mind off of things. The way Mika asked about Ren still had Anne a little jumpy if she was being honest. She really wanted things to go back to normal. She wanted to be comfortable being in public without looking over her shoulder again.
"What did you and Ryuji get, by the way?" Anne asked.
She had to get her mind off of all of this.
"Ryuji picked up Mafia 6. I got Super Nario Builder!" Futaba said, holding up her other hand—a shopping bag dangled from her wrist.
Anne nodded. "Ooh, I've heard that's a fun game! I hope you like it!"
Futaba grinned. "Just you wait—I'll build a level that'll blow everyone's socks off! Though Anne, where are we going?"
"A little jazz club. It's got some good drinks and all kinds of desserts! The music is pretty great too!" Anne said with a smile.
She and Ren even had a couple dates there. Their last date at the jazz club had been right before Okumura's death. Ren had really loved the ambience there. Maybe they could go there again after everything calmed down.
"Ooh, that sounds good!" Futaba said enthusiastically.
Anne giggled. "I'm glad you think so! Because we're almost there!"
Akihabara was bustling as always. Anne couldn't help but giggle as they passed by one girl advertising her workplace, a maid café. She was pretty but she was just so… gruff. Ren was acquainted with her, of course… It really felt like her boyfriend knew half of the city's population.
But at last they arrived. Anne hoped they would be able to catch the singer, Lyn. She was the daughter of the club owner, a university student. She didn't work all nights of the week, so it felt like a treat when you came in during a night when she was there.
"Hello!" Anne greeted the greeter with a smile. "A table for two, please."
The greeter nodded before motioning a waiter to come seat them. "Enjoy your stay."
They walked in, soft jazz music filling the air. Anne beamed as she saw Lyn on the stage.
"Oooh, awesome! The singer's here tonight!" she said as they sat down.
"Does she not work here every night?" Futaba asked.
Anne nodded. "Yep, it's because she's a university student. She's the daughter of the owner."
Futaba tilted her head. "She's got a pretty voice."
But then she picked up the menu. Anne eyed the picture of the chocolate coffee cake. The thought of the decadent dessert was making Anne's mouth water. It was the perfect balance of sweetness, with a hint of the rich taste of coffee.
Mika's snide voice suddenly popped up in her mind. Anne grimaced. Maybe she shouldn't.
"What's wrong, Anne?" Futaba suddenly asked.
Anne sighed. "I was thinking about getting the chocolate coffee cake but it's probably too much..."
"So let's share that, duh," Futaba said with a snort. "And maybe um… a couple mocktails?"
Anne nodded with a smile. "Sure, that sounds great!"
"The drink menu is making my brain blue screen though… got any recommendations?"
"Hmmm… Ren liked their nojito last time we came here," Anne said, tapping her chin. "It's sweet but not overly sweet. It's balanced out by the mint. Have you had passionfruit drinks before? You might like their Hurricane then."
She gave Futaba a couple more recommendations and Futaba decided to go with the ginger apple mocktail. Anne decided to go with their Bella Bellini, their non-alcoholic take on a Bellini, a peach-based drink.
They called over the waiter and placed their orders. He promised to have their order out soon.
"Do you and Ren come here a lot?" Futaba suddenly asked.
"Eh, not really. We go to all different places. Sometimes we stay in at Leblanc, sometimes we go to the movie... Seaside Park… Ren even took me back to Destinyland once. It's fun to go exploring with him."
Futaba smiled. "That sounds fun. Though the indoor dates sound better to me."
Anne giggled. "Of course you'd think that."
For a moment, she started to wonder just who Futaba would like to date. Whoever they were, they'd have to be a Featherman fan for sure, though.
The waiter then came out with a tray, their cake and drinks resting on top. Anne couldn't help but clap her hands together in excitement. They picked up their forks, breaking off a piece at the same time.
"What do you think?" she asked excitedly after Futaba took her first bite.
"It's good!" Futaba said before taking a sip of her drink. "The drink's good too."
Anne giggled. "I'm glad you like it!"
They chatted for a little longer, enjoying the cake and their drinks. Anne's eyes then drifted throughout the club as she idly sipped her drink. There were a few couples here tonight, though Anne noticed some groups of friends as well.
A sudden movement by the entrance caught Anne's eye as she took another sip.
"Wait… is that Akechi?!" Anne choked on her drink.
"Anne?" Futaba's alarmed voice yanked her back to reality.
Anne hastily put her glass down, still coughing.
She then grabbed a napkin to cough into before rasping out, "Akechi."
Futaba moved to look but Anne grabbed for her wrist.
"Don't be so obvious about looking!" she hissed.
"You choked on your drink," Futaba hissed back.
"Ah, crap, crap! Akechi's looking at us now!" Anne thought with panic.
Akechi suddenly walked towards them, his usual fake smile on his face. It irritated Anne to see.
"Hello Anne-san, Futaba-san. I didn't expect to see you here."
"Hi, Akechi-kun," Anne said slowly.
The honorific felt weird on her tongue. Anne then licked her lips as her heart began to beat hard against her chest.
"Oh god… please let me fool him," she pleaded to herself.
Beside her, Futaba just grew stiff. It was understandable why Futaba held a grudge against him the most though. He killed her mother after all. Even though it was the car accident that had ultimately killed Wakaba-san, she never would've died if it hadn't been for Akechi.
Even now, she couldn't understand Akechi's motivation. Just… yeah, she had wanted Kamoshida to pay and suffer because of what he did to Shiho and everyone else… but at the cost of so many lives?
"What do you want, Akechi?" Futaba asked flatly.
Akechi winced. "I know… you're angry. All of you have been avoiding me."
"Our time together has ended, hasn't it?" Anne said dryly. "You kept saying that we'd only be working together for a little while."
Futaba just crossed her arms, silent but with a sour expression on her face. Anne couldn't blame her. Akechi was looking at them with that fake smile of his.
How could he pretend that everything was fine between them when he had planned to kill Ren? He probably shot Sae-san's cognition of Ren with a smile.
Anne suddenly realized that she was shaking.
Akechi pursed his lips. "This is about… what happened that night, wasn't it?"
"No duh," Futaba said flatly.
"You promised. You promised that you would save Ren…" Anne whispered.
"And… we never saw Ken again!" Futaba blurted out.
Oh that's right, they had to put up the façade that the Shadow Operatives had cut off contact. Anne needed that reminder.
Akechi sighed. "I'm sorry, Anne-san… I did try. Sometimes… your best isn't good enough."
"It doesn't mean that I can't be upset with you," Anne hissed at him, her hands clenching into fists.
Akechi sighed. "I know apologies can't bring back Ren-san but again—I am sorry. I know that he did it so everyone else could get to safety."
Anne's hand clenched around her glass. Akechi's fakeness about this… was really pissing her off. She wanted to call him out on it but she bit down on her tongue. No… she had to keep quiet. She couldn't tip Akechi off.
She had to protect Ren. That was her biggest priority.
"Is that supposed to make us feel better?" Futaba snapped. "Ren's dead. Your apologies won't bring him back."
Akechi sighed. "What do you want me to say then?"
"We've been avoiding you for a reason!" Anne snapped out. "I just—"
She squeezed her eyes for a moment. She couldn't do this. She was afraid of cracking and that would be disastrous.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the waiter nervously eye them.
She waved him over. "I-I'm sorry, sir, but could we have the check please?"
"Yes, miss, right away."
He hurried to get them their tab. Anne paid in cash before getting up.
"Come on, Futaba, let's go."
Futaba nodded before following Anne out of the club. Anne walked briskly before spotting an alley. She ducked into it. She just… couldn't deal with this.
"Anne! What's wrong?" Futaba asked anxiously, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I just… god." Anne shut her eyes before burying her face into her hands. "This is driving me nuts, Futaba… Having to pretend that everything's okay…"
Futaba just hugged Anne for a moment.
"Let's go to Leblanc," she said quietly. "I think… you need it."
Anne let out a heavy sigh. That sounded nice... she just hoped that Ren was at LeBlanc.
"You ran into Akechi?"
Anne just looked at her boyfriend before giving a miserable nod.
"I nearly lost it, Ren… I had to get out of there before I blurted out the truth."
"Hey, you did great, Anne," Ren reassured, reaching to touch her shoulder. "You've come a long way since trying to fool Yusuke."
Anne huffed before smacking Ren's arm.
"That's not funny!"
Despite herself, she couldn't help but feel a smile tugging at her lips.
Ren just laughed. "Why don't you stay the night, then? We can make it an us night. I'll cook you a nice dinner, we can pick a movie to watch, schedule in some snuggling—the works. I'll get Futaba to bring Morgana over to her house so, it'll be just you and me."
Anne smiled softly. "That sounds great."
She felt a little bad for making Morgana stay with Futaba, but she needed the comfort.
Ren smiled before cupping her face in his two hands, leaning down to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
"Then it's a plan," he declared before slipping his arms around her and giving her a hug.
Anne giggled softly before pressing her face against Ren's shoulder.
"I see how it is…" Morgana grumbled.
Ren snickered. "I'll buy you some sushi to make up for it. We got a lot of loot during our last Mementos trip. I can afford it."
"Really?!" Morgana's eyes went wide.
"Really," Ren confirmed with a wink.
"I'll see you tomorrow then. Have fun with Lady Anne!" Morgana said hastily.
He then darted down the stairs, all but a black blur. Anne couldn't help but giggle. Morgana was a little predictable.
"Knew it'd work," Ren said in between snickers.
"You really know how to target Morgana's weakness, huh?" Anne couldn't help but tease.
Ren pressed a hand against his check before giving a smirk.
"Hey, gotta utilize all the tools I have."
"If you say so, Ren."
Ren just laughed. "Come on, let's make a quick trip to the grocery store. I want to make you something a little fancier than Sojiro's curry."
"Aw, that's not necessary…"
Ren chuckled before kissing her forehead again. "I know. I want to, though."
Anne couldn't help but blush. Ren really liked to pamper her sometimes.
But they set off to the nearby supermarket in Yongen-jaya.
"What are you planning on cooking?" Anne asked.
Ren picked up a piece of beef to inspect it. "Beef tenderloin rubbed with garlic and herbs. Haru gave me some herbs she's been growing. Gonna top it off with mushroom cream sauce."
Anne giggled. "Sounds yummy. There are definitely benefits to dating someone who is interested in cooking."
"Why do you think I wanted you to taste test my curry when Sojiro was first teaching me?" Ren laughed.
He finally was satisfied with the cut of meat, so he put it in the shopping cart.
"I should've known that you were up to something," Anne giggled.
Ren just grumbled, "And I thought I was completely obvious…"
Anne huffed. "You always took on a joking tone when you flirted with me before. What was I supposed to think?"
Looking back on it, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed for having missed the hints Ren threw her way. And she had been kinda oblivious to her own feelings too…
"At least you know now," Ren said, flashing her a mischievous smile.
Anne just gave him a light push. "Oh shut up!"
The rest of the grocery trip was lighthearted. Anne couldn't help but suspect that Ren was acting silly on purpose to cheer her up. But it was pretty effective. Anne was feeling pretty cheerful now.
She was now perched at the bar, sipping at a cup of coffee that Ren had brewed her while Ren prepared their dinner.
She had offered to help but Ren had turned her down.
She loved watching Ren cook. His movements were confident and fluid. She couldn't help but admire the way he had chopped up the onions with such precision. Anne wasn't a bad cook, but her main weakness was chopping in equally sized pieces, so everything cooked evenly.
Ren then dropped the pieces of meat into the pan, making it sizzle. It made Anne's stomach rumble in response.
Ren snickered, flashing a knowing grin at her; he must've heard her. Anne puffed her cheeks out at him in response. Ren just flashed her a wink in response before turning back to the sauce; he was doing some final touches to it.
But suddenly Ren's phone rang.
"Anne, can you get that?" Ren said.
Anne picked up his phone, turning it over so that she could answer the call. But then the caller suddenly hung up.
That was weird…
Anne's eyes then bugged out when she noticed just who had called.
It had been Ren's mother.
There were some text messages too… it was from Ren's dad.
> Ren answer our messages. PLEASE
> Your mother is besides herself.
Ren's parents… had been trying to get into contact with him?
Anne couldn't help but think back to the hotpot party when it had been just her, Ren, Ryuji, Morgana, and Yusuke. They had all opened up about their pasts but the way Ren had talked about his parents' treatment of him… implied that they were ashamed and angry of him.
But… maybe they've realized that Ren was a victim?
Suddenly the phone rang again.
Anne's finger pressed against the green phone symbol.
"H—"
"You have ten seconds to explain yourself, Ren Amamiya!" Ren's mom all but snarled out. "I know that we didn't part well last spring but your father and I have been trying to reach out to you, Ren!"
She then sighed.
"I'm… sorry, Ren. We should've believed you. That you're not the type to act like this. You've always got an impish side to you but you're not a delinquent. Your dad and I just thought that with how busy we've been, you've changed enough to be a delinquent."
"I… uhhh…" Anne stuttered out, at a loss of what to say.
"Wait… do I have the wrong number? No… this is Ren's number. Who's this?"
"Your son's girlfriend," Anne grumbled to herself.
Ren must've caught sight of the look on Anne's face since he turned to face her, a frown on his face.
"Anne, who's calling?"
Anne licked her lips. She knew that Ren wasn't going to like this, based on how he talked about his parents in the past…
She mouthed at him, "Your mom."
Ren's expression hardened at that, his face turning stormy. He turned off the stove. He then marched over to Anne, plucking the device out of her hands.
"Goodbye, Mom," he snapped into the phone before hanging up.
"Ren…" Anne began.
Ren cut in, "Anne, don't. Please."
The hurt in Ren's eyes broke Anne's heart. But still… Ren didn't know everything. That his mom seemed like that she wanted to make amends. Maybe it took her and Ren's dad way too long to come around but… they were sorry. They were trying to reach out to him.
She couldn't focus on that though. Not when Ren was obviously hurting.
Anne remained quiet before standing up. She then embraced him from behind, giving him a squeeze. She felt him take in a shuddering breath.
"Oh, Ren… how long have you been bottling up this hurt?" Anne thought with sorrow, feeling tears prickling at her eyes.
She just pressed closer to him, giving him another squeeze.
"I didn't mean to be so short, I just…" Ren cut himself with another sigh.
Anne released him. Ren removed his glasses for a moment to rub at his eyes.
"They took the police's words over mine, Anne. They thought they had done something wrong… that I just went astray. I'm not perfect but dammit... I never was a bad kid," he choked out. "Why… couldn't they just believe in me?"
"Ren… hear me out, please." Anne took one of his hands in both of hers. "Your mom—she feels bad about it now. It's like… it's like how I assumed that Makoto knew about Kamoshida's actions beforehand. It was something that she deeply regretted but still stubbornly maintained her stance when I pushed against her. It took them… too long. Way longer than they should've. But they wanted to try to make amends, Ren… won't you give them a chance?"
She couldn't help but think of how Futaba used to fight with her mom because of how hard she worked. And now Isshiki-san was gone.
And Haru… her regrets about her father always made Anne's heart ache. All Haru wanted was for her old father, the one who was kind and had a true passion for food, to come back.
She didn't want Ren to cut out his parents. He might regret it someday.
Ren squeezed her hands before slowly shaking his head. "It just hurts, Anne… that they would make such assumptions about me. And this whole crap with Shido is making me think about the incident more."
"I understand, Ren…" Anne said softly.
Ren let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry, I know that you had it rough earlier. I didn't mean to make it about me."
"Don't give me that nonsense," Anne scolded, wagging a finger at her boyfriend. "Your feelings are just as important as mine! And I know… things haven't been easy for you. It's okay, Ren... really."
Ren cracked a smile. "Thanks, Anne. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"You finished dinner, didn't you? Maybe food will make you better," Anne suggested.
Ren's smile morphed into a smirk, though Anne noticed it was rather… half-hearted.
"Thinking with your stomach, huh?" he said lightly.
"O-Oh shut up!"
But as they ate, Anne couldn't help but think about Ren's situation with his parents. She understood that her boyfriend was deeply hurt by his parents' unwillingness to believe in his side of the story.
Maybe after they had taken care of Shido, Ren's wounds would start to heal… and he'd be more open to talking to his parents again.
She just hoped that it wasn't too late for them.
Sunday, December 11th, 2016
Goro straightened his tie before taking a deep breath. A part of him was a little irked that Shido was pushing him to do this, so to drum up the negative sentiment against the Phantom Thieves, even though the election was literally a week away.
With Goro striking down all of Shido's obstacles, there was really no need for this… but Shido had demanded it. It wouldn't be long now, though. He would have his revenge… soon. Goro could practically taste it.
"Akechi-kun, you're on in sixty seconds," one of the studio's employees suddenly said, snapping Goro out of his thoughts.
Goro nodded before looking towards where the two hosts sat.
"And now, we're thrilled to welcome our next guest!" the female host said before extending her hand towards where Goro was hiding. "Please welcome, Goro Akechi!"
Goro took a breath before stepping out. Immediately, the majority of the audience began to shriek.
"Akechi-kun! Over here!"
"I loooove you, Akechi-kun!"
Goro kept a smile plastered on his face, turning to give a wave.
"You have so many fans in the audience, Akechi-kun," the male host joked. "I must say—I'm a little jealous."
The female host just laughed.
"I don't need you to get an inflated head," she said lightly.
"You wound me!" The male host fake-gasped in response, clasping a hand to his chest.
Goro couldn't help but feel a little irked; it reminded him of Amamiya's dramatics.
The female host then chuckled before gesturing to the seat.
"Why don't you take a seat, Akechi-kun?" she prompted.
Goro nodded before sitting down, crossing his legs.
"So, Akechi-kun..." the male host said. "Are you surprised that the buzz about the Phantom Thieves hasn't died down?"
Goro shook his head. "Not at all. After all, they were a phenomenon that gripped the entire nation for months. And especially in Tokyo—we're not exactly lacking in news."
The male host nodded before his expression turned thoughtful. "Still, I can't believe that the leader of the Phantom Thieves committed suicide while in custody. Though, Akechi-kun… did you anticipate this curious turn of events?"
Goro let out a small hum, resting his fingers on his chin.
"Oh, certainly not to this extent," Goro said, allowing a thoughtful expression to come across his face. "But it is important to note that he was the mastermind behind the recent commotion."
Even so, the words felt bitter on Goro's tongue. Amamiya's victories were minimal in the big picture, but it still irritated him to acknowledge them.
Goro then added, "Getting captured must have wounded his pride irreparably. Such things happen to insurgent leaders."
He had to wonder just how Amamiya had felt when Shido's men had cornered him… He must've been in shock that he had been outwitted. Goro had to fight the urge to smile smugly.
The female host nodded at that before glancing to the audience.
"According to the police, the whereabouts of the other members are still currently unknown," she explained.
Goro suppressed the urge to smile. If only she knew the truth. Especially since Amamiya, Sakamoto, and Takamaki had all visited this TV studio five months ago.
"Considering that they no longer require testimony from the leader, the investigation will be hard to—"
Goro had to cut her off. That was part of what Shido demanded he do.
"Might I butt in for a moment?" Goro suddenly interjected.
The two hosts looked startled but the male host cleared his throat.
"Of course," he said, nodding.
"The Phantom Thieves may have laid low since the loss of their leader, but they must not be excused!" Goro proclaimed, pressing his hand right over his heart. "I don't care if they come after me! For the victims of their evil deeds, and their poor grieving families…"
Goro then stood to his feet, looking straight at the camera. Then he flashed a smile.
"I will capture the remaining Phantom Thieves, no matter what!"
It would be so easy to pick them off after the election, too. He knew exactly where each and every one of them lived. He'll need to be sure to message one of the Phantom Thieves, can't have them immediately suspecting that he did betray them and plot some half-baked revenge scheme… not that they have it in them. Without Amamiya they're nothing. But still… pays to be prepared. Perhaps he'll message Takamaki, as an act of "remorse" for not "saving" her precious boyfriend.
"I can tell her how everything they see on television is a ruse to gain Shido's trust and keep the law enforcement off their backs. Oh yes, 'even if none of you will never forgive me, I made a promise after Amamiya's death I would keep the police off all of your scents', oh yes, that should do the trick. They're all too distraught and emotional, they'll buy that easily," Akechi thought to himself.
The audience began to applaud at his declaration.
"Yeah, get them, Akechi-kun!"
"Only you can bring them to justice, Akechi-kun!"
"You're so cool, Akechi-kun!"
Goro glanced in their direction, as he flashed them another smile. Their expressions could only be described as adoring. He couldn't help but think of his peers treated him as a child.
An A+. He had gotten a perfect score for this test. Goro felt both excited and… sad.
He remembered when his mother was still alive, she had been so proud of him when he brought back excellent test scores. She'd kiss him on the cheek—ignoring Goro's protests that it was childish—before promising him that she'd get him something special. She'd stretch out her funds just to award Goro.
But now… he was a burden. His foster siblings often loved reminding him that he was lucky to have been taken in by his foster family. And his foster mother… she wasn't exactly cruel but also devoid of the warmth that Goro's mother was always happy to give him.
It had been a year and a half since his mother's death and Goro still missed her so terribly. Still, Goro felt a sense of satisfaction as he looked at his test score.
His test was suddenly snatched out of his hands.
"You got a 100?!"
The speaker was Asuka Tendou, and her exclamation grabbed the attention of everyone in the room.
"That test was so hard…"
"How did Goro get a perfect score?"
"Maybe he cheated…"
That last part angered Goro. He didn't cheat! He worked so hard to study! Goro opened his mouth to protest only for their teacher to snap at them to hush up. Goro immediately snapped his mouth shut.
Asuka let out a little huff before crumpling his test before throwing it into Goro's lap. Goro bit his lip. Why did people have to be so cruel?
The moment lingered in Goro's mind for hours. Well into lunch. He finished the lunch that his foster mother had prepared for him—though Goro couldn't help but compare her cooking to his mother's, even now—so he pulled his book to read for the rest of the lunch period.
He had stopped trying to make friends. Nobody wanted to be his friend. People barely tolerated his presence so why bother?
He sighed before looking back to the story. He was reading about an orphan becoming a detective. He solved all kinds of mysteries, even murders. He got to ensure that criminals got locked up and punished for their misdeeds.
He wished he could be like that…
His book was suddenly smacked out of his hands. Goro reluctantly looked up to see Asuka standing before him.
"You cheated, didn't you?" she accused, eyes narrowed at him.
Goro gritted his teeth. Not this again…
"I didn't. I just studied a lot," he said simply. "I want to get into a good school in the future, so I've been working hard."
And if he was lucky, he could score a scholarship with his grades. This irritated Asuka for some reason.
"I worked hard too!" she spat.
Apparently not hard enough based off of her reaction.
Goro shrugged. "I just found a method that works for me. Maybe you haven't found yours yet—"
"Why do you even work so hard?" she snapped out.
Goro froze at that and he frowned. "I told you the reason already—"
"You'll never amount to anything, Goro!" Asuka spat at him. "You're a bastard! You're good for nothing, just like your mom was!"
Goro's hands clenched into fists, anger flaring inside of him.
"Don't you dare bring her up!" he snapped.
"Why? Because it's true?" she taunted.
"Shut up!" Goro literally saw red.
Before he knew it, he had leapt to his feet and gave her a shove.
She staggered backwards with a loud shriek, landing on her bottom.
One of the teachers immediately swooped in.
"What's going on? Himura-kun, did you push Tendou-san?"
Asuka just nodded tearfully as the teacher helped her up. "He did it for no reason!"
"You were the one to come up to me!" Goro protested.
"I wanted to talk to you," she said sweetly. "But you told me to go away and pushed me to the ground."
"That's not true—!"
"Himura-kun, that's enough," the teacher snapped, shooting him a stern look. "Since this is your first offense, I will let you off with a warning. But I don't want to hear another protest out of you, am I clear?"
Goro bit his lip, ducking his head before whispering, "Yes."
It wasn't fair. Why did the teacher have to take Asuka's side?
"Tendou-san, are you going to be okay?"
"I'll be fine," she said with the same fake sweetness; it just made Goro's blood boil to see how she was completely fooling the teacher.
The teacher nodded before giving Goro a dirty look.
"Honestly, why couldn't his mother teach him any manners?" the teacher muttered before stalking away.
Manners? He was plenty polite! But Goro had to literally bite down on his tongue. He didn't want to get into trouble.
"My mom and dad said that nothing good ever happens to bastards," Asuka said smugly. "Just wait and see."
Goro watched her flounce away. His hands balled into fists.
"I'll prove you wrong… all of you wrong," he swore under his breath. "I'll rise above all of you. And I will laugh when I watch you take back everything you said."
He'd make everyone eat their words. One day…
"Akechi-kun?"
Goro blinked before shaking his head. He had been so caught up with old memories that he had completely lost himself.
Goro smiled apologetically before sweeping into a bow.
"F-Forgive me. I was just so caught up with my emotions that I…"
The male host just chuckled. "No wonder they call you an ace detective of justice. What passion!"
Then he suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Oh, I know—how about we use this opportunity to poll the audience? Those who believe the detective of justice will annihilate the Phantom Thieves, press your button now."
The screen's numbers flashed for several moments before it finally settled on the number 50.
"My, everyone agrees." The male host then teasingly added, "Looks like you can't back down now!"
Goro scratched his cheek for a moment. "I will do the best I can."
Then he frowned, looking down.
"Oh, but I do have my college entrance exams to study for… maybe I jumped the gun when I promised this," he said with a contemplative frown, cupping his chin.
This earned some hooting and laughter from the audience. Goro had to suppress a smile. It was amazing how people could change their tune so quickly, once they had no idea that he was a bastard child.
You were scum in their eyes once they knew. It didn't matter how hard you worked, if you tried to be the kindest person in the world.
But it didn't matter. Despite everything, Goro managed to claw his way up. And thanks to the Nav… he could eliminate anyone who got in his way.
And finally… revenge was within his grasp. Oh, he couldn't wait for the look on Shido's face when he realized that the bastard child he had once shunned would be the one to destroy him.
Christmas was literally two weeks away. So Ren was scouring the underground mall for a present for Anne. He was on the lookout though; just in case Anne was hanging around the mall like she did on most of her days off.
He stepped into the jewelry store where he had bought Anne's birthday present.
"Welcome in!" the clerk called.
Ren gave a little wave before stepping further into the store. He gave a little sigh of relief as the warmth swept over him. His hometown was chilly, with it being right by the ocean, but Tokyo wasn't much warmer.
He slipped his hood off. He didn't want to look like a guy looking to shoplift, after all.
"Oh, you're the young man who came in about a month ago," the clerk said, looking taken aback. "How did your young lady like your gift?"
Ren smiled slightly. "She loved it. She wears it all the time now."
"I assume you're hunting for a Christmas gift. You must really like pampering her."
Ren couldn't help but smile goofily as he recalled the smile on Anne's face after he placed the necklace on her. There was something about Anne's smile that always gave him the warm fuzzies.
"Yeah… but she deserves it."
The clerk smiled. "Well, you're in the right place. What are you thinking? Couple rings?"
Ren's eyes widened at that before he started to wave his hands. "Whoa whoa whoa! We're only seventeen!"
He hadn't really thought of marriage, truth be told. It always seemed in the distance for obvious reasons. He'd like to be of age before even thinking about that kind of thing.
"Okay, not couple rings," the clerk chuckled. "How about a charm bracelet?"
That quickly got Ren's attention.
"It could make future Christmas gifts easier for her too," the clerk added. "You could buy her the charm bracelet and one charm. And you could give her another charm for each Christmas in the future."
Ren grinned. "What charm bracelets do you have in mind?"
The clerk showed him several pieces and Ren ended up picking out a rose gold chain. It took a little longer for Ren to pick the charm but in the end, he picked a key-shaped charm with a heart, also made out of rose gold.
After ringing up Ren's order, the clerk wrapped it up for him. After bidding the clerk goodbye, Ren stepped out of the jewelry store. He quickly pulled up his hood once more. He had to remain cautious.
"Lady Anne will love it!" Morgana practically purred out. "I'm glad that you're treating her the way she deserves."
Ren laughed. "Are you sure? It's not as flashy as what I gave her for her birthday…"
Morgana suddenly looked wistful. "It's sentimental. And it's a promise of building a future with her."
Ren couldn't help but smile. He didn't know what the future held but… with Anne by his side, he felt like he could take on anything.
But as he walked towards Shibuya Station, his phone suddenly buzzed with a text message notification. Ren pulled it out of his pocket to see that it was a text from Ken. He was asking Ren to come over for a talk.
Ren couldn't help but feel curious about that, so he texted Ken that he was coming over.
The walk to Ken's place was short. Though Ren was a little relieved to walk into another warm building. While he didn't have the same reaction to the cold as Anne did, he always disliked the cold more than the heat. His main issue was how his ears always got so cold in the chilly weather.
He hastened towards the elevator, only lowering his hood once he was safely inside. He let out a little sigh, running a hand through his hair. He really couldn't wait for it to be safe to be out in the open.
The elevator let out a ding, making Ren jump.
"Hey, are you okay, Ren?" Morgana asked.
"Just… thinking," Ren muttered out. "Feeling a little antsy about hiding."
"It'll be a little longer, Ren. Though, we do need to tackle getting the last two letters soon," Morgana reminded.
Ren nodded absently. "I know, I know. It'll be soon, I promise."
He then stepped forward, rapping on the door. Ken opened the door.
"Hey, Ren."
Ren cracked a grin. "Hey."
Ken then stepped back so Ren could come in. He pulled off his shoes, leaving them by the door before stepping inside.
Koromaru scampered up to them, letting out a series of barks. Morgana grumbled as Ren bent down to give the albino pooch a scratch behind his ear.
"Feeling jealous, Morgana?" Ren teased. "I could give you scratches too."
Morgana bristled at that, shooting Ren a dirty look. Out of the corner of Ren's eye, he could see Ken rolling his eyes.
"Haha, you're so funny," Morgana grumbled before jumping out of Ren's bag.
"Is Shinjiro-san working today?" Ren asked, turning to Ken.
Ken shook his head. "Nah, he went to buy groceries. It'll be for a while."
Ren raised an eyebrow at that. "It can't take that long to buy groceries."
"Oh, for Shinjiro-san… you'd be surprised," Ken said with a laugh. "Cooking is serious business for him."
He then walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge. He pulled out a carton and a shallow dish. He poured out the contents—cream, Ren realized after a moment.
"Here you go, Morgana," he said.
Morgana brightened up at that before jumping onto the counter and happily began to lap at it. He gave a little purr.
"Thanks, Ken!"
"No problem."
Ken then headed out of the kitchen.
"So… Ken, what did you want to talk to me about?" Ren couldn't help but feel curious.
Ken was quiet for a moment, folding his arms over his chest. "I found… an old letter. From Minato-san, right before he died. He wrote all of us a letter. I came across it among my things while trying to clean my room the other day. I reread it and… it reminded me of some of the things you've told me."
Ken then hesitated for a moment; his expression was now conflicted.
"Do you… remember when I told you that you remind me of someone I know?"
Ren had to think for a moment. But… it was coming back now. God, that had been while Ken had been still hiding the truth from them. That felt so long ago.
"I remind you of Minato-san?" Ren asked, feeling a little confused.
From what Ken had told him, Ren and Minato-san was almost nothing alike.
"Both him and Minako-san but for different reasons," Ken admitted. "It's true that you and Minako-san are very similar in both personality and leadership. But you and Minato-san… carried similar burdens. Minato-san didn't ask to get Death sealed into him. You didn't ask to get a criminal record."
Then Ken suddenly smiled.
"But both of you still push forward, no matter what," he stated.
Ren's mouth suddenly went dry. He didn't know… that's what Ken thought of him.
"Be careful, Ken, before you give me an inflated sense of self," Ren joked, trying to lighten up the situation.
"That's implying that you didn't have one before," Ken shot back before cracking a smile. "But I was wondering if you'd like to read the letter… no pressure if you don't though."
Ren said, "I'd like to see the letter."
"Okay." Ken nodded. "Let's go to my room, then."
Ren followed Ken to his room. It looked a little neater than what Ren remembered. Ken must be getting bored if he was cleaning. Ken then went to his desk, opening the top drawer. He took out an envelope, opening it and drawing out a yellowing piece of paper.
He then handed it to Ren.
The writing on the paper was wobbly so Ren had to squint a little in order to read. But if this was the time when Mianto-san was barely clinging to life for the sake of the promise he had made with his friends, then it made sense. He just couldn't fathom how Minato-san felt while writing this.
March 1st , 2010
Dear Ken,
If you're holding this, it must be past Graduation Day. It'll be your last year of elementary soon… if it hasn't started already.
I do want to apologize for not… helping you and Shinjiro-senpai make amends. I didn't know how deeply you were grieving. I lost my parents, but I had Mina to cling to. I should've tried to help you more.
But I'm not here to talk about this. I wish I could've hung out with you more. Maybe I should've listened to Mina when she tried to get me to hang out with you two. I have some regrets… And I don't want you to make the same mistake.
You have only one childhood, Ken. I know what you went through… shattered your innocence. But don't look to the past and your regrets. You have to look to the future. But still… take the time to enjoy your time as a kid.
And if Shinjiro-senpai somehow wakes up from his coma… talk to him. I know he can be a scary guy and all, but he took a bullet for you. Twice. You guys need to stop focusing on the past. You can't change what happens… but don't waste time overthinking things. I know you really regretted what happened on October 4 th . You guys need to talk things out. I think you'll be able to become friends.
Minato
P.S.: Do me a favor and never show this letter to Mina. She'll probably gloat about how optimism always triumphs over pessimism or something like that…
Ren finally lowered the paper.
"Well… he was right about you and Shinjiro-san," he said finally.
Ken fidgeted for a moment. "After I read Minato-san's letter, I finally screwed up the courage to talk to Shinjiro-san. I was so afraid of what he had say to me. I put him through a lot of grief."
"Ken… he didn't blame you."
Sure Shinjiro-san liked to think that he was good at hiding how he felt. Maybe he had started looking after Ken out of guilt and obligation.
But things were different now.
Then Ken smiled. "But he's right… and so were you. My past shaped me into the person I am. But it doesn't define me. Thank you, Ren. When I came to Tokyo, I hadn't expected to make any friends, you know. I was expecting to keep my head low and get the information we needed. I never expected to become a Phantom Thief or… become your friend."
Ken's cheeks suddenly went pink before cracking a bashful smile.
"You've helped me too." Ren stared down at the floor. "You help keep my head screwed on and well… you've helped me realize that there are people in authority roles that do wanna help."
While he had met Yoshida before Ken had even moved to Tokyo, it was thanks to Ken that he got to meet Naoto-san, Akihiko-san, and Mitsuru-san. Meeting them had been such an eye opener.
"After my false accusation, I couldn't help but feel bitter towards people in authority," Ren said, looking back to Ken.
Ken winced. "It's understandable, Ren…"
"But it's an unhealthy mindset. It erases the efforts of people who want to do better."
Ken just nodded before speaking again. "And… I've been thinking. I became involved with all of this because I wasn't officially affiliated with the Shadow Operatives."
"So you're not gonna rejoin the Shadow Operatives?" Ren asked.
He was… surprised by that. He always figured that Ken would want to rejoin them.
Ken pursed his lips together.
"I was put on the auxiliary team back during the incident with Sho Minazuki," he said finally. "I do still want to help Mitsuru-san, but I don't think that I want to rejoin the Shadow Operatives full time. I want to go into criminal justice, I know that much. But I have some time to explore my options."
But then Ken suddenly gave him a sideway glance.
Ren frowned. "Okay, what do you want?"
Ken laughed. "Nothing. I was just wondering what you thought about joining the Shadow Operatives yourself."
Ren frowned to himself, folding his arms over his chest.
He personally couldn't see it. He knew from Ken that Minako-san was a Shadow Operative, and Rise-san had mentioned that Yu-san was a part-time but personally he couldn't see it for himself.
It wasn't what he wanted.
It was too… bureaucratic. He couldn't see him meshing well with it.
Besides that, Ren was already seeing that they needed allies outside of the organization. After all, that's part of why Ken came to Tokyo in the first place. He was grateful for that but he didn't want to be stuck in a corner because of how the Shadow Ops operated under the government.
"It's not for me," Ren said finally, keeping his voice light. "But… I'd be happy to back you up if you need me to."
Ken just smiled. "I'll be counting on you."
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast changed a vow into a blood oath,
Thy bonds shall become the wings of rebellion
and break the yoke of thy heart,
Thou hast awakened to the ultimate secret
Of the Adjustment, granting thee infinite power…
Fuuka had to admit that it was starting to feel lonely, coming back to an empty apartment every day. Visiting with her friends helped but still...
Hoshi had taken to curling up with Fuuka in bed at least. She was feeling it more keenly ever since Shinji and Ken had left. She had forgot how nice it was to snuggle with Shinji.
She was finishing up washing the dishes when her phone suddenly rung. The ringtone was one she had sent to just Shinji's call. She hastily put the last dish on the dish rack before stripping off her gloves. She hurried to pick up the phone and answered the call.
"Shinji?" she asked.
"Hey, Fuuka. Did I call at a bad time?"
"No, no, nothing like that. I had just finished washing the dishes for dinner," Fuuka said. "How was your day, Shinji?"
"It was alright. Had the day off but I came back from shopping to see Amamiya came over."
Fuuka giggled. "Aw, Shinji, Ren-kun isn't that bad…"
"He doesn't try to annoy you," Shinji grumbled out.
"So… is he back to his full strength, then?" Fuuka asked.
Ken didn't really like talking about Ren's healing process. Fuuka suspected that the topic was a little painful for Ken to talk about.
"Yeah, pretty much," Shinji answered. "Morgana nagged at him about jumping back into the Palace earlier today."
"So… it's really happening," Fuuka said quietly.
In a way, she found it a little surreal. When they had first encountered Shido after Isshiki-san's death, he had been protected… all too well.
But the Phantom Thieves would be taking him down soon.
Shinji slowly exhaled before saying, "Yeah. Bastard had it coming."
He spat out the word bastard. She wouldn't be surprised if Shinji was currently squeezing his phone. Though a question suddenly popped in Fuuka's mind.
"Um… Shinji?" she asked hesitantly. "Can I ask you a question?"
"You just did," Shinji said dryly.
Fuuka huffed. "You know what I mean!"
Shinji suddenly laughed, a sound that Fuuka always treasured. Even now, Shinji didn't laugh a whole lot. But Fuuka was okay with that. She found Shinji's laughs more special because of that.
"But seriously, Fuuka… what is it?"
Fuuka pursed her lips together for a moment. "Have you thought about accompanying the Phantom Thieves when they confront Shido?"
Shinji then was silent.
"Maybe I shouldn't have asked," Fuuka fretted to herself, fidgeting with her braid.
Maybe she made Shinji uncomfortable—
"I'm not," Shinji suddenly said, making Fuuka jump. "I've thought about it and yeah, Shido screwed with us in more than one way."
Fuuka's grip on her phone tightened, biting her lower lip. She had expected the night of the heist to be full of tension but none of them could've foreseen just how stressful it was…
"But it's not my fight. It's more… personal for them. He's the one responsible for Amamiya's probation. He ordered Isshiki to be killed and that's why Sakura sunk into a depression. He also ordered Okumura's dad's death. And he… kidnapped Ken. And besides that, Shido keeps spouting some bullshit about making Japan better for the 'children'. I think it's only right for the so-called children to take down the bastard for good."
Oh… she never thought about it. Shinji just reminded her time and time again that he was quite wise. It was a shame that people rarely noticed that side of him.
Fuuka said softly, "You're right, Shinji. I just was wondering because well… you were really furious over what Shido pulled with Ken-kun before."
"Oh, I still want that bastard to rot in hell," Shinji all but growled out. "Though I guess I'll have to settle for prison right now."
Fuuka couldn't help but giggle at that.
"Besides that, I got to see Shido actually lose his shit for a moment when we blackmailed him." Shinji's voice suddenly turned smug.
"It's a shame that you didn't get to take a picture," Fuuka said with another giggle.
"Maybe we should've asked Sakura if she could've nicked the footage," Shinji said with a snort. Then he cleared his throat. "But anyways… did anything happen today?"
"Oh, Minako-chan visited for a little bit before I made dinner. Kiyomi-chan is getting bigger and bigger every time I see her! Though uh… she did bring up wedding planning with me…"
Shinji grumbled, "Of course she did. Was she wrangling to be maid of honor or somethin'?"
Fuuka hesitated for a moment, biting her lip.
"Actually, I was thinking… I'd like to ask Rise-chan to be my maid of honor," she said carefully.
Shinji groaned. "Why Kujikawa?"
She couldn't put it to words, but Fuuka always had just clicked with Rise. While Minako, Yukari, Mitsuru-senpai, and Aigis were dear friends to her, it was just different with Rise.
"She's been a very good friend to me, that's all. Do I need another reason?" Fuuka pointed out.
When Minako and Akihiko-senpai gotten married last year, Minako had picked Yukari as her maid of honor. It had come to the surprise of nobody. Yukari was her best friend after all. (Though Minako had joked making Junpei co-maid of honor, much to his chagrin.)
And Fuuka personally thought that if Yukari and Minato had been able to get married… Yukari would've picked Minako as well. She was somewhat of a matchmaker for them too.
Shinji let out a sigh. Fuuka had to stifle the urge to laugh. She was pretty sure that Rise played up her attitude around Shinji because she knew that it irritated him.
"That's true," he said reluctantly. Then he let out a sigh. "Just make sure that she doesn't take over with the wedding planning. It's our wedding, not hers and Narukami's."
Fuuka said, "I will. Although… I assume that Akihiko-senpai will be your best man?"
"Yeah. Though it would be funny to see Aki's face if I told him that I wanted Koromaru to be my best man instead."
"Shinji, that's just mean!" Fuuka couldn't help but giggle herself, though.
It made her feel warm, though. Talking about their wedding… Fuuka couldn't help but feel giddy at the thought of their future.
And with Shido's defeat in the soon future… things were finally looking up.
Tuesday, December 13th , 2016
Message Sent: Ren
[Futaba]: Rennnnnn we're getting real close to the deadline! We should think about heading back into the Palace…
[Ren]: Sorry about that Futaba. I've finished our preparations. We're going in today.
Futaba all but bounded out of the house after reading Ren's message.
Finally! She could understand Ren's caution, but she was really starting to feel antsy.
She all but burst into the café, making Sojiro jump.
"Jeez, Futaba, you're gonna give me a heart attack!" he chastised.
Futaba let out a nervous chuckle before giving him a sheepish look. Okay, maybe she shouldn't have slammed the door open like that…
"Hehe… sorry, Sojiro. But um… we're going inside the Palace. To deal with Shido."
Sojiro nodded before going to flip the sign.
"This is it, huh?" Sojiro looked to her with a grim smile.
Futaba climbed onto the bar stool, drawing her knees to her chest. She then looked to her adoptive father.
"Well… we still need to send the calling card after we finish."
"The calling card, huh…? Might be tricky to get to Shido," Sojiro remarked.
Futaba grinned. "Don't worry, Sojiro. I've already started to devise a plan."
Ohhh man… she couldn't wait to see the look on her friends' faces when she told them her plan! Futaba giggled to herself, unable to hold back her glee. They were totally gonna flip. Not to mention Shido's face. It was a shame that she wouldn't get to see his face, though.
Sojiro just shook his head but let her be while she waited for her friends to come trickling into Leblanc.
Once everyone made it, they went back up to the attic to discuss a couple things before heading back inside Shido's Palace.
"So… we have the IT president and the cleaner left." Morgana frowned. "I'm not sure how we're going to track down either, in all honesty."
Makoto stroked her chin. "We don't really have any clues too. Though… we'll have to proceed forward."
Ken nodded. "We have to head back to where we left off. There has to be parts of the ship we haven't explored yet."
Ren stood up, grabbing a bag tucked underneath his desk.
Morgana perked up at this. "Oh, right! Ren picked up new weapons for everyone."
Ren suddenly flashed Ken a sardonic smile.
"I had to ask Iwai to ship your spear to the café, though, since I have to be especially inconspicuous now. Wasn't cheap either.
Ken rolled his eyes in response before droning out, "Sorry, do you want me to make a check out to you?"
Ren snickered. "That would be nice."
"Eh, just ambush Shadows for money like usual," Ryuji said with a shrug.
Morgana suddenly swatted at Ren's face with his tail, making Ren sputter.
"Hey, focus, Ren!" he chided. "We need to head to the Palace now."
"Nag, nag, nag…" Ren playfully ribbed before letting out a dramatic sigh. "You see what I have to deal with?"
Anne elbowed Ren in the ribs. "Stop picking on people already."
Ren just pouted for a moment before standing up. "Is everyone ready, then?"
"Yeah!"
They slipped into the Metaverse relatively quickly after activating the app from within LeBlanc.
"Today… let's go with Noir, Queen, and Mona."
Ren's selected team members stepped forward. Ren then took the lead, guiding them back to the slots area. After consulting the map, he found the door leading to a new area.
"Ugh… another maze," Ryuji griped.
Haru tilted her head. "It really makes me wonder how close we are to finishing the Palace…"
Ren reached into his jacket, pulling out the map. He unfolded it, studying it closely for several moments.
"The map doesn't have much left, though…" Ren suddenly said, sounding confused.
Morgana just folded his arms over his chest. "It just means that we'll have to scour every centimeter of this ship."
Ren nodded before heading down the hallway. Of course, sneaking around slowed down their progress, but Ren, Morgana, Haru and Makoto didn't seem to have a problem mowing down the Shadows. Their exploration in Mementos last week seemed to give them a slight edge.
But it wasn't long before Futaba sensed that they hit an area where they'd be forced to turn into mice. So… Futaba just stood back to watch the show. Ken was gonna be "thrilled" by this.
And sure enough, there was a puff of smoke, and suddenly her friends were mice again.
Ren quickly scrambled back to the safe zone and everyone else followed suit.
"This is starting to get old," Ken grumbled out, his irritation practically radiating from him.
Makoto nudged him in the side. "It's just part of exploring the Palace, Ace."
"Doesn't mean I can't complain…" he continued to grouch.
"I thought you were fond of animals, given how you treat Koromaru…" Yusuke mused.
"Minako-san did mention that you managed to befriend a squirrel one time," Makoto mentioned.
Ken sputtered at that, his eyes widening behind his mask.
Futaba couldn't help but snort at that. A squirrel? Who was he—Ice White?
"How do you know about that?! And how are you even talking to Minako-san?"
Makoto let out a little laugh. "Oh… it was back when you and Shinjiro-san were in Port Island. I tried calling you but Fuuka-san picked up. She said that you couldn't pick up the phone and Minako-san wanted to talk to me."
"And you're telling me this now?!" Ken cried out, his eyes filling with horror. "Please tell me that Minako-san hasn't sent you anything…"
Futaba couldn't help but snort with laughter. This was Ken's worst nightmare, huh?
"She may have sent me a few pictures of you when you were younger…" Makoto said with a sheepish smile.
Ken just let out a groan, burying his face into his hands.
Makoto patted his shoulder, a bemused smile appearing on her face. "You don't have to be embarrassed. You were adorable as a child."
"Like every guy wants to hear that," Ren said under his breath.
Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "So what if she sent Queen some pictures of ya when you were a kid?"
Ken suddenly looked up, glowering at Ryuji.
"Like you can talk," he spat out, glaring daggers at Ryuji. "You were practically trying to yank the photo album out of your mother's hands when Shinjiro-san and I went to talk to the two of you about adopting Shoyu."
"That's baby pictures. That's totally different! Minako-san met you when you were eleven," Ryuji argued.
"It's the same!"
"Is not!"
"I want to see both," Ren announced, interrupting the spat.
That got Ken and Ryuji's attention in a flash.
"Hell no!" Ryuji yelped out, just as Ken blurted out, "No!"
Morgana coughed before flashing all three boys an annoyed stare. "If you children are done… I believe we have a maze to get out of."
The boys grumbled at that but nodded.
It took a while between the sneaking around as mice and fighting Shadows but they finally found their way to their next target.
Futaba got not wanting to leave your room but it was nuts getting to him…
Futaba let out a little grunt as she heaved herself up on the balcony.
"Finally got 'im!" Ryuji said in a loud whisper—prompting Morgana to quickly hush him.
Ken suddenly studied the room, his lips pursed together.
"Joker, it might be wiser to stick to your current team instead of everyone participating like usual," he stated. "There can't be much room to maneuver around."
Ren nodded. "Yeah, that's smart."
"Hopefully things don't go sour…" Makoto sighed.
Futaba huffed. Well, their track record was far from perfect. Futaba would be surprised if they'd be able to snag the letter without a fight. The closest had been when Anne had tricked the pervy noble, but he had to act all gross with her. He completely deserved that ass kicking.
Morgana turned to Ren. "Are you ready, Joker?"
Ren nodded, adjusting the hem of his glove for a second. He then clenched his hand into a fist.
"Let's do this."
They peered inside, seeing that there was a man in a suit, flanked by two women. That must be the IT president.
"Let me handle this," Futaba blurted out.
This immediately caught everyone else's attention. Futaba huffed. They didn't have to be so concerned…
Haru's eyes went wide with surprise. "By yourself?"
"Ah…" Futaba couldn't help but falter. "I was just thinking that he might get suspicious if it's all of us…"
But Haru was the one to deal with the TV studio president alone… it was also true that she might clam up. And that would mess things up for everyone…
"Have faith in her, guys," Ken suddenly spoke up.
"Good luck," Yusuke intoned.
"Just yell if you need us to jump in," Anne replied.
Futaba gave a quick salute before drawing a quick breath and stepping inside of the room. Futaba was able to get surprisingly close before the IT president snapped to attention.
"Who are you?!" he demanded.
"P-Pardon my entrance sudden!" Futaba stammered out.
Ah! No! That was not what she meant to say! Futaba wanted to facepalm at her stupid blunder.
"I can do this…" Futaba tried to psyche herself up.
"Why did you come in through the window?!" demanded the IT president. "And what's with your…? Ugh, never mind."
Futaba huffed. "W-Well, the door was locked, and you weren't answering! And I needed to talk to you!"
Futaba pulled out her laptop before sitting on one of the plush armchairs. She then booted it up.
"Check out this baby," Futaba said, unable to keep the pride out of her voice.
Futaba stroked the edge of her laptop. She had poured so much into this laptop. It was practically her baby. She had made it all by herself.
The IT president gasped.
"Wait… is this really your laptop?!"
Futaba couldn't help but smile smugly. Hehe… she got him.
He continued to marvel over Futaba's laptop. "This is incredible… to think that a mobile device is capable of this."
"Wanna see the benchmarks? It can pump out some impressive numbers," Futaba couldn't help but brag.
The more she talked, the more confident Futaba felt.
"Though normally I use this laptop as a sub-processor when I'm hacking into a tough system," Futaba added.
"Hacking… like cyber attacks?" the IT president asked.
"Yep, like Medjed!" Futaba then smiled. "Wanna know a secret?"
"Huh?"
Futaba pressed a hand against her chest. "I'm Medjed! I was the one who took down the fake!"
"You…? But Medjed appeared two years ago. You were just a kid!"
So he didn't believe her, huh? Well, seeing was believing. Futaba's fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up the project server. This drew out a gasp from the IT president.
"If you want my skills, I need a letter of introduction to Shido-san."
"Man… to think that our website was crushed by a mere child…"
Wait a second…! He prepared the website?! That meant—!
The IT president just laughed. "That's right. It was us who masqueraded as Medjed. Though—why did you mess with our website."
"I-It's because I'm a—"
Futaba quickly shook her head. Wait a second, she couldn't go blurting out that she was a Phantom Thief! Who was she—Ryuji?!
Futaba coughed. "It's because I couldn't stand for people to drag Medjed's name in the mud. You were using the name without my permission!"
Though… they did figure out that Medjed was a trap but why Medjed? Maybe it was a good idea to go fishing for some info.
"Why did you send Medjed after the Phantom Thieves anyway?" Futaba asked, doing her best to keep her voice casual.
"Hmm…" He rubbed his chin. "There was no reason why we picked Medjed specifically over another group. Their popularity just made it easier for us. We knew that we needed an anonymous group though—so the Phantom Thieves couldn't target them. We were going to orchestrate their defeat already, so seeing that they truly did fall was a surprise to all of us—even Akechi-kun."
Futaba stared down at her laptop, gritting her teeth for a moment. Of course Akechi was in on it.
Though something started to nag at Futaba. Did Akechi know about the plan to kidnap Ken, then? If that was the case… how did he have this harebrained idea that Ken would happily drop everything just 'cause their moms were sisters?
Then Futaba realized the IT president was still talking.
"We were planning on shutting it down anyway, so it wouldn't conflict with our plans. The Phantom Thieves must've really been basking in their moment in the spotlight, not knowing that it'd be so short-lived," he continued, smugness dripping from every syllable.
Why did he have to rub it in? She really regretted not being able to figure out what their real plan was sooner. Maybe she could've saved everyone so much grief if she had.
"You see, you gotta abuse a tool like the internet."
Futaba couldn't help but tense at the last statement.
The internet wasn't there to abuse! She should've known that he had a messed up sentiment, though… he was in cahoots with Shido, after all.
"The real charm comes in using the internet in innovative ways that circumvent legal restrictions."
Futaba glared at him behind her goggles before uttering, "You…"
She had no words left. This man was truly despicable.
"It can even restrict your enemies," he said smugly before chuckling. "I'm sure you of all people understand, though. You're Medjed after all! Isn't it wonderful manipulating all of the information-illiterate idiots?"
Futaba snorted. This guy really thought that he was in the same league as her? Puh-lease.
The sentiment would've been hilarious if he wasn't such an awful person.
"What a third-rate fool," she growled out.
"Huh?"
"Not only are your skills third-rate, but you stink worse than a third-rate person," she said flatly.
To emphasize her point, Futaba wrinkled her nose.
She slammed a hand on the table. "Don't talk like we're equals! I'm gonna reform society. Not… whatever you do."
The IT president stared at her. "Did you destroy my website for this so-called social reform?"
"That's right! Because I'm a Phantom Thief!" Futaba cried out. "Picking on the weak and calling it innovative. You make me sick, just looking at you! And you're not the only one… I'll have to target the base—Shido! Now hand over that letter of recommendation!"
The IT president scoffed. "You and what army?"
"Uhh… guys!" Futaba shrieked out.
Her friends rushed in.
"We should've known that it'd end like this…" Haru said, shaking her head.
Morgana sighed. "It's the easiest way to get the letter. Let's do this, everyone!"
Ren was glad that he brought Haru and Makoto with him. It turned out that the IT president and his lackeys were weak to their Personas' attacks, so they had made quick work of him.
"Okie dokie! We got a letter of introduction!" Futaba cheered, triumphantly holding up the paper. But then she narrowed her eyes. "But pretending to be Medjed—that's not the only crime you've committed, right?"
"I… Shido-san requested that I gather intel on the Kirijo Group. He employed some people who used to work for the Kirijo Group when it was headed by the current CEO's grandfather. He knew then that the Kirijo Group had some dirty secrets. Since Kirijo refused to cooperate, Shido-san wanted to be sure that she wouldn't be able to interfere."
Ken's expression darkened at that. "What kind of intel?"
"Who is a Shadow Operative. We dug up the personal files of her associates, though… I will admit that I didn't completely understand what the files laid out. And we were able to block their attempts to find information through hacking as well."
Holy crap… that was pretty scary. They must even have the goods on part-timers like Yu-san.
"So that's how Akechi was able to find out…" Ken began to mutter to himself before shaking his head.
"Ace…?" Makoto questioned.
"Akechi knew about the incident with Shinjiro-san and Mom… I couldn't figure out how he discovered that," Ken explained before letting out a slow exhale. He then shook his head, pressing his lips together. "But it doesn't matter. We have bigger fish to fry, don't we?"
Ren could tell the thought was bugging Ken, though…
Futaba nodded, glaring at the IT president. "That's not all, is it?!"
The IT president winced. "The cognitive psience research…"
"What did you do?!" Futaba stalked forward, grabbing the front of his shirt. "Spill it already!"
Nobody moved to calm down Futaba. This was a big part of Futaba's motivation to join them after all. She deserved the closure.
"After extracting the details of the research, I deleted every last scrap of the original data. After that, I encrypted the data and put it on a domain inaccessible to normal people. I don't know everything about the mental shutdowns, though."
"He doesn't know everything?" Yusuke questioned.
Ken rubbed his chin. "I'm not surprised. Shido has been networking, using people for his own goals. He must've kept this guy in the dark."
"Just what has Shido been research though?" Morgana asked.
That's what Ren would like to know as well. He ran off with Futaba's mom's research but… for what? Though, if Akechi was working for Shido… could it be that he had helped Akechi tap into something that they were currently unaware of?
That thought… unsettled Ren.
"But no matter whatever Shido is researching… we can't let him abuse it!" Futaba exclaimed.
"We won't, Oracle," Makoto reassured her.
Anne twirled a strand of hair with her finger as they stepped out of the room.
"So… we have four letters," she stated.
"He might've been a third-rate guy, but hey—he still had one somehow!" Futaba said.
"Just the cleaner dude left, yeah?" Ryuji asked. "Let's go cause a scene and lure him out!"
Futaba pumped a fist. "Yeah, Skull—pick a fight with someone!"
Ren snorted at that. This was sounding familiar.
"Why do you want Skull to start a fight so bad?" Ren asked.
"It's 'cause it's so him!" Futaba shot back, flashing a grin.
Makoto sighed. "It would be unwise to start a fight."
Haru let out a thoughtful hum, touching her chin as she mulled things over.
"But… we've been looking all over. Is there even a part of the ship we've left unexplored?" she asked.
Ren pulled out the map, studying it. It really looked like they had explored everywhere but…
"The engine room," Ren stated. "That's what we're missing."
"Oh, that's right. I don't recall ever passing that," Yusuke remarked.
"Might need to check around for an entrance though," Ren mused. "Probably a vent."
"Oh joy," Anne grumbled.
"It's not like we can see," Ren couldn't help but point out.
"Have you been looking?" Anne asked tartly, placing her hands on her hips.
Ren grinned. "Do you want me to look?"
"Ugh, get a room," Ryuji grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"Okay, Panther, let's head back inside—" Ren started to joke.
"Not what I meant, dude!"
Goro texted Takamaki immediately after the filming ended hours ago. Even as he was speaking to Shido currently over his cell, he absently looked to check his messages, and unsurprisingly she hadn't responded. That was fine, he expected as much from her considering her and Sakura's reaction when they ran into him days ago.
All that mattered was informing one of the Phantom Thieves to keep them where he wanted them.
But he pushed that thought aside and focused his attention back onto Shido.
"Every media outlet is vouching for the inevitable Prime Minister Shido. The public loves you too," Goro stated.
Everywhere he went, Goro could hear people talking about how wonderful Shido would be as prime minister. It honestly made Goro sick to see people praising his bastard of a father but he just had to bear it for a little longer.
"We've only made it this far because of you." Goro could practically see the smirk on Shido's face.
Goro did his best to sound humble. "I'm honored to hear that."
Even though he was on the phone, he kept a pleasant smile all the while, but Goro really wished he could let Shido know how he really felt.
"Though… I do have a favor I must ask you," Shido said.
Huh. He actually put it nicely. It must be a big favor.
"What is it?" Goro asked.
"It's about the loyal customers of the mental shutdown business. How about you dispose all of the ones you think are suspicious?"
What? Why was Shido rushing this? Goro couldn't help but feel baffled.
"Right this moment? The election is only a matter of days away," Goro said.
"Yes, the sooner the better," Shido said flatly.
"Did something come up?"
He couldn't let Shido ruin Goro's plans just because he was being impatient.
"Nothing in particular," Shido was quick to dismiss. "But if something were to happen, it would already be too late."
Goro struggled to keep his voice even and calm. He didn't want people's attention to be drawn to this. He wanted everyone's eyes to be on Shido.
Goro kept his voice even and calm. "I can understand why you might be nervous, but why not stay calm and hold off until after the election."
He put a slight emphasis on after. Shido could do whatever he liked after he achieved becoming Prime Minister. Goro needed Shido to be on top before finally destroying everything right before Shido's eyes.
"I need to take out the trash before my inauguration as prime minister of this nation," Shido said.
If only he knew how soon Goro planned on ripping away everything from Shido after the inauguration.
But then Goro realized that Shido was still talking.
"For the sake of absolute victory, I need all of the roots of anxiety to be pulled out as soon as possible."
Goro couldn't help but question, "Anxiety…? You never mentioned these things before now… is something in particular bothering you?"
He heard a slow exhale.
"Stop questioning me!" Shido sharply rebuked. "There have been some people working against me. I won't have them destroy all that I've worked for. Just do as I ask—I'm counting on you."
Without another word, he hung up.
Goro stared blankly at his phone. Why was Shido acting so strangely? It was so abrupt too. He knew that Shido was planning on offing his so-called allies soon but now…? When they were so close to the election? Shido must be paranoid of someone digging up some skeletons in the closet or something.
Shido's paranoia was the very reason Goro always made certain to stay on his good side.
But still... why is he getting anxious now all of a sudden? The Phantom Thieves were demoralized and their leader was dead; not to mention the Shadow Operatives are in a current stalemate with Shido but they know it would be foolish to make a move now. Goro had taken care of any potential problematic targets recently for Shido just as he asked. Shido should be overconfident... and yet he seemed to have doubts.
So… why?
"Unless… is it possible…?" he mused to himself.
It was true that the Phantom Thieves would have a good opportunity to strike at Shido, right before the election.
But… it couldn't be. They were useless without Amamiya. Just a couple days ago, Takamaki was getting all teary-eyed at the mention of her precious boyfriend.
She and everyone else would be just moping about their loss.
They had men stationed at Kosei and Shujin, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, beyond the Thieves seeming more downcast and melancholic… but they attended school normally.
One of their men regularly stopped by to get lunch at LeBlanc, and nothing seemed out of place. Sojiro Sakura was doing his daily routine but with an air of sorrow as the man noted in his report he sent to Goro.
Not to mention that their intel on the Shadow Operatives had shown that they were awfully quiet. Aragaki had only been spotted a couple times since Amamiya's death...
But the thought nagged at Goro. Maybe he should check Shido's Palace, just to be safe.
His mind made up, Goro headed to the train station. It was slower than taking a car, but he didn't want Shido to catch onto what he was planning.
It took him nearly half an hour to get to the Diet Building. But Goro slipped into an abandoned area before entering the Palace.
It was too easy to steal a card for the restaurant. But as Goro searched the area, he was horrified to discover that Shido's cognition of Ooe was gone.
No… that meant—! They really went into the Palace to defeat Shido!?
A pit began to form in Goro's stomach.
He began to rush through the Palace, though his progress was slowed by having to sneak through everywhere.
The noble, the TV studio president…
They were gone.
Just how much progress had they made?!
"Damn them… damn them!" Goro seethed, "Trying to avenge your pathetic leader after all!"
Like hell he was going to let them ruin his carefully laid out plans.
"I can't believe it, I actually underestimated those fools! No, I won't allow this!"
He was going to stop them. No matter what.
He had worked over two years for this… he refused to let it go down the drain!
They made a pit stop to the nearby safe room to take a break before they would search for the engine room. Ren passed out some medicine to Makoto, Haru, and Morgana so they'd be in tip top shape.
However, Ken couldn't stop thinking about what the IT president revealed. That man was responsible for a lot of their personal problems.
"Ace?"
Ken snapped to attention at Makoto's voice.
"Oh, Queen… sorry. I was just… thinking."
Makoto just placed a hand on his shoulder. Ken just turned to look at his girlfriend.
"You've been thinking about what the IT president said about the Shadow Operatives."
It was a statement, not a question.
Ken fidgeted for a moment, picking at a stray strand at his sleeve's cuff.
"He made things so much harder for us," he muttered. "Maybe he hadn't, then the Shadow Operatives could've stopped Shido so much sooner. All of those people's lives… they could've been saved."
Though granted, Akechi was the man behind the man—the reason why Shido became untouchable—but Ken couldn't help but wonder if things could've been different had the Shadow Operatives been able to interfere from the beginning.
Makoto's expression was unreadable for a moment. Then she reached down to grasp one of his hands.
"You wouldn't have come to Tokyo otherwise. So for that… I'm grateful."
"Queen…" Ken trailed off, at a loss of what else to say.
Someone suddenly cleared their throat. Ken felt himself blush as Yusuke shuffled his feet.
"Uh… sorry about that," Ken said awkwardly.
Haru giggled. "I found it was sweet."
"Besides, you could make a spectacle like Joker and Panther," Futaba said in between snickers.
Ren whirled to look at Futaba before letting out a little growl. "I'll show you a spectacle!"
He then lunged at Futaba, making the younger girl shriek. Futaba scrambled to hide behind Makoto's chair, crouching behind it.
"Don't let him hurt me, Queen!" Futaba gasped out.
Ken couldn't help but laugh at their antics. Makoto seemed to find it amusing too with how the corner of her mouth was twitching even as she gave Ren a stern look.
Haru was giggling as well. "Now, Joker, that's enough, wouldn't you say?"
Ren grumbled out, "Fiiiine…"
"If you have time to mess around, maybe we're ready to head back out?" Morgana asked.
"We're so close," Anne said, pumping her fist. "Let's get going!"
Ren nodded. "Yeah."
They headed off after that, searching for a way to access the engine room. They didn't have to search for long before finding a vent with smoke escaping from it.
"Do you sense anything, Oracle?" Yusuke asked.
Futaba frowned, pressing her hands against her temples as she concentrated.
"I sense… someone, but I can't confirm that it's the cleaner."
Ren nodded. "Only one way to find out then."
Ren kicked the vent in, allowing them to crawl through. They didn't do much crawling until they finally emerged into a new area.
"There he is!" Ryuji hissed out, pointing at the cleaner.
"I'd proceed with caution," Yusuke said, his eyes narrowed. "He has his men with him. There's no other place to land… save for in front of the cleaner and his men."
"Let's get this over with," Ren said.
He jumped down, leaving everyone to follow suit.
"Surprise!" Ren said with a flourish of his hands.
"Whaddya want?! You looking for trouble?" demanded the cleaner.
"That's right," Ren said in a sing-song voice.
Ken jabbed him in the side before hissing out, "You're not helping, Joker."
"Tch—you've got some nerve. Even after I left you off the hook before." Then the cleaner shrugged. "But I don't have time for punks like you. I'll leave that to my men here."
He then snapped his fingers and the Shadows stepped forward.
Ryuji groaned. "Again with this crap? Getting real tired of this."
"Mona, fall back! Ace, you're up!" Ren was quick to order.
Ken dashed forward, already tearing off his mask.
"Tyr!"
The flare of light nailed down three of the Shadows but the last one managed to dodge it. Ken gritted his teeth. Ugh, that was annoying. But then he looked towards Ren.
"Joker, take it!" he exclaimed, extending his hand.
Ren accepted the baton pass before summoning Janus. The light spell Janus summoned defeated the three prone Shadows, leaving just the lone Shadow sprawled on the ground.
"Go all in!" Ren barked.
They lunged forward, merciless in attacking the Shadow. The Shadow died and Ren whipped his head towards the cognition of the cleaner, who was just casually strolling away. That only worked to irritate Ken.
"Dammit, he's getting away!" Ryuji growled out.
"Let's hustle!" Ren said sharply.
Without another word, Ren broke into a run, leaving everyone else to scramble after him. They had to sneak into a vent to get into the room where the cleaner was, however. He decided to be smart and lock the door.
"Ugh, you guys really don't know how to quit." The cleaner scowled at them.
"At least you can say we're persistent," Ken quipped.
The cleaner narrowed his eyes at that. "Is the hit on me really so big?"
"Hit...?" Haru parroted.
The cleaner just chuckled before tearing off his shirt. Ken just stared blankly at the tattoo on his chest.
Oh no… that meant…
Futaba gasped. "Holy crap! He's almost as ripped as Akihiko-san!"
Ken's head whipped towards Futaba. "Uh... do I want to know how you know that?"
"Uh well... he kinda stripped in front of us while we were trying to rescue you," Makoto said sheepishly, a faint blush on her face.
Ken refrained from sighing, as tempting as it was. Akihiko-san would be oblivious to that kind of thing to the end of time, he supposed.
"He's seriously packing some muscle under that uniform!" Futaba said.
Ken groaned, shooting her a look. "Oracle! He's married with a child!"
"Doesn't mean I can't look!"
Not this again… It was so uncomfortable to hear about this kind of thing. He didn't want to hear this about any of his senpai.
"Shuddup, both of you!" the cleaner abruptly snapped; both he and Futaba took an instinctive step backwards. "Seriously—what clan are you from?"
"Oh shit—does he mean like a yakuza clan?" Ryuji said.
Futaba suddenly let out a squeak. "He must 'clean up' problems by making them disappear?!"
"Crap, we're screwed if he's really yakuza!" Anne whimpered out, wringing her hands.
"We did take on a yakuza member in our last Mementos run but this feels like an entirely different level..." Haru murmured.
Yusuke nodded before his lips formed a thin line. "And it seems that bastard Shido has ties to the underground."
"I'd rather not fight him for the letter of recommendation," Ken said with a wince.
But what else could they do?
"Maybe, we have to prove our worth?" Makoto said tentatively.
"Hey!"
They all took a collective step back as the cleaner took a step forward. He then crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm a busy man. I gotta deal with cleaning up problems and all them mental shutdowns, after all," he said flatly. "If you've got business with me—just spit it out already."
Ren cleared his throat. "How can we get a letter of introduction?"
Asking him straight out, maybe the cleaner would appreciate that straightforwardness.
"A letter of introduction?" He then scoffed, giving Ren a scornful stare. "Why the hell would I give you that?"
"Apparently not…" Ken thought sarcastically.
"We're here to suggest a tattoo design for you!" Anne blurted out, her voice slightly shaky.
They all couldn't help but stare at Anne like she was crazy. A tattoo design? Where were they supposed to come up with one right now?
"A tattoo?" The cleaner looked intrigued, however.
Anne nodded furiously before suddenly pushing Yusuke forward.
"This guy's great at drawing! He's an a-awesome artist!"
Yusuke hissed, "What is the meaning of this? I have no desire to design a simple tattoo! That is an insult to my—!"
Ken's hand jerked, smacking Yusuke in the shin with the butt of his spear.
"Play along!" Ken hissed under his breath. "Look at his face!"
"This is an insult to my abilities!" Yusuke hissed back.
"What are you squabbling about?" the cleaner demanded.
"Draw something, Fox!" Ryuji said. "Art's art, ain't it?"
Yusuke slowly exhaled before giving a small sigh.
He then looked to the cleaner. "Very well. Do I get to at least get to choose what I draw?"
Ken couldn't help but feel a little worried about that. What if Yusuke chose to draw something like a lobster?
The cleaner shook his head. "Uh-uh. I won't accept anything 'cept a godly phoenix fitting my godly personality."
"Somebody has an inflated sense of self," Ken internally snarked.
"A phoenix…" Yusuke said, looking thoughtful. "I rather draw something else…"
The cleaner then scoffed, looking scornful.
His voice turned mocking. "Making excuses now, are we? You're all talk. People like you are a dime a dozen."
Yusuke straightened his spine, glaring at the cleaner now.
He spat out, "I am not all talk. I can draw you anything you want."
Yusuke then demanded a brush and a piece of paper—which miraculously, the cleaner did give Yusuke. Yusuke was bent over the paper for several minutes, his frame blocking most of the paper.
Yusuke cleared his throat, holding up the paper.
"It's finished."
"It's uh… a little…" Ken said with a wince.
"Avant-garde?" Haru suggested.
Well… that was one way to describe it. Tattoos were supposed to have a simplistic design but he supposed simple and Yusuke didn't mesh well together.
"This is so not gonna work for a tattoo!" Ryuji chose to put it more bluntly.
"It looks like a monster with its crazy aura…" Anne said, eyes wide.
"It's… explosive," Haru said haltingly.
"This is my perception of a phoenix," Yusuke said coolly, rising to his feet.
Morgana grumbled out. "There's no way that this is gonna work."
"I ain't seen nothing like this before…" the cleaner said slowly.
Ken couldn't help but cringe. Was the cleaner gonna sic his goons on them now?
But then the cleaner's face suddenly broke into a wide grin.
"I like it!"
Yusuke gave a satisfied smile. "Thank you."
"That was… unexpected," Ren said after a moment.
"It went well at least…" Makoto said with a sigh.
Ken just rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He was going to need some Bylenol after this. He swore that this incident gave him some gray hairs.
"I request a letter of introduction now," Yusuke said bluntly.
"On one condition, kid—I want you to be my personal tattoo artist," the cleaner stated.
"He wants to recruit you?!" Morgana sputtered out.
Yusuke's answer came immediately. "I decline."
After all of this… they were still going to fight the cleaner, weren't they? Ken fought the urge to let out a sigh.
"No letter for you then," the cleaner said.
"I must decide my own path as an artist. I will not receive aid from others any longer," Yusuke stubbornly maintained.
Yusuke's hand then drifted to the hilt of his katana.
"Now… if you understand, hand over the letter. Otherwise, we'll have to take it by force." Yusuke then paused, narrowing his eyes. "By the way, you're more feral pigeon than a phoenix."
Futaba let out a loud snort.
"Good one, Inari!" she said in between snickers.
Ryuji cried out. "No, not good! We have to fight 'im now!"
"You cocky-ass bastard!" the cleaner growled out. "I'll rip you open and tear out your insides!"
Ken couldn't help but cringe at the threat. This was going to be a fun fight…
"We should've just picked a fight to begin with." Ren grumbled out.
"Well with our track record, maybe it shouldn't be surprising," Ken lamented.
The cleaner suddenly transformed into a Shadow—one that Ken had never seen before. Ken had a gut feeling that he wouldn't be packing a weakness like the others they had fought, though.
"Forseti!" Ren summoned a new Persona.
Forseti appeared, sitting on a golden throne. He carried a staff in one of his hands, silver runes swirling and flashing around the staff's orb.
Forseti lifted his staff, pointing at the cleaner. The runes flashed red, green, and purple before the cleaner let out a grunt.
Dark energy collected around the cleaner before exploding. Ken didn't even flinch since the Ring of Darkness protected him from curse magic. Ren thankfully managed to dodge but unfortunately everyone else weren't so fortunate. At least Makoto resisted curse magic now…
He then lumbered forward, swinging his weapon at Makoto. Makoto threw herself to the side but the weapon grazed her.
Ken darted forward; he had to give Makoto cover so she could heal herself.
"Tyr, come!" Ken said, tearing off his mask.
The light spell slammed into the cleaner just as Haru launched a psy spell, sending the Shadow skidding back.
"Any weaknesses, Oracle?" Ren asked, whipping towards Prometheus's direction.
"I'm not sensing any! Just keep hammering at him with everything you've got! I'll do my best to support you!" Futaba answered.
Makoto summoned Anat. A nuclear explosion bloomed to life but like with their other attacks, the cleaner was hardly flinching. Even with Ryuji charging their attack power.
This was going to be a long fight.
Ren then summoned a familiar Persona—Thor. Electricity crackled from his hammer before arcing towards the cleaner. The cleaner hunched over, sparks crackling from his form.
"Ohhh! You shocked him! Nice, Joker!" Futaba exclaimed.
"Noir, Ace—hit him with your best gun attack!" Ren ordered.
Ken and Haru nodded before summoning their Personas. Tyr and Astarte fired at the same time, knocking down the Shadow with ease. At Ren's command, they lunged forward. Unfortunately, the all-out attack wasn't as effective as Ken would've liked.
They threw everything they had at the cleaner but the cleaner hardly flinched at all of the attacks. Even when Ren charged up his attack.
Even when Ren crippled the cleaner's attack, he still inflicted heavy damage. Ken and Morgana had to keep swapping healing duty to ensure that everyone's health was high.
"Super move—ULTRA CHARGE!" Futaba exclaimed before power suddenly surged through them.
"Dance, Hecate!" Anne cried out.
Her flames burned the shadow good, he growled in pain as he glared at the team.
"Nice, Panther! That took a decent amount out of 'im!" Futaba complimented.
Zorro slashed with his sword, whipping up a fierce gale, only for Seiten Taisei to come crashing down. Kamu Susano-o cut in with an attack of his own.
Ken and Haru combined their gun attacks once more just as Ren summoned Siegfried to land another blow.
"Keep it up, guys! He's getting weaker!" Futaba said, her voice filled with excitement.
"This guy really doesn't want to go down, huh?" Ren joked weakly.
"Focus, Joker!" Morgana snapped.
Ren just nodded at this, suddenly all business. The cleaner suddenly lumbered towards Ken, swinging his weapon once more. Ken quickly intercepted the attack with his spear. Ken could feel sweat bead on his brow as the Shadow pressed forward.
He could feel Tyr at the back of his mind. Maybe he could try to summon without pulling at his mask?
"Zorro!"
Morgana quickly pushed the Shadow away from Ken with a well-placed Garudyne spell before following up with a somersault, swinging his sword.
The attack made the Shadow stagger back. Ken grabbed for his gun, firing at the Shadow just as Morgana fired his slingshot. The attacks landed with more force than Ken was expecting, falling backwards.
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji crowed, pumping his fist.
"Joker, let's do it!" Morgana said.
Ren nodded before brandishing his knife. "Show no mercy!"
They lunged forward as one. This time, their combined attacks finally downed the cleaner.
The cleaner returned to his human form... somehow wearing his pinstriped suit once again. Even as his breath came out in huffs, the cleaner suddenly broke into laughter.
"You punks are tough! I like that!"
"I don't feel tough..." Anne mumbled out.
"You've got some backbone." He suddenly reached into his jacket, producing a piece of paper. "All right, I'll give you my letter of recommendation."
Ren hesitantly took the letter from him. "Uh... thanks?"
"Normally I'd have to 'clean' you punks up for messing around on the ship but there's no point."
"No point?" Ken echoed.
What was that supposed to mean? Though… this was Shido's cognition of the cleaner. What did this mean for Shido's allies?
"You're letting us go?" Yusuke's voice was filled with bewilderment.
The cleaner just shrugged. "This place ain't gonna last much longer if powerful soldiers like you guys got in here."
Oh… His theory was incorrect then.
The cleaner then shook his head. "Time for me to jet. The captain was great n' all, but he's gonna have to go down on this ship alone. See ya later, kiddos."
Without another word, he walked away from them.
Haru pressed a hand to her chest, letting out a little sigh. "That was... way too close."
"The cognition of the cleaner is still here, the others disappeared when we defeated them," Ken couldn't help but muse.
He was a little troubled by the cleaner's words, though...
Anne tilted her head. "Maybe it's to show how strong Shido thinks the cleaner is…?"
"That was rather unexpected from him, though," Yusuke remarked.
"Politicians never get too close to their shady connections. Shido must've been only connected to him monetarily," Haru said, only for her expression to grow sad. "I can't help but wonder what kind of connections Father made, thanks to Shido."
"Noir…" Morgana replied sadly.
Haru shook her head, giving Morgana a warm smile. "I'm okay, really. It was just a thought."
"You don't have to brush it aside," Yusuke said. "We're here to support you regardless, Noir."
Haru gave Yusuke a small smile. "Thank you, Fox."
"Well, we have all five letters now!" Anne interjected. "We can access the assembly hall—finally."
"Feels like a long time coming," Makoto said.
"We'll finally be able to steal Shido's Treasure," Haru added.
"Mom... I'll finally be able to avenge you," Futaba said, her hands clenched.
"We're gonna take his Treasure—no matter what!" Ryuji declared, rolling his shoulders.
His friends were starting to get fired up but Ken couldn't help but feel troubled. Something nagged at him.
It was strange that they hadn't encountered a cognitive Akechi. Although, maybe they'd encounter him when they fought Shido, like how Okumura had a cognition of Haru or how Niijima-san had a cognition of her and Makoto's father.
Akechi had made his bed. He made the choice to work for Shido.
And yet… a small part of him still felt pity for Akechi. He couldn't help but compare their situations…
His thoughts were abruptly cut short as he felt a sharp rap on his head.
"Anyone home?" Morgana asked.
Ken sputtered before yanking Morgana off of him. His friends burst into laughter, making Ken glower at them.
"You were in lala land, so Mona decided to take matter in his own hands," Anne said in between giggles.
"I was just thinking. Is that suddenly a crime?" Ken grumbled out.
"What are you thinking, then?" Futaba asked.
Ken slowly exhaled. It was nothing.
He quickly averted his eyes. "Nothing important. Let's head back to the assembly room."
By the time Goro had finally reached the side deck, he was pissed, to put it simply.
He uttered a curse when he saw that the cognition of the IT president was gone as well. That meant they only had the cleaner left.
As he dropped back down to the deck, he heard a guttural growl. Goro couldn't help but scowl at that. He didn't have time for this! He called on his berserk powers. The Shadows then turned onto each other, so distracted that they didn't notice Goro slipping past them.
Goro then continued to the engine room. He couldn't allow for any more mistakes!
He looped around, climbing to the rafters. He would use this as an opportunity to ambush them. He'd make them pay!
Then he looked down, gaping at the sight. Ken and Sakura were in the engine room.
Ken… hadn't turned his backs on the Phantom Thieves after all. Sakura had pulled the wool over his eyes, claiming that they'd never gotten back into contact with Ken…
Sakura suddenly stiffened, turning to look around. Ken noticed this, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Oracle, what's the matter?" he asked. "We should catch up to the others. You know how impatient Skull can be."
"It's…" Sakura trailed off, confusion edging into her voice.
She wrapped her arms around herself before letting out a loud sigh.
"I dunno. A bad feeling. I just feel uneasy," she mumbled out.
Ken just rubbed her shoulder in response. Goro gritted his teeth at sight. What had Sakura done to earn Ken's affection?
Aragaki had killed Ken's mother but Ken still loved him. Amamiya and Sakura sometimes aggravated him, but Ken still loved them both.
So… why? Why did Ken not care about him?
"You're just tired, Oracle. The cleaner was not an easy fight and we've all been stressed about stopping Shido before the election."
"Yeah, I guess…" Sakura sighed, looking down on the floor. She rubbed her arm absently. "It's just weird, you know? After all of this, it's kinda weird knowing that it's gonna be over soon. And... we'll get revenge for everyone Shido's hurt. Mom, Noir's dad, Joker..."
Amamiya, Amamiya, Amamiya!
Why was it always about him?!
What was it about him that made his precious friends practically worship the ground he walked on? What the hell was his secret?
Even now, a dead man had more than Goro ever got.
His hand clenched into a fist. No more.
He was going to confront Ken about this. For pretending that he was cowed by Shido, for picking the Phantom Thieves over Goro—for everything.
So Goro took the leap. He landed behind Ken and Sakura. Their heads whipped towards Goro, and Ken let out a gasp.
"A-Akechi?!" Sakura squeaked out.
Ken stepped forward, pushing Sakura a step back.
He then narrowed his eyes before demanding, "What are you doing here?"
Goro pointed accusingly at him. "You... You were pretending all along! That you were too scared of Shido! And for what?! The memory of someone who's dead?! Why? Why the hell won't you help me?! I wanted to take down Shido!"
Ken's eyes hardened. He suddenly looked irritated for whatever reason.
"You're one to talk about doing something for a dead person," he spat out. "What about your mother?"
"Shut up! She was a victim!" Goro couldn't believe this.
Didn't he have a shred of pity for Goro's mother?
"And Joker isn't?! Shido ruined his life! He's always gonna have a mark on his record! It would've followed him for the rest of his life!" Ken snarled out, glaring daggers at Goro.
"He should've just gotten out of the way!" Goro yelled out.
Goro's attention was drawn by Sakura. Her hands were clenched into fists, her entire form rigid. She then suddenly shoved up her goggles to rest on her forehead, her purple eyes unusually hard.
"Answer this!" she demanded, "Did you know about Shido's plan to kidnap Ace?"
Ken went rigid. "O-Oracle…"
"Don't, Ace!" she snapped, holding up one hand; then she glared at Goro. "Well, did you?!"
"Why does it matter?" Goro quickly deflected.
"Why does it matter?" she echoed. "Why does it matter?!"
The last word came out as a shriek.
"How about the fact that you're so desperate to get Ken to join you for this crazy revenge plan against Shido? Do you not care about Shido torturing him?! Messing with his head? Threatening to kill Shinjiro-san out of spite?"
Sakura's voice rose with indignation. Goro just felt irritated, however. She didn't know the entire story. Not that he'd tell her. It was none of her business.
She demanded, "How can you claim to care about him when it's so conditional? You treated Ace as just one of us until you find out that he's your cousin. So suddenly he matters because he's your last chance of family loving you?"
"You're so naïve," Goro spat out. "Everything is conditional in this world. Money, property, inheritance, power, fame... everything comes with a string attached. The sooner you come to terms with that, the better off you are."
"That is not true!" Ken insisted.
How could his cousin be so innocent to how the real world worked?
"Do you think Kirijo helps you out of the pure goodness of her heart? No, it's because she uses you as a tool!" Goro sneered.
"SHUT UP!" Ken snarled out, his hands tightening around his spear. "You know worth crap of what Mitsuru-san has done for me! Yes, there are selfish, horrible people out there! But for every terrible person in the world, there are five good people! Your viewpoint is completely black and white!"
"Everyone didn't have to help me stop being scared of the outside. They helped me with no strings attached!" Sakura said.
"Good for you," Goro sneered.
Ken stared hard at him. "Oracle has a point. Did you know about Shido's plan?"
"It's not—" Goro swallowed hard as Ken glared fiercely at him. "I-I... I knew a few details."
"Oh my god," Sakura uttered, her eyes filled with horror.
Ken had gone stiff. Then a deep scowl formed on his face.
"You knew that he was gonna blackmail Mitsuru-san by threatening me." His voice had turned frigid yet his eyes were burning with anger. "Do you not care that Oracle got shot? Just a little higher and she could've been shot in the head!"
Ken's voice slowly rose until he was yelling.
Goro protested, "I didn't know the full extent of the plan! I didn't know that they were going to shoot her!"
Why did he care about Sakura so much? His priority was on her.
"That doesn't matter!" Ken snapped. "You still agreed to the plan! You don't care about me! You just wanted my help, to hell with what I want!"
Goro opened his mouth to protest but a yell suddenly interrupted him.
"AKECHI?!"
The Phantom Thieves had returned. It was the cat who yelled that.
"The hell's he doing here?!" Sakamoto spat out.
But Goro ignored him. Instead, his eyes were drawn to the male in black and gray, with a familiar white mask. Unbiddenly, laughter began to bubble out.
"This is too funny," he choked out, shaking his head. "You're dead! You're supposed to be dead!"
Amamiya's mouth formed a thin line. "I got better."
"Shut up, you piece of shit!" Goro snarled out.
He had no patience for Amamiya's sarcasm and quips today. His plan was falling apart. Dammit! And he was so close! The election was literally days away!
"I had prevailed over you… my plan was perfect!" Goro growled.
How the hell did he survive?
"Yeah, yeah…" Amamiya said carelessly, flapping a hand in Goro's direction.
That only served to piss off Goro even further.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Akechi. But next time... maybe you should check the pulse," Amamiya mocked.
He shot him in the head! How the hell did he survive that?!
Then Amamiya pulled out his knife, pointing it at Goro. But Goro wasn't scared.
"How?"
Amamiya smirked. "We never actually took her treasure. You only thought we did and lost it in the chase."
"You… let yourself get caught. That was a cognition? Sae-san's cognition no doubt. All that for a gamble?" Goro questioned.
"It worked on you and the cops, didn't it?" the cat said smugly, standing by Amamiya.
Goro clenched his teeth as he squeezed both his fists. These losers, these nobodies... they actually tricked him.
"You're outnumbered, Akechi. You won't win," Amamiya said simply.
Laughter began to bubble from Goro's lips once more. That nerve of him… it would've been almost impressive if it hadn't come from Amamiya.
He was so sure that he'd win, was he?
"Care to prove that?!" Goro snarled out.
He lunged toward Amamiya, intent on rubbing that smug smirk off his face.
"NO!"
Something slammed into Goro and they rolled for a moment. Goro's blood began to boil as he realized who had intervened.
"Fine…" Akechi growled to himself.
He had a bone to pick with his cousin anyways. He knew the area well. He knew of a safety mechanism that would work to his advantage.
Rage lent Goro strength, and he surged forward, pushing Ken off of him. He then grabbed Ken's arms, twisting them behind his back. Ken let out a pained hiss but Goro's goal wasn't to hurt him. Goro shoved him down to the floor, effectively pinning him down.
Ken's spear clattered to the ground, rolling away from them.
Ken tried to buck him off but Goro just twisted his arm. Ken broke off with a pained cry.
"ACE!" Sakura cried out.
"You asshole!" Takamaki screeched out.
Niijima surged forward, her expression burning with rage.
He quickly reached for his gun, and pressed the barrel against Ken's head. He had no intention to shoot him, but they would understand it for a threat and not a bluff. Niijima stopped short, her eyes widening. Ken's breath caught in his throat.
"Move a muscle and maybe my hand might slip," Goro threatened.
"Akechi… you bastard…" Sakamoto hissed out.
Goro smiled sardonically at that. He'd been called that all his life. That insult didn't bother him. His eyes darted to the floor. Good… they were in a good position.
He moved quickly, taking the gun off Ken's head and aiming at the emergency button that would pull up the partition door.
He wasn't gonna let anyone interfere. Not anymore.
"What are you—" Kitagawa started to ask.
Goro pulled the trigger. The sound of shattering glass was music to his ears.
Alarms began to blare.
"The watertight bulkhead door has closed. All personnel within the partition wall must evacuate at once."
"NO!" Niijima gasped out. "Anat—"
Goro then reached into his pocket, drawing out the smoke bomb that Ken had given him. Goro threw it at the ground, black smoke suddenly billowing through the air. A few of the Phantom Thieves let out startled cries at that before starting to cough. But it'd be too late for them to react; the partition door was coming down.
"Zorro, come!"
"Norn!"
They had reacted too slow. The partition had slammed down, separating him and Ken from the Phantom Thieves.
He was going to settle things, once and for all with his cousin.
There would be no more interference.
FORSETI
History: Forseti is the god of justice and reconciliation in Norse mythology, the son of the ill-fated Baldur and his wife, Nanna. His home is the palace Glitnir, its name meaning "shining," refers to its silver ceiling and golden pillars, which radiated light that could be seen from a great distance. His is the best of courts; all those who come before him leave reconciled. This suggests skill in mediation and is in contrast to his fellow god Týr, who "is not called a reconciler of men."
Level: 54
Affinity: Bless, Almighty, Support
Blocks: Bless
Resists: Physical, Fire
Weakness: None
Spells: Kougaon (innate), Makougaon (innate), Megidola (innate), God's Hand (level 56), Concentrate (level 58)
Notes:
HAPPY EARLY ANNIVERSARY, ACE IN THE HOLE! Was planning to release it on the actual anniversary but decided not to wait hehe.
So we're finally at the Akechi confrontation! Goodness, I've been wanting to get to this for AGES. As this last section shows… this will have some canon deviance. Just how much? You'll have to wait and see ;)
Also not sorry for the cliffhanger hehe.
*rubs hands together* Oh boy, I can't wait to cover the Akechi confrontation.
Next chapter will be dedicated solely to the Akechi fight. And YES as people have been speculating there will be a Ken vs Akechi solo confrontation. Akechi is Ken's dark mirror in this story, so it's fitting that they hash things out.
As always, a big thank you to my amazing and talented beta, angelrin89! She made some great additions to this chapter! She also helped me figure out how to handle Anne and Futaba bumping into Akechi. Since this is vanilla timeline, it would be a little strange to include Jazz Jin, the jazz club you can take your teammates to in Royal.
Also regarding the Amamiyas, my interpretation is that they're flawed parents but when it comes down to it, they do care for and love Ren. However, Ren's wounds have been reopened with dealing with Shido, so Ren's wounds are raw all over again.
But I hope you guys liked the chapter! Would love to hear your thoughts on the chapter!
Chapter 49: Ch. 48: Ying Yang
Summary:
Akechi has trapped Ken with him, intent on confronting him once and for all. On the other side, the Phantom Thieves desperately try to figure out just how to get to their friend.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Seriously, what's keeping Oracle and Ace?" Ryuji asked, looking back towards the engine room.
For some reason, the two of them had dawdled in the trek back to the first part of the Palace. Maybe it was best to check up on them.
Makoto suddenly looked troubled, touching her chin. "Something was bothering Ace… but he didn't want to talk about it for whatever reason."
Ren had noticed that too. But maybe Ken was prioritizing their mission. Though he wished that Ken had shared his thoughts with them. It looked like something had been really bothering him, but Ren felt that pushing it wouldn't have helped. It might've made Ken clam up even further, actually. So Ren let it go. Besides that, it wasn't the best idea to linger.
"What about Oracle, though?" Haru chimed in.
"We should head back," Anne said, looking back to the engine room. Her eyes were filled with concern for their two absent friends. "We should ask them what's wr—"
A loud crash in the opposite direction suddenly grabbed their attention, making them whip around.
"What on earth was that?" Yusuke questioned, taking a step backwards.
Ren felt his stomach tie itself in knots. He had a bad feeling about this, right in the gut. Their scanner and one of their best healers were missing too.
They didn't have to wait to find out, though.
Two Shadows came tearing down the path, battered in combat as they grappled. They looked like Cerberus and Cu Chulainn.
But they were pitch black. It wasn't like someone had dunked them in tar though. Ren couldn't explain it but... something about them was very different. And he wasn't talking about the color change.
There was something more feral about these Shadows. Like the only thing on their minds was violence.
He had only fused Cu Chulainn in the Velvet Room, so he didn't know how Cu Chulainn behaved as a Shadow. But they had fought Cerberus in the earlier parts of Shido Palace. Even then, Cerberus as a Shadow didn't behave like this.
Not to mention, he had never seen Shadows turn on each other like this. It didn't look they were hit with brainwash either.
"THE HELL?!" Ryuji suddenly blurted out.
But that got the Shadows' attention.
"Dammit Ryuji," Ren grumbled to himself.
The Shadows charged towards them.
"Scatter!" Ren quickly ordered, whipping out his gun.
His bullets hit the mark, distracting the Shadows momentarily.
His friends broke away from him before launching their attacks. But for some reason, Yusuke's ice spell didn't down the Cerberus like usual.
"What the—?"
"Fox, look out!" Haru cried out, grabbing the back of his jacket with both hands.
She yanked him out of the way before the Cerberus could knock him down. Ren let out a little sigh of relief; they couldn't afford to have anyone down for the count.
Ryuji struck Cu Chulainn with an electric spell, but it just blocked the attack. What the… the Cu Chulainn he had fused was weak to electricity. What the hell was going on? This was gonna be really annoying.
But Ren pushed that out of his head.
"Fox, fall back! Skull, stick to physical attacks for now!" Ren barked out, all while cursing that Ken and Futaba were absent during this fight.
Anne directed her attacks towards the Cu Chulainn since they knew already that Cerberus blocked fire attacks. Morgana stayed back too—which was smart of him. He was the only one right now who could heal everyone. Granted, Ren always carried a Persona that could heal everyone just in case, but it usually fell to Morgana or Ken to heal the team when needed. They at least had Anne and Makoto to help, but it would be really nice to have Ken right about now.
But for now, Morgana was attacking the Shadows. Zorro whipped up small gales, knocking the two Shadows backwards.
But every time, they got up with ease. And they hit hard. Ren gritted his teeth.
He was getting a little worried too. Ken and Futaba would've come running by now. They were held up… by something.
But then the Shadows suddenly growled, black energy swirling around them. Ren stared at them. What were they doing?
These Shadows were just so… different. What had triggered the change?
"Joker, heads up!"
Ryuji tackled him to the ground, and they rolled for a moment. Ryuji quickly staggering to his feet, but Ren took a moment to summon Arsène.
Bursts of dark energy slammed into the Shadows; Makoto quickly followed up with a Freidyne attack.
Cu Chulainn suddenly backhanded Anne, sending her flying backwards. She hit the wall with a loud crack, and she slumped to the ground.
"Panther!" Yusuke exclaimed in alarm.
"Forseti!"
His Persona let loose a blast of light, blinding the Shadows briefly. Ren then spun on his heel, rushing over to his girlfriend. He pulled her limp form into his arms to check her over. Ren cringed as he noticed red staining her blonde hair, at the back of her head.
"Panther… hey!" he said urgently.
"Hurts…" Anne mumbled out.
Ren nodded before reaching for the medicine tucked away in his coat's pocket. He pulled out one of Takemi's strongest medicines.
"I know, Panther. But here, take this."
Anne took the pill wordlessly before swallowing it down. To his relief, the effect was almost instant. Anne blinked several times before quickly standing up.
"That's some strong stuff." But then she reached for the whip coiled at her hip. "But let's go kick some ass, Joker!"
Ren just grinned. "Right behind you, Panther!"
It took a little longer to finally down the Shadows, but Ren was relieved when they both burst into ash. Ren panted heavily, even leaning forward to rest his hands on his knees. That had been a rough fight…
"Ace, Oracle—!" Makoto turned back to the engine room.
"Queen, wait!" Ren wheezed out, hastily straightening up. He couldn't help but wince at the sudden moment. "We need to catch our breath first."
"But they could be in danger!" Makoto argued.
"That's exactly why we need to be in tip-top shape," Ren argued before glancing towards Morgana. "Mona, save your energy. I've got plenty of medicine."
He barely registered Morgana nodding before he pulled out the medicine. He passed it around to everyone and they managed to catch their breath, while tending to their injuries.
"Damn… what's going on? And we had thought we were done with this Palace!" Ren griped to himself.
They hadn't encountered that kind of Shadow before. Something must've been done to them. But the question was… who?
Was it Shido? He had Futaba's mom's research after all. Had he caught on? Dammit… maybe he shouldn't have been so slow about tackling the Palace.
"Joker?" Anne gently touched his shoulder, the concern clear in her blue eyes.
Ren looked to his girlfriend. "Sorry, I've been just trying to figure out what the hell's going on. But we've got time for that later. Let's head back."
His friends nodded. Makoto took the lead, but Ren didn't begrudge her for that. She was worried for both Ken and Futaba.
As they got closer, Ren could hear voices. One voice in particular… filled Ren with dread.
"Oh, shit!" Ren exclaimed as he started to run faster.
Dammit… Akechi caught on. What were they gonna do now?!
"I didn't know the full extent of the plan! I didn't know that they were going to shoot her!" Akechi was protesting.
Wait… what were they talking about?
"That doesn't matter!" Ken suddenly spoke, his voice filled with agitation. "You still agreed to the plan! You don't care about me! You just wanted my help, to hell with what I want!"
Ren held a finger to his lips.
"Not a word until we get inside there," he said sternly, keeping his voice hushed.
His friends nodded in unison before they hurried to the engine room once again. They could see the three of them in full view now.
"AKECHI?!" Morgana demanded.
Ken, Futaba, and Akechi's heads whipped towards them. But then Ryuji's hand clenched around his club, a dark scowl on his face.
"The hell is he doing here?!" he spat out.
Dammit, this was not good! Ren gritted his teeth for a moment. Akechi was going to screw up all of their plans! What were the chances he'd go running to Shido, expose that Ren never died and Ken was still with them?
Akechi was staring at Ren, though, his eyes growing wide with horror. His complexion was pale, all blood draining from the visual parts of his face; his red mask did hide a good part of his face.
Then he threw his head back, laughter suddenly bubbling out. It was kinda… unhinged, too. But Ren forced himself to not show his unease with that.
"This is too funny," Akechi choked out, shaking his head. "You're dead! You're supposed to be dead!"
Ren said blandly, "I got better."
"Shut up, you piece of shit!" Akechi snarled out, swiping at the air.
Ren didn't blink. He wasn't scared of Akechi himself. He was more worried about Akechi screwing up their plans.
"I had prevailed over you… my plan was perfect!" Akechi growled.
Someone was overconfident. His friends may tease him for his confidence, but Akechi was in a completely different league.
"Yeah, yeah…" Ren said carelessly, flapping a hand in Akechi's direction. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Akechi. But next time... maybe you should check the pulse."
He then flashed a smirk. He still wished he could've seen Akechi's smug expression when he enacted the plan. It would have been gold to witness.
But now it was serious business. He understood now why Ken and Futaba were held up. So, Ren pulled out his knife, pointing it at Akechi. Akechi didn't blink at the silent threat, just glaring harder at Ren.
"How?" he demanded, his voice cracking slightly.
Ren just smirked. Okay, maybe Akechi was entitled to an explanation.
"We never actually took her treasure. You only thought we did and lost it in the chase," he said simply.
Akechi said numbly, "You… let yourself get caught. That was a cognition? Sae-san's cognition, no doubt. All that for a gamble?"
"It worked on you and the cops, didn't it?" Morgana's voice turned smug as he stepped to stand next to Ren.
Akechi gritted his teeth as he clenched both of his fists. Ren wouldn't be surprised if Akechi's eye was twitching underneath his mask.
"You're outnumbered, Akechi. You won't win," Ren said coolly.
Akechi started laughing again. He was… really losing it, wasn't he? He must've been really clinging to enacting revenge against Shido. It was… pretty sad.
"Care to prove that?!" Akechi suddenly snarled out.
He lunged toward Ren, a mad look in his eyes. Ren raised his knife, prepared to defend himself.
"NO!" Ken suddenly yelled, tackling Akechi to the ground.
They rolled for a moment, but Ken managed to come up on top. Ren didn't drop his guard down, though. He had a feeling Akechi wouldn't stay down for long.
He was right when Akechi suddenly surged forward, knocking Ken to the ground. He then twisted Ken's arms behind him before pinning him down to the floor, face down.
Akechi even knocked away Ken's spear and it rolled away from the two of them.
Ken tried to fight him off, but Akechi just twisted his arm—hard.
Ren had to fight down the panic swelling inside of him. Dammit, what could he do? Akechi was hurting Ken now! He had to act fast before Ken got hurt even further but he couldn't pull anything reckless.
Ren tried to comb through his various Personas. Maybe a wind Persona would be best. Hopefully with a well-aimed spell, he would be able to knock Akechi off of Ken. He was confident in his shooting skills, after the months of practice, but he didn't want to miss and hit Ken. That would make the situation worse.
He was vaguely aware of Futaba crying out to Ken and Anne raging at Akechi for hurting Ken.
Makoto's reaction was faster than Ren, though—she lunged forward, probably intent on beating the crap out of Akechi for hurting Ken like this. She had become more protective of him after his kidnapping after all.
But then Akechi pulled out a gun—a pistol like Ren's—aiming it right at Ken's temple. Makoto quickly stopped short, her eyes filling with fear. Ren felt anger bubble inside him but stayed put.
What the hell?! Wasn't he obsessed with the idea of having a 'real' family? He must be really losing it now.
Ken looked pretty freaked out too, his eyes wide and his breath coming in rapid short bursts.
"Move a muscle and maybe my hand might slip," Akechi threatened with a dark glare.
"Akechi… you bastard…" Ryuji hissed out, his free hand clenching into a fist.
Akechi just cracked a sardonic smile. But before Ren could blink, he moved his gun, pointing it in their direction.
Yusuke began to demand, "What are you—"
Akechi pulled the trigger. The bullet hit something made out of glass.
But then alarms began to blare.
A mechanical feminine voice announced, "The watertight bulkhead door has closed. All personnel within the partition wall must evacuate at once."
Watertight bulkhead door? Ren's eyes widened.
"Crap, he's trying to separate us!" he thought in panic.
"NO! Anat—" Makoto started to call her Persona.
Then Akechi produced a smoke bomb, throwing it. It hit the floor, right in front of them before smoke began to pour out.
"What the—"
Ren coughed as the smoke filled his nose. He lifted his arm as a quick shield to his nose and mouth, reaching with his other hand to tear off his mask. He had to do something!
"Norn!" he shouted, dropping his arm.
"Zorro!" Morgana cried out, summoning his Persona.
The two Personas quickly produced a powerful burst of wind that blew away the smoke, but they were too late. The door had slammed down.
"Ace! ACE!" Makoto cried out, her voice panicked, before she raced over before she banged on the door.
Then she backed up, her face suddenly determined. Her eyes burned with anger before she grasped at her mask with both hands.
She tore it off, summoning Anat. Anat's Freidyne spell was strong enough to shake the ground, making Futaba stumble for a moment.
But the door stubbornly remained in place.
"DAMMIT!" Ryuji banged on the door as well. "We can't just leave Ace behind!"
"We won't!" Ren snapped; he had to stay calm, as tempting it was to freak out.
He was worried about Ken too—Akechi was obviously pretty unhinged and willing to hurt Ken. He could handle himself. Futaba looked up at him with concern, but he just nodded at her. He didn't want her to worry. Ren was just thankful that she made it over to them while Akechi was distracted. But they had to have faith in Ken. He wasn't weak.
This was not good. His friends were separated from him, not to mention that Ken didn't even have his spear.
"I shouldn't have given him that smoke bomb," Ken thought grimly to himself.
Akechi finally got off of him, staring down at Ken. Ken scowled, before pushing himself up. He heard faint banging and then a muffled voice from the other side of the metal wall. It was so muffled though, that he couldn't tell who it was.
But Ken forced himself to look at Akechi. Had he finally lost it?
"What the hell, Akechi?" he snarled out.
Akechi watched his every moment through narrowed eyes.
"I suppose I must commend you for your acting skills," he hissed out. "You certainly had me convinced that you were so broken up over Joker's death."
Then he sneered before jabbing a finger in Ken's direction.
"Only to find out that it was a lie! A complete lie! How you all must have laughed at me behind my back! You've been planning to invade Shido's Palace all along, haven't you?! To avenge your precious Joker."
He spat out Ren's codename like it was a curse.
"That's not the only reason," Ken snapped, feeling anger surge through him.
He couldn't help but feel disgusted. Did Akechi really think that they were acting on a personal vendetta? He wouldn't deny that Ren did have a vendetta with Shido but that was not why they were seeking to take down Shido.
"How about how Shido is planning to ruin the entire country? Do you not care about that?! Not to mention all of the innocent people he dragged down during his climb of power!" Ken demanded.
Akechi suddenly burst into laughter, even hunching over for a moment, and clutching at his stomach.
Then he straightened up, giving Ken a scornful look. "Innocent?! Please! All of the targets Shido sent me to take out were dirty crooks, rotten to the core!"
Ken scowled. If he was going to play that card...
"Can you really claim that?" he asked coldly. "What about innocents that died in the accidents you caused?"
"I…" Akechi faltered.
"So, he has a conscience, huh?" Ken mused to himself.
"They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Akechi quickly deflected.
Ken fought the urge to let out a derisive snort. So, it was never his fault, huh? How typical.
Akechi suddenly pointed to Ken. "And besides that, you're biased! Okumura was no saint! The man was ready to sell off his daughter like livestock, not to mention how he used his employees as tools, running them to the ground! He's a bastard who got what he deserved!
"Oh yeah, how kind of you," Ken said dryly, making sure that sarcasm dripped from every syllable. "To think of Noir and his other victims when you shot Okumura, not at all about setting us up to take the fall. It's not like you gave him any more thought than any of your other targets. Shido points and you ready your gun, right? You robbed him of his chance to atone and Noir a chance to make amends!"
Of course he knew that Okumura wasn't a saint. He had been ready to arrange a marriage for Haru, never mind that the suitor in question was abusive and saw Haru as nothing but his future belonging. He had used people like tools, so intent on his goals that it had blinded him utterly. But... that didn't erase how he should've been allowed to atone, a chance snatched away by Akechi.
And he had some nerve. He never killed Okumura for anyone's sake other than for Shido to tie up a loose end and set them up.
Akechi looked like he was struggling to find a retort, but Ken wasn't done. Far from it.
Ken narrowed his eyes at Akechi. "And what about Isshiki-san?"
Akechi actually flinched. "She was… she was…"
"She was innocent," Ken spat out.
He wouldn't let Akechi wiggle his way out of this, to delude himself into thinking that he was doing nothing but taking out crooks.
"You can't worm out of that! You killed an innocent woman in cold blood!" Then Ken let out a mirthless laugh. "On top of that… you go on and on about you want to avenge your mother because she was the only one to love you. But what about Oracle? She lost her mother! She was at her abusive relatives' mercy until Sakura-san rescued her!"
He pointed at Akechi with a fierce glare.
Ken accused, "You pulled the trigger! She did nothing wrong! She didn't deserve to die!"
Akechi shook his head vigorously. "Shut up! She was in the way! If she had just given Shido what he wanted, then she would be alive now!"
"Don't you dare…" Ken growled out.
Disgust welled up inside of him as he glared at Akechi. He was still trying to run away from the truth, was he?
"You made an innocent girl suicidal. Did you know that Oracle had auditory and visual hallucinations for two years? Oracle heard her mother blame her for her death. Do you not understand how messed up that is?! Or are you still deluding yourself into thinking that your actions can be justified?! How do you not see that you put Oracle in a similar situation as yours?!"
For a moment, Akechi looked stricken.
"I… I…"
But then Akechi's lips twisted into a snarl. It was almost jarring to see Akechi almost… feral, especially with the princely young man façade that he had so carefully cultivated.
"Why?" he seethed. "Why? You were supposed to be on my side!"
"What?"
Ken stared at him, baffled.
Akechi clenched both of his hands into fists before levelling a dark glare at Ken. "I wouldn't have extended that to anyone! But no! You threw my offer right in my face! And what—to throw your lot with people on the bottom of the barrel! It's pathetic! Why do you care so much about them?!"
"You don't get to make the decision for me," Ken snapped. "Only I can!"
He refused to be shamed for his choices.
Ken continued, "They're my friends. You expect me to just throw that in their faces? Besides that, you're so blind. You just view them as pathetic idiots but that's the furthest from the truth! You would've realized that a long time ago if you weren't so obsessed with the idea of revenge and actually tried to get to know them!"
In a way, it was almost sad to see how Akechi was so blind. Ken had joined the Phantom Thieves all while hiding his true intentions. But hiding the truth had eaten at him, the more he got to know everyone.
Ken glared at Akechi. "On top of that, why on earth should I side with you? You're willing to let people die in your quest... whatever it is. Innocents! And for what? Your 'revenge'! If you even knew about this place, then why didn't you—"
"You know nothing about my plan," Akechi sneered. "My plan… is to watch Masayoshi Shido climb to the top. Let him have just a tantalizing taste of power… before I yank it all away from him. Destroy him like he's destroyed countless lives!"
"That you helped him with!" Ken retorted.
"SHUT UP!" Akechi screamed at him. "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! What the hell do you know?! People have treated me like I'm lower than dirt, all because my mother gave birth to me. They should've pitied her, after that despicable bastard crushed her soul! They drove her to despair!"
He then swiped through the air.
"This… This is all for her! I will destroy him, in the name of my mother!" he yelled.
Ken felt his blood freeze to ice.
"Today… Mom is watching over me. I'll make you remember what you did to her! I'm going to kill you!"
His words that he had flung at Shinjiro-san that awful night suddenly floated into his mind. Seeing Akechi behave like this… just reminded him of the deep despair that had once haunted him every day.
Akechi… really was consumed with the idea of revenge.
"Even if all you have is hatred, one day… you'll regret it."
Shinjiro-san's words—his warning—from seven years ago rattled in his brain as he stared at Akechi.
Shinjiro-san had known. There was blood… so much blood on Akechi's hands. Akechi had hurt so many people because he was so fixated on enacting revenge on Shido.
Only now he realized just how wise Shinjiro-san was.
But unlike with Shinjiro-san, Akechi was just done caring. Shinjiro-san had accidentally killed Mom, but he was wracked with guilt for two years.
Ken didn't know if he was disgusted or that he pitied Akechi for being driven to that point. Perhaps it was a bit of both.
"Do you think your mom would've wanted this for you?" Ken said quietly, trying to speak gently.
Maybe if he appealed to Akechi's love for his mother, Akechi might realize that this would not be what his mother would want. She would've wanted him to live. What Akechi was living was really a half-life. That wouldn't take away the blood staining Akechi's hands but...
"The way you talked about her… it sounded like she really loved you. Is it worth it? All the blood on your hands… I understand how it feels, losing your mom so suddenly but—" But Ken was suddenly cut off.
"Shut your goddamn mouth!"
Akechi jabbed a finger in Ken's direction, his eyes wild.
"You may think your life was pitiable, but what about now, huh? You're living a cushy life. You don't have any worries."
Ken scowled.
"So much for trying to talk him out of it," he thought ruefully.
"You don't know anything about me, Akechi," he spat out. "You think you can read a piece of paper and you can understand what exactly I've been through? You've deluded yourself that we can be a 'family' but it's on your terms!"
Family…
He couldn't help but think of Minako-san constantly dragging him out for dinner during their days of SEES, how she was the first one to get him to open up to someone. No matter how much trouble life threw at her, she still found a reason to smile. She was many things to him—his team leader, his first crush, but Minako-san became the big sister he never realized he had wanted.
Akihiko-san would carry him on his back when he had been too tired from a long grueling training session at Tartarus, but Ken had been too proud to admit his exhaustion. Even though he was sometimes tongue-tied with Ken in the beginning, he never hesitated to show that he cared. And of course, there was how he had been the one to help Ken realize that he should try to live for both his mother and Shinjiro-san.
Yukari-san always loved surprising him with gifts from her co-stars. He still recalled how concerned she had been when he had first joined SEES. And he couldn't help but admire her for her inner strength—losing Minato-san, bearing the twins despite the ridicule… He could only hope to be as strong as her one day.
Mitsuru-san always took pride in his grades and his work on the student council. No… she never saw him as a tool. She was always concerned with his well-being. People often saw her as an ice queen, but they failed to see how caring she truly was.
Junpei-san took the time to teach him sports. He always was the one to remind Ken that it was okay to be a kid, to reclaim his lost childhood. And even though it had been horribly embarrassing, Junpei-san always went nuts whenever Ken scored a winning goal for his team.
He remembered when everyone came back from Yakushima, with Aigis-san in tow. To say that he was taken aback was putting it... lightly. Witnessing Aigis-san developing her humanity had been incredible to watch. Over time, she slowly unveiled her... quirky sense of humor. Aigis-san was stilted at times, but she had such a big heart.
Fuuka-san would always fuss over him in her usual gentle way. She actually reminded him a little of Mom with her gentle and kind demeanor. Her mere presence was so comforting. Ken never regretted trying to take the fall for her when Takaya sought to eliminate her.
And… Shinjiro-san. He had done so much for Ken. Looking out for him during the one month he had rejoined SEES, protecting him, and even taking custody of Ken because he wanted a better life for Ken. They fought and bickered, but Shinjiro-san never failed to show him how much he cared.
He loved them all. They were his family.
Akechi's hand clenched into a fist. "I should've known that you wouldn't understand… you'd never understand what kind of life I've led. Everyone always thought the worst of my mother… and everyone thought that I'd never amount to anything."
Ken wanted to offer a retort, but he couldn't help but think about what Yukari-san went through, being ridiculed for choosing to bear Minato-san's bastard children. He had no retort to that. In the eyes of society, bastards belonged amongst the lowest of the low.
But Akechi wasn't done. "On top of that, you don't even know what a bastard goes through. Especially with Takeba's spoiled twin brats! You think they know what it's like?"
Ken's vision went red for a moment.
"Shut up!" he hissed out, anger surging through him.
It made his blood boil to hear Akechi talk about Miyuki and Kaito like that.
"How dare you take your anger out on them! They're children! Innocent kids who never wished you ill! And you're jealous of them just because Yukari-san was better off than your mom?! Because Yukari-san was lucky to have support but not your mother?! You're nothing but a spiteful, jealous little child! You're the brat, not them!"
Ken then glared fiercely at Akechi, both hands balling into fists.
"This isn't a contest over whose life is the most miserable!"
Ken closed his eyes. He remembered Minako-san gently bringing up the idea of abortion to Yukari-san. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop but…
"Yukari-chan… I know that you loved Minato a lot but raising a child as a teen mom—it won't be easy."
"I know what you're suggesting, Minako and… no. I know it won't be easy. But this is Minato's last gift to me. It's a blessing, not a burden."
"Yukari-chan, I… I didn't mean to—"
"I know, Minako. You were just worried about me."
He remembered the grief Yukari-san had gone through.
One day, he had come back to the dorm to see Yukari-san icing Junpei-san's bruised-up face. When he had asked what happened, Junpei-san had become agitated, getting worked up about this disgusting classmate calling Yukari-san a whore behind her back. Ken had been confused but Yukari-san then started scolding Junpei-san for letting the 'idiot' get to him and that she didn't care what people thought. Shinjiro-san then pulled Ken away, quietly explaining to him that people didn't think highly of bastard children and their mothers.
He hadn't understood it, questioning why. But Shinjiro-san had just shrugged before saying that's how society operated. He may not agree but there was a long-lasting stigma against bastard children and their mothers.
It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.
But even with all of the obstacles in her way, Yukari-san had pushed through everything. Though… he could sympathize with his dead aunt. She had… no one. His grandparents disowned her, and his mom was torn between his grandparents and his aunt.
However, that didn't excuse Akechi's hateful words about two innocent children.
"Why do you have sympathy for everyone but me?!" Akechi hissed out. "You have no idea what I've been through! I was bounced from foster family to foster family. I was treated like I was a nuisance, nothing more than a burden!"
It was on the tip of Ken's tongue to point out that yes, he knew exactly how he felt. His uncle often emphasized that there were several children who weren't as fortunate as Ken. And yet the man wondered why Shinjiro-san wanted to take custody of Ken.
"I told you before that I can understand but it's not what your mom would want for you!" Ken growled out. "She wanted you to live, not be consumed with this obsession for revenge! Yes, I know about wanting revenge! And it nearly ruined my life! I walked away from it because I realized that my mom would've wanted me to live my life to the fullest."
His heart started to ache as he spoke the last part. He still missed Mom so much…
Ken closed his eyes for a moment. "That's why… she protected me. She gave her life so I could live."
Then Ken's eyes snapped open, placing a hand over his heart.
"And I would be spitting on her memory if I kept trying to avenge her! That's not what she wanted!" he declared.
"You... you don't know my mother!" Akechi spat out. "That man ruined her life! Of course she would want me to destroy Shido!"
Irritation suddenly flared inside of Ken. So, he didn't know what his aunt wanted, and yet Akechi could claim that he knew what Ken's mom wanted? But he wasn't finished yet, how could he not see how hypocritical this was?
"And what of Oracle?"
Akechi paused in confusion. "Oracle?"
Ken narrowed his eyes but explained, "You go on and on about how no one understands what you went through. But did you forget? Oracle is a bastard too. Her mother still loved her, just like yours. And her family resented her, just like you. And you're the one that ripped her mother away. Can you honestly look me in the eye and say her situation is different from yours? I don't see her gunning for yours or Shido's deaths. She never made the choices you did, because there is no excuse… and deep down, you know there is no excuse. You're just afraid to admit it."
"Shut the hell up! You prattle on and on trying to claim I don't know anything about your situation and here you are trying to insinuate you know mine. Just keep that self-righteous hypocrisy to yourself!" Akechi hissed.
Ken could practically feel his eyebrow twitching at that comment. Of all the nerve of this guy! How can he spout everything he does and call Ken a hypocrite!
"On top of that, why do you care so much about Aragaki?!" Akechi suddenly spat out. "He killed your mom! And you know what the last straw was for my mom?! Hearing about your mom's death! She committed suicide just three months after finding out about the news! He indirectly killed her!"
Ken couldn't help but flinch at that. He had never told Shinjiro-san about that when he told his guardian what happened between him and Akechi. If Shinjiro-san knew about that… Ken was afraid that Shinjiro-san would slip back into his extreme guilt. He felt terrible enough what happened to Mom and how it ruined Ken's life.
Akechi glared at Ken suddenly. "Why? Why do you continue to defend him? You even love him for reasons I can't even begin to understand!"
"It was an accident," Ken got out.
Akechi at least deserved the truth. He didn't know everything just based on the info that the IT president managed to dig out.
"Shinjiro-san lost control of his Persona, Castor. It went on a berserk in the neighborhood I lived with Mom. Castor broke into the house. Mom was trying to get me out of the house with Castor rampaging. That's what killed her. I didn't understand that it was an awful accident. Shinjiro-san spent years wrestling with the guilt!"
He wouldn't go into the drugs, though. It was a touchy subject for everyone. Which was why everyone had been infuriated at the reveal that Shido had drugged him with the Persona suppressant drugs.
Akechi's expression suddenly became conflicted. Ken swallowed hard, the sudden silence unnerving him. But that's when Akechi started to chuckle.
"Are you really so naïve? Do you really think that I'd care if it was an accident or not?! Whether it was or wasn't—it won't bring back the dead!"
Ugh… it was so tempting to give Akechi a well-deserved smack. Ken was starting to get really frustrated.
But violence wouldn't help in this situation.
Akechi let out a mirthless laugh. "On top of that, did you really think making up a sob story for Aragaki would make me feel bad for him?!"
Ken glared at him, both hands clenching into fists. "You think I made this up just now?!"
"It can't be true! Aragaki is a menace, a crook! You're just blinded to the truth! He deserves to rot in j—"
Ken's temper snapped. Ken punched him in the gut and Akechi doubled over.
"Shut up! You keep jumping to assumptions! You don't know Shinjiro-san! I do! For years! How arrogant do you have to be to claim that you know more about Shinjiro-san than me?!" he demanded.
"He has you brainwashed! He and Kirijo's dogs!" Akechi yelled out. "How is that any different than how I work for Shido?!"
"You're so blind…" Ken then glared at Akechi.
He really thought their situations were comparable? They weren't remotely the same! Shido saw Akechi as nothing as a tool whereas everyone gave him love and affection. It simply infuriated Ken to hear that Akechi had the gall to compare his senpai to Shido.
Ken growled out, "You don't even see how monstrous you've become. You may despise and hate Shido for what he did to your mother… but you're more like Shido than you realize. You've destroyed countless lives all for the sake of your goal, just like Shido!"
At first Akechi froze at that. Then his expression contorted with rage, his lips twisting into a snarl.
"Shut up… SHUT UP!" Akechi shouted. "You know nothing! I'm nothing like that bastard!"
He then reached for his weapon, a sword with a serrated blade.
Then Akechi lunged forward.
"DAMMIT!"
Ryuji slammed his bat against the wall one last time. The wall hardly budged from the blow, drawing a frustrated growl from Ryuji.
"Is there really nothing we can do?" Haru wrung her hands, suddenly looking hopeless.
Makoto was feeling fairly hopeless herself. What did Akechi want with Ken specifically?
"If we break through, I'm wringing his neck," Makoto hissed to herself, her hands clenching into fists. "Not only for this, but for the way he tricked Sis!"
But then Ren shook his head, his dark eyes burning with determination. "No. We can't give up!"
Futaba suddenly wrung her hands, looking nervous.
"What's the matter, Oracle?" Haru asked, placing a hand on their youngest member's shoulder.
Futaba bit her lip. "Akechi knew about the plan to kidnap Ace."
"He knew what?!" Makoto demanded.
"There was something bugging me, back when I was confronting the IT guy," Futaba explained. "It got me wondering if Akechi knew about the plan to kidnap Ace, y'know?"
"So he knew this entire time… and still thought Ace would go along with this crazy plan?!" Ryuji growled out, his hands clenching into fists.
"Stop it," Ren snapped at them, shooting them a warning look. "Getting pissed isn't gonna help our situation right now."
Makoto sighed. Ren was right…
"Sorry…" Ryuji mumbled out before hanging his head.
Ren heaved out a sigh. "I get it, guys, I do… but we need to work out what to do instead of just seething about it."
"Oracle…" Yusuke turned to Futaba to look at her. "What's going on right now?"
"Hang on."
Futaba pressed her hands to her temples, focusing.
"Oh… damn. Ace is going for the jugular," she said in awe.
"Oracle, now's not the time!" Makoto snapped, feeling rather impatient.
"Sorry, sorry…" Futaba said, looking down at the ground for a moment. "But um… Akechi and Ace are now fighting."
Makoto groaned. She knew it was most likely inevitable, but it didn't stop her stomach tying itself into knots. While it was true that Ken possessed the Ring of Darkness to protect him from curse spells, but she still felt nervous… Who knew what else Akechi had up his sleeve?
"We need to come up with a plan," Anne said, her clenched hands trembling.
"I wonder…" Haru said slowly, resting her chin in one hand. "Maybe we can make the metal brittle?"
"Brittle?" Makoto echoed.
Haru's suggestion wasn't a bad idea. Maybe if they heated up the wall with Hecate's flames, then attacked the heated area with physical attacks… A plan was already beginning to formulate in Makoto's head.
"Queen? Do you have an idea?" Yusuke asked.
Makoto nodded. "Yes. My idea is that we need to stagger our attacks. First, Panther should heat up the metal with her fire spells. That'll make the metal more malleable. Then Skull, Fox, and Mona should attack with their physical attacks. Then Noir should try to pierce through with Astarte's gun spells. And I'll make the hole bigger with my nuke spell."
"Simple but it's not like we have a ton of options," Morgana remarked.
Ren nodded. "I'll chip in with my Personas too. But Oracle…"
Futaba grew alert. "Yeah?"
"Try to give Ace as much support as you can. I have a feeling that Ace is gonna need it," Ren said.
Futaba nodded furiously before summoning Prometheus.
"Leave it to me!" she exclaimed before disappearing into her Persona.
Ryuji then cracked his knuckles.
"Let's bust this wall down!" he said, pumping his fist.
They backed up to give Ren and Anne space. They tore off their masks as one.
"Surt!"
"Dance, Hecate!"
Ken was used to relying on his spear for blocking blows. Unfortunately, he didn't have that right now.
Ken grabbed for his gun, pulling the trigger. He aimed for the floor though. He refused to point the gun at Akechi though. On occasion, he'd shoot at a Shadow. But aiming a gun at a person… the mere thought made Ken sick.
It just made him think of Takaya pointing his gun at Ken. Takaya shooting Shinjiro-san…
No… never.
As much as he hated a person, he'd never point a gun at them.
"Robin Hood!"
Akechi called his Persona. Robin Hood drew back his arrow, glowing an ominous shade of purple. He let the arrow fly, but Ken didn't bother dodging.
He was really thankful that Mitsuru-san had insisted that he'd wear the Ring of Darkness. He would be toast otherwise. Though he didn't think that Mitsuru-san would've predicted this happening.
"What the…?" Akechi uttered. "You're weak to curse!"
"Surprise," Ken deadpanned.
He had no interest in revealing to Akechi what was his secret. He was just grateful that Minato-san had given him this nearly seven years ago. He would've been in deep trouble if it wasn't for it.
"Ace!" Ken couldn't help but flinch at Futaba's telepathic voice. "I'm here to back you up, okay? The others are working on trying to take down the wall but keep him distracted until we can!"
Ken nodded. "I'll try, Oracle."
He didn't know about this though… Tyr and Robin Hood shared an element, after all.
He had to try though.
Ken then narrowed his eyes at Akechi before tearing off his mask.
"Go! Power up!" Futaba cried out.
Red shimmered around Ken the moment before Tyr appeared.
"You have a second…?" Akechi sputtered out.
A second? Wait, did Akechi think that Ken possessed the Wild Card like Ren?
Tyr swung his spear, sending blades of light flying. Akechi gave a small grunt as the attack struck.
Akechi sent Robin Hood after Ken; the Persona dive-bombed at him, but Ken scrambled to dodge the attack. The shockwave from the attack was still strong enough to make Ken stagger though. He managed to stay upright, though.
"I'm not a Wild Card!" Ken exclaimed; he didn't want Akechi to make any more presumptions about him. "My Persona just evolved. Shido had me backed into a corner, but I refused to go down. I was going to stand up and fight, no matter what!"
"And I thought this kind of thing was Yu-san's shtick—inspiring speeches. At least according to Joker," Futaba snickered.
Ken felt his face flush before he hissed out, "Oracle, hush!"
Akechi then chuckled. "So… it really was only Joker who's special, was it…? I knew that Personas could change—after all I saw Niijima unveil her Persona. I just assumed that you were hiding your true strength all along. Amamiya's power, though… it's such a waste."
"Shut up, Akechi!" Futaba growled out, her voice growing heated. "Yeah, Joker's power is great, but did you really think he could do all that he accomplished alone?! No! He needed all of us so he could succeed! He was close to giving up when you and Shido pulled the crap with Okumura! He would've, had he been alone!"
"That just proves how weak Joker is!" Akechi snarled out.
"Joker is not weak!" Ken hissed out, bristling at the insult aimed at his friend. "Besides, you're jealous of him!"
Akechi let out a frustrated growl before attacking Ken once more. Ken summoned Tyr, who unleashed another bless spell. It didn't do much damage, of course.
He couldn't win if he kept using his bless attacks though. But at the same time, Ken felt conflicted at using his gun attacks on Akechi. It kinda made him wish that he still had electric spells. It was so much simpler with Shadows…
But then Akechi suddenly rushed him. Ken quickly shifted into a defensive stance, his eyes scanning Akechi's form for any weaknesses. Akechi gave a quick jab with his sword. Ken jumped to the side. But Akechi kept coming after him, his swings slowly becoming wilder and wilder.
"Running away, are you?" he spat out at Ken. "You're a coward!"
Ken scowled before hissing out, "You're the one scared of facing the truth!"
Akechi scowled fiercely at Ken before making another quick jab. Ken jumped backwards, but he landed poorly. He stumbled backwards, his back slamming against the wall.
Akechi suddenly stabbed forward. Ken quickly dropped to the ground before giving a quick sweep with his leg. Akechi didn't lose his balance, but it distracted Akechi long enough so Ken could get away.
But what Ken really needed to do was disarm Akechi. He needed to observe Akechi's attack patterns further though. Akihiko-san told him before that it was well and good to be physically strong but to take down your enemies, you needed to figure out their weaknesses to make them fall. Of course, that had led to Shinjiro-san snarking about Akihiko-san's tendency to rush in during combat, but Akihiko-san had made a good point.
He was grateful that Akihiko-san had decided to teach Ken self-defense, though. He and Minako-san had even taught him how to disarm someone.
He had a feeling that he'd have to put his all into this fight.
Akechi then summoned Robin Hood once more. An almighty spell started to form. It suddenly exploded. Ken quickly dropped to the ground, bracing himself for the impact. Ken summoned Tyr for a quick heal.
He needed to be careful though. He didn't want to burn through all of his energy. He wouldn't be able to cast any spells if that happened.
Green shimmered around him for a moment, increasing his speed. He was grateful he at least had Futaba giving him back up. He really needed all the advantages he could get.
Akechi made a frustrated sound before rushing towards Ken. Ken was barely able to dodge. Akechi's movements were becoming even more erratic. It was getting harder to predict where he'd swing. There was a wild look in Akechi's eyes.
He was really missing his spear. He was so used to taking advantage that his enemies couldn't get in close easily unless they wanted Ken to try and stab them.
He had to deal with it, though. He needed to figure out a way to keep Akechi busy and not get the upper hand so that his friends would be able to bust their way through.
He had faith in them, though. His fingers clenched tightly around his gun.
Ken bit his lip. He couldn't see any weaknesses in Akechi's stance, though. His best shot would probably be aiming to disarm him. The problem was that Akechi moved so wildly. If he made one wrong move, Akechi would slice his arm open.
Akechi had summoned Robin Hood again.
"Tyr!" Ken quickly countered before Robin Hood could prepare an attack.
His Persona appeared, raising his cannon. He shot several times at Robin Hood. Akechi growled before charging at Ken. He raised his sword, both hands wrapped around the hilt before swinging down. Ken quickly countered by blocking it with his gun.
Not the most orthodox way to block an attack but Ken was running low on options. And besides, his time with the Phantom Thieves had taught him that sometimes he had to think outside the box.
"Nice, Ace!" Futaba exclaimed.
Ken's block had caught Akechi off guard, so Ken pressed his advantage. He gave a hard shove. Akechi gave a frustrated growl as he staggered backwards before he lunged forward again. Ken quickly darted to the right before he latched onto Akechi's wrist, giving it a hard twist. Akechi yowled in pain before finally dropping his sword.
Ken quickly took the opportunity to kick the blade away.
Akechi just growled before whipping out his pistol. He fired three times. Ken gasped as the bullets grazed his shoulder. His knees buckled and he sank to the ground as his shoulder throbbed painfully.
He gritted his teeth as Akechi approached him. Futaba's healing spell settled over him, reducing the pain. He forced himself to his feet.
"Why… why do you keep getting up?!" Akechi growled out.
"Because I won't give up!" Ken fired back. "That's something that my senpai taught me a long time ago!"
"They don't really care about you!" Akechi screamed out.
"Keep telling yourself that," Ken shot back. "You only know them through whatever files Shido dug up about them! I know the truth!"
Akechi's lips twisted into a snarl. "You keep babbling about that kind of shit! Justice? Friends?! They're all fake! The only constant you can rely on is power!"
"No, Akechi," Ken shook his head, feeling a stab of pity for him despite everything.
Just what had Akechi gone through to develop such a mindset?
He wouldn't be the person he was today without the influence of his senpais. His friends had helped him develop an independence that he hadn't had before he had met them.
"Friends and justice are both a constant. What's the point in having power if you have to tear down everyone else to get to it?" Ken questioned. "You're left with nothing but blood on your hands and emptiness."
"I… I…" Akechi seemed to be struggling to find a retort.
But then a guttural growl suddenly sounded. Ken looked up, his eyes widening. A Shadow had crawled through the vent.
It suddenly dropped to the ground.
Akechi suddenly smirked.
"I'll show you… my power! One that none of you have!"
He pulled out his gun, shooting at the Shadow. A Cerberus appeared, ready to pounce at Akechi. But Akechi just shot at it once more, making the Shadow yowl in pain.
While the Shadow was distracted, a dark form appeared behind Akechi. Ken's breath caught his throat as the blood in his veins froze. He had a horrible feeling that...
"No… that looks like—" Ken thought in panic.
"That's not Robin Hood!" Futaba said.
But then the Shadow's form darkened. Its eyes seemed to glow. Some kind of dark red energy seemed to pulsate from the Shadow.
"What the—? What did Akechi do to the Shadow?!" Futaba questioned. "Be on your guard, Ace!"
Ken just grimly nodded. "Was planning on it."
"I assume that you were sent here by Kirijo to investigate the mental shutdowns as well… not mention the accidents where people turn psychotic, causing scandals," Akechi drawled out. "That occurs when people's hearts are turned psychotic."
"You're saying… that's your power," Ken said flatly.
Akechi smiled smugly before gloating, "That's right. It's mine and mine alone!"
"You can keep it," Ken thought anxiously.
"Even the feeblest existence can gain tremendous power once the chains of its heart are broken. Why don't you see for yourself?" Akechi's voice turned mocking.
But then the Shadow turned its eyes on Ken.
Ken gritted his teeth, quickly scrambling out of the way as the Shadow pounced. Ken couldn't help but feel like a mouse as the Shadow chased him around. The Shadow was too fast; it swatted at him, and the force sent him flying against the wall.
"Ace!" Futaba's voice grew panicked.
"I'm fine," Ken got out, trying not to wince.
The Shadow was coming after him again.
Futaba warned, "Be careful, Ace! It used some kind of spell on itself… I couldn't identify what it was."
On itself…? Ken quickly pushed it out of his mind. He didn't have time to focus on that.
He withdrew his gun, firing a shot. The Shadow recoiled from the damage and Ken took the opportunity to summon Tyr.
Tyr launched several spells in quick succession, to give Ken some breathing air. He needed to figure some kind of advantage. This Shadow was just too fast and hit like a bulldozer.
But then his eyes suddenly fell on the opposite wall. Hmm… maybe the Shadow wouldn't be able to climb as easily as him.
Ken called back Tyr before he made a sprint for the wall. He was pulling himself up when the Shadow growled in frustration before literally ramming into the wall. It even shredded his cape before clawing Ken's leg. Already, he could feel blood oozing from where the Shadow had clawed at him. Ken couldn't stop the pained hiss escaping his mouth, but he kicked at the Shadow before pulling himself up.
He summoned Tyr. Tyr shot at the Shadow several times, slowly driving it back. Ken winced. He was starting to feel wiped out… He quickly healed himself. His eyes fell on the wall, the one that Akechi had forcibly created.
"Please hurry, you guys," he begged to himself.
He wasn't sure how long he could last. He could feel his energy flagging.
But then the Shadow growled before ramming against the wall. Ken stumbled forward but he caught himself before he fell. The Shadow wasn't giving up though, still slamming into the wall.
It was kinda strange, though. Cerberus's element was fire, but it hadn't launched a single fire spell at Ken. Maybe it was like a souped-up version of rage.
Ken summoned Tyr once more. His Persona leapt forward, swatting at the Shadow with the bottom of his spear. Black dribbled out of the wound, making the Shadow snarl.
Ken gulped. He really hoped what Akihiko-san said about injured bears wasn't true…
He had to handle this quickly before he found out it was true or not.
Tyr had quickly shot at the Shadow several times before spinning his spear in his hand, sending blades of lights flying at the Shadow. The Shadow roared one last time before finally disintegrating to ash.
"That power… he used it on actual people…?" Futaba asked, horrified.
Ken squeezed his eyes shut. Arsons, car crashes, train crashes… those were just a few incidents that Akechi had created. But then his eyes snapped open as he heard Akechi's approaching footsteps.
"Not bad, especially since you're on your own." Akechi strode towards Ken.
Ken's eyes darted around, to see where else he could move to. He didn't know if Akechi would attack him, and it'd be good to have the high ground.
His eyes fell on a pipe. It was low enough if he took a running leap, he'd be able to make it…
"A clever trick since you're all alone without your precious friends," Akechi spat out.
Ken scowled. "What are you even trying to prove? What do you even want, Akechi? First, you get jealous of me because I'm lucky that Shinjiro-san took me in. Then you find out that we're related and get obsessed with the idea of us working together on this crazy revenge plot because we're family. And now you want to kill me because I have the gall to call you out on all the crap you've pulled over the last two years?"
His voice turned sarcastic at the last part. He was just done with Akechi.
Ken couldn't help but pause as a realization suddenly hit him. Did… Akechi even know the answer?
"Do you even know what you want?" he asked quietly.
Akechi's seemingly calm expression wavered, and he swiped at the air. "Shut your trap! Of course, I know what I want! And I don't want to kill you! I just want you to understand that you're wrong and punish you for getting in my way."
"And that's my cue to run," Ken thought with a grim smile.
He broke into a sprint, taking a jump. His heart just about leapt out of his chest as his fingers latched onto the pipe. It took some effort, but Ken managed to pull himself up. He winced, feeling another bullet strike his arm. His arm throbbed painfully but Ken pushed past the pain.
"Why do you keep running away?" Akechi demanded.
Robin Hood then jumped, before slamming his bow against the pipe. The force tore the pipe from the ceiling, making Ken lose his balance.
"ACE!" Futaba shrieked, her voice growing shrill with panic.
Ken forced his eyes open; he could at least drop and roll, to minimize the damage. He tucked his body, rolling for a moment when he hit the ground. Ken forced himself to get up though. He doubted Akechi would let him catch his breath.
And he was right. Akechi was charging towards him, shoving him hard against the wall. Ken's head banged hard enough against it that he saw stars for a moment. Once his vision cleared, he realized that Akechi was holding the blade to his throat.
"That look in your eyes… I can't stand it!" Akechi seethed. "It's just like his!"
It didn't take a genius to realize who Akechi was referring to. But he was momentarily distracted so…
Ken's knee jerked up, ramming right into Akechi's gut. Akechi let out a small grunt, his sword slipping from his fingers. Ken then planted his foot into Akechi's stomach, sending him staggering backwards.
Akechi's eyes were blazing with anger though. "Don't you know how to give up?"
"I told you already that I gained the resolve to never give up, no matter what I'm facing." Ken narrowed his eyes. "I will never give up!"
He had faced Death itself, after all. He refused to give up.
Akechi growled in frustration at Ken's proclamation before summoning Robin Hood once again. He suddenly dive-bombed at Ken. Ken threw himself to the ground, somersaulting for a moment. He tore at his mask.
"Tyr!"
Tyr fired his cannon once more, nailing Robin Hood right in the torso.
"Ace, stay away from the wall," Futaba abruptly warned him. "Noir's gonna try to pierce through with Astarte's gun attack."
"Got it," Ken murmured before breaking into a sprint, away from the wall.
"Just a little longer…" Ken thought to himself, a wave of relief hitting him.
Akechi suddenly rushed at him, his hand balling into a fist.
"So it's going to devolve to this, huh?" Ken thought grimly to himself.
Ken was really grateful that Akihiko-san had insisted that he'd learn hand-to-hand combat. Akechi managed to get in a few blows in though, strikes that made Ken's body ache. Ken had to begrudgingly admit that Akechi was physically strong.
But then Akechi's fist suddenly lashed out, right at Ken's face. Ken grabbed Akechi's balled-up fist before yanking Akechi forward. He slammed his forehead against Akechi's, headbutting him.
Pain suddenly exploded in his skull, and he pressed a hand to his now throbbing forehead.
"OW! Okay, note to self, never do that again!" Ken thought to himself with a wince.
Shinjiro-san never batted an eye when he headbutted someone.
But Akechi dropped like a rock, clutching at his head.
"YOU LITTLE—"
The sound of an explosion cut Akechi off.
Ken whipped around to see a hole in the wall split open. It took Ken a moment to realize that it had been a nuclear spell.
"HELL YEAH!" Ryuji crowed in triumph.
His friends were rushing in. Ken's legs suddenly turned to jelly, and he dropped to the floor.
Makoto reached him first, dropping to her knees before pulling him into a tight hug. Some of his other friends had their weapons at the ready, standing in between him and Akechi.
"Ace!" Makoto exclaimed before she looked him up and down. "Are you okay?"
"Define… okay," Ken said with a wince.
He must've been really running on adrenaline; now everything hurt. His entire body ached, down to his very bones.
Makoto's expression darkened at that.
Furious, Akechi staggered to his feet. "You—"
"ARSÈNE!" Ren beat him to the punch.
His winged Persona slammed into Akechi, sending him flying backwards.
"That's for Ace," Ren spat out, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Why… why couldn't I beat you?!" Akechi snarled out, his eyes on Ken. "Why must you be so stubborn?! I would've brought down Shido to his knees!"
"Do you just hear static when I talk?!" Ken snapped, red-hot anger surging through him.
He staggered to his feet, refusing Makoto's attempt to help steady him. He appreciated the support but…
"I told you time and time again! The path you carved is bloody! Countless people have died because of your crusade to ruin Shido! You've orphaned more than just Noir and Oracle! Shido may have made people suffer but so have you!" spat Ken.
"Not to mention… his power to turn people psychotic," Futaba added. "Just… the thought of him using that power on people is just…"
She trailed off before she started to shiver.
"I thought that it was a special thing like the Nav but…" Morgana narrowed his eyes. "I think it's a power belongs to his Persona."
"The ability to control and drive others mad was really born from Akechi's heart…" Makoto murmured.
Futaba nodded furiously. "He used it on a Shadow to sic on Ace and its power level was nuts!"
Ken tried not to grimace at the memory.
"Joker, could the Shadows that attacked us before be…?" Yusuke suddenly questioned.
Ren grimaced. "It just might."
Akechi just glared at them. "My triumph against Shido was preordained! I was given this power from some higher being… I don't care if it was a god or a demon! But I knew… when I received my power that it was meant to be! I would use this power to ingratiate myself into Shido's circle… and then I'll use it to destroy him!"
"You're just despicable!" Anne spat out. "How can you take pride in such a messed-up plan?!"
Akechi sneered. "An impressive act you pulled, Panther. You really had me convinced that you were devastated over Joker's death."
Anne let out a little growl, her hands clenching into fists. "You…"
"When did that happen?!" Ryuji demanded, turning to stare at Anne.
That's what he wanted to know as well…
"Just a few days ago," Anne said shortly, a tightness in her voice. "Oracle and I managed to keep up the act, so we thought it wasn't important…"
Ryuji looked like he wanted to protest but he fell silent when Ren caught his eye, giving a firm shake of his head.
"Well… we all had to do our part to ensure that the masquerade had fooled you and Shido," Yusuke stated.
Ryuji smirked triumphantly. "We really pulled the wool over your eyes, huh?"
"My plan had been perfect… it was a mere fluke that you outwitted me," Akechi started to ramble. He then jabbed a finger in Ren's direction. "But it's not over… I just have to kill you all. I've spent years working towards this! I won't let it slip away from me, at the last second!"
"And then what?" Haru spoke suddenly.
Yusuke asked, "Noir…?"
"Suppose you get your revenge. I don't know what you plan on doing—killing your father after he becomes Prime Minister, going after Shido's Shadow…"
Haru's voice was calm—eerily calm, in Ken's opinion. It felt like the calm before the storm.
Haru then folded her arms over her chest, her expression still stony. "To be frank, I don't care about the details of your revenge. But my question is—what will happen after you get the revenge you desire so much?"
"I…" Akechi's mouth opened, only to snap shut and he let out a growl. "Shut up! You don't know the life I've led!"
"Don't talk to her like that!" Anne hissed at Akechi, her eyes snapping with anger.
"This is what I've been trying to tell you all along," Ken said softly. "Your life is empty because all you can think of is enacting revenge on Shido."
"Stop trying to shove sanctimonious bullshit down my throat!" Akechi spat out.
His hands then clenched into fists.
"I'll show you… all of you! Once I take care of you, the path to Shido will be clear! I've spent years getting close to him so I can expose all of his crimes… and once he's rotting in jail—I'll reveal to him that the bastard son that he disposed of was the one responsible for his downfall!"
"Annnd he's lost his marbles," Ren deadpanned.
Akechi's lips twisted into a snarl. "I'll show you… my true power."
"Be careful, guys… I'm sensing something different about Akechi," Futaba warned.
That was putting it lightly. Even back then, Akechi must've not put in his full effort when Ken had fought him. He must've assumed that Ken would be easy pickings.
This fight… would not be easy.
Why was there always something?
Ren didn't know what Akechi had up his sleeve but he wouldn't drop his guard. There was so much at stack here.
Shadowy energy seemed to lick at Akechi, surrounding him almost like a dark aura. The spike of energy made Ren's skin crawl. Akechi even started to chuckle, pressing a hand to his face.
"Come… LOKI!"
A small gasp escaped Ken and he took a step backwards.
"I knew it…" he muttered.
The Persona Akechi had summoned definitely looked more… sinister. It hovered over Akechi, surrounded by the same energy as Akechi. The energy seemed to eat at Akechi's outfit, burning it away only to be replaced by a completely different outfit.
This meant… Akechi had two personas!
Yusuke breathed out, "A black mask…"
"Ace, is that…?" Makoto questioned.
Ken just nodded grimly. "It's him. Akechi did attack me back then—during my first trip to Kaneshiro's Palace."
"Wait, didn't you say that he nearly killed you?" Ren said.
"Like Akechi cares," Ryuji spat out.
This was so messed up… Ren would bet his life savings that Akechi didn't even consider that; he just assumed that Ken would be gung-ho to go along with Akechi's crazy revenge plot. Ken's life really was so insignificant to Akechi up until he found out they were related. He really didn't care about what Ken wanted…
It pissed off Ren, just thinking about it.
"I'll do my best to help you guys out!" Futaba said, already in Prometheus once more.
Makoto nodded. "Thank you, Oracle!"
"Friends… teammates…" Akechi sneered. "It's all so pointless! You just cling to each other because you're all too weak to handle anything on your own!"
"Just go ahead and keep telling yourself that, Akechi!" Ryuji spat out.
Akechi growled before clenching one of his fists. "I'll take you all down!"
Akechi sounded pretty confident in himself. Ren couldn't help but feel worried, even though they outnumbered him—nine to one. And they just found out he had two personas. Not to mention that he was still giving Ken trouble, despite him possessing that special 'charm' that protected him from his Persona's weakness.
He still remembered Ken pulling him aside to warn him about the black-masked Persona-user after Akechi pushed his way onto the team. If he was still giving Ken some trouble, then…
Ren shook his head. He had to focus.
"Fan out, everyone!" Ren quickly ordered, sweeping his arm through the air.
His friends nodded before scurrying away to follow his orders. But Ken grabbed at Ren's sleeve.
"Loki's got curse magic, fire magic and almighty magic," Ken informed him in a low voice. "I remember that from my fight with him."
Ren huffed. Okay, at least Ken didn't have to worry about curse magic but Yusuke… The fire magic would be a problem. And almighty was always so fun to deal with.
He was a little worried, though. Ken looked pretty worn out from his fight with Akechi. His outfit was torn in certain places, with scrapes all over his face.
Though that reminded him…
"Missing something, by the way?" Ren pulled out Ken's spear, holding it out to his friend, and handing him some items.
It wouldn't heal up his stamina and health all at once, but Ken looked completely worn out. He needed every little bit he could get. Ren sensed Akechi wasn't going to go down easy.
Ken took it with a wry smile. "Thanks. It was a pain to go without it earlier."
Ren opened his mouth to reply but a sudden movement caught his eye. He pushed Ken away, jumping back to dodge Loki's strike.
But Loki struck at Ren again. He threw himself to the side, biting back a curse as Akechi rushed him. Akechi tackled Ren to the ground, pinning him to the ground.
"You. Ruined. Everything!" Akechi hissed out.
There was a maniacal gleam in Akechi's eyes and it unnerved Ren. Ren tried not to swallow as Akechi pressed the tip of his sword at Ren's throat.
"You were the one to wreck my plan and you stole away Ken's loyalty!" Akechi accused.
Ken's spear slammed into Akechi, knocking him right off Ren. Ren immediately jerked up into a sitting position, pressing a hand to his throat. That was way too close for comfort.
Though damn… Akechi really thought this of Ren? He couldn't help but feel a little unnerved.
Ken was looking a bit better. He must have quickly taken the items while Akechi was focused on him.
"You don't get it, do you?!" Ken spat out, suddenly livid. "Joker didn't steal anything! You accuse him, Shinjiro-san—anyone—of stealing things from you! Joker is my friend, so stop this ranting about him stealing me from you!"
He slammed the butt of his spear hard against the ground. Ren had never seen Ken look so livid. Sure, he easily got annoyed—which was why Ren liked to pick on him—but he rarely got mad.
"I'm not a damn toy for kids to fight over!" he growled out. "I'm my own person!"
This incensed Akechi as he lunged towards Ken once more. But then Ken spun his spear, slamming the butt of his spear against Akechi's chest.
Makoto then jumped forward, planting her fist against Akechi's stomach. Ryuji and Yusuke then rushed him, both launching physical attacks that Akechi barely managed to dodge. Ren struggled to his feet. He just felt… shaken.
"Joker!" Anne cried out, running over to him.
Without another word, she summoned Hecate and started to cast a healing spell.
"Panther, save your energy—" Ren tried to say.
"Hush." She then let out a frustrated growl. "I can't believe that he would pull that crap."
Ren just grimaced in response. "I had a feeling that he was gonna gun for me."
But then, Loki raised his sword. A purple orb pulsed to life before it exploded. Ren let out a grunt as the attack hit them all.
Damn that had packed a punch…
Loki wasn't done, though. He slammed his sword in the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that unsteadied all of them.
He let out a sigh of relief as Morgana suddenly healed them.
Akechi suddenly recalled his Persona before charging forward. He parried Ryuji's strike before sidestepping Makoto's punch.
"Skull, Queen—get back!" Yusuke barked out before summoning Kamu Susano-o.
The temperature suddenly dropped as Kamu Susano-o produced a flurry of ice and snow. Suddenly ice crystallized at Akechi's feet, literally making him stuck. Akechi growled in frustration before trying to hack at the ice with his sword.
"Oohh, nice one, Fox!" Futaba cheered.
As Akechi was distracted, Ren took the opportunity to rush forward. He pulled out his pistol, firing a couple shots. But then a golden flash of light caught Ren's eye. Ken had launched a light spell, but Akechi didn't budge.
"His attributes have changed!" Futaba reported.
"Could've used a warning beforehand," Ken deadpanned.
But then Robin Hood appeared, aiming an arrow of light right at Ren. But Tyr and Astarte opened fire, coming at Akechi in opposite directions. Ren quickly switched to Norn. It was probably best to stick to Personas that weren't weak to any of the spells that Robin Hood and Loki utilized.
Ren then darted forward, summoning Norn. Norn's clock hands spun once before pronouncing a tempest that slammed into Akechi. Akechi grasped his sword before summoning Robin Hood once more, the Persona producing a bright blast of light.
"Joker, get back!" Ryuji yelled before calling for his Persona.
A bolt of lightning crackled through the air, as Morgana summoned Zorro to whip up a powerful gale. The bolt of lightning melded with Zorro's wind spell, creating a crackling hurricane.
It hit its mark, electricity sparking around Akechi as he struggled to move. This gave Haru and Ken the opportunity to open fire again, knocking him backwards.
"Dance, Hecate!" Anne cried out, summoning her Persona.
Hecate's neon eyes flashed before twin fireballs escaped her chained dogs' jaws. Akechi gritted his teeth before countering with a fire spell of his own.
"Fox, fall back!" Ren ordered; he wanted Yusuke to be cautious when Akechi had Loki out.
Akechi kept switching between Loki and Robin Hood. It made him pretty unpredictable. Though, Ren did notice something. Loki made Akechi faster than when he had Robin Hood equipped. Whereas when he had Robin Hood out, the attacks didn't seem to hurt him as much.
Morgana then dashed forward, before calling forth Zorro. Zorro slashed with his rapier, summoning a gust of wind that gave Morgana a boost in the air. Tyr suddenly appeared, swinging his spear. The blades of light struck Akechi, blinding him, just as Morgana slashed down.
As Akechi leapt to dodge, he was soon met with both Makoto and Haru.
Makoto sucker punched him, making Akechi keel over. This left him easy pickings for Haru's Psiodyne spell to send him flying and hit the wall.
Ryuji took the moment to quickly boost their attack. Akechi quickly recovered though, and he staggered to his feet. He panted, clutching a hand to his heart as he stared at Ren specifically.
"You piece of shit…" he hissed out.
Ren met his gaze levelly. "And yet you're jealous of this 'piece of shit'. I stole nothing from you. If you can't understand that… then I can't help you."
Akechi lunged for him, his sword outstretched.
Ren jumped backwards, his eyes darting from Loki to Akechi. Akechi lunged towards Ren, now close enough for Ren to see the unhinged expression on Akechi's face.
But then Anne's whip wound around Akechi's wrist—his non-dominant hand's wrist—and Anne gave a hard yank.
"You're not going to hurt Joker!" Anne's voice rose with indignation.
"Is it because you love him so much?" Akechi sneered.
Ren took the opportunity to strike, while Anne had him distracted. He summoned Thor. His Persona raised his hammer before striking down hard.
"You wanna know why I took the fall for everyone?!" Ren demanded.
Anne heard his silent cue and pulled back her whip. Ren glared at Akechi. He would never understand, would he? There was not a soul who Akechi had bonded with. Maybe Ren would feel sorry about that, another time.
Because he knew it wasn't a pleasant feeling—being utterly alone. He had felt that in spades, right after Shido had ruined his life. But when Akechi used this as an excuse to hurt innocents—that's where Ren drew the line.
"Because I love them. They gave me a reason to keep fighting, tooth and nail, even when Shido was determined to kick my teeth in. But you?" Ren let out a mirthless laugh. "Nothing matters more than your revenge, huh? To hell who gets hurts, right?"
Akechi gritted his teeth before both hands clenched into fists. "I can't wait to wipe that smug look on your face…"
"Bring it!" Ren goaded, not caring if he sounded cocky.
This was a long time coming. He was tired of dancing around it.
But then Akechi did something weird. He called Loki back.
"That cocky, huh?" Ren called out, unable to resist needling Akechi.
Akechi just sneered in response. "Did you think that using my unique power is all I have up my sleeve? No… that was just the beginning."
"The hell is he babbling about?" Ryuji muttered out.
"Hey, Skull, don't drop your guard!" hissed Morgana.
Ren tensed. Just what did Akechi have up his sleeve?
Akechi pressed a hand against his mask.
"Heed my call… SEKHMET!" Akechi bellowed out.
Another Persona?! When did—?!
"Me and my big mouth…" Ren groaned out.
He had tempted fate, hadn't he? Two was already unbelievable... but now he had a third. This confirmed his suspicions… Akechi was a Wild Card.
"Ace, did he have this Persona before?!" Makoto demanded.
Ken frantically shook his head, his eyes wide with panic. "I would've told you if I knew he was a Wild Card!"
A wave of flames exploded from Sekhmet. Yusuke let out a pained cry, staggering backwards. Ren bit back a swore.
Sekhmet had burned through Yusuke's jacket, patches of his arms now exposed. Yusuke's legs suddenly buckled, and he fell to the ground, clutching at his arms.
"Panther, Skull! Cover Fox for now!" Ren quickly ordered, gesturing to Yusuke.
Anne fully resisted fire spells whereas Ryuji's Persona now resisted fire spells. They were the best choices to keep Yusuke safe for now—besides Anne could heal Yusuke.
His best friend and girlfriend nodded before hurrying to Yusuke's side. Anne dropped to her knees before summoning Hecate in order to heal Yusuke.
Damn, what did this mean? How did Akechi gain this ability? From what Ken and Shinjiro-san had recounted, the Arisato twins had gained their Wild Card ability from their brush with Death. But… Ren didn't know where he got his Wild Card. Was Akechi the same as him then?
Akechi's mad laughter immediately caught Ren's attention. He was looking straight to Ren.
"You see?! You're not special, Joker! I possess the same ability as you! The ability to wield multiple Personas! And I'll do it better!"
Ren gave Akechi a hard stare. "I know my worth, Akechi. And it's not tied to how I can use multiple Personas."
He spent too long questioning his worth as a Wild Card. But he understood now. He had a special potential, that had allowed him to utilize the Wild Card.
He had met one Wild Card in person. And he felt that he knew the other two from Ken's recounting. They had made their own journeys, discovering who they were as people. They had fought gods, triumphing because they had friends they could count on.
In that, he was just like Minato-san, Minako-san, and Yu-san. And he was nothing like Akechi.
Although, he wondered how Akechi would react to the fact that Minako-san—someone that Ken would forever view more as his family than Akechi could ever hope to be—was also a Wild Card.
Sekhmet disappeared as Akechi charged forward. He was like a blur, parrying his friends' attacks without even batting an eye. Ren gritted his teeth. Akechi had raw power, more than Ren, if he had to guess.
His two years really amounted to something, but Ren refused to back down.
He darted away from Akechi, whipping out his pistol. Akechi let out a curse as Ren hit his mark. Akechi clutched at his shoulder. Haru charged forward, swinging her axe. The side of her axe slammed into Akechi, making him stumble slightly.
Haru's axe clattered to the ground and a moment later, she swung a fist at Akechi. There was a loud crack, shards of red glass falling to the ground.
"That was for Father," she spat out, trembling with anger.
"Oh, he must be so proud," Akechi sneered out. "Why are you so loyal to him? It's not like he viewed you as nothing but a tool to get what he wanted!"
Tyr appeared with a flash, his arm cannon roaring to life. But Akechi skirted out of the way.
"I told you why she cared so much," Ken hissed out.
"Yeah! And you're the one to talk! You offered your services to Shido!" Futaba exclaimed.
Akechi let out a growl. "You'll never understand what I aim to accomplish!"
While he was distracted, Anne and Morgana worked together, producing a hurricane of fire. Akechi quickly countered by sending Loki. With a neat slice, the Persona dispersed Anne and Morgana's attack.
"Maybe we don't want to understand!" Ryuji yelled back.
Ryuji then summoned Seiten Taisei, electricity crackling around the pole arm the Persona carried. A bolt of lightning flashed through the air before it struck Akechi.
Morgana charged forward, glowing blue for a moment as he summoned Zorro. Wind appeared under Morgana's feet, launching him in the air. He slashed through the air with his scimitar but then Akechi quickly retaliated.
"Krishna!" Akechi ripped off his mask.
Seriously, another Persona? With Sekhmet, this meant Akechi had four Personas… just how many Personas was Akechi packing?
His Persona was all black and gold, with a pink lotus floating above the palm of his hand. The lotus began to glow white before a nuclear spell exploded to life—with Morgana being caught in the blast. Ren could only watch in horror as Morgana was thrown in the air like a rag doll.
"Mona-chan!" Haru cried out before rushing to catch him.
"Noir, stay back! Stick to gun attacks for now!" Ren ordered. "Queen, I want you to switch as back-up!"
If this Persona Krishna was packing a nuclear spell, then it was most likely that Akechi now resisted nuclear spells. So it'd be best for Makoto and Haru to hang back. Besides that Makoto could help heal Morgana.
Yusuke pulled out his gun, firing several times at Akechi. Ryuji and Ken combined their elemental spells, Tyr's light blades now crackling with electricity. Yusuke then rushed Akechi, brandishing his katana. But when he took a swing, a translucent shield appeared, reflecting the damage back to Yusuke.
He staggered backwards, his sword clattering to the ground. But Anne's whip lashed through the air, several times, forcing Akechi on the defensive. Yusuke took the opportunity to grab his sword. While he distracted Akechi by coming after him again, Ren took the opportunity to strike.
"Thor!" Ren shouted.
"Hecate!" Anne cried out.
Electricity exploded from Thor's hammer, combining with the inferno that Hecate produced before it slammed into Akechi.
"Zorro, come!" Morgana followed up with a burst of wind that forced Akechi to the wall.
Akechi gritted his teeth.
"Tear them apart, Fenrir!" he commanded.
Akechi summoned a snarling wolf with black fur, glowing coals as eyes, and a fine golden chain circling its entire body.
He pounced at Morgana, knocking him to the ground.
"Get off him!" Ryuji yelled, charging forward.
He swung his bat, but Fenrir caught it in his jaws, ripping it out of Ryuji's hands and tossing it to the side.
"Skull, get back!" Ken ordered.
Tyr appeared behind Ken as Ken nailed Fenrir with a side jab. Tyr then blasted Fenrir right off of Morgana with his arm cannon. While Ken and Ryuji focused on Fenrir, Ren turned his attention to Akechi.
"Come! Norn!" he exclaimed.
Electricity crackled from Norn's form, zapping Akechi. But Akechi quickly shook it off, whipping out his gun and shooting right at Ren. Anne's whip threw off his aim, making him swear.
But then Fenrir suddenly jumped back, right in front of Akechi. Then the Persona's eyes suddenly glowed a dark red. A scythe started to form before it slashed at all of them. The force of the attack was strong enough to send Ren to his knees.
And he wasn't the only one. The attack had hit them all—only Ken was unaffected since the Ring of Darkness had protected him.
Fenrir's eyes started to glow once more, but a pink glow surrounded Fenrir. Astarte sent the Persona flying, giving Hecate an opening to shoot fire at Akechi. This also gave Morgana the opportunity to heal their injuries.
Ryuji and Yusuke then took the opportunity to double team Akechi, combining their elements to create a crackling snow flurry.
Ryuji suddenly surged forward, his shotgun in hand. He fired several times at Akechi, but Akechi easily dodged.
"Surt!" Ren summoned another of his Personas.
The hulking fire-giant lifted the torch it carried, the flame glowing bright before a torrent of flames shot forward. Akechi quickly summoned Sekhmet once more; she countered with her own Agidyne spell. The two fire spells clashed against each other before dissipating.
Ren gritted his teeth. Akechi just seemed to shrug off anything they threw at them. This was starting to get frustrating.
"Go! Power up!" Futaba cried out, buffing their strength.
Ren flicked his eyes towards Prometheus.
"Thanks, Oracle!" he called out to her.
Moments later, purple shimmered around their forms as Makoto cast Marakukaja.
Ryuji and Yusuke were both firing at Akechi with their guns, but suddenly Ryuji ran out of bullets. Ryuji swore at that, making Akechi sneer.
"That's just like you. All brawn and no brains—"
Akechi was suddenly cut off by Makoto suddenly punching him. Ken quickly followed up by jabbing the butt of his spear against Akechi's back.
Ryuji suddenly rushed Akechi, wielding his shotgun like he'd do with his weapon. Akechi let out a pained grunt as Ryuji hit his mark.
"Haha, I don't need bullets to use my gun!" Ryuji gloated.
"Head in the game, Skull!" Futaba scolded.
Akechi scowled before summoning Sekhmet once more. Yusuke fell back, wary of Sekhmet's fire spells.
"Just die already!" Akechi growled out, before Sekhmet struck at Ryuji.
He stumbled backwards before looking around in bewilderment.
"Ugh, Skull's confused! You gotta snap him out of it!" Futaba said.
"Noir!" Ren said.
"Of course!" Haru nodded. "Astarte!"
Haru focused on healing Ryuji while Sekhmet struck again, this time at Anne. She suddenly hunched over before wrapping her arms around herself.
"Where am I…? That doesn't matter…" Anne mumbled out before falling to her knees. "Why am I here… I can't do this…"
"Ah! Panther got hit with despair!" Futaba gasped.
"Tobi Katou!" Akechi summoned another Persona.
Tobi Katou looked like he was from the Sengoku period, with his attire, though his bamboo hat hid any facial features. Blades protruded from his arms, instead of sporting any hands.
Tobi Katou suddenly glowed pink before launching a Psiodyne attack at Anne. Anne let out a startled cry before she was knocked backwards.
"Panther!" Yusuke exclaimed in panic.
He drew his katana, lunging towards Tobi Katou. Ren turned towards Akechi before summoning Arsène. Arsène flung bursts of dark energy, but Ren grabbed his pistol to double attack on Akechi. He needed to give Haru an opening to heal Anne.
Akechi growled in frustration before pulling out his gun. But before he could even fire, Anne's whip struck him in the wrist. The blow made him drop the gun. Ren quickly summoned Oberon, not wanting to lose the opening that Anne had created.
"Panther, you okay?" Ren asked quickly as he stepped closer to his girlfriend.
Anne nodded, flashing him a smile. "Yeah. Thanks to Noir!"
"You're all so pathetic… you're just sniveling weaklings who can only lick at each other's wounds," Akechi sneered.
"It's the opposite, Akechi," Makoto spat out. "We're not weak because we rely on each other. It makes us strong."
Akechi scowled at Makoto's declaration. "Shut the hell up!"
Tobi Katou then tried to attack Makoto with another Psiodyne attack, but Tyr appeared in front of Makoto, shielding her from the blow. This seemed to piss off Akechi as he sprinted towards Ken. He swung his sword, but Ken quickly blocked the blow with his spear.
"You could've had it all if you picked me!" Akechi hissed at him.
Ken suddenly tensed. "I don't want what you're offering. I'm happy with what I have! Why don't you understand that?!"
Ken then gave a hard shove, forcing Akechi to stumble back. Morgana suddenly jumped up on Ken's shoulder, leaping towards Akechi. Blue flames flared to life around Morgana as he summoned Zorro. Wind suddenly swirled to life, shoving Akechi against the wall.
Haru and Ken worked together to launch gun attacks at Tobi Katou, while Ryuji summoned Seiten Taisei to fire a lightning bolt at Akechi. But Ryuji's attack reflected back at him, thanks to a shield Akechi quickly threw up. Tobi Katou darted forward to attack Ryuji, but Haru hastily cast a shield spell that reflected the damage back towards Akechi.
Kamu Susano-o suddenly flung ice and snow at Akechi, but Akechi just jumped out of the way. But the Bufudyne spell struck the ground, forming a thin layer of ice.
That drew Ren's attention.
If he remembered right, Yusuke had trapped Akechi earlier with a Bufudyne spell... Maybe that was the key. Akechi was so used to brute force—he could counter it with his own power.
Akechi suddenly pressed a hand to his mask. "Sherlock Holmes!"
Akechi's newest Persona had a plaid coat that almost draped over his form like a cloak, a matching hat angled to hide his face. In one hand, he wielded a cane-sword, in the other was a magnifying glass.
But then he suddenly glowed gold. A golden gavel formed, slamming down.
"NO!" Futaba screeched out before a green shield suddenly materialized, blocking the attack for all of them.
Akechi growled in frustration before summoning Katou Tobi once more. Katou Tobi proceeded to launch a Mapsiodyne spell, pushing them all back—well, save for Haru obviously. But Makoto was downed by the spell.
"Queen, no!" Futaba gasped out as Makoto struggled to get up.
Ken ran to help heal her, pulling her up in a sitting position while doing so.
Astarte then opened fire, giving Ryuji and Yusuke an opening to attack Akechi with their elemental spells. But Akechi quickly switched to Loki, throwing up a magic shield.
"Damn you!" Ryuji growled out.
"Dance, Hecate!" Anne exclaimed before tearing off her mask.
"Zorro, show your might!" Morgana summoned his Persona as well.
Wind and fire combined in a devastating attack, but Akechi managed to shrug it off. Loki then slammed down his sword, making everyone stagger from the force.
Akechi suddenly charged forward, his eyes affixed on Ren. He then reached for his gun, shooting almost wildly. Ren quickly jumped out of the way, but Akechi pressed forward. Without thinking, Ren chucked his knife at Akechi. The blade buried itself into Akechi's shoulder, making the older boy curse loudly. He wrenched out Ren's knife, throwing it aside.
Tyr suddenly appeared, sweeping his lance at Akechi's face. Tyr disappeared just in time for Anat to strike at Akechi with a powerful Freidyne spell. The spell was strong enough to make the pipes nearby rattle.
Ren stopped as a thought occurred to him.
"I knew right away the black-masked Persona-user was too strong for me," Ken's voice echoed in Ren's mind. He hadn't been super detailed about his first fight with Akechi, but Ken gave him enough details to know that the black-masked Persona-user was no joke. "I realized very quickly that I had to fight smartly. I needed to get away. So, I got him to… drop a pile of bricks on himself."
Well, if it's not broken, then don't fix it. This might be easier too… he just had to slice through the pipes. He could do with his Personas.
He had to be careful about this though. Akechi probably knew that he had to watch out for this kind of trickery.
Ken then charged at Akechi, stabbing forward with his spear. Akechi lashed out with his sword, throwing off Ken's aim. He wasn't expecting Yusuke to sneak up on him, slicing at Akechi's arm with his katana. Ken then spun his spear in his hand before slamming the butt of his spear against Akechi's chest.
With Akechi getting distracted, Ren took the opportunity to strike.
"Seth!" he shouted.
The great dragon tucked in his wings, slamming into Akechi before opening his jaws and breathing fire.
Akechi gave a growl of frustration before switching to Krishna. Krishna's lotus glowed purple before unleashing an Almighty spell.
Morgana's healing spell settled over them just in time for Sherlock Holmes to launch the same spell as before. It hit them all hard, and Ren was left gasping for air.
Ken quickly healed them again, something Ren was very grateful for.
Ren's eyes settled on the wall. He made a wild sprint for it.
"Joker?!" Anne cried out to him, her voice becoming alarmed.
"Don't worry about me!" Ren yelled back at her.
He summoned Norn. Norn produced a small burst of wind at Ren's feet, giving him a needed boost. He grabbed onto the edge with both hands. Tobi Katou suddenly appeared, clipping Ren in the shoulder with his sword. Seiten Taisei then appeared, barreling into the Persona. Electricity then suddenly crackled in the air, zapping the Persona. He could hear chaos in the background as his friends tried to keep Akechi busy. He was just glad that they had faith in him, even though he couldn't exactly tell them what he was planning.
Ren clambered up, taking a moment to take a breather.
"Joker I don't know what you're up to but…" Futaba sighed. "I believe in you!"
"Thanks, Oracle." Ren cracked a smile. "It means a lot!"
He took a jump at the pipe. Looking down, he saw Ken drive Akechi right underneath the piping. Ren couldn't help but grin. Well, Ken was the one to think of this before… he probably caught on what Ren was thinking.
"Do you really have the time to jump around on the pipes like that?!" Akechi snarled out.
Ken summoned Tyr to launch a Kougaon spell. Makoto quickly followed up with a flurry of her fists.
Akechi dodged their attacks and was not letting them distract him; he was still gunning for Ren.
Akechi growled. "I'll send you crashing down. LOKI!"
Well, if Akechi was going to do his work for him… Ren waited with bated breath as Loki came speeding towards him. Ren dove at the last second and there was a loud crashing sound as the pipes collapsed.
"SHIT—"
Ren stuck the landing, leaping to his feet. He then whirled to face his friends.
"Let's finish this, guys!"
Goro couldn't believe that he had fallen for the same thing. Damn Amamiya! He was just so infuriating. Goro wanted that bastard to go down hard.
He rolled over but something was wrong. A sharp, intense pain shot through his left arm. Goro gritted his teeth, gripping his arm. The pain rippled through him and Goro was a sitting duck for the Phantom Thieves like this. They had no remorse in attacking him with everything they had, even summoning their Personas.
He wouldn't be surprised if they actually broke his arm. He'll make them pay for that!
Goro switched his sword to his non-dominant hand as he got to his feet. He was very glad that he taught himself to be ambidextrous.
Takamaki's Persona launched a fire spell, but Goro quickly switched to Sekhmet to reduce the damage. But then Sakamoto charged forward. Goro quickly countered by sending Sekhmet against him. He staggered from the attack but quickly recovered.
Kitagawa struck from a distance, keeping his distance due to his weakness to fire.
"HA!" Goro whipped around, quickly blocking Okumura's strike with his blade.
Sparks flew as Okumura pressed forward. Sekhmet then appeared, blasting fire at Okumura. The heiress gasped, staggering back a step. Her axe clattered out of her hands as she nursed her burn.
"Noir!" Niijima gasped in alarm.
Goro grinned before lunging for another attack. Ken quickly intercepted the blow with his spear's shaft. This made Goro's blood boil. Blue flames suddenly whisked Ken's mask away before Ken's Persona sent blades of light flying at Goro.
"You'll never fix society!" Goro spat out. "You're fighting an uphill battle!"
Ken just narrowed his eyes before snarling out, "You're just contributing to it!"
"Shut up! I'm disposing trash of this society!"
Anger lent Goro strength as he surged forward, tackling Ken to the ground. Ken ended up dropping his spear.
"No… you're not. You may have been hurt by society, but you've dished out your own hurt as well!" Ken spat out, undeterred even as Goro pinned him down with his legs.
Ken's voice suddenly echoed in Goro's mind. "You don't even see how monstrous you've become. You may despise and hate Shido for what he did to your mother… but you're more like Shido than you realize. You've destroyed countless lives all for the sake of your goal, just like Shido!"
"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Goro snarled out, pressing the blade to the base of Ken's throat. Blood started to bead under the tip of Goro's blade.
"You get your hands off of him!" Niijima demanded angrily but Goro was done caring.
He just wanted Ken to stop challenging him, to just shut up about righteousness and justice—
"GET OFF HIM!" a sudden voice screeched at him, right in his ear.
Then something barreled into him, knocking him off Ken. Pain shot in his arm and Goro let out a grunt. Goro looked up to see that his assailant was Sakura, who had abandoned the safety of her Persona.
She spat out, "You took away Mom! You won't take away Ace too!"
"Oracle! Get away from him!" Ken's voice turned panicked.
Goro stalked forward, pulling out his pistol. If that's how she wanted to play… then so be it.
Sakura scrambled away from him, panicked breaths escaping her before she fell on her bottom. If her eyes were visible, Goro bet that they would be wide with fear.
But then Sakura seemed to melt away, replaced by a slightly younger version. She was crying, curling into a little ball.
She sobbed out, "I want my mom… please… I want her back so bad!"
"How do you not see that you put Oracle in a similar situation as yours?!" Ken's angry demand from before suddenly echoed in Goro's mind.
Then she disappeared… replaced by him as a child. He was crying and the tears wouldn't stop.
"M-Mom… why did you have to go? I want you back! Please!"
The pistol slipped from Goro's fingers.
Then Sakamoto's Persona slammed into Goro.
Goro panted, staggering to his feet.
"Tyr!"
"Arsène!"
Amamiya and Ken stood together, their eyes both affixed on Goro. Tyr began to glow gold and dark energy swirled around Arsène.
Light and dark surged to life at the exact same time. The two spells melded together moments before the combined attack struck Goro.
Goro finally fell to his knees, breathing heavily. He was completely drained… he barely only a little stamina left, and he was battered. His hands were shaking, and his head was throbbing painfully.
"So I couldn't win…? Even after all the power I've worked for," he mumbled out.
"It's because you don't get it," Amamiya said. "Sure, the ability to use multiple Personas is special. But I am strong because my friends stood by me. The day I arrived at Tokyo… I was alone. But I soon met Skull, Mona, and everyone else. They gave me a reason to fight. Without them… I probably would've just resigned myself to trying to live a quiet life, to fix my record."
"Joker…" Morgana uttered with a frown.
"Very shounen anime of you," Sakura said with a weak smile. "Your friends are your power, huh?"
Amamiya just let out a bark of laughter, shaking his head.
"And besides, you're not the only one who Shido's messed with." Takamaki pointed at Amamiya. "Shido's responsible for Joker's record."
He had suspected that… but it was something else to hear it be confirmed.
"Not to mention he orchestrated Okumura and Isshiki-san's deaths," Kitagawa said flatly, folding his arms over his chest.
Niijima gave him a cold stare. "Even though it was you to pull the trigger in the end. We cannot allow Shido to take this country. It will be a death sentence for us all. We're taking back our future when we take down Shido."
Goro scowled. "So you're going to go through it? No matter what?"
"Of course we are," Ken spat out. "Shido's ruined too many lives! We will get him to confess and… he'll atone for what he's done."
Takamaki shook her head. "Having to live with the guilt of what you've done… that's a punishment far worse than death."
She then pointedly stared at him down.
Goro clenched his teeth before reluctantly looking to Sakura. She didn't share Wakaba Isshiki's hair or eye color but her resemblance to her mother was uncanny.
"I never would've… if she had just—"
Ken suddenly stomped up to him, grabbing him by the front of Akechi's shirt.
"Are you still going to blame Isshiki-san?" he asked, his voice dangerously soft.
Goro wrenched out of Ken's grasp. "What the hell do you want from me?!"
"For starters, how about admitting that you've hurt people just like Shido?" Ken spat out. "I told you about what really happened that night in hopes of trying to get you to understand that Shinjiro-san is not a bad person!"
Indignation flared inside of Goro. "He murdered your mother! How can you just forgive him?!"
"Are you not looking for forgiveness then?" Kitagawa asked, his voice turning frosty. "Do you truly not care that you've most likely orphaned countless people? Noir and Oracle aren't your only victims."
"I committed to this path. I swore that I would get revenge… no matter what!" Goro scowled.
Nobody understood… did they?
"Y'know, Ace…" Sakamoto suddenly spoke up. "When you were talking 'bout revenge and shit… I didn't realize how much it could twist you up."
Then he gestured to Goro, a suddenly rueful smile appearing on his face.
"Guess you sometimes gotta see it for yourself."
Goro growled. "Don't mock me!"
Sakamoto shook his head. "I ain't mocking you… It's kinda sad. You have… nothing."
"If you just let me get revenge—"
"And let you carve a bloody path while doing so, Akechi?" Amamiya said, his eyes like steel.
Goro clenched his hands into fists. "You don't understand…"
"Do I?" Amamiya raised an eyebrow before looking to Sakura. "Well, Oracle, Noir? Do you want a shot at Akechi? For your parents?"
Sakura and Okumura were quiet for a moment. Then Okumura spoke up first, shaking her head.
"You may have robbed me of making amends with my father but killing you won't bring him back. And I want to be better than my father. He hurt countless people, and I will restore his company and our family name to one that people can look to with trust. I will never stoop to my father's level…" She gave Goro a pitying look that he detested. "It's a shame you can't see you're becoming just like yours."
"It's not worth it. I lost Mom, that's true…" Sakura pressed a hand against her chest, a soft smile on her face. "But I have Sojiro. I have all of you. I wouldn't trade you for the world. And Mom… she wouldn't want me to bloody my hands like that."
Goro gritted his teeth. "Don't mock me!"
Okumura just frowned at him, that obnoxious pitying expression seemed to grow.
Sakura's hands clenched into fists. "We're not mocking you! I'm saying that even though I lost Mom… I still found people who love me!"
"Well good for you, but like I care! You're lucky! Someone actually cared about you! Not a soul cares—!"
His thought was cut off by the image of a certain woman.
"Akechi-kun, you really should remember to bring something to eat for these long nights." Sae-san's voice chuckled in his memory. "Alright, I'll take you out for some sushi, but nothing too expensive. I'm not made of money, you know."
He gritted his teeth. That… that didn't count. She was an ally, nothing more.
"You know… Noir had a good point earlier," Niijima suddenly spoke up. "After you get your revenge… what will you do with yourself?"
"You plan on using Shido to bolster your reputation but what about after that?" Ken asked.
Goro gritted his teeth.
Amamiya raised an eyebrow. "Will you just bask in your fame? Sounds pretty boring if you ask me."
He'd… he'd finally get to live! Wouldn't he? These idiots were implying that Goro would have nothing to do with himself once he finally taken out his bastard of a father.
But they were wrong!
"Why?" Goro hated that his voice sounded so small in that moment. "Why… why can't you let me have this? All my life… I've had nothing."
The charismatic detective prince was nothing but a front, he had nobody who truly cared about him… He had been working towards this for years. And yet the Phantom Thieves saw fit to snatch it away from him. It just wasn't fair!
"Is revenge all that you have to cling to?" Ken's voice turned pitying.
Goro's blood immediately began to boil again.
"That's easy for you to say! Quit mocking me!" he snarled out.
And besides, Ken was the one intent on ripping that away from him!
Ken let out a long sigh, closing his eyes. "I had a similar mindset before, as I told you. But I was pulled off this path by my senpai."
"That's not true, Ace," Okumura suddenly spoke up. "You made the choice to start over."
She then cast her eyes on Goro. Her soft eyes were filled with anger instead of pity. Goro just scowled in response. What did she know? She was the one born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She never would understand the struggles that Goro had faced since birth.
"So… what now, Joker?" Sakamoto turned to Amamiya.
Kitagawa nodded, seconding Sakamoto. "Yes, that's true… we can't exactly leave him be. It'd be… troublesome if he could prevent us from stealing Shido's heart."
That's when Amamiya faltered, his expression growing conflicted. "I… honestly don't know."
Morgana sighed. "I don't suppose we could bring him back to Ace's apartment?"
Niijima rounded on the cat, both hands clenched into fists. "No! How could you suggest that after everything he's done to Ace?!"
"I was just thinking that Mitsuru could help us detain Akechi! That's all!" was the quick retort.
Goro was in so much pain. But he knew he couldn't allow himself to be dragged wherever the Phantom Thieves decided on.
Goro hated it.
But there was just no way that he could muster the strength to fight the Phantom Thieves. Not with his energy depleted and all of his injuries.
So… he had to retreat.
He may be low on energy, but he could still do this. He quickly summoned Robin Hood to send a burst of light energy at all of them, they of course all jumped backwards in hopes to dodge, but he already broke out running while they were hit by the blast.
Sakamoto yelled out, "HEY! Akechi, get back here DAMMIT!"
Goro didn't look back. He just had to get away…
Goro avoided the nearest safe room, however, because he knew that the Phantom Thieves would most likely stop by there to lick their own wounds. Once he found a safe room, he stumbled inside and collapsed to the floor.
With shaking hands, he summoned Krishna. Krishna's healing spell settled over him. The pain from his arm receded finally but he still felt exhausted and drained.
It was over. The Phantom Thieves had secured all five letters of recommendation from Shido's VIPs. They would send out the calling card as soon as possible… and steal Shido's heart.
Before Goro realized it, tears were trickling down his face. He ripped off his mask, throwing it aside. It hit the wall before falling to the ground with the thud.
"Damn you! DAMN YOU TO HELL!" he screamed out, the tears falling faster now.
The Phantom Thieves were truly an apt moniker. They may specialize in stealing hearts… but they stole everything from Goro.
His revenge had slipped right through his fingers, the goal he had been working towards for years.
"Dammit. Dammit. DAMMIT!"
He kicked over the chairs and table as he let out another scream. He truly had nothing left.
Notes:
The Akechi confrontation was definitely… something I've been working towards for a long time. I'm not a fan of Akechi's canon confrontation. I feel the pity for Akechi comes out of nowhere. There's no build-up.
The Phantom Thieves in this do feel a little pity—Ken more than anyone—but they can't condone his actions. I felt that Akechi's Wild Card ability was underutilized. His fight was quite easy so I thought raising the stakes would make the fight more interesting. Ren's Wild Card ability obviously trumps Akechi's, however, because he has access to the Velvet Room and can fuse more powerful Personas because he cultivated bonds whereas Akechi rejects them.
And well… Akechi's arc isn't quite finished yet. I do think with Persona 5's theme of atoning for your crimes—that death is an escape. So Akechi will not die in Ace in the Hole. As for how will he atone? Well… you'll have to wait and see.
What about cognitive Akechi, though? Well… don't forget that I've made tweaks to boss fights before. Cognitive Akechi actually breaks the lore a bit in canon so I'll be giving a few tweaks.
You may have noticed I linked some songs during the confrontation. I imagine the OST playing with Ken vs. Akechi would be Ying Yang. If you listen carefully, some of the lyrics fit their relationship in this AU. Ken and Akechi had similar beginnings but the choices they made determined their paths.
But during the phase where the Phantom Thieves fight Akechi as a team, it'd be a remix of Will Power. It's Akechi revealing his true face. And dammit, he should've gotten a special boss theme!
My wonderful beta angelrin89 gave me the idea of basing the new Personas Akechi gained off of the bonds Akechi has, even though all of them aren't exactly… healthy. I'll detail the Personas on my tumblr blog because this A/N is already getting long enough already. But I want to give a shout-out to my wonderful beta. As usual, her tweaks really improved the chapter!
Next chapter will be the final Shido arc chapter and we'll finally dive into the Mementos arc! I can't believe that we're getting close to the finish! It feels almost… surreal. I started taking notes on the Akechi confrontation three and a half years ago. It feels nuts that I've reached this point.
I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on this chapter. Until next time!
Chapter 50: Ch. 49: No Turning Back Now
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves are exhausted after their battle with Akechi, but they're determined to take down Shido for good. Meanwhile Akechi has fled Shido's Palace... but the question is: where exactly did he go?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Tuesday, December 13th, 2016
Things were not looking good. Goro had managed to heal his broken arm, but he still had so many injuries. But he couldn't muster the energy to cast more healing spells. So he had to leave the Metaverse. In order to recuperate.
Goro's head hurt, from both using his power on himself and the crying. He honestly had no idea how long he had spent crying. It had been almost painful, dragging himself out of the safe room so he could head back to the entrance and leave. His muscles ached terribly and he had cuts everywhere. He managed to staunch the bleeding at least.
But he needed to figure out what to do next.
It was late, later than Goro had expected. He had no idea how long he had spent in Shido's Palace. But the trains had stopped running. He could probably get a cab but… it was just a matter of where to go.
He couldn't go back to his apartment. Goro knew that for certain. The Phantom Thieves were most likely to send out the calling card as soon as possible, to prevent him from interfering. And Shido would soon realize that Goro had failed and then Goro would truly be in trouble.
So his apartment was most certainly not an option. That was the first place Shido would look for him.
Going to a hospital was similarly unwise. So was going to a hotel. He could hide out in the Metaverse after he recuperated but… he had no idea where exactly he could go.
Goro gritted his teeth, feeling completely frustrated at his situation. There wasn't a soul that he could trust to not sell him out to Shido. His allies… were tied to Shido. They'd stab him in the back without a second thought.
Except for one, maybe…
"Akechi-kun… you really need to take care of yourself better. I admire your dedication to our work, but it won't do to run yourself to the ground."
Sae-san… she was probably his last hope.
They had hardly spoken since he had assumed he killed Amamiya. She had been demoted in a way and Goro was busy with Shido sending him after his rivals.
His mind made up, he hailed a cab. He told the driver Sae-san's address. It didn't take long for them to reach the apartment and it was only when he was standing in front of the door that he realized just how foolish he had been.
Niijima might be home now. And Goro could only imagine how she'd react should she be the one to open the door. She'd probably try to deck Goro.
And for all he knew Sae-san wasn't even home. She might be sleeping in her office like she did when work was really hectic. On top of that… she didn't care—right? They were just working together because the higher ups pushed them together. There was simply no way that Sae-san would care for him like that…
But it was too late. Those thoughts had crossed his mind only after he already knocked. Goro froze. He should leave before Sae-san answered the door. She could dismiss it as just her imagination. It was late after all—
The door suddenly opened. Sae-san looked slightly disheveled, her hair messy like it always was when she was working on something, and she would drag her fingers through her hair as she concentrated. She was wrapped up in a plain light gray robe.
For a moment, they just stared at each other.
Goro wanted to make a break for it, but something left his feet planted to the ground. Goro felt paralyzed and he couldn't find his voice. He couldn't even breathe.
But then Sae-san's hand flew to her mouth, stifling her gasp. Her eyes were wide with shock.
"A-Akechi-kun?" she whispered. "W-What are you doing here? And… what happened to you?"
"I…"
Goro swallowed hard. It certainly didn't help that his head felt like someone had taken a jackhammer to it. He honestly felt a little nauseous. He had heard that this was what happened when he used his powers on someone. He really regretted using his powers on himself. It didn't even secure him victory.
"I came here because… I have nobody else to turn to, Sae-san…" Goro managed to spit out.
Goro tried not to cringe. He sounded so pathetic. He wanted to crawl into the nearest hole.
Sae-san was silent, her expression conflicted. He could see several emotions flashing in her eyes. Uncertainty, shock, and… to Goro's surprise—sadness.
But she didn't move a muscle. Goro pressed his lips together. He was exhausted and ready to pass out. He certainly wasn't going to find sanctuary here…
He sighed. "Right, I shouldn't have sprung this on you especially since it's so late. You must be exhausted too. My apologies. I won't bother you further."
He turned to go but he felt a hand land on his shoulder.
"Akechi-kun, wait."
Goro blinked twice before grimacing as a sharp pain started to split at his head. But he forced himself to look at Sae-san. She still looked confused and conflicted but there was also a determination in her eyes.
"I—"
But then Goro's vision began to blur. Sae-san spoke again but Goro couldn't comprehend what she was saying.
He fell into the blissful darkness and the last thing he was aware of was Sae-san's panicked, "Akechi-kun!"
Sae scrambled to catch Akechi-kun by his shoulders before he completely collapsed.
"Akechi-kun? Akechi-kun!" Sae's voice rose as she grew more panicked; she shook Akechi-kun hard, but he didn't rouse.
Sae's mind was racing. What on earth had happened? What exactly happened for him to get this kind of injuries? There were bruises on his face, not to mention all of those cuts…!
"I can't leave him here," Sae thought to herself before she bent down to pick up Akechi-kun.
He wasn't exactly as light as a feather but Sae managed to carry him to the couch without too much trouble. Sae was just thankful that none of the neighbors had heard anything and looked to investigate. She hurried to close the door as she mulled over the situation.
She couldn't let Makoto see Akechi-kun. She'd panic and if Akechi-kun had regained consciousness… things might get ugly.
She pulled out her phone, quickly messaging Makoto to stay at a friend's house tonight. She made up an excuse that she was talking with someone from work… which was technically true.
Sae pocketed her phone and leaned in close to examine Akechi-kun's visible injuries. A part of Sae wanted to tend to his injuries but Sae guessed most of them were under his clothes. She didn't want to embarrass him and waking up to that would be… mortifying.
But as she stared down at him, Sae couldn't help but feel conflicted. Akechi-kun had betrayed her before… would he do it again?
Akechi-kun had never physically hurt her but was it different now?
"I just have to pretend I know nothing about the Phantom Thieves," she told herself. "We have been partners for so long, after all."
Things would be fine… right? Sae sighed, wrapping an arm around her torso.
She hated that she didn't know. But Sae's stomach churned at the mere idea of turning out Akechi-kun.
She couldn't do it… it still cut at her soul to think about his betrayal, that he had used her in order for his own selfish desires.
But surely, their partnership meant something? Sae believed Makoto and the Phantom Thieves about what they said… but she couldn't abandon him.
Maybe she was being idealistic but she hadn't felt hope in such a long time. Ren had rekindled that in her.
And Akechi-kun had come to her for whatever reason. During their time as partners, she knew that Akechi had a distaste for showing such vulnerabilities.
He must've been truly desperate to have come. And that meant something… right?
Sae flicked her eyes back to Akechi-kun. She sighed lightly to herself. Well… she could only wait and see for now…
They had finally done it. They reached Shido's Treasure.
"So… this is it, huh?" Ren sighed, shaking his head. "Feels like a long time coming."
"We were supposed to pursue Shido back in September," Makoto mused.
Haru frowned, casting her eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry… if Father hadn't…"
"Don't apologize, Noir," Yusuke reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry about."
Anne nodded, her pigtails bobbing. "Yeah! We're glad to have met you, Noir!"
"Even though Okumura was a trap… we're grateful that we could become friends with you, Noir," Ren added.
Not to mention that Shido's Palace was crawling with strong Shadows. They would've been toast if they had tried to take on Shido's Palace three months ago. In a way, Ren was grateful because they had the opportunity to grow stronger.
Ken was staring at the Treasure, his expression unreadable.
"It's almost over. I'll be relieved once everything's over," he finally said.
He sounded so tired, mentally drained. Ren couldn't help but wonder what exactly Akechi said to Ken. Maybe Futaba would know.
"Though… I am a little concerned about Akechi interfering," Ken suddenly said, heaving out a sigh.
"Are you sure you can't find him at all, Oracle?" Morgana turned to Futaba with a questioning look.
Futaba shook her head. "He's gone. I can't sense him."
"Why couldn't you sense him before?" Yusuke asked, tilting his head.
"W-Well, I wasn't looking for him!" Futaba said defensively. "I was focusing on making sure Shadow's don't sneak up on us til we got to the Treasure Room!"
"It was just a question. You don't have to get all defensive," Yusuke huffed.
"What's done is done," Ken said, interrupting the squabble. But then his expression turned pensive. "Though I do wish there was some way to know where Akechi is exactly…"
Ren could understand why Ken was worried. Akechi going to Shido about this would be disastrous.
"Is there really no way to track Akechi, Oracle?" Ren said.
"Oh!" Futaba's head shot up at that. "Okay, I might not be able to find Akechi's signal with Prometheus…"
Makoto raised a brow at that. "But?"
"But I should be able to track Akechi's phone!" Futaba said proudly. "Remember how I bugged Akechi's phone to monitor him before?"
Morgana snorted. "You were so proud of it too."
"You're one to talk 'bout pride," Ryuji teased, letting out a snicker as Morgana predictably bristled at the ribbing.
"Can you do that once we're out?" Anne interrupted before Ryuji and Morgana could start up one of their bickering fests.
Ren couldn't help but snort at how Anne resolved that.
Futaba nodded. "Well technically I can but probably not the best to do out in the open. Especially when we wanna see if Akechi is talking to Shido."
Ren nodded. "Let's head back to Leblanc then. We'll be safe there."
He led the way back to the entrance, intent on getting out as soon as possible.
But Ren couldn't help but wince to himself as he noticed that Ken was walking with a slight limp. It was most likely a result of his one-on-one fight with Akechi.
Once they made it to the entrance, Ren activated the Meta-Nav and they left the Metaverse.
A blast of cold air greeted them once they reached the real world, making Ren shiver for a moment. He tugged his blazer around himself to hopefully warm himself up.
"Damn… it's late." Ryuji's eyes widened as he looked up at the black sky. He then tucked both of his hands into his pant pockets. "Didn't think we were in there for that long."
"Akechi really derailed us," Futaba grumbled, a small pout forming on her face.
"Do you think the trains have stopped running?" Morgana asked.
Yusuke nodded, lowering his phone. "They have—it's a little past midnight. We will have to walk."
"Getting up tomorrow for school is gonna be fun," Ryuji said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Good thing Ken and I don't have to go to school tomorrow," Ren said cheekily, hoping to lighten up the mood a little.
This earned him a shove from Ryuji.
"Don't rub it in!" he griped.
Ren opened his mouth to reply but he was suddenly interrupted by Haru.
"We don't have to walk. I'm arranging a ride." Haru looked up from her phone.
Anne's eyes widened. "Oh! Thank you, Haru!"
It was very considerate of Haru. They were pretty far from the residential districts too. They huddled together close, though, since it was still cold. At one point, Anne lifted up Ren's arm before she snuggled in close. Ren gave her an amused look. She always handled the cold poorly.
"Well hey there," he said teasingly, draping an arm around her shoulder and holding her closer to him.
"It's so cold," she grumbled.
Ren grinned, poking her reddened cheek playfully. "It is winter, after all."
"Doesn't mean I have to like it…" Anne grumbled with a pout.
"I am unbothered," Yusuke announced.
Ken rolled his eyes in response.
"So says the one who completely resists ice," Ken deadpanned before slipping off his blazer, draping it over Makoto who was shivering from the cold.
"You don't seem too bothered by it either, Ken-kun," Haru pointed out.
Ryuji snorted. "Try practicing at six in the morning most days of the week and you get used enough to the cold."
Ken just nodded in agreement. Though Ren guessed wearing shorts in the winter also helped. He still had no idea why Ken wore shorts even when he was wearing a blazer and hoodie back when he was a kid.
They spent the next ten minutes huddling from the cold but then the car Haru called finally pulled up. They climbed in and Haru directed the driver to take them to Café Leblanc.
With it being the dead of night, it didn't take long for them to reach Leblanc. Haru thanked the driver before they scurried to Leblanc.
There was a collective sigh of relief when Ren unlocked the cafe and they were able to take refuge from the cold.
Ren ducked behind the counter, grabbing the cocoa powder that Anne had given him a few days ago; she claimed that he could use some variety in hot drinks, instead of just coffee. While Futaba worked her magic, Ren made everyone hot chocolate.
"Thanks, Ren," Anne said, flashing him a smile as he passed her a mug.
He seated himself by his girlfriend, taking a sip before looking over to Futaba. She was tapping furiously on her laptop, her brow wrinkled as she concentrated.
Makoto's phone suddenly buzzed—probably a text from someone.
"Who would text Makoto in the middle of the night, though…?" Ren thought to himself.
But then Makoto suddenly grew pale, her phone slipping through her fingers. She seemed… frozen.
"Makoto…?" Ken questioned, shooting her a worried expression as he reached out to touch her hand. "What's wrong?"
But before she could respond, Futaba's laptop resonated with a tinny voice.
"Are you going to tell me what happened to you? How did you get those bruises…? The one on your stomach looks so serious too…"
"It's… a long story. Sae-san, I don't mean to impose but please… I just need a place to stay for one night."
Makoto snapped to attention before her eyes widened with horror.
"Sis!"
She slammed down the mug on the table before standing up.
"Makoto, wait!" Futaba called out to her, jumping to her feet.
Makoto whipped around. "Akechi. Is. With. Sis. I don't have time! I have to save her!"
"Makoto, hear me out!" Futaba persisted. "Akechi went to your sister for help… I don't think he'll hurt her. But he might freak out and do something rash if you show up!"
"Why is she helping him? He betrayed her!" Makoto demanded angrily, even as her lower lip quivered.
"Makoto…" Ken quickly got up and reached out to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Take a deep breath, okay? I can't speak for your sister but at least we know that this isn't a revenge kind of deal."
"Panicking won't help at all, Mako-chan," Haru seconded.
"How can you be so sure, though?" Makoto blinked rapidly, as she was pushing back her tears. "If he hurts Sis, I…!"
"Makoto, it'll be okay. If Akechi wanted to hurt all of us, he'd run to Shido to blab about our plans to steal his heart," Ken persisted, his voice somehow even and calm as he gave Makoto a one-armed hug.
Makoto still looked torn, but she gave a reluctant nod.
"Um… Makoto, what was that text 'bout?" Ryuji asked. "It made ya pale as a ghost so I'm guessing it was connected to this…"
Makoto sighed before giving a nod. But she didn't speak until she and Ken sat down once again. "Yes… Sis texted me. She told me that she had a coworker at our apartment—someone who was working on the mental shutdown case—so it might be risky for me to show up now. She advised me to stay over at a friend's place."
Ren had to wonder why Sae was intent on helping Akechi though. But then again, they had spent like two years working together.
Ren grimaced to himself. If only they had figured out how to handle Akechi sooner. Ren hadn't expected Akechi to make a wild break for it.
"Though… Akechi probably has nobody barring Shido's associates. We gave him a pretty bad beating. Makoto's sister is probably his only associate that isn't in Shido's pocket if I had to guess," Morgana spoke up.
"He must be pretty desperate if he dared approach Niijima-san," Haru said, pursing her lips for a moment.
Makoto looked uncomfortable at what they were discussing, so Ren cleared his throat. It was best to change the subject. There was something nagging at Ren, anyhow.
"Though that reminds me, Ken…" Ren said. "Do you have any theories on Akechi's Wild Card ability?"
Ken crossed his arms, frowning as he thought. "When I fought him in Kaneshiro's Palace, he only used Loki."
"Good thing you had the Ring of Darkness," Anne commented, pursing her lips.
Ken nodded, fiddling with the chain where the ring dangled from. Ren didn't want to think about what would've happened if that wasn't the case. He was really glad that Mitsuru-san had insisted Ken wear it. Though he doubted Mitsuru-san had even thought about this happening…
"I think that he only had Loki and Robin Hood when he 'joined' us," Ken said, a contemplative look on his face. "I remember the look on his face when Ren used multiple Personas in Niijima-san's Palace. He looked… shell-shocked. He must've tried to recruit Personas after watching Ren do it."
That made sense… Ren couldn't help but feel unnerved, though. Akechi was really obsessed with being special, wasn't he? And did he even feel remorse about any of this?
"He was really obsessed with 'beating' RenRen," Ryuji remarked.
"He was completely consumed by it," Yusuke said, pursing his lips.
Ren just looked away. It was a little alarming to think about—that Akechi would resent him so much. Akechi resented him for throwing a wrench in his revenge ploy… fine. Ren supposed Akechi would be pissed at that, though Ren wasn't sorry for going after Shido, to have him confess his crimes. But Akechi had a chip on his shoulder with his obsession for being 'special'.
Morgana suddenly hopped onto the table, making it shake slightly. When Ren looked at Morgana, the feline looked up at him.
"Ren, we should really send out the calling card as soon as possible," he said seriously.
Ren nodded. "Yeah… I was thinking either tomorrow… or the fifteenth, but tomorrow maybe better. We don't know what Akechi's next move is, the sooner the better."
With the tense situation, he would've done tomorrow usually. But… he was nervous. They were all exhausted. Ren would be setting them up for failure if he decided to send in the calling card tomorrow. No… everyone had to be well rested for this fight. He had a feeling that Shido would be as tough as Akechi, if not a more fearsome foe.
"Ren, I know you're worried about Akechi, but we also need everyone's health to be in tip top shape too. We need every advantage we can get, Shido will be our toughest yet," Morgana explained.
Ren nodded in agreement. But he couldn't delay things too much. And with Akechi out in the real world, Ren couldn't help but be worried. So, he looked to Futaba.
"Futaba, I want you to monitor Akechi as much as possible. Just in case," he instructed.
Futaba nodded before flashing Ren a thumbs up. "You've got it, Ren!"
"Are we done for the night then?" Ryuji asked.
Ken sighed, rubbing at his face, before muttering out, "This night has been exhausting."
Ren could only wince in sympathy. Ken did have to fight Akechi longer than anyone else in this room.
"It's best that we wrap up for the night, then," Ren said. "Just… be ready, guys. We'll be facing Shido soon."
His friends just gave a solemn nod.
Haru called for a ride and Ren waved them off. Once the car was out of sight, Ren shut the door with a heavy sigh.
Morgana looked at Ren from his perch. "Ren… is there something bothering you?"
"Oh, you know… the usual," Ren said lightly.
"Ren…" Morgana growled out, his voice becoming agitated.
Ren sighed, holding up his hands.
"I'm just… annoyed about Akechi, I guess. The way he refused to listen to reason and if we had lost to him…" Ren trailed off at the last part.
Morgana gave a sigh.
"But we didn't, Ren. We beat him!"
"I had to drop a pipe on him so we could beat him," Ren said before plopping into the nearest seat.
Ren rubbed his temples. They weren't safe. Not until Shido's Treasure was in their hands. And Ren… couldn't help but be afraid that all their hard work would be for nothing.
"Don't worry about it, Ren," Morgana said, his voice becoming unusually gentle. "It's been a long night. You deserve the rest, okay?"
Ren said wearily, "It's not over though. We still have to deal with Shido."
A part of Ren couldn't help but wonder if they were over in their heads. What if he couldn't lead them to victory? Shido's Palace had shown him that Shido was a cunning bastard. What if they were overwhelmed by Shido? Everyone was counting on them…
"And we'll deal with him the same way we've always dealt with problems," Morgana said firmly. "Together."
Ren sighed. He knew that already technically but he guessed he needed a reminder from time to time.
He meant what he said to Akechi. He knew his worth now. He was a Wild Card, yes. But his friends were his true strength, not the multiple Personas he wielded. They had his back, no matter what.
They gave him another reason to fight. And they made him want to ensure Shido fell, so he wouldn't be able to threaten any of their futures.
"Thanks Morgana… I guess I just needed a reminder."
Morgana cracked a smile. "Any time, Ren. But now—bedtime! It's been a long night and you need your rest!"
Ren just smirked down at Morgana. "Okay Mom-na."
"REN!"
Something cool was touching Goro's forehead. Then he felt a gentle hand smoothing away his bangs, like Goro's mother would always do when he was sick as a child.
"Mom?" he croaked out.
Then he heard a familiar chuckle. "No… it's just me, Akechi-kun."
Goro blinked his eyes open, and Sae-san came into view. She just gave him a relieved smile.
"Thank goodness you're awake," she sighed.
Goro struggled to sit up—he realized after a moment that Sae-san had put him on the couch in her living room. But then a sudden splitting headache made him clutch at his head with both hands.
"Akechi-kun! Take it easy!" Sae-san quickly admonished but then her expression softened. "Just try to relax, Akechi-kun. I'll get something for you to drink, and perhaps a painkiller as well..."
She then pushed herself to stand—she had been kneeling until now—and headed for the kitchen.
Goro sighed before staring up at the ceiling. All was well for now… but what would he do afterwards?
He just felt… hollow. Everything he's worked towards was gone. Goro couldn't beat the Phantom Thieves at his full strength. There was just no way that he could defeat them at his current state.
It was a bitter pill to swallow but he'd have to remain in the shadows until the Phantom Thieves defeated Shido. He would have to hide out in the Metaverse until then, to ensure that Shido wouldn't know about his whereabouts.
"Akechi-kun?"
Goro looked up to see Sae-san approach, with a mug in hand, two white pills in the other. She set the mug and the pills on the nearby coffee table.
"Can you sit up?" she asked.
She helped him sit up before picking up the mug. Goro placed the two pills in his mouth and took a sip—it was some kind of juice.
"I'm a little worried that you haven't any sugar in you lately," Sae-san said nervously. "Thought it'd help."
Goro just gave a little nod before taking another sip. "Thank you, Sae-san."
It was quiet between them for several moments as Goro drank more of the juice. Contrary to public opinion, Goro wasn't much of a fan of sweet foods and drinks. But the juice was helping. Maybe Sae-san was right—he was lacking sugar.
Sae-san fidgeted with the cuff of her top as she eyed him carefully. She must've gotten dressed while Goro was unconscious.
"Are you… going to tell me what exactly happened?" she asked tentatively. "With all of your bruises…"
"Oh, I suppose it was some brutes jealous of me," Goro said lightly before taking another sip. "They snuck up on me when I least expected it."
Sae-san's expression turned scrutinizing. That look on her face was all too familiar. It was her face when she interrogated some foolish criminal who had the audacity to lie to her. But then it disappeared, and she lowered her gaze to the ground.
"I see," she said quietly. "I'm glad that you managed to get away at least."
She could see through him. He was exhausted but he didn't let his mask slip. He must be off if she realized he was lying. He wasn't sure how though. Celebrities getting mugged isn't exactly uncommon, and he's been harassed before once or twice, though nothing he couldn't handle with a simple call for security to drag them away.
Goro licked his lips. "Well you know me. I'm more resourceful than I look."
"Do you mind if I take a look?" Sae-san asked tentatively.
Goro took another sip, taking the opportunity to consider what she was asking. Sae-san was asking to take a look, when she might end up asking questions again from where Goro got his injuries. But on the other hand, he needed to get his injuries treated.
He raised his eyes to look at Sae-san before giving a tiny nod.
Sae-san helped him unbutton his jacket, carefully folding it before setting it aside. Goro fumbled with his tie while she did that, but his trembling fingers were clumsy. Sae-san ended up having to help him with that too. Goro was both grateful and slightly… irritated that he had ended up in this state. He hated feeling so weak.
Sae-san then helped him slip his dress shirt off before a gasp fell from her lips. Sae-san swallowed hard.
"Akechi-kun… you shouldn't make it out as nothing," she croaked out.
Then she pressed her lips together before reaching for the first aid kit sitting on the glass coffee table. Goro gritted his teeth as Sae-san dabbed rubbing alcohol to cleanse his injuries. It stung quite fiercely, even though Sae-san's administrations were gentle.
"Does it hurt?" she asked cautiously.
"Nothing I can't handle," Goro rasped out, trying not to wince.
Thankfully Sae-san finished dabbing at his injuries. Then she reached for the bandages. Her expression was unreadable as she snapped off a piece.
She wound the bandage around Goro's left arm before speaking once more. "Are you going to actually tell me what happened to you? How did you get those bruises? The one on your stomach looks so serious too…"
"It's… a long story."
Goro then pursed his lips, steeling himself for what he was going to say.
"Sae-san, I don't mean to impose but please… I just need a place to stay for one night."
Sae-san slowly exhaled at that. "Very well. Though… you've been avoiding my question, Akechi-kun. I think you owe me that much."
Goro forced out a chuckle. "Did I not tell you already? I was just jumped by jealous brutes. There's nothing to worry about, Sae-san."
He really wished she wouldn't push, but he suppose it was in her nature as a lawyer to keep poking around til she has the truth. He isn't sure where he slipped up, she definitely knows he's lying. He was confident he made no errors in his tone or expressions, the lie is vague enough but still credible.
Why didn't she buy it?
He's never had trouble with hiding the truth before, why now is she picking up on it all of a sudden?
Sae-san pressed her lips together in response. "I'm just concerned. I've seen… similar bruises on someone else."
Someone else? Granted Goro didn't have a full view of his injuries but the closest he could think of was… Amamiya. But that made jealousy flare inside of Goro, to think that Sae-san would be concerned with Amamiya like that...
Did Sae-san care about Amamiya?
Goro inhaled, trying to calm himself down. He didn't even have any proof that Sae-san knew about Amamiya's survival.
And… why did that thought bother him so much? Goro quickly pushed it out of his head.
He pointed out, "Well, it's unfortunate but it's not like we're unfamiliar with gangs."
"I suppose… you're right," Sae-san pursed her lips before she gave him a hesitant smile. "I'm glad that you're okay, Akechi-kun. You gave me quite a fright, especially after you fainted."
Goro smiled faintly. "I imagine so. I do apologize for worrying you."
He then glanced towards the hallway. Was Niijima even home? He found it hard to believe that she would've slept through all of this. She didn't strike him as a heavy sleeper.
He tried to keep his voice casual as he mentioned, "I'm surprised Niijima-san hasn't been woken up by all this commotion."
Sae-san pressed her lips together and something flashed in her eyes. But then the look in her eye disappeared before she folded her arms over her chest.
"Makoto isn't home. She was studying for the upcoming exams with some friends. Apparently, it's happened a few times before when I was out working."
Goro couldn't help but detect a tremor in her voice as she spoke. It was very slight, but Goro couldn't help but notice it. This struck Goro as strange.
Perhaps Niijima was too tired from the fight to come home. Though Goro really had no idea what time it was… it was late by the time Goro had left, though, so Goro couldn't help but think that there was a very slim chance that Niijima would return home while he was there.
That was a relief. He didn't want to see Niijima right now. He was pretty certain that she enjoyed punching him especially after their exchange back in June.
Sae-san then cleared her throat. "Though… I imagine your current attire isn't too comfortable to sleep in. You're close to my father's height. I have some of his old things, so I'll get you that."
Goro couldn't help but feel disconcerted, watching Sae-san's retreating back. When was the last time Sae-san had spoken of her father in that way? Sae-san always hated hearing of her father. Goro always found it bizarre that she would grow stiff when a colleague of her father recognized Sae-san. Goro hadn't understood completely until they had confronted her Shadow.
So… what had changed?
Her heart couldn't have changed… right? Amamiya claimed that they hadn't stolen her Treasure because they needed her Palace to enact their plan. But still Goro was curious…
Goro struggled to get out his phone from his jacket pocket, activating the app. He had to act fast—Sae-san would be back soon.
"Sae Niijima," he whispered.
The app immediately responded—there was no target? How was that possible?
Unless… Amamiya managed to change her heart while he was in interrogation with her? Goro gritted his teeth. He was there with Sae-san for an hour or two, tops! How did he win her trust so easily?!
And now Sae-san probably thought of him fondly… yet another thing that he had stolen from Goro. He couldn't help but think of Amamiya teasing Ken, but Ken just seemed to take it in stride. They were close—of course Amamiya was chummy with everyone on his team, but Ken was far more reserved. He had to say that Ken was closest to Niijima, Amamiya, and… Sakura.
He was so angry about what Goro had done to Sakura…
But none of that mattered… not anymore. What would he even do with himself now…?
Sae-san then returned, carrying a pile of neatly folded clothes, along with a blanket. She then handed him the clothes and the blanket.
"Um… so, I'll be in the kitchen, feel free to get changed. If you need any assistance, let me know," Sae-san said awkwardly as she took the empty cup from him.
Goro scrunched his nose but tried not to show too much displeasure. She meant well despite how uncomfortable that suggestion made her. But he already was pushing it with his tolerance of how much vulnerability he was showing tonight. He absolutely would not have her assist him dress like he was a helpless toddler.
He playfully said instead, "I'm not totally useless Sae-san."
"Right, of course… I'm sorry that we don't have a guest room but you're free to sleep on the couch," Sae-san said nervously before she let out a little laugh. "That blanket however has kept me comfortable any time I have all-nighters at the office."
Goro smiled faintly. "Many thanks, Sae-san."
And… he meant it. Sae-san could've slammed the door on him. She could've left him out in the cold. But… she hadn't. Goro was a little confused on why, but he was very grateful.
Sae-san tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"Any—" She suddenly stopped, pursing his lips. "It's no problem, Akechi-kun. I hope you sleep well."
Somehow he doubted it but... he appreciated the sentiment.
Shinjiro rubbed his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that night. He was starting to get worried… It was 1:30 in the morning. What was keeping Ken?
He barely registered the cooking show that he had playing on his phone. It was really just a way for him to stay awake and not pass out on the couch.
Shinjiro sighed before rubbing at his eyes one more time. But then again, Ken did say that Shido's Palace was huge. Maybe he was just being paranoid. He was sure nothing went wrong.
That was when he suddenly heard the doorknob turn. That got his attention in a flash.
The door slowly swung open to reveal Ken and Makoto, who both looked beat—physically and mentally. Though Ken looked more tired than Makoto.
Ken froze when he saw Shinjiro.
"Shinjiro-san… why are you still up?"
Shinjiro scowled at his charge. "Maybe because a certain someone didn't even bother to text. You were gone for the entire afternoon and night. What the fuck was I supposed to think?"
Ken just pursed his lips together before mumbling out an apology.
"Did something happen?"
"You could… say that," Ken said awkwardly, suddenly averting his eyes.
Shinjiro just crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow at Ken. This just made Ken even more nervous as he started to fidget.
"Ah… Shinjiro-san, try not to freak out," Makoto said after a moment of hesitation. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before nervously looking up at Shinjiro. "But um… Akechi figured us out and ambushed us."
"He what?!" Shinjiro spat out before he balled his hands into fists. "Did he try to kill Amamiya again?"
"There was that," Ken said in a stilted voice.
Shinjiro narrowed his eyes. "Why do I hear a but in that?"
Ken's expression grew… conflicted.
"Akechi separated Ken from everyone else and probably would've killed him if he had the opportunity," Makoto spoke up.
"That little…" Shinjiro seethed to himself, his hand balling into a fist.
But he forced himself to look at Ken. His priority should be Ken.
"Are you okay? Any serious injuries?" he asked.
Ken shook his head but he wouldn't meet Shinjiro's gaze. "Nothing too bad, aside from my leg."
Shinjiro didn't like this. Ken was being awfully tightlipped about Akechi. And he was already being super reluctant to talk about it, despite what they talked about the night Ken had his nightmare. Did something happen, something that Ken wasn't willing to talk about? Hell, Makoto was doing most of the talking.
Makoto looked anxiously between the two of them, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"You know, I want to take a look at your injuries, Ken," she said quickly. "I know you said it's not too bad but I'm still worried about your leg."
"Makoto—" Ken sighed out but she cut him off with a glare. He gave a small grumble before muttering out, "It's really not that big of a deal."
"It is to me," Makoto said, all but pushing Ken towards his bedroom.
"Okay, you don't have to push me," Ken grumbled out.
So Makoto let him go and he headed into his bedroom. Shinjiro sucked in a breath when he saw that Ken was favoring his right leg. Shinjiro sighed to himself.
"Well, it's not like we didn't have nights with us sporting serious injuries," Shinjiro thought grimly to himself.
A sudden movement caught Shinjiro's eye. Makoto was heading for the bathroom, so he followed her there. Maybe he'd be able to get more info outta her. Makoto was pulling out the first aid kit when Shinjiro finally spoke.
"Okay, Makoto, what the fuck's going on?" Shinjiro demanded.
Makoto bit her lip, chewing on it for a moment. "I'll try to convince Ken to talk to you. It's not my place to talk about it."
Not her place—what the hell was she talking about?
Shinjiro narrowed his eyes at her. "What the fuck did Akechi do to him?"
Makoto bit her lip. "Akechi figured out that we were infiltrating Shido's Palace. And he found us when we secured the fifth letter. Something was bothering Futaba and Ken was talking to her about it when Akechi showed up. We were just about to get back when we were attacked by these Shadows who went… berserk."
Shinjiro groaned, rubbing his temples.
"Of fucking course…" he mentally grumbled.
"Akechi and Ken were getting into an argument when we got back and Akechi kinda… lost it when he saw Ren was alive," Makoto said with a wince. "He tried to attack Ren but Ken got in the way."
Shinjiro just rubbed his temples at that. Of course that's what happened. Ken was really going to give him gray hairs before he turned thirty.
Makoto pursed her lips for a moment before speaking again. "But anyways, that set off Akechi and he triggered this emergency button that brought up a wall separating us from Ken and Akechi. I don't know all the details but… I can guess, given how Ken reacted to Akechi in the past before..."
Shinjiro could only sigh. He imagined how Ken was feeling. Ken was… indifferent to his dad so it was easier to cut out that side of the family. Not to mention that his uncle's emotional neglect had helped fuck up Ken when he was still grieving for his mom. He still remembered Minako reacting to finding out the extent of his treatment of Ken.
But Akechi… was a link to his mom. Shinjiro suspected that's why Ken took the truth about Akechi harder.
Makoto sighed before folding her arms over her chest. "That's why I wanted to try and talk to Ken in private. I can't promise you anything but I will try to get Ken to talk to you about this. There's something that's really bothering him… and I don't want him to feel guilty over something that's not his fault."
Shinjiro sighed. "Okay. Thanks Makoto."
Makoto nodded before slipping into Ken's bedroom.
Shinjiro just rubbed at his eyes, as a wave of exhaustion hit him. Just what had happened tonight? He really hoped that he'd find out sooner than later…
Makoto was unsure how she was going to convince Ken to talk to Shinjiro-san but she was going to try.
Ken's injuries were actually not as bad as she feared. There were some cuts and bruises, of course. Though there was one bruise she didn't expect.
"How did you get a bruise on your forehead?" Makoto couldn't help but ask, once Ken had pulled on his turtleneck.
Ken touched the bruise gingerly before flashing her a sheepish smile. "I, um, headbutted Akechi at one point."
Makoto couldn't help but chuckle at the mental image. She was a little sorry that she had missed that.
"Well, I can kiss this one better at least," Makoto said, bending down to kiss Ken's forehead lightly for a moment.
Ken's lips curled into a small smile but then his expression quickly grew serious.
"Makoto… I know what you want to say," Ken said quietly.
Makoto stiffened at that. Had he really figured her out that easily?
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Ken huffed out a laugh. "Makoto, come on. I'm not dumb. And… I could hear you talking to Shinjiro-san."
Makoto bit her lip. She didn't want to pressure Ken into anything but she was concerned… Makoto's expression must've been worried because Ken suddenly reached out, tugging her down to sit next to him on his bed.
"Makoto… I'm not mad," he said gently. "I know I've been a little… out of sorts since Akechi ran away."
"What's wrong, Ken?" Makoto pressed.
Ken just heaved out a sigh, his expression growing… conflicted. But he remained silent, even as his lips twisted into a grimace.
Makoto reached out, taking one of Ken's hands in both of hers. Ken's fingers curled underneath her hands. She felt a little guilty, making Haru wait for her to get back, but she couldn't leave Ken like this.
Makoto pleaded. "Ken… talk to me. What's really bothering you?"
Ken slowly exhaled through his nose, before his gaze lowered to the ground. He stared down at the floor for several moments. But then he lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers.
"It was probably foolish to do so but… I tried to get Akechi to see reason. I wanted him to understand that he was following a bad path."
"But he refused to listen," Makoto stated.
Ken just nodded before one hand suddenly clenched into a fist. "He was jealous of the twins. He wished them ill solely because Yukari-san was better off than his mother was in the past. He called them spoiled brats. He doesn't know them. How dare he judge them just because Yukari-san is a celebrity!"
Ken's shoulders tensed up as his voice grew more heated. Makoto couldn't help but wince in response.
It was to be expected, unfortunately. She could still recall the way that Ken's voice had a warning edge to it when they had learned that Yukari-san was a single mother of bastard children. Ken had probably witnessed Yukari-san being treated poorly more than once because of that in the past.
Ken's expression grew sad before he let out a sigh.
"I don't even know what I was thinking. He was committed to his path. I tried to talk him out of it before…"
Makoto gave his hand a squeeze. "You were trying to help him, Ken."
Then she released his hand, pursing her lips as she looked up at him.
"Is it bothering you so much because you were pulled off a bad path?"
Ken's expression grew neutral but then he gave a small nod. Makoto could only sigh softly at that. She had an inkling that was why… because she knew that Ken was still hard on himself about what happened on October fourth.
"You and Akechi aren't the same, Ken. You made different choices than him, and that made all the difference," Makoto said gently. "You let go of your past so you could forge your own future. Akechi is just clinging to the past because he can't let go of his hurt and is hurting others now."
Ken's lips pressed together for a moment before he let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"Is it bad that I wish I could've talked him out of it? I can't forgive him from all he's done but…" he trailed off at the last part.
Makoto just chuckled. "No, Ken. You're just kinder than you give yourself credit for."
She then took a deep breath before reaching out to touch his cheek.
"Promise me that you'll talk to Shinjiro-san about this, Ken," she said quietly. "He's worried about you. I know that you just want to avoid him getting upset over this but you can't hide this from him."
She was… probably going to have to tell Sae about this at some point as well. She wasn't looking forward to it, especially given Sae's inner conflict about Akechi.
Ken looked torn at this, his lower lip trembling ever so slightly.
"I can't…" he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Ken…" Makoto sighed, dropping her hand.
But Ken just shook his head, his eyes growing glassy.
"There's more to this, Makoto. Akechi blames Shinjiro-san for what happened to his mother. How can I tell him that the accident led to another mother dying, leaving her son orphaned?"
Makoto sighed, studying her boyfriend's face. Her heart gave a painful squeeze at how torn he looked.
"Akechi wouldn't listen… he refused to understand what really happened that night." Ken bit his lip. "I'll tell him more about what happened tonight but I can't… I can't tell him about this, Makoto. The guilt tore him apart last time. It nearly killed him. I can't tell him about this."
"Ken… I don't think that Shinjiro-san will take it as badly as you think he will," she said slowly.
She knew that she had to speak carefully. Ken was… sensitive about this, to put it lightly. She may not know Shinjiro-san nearly as well as Ken but Shinjiro-san has had years to heal from his guilt.
Ken still looked conflicted, so Makoto opened her mouth to speak further. But then Makoto's phone suddenly buzzed from a text.
Text From: Haru
[Haru]: Is everything okay, Mako-chan?
Makoto winced in response. Haru was being so nice about this. Maybe… it wasn't best to press Ken when he was obviously exhausted physically and emotionally.
"That was Haru," she said, slipping her phone into her schoolbag. "I shouldn't probably keep her waiting so long."
Ken nodded but then he frowned. "Sorry about keeping you."
Makoto just shook her head before reaching out to hug him. "Don't be silly. Anything for you, Ken."
Ken slipped his arms around her, giving her a squeeze. Then she reached up, cupping his cheek.
"But promise me that you'll think about what I said, okay?" she said. "If your roles were swapped… wouldn't you want Shinjiro-san to tell you the truth, Ken?"
Ken sighed, the puff of air ruffling his bangs. "I hate that you're right."
Makoto laughed before saying teasingly, "Don't you know I'm usually right?"
Ken rolled his eyes at her but he pulled her in for a brief but sweet kiss. Makoto closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the kiss.
"And try not to fret too much over your sister," he whispered. "She'll be okay."
Makoto gave him a smile. "I'll try not to."
Ken gave her hand one last squeeze before Makoto reluctantly pulled away from him. A part of her wished she could stay with him but it wasn't exactly proper. It was… different the night they rescued Ken.
Ken walked her to the elevator and Makoto gave him one last wave before the elevator doors closed. She then took the opportunity to text Haru as the elevator made its descent. Haru quickly responded, assuring Makoto that it'd be okay.
"Finally…" the driver grumbled out as Makoto climbed inside.
"Sorry about the wait," Makoto apologized with a wince.
"It's okay, Mako-chan, don't worry about it," Haru said with her usual sweet smile. But then she leaned in to whisper, "Don't worry, I'll give the driver a nice big tip to make up for the wait."
"Let me pay for it," Makoto whispered as the driver started up the car engine.
"No, it's fine, Mako-chan. I can afford it!"
"That's not what I mean!" Makoto argued.
They continued to bicker over this the entire car ride but they finally compromised with them splitting the tip 50-50.
After paying the driver, they climbed out of the car and entered the house.
"Lady Haru, oh thank goodness!" a maid greeted them; she looked rather exhausted but relieved to see Haru.
"My apologies, Keiko," Haru said with an apologetic smile. "We were having a studying session at one of our friend's houses and we all fell asleep. I'm sorry about not contacting you sooner..."
Keiko-san blinked at that but she gave a small nod.
"Of course, my lady." Then she looked at Makoto. "But ah, this must be your friend. Shall I fetch her some nightclothes…?"
The last part was spoken with a little uncertainty. It was probably because of the difference in their height and builds. Makoto was nearly half a head taller than Haru after all.
Haru pressed her lips together.
"I'll find something. Don't worry about it, Keiko. Is the guest bedroom prepared for Mako-chan?"
"Yes, Lady Haru," confirmed the maid.
Haru smiled. "Wonderful! You may retire for the night then, Keiko. Thank you for staying up for this."
"As you wish, Lady Haru," Keiko-san said politely before dipping into a small curtsy.
Haru led Makoto into her room before she began to rummage through her clothes. While she was occupied with that, Makoto took the opportunity to look at Haru's room. It was a spacious room, with a painting hanging right above her bed. There were small touches of nature in the bedroom as well, with the houseplant and potted flowers.
"Ah here we go!" Haru said, holding up a white nightgown with bows on the bodice and gauzy long sleeves. "It'll be a bit shorter on you but it's supposed to be loose on your frame. So I think it'll fit you nicely."
Makoto smiled before accepting the nightgown. "Thanks, Haru."
She then went into the bathroom to change, leaving Haru to select her own nightwear. The nightgown felt nice on her skin though Makoto had to admit that she felt rather out of place in it. It wasn't what she usually wore to bed.
Normally she would shower in the evening as she disliked getting into bed while she was dirty but Makoto was far too tired to do that.
She jumped as she heard a sudden knocking on the door.
"Mako-chan, there's toothbrushes below the sink!" Haru said, her voice muffled by the door.
"Thanks, Haru!" she called back.
She rummaged through the cupboard underneath the sink, pulling out a toothbrush. She quickly brushed her teeth, so she wouldn't keep Haru waiting.
She exited the bathroom. Haru was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"Haru?" she asked.
"Oh, Mako-chan." Haru pushed herself up in a sitting position, a small smile on her face. "You look lovely in the nightgown."
"Thank you." Makoto tilted her head. "Though… is something bothering you?"
"Not really bothering me but…" Haru cut herself off with a sigh before a dark look appeared on her face. "I was just thinking. About… Father."
Makoto shifted awkwardly as a heavy frown formed on her face.
"I do think that Akechi feels a little guilty about your father," Makoto said tentatively.
Makoto had noticed that Akechi seemed almost reluctant to talk about Okumura in front of Haru in the past. Of course, that didn't absolve him from his crimes. Though she wished that Akechi would actually accept his guilt. He was just… running away. Makoto had done so in the past so she knew from experience that it accomplished nothing. Not that their situations were comparable, but if anything he has more of a reason to own up to what he did.
"Not enough to stop his plan," Haru sighed, brushing a curl out of her face. "I honestly… wanted to ask the same of Father. If he reached his goal, becoming a politician… what would he do with himself once he's on the top? It can't be worth it."
Haru's hands clenched into her lap, clutching at the hem of her skirt.
"There was so much I wanted to ask Father. But… I'll never get the chance." Despite her somber words, a determined look began to burn in Haru's eyes.
Makoto remarked, "I just hope we can track down Akechi after we defeat Shido. We can't allow him to just roam free like that."
Haru let out a small hum. "Maybe once Shido is behind bars, Mitsuru-san will be free to use her full arsenal to aid us. I think she has some choice words to say to Akechi as well."
Makoto couldn't help but chuckle, imagining Mitsuru-san dressing down Akechi.
"Akechi will have to answer to his crimes," Haru suddenly said, her expression grim. "All of those lives snuffed out for the sake of revenge… it's just unforgivable. It's not just about Father, though I'm sure Akechi thinks that's my only reasoning."
Makoto could only nod in agreement. She had never really thought about the cycle of revenge, not until Ken spoke about it when he was coming clean to all of them. Then it started coming up again when Akechi revealed the complete truth to Ken.
"We'll make sure of it," Makoto promised. Then she pursed her lips together, hesitating for a moment before speaking again. "I also understand what you mean though, Haru…"
Haru tilted her head. "Mako-chan?"
Makoto sighed, looking down at her lap. "Do you remember when I mentioned to Sis's Shadow that Kaneshiro had something to do with my father's death?"
Haru just nodded. Makoto closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself. It still hurt. Knowing that her father's death happened all because of one man's greed…
"Taking down Kaneshiro was never just about avenging Dad. But just knowing that he orchestrated Dad's death… made me much more determined to take him down, so he wouldn't hurt more people. I couldn't allow him to destroy more young people's lives and possibly kill off mothers and fathers in order to silence them..."
Makoto sighed. That's what bothered her the most about Akechi going to Sae… Akechi was willing to backstab and kill, in order to get Shido's trust. Was her sister any different to him? He used her for Shido's trap, just to take Ren and Ken. She wanted to believe her sister would be alright, but she couldn't help the fear that kept festering in her heart.
It just frightened her. She had lost her mother at a young age so she barely had any memories of her. She had lost her father. She couldn't lose Sae too.
Haru just smiled softly before resting a hand over Makoto's.
"Thank you, Mako-chan," Haru said before giving her a sincere smile. "I really appreciate you telling me about this. I had no idea you felt this way about Kaneshiro."
Makoto nodded, wrapping her free arm around herself. "It's not easy to talk about. But you talking about Akechi reminded me of how I feel about Kaneshiro."
She hadn't even told Ken about this and she told him practically everything. But with Haru… it just felt right to tell her this.
Haru just nodded. "Yes, I understand that. But… it's not over yet."
Haru's face suddenly hardened and she drew her hand away from Makoto's. She rested her trembling hands on her lap before suddenly clenching them into fists. Makoto bit her lip in response. Haru was normally so gentle but tonight just reminded her that there was still steel underneath.
"Shido…" Makoto said quietly.
Haru nodded. "I will make sure that he can't hurt anyone. Never again."
"We'll do it… together," Makoto promised her, placing a hand over Haru's.
"I really appreciate it, Mako-chan." Haru then stifled a yawn with one hand. "But… we should really retire for the night. We do have school tomorrow."
"Tomorrow will be fun," Makoto said wearily.
She was no stranger to functioning with just a few hours of sleep but she didn't like doing it.
Haru giggled softly. "I'll make us some coffee tomorrow. That should help."
Makoto laughed in response. "I look forward to it."
Then she rose to her feet, stifling a yawn of her own. Today really was exhausting… she could only imagine what it'd be like after they defeated Shido.
"Good night, Mako-chan," Haru said with a warm smile.
Makoto gave her friend a smile of her own. "Good night, Haru. Sleep well."
Wednesday, December 14 th , 2016
Once Goro closed his eyes, he was proven right. He was bombarded with images of him killing Isshiki's Shadow and then Okumura's, only to be replaced by their mourning daughters. Then his mother, weeping bitterly as she lamented Goro's current state. Ken's words about revenge kept swirling in his mind.
What was right? What was wrong?
Goro thought that he knew but… wasn't sure. He just felt hollow. He was just… confused on what he should even do with himself. Was this going to be his life from now? Licking his wounds, hiding from the public?
Goro woke up with a sudden start. He was still in Sae-san's apartment. He reached for his phone. As he sat up, he realized that the pain had dulled to a faint ache.
It was a little past six. He didn't feel all that rested mentally but he had to get going. Shido might start looking for him… and he couldn't afford that. The Phantom Thieves would send out the calling card and Shido will have realized that Goro had failed.
It was a bitter pill to swallow… but he had failed. Several times.
What mattered now was his survival. He was determined to not go down. He refused to let Shido drag him down; the man always honed in on failures and never successes. It didn't matter that Goro was the reason that Shido was so powerful now.
A plan was slowly piecing together in his mind.
He needed to go back into the Metaverse—he would go into hiding until Shido was taken out of the picture. He still felt pretty weak… there was just simply no way that he could challenge the Phantom Thieves like this.
He had to leave soon before Sae-san woke up, though. He already forced her to put up with him for one night, tending to him like a nurse. She shouldn't have to deal with him any longer than what was necessary.
But something gnawed at Goro. Maybe… it wouldn't hurt to leave her one last note.
He got up, changing into his clothes. Then he searched for a pen and paper, jotting a quick note to Sae-san.
Thank you for last night. Don't look for me. Goodbye.
As he stared down at the note, Goro's insides squirmed. Should he at least stay to tell her in person instead of leaving a note like a coward?
"No… it's for the best," Goro told himself. "I don't want to deal with her getting emotional and possibly telling me to stay to take care of my injuries further…"
"Because you might stay then?" a snide voice in his head asked.
Goro gritted his teeth. Their relationship was just a partnership… nothing more. They were useful to each other. That's all…
He forced himself to leave the note on the dining table before pulling out his phone.
He could hide out in one of Shido's associates' Palaces. That would be ideal. In fact he could jump around between them, never staying in one place for too long. At least until after the hype of the election and then the storm of the media frenzy the Phantom Thieves will bring once they change Shido's heart.
Shido could never get to the Metaverse and none of his toadies either. The Phantom Thieves and the Shadow Operatives wouldn't know where to find him and even if they did, they'd have to scramble around to find all the names and keywords. Yes, alternate between palaces to hide in a few days at a time, only sneak out for food and water in the dead of night.
He could easily do it. He created a bank account under a false name... just in case. He never thought he'd have to resort to that contingency, but his hands were tied.
"Yes and once the news moves on to the next thing, I'll take a plane and get out of this damn country. I could go to Hawaii, or Hong Kong. Maybe even South Korea, or perhaps somewhere in Europe… no matter, I'll ponder more on where later," he thought to himself.
He activated the app with a destination already in mind. The TV President's Palace would be a nice place to hide out right now.
"Kaname Miyazawa, TV Station, Colosseum…" Goro said into the app.
"Beginning navigation."
It was nearly noon by the time Ken finally woke up. When he moved to stretch, he winced as his muscles protested at the sudden movement. He would probably have to try and heal himself later.
A soft whine caught his attention and he looked to see Koromaru staring at him. Ken let out a little sigh.
"I'm okay, Koromaru… just tired from all the fighting."
A small yip escaped Koromaru before he crawled closer to Ken, resting his head in Ken's lap. Ken just gave a sigh before stroking the top of the shiba inu's head. He was still exhausted but he knew that he had to get up. He nudged at Koromaru before climbing out of bed.
He felt a little better once he finished his usual morning ritual but his stomach did a big flip as he stepped out into the living room and saw Shinjiro-san cooking in the kitchen.
"Um… good morning," Ken said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's past noon," Shinjiro-san said dryly.
He reached for two bowls, ladling out the stew he was cooking. He then looked to Ken as he picked up one of the bowls. He pressed it into Ken's hands.
"But you need to eat. You haven't eaten for nearly an entire day, I'm guessing."
Ken just pressed his lips together but he went to put the bowl of stew at the table. Shinjiro-san was right… he had been too tired last night to eat. After Makoto left, he had almost immediately passed out.
The toaster then let out a ding, snapping Ken out of his thoughts. As always Shinjiro-san had toasted some bread to dip into the stew. Ken walked over to the cupboard, grabbing a large dinner plate to load the sliced French baguettes on top.
Shinjiro-san poured them tea and they sat down together. Ken lifted his spoon to his lips, taking a sip of the stew. It was a rich beef stew, though Shinjiro-san had added plenty of vegetables for extra nutrients.
Then he set his spoon into his bowl, raising his eyes to look at Shinjiro-san.
"I owe you an apology, Shinjiro-san," he said finally. "I know I was tired last night but I shouldn't have been brushing you off like that…"
Shinjiro-san pressed his lips together. "It's okay, Ken. Makoto told me a little and it sounded like you had a rough night."
Ken absentmindedly stirred the stew with his spoon for a moment.
Ken asked, "What exactly did she tell you?"
"She told me that Akechi realized that you guys were going after Shido's heart, how you pissed him off because you were trying to protect Amamiya and separated you from the rest of the group… nothing much beyond that," Shinjiro-san said.
"I see," Ken said, pursing his lips together for a moment.
He suspected that Makoto did so because she felt that it wasn't her place to talk about it. He appreciated his girlfriend for thinking about him, especially since this wasn't… the easiest topic to discuss.
"Um, well, I did find out about something before everything happened…" Ken said carefully before he took a deep breath. "Akechi knew about Shido's plan... to kidnap me."
Shinjiro-san's expression darkened. "I was wondering about that. Since he ran off to lead off some of the men chasing you. It made you easy pickings once they attacked Sakura."
Guilt stabbed at Ken, making his stomach twist into knots, even though Shinjiro-san was keeping his voice neutral.
"But what else happened?" Shinjiro-san inquired before breaking off a piece of bread and dipping it in the stew.
Ken took a sip of tea before speaking. The warm drink helped calm his nerves a little.
"Akechi had it in his head that I should've sided with him because we went through similar things, that I should be helping him," Ken said with a sigh.
Ken just looked down at the table. He still felt baffled about that. He just… couldn't understand Akechi's logic.
Shinjiro-san's expression hardened at that. "So he's an entitled bastard, huh?"
"Something like that…" Ken mumbled out.
"And he picked a fight with you," Shinjiro-san stated.
Ken pursed his lips before giving a small nod. He was honestly a little embarrassed about how he let his temper flare during all that. He usually had a much better grip on his emotions but Akechi had just pushed all of his buttons.
He also couldn't help but think that Akechi was in on the plan… then Akechi knew Shido was planning on blackmailing Mitsuru-san. It wasn't just because Akechi would know about Shido attempting to force Mitsuru-san's hand… it was the fact that Kiyomi could've died that night—plus Minako-san could've gone through some complications herself.
Minako-san and Akihiko-san had already lost all of their family—and they could've lost their baby daughter that night too. It didn't matter that Kiyomi was okay now… it didn't erase the fact that Shido was the cause of Minako-san going into labor too early and he was the reason why Akihiko-san had to miss Kiyomi's birth.
And Akechi knew about the plan. This entire time. If he had actually cared about Ken, he could've done something.
"Ken?"
Ken snapped to attention before he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Sorry… I was just thinking about something," Ken mumbled out before looking at Shinjiro-san. "Akechi basically got it in his head that if he could beat me in a fight, he could prove me he was 'right'."
Shinjiro-san scoffed. "That's a bunch of bull."
Ken just shrugged. "I won't pretend that I understand how his brain works. But I—"
Ken sighed before taking another bite of food. The food he had eaten already felt heavy in his stomach but it was a good way to try and figure out how to word this…
"I tried to get him to understand that his mother wouldn't want him obsessing over avenging her, especially with his path including him killing innocents. But… I couldn't. He was dead set on enacting revenge against Shido."
Shinjiro-san just tensed up and he ended up making the piece of bread in his hand crack with how he clenched his hand. Shinjiro-san muttered out a curse before dropping the piece of bread. He then grabbed a napkin to wipe off the crumbs from his hand.
"Ken—it ain't your fault. Akechi has to want to change and well… he's a stubborn little bastard."
Ken sighed. "I just thought… that maybe he needed to be reminded. Like with me…"
Shinjiro-san sighed.
"Some people do need the right shove," he acknowledged. "But some people remain set in their ways. So don't feel bad that you couldn't convince him that revenge isn't the path his mom wanted him to follow. You're not his damn therapist. It's not your job to get him to turn his life around."
He could see where Shinjiro-san was coming from but still…
But then Shinjiro-san suddenly crossed his arms over his chest, craning an eyebrow at Ken.
"So was that what was bugging you?" his guardian inquired. "I get that it's rough on you… but we're good, yeah?"
Ken fought the urge to grimace at Shinjiro-san's statement. Shinjiro-san still didn't know that Akechi wanted to kill him for the accidental part he played in his aunt Tsukiko's death. He only knew about Akechi throwing it in Ken's face about Shinjiro's part in his mother's death, and insisting they were the same…
"Just tell him already! I promised to be more open with him and everyone else," Ken internally berated himself before he bit his lip. "But… I can't hurt him like this…"
Shinjiro-san was staring at him, his brows furrowed together.
"I'm gonna take that as a no…" he said flatly. "Come on, Ken. Don't you trust me?"
"I-It's not about trust, okay?!" Ken blurted out. "Of course I trust you! You saved my life, you've done a gazillion things for me, but this is... I don't want to hurt you."
Shinjiro-san blinked once. And then twice more. Ken sighed, ducking his head in an attempt to hide his now burning cheeks. Shinjiro-san had probably thought he got hit hard in the head last night… He wasn't prone to this kind of rambling. He probably came off as a babbling lunatic right now.
Shinjiro-san repeated, "Hurt… me? What does Akechi have to do with me specifically?"
"Shinjiro-san… it's…" Ken trailed off, only to grimace as the memories from last night came floating into his mind.
"This… This is all for her! I will destroy him, in the name of my mother!"
Akechi's words just unburied unpleasant memories that he'd rather lock away… forever. And he didn't want to remind Shinjiro-san of the pain and anguish he went through because he felt guilty about killing Mom.
But… what if Makoto was right? And he promised to be more open about this…
Shinjiro-san's voice then grew soft. "Ken… come on. You know you can talk to me about this. We talked about this with Fuuka, remember?"
Ken bit his lip. He could always assure Shinjiro-san… right? It wasn't his fault that he had lost control of Castor that night. It was all a terrible accident and Shinjiro-san was not responsible for his aunt Tsukiko's death. Akechi had said it was the last nail in the coffin, so Ken guessed that she was wrestling with her mental health for a long time.
He just hoped that he wasn't making a mistake.
"There was something I didn't tell you… you know how he knows about… the night when mom… well…" Ken mumbled out. "Akechi wants to target you personally too."
"Targeting… me? He barely had a relationship with you and your mom?" Shinjiro-san stared at Ken, his expression bewildered. "What aren't you telling me, Ken?"
Ken took a deep breath. "It's about my aunt. Akechi told me that she left behind a… suicide note after she killed herself."
Shinjiro-san sighed as a deep frown appeared on his face. "Suicide, huh…?"
Ken winced. Well they had dealt with Futaba just a few months ago. That had hit Ken hard, especially with how it was her mother's death that had given Futaba such deep despair. But that's what frustrated him about Akechi… he refused to acknowledge that he had put someone exactly through what he went through.
Ken just nodded. "She… killed herself a few months after Mom died."
Shinjiro-san sucked in a breath but then his expression quickly grew neutral. Ken winced as guilt stabbed at him once more.
"Go on, Ken," Shinjiro-san said quietly.
Ken's mouth had gone completely dry. He swallowed hard before forcing himself to speak once more.
"Akechi told me that the last straw for his mother was finding out that Mom was dead. The last time they saw each other, they ended up fighting about what happened when my aunt became pregnant with Akechi."
"Your grandparents disowning her, yeah?" Shinjiro-san inquired, but his voice had become… distant.
He had to wonder how Shinjiro-san was processing all of this…
Ken answered, "Yes… they wanted her to abort her pregnancy. When she refused, they disowned her. Judging from their argument, my aunt blamed Mom for not standing by her. Mom was kinda… stuck in between her parents and her sister."
"Wait… if your aunt was pissed at your mom, then what… made her want to kill herself after finding out about your mom?" Shinjiro-san's voice grew confused.
Ken sighed heavily before he rubbed at his face. "I do remember vividly how the argument ended. My aunt yelled at Mom that she hated her."
"Damn..." Shinjiro-san winced.
"But I guessed it was in the heat of the moment and she regretted saying those things to Mom. And the guilt of never resolving things with Mom got to her…"
He couldn't help but wonder if Mom ever regretted not reaching out to her sister before she had died. He did remember a couple times where he found his mom sitting on her bed, slowly looking through an album of her family… and looking sad.
Mom was always vague about her sister in the past. Ken had thought it was because of the supposed scandal… but maybe it hurt her to talk about.
"So… she killed herself because..." Shinjiro-san swallowed hard. "I killed your mom."
Ken hesitated for a moment before giving a nod. Shinjiro-san's expression grew conflicted. Ken felt a pit form in his stomach, watching his guardian. Shinjiro-san pressed a hand against his face, a tremor running through his body.
"Shinjiro-san… it's not your fault," Ken insisted.
Shinjiro-san stayed silent and Ken couldn't help but panic.
"There were other factors… my aunt was going through a lot. She had to go through…" Ken suddenly winced. "She had to partake in unsavory things just to survive…"
She had to turn to prostitution and who knew what kind of sleazy clients she had to entertain. Just the mere thought made Ken want to shudder. And she had made it clear that she did not like her job and that she resented having to turn to that kind of thing just to survive.
Shinjiro-san lowered his hand from his face. He opened his mouth a couple times, only to quickly shut it.
Then he finally spoke.
"I know logically that you're right. I spent two years feeling awful about what I did to you and your mom. I killed an innocent woman and I ripped away your innocence that night. I was drowning in my own self-hatred and it's only thanks to Minako that I realized that I could move on with my life." Shinjiro-san then sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But… a part of me still feels like I could've done something different that night. Especially knowing about your aunt…"
"But Shinjiro-san—it's not your fault! You didn't know about my aunt," Ken said quietly.
"I know that." Shinjiro-san suddenly cracked a smile. "If I had found out about this… maybe five years ago? That probably would've pushed me to a place I wouldn't want to be. But I've spent years trying to move on. I'll probably never forget that night…"
Ken bit his lip. That was true for him as well.
"But I won't let it chain me down either," Shinjiro-san finished, a steely look entering his eyes. But then he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I am sorry that it led to your aunt to kill herself. She didn't deserve to put herself through that kind of self-blame."
Ken couldn't help but wince a little. Shinjiro-san would know about that, wouldn't he?
"I'm sorry that also brought Akechi pain. He was an innocent kid once after all." Shinjiro-san's expression grew pensive, his brows furrowing together once more. Then he shook his head. "But it doesn't erase what he's done, of course."
Ken just sighed to himself. He knew that all too well.
"Um… Shinjiro-san," Ken spoke up. "I just… wanted to thank you. Seeing Akechi embroiled in his quest for revenge makes me think of what would've happened if you hadn't stopped me."
Shinjiro-san suddenly huffed out a laugh. Ken felt his cheeks grow warm.
"What are you laughing at?!" Ken demanded.
Shinjiro-san just shook his head. "You moron. Sure, I tried to get you to understand that enacting revenge wouldn't help you feel better 'bout your mom and that you shouldn't waste your life. Plus there was Aki being the one to convince you to not give up after I nearly died and wound up in the hospital. We could've talked to you until we were blue in the face. But you made the decision to change, to give up on revenge and to live. The choices you made were all the difference."
Choices… it really boiled down to that, didn't it? But Shinjiro-san wasn't done.
"You could've made the choice to refuse Mitsuru asking you to take on this mission. You could have chosen to keep hiding the truth from the Phantom Thieves. And I could have chosen to let my self-hatred and guilt swallow me whole… I learned to forgive myself." Shinjiro-san then looked at Ken. "Akechi made his own choices. He's just running away from the truth of the matter. He thinks if he buries his head in the sand, he can shut out the consequences of his choices."
His friends said something along that line too. All of the choices he had made… joining SEES, accepting the mission from Mitsuru-san, choosing to join the Phantom Thieves… they had led him to his current path. And despite all of the current difficulties, Ken was happy where he was.
And… Akechi had made his bed. He'd have to face the music at one point or another.
As would Shido.
"You're right, Shinjiro-san," Ken said quietly. "I guess I got caught up in everything that I forgot."
Shinjiro-san snorted. "You always get caught up in your head like that."
Ken pulled a face at him. "I rather use my head too much than too little."
Shinjiro-san snorted before flapping a hand at him. "Okay, Mr. Perfect Student."
Ken glowered at him but he returned to eating his meal. He wouldn't deign that with a response.
"What exactly happened with Akechi though?" Shinjiro-san suddenly asked.
Ken sighed. "He got away. We talked about it and we're going to deal with Shido as soon as we can."
"Even after that rough battle?" Shinjiro-san asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, Akechi is probably nursing his wounds… Ren said that we would either do it today or tomorrow. But I think tomorrow is more likely, with how most of everyone had to attend school so they're not at one hundred percent today," Ken answered.
Shinjiro-san nodded. "Sounds like a plan. About time that bastard went down… though he definitely is gonna put up one hell of a fight."
Ken sighed. He was well aware… Ken couldn't help but feel that Shido might be even tougher than the Hanged Man Shadow, the strongest out of the twelve Shadows that were separated from Nyx. So they would really need everyone at their one hundred percent.
Shinjiro-san remarked. "Wouldn't be surprised if his entire conspiracy would go nuts either. Especially with everything falling apart. I wouldn't want to be anywhere close to any of his associates. Who knows what they'd do to save their sorry asses."
Ken's eyes widened as a horrible thought suddenly struck him. Shido might… lash out and try to seek out Ren. Ren who lived in Leblanc. What if they roughed up Sakura-san during all that too? He didn't deserve that.
"Shinjiro-san? Can I ask you a favor?" Ken said cautiously.
Shinjiro-san raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, what's up?"
Ken explained. "It's about Sakura-san. I was just wondering… Shido might go after Leblanc since he knows where Ren lives. Could you hang around the area in case Shido sends some of his men after Sakura-san?"
Shinjiro-san frowned but then he nodded.
"Better safe than sorry. I can do that while you're kicking Shido's ass, then." Then his guardian frowned. "But how are you going to even get the calling card to Shido?"
Ken tilted his head. "That's a good point. We'll discuss it when Ren calls the meeting, though."
He wished that they had an inside with Shido, though. Haru was able to slip the calling card into Okumura's office and Makoto was able to pass off the calling card to Niijima-san being stuffed in their mailbox. And before that, they were able to hand deliver the calling card to Futaba.
From what he had heard, the Phantom Thieves had to resort to plastering the calling cards all over Shibuya to get it delivered to Kaneshiro.
Well, either way, he was sure that they'd be able to figure out something. They always did, after all.
Thursday, December 15 th , 2016
Group Chat: The Real Phantom Thieves of Hearts
[Ren]: It's time. Let's get that bastard, once and for all.
[Ryuji]: Hell yeah!
[Makoto]: It's been a long time coming…
[Futaba]: No kidding!
[Yusuke]: I never would have imagined this would happen when I originally joined the Phantom Thieves to take down Madarame…
[Haru]: I don't think any of us could've guessed this...
[Anne]: We can't keep our guard down!
[Ken]: But… how are we going to send the calling card? Shido is not easy to get ahold of after all…
[Futaba]: Mwehehe… that's what you think, huh?
[Haru]: Futaba-chan…?
[Futaba]: Meet at our hideout! I'll unveil it all ;)
Ren pocketed his phone into his hoodie before stepping down to the café. Sojiro had closed Leblanc as promised.
Only Futaba had arrived—but that was no surprise, given how Futaba was just a block away. She was huddled over her laptop, giggling to herself. Ren crept up to her, to see what she was up to, but she turned around and swatted at him.
"Not until everyone else arrives!" she exclaimed.
Ren sighed before he pulled a face at her. "You can be so cruel."
Futaba just stuck her tongue out at Ren.
"You could always make curry while you wait," she said playfully.
"First you won't let me see what you're up to and now you make me cook you food… I see how it is." Ren let out a bigger, more dramatic sigh. "You're so cruel, Futaba!"
Futaba just flapped a hand at him. "Yeah, yeah."
Ren ended up making them drinks as they waited for their friends to make it inside. Ken arrived first, then Ryuji, Anne, and Makoto, and lastly—Yusuke and Haru. Haru had apparently made a detour, calling a ride so Yusuke wouldn't have to spend money on train fare.
Ren waited for everyone to sit down before speaking.
"So… this is it," he said, looking seriously to his friends.
Haru nodded. "All there's left is to send out the calling card, right, Ren-kun?"
"There's no going back after this," Morgana said solemnly. "Are you sure we're ready, Ren?"
Ren took a deep breath. "As ready as we'll ever be.
Then he looked to all of his friends. As Yusuke mentioned, Ren had never imagined that this would be the kind of person they'd be targeting. Even with Shido's conspiracy, Ren was also a little grateful. For it brought his friends to him. Hell, Ken might've never stepped foot in Tokyo if the Shadow Operatives hadn't been worried about what to do with Shido… and because they wanted to know what the Phantom Thieves were up to.
"Shido's had a hand in a few of our personal lives… but I don't think any of us can easily forget how he'll be dragging the country down unless we can stop him."
Ryuji nodded. "It's finally come down to this… So how exactly are we gonna send out the calling card?"
"Futaba said she had something up her sleeve," Ken said wryly.
"It's true that it would be difficult to get the calling card to Shido by our usual means," Yusuke mused, stroking his chin. "Makoto and Ryuji did get the message to Kaneshiro by putting up calling cards all over Shibuya but I feel that won't be as effective. And it'd be useless to send it to the Diet Building as well."
"And given how the media has been all over Shido… I feel that it wouldn't be taken seriously either," Makoto remarked. "Not to mention that it might be given to the police under the table…"
"So… what do you have up your sleeve, Futaba?" Anne asked, looking at their youngest member.
Futaba started to giggle, a devious glint settling in her eyes.
"Um, Futaba-chan?" Haru asked, frowning in concern.
Ken, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes at Futaba's antics.
"Should we be concerned?" he asked wryly.
Futaba rubbed her hands, ignoring Ken's jab. "Just you guys wait! My Futaba cannon is officially ready! I've been working on this baby ever since we resolved to go after Shido!"
Ryuji frowned. "Whataya mean?"
Morgana cocked his head. "You've been working on this for weeks? Uh… what exactly is it?"
"Take a look," Futaba said with a smug smile before pushing her laptop to face everyone.
They crowded in to take a look.
"This is…" Ken breathed out, only to trail off. He was truly at a loss for words.
"Damn, you hit it out of the park!" Ryuji crowed.
"Thanks guys!" But then Futaba grew serious. "But I was thinking… this is our biggest target. We're saving the country after all from a would-be dictator."
"Might as well go out with a bang, right?" Ren met her eyes before cracking his own grin. "Futaba… this is perfect. This is just what we need."
"Very stylish," Yusuke said with a chuckle. "Color me impressed."
"Not to mention, it's so kickass!" Anne exclaimed, beaming at Futaba.
Morgana looked up at Futaba before purring in delight. "You've really outdone yourself this time!"
"Man, I can't believe you never told us you were planning something this big!" Ryuji exclaimed.
"To trick your enemies, you first gotta trick your allies," Futaba said with a cheeky grin.
"So we're hijacking the broadcast to expose Shido…" Ken mused.
"We'll be laying out most of his crimes," Futaba explained. "Not sure if we should bring up the red tape, though… We can't talk about how Shido stole Mom's work, for sure."
Ken shook his head. "Mitsuru-san wouldn't want the public to be aware of the Shadow Ops and their activities. Best to leave them out."
Futaba nodded. "Okay. That's probably for the best. We'll have to work on recording everything, then. I'll scramble the voices before launching the broadcast, to protect our identities."
"Speaking of the Shadow Operatives—are you going to tell them about this broadcast?" Haru inquired.
Ken's face turned pensive but then he suddenly cracked a smile.
"One little surprise won't hurt them."
"We've finally corrupted him," Ren said in a stage whisper.
"It only took us nearly six months," Ryuji joked.
Makoto chided, "Boys, enough!"
Ren rolled his shoulders for a moment, slipping into all business as he looked seriously at all of his friends.
"But let's expose this bastard. He's had it coming for so long so let's make him squirm," he declared.
Before Kiyomi was born, Minako didn't understand why Yukari would sometimes just watch the twins sleep. But now… she understood.
There was a peace and tranquility to watching her baby daughter sleep, her rounded cheeks flushed pink. Minako traced the curve of Kiyomi's cheek, reveling in how soft it was.
"Wonder how long she'll stay down this time," Aki said tiredly.
Minako giggled. "We should probably get some rest, huh?"
She carried Kiyomi to her nursery, laying her down in her crib. It took Minako a moment to loosen Kiyomi's grasp on her shirt. Aki reached down, smoothing down Kiyomi's hair.
There was such a soft and gentle look on Aki's face as he looked down at Kiyomi. It made Minako smile, seeing it.
"I made the appointment for Kiyomi's check-up next week while you were sleeping earlier," Aki said quietly.
Minako sighed. "I can't believe she'll be a month old soon."
Kiyomi's original due date was December eleventh. If Shido hadn't…
Aki put a hand on her arm. "Come on, Mina, don't be like that. Kiyo's with us, safe and healthy."
Minako rubbed at her eyes. "Sorry… sometimes I can't help it. The what-ifs kept bouncing in my head."
Aki smiled in understanding. "Yeah… I get that, Mina. Believe me…"
Minako shook her head. "But you're right, no more focusing on the what-ifs."
"Wanna see if anything's good on TV right now?" Aki asked.
Minako giggled as Aki flicked on the TV. "I betcha they're airing crappy Atrimark Christmas movies—"
But when Aki turned on the TV, whatever was playing suddenly disappeared. Then the TV's screen became filled with static. Then a familiar red logo popped up.
Minako gasped, staring open-mouthed at the screen. But then she seized her husband's arm.
"Aki, turn up the volume!" she urged.
"Okay, okay!"
"WHAT IS UP, EVERYONE?!" a loud boisterous voice belted out.
"Mina, is this a c—"
"Shush!" Minako quickly shushed her husband.
From Ken's descriptions, the first speaker had to be Ryuji.
"We are the ones known as the Phantom Thieves," intoned a second voice.
"And all of us are alive and kicking!" Ryuji announced, his voice gleeful.
"Oh my god," Minako breathed out, her hand pressed to her mouth as she stared at the screen. "They're really doing it. They're going to steal Shido's heart."
Aki just shook his head, letting out a little huff. "I just hope Mitsuru doesn't wring Ken's neck for not giving us a warning."
"For the shitty guys in power, they've manipulating information and trying to hide the truth!"
"Holy. Shit."
Why didn't Ken tell them about such a cool calling card?! Junpei was honestly kinda jealous that he wasn't partaking in this.
"They certainly know how to make an entry," Chidori commented, her head tilted.
"It's probably Futaba-chan's doing," Fuuka remarked.
Junpei had invited her over to have dinner, especially since Fuuka was all by herself. He had thought they'd have a nice, fun dinner together. He had never expected that anything this eventful would happen.
"Sooo… before we appropriate our next target," a feminine voice chuckled.
The TV screen was doing all kinds of crazy stuff, bright letters flashing and a cartoony cat's head bouncing all over.
"We would first like to borrow your time!"
A graver voice continued, "The recent scandals of public figures, the accidents caused by psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns… They weren't caused by unknown reasons."
Damn… they were really going all in! Junpei leaned in close, practically on the edge of his seat.
"One man is behind every instance… simply to satiate his own greed."
Chidori whispered, "I'm just glad that he's getting what he deserves now."
"That man was afraid his crimes would be exposed and shifted the blame on us! He even manipulated the police!"
"They're really exposing everything," Fuuka murmured.
"We only steal the hearts of criminals! But this asshole tried to dump what he pulled on us!"
"Drag 'im!" Junpei yelled out, pumping his fist.
"That just shows how he doesn't care about the victims after all!"
"He's just paying lip service to the public! He doesn't care about the public or who he crushes along the way. All that matters is power, in his eyes."
"That voice…" Fuuka gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth. "Is that Ken-kun?"
"It sounds a bit garbled but…" Chidori pressed her index finger against her lips. "I think so."
"The identity of that cowardly man is—"
The TV screen went blank.
"Shido's men must've been scrambling to silence them," Aigis intoned.
"That's so unfair!" Labrys fumed.
Aigis just hummed in response. "I imagine it was quite chaotic, trying to silence this broadcast. Futaba-san must've planned this for a while."
"Yeah… but I can't believe the broadcast just got shut down like that!"
As the two sisters conversed, Mitsuru sighed, rubbing her temples. Why couldn't Amada give them a warning? She was glad that the Phantom Thieves were finally going for Shido's heart but this little stunt just about gave her a heart attack.
But then the TV flashed back to the broadcast.
"The man behind it all is a current cabinet member of all things."
Mitsuru pressed a hand to her mouth.
"Checkmate, Shido," she thought in amusement.
"The Minister of State for Special Missions…"
The screen showed a recent headshot of Shido.
"Masayoshi Shido!"
"Everything that guy says is a lie!"
Mitsuru's jaw dropped as the screen showed silhouettes of all the Phantom Thieves.
"And to prove it! Look! As you can see, all of us are alive and kicking! I'm sure the people investigating us can tell if this is a lie or not!"
They were really throwing all in for this… it was rather reckless of them but…
"Shido himself will confess to all the crimes he committed, look forward to it everyone!"
It was to back Shido into a corner, one that he couldn't weasel his way out.
"We're not going to sit back and watch this guy ruin this country 'cause of his goddamn ego!" The screen suddenly minimized, showing two teenage boys.
It was hard to tell who some of them were. She only got silhouettes and it's not like she knew what their costumes were. However if she had to guess, the one talking was Sakamoto right now. The way he spoke was very… unique. Even though she has only heard the boy speak in two different instances, his speech patterns were very memorable.
"Ain't that right… Leader?" Sakamoto asked, a grin in his voice.
That was when she saw Amamiya boldly step into the light, the only thing concealing his identity was his mask.
The sight of that made Mitsuru inhale sharply. She couldn't help but feel flabbergasted.
Amamiya declared, "Yes… but before that—we will take this country!"
His voice wasn't even jumbled up! That was even more reckless! But if she had to guess, that was on purpose. The people who arrested Ren would know his face and voice by now. They were flaunting it in Shido's face how much he and his men had failed.
"Your days are limited, Shido…" Mitsuru murmured.
She let a smile pull at her lips. The thought of Shido finally facing the music was very sweet indeed.
Ren couldn't help but smirk to himself as he watched Shido vehemently deny the accusations they had flung at him. Especially as people began to muse to themselves if Shido was saying the truth or not. It looked like they were getting to the public, even if it was just a little.
"Shido's acting all calm and collected, but he's prolly freaking out so bad," Ryuji whispered, unable to hold the excitement from his voice.
"And he expects us to apologize for standing up for what's right…?" Yusuke questioned, keeping his voice low. He then narrowed his eyes. "What a complete utter joke."
"He's the real criminal," Haru said, her voice soft.
With such a large crowd, it was all too easy to slip away. The crowd around the Diet Building was almost as bad as Shibuya's.
"Jeez… what a crowd," Ren remarked.
Yusuke said, "The calling card certainly has had a tremendous effect on everyone."
"All they're making is noise though…" Ryuji grumbled.
Morgana snickered. "This coming from you?"
"Aw, shuddup Morgana!" Ryuji glowered at the cat.
Makoto fussed at them to stop bickering but Anne had a pensive look on her face, her index finger pressed against her lips.
"Anne?" Ren asked.
"Oh!" Anne jumped. "I was just thinking with Shido knowing about the Metaverse so much. D-Do you think Boss might get into trouble?"
"Shit!" Ren couldn't help but curse to himself.
And Sae knew that Sojiro was his guardian. It'd be too easy for Shido to discover that info.
Futaba's eyes went round with fear, before she began to shake. "I-I didn't think about that."
"Don't worry about that. I already asked Shinjiro-san to look out for him," Ken suddenly spoke up.
Ken was… steadier today. There was a determination smoldering in his eyes. Ren was glad to see it.
Futaba visibly relaxed at that. "Okay… thanks, Ken."
Ken gave her a quick rub on the head with a smile. But Makoto eyed the crowd with uncertainty. They were yelling about whether Shido was right or not.
"Even after everything… not many people will want Shido to get a change of heart. What we're about to do is just… right?" Makoto asked.
"It is… the people are just shaken because they believed Shido would be the country's salvation," Ren reassured his friend.
"We lost our way once… but this is purely for the sake of justice," Morgana said. "We must bring Shido to justice… for all of his victims and for this country!"
"Are you guys ready?" Ren asked quietly.
His friends just nodded in unison.
"Then let's do this!"
Group Chat: Former SEES
[Minako]: KEN-KUN YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO
[Minako]: HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL US ABOUT THIS?
[Junpei]: HOLY SHIT THAT WAS SO COOL
[Aigis]: Perhaps Ken-san wanted us to feel surprised
[Aki]: That's putting it lightly
[Fuuka]: But… this is it, isn't it? They're going to steal Shido's heart…
[Yukari]: God, is that why everyone was going crazy? I was in a meeting and I missed everything!
[Mitsuru]: It appears that is their calling card.
[Aigis]: It is wise. It must've caught Shido's attention for certain.
[Minako]: KEN-KUN ARE YOU SERIOUSLY IGNORING US?!
[Shinjiro]: Ken ain't here. He went into the Palace
[Junpei]: Aw, man. I wanted to tell him how cool this was!
[Junpei]: Though, which was Ken? It was too dark to tell.
[Minako]: Hmm… that's a good point. Well the two boys we saw were Ren-kun and Ryuji-kun.
[Fuuka]: I saw a tuxedo and a… cape?
[Aigis]: I spotted the other male wearing a fox-inspired outfit
[Yukari]: Those are… interesting outfits
[Junpei]: So Ken's a dork running around in a tux and cape or is a furry?
[Yukari]: JUNPEI
[Minako]: I mean, Ken has always been close with Koro-chan.
[Fuuka]: Minako-chan, not you too!
[Mitsuru]: Well that's simple. Akihiko and Shinjiro saw Amada in the Metaverse did they not?
[Aki]: Yeah but your theorizing is pretty funny
[Aigis]: I believe this is… RIP for Ken-san.
[Junpei]: Yeah, you nailed it Ai-chan!
[Yukari]: Jeez… You guys are all horrible
[Minako]: Aw but it's how we show our love :(
Shibuya was insanely packed. Shinjiro had made his way down so he could head to Yongen-jaya.
The crowd was clamoring for more info on Shido. The calling card had worked them up into a frenzy. Shinjiro couldn't help but smirk as he watched the police struggle to contain the crowd. With how the whole lot of them was under Shido's thumb, they deserved it.
And the rest of Shido's men probably would have their hands full. They'd be scrambling to hide the truth that the calling card revealed. Ken didn't even share the full details with him, just a vague "We're going in to steal Shido's heart. Keep an eye out for the calling card."
Shinjiro couldn't help but think that it tickled Ken pink to keep this calling card a secret until its unveiling. And Shinjiro had to admit it was one hell of a calling card, the Phantom Thieves' last "hurrah".
He was too absorbed in his thoughts that Shinjiro ended up smacking right into a man.
"Sorry," Shinjiro muttered.
"'s all right," the man dismissed.
With a jolt, Shinjiro realized it was the shopkeeper—the one for that airsoft shop. Ken had gone there to try and find a better weapon. What was his name again?
"Eh… not important." Shinjiro mentally shrugged.
But he was staring up at the jumbotron, a wry smile on his face.
"So that's what you've been up to, kid," he said almost to himself.
Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. Ken did say that Amamiya had several contacts, not that was surprising with how Minato and Minako both had friends in all kinds of places.
He found himself looking up at the jumbotron himself. That was really one hell of a calling card. It was too fitting, especially with everything Shido's pulled over the years. It's been way too long of a wait but that bastard was about to get what he deserved. Like he told Fuuka, it was fitting that the next generation would be the ones to confront him.
"Good luck, guys," he whispered. "You've got this."
Notes:
So… I lied. Next chapter will be the conclusion of the Shido arc. It'll fit much better, as the first half will be dedicated to confronting Shido and then the aftermath. But I do have some good news—I had finished writing the first three phases and I have the last two phases started. So I think Chapter 50 will come a little faster! (For reference, I already have 8.6k written for Chapter 50 now.) And as a result of this, the story will have 55 numbered chapters + the planned epilogue.
Also I've been receiving questions about the Q2 fic getting an update. And please believe me that I want to update it more than you want to read it! But pestering me about it does not help matters. Receiving reviews just saying "please update" does not help. My muse is very low for it right now so I'm trying to take it slow with the chapter. I don't want to force it, as lower quality writing would be the end result. I also plan on going through the chapters and making edits since I find some parts a bit… messy. Hopefully it'll help with muse.
But thanks for reading guys! I've also tweaked how to join my discord for this fic—check out my tumblr personaaceinthehole for my details! And as always, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta angelrin89 for editing the chapter!
Reviews are love! I'd love to hear your thoughts about this chapter! (And happy birthday, Anne!)
Chapter 51: Ch. 50: Even The Mighty Can Fall
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves confront Shido.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Yes… yes, we're looking into it now."
Akechi had failed. It had taken all of Masayoshi's willpower to keep a neutral face as he watched the clip from his tablet.
Did these pathetic thieves really think that they could make him cower? The mere thought made Masayoshi want to snarl. And Akechi would pay for his failure.
He set aside his tablet and pulled out his phone, dialing Akechi's number. He absentmindedly fiddled with a nearby pen with his free hand as the phone rang. But it immediately went to voicemail. In the past, Akechi often told that was because he was in the other world.
Was the brat hiding from him now? Masayoshi grinded his teeth at the mere thought of it. He wouldn't weasel his way out of this!
He would deal with Akechi with his failure later. He had to handle the Phantom Thieves first. His eyes narrowed at his tablet which was playing the clip.
It didn't matter how many of them were, he would destroy them—
"…Wait a minute. Just how many of them are there?" Masayoshi thought to himself, narrowing his eyes.
A conversation he had with Akechi suddenly came to mind…
"Okumura's daughter has joined their ranks, sir."
"They keep adding to their ranks… they're multiplying like rats. How many are there now?"
"Including Okumura's daughter? Nine."
There were nine silhouettes standing in the video. And that meant Kirijo and her dogs had lied.
This was just unbelievable. To think that Kirijo thought she could manipulate him like this. He couldn't help but think of what her lapdogs had forced him to do…
"It's simple. You let Ken go free and keep the hell away from Mitsuru and the rest of us... and we will keep this recording our secret."
"You think that this will stop me? The leader of the Phantom Thieves will die! By one of my men's hand!"
"This is about the Shadow Operatives; you made a mistake messing with one of us! Those are our terms!"
A loud crack suddenly drew Masayoshi's attention.
"S-Sir?"
Masayoshi scowled before casting the now snapped pen into the wastebasket. He was just lucky that the ink barrel had remained intact, he supposed.
Kirijo had made a fool out of him. For the last time. He would crush her and everyone associated with her.
"But perhaps I'll first present her with the corpse of that brat—the one who kept defying me," Masayoshi mused to himself.
Those insolent eyes… that look in his eyes was burned in Masayoshi's mind. Even when he was literally at Masayoshi's mercy, he'd fire off a smart comment. He wouldn't even back down at the face of torture.
To add salt to the injury, the brat summoned that power with his hands literally tied.
"Sir, what's wrong?"
Masayoshi glared at the man who spoke.
"I want Kirijo crushed! Absolutely!" he growled out. "She'll be begging for mercy."
It was nothing more than that thorn in his side deserved. He had no patience for a weak little bleeding heart. She had a one-track mind.
"Now, sir?" his employee asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Not now, you fool!" Masayoshi snapped with an irate glare. "We'll deal with the Phantom Thieves first. And besides that—I want you to deal with Sojiro Sakura. The leader of the Phantom Thieves is under his guardianship. I want our men to wrench any information you can from him. I don't care if you have to beat it out of him."
"Y-Yes, sir!" came the stammered reply.
"Don't stand there gaping! Go already!" Masayoshi snarled out.
As the man scrambled to follow his orders, Masayoshi slowly stood.
"Fine… if that's how you want to play it," he spat out. "I'll crush you underneath my heel."
Ren's heart was pumping the entire time they raced to the chamber where Shido's Shadow would be waiting for them.
He stood near the back of the room with his back turned.
"Shido!" Ryuji yelled. "You're gonna pay for everything you've done, you bastard!"
"Oh? You think you can threaten me?" Shido drawled out, slowly turning to face them. "Where did you lowlifes even obtain that power?"
Ren growled at that, his hands clenching into fists. That bastard… he had some nerve calling them lowlifes with all the crap that Shido's pulled over the past few years.
Shido then shook his head. "Not that it matters. Though I suppose since you've come all this way… I can hear out what you have to say to me."
Ren tensed at that. He was mocking them.
Ken stepped forward before locking his eyes with Shido. "Did you know that Goro Akechi was your illegitimate son?"
Shido suddenly smirked. "It was a clever trick, trying to change his identity before he came to me. It might've worked… but he reminded me too much of that woman."
"All of those people dead…and for what?"Haru said mournfully.
Futaba's mom, Haru's dad, not to mention all the targets Shido ordered Akechi to go after, and the innocents caught up in the storm… they had died for nothing. And those that didn't die, their reputations are tarnished forever. Ren's stomach churned at the mere thought.
"That woman?" Ryuji repeated before glaring at Shido, his hands formed fists. "Did she mean shit to you?!"
Shido merely shrugged at that.
"Yes, that woman," Shido repeated sarcastically before his expression morphed into pure disdain. "Beautiful like all the others that came falling at my feet. They were attracted to my power. But just like the others, she was useless in the end. All of them, snarling little wolves hungry for money and ensnaring their betters. She thought she could lord herself over me by trapping me into a marriage just because she was carrying that boy. Pathetic…"
"Trapping? Wolves? You think the whole world is selfish like you?" Yusuke repeated tensely, his entire form becoming rigid.
Shido let out a chuckle. "She was always so eager to please me. But it was clearly a lie. Everyone always wants something from the powerful, the parasites that they are. Though… her sister was always so annoying. She had a mouth on her."
Shido really did like to project himself onto everyone else.
Ken tensed at that comment, his grip on his spear tightening. Makoto grimaced, placing a hand on Ken's arm.
"She hated me for something so stupid… for not being 'good' enough for her sister." A twisted smirk suddenly appeared on Shido's face as he stared directly at Ken. "She was just jealous that her sister was smarter than her for spending time with someone worthwhile instead of whatever loser she ended up tied with to make you..."
Ken had gone frozen, but Anne's hands clenched into fists. "You… You—"
But Anne was suddenly interrupted by Ken.
A growl abruptly tore out of Ken's throat and both Makoto and Yusuke had to grab Ken before he could lunge at Shido's Shadow.
"Don't you dare talk about my mom like that, you sick bastard!" Ken snarled out, practically spitting nails.
"Ace, calm down!" Yusuke admonished.
Well, in all fairness, you just don't talk about someone's mom like that. Even now, Ren probably would've decked someone who had the audacity to talk about his mom like that.
Ken slowly exhaled, relaxing slightly. But he wouldn't stop glaring at Shido. Yusuke and Makoto hesitantly released Ken and Ken continued to scowl at Shido.
"You really see everyone as nothing but your playthings, don't you?" Ren demanded.
He couldn't help but think of that night, that fateful night that led him down his now current path.
Shido shrugged, his expression becoming bored. "No I don't see you as playthings. Tell me, do you ever stop to think about every ant you step on as you walk down the sidewalk?"
"You despicable little…" Makoto glared at Shido before her hands clenched into fists.
Anne growled, her hands wringing at the handle of her whip. "We'll see if you think the same thing when I plant my foot up your a—"
Shido snorted derisively at that. "Children are all so emotional, aren't they? That's why I was able to shape Akechi into a tool. He was wasting his potential before that. If anything, he should thank me."
"He should thank you for having him ruin people's lives, if not kill them?!" Haru exclaimed.
Ken suddenly laughed. "You're that delusional, are you?"
"Ace…?" Yusuke questioned in a low voice.
"Stop your mumbling, brat. Speak plainly." Shido scoffed in annoyance.
Ken just snorted, folding his arms over his chest. "Akechi came to you. He offered his services, to allow you to take down your rivals and anyone else who got in your way? You wouldn't have the power you wield now if it wasn't for Akechi. It's you who needed Akechi, not the other way around."
Shido scowled at Ken.
"Insolent brat!"
"I'm right, aren't I?" Ken flung back, his eyes narrowing at Shido.
Shido huffed. "You are all so naive. My ascension to the throne was mandated by God himself!"
"You would dare…?" Yusuke questioned before his eyes hardened. "You're truly deluding yourself into believing that you're God's chosen one?! You're utterly selfish! You were the one to use foul tricks because you're simply unable to win by honest means!"
"A cruel person like you has no right in leading the citizens of this country," Makoto spat out. "You're nothing but a criminal who rose over others by climbing a staircase of sin."
"And you used everyone who got in your way as stepping stones," Ren spat out.
Futaba nodded vigorously at that before she clenched her hands into fists. "You stole my mom's hard work! You ordered her to be killed!"
Shido simply scoffed, waving a careless hand. The simple gesture irritated Ren but then he opened his mouth and Ren's aggravation increased tenfold.
"The life of a nation as opposed to a few sacrifices? The decision was so easy to make."
"Few?!" Haru's voice rose with indignation. "Countless people have died for the sake of your ambition. You used my father… and you killed him in the end! The moment you decided that lives were a 'worthy' sacrifice is the moment you forfeited the right to be in any kind of position of power!"
Her face grew mournful; she was probably thinking of how her father was using his employees for the sake of his own ambition as well… Ren couldn't help but feel a twinge at that. That was still their greatest failure…
"Noir…" Morgana muttered out, his voice soft with sympathy.
Shido just sighed, shaking his head. But the condescending expression on his face just pissed off Ren.
Shido commented, "You refuse to see the big picture, I see. The ignorant masses are so easily distracted too. Just look at how your changing of hearts got their attention."
"It was not a distraction!" Ryuji hissed, clenching one hand into a fist. "We were trying to help people!"
Shido's voice turned patronizing. "If that's how you really see it then you're more foolish than Akechi. But your claim of trying to 'help' people is meaningless, truly. The ignorant masses are only concerned with their own personal happiness. I'm striving to give them that."
Then he turned to face them completely. A disgusting smirk was on his face. Ren's hand clenched into a fist. How he would love to smack that expression off Shido's face...
"That is the social reform that only I, as the chosen one of God, can enact!" Shido proclaimed.
"I can't believe that you'd think of everyone else so lowly…" Haru uttered, shaking her head.
Anne glared up at Shido. "I'd rather die than follow a despicable slimeball like you!"
Ryuji scowled. "You claim that it's for the 'good of the country' but you're just a selfish bastard who wants to mold Japan into what you want it to be!"
Ren added. "To hell what everyone else feels, right?"
Shido suddenly chuckled. "Then why was I chosen? Why are they surrendering the seat of prime minister to me? Everyone denies the value of hard work. Instead, they seek to effortlessly gain wealth."
Haru just sighed as her expression grew downcast. But then her face hardened.
"That's just an excuse! You're trying to eliminate all of your rivals so the position can be yours!" she said hotly.
"You truly misunderstand. Japan has grown weak over the past few decades. I must reestablish this mighty country. One that does not waver… one that others bow to."
"Mighty, my ass!" Ryuji scoffed before he swiped his arm. "That's just a crooked country built up by a crook!"
"We will not allow you to do this," Yusuke said. "You're a disgrace to Japan. So we will take your deranged heart."
"Hmph…" Shido leaned onto the podium, his eyes boring into them. "Those who oppose me must be eliminated. However…"
"However?" Ren didn't like the sound of this…
"Given how useful Akechi was, it would truly be a loss to eliminate you all. If you pledge to devote yourself to me and my social reform, I will grant you anything your heart wishes for."
"You tried this trick with me once!" Ken spat out. "The answer will always be no!"
Ren nodded. "You ruined my life… there's no way in hell that I'd ever bow to you!"
"There's no way we'd follow you!" Morgana seconded.
Shido sighed deeply, looking away. "It seems you remain determined to seem ignorant, a pity."
Rage began to bubble inside Ren once more.
"You're the one who's ignorant!" he snarled out.
That man ruined lives within a blink of an eye because of small inconveniences. His sense of self-importance was really pissing Ren off.
Shido let out a hefty sigh. "It seems that I will have to eliminate you after all. What a shame. I was sure that we could've forged a great partnership. But as is… you're nothing but pests. But even the smallest pests can become a problem over time… a small leak could sink a great ship. Great nations have fallen because of such lenience. I will not make that kind of mistake!"
At that, cognitions suddenly popped up from the seats, applauding Shido. Ren gritted his teeth as his friends looked bewildered.
It reminded him of their first visit to Shido's Palace, where apparently anything Shido had said would be supported 100%. Shido would turn Japan into a complete dictatorship. There was just no way that he'd let that happen!
But Shido waved off the applauding sycophants with a smug smirk. The stage suddenly started to rumble, lifting Shido high into the air. The ceiling began to open up, a mechanism in the wall breaking them apart and forming layers. The layers were slowly closing in, covering the area where the stage once stood.
Yusuke was the first to move, taking a running jump and climbing onto the first layer.
"Come on! Make haste!" he said before continuing to climb.
Ren nodded before running after Yusuke. His friends started to follow suit, save for one.
"I don't know if I can make the jump!" Futaba said, her voice growing panicked.
"Oracle, c'mon!" Ryuji tried to urge her.
Futaba stomped her foot. "You know exercising is my weakness! My Achilles' heel! My—"
"Mona, give Oracle a boost!" Ren commanded.
They didn't have time for this. They needed to get where Shido was before it was too late.
"Waitwaitwait, what?!" Futaba squawked out.
She then shrieked as Morgana suddenly sent both of them flying in the air with a burst of wind. She grabbed onto the edge and Ken and Makoto pulled her up.
"Thanks for the warning, Mona!" Futaba griped.
"More climbing, less complaining!" was Morgana's retort before he started to climb once more.
They managed to make it just in time for the layers to join together with a soft click. They weren't quite on the top of the ship but significantly higher than where they had been just moments before. Ren had barely been able to catch his breath before Shido spoke up again.
"Allow me to make myself clear… do not think of me as my foolish followers, who you crushed so easily."
Shido began to ascend something… golden. Ren wasn't entirely sure what it was.
"It's your turn to be crushed!" Shido declared, even as dark energy pulsated around him.
"You patronizing little…" Yusuke hissed out, his hand grasping at his katana's hilt.
Shido whirled around, revealing to be wearing a black military uniform. Several golden medals were pinned at the front. A white cape draped over his shoulders. On his head was a white mask, with five points at the top.
"Die without further delay!" he barked out.
"Our leader's been through shit cause of you!" Ryuji jabbed a finger at Ren and then at Shido, his eyes narrowed. "It's on!"
The golden thing that Shido was now standing on… was a lion. Ren realized with a jolt that its body was made of people. Ren's stomach churned. He felt sick… Shido truly viewed people as nothing but stepping stones.
"I'll erase any who stand in my way!" Shido declared from his perch on top of the golden lion. "There is no need for petty thieves in my mighty country!"
The lion suddenly slammed down his paw, creating a huge crater in the floor. His friends scrambled back to get out of the way, but Ren just glared up at Shido.
"You were the one trying to get us to work for you!" Ren snapped. "We don't wanna be your tools so you think we should be tossed away, huh?"
Shido just sneered. "Only I, and those who revere me, are needed in this new country!"
"We'll knock you off your high horse," Makoto growled out, both of her hands clenched tightly.
"Yeah! Risking our lives to stop rotten adults… that's why we're Phantom Thieves!" Futaba exclaimed from within Prometheus.
"Hell yeah!" Ryuji pumped his fist. "Let's beat his ass!"
"I'll do my best to support you!" Futaba said.
"Fan out, everyone!" Ren ordered, making a sweeping motion with his hand.
He summoned Titania. She pointed at Shido, a red glow surrounding his entire form. Ken quickly followed up by casting a Marukunda spell.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Anne charging up her magic with Concentration. Ren could feel power surge through his veins as Ryuji cast a Matarukaja spell.
"Kamu Susano-o!" Yusuke exclaimed, tearing off his mask.
Kamu Susano-o attempted to slam into Shido but a translucent shield popped up, reflecting the attack back at Yusuke. The force was strong enough to knock Yusuke right off his feet.
"Fox!" Futaba shrieked. "Someone heal him! He's really low on health!"
"Hang on, Fox!" Morgana exclaimed, before summoning Zorro to heal Yusuke.
"Oracle, was that a counter?" Ren asked.
Yusuke had that ability too; it was useful for when hard-hitting Shadows attacked him with how the attack reflected right back at them.
"No… he reflects physical attacks completely! Guns too!" Futaba let out a frustrated growl. "Ugh, this is so annoying!"
"Stick to magic spells, all of you!" Ren shouted.
"Magic, huh? Let me give a try, then!" Anne exclaimed.
She jumped backwards as Shido turned his attention on her, slamming down one paw. Morgana quickly diverted Shido's attention by summoning Zorro. Zorro blasted Shido with a powerful gust of wind, making him whirl around to find the source. While he was distracted, Anne took the opportunity to tear off her mask.
Hecate's neon eyes glowed brightly before twin bursts of fire exploded from the jaws of the dogs that accompanied Hecate.
"Quetzalcoatl!" Ren quickly followed up on Anne's attack, the winged snake flapping its wings, stirring up a powerful gale. The gale combined with Hecate's flames, creating a fiery gale that struck Shido right in the face.
Shido countered with a spell that weakened their defenses, but Ren summoned Cu Chulainn, to negate the spell with Dekunda. They couldn't afford to let Shido have any type of advantage. Shido growled at that but was quickly blindsided by Makoto attacking with a Freidyne spell.
The ground shook violently from the explosion, but Shido quickly shook it off. But then Ken followed up with a Kougaon spell, aimed right in the eye.
Shido attacked blindly, swinging around wildly. Everyone jumped back so Shido wouldn't land a hit. Morgana summoned Zorro to unleash a powerful gale just when Shido made a recovery.
Shido growled at that before slamming down on Morgana.
"Astarte, please!" Haru suddenly cried out.
A translucent shield suddenly popped up, protecting Morgana from the blow.
"Thanks, Noir!" Morgana thanked.
As Shido recoiled from the reflected attack, Yusuke hastily summoned Kamu Susano-o. The Persona's sword became coated with ice. It slammed the blade into the ground. Ice began to spread on the floor before finally crystallizing at Shido's feet. Ren couldn't help but grin at that. It was pretty effective against Akechi.
Shido struggled to tear himself free, giving them an opening to launch their attacks.
Morgana managed to strike first, followed up by Ken. Ren took the moment to charge up his next magic spell, while Makoto summoned Anat to launch a Freidyne spell.
"Seiryu!" Ren called forth one of his new Personas; he had spent over an hour fusing Personas in the Velvet Room earlier today, in order to prepare for this fight with Shido.
Seiryu opened its jaw and suddenly the temperature dropped significantly as Seiryu breathed ice at Shido. Shido recoiled backwards, only to be struck by a double attack. Astarte and Seiten Taisei's attacks landed within seconds of each other.
Ren managed to get in another attack with Arsène just as Shido managed to tear himself free. Due to the constant attacks, Shido looked worse for wear.
"You low lives!" Shido snarled out. "I hope you know what it means to turn your back on me!"
"It means we're doing the right thing!" Ren growled out as his blood started to boil.
The nerve of this arrogant bastard…
"Yeah! And I don't wanna understand!" Futaba yelled.
Shido let out a growl at that. "Then you shall perish! You shall regret your actions… in the afterlife!"
The lion suddenly jumped up, spinning in the air. Golden wings sprouted from the lion and Shido was suddenly hovering in mid-air.
"I will destroy you!" Shido promised.
"That's funny… that's my line," Ren growled out.
"Wait… it seriously changed?!" Futaba gasped. "Hang on, I think its attributes have changed! Gimme a sec to be sure!"
"Zorro, come!" Morgana barked out, summoning his Persona.
But Shido just shrugged off the blast of wind that Zorro summoned.
"Huh?!" Morgana sputtered out.
"Oracle, is he resistant to wind now?" Ren demanded.
"Give me a sec! Keep him busy!" Futaba replied.
Shido divebombed at them so they quickly scrambled to get out of the way. Yusuke quickly summoned Kamu Susano-o. The Persona swiped through the air, icicles forming; they struck at Shido's wing, but Shido seemed to shrug it off with just a couple flaps of his wings.
"Thor!" Ren shouted.
Electricity sparked from the hammer Thor held up before it surged forward. Tyr suddenly appeared, swiping through the air, and summoning several blades of light. The two attacks combined, making the golden blades of light crackle with blue lightning.
But Shido seemed to be hardly bothered by the attack. But then the lion opened his jaw, breathing out fire.
"Astarte, help!" Haru cried out.
A shield appeared over Yusuke just in time, reflecting the flames.
"My thanks, Noir!" Yusuke said.
"Ugh… this is so annoying! I think he's resistant to all magic!" Futaba suddenly reported, her voice growing frustrated. "But the good news is that he won't reflect physical attacks anymore!"
"What a pain," Anne groused with a scowl.
Of course, Anne wouldn't be a fan, given how she was one of their magic hard hitters. But now Ren knew better on how to handle this. Already a plan was formulating in his head.
"Queen, Panther, Mona—fall back! You're on support duty! Use your weapons when you can, but I want you to focus on keeping everyone's energy up!" Ren shouted.
The drawback with physical attacks was that your health dwindled down so fast. Morgana was their best healer, but Ren didn't want his energy too drained. Anne and Makoto would be able to help with that.
"Noir, Ace—stick to gun attacks! Fox and Skull—hammer him with your physical attacks!"
Ren then tore off his mask, calling forward Siegfried. When he had fused this Persona before they went into Shido's Palace the second time, he actually had to pay a little extra cash to fuse him. But it was worth it—Siegfried hit hard.
"Super move! ULTRA CHARGE!" Futaba exclaimed.
Ren grinned as he felt a surge of power fill his veins, making his skin tingle for a moment. Ryuji joined in boosting their power, by casting Matarukaja.
Siegfried jumped forward, slamming down with his sword. Right when Siegfried attacked, Ren fired his gun. As Shido staggered from the blow, Ken and Haru struck at once; their Personas fired bullets rapidly at each of Shido's wings.
Ken and Haru jumped back, letting Ryuji and Yusuke team up too. Seiten Taisei crashed into Shido's side, sending Shido tumbling to the ground. This made Shido easy pickings for Kamu Susano-o, who slashed at Shido several times. Ren then switched to Thor. Thor swung his hammer into Shido, making him grunt with pain when the blow landed.
As Morgana healed them with a Mediaharan spell, Anne and Makoto shot at Shido with their guns. Shido countered by throwing a Bufudyne spell at Anne. She skidded back with a pained cry. Shido started to laugh as Anne struggled to get up.
But then electricity crackled around Shido before aiming it right at Morgana.
Ren tore off his mask, summoning Thor to shield Morgana. He wasn't going to let Shido knock down Morgana too. He nervously glanced at Anne, who had finally managed to get up.
"You'll pay for that!" she swore before she summoned Hecate to heal herself.
Yusuke then cast Masukukaja, allowing them to move a bit faster. They kept hammering at Shido, using their guns, weapons, and their Personas' abilities.
"Hold still!" Shido hissed at them.
"How about no?" Ryuji retorted before summoning Seiten Taisei once more to attack Shido.
Ren summoned Norn to launch him in the air, twirling his pistol on one finger. Once he was high enough in the air, he shot three times in quick succession. They all hit their mark, making Shido growl.
The air temperature suddenly spiked as Shido's lion opened its maw, fire glowing from within.
"Tyr!" he heard Ken shout before the tell-tale bang sounded.
Ken's attack hit its mark, making Shido reel. The fire spell flew right past Ren, striking the wall behind him. Ren quickly landed, letting out his breath. Damn, he was glad that Ken was so quick.
"Thanks, Ace!" he called out.
Ken nodded. "Of course."
Shido quickly recovered, flapping his wings hard and whipping up a hurricane. It slammed right into Ryuji, sending him flying.
"Skull!" Futaba squeaked out. "Hang in there!"
Ryuji's only answer was a groan.
Ren quickly scanned the area. Morgana was further away, fighting with Haru and Yusuke.
"Ace—"
"On it," Ken interrupted before running over to heal Ryuji.
Shido took the opportunity to summon a Freidyne spell, aimed at Haru. Yusuke suddenly whipped around, pushing Haru out of the way. Haru stumbled backwards, falling on her backside. The spell suddenly exploded, and Yusuke was caught up in the explosion.
"Hang on, Fox!" Morgana exclaimed before summoning Zorro to heal Yusuke.
Haru looked over to Yusuke before her expression grew stony. She then pushed herself up before looking to Morgana.
"Mona-chan, give me a boost!" Haru exclaimed.
Morgana cocked his head at that, but he nodded. He then summoned Zorro, a small burst of wind sending Haru in the air. She had her grenade launcher in her hands and she fired away. The blast actually knocked Shido from his perch, sending him tumbling to the air.
"Nice one, Noir!" Futaba crowed.
Haru smiled in acknowledgement of Futaba's compliment but then she glared at Shido.
"That was for Father!" she spat out.
Shido climbed back up on the lion, glaring down at them.
"To think you've made it this far… You really are impudent brats! Why don't you stop resisting?!"
"Because we're not helpless sheep who will mindlessly follow just anyone!" Anne said hotly.
"Why don't you understand?! The nation I strive for is the ultimate realization of the public's happiness!"
"You're wrong!" Ken spat out. "You've just deluded yourself into thinking that because you think this will make Japan 'strong'! And besides that… we have minds of our own! How can you think that you know the hearts of every single person?!"
"You're nothing but an arrogant tyrant!" Ren seconded. "I would never be happy under the rule of someone like you!"
"Then you're a fool!" Shido snarled back at him.
Shido's mount suddenly transformed yet again, this time into a golden pyramid. It was still formed of the people that made up the lion before but the only sign of Shido himself was his 'crown' on the tip of the pyramid.
Futaba's voice cracked. "It changed again?!"
"As long as there aren't thirteen forms, I'm good," Ken droned out.
Anne cried out, "Don't jinx us, Ace!"
Ren gritted his teeth. Okay, this was really starting to get aggravating. He just hoped that Shido didn't have thirteen forms like how Ken said Nyx had. Ken better not have jinxed them like Anne said.
But then Shido's next words just made Ren glare at him.
"The weak must be sacrificed for the sake of grand ideals! That is the natural order of this world!" Shido proclaimed.
"That isn't a world I wanna live in!" Ryuji shouted back.
"How arrogant… to have such an ideal of strength," Yusuke sniffed in disdain.
"Oracle! Scan Shido again!" Ren ordered.
They didn't know if Shido's affinities had shifted once again. Better safe than sorry.
Futaba exclaimed, "You got it! You know what to do then!"
Morgana summoned Zorro, creating a burst of air that launched him in the air. Morgana brandished his scimitar, slashing down. Shido grunted at that but then a cannon suddenly emerged from the pyramid. Ren could only watch in horror as Morgana was blasted by the cannon. He hurdled through the air, as helpless as a ragdoll.
"Mona!" Ryuji yelled, his voice growing panicked.
Ren quickly broke into a sprint, before leaping in the air to catch Morgana. He cradled Morgana to his chest as he landed on the ground, biting his lip as Morgana let out a pained groan. Ren hastily summoned Titania to cast Diaharan on Morgana.
"Thanks, Joker," Morgana said as Ren set him down. "That completely caught me off guard."
"I'm just glad you're safe, Mona," Ren said.
"Joker, Mona, look out!" Yusuke shouted at them.
They quickly jumped out of the way as Shido shot another cannonball at them.
"I'm sensing no resistances!" Futaba reported. "Go all out, guys!"
Ren nodded. "Thanks, Oracle!"
Ryuji summoned Seiten Taisei, casting Matarukaja. Ken followed up on that with Marakunda. Yusuke was next to summon his Persona, who struck Shido with his sword. Kamu Susano-o jumped backwards as Haru and Anne's attacks landed within seconds of each other; Astarte's Psy spell sent Shido reeling for a moment before Hecate's glowing flames hit their mark. Makoto then summoned Anat, unleashing a powerful Freidyne spell.
Shido countered by shooting rapidly at them. They were forced to sprint in order to get out of the way. They were able to get some hits in but only just a few.
That cannon was going to be a serious problem unless he managed to figure out something…
Haru and Ken quickly summoned their Personas and opened fire. The dual attack made Shido's attack falter. Anne whipped out her gun, firing madly. Ryuji and Yusuke combined their elemental attacks, the flurry of snow crackling with electricity as it slammed into Shido.
They were lucky to have Futaba though. She would heal them so that Morgana and Ken could focus more on attacking, as well as giving them a boost. She focused on agility, so they'd be able to dodge the attacks Shido threw at them further.
Ren ripped off his mask, summoning one of his new Persona: Black Frost. Black Frost just let out a snicker before blasting Shido with a Megidolan spell. Makoto quickly followed up with a Freidyne spell.
"Keep it up, you guys!" Futaba encouraged them.
She then boosted their attack power, allowing them to deal some heavy damage. But then Shido's cannon shifted, angled higher in the air.
"I've had enough of your interference, little girl…" Shido growled out.
"Wait, he wasn't seriously going to—?!" Ren thought with a panic.
Shido suddenly fired, and Ren could only watch in horror as it hurtled straight towards Prometheus.
He had to do something but what?
Futaba's scream of pain suddenly rattled in Ren's ears, snapping him out of his haze of panic. Prometheus's lights flickered dangerously for a moment.
"Oracle!" Ken shouted, his voice growing panicked.
Makoto and Ryuji reacted almost at the same time, summoning their Personas. The electric bolt from Seiten Taisei struck right in the middle but Anat's Freidyne spell landed right at the cannon. It was lucky timing though—Shido had just fired his cannon again when Anat struck.
The two attacks cancelled each other, the nuclear attack making the cannonball explode. Ren coughed for a moment as smoke billowed through the air. Ren quickly summoned Quetzalcoatl to dissipate the smoke with a Garudyne spell.
Ren clenched both hands into fists as he glared at Shido. Anger started to bubble inside of him. That was a new low, even for Shido. This was three times that Shido had hurt Futaba now.
Ordering the kill on her mom. His men shooting Futaba and holding her captive during the escape of Sae's Palace. And just now.
"I need to stop that cannon," Ren thought, frowning. "There's no stopping Shido from trying to shoot Oracle again like that."
A plan began to formulate in Ren's head. He needed to get up on that pyramid.
He switched his Persona to Arsene. Dark energy flared around Arsene before exploding, the blast striking Shido.
"Go all out!" Ren yelled, pointing to Shido.
He skirted to the right before switching Arsene out for Norn once more. Norn produced a small burst of wind which launched Ren into the air—high enough for Ren to latch onto the pyramid. The pyramid gave a strong tremor, trying to shake him without a doubt, but Ren stubbornly clung on.
"Joker?!" Anne cried out to him.
Ren shouted, "I'll be fine! Keep him busy!"
He caught Morgana's eye. But in that moment, Shido gave an even stronger quake and Ren's grip loosened.
"Zorro, help him!" Morgana shouted.
Ren was caught in a blast of wind, launching him near the top. Ren grabbed onto the pyramid once more and continued his climb up.
His friends stuck to elemental spells—probably since physical attacks would've made Shido's entire form shake more. He was just glad that they had faith in him, even though he couldn't voice his plan.
His friends formed small groups, combining their attacks in an all-out assault.
Makoto and Anne were pure devastation, combining nuclear and fire spells. Ryuji, Yusuke, and Morgana teamed up, creating a hurricane crackling with electricity and ice. Haru's Psy spell even held Shido still for a moment, giving Ken an opening to attack with Kougaon.
Ren latched onto Shido's 'crown', taking a moment to tear off his mask. Black Frost appeared once more before breathing ice at the cannon.
Diamond Dust was especially draining to use but it was even more powerful than Bufudyne. And Ren could only watch in triumph as ice quickly crystallized, completely engulfing the cannon.
"Rrgh! Damn you!" Shido raged.
Ren just smirked before taking a leap. He landed with a roll before he jumped to his feet again.
"You should've thought about that before messing with Oracle!" he growled out before whipping around to face his friends. "This is our chance! Let's go all out!"
Shido was trying to rapidly fire his cannon to try and shatter the thick sheet of ice now. Shido would be easy pickings for them now!
They quickly opened fire on Shido, elemental and physical attacks all flying at Shido.
"Tyr!" Ken was first to strike, Tyr rapidly shooting at Shido.
He didn't stop there, either, whipping out his gun and firing several shots.
Makoto unleashed her bullets on Shido as well before falling back to allow Yusuke and Ryuji to attack together, sending Shido reeling from their powerful physical attacks. When Kamu Susano-o and Seiten Taisei pulled back, Makoto summoned Anat to fling a Freidyne spell at Shido.
Morgana and Haru worked together, combining their elemental spells to create a devastating dual attack.
"Shall we, my lady?" Ren called out to Anne.
He already knew what Persona he wanted to use against Shido, for the final blow.
Anne looked to him, her eyes burning with determination. "Let's do it!"
He ripped off his mask, Arsene appearing again.
Fire and darkness melded together, slamming against Shido. The pyramid gave one last tremor before finally collapsing. Shido tumbled to the ground with a groan.
Prometheus lowered to the ground, depositing Futaba back to safety.
"Oracle!" Makoto gasped before rushing to Futaba.
She walked gingerly over to Makoto. Makoto immediately summoned Anat to cast a healing spell on Futaba.
"Oracle, are you okay?"
"Yeah." Futaba winced, clutching at her arm. "Sorry I couldn't help at the end."
"Don't say that," Ken admonished. "You were shot."
"I'm just glad that you're okay," Ren spoke up.
At least Futaba wasn't as hurt as she could be but… Ren was still furious that Shido had the audacity to shoot at Futaba like that.
"Useless! The masses are completely useless!" Shido suddenly spat out before he stalked over to them.
"So once you're losing, it's suddenly the masses' fault?!" Ryuji demanded.
"What happened to being 'chosen' by God himself?" Yusuke questioned, staring scornfully at Shido.
Shido scowled to himself. "It appears that nothing ordinary will stop them."
He sounded like he was talking to himself.
"Ordinary?" Makoto asked, eyes narrowed.
Shido suddenly snapped his fingers. "Akechi! I have another mission for you."
A pool of darkness began to form besides Shido. A figure rose from it, taking on the form of Akechi. He was dressed in that tan peacoat of his but there was a black masquerade mask on his face.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me…" Ken groused, his entire form growing tense.
Ren winced. He knew what was coming too…
"Akechi." Shido's smile grew cold before he pointed at Ren. "I have a new target for you. Annihilate the Phantom Thieves… starting with their pesky leader."
"As you wish, Shido-san," Cognitive Akechi stated with that fake pleasant smile of his.
But then his lips suddenly twisted into a dark smirk before drawing his pistol and pointing it right at Ren.
Ken reacted first; he grabbed his spear, lunging forward. He stabbed Cognitive Akechi right in the shoulder, but the cognition looked at the injury with impassive eyes. Ren was starting to get creeped out…
"I see… you wish to die first," Cognitive Akechi said, the pleasant smile back on his face.
He just switched his pistol to his other hand. Ken quickly yanked back but Cognitive Akechi was too fast on the draw. Ren could only watch in horror as Ken dropped like a rock, clutching at his shoulder and his face contorted with pain. Already red was staining his white glove.
"Ace!" Makoto cried out, rushing to him.
She immediately started to heal him; Ken tried to assure her that it's not bad, but Ren couldn't help but feel pissed. Ken got hurt because he was trying to protect Ren. Ren growled at the thought before tearing off his mask, summoning Arsène. An orb of shadowy energy pulsated in Arsène's hands before his Persona flung it forward. Cognitive Akechi was lightning fast, dodging the spell.
But as he jumped backwards, Morgana caught him up in a gale. The cognition quickly recovered though, leaping to his feet within a blink of his eye. He suddenly raced over Morgana, ripping Morgana's scimitar out of his hand before slashing several times at Morgana before finally knocking him to the ground.
"Mona!" Ren couldn't help but feel worried as Morgana struggled to get back up.
He scowled before summoning Siegfried. His Persona jumped forward, slamming into the cognition. He shook off the blow quickly but now turned his eyes on Ren.
Cognitive Akechi was all but a blur, firing his pistol rapidly. Haru threw up a shield around Ren for some breathing room but it didn't last for long. Ren grabbed his own pistol to try and fire back.
But then Yusuke quickly intervened with several Bufudyne spells. He ended freezing Akechi's hand solid. Ryuji then followed up with summoning Seiten Taisei, slamming the cognition to the ground. This attack also made him drop Morgana's sword. While they were attacking the cognition, Ken had rushed over to heal Morgana. Anne and Makoto provided a distraction by unleashing their powerful elemental spells, the attacks momentarily distracting Cognitive Akechi.
Ren couldn't help but feel troubled as it became apparent that Cognitive Akechi didn't care about the others, barely giving them a glance even when they unleashed powerful attacks on him. His eyes were affixed on Ren.
The real Akechi's eyes were crazed, filled with hatred. But this cold, impassive look just unnerved Ren. He was a cognition… but Ren couldn't help but think that Shido saw Akechi nothing as his killing machine, a weapon.
Futaba did their best to support them but even with her buffing their attack… the fake Akechi was crazy strong.
"Keep your distance, guys!" Ren shouted before tearing off his mask.
Black Frost appeared, breathing ice at the cognition. Ren was hoping to make the fake slip and slide, but he just took his gun, and shot at the ice, it shattered instantly.
Haru and Ken quickly teamed up, unleashing their gun attacks. Ryuji and Yusuke followed up with their Personas slamming into Akechi. Kamu Susano-o followed up with a powerful slash of his sword.
Another disturbing thing about the fake in comparison to the real Akechi, he never talked much. The real Akechi kept trash-talking them and cursing at them, but this silence was unnerving. And the real Akechi used his Personas, not just his brute force.
But they were slowly wearing him down. He was slowing down.
He tried to grab Yusuke's sword, but Yusuke anticipated his move, slashing sideways. The slash tore at Akechi's peacoat, distracting him briefly. Yusuke sheathed his sword before pulling his gun and firing twice.
Morgana snuck up from behind, leaping up and grabbing Akechi's gun with both of his hands.
"You—" The fake finally spoke up again, but Tyr quickly flung a light spell right in Cognitive Akechi's face.
Akechi flung his arm in front of his eyes, letting Morgana scamper to safety.
"Dance, Hecate!" Anne cried out before summoning her Persona.
Red shimmered around her for a moment, thanks to Ryuji, before she blasted the cognition with powerful flames at close range. The attack singed Akechi's clothes, burning his gloves even.
The false Akechi gritted his teeth, struggling to get up from Anne's powerful attack. But that was the opening Haru needed.
She swung her axe at him, three times. Akechi was struggling to recover but then Haru blasted him with her grenade launcher.
"Queen! Ace! Let's finish this!" she exclaimed.
"At your call, Noir!" Makoto said.
Ken just nodded, his expression filling with determination.
They lunged as one, Haru sending Akechi flying like a ragdoll with a well-placed Psiodyne spell. Tyr's gun attack and Anat's nuclear spell connected at the same time.
Akechi wasn't able to handle the full-on assault and he crumbled away, bursting into dust like Shadows did when they died.
"What?" Shido gasped. "NO!"
"Huh… doesn't that mean it was like the cognitions of Shido's VIPs?" Futaba pondered.
"That doesn't matter," Ren hissed out. "That just means the bastard has no more meat shields."
He was tired, tired of Shido trying to get away from his rightful comeuppance. He wanted Shido to go down hard.
"Even Akechi was useless… foolish boy!" Shido seethed, clenching both of his fists. "It seems that even thieves shouldn't be taken lightly in great numbers."
"Oh, shut the hell up!" Ren snarled out, feeling his temper flare at how Shido dismissed them. "We beat your 'weapon', fair and square!"
Despite everything, Ren was pissed. Akechi was no saint but the way that Shido saw Akechi was nothing but a tool to eliminate 'problems' angered Ren.
Who was Shido to decide that lives were just little chess pieces to use as he saw fit?
Shido scoffed under his breath before looking straight at Ren.
"So… you're the one uniting them?"
Ren gave a scoff of his own. He may be their leader but everyone standing here was present because of their convictions. Though he guessed that Shido would never understand that.
"A touching reunion, isn't it?" Anne's voice had a mocking edge to it now.
"When you crush a foe, I suggest you do it in a more certain manner," Yusuke said dryly.
Futaba huffed, cracking a smile at last. "Not that there will be a next time for you! You're going to face your crimes, no matter what!"
Shido stared hard at Ren, his expression turning confused. "You… you're more than just a member of the Phantom Thieves, aren't you?"
Ren lifted his head, peeling away his mask.
"Long time no see," he drawled out.
But Shido continued to stare, his expression baffled. Ren clenched his hands into fists as the realization hit him. Did Shido… seriously not remember?
"The nerve of this bastard…" Ren seethed to himself.
Ryuji suddenly smirked, folding his arms over his chest. "This ain't the first time you failed to finish him off!"
And yet, Shido continued to have a blank look on his face.
"Unbelievable…" Makoto uttered before her hands clenched into fists as well. "You took him to court, and you don't remember him?!"
Shido suddenly blinked. "Wait… could you be the one from back then…?"
Now that Ren thought of it, it was nearly an entire year since that incident. Ren had stayed out late, messing with his so-called friends since the third semester had just started up. In a way, it was really a twist of fate that Ren happened to stumble upon Shido. But still, Ren was disgusted about how Shido had just ruined his life and probably didn't even lose a wink of sleep.
Ren watched the realization finally dawn on Shido's face. It was kind of funny… if he had never encountered Shido that night, he wouldn't have come to Tokyo. And it was because of his probation that he was here today, confronting Shido.
Maybe some things were just meant to be.
"You…" Shido hissed out. "You're that damn brat who showed up and stood against me when I was with that woman!"
Ren clenched his jaw. "Yeah, that's me. It's kinda funny… because of you, I was told to keep my head down, stay out of trouble. But I realized that I would never regret my choice that night."
He had thought of it momentarily but the way the cards fell… standing meekly aside was never an option.
He had made up his mind to steal Kamoshida's heart the moment he saw Anne break down in tears. Ryuji may have decided that Kamoshida had to be stopped when Shiho tried to commit suicide, but Ren's mind had been set when he heard from Anne what Kamoshida had put her through and how she was so frightened for her friend. Shiho definitely added fuel to his fire that Anne helped ignited for his motivation to bring Kamoshida down. But Anne was still the spark that set it off for him.
Nobody should feel that scared, especially of someone who was supposed to protect them—to keep them safe.
Shido started to chuckle. "So it really was you. What an interesting turn of fate."
Ren scowled. He sounded so casual about all of this. And Shido was still laughing for whatever reason.
But… something was wrong. Ren could feel it in his gut. Shido himself hardly had a scratch on him, though his clothes were a bit singed from Haru blasting him with her grenade launcher from before.
"But your efforts will be all for nothing in the end," Shido said with a chuckle.
Ryuji glared at Shido. "The hell you talking about?"
"Small sacrifices are inescapable for those who wish to be competent and powerful leaders." Shido just shook his head. "I thought I told you earlier… would you ever reach your destination if you stopped to count every single ant you've crushed along the way?"
"Are you saying that the people you ordered to be killed deserved it?!" Haru exclaimed.
But Shido just ignored her, suddenly cupping his chin. As aggravating that comment was, his next remark was even more infuriating—making several of his friends gasp in outrage.
"Take Mitsuru Kirijo for instance. She was born to wealth and influence, but her bleeding heart prevents her from grasping true power. She throws away money to uplift the poor but what good does that do her? It just reduces the resources she can draw from."
It was people like Shido… who let the people slip through the cracks. Ren remembered that he hadn't thought too highly of Mitsuru-san at first, because of what the Kirijo Group had done in the past. Knowing Shido, the bastard would probably approve of what Kouetsu Kirijo wanted to accomplish using Shadows.
Makoto bristled at Shido's comment. "Of course you'd find it a weakness for wanting to help someone."
"And Mitsuru-san is one of the strongest people I know," Ken hissed out as his hand tightened around his spear. He then glared at Shido. "Though I suppose you wouldn't understand the meaning of atonement. The Kirijo Group had been responsible for too many deaths."
Ken's expression darkened at that before he stared down at the ground; Ren wouldn't be surprised if he was thinking of his mom right now.
Then Ken lifted his head, his eyes flashing. "But that's why Mitsuru-san wants to help as many people as she can! It won't bring back the people who died but she wants to use her power and money to help uplift people. You're just like her grandfather—of course you wouldn't understand Mitsuru-san's mindset! You're just a greedy bastard who's deluded enough to think that you're helping people! The only person you care about is yourself."
Shido clicked his tongue in disapproval. "It's a pity but I'm not surprised that the ignorant masses of this country don't understand."
Something in Ren snapped.
"Stop calling us part of the 'ignorant masses'!" Ren hissed out, glaring daggers at Shido. "Just because we don't agree with you, means that we're ignorant? You're the one who wants to steamroll the country into doing whatever you want! That's not how our country works! I refuse to let you drag down Japan like this!"
This fight wasn't over. Shido wasn't beaten.
But Ren was prepared to take on Shido once again.
"Are you willing to stake your life on it?" Shido's lips curled into a nasty smirk.
He suddenly reached up, tearing off his cape and military jacket. This exposed his bare torso, and he was way more ripped than the cleaner. There was this… weird harness strapped all over him though.
"Because I don't intend to lose!" Shido declared. "I'll crush you like I've done to everyone else in my way!"
"We don't plan on losing!" Ryuji yelled.
Ren spat out, "Come at us, Shido!"
Sae was just relieved that she managed to convince her superiors that Ren had done something to her when she was interrogating him rather than that she had aided in his escape.
But still… she couldn't relax. She had no allies here. The police station had been a madhouse ever since the Phantom Thieves—at the hands of Futaba Sakura, no doubt—had hijacked the airwaves to broadcast their calling card.
She couldn't help but wonder… if Akechi-kun had seen the calling card. His last message just… left her so confused. She couldn't help but feel disappointed that morning, waking up to see Akechi-kun having disappeared without a trace. He had folded the blanket she had given him, with her father's clothes on top.
She wanted to know where he went but it seemed that Akechi-kun had simply… vanished. There had been some mutterings about Akechi-kun's whereabouts later that day and the day after, but that had been thrown out of the window once the calling card had appeared.
She sighed. The hiragana on the paperwork she had been working on were starting to swim off the page and she could feel a small headache coming on. Maybe it'd be best for her to slip out quietly. Best to sneak away while everyone was panicking.
She slipped the manila folders into her bag before stepping outside. She shivered as she was greeted with a frigid winter wind, stepping outside of the building. But a sudden commotion instantly had Sae on the alert.
"Stop dragging your feet already!"
Sae blinked before rubbing at her eyes.
A handful of men were escorting Sakura-san and Aragaki towards the police station. The leader—Police Sergeant Ikeda—paused at the sight of Sae.
"Are you leaving for the night, Niijima?" he asked, his voice brusque.
Sae hesitated before flicking her eyes over to Aragaki and Sakura-san. For some reason, Aragaki was glaring at one of the men in particular. With a jolt, Sae realized that the man in question was sporting a black eye. But Sakura-san had… a look of defiance to him.
"I was but…" Sae trailed off, doing her best to keep her voice neutral. "Might I ask why you've taken these gentlemen into custody?"
Ikeda huffed, folding his arms over his chest.
"They're not gentlemen but… the older one is under suspicion of harboring the leader of the Phantom Thieves… the one you let get away."
Sae winced before pressing a hand against her forehead. "I-I'm sorry, my memories were so fuzzy, I didn't realize that—"
"But with him, we can bring the Phantom Thieves to justice," Ikeda cut her off, his voice turning condescending.
Sae lowered her eyes to the ground to hide her irritated expression. But Sae's mind was racing. They had arrested Sakura-san on trumped up charges. That was as clear as day.
"I see…" She refused to let any emotion in her voice slip. "I'm surprised that you managed to secure a warrant of arrest so quickly, Ikeda-san. After all, the Phantom Thieves' leader had revealed himself just tonight."
She infused a bit of surprise in her voice before raising her eyes. It appeared that her act was making Ikeda nervous, judging by how stiff he was.
"And what of him?" Sae gestured to Aragaki.
Ikeda scowled. "We took him into custody because he assaulted Shinoda."
He nodded at the man sporting a black eye, who just winced. Sae's eyes traveled over to Aragaki, who simply scowled in response.
"I see." Sae wet her lips with her tongue.
She needed to figure out how to get Sakura out.
"But—with how the Phantom Thieves have already made fools out of the entire Tokyo PD, wouldn't it be wise to ensure that you have the right man? Do you have any hard proof that he's been housing the leader of the Phantom Thieves?"
Ikeda scowled at Sae.
"Why are you so intent on interfering, Niijima?" His stare then grew suspicious.
Sae tried to subtly swallow. "I just don't want us to be further questioned. We're already under suspicion because of how the Phantom Thieves leader has come out in the opening. It brings our competency into question. We cannot afford another hit."
Sakura-san looked shocked and Aragaki… was that a glimmer of approval in his eyes?
Ikeda looked unconvinced. "Hmm… I know that we realized that the leader had done something to you but perhaps we can determine more of his methods if we bring you into questioning."
Sae's jaw dropped. "E-Excuse me?!"
"Sir, I don't think that's a good idea…"
"She is so invested in ensuring that we recover from the blow that the Phantom Thieves have dealt us… surely some questions won't hurt?"
Damn him… Sae fought the urge to grind her teeth.
He was backing her into a corner. Well, she would just have to work with the cards she had been dealt with.
"I… very well." She all but had to force the words past her lips.
"But first, we question Sakura," Ikeda said, a triumphant smile on his lips.
Sae would pay good money to be able to slap that smile off his face. She had never liked the man to begin with but knowing that he was in cahoots with Shido just amplified her dislike.
"Take the other two to the bottom floor. We'll get Niijima when we're ready to question her."
Sae was just glad that they hadn't humiliated her by cuffing her. They led Sakura-san in a different direction, while Sae and Aragaki were brought into a spartan room—but not before Sae's belongings were confiscated.
Sae pursed her lips. Everything had happened so fast that her head was spinning a little.
"You didn't have to do that," Aragaki said.
"Was I supposed to just walk away?" Sae shot back.
"I said you didn't have to do it." Aragaki suddenly paused before looking straight at Sae. "I didn't say I didn't appreciate it."
Sae couldn't help but feel taken aback by it. Aragaki continued to surprise her with his behavior. Sae awkwardly cleared her throat, unsure of how to respond to it. So, she decided to change the subject.
"Do you mind telling me why you gave Shinoda a black eye?" Sae asked dryly.
Aragaki looked away from her. His voice suddenly grew sullen. "Sakura—the younger one—identified him as one of the men who kidnapped Ken back when we went to rescue him. They were trying to drag Sakura away on bullshit charges, and it just… happened."
"Oh," Sae said weakly.
She admittedly didn't have all the details regarding the incident. Makoto didn't speak of it and Sae had no desire to pry it out of her. The same went with Amada-kun, but doubly so.
She didn't know how she would react, seeing Kaneshiro again with the knowledge that he would've forced Makoto into prostitution or who knew what… if the Phantom Thieves hadn't stolen his heart in time.
She couldn't really fault Aragaki for reacting the way he had even though Shinoda wasn't exactly… the best person to punch.
"It's… whatever. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that," Aragaki muttered out, glaring down at the ground. Then he huffed out. "Wonder if we'll get a single phone call."
Sae scoffed, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "That happens in America, Aragaki."
Aragaki just grunted in response. "Sakura isn't scared. He's positive that Shido's lapdogs will get what's coming because of… well, you know."
Makoto and the others were stealing Shido's heart as they spoke… but Sae couldn't help but feel a little worried. She didn't want Makoto to come home and discover that she was in police custody.
Unfortunately… all she could do was wait and see what would happen.
"I shall win this game!" Shido declared.
"This isn't a game!" Yusuke snapped back before gripping at the hilt of his sword. "Lives are at stake!"
Shido growled at that. "Silence! You understand nothing!"
"This power…" Futaba trailed off before shaking her head. "Be careful, guys. Those muscles aren't for show!"
Ren looked at Futaba before nodding. "You be careful too, Oracle."
Futaba nodded vigorously before summoning Prometheus and disappearing inside.
Shido suddenly rushed Haru, knocking her down with one blow. She stumbled a couple steps backward with a pained cry before falling on her bottom. She clutched at her stomach as her face contorted with pain.
"Noir!" Futaba gasped. "She's barely hanging on!"
Shido chuckled to himself, but his gloating was suddenly cut off as Kamu Susano-o appeared behind Shido; Kamu Susano-o swiped at Shido, forcing him to stumble backwards. Ken came at Shido from his left, swinging his spear. He stabbed at Shido's shoulder, making Shido swear loudly.
Morgana quickly healed Haru as Yusuke charged forward, brandishing his katana. He struck from Shido's right, making Shido whip his head towards Yusuke. The moment Shido was distracted from Ken was when Ken swung his spear once more, smacking Shido hard in the face.
"Get 'em, Fox and Ace!" Futaba encouraged, before charging their attack power.
Makoto forced Shido on the defensive by shooting several bullets at him. Shido dropped to the ground before his body began to glow. His body flashed red, purple, and then lastly green.
"I don't think so!" Anne cried out before summoning Hecate.
Hecate quickly cast Dekaja to negate Shido's spell, making Shido glower at Anne.
"Two can play at that game!" Futaba exclaimed before casting the same spell on all of them, boosting all of their stats.
Ren grinned before calling on Siegfried to charge up for the next attack he planned on throwing at Shido. While he did that, Ryuji and Morgana both attacked. Zorro whipped up a powerful gale with a slash of his rapier, while Seiten Taisei slammed into Shido.
Shido had just recovered from both blows when Siegfried came crashing down, slamming down his sword.
Haru and Ken's Personas opened fire, several bullets striking at Shido. While Shido was under the barrage of bullets, Makoto summoned Anat to cast Freidyne.
Shido let out a frustrated growl before slamming his fist into the ground. The force actually made the ground split, creating a fissure.
"Stay in groups!" Ren shouted.
They had kept up the pressure on Akechi by constantly combining their attacks. Ren sensed that they would have to do the same here.
His friends quickly followed his orders; Yusuke and Ryuji paired up, as did Morgana and Anne. Haru, Makoto, and Ken stayed together in a group of three. Ren decided to stay with Morgana and Anne.
Shido charged forward but Ren hastily summoned Black Frost. Black Frost aimed a Bufudyne spell right at Shido's feet, freezing him to the ground.
Fire suddenly surrounded his fist, and he punched the layer of ice, quickly melting it. He then rushed at Ren, his hands a flurry of fists. Ren jumped backwards but Shido caught him off guard at the very last second, landing a blow at his stomach. Ren doubled over in pain, letting out a little gasp. He dropped to one knee as he pressed a hand against his stomach; ugh, there was definitely a bruise forming.
Shido snickered.
"This is what you should've done in the first place," he sneered with that annoying smug smirk of his.
"I will never bow down to you," Ren growled out, glaring up at Shido.
He seized his dagger before he gave a sideways slash, making Shido howl in pain. His strike had made a shallow gash in Shido's leg. Ren took the moment to get away. He summoned Titania quickly to heal him. While Shido was still distracted, Anne followed up with several lashes from her whip.
Morgana jumped onto Anne's shoulder, using it to launch him higher in the air. He slashed down on Shido's shoulder, making Shido hiss out a profanity. He kicked at Morgana, but Morgana quickly darted out of the way.
Ken summoned Tyr before blades of light appeared, the flare blinding Shido for a moment. Yusuke seized the moment to swipe at Shido's back with his katana.
Shido growled before once more punching the ground, the shockwaves knocking them all off their feet. Ren quickly pushed himself up, scanning the area to see how his friends were doing. Most of them were already getting up, save for two. Both Haru and Morgana were keeled over, shivering for some reason.
"Noir and Mona are down! Shido hit them hard and now they're afraid!" Futaba reported.
Ren quickly summoned Titania, grateful that he had fused her with the ability to cure ailments. A cool blue aura surrounded her before that same light settled over Haru and Morgana. Morgana was first to react, his head popping up and his eyes now filled with clarity.
"Sorry about that… how embarrassing!" he said before jumping to his feet.
"Thank you!" Haru chimed in.
Ice started to crystallize in a circle around Shido. Shido suddenly smacked his fist into his open palm. The ice crystals seemed to explode, striking them all. Ren gritted his teeth as the ice spell cut right through his clothes. From beside him, Anne let out a pained cry. She had fallen, struggling to get up.
"Panther!" Futaba squeaked out.
Shido chuckled before he took a leap. Electricity started to spark from his fist. Without thinking, Ren threw himself in front of Anne to shield her from Shido's second attack.
"Wait…" Futaba suddenly spoke up. "Hang on, guys, I think there might be a pattern! Keep him busy!"
Shido was definitely a force to be reckoned with. But he wasn't about to give up, not when they were getting so close. Shido lunged towards Makoto; she jumped backwards but Shido managed to clip her in the shoulder. She dropped down, clutching at her shoulder. Shido tried to kick her but then a translucent shield appeared, protecting Makoto from Shido's attack.
The recoil was strong enough to make Shido shout in pain.
Shido was distracted long enough to let Ken quickly heal Makoto. Makoto then jumped to her feet, summoning Anat. The Freidyne spell that Anat produced was strong enough to send Shido flying off his feet. He hit the wall with a loud grunt.
Anne and Morgana took the opportunity to double up on an attack, Hecate's flames intertwining with Zorro's gale beautifully before slamming right into Shido.
"Keep it up, guys!" Futaba encouraged.
"I won't… lose!" Shido spat out.
His form flickered with red before he rushed at Anne and Morgana. Anne quickly grabbed Morgana, diving out of the way.
Wind whipped around Shido, striking at all of them.
"Astarte, help me!" Haru cried out before a shield sprung in front of Ryuji in the nick of time, repelling the wind spell back at Shido.
Shido growled at that before he cast a Masukunda spell; Ren immediately felt his limbs grow heavier.
"Keep your agility up! He's trying to attack your weaknesses!" Futaba shouted before casting a spell to boost their agility back to normal.
Yusuke followed up with another Masukukaja spell in order to increase their speed further.
"Burn him to a crisp, Hecate!" Anne cried out, tearing off her mask.
Hecate's eyes glowed brightly before hurling twin fireballs at Shido, striking him right in the chest. He hunched over for a moment, but that was exactly the opening Ryuji needed.
Seiten Taisei's attack sent Shido flying, making him crash into the wall.
"Great team-up!" Futaba encouraged.
Ren darted over to Shido, pulling out his gun. He managed two shots before Shido managed to pull himself up with a frustrated growl.
"Anat!" Makoto cried out, ripping off her mask.
The nuclear attack knocked down Shido once more, making Ren crack a smile. Haru added to the attack by firing her grenade launcher.
"Kamu Susano-o!" Yusuke called, tearing off his mask.
The temperature dropped significantly as Kamu Susano-o cast several Bufudyne spells to freeze Shido to the ground. Shido growled in frustration before his fist became wreathed in bright red flames. He then slammed it into the ice, melting it within moments. But Ren was ready for him—he didn't want to give Shido a centimeter.
"Arsène!" Ren called forth his Persona.
Arsène flapped his wings hard, the blast of wind making Shido stagger a couple steps backward. Dark energy exploded from Arsène, making Shido give a small grunt.
Shido managed to climb to his feet, his eyes boring a hole into Ren.
He unleashed a nuclear spell and then a Psy spell in quick succession, downing both Makoto and Haru. He then slammed his fist into the ground, the shockwave knocking out Haru.
"Queen! Noir!" Anne exclaimed.
"Mona! Heal Queen!" Ren shouted before he summoned Titania to revive Haru.
"Got it!" Morgana shouted before rushing over to Makoto.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Anne and Ryuji teaming up on an attack again—this time using their elemental spells. Ken and Yusuke followed up with a gun attack and physical attack respectively.
Once Haru was back on her feet again, Ren turned back to Shido. He switched back to Arsène, who hurled another Eigaon spell at Shido. Shido quickly braced himself by crossing his arms in an X over his chest.
Ren narrowed his eyes before sprinting over to Shido.
"Joker, wait—!" Futaba cried out to him.
But that was when a golden light flared around Shido.
Ren's eyes widened. "Shit! That's a—"
The spell struck Ren down, and he landed hard. The spell had hit him right in the face and it hurt—
"Joker!" Anne cried out.
Ren found himself struggling to get to his feet. His limbs just wouldn't listen, trembling with the effort to try and move.
Shido stalked forward, a smirk on his face. His fist began to glow with a golden aura. Ren couldn't help but gulp. He could only pray that this attack wouldn't knock him out cold—
"TYR!"
Tyr loomed over Shido before swinging his arm cannon right at Shido. Shido stumbled slightly from the blow before Tyr blasted him right in the face with One-Shot Kill.
This sent Shido tumbling backwards a meter or two. Ryuji followed up by summoning Seiten Taisei, electricity crackling from his entire form. Morgana, perched on Ryuji's shoulder, jumped up and fired his slingshot. Both times Morgana managed to nail Shido right in the face.
But even now Ren struggled to get up. His limbs just felt so heavy; he could hardly move.
"Joker, don't push yourself," Ken scolded, dropping down to Ren's level.
He then ripped off his mask, summoning Tyr to heal Ren.
"I've got it!" Futaba exclaimed. "His elemental attacks have a pattern—Fire, Ice, Lightning, Wind, Nuclear, Psy, Bless, and Curse."
"Do his affinities change along with it?" Makoto asked, looking up to Prometheus.
"No. You just have to be careful with what spell he's firing at you!"
So, with that in mind, Ren knew which members to keep in the forefront and which to keep back—so Shido wouldn't be able to nail their weaknesses. Ren would also know what Personas to use, based on Shido's attacks.
"Take this!" Shido shouted before a Maeigaon spell ripped through the air.
Ken didn't even flinch, still concentrating on healing Ren. Ren winced; Arsène did resist curse magic, but it still stung a bit. Ken then grabbed him by the hand, pulling him up.
"Thanks," Ren muttered out.
But since Shido had just fired a curse spell… His head whipped over to Yusuke.
"Fox! Fall back!"
With that strategy in mind, Ren jumped back into the fray—as did everyone else. It took a while to chip at Shido, but they finally cornered Shido. He was down on one knee, panting hard.
"Now's your chance, guys! Nab his Treasure!" Futaba exclaimed.
Shido burst out laughing before rising to his feet once more. "Don't think you've won! The power held by the most elite is what rules over our society! How annoying that I have to use it on some foolish brats…"
Ren narrowed his eyes. So that's what he thought, huh? It wasn't like Japan was a democracy in his eyes or something.
Shido suddenly clenched his hand into a fist. "But I will educate you through and through!"
"Go ahead and try!" Anne snapped back.
Ryuji goaded, "Yeah, bring it!"
"I can't believe it… he's still coming at us?!" Futaba exclaimed.
"Let's take his heart!" Ren jabbed a finger at Shido. "You've gone way too long getting away with your crimes! We will take you down, no matter what!"
"We're with you, Joker!" Haru said.
"Yeah! Did you hear that, Shido?!" Futaba demanded.
Shido started to chuckle before he flexed his arms. His muscles rippled before the harness snapped.
"Holy shit…" Ren thought.
He didn't know how it was possible, but Shido was even more buff than his previous form like he downed steroids every day to get those muscles. His veins were super visible as he flexed his arms. His entire form had turned bright red; at least it wasn't as weird as Kaneshiro, Madarame, and Kamoshida's Shadow forms. Those three had been… out there.
"Absolute Alloy Alchemist called… they want Major Abstrong back," Futaba said flatly.
Ren couldn't stop himself from snorting at Futaba's quip.
"I have decades of experience over these brats…" Shido growled out, clenching one fist as he stared them down. "I won't lose!"
"Just means it's up to us to take you down, old man!" Ryuji hollered back. "Your time's up!"
Futaba cautioned, "Be careful though… I think he's finally at his full strength!"
Shido made the first move, his body shimmering red, green, and purple. Then he lunged forward, slamming them all with a powerful attack.
The attack downed both Yusuke and Anne. Ren couldn't help but stare, horrified. Shido just snickered, smirking.
"Panther! Fox!" Futaba gasped.
But then Ren gritted his teeth as determination welled up inside of him. So this was Shido's true power, huh?
"Mona! Ace! Revive Panther and Fox!" Ren ordered. "And if possible, stay back!"
They couldn't afford to have anyone down for this fight but especially not their healers. Ken and Morgana nodded before rushing over to their unconscious teammates and started to cast Samarecarm. Ren was grateful that they both knew that spell—it was a bit taxing on them, but they needed everyone at their full health.
"I won't lose!" Shido swore before summoning an inferno, aimed at Yusuke.
Yusuke quickly threw a Bufudyne spell to try and reduce the flames, but the flames swallowed up the Bufudyne spell all too easily. Yusuke let out a pained gasp as the flames hit him and he dropped like a rock. His hands were shaking horribly too.
"Fox!" Anne rushed over to Yusuke and immediately began to heal him. "He's burned—Noir, help me!"
With the two girls focused on healing Yusuke, Ren turned his attention to Shido. Ryuji and Morgana teamed up, by combining their elemental attacks—creating a hurricane with electric sparking inside. Shido staggered a couple steps backwards when the combined spells hit him.
"Anat!" Makoto shouted, tearing off her mask.
Anat's Freidyne spell knocked Shido off his feet, leaving him an easy target for Tyr's bullets.
Ren tore off his mask. "Surt!"
The flames surrounding Surt's swords glowed brightly before streaming to Shido.
"You little—!" Shido hissed out before lunging towards Ren, his fist glowing with power.
Anne's whip suddenly wound itself around Shido's fist. Shido strained to free himself but Anne stubbornly dug in her heels to keep him immobilized. Shido was helpless to Haru's grenade launcher; the force of attack was strong enough to send Shido crashing into the wall.
"Kamu Susano-o!"
Kamu Susano-o leapt forward, making a sweep of his sword. Shido let out a snarl as Kamu Susano-o slashed at his shoulder. When Shido lunged at Yusuke, swinging his fist, a translucent shield popped in front of Yusuke, reflecting the attack. While he clutched at his shoulder, Yusuke took the opportunity to use Bufudyne on Shido.
"Black Frost!" Ren followed up on Yusuke's attack with Diamond Dust.
The temperature dropped at least ten degrees when Black Frost snapped his fingers, dropping several icicles on Shido.
Shido growled before casting his own ice spell. Ren quickly switched to Surt, countering with Inferno. The fire spell met the ice spell head on, cancelling each other out.
But then Shido clenched his fist. "I will make you pay!"
He moved insanely fast, calling forth lightning bolts—downing Morgana. Then a powerful gale that brought down Ryuji to his knees.
"Skull! Mona!" Futaba exclaimed.
"Panther, Fox—cover for them!" Ren shouted.
While Yusuke and Anne rushed to follow his orders, Ren tore off his mask appeared with a flash. Forseti raised his staff, summoning several blades of light. Shido threw up an arm to cover his face, grunting as the Kougaon spell hit its mark. But he quickly shook it off.
Ken took the moment to heal everyone with a Mediaharan spell, but Ryuji and Morgana were still struggling to recover from the attacks. Shido then unleashed a powerful nuclear spell but Yusuke quickly summoned Kamu Susano-o; he cast a Bufudyne spell, erecting an ice wall to protect Haru at the last second. Ren hastily summoned Black Frost in order to aid in Yusuke's endeavor.
The ice wall smashed to pieces as the nuclear spell crashed into it, but an idea suddenly struck Ren. Ren switched to Quetzalcoatl. Blades of wind whipped through the air as Quetzalcoatl flapped his wings hard, sending the ice flying back at Shido.
Shido growled as the ice shards struck him multiple times.
"Seiten Taisei!" Ryuji's voice rung out as he summoned his Persona.
Morgana shouted, "Zorro, come!"
Zorro slashed through the air with his rapier, summoning several gusts of wind. Shido braced against Zorro's assault, only to be sent flying as Seiten Taisei slammed into him.
"Nice!" Futaba crowed out. "Way to make a comeback! But let me give you a boost!"
Prometheus's lights pulsated before a white light shimmered over everyone. Ren could feel power surging through his veins. Ryuji followed up by casting Matarukaja.
"Anat, come!" Makoto cried out, tearing off her mask.
Anat raised her hands, a nuke spell pulsating between her hands before hurling it right at Shido. Shido got to his feet quickly for Hecate's flames to hit him head-on.
Shido quickly countered with an almighty spell, the force of the attack knocking down both Morgana and Anne. Shido's face broke into a smirk before he rushed towards Ren. The force of Shido's punch was hard enough for Ren to see stars. He hit the wall hard, banging his head against it. He coughed, struggling to sit up. He could feel blood ooze from his bottom lip. He wheezed for air, making even more blood dribble down his chin.
"Someone, cover for Joker!" Futaba squeaked out.
"Tyr!"
"Astarte!"
Ken and Haru's attacks landed within seconds of each other, striking Shido from behind.
"Why you…!"
"Take this, you bastard!" Ryuji yelled out.
Ren dizzily registered his friends attacking Shido before he realized Ken was kneeling in front of him. Ren keeled over, clutching at his head.
"Joker, look at me!" Ken urged.
Ren blinked hazily at Ken. Ken pressed his lips together before pressing his fingers against Ren's temple. There was a sudden blue glow and Ren's headache began to fade.
"Ow…" Ren grumbled out.
"I think he gave you a concussion back there," Ken muttered.
Futaba's voice suddenly cut through the air. "Ace, Joker—look out!"
Ken gasped before shoving Ren away from him. He tumbled for a few moments.
Wind swirled around Shido as he rushed towards Ken. Ken skirted around him before swinging his spear, low to the ground. Shido stumbled over Ken's spear, giving Ken the chance to plant his foot right in Shido's abdomen.
Shido was growing more sluggish so he began to rely more on elemental spells. But even with his slowing movements, he specifically targeted everyone's weaknesses.
He managed to down both Ryuji and Haru in quick succession before unleashing a Megidoloan spell.
"NO!" Futaba screeched out.
A green barrier slammed down, shielding everyone.
"Thanks, Oracle!" Ren quickly thanked while Morgana quickly healed everyone.
Shido was panting heavily.
"These lousy brats… thinking they can get the better of me!" he hissed out.
"We don't think—we know!" Anne retorted.
She then summoned Hecate, blasting him with a torrent of flames. Yusuke and Ryuji's Personas slammed into Shido, with Seiten Taisei succeeding in knocking Shido down. Shido struggled to get back up, panting heavily.
"Joker! Let's finish this!" Ryuji bellowed.
Ren nodded before clenching his fist. "Mona! Panther! Are you with me?"
"Always!" both Morgana and Anne cried out.
They charged together before Morgana summoned Zorro. Zorro whipped up a small cyclone; it engulfed Shido. Seiten Taisei hovered above, unleashing several bright yellow electric bolts.
When Shido finally tumbled to the ground, he was greeted by Hecate's burning bright flames and Arsène's burst of dark energy.
"Eat this!" Ryuji yelled.
He crashed his club against Shido's back, jumping back to let Anne unleash a barrage of bullets.
Ren and Morgana then attacked as one, wielding their bladed weapons. They then jumped backwards, shooting down Shido simultaneously.
They nailed him right in the face, making him yowl in pain.
"To think… you'd put up this much of a fight," Shido seethed, suddenly hard of breath. "You bastard… I won't let you have this!"
Shido suddenly unleashed a powerful Megidoloan spell, one that sent everyone sprawling. Ren barely dodged it by throwing himself to the ground. He then summoned a tempest, throwing everyone together in a pile of limbs. They were still struggling to untangle themselves, when Shido's fist suddenly became engulfed in flames once more. He then slammed it hard into the ground. A fissure formed, splitting the ground. A wall of flames erupted, separating him from his friends.
"JOKER!" he heard Anne scream.
Ren turned his head to the direction where Anne's voice came. But Shido suddenly rushed him, forcing Ren's attention back to him. Ren dove to the side, wincing slightly at the sight of the crater in the ground.
"I never would've imagined… that impertinent brat from so long ago, managing to get in my way this much!"
"Fox, use a Bufudyne spell! Anything!" Haru cried out. "Joker is there, all alone!"
"I can't!" Yusuke's voice became frustrated. "I used too much energy during our fight with Shido…"
"Maybe I can—" Morgana began.
"No! It won't blow out the flames. If anything, it'll probably make the fire even stronger," Makoto said grimly.
Ren grimaced but he looked back to Shido. He was staring at Ren with such animosity, hatred burning in his eyes.
"I should've finished you long ago…" Shido said with a scowl. "It seems that I, too, have been naïve."
Ren glared back at him. "You tried. Multiple times. But I will always get back up."
Despite his exhaustion, Ren felt ready. Ready to take on the bastard who tried to ruin his future and the one who tried to arrange for his death.
"You won't be so smug soon enough," Shido swore before clenching one hand into a fist. "I will not stumble over mere minutia like yourself!"
Shido then lunged forward. Ren quickly darted away, doing his best to keep a distance.
Ren stuck with using Norn. Shido would swap between using elemental spells and trying to lunge at Ren.
Ren gritted his teeth as Shido's Inferno spell brushed against his shoulder. He dropped to the ground, clutching his arm. Ugh… Shido burned him again.
With his good hand, he ripped off his mask to summon Titania. As Titania cast her healing spell to take care of that, Shido's hands sparked with electricity as he lunged towards Ren once more. Ren quickly dismissed Titania, switching to another Persona.
"Siegfried!" Ren yelled.
Siegfried jumped forward, slamming his sword down on the ground, making it quake. Shido stumbled, giving Ren the opportunity to summon Forseti. Forseti slammed his staff against Shido's side, knocking him to the ground.
But as Shido looked up, his face was pure fury as he stared down Ren.
"You've been a thorn in my side for too long! This time… I'll be dead certain to seal your fate. I'll grind you to the ground… until you're nothing but dust!" Shido snarled out.
Ren narrowed his eyes, his grasp on his pistol tightening.
"You're welcome to try!" he taunted.
He was ready. To take down this bastard. Shido was the one to set him on this path. He wouldn't have awakened to Arsène if it wasn't for Shido. He wouldn't have become a Phantom Thief. He wouldn't have crossed paths with his friends.
Ren didn't particularly believe in fate. He didn't like the idea that things were set in stone, that you were powerless to change things. But Shido forcing him into probation was ironically better for Ren in the long run. Even after the sleepless nights Ren had spent, frightened with 'what-ifs' about the plan and feeling overwhelmed with his self-doubt, Ren felt free to his true self.
It had lit a fire in him.
He wasn't going to let anyone break his spirit, no matter what. He could still hear his friends talking about how to get through.
Ren shouted, "I'll be fine, guys! I need to do this!"
"But—!" Anne began.
"Panther, Joker's right," Ken suddenly interrupted. "It's been… a long time coming. Let him face Shido."
"I… okay," Anne got out before raising her voice to a yell. "You better get him good, Joker!"
"We have faith in you!" Haru called out to him.
"Finish this, Joker!" Morgana encouraged.
"Kick his ass!" Ryuji shouted at him. "Give him hell!"
Ren couldn't help but smile at his friends' faith in them. But Shido just sneered at him.
"Too bad that you won't be able to fulfill their wishes. Because I will crush you under my heel!"
"You'll have to catch me first!" Ren shot back as a plan started to formulate in his head.
He had made smoke bombs in the past to flee from Shadows—but what if they had another use?
"Only one way to find out!" Ren thought, slipping his hand into his pocket.
Shido lunged forward but Ren darted to the right; he had to keep some distance in between them for this to work. His fingers curled around one smoke bomb. He yanked it out, hurling it with all his might at the ground in between him and Shido. Black smoke billowed from it, making Shido cough and sputter. Ren rushed him, summoning Seth. Seth divebombed at Shido. Ren then made a grab for his dagger, his hand clenching around the hilt before he made a swipe.
"That's for ordering all of the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns!" Ren yelled at him.
Shido growled before lunging towards Ren once more. But Ren summoned Norn, and she produced a burst of wind that launched Ren into the air.
While he was in mid-air, he summoned Siegfried once more. Siegfried came crashing down, slamming the hilt of his sword against Shido's head.
Ren landed on the ground seconds later, and he glared at Shido.
He hissed out, "And that's for all the innocents who got caught up in your scheming! All the lives you screwed up!"
Shido's fist became surrounded with a golden aura as he lunged forward. Ren quickly crossed his arms over his chest, softening the blow. Ren was forced a few steps back, but it hurt less than he had expected. He whipped out his gun, firing three times.
Ren then summoned Titania, giving him a quick heal. He was running low on energy—he needed to end this decisively. And he knew how exactly he wanted to end this. Ren reached up, tearing off his mask. After all, Shido was the reason why Arsène was born.
It felt too fitting to end this with Arsène.
"Arsène!"
The ball of shadowy energy Arsène conjured up was quickly joined by a bullet. They hit Shido within seconds of each other, right in his face.
"This can't be…" Shido gasped out, a hand pressed to his heaving chest. "Losing to a brat like him?!"
Shido was panting heavily, swaying dangerously before finally faceplanting into the ground.
He… he had done it. Ren's knees suddenly gave way and he fell down to one knee. Shido had finally fallen.
Holy crap, he felt dead tired.
"Joker!" Morgana called out to him.
Ren's eyes widened; that was right, his friends! He forced himself to get to his feet even as exhaustion started to settle over him.
"Stay back! You especially, Panther!" Ren warned before summoning Black Frost.
Black Frost breathed ice at the wall of fire, slowly reducing the flames.
Anne led the charge as his friends ran over to him. Anne then threw herself at him and Ren caught her, giving her a tired smile as his arms encircled her waist. He took a moment to inhale her sweet scent, savoring it. Anne buried her face into his chest for a moment before looking up at him.
"I was so worried," she confessed.
"Sorry about that, didn't mean to get trapped by Shido like that," he joked with a tired smile.
Shido suddenly spoke up. "How… did I lose?"
The man looked utterly baffled, like he couldn't even fathom the idea that Ren could've defeated him. Ren snorted, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Shido sure had a chip on his shoulder.
"You underestimated Joker's tenacity," Morgana said, hands on his hips.
"It's not just that," Ren said, shaking his head. "I am strong… because of the people around me. They gave me a reason to keep fighting in what I believed in."
"The feeling's mutual," Ryuji said with a wide grin.
"I lost… I can't believe it…" Shido said feebly; he honestly looked pathetic. "W-What will I do…?"
"You will admit to your crimes," Makoto said, her expression hard as she stared at Shido. "For causing countless mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns in others, you will atone… with your life."
"I'm just glad it's over…" Ken said somberly.
Shido just stared down at the ground, his shoulders shaking slightly. But he stayed quiet.
"Hey!" Ryuji barked out, making Shido jump; he then pointed to Ren. "Don'tcha got something to say to our leader before you go passin' out?"
A soft sigh escaped Shido before he reluctantly looked up at Ren.
"I… I acknowledge that I incriminated you on false charges. I did it to protect myself. I'm so sorry for what I've done. It feels as though it's been quite some time since I have felt sincerely apologetic…" Shido trailed off at the last part, his eyes growing distant.
Honestly? Ren didn't really want a damn apology. Not from a twisted bastard from him, who saw everyone else as tools or playthings. He just wanted Shido to own up to his crimes and pay the price for them.
The apology almost felt like empty words. What would words fix? Shido had destroyed Ren's life and had turned his parents against him.
On top of that, Shido had personally hurt three of his friends. Would Shido apologize to Futaba for being a twisted bastard and making her down spiral in mental health? Would he apologize to Haru for trying to paint her as a scapegoat for her own father's death? Or apologize for how he had planned Okumura's death to begin with? Would he apologize to Ken for torturing him? For tearing apart his family before he was even born?
No… words would not fix this.
Ren looked Shido squarely in the eyes.
"Prove it. Atone for what you did and confess to your crimes. All of them," Ren said flatly.
Shido slowly exhaled. "Atone…"
The shadow then shook his head, a weak laugh escaped him.
"You really are tenacious. And so… I've been defeated…"
Broken laughter escaped from the prideful man, reduced to his knees.
Masayoshi's head felt like it was going to split into two. He hunched over, clutching at his forehead with one hand and bracing the glass window with the other.
"Sir!"
Masayoshi panted heavily.
"Was this—no!"
They couldn't have actually managed this! The Phantom Thieves were nothing but sniveling brats!
"No… did they really succeed?" he rasped out.
But then determination suddenly swelled up inside of Masayoshi. He turned back to his men, still bracing his hand against the window.
"Hey!" he barked at his head scientist.
"Y-Yes sir!" he all but squeaked out.
"Will I really be able to kill the Phantom Thieves if I take that?" he demanded.
The scientist swallowed hard before giving a small nod. "According to Wakaba Isshiki's research… temporarily collapsing a Fortress will take down anyone inside it as well. The abrupt nature of the collapse means they will be unable to escape without extreme luck."
That was exactly what he needed. He needed to stop the Phantom Thieves from destroying his Fortress, no matter what. He would not allow for them to steal his desires.
"B-But sir…" The scientist spoke again, this time more tentative. "The only way to purposely a cognitive world is by halting biological activity."
He hastily raised his hand, uncurling his fist to reveal two tiny white pills.
"In other words—this medicine will temporarily kill you. So I think it's best that we at least bring you in to monitor you—"
Masayoshi grimaced as pain exploded in his head once more. "There's no time for that! They'll escape with my desires!"
"But sir—"
"Give me the damn pills!" Masayoshi shouted before snatching the pills from him.
He swallowed them dry, ignoring the bitter taste on his tongue.
"How reckless…" muttered one of Masayoshi's sponsors.
But Masayoshi didn't care. What mattered was that the Phantom Thieves were eliminated.
"Now… they're done for…" Masayoshi rasped out.
But even then, his vision began to blur. He pressed a hand to his forehead before he fell forward.
Then everything went black.
"We need to get the Treasure," Yusuke said.
Yusuke pointed to the shimmering golden steering wheel above their heads. Anne cocked her head as she stared up at it.
"A wheel…?"
Shido looked up, his eyes filled with determination.
"Of course, a strong ship needs a skilled captain to steer it, just as a proud country needs a powerful leader to guide it!" he rasped out. "If I didn't, who would?"
Yusuke's lip curled with disgust before he looked away.
"He really has a chip on his shoulder," Ken muttered, not even bothering to hide the disdain in his voice. "It's impressive that he can walk through the door with that ego of his."
"Like father, like son," Ren thought sardonically to himself.
As much as Akechi would rather eat glass than admit it, he and Shido… bore some similarities. Such as their huge pride as well as their narrow-minded attitude about achieving their goals.
"I-I… suppose that doesn't matter anymore. My plans for this coun—RGGGAH!" Shido screamed out in pain, only to… collapse then disappear.
"What the—?!" Ren thought in disbelief.
"W-Where did he go?" Haru stammered out.
The entire Palace suddenly shook violently but it didn't feel the same as the previous instances. They hadn't even come close to touching the Treasure.
"The hell?" Ryuji gaped at the spot where Shido once stood.
The ship rocked once more, throwing them off their balance. Yusuke had to steady Haru, so she didn't fall down.
"Are you okay, Noir?" Yusuke asked.
"Yes—" Haru answered, only to be cut off.
There was a loud boom, as if there was an explosion. Futaba let out a squeak, grabbing onto Ren's arm for reassurance.
"What… why is there an explosion?" Anne questioned.
Makoto looked up the sparkling wheel, her eyes wide with bewilderment. "We haven't even touched the Treasure!"
"We'll talk later! Let's just grab the Treasure and run!" Morgana said briskly.
Ren nodded before giving Morgana a boost to grab the golden wheel. He then took the Treasure from Morgana, tucking it under his arm. They turned on their heels, running out of the assembly room. Since they were higher up, they were stuck in the hallways.
"Which way do we go…?" Ken said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Another explosion suddenly rocked the boat, but they all managed to stay on their feet.
Ren muttered out, "Seriously, what's going on?"
"Yeah, why is the ship exploding?" Ryuji demanded.
"No time for that! We need to find a way out!" Ren snapped.
They couldn't just stand there—that would basically make them sitting ducks. They would be doomed if they didn't do something.
Ren quickly ran down one hall. The ship would occasionally shake violently, which didn't exactly help Ren's nerves. Their paths were slowly being eliminated with water flooding it.
Ren was starting to grow really frustrated but he forced himself to press forward. Finally, they managed to burst out of the ship, standing on the deck. The sight made Ren's breath catch into his throat.
The ship was slowly sinking, with smoke billowing out of the engines.
Futaba was freaking out, babbling about how she didn't know how to swim. Ken was trying to calm her down but with limited success. The ship suddenly shook once again, but this time much more violently. The force sent Futaba stumbling into the wall. Futaba whimpered, sinking to the ground.
"Is this it?" she asked bleakly.
"Oracle—" Ken began but Ren interrupted.
"Calm down, Oracle!" Ren snapped. "We are not going to die. Not here!"
Futaba froze at that before giving a small nod. Makoto then bent down, helping Futaba up.
Ren chewed on his bottom lip, scanning the area. They had to get out of there, but the question was how? Was there nothing they could do to get to safety?
"Joker, there!" Yusuke suddenly leaned over the railing, pointing.
A lifeboat. Ren felt hope swell up in his heart. That was probably their best shot!
But… how could they get up there?
"But it's so high up…" Haru fretted, wringing her hands.
But suddenly, Ryuji stiffened. His hands then balled into fists.
"I got this," he said, his voice determined.
Anne blinked. "Huh…? Skull?"
Ryuji turned to look back at them. "Hang tight. I'll nab the boat!"
Without another word, he took a leap, landing at the railing of the boat. He lowered himself into a familiar position before breaking into a sprint.
"Skull, you…" Morgana seemed to be floundering for words.
"GO SKULL!" Anne and Futaba cheered him on.
"You can do it, Skull!" Makoto chimed in.
Ren snapped back to attention, and he looked towards the water. The ship was still sinking. He looked towards his friends.
"Come on, let's get down. Skull should have the boat ready for us soon."
Ren glanced back to Ryuji, his bleached blond hair making it too easy to spot him. He was taking a running leap, scrambling to push himself up. Ren couldn't help but wince as he watched the engine continuing to explode. Futaba still looked a little wary, so Ken ended up carrying her on his back before jumping down.
"Skull!" Yusuke gasped. "Please… don't do anything that'll get you killed…"
Ryuji was now climbing the ladder. He jumped, pulling a… switch? That lowered the boat; they all cheered at Ryuji's success.
"Come on, let's hurry. Before this ship completely sinks!" Ren said.
They hastily climbed aboard. Ryuji flashed them a thumbs up. Yusuke was messing with the engine on the lifeboat.
"Hang on, guys!" Ren said.
The engine roared to life and Yusuke gave a satisfied smile.
"We're moving!" Yusuke exclaimed.
"Hang on, Skull…" Ken muttered out.
They had barely started moving when the ship started to explode again. It wasn't safe for Ryuji to drop down on the ship.
"Hurry, Yusuke!" Morgana urged. "We have to get Skull before—"
That was when the loudest explosion rung in their ears, rocking their little lifeboat precariously. Futaba grabbed onto Makoto, wrapping both arms around her waist, like it was a lifeline.
"Skull…" Anne suddenly uttered.
Ren looked up, praying desperately that Ryuji was still miraculously hanging on.
But he was gone… The entire ship had gone up in flames, slowly sinking into the water.
Ren looked desperately in the water. Had he fallen into the water?!
"Skull! Sku—Ryuji! RYUJI! HEY!" Anne was screaming now. "Answer me dammit!"
Her voice cracked at the last part, but Ren's attention was at the murky water. Ryuji might be underwater, right? He had to be! He couldn't be gone! Was this some kind of sick joke?!
Ren's fingers curled around the edge of the lifeboat, preparing to jump in, but Ken suddenly grabbed him, yanking him back. Ren squirmed in his grasp.
"Let me go! LET ME GO DAMMIT! I have to find Ryuji before it's too late! Ryuji! RYUJI!" Ren didn't care if he screamed until his voice was hoarse.
"Ren… don't do this to yourself." Ken's voice suddenly cracked. "We can't lose you too."
Ren stared at the burning ship, slumping against Ken. He had always thought when they defeated Shido, they would feel triumphant—at the top of the world.
But now… he just felt empty.
The return to the real world… was silent. But then Futaba suddenly started to sob, breaking the silence as she buried her face into her hands.
Ren just felt… numb. Utterly numb.
"Ryuji-kun…" Haru sniffled, wiping at a tear from her eye.
Haru uttering Ryuji's name suddenly sent everything crashing down for Ren. His legs turned into jelly, and he fell to his knees.
"No… Ryuji…" he choked out, feeling hot tears sting at his eyes before spilling down his cheeks.
He couldn't… he's not dead!
He felt Anne wrap her arms around him, but Ren hardly registered it. Or Futaba and Haru's quiet sobbing.
Ryuji was with him from the very start. They had gone into the Metaverse together, just the two of them. Despite his original hostile attitude, Ryuji had wanted to protect him from Kamoshida.
Ryuji had been the first person to believe his story.
"I feel like we're gonna get along just fine as troublemakers."
He still could remember Ryuji flashing that lopsided grin at Ren.
How many days had they spent together, just goofing off? Ryuji had been for him, thick or thin. No matter what.
And Ryuji was suddenly ripped away because he was trying to save them.
The tears couldn't stop coming. Ren ripped away his glasses, so the tears flowed freely. He couldn't help but let out a sob. Why? Why? Why was it after they finally secured a victory against Shido… they had to lose Ryuji?
He turned, burying his face against Anne's chest. He clung to her, desperate for the reassurance that he hadn't lost her as well. He could feel Anne's tears sprinkling in his hair as she cried for their lost friend as well.
Slowly he raised his head. Yusuke looked in complete shock, but he had an arm around Haru's shoulders as she quietly wept. Futaba was crying too, her face red and blotchy, but Makoto was trying to comfort her; she had her arm around the younger girl, even as tears silently trickled down her cheeks.
Morgana had his back turned away from everyone with his small frame hunched over, he didn't make a sound the whole time.
"It's like Minato-san."
Ken had a haunted look in his eyes.
"Ken…?" Makoto took a step towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It was during the final battle against Nyx. Nyx's mere presence was crushing us, but Minato-san went to go fight Nyx by himself. We couldn't do anything." Then Ken's hand clenched into a fist before he squeezed his eyes shut, a single tear escaping his eye. "And we couldn't do anything to help Ryuji either! I should've gone instead!"
"No, please, Ken-kun… don't feel bad!" Haru pleaded, pulling away from Yusuke. "It would've been just as bad if we lost you! Ryuji-kun… he wouldn't…"
She suddenly pressed a hand against her mouth, her eyes becoming glossy before a fresh wave of tears came. She dropped her hand before she started to sob once again.
Ren swallowed hard. "Haru's right. Ryuji took the jump because he loved us and wanted to ensure our safety. It's not right to second guess that."
"W-What about the Treasure?" Morgana finally spoke up, his back still turned away
Ren slowly unclenched his fist. A golden pin glimmered in his palm. It was tiny… maybe six or seven centimeters.
"A legislator's pin," Makoto murmured out.
Ken muttered, "You have got to be kidding me."
All of this… for a stupid pin…
Ren was tempted to drop the pin and crush the stupid thing under his heel. He didn't give a shit about what made Shido the person he was today. But that pin was a reminder of all the innocent lives snuffed out—people who got caught up in the backlash of the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns, Futaba's mom, and Ryuji.
But destroying this pin wouldn't bring back Ryuji. The thought just made Ren want to break down all over again.
Yusuke grimaced. "I'm just… concerned about telling Sakamoto-san."
Just mentioning Ryuji's mom made Ren feel sick. How could he face her with the news? Ryuji always talked about how much his mom loved him. How could he break her heart with the news?
Makoto bit her lip. "I don't even know what to say to her…"
Would they even have a body to bury? Ren didn't even know if he wanted to see the body. How would it even look? Would it be too charred for them to recognize Ryuji? The mere thought made Ren want to throw up.
"Ryuji was a hero," Anne sniffled and raised a hand to wipe at the tears in her eyes. "I'm just sorry that he won't know that…"
Morgana's ears drooped as he looked to the ground.
Morgana finally turned around to face them. His blue eyes were filled with sadness.
His voice was sorrowful when he spoke up once again. "I never said it… but sometimes Ryuji could be pretty cool."
Futaba gave a little nod. "Yeah…"
Morgana started to sniffle a little as Futaba bent down to scoop him up and squeeze him. He was obviously too sullen to protest at how tightly Futaba was hugging him, pressing him right against her chest.
Ren made a small sound but then a familiar voice suddenly gave him a heart attack.
"Can I get that in writing?"
"RYUJI!?" Anne sputtered out.
Ren whipped around to see that his best friend was very much alive and well. Though there were scratches on his face. Ren's heart pounded hard against his chest—he couldn't breathe. Ryuji… he made it out okay? He was alive?
Ryuji blinked at Anne before scratching the back of his head. "Huh? Why are you crying? You look like a total mess. Did someone die or what?"
Anne's eye twitched for a moment and Ren could see the moment when Anne's temper snapped.
"Ryuji, you insensitive BASTARD!" Anne screeched out, stomping up to him.
She seized him by the lapels of his blazer, shaking him hard, hard enough to make him resemble a bobblehead. Ryuji's face had gone pale, but Anne wasn't done.
"We thought you died, and you go and make stupid jokes like that?!" she ranted, still shaking him hard. "You're such a dummy! You IDIOT!"
Anne would've probably kept shaking him if Makoto hadn't come to Ryuji's rescue and pried Anne's hands away, drawing the still fuming Anne from Ryuji. But Ryuji looked shell-shocked.
"Huh?! Why did you think I died?!" Ryuji sputtered out.
"Ryuji, you're such a jerk! You make fun of us for crying but it was for you!" Futaba was suddenly in Ryuji's face—at least the best she could with her being over a head shorter than him.
"How could you be so thoughtless?!" Haru cried out.
"Guys… help?" Ryuji begged as the girls (minus Makoto) continued to yell at him for his dumb joke. "Yusuke? Ken?!"
"This is your punishment," Yusuke said gravely.
"I'm not touching this with a three-meter pole," Ken deadpanned, folding his arms over his chest.
"Traitors!" Ryuji whimpered out before looking desperately to Morgana. "Come on, you think I'm cool now, right?"
"I ACTUALLY SHED TEARS OVER YOU, ASSHOLE! HOW DARE YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT, INCONSIDERATE JERK!" Morgana shouted as tears were still flowing freely.
"So you DO care, Mona?" Ryuji snickered, only to gulp as the girls glared dangerously at him.
"SHUT UP!"
"So Mona's a traitor like the rest…" Ryuji muttered out, only to look at Ren with hopeful eyes. "But RenRen, you'll save me from their wrath? Right?!"
Ren slowly raised his eyes to meet Ryuji's. He moved, pushing the girls aside.
"Thanks dude—" Ryuji began to say only to sputter as Ren suddenly threw his arms around Ryuji.
"You idiot… you goddamn idiot!" Ren squeezed Ryuji even tighter. "Don't you dare put us through that crap again, got it?!"
Behind him, Morgana let out a cough. "Um… Ren? Ryuji's kinda turning blue."
Ryuji gasped for air as Ren finally released him. "Jeez, I didn't think you'd miss me that much."
"Of course we'd miss you, you idiot!" Ken suddenly pushed Ren out of the way, seizing Ryuji by the lapels. His expression was dead serious. "You're our friend! If you died, there would be a gaping hole that nobody else can replace!"
He remembered the way that Ken had talked about Minato-san—how they had assumed that Minato was safe and sound after sealing Nyx. He wondered… if Ken thought about that night a lot.
"Ken…" Makoto said quietly.
"Okay, okay, just don't choke me!" Ryuji begged. "I'm sorry! I just thought a joke would lighten things up!"
Ken finally released him but Ryuji wasn't safe from a tongue lashing. Oh, far from it.
"You thought wrong! That kind of joke isn't funny!" Anne snapped, glaring at Ryuji.
Ryuji backed away from her, cringing slightly.
"Okay, okay! Just stop yelling at me!" Ryuji yelped.
"I'll yell at you for as long as I want! Don't tell me what to do!" Anne snarled at him.
She suddenly tackled him with a hug, squeezing him tight. Futaba then latched onto the two of them. Ren joined them. Then Haru. Then Yusuke. Makoto. Ken. Even Morgana curled around Ryuji's neck.
"G-Guys…" Ryuji sputtered out.
"Don't ever forget how important you are, Ryuji," Ren said quietly. "To us."
"…I won't," Ryuji promised, unusually serious.
Yusuke tilted his head. "How did you even survive that?"
Ryuji frowned at that. "I dunno, man. The blast knocked me off the ship. Next thing I knew, I was lying on some grass."
"You survived… by sheer dumb luck." Ken let out a strained laugh.
"Of course, he did." Morgana chuckled.
"Hey… it wasn't dumb luck!" Ryuji protested.
They eventually let go of their group embrace and Morgana jumped down. But then the cat sighed.
"So… it's back to the waiting game, isn't it?" he asked.
Ren then took in a shuddering breath before giving a nod. "Yeah, but at least Election Day isn't too far away."
"Let's go home," Makoto sighed. "I don't know about you, but tonight's been so exhausting."
All they could do was nod in agreement.
Ken was developing a headache. And it had nothing to do with the intense fight with Shido.
It was Minako-san and Junpei-san speculating if he was a 'furry' or a 'weirdo in a tux and cape'.
"Ken, why are you making such a weird face?" Futaba suddenly piped up.
Ken grimaced. Futaba would not let it go if he fessed up.
He was walking with Ren and Futaba back to Leblanc, since Shinjiro-san should be around there to keep an eye out on Sakura-san. It was a relief to do so, though he could go without his senpai talking about what he was wearing in the Metaverse.
"Must've been something funny," Ren mused.
Ken glowered at Ren for the crack, but Morgana suddenly coughed.
"Come on, Leblanc is just ahead! Sojiro has probably been worried sick!"
Ken's gaze flicked back and forth. He wondered where Shinjiro-san was. Maybe in the actual café?
Futaba pumped both of her fists. "Let's go! Maybe Sojiro can whip up some curry for all of us! A victory meal!"
"You and your bottomless pit of a stomach," Ken sighed.
Futaba pulled a face at him before crying out, "Last one to Leblanc is a rotten egg!"
She broke into a run.
"You're not partaking in this, are you…?!" Morgana let out a yowl as Ren started to sprint.
Ken snorted to himself before chasing after his two friends. He did feel… lighter, knowing that Shido would soon confess to his crimes and they had ensured the safety of everyone.
He and Ren had made it to Leblanc within seconds of each other. It took Futaba a bit longer to make it and she gave them a sulky look.
"Cheater!" Futaba grumbled out in between her pants.
"If anything, we gave you a handicap, Futaba," Ren said teasingly. He then opened the door, calling out, "Hey Sojiro, we're b…ack."
Futaba gasped loudly at the sight before their eyes.
Cafe Leblanc was a complete mess. The containers Sakura-san kept his high-quality coffee beans in were thrown to the ground, the coffee beans spilling out. There were some smashed up plates lying on the floor. Stools overturned. It looked almost like the place was ransacked.
"What the hell happened?" Ren asked, his eyes widened.
"Sojiro!" Futaba whimpered out, wringing her hands; she suddenly grabbed Ken's sleeve, her eyes wide with fear. "Ken, what about Shinjiro-san! You said that he'd…"
Ken had a sinking feeling that… something had happened to Shinjiro-san too.
Morgana said urgently, "Ken, try to call Shinjiro! Maybe Boss told him to get out?"
Ken bit his lip before he nodded. He pulled out his phone. He had just pulled up his contacts when he heard a voice behind him.
"I still don't know how we got released but I sure as hell ain't complaining."
Ken whirled around. "Shinjiro-san!"
Then he stopped and stared. He didn't expect Niijima-san to be here as well.
"What… what's Sae doing here too?" Morgana sounded flabbergasted.
Sakura-san let out a weary sigh. "Uh… we might have been caught in some trouble. Niijima was kind enough to offer us a ride back."
"Some trouble?!" Futaba squawked out. "First Ryuji and now you?!"
She then threw her arms around her adoptive father and squeezed him in a hug. Sakura-san looked taken aback at that, but he patted her on the head with an awkward smile.
Shinjiro-san frowned. "What about Sakamoto?"
"Never mind that!" Ken snapped. "What happened?"
"Long story short—Shido's men tried to arrest me. Aragaki tried to help me but ended up decking one of them. So they arrested him for assault and battery and took me into custody for questioning," Sakura-san sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
Ken's mouth dropped open. "You got arrested?!"
"Was bound to happen," Shinjiro-san said dryly, folding his arms over his chest. "Besides, Shido's toadies deserved it and more."
"Shinjiro-san!" Ken rubbed his forehead; he could feel a headache coming on. "Don't joke about that kind of thing!"
Sakura-san cracked a smile. "He has a mean right hook. Gave one of Shido's men a pretty impressive black eye.
"Asshole deserved it…" Shinjiro-san muttered.
Ren let out a low whistle. "Damn. Makes me wish for a picture."
Sakura-san just chuckled, shaking his head.
"You and me both." Then Sakura-san looked at Niijima-san before rubbing the back of his neck for a moment. "Though I was surprised that Niijima did try to vouch for us."
"You tried to get Sojiro and Shinjiro-san out of jail?" Futaba gasped, her eyes growing wide.
Sakura-san just nodded before giving Niijima-san an apologetic smile. "Sorry that you ended up getting arrested too."
Niijima-san simply shook her head before a smile twisted at her lips. "It was the least I could do. After all the grief I put you through…"
Sakura-san just gave a wave of his hand before cracking a smile. "It's all water under the bridge now. Especially with how you tried to help us."
"But how did you get out?" Morgana asked.
"That's the weird thing," Shinjiro-san said, rubbing his neck now. "Things were going a little crazy, people were panicking 'bout something to do with Shido, and they just… let us go. Said they had bigger fish to fry. Whatever… it got us free at least."
Ken frowned at that. Were they worried about Shido's change of heart? Were they truly that desperate to just… let them go?
Futaba scowled before stomping her foot. "Don't joke about stupid stuff like that! Ryuji joked about that stupid thing and now you?!"
"Sakamoto-kun?" Niijima-san frowned. "Did something happen?"
Ren sighed. "Something went weird with the Palace. It was self-destructing before we even touched the Treasure. Ryuji risked his neck to get us to safety and we thought he had died when the ship exploded."
Niijima-san let out a little gasp, pressing a hand to her mouth. Sakura-san's breath hitched before his eyes lowered to the ground. Shinjiro-san glanced at Ken, balling his hands.
"Is he okay now?" Shinjiro-san asked.
Ken rubbed the back of his neck. "I think the girls put the fear of God in him but otherwise… he's okay."
Morgana snorted. "You should've seen him, begging for help."
"I'm glad to hear that." Niijima-san paused for a moment. "A-Ah, I meant that he's okay, not that the girls apparently frightened him…"
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes. "We get it Niijima."
Niijima-san glared at him briefly. "But anyways, I should get going. I don't want Makoto to wait any longer for me. Please excuse me."
Without another word, she hurried out of the café. A part of Ken wondered if she was running off so fast because she was worried about how Makoto was doing. If that was the case, he was glad. He hoped Makoto wasn't worried about Niijima-san; she had been stressed enough already.
"Helloooo? Earth to Ken? Have you come back from lala-land?"
Ken snapped to attention at Futaba's voice. He winced.
"Sorry… was just thinking."
"You must be pretty tired," Sakura-san commented. "I think you should hit the hay."
Ken blinked. "Shouldn't we help clean up?"
Sakura-san just waved a hand in dismissal. "Nah, it's fine. I have these two to help me."
He gestured to Ren and Futaba, but Ren snorted.
"So we're just free labor, huh?" he asked.
"Three people is enough to clean up this mess, quit whining about it," Sakura-san said with narrowed eyes.
Shinjiro-san rolled his eyes before turning to Ken. "Let's go home then, Ken. Since Sakura says he'll be fine with this."
"See you, Ken," Ren said, raising a tired hand.
He removed his glasses, wearily rubbing at his eyes. Ken didn't blame him for being tired.
"Bye Ken!" Futaba seconded.
"Get some rest!" Morgana added. "You deserve it."
Ren put his glasses back on his face, shooting Morgana an amused smirk. "Ah, the return of Mom-na."
"Shut up, Ren!" Morgana grumbled.
"Sheesh, he's worse than both Minako and Iori," Shinjiro grumbled as they stepped outside.
Ken huffed. "At least he's not as bad as Teddie-san."
"Ugh, there's nothing worse than those stupid bear puns," Shinjiro-san groused.
The door slammed behind them, and they started to walk towards the station. The icy wind stung at Ken's cheeks and he drew his blazer tighter around him. Shinjiro-san tugged at his scarf, adjusting it so that it fit more snugly around his neck.
The walk to the station was quiet. He wondered if Shinjiro-san was more bothered by his arrest than he was letting on.
"Um… Shinjiro-san? Are you okay?" he asked tentatively.
Shinjiro-san was silent for a moment.
"Yeah… it's just been a tiring night. It was really nerve wracking, just waiting to see what would happen."
Ken slowly exhaled. "I'm sorry. I asked you to come here tonight."
"It's fine, Ken. Besides the men were threatening Sakura. It'd be… wrong to ignore it," Shinjiro-san said in a low voice.
He was speaking quietly because he assumed that there might be other of Shido's men, lurking about. Shinjiro-san slowly turned to look at Ken.
"I've had a lot to think about, since you insisted on taking… Mitsuru's request. That it's wrong to just… look away. I was willing to do that if you didn't want to take the mission."
Ken swallowed hard. "Shinjiro-san…"
Shinjiro-san sighed, rubbing the back of his head.
"With you getting involved with… your friends, it made me realize that if you want change, it has to start with you." He then awkwardly cleared his throat. "But uh, come on. It's cold. Let's get you home."
Without another word, he adjusted his scarf and picked up his pace. Ken had to hasten to keep up with Shinjiro-san but it was better than how he had to run to keep up with the others when he was a kid.
Fortunately, they had come at the right time, and they were able to board the train in Shibuya within minutes of their arrival. It wasn't long before they arrived at the station and could walk home. It was quiet though, which Ken was grateful for. Maybe Shinjiro-san was keeping quiet because of how tired Ken was.
Koromaru's joyful barks greeted them as they entered the penthouse. But then Koromaru stopped short at Ken's feet, and he sat down, letting out a small whimper.
Ken let out a tired laugh, kneeling to pet Koromaru on the head.
"I'm okay, boy. Just worn out, that's all."
Shinjiro-san looked at him carefully as Ken slowly rose to his feet.
"How did it go exactly?" he inquired.
Ken sighed, rubbing at his face. "Well… it was certainly a hard fight."
Ken pursed his lips, pondering how to phrase the next part.
"He had… a cognitive Akechi. It was bothering me earlier on why we hadn't encountered Shido's cognition of Akechi but… I have my answer now."
His mouth went dry as he recalled the fight with the cognitive Akechi. His mind drifted to the real Akechi. Was he even aware of what they had done?
He was glad that Akechi hadn't tried to interfere. They had their hands full enough with trying to fight Shido.
But even so… he couldn't help but wonder where Akechi was. Had Shido found him?
He absently rubbed his shoulder, the one where he had been shot. Fortunately, it had been in the Metaverse, so his shoulder was just sore.
"Okay… what's bothering you now?" Shinjiro-san asked, eyebrow raised.
Ken sighed. "I'm just… thinking of where the real Akechi is. The next step is trying to find him right?"
Shinjiro-san just shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "Don't let your imagination go wild like that. You beat Shido—that's enough for now."
Ken managed a small smile. "I'll try, Shinjiro-san."
Shinjiro-san nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Don't want you to get gray hair outta stress."
Ken snorted. "Aren't you always complaining how Minako-san will give you gray hairs?"
Shinjiro-san smirked at that. "Well with how you talk about Amamiya, Sakamoto, and Sakura—you're already getting some gray hairs. Just trying to prevent more from happening."
Ken let out a chuckle. "Yeah, yeah…"
Koromaru tilted his head at Ken as he stepped around the shiba inu. But then he paused at Shinjiro-san's next words.
"But seriously, Ken, are you okay? Sakura mentioned something with Sakamoto…"
Ken bit his lip before slowly turning to face his guardian.
"Like we said… we thought Ryuji had died." He then tried to force a smile on his face. "But he's okay! He somehow survived…"
"It doesn't mean you still can't be scared, Ken," Shinjiro-san said.
Ken sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. How could he begin to describe the pure terror that had spiked in him when the ship exploded?
Thinking that Ryuji had died in the Metaverse, blown to smithereens.
"It was just… scary. Thinking that we had lost him, and we couldn't do anything about it," Ken said finally.
Shinjiro-san slowly exhaled.
"This is about Minato."
It was a statement, not a question. So all Ken could do was give a nod. At his confirmation, Shinjiro-san gave a sigh.
"Ken… things won't turn out like with Minato. You'll be able to relax once Shido has confessed. So try not to stress yourself out with this shit."
Ken tried to force himself to smile. "Okay, Shinjiro-san… I'll try."
Shinjiro-san nodded. "Good. You should get some rest, alright?"
Ken just nodded. "I'll try."
The election was just a few days away… He hoped that Shido would confess to all of his crimes soon…
"Sir! Sir!"
Someone was calling out to Masayoshi.
He blinked several times, his vision slowly sharpening. He looked up to see several men looking at him, all of their faces filled with worry. The man in the lab coat was nervously wringing at his hands.
They were all his allies… seeking some of the power that Masayoshi had sought.
Everything that he had done for the past two decades suddenly crashed down on him. Guilt suddenly twisted in his stomach; he felt nauseous.
"W-What have I done?" he choked out.
All of those lives he had snuffed out… they were gone because of him.
The others began to talk in rapid-fire. They were talking about some medicine and taking him to a hospital… but Masayoshi didn't care about that.
He needed to fix this, atone for all of his mistakes!
Masayoshi couldn't help but let out a muffled sob. His allies' conversation faded away. All he could focus on was his horrible guilt.
What kind of monster had he become?
He didn't even care as he was forced to stand up. His secretary was talking about something regarding a hospital stay, that Masayoshi wasn't feeling well…
"Of course I don't feel well! You know what I've done, haven't you?" Masayoshi demanded.
His secretary blanched at Masayoshi's words and he swallowed hard. "S-Sir, you're sick. You don't know what you're talking about."
The assemblyman clicked his tongue. "It's even worse… we can't let anyone near Shido-san!"
Nobody was listening to him. Was this karma for all of his horrible deeds?
A plan began to formulate in his head… If they wouldn't let him speak up his crimes now, he would just wait. At his speech for when he wins the election. That was just a few days away… he had just to bide his time until then.
Saturday, December 17 th , 2016
Ren was feeling restless. There was only one day left until the election…
"What are we going to do today?" Morgana asked.
Ren tried to think. He had… nothing to do really. Maybe he could spend some time with Anne or something today…
With that thought in mind, Ren began to descend the stairs. Sojiro met his eyes but before either could say anything, the elderly customers' conversation caught Ren's attention.
"Didn't the Phantom Thieves die? I thought we were safe from them now."
Ren's hands had been stuffed in his pockets because of the chill in the air but Ren was doubly glad now—he could mask his hands now balled into fists.
The elderly man was still talking. "And then, there's that calling card… Shido-san denied any of it was true though."
The elderly woman sighed. "I wonder if Shido-san is okay… I'm worried, with the elections so close."
He knew that Shido hadn't confessed yet but what the hell?! Ren couldn't help but feel troubled, especially with how callously the man was talking about how the Phantom Thieves being 'dead'.
The elderly man then let out a gusty sigh. "I don't know what to believe anymore."
Sojiro suddenly leaned in close, a conspiratorial smile forming on his face.
"You should've seen everyone's faces. They lost it," he said in a whisper.
"But Sojiro… just listen to them!" Ren whispered, unable to stifle the wave of anxiety that hit him.
What if… their work had been all for nothing? What if they were still in danger from Shido and his conspiracy?
He… didn't want to fail everyone. They were counting on him.
Sojiro frowned. "Ren, try to relax a little. Shido hasn't confessed yet."
Ren took a deep breath. "…Okay."
He really hoped Sojiro was right. They needed Shido to go down so that everyone could be safe.
Maybe… it wouldn't hurt to look around, though.
He ended up wandering through Yongen-jaya and what he heard… wasn't good. He hid behind a wall as he listened to a different older couple discuss Shido.
"It's surprising to hear that the Phantom Thieves had actually targeted Shido," the man said.
His female companion let out a little hum. "I'd say Shido's odds of winning are eighty to ninety percent. There's no way he'd lie."
Ren bit his lip.
"I knew you'd agree. Just by looking at his eyes, you can tell that he's trustworthy. Who can we believe in, if not him? What the Phantom Thieves were claiming is nothing but nonsense."
"Isn't it strange though? I thought the leader had died."
"Who knows? I feel I can't trust anyone but Shido…"
Ren clenched his fists before turning on his heel. He had heard enough.
What was with this garbage?! Did everyone in Tokyo believe this?!
Were their efforts all for nothing after all then?
"Ren! REN!" Morgana shouted. He had poked his head out of Ren's bag and was staring sternly at Ren now. "Ren, you're panicking about something that's not even true."
"But—" Ren squeezed the strap of his bag like it was a lifeline. "Morgana, I don't want everything to be all for nothing."
"It's not going to be. Look, Shido will have to face the music. He will turn himself in."
Morgana spoke so surely. But Ren looked sadly at him.
"I hope you're right, Morgana," he said.
They couldn't afford for Morgana to be wrong…
TYR
Arcana: Justice
Level: 66
Elements: Bless, Gun, Healing
Blocks: Bless
Resists: Psy
Weakness: Curse
Spells: Makougaon, Kougaon, Mediaharan, Diaharan, One Shot Kill, Marakunda, Bless Boost, Samarecarm
Notes:
Happy 2022 everyone! So sorry about the wait. Writing the last part of the fight went through a couple drafts, so it took longer than I expected. And yes, I decided to move Shido's cognition of Akechi to his boss fight. I felt it makes more sense. And Cog!Akechi has a black mask, to fit what the game establishes of Shido and his Palace.
As always, many thanks to my beta, angelrin89. She made some nice tweaks in this chapter. I don't know what I'd do without her!
I also adjusted the part with Sojiro a bit, I wanted to emphasize Sae's change of heart. And speaking of tweaks! I adjusted the infamous Ryuji scene a lot. It was aiming to be more slapstick but it comes off as tonedeaf. I hope you like my version better than the original. And the last scene was inspired by some NPC dialogue you can eavesdrop on after beating Shido.
I also decided to move the Shido confession to the next chapter. I feel it fits better and will let you guys breathe a little. I also plan on showing Akechi's reaction to the aftermath of this chapter in the next chapter! But Chapter 51 will still cover a big chunk of the Mementos arc! We're in the home stretch guys!
I would like to note that I will be writing for Shuann Week, as per usual, so things will be a bit slower. But I have the next chapter outlined so I hope to update again before Shuann Week runs during April. Until next time guys! Would love to hear your thoughts on the chapter to help motivate me ;)
Chapter 52: Ch. 51: Into the Depths
Summary:
Shido's confession has not yielded the results the Phantom Thieves and the Shadow Operatives were hoping for. Something strange is occurring and the answers seem to lie within Mementos. However, as the Phantom Thieves dive in, they appeared to have stumbled into the truth of the Metaverse...
Notes:
Important Note: Please check out Chapter 23 of Ace in the Hole, Enter Noir, the Phantom Thief. There have been changes made to that chapter in order to tie in better with Morgana's character arc.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, December 18th, 2016
Group Chat: The Real Phantom Thieves of Hearts
Futaba: Election Day is upon us!
Makoto: Unfortunately, public opinion hasn’t changed at all. Shido will most likely win in a landslide victory.
Yusuke: It seems his change of heart will be coming too late.
Anne: We’ll just have to see what happens. We’ve done all we can.
Yusuke: That reminds me, the video of us declaring war against him never showed up on TV.
Ryuji: Seriously!?
Haru: I was wondering about that.
Futaba: The TV stations were probably pressured not to show it.
Makoto: Most likely. I don’t think that’s something Shido’s influence alone could have accomplished. The true cause of this might exist elsewhere…
Ken: Yeah it’s… unsettling. Shinjiro-san told me that a lot of Crossroad’s regulars have been discussing the election and they keep talking about how Shido is their salvation
Ren: He’s got them fooled… It’s creepy how much faith they’ve got in him
Ryuji: I mean, all we can do now is wait for the change of heart, yeah? They’ll realize how much he’s fooled ‘em then!
Futaba: Yep.
Haru: Let’s wait for the election results as well.
Ren lowered his phone, letting out a sigh. He should be happy but… he couldn’t shake off this weird feeling for whatever reason. He had slept horribly last night, and he even had a bad dream…
He couldn’t remember it all, but the bottom line was that their efforts had been all for nothing.
“Ren?” Morgana asked.
Ren took in a shaky breath before giving him a weak smile. “Sorry, Morgana… It’s just—it’s nerve-racking.”
Morgana sighed. “I don’t blame you. And the voting is still going on... But try to keep yourself occupied until then. Keep your mind off of things.”
Ren sighed to himself. He really wished it was that easy…
It was dark by the time Goro emerged into the real world. A frigid wind swept through the air, making Goro shiver. He hastened to find a lone alley.
He needed to get some food and drink and get back into the Metaverse.
He reached up and touched his hair. His hairstyle was part of what made him so easily identifiable. He had taken a rubber band from Sae-san’s place for this purpose, in fact. He reached up, gathering his hair together and pulling it into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck.
Luckily his coat was a part of a school uniform so hopefully people wouldn’t scrutinize him too closely.
He checked his wallet. There were a handful of one thousand-yen bills, but it wouldn’t last him for long. He would have to dip into that secret bank account that he had made in case of emergencies soon.
He unlocked his phone to open up his Zoogle Maps app and his heart just about jumped into his throat as he saw what the date was.
It was Election Day. What happened to Shido?
He looked up Shido quickly in his web browser app and he could see some reports about Shido’s confession. So… they had really done it.
It took some digging, but he managed to find a video of Shido’s ‘confession’.
He started out with his usual sucking up attitude, thanking people for their support. Goro scowled at it. Typical Shido…
That was when Shido’s expression suddenly wavered. “But this is why… I cannot forgive myself!”
Goro stared. He knew this was the nature of changing hearts. But it was so jarring, coming from Shido’s mouth.
“The reason why President Okumura passed away this past October… I’m the one responsible for it! I had him killed! That’s not all… I also manipulated the information that the Phantom Thieves were behind the series of incidents. The one who controlled the hearts of others and gave rise to the countless victims… is me. It was all for my own promotion… for my own selfish gain. I was so obsessed with power that I didn’t care the cost. No price too high if I could attain my goal. I was so blind. I had convinced myself that I was the only one who could save Japan.”
Goro slowly exhaled. The look on Shido’s face was… earnest. He just… didn’t know how to process this.
“I’ve even used people’s lives as stepping stones in order to claim this country as my own ship. I am a true criminal that can be tried for any crime, and it still wouldn’t be enough! I’m not sure what would be enough…” Shido trailed off before staring straight at the camera. “I will confess everything, I swear it! I just beg of you all to pass judgment on me. I want to atone for my sins. I know you had faith in me as someone who can help the country as a whole but the man you thought I was… doesn’t exist. I’m a criminal, a crook who has used countless people to get what I want…”
A lump had formed in Goro’s throat. He had spent so long hating this man. He still did but… watching him beg for forgiveness just made him feel hollow.
That was it? He couldn’t help but feel utterly foolish about the goal he’s been chasing for so long.
“So please! I beg of you… Punish me for all of my misdeeds. Pass judgment on me! I’m no savior, just a pathetic man who couldn’t accept defeat. I only rose to my current position due to me engaging in truly horrible methods. If I could atone for all I’ve done with my life, I request that I be judged at once…”
But then the video suddenly cut out.
“That… That can’t be it,” Goro muttered out, a frown forming on his face.
A quick scour of the articles covering the election gave him nothing. Were Shido’s men scrambling to cover the truth right now then?
It wasn’t over then… He had to remain in hiding. Shido might have had a change of heart, but it seemed that Shido’s toadies were scrambling to pick up the slack in their desperation to not be condemned.
It didn’t involve him anymore. Not if Goro had anything to say anything about it. He was determined to wait this out.
Survival was the only thing that mattered.
“So, it’s truly over now?”
On the other end, Amada just pressed his lips together.
“Well, there’s still the case against Shido,” Amada said carefully. “He needs to be tried for his crimes. Niijima-san said that she would build the case, so I think it’s just a matter of time.”
Mitsuru couldn’t help but sigh to herself, albeit quietly. She understood the reasoning but… she wanted Shido to be punished now. Though she supposed… since she’s been waiting for over two years for this man to get his comeuppance, she could afford to wait a little while longer.
“We also discussed it and I’ll be going back to school tomorrow too,” Amada said.
Mitsuru let out a thoughtful hum. “I’m glad to hear it. Your exams are coming up, no?”
Amada rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, it starts up on the nineteenth. I’ve been studying but I don’t think I’ll do as well as I usually do.”
“I think you should have more faith in yourself, Amada,” Mitsuru gently chided. “Just try to relax for now.”
“I’m surprised that you know the meaning of ‘relax’.” Shinjiro suddenly appeared in view, smirking at Mitsuru.
Mitsuru glowered at him. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“Can’t deny it, huh?” Shinjiro snarked.
“Enough, you two,” Amada spoke up, shooting Shinjiro an irate look. “It’s been a long day, waiting for any news about Shido. Can you not fight for once?”
“My apologies, Amada,” Mitsuru sighed out, immediately feeling guilty.
She fought the urge to make a barb at Shinjiro, but Amada did request that they dial back on their bickering. Shinjiro just crossed his arm over his chest, letting out a huff in response.
Amada just sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“It’s fine. It’s just been nerve-wrecking to wait for the news.” He then smiled. “I’m glad though… It’s almost over.”
It’s been nearly eight months since Minako had suggested sending Amada to Tokyo in order to investigate the Phantom Thieves and the then-unknown Shadow nest, but that almost felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since then.
“You’ve done a marvelous job though, Amada,” Mitsuru said. “With this mission, I mean. I had always assumed that the intel you gathered us would be centered around the Phantom Thieves and yet… you’ve exceeded all expectations. You even helped take down Shido.”
Amada’s face went pink. “I didn’t do much.”
Oh, she doubted that. After all, it wasn’t for Amada… who knew what they would’ve thought about the Phantom Thieves? Especially with how Shido framed the Phantom Thieves for Okumura’s death…
As much it frustrated Mitsuru to be on the sidelines, she was glad to have an insider so that she was at least in the loop.
“You know too much modesty is a bad thing, right?” Shinjiro snarked.
Amada snapped to attention, glowering at Shinjiro. “Too much sarcasm is a bad thing too.”
“You’re one to talk, Ken.”
“I’m nowhere near as bad as you, Shinjiro-san!”
Mitsuru sighed, resting her cheek into her palm as Shinjiro and Amada continued to squabble. Though she supposed it was nice in a way. A sense of normalcy, you could say. She then coughed, pointedly clearing her throat.
Amada smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, Mitsuru-san.”
“It’s all right, Amada. But I was thinking… since Shido’s arrest is eminent, it might be safe for us to return to Tokyo at long last.”
But Amada frowned at that. “Hmm… shouldn’t you play it safe until Shido’s arrest is official, at least?”
Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. She couldn’t help but feel a bit amused at that. Amada wouldn’t have pushed back against her just a few months ago. But now… he was more vocal about his opinions.
Amada had truly changed over the past few months. She had thought that he had matured over the past few years with his healing from the trauma of his mother’s death. But the last half-year had really pushed him beyond his boundaries and Amada had truly flourished.
She had to admit that she still couldn’t help but think of the small, scarred child she had met over seven years ago. But she was forced to see now that he was now a young man who had grown in his own. The Phantom Thieves had truly helped him grow. It only occurred to her now that Amada would soon graduate from high school.
It was… a bittersweet feeling.
“Earth to Mitsuru?” Shinjiro suddenly spoke up, his voice dry.
Mitsuru snapped to attention. “Yes… I’m sorry, Shinjiro, Amada. I was just… thinking.”
“And you’re zoning out like that?” Shinjiro finished. “But it’s fine. Is everything good on your end?”
Amada frowned. “You shouldn’t push yourself so hard, Mitsuru-san.”
Mitsuru sighed, running a hand through her hair. “For now. Though I will have to work to reinstate the Shadow Operatives in Tokyo soon enough.”
“You could always have others help,” Shinjiro reminded. “You’re a leader, so delegate.”
Mitsuru let out a chuckle. “That is true, I just… I can’t help but get involved. But as for Amada’s point, it is quite reasonable. Although I do hope that Shido’s arrest will happen soon. Yamagishi mentioned wanting to have a New Year get-together, but I suppose you could at least come to Port Island for that.”
“That sounds nice,” Amada said.
“Sure would beat Tokyo’s crazy crowds,” Shinjiro grumbled out. “Do you even have any plans with the others, Ken?”
Mitsuru chuckled. She knew well enough that Shinjiro despised how packed Tokyo was; she had for years, since Shinjiro wasn’t shy about vocalizing his opinion of Tokyo when he had first visited Yamagishi during her first year of university. He definitely preferred how Port Island was more of a suburban area. It was a bit amusing to know that Shinjiro put up with Tokyo because of Amada, however.
Amada shook his head. “We haven’t talked about it.”
“You can forget about seeing him during Christmas though,” Shinjiro said. “He’s being super secretive about what he’s planned for Makoto and fretting if his gift for her is good enough—”
“Oh, shut up Shinjiro-san!” Amada practically growled at him, glaring daggers at Shinjiro. “I don’t go poking my nose into what you have planned for Fuuka-san! And who are you—Minako-san?!”
This led to another round of bickering and this time Mitsuru couldn’t stifle her laughter.
Monday, December 19th, 2016
It was weird, coming back to school after so long. Ren gave a tired yawn as he slowly trudged to the school gates. Morgana had to get him up today. He was so sleepy…
Ren stopped short, blinking at the sight in front of his eyes. For some reason… there was a small crowd forming.
“Amada-senpai, what happened?! You were gone for a month!”
“It must’ve been so serious!”
“Did you hear about Shido, though, Amada-kun?!”
Oh, that explained it. Though for obvious reasons, Ren couldn’t help but think that he wouldn’t get the same treatment as Ken. Ren craned his neck to see that Ken had a polite smile plastered on his face as he answered the questions thrown at him with some B.S. lie; but you could see that he was looking for a way to escape, with how his eyes would occasionally dart away from the girls.
“Uh… do you think we should save him?” Morgana piped up.
He looked down to see Morgana leaning halfway out of his schoolbag, his eyes filled with concern. Ren nodded before pushing his way through the crowd.
“Ken! It’s good to see you!” Ren greeted him. “How was Port Island?”
He had to keep in mind that he supposedly hadn’t seen Ken for a month. It was kinda weird to have to play into the façade like this, since it had been up to his friends to act like nothing was wrong.
Ken jumped at the sound of Ren’s voice, but relief suddenly flooded his face.
“O-Oh, Ren! Port Island was fine…”
Ren then grabbed Ken by the arm.
“That’s great! You gotta tell me more about it!” Ren said.
Without another word, he dragged Ken into the school building.
Once Ren released him, Ken’s shoulders suddenly slumped with relief. “Thank goodness you showed up.”
“That bad, huh? Must be so terrible to have girls fawn over you like that,” Ren teased before pretending to think about it. “Then again… you probably only want a certain girl to fawn over you, huh?”
Ken sputtered. “Makoto doesn’t fawn over me!”
“Who said anything about Makoto?” Ren asked innocently.
“Who else would it be you’re implying?” Ken pointed out the obvious with annoyance, “I am dating only one girl.”
“True, you don’t strike me as the harem protagonist type.”
Ken glowered at him, making Ren flash a grin at the older boy. Morgana just sighed and rolled his eyes.
“What are you up to now, Ren?”
Makoto was standing behind Ren, eyebrows raised at him.
“Makoto!” Ken smiled at her.
“I was wondering what was keeping you,” Makoto said, taking Ken’s hand and smiling at him.
“Ren just teasing Ken as usual,” Morgana supplied with a roll of his eyes.
Makoto’s expression grew unimpressed. “Somehow, I’m not surprised.”
Ren sighed. “This is the last time I rescue you like that.”
Makoto frowned. “Rescue?”
“Ken got mobbed by girls earlier,” Morgana piped up.
Ken shot Morgana a dirty look, but the feline didn’t bat an eye. Ken then let out a frustrated sigh.
“It never ends…” Ken grumbled.
“You know, a lot guys would love to be in your shoes,” Ren couldn’t help but tease.
“Yeah, well, I’m not like them,” Ken huffed out.
Makoto watched in amusement, even as she shook her head.
“Come on, let's head to the classroom," she suggested.
"So Ken needs an escort now huh?" Ren mused.
Ken glared at him for the crack, but Ren just held up his hands, unabashed.
"Just calling it how it is."
Ken looked like he wanted to retort but Ren perked up at the sound of Anne's voice.
"Ren!"
He spun around, catching Anne in his arms. She giggled, beaming at him.
"I missed you so much!" she said, for the sake of the people looking in.
"Missed you too," Ren said with a warm smile.
Ken and Makoto took the opportunity to slip away but Ren didn't mind. Even though Anne had visited him a lot during the past month, he had really missed this.
Ren had to agree with Ken though, he wouldn’t want to be like most guys who wish for girls fawning after him either. He had eyes for no one but Anne.
The two locked hands and walked down the hall together. Things were starting to be normal again and Ren couldn't be more grateful.
Wednesday, December 21st, 2022
“When are you coming back, Big Bro?”
“Come on, Nanako, don’t pressure him. College exams are no joke!”
Yu laughed as his cousin turned to his uncle with a pout on her face.
“I was just asking!” she said.
“It’s okay, Uncle,” Yu said, raising a hand; he then offered his uncle and cousin a small smile. “I’m looking forward to coming back to Inaba. But it does give me some more time to bring back some more snacks…”
Nanako’s eyes lit up at that. “Really, Big Bro?”
“Yep, I picked up the nama yatsuhashi you like so much, Nanako. Consider it an additional late birthday present.”
He had started with bringing Nanako some snacks from Tokyo that you couldn't find in Inaba, like Tokyo bananas. When he started at Kyoto University, he had continued the tradition but with Kyoto snacks.
“It’s not like you sent her an entire care package for her actual birthday,” Uncle muttered under his breath, but he couldn’t stop the smile from tugging at his lips.
“You’re the best, Big Bro!” Nanako cheered, her brown eyes shining. “I can’t wait for you and Big Sis to come back!”
“Not to mention Yosuke, Chie, Naoto… But I’m planning to get there in the afternoon on the twenty-third.” Yu said with a chuckle.
“Oh, I can’t wait!” Nanako practically bounced in her seat. “What about Big Sis?”
“Rise said that she’s working until midday on the twenty-third, so she’s planning on coming in the morning after.” Yu answered.
Rise sounded tired but happy with her work. He was so proud of his girlfriend. Her graduation to a full-fledged singer had launched her into further popularity—but that made her pretty busy.
“Oh, how’s your book coming along, Big Bro?” Nanako asked.
Yu smiled. He was currently writing a mystery novel—he realized he couldn’t keep away from mysteries after the huge mystery he had been entangled in. He had considered going into police work, but he ultimately decided that it wasn’t for him. Besides, it would allow him to travel with Rise during her tours. Now that they could finally be open about their relationship, Yu was just glad that they could show it to the entire world.
Yu smiled at his little cousin. “It’s coming along, Nanako. I think it’ll be ready to be sent to publishers soon.”
“That’s great, Yu!” Uncle said with a smile.
Nanako opened her mouth to say something but then her eyes went round; she then let out a little squeak before clasping her hands to her face.
“Oh no! It’s already five?! Miwa-chan is going to kill me! I’m late for our study group!”
Nanako darted off the screen for several seconds before popping back into view. A schoolbag was hanging off her shoulder.
“Bye Big Bro! Bye Dad! Love you! See you soon!”
Without another word she zipped away. A moment later, Yu heard her open the door and then slam it close.
“That girl…” Uncle shook his head, but a fond smile tugged at his lips. “She’s growing up too fast.”
Yu just laughed. He was always happy to talk to Nanako though. He missed everyone so much, but he couldn’t deny that his little cousin held a special part of his heart. A part of him still saw her as the sweet little seven-year-old, though.
“Soon you’ll be beating the boys away with a stick,” Yu said with a teasing smile.
Uncle snorted at that, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll counting on you for help to deal with that.”
Well… only someone very special deserved Nanako. He would be glad to aid Uncle in that.
“Of course.” Yu readily agreed, before tilting his head. “But enough about that… how are you, Uncle?”
Uncle sighed, shaking his head. “Same old, same old. Things around Inaba have been a little slow. The other day, I had to chase off some hooligans who thought they could parkour into Junes for… what—I’ve got no clue.”
Yu couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image. The weird thing was… he could easily see Ren pulling that. The younger Wild Card crossed Yu’s mind from time to time.
He hoped that his words stayed in Ren’s mind. He didn’t need to ‘measure up’. He had been certainly startled when he met Minako-san, but they had been evenly matched in the TV world. Yu had barely managed to eke out a win from the female Wild Card.
“The older guys though…” Uncle was speaking again, making Yu straighten up. “They’ve been so focused on the election. They keep saying that Shido should stay in power, though. Even though he confessed to really awful crimes…”
Yu blinked, his hands curling around his kneecaps.
“Something’s not right about that…” Yu thought, his brows furrowing together.
He straightened up, forcing himself to not tense up. Uncle had continued to talk.
“There’s a lot of fuss about his confession. They’re claiming that Shido’s not feeling well but something’s up.” Uncle frowned at that before scratching at the back of his head. “I can’t imagine what exactly is going on, though.”
The calling card still burned in the back of Yu’s mind. That had been… something. Rather brazen of the Phantom Thieves to pull that trick, gloating that they had backed Shido into a corner.
At least they did it with style.
“They keep going on and on about how Shido’s the only one who can save this country. I have to wonder where they got that idea.”
Yu could only shrug before forcing a smile on his face. He didn’t want Uncle to pick up on his discomfort.
“Who knows, Uncle?”
Something was going on… but what exactly? Yu had a gut feeling that there was more to this strange behavior but… what could he do about this?
Friday, December 23rd, 2016
“The Phan-Site traffic is completely dead?!”
“Not so loud, Ryuji,” Ken scolded.
Ryuji smiled sheepishly before mumbling out an apology. Ren glanced around for a moment to see if they were looking at their group. Weirdly enough… everyone was just walking by, completely ignoring Ryuji’s outburst. Ren shook his head before looking back to his friends.
Ken sighed, before leaning against the railing and looking at Ren. “I’ll admit that it’s a bit weird but I’m not sure if it’s as big of a deal as Mishima-san is saying.”
Makoto’s expression suddenly grew troubled. “But if the public isn’t kicking up a fuss, does that mean Shido will still become Prime Minister?”
“But you heard Shido’s public confession. He doesn’t want to be prime minister,” Anne pointed out.
Makoto’s expression darkened and one hand clenched into a fist. “But his ‘friends’ do.”
“That’s just bullshit!” Ryuji protested before a scowl formed on his face. “With everything he confessed, he should be fired!”
Yusuke’s gaze traveled past the railing before he stiffened. “Everyone… look at the monitor.”
Ren followed Yusuke’s line of sight, sucking in a breath at the news.
“They’ve announced the poor health of their leader, Masayoshi Shido. As such, the special Diet session was postponed, along with Shido’s inauguration as prime minister.”
“P-Postponed?” Makoto parroted.
“Hang on…” Anne’s eyes narrowed before clenching her hands into fists. “Why are they suddenly claiming ‘poor health’?”
Makoto said. “This isn’t what Sis said… Did she lie to me…?”
“M-Mako-chan…” Haru said.
“I think Niijima-san said that to not to worry you.” Ken’s voice turned soothing before he placed a hand on Makoto’s still balled up fist.
He ran his thumb over Makoto’s hand several times and slowly the tension eased from Makoto’s shoulders. But she still looked troubled.
Makoto bit her lip for a second before closing her eyes. “Doesn’t she see that makes me worry more…?”
Before anyone else could speak, a conversation suddenly caught their attention.
“So Shido-san’s having health issues?”
Ren turned his head to see a couple businessmen discussing Shido.
The second businessman nodded. “I heard he had barely slept during the election. I don’t blame him.”
His companion rubbed his chin for a moment. “He’s not going to step down now, is he? Will this country be fine without Shido?”
Were people really saying this?! It took all of Ren’s willpower to not storm up to him and repeat the truth about Shido. Anne reached out, touching his balled-up fist.
Ren forced himself to take a deep breath. He didn’t want Anne—or any of his friends, for that matter—to worry about him.
Yusuke stared after the two businessmen, his lips forming a deep frown.
“How can they still believe in him?” He kept his voice low, but disdain still crept into Yusuke’s voice.
Anne sighed, pulling out her phone. She was quiet as she scrolled through her feed, only for her to gasp. Her phone suddenly slipped from her fingers.
“Anne, what’s wrong?” Ren asked.
Anne had turned as white as a sheet. She let go of Ren’s hand, now pressing it against her mouth. She slowly lowered it. She looked at them with her eyes wide.
“The Phantom Thieves… they’re being treated like they never existed!” she blurted out.
“What?!” Ryuji sputtered out.
He then whipped out his phone. Everyone else pulled out their phones to verify what Anne had said. Anne quickly bent down to retrieve her phone.
“Goodness…” Morgana uttered, leaning out to look at Ryuji’s phone.
Haru began to read aloud. “There is no link among the ‘change of heart’ incidents, only coincidental psychiatric disorders. The Phantom Thieves only used those rumors to their advantage…”
Yusuke frowned. “This is preposterous. Who would believe such things?”
Futaba’s forehead wrinkled as she stared down at her phone screen. “But the person saying this is a famous researcher. And even the ministry is saying that’s how they determine the situation too…”
“So that’s their game?” Ken muttered out, his mouth forming a grim line.
Ren asked. “But how could the public believe this so easily? There are forums, articles, even videos about this crap… This doesn’t make any sense!”
Ren had to fight to keep the panic from seeping into his voice. He couldn’t help but shake a little. What the hell… Stealing Shido’s heart was supposed to fix things! If anything, things had worsened.
Had everything they had done up till now been meaningless?
Haru just sighed. “Ren-kun…”
To make things worse, there were more people walking by, lightheartedly discussing Shido. One of them talking about Shido being their savior just made Ren sick.
Morgana looked up at them. “It’s as if the people in reality have become distorted… What’s happening here worries me. But the only thing we can do right now is wait and see what happens—”
Makoto pulled out her phone. “I’m messaging Sis about this. We need the whole story… now.”
But then Ken’s phone went off. He blinked before pursing his lips together. His expression grew pensive before he finally took the call.
“Shinjiro-san? Is something the matter?”
“What’s going on?” Ryuji hissed at Ken, but Anne quickly shushed him.
Ken was quiet as he listened to what Shinjiro-san was saying, but Ren noticed that Ken was clenching his jaw and his fingers were tightening around his phone. Whatever Shinjiro-san was saying… it wasn’t good news.
“I see… I’ll tell everyone.” Ken slightly nodded. “I’ll see you soon… Bye.”
Ken looked at Ryuji. “We need to go to Leblanc. Shinjiro-san says it’s urgent.”
When they entered Leblanc, the atmosphere was tense. Morgana poked his head out from Ren’s bag, staring at Sae first. The prosecutor had her lips pursed tightly, a look of regret on her face.
“Sis?” Makoto spoke hesitantly. “What’s wrong?”
Sae sighed, pressing a hand against her face. “There’s… no easy way to say this. But Shido’s men are throwing up barriers left and right. They’re claiming that Shido needs a psychiatric evaluation. They’ve been wary of me ever since the fallout after your escape from assassination, what with my ‘change of heart’ and all. They don’t want me anywhere near this case.”
“So… you’re saying that the case against Shido is in danger,” Yusuke said, his face growing pale.
“That’s ridiculous!” Haru’s face became furious, and her hands clenched into fists. “We know he doesn’t need a psychiatric evaluation!”
Sojiro sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “His lackeys must’ve pressured the others around him. It means there’s far more people who’d be in trouble if the truth came out than we imagined.”
“It’s always something,” Shinjiro said bitterly.
Ken’s eyes lingered on his guardian for a moment but remained silent. But the tightening of his lips told Morgana everything.
“So after everything he’s still going to be prime minister?” Ren spat out.
Ken muttered, “Except he’ll be just a puppet. Like how the shoguns used to hold the real power in history and the emperors were just figureheads.”
“And that means Shido’s men will be after us, to get rid of their biggest problem.”
Ren’s entire frame grew tense at his statement. Anne gave him a concerned look, reaching out to squeeze his arm.
“Isn’t there anything we can do? I mean, there has to be something!” Desperation seeped into her voice; Anne’s voice cracked at the last word, belying her fear.
Morgana’s mind was racing. Anne was right, there had to be something. But what?
“Sis said that the assembly for a case may be possible if the general public wants Shido accountable…” Makoto suddenly spoke up, rubbing her chin as she thought; then she let out a deep sigh. “But even that chance has been destroyed with the manipulation of the mass media. They made it clear that the argument itself was ‘occult’, even claiming that it never happened.”
The general public. That’s when it clicked in Morgana’s mind.
That was it! That could be the key to fixing this! They could go into Mementos. But… they'd probably have to steal the Treasure or whatever they found there. They would most likely destroy Mementos in order to fix the mess they had found themselves in.
It would make it impossible to pursue any more criminals with their usual methods.
Would his friends even agree to that?
And… they would find out the truth about him…
Despite his friends’ reassurances, Morgana couldn’t help but feel afraid. What was waiting for them within the depths of Mementos?
What if… he was truly a monster?
“Occult?” Shinjiro repeated, snapping Morgana out of his thoughts. “What do you mean?”
Ken winced. “There are claims that the changes of heart are nothing but a hoax. But there’s more than that—people are still thinking that Shido is their savior.”
“It’s freaky,” Futaba mumbled out.
“But beyond that, it’s almost like the mass population suddenly has a common sentiment,” Ken continued. “People have been talking about what good Shido would do constantly. Though people suddenly treating the Phantom Thieves like a hoax is what really bothers me. It’s like a sudden switch was turned on.”
Futaba looked up suddenly; she had been fiddling with her phone just a little earlier.
“Umm… there’s more. It’s a storm of criticism online too. People are saying to catch the remnants and execute them…”
“So we either don’t exist or we’re criminals of the highest caliber.” Ren suddenly sighed. “I dunno which I prefer.”
“I mean I kinda prefer the former, I’d rather not be hunt down like some kind of rabid animal that needs to be put down," Futaba mumbled.
Ryuji suddenly let out a growl of frustration, slamming his fist on the table. The force made several people flinch. “Everyone’s being tricked so easily! Why the hell did we risk our goddamn lives over?!”
Yusuke grimaced. “If Shido isn’t judged by the law, everything we’ve done will be treated as if it never happened.”
Makoto sighed. “Moving the entire country however they wish by controlling people’s cognition. This is no different than being inside a Palace. Wait… is such a thing even possible?”
Sae’s gaze just lowered to the ground, her hand clenching around the strap of her handbag.
“I’m so sorry. I know that you were depending on me to build up the case against Shido. At this rate, it won’t end with just Shido’s innocence. This trend will continue spiraling down. There’s even the possibility that crimes using the Metaverse will advance onto a national scale.”
Morgana swallowed hard as he watched panic blossom over everyone’s faces.
“Shit…” Ren uttered.
“But how?! They don’t even have Akechi to help them anymore! That punk disappeared! No one knows where he is!” Ryuji exclaimed.
Sae sighed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m not sure, but the public’s reaction isn’t normal. I don’t have proof but I feel the Metaverse is somehow involved. But that’s not what I’m here to tell you. We’re in danger because we know the truth. It’s only a matter of time before we’re apprehended. It wouldn’t be odd if they were to charge in now.”
Ryuji scowled. “This makes no effin’ sense… what proof do they have?!”
Sae hung her head. “There’s nothing more I can do with my resources. That’s why… I want to ask for your help. I wondered if there was any way you could do something one last time. I know that I’m in no position to ask this of you. I know that I promised that I would step up, since you’ve fought so hard but I—”
“It’s not your fault, Sis,” Makoto spoke up. “It’s been taken out of your hands…”
Anne nodded vigorously, her pigtails bouncing slightly. “Yeah! And that doesn’t matter to us!”
She then frowned.
“Question is… what are we gonna do? Should we change the hearts of all Shido’s followers?”
Ken shook his head, his mouth a grim line. “Too little time. We would need to go into the Palaces of every single one of them and you know how much time we have to spend in just one.”
“Besides that, there’s too little information to go off on,” Futaba sighed before she glared. “Those bastards… I wouldn’t be surprised if they somehow used my mom’s research for this.”
“Oh Futaba…” Makoto said sadly.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to be honest, Shido’s palace exploded around us before it was supposed to and his shadow just evaporated unnaturally right before that. There is no telling what they learned from your mom’s research.” Ren nodded.
Shinjiro narrowed his eyes and said in disgust, “And who knows how many former Kirijo Group scientists Shido had employed with him. There is no telling what they figured out what to accomplish with her research. Akechi was probably just a tip of the iceburg of what Shido had at his disposal.”
Yusuke cleared his throat.
“I’m afraid Ken is right, we can only target individuals…” Yusuke’s voice trailed off before his expression grew troubled. “Are we no match against the national power?”
His friends’ faces fell at that. But it was Ren’s expression that got to Morgana. It was so bleak and hopeless. This was Ren’s fears coming true.
He couldn’t stay silent any longer.
“Mementos.”
“Wait, you think that Shido’s followers wouldn’t have Palaces yet?” Ken asked. “They’re just Mementos targets?”
Morgana shook his head. “No, it wouldn’t be like the targets we went after Mementos. Remember, Mementos is the Palace of the general public. It’s the source of all distortions and is maintained by the people’s ‘collective unconsciousness’.”
“Wait so we go change the hearts of everyone in Mementos? That’s insane!” Ryuji exclaimed.
Morgana was quick to correct him. “No, that isn’t what I meant, remember Mementos is a Palace. Even if it belongs to the collective, a Palace is still a Palace, you know what that means, right?”
“Wait, you think there’s a Treasure in Mementos?” Makoto gasped out. “And if we go after that—”
Sae and Sojiro stayed quiet, but Shinjiro’s face grew skeptical. But Morgana had to press forward. This was the only way to save his friends, he needed to say it all before he lost the courage.
Morgana nodded before jumping onto the table. “Yep. The collapse of Mementos should affect the public as a whole. The state of society would change too. If everyone’s hearts grow to hold Shido responsible for his actions, things might start going our way.”
“Wait a minute, didn’t you say that your way was always blocked off in Mementos?” Shinjiro demanded. “This might not even work.”
Ken said, "Some chance is better than no chance. Ryoji-san said that we wouldn’t be able to defeat Nyx, but we still did. Minato-san sealed Nyx away and saved everyone.”
Sae’s expression grew confused as Ken referenced Ryoji Mochizuki and Nyx, but Shinjiro was more focused on Ken. Makoto whispered something to Sae; maybe she was promising to clarify later, when they were alone.
“But—” Shinjiro then cut himself off, letting out a huff. “Just… continue.”
“It’s certainly a bold plan,” Yusuke said.
“What exactly is the plan?” Sae asked, her expression baffled. “I wish I could understand the cat…”
Sojiro shook his head, a wry smile on his face. “That would be nice, huh?”
As Ren began to explain to Sae and Sojiro, Morgana took a deep breath to steel himself and then waited til after Ren was done.
“But if we’re gonna do this, there’s one thing you all need to realize," Morgana said.
He slowly exhaled, bracing himself for everyone’s reactions. He knew that even with the stress, Ren loved being a Phantom Thief. It made him feel free. And he knew that the others felt similarly.
Morgana began to explain, “To begin with, why does something like the human cognition exist as another, substantial world? The reason for that is most likely sleeping within Mementos. We’ll be… destroying that, you know.”
Ryuji just blinked owlishly at Morgana. “I don’t see where you’re goin’ with this.”
Morgana groaned. The others were similarly confused. He guessed he had to spell it out…
“The human cognition will lose substance, so you can’t sneak into people’s Palaces anymore!” Morgana then drew a deep breath. “L-Look, I know that you guys love being Phantom Thieves. I love being one. S-So, I get it if you’re unsure about giving this up. On top of that, we can’t change the hearts of other criminals who pop up by stealing their Treasures.
“Oh...” Makoto said faintly.
“So, we would have to discard this way of life,” Haru said; Morgana couldn’t help but feel nervous at her neutral expression.
He anxiously looked at his friends. They were murmuring amongst themselves, which didn’t help his nerves.
“I mean… we have to do this!” Anne suddenly spoke up; her eyes were burning with conviction as she clenched one hand into a fist. “I mean, we’re the group who’s reforming society, right? It’d be wrong if we turned our backs just because this would mean that this is our last mission, right?”
Ken nodded. “Normal life isn’t so bad.”
“Oh yeah, you didn’t use your powers for four years… Was it weird trying to be normal again?” Ryuji asked.
“Well… I have to admit it was a bit of a rough transition,” Ken admitted. “Mitsuru-san especially pushed for it. She felt bad about what happened, so she insisted that I try to live like a normal kid. For a while, I felt that I was just… playing a role. I spent a long time wanting to get involved in the Shadow Operatives’ work again because I thought that was all there was for me.”
Shinjiro turned his head, looking at Ken. He pressed his lips together but remained silent.
“But I was forced to come to the realization that even though I couldn’t go back to being an innocent kid, it didn’t mean that I should focus on when I was a Persona-user. I’m more than just a Persona-user and being a Phantom Thief isn’t what make up all of you. Besides that, you still carry your experiences with you regardless.”
That was true… It’s been nearly seven years ago since Tartarus disappeared, but it was obvious that Ken’s time in SEES had left a mark on him.
“So… count me in, Morgana,” Ken said.
Ren nodded. “Let’s do it. We’ll search Mementos from top to bottom, even if we have to go through all fifty floors. We won’t let Shido and his men worm out of this. They’re gonna face the music, like it or not.”
“Yeah, we’ve come this far! It’d be cowardly to stop now!” But then Ryuji groaned. “Ugh… going through all of Mementos… That’ll be fun.”
Shinjiro snorted. “Try dealing with nearly three hundred floors.”
“Shinjiro-san, you weren’t even there for most of the exploration,” Ken pointed out.
“Point still stands,” he stubbornly maintained, earning an eye-roll from Ken. “Minato and Minako were slavedrivers and would make us explore fifteen to twenty floors every time.”
Morgana said, “I think it should be at the bottom of Mementos anyhow. But… what do the rest of you think?”
“I have no objections,” Yusuke announced, his jaw set. “It would be cowardly and spitting on what I promised when I awakened to my Persona.”
Haru nodded. “Yes! Looking away would be just selfish.”
“I won’t avert my eyes from the truth any longer. If this is what it takes to stop Shido and his cronies, then I’ll do this and more," Makoto proclaimed.
Futaba’s expression was steely. “I’m game. I want these greedy jerks to rot in jail for all the crap they’re pulling! Whatever it takes!”
Ryuji smacked his fist into his palm. “I’m ready. Let’s finish this. These rotten adults ain’t gonna get away with this shit!”
Anne’s hands clenched into fists. “Let’s get rid of the general public’s distortions!”
“So… there are no objections?” Morgana asked.
“It seems that you’re quite confident in your plan,” Sae remarked.
“It’s not a matter of confidence,” Makoto said. “But… we have to try. It’s sink or swim at this point.”
Ryuji exclaimed, “This is gonna be our last job. Gotta go out with a bang at least!”
Haru giggled before turning to Sae. “Once we accomplish our duty, we entrust the world to respectful adults. That is our condition for this.”
Sae chuckled. “It’s a deal. Though, I must admit that it certainly is a heavy condition. But I accept.”
She then pressed a hand against her chest.
“I swear to make Masayoshi Shido stand and be tried in the court of law. Besides… my pride won’t allow me to be continually saved by you all without doing anything in return.”
“We’ll be counting on you, Sis,” Makoto said.
“Besides that, I’m sure Mitsuru would love to lend a hand,” Shinjiro’s voice turned dry. “She’s been dying to make Shido deal with his actions' consequences for the longest time.”
Ken sighed. “You just want to see her execute Shido.”
“Don’t you?” Shinjiro retorted.
Ken tilted his head, pretending to think. “Well… it certainly would be a spectacle.”
“I think Kirijo’s allowed,” Sojiro said, cracking a grin. “Shido’s gotten away with a lot of crap after all.”
He then sighed.
“I just wish… Wakaba hadn’t been caught in the crossfire,” he said, his voice tinged with quiet regret.
“Sojiro…” Futaba trailed off; her voice grew somber as she looked sadly at her adoptive father.
Ren coughed after a moment of silence.
“Um… I just want to say that it’s been a wild ride with you guys. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
His eyes went to each and every one of the Phantom Thieves.
“When I first came to Tokyo, I was bitter and honestly a little angry. I just wanted to do good, help a woman who was in danger only for it to backfire so bad on me. My entire hometown… turned its back against me. I felt so alone. But then I met Ryuji, Morgana, and everyone else. You showed me what’s worth fighting for.” Ren’s expression then hardened. “So… let’s do this. Let’s change this country! For good this time!”
“YEAH!”
Ren was exhausted as he finally crawled into bed. His head was swimming with all of the realizations that happened today. It honestly pissed him off to think that Shido’s cronies were trying so desperately to wriggle their way out.
“Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve, huh…” Morgana suddenly said, his eyes glazed. He then looked up at Ren. “Sorry I ruined this for you and Lady Anne…”
Ren just gave him a pat. “It’s not a big deal, Morgana. Anne and I will have other Christmas Eves. But… we have to deal with that now if we’re to have a future.”
“Right…” Morgana sighed. “Well, in that case, the only present I want tomorrow is for the plan to succeed.”
“That would be nice,” Ren said.
Morgana then looked around in the room, letting out a wistful little sigh.
“We’ve had so many talks in this room, you know…”
Ren quirked an eyebrow. “You planning on moving out soon?”
“N-No, it’s not like that,” Morgana denied, shaking his head. “It just… kinda hit me. This really is a nice and comfy little room. I’m surprised that you’re hitting the hay already. Normally I have to nag at you to go to bed.”
“Well, today’s been exhausting,” Ren said. “After everything… I thought it’d be over. But…”
“Ren…”
“But we’ll be dealing with it, once and for all. For real, this time,” Ren said.
Morgana nodded. “That’s a good way to look at it. Well… good night.”
“Night, Morgana.”
Ren then laid down. He was about half asleep when he heard Morgana speak.
“Um… Ren?”
Ren cracked an eye open at Morgana and the feline looked down, suddenly sheepish.
“Actually, never mind. You must be tired…” he mumbled out.
Ren let out a yawn. He may be tired, but he’d make time for Morgana. “What’s wrong?”
Morgana sighed. “I was just thinking, you’re amazing. There’s definitely something special about you. You dodge everything the enemies throw at you like it’s your destiny. At first, I just thought you were going to be a useful tool for me… but now this is where I belong.”
“We told you that months ago,” Ren reminded him. “You belong with us because you’re our friend.”
“Ha… right,” Morgana mused. “But still, aren’t you moving out soon?”
“I’ll… work it out with my parents,” Ren hedged out.
He’d deal with his parents, for Morgana’s sake. He didn’t want to leave Morgana behind. Though he wasn’t looking forward to the spring… He’d have to move away.
He let his eyes drift over. He still remembered being so unimpressed with what Sojiro was offering him. But Morgana was right, he had made the room cozy. The decorations helped, of course. And… the company did its part.
“Do you think… we’ll still be close, even after everything’s all said and done?” Morgana asked. “I mean… us. As the Phantom Thieves.”
“I don’t see why not. I mean, Ken’s still close with the other members of SEES, and it’s been seven years,” Ren pointed out. “Look, Morgana… you’re stuck with me. No matter what. Okay?”
Morgana huffed. “Really? Even if…”
“Even if…?”
“It’s… nothing, Ren.” Morgana shuffled on the bed for a moment, before curling up in a ball. “I guess… I’m just catastrophizing in my head. You’re right… I do belong here…”
Ren stifled a yawn. “I’m glad. Good night, Morgana.”
Maybe it was his tired state, but… he could’ve sworn that Morgana looked at him sadly for a moment. Everything slowly faded to black… only for him to be surrounded by the deep midnight blue of the Velvet Room.
“Your one last mission, huh?” Akihiko-san mused.
Ken sighed before giving a nod. “Morgana believes once we steal the Treasure of the general public, the Metaverse will cease to exist.”
After they had left for the night, Ken called everyone back in Port Island. This was pretty big news, after all.
Mitsuru-san seemed deep in thought, however, with her pensive expression and how she had her arms folded across her chest.
“Um… Mitsuru-san?” he said tentatively.
“I’m fine, Amada…” Mitsuru-san said before giving him a reassuring smile. “I was just thinking. It’s a lot to take in, after all.”
She then exhaled.
“So… this will be the end of the Phantom Thieves,” she stated.
Ken just shrugged. “We can’t exactly ignore this though. There’s something not right about how people are acting about Shido.”
He’d be lying if he said he wouldn’t miss it, but he meant what he said back there.
“Are people on Port Island talking about Shido as well?”
Yukari-san pulled a face. “I took Kaito and Miyuki to play at the shrine today. Some of the parents were talking about Shido, saying that their children would have better lives with Shido in charge.”
Yukari-san was finally settling back in Port Island, having taken care of her shows and final obligations with her agency, so she had moved the twins in the house that she had bought.
Junpei-san pulled a face at that. “Sheesh, they know that Shido is supposed to be prime minister for just four years, right?”
“And it certainly would not!” Akihiko-san hissed out before thumping his fist against the table.
“It’ll be dealt with soon enough, so settle down all of you,” Mitsuru-san interrupted. Then she looked to Ken. “That being said… how are your supplies? You should restock everything.”
Shinjiro-san huffed before rolling his eyes. “Mitsuru, haven’t you done enough? I think Amamiya has hardly made a dent in the supplies you sent.”
Mitsuru-san flushed at that. “Well I just wanted Amamiya to have enough medicine!”
“He was so annoyed about the protein shakes,” Ken mumbled to himself.
But then several chuckles came from the other end, so it was obvious that he wasn’t quiet enough.
“Hey, it worked well enough for Aki, right?” Minako-san joked, winking at her husband.
Ken just grimaced to himself. Imagining Ren with Akihiko-san’s body was a little… wrong. He just couldn’t imagine Ren as super muscular or being some athlete boxer junkie. He knew that Ren worked out with Ryuji on occasion, but he still had a wiry, lithe form.
Akihiko-san rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Well I could always give Ren tips if he wanted—”
“I’ll… pass it along, Akihiko-san,” Ken said, trying to ignore Junpei-san and Minako-san’s laughter.
“Is something wrong, Fuuka?” Shinjiro-san suddenly asked.
It was only when Shinjiro-san spoke up about it that Ken realized that she was fidgeting, nervously twisting her engagement ring. She had been quiet this entire time too…
“O-Oh it’s just…” she trailed off before hugging herself. Fuuka-san then bit her lip before imploring, “Just… be careful, Ken-kun. You don’t know what you’ll find down there. To steal the distortions of the general public—it won’t be easy.”
“I’ll be careful, Fuuka-san,” Ken promised.
Junpei-san suddenly grinned. “I mean, there’s a wedding to plan, yeah? You can’t miss that! You’ll be a groomsman for sure!”
Shinjiro-san snorted. “Yeah, Ken will be… but who says you’ll be a groomsman, huh, Iori?”
Junpei-san gasped. “That’s cold, Shinjiro-senpai! Just cold!”
“Shinji, be nice!” Fuuka-san chided.
“Just… promise that you’ll come back to us, Ken-kun,” Minako-san said, unusually serious. “Whatever’s down in Mementos—it won’t go down in a fight so easily.”
Ken gave her a tired smile. “I promise, Minako-san.”
“You should rest up, though,” Yukari-san said, a concerned frown on her face. “You probably have a long day of fighting ahead of you.”
Ken sighed, rubbing at his face. It was to be expected. He had really thought that it’d be over once Shido confessed…
Aigis-san let out a little hum. “Though I wish that we could provide you assistance, Ken-san… You’ve fought so long and been burdened with this.”
“It’s not all bad,” Ken said. “I appreciate the sentiment, Aigis-san, but I think we’ll be okay.”
Something flickered across Mitsuru-san’s face before she pursed her lips together in deep thought. But then Ken’s attention was drawn by Junpei-san.
“Are you going into Mementos too, Shinjiro-senpai?” Junpei-san asked.
Shinjiro-san frowned. “Well… I thought about it, but it’s something Ken and the others have resolved to do. I think they should be allowed to see this through. They should be fine.”
"That's fair," Yukari-san acknowledged.
"Well… good night," Fuuka-san said. "Good luck tomorrow, Ken-kun."
"You've got this, Ken!" Junpei-san gave him a thumbs up.
Ken just smiled slightly. "Thank you, everyone."
After a chorus of goodbyes, Ken got up from his seat. It seemed that the others wanted to talk to Shinjiro-san some more, but Ken didn’t mind. He was ready to go to bed.
As he opened his bedroom door, Koromaru darted inside. He jumped on Ken’s bed with a bark.
“Hey, boy.” Ken smiled at the shiba inu for a moment.
Ken nudged the door shut before unbuttoning his blazer.
Koromaru may be getting older but Ken couldn’t help but marvel over his energy. But even still… Koromaru’s days on the battlefield were over.
He still remembered Mitsuru-san asking him if he was interested in taking Koromaru on the mission. But he said no, for two reasons. One–he didn’t want to be unfair to Fuuka-san and leave her completely alone; though he supposed that point was a little moot now. Two–he also didn’t want Koromaru to overexert himself.
But Ken did appreciate the nights Koromaru slept in his bed. He still had the occasional nightmare and Koromaru always seemed to sense just exactly how to comfort him.
“It’s going to be over soon… for good, this time,” Ken sighed. “And you… we’ll… be able to go back to Port Island.”
Ken couldn’t help but falter at the last part. The truth was, he wasn’t sure about that. Port Island did have a university, the University of Iwatodai, and it had a decent reputation, despite being around for a little over a decade.
But Ken wasn’t sure if he wanted to attend there. And there was Makoto and his friends…
Ken shook his head, pushing it out of his head. He would have plenty of time to worry about that… after tomorrow.
But he had to get some rest. He would need it for tomorrow…
Saturday, December 24th, 2016
It had been gnawing at the back of Mitsuru’s mind all night. She didn’t really want to wait until Amada could tell them the news.
It always… bothered her that she had to be mostly hands-off with this Shadow incident. She understood why but it didn’t mean that she had to like it. And while she was glad to be able to send Akihiko and Satonaka to Tokyo during the plan to fool Shido and Akechi, she couldn’t help but regret that they hadn’t been able to do more.
Maybe then, Amada wouldn’t have—
“No, I mustn’t focus on that!” Mitsuru chided herself.
But with Shido’s conspiracy scrambling to cover their tracks, she couldn’t help but think this was the best time to actually go to Tokyo with them so distracted.
She turned to face her friends, gathered in the room. They were conversing amongst themselves; little Kiyomi was in Yamagishi’s arms while the twins had been whisked away by Yoshino to be entertained by a Destiny movie. It was one of the recent ones, Chilled, she believed. But she couldn’t help but notice that Akihiko was sneaking looks at her.
Akihiko then spoke up. “What’s with the sudden meeting, Mitsuru?”
The conversations suddenly died down and Yamagishi bent down to put Kiyomi in the baby carrier that Minako and Akihiko had brought with them.
Mitsuru took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves.
“Are you truly content with waiting for news from Amada?” she asked.
Her friends started to quietly murmur amongst themselves, but unsurprisingly, it was Minako who stepped forward.
“No. I’m not,” she said bluntly. “There’s something fishy about this whole thing. The talk about Shido—it’s fanatic.”
“Do you think it’s like the Nyx cult?” Iori asked.
Mitsuru shook her head. “No, not exactly. If you recall… the Nyx cult was directly manipulated by Takaya and Jin. They convinced the public that Nyx was their savior.”
“But the fanaticism is the same,” Yukari commented. “And there was that innate desire calling for Nyx and why Erebus even manifested… I think both Mitsuru-senpai and Junpei have points in this.”
“Yukari agreeing with Junpei? Call the presses!” Minako said with a teasing smile.
“But is that not why Ken-san and the Phantom Thieves will be descending Mementos today?” Aigis tilted her head. “But I do understand your concern, Mitsuru-san. If the Phantom Thieves, they’ll…”
She trailed off, unwilling to finish it. This quickly made everyone grow somber. The Phantom Thieves all had bright futures… And on top of that, the abuse of the Shadow nest would keep escalating… Nobody would be safe then.
Akihiko cleared his throat. “Well personally, I’d love to help.”
But then he looked towards Kiyomi, still fast asleep in her baby carrier.
“But… we do have to think about Kiyo now,” he said. “We can’t just run off.”
Minako nodded. “I’m with Aki. This is important but…”
She trailed off at the last part, looking down to the floor with a frown. Mitsuru could sympathize, even though she wasn’t a mother yet. She could see just how torn Minako was about this.
“Wellllll… you could always just strap her to your chest, Senpai,” Iori said with a grin.
“Huh, I didn’t think about that,” Akihiko mused, rubbing his chin.
“Stupeeeeei…” Yukari growled before swatting at Iori’s head. “Will you cut it out with the dumb jokes?!”
“But can’t you imagine it, Yuka-tan?” Iori asked enthusiastically. “Akihiko-senpai charging into battle with a baby to his chest? I bet if we filmed it, we’d make a killer!”
Yukari’s lip twitched before she huffed. “While I can imagine it, do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Besides that, I can’t leave the twins behind either…”
Kikuno stepped forward. “I would be honored to look after your children if you wish to join Lady Mitsuru and everyone else.”
Yukari, Akihiko, and Minako looked surprised about that.
“It is better to join together in larger numbers,” Kikuno-san said with a shrug.
“My thanks, Kikuno,” Mitsuru said.
She intended on leaving Labrys in charge though. While the extra manpower—especially with how powerful Labrys was, would be greatly appreciated—something made Mitsuru hesitate about leaving Port Island with nobody she trusted in charge. And she can ask Iori if Yoshino can stay behind and watch the twins with Kikuno; those two are a handful anyway.
“So… what exactly are we going to do?” Yamagishi asked.
This made Mitsuru pause. It was true that Shinjiro had a point. They had a right to confront whatever dwelled within the depths of Mementos, when the Phantom Thieves were the ones being targeted.
But at the same time, she didn’t want the Phantom Thieves to run into trouble when they could’ve aided them…
“Let us be the auxiliary support squad in this scenario,” Mitsuru said simply. “With the high stakes, I’m just not comfortable in letting the Phantom Thieves stand alone with no back-up. But at the same time, Shinjiro has a point in that it’s their fight.”
“So we might not even bash some heads in?” Iori asked.
Yukari scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Since when are you the bloodthirsty one?”
“And even so, that does pose an advantage,” Aigis stated; her eyes turned to Mitsuru. “Such as being able to question Shido sooner, yes?”
“Damn that bastard…” Minako hissed out. She clenched one hand into a fist as a fire lit up in her eyes. “He’s gonna pay for all the bullshit he’s put us through!”
“Down, girl,” Yukari grumbled, waggling a finger at Minako.
Minako just playfully snapped at Yukari before baring her teeth, making Yukari squeak.
“Haha, you deserved it, Yuka-tan!” Junpei snickered.
Yukari growled out, “Oh shut it, Stupei!”
“Come on, settle down,” Yamagishi chided. “But um… Senpai, have you worked out how exactly we’ll make it to Tokyo? We can’t exactly take public transportation.”
Especially given that they would be bringing their weapons. Mitsuru had a few ideas in mind.
“I must confess, I don’t think it’s feasible to take a jet. We might have complications when we try to land in the airport…” Mitsuru admitted. “But I did consider that we could take a jet to a nearby city and then drive the rest of the way.”
“I’m not sure how many cities near Tokyo would have a large enough airport, Mitsuru,” Akihiko said.
Iori just cracked a grin. “Too bad the Kirijo Group hasn’t cracked the code for teleportation, huh?”
Mitsuru chuckled. “I’m afraid we’re a ways from that, Iori.”
“But back to what we were discussing… it would be just impractical to drive, given the distance between Tokyo and Port Island,” Aigis said, looking thoughtful. “My calculations are that it would take approximately seven hours. Might I suggest a compromise? We can take a non-descript helicopter. I would be pleased to pilot it for us.”
“How long would that take us?” Yamagishi inquired, frowning.
“A plane would be able to take us there in a little over than an hour,” Aigis reported. “And a helicopter’s speed is about a third of a plane. So I estimate about three hours by helicopter.”
Hmm… this was hardly than ideal. But Mitsuru would rather come at a delayed time instead of anxiously waiting for the results.
“Well, better late than never!” Minako infused her voice with cheer. “How about we gather at the helicopter pad in an hour or so? I mean we do need to gather up everything and eat lunch. Can’t fight Shadows on an empty stomach.”
Mitsuru nodded. “That sounds good, Minako.”
Yukari sighed. “I better go say goodbye to the twins, then.”
Iori nodded. “I should do the same with Chidorita.”
Mitsuru frowned, feeling guilty. It was Iori’s first Christmas celebration after he married Yoshino, and the twins have been all but glued to Yukari’s side. But now…
“Hey now, don’t get all glum!” Iori exclaimed, startling Mitsuru out of her thoughts. “Chidorita will understand. There’s no need for you to get all sad ‘bout this, Senpai! It’s not like you have a gun to my head, sheesh.”
Mitsuru started at that.
“I hate to admit it, but Junpei’s right,” Yukari said, pointedly ignoring Iori’s indignant response. “I get that it’s not ideal, but we should be there to support Ken-kun, if anything.”
Mitsuru just bowed her head. “I’m sorry. It’s just hard to remind myself to ask you all of this…”
“That’s why we’re here for you, Mitsuru.” Akihiko gave her an encouraging smile. “We’ve got your back, no matter what.”
Mitsuru just nodded before bowing her head once more.
“Thank you, everyone.”
Christmas Eve having fallen on a Saturday made the usual rush to get out of class even more hectic. But Ken had been in a half-daze the last couple hours so the bell going off made him just about fall out of his seat.
Since Saturdays were half-days, it was half past noon. Ken noticed a few couples talking enthusiastically about their plans, like going to an ice skating rink or hurrying to get their reservations for a late lunch. Ken felt a twinge of sadness that he and Makoto wouldn’t be able to enjoy themselves like that, but there would be other Christmas Eves where they could celebrate like that.
But they wouldn’t have a future if they didn’t deal with whatever was waiting for them in Mementos. He just hoped that they would be able to defeat the source of all of this.
No, he had to be more positive about this. They had made the resolve to destroy Mementos, for the sake of everyone. They had to do this.
“Ken? Are you ready to go?”
Ken snapped to attention to see Makoto looking at him. Ken let out a short breath.
“Yeah, sorry… I kinda zoned out there, didn’t I?” As he spoke, he began to pack away his things.
“It’s okay,” Makoto reassured him, giving him a soft smile. “The both of us… have had a lot on our minds.”
Ken finished packing his belongings and he stood up. Makoto reached out to take his hand.
“Are you ready? For… you know,” Makoto said.
Ken just gave a weary smile. “As ready as I can be, I guess.”
Destroying Mementos… the concept was a little surreal to him. Whatever awaited them within the depths of Mementos, it had to be as powerful as Nyx.
Makoto just squeezed his hand. “We’ll be fine. It’s just another threat. We’ll deal with it, like we always do.”
Ken smiled. “You’re right, Makoto. It’s just a little… overwhelming, I guess. I was talking to everyone last night over video call and… I guess, Mitsuru-san got worried. She rounded up everyone to come to Tokyo, in order to act as a back-up, just in case…”
He let out a tired sigh.
“So many people are depending on us to win…”
He understood why Mitsuru-san was doing this, but it was fraying at his nerves.
Makoto just smiled encouragingly at him. “And we will, don’t worry.”
She then hesitated, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear with her free hand. Then her smile turned shy.
“And… I was thinking, we should do something together tomorrow, just the two of us. I know Christmas Day isn’t as romantic as Christmas Eve but… I thought it’d be nice to make up for it. I don’t really care what we do… I just want to spend time with you.”
Ken just squeezed Makoto’s hand. “It’s a date. But let’s get going, so we can take down whatever’s behind all of this…”
They had to win. Their futures depended on it…
It took longer than Ren would’ve liked to reach the bottom of Mementos. But they finally made it and stepped out of the Mona-bus. Morgana transformed to his usual form, and they walked towards the barrier.
The message on the phone said that the door to the depth of Mementos was now open. Ren couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about what they’d face inside…
Ren took a deep breath. No, he couldn’t have doubts about this. He shook his head. He had to remain alert.
This area they found themselves in almost looked like a subway area. But… there was something rather unnerving about the place.
“Is it me or do those… things look like… ribs?” Ken looked uncomfortable.
Futaba said slowly, “It looks like a… fossil.”
Besides that, the floor looked shot with blood veins. Ren swallowed down the bile rising up in his throat.
“Let’s move forward,” he urged but then Yusuke interrupted him.
“Hang on… Look at the side, everyone. It’s the train running down to Mementos.”
Ren blinked. “So it is.”
Yusuke gazed at the subway, a frown on his face. “So this is where that crowd of people was trying to reach…?”
“People are walking in there, so the other side of the wall must be…” Makoto gasped. “Wait! It’s not a wall, but a giant door…?”
Ryuji frowned at that, watching the people. But then he shook his head, turning back to them.
“Guess that means the Treasure’s not here. C’mon, let’s stay focused, guys,” Ryuji said.
But as they approached the far end, the wall loomed over him. Ren couldn’t help but feel worried that they would be barricaded.
“How are we supposed to get past?” Ryuji grumbled as they walked up to it.
But once they stopped right in front of it, the wall slid away. This revealed an opening, red light streaming from the other side. Ren felt uncomfortable, looking at it though. This place had an unpleasant feeling… like every bone in his body was screaming turn back.
“It opened right away,” Morgana noted. “This must be the inner depths that the app was talking about. We should be careful.”
As Morgana was talking, he couldn’t help but notice that Futaba was investigating the door. There was a small frown on her face. Whatever she had determined—it was clear that Futaba didn’t like it.
“Careful is right,” Futaba said. “These people, those railroads only go one way.”
“What do you mean, Oracle?” Anne asked.
“There is only one way in for the trains, no way out. I… don’t like this.”
Ren didn’t like this either. Luckily they were a bit prepared thanks to Mitsuru-san’s… extremely generous gifts.
He had always played things carefully when it came to dungeon exploration. He didn’t want to underprepare when their work was dangerous. They should be okay but… he still couldn’t help but wonder if it was enough.
Makoto frowned. “It’s as though whatever lies within has been locked away…”
Haru blinked, taking a step back. “Wait a minute, so you’re saying that the people going in there are choosing a life of imprisonment…?”
"A one-way ticket, so to speak," Ken muttered.
Yusuke grimaced. “I have never felt such eeriness before… What is this place…?”
That’s what Ren would like to know. But… there was no turning back. He just had to hope that their strength would be enough to be able to steal the Treasure.
That was when Ren noticed the door to the Velvet room at the entrance, and to his surprise, both Caroline and Justine were waiting by it.
“You continue to be a puzzle, Inmate,” Justine said, apathetic as always.
Caroline then huffed next to her. “Yeah, what gives? There is no point! This was already explained to you!”
Justine nodded. “Ruin is nigh. That can’t be help—”
“Even so, I have to try!” Ren cut her off.
They both gave him a hard frown.
“So, even when everyone is against you...?” Caroline started.
Justine added. “And there is no hope…?”
“You still insist on fighting?” both asked in unison.
He simply nodded. They both looked up at him in shock, then at each other. The twins then held hands and Caroline waved her baton.
Suddenly Ren felt a surge of energy that he depleted on the way down when fighting shadows. Some of his small cuts were completely healed too. He looked at them both, his obvious question written all over his face.
Caroline glared and then looked away. “Look… just… just don’t die Inmate!”
“Good luck, Inmate.” Justine nodded with an impassive expression.
He smiled and gave them both a thumbs up. That was when he felt Ryuji’s hand on his shoulder.
“Bro you okay? You were just standing there zoning out again and… whoa? Hang on, Ace… that bruise on your cheek is gone! Wait, I feel a lot better too? But I didn’t see anyone heal us? Ace? Mona? Queen? Panther?”
Morgana, Makoto, Anne and Ken all shook their heads in confusion and began to inspect themselves too. Ken placed his hand on his cheek in surprise, the bruise he got from one of the tougher shadows on the way down, had completely vanished.
“That’s so bizarre! I feel refreshed all of a sudden?” Anne tilted her head.
Ren looked back at the twins, they gave him an almost pitying look. But then both of them actually smiled, and opened the door to the Velvet Room.
“Should you need any more fusions, we can still assist you," Justine said in her monotone.
The two then left and the door shut behind them. Ren couldn’t help but smile, as he quietly whispered a thanks that no one could hear.
He then cleared his throat. “Don’t worry about it, we got some help is all. Let’s not waste it.”
Everyone looked at him puzzled and obviously wanted an explanation, but he doubted now was the time to finally explain the Velvet Room to them.
Morgana’s expression became determined however. “Come on, let’s go. There’s no turning back now, we’ll unravel the mysteries of the depths!”
“Mona-chan…?” Haru asked but Morgana just shook his head.
“Joker?” Morgana prompted but Ren just pressed his lips together.
Morgana was really acting weird last night. Ren couldn’t help but feel that Morgana was hiding something. It almost reminded him of Morgana’s behavior when his insecurities had reached a boiling point. Morgana was holding something close to his chest. But the question was… what exactly was it?
“Why are you looking at me like that? We need to get moving. I’m fine Joker, let’s go.”
“Mona-chan…” Haru repeated but this time her voice was sad. “What aren’t you telling us?”
Ren pressed his lips together. He needed to press forward.
There was something about this place… that gnawed at Morgana. There was something familiar about it, but the harder Morgana tried to recall, the more elusive it became. It was aggravating.
“Mona-chan? You’re being awfully quiet…”
Morgana startled before looking up at Haru. He bowed his head. “Sorry, Noir. I’m just… on edge, I guess. We don’t know what we’ll find here…”
Haru looked to him solemnly. They were allowed to discuss this, as Ren deliberated over who was going to be on the active team.
“It’s okay,” Haru reassured. “I know it can be frightening, but it won’t matter… because we’re facing it together.”
But what if… his fears were true. What if he was truly a monster? Would his friends cower away from him? He couldn't bear the thought of that. But at the same time, they needed to discover the truth… in order to get to the bottom of this.
The public’s behavior… it wasn’t natural.
Ren announced, "Let's go with Fox, Queen, and Skull with me for now."
Ren proceeded to lead the way, only for them to enter an area where cells filled with people were lined up against the walls.
“What the…?” Ren uttered.
Futaba stopped and stared for a moment. “Are those… chains on them? Is this a prison?”
“But who are they?” Ryuji asked.
Makoto frowned, surveying the area. “Technically speaking, I would say it’s someone’s Shadow…”
“Shh… listen,” Haru said in a hushed voice. “They’re saying something…”
“C’mon, don’t be out there. Come in,” one coaxed them.
“Wait, they’re telling us to join them in the jail?!” Ken said, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“If anythin’, we should tell them to get out!” Ryuji grumbled.
Not that it would work. Morgana was about to remind Ryuji about Shadows when a woman in the crowd spoke up.
“Don’t open the cells, okay? I have no intention of leaving this place!”
“The hell…?” Ren said. “They want to be imprisoned?”
“They feel… safe in there.” Yusuke’s voice was faint, only for his eyes to harden. “What’re you saying? You’re being kept in a prison.”
Morgana frowned, staring at them. “They… remind me of the slaves in Kamoshida’s castle.”
Ren and Ryuji both shuddered.
“It is true… they just accept their fates in this Palace,” Ren muttered.
An older man suddenly spoke up. “That’s right… this place is the best in the end.”
“That’s not true! You’re literally locked up inside!” Anne snapped. “How can that be a good thing?!”
“In the depths within is a system that grants desires…” the man said cryptically.
Anne blinked, looking taken aback. “A system that grants… desires?”
Ryuji stared, wide-eyed. “Something like that exists…? Here!?”
Makoto sighed. “It’s no use. You can’t reason with these people. It’s been… ingrained in them, somehow.”
“The best way to help… is to defeat whatever’s down here… right?” Ken said uncertainly.
Yusuke nodded. “I believe so. They’re truly ‘distorted’, just like the scenery here…”
“You’re so naïve. You end up searching for stuff or being troubled because you’re outside the prison. There are things you don’t need to know to live on.”
“So the best way to live is to just blindly accept the rhetoric you’re fed, no questions asked. Got it,” Ren said flatly.
Another prisoner nodded. “He’s right. Things like the details on the system, the locked ‘Quarantine Cell’…”
The word quarantine was like dumping a bucket of ice-cold water. Why did that sound familiar? He vaguely registered the old man explaining that the quarantine was for some kind of dangerous crook.
He stared down at the ground. Why… Why did that bring out such a reaction out of him? Why couldn’t he remember?! What was wrong with him?
“Remember… Come on, remember!” Morgana berated himself.
It was so tantalizingly close, but Morgana couldn’t grasp why this place was so important.
“Mona?” Futaba asked softly.
“Is everything okay?” Ren asked.
But then pounding footsteps suddenly grabbed their attention.
"Why are you out and about?! Where are your constraints?"
"Oh dammit all," Ryuji muttered as a couple Shadows came into view.
The Shadow snapped, "Removing your restraints is not allowed. Outsiders… must be eliminated!"
"Let's do this," Ren said.
Ren and the active team jumped into action. They traded a couple blows but Ren using Norn's Magarula spell downed the Shadows with ease—letting them go in for the kill.
Yusuke sighed. "That was careless of us. We should have expected a prison has guards."
"Well hindsight is 20/20. Let's just keep that in mind for the future," Ken noted.
"Wait a sec…" Ryuji suddenly said. "I just realized… This is everyone’s Palace, right? Not like Kamoshida’s castle… Who’s keepin’ these people here…?"
"Oh hmm… that's a good point, Skull," Makoto said.
Morgana let his eyes drift away. The quarantine… was that the key? The key to his memories…?
"Mona-chan, what's wrong?" Haru asked.
"I think… I remember. A little, at least. I've seen this place before…"
Anne frowned. "How is that possible? Before today, we weren't able to access this place."
Morgana sighed. "Sorry… It’s just a sense I’m getting. But still, it feels like I’m really close to remembering something important…"
Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck, surveying the area for a second before speaking. "Y’know, comin’ in here was what you wanted from the beginning. We just gotta keep movin’ on!"
Yusuke let out a little hum. "On top of that, I’m curious to know who the ruler of this place is."
"The mysteries just keep building up." Ken sighed.
Morgana nodded. "Yeah, you’re right."
Haru looked back to the shadows in the jail cells. "Wait, what about these people…?"
Makoto sighed heavily. "We'll have to leave them be. They’ll be taken care of if we erase Mementos."
Futaba nodded. "Yeah! Let's get going!"
Even as he followed his friends, Morgana could only feel a pit forming in his stomach… What was this sense of dread he was feeling…?
Things only became more and more troubling the further they pressed forward.
"They're so… nihilistic. It sorta reminds me of the Cult of Nyx. They're just waiting for… oblivion," Ken muttered out as they entered a new area.
Just moments ago, Morgana had transformed into his bus form to carry everyone further in. They needed to resolve this, and quickly.
"And the way they just accept poor treatment like that…" Yusuke could only shudder.
"We'll just have to change their hearts," Ren said after a moment. "Come on, guys."
Ren tried to speak in a calm manner, but Morgana could see the tenseness in his shoulders. Yusuke followed closely with a sigh, but Ken was surveying the area with a grim eye. It was only when Makoto touched his arm with a concerned frown that he followed the rest of the group.
They stepped into another circular room, also filled with cages. They immediately tensed up.
But Anne suddenly gasped, pressing a hand to her mouth.
"Y-You're…" She pointed with a shaking finger.
"Kamoshida!" Ryuji hissed out.
"What is he doing h—" Ren started, but Yusuke cut him off.
"S-Sen—" Yusuke broke off with a sigh. "No… Madarame."
"Kaneshiro too," Makoto said grimly.
"Are all of the Palace rulers here…?" Ken questioned.
"Yeah, what about Okumura?" Futaba asked.
Haru bowed her head. "Father isn't around here…"
"Oh right…" Futaba cringed back, a guilty frown appearing on her face. "Sorry Noir."
"It's okay, don't worry Oracle," Haru reassured.
Morgana couldn't help but feel bad though… Haru had taken her father's death so badly. The night he had slept in her bed, there had been one point where Haru had hugged him tightly while she wept over her loss. Morgana had never told anyone about that, not even Ren, but the way Haru mourned her father was seared in Morgana's mind.
But Haru seemed determined to move on.
"And besides… look over there."
Ren immediately tensed. "Shido…"
"So they ended up imprisoned here as well…" Ken commented.
Ryuji interjected. "But that doesn't make any sense! They had a change of heart due to us stealing their Treasures! The hell's going on?!"
"Was that really what was going on though…?" Ken questioned. "Something's not right…"
Kamoshida suddenly spoke, his eyes on Anne again. "Mm, your bod's as great as always. Come a little closer…"
"Shut up, you creep!" Anne growled out, glaring daggers at him.
Kamoshida let out a gusty sigh. "I'm just joking, sheesh. I don't want any more trouble."
"Trouble?" Makoto repeated.
Kamoshida said, "I finally get to live without having to think for myself now."
"It's just like the others…" Morgana thought with a frown.
Madarame nodded. "I mistakenly thought myself to be talented… but now I think I’m a fool for wanting too much."
"Madarame, you…" Yusuke uttered, only to trail off with a frown.
The others started to shift uncomfortably at their words, and their unease just grew as Kaneshiro spoke.
"It's no wonder that people who can't take a hint get yelled at… I’m done actin’ like a big shot. Who cares if I’m stupid? It’s not like you get punished for bein’ dumb. Nobody needs to strive to be more than they really are."
"Why are they so… different?" Ken asked. "Based on what you've mentioned what they were like in the past."
Yusuke shook his head. "They were nothing like this before."
"I don't think it's because of a change of heart either…" Makoto mused, resting a hand under her chin.
Morgana sucked in a breath as a horrible thought suddenly struck him. “Wait… have they chosen a life of captivity after they lost their distorted desires!?”
“But… why?” Ren asked.
Morgana sighed. He wished he knew.
Shido suddenly spoke once more, looking to Haru. “Unfortunately, Okumura isn’t here with us. Nothing can be done for the dead, unfortunately.”
“You little–” Ryuji began but stopped when Haru held up a hand.
Haru narrowed her eyes at Shido.
“Yes, I know,” she said stiffly. “Thank you for the details. Now if you don’t mind, what in the world is this place?”
“It’s supposed to be called the Prison of Regression,” Shido said with a shrug.
“Regression…?” Futaba questioned.
Shido just stared blankly at them. “More importantly, does this look like captivity to you? Why, it’s the exact opposite. The utmost freedom is available to anyone who desires it here. This is the freedom to not make decisions. The release from having to think for yourself.”
“That’s not freedom,” Ken immediately objected with a scowl. “You’re being brainwashed!”
He was right, of course. Morgana couldn’t help but feel uneasy, though. Why did the former Palace rulers change so drastically since they had change of hearts? This is a far cry from the men who begged to repent for their crimes.
Shido sighed. “You’re being naive… much like the fools who cannot stay put in this place. In other words, they are escaped convicts…”
“People who have rebelled, you mean?” Ren asked.
Shido just nodded. “Of course, I’m talking about our past selves. Such people are segregated from this peaceful world and locked away in their own Palace.”
Everyone started to murmur amongst themselves.
“So that’s the truth of the Palace rulers?” Yusuke asked, horrified.
Kamoshida just cracked a smile. “I really gotta thank you for changing my heart. I got to come back here, after all.”
“That’s not why we…!” Anne cut herself off. “W-What have we done?”
“We sent them back here, when we stole their Treasures?” Ryuji mumbled to himself.
Yusuke just shook his head. “I don’t understand… just what have we been doing by using the cognitive world…?”
“Stop.”
They looked to Ren. Ren let out a sigh, mussing up his hair. He then squared his shoulders, looking straight at them.
“We didn’t think that this would happen.”
“I mean, yeah! We wouldn’t have done it otherwise!” Ryuji interjected.
“We… did that to them…” Makoto said softly, gesturing to the former Palace rulers.
“Yeah, and the people we’ve met are resigned to their being here. They view it as their salvation,” Ren argued. “It’s not normal, guys. To think that thinking for yourself is a shackle. To think that they deserve to be belittled or whatever crap. There’s more to this place, guys. We don’t have the full picture. Are you honestly saying you wouldn’t try to stop them after what they did to us? To the rest of their victims?! They had to be stopped. We can’t give up just because we’ve seen something unnerving. We can’t lose heart!”
Ren continued to impress him again and again. Even now he refused to give up…
Everyone was quiet, digesting Ren’s words. But then Haru nodded, placing a hand over her heart.
“You’re right, Joker. I guess… we just lost sight of our purpose.”
Ryuji nodded. “Yeah! Now’s not the time to be confused about this kind of shit… We gotta hurry before Shido’s men abuse this place even more.”
“There is something bothering me, though…” Makoto said. “Just who is the ruler of this Palace?”
Shido just raised an eyebrow. “What an odd question to ask. It should be obvious: every member of the general public.”
“It is true that Mona said that Mementos was the Palace of the public,” Ken said. “But even so… everyone…?”
Shido just let out a weary sigh, shaking his head. “Haven’t you learned anything in school? The collective ruler of a democratic society is its people.”
“Even now he’s an ass,” Ren muttered under his breath.
Ryuji scowled at Shido, clenching his hands into fists. “D-Don’t lie outta your ass like that! I mean, there was a guard here earlier! That means someone’s gotta be lookin’ out for you guys, right?”
Shido let out a thoughtful hum, rubbing his chin. “You may be right. We are the ones ‘looking out’ upon everyone else.”
For some reason, Shido’s words… struck a chord in Morgana. This place really was so familiar… But Morgana couldn’t put a finger on what it was exactly.
He remembered seeing the prisoners but…
Then it suddenly hit him, like a bolt of lightning.
“That’s right!” he gasped.
“Mona?” Ren asked.
Morgana turned to him. “I do remember this place…”
“You’re remembering more?” Futaba asked eagerly.
Morgana nodded. “I saw the humans in here… and realized I looked different from them for some reason… I think… that’s why I wanted to become human.”
Makoto frowned. “Is that why you thought you would regain your true form if we destroyed Mementos?”
Morgana winced. It wasn’t Makoto’s intention but he… couldn’t help but think of his fears about his true form. Just… what was he?
But he realized his friends were looking at him, so Morgana bowed his head. He could feel his ears droop slightly. “Sorry… I’m still missing a lot of my memories… But I know I started randomly checking a bunch of Palaces… then my next memory is about that bastard Kamoshida.”
“What are you doing here?!”
They cringed at the voice. Anne just groaned.
“Guards again?! And there are more this time!”
“We should’ve expected that this would happen,” Ken lamented.
Morgana scowled. “Dammit… we got careless!”
Makoto gestured towards the exit. “Let’s run!”
The area seemed to stretch on and on. Ren ended up switching out the active team, to let Makoto, Yusuke, and Ryuji rest.
But as they entered another room, Haru suddenly gasped.
“Guys… look. Doesn’t that cell seem… different than the others?” she asked.
She stepped closer to the cell in question. The cell had a steel door, unlike the others.
“Is that the quarantine cell we heard about earlier?” Makoto speculated.
“Supposedly, the most sinful, most dangerous inmate is held within…” Yusuke noted. “I have to wonder what they were like…”
“But based on what the Palace rulers said…” Ken said. “Couldn’t it be possible that they’re just dangerous in the eyes of this Palace’s ruler?”
“The Palace rulers did say they were foolish to break away from this mindset,” Ren noted.
Ken might have a good point.
But Morgana was staring at the cell, his eyes widening.
“This… This place smells familiar for some reason…” Morgana breathed out.
Haru frowned. “Mona-chan…?”
Morgana gasped. Had he–had he finally remembered?
“There’s no mistake. I’m sure of it! This is it… I was born here.”
Haru parroted, “Born…? Inside the prison?”
Anne stared at Morgana with wide eyes. “Wait, then are you the dangerous inmate!?”
Morgana just shook his head. “No… the inmate wasn’t me. But I remember now–someone created me here. To guide all of you…”
“Guide us to where?” Ken asked.
“And who is this someone?” Haru tilted her head. “They must be pretty powerful to create you.”
Morgana clutched at his head. “Ngh… I can’t remember! Damn it! I’m so close… but my memory is too foggy…”
Ren assured. “Don’t beat yourself up, Mona. Your memories are slowly coming back. It’s okay.”
“But, what if it’s the key to everything?” Morgana asked, clenching his paws to fists. “I wish I could remember already!”
“Come on, Joker’s right. We’re learning more about this place thanks to you!” Anne said.
“Noir’s right, though… just who created Mona?” Yusuke asked.
“Don’t pressure him, Fox!” Anne huffed out. “It’ll come.”
Ryuji then coughed, looking to the cell. “Y’know, hearin’ all this just makes me wanna know what’s inside.”
“Uh, Skull, I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Makoto trailed off.
But then they heard shouts. Before Ren knew it, they were surrounded.
“Crap, we’re surrounded! We’ve gotta win this, guys!” Futaba said.
Two of the Shadows were Nebiros… Ren pointed to Mona.
“Mona, switch out! Ace, you’re in!”
“Astarte, come!” Haru cried out.
Astarte appeared before Haru. Bullets exploded from the pink skull, nailing the red dragon Shadow.
Ken summoned Tyr, flinging a Makougaon spell at all three Shadows. The light spell knocked the Nebiros Shadows flat on their faces. Just as Ken passed the baton to Ren, Futaba charged their attack power.
“Odin!” Ren shouted.
Odin was one of his newest fusions. Odin thrust his spear, electricity sparking from the tip as he struck at the red Shadow.
Electricity crackled as the Shadow struggled to move.
“Nice, Joker!” Futaba crowed out. “You’ve shocked him good!”
Yusuke followed up with a physical attack, landing a critical hit.
“Joker, let’s punish them!” Yusuke exclaimed.
Ren nodded. “Let’s do this!”
They lunged as one. The Shadows didn’t stand a chance and they disintegrated to ash.
“What a pain in the ass…” Ryuji grumbled.
Makoto sighed. “This place seemed to be on high alert now. We should be careful as we continue forward.”
Yusuke crossed his arms over his chest, gazing at the quarantine cell. “Given how important this cell appears to be, the depths of Mementos must be near. Mona’s memories may return if we continue on…”
“Yeah…” Morgana didn’t sound happy about this, though.
Ren glanced over to Haru, who was looking at Morgana with worry.
“So, we’re finally gettin’ close to the public’s Treasure, huh?” Ryuji asked.
Morgana nodded. “Yeah, I think so. But… now that I think about it, it makes sense that Mementos would connect to some place like underneath Shibuya. Everyone crams themselves into packed underground boxes day after day without any complaints… From my standpoint, those are the true inmates of Mementos. It’s no surprise the places are connected.”
Anne winced. “I never thought of it like that…”
“It’s true that society often pushes certain roles and expectations on people,” Ken sighed.
“But we broke free of that,” Ren said. “We can’t stop here. Not when we’re so close!”
“Joker’s right… Let’s go!” Haru exclaimed.
“The hell is this?”
They were standing at the top of a ‘staircase’, one that resembled a spine. It twisted around some kind of building.
Makoto watched with trepidation. “It’s so big… I can’t believe there’s such a giant thing all the way down here…”
Haru asked, “Is everyone’s Treasure inside?”
Morgana nodded. “Yeah… that should be the case.”
“But this bizarrely ominous air about it… It could be likened to a temple of sorts…” Yusuke noted.
Yusuke was right though. Unlike with Palaces, where you can feel no change in the atmosphere, there was this… pressure pushing down on them.
“Th-There’s no point freakin’ out now!” Despite Ryuji’s boisterous interjection, his voice shook slightly. “C’mon, let’s go!”
“Skull’s right. It’s do or die. We can do this,” Ren said.
He scanned his friends’ faces. He wouldn’t have expected this, not in his wildest dreams. And yet… here they were.
Ren took a deep breath and took the lead.
They finally made it to the bottom and they found themselves in a weird room. It was circular, with areas that glowed an eerie shade of red.
“This is it… right? We’re at the very bottom,” Futaba said.
“I can’t believe we made it…” Anne sighed.
“We’re not done yet,” Morgana said. “Come on, let’s go, Joker.”
They jumped down and they paused to take in their surroundings.
“Are those prison cells?” Yusuke asked.
Ren looked up, stopping to stare. Holy shit… Yusuke was right.
“There’s so many of them…” Ren couldn’t help but feel troubled at that implication.
How many people had given in to this sentiment, that they deserved to be chained down like this? Tokyo alone had millions of people. What about the people who lived outside of Tokyo?
“This is beyond unnerving…” he thought to himself.
“But… what’s this thing in the middle?” Futaba asked.
It was… weird. It was made of some kind of metal but it was a dull, almost sooty gray. It looked… almost like a cup. Maybe it was a cup for a giant.
“Whatever it is… it looks disgustingly grand,” Anne commented.
Yusuke noted. “There are no other rooms. This is it… the depth of Mementos.”
“I never would’ve expected this…” Ken mumbled out.
Haru cleared her throat. “In that case, is the Treasure of Mementos somewhere in here?”
“It should be,” Ren said. “I think… it’s this.”
He gestured to the metallic object.
Morgana gave a slow nod. “I think you’re right, Joker… I’ve never been here, but I can sense it. It smells like a Treasure.”
“This thing?” Ken looked at it up and down. “It’s huge. The Treasures before weren’t nearly as big…”
Yeah Ren wasn't expecting it to be this big… The biggest Treasure before was Kamoshida's, with how it took all of them to carry it out. But maybe it was so big since it belonged to the general public?
Morgana narrowed his eyes. “I’m positive. If we can get rid of it…”
Morgana suddenly paused, his eyes growing sad. Ren frowned. There was Morgana’s weird behavior again… He wished he knew what was on Morgana’s mind.
“If we get rid of it…” Ren prompted.
Morgana snapped out of his reverie. “Then the public will come to their senses!”
Yusuke frowned. “But something that large will be impossible to carry out of here.”
Ryuji scratched the back of his neck. “We just gotta make it disappear, right? If we can’t move it, then we’ll just hafta destroy it!”
Morgana nodded. “Yeah… that should work.”
Anne swallowed before looking up at the Treasure. “Once we do that, the entire Metaverse is going to disappear, right? This is finally it…”
But suddenly a low humming buzzed through the air. They all tensed up.
Futaba sighed. “I guess it’s no surprise we’ve been discovered. That thing isn’t going to let itself get destroyed.”
“Should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy…” Ken grumbled under his breath.
Ren glanced around. The cells… Whoever were inside, they were moving and murmuring. Just what was this…? Ren was starting to get creeped out.
“Even the inmates are starting to liven up. How eerie… are they planning something?” Yusuke questioned.
Ryuji cleared his throat. “That must mean this thing’s gotta be the Treasure. They saved us the trouble of checkin’!”
Makoto sucked in a breath. “Hold on. Something’s off. Remember, Shido said the masses are allowing themselves to be held captive here… Could they truly be operating this gigantic system that eliminates intruders on its own? The prison guards and soldiers were very organized too…”
“So… you’re saying that despite their claims, someone else truly rules this place?” Yusuke asked hesitantly.
“That does make sense now that you mention it…” Haru said, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully.
But then deep, ominous laughter suddenly erupted to life. The loud sound startled Futaba, and she grabbed Makoto’s arm to steady herself.
“What was that?!” Anne cried out.
“Got no time to worry about that! We gotta deal with the Treasure!” Ryuji said.
Morgana said, “We can’t lose! Not here! At your lead, Joker!”
Ren nodded, steeling himself.
“Let’s do it! Let’s go all out!”
And so, they opened fire. Ren summoned Siegfried, charging up his power. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Anne doing the same but with Concentrate. Ryuji followed up with a Matarukaja spell.
Ken and Haru unleashed gun attacks within seconds of each other. This created twin dents within the Treasure. Yusuke then followed up with a physical attack, Susano-o Kamu slicing at the Treasure. Yusuke’s attack actually broke off a piece.
“Come, Anat!” Makoto cried out.
The Treasure rattled violently as the nuclear spell hit its mark. Anne and Morgana unleashed a fire and wind spell respectively, the flames growing even brighter as Mercurius’s gale wrapped around it.
Ryuji managed to get in another blow before the Treasure summoned a ray of light, striking right at Haru. She gasped, dropping to one knee, and clasping a hand to where it struck her.
“Noir!” Futaba exclaimed.
“Ace, heal her!” Ren ordered. “How’s it looking, Oracle?”
“You’re really chipping away at it! Keep it up!”
As Ken focused on healing her, Ren summoned Siegfried. Gashes appeared on the Treasure as Siegfried struck.
But that’s when an anguished cry made Ren pause.
“Stop itttt!”
“Don’t touch the Holy Grail!”
“Holy Grail…?” Futaba repeated.
That’s when the wires connected to this ‘Holy Grail’ glowed blood red. It seemed to pulse for a moment. The dents they managed to put in were smoothed out. The gashes Siegfried created disappeared.
“What was that?!” Futaba gasped out.
“Are they healing the Treasure?!” Ken asked.
Ren gritted his teeth. They could try to launch a full-frontal assault… Futaba did say that they landed hefty damage before the inmates seemed to heal the Treasure. Maybe if they were quick enough…
But then more voices cried out.
“What are they doing to our Holy Grail?”
“That’s right! The Holy Grail will never perish!”
“Dammit… this is never gonna end!” Ryuji cursed.
Yusuke winced before his hand fell to grip the hilt of his katana. “It seems hopeless if there are this many inmates supporting it!”
“You fools…”
Ren frowned. That voice…
It made his skin crawl. And yet… something about the timbre of this weird voice… it nagged at Ren.
“Human, yet wishing to eradicate the desires of humanity…”
Ren scowled. This shit again… he was sick of people—or cups for that matter—trying to decide how he felt. Lumping in all people like this really was pissing him off.
“Who’s that?!” Anne exclaimed.
“The Treasure… is talking…?” Makoto asked.
“I am revered as the granter of dreams of all who behold me… a being known as the Holy Grail.”
“The Holy Grail…?” Haru murmured.
The Treasure continued, “The Prison of Regression is representative of the collective desires of humanity. They wish to be chained down, surrender their cognition, and neglect the world around them… These feebleminded commonfolk will make your ‘social reform’ all for naught. The shared heart of the masses has fallen into an excess of indolence and transformed into a prison.”
“I don’t believe that bullshit,” Ren spat out.
His friends all thought to give in to what society demanded of them, and they broke free. There were probably countless more, who tried to accept what they were being dealt with. They just weren’t told otherwise, that’s another way.
And this Treasure was feeding this toxic mentality. To just accept things and keep your head down.
That was what Ren was told to do when he arrived in Tokyo.
To hell with that.
“You may not agree with me… but listen to the voices of the masses. They believe in me and what I grant them.”
Ren winced as the inmates began to murmur praises of the Holy Grail once again. Ren’s stomach churned.
“They’re worshiping the damn thing!” Ryuji said in disbelief.
The Holy Grail intoned, “Thus… the only suitable end for them is to perish within the prison they wished for themselves.”
A purple light began to glow from the Holy Grail.
“Dammit, here it comes!” Morgana said.
“Let’s deal with it, once and for all, then!” Ken looked up at the Holy Grail with a glare.
“Hell yeah!” Ryuji whooped.
The ray of light struck at Yusuke this time. A pained cry escaped Yusuke as he staggered back from the force. Without a command from Ren, Morgana ran over to heal Yusuke.
“Damn that thing… let’s break it for sure, this time!” Futaba growled out from within Prometheus.
Makoto summoned Anat to cast a Marakukaja spell to help them deal with the Holy Grail’s attack this time. And Ryuji buffed up their attack once more.
“Super move! Ultra Charge!” Futaba cried out.
Power flooded Ren’s veins, fueling his determination. He ripped off his mask, summoning once more.
“Adrasteia!” Ren shouted.
Adrasteia appeared with a flash. A flowing white Grecian robe with gold embellishments was draped over her figure. A flowing white blindfold covered her eyes and her dark hair swayed. In one hand she held a justice scale.
She raised the scale and energy began to coalesce. The energy exploded in an Almighty spell, the aftershocks making the Holy Grail shake.
“Dance, Hecate!” Anne cried out.
The flames Hecate produced made a part of the Treasure glow bright red. Kamu Susano-o and Seiten Taisei then struck at the area that Hecate had heated up. Their dual attack managed to break off a piece, like before.
But it didn’t matter how much they piled up on the Holy Grail. Those damn inmates kept crying out to stop hurting their precious Holy Grail and their cries just strengthened the Holy Grail.
And their prayers seemed to alter the Holy Grail, first turning its faded, almost rusted form to become brassy and then to a gleaming gold.
“This is cheating!” Futaba cried out. “This is an impossible hack to overcome!”
But that’s when the inmates began to chant.
“Get out. Get out. GET OUT!”
“If this is really how people feel, there’s no way we’ll be able to steal their hearts…” Morgana’s breath hitched. “We’ve come here for nothing… I’m sorry…”
“This is horrible…” Haru breathed out.
Ken scanned the area. “Is there really nothing we can do? Oracle… it really doesn’t have any weakness?”
Futaba sighed before bowing her head. “I couldn’t find any weak spots at all…”
“Ha… you really are foolish. You imbeciles became intoxicated by an undesired ‘justice’. This is the will of children who have fallen to sloth. My shine is proof that they desire my existence. As long as humanity yearns for me, I shall never perish…
Makoto stared up in horror. “Is this really what everyone wants…? To stop thinking and be guided by the Holy Grail?”
Ren shook his head. “We can’t accept that! Don’t let it fool you. It’s just forcing its ideals on everyone. It’s drunk on power.”
Makoto nodded. “Yes… it’s so frustrating it makes me want to cry. But I… I will never agree! I won’t go back to the person I was, someone who just swallowed what I was told and listened without thinking for myself!”
“Queen…” Ken murmured.
Morgana shook his head. “The humans I look up to aren’t like that! No matter how painful reality is, it’s all over if you don’t try to change how things are! I’m not the only one who believes that. Everyone here agrees… we don’t want to turn back into the people we used to be! That’s why we risked our lives coming here!”
“Mona-chan…” Haru nodded, steely determination entering her eyes as she clenched a single fist. “I completely agree! I will never go back to who I was! There’s no turning back!”
“Well said, Noir!” Anne said.
“Humanity already wishes for its distortions to be actualized. I am merely the being that will ultimately grant those wishes. Now, it is time I refrain from my place in this world and begin to encroach upon reality itself.”
Then the Holy Grail began to glow an intense blue.
“Encroach? What’s it going to do?” Makoto breathed out.
Anne squeaked. “Hey, this doesn’t look good!”
Futaba winced. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this…”
“Mona, what should we do?” Ren asked.
He felt helpless. The Holy Grail was going to do something, but Ren was at a loss on what to do.
“I don’t know who you are…” Morgana glared up at him. “But you can’t go and decide this for everyone.”
“Yeah! Who died and made you king?!” Ryuji barked out.
Ken exclaimed. “Humans aren’t all stupid like you say they are! We’re not blind sheep!”
“Hmph. Indolent, foolish humans… You shall offer your hearts to me.”
The Holy Grail glowed even brighter before a blast of light slammed right into them. Ren fell back, intense pain completely enveloping him. Ren wanted to just curl up in a ball and die… He could hear his friends screaming in anguish from the blast.
“Now the time for the fusion has come…” intoned the Holy Grail.
“Fusion with what?” Ken asked.
“No time for that!” Yusuke cried out. “The ground—”
Ren looked to the ground. It was growing translucent; wait, no, it was—
“It’s disappearing!” Haru exclaimed.
“Oh hell no!” Ryuji cried out.
“Guys, run!” Ren shouted.
Who knew what would happen if the ground dropped under them—
But it was too late.
Everything grew too bright and suddenly Ren was falling.
Ren hit the ground with a groan.
“Ow…” Anne groaned out.
“Are you okay?” Ren asked.
“Yeah, I am… but what about everyone else?”
Ken sat up, rubbing the back of his head with a grimace. “Relatively…”
“Of course we are! But dammit, I’m so pissed!” Ryuji growled out.
“I mean, we kinda got hit with a laser…” Ken pointed out.
Futaba suddenly gasped. “Our clothes are back to normal!”
“Seriously, what the hell happened?” Ren asked.
Haru frowned. “We’re in Shibuya…?”
“But how did we make it back?” Yusuke asked.
That was a good question. They were in Mementos and suddenly… they weren’t. And what was that Holy Grail talking about with a fusion? None of this was making sense! Ren was starting to get a headache, trying to connect the dots.
“We didn’t make it back ourselves, though…” Morgana said. “We must have been driven out by the Holy Grail.”
“It’s that powerful?” Ren asked.
“Did we lose?” Makoto asked.
“We just have to go back!” Ryuji said adamantly. “We’ll beat him this time!”
That was when it started to rain. But… it was red. Makoto suddenly recoiled.
“I-Is this… blood?!”
“Water turning into blood,” Ken muttered, his face suddenly growing pale. “J-Just like—”
But suddenly darkness pooled at Haru’s feet. Yusuke quickly grasped her by the wrist, pulling her against him. Haru stumbled against him but steadied herself quickly, resting her hands against Yusuke’s chest.
A bone-like structure suddenly jutted out from the ground where Haru had once stood. If Yusuke had hesitated a moment…
“Haru, are you hurt?” Yusuke asked urgently.
“N-No, thanks to you, Yusuke-kun…” Haru stuttered out, staring at the spot where she had been standing with wide eyes.
She then realized that her current position with Yusuke was rather intimate, so she hastily backed away with a faint blush on her cheeks.
“Ah, look guys!” Anne suddenly blurted out.
Bone-like structures were filling the city. Ren couldn’t help but stare in horror. This was the price of their loss?!
“Mementos in Shibuya,” Makoto said faintly. She was now clutching at Ken’s hand for reassurance. “Wait… is this what he meant by ‘fusion’?!”
“To think this would happen…” Morgana muttered out.
“You have got to be shitting me.” Ryuji’s hands were trembling.
“This is just…” Ken muttered out. “Isn’t there anything we can do…?”
Ren immediately thought of trying to find the Holy Grail again. He was about to suggest that when a conversation caught his attention.
“Man, what great weather. Wanna go for a drive tomorrow?”
Great weather?! What the hell was he talking about?
He heard a businessman discuss some meeting, a teenager talk about a smartphone’s release… meaningless mundane things. But then…
“What were the Phantom Thieves all about anyway?” a woman asked her male companion.
He laughed at that. “Oh man, hearing that brings back memories! I feel so dumb for even believing they existed.”
It was like the stuff Futaba had found online…
The woman chuckled. “It was fun news, though. Well, I doubt anyone believes they’re around anymore.”
“Why isn’t anyone noticing how abnormal this all is…?” Yusuke asked.
Makoto grimaced. “It’s probably because they don’t feel that it’s odd…”
But then Futaba began to sway.
“Futaba…?” Ken asked.
Futaba suddenly grasped at her head before stumbling and falling. Ryuji made a beeline for her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded.
“M-My head… it feels so…” Futaba clutched at her head before feebly saying, “I feel dizzy…”
Ren swallowed hard as he was hit with a wave of vertigo. The area spun around him for a moment and his vision began to blur.
Everyone seemed to be experiencing the same thing.
“Is this… the Holy Grail’s doing?” Makoto said with a wince.
“That son of a bitch… What the hell did he do to us?!” Ryuji hissed out. “What’s this creepy ass shit about?!”
He raised his hand, balled into a fist before punching the ground.
Ryuji suddenly let out a scream. He held up his hand, but it was… disintegrating.
“My hand… it’s—”
“Ryuji?” Anne tried to reach out to their friend, only to cry out in shock.
She fell to the ground.
“Anne?!” Ren dropped to help her up, only to recoil back.
Ren just stared in horror. His girlfriend’s leg was disappearing.
And slowly, one by one, they fell to their knees. Ren could feel the energy sapping from him. What the hell was going on? What did the Holy Grail do to them?
Makoto had raised her slowly dissolving hand, staring in horror. “This can’t be real…”
“What’s happening to us…?” Yusuke asked, his voice cracking at the last part.
“No… no!” Haru sobbed out.
At the sight of Haru’s tears, Yusuke’s entire form stiffened.
“Our bodies… they’re disappearing!” Haru choked out.
“Don’t tell me…” Morgana croaked out, only to be interrupted by ominous laughter.
Ren gritted his teeth. He should’ve known…
“Indeed, this isn’t my doing.”
It wasn’t? Then whose was it?
“You imbeciles are about to be wiped from people’s cognition.”
“That damn voice!” Ryuji growled out.
He was gloating, his last victory against them. Was there really nothing they could do?!
“Mementos and reality have become one. Thus, those who have disappeared from cognition cannot exist anywhere.”
What the hell?! Was this the Holy Grail’s plan all along? Was this… it? They had failed to stop the Holy Grail and they would pay the ultimate price?
“Disappear, my ass! Seriously what the hell—” Ryuji cut himself with a primal scream before disappearing.
“Ryuji!” Ren yelled as he felt the breath was sucked out of him.
They were going to die, and Ren was absolutely terrified.
“Is this really it?” Yusuke gasped out, clutching at his chest. “Agh!”
Yusuke disintegrated into ash.
Despair started to flood Ren’s chest, so much that Ren felt that he’d choke on it. No… this couldn’t be happening!
Futaba was sobbing. She crawled over to Ken, clinging as tightly as she could onto him. “No… no! This can’t be real! I’m s-scared! I want S—”
She disappeared right from Ken’s arms. Ken pressed his hand to his mouth, too horrified to speak. Makoto just looked at Morgana, tears in her eyes.
“M-Morgana, where did we go wro—”
Before she could finish, she too was wiped from existence.
“Makoto!” Ken reached out to Makoto, only to lower his hand.
His expression was pure agony as Ken stared at where Makoto once was. He then lowered his head, his shoulders shaking.
Haru could only let out terrified sobs, curling into herself before she too disappeared.
"R-Ren…" Anne whispered. A single tear trickled down her cheek. "I just want to say one last time… I love y—"
But she was cut off as she disintegrated as well. Ren could only stare. He wanted to scream, yell, for that bloody cup to bring her and his other friends back… but his voice was gone.
He couldn't even cry.
It was only Ren, Morgana, and Ken left. Ken just looked at his disintegrating hand with a resigned look. Ren realized with a jolt that Ken didn't seem frightened of his impending death. No… the emotion reflected in Ken's eyes was regret.
“Shinjiro-san… everyone… I’m sorry,” Ken choked out, his eyes growing glassy. “I couldn’t fulfill my promise… It’s up to you now. Please… save this world. You’re our last hope.”
He let out a mirthless laugh.
“Mom… I’ll see you sooner than expected. Sorry… I didn’t want it to end like this.”
Like the rest of his friends, Ken disappeared as well. As Ken faded away, the last light from Morgana’s eyes died.
“This is my fault,” he sobbed out. “I brought you to Mementos… I doomed you all!”
“It’s not your fault, Morgana.” Ren tried to drag himself closer to Morgana, to reach out to his friend.
But it wasn’t like Morgana heard him.
“I didn’t mean to! I thought this would fix everything! I didn’t mean to lead you to your doom!” His breath hitched before sadly looking to Ren. “I-I’m so sorry, Ren… the mission is a failure…”
He choked on the last part before his body went completely slack. He seemed to give up as he disappeared from the world as well.
“NO!” Ren screamed out.
He felt hollow. His friends were gone. Ren rolled onto his back, staring up at the reddened sky.
He had just—
He had wanted to save this world.
Ren’s vision was slowly darkening as he reached up, helplessly.
There would be nobody to help him.
Not this time.
“How long has it been since Amada and the others went to Mementos?”
Shinji just gave Mitsuru-senpai an annoyed look. “It’s been four hours. Trust me, this is nothing. Ken’s been in the Metaverse for nearly eight hours in the past.”
“Sheesh, when you put it like that…” Akihiko-senpai just winced.
“I’m surprised that Ken-kun hasn’t passed out from exhaustion.” Yukari gave a shudder. “I mean, we only were in Tartarus for an hour at most.”
“Always felt like we could be there for hours though,” Junpei commented.
It was nerve-racking, waiting for news. Fuuka couldn’t help but fidget, hardly registering her friends’ conversation. It was almost like awaiting news for the plan against Akechi and then for Ken’s rescue…
To distract herself, Fuuka looked out the window. Outside… It was raining. No surprise, given the time of the year.
Fuuka paused, squinting. That was odd… there was something different about this rain.
She stood up, to investigate.
“Fuuka-san? Is something the matter?” Aigis asked.
Fuuka just opened the window, a gale rushing inside. A shriek welled up from Fuuka’s throat as she realized what was wrong.
The rain… was red.
She staggered backwards and she felt Shinji’s hands on her shoulders, steadying her.
“Fuuka, are you okay?” he asked.
Fuuka just nodded, but she couldn’t find her voice. She felt… too shaken up.
“Hang on, is that blood?!” Minako cried out.
“I-I don’t know…” Fuuka stammered out.
Then Minako’s expression hardened. “Let’s go outside to investigate.”
They hurried outside, forgoing their weapons. They would stick out like sore thumbs if they took the weapons along.
And… it was even worse. Bone-like structures were jutted out from the ground, making Tokyo look like some kind of post-apocalyptic area. Fuuka could feel her knees growing weak.
“W-What’s going on…?” Akihiko-senpai breathed out.
“Bones… Ken mentioned that parts of Mementos had railroad tracks like bones…” Shinji muttered out. “The hell happened down there? That idiot better not have gotten into any trouble, or I swear—”
“Yamagishi!”
Fuuka jumped at the force of Mitsuru-senpai’s voice. “Y-Yes?”
“Get into contact with Amada,” Mitsuru-senpai said. “I need to talk to him. You were able to speak with us when you broke Hi-no-Kagutsuchi’s control over Labrys, so you should be able to seek him out from here.”
“O-Out here?” Aigis asked. “Shouldn’t we practice more caution, Mitsuru-san?”
“We need answers, and we need them now,” Mitsuru said. “I’m afraid that if we dawdle…”
She trailed off, unwilling to finish. That sealed Fuuka’s decision.
“I understand, Mitsuru-senpai,” Fuuka said quietly.
She pressed both hands against her chest as she concentrated. She had to focus!
“Juno!” she called out before her Persona appeared in a flash, encasing her in the glass orb that made up the bottom half of Juno’s body.
Fuuka felt her face scrunch up as she focused on casting out her senses through the area. It was quiet as she scanned. She could hear murmuring from a couple of her friends but then Minako hushed them to be quiet, so Fuuka could focus.
But… she wasn’t sensing anything. Her senses were getting scrambled. She could sense… Shadows?
She pushed away the familiar sensations of her friends’ Personas, casting out her senses to hopefully find Ken. But… she wasn’t sensing him. This was odd…
No, it must be because she was working with an entirely different Shadow nest! She couldn’t even find any new Persona-users! She had clasped her hands together in front of her, but they started to tremble. Sweat began to bead on her forehead.
“Fuuka! Fuuka!” Shinji’s voice called out to her. “What’s wrong?!”
His voice seemed to draw her out and she dismissed Juno. Once she was out in the open, Shinji moved closer to her and gently pulled her to her feet.
“I… I can’t sense any other Persona-users,” she blurted out, “I can’t sense him or his friends!”
Panic was welling up inside Fuuka and her chest was growing so tight… images of Ken lying on the ground, dead, suddenly flooded her mind.
Fuuka pressed a hand against her mouth, choking back a sob. Shinji put an arm around her and Fuuka had to stifle the urge to bury her face into his chest. She had to remain calm…
Junpei interjected quickly, “Maybe if we go into Mementos? That might be why Fuuka can’t find anyone! Shinjiro-senpai and Akihiko-senpai went inside, didn’t they? They should have access to that app now!”
He looked to her desperately. They didn’t want to imagine the alternative. That Ken was dead…
“Calm down, everyone,” Mitsuru-senpai advised. “Let us investigate further.”
Minako took the lead, weaving her way throughout the crowd.
“Makoto! Makoto, please… where did you go?”
Fuuka clutched at Shinji’s hand as he stiffened. His grasp on her hand tightened as he pulled her towards the source of the voice.
“Niijima!” Shinji shouted.
Sae Niijima jumped at the sound of Shinji’s voice.
“Aragaki?! And…”
“No time for introductions,” Shinji said brusquely; he ignored the irritated look on Niijima-san’s face before demanding, “Did something happen to Makoto? What about the others?”
“I…” Niijima-san’s expression faltered. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean ‘you don’t know’?!” Junpei exclaimed.
“I don’t know! The sky is raining blood, bones are coming out of the ground! Then I spotted everyone standing together. They looked like they were in pain! Then some people shoved me aside because they were in a hurry…”
Fuuka winced. That was certainly something she did not miss about Tokyo.
“But when I finally had my bearings again, they were gone! I don’t know where they went! Makoto’s not answering her texts!” Niijima-san’s voice cracked. “H-Has something bad happened to them?”
“There has to be some kind of clue… right?” Yukari asked desperately.
“Yes, let us search—” Aigis began.
But then a sudden crunch grabbed Fuuka’s attention. Minako looked down, stepping backwards one step. Then she bent down, only to gasp.
“Mina?” Akihiko-senpai’s voice grew concerned.
Minako bowed her head, her head clenching around something she had picked up. Then she silently stood up before reluctantly meeting their gaze.
“Guys…” she breathed out, rising to her feet once more.
The sight of it made Fuuka’s blood run cold. Resting in Minako’s palm was a Shadow Operative’s pin.
“That’s…” Aigis stared, her voice suddenly stuttering. “T-This is Ken-san’s, is it not?”
“Something is really wrong…” Minako whispered, her eyes wide with fear. “Ken-kun wouldn’t drop this willy-nilly.”
Fuuka’s legs grew weak before she finally fell to the ground.
“No, no, no, no, no…“ she began to mentally panic.
“Fuuka!” Shinji’s voice grew concerned and she could feel her fiancé’s hand resting on her shoulder.
“Ken-kun, no…” she moaned out. “You promised… You promised that you’d be okay! You promised that you would come back to us!”
Shinji just silently pulled her into his arms. Fuuka buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn’t allow them to fall.
Why hadn’t they come the day before?! They would’ve been able to save Ken… right?
She looked up to see that Yukari had gone completely ashen. “Ken-kun, no… Please! You’re okay, aren’t you?! You can’t be…”
She trailed off at the last part, tears leaking from her eyes.
Junpei blurted out. “T-This has to be a joke, right? Not everything that’s happened… This is a sick joke!”
“Iori must be right,” Mitsuru-senpai said desperately. “Akihiko, Shinjiro—pull up the app. We need to head into Mementos.”
Fuuka gripped at Shinji's coat. They could only pray that was the reason why she couldn't sense Ken…
“The destination you’ve selected is unavailable.”
“Unavailable…?!” Akihiko-senpai gasped. “Has the gate closed then?”
The last bit of hope Fuuka had just shriveled up. Ken… he was really out of their reach?!
After everything he had endured, he had… no!
"Ken-san…" Aigis whispered, lowering her head.
Yukari and Minako were both quietly sobbing now. Akihiko-senpai had his arm around Minako’s shoulders. His own shoulders were shaking horribly too.
Fuuka could feel Shinji trembling. She hesitantly looked up to her fiancé's face. His expression had gone horribly blank.
"I should've gone with them. Dammit…" His voice cracked at the last part.
Koromaru could only whimper.
All the fight seemed to have drained out of Junpei. He was trying to comfort Aigis—who had completely shut down—but the look on his face told Fuuka that he didn't believe any of the comforting words he spoke.
“Then Makoto… she’s…” Niijima-san croaked out.
Minako just sadly nodded. Niijima-san just clasped a hand to her mouth and tears began to swim in her eyes.
"Amada… I'm so sorry…" Mitsuru-senpai whispered. "After all you endured… We should've protected you and the others. Please, forgive us…"
Her voice broke at that. Seeing Mitsuru-senpai's despair and guilt on her face…
It broke the dam.
Fuuka just clung to Shinji and began to sob.
Notes:
Apologies for the delay! Things got a little crazy. I got a full-time job and... I caught covid. But the latter at least gave me motivation to write for this chapter and it's finally here! A late birthday gift for Ken haha.
Also you may have noticed that Morgana has his ultimate. Since Morgana's confidant is automatic, he just awakened to Mercurius off screen.
Many thanks to my wonderful beta as always. Her additions really added to the chapter!
But we're gearing up for the climax for P5! I'm really excited to cover the finale of P5!
Chapter 53: Ch. 52: Raise Your Voice
Summary:
Mementos and the real world have merged. But is all hope gone?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
In the past Goro had scoffed at the idea of 'cabin fever'. He always felt perfectly fine, staying inside when necessary. But now?
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. He felt utterly restless, often pacing the safe room like a caged animal. It was true that he crept out from time to time to get food and drink, but it wasn't like he could enjoy his time out with him constantly looking over his shoulder for Shido's men.
Even with Shido's confession… Goro couldn't rest easily. Shido's cronies were still out there and Goro didn't trust that they wouldn't use him as a scapegoat.
Goro sighed gustily, taking a moment to rub at his face.
"It would be nice if I could leave for good—"
His thought was cut off when the safe room suddenly warped and before he knew it, he was dumped out rather unceremoniously, landing face first in the asphalt. Goro pushed himself up in a sitting position, wiping the dirt from his face.
"What the hell was that?" Goro growled to himself.
It wasn't like the destruction of a Palace—he had witnessed that firsthand when the Phantom Thieves had stolen Okumura's Treasure. And the entire place had completely crumbled. Not a peep from his app when he was ejected from the Palace, either. So that told Goro that this situation was completely different.
But then… Goro took an actual look at his surroundings. It looked like a hellscape, with how it was raining blood and the bones having split open the asphalt.
"What the—"
Goro shook his head. He had to figure out just what was going on. So Goro made himself stand up and look around Tokyo Square.
And what he found… he didn't like it. People were yammering about such useless things, like the latest manga volume coming out the next day or they couldn't wait to buy the latest phone model from the Pear Company.
They didn't notice their bizarre surroundings, all while going on about their mundane excitements. They went on their merry way, not even giving a damn about what's going on. Goro always knew that people were innately selfish, but this felt like on a completely different level.
That was when he realized, he was still in his Metaverse attire. But he was in Shibuya with regular people… Was this another Palace? That could be the only explanation for his attire and the hell-like distortions.
And if so, were these people cognitions? No... something about this was off. Unless the cognitions were something drastic like in Kaneshiro's Palace, it was difficult to tell the difference between real people and cognitions. That was how, although he hated to admit it, the Phantom Thieves were able to trick him. But his instincts were telling him these were not cognitions.
But if that's the case, he had no explanation for these distortions. And how did he get thrown here? And why aren't they noticing it?
But then within a blink of an eye, Shadows suddenly appeared. They latched onto people, dragging them towards what appeared to be cages. Screams ripped through the air as they struggled to free themselves. To make things creepier… the crowd didn't seem to notice this was happening!
And then Goro himself was suddenly seized. He tried to wrench himself away but the Shadow held out tightly. But then a rush of power coursed through his body and Loki appeared with a flash.
With the brief distraction, Goro was able to yank away. He pivoted around, eyes narrowed.
This—he knew. Fighting his way through, to get what he wanted. And he would survive. No matter the cost. Even if the world was truly going to hell.
It's been so long since everyone was able to gather together in person. With everyone's obligations, it made things tough to get together.
But they were all here, gathered in the Dojimas' house. As Yu tended to the stew he was making for everyone to enjoy, he surveyed the living room with a smile.
Teddie and Nanako were sitting with Kanji, working on a little sewing project. Nanako was really looking grown up now. Her dark brown hair was tied in a low ponytail with a pink ribbon securing it, the ribbon tied into a neat bow.
Rise and Yukiko sat on the couch together. Yukiko had changed out of her kimono, opting for a red knit top and a pleated skirt, paired with black tights. Yukiko had a notebook balanced on her knee, excitedly describing her interior design plans for the Amagi Inn. Though judging by Rise's sly expression and Yukiko's pink cheeks, they were discussing more than just that.
Uncle was discussing police work with Naoto and Chie. Yu had only caught snips of their conversation, which included Uncle and Naoto asking Chie of her plans after she graduated from the police academy. Judging from Chie's animated gestures, it seemed that she already had a plan on what she wanted to do. But Naoto would occasionally glance over to Kanji, a soft smile appearing on her face.
"Sometimes I can't believe they're together."
Yu jumped at the sound of Yosuke's voice. Yosuke then winked.
"Damn, it takes a lot to get a drop on you."
Yu just laughed. "You just surprised me, that's all."
Yosuke leaned a hand against the counter, looking at the pot that held the stew.
"It looks good, partner."
"Hungry already?" Yu asked, quirking an eyebrow at his best friend. "It's got a little while until it's done, I'm afraid."
"Nah, just… bored," Yosuke spoke carelessly, but Yu detected a slight waver in his voice.
Yu shook his head. "What is it, Yosuke?"
Yosuke tried for an innocent face. "What? Can't I want to chat with my best friend?"
Yu huffed. "Of course you can. But you want something, Yosuke."
Yu then paused as something struck him.
He cocked his head at Yosuke. "Why are you bringing up Naoto and Kanji, anyways? They've been together for a year."
Today was their anniversary, actually. Kanji had managed to screw up the courage to ask Naoto out to spend Christmas Eve with them, but they didn't tell anyone until the day after. Yu had woken up on Christmas Day to Rise's excited screaming that they were finally together.
"H-Huh? W-Well, it's because I haven't actually gotten to see them together." Yosuke suddenly trailed off, glancing over to Naoto.
Wait, no. That wasn't it. Yosuke wasn't looking at Naoto. He was looking at…
"Yosuke, I didn't know you had a thing for my uncle," Yu said blandly.
"H-HUH?!" Yosuke squawked out.
"Just kidding." Yu shrugged. "This is about Chie, isn't it?"
"I…" Yosuke just looked away.
"Yosuke…" Yu sighed, shaking his head as Yosuke reluctantly looked back. He gave Yosuke a bemused smile. "Look, I've known that you always kinda had a thing for Chie."
"I-It was obvious?" Yosuke stammered out.
"You would flirt with her, only to accidentally aggravate her," Yu said with a shrug. "I figured you both needed to grow up a little first. And well… there was Saki-san…"
Yosuke's expression grew sad but he gave a little nod. "Yeah, Saki-senpai… she was special to me. But I guess Chie was always in the back of my head, too."
"Can't forget Rise either," Yu deadpanned.
"T-That was when we first met!" Yosuke protested.
"Don't worry, I like Rise's legs too," Yu reassured. "I don't blame you."
"Oh screw you." Yosuke scowled at him.
Yu just smiled. "Yosuke… if this is about love advice, I think you're thinking too much on it. Just ask Chie if she'd like to do anything tomorrow. It is Christmas Day tomorrow. Can't get more romantic than that, you know."
Yosuke pulled a face. "You make it sound so easy."
Yu gave his best friend a wry smile. "Maybe take a page out of Chie's favorite movie. Don't think… feel."
"Not easy when I sometimes put my foot in my mouth."
"At last, he admits it," Yu teased.
Yosuke scowled before he seized a paper towel that Yu had used earlier to dry his hands, wadding it up and chucking it at Yu. "You're no help!"
Yu laughed, but before he could respond, he heard Rise call out to him.
"Yu, Yosuke-senpai… you need to come here."
There was an urgent tone in Rise's voice that immediately caught Yu's attention. He shut off the stove and hurried to his girlfriend's side. Rise was standing by the window that showed Nanako's vegetable garden. With Yu being considerably taller than his girlfriend, he just stood behind her to see what had her so alarmed.
Earlier it had been snowing lightly. Nanako had been delighted and she had expressed the hope that it would snow overnight tonight, enough for a white Christmas tomorrow morning.
But now… it was raining. And the small patches of snow were stained red. Yu couldn't help but stare.
"What the hell?!" Yosuke burst out. "Is that blood?"
Yu stiffened before looking towards the front entrance. "Let's investigate, guys."
"Yu…" Uncle began.
Yu shook his head at his uncle, before looking back outside.
His stomach clenched. There was something wrong… he could feel it. So he ignored Uncle's protests and made a beeline for the door. He yanked it open and rushed outside. He was soon joined by Yosuke and Chie first. The others burst from the house, with Naoto being the last to come out. They formed a circle, surveying their surroundings.
"Oh my goodness," Yukiko breathed.
Bones had sprouted from the ground, like crops breaking through the soil. Teddie then gave a sniff and he immediately grew pale.
"S-Sensei…" he uttered. "There are Shadows here."
"What?!" Kanji whirled to face Teddie. "The hell you mean, Ted?!"
Teddie gave an angry stomp. "Exactly what I mean, Kanji!"
"Calm down," Yu said sternly. "That just means we have to go into town. The Shadows can wreak havoc, and that's not even touching if they hurt the innocent people here."
But if there were Shadows here, then maybe… Yu held out his hand and concentrated hard. The usual tarot card flickered to life, spinning above his palm, and he closed his fist over it. Izanagi-no-Okami flickered to life, making his friends gasp. Yu concentrated and dismissed his Persona.
"So we can summon our Personas," Naoto stated before she summoned her own tarot card.
"But we don't have weapons…" Yukiko bit her lip.
"My gun is tucked in my luggage back in the Amagi Inn," Naoto lamented.
"I hope Mother and the guests are okay…" Yukiko fretted, fear glimmering in her dark eyes.
"We'll have to make do without weapons," Chie said, optimistic as always. She then pumped a fist. "Besides, I can just give the Shadows a good kick in the face!"
"And I can use a trash can lid!" Kanji exclaimed before making a grab for the lid of the Dojimas' trash can. "Like this one!"
"And bash it to high hell," Yosuke grumbled. "Dojima-san will love that."
"Maybe Dojima-san has some frozen fish for you to use, Yosuke!" Teddie said brightly.
Yosuke let out a long-suffering groan. "That was the worst weapon Yu gave me to use."
"Yukiko-senpai's got a point, though," Kanji said. "We don't know what Shadows are 'round here and where they are."
"Rise?" Yu turned to his girlfriend.
"Don't worry, Yu-senpai! I've got you covered!" she assured him.
With a wink, Rise summoned her tarot card. Kouzeon materialized to life as the card shattered, and the Persona fitted the visor over Rise's eyes.
"I think… the concentration of Shadows is centered in the shopping district," Rise reported. "I don't think there's any Shadows near the Amagi Inn."
"Oh thank goodness," Yukiko breathed out, pressing her hand against her chest.
Her relief for her elderly mother and the innocent inn guests was palpable. But that left the shopping district. The shopping district was fairly large. Maybe it'd be better to split them in groups—
"B-Big Bro?"
"Nanako!" Yu whirled around to see his cousin and uncle hovering by the doorstep.
"Yu, what the hell's going on?" Uncle demanded.
Yu sucked in a breath.
"A similar situation to what happened five years ago," he said at last. "L-Look, I need you to stay inside. Barricade the door if you have to."
Yu bit his lip. He felt a bit uneasy about leaving them behind, but they couldn't just leave the city like this… What's more, Marie was still missing. He was worried for her, but he didn't have access to the Velvet Room anymore.
He had thought of poking Ren for information, but he didn't want to make the younger boy worry if he didn't know…
"Sensei!" Teddie's voice suddenly cracked. "They're coming!"
Yu whipped around to see… a Persona? It looked like the Persona Kali. But then it lunged forward.
"Izanagi-no-Okami!" Yu shouted, summoning his Persona.
His Persona hurled an electric bolt at Kali, making her flinch back. But then she surged forward, lightning fast. Yu tried to jump out of the way but he landed with unsteady feet. That's when Kali struck, stabbing his shoulder with one sword.
"Yu!"
"Big Bro!"
"I'm fine," Yu got out.
"Come here, Takehaya Susano-o!" Yosuke shouted.
A blast of wind knocked Kali out of the way. It was then that his friends leapt into action, summoning their Personas as well. It wasn't long until Kali… the Shadow… died.
"W-What was that?" Nanako was wide-eyed, but Yu couldn't help but notice that her eyes were a little… dazed.
She wasn't afraid. Why was that?
"It looked so familiar, like an old dream…" Nanako then shook her head.
"Nanako…" Yu mumbled to himself.
"Yu."
He looked up, meeting his uncle's gaze. Uncle let out a heavy sigh.
"Don't do anything stupid. Rumiko would kill me if anything happened to you," he said flatly, referring to Yu's mother.
"B-Big Bro…" Nanako's voice was suddenly small. "Do you have to go with everyone? It's dangerous, isn't it?"
"That's why we have to go, Nanako-chan," Yosuke said, crouching to her level. He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile. "We can't let anyone get hurt. We have to do this."
Nanako bit her lip before nodding. "I guess you're right… but does it have to be you?"
"It has to be," Naoto said gently. "But I know Yu-senpai will be at more ease if you and your father take the steps to protect yourselves."
Nanako sighed. "Okay…"
"Lock up tight, Dojima-san," Chie said. "We don't want you to get hurt."
Uncle nodded, his mouth now a grim line. "You got it. Be careful, everyone."
Without another word, he ushered Nanako back inside the house. There was a clicking sound as the door was locked.
Yu let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. At least his family was okay…
"Rise, are there any lingering Shadows?"
Rise let out a hum as she concentrated. "None that I can detect. They seem to be gathering at the Shopping District, like I mentioned before."
"Let's head out, then," Kanji declared, smacking his fist into an open palm. "I'm worried about Ma."
"And Grandma too…" Rise bit her lip.
"But um… does Nanako-chan now remember?" Yukiko asked quietly.
It was an unspoken rule that they never spoke of the incident where Nanako had been kidnapped and spent so long in the TV world. It was… a nerve-wracking time, to put it lightly. And Yu couldn't help but associate it with the time where he had anxiously waited to hear of Nanako's recovery before everything had been shot to hell.
"I don't know," Yu admitted, pursing his lips. "It must've jolted her memories when she saw us fighting."
"Speaking of that, why the hell does a Shadow look like one of Yu's Personas?" Yosuke demanded.
"Ah… that was actually in the report that Ken-kun filed with the Shadow Operatives," Naoto said. "Mitsuru-san allowed me to look them over. He described that the Shadows resemble Personas in the Metaverse and that Ren-kun can actually recruit them."
Yu's brow furrowed at that. Another way that Ren's situation differed from his. Granted his situation was different than Minato-san and Minako-san's but…
He couldn't get how Igor operated so differently with Ren out of his head.
"I mean, it's weird, but a Shadow is a Shadow!" Chie started bouncing on the balls of her feet, like she always did when riling herself up to fight Shadows. "We just gotta beat 'em up and protect everyone in the town!"
"You're right, Chie." Yu nodded before narrowing his eyes. "Let's move."
They hurried down the path that would take them to the Shopping District. But it wasn't long for them to run into Shadows.
"I-Is that…" Naoto stared.
"Mara continues to haunt us?!" Chie squawked.
Yu let out a nervous laugh. To say that the girls (barring Rise, who found it amusing) weren't… fans of Mara was putting it lightly. Kanji had been mortified, Yosuke had been baffled, and Teddie… some things were better left unsaid.
"I've seen better," Rise said with a cheeky smile.
"Really, Rise-chan?" Chie deadpanned.
"Whaaat? It's true!" Rise protested.
Chie opened her mouth to retort, just as Mara lunged towards Yosuke.
"Look out, Yosuke!" she cried out.
She tackled Yosuke to the ground and they rolled for a moment. Yosuke had been standing right by the bus stop sign so Mara crashed into the poor sign, snapping it into two. The top half clattered to the ground, but Kanji snatched it up.
"Found a weapon," he said with a grin. "Longer than I like… but it'll do."
"Spread out!" Yu called out, as Chie quickly scrambled off of Yosuke, her face flushed. "Rise, what are its affinities?"
"It absorbs fire. I'm not sensing any weaknesses, though," Rise reported.
"Great…" Yosuke grumbled out, now on his feet again.
"Let's hit it with everything we've got! Yukiko, I want you to stay back and play support."
Yukiko nodded, resolute. "Sounds good, Yu-kun."
Despite Mara having no weaknesses, it wasn't long until the Shadow finally fell. It didn't take long for them to fall into the rhythm they had when they regularly fought Shadows back in 2011.
Yu motioned for them to move forward. They found a few Shadows trying to grab civilians, but they were able to separate the Shadows from the people so that they could defeat the Shadows. The civilians were a bit disoriented but were grateful for the intervention.
He hadn't thought about how much of a blessing Marie's protection had been last time this happened until now… He hoped she was okay…
"I was waiting for you kids!"
Yu jerked around, looking at Daidara-san. He didn't seem disconcerted by the Shadows, waving at them with his usual friendly manner. How he wasn't panicking… Yu didn't even know.
"Daidara-san! You need to get back inside," Yu urged, hurrying over and trying to take his arm. Daidara-san just shook him off, though. "It's not safe out here."
"You know, I always did wonder what exactly kept you coming back to my humble little shop…" mused the blacksmith, as he surveyed the area. "I had my suspicions but… I have my answer now."
Yu swallowed. There was that conversation he had with him, back when Izanami had flooded Inaba with the fog. Daidara-san seemed to be… experienced with this. But Yu pushed that thought away.
"But—"
"Now, take this." Daidara-san thrust a sheathed katana in Yu's hands. "I have weapons for your friends here, too. It's not my best, I'm afraid, but it'll do."
Wide-eyed, his friends accepted the weapons from Daidara-san. Daidara-san then winked and wished them good luck before disappearing into his shop.
"...What just happened?" Naoto asked.
"I don't…" Yu trailed off, as he shook his head.
Daidara-san's remarks from before, Mr. Hosoi's comments about the fog occurring every fifty years or so… could he have been…?
Well, he supposed it didn't really matter.
"But come on. We're better equipped now," Yu said.
Despite the shock, Yu couldn't help but feel a little relieved. He felt a little… exposed without a sword in his hand.
It took a while to regain their rhythm but soon enough they were mowing down Shadows with ease. But Yu had to wonder what had triggered this exactly…
"Hey, Chie!"
Yosuke's sudden shout immediately grabbed his attention.
Yosuke had just slashed at a Shadow with one of his knives, jumping back for Chie to attack with Haraedo-no-Okami.
"Got any Christmas plans?"
Chie jerked at the question, looking wide-eyed. "I-I mean… it's like every other Christmas for me. It's not like I have someone to make Christmas plans with…"
Yosuke offered her a lopsided smile. "Interested in changing that?"
Chie's eyes widened, gaping for a moment. But then her expression suddenly deadpanned. "Not if you're going to ask me like that."
Yu couldn't help but stifle a laugh at the crestfallen expression on Yosuke's face. Yosuke might've grown up a little but he could use some lessons on how to ask out a girl.
"Think of a nicer way to ask me… and I'll think about it." Her voice grew softer. But then her face grew red and she coughed loudly. "But we've got some Shadow butt kicking to do first!"
"Ooooh, Yosuke might score!" Teddie teased, even as Kamui-Moshiri froze over several Shadows.
"SHUT UP, TED!" they shouted back.
"If Yosuke-senpai can do it, so can you, Yukiko-senpai~!" Rise teased.
"Rise-chan!" Yukiko cried out.
Yu raised an eyebrow. Hmm… so his hunch wasn't wrong. He had to wonder who the lucky person was, though.
"Why are we treating it like we're still at the party?" Naoto sighed.
Yu just smiled. "Well, we have to make it fun somehow."
But even as Yu steeled himself to face the Shadows, he felt at unease… What had triggered this exactly?
With a jolt, Ren's eyes snapped open. Wait… where was he?
He then took in the deep blue of his surroundings. He looked down, finding himself garbed in the prison outfit he only wore while inside the Velvet Room.
Wait… what was he doing here?! That Holy Grail, it had said that they were being wiped away from people's cognitions… and since Mementos and the real world had become fused.
Then Igor suddenly spoke, making Ren snap to attention.
"In the end… your rehabilitation was not carried out." Igor sighed, shaking his head. "It appears I have underestimated you."
But Ren didn't care about that. Where was everyone else? He reached out, grasping the bars of his cell.
"Where are my teammates?"
Igor just chuckled in response. Ren felt his blood simmering underneath his skin. Why couldn't Igor give him a straight answer for once?
But then Caroline suddenly slammed her rod against the cell, making Ren cringe back.
"You incompetent prisoner!" she growled out.
Justine sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. "The assistance that we provided was all for naught."
Ren scowled. He tried! But they were fighting against the impossible. No matter the damage they inflicted, the stupid grail thing kept healing itself.
"Humans are more apathetic… and more foolish than I had thought them to be. The world will soon see its ruin…"
Ren tensed up at Igor's words. He didn't like the sound of this…
"What do you mean by 'ruin'?" Ren demanded. "What the hell is going on? Am I dead?"
Igor ignored him, instead stating, "You have lost the game. You were meant to bring change to mankind as a Trickster, but it seems that was too much for you. In accordance to the game's rules, the defeated must pay a price."
Ren scowled. "I didn't sign up for this."
Igor just shrugged. "It matters not. Your life is forfeit."
Great. He wasn't dead but he was going to die. Ren's hands clenched around the jail bars, glaring at Igor.
But Igor was unfazed. "I sentence you to be executed."
Ren growled. Why was Igor doing this? Sure he was always being vague and cryptic, but this?! This bastard… it's not his fault that the stupid Holy Grail decided to rig things. The odds were completely stacked against them!
After all the support over the past several months, he decided to rescind it at a moment's notice just because they lost to a stupid golden cup? He should be used to betrayal by this point after everything in Shimoda… and his parents…
And the fact that Igor refused to tell him where his friends were… That's what pissed him off. His allies and friends were the only people he could trust. Maybe that's why this stung. He thought Igor was his ally. But now he was going to be discarded like he's just trash… again.
But a gasp from Caroline made Ren look over to her. The usually haughty warden's eyes were wide, as wide as saucers.
"Executed…?" Caroline breathed out.
Igor crossed his legs. "God's decree is absolute… My experiment has come to naught… Everything is over."
What the hell was he talking about?! What experiment? And… why was he calling himself God?
Igor flicked his hand, an obvious dismissal. "Grant that man a swift death."
Caroline's expression grew impassive. "I-If that's what our master wants…"
"Are you serious?" Ren snapped out, glaring at her. "You're seriously going to kill me just because he wants me dead? So he points and you shoot, huh?"
Caroline was quick to snap, "I-It just means that you weren't an upstanding prisoner! You should've done better!"
Justine spoke hesitantly, "That… may be true, but…"
Igor demanded, "What is the matter? Carry out his sentence at once."
Justine looked to her sister. "Are we really going to kill him…?"
Caroline huffed, "Don't falter now! It's all his fault for losing the game!"
She then swung her baton, now crackling with electricity. It slammed into Ren's cell door, making him flinch back.
This couldn't be happening. They were really going to kill him? Sure they weren't close friends but, they supported him all this time… he had come to trust these three. Why was this happening? And where were his friends? What happened to them? Is he really going to die here, letting them all down?
Ren then suddenly fell through the door, landing on his face.
As Ren pushed himself up to look up at the twin wardens, Caroline said, "All right, Inmate. We now proceed to the execution of your sentence."
Even as she spoke, emotion flickered across Caroline's face. She looked… regretful. But then her expression hardened.
"Where are my teammates?" Ren once again demanded.
He had to see them. If he was fine, they had to be fine too. He wouldn't go down, not like this! He wouldn't let them murder him!
As Ren struggled to his feet, he heard Caroline gasp. His entire body was aching… Ren's breath came in short huffs. It hurt to move…
As he unsteadily stood on his feet, blue flames suddenly flared at Ren. Ren stared down at his gloved hands.
He was Joker. And that meant, he could still fight back. He wasn't gonna go down. Not like this. Ren clenched his fist, drawing the cloth taut.
Caroline scowled. "How insolent… To think that you'd show your rebellious will after all…"
"I won't give up…" Ren hissed out.
Caroline scoffed, looking to her sister. "Ready, Justine?"
Justine just nodded, looking to Ren coolly. "If our master orders so, then it cannot be helped…"
"Let us show our strength to this… prisoner who just doesn't know when to give up," Caroline declared.
"…Understood."
Then both spoke in unison, "Death to the criminal."
His body felt heavy… like it was a struggle to keep standing. But he refused to just roll over and die. Not when his friends needed him.
As if Caroline read his mind, she spoke up. "Don't resist, inmate! Just accept your sentence!"
Ren just stubbornly shook his head. "Never! This isn't right!"
Justine clucked her tongue in disapproval. "One's final moment should be spent in good grace!"
Ren scowled. He would just have to—
But before he could move, Caroline struck.
"How's this?"
A force hit like a truck sending Ren stumbling back. His muscles were burning. He could hardly push through the haze of pain when Justine attacked. A supernova of flames flared to life. It flickered at Ren's clothes and Ren had to bite his lip to stop himself from screaming at the intense heat.
"This power… Caroline, it's as I thought!" Justine said.
What… was she talking about…?
Ren raised his eyes to see Igor standing by the guillotines.
"What's the matter?"
Caroline growled. "I told you not to falter, Justine! Are you going against our master's orders?!"
"Ngh…" Justine uttered, an unknown emotion flickering in her eyes.
"This isn't right!" Ren shouted. "You know it isn't! You shouldn't just mindlessly follow your master's words just because he's your master! You're your own person!"
"Shut up, Inmate!" Caroline hissed out. She hesitated for a moment before glaring at Ren. "You failed to do what you were meant to do!"
Caroline's next strike was enough to send Ren to his knees. Even as his body screamed for reprieve when Justine cast a powerful ice spell, Ren knew… he couldn't fall. He wouldn't die, he refused to!
"No… this isn't right… Our duty isn't to kill him," Justine said, her voice filled with more emotion than it ever had been.
"What gives…? Why am I doubting myself?" Caroline demanded. "Is there… another duty left to us?"
Ren panted heavily, his head throbbing in pain. They had really packed a punch but they were hesitating. He didn't know why but he was grateful for this chance to at least catch his breath.
"I believe I ordered his execution," Igor drawled out.
Caroline and Justine silently eyed him, an unknown emotion smoldering in their eyes.
"Master… have you forsaken humanity?" Caroline questioned.
Justine nodded. "We are wardens—those who rehabilitate prisoners."
"What…?" Igor asked.
Justine shook her head. "Something speaks to me in my mind. Our true duty is not to kill…"
"Help…" begged a weak voice.
That voice… it nagged at Ren. Why did it sound so familiar…?
A glimmer caught Ren's eye. A… butterfly?
"Please… help…"
Why did he feel that he's heard that voice before…?
"What should I do?" Ren whispered.
He was at a loss. He was being sentenced to death. He was desperate to live, in order to try and find his friends and fix all of this…
"What should you do…? Our desire is for you to complete your true rehabilitation…" the voice said softly.
Our…? What did the voice mean? And what did they mean by true rehabilitation?
But a sudden movement caught Ren's eye. The twin wardens were nodding in agreement.
"We are not executioners. That is the truth we had forgotten," Justine stated firmly.
Caroline nodded once more. "We've decided… we will not forsake humanity!"
The butterfly flashed for a moment before disappearing. Caroline and Justine clutched at their heads and dropped to their knees.
"Your right eye… and my left…" Caroline said slowly. "It's as if they're mirrored…"
But then a ghostly figure appeared. She seemed to be about Caroline and Justine's height, only to disappear.
"Ah, now is the time for our wish to be realized…" the voice breathed.
Justine and Caroline stared at each other, only to give one resolute nod.
"I finally remember… how we were torn apart," Caroline breathed.
"Torn apart?" Ren asked.
"We were originally one…" Justine said faintly, only for her expression to harden. "Yet we were torn asunder by malevolent intent!"
Justine and Caroline were once… one person? But then… who had done it?
Ren realized that they were staring at Igor, who just chuckled. Somehow his grin grew even wider. His laugh made Ren feel cold. The man always had a deep voice but this time that laugh made his skin crawl.
Caroline sighed. "So we were captives, same as you. Heh… to think we'd learn that truth from a prisoner."
"Let us reclaim our true form!" Justine said.
"Hey, we'll give you your last job. Be thankful and obey!" Caroline barked out.
"Gee, thanks…" Ren muttered under his breath, unable to stop himself from making a little quip.
Justine nodded. "You must fuse us together, with your own hands."
"W-With the—" Ren gestured to the guillotines.
Sure, Ren had done it countless times with his Personas but… Caroline and Justine were people. Kinda weird, but still…
"It's time you returned the favor for us assisting with your growth. Do it with care!" Caroline ordered.
Ren huffed. Even when they needed his help, Caroline insisted on bossing him around.
"Now, fuse us!" they said in unison.
The guillotines creaked as the blades slowly rose to the top. Then they slammed down, striking at Caroline and Justine at the same time. They glowed blue before turning into two groups of glowing blue butterflies. The butterflies flew at each other, swirling into a pulsing ball of light. There was one more last flash, blinding Ren for a moment and forcing himself to throw up his arm over his eyes.
And a girl Caroline and Justine's age appeared. She had the same coloring as the twin wardens, with the platinum blonde hair and brilliant gold eyes. She wore a dress in the same deep blue and a matching headband with butterfly wings sat on top of her head.
She bowed in front of Ren. "My name is Lavenza."
There was a lilt to her voice. While it was rather elegant, there was something about it that reminded him of the twin wardens' voices. Which he guessed made sense, given that she apparently had been split between Caroline and Justine.
"I was torn apart by a malevolent will and took the form of those twins. What's worse is that my two elder siblings were forcibly sealed away when I…" Lavenza shook her head. "Never mind that. But I sought help before my body was split in two."
"Malevolent will…" Ren repeated.
Wait a minute…
"If we lose you, the path to the Holy Grail will be closed forever. That's why you must recall the truth once more."
He had heard that voice… while Sae was interrogating him. She must've been trying to warn him. Ren was drugged up at the time, so his memories were still hazy of that day.
"And I beg of you… please save us…"
But then Lavenza spoke again. "I believed in you. I knew that you would make it thus far."
Then Lavenza narrowed her eyes at Igor.
"And to the scoundrel who has swindled my master's name… Your lies shall work no longer now that my sight has been restored!"
"The game isn't over yet," Igor insisted.
Ren scowled. "I'm getting real tired of this 'game' talk. I'm nobody's pawn."
But then Igor suddenly levitated in the air, his eyes glowing yellow. Ren tensed up. What was he going to pull?
"Whether the human world is left as is or is destroyed, it matters not to me. It's all sport to me."
"Oh so humanity is your plaything, huh?" Ren said flatly.
The nerve of this guy… The way he spoke so carelessly just made Ren's blood simmer.
"Be careful," Lavenza whispered.
"So you're not even the real Igor?" Ren demanded. "Who are you?"
"If I were to put it to words that you can comprehend, I am the Holy Grail who grants wishes. No… it may be more accurate to say that I am a god who responds to desire and holds dominion over man."
"You pulled all of this shit?!" Ren growled out, clenching his hands into fists. "Bring back my friends, dammit! If I'm fine, they must be fine too! And fix the world while you're at it! I don't care if you're a god! It doesn't give you the excuse to use humans as your toys!"
Igor chuckled. "How righteous you are. Yes… I had hoped seeing a righteous thief vanquish evil would spur mankind to change their indolent hearts. However… the result is as you know—the masses have made it so none of it has transpired."
Ren scowled. He was really dismissing humanity as a whole.
"Humans should be met with ruin: you brought forth that answer. But to be frank, Inmate, I believe it may be worth reevaluating you. A human has reached the Holy Grail and has seen through my true identity… You've surprised the god that I am often enough. That cannot be done by a foolish commoner. You truly were a prisoner that did not bore me."
"Glad I could entertain you," Ren spat out, not bothering to hide the sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"With that in mind, perhaps observing you a while longer may prove to be amusing," the god mused. "I shall grant you an opportunity to make a deal with me."
"After everything you've done, you still intend to toy with him?!" Lavenza exclaimed.
It made his blood boil, thinking about how this god thought it'd be fun to toy with people, to mess with him and try to wipe his friends from existence.
Ren didn't even hesitate, there was no other answer.
"Go. To. Hell," Ren growled out. "I don't make deals with people… gods… like you. I don't care what the deal is. You can take it and shove it up your a—"
"Even if I return the world to its former state, one with distorted masses, you said you want your friends and the world to be put back, did you not?"
That made Ren pause. His friends… the world. It could all be put back? Just like that?
Everyone had to be okay. He needed them to be okay. This thing couldn't be trusted, but… he just wanted to see Anne and the others.
"You Phantom Thieves can return to changing the hearts of all the evil and distorted humans and be worshipped again. What say you?"
The statement made him jolt, his eyes widening.
No… they weren't in this for worship. Deals like this always had a catch. They came to Mementos to change this messed up world and its distortions, reverting it to the same state but instead the masses worshiped them instead was something Shido and his goons wanted. They would never be that way.
Ren was here… that means his friends were somewhere here too, he just knew it. He would not let this thing trick him by using his friends as bargaining chips. He would not compromise his morals for selfish desires. He would never be someone like Shido or the other Palace rulers.
"I already told you, I refuse! There is not a chance in hell I would accept any deal from the likes of you!"
Lavenza let out a pleased hum. "Well said."
The god shook his head. "Such irredeemable foolishness… You choose death for yourself? Very well. I have no need for you."
Red swirled around the god before he was suddenly whisked away. Ren rushed forward, letting out a growl of frustration—he was too late. That coward, running away like that…
But then a mass of blue light flared to life. Black chains seemed to swirl around it, before finally shattering.
An old man who looked like the god appeared, slumped over the desk.
"Master!" Lavenza exclaimed, rushing to his side.
She hesitantly reached out to him. But then suddenly a low moan escaped him before he slowly straightened up.
"Oh my…" Igor's voice was higher compared to the god's, but Ren was so used to the imposter that it was a bit disconcerting. "It's been a while since I've last stepped in this place."
Ren sighed quietly to himself. What else was gonna happen today… but he straightened up as Igor spoke once more.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, honored guest."
"He is the rightful master of this Velvet Room, the true aid on your journey," Lavenza explained.
"Well, I'm helplessly lost," Ren said flatly.
"We'll explain in a moment." Then Lavenza turned back to Igor, her face suddenly anxious. "But Master, what of—"
There was another bright light, only for something… crashed down.
"Ow!"
"Can someone stop crushing my back please?"
"Are we free at last?"
Entangled on the ground was a trio of people. One of them was a girl in her late teens with black hair. The other two had Lavenza's coloring, a young man and a young woman. Though, in the young man's case, he was more crushed by the two women. Poor guy. That couldn't be fun.
But they managed to untangle themselves and stood up, only for the young man to gasp at Lavenza.
"Sister, you're safe!"
He lunged towards Lavenza, catching her in a tight hug.
"Theo, please!" Lavenza cried out, trying to wiggle out of the embrace. Her eyes darted to the older woman. "You're crushing me! Margaret, help!"
But the now named Margaret just crushed them both in a hug.
"Lavenza… we've been so worried," Margaret said softly.
"I can't breathe!" Lavenza finally pushed them away, gasping for air. "Margaret, Theo, I'm very thankful you've survived your ordeal, but you don't have to crush me!"
Margaret frowned. "Lavenza, we had to watch you be torn apart. We've been so worried… I think you could indulge your siblings just a little."
"Oh you…" Lavenza fumed, before turning away with a small pout on her lips.
Ren coughed. "Uh… can I get some introductions, please?"
Lavenza nodded. "Of course. May I present my brother, Theodore…"
"A pleasure," Theodore said, sweeping a bow. He was dressed like… a bellhop, which was a little weird. He didn't look much older than Ren—maybe eighteen or nineteen at most. "It is always an honor to meet a guest of the Velvet Room."
"And I am Margaret," Margaret said, inclining her head at Ren. She seemed to be the eldest of the siblings, looking like she was in her early twenties or so. "It is an honor to meet you. I hope that my sister hasn't been too much trouble for you…"
"Margaret!" Lavenza fumed before stamping her foot. "Enough already!"
Ren had to smother a smile at the sight. Caroline was really showing here.
"So…" Ren looked to the dark-haired girl. "Are you a cousin or…?"
Though she didn't share any resemblance to the three siblings. But still, Ren was curious about her.
Margaret gave a wry smile. "Marie is… adopted, I suppose you could say?"
Marie turned bright red. "Margaret! That isn't it!"
"Ah, and I was looking into the paperwork already…" Margaret lamented, but mischief glinted in her eyes. "You don't wish to join our family?"
Marie just turned away with a loud huff. Ren smiled in amusement.
"So… basically I'm meeting my real attendant here, the Igor I've known for the past nine months is a fake, and on top of that, apparently the faker was a god," Ren quickly summarized.
"That is correct," the real Igor said with a big grin. "How very astute."
Lavenza seemed to have calmed down, clearing her throat. "I'm just glad that we have started to set things in order. My master and siblings have returned, and you've resisted the malevolent god's temptation. Thus, you may be able to save this world that is headed toward certain ruin. However, it will prove difficult to win against him with your power alone…"
"What can I do then?" Ren asked.
Hope began to flutter inside Ren's chest. His friends… they were okay, right?
"You must release your teammates, with whom you've shared your conviction," Lavenza confirmed Ren's hopes.
Oh thank god. They were okay… He had gone through hell this past year, but watching his friends be wiped away like that. And to think they were dragged into this… because of him…
He would do anything to ensure that they'd never be in that kind of danger again.
Igor suddenly chuckled. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter…"
Ren raised an eyebrow at that, but he pushed past that. Had bigger concerns than Igor's cryptic comments. At least the god nailed imitating that part of Igor.
"Is that why I was brought here, then?" Ren asked. "After we were wiped from existence…"
"There's also how the fake nose was trying to kill you," Marie said nonchalantly.
"Fake nose?" Ren couldn't help but feel baffled.
"Please excuse Marie, she really doesn't know how to address our master properly," Lavenza said, quick to shoot Marie an irate look.
Marie glared. "You…"
"Settle down, both of you." Margaret was quick to step in.
"As you wish, Sister," Lavenza murmured.
"Hmph," was all Marie had to say.
Ren raised an eyebrow. It seemed that Lavenza wasn't the biggest fan of how Marie's attitude or how she addressed Igor. It seemed that Lavenza and her siblings treated Igor rather respectfully, from what brief interactions he had witnessed. Though Lavenza might not be one to talk about attitude since Caroline came from her.
"But she wasn't referring to our master, Lavenza, she was referring to the one who impersonated our master," Theodore pointed out.
"Theo, she still calls Master 'the nose'! That's simply lacking in manners!"
"Why you—" Marie ground out.
"Ahem." Margaret coughed.
Lavenza cleared her throat. "But anyhow, your friends haven't expired yet."
"Yet?" Ren couldn't help but feel alarmed.
"Just as you were trapped here, they should be confined somewhere as well… since you've deepened your bond with them, I am certain you can release them. Once the Phantom Thieves are all gathered here, we will tell you everything," Lavenza promised.
Ren glanced around. The cells… They must be there.
The din had died down. Ken wasn't sure what exactly it was, but it had so suddenly stopped. Ken sighed before drawing his knees up to his chest. He didn't know where he was but… did it really matter?
His friends were dead—he had seen them be wiped away from existence in front of his very eyes. And Makoto especially… Being stabbed in the heart might've been less painful than watching her be wiped from existence.
And everyone back at Port Island, he would never be able to see them again…
It was all so… meaningless.
"Ken!"
Ken lifted his head to see that Ren was standing at the barred door. Somehow, Ren had survived. And for some reason, he was in his attire as Joker.
He felt a little prick of hope at the sight of him, but he shook his head. No… they had run out of luck. He should've known. They had bitten off more than what they could chew.
"…Hey," Ken said listlessly. "I'm glad you made it out okay."
"I could say the same to you, you know," Ren said lightly. "But come on, Ken. Let's get out of here."
"Why?" Ken asked. "We tried to beat him, and we lost… What's the point, if we're going to fail again? And that's even assuming that the others are okay…"
Minako-san could do it. She could lead them to victory. Plus there was Aigis-san too. And everyone else was so strong… he just regretted that he would make them grieve for another loved one.
"That's quitter's talk."
"Huh…?" Ken blinked, looking at Ren.
"You heard me," Ren said flatly. "This isn't you, Ken."
Ken just shrugged. "Maybe I just got a wake-up call."
"Yeah well, that stupid Grail can take the wake-up call and shove it," Ren shot back. "Tell me, Ken, why did you agree to join us? You could've said no. You could've walked away. No, actually, why did you agree to the mission to begin with?"
"I-I…" Ken stammered out.
He hadn't expected Ren to challenge him on this… Ken let his mind drift back to that day.
He remembered… Minako-san laying out the facts. And he knew that it was wrong to walk away and that they needed to know what's going on.
And deep down, he had always thought that the Phantom Thieves were in the right… That it was wrong to look away. Wanting to save Futaba was just the beginning of it all.
"I didn't want to look away… not if there was something I could do," Ken whispered.
Ren nodded.
"You told Shido to screw off. When you were eleven, you weren't afraid to face Death, to hell with what was gonna happen in the fight. What makes this different?" Ren questioned.
When he put it that way, it made him feel stupid for letting doubt get a hold of him.
"There is no difference," Ken said slowly.
He staggered to his feet. How could he have forgotten? It wasn't over yet.
Blue flames suddenly flickered around him before consuming his entire form. He looked down to see that he was Ace once more.
"That's more like it," Ren said with a grin. "Welcome back, Ace."
"Thanks." Ken sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Did you find anyone else?"
"Everyone but Mona," Ren said with a frown. "And I checked everywhere."
Ken looked up, taking in the deep blue surroundings. It looked a bit different but… wasn't this…?
"We're in the Velvet Room, aren't we?"
Ren blinked, looking taken aback. "W-Wait, how do you know…?"
"I visited it once before," Ken explained. "After Minato-san's death, the dorm was turned into what we called the Abyss of Time. It's… a long story, but we ended up in the Velvet Room due to special circumstances. Though… it was different last time I was here. It was like an elevator."
"Oh sure, they get an elevator and I get a prison," Ren grumbled.
"It's weird that it changed…" Ken said.
"Apparently, it changes with the current guest's heart," Ren answered.
Hmm… that was a bit weird, he had to admit. But then again, he knew that the Velvet Room wasn't exactly normal. And it was meant to guide Wild Cards… he supposed it made sense.
The fact it took the shape of a prison for Ren said… a lot about the mental state Ren was in when he first came here. Ken couldn't help but feel pity for Ren now.
Ken shook his head. Now wasn't the time for this. They needed to meet up with the others.
"But come on, let's meet up with the others," Ren urged before stepping into what Ken assumed was the center.
His friends were gathered around, but Makoto lifted her head as they stepped closer.
"Ace!"
She hurried over and embraced him. Ken took in a shuddering breath, holding her close. It was such a relief to be able to hold her after watching her disappear…
"Hey, Queen! It's my turn now!" Futaba complained.
Makoto just laughed before stepping away from Ken. Futaba then tackled Ken with a hug, making him stumble back a step or two.
Ken looked over to see Igor, along with Theodore-san and a little girl and a woman with the same pale hair and golden eyes as Theodore-san.
"But… I have to ask," Yusuke suddenly said. "Where are we?"
"It's called the Velvet Room," Ren asked. "Remember how I would sometimes space out before we would infiltrate Palaces? I was actually visiting here."
"Whaaaat?" Anne gasped. "That's crazy!"
"I'll admit that it did sound outlandish when Minato-san and Minako-san first told me about it," Ken said. "But… it's true."
Theodore-san chuckled. "You would know best."
"Um… who are they?" Makoto said in a low voice.
Igor just chuckled. "I am Igor, the master of the Velvet Room."
The younger girl curtseyed. "And I am Lavenza, a resident of this place as well. And I'd like to introduce you to my elder brother and sister—Theodore and Margaret."
"It's an honor to meet you all," Margaret-san said with a smile.
Lavenza let out a delicate cough. "Now then, my master has just been released from a long period of imprisonment, in addition to my siblings. His powers have not fully returned, I'm afraid. Though it may be presumptuous of me, I will speak on his—"
"But what about Morgana?" Anne interjected.
Haru nodded. "Yes, I've been so worried about him…"
Lavenza smiled. "Would you like to see him?"
Ren frowned. "You know him?"
Margaret-san cleared her throat. "He's right there."
They turned around to see Morgana emerge from the cell.
"That's where you were hidin'!?" Ryuji sputtered out.
"Sorry." Morgana bowed his head. "I just—I remember everything now."
"That's wonderful, Mona," Yusuke said. "But I assume there's more to the story."
Morgana nodded. "I was… born here. It was to dispel an evil from a spiritual world."
Futaba pushed up her goggles, staring at Morgana. "Mona? What are you talking about?"
Morgana sighed. "My role was to find the Trickster and help him defeat it. That's why I was created here by my master."
"The Trickster…" Ren repeated.
Ken looked to him, seeing that recognition was flickering in his dark eyes. He wasn't sure why it seemed to ring a bell in Ren, but he sensed now wasn't the time to ask questions about that. But… who exactly was Morgana's master?
"Indeed," Igor suddenly said, giving a nod.
Wait, Igor was Morgana's master?! That meant…
"You're from the Velvet Room?" Ken asked, eyes wide.
Morgana nodded. "I really remember everything. When this place was about to be taken over, my master gathered the last traces of mankind's hope. He mustered up his remaining strength to create me."
Only for him to be sent in the Metaverse… only meeting Ren and Ryuji by chance. Truly, a stroke of luck they were able to run into each other anyway. Despite Morgana getting caught before he could find Ren, Ren ended up coming to him.
"The entity that calls itself a god is a malevolent will that forces man into everlasting servitude. It hopes to attain eternal peace by filling reality with those who have stopped thinking for themselves. That is the ruin of man that this evil god envisions," Lavenza stated.
Ken couldn't help but shudder at the thought. No… this was not what mankind desired. They were stronger than that…
"And he used Lavenza to further the ruse," Theodore-san said sadly, looking to his little sister. "Margaret and I were sealed away with our master. But before that, we could only watch helplessly as Lavenza was torn into two."
Ken sucked in a breath. He could only imagine what kind of pain Theodore-san and Margaret-san had gone through. And they had gone through months of that pain…
Margaret shook her head, her eyes dark with regret. "I wish it had been me instead of her."
"Sister…" Lavenza bit her lip. "I know that this was a difficult time, but we are together again, are we not?"
"I'm still tryin' to follow what's going on here," Ryuji grumbled out.
Lavenza's eyes flashed before stamping her foot. "Then be quiet and listen! We lack time!"
That was… not a response he expected to see from the polite little girl. Ken glanced to Ren and could see him trying to stifle a laugh for some reason.
Makoto frowned. "You referred to the Holy Grail as a god. I was wondering why it had a will of its own, but are you implying that it isn't a Treasure?"
Lavenza shook her head. "No. As the distorted desires of the masses, it is most certainly the core of Mementos itself."
"Then… did the Treasure become a god because people wished to be ruled over…?" Haru asked.
Ken frowned. It was a little disheartening to hear but… that's why they needed to stand up and fight. They couldn't allow people to fall to apathy like this…
Lavenza nodded. "That is correct."
"But, where does Marie-san play into this?" Yusuke asked.
"Marie resided in the Velvet Room for a time a few years ago," Margaret-san explained. "She came to investigate when the Holy Grail had taken over the Velvet Room but lost to Yaldabaoth. As a result, she was imprisoned alongside us."
Haru's eyes widened. "That's awful… she just wanted to help."
Marie fidgeted. "Yeah well… now that you're fine, I really gotta go."
"Go? Go where?" Ryuji asked, looking bewildered.
"To Inaba," Ken guessed. "She protected them before during a previous crisis."
"It's nice to know that you care though," Margaret-san said teasingly.
"Shutupyou'resostupidMargaret!" Marie-san shouted, her face scarlet.
…Though he would never be that loud about his indignation, a part of Ken sympathized with Marie-san. Certain people loved to tease him mercilessly after all…
She then began to glow and disappeared within a blink of an eye.
"I believe she's what they call a tsundere," Yusuke pronounced.
Makoto sighed. "Well… anyways… what exactly happened after the Velvet Room was taken over?"
Lavenza sighed, her eyes downcast. "The god came here to impose a game. And then chose two people with potential and pitted them against each other, in order to decide the fate of the world. One—Goro Akechi—incited the masses' distortion. Had he won, the world would have been destroyed and remade. The other was a Trickster who would stand up against this… that was Ren Amamiya."
So Akechi really played a role into all of this. This god must've been the demon or god Akechi referred to, the one who gave Akechi his special powers. He just let out a weary sigh at that. He still… didn't know what to think about Akechi. It was… exhausting to even think of.
Makoto seemed to sense his waning mood, as she reached out to take his hand and gave a firm squeeze. Ken gave her a quick smile, giving her hand a squeeze back.
Morgana continued, "If Ren won, the human world would be left as is. Those were the conditions of the game—at least, that's what should've happened."
Lavenza sighed. "That malevolent being knew that a revolution would not occur within indolent humans. After all, it is the masses' distorted desires incarnate. However… my master believed in humanity."
"At least someone does," Ren quipped with a half-hearted smile.
It did make sense though. Igor had seen humans rise against the impossible time and time again.
But then Lavenza spoke again. "He believed that a Trickster would rise among the people and accomplish this change. But that evil entity laughed at the prospect and sought to prove the powerlessness of man with the game. And Ren Amamiya had great potential… which is why the god approached him."
Ken grimaced. He did remember finding the Third Eye a bit strange, when he had first joined the Phantom Thieves, especially when he said that it was a gift from Igor. But he had never expected… this…
Lavenza was still talking, though, explaining more on the… interloper.
"It helped train the Trickster, only to cast him into despair, using the masses who rejected their savior. This was likely its means to nip in the bud anything that would pose a threat. Now that I think back to when I was separated, I felt a disagreement with the word 'rehabilitation.' Of course I did… it was just a means for the fake to keep you under surveillance."
Morgana frowned. "Basically, this guy was dragged into a game where the evil god rigged the outcome."
"It must be like a show to him," Ken mumbled out.
"Dammit, what the hell!" Ryuji growled out, his hands clenching into fists. "We're not some sick game to toy around with!"
"Arrogant yet cowardly, to rig a game where only he only remains the victor," Yusuke said with distaste.
Theodore-san said, "You must act quickly, if you wish to save your world."
Lavenza nodded. "Theo is right. Your real world has already been fused with Mementos. You were supposed to not exist because reality is replete with the cognition of those who deny the Phantom Thieves."
They must've survived because of the few people who still had faith in the Phantom Thieves… Ken bit his lip. He knew that Shinjiro-san and the others counted among the few… as well as Niijima-san and Sakura-san. He hoped that they were okay.
"It can be said that the world is one step away from the evil god's machinations," Lavenza continued. "However… there is still hope. Now that the evil god's identity has been exposed, you can see your rehabilitation to its completion. Only you can leave this prison, and save this distorted world and its captive people…"
"No pressure there," Anne murmured.
"We're well aware that this isn't an easy burden," Lavenza said, her face somber. "But you who was guided by Morgana and who is worthy of the title of 'Trickster'… I believe that you are up to the task."
Ren just nodded, his face unusually serious. "Leave it to me. We'll save this world."
"Let's destroy this annoying, shiny Treasure jerk, for real this time!" Ryuji exclaimed, pumping his fist.
"Though there is that pesky habit of him using the masses to heal him…" Ken mused.
"Don't worry." Ren turned to grin at him. "I've got an idea of how to deal with it, actually. You'll see."
"Excellent…" Igor abruptly chuckled, before Ken could ask what Ren meant, he then clapped in amusement. "There is nothing to fear. You already possess the strength to oppose this evil god. I am truly looking forward to this!"
"Okay so… how do we get out then?" Anne asked.
Lavenza laughed. "Our mutual friend will lead the way. Morgana, please guide them. And thank you for all that you've done. It's a cruel responsibility that's been cast upon you…"
Morgana just balled up his fists. "It's alright, Lady Lavenza. I will accept your words of appreciation fully when everything is over. Now follow me!"
Without another word, Morgana took off.
"You heard the o wise guide," Ren joked.
"I heard that!" Morgana shouted, earning a few laughs.
They were led up a long flight of stairs, where a great metal door awaited them. It took the efforts of both Ryuji and Yusuke to heave the door open and they finally stepped out into the real world once more.
Numb.
Minako felt numb.
Ken was gone. He was dead. And she couldn't do anything about it. The only reason she could find the strength to stay standing was that Aki had his arm around her.
Minako squeezed her eyes shut. A part of her just wanted to fall to pieces, to rage and weep about their loss. But… they couldn't afford to. Not now, when Tokyo has been transformed into a hellscape. They had to stop whoever was behind this…
Minako swallowed down the sob welling up in her throat before she reluctantly drew away from her husband.
"Mina…?" Aki questioned.
She had to step up, be the leader that her friends needed. She had to snap them out of this.
"Guys, listen to me," Minako said. "I know… I know this is… bad.
Even as she spoke, her words felt feeble. That was putting it lightly. Would they even have a body to bury? And what about the other Phantom Thieves' parents? How could they even possibly explain this? A part of Minako wanted to just curl up in a ball and cry. Now that she was a mother herself… she hoped desperately that this would never come to pass for her.
Minako swallowed hard, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "But we need to handle this crisis. We can… we can mourn later."
Tears burned Minako's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had to be strong. She couldn't break down, not now. She took a deep breath.
"We have to do this. For the sake of everyone," she said firmly.
"Question is, where do we go? We're running blind…" Yukari pointed out.
"The big temple, perhaps?" Aigis spoke up, pointing in the distance.
"Wait, isn't there anything I can do?" Niijima-san asked desperately.
Minako's heart ached as she looked at the older woman. She knew… exactly how it felt. After losing their parents, she had relied on Minato. She didn't know how she would've fared during the first decade without him… If she hadn't had her friends when Minato died… she didn't know what she would've done.
And Niijima-san had just made amends with Makoto.
"I'm sorry, Niijima, but no," Mitsuru-senpai said, shaking her head. "It's far too dangerous."
Niijima-san sighed heavily, dejected. "I thought that might be the case…"
"We should try to find Niijima-san a safe place before we continue on," Aigis said.
"Fuuka-chan?" Minako turned to their navigator.
Fuuka wiped at her eyes, all while leaning against Shinji. She then nodded, drawing a shuddering breathing before stepping away so she could summon Juno. Niijima-san flinched back at the sight of Juno, towering over them all, staring with wide eyes.
"Then that's…?"
"A Persona, yeah," Shinji said gruffly.
Niijima-san stared, wide-eyed. But Fuuka didn't even seem to notice how she was being stared at, so focused on her work.
Fuuka was silent as she scanned the area. "There… really isn't a safe area. Tokyo appears to have become a wild spawning area for Shadows… everywhere."
"Oh god…" Yukari breathed out, her eyes wide.
"Is the temple the source, then?" Minako asked.
Aigis's guess was a good one, after all. They needed to uproot the source. Maybe then… things could go back to normal.
Fuuka grimaced, shaking her head. "Um, I can't really find a source. But I can sense a powerful entity at the top of the temple. I think our best bet would be to head up to the temple and try to defeat what's waiting for us up there."
"But… what about the civilians?" Aigis said. "If the Shadows are spawning everywhere…"
Minako bit her lip. Would they have to sacrifice protecting innocent people for a chance of stopping whoever was masterminding this?
For the first time in years… Minako was starting to feel overwhelmed.
"We could split our forces," Junpei suggested, but he stumbled over his words.
Minako closed her eyes. Junpei lacked his usual bravado. It really showed… how hopeless they felt.
"That would be suicide," Mitsuru-senpai said, shaking her head.
Maybe Junpei's suggestion would've been for the better. But it was too late. Inaba was more than an hour away. They didn't have time.
Minako's fingers dug into her palms, as anxiety welled up inside of her. She had to keep calm. But that's when Fuuka suddenly gasped.
"It can't be!" she breathed out.
"Fuuka?" Shinji turned to his fiancee.
Fuuka's eyes welled up in tears, rolling down her cheeks. "I d-don't know how but… I sense Ken-kun! He's alive."
She spoke with such wonder. And… she couldn't blame her.
Minako pressed a hand against her mouth, choking back a sob of relief.
It was a miracle. Damned if she knew how Ken had survived… but he was alive.
"Really!?"
"The hell happened then?!"
"Yamagishi, where is he then?"
Everyone else seemed more interested in bombarding Fuuka with questions, Minako's eyes were drawn to Shinji. He seemed shellshocked before he finally pressed his hand against his face, his body trembling.
"W-Wait!" Niijima-san exclaimed. "I-Is Makoto there as well?"
"I don't know what Makoto-chan's signal is like… But I can sense other Persona-users around him—"
The prosecutor didn't bother waiting for Fuuka to finish and she broke into a run.
"Wait! Niijima-san, I have to give you directions!" Fuuka cried out, waving her hands. "Please come back!"
Junpei just let out a bark of laughter before sprinting over to catch up with the older woman. He had just pulled her back when Mitsuru-senpai turned to Fuuka, all business.
"Yamagishi, where are they?"
"They're in Tokyo Square," she reported. She closed her eyes to focus, lacing her hands together and pressing them close to her heart. "In the heart of the square, I believe. I probably should scan when we get closer…"
"Lead the way, Minako," Yukari said.
Minako nodded before breaking into a sprint towards Tokyo Square. It took several minutes of maneuvering in the crowd—god, she really had no clue how packed Tokyo was until now.
She looked over her shoulder. Wait… she lost everyone else in the crowd. Oops…
But then she scanned the crowd. Her breath caught as her eyes fell on a group of masked teenagers. Her feet were moving before she realized it. Her eyes darted from each of their faces.
Then her eyes settled on the tall teenage boy with brown hair. She broke into a sprint and all but tackled Ken in a hug.
She squeezed him tight, unable to believe that he was really here. She knew that Fuuka wouldn't lie to them. But god… that didn't stop relief from crashing over her like a wave.
"Ken-kun… thank god…" she choked out.
"Minako-san… I can't breathe…" Ken got out.
Minako winced before immediately releasing him.
"I heard a cracking sound… did she crack Ace's rib?" She heard a girl comment from behind them.
Ken just pressed a hand to his side, wincing himself. "No, they're fine."
It was only then that Minako got a good look at him. Immediately she noticed that the blazer's cut was similar to the Gekkoukan uniform. But she couldn't help but snort. She now understood why Ken was always so adamant on not telling anyone what his Metaverse costume looked like. It was so dorky.
"Nice look you got there, Ken-kun," she teased. "Need a rose, Tuxedo Visor. Is Makoto your Sailor Eclipse?"
"S-Shut up." Ken turned red at that.
The tiny orange-haired girl snickered at that. "Queen seems to like it just fine though, Ace. Although her hair isn't long enough to be Sailor Eclipse."
"O-Oracle!" The dark brown-haired girl reddened at the teasing remark.
She looked like she wanted to say more, but she heard Aki call out for her.
"Mina!"
She whipped around to see her friends running up to them. They had skidded to a stop, but Niijima-san pushed past them.
"Makoto!"
She drew Makoto into her arms, hugging her tightly.
"Oh thank goodness… I thought… I thought…" she trailed off, seeming to be at a loss of words.
She made a small sobbing sound before hugging her close. She moved to bury her face against her younger sister's shoulder, only to yelp. She let go of Makoto, touching her cheek.
"S-Sis?"
"Did you… jab yourself?" The young man with dark, unkempt hair looked amused.
It took Minako to realize that he was Ren.
Niijima-san winced. "It was… ah, rather unexpected—"
Fuuka suddenly pulled away from the group and threw herself at Ken. He stumbled back at the force. It was kinda funny to see, with how Fuuka was absolutely tiny.
"Ken-kun, you promised!" Fuuka sobbed out, clutching at the lapels of his jacket. "You promised you'd be safe… and you'd come back to us!"
Ken just smiled sadly before hugging Fuuka back. "I'm sorry, Fuuka-san. I didn't mean to break the promise. Please don't cry."
Fuuka gulped for air before releasing Ken. She rubbed her eyes. Ken looked over her shoulder to Shinji.
"Shinjiro-san—"
"Shuddup, you idiot." Shinji marched over to him and smacking him upside on the head. But it seemed like he hardly used any force in it, Ken didn't make a sound of protest, just looking at Shinji with guilty eyes. "You need to quit giving me heart attacks, dammit! Between Shido's bullshit, Akechi's stupid stunt—I don't need more."
Ken's expression wavered for a moment before he spoke in his usual wry manner.
"Take it up with the power hungry god, not me."
"Come on, you're not gonna cry this time, are ya, Senpai?" Junpei asked teasingly.
Shinji froze. "W-What are you talking about?"
Junpei snickered. "Mina-tan told me allllll about it. Thanks by the way, Akihiko-senpai!"
"Aki, you goddamn snitch!" Shinji growled at Aki.
"Ohhh, so you admit it?" Junpei cackled.
"Shut up before I beat your ass, Iori!" he retorted.
"Move it, Shinjiro-senpai!" Yukari demanded; with Shinji distracted, she was actually able to push Shinjiro-senpai aside so she could grab Ken in a tight hug.
But Minako found her eyes drawn to Ren. Their eyes locked for a moment before Ren coughed.
"Uh… it's nice to meet you, Minako-san," he said awkwardly.
Minako just smiled at him. "You as well, Ren-kun."
Morgana let out an exasperated sigh, looking irritated for some reason. What? What did she say? She had said perfectly nice things to Ren!
Aki sidled up to her, whispering, "He's very adamant on the whole codename thing."
"Well Ken-kun always used their names," Minako said, throwing up her hands before turning back to Ren. "But anyways… I've heard a lot of good things from Ken-kun and Shinji."
"Shinjiro-san said something nice?" He gasped, eyes wide as he clutched at his chest. "We should call the presses."
Shinji glared at him. "Don't think I won't make you eat shit, Amamiya."
"No, no, he's right!" Minako said, throwing a teasing grin in Shinji's direction.
Shinji just threw up his hands, exasperated. "This kind of shit is why we should've kept you two apart."
This seemed to make the tension melt right away, and Ren seemed to hold himself a little more… confidently. Ken just gave a little sigh, sidling up to him to whisper something to him. Ren just cocked his head, saying something to Ken in a low voice all while smiling impishly. Ken scowled at him, whispering back to him.
Ren just laughed aloud, grinning at Ken. This got the attention of the others, only for Ken to protest that it was nothing important.
This just made Minako recall Shinji's words about the Phantom Thieves' influence on Ken.
He had said that the Phantom Thieves were good for him in that they reminded him to loosen up… Shinji had noticed that Ken seemed to have fallen in old habits, focusing too hard on the future. But the Phantom Thieves had helped him, pushing him to enjoy the present. They accepted him, even amongst the secrecy. Ken had his friends back in Gekkoukan, but the Phantom Thieves… they just got Ken.
But Niijima-san had seemed to have recovered from accidentally poking herself with the spike on Makoto's suit. Makoto seemed relieved and happy to be on the receiving end of her older sister's attention, but then her eyes met Ken's. Ken just smiled at her, his eyes softening with affection.
"So… that's really her?" Junpei mused, keeping his voice low enough for Minako to just hear him.
Minako couldn't help but feel a little… bittersweet at that. They had joked in the past about how Ken was determined to mimic Aki in every way, including getting his own fangirls. It made her happy that Ken had found someone to love… but it also made her a little sad. It was another reminder that Ken was all grown up now.
"Didn't think Ken would go for the biker babe type," Junpei mused quietly, before sidling up to Ken. He threw his arms around Ken's shoulders before offering a cheeky grin. "But hey, good for you, Ken!"
"What are you talking about?" Ken looked confused.
"Oh nothing!" Junpei looked at him innocently.
Ken's expression became unimpressed, staring at Junpei in disbelief. "Right. And Shinjiro-san is going to give up cooking for good."
"Junpei-san has made the observation that your type is apparently the 'biker babe'," Aigis announced.
Ken's face went bright red. "W-What? No, it's not like that! I told you this!"
"Yet..." Junpei said in a stage whisper.
Ken whined out, "Junpei-san!"
Yukari just pinched Junpei in the side, making him flinch away from Ken with a yelp.
"Stupei!" Yukari put her hands on her hips. "Quit picking on Ken-kun already! And don't we have bigger concerns right now?"
"Why do you always hone on me?! You're so mean to me, Yuka-tan!"
"Because you do it the most, Stupei!"
Niijima-san stared, looking utterly baffled. Makoto's face was rather red from Aigis's comment. Minako just held a hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle. Ah, typical Yukari and Junpei. She supposed Niijima-san wasn't used to these kind of antics.
Ren just looked at the bickering pair and then the two blondes staying by him. His lips then quirked up in a knowing grin. Minako just laughed. Ken had mentioned to her once that Ryuji and Anne reminded him of Junpei and Yukari. She could see what he meant now.
"But never mind that." Mitsuru-senpai spoke up, shooting Yukari and Junpei an exasperated look. "We have bigger matters to worry about, as Yukari pointed out."
"We do have that stupid holy grail to deal with," Ren muttered.
"Holy Grail? Is that who's behind this?" Fuuka asked.
Ren sighed. "Kinda… yeah. It's the Treasure of the general public. Basically it gained sentience and is the cause of all this. Short version: basically it became a god and wants to subjugate us all."
Minako's eyes widened. The entire public?
"Speaking of that…" Ken looked to Minako. "Minako-san, did you know that the Velvet Room has been compromised?"
Minako gaped at him before blurting out, "WHAT?!"
Aigis looked shellshocked as well. "No… how is that even possible…?"
Ken shook his head. "It was his idea to manipulate his sick little game. He wanted Joker to fail… rigging everything against him so the false god is the only victor."
But then screaming split through the air. Minako whipped around to see that Shadows had latched onto innocent civilians, dragging them to cells. Shit, she had completely forgotten!
Ren stepped forward, about to command the Phantom Thieves into action. But Minako grabbed onto his sleeve, halting him.
"Go!" she exclaimed, gesturing towards the top with her free arm.
"We'll take care of these guys," Junpei said with a grin. "You've got a job to do!"
Mitsuru-senpai nodded. "We'll do our part in saving the civilians. Now it's your turn, to deal with the false god who seeks to dictate how you live your lives!"
Ren's expression grew determined. "Thank you."
Minako let her eyes drift over to the Phantom Thieves. Their expressions grew determined, as they looked towards their goal—where the false god resided.
"We'll split into two groups!" Minako shouted. "Aigis, you'll lead one group! You'll be with Yukari-chan, Shinji, and Koromaru! Aki, Junpei, and Mitsuru-senpai, you'll be with me! Aigis, spread out the team as you see fit."
Normally, she would've split the teams based on their best healers. But Ken would be going with the Phantom Thieves, obviously. Aki and Mitsuru-senpai's healing abilities would be able to help in a pinch though.
Fuuka had already summoned Juno and was scanning the area.
Ren nodded. "Right. Let's go, guys!"
They answered his cry enthusiastically before making a beeline towards the top.
Minako watched them go with a bittersweet smile.
"Good luck, you guys," she whispered.
It was then that Shadows started to surround them. An amused smile played at her lips. She could hear her friends summoning their Personas. Well… it was her turn.
"Hemera!"
Blue flared around Minako as her Persona appeared.
Hemera shimmered into view, her six sunset-hued wings snapping out, making the flames surrounding them dance. A golden halo of light made her entire body glow.
She caused a Megidoloan spell, making the ground explode from the force. Junpei just let out a hearty laugh.
"Jeez, bringing out the big guns already, Mina-tan?!"
"Hey, I've gotta bring my A-game!" Minako said with a laugh.
Sae hated that she couldn't help. Between her little sister running off to fight a battle that would determine the world's fate and Amada-kun and Aragaki's associates helping to keep the civilians safe from Shadows…
"JUNTO!"
Sae jerked her head at the shriek, only to see a Shadow having latched onto a middle-aged man and dragging him towards a cage. He was trying to fight it, but to no avail.
"ISIS!" Takeba-san cried out.
A burst of wind slammed into the Shadow, knocking it down. She then reached… behind her back for some reason, letting out an irritated sigh. But that's when Aigis darted forward, bullets shooting out of her hands. It was… baffling to see a robot being among Aragaki and Amada-kun's associates, but Sae could hazily recall her presence in some of the pictures featured on their mantle.
But Aigis's bullets seemed to strike true. The Shadow let out a shriek as it dissipated into dust.
The civilian, a middle-aged man, fell forward with a groan. A woman of similar age ran up to him, dropping to her knees and embracing him tightly. She buried her face into the crook of his neck.
"Are you okay?!" Takeba-san asked, running up to them.
Something about the couple intrigued Sae so she drew close as well.
The man coughed, pressing a hand against his throat; the Shadow had squeezed it during the struggle. "Yes… I'm fine. Thank you for coming to my rescue."
He had chestnut brown hair, wild and messy. His eyes were a dark gray. But despite his unkempt hair, he was dressed rather professionally, pairing a turtleneck with a blazer.
But the woman immediately began to fuss, exclaiming over the darkening bruises forming on his throat.
"Yuri, sweetheart, please don't fuss. I'm okay, really." The man gave her a reassuring smile before taking a moment to squeeze her fingers in reassurance. "Just a little shaken up, but I'll live—I promise."
His wife took in a shaky breath before raising a hand to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss against his knuckles. But as he turned, Sae noticed that he winced a bit.
Then his eyes widened as they fell on Takeba-san. "My word… aren't you…?"
Takeba-san smiled sheepishly. "Yukari Takeba, it's nice to meet you."
"Mm-hm…" The man looked distracted for a moment before his entire body tensed. "But tell me… have you seen a teenage boy? He has messy black hair, gray eyes, and glasses. It's a school day, so he's probably wearing the Shujin uniform."
Sae frowned. It was almost… almost like he was describing Ren. But… he couldn't be, right?
"Have you seen our son?" the man asked. Desperation crept into his voice before his hands seemed to shake. "Yuri and I arrived just a couple hours ago when… all this happened. We checked where he was living but he's not there."
"And nobody will give us the time of day to actually listen to what we're asking for." His wife had glossy black hair and bright red eyes. But now tears were forming in her eyes. "Our relationship with our son hasn't been the greatest lately because of… something we had done. But we decided to come up to Tokyo for the holidays to try and work things out… I'm just—what if something's happened to him? Is he okay? I just want to know if he's okay!"
Her voice cracked at the last moment and a fresh wave of tears trickled down her pale cheeks. She buried her face in her hands and began to sob.
Her husband sighed heavily before pulling her close. He rubbed her shoulder soothingly.
"Yuri, sweetheart, it'll be okay."
"Junto, it won't! Not until we know that he's okay. I don't care if he hates us now, but I just—I need to see him. I need to see that he's still in one piece! The city's gone to hell, and what if he's hurt? What if a monster like the one that grabbed you has him?! Or worse?!"
"Sweetheart, breathe. We won't be any help to Ren if you can't calm down," Junto-san soothed, now holding onto his wife's hands.
"Did you say 'Ren'?" Sae said slowly.
So her suspicions were correct… though granted, she didn't know how many other Shujin Academy students fit the bill. Both husband and wife's head snapped up at that.
"You saw him?!" Junto-san demanded.
He was probably trying to stay cool-headed for the sake of his wife. But now that he knew that they knew something about Ren…
"Where is he?!" the older man demanded.
"He went off with my little sister," Sae said smoothly. At least that part was true. "They were concerned about their friends' whereabouts so they decided to try and find them."
Junto-san pressed a hand against his face, letting out a heavy sigh. "Why would he run headlong into danger like that?"
Well… he wasn't wrong. Sae felt a little guilty about lying to him about where exactly their son was, but still…
"Did Ren say where they were going to go?!" Yuri-san asked.
Sae shook her head. "They just ran off. I'm sorry I can't give you more information."
"It's something at least," Junto-san said, a look of determination crossing his face. "We should—"
"Wait." Takeba-san stepped in front of Junto-san. She met the Amamiyas' confused expressions evenly. "I think you should try to hide for now."
"What?!"
"Absolutely not!"
Takeba-san's lips tightened. She seemed to be deliberating over how to approach this. Aigis seemed to know, however, given the sympathetic look she was giving the brunette.
"What use are you to your son, when the city is going to hell right now?" she said finally.
The older couple gawked at her.
"Look… I'm not gonna pretend that I know your situation with your son. I don't," she said. But then she paused, pressing a hand against her chest. Sadness flickered in her eyes. "I once was at odds with my mother, and I wasn't keen on telling just about anyone. So… I get it. That's your business."
"Yukari-san…" Aigis sighed out.
Takeba-san just gave Aigis a soft smile. But then she turned back to Ren's parents.
"And if I was in your shoes… I wouldn't want to distress my children by endangering myself like this." Takeba-san just shook her head. "You made a mistake. That I know. But you're not gonna fix it by charging in recklessly like this."
"So… what do you expect us to do, then?" Junto-san asked, looking rather somber.
"Keep yourself safe," Takeba-san said simply. "Let us help you."
"...I see." Junto-san's expression turned somber. "I can only… hope that you never become at odds with your children like this, Takeba-san…"
"Everyone's made their mistakes," she reassured, only for her smile to become… bittersweet. "But someone important to me taught me that it's never too late to try and make amends."
Aigis gave Takeba-san a sad, but understanding smile.
"It's true," Sae said quietly. "As long as you're both sincere about wanting to make amends… I'm sure that you'll work it out."
She still regretted what she had done to hurt Makoto… She winced as she recalled the memory of calling Makoto useless. If only she could wind back time and take that back…
Recognition flickered in both Takeba-san and Aigis's eyes. Sae bit the inside of her cheek. Amada-kun probably has told them of the… difficulties she and Makoto had in the past.
"Thank you…" Yuri-san trailed off.
"Ah, I'm Sae Niijima," she introduced herself.
"Thank you, Niijima-san," he said, giving a slight smile.
Taking a good look at him… Sae found it difficult to wrap her mind around the fact that he was Ren's father. Their demeanors were completely different.
Junto-san cleared his throat. "Well… we'll put ourselves in your hands. Lead the way."
They finally made it back to the god's lair. He still took on Igor's form, but his eyes glowed eerily. Ren found it a little disconcerting, but he held his ground.
"Rebels who choose to deny the Prison of Regression… Why do you mere humans still dare oppose me?!" he demanded.
Anne growled. "Stop acting like you're some kinda god! You're just a Treasure! Shut up and let us destroy you!"
"Stop having such an inflated sense of self," Ren added. "You don't get to dictate humanity's fate like this!"
"Fools… Do you still not understand? Your actions shall not save a single soul," the god said, disdain dripping from every syllable.
"That shows how much you know," Ken spat out. "I'm getting really tired of gods deciding what's best for humankind."
The god just laughed before transforming into the gleaming cup—no, the Holy Grail—once more.
"How do you think I became a god in the first place?" he questioned.
Makoto tensed up, narrowing her eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"The freedom not to choose… The freedom not to think… If every person pushed the burdens of their lives upon others, nobody would have to act for themselves. And who should be there to receive those burdens?"
Haru gasped. "Are you saying… that's you!?"
The god just chuckled. "Precisely! Humanity itself wished for the Holy Grail to be a god that would rule over them! If you continue to reject that order, there will no longer be a place for you in this world!"
"And…?" Morgana asked.
The god let out an irritated sigh. "So you wish to reject me… even if it means forgoing praise from those you want to 'save'..."
Makoto narrowed her eyes. "We don't let what others think hold us down anymore!"
"This is about doing what's right!" Yusuke proclaimed.
"And besides that, you forget that we survived because there was a small group of people who still have faith in us," Ren said. "That's why we're standing here to challenge you. We'll prove that your screwed up mindset is wrong!"
"If you are not going to obey… then you shall suffer yet again. I shall bring down the hammer of judgment upon you who dare disrupt my world order!"
"Bring it!" Ryuji challenged. "We'll get up again, if that's what it takes to beat ya!"
"Here it comes, guys! Be on your guard!" Futaba exclaimed.
"You dare attempt to strike me? I am the one who grants desires to the masses! I give life to their voices!"
Then the wires glowed blood red, making the Holy Grail shine even brighter.
"He's using that trick again…" Haru said, a grimace twisting at her lips.
"Yeah, we have to deal with that first. If not, he'll keep healing himself," Futaba said grimly.
"Joker, you said you had an idea…?" Ken asked.
Ren nodded. "Yeah. We need to cut those lines. Fox, Noir—I want you guys to go."
There were a lot of lines and Ren worried about how the Holy Grail would react if he caught onto the plan. They would have to play distraction while Yusuke and Haru snuck their way up.
Yusuke and Haru nodded. Ren then ripped off his mask, calling forth Arsène.
Arsène's curse attack was soon followed up by a blast of wind from Mercurius. The two Personas fell back in time for a barrage of bullets, courtesy of Tyr.
It went back and forth—they would launch their attacks. The Holy Grail would fire the same laser-like attack. Morgana and Ken had to alternate on healing duty.
Ren looked up, the vein-like wires starting to pulse blood red. The damage they had inflicted was starting to be reversed.
"I don't think so!" Haru cried out.
Both she and Yusuke sliced through the wires and dropped safely to the ground.
"I no longer am receiving the powers of the inmates…" The Holy Grail almost seemed to tremble with anger. "You repugnant rebels!"
"Oh, cry me a river!" Ryuji mocked.
"Joker's plan worked!" Futaba crowed. "It can't heal itself anymore! This'll be a head-to-head fight from now on! Take it down!"
"Oh I plan on it," Ren hissed out.
Determination welled up inside of Ren. It would end today. This thing… thought all of humanity were its playthings. It thought to manipulate him, kill him once Ren had decided that he was no longer its puppet.
He was going to take back his—and everyone else's—futures.
But that was when the Holy Grail started to glow. Light swirled around it, almost pulsating with power.
"Watch out, guys!" Futaba warned. "It's gonna be a big one!"
"Brace yourselves!" Ren shouted.
Just a moment later, a shockwave ripped through the air, blasting them off their feet. Ren gritted his teeth as he hit one of the cells. A wave of healing magic hit, relieving them of their pain.
He summoned once more. "Odin!"
His Persona appeared with a flash. He thrust forward, electricity sparking from the tip. The Holy Grail's form sparked with electricity. Ryuji was quick to follow up, even as the Holy Grail's entire form sparked with electricity.
"Go, Seiten Taisei!" Ryuji bellowed out.
Seiten Taisei crashed against the Holy Grail, making it wobble precariously. Ryuji's attack was followed up by Hecate and Mercurius's elemental spells. The winds Mercurius produced just made Hecate's flames glow even brighter, mixing together to form a storm of fire. The Holy Grail glowed brightly as it shot the same lasers from before, striking at all of them. Ren grimaced, but a quick look told him that his friends weren't worse for wear.
Yusuke summoned Susano-o Kamu, ice crystallizing over the areas that Hecate had heated up. Hmm… that wasn't a bad idea actually.
"Chi You!"
Chi You appeared with a flash. At Ren's command, Chi You jumped forward and slashed down. Haru and Ken quickly followed up with their respective gun attacks. The gash widened, and Makoto followed up with a well-placed Freidyne spell.
The Holy Grail finally… went still.
"We… We got it, yeah?" Ryuji asked after a moment of silence.
"Oracle?" Makoto asked, turning to her.
Futaba flinched at Makoto's question. She seemed to concentrate for a second before finally speaking. "Oh, uh… I-It's silent, but I dunno…"
But then the area seemed to tremble. There was a bright blue light, illuminating the entire prison. The gears on the Holy Grail started to turn, and the prison flashed a bright red.
"W-What the eff is going on?!" Ryuji demanded. "This looks really bad, guys!"
"It's not over… brace yourselves!" Ken exclaimed.
The wall behind the Holy Grail opened and the Holy Grail seemed to split open. The jagged pattern on the Holy Grail flared out, forming wings.
They suddenly found themselves standing outside. A quick look told Ren that they were high up. Ren then jerked his head back, to see that the Holy Grail had completely transformed.
"The Holy Grail… in its entirety," Haru breathed out.
"Is this real…?" Anne questioned.
The Holy Grail seemed almost… robotic in form, mostly silver with golden wings.
"Ugh… give me a break!" Futaba griped.
Ren gulped, eyeing the Holy Grail. Shit… How could they fight this thing? He was used to fighting Shadows maybe twice his size, not twenty times his height.
"I am the administrator born of the collective human unconscious," it intoned. "I am Yaldabaoth, the god of control."
Futaba groaned, staring up at Yaldabaoth. "This is crazy! It's like a building!"
"It was already huge back when it was the Holy Grail…!" Anne said, wide-eyed. "How are we…?"
"The administrator must guide mankind toward proper development. And now that the foolishness of man has been proven, it is the administrator's duty to purge them," Yaldabaoth declared.
Ryuji growled in frustration. "You kidding!? This is just some kinda rigged game you started!"
"The foolish masses merely spread indolent thoughts and force the progress of society backward. If left to humanity, the world would slowly meet its demise. Rehabilitation is impossible now."
Makoto shook her head. "But humans are not evil!"
"Indeed. There are many upstanding citizens. However, they merely take the sole path before them. The act of making decisions is accompanied by nothing but pain. Even if a cliff of ruin lies ahead, these lemmings would march on without a second thought…"
"And you're the one directing them to ruin!" Ren objected.
"Yeah! You're just forcing your goddamn shitty ideas on people!" Ryuji yelled.
Ken narrowed his eyes. "I'm really tired of gods thinking that they can dictate humanity's fate. You wanted to break us, destroy us, no matter the cost. But we're still here. That itself speaks of humanity's strength. Humans are so much more capable than what you believe."
"Yeah!" Futaba exclaimed. "You know, for a god… you're pretty prejudiced!"
Haru just stared up at Yaldabaoth. "If this is all for the sake of humanity, wouldn't being beaten by humans satisfy you?"
Yaldabaoth stated, "I am the entity which governs this world. Its future depends wholly on my leadership. Those who dare defy this natural order shall be met with punishment raining down from the heavens."
As if to prove his point, the entire area shook. Ren winced as a pressure suddenly bore down on all of them.
Makoto winced. "Its power…"
"Will we be able to overcome it…?" Yusuke asked.
"Without question," Ren said firmly. "We've come this far… we won't let it beat them. There are too many people counting on us!"
"This is the best possible outcome," Morgana suddenly said.
"Mona-chan?" Haru asked.
"We're fighting against a god who isn't holding anything back," Morgana stated before a smile curled up on his face. "What bigger target could there be for the Phantom Thieves to tackle?"
Makoto smiled slightly. "True… But it is a bit too big for my liking."
Futaba pumped her fists. "All right, I'll give the navigation everything I've got!"
Haru nodded. "We can do this if we all work together!"
Anne clenched a hand into a fist. "Let's take him down!"
Yusuke closed his eyes for a moment. "Crowning our glory by defeating a god. Now that is true art."
Ryuji grinned. "We basically just gotta beat that thing, right!?"
Ren glanced at his friends' expressions. Determined… and hopeful. They couldn't fall here! He'd ensure it!
Morgana just chuckled. "You guys are the best, stupidest group I could ask for. I'm so glad I was able to be a part of your team…"
"Let's win this!" Ren declared, pointing at Yaldabaoth.
"We'll take it back… our future…" Morgana then glared at Yaldabaoth. "And this world!"
The general public was finally realizing that something was wrong. Took them long enough to notice shadows were snatching up their friends and pulling them into cages before disappearing. It was pure madness. People were running around, trying to make sense of the situation. Aragaki and his friends were doing their best to do damage control.
And… there were others. Sae spotted the doctor from Yongen-jaya bandaging up some people who had gotten injured during the chaos. An older man in a suit trying to keep the people around him calm.
Sae looked up to the sky, where she could see flashes of light. Whatever was going up there… It was bound to be intense. Sae's stomach twisted itself into knots, thinking about Ren, Makoto, and the others fighting with their lives on the line. All for the sake for everyone.
And in the chaos, Sae had found herself separated from any of Aragaki's associates.
Suddenly she heard a guttural growl, making Sae's blood freeze. Before she knew it, her hair was seized and she found herself being dragged forward. Sae let out a shriek before lashing out blindly. She was released but she stumbled backward.
The Shadow let out another growl and Sae stumbled back, tripping over her feet. Oh god, the Shadow didn't look pleased.
Was this it?
"Take it down, Loki!"
The Shadows's forms suddenly darkened and they lunged at each other. But that voice…
A man in a dark outfit and mask stood before her. He just gave her a wry smile. It was so familiar that it made Sae's heart ache. She knew that smile.
"Akechi-kun?!" Sae blurted out.
No, she needed to focus! She couldn't feel this way…
"Hello, Sae-san. You've found yourself in a pickle, I see."
Sae didn't know what to think. It still felt surreal to see him here.
And she couldn't ignore that she had been hurt when she had woken up to that note. But she told herself that it was for the best…
"Where have you been this whole time?" Sae demanded.
"Just here and there," Akechi-kun said, flicking his hand like he truly didn't care.
But Sae's eyes caught onto a rigidness to his frame, a slight hesitation. Most people might've missed it. But not her. He wasn't really telling her the truth…
"I thought with your note, that you might've left the country…" Sae trailed off, before shaking her head. It wasn't important right now. "But… you saved me…"
"Would you rather I not do anything?" Akechi-kun asked.
"No, I just… I'm a little shocked," Sae managed to get out. "You just—you disappeared on me…"
"For good reason," Akechi-kun said sharply, before he flashed one of his TV smiles and his voice turned mockingly sweet. "You're welcome, by the way."
Sae furrowed her brows at that, but she decided to change the subject. "Why did you save me?"
Akechi-kun hesitated, averting his eyes for a moment. "Consider it as a thank you for that night."
Without another word, he turned as if he was ready to leave.
"H-Hey, wait, Akechi-kun!" Sae exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and grabbing his shoulder. "You're just leaving?! What about—"
"The Phantom Thieves?" Akechi-kun scoffed. "You might be injected with a good dose of optimism, Sae-san, but I'm not. Look around you. The world's going to hell. I'm not going to bother with it. I'm just concerned with surviving at this point."
Sae narrowed her eyes at him.
"I don't believe that," she said bluntly.
Akechi-kun huffed. "Yes, well, it is the truth. I was just passing through."
It made no sense, though… wouldn't it be more logical for him to just hide and 'wait things out'?
"They're not going to win," Akechi-kun suddenly said, unusually blunt and straight to the point. "I'm just waiting for them to lose."
Sae pressed her lips together. "I don't believe that."
"Tch. You've… changed, Sae-san."
"You could still help them," Sae tried to urge him. "If you hurry—"
Akechi-kun laughed. "I'm not some goody two shoes like them. Besides, they're more likely to drop everything for another shot at me. I didn't come here to help them. I only came to see what was happening and found you in trouble. Since you're still breathing I see no reason to stick around."
Sae slowly exhaled.
"They've made their choice. And I've made mine."
Without another word, he pushed past her.
"H-Hey, Akechi-kun! Wait! Please!" Sae pleaded, hurrying after him.
But… he was gone. Again…
Even through her disappointment, Sae also felt… skeptical about Akechi-kun's claims. He could've left. Left Tokyo entirely, taking advantage of the chaos.
So… why had he stopped and saved her?
Sae had so many questions… and no answers.
"Aeneas!"
Aragaki's rough voice snapped Sae out of her thoughts. His Persona was all black and silver, astride an automaton horse. Its face resembled a clock, with three overlapping circles. The outer circle had Latin numbers, the middle circle—running along the inside of the first—had Roman numerals, and the smallest, had a circle with the western zodiac signs. It almost reminded Sae of the steampunk fashion, especially with all the clockwork decorations.
Aeneas attacked quickly, killing the pack of Shadows.
"Dammit, Niijima, pay attention," Aragaki snapped out. "What has you in a daze?"
"Nothing, Aragaki," Sae said, quickly averting her eyes. "It's… nothing."
"Rebels who defy my rule… you shall perish."
"This guy's behind everything but we're all together! Let's win this!" Futaba cried from within Prometheus.
Light flared up around them, as Ryuji and Makoto cast Matarukaja and Marakukaja respectively. As Anne started to charge her own spell, Morgana and Yusuke leapt into action.
"Mercurius!" Morgana cried out.
A burst of wind slammed into Yaldabaoth, quickly followed up by Susano-o Kamu slamming into Yaldabaoth. Ren frowned as Yaldabaoth just shrugged it off. A burst of light exploded from Yaldabaoth, slamming into Ken. Ken staggered back from the force but he managed to stay upright.
Ken then attacked with his own light spell, paired with Haru's gun attack. Anne then let loose a fire spell, the torrent of flames glowing bright.
"Arsene!" Ren shouted, tearing his mask.
Multiple bursts of shadowy energy struck Yaldabaoth. Ren gritted his teeth, frustration flaring inside of him as he noted that the attack barely struck any real damage.
"Keep hammering at him!" Futaba shouted.
But that was when Yaldabaoth made his first move. He suddenly generated an arm, a gun in hand.
"I release upon you the deadly sin of lust."
A burst of pink energy shot from the gun, striking Yusuke. He staggered back, hunching over.
"Fox?!" Anne cried out.
"Uh-oh… he can't move! Since it's lust, I guess he's just too h—"
"Don't finish that, Oracle," Ken interrupted.
"Noir, help him!" Ren ordered.
Haru gave a start before she nodded firmly. "Yes!"
She summoned Astarte, casting Amrita Shower. But Yusuke didn't move a centimeter.
Haru's eyes widened. "I-It's not working!"
Ren scowled. Of course it wasn't. It couldn't be easy, after all. Yaldabaoth's gun fired off once more, the blast striking Ken. It struck him right in the chest, making him stagger back. He set his jaw, and he summoned Tyr. Tyr swung his spear, sending blades of light flying at both the main body and the arm.
"Oracle, is there anything we need to know?" Ren shouted up at Futaba.
"The main body seems to have no resistances, but look out for the arm," Futaba warned. "It repels gun and wind attacks."
Yaldabaoth launched another attack, this time for Yusuke.
"Astarte, help him!" Haru cried out.
A translucent shield popped up, reflecting the gun attack. Yusuke suddenly straightened up, looking around in confusion.
"My thanks, Noir," he said.
Haru just beamed. "I'm glad you're back, Fox!"
They then picked up the assault once more.
"Norn!"
Wind swirled around Ren, launching him in the air. Ren then quickly summoned Ongyo-ki. Ongyo-ki slammed his weapon right against the arm, making sparks fly. Ren took the moment to fire his gun at the main body before he dropped safely to the ground.
His friends launched their attacks. It was frustrating to see how long they would have to whittle at it though…
But then Yaldabaoth spawned another arm, this one holding a golden bell.
"I release upon you the deadly sin of vanity."
He shook the bell, sending shockwaves ripping through the air. Morgana cried out as he hunched over. His entire body swirled with something… dark. It almost reminded Ren of Madarame's dirty trick…
"Oracle, what's that?!" Makoto exclaimed.
"All of his elemental resistances have been removed. I think he can be knocked down by anything," warned Futaba.
The gun released a quick burst but Ryuji threw himself in Morgana's path, shielding him from the blow.
"Sheesh, Skull, you don't be so dramatic about it," Morgana huffed. "I would've been fine!"
"Aw, shuddup you damn furball!"
"Focus, you two!" Ren snapped out. He then switched Personas, summoning Futsunushi.
He was glad to be able to squeeze in a visit to the Velvet Room. He had fused several new Personas, determined to take on the god with all of his strength.
The swords surrounding Futsunushi leapt to life, slashing at the main body several times. But then the gun arm attacked once more, aiming right at Haru. Yusuke quickly erected an ice wall in the nick of time. It shattered under the force of the attack, but Haru was left unharmed.
Ren quickly followed up, summoning Norn. Norn whipped up a gust, sending the ice fragments flying towards Yaldabaoth.
Morgana was next to strike; he summoned Mercurius and a burst of wind launched him in the air. He landed on the arm with the bell. Morgana slashed down with his sword, swiftly following up with several shots from his slingshot. Almighty magic began to gather, pulsing with power, but Morgana took a leap, landing to safety. Haru and Ken quickly diverted the spell's path by launching gun attacks.
"Super move! ULTRA CHARGE!" Futaba cried out.
"Joker!" Ken suddenly shouted to him. "We need to take down the arms! It's giving Yaldabaoth more chances to attack us!"
Ren's eyes widened. Of course… He was so focused on trying to attack the main body that the thought had slipped his mind.
Ren nodded. "We'll split into two groups. Mona, Panther, Skull—you're with me. We're going to attack the main body! Queen, split up Fox, Ace, and Noir how you see fit to take down the arms!"
"Understood!" Makoto said. "Ace, you're with me! We'll attack the arm with the bell! Fox and Noir—you take on the arm with the gun!"
"As you command!" Yusuke exclaimed.
And with that, they leapt into action. Mercurius whipped up a howling gale, swiftly followed up the powerful inferno produced by Hecate.
Of course, Yaldabaoth didn't take that lying down. He threw almighty spells at them, even using that lust spell to immobilize. This forced them on the defensive, so to keep everyone alive.
"Ma'at!" Ren shouted.
Jewel-toned wings snapped out from behind Ma'at. They glittered like rubies and onyxes, alternating between red and black feathers. Her nearly translucent skin resembled the galaxy with twinkling stars, as a simple white Egyptian robe swayed in the breeze. A gold cord hung around her waist, a symbol that resembled a cross, but with a rounded head being the only decoration. She raised the scale she held, a Megidolaon spell pulsating to life.
The blast destroyed the bell arm, making Ryuji give a whoop. But Yaldabaoth just manifested another arm, this one yielding a sword.
Electricity sparked from the tip, downing Morgana.
"Mona-chan!" Haru cried out.
Yaldabaoth then slashed at them. The force nearly knocked Ken off the ledge. Ren's heart just about leaped to his throat as Ken clung to the edge.
"ACE!"
Makoto rushed to his aid, reaching down to haul him up. But Makoto's back turned, Yaldabaoth lifted the arm wielding the sword.
"I don't think so!" Anne cried out. "Hecate!"
Hecate's flames slammed into the sword arm as well as the main body. The flames actually made the metal glow from the heat. Yusuke then followed up with a Bufudyne spell.
"Chi You!"
"Seiten Taisei!"
But a shield popped up, reflecting the physical attacks back at Ren and Ryuji.
"SH—"
Ren skidded back, gritting his teeth at the whiplash. But Ken hastily summoned Tyr, healing them. And while they were distracted, Yaldabaoth lifted his sword.
"I release upon you the sin of gluttony."
"Ack, be careful with what you do!" Futaba warned. "It'll be more costly to use your Personas right now!"
Ren let out a frustrated growl before whipping out his gun. And to his irritation, the stupid sword also reflected gun attacks.
But then Ren noticed that Yaldabaoth's blade glowed a translucent purple. He then swung it down.
As soon as the sword touched the ground, part of it grew translucent before it crumbled away. Ren had to bite back a swear.
"Ugh, this cheater!" Ryuji growled out.
Ren stared down at it, his mind racing. He then switched Personas once more.
"Mother Harlot!"
The Persona appeared with a flash. Ice began to crystallize over the hole. It would be slippery but it was better than a gaping hole. And suddenly Ren was hit with a wave of exhaustion. Ugh… Futaba was right about that.
But he couldn't just let everyone be like sitting ducks.
"Spread out! We're too close together!" Ren punctuated this order with a sweeping hand, gesturing to the other platforms.
His friends leapt to follow his command, spreading out on the different platforms that surrounded Yaldabaoth. But Yaldabaoth kept swinging the damn sword, destroying the platforms and forcing them to jump around. Yusuke joined him in trying to patch up the platforms but ugh… what a pain in the ass.
Haru attempted to blast it with a gun attack, but it reflected right back at her. As they hurried to follow his orders, Yaldabaoth spawned yet another arm, this one holding a book. He flung a volley of arrows of light at everyone. While they scrambled to dodge, the book began to glow red. A beam of light shot out, striking at Ryuji. Then the temperature took a dive, ice suddenly crystallizing. It struck him right in the chest, freezing him in place.
"Ack, be careful! Skull's attack is way up, but his defense tanked!" Futaba warned. "Send back-up for him!"
"Noir, help him out!" Ren ordered.
As Haru casted Amrita Shower, everyone else launched attacks. The air was filled with flames, ice, wind, light, nuclear, and psy magic. Morgana launched himself into the air, landing onto the arm with the sword. Morgana's Garudyne spell kicked up, whipping the air around him.
"Go! Power up!" Futaba cried out, boosting their attack.
Ken followed up Morgana's attacks with a Makougaon spell. So far, none of Yaldabaoth resisted Bless spells, so Ken was free to attack without worry.
But the sword arm finally broke down and Morgana took a running leap, landing back onto the platform. Ryuji and Yusuke double-teamed the book arm, while Makoto, Anne, and Haru focused on the main body.
The book arm wasn't taking it lying down, though. It fired off multiple elemental spells, downing both Anne and Yusuke.
"Ishtar!" Ren quickly summoned another new Persona.
Bolts of lightning sparked to life. The wind howled once more as Mercurius's Garudyne spell rushed forward, intertwining with the lightning spell.
Seiten Taisei crashed down on the book arm, making it snap.
"Yes!" Futaba cheered. "Good work, Skull!"
But that's when Yaldabaoth began to spawn the arms again. Ren groaned. That's how Yaldabaoth wanted to play, huh…
"Split into two groups again! We can't let him overwhelm us!" Ren shouted.
Ren led the group, focusing on the main body again. Ren was vaguely aware of Yaldabaoth using an avarice based attack. But thankfully, Haru was able to cure it.
He was starting to feel tired… His energy was waning. But he gritted his teeth, summoning yet again. Bursts of dark energy exploded from Arsene, striking every part of Yaldabaoth's body.
"Ace, I swear if you jinxed us about this guy having twelve freaking forms…" Ryuji groused.
"Less complaining, more fighting!" Futaba interjected. "I'll give you a boost!"
Ren could feel some of his energy returning, feeling more invigorated. But Yaldabaoth kept unleashing spells, forcing them back. They ended up breaking into pairs and trios, combining their attacks.
"Dance, Hecate!" Anne cried out.
Pillars of flames burst to life, flaring even brighter as Mercurius's Garudyne spell intertwined with them. Ren added to the combination, with Odin's electricity spell, making the inferno crackle as it slammed into Yaldabaoth.
Seiten Taisei unleashed a flare of electricity, surging forward to intertwine around the gun attack that Astarte fired towards the main body. Susano-o Kamu then slammed into Yaldabaoth, slashing several times with his sword. He then leapt backwards to let Anat blast an Atomic Flare spell, splitting open the gash that Susano-o Kamu created. Anat then fell back, allowing Tyr to swing his weapon and send several blades of light flying.
But then Yaldabaoth spawned the stupid bell arm again.
"I release upon you the deadly sin of e—"
"I don't think so!" Morgana shouted.
He launched himself in the air, skillfully dodging the blast of lightning Yaldabaoth fired at him. It struck the bell, making it crackle with electricity.
Ryuji let out a whoop. "Go, Mona!"
While Morgana slashed down with his sword, Futaba charged their attack power. He then fired his slingshot and took a leap, landing safely on the ground. Astarte and Tyr quickly dealt the final blow with a double gun attack.
"Nice teamwork!" Futaba exclaimed. "Keep the pressure on him!"
Ren just gave a nod before summoning Arsene once more. His friends took that as a cue to attack once more, half of them targeting the main body and half of them attacking the remaining arms.
Ryuji and Yusuke managed to attack at the same time, creating a gash in the torso. Makoto widened the gash with a well-placed Freidyne spell.
Anne and Ken combined their elemental spells, Tyr's blades of light encircled by flames. Morgana helped Haru's gun attacks, the rush of wind sending the bullets produced by Astarte flying. But even then, their assault wasn't enough to down the arms.
"I release upon you the deadly sin of pride."
The arm grew rigid, the book flipping open before red energy swirled around it. Ren bit his lip. He had a bad feeling about that…
"Be careful! Hold your attacks—he's gonna reflect your attacks if you gun for him now!" Futaba warned. "That goes for any part of him, I think…"
"What a pain in the ass…" Ryuji scowled.
"Be ready to strike once it's over!" Ren ordered. "And keep spread out!"
They hurried to follow Ren's orders and Yusuke, Makoto, and Ryuji cast spells to boost their abilities in preparation.
"The pride buff is gone!" Futaba shouted. "Hammer 'em!"
And they leapt to action, throwing all they had at Yaldabaoth. Ren was starting to feel mentally taxed, but Futaba cast a spell, restoring some of their energy.
"The abyss of the unconscious yearns for ultimate ruin…" Yaldabaoth stated. "You have no means of escape, humans. Punishment shall strike you all."
"Bring it, then," Ren egged him on.
Yaldabaoth abruptly respawned the arms, making Ren groan. But the same energy from before seemed to flow from all four arms, now pulsating with power.
"Shit," he uttered.
Ken stared, exasperated. "You just had to jinx us, didn't you?"
"Heads up!" Futaba shouted before Ren could think of a retort. "The enemy's charging a big one!"
"Do we just… guard?" Yusuke asked cautiously.
Ren looked up at the arms. While that was one option… he didn't like the look of how that orb of energy pulsated. And… Yaldabaoth had only used it with all four arms present. With their teamwork, they had taken down at least one or two arms, whittling down the number of attacks Yaldabaoth could throw at them.
"Try to take down the arms!" Ren ordered.
"What?! But Joker—" Makoto began to protest.
"Hmm… Joker might be onto something. And if anything, I'll protect you!" Futaba said.
Makoto pressed her lips together before she summoned Anat once more. This seemed to start a chain reaction as his friends summoned their Personas to wreck havoc on Yaldabaoth's arms.
It was pure chaos, spells and physical attacks flinging through the air to take down the arms. Ren switched back to Arsene, blasting Eigaon spells at the arm. They managed to take down two—Anat landing the final blow against the bell arm and then Mercurius destroying the sword arm.
But that's when Yaldabaoth's attack flared to life, growing almost too bright.
"Hit the deck!" Ryuji bellowed.
Ren flung himself to the ground, grunting as the attack exploded. Ren quickly got up to one knee. A healing spell settled over him, healing everyone's energies.
"One last push!" Morgana shouted. "Let's end this, Joker!"
Ren nodded. "Queen, Fox, Mona, and Skull—you're with me. Panther, Noir, and Ace, focus on destroying the rest of the arms!"
"I'll back you up!" Futaba exclaimed.
True to her word, Prometheus's flames glowed bright and Ren could feel strength welling up inside of him. It was a little chaotic, with everyone flinging attacks.
And Yaldabaoth didn't exactly sit there, waiting for them to attack. He threw spell after spell at them, but even if one person went down, the rest of the team leapt forward to give them back-up until they could recover and get back on their feet.
"Fools opposing a god!" Yaldabaoth spat at them.
"You won't get rid of us that easily," Ren spat back.
"We'll fight tooth and nail!" Yusuke seconded. "You nearly succeeded in crushing us… It won't happen a second time!"
"So this is the power that resists ruin…" Yaldabaoth mused. "But my control shall not bow down to ruin. My control is the ultimate truth in this world."
Red and black suddenly swirled around Yaldabaoth, pulsating for a moment before everything seemed to explode. They skidded backwards and Ren found himself struggling to move.
Dammit… it wasn't over! He refused to give in.
"Dammit… he's strong," Ryuji groaned out.
But Morgana stared up at Yaldabaoth in defiance. "If you're really a god, you should be guiding humans to your ideals!"
"Mona-chan…" Haru whispered.
But Morgana wasn't done. "You're destroying them because you can't do that, aren't you? So that you can flaunt your own existence. That's why you were observing us! You had to because the reaction of the masses worried you!"
Yusuke nodded. "That sounds about right."
"Were you truly that worried that humankind's wishes and desires would go against your ideal?" Ken demanded.
Ryuji snorted. "That's putting it nicely. I don't know how long you lived, but you're the perfect example of a pain-in-the-ass old man!"
Anne glared up at Yaldabaoth. "You find people like that everywhere."
"What drivel…" Yaldabaoth spat out.
"And yet… you were afraid of us." Ren scowled, pushing himself up in a sitting position. "You tried to manipulate things to go your way. And when I wouldn't follow with what you wanted… you tried to cripple me. You tried to kill us all…"
Ren cut himself off as a wave of fatigue hit him and he fell forward on his hands. Their surroundings suddenly darkened.
Anne cried out, "What is this!?"
Ryuji growled out, "Dammit, I can't see anything!"
"Do you want to erase us from this world that much!?" Haru demanded.
"G-Guys!" Morgana exclaimed.
Ren gritted his teeth. Everything… seemed so hopeless. They were so close. And Yaldabaoth was determined to snatch it away from them…
"Since you've been forsaken by the world, there is nowhere that you can belong."
Another powerful shockwave ripped through the air, knocking them flat.
"I'm not… done…" Ren got out, pressing his hands against the ground.
"We can't lose like this!" Ryuji groaned out.
Makoto just winced. "If we lose… then the world will be lost."
Anne gasped out, "I need to… get back up…"
But Yaldabaoth kept slamming them with attacks. It was agonizing.
"Ngh… my strength…" Yusuke got out, his entire frame trembling.
Ken winced. "He's so intent on beating down on us until we've lost every last bit of our strength."
Futaba groaned. "I can't… go on…"
Haru just shook her head. "Is this it…?"
"Not even one sliver of unpredictability can be permitted under my control," Yaldabaoth stated.
Ren gritted his teeth. This damn tyrant…
Ren's eyes widened as words floated to his ears.
"Guess it was impossible in the end…"
"It's humans against a god after all…"
"Do you hear the voices of the mass?" Yaldabaoth asked.
Yes… he knew. Despite everything they had faced, Ren was… afraid. Was this really it? Was there no way to defeat him?
"They mock you for revolting against a god. Humans are naught but clumps of desire. Logic dictates that a world filled with them will decline. The sin of rebelling against a god is severe. As punishment, you shall taste pain everlasting," Yaldabaoth stated.
"Not letting that happen!" Morgana suddenly shouted out.
"The attendant created from the dredges of human hope…" Yaldabaoth remarked. "It is impossible for a petty existence like you to overrule my precedent."
Morgana shook his head before glaring up at Yaldabaoth. "Human hope is a desire too! You better not underestimate it!"
"Morgana…" Ren uttered.
But Morgana's eyes burned with determination. "The Phantom Thieves will yield to no one, no matter who they are! Even if only one of us remains, we'll get back up and fight to the very end."
That was right. He had been cast again and again to the bottom. He and his friends had gone through hell because of Yaldabaoth's machinations but they still pulled themselves back up… why was this any different?
"And we'll definitely… definitely…!" Morgana's paws clenched into fists. "Take the world!"
It was chaos. People were screaming, running amok.
Minako's stomach squirmed as she stared up at the sky. It had turned a bright red as it continued to rain blood. What exactly was going on? A tremor shook the entire city.
She hated being on the sidelines like this…
"And we'll definitely… definitely…"
"That voice…" Aki muttered. "Morgana?"
"Take the world!" Morgana shouted out.
"The… Phantom Thieves?" one boy said slowly.
"But… what could they possibly do? About this?"
"Take them down, Phantom Thieves!"
Minako's head jerked to see a teenage boy with dark hair staring up at the sky. The growing crowd just stopped to stare at him.
"You can't really…" one bystander began to say.
"I do!" he shouted, as his hands clenched into fists. "Why do you think that they risked their lives this entire time?! Snap out of it! Stop running from the truth!"
His voice was so impassioned… Minako couldn't help but feel impressed.
"I believe in the Phantom Thieves." A girl wearing glasses stepped forward, her eyes locking with the teenage boy's. "No matter what! They'll overcome anything!"
This seemed to start a domino effect. The crowd started to nod.
"Phantom Thieves!"
"Yes, the Phantom Thieves!"
The boy's expression lit up before cupping his hands to his mouth. "Phantom Thieves! Do you hear us?!"
"Don't you dare back down!" Minako shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth. "You've come this far! You have to see this through!"
Aki looked towards the sky, his eyes like steel. "You're more than strong enough to win! You've gone through hell and back! You can do this!"
"And if you need our strength, take it!" Mitsuru's voice rang out with her conviction.
Yukari pressed a hand against her chest. "Don't you dare give in. You've overcome so much! You can't stop now!"
Fuuka closed her eyes, her hands clasped together. "We're all with you! Don't give up!"
Junpei gave a whoop before pumping a fist. "Come on, you're so damn close! You gotta go all out! Get that home run!"
Koromaru seemed to agree, letting out several barks.
Aigis pressed her lips together. "The world can't end. Not like this. You have the strength to overcome this, just like everything else!"
Shinji just stared up, a slight smile curving at his lips. "Take it back. This asshole god is trying to steal your goddamn futures. Kick. His. Ass."
All they could do was… pray and hope. The cheering was getting louder and louder, all but ringing in her ears.
"Holy shit!"
Junpei's exclamation made her turn to him. He was staring, open-mouthed.
"Is that a damn Persona?!" he exclaimed.
Minako gasped. It looked like some kind of… demon lord?
She could hear people speculating about this. She could only hope that the memories of this would fade, similarly to what happened during the Fall. They might… have some difficulty explaining this otherwise.
And then a gunshot suddenly rang through the air.
Minako's breath caught her throat. Did they do it?
The voices of his Confidants…
"I'm not letting you lose after getting this far! You better finish what you started!"
"I may not look like it, but I've got high hopes for you! You better win it!"
Sojiro, Shinya, Takemi, Iwai, Hifumi, Kawakami, Ohya, Mishima, Sae, Yoshida, Lavenza… The Shadow Operatives… He heard them all.
"You hear that?!" Morgana shouted. "Those are the voices of the humans you made fun of! No one wants you to rule over them! Isn't that right, Ren?"
"Hell no," Ren spat out, staggering to his feet.
He could faintly hear the words of the people. Though… some of the cheering was a little… backhanded.
"Man, why do they gotta word it like they're looking down on us?" Ryuji griped.
Ren's lips quirked in a weary smile.
"But… they're cheering for us." Haru panted as she stood to her feet.
Futaba mused, "Doesn't feel half-bad…"
"It's better than nothing at least," Ken said dryly.
"You're not done changing the world!"
"We'll all be erased if you give up now!"
Slowly, his friends pulled themselves to stand up.
"They don't have to tell us twice…" Yusuke said with a wry smile.
"We won't let ourselves get erased!" Makoto proclaimed.
Anne nodded as she staggered to her feet as well.
"You may be a god… but you've underestimated humanity's tenacity. Time and time again," Ken stated. "That's where you fall short."
"God is the one who creates the world!" Yaldabaoth snapped back.
Ryuji snapped. "Newsflash asshole! You're not a real god! And you don't get to decide for us!"
Morgana nodded, curling his paws into fists. "I've made up my mind. I will see my justice through for the sake of protecting what I care about.
Anne breathed out, "Morgana…"
"We're with you, Mona," Ren said. "Until the very end."
Morgana just gave a bittersweet smile. "The same goes for you guys too! If you've decided to take the world from him, don't compromise your ideals to the very end!"
Anne nodded. "Let's defeat him together!"
Ryuji just flashed his usual big grin at Yaldabaoth. "Hey, god. Foolish humans are praying down there. They're prayin' there's no place for someone like you in this world!"
"Give that evil god his final warning, Joker!" Morgana exclaimed.
"We're saving this world…" Ren lifted his face to glare right at Yaldabaoth. "You picked the wrong enemy. And I'll prove it to you!"
And with that, the cheering seemed to intensify, making the air vibrate. Ren placed a hand over his chest. He could feel it… power welling up inside him. He could feel Arsene materialize to life behind him. A dark chain formed. Ren reached out, his fingers wrapping around it. He couldn't explain it—he was running on pure instinct.
The chain snapped as his arm jerked forward, the sound echoing.
"So you have failed to harness the power," Yaldabaoth said. "No matter how many prayers of the foolish masses come together… Hm?"
Anne gasped. "W-What…?!"
Power seemed to course through his veins and he lifted his eyes to see a dark shadow looming over them all.
"That's—" Yusuke's eyes went wide as he stared in awe.
"Holy shit!" Ryuji breathed out. "It's huge!"
"It's bigger than a skyscraper…" Makoto breathed out. "This is just…!"
This was… his Persona? Arsene had… awakened to a new form? Ren knew his name in an instant.
Satanael.
"What immense power!" Morgana exclaimed. "Is that really a Persona?"
"I don't see what else it could be," Ken said.
He could faintly hear people exclaiming over Satanael. So… this was his true power, was it?
"Fools!" Yaldabaoth spat at them. "This is why man is doomed…"
"You can insult us all you'd like." Makoto narrowed her eyes. "You know you're being pushed into a corner, don't you?"
"Your tricks won't work anymore!" Haru cried out.
The same rays from before blasted forward. But this time… Ren felt nothing. He looked around, pleased that none of his friends were suffering from damage.
"They're not just Phantom Thieves anymore… That's some kind of demon lord! This is so awesome!"
"I see…" Morgana said, looking thoughtful. "If a god plays naughty, then it's a demon lord's duty to punish him! What better way is there for a finale as a Trickster!"
"It's quite like you to end with a flourish such as this," Yusuke said. "Finish this, Joker!"
"We're entrusting our strength and the people's hopes to you!" Morgana finished. "Show him what you—what humanity is really made of!"
A light seemed to coalesce. Ren reached out, closing his fist over the ball of light. He felt so warm… full of determination. It wouldn't end here.
"Pillage him… Satanael!" Ren declared, his voice ringing out.
Even as Satanael levelled his revolver at Yaldabaoth, Yaldabaoth spoke.
"Preposterous! You wish to rob the people of their wishes?!"
Ren narrowed his eyes, his finger tensing over the trigger. Even when he was backed into a corner, he still thought he was in the right… Ren took a deep breath. He was ready. Ready to end this.
"Begone!"
MA'AT
History: Maʽat refers to the ancient Egyptian concepts of truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice. Ma'at was also the goddess who personified these concepts, and regulated the stars, seasons, and the actions of mortals and the deities who had brought order from chaos at the moment of creation.
Level: 79
Affinity: Bless, Almighty, Support
Blocks: Bless, Curse
Resists: Nuclear
Weakness: None
Spells: Divine Judgement (innate), Salvation (innate), Kougaon (innate), Makougaon (innate), Megidoaloan (80), Bless Amp (82), Ali Dance (84)
Notes:
And that wraps up the Yaldabaoth fight! Sorry for the wait, writing the Yaldabaoth fight was quite the struggle and I kept discarding bits and pieces. But I hope this was a satisifying conclusion! If anyone's curious, I showed the Inaba scene as the implications were that the merge happened everywhere, not just Tokyo. And if anyone's curious about the bit with Daidara, he makes a comment that sorta implies that he knows a little more than what he's letting on. Additionally with Mr. Hosoi's comment, that the fog occurs about every 50 years got the gears in my head turning. So, yeah, my headcanon is that Daidara was a Persona user back in 1961 haha.
But we're now 4-5 chapters away from the end. Next chapter will follow up on the aftermath of Yaldabaoth's defeat and cover the Christmas Eve date. There are some loose ends to tie, more so than in the base P5 game so Chapter 54 will be about the efforts to free Ren. There's actually quite a bit to cover after Ren's free so I might split my plans into two chapters. But we'll see!
Like... the plot thread with Ren's parents. I'll be posting art I commissioned of them soon on the tumblr! I will be covering their side of their story... soon. And of course we can't forget Akechi. I have a plan for the endgame and I think you'll like it.
(Additionally I've commissioned art of Hemera! That will be on the tumblr soon as well!)
As always, I want to thank my wonderful beta, angelrin89! She did a great job with adding tweaks to the chapter! In fact, the entire Sae and Akechi scene was her idea and she made it even better!
Annnnd I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Until next time guys!
Chapter 54: Ch. 53: Aftermath
Summary:
Yaldabaoth's defeat leads to the disappearance of Mementos. But... it's not the end of everything, as the Phantom Thieves and Shadow Operatives had hoped.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“What power… it surpasses mine own… a god born from the wish of the masses.”
Ren had never realized how powerful hope and faith could be, until now. After his life had ripped apart from it, he had thought everything was bleak. But his friends’ faith in him gave the ability to push forward. And even there was just a tiny speck of hope… there was a reason to fight for a better future.
“Damn that Igor… it seems he wasn’t spouting nonsense…” Yaldabaoth grumbled out, albeit reluctantly.
That was when Yaldabaoth began to glow, dissipating to golden light.
“We won…” Ken spoke in wonder.
“Hell yeah we won!” Ryuji grabbed Ren by the shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. “Damn, you kicked ass back there! You literally blew a hole in the head with that badass gunshot!”
Ren smiled tiredly. “I couldn’t have done without you guys…”
He might’ve laid back and just died there, if he didn’t have the hope to see his friends again. They meant everything to him.
“Guys… look!” Anne gasped.
Ren looked up to see that the golden light slowly took on a form… a golden cup. Or was it a chalice…?
“Ain’t that a Treasure?” Ryuji asked, stepping away from Ren and cocking his head. “Right, Mona?”
Morgana didn’t respond right away.
He gave a slow inhale. “Thanks for everything, gang.”
Haru gave Morgana a startled look. “Mona-chan?”
Morgana didn’t respond, just walking up to the Treasure. Looking at it now… it was so small now.
“What gives, Mona? You’re acting… weird,” Futaba said hesitantly.
“Humans have the power to change the world. They just forgot about that a bit.” Morgana said faintly.
Yusuke frowned. “Morgana, why bring this up now?”
“Thanks to you guys, I was able to fulfill my duty…”
Makoto closed her eyes for a moment. “Everything was thanks to you, wasn’t it, Morgana?”
“Thank you, Morgana,” Ren said. “We would’ve been lost without you.”
A corner of Morgana’s mouth quirked up. “Heh… don’t you forget it. But I… I got to be useful for humans that I admired so much. Nothing could make me happier.”
Ken sighed. “So, where does this leave us?”
“Yaldabaoth was behind this place. With him gone, this place will disappear too.”
“Like as you said…” Haru murmured.
“No regrets though… right?” Morgana asked.
Haru just shook her head, smiling softly. “Never.”
Morgana gave a nod. “Time to go home.”
He looked towards the Treasure, which started to glow. It grew brighter and brighter until Ren was momentarily blinded.
They found themselves waist deep in blood.
“The hell?!” Ryuji demanded.
Everyone else was frozen in place. No… what was wrong now?
“Wait… it’s stopped raining,” Ryuji pointed out.
“Hey, guys!” Makoto pointed up to the sky.
Ren’s heart swelled up at the sight. A beautiful blue, filled with big fluffy clouds.
“I never thought I’d miss this sight…” Ken sighed out.
Then the blood began to crystallize and it shattered, the sound ringing out in the city. Ren watched with a smile as all signs of Mementos began to disappear.
“It’s gorgeous…” Haru breathed.
Futaba could only nod. “Yeah…”
But that was when their surroundings began to glow white. Ren could only look around in bewilderment.
“My word…” Yusuke breathed.
“But why’s everything—” Anne began to say, only to be cut off by Morgana.
“The whole world is a product of cognition.”
“Morgana…?” Ren asked.
He’s been acting so strange since they beat Yaldabaoth. It was almost… bittersweet? Ren couldn’t help but feel troubled by the implication.
“...not just the Metaverse. It can be freely re-made… The same goes for you, and everyone else.” Morgana looked up to them with a smile.
And Morgana… was glowing. Just like everything else around them.
“Dude, Mona!” Ryuji’s eyes went wide with alarm.
“No,” Ken uttered, shaking his head. He looked terrified. “No, no, no… You can’t.”
Haru had her hands pressed against her mouth before she choked out, “Mona-chan!”
Anne choked back a sob. “This can’t be happening!”
They tried to run towards Morgana but an abrupt fissure stopped them from moving forward. Morgana looked at peace, even as his body grew more and more translucent.
“Soon a new world will come. One where mankind isn’t held captive. The world will shine brightly as long as you hold hope in your hearts.”
“But what’s going to happen to you?!” Makoto cried out.
“Morgana… please…” Ren pleaded, unable to stop his voice from cracking. “You have to stay.”
They had never thought Morgana would disappear along with Mementos! Why… just why? Had Morgana known about this, when he proposed the plan to destroy Mementos? And he had just… accepted it?
Ren had to swallow hard, choking back his tears. Haru and Futaba were already crying.
But Morgana just smiled.
“Remember there is no such thing as a ‘real world’. What everyone sees and feels… that’s what shapes reality. This is what gives the world infinite potential. Even if you feel that only darkness lies ahead… as long as you hold hands together, see it through as one… the world will never end! The world exists within all of you!”
Anne just buried her face into Ren’s shoulder. He held her tight until the light grew too bright to look at.
“Morgana…” Anne sniffled, reluctantly raising her head.
“Mona…” Futaba took off her glasses and wiped at her eyes.
Everything returned to normal. People moving about their day, talking about mundane excitements or issues. But Ren didn’t care or pay attention to whatever it is the pedestrians were talking about. He should feel happy seeing everything back to normal, but he never expected it would cost something important.
“It’s not fair!” Ren blurted out. “He did everything he was meant to do… he finally achieved his mission and he has to go like that? T-There was so much we could’ve done together. What we should’ve done together.”
“Ren…” Yusuke sighed. “I—”
He then stopped short, wrapping an arm around his torso. He was… at a loss of words. He felt sick.
“Why…? It’s not fair,” he thought.
“Um… the Meta-Nav is gone…” Haru said quietly. “I-It’s as Mona-chan said…”
“Mona…” Futaba’s gaze grew downcast. “H-He’s really… we can’t see him anymore, can we…?”
Ren just looked away. He didn’t know what to say. He was used to trying to uplift his friends’ spirits but he couldn’t. Not this time. Why did their victories have to come so bittersweet? For Sae, it was enacting the plan and throwing himself into danger. For Shido, it had been thinking that Ryuji was dead.
But for Morgana—there would be no miraculous survival.
He tried to imagine his life without Morgana… but he couldn’t. And unfortunately, this was his reality.
"...I know. You don't have to say it," Futaba said, sighing.
“C-C’mon, don’t look so down. I mean, Morgana would totally mock us if he saw us right now,” Ryuji said, trying to inject some cheer in his voice.
But there was a shaking in his voice, like he really didn’t believe it.
“...If only he was here to do so,” Ken said quietly, staring down at the ground.
“Ken…” Makoto sighed out, putting a hand on his shoulder as he finally raised his face.
Ken leaned against her touch, but his sorrowful expression didn’t change.
Haru began to sniffle again, carefully wiping at her eyes. “It’s not fair…”
Sometimes… life really was unfair.
“Ken-kun!”
Ken flinched, turning to see the Shadow Operatives and Sae hurrying over to them. But then they stopped short, looking at everyone’s faces.
“Ken?” Shinjiro-san asked with a frown. “What’s wrong?”
Ken looked at his guardian, giving a weak smile. “We won but… Morgana—he’s…”
His voice cracked and he suddenly stared down at the ground.
"He's gone," Haru said softly.
"Oh… I see…” Minako-san’s voice went soft with sympathy.
Ren sighed. “Have you noticed any changes yet? In the people?”
Maybe he would be able to accept it more easily, if he knew that they were successful…
Yusuke nodded. ”Yes, were we able to change their hearts?”
“Um, well—” Fuuka-san began.
“Agh! I’m going to be late for my date!”
“All alone on Christmas… man, this tanks.”
“Weren’t people talking about this before the merge?” Anne frowned. “It’s… kinda hard to tell.”
Ren’s heart sank. After everything, it had been useless? And they lost Morgana in the bargain?
“No. No, no, no…”
“Aren’t we going into the new year without a prime minister, though? Will this country be all right?”
“But there’s no way we’re getting Shido. There are a ton of shady rumors about him, y’know?”
At that, Ren’s head snapped up.
Wait! This guy… he wasn’t distorted about Shido anymore!
“I wonder how things will go… I hope Shido will be able to face justice now…” Haru said dolefully.
“I’m sure it will,” Akihiko-san said with a smile. “People won’t lobby for Shido to remain prime minister, right?”
“What does the local lawyer say to that?” Minako-san’s voice grew teasing.
“H-Huh?” Sae blinked before pressing a hand to her temple. “Forgive me… It’s been a long day. I’m very tired.”
“I can’t say I blame ya.” Junpei-san sighed. “Man, things went kinda bananas back there.”
“Yeah… that’s putting it quite lightly,” Makoto mumbled out.
Minako-san looked around before she clapped her hands together once. “Hey, do I have to remind you that it’s still Christmas Eve? I say we celebrate the victories. Mementos is gone and Shido’s conspiracy goon squad is gonna tank. That’s something to celebrate, right?”
Ren blinked, watching Ken’s expression grow thoughtful. Even the Shadow Operatives began to murmur amongst themselves.
He could catch onto what she was saying, though. Even though they lost Morgana… they had won. The rest of his friends were exhausted from the fight, but they were safe and well.
That was a small victory, as bittersweet it was….
“Come on, Niijima-san, you too!” Minako-san grabbed onto the taller woman’s arm. “You should come celebrate with us too!”
“I… what?” Sae looked flustered. “I don’t think…”
“Forget it, Niijima,” Akihiko-san called out to her before giving his wife a fond smile. “Once Mina gets an idea in her head, there’s nothing stopping her.”
“She’s like a bulldozer,” Junpei-san seconded.
“I just wanna see Sojiro,” Futaba said, shaking her head. “Maybe tomorrow…”
“We should get together for that,” Anne mentioned. “I mean, it’s Christmas! Maybe a small party?”
“That sounds fun.” Ren tried to smile.
Ken looked to the Shadow Operatives. “How long are you staying?”
Akihiko-san shrugged. “At least for the night. But Mina and I probably won’t stay for long. Kikuno’s babysitting Kiyo but we should get back to her as soon as we can, once we’re rested.”
Yukari-san nodded, pressing her lips together. “Same for me. I already feel bad enough for having to leave the twins so soon after coming back.”
“And I wanna get back to Chidorita ASAP!” Junpei-san said. “Gotta make it up to her for tonight…”
He called his wife Chidorita? Ren couldn’t help but think about the grass starter from the Kohto region with that. What was it called again? Chicoretta? Whatever, it wasn’t important at the moment.
“But where are you going to stay?” Makoto asked.
Junpei-san let out a guffaw, his gray eyes twinkling. “Mako-tan, Mako-tan… You forget that we got here because of Mitsuru-senpai. And she has so many estates in Tokyo! We’ll just crash there for the night.”
“It is only right. They are here at my behest,” she stated with a shrug before her eyes slid to Ren and his friends. “If you would like to accompany us…”
“Um… maybe not tonight,” Haru said, shaking her head. "I'm exhausted…"
Makoto seemed to start before she grasped Ken's sleeve, whispering something to him.
Ken's brows furrowed together before he responded in just as low of a voice but Makoto tilted her head, before gesturing towards the city.
Just what were they talking about?
Koromaru suddenly barked, making Aigis-san turn her head. She tilted her head.
"Ken-san, Makoto-san, I would recommend against trying to find a restaurant to spend the rest of Christmas together," she announced. "Statistics have shown that it's near to impossible to secure a spot without a reservation."
Ken glowered at Koromaru as Makoto's expression grew flustered. "Did you have to say it in front of Aigis-san?"
Sae stopped and stared. Oh right, she didn’t know that Aigis-san could talk to dogs.
“Well, that just means that we have to take Sae-san with us!” Minako-san chirped out before she winked. “So Ken-kun and Makoto-chan can have some time alone~”
As the Shadow Operatives started to tease Ken, obviously taking great joy in making him sputter and blush, Ren felt Anne’s hand in his.
“They have the right idea, Ren,” Anne whispered, giving his fingers a squeeze. “Wanna see if we can squeeze in a small celebration tonight?”
“That sounds great, Anne,” Ren said, giving his girlfriend a smile.
“I’ll have to grab my present from home, but I’ll meet you in front of the train station in half an hour or so.” Anne leaned up, pressing a kiss against his cheek, before she broke into a sprint, running off.
“Anne, wait, you shouldn’t run! You can slip!” Makoto called out, cupping her hands to her mouth.
Sae watched her as well, biting her lip. Maybe she was worried too?
“I mean, if she can run in those wicked high heels as Panther…” Futaba trailed off.
Fuuka-san laughed. “You should’ve seen the heels that Mitsuru-senpai would wear.”
“This is seriously a superpower…” Futaba said in awe. “I bet I would trip and fall if I tried to wear them.”
“Yes, you do lack the grace,” Yusuke agreed, nodding.
“Oh shut up, Inari…!”
Haru chuckled. “Now, now…”
Futaba huffed before sticking her tongue out at Yusuke. “Welp, if the couples are gonna be gross with each other, I’m gonna split. I need to see if Sojiro’s okay…”
“Yeah, I’m worried about Mom too,” Ryuji said after a short pause. “C’mon, I’ll walk ya, Futaba.”
“Thanks…”
Without further ado, the two of them waved at everyone before heading off for the train station.
“Perhaps I should go to the dorms as well,” Yusuke said. “I’m out of train fare though so… I ought to set out as soon as I can.”
Haru’s eyes widened in alarm before she grabbed onto his arm. “Ah, Yusuke-kun… how about you join me then? Let’s warm you up with some hot chocolate and then I’ll ask my driver to take you home to the dorms.”
Yusuke blinked. “Ah… forever the milk of human kindness, Haru. I will accept your invitation.”
“The milk of what…? Interesting choice in compliments,” Ren thought with a quirked brow.
Despite knowing him for several months now, he still couldn’t wrap his head around Yusukeisms sometimes.
As they walked off, Yusuke offered Haru his arm, which Haru gratefully accepted. At least they would have each other…
Fuuka-san watched with a soft smile before turning to Mitsuru-san, clearing her throat. “Um, so, Mitsuru-senpai? Where is everyone going to stay?”
“Hmm…” Mitsuru-san touched her chin, in deep thought. “I have one in mind. I’ve… lent it to members of our organization before. There might be some fresh changes of clothes if it’s still stocked.”
“Mitsuru-senpai thinks of everything!” Junpei-san said with a wide grin.
“Statistically one needs to,” Aigis-san droned out. “It certainly won’t be Junpei-san.”
Junpei-san staggered back, clutching at his heart. “Ai-chan, you wound me!”
“And yet Stupei can’t deny it,” Yukari-san said, examining her nails.
As another bickering fest flared up, making Mitsuru-san sigh… Ren noticed Ken and Makoto slip away as the adults were distracted.
Christmas…
His first Christmas with Anne…
Ren let out a small smile appear on his face as he walked towards the train station.
Today had been a roller coaster, but… at least he could end the night with Anne.
“Ren-kun, wait!”
Ren blinked, turning to see that Yukari-san was standing before him. The brown-haired woman opened her mouth, only to shut it. Then open and close again.
Ren tilted his head. “Are you trying to catch flies?”
Yukari-san’s expression suddenly grew flustered. “N-No! It’s just—”
She stopped short.
“You—” And she grew quiet again, cutting herself off. Then she lifted her head, a small smile on her lips. “You were incredible, Ren-kun.”
Ren’s eyes widened.
“I-I mean, you’ve seen a lot of this kind of thing. Is it really special to you?”
Yukari-san’s expression turned stern. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up. Look, I know that… hearing about our past exploits probably was a lot. But it doesn’t demean your accomplishments. And um… try to enjoy tonight with Anne-chan, Ren-kun. You deserve it. After everything you’ve gone through during this entire year…”
She then looked like she was contemplating about saying more but then Minako-san called out to her.
“Yukari-chan, let’s go!”
“Coming!” Yukari-san then turned back to Ren, an almost bittersweet smile on her face. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ren-kun. Until then!”
Ren gave a wave before continuing to walk towards the train station. It was… a little lonely. He was so used to Morgana chattering away. Ren shook his head. No, he couldn’t have this sort of mindset. He was going to have fun with Anne tonight. Morgana would want him to keep his best foot forward, that furball was always looking out for his best interests. Morgana wouldn’t want him moping now. Plus he’d be mad at Ren if he didn’t keep Anne smiling, he has to keep his spirits up for her too.
But he had barely moved forward when another voice called out to him.
“Ren-kun? A word, if you would?”
He turned around to see that Sae was looking at him with a… odd expression on her face.
“Wiggled free from Minako-san, I see,” Ren commented.
“Yes, I—” Sae gave a sharp inhale before wrapping an arm around herself. “Listen, Ren-kun… there’s something I need to discuss with you.”
“Okay but… make it quick. I have to meet up with Anne soon,” Ren told her.
Sae visibly winced before she cleared her throat. “First of all, I just want to thank you for fulfilling my request. With your actions, I can only hope that public opinion changes. Do you think it changed?”
“What we overheard is promising,” Ren said, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I believe it will.”
“That’s good to hear…” Sae’s voice grew distant before she snapped back to attention. “Shido confessed to a variety of crimes. We can arrest him on those charges.”
Ren frowned. “Why do I hear a ‘but’ in that…?”
Sae heaved out a sigh. “The problem lies in proving him guilty. It’d be difficult unless the correlation between the Metaverse and the mental shutdowns is made. Akechi-kun, who perpetrated those crimes, has gone missing…”
Her expression grew… conflicted. Ren frowned at the sight of it. Well, he supposed that Sae was bound to feel torn about Akechi, what with their former partnership.
But then her eyes steeled; the resemblance to Makoto suddenly became striking. “You’re the only ones left who can testify.”
“W-Wait…” Ren couldn’t stop a stutter from creeping into his voice. “You want me to testify? As me or…?”
Sae sighed heavily. “I’m sorry… but yes. I want you to turn yourself into the police. As… the leader of the Phantom Thieves.”
Ren’s eyes widened and felt as if someone threw their drink in his face. Why would she ask this of him?
“But why?” Ren asked.
He thought… everything was over.
But of course. Of course there was something…
“Your testimony will be necessary in order to prove Shido guilty,” Sae stated, folding her arms over her chest. “That will mean placing you on center stage. You’ll be treated as a hero who saved this country… but there’s no way that the police or the public prosecutors will let that slide. They’ll lose face to you and the Phantom Thieves. If that happens, there’s no telling what they’ll do to you or your teammates. There’s even the possibility that they’ll fabricate a crime and move to arrest you all.”
Ren’s hands clenched. Of course. It was all about their damn reputation.
“If you turn yourself in to the police, you’ll definitely be arrested. And there’s your past record. The police and prosecution will strike there. They’ll treat your arrest as grave misconduct and revoke your probation…”
Ren squeezed his eyes shut. There was always something, huh…? But then he caught sight of the pinched expression on her face. She took no joy in this…
“You’ll be most likely sent to juvenile hall and placed in solitary confinement,” Sae stated, biting her lip. “But… They’ll be content as long as they get a testimony without the Phantom Thieves being hailed as heroes. That should guarantee the safety of your teammates, Or rather, I’ll make sure it’s guaranteed. I’ll close all the cases surrounding Shido. I intend to expose them all. It’s to prevent society from becoming distorted again. That’s what you want too, isn’t it?”
“Is there… really no other way?” Ren asked quietly.
Sae pursed her lips. “I suppose… if we found Akechi and convinced him to confess. But the clock is ticking. I’m not sure if that is even plausible. There’s been no sight of him, after all. For all we know, he’s fled the country amidst all of the chaos.”
Ren grimaced. Damn… It was worth a shot.
Ren closed his eyes, pressing a hand against his face. In his mind’s eye, he could see each of his friends’ faces, completely utterly miserable behind bars.
It was either him… or all of them.
And that… cemented his decision. He wasn’t going to let his friends be dragged down, not if he could help it… It was the only way to not let their efforts go to waste.
“I’ll do it,” Ren said quietly.
Sae’s eyes widened for a moment. “Ren-kun… thank you.”
“It was no choice,” Ren said flatly. “But… I have one request.”
“The outing you had planned,” Sae stated.
Ren nodded.
He wanted to see Anne’s smile one last time, burn it in his memory. For a moment, he wondered how long it’d take until Anne’s voice and face would fade away…
Ren swallowed hard. He needed to see her, even if he couldn’t see the others…
Sae exhaled. “Very well. I’ll come and fetch you for it tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you,” Ren breathed.
“...It’s the least I can do,” Sae said, pursing her lips. “And Ren-kun… I’m truly sorry it had to come to this.”
Ren just shook his head. “It’s that or let my friends’ lives go to ruin. And that’s not an option.”
Morgana may be gone… but he could still save his other friends.
“You really are a noble person,” Sae mused. “I’m very grateful, all things considered, Makoto found a friend like you in her life. All of you.”
“Thanks. I’ll… see you tomorrow, then.” Ren gave a small bow of his head before hurrying away.
It was in that moment that his phone suddenly went off. His lips twisted in a grimace as he noted who was trying to contact him. He quickly shoved his phone in his pocket, determined to push his parents out of his head.
He scanned the area as he wove in and out of the packed crowd. He felt a pang as he saw couples his age and older holding hands. But then a flash of red caught his eye.
Anne’s back was turned as she scanned for him. Ren slowed his footsteps as he drew close. He then spun Anne around and embraced her tightly.
“Ren!” Anne gasped out, shock shining in her eyes. Then she wiggled in his grasp. “Sheesh, Ren, it’s not like it’s been that long since we’ve seen each other.”
Ren just loosened his grasp around her waist, dipping his head to bury his face into the crook of her neck for a moment. “Sorry, just after Morgana… I needed to make sure you’re safe… and here with me.”
He could feel his arms shaking. God, he needed to get a grip. He was here to enjoy one last night with his girlfriend. He couldn’t break her heart by letting her catch on…
Anne looked to him, before her eyes softened with compassion. She then reached up, resting a hand against his cheek.
“I’m here, Ren. Sorry but you’re stuck with me,” Anne said jokingly.
Ren forced a smile, taking a step back and catching her hand. He raised it to his lips, before saying sincerely, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, my lady.”
Except… she wouldn’t be his much longer. It wouldn’t be fair to behold her like this. After he turned himself in, she should try to find someone new. Someone that she could love just as much as him, if not more.
But then Anne’s expression grew serious. “Ren… are you okay? I mean, with Morgana… I know he was one of your best friends.”
Ren looked down. “He was everyone’s friend. It isn’t just me who’s affected.”
It wasn’t just him who lost someone.
Anne bit her lip. “Yeah but… you two had a special bond.”
“I… I’ll be okay. Let’s just have fun tonight, okay? Morgana would want us all to be happy.” Ren said, forcing a smile to his lips. “I want this to be a night that you’ll remember.”
Anne smiled and nodded. “Yeah! I know the restaurants are probably pretty crowded, what with it being Christmas Eve. But I’m sure we can find something!”
Ren just smiled to himself. He was going to miss how bright and optimistic she was.
He was going to miss all of his friends… but her most of all.
Christmas in Tokyo was usually gorgeous, with the entire city illuminated. And while the buildings were slowly lighting up again, it wasn’t its usual splendor.
“I wish you could see how it usually is for Christmas,” Makoto said wistfully.
“Well, the city did put up its lights today,” Ken commented.
“I know but… it would’ve been nice to admire the lights with you,” Makoto sighed. “It just feels that the past few weeks don’t feel… real.”
Ken let out a sigh before giving a nod. “I know what you mean. Probably didn’t help that I was stuck inside for so long.”
Makoto let out a small hum before reaching for Ken’s free hand.
“I just hope it’s over now…”
There were still certain matters that nagged at Makoto, but she wanted to push it aside for tonight. After everything that had transpired tonight… Makoto couldn’t help but shiver a little, recalling how utterly helpless she had felt when Yaldabaoth had attempted to wipe them all away from existence.
“Are you cold, Makoto?” Ken’s concerned voice pulled her out of her brooding.
“Ah, well… not quite,” Makoto admitted. “It’s—I’ll tell you when we get inside…”
Ken was quiet for a moment but he gave a nod. “Okay.”
But he slipped an arm around her anyway, resting his hand at her waist, as they continued walking to the apartment Makoto shared with Sae. Normally both of them were content with just holding hands when they were walking together.
A few moments of walking passed in comfortable silence before Ken spoke up.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a white Christmas.”
Makoto blinked. “Really…?”
Ken let out a small hum. “Sometimes it snows on Port Island, sometimes it doesn’t. It just happened to not snow in the past two years. Granted, this is a pretty light snowfall but still…”
It was snowing just enough for snowflakes to catch in their hair.
“Might need to break out the heavy winter coat for Shujin soon, then…” Makoto mused.
It wasn’t long until they arrived at the apartment. Makoto took a moment to run a hand through her hair, shaking out the melting snow. She was about to invite Ken inside when he suddenly pulled her in his arms, holding her tight.
“Ken…?”
Makoto clutched at his blazer, looking up at him. Ken took in a shuddering breath.
“I’m sorry… I just—” Ken shook his head. “I-I think… it sunk in just now.”
“I-It’s okay, Ken. We survived,” Makoto whispered. “But come on, let’s get inside. We should be more comfortable in the apartment.”
Ken nodded before Makoto pulled away, taking his hand and leading him into the apartment. Once they were seated together, Makoto pulled herself together to speak.
“That’s what happened earlier… what was bothering me,” Makoto mumbled out. “J-Just… the fact that we nearly died. It felt like… everything we had fought for had been all for nothing. It just came… crashing down.”
Ken just slipped his arms around her, kissing her temple.
“I know what you mean.” Ken’s eyes grew dull and he bit his lip. “When it was my turn… only Ren and Morgana were left. And when you disappeared, it was…”
He trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. Makoto took his hand once more, squeezing.
His hand was warm, with faint calluses on his palm. Solid and firm, as it always was.
“It’s over now at least…” Makoto said.
There was still a lot to take care of but… they had to leave it into Sae’s hands. She could only pray that her sister’s efforts would bear fruit this time and that Shido and his associates would get their rightful punishment.
She then tried to smile. “But… it’s Christmas Eve. We should take advantage of the time we have now.”
Ken nodded with a smile. “I actually got Shinjiro-san to order us a cake. It’s not the biggest but…”
“I’m sure that it’s wonderful,” Makoto said with a light laugh. Then she stood up. “But I need to get your present. I’ll be right back.”
She immediately headed for her bedroom, reaching underneath her bed and drawing out her present for Ken. As she took it in both hands, she felt a wave of uncertainty. Would Ken even like what she got him…?
When she came back, present in hand, she noticed that Ken was looking at the family portrait, which had been sitting on the coffee table. She had been little more than a toddler when it was taken. Sae, at ten years old, was standing right in front of Dad, with Dad’s hand on her shoulder, while Makoto was balanced on Mom’s hip.
“Ah, sorry…” Ken seemed to snap to attention. “I was just taken by surprise. Aside from my memories, this is the first time I’ve seen your mother. She’s beautiful.”
Makoto smiled. “Yes… Sis takes a lot after her.”
Ken studied the portrait for a couple more moments before his lips curved into a smile. “You have her smile, though. And I think the shape of your faces are rather similar, plus your eyes are the same color.”
“I-If you say so.” Makoto tucked a stray strand of hair, letting out a small laugh.
Ken tilted his head, taking a moment to look at her before he reached for his gift.
“Merry Christmas, Makoto,” he said softly.
Makoto took the package from him. She always disliked ripping into wrapping paper so it took her several moments for her to peel away the tape and slowly remove the wrapping paper. She did notice that Ken got antsy, starting to fidget. She fought back a chuckle. Even Ken got impatient, did he?
A Like A Yakuza: Dragon DVD was on top. But that’s not what drew her eyes.
“Is this autographed?!” Makoto exclaimed. “By Jackie Chun?!”
“Yukari-san worked with him a couple years ago,” Ken said. “I actually thought it was a long shot, but I asked Yukari-san about it over a month ago and she got him to agree. And I remembered you mentioning that he was one of your favorite action stars so…”
Makoto threw her arms around him, “Thank you” falling from her lips repeatedly.
“And the Dragon series is a good movie series. I had been meaning to watch the series but… it was fun to watch it with you,” Ken said, his cheeks turning pink.
Makoto set it aside. “Well, maybe we can watch it later tonight too. Did you catch the theater release? I forget…”
Ken shook his head. “I didn’t. It released back in June and well… you know what I was up to then.”
“Good point,” Makoto said with a laugh. “We should watch it together then.”
But as she handed over her gift, she was once again uncertain. Ken just took it with a smile before peeling away the wrapping paper. As he lifted the lid from the box, she spoke.
“U-Um, Shinjiro-san mentioned that you were talking about needing another scarf. I-I thought it’d be nice to make one for you. I asked Kanji-san for advice and well… I’m sorry, it’s not the best.”
Kanji-san had told her that it wasn’t that bad, but Makoto had dropped a few loops while knitting the scarf for him. Ken was quiet as he rubbed a hand over the fabric.
Then he looped the scarf around his neck, tucking it snugly. He then reached out, taking her hands.
“I love it,” he said sincerely. “Especially since you made it for me. And I know that sewing and the like isn’t the easiest.”
Makoto blinked. “Wait… do you know how to sew?”
“It’s a good skill to have!” Ken immediately retorted, only for his expression to become sheepish. “Shinjiro-san taught me after I kept getting in scrapes while training with the soccer club.”
Makoto held a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. “Shinjiro-san? Really?”
Ken’s eyes just twinkled. “Minako-san says he’s housewife material for a good reason.”
“Imagine if Ren ever caught wind of that,” Makoto said with a laugh.
“Well, he lived through Junpei-san and Minako-san’s teasing. He’d survive,” Ken said with a laugh.
Ken laughed rarely. But it always made Makoto feel warm, hearing it.
They continued to chat for several minutes before Makoto got up, insisting on cooking dinner for the both of them. It had been just a simple stir fry but Ken had found it delicious. Given the food that Ken ate on a regular basis, Makoto found it quite the compliment.
They then sliced the cake. It was delicious and creamy, the batter swirled with a delicate strawberry flavor.
But as they ate the cake, a thought occurred to Makoto.
“Hey Ken?”
“Hm?”
Ken looked up. Makoto chuckled at the sight of cream smeared on the corner of his mouth. She reached out, wiping it away. Pink crept into his cheeks at the sudden contact but Makoto just laughed, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. After cleaning her finger, she spoke up.
“I was just… wondering. I know that Shinjiro-san said that you would stay in Tokyo until graduation. But have you thought about what you’ll do after graduating?”
Ken pursed his lips. “Well… not entirely. I realize now… that I do want to keep doing what we’re doing now. Shadow Operative work but… only for emergencies. I still haven’t figured out what exactly I want to study. Maybe forensics? I’m not entirely sure… I just know that I want to do something with criminal justice. I don’t know where it’d take me though.”
“It’s okay to not know what you want,” Makoto said. “I mean, we’re only eighteen.”
Ken nodded with a smile. “I know.”
Then he reached out, squeezing her hand.
“And… I also know that whatever future I pursue—I want you to be there,” he murmured.
Makoto’s face grew warm.
“I want that too,” she whispered.
Ken just smiled warmly at her.
“Merry Christmas, Makoto.”
He then kissed her, gentle and slow. Makoto’s eyes fluttered shut as she savored the kiss all while sliding into his lap. When they came up for air, Makoto just rested her head against Ken’s shoulder.
All in all… it was a wonderful Christmas.
“Ugh… I can’t believe we couldn’t find a single restaurant that would take us!”
Ren just laughed, turning to face his girlfriend. “Well, Aigis-san did warn us. Though that makes me wonder where Ken and Makoto went off to, then.”
Anne gave him a light push before wagging a finger at him. “Quit being so nosy, Ren. What they get up to is their business.”
She then put both hands on her hips, her lips forming an adorable pout.
“Besides, do you really want to talk about our friends… when tonight should be about us?”
“You’re right.” Ren drew her into his arms, bending his head to kiss her forehead. “So, my lady, what do you have a hankering to eat?”
“Anything,” Anne answered readily.
Ren kissed her cheek. “I’ll see what I can do.”
After digging through the fridge, Ren found the ingredients for Leblanc curry. It wasn't long before the rich aroma of curry filled the air, making Anne give a satisfied sigh.
Anne gave him a playful smile. "It really is a perk, dating someone who's an awesome cook."
Ren just grinned, setting down the platter in front of her, before leaning in to kiss her cheek. "I try."
Her answering giggle was like music to Ren's ears. He loved her laugh, how it was always filled with unbridled joy. It always cheered him up to hear it.
But even so, a thought nagged at him.
"Shouldn't I tell her?"
But at the same time, he didn't want to hurt her further. Especially right after they lost Morgana.
“Ren?”
Ren snapped to attention and he forced a smile to his lips.
“Sorry, I’m just… I don’t think it’s even fully sunk in yet… that we won.”
Liar…
Anne bit her lip, looking down for a second. “I mean… that’s fair. But we totally kicked ass! This Christmas was really crazy, huh? Though it’s too bad that they didn’t put on the full Christmas display. It’s super pretty.”
“Not as pretty as you, though,” Ren said immediately.
Anne giggled. “Oh, stop!”
Ren just laughed before sliding into the seat opposite of her. “So… did you do anything special for Christmas before then? Or did you just admire the lights?”
“Well…” Anne took a bite of curry before she answered. “I know it might sound a little weird but I celebrated Christmas differently when I was a kid. My dad grew up in America, you know. New York City, to be exact. His dad’s side of the family immigrated to America a couple generations before. But when my grandpa and nana got married, they decided to celebrate Christmas the American way. They’re way big on presents and spending time with the family. It’s kinda funny, comparing the different traditions. Like, in America, Montana Fried Chicken isn’t what you have for Christmas dinner. They’re big on stuffed turkey.”
“MFC is the best though!” Ren protested.
Anne giggled. “It’s how they do it there.”
“But I didn’t know your dad was Japanese American,” Ren commented. “So you still got family in America, then?”
“I mean… I guess you could say that.” Anne’s lips pursed. “Dad’s an only child though. But Grandpa had siblings who married and had kids and those kids grew up to have kids too. I’ve met them… once? Twice, maybe? That was back when we lived in New York City before we packed up to go live in Paris. We didn’t stay in America that long. Maybe a year, if that.”
“A well-traveled woman,” Ren said in a teasing voice.
Anne stuck her tongue out at him. “I guess you could say that. So, what about you? Have you gotten to travel anywhere, Ren?”
Ren shook his head. “Nah. I pretty much knew only Shimoda before coming here.”
Anne’s eyes widened at that before her expression softened. She then reached out, squeezing his hand resting on top of the table.
“I guess that means we’ll have to go have our own experiences. Hawaii’s on the top of the list if I remember right,” she said with a wink.
Ren swallowed subtly; he could only hope that Anne didn’t hear him.
There would be none of that… he would never get to see her again, after this…
“That sounds great, Anne,” Ren murmured, faking yet another smile. “I can’t wait.”
Even more lies.
“But first, we gotta take care of this school year, right?” he asked.
Anne sighed. “Ugh… don’t remind me. And we have another stupid test to worry about before the school year ends!”
“Hey, it’s easier on us than the third-years,” Ren said. “They have to worry about entrance exams.”
For a moment, his mind couldn’t help but wonder, thinking of his friends’ futures. Haru and Yusuke would end up together… in the future, maybe. Probably in the more distant future, given that Yusuke had his… moments. Would Ken and Makoto eventually get married?
He could see Ryuji pursuing something sport-related, getting married, and having a few kids. Probably would spoil them rotten. He’d never be able to say no to them.
And Anne… She would pursue her dream, be a shining light to everyone who saw her…
It just saddened Ren that he wouldn’t get to see it.
“But ugh, enough school talk!” Anne declared. “Come on, it’s present time!”
Ren hid a smile. “Someone’s feeling greedy.”
Anne scowled before kicking at his shin.
“Christmas is all about giving to the ones you love. And you’re the one I love the most…” she said with a small pout.
“Even more than Shiho?” Ren couldn’t help but feel shocked.
“Well… the way I love Shiho is different,” Anne admitted. “But you’re both super important to me. But come on, Ren!”
“Okay, okay, I’m coming.”
As he slid out of the seat, Anne grabbed his wrist and dragged him upstairs. Once they were seated again, Anne handed a present with her usual bright smile.
It was a box covered with shiny red wrapping paper with a snowflake pattern, tied together with a silver ribbon. After glancing at his girlfriend’s shining eyes, Ren started to unwrap it.
Inside the box was a pair of fuzzy black earmuffs.
Oh wow… He remembered idly mentioning to Anne that his ears got awfully cold and that he had misplaced his earmuffs. He was going to replace them eventually but this was…
He couldn’t believe that she remembered that.
"S-So?" Anne asked, suddenly nervous.
"They're perfect, Anne," Ren breathed out, fitting the earmuffs over his head.
They were so warm too. And fitted perfectly.
“I’m glad.” Anne laughed softly.
Ren draped an arm around her waist, giving her a squeeze. “I only mentioned it once. I’m surprised you remembered…”
Anne stuck her tongue at him. “Hey, I pay attention when it’s you.”
Ren bent his head, kissing the tip of her nose. “Good to know that I’m in your thoughts.”
Anne gave him a light shove. “Well, duh! I mean… it’s you, Ren. You’re one of my best friends, along with my boyfriend. I just… I dunno what I’d do without you…”
Anne’s expression fell and she bit her lip.
“Sometimes I would lie awake, thinking about what happen if the plan failed. I think… the idea of losing you… never getting to see you again scares me more than dying.”
Fuck.
What was he supposed to say to that?
He couldn’t laugh it off like usual. Not with the guilt gnawing away at him. God this was…
“Ren? S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all gloomy, I just—”
Ren bit his lip, giving her hand a squeeze.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
He raised his head to meet his girlfriend’s eyes. Instead of confusion, he saw… resignation.
“I knew it,” she whispered. “You are hiding something from me, aren’t you?”
“Anne, I—” Ren then closed his mouth.
He had no defense to this. But how could he even begin to explain about this?
“D-Don’t you trust me?” Anne whispered. “After everything we’ve been through, I thought you could tell me anything.”
“I… I…”
Anne sighed, shaking her head. Ren’s heart sank as he took in how disappointment had dulled her eyes.
“I think… I should go.” Anne’s voice shook horribly as she stood up.
“Anne please…”
“Ren, don’t make this harder than it has to be. I love you. With everything that I am. I would tell you anything.” Anne’s eyes then glimmered with tears.
Ren hated to see anyone cry. But he thought it was the worst when Anne cried. He had only seen her shed tears twice. Both times had been when she had felt utterly alone. And it pained Ren to think that Anne felt similarly, because of pain that he had inflicted on her.
“It just hurts me that you won’t do the same,” Anne said softly.
She turned to go.
Panic spiked inside Ren. He had already lost Morgana. And… Anne was about to walk out, like this. It was more than he could bear.
“Anne, wait!”
Ren pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight.
“Anne, please… stay with me tonight,” Ren begged, unable to keep his voice from shaking.
His secret was burning him up on the inside. He wanted so badly to tell her, but… he couldn’t. He didn’t want to shatter her heart in a million pieces.
But even still… would it be so bad if he was selfish, just this once?
“I know… I’m being selfish. I know I hurt you by hiding this from you. And I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. But please… let me be selfish, just for tonight. I need you…”
Anne stiffened in his arms. “Will you explain what’s bothering you?”
Ren’s arms tensed around her.
“In the morning,” he said. “I swear.”
Anne then took in a shuddering breath.
“Then… I’ll stay with you. But Ren… please. No more secrets.”
“I’m sorry,” Ren whispered.
Anne then pulled herself out of his arms.
“I don’t want your apology. Just… be honest with me in the future. That’s all I ask.”
Ren forced himself to nod.
“I will.”
He was a liar. And a coward.
But he was just glad that he could have one more night with Anne in his arms…
Sae stuck out like a sore thumb. She idly sipped at her glass of wine, listening with one ear as Aragaki’s associates talked amongst themselves. They had gone to one of Kirijo-san’s buildings. It had been stocked with food and supplies so it wasn’t long until Iori had broken out the wine.
But Sae was sitting in one of the loveseats, sipping her wine and watching Aragaki and his friends.
Everyone else here were friends… and where did that leave her? Why did she allow herself to be talked into this?
“Maybe because the one person you thought was on your side turned out to be a liar and a murderer,” a snide voice whispered.
Sae shook her head, trying to push Akechi-kun out of her mind. No, she couldn’t think about that. And… she found herself unsettled by him regardless.
And… her secret was gnawing at her. Everyone thought it was over.
They would… hate her, wouldn’t she?
“Niijima-san?”
Sae started before her grip on her wine glass slipped. But then hands reached out, steadying them so only a few drops of wine landed on Sae’s lap.
“Whoops, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” Minako-san—she had insisted on it, given that calling her by her last name would be confusing with her husband also being present—gave a weak chuckle. “You okay? You looked so far away.”
“I, ah… I’m fine.” Sae felt her cheeks flush out of embarrassment as she set down the glass. She then pressed a hand against her forehead, forcing a genial smile to her lips. “My apologies, it’s just… it’s been a long night.”
Minako-san nodded. “Yeah, we’ve had these kinds of situations before but… man, tonight was a doozy. It was kinda… weird witnessing this kind of thing again.”
“Mm-hm…” Sae gave a nod.
Minako-san just cocked her head. “Seriously, is everything okay?”
“N-Nothing’s wrong. I just—” Sae sighed. “I suppose I feel out of place here. It’s, ah, it’s been a while since I’ve attended such a gathering like this.”
Minako-san blinked. “How long?”
“Ah… perhaps two years?”
Probably longer if she was honest…
But then Minako-san reached out, patting her arm. “Aw, it’s okay! I mean, Aki spent two years walking the earth, so to speak.”
“I—what?”
“Oi, Mina-tan, you planning on giving Niijima-san our life stories tonight?!” Iori shouted at her.
Minako-san just gave a sly grin. “Oh, I’m saving that for a little down the road!”
Iori just barked with laughter, shaking his head. Then his phone suddenly went off and his face absolutely lit up. Minako-san giggled as he jogged off towards the bedrooms, presumably for some quiet for the call.
“His wife?” Sae guessed.
“Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!” Minako-san said with a laugh. "Their first anniversary is in a few months. Junpei had a bunch of things planned for Christmas but… it happens. There will always be next Christmas. I'm just glad the kids were able to squeeze in a little time though."
It took all of Sae's willpower to maintain a straight face. As if she didn’t feel bad enough about what she asked Ren to do…
"I'm… glad as well,” she managed to get out.
"Now say it without looking like you're swallowing a lemon," she said with a laugh, her eyes sparkling with repressed humor. Then she looked thoughtful. "I thought you had lightened up about Ken-kun and Makoto-chan dating, though?”
“Well, I—”
Sae coughed, clearing her throat. So, she thought that Sae was in a strange mood because of Makoto and Amada-kun leaving, did she? She wasn’t quite sure how to explain herself out of this but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“...It’s still just strange for me,” Sae said after a moment. “I never had much interest in dating myself personally. So… hearing about Makoto and Amada-kun from Ren-kun of all people was—”
She barely stopped herself from wincing. No, she shouldn’t think of Ren now! She coughed.
“...It was shocking.”
Minako-san just cocked her head. “Well… I guess that’s true. But I heard allll about how much Makoto-chan wanted to help you. To save you. You… have a second chance. Don’t waste it, yeah?”
She gave a bittersweet smile at that.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a downer. I’m just… I’m just thinking about my brother a lot lately. Especially after tonight.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Minako-san just shrugged. “He, um… he died when we were in high school. I still miss him, even more so now that I have a family waiting for me now.”
Sae bit her lip. “It’s… okay to still miss him.”
She hadn’t realized how much she had shut her feelings out. She had been so angry at her father. For going out that night, only to be suddenly ripped from both her and Makoto. It had been easier to be angry at the circumstances than to grieve.
Minako-san smiled softly. “Thank you, Niijima-san. Sometimes… I have to remind myself of that.”
“But ah… I didn’t realize you were a mother,” Sae said.
Minako-san’s eyes shone. “I had Kiyo last month. It’s been such hard work taking care of her… but I also love it at the same time. You should see Aki with her though—he absolutely adores her.”
“Your husband is a cop, correct?” Sae asked. “Aren’t you worried about his presence in… Kiyoko’s life?”
“Her full name is Kiyomi, sorry about that.” Minako-san’s expression grew serious and she bit her lip. “As for that… I guess there will be instances where it’ll be tough for Aki. But he’s promised that he’s going to try his damn hardest to be there for Kiyo and… well, any kids we have down the road. It’s important—to the both of us.”
“So you plan on having more?” Sae asked.
“At least one more, but I think three in total is a good number.” Minako-san then looked up at Sae. “What about you, Niijima-san?”
“Me?” Sae couldn’t help but feel flustered. “W-Well, I… I don’t exactly have many prospects.”
There was that rather irritating forensics scientist who always thought it was so amusing to flirt with her but it was all in jest.
“But would you like to?” Minako-san pressed.
Sae couldn’t help but feel flustered. “P-Perhaps one day. If the opportunity is there.”
Akihiko-san suddenly came up to them, wrapping an arm around Minako-san.
“Come on, Mina, haven’t you done enough interrogating for one day?” he asked, a teasing edge to it.
“It’s not interrogating, just getting to know Niijima-san!” Minako-san objected. “Just because you can clam up around strangers still doesn’t mean I have to.”
“You talk enough for the both of us anyways,” Akihiko-san retorted.
Minako-san just laughed before waving her hand at him, making the ring on her hand sparkle under the light.
"But you didn’t have to ask me to marry you, then," she said teasingly.
Akihiko-san just bent down, kissing her temple. "It was the best decision I ever made."
As they smiled at each other, Sae took the opportunity to slip away. She felt a tad light-headed though. Perhaps some water would do her some good.
But as she approached the kitchen, she heard voices. She could see Iori and Takeba-san talking, both looking rather serious.
“Yuka-tan… come on.” Iori’s voice turned chiding. “I know you better than that. Something’s bugging you.”
Takeba-san sighed, folding her arms over her chest. “Sorry, I just… You can’t tell anyone about this. Especially Minako.”
“I’m listening.” Iori’s voice became serious.
“It’s…” Takeba-san sighed, shaking her head. “While we were protecting the civilians, I… saved Ren-kun’s father. I dunno the details, but it seems that he and his parents are kinda… estranged. And then they ran off right away after the chaos started to die down…”
“I mean, Ken mentioned something along the lines that the entire town turned against Ren.” Iori gave a small sigh, one of sympathy. “Poor kid. He’s been through the wringer.”
“I know…” Takeba-san sighed too, wrapping an arm around herself. “I-I wanted to tell him before he left with Anne-chan, but after losing someone so important to him… I couldn’t. I couldn’t add to his burden.”
Sae squeezed her eyes shut. She hated this. She hated that it had to come to this.
But the alternative was worse.
And yet… telling herself this wouldn’t stop the guilt from clawing at her. Everyone had been so kind to her… But they would absolutely hate her once the news broke out.
And Sae hated that was the case…
“You’re leaving already, Niijima?”
Sae smiled weakly. “It’s past ten already. Thank you for the hospitality but I think it is best that I head home now.”
Kirijo-san nodded, looking thoughtful. “I see…”
“Niijima.”
Sae turned to see Aragaki approaching.
“Just let me know if Ken’s phone is dead or something. I don’t mind if he’s too tired from everything tonight and would rather stay there for the night, but I would rather know,” he said flatly. “If it’s okay with you anyhow.”
Sae pursed her lips before nodding. “I will let you know. Good night.”
The others called out goodbyes to her and she gave one last wave before stepping out.
It was nearly eleven by the time Sae had reentered the apartment. She couldn’t help but notice the light in the living room was still on as she entered.
Makoto and Amada-kun were curled up together on the couch. The TV was on, some kind of credits rolling. Makoto’s cheek was pressed against Amada-kun’s torso, their limbs tangled together.
It seemed innocent enough and they looked so peaceful…
Sae closed her eyes as a fresh wave of guilt hit her. She didn’t want to do this—she didn’t want to condemn Ren-kun to a life in prison. Not after everything he had endured… he deserved peace like this.
But what other choice did she have? Akechi-kun was nowhere to be found, not that she expected anyone could find him. It was a shock to see him show up when he saved her, but he was gone as quickly as he appeared. He wouldn’t stick around. Probably halfway to some other country to hide by now. They needed someone to confess and testify to put Shido away for good.
Ren-kun was the best candidate for the job after Akechi-kun.
“I’m sorry,” Sae said quietly. “You think everything’s over but…”
She swallowed hard and her eyes stung with unshed tears.
“Forgive me… it’s for your sakes that this must be done.”
Sunday, December 25 th , 2016
How do you fall asleep, knowing that just in a few hours you would be turning yourself into the police? Ren was wide awake, an arm loosely draped around Anne.
Anne’s soft breathing was soothing but only to a certain degree. Ren sighed, looking out of the window. The sun was starting to peek out, faint light streaming through the small window. The morning light made Anne’s skin glow, her hair gleam.
Ren loved her hair so much. He loved running his fingers through it, burying his face in her soft, thick locks. He reached out, stroking it for a moment.
He was going to miss this. Holding her in his arms like this. Ryuji had teased him about Anne sleeping over so much, but he also just adored the intimacy.
His heart just ached, thinking about it. He couldn’t help but wish for more time. And… he regretted, that he wasn’t able to give Anne one last night of happiness before he had to go.
But he had to do this…
He couldn’t take that away or his friends’ future. He couldn’t be selfish. It was what was right, to make sure that Shido got what he deserved.
There was no other choice. He had to protect everyone. Even if they were angry in the beginning, he hoped that they would understand the choice Ren made.
But… it was so hard. So hard. He didn’t want to walk away from Anne.
Was this how… Minato-san felt? His friends thinking that they were safe. His girlfriend looking forward to building a future with him.
He… never realized how much he had wanted that, until now. To be able to build a future with Anne…
How could he even begin to explain his choice? He could just imagine everyone’s reactions. It killed him to think of hurting his friends, but what alternative was there?
But at the same time… he promised Anne that he would tell her.
As he gazed out the window, he couldn’t help but recall how Ken had told him that Minato-san had written everyone in SEES letters before his passing.
It was… better than nothing. At least he could say his last goodbyes to them. But as he shifted to get up, Anne grabbed onto his arm and clutching it close.
“Ren… please…” she whispered before a tear trickled down her cheek. “Don’t go…”
Ren winced. What was she dreaming about?
As he looked down at her, his heart ached. He knew… he was going to miss her. So much. Her gorgeous smile, the scent of her tropical perfume, and… the way she just loved him so fiercely. He felt that he would’ve just broken in the past few months, if it wasn’t for Anne to remind him that things were going to be okay.
“Anne… I’m going to miss you.”
He stared down at her, laying down once more and drawing her into his arms. He hugged her close, his throat constricting painfully as he choked back the tears.
He let himself hold Anne for several more minutes before reluctantly climbing out of bed. He drew the blankets around her before going to sit at his desk. He pulled out a sheet of paper.
He wrote the first letter to Sojiro, but he started to cross out words. He felt uncertain about what he wrote halfway in, so he ended up having to write a second draft. He took in a shuddering breath as he folded the piece of paper, reaching for another sheet to write his letter for Futaba.
He was about halfway to his letter to Haru when he started to get misty-eyed.
Damn. Damn. How could Minato-san do this without breaking down?
Ren was grateful that he was a quiet crier because he didn’t want to wake up Anne but… holy crap it hurt. He could feel a crack in his heart forming as he wrote his goodbye letter to Ryuji.
Anne’s letter… was last. He poured his heart out, begging her to forgive him for lying to her. For not being able to tell the truth. But he thanked her for loving him… and he told her to move on from him. Someone deserved to bask in her love… even if it wasn’t him.
And now he couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.
They sprinkled the edge of the paper. Ren thought for a moment to grab another paper, but… what was the point? He was just going to keep crying…
"I learned a long time ago that you should take what happiness you can. You never know when it'll be cut off suddenly."
Ken’s words to him when he tried to encourage Ren to ask out Anne back in July suddenly echoed in his mind.
“I wish I had known how right you were, Ken,” Ren mumbled to himself.
He hadn’t understood Ken’s words in their entirety… until now.
Ren sighed, rubbing at his eyes. It was morning now… Sae would be here soon.
He folded the letters, piling them together. He quietly got dressed in his school uniform. Anne was still asleep. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and she was mumbling something to herself in her sleep. Ren bent down, taking the moment to brush his lips against Anne’s forehead. It was a feather light kiss… but it was the last he’d ever get to kiss Anne like that.
He tried to burn Anne in his memory… before he walked out of her life for good.
“Goodbye, Anne.”
Notes:
Happy New Year’s, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. We’re now in the homestretch. Next chapter will focus on the aftermath of Ren turning himself in along with the efforts to free him. And 1 or 2 chapters will focus on Ren’s release and everything that comes along with it! I’ve got some good plans for the next couple chapters and I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of the ride ;)
The Shuann Christmas date panned out a bit differently and it’s all thanks to my wonderful beta angelrin89’s idea. She originally planned on using it for her own fic when it followed P5 vanilla but since then she’s decided to make it a Royal fic so she felt the idea wouldn’t fit. She allowed me to adopt the idea, so to speak, and I hope I did her idea justice! You’ll see more focus on Anne’s reaction to Ren turning himself in the next chapter hehe.
But I hoped you enjoyed the chapter! Would love to hear some thoughts on it! Also, thank you everyone for the 1900 kudos!!
Chapter 55: 54: One Determination
Summary:
December 25th arrives and Ren is forced to turn himself in, for the sake of incriminating Shido. He was well aware that his loved ones would take things poorly though he was unaware of how much they would react to his sacrifice.
And all while this is happening... just where is Akechi hiding?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, December 25th, 2016
"Ken… Ken, wake up."
Ken blearily blinked his eyes open to see Makoto leaning over him, shaking him awake. He stifled a yawn.
"Makoto?" He rubbed his eyes, yawning again. "What time is it?"
"Around eight or so," she told him, only to bite her lip and tuck her hair behind her ear. "But um… Ken, we're still at the apartment. We fell asleep on the couch."
Ken froze at that. Wait, did Niijima-san walk into that, then? What if she jumped to the wrong conclusion?
"Y-Your sister…"
Makoto smiled gently at him, taking a moment to brush his bangs out of his eyes. "Relax, Ken. I'll go explain to Sis about what happened. In the meantime, why don't you freshen up in the bathroom? You can help yourself to a toothbrush. We keep some brand-new extra ones under the sink. You can shower if you want though I'm not sure if you'll like the products Sis and I use."
Ken shook his head. "I'll wait until I get back to the apartment to freshen up."
Makoto just laughed, bending to kiss his cheek. "That's what I thought."
"Glad that you know me so well," Ken said lightly, reaching out to squeeze Makoto's hand briefly.
He then stood up, heading towards the bathroom. Splashing cold water against his face wasn't the most pleasant feeling but it served its purpose—waking Ken up. After finding a new toothbrush, Ken went through his usual morning routine, though he decided to run his fingers through his hair rather than use Makoto or Niijima-san's brush.
He checked the time on his phone. Shinjiro-san should be awake, right?
"Hmm… maybe I'll let Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san sleep in," Ken thought to himself.
They were probably tired as well. Especially Shinjiro-san, with his Persona's attacks being all physical based. So he pocketed his phone and stepped out of the bathroom.
Once he stepped out, he could hear the clatter of pots and pans. He investigated the kitchen, feeling uncertain despite Makoto's reassurances. Niijima-san seemed distracted, her lips pursing together. She fidgeted, playing with a stray strand at her sleeve.
But then she looked up, staring right at Ken.
"Amada-kun, you can come in," she said in a crisp, cool voice. "I'm not going to bite."
"Um… right." Ken rubbed the back of his neck before hesitantly stepping in.
He couldn't help but feel a tad awkward about this all, even if Niijima-san was fine with what happened. But then he heard Makoto clearing her throat.
"It's so cold this morning, I think some corn miso soup will warm us up. And it'll be a light meal, good for when we meet up with everyone for the celebration."
"Are you planning on coming, Niijima-san?" Ken inquired.
Niijima-san flinched. Ken fought the urge to wince.
"Oh boy… what did Minako-san put her through last night?" he thought, hoping it wasn't anything too crazy.
He loved Minako-san but… he knew that Minako-san could be a lot to handle.
"Ah, no, I-I'm not sure," she said, her words coming out stilted. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I have plenty of work to do, what with building up the case against Shido."
Makoto paused in cubing the tofu, her face falling. "Sis, you're planning on working today? It's Christmas…"
Niijima-san's smile turned strained. "I know, Makoto, but—"
"Nobody's going to be in the office,Sis," Makoto argued. "What's the harm in taking one day off?"
Ken asked tentatively, "Did… Minako-san say something discomforting? If she did, I apologize… she means no harm, I promise."
"Ah, no, it's not that… Minako-san was…" Sae-san trailed off, wincing. "Well, she's very friendly and always encouraged me to join the group. It's… just—I'll feel better about everything once we can get the ball rolling on the Shido case. I've… failed all of you enough. I wish… you didn't have to go through so many ordeals."
Her words made sense. But something nagged at Ken; something just felt off.
Or maybe he was just tired from everything that transpired last night. Spending the night with Makoto had been wonderful but it was really no surprise that they had fallen asleep like that.
"Well if you don't want to go, that's that," Makoto said, even as disappointment seeped into her voice. Then she looked up at her sister. "But Sis, please don't push yourself. I know we need Shido to pay for his crimes but… I don't want it to the detriment of your health."
Niijima-san slowly nodded. "I'll do my best. When are you planning on going?"
"Ah…" Makoto pursed her lips, flicking her eyes over to Ken. "I suppose we'll have to call Ren. We should meet up at Leblanc, right?"
"Assuming Ren and Anne plan on getting up anytime soon," Ken mumbled under his breath.
But apparently this made Niijima-san stiffen. Ah, right, she knew about… their bedroom activities thanks to Ren's loose lips during the interrogation.
"Ken…" Makoto's voice turned chiding. "I think we all deserve it, don't you? After everything that happened last night."
"Well I guess you're right," Ken admitted. "It's been hellish for everyone but for Ren… I can't imagine what it was like."
Makoto sighed, "At least it's over now. And Shido will get what he deserves soon."
She started to turn back to the tofu, only for Niijima-san to speak up.
"I'm sorry."
She took in a shuddering breath, pressing a hand to her forehead.
Makoto frowned, setting down the knife once more. "Sis?"
"I'm sorry…" Niijma-san repeated. "I—"
Makoto hurried over to her sister, a deep frown marring her features. "Something is bothering you… i-is it the Shido case?"
Ken's eyes widened. So he hadn't been imagining it?
"I—" Niijima-san then cut herself off, shaking her head. "It's nothing."
"It's not nothing!" Makoto shook her head. "Sis, you can tell us. Maybe we can help? Or maybe Mitsuru-san has contacts that we can consult too if you're worried about the case—"
"It's not that simple!" Niijima-san's outburst made Makoto cringe back.
Ken hovered by his girlfriend's side, his eyes darting between her and Niijima-san. What had Niijima-san so bothered?
"I-I…" Niijima-san shook her head. "I can't. I can't pretend everything is fine."
"Shido can't be convicted?" Ken asked tentatively, his heart sinking.
After everything, after they had fought tooth and nail, after losing Morgana.
It amounted to nothing?
"It's—" Niijima-san bit her lip. "Shido will have a case but there would've been consequences. F-From his people."
"What kind of consequences?" Makoto asked, eyes narrowed.
Niijima-san looked away.
"They would want scapegoats. Someone to take the fall, to save face," she said softly.
"To save face?" Ken repeated.
Niijima-san squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm sorry… b-but last night, I spoke to Ren-kun. I realized that Shido's men needed to be placated. Otherwise, all of you would've taken the fall. The truth would've humiliated them and they would stop at nothing until you were all behind bars."
"Sis, what did you say to Ren?" Makoto breathed out.
Niijima-san's lips twisted into a grimace. "We needed his testimony. The leader of the Phantom Thieves."
It took a total of three seconds for Ken to process her statement. Ren—he had…?
Then red-hot anger surged through him.
"What the hell were you thinking?!"
Both Makoto and Niijima-san gaped at him, probably since he had just swore. But Ken ignored it.
"After everything—you heard his entire story. He's been through hell this year. He could've died so easily several times. And he had just lost one of his best friends. And to top it all off, you mean to tell me that after he nearly died, lost all of his friends, he still must sacrifice himself like this?! How could you even think to ask him to take some kind of plea deal?!"
"Amada-kun, I—"
"Don't," Ken snapped out. He then glared at the older woman. "Why? Why him?! Isn't there some other way?!"
Niijima-san shook her head. "I've gone over it countless times. There's no other way, not with the options we have."
"What if we found Akechi?" Makoto blurted out. "Futaba might be able to track him down—"
Niijima-san shook her head once more. "This is assuming that Akechi-k—Akechi hasn't fled the country already. And there's too little time. We need to get the case started now if we want Shido and his associates to face justice, any longer and they'll be able to cover more and more of their tracks, it'll be harder to pin them all down but with Ren-kun's help I can nail Shido I'm sure of—"
Something in him… cracked. And he cut off Niijima-san immediately.
"You really haven't changed at all," Ken spat out. "It's your way or the highway, right? Never mind who else must suffer! You're so selfish! You just want to win!"
Niijima-san looked like he had just slapped her. "I—"
"I don't want to hear it," Ken ground out. "I don't need another damn excuse!"
He had to leave. He couldn't bear being in such proximity to Niijima-san for a second longer than necessary. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Makoto's stricken face. She looked paralyzed. Ken faltered at the sight of her face but then Niijima-san stepped into his peripheral vision.
Ken clenched his hands into fists.
"Excuse me," he said in a tight voice.
"You are not excused, not yet." Niijima-san said in a calm voice, "It's a shame. I was hoping I've proven I was on the side of the Phantom Thieves and doing my best to earn everyone's trust. But I can see now that deep down, this is what you really think of me, if this is your first assumption that you run with."
Ken bristled at that and Makoto tried to interject.
"Sis!"
Niijima-san held up a hand to her sister and her protest died.
"No Makoto, I was hoping things could be more amicable. But I can see your boyfriend still thinks quite little of me. But that doesn't matter, because I will see this through with Ren-kun. I will do everything in my power to put Shido behind bars. And Ren-kun is going to help see that happens, and he will never hurt anyone again."
Ken opened his mouth and Niijima-san sent him a glare that froze him in his place, reminding him way too much of Mitsuru-san. Despite this icy stare, she remained calm in her posture and tone.
"I understand you are angry, but know this. I refuse to gamble. I am doing everything I can to make this right. I won't let there be any chance this could blow up and others get dragged down should this fail." Niijima-san simply stated, "Please do well to remember that. I do not see Ren-kun as some scapegoat. He is instrumental in fixing everything. And should I fail, he won't die if something went wrong. Unlike you all, I won't gamble his life."
The nerve of her. Ken's hands trembled at that cutting comment. What kind of low blow comment was that?
Makoto gasped, "Sis, that isn't fair!"
"That was—"
But she beat him to the punch.
"The only way, right? Yes, quite the risky gamble. With setbacks to your plan that had things you couldn't even imagine to have contingencies for like when Shido had you kidnapped."
Ken flinched at her statement. She dared…
But Niijima-san was apparently just getting warmed up.
"And should any of those rescue attempts fail, you would be in worse shape, if not dead. And what of your friends who came to your help? Not to mention Ren-kun would be dead along with those two women you sent in to come get him, and possibly even me." If possible Niijima-san's stare turned frostier as she continued, "Don't you dare ever lecture me again. I am not here to win some game. Ren-kun's not a decoy I will gamble on. And I will do everything to ensure his sentence is lenient as I can fight for. I will fight to create a better world, starting with stopping Shido, but I will do it ethically even if it isn't right or fair. Because that's what Ren-kun showed me. And I will honor what he reminded me what my path was."
Ken scowled. The nerve of her…! As she stared at him expectantly, Ken just glowered at her. Without another word, he stormed out of the kitchen. He snatched up his coat before rushing over to the door. He shoved his feet into his shoes and slammed the door behind him.
He hadn't even reached the elevator when he heard Makoto call after him.
"Ken! Ken, WAIT!"
Ken tensed, slowly turning to face his girlfriend. She was panting.
"Wait, Ken," she repeated. "I-I know you're upset—"
"Oh really?" Ken couldn't help but let sarcasm slip in his voice.
Makoto flinched but she pressed forward. "L-Look, maybe we can still talk Sis out of this. Or maybe Ren...? Mitsuru-san has contacts, maybe she can do something to help!"
"And you forget why I came to Tokyo to begin with," Ken said bitterly. "Mitsuru-san has her connections, with CEOs. She doesn't have government officials in her pocket like Shido did. How exactly can she help?"
"I-It was just a thought," Makoto said, frowning. "We still have a little time before Ren turns himself in."
"Ren was willing to put himself through an extremely dangerous plan where one of the outcomes was him dying. And he did it for us," Ken retorted. "If it was a choice between his friends and himself, Ren wouldn't choose himself."
Ken squeezed his eyes shut, his heart aching. It wasn't fair.
"What do you want, then, Ken?" Makoto's voice became frustrated. "Sis did what she thought in the time constraint."
"And she didn't think to consult anyone about it," Ken retorted. "And you heard the way she threw our plan to stop Akechi and Shido right in our face! Yes, it was a risky gamble! We all knew that! What right did she have to throw that in our faces! And my kidnapping too! Of course, we knew the risks and the consequences! And there's other angles she didn't think about with Akechi! Futaba was able to track Akechi the night we secured the treasure route. Or—"
Ken frowned as a thought struck him.
"Or what?" Makoto pressed.
Ken looked away. "Or maybe she didn't want him to be found."
Makoto's mouth dropped open. "Are you accusing her of trying to protect Akechi?!"
"I don't kn—"
"You keep saying that!" Makoto burst out. "If you want to stop this, then do something about it! At least I've made a couple of suggestions! You're being completely unreasonable, Ken!"
"Unreasonable?!" Ken let out a bitter laugh. "Your sister seems completely set on it! And why are you defending her?! That gambit had a lot of your planning in there along with ideas of how to save me too! And she just scoffed at it, like we're hypocrites or something!"
"You, she's implying you are a hypocrite, not we. Because all of us didn't blow up at her, that was you. And yes, I'm not happy with what she said about our plans or the whole ordeals that happened a month ago. But you weren't listening to a single word she said!"
"And why should I?! I'm the unreasonable one? She's the unreasonable one! And you're defending her! Do you honestly think I'm a hypocrite?!"
"Don't put words in my mouth! I never said you were one, just that she's implying you are one from her perspective!" Makoto spat out. "And come out and say it, at least! You blame me for this, don't you!?"
Ken scowled. "Now who's putting words in mouths?! I never said anything about you like that beyond defending her! I know you're not your sister!"
Ken then turned to press the button. Behind him, Makoto spoke up once more.
"Are you really walking away from me?!"
Ken turned to face her, a hand clenching into a fist. A retort was on his lips but he was suddenly exhausted. He didn't want to have a screaming match with Makoto. So… he would bite his tongue.
"Goodbye, Makoto," he said in a clipped voice.
"Fine! Run away, then!" Makoto snapped at him. He glanced over his shoulder to see her glowering at him. "Be a child about this!"
"If that's how you think of it, fine," Ken spat out. "You don't have to deal with this child much longer."
That's when the doors slid open and he stalked into the elevator, jabbing the close button with more force than necessary.
Stupid. Stupid.
They had thought everything had been fine after the battle with Nyx. Of course, there was always something.
You'd think after so much loss, Ken would be numb to it. But it hurt. Every single time…
"What a mess…" Makoto thought as she closed the fridge with a sigh.
After her argument with Ken, Makoto had trudged back to the apartment and begun cleaning up. But she couldn't help but run their fight in her head over and over.
She and Ken never really fought. Ken sometimes teased her, but never to the point of frustration.
She just felt numb about the whole situation. A part of her still wanted to run over to Leblanc, to plead with Ren to not go through this. But Ken did have a point. Ren was ready to lay his life on the line for them before. Why would things be different?
And she was trying to look at it logically but… she couldn't help but feel a little angry at Sae too. Why did Sae have to go into this alone? Why didn't Sae trust her?
Makoto sighed again, unable to stop a frown from tugging at her lips.
As much as she hated it… they were powerless. They couldn't change things. Makoto reached up, brushing away the single tear in her eye.
If only the Metaverse still existed. Maybe then, they had a small chance of changing things. But no matter how hard she wished; it didn't matter.
Mementos was gone. They had lost Morgana. And now Ren was going to turn himself in.
Makoto hated how powerless she was in this situation. She had wanted so badly to change the system but… it didn't matter now.
Still… she should at least try to see her friends. She was a little worried about how Anne would react in all honesty. However, she wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing Ken so soon after their argument.
She bit her lip. She felt so frustrated at him. He just stormed away, running away instead of hashing it out with her. Plus, the stuff he suggested about Sae…
Sae wouldn't do that… would she? Not after everything… no. No, she wouldn't.
She can't lose sight of this because of how stressed and upset she was. Her sister changed. That was evident in her conviction. Giving Akechi shelter for one night after their big fight doesn't mean she's gonna hide him from the law. Her Palace is gone, that was proof enough she wouldn't do that. Akechi left without another word and disappeared on her sister; if she had a way to get into contact, she would have tried it. She must believe in that. Still… she wants to hash things out with Sae.
Makoto squeezed her eyes shut. She hated this. That Ren had to turn herself in, that she was at odds with her boyfriend, and now was doubting her sister.
She saw Sae gathering her things and she took a breath and walked into their living room.
"Sis, I know you're short on time, but we need to talk. I promise I'll make it quick," she said all in a rush.
Sae eyed her with an unreadable expression but nodded as she set her stuff back down.
"First... was that really necessary? To throw that all in our faces like that, Ken's especially. I know he wasn't listening to your side, but… Shido and Akechi left us no other choice but that gamble. Yes, we couldn't foresee Ken's kidnapping but that was unfair to bring it up like that, to treat it as if we're throwing Ren to the wolves without any regard for his life."
Sae let out a heavy sigh.
"It was extremely risky and dangerous, even with the contingencies and counter measures you all planned. However, I'm not going to lecture you about that, what's done is done. You can't change the past. And in the end, it did work out, so there is no point in lecturing you about something you already know was a huge risk and could have been fatal."
She says she wasn't lecturing but Makoto can hear that disapproving tone in that last sentence. She refrained from letting out a snort or an eyeroll.
Makoto asked, "So why bring it up then?"
"To try and get your boyfriend to understand where I am coming from. You all were left with no other choice and unfortunately had to ask your friend to risk himself for the ultimate gamble. And he is the one who had to suffer many consequences for it. But it paid off in the end, and you all won, and the group is safe. An outcome your leader would want obviously."
Now it's clearer to her. She could have put it more gently but Ken probably wouldn't have listened either way. But it makes sense, she's in a similar boat.
"At least my plan doesn't involve him potentially getting killed, so I don't like being treated like I'm a snake for this when there is no other alternative," Sae said sharply.
She was definitely still stinging from that argument. Did she have to keep pushing on that point? Yes it was a huge risk, of course it was! They weren't pleased when they came up with it. And she understands Sae wanting some empathy... but can she ask that without rubbing salt in the wounds?
Sae let out another heavy sigh. "I still owe you all an apology however. I shouldn't have kept this from everyone, I know that. But I knew if I discussed this with the others… none of you would listen, today was proof enough for me this outcome would be unacceptable in your eyes. Ren-kun clearly felt the same, considering he didn't message any of you guys either. I can't speak for him but I can guess his reasons are like mine. I wanted to give you all one night to at least celebrate for once after this whole thing and not feel so… defeated."
That… made a lot of sense. Knowing Ren, he'd want them all to have a good Christmas Eve and enjoy themselves. And just like Ken said, Ren probably didn't want any of them to stop him. Sae noticed this too. It still hurt though.
"I… understand Sis. I'm sorry what Ken said. I just wish you had more faith in me at least, if nothing else." Makoto nodded sadly.
She looked down at her feet for a moment, taking in a breath, trying not to let herself be overwhelmed by her emotions again. She then shot her head back up when she felt a familiar comforting pat on the top of her head.
"You're right. You're my little sister, and I should have trusted you with this. I suppose, deep down, I let myself worry you wouldn't forgive me for this. It has been eating me up all night, everyone's reactions. I wanted so badly to prove everyone I can show you all we adults can be dependable, but I couldn't do my part enough to not have to get Ren-kun involved. I…" Sae bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. "I am deeply ashamed I failed him."
"Sis…"
Makoto couldn't help it, she had to give her sister a hug. Sae was stiff for a moment but returned the embrace. Both sisters were silent for a few seconds, and Makoto almost wanted to cry. Too many roller coaster of negative emotions this morning cascaded all at once but right now, right now she just felt warm and relieved. And even weirdly happy. Happy to know that her faith in her sister wasn't misplaced, and that her momentary doubt was indeed wrong.
Makoto said gently, still not letting go of her older sister, "I believe in you Sis. I may love Ken, but he's wrong. You have changed, so much. And I'm proud of you, I know this couldn't have been easy."
"Oh Makoto, you have no idea how much it means to hear you say that." Sae squeezed her a little tighter.
"I know you'll do everything you can to see Shido faces justice, I wish it didn't have to be this way, but you didn't fail Ren, Sis. This system is what's failed us. But you're working to help with that right now, by bringing Shido to justice. I know you can do it. You and Ren-kun both."
Sae pulled away from the hug and patted her on the head once more.
"You've truly grown into such a remarkable woman."
Makoto wasn't sure what to say to that, she sputtered out a small thank you with a tiny blush on her cheeks. Sae just let out a small chuckle and gathered her things again.
"I have to go. I know this will be hard. But I promise I'll finish this. I'll see you later."
With a heavy heart, Ren descended the stairs.
"Ren?" Sojiro looked shocked. "You're up early."
"I have a reason," Ren said, his hands tightening around the pile of letters.
"What's that you got there?" Sojiro looked at him quizzically.
Ren wet his lips and swallowed hard. "Um… it's for everyone. There's one for you, too."
"For me?" Sojiro's eyes grew scrutinizing. "Ren, what's going on?"
Ren swallowed hard. "It's not over."
Sojiro gaped at him. He then took in a shuddering breath. "W-What? But Futaba said—"
"Sae told me last night that there's not enough evidence to convict Shido," Ren said. "It's—It's a long story but she thinks that Shido's men wouldn't be satisfied until everyone is in jail because their damn pride can't allow them to be humiliated like this. I'll turn myself in as the leader of the Phantom Thieves. I'll take the fall for everyone."
"Ren, no. You can't." Sojiro stepped forward, reaching out to him. Only to draw back, his expression darkening. "There has to be another way. You showed me that."
It was in that moment that Sae chose to step inside, wincing at the look on Sojiro's face.
"H-Hello…"
"Why? Why did you talk him into this?" Sojiro demanded, glaring at Sae.
Ren cut in, "Sojiro, stop. Sae just gave me the facts."
"But—"
Sojiro stopped short as Ren held up a hand.
"The Metaverse is gone, Sojiro," Ren said. "This is the only way to save everyone else."
"What about you?" Sojiro's voice suddenly cracked, his breath hitching as he spoke once more. "Don't you deserve better?"
"I would never be able to live with myself if anyone else suffered… because of me," Ren said softly, shaking his head. "Please don't try to talk me out of it, don't ask me to be selfish."
"Ren…"
Ren set down the letters on the bar before meeting Sojiro's eyes. Then he reached into his blazer, pulling out Anne's present. Ren felt hot tears sting at his eyes. He had wanted so much more with Anne, but fate was cruel. But he forced his tears back as he looked up at Sojiro.
"Anne is sleeping upstairs. Could you give this to her? And tell her I'm sorry."
"And the papers?"
"They're letters," Ren said. "I wrote one for you and… everyone else."
"You're saying goodbye in a damn letter?!" Sojiro's eyes suddenly flared with anger. "Why… why can't you—?"
Ren could hear his unsaid statement.
Why can't you say goodbye in person?
Ren bit his lip. "I-It's easier this way."
For them… and for Ren, as well. He didn't know if he would have the strength to walk away if he told his friends in person.
Sojiro stared at Ren. Ren just swallowed hard.
"Sojiro, I know I liked to take the mickey out of you," Ren said before bowing his head. "But thank you. Thank you for taking me in… when nobody else would."
Sojiro blinked several times before whispering, "It's not fair."
His voice cracked at the last part. Ren could only give a bittersweet smile.
Ren then shook his head. "If only life played by the rules, right?"
Sometimes life was really unfair.
He offered Sojiro a faint smile. "Goodbye, Sojiro."
"Goodbye... Ren."
Then he turned to Sae, who looked even more guilty upon watching their exchange. He took a deep breath, steeling himself.
"I'm ready."
For the first time in what felt like forever, Shinjiro had woken up feeling relaxed. The past couple months had Shinjiro sleeping poorly, between the shit Shido pulled with Ken, the plan the kids had hatched up, and worrying about Shido figuring out their bluff when they had rescued Ken.
He had woken up with Fuuka draped over him, her head resting comfortably on his chest.
So they slowly dragged themselves out of bed, cooking breakfast together, and just talking. It felt good to have a sense of normalcy again after all the shit that's happened this past year.
But all good things had to end. It started with the door slamming open.
Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. So Ken was back, huh?
Koromaru perked up, running up to Ken as per usual.
"Jeez, Ken, you could've at least c—" The snarky response suddenly died in Shinjiro's throat once he saw the look on Ken's face. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Ken's voice was clipped. "It's fine. What could be wrong? We beat Yaldabaoth, Shido is going to be arrested soon—nothing's wrong."
Without warning, Ken stomped past all of them to rush towards his room. Fuuka winced at the sound of Ken slamming his bedroom door shut. Koromaru just let out a long whine at that.
"What the…" Shinjiro sighed, rubbing his forehead.
If Ken was trying to hide that he was upset, he was doing a really shitty job about it.
Fuuka frowned, already rising to her feet. "We should talk to him."
Shinjiro nodded. "I have to wonder what got him so upset, though."
Fuuka bit her lip. "I guess there's only one way to find out, right?"
Shinjiro sighed. "Yeah… come on."
They headed for Ken's room. Shinjiro gave a sharp rap on the door, only for Ken to snap out, "Go away!"
Shinjiro rolled his eyes before turning the handle. "We're not going to leave you alone when you're obviously upset, Ken."
"Hmph..." Ken just scowled at them.
"Ken-kun… please just talk to us," Fuuka said gently before sitting at the edge of Ken's bed.
Ken just rolled over to face them. "Did Niijima-san tell you?"
"What?" Fuuka blinked in confusion.
Ken's expression grew conflicted before his entire body tensed up. "Did Niijima-san tell you that she told Ren to turn himself in?"
Fuuka gasped. "She what?"
"She told me and Makoto this morning. She couldn't think of any other method. She didn't tell anyone; she just went behind everyone's backs and got Ren to agree and…" Ken's shoulders finally slumped. "It's not fair. It's not fair! I thought it was actually going to be okay, even after we lost Morgana. But Ren must sacrifice himself for everyone. Just like—"
"Minato-kun…" Fuuka finished sadly.
Ken nodded at her, taking in a sharp breath and tried to push the memory of Minato-san out of his mind.
"How could she ask that after everything Ren's been through?" Ken's hands clenched into fists. "Why didn't she even try to find another solution? She talks about doing whatever it takes, she may have had a change of heart but I guess bad habits die hard! And she lectured me like I'm not supposed to be mad at her because of everything that happened a month ago, but we had no choice! Shido backed us all into a corner with Akechi too! Literally! Then they kidnapped me and—"
He put a firm hand on Ken's shoulder. He had to nip this tirade in the bud before it got even worse. Fuuka just looked on with round eyes. To be fair, it's once in a blue moon for Ken to lose his temper like this. There had been a couple years where Ken had been especially moody and had a more easily triggered temper.
"Ken, slow down, sheesh." Shinjiro sighed. "You know I'll never be Niijima's biggest fan but don't you think you're being a little unfair to her?"
"I thought you hated her," Ken grumbled out.
"I don't hate her," Shinjiro huffed. "She's super annoying, uptight, a priss—"
"Shinji, your point?" Fuuka interrupted, though he could hear a stifled laugh in Fuuka's words.
Shinjiro rolled his eyes at his fiancée for a moment, only to continue. "But she did have a change of heart. Niijima probably was worried about backlash. Look at how fast Shido's circle worked to discredit you and cover their own asses before the world went into hell in a handbasket thanks to that Holy Grail shit. She was probably thinking of the quickest way to get the ball rolling to take care of Shido. That's not someone who only cares about winning."
"I guess," Ken muttered with a begrudgingly nod.
"We should try to give the benefit of the doubt as much as we can but… it's okay to be upset about this, Ken-kun," Fuuka said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know that Ren-kun is your best friend."
Ken's cheeks turned pink before he looked down at his lap. "D-Don't be stupid… Ren's best friends with Ryuji. Next after that was probably Morgana…"
Shinjiro scoffed. "That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard. You can have more than one best friend. Minako's best friends with both Iori and Takeba."
Ken grumbled. "I guess…"
He then rubbed his face, heaving out a sigh.
"I should probably go apologize to her eventually then… Makoto, too."
"Not eventually, you do that shit today. No and, ifs, or buts, got it?" Then he paused, raising an eyebrow. "Wait hang on, what do you mean Makoto too?"
Ken seemed to shrink in himself. "We… argued. It worsened how I felt so I left."
"Didn't think your first fight as a couple would be over Amamiya," Shinjiro said idly.
"Do you have to make it so weird?!" Ken sputtered out.
Fuuka cleared her throat. "Are you still planning on going to the get-together still, Ken-kun?"
Ken was quiet for a moment, but he slowly nodded. "Yeah, I don't think anyone else knows."
"We'll talk to Mitsuru and the others about it," Shinjiro said. "We'll join you after."
Ken just sighed. "Okay. And um… thank you. I guess I just needed someone to screw my head on straight."
Fuuka smiled gently. "Any time, Ken-kun."
Makoto quickly ate her breakfast and put away some of the extra food in the fridge that was originally going to be for Ken. She couldn't help but sigh again thinking about him.
At least Sae remembered to bring some of the food she made for her, with her. It wouldn't do well for Sae to be running on an empty stomach, especially not… with what she's going to be doing today.
Makoto forced herself to leave the kitchen, grabbing her coat from the closet, and headed for Shibuya station. But when she had stepped off to Yongen-jaya, she found herself… balking. She didn't know how everyone could take the news.
She suddenly heard a cough behind her and then the sound of a throat being cleared. She turned around to see that Ken was standing behind her, giving her a sheepish look.
Upon seeing her boyfriend in person, Makoto couldn't tamp down the flare of irritation welling up inside of her.
"What do you want?"
Ken sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Listen… I know that I didn't—I shouldn't have flipped out like that."
Makoto just folded her arms over her chest, levelling an unimpressed stare at him.
Ken faltered at that, wincing a bit. "Makoto… can we talk? Please? I can explain."
Makoto pursed her lips. "Fine."
She felt awkward and exposed, especially since they couldn't exactly go to Leblanc to talk. But they found an empty bench to sit down.
Ken looked at her. "First, I want to say that I'm sorry. You did have some good points about me being upset and just… not doing anything about it."
"But it's too late for that. Sis left…" Makoto muttered. "She and Ren are on their way to the police station."
"I know. I…" Ken looked down at his lap. "Can I explain something? About… what happened, after Minato-san sealed away Nyx."
"Okay…" Makoto said warily.
"When Minato-san sealed away Nyx, he didn't… immediately come back. We were worried that something happened to him, despite everything. Didn't help that Ryoji-san stated that he found the answer to life."
"But then he reappeared."
Ken nodded. "Minako-san all but tackled him to the ground, yelling at him to not scare all of us like that. That we thought he was… dead."
But he was dying from the moment Nyx was sealed.
"So we had thought it was fine. We had won and the troubles were over. And then…" Ken sighed. "He died. We were all… in a haze after that, I guess. Minako-san and Yukari-san were worst off but I couldn't help but wonder what went wrong. Why did Minato-san have to die, after everything he went through?"
It finally clicked. Why Ken reacted like this.
"Ken—"
"Let me finish, Makoto," Ken said, shaking his head and giving her a sad smile. "Ren isn't Minato-san. I know that. I know that it's a blessing that he's alive still. But I can't help but think that it's unfair that Ren still has to make a sacrifice like this while Akechi… gets off scot-free. And that your sister didn't tell us, instead just dumping the news so suddenly. I wish… we had more time to figure out another way. But you're right, I was being unreasonable."
"Can I say something as well?" Makoto said quietly. When Ken nodded, she continued. "It's been bothering me… do you blame me for what happened too? Should I have foreseen this from her?"
"Makoto…" Ken reached out, touching her arm. "That never came to my mind, okay? I know you're not your sister. You have no control over her actions. You've spent a long time, figuring out what path you want to walk on. And I'm so proud of you from breaking away from everyone's expectations. But when you tried to stop me… I guess I took my anger out on you. And that was wrong of me. I'm sorry."
Makoto reached out, taking one of his hands in both of hers. "It's okay, Ken. I… definitely didn't help with yelling back at you. And thank you for telling me about Minato-san, though… I understand how you reacted better."
She then scooted closer to Ken, leaning her head against his shoulder. Ken slipped an arm around her waist, giving her a small squeeze.
The knot in her stomach loosened a bit. She was still sad about Ren, of course… but it felt nice to be on the same page as Ken again.
"Can we never argue like that again?" she asked, looking up at him.
Ken just chuckled softly before pressing a kiss against her temple. "Unfortunately, it's a thing that couples will have to go through from time to time."
"Was worth bringing up at least," Makoto said with a wry smile.
"I'll apologize to your sister as well," Ken said after a moment. "Shinjiro-san pointed out some things to me—"
"Shinjiro-san?"
Ken laughed. "Yeah, I was surprised too. Maybe she's growing on him."
"I bet he'd say something like 'yeah, like mold'," Makoto said with a chuckle.
"I'm glad you know him so well now." Ken cracked another smile.
They were quiet as they looked in the direction of Leblanc.
"I don't want to tell everyone what happened," Makoto said quietly.
Ken's arm around her tensed, only loosening as Ken slowly exhaled.
"I know but they'll have to find out eventually," Ken said. "But we can do it together."
Makoto nodded before Ken stood up. He offered to help her up before they headed for Leblanc. Ken turned the doorknob, making the bell jingle. The door shut behind Makoto.
Sojiro was standing at the bar, his expression downcast. But Makoto's attention was immediately turned to Anne. She was crying, her entire body shaking. Tears trickled down her cheeks as sobs and hiccups wrecked her body.
Makoto let go of Ken's hand, rushing over to the younger girl.
"Ren…" she got out between her sobs. "Why? Why?"
"Anne… shh—just try to breathe." Makoto tried to comfort her friend.
She had never seen Anne cry. But she looked up at Makoto, her entire face blotchy from her crying.
"Why didn't he tell me? Tell anyone?"
"Oh, Anne…" Makoto pulled her into a hug and Anne just buried her face against Makoto's shoulder.
The door suddenly banged open.
"Sojiro!"
Makoto winced. Futaba had barged in, her eyes darting back and forth.
"Why did Ren go with Sae?" she cried out. "And why is Anne crying?! What the heck is going onnnn?!"
"Futaba, listen..." Ken sighed. "Sit down."
Futaba sat at the bar. "Seriously, what's going on?"
Makoto just bit her lip. Ken glanced at her before giving a small nod. He then proceeded to explain what Sae had told them, though Futaba had dragged it out a little by interjecting with questions.
"I… I don't get it. We changed people's cognitions, didn't we? Why did Ren have to do this?" Futaba demanded. "And Sae—she just went and stabbed us all in the back!"
"Futaba, just because you place bugs everywhere doesn't mean you know the whole situation. Don't assume the worst of her because of this. You only see snippets of a larger picture," Sojiro chastised.
Makoto didn't expect Sojiro to come to her sister's defense, but she was grateful for it all the same.
"How did you know about that? Whatever, that's not important, don't tell me what I don't know Sojiro—"
"No, I will tell you," Sojiro said sternly, giving her a brief glare. "I will tell you this because think about everything we went through. Ren won't accept the rest of you taking the fall, especially if Shido is still able to get away even after all this. Not to mention all of his cronies. They're the reasons things got so desperate. They knew that if Shido goes down, they'll get dragged down too."
Makoto winced. Sojiro put it so bluntly but… it was sadly true.
"Ren chose this, Futaba. He's not so weak willed that anyone can manipulate him to do what they want. I hate that Ren had to be pushed into this but…" Sojiro took off his glasses, wiping the smudges off with his apron. "…It was his choice. Niijima didn't say 'jump' and Ren didn't respond with 'how high?'."
Makoto looked over to Futaba. "Futaba, Sis did it because of the time constraint. She made the choice that she thought would benefit the most people. She didn't betray us."
"Nobody wins in that stupid railroad scenario…" Ken mumbled out. "It always comes down to a sacrifice."
Futaba slumped in her seat before she started to sniffle. "I-It's not fair! Why does Ren have to take the fall for all of us?"
"It's just who he is," Ken said quietly. "I can't get too mad at him for that with… what happened to me."
"I'm not mad at him, I'm just… I'm mad at the situation that forced him to," Futaba said. "I thought we had won. Why did it come to this?"
If only Makoto had the answer to that.
Anne just watched with dull eyes as Ryuji continued to rant about the unfairness of the situation. Her friends had slowly trickled into Leblanc and the truth… spilled out.
She just felt… hollow inside. Her heart was aching. It was like a chunk of her heart had been torn out the moment she had realized the awful truth.
What Ren was keeping from her, was that he had planned to walk out of all of their lives to turn himself in to the police.
"Ren… you promised," she thought as tears filled her eyes once more. "You promised you'd never leave me. That hell would freeze before that would happen…"
Why did he break his promise?
But then she felt a piece of cloth being pressed into her hands. Haru just gave her a gentle smile. Anne sniffled, forcing a weak smile in thanks, before lifting the handkerchief to wipe at her eyes.
A fresh wave of grief hit her and she bit her lip to stop the sobs from spilling out. Makoto, sitting across from her, just reached out and stroked the hand resting on top of the table.
"Can't Mitsuru-san do anythin'?!" Ryuji looked to Ken desperately.
"Ryuji…" Ken bent his head. "Mitsuru-san may be wealthy but she can't change the law. She can't do anything in regards to this."
Ryuji's expression faltered. "Sorry, I just…"
"It's okay," Ken reassured, only to bite his lower lip. He then added in a low voice, "I wish she could, too."
"After everything that Ren-kun went through—this just isn't fair," Haru whispered.
Sojiro cleared his throat. "Ren… he wrote you all letters. Let me..."
He stepped around the counter and passed them out. Anne just held her letter before setting it down on the table. She couldn't read it. Not now.
"Anne-chan, Ren also wanted to give this to you," Sojiro stated.
He placed a velvet box in front of Anne. Anne's eyes widened.
Was this… what Ren wanted to give her for Christmas?
Anne took in a shuddering breath. To distract herself, she looked around. She couldn't help but notice that none of her friends had opened their letters, either.
"This is really it, isn't it?" Ryuji said in a dejected voice.
Her friends all reluctantly nodded.
A burst of anger suddenly flared inside of her chest. What was she doing, just rolling over and accepting Ren's fate? No, she had to take action. They had to.
"Hey!" Anne's voice rose as she stood up, slamming both hands on the table. It rattled slightly, but Anne didn't care. "What's with this pity party we're throwing?! We must do something! And on top of that, you know Morgana would be ashamed of how we're acting right now!"
This earned her several wide-eyed stares but Anne just pressed forward.
"I-I don't know what exactly we can do." Anne faltered but she pushed through. "But we can't give up! We're not going to let Ren just stay there in jail like that! Didn't he save all of you!?"
She gestured to her friends. They looked stunned at her words. Good.
"If we aren't gonna act now, when will we?" Anne exclaimed.
Ryuji abruptly stood. "You're right, Anne! Now's definitely not the time to hang our heads and give up!"
"But what can we do, without the Metaverse?" Yusuke asked.
"Maybe we'll be able to find something if we search around," Haru suggested.
"My first thought is to see if we can track down the woman Ren tried to protect from Shido." Makoto pressed her lips together, her brow furrowed. "Maybe if we can convince her to come forward with the truth…"
As she spoke, Futaba cracked open her laptop and she began to type notes.
"So, someone would have to try and go back to Shimoda," Ken said, rubbing his chin. He then sighed, pressing his lips together. "If she even lived there to begin with…"
Haru said, "We can't give up! We owe it to Ren-kun!"
"I'll talk to Mitsuru-san and everyone. I'm sure that there will be some kind of source we can utilize," Ken stated.
"Ren, we will save you! Just wait for us!" Anne vowed.
Then the door suddenly chimed open. Sojiro frowned.
"Sorry, but we're closed for Christmas—"
"Sakura-san, was it?"
Anne gaped, staring with wide eyes at the middle-aged couple standing there.
She could see traces of Ren in both of them. His dark hair from the woman, along with his cheekbones and general facial shape. Unkempt, messy hair from the man as well as his striking dark gray eyes. Was this…?
"Who are you?" Futaba asked bluntly.
The couple looked at them, their gazes searching. Then the older man cleared his throat.
"I'm Junto Amamiya—"
"You're Ren's old man?!" Ryuji leapt to his feet, sparks practically shooting from his eyes. "The hell you doing here?!"
"Well—" Ren's mother began.
"You don't have a place here!" Futaba jumped in as well, glaring at them. "After you treated Ren so terribly!"
"Ryuji, Futaba, stop it," Anne snapped out. "We don't know the full story."
"But… Ren's parents treated him terribly, did they not?" Yusuke said, raising an eyebrow. "They turned their backs on him. I don't see why they would have a reason to be here."
"That's enough, all of you." Sojiro said curtly. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck, "Come, sit down. They came a long way, the least we can do is hear them out."
"But you all know the story!" Ryuji spat out. "His folks did a complete turn when Ren got accused because of Shido's crap, his friends backstabbed him, and the whole town hated him! Why the hell should we listen to anything they've got to say?!"
"I… I…" Ren's mom looked like she was struggling to find the words she wanted to say, but then her husband touched her arm.
"Ryuji, that's enough. You aren't helping." Makoto shook her head.
Ryuji growled as he noticed the disapproving expressions from Anne, Makoto, Sojiro, and now even Haru.
"Screw this! I don't care what they have to say!" He exclaimed before storming out of there, not caring he shoved Ren's father out of the way.
"Ryuji!" Anne yelled, but he wasn't listening as he slammed the door.
Sojiro sighed, "Well… that could have gone better."
Haru lightly bowed to them and winced, "Please forgive Ryuji-kun, he's… very loyal to your son."
Ren's dad took a deep breath. "It's alright… I can understand his anger, I imagine our son didn't have positive things to say about us and…it's not unwarranted. We hurt Ren. We know that but… We want to make amends. For hurting him so badly."
"A little too late to be sorry," Futaba spat out, glaring at them.
"Better late than never…" Haru said in a barely audible voice.
Her lips trembled for a moment, her eyes growing glassy. It was all too obvious what she was referring to.
"Haru… I…"
"We should hear them out. Ren-kun should be given the chance to make amends if that is what he wants. Some of us…" Haru swallowed a lump, obviously trying to keep it together, "…will never get that chance."
Everyone stilled at that. Ren's parents just looked between all of them, bewildered. His dad awkwardly cleared his throat while his mom toyed with her side ponytail.
Ken just raised an eyebrow. "Haru… I can understand your perspective, but Makoto, Anne, and even you Sojiro-san… why are you so intent on defending them?"
Anne faltered. "Well, I… I—"
She bit her lip before taking a deep breath. She just had to keep her cool. She was distracted her from her thoughts when Sojiro spoke up.
"Everyone screws up, but if they are willing to try to fix things, they deserve a second chance. I wasn't exactly fair to Ren when he first came here, but in the end we both came to understand each other better and fix our issues. Isn't that what you wanted, Futaba?" Sojiro said calmly while putting away some dishes, "Is that not why you reached out to Ren and the others? Even if you did… blackmail them?"
Futaba looked at the ground in shame.
"I am no better, I treated you all so horribly, it doesn't matter if the principal was using me. You all still forgave me. And my sister… we both got a fresh start too despite everything she's done." Makoto smiled sadly but took a deep breath and continued, "I suppose well… we should at least hear them out, whether you accept what they have to say is entirely up to you. After all, none of us could really forgive Akechi for the things he's done… though… that is a bit more serious in comparison. But the point is, forgiveness is entirely up to us, and more importantly Ren. But we should still hear them out. The biggest problem from the start is no one was willing to hear Ren out. Let's not repeat that."
Yusuke looked down at the ground in shame too, Anne probably figured what he was thinking about.
"I suppose… I wasn't fair either when Ren, Anne, Morgana and Ryuji all met me. I was quite… unreasonable."
"Yeah, you tried to get us arrested too," Anne blurted out only to cover her mouth. "Sorry… I shouldn't have brought that up."
Yusuke shook his head. "No, it's alright. You're right. I was afraid and lashed out at you all. I shouldn't have pressured you either to model for me Anne. Yet you all gave me a chance and helped me."
Makoto looked to Ken. "Didn't we just go over an argument about hearing someone out?"
Anne and everyone looked at them both in confusion. Ken just blushed and began fidgeting."
"R-Right. I suppose you have a point, Makoto."
Anne couldn't help but wonder that was about.
"And let's not forget, when Mona-chan ran off, the group still left to go hear him out instead of abandon him," Haru pointed out.
"And Ken wasn't truthful to us either when he first joined but we all forgave him as well," Yusuke said bluntly with an extremely sincere smile.
"Alright, alright, I get it." Ken grumbled with a blush.
Anne couldn't help but giggle. Especially because Yusuke seemed confused at why Ken is embarrassed. He's too sincere yet oblivious for his own good.
Ren's parents just… looked hopelessly lost. Well, it's not like they could ask the Amamiyas to leave to hash this out. It would probably lead to awkward questions in the near future but… that was for them to worry about then, not now.
Ken then sobered up and looked at Makoto, he had a rather… guilt ridden expression. Anne couldn't help but be perplexed at that.
He let out a heavy sigh. "I shouldn't have behaved the way I did this morning. I am sorry how I was uncharitable to… well I'll apologize to her when I see her. I had no right to get so defensive. I should know better than anyone about second chances and assuming the worst in people considering my past."
He probably hadn't meant for Anne or Yusuke to hear that since the two of them were standing closer to Ken, when he whispered this to Makoto.
"What are you talking about Ken?" Yusuke asked.
Yeah, he definitely didn't mean for them to hear that, considering how sheepish he looked towards Yusuke and now at the rest of the room who were staring at the couple. Ken looked to Makoto and opened his mouth.
"It's… a long story." Makoto cut off whatever Ken was about to say. "We can discuss it later, for now, let's hear out the Amamiyas."
Anne almost forgot about them, with how quiet there were, still very confused by everyone's conversation as they awkwardly stood by the front door.
Sojiro motioned for them to sit down while he started brewing some coffee. Anne remembered Ken's question earlier about why she was jumping to their defense while everyone sat down. Futaba being the last, she still looked torn about how to feel, and sat the furthest away from Ren's parents at the far end of the bar, while they took up the front booth, Anne and Makoto sat across from them. Haru sat at the bar next to the phone, while Yusuke and Ken sat at the booth behind Anne and Makoto.
"I still haven't answered your question."
Everyone stared at Anne in confusion as she broke the silence.
She clarified, "Ken's, I mean… on why I defend them. It's, well, Ren told me a little about his parents after I was there when his mom called once…"
Mrs. Amamiya's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. "Wait… you were the girl who answered Ren's phone weeks ago, weren't you?"
Anne could only shrug; she couldn't exactly deny it. "Guilty as charged."
She then bit the inside of her cheek. Her friends deserved more elaboration on what happened.
"It's um, I got upset when Futaba and me had that run in with Akechi. So Ren told me that we should have a date night at Leblanc. He was busy with cooking so I answered the phone."
She bit her lip. She still remembered the pained look in Ren's eyes. Ren had been through so much already…
"Ren got upset but told me more about how he felt. I didn't tell you because it didn't feel right to. Like I was betraying Ren's trust in me."
Her friends started to murmur amongst themselves. But then Makoto spoke up.
"I can understand that. And well… I can't talk…"
Futaba nodded. "Yeah… I get why you didn't say anything, Anne."
Anne let out a relieved sigh at that. Between this and the little Akechi encounter… she didn't want her friends to feel like that she was constantly trying to keep things secret from them.
"But that doesn't mean that we trust you," Futaba said stubbornly, glaring at Ren's parents. "Ren isn't here anyways."
Mr. Amamiya closed his eyes. "We know. We… received the phone call from a prosecutor, something about the police saying he broke probation but she felt the charges were ludicrous, but that her hands were tied and she said she would do what she could to make it lenient as possible for him."
"She was vague on what exactly why they claimed he broke his probation, but we got more out of her than the police, all we kept getting was runaround or just that he broke probation," Mrs. Amamiya said with a glare.
"Why do I hear a but in that?" Haru asked.
Mrs. Amamiya sighed heavily. "We've done a lot of thinking over the past several months. We made several mistakes when Ren was arrested."
"So… what do you plan on doing then?" Ken asked quietly. "Breaking probation is a serious charge, after all. And who knows when he'll get out? Not to mention the original charge is bogus."
Ren's parents faltered at that.
"W-Well…" Ren's dad rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish smile on his face. "The prosecutor woman… she mentioned something about, we could try to get his sentence appealed maybe. Or something to that effect. She even gave us recommendations to defense attorneys we could contact."
"Sis did that?" Makoto sounded quite surprised.
"Sis?" Mr. Amamiya blinked at her.
Makoto's sister left out that important detail it seemed, though perhaps in her defense she probably only started on that just now considering she only recently talked to Ren's parents. She wouldn't have had time to notify them she was considering Ren's sentence getting overturned. Anne couldn't help but smile. Even if she asked Ren to sacrifice himself, she didn't want to leave him hanging out to dry.
It was silent as everyone digested the situation that Ren's dad brought up regarding what Makoto's sister told him.
"Well… it would be useful to have more people on board," Yusuke said hesitantly.
"…I guess." Futaba said, still wary of Ren's parents.
Makoto gave a delicate cough. "Um… well why don't we get started? We were brainstorming for ideas on where to start."
Sojiro passed out drinks for everyone. All their usuals, and a lone soda sitting at the bar next to Futaba, for Ryuji should he return. Anne smiled bittersweet at that; she wondered if she should message him. But figured maybe give him a bit more time before she does so.
Ren's parents looked at Sojiro grateful but awkwardly.
"We can't thank you enough for taking our son in, Sakura-san," Mrs. Amamiya said.
Sojiro nodded. "He's a good kid."
The two looked at each other sadly but nodded as well. Ren's father coughed awkwardly but then looked down at the drink Sojiro gave them.
"What flavor if I may ask?"
"House blend for the missus, and dark roast for the mister and you both take very little sugar with it." He cracked an amused smile for some reason. "The only coffee cups you taught Ren how to make before you sent him to me. Ah well, I made sure to educate him further."
They both looked up at Sojiro in shock.
"How do you—"
Sojiro smiled, "I was teaching Ren how to make coffee and he said these two cups were the only kind he knew how to blend because that's what you both like. Didn't say much after that… but… don't give up just yet."
"Thank you…" Mrs. Amamiya trailed off.
Mr. Amamiya looked at them all with a sad smile.
"It seems you all took good care of our son—I know it might not mean much coming from us but we are very grateful."
"Quite the opposite actually, Ren-kun took great care of us." Haru supplied with a polite smile, "I'm Haru Okumura."
"Makoto Niijima," the student council president followed after Haru.
To make things more awkward, Ryuji returned in that moment. He glared at Ren's parents, but Sojiro gave him a look and Ryuji backed off, sitting next to Futaba and sipping his soda with an aggravated expression.
Her friends introduced themselves, the introductions ranging from awkward but polite to reluctant to…. very terse, in Ryuji's case. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
But Ryuji coughed extremely loud and very fake. Anne jumped as she looked to him, annoyed and confused. He just raised a brow at her.
Oh right… she hadn't introduced herself.
"U-Uh, I'm Anne Takamaki," she said with a sheepish smile.
Should she say that Ren was her boyfriend? No… not now. That would be awkward.
Ren's parents relaxed a little bit, but still not by a lot, and reintroduced themselves again.
And with that, they settled down to start talking about what to do to help Ren.
Ren's parents weren't the only ones to stop by.
All the people Ren had helped—they had caught wind of it. Anne wasn't sure who told them, she wondered if perhaps Ren asked Niijima-san to contact any of his other friends outside of the Phantom Thieves to inform them of his arrest or something, she couldn't imagine how else they found out since the news refuses to say much about the details regarding the case mounting against Shido so far.
Makoto mentioned that there was no way they would release those details, as Ren would just be deemed a hero and they all would look like idiots and monsters. Plus, Ren was still underage so they wouldn't be allowed to give out his identity anyway. It made sense, Anne supposed. After all, Shido suppressed so much twice now the two times he had Ren arrested.
Ren's other friends and allies showed up at Café Leblanc at different points, pledging to help the cause as well.
And then the Shadow Operatives showed up too. Mitsuru-san had even apologized about not being able to do anything.
It was… a relief to know that Ren had so many people who cared.
Anne wasn't ready to go home though… so she had gone up to the attic, curling her legs underneath her as she sat on Ren's bed. She looked around sadly, as she took in the small touches that Ren had added to his room. And a few things he kept around for Morgana.
They really did just lose both of them in one fell swoop. At least Ren still existed… but still… her heart ached so much.
She needed to talk to someone. There was one person who immediately came to mind. She was no doubt busy; it was a holiday. But she really needed Shiho right now.
[Anne]: shiho I know you have plans due to the holidays and I'm sure you have a lot on your plate. but it's really important, soon as you have a free moment, please message me.
[Anne]: scratch that, please call me. I really… really need to hear from my bff rn.
[Anne]: oh, but don't take that as some guilt trip! just get back with me the second you are free and I would appreciate it. and I hope you're having a good christmas.
She sent the message and let out a heavy sigh as she pushed her phone into her pocket again. A part of her wanted to open Ren's letter… but another part of her hesitated.
"...Takamaki-san?"
She looked up to see that Ren's parents had stepped inside, looking rather uncertain as they surveyed Ren's room. She still remembered how it looked so bare when she had first visited his room. But now… it was filled with knick-knacks, gifts that he had been given during outings. As well as all the tools and half made tools that cluttered the desk, Morgana and Ren really were passionate about those infiltration tools.
"Hello…" Anne said faintly.
She had no experience with this, whatsoever. Ren was her first boyfriend—actually her first… everything. Ren had never met her parents, with them being overseas. But there was a… tension in the air. Most people didn't meet their significant others' parents in a situation like this.
Anne honestly didn't know what to feel. She sympathized with them in a way, but she was all too aware of how much they had hurt Ren. In truth, she didn't know how Ren truly felt. It felt to her that he wasn't sure how to feel. He didn't like to speak of his situation much. But the first time he spoke of it in her presence, during the last part of their little hotpot party, had been soul crushing.
As she looked at Ren's parents, she decided that Ren was a perfect blend of his parents. He had his mother's black hair, her facial features, his father's messy hair and dark gray eyes as well as his lean build.
"Ah… I just wanted to apologize for what happened over the phone weeks ago," Yuri-san said carefully. "I'm sure you didn't expect to hear that."
"U-Um, you could say that again." Anne let out a nervous chuckle. "I-I don't think Ren ever told you, but we've been dating since August."
Yuri's eyes widened, "No. He didn't tell us."
Junto-san rubbed the back of his neck. "So… how has Ren been? I hope he's been treating you well."
Anne could've easily responded. She could have told them about how wonderful Ren was to her, how he made her feel so loved and adored, how he saw her and still loved her, despite her many faults. She could've talked about how Ren was so smart too and how he had helped so many people.
But Anne didn't say any of that.
Anne's hands clenched in her lap as she slowly raised her eyes to meet his. "You hurt him. Badly."
Anne didn't mean to blurt it out but… it's been burning in the back of Anne's mind for so long. They both flinched at her words, but Anne didn't falter. She needed to say her piece. She may have defended them to Ryuji but she could understand his anger. Her other friends may not be so blunt about it, but she knew that they were wary too with what they knew about what happened to Ren.
But they weren't privy to how heartbroken Ren was about all of this.
"We didn't… we want to fix this…" Junto-san murmured.
Anne took a deep breath. "I know that you were misled about this. But I saw firsthand how hurt Ren was from it. You didn't believe him. You didn't hear him out. And even though it happened nearly a year ago, it still eats him up. He won't even entertain the idea that you're truly sorry."
A part of her wondered if Ren doubted whether his parents even loved him. Because a betrayal like that… it must've been the worst to him.
"I'm not the type to lecture people for mess-ups," Anne said quietly. "But I need you to understand that Ren was affected badly by this."
She frowned at that. She had known Ren for seven, nearly eight months before he had fully opened up to her about his pain. They had been dating for months before he could tell her. It broke her heart that Ren was still hurting over this.
"I need you to realize it if you want to try and mend your relationship with him. I hate to see him go through this kind of grief. I do believe you. But it's not me you have to convince that you're truly sorry about what happened."
"Takamaki-san, do you think there's a chance still?" Yuri-san asked quietly.
"I… I don't know," Anne confessed, biting her lower lip. "We had been dating for months when I found out about this. I think… only Ren knows the answer to that. I've seen Ren forgive a lot of people. He has a big heart and that's why people are drawn to him. It's one of the reasons I love him. But what you did, cut him—straight to his soul."
Anne took a deep breath.
"But… why didn't you believe him? Why didn't you hear him out?"
Ren's parents exchanged a look before Junto-san took a deep breath of his own.
"I assume that Ren hasn't told you much of our family, based on what you've mentioned," he said quietly, clasping his hands behind his back. "I've always had a desire to provide for my family amply. My mother died when I was rather young, and I had to step up to care for my three younger siblings when I was barely starting elementary school."
Anne's eyes widened. She had no idea about that…
"My father, he never recovered from the loss of my mother and… we ended up struggling quite a bit. By the time I was a teenager, there was a chasm between my father and I that neither of us knew how to bridge. When Ren was born, I promised that he would never want for anything. When Yuri and I were informed of Ren's arrest, I couldn't help but question myself. Had I made the same mistake as my father? Did I really know my son anymore?"
"I don't know if Ren's told you but he's always had… an impish streak," Yuri-san said.
"Wonder where he got that from…" Junto-san said, giving his wife a pointed look.
"Hush, Junto!" She scowled at him. "But anyhow… to add to that, he's always been an independent child. He always wanted to figure it out his own way. I remember when he was getting to the age when he could start walking, he'd sit down in a huff if Junto or I tried to hold onto his hands to help him walk. He wanted to do it on his own. And when he entered high school, I started to back off. He would always run off to spend time with his friends. When he was younger, he would want to come with me to the studio—"
"Studio? Are you a musician, Yuri-san?" Anne couldn't help but feel curious.
"Ah, not anymore." Yuri-san's cheeks turned pink. "You see, I used to be well…"
"She used to be an idol back in the 80s but she left the industry when we were in our early twenties," Junto-san supplied, offering his wife a smile.
Yuri-san gave an embarrassed smile. "But back to what I was saying... my job is to help new idols gain their footing, so to speak. Ren used to love coming along with me. Learning the choreography with the new idols was one of his favorite things to do when he was younger. But he seemed more interested in creating mischief with his friends once he hit junior high. It just felt… he didn't want to make time for me or Junto anymore."
Anne couldn't help but feel a pang, hearing the sadness in her voice. Her lips trembled slightly as she continued.
"But I couldn't help but feel that I could've pushed harder. Because… I didn't know my son anymore. And that broke my heart."
"And his friends…" Junto-san frowned. "I never liked any of them."
"Nor I, for that matter," Yuri-san chimed in. "They were always dragging Ren into pulling pranks and what-not. I'll admit that I don't mind a good prank occasionally but they always were pulling Ren into some sort of trouble. And I had just about had a heart attack the time he wound up hospitalized due to some stunts he tried to pull with his friends. We almost forbade him from continuing to see them but Ren insisted it was just an accident. We tried to be stricter after that but Ren chafed under all of that… Junto and I thought that perhaps… they were a worse influence than we realized and encouraged Ren into delinquency."
She knew from Ren that his friends were fair-weather friends but she had no idea about this part.
"And the night after his arrest…" Yuri heaved out a sigh before bowing her head. "We had a terrible argument. We asked Ren for details, how did this happen… and at some part, Ren seemed to lash out. He asked why couldn't we entertain the idea that he was innocent? And after that, he started to stay away from us. Only coming home at night, refusing our attempts to try and talk it out, explain what we meant. In hindsight, perhaps we should've approached it a different way. We probably could've saved all three of us a whole lot of heartbreak."
Oh… so there was more to the story. She had never thought about their side of the story. In a way, it was almost like how Anne had misjudged Makoto.
"I see…"
"We had given up hope by the time Ren had moved to Tokyo," Yuri-san said softly.
"So, what changed? You reached out to him in earlier this month, didn't you?"
Ren's parents exchanged a look and Junto-san cleared his throat. "Well when I introduced Yuri to my family, they… made assumptions of her. They assumed I was throwing myself away for someone who's—"
"A floozy," Yuri-san said flatly. She held up a hand when Junto-san started to protest. "Don't mince it, dear. They thought I was an empty-headed celebrity who only knew how to flaunt my body. They didn't want us to marry but… Junto chose me. He cut off his family for me."
"I'm so sorry that happened, but I can sympathize…" Anne's brow furrowed. "But what does—"
"My youngest sister, Sora, reached out to me last October. My father died this past summer so… I suppose she didn't want to lose any more time with the family she had left. I was wary at first but we talked things out. It took us a couple of months to… really come to an understanding. Things are a bit… shaky but…" Junto-san sighed. "Anyhow, making up with Sora made me think. If my sister can reach out to me even after twenty years… I thought, maybe it wasn't too late for us and Ren."
"I understand…" Anne could only nod.
She wondered if Ren knew about this family history.
Junto-san then winced. "Takamaki-san, I understand that Ren probably hasn't painted us in the best light. But we always meant well, I swear."
Anne nodded. "I believe you but… it's out of my hands. I'm not going to influence Ren in any way about this. When it boils down to it, the decision is Ren's."
Yuri-san just nodded. "Yes… you're right, Takamaki-san."
"U-Um… you can call me Anne," Anne said, letting out a nervous chuckle. "It's a little weird hearing you call me 'Takamaki-san', when you're okay with being called by your first names."
"As you wish… Anne-chan," Junto-san amended.
"Umm… are you going to stay here?" Anne asked tentatively.
Yuri-san bit her lip. "We have a hotel booked until the second. But I think we might be able to get some work done back in Shimoda."
Anne nodded. "I see…"
Things grew quiet once more. Yuri-san looked at Anne. She took a moment to twirl a lock of hair before she reached out, taking Junto-san's arm.
"Come on, Junto. It's been a long day, no? Let's get something to eat and head back to the hotel."
Junto-san glanced at his wife. They seemed to have a silent conversation just by looking at each other. He then nodded.
"Of course, my dear." Then he looked towards Anne, a smile forming on his face.
It made her heart ache. It was Ren's smile when he wanted to be reassuring.
"Until we meet again, Anne-chan."
"Such a gentleman," Yuri-san teased gently as they headed for the stairs.
"That's why you married me, correct?"
"I can think of a couple more things why," Yuri-san chuckled.
"Y-Yuri!"
Anne watched them go, smiling half-heartedly as Yuri-san's teasing made Junto-san even more flustered.
But now that she was alone… Anne finally let herself slump onto Ren's bed. God… it still smelled like a mix of him and Morgana. It was a rich earthy scent, mixing in amber musk and coffee… Anne's eyes stung with tears as her chest tightened. She hugged the pillow, just imagining Morgana curled up next to Ren, nagging at him to put the phone down and get some rest or something.
How long would it be until their scents faded away? She let her eyes drift, taking in all the little things Ren had added to the attic to make it more theirs. She couldn't believe that he had kept the chocolate fountain she gave him. And the Risette poster. He was probably grateful Rise-san didn't come upstairs and see it after she and Chie-san rescued him. There were also a few cat toys in the corner that collected dust, she chuckled despite her eyes getting misty, imagining Morgana being annoyed at those bought for him.
Her hand drifted, clasping the pendant of her necklace. God, she missed him so much already! Both of them… She wished that it hadn't come to this. First Morgana had to literally vanish… then Ren did this… for them.
She didn't know how long she spent, curled up in Ren's bed. Eventually her eyes drifted over to where she had left his letter. She finally reached out, unfolding the paper.
Ren's handwriting was wobbly, as if he couldn't contain his anguish and it was spilling out on the paper. Anne took a deep breath before she finally started to read the letter.
Dear Anne,
I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything that happened last night. I wanted so badly to give you one more good memory after I turned myself in. I guess I could never hide much from you. My instincts kept screaming at me to tell you the truth.
I don't know how Makoto's sister will explain this to you. But she basically spelled out that if I didn't do this, all of you would be dragged into this. And that was just not a possibility.
I'm sorry for breaking my promise to you. That I wouldn't turn myself in for you and for everyone else. The more I thought of it, the more I remembered how scared and defeated you looked when we were all in the Velvet Room. Before I reminded you what you were fighting for.
I know we made several promises. That we were going to go to Hawaii together, just the two of us. I hate that I had to break all of those promises. I wanted to experience so much more with you.
I don't know how long I'll be in prison. I have no ideas about the laws. I don't even know the full extent they'll charge me for. So I need you to let me go.
Find someone else to love. Every moment we had together was wonderful. You called me your light. But you were my everything; my hope, the silver lining in a dark horizon, a ray of sunlight on a dreary day, my beautiful, wonderful lady. Someone else deserves to bask in your love.
Thank you, for staying with me last night. I don't know what I would've done if you had walked away.
And I'm sorry I couldn't give you your gift last night, too. The clerk mentioned that I could give you a charm for each Christmas. And I had wanted to give you more. I wanted so much more with you, Anne.
The charm I bought, it's a key with a heart. That's because you've held the key to my heart, far longer than you realize. I can't really figure out the moment I fell for you. But once I realized it, I was in deep. There was no going back.
I love you. With all that I am. I'm just sorry that I didn't have more time to show you that.
Love,
Ren
Anne clasped the letter to her heart, her chest heaving with barely contained sobs. She could feel Ren's pain with each stroke of pen.
"Ren…" she sobbed out, tears scalding her cheeks. It dripped down on the paper but Anne didn't care.
She had been so close. So close to walking out on him. She had been hurt by his refusal to tell her what's going on. If only she had known then…
And it hurt. It hurt knowing that she had almost driven a stake into his heart last night.
She didn't know how long she had spent crying. She only looked up when she felt the bed dip as someone else sat down. She wiped at her eyes, sniffling still.
"Yukari-san?"
She hadn't realized Yukari-san had stayed. She thought they all left, beyond Sojiro and Futaba of course.
Yukari-san just smiled sadly at her before pulling her into a hug. Anne sobbed, burying her face into the older woman's shoulder. She was soaking Yukari-san's coat with her tears, but Yukari-san didn't seem to mind. She just rubbed Anne's back, humming a melody that Anne didn't recognize, murmuring comforting words.
It's been so long since she's had someone hug her like this. She loved calling her parents but… it just wasn't the same.
And slowly, Anne's tears dried. Anne sniffled, rubbing at her eyes.
Yukari-san smiled gently at her. "You're not alone, Anne."
"I-I know…" Anne mumbled out.
"You don't have to talk about it now," Yukari-san said gently. "But… I'm here for you if you need to talk."
Anne rubbed at her eyes again. "T-Thank you, I-I was just reading the letter Ren wrote to me. It was just so… overwhelming."
Yukari-san smiled sadly. "I understand. Minato wrote me a letter too before he died. He wrote Ken-kun and everyone else a letter too."
She looked up to see pain lurking in Yukari-san's eyes. Ken never really talked about it but Yukari-san loved him still. She loved him enough to be willing to become a teen mother, to keep loving him even after nearly seven years.
She wondered if Minato-san asked Yukari-san to move on in his letter to her.
"I-I just… he was in so much pain, wasn't he? He couldn't tell me the truth," Anne said, biting her lip.
"Try not to lose heart, Anne," Yukari-san advised, putting a hand on Anne's shoulder. "We're going to turn this around. We'll get Ren-kun out of there."
Anne just wiped at her eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Yukari-san stayed about twenty minutes longer. She talked about Minato-san, and some memories that she often keeps close in her heart, the ones that help her get through the tougher days, especially when her grief was fresh.
It was all so sad, but it did give Anne comfort, hearing Yukari-san just talk about Minato-san and how much he meant to her. And how she got through it all, thanks to her friends, her memories of him, and especially because of the twins.
She bid the older woman farewell. Alone again. She didn't want to be selfish and beg her to stay. She had Miyuki and Kaito to think of, too. Were they even in Tokyo right now? If not, she hoped they got to see Yukari-san soon.
But a part of her still didn't want to be alone with her thoughts right now. She just wanted to be selfish and have a shoulder to cry on.
It was silly. She was tempted to message Shiho again, but if she hadn't responded by now that probably meant she was in the middle of something. She shouldn't be selfish, but dammit she wanted to be. She didn't want to run downstairs and drag Futaba upstairs just so she can cry on the younger girl. Futaba was probably still trying to process this too, and it was better to give her space with Sojiro.
Anne's thoughts were interrupted when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She never reached so fast for her pocket in her life. Shiho, finally! She didn't even look at the caller ID when she hit answer.
"Hello… this is Anne…" Anne tried not to sound so pathetic.
It wasn't Shiho, but her dad's voice she heard instead come onto the line.
"Time to wish a Merry Christmas to my little—" Dad suddenly cut himself off. "Wait… that doesn't sound like you, Anne. Is… is something wrong?" His cheery voice turned to concern.
Her puffy eyes that were previously starting to dry up started welling up again at the sound of her father's voice.
"Oh… Daddy! Dad—something terrible just happened. I… I… I don't—"
"Shhh… Anne, take a breath. Just sit tight, let me grab your mom, and I'll put you on speaker. Tell us everything."
It wasn't Shiho but all the same she was equally grateful to whatever deity was listening and knew she needed to hear from someone she loved still.
Ken sighed. Today had been a long day.
His head was swimming with all of the ideas they had thrown out to try and overturn Ren's sentence.
Ren's other friends—Mishima, Takemi-san, Iwai-san, to name a few—had left, intent on continuing their plans tomorrow. But their inner circle had remained, but they briefly all left to go to the convenience store to give Sojiro and Futaba some brief space while they cleaned up all the dishes. The rest were gonna go out and buy some ingredients to replace the ones Sojiro used to feed everyone recently. All except Anne who went up to Ren and Morgana's attic. No one dared to bother her. Everyone spread out and met at the counter to buy all the food they needed to give to Sojiro… except for Ryuji who chose to wait outside the store.
"Is Ryuji still out there?" Ken asked, looking to Haru.
Haru bit her lip. "Mm-hm. I was thinking of going out there and try to get him to come in and shop with us. It's freezing out there, after all."
"It's alright, you guys wait in line, I'll come back in with him in a second," Ken offered, handing his basket to Yusuke. "I could use some fresh air, anyways."
Shinjiro-san glanced in his direction, shooting him a questioning look by the front door, bags in hand already for his purchase. Probably some stuff for things he wants to cook if Ken had to guess. Ken tried to smile, to give his guardian reassurance. Then he moved towards the door, quickly moving to shut it behind him.
Ken shivered as he stepped outside, the frigid cold air stinging his cheeks. Ryuji seemed to be lost in thought, his arms crossed.
"Ryuji? Is everything okay?"
Ryuji flinched before whipping his head towards Ken. "Shit—! Jeez, Ken, don't scare me like that!"
Ken held up his hands. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."
"I-I'm fine, I guess…" Ryuji muttered out. Then he frowned, shaking his head. "No, I'm not."
Ken took a step closer to his friend. "Do you need to talk about it?"
Ryuji scrunched up his face for a moment before scratching at his cheek. "It's… dumb."
"Shouldn't you let me decide that?" Ken asked.
Ryuji groaned, taking a moment to rub his face before speaking. "It's just… ugh. It's sorta like how I didn't get how Haru could still love her abusive shitstain of a dad. He was ready to marry her off, like she was nothing but a tool. And there was all the shit with the employees… I just, I dunno why Anne thinks they've changed."
"People can change," Ken said. "Though granted, I don't know how I feel about Ren's parents myself."
Ryuji sighed. "And you weren't there, when Ren opened up to me and Yusuke and Morgana, 'bout the gritty details of the shit he went through. I guess I'm just not as good of a person like Anne."
"That's not true," Ken insisted. "You're loyal and brave, Ryuji. A true friend. And a part of why you lashed out so badly was because you're so protective of Ren."
Ryuji just gave a half-hearted nod before his hand clenched into a fist. "It's just… ugh! I hate that Ren's parents hurt him so badly. I dunno if they'll stick to wanting to help us. And there's Akechi, if only he was still here. His turning himself in would fix everything, that cowardly bastard, running off like that! I just hate that Ren had to do this for us."
Ken just sighed, looking away.
"Yeah… if only." Ken thought.
He still didn't know what to feel about Akechi. There was so much he could see of his past self in Akechi. The anger, the festering bitterness. But even then, Ken couldn't help but resent Akechi. Akechi's fleeing had pushed Ren into a corner... on top of everything else he has done up to this point, it was quite the list.
"And you know, Ryuji…"
When Ryuji looked to him quizzically, Ken cleared his throat. "I know that seeing Ren's parents like this, after hearing Ren's side of the story… had to sting. I know that Makoto and Haru were willing to forgive their family but… not everyone has to. Even if your dad felt genuinely remorseful and wanted to reach out to you, you're allowed to tell him no. That you won't ever forgive him, for the pain he put you and your mother through. You're not a bad person. Far from it."
Ryuji took in a shuddering breath before cracking a sad smile. "…Thanks, Ken. But man… I still wish that Akechi could've turned himself in so Ren didn't have to…"
"Well, wishing isn't going to do anything." Ken gave a half-hearted smile. "As nice as it would be."
Ryuji nodded. "Makoto said something familiar, when Shido's goons nabbed you. She said blaming ourselves wouldn't do anything, but action will."
"That does sound like her." Ken smiled, only for it to fade.
"What's wrong?" Ryuji asked.
Ken sighed, rubbing at his face. "Makoto and I learned what Niijima-san was going to do. I lashed out at her. I said some pretty horrible things to her in my anger. I need to apologize to her still."
"It couldn't have been that bad," Ryuji said, shaking his head.
Ken sighed, rubbing at his face. "You'd be surprised. I said some… unkind things to her."
"I mean, you're admitting you're wrong." Ryuji shrugged. "Like uh… everything's good between us now but… I used to think of some pretty shitty things of Anne. I believed in the rumors that she was Kamoshida's girl. And uh, well… you saw how we didn't like Makoto in the beginning."
Ken winced in sympathy. He still remembered how bewildered Makoto had been when he had been nice to her.
"Can't forget how you tried to sic your Persona on me too," Ken said with a wry smile.
"Hey, that was our second meeting," Ryuji protested. "Though you didn't help our suspicions with you booking it out of there!"
Ken huffed. "I panicked, okay?"
"Clearly." Ryuji snickered for a moment before his expression grew pensive. "But uh… thanks, Ken." Ryuji cracked a smile. "I guess I needed to talk this shit out. I feel better 'bout this."
Ken just shrugged. "It's what friends are for."
"Just shuddup and take the compliment." Ryuji lightly punched his shoulder. "But anyways, let's head inside. Starting to feel like my ass is ready to freeze off."
Ken shook his head. "Maybe in a few minutes."
Ryuji raised a brow. "'Huh? Don't you have stuff to buy or something?"
"Yeah, I handed them to Yusuke, I'll be in in a sec. Promise… go wait in my spot in line next to him for me."
Ryuji shrugged at that. "Kay…"
Without another word, he opened the door and stepped back into the convenience store. Ken let out a sigh as he gazed up at the sky. It was lightly snowing again.
"Amada-kun?"
Ken jumped at the sound of Niijima-san's voice.
"Oh… Niijima-san…" He winced at how his words came out so… stilted.
But he couldn't help it. He swallowed subtly, pretending to pick at a stray strand from his sleeve.
"Here."
Ken blinked as Niijima-san all but push a to-go cup in his hands.
"I thought you'd might like something warm to drink," she said, her cheeks growing even more pink.
Not from the cold, it seemed. But to be polite, Ken raised the cup to his lips and took a careful sip.
"The Sakuras told me you all would be here and… I assumed that you'd prefer it black," Niijima-san said after a moment. "Forgive me if I assumed wrong."
So that's where she got the drink from. He should have figured, judging from aroma. Sakura-san's coffee no matter the blend had something really comforting about the smell of his coffee. He couldn't place why that was, perhaps he was just biased.
Ken looked down at the ground. "It's me that should be sorry. I shouldn't have accused you of being selfish about wanting Ren to turn himself in."
Niijima-san's breath escaped her.
"I will admit… your words did sting. But I will not insult you by invalidating your anger. Honestly, I'm surprised that the Sakuras aren't angrier with me… given what I've done in the past." She then paused, pursing her lips. "I also want to apologize… I never meant to belittle how much of a rock and hard place you all were in. I still don't agree with how dangerous that plan was. But I never wanted you to feel like I think you don't care about Ren-kun's safety. I was trying to get you to understand my position is not so different and asking him to make a tough sacrifice. I could have been more tactful… my feelings bled into my response."
"No… I get it. I wasn't trying to see things from you or Ren's perspective. I think part of it is still trying to compute it all," Ken muttered. "But still, I suppose it's too late. Akechi's probably fled the country. He's always running from his past. Guess things never change."
Niijima-san stared at him, confusion in her eyes. "Amada-kun?"
"I'm guessing Makoto hasn't told you," Ken stated.
"Told me what?" Niijima-san gave him a bewildered look.
"Akechi and I are cousins," he stated, fighting to keep his voice even. "Our mothers were sisters."
"But you two… you never acted like—?"
"Like family?" Ken couldn't help but smile ruefully. "We met once when we were children. Our mothers had a… disagreement and Mom passed away a few years after. I probably wouldn't have known if Akechi hadn't told me."
"I see." Niijima-san's expression became pensive. "Amada-kun, I do have another question."
Ken just raised an eyebrow before giving a small nod. Niijima-san took a deep breath before opening her mouth once more.
"Do you… hate Akechi?"
Ken frowned. He had struggled with this for weeks now. But the truth was…
"I don't know how to feel," Ken stated, giving a shrug. "I feel sorry that he lost his mother. And that society did foster a lot of his negative traits. That, I cannot deny."
"But…?"
"Maybe I don't hate him," Ken said slowly. "If anything, I pity him for feeling that the path he followed was the only path, that revenge consumed him so."
He will always be grateful to Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san especially. Shinjiro-san for steering him off the path. He regretted still that the incident with Takaya had been the one to open his eyes. And Akihiko-san, he had been the one to tell Ken that he could do more than just feel sorry for himself.
Akechi… never really got that kind of closure.
Niijima-san was silent. Ken sighed to himself. She still had a hard time wrapping her mind around how Akechi really was.
"I… do think that he's more aware of his guilt than he realizes," Ken continued quietly.
He remembered how Akechi reacted when Ken called him out on Isshiki-san and that he had inflicted the same pain he had suffered onto Futaba. He looked guilty, even as he tried to deny it.
"Maybe he's capable of doing the right thing," Ken said, shrugging. "But even so, it's just a maybe."
It wouldn't mean anything unless Akechi did change.
"But really—I don't know what to feel about Akechi." Ken sighed. "He's done many personal wrongs to the people I care about. But I do not wish his circumstances onto anyone."
"The right thing…" Niijima-san said slowly. "I think that maybe is a stronger possibility than what you think, Amada-kun."
Ken frowned. "What makes you sound so sure?"
"I—never mind," Niijima-san sighed. "Come on, let's go back to Café Leblanc before Aragaki scolds you for staying out in the cold and exposing yourself to the elements."
"Ah well—"
He was interrupted when the rest of the gang and Shinjiro-san stepped outside, his guardian holding twice as many bags as previously and looking mildly annoyed. Did he… pay for his stuff? Ken told the others to wait for him.
"You took too long dumbass, so I paid for your shit. You owe me," Shinjiro-san said, as if he read his mind.
Without another word, he and the group ushered him back towards Café Leblanc. Niijima-san seemed mildly amused as she looked at Ken then at Shinjiro-san, before following Makoto inside. Everyone went back inside one by one, leaving Ken by himself for but a moment. He shook his head and went inside the café.
Even as he rejoined his friends and listened to their chatter, Niijima-san's words nagged at him.
Just what was she talking about?
Monday, December 26th, 2016
"What do you think, Hoshi-san?"
Goro stared at the reflection. His hair was cut close to chin length, a drastic change from how he's always worn his hair. But it was necessary.
He was lucky the barber was an older man, there wasn't a tv in his shop, just an old radio playing some music. One of the reasons he picked this place. It seemed like a hole in the wall, unnoticed much by the rest of the street save for the few who frequent this small shop. Perfect place for him to go, no one would recognize him here. It was more of a relief to see the cliental were all retirement age, and didn't pay him any mind. After sitting in the chair, talking with the man, and getting the haircut revealed the old barber didn't watch much tv or news. Another boon for him. He had a feeling that was the case just from observing the barber, as well as the few clients and workers in the shop; but it was nice to have that confirmation all the same.
He no longer could rely on the Metaverse to hide from Shido's cronies. So, he had used his fake ID to withdraw the money in the bank account he had created for emergencies. He wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to do. Not with Shido going to jail.
He just felt… empty.
"Hoshi-san?"
Goro snapped to attention. "My apologies, I'm just… tired. But you've done a marvelous job."
Sōichirō Hoshi. That was the name he chose for himself.
There was an actor of some shows he watched as a kid, whose name was Sōichirō. Then there was his mother's neighbor, that kind old woman, Hoshi-san, he never knew her first name. She was the only one who seemed to not gossip about his mother or glare at her. She even sometimes would bring some day-old bread that she didn't want to go bad from her bakery. A pity… she died of a heart attack a year after she moved into their apartment. It would have been nice if his mother had some decent neighbors like her.
Goro shook himself out of his thoughts as he followed the barber to the front desk. He reached into his wallet, handing over a one-thousand-yen bill as a tip.
"Thank you!" The barber beamed. "I hope you have a good day!"
Goro nodded before shuffling over to the door.
He shivered as he pushed the door open, a frigid winter gale blasting him right in the face as he stepped forward, letting the door slam behind him. But he cast a look over his shoulder. He couldn't be too careful. He took out his sunglasses, which he had retrieved from his apartment. He slid it over his eyes. Despite it being winter, the sun was still quite bright. Hopefully people wouldn't give him a second look.
Ha… It was ironic. Once, Goro had sworn that he would make everyone see. See how he had prevailed over everyone's expectations, that he would be so much more than a nobody. And now he was just desperately trying to get by, hoping nobody would look at him.
The city had appeared to have reverted to normal. Goro had heard little snippets of people doubting Shido being able to take his seat as Prime Minister. With the Phantom Thieves' efforts, Shido would get his just desserts.
But where did that leave him? Would Shido implicate him in his confession? Goro hated that he didn't know.
"The leader of the Phantom Thieves—"
Goro's head shot, he recognized that voice. He gritted his teeth and ducked his head down, keeping his eyes glued to his phone. He pretended to read a text and glanced at the couple sitting outside of a café from the corner of his eye.
Ugh…
Why did it have to be that reporter? He interviewed him before several times on "Good Morning Japan". Hayashi-san was clearly with his date. He had mentioned to Goro once or twice he had a girlfriend.
But why in the hell were they sitting outside in this weather? He hoped the man wouldn't notice him. Goro walked by trying to be uninteresting as possible, catching part of their conversation. They were talking about Amamiya it sounded like.
"—has turned himself in. Or at least that's what the rumors say. That he accepted a plea deal in exchange for testimony against Shido-san."
"You're kidding?" The woman gasped.
"Shh! This is supposed to be on the down-low. And it's just a rumor. For all I know, it could be a bunch of crap someone cooked up to get people to talk about it. Everything about Shido-san's case is classified. No press is allowed near the court and the police constantly chase us out when we approach them about it."
"So, you can't confirm if it's real?"
"Unfortunately not. Like I said, it could be someone making something up after the buzz they created all year. But I can't confirm a thing. Shido-san's made quite the mess for the government and they're all scrambling to get this resolved as soon as possible and quietly it seems."
"That's a shame…"
Goro felt… well he wasn't sure how to feel. The thought of Amamiya rotting away would have made him laugh a month ago. But now he feels numb to the idea. He didn't care in the slightest. He didn't even have the energy to mentally gloat.
But as for that rumor… he wouldn't doubt for a second it was true. Amamiya had turned himself in probably to protect his friends, he was prepared to take the fall for them before and used himself as bait for Goro… so it wouldn't surprise him if he did it again. But why? Wasn't what Shido had confessed been enough?
Amamiya had won. Shot whatever the hell had appeared in the sky right in the face. Goro didn't really care to know the details; it didn't involve him.
So why had he given himself up, to implicate Shido and his cronies?
Monday, January 2nd, 2017
Haru breathed out a sigh as she set down her phone. A few of her father's associates were more willing to help but others, they didn't want to bother.
"Tea, Okumura?"
Haru immediately sat up with a squeak. Mitsuru-san let out a chuckle, placing a cup in front of Haru.
"I apologize, I didn't mean to startle you."
"O-Oh no, Mitsuru-san!" Haru said, waving a hand. "I should've been more aware."
Mitsuru-san let out a hum, sipping at her own tea. "You're doing well."
"I'm sorry?"
"With your communication with your father's old associates."
Haru bit her lip. "It's kind of you to say so but I feel that most of them are just indulging me."
Mitsuru-san sighed. "It's unfortunate but it happens a lot with young women. But keep at it, and they'll eventually grow to respect you as an individual. Not merely as an extension of your father."
Haru could only nod. "And what of your own associates?"
Mitsuru-san sighed. "It's… difficult. It's been nearly a year since Amamiya's original sentence. Hopefully we'll have a name to the woman who testified against Amamiya soon."
Haru clasped her hands together. "Oh, I hope so!"
"Though there are other variables to consider," Mitsuru-san mused, stroking her chin. "Like the possibility of there being more than one woman having the same name. Our work's only just begun."
Haru nodded in determination. "Yes, we owe so much to Ren-kun."
"Yes…" Mitsuru-san's eyes suddenly grew distant. "I only regret that Amamiya had to step up in the beginning."
Haru blinked. Ken had alluded to this before. Mitsuru-san often felt terribly guilty about involving others in Shadow work, despite her friends telling her again and again that it wasn't just her burden to bear.
"Um… Mitsuru-san, if I may?" she said.
"Hmm?"
Haru took a deep breath, trying to gather the words.
"I know things haven't always been easy," she said quietly. "I lost my father, truly. In the past few years, he had pulled away further and further. I had hoped that one day… Father and I would've been able to… come together again, after he atoned for his crimes. But before I had just done what I was told. I wasn't allowed to have dreams of my own. I wasn't allowed to know what I wanted."
"Okumura…" Mitsuru-san said softly.
"But things changed when I became Noir. Even though Mementos and Palaces are still gone, Noir is still a part of me. So despite the pain and grief we have endured, I don't think that any of us regret it." Haru just bit her lip. "I know this incident has caused you no small amount of grief too. But… becoming a Phantom Thief has truly opened my eyes. So I will never regret it."
"Heh." Mitsuru-san smiled at Haru. She looked… impressed with Haru. "I suppose you're right. I do wish that I could've handled Shido myself but… you're right. This kind of journey can be extremely important to one's own self-growth. You've grown quite a bit in just a couple of months."
Haru's cheeks burned at her sincere compliment. "I-I just spoke from the heart."
"And I'm grateful for that." Mitsuru-san shook her head. "I do my best to try and do things on my own, often to my own detriment. Yukari and Minako often chide me or it. But you and everyone else, you've come into your own."
Haru just bowed her head. "T-Thank you, Mitsuru-san."
Mitsuru-san chuckled. "Don't be so modest, Okumura. But now then, shall we return to our work?"
Haru nodded furiously. "Yes!"
Friday, January 6 th, 2017
Ryuji always hated coming from school after winter break. It was always harder to pull himself out of bed after getting to sleep in. But Ryuji really didn't want to drag himself to school, knowing how everyone who didn't actually know Ren would be shit-talking him. All the teachers got word about how Ren "broke probation" and was arrested. A load of crap.
He hated it. Hated that people would talk shit about his best friend when he saved everyone's asses.
But weirdly enough, there was talk about Ren and it wasn't super negative. Even with that, Ryuji was glad when the school day finally ended. He jumped to his feet, shoving his belongings in his bag. He already had plans to meet up with Mishima, to talk things out on how they wanted to handle their part—
"Sakamoto!"
Ryuji jumped, turning around. "Whataya want, Sato?"
Kaori Sato, great… he didn't have time to deal with her.
Sato pursed her lips before placing a hand on her hip. "Don't be like that, Sakamoto. I just wanted to talk."
"'Bout what?" Ryuji said bluntly.
Sato sighed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "About Amamiya."
Ryuji scowled, folding his arms across his chest. "Look, if you're gonna talk shit about Ren, I don't wanna hear it."
Sato frowned at him.
"Must you always jump to the worst conclusion?" She then breathed out a sigh, wrapping an arm around herself. "Though, I guess it's a little warranted…"
Ryuji huffed. They were in the same class and all, but Ryuji didn't know much about her. The biggest thing he knew about her was that she was one of the few members of the newspaper club.
"Look, Sakamoto—" Sato sighed. "I don't… agree with Amamiya's original sentence. You may not realize it, but he actually is someone I consider a friend. And word on the grapevine is that Amamiya's closest friends, like you and Takamaki, are looking to try and overturn the sentence."
Ryuji just looked at her blankly. "Wait, where'd you hear that?"
Sato replied while holding up her phone, "It's all over the Phan-Site. 'The Phantom Thieves may be retired but we can still honor their example by helping those in need. For example, this poor student was framed for a crime he didn't commit. Let's help him out! And submit other cases too we can help in the future, do what you can to help the little guy who can't help themselves, just like the heroes of justice! Take your heart!' I assume this is Mishima's doing?"
"Jeez, Mishima… did ya have to lay it on that thick? But it kinda made sense. He and Futaba were talking about other ways they could get the word out even more beyond Mishima's petition, yesterday… so this is what they had in mind..." Ryuji thought and nodded to her.
"And I've been asking around today already—"
"Oh great, that'll help," Ryuji muttered.
"Will you hush and listen?" Sato glowered at him. "L-Look, I know that some people misjudged Amamiya—"
"Some?" Ryuji quirked a brow.
"—but the fact is that Amamiya was one of the first people, alongside yourself, to stand up to Kamoshida, and not long after the Phantom Thieves changed his heart. So, in a way, you two helped get the ball rolling and inspired them, I'm sure," Sato pressed forward, with a strange expression.
Ryuji blinked, not sure what she was getting at. "Didn't think about it that way."
"The school is grateful truly that Kamoshida was exposed, we would have you both to thank for being the first to stand up to him and inspire the Thieves to stop him." She gave him a small smile and a… weird twinkle in her eyes.
Ryuji just nodded, still not sure what she was getting at.
"I know that buying into the rumors wasn't… kind," Sato said carefully. "But more people at Shujin are more willing to help than you think. More and more people slowly realized they were wrong about him. Just like I did. And for what it's worth… I am sorry what Kamoshida did to you. He shouldn't have shattered your dream like that."
Ryuji shrugged. "I've still got a future, don't I? Still gotta sort that out, but first—gotta bust out RenRen."
Sato just chuckled. "Well… Amamiya certainly has some loyal friends. I'm going to spend a few more days, gathering info but… I'll talk to you soon."
"Uh… see you around, Sato."
She waved at him before heading off. Ryuji took a moment to stare at where she was standing before. Damn, that was unexpected. He then shook his head. He had to focus. Mishima was waiting on him anyways. And he needed to confront that knucklehead for making them sound like it was some superhero children's anime in that thread. Really? Take your heart?
Ryuji couldn't help but cringe thinking about it.
Sunday, January 8 th , 2017
"They've tracked down the woman who was there that night."
Makoto nodded before sighing, folding her arms over her chest. "But that's not the end of it. She's been reluctant to testify the truth."
"I'm not surprised." Sae shook her head. "She was under oath to testify truthfully during the original trial, and this would be admitting that she committed perjury in the first place. You can face a minimum of three months jail time. The maximum punishment is ten years of jail, I believe. It's certainly won't be easy to convince her to come forward."
Makoto couldn't help but feel intrigued, listening to Sae discuss this. When Sae first entered law school, Makoto hadn't been interested since she was still in elementary school then.
"Though wouldn't she get a lighter sentence since Shido strongarmed her into it?" Makoto asked.
"Mm, I suppose," Sae allowed before she pursed her lips together. "Perjury is a difficult crime to properly pin on someone, so I'm not incredibly familiar with the proceedings with that type of case."
Makoto chewed on her bottom lip. "I see…"
Makoto couldn't help but wonder if Ren had even crossed the woman's mind after the trial. She was a victim too, so Makoto couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Shido had forced her to lie in order to save his own sorry hide. Not to mention… he was sexually assaulting her, according to Ren. She had to be forced to protect the man who tried to force himself on her to punish the boy who was coming to her aid. It was just too wrong.
"Ohya-san is going to keep trying, though," Makoto stated. "Ren always said she's like a bloodhound once she's caught a whiff of a lead."
Sae nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. We can only hope that she will help us."
"She would be a crucial witness for our case," Makoto sighed out. "But still, we can't force her."
Sae was quiet for a moment, folding her hands together on top of the dining table. She was quiet, seemingly mulling over something.
"Do you recall how Ren-kun had to convince me to help him?" she finally said. "That he reminded me of my justice?"
Makoto glanced at her sister and nodded. "Yes, that's right."
"I believe that this woman needs to reminded of this, that she did wrong Ren-kun. Yes, she is a victim—but he was still responding to her cries for help. I can't imagine sleeping well at night if I was in her position, so hopefully she does feel guilty about it and is willing to help," Sae stated. "Of course, there's still much to be done. Perhaps she will change her mind when our case gains more traction."
Makoto bit her lip. "I hope so. It would be huge if we could get her testimony. Especially since…"
She trailed off, shaking her head. No, that was unfair. Makoto wasn't blind. She knew that Akechi still meant something to Sae. Even if… it made Makoto uneasy to think about.
"Especially since…?"
"I-It's not important," Makoto quickly lied, ducking her head.
"Makoto…" Sae looked at her, eyebrows raised.
Makoto bit her lip, chewing on it. "I was just thinking… it would be so much easier if we had managed to stop Akechi from running away after we fought him is all."
"I understand..." Sae's voice had grown small.
Makoto's stomach twisted itself into knots. She knew that the topic of Akechi was still complicated when it came to Sae. She felt it was more complicated than Ken's feelings, with how they were partners and yet…
"Makoto… it's…" Sae sighed. "I didn't know how to bring this up."
"Bring what up?" Makoto asked.
Sae sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. "I saw him that night. The night you eliminated Mementos."
Makoto flinched. "You did? But you…?"
Sae ducked her head, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hide it from you."
"What happened?" Makoto asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.
Makoto dropped her hands in her lap, her fingers clenching around the hem of her skirt. She didn't need to be jealous. They were still rebuilding their relationship. It shouldn't matter that Sae still, in a complicated manner, cared for Akechi.
She just… wished her heart would listen to the logic.
"It happened so quickly." Sae sighed. "I was attacked by the Shadows—"
"What?!" Makoto gasped out.
Sae took a moment to put a hand on Makoto's shoulder. "I'm fine. Don't worry. But Akechi—he… he saved me."
"Oh…"
It was the only thing Makoto could think of saying. She couldn't process the thought really. The perpetrator to all the mental shutdowns, who killed Haru and Futaba's family without a second thought… just saved her sister.
"I don't know why he did. He… didn't have faith that you would win either."
Makoto huffed. Of course he wouldn't. He had no faith in people's strength. Sometimes, Makoto still really struggled wrapping her mind that Akechi was related to Ken. There were so many things about Akechi that irritated her so. Sometimes it was just so unbearable to just hear him talk.
But… he did save Sae, as surprising as that was.
"He left afterwards." Sae's brow furrowed. "I just—I can't help but wonder his motivations. Logically, he could've used the chaos to flee. I think, afterwards, he did. I haven't been able to track him down."
Makoto frowned. Sae had a point. What was Akechi's reasoning? It… defied all of his past behavior. Makoto could only think of one reason.
"He was worried about you."
Sae's expression grew conflicted. "Maybe… there is still hope for him. Maybe we've been looking at it wrong. The only reason I thought to ask Ren-kun to turn himself in was because I didn't know if we could find Akechi in time."
But Makoto couldn't help but doubt it. He'd have to actually feel guilty about what he's done.
"Sis, he's probably left the country," Makoto interjected. "That's the logical thing to do, after all. He has a better chance of survival of starting over… anywhere but here."
Sae's expression fell. "Well… we did discuss this possibility in the past. You're probably right."
If Futaba lost track of Akechi, she had doubts that he could be found. He must have ditched the phone that she bugged, that or the phone's batteries was dead. But more than likely he ditched it and was using a burner or something.
But something had been nagging Makoto for a while. And since her sister was willing to divulge something with her, she supposed it was fair she do the same. Besides... it might be nice to finally get this off her chest. She hated how ambivalent she felt about Sae still caring about Akechi.
Makoto sighed heavily. "I was always jealous of him."
"You were jealous of Akechi?" Sae looked at her, bewildered.
"Too many times you said you wouldn't be coming home because you were working with him or because you wanted to take him to dinner because he hadn't eaten all day." Makoto sighed. "I know it's petty but, it really felt that you preferred his company to mine."
Sae was quiet for a moment, her hands folded in front of her. "I know that I haven't treated you the best since Dad died. But I love you. I've loved you since the moment Dad put you in my arms. I'm sorry that I made you feel this way. I really am. But I loved you since the day you were born and I'm not going to stop."
Makoto felt her eyes well up in tears.
"Sis, I had no idea…"
"I think I forgot it myself," Sae admitted, giving her a sad smile. "But… I'm here for you, I promise. And if the chance presents itself, I would try to convince Akechi to do the right thing. I'm done with closing my eyes to the right thing."
Makoto frowned. If the chance presented itself? Sae may be earnest in it but Makoto doubted that Akechi would listen to anyone at this point.
Sunday, January 15th, 2017
"This is for Ren, this is for Ren," Futaba chanted under her breath as she wove throughout the crowd in Shibuya.
Crowds still made her a little nervous. But she was determined to conquer this.
Makoto had told her that Mishima was trying to get more signatures for a petition and suggested helping him out. It was a little annoying that she couldn't do her usual thing with digging up info but they had to do this the right way. She didn't know why this was being pushed either, her other idea was still fantastic! The Phan-Site would have way more reach than some silly petition. She suggested using the Phan-Site in the first place to Mishima simply because he said his petition wasn't doing so successfully. But Makoto pushed her to help him. Saying they need every advantage they could.
Unfortunately, Mishima wasn't having much luck, getting people's attention.
"Nishima!" she called out, darting towards him.
Mishima turned, his shoulders slumped. "Hi…"
Futaba bit her lip. "Tough crowd?"
"That's putting it lightly." Mishima sighed out. "I want to help Amamiya but… am I even making a difference? I can hardly get people to look at my petition."
Futaba stole a look. There were maybe twenty signatures on the petition.
"You got some," Futaba hedged out.
Mishima smiled half-heartedly. "You're just trying to make me feel better."
"Give me a second, will you?" Futaba huffed. "I'm not good at encouraging people like Ren. Look, it's kinda like… grinding it out! Like a Magikoi in Pusemon! You gotta keep grinding it out, you can't give up!"
"But—"
Futaba grabbed his arm, pulling him down to whisper in his ear. At least he wasn't a stupidly tall jerk like some people she knew.
"You sure made a difference, rallying everyone to cheer us on. You poured your heart and soul into supporting us, you rallied everyone to cheer us on. That's what tipped the scales for us."
Mishima's cheeks flushed and his eyes widened. "R-Really?"
"Really. It was… kinda cool," Futaba finished with an embarrassed blush.
Mishima's smile lit up his face. "T-Thanks, Futaba. Maybe there's some kind of other approach—"
"Need a hand?"
"Oh! Yukari-san!" Futaba grinned, waving wildly.
Yukari-san waved as well, but only for a moment. Her twins were with her so she grabbed onto their hands; probably so they wouldn't run off into the crowd.
"Y-Yu—" Mishima openly gaped at her. "YUKARI TAKEBA?! You're here?! You wanna help?!"
"She's like Ken's big sister," Futaba grinned. "She may have just retired but she probably has the clout to help us out here!"
"You have a cloud, Mommy?!" Kaito gasped. "Like Wukong in Phoenixball?!"
"Not quite…" Yukari-san winced. "But anyways, you want to help Uncle Ken's friend, right?"
"The one who got stuck in jail?" Miyuki asked.
"Wait-wait-wait, are we just breezing past that Amada-senpai is like Yukari Takeba's little brother!" Mishima squeaked out.
Miyuki stomped her foot. "Hey, Mister! I know Mommy's super cool and all but don't be a weirdo like all the guys who wanna date her!"
Kaito narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to date Mommy?"
"N-No!" Mishima exclaimed. "I-I mean, she's really pretty but—!"
Futaba poked him in the ribs, making him jump. "Not helping your case, Nishima."
"Why do you keep calling me that? You know that's not my name still, right?" Mishima frowned at her.
Futaba just snickered, "It's your nickname now! Just be grateful you aren't Inari."
Mishima blinked in confusion, "Wait, Inari? What—?"
"Plus, I don't nickname just anyone, y'know!" Futaba added with a grin. "You should feel special!"
"But anyways—!" Yukari-san interrupted loudly, only to flash a quick wink. "Here, watch this."
She then raised her voice, calling out to a passing stranger.
"Oh, aren't you—?"
"Yes, I'm Yukari Takeba." Yukari-san smiled brightly at them. "But actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. You see, there's someone I'd like to help. He was wrongfully accused of a crime."
"Oh—that's terrible!"
"I was wondering if you could help—" Yukari-san suddenly pulled Mishima close to her by the arm and Mishima gave a feeble wave. "—sign a petition. He deserves a second chance and I think your voice could help give the case more attention."
The stranger easily agreed and after signing the petition, she spoke with Yukari-san. She even gave the stranger an autograph.
"Holy crap… you're so cool, Yukari-san!" Futaba squeaked out.
Yukari-san waved a hand. "Oh, it was nothing. That was a brief summary. I bet you'll do better, since you know Ren-kun."
"I-I dunno…"
Yukari-san winked. "Come on, Miyuki and Kaito can help you get some attention too! And I'll help you out if you get nervous. What do you say, um—"
"Mishima," Mishima said in a daze.
Yukari-san smiled. "Mishima-kun, got it. You just got to be more confident with yourself. I could hear you earlier, you know. You need to speak with conviction. That'll make people stop and listen."
Conviction…
"I know that Ren-kun is a good friend to you both," she continued. "Let that speak to people."
She spoke so confidently. Futaba would probably have to take years before she got to that level.
But she had to try. Anything to get Ren out of there.
Tuesday, January 17th, 2017
"So, your plan is to get testimonies to try and poke holes into Ren's court case?"
Ohya-san nodded. "Yep! I'll admit the lady who Shido forced to testify against Ren has still been really… reluctant to say anything."
Ken stared at the table. Of course, Makoto had told him about some of Niijima-san's theories on why she was so reluctant to come out with the truth. It was understandable and Ken couldn't help but pity her. But at the same time, it was really frustrating.
"But in the meantime, this will help bolster Ren's case." Ohya-san took a sip of her drink. "There has to be some kind of discrepancy, something we can use to prove that the case needs to reexamined."
Ken frowned. "You might have a difficult time going to Ren's hometown, though. He told me and our friends that nobody believed in his story."
"I don't believe that," she said bluntly, eyes narrowed. "There might be people who just kept their heads down. They could've been browbeat into staying silent. I really find it hard to believe that the entire town's opinion on Ren was a monolith."
Ken's eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't even think about that."
Ohya-san nodded. "Yeah, it's just… I was in a similar situation. My boss tried to beat me into submission too."
Ken could only nod, schooling his features into one of shock—technically he wasn't supposed to know about that, after all.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Yeah…" Ohya-san then looked back to Ken. "But that's why I need to chip in. Ren's done plenty to help me. He reminded me why I became a journalist in the first place."
Despite their work, Ken couldn't help but feel curious. "So, why did you?"
"I wanted to unveil the truth," Ohya-san said simply. "But with all the cover-ups and shit… I lost heart. I thought 'why bother'? But Ren… he reminded me why I cared so much to begin with. And if I don't try to show the truth, who will?"
Unveil the truth…
Ken could respect that drive. He couldn't help but think of all the situations where the police were paid off to turn the other way. Ohya-san's dedication to this was truly admirable.
And seeing Ohya-san's eyes shine and fill with passion, Ken couldn't help but want to hear more.
Ohya-san then let out an embarrassed laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "Look at me, yammering on like that! And I bet you have entrance exams to worry about too!"
"A-Ah, I suppose," Ken said sheepishly. "Honestly, it's slipped my mind a lot."
Ohya-san clicked her tongue. "You've gotta think about yourself too, you know. Lala-chan's always harping after me to take care of myself, so you've gotta too."
"W-Well, I think I do an okay job—"
"You do a shit job sometimes," Shinjiro-san interjected, not even looking up from wiping a glass.
Ken glowered at his guardian before snapping out, "Nobody asked you!"
"And nobody asks you to be a smartass but you're one anyways," Shinjiro-san retorted coolly.
Ohya-san just threw her head back and laughed. "Pffft, like you can talk, Aragaki."
"Feh."
"But anyways, I plan on going tomorrow," Ohya-san stated. "Do you know anyone who might be able to provide testimony?"
Ken shook his head. "Like I said, Ren was so sure that his entire hometown had turned their backs on him."
Ohya-san sighed. "Figures. Ah, well, it's never easy, the life of a journalist. Wish me best of luck."
Ken sighed. "I wish I could come. I must admit I'm… curious to see how you operate."
Ohya-san laughed. "Aww, thanks, kid."
Shinjiro-san raised an eyebrow. "Why suddenly so curious 'bout this, Ken?"
Ken felt flustered. "W-Well, it sounds interesting! And Ohya-san poses a lot of good points."
"Hmmm…" Shinjiro-san then looked over to Ohya-san. "Ohya, do you mind waiting till the weekend? I don't mind Ken going with you if it's the weekend."
Ohya-san blinked before tilting her head. "Hmmm… I guess it wouldn't hurt. Maybe I can try and dig into more about the case till then. Might be better in the long run so my boss doesn't bust my chops about skipping an entire day of work either."
Shinjiro-san sighed heavily. "The moment I feel a smidge of respect for you and then you completely wipe it away."
"Hey!"
Saturday, January 28 th , 2017
It was Yusuke's birthday today.
He had woken up to several birthday messages from his friends. They had wanted to throw a small celebration, as was their tradition now, but Yusuke told them they ought to wait until Ren was free. They were slowly making more progress.
Ohya-san had managed to convince the woman to testify about the truth that night Ren was arrested. They were getting closer.
But something Yusuke still had trouble wrapping his mind around, was how many people were willing to step up. It wasn't just the people Ren had befriended and aided over the past several months.
But… the victims of the Palace rulers.
Some students from Shujin academy; victims from Kamoshida as well as Kaneshiro. A few former employees of Okumura. And… a couple of Madarame's former students, Yusuke's predecessors. Mishima's Phan-Site post actually did garner some attention.
Yusuke was shocked when Nakanohara had approached him about this. But… the aid was unexpected, not unwelcomed. And to add it all, Mitsuru-san had promised to helping Madarame's former students financially wise.
As he rode the train to school, he noticed what the TV was airing. It was Rise-san, giving an interview. She had promised to speak up about Ren as much as she could.
And she wasn't the only one either. Yukari-san also used her connections, retired actress or not.
It wasn't long until Yusuke's train pulled to the stop closest to Kosei. As he approached the gate, however, he heard a voice call to him.
"Good morning, Kitagawa-kun!"
He turned to see Togo-san hurrying over to him.
"Good morning to you as well, Togo-san," he greeted her.
She smiled, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. "I, ah… I heard that the woman who helped implicate Amamiya-kun had agreed to come forward with the truth."
Oh… that was right. Anne did tell him Mishima was trying to keep his post about Ren's situation updated on the Phan-Site.
Yusuke nodded. "Yes… a friend of mine has an older sister who is a lawyer, she had offered her legal counsel to try and mitigate the punishment, with Shido forcing her hand. And there is a journalist that Ren knows that reminded the woman in question of how Ren's life has… panned out since the trial."
Togo-san winced in sympathy. "I can't help but sympathize with her. But I'm glad to hear that this will help the case a lot."
Yusuke nodded. "Yes, I'm glad to hear it. I'm just grateful that so many people care about Ren to see this undone."
He couldn't help but think of everything Ren's done to help him over the past several months. It wasn't just him either. There were so many lives he had affected on a personal level.
Hifumi bit her lip. "Yes… I think Amamiya-kun may not be completely aware of how much of an effect he's had on people."
That, Yusuke could relate to. He still remembered all the days Ren had spent trying to help him understand what was missing. Why he had lost his spark.
"I just… I wish there was something I can do," she lamented.
Yusuke frowned. "Well… you still have your fans, do you not?"
Togo-san winced, her lips twisting into a grimace. "Yes, but… my reputation has sunk since my last match. My mother helped rig the matches. I intend on rebuilding my reputation but I know I have a long way to go."
"But surely, the press must be interested in hearing your side as well regarding that situation, yes?" Yusuke asked.
Togo-san chewed on her bottom lip; Yusuke couldn't help but feel distracted by it. It was such an unhealthy habit to do so.
"I… I've been approached by a couple of reporters," she admitted. "Do you think people will want to watch it?"
"I don't see why not. Use it to tell your side of the story," Yusuke suggested. "And you can talk about Ren as well, what he did to help you."
Togo-san's eyes widened. "Oh! That might just work."
She then smiled, it lighting up her face.
"Thank you, Kitagawa-kun. You've given me a lot to think about."
Yusuke just bowed his head. "Of course. I'm glad to be of help."
Togo-san let out a small hum. "I really appreciate it!"
She then bade him farewell. Yusuke was about to walk towards the school building when his phone suddenly buzzed.
Group Chat: The REAL Phantom Thieves of Heart
[Ryuji]: soooo we've been thinkin' bout it
[Futaba]: and we're denying your request to wait to celebrate your birthday!
[Anne]: It's not fair, especially since we celebrated practically everyone's!
[Haru]: so we've reserved dinner for you, Yusuke-kun!
[Ken]: a smaller celebration but we still want to celebrate your birthday with you
[Makoto]: especially since… we assume you haven't had a lot of happy birthdays in the past.
[Yusuke]: But we need to focus on working on helping Ren
[Ryuji]: bruh, RenRen is so big on birthdays.
[Ryuji]: Taking a few hours off won't kill ya!
[Futaba]: it ain't often that Ryuji is rite y'know
[Ryuji]: Hey!
[Ken]: okay settle down
[Ken]: either way we already got you presents. You deserve to celebrate your birthday, Yusuke
[Yusuke]: I… suppose you are determined to do this
[Makoto]: of course we are
Yusuke sighed, shaking his head. Those friends of his… they were quite stubborn and tenacious when they wanted to be.
[Anne]: Plusss just imagine it as a celebration for Makoto Haru and Ken~
[Yusuke]: It's been nearly 2 weeks since they've gone through the exams
[Ken]: sometimes when I close my eyes, I can still see the questions.
[Ryuji]: you're really not making me confident about next year
[Makoto]: It was certainly grueling.
[Futaba]: no energy to even smooch, huh?
[Ken]: FUTABA
[Ken]: we've been BUSY
[Haru]: Anyhow, this is Yusuke-kun's birthday, so we need to celebrate!
[Haru]: we've taken care of everything so just meet us at this address at 6:30 pm!
[Ryuji]: you have some money for the train, right?
[Yusuke]: I believe so?
[Ryuji]: I'll grab him after school. We can't let all this planning go to waste! He might be short again!
Yusuke couldn't help but smile. Despite how rowdy his friends could get; he knew he was blessed to have them. And he wouldn't have them, if it wasn't for Ren.
Honestly, he wasn't even sure if he would be standing here today if it wasn't for Ren.
He would celebrate with his friends now but tomorrow; it would be back to work.
Monday, January 30th, 2017
Some people might've called it a boneheaded move, but Goro couldn't stay away.
It's been nine years since Mom had died. His entire motivation had been to avenge her. But now he didn't know what to do. For so long he had been so driven to make Shido regret things, but even as the man awaited his trial, Goro found himself not caring.
What could he even do with himself?
As he knelt in front of her grave and prayed, Goro couldn't help but plea: Give me guidance, Mom.
Was this to be his life? To be set adrift until he finally died? And even then, Amamiya was on the edge of his mind. He had heard of the movement to try and free him. It grated at him to know that he had so many friends still but there was something gnawing at him, knowing that Amamiya had turned himself in to make sure that Shido went to jail.
The way Shido had broken down, pleading and begging for forgiveness just made Goro feel conflicted. He had wanted to see Shido grovel, regret what he had done to Goro and Mom for so long but this… it wasn't by his hands that the man would pay for what he did.
But now he just felt empty.
"I thought I'd find you here."
Goro flinched at the familiar voice. But he didn't move a centimeter.
He heard an all too familiar sigh. Goro bit the inside of his cheek before pitching his voice low.
"I believe you are mistaken—"
"Akechi-kun, I know it's you."
Goro hunched his shoulders, using his peripheral vision to see if he could make a break from it.
"Akechi-kun… please. Can you look at me?"
Goro clenched his fists. "H-How did you…?"
"You always visit your mother on the day she died. You bring her a taro bun since that's her favorite dessert flavor and you bring her red camellias always." Sae-san spoke almost matter-of-factly. Then she let out an exasperated sigh. "You know, if you want to throw me off your trail, perhaps you should've deviated from your usual habits."
He had mentioned it to her… once. Once.
Goro gritted his teeth before slowly facing Sae-san.
"Sae-san."
Sae-san raised an eyebrow and gave a small smile. "Akechi-kun… I see you got a haircut. And I'm flattered you like the sunglasses I bought for your birthday."
He ignored that comment. "What are you doing here?"
"To find you, of course." Sae-san then pursed her lips, seemingly pondering on what to say. "Many of our common associates assumed that you left the country."
Goro stiffened. "Why does it matter? Whether I'm here or the other side of the world, it doesn't matter."
"It matters to me because… I've been thinking on it. Ever since you left my apartment, your actions have been quite illogical."
Goro pursed his lips. "I don't follow what you mean, Sae-san."
Sae-san just shrugged before spreading her hands in front of her. "Logically, you should've used the chaos with Mementos merging with the real world to put as much distance as possible from you and Tokyo. Even right after, you didn't leave the country. And… you saved me."
Goro frowned. It was only natural for him to investigate. Why shouldn't he check the area? He had to know as much information as he could gather… It just so happened that he had found Sae-san in that position. It didn't matter that it was a relief that he had killed the Shadow all too easily.
"You saved my life before earlier; I was simply returning the favor." Goro deflected, shaking his head before adding bitterly, "Besides, how could I even leave? You're acting as if I didn't even try after I saved you. There simply was no way out. Not until… well I imagine it was the Thieves doing that everything went back to normal."
"Hmm… I see." Sae-san tilted her head, eyebrow raised and sounding unconvinced.
Goro had to fight the urge to squirm under her gaze. Why did it feel like she was looking right through him?
And why did she have to look at him like that? There really was no way out of there. He did try, no matter how far he traveled it was a hellscape. Eventually he gave up trying to escape and waiting to see how things played out before he continued.
"And why does it matter?" Goro muttered, to try and deflect her attention. "Shouldn't you be more occupied with your little crusade?"
"Regarding Ren-kun?"
Goro's stomach twisted, hearing Amamiya's given name pass her lips… that hint of familiarity, it almost as if… she regarded him as a friend. That clown had actually endeared himself to her in such a short time? It was ludicrous.
Sae-san folded her arms over her chest. "I'm surprised you know about it."
Goro snorted, just barely stifling the urge to roll his eyes. "It's hard not to know when you involve celebrities. And Takeba is only involved because of Ken."
Sae-san sighed, shaking her head. "Maybe it's a little of that. But Takeba-san also cares because it's wrong. Wrong for Ren-kun to be stuck in jail when he did nothing wrong."
"He could've walked away," Goro muttered.
Sae-san then met his eyes. "That was never a possibility for him."
Goro scowled. "I'm not interested in this 'moving' story or whatever. If we're just going to talk about Amamiya, I'm leaving."
He had enough trouble with Ken yammering on with those lectures of his. He wasn't interested in hearing it from Sae-san as well.
But then Sae-san regarded him with sad eyes. Goro looked away. He didn't want to look at her and see pity in her eyes. Before the Phantom Thieves—no, Amamiya—changed her heart, she never would've been so open with her feelings.
"Akechi-kun, I just want to know," she said quietly. "Did our relationship mean anything to you? Ever?"
"We were partners, weren't we?" Goro shrugged. "It was a mutually beneficial relationship."
Sae-san frowned at that. "So was it a lie, then? That you only wished to bring people to justice, especially those who tried to skirt the law?"
That… bothered him. More than he cared to admit, but that tinge of pain in her voice, it didn't sit well in his stomach to leave her thinking that. Yes, it was a partnership. It was business… but he did respect her, that was never a lie.
Goro grimaced. "I was talking about Shido."
"Your father."
Goro scowled. "So, you know about that…"
Sae-san just smiled wryly. "Well, you did go to Amada-kun about that first. And he is my little sister's boyfriend."
"I guess they really trust you now." Goro couldn't stop a sour expression from creeping onto his face.
"That's because I recognized that how I behaved, dragging people down for my own selfish reasons was wrong," Sae-san stated. "I wanted to atone for everything. Our goals do not differentiate as much as you think, Akechi-kun. Everything we had worked for, our 'crusade' as you put it—it's to right the first wrong Shido inflicted on Ren-kun."
"What about how he wronged other people?"
"Like yourself?" Sae-san raised an eyebrow, placing a hand on her hip.
"Not just me…" Goro gestured to his grave. "My mother bled herself dry, trying to take care of me. She took on a job she loathed, working herself to the bone. All of that could've been prevented if that piece of shit had just…"
"Akechi-kun…" Sae-san's voice grew soft. "I know you're angry. But—"
"Nobody would understand." Goro huffed. "But I know there's no turning back from the path I chose."
"That's not true." Sae-san reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Look, Akechi-kun. Ama—someone... recently told me that if you're willing to change, it's not too late."
Goro rolled his eyes. "It sounds like something Ken would blather on about."
Sae-san sighed. "Did you even hear what I have to say? Do you even… regret what you did? To any of the people you killed? What about… Futaba Sakura?"
Goro fought a wince, not that she could see it with the sunglasses.
"What about her?"
"I put the Sakuras through a lot of grief, and I've been doing my best to make it up to them. But that… Akechi-kun, don't you feel an ounce of guilt? That girl… her situation is no different than yours was. A child out of wedlock. A mother's death that was ruled suicide. Passed around from home to home, completely unwanted. But that death wasn't a suicide. You… Akechi-kun… don't you see what you've done? At the very least, if nothing else, do you not feel an ounce of remorse for that girl?" Sae-san pleaded with a mix of pity and disappointment.
Goro just stayed quiet as his gaze drifted back to his mother's grave. For a moment, his mind veered to Wakaba Ishiki. Did Sakura still visit her?
Did… did she hate the world once, as much as he still does?
"It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me," Sae-san insisted. "Akechi-kun… if you regret what you did, you can still atone. You can't run away from your actions."
Goro stared at her. He couldn't help but think of something Mom had told him so long ago, a memory he long buried.
"Goro!"
Goro looked up at the sound of Mom's voice. "Um… hi, Mom."
Mom opened her mouth but then Goro's principal coughed.
"Thank you for coming, Himura-san," he stated, clasping his hands behind his back. "Especially with your busy schedule."
Mom flinched. "W-Well… I'm not scheduled to work right now. But I'm sorry that we had to meet through this kind of circumstance."
The principal nodded curtly. "Yes, it was quite unfortunate. Himura-kun here decided to disrupt recess due to him picking a fight. With a girl, no less! The school nurse has informed me that it's likely that she's sprained her wrist."
"But she—!" Goro tried to interject, anger flaring inside of him.
"Goro, please," Mom said quietly.
Goro bit his lip, looking down.
"I'm so sorry for this, Principal Hirai," Mom said, lowering her head. "I know I've raised Goro better than this."
"I would hope so." The principal sniffed. "Himura-kun's actions reflect on the school as a whole. They reflect on you. And purposely injuring someone is not something to be taken lightly. I've decided that Himura-kun will be suspended for the remaining of the week."
Goro wanted to shout that it wasn't fair, that he never got to tell his side of the story. But he remained in his chair, his hands clenching around his kneecaps. He had to keep his mouth shut. He didn't want the principal to accuse his mom of raising him horribly, like what his teacher implied when he jumped in after he had pushed Asuka.
"I understand," Mom said softly. "I will make sure that Goro understands how he's wronged his classmate."
"Please do. We wouldn't want Himura-kun to be steered in the wrong direction, would we?"
"No, sir," Mom sighed.
Mom had to leave to go sign some paperwork but she was back soon enough. She gave him a tired look.
"Come on, Goro. Let's go."
She then took his hand, leading the way out of the office.
Mom was quiet the entire trek back to their apartment. But Goro wasn't fooled. Her stony expression gave it all away. She was upset and disappointed that Goro got into trouble.
"Mom, I…" Goro began.
Mom sighed, crouching in front of him. "Goro before you try to apologize, I want to know your side of the story. I know that I've raised you better than this… but I assume you have a good reason for all of this, right?"
Goro bit his lip. "I-It's Asuka. She hates me for some reason! She's just so mean to me! During recess, she had come up to me. She took the toy you got me for my birthday and just… threw it to the ground. It broke and I… I got really, really mad at her. I gave her a shove and she landed funny and started crying."
Mom had saved and saved for that toy. She couldn't afford new toys that often. Most of the toys Goro had growing up were tattered and old, hand-me-downs from neighbors' kids who didn't want them anymore.
But this had been different. Mom had given it to him for his birthday.
Goro dreamed of the day he was old enough to get a job. He would earn enough money so Mom would never ever have to worry about money again.
Mom sighed. "Goro, I… I understand that you're upset. And it wasn't nice of Asuka to take your toy and break it."
Goro smiled. She did get it! She was on his side!
"However, it's also not right to hurt her," Mom said gently.
"But Mom—"
"No buts, young man," Mom said, shaking her head and giving him a sad smile. "It doesn't make it okay to hurt her back because she's wronged you. Two wrongs don't make a right. You can't be cruel to people like that. You're better than that."
She punctuated her statement by kissing the top of his head.
Goro pouted for a moment. "Even if they're mean to you?"
"Even if they're mean to me." Mom then reached to stroke the top of his head.
"I'm sorry…" Goro mumbled out. "People are gonna be even more mean to you from now on, they're gonna call you a bad mom."
Mom sighed, shaking her head. "Oh, Goro, it's just a toy. When I was little I would—"
She then cut herself off, biting her lip.
"Um, it's not important. But it's not about me, Goro. We don't hurt people, even if they themselves are mean and have no manners. And people will probably say even meaner things, that's true. But that's why they're called consequences. If you don't like the consequences then you must make better choices. But more importantly rise above the ones who wronged you. Don't stoop to their level or worse." Her eyes then softened. "But I'm really sorry about your toy, Goro. I'll do my best to save up to buy you a replacement. But I want you to promise to go apologize to Asuka when you must go back to school come Monday."
"Can I just let her push me back?" Goro whined out.
"No," she said firmly. "You need to apologize to her, no buts about it. You must admit that you were wrong to her, even if she won't take it with grace. It's about proving to yourself that you're the better person."
Goro nodded. "I will. A-And I'll make the principal take back what he said about me being a poor example of a student! I'll do whatever it takes to make you proud, Mom!"
But then Mom just laughed. "Oh, Goro. Don't you know I already am?"
"Huh?"
"I just want you to be happy, Goro. Nothing else matters." Mom then kissed him again. "You'll understand one day. Be better than me and don't run away from your mistakes."
Goro blinked before frowning.
What did Mom mean?
"Nothing else mattered…"
It had been so long that Goro had forgotten. He buried a lot of those memories, only hanging onto the ones he deemed important. The ones… the ones that would fuel his motivation. Trying to think of the other memories… it made his job harder. It was easier to leave it behind.
Mom had tried her damn hardest to make Goro happy, despite their circumstances.
And she always tried to teach him to forgive others. To be kind in a cruel world.
"But... revenge is not healthy for you. You need to let go of your anger. Yes, I doubt that Shido has an ounce of goodness in him. But think—would your mother want this for you? To be obsessed with avenging her?"
"Damn him…" Goro thought with a scowl.
Ken was right about his mother.
He had spent so long thinking that Mom would want nothing more to get revenge on Shido, for putting her through hell. After everything he had been through, watching Shido snivel for forgiveness meant nothing to him.
Where did this leave him?
"What can I even do then?" Goro said quietly.
Sae-san was quiet for a moment. "Before I had asked Ren-kun to turn himself in, my first thought was that you wouldn't be able to testify against Shido."
"So, you want me to testify against Shido?"
It was weirdly similar to how he wanted to enact revenge against Shido. But he wanted to laugh, it almost felt like a sick joke. She was basically asking him to help her save Amamiya.
"Do the right thing, Akechi-kun," she urged him. "Come forward with the truth. Bring everything to light."
"I…"
Goro bit his lip.
Truth? Right thing? Did she honestly forget who she was talking to? He was the one she had been hunting down for all this time. One of the conspirators and the perpetrator to the mental shutdowns. He had been lying to her. She clearly feared everything about their partnership was based on a lie. She should hate him, right?
"Why are you asking me this? You could have come here with cops and arrest me, save Amamiya without even needing my cooperation," he questioned quietly.
"I don't believe everything you presented to me was fake," Sae-san said. "I… I forgive you. For everything."
He whipped his head around and stared at her, he couldn't help but feel his breath hitch before he tried to calm down.
"You…"
Goro was at a loss for words.
"You are not a lost cause. You can start over. I believe you can, even if others don't… even if you don't. Yes, I could drag you in with cops, but I want to give you the chance to do this right. It will be better for not just the case, but for you. We're… friends, right?" Sae-san asked hesitantly.
Start over…
Ken never hesitated in calling him out. But with Sae-san… it was different.
Was there any hope for him? Goro couldn't help but feel skeptical about it. Maybe once, he had believed in heroes and justice, like how Feathermen Rangers presented things. Before life had robbed him of his mother and he had learned just how harsh life was. There was no such thing as second chances. Not for her, when she did nothing wrong.
Why would there be for him?
"My reputation will be in the mud," Goro stated. "Amamiya's testimony would be more than enough to convict Shido, you know."
"Is this any better?" Sae-san asked. "Hiding away, looking over your shoulder. This isn't about Ren-kun or Shido or anyone else. It's about what you must do. Do you want to keep lying to yourself? Is this really going to be your life?"
Lying to yourself…
Honestly, Goro didn't even know how much of himself was a lie or how much was a truth. But she was right that his current existence was an empty one.
"Ha… so everything I've done for the past two and a half years. It'll come to light, won't it?" Goro took in a shaky breath, pressing his hand against his forehead.
He could run right now; it would be easy. She was alone. Shove her, right into that tree next to them. The train station wasn't far and he had cash on him, he could easily get lost in the crowd, change his clothes. She wouldn't be able to stop him. Sae-san had obviously been waiting on this, running on a hunch that he would come and visit his mother on the anniversary of her death. She had no backup with her.
He could… but he was so tired. His mother's voice echoed in his mind again.
"Be better than me and don't run away from your mistakes."
He took in a deep breath; this isn't what she would want for him. He hated that. He wished she would be just as angry and bitter and spur him on to avenge her memory, take it out on them all… but that's not what she wanted ever for him.
Damn that Ken Amada… damn those Phantom Thieves… and damn Sae-san too.
He exhaled through his nose, the hot air clouding up his sunglasses for a second.
He… knew what he had to do.
"Fine, Sae-san. We'll do things your way. I'll testify against that piece of shit. I'll admit all of my wrongdoings, face whatever consequences the court sentences me to."
"Akechi-kun…" Sae-san sighed out.
He removed his sunglasses finally, to look her in the eyes. His only ally, no… his only friend.
"Don't feel sorry for me, Sae-san." Goro smiled wryly. "I deserve it… and more."
Sakura and Okumura's faces flashed in his mind. He never really thought about his victims until… meeting Sakura.
At the time he had pushed it away because… he had been convinced that it would be all worth it in the end. His mother, he can't even imagine what she would think. He pushed those thoughts out; he didn't want to face such thoughts. Now he had to.
But he's been running away for too long. It was time to face the music.
"Very well…" Sae-san said with a sad smile.
He nodded, but grabbed her shoulder as she was turning away to lead him out. Sae-san gave him a puzzled look as he stood there in silence for a few moments.
"Akechi-kun?"
"It wasn't a lie…" he managed to get out. He relaxed his shoulders and straightened his back. "At least… not all of it. I think… you were the closest thing I ever had to a friend. And that, that was never a façade. I did—no, I do respect you a lot Sae-san. I'm… I'm sorry it had to turn out like this. But please know, I am grateful for your companionship. That… that part at least was real."
Sae-san's eyes widened; her lips parted slightly in shock. Then she smiled sadly.
"Thank you, Akechi-kun. You have no idea how much that means to me."
Goro could only nod as he followed Sae-san out of the graveyard. But he couldn't help but flick a glance in the direction of Mom's grave.
"Mom… I'll see this through the end. I promise."
Notes:
It's been a hot minute but I finally got the next chapter out! There was a lot of things that happened irl, including my laptop being out of commission for over 2 months. But my laptop has been repaired, so I could work on the chapter in earnest!
And I had a lot to cover. I wanted to touch on more of the fallout on Ren's sacrifice and his influences on his friends. I was always curious about how the PTs reacted to the news about Sae convincing Ren to turn himself in, especially Makoto as Sae's sister.
And… there's Ren's parents. I wanted to touch on a little on their pasts as well as their side of the story in regards to their estrangement with Ren. Also a little trivia-
Junto can mean "pure as water" and Yuri means "lily". Water + lily = waterlily or a lotus, aka the meaning of Ren's name haha. I wanted personality traits for Ren's parents that could explain some of his core traits. Junto being a quiet guy but is deeply caring for his family. And Yuri is charming and charismatic. She was definitely the sexy one in her idol group.
And… Akechi's arc has definitely been interesting to write. I wanted to write his arc differently, make him want to atone for his crimes, instead of his sacrifice. A couple of people speculated that Ken would be the one to do so, but it's best for Sae to do it. For the sake of their old partnership and to reiterate Sae's rekindled belief in justice.
And a BIG thank you to my wonderful beta, angelrin89! She really helped polish some of the scenes and even expanded on some of the scenes to make it flow better. Thank you again, your edits are always top notch but you really did amazing this time!
I've decided on 2 more chapters, covering the aftermath of Ren's release. There are a couple more plot points to take care of before I can close out the story with my planned epilogue.
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I would love to hear what you thought!
Edited 6/15/25.
Chapter 56: 55: A New Start
Summary:
The Phantom Thieves and their allies' hard work has paid off and Ren is finally free. But not all is rainbow and sunshine--Ren still has to face his parents.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Monday, February 13th, 2017
The door suddenly swung open with a loud creak, making Ren look up.
"Amamiya, a visitor for you," his guard said, his voice sounding almost… bored. "Don't keep them waiting."
Ren just gave a tired nod before trudging to his feet. He followed the guard out, going down several hallways. Ren couldn't help but stare as he sank down in his seat, taking in his visitor.
"...Sae?"
"Long time no see." Sae smiled at him, pure relief shining in her eyes. "I'm happy to report we finally managed to prosecute Masayoshi Shido. He'll likely be found guilty. I'm grateful for your cooperation with the trial."
Sae then hesitated, closing her eyes for a moment.
"And… Goro Akechi has turned himself in. His testimony and yours were enough to implicate him and a great deal of his associates. It will take some time to prosecute them all, however…"
A great deal… would that mean that some people managed to buy their way out? Ren couldn't help but frown at that. But… there was a bigger thing that caught Ren's attention.
"Akechi just… turned himself in. Really?" Ren asked, unable to stop himself from feeling skeptical.
Last time he saw Akechi, he was so adamant that he was in the right. He wouldn't listen to any of them. It must've taken nothing less than divine intervention for Akechi to change his mind.
"He did. His trial for his part in Shido's plans will be scheduled soon." Sae's expression had been somber as she explained this; it made sense, given their old partnership. But then her face then lit up with a warm smile. "Shido's confession also shed light on the truth of your case."
"We were able to prove your innocence in the original assault charge that led to your arrest," Sae continued. "And thus—your sentence has been rescinded. You're a free man now."
"I-I don't understand…" Ren said. "Y-You're not joking, right?"
"Ren-kun…" Sae smiled sadly at him. "I know… the system has failed you multiple times. But I would never joke about this kind of thing. Everyone worked so hard for your sake. They had found something to believe in so strongly. They even brought in the woman who was the victim in your case as a witness. It was certainly not easy, convincing her to testify…"
Her smile turned rueful at that. He was… shocked that they had managed to track her down, let alone convince her to testify. Given… what happened before. But then Sae spoke again.
"And not to mention, there was an unbelievable amount of support has come in from various other places as well."
"How much?" Ren asked, puzzled.
Sae smiled. "We'll be here all day talking if I went into detail about it. But the bottom line is that—you are blessed in your friends and allies. And all that remains is for us adults to lead society in the right direction."
Leading society in the right direction… it would be an uphill battle, but it was for a good cause. But… he trusted his allies, like Sae and Yoshida.
Ren smiled back at her. "I trust you."
But his mind couldn't help but float back to Akechi. He couldn't believe that Akechi had actually turned himself in. Ren had forced himself to focus on the mission at the time, but at the back of his mind, the question of Akechi's whereabouts had nagged at him. Where did they even find him…?
And how was he even convinced? He doubted it was a pleasant conversation. Turned himself in… that meant they didn't have to force him. That… was unreal.
"Thank you, though," Sae said. She was quiet, seemingly pondering over something as she rubbed her forearm. "I'm glad that I was able to help overturn your sentence. Hearing the news… was the happiest I've been my entire life. I'm not quite sure how to put it, but… saving your future meant more to me than my own career. I feel like you even taught me how to live."
Ren couldn't help but crack a smile. "Jeez, feeling a little sappy?"
Sae gave him an exasperated look before she shook her head.
"I mean it," she said firmly. "After my father died, I was… so intent on punishing criminals. I completely forgotten my way. You have my thanks for reminding me of what was really important. Sometimes I think about how… Makoto might've cut me off eventually if I hadn't found my way back, thanks to you."
"Sae, I don't think—"
Sae shook her head, a rueful smile on her lips. "I know… it's only a possibility. But I can't help but think of the what ifs, and how I'm grateful it did not come to pass."
Ren looked down. "You know… Makoto actually got your Shadow to cease fire eventually. Even the darkest part of your mind was able to listen to what she had to say."
"Oh… you didn't tell me that before," Sae remarked, tilting her head. "Hmm…"
"Something on your mind?" Ren tilted his head as well.
She remained silent for a few more seconds, glancing off in the distance. She let out a sigh and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
"It has come to mind from time to time…" she admitted, then she suddenly lowered her voice to a near-whisper. "But I was wondering… what was my Treasure?"
Ren blinked. "Why do you want to know?"
"Just out of curiosity, I suppose." Sae then gave a wry smile. "I suppose it does not matter anymore… my Palace is gone."
"Sorry for that, by the way," Ren said with a sheepish smile.
Sae chuckled and shook her head. He could help but notice it all of a sudden, but when she smiled, she kinda looked like Makoto. They didn't look too much alike despite being sisters, but in this moment, he could see his friend in Sae.
"It's all water under the bridge now." Sae said.
She suddenly paused, looking thoughtful.
"There is… one more thing. I haven't even told Makoto about this… but I realized something after meeting all of you. My most prized 'treasure' is the justice I use to protect those important to me. Makoto helped show me that as well."
Ren smiled. "Yeah… I can relate to that."
A part of him had craved so much to be… justified after what happened with Shido that night so long ago. But he realized now that it was… all about enacting justice. Helping others downtrodden by people in authority.
It had made him distrust so many who had authority. But things were different now. He trusted Sae to make things right again.
"But I'm thinking once the Shido case has settled… I want to switch careers. I'm thinking of becoming a defense attorney."
Ren blinked. "Huh… so fighting for the underdogs now?"
Sae chuckled. "I suppose you could say that. I wanted to reform the system, but… I've realized that I want to enact justice for others—not just myself—more."
"The conviction rate is pretty high here in our country, and I can't imagine some in your field would like this switch. You're going to become an underdog yourself against huge odds," Ren said.
"Yes… I suppose that's true." Sae frowned.
Ren couldn't help but smile slyly. "That's very Phantom Thief of you, I approve."
Sae looked a bit surprised at that response, but she quickly smiled again after a moment.
"Yes… I suppose I would be," she nodded.
Ren then added, "And you don't have to worry too much, I think. A defense attorney who knows how the prosecution thinks? That would make for a powerful defense that the accused needs. Plus… Makoto does have pretty strong aspirations to change the system herself. Would be good to have her as an ally one day."
"So she's told me," Sae said, smiling proudly.
Ren couldn't help but notice how much she was smiling today. Sae looked… so much lighter now.
"I would love to talk to you some more but…" Sae glanced over her shoulder. "I really should check up on your paperwork. They're filing for your release as we speak."
"I can really go home?"
Ren still could hardly believe it. It just didn't seem real. He was actually free to go? He can see the others again?
Ren quickly pinched himself. A sharp pain told him that he wasn't dreaming. Ren lowered his head, fiddling with his glasses.
"Really," Sae said, nodding. Her expression suddenly grew morose and she wrapped an arm around herself. "And… I want to apologize to you again. You shouldn't haven't had to suffer like this… I hated myself for not finding another way."
Ren frowned, wondering how to address this.
"With all due respect, I've learned that sometimes life really wants to treat you a shitty hand. But…" Ren swallowed. "It's how you learn how to handle it, roll with the punches… I know I wouldn't be able to handle it without the support of my friends."
"Ren-kun…" Sae then let out a laugh, shaking her head. "Really, it surprises me how mature you can be."
Ren just raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that a compliment or insult?"
Sae just laughed again. "I'll let you decide. But give me a moment to check up on your release papers. Hopefully, we'll have you out of here soon."
She got up, giving one last wave. The door closed behind her and Ren inhaled. He pressed a hand to his now racing heart.
It was over. Shido's trial was practically here. And… he was getting out of here.
The sun shone brightly, especially for a day in February. Ren tilted his head up, basking in the sunlight. He didn't think he'd get to feel sun on his face ever again.
His brain kept trying to soak it in but he still couldn't grasp he was actually free to go. It felt like he'd wake back up stuck in that place and not out here.
He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, when a car suddenly honked, making him jump a bit.
Sojiro pulled up to the curb with a grin. "Need a ride?"
"What happened to only giving rides to girls?" Ren asked as he slid into the passenger seat.
Sojiro snorted. "I guess you're the one exception."
Ren couldn't help but grin. It felt too good to hear his voice.
"But come on. Let's head home."
Ren couldn't help but fidget as they approached Yongen-jaya. He was… a little nervous about seeing his friends again…
"You're really blessed, you know," Sojiro said suddenly. When Ren looked at him, he smiled. "They worked their butts off to save you from this unfair sentence. Most people don't get this kind of second chance."
"I don't plan on squandering it… ever," Ren said, before giving Sojiro a lopsided grin. "But don't be so modest, I bet you helped."
"Heh… only a little. And glad to hear it, you better thank them all as much as you can," Sojiro said with a smile. He suddenly scratched his cheek. "But anyways… we're here."
"Back to the mother henning…" Ren mumbled under his breath with a laugh.
He pulled to the curb, gradually coming to a stop. Sojiro waved a hand at Ren, gesturing for him to climb out.
"I'll go park the car and I'll join you after," Sojiro said. "They're waiting for you, you know."
Ren let out a breath. "Okay… thanks, Sojiro."
He got out of the car, shutting the door behind him. His footsteps slowed as he approached Leblanc's door. He looked up and down with a nostalgic smile.
It was such a familiar sight to him. But… there was something better waiting for him inside. He pushed the door open, the familiar bell's jangle like music to his ears. He took in a moment to breathe in the deep, rich scent of coffee before he let his eyes wander the café.
His friends' beaming expressions were really a sight for sore eyes.
But Anne. Anne. She seemed frozen for a second before a wide smile spread across her face, making her entire face light up. She was so beautiful when she smiled.
But then Anne bolted for him, wrapping her arms around him. She squeezed him close, burying her face against his shirt. He could feel something dampen his shirt. She raised her head before giving him the gentlest smile he's ever seen.
"Ren… welcome home," she whispered.
Ren wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent. It suddenly crashed down on him.
He was free.
"Anne… I'm sorry…" he whispered.
Anne smiled, even as her eyes grew glassy with tears. "Ren… don't apologize. We get it, okay?"
He just nodded and pulled her close again. She smelt just as he remembered. He could just feel at peace breathing in her hair fragrance. If he didn't, he might wake up from this dream.
"Okay, okay, you got your mushy reunion!" Futaba interjected. "You can continue the gushy bits later."
Annnd leave it to Futaba to kill his peaceful mood.
"Ugh… fiiiine…" Anne said with a pout.
Futaba pounced on him, giving him a fierce hug. He couldn't be too mad, he missed them all so much.
"Welcome back!" she exclaimed.
"Took us a while…" Ryuji then grinned, draping an arm around Ren. "But we're glad to have you back."
"I can't…" Ren shook his head. He cleared his throat, all but choking out, "I can't believe you did this for me… I feel like I'm dreaming."
There were several times where he would wake up by now, but he hadn't. He was back home…
"Oh, Ren-kun…" Haru sighed, giving him a sad, but understanding smile. "It's not a dream, I promise."
Anne suddenly grabbed his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. Ren got the message—I'm here. Ren just squeezed her hand back, reveling in being able to hold her hand once again.
"How are you feeling? Physically, I mean," Makoto said.
"Okay, I guess." Ren shrugged. "The food wasn't the greatest, I'll admit but…"
"Ah we gotta get Sojiro to make food for Ren!" Futaba interjected. "Like right now!"
It was in that moment Sojiro walked in.
"Oh, perfect timing!" Futaba cheered, pumping a fist. "Sojiro, food! For Ren! Pronto!"
"Futaba, don't be so demanding…" Ken chided, shooting her an exasperated look.
Ren couldn't help but smile, hearing the usual banter.
"I'm glad that you're back," Yusuke said. "Truly. It has not been the same without you."
Ren looked at his friend. "It feels good to be back."
Sojiro sighed, shaking his head. "Well, Futaba does kinda have a point about food. Give me a bit to grab some groceries and I'll whip up a feast for everyone."
"Ha!" Futaba stuck out her tongue out at Ken, who just rolled his eyes in response.
Sojiro just chuckled. "Just sit tight. I'll be back soon."
He then turned to leave, the bell chiming as the door shut behind Sojiro. It was only then that Ren let go of Anne's hand to sink into the nearest booth.
"You guys… didn't give up," Ren said. "Even with Mementos gone?"
Anne slid next to him, turning to look at him. "We didn't know what to do once you were gone… But then we realized something. Even if we don't have the Metaverse or any other special powers, we can still change reality."
Ryuji and Yusuke sat in the booth across the table from him and Anne. Makoto took a seat at the bar. Futaba and Haru sat in the booth behind Ryuji and Yusuke. Ken didn't take a seat but stood next to Makoto and leaned against the bar.
Ken just nodded. "Anne really gave us a wake-up call. She made us realize that we couldn't just sit around and mope about what happened to you."
"I-I didn't do much!" Anne sputtered out.
"Already achieving your dream of being a ray of light for people, huh?" Ren teased her lightly.
Anne bumped him in the shoulder with her shoulder, a blush on her face.
"Quit teasing me, I really didn't do that much…"
Ren couldn't help but chuckle. She was so cute when she got flustered sometimes. But he couldn't help but smile warmly at her still. It was so good to see her again, and he couldn't help but be touched hearing how she rallied everyone.
"Alright RenRen, stop making goo-goo eyes at Anne… so anyways, we were runnin' around everywhere we could since the new year. It musta been over a month," Ryuji mentioned.
Haru smiled, her eyes glowing with happiness and pride. "Not just us. Everyone who believed in you joined us."
"Not just your associates either," Yusuke stated. "Even some of the people we had helped."
Ken nodded. "And everyone had been happy to help. Mitsuru-san felt pretty bad that she couldn't do anything to stop this as well."
Futaba got on her knees and peered over the booth, grabbing onto Yusuke's shoulder and pushed her face forward.
"Mishima even put out a SOS on the Phan-Site," Futaba said, only for her to grin proudly. "My idea, of course."
Yusuke narrowed his eyes at Futaba but it was Ryuji who actually pushed Futaba back. She stuck her tongue out at Ryuji. Ryuji just chuckled and Yusuke shook his head.
Ryuji then tilted his head. "Or maybe it's SOR—save our RenRen."
"Actually, SOS isn't an acronym," Makoto interjected. "It's a Morse code signal."
Ryuji snorted. "Figures you'd know that sort of trivia."
Makoto shot him a glare and Ken just put a hand on her shoulder. Makoto scowled at Ryuji for a moment more but settled down.
Ken interjected, "But either way, I'm glad that we pushed through."
Futaba pushed through again, but trying to be less in Yusuke and Ryuji's personal space.
"Yeah, we have you back now, Ren!" Futaba beamed at him.
"Guys… thank you." Ren swallowed down the lump forming in his throat. "I didn't expect any of this…"
"Come on, man." Ryuji shook his head. "I mean, you took the hit for all of us. It was the least we could do."
Everyone just all smiled and nodded as Ryuji said this. Ren couldn't believe how lucky he was to have such a great group of friends who wouldn't abandon him. He was distracted from his thoughts when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"They treated you fine, right?" Anne bit her lip. "It looks like you lost some weight… you look a little skinnier than before."
"It would be understandable… I've heard the food in prison is quite foul," Yusuke noted.
"What didja eat?" Futaba interjected. "Was it bugs? Fermented mackerel? Or maybe durian?"
"Durian's not that bad…" Ken grumbled.
Makoto sighed. "You're both missing the point."
Ren couldn't help but laugh. That cut through whatever debate Futaba and Ken were about to have. Futaba snickered along with him and Ken smiled with a sigh.
"Um… a lot of times it was stuff like… porridge," Ren said before he grimaced. "It was pretty nasty though. Almost like mushy rice."
"Eh, you're gonna get some good food soon enough though. Boss is out gettin' stuff for our party right now. C'mon, everyone's back together!" Ryuji pumped his fist. "It's time to celebrate!"
A small frown appeared on Ken's face and his eyes became distant. "Well… not everyone."
The room got dead quiet. Everyone's eyes became downcast and the mood immediately turned melancholic. The only sound was the TV still on in the corner. They all stayed quiet for only a minute but it felt longer.
"Mona-chan…" Haru's eyes suddenly grew misty before she reached up to rub at her eyes.
"It's not fair that we couldn't get everyone back," Futaba mumbled out.
"Yeah…" Anne sighed out.
Makoto sighed. "He may have been the key person on this whole mission. We even considered what he would do when we were about to give up."
"Not to mention that me and RenRen might've been in deep shit if we didn't spring him from Kamoshida's Palace," Ryuji said, shaking his head.
"And he was the one to tell us about stealing hearts to begin with…" Ren said quietly.
He remembered the first several nights in jail had been… pretty bad. He had never realized how used he had been to Morgana's presence in his life. He still remembered how much Morgana weighed on his chest when they first started to share Leblanc's attic. But now… he missed it.
"Mona totally woulda done something, right?" Ryuji then cracked a grin. "That cat would never quit on you."
Haru nodded. "He was always there to pull us forward."
Yusuke commented, "Morgana truly was the engine of the Phantom Thieves."
Anne let out a weak laugh. "He was a car, after all!"
Futaba sighed, bowing her head. "I wanna see Mona again…"
It was quiet for a moment. But then the door suddenly creaked open, ever so slowly.
"Huh…?" Ren couldn't help but voice.
That was weird; he didn't think Sojiro would be back already—
"Ughhh… not exactly the cool entrance I wanted."
A black cat was awkwardly dangling from the door knob.
"That voice…!" Ren thought as he shot to his feet.
"Morgana?!" everyone blurted out at once.
Ren could feel his heart thumping hard in his chest.
Morgana smiled sheepishly, dropping from the doorknob to the ground. "Hey guys."
"So, you disappear for nearly two months," Ken said flatly, but then his voice grew testy. "And all you can think of is say 'hey'?"
Morgana gulped. "L-Look, I have an explanation—"
"Where the hell have you been?!" Ren demanded.
Morgana let out a yelp before Ren picked him up. Morgana squirmed in his arms but Ren didn't care. He just squeezed Morgana tighter, unable to believe that he was here.
"Jeez, Ren! You don't—you're smushing me!"
Morgana wiggled free, jumping onto the nearest table. He let out a small sigh of relief.
"Morgana, what are you doing here?!" Anne blurted out. "I-I mean… we all saw you disappear!"
Morgana ducked his head. "Uh, well… it's more the me in the Metaverse disappeared."
Makoto blinked before tilting her head slightly. "So… you stayed in reality as a cat?"
Morgana nodded. "When I woke up, I was out in Shibuya looking like this."
"That don't make any sense though!" Ryuji frowned. "I mean, if you were alive, you shoulda come back right away!"
"I…" Morgana rubbed his head with one paw sheepishly. "It was right after I had said goodbye. It would've been awkward to come back so soon…"
"That's such a dumb excuse," Ryuji grumbled out. "What's the real reason?"
He was a cat so it's not like you could see him blushing but Ren could almost feel like Morgana was blushing. He just looked so embarrassed and sheepish.
"I… I got lost." Morgana mumbled, his ears drooping.
Ryuji and Futaba exclaimed in unison, "For this long?!"
"Yes! Mock me all you like! But I was lost! There is the truth! You happy now?! You see why I'd rather say I was waiting for the right moment?!"
Ken finally sat down at the bar, still next to Makoto, he looked so perplexed.
"How could you be lost for this long?" Ken asked. "It's been seven weeks."
Morgana pouted so indignantly and began to explain.
Morgana didn't wake up long after he said goodbye. He felt embarrassed but it was late and didn't know how to reach the others. So he actually ran over and crashed close by Iwai's shop for the night, from roaming around that area often while Ren was with him he knew it well and knew safe places to sleep. And told himself he'd figure it out in the morning.
He then for the next two weeks decided to hang around Shibuya hoping to see the others, often sneaking around places he remembered Ryuji, Anne or Yusuke would frequent when Ren would run into them. He would wait by train stations hoping to see any one of them. He eventually gave up on that plan and decided to return to Yongen-Jaya on his own.
He had several failed attempts to sneak onto the train. And there was one time a little girl tried to pick him up at the train station and attempted to convince her parents to let her adopt him. Fortunately they didn't budge and had her take him out the station. But that left him back at square one.
It was during this that he had realized how much he relied on Ren when getting around. He knew his way around Yongen-Jaya, he knew his way around pocket areas of Shibuya, he didn't know how to get from Shibuya to Yongen-Jaya, without Ren to smuggle him on a train. And… reading maps really confused him.
He kept getting turned around. Got chased by dogs and got turned around into an unfamiliar area of Shibuya. Then he ran into some old lady who smelt of cats… many cats. For the next week she kept hunting him down. At some point he ran into Hifumi which while a familiar face and kind, she didn't know him and it's not like he could communicate with her. She tried to drop him off at an adoption center and he had to make his escape again and got even more lost. He wasn't even sure if he was in Shibuya anymore at that point. He lost track of days.
He also had to worry about feeding himself the whole time. So he would sneak into stores and steal any fish or treats he could get away with stealing. Eventually he ran into someone who did recognize him. Kawakami had found him this morning. Luckily from all the visits with dusting Ren's attic she knew he was his "pet" and planned to return him to Sojiro. She actually drove him to Yongen-Jaya but he ran out of the car the second he recognized the scenery. He felt a bit guilty and asked Ren if he could message her and thank her.
"Kawakami to the rescue!" Ryuji picked up Morgana and smiled at Ren, giving a peace sign.
"Hey! Put me down!" Morgana complained.
Ren just smirked and took a picture of Ryuji holding Morgana and immediately texted Kawakami and thanking her for finding him and returning him. She expressed relief hearing from him again and he thanked her again for helping the others get him home and now Morgana too.
"Put me down already!" Morgana shouted again.
Ryuji stuck his tongue out. "Punishment for making us worry so much."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Morgana exclaimed and Ryuji set him back down. "I'm… glad that Ren was allowed to go free too. That being said, I'm impressed you pulled it off without me."
"Here we go again…" Makoto sighed but she was smiling.
"But still… I'm sorry that I worried you all." Morgana bowed his head. "Though, uh—could I use the shower before anyone else hugs me? I was stray for so long I think I might smell."
"This ain't the time for a shower, you stupid cat!" Ryuji said, exasperated. "Dammit, this isn't funny! We probably missed you several times! What the hell?!"
Haru exclaimed, "You worried us so much and you were okay this whole time! And you're worried about a bath?"
Futaba just stood up, scooping Morgana in her arms and giving him a tight squeeze.
"Hrgh….! Stop 'ith!" Morgana tried to wiggle free but Futaba held on tighter. "Agh—Ren! Help me! Haven't I been through enough?! Come on!"
"Futaba's just showing her love." Ren shrugged. "But do go easy on him guys, he didn't mean to make us worry."
Even as he kept his voice light, Ren couldn't help but feel elated. Somehow Morgana had survived.
"It's great that you're back and all, but what're you gonna do now?" Anne asked. "I mean, you spent so long wanting to looking into Mementos…"
"But now that point is moot," Ken commented, "And… aren't you technically from the Velvet Room, are you going to return to be with Lavenza and the others?"
Morgana said sheepishly, "I was created by Master Igor actually to follow the Trickster, so my place is by his side… I mean if you still want me."
Ren just smiled and gave him a nod. "You're one of us, always."
Everyone smiled and some nodded. Morgana just mumbled a thank you and Futaba snickered, pinching his cheeks and he batted her away. After some chuckles, things got still again. They all noticed a contemplative look on Morgana.
"You know, I've been thinking…" Morgana said.
Anne blinked. "About what?"
"How to become human, of course," he answered.
Makoto blinked. "Oh really?"
"I might've learned that I'm not a human now, but that doesn't mean I can't turn into one!" Morgana exclaimed.
Ken placed a finger on his chin looking up as he tapped his chin.
"Hmmm… well, Teddie-san did grow a body." Ken said. "It might be possible."
"Better get to doing sit-ups, Mona!" Futaba said with a teasing grin.
Anne and Ryuji both giggled along with Futaba at that suggestion. Yusuke couldn't help but smirk as well but hid it before Morgana could see it.
Morgana pulled a face at her. "Besides that! It's just… I think there's a reason I survived like this."
Yusuke nodded. "Whether there is a reason or not, regardless we are glad to see you're safe."
"And I appreciate that, but just listen… now this is just a guess… but I think I'm still here because you all remained cognitive of me. Even after the world's distortions disappeared, you kept me in your minds. That means you guys think there's a place for me in the real world." Morgana bashfully rubbed his head with a paw. "I guess… you were right. I do belong with you guys."
Futaba gave a firm nod. "Of course this is where you belong, Mona!"
Haru giggled. "She's right, Mona-chan."
"It's good to be home…" Morgana said. "You know, I didn't think much about Leblanc when Ren first brought me here but… it really feels like I'm back now I'm in Leblanc again."
Ren couldn't help but smile. "I feel the same way."
He couldn't help but feel resentful when he had first arrived to Tokyo. Sojiro had been a real ass to him and it felt like he was being dumped like trash. But over time, Leblanc had begun to feel like home to him.
"Home…" Ryuji suddenly muttered; then he tapped his fist against his palm. "That's right!"
Ren and Morgana both quirked their heads towards Ryuji. Ren couldn't help but raise a brow.
"Hm?" Ren looked over to Ryuji. "What's up?"
Ryuji looked down. "Uhh so, Boss mentioned that your probation will be over in a month. You should be heading home soon…"
Ren looked down. Back to Shimoda… honestly, it wasn't something he quite looked forward to. He was much happier in Tokyo. Beside him, Anne seemed to wilt. She then looked to him with… guilty eyes?
"Ren… there's something you have to know," Anne said quietly. "It was about your parents."
"Yukari-san told me that on Christmas Eve, they came to see you," Ken spoke up. "They were worried sick about you and desperate to find you with… everything that happened after Mementos merged with the real world."
Ren couldn't help but snap his head back up.
Ren's eyes widened. "They… did?"
He wasn't sure what to think. His parents didn't care… right?
"They also aided us in our cause." Yusuke nodded, but there was sympathy in his eyes.
Ren looked down, swallowing hard. They had helped him get free? Ren… couldn't believe it. Sae hadn't mentioned anything about that to him when she came to release him.
"I see." Ren coughed, clearing his throat. "Have you… talked with them?"
"A little bit," Haru said after a moment of hesitation.
Even if they were sorry, did it really matter? He was allowed to not forgive them. But all this time… he had thought they hadn't cared. He wasn't sure what to think.
He shook his head and clasped his hands together under the table. He couldn't look at the others at the moment, he could feel them all looking at him sympathetically.
"I'm sorry… it's a lot for me to take in, " he admitted with his head still down.
"It's okay, Ren," Yusuke stated, he then smiled ruefully. "Learning of something you never expected from a parental figure… it turns your world upside down."
He couldn't help but feel a little ungrateful. This was a good thing. Especially after Yusuke, Haru, and Makoto having experienced learning hard truths about people that were either family or just as good as family in Yusuke's case.
"Yusuke-kun…" Haru said softly to him.
"I'm all right now, Haru." Yusuke smiled.
Ren let out a heavy sigh. He finally looked up at the others and sure enough there was nothing but sympathetic gazes his way. He sat up and walked over to the coffee pot, luckily Sojiro still had some in there before he left. It was cold, he decided to heat it up.
"I just… I don't know," Ren let out another sigh.
The timer went off and he poured himself a glass. There was just enough to fill just one glass, and it was Ren's favorite blend too. He gave a half-hearted smile. Sojiro must have left some for him on purpose for him to reheat when he brought him back. That was just like him. Sojiro said he was weird but would sometimes not put things back on the warmer because he knew Ren loved to reheat it himself.
In the back of his head, he knew that he would have to face his parents… eventually. But with this in mind, he suddenly felt unsure and even uncomfortable.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to be a downer," Anne apologized.
"No, don't apologize." Ren sighed. "I appreciate you telling me now instead of later."
The coffee was the perfect temperature now and he gladly took a sip as he moved to sit back down next to Anne. Sojiro always did make the best blends. Ren could feel himself relax a little just from the taste and smell again. He could almost forget about these past couple of months and his parents… almost.
"But hey, maybe they would agree to letting you stay in Tokyo?" Ryuji asked; when Ren looked at him in surprise, he just shrugged. "I mean, even with us clearing your name… I dunno. Would you be happy in Shimoda?"
Ren shrugged as well. "Maybe… although, not sure if Sojiro will even wanna put up with me for another year. Of course, there are other options but I would have to scramble to find housing otherwise. In like… six weeks? I'm not sure if I can anyways."
"I could make Sojiro agree to it! You don't have to be in the attic this time if you don't want to, we can find a way to make space for ya! I mean unless you like the attic…" Futaba piped up. "Orrrr maybe you could stay with Ken, their place is pretty spacious! And you'd get great meals every day!"
Ken sighed. "Futaba, you realize where I live is really owned by Mitsuru-san, right? Also why are you volunteering us? You need to ask Mitsuru-san and Shinjiro-san if that is something they'd be okay with."
"Ren's living situation is far more important and you'll convince them obviously." Futaba smirked.
Ken glared and was about to argue but Makoto cleared her throat, stopping them both. Futaba sheepishly giggled and sat back down. Haru giggled and shook her head next to her.
"And besides that, there's nothing saying that Ken is going to stay in Tokyo for his studies," Makoto said. "I took a few exams for schools outside of Tokyo myself."
"Really?" Ren couldn't help but feel surprised by that. "I thought you would aim for Tokyo U."
"It would be nice to attend such a prestigious school, with it being Sis's alma mater," Makoto admitted. But then she smiled. "But my priorities have changed."
"So in other words Ren could take Ken's room is what I'm hearing." Futaba giggled quietly.
"Give that a rest." Ken shot her a look.
Makoto just rolled her eyes and Morgana laughed to himself and rolled his eyes as well at Futaba's antics. Ren couldn't help but smile but still felt some uncertainty as he stared at his half full coffee mug.
"It would be nice if I could stay in Tokyo," Ren admitted, only to sigh. "But it all depends on my parents. They have final say on this, since I'm still in high school, you know?"
Ryuji's face fell. "Yeah… I guess you guys are right."
"But it means a lot that you want me to stay," Ren hastily interjected.
Makoto pressed her lips together before clapping her hands together once. "Come on, we were all so happy to have Ren back. Let's not try to get down about all this."
Ken managed a smile. "Yeah… you're right, Makoto. We should celebrate."
"Both Ren-kun returning from jail and Mona-chan coming back to us," Haru chimed in.
Ren held his mug up and flashed his friends a smile despite his mixed emotions and finished off his coffee.
"Although… that reminds me, will Boss and Futaba take in Morgana then?" Yusuke asked.
Ren sighed. "I'll… try to talk to my parents. My dad's never been crazy about animals. Said something about dealing with enough chaos growing up."
"Enough… chaos?" Ken repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Ren shrugged. "I dunno. When I asked, he always changed the subject. But I'll do my best to persuade them. I don't want to leave Morgana behind."
"Ren…" Morgana suddenly ducked his head, rubbing at his face with a paw.
"Dude… are you crying?" Ryuji asked.
"N-No!" Morgana quickly denied. "It's just dusty here! Like jeez, does Boss ever dust here?"
"It's okay if you wanna cry," Futaba teased with a snicker.
"S-Shut up! It's just super dusty here, okay?!"
"Don't worry Mona-chan, if Ren's parents say no, I definitely will take custody of you, so dry your tears," Haru said sweetly.
"Hey no way! Sojiro and I got dibs on the crying Mona!" Futaba protested.
"I am not crying!" Morgana hissed.
Ren had forgotten what it was like to eat until you felt you were fit to burst. He wasn't exactly starved for food while serving his sentence, but he was hardly satisfied with the food he was given.
But he was settling down back in the attic now, taking a moment to look around now that his friends were leaving for their homes.
It was really good to be back.
"Ren?"
He looked up to see that Anne had come up the stairs. She lingered by the doorway, as if she was unsure about coming in.
"You can come in, Anne," Ren said, looking to his girlfriend.
Morgana looked at Ren and then Anne before running downstairs.
"No excuse this time, huh?" Ren asked with a quirked brow.
Not that he minded, at least Morgana knew that they probably needed some privacy.
Anne just let out a small giggle, shaking her head before turning her attention back to Ren.
"Hi."
"Hey." Ren tried for his usual carefree smile.
The hesitant smile on Anne's face suddenly wavered and she burst into tears.
"Oh shit!" Ren thought as he hurried over to his girlfriend. He put his arms around her. "Anne, don't cry. It's okay."
Anne sniffled, lifting a hand to rub at her eyes for a moment. "It's not that… It's just—I can't believe you're back! It didn't feel real…"
Ren sighed, cupping her cheek for a moment. "Yeah… I know what you mean."
Anne sniffed. "I'm sorry, Ren."
"What are you apologizing for?" Ren couldn't help but feel bewildered as he lowered his hand. "I'm the one who should be apologizing, I hurt you by walking out on you. I didn't even have the guts to tell you to your face."
It ate him up inside still. If only he wasn't such a coward and was honest with her, to her face, like she wanted. That was all she asked that night. And he couldn't bring himself to do it. He only could write her a note.
He just couldn't bear the idea of looking at her in the eyes as he broke her heart.
"Oh Ren…" Anne took a moment to rub at her eyes before taking his hand. "It's okay, Ren. I understand that you were worried about all of us. I'm just—I hate that you had to take the fall for us. That you had to bear that burden, dealing with the guilt, and on top of that, the fact that you had to go to prison."
What did he do to deserve her? It was a relief she wasn't mad at him for it but he still feels like she should at least be a little mad. But if she's willing to let it go, then he should too.
He smiled at her sadly however and cupped her face with one hand and squeezed her hand tightly with the other.
Ren declared, "I'd do it again. If the alternative meant you'd be put in danger, I would do it a hundred times over."
Anne just squeezed his hand back, smiling despite her tears.
"That is so you, Ren…" she said with a rueful smile. "I just hope that it'll be over this time. I don't know if my heart could take it."
"Anne…"
Ren looked down, even as his stomach twisted itself into knots.
Anne said, "Makoto's sister said that Shido's trial is finalized. It should be over… right?"
Her voice wavered at the last part.
Ren answered before finally lowering his hand from Anne's cheek, "I think so. Sae told me that Akechi turned himself in."
"Makoto told us, we couldn't believe it when she dropped the news. We were all so sure that he had left the country." Anne nodded.
For a moment, Ren couldn't help but wonder how Ken felt about all of this. He was still extremely mixed on Akechi, after all. A part of him still found it difficult to digest that he and Ken were cousins, when how they seemed so different. Ken talking about his past always felt so distant to Ren, even though Ken obviously carried some deep regrets about what happened.
But he still couldn't reconcile the person who gleefully wanted all of them killed, especially Ren, had turned himself in. Just what was said to Akechi to convince him to stop running and actually face the music? And who? Not that they were close buddies but he refused to even listen to reason from Ken, the only blood relative that wasn't a conspiratorial, power-hungry, corrupt despot. And probably the only person who understood what Akechi been through. But then again, Akechi refused to understand why Ken let things go and move on. Closed himself off to see Ken's side of things and his experience he gained from those hardships that shaped him, and what really mattered.
Which made him turning himself in all the more baffling. He pushed so hard to get revenge and eliminate any who would get in his way. He wished Sae wasn't in such a hurry when she came to meet him. There is so much more to this. Was there a plea deal? Like a really good one? But he doubted Akechi would bite just for that. This was going to nag at him for a while.
Maybe he'll ask Makoto later when things are settled down a bit.
"So, wouldn't his trial be soon? To use his testimony against Shido?" Ren wondered.
Anne frowned. "Yeah… I think so. It's been very hush-hush so far though, not even the media has caught wind of it yet. Then again, they didn't even report on you being arrested again either. I don't get it, but my guess is Shido's goons are scrambling and in panic mode."
"That sure is something…" Ren muttered, "But there is also a law about reporting on suspects underage."
"Oh really?" Anne quirked her head.
"Yeah, Makoto mentioned it to me when I asked why they didn't unveil my identity after arresting me. I don't understand the full gist of it. You'll have to ask her. But it's probably a combination of me and Akechi's age, but also if things about us come to light, then it shines a spotlight on all of them too," he explained.
Their corruption and arrogance combined with him being underage ironically helped them a lot with his fake death.
"Mm-hm, that does make sense." Anne nodded before biting her lip. "Look, Ren… about your parents—"
"Do you think I should forgive them?" Ren blurted out.
It ate him so much inside. He made sure not to squeeze her hand too tight, trying to reign in his emotions.
Anne's eyes went wide at his question and she… hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"I think… you should consider it. But you need to hear them out first. They… explained a little to me, the day of your arrest. I think it would shed a lot of light on their behavior. I'm not saying you should forgive them, definitely. I think… only you can decide that. But listen to them. Really listen to them, Ren."
He wanted to protest but it died in his throat. She wasn't being unreasonable. She wasn't saying he has to make nice with them. She was being quite fair in fact.
He let out a heavy sigh through his nose and a small nod.
"Okay… but they treated you fine, right?" he asked.
He wouldn't be able to condone his parents treating Anne poorly. Ever. That was just not negotiable.
Anne nodded. "Yeah, don't worry. Though, I swear your dad contributed very little to the gene pool, aside from your messy hair and the eyes. You take a lot after your mom in looks."
Despite his ambivalent feelings, he couldn't help but snort with a small smirk.
"Well, she always lamented that the hair's genetic," Ren said.
He recalled more than one instance where Mom had broken a comb in an (unsuccessful) attempt to tame his hair. He could just see her reaction if he had a kid in the future with messy hair like him.
Anne giggled, the sound music to Ren's ears. "Though, you could've told me that your mom's a retired idol! No wonder you're such a show-off every time we play BBR!"
He gave her a smarmy grin.
"You're just jealous of my skills."
Anne pushed him away and he laughed.
Anne scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You do extra dance moves and steps while playing. If that's not being a show-off, I don't know what is."
"Well, I have to play well when a kiss is at stake," Ren said, raising an eyebrow at her.
Anne slapped at his shoulder before she coughed, clearing her throat.
"Well… you can kiss me now, you know."
He actually paused for a moment. It had seemed more natural to go in for a kiss before his arrest. Well he needed to start making up for it.
"Well… if the lady asks," Ren said, sitting down on the couch and drawing Anne into his lap.
Anne smiled before he leaned in, kissing her gently. Anne's hand moved to cradle the back of his head and his arms went to her waist. It was a slow and languid kiss, the two of them enjoying just being in each other's arms. Ren would've been content to just sit there with Anne but then a voice cut through air.
"Anne? ANNE?"
Ren pulled away from his girlfriend, levelling a frustrated look at Futaba, who stood not far away from them.
"Can't this wait?" Ren asked, unable to hold back his annoyance.
Futaba snickered. "Nope, sorry Romeo. We talked about doing Valentine Day chocolates together at Haru's place! Makoto even got Fuuka-san and Minako-san to come!"
"Huh? They're here?" Ren said in disbelief.
Futaba rocked back and forth on her heels as she nodded.
"With Shido's powerbase crumbling they could afford it," Futaba said with a grin. "Fuuka-san's obviously here for Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san and Minako-san came up here, since his paternal leave is running out and they wanted to do something big. That's what Ken said anyways."
Anne sighed before getting off of Ren and he was unable to hold back a pout. Anne giggled, bending to kiss his temple.
"Aww, don't pout, Ren. I'll spent plenty of tomorrow with you," she said, giggling. "And with chocolates!"
"But I want to spend time with you…" Ren grumbled out.
Anne smiled. "I know… but I'm sorry, I already made a promise with the girls. I'll stop by later if it's not too late, kay?"
"Fine, fine…" Ren huffed. "Have fun with the girls."
Anne beamed at him before kissing his cheek. "You should go hang out with the guys in the meantime. Love you!"
Ren watched them go, a small smile on his face even as Futaba griped to Anne about the display of PDA.
Even with his pending departure looming over their heads, things were looking up. Finally…
It didn't take a genius to see what the girls wanted.
Minako watched with amusement as the girls unpacked chocolate ingredients and molds. Haru, especially, had brought several types of molds and chocolate melts.
"Haru-chan, did you forget the kitchen sink?" Minako asked, unable to hold back a laugh.
Haru blinked. "I beg your pardon, Minako-san?"
Anne let out a laugh. "Figure of speech. Minako-san's saying we might have gone a little overkill with our supplies."
Haru gave a bashful smile. "O-Oh, well… I've never done this before so…"
They started to spread out all the supplies on the counter. Anne began to separate all the bowls they would be needing for the chocolate melts. Haru looked a bit embarrassed as she glanced over the large stack of different chocolate melts she bought while she pulled out the utensils they needed.
"It's okay, Haru-chan." Fuuka-san smiled, patting the younger girl's arm. "Everyone has to start somewhere."
"Do I have to remind you about your first Valentine's Day giving Shinji chocolate, though?" Minako couldn't help but tease.
Fuuka blushed, ducking her head. "W-Well, we had only been together for a few months by then… B-But Haru-chan doesn't have a partner, anyhow. She's just making friendship chocolate, right?"
"Y-Yes!" she squeaked out.
Haru began to fidget as she started dumping one of the milk chocolate melts into a bowl and placed it in the microwave.
"Wow, Haru, you might as well announce who you're sweet on," Futaba said, snickering. "It's so obvious you've got a thing for Inari."
Fuuka blinked in confusion, cocking her head. "Who's Inari?"
"It's Futaba's nickname for Yusuke," Makoto explained.
"Ohh… because of his mask?" Minako asked. "But you're sweet on Yusuke-kun, Haru-chan?"
Haru ducked her head but everyone could see how pink her cheeks had become. "I-It's well… He's just so kind to me. It feels like he understands me better than anyone."
Futaba started to snicker and sneaked up behind Haru and ran the whisk up her back. Haru squeaked and Makoto just took away the whisk and shook her head.
Futaba poked Haru's shoulder. "Hehe… sorry. But you know Haru, do you have any fox shaped molds?"
"I… would he like that better? I don't think so. I grabbed many but I don't think there were any foxes." Haru started to look through the molds.
Makoto sighed in exasperation.
"Futaba, stop picking on her."
Minako and Fuuka watched the younger girls with amusement. Minako had her elbow on the counter while holding her chin with her hand.
"Aww, man, I wish Ken-kun would tell me this kind of juicy stuff," Minako said, slightly pouting.
Fuuka just giggled. "Minako-chan, I think you're expecting a little too much of him."
"Well, he should pay attention to that kind of thing!" Minako exclaimed. She then turned to Kiyomi, who was sitting in her baby carrier. "Kiyo-chan, promise me that you won't be so dense like your daddy and Uncle Ken."
Kiyomi just gurgled in response.
"I think Akihiko-san would prefer it if you did," Makoto said with a small laugh.
"Don't jinx her like that, Makoto-chan!" Minako gasped, her eyes growing wide.
Futaba groaned. "Can we just get on with the chocolate making? I'm starting to think that I should've just gone with store bought…"
So far Haru was the only one who mostly got started, Makoto was cleaning off the strawberries at least at the sink. And… Anne was in the corner eating chocolate chips. The rest of course were just gabbing…
"Okay, okay!" Minako laughed. "So… any ideas for what you wanna do?"
Anne nodded. "Well, for Ren, I wanted to mix in some coffee into the chocolate. Boss really got him into coffee this year."
"That's a good idea, Anne. For me… um…" Makoto ducked her head but Minako saw that her cheeks had already started to go pink. "I-I was hoping that you could point me in the right direction, Minako-san and Fuuka-san. I know that Ken has received a lot of chocolates over the years and he's a bit picky with sweets, so…"
Minako and Fuuka exchanged a quick look and Minako couldn't stop herself from laughing.
"I guarantee that Ken hated like 99% of them," Minako said.
Minako almost laughed again seeing Makoto's panicked expression but stifled it because she didn't want to be rude. Not like she would know why Ken hated a lot of it. She kinda started to pity her. She's sure Ken will accept whatever his girlfriend made him, but it definitely would now put pressure on her knowing the truth of Ken's standards due to… his admirers.
"Dang, didn't know Ken was that picky," Futaba said with a snicker.
"There were some… um… interesting attempts from some girls. They really wanted their chocolates to stand out," Fuuka said, shaking her head before looking over to Minako. "Didn't one year someone attempted to make him chocolate covered persimmon slices?"
"Ewww!" Anne immediately recoiled at that. "They should've just gone with chocolate covered strawberries if they wanted to give him fruit too."
"I'm guessing they never realized his favorite fruit is oranges then?" Makoto asked.
Minako just grinned. "Ohhh, so you figured that out, huh?"
Makoto sputtered out, "H-Huh? I mean, it's in most of his bento lunches. Shinjiro-san gives it to him for a reason."
"I mean, you said it yourself. The others girls never figured it out," Minako said, snickering.
"Minako-chan…" Fuuka sighed out, shaking her head.
"But anyways, here's a little secret about Ken!" Minako had to smother a grin at this. "You see, Ken-kun actually really likes his chocolate spicy. You should add hot sauce!"
"Hot sauce in… chocolate?" Makoto blinked.
Minako had to fight the urge to laugh. She actually bought it!
"Yeah, look up spicy hot chocolate. It's definitely a thing!" Minako said, nodding furiously.
Makoto's brow furrowed, as if she was trying to decide if Minako was messing with her or not. Fuuka sighed, giving Minako a look.
"Ignore Minako-chan, Makoto-chan, she's just pulling on your leg. It's a joke—Minato-kun convinced Ken-kun once that he drank hot sauce with his coffee rather than cream and sugar."
"And Ken bought it?!" Futaba snorted with laughter.
"W-Well, he was only eleven, right?" Haru offered.
Fuuka just nodded and went back to opening up one of the other chocolate melt bags and pouring it into a bowl.
"Aww, Fuuka-chan, why did you have to ruin the joke?" Minako huffed.
"Don't be mean, it's her first Valentine's Day with Ken-kun," Fuuka admonished. Then she turned to Makoto. "As you know, Ken-kun doesn't care for sweets all that much… but there is one exception."
Makoto perked up at that.
"Really?"
"Mm-hm." Fuuka smiled. "He's partial to dark chocolate with caramel filling. With a little sprinkling of sea salt. I can show you how to make that, if you'd like."
Makoto nodded. "That would be wonderful, thank you. Do you think he'd like chocolate covered oranges as well? It was something I was thinking about earlier today."
"Hmm… he might, but since this is a special occasion I think it's safer to go with what I know for sure will work for him, you could always test that later for a normal date," Minako suggested.
"Is Ken really that picky?" Futaba asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You'd be picky too if you received as much chocolate Ken did over the years," Minako said with a grin. "He'd get mobbed so much after soccer games. It was funny to see him be polite about the girls gushing about how cool he is while his eyes screamed 'HELP ME'."
Makoto rolled her eyes as she started to pour the chocolate Fuuka just melted into one of the molds.
Makoto then huffed. "That reminds me of Ken's first day of school. He got swarmed by girls that day too. I had to intervene to get them to leave him alone."
"But now you have a more effective way to stop them, no?" Minako teased.
Makoto's hand jerked at that and she wound up accidentally missing one of the molds with the spoon covered in chocolate. She muttered something under her breath before she quickly cleaned it up and moved back to carefully filling the molds again.
Makoto coughed, her cheeks turning pink. "I suppose… you could say that."
Futaba groaned. "Ugh, enough talk about Makoto and Ken giving each other goo-goo eyes."
And Makoto accidentally missed another mold again as her face turned red.
"Goo-goo eyes?!" Makoto sputtered. "We do not—"
"Sure, sure." Futaba flapped her hand at Makoto, only to slam her hands on the counter. "But I want deets!"
Futaba ignored Makoto glaring at her while she cleaned up the little mess and moved back to carefully filling the molds again.
"On…?" Fuuka turned, blinking at Futaba.
Futaba suddenly grinned. "Any embarrassing stories about Ken? I bet you have a gold mine!"
Makoto groaned as she finished up with the mold, placing it on the cookie sheet and got started on the next batch.
"Well…" Minako drawled out. "How about equivalent exchange? I still haven't dragged out how Ken-kun and Makoto-chan started dating from either of them. We just know that Shinji walked in on them and he asked Mitsuru-senpai if her scientists can develop mind bleach."
Futaba snorted with laughter and Anne giggled. Makoto's face turned red… again. Wow, and she thought it was easy to make Ken blush.
Haru gave a nervous giggle. "Mako-chan hasn't told any of us. It was all very private—"
"B-Besides, how Anne and Ren started dating might interest you more," Makoto blurted out.
"Makoto?!" Anne cried out.
"Oooh, really?" Minako turned to the blonde, suddenly intrigued. "So Anne-chan—"
"I plead the fifth!" Anne said hastily, her eyes wide with panic.
Fuuka blinked. "Isn't that an American law?"
"Not important!" Anne exclaimed, waving her hands. "A-Anyways, shouldn't we get back to actually making the chocolate?"
Haru giggled. "Yes, let's get back to it. Anne-chan, do you want me to show you how to brew the coffee? Ren-kun has shown me, so I think I have a solid grasp on how he likes his coffee."
"Yes, please!" Anne exclaimed.
"I'm home—"
Ken stopped short at the sight of Mitsuru-san sitting in the loveseat, idly sipping at a cup of tea. Shinjiro-san just shrugged when Ken looked to him for an answer.
"Don't ask me—she came in like an hour ago. Said she wanted to talk to you 'bout something important."
"Oh… I see," Ken said slowly.
Mitsuru-san just smiled at him, gesturing for him to sit. "I apologize for springing this on you, Amada, but… I felt this couldn't wait."
"It's okay, sorry if I kept you waiting."
Ken took the seat across from her and waited for her to speak up as she took another sip of tea. She gingerly set the cup back down on the coffee table and glanced back at him. Ken couldn't help but feel awkward, wondering what she wanted.
Mitsuru-san just chuckled. "It's quite all right, Amada. I understand that Amamiya was released today, it's understandable. How is he?"
"I think he finds it all surreal at the moment," Ken answered, "And um… Morgana is alive."
Mitsuru-san's eyes widened at that before her eyes softened. "That's wonderful. I'm glad to hear that."
But even then, there was a sadness in her eyes as she reached for her cup to take another sip. Ken sighed softly to himself. If only Minato-san could return to them like Ren and Morgana had…
"Yeah… we were quite surprised too. But happy all the same. But… what was it you needed to talk to me about?" Ken asked, hoping to redirect Mitsuru-san.
"Ah, yes." Mitsuru-san then lowered her cup, setting it down, before her eyes met Ken's. "Tell me, Amada. What do you intend to pursue after you graduate?"
Ken blinked. He had an inkling on what he'd like to do. But he wanted to keep that to his chest, a little longer.
"Well, I want to go to university," he answered, resting his hands in his lap. "Um… I know that I wanted to join the Shadow Operatives full-time before. It was something I would think of often when I was in junior high."
Mitsuru-san pressed her lips together. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Shinjiro-san going a bit… stiff. He had never liked that Mitsuru-san had allowed him to be part of the auxiliary team. And Shinjiro-san didn't like the idea of him coming to Tokyo, though he had eventually come around.
"Is that not the case anymore, Amada?"
Ken slowly shook his head. "Don't get me wrong… I think the Shadow Operatives are still important. But… I realized it's not the most important thing to me anymore. If you have need of me, I will gladly help you... always. But there are other things I'd like to pursue now."
"And there's nothing wrong with that, Amada," Mitsuru-san reassured him, then smiled gently. "Your time here has really matured you. Granted, you were always on the mature side but… I feel that you have come in your own."
Ken felt his cheeks warm. "I don't really feel that different, if I'm being honest."
Shinjiro-san snorted and Ken shot him a look. What was that supposed to mean? Mitsuru-san smiled at Shinjiro-san and nodded. That confused him.
Mitsuru-san just hummed. "Sometimes change is so gradual. You don't need to be modest."
Ken was about to protest he wasn't but Mitsuru-san's expression grew a bit serious.
"But… may I ask, have you thought about living arrangements?" she inquired. "For wherever university you choose to go to."
Ken nodded. "Um… I took examinations for mostly universities in Tokyo. For money, I've got some money saved up due to being put back on the Shadow Operatives payroll. I have enough saved up to be okay for a couple months, but I would need to look for a part time job."
Mitsuru-san tilted her head. "So, if you wish to stay in Tokyo… why not stay here?"
"Stay here?" Ken couldn't help but be flabbergasted. "I mean… we only live here because of the mission."
Shinjiro-san took Mitsuru-san's empty cup and headed back to the kitchen while they still talked.
Mitsuru-san chuckled. "Amada, the 'mission' technically stopped when you came clean with the Phantom Thieves. And it is under my family's name, not the Shadow Operatives. I would be happy to let you stay here, if you need housing in Tokyo."
Ken protested, "Mitsuru-san, you've done so much already for me… I can't ask you to just let me stay here with no rent."
Mitsuru-san's lips quirked up in an amused smile. "Shinjiro-san has really left his mark on you, hasn't he?"
"Hey, I'm not that bad," Shinjiro-san snapped from the kitchen.
"If you're sure, Shinjiro," Mitsuru-san dismissed with a wave of her hand and then she looked to Ken. "Amada… won't you consider it?"
"I don't know…" Ken said, biting his lip.
"Hmmm… might I offer a compromise?" Mitsuru-san offered. "Stay here for another two years. You'll be twenty by the time your second year of university ends. More housing options will be open to you once you're of age."
Ken tapped his foot and crossed his arms while looking at the ground, contemplating Mitsuru-san's suggestion. It was true that he would need Shinjiro-san's permission to be able to rent. And looking at Mitsuru-san, she seemed… really intent on this.
"Okay, okay, you win…" Ken grumbled. "Until I finish my second year of university."
Tuesday, February 14th, 2017
Ken started sorting out books on his desk, his classmates chattering around him, but then felt a buzz in his pocket. He reached in and pulled his phone out to read whatever message he received.
[Daichi]: Sooo
[Daichi]: It's your favorite day of the year, Ken :3
[Ken]: really, Daichi?
[Kazuki]: well, tbf
[Kazuki]: It always was fun getting chocolate from you
[Daichi]: and now we don't get ANY chocolate
[Ken]: so much for claiming that you have a girlfriend, huh?
[Daichi]: HEY
[Daichi]: I swear you've gotten even more sassy ever since you left for Tokyo
[Ken]: yes, you can blame Ren for that
[Kazuki]: are we ever gonna meet your friends from Tokyo anyways?
[Ken]: things got… really busy around New Year's, sorry. Maybe during summer break.
"Ken-kun! Good morning!"
Ken jumped from where he was absorbed in texting his friends. It was Haru, approaching him with her usual sweet smile.
"Good morning, Haru," he replied, slipping his phone in his pocket.
Haru smiled gently before she reached into her schoolbag, pulling out a small white bag with a pattern of pastel pink hearts and presenting it to him. "Happy Valentine's Day, Ken-kun! I just want to say—thank you for being my friend."
Ken felt his cheeks warm. "It was nothing, really."
"It's not nothing." Haru's smile turned to bashful. "I still think about how you and Mako-chan gave me the first push to really… start thinking about what I wanted. So… thank you."
"We just gave you a nudge, that's all." Ken smiled. "But um, thank you for the chocolates."
Haru giggled, holding a hand to her mouth. "Of course! I hope you like them. Minako-san, um… divulged about some of the interesting chocolates you've received over the years."
Ken just groaned. Of course, she would. He could only hope that Minako-san hadn't shared any embarrassing stories about him… or tried to convince them to put coffee and hot sauce together to mix in the chocolate.
"But um, Ken-kun…"
"Hm?" He looked up to see Haru fidgeting.
When she saw that she had his attention, she clasped her hands behind her back.
"I know you want to spend Valentine's Day with Mako-chan today…" she said slowly. "But I was wondering if I could get your advice on something after?"
Ken blinked. "Is this about Yusuke?"
Haru squeaked, her cheeks growing red. "What? N-No!"
Ken raised an eyebrow, skeptical of her claim. She pressed her lips together. She crossed her arms then and started to slightly fidget.
"It's not, honest! It's um… there's a reason why I'm asking you. I wanted to hear your perspective on an idea I have."
"An idea?" Ken couldn't help but feel confused, not quite following what Haru was alluding to.
"But another day," Haru said, waving a hand.
Before Ken could ask more about it, Haru scurried away. Ken couldn't help but stare, baffled.
"What was that about?" he thought to himself.
He then shook his head. Well, Haru said they'd talk about it eventually. He just hoped when he stopped by his locker later it wouldn't be practically exploding with love letters.
The school bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Makoto watched out of the corner of her eye as girls rushed to press chocolates onto her boyfriend.
But still, she couldn't help but chuckle at the mildly disgruntled look on Ken's face. She didn't feel so much as a twinge of jealousy. Not when Ken so obviously was not thrilled with it.
"It's not funny," he muttered, all but pouting.
Makoto leaned in, pecking his cheek quickly. "Then don't pout about it."
"I'm not pouting."
"Uh-huh."
Ken huffed before shoving the chocolates in his bag. Makoto had to hold a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh.
"I'll give these to Anne tomorrow," he grumbled out. "She'll be more than happy to eat them."
Makoto laughed. "And have Shinjiro-san scold you for encouraging her to eat more sweets?"
Ken rolled his eyes. "I'll live. I'm more worried there aren't some weird ones in there. I'd feel bad if I gave something like… well I'm sure Minako-san blabbed about it."
Makoto winced but giggled. She then wrapped both her arms around Ken's left arm as they walked side by side, she couldn't help but smile more seeing his disgusted look.
"She gave us some ideas… of the types you got." Makoto said sympathetically.
"Yeah… never gonna forgot those unfortunately." Ken involuntarily twitched but settled down quickly and smiled down at her. "But anyways, I was thinking… I know it's still a little cold but I thought it'd be a waste to just go to one of our apartments and spend the afternoon in. Do you want to go somewhere for a bit before?"
Makoto blinked. "Do you have somewhere in mind?"
"Uh… I saw something online yesterday?" Ken scratched his cheek for a moment. "I think it's called Hanegi Park?"
"Oh, Hanegi Park." Makoto smiled. "It's been a while since I've been there. I remember my parents took me there a couple times when I was a little girl. It's too bad that there won't be no vendors around, since it's a weekday."
"Vendors?" Ken looked at her quizzically.
Makoto explained, "Oh, well my parents would always take me around this time of year. There's some kind of plum festival and they sell specialized food and other knickknacks with the theme. I do remember that it's very pretty anyways so… I think it would be fun."
Ken replied, "Well, there's nothing stopping us from going again during the weekend. If you want to go, anyways."
"Let's go. I don't think I haven't been there since I was little." Makoto smiled, a feeling of nostalgia hitting her.
"Really?" Ken asked as they headed out together.
"Mm-hm. Dad had to pull more hours at work to support me and Sae." Makoto shrugged. "It is what it is."
Ken just took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"This is just telling me that I should've taken you out more," Ken mused.
Makoto just chuckled. "Well… things have been crazy lately. I'm just glad that we could make some time to spend some time together."
It really felt like they had hardly had a moment alone together since Christmas Eve. They only were able to go on a couple more dates before Ken had to stay inside the penthouse after they rescued him. So she could understand why Ken suggested this.
"Besides studying together?" Ken craned an eyebrow at her.
"Yes, besides that," Makoto said with a laugh.
They finally reached the station and took the nearest station to Hanegi Park.
The park itself was fairly modest. But seeing the plum blossoms… it was a sight to behold. While the plum trees weren't in full bloom, there were several branches with a mix of plum blossoms and buds. The sight of the soft pink blossoms made her smile.
"It's really pretty…" Makoto breathed.
"I'm glad you like it," Ken said and rubbed the back of his neck. "Looking into this made me realize that there was so much of Tokyo I haven't seen yet and I've lived here for nearly a year."
Makoto smiled, turning to him. "Well… maybe we should try to find more spots to go then. We finally have some time, right?"
Ken smiled. "Yeah… finally. Sorry it's been so long that we've been able to go out."
"Oh, Ken…" Makoto sighed. "It's not your fault. And besides, I liked those dates too."
She felt she got to see a different side of her boyfriend. It still made her smile, thinking about the times Ken would ramble on and on about Feathermen trivia. And even talking about spinoffs, like Zephyrman. Shinjiro-san occasionally came across them talking about it, flustering Ken by teasing him about his near-encyclopedia knowledge, but Makoto found it endearing.
And it made her happy to be able to share the interests that Makoto had hidden for so long. It had made her feel subconscious about her knowledge of martial arts but Ken found it interesting. He even enjoyed it when Makoto analyzed why she disliked or liked a fight scene.
Ken smiled sheepishly. "I liked them too. I just feel that we've only gone out a few times and we've been dating for nearly four months now."
Makoto chuckled. "Well, there's no time like the present, right?"
The park was small and quaint, but they still enjoyed walking through the park together. It was a little disappointing that there were no stalls, due to it being a weekday but Ken was right in that there was nothing stopping them from coming again. And the sights were beautiful.
But eventually they decided to rest their feet and sit at a bench, facing out the lake. Ken seemed to fidget.
"What's wrong?" Makoto asked.
"It's… well…" Ken suddenly looked to her; his eyes serious. "I wanted to talk to you about um… what university I ended up going with. I got into… Nihon University."
Makoto's eyes widened. "You did?"
Nihon University was a private research university. It wasn't quite the caliber of Tokyo University but… it was still a very good school. Makoto herself had chosen Waseda University. She had taken the entrance exam, not really expecting to pass… but miraculously she had managed to pass their exam, enough for Waseda to accept her.
Ken nodded. "I wanted to tell you first. I haven't even told Shinjiro-san yet."
"Really?" Makoto was speechless.
She knew that Ken had confided into her a lot, that she knew many things about him that he hadn't spoke about to their friends. But Shinjiro-san… he was different. He was a strange mix of both a father figure and an older brother to him.
Ken nodded. "Shinjiro-san will always be important to me… but I just wanted to tell you first."
"Ken…"
Makoto couldn't help but feel touched. But a sudden thought struck her and she cleared her throat.
"But wait, what about lodging?"
Ken sighed, shaking his head. "Mitsuru-san spoke to me last night. We discussed… a lot but she convinced me to stay where I am for now. Two years. She reasoned I would be twenty and I would have more options for housing when I'm an adult."
Ken looked exasperated, but a small smile came to his face.
"It's because she loves you," Makoto said. "But… what are you pursuing? As a major?"
"College of Law," Ken said. "But my major will be journalism."
"Journalism?"
But even as the question left her lips, it… made sense. Ken seemed rather interested in Ohya-san's work, speaking animatedly to her about the work process. Shinjiro-san even let her take him to Shimoda and he had talked to her about it quite a bit. He had… even ran into one of Ren's old friends, apparently his oldest friend.
Ken ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… Ohya-san kinda inspired me. And… I couldn't help but think, maybe there are other kids affected by crimes being covered up. Adults too but…"
Makoto squeezed his hand. "You don't have to explain that part to me, Ken. I understand."
Ken just gave her a grateful smile.
"And… I think it's wonderful, Ken," Makoto said sincerely, taking his hand. "I think it fits you. And… it fits a former Phantom Thief."
Ken smiled sheepishly. "Thank you."
The breeze around them started to pick up. It felt really nice. And the air smelt so beautiful. The mix of the water and the flowers. But even as she enjoyed the weather a question lingered in her mind.
"Though… what about the Shadow Operatives?" Makoto inquired. "Are you stepping down?"
Ken gave a light shrug. "It's pretty much the same as I am now. I will help out in emergencies. After everything, I realized… I wanted to do more with my life than just fight Shadows. And besides that, Mitsuru-san has already built up a strong base within the Shadow Operatives."
Makoto's eyes widened. "This means the Tokyo branch will be reestablished."
Ken nodded. "In time, Shido is behind bars now but there's still a lot of cleaning up to do."
However, something about what Ken said struck Makoto.
"So… it's not just SEES and the Investigation Team, who are Persona-user members of the Shadow Operatives?"
Ken looked out to the lake for a moment. "Mm-hm. You'd be… surprised. There are a couple more prolific members of the Shadow Operatives."
"Like…?"
"Kei Nanjo for one."
Makoto's eyes widened. "The Nanjo Group CEO?!"
"Mm-hm." Ken just nodded. "And Eriko Kirishima. And Eikichi Mishina."
Makoto frowned. "I know Eriko Kirishima is a fashion designer but… I'm not familiar with the last one."
"Oh, he's a rock musician. Junpei-san's a big fan. They're both auxiliary members. But Nanjo-san is pretty highly ranked, only below Mitsuru-san and Minako-san." Ken answered.
Makoto shifted in her seat next to Ken, crossing her legs and leaning closer to him. This revelation made her wonder just how big Mitsuru-san's network was.
"I see…" Makoto trailed off. "Are there any other Shadow Operatives in the police force? I'm kinda curious, between Akihiko-san, Chie-san, and Naoto-san…"
"There's one other I know of," Ken answered. "Katsuya Suou. He and his wife, Maya-san, are also part of the Shadow Operatives. I've never met them in person though. She isn't a cop though I believe."
"Oh that's interesting…" Makoto nodded. "Maybe we'll meet them some day."
"Maybe…" Ken said, nodding. "What about you, though?"
"Me?" Makoto couldn't help but be taken aback.
Ken smiled wryly. "You're in the same boat as me, you know. Mitsuru-san will probably ask all of you someday, but for now, she's more concerned about you and Haru. Since we'll be graduating soon."
Makoto bit her lip. "For so long, I've been trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my future. I think a lot of it is still in the air but… I think I would like to do the same as you. And… who knows? Maybe we'll be placed on the same mission together. Someone has to keep you out of trouble, after all."
Ken pulled a face. "Not you too…"
Makoto just laughed, leaning to kiss his cheek quickly.
"Can't I worry for you?"
Ken simply grumbled in response.
She then reached into her bag. Well… maybe this would help distract him.
"And before I forget… happy Valentine's Day, Ken."
"Thanks." Ken gave her a smile before tugging the ribbon loose and removing the lid.
Makoto bit the inside of her cheek, hoping that Ken would like the chocolate. She had gone with the typical heart mold. She thought it might be better to do something simpler. This was her first time after all.
Ken suddenly picked out one and took out a bite. Then his eyes lit up before he popped the rest in his mouth.
"So you like it?" Makoto finally voiced.
Ken nodded. "It was delicious. I like how you rolled in some nuts; it gives it a different texture. It goes really well with the caramel."
That had been an on-the-spur choice but Minako-san had complimented her on that.
"I'm glad… I wanted you to enjoy the chocolate. I've never done this before," Makoto admitted, with a sheepish smile.
Ken blinked. "Well… if it's from you, I would've enjoyed it anyways."
"Even though Minako-san and Fuuka-san are both excellent bakers?" Makoto asked.
Ken suddenly huffed. "You should've seen Fuuka-san before. I should know, I was one of the people she cajoled into being a taste tester. She only got really good once Shinjiro-san started to teach her about cooking methods."
His expression suddenly softened.
"Shinjiro-san made me learn how to cook during the same year. He wasn't… pleased that I brought home convenience store bento lunches."
"Well, they add a lot of preservatives and extra salt to help it hold longer. It was good that he had you learn how to cook!" Makoto sighed. "I had to teach myself when I was younger…"
She remembered Dad having a distant look on his face every time he put dinner on the table for them. Probably since… Mom cooked before.
So Makoto had resolved to start teaching herself how to cook, if only to lessen the burden from him. She'd use her allowance to buy cookbooks to learn recipes. Sae just about had a heart attack when she had walked in on Makoto standing on a stool, trying to cook some eggs.
Ken put a hand over hers. "I'm sorry about that. But my point was… you didn't have to hold yourself up to a standard. I'd be happy with anything you gave me because you went through the effort to give me something."
Makoto looked down at her lap. "I was overthinking it, wasn't I?"
Ken laughed, bending his head to kiss the top of her head.
"If it makes you feel better, I spent over two hours trying to figure out a spot to take you for today. And I'm sure I'll be fretting over what to get you for White Day in a couple weeks," he admitted.
Makoto chuckled, holding a hand over her mouth. And to think that he brought it up so casually.
"Well, I'll be happy with anything you come up with," she said truthfully.
Ken just laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."
"So… any plans for Valentine's Day?"
"Anne's coming over," Ren answered. "But she mentioned getting a last-minute gig so it'll probably be a little l—"
He was interrupted by the doorbell chiming. Anne came in right on cue.
"You should've told me sooner," Sojiro chided. "I would've left the shop to yourselves."
Ren snickered. Morgana darted out as Sojiro held the door open.
"Oh, I guess you should leave the lovebirds alone too, huh?" Sojiro chuckled before scooping Morgana up. Then he looked over to Ren, a knowing grin on his face. "Well, enjoy yourselves."
"We will, thanks," Anne chirped as she moved to stand next to Ren.
Ren moved around the counter as the door banged shut, hastily wiping his hands.
"Hey… sorry about that." Anne winced before giving her an apologetic smile.
"No worries," Ren reassured. "Shall we, my lady?"
Anne smiled softly. "I never thought I'd hear that again…"
Ren dropped a kiss against her brow. "I'll say it again. However many times you want."
Anne giggled. "I'll hold you to that."
After Ren made them some coffee and they had sat down together, Anne reached into her bag and drew out a box of chocolates, wrapped in gold with a bright red ribbon.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Ren!" She held it out with both hands, a bright smile on her face.
"Happy Valentine's Day," Ren echoed. "Was making the chocolate from scratch worth it?"
Anne giggled. "It was fun. Though, Minako-san almost made Makoto believe that Ken likes his chocolate spicy."
Ren snickered. "I'd pay good money for someone to actually do that to Ken."
Anne slapped his shoulder, a small pout on her face. "Don't be mean. And aren't you going to try my chocolate?"
"As my lady wishes." Ren chuckled before tugging at the ribbon, letting it fall to the table.
He lifted the box lid up, revealing several pieces of chocolates shaped like cherry blossoms. A few of them were a bit lop-sided, but honestly, that just endeared Ren to it more. He knew that Anne was a decent cook when she did try, but she struggled with some cooking techniques, like cutting everything evenly. So to think that Anne had made something just for him… it was a nice thought.
He picked up one piece before popping it in his mouth. The rich taste of coffee melded perfectly with the decadent sweetness of chocolate.
"This is really good!" Ren said.
"Yay!" Anne beamed, clapping her hands together. "I'm so glad! Haru helped me brew the coffee… Minako-san and Fuuka-san gave me some good tips when making the chocolate too! But I added a couple things too, like a little bit of vanilla."
Ren smiled. "You did a great job."
"Hehe… I'm glad." Anne's expression suddenly faltered and she reached up to brush a tear from her eye. "I'm just… really glad that you're here, Ren. That we could spend our first Valentine's Day together."
"Anne… don't cry," Ren said, taking her hand and gently squeezing it.
Anne just smiled, even as tears continued to fill her eyes. "They're happy tears."
But nevertheless, Ren hugged his girlfriend, kissing her temple. She wrapped her arms back around him and buried her face into his neck, her pigtail tickling his nose. Not that he minded.
"I'm sorry. I put you through hell."
Anne bit her lip. "I know we talked about it a little already but I really wished you had told me. Not just put in a letter…"
Ren sighed. "I'm sorry, Anne. Really, I am."
"It's okay, Ren. I understand. I'm just so glad I didn't leave when I almost did. I would feel awful knowing what I know now," Anne said.
She pulled her head back slightly from the embrace, still staying close but only pulling back her right hand to wipe her eyes.
"I wish you didn't feel bad about it. It's not—"
Anne interrupted him, giving him a wobbly smile. "Ren, it's okay. It's in the past. No need to dwell on it, we're together again. That, I'm so—so thankful for."
Ren nodded. "That makes two of us."
"And that just means that we have some time to catch up on!" Anne then ducked her head, her shoulders hunching over. "Before you have to move back to Shimoda at least…"
"Hey… It'll be just for a year." Ren tried to comfort his girlfriend. "Believe me, my bags will be packed the day I graduate."
Anne giggled. "I look forward to it. And well… in the meantime, I want to focus on my studies. I've been studying French and Italian since well—Paris and Milan are some of the biggest fashion centers in the world. Of course, I have English down pat. But once I have more modeling under my belt, I want to look to international gigs. I thought about looking into studying internationally but… I think I'll stay here for now."
"You'll do great, Anne," Ren said, his lips curving into a smile as he watched how Anne's eyes shone.
Anne giggled, ducking her head for a second. "Hee-hee, thanks. Your support means so much to me, Ren."
"I didn't do much," Ren said honestly.
Anne shook her head. "You listened to me. After everything with Kamoshida… that means the world to me."
Then she leaned her head on Ren's shoulder, letting out a small sigh.
"I love you, Ren."
Ren draped an arm around her waist, giving a gentle squeeze.
"I love you too, Anne."
They spent several moments, just enjoying each other's company. But then Anne slowly lifted her head, taking the moment to slide into Ren's lap.
"So… we have the place all to ourselves, right?" Anne said, batting her eyes at him.
Ren's lips quirked into a grin. "You heard Sojiro, didn't you? He said to enjoy ourselves."
Anne giggled. "Well then… shall we follow his advice then?"
With her sitting on him, it was all too easy for Ren to scoop her up in his arms, making her give a delighted squeal. Ren took a moment to bend his head and steal a kiss from her.
"As you wish, my lady."
Wednesday, February 15th, 2017
Ren's return to Shujin had been… eventful. Though nobody outside his friends and acquaintances really bombarded him, he could see people's eyes on him. And not in their usual manner, whispering like he was a curiosity at best. It was… weird.
But Ren was grateful to be back… even if he would be staying for just a few more weeks. Haru and Makoto had sought him out as well, each giving him a box of friendship chocolate. He was surprised to also get some from Kaori as well, before heading to find a story to cover for the school newspaper. He was even surprised Hifumi, Kawakami, Takemi, Chihaya, Ohya with Lala-chan all gave him friendship chocolate.
He ran into them all on the way home. Futaba gave him some friendship chocolate too before he left for school… he had way too much chocolate. Maybe he'll share some of it with Anne. He appreciated the sentiments from all his friends. But this was too much potential cavities in the making.
One downside was… him missing out on an entire month of schoolwork. At least he didn't have to take any make-up tests. That would've really been a pain. He was grateful for Kawakami's assistance there and for covering up for his absence.
But Ren figured he should probably head back to Leblanc and get started on the catch-up work. He hoped Kawakami would finagle some extra time for him to study and catch up some time this week though.
But then Ren was suddenly snapped out of his musings when he heard someone yell his name.
"Ren! RENNNN!"
Ren caught Futaba by the shoulders before she could barrel him over.
"Whoa, where's the fire, Futaba?" he asked, taking a moment to fix Futaba's glasses which had been knocked askew.
Futaba gulped, taking a moment to wring her hands.
"It's… It's…"
"Don't just stand there, spit it out already," Morgana sighed.
"It's your parents, Ren!" she blurted out. "They're in Leblanc, waiting for you!"
It took a moment for her words to sink in.
"What?" Ren croaked out. "They're… they're here to see me?"
Futaba nodded. "Sojiro closed shop for them to talk to you but I ran to find you. I thought… you deserved a heads up before…"
She trailed off, biting her lower lip.
Ren took a deep breath even as his stomach did a flip. He suddenly felt anxious… like pins and needles were being dumped into his chest. Dread bubbling up inside him as his decent mood evaporated into thin air.
"Futaba… thank you," he mumbled out. "I can't go there now. I'll just go to the diner to study, then."
"Y-You're just gonna go?" Morgana asked.
"I can't!" Ren cried out. "I don't know what to think, not what with Anne told me… I'm just so… so confused. I don't even know how I should feel or think!"
Morgana sighed. Ren felt him climb out of his bag and onto his back, placing a paw on his shoulder. Ren still felt the pins and needles but paused still for a moment, looking to his friend.
"I know how you feel. But you can't keep running away from them. Don't you want to hear the truth from them, instead of from a secondary source?" Morgana said.
Ren stilled at Morgana's words.
Morgana shook his head. "Ren… you've been running away. You hang up when they call, you ignore their texts… it's not healthy. You have to address it. If only for your sake."
Ren bit his lip.
"Sometimes, what we fear the most is something we make bigger in our heads than it actually is, "Morgana's voice was serious but it became gentler. "And running away from it makes it worse. Talking it out with those you love, honestly and open, is scary. But it will give you some form of closure, you deserve that."
It suddenly occurred to Ren why Morgana felt so strongly about this. He understood from experience about not wanting to face your insecurities and hurt.
Ren let out a heavy exhale and ran his left hand through his hair, ran all the way to the back of his neck then he started scratching it.
Why was he so afraid? After everything they had gone through?Maybe it was because as Joker, he could fight back. But with this… he was at a disadvantage.
"You're right, Morgana."
"If only you said that more often," Morgana muttered out.
Ren quirked a half-hearted smile at Morgana's joke, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"Do you want me to come?" Futaba asked. "As… support?"
Ren smiled at her before rubbing the top of her head. "Thanks, Futaba. I appreciate it. But… I think I'll be okay."
Futaba bit her lip. "Okay. I understand."
"And… thank you for the tip," Ren said.
"O-Of course!" Futaba said with an anxious smile.
"Don't worry Futaba, I'll stay with him." Morgana nodded, slinking back into his bag.
Ren reached in to pat Morgana on the top of his head.
"Of course, I have my trusty therapy cat," Ren sarcastically said with low energy.
Morgana grumbled, "I'd normally make a sarcastic comment back but since you aren't in a good mood, I'll let it slide."
Ren gave another half-hearted chuckle, before swallowing a huge lump. He did not want to touch that doorknob, but Futaba and Morgana gave him much needed moral support and he didn't want to back down. Especially not after what Morgana said.
"G-Good luck Ren." Futaba looked at him sympathetically.
"Thanks… I'll need it."
Ren squared his shoulders before taking a deep breath.
Okay, he could do this… hopefully.
He all but dragged his feet getting to that doorknob, but Ren found himself standing in front of Leblanc. He exhaled before his fingers found the door handle.
He forced himself to push the door open.
"Ah, you're back," Sojiro greeted.
Ren kept his eyes on Sojiro but he cleared his throat, shuffling awkwardly before he gestured towards the tables.
"You have a couple of visitors." Sojiro said evenly, but pity was in his eyes.
Visitors. That sure was one way to put it.
Finally, Ren forced himself to look at the couple sitting at the table closest to the door.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sojiro staring at them. Ren fought the urge to sigh before walking closer.
He silently sat down, opposite of his parents. He hadn't laid eyes on his parents since their terse goodbye at the train station, before they shipped him off to Tokyo.
"Uh… I have to go get some groceries. For my daughter," Sojiro said in a stilted voice. "Have a nice talk."
Then he all but hurried out of the café, the door shutting behind him.
Ren just sighed, cradling his cheek in his hand.
'Really smooth, Sojiro…' he snarked to himself.
For several moments, an awkward silence stretched on and on. Morgana managed to slip into Ren's lap, under the table. His parents didn't notice, even as Morgana nudged Ren's side with his tail.
But Ren kept silent. He didn't know what to say. He was leaving it in his parents' court. It was on them to initiate.
They both looked at each other, his father looking down at his lap, while his mother bit her lip. She was the first to clear her throat.
"Ren… we're sorry," Mom said finally. "We should've listened to you with a cooler head instead of pushing and pushing at you."
"Yeah. You should've." Ren couldn't stop bitterness from seeping into his voice. "And it took you an entire year to realize you messed up."
"Ren—"
"Why?" Ren couldn't stop his voice from cracking.
He remembered what he'd promised Anne. But it hurt. It still stung, remembering his parents' disappointed faces. They had already decided that he had committed a crime.
"Why didn't you hear me out?!" Ren demanded, his voice catching in his throat. He forced himself to gulp for air. "Why did you side against me? Why didn't you believe in me?!"
For so long, he had gone without an answer. And now, facing his parents after nearly a year… brought all of his resentment and anger bubbling to the surface.
He could still recall it, as if it happened yesterday.
Ren felt like he was being boxed in, sitting in the detention center. He could feel the cops' eyes on him. A pair of younger cops were murmuring to each other, but with how they glanced towards him, Ren could tell that they were talking about him.
Ren glowered at them, though he bit his tongue so he wouldn't say something he would regret.
Why were they giving him the third degree, after he tried to do the right thing? For crying out loud, he was trying to stop a woman from being assaulted! Why was he the criminal here?
It was just… bullshit.
But suddenly the door opened.
A cop stepped inside, followed by… his parents, their faces stony. Ren cringed as they approached. This wasn't going to be pretty…
Mom pursed her lips together before she folded her arms in front of her and gave him the look. The look that screamed, "You're in trouble, Mister!"
As if he wasn't in enough trouble already…
But she stayed silent. The cop instead folded his arms over his chest.
"You lucked out, kid. Your parents were able to make bail for you."
Ren scowled. "Lucked out, huh?"
The cop then smirked. "Yeah… but your luck will run out. Especially during the court case."
"Thank you, sir," Dad said, his voice polite but firm. "We are allowed to take our son home now, yes?"
"Yes, yes. Your son will be assigned a defense attorney for his court case, unless you intend to hire one yourself."
"Thank you," Dad said to him, then looked to Ren. "Let's go."
Ren followed his parents to the car. He wasn't blind to the… glances his parents shared. They had such… mixed expressions. Concern… and disappointment. Ren's hands balled into fists.
They… didn't believe he was innocent. It was as clear as day.
The car ride was silent… Ren felt awkward, just sitting there. But he didn't dare break the silence. They eventually pulled up to the house, to Ren's relief. He got out, following his parents inside. Ren grimaced, walking in after them. He knew this wasn't over… might as well rip off the band-aid.
"Sit." Dad spoke for the first time, pointing to the couch.
Ren sat down, waiting for the explosion. The lectures. They had been lecturing him a lot lately…
Mom took a deep breath before looking straight at Ren.
"Ren, this is the first we hear about your whereabouts? From the cops?! What happened?!"
So much for staying calm… but Ren knew that Mom was always the more emotional out of his parents. Out of the corner of his eye, Ren noticed Dad was quietly watching them.
"Uh… well…" Ren grimaced. "I can explain…"
"Just what were you doing in the middle of the night anyhow, Ren?" Dad frowned sternly at him. "And what's more—you ignored our calls!"
Ren winced. His friends had been feeling restless, after a fun winter break. They hadn't been thrilled with being stuck in class again. They had all agreed to have fun, goofing around. They didn't want it to end, even after they had gotten chased by a cop for doing some parkour tricks. They had lost him though. But all the while… Ren hadn't noticed until it was too late that his phone had died.
"Just was with my friends," Ren muttered. "My phone died."
Mom threw up her hands. "Really? That's the best excuse you got? All your friends have phones, Ren! You could have used one of theirs to call us! Ren, how many times have we told you to call us when you want to stay out with your friends?! And you are far past your curfew! I just about died when we received the phone call! For all we knew, you had broken your neck with one of those stunts of yours! And what's more—you got arrested for assault! Do you know how serious that is?!"
"What were you even thinking?! Heckling a drunk man?! Assault Ren! It will follow you wherever you go!" Dad exclaimed.
That was what the cops said? That's bullshit!
"You've always found trouble so easily but… this… this is too much," Mom mumbled out, shaking her head.
They… believed the cops over him. They actually believed them over him? They weren't even entertaining the idea it was at least some horrible mistake!
"It's not what it looks like—" Ren tried to say.
"Really? Your oldest line you try when you're in trouble?!" Dad snapped out.
But the words were stuck in his throat. How could he begin to explain to his parents…
"I… I…"
Ren's eyes searched his parents' faces. They were… so disappointed in him. Angry… but disappointed. They had taken the cops' story at face value.
After everything today… this was the metaphorical cherry on top.
Of course, when he tried to do the right thing, he was punished. Stabbed in the back by the lady who he was trying to save. And of course, his parents would rather believe the cops than their own flesh and blood, their only son.
Something in Ren snapped.
"Are you even going to listen to me?!" Ren spat out. "It seems pretty clear that you have your minds made up! I screwed up, right? Why should I even bother explaining the real story to you? You won't believe me! I bet you think that I've turned into some kind of delinquent, huh?"
His parents looked surprised at that. Ren scoffed; he was done.
"Yeah, I thought so," he got up. "Screw this, I don't have to answer to you. You've already decided that I've screwed up my life. Why should I bother further?"
"Ren! Wait—"
Ren glared at them. "No! If you think I'm a criminal, then think it! I'm not gonna waste my time and energy with failing to talk you out of that! Believe what you want! I'm done being lectured by brick walls!"
Before either of his parents could reply, Ren stomped over to his bedroom and slammed the door shut. He locked it behind him too. He was not going to let one of them come in, he didn't care if they started banging on the door.
He collapsed onto his bed with a groan. This was… the worst night of his life.
Ren sighed heavily, pressing a hand against his face. He hated that he couldn't forget, that he couldn't… move on.
And yet, even as Mom flinched and winced, Dad remained calm.
"It's because we thought we had failed."
Somehow that simple statement pierced through his anger. He glanced up at them, bewilderment evident on his face.
"Huh?"
Dad took a deep breath. "Ren… I can't speak for your mother but I remembered the first thing that came to my head that night. And it was 'I failed Ren'. I thought… I made the same mistake as my father did."
Ren blinked, staring at his father.
"Is this where you tell me that your father neglected you and you're taking it out on me?" Ren deadpanned.
"Ren, don't talk to your father like that," Mom rebuked, giving Ren a stern glare. "You don't know—"
"Yuri," Dad interjected, holding up a hand. "It's all right."
Ren eyed him suspiciously. Dad then took a deep breath.
"I should've told you this a long time ago," he said quietly. "But when I was young, my mother died. I was the oldest of four children and I suppose… in a way, I lost my father as well. He worked himself to the bone to provide for us and I was left to take care of my siblings. And over time… we became distanced. And our distance became too wide to breach."
"Uh-huh…" Ren said slowly.
Dad explained. "He didn't understand my wants. He pushed me into a career choice I wasn't very interested in, insisting that it was for my good. I felt like I couldn't talk to him. And… I was afraid that's what happened with us. I had thought I had failed in what I had sworn the day you were born."
Ren exhaled.
"So, you jumped to the conclusion that I had gone delinquent. I thought you of all people would've known me better."
"Do you blame us for how many times you blew us off by claiming you were just spending time with one of your friends, only to find out that you nearly broke your neck doing parkour for 'fun'?" Mom asked, raising an eyebrow. "Ren… we love you, but you've always had the penchant for sticking your nose into something you shouldn't have."
She rubbed at her face before taking a deep breath.
"Ren, I only say this because we want you to understand. We were worried sick when we got the news. Emotions were high and… things came out wrong. We should've been calmer and asked for your side of the story in a better way."
Ren blinked. His mother's voice echoed in his mind.
"What happened?!"
That… was her way of asking his side of the story?
"You could've come off better," he said finally. "You were both just yelling at me and just going into lecture mode."
"We did come off as too strong that night," Dad admitted. "We were worried sick and… well it all exploded. I've run that night in my head countless times."
Ren huffed. "Yeah…"
"We really are sorry. And for not… being able to reach out since then," Dad sighed, bowing his head.
Ren silently eyed his parents, scrutinizing their faces. They were somber yet… there was an earnest look in their eyes.
"Why didn't you say anything to me then? Before I left?" he said warily.
"Ren… we tried," Mom sighed. "But you shut us out… every time."
Ren's brow furrowed.
Did he…?
He remembered the guarded, almost cold looks in his parents' eyes. Had he misconstrued what they meant because of his own hurt? He remembered Futaba's situation with her mom. Was he… misremembering how they looked at him?
"After talking about it, we agreed to give you space," Dad continued. "Obviously that was a mistake but we thought that we needed to let you calm down. And then… well…"
Ren almost motioned to take his false glasses off but forgot he ditched them after starting school again. He had no need for that mask anymore, the need for it was long gone.
He then exhaled, rubbing at his eyes. He felt like an idiot. All this time… wasted. Being bitter when they could have talked sooner if his parents were actually ready to hear him out.
"But… Sojiro said that you told him that I was a pain in the ass," Ren said. "And… you didn't even wish me a happy birthday this year."
His parents shared an alarmed look.
"He said what?!" Mom scowled, a dangerous light entering her eyes. "We—we never said that! We were frustrated but we… never said those exact words! I'm going to have words with him later…"
Ren held a hand up, the last thing he wanted was Sojiro to get in trouble after everything they've been through. Sure, he was a hardass at first, but so much has changed since then.
"Mom please, it's fine. He's done a lot for me, it was a rough start, but he probably only said it to… I don't know, make me stay in line or something…" Ren rubbed the back of his neck.
"But still…" she frowned.
"Mom… it's long passed. I didn't bring it up so you'd rake Sojiro over the coals," Ren pleaded.
She let out a heavy sigh. "Alright. I'll let it go."
She leaned back in her seat and relaxed a little. His father however sat up straighter. Ren turned his attention to him; it was clear he wanted to comment on what Ren said.
"Well, as for your birthday… didn't you receive our package?" Dad genuinely looked confused. "We sent you a care package, with some sweets from the bakery back home, a book of your favorite Shakespearean plays, and…"
He trailed off and sighed heavily.
Wait… a Shakespeare book? Ren wracked his brain, trying to remember if he ever got a package like that.
Packages in late May or early June…
He could've sworn the only packages he got were from the Sunday shopping program—
"Wait no, could it be…?" Ren thought.
"I guess you never got it… maybe the package got lost? But I swore I got a confirmation from the tracking number that it was delivered," Dad said, his brow furrowed. He then pinched the bridge of his nose. "Postal services can seriously be so dicey…"
"Give me a sec," Ren spoke up, making his parents look at him in surprise.
Morgana immediately shifted to the booth seat, allowing Ren to get up. Ren then went upstairs and grabbed what he thought his dad was referring to, shoved into his desk drawer. He returned to the table, holding up the book.
"Did you mean this?"
Mom gasped. "W-What? That was not how we sent it to you!"
Ren sighed, eyeing the waterlogged book ruefully.
"There was a thunderstorm and it got dumped outside of Leblanc pretty late. The package got torn and I couldn't even read the packaging slip. The book got pretty beat up and the cookies… well, I had to dump them in the trash."
Mom's face fell and she bit her lip. "I-I see…"
They did care… Ren felt a new pit form in his stomach. But this time one of guilt.
He never messaged them as to why they never got him a gift for his birthday because he was so bitter still about their fight and assumed he got no present. As for this gift, it didn't say who it was for, so he and Sojiro kinda shrugged the damaged box off, especially since he couldn't even read who it was for.
It was a string of bad luck for his parents, and Ren assumed the worst due to that. It felt like some kind of bad joke. Had he reached out even back then, perhaps things could have sorted themselves out.
"We… we're sorry Ren. We should have messaged you to make sure you got your present. But we were so… hesitant that you'd just hang up on us. But even still we should have texted you about the package," his father sighed.
Ren rubbed his neck as he tried to ignore the pit that kept growing in his stomach.
"Speaking of which… that was another thing I didn't get… why didn't you try to talk to me over text?" Ren asked.
His parents grew quiet.
"I remember holding my phone. Slowly typing messages and just… deleting them," Dad said with a heavy frown. "I just… couldn't think of the right words to say to you. I didn't know how to convey my feelings."
Ren sharply inhaled. He remembered how his heart would leap when he got a text message… only for his hopes to be dashed, upon seeing that it was a message from Ryuji or Anne. He had hoped so much in the first couple months that his parents would say something to him.
But he slowly lost more and more hope as the months crept by. He had thrown himself into the Phantom Thief work, as well as spending time with his confidants.
He didn't need them, that's what he had told himself to make himself feel better.
"That makes two of us, I guess," Ren finally admitted. "I was so sure that you didn't care… it felt like you were just ignoring me."
"We did handle it very poorly. Perhaps if we had reached out sooner… maybe it wouldn't be so… messy," Mom said.
"Why did you reach out then?" Ren asked.
His father paused for a moment, reaching over to hold his mother's hand as she nodded at him.
"My sister, Sora, reached out to me last October," Dad explained. "I hadn't spoken to her in nearly twenty-five years. She left me a voicemail. She apologized to me in it… and to Yuri."
To… Mom? To be honest, Ren didn't know the full story about why Dad was estranged from his family. Just that they didn't approve of Mom for some reason. So Ren had really only known his mom's parents, as extended family went.
"But Sora explained to me that our father had passed last August and it was a wake-up call to her."
Dad's voice made Ren snap back to attention. He then gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I'll be honest, I deleted the first voicemail before she even finished talking. But… she didn't give up."
"It got Junto thinking… maybe it wasn't too late for us," Mom said gently.
The question was… was it too late for them? Ren wasn't sure…
Mom studied him closely, a small frown on her face. Then… she looked over to Dad, their eyes meeting. Dad gave a slight nod and Mom, in return, smiled sadly at him. Then she looked back to Ren.
"But Ren… Junto and I have been talking," Mom said carefully before she took a deep breath. "After seeing all the friends you've made this past year, it seems that you were really happy in Tokyo. You've left such a strong impact on them. We would like to try and start over with you but… we can't force you, if that's not what you want. Your needs are the most important."
"So, if you want to, we will arrange for you to stay in Tokyo," Dad finished. "It doesn't have to be with Sakura-san necessarily. Unless of course, you prefer. But we will find you housing so you can finish your schooling in Shujin. If that's what you want."
Ren's eyes widened. They would let him stay in Tokyo…?
"I…"
"But if you choose to stay with Sakura-san we're adamant you won't stay in that attic. I don't care if you even like it Ren. You deserve a proper roof over your head that is not some dusty—"
His mother trailed off in some ramble, something about properly meeting his needs and something about an apartment but her words drowned out, he wasn't really listening as everything of this entire conversation was truly sinking in.
He never expected this outcome from this conversation and the part that he found the oddest was his mixed feelings he was starting to have. One part of him wanted to say yes but another part of him wavered.
Why?
He loved Tokyo. It was his home now. He came to love Leblanc like his home. He had his friends here, he had Anne. He'd be able to see them every day…
So why was he hesitating?
"I… need time," Ren mumbled.
"If that's what you need, that's fine," his dad said with a nod. Then he turned to Mom. "Come on, Yuri."
Mom nodded, rising to her feet, but Ren noticed that she gave a little sniffle, her hand drifting up to brush a tear from her eye.
Ren's heart dropped to his stomach, watching his parents go. The door slammed behind them, the bell jangling loudly. It was quiet for several moments, until Morgana broke the silence.
"Do you… feel better?" Morgana asked.
"No... I…"
If anything, he felt even more confused about his parents.
"It's okay Ren, it's okay to not know how to feel. I'm proud of you for facing them."
"Thanks Morgana," he sighed to himself. "The next hurdle will be explaining you."
Morgana just chuckled. "One thing at a time. Let's worry about that later. I'm with you though, no matter what."
Ren smiled gratefully at Morgana, pulling him close. Thankful he didn't complain about it.
Thursday, February 16th, 2017
It had been a while since Ken had to handle classroom clean-up duty but he didn't mind. He got to skip it during the near-month he was under house arrest anyways. It provided a sense of… normalcy.
But he was done now so he had grabbed his bag and headed out. It hadn't been Makoto's turn to help clean the classroom but she mentioned she was going to go to the library. Normally both of them didn't mind waiting for the other, but Makoto had yet another thing on her plate.
She had been asked, as student council president, to write a speech for Graduation Day, just a few weeks from tomorrow. Ken offered to help her practice but she said she'd like to get at a complete draft down before she let him see.
Seeing Makoto was probably out. He should probably at least check up on her, make sure she's drinking water still. But then his phone suddenly buzzed. Ken fished it out of his pocket, noticing a text from Ren.
[Ren]: hey Ken
[Ren]: I was wondering, do you have time today to talk? I need some… advice.
Ken raised an eyebrow. First Haru and now Ren was looking for advice. Though, granted, after talking to Haru yesterday afternoon, he understood why Haru insisted that it had to be him.
[Ken]: Is there something wrong?
[Ren]: I… guess? I'm just confused about something and I was wondering what you'd think.
Ren was many things but easily confused he was not. Ken frowned. Well, if Ren needed advice that bad, he wasn't opposed.
[Ken]: I'll meet you at Leblanc. I'm still at school but I can be there within the hour.
[Ren]: OK. thanks
After texting Shinjiro-san saying that he'll probably be coming home late, Ken went to catch a train to Yongen-jaya. Unfortunately, since it was time for everyone to go home from work, it took a while.
But soon enough, he was stepping onto the Yongen-jaya station and heading to Café Leblanc. Sakura-san was standing at the bar, wiping at the counter. He looked up when Ken entered.
"Oh, hey," he greeted. "Are you looking for Ren?"
Ken nodded. "Yes, Sakura-san. He asked me to come over."
Sakura-san frowned. "Yeah… that makes sense."
"Huh?"
"Never mind that." Sakura-san waved a hand. "But Ren should be upstairs."
That was weird. Why was Sakura-san behaving like this? Did he know what was bothering Ren?
Ken sighed to himself. Well… only one way to find out. So, he climbed up the stairs to the attic, where Ren was sitting on his bed. He absentmindedly petted Morgana, who was on his lap.
Morgana raised his head.
"Ren… Ken's here."
Ren seemed to snap back to reality, his eyes shifting over to Ken.
"Uh… hey. Thanks for coming over."
He then took Morgana off of his lap, gesturing for Ken to join him on the bench. Ken thought to initiate the conversation but he stayed quiet. The look on Ren's face was… tense, his jaw clenched.
"My parents came to see me yesterday."
Suddenly everyone being off made a lot of sense.
"I see," Ken said after a moment. "How are you feeling?"
"It's—" Ren sighed, pressing a hand against his face. "I don't know how to feel. They told me their side of the story. Dad explained some… stuff to further explain his reaction. I guess I kinda understand their reasonings but I'm just… so confused on what to do. How I should feel. I did some thinking last night. And I needed some… advice, I guess. I know that you disowned your crappy uncle and all. Am I a bad person for being mixed on about whether or not to let them back in?"
He sounded so… vulnerable. Ken bit his lip as he racked his brain on how to respond.
"I guess my first question is… did they ever ignore you or your needs?" Ken sighed. "My uncle doesn't live in Port Island. But when I met him, he basically ignored what I tried to tell him about Mom and told me that I shouldn't focus on that. I should really focus on my studies."
"He told a nine-year-old that?!" Morgana spoke up for the first time, sounding flabbergasted.
Ken looked down at him; Morgana was curled up right by Ren's feet.
"There's a reason why Minako-san was ready to deck him when she first met him," Ken muttered.
"Did she, though?" Morgana asked.
It was clearly evident from his tone he was hoping the answer would be, yes. Ken just sighed, shaking his head.
"Akihiko-san stopped her so she wouldn't get arrested," Ken answered. "But to answer your question, it really wasn't much of a choice on my part. I didn't need to stop and think about it. My uncle… wasn't much of a presence in my life. But was it the same for your parents?"
Ren was quiet, looking down at his hands in his lap. "No… I remember my parents always sitting down with me when I was a kid. Helping me with homework and other stuff… Mom even helped me with training my voice, when I showed an interest in drama. I guess it's not the same."
Ken leaned against the back of the bench. Crossing his arms and tapping his left elbow with his right finger. Trying to think of the right words to say next. He paused a few more seconds, and took a short breath.
"I will say—I know both sides of the coin. Remember how I mentioned that Fuuka-san basically cut off her parents when they pushed her to break up with Shinjiro-san, due to them believing that he just held her back?"
"Sheesh…" Ren muttered. "What's their damage?"
"They were difficult people from what I've heard," Ken said.
He never had the honor of meeting the Yamagishis in person and he wasn't interested in it.
"But it was both that and the lack of genuine care for her that contributed to her breaking ties with her parents," Ken finished.
Ren raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"
"Ignoring the fact she was missing for ten days." Ken scowled.
Ren sharply inhaled at that. "So, they 100% deserved it."
"Yep…" Ken sighed. "She's that much happier for it."
"Who's the other 'side' then?" Morgana asked.
Ken took in another short breath, relaxing his posture more as he sat back against the bench.
"Yukari-san," Ken answered. "She and her mother were not on good terms after her dad died. They were estranged for ten years, but Minato-san and Minako-san noticed that she was not 100% sure on her choice, that she worried for her mother. They eventually encouraged her to reach back out to Takeba-san and they made amends, after working out everything they left unsaid."
Ren could only nod. But his expression was troubled.
Ken sighed softly. "Ren… I'm sorry if I couldn't give you more perspective. But the choice is yours. Only you can decide if you want to fix things with your parents. You're not a bad person if you think you don't want to fix things with your parents. It may have been unintentional but they still hurt you. There is also nothing wrong with you if you do want to forgive them."
Ren just looked down. "They said they'd make arrangements to let me stay in Tokyo for my final year if I want to. That I just had to tell them that I wanted it."
Ken raised an eyebrow. The fact that he sounded so… unsure was interesting. Because Ken knew that Ren loved Tokyo now.
The fact that he was wavering… might mean that deep down, Ren did want to make amends with his parents. Ken had to admit he didn't know what to think about the Amamiyas now, after Anne and Makoto had reminded everyone of their own mistakes.
But the fact that they were still… trying, after everything meant something. Of course, Ren wasn't obligated to forgive them. Anne and Morgana probably knew best about how Ren felt about his parents' lack of faith in him but Ken knew enough of the story.
"Do you want it?" Ken asked.
"Yes… I do." Ren groaned and rubbed his eyes, "But still! I don't know why I'm hesitating…"
"You're probably still processing it," Ken said gently. "Trust me… it changes everything once you hear the other side of the story. Minako-san once told me a saying—there are three sides to a story. The two parties' sides… and the truth, which tends to be somewhere in the middle."
Ren's eyes widened. Ah… looked like Ren caught his drift.
But then Ren sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. "And I thought everything would be resolved, with Shido behind bars. But I… I don't know, Ken. I really don't know…"
He then bit his lip. He hated that he couldn't help, not entirely. Ren just looked so… conflicted. But before Ken could prod him about it, he suddenly spoke again.
"What about… Akechi?"
Ken started at that, his eyes widening. "That… I'm not sure about."
His gaze then lowered to the ground. After learning from Niijima-san that he had turned himself in… Ken wasn't sure what to think. A part of him was relieved that Akechi was finally willing to face his crimes but… another part of him felt resentful that he had been hiding away during this entire time—if Akechi hadn't fled, then Ren wouldn't be forced into turning himself in.
And another part of him wondered what Niijima-san had said to finally reach out to Akechi.
"It's… complicated," Ken said finally. "He tried to hurt not just me, he wanted to kill you. Not to mention, he suggested that we ought to… kill Shinjiro-san. He misunderstood me so much."
Ren was quiet. "I think… he was jealous that you were able to rise above everything."
Ken just inhaled deeply.
"Maybe… I don't know if I'm ready to face him, either way. But… I don't think that it's really comparable. We only met once as children and I had to think hard to remember it, to boot," Ken said softly before raising an eyebrow at Ren. "And it's not like your parents were a part of some conspiracy and killed a lot of people and tried to kill your friends… but I digress."
He… didn't think his feelings for Goro Akechi would never not be complicated. But they were veering from the main point of their talk.
"Um… do you mind me asking what your relationship was with your parents before everything?" he said after a moment of hesitation.
Ren shrugged. "I don't think there's much to go into. I'm an only child, my parents had me like several years into their marriage. They got married when they were twenty-eight and I was born six years after. They always told me that they wanted to focus on their careers for stability before having kids. My parents both grew up with their families having to pinch pennies, from what little they told me. My mom became a teen idol partially to help her parents financially."
Ken winced.
"My mom worked out a deal with her former agency, she works to help mentor their new idols," Ren continued. "Teaching them dance and singing routines, stuff like that. Dad… he works for the city government. They were pretty busy. I remember sometimes coming across Dad working late at night. He used to swear me to secrecy because Mom would get mad at him working so hard."
He smiled sadly as he recalled it.
"I see," Ken said.
"It's just… I don't know. The good memories feel so… distant. I just feel bitter about this all." Ren let out a depreciative laugh. "God, what's wrong with me…?"
"There's nothing wrong with you, Ren," Ken said, trying to give him a reassuring smile.
When Ren didn't reply, he reached out and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"You're allowed to be upset about it. If you don't want to, you don't have to forgive them. They hurt you, whether or not if it was intentional."
"Anne told me the same thing." Ren sighed heavily. "It just feels like my head's all messed up. I don't know what's right. Shouldn't it be simple?"
"Unfortunately, it's not always that simple, Ren." Ken smiled ruefully.
Things would be a lot easier if that was the case but… Ken had learned a long time ago that there were two sides to a story. Since he had realized this, he had tried his best to be more open-minded… more understanding. He wasn't perfect, he slipped back with Makoto's sister. But he was thankfully reminded how he acted wasn't fair.
But Ken can't decide this for Ren, this was something he has to decide for himself if he wants to build back that bridge.
"But… don't feel bad. Sometimes you need time to sort out your feelings. You just learned about your parents' side of the story, right?"
Ren could only nod.
Ken sighed, stretching out his legs; he was starting to get a little stiff. He had to be careful though he wouldn't accidentally kick Morgana. He rather not get clawed at for that.
"So, I think you need to give yourself time. I know that you went to me for advice because well… you saw firsthand how I kicked family out of my life for good. But… I think you also need to hear about the other side," Ken advised.
"Like Yukari-san…?" Ren asked.
Ken shook his head. "A little closer to you, actually. I'm talking about Haru. I mean, we all know that Okumura hurt her badly but she still loved him and wanted to make amends with him, once he had atoned for his crimes."
Ren could only nod.
"Yeah… you're right," he said quietly.
Ken just smiled sadly. "But if you need to talk about it with me, I'd be happy to lend an ear."
"Heh…" Ren just cracked a smile. "Thanks, Ken."
Friday, February 17th, 2017
And so, following Ken's advice, Ren went to visit Haru the following day. Haru was delighted to have him over, happily brewing him coffee and offering him several snacks. She even brought out things for Morgana to enjoy.
Once they were seated together, Haru spoke.
"What's wrong, Ren-kun?"
Ren took a deep breath before explaining to Haru about his conversation with his parents. After he had told Ken about his family life pre-Shido, he also went into with Haru. Haru was quiet, watching him carefully with her hands folded in her lap.
"And well… that's really it," Ren muttered. "I just… I don't know. Hearing them gave me a different perspective but I feel uncertain. And I thought, since you wanted to make amends with your dad… your perspective might help."
"I see." Haru bit her lip, taking a deep breath. "There's no denying that Father did awful things. He abused his employees. And… he neglected me and was prepared to use me as a bargaining chip. He lost his way."
Ren just bowed his head. And yet, despite that, he knew that Haru loved Okumura still. Watching her mourn him… was not easy.
Haru's voice was melancholic, her eyes now downcast. "There were so many things I wanted to ask him. And it still saddens me that I never got the chance."
"But why do you still—"
"Love him?" Haru finished for him with a weak smile. "I think… it's because I still remember vividly of the man he was. And I mourn that man still. I like to think that he was still there, just buried deep."
The sad thing was that Haru would never know. If the kind man she remembered was still there. Her chance for closure… had been snatched away from her.
"But forgiveness is a choice," Haru continued. "You can choose to forgive your parents still, Ren-kun. You can choose not to, as well."
"Ken said that to me too," Ren couldn't help but comment.
Haru smiled gently. "But… do you mind if I share what I think?"
"About what?" Ren asked.
"Is it safe to assume that you always were fond of your parents?" Haru inquired.
Ren blinked. "I mean, sometimes they'd get on my nerves. Like Mom trying to wrestle a comb through my hair or nagging at me to clean up my look. Or Dad saying I shouldn't mess around with my friends as much."
Appearance had always been big for Mom. If Ren had a fit of laziness and didn't dress 'nicely', she wouldn't let him out of the house.
"But you'd say you had a good relationship with them, up until Shido?" Haru prompted.
Ren nodded slowly. "Yeah…"
Haru bit her lip. "This is what I think… when you were accused and you perceived your parents would never be interested in hearing you out, it ripped away your perception of your parents. You were left shaken—understandably so. You were forced to remove your rose-tinted glasses in regards to them."
Ren's eyes widened. He… was starting to suspect that deep down. He didn't expect to hear it repeated back to him.
"I remember that Futaba-chan had to remember the truth about her mother," Haru went on. "That… her mother didn't hate her. Her belief that Isshiki-san did was further enforced with the faked suicide letter. I think this happened, but to a lesser degree with your parents. You were upset and pushed them away. But with them staying their distance, it also enforced in your mind that they didn't care."
Ren swallowed, suddenly feeling a lump in his throat. He had remembered what Futaba went through as well. Not that their situations were the same… but still…
"Y-Yeah…"
"It's true that this debacle has… changed you," Haru said gently. "Maybe you can't go back to how your family was. Not 100%. But I think there's a worth in still trying to connect with them. Mako-chan has been so happy ever since she and Niijima-san have managed to talk things out."
Even as she said it, her eyes grew sad.
Haru might never fully recover from Okumura's death; he hoped that wouldn't be the case. But maybe… she would be plagued with the what ifs for the rest of her life.
A month or two ago, Ren would've answered with full confidence that he would be able to walk away from his parents for good, once he had graduated from high school. But now?
He wasn't… sure.
Haru was probably right, his family couldn't go back to how they operated before he crossed paths with Shido. Ren had changed too much since then.
And… Ren wasn't sure about seeing the rest of his friends. Or everyone in Shimoda…
But looking back at his conversation with his parents, Ren couldn't help but feel foolish. He had thought that his parents had abandoned him… all but hated him, but he hadn't bothered to look deeper.
He had only looked at the surface at the situation. Like… how he had felt the people in Shimoda had.
A small tension headache formed, he started to rub his forehead and temples as he looked down at his lap.
Maybe he wasn't ready to fully forgive his parents. There was still hurt.
But… he didn't feel comfortable walking away, not after everything he's learned.
And that left… only one option.
Saturday, February 18th, 2017
Makoto dipped her wooden spoon into the curry, letting out a pleased hum as a rich spicy-sweet taste reached her tongue. Perfect. She hadn't believed Ren when he told her that a bit of chocolate powder would make the curry taste better at first, but there were stranger things. Like Anne telling her once that her grandmother added baking powder to her hot cocoa to make it thicker and richer.
She set the spoon down and turned off the stove. The rice was warming in the rice cooker, so all she had to do was plate the rice and drizzle the curry on top. She then went to Sae's room, knocking on the door.
"Sis?" she called out. "Dinner's ready."
There was no response. Makoto let out an exasperated sigh before easing the door open.
"Sis?"
Sae finally looked up from her desk, which was practically flooded with papers. "Makoto? Is something the matter?"
Makoto sighed, folding her arms over her chest. "Sis… dinner's ready. When I called for you, you didn't reply so…"
Sae let out an exhausted sigh, rubbing at her eyes. "Forgive me, Makoto. I've been studying my case notes and I was just so wrapped up in it…"
"It's all right, Sis." Makoto bit her lip. "So… it ends tomorrow, right?"
"Not quite… Shido's trial will be after this trial." Sae sighed again. "But I think with Akechi-kun's testimony, it'll be more of a close-and-shut trial. As simple as it'll get."
Simple. It was almost ludicrous that Sae would describe Shido's trial like that. Makoto hoped that Shido's testimony would be enough to implicate all of the big players in the Conspiracy… and if they were lucky, maybe they would be able to bring the Kirijo Group scientists to justice too.
Makoto finally said. "That makes sense. But you should eat dinner, Sis. You'll need it for tomorrow's trial."
"You're right." Sae gave her a tired smile. "I'm sorry, let's go sit down and eat."
Sae pulled out two utensil sets for them to use and poured out the tea. Makoto plated their dinner and they carried out everything to the dining table. Sae sat across from her.
"So… what did you do today?" Sae asked.
"Oh, um, well…" Makoto trailed off. "I think I have the first draft for my speech done. Ken read it over and aside from a couple of suggestions, he said it's really g—"
She broke off as she realized that Sae wasn't looking at her. No… she was looking at the family altar behind Makoto. Her eyes were distant.
"Sis?"
"Huh?" Sae blinked rapidly before she sighed, pressing a hand against her temple. "I'm sorry…"
"Is something the matter? Why are you looking at the family altar?" Makoto asked carefully.
Sae exhaled before looking down at her plate. She then picked up her utensils and took a bite. Makoto just drank her tea and waited for Sae to respond.
"I was… thinking about Dad, actually."
Makoto looked at her, eyes wide. Last time they had 'talked' about Dad, it didn't… turn out well. It still stung a little even after Sae apologized to her.
But Sae looked so unsure. They should be fine… right?
"What about him?" Makoto finally said.
"I... wonder if he's ashamed of me, for losing my way." Sae sighed as her gaze became pensive. "I treated you poorly but you forgave me for it. Not to mention all those poor lives I've condemned... I wouldn't blame him if he hated me for this."
"Sis…" Makoto trailed off, unsure what to say.
Because she was right. There would be no taking that back. Maybe the statute of limitations hadn't expired for all of those cases but…
It was undeniable that Sae had done several horrible things to ensure a winning streak. But still… Dad was a compassionate man.
"I think Dad would be happy that you found your way again," Makoto replied sincerely. "If he saw you before your change of heart… I think he would be more sad than angry."
Sae was quiet, her lips twisting into a grimace. "Maybe Akechi-kun and I are more alike than I realize…"
"Oh, Sis…" Makoto said with a soft frown.
Sae turned to her, clasping both her hands together tightly. She rested her clasped hands on the table and her whole posture became stiff.
"It's true, you know. Akechi-kun… would bring up his mother to me on occasion. And I know now that her tragic death was what set him on his current path."
Makoto bit her lip. "Sis…"
"You and Ren-kun saved me, you know," Sae said quietly. "And… that's what motivated me. You didn't give up on me… I had to go and find him, to try and convince him to turn himself in."
Makoto sharply inhaled at that, looking at her sister with wide eyes. Sae had been the one to convince Akechi to turn himself in. That… she didn't expect that.
"But with the trial… I'm anxious. I hope I'll be able to make things right," Sae sighed out. "And I wonder if Dad would think about all of this…"
Makoto bit her lip, still reeling from the earlier information. But she couldn't dwell on that right now.
"Um, Sis… do you mind me asking you something?" Makoto asked as she slightly tilted her head.
"Hmm?" Sae looked at her quizzically. "What's wrong?"
Makoto took a breath. Before, she had been too scared to bring it up. But now… things were different. Sae was different.
"What did you really feel when we got the news that Dad died?" she said quietly.
Sae paled at that. For a moment, Makoto considered taking back her question. But then she spoke…
"I was… angry. I couldn't help but wonder why he had to leave that night. Why… he left us behind." She sighed heavily. "I know… you don't remember much of Mom. And it can't be helped. She passed away when you were so young, after all."
Makoto just bowed her head. She couldn't refute what Sae said.
"But… with Dad, it was different. I was only thirteen when Mom passed and so… Dad took care of all of the arrangements. It felt different. But with Dad… it was on me; I was responsible for arranging the funeral. I was constantly reminded that Dad was gone. And whenever people spoke of him, it was about how he was a man who always pursued justice… his accomplishments. Not who he was as a person. I felt angry and bitter about the entire situation. And… eventually I started to resent him. For… leaving us." Sae just gave Makoto a bitter smile. "You must think I'm awfully self-centered."
Makoto shook her head quickly. She didn't want her sister to ever think that.
"What about now?" she inquired instead.
Sae's lips suddenly trembled. "I miss him still. I never let myself admit it before but… I miss him. I wish… he was still here. I know that the man behind Dad's death is behind bars now, and I'm glad for it. But… it won't bring him back."
Makoto's frown got heavy. That, she could sympathize with.
"I just wish I could talk to him. Just one more time," Sae sighed out. "Maybe I would be able to shake off this feeling then."
"For what it's worth…" Makoto said slowly. "I think Dad would be proud. That you've been working tirelessly. You were the one to start looking into reversing Ren's record after your heart changed. Even when you doubted it was easy, you were the one to start looking into it. You… didn't give up on Akechi. You managed to appeal to him… somehow. And… you'll be the one to make sure that Shido and… hopefully all of his associates face the music. Yes, you've made many mistakes when you lost your way. But you made it back."
Sae's eyes looked glassy and she swallowed hard.
"Makoto… thank you."
Sunday, February 19th, 2017
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Sae pressed a hand to calm herself, trying to will her racing heart to slow down. This was it.
It was funny… she had worked so long, looking into the culprit of the mental shutdowns. But now… she was looking at the finish line.
She hadn't expected it to turn out this way. The one ally—no, the one friend—she thought she had… was the culprit. A part of her was nervous about this, almost as nervous as she was during her first case.
But… she could do this. She was going to pursue her sense of justice.
Even if… she had to face Goro Akechi in court.
Although she stood alone in court today… she knew she wasn't alone. Her sister, her friends—their allies—were counting on her.
"Court is now in session, for the case of Goro Akechi's involvement with the mental shutdowns case."
Sae took a deep breath, levelling her eyes at Akechi-kun, who sat in the defendant's seat. His expression was impassive. She shot him a sympathetic look. He looked back at her, an unreadable expression on him. He then glanced away to his left.
Right… it was time. She raised her eyes to the judge.
"The prosecution is ready, your honor."
Notes:
Annnnd that wraps up Chapter 55, the bulk of the aftermath of Ren's release. The next and final proper chapter will cover Akechi's trial, among other things. And if anyone's curious, I won't be writing Shido's trial. Akechi's trial is important due to the focus on getting Akechi to face the truth as well and his relationship with Sae. I do wanna add there will be a couple of other conversations Akechi will have in the next chapter. I will touch on a bit on Shido's allies' punishments as well, in a scene though!
I already have Shuann's White Day date partially written and it'll be released in Full Deck when I get it done (hopefully for Shuann Week this year).
But the Amamiyas' relationship won't be fixed in a day. There's still a lot of hurt, but Ren decided that it's worth building up again. I thought them offering Ren to stay in Tokyo would make Ren's choice more poignant.
And yes, Ken's career choice is going to be criminal journalism. Which does make a certain part of P5T rather amusing for me. I thought it would be a good choice for him but he will remain an auxiliary member of the Shadow Operatives.
Also a big shoutout to my wonderful beta angelrin89. We were talking about Morgana's disappearance between Christmas Eve and Ren's release and… she had the funniest idea for why Morgana took so long to come back. She also made some great polishing to the chapter as well, so a big thank you to her!
I would love to hear what you guys think. Reviews are love~
Chapter 57: 56. With The Stars and Us
Summary:
Akechi's trial allows for Sae to prosecute Shido properly finally. But even with Akechi in custody, there are still many things he needs to air out with certain people... Not to mention, Ren has finally made a decision regarding his parents.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday, February 19th, 2017
“Court is now in session for the trial of Goro Akechi,” the judge pronounced. “He stands accused of obstruction of governmental operations and first-degree murder.”
Sae could barely suppress a wince at the last part. But… it was the truth. He killed people—at the behest of Shido—with the intention to kill. But it was still… hard to swallow.
The judge, Shinobu Ranpo, was a woman in her mid-fifties. She had sharp gray eyes and black hair that was starting to gray a little, pulled up into a tight bun.
She had presided over many court cases over the three decades of her career, so it was no surprise that she was chosen to preside over such an important case. Never had a record of taking bribes or major controversies. She was stern but a fair woman. All things considered… she was one of the most natural choices to preside over this case.
But she folded her hands in front of her, looking straight at Sae. Sae couldn’t help but straighten up a little under her sharp gaze.
“Prosecutor Niijima, your opening statement?” she prompted.
Fortunately, this was a closed trial. She was thankful that there were less eyes on her for this. Sae took a deep breath to steady herself, clasping her hands behind her back.
“The defendant, Goro Akechi, has a hand in the mental shutdowns, which has done nothing but cause chaos within Japan. He has come forward stating this, and justice demands that he face the consequences for this.”
Sae’s nails bit into her palms as she tried to give an unbiased statement. She had to admit, she was nervous. She had to essentially convince the judge to convict Akechi-kun and try to make the case sound credible, despite… the supernatural elements surrounding it.
“Thank you, Prosecutor Niijima,” Ranpo said coolly. “You may call your first witness.”
Sae nodded. “The prosecution calls the defendant, Goro Akechi, to the stand.”
She had to look at this with an objective lens. No matter how difficult it was.
Akechi-kun was escorted to the stand by the guards. Sae bit her lip as he looked calmly at her.
She could do this…
Sae flicked her hair over her shoulder to buy herself a little time. Then she forced herself to walk forward, trying to ignore how her heart was now hammering against her chest.
“Akechi-ku—Akechi,” Sae quickly corrected herself.
Sae mentally kicked herself for the slip of tongue. She had to be professional about this.
“Please tell the court of your involvement with the mental shutdowns.”
Akechi-kun shrugged. “Very well. It was two years ago when I approached Masayoshi Shido. He had… wronged my family in the past. I wanted collateral against him, so I offered to work for him.”
During her preparations for the trial, Amada-kun had informed her that the serial murder case in Inaba had been similar. Adachi had used a Shadow nest to conduct his killings. She had pored over that case, even had the chance to speak with Shirogane-san, but Sae had to wrack her brain on how to make her arguments.
“You agreed to facilitate the mental shutdowns for him? How did you accomplish that, exactly?” Sae pressed.
Akechi-kun just touched his chin, thinking for a moment before speaking.
“Shido had created these drugs, using the research of Wakaba Isshiki, shortly before I had even approached him. He even arranged for her to meet… an accident after stealing her research. These drugs are the cause of the mental shutdowns,” Akechi-kun stated in a neutral voice. “I believe the head scientist in charge of this was Shuichi Aso.”
Sae couldn’t help but wonder how he did it. Keeping such a straight face while weaving these lies, with just enough truth to implicate Shido and his circle.
Judge Ranpo frowned. “But… that doesn’t add up completely. There were some deaths, like with Kunikazu Okumura. What happened there? What caused the discrepancy?”
Akechi-kun just shrugged. “Okumura was on the older side. Quite unfortunate, but I believe due to his age, his body could not handle the drugs all together. So, it shut down completely. The drugs were supposed to suppress your brain’s inhibitions. At a high enough dose, they’ll act erratically with their brain’s inhibitions completely shut off.”
“I see…” Ranpo frowned. “But why do this? What did Shido gain from this?”
Akechi-kun just chuckled. “What did he gain? With the instance with Okumura, he discredited the Phantom Thieves. Prior, the public started to look to them as saviors. But that was all a set-up, I’m afraid. Shido wanted to cause chaos, so he could become the people’s savior.”
Judge Ranpo sharply inhaled at that but then her expression became extremely neutral. She then narrowed her eyes at Akechi-kun.
“Even so, you admit your guilt. Why? Why do all this?”
“I didn’t care about the consequences,” he said bluntly. “I wanted Shido to suffer, like how he made… someone I loved dearly suffer.”
Akechi-kun’s defense attorney stayed quiet as Akechi-kun continued his testimony. Understandably. Since Akechi-kun was taking a plea deal, his job would be to argue for a lighter sentence.
Sae cleared her throat. “We are veering off topic here. Were there any other services you did for Shido?”
“I gathered intel on him. He wanted as much dirt as he could for his potential rivals. Anyone he saw as a threat… he wanted it to be removed. He had… a vast network of information. He rubbed elbows with wealthy business people, promising them favors for funding his cause. Other politicians, which he promised to help facilitate their own rise in power. It was essentially quid pro quo, up to eleven.”
Ranpo just steepled her hands together, frowning. “Why you, though? Why did Shido pick you to do this? And how exactly did you slip these people these drugs?”
Akechi-kun crossed his arms over his chest before smiling thinly at her.
“Why wouldn’t he? He wanted someone to administer the mental shutdowns, someone who wouldn’t be traced to him. I was a newly rising star. I could get close to the targets he needed. Such as Tomohisa Hori, the director of the Special Investigations Unit. I worked with him personally so it was too easy to crush the drugs and slip it right into his coffee.”
Ranpo paled at the blase tone Akechi-kun took on, but her expression then hardened.
“I see.”
Sae then cleared her throat. “The prosecution would like to submit some evidence as well.”
She reached into her bag, sliding out a manila envelope. Inside was a photograph of Akechi-kun ‘investigating’ the Okumura HQ on behalf of Kunikazu Okumura. But this was to paint Akechi-kun as being there to slip the drugs to Okumura. Thankfully Makoto’s friend Haru was more than happy to supply this. There was even video evidence that Haru had provided her.
“This enforces Akechi’s statement,” Sae said, her voice steadier than how she felt. “I also interviewed some of Okumura’s personal servants. They report that his health declined the day after Akechi visited the Okumura headquarters. Akechi must’ve slipped the drug after reporting to Okumura. But… did you intend to kill him, Akechi? This incident was used to lambast the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, after all.”
Akechi-kun just raised his hand to his chin. “Well… Shido sought to silence Okumura, along with his desire to pin the blame on the Phantom Thieves. However, with how that panned out, I will admit that Shido got the same idea for Hori. Hori was an integral tool to Shido but… Shido wished to tie loose ends.”
“I see… thank you, Prosecutor Niijima,” Ranpo acknowledged. “But still… how did these drugs even work?”
Akechi-kun shrugged. “I’m no scientist. Even if I gave you a list of all the components, I wouldn’t be able to tell you how they worked together. But you could ask the head scientist in Shido’s employ. I would be more than happy to testify about their involvement.”
“Proceed.”
“Shuichi Aso came into Shido’s employ shortly before I did. I’m not aware of the exact timeline, I’m afraid. He was… wronged by his previous employer, in his eyes. He utilized his ex-employer’s resources in a way that did not please them, and so he was let go. But when he was employed by Shido, Shido was intrigued by his work in psychology and gave him funding to create the drugs that cause mental shutdowns.”
Even as Akechi-kun spoke, Sae couldn’t help but wonder how she’d be able to prove this for Shido’s case… Maybe she would have to speak to Kirijo-san, perhaps she knew someone who was as well-versed in cognitive psience? She had to know something, right?
“Thank you.” Ranpo’s eyes then flickered to Akechi-kun, a frown pulling at her lips. “It’s a… shame, Akechi. You had a bright future, as a police detective. You were brilliant.”
Akechi-kun said flatly, “Every action I took for the past two years—it was all for my goal. My future? I cared nothing for it. I only wanted justice for what happened in the past.”
Ranpo slowly exhaled at that. Sae could only close her eyes, feeling her heart break upon hearing how bitter Akechi-kun sounded.
It just… saddened Sae to see him admit that his ‘justice’ was nothing like Sae had believed it to be.
“The Detective Prince the public knew… it was nothing but a farce.”
Sae fought the urge to wince. But still, she couldn't help but wonder. If she knew about Kaneshiro’s hand in her father's death, would she have reacted differently?
Ranpo was quiet before she sighed. “I am ready to pass judgment. Mikagami, do you have any final statements?”
Akechi-kun’s defense attorney stood up from his seat. He looked to be in his early thirties, if she had to guess. He had hazel eyes that looked quite weary; the poor man probably wasn’t getting much sleep.
He had caramel colored hair that was a bit scruffy looking. It reminded her of Amada-kun, if he was trying to style it like Ren-kun. She choked back a laugh at that thought, it was neither the time nor place to be thinking such silly things. He was well put together however, in his brown dress shirt and matching suit pants, with a lighter brown color vest over the shirt, with a black tie.
She wasn’t as familiar with Kazuma Mikagami, since she’s never faced him in court before. From what she heard however he was actually one of the more honest defense attorneys. Supposedly he seemed to have a soft spot for helping troubled young men, especially juvenile delinquents. And he would try to get them lesser sentences or help them get their life on track… or so she was told. She didn’t know his history, but she couldn’t help but feel it must be something personal for him.
Mikagami stepped forward. “Your Honor, I understand that my client has many crimes on his conscience. I’m aware that justice demands that he face his crimes, which he has done so on his own accord. But I would like to emphasize that he was sixteen when he approached Shido. I say that he deserves a lighter sentence, on account of that. Not to mention that he’s more than willing to testify to ensure that Shido will face the justice he deserves. I think he should have ten years at most—”
“No. Twenty years.”
Sae choked on her saliva at Akechi-kun’s objection. She quickly fished out a handkerchief, coughing into it. She then reached for her water bottle, taking a couple of quick gulps.
“Akechi… why…?” Sae asked. “He’s right. You were underage in the eyes of every country in the world.”
“I’m done running away,” Akechi-kun said, lifting his chin. “Yes, I was young but I knew what I was getting into. I didn’t care, I only cared about getting revenge on Shido. Everyone else was just collateral. I have the blood of countless people on my hands. I was set on this path, because Shido drove someone I loved dearly to the jaws of death… or at least that’s what I told myself.”
He then cracked a sardonic smile.
“No more excuses. I had a choice, and I chose revenge above all else, no matter the cost. It’s what she would—” Akechi-kun cut himself off and cleared his throat. “I’m done…I’m tired… I’m ready to face the consequences. For the sake of the people who were left behind because of my actions.”
It was quiet. Quiet enough to hear a pin drop.
“But—” Sae started.
“Don’t let your own bias cloud your eyes,” Akechi-kun abruptly snapped, giving her a sharp look. “Tell me, if you came face to face with your father’s murderer, would you be inclined to give him mercy if he was underage?”
Sae’s breath caught in her throat. “That’s…”
He was… right. She was falling in the trap that she had been so worried about. And Akechi-kun had stepped in to stop her from making that mistake.
“Forgive me, I overstepped,” Sae muttered.
Ranpo then blinked, looking down. Sae’s eyes shifted to Mikagami, who just wearily shook his head. But… it was what Akechi-kun wanted, so he had to follow suit.
“I see. Well, I believe that I am ready to pass judgment.” She raised her gavel. “This court accepts these terms proposed by the defense team. I sentence Goro Akechi to twenty years in jail. He may be let out early, however, based on good behavior.”
Makagami sighed heavily. He probably wasn’t hoping for such a heavy sentence; maybe he felt sorry for Akechi-kun in a way. What she heard about him might be true after all.
But in a way, Akechi-kun was left off lightly, despite his insistence on doubling what Mikagami was suggesting. Sae looked into Tohru Adachi’s case at Amada-kun’s suggestion. Due to his personal involvement with the case… Adachi had been given a life sentence. Though perhaps it makes a lot of sense due to their ages when both had committed their supernatural crimes.
Twenty years was still a long time. Maybe, after Akechi-kun’s served his time… he could finally start all over.
Once she stepped out of the courtroom, it finally felt like Sae could breathe.
It was done…
Sae had always assumed that she’d be happy to have prosecuted the one responsible for the mental shutdowns. Little did she know, it was her own partner behind all of this. She couldn’t help but feel conflicted that she was the one who condemned Akechi-kun like this.
But still, it was what he wanted, right? And she was insistent on seeing this through to the end after all.
Sae sighed lightly to herself. She had to think about the positive side. Along with Ren’s testimony, this was what they needed to prosecute Shido. Her work wasn’t quite over yet.
But a sudden movement caught Sae’s eye. Akechi-kun was being escorted out, probably to a detention center until it was time to prosecute Shido. Before Sae realized it, she had called out.
“Wait!”
Akechi-kun’s escort looked at her quizzically. “Is there something you wanted, Niijima-san?”
“Yes, actually…” Sae swallowed. “I was wondering… could I speak with Akechi? Just for a few minutes.”
Akechi-kun wouldn’t meet Sae’s eyes. The police officer looked to Sae with… pity in his eyes.
Sae had always disliked pity. She remembered seeing it during her mother’s funeral. Then her father’s funeral. But now… she realized it was born out of empathy. So that… took away the sting.
“Five minutes,” he said in a neutral voice. “That’s all I can spare you, Niijima-san.”
Sae slowly exhaled before looking towards Akechi-kun.
“So, did you want to speak with me… one last time?” Akechi-kun asked.
He made it sound like she wouldn’t visit him while in jail. She was about to disappoint him on that in the future. She pushed those thoughts away for now. She didn’t have time to correct him on that, and he’ll see her soon enough again, eventually.
Sae raised an eyebrow. “Akechi-kun…”
She then sighed before pulling him to the side.
“There is no easy way to say this…” she sighed out, keeping her voice low, too aware of Akechi-kun’s escort’s gaze burning into her back. “But… thank you, Akechi-kun. For reminding me what I set out to do.”
Akechi-kun made a soft scoff. “I did nothing. You’re the one who pointed out that this was only something I could do. To do… what’s right.”
Despite his statement, his lips twisted in a grimace. Sae cocked her head at him.
“I know that it was difficult to do. And I have to commend you for putting yourself out there, Akechi-kun.”
Akechi-kun sighed. “Yes, well… you’re not the only one who pushed me to do this.”
“I’m sorry?” Sae’s brow furrowed at Akechi-kun’s statement.
She didn’t exactly follow what he was alluding to…
Akechi-kun huffed, the puff of air ruffling his bangs. He then looked away.
“It doesn’t matter. Not anymore,” he muttered. “Either way, you just gave me a reminder, a promise I made long ago.”
“Even so… it was your choice to do so, Akechi-kun,” Sae said. “And that is something to take pride in.”
“Pride…” A bittersweet smile pulled at his lips; he then shook his head, his smile fading. “Even with people cursing my name… it’s still something I had to do. Like you said. But still… what made you change your mind?”
Sae hesitated at his question. She… doubted that Akechi-kun would be happy to hear that Ren influenced her.
“Makoto reminded me,” she said instead. “Of the justice that our father instilled in us. Of the justice I originally pursued when I took up law as a profession.”
That wasn’t a total lie. However anytime Makoto brought up their father, she sadly wasn’t listening at the time. But still, it was a seed planted there. And Ren gave her the final push she needed to wake up.
“I see.” Akechi-kun then closed his eyes for a moment. “I see that our parents still influence us, even when they’ve long passed.”
“Akechi-kun…” Sae trailed off.
Akechi-kun shook his head. “As I said, my mother’s death is what set me on this path. But I realize now… that I’ve been just running away from the guilt. Wakaba Isshiki is dead because of my actions. I don’t… understand it, but Okumura still mourns her father, despite everything he’s done. And it’s not just Sakura and Okumura—several people are mourning their loved ones because of me.”
Sae winced at how… matter-of-factly he stated this.
“I know that I’m lucky,” Akechi-kun stated before cracking another sardonic smile at her. “Don’t feel bad for me, Sae-san. I turned myself in, knowing what would happen.”
Sae could only fiddle with the cuff of her shirt. Even though he had been the one to turn himself in… Sae couldn’t help but feel guilty. Because… of what awaited him. Even if he was let off lightly due to his youth, Sae could feel her stomach twisting into knots.
“I know… but it’s still a difficult pill to swallow.” Sae attempted a smile, but it came out as a grimace.
She gripped her left forearm with her right arm.
“I suppose… but I just want to thank you,” Akechi-kun said quietly. “For… reminding me what was really important. I might’ve just… rotted away, otherwise. I may have been free physically but I would’ve been stuck in limbo.”
Then his breath hitched and he swallowed. He then looked at Sae right in the eye, making her straighten up.
“Goodbye, Sae-san.”
Sae then swallowed down the lump forming in her throat.
“Goodbye, Akechi-kun,” she whispered.
Sae forced herself to take a step back. His escort then stepped up to Akechi-kun, his expression… unreadable. And then Akechi-kun was led out of the courthouse.
Monday, February 20th, 2017
“Breaking news: Goro Akechi has confessed to being the one responsible for mental shutdowns. He has confessed that this was all to aid Masayoshi Shido’s rise to the top. This has been quite shocking, given that…”
Ken vaguely listened to the news report, fiddling with a spare napkin on the table he sat with Makoto, Haru, and Ryuji.
It was done. Akechi had confessed and intended to atone for his crimes.
But even so, Ken felt… mixed about all of this. He couldn’t help but wonder what Niijima-san had said to Akechi, to convince himself to turn himself in. She must’ve said something drastically different to him to convince him. Nothing he or the rest of the team said anything that seemed to get through to him during their last confrontation. But then again, Akechi wasn’t trying to kill her while she was trying to convince him.
Ken rubbed his forehead, holding back a sigh. He felt… unsettled about this. His stomach twisted into knots, and a small headache starting to prick at his temples. Why did everything have to be so complicated?
“Hey Ken, are you okay?” Ryuji asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“I’m… I’m fine. Just tired, that’s all.”
Ken quickly took a sip of his drink, so that his friend wouldn’t press him further. But when he set down his drink and dropped his hands back to his lap, Makoto took his hand and gave it a light squeeze.
He closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing his thumb over the back of Makoto’s hand. He was grateful that Makoto just… understood how he felt.
After opening his eyes, he cleared his throat. “I’m glad that he’s admitted to his crimes, though.”
“He stopped running away…” Futaba mumbled from where she sat at the bar.
She had a rather mixed expression on her face.
Ken couldn’t help but feel guilty. Shinjiro-san would probably tell him there is nothing wrong with Ken’s feelings and he wasn’t selfish for having them. But he couldn’t help it… he felt selfish for having these ambivalent emotions when there are others probably going through even more complicated feelings right now regarding this.
It was plain as day on Futaba’s face, she clearly had mixed feelings about this too. This was the person that took her mother away from her at Shido’s orders.
Ken couldn’t help but look at the ground, not wanting to look in Haru’s direction either. It’s not just him who’s going through this.
He felt Makoto squeeze his hand again; he looked up at her and gave her a half smile. She always knows how to help him back to reality when he’s letting himself overthink and get wrapped up in his emotions.
Makoto shifted in her seat for a second. “Well… Sis convinced him somehow. But this means… that Akechi’s testimony should be the nail to the coffin, to ensure Shido’s pronounced guilty.”
“Did your sis tell you how long his sentence is?” Ryuji interjected before he crammed a fistful of shrimp flavored chips in his mouth.
“She was… a little withdrawn last night, but… yes. He’ll be sentenced to twenty years in prison. I honestly was expecting they might go easier on him due to his age, the plea deal, plus him being a celebrity.” Makoto closed her eyes and shook her head. “I should probably have more faith I suppose… but I guess it’s a bit of a middle ground. Other people in his position with the crimes committed would get way harsher treatment. They aren’t going too easy on him due to his age, but they aren’t going too harsh either.”
“True… you mentioned that criminal Adachi, right Ken-kun? He got a life sentence,” Haru asked.
Ken just nodded towards her, still struggling to meet her eyes. But he took another sip of his drink to hopefully distract from that.
“So, he’ll be testifying against Shido, for the plea deal I mean…” Anne ventured. “It should be over soon, then.”
“Not just Akechi,” Ren said suddenly.
Haru tilted her head and said, “What do you mean Ren-kun?”
Ren dragged his fingers through his hair, mussing it up.
“I’ll be testifying too,” he clarified. “Remember why Sae pushed me to turn myself in before?”
“Oh… that’s right.” Yusuke’s eyes went wide. “I figured that was because they didn’t have Akechi, so with him showing up you wouldn’t be needed but… how are you feeling?”
“Well, you are right Yusuke, that was the main reason I was approached, along with protecting the rest of you. But regardless, you can’t bank on just one testimony to sink something this big…” Ren sighed and licked his lips. “But to answer the latter… I guess I'm kinda nervous? Though it’s something I have to do. I’m ready to finish this.”
Ken took another sip of coffee as his friends started to reassure Ren that he’d do fine. Ken didn’t have any doubts in that regard either.
“Is it safe to assume that this will be a closed trial?” Yusuke inquired.
“Well… considering that this involves the man elected to be prime minister…” Makoto then nodded. “I think it’s all but guaranteed.”
“So… anyone know who’s gonna be our prime minister now, then?” Anne asked, twirling a strand of hair around her index finger.
“People are speculating it’ll be Toshiro Kasukabe,” Futaba piped up as shut her laptop to look at everyone. “He’s on the younger side for a member of the Diet, but he’s got credentials, apparently. Though some people are rooting for a guy called Taro Namatame too.”
“Either way, I assume it’ll be decided after the entire Shido incident is cleared up,” Ken said finally.
“Do you think we will be able to get those dick scientists too?” Ryuji asked. “I mean, they’ve got that drug suppressing recipe-thing.”
Makoto lightly squeezed Ken’s hand again. He slowly exhaled.
They could only hope… Now that they all knew that the old Kirijo Group scientists were in Shido’s pocket, they all wanted the scientists contained, so they wouldn’t be able to cause further harm. His shoulder, where Shido’s goon had jabbed him with the needle to dose him with the drug, seemed to ache for a moment.
“Sis says that her goal is to push Shido’s associates to a corner. So, they’ll face their dues,” Makoto said gravely.
Futaba gave a decisive nod, her expression hardening. “Good. They deserve it. Twisting my mom’s hard work like that.”
Hopefully that meant Mitsuru-san can finally be at peace, with the last of the remnants of those loyal to her grandfather hopefully being brought to justice. She still held so much guilt about the Kirijo Group’s past sins…
“I’m just glad it’ll be over.” Yusuke sighed, shaking his head. “I never expected all of our targets to be inter-connected like that.”
Ren nodded, his gaze dropping to the table. “Yeah…”
Then he cleared his throat.
“But um, there’s another thing I wanted to share,” Ren said hesitantly.
When they all looked at him expectantly, Ren rubbed the back of his neck. He took in a deep breath and his gaze swept over everyone.
Ren said finally, “As you guys know, my probation is ending in less than a month. And… I’ve decided that I’ll be going back to Shimoda.”
For a handful of seconds everyone remained quiet. Nobody even moved. Futaba was the first to break the silence.
“Are… you gonna be okay there, though?” Futaba asked. “I mean… you always brought up how you felt alone after what happened with Shido. You sorta have your parents… but what about kids your age?”
Ken cleared his throat.
“Well… I wouldn’t worry about that too much,” Ken said carefully.
“Huh?” Morgana looked to Ken. “What do you mean?”
This was the first time Morgana spoke up the whole conversation. Ken masked it but he was a bit startled, he almost forgot Morgana was there, curled up in Haru’s lap.
“Well, I went with Ohya-san when she visited Shimoda. She believed that the town’s attitude wasn’t a monolith, that some people had to have different opinions. I talked to some of the younger people there.” Ken then wavered.
He was unsure how Ren would react to this. But… Ren was going back to Shimoda. He ought to know.
“I… spoke to Ohba-san, Ren,” Ken finally said, trying to keep his voice more neutral.
“...Takeshi?” Ren visibly tensed before he asked in a wavering voice, “What did he say?”
His friends looked confused, exchanging quizzical looks. But they remained quiet, with Ren’s reaction.
“He didn’t want to talk to me at first about you,” Ken admitted. “But then some of your… previous friends came by. Some of them started to insult you but Ohba-san snapped at them to stop it.”
Ren stared blankly at Ken. He didn’t blink for several moments. Honestly, he might’ve looked less shocked if he had been hit over with a baseball bat.
“Takeshi, he… really…?” Ren trailed off.
Ken nodded. “After I told him that I went to your new school and we were friends, he was a little more open to talking. He… admitted to me eventually that he regretted letting people browbeat him into believing that you had committed the crime.”
“...I see,” Ren mumbled out, he then sighed, shaking his head. “Well… I guess I’ll see when I see him again.”
Ken could only nod.
Ren then scratched the back of his left hand and sighed. Anne leaned forward and took his hand gently, to stop him from the nervous scratching.
Ken couldn’t help but feel bad for Ren, it was understandable why he would feel conflicted about this news.
“Um, Ren-kun…” Haru said tentatively. “If you don’t mind sharing, may I ask who Takeshi is?”
Ren’s shoulders slumped before he rubbed at his face.
“He’s… I’ve known him since we were practically babies,” Ren said finally. “His parents helped out mine when they first moved to Shimoda when they were still an engaged couple. We were born just a few months apart of each other, so we ended up being joined at the hip for an early age. I thought… we were really good friends but then he…”
Ren then cut himself off, shaking his head. Ken couldn’t blame him. Even if he had resolved to be open to work things out with his parents… everything was still raw. Ken couldn’t help but worry for Ren and how he’d handle things.
“Oh… I see,” Haru said, bowing her head and biting her lower lip.
“Ren…” Anne sighed out, her eyes growing sorrowful.
Ken couldn’t help but kick himself. Maybe he should’ve figured out a way to break the news more gently.
“I’m sorry, Ren, I should’ve told you sooner,” Ken apologized, bowing his head.
Ren just forced a smile, which… didn’t reassure any of them.
“It’s okay, Ken. I know things have been crazy. And it’s not like you can just say it so randomly.” Ren sighed, shaking his head. “I’m not… avoiding the subject, I promise. It’s just a lot to take in right now…”
That he could sympathize with. Ken fought the urge to sigh as his mind unwillingly veered back to Akechi.
He just… didn’t know. He hated that he didn’t know what to think, what to feel. And sometimes his thoughts veered to…
“What would Mom think about all of this?”
Sometimes… he wished he could just hate Akechi for everything he’s done. Or maybe the opposite… either option was easier. He wished he didn’t feel so torn about all of this… all he felt was a mix of emotions that just twisted his gut.
Ryuji looked between everyone before he jumped his feet.
“Come on, guys, what’s with the down faces?” Ryuji asked. “I mean, Shido’s gonna get what he deserved. We should celebrate… right? We should take all the time with RenRen we can while he’s still here.”
“I would’ve thought you would object more to Ren’s decision,” Yusuke stated.
Ryuji scowled. “Come on, I dunno how I feel about Ren’s parents still… but it’s Ren’s decision.”
“Huh…” Morgana mused. “Even Ryuji can grow up.”
“Can it, you dumb cat!”
After breaking up Ryuji and Morgana’s argument, Haru suggested a hotpot dinner. It was still rather cold, so everyone readily agreed. They swung by the nearby grocery market and picked up ingredients. It was delicious and Ren, Ryuji, Morgana, Anne, and Yusuke had even mused on their last hotpot celebration. Ren then made them another round of hot drinks. It was very cozy, just spending time with his friends.
But when Ken walked Makoto back home, they were passing underneath the jumbotron.
“It truly is baffling on why Goro Akechi—”
Ken fought the urge to sigh. Of course this would be big news. Akechi was a celebrity after all…
Makoto’s grip on his arm tightened. When he looked at his girlfriend quizzically, Makoto pulled him to the side.
“What’s wrong?”
Makoto released his arm before crossing her arms over her chest, quirking an eyebrow at him. “Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?”
She then sighed, rubbing her palm over her face.
“Ken… I’m not blind. I saw the look on your face when the news started talking about Akechi and then… before.”
Ken let out a frustrated sigh before reluctantly looking into Makoto’s eyes.
“How could he not? It just… it just frustrates me. That he wouldn’t listen to reason back then. Maybe we could’ve saved ourselves from so much grief if I had just…”
Makoto let out a sigh. “Oh, Ken… You shouldn’t blame yourself. I’m not going to pretend I know what’s going on in Akechi’s head. I don’t. Just because you were able to turn yourself around because of your senpai… doesn’t mean you’re responsible for Akechi’s actions. You’re not his life coach. It’s not on you to try and fix him or try to turn his life around. It’s his life, not yours.”
“Even so…” Ken sighed. “I just feel unsettled. With how we last… parted.”
Makoto pursed her lips. “Have you thought about visiting him then? In jail, when the dust settles.”
“Huh?” Ken blinked at her before he rubbed the back of his neck. “Um... no. To be honest, the thought hasn’t even come to my mind. Honestly… every time I think about him… I just feel so… well a mix a lot of things. It’s really uncomfortable, I guess.”
Makoto nodded. “I mean… it’s been literally just one day. Just think about it, okay? Not for him. But for you. I think you need closure. It’ll keep bothering you if you let it sit and fester.”
Ken just hummed in response. “I’ll think about it. I’m not going anywhere so…”
But then he stepped closer to her before dropping a kiss against her temple.
“Thank you, though. I know this has been bothering me for a while but you’re always so supportive.”
Makoto just smiled before lacing their hands together.
“And I always will.”
Saturday, February 25th, 2017
Ren didn’t look at the judge as he pronounced Shido’s sentence—a life sentence in jail. Ren looked straight at Shido. Even though Ren had witnessed a target’s change of heart several times, watched Kamoshida grovel and beg for forgiveness, all while swearing that he’d atone, this was… different.
Seeing Shido stoically accept his crimes was a relief but it was also… bizarre. To see him lacking in his pride and arrogance. But Ren was mostly relieved that this was over and done with.
Shido would finally face his dues. It finally felt like… Ren could breathe again. On top of that, Shido’s cohorts would also face justice. Shido had specifically testified about Futaba’s mom’s death, as well as naming the scientists under his employ… which meant that Futaba and the Shadow Operatives would be able to see justice.
It was… finally over. For real this time.
Ren got to his feet, feeling like he was in a daze. He walked out of the courtroom, only snapping to attention when his lawyer called out to him. He was a man in his mid-thirties; his name was Shin Kondo. He came at recommendation from Sae to his parents. He was a well put together man, in a nice navy-blue suit with a red tie. He had neat, short steel gray hair and violet eyes.
He’d been helping Ren go over his testimony and prepping him. He also apparently was working with his parents and Sae, to help get him released. Sae said he was a very dependable attorney to his parents and he couldn’t help but agree.
“Great job, Amamiya-kun,” he said, putting a hand on Ren’s shoulder. “You did fantastic! Shido will see justice… thanks to you.”
Ren smiled wryly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thanks, Kondo-san. And well… Sae’s been working so hard. It wasn’t just me.”
Not just her either. Mitsuru-san had helped with providing a witness who could testify about cognitive psience. A man under her employ.
Kondo-san nodded. “Yeah, Niijima’s brilliant. But don’t sell yourself short. I bet you’ll do great next time too.”
“Next time…?”
Kondo-san blinked. “Your parents didn’t tell you? They contacted me. They’re suing the police for what happened during your first arrest. I assume you’ll have to testify for that as well.”
Ren’s mouth suddenly went dry. His parents were suing?! Okay, his family wasn’t exactly poor—they footed the bill for Shujin, after all—but still. They were far from being wealthy. And lawsuits were expensive!
“I… I see,” he finally managed to get out. “I guess… they're still working out the paperwork, so they didn’t tell me.”
“Oh.” Kondo-san blinked at that before he rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take you by surprise.”
“Nah, it’s fine,” Ren said, waving his hand all while forcing his face to remain neutral.
But still, this just reminded him that he needed to talk to his parents. But it seemed so impersonal to talk to them over the phone. No, in person would be best. But he would have to reach out to them this time. He… needed to meet them in the middle.
“But thanks again, Kondo-san.” Ren took the moment to bow.
He didn’t always remember that courtesy (he was no Ken, after all, who was polite to a fault), but… Kondo-san did help him out. Especially, since he helped Ren close this chapter in his life.
Shido was behind bars. It felt like… he could finally move on.
After bidding Kondo-san farewell, Ren headed off. It was tiring, being in the courtroom practically all day. He was glad that he had left Morgana with Futaba for the day.
But as Ren walked towards the exit, he noticed that Mitsuru-san was standing by the door. She was speaking with the witness who testified about cognitive psience. He had light brown hair and wore a lab coat over his professional attire. A woman with shoulder-length red hair stood by his side.
“I really appreciate you coming out here, Maruki,” Mitsuru-san was saying, firmly shaking the man’s hand. “Thank you again.”
“Of course, of course.” He nodded. “I’m glad to help. After Isshiki-san…”
Ren hastily stepped away. He felt… out of place, with their discussion. Plus, it might be awkward to be caught eavesdropping, by Mitsuru-san of all people.
His eyes then moved towards the door leading to the courtroom.
Akechi was… being escorted out. He held his head high, even when whispers broke out and he attracted blatant stares. And with Ren being on the receiving end of whispers and stares all too many times… he couldn’t help but feel a smidge of sympathy.
But still… it had to take a lot of guts to do what Akechi did. He named several politicians associated with Shido. Maybe some of Shido’s richest associates would be able to flee the country but they would be forced to keep their heads low. Sae also said something about digging into Shido’s records to implicate the lower-ranked men, which was a relief. They deserved everything justice would hand to them.
So he had to give Akechi kudos for that.
Their eyes met for a minute. Akechi then scowled, looking away. Ren had to fight the urge to shake his head. Well… even if Akechi had turned over a new leaf, there was no denying that Akechi still deeply resented Ren. But even so… something nagged at Ren. He felt… uneasy with where they were now.
Maybe when things died down a bit, he ought to visit Akechi…
“Amamiya?”
Ren jumped at the sound of Mitsuru-san’s voice.
“Oh… hey Mitsuru-san.” Ren winced at how subdued his voice sounded; he must be more tired than he realized. “I’m surprised that you could…?”
Mitsuru-san sighed, pursing her lips. “Shido’s men are finished. I wanted… to see it done. With my own eyes.”
“I see.” Ren nodded; it was fair, with how much Shido had prevented her from acting.
Though he supposed he could thank Shido for a couple of things. He would’ve never gone to Tokyo if it wasn’t for the incident. He never would’ve met his friends. And without Shido’s actions, Ken wouldn’t have set foot in Tokyo.
“Though… I have a question,” Ren said slowly. When Mitsuru-san gave him a questioning look, he elaborated. “The guy you found to help testify about cognitive psience. I overheard him mentioning Futaba’s mom.”
“Ah, Maruki.” Mitsuru-san nodded. “He interned with Isshiki during his final year of undergraduate university. That was what kindled his interest in the field of cognitive psience. She wrote him a letter of recommendation afterwards. We ended up hiring him after he acquired his PhD. So, he and his then-fiancée moved to Port Island four years ago. They’ve lived there since. Maruki was glad to testify—he held Isshiki in high regard. He’s not Isshiki, but the man is brilliant. We needed someone credible to explain Isshiki’s research to the court, I was more than happy to help Niijima get in contact with him.”
Ren gave a small smile. “Well… I hope Futaba can rest easy now. Now that Shido’s behind bars… as he deserves.”
Mitsuru-san just nodded.
“But Amamiya… I can’t thank you enough. For stepping up, when we couldn’t do anything. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
“I only did the right thing,” Ren said simply.
Mitsuru-san chuckled. “If you say so. But still… if you’re interested in joining the Shadow Operatives, we’d be glad to have you once you’ve graduated from high school.”
The Shadow Operatives…
Ren couldn’t deny that the organization did a lot of good. But at the same time, he couldn’t picture himself as a Shadow Operative. It might be… dangerous. Shido sympathizers might still lurk in the government.
He could only hope that they would be rooted out eventually… Hopefully more people like Yoshida would eventually step up to the plate.
“I appreciate the offer, but I will have to pass,” Ren said. “I kinda like what we have going on right now.”
Mitsuru-san raised a brow. “I see. That’s fair enough, I suppose.”
Ren just nodded, relieved that she understood. Even though his perspective had changed due to his friendship with Ken… Ren wasn’t sure if he’d be happy working under the Shadow Operatives. Not like Ken. And besides, it seemed that the Shadow Operatives had more than enough Wild Card power.
“I’d be happy to help you whenever possible, though,” Ren added in a low voice.
Mitsuru-san just smiled. “Thank you, Amamiya. But I think we might have to call on you sooner than you anticipated. If Amada’s stories are correct, you’re quite the magnet for trouble.”
Sunday, February 26th, 2017
“We are now approaching Shimoda Station. Please remain seated until the train has come to a complete stop.”
Ren sharply inhaled at the announcement. He had his bag resting in his lap and Morgana poked his head out.
“You could’ve asked them to come see you, you know,” he said quietly. “And Shimoda’s not even that far from Tokyo.”
“I know…” Ren said quietly. “But I wanted to. They sought me out two times in person. It’s… my turn now.”
Morgana fell quiet before giving a small nod. Then he ducked into the bag once more. Ren took a deep breath, drawing his hood over his head. He was wearing the same hoodie he had worn to sneak around Tokyo, during his month of house arrest. It worked for him before so Ren figured it would serve him well for the same purpose.
Last thing he wanted was anyone noticing him. Sure, what Ken and Ohya said made sense, especially considering he didn’t have the full picture regarding his parents. But it’s not like he was ready to face anyone yet. And beyond that, he didn’t want to deal with anyone who still doubted him.
The train gradually slowed before jerking into a stop. Morgana let out a yowl at that and Ren quickly hushed him. He then stood up, picking up his bag and headed off the train.
The sea breeze tickled his face as he made his way back to his house.
His house was rather modest, almost cottage-sized. There wasn’t even a guest bedroom—just the master bedroom that belonged to his parents and his room. But it was built in the Western style and was surrounded by a white picket fence. He pushed the fence open and it swung open with a soft click. The flowering plum tree in the front yard was in bloom, profuse pink blooms being the only splash of color. He then walked up to the front door.
Ren fished out his house key, quietly unlocking the door. When he entered, he could hear the faint sound of jazz music. Mom had always loved jazz music, despite her work as an idol in her youth; Ren’s grandfather on her side had been a jazz musician and had instilled a love of music in her from an early age. Ren himself had fuzzy memories of his grandfather sitting him down on a piano and teaching him a few simple tunes.
He slowly lowered his hood.
“Mom? Dad?” he tentatively called out.
For a moment, he wondered if his parents had left the house. It was Sunday, after all.
“Ren?”
Dad had appeared in the kitchen door, gaping at Ren.
“W-What—” he sputtered out. “What are you doing here?”
“Um… hey.” Ren rubbed the back of his neck, offering Dad a sheepish smile. “I thought I’d stop by. I wanted to talk…”
Dad sighed, shaking his head. “You could’ve called, Ren.”
Ren’s chest tightened at the pure exasperation in his voice. It was achingly familiar, yet it felt like it had been a lifetime since Dad’s taken on that kind of tone with Ren.
Ren quickly shook his head, hoping that it would shake out his thoughts before he cleared his throat, looking nervously at Dad.
Ren scratched his forehead, “I know, I’m sorry. I just… I found out about what you and Mom were planning to do.”
“...I see,” Dad said quietly, and turned towards the back. “Yuri is in the backyard. We’ll be back momentarily.”
Ren nodded before wandering over to the couch. He let his eyes drift, taking in the living room. His mom’s taste in interior design wasn’t exactly minimalist like how Anne’s parents decorated her apartment. Of course, there was a kotatsu. Honestly, he didn’t know how people managed without a kotatsu. There were a few photos of Ren’s grandparents with his family, a couple of landscape paintings. But on the bookshelves and the lone dresser, Mom had decorated it with various knick-knacks—mostly things she’s found at markets.
But Ren’s personal favorite decoration was always the record player. It had been his grandmother’s first anniversary gift to his grandfather. When his grandparents had passed, it was bequeathed to Mom, their only child. Over the years, Mom had added to Granddad’s already substantial collection of records. But Morgana, who had never seen a record player, was fascinated.
“What is it?” Morgana asked, jumping on the dresser. He prodded the record player, before resting a paw on the record already inserted in.
“Don’t touch,” Ren chided, standing to grab Morgana before there was an… accident. Mom would be devastated if something happened to it. “It’s an antique. It was my granddad’s—”
“Is that a cat?”
Ren internally cringed at the sound of Dad’s voice. He stared at Ren with an eyebrow raised.
Ren shuffled his feet.
“Sorry… I thought Sojiro mentioned that I had taken in a cat,” he bluffed.
Dad gave a short exhale. The corner of his mouth twitched, like it did when he was barely holding back a rebuke. Mom pursed her lips, her eyes scrutinizing. But Ren just stood straight, to sell his bluff further.
Well, if Dad was gonna hold his tongue and not scold, Ren might as well get into it.
“Look… I came home because I wanted to talk to you about something…” Ren said hesitantly.
Mom sighed. “Why don’t we sit down first?”
At her prompt, Ren went to the loveseat, sitting across from his parents who sat at the couch.
“First… I wanted to say that I’m sorry too,” Ren said quietly.
When his parents shot him startled looks, Ren took in a shuddering breath. He then pressed a hand to his now thudding heart.
“I shut you out. I talked to… some of my friends, after I saw you last. They gave me some things to mull over. We both screwed up after… everything.” Ren then swallowed the lump forming in his throat, taking a moment to clear his throat. “And um… I heard that you’re suing the police force?”
“That’s right,” Mom said finally. “I decided to dip into some of my old royalty money to start the process. What they did to you was wrong. Everything. I know it won’t take away what they did but…”
“They should be ashamed of themselves for conducting themselves like that,” Dad said vehemently. “If we had known how much shady activity there was, we would’ve… done things differently.”
Ren inhaled. “I… thank you.”
His parents remained quiet. For a moment, Ren debated on telling them about Shido. But… he decided to hold his tongue. That would get into too much. They’d ask questions. And the answers… he wasn’t sure he was ready to share them yet.
Ren’s gaze then dropped to his lap, his hands gripping his knees. He swallowed; his mouth suddenly having gone dry.
“And… my friends helped me realize something too,” Ren said quietly.
He tried to swallow subtly, to try and mask his nerves. He licked his dry lips before speaking up again.
“That… I don’t want to walk out of your lives. I… I’m not ready to fully forgive you yet. But I want to try. I still want to have a relationship with you.”
For several moments, it was quiet. Quiet enough that the light ticking of the clock on the wall behind him suddenly felt so loud. Then Mom gave a small sob, pressing a hand to her mouth as tears filled her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. Then she suddenly surged to her feet and moved towards him. But Dad suddenly put a hand on her wrist, halting her and giving a small shake of his head. Mom's face fell and she gave a tiny nod.
Ren’s chest tightened. They were still trying to give him the first move.
Dad then coughed. “But Ren? What’s with the cat?”
He wanted to change the subject. Ren understood, they didn’t want to push Ren into anything. Settling for a different subject was fine, it would give his mother a chance to dry her eyes and relax a little.
“This is Morgana,” Ren said. “I found him pretty early on. Sojiro let me keep him, said something about making me learn responsibility.”
Morgana jumped on the coffee table and then into Mom’s lap, making her squeak.
“Oh… hello there.” Mom tentatively scratched Morgana under the chin, making him purr. “Oh, he’s a handsome creature, isn’t he?”
Ren held back a snort. It was obvious what he was trying to do. Turn on the charm and woo them with his cuteness. Morgana began to preen at her comment and Dad let out a weary sigh.
“Careful, he’s got an ego on him, Mom,” Ren warned. “Don’t stroke it too much.”
Morgana then turned and glared at Ren.
Dad seemed to stare at Morgana intently before he cleared his throat. “He seems like he has a… cattitude.”
Mom just groaned, pressing a finger against her temple. “Junto… why?”
Ren just snickered. “Good one, Dad.”
Morgana stared up at Dad in horror. “He’s where you get it from?!”
Ren shrugged. “Guilty.”
“What was that, Ren?” Dad asked.
“Oh it’s… nothing,” Ren quickly coughed to divert his parents’ attention. “I was hoping that I could bring Morgana back home… I know you never liked pets much, Dad, but ever since I found Morgana… things in Tokyo started to look up. I really… I don’t want to leave him behind.”
His parents exchanged looks, his mom giving his dad a heavy frown.
“I see…” Dad sighed. “And you clean up after him?”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry.” Ren waved his hand.
Ren was a little worried if Dad asked where the litter box was. Morgana was… very indignant when Sojiro came to Leblanc, bearing a litter box for Morgana’s use. Not that Morgana ever did use it. He refused, felt it was shameful. He was so independent and Ren never asked. Just opened the window and let Morgana go for “walks”. He always came back safe and content, so he left it at that.
“Well… your mother already seems to adore him,” Dad sighed before dragging a hand through his hair. “I don’t think I can say no.”
“Yes!” Ren cheered at the same time as Morgana.
His mother just smiled and scratched Morgana under the chin more, probably sounded like a cute meow to them.
“How cute, he’s really taken a shine to you Ren!” his mother cooed. “And he seems pretty—”
But then Ren’s stomach suddenly growled, cutting her off.
“U-Uh…” Ren felt his face grow hot.
Mom clicked her tongue. “I hope Sakura-san has been feeding you…”
“Thank god for that,” Morgana snarked.
“He has, don’t worry,” Ren hastened to reassure her before shooting Morgana a look. “I just wanted to take an early train, that’s all.”
He hoped that Mom didn’t come barging into Leblanc to see what Sojiro has been mainly feeding him. She wouldn’t hesitate to lecture the pants off of Sojiro, if she saw that he only fed Ren curry. Not that Ren hasn’t bought himself takeout or groceries and made his own food. But it wouldn’t matter if the curry was always a mix of different meats or vegetables every time and making sure Ren was always hydrated on more than just coffee. She’d just hear the only cooks him curry part and would assume the worst.
He could practically hear, “But has he been eating proper nutrients?”
Ren held back another snort when he realized Shinjiro-san would probably get along with her in that department.
Mom then crossed her arms. “Very well, then. I’ll go heat up the leftovers from breakfast then. Though I suppose I could get started on an early lunch…”
“Leftovers are fine,” Ren said hastily. “Um… thanks.”
Mom just smiled at him. Ren was struck by how… he hadn’t seen Mom smiling in such a long time. It felt like a lifetime ago.
As Mom prepared it, they all moved to the kitchen. The dining table was inside there.
It wasn’t long until Mom set down a plate loaded with fried mackerel, tamagoyaki, and even a small okonomiyaki loaded with veggies in front of Ren. She then handed him a bowl of miso soup and a bowl of white, fluffy rice. He gave his thanks before digging in.
Morgana was given his own bowl of milk and he was happily lapping it up.
Dad got up to make him and Mom a cup of coffee. Probably just to busy himself so he wasn’t just staring at Ren while he ate. Mom cupped her cheek with one hand.
“Um, so Ren… how’s school?” she asked tentatively.
“It was okay. My friends make it bearable,” Ren responded.
He raised the bowl of soup, drinking deeply. It settled comfortably in his belly. It felt good, after walking in the cold.
“All of them go to Shujin?” Dad asked as he sprinkled in just the right amount of sugar for Mom’s cup.
“No, Yusuke attends Kosei. They focus on more art-related pursuits,” Ren answered.
But he eyed the instant coffee machine, even as Dad stepped away and carried the two cups to the table. That… would not do. Going back to instant? After nearly a year of enjoying properly made coffee? No thanks.
Though, now that he thought about it, he still had so much money from their Phantom Thievery. He should divide that up and give everyone their fair share. He could take some of that money and buy a French press or something.
“Ren, do you want anything to drink?” Dad asked.
“Uh… just some tea, I guess.”
Something hot would be nice to drink anyways. But he was not drinking the swill that was instant coffee.
Dad nodded before putting some water in the electric kettle they had.
“What about clubs?” Mom asked. “You were always wonderful in your—”
“My record was leaked before I even got there on the first day,” Ren interrupted.
“Wha…?!” Mom went slack jawed. “That’s…!”
“Who’s behind this?” Dad asked, turning around with his eyes narrowed.
“Remember Kamoshida?”
Both of his parents paled and Mom nervously twisted her wedding ring.
“But at least he’s behind bars now.” Ren shrugged. “And I found my own group of friends. I’m fine.”
He then shoved an entire mackerel piece into his mouth, to avoid going further into it. Mom snapped to attention.
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Ren, eat it in smaller bites,” she scolded.
“It tastes better this way.” The familiar retort was out of his mouth before he realized it.
He didn’t realize how much he had missed his parents’ cooking. Sojiro was a fantastic cook, as was Shinjiro-san. But… there was nothing like home cooking.
“It may taste better, but it won’t if you choke on it,” she continued to scold.
The kettle then went off and Dad got up to make Ren some jasmine tea. Ren looked over to see his dad grab the jar of citron honey on the counter. He took a spoon and mixed in a small spoonful of honey into the tea. Dad was kinda funny in that he didn’t like his coffee sweetened too much but he always loved citron honey with his tea.
He looked down at his plate. He still felt nervous about coming back home. But… coming back really hammered in that the what-ifs might’ve bothered him forever if he had walked away.
“Ren?”
“I’m sorry,” Ren muttered out. “I was an ass to you guys. I shut you out completely.”
“Ren…” Dad sighed, walking over and handing Ren his mug of tea. “I-It’s okay. We don’t blame you, after everything you went through. We should’ve handled that differently. Unfortunately, we can’t change the past.”
That was true. And it was still true that Ren couldn’t regret what had happened during this past year. The path he took led him to his friends. A home in Tokyo.
And… that wasn’t something Ren would want to trade away. For anything.
“All we can do is move forward,” Dad finished before taking a drink from his own mug of tea.
Ren could only nod. He blew at his tea, taking a careful sip. It was… the perfect temperature. Dad remembered just how he preferred it.
“Though… there is something you have to know too,” Mom said carefully. “You remember Junto talking about his little sister, right? His other two siblings are still… coming around. But she and her husband and their daughter will be visiting Shimoda after exams are done in March. They have a son in college but he already made plans with a trip with his girlfriend.”
Ren chewed slowly at the last part.
An aunt, uncle, and cousins. That was a little… foreign to Ren.
Dad then said, “Their daughter is just a little younger than you. They won’t be staying here obviously, there’s no room.”
Ren just smiled wryly. Their house really wasn’t equipped to have overnight guests.
“Okay,” Ren said, unsure on what else to say.
He finished his meal and got up from his chair.
“When is your train leaving? Back to Tokyo?” Mom asked.
“Uh well… I was just gonna buy a ticket at the station,” Ren admitted. “I only reserved a ticket early in the morning to come here.”
He wanted to give himself some time. Since Shimoda was about three hours away by train. The express train took even less time. Honestly, Ren was relieved. If he wanted to, he could take a train to Tokyo, like maybe on a half day. Spend the weekend with his friends.
The distance wasn’t as difficult to circumvent, compared to how Fuuka-san always had to plan extensively if she wanted to visit Ken and Shinjiro-san.
But he wasn’t sure how long the talk with his parents would take. He wanted to give himself some wiggle room.
“I see…” Dad then rubbed his chin. “We could… give you a ride to the station?”
“It’s okay,” Ren said, shaking his head.
Morgana then ran up to him and Ren bent down to slip Morgana into his bag. His mom raised a brow at that action but said nothing regarding it.
“I don’t want you to deal with any questions,” Ren finished with a shrug.
Mom scowled, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
“It was never about our reputations, you know. We were worried about you, Ren. What people thought of us was never part of the equation.”
Ren let out a heavy sigh. Mom was getting worked up.
“So, you march yourselves to the car. We’re giving you that ride,” Mom finished, hands on her hips now.
Dad just chuckled. “You better listen to your mother, Ren.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Ren just grumbled before trudging towards the door.
The ride to the station was… weird. Not bad, but weird. There were some attempts at stilted conversation but… Ren knew they had a long way to go.
However, Ren was going to stick with his choice. He was going to see this through, to try and put the pieces back together again.
When Dad pulled to a stop, his parents both got out.
Mom then said, “Text us when you get back to Tokyo station, Ren. We’ll see you in a few weeks, okay?”
“Yeah.” But when his parents turned back to the car, he blurted out, “Wait!”
When they looked to him, questions in their eyes, Ren quickly threw his arms around both of them.
“I’ll see you guys soon. Bye.”
Then he quickly stepped away and rushed to the station entrance. He shut the door behind him, letting out a sigh.
It wasn’t perfect, no. But… this was a start.
And yet… somehow… this was the easier conversation. Ren couldn’t help but smile wryly.
“What’s with that smile?” Morgana asked suspiciously.
Ren just shrugged. “Just thinking… I want to see Akechi eventually. And that conversation will be… fun.”
Morgana frowned. “You don’t have to, you know.”
“I know that.” Ren nodded. “But it’s something I want to do. I can’t really explain it, Morgana but…”
Morgana sighed. “I’m just glad that there will be a glass wall between you two and he won’t have any weapons now. But um, Ren… I’m glad things went okay with your parents.”
Ren could only smile faintly before he scratched Morgana behind the ear.
“Me too.”
Wednesday, March 1st, 2017
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
Ren looked at his girlfriend, giving her a crooked smile. “I’m sure. It’s just… I dunno. I feel I should go into it alone.”
Anne and Morgana were the only ones who knew that he was planning to visit Akechi in prison today. He wasn’t… sure how Ken would take it. He had been kinda distracted, but Ren could hazard a guess on why he was so… off. He was… pretty bad at faking smiles, so he wouldn’t be surprised if everyone had picked up on it too.
Anne bit her lip. Ren gave her a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry, Anne. I’ll be fine.”
“If you say so…” Anne sighed. “It’s reassuring that I know that Akechi won’t be able to do anything to you at least.”
He refrained from making a joking comment that Morgana said the same thing. They were worried for him after all, no need to make light of it with his usual banter.
Ren nodded. “Yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”
Anne nodded before she smiled at him. “Uh-huh!”
Ren then dipped his head, kissing her lightly on the forehead.
Then he left school, taking the train station to the nearest stop to the detention center. After he informed the people inside that he would like to visit Goro Akechi, he was interrogated on his reasons why. It was kinda a pain… they almost didn’t let him through until he got in touch with Sae and she vouched for him. He was grateful that she agreed to never tell Makoto or Ken about what he was doing.
But after dealing with their questions, he was finally led down the hallways, where the visits were conducted. On the other side of the glass walls, a door opened. An officer ushered Akechi in.
Akechi glared at him. “What do you want?”
“Gee, I’m hurt.” Ren eyed him before lifting one brow. “And here I thought we’d have a more heartwarming reunion.”
“Just get to the point, Amamiya,” Akechi bit out with a scowl. He then grumbled, “I can’t believe this is who the officer was talking about Sae-san sending to talk to me.”
Ren narrowed his eyes. “She never sent me, so don’t blame her. She just vouched for me is all. I think some people in here still have it out for me, not like I am staring at one of them.”
He didn’t want Sae to get blamed for this. For whatever reason Akechi respected Sae, and she seemed to still hold some type of fondness for him… for some reason. He didn’t want to damage anything for Sae. That’s not why he came.
“Then why come at all?” Akechi glowered.
Ren leaned back in his chair and said, “I’ve been wondering for two weeks… why did you do it? Turning yourself in?”
Akechi scoffed, giving Ren a scornful look. “Really? You dragged yourself all the way to ask me that?”
Ren placed both hands in his lap. “How else am I supposed to ask you? You aren’t exactly accessible for a normal chat. And I wanted to know. You could have run, you know. Started anew, in like America, South Korea… or somewhere in Europe maybe.”
Akechi huffed before he rubbed his forearm with his other hand. “I’m well aware. Sae-san has told me.”
An awkward silence between them fell. Ren pursed his lips.
“Well… thanks. I know that you turning yourself in helped overturn my sentence.”
“I didn’t do it for you.”
Ren rolled his eyes.
“Obviously… it’s about Shido, huh?” Ren asked.
“That’s not—” Akechi then cut himself off, looking away.
Ren couldn’t help but feel struck. The way his mouth twisted in a petulant scowl made him think of Ken. The mere thought made him frown.
“It’s no longer about him,” Akechi admitted before his lips curled into a mirthless smile. “But still… what does it matter? You got what you wanted. Shido will face justice. Now you’ve truly prevailed over him.”
Ren raised a brow. “What do you mean by ‘truly’?”
Akechi scoffed, waving his hand. “You didn’t let Shido ruin your life… how did you even do it? You rose above your circumstances, what fate doled out to you. You didn’t seem to care. Not to mention on Christmas Eve—I fully expected you to lose. You always seemed… to turn the tides, no matter your circumstances.”
There were several beats of silence as Ren tried to comprehend what Akechi said. Then he burst out laughing.
Looking into Akechi’s eyes… Ren could see that he genuinely believed that. It was kinda… sad. That Akechi had misread things this badly.
“I didn’t care?” Ren repeated, unable to hold back the scorn he felt. “That’s a joke if I’ve ever heard one. You didn't see me when I first moved to Tokyo. I was told that I shouldn't have done it, that I was an idiot to try and help someone who needed it. Keep my nose out of trouble. I was beat over the head with that sentiment, ad-nauseum. But when the opportunity to walk away showed up, I realized I couldn't do that. I wouldn’t turn a blind eye.”
Arsene’s words, so long away, remained burned in his mind.
"Was your previous decision... a mistake then?"
Even though Ryuji was a stranger to him then, even if he was hostile to Ren originally…
No, he could not walk away.
Akechi’s expression grew neutral at Ren’s statement.
“And… I was lucky to find real friends, friends who would stand with me in that mindset,” Ren finished.
Akechi then glowered, his hands balling into fists. “Including him…”
Red-hot irritation flared inside him. Ren levelled a glare at Akechi.
“Is this still about Ken?” Ren tapped a finger against his chin. “What was it again? I ‘stole’ his loyalty. For hell’s sake, Akechi… Ken is not a piece of property. He has his own feelings. What’s it to you anyway? And don’t give me because you’re related, we’re not having this argument again. He didn’t matter to you until you found out your relation.”
But it didn't look like Akechi had processed what Ren said. And that ticked him off. Akechi was just so entitled about this. It felt especially glaring, looking back on how they interacted prior to Akechi’s discovery.
“You would always throw barbs at him and he—”
“That’s what friends do.” Ren couldn’t help but feel exasperated.
But at the same time, he looked at Akechi with a frown. Had Akechi really not known anyone he could call a friend? Even before his mother died? Despite everything, Ren couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity. His way of thinking was just so… broken. Ren couldn’t wrap his head around it.
“You wanna know what I thought when I first met him?” Ren asked. “I bumped into him at school. Knocked him down. But he was courteous with me. I remember being struck by that, because well… you said it yourself. Shido ruined my life. On top of that, Kamoshida ruined my chances of a fresh new start. But still, I didn’t know about him. But he slowly started to open up to me and everyone else. But that’s your problem. Do you know Ken?”
“I knew some things…” Akechi muttered.
“Oh yeah? Are those ‘things’ personal, or the things you dug up personally like he was some target?” Ren glowered, and when Akechi glared at him, Ren just pressed forward. “What’s his favorite show? Or what’s his favorite meal? What about what career path he wants to take?”
“I… I…” Akechi scowled as he cut himself off. “Are you just here to gloat? You’re a real piece of shit, you know that?”
“I’m not here to gloat.”
Ren didn’t bother denying Akechi’s last statement, not that Ren could convince him. But he had a bone to pick with Akechi, despite everything. Back in Shido’s Palace… he didn’t get the chance like Futaba did. But he wouldn’t get another chance so easily, to point out something about Akechi that’s been bothering Ren.
“I just want to point out that you closed yourself off. Ken is willing to open up to people who try. But you shut yourself away, behind that fake detective prince mask of yours.”
“Let me guess, I just needed to be a good boy and tell him any insecurities and we sing kumbaya?” Akechi scoffed.
Ren felt another flare of irritation.
“Where do you get off at feeling like Ken owes you something? You haven’t done a single thing for him from the moment you reunited. And do not deny that the day before you found out your relation, he was on the list with the rest of us that you were gonna snuff out! You tried to kill him before that too!”
“That was before—”
Ren cut him off, his eyes narrowed. “Before you realized who he was? Before you thought you could use him for your ends for revenge? Before you deluded yourself into thinking he’s just like you?”
Akechi jolted up out of his chair, hands slamming onto the counter in front of him.
“What do you want me to say?" Akechi all but snarled out.
Ren wouldn’t be surprised if Akechi would’ve spat in Ren’s face if there wasn’t a glass wall separating them.
“Grovel in front of you and say how I was so wrong?! Not in a million years! Never to you, got that?”
Ren studied him closely. “Do you believe that you’re wrong? I’m not interested in groveling, you know. I just wanted… to know what your reasoning was.”
When Akechi stayed quiet, Ren sighed. Arguing with Akechi will get him nowhere. He wouldn’t listen. It seemed abundantly clear that the only one he would listen to about these things was Sae probably.
“I saw you leaving the premises, the day of Shido’s trial, you know,” Ren continued. “I was struck by it. You knew you’d be reviled. That people would hate you for your crimes.”
Akechi merely looked away. “I know. I know that. She told me that…”
She… it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know who Akechi was talking about. But Ren sensed it wasn’t a good idea to bring up Sae right now.
This solidified what Ren already concluded. Sae really was the only person he seemed to have any… kind of relationship with. A real one. As much as he didn’t understand it. But it was something. Maybe she could actually help him…
Akechi’s expression was conflicted. And his gaze kept shifting, refusing to look Ren in the eye.
“There was no point in keeping it up, not when you made sure that Shido started groveling for his crimes. I saw it on the news. I knew then it was over,” he finally said.
Ren raised an eyebrow. The way Akechi put it was almost matter-of-factly but Ren could hear a slight waver in his voice. Maybe Akechi would never come out and say it outright…
Ren rubbed the back of his neck and said, “I doubt you’ll believe me. But I have to give you some respect for owning up to your crimes, to swallow the public’s opinion of you utterly changing.”
Especially since he knew personally how it felt. He still remembered how it felt after Okumura’s death. It was like the rug was yanked out underneath his feet. And Ren had the shield of anonymity as a Phantom Thief.
Of course, the situation wasn’t completely the same. But Ren had to admit that it took a lot of guts to do what Akechi did, even if it was the right thing to do.
“What are you saying?” Akechi looked at him suspiciously, eyes narrowed.
“I won’t ever like you as a person,” Ren said flatly, folding his arms over his chest. “And I’ll never forgive you for the harm you caused the people I care about.”
Akechi had tried killing him. Killed Haru’s father, only to try and frame her as own father’s killer, alongside her friends. He killed Futaba’s mother, and his actions sent Futaba into neglectful and abusive homes, on top of her spiraling down into depression for two years. Not to mention all the auditory and visual hallucinations she suffered because of that. He nearly killed Ken a couple times. Put Ohya’s friend in a coma, which caused Ohya to turn to liquor to cope after being shot down and disgraced for wanting to look into it.
Akechi probably wouldn’t have lost a wink of sleep if Akechi had succeeded in killing Ren. And was going to go and kill all his friends after he was killed and framed too.
And that didn’t even compare to the large list of crimes that Akechi had under his belt. But still…
“But you’ve changed since we last met,” he said finally.
Akechi glared at Ren. “I don’t like you either, Amamiya. Don’t think that me turning myself in has anything to do with you.”
“Yeah, yeah. I didn’t even entertain that thought. Relax...” Ren just waved a hand at Akechi. “But still… I mean it, Akechi. You have my respect for accepting the consequences of your actions.”
“Whatever,” he muttered out. “And like I said, I didn’t do it for you.”
Ren bit back a snarky comment that the more he took offense to that thought and kept objecting, the more childish he looked.
“Good luck,” Ren offered him instead.
“Good luck?” Akechi repeated, baffled.
Ren shrugged. “Hey, you are trying to do better. I have to give credit where credit is due.”
Akechi then huffed in response but didn’t make a snarky remark.
Then Ren’s gaze met Akechi’s. Akechi shifted uncomfortably before looking away.
Their… relationship was a strange one. Ren didn’t like Akechi, and nothing about that changed currently. He’d definitely qualify Akechi as his enemy still, but in a weirdly enough, he did come to respect him recently.
Ren didn’t think he would want to see Akechi again in person, after he’s been let out from jail. There was just… too much bad blood between them. But still, Ren couldn’t help but feel that he understood Akechi a little better now.
Friday, March 3rd, 2017
Shinjiro-san rather resembled a fish right now, with how he was gaping at Haru. Then he finally snapped to attention, looking at Haru sternly.
“Did Ken put you up to this?” he demanded.
Haru just giggled. “No, not at all. It was completely my idea.”
“But you can’t just give me an entire property!”
“Well, the building belongs to the company, which I’ve inherited. I can choose to sign it over to whoever I please,” Haru said.
“Your company’s still recovering, I can’t accept this,” Shinjiro-san snapped out.
Haru giggled. “I’ve been thinking a lot about this, Shinjiro-san. When I told Ken-kun about my idea—”
“I’m gonna kill him,” he grumbled out.
“No, you won’t,” Haru said, still giggling.
It was rather amusing how Shinjiro-san would ‘threaten’ Ken, but everyone knew that it was all bluster.
“But he said he thought you might accept. A 20% chance, he gave it,” Haru added.
“Ken…” Shinjiro-san growled out, his brow twitching.
Haru stifled another giggle from bubbling up. It was honestly quite amusing to see him like this.
He looked at Haru before taking a deep breath. “Okumura, come on. You know I hate charity.”
“It’s not charity,” Haru insisted. “But Ren-kun’s been helping me figure out what I wanted to do with our company. I want there to be passion for cooking good food, among… other things. But I look at you and I see someone who loves cooking. You… deserve to be able to share it with people sooner.”
This was why her grandfather started the business in the first place. A passion for what he did, and giving to others. Shinjiro-san was rough around the edges, but had a good heart, and wanted to see people well fed and taken care of. He would be exactly the kind of person her grandfather would trust. She was sure of it.
Shinjiro-san slowly exhaled. “But… why me? If it’s because you’re good friends with Ken—”
“Well, if it wasn’t for Ken-kun, I probably would’ve never tasted your food,” Haru cut him off immediately. She then took another breath and stood up straighter. “But I’m offering this because I believe that you have what it takes to create a wonderful restaurant.”
Shinjiro-san looked wary still. Haru lightly shook her head and let out a sigh.
“There’s still… I don’t know a lot about food and cooking,” she admitted. “But I know that I want to someday have a café, where people will feel like it’s a second home. To eat comforting food, to enjoy a relaxing atmosphere… I want to be like my grandfather.”
She chanced a glance at Shinjiro-san. He had frozen when Haru brought up her grandfather. A sad smile formed on her face.
Her grandfather was such a giving man, to a fault. It’s sadly what eventually pushed her father on the path he eventually took because he was too generous, and that affected his family, namely her father. However, her father went on the opposite extreme. Caring too much about success and slowly over time becoming colder and greedier.
It was easier to say at least you want to be more like your grandfather and not admit... you felt you could strike a balance. Learn from both the patriarchs that came before you. From their strengths and weaknesses. Admitting that would be... delving into territory about her father and all the what-ifs. And that was still a sore subject.
Her father, her grandfather... there had to be a happy median. To be kind and generous like her grandfather, but aim to do better finanically she wouldn’t hurt the company and her future family. But there was still so much she didn’t know. But perhaps, with proper guidance… and some trusted allies and companions, she can make Okumura Foods a company that her grandfather would be proud of, and one her father originally hoped to create before he became so distorted. Maybe, if she tried her hardest, she could make it better. Honest but still successful. Creating smiles for all who come to sample what they have to offer, but providing opportunities and jobs for those in need of them.
She dared not voice it yet, Shinjiro-san would definitely deny he could help make that possible. But as the saying goes: “Little by little, little becomes a lot.”
“But when I taste your cooking, I’m just… amazed. It’s like you know how to make your cooking feel like you’re trying out the dish for the very first time. It’s just incredible and it… saddens me that you view help from others as just charity.”
Shinjiro-san just sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “It just… feels like a handout.”
Haru tilted her head. “I think you’re being unfair to yourself, Shinjiro-san. Ken-kun’s told me a bit about your… outlook on life. You dislike your friends trying to help you, even if it’s for the sake of your health. And yet, you berate others for trying to shoulder the burden on their own. I think you should give yourself more chances, like you give others.”
Haru had learned that it was best to try and take the hand reached out to you. She had almost pushed her friends away while wallowing in her grief. She was grateful to Mitsuru-san for giving her the final push to reach out to her friends once more.
“That’s… different,” he hedged out.
Haru pursed her lips before sighing. “You truly are stubborn, aren’t you?”
Shinjiro-san groaned. “Okumura… why me, though? There are others who might deserve it more, y’know. You should give it to an employee or somethin’, who wants to start something new.”
Haru just crossed her legs. “Well… I don’t know them. I know you and your cooking.”
Shinjiro-san’s expression still didn’t waver. Koromaru suddenly jumped next to where he sat on the couch, giving a small bark. Haru couldn’t help but feel that the shiba inu was agreeing with her.
“Does my cooking really remind you of your grandfather’s?” Doubt crept in Shinjiro-san’s voice.
Haru nodded furiously, her curls bouncing around her face. “It really does! And it really is fantastic, it makes me think of a… simpler time. A time where a delicious home cooked dinner could make me forget all of my issues.”
She couldn’t help but smile sadly at that. From what she remembered, her mother wasn’t much of a cook. But Father… had loved cooking for her. He learned from his father. He spoke fondly of certain cooking techniques taught by Haru's grandfather. She could remember vaguely him explaining the process to her or her mother.
Haru couldn’t help but close her eyes and picture it; the fleeting memories of how Father doted on Mother during her second pregnancy. He’d make her breakfast in bed, she’d smile up at him and thank him, and Father would kiss her and then caress her baby bump. They had been… so happy then, it was truly a simpler time before Mother had died…
A lump formed in her throat and she quickly blinked away the tears threatening to spill over. She subtly wiped at her eyes, masking it as her rubbing at her eyes.
“It just felt… fortuitous, since you were returning to Port Island,” Haru said quietly. “And we have to consolidate our holdings anyways.”
But Shinjiro-san looked uncertain still, so she fought the urge to sigh.
“But… I won’t force you, Shinjiro-san. But it would mean a lot to me if you would consider it.”
She didn’t want to keep pushing the matter. Shinjiro-san had his pride after all and she didn’t want to make things tense between them. It would be difficult on Ken, as well.
She then slowly rose to her feet, as Shinjiro-san had yet to say anything.
“Okumura, wait.”
Haru looked to him with hopeful eyes. Shinjiro-san heaved out a sigh, rubbing at his face and muttering something that sounded like “This girl…” under his breath.
“I’m not sayin’ yes, but… I’ll take a look next time I go back to Port Island and we can talk about this again.”
Haru couldn’t hold back an excited squeak.
“It’s not a yes, but you’ve got a point,” he admitted, a small blush creeping into his cheeks. “I’ll be going back to see Fuuka for White Day so I’ll let you know.”
Haru beamed, clapping her hands together. “Thank you, Shinjiro-san! And let me know if you have any questions!”
“Yeah, yeah.” Shinjiro-san waved a hand at her. “Anyways, you gonna stay for dinner?”
Haru’s eyes widened. “Oh, um, I don’t mean to impose!”
Shinjiro-san’s eyes flicked towards the ceiling before he let out a snort.
“And yet you offer me an entire goddamn restaurant.”
Haru smiled sheepishly before clasping her hands behind her back. “Um, I suppose… when you put it that way…”
Shinjiro-san threw her a smirk but before he could say anything, the front door opened and Ken stepped through.
“Shinjiro-san, I’m b—” He then paused, tilting his head. “Oh, Haru. I didn’t know you were here.”
Haru giggled. “Hi, Ken-kun. I just wanted to ask Shinjiro-san something.”
Koromaru then made a beeline for Ken, headbutting Ken in the leg. Ken just laughed, kneeling down to pet the shiba inu.
“Ken, Okumura is staying for dinner. Put another setting on the table tonight,” Shinjiro-san told him.
“Of course, Shinjiro-san.” Ken then straightened up, which made Koromaru whine.
Haru had to suppress another giggle again. Perhaps Koromaru wanted some more attention from Ken.
Ken then followed his guardian inside but Haru followed them, lingering by the counter. Ken was washing his hands, since he had been petting Koromaru.
“Um… would you like some help?” Haru offered as Ken shut off the water and grabbed a towel to dry his hands.
Shinjiro-san huffed before opening the cabinet, pulling out a wok. “Leave it, Okumura. You’re a guest. Just sit down and play with Koromaru if you want.”
He then set it on the stove and moved to the fridge to grab some ingredients. With the older man’s back turned, Ken just rolled his eyes at Shinjiro-san before opening the cabinet holding the dishes to retrieve three plates.
After he grabbed three pairs of chopsticks from a drawer, he set them on top of the plates and started walking towards the table.
“Um… hey, Haru?” he said in a low voice. “Did you ask…?”
“He said it was a maybe,” Haru said in an equally low voice.
Ken sighed, shaking his head. “So stubborn. Still… it’s something, I suppose.”
“You had to learn it from somewhere, didn’t you?” Haru couldn’t help but lightly tease him.
Ken glared at her for that but Haru just gave him a sweet smile.
“What are you two whispering about?” Shinjiro-san gave them a suspicious look, his eyes narrowed at them.
Ken just shrugged. “Just asking her opinion about what I’m thinking of doing for Makoto for White Day.”
“Riiight…” Shinjiro-san deadpanned, clearly not buying Ken’s lie. “Well hurry up already so you can help me chop these onions.”
Haru couldn’t help but smile as Shinjiro-san bustled around the kitchen. While personality wise, he was nothing like Grandfather… he was also so passionate about food and cooking like Grandfather. Her father definitely wouldn’t have liked him, that’s for sure. But she wondered, when she was a child, maybe his opinion would have been different.
Haru shook her head. She liked him. What-ifs weren’t going to help her right now. She needed to focus on what’s forward, not back.
Saturday, March 4th, 2017
“So… I’ll be out of a bartender soon enough,” Lala sighed. “Are you sure you can’t stay, Aragaki?”
Shinjiro just shrugged. “Sorry… But my stay in Tokyo was always gonna be a temporary thing. I’m going back to Port Island near the end of the month.”
Lala shook her head. “Well… I suppose it can’t be helped. Especially since you have that fiancée of yours waiting on you.”
Shinjiro could only nod. “Yeah… But I also wanted to give you something else.”
“Aside from your two weeks notice?” Lala asked. “What—oh.”
Lala’s expression was a bit unreadable as she looked at the invitation in Shinjiro’s hand.
Fuuka had been surprised when Shinjiro brought up inviting Lala. But… he genuinely liked her. The wedding guest list wasn’t terribly big—he and Fuuka were hardly social butterflies, like Minako was, after all. They had invited some old classmates—all from her year; Shinjiro didn’t exactly bother to get to know his classmates during his first year of Gekkoukan, after all.
She then took it, scanning the contents of the invitation.
“It’s not far off,” she noted. “July thirtieth?”
Shinjiro shrugged. “We’re not going to make it a big event. And trust me… the maid of honor’s been going a little nuts with the planning.”
“I see.” Lala chuckled. “You wouldn’t mind if I bring Ichiko then?”
Shinjiro rolled his eyes. “Just do me a favor and don’t let her near Yukiko Amagi. Especially during the reception.”
He had always thought that Amagi was somewhat of an oddball, but one of the tamer ones, compared to her friends. But that perception had been wiped away the moment he saw her drink a cocktail that was little more than just fruit juice.
Lala just tilted her head. “Why?”
“She’s also nuts when it comes to alcohol. But I think Amamiya will be more of a handful anyways,” Shinjiro explained.
Recognition lit up in her eyes. “Oh, that’s right, he’s friends with your ward, no?”
“Unfortunately…” Shinjiro grumbled.
“He’s a good boy, don’t be so ornery about him.” Lala then set the invitation down on the counter; a warm smile then spread across her face. “But… thank you, Aragaki. I appreciate this, from the bottom of my heart. I hope whatever you choose to pursue, you’ll be happy.”
“Thanks, I will.”
He wasn’t sure about Okumura’s offer. He kinda thought it was a little crazy. But he could say with confidence that he was happy now.
In seven months… it would be ten years since he accidentally killed Ken’s mom. Sometimes, he still wished it had never happened. But he had learned to forgive himself a long time ago and he could say now with confidence that he was happy.
Lala said, “Well… good night. I’ll see you next shift, yeah?”
Shinjiro nodded. “Of course.”
He then headed for home. Tonight hadn’t been too crazy but he was ready to crash for the night.
Tokyo wasn’t too bad when it was a bit calmer. But he really preferred Port Island. And he was looking forward to returning to the apartment he shared with Fuuka… even if Ken wasn’t coming back.
At the thought of Ken, Shinjiro frowned. Ken had been a little quiet lately, probably because of what happened with Akechi. Ken always got down about Akechi, even though it wasn’t Ken’s fault. He cheered up a little when he was around his friends at least.
But Shinjiro wasn’t entirely sure how to address it.
Maybe he would try to talk to Ken about it after school today. He just… hated seeing Ken being so down about something that was beyond his control.
But he had finally made it back to the apartment. He rode the elevator to the top floor, heading to the door to unlock it. Shinjiro let out a tired sigh as he kicked off his shoes by the door. He went to the kitchen for a glass of water before he would shower and head to bed.
After putting the glass in the sink, Shinjiro collected his pajamas from his bedroom. But… he then realized that the light in Ken’s room was still on, seeing the light through the crack of his door. Shinjiro groaned. He swore if Ken was passed out on his desk again, he was gonna bop him upside the head.
He opened the door… only to see Ken was sitting on his bed, cross-legged, with a familiar photo album balanced on his lap. The light was dimmer, probably since Koromaru was lying next to Ken, fast asleep.
“Ken, it’s nearly three in the morning!” Shinjiro hissed out, keeping his voice low for Koromaru’s sake. “Why are you still awake?”
Ken jerked up at the sound of Shinjiro’s voice.
“Shinjiro-san! You’re back—”
His voice died as Shinjiro gave him a stern glare.
“Ken…” he said in a warning voice.
Ken let out a weary sigh before he rubbed at his eyes. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep…”
“Did you have a dream about your mom?” Shinjiro asked, feeling a little concerned.
“No, it’s… not that…” he trailed off.
Ken crossed his arms and let out a sigh.
Shinjiro sighed before moving to sit next to him on the edge of Ken’s bed.
“Then what is it?” he asked.
Ken pressed his lips together, his gaze downcast.
“You know about Akechi,” he said finally. “It’s just… I don’t know. I know that I can’t control his actions. But still, I wonder… what would’ve Mom thought about all of this? Looking back on it, I think… she regretted the wedge that formed between her and her sister. She would always get kinda down on her birthday especially.”
Shinjiro just slowly exhaled. He could understand why this was weighing heavily on Ken’s mind. Granted, Akechi had claimed that he knew what Ken’s mom would’ve wanted.
Shinjiro only knew her through what Ken had recounted to him over the years. But there was one thing Shinjiro was confident about Hikari Amada.
“Your mom would’ve wanted you to be happy. To prioritize yourself, not Akechi,” Shinjiro said.
He reached out to touch Ken’s shoulder.
But to his disappointment, Ken just let out an uncommitting hum at that.
“But you ain’t your mom. Akechi ain’t his.” Shinjiro sighed, lowering his hand. “Ken… I know that it sucks that your mom and your aunt weren’t able to talk things out before your mom died. But you don’t owe Akechi shit.”
Ken bit his lip. “I know that… But still, I keep thinking about the what-ifs.”
But he finally closed the album. Some of the tension from his shoulders finally melted away.
Even so, Shinjiro disliked seeing Ken being so torn about Akechi. He was just… so hard on himself about this, even though Akechi obviously was intent on doing whatever the hell he wanted to do.
“But if you’re stuck wondering about Akechi, maybe you ought to see him,” Shinjiro said.
He was tempted to say one last time, but he didn’t know how exactly Ken felt. If he could see something salvageable or if he wanted to never see Akechi again. (Personally, he would’ve preferred the latter.)
But he did know how Ken operated.
“I know you, if you keep bottling it up, you’ll start coming up with a gazillion what-if scenarios. So, you need to face it head on. Face him. You guys did hash out some things when you last saw each other but…”
Shinjiro trailed off at that last part. He still wasn’t happy with how Akechi had trapped Ken. It was beyond Ken or the others’ control. But the fact was that… Akechi had tried killing Ken. Again.
The thought of going to see Akechi himself had come to Shinjiro’s mind. Akechi had been a little whatever to him before finding out the truth about him. A bit of a braggart and full of hot air, but Shinjiro had similar sentiments to most celebrities.
But finding out about the truth of Akechi’s actions, what he tried to do to Ken and the Phantom Thieves multiple times, not to mention his aiding of Shido… It still boiled his blood, thinking about it.
But he highly doubted that Akechi would even want to see him, but still… he couldn’t help but feel it weighing in his mind. Tsukiko Himura… another name… another causality. No, he didn’t kill her. But the consequences of not controlling Castor that night didn’t just end with the Amadas, even though they were the most directly hurt. But like throwing a rock in a pond, you never know the ripples it causes.
Tsukiko Himura’s suicide was one of them. And her son growing up to go on a warpath was another. Yes, there were many other factors that led to Akechi’s mother taking her life, but Ken’s mother dying was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Akechi obviously had… many issues… but his mother’s suicide was definitely a key factor in pushing him on the path he was on.
The ripples from that one rock thrown. How many people Akechi ruined or killed… maybe none of that would have happened had he just had control that one night.
Shinjiro shook his head. He was lecturing Ken about what-ifs and here he was doing it too. For all he knew, they would eventually be driven down those paths through some other means being the cause. Obsessing over what-ifs was pointless and helped no one.
Shinjiro let out a heavy sigh. Still… he wanted to visit Akechi. Maybe if only to personally apologize, look at one of his indirect consequences in the eye and explain the truth. If he could face Ken, he could certainly face Akechi. The boy would definitely not accept it, but that isn’t the point. He’s not looking for forgiveness, if anything… maybe he can impart something for the boy to use.
He doubted he’d ever take advice from him. But still, couldn’t hurt. The worse he could do was scream at him and tell him to fuck off.
“I still can’t believe he was jealous of the twins,” Ken muttered, pulling Shinjiro from his thoughts.
Akechi was just lucky that Aigis, Minako, or Takeba weren’t present for that. Aigis and Takeba would’ve made him into target practice and Minako… probably would’ve beat his ass with that cheerful smile of hers.
“And you,” Shinjiro reminded.
“Hard to forget that…” Ken sighed before letting out a huge yawn. “But… I think you’re right, Shinjiro-san. Thank you for talking it out with me.”
“‘Course, any time,” he reassured Ken. “But for now—go to bed. It’s past three, for fuck’s sake.”
Ken just chuckled. “Okay, okay, I will. Good night, Shinjiro-san.”
Shinjiro-san stood up, stretching the kinks from his body. Then he ruffled Ken’s hair, unable to hold back a smirk as Ken glowered him.
“Any time, Ken.”
Sunday, March 5th, 2017
For the past six years, Ken had gone to the cemetery to visit Minato-san on this day. But after his talk with Shinjiro-san yesterday… Ken knew that it’d be better to not put it off any longer.
So here he was, waiting to see Akechi.
He had received a dubious look at the front desk when Ken stated he was Akechi’s cousin and wished to visit him but he was more occupied with worrying about what he wanted to say to Akechi than what strangers thought.
Ken looked up at the sound of a door opening. A police officer stepped out.
“You can come see Akechi now,” he stated, only to add another comment under his breath. “Not that I know why people keep comin’...”
Ken ignored this last comment, giving a small bow of his head. “Thank you.”
He was then led to where meetings were conducted in the detention center. Akechi was already waiting for him, sitting on the other side of the glass wall.
“Ken,” Akechi greeted him curtly.
Ken did not speak until he sat down, forcing a smile to his lips. “Hello, Akechi.”
Looking at Akechi was a little… bizarre, if Ken was being honest. Last time they had seen each other, Akechi had been aggressive—his detective prince persona completely wiped away, leaving behind only a bitter and angry teenager. He looked different too. His hair was shorter than when he last saw him.
Ken wasn’t sure where to start. But then Akechi suddenly snorted.
“Are you here to say ‘I told you so’?”
The question took Ken aback, only for irritation to bubble inside of him.
“Are you always planning to think the worst of me?” Ken retorted.
Akechi slowly exhaled. “I’d say the same for you.”
Ken couldn’t hold back a huff of annoyance, the puff of air ruffling his bangs. He couldn’t help but wonder if Akechi would ever not get under his skin.
But… thinking the worst of him? What, because Ken actually held him accountable for his actions?
Akechi then looked away; arms crossed over his chest. “What do you want, then?”
Ken pressed his lips together. “I didn’t know what to think when I heard the news.”
“What do you want me to say?” Akechi sneered. “I was seized by my consciousness and I had to turn myself in?”
Ken scowled to himself. He was lucky that a glass wall separated them. If only he could smack off that insufferable look off of Akechi’s face…
“On top of that, I still haven’t figured you out,” Akechi suddenly said. “You’ll give me shit for my actions but Aragaki killed your mother.”
Ken felt his jaw tighten as he hissed. “How is that comparable?! I didn’t go out and murder people that had nothing to do with the person who took her life. Don’t you start with me, our actions are not the same! Stop trying to fit me into your box! I told you it was an accident! Shinjiro-san’s control over his Persona wasn’t perfect and they were pursuing a Shadow into the city!”
“They…” Akechi echoed. “Kirijo was one at the time, then? The Kirijo Group covered up your mom’s death, how could you—”
Ken slammed both of his hands on the table, standing up. Akechi stared at him; his mouth slightly agape. But Ken didn’t really care that he had startled Akechi.
“Shut up! And for once, actually listen to what I’m saying! I’m only going to say this once. Mitsuru-san was sixteen at the time. She didn’t call the shots to cover it up. And Shinjiro-san—he put himself through hell because of his guilt. And you… you don’t get to dictate how I’m supposed to feel, about people I care about, for people who stuck their necks out for me. You weren’t there! You don’t know anything about that night or what we all went through! Just because you dug around into my past without my permission doesn’t mean you know the real details!”
Shinjiro-san and Akihiko-san were ready to take on Shido… for him. They risked their lives that night, and he still remembered the terror clawing at him when Shido pointed his gun at Shinjiro-san’s head.
It was quiet. Dead quiet.
Akechi’s expression grew pensive at that, his eyes growing distant. For a moment, Ken contemplated revealing the full details exactly Shinjiro-san went through to Akechi, to help him understand. But… would it even matter?
Ken had attempted to explain what happened with Shinjiro-san and Mom before but… It didn't matter to Akechi. He still thought that Shinjiro-san deserved to die, even if it was a complete accident.
“So, you’re telling me that you’ve never felt a smidge of resentment about the Kirijo Group covering that up?” Akechi scoffed. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth. The difference is that I learn to let it go and not be consumed by it,” Ken spat out. “What's the point of just hanging on to it? Yes, the Kirijo Group buried the truth of Mom's death. But the person responsible for the group's wrongdoings is long dead. Shinjiro-san tortured himself enough from that accident. Mitsuru-san has been desperately trying to fix the mistakes of the company she inherited. There is no reason for me to hang onto resentment and bitterness.”
Not to mention, Mitsuru-san had gone through horrific things, at the hands of her very own grandfather. All for the sake of her father.
And she had lost her purpose when her father had been killed. She… would never get that back, even after finding her true purpose. It didn't matter that Ikutsuki was dead as well. She had been completely shattered by it.
And looking at Akechi… he still held so much resentment inside of him. Maybe their circumstances weren't perfectly alike, because Shinjiro-san was a good person and Shido wasn't. He didn’t have all the context of Akechi’s childhood, like Akechi didn’t have the full picture of him. But it still… was unnerving. To see him stay so bitter and angry.
“Good for you, I guess,” Akechi said with a shrug. “I just don't understand how you can just roll over and let everything go like it’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” Ken said flatly.
Mitsuru-san’s deep guilt… it was so apparent.
Both with seeing the memory of how Ken became aware of the Dark Hour and… seeing what the Kirijo Group had done to Labrys and her sisters and seeing the effects of the experiments inflicted on Sho Minazuki.
For something that she didn’t even do, but she considered herself guilty by association.
“You didn’t listen to a word I said. It was not Mitsuru-san’s fault. And… you don’t know what I went through either. Or Shinjiro-san, for that matter,” Ken said with a glare.
“So you keep saying. I seriously doubt he lost any sleep over that,” Akechi scoffed.
Ken’s hands clenched over his knees. His attitude was so… so infuriating.
“You don’t know the first thing about him. Did you lose any sleep? Do you still think about it? What you did to Haru and Futaba? Or all those people who’s lives you ruined by fabricating those crimes. Or the people you killed or put in hospitals along the way? Their families? Isn’t that why you’re here? Isn’t that why you turned yourself in?” Ken challenged.
Akechi remained silent for a stifling few minutes and Ken couldn’t bear it. He wouldn’t even look up at him.
“Do you hate him? Shinjiro-san?” Ken demanded.
“Why wouldn’t I?!” Akechi demanded. “He’s why Mom is dead. She became so overcome with guilt about never reaching out to your mom that she overdosed on pills. He’s why I was left behind!”
Pills. Pills. If only Akechi knew. No… more than likely he would find it perfect, fitting… but a shame it didn’t claim him.
A small scoff escaped Ken and Akechi narrowed his eyes.
“What’s so funny?”
A part of him wondered if he should tell Akechi. Or if he was just wasting his breath again.
But hearing how his aunt died… Ken barely held back a shudder. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the grief and guilt his aunt must have felt. So many things in the deck were stacked against her. And she beaten down one too many times. She deserved better. But it was not Shinjiro-san’s fault.
It dawned on Ken… maybe Akechi didn’t know what to do with everything now that his plans were stopped and his target of revenge was neutralized by them instead. Ken couldn’t hold onto his rage and anger anymore, especially when the ones really responsible were long dead, there was no point. Plus, Shinjiro-san’s sacrifice and words…
But Akechi… he still wanted to hang onto that bitterness still it seemed despite turning himself in. But the ones who wronged his mother were out of his reach. So, he’s choosing to now push the anger and blame elsewhere. Not that he didn’t already make it clear to him when he revealed their blood relation, he wanted Shinjiro-san dead, but still… This venomous resentment would destroy him if he continues to cling to it.
But still, he couldn’t help but pity Akechi. For feeling left behind. Because… he had felt that way once. He had thought living was too painful, the only thing driving him was the thought of avenging Mom.
“Well?” Akechi spat out.
Ken huffed. “Tell me, are you just convinced that your side of the story is the only right one? Or… are you willing to hear the other side?”
Akechi narrowed his eyes. “Don’t dangle it over my head. Tell me the entire story or don’t tell me at all.”
Ken shrugged. “Just thought I’d ask, since so much of what I say seems to go in one ear and out the other… but forget it. It’s clear to me you aren’t interested in the truth. I’m not gonna waste anymore of our time regarding it.”
Akechi glared at Ken’s jab. But Ken didn’t care, not with how Akechi had rebuffed him time and time again. He was just… tired. It shouldn’t feel like an uphill battle…
“Fine. Whatever.” Akechi scowled. “What else did you want to talk about, then?”
Ken’s brows knitted together.
“Would it have mattered if Shido regretted what he did to your mother?”
Futaba disliked, if not hated Akechi, for what he had done to Isshiki-san. And… Ken couldn’t fault her for that. Or… Akechi for that matter regarding Shido. But… he was genuinely curious.
And… after all, he had said to Ryuji not too long ago that he understood if Ryuji would never be able to forgive his father.
“I…” Akechi then cleared his throat. “Well, it doesn’t matter. The asshole’s in jail now.”
“Shido seems ready to atone though. What about you?” Ken asked.
“What about me?” Akechi spat out. “Isn’t it enough that I’m here?”
Ken eyed Akechi warily. “What about when you leave?”
Akechi let out a bitter laugh. “Jumping the gun, aren’t you? I’m not supposed to get out for twenty years. What, got our physical reunion all planned out?”
“No,” Ken said sharply.
Seriously, after all the crap about them being family? Heaven forbid that Ken tried to push him to do better. Maybe it was too much to ask for with how Akechi was now. He was too emotionally stunted, because he had never found anyone to reach out to him while he was still young.
“Honestly, Akechi? I’d be perfectly happy if we never saw each other again. I don’t need you,” Ken growled out. “I cut out my uncle recently, you know. I’ve known for a long time ago that I don’t need him to be my family. Shinjiro-san and everyone else—they’re practically like my older siblings. They drive me batty sometimes but I love them. On top of that, I also have everyone in Tokyo too.”
Akechi stared at him.
“I…”
“But there is someone who still cares about you, the way Shinjiro-san and the others care about me. Don’t throw back her well-wishes in her face,” Ken said. “After everything… I’d pity for her efforts to be wasted.”
Niijima-san stuck her neck out when it could have been dangerous. She chose to take him in when he was injured and bandage him back him. She chose to seek him out, alone, to ask him to turn himself in. Akechi lied to her about everything and betrayed her trust, but there seemed to be some genuine friendship buried in there. Niijima-san believed in that. And her belief paid off, Akechi clearly respected her enough to actually listen to her when she reached out. He trusted her enough to go to her when he was desperate.
If he continues the way he is now, he could push away the only friend he has. And he’ll truly be alone, struggling to turn his life around.
Akechi’s jaw clenched tightly before his gaze dropped to the counter.
“...I see.”
Ken then pushed his chair back and stood. He could only hope that his words actually meant something to Akechi. There was… nothing he could do. His friends were right, there was only so much he could say. The rest… was in Akechi’s hands.
“Only you can improve yourself, Akechi,” he said flatly. “Not me… not anyone else. Think about what you want to do with the rest of your life. Not your mom, not me, not anyone else. What you want to do with your second chance.”
But before Ken could turn to leave, Akechi spoke.
“So you don’t care to see it further?”
Ken’s fingers clenched around the top of his chair.
“At this point… I don’t know…” He then raised his eyes to look at Akechi. “The ball’s in your court, Akechi. Make the most of what you’ve been given. Be a better person… the one she believes you’re still capable of. Because… not everyone gets to turn over a new leaf.”
He didn’t wait for Akechi’s response but Ken noticed there was a pensive look in his eyes right as Ken shut the door.
He meant what he said. He could only hope that Akechi would take his words to heart…
Niijima-san had faith he could and will, when nobody else had. He could only hope that the person she saw in Akechi… was actually there.
Friday, March 17th, 2017
Tomorrow would be their last day of high school. It felt almost surreal to Ken, even after their graduation ceremony last week.
But even as the bell rang, some of their classmates seemed to linger. Perhaps the same realization had hit them as well.
“Ken?” Even though Makoto spoke quietly, Ken immediately grew alert at the sound of her voice. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m fine,” he reassured before starting to pack away his belongings. “It just… sank in. That tomorrow is our last day at Shujin.”
It wasn’t like he was terribly involved with Shujin, beyond helping Makoto with student council work. But… it wasn’t all bad, either. He was only here for less than a year, yet it felt longer than that. In a weird way, a part of him was starting to miss it already.
He supposed that was all due to the friends he made here. A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips thinking on all they went through in and out of school.
Makoto just smiled before standing, pushing her chair in. “I know. But it doesn’t mean everything is going to change.”
“I know, it just feels surreal,” he said with a light nod.
Makoto let out a small hum. “I think a lot of people feel that way. You’re not alone in that.”
Ken gave her a slight smile. “I know, and it… feels nice to not be alone in it. But do you want to go see what Haru’s up to before we head off?”
Makoto looked thoughtful before smiling warmly. “That sounds great. Let’s go.”
Makoto took his hand before they left the classroom together. They checked the roof since Haru was usually tending to the rooftop garden after school. And sure enough, they found Haru filling a water can to water some of the plants. But she set it down as Ken opened the door, allowing Makoto to step through first.
“Oh, Mako-chan! Ken-kun!” Haru gave them her usual sweet smile and a wave.
“Hey, Haru. I see you’re at hard work as always,” Ken greeted.
Haru beamed before brushing a stray curl out of her face. Ken wondered if she was aware of the smudge of dirt streaked across her forehead.
“Thank you!” Then a bittersweet smile began to tug at her lips. “I will say, I think I’ll miss this.”
“The gardening? Well, you could always start a little garden too,” Ken said.
Haru chuckled. “Oh well, I was actually thinking about… high school as a whole.”
Then she gazed out to the skyline, an almost wistful smile on her face now.
“Oh… I see,” Ken said.
Makoto was right again, no surprise. He wasn’t the only one feeling this feeling today.
Besides him, Makoto cleared her throat. “Have you found any apartments near your university yet, Haru?”
“I’m touring some apartments this weekend. I know I don’t have to get a place of my own but… I feel that I should,” Haru admitted.
“You have time. I hope you find something that works for you,” Ken reassured.
Haru smiled. “Thank you, Ken-kun.”
Makoto just shook her head. “You two make me feel that I should’ve gone and looked, instead of staying home with Sis for now.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that, Mako-chan!” Haru reassured her. “I mean, it’ll let you save up money when you’re ready to move out. Honestly that’s way smarter to do financially. Why my father did just th—”
Haru cut herself off, her eyes widening just a fraction. She hastily turned away. Ken and Makoto both glanced at each other, mirroring each other’s concerned expressions.
“Haru?” Ken spoke up after a few seconds of awkward silence.
Haru turned back around, a sad smile on her face.
“I’m sorry… I’ll be alright.” She turned back to watering the flowers. “Certain complexes are very expensive to rent in the city. You want to find one in a safe area, after all. Though I suppose you could always stay at the dorms, but at least this way… you’ll get more time with your sister and you get to save up your money. You could put money towards what would go for renting to a savings account.”
Ken let out a sigh. Makoto gave him a weak smile. Haru clearly wanted to change the subject regarding her father, which was understandable. He could accommodate.
“Yeah, that would be prudent. Start building up some savings that could go towards a future car, or even a home,” Ken suggested.
Haru set down the pail again and smiled at Ken.
“Oh yes, that would be very forward thinking. Of course, you could also use that money to go towards school expenses and tuition. But either way I think it’s great and you shouldn’t feel you’re wrong to stay with your sister for your first year.”
Makoto just chuckled. “I suppose that’s true.”
Then she headed out closer to the edge, gazing out at the skyline. She then gave a light sigh.
“Is there something wrong, Makoto?” Ken asked before standing next to his girlfriend.
“Tomorrow will be our last day...” Makoto’s expression was wistful. “I know that Kamoshida’s actions or Kobayakawa’s complacency wasn’t my fault, but I can only hope that whoever becomes the next student council president will be able to do more for Shujin.”
“Makoto… you shouldn’t blame yourself,” Ken said quietly. “And… you’ve more than made up for it. You made sure that Kaneshiro paid for what he did to Shujin’s students… not to mention all of his other victims.”
“And don’t forget what your goal is, Mako-chan,” Haru said softly. “And your speech last week at the graduation ceremony… it was wonderful, truly. I especially liked that line…”
Haru wet her lips as she thought. She stood up a little straighter and looked up to the skyline, a smile tugging at her lips.
“Become the foundation of the world. Make every day count and keep working towards your dreams and goals,” Haru repeated Makoto’s words.
Makoto blushed faintly at that. “Thank you. I really wanted to inspire people to not remain complacent.”
Ken smiled. “And I could see it resonating with people in the audience. You did a wonderful job, Makoto.”
“You helped,” she quickly deflected as her blush darkened slightly.
“I only helped polish it.” Ken took Makoto’s hand again, giving it a squeeze. “Give yourself credit.”
“If you say so…” Makoto said, almost bashfully.
Haru giggled. “And I did love the speech being centered around everyone’s futures. Things are looking bright now but I can only hope that things look up even further.”
There was something about Haru’s statement that made Ken think of the promise SEES had made… right before they had managed to free themselves from the Abyss of Time. To create a world where… people would no longer desire the Fall.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Makoto said with a warm smile. “But would you like any help?”
“Oh…” Haru’s brow furrowed. “Yes, that would be nice, but shouldn’t Ken-kun be headed for the train station in Shibuya soon? I thought Shinjiro-san was coming back today. You were going to meet him, right?”
“You’re right,” Ken breathed out, only to smack his forehead. “I can’t believe I forgot. I’m sorry, I have to go.”
Haru just nodded in understanding. But Makoto grasped his hand to stop him before leaning up to kiss his cheek briefly. Ken felt his cheeks warm up. They had grown to be a little more physically affectionate ever since… Christmas. It was a nice feeling but it still made Ken a little flustered.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Ken murmured before leaning in to kiss Makoto’s temple.
Makoto nodded before taking a step back. She turned back to grab another small pail to help Haru with the garden. Ken waved goodbye to them both before he hurried to the train station. He managed to catch the train right at the right time.
He stepped off before making his way to where the trains from other cities were pulling in. It took maybe ten minutes before Shinjiro-san came into view.
He was expecting his guardian to be just carrying his usual tote bag. And while his beat-up gray duffel bag was hanging off of Shinjiro-san’s shoulder, he also carried… a dog carrier? What, did he bring Koromaru’s mate back with him?
Ken pushed aside the questions in his mind, shaking his head. He could find out later.
“Shinjiro-san!” he called, lifting a hand in greeting.
“So glad to be off that thing…” Shinjiro-san griped.
He let out a weary sigh before setting down the dog carrier, rolling his shoulders.
“Did you bring Hoshi?” Ken asked.
“Nah, it’s…” Shinjiro-san then shook his head. “I’ll tell ya when we get back to the penthouse. You mind carrying my bag? It’s starting to kill my shoulder.”
Ken raised an eyebrow. How odd for Shinjiro-san to be cryptic like this…
But he nodded, taking Shinjiro-san’s bag before they started walking back. Shinjiro-san shared with him how everyone on Port Island was doing. Akihiko-san, to nobody’s surprise, was already wrapped around little Kiyomi’s finger. The twins were happily settling into Port Island and were looking forward to starting the first grade in just a few weeks. Yukari-san was making the last few steps before she was ready to open her boutique.
Either way, he was happy for his friends.
But they finally made it back and Koromaru greeted them both with joyful barks. He sniffed the carrier as Shinjiro-san set it down.
Shinjiro-san let out a short breath, rubbing the back of his neck.
He said slowly, “There is… another thing I wanted to tell ya. I—uh… I talked to Mitsuru about the Shadow Operatives.”
“About what?” Ken asked, feeling a little lost.
“About… adding me to the Shadow Operative auxiliary team,” he said.
When Ken looked at him in shock, Shinjiro-san let out a small laugh before rubbing the back of his neck.
“It’s funny, ‘cause after I woke up from my coma… I promised myself that I’d make it count this time. I’d step up if my friends needed me… but you made me realize that kind of mindset is narrow minded,” he explained. “That I oughta do more, to fulfill the promise we made when we were still in the Abyss of Time. Guess I've still got some things to learn, huh?”
“Shinjiro-san…” Ken trailed off.
“I still have my priorities, of course,” Shinjiro-san sighed. “And… I promised Okumura to look at the place she’s offering me. It’s… it’s not bad.”
“Are you gonna take it?” Ken said, trying to keep his voice casual.
Even though Shinjiro-san had told him that he didn’t need to get it now, when Haru told him… Ken couldn’t help but feel hopeful.
“I guess I am,” Shinjiro-san said. “Though Minako called me a dumbass for not outright taking the offer. I still need a lot of work to get it running though. Redoing the interior, getting all the permits… that plus the wedding, I’m going to have my hands full.”
“But in a good way,” Ken said.
“Yeah… in a good way,” Shinjiro-san echoed before he shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure about when I’ll be packing up everything to Port Island. But I plan to stick around until after you take Amamiya back to Shimoda.”
“Glad to hear that,” Ken said with a smile.
Though… Shinjiro-san’s statement made it sink in that he’d be leaving for Port Island for good soon. And Ken would not be going back with him.
He had thought from time to time about what it’d be like when he moved out but this was… it felt bittersweet.
Shinjiro-san cleared his throat. “But uh… back to your first question. Fuuka and I were talking and I know that you’ll have your friends here, but it’s different when you’re living on your own. Fuuka never found a family for the last of Koromaru’s puppies so…”
He then knelt down, finally opening the carrier. A black shiba inu burst out, letting out several barks to celebrate its freedom.
“She’s not Koromaru obviously but we thought it might be good for you to have some company,” Shinjiro-san said.
He then stood up straight again. He gave a small smile and a shrug.
“If you want her, anyways... sorry to assume but… Fuuka and I thought it was a good idea for ya.”
Ken knelt down himself and let the puppy sniff his hand. She let out a bark, pressing her paws against Ken’s legs. It was true, nobody would ever replace Koromaru. But he still couldn’t help but smile at her.
“I wouldn’t mind having a dog with me,” Ken admitted before scratching behind her ear. Then he looked back up at Shinjiro-san. “I’ll keep her.”
“Good to hear,” Shinjiro-san said. “Fuuka’s been calling her Sesame, by the way.”
“Well, her brother’s also named after food… so why not,” Ken laughed lightly.
Maybe he could talk with Ryuji and see about having a little playdate for their dogs, then. He wondered if Shoyu even remembered his littermates.
“Speaking of food…” Shinjiro-san looked at him sternly. “You’ve been feeding yourself properly, haven’t you?”
Ken fought the urge to roll his eyes as he stood up. “Yes, Shinjiro-san.”
He wouldn’t be surprised if Shinjiro-san would be calling him very often to make sure that he was properly feeding himself, once Shinjiro-san was back at Port Island…
Sunday, March 19th, 2017
Ren zipped shut his bag before taking a moment to survey the attic.
Most of his things were already shipped to Shimoda, including his room decorations. So… it was almost like how Ren left it, minus the majority of the dust, and clutter of boxes, books, and other forgotten knick-knacks.
“So… this is it,” Morgana said.
Ren nodded, unable to stop the bittersweet smile.
It was a… wild year, to put it lightly. When he first arrived in Tokyo, he had just… wanted the year to be over. For his punishment to be done with. But he had made friends, found a second family in Sojiro and Futaba… and he had helped take down the man who had ruined his life… not to mention that he fought a false god.
But now… he had the future to look forward to.
He stepped down to the main part of the cafe, where both Sojiro and Futaba were. Futaba was perched on one of the booth seats and Sojiro, of course, was manning the counter.
“All packed up?” Sojiro asked.
Ren could only nod and Sojiro just chuckled, shaking his head. Sojiro then took off his glasses and wiped them with his apron.
“Hard to believe that you’re taking off tomorrow,” he said as he put his glasses back on.
“Oh, and Sojiro said you don’t have to work today!” she chirped out.
Which wasn’t a surprise. Sojiro wouldn’t put him to work the day before he had to leave. Ren just put his hands in his pocket, and gave Futaba a smile and a nod.
“You should go and see your friends before you leave,” Sojiro suggested.
“Heh… thanks,” Ren said.
Sojiro nodded. “Off you go then.”
“Try not to cry,” Futaba teased.
But one of Leblanc’s regulars had entered the cafe, distracting Sojiro. So Ren approached Futaba.
“So… how are things?” Ren asked. “You got into Shujin, didn’t you?”
Things have been so hectic lately. Ren had been trying to squeeze as much time as he could with the whole group of friends that he hadn’t really done much one-on-one hangouts with his friends.
Futaba blinked. “Yeah… I’m kinda glad that I’ll have Anne and Ryuji… and Nishima with me at least. But um… I also have some more good news! Kana-chan passed her high school entrance exam! She told me when she messaged earlier today!”
Her relief was good to see. He wondered if Kaoru had made it to Shujin, though. If he did, it would be good for Futaba to have a possible classmate.
“Also, you do know his name is not Nishima, right?” Ren quirked a brow at her.
Futaba just snickered, “My special nickname for him now.”
Ren just shook his head and rolled his eyes. Ren then scooted over to get out of Sojiro’s way so he could bring cups of coffee over to his two customers.
“Hey Futaba, when you are there, I want you to keep an eye out for someone… if he made it in, that is,” Ren said.
“Hmm?” Futaba tilted her head.
Ren answered, “His name is Kaoru Iwai. He’ll be a year younger than you. I don’t know if he’ll end up in your class or not. But he could probably use some friends going into a new school.”
Sojiro moved back to the kitchen to start making the curry for the customers.
“Kaoru Iwai huh? Any relation to a certain supplier for us?” Futaba asked with a knowing glint in her eyes.
Ren chuckled and nodded, “Yeah, his son actually.”
“Ooooh! Interesting!” Futaba than sat up straight in her chair and gave Ren a salute. “You got it leader!”
“Knew I could count on you Futaba.” Ren placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
It was a little… bittersweet, though. Because Ren was dreading seeing his old school friends once more.
Futaba then pumped a fist, looking up at him with bright eyes. “I’m going to do my best in high school. I’ll make sure I use everything you taught me. Once I fulfill my promise to go to high school… I’ll be coming for that reward.”
“You won’t let me forget,” Ren chuckled.
“You can count on it!” Futaba grinned. “But um… I wanted you to have something, actually.”
She reached into her pocket, pulling out a piece of paper.
“The promise list?” Ren asked.
Futaba nodded, tucking in her chin. “I want you to hold on it. I’m gonna… keep pushing myself. It won’t be easy with you being gone but… I’m gonna try my best!”
Ren chuckled before giving her a pat on the head. “I believe in you, Futaba.”
“Thanks! But… come back soon, okay?”
“It’s a promise,” Ren vowed.
He meant it. He wasn’t sure about Golden Week entirely; he had looked it up and Constitution Memorial Day was on a Wednesday this year so he could possibly take a late train on the second and he’d be able to spend most of Golden Week in Tokyo. But summer? He was definitely coming back to have fun with everyone.
Then he looked over to Sojiro, who had finished serving his customers. He walked over.
“Hey.”
Sojiro raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t I tell you to get out of here? Come on, it’s not like you’re not seeing me tomorrow.”
Ren rubbed the back of his neck. “I just wanted to say… thanks. I mean, you didn’t have to take me in. And you did it for free.”
Sojiro huffed, looking to the side. “You’re painting me as a saint. Look… I know I was an ass to you in the beginning.”
“You meant well,” Ren said with a shrug. “Water under the bridge.”
When Sojiro looked at him, baffled, Ren offered a sheepish smile before shoving his hands in his jacket pockets.
“Sorry, western saying. Learned it from Anne.”
“Ah.” Sojiro nodded. “But still… I appreciate everything you taught me. You taught me not to run away. Looks like I learned more from you than the other way around.”
Ren meant to reach out and take Sojiro’s hand to shake it but when he pulled out his hand from his pocket, his probational journal fell out. Ren blinked, bending down to pick it up.
But… since he was no longer on probation, maybe he should give it back to Sojiro.
“Sojiro… you want this?” Ren asked.
Sojiro blinked. “Huh… I forgot about that. I’m surprised you kept a log this whole time.”
Ren shrugged in response. It ended up becoming a log for his days, though he did omit the Phantom Thief part.
“Thanks though,” Sojiro said, slipping the journal in his apron. “I’ll keep it safe. Just… behave once you’re home, okay? Oh, and here. Take this.”
He pulled out another notebook, this one new. On the cover read Recipe Notes.
“Of course, I know you’ve got the coffee and curry recipe down pat. But… I figured you’d appreciate some other recipes I’ve tinkered with. Maybe impress Anne-chan with it someday, eh?”
Ren just laughed. “I’ll consider it, thanks.”
Sojiro then jerked his head towards the door.
“Well… go on. Get out there and say your goodbyes.”
“Thanks for kicking me out, I guess,” Ren joked.
Sojiro just huffed, shaking his head. Ren, in turn, just gave him a salute before heading outside.
Ren knew where he wanted to go first, though. He made a beeline for the underground mall. Anne was standing by a magazine stand, with someone standing by her.
“Shiho?” Ren couldn’t help but feel surprised.
“Ren-kun!” Shiho’s expression lit up. “It’s good to see you again.”
Ren chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Heh, likewise. What are you doing here?”
“Actually…” Shiho said before biting her lip. “I think I’m ready to face Shujin again. I… convinced my parents to let me transfer back for third-year.”
Ren’s eyes widened at that. He hadn’t expected that, even though he had seen with his own eyes how Shiho had healed.
“I’m really glad to hear that,” Ren said sincerely.
“Mm-hm, I want to conquer my fears,” Shiho said solemnly.
“I’m with you, Shiho,” Anne vowed.
Her eyes were bright, practically sparkling. Ren smiled, seeing Anne so happy.
“Thank you, Anne, I appreciate it so much.” Shiho gave her a grateful smile; and she glanced back at Ren, clearing her throat. “But… I’ll leave you two lovebirds for now. I’ll give you ten minutes.”
“Shiho!” Anne’s cheeks puffed out in a huff and was blushing.
Shiho tilted her head before deciding, “Hm… better give you fifteen minutes, then.”
Ren couldn’t help but chuckle. Anne was seriously so cute when she was flustered.
“Ugh, you’re the worst!” Anne griped, pouting even as Shiho giggled.
She gave a small wave as she walked into the nearby clothes store. Anne was still pouting even when Ren walked up to stand beside her.
Ren grinned before quickly kissing Anne’s temple, an arm around her waist. “It’s pretty funny, though.”
“Not you too!” Anne huffed.
He couldn’t help but chuckle some more as he gave her a one-armed hug.
“What were you and Shiho looking at, exactly?” Ren asked, quickly changing the subject.
“Oh…” Anne then showed him the latest Vague magazine. “It’s next month’s copy. They… did a special feature on me, actually.”
Ren’s eyes widened. “Anne, that’s incredible! I’m so proud of you.”
Anne giggled. “I only got where I was because of you. It feels nice. And a little girl stopped me the other day in Shibuya. She said she saw me in magazines… and that she wants to be just like me when she grows up. It felt incredible. I want you to have it, though.”
Ren took the magazine. He already was looking forward to flipping through it on the train back home.
“I actually talked a little bit about you in the interview, Ren… and Shiho too.” Anne beamed at him. “You two are my biggest inspirations, after all. I gave Shiho a copy too… I hope she’ll like what I said.”
“I’m sure she will,” Ren reassured her.
Anne nodded before letting out a small hum. “There are times when being a model is tough, but I want to keep at it. I need to be strong, not just for Shiho, but for people everywhere. I’m going to work hard until I make it to the top. I want to be a ray of light to everyone. Like you were to me.”
“And I’ll be with you, every step of the way,” Ren promised. “I’m rooting for you, Anne.”
“Ren… thank you. And um…” Anne’s cheeks turned pink. “I’m so glad that I met you, Ren. I love you so much.”
Ren then embraced her tightly with both arms and Anne buried her face against his shoulder.
“I wish you didn’t have to go…” she murmured.
“I’ll be back soon, I promise,” Ren said, his grip around her waist tightening. He pulled slightly away to cup her cheek. “And we’ll have online dates as much as we can.”
Even though she had given him several big pushes in regards to his parents… he knew how much it would suck to having to go long-distance after seeing each other nearly every single day.
Anne took a step back, wiping at her eyes before giving him a teary smile.
“I know… and I appreciate it. But one day… I’ll become a perfect lady. Just for you, Ren.”
Ren chuckled before kissing her briefly.
“Anne… you don’t need to be perfect. I love you how you are already. I wouldn’t change a thing about you,” he said as he released her from his embrace to instead hold onto her hands.
Ren then leaned forward and pulled her right hand to his lips, giving it a light peck. Anne’s blush was so adorable, and her smile was beautiful as always.
Ren couldn’t help but think back to the day they first met. He felt so pessimistic about his school life, didn’t think much of his future. And it was dreary weather on top of it that day. Then suddenly she appeared, and for the first time in forever, someone greeted him with a kind smile. He’ll always remember that smile.
He softly stroked the back of her knuckles with his thumbs. He leaned forward again, this time to plant a kiss on her forehead.
“You were always my ray of light…” Ren murmured softly into her ear.
After spending more time with Anne, they parted ways so Anne could keep hanging out with Shiho. And Ren slowly circled around, finding all of his friends.
It was almost as hard to say goodbye to Ryuji…
He promised that no matter what happened, he’d come running if Ren needed it. And… Ren really wished him the best. He could only hope that whatever Ryuji chose to pursue… it included track. He deserved it and more, after all the crap Kamoshida put him through.
Haru shared some details about what she had planned for her little café, which she was considering calling Café Noir. She explained that was because Noir the Phantom Thief was always going to be a part of her. Either way, Ren was looking forward to whatever she had planned.
Makoto mentioned to him how she was taking care of some enrollment paperwork for Wasada University. She told him that she planned on staying with Sae a little longer, before thanking him for helping her with everything with Eiko.
Yusuke… really surprised him with gifting him Desire and Hope. Ren… wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to explain taking home this rather… large painting to his parents but he appreciated the sentiment. But he was thrilled to hear that Yusuke was quite inspired now, unable to keep his brush still. He was confident that whatever Yusuke tried his hand at… he’d be great at it.
After making a quick stop to drop off Desire and Hope at the café, Ren decided to head to Tokyo Square. He ran into Yoshida first, who was passionately making a speech. Ren couldn’t help but listen. They… needed people like Yoshida.
To want to do better for everyone.
After stopping to chat with Yoshida briefly, Ren set off again. But then a series of barks caught his attention.
Ken was standing by the Buchiko statue—no, rather, he was kneeling down and rubbing (his new puppy) Sesame’s head. He looked up when Ren approached, though.
“Hey.”
Ken just raised an eyebrow before standing back up again. “Hey, yourself. What’s up?”
Ren shrugged in response. “Just walking around. It’s my last full day in Tokyo, so…”
Ken’s face fell. “So… this is it, huh?”
“Come on, don’t act like I’m never coming back.” Ren quirked an eyebrow at his friend before slipping his hands into his pockets. “I mean, I’ll probably swing by during Golden Week. Not to mention summer vacation!”
Ken just huffed. “Well, you better reserve some of summer vacation for visiting Port Island. Rise-san is kicking in high gear to ensure a summer wedding for Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san, you know.”
It made sense, gotta make sure that Ken could come to the wedding. It was especially important since he was part of the bridal party. But Ren couldn’t help but feel amused at the thought of Rise-san being so enthusiastic about wedding planning. Shinjiro-san probably hated it.
“Maybe she’s just making up for how she isn’t engaged yet,” Ren joked, only to look straight at his friend. “But… going to Port Island sounds fun. You’ve gotta show us your old stomping grounds.”
Ken smiled. “You can count on it.”
But then he suddenly fiddled with something in his pocket.
“But… I’m glad I ran into you. I have something for you, actually...”
“Huh?” Ren couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
But Ken finally produced a familiar golden pin.
Ren’s breath caught in his chest. “Ken…”
He didn’t know what to say. It felt… different compared to what Mitsuru-san said to him. Words were sometimes just that—words.
“I know… that some of the Shadow Operative practices may not be your exact thing and I understand—it’s not for everyone,” Ken said. “But it’s… more than that. I mean, it kinda brought us together, right?”
Ren just tilted his head, mulling over Ken’s words.
It was because of the Shadow Operatives’ existence that Ken came to Tokyo. If they didn’t exist, maybe Mitsuru-san wouldn’t have been as worried about the Phantom Thieves’ operations.
Would their paths have crossed, if that wasn’t the case? Not to mention, they had helped him out too.
Well, he supposed it wouldn’t do him any good, wondering about the what-ifs.
He reached out, taking the pin from Ken. “Thanks… I appreciate it. Not sure if I want to join the Shadow Operatives officially though.”
Ken laughed lightly. “I figured. But I just want you to know that if you need my help, I’ll come running. Being a Phantom Thief became just as important to me as being a Shadow Operative. Just… say the word and I’ll come as fast as I can.”
Ren just cracked a smile. “I’ll be counting on that.”
Ren took extra effort after running into Ken to talk to everyone else. Kawakami, Iwai and Kaoru, Hifumi, Shinya, Takemi, Chihaya, Ohya and Lala-chan, Mishima, and he even ran into Kaori Sato on the way after meeting with Mishima to say his goodbyes.
The most surprising one of all after meeting with Ohya and Lala-chan, was seeing Lavenza standing outside the Velvet Room. She handed him a key that should have been given to him from the start, according to her. She was quite apologetic about the whole affair. He waved it off, as the whole thing wasn’t her fault, it was that false god’s. Giving her a light bow, she returned the favor.
He got back on the train to head back to Yongen-jaya, Morgana remained quiet the whole ride.
Just before he headed back to Leblanc, he noticed Sae standing outside. Ren smiled and walked up to her, Morgana slightly poking his head out of the bag.
“Long time no see,” he said with a wave.
Sae uncrossed her arms and relaxed her posture.
“Hello Ren-kun…”
Monday, March 20th, 2017
Even though it had been nearly eight hours since Ren had departed from Tokyo, it still… was boggling his mind that his friends had come with a plan to drive him home.
But still… those men who had tried to stake out them… it was bothering Ren.
“Hey, Ren? Something bugging ya?” Futaba piped up.
“It’s… the men in that car. I know it was funny for Morgana to mess with their wires and stuff… but I thought all of Shido’s men were in jail now or they fled the country,” Ren sighed.
“Don’t worry about it,” Ken said, turning from the passenger seat to look at everyone. “Guys, Mitsuru-san already talked to me about it. She had a suspicion about one of Shido’s supporters especially. He’s a politician too, and one of his biggest supporters. His name is Owada. But Mitsuru-san said that she’s taking measures to ensure our safety, like having Shadow Operatives positioned to keep surveillance. And… since Namatame won the position of prime minister, Yu-san has contacted him to slowly start wiping away Shido’s men’s work, like all the experiments they did. The most Shido’s men can do is either hide, run, or scramble from a distance. Owada could be a problem potentially but Mitsuru-san is keeping an eye on him.”
There was a beat of silence, only for Ryuji to break it.
“You know, I’m glad Mitsuru-san ain’t yakuza. She’d be scary as hell as a clan leader.”
“I don’t know about that, she seems scary enough already,” Morgana quipped.
“I mean… she scares Ken enough as is,” Futaba snickered out.
Ken huffed but didn’t refute Futaba’s teasing comment. “As I was saying, try not to worry guys. Mitsuru-san is sending men to Shimoda too, so Ren and his family should be safe from any ambush.”
“It was nice of her to take all of these steps to help us out,” Morgana said, nodding.
Though Ren couldn’t help but wonder what they were even like. Judging from the other Shadow Operatives… they probably were all interesting characters.
“Let’s just be thankful that Mitsuru-san is on our side,” Makoto chuckled. “I can’t imagine being at odds with her.”
Then she gave a light gasp.
“Oh, Shimoda’s coming up!”
“Wow, already?” Anne’s face then fell. “I guess this is it, huh…?”
“Anne… don’t worry about it,” Ren tried to comfort his girlfriend, laying a hand on her arm.
He was dreading this too, even after their goodbyes. But it was only going to be a few months at most until Ren would visit them. He was… trying to look at the positive side of this.
“We’re gonna miss ya, RenRen,” Ryuji mumbled out.
Haru looked between them before bowing her head, biting her lip. “We all will, Ren-kun.”
“Come on, guys, I’ll be back before you know it,” Ren tried to reassure everyone. “I might be able to swing something for Golden Week, even. That’s less than a month and a half away!”
He just… felt bad. He didn’t want his friends to be sad about this…
“We know, Ren,” Yusuke spoke up. “But we also must not forget that our bonds will not fray for something so petty as distance.”
Ren chuckled at that, typical Yusuke. He could be a real oddball sometimes but there was no denying that Yusuke had his moments of wisdom.
“And don’t worry, I’ll be making sure that Ren actually takes care of himself.” Morgana perked up. “You’re welcome, in advance.”
Ryuji grumbled under his breath at the last part, shaking his head. But then Ken let out a delicate cough.
“You’re right, and it’s not like we won’t be able to keep in contacts. We have phones, after all.” Ken then sighed lightly. “It’s not like Akihiko-san who only popped up in short bursts during the two years he was training to get stronger for the Shadow Operatives.”
“Oh, when he was wrestling bears right?” Ryuji joked.
Everyone had a good laugh over that.
“Hey, it got him a good bod at least,” Futaba snickered.
Ken cringed for a moment before he groaned. “Ughhh… don’t even start Futaba.”
Ren raised an eyebrow. He felt that he was missing some funny story on that.
“But don’t worry, I won’t pull anything like that,” Ren couldn’t resist from joking.
“Dude, I can’t even imagine you as super buff,” Ryuji snickered before poking Ren’s arm. “You’re gonna be stuck as a noodle boy forever, man.”
“Hey, if anything, that’s Yusuke!” Ren said indignantly.
“Udon noodles would be wonderful right now actually,” Yusuke said absentmindedly.
Ren snorted. He would miss Yusuke’s off-kilter comments…
Makoto chuckled before she pulled to a stop, due to the traffic light turning red. “Well… we’re officially in Shimoda now.”
Futaba pressed her face against the window. “Dang, you weren’t kidding about it being small.”
“What do you even do here?” Ryuji said incredulously.
“Oh you know… just hanging out with friends,” Ren said lightly.
Ken scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Uh-huh. I’m sure that’s all you did…”
Anne giggled before leaning against Ren. “Well, it looks pretty at least! And there’s a beach!”
“Mm, yeah.” Ren then leaned around to look at the street signs.
It was a bit hard to see from this angle. Maybe he should’ve gotten into the passenger seat, like how Ken offered. He just shrugged to himself. Oh well.
“Okay Makoto, so you wanna turn right after this light. It’ll be the third left after that, my house is the fourth one down,” he said.
“You might need to repeat that, Ren…” Makoto murmured as the street light turned green.
He tuned out his friends’ conversation as he repeated the instructions to Makoto. Makoto managed to find parking, squeezing in between two cars. She let out a relieved sigh as she shifted the gear to park.
“Phew… that’ll do it,” she announced.
“Thanks for driving, Makoto,” Ken said, turning to look at her with a smile.
“It’s fine, don’t worry,” Makoto said. “Was a little nervous about the parallel parking though, I need to practice that more.”
“You did great, Mako-chan!” Haru exclaimed.
His friends kept chatting as they piled out of the van. Ren led them up to the door, unable to stop himself from smiling as Haru started to gush over the garden that Mom kept.
But before Ren could reach for his house key, another voice called out to him.
“Ren…? Is that you?”
Ren stiffened, narrowing his eyes. “...Takeshi.”
Takeshi Ohba had been his childhood best friend, growing up. They had practically known each other since they were in diapers. They were next door neighbors since forever…
Takeshi stared at him. Takeshi hadn’t changed much. He still had bright bleached blond hair, wearing his favorite shades, masking how bright red his eyes were. He had a black leather jacket on, along with a pair of ripped jeans.
He always got weird looks for how he styled his hair and dressed. But people always end up letting up on their judgements when they saw how diligent he was with keeping up his grades so they backed off. He also didn’t have much of a temper compared to Ryuji, which both were probably reasons why people didn’t let up on judging Ryuji based on his hair style and the way he dressed.
But even still… Ryuji never stabbed his closest friends in the back. Ren bit back a snarl that threatened to rise out of his throat.
After what Ken explained, he probably shouldn’t let his emotions get the better of him. He took a deep, quiet breath through his nose to calm himself down.
“Ren… you’re back,” Takeshi said.
“I am,” Ren said cautiously.
It was awkward as they eyed each other uncertainly. God, you could cut the tension with a knife. But… Ren found himself reluctant to make the first move.
“Ren, look, I…” Takeshi sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, man. The shit that happened after your sentence… I shouldn’t have done it.”
“You stabbed me in the back.” Ren couldn’t keep the undertone of frustration out of his voice. “I thought of you like a brother but you dumped me like a pile of garbage. So now that I’m innocent, I’m okay to be friends with again?”
Takeshi grimaced. “It’s not… that. It’s just ugh…”
He hung his head. Out of the corner of Ren’s eye, he could see his friends stepping back, giving them a semblance of privacy.
Ren sighed to himself. He tried to keep what Ken told him in mind. But it still stung… badly.
“Look, Ren… Kaname, Hana, and Hideki were so convinced about your guilt. And they kept harping on it… bombarding the subject ad nauseam… until I started to believe it too. I’m not saying it’s right, to go along with the rest of them… I shouldn’t have done that. I should have kept my faith instead of letting others sway me.” Takeshi rubbed the back of his neck, “As for what changed my mind—it was when my folks started talking ‘bout it when your parents were trying to reach out to you. That made me start to doubt.”
“…I see.”
So his assumption that everyone had turned against him… wasn’t true? Maybe his cognition of everything had been distorted too, like with his parents.
“I know that it’s not fair to expect you to be cool with me. I should have trusted you. I never should have doubted you. And I really am sorry, sorry for not reaching out sooner. Sorry for being so weak to be brow-beaten by others. And sorry for not sticking up for you when it really counted,” Takeshi said. “But uh… I just wanted to say my piece. See ya around.”
Without another word, he walked away. Ren couldn’t help but stare at his retreating back. Takeshi’s apology had just… knocked the wind out of his sails.
He wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted to reach out to Takeshi right now but… Ren just closed his eyes. This was going to be harder than he thought.
Morgana popped his head out of Ren’s bag.
“Ren… are you okay?” Morgana asked tentatively.
Ren took a deep breath before looking back to his friends.
“Um… I think so,” he gave Morgana a half-smile, “But come on, I don’t think we should linger here too long.”
He didn’t want to encourage any of the gossips, after all… he reached for his key in his bag before he unlocked the door, pushing it open.
“Mom, Dad, I’m b—”
He stopped short at the sight of a girl sitting on the loveseat. She had a phone pressed to her ear.
“It’s pretty, I guess but—ugh. There’s nothing to do here! We really gotta plan to do a trip to Tokyo someday, Sumire-chan! You and Kasumi-chan need to show me your old neck of the woods—”
She looked around Futaba’s age, sixteen or so. She had shoulder length dark brown hair, dark blue eyes, and freckles sprinkled across her face.
She then paused, glancing in Ren’s direction. She suddenly froze.
“Oh shoot, my cousin’s here now actually. I gotta go! Bye-bye!” she said hastily.
She stuffed her phone in her jean short pocket, hopping to her feet.
“Um… hi,” she said, clasping her hands behind her back. “You must be… Ren, was it?”
Ren had to rack his mind to remember what her name was. He knew that Dad had texted it to him a couple nights ago.
“Rise…? No, I’d definitely remember if it was that. Then… Rika? Rina? No, dammit… I suppose I could ask her but, I should remember this! I think it had an s in her name… Lisa? No, that’s not right! Wait… no I remember now! Risa! That’s what he said her name was,” Ren thought to himself.
“Risa, right?” Ren said slowly before bending down to remove his shoes.
She nodded. “Uh-huh. Um… it’s nice to meet you!”
She then bowed her head. Ren looked at her uncertainly. His mom had been an only child so… having cousins was a new experience for him.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to blabber on and on while you were standing there.” Risa twirled a strand of her hair, biting her lip. “Mom and Daddy can be soooo protective so they haven’t let me explore the town or anything, so I’ve been calling and texting one of my best friends back home.”
“It’s quiet so I get that,” Ren said. “So… where’s everyone?”
“Oh!” Risa ducked her head, her cheeks tinting pink. “Sorry, sorry, I’ve been talking your ear off now! But um, Mom and Daddy and Uncle Junto went grocery shopping. Aunt Yuri’s actually straightening out your room. For like the tenth time since we came and we came two days ago!”
Ren fought the urge to groan. Just perfect… Mom’s idea of cleaning was moving everything around and then he wouldn’t be able to find anything. He could only hope that she had only did some minor unpacking…
“So… you’re Ren’s cousin?” Anne asked, trying to break the awkwardness.
“Uh-huh, Risa Utada at your service!” She gave a little bow, flashing everyone a cheeky grin. “My mom Sora is Ren’s dad’s little sister. Er, the younger one, anyways.”
“Younger?” Morgana said, baffled.
“How many siblings does your dad have, RenRen?” Ryuji sounded baffled.
“There’s Ren’s dad, then our auntie Himari, then Uncle Matsu, annnnd we have the baby of the family—my mom!” Risa began to tick off her fingers. “But um… it was nice for you to bring Ren home.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Risa-chan.” Haru then smiled kindly at her. “I’m Haru Okumura.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Yusuke gave a light bow. “My name is Yusuke Kitagawa.”
As the rest of his friends introduced themselves, Morgana finally jumped out of Ren’s bag. Risa’s eyes widened at that, only for them to sparkle.
“Oh hello!” she cooed before scooping Morgana in her arms. “Who’s this little sweetheart?”
She scratched Morgana under the chin, making Morgana purr. Ryuji snorted at the ‘sweetheart’ comment, though. Morgana snapped out of his nirvana to glare at Ryuji. But before he could retort, Mom suddenly entered the living room, wiping at her forehead with the back of her hand. Then she stopped, her eyes growing wide.
“Ren!” She then put a hand on her hip. “I thought I told you to call when you were getting close.”
Ren said as he scratched his cheek, “Sorry, it slipped my mind. Though, what is Dad shopping for groceries so late?”
Mom cleared her throat, casting a glance in his friends’ direction.
“Well, since we have several more people joining us for dinner… your father thought it would be best to go shopping,” she stated.
“Oh, Amamiya-san, that wasn’t necessary,” Ken said with a wince. “We could’ve just bought ourselves take-out. We already had plans to stay the night at a hotel too.”
Mom cleared her throat. “Well… consider it a thank you. For… being there for Ren.”
“Amamiya-san, it was no trouble,” Makoto said politely before giving a bow. “In fact, Ren has done much for us. He has been a wonderful friend to all of us.”
“Even if he could lay off on the puns—ow!” Ken yelped as Makoto jabbed her elbow into his side.
Ren just shook his head. Ken would never understand the art of a well-done pun.
Mom gave a weary sigh, pulling a face. “He gets that from Junto, I’m afraid. I swear, the number of terrible jokes I’ve had to deal with over these past two decades…”
But then the doorknob jiggling made everyone jump. The door swung open to reveal Dad, but his face was hidden by the bulging grocery bag. He was followed by two others, who were likewise carrying huge grocery bags.
Morgana jumped out of Risa’s arms, choosing to sit right at Ren’s feet.
“Yuri, I’m home—”
Ryuji immediately shuffled over to take the bag from Dad, walking off without another word. Dad stared blankly at Ryuji.
“Um… Yuri?”
“What was that about?” Morgana whispered.
“Welcome home, Junto.” Mom moved to give Dad a quick greeting kiss. “Ren’s friends brought him home.”
“I… see…” He coughed before looking between everyone.
Poor Dad. Maybe he really should’ve sent a heads-up text. But he had been so distracted with everyone’s conversations that it completely flew out of his mind.
“Well in that case…”
The shortest of the adults dumped the grocery bag on the ground.
“Ren-kun, right?”
Ren blinked, looking at his… aunt. Unlike Dad, whose hair was more of a rich chestnut, his aunt had bright red hair. It was a similar texture as Ren and Dad’s though—so messy and frizzy. It was no wonder she kept it short, just below her chin. She had the same dark gray eyes too. She had a smattering of freckles across her face, making her look rather youthful.
Dad didn’t like talking about his side of the family much. But… she looked an awfully lot like his grandmother, who had passed away in her thirties. She was the only relative Dad was okay with bringing up in the past.
Ren cleared his throat, even as the second man lowered his own bag. “Uh… yeah, that’s me.”
Aunt Sora’s eyes brightened. “It’s nice to meet you… finally. Oh, and this is my husband, Taichi. You’ve met Risa-chan, I see.”
Then she gave Risa a pointed look.
“You did greet Ren-kun, right?
Risa huffed, tossing her head. “Of course I did! I wasn’t raised in a barn after all, jeez, Mom!”
“Well, you’ve been glued to that phone of yours—”
“Because it’s the only way I can chat with Sumire-chan and Kasumi-chan!”
“Listen here, Miss Sassy Pants—”
Dad and his Uncle Taichi exchanged twin exasperated looks before Dad cleared his throat.
“Um, Risa-chan, I found that flavor of ramune soda you like so much,” he said.
It was like a switch flickering on. Risa’s eyes practically glowed with happiness as she clasped her hands together.
“Oh, that’s awesome Uncle Junto! Is it still in the car?! I’ve been craving it so bad—”
Without another word, Risa ran out to the driveway. The door slammed behind her just as Ryuji came back as he started grabbing the groceries his aunt placed on the ground. He stared, rather bewildered at Risa’s abrupt exit.
“…The hell?”
Ryuji then shrugged and disappeared with her groceries. Aunt Sora just pressed a hand to her forehead, clearly frustrated.
“Ugh, this girl…” she grumbled towards her husband. “I really don’t know how she’s best friends with Sumire-chan and Kasumi-chan. One is practically an angel and the other still has good manners despite being so competitive.”
A snicker suddenly escaped Uncle Taichi.
“Reminds me of a certain headstrong girl I knew growing up,” he trailed off teasingly.
Aunt Sora’s mouth dropped before her face flushed. “Excuse me?! I was never headstrong! Tell him, Junto!”
Dad’s eyes darted between his sister and brother-in-law and coughed into his fist.
“See?” Uncle Taichi looked rather smug.
Ryuji wandered back over to the group, staring incredulously at how Ren’s aunt started berating Dad for taking Uncle Taichi’s side again—apparently this had been a thing when they were younger. Ryuji shrugged again and then just took the groceries away from his confused uncle and disappeared yet again without another word.
But this couldn’t help but make Ren realize that there was a lot to his dad… and maybe his mom, too, that Ren hadn’t known.
“What is even happening here…” Morgana mumbled out.
“Who cares?” Futaba snickered. “Pass the popcorn!”
Mom sighed, rubbing her index and middle fingers against her temple. Then she looked towards Ren’s friends, flashing an apologetic smile. But her smile was a little awkward. Maybe she was unsure about how to act around his friends.
“Ah well… it’s good to see you again,” she said. “Perhaps after Sora and Taichi finish their… little tiff, you can introduce yourself properly.”
“It’s all right, Amamiya-san,” Makoto reassured her with a kind smile. “But um… maybe we can help put away in the rest of the groceries? I’d be happy to help with the cooking too.”
Dad quickly stepped away from Ren’s still bickering aunt and uncle.
“That would be helpful, thank you…” he trailed off, unsure.
Makoto chuckled. “I’m Makoto Niijima.”
“Ah, right, my apologies.” Dad blushed faintly.
“I mean, we only met once,” Anne interjected. “It’s totally understandable.”
“I was already going to cook but Yuri had already pulled out the foldable chairs and tables,” Dad mentioned.
“Oh, Ren! You should totally help out!” Futaba exclaimed. “Show your parents what Sojiro taught you!”
“And that would be…?” Dad asked, eyebrow raised.
“Sojiro might’ve… taught me a couple of tricks in the kitchen,” Ren said sheepishly.
Anne nudged him in the side. “Oh, Ren, don’t be so modest—”
“Never thought someone would say that to Ren,” Ken quipped, raising an eyebrow at Ren.
“But Ren’s an amazing cook!” Anne finished gushing. “He’s made the most amazing carbonara udon!”
“Whaaaat?” Futaba gasped. “Ren, you better make that for me when you come back to Tokyo!”
Ken sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Futaba, you complained of stomach troubles last time you ate a dairy rich dish. I’m pretty sure you’re lactose intolerant.”
“So?! If anything, it’ll help me grow.”
“Hmm… I see that you’re hanging onto a foolish hope,” Yusuke remarked.
Ren had to choke back a laugh at how blasé Yusuke’s comment was. His parents stared quizzically at Yusuke. Risa took that moment to come barging in with a paper bag, in her arms, a soda bottle poking out from the top.
Dad cleared his throat. “Well… I see why you hardly blinked at Sora and Taichi’s bickering.”
“By the way, Dad, you bought milk for Morgana right?”
“I did,” Dad answered. “I also bought a couple of dishes for him to eat out of as well. I would rather… not have him eat from the dishes we already eat from. Also—he stays off the kitchen counters.”
He could only hope that it wasn’t a stereotypical pet food dish. Morgana had hated the fish-shaped dish that Sojiro had bought for him early on in the school year.
Morgana huffed at the last comment.
“If anything, I’d be worried about Ryuji being more of a slob…” he said sulkily.
“Hey! Who are you calling a slob?!” Ryuji growled out.
“…Nobody did?” Risa blinked in confusion.
“Uh…!” Ryuji paled.
Ren just grinned. “Oh yeah, Ryuji is just a cat whisperer. No big deal.”
Haru giggled, obviously remembering the lie that Ren had made up before she had joined the Phantom Thieves.
“Yes, Ryuji-kun and Mona-chan are great friends, he understands Mona-chan so well,” Haru seconded.
“Ryuji and the cat pretend they argue all the time, call it their running gag. Pay them no mind.” Futaba snickered.
“…I see,” Dad said after a moment.
Ken coughed. “But um… we should start helping bringing in the rest of the groceries.”
Without another word, he grabbed Ryuji by the arm and dragged him outside
“Okay, okay—ow, ow! You don’t have to pull so hard!” Ryuji whined out.
Ren followed them out, along with Haru. He noticed Yusuke, Futaba, Anne and Makoto heading towards the kitchen to help his parents.
“You guys suck!” Ryuji finally huffed out once Ken released him.
“Hey, Haru was right about you two being buddies,” Ren said with a snicker.
“Yeah right!” both Morgana and Ryuji scoffed at the same time.
“Just please try not to slip again,” Ken sighed out.
“Yeah, yeah…” Ryuji grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Let’s just get the groceries in—holy shit, that’s a lot of groceries. I thought I grabbed a lot already!”
It wasn’t just the trunk that was filled. There were a couple bags in the backseat as well.
Haru giggled. “Well, it looks like we will be eating well tonight. Shall we then?”
Dinner was… different tonight. Not a bad thing but different.
He had wound up learning stuff about his dad that Ren hadn’t known before. Like he had never known that his dad had helped raise his younger siblings or that he wasn’t crazy about having a pet because of the chaos in the household. Though Ren found it a little unfair that Dad said no to him about pets growing up because of that. He wasn’t that chaotic.
And of course, his parents made careful inquiries about his friends. Some people were more willing to divulge. Risa had been fascinated with Anne’s decision to be a full-time model.
Ryuji… was still a little leery of his parents. Futaba was a bit shy, but Risa attempted to pull her out of her shell.
Ren had to step out to the porch though. It was dark but… Ren tipped his face towards the sky, where the twinkling stars greeted him. He hadn’t realized he had even missed this sight. In Tokyo, the city lights had dimmed the stars, practically snuffing out their light.
He heard the door slide open behind him.
“Thanks, Ryuji.” He heard Morgana say before Morgana jumped onto the railing.
“What brings you out here?” Ren asked, turning to see his best friend join him.
“Ehhh, we got bored with playing Uma but that killer game Risa proposed ain’t my thing. So I bounced with Morgana.” Ryuji shrugged lightly. “But what’s up, RenRen? You’ve been hanging out here for like twenty minutes.”
“Just been… thinking,” Ren said vaguely.
“’Bout what?”
“Just… thinking about how I didn’t want to think about Shimoda for the longest time,” Ren said. “And um… my parents.”
Morgana sat down. “They seem a bit unsure about things still.”
“Things aren’t going to be perfect,” Ren sighed. “I don’t know if it’ll ever be perfect.”
“I mean… I love my mom,” Ryuji spoke carefully. “Is she perfect, though? Hell no. She’s soooo naggy, yells at me for leaving my clothes on my bedroom floor, and if I forget about wrapping up food and sticking in the fridge, she’ll—”
“Your point, Ryuji?” Morgana drawled out.
Ryuji blushed a bit at that.
“Sorry. But uh, my point is that your parents are trying. And it was nice that they gave a shit about all of us too.” Ryuji then tilted his head up. “It is nice, though. I’ve lived in Tokyo all my life so… I wonder sometimes if my point of view is too small. I’ve wondered if I should try to branch out. I’ve considered looking into physical therapy to help my leg but I… dunno. If it’s too late or not.”
“It’s never too late,” Ren nodded. “I say go for it.”
“Maybe eventually… Mitsuru-san went to my mom, though. She offered to pay for some surgery procedure that would help my leg.” Ryuji said with a small smile.
Morgana looked to Ryuji. “Have you said anything?”
“Told her that we’d sort it out after we brought you back,” Ryuji said with a shrug. “I haven’t told Ken yet, by the way, but I wonder if he knows.”
Mitsuru-san probably knew because of Ken anyways.
“She kinda proves my point too,” Ryuji mused. “That I was so set on adults being bad that I became… so blind.”
“It’s not like you didn’t have a reason,” Morgana said, his ears drooping. “But… I think we’ve all grown during our time together.”
That, he had to agree with. Like Ryuji… he had been convinced that only they could make a difference. How narrow-minded of him… and arrogant.
But they had been humbled and they had grown from that mindset. And… it was up to them to do better. For the kids who came after them… They deserved better.
Ren and his friends had to do their part, too. They’d be adults soon enough, after all.
Ryuji sighed. “Yeah… Just sucks that we kinda have to separate for now.”
“Come on, you’ll still have Anne, Futaba, and Mishima at Shujin… also Kaori seems to be talking to you more too,” Ren said with a smile. “And I’m sure you’ll crash at Ken’s place at some point.”
“Sato? We ain’t exactly friends y’know…” Ryuji raised a brow at him.
Ren just shrugged. “You and Anne weren’t exactly friends either originally, sometimes I wonder if you two ever would end up hanging out at all had it not been for Phantom Thief stuff, or Mishima for that matter. Heck Mishima, you kept dragging into stuff almost against his will half the time but I can tell he genuinely grew to enjoy hanging out with you.”
Ryuji frowned a bit. “Yeah… suppose ya got a point there. Honestly if it wasn’t for you, I prolly never would have given Anne the time of day. We didn’t exactly get along.”
Morgana snickered, “You still don’t.”
“Shuddup…” Ryuji rolled his eyes.
“But anyways, point being look at you all now. You and Mishima hang out more often, you and Anne are actually friends now. Give Kaori a chance, she’s not so bad once you get to know her,” Ren said as he leaned against the railing.
He just hoped this upcoming school year she’d have more success for the newspaper club.
“Yeah okay, I see your point RenRen.” Ryuji slouched a little while speaking, “It will still feel weird without the rest of you at Shujin though. But yeah… it’s not like I won’t be alone.”
“And I don’t doubt you’ll drag Yusuke out to go out and eat,” Morgana added, only to flash Ryuji a grin. “And probably bug Makoto to help save your grades.”
“I repeat… shuddup,” Ryuji huffed out, but there was no heat to it.
“And we’re meeting up for summer at the latest. You can count on it. I mean, Shinjiro-san and Fuuka-san already set a date,” Ren stated.
“Heh. That’s true,” Ryuji said, cracking a grin. “I could only hope that they have something good planned for the menu, though.”
“Come on, it’s Shinjiro-san,” Ren snickered. “You think he’d let subpar food at his own wedding?”
“He’d cook for it if they let him,” Morgana quipped.
They could only laugh. Ren just felt relaxed and… content, in the company of his two best friends. The ones who had started the Phantom Thieves with him.
The Phantom Thieves was a big part of Ren. It still was. But… Ren was looking forward to tackling the future.
For once, the future looked bright.
Notes:
Annnd that wraps up Chapter 56! There was a LOT to cover, so it took a while to get everything sorted out. Just a few things to note—
First of all, Akechi’s fate. I wanted there to be a substantial consequence. I thought it’d be poignant for Akechi to argue for a harsher punishment than what his attorney proposed. He still has a long way to go. He’s still quite bitter, as evident with his conversations with Ren and Ken. I’ve also chosen to leave Ken and Akechi’s future relationship ambiguous. Some people were rooting for Ken and Akechi to become close but that’s not the story I wanted to tell here. Ken and Akechi are foils, Akechi serving as a reminder of what Ken could’ve been if he didn’t have SEES and if he hadn’t made the resolve to live for his mom and Shinji.
Secondly, you may have noticed there were a few Royal easter eggs. So the Royal characters’ fates were altered a bit in this AU.
** Warning, Royal spoilers **
As Mitsuru explains to Ren, Maruki interned under Wakaba. The Kirijo Group hired him directly due to Wakaba’s rec. He and Rumi got married after the move to Port Island. Secondly, Kasumi and Sumire both are alive here. The family moved out due to a job transfer that Mr. Yoshizawa accepted to be more present for his girls. Sumire still suffered from an inferiority complex but Risa befriended her and help bridge the gap between the Yoshizawa sisters.
Also some fun trivia—Judge Ranpo and the two attorneys in this chapter were a bit of an easter egg. Their names all come from Ace Attorney. Shinobu Ranpo is pulled from Juniper Woods’ Japanese name, Shinobu. Kazuma Mikagami… Kazuma is of course, Kazuma Asogi from TGAA, and Mikagami comes from Justine Courtney/Verity Gavelle’s Japanese name. And lastly Shin Kondo has his name pulled from Shin, Gregory Edgeworth’s name in the Japanese version. Kondo is Phoenix’s seiyuu’s last name.
I also decided to cut the White Day dates from the chapter. It was just getting WAY too long. I do have Shuann’s partially written out so I hope to post it on Full Deck soon. I have a couple of wips for Full Deck started, including a bit of a reimagining of the Strikers opening and a oneshot set during P3. I’ve received a few messages about if there will be a Strikers sequel. Tl;dr no full sequel, but I have a couple of ideas regarding Strikers in this verse. Furthermore, I’ve got some ideas of how Ken’s inclusion in Tactica would change but I think I have just one idea for a oneshot, which I’ll post in Full Deck. I’ve been editing the PQ2 chapters as well, adding more details and making adjustments. I’m going to be revamping how the second arc in PQ2 goes a bit more but I hope to get the new chapters up soon.
I’ve shared this on my tumblr but the prologue up to Chapter 14 (Futaba’s awakening) are now fully edited. My beta angelrin89 didn’t come on until the Sae arc so we will be going through and editing the chapters that she hasn’t edited yet. We will be focusing on those edits while I continue to write the epilogue. I will post the links to the Futaba arc once those edits are 100% done! And as usual, thank you to my amazing beta, angelrin89. She did a fantastic job with this chapter! She was also super helpful while I was writing the courtroom scene.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I would love to hear what you think of this chapter! Thank you again for staying for this long ride!
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