Summary: Haru Okumura Week Day 8: AU/Other. Haru decides that she's going to take the reins of her own life. AUAU.
Note: this is an AUAU of Day 1 entry (you don't need to read that one to understand this one) where Haru didn't approach the PT.
Warnings: Sugimura Keeps Getting Killed Off, Two Rains Meet And Start Plotting Murder, Haru Has A Lot Of Things To Do, I Actually Have No Idea How This Was Written.
Disclaimer: Don't own P5.
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It was one day in October when Haru decided that she was done letting others dictate her life, not even her father.
Her first plan of action was getting rid of Sugimura.
Her plan was simple: spend some time with him, let her Rain Flames fill his core into overdose, let him go about his day until his body succumbed to the excess of Tranquility in his system and shut down of its own accord, get back home before it happened, and act normal.
The only hitch happened when she woke up the day after and found that she wasn't the only one who assassinated someone the day before.
Her father had suffered a metal shutdown while in his office at Okumura Foods headquarters and died before he reached a hospital.
"We found this in his office at home, Okumura-sama," Her father's right hand man gave her a card- it was the Phantom Thieves' of Hearts' calling card. She furrowed her eyebrows in thought.
"It doesn't make any sense," She said, "Father would have said something about it. Would have made a fuss, even. Could it be he simply didn't see it?"
"I highly doubt that, Okumura-sama, the card was in plain sight, anyone with eyes could have seen it."
"That's even stranger."
"Agreed. What are you planning to now, Okumura-sama?"
Haru tapped the card against her lips in thought, "First, I need you to remove any Family-related objects and documents from my father's office and move them into my study for the time being, god knows what the civilians father was involved with would do in reaction."
"Understood, Okumura-sama."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Tanaka-san." Haru smiled as her late father's right hand man, in Family-related matters only, bowed and left to do as she was told.
It was in this moment that she was thankful her late father was neither a Sky nor a great mafia boss, which meant she wouldn't have a hard time swaying members from her father's time into her side.
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Haru was in her study, working her way through the paperwork with Tanaka's assistance when she received a call from Niijima Sae, requesting a meeting. Haru repressed a sigh; now she had to circumvent police investigation as well. At least Niijima Sae was involved, she was in the know, which meant Haru could work with her, and so, Haru agreed to the meeting.
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"A calling card by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts was found in his office," Sae said and Haru raised an eyebrow.
"In his office?" She quirked her head to the side, "That's strange. He spends most of his time working from home most days; I would have thought sending it here would be better as it would have a higher chance of being seen quickly by him."
"That is true." Sae's eyes glinted, "Though I find it curious that he was simply going about his work when the shutdown happened. I would have thought he would notify the security about the calling card and raise the alarm, but nothing of the sort happened."
"I agree with you. Is there something else, Sae-san?"
"You haven't noticed anything strange around the house either, have you?"
"No, I haven't. Nothing was out of the ordinary, latterly." Not stranger than Haru would expect to happen around the house of a mafia Family's head anyway.
"That is all, thank you for your cooperation."
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Moments after Sae left, here was a knock on the door.
"Enter."
The door opened and Tanaka stepped inside.
"Ah, Tanaka-san, just in time. I heard something interesting from Sae-san. It appears that they found a calling card in my father's office in the company's headquarters."
"That makes the situation even stranger." Tanaka mused.
"Could it be a copy cat?" Haru wondered as she reached for her phone and opened her contact list, "Or maybe it was put there to throw anyone looking into it off the actual culprit's trail while putting suspicion on the Phantom Thieves?"
"Do we have a way to be sure?"
"In fact, we do." Haru stared at Makoto's contact information on her phone, "They're not being as hidden as they could." Haru hit call.
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Haru met Makoto the next day at a cafe in Yongen-Jaya.
"Mako-chan, I'm glad you agreed to meet with me today."
Makoto smiled at her, her eyes showing hints of worry, "I heard from Sis about your father. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Mako-chan."
"…alright…" Makoto frowned at her, as if considering attaching herself to Haru to motherhen her for the next three days, and Haru reached a hand across the table to rest it on top of Makoto's hand.
"About what you wanted to ask about," Makoto began, leaning forward in her seat, "It wasn't the Phantom Thieves, as they had decided not to target your late father just yet."
"Why?" Haru cocked her head to the side and lowered her voice, "Mako-chan, why didn't you go after him? You know enough o target him."
Makoto turned to stare at the barista who waved at her to continue, "This is how things went for us: we decided not to go after him despite the public clamoring for it because the public is clamoring for it."
"Oh!"
"Besides, when we did a check on the poll, we discovered that someone hacked into the site and manipulated the votes to put your father's name on the top spot; we figured someone wanted to set us up and, as such, we agreed to not go after him until the situation blew over." Makoto grimaced, "Our apologies, we were unaware that the situation could have ended up like this."
"Oh, it's okay," Haru stared into the distance thinking, "Whoever caused the mental shutdown probably already had their eyes set on my father and just wanted t incriminate you while they were at it."
"Except Sis kept the calling card her team found under wraps. It ma not be long until it's leaked though…"
"It was a hit and someone wanted to cover it up. I wonder who ordered it."
"I…" Makoto hesitated for a bit "I believe I know who the hitman is. If you can get them to tell you who ordered the hit…"
"I can retaliate. Mako-chan…"
"I'll arrange a meeting here again; would it be alright with you?"
"Oh, absolutely." Haru leaned back just in time for the barista to reach their table and put a cup of coffee in front of Haru.
"But, I didn't order." Haru bit her lip and the barista chuckled lightly.
"It's one the house."
(The coffee was absolutely divine; Haru found her new favorite café.)
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The hitman was the Detective Prince Akechi Goro himself.
To say that was unexpected would have been an understatement.
"Ah, Okumura-san, "Akechi greeted her with a pleasant smile, "you wished to meet me?"
Haru slid in the seat across from him, "Yes, Mako-chan said you could help me.
"With your father, correct?"
Haru nodded.
"Say no more." He reached into his jacket and brought a folded piece of paper out of it before sliding it over to Haru.
"Oh, and-" Akechi waited until she looked from the paper to him, "-you've done a great job with Sugimura, I don't believe anyone could guess what happened to him."
Haru suppressed a smile as she reached for the paper and unfolded it, "You figured it out. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that you did." Haru contemplated the name on the paper, "Akechi-kun?"
"Yes, Okumura-san?"
"Would you be interested in taking a hit request from? I am going to pay you handsomely."
Akechi's eyes glinted, "Go on."
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End