"Extraordinary?" The interrogator's voice brims with rage. "You tried to steal my sister's heart?"

Time is on his side. The trickster has learned from harsh failure.

"I'm surprised." Her face is porcelain, now. Only the glare in her brown eyes betrays any emotion. "This doesn't fit the Phantom Thieves' MO. To think, that a mere high school student would bring a hero of justice so low." She slams the table with a slender hand. The sound echoes across the room. "Tell me what happened!"

As long as Sae Niijima understands, everything shall proceed as planned.

"Very well."

Before I could change anyone's heart, my friends had to know what happened. That meant we needed privacy. Under normal circumstances, I'd be fine with meeting at the hideout, but my target absolutely couldn't know about my plan.

I considered going to Leblanc, but I didn't want to be followed there and deal with the car crash that would ensue if Sojiro found out about my... relationship with the student council president.

Instead, I decided to have our meeting at the Shibuya diner, taking great care to ensure I wasn't followed. The few people currently in the diner were ensconced in their own conversations, but we huddled up in a secluded corner booth and ordered drinks immediately, just to be safe.

There was always the possibility that someone would still hear us, but as long as we were careful, I was confident that we could keep things under control.

"Are all these precautions truly necessary?" Yusuke asked, after the waitress arrived with our order. He was seated on the far side of the booth, next to Ryuji and facing Ann. As for Morgana, I'd placed my bag on the table and opened it so he could see us.

"Yes," I said. I took a sip from my cup of Hot Coffee. Not as good as Leblanc's, but still decent in its own right. It filled me with liquid courage. "Let me explain."

I gave my report, recapping my meeting and explaining my borderline paranoid caution, sparing no detail while doing so. When I finished, I took a deep breath and waited. I didn't want to dwell on their reactions, especially if they weren't positive, but it was important that I listened.

No matter what happened, I had to accept responsibility for my actions. Talking to my friends helped me do that. It kept me honest, even if the truth was painful.

"Looks like we got a lucky break," Ryuji said, grinning like always. "All we have to do is do what she says and we're in the clear, right?"

"That appears to be the case," Yusuke said, as he opened his can of Dr. Salt NEO. "However, this all feels a tad excessive. Makoto did say she wouldn't follow us, after all."

"You really think she'll keep her word?" Ann asked, matter-of-fact.

"I cannot say, since all I know about her is what you've told me." He took a sip. "I do know that she didn't appear yesterday, so it stands to reason that her word might carry some weight."

"Eh, I dunno," Ryuji said, giving his Muscle Tea can a good shake. "It might be a plan to catch us off-guard. Then again, she did give us a chance to get out of this mess. I say we swallow our pride and take it, before she changes her mind."

Ann frowned. "That's the problem. I'm willing to do what she says, but only if it's something we can actually do. If she has us search for flying pigs or something equally insane, I'm out."

"That would be a daunting task," Yusuke said. "I doubt she'd be satisfied with a painting of a flying pig."

"Of course not, and we shouldn't be, either," Morgana said. "If she wants us to catch a flying pig, then I'll shoot down its wings myself."

Ryuji grimaced. "Maybe you should aim a bit lower."

"We don't have a choice."

"What if we did?" I asked.

Morgana tilted his head. "What are you talking about?"

"If we don't have a choice, let's make one. I bet she'd listen if she had a change of heart."

He blinked, staring at me like I'd spawned a new head. "You're not serious, are you?"

"I am."

Then, realization dawned and all eyes fell on me.

"Don't do it," Morgana said. "Do you really think this'll help us? We don't even know the real reason why she's investigating the Phantom Thieves. For all we know, this could just be a pet project of hers that she's taking way too seriously."

I made eye contact with Morgana, and while the cat wasn't as expressive as he was in the Metaverse, his glare was sharp enough to give me pause. "What does it matter? Her Shadow will tell us everything we need to know, then we beat it. Problem solved."

"What matters is that going ahead with your plan would go against everything the Phantom Thieves stand for. And don't you think it'd be an awfully funny coincidence if the Phantom Thieves stole the heart of an innocent girl who just so happened to be investigating the Phantom Thieves?"

"She's not innocent."

"That's not what the public would think. Besides, doing this would only put pressure on us that we don't need."

I sighed. "We're already under pressure. If we do this, then we can lay low until the heat dies down. Nobody will come after us because they don't know where to look."

"And then what?" Yusuke asked. Instead of a frigid stare, he was studying me, brow slightly furrowed. His soda can lay in front of him, empty. "Will the next person who inconveniences you suffer the same fate?"

"It depends."

"On something arbitrary, I imagine."

I frowned. "You're acting like if I do this, I'd be going past the point of no return. I'm not doing this on a whim."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"I've given this a lot of thought."

He chuckled. "I see. For the record, I don't believe that changing Makoto's heart will make you irredeemable. However, doing so would establish a very dangerous precedent. The temptation to change someone else's heart without due cause would grow more potent with time, and if left unchecked, it would corrupt your mind until abusing your power is all that you know."

Ryuji clicked his tongue, but didn't actually say anything. Ann watched me as she nursed a glass of water. So far, I wasn't getting the support I wanted, but some pushback was inevitable. It would be naïve to assume everyone would fall in line just because I asked them to.

"I get what you're saying, but it's like I said, I'm not doing this on a whim. That's why I'm talking to you guys, so I can make sure that I'm doing the right thing."

"You're not," Morgana said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, I call it like I see it, and this isn't what I expected from you. I'm disappointed."

"Morgana's got a point," Ryuji said, wincing slightly. "You're going off the deep end. Makoto might not be innocent, but she ain't like Kamoshida or Madarame. Hell, she's not even as bad as those assholes we beat in Mementos."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

"I know she could be a lot worse. Stalking you was pretty shitty of her, but that's the only thing she did that she didn't do to the rest of us. Also, she didn't rat you out after you gave her every reason to, and she wants to make a deal with us." He took a swig from his Muscle Tea, setting the can down when he finished. "I dunno, man. It sounds legit."

"You just said that this deal could be a trap," I said.

Ryuji frowned. "You're the one that said she 'really' wanted to help you."

"I didn't take her seriously."

"Maybe you should."

"Keep it down!" Ann said.

My head began to ache, like clockwork. How could I have forgotten? I was lucky that nobody had noticed, but luck wasn't limitless.

"And then what, she screws us over?" I asked, keeping my voice down. "I'll pass."

Ryuji's frown deepened, becoming a fierce scowl. "It's better than whatever you're doing right now. I wouldn't change her heart just because she got to me."

Of all the things he could have said...

"This isn't about revenge! She wants to get rid of us, keep us from achieving our goals. I refuse to let her win."

Ryuji's mouth opened, but it quickly went shut. He took a deep breath.

"It's funny," he said, staring right through me. "Yusuke said that changing Makoto's heart would warp your mind, but it's already happening."

I let go of my cup, just barely able to keep my hands steady. "What?"

"You want to piss all over the one chance we have to fix this just because Makoto got one over you. I don't blame you for getting mad, but you're letting your anger make your choices for you. It has to stop, 'cause if it doesn't, Makoto's going to be the least of our problems. How can we keep on doing good if our leader's heart is distorted?"

"That is impossible, isn't it?" Yusuke asked.

Morgana nodded. "It is, but Ryuji's not wrong, either. A Persona user can still lose track of their true self due to external pressure, even if they can't create a Palace."

"There's nothing to worry about," I said. "I know that this isn't a good idea. If I had another choice, I wouldn't even think about doing this, but there's too much riding on this to trust someone like Makoto. She'll bring you guys down, too, and I can't –" I swallowed a tough lump. "I don't want her to hurt any of you."

Ryuji sighed. "I'm grateful for that, don't get me wrong... but it sounds like an excuse."

I rubbed my forehead and took a sip from my coffee, lukewarm now. "Maybe it is."

Even if I caught on to this distortion, it wouldn't have mattered. It would just be another mask, a persona that I could control. It would have been easier if I had a satisfying answer to this conundrum, but I didn't.

"What about you, Ann?" I asked. "What do you think?"

Ann pushed her glass of water away, leaving it half-full. She stared at me with heavy-lidded eyes. "Look, I get it. She's a bitch. And she doesn't have the right to treat you the way she did. Nobody does. But that doesn't mean you should lose sight of who you are just so you can beat someone as sad as her. I've been there before and it's not worth it. It never is."

"Did this involve Kamoshida?" Yusuke asked, looking at Ann with a thoughtful gaze.

She nodded. "Yeah, it did. After we beat his Shadow, it was crying about how it lost, and it pissed me off. All I could think about was what that piece of shit did to Ryuji, to me, to Shiho..." Her eyes flickered in my direction. "To every student he ever came across. Beating him wasn't enough. I wanted him to suffer. And for a moment, I wanted to kill him. Nobody would care if Kamoshida died, nobody would miss him at all."

She exhaled, deep and heavy. "In the end, I didn't do it. Killing him would be a mercy he didn't deserve. Kamoshida had to be brought to justice, and even if I knew that nothing I could do would ever bring me down to his level, I didn't want to be tainted by his death. He wasn't worth it, and it wouldn't help his victims move on from what he did."

Yusuke smiled. "That is quite commendable."

Ann returned it. "Thanks."

The rage and passion and anguish Ann unleashed on Kamoshida's Shadow and every creature in his Palace was terrifying and inspiring, a fiery maelstrom that burnt everything it touched to cinders. She hadn't reached those frightening heights since then, and there were times when I wondered why.

Now, I understood.

She placed a hand on my forearm and squeezed. "Let's hear her out. I know it's not easy to let this go, but it's worth a try. Trust me."

I figured Ann would understand, since she'd also been trapped in a black pit of anger and despair, one that ensnared its victims and prevented them from realizing how far they could sink. Yet, here she was, telling me to try and take the high road, like she had. It was a bit of a disappointment, but I couldn't blame her for making that choice.

Following her – and the others' – advice meant hoping that we didn't have to do something impossible, but it meant giving up control of my future for as long as it took to get that girl away from us. Trust was a hard thing to give, especially when it wasn't earned, but if the others were willing to take the risk... I could put my trust in them to see this through.

Even if I couldn't trust anyone else.

"I'll think about it," I said.

Ann smiled. "Good." She patted my arm once before letting go. "If you still have problems with her... well, we'll see what happens then."

Morgana's ears perked up, his tail shooting to the sky. "Nicely said. It probably won't stick, but a man can dream, right?"

I ran a hand from the crown of Morgana's head to the base of his tail, enough to make him feel it without causing him discomfort. Just as my hand returned to Morgana's ears, he folded them.

"Stop that!"

Reluctantly, I did. Fortunately, nothing I did caused a scene. "You wanted to know the 'real reason' why Makoto's investigating us, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then do me a favour and follow her at school tomorrow."

"Returning the favour, I see," Yusuke said, eyebrow raised.

Ryuji smiled. "Pretty bold."

"If I do this, you won't try to change her heart?" Morgana asked.

"If," I replied.

"No ifs, ands, or buts about it. No funny business, either. You keep your end of the bargain, and I'll hold up my end. Deal?"

"Deal." I held out my hand and he slapped it. "Give her a taste of her own medicine."

Morgana's sudden cackle filled me with momentary dread. "She won't even know I was there."

If his intel wasn't sufficient, I was going ahead with my plan. The irony of this deceit wasn't lost on me, but I didn't care.

One way or another, this had to stop. At this point, there was too much at stake to be deterred by anything.

I dreamed of blue velvet, in between fitful bouts of sleep. Submerged in an opaque cocktail of conflicting emotions and motivations, I was an inmate of an intangible prison, compelled to approach the gate and sit at the heels of my benefactors.

"It appears that you have reached an impasse," Igor said. His deep voice boomed across his Velvet Room. "One that might alter both your fate and the fates of your confidants irrevocably."

"You should be ashamed, Inmate," Caroline said, grinning like a shark. She looked down at me with naked glee. "Even with the all the power of the Wild Card at your fingertips, you barely noticed a thing."

Justine's little smile was just as humiliating as her sister's. "Indeed. I assumed you were capable of behaving yourself without garnering unwanted attention. Clearly, it was wrong for me to think so highly of you."

Try as I might, I wasn't able to defend myself. My mouth was bound and I could not scream. All I could do was listen, hear Caroline smash her baton against the cell's bars.

"Focus!" she said, sneering in contempt.

"As your wardens, it would be remiss of us to let you go without granting you a reprieve," Justine said.

"Hear that? It isn't every day that you get a chance to redeem yourself, so you shouldn't take this for granted." Caroline glanced at her sister. "What do you have in mind, Justine?"

"A visual aid." Justine smirked. "Something even his simple mind can comprehend."

"I've got just the thing." Caroline thrust her hand outward. A single card materialized, in the upright position. "This card represents the High Priestess."

"When the Fool meets the High Priestess, he becomes attuned to his intuition and subconscious desires, granting him access to a wealth of knowledge," Justine said. The card spun until its image was reversed. Its bright blue sheen became blindingly red. "However, when the Fool focuses on the demands of the material world above all else, he is unable to acknowledge these subconscious instincts and falls into an inescapable trap."

"Sound familiar?" Caroline asked. The tarot card disappeared. "Your friends can tell you how wrong you are 'till they're blue in the face, but none of that matters unless you can accept the truth."

"Consider everything that has happened since you chose to protect your comrades, Inmate," Justine said. "And do not forget the lessons the High Priestess can teach you."

Igor chuckled. "Take your time. You have more of it than you realize."

I woke up. The fog of lies clouding my vision had disappeared, revealing a road that forked at my feet, winding and arching far beyond the horizon. One path led to salvation. The other led to ruin.

Neither of my guides could cure the distortion corrupting my soul, nor could their master. That was something only I could do, and quite frankly, I needed all the help I could get.

Class had ended and everyone had gone their separate ways. Rather than leave, I loitered around the courtyard, drinking from a can of Second Maid. If Morgana was here, he'd make a comment about it, or talk about something else entirely.

Except, he wasn't here. He was stalking Makoto, and he'd been on the hunt since lunch.

Maybe he was taking so long because he'd been caught and put in a cage, like the first time we met. Then again, it would take time to scrounge up any info he could on such notice, and there was no reason to capture a cat, so there was nothing to worry about. We'd meet up after school and head off to the hideout together, like we always did.

I spent a lot of time thinking about our deal while he was away, and what I'd do if I didn't get what I wanted. I thought about how my friends would react if I betrayed our oath. I thought about a lot of things. It was getting harder and harder to hold onto that single-minded desire to win, and it didn't sit well with me.

I liked it better when we had an enemy to beat, a treasure to grab, or a heart to change. Something clear, something straightforward. When my target was unambiguously bad, I could be the cool, unflappable leader my friends deserved and bring that evildoer to justice. It didn't matter that the only thing I brought to the table was reckless, dauntless bravery and a special power, because my friends believed in me.

This thing with Makoto wasn't clear or straightforward, it was a mess. I just couldn't accept that she wasn't as bad as Kamoshida or Madarame. If I let this go now and succumbed to her demands, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't ask us to do another favour for her.

Trust was all I had, at this point.

When Morgana came back unharmed, head held high and preening, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"How'd it go?" I asked.

Morgana chuckled. "Pretty well, I'd say. Did you miss me?"

I took a knee and laid a hand on top of his head. This time, Morgana let me scratch his ears. "I did."

Together, we went to the hideout. On the way there, I managed to finish off my soda, and I spent most of the trip regaling Morgana on the stuff he missed in class. It wasn't that much, but it was a distraction I sorely needed.

When we joined our friends, Morgana climbed out of my bag, setting his paws on my shoulder. Everyone was leaning on the railing, which granted Morgana the perfect opportunity to give a speech.

"Here's what I got. The reason why Makoto's been giving us a hard time is because the principal put her up to it. If she catches the Phantom Thieves, he'll write a recommendation for any university she wants."

"What could his motive be?" Yusuke asked.

"I'm not sure, but I bet he wants us out because Kamoshida got busted. Now that he can't pretend that his school is perfect, he wants to get rid of the people who exposed Kamoshida's crimes."

"And he's using Makoto so his rep doesn't take another hit if she fails," Ryuji said.

"That's right. He's putting her under a lot of pressure, and it's only a matter of time before she cracks."

Ann frowned. "So that's it?"

"It does seem fairly simple," Yusuke said. "Almost deceptively so."

"I guess," Morgana said, "but considering all the effort she's put into catching us, I don't think she's doing this just for a recommendation."

Ryuji stared at me, smiling slightly. "What do you think about all this?"

I took a deep breath and focused. Immediately after, my eyes shot wide open. "We have a guest."

It was none other than Makoto herself, walking towards us without a care in the world. Morgana quickly scrambled into my bag. I didn't blame him.

"Good afternoon," Makoto said. She smiled at each of us. "I had a feeling you'd be here."

Of course she would. It felt like I'd been caught with my pants down. I made sure that we weren't followed. I scanned the area with my Third Eye before I joined the others.

I'd been so careful, but apparently, I hadn't been careful enough.

"You must be the infamous Makoto," Yusuke said.

"And you must be Yusuke Kitagawa. It's nice to finally meet you."

Yusuke smiled. "Likewise."

If Yusuke was trying to lighten the mood, he wasn't doing that badly. I could breathe easy, knowing that I wasn't alone with her, so I took a step to the side to give our guest some space.

However, not everyone had calmed down. Ann was scowling, trying to burn Makoto alive with her glare. "What are you doing here?"

Makoto's smile didn't falter, but the way she clutched the strap of her bag spoke volumes. "It should be obvious why I'm here, but if it isn't, I'll give you some to figure it out."

"Excuse me?"

Ryuji stepped in between Makoto and Ann, keeping them from crossing the threshold. "Hold up. We're not here to argue, right?"

"I'm not," Ann said.

"I never would have guessed," Makoto said.

"See?" Ryuji smiled. "No need to fight."

Ann clicked her tongue, but rather than fall for Makoto's bait, she crossed her arms and turned away. As for our guest, Makoto sighed and looked at me for a bit. Once Ryuji returned to his spot, she cleared her throat.

"It's clear that you believe what you're doing is just," she said. "That's why I came here, to give you all a chance to prove yourselves."

Yusuke crossed his arms. "What do you want us to do?"

She turned to face him. "I want you to steal someone's heart. Don't worry, this person is a criminal. In return, I'll erase all the evidence I have. I haven't told anyone about anything that happened between us, so if everything goes well, it'll stay that way."

Ryuji shrugged. "Sounds simple enough."

A softer smile crossed her face. "Then we're in agreement?"

I kept quiet. Better to do that than run my mouth and risk making another mistake.

Yusuke unfolded his arms. He wasn't smiling, now. "That depends. Who is your intended target?"

"I can't tell you yet," she said. "The reason is that details for this criminal are pretty hard to come by. I want us to meet up tomorrow, after school. We can discuss the specifics and go over any plans you might have."

Her searching red eyes lingered on me once again, but she wouldn't get anything from me.

"If there's nothing else, then I'll see you tomorrow."

Ann pushed off the railing. "Hold on." Her arms were uncrossed, hands loose at her sides. "How did you find us?"

Makoto's smile turned acidic, face pinched and jaw clenched. "It's pretty strange that a group of students involved with both Kamoshida and Madarame spend a lot of time in one specific place. It wouldn't be all that hard for someone to track you down while remaining unnoticed."

If anything, that meant Makoto might have found us before I got paranoid, but it was a small victory at best. At least I was off a hook.

"I knew it," Ann said, clenching her fists. "Have fun sucking up to all the adults in your life, but take it from me: it won't get you anywhere."

The smile on Makoto's face evaporated. "What is your problem? I've done nothing to you, yet you treat me like your worst enemy!"

"You really are delusional, aren't you?"

I recognized the glare on Makoto's face. Ann had definitely swung for the fences. "Delusional?"

"That's right." Ann took a step towards her. "You've spent all this time chasing the Phantom Thieves, but where were you when students were being assaulted or molested? You can't tell me this game of yours is more important."

Makoto smirked. "Oh, I get it. You're so busy feeling guilty about your friend that you blame me for something I had no control over!"

Ann jabbed a finger in Makoto's face. "Don't lie to me! You knew something was going on. Either you didn't care about what Kamoshida was doing, or you let those teachers convince you that he wasn't doing anything wrong."

"Hey, Ann," Ryuji said, "maybe you should –"

"Shut up!" Makoto shouted, making Ryuji wince.

"Don't tell him to shut up!" Ann said. "He's actually trying to help people, something you clearly don't know anything about."

Makoto scoffed. I wasn't surprised that she was able to regain some composure. Then again, her lip was quivering like she was on the verge of exploding. "And you do? I highly doubt that."

"That's where you're wrong."

"Is that so? Then go ahead, tell me how I'm wrong."

"Ann," I said, staring at her. I shook my head, and in that moment, understanding flickered across her sky blue eyes. She took a deep, shuddering breath, before retracting her finger.

"Of course," Makoto muttered, shaking her head.

"You know what gets me?" Ann said. "You have influence and authority that could really make a difference, but you waste it by letting the principal order you around like you're his dog, just so you can get some stupid recommendation. I feel sorry for you."

Makoto clenched her free hand in a tight fist. "It's not –"

She trailed off, scattering those words to the four winds. A long moment passed. Her chest heaved, in and out. I could have jumped in right there and finished what Ann started. Then Makoto let go, and the opportunity went with it.

"You're right. That's why I'm here. Principal Kobayakawa isn't willing to look into this problem, so it falls to me to take care of it. If you help me, it'll prove that the Phantom Thieves are just. What part of this is so hard to understand?"

Ann blinked. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

Makoto scowled. "You never gave me the chance! I know I haven't been very fair to any of you, but how else am I supposed to react when you shut me down every time I see you? You have every right to be angry with the school or Kamoshida, but that doesn't give you the right to take it out on me!"

"Maybe so." Ann took another step forward, bringing them face-to-face. "If you want me to take you seriously, then prove that you're actually willing to help us. Otherwise, nothing's going to change."

"That's why I'm here," she repeated. She stared at each of us once more. "Rooftop, tomorrow. Don't be late."

Just like that, she was out of our hair. Once she was out of earshot, I opened up my bag. It turned out that in his mad dash to hide from prying eyes, Morgana lost his footing and needed help getting out. I granted him his desire in no time flat.

"Lady Ann, are you okay?" Morgana asked.

She nodded, smiling like she hadn't almost started a fight. "Yep. I got what I wanted."

Yusuke shook his head. "Let us be glad that this didn't end in disaster."

That was one word for it.

"And here I thought you went insane," Ryuji said.

Ann raised an eyebrow. "I don't know about insane. I just didn't want her to leave without saying something. And... I'd regret it if I didn't get this off my chest."

Ryuji smirked. "Don't worry, I get it. Nobody's perfect, after all."

It was kind of strange that Ann wasn't getting the third degree. Then again, I was held to more exacting standards, and we were lucky that Makoto was so willing to play ball. Ann knew what she was getting into, and since she hadn't caused any setbacks, there was no need to complain.

"You're right," Ann said. She clung onto the inside of her elbow with her free hand and let out a deep breath.

"Are you sure you're fine?" I asked.

"I don't know." She frowned. "Why does she have to be so difficult?"

I smiled. "She's really good at pushing people's buttons, isn't she?"

Ann chuckled. "She sure is. Still, I was going on and on about being the better person, but when the chips were down, I couldn't keep my word."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Morgana said. "These things happen, even to the best of us. You were defending Shiho's honour, and that's something you shouldn't regret doing. Not only that, you were able to restrain yourself before you went too far. That's the mark of someone with true strength."

"Exactly," I said. "It's like you said, none of this is easy, but you're trying to improve anyway. That's something worth admiring."

Ann smiled, warm and bright. "Thanks, guys. That really means a lot to me."

Morgana let out a confident cackle. "It's my pleasure." As for me, I just smiled.

"Don't let it get to your head," Ryuji said. When Ann faced him, he flinched. "What?"

"I wanted to thank you for trying to keep the peace," she said. "You were almost cool."

Ryuji shrugged, but he was practically beaming. "Don't mention it. You did the same for me. Besides, it ain't like I'm Makoto's biggest fan or anything, but someone's gotta keep their eye on the prize."

"Well put," Yusuke said. "Speaking of which..." He stared at me. "What's your take on what transpired?"

I hated to admit it, but Makoto hadn't given me any reason to doubt her. She wanted to help us, and she was willing to put up with abuse to do it. She was willing to let bygones be bygones if we did what she said.

"We have a better idea about how Makoto operates, thanks to Morgana and Ann," I said, adjusting my glasses. "And it seems like she's being genuine. The least we can do is hear her out."

Yusuke smiled. "On that, we can agree."

"So it's settled, then?" Ryuji said. "No stealing Makoto's heart?"

"It seems so."

"We'll see," Morgana said.

Ann remained silent, just like she did when I made that oath.

Once again, it all came down to trust, and I knew better than anyone how easy it was to be diplomatic in a negotiation. However, as much as Makoto was trying to bridge that gap and extend an olive branch, I couldn't reach out and take it. I still couldn't guarantee that we weren't walking into a trap, and even though this all seemed legit, and even though her anger was real...

I just wasn't satisfied.