The Queen's Plan
Written by Aiyumi
Disclaimer: Persona and all related characters are property of Atlus, Inc. Any trademarks that may be referenced in this fan fiction are properties of their respective owners. I am just a fan and do not have any relations to said people/companies.
Chapter 7: Conflict
"Kazushi. Kazushi... wake up." Morgana spoke quietly, very unlike he used to do every morning.
This was enough to pull Kazushi out of his slumber, though. He opened his eyes, surprised at the sudden change in Morgana's behavior. Kazushi could tell that Morgana was still bothered by yesterday's question. "Morning, Morgana. See? You don't need to make a ruckus to wake me up."
Morgana didn't respond.
Kazushi got up and proceeded to carry out his morning routine as normal.
This time, Sojiro-san was present and prepared breakfast, which consisted of rice with cooked vegetables.
"No meat again." Morgana complained. Kazushi threw him a "quit complaining" kind of glance, and the not-cat shut up.
They finished breakfast in an awkward silence.
Kazushi changed into his uniform and left his room. This time, Morgana showed no signs of trying to follow him.
"Kazushi. Leaving already?" Sojiro-san stopped him. "On your way back, could you order these ingredients for the shop?" Sojiro-san handed him a list.
"Sure." Kazushi took the paper.
"I'm counting on you."
Later that day, classes ended and Makoto had just left her classroom. Her cellphone rang and she answered the call.
"Makoto?" It was Sae.
"Hello, Sis."
"I just found out that today I'll be working late again."
"Okay." Makoto signaled her understanding.
However, Sae wasn't done yet. "The problem is that our fridge is empty. I had planned to do some shopping today, but stores will be closed by the time I return home. Makoto, could you do me a favor and buy supplies?"
"Sure. Do you want me to get anything in specific?"
"Just the usual, and anything else you feel like getting." Sae answered just as Makoto expected. Sae didn't care much about dinner. She came late from work most of the time, and was so tired that she didn't even seem to enjoy the food.
"Okay."
"I'll get back to work now. See you at home." Sae ended the call.
Makoto resumed walking through the halls. She was heading to the courtyard when she saw Miura supporting an injured male student. Makoto considered helping them, but they had just turned a corner and arrived at the infirmary. She was about to conclude that they didn't need her help when she heard voices coming from the infirmary. Curiosity got the better of her. She approached the door and listened from outside.
"It's you again, huh, problem student," A teenager boy's voice said. "You've been bringing him here a lot. Hmm. You say that he got injured, but it's weird. It isn't normal for someone to get injured so frequently, is it?" The guy spoke with suspicion. "Aren't you bullying and hurting him or something?"
Makoto's eyes widened. That couldn't be true.
"W-what? N-no! I j-just fell during P.E., that's all!" The Student that Miura had helped stuttered in panic. "He isn't at fault for anything! He's only helping me...!"
"You're defending him?" The boy was still suspecting. "Let me guess. Did he threaten to do something to you if you don't cover up for him?"
The student gasped in shock. "No! He wouldn't do that!"
The boy didn't seem to believe him. "Uh, Kazushi Miura, right? You've been talked about so much that I even know your name. Come on. Why don't you say something?"
Miura's quiet voice came. "Would you believe my words?"
Apparently not. "Not going to confess, are you?" The boy seemed to be losing his temper. "It's enough. I'll report this to the Student Council. I'll get the President..."
Makoto didn't like where that was going. She had to intervene. The timing was perfect, too. She came out of hiding and entered the infirmary, where she saw Miura, the injured student, and a member of the Health Committee.
"I'm right here." She announced.
Miura tilted his head in her direction and acknowledged her presence. The injured student recoiled, and the Health Committee member snapped to attention.
"Ms. President!" The Committee member took a step towards her. "It looks like this student here is hurting and threatening this boy!" He pointed at the two in turn.
"What proof do you have?" Makoto refused to believe it unless she had concrete proof.
"Huh? Um, well..." The Committee member faltered. "Y-you see... isn't it weird that he's frequently bringing the boy here? The boy's defending him, but he might be lying!"
"And you are claiming this based on what?"
He didn't respond.
"You have no proof." Makoto concluded. "You shouldn't accuse people like this without proof!"
The Committee member gulped. "Um, b-but they have no proof of the guy's innocence, either!"
Makoto snapped. "If you can't prove or disprove anything, then just don't judge and carry out your task! Go get the nurse. The boy here needs treatment, you know!"
"Y-yes, ma'am!" The Committee member scurried of to get the nurse.
"What a relief. Thanks, Ms. President." The injured student let out the breath he had been holding. "I'm really unlucky and am always getting hurt during P.E. Most others in my class don't pay much mind to me, and Miura's usually the one who ends up helping me. He didn't do anything wrong. Please, don't blame him!"
"I know. Don't worry." Makoto assured him.
"Thanks." Then, the injured student turned to Miura and looked ashamed. "Miura, I'm sorry. You got in trouble because of me..."
"Mishima, it's okay." Miura spoke calmly as usual.
"No, it's not okay! So unfair. It's not right! Can't 'something' be done?" Mishima's look was pleading.
"Something was already done. Niijima-san solved it."
"That wasn't what I-"
Miura cut Mishima off. "If we keep getting stressed over every little thing that happens, we'll go crazy."
"Every little thing?" Mishima's eyes grew wide in awe. "You consider what happened now as a 'little thing?' Miura, you're really amazing."
And Makoto realized she had no idea what Miura had been going through. Thanks to those rumors, many people had preconceptions about him and automatically looked down on him. She had known he was badmouthed a lot, but she had no idea that people actually treated him like that. He couldn't even properly help an injured classmate without being accused of something.
The nurse arrived and began tending to Mishima. Makoto left the infirmary with Miura and went to the courtyard.
"What happened just now was terrible." Makoto looked at Miura with sympathy.
"I'm sorry you had to see that. Thanks for intervening, though."
They walked together in a heavy silence. Makoto figured she should try to lead both Miura's and her focus away from the incident.
"We didn't see each other yesterday..." Makoto commented.
"Yeah."
"Uh, the racing game at the arcade last Sunday. It was fun, right?" Makoto tried to spark conversation.
Miura nodded. "And the shooting game, too."
"Oh, thank you for helping me with that. Come to think of it, you've always been nice to me, and have helped me a lot. But I still haven't done anything for you. Is there anything I can help you with? For example, homework. Do you have homework today?"
"Uh, a-a bit, but-"
"No buts!" Makoto entered lecturing mode. "Let's take care of it right now!"
Niijima-san began walking determinedly, but Kazushi froze. He felt conflicted. There was a subject he needed help with, though it wasn't part of today's homework. As he had decided before, he was willing to accept her help if she ever offered it to his normal self, which she just did. But if he were to follow her now, he would end up spending more time with her, and once again risk having his Phantom Thief identity revealed.
Niijima-san turned around when she realized that he wasn't following her. "Miura, what's wrong?"
"... Uh..." Kazushi still hadn't decided what to do. Going with her was dangerous, but hesitating was equally suspicious. What should he do? And what should he tell her?
"You won't be neglecting your homework."
"That's not it..."
Niijima-san took a step towards him. "Miura, come on. Let's take care of that homework. The sooner you finish it, the more time you'll have for other things. So, let's go."
Kazushi gave up on trying to justify himself. He nodded and began following her. It was just some homework. What could go wrong? As long as "Arsène" remained quiet, everything should be fine.
One good thing, though, was that Niijima-san seemed to be doing fine. She didn't have her head in the clouds. Or at least, not right now. If Kazushi hadn't seen her state during their last interaction at the Dark Hour, he wouldn't have known that she hadn't been well. If she was doing better now, hopefully it meant that she had sorted her thoughts out.
"Can we go to the family restaurant in Shibuya?" Niijima-san asked expectantly. "It's a good place for studying. It has a very enjoyable atmosphere, and we don't need to worry about having to remain absolutely quiet like in the library."
"Sure." Kazushi accepted. "I didn't know you also used to go there."
"Oh, you go there too?" She sounded surprised. "I've done group assignments with my classmates there a few times, and it was very nice. I've been wanting to study there again, but I feel uncomfortable about going there alone. I feel I'd stick out like a sore thumb."
"I don't mind going there alone," Kazushi said.
"Do you go there often?"
"Mostly when it's raining."
"When it's raining?" She sounded as though she found it strange.
"I find it easier to concentrate there than at home. The noise of water pouring down onto Leblanc's roof is really grating..."
Niijima-san nodded in understanding. "Oh, I see. Makes sense."
They went to the family restaurant in Shibuya, which was a popular spot for students to gather. They sat down at a table, and Miura set his study materials on the table.
"Miura, if there's some exercise you don't understand, ask me."
Miura nodded. He opened his notebook and textbook, and got to work.
Makoto took her materials out and did her own homework while she waited impatiently for Miura to ask her something. Minutes passed. Miura kept glancing at the questions on his textbook and writing on his notebook, but didn't utter a word. Makoto noticed he rarely consulted the textbook for the answers. She began suspecting that he was writing a lot of nonsense just to finish his homework quickly.
"Miura."
"Hmm?" He didn't stop what he was doing.
"Show me."
"Show what?"
"Whatever you're writing! I want to see it."
Miura seemed confused, but complied. He set his pencil down and wordlessly handed his notebook to her. If it turned out that he was being lazy and filling the responses with garbage, Makoto would have him do everything again! ... To her surprise, though, his responses were fine. The most surprising thing was that his answers weren't copies of snippets from the textbook material like most students' answers she had seen. Most of his responses were written in his own words, and were generally correct.
"You didn't consult the books for the most part. Had you already known all of this?" Makoto asked him.
"No, just learned it today. The teacher had us copy stuff from the black board, and repeated the important points so many times during the explanation that it stuck, and was still fresh in my mind. So, I was sure that I could do this assignment without help. Actually, this was what I was trying to say."
Makoto felt stupid. Earlier, when Miura tried to object to her helping him, it wasn't because he intended to neglect his homework, but because he had been sure he would be perfectly fine on his own. On the bright side, she was glad to see his answers to the questions, which were simple and to the point.
"But since you're here, I might as well ask for your help with something else," Miura added.
"Oh, what is it?" Makoto would gladly help him.
"Some Maths stuff. But let me finish this assignment first, since it's the actual homework."
"Okay." Makoto handed his notebook back, and continued to do her own homework.
In less than fifteen minutes, Miura finished his homework.
"Let's see if you can help me understand this." Miura opened his Maths textbook and the corresponding exercises on his notebook. "The examples on the textbook are okay. I can understand them alright. But the equations in the exercises don't seem to follow the examples at all. The teacher gave us the answer on the blackboard, but I got completely lost. When I asked for clarification, the teacher scolded me for 'not paying attention' and refused to explain anything." Miura turned his gaze to the notebook. "Up to here, it's fine. But then, this suddenly turns into this." He pointed at some equations on his notebook, which were copied from the answer the teacher provided. "How do we get from here to this other line here? Where did this other formula come from, and how do we know that it's the one we have to use?"
"Let me see..." Makoto took a look at the exercise. "Ah! I remember this! I also struggled a lot at this topic last year."
"Whoa. You too?"
"Yes. I talked to the teacher and asked for clarification, but the teacher explained it the same way every time and acted as though it were obvious. Maybe it is obvious, to Math teachers, that is. But not to us. I had to consult a lot of different books at the library until I finally understood what was going on."
Makoto explained what she had learned in her own research. At first, it seemed like she would have to cover a lot of the basics until they got to the point that really mattered, but she only reminded Miura about a few formulae he should have learned in the past, and he was brought up to speed rather quickly. Then, Makoto explained the reasoning behind the equations the teacher had provided, and Miura was able to follow her explanations without much trouble. By the end of it, Makoto had a nice feeling of fulfillment. She was finally able to use her knowledge to help someone with studies, and said person paid full attention to her words and actually understood them.
After the study session, they ordered a juice, and were drinking it and talking.
"Now I think I get the Maths stuff. Thanks, Niijima-san."
"Anytime." Makoto smiled happily. "Teaching you was a pleasure. I mean, really. Most times when I tried to help someone with studies, the person usually spaced out or dozed off and left me speaking into deaf ears..."
"Hahahaha!" Miura unexpectedly let out a quick burst of laughter.
That action took Makoto aback. Miura was always quiet and reserved, and seeing him laugh was a nice change of pace. The more she interacted with him, the more she found that spending time with him was enjoyable. She only wished Miura would relax a bit and laugh more often.
Miura spoke. "At least now I feel confident enough to solve a equation of this kind on the blackboard tomorrow, as I'm sure the teacher will pick me to do it and try to make a fool out of me in front of the class like always."
"Like always...?"
Miura only nodded and took a sip of his juice, and didn't elaborate.
Makoto wanted to know more. She recalled her conversation with Takamaki yesterday, and got reminded that it wasn't only the students that treated Miura badly like what happened at the infirmary earlier. "I've heard that even the teachers look down on you because of those rumors."
Miura nodded again.
"What do they do?"
Miura seemed hesitant, but explained his situation anyway. "Most teachers always have me stand up to answer questions in front of the whole class. If I answer them wrong, they usually lecture me in front of everyone, and keep repeating that I should pay attention and take the classes seriously. If I answer them right, they either don't complain, or accuse me of copying someone else's answers."
"What...?" During that homework session, Makoto had just attested to Miura's dedication to his studies. Makoto had known what it felt like to be pressured by the teachers. She was under a lot of pressure to maintain her good academic results. But to think that the teachers weren't recognizing Miura's efforts at all was really unfair. Just because of some stupid rumors. "That's harsh..."
"At least those rumors are only confined to the school." Miura tried to be optimistic. "Outside school, most people treat me normally."
Makoto tried to divert their focus again. "Speaking of 'outside school,' did you manage to get a part-time job?"
"Oh, yeah. That same day when you saw me looking at the advertisements, I began working part-time at a restaurant at night. Since I'm already used to tending to customers at the cafe, I figured it'd be similar enough at a restaurant."
Makoto sighed. "I also should be looking into part-time jobs, but I have so much to do. Studies, martial training, helping my sister with household chores, among... 'some other things,'" like the Dark Hour, which she would rather not mention. "I don't have much free time."
Miura didn't comment on that.
They finished their juice and stood up.
"Let's see... now, to the supermarket..." Miura muttered to himself.
Makoto heard him. "Supermarket?"
"Huh?" He realized that he had thought aloud. "Yeah. Sojiro-san asked me to buy supplies."
Makoto remembered that Sae had asked her to do some shopping as well. "Ah, my sister asked me to buy supplies too. Which supermarket do you go to?"
"It's the store where some of Sojiro-san's acquaintances work. They have special partnerships with suppliers, and some of the products are way cheaper there. Or at least, it's what Sojiro-san told me. I'm trusting that he knows his stuff, and am taking his word for it. I haven't researched to compare prices myself."
Makoto still needed to finish her homework, but that could wait until she got home. "How about we compare prices now? If the products are cheaper than at the place I usually shop, then we can conclude that it's true."
"... You're coming too?" Miura seemed a bit surprised to have Makoto simply invite herself along like that.
"Can't I?"
"Th-that's not it... I just didn't expect you'd want to come along."
"Then, let's go."
Miura took Makoto to the supermarket.
"Oh, I had never been here before." Makoto carried a basket around as she looked at the products. "I always shop for food at the store near my home. And some things are really cheaper here!"
Miura was dragging a shopping cart. "Sojiro-san needs a lot of stuff, and it'll take a while until I get everything. Niijima-san, you'll be okay on your own, right?"
"Huh? Yes." As much as she would enjoy the company, she could see Miura's point.
"If you finish shopping before I do, you may leave without waiting for me."
"Okay." Makoto nodded, and they parted ways.
Makoto spent some time walking around the store and selecting products. The items she usually bought were already in the basket. Sae had told her to get whatever else she felt like, and Makoto was looking around and thinking what else to buy. Then, she ran into Miura again.
"Looking for something in particular?" Miura asked her.
"I don't know. I already got the usual items. I wanted to buy something different from usual, but I don't know what to get."
"Do you cook?"
"Yes." Makoto answered. "I often help my sister in the kitchen, or cook for her when she isn't around. All we've been making lately, though, is only rice with something simple. She comes back so tired from work that she doesn't even eat properly. She looks so worried and tired most of the time, as though she can't find any enjoyment in anything. I wanted to at least be able to prepare some nice food for her..."
"Then, surprise her." Miura suggested. "If you can, make something special."
"This was what I was thinking, but I don't know any advanced recipe."
"No." Miura shook his head. "It doesn't need to be advanced. By 'special,' I mean special to her. For example, some food that she likes, but that she hasn't had in a long time."
"Oh, this is it!" Makoto got excited. "She loved the fried tofu our mother prepared when we were little. It should be easy enough to make. Great idea! Thank you, Miura."
Makoto set off to get the tofu and a few additional ingredients. Once she had gotten the items she wanted, she began wandering aimlessly again, this time thinking about preparing something to give to Joker the next time they met. What could she prepare? Maybe something sweet. Did he like sweets? ... But she wasn't used to making sweets, and had no idea what ingredients to buy. Makoto wished she could make something simple and special at the same time, but she didn't know what he liked and had no idea what he would consider 'special.'
"Niijima-san, please, I need to get something from this shelf." Miura's voice startled her.
Makoto finally realized that she had been spacing out while standing in front of a shelf. "Ah, sorry!" She stepped aside and allowed Miura to get the items he needed.
Miura noticed something wasn't right. "What happened? Couldn't you find what you were looking for?"
"I found what I needed for the tofu. But..." Makoto lowered her head.
"But...?" Miura waited for her to finish her sentence.
Makoto took a deep breath. "I-I was thinking of trying to make something I've never made before. But, one, I don't know what to make, and two, I'm scared that it might turn out a disaster..." Going through with that idea was too risky. Makoto wasn't confident about cooking something she wasn't familiar with. Chances of it turning out wrong were big. She wanted to make something good to please Joker.
"What do you need?"
"Huh? ... I don't know." Makoto admitted. "I'm still trying to decide what to make."
"Hmm? Don't you need a list of the ingredients first? How are you going to buy the ingredients if you don't know what you need?"
"Ah... hahahahaha!" Makoto laughed awkwardly. "You're right! I can't buy anything yet. First I need to decide what to make, then check the recipe and make a list of the ingredients. I got so carried away by the idea of trying to prepare something different that I forgot I had to plan it first! Hahaha! Well, I guess I'm done shopping, then. What about you?"
Miura glanced at the paper with the list of the items he needed to buy. "I think it'll still take a while."
"Okay. I'll go pay for my purchase. See you, Miura."
Makoto headed to the counter to pay for her purchase. Few customers were in line, and her turn came soon enough.
"You're the girl that came in with Miura-kun, right?" The old lady behind the counter observed. "What's your name?"
"Makoto. Makoto Niijima. I'm the Student Council President of Syujin High School."
"Hmm, the Student Council President... you must be proud when you see students from your school setting a good example." The old lady flashed a friendly smile. "That boy is so adorable, isn't he? He's helping out at Sakura-san's cafe, and shops here for Sakura-san from time to time."
Makoto smiled. After hearing how Miura was treated at school, it was nice to hear someone speaking well of him. "From what I could gather, he seems to be a good student, too."
"There are so many immature and troublesome kids nowadays, but Miura-kun is different. So young and so responsible... Sakura-san got a great helper."
Makoto agreed. She paid for her things and decided to wait for Miura. It didn't feel right to leave him behind.
Around ten minutes later, Miura came. "Niijima-san, you're still here?"
"I'm not in a hurry, and decided I might as well wait for you."
Miura sighed and looked away from her. He turned his focus to his purchase, and began unloading the items from the cart onto the counter.
"Everything on Sakura-san's tab, right?" The old lady asked.
"Uh, well, not everything. I'm paying for these." Miura took a full basket from the cart.
Makoto eyed the basket with interest. It contained rice, raw meat, eggs, some vegetables, and coffee.
"Your items will be 1,270 yen." The old lady informed.
Miura readily handed her the exact amount. Apparently, he had already done the math beforehand. Makoto was impressed at his efficiency.
"We'll have Sakura-san's supplies delivered in a few hours." The old lady informed.
"Thank you. And I'll take these with me." Miura pointed at the items that had been in the basket.
The lady put the items in a grocery bag and handed it to him. "Thank you for your purchase! Send our regards to Sakura-san!"
Makoto and Miura left the supermarket.
Makoto kept looking curiously at Miura's grocery bag. "You... cook?"
"Uh, I'm trying. Sojiro-san taught me to make coffee and curry rice. But I wanted something different from the shop's leftovers and curry rice for a change, and decided to try to prepare something else myself. I watched the other workers cook and asked them for some tips. I hope I can make something decent."
"You're also considering making food you've never made before? Haha!" Makoto chuckled. It was a nice coincidence. "Like I said earlier, me too. So, good luck to the two of us, I guess. And now I'm curious as to how your cooking tastes like."
"I can't say much about other things, but at least my coffee is good. If you want, next time you come to Leblanc, I can make you some coffee." Miura offered.
"I'm up for that." Makoto accepted the offer without a second thought.
But then, she realized something. Miura was really nice to her. Too nice, in fact. Why was that? He had been helping her from the day she first went to Leblanc. He fulfilled her order, then went as far as to escort her home, and protected her during her first Dark Hour. He always engaged in conversation with her, and last Sunday, he went out of his way to spend time with her, whereas anyone else would have avoided her. And now, he was offering to make coffee for her.
"Uh, Miura. Remember that day when I appeared at Leblanc after closing time, why did you decide to help me?"" Makoto felt the need to ask.
"Huh? You looked like you needed help." He said it as though it were obvious.
"Oh...?" Makoto was taken aback by his straightforwardness.
"It was raining, you looked tired, that worker was being inconsiderate and was mistreating you, and I had nothing to do at that moment..."
"But I had just scolded you that afternoon. You were in the middle of an argument between some students."
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything? I felt that helping you was the right thing to do, and that's it."
Makoto smiled at his sincerity. "I'm very grateful for your help, you know? Everything had gone wrong for me that day. My duties in Student Council seemed to never end and I left school much later than usual. Then I went to an acquaintance's office to borrow a book, and was forced to wait for hours. It was raining when I finally left the office. I was hungry, but then I remembered the fridge at home was empty... all the nearby restaurants were closed, and my only hope of salvation turned out to be Leblanc..."
"Hmm. So this was what happened... I'm even more glad I could help, then."
Miura sure cared about her. But how much he cared? What did he feel for her? What if he... liked her, romantically? ""
Her paranoia of being wary of random boys trying to ask her out had made Makoto suspect Miura of a lot of little things, like when she went to Leblanc for the first time and thought he helped her only because he wanted to make a move on her, or even that he was going to do something inappropriate to her during the Dark Hour on that same day. He had had plenty of opportunities to do inappropriate things to her during that Dark Hour, and he would have done so if he had wanted to. Also that day when she accidentally barged into his bedroom, then suspected him of having had wrong ideas. Or suspected him of telling Sakura-san that he was dating her...
Those suspicions might be unfounded, and just a result of her paranoia, but what if Miura were indeed interested in her? Not in that immature, perverted kind of way, but in a sincere, genuine way? What if he liked her... for real? That notion was a bit scary. Makoto felt conflicted. Miura was a good person. Makoto enjoyed his company as well... but her heart was already taken. Makoto wanted to be with Joker. She had all those plans about making him stop committing crime and disbanding the Phantom Thieves. This plan was very important to her, and she wouldn't give up on it.
"Niijima-san?" Miura noticed Makoto's conflicted expression.
"Uh..." Makoto fidgeted. "I was just wondering. You're too nice to me, Miura. Others avoid me because they view me as too nagging, yet you always listen to what I have to say and are constantly hanging around me. It's... strange."
"Is it? But the same can be said about you." Miura argued. "For whatever reason, you, the righteous Student Council President, chose to constantly hang around the school's infamous problem child, out of all people. It isn't just because Sojiro-san asked you to keep an eye on me, is it? It's usually you who comes to talk to me, too."
Makoto was usually the one who started the interaction because Miura wouldn't say anything otherwise. She did it because his silence bothered her, and his neutral expression gave no hints that he even remembered their previous talks, and she had the impression that he was ignoring her. At least Miura responded normally when she started talking, and this put her more at ease. Despite those quirks, Miura was her only schoolmate she felt comfortable to talk to.
"Miura, I admit that I doubted you in the beginning. But, for some reason, I feel comfortable talking to you. And by interacting with you, I got to know you better, and now know that you're nothing like those rumors say. You have my respect, Miura. To me, you aren't a problem student. You are... a good friend."
Makoto considered telling Miura that she already liked someone, but she felt bad about breaking it to him. If he indeed liked her and learned that he couldn't be with her, would he start avoiding her like the others? Miura was the only friend that Makoto had right now, and she didn't want to lose her bond with him. But would he be okay with just friendship?
However, Miura didn't look disappointed. In fact, he gave her a genuine smile, which was a rarity in itself. "Thanks, Niijima-san. This means a lot to me."
Makoto couldn't help but smile back. Miura looked serious most of the time, and it was nice to see that spontaneous smile on his face.
Was Makoto reading into it too much? Maybe Miura didn't like her in a romantic way. Maybe he was just lonely thanks to the way he was treated at school, and only hung around her because she was one of the few people that gave him attention. Makoto decided she wouldn't tell him about her romance issues unless he explicitly told her that he liked her.
It was time for them to part ways.
"Niijima-san, thanks for today."
Makoto was confused for a moment. "Huh? What is this about?"
"The equations."
"Ah, yes. There was that. You're welcome. Good luck with the teacher tomorrow."
"Thanks. Good luck with your fried tofu."
Makoto laughed at his comment. She didn't expect him to remember specifically about her mention of the fried tofu.
Makoto was able to prepare the fried tofu with no problems. She tasted it, and it was surprisingly good. But she didn't have dinner. Instead, she waited for Sae to come back home, which only happened past ten o'clock.
Sae took a quick shower and headed to the kitchen. Two bowls with rice were on the table, along with a closed pot. Makoto was waiting for her.
"Makoto, didn't you have dinner yet?"
"No. Today I decided to wait for you."
"But I told you that I would arrive late from work. And you have to wake up early tomorrow to go to school!"
Makoto could only pray that Sae wouldn't find out she had been staying awake past midnight when adventuring during the Dark Hour. Makoto wouldn't let her sister's scolding ruin the mood, though. "But I made something special today! And I wanted us to have dinner together."
Sae seemed to be preparing another reprimand, but her eyes widened when she took the pot's lid off and saw what Makoto had made. "Th-this is..." Sae completely lost her composure. "... Why?"
"It's been a long time since we don't have fried tofu. I was remembering the fried tofu Mom made for us when we were little. You used to enjoy it a lot."
Sae tasted the treat. "This is good. It brings back memories."
Makoto served herself and proceeded to eat as well.
Sae was lost in thought for most of their meal. "Mom used to give more fried tofu to you than to me. She used to say that smaller kids had to eat more to grow up more. I was... a bit bothered by that."
"Oh, I didn't know." Makoto smiled cheerfully. "But now you can have as much of it as you want. And whenever you want fried tofu again, just ask me and I'll make it for you!"
Sae looked flabbergasted. "Why are you doing this all of a sudden?"
"I've been worrying about you, you know. You look so tired lately, and seem like you aren't having enjoyment in anything. So, I decided to make something that I was sure you'd like."
Sae seemed lost for words for a moment, then flashed a tired but grateful smile. "Thank you, Makoto."
At the Dark Hour, Makoto was in the Palace with the others. Joker had asked everyone to wait a bit near the entrance.
They waited silently, apparently wary of engaging in small talk due to Makoto's presence.
"What is Joker doing?" Makoto couldn't hold her curiosity.
"Not sure, but it has to be something about his many Personas." Skull answered her.
Panther noticed that Mona seemed down. "Mona, what's wrong?"
"Aaaaah, Panther!" Mona ran over to Panther and made a whiny face. "Joker's been angry at me since yesterday! He snapped at me, then asked me some stuff. I think he's thinking of ditching me!"
"Pfff. What?" Panther chuckled, incredulous. "Joker, thinking of ditching you?"
"Yeah!" Mona looked desperate. "What if he decides to undo our deal?! What should I do?! Where should I go?! I have nowhere, and have no one..."
"Wait." Skull joined in. "Before we ran into you, you were alone and had been doing just fine, right?"
"I'm talking to Panther!" Mona seemed hurt and snapped at Skull.
"What's this about a deal?" Makoto asked.
Panther answered. "We agreed that Mona would help us explore the Palaces, and we'd try to find out about his origins as we went on."
Skull added, "Since it looks like he's a creature from the Dark Hour, we thought he might remember something important about the Dark Hour if he recovered his memories."
"I want to be back to my original form!" Mona spoke looking at Makoto.
"Your original form?"
"Yeah! I should be a cool and elegant man!"
"Huh?" Makoto deadpanned.
Mona looked offended. "... Why does everyone does that face when I say this?"
Makoto didn't know how to respond. "... Err, sorry, no offense, but are you sure that that's your original form?"
"Uh, yeah... probably. I think..." Mona seemed more unsure by the second. "Argh! It's all Joker's fault! He keeps asking weird questions, and I get more confused each day!"
"I doubt you'd be an elegant man," Skull said mockingly. "You aren't elegant, for one."
"Ugh... shut up, skullhead!"
Makoto felt bad for having offended Mona. She tried to give him a compliment to make up to him. "Uh, you're... cute, though."
Mona got flustered and tried to pretend he didn't like the compliment. "This isn't it! The word isn't 'cute.' It's 'cool,' right?!"
"No." Fox shot him down.
Mona shut his eyes, scared. "Aaaaah! What if I don't find out my origins?! What if Joker leaves me behind?! Panther, if he decides to abandon me, will you take me in?"
"That's actually a good idea." Joker suddenly announced his return.
"J-Joker! You're really meaning to...!" Mona's voice wavered.
"Calm down, Mona. It's okay." Panther patted Mona's head comfortingly and looked at the leader. "Joker, what did you do? He's really scared!"
"I just gave him some things to think about." Joker took his position at the front of the group. "Shall we start the exploration?"
Mona left Panther's side, shook his doubts off for the moment, and ran over to Joker.
Panther stayed with Makoto at the back of the group like usual, and they went on their way. Explorations resumed, with Mona uncharacteristically quiet when not pointing out enemy weaknesses. They had thought they still had two corridors to explore, but found out that one of them had collapsed completely, and they couldn't pass through it, which left only one corridor.
"Uh, Queen." Panther called out to Makoto in a hushed tone. "There's something I need to tell you. Yesterday, I... uh, I tried to confess my feelings to Joker."
"W-what?" Makoto's voice rasped, and she felt a chill in her chest.
"Yeah." Panther forced a smile. "But he gave me a deadpan look as though he were accusing me of making fun of him. He told me. You confessed to him too, didn't you?"
"Y-yes."
"I talked more to him after that, but he didn't give any hint that he feels anything for me." Panther shrugged. "I guess the path is open for you, then." Panther patted Makoto on the shoulder and smiled. "Good luck."
"Um, thank you..." Makoto said awkwardly, a bit relieved at Panther's encouragement.
Fox approached the girls. "Queen, we just found this, but it didn't fit either of our styles, so we thought you could have it." He handed her a plastic revolver. "It'll help you defend yourself against Shadows, even without a Persona."
"Uh, thank you..." Makoto reluctantly took the gun and looked it over. "It's a toy, right?"
"Yes. It works very well against some Shadows, though. Are you confident at shooting?"
"I don't know." Makoto had never used a gun before... aside from the gun-shaped controler at the arcade.
"I'll ask Joker if he can let you test it." Fox walked away without waiting for a response.
Joker had Makoto take part in a fight against two Shadows that were weak to gun attacks.
As soon as Makoto pointed the toy revolver at the enemy, she remembered the shooting game at the arcade, and how Miura gave her tips about aiming and firing. It was ridiculous to use video game tips in a fight against supernatural monsters, but it was the only knowledge related to shooting that Makoto had available. She aimed just like Miura had instructed at the arcade, and pulled the trigger.
"W-whoa!" Mona exclaimed.
"It... hit?" Much to Makoto's surprise, the plastic pellet that shot from the toy gun hit the monster, which exploded into black ooze on contact.
"Nice shot!" Skull complimented. "One more!"
Surprisingly, that toy gun might prove useful for Makoto to defend herself against Shadows until she got a Persona. She wished she could thank Miura for the knowledge he shared with her, but she had chosen to not tell him about what she had been doing at the Dark Hour.
Makoto kept recalling how Miura had gently and patiently taught her how to use the gun-shaped controller. Distracted thinking about Miura, Makoto forgot that there was still one enemy remaining, and didn't realize it was preparing to charge at her. When she snapped to focus, the Shadow was already mid-charge...
... And thankfully, a well-placed shot from Joker's toy handgun made quick work of it.
"Thank you, Joker." Makoto blushed slightly.
"If you are going to get distracted, then at least carry the battle through to the end first." The leader was clearly displeased. His remark was sarcastic, but the way he spoke it made it sound like a serious reprimand.
"Uh, sorry..." Makoto was still blushing, but now it was in shame.
"You know that Shadows are dangerous. You should be more careful."
"I-I know." Makoto took a few steps towards him and lowered her voice. "Um, J-Joker, I need to talk to you later." She quickly turned away and scurried back to her spot at the rear of the group.
A few more battles later, the exploration ended, for real this time. They had explored all possible places in that Palace.
"If we had known we'd only need one more day, we could've waited to take a break after the end of the exploration." Fox commented.
"Does this mean we'll have a break again?" Skull asked.
"Yes," was Joker's confirmation. "We will be on standby until we determine our next target."
Makoto only half-listened to the conversation, and the mention of a next target didn't register in her head. She was more worried about going over her rehearsed speech one last time.
They left the Palace and walked a few blocks as usual. When they split ways, Joker remained and approached Makoto. "You had said you wanted to talk to me."
"... Yes." Makoto straightened her posture. It was time. She had to do her best to not falter under Joker's imposing presence and penetrating gaze. She took a deep breath and began speaking. "Joker. After that night, I thought a lot. At first, I didn't know how to approach it, but now I believe I arrived at an answer. The reasons that caused me to like you so much." It wasn't a matter of determining whether she liked him or not. Makoto didn't leave any room for doubt that she indeed liked him. Instead, she chose to present her reasons. "The mystery might also play a part in making me more curious about you, but it's not all. Joker, you have a lot of qualities that I admire. You are very intelligent, skilled, strong, confident, and a good leader. These are qualities that should still hold true no matter if you're wearing a mask or not. Regardless of who you are or what you look like, I feel that I'll continue to like you."
Joker's mouth hung slightly open for a short while, but he quickly caught himself and recovered his cool. After staring at Makoto for a few tense seconds, he finally spoke up. "You seem serious about this..."
Makoto smiled in relief. Joker didn't seem to be mocking her or disregarding her words. "Of course I am. I'm not very good with people, and had never imagined I'd ever confess my love to someone. I wouldn't say these things if I weren't serious about it, and wouldn't say them to just anyone. You're this special to me, Joker."
More tense seconds of silent staring.
Joker was trying to remain composed, but Makoto could tell that he was lost for words. Maybe it was true that he liked her and was just waiting for proof that she really liked him.
"You seem unsure." Makoto risked speaking. "Is it because you think I'll change my mind if I find out your identity? If so, you might as well reveal it right now and get this dilemma over with," she said boldly.
"Ha, ha, ha. Nice try." Joker laughed mockingly, instantly back to his usual self. "Do you think I don't realize? I know that you're actually against our methods. Tell me the truth. You want to reveal our identities and sell us out, don't you?"
Makoto froze, with her eyes wide.
"I've noticed this ever since I pulled you into the group." Joker continued. "You had been quite hostile towards us, and insisted that you didn't want to contribute to our cause. Yet, just a few arguments later, you suddenly, unexplainably, changed your mind and accepted to join us. Suspicious, isn't it?"
Joker's reasoning was spot on, and his words hurt. He didn't trust her.
"You were suspecting me all along..." Makoto's voice shook. "Then, why did you accept me into the group?"
"I already told you this. From the moment I saw that you could move during the Dark Hour, I decided I couldn't ignore you, and figured I'd rather have you near us."
This was it. This was the reason why infiltrating the group had been so easy. Joker hadn't just "accepted" her into the group. He wanted to make sure she would join, and had purposefully dragged her into his group, then assigned a member to keep tabs on her and make sure she wasn't trying to do anything against them. This explained why he didn't seem bothered to have one less member at the front line. When Makoto found herself in the group, she had thought she had gotten an advantage, but Joker had been one step ahead of her all along. He was really cunning...
"No need to say anything." Joker spoke before Makoto could respond. "It's true. It's written on your face."
"... Yes, that had been my original intention." Makoto confessed, with a lump in her throat. "But now, it's d-different. I don't want to get any of you in trouble. I only want you to stop."
"We have no intention of stopping." Joker outright refused.
"It's a shame that someone so amazing as you keeps using these talents and skills to commit crime," Makoto said. "Joker, you're so intelligent, so talented... I'm sure you could achieve great things if only you'd put your talents to good use instead of wasting it on crime! You might be thinking that the Dark Hour makes you unrecognizable and invincible, and that no one will catch you. But it isn't simply a matter of getting caught or not. Just because you have power and no one else is awake to see what you're doing, it doesn't give you the right to do what you will with peoples' property as though you owned everything! Think about the harm your group is causing to others! I'm sure you wouldn't like if someone did the same to you. You guys will only become worse people the more you continue doing bad things."
"It's not like that. You don't understand." Joker tried to protest.
"There's nothing to understand!" Makoto snapped. "What you are doing is wrong! Joker, you're ruining your life by following this path."
"My life has never been better, thank you very much." Joker smirked smugly. "And you really don't understand. You got it all wrong. It's difficult to explain only with words. And since you aren't willing to listen to words, I guess there is only one way to make you understand what we're doing. You'll have to see it for yourself."
"See it for myself?" Makoto spat. "Are you implying that you want me to go on a raid with your group?!"
"Yes."
Makoto glared daggers at him. "I refuse! I don't need to understand it. Stealing and vandalism is wrong, and it's all that matters!"
Joker suddenly lunged at her, and Makoto panicked. He grabbed her and effortlessly dragged her a few feet back. Makoto only regained her senses when she heard an explosion right at the spot she had been standing until a few seconds ago. Then, she realized that a Shadow was on the street and had tried to attack them with a fire spell. The attack would have hit her if Joker hadn't pushed her out of the way.
"Stay put. I'll handle it." Joker commanded.
Shocked at the surprise attack, Makoto nodded obediently and hid behind him.
"Persona!"
An ice spell from one of Joker's multiple Personas made quick work of the Shadow, and silence reigned over the street as it should.
With no more signs of danger around, Joker turned behind to face Makoto. "Looks like we were doing too much noise."
"Why?" Makoto asked weakly. "Why did you save me?"
"Huh?" Joker threw her a look of confusion.
"Now you know that I'm against you..." She said.
"So what? Do I need a specific reason to help someone?"
"N-no." Makoto's mouth curved into a weak smile. Maybe, deep down, Joker was a rather gentle person. Or maybe he actually liked her...
"I'd have done that for anyone. But I have to admit. There's something about you that bothers me. You are quite reckless."
"What?" Makoto was about to snap again. Where had he taken that from? Makoto considered herself as being many things, but "reckless" wasn't one of them. "I'm not reckless!"
"Of course you are. Who in a right mind would come to the Palace alone without any equipment and without a Persona? This was exactly what you did that day when I pulled you into the group."
Makoto gasped.
"You must've known you shouldn't be wandering alone and unprepared during the Dark Hour, yet you came all the way into the Palace. Who knows what may have happened if we hadn't run into you near the entrance. You'd have wandered deeper inside, where the Shadows are much stronger. If we hadn't spotted you, you might not even have come out of there alive that night."
On further thought, what she had done that night was indeed stupid. Makoto had trained hard. She had thought that she could deal with the Dark Hour on her own just fine, and that she was well-prepared enough to face the monsters. The notion that she might run into monsters way stronger than expected hadn't so much as crossed her mind. Joker was right. Until now, she hadn't even been aware that the Phantom Thieves had saved her life.
Joker added, "Your overconfidence makes you reckless, and having you wander into dangerous territory unattended doesn't sit right with me." He let out a resigned sigh and looked downward. "When I realize it, I'm already moving to protect you..."
His words touched Makoto. They were a sign that Joker felt something special towards her. Makoto's eyes watered. "Joker... Thank you..." She whispered to him.
Only then, Makoto realized their bodies were rather close after Joker had released her when he protected her from the Shadow's attack. On impulse, she took a step forward to close the distance between them, and enveloped Joker in an embrace. The Phantom's eyes widened at Makoto's sudden action, but he didn't move either to shove her off or to hug her back. In fact, he was stunned. His body stilled, and he seemed to be holding his breath.
"I don't get it... you seem to have such a strong sense of judgment, still you keep thieving and doing wrong things..." Makoto let out a frustrated sigh, and tears began rolling down her face. "Look, it's true that I'm against what your group is doing... but it's also t-true that I like you. J-Joker, I only w-wish your good. Please, you h-have to stop." Her tears intensified, and she began sobbing. She tightened her hold on him. "Joker, w-what's your problem? Tell me, a-and I'll help you think up a solution. I'll do anything I can to help you have a good life without resorting to crime. Joker. P-please..."
After a few seconds of silence, Joker relaxed. He finally moved and slowly enveloped his arms around her. Makoto usually feared his imposing presence, but now she felt safe in it as Joker held her comfortingly and waited for her to calm down.
The embrace didn't last long, though. Makoto didn't want to let go, but as soon as her sobs had subsided, Joker gently pried her off of him. Then, he used his sleeve to wipe her tears off.
"My problem is that you're being closed-minded, and aren't willing to listen." Joker answered her at last. "There's a strong reason behind what our group does."
"A-alright. Then, explain yourself." Makoto demanded. She tried to sound authoritative, but failed.
"Unfortunately, it's not as simple as just 'right' and 'wrong.' It's quite complicated, actually. The others accepted it just fine, but it's probably harder to grasp to someone that views things as being just black and white. For one, what we steal isn't even physical to begin with. And the places becoming a mess afterwards has more to do with our targets' actions than ours."
"This makes no sense..."
"As I said earlier, it's hard to explain with words. This is why I'm saying that you must see things for yourself. Then, I'm sure you'll understand our reasons. What Palaces are, what we steal, why we steal it, and why this is the only way."
Makoto was conflicted. One part of her felt tempted to trust Joker's argument and see for herself what his groups actions were all about, while the other part warned her that she was getting into big trouble. She wanted to lead Joker away from the path of crime, but if she weren't careful, it would be the other way around!
"May I decide what to do later?"
"No. You have no choice," Joker said decisively. "You're with us now, and there's no backing out. When we go after our next target, you will be coming with us."
"What if I run away and don't show up?"
"Then, we'll find you and pick you up. We have ways to do that." Joker smirked confidently. "Like it or not, you'll be coming with us, Makoto Niijima." He gave his ultimatum.
Out of all things Makoto could have thought, she found it charming how her first name had rolled off his tongue, and couldn't help but want to hear him say it more often. Then the seriousness of the situation finally sank in. Joker said he had ways to find her, and Makoto felt that he wasn't bluffing.
Joker gave her no chance to continue arguing. "We will take another break from explorations while we do some investigating. Once we determine our next target, I'll contact you." With that, Joker turned around and left, without so much as a good night wish.
Makoto stood there, paralyzed. She had fallen into a trap, hadn't she? She had convinced Joker of her feelings, just as she had wanted, and Joker also seemed to like her. However, that little voice in the back of her mind had been right all along. The moment Makoto considered getting close to Joker to figure out his identity, she began playing with fire. He had turned the tables on her and was intent on dragging her over to the crime path. Now she would get in trouble for sure. So much for falling in love...
"What should I do?" Makoto asked herself as she finally began to move and walk towards her home.
A/n: once again, the part talking about Makoto's first Dark Hour and the rainy day she went to Leblanc after closing time refers to the events of "Midnight Rumors," the prequel to this fic.
When Joker lunged at Makoto, did anyone think he would attack her? XD
