A/n: warning. This chapter contains some stuff based on spoilery bits about Ryuji and Kamoshida.

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 10: Investigation

X:X:X:X:X

"You didn't have the courage to invite Joker. Looks like Miura won this round, huh?"

"... Huh?" Makoto realized that she was dreaming, and that the same voice from last night was talking to her. "'Won this round?' What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you don't want to admit this, but be honest. You also like Miura."

Makoto was alarmed. She felt like protesting, but stopped herself. She had no one to tell about her romance issues to. There was no way that she would discuss it with Sae! But she desperately needed to get those feelings out of her system. Never mind that this was a dream. The mysterious voice's owner seemed willing to listen, and Makoto decided she would take whatever she could get. "Uh, yes, I think so... what should I do? Miura is so nice. He's a great person, and doesn't deserve the treatment he's been getting. I'd like to be near him to support him. I have this hunch that he might like me, too. If only I hadn't told Joker that I liked him, maybe I could stay with Miura... maybe I moved too fast, and confessing to Joker was the wrong thing to do. Now Joker wants to drag me to the way to crime! ... but it's useless. No matter how hard I think about this, no matter how much I try to convince myself that I'll only get in trouble if I stay with Joker, I can't deny that I like him..."

"You're getting yourself into quite the drama..." The mysterious person chuckled. "Strange, right? One of the reasons why you like Joker is that you don't know much about him. Yet, one of the reasons which made you like Miura is that you got to know him better. How ironic this is... they are practically opposites. Miura is polite and shy. Joker imposes his presence and is even rude at times. Miura is calm and docile. Joker is rebellious and commanding. Yet, you like both of them."

"Oh. Yes, this is all true." Makoto had to agree. "Both of them need help, too..."

"They're opposites in this regard as well. Miura is more accepting of your help. Joker, on the other hand, seems arrogant and unwilling to accept your help at all. What if all Joker wants is you? What if all he wants is to have you submit to him and do whatever he pleases? Would you still choose him?"

"Are you saying that I should stay with Miura?"

"No." The person clarified. "You should stay with whoever you want. I'm just saying that going for Miura is the easy route. If you really decide to go for Joker, though, then you'll need more courage."

"Courage?" Makoto had always believed she was courageous.

"Yes. You lack courage, especially when it concerns interacting with Joker. So far, you haven't managed to impose yourself to him. As long as Joker keeps intimidating you, you'll always be forced to do as he pleases, and things will never go your way! You won't be able to get him away from the crime path. You'll be forced to follow his orders, and he'll drag you into trouble after trouble!"

The person was right. Makoto had argued with Joker a lot, but he always had the upper hand. Her "lecturing mode" had never seemed to work on him. Unless Makoto managed to turn the tables on him, her plan of staying near him to make him change his ways would never succeed. "I s-see your point, but how can I impose myself?"

"You need to lose the fear of 'breaking the chains.' You've been chained by bothersome values that society imposed on you from the time you were a child, and you are afraid of going against them. You have to lose the fear of showing the hidden part of yourself that wants to rebel against these values."

"It sounds hard..." Makoto had known exactly what the person was referring to. The possible consequences of going against such values were the cause of some of her deepest fears. It was a subject Makoto had never discussed with anyone before. How did that mysterious figure know so much about her? "You clearly know a lot about me. But I still don't even know who you are. What's your name?"

"My name is Johanna."

And the dream faded away before Makoto could get any more answers.

X:X:X:X:X

"Johanna..." Makoto muttered the name as soon as she woke up. As weird as that dream had been, the points discussed in it made perfect sense. Makoto felt that the other person's name was important, and that she should make sure to not forget it.

During lunch break, the Principal called Makoto to talk, and she took that opportunity to ask him about the library's rules. "Is it true that the library has rules that disallow anyone in the rehabilitation program to take books home?"

"Yes. This rule not only preserves the school's books, but also serves to teach those delinquent students that their sins have consequences. If they want the world to treat them like good citizens, then they should be good citizens and not infringe society's rules in the first place."

A knot formed in Makoto's stomach. The school was treating its rehabilitating students like garbage! This wouldn't help those students in their rehabilitation at all. It would only make them even more bitter towards the world. It might lead them to become rebellious and do even more wrong things in the future. And there was Miura. He was a good guy. He shouldn't be in the rehabilitation program, much less deserved to be treated like that...

"By the way, I have a favor to ask of you." The Principal didn't let Makoto voice her opinion. "I have heard rumors saying that the Phantom Thieves might actually be our students. Many adults don't believe that these thieves exist, but the Phantom Thieves are generating considerable noise, and becoming quite popular among youngsters. If people begin wanting to use them as examples and start committing crime to become like them, it will be a serious problem! If it turns out that those thieves are really from our school and the media finds out, then Syujin's image will be ruined! We need to find those delinquent students and expel them as soon as possible."

Makoto gasped. The Principal wanted to expel them!

"Niijima-kun, I want you to investigate. It's an important mission to you as the Student Council President. I can count on you, right? I'll even give you extracurricular activity points if you collaborate."

Makoto was feeling worse by the second. She needed to investigate because she also wanted to know the Phantom Thieves' identities. Makoto was sure that at least Panther and Skull were in Syujin, but she didn't want them to get in trouble. "Y-yes, I will investigate." She ended up agreeing, but didn't feel good about accepting the bonus points. "I don't need the extracurricular points, though."

"Good." The Principal nodded in satisfaction. "Then, I have a task for you. Remember Mr. Kamoshida?"

Of course she did. No one could forget about that teacher even if they wanted to. Mr. Kamoshida had been a ruthless Physical Education teacher and coach. He mistreated students, especially the ones taking part in competitions. Makoto wasn't much into the school's competitions and didn't know the specifics, but basically, the entire school feared Mr. Kamoshida, he did whatever he wanted, and no one dared go against him. In an unexpected turn of events, though, Mr. Kamoshida repented of his actions and resigned.

"One day, he suddenly confessed his abusive behavior in front of the whole school, then turned himself in to the police." The Principal summarized the end of the story. "And this is one of the reasons that made me believe the thieves are in this school. Clues hint that one of their first victims was actually Mr. Kamoshida."

"... What?" This was news to Makoto.

"We got to this conclusion because the police found a calling card supposedly from the Phantom Thieves among his belongings. It was after this incident that those thieves began getting popular. This is why I believe that Mr. Kamoshida was one of their first victims, if not their first. Niijima-kun, I will arrange for you to visit Mr. Kamoshida in prison tomorrow. I want you to talk to him and ask for information about the Phantom Thieves. I'm counting on you."

Meanwhile, at a quiet area of the courtyard...

"So, how was the event?" Ryuji asked expectantly.

"It was great." Kazushi gave his opinion. "Totally worth it."

"Told ya!" Ryuji grinned.

"It's the first time I've seen her performance live," Ann said. "I loved the event! My only complaint is that Ryuji kept trying to sing along. As if ruining the English weren't enough, he's also a terrible singer..."

Ryuji seemed lost between becoming offended and embarrassed. "Hey! It's normal to get carried away and begin singing along, right?!" He sighed. "I only wish our seats hadn't been so far back. I wanted a closer view of Risette."

Ann giggled. "Seriously, though, it was amazing how the whole audience got pumped up!"

Kazushi agreed. "Yeah. Oh, and did Akechi-san interview both of you?"

"He did." Ann answered. "He quickly asked everything and left."

"Really? He dragged on a lot while interviewing us. Maybe it was because Niijima-san and I had already run into him a few times, and he felt like talking to us more?"

"Who started that rumor, anyway?" Ryuji seemed bothered. "Some people are totally misunderstanding what we do and saying a lot of nonsense..."

"See? This is why I don't like the idea of our group getting popular." Kazushi flashed a, "I told you so," look at Ryuji. "It has the potential to cause this kind of weird misunderstandings, or, worst case scenario, attract the attention of the wrong kind of people."

"..." Ryuji looked like he wanted to argue, but said nothing.

Kazushi shrugged slightly. "Anyway, I talked to Mishima earlier in class, and he said he has no idea who might have started the rumor. Probably some random person on the internet. Still, the fact that 15% of the audience attended the event just because of the rumor is really stupid. Since nothing happened, hopefully those 15% will think twice before believing whatever they hear next time."

"On the bright side, everyone liked the event. So, it looks like Risette has earned some new fans thanks to this," Ann said. "Do her new fans also include Niijima-senpai and you, Kazushi?"

"Uh, you could say that. Not hardcore fans like Ryuji, but yeah. We enjoyed her performance, and she definitely has our respect. Ah, speaking of which, I had something important to discuss, but let's leave it for the meeting later today, so that I won't need to repeat myself to the others."

"Huh?" Ryuji was confused. "You talked about Risette, then said 'speaking of which,' and brought the meeting up... what does Risette have to do with the meeting?"

"A lot."

"I don't get it..."

Kazushi rolled his eyes. "Are you really going to make me say everything here?" He sighed. "... Alright. I'll give the jist of it, but listen carefully. Please, keep calm, and... don't shout."

"Whoa, you're scaring me, man. What's it...?"

Ryuji and Ann inched closer to listen, and Kazushi said in a low voice, "Kujikawa-san is a Persona user."

A second of silence. Ann's eyes grew wide, but she managed to keep from exclaiming in surprise.

However, Ryuji didn't. "... Whaaaaaaaaat!? Are you serious?! How did you find this out?"

"Shhh!" Ann hushed.

Kazushi put a hand on his forehead in exasperation. "This was why I told you to keep calm and not shout... I'll explain everything at the meeting, alright?"

"Oh, o-okay."

Makoto felt divided about the whole Phantom Thieves issue. They were committing crimes, which was wrong. They enjoyed using violence, which was also bad. And if they were show-offs that would do anything to get popularity like Akechi-san theorized, then they were going too far. But they had acted friendly enough practically the whole time she had spent with them, and she felt that they weren't bad people. Makoto still stood to the fact that they were young and should have a chance to fix their lives. She didn't want to get them in trouble.

Makoto spotted Miura walking alone at the courtyard. She thought she might feel better if she talked to him.

"Miura!" Makoto walked in his direction and called his last name. She tried to smile, but failed.

"Niijima-san. You don't look too well..."

Of course he noticed. Pretending that she was fine wouldn't work. Makoto would have to explain. "I just talked to the Principal. I asked him if it was true that the library had rules to not allow rehabilitating students to take books home." She told Miura what the Principal had answered. "This is discrimination! The school is looking down on the rehabilitating students instead of helping reintegrate them into society. And you don't deserve this kind of treatment, either..."

"Hmm. I see..." Miura seemed lost in thought for a moment, then stared worriedly at her as though he were asking, "This is not all, is it?"

Makoto hadn't intended to bring the issue up, but the questioning stare from Miura pressed for her to go on. "He mentioned the rumor saying that the Phantom Thieves might be students in our school. He's worried that they're getting popular among young people, and that this might make kids begin viewing crime as 'the way to go,' and start committing crime."

"This would be bad..." Miura spoke in a quiet but serious tone.

"If it's proven that they're from here, it'll be bad for the school's image. So, he wants to expel them. And... he asked me to investigate the rumor and locate them."

Kazushi tried to not let his worry show. "... What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to investigate. I also want to know!" She added in a low voice, "I think expelling them is a bit too much, though..."

This was bad. From the way Niijima-san was misunderstanding their actions, and from the way she had bought into those stupid rumors like the one about Kujikawa-san's event, she might cause other people to misunderstand them, and end up putting them in trouble. Thankfully, he had decided on their next target, and was confident that they could clear the issue up with Niijima-san soon.

"Miura, did you see Akechi-san's TV show last night?"

"Yeah."

"He said that the Phantom Thieves stole the spotlight."

To Kazushi, that statement had been ridiculous. "To me, it sounded more like an excuse to validate his theory that the Phantom Thieves would steal something. You saw how he seemed proud of his theories while he was explaining stuff to us... actually, isn't he the one giving them the spotlight? He said he planned the whole script and the interview's questions. Did he need to give so much emphasis to the Phantom Thieves?"

Only then, Kazushi realized that he might be saying too much. He might slip his tongue if he weren't careful.

"Hmm, now that you mention it... he seemed very obsessed about the Phantom Thieves himself." Niijima-san noted. "And you seem quite bothered by this whole deal about the Phantom Thieves' rumors..."

Yes. It was bothersome, and that topic was dangerous. Kazushi needed to come up with a good comeback fast, or he would run the risk of giving his identity away. "I didn't like what Akechi-san described. You didn't, either, right? You began acting weird after Akechi-san told us about the rumor."

This made Niijima-san uncomfortable. "Uh, yes, I..." She lowered her gaze. "I didn't like what Akechi-san described, either. And I also don't like that the Principal wants to expel them. As much as they're doing wrong things, I don't want them to get in trouble, especially if they're from this school. As the Student Council President, I'd rather help them make things right and set them on a good path for their future. Punishing them will only make them more bitter about life and lead them to do even more wrong things."

She seemed to really mean what she was saying, and to only wish their good. It was a relief that Niijima-san was willing to help them rather than have them punished. Kazushi felt that he could count on her once they managed to clear the misunderstandings up. Despite what it might seem, they weren't actually doing bad things, and he was confident that Niijima-san would support them once she fully understood their motives.

"The Principal said that it looks like their first victim was Mr. Kamoshida." Makoto continued. "He'll arrange for me to interrogate Mr. Kamoshida in prison tomorrow. I hadn't interacted much with Mr. Kamoshida before, but I know how he was authoritative and abusive... I have to admit, I'm a bit scared of talking to him."

"Mr. Kamoshida... I wonder what became of him," Miura said thoughtfully. "He had been really horrible before, but remember when he called an announcement and confessed everything, and broke down in front of everyone? You saw it too, right?"

"Yes. He really seemed to have regretted every bad thing he did. It was quite shocking to see someone like him confess his sins like that."

"You know?" Miura said. "A lot of students had had to deal with him for a long time, and still hold grudges against him. They'd think I'm crazy if I said this, but seeing him like that kind of made me feel bad for him..."

That conversation calmed Makoto down a bit. She concluded that as long as Mr. Kamoshida hadn't gone back to his old self, she would be fine. Makoto nodded to herself. "Yes. It'll be fine. I can do this."

"Good luck."

"Thank you..." Deep down, Makoto was disappointed that Miura hadn't offered to accompany her. Having him around for moral support would have been nice. But again, interrogating Mr. Kamoshida was her mission as the Student Council President, and the Principal would only arrange for her visit. Miura had nothing to do with this, and couldn't do anything about it.

On her way home, Makoto spotted Kitagawa-san walking on the street at a brisk pace.

"Kitagawa-san!" She called out to him. Even though he seemed in a hurry, Makoto was curious about the painting of her that he had said he would do.

He stopped walking. "Hello, Niijima-san."

"How is that painting coming along?"

"It's coming along nicely," he said. "I believe it'll be ready in a week or so. Then, I'll show you."

"Okay."

"Now, if you excuse me, I have somewhere to be." Kitagawa-san resumed his walk.

Only after he had disappeared from sight, Makoto realized that he had no way to contact her to let her know the painting was ready. They should have traded cellphone numbers. Oh well. All she could do was expect she would run into him again.

Later, at home, Makoto decided to send an email to Joker. Their last Dark Hour interaction hadn't ended on a good note, and she didn't know whether he was angry at her, but it was an emergency.

"Joker, we have a problem!" She wrote. "Today I talked to Syujin's Principal. He suspects that the Phantom Thieves are Syujin students. If this is true and he finds out your identities, he intends to expel all of you! Please, cease your activities before it is too late. It's for your own good! I don't want any of you to get in trouble."

Kazushi had assembled the other group members at an empty space at the back of Leblanc and was discussing the latest happenings.

"You went to Kujikawa-san's event! I wish I could have gone..." Yusuke lamented. "I'm sure seeing her in person would have inspired me to create vibrant paintings."

"I have to agree. It certainly would have," Kazushi said.

"You didn't even tell me where you were going!" Morgana whined. "It looks like all of you had fun. Kazushi, why can't you take me somewhere fun for once? Staying here is so boring!"

Ann responded before Kazushi had a chance to say anything. "Hey, Morgana, give Kazushi and Niijima-senpai some privacy, will you?"

"What?! So you were with Makoto?! Ah, I see. This is it then, huh?" Morgana smirked at the leader.

Kazushi shook his head. "No, this is not it. She had gotten an extra ticket and invited me, and I decided to tag along. Nothing more!"

"Kazushi, come on." Ann raised a hand. "I saw both of you talking at school today. I have to admit. Seeing both of you together is so cute and heartwarming." Ann blushed slightly. "I don't know if she realizes it, but she likes your normal identity, too. And you like her. This shouldn't be a secret anymore."

"... So, they both like each other?" Yusuke tried to process the information. "Oh. Oh..."

"I think I'm still missing something here," Ryuji said. "Kazushi, at Risette's event, Anne told me that Makoto confessed to you. And now you're worried that she'll figure out that you're Joker? Is this it?"

"No, skullhead. It's the other way around!" Morgana corrected Ryuji not so gently. "It began after that spell thing. She confessed to him as Joker, and now he's worried what she'll think if she figures out that Joker's actually him. I don't think it'll be a problem, though! I've seen them together during the day a lot, and it's obvious that both of them like each other!"

"Ah, I get it now..."

Kazushi sighed. "Morgana, you say you don't like romance drama, yet you're the first one to comment on these things."

"Tsk, tsk. Kazushi, you don't get it. Witnessing love between two parties is a beautiful thing. What I don't like is when people keep wasting time unsure if the other party likes them, or keeps refusing to admit to like the other party when it's more than obvious! It's so annoying! Why can't they just say it to the other person straight away and get this nonsense dilemma over with!? This also goes for you. Alright, I'll stop telling you to take advantage of her love to drag her into our cause. But it's obvious that you like her. Makoto already confessed to you. You only need to respond! As Joker or Kazushi, it doesn't matter. It'll be the same either way. Soon, we'll take her on our next mission, and she'll understand everything."

"Hm." Kazushi had to admit that Morgana's advice seemed to be good this time. "I'll think about it. Anyway!" He raised his voice to make his point. "This is not what we're here to discuss!" He got back on track. "After the event, Niijima-san and I decided to stop at a snack bar, but Kujikawa-san followed us. Basically, Kujikawa-san told us that she's a Persona user and that she had sensed Persona powers from us. She was also part of a group of other Persona users and had to deal with weird supernatural stuff in the past."

"She didn't detect Personas from Ann and me?" Ryuji looked frustrated. "I wish our seats were more to the front!" He shrugged and his face broke into a grin. "But Risette's a Persona user. How cool is that? Does it mean that she can help us during the Dark Hour? That'd be awesome!"

"Sadly, she can't." Kazushi crushed Ryuji's hopes. "She said that she knows the Dark Hour exists, but she can't stay awake during it. We wondered why, and tried to find out if we met some other condition that she didn't, and we arrived at the cellphone app. Apparently, only those who have the special app can stay conscious during the Dark Hour, and she doesn't have it. At least we learned about the requirements to stay conscious during the Dark Hour."

"What about those other Persona users from her group?" Ann asked. "Can they move during the Dark Hour?"

"No. In other words, this Dark Hour stuff is up to us..."

"Too bad..." Ryuji lowered his gaze. "It'd be awesome if we could have Risette as a Phantom Thief, dontcha think?"

"I'm curious to see what her Persona is like," Yusuke said.

Kazushi agreed. "Me too, but I don't think we'll be seeing it. Oh, I almost forgot. Even though she may not be able to help us much, she said something quite... interesting. She briefly detected Persona powers from Akechi-san while he was interviewing her. So, he either has awakened to a Persona, or at least has the Potential."

"What?!" Ryuji exclaimed. "The reporter detective, with a Persona!?"

"Reporter detective?" Yusuke was confused.

"Oh, you weren't there, and haven't seen the way he interviewed everyone in the audience. I think he makes for a good reporter."

After hearing from Kujikawa-san that Akechi-san might be a Persona user, Kazushi was becoming more and more sure that their reporter detective was one of the people from his visions. In other words, a potential group member.

"He dragged on a lot while interviewing Niijima-san and me," Kazushi said. "While I don't like the way he handled that rumor about us, I can say that he did an impressive job on those graphs. He had told us that he planned the interview questions, the script for his TV show and the statistical reports all by himself. He might be more cut out to be a reporter than a detective. Either way, he doesn't seem to like our activities too much. If he's also a Persona user, though, it'd be beneficial to us to have him on our side. We'll have to find a way to win him over."

Then, Kazushi's cellphone vibrated with a new email.

"Let me guess. It's Makoto, isn't it?" Morgana looked at Kazushi suspiciously.

Kazushi glanced through the message. "Yeah. And this leads to the other point I wanted to discuss. Niijima-san said she talked to the Principal. He suspects we are Syujin students. He's worried that the media finds out, and that rumors about us might ruin the school's image. So, he wants to expel us. She's asking us to cease our activities before anything bad happens."

"Think she'd sell us out?" Ryuji asked.

"In the current condition, maybe. But she told me personally that she didn't like the thought of having us expelled, and that she doesn't want to get us in trouble. If we manage to make her understand that our actions are for a good cause, I believe she'd support us. To tell the truth, I think she's our hope in solving this issue. We wouldn't manage to convince the Principal to leave us alone. But her status as Student Council President isn't only for show. The teachers, and also the Principal, trust her. If there's someone that can convince him, it's her."

"How are we going to convince her, though?" Yusuke asked.

"She misunderstands everything we try to explain to her," Kazushi said. "The most effective way would be to take her on our next mission. Which brings us to the next point. Yesterday night, I sent Morgana to investigate our next target."

"You mean that shady guy from the request?" Ann asked.

"Yeah, that man named Kaneshiro. Morgana eavesdropped on some guys that are apparently Kaneshiro's henchmen, and followed them to a nightclub."

"I sensed strong distortions there, too!" Morgana added. "I think we nailed our next target. His Palace should be there."

"Great! Another big target! This is what I call true action!" Ryuji's face lit up. "When can we begin?"

"Tomorrow." Kazushi answered.

"This should go without saying, but remember to tell Makoto about it!" Morgana reminded the leader.

"Of course. Once the meeting ends, I'll reply to her message."

Minutes later, Joker's message arrived. "We refuse to stop."

Why did Joker have to be so stubborn? Makoto wrote again. "Joker, please. It's like I said the other day. Just because no one can see what you're doing during the Dark Hour, it doesn't mean you have the right to steal from others! It's wrong! And you shouldn't think that you'll never be caught, either. Who knows what might happen. So, please, Joker. You have to stop."

He replied shortly later, and his reply didn't please her in the slightest. "And as I said the other day, it's not that simple. We won't stop. In fact, we've decided on our next target. We'll be heading to his Palace tomorrow, and you'll be coming with us. Then, we'll make sure you'll understand everything."

"... Tomorrow!" Makoto gasped. She didn't want to go. She had only accepted going on explorations with them until now because they had said they wouldn't steal anything. This time, though, it would be different. Makoto didn't want to join them in their criminal activities.

Something else caught her attention in Joker's message, though. He had written that they would explore their next target's Palace. Did it mean that there were more than one Palace?

Makoto couldn't keep herself from asking, "Another Palace? I had thought the school was the only Palace."

"No, it's not. We'll be going somewhere else." Joker replied.

There was so much that Makoto didn't understand. She might need to talk to Joker in person to clear those details up, and the best way, unfortunately, would be to meet up with them for their raid tomorrow.

"Alright." Makoto relented. "I'll accompany you, but I'll only watch. I refuse to take part in what you're doing, got it?"

"It's enough." Joker seemed satisfied.

"Where is the place, then?" Makoto sent her question.

"A nightclub." Came his reply.

"I mean the address." Makoto clarified. She would need the address to go there.

"We'll meet up somewhere and pick you up." Joker refused to give her the address.

"Alright." Makoto accepted anyway.

They traded a few more messages, and agreed on a meeting place.

Makoto knew she should end the contact, but she had another important thing to ask. Akechi-san's theory that the Phantom Thieves were seeking popularity bothered her. "Joker, one last thing. What is with that rumor about the Phantom Thieves appearing at Risette's event? Who started it, and why?"

Shortly later, Joker's answer came. "I have no idea. It wasn't us."

Makoto was half surprised, half relieved that Joker wasn't responsible for the rumor. "I've heard that your group is after fame. Is it true?"

"The short answer is, 'no.'" Joker responded. "The long answer is, some of the other members have expressed interest in that, but I disapprove. So, no. And it's not 'my group.' Remember. Even though you're still a temporary member, you are also in the group."

Makoto felt touched by his words for a second until she remembered their implications. It meant that Joker was really intent on dragging her to the crime path. "I already said that I refuse to contribute to your cause!"

However, he ignored her angry message. "See you tomorrow."

After school the following day, Makoto went to the police station to visit Mr. Kamoshida. A guard took her to Mr. Kamoshida's prison cell, and she began talking to him from outside.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kamoshida." Makoto began.

"Ah, it's you, the Student Council President." The ex-teacher had a resigned expression. "I had heard that the Principal had sent a student to talk to me."

"Uh, how have you been?" Makoto asked awkwardly, for lack of a better idea how to start a conversation.

"Fine, I guess. The guards say that my sentence might be reduced for good conduct, and that they're considering to have me do community work."

"This is good."

"So, how's the school been?" Mr. Kamoshida asked. "I've ruined the lives of many students in there... some more than others. For example, Sakamoto."

"Sakamoto?"

"Yeah, Ryuji Sakamoto." Mr. Kamoshida clarified. "He was the ace of the track team. That kid was good. But back then, I couldn't stand that he was more talented than most members of the volleyball team I had been coaching, and that the track team would probably get the spotlight because of him. I purposefully put him through a twisted training regime, and broke his leg so that he couldn't have a chance at competitions anymore. He'll probably never forgive me, and I can't blame him. He had dreams and potential to go far, but I might have ruined that forever..."

Makoto was stunned. When Sakamoto had told her that he used to be good at running, she hadn't believed him. So, it was true! She felt bad for him now. She needed to apologize to him.

Mr. Kamoshida interrupted her thoughts. "What about that transfer student? Miura, I think his last name was. Did the rumors stop?"

"No. They're only getting worse. Even other teachers treat him horribly now."

The ex-teacher spat a curse. "You see, those rumors are also my fault. He ran into me on the street right when I was hassling a female student. Ann Takamaki. You know, the quarter American girl. I told Miura that he'd regret having crossed my way, and decided to screw up his image." The ex-teacher's eyes filled with remorse, and his voice shook as he described what he had done. "I got a student to spread fake rumors to a group on a social network where many Syujin students hang out. Then, I threatened to expel Miura from school if he were to 'cause trouble.' I was planning to bribe some student into reporting him for some made up stuff, and have the Principal expel him."

So much injustice. Poor Miura was really unlucky. He had already gone through so many unfair things in his past as it was, with his distant parents, the bullying, his detention and all. Then, right after arriving at the new school, he had to show up at the wrong place at the wrong time, and end up in Mr. Kamoshida's blacklist. Anger flared in Makoto's eyes, but she controlled herself. There was no use in getting angry at Mr. Kamoshida now. From his resigned expression and the way he talked, it seemed like he had really regretted what he did.

Instead, Makoto brought up the topic she had intended to discuss from the start. "Mr. Kamoshida, the Principal mentioned that the police found a card among your belongings, apparently sent to you by the Phantom Thieves."

"Ah, that weird card. I woke up one morning, and it was in my mailbox. It said that at exactly midnight, they'd come and 'take my heart' or some nonsense like that. I tried to dismiss it as just a stupid prank and forget about it. I had never heard of those 'Phantom Thieves' before. As stupid as it sounded, though, it was kind of eerie that they knew my address, and that card kept nagging at me for the rest of the day."

"Did they come?"

"Hmm. I don't really know. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't... or maybe I was so bothered by the card that I dreamed about them... I can't really tell. I vaguely remember some figures wearing mostly dark clothes and masks. Three... or was it four? I don't know. They moved fast, but this is all I can remember."

He didn't remember, in a similar way how Makoto's mind fogged over and she couldn't recall the thieves' faces outside the Dark Hour. But three or four? Makoto had been interacting with five Phantom Thieves. Did it mean that one of them still hadn't joined when they targeted Mr. Kamoshida?

"They targeted other people afterward. Some of these people appeared on the news and said the same thing." Makoto informed him. "So, it shouldn't have been a dream."

"Hmm."

"Mr. Kamoshida, you said the thieves were a group of three or four. Any idea who they might be?"

"No." The man shook his head.

"The Principal suspects that they might be Syujin students. Are you sure you have no idea? Maybe someone who wanted revenge..."

"Pfft. Practically all students in that school hate me. So, it could be anyone."

"True..." Makoto sighed. "Did they take anything?"

"I don't know. And at this point, I don't care."

"Don't you remember anything else that happened when they came?" Makoto asked.

Mr. Kamoshida took a few seconds to think, but shook his head. "No, I don't remember anything. All I know is that I saw images of the students I screwed the lives of, all of them suffering in agony because of what I had done to them. Then I awoke past midnight, and suddenly began feeling horrible. Things hadn't always gone my way in my life, and as soon as I got power over the school, I thought that I could get anything I wanted by abusing it. I didn't care whether I was harming others at all. I used to feel satisfaction in humiliating others. But after that nightmare or whatever, I felt miserable, and abusing others didn't sound like a good idea anymore. No, it sounded like a terrible idea, and I realized what a despicable person I had become. I had thought I could just be a ruler and have others obey me. I had thought I was powerful. But no, it was an illusion. In truth, I was weak. I took the wrong path and abused people I thought were weaker than me. I ruined their lives, and failed to realize I had been ruining my own life as well. When I woke up the next day, I decided I couldn't continue like that, and here I am. The feeling of guilt is still terrible, but weirdly I kind of feel better than before. It's as though a huge weight had been removed from my shoulders. Or might it have been from my heart? Maybe those Phantom Thieves managed to take my heart, after all. Ha ha ha." Mr. Kamoshida joked.

This was touching. Who could have imagined hearing that from Mr. Kamoshida? Makoto was smiling now. "It's a touching story. Good to see that you opened your eyes before it was too late."

"Ha." Mr. Kamoshida scoffed. "It's already too late, though. There's no way to undo what I did, and those students will never forgive me."

Makoto wanted to say something to comfort the ex-teacher. "Oh, when I told Miura that I'd be visiting you, he said he kind of felt bad for you when he saw the way you broke down in front of the whole school."

Mr. Kamoshida chuckled resignedly. "Miura, eh? I know that he's in the rehabilitation program and that he had been detained before transferring to Syujin, but despite having said I'd get him expelled if he were to cause trouble, I don't think he's ever caused any trouble during the time I was at Syujin."

"I also don't think so. He's a good guy."

"Those rumors I started must be ruining his school life for good, too."

"Despite everything, he's taking it all in stride." Makoto smiled proudly. "I decided I'll help him fix his reputation."

"Really?" Mr. Kamoshida raised an eyebrow. "Good to hear. Here's hoping that you can do it." He hesitated, then heaved a sigh. "May I ask you a favor?"

Makoto looked questioningly at him. "What is it?"

"As the Student Council President, you're devoted to guiding the students. You said you're helping Miura. Could you keep an eye on Sakamoto, too? I didn't just ruin his school life. I ruined his dream, his future. From the angry look on his face on my last day at the school, I'm sure he isn't taking it well. Sakamoto's quick-tempered, and I know he's caused trouble after what I did to him. I don't want him to become bitter about life and take the wrong path. I don't want him to become like me. He's still young and has a lot ahead of him. It'd be a shame to have him waste his life like I did, and only realize it when it's already too late."

Makoto nodded. "Okay, I will."

"Thanks. Asking this of you is all I can do for him now, I guess."

A guard came to say that time was up. Makoto thanked Mr. Kamoshida for having answered her questions, and left.

Makoto returned to Syujin and reported to the Principal.

" Just like the other victims on the news..." The Principal concluded. "He remembers to have gotten the card, but doesn't remember details about the thieves aside from dark clothes and masks. This matches what the other victims said, and I believe we can conclude that the Phantom Thieves indeed targeted Mr. Kamoshida. Did they steal anything?"

"He doesn't know. He's not even sure if the Phantom Thieves really came or if it was just a dream. But since the other victims said the same thing, it must be true. It can't be just a coincidence."

"Does he have any idea who they could be?"

"No." Makoto answered. "I asked him if he could think of any student that might have wanted revenge, and he said that in that case, it could be anyone, since practically all students hate him."

"Hm." The Principal got lost in thought for a moment. "It seems we still have too little information. Anyway, thank you for your cooperation, Niijima-kun. I would still like you to continue investigating. If I need something else, I will call upon you again."

On her way back home, Makoto was surprised to spot Sakamoto on the other side of the street. She needed to talk to him. "Sakamoto!" She called out to him so that he would stop walking, then crossed the street to approach him. "Sakamoto, I need to talk to you."

He got apprehensive. "W-what's it all of a sudden...?"

"The Principal had me visit Mr. Kamoshida in prison." And Makoto realized this wasn't a good way to start the conversation. The displeasure was evident on Sakamoto's face. "Sakamoto, please listen... I need to apologize to you."

"Huh?" This caused him to lower his guard.

"You had told me you were good at running, and I hadn't believed you. I'm sorry."

Sakamoto shrugged. "Nah. No worries. I can't blame you for not believing. I'm slow as a slug now..."

Makoto felt bad for him. Mr. Kamoshida had ruined Sakamoto's dreams of becoming a professional athlete. Since she had accepted to help Sakamoto, Makoto figured she should talk more to him.

"He broke your leg. I'm sorry to hear this. Have you considered any other sport?" Makoto asked him.

"Yeah, I've thought about other stuff like skateboarding, that wouldn't need as much effort from my leg. It's cool, but isn't the same, ya know. What I really like is running on foot. Back when I was faster, I felt great knowing I was moving through my own effort. It made me feel fulfilled, sure that there was at least one thing I was really good at. If I start depending on skates or other wheeled stuff to move, to me, it ruins a lot of the fulfillment. It'd feel like... cheating."

"You were really into running..." Makoto could tell that Sakamoto was really passionate about the sport, and that it meant a lot to him. It was sad to know how his hope for the future had been shattered.

"It was the only thing I was good at. The only thing I could be proud of. It was all I had, and that bastard had to come and take it away from me!" Sakamoto said angrily.

"He seems really remorseful for all the bad things he did, and what he did to you seems to weigh in his conscience a lot," Makoto wasn't sure if it would be of any consolation, but she said it anyway. "He also knows that what he did can't be undone. He only asks that you don't take the wrong path like he did, and that you don't become like him."

Sakamoto scoffed. He balled his fists and glared at Makoto, looking ready to pick a fight. "No need to even ask! I'm never gonna become like him!" Only when Makoto took a step back in alarm, Sakamoto realized what he was doing. He unballed his fists, and his hands went for his hair. He looked downwards apologetically and pulled his hair nervously. "Err, sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. You have nothing to do with this..." He sighed. "Kamoshida confessed his crimes, turned himself in to the police and is in jail. I know it's no use getting angry at him now, but..."

That behavior was surprising. Despite having trouble to control his temper, Sakamoto was giving his best to get over what happened, and was acting way more mature than Makoto gave him credit for. Hopefully he wouldn't become a lost cause.

"Sakamoto, I know it's hard, but don't give up. As long as you don't give up, you'll find something else you're good at. I'll be cheering you on."

"Whoa, thanks." He seemed surprised, maybe because Makoto gave him supportive words rather than scolding him.

They began walking. Makoto should have returned to the other side of the street, but remained on the side she was and walked along with Sakamoto. When they turned a corner, they heard a familiar voice ahead.

"It's dangerous, Sae-san!"

"Huh? Isn't that-" Sakamoto began, but Makoto hushed him.

It was Akechi-san's voice. Not only that, but Sae seemed to be there, too.

Makoto considered approaching them, but she had a bad feeling about the situation. Akechi-san had uttered the word "dangerous," and Makoto got worried. Her sister always avoided telling her about work. What might Sae be doing? If Makoto were to approach them, Sae would drop the subject to keep Makoto in the dark. Makoto concluded that her only way to know what was going on was to eavesdrop on them. Having practiced stealth with the Phantom Thieves during the Dark Hour would finally prove to be of some use.

"Stay here." She whispered to Sakamoto. The last thing she would need was for him to make a racket and give her location away.

Makoto began following them from a distance, and listened on in to their conversation.

"That Kaneshiro man has been causing harm to people for so many years!" Sae's angry voice came. "How come the police hasn't caught him yet!? The officers say that they have no concrete proof without even trying to find proof! I'm sure that his hideout contains proof, and this is why I'm going there to investigate!"

"Sae-san, no one dares mess with him. You shouldn't, either, and you know why! This is a job for a police officer, not a prosecutor like you! You should stay in the office doing your stuff, not going to dangerous places!"

"I'm not going to do anything unusual. Just look around the nightclub, like any normal person unfamiliar with the area checking places out, take some pictures while no one is looking, and leave. It's already decided. On July 9th."

"No, Sae-san, this isn't a good idea!"

"I can't rest in peace knowing that such a prominent criminal is right under our nose, and that the police isn't even trying to do their job! Someone needs to do something, or he will never be caught!"

Makoto was horrified. She had heard about this Kaneshiro before. He was the head of a branch of the mafia, and not even the police dared mess with him. Sae had just said she would investigate his hideout! What was she thinking?! Paralyzed in shock, Makoto stopped walking, and let Sae and Akechi-san walk away from sight.

"Sis..." Makoto murmured.

"She's your sister?"

"Ah!" Makoto gasped, startled by Sakamoto's voice. She turned around and found him right behind her. It was surprising how he had remained perfectly and uncharacteristically quiet. Makoto hadn't even realized that he had been following her! "Sakamoto, I had told you to stay behind!" She scolded him in a low but urgent voice.

"Are you crazy? If I don't do anything and something bad happens to you while I'm around, what am I supposed to say to Kazushi?"

"... Miura...?" Makoto hadn't expected Sakamoto to bring Miura's name up.

"Uh, y-yeah," Sakamoto said, a bit hesitantly. "He cares about you a lot. Anyways, let me see if I got this right. There's a dangerous man from the mafia, and he has a nightclub. Your sister's a prosecutor, and wants to investigate the nightclub on July 9th. Is that it?"

Makoto nodded. "Sounds like it..."

"July 9... that's in just one week!" Sakamoto seemed alarmed. "Crap..."

"Sakamoto...?" Why was he so alarmed? "Look, don't worry about it."

"Your sister may end in trouble with the mafia! How can I not worry after hearing something like this?"

Makoto was at a loss as to what to do to ease both Sakamoto and herself. "You have nothing to do with this..."

"Uh, yeah, but..." Sakamoto sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry, I've gotta go now. Need to clear my head. This involves your sister and all, so I'm sure you're taking it way worse than me, but just don't do anything rash, alright?" Quite the weird advice, coming from a quick-tempered troublemaker like him. He was about to turn around and walk away, but added, "Ah, sorry that I can't say anything useful. I'm not cut out for giving advice! If you want advice, you'd be better off talking to Kazushi. Unlike me, he can keep calm when hell breaks loose." Sakamoto turned around and walked away.

For a while, Makoto only stood there. She didn't want to tell about the issue to Miura. He wouldn't be able to help her.

Makoto finally recovered her movements. Instead of going home, though, she headed to the arcade in Akihabara and blasted some aliens in the shooting game. It at least served to vent her frustrations a bit.

During her walk home, she thought about what to do. Makoto could try talking to Sae, but then she would reveal that she had eavesdropped on Sae and Akechi-san. Makoto's only hope now was to pray that Akechi-san could convince Sae to change her mind about investigating the place... but Makoto had known that chances of Sae listening to the detective boy were next to none...

At home, Makoto checked her email. Today was the day that she would have to watch the Phantom Thieves go on a raid, and Joker might have contacted her.

Even though there were no new messages, a nagging feeling about that raid hit her. Sae had mentioned that Kaneshiro's hideout was a nightclub. Makoto reread her and Joker's latest message exchanges, and sure enough, Joker had pointed out that they would be going to a nightclub. Might it be the same place?! If so, the Phantom Thieves were intent on stealing from the mafia. This was bad! And worse, they were going to drag her into that! This didn't sound good. Makoto was getting scared. She wanted to give up. But on further thought, they would be going there during the Dark Hour, and no one else should be awake. Maybe Makoto could find something that served as proof against Kaneshiro, and Sae wouldn't need to risk herself. Yes, going there during the Dark Hour might be the best way to solve this issue. If only Joker would help her with it...

Makoto had an idea. She would ask Joker to help her find proof against Kaneshiro. She would say that if Joker liked her, he should help her without doing anything bad. That idea sounded good. Now, to wait until it was time to meet up with him.

A/n: now Makoto is getting conflicted about choosing between Joker and Miura XDDD .

Even though Kamoshida doesn't remember anything, he unknowingly said the names of the first three Phantom Thieves :P .

And I changed the reason that made Makoto decide to go to Kaneshiro's dungeon. In the game, it has nothing to do with Sae going to check the place out.