Chapter 13

Resolution

Monday, August 8th, 2016

"I'm home-" Ken paused as a familiar scent hit his nostrils.

"We had too much leftover rice." Shinjiro-san was as nonchalant as he could be, turning to glance at him before turning his attention back to the stove.

But he knew better. Shinjiro-san must have remembered what he had talked about the last time they went into Futaba's Palace. Though Mitsuru-san had been far from… happy, hearing about what exactly had happened to Futaba…

While Shinjiro-san finished cooking the omurice, Ken just ended up brewing some tea. It was… a good distraction, as the scent of the omurice just made him think of Mom…

And despite the omurice being as delicious as always, Ken found himself barely being able to eat it. He only could think of how he had a literal flashback to how Mom died…

Why did it affect him so badly? He thought he had moved on from his mother's death.

"Ken." He lifted his head at Shinjiro-san's voice. "Don't force yourself to eat like that."

"Sorry," Ken mumbled out, before pushing away the plate. Omurice was one of his favorite meals, but it just tasted like ash to him right now. The bites he managed to get down felt heavy in his stomach. "I just…"

"Don't apologize," Shinjiro-san said, all while scrutinizing his face. "…What exactly happened at the Palace today?"

Ken didn't know what to say for a long time. Seeing what Futaba had gone through… was just horrifying. But hearing how Futaba had reacted to her mother's death had been the worst for him. It had just… hit too close to home.

"We… finished the Palace today," Ken finally said. "We'll be going after the Treasure soon…"

But Shinjiro-san didn't say anything. He just waited.

"You know… how I told you about how we saw a mural during our last visit? And how we heard voices, connected to the scene depicted in the mural?" Ken said slowly. "We… saw two more today. And the first…" Ken bit his lip. "…We heard Futaba's reaction to her mother's death."

Shinjiro-san sucked in a breath. "What happened?"

"She was… hysterical," Ken said quietly, his hands curling to grip his knees. "She was begging her mom to wake up…"

"Ken, are you—" Shinjiro-san stopped short, before he spoke again. "I'm sorry you had to hear that kind of shit." He heaved out a sigh, before rubbing his face. "…Look, Ken, I know I'm kinda shit at talking 'bout stuff with feelings, but you can always talk to me 'bout this." His expression darkened. "…I know hearing that had to hit you personally."

…That's right. He always had Shinjiro-san… And Makoto's concerned face flashed in his mind. He had people who cared about him. It wasn't shameful for him to still remember his mother…

And… this only meant it was more important for them to save Futaba. They had to save her.

"…And if you're not hungry, you should just rest," Shinjiro-san continued. "You look beat."

Ken managed a smile. "…Thank you, Shinjiro-san."

After he wrapped up what was left of his meal, Ken headed for his room. He fell onto his bed with a sigh. Going into the Metaverse was exhausting… He felt like he could sleep now, actually…

But a buzzing sound caught his attention. He dug out his phone, and winced when he saw he had… several messages.

Message From: Makoto Niijima

[Makoto Niijima]: Ken, I just… wanted to check up on you.

[Makoto Niijima]: I know that you seemed fine after we caught up with the others, but…

[Makoto Niijima]: I can't help but worry.

[Makoto Niijima]: I understand if you need space but… I'd be more than happy to listen to you if you need someone

[Makoto Niijima]: Am I assuming too much…?

[Makoto Niijima]: Sorry…

Despite himself, Ken found himself smiling. He honestly hadn't expected this.

[Ken Amada]: Thank you for checking up on me.

[Ken Amada]: I'm… okay. Not great, but I can handle it.

[Ken Amada]: Sorry for not responding earlier, I was talking to Shinjiro-san…

[Makoto Niijima]: Oh!

[Makoto Niijima]: I'm glad…

[Makoto Niijima]: But if you do need to talk, I'll listen…

[Makoto Niijima]: I… already failed once in not listening to people.

[Makoto Niijima]: I don't want to do it again…

Ken frowned at the last part. This… was about the whole thing with Kamoshida, wasn't it? He supposed that this would be weighing on Makoto for a long time.

[Ken Amada]: Makoto, you really shouldn't blame yourself like that…

[Ken Amada]: But thank you… I appreciate your concern.

[Ken Amada]: And I'll keep that in mind.

[Ken Amada]: But… I'm honestly really tired. I think I'm going to bed soon.

[Makoto Niijima]: Okay. Sleep well, Ken.

[Ken Amada]: Thanks. You too, Makoto.

But before he started his usual routine before bed, he checked his other messages, which happened to be in the group chat. Everyone had sent him some kind of message, asking after him. Their concern was… touching.

And yet… he felt a pang of guilt. Was it… really okay to be lying to them about this…? Shouldn't he be more honest about the reason why he even came to Tokyo?

Ha… yeah, right. They would take that so well…

Wednesday, August 10th, 2016

Shinjiro stifled a yawn, before zipping up his duffel bag. That was everything. He swung it over his shoulder, before leaving his bedroom. He went to the living room, dropping it by the door, before making a quick breakfast. He finished eating, before his eyes moved back to the hallway. It was still kinda early (eight), so Ken was probably still sleeping-

"Shinjiro-san, wait!" Ken all but stumbled into the living room, clutching a box tightly. He was dressed in his usual street clothes, but his hair was sticking up everywhere.

"Ken?" Shinjiro frowned at him. "Jeez, you look like a mess."

"I'm going to ignore that," he retorted. "Did you really think I would sleep in when you were leaving today?"

Shinjiro rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it's kinda early…"

"I've gotten up earlier," Ken said, shaking his head. "Come on, let's get going."

"Go brush your hair first, Ken," Shinjiro said dryly. "I'm not late, so I can wait for you to make sure your hair doesn't look like a bird's nest."

Ken grumbled for a moment, before trotting back to his bathroom. He came back a few minutes later, his hair a lot neater now.

The walk to the station was brisk. That was one thing he didn't like about Tokyo. Everyone was in a rush. Port Island wasn't exactly sleepy like Inaba was, but he didn't feel like someone would knock him over because they were late for work.

"Be careful, okay?" Shinjiro said lowly as they approached the train station. "Don't go to bed too late. You don't have schoolwork to worry about, so you don't have to stay up. And eat everything I prepare for you. And-"

"Shinjiro-san," Ken cut him off, shooting him a look. "I know, okay? I won't get into any trouble while you're gone…"

"You can't blame me for worrying," Shinjiro grumbled. "Especially since you're preparing to help Isshiki's daughter soon."

And this will be Ken's first major fight in a long time. Would they even fight Isshiki's daughter's Shadow? Didn't the Investigation Team's Shadows go berserk because they were denied? But Isshiki's daughter wouldn't be there? Ugh, this was just too confusing.

"I know, I know," Ken grumbled. "But um…" He suddenly held out the box he was carrying since this morning to Shinjiro. "…Happy early birthday." He looked away for a moment. "…You can open it today, but… wait until you're on the train, okay?"

"Thanks…" Shinjiro said slowly, before taking it from Ken. He gave it a little rattle, but it didn't give him any hint of just what it was. Guess he'd find out on the train. "But anyways… bye, Ken. I'll see you in a week."

Ken gave a little wave, before Shinjiro headed for the station that would take him back to Port Island.

"So, you know Amada-kun pretty well."

The unfamiliar voice made Shinjiro turn around. It was feminine, so he started to look down. And then he realized the speaker was tall. Really fucking tall. Taller than him. By only a couple centimeters, but still.

"What of it?" Shinjiro asked. "How do you even know about Ken?"

The woman just folded her arms over her chest, slinging out her hip. "He was with my little sister once," she stated. "I take it that you come from Port Island as well?"

Little sister…? He squinted at the woman, until it hit him. She resembled Niijima, even though they didn't share a hair or eye color. They definitely resembled each other more than Minato and Minako did. Though what the hell was that question about?

"What of it?" Shinjiro asked. "That's none of your business."

The woman clicked her tongue, looking irritated with Shinjiro now, which was nothing new. "There's no need to be rude. Though I'd like to know… just what are Amada-kun's intentions to my sister?"

"Intentions?" Shinjiro repeated, staring at the woman. "They're friends. You've heard of that, right?"

He knew that, even though it was too fun to heckle Ken about the possibility, after all of the teasing Ken's done to him and Fuuka. He was entitled to a little payback.

"My sister never calls a boy by his first name," Niijima deadpanned.

Ken rarely called anyone by their first name either, but that didn't mean they were secretly making out. Ugh. Niijima was making him remember Mitsuru's prissy princess act when he had first met her.

"Look, I'm not here to be harassed about who your sister befriends," Shinjiro said flatly. "I have a train to catch."

Without another word, he walked away, ignoring the woman's brief sputtering. Once he was settled on the train, he opened the box Ken had given him. On top was a piece of paper, folded into two. Shinjiro picked that up, unfolding it. He had to squint a bit to make out Ken's handwriting. He really didn't know why Ken wasn't looking to become a doctor. He had the practice with him being one of the team's dedicated healers. And he definitely had the handwriting for it sometimes.

Dear Shinjiro-san,

First of all, happy early birthday. Or happy birthday, depending on when you open this. But anyways… I wanted to give you something special this year. Especially… after the move and everything. I know you prefer simple presents. Presents that you'll use on more of a every day basis. But I wanted to give you something special this year, to thank you for everything you've done for me over the years…

So, I'm giving you my mother's old engagement ring. I don't know why my parents divorced, but I still think that Mom still loved Dad in her own way. She always hated to hear him being bad mouthed. She continued to wear the ring. And I know… how much you want a ring special for Fuuka-san.

He… what?! Shinjiro looked back into the box, and sure enough, there was a dark blue velvet box. He picked it up, popping it open. Nestled inside the white lining was a platinum ring. The setting were two flowers, the petals being pearls and the centers being sapphires. It had a vintage look to it, the band twisted into almost resembling vines.

And I know what you're gonna say. 'You should use this when you wanna propose' or 'This is too much, what the fuck Ken'. But it's not. It's really not. You've changed my life in so many ways. You literally yanked me onto the right path, by saving my life. You took me in when most people your age are worried about university or having fun… This is my thank you for the past seven years.

(Also if you try to give the ring back to me, I'm just going to toss it into the trash bin. So don't even think about it.)

Ken

Shinjiro just sighed, shaking his head. This kid…

He didn't even do anything special. It was only the right thing to do, after what happened with Ken's mom, accident or no. He started looking after Ken as a way for atonement… but that stopped being the case a long time ago.

But if Ken really did mean what he said… he would absolutely refuse to take it back. And that kid could be stubborn as hell when he wanted to.

Shinjiro examined the ring again. This ring… it would suit Fuuka well.

So… he might as well use Ken's present well…

Today, she would get Ren and Makoto to stop hiding about their relationship. There was nothing to be ashamed of. She didn't even know why they were keeping it on the downlow in the first place…

After greeting Boss with a smile and wave, Anne scaled the stairs leading up to Ren's room. Ryuji was the only one in the room, surprisingly.

"'Sup, Anne!" he greeted her cheerfully, giving a little wave. "You're here early!"

Anne stuck her tongue at him. "You're one to talk, Ryuji!" she huffed. "You've gotten how many tardies over the years?!"

"Hey, I've gotten better lately." He scowled at her. "But do you think we'll be going in today? I mean, Ren called us here for a reason, right?"

"Where is Ren?" Anne asked.

"Went to run an errand with Makoto," Ryuji answered with a shrug. "He'll be back soon."

Riiiight. An 'errand'. Ugh. Why did they feel like they had to sneak away and hide it from everyone? She really would not want to see Ren kiss Makoto, but they didn't have to make up excuses like that…

Ryuji squinted at her. "…What's with that look on your face?"

"Whaaaat?" Anne did her best to blink innocently at Ryuji. (She wasn't sure if she succeeded.) "Me? This is just my face."

"…Right." Ryuji eyed her. "Seriously, Anne, Ren's been tellin' me you've been kinda weird lately. Something on your mind?"

Anne sucked in a breath. Ryuji had no idea what he had just asked. But… Ryuji was Ren's best friend. They had been attached to the hip since the first day of school. If Ren had told anyone… it would be Ryuji, right?

"Hey… Ryuji…" Anne began, "Ren would tell you anything… right?"

"Uhh… what?" Ryuji frowned. "Okay, seriously, what's up, Anne? I know that you were down 'bout Suzui leaving but…"

"Does he talk girls with you?" Anne blurted out. "Because… I saw him on a date with Makoto several days ago."

"Him… and Makoto," Ryuji repeated, his eyes wide. "Dude, are you sure 'bout that? Because he told me-" He then shut his mouth, panic filling his eyes. "Uhhh… never mind."

"Never mind what?" Anne demanded, closing the distance between them and grabbing Ryuji by the shirt. She shook him a little. "What did he tell you?!"

"I can't tell you!" he yelped, all while squirming in her grip. "The bro code! Have mercy on me, Anne!"

"…Am I interrupting something?"

They both turned their heads to see that Ken had arrived. He was carrying one of those tiered bento lunches.

Ryuji then broke free of Anne's grasp, all but sprinting to Ken. "Ken! How are you doing today?!" He then leaned in, whispering something to Ken. Ken just raised an eyebrow at Ryuji, before giving him one of those sorta sarcastic smiles Ken seemed fond of using.

Gr… Ryuji so knew something. Whatever. He couldn't run forever. She would get it out of him, one way or another!

"What's with the huge lunch though, dude?"

"You need to help me finish this," Ken groaned. "Shinjiro-san's cooked so much for me because he apparently doesn't trust me to order all takeout while he's on Port Island."

"Port Island?" Anne parroted, looking at him curiously. "What's he doing there?"

"Just visiting for a week," Ken said quickly.

"Wait a minute…" Ryuji squinted at Ken. "…Isn't his birthday coming up? Like reallyyyy soon?"

"It is?!" Anne gasped. "Is that why he's visiting Port Island?"

…Though, she had to wonder how Ryuji knew that. Ken would have had to tell him that.

"…Yeah, that's the reason," Ken said slowly, looking at her warily.

Ryuji sighed, before rubbing at his face. "Dude, why didn't you say somethin' to Ren. He would've understood. You must miss Port Island. And everyone back there."

"It's… It's okay." Ken's voice was quiet. "Futaba is more important. I couldn't ask Ren to delay things just so I can visit home… That would be just selfish. There will be other times I can visit, like during winter break… But Futaba's situation is a lot more urgent."

Anne huffed. "God, you're stubborn."

"Oh, I'm the stubborn one?" Ken quickly glanced at Ryuji, before looking back at Anne with a raised eyebrow.

…Okay, he had a point.

"HEY!" Ryuji protested. "Don't drag me into this!"

"Oh, hey, almost everyone's here." Ren and Makoto came up, and Morgana jumped out of Ren's bag.

"What took you guys so long?" Ryuji asked.

"Picking up some new upgrades on guns from Iwai," Ren explained. "And some new powerful medicine, courtesy of Takemi."

"Takemi?" Ken repeated.

"Oh, she's a doctor who works here in Yogen-jaya," Ren answered. "Been doing her some favors in return of some really good medicine. She gives me some nice discounts too."

"Though, honestly I don't really approve of the 'favors' you do for her…" Makoto sighed. "She calls you a guinea pig of all things…"

"She… what?" Ken gave Ren one of those flat eyed stares of his. "Ren…" he ground out, drawing out Ren's name, "what exactly have you been doing?"

"Hey, gotta do whatcha gotta do," Ren said with a shrug. "But anyways, we're just waiting on Yusuke, from the looks of it…" Then his eyes focused on the box Ken was carrying. "…Bringing lunch again?"

"Courtesy of Shinjiro-san," he answered, though he didn't look too happy that Ren had sorta dodged his question. "It's way too much… so I thought I'd share."

Ren just grinned. "Nice. Shinjiro-san is an awesome cook. Gimme a sec, and I'll grab everyone some utensils."

After setting down his bag, he disappeared down the stairs again, and Anne took the time to look over Makoto. She seemed a bit flushed, though it could be from the heat more than anything. (She was so glad that she had gained a higher tolerance of heat ever since she awakened to Carmen.) Any hickeys? Her lips didn't seem swollen.

"Is… there something on my face?" Makoto asked hesitantly.

"O-Oh, it's nothing!" Anne did her best to laugh, but she didn't think it worked, judging from the face Ryuji made. "But sooo… any reason why you went with Ren today?"

"Because… there were a lot of things to carry…?" Makoto said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Sorry for making you wait…"

"Nonono, it's okay!" Anne said hastily. She couldn't make Makoto feel bad. "We didn't wait too long, you know! I was just surprised that you went with Ren! Though, you have gotten closer lately."

"Um… yes?" Makoto still looked confused. "We have been spending more time together lately…"

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Ken was staring at Anne now, looking rather annoyed. "Really, Anne?"

"Kidding me?" Makoto repeated. "About what…?"

"Come on, Makoto, you really should stop trying to hide it!" Anne exclaimed, starting to feel frustrated now.

Why did she feel so ashamed? Ren had to be an amazing boyfriend. Didn't she want to hold his hand in public? Or maybe even give him a kiss on the cheek?

"Hide what?" Ren asked, having returned upstairs, apparently oblivious to their conversation. He had grabbed napkins, plates, knives, and forks, and he set it down on the table.

"Ren, we're your friends, right?" Anne demanded, hands on her hips as she stepped closer to him.

"Oh, dear god," Ken sighed. She glanced at him to see that he was pressing a hand to his forehead. "This is just a mess."

"You don't hafta tell me," Ryuji muttered.

"Uh… yeah?" Ren said slowly all while raising an eyebrow at her, before looking over to the other boys. "Mind telling me what's going on?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Ken said flatly, folding his arms over his chest. "You brought this on yourself. You should've just listened to my advice."

Ken knew about this too, huh? Ugh, figures. Well, that only gave her a bigger reason to get them to admit it!

"And friends don't hide things from each other!" Anne continued, pressing on. "There's no need to be ashamed, okay?! It's something to be embraced! We're all friends! Why did you have to hide it from us?!"

"A-Anne, you're really not making any sense…" Makoto said, her eyes wide. "Just what are you talking about…?"

Anne slammed her hands on the table, making it rattle for a moment. Makoto jumped at the sudden sound. Ugh! Screw being subtle. "Look, I know you guys are dating, okay?!"

A moment of silence. That stretched… on and on…

"…What?" Makoto said weakly, as the blood drained from her face. "Wait, Anne, we're not… this is just a misunderstanding!"

"Don't lie to me, Makoto! I saw you two at the diner!" Anne retorted, pointing an accusing finger at her. "I don't know why you're trying to deny it! You're so, so lucky, okay?! Ren will treat you like a queen. He's so kind and thoughtful and he'll probably come up with the best dates and-"

Anne bit her lip. Did Makoto know how lucky she was…?

"This… is why I told you to ask Anne out already," Ken interrupted. "Do you need any more proof now?!"

…Huh? Ken told Ren what now?

"Wha?" Anne said dumbly. She literally could not think of anything else to say.

"You told Ren to do what?!" Morgana cried. "Why would you-"

"EFF THIS I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

Ryuji suddenly shoved Anne, causing her to stumble forward. She would have fallen flat onto her face, if Ren hadn't caught her.

"Ryuji!" Makoto gasped. "Anne could've been hurt-"

But Ryuji just ignored her. "Come on, man! You've liked her since freakin' June, prolly longer-"

He what? He liked her back? For that long?!

"JUST KISS HER ALREADY DAMMIT!"

"Ren, I-I…" Anne's face began to burn with embarrassment.

And Ren… he had the laziest smirk on his face. It caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach, her heart pound, and honestly if Ren wasn't holding onto her, she would be all swooned out on the floor.

"So…" he drawled out, "you thought that I was dating Makoto?"

"B-But… the diner… and you're the leaders…" Anne blurted out. "You've been spending a lot of time with her ever since we beat Kaneshiro and… and…"

"Anne, Ren and I are just friends," Makoto sighed. "He was just… helping me with a favor."

"But I saw you holding hands!" Anne cried out. "And you guys were obviously nervous! That was like your first date, right?! That's why you were double dating with that weird older guy and the other girl! To put less pressure on you guys!"

Her head was spinning. That look he was giving her. He was holding her. What Ryuji and Ken had said-

Ren just leaned in close, and her eyes went wide. Their faces were four, five centimeters apart. Her face felt so hot that you could probably fry an egg on it. "Oh, Anne…" The low timbre of his voice sent shivers down her spine. "You really don't have to worry about Makoto… or any other girl… you've had me captivated since the day I met you."

He… what? Back on the very first day?

"Though… I'm just glad the feeling's mutual." Ren's smirk just grew wider. "You've really fallen for me, huh?"

"Dude, really?" Ryuji whined. "Why you gotta do this here?"

"And using that awful pun," Ken grumbled.

"Um… should we give you some privacy?" Makoto asked. "Wait, Morgana, where are you going?!"

"Anywhere but here!"

"Jeez…" Ken muttered, "this just… kinda exploded." He sighed. "I'll go talk to Morgana."

Ren frowned, before releasing Anne. "Ken, I don't know… maybe I should be the one to talk to him-"

"You…" Ken ground out, "are going to do what I told you to do two weeks ago." He looked at Ren sternly. "I'll talk to Morgana. I know how it feels when you like someone, but they like another friend."

And without another word, he disappeared down the flight of stairs. Anne fiddled with her pigtails, her face still burning.

"We'll just… er…" Makoto stammered out. "We'll just get some coffee from Boss!"

"But I hate coffee!" Ryuji protested.

"Just come on!" Makoto hissed, before grabbing his wrist and dragging him toward the stairs.

"Ow ow ow!" Ryuji yelped out. "Holy shit, you need to trim your nails, Makoto!"

"Then take the hint next time!" Makoto retorted, her voice fading away as they descended the stairs.

And this… left them completely alone.

"Anne-" Ren began, but Anne cut him off.

"You really… You really like me?"

Shock was clear in Ren's dark eyes. "Anne… why are you so surprised?"

"It's just…" Anne bit her lip, before looking at him in the eyes. "…I'm really surprised," she confessed. "I… I only have my looks going for me. Makoto's a genius, she helps you lead the Phantom Thieves, she's pretty elegant, and I…"

"Hey." Ren tilted her chin up, cutting her off. "That is not true, Anne," he said earnestly. "Yeah, you're beautiful. I'll admit you left me breathless when we had first met. But most importantly, you're kind. You care so much for the people you love. You gave me a chance, when you didn't know a thing about me except for the rumors. Ryuji only gave me a chance after I saved his life from Kamoshida's goons. He was actually kinda an ass to me when we first met." Ren rubbed the back of his head. "I love how passionate you can get. Anyone would have been pissed at the shit Mika pulled… but not you. You just wanted to outdo her by your own merits."

Anne felt her eyes filling with tears. Growing up, all of the compliments given to her were always about her looks.

Oh, look how beautiful your hair is!

Your eyes are just so lovely…

Your skin is flawless… just like a porcelain doll.

But Ren… he saw past that. He saw her. Just like how he had seen past the rumors about her, when he had comforted her at the diner…

"Anne… please don't cry." Ren's quiet plea snapped her out of her thoughts.

"…Dummy." Anne wiped at her eyes, before offering him a watery smile. "I'm crying because I'm happy."

Ren's eyes softened, and he reached out to cup her cheek. "…I'm glad," he said, as his thumb brushed away the last of her tears. "I want nothing more to see you smile. You have a beautiful smile."

"Then kiss me."

"As my lady commands," Ren breathed, before leaning in.

Unsurprisingly, Ren tasted of coffee. He had really developed a taste for it ever since he started living in LeBlanc's attic. But he kissed her again and again, leaving her breathless.

Lack of oxygen eventually forced them to come up for air. Anne's cheeks were warm as she looked at Ren.

"So… I'm your lady now?"

"Do you want to be?" Ren asked, reaching to take her hand.

"Of course I do!" Anne slid her arms around his neck, and his hands went to rest at her hips. "A million times yes."

"Good." Ren's lips curved into a smile. "Shall we celebrate it then?"

"What do you have in mind?" Anne raised an eyebrow, but she couldn't stifle the smile tugging at her lips.

"Oh, I think you know what I mean," Ren said airily, before leaning to close the distance between them.

Ken was glad that Morgana was a cat in this instance. It made it all too easy to find him pawing at the door. Ken quickly scooped him up, ignoring Morgana's protests.

"Put me down this instant!" he hissed out. "I don't want to talk to you, especially after what you told Ren… and Ren! He knew that I love Lady Ann! How could he do this to me?!"

"Uh, kid, is everything okay?" Sakura-san said with a frown.

"It's fine," Ken said to the older man, all while holding onto the squirming feline. "Morgana is just feeling… antsy. I'm going to take him out for a bit."

Once he stepped outside, Ken exhaled deeply. Oh boy… He really did not sign up for this crap, but he had to do damage control. He took Morgana to just outside the train station. He was thankful that Yogen-jaya was a quiet area. Less of a chance for people to come out of the station and see him talk to a cat. While Ren seemed fine with talking to Morgana in public on a daily basis, he rather not be seen as a crazy cat whisperer.

Though Morgana didn't make it easy. He tried to claw and bite at Ken.

Ken sat on the bench, and glared down at Morgana. "Stop it. You're acting like a little child."

"So says Mister Perfect!" Morgana snarled. "I'm so sorry that you don't like my behavior!"

…What.

"I'm not perfect," Ken said with a frown. "Where did you get that from?"

"Like you don't know," Morgana hissed out, glowering at him.

…He really didn't. But whatever. He'd deal with that later. But he had to handle the whole love-triangle-but-not-really now.

"Morgana," he sighed, "look, I know that you like Anne. A lot. But-"

Morgana glared at him. "How could you tell Ren to go after Lady Anne?" he demanded. "There's no other girl for me! Ren… he hangs out with so many girls. Surely, there has to be someone else that's interested in him…"

"Are you listening to yourself?" Ken demanded, feeling irritation surge through him.

He knew it sucked when you liked someone and they couldn't see you in that kind of light. He remembered being so jealous when Akihiko-san and Minako-san started dating. At the time he had hated that he was like a brother to Minako-san. He understood the feeling. But Morgana was really acting like a little child. Ren liked Anne. Anne liked Ren. Morgana had to accept it, or a rift would form in the group. And he really didn't want that to happen.

"Do Anne's feelings not matter?" Ken asked coolly, gazing sternly down at Morgana. Gentleness would not work here. He would have to be blunt. "Or Ren's? Isn't he your friend?!"

God, Morgana was so stubborn that it was aggravating. And he needed to nip this in the bud.

"I—" Morgana's eyes went huge, before he lowered his head. "O-Of course… Ren… he's my best friend…"

"It is not fair to think Ren has a duty to not act on his feelings just because you like Anne and you're friends," Ken said. "And Anne likes Ren. If you really love someone, you need to put their happiness first." He took a deep breath so that he could calm down. Because Morgana did get his hopes up for nothing. "…I'm sorry that Anne doesn't see you in that kind of light, but it's not fair for you to expect Ren to take a step back just because you like Anne too. And besides… don't you agree that both Ren and Anne deserve some happiness? After Kamoshida? And how Ren's reputation has been dragged through the mud because of his record?"

Morgana was silent for a long time. "Does… Ren really like Lady Anne?" he asked softly. "Would he treat her well?"

…Morgana must be really infatuated with Anne, if he didn't notice the way Ren looked at her.

"I really think he would," he said. "And you know that Ren and Anne deserve this. I know right now you feel that Anne is the only girl for you but… there will be others, I promise."

Morgana sighed, before his ears lowered, all but folding against his skull. "You're right," he muttered. "I'm sorry for blaming you…"

Ken sighed for the umpteenth time today. He really hated drama. "I'm not the one you have to apologize to, Morgana."

"I know, I know…" Morgana ducked his head. "Let's go back so I can get this over with…"

So Ken took Morgana back to LeBlanc, and Yusuke had apparently arrived during their absence.

"Morgana!" Ren rushed up to them, looking at Morgana and then to Ken and then at Morgana again.

"Ren… I…" Morgana raised his head to look at Ren straight in the eyes. "…I'm sorry for reacting the way I have been. It was uncouth and ungentlemanly and I…" He sighed, before he tensed up in Ken's arms. "Treat Lady Anne like she's royalty!" he said firmly. "You better make her the happiest girl in the world! Or else I'll… I'll claw your eyes out in your sleep! And I'll scratch up your face good!"

"You've got it, buddy," Ren laughed, before patting Morgana on the head. Since Morgana couldn't see, Ken just rolled his eyes. "And no need to worry about that. Anne means a lot to me."

"Congrats, man!" Ryuji suddenly slung an arm around Ren. "Seriously, you guys deserve this."

"Ryuji..." Anne's cheeks turned pink. "Thanks."

"Take care of each other," Ryuji added with a wink. "Though save the making out for here, yeah? I don't want you smacking lips in the Metaverse."

Anne immediately reddened, before glaring at Ryuji. "Ugh! What kind of people do you think we are?!"

"I wouldn't mind it..."

"REN!"

"A truly beautiful couple," Yusuke mused. "Oh! Do you suppose I could paint you, like Adam and Eve?"

"Yusuke, I think we're going to have a little chat about you asking for models," Ken sighed.

"But congratulations, you two, really," Makoto interjected, before she smiled. "I'm happy for you both."

"Makoto..." Anne looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions like that..."

"It's all right, Anne," Makoto reassured, putting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Though this was why we kept it a secret from the rest of you. We didn't want you to worry."

"Though, why did you keep it a secret?" Ken asked.

"Oh, um... I'll explain later," Makoto said quickly, before clearing her throat. "Now that's taken care of…" She looked to Ren. "…Just what did you call us all here today?"

Just... what was Makoto hiding? Didn't Anne call the other guy weird? Why was that...? He hoped that Makoto wasn't doing anything dangerous... Though she did have Ren watching her back. But still. He couldn't help but be a little worried.

"Our preparations are complete," Ren stated. "Yusuke, do you have the calling card?"

"What do you take me for?" Yusuke scoffed, before producing a bright red card. "I had this finished the night after we finished Futaba's Palace." The familiar emblem of the Phantom Thieves was emblazoned on the back.

"Yusuke, can I see?" Ken asked, before setting Morgana down.

Yusuke nodded, before holding it out to him.

Hmm… it was like Kamoshida and Madarame's calling cards. Accusing of the host of the palace of a sin. In Futaba's case, her sin would be "sloth". Though wasn't her Palace called the Pyramid of Wrath? Though wrath didn't really suit Futaba, so he supposed that's why Yusuke chose sloth. Too bad he can't really take a picture without looking suspicious…

"So we're doing it today?" Anne asked, her eyes growing bright. "We'll be saving Futaba-chan?"

"What do you think we'll be facing?" Ryuji asked. "Futaba's Shadow is so… weird. Like she helps us sometimes but then she tries to kill us other times!"

"I think that's because of her fear of people," Ken said. "She wants help, but she's also terrified of getting hurt. That's why she seems to be flipflopping from two different attitudes."

Morgana nodded. "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense." Then he narrowed his eyes. "…Though we have to be prepared. Futaba's Shadow will be prepared to defend the Treasure. And the Shadows we've faced in her Palace were stronger than any we've seen. We can't let our guard down."

Yusuke frowned. "Though… isn't it strange that we haven't encountered to what Futaba's Shadow referred to her as her mother?"

That's right… Shadow Futaba had mentioned her when they first managed to visit the Palace. It seemed almost… monstrous, if it was strong enough to make the Palace shake. Though the question was… why haven't they seen it?

"Maybe we'll be fighting them both," Ren suggested. "Though… it may be tricky convincing Futaba to open the door to us…"

"We have to!" Anne exclaimed, her hands clenching into fists. "Futaba-chan is counting on us… we can't stop now!"

Yusuke let out a thoughtful hum. "Perhaps… we should be just straight with her. Explain why we need her to open the door to us, so we can steal her heart."

"It may work…" Ken said slowly, before he grimaced, "…or Futaba could panic and call Sakura-san on us."

"Oi, stop being so negative, Ken!" Ryuji swatted his shoulder. "I mean, it's worth a try, ain't it?"

"As of now… it's our best bet," Makoto said.

…They had a point, he had to admit.

Ren stood up. "Agreed. Come on. Let's pay Futaba a little visit."

It's been sixteen days since the Phantom Thieves had last spoken to her. If they were planning on taking her desires… wouldn't they have done it by now?

What was the point? They can't fix her… She was a hopeless case. She killed her mom. Matricide… she was guilty of matricide. And she could never forget it, with how Mom would show up from time to time. And the voices… they never stopped. Futaba squeezed her eyes shut, wrapping her arms around her legs.

Maybe it'd be easier if she just gave up. Sojiro wouldn't have to worry about her… She was slowly dying anyways… What was the point in dragging it out…?

Futaba blinked. There was… another her? She was wearing Egyptian clothing for some reason.

"W-Who are you?"

"I am the other you." Her gaze was stern. Just like Mom's.

Was this just another hallucination? But… this felt… different.

"How long are you going to keep blaming yourself?" the other Futaba demanded, staring at her with those strange golden eyes. "How long are you going to shut yourself from the world?"

Blaming… herself… for Mom dying… But it was the truth. If she had never been born, Mom probably would have been happier. She could throw herself completely into her work.

"You need to wake up!" she said sharply. "You need to realize the truth already. What happened to your mother…"

But… she already knew the truth.

"Why rely on the Phantom Thieves? Do you really think you're that incapable of doing anything? Are you just going to simply give up and hide away from the world forever? Are you going to avert your eyes from the truth?"

But she felt so powerless. There was a voice hissing in her ear. That she made her mom's life miserable. She did nothing but drained money from Sojiro's pocket.

"…Fine. I guess I'll kill them in the other world…"

Without another word, the other Futaba disappeared. Futaba blinked once. And then twice.

W-What was that about…?

The sound of knocking jolted Futaba out of her thoughts. But she remained silent. Maybe if she ignored them, they would just go away-

"Futaba?" It was Ren. "Futaba… Alibaba… it's me."

Panic spiked through her. It was them?! They were here?! And then there was the sound of meowing. Ugh… it was that cat again.

"Alibaba, we have to talk to you!" It was Makoto now. "Please… even if it's through text, it's urgent that we talk to you!"

Futaba grabbed her phone and started tapping out an answer.

Message Sent To: Ren Amamiya

[Alibaba]: You should've warned me.

"Allow us to explain," Yusuke began. "We need you to open the door, if you desire for us to steal your heart. You must let us in! I know you're frightened, but we only have your best wishes at heart."

Futaba gulped. T-They weren't serious, were they? How could they just drop a level twenty encounter on her when she was just a measly level five?!

[Alibaba]: I'm not mentally prepared!

[Ren]: You have to. You can do it.

Easy for him to say! Futaba huffed to herself, glaring at the door.

"You want to open the door, don't you?" Futaba's breath hitched. It was him. Ken Amada. "You know, deep down, this is what you want. You want to change… that's why you contacted the Phantom Thieves in the first place."

"Stop tryin' to resist!" Futaba jumped as a loud thump sounded against the door. "We wouldn't do this if we didn't have to! We wouldn't make you do this if you didn't want to."

"Ryuji!" Anne hissed, and then there was a smacking sound. "God, don't you have any sense of tact?!"

Futaba made a face, before typing out a response, asking for some more time. Futaba frantically looked around for the head replica of one of her favorite tv show characters. She could face them if she wore it, right?!

"You have ten seconds," Makoto announced.

Ugh! Where did she put it?!

"Five-"

She didn't have time for this! Wait! There was the closet! Of course. You had to have a strategy outfitted for every encounter. Futaba scrambled to the closet, opening the door before pushing the door to her room ever so slightly. She then dashed for the closet door, shutting it close.

"Holy craaaap…" Ryuji breathed.

Futaba could hear the frown in Ren's voice. "Just what is this?"

"How old is Futaba again?" Makoto asked. "Look at some of the books she has!"

"Medical science, information technology, biology, psychology…" Ken said thoughtfully. "…She is only fifteen, right?"

Futaba puffed out her cheeks. It's not her fault she was born in February! They weren't that much older than her!

"But hey…" Anne began, "…where did Futaba-chan run off to?"

"Uh… underneath the desk?" Ryuji suggested. "I mean, she's prolly little, if you look at her Shadow…"

She was not little! She was just a slow grower! Hmph, this Ryuji really had no tact.

Then Yusuke spoke. "Oh, perhaps the closet…" Futaba's eyes went wide as she heard footsteps approach. The closet slid only a couple centimeters, before Futaba's hands shot out, grabbing the handle and yanking it shut.

"I let you in!" Futaba shouted. "Now steal my heart already!"

"Ugh… this probably added another barrier to the Treasure," Ren muttered.

And only a few seconds later, she heard meowing again.

"Explain yourselves!" she demanded. "What are you even talking about?!"

"We need to change your cognition to steal your heart," Makoto said calmly. "It won't help if you hide away from us."

"That's right, Futaba-chan," Anne added, her voice gentle. "Please… won't you come out? We won't hurt you, I promise!"

Futaba just burrowed deeper, all while scowling. Ugh… Why did this have to be so complicated?!

"Would she even understand if we explained…?" Makoto wondered aloud. "Honestly, sometimes I have a hard time wrapping my mind around it and I've witnessed it firsthand."

They mentioned her cognition…

"So basically…" Futaba said slowly, "my cognition is a hindrance, keeping you from the core of my cognitive world?"

"Damn… she got it?" Ryuji's voice filled with disbelief. "Color me impressed."

Despite herself, Futaba smiled proudly. Well, of course. Mom had talked about her research so much that she had absorbed the information. Just like a sponge.

"J-Just who are you?" Makoto asked. "And how do you know about that?"

"Futaba… Alibaba… why didn't you just ask us for help?" Anne said gently. "We're dedicated to helping people who can't help themselves… We would've listened to your request."

Futaba bit her lip as her cheeks started to burn. "…Was… embarrassed…" she mumbled out.

"I get it, Futaba." Futaba heard some lighter footsteps approach. She heard a hand being dragged along the door. "Asking for help isn't easy. I completely understand where you're coming from…"

"But… how do you know about the cognitive world?" Makoto asked. "Honestly, I never would've thought such a thing existed had I not stumbled into it…"

"…Makoto, is this really the time to ask?" Ken sighed. "We're wasting time…"

"We have to get her to trust us…"

"Wait a sec…" Anne said slowly. "Ren, didn't you mention Boss getting grilled by that one lady…?"

"Yeah, that's right," Ren confirmed, and Futaba winced at the memory of hearing the woman harass Sojiro. "Sojiro was pretty agitated about that…"

"Are you saying… your mother was researching into cognitive science?" Yusuke asked.

Despite herself, Futaba found herself correcting them. Ugh. Noobs.

"Cognitive psience, with a psi in front! Less science, more supernatural. That's the important part."

"I'm… surprised that you know so much about it," Ken said. "You were fairly young when your mother was researching into it."

"Please, I wasn't a baby!" Futaba scoffed. "Mom liked it when I asked about what she was looking into."

"But hey… Futaba-chan," Anne began, "…did you really kill your mother?"

Futaba stiffened, before she wrapped her arms around herself. Why… Why did she have to bring that up…?

"Anne, what are you-"

"Shush!" Anne snapped. "It was an accident. The people who came and read her suicide note claimed otherwise. Maternity neurosis? That can't be true! Your mother… your mother that your cognitive world showed us is completely different from the mother Boss told us about! What's the difference? Please… tell us."

"My… mom…" Futaba choked out, as her head throbbed painfully. Ugh… why did it hurt so much…? "T-The one… who killed her…" Futaba felt a tear trickle down her cheek and she wrapped her arms around her torso even tighter.

It was her… right…?

"She can't remember… because her heart has become distorted."

"…I'm sorry, Futaba-chan. I shouldn't have pushed you…"

Futaba's hands clenched into fists. She… She needed to know. The distortions in her mind… they could remove it. She would just have to do her part in it. This was a co-op attack!

She shoved the door open and jumped out. "Steal it already!" she shouted.

"Uh… is she serious?" Ken said slowly.

"Don't make fun of me!" Futaba exclaimed, keeping her eyes screwed shut. "Hurry it up! I revealed myself, so steal my heart already!"

"Well… I'm not surprised that she doesn't fully get it," Ren said. "It's not exactly a straight and cut process. It took me a couple of times to understand when Morgana explained it to me…"

"How do we explain this…" Ken muttered.

"Ah, Futaba-chan…" She felt a hand on her shoulder. "W-We can't steal it here. You just really had to open the closet door…"

Whaaaaat?! Why weren't they clear about this?!

"Um, look, Futaba." Ren sighed. "Sorry we weren't clear about the process. But we don't steal your heart here."

Wait… they managed to travel to her cognitive world then?

"I-I see…" Futaba said shakily, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Time to find a hole to crawl into and never come out… Eh, her closet worked. She walked backwards, and slammed the closet door shut.

"F-Futaba-chan, wait!" Anne cried, before she rapped lightly on the door. "Don't go back inside!"

"Futaba-chan, please come back out," Makoto pleaded.

"Why did you trick me?!" she demanded.

"Okay, that's enough!" Ken snapped, sounding rather aggravated now. "Listen, Futaba, we have a perfectly good reason for this. It's like how you put it. Your cognition is blocking our way to the core." He sighed. "…Just how much do you know about the cognitive world?"

"I-I know there's a world of cognition. I don't know how to get to it though…"

"We can go there," Ryuji said. "That's how we'll change your heart. But you've gotta keep the door open or else it'll block our way!"

"How do you do it then?" Futaba asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Oh, um…" Makoto said, "we use a smartphone app. I-I know it sounds crazy, but it's true!"

"An… app?" Futaba echoed.

What kind of person could even create such a thing?

"Yes, we need to enter the right information and it'll take us to the cognitive world," Makoto answered.

"A name, a place, and a distortion… that's what we need to use the app," Ryuji said.

"I-I don't think it's wise to share this information…" Ken said slowly.

"She doesn't have the app," Yusuke pointed out. "What would she do with this information?"

"…I suppose so. But I think we should really get going…"

"Wait!" Futaba blurted out. "Can… Can I come?"

"Is that… even possible?" Ren asked. "I mean, a host in their cognitive world... It seems like a contradiction to me. I'm sorry, Futaba… but no. We don't know if it's safe for you."

"Never mind that she doesn't have a way to defend herself," Ken muttered.

D-Defend herself? What was he talking about?

Futaba grumbled to herself. But if she couldn't come, that was that… "…I'll leave it to you, then."

"Good!" Ryuji said cheerfully. "And don't forget your promise!"

She heard the door open and fading footsteps.

"Ken, don't forget to give her the calling card!"

"…Don't worry. I will." Futaba's breath hitched as she heard Ken's footsteps approach. "…Futaba. I know deep down you know what you want. You wouldn't have reached out to the Phantom Thieves if you didn't have the desire to help yourself. You don't really want to die. Not like this."

She… She didn't know what to say. The way he talked… it was like he understood how it felt.

"…I can understand what it's like. I know you're scared. We'll help you as much as we can, but you have to take the final step. You want to live… truly live, don't you?"

They were alone. She could ask him just who were the Shadow Operatives. But he sounded so earnest. He was here to help her… There were be other times to ask him…

"…You can't stay in here forever. You have your whole life ahead of you… I can tell you have a brilliant mind… You can't waste it like this, Futaba."

"I…"

"…It's okay. I know… we kinda dumped a lot of information on you. But I promise that we'll do everything in our power to help you."

Suddenly a paper was poked through the crack.

"We need you to read this, so your core will manifest. I'll leave you to read it, okay?"

Futaba didn't move for several moments. She slowly opened the door, and true to his word, Ken was gone. Futaba stepped out, and looked down at the red card.

You want to live… truly live, don't you?

You have your whole life ahead of you…

Futaba took a deep breath, before she slowly began to read the card.

To Futaba Sakura…

Okay, so the boss fight and Futaba's awakening ended up being a lot longer than I had expected. I had only written up to the awakening and it's already close to 3k. So! I ended up splitting the chapter because I didn't want the chapter to be an absolute monster. The next chapter will probably shorter than my usual average but ehhh.

But I hope my fellow Ren/Anne shippers enjoyed seeing how they get together!

Until next time! I'm hoping to get the next chapter out soon, since it's more of a reinterpretation of a canon scene, but we'll see.