"Mementos, huh…? I still don't really get that place."

"How do you think I feel? I've been scouting that place for ages and I still don't understand it."

"That isn't very reassuring coming from you."

The Phantom Thieves gang had exited the place known as Mementos and got back to the real world. They all had their regular clothes and looks on as they came back. They stood back in the area that they had been standing in before. Ryuji leaned against a wall, right in between Ann and Hitomi. Hitomi, though, was crouched down to the ground instead of standing, while Akira stood next to her. Morgana stood basically above her head on the cement wall. When they did, they began talking about what they encountered.

"You have to remember, I'm just as human as the next guy," Hitomi said flatly at Ryuji. "I'm not an all-knowing powerful god."

"Well you sure act like it." Ryuji said. "How you took down Class Pres by just talking? That's some scary shit."

"Mmn…" Hitomi gazed away from him, her glasses concealing her eyes, as a pout came onto her lips. "Don't remind me…"

"Anyways," Ryuji changed the subject, "what was that wall thing we saw down there? I'm still pretty confused about that."

"I'm not entirely sure, but it's blocking us from going down certain depths." Said Morgana. "If Mementos is the public's Palace though… it might be affected in the general public's belief in us."

"Why do you know so much about it, Morgana?" Ann asked.

"My memories are a little foggy in that regard…" Muttered the cat-like being. "However, I need to know what lies in the depths of Mementos, no matter what."

"No matter what…?" Ann repeated softly, gazing at him in concern.

"Mementos is not just everyone's Palace, it's the source of all Palaces." Morgana stated. "It used to be that Palaces like Kamoshida's with one ruler simply didn't exist. So, if we can do something about the greatest cause of distortions, I'm certain my appearance will…!"

"You wanted someone to save you too..." Ann said to Morgana.

"I-I just needed pawns!" Morgana said, looking away from them with a slight angry look.

"Who you callin' a pawn?" Hitomi reached over and pinched Morgana's cheek lightly.

"Ah! Hey, let go!" Morgana patted her hand away.

The group chuckled at his actions while Hitomi pulled her hand away. Little did anyone see Hitomi's concerned expression as she began to be stuck in thought.

"...Well, I'll help you, Morgana." Ann said to him. "I hope you can regain what you've lost."

"I'll… be relying on you guys." Morgana said, almost in an embarrassed-like tone.

"By the way Morgana… are you a boy? Or might you be a girl?" Ann asked.

"Could it be a car?" Akira asked.

"Did you seriously just ask that?" Hitomi looked up at him with a slight glare.

"I mean, it could be a possibility!" Ann said.

"I wish I could deny it, but… I just can't be sure." Ryuji said.

"You guys are seriously agreeing with him!?" Hitomi looked at all of them in bewilderment. "A car cannot be a gender! Yes, there is girl, or male, or they and them, or even both or neither. But there is no such gender as a freaking car!"

"Y-yeah, what Hitomi said!" Morgana exclaimed. "...In any case, of course I'm male! I mean, I…"

"What is it?" Ann asked, since Morgana had trailed off.

"No… it's nothing." Morgana dismissed. "We're done talking about that!" He then shook his head, then proceeded to collect his thoughts. "Anyways, we now know what we can perform minor changes in hearts in Mementos. If we come across any eye-catching leads, it may be worth dealing with them for a bit of combat practice."

"There wasn't any eye catching ones though…" Ann muttered.

"I bet we'll get tons of 'em if we can change someone famous and make the Phantom Thieves well-known." Ryuji said grinning. "The big fish are our main targets after all."

"First you need a way to get through your exams." Morgana reminded.

"I gotta study…" Sighed Ryuji as he hanged his head in sadness.

Akira looked down at Hitomi, only to now notice her dazed expression. "Hitomi?"

She didn't respond to him. He bent down and shook her shoulder, this time definitely grabbing her attention.

"Huh? What? Eh, don't touch me." She scowled and waved his hand away.

Akira related what she did with how Morgana acted earlier to her touching him. Sometimes, she really did remind him of a cat. Shaking that thought off, he remembered what he wanted to ask her.

"Are you prepare for the exams?" He asked. "You've been out of school for a while now…"

"...I'll be fine." Hitomi said as her scowl deepened. "Worry about yourself for once."

Akira could only sigh through his nose in annoyance at her answer. It was such a Hitomi thing to hear that he almost forgot that she was really Kasumi. And here he was thinking he had gained some sort of closeness to her…

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Huh…?" Hitomi pulled her phone out as it was ringing and vibrating, signalling a call.

She stood up and walked a few paces away from the group to answer it. The group stared at her, wondering who was calling her. Hitomi spoke softly into the phone, but seeing her pacing mannerisms, she seemed rather annoyed. After a bit of her talking, she eventually hung up the phone and groaned aloud. She turned back to the group to collect her belongings.

"I have some business to take care of," she grumbled to them as she collected her bag. "Family business, you know? I got to go check it out. Text me if any important business happens."

"Alright," Ann said. "Hope that business isn't too serious."

"No, it's not." Hitomi shook her head before turning her back to them. "...Later."

The group watched her rush down into the subway, being quick to get down the steps as fast as possible. After a bit of talking with each other, the group eventually departed and made their ways back home.

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'This is becoming so troubling… If I hear Mementos come from his mouth one more time, I'm going to strangle him…'

Kasumi was far beyond annoyed with this Phantom Thief business already. Almost everyday now, for the past week or so, Akira has been texting the group for a meet up to hit Mementos. At first, she didn't mind. She figured it was best for the newbies to figure it out for themselves and get used to it. But she realized quickly that it was happening at a constant rate now that it was becoming ridiculous to her.

She was at least pleased that today was the last day for exams, but she just felt uneasy. Her stomach has been doing flips for days now ever since she had pondered about a very big decision. That big decision was something that had been bugging her for days now, and she was unsure if she should do it or not.

But, she was sure that it was the best decision for her. It didn't help that Hitomi has been finding Makoto around almost every corner, following her or the others around. One day it was her, then she found out that Makoto was following Akira the next. It was getting out of hand. As she was concerned in her thoughts, she was snapped out of it by the call of her name. She turned her head, her eyes wide in surprise, only to spot Ann, Ryuji, and Akira. Hitomi could only sigh in sadness as she had hoped to be away from them for this last day of exams.

"Yo, Ishikawa!" Ryuji called, who had been the one to grab her attention. "You gonna make it to the top of the class again this year for eams?"

"...Who knows." She shrugged in a bored manner as she walked over to them. "Today's the last day, thankfully. I'll probably at least get an A at most."

"Seriously?" Ryuji gaped at her in surprise.

"Hey, Ka—I mean! Hitomi!" Ann shook her head and corrected herself fast. "I'll never get used to that… But, what I'm trying to get at here is, are you okay? You don't seem like your usual self?"

"What do you mean?" Hitomi raised a brow at her in confusion.

"You have been actin' strange lately…" Ryuji agreed with Ann. "You just seem… bored? I guess? You just don't have your usual aggravated spark to you anymore."

Hitomi's eyes widened at their statements. She quickly concealed her shock but gazing away from them, knowing her glasses glared up to cover her eyes. She was hoping they of all people wouldn't have noticed her shift in behavior.

"...It's nothing." Hitomi stated calmly. "I've just been dealing with some personal matters for a while. But, it's not that big of a deal to worry about. Let's focus on the exams instead."

"Hitomi." Akira spoke up, gazing at her sternly. "Stop saying it's nothing when there's clearly something wrong. We're a team now, you know. You should trust us more."

The three were shocked by this sudden change of events. Akira had always shown small signs of emotions, never being a lot compared to Ann or Ryuji. But, to see such a stern and legitimate expression on his face was actually surprising for them all. Even Hitomi hadn't seen it coming.

But, being her usual self, she was always one to snap out of her shock quickly. She glared at him and sneered as anger clearly appeared on her face. This was becoming way too annoying for her to handle. She had enough with this Wild Card. She wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

"I have never met someone as meddling as you are," she growled at him. She was gripping on her bag handle so tightly, trying hard to contain her anger and frustration. "Stop concerning about me. Stop trying to get close to me. Stop acting like you even know me, because you don't. You never will, because no one ever does. In the end, your attempts will be for nothing, and you'll regret wasting your time on a runt like me. So, do keep your nose out of my business, Kurusu. It's pitiful to watch you try."

"Okay, that's cruel even for Hitomi," Ryuji stepped in the way and pushed Akira away from Hitomi. "And I thought I hadn't gotten enough sleep. Sheesh…"

"Y-yeah, let's just, forget this ever happened!" Ann said as she stood in front of Hitomi. "Let's go to school, yeah? We don't want to be late, heh heh heh… heh…"

Hitomi huffed loudly and looked away from them, anger still written on her face. Akira could only gaze at her, his eyes feeling like daggers in her side. Ann and Ryuji, still feeling the strong tension, knew they had to separate them in one way or another. Ann linked her arm with Hitomi and began walking forwards while Ryuji lead Akira behind them.

Even the ride up the escalator felt uncomfortable. But, Ann had the feeling it was something else. Being paranoid as she had been, she turned her head and gazed over her shoulder. When she saw a familiar man in the crowd, chills instantly went up her spine. This was becoming too much for her.

"Oh my god, that guy got off!" She exclaimed softly.

"Hn?" Hitomi looked at Ann, seeing her expression, as her anger instantly disappeared. "Wait, what's wrong?"

"That guy got off—I think he's following me…" Ann said to her, loud enough for the boys behind them to hear. "Isn't this bad? I swear, he's been following me for a while now…!"

Hitomi looked over her shoulder and scanned the crowd, not able to actually pinpoint who she meant. But, whoever it was, it was clear that Ann was freaked out about it. Before she could say anything, a loud yawn came from Ryuji. Ann turned to him, hands on her hips, as she glared at him.

"Hey, at least act like you care!" She said to him, not noticing Akira's amused smile.

"Fine…" Ryuji sighed and began walking up the moving escalator. "Come on."

Hitomi followed Ryuji without hesitation, making sure Ann followed close behind. Akira made sure to be behind her in case this 'stalker' catches up to them. Once they get to the street Ryuji gives them a quick plan, not giving enough time for anybody to disagree on it.

Ryuji and Akira hid behind nearby objects while the girls stood on the street. They both had their backs turned to give off the appearance that they were oblivious. Ann was practically fidgeting in place, unlike Hitomi, who stood next to her and acted like she was scrolling through her phone. Spotting her nervousness, Hitomi knew that Ann needed to calm down.

"Relax…" She whispered to her. "The guys aren't even ten feet away from us. You're not here alone, Ann."

"Mm…" Ann nodded, her lips pressed tightly together.

The two stood together, trying to stay still. Hitomi put her phone into her pocket and closed her eyes, carefully listening to their surroundings. As soon as she heard quick footsteps along with a jingling sound, also sensing a presence from behind. Within seconds she whirled around glaring while the boys quickly stepped out of hiding. Ann turned as the boys stood in front of both girls in protective manner.

But, all their hostility seemed to almost vanish. Well, except for Hitomi's. She's almost always hostile… Staring at the person in front of them was indeed a boy. Except, he was basically their age, maybe older by a year. He had a very clean and well kept appearance.

'Tall, dark hair, slightly long, pale complexion, dark eyes, and a very highly status uniform from a very wealthy school…' Hitomi evaluated him instantly. 'The jingling sound was coming from a ring of keys on his belt loop, which is kind of strange to see. He looks… anything but a stalker. But, looks can always be deceiving…'

"Hey, uh…" Ryuji and Akira looked at Ann with raised brows. "Are you sure that's him? Or are you that self-conscious."

"Rgh, I'm not that—" Ann began to yell at him.

"Is there something you want?" Asked the mysterious boy, who cut off Ann's yelling.

"We should be asking you that." Hitomi spoke up, adjusting her glasses as she eyed the boy. "My friend here says that you've been following her. Tell me, why's that? It's rather rude to be stalking people, you know."

"Stalking…? That's outrageous." The boy said, fixing a stray piece of hair into place.

"I know you've been stalking me! Ever since the train!" Ann exclaimed, pointed her finger at him in an accusing manner.

"That's because…" the boy began to speak, only for a horn to grab their attention.

A car horn honked, causing everybody to turn their heads and look. An expensive black car pulled over to the side of the road before the group. Rolling down the black tinted window from the back revealed to be an old man as he was smiling at the mysterious boy.

"My goodness… I had wondered why you left the car." Said the old man. "So this is where your passion lead you. All well that ends well… Hahahahahaha!"

"Mind explaining…?" Hitomi looked back to the boy with a raised brow.

"I had saw you from the car… and I couldn't help myself from chasing after you." The boy said, speaking to Ann. "I didn't even notice the calls from sensei… But thank goodness, I caught up to you."

"O-kaaay…" Ann muttered as she was clearly uncomfortable.

"What?" Ryuji's face scrunched up in confusion.

"You're the woman I've been searching for all this time! Please, won't you—" Quickly spoke the boy.

"W-wait a minute, I—" Ann panicked quickly as her thoughts came to conclusions on what he might say.

"—Be the model for my next art piece?!" Asked the boy in a dramatic manner.

Instantly, everyone became confused. The boys and Hitomi looked at each other in confusion while Ann stared at the boy in shock.

"...Model?" She questioned.

'Do NOT tell me you honestly WANT to do it because he said model!' Hitomi yelled at Ann in her thoughts.

"All that I've drawn has been lacking, but I feel a passion from you unlike anyone else!" Exclaimed the boy.

"This man is highly suspicious!" Morgana yelled from Akira's bag, but no one took notice.

"Ain't this a recruit for some shady business?" Ryuji asked.

"Will you cooperate with me? What do you say?" The boy asked Ann, ignoring everyone but her.

"Hold your horses! Who're you anyways!" Ryuji stepped in front of her, clearly sounding annoyed.

"Oh, where are my manners?" The boy stepped back as if realization just came to him. "I'm a second year at Kosei High's of fine-arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa." He then moved Ryuji aside and stepped closer to Ann. "I'm Madarame-sensei's pupal, and I am being allowed residence at his place. I've striving to become an artist."

"Huh?! Do you mean THAT Madarame?!" Exclaimed Ann. "The one who was on 'Good Morning Japan' the other day?"

"The very same." The boy, Yusuke, confirmed.

"You know who that is?" Ryuji asked Ann.

"He was introduced as a super-famous Japanese-style artist who's been recognized all over the world." Ann explained to him. She then whispered to the group. "But we heard that name a few days ago in Mementos…"

The revving of a car grabbed their attention. Hey all looked to the expensive black car that the old man had been sitting patiently in. He must be Madarame.

"Yusuke!" The man called, clearly trying to ushed the boy to come.

"I'm sorry, Sensei. I'll be right there!" He promised before turning to Ann again. "Madarame-sensei's exhibitions will begin at the department store near the station tomorrow. I'll be there to help out on opening day. Please come by. It'd be great if you could give me your answer in regard to being a model then..."

He then handed Ann a sip of paper, which she took in return. The boy Yusuke then looked at the boys with a scowl.

"I bet you have no interest in the fine-arts, but I'll give you tickets too." He then handed Ryuji and Akira a slip of paper. Before he could even step back, Hitomi cleared her throat loudly to catch his attention, which worked.

"Ahem… May I please have one?" She asked. "I live near my friend here, but it's very unsafe to travel through the city alone. You don't mind if I join, or even a cousin of mine? She's very interested in the fine-arts and has been dying to see Madarame's exhibits."

Yusuke stared at her and blinked his eyes, as if just realizing she was there. "My apologizes. You were so quiet and stood in such a far away manner that I hadn't seen you. Would you like two for you and your cousin?"

"No thank you, one would suffice." Hitomi said smiling in a fake manner. Yusuke handed her a card and she nodded to him in thanks. "Thank you. My cousin will surely be thrilled with this."

"So, I can assure you'll be coming?" Yusuke said, but his eyes traveled to Ann.

"You have my word." Hitomi said as a mischievous glint in her eyes went unnoticed by him. "I always keep my word…"

"Wonderful!" Yusuke said cheerfully. "I'll be seeing you then."

"Have a nice day," Hitomi said out of courtesy.

Yusuke turned and entered into the black car. With the window scrolling up and the revving of the car, it took off and disappeared into traffic. Hitomi watched it go by with a smirk on her face, until Ryuji popped into her view.

"Hey, what the hell was that?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Hitomi asked him to clarify.

"That stupid, innocent nice act you pull off so damn well!" Ryuji exclaimed. "It's effing creepy, man!"

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes at him. "As you know, it was just an act. Which got me a ticket. Still can't believe he somehow forgotten that I was standing here…"

"Still, why did you tell him we would go?" Ann asked her. "I mean, I would've gone anyways, but still! You didn't let me give my input whatsoever."

"And I apologize for that." Hitomi said calmly to her. "But, Yusuke is a pupil of Madarame, the supposed teacher that tossed our target Nakanohara onto the street and caused him to turn corrupt. Yusuke found an attraction to you, Ann. If you can ask the right questions, you could perfectly get us faster through this case with Madarame!"

"Wait, hold up!" Ryuji butted in. "We haven't decided on our next big target yet."

"...Are you fucking serious?" Hitomi gave him such a flat look that it was almost scary. "You know what, whatever. I'll let you think over if we should target Madarame or not. But, whether you like it or not, I'm going to that exhibit and I will target Madarame myself if I must. Now…" She pulled her phone out and gazed at the time. "We better get moving. Don't want to be late for exams, do we?"

With that said, she turned while smiling in a smirkish way and began walking. The trio looked at each other, surprised by her sudden and quick declaration. Ann shrugged at them and chased after Hitomi, since the last thing on her mind was being late. Ryuji and Akira walked together at school while glaring in the direction Hitomi marched off in.

"I said it a billion times and I'll say it again," Ryuji grumbled. "Hitomi pissed me off so goddamn much! She's so frustratin', ya know?!"

He looked at Akira, only for his own frustration to instantly disappear. The look on his face was that of an emotion Ryuji couldn't really pinpoint. But, whatever it was, it honestly made him look scary. This caused Ryuji to sweatdrop at him.

"U-uh, dude? You okay, man?" He asked his friend.

"...I'm fine." Akira grumbled.

"Uh, clearly you aren't if you're showin' this much emotion in one day!" Ryuji exclaimed. "What's up with you? You were perfectly fine until Hitomi showed up."

Akira made a grunt noise and put his head farther down, his shoulders going up, as he was completely tense while glaring at the same spot. Ryuji raised a brow at him before something click in his head.

"Dude, are you angry at Kasumi? I-I mean Hitomi. W-whatever her effin' name is!" Ryuji said and shook his head to stop stuttering.

"I'm not mad at her…" Akira mumbled, now looking at his feet.

"Then what's your deal?" Ryuji asked.

Akira grunted again, putting his head further down as if to hide in his blazer. Ryuji kept his eyes on him as he was still confused. Why was he acting like this? It wasn't natural for him.

"I've got an idea!" Morgana said, popping out of Akira's bag and leaning on his shoulder. "Could it be that you're possibly… jealous, Akira?"

Without even hesitating Akira sharply elbowed his bag, almost knocking Morgana right out of it. The cat yelped, caught his balance, and ran back into the safety of the bag. Ryuji gaped at Akira as his reaction was a clear 'yes' to the question.

"Dude!" Ryuji exclaimed with a small laugh. "Are you seriously jealous?!"

"Shut it…" Akira growled softly, looking away from Ryuji.

"Wait, was it because of her damn sweet act?" Ryuji continued to ask him. "I mean, I have no idea why you would be jealous because of an act she does all the time. I mean, the only reason I can think of is—"

Ryuji stopped talking as his eyes went wide. He looked at Akira in horror at his sudden realization. The black haired boy glanced back at him, confused to why he suddenly stopped talking, only to see Ryuji's shocked face.

"DUDE!" Ryuji practically yelled, which honestly startled Akira. "DO NOT TELL ME YOU'RE CRUSHIN' ON—"

Akira slapped his hand over Ryuji's mouth so fast that he's positive he left some type of red mark on his face. Ryuji, gaining the freaking hint, yanked his hand off and noticed the strange light pinkness crawling onto Akira's face. He began laughing, almost hysterically at that, as he finally put all of the pieces to the puzzle.

"No way, man! No way!" Ryuji shook his head at him, ignoring Akira's harsh glares. "You are SERIOUSLY one weird dude."

"Shut up…" Akira said, wanting to die in a hole.

"All I can say to you is," Ryuji roughly patted his shoulder, "good luck, and I will support you from afar."

Akira covered his face with his hands and groaned. Ryuji laughed as he was truly getting a kick out of this. He wrapped his arm around Akira's shoulder while laughing, trying to show that he did support him. Akira just wished he could punch Morgana and Ryuji as he could see the future teases that have yet to come. Oh, what a mess he was truly in.

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