Chapter 49
After both Isamu and Morgana say goodbye to their friends and went home, they greeted Naoya and told him on where they go after school when he asked them why they came back late before Isamu went up to her room, put her bag and Morgana down on the table before she felt her phone vibrating with messages and she pull it out to see the messages.
RS: Man, that Nakanohara guy was a piece of cake! If we can take down some kinda big target next, we're totally gonna get famous.
AT: Hey! We're trying to help people, not get famous!
RS: But if people don't know who we are, how're we gonna give them any courage?
IT: Ryuji-kun may be right, Ann-chan.
RS: See?
AK: You're agreeing with him, Toudou-san?
AT: I don't think that you're necessarily wrong… But should we really be doing this at all if we don't have a reason like with Kamoshida?
RS: You mean we shouldn't be sticking our noses into other people's business?
AK: Then we'll just have to find a reason for it, Ryuji. Like if they're in trouble and decided to post their troubles into the website then we'll help them out.
RS: Yeah, exactly, Kurusu!
AT: I mean, I agreed with that. And I guess I was glad we were able to solved the stalker case.
RS: Plus, what good are our Personas if we don't use 'em for good? Don't you agree, Toudou?
IT: Yeah. I want to help people.
AT: Yeah… You're right.
RS: We don't got much time to be arguing over this either. The Madarame (?) guy that the Nakanohara guy told us in Mementos bothers me.
AT: Yeah. But no getting carried away, you understand? And don't do anything to stand out like fail all your exams.
RS: Oh crap! Speaking of that, I haven't studied at all…
"Is it Ryuji, Lady Isamu? Did he mention anything about Mementos?" asked Morgana as Isamu finished messaging with her friends and put her phone in her blazer pocket.
"Yeah, he did, Morgana. He mention that he's bother about the Madarame guy that Shadow Nakanohara told us." replied Isamu.
"I see. We'll worry about whoever this Madarame guy is after the exams, Lady Isamu." said Morgana.
"Uh huh." said Isamu as she nodded to Morgana, felt her phone vibrate with messages again, pull it out and she smiled when she saw that it's Goro.
GA: Hello, Isa. Have you study for the exams that are coming up soon?
IT: How mean of you, Goro! Of course I do plan on studying for the upcoming exams.
GA: That's good. I would hate to see you slack off and failed your exams, Isa.
IT: Don't you worry about me, I won't slack off, Goro.
GA: Okay then, good studying and good night, Isa.
IT: You too, Goro, good night.
"You always smiled when you message with this Goro guy, Lady Isamu. Why?" asked Morgana in a jealous tone of voice to Isamu.
"Why are you asking, Morgana? Don't tell me that you're jealous?" said Isamu teasingly to Morgana.
"W-What? Of course I'm not jealous! Why should I be jealous that you're messaging with some guy that I've never met before!" said Morgana in denial to Isamu's words.
"Rrrright." said Isamu as she smirk at Morgana's denial attempt, approach and began firmly pinching and pulling his cheeks.
"S-Stop it, Lady Isamu!" protested Morgana as he try to pull his face away from her firm hands to no avail.
"Sure, only if you admit that you're jealous, Morgana." said Isamu.
"A-Alright, I admit that I'm jealous of this Goro guy that you've been messaging with every night, Lady Isamu! You happy now?" said Morgana as he scowled at Isamu.
"Yes, thank you very much for confessing, Morgana. That wasn't so hard now, isn't it? And for your information, this Goro guy is a close friend of mine for years." said Isamu as she smiled at Morgana (who let out a humph sound at her as he look away from her) before she left the room to cleaned herself up, change into her pajamas and came back into the room to do some studying until she's done, picked Morgana up and they fell asleep.
XXXX
A few days later, the final day of exams…
Both Isamu and Morgana went into Shibuya station before Isamu look around the station for her friends, saw both Akira and Ryuji standing not far to her right and she make her way toward them.
"Good morning, you two." greeted Isamu.
"Good morning, Toudou-san." Akira greeted back to her.
"Yeah, morning. So sleepy…" said Ryuji as he yawned tiredly. "I ended up pullin' an all-nighter once I realised that today's the last day of exams."
"You? Staying up studying?" asked Morgana skeptically to Ryuji after he popped out of Isamu's bag and leaned against her shoulder to glance at him.
"Nah, I gave up on the exam. I was playin' some games, then before I knew it, it was morning." sighed Ryuji as he slumped his back.
"I know what you mean but if you keep doing that, you're going to failed, Ryuji-kun." said Isamu sympathetically then matter-of-factly to Ryuji.
"That's what I told him a few minutes ago before you arrived, Toudou-san." said Akira in a deadpan tone of voice to Isamu.
"Eh, it'll be fine. Nobody's expectin' anything of me, so I don't gotta worry about grades." said Ryuji as he shrugged his shoulders.
"You should be, Ryuji-kun." sighed Isamu as she and Akira shake their heads in unison at Ryuji.
"Morning…" yawned Ann as she approach and stopped in front of them.
"Yo, look who else is yawnin'." said Ryuji with a huge grin on his face as he, Akira, Isamu and Morgana turned to glance at Ann.
"Exams are almost over, so I thought I'd make one last effort across the finish line." said Ann.
"Impressive, Lady Ann. You, Lady Isamu and Akira are quite different from this stupid blonde monkey we know." said Morgana admiringly to both Isamu Akira and Ann.
"Huh? Don't gimme that crap. Your brain's tiny compared to mine." snapped Ryuji as he glared at Morgana for insulting him.
"Oh boy, yet another argument between Morgana and Ryuji." thought Isamu in exasperation.
"Size is meaningless if there's nothing inside, you know." said Morgana smugly to Ryuji.
"What was that!?" growled Ryuji as he stepped closer and glared at Morgana.
"Ugh, will you please shut up!? You're gonna make me forget everything I memo-" Ann began reprimanding Ryuji before she stopped when she felt someone watching her, turned and look around for the person to no avail. "Am I imagining things…?" whisper Ann under her breath as she furrowed her brows.
"Hm? What is it, Ann-san?" asked Isamu when she noticed Ann looking around for something or someone.
"I don't know, Isamu. I felt someone watching me…" replied Ann.
"Someone's watching you?" said Isamu concernly to Ann before she felt someone watching her too. "Now that you mention it, I also felt someone watching me too."
"What? You two see a groper or something?" said Ryuji.
"Who's watching you two?" said Akira concernly to both Isamu and Ann before he look around for the person watching them to no avail as well.
"No, that's not it. It's… nothing." said Ann as she shake her head while Morgana had a frown look on his face.
After a few seconds, the train arrived in Shibuya station and Isamu, Akira, Ryuji, Ann and Morgana went into the train with the other passengers and they head off to Aoyama-Itchome station. Once they've arrived in Aoyama-Itchome station and got off the train with the other passengers toward the escalators, the person who's been watching both Isamu and Ann got off as well and followed them.
"Oh my god, that guy got off!" gasped Ann after she turned around and finally spotted the person that's been watching her and Isamu (who turned to look and saw the person as well) before she glance worriedly at Isamu. "Isn't this bad…?"
"I know what you mean, Ann-san." said Isamu reassuringly to Ann while Akira turned to find the person and Ryuji started yawning and raising his arms in the air (which annoy Ann).
"Hey! At least act like you care!" said Ann in annoyance at Ryuji.
"Fine… Come on." sighed Ryuji before he walked past them up the escalator and they followed after him. After they stepped out of the station, Ryuji then told Isamu and Ann to stand and act oblivious in front of the station's entrance for the person to come to them while he and Akira watched and waited in front of a store not far to their right.
"It'll be fine, Ann-san. The guys are not far from us and I'm here with you too." said Isamu reassuringly to Ann.
"I know." said Ann as she stiffly nodded to Isamu. Soon both Isamu and Ann heard the sound of footsteps and keys jingling approaching from behind them and they immediately turned around to glance at the person following them and they saw that the person is a tall and lean, fair-skinned, short dark blue-haired, dark grey-eyed, pretty-looking guy wearing a long sleeve white dress shirt, long black fitted pants (with some keys hanging out of his pants pocket) and black loafers on his feets as he had his hand stretch out to them just as both Akira and Ryuji quickly intercepted him and prevented him from coming any closer. The guy instantly stopped, lowered his hand and glance monotonously at them while they glance at him with confused looks on their faces.
"Hey, uh… are you two sure it's him? Or are you two just that self-conscious?" asked Ryuji as he glance at both Isamu and Ann.
"We're pretty sure it's him, Ryuji-kun." confirmed Isamu as she nodded to Ryuji.
"Rgh, I'm not that-" sputtered Ann as her face turned red and she scowled at Ryuji.
"Is there something you want?" the guy asked politely to Ann (who scowled at him now before she approach and pointed an accusing finger at the guy).
"That's our line! You were the one stalking us both!" yell Ann indignantly at the guy.
"Stalking you two…? That's outrageous." scoffed the guy as he brushed his blue bangs to the side.
"Then what do you call about someone who's been watching and following me and Ann-san all the way from Shibuya station to Aoyama station, huh? If that's not stalking then what is it?" said Isamu slightly coldly to the guy as she crossed her arms.
"That's because…" said the guy hesitantly to Isamu before he got cut off by the sound of a car honking nearby them and they glance and saw a black-coloured luxury car parking next to them on the road before the tinted window of the car rolled down to reveal a long grey-haired (tied up into a ponytail), elderly man wearing a dark blue kimono with a light brown jacket over it.
"My goodness… I had wondered why you left the car. So this is where your passion led. All is well that ends well." said the elderly man as he smiled good-naturedly at them before he started laughing heartily.
"Okay. Mind explaining to us on why you follow Ann and Toudou-san?" asked Akira as he scowled at the guy while a feeling of jealousy started raising it's head within Akira.
"I saw you two from the car… and I couldn't help myself from chasing after you two." replied the guy as he closed his eyes and look away from them while raising his clench fist near his chest where his heart is. "I didn't even noticed the calls from Sensei… But thank goodness, I caught up to you two." added the guy in relief to them.
"Ok…" said Ann unsurely as she sweat-dropped a little.
"What?" said Ryuji even more in confusion to the guy.
"What is your intention with them both?" said Akira, feeling a bit more jealous.
"You two are the women I've been searching for all this time! Please, won't you two-" said the guy as he ignored Akira's question and glance determinedly back at both Isamu and Ann (who blushed quite furiously at his bold statement).
"W-Wait! Hold on, we-" stammered Isamu.
"-Be the models for my next art piece!?" added the guy as he swept his left arm out dramatically (which make them glance and exchange confused and awkward looks with each other).
"I-beg your pardon? That's what you want from us, to be your models?" said Isamu in a surprise tone of voice to the guy.
"Oh, thank goodness! I thought that this guy is asking them out on a date and I don't want to see Toudou-san going with him… Huh? Why the hell am I thinking like that for? Get a hold of yourself, Akira Kurusu!" thought Akira before he mentally berated himself for thinking like that.
"Yes, exactly! All that I've drawn till now has been lacking, but I feel a passion from you unlike anyone else." explained the guy to Ann before he glance at Isamu. "And you, that red hair plus those stormy grey eyes of yours is like a real-life Madonna that I simply must captured on canvas!"
"P-Passion?" repeated Ann.
"Real-life Madonna? Me?" said Isamu.
"This man's highly suspicious, Lady Isamu!" hissed Morgana as he popped out of her bag and glared at the guy.
"Ain't this a recruit for some shady business?" asked Ryuji as he glance at Isamu and Ann.
"Most definitely, Ryuji." replied Akira.
"Will you two cooperate with me? What do you two say?" said the guy pleadingly to them.
"Hold your horses! Who are you anyways?" said Ryuji as he and Akira stepped in front of Isamu and Ann and scowled at the guy.
"Ah, where are my manners? I'm a second-year at Kosei's High fine-arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa." said the guy as he introduced himself to them before he walked forward and pushed both Akira and Ryuji out of the way to get close to Isamu and Ann.
"Excuse me, Kitagawa-san. That was quite rude of you to pushed them away without apologizing and you're invading our personal space." said Isamu as she scowled at Yusuke.
"I'm Madarame-sensei's pupil, and I'm being allowed residence at his place. I'm striving to become an artist." explained Yusuke as he ignored Isamu's words.
"Huh? Do you MEAN that Madarame? The one who was on "Good Morning Japan" the other day?" exclaimed Ann as she widened her eyes in surprise.
"The very same." said Yusuke cordially.
"You know who that is?" asked Ryuji as he glance at Ann.
"He was introduced as a super-famous Japanese-style artist who's been recognized all over the world." Ann answer and explained to Ryuji.
"Hey, Kurusu-kun. Didn't we heard Shadow Nakanohara said Madarame name to us in Mementos that day?" Isamu whisper to Akira.
"Yeah, he did, Toudou-san." Akira whisper back to Isamu.
"Yusuke!" Madarame called out to him from the car.
"I'm sorry, Sensei. I'll be right there!" said Yusuke as he glance apologetically at Madarame.
"That old guy's Madarame…?" said Ryuji as he glance at Madarame while Yusuke glance back at both Isamu and Ann.
"Madarame-sensei's exhibition will begin at the department store near the station tomorrow. I'll be there to helped out on opening day. Please come by, you two. It'll be great if you two could give me your answers in regard to be models then…" said Yusuke as he pull out 4 tickets from his pants pocket before he scowled at both Akira and Ryuji. "I bet you two have no interest in the fine arts, but I'll give you two tickets too." added Yusuke coldly to them.
"What was that!?" said Akira as he scowled at Yusuke (who ignored him) while both Isamu and Ann took 2 tickets from him and put the tickets into their bags.
"Well then, I hope to see you two there tomorrow!" Yusuke bade farewell to them before he turned, went into the car and the car drove him and Madarame down the road away from them.
"That guy's as easy to read as a book…" said Ryuji as he briefly kicked the ground with his left foot before he stopped and glance at both Isamu and Ann. "You and Toudou are not plannin' on going, are you two?" asked Ryuji.
"…I think I will." replied Ann hesitantly to Ryuji.
"W-What!? You will?" said Ryuji, shocked at Ann.
"He did give us free tickets to go to the exhibition tomorrow so I think it's better that we don't waste the tickets." said Isamu.
"I guess you got a point, Toudou-san." said Akira.
"Crap! Look at the time! I'll see you guys later." swored Ann after she pull out her phone and look at the time before she quickly ran down the street in the direction of their school while Isamu, Akira, Ryuji and Morgana watched her run off.
"How dare he go after you and Lady Ann, Lady Isamu… I've memorized that face of yours, Yusuke!" hissed Morgana as he bristled in anger at Yusuke for asking Isamu and Ann to be his models.
"Calm down, Morgana." said Isamu as she try to calm Morgana down.
XXXX
"You became acquainted with Madarame's pupil by chance?" asked Sae.
"Yes, that's right." replied Isamu as she slowly nodded to Sae.
"That's a little too convenient. It makes me wonder if you're telling the truth. But so be it. What I want to know most is your method." said Sae. "It's true that Madarame was an unforgivable criminal worthy of the scorn thrown at him. He was an adult who cultivated his own fame and fortune by sacrificing the livelihood of childrens… But how did you discover such horrible deeds that were hidden all these years in such a short time?" asked Sae.
"How? In the Metaverse, of course, Sae-san." replied Isamu weakly to Sae.
"This "Metaverse" business again…?" said Sae before she let out a sigh. "Fine. Let's suppose that people's hearts can be changed by stealing their treasures. Like you've said. If so, a different suspicion arises. People have gone mad or lose consciousness, never to recover… like the subway accident in April. Depending on how you look at it, that could be taken as a phenomenon for a sudden change of heart too… Were you and your accomplices related to those as well?" demanded Sae after she explained to Isamu.
"No, those horrible accidents caused by mental shutdowns or psychotic breakdowns weren't our doings, Sae-san." said Isamu firmly to Sae (who glance firmly at her to see if she's lying or not, saw none and she slowly nodded to her).
"…Fine. Continue telling me about Madarame's case. Keep it concise and only of the truth." said Sae.
"…Understood, Sae-san." said Isamu as she nodded to Sae before she try to remember back.
