We finally wrap up this arc. There's not really much to this chapter other than build-up for the next arc. Disclaimer: I don't own the Persona series, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, or Juni Taisen.

Heist 10: Museum's Closed

June 01. Ren returned The Alluring Dancer to the library and got out The Great Thief in its place. This one was about the exploits of Arsene Lupin, whom Ren identified with personally. Later the group was joining Ann as she got invited for a photo shoot. Apparently the regular models had not shown up, so Ann and another sub were called in instead. Said other model, a woman named Mika, walked up to Ann. "It's so nice to meet you," she said, "I may be older, but I hear you have so much more experience." "I don't know about that," Ann admitted, "I only started getting serious in this business recently."

"Then maybe you have a few tips to share?," Mika asked, "I've been trying to find some green almonds, and I'm getting tired of normal quinoa. Do you think I should maybe boil it?" "Whoa now," Ann said, "The only thing I have to worry about is getting exercise. My metabolism is so good that I don't really have to worry about what I eat." Mika blinked, and looked Ann over. "Yeah… It does look like you don't have to watch what you eat… I gotta admit I'm envious of that. Hold on, you said you were only now getting serious?" "It's gonna sound lame," Ann admitted, "But with me still being in high school, up until now I've only really seen this as a hobby. But it's still one that connects me to my parents, so when I heard about shenanigans going on, I decided I had to step up."

Mika nodded. "I see… I mean, I'd normally be annoyed to hear you say you don't take this seriously. But I guess I can understand if you haven't really seen your parents that much. Naturally I've been in this business long enough to know about the Takamakis. Just keep in mind that I'm always serious about modeling." Ann narrowed her eyes as Mika walked off. "Something about her seems fishy," she noted. "You think she might be hiding something?," Yusuke asked. "Nothing sinister," Ann admitted, "She definitely takes this work seriously. But she acted like I had just dodged some sort of bullet… We'll need to keep an eye on her." When Ren returned to Leblanc, he began reading The Great Thief.


June 02. Ren ran a few errands that day. He looked into the Shibuya bookstore and got a couple books called Tidying the Heart and Playing the Game. He also sold off unneeded junk to Iwai, and got a few more materials from the second-hand shop. He then went to work at the flower shop in the underground mall. One customer came in asking for a bouquet made of large, brightly colored flowers. Ren figured the best choices were the venerable chrysanthemum, gold gerbera, and scarlet rose. The customer was happy with the arrangement, prompting Hanasaki, the shop's owner, to offer Ren a bonus.

He returned to Leblanc that evening and noticed the game show was on again. This time the question was dealing with probation, asking which statement was true. The choices were either a person on probation was forbidden to travel, or that probation officers were unpaid. "It's that probation officers are unpaid," Ren muttered. Morgana was a little surprised that the answer was correct. "How did you guess that?" "Restricting the travel options of a person on probation would defeat the purpose of rehabilitation," Ren explained, "So it had to be the second option. Though I'm a little surprised that probation officers would not be offered compensation." He capped off the evening using the bathhouse.


June 03. Ren got a chance to read on the train again, and finished off The Great Thief. In class, Kawakami was true to her word and set things up so the class was a review session, subtly hinting that this was Ren's chance to slack off. He took advantage by reading some of Playing the Game. After school the group was in the middle of another clinical trial, when the same man Ren saw earlier in the year showed up. "So you are still working here," the man said with a snarl. Takemi scoffed. "Oyamada, to what do I owe the pleasure this time?"

"I heard you stole one of my patients," Oyamada said, "A girl with bronchitis." "My records show no such patient," Takemi retorted, "The only little girl I examined had a serious bacterial infection, rather rare at that. Some of the symptoms did resemble bronchitis, but a thorough examination showed the differences." Ren smirked when he saw Oyamada's grip on his briefcase tighten. "I recommend you vacate this office," Yusuke said, "We can insure that you get sued for harassment if you keep pressing this issue." Oyamada scoffed. "You sure you want to do that? Do you even know who this woman is?"

"She's told us her history," Ann said, "Both versions of it, in fact. And you come off looking more like a plague than she does." Oyamada growled. "You really shouldn't bother anymore. I heard that poor girl Miwa died the other day." Takemi's eyes went wide. "So that's your new angle?," Ren asked, "You sure to want to go that far? We have ways of getting the facts, after all. So why not just walk out now." Oyamada frowned. "Fine, but this isn't over." Takemi shook her head. "Thanks for the backup. But if he's right…" "So what if he is?," Sumire chimed in, "You could always finish the medicine for the next person who winds up like Miwa."

Takemi realized Sumire had a point. "I see… I hadn't considered that. Now that I think about it, Oyamada was likely trying to get me to stop so I couldn't disprove his earlier assertions. Still, I'll need to look into Miwa's condition just to make sure. Still… Something seemed off about Oyamada. Anyway, it looks like we're done for today. Hopefully I can still finish this… If not for Miwa, then for the next one like her." That evening, Ren asked Kawakami to stop by the hideout to tidy the place up.


June 04. Chouno was was lecturing in her class. "To be honest, June is my least favorite month, what with the humidity being murder on my hair. I'm sure many of you also dislike the month, what with the lack of national holidays. That reminds me, since you're going to be changing into your Summer uniforms soon, this seems like a good time for a topic on blazers. Mister Amamiya, do you know why the original blazers were given such a name?" "Because they were brightly colored," Ren replied. Chouno nodded. "Yes, that's exactly right."

She wrote the word in English on the board. "Unlike today's black blazers, the original blazers were a bright, vivid red. The word was originally made to refer to a British boating club in the 1800s, who wore such jackets. It's interesting how a word can lose its original meaning overtime. Speaking of which, make sure you start wearing your Summer uniforms, alright? I don't want to see anyone charging out the door in your winter uniforms." "I may be a bit biased given my black coat," Morgana mused, "But I think black is a lot more stylish than red. Uh… No offense Ann." Ann just giggled into her hand while Ren smirked.


Ren grabbed some more nutrients for his houseplant, and the group met up at the Hilton for a quick meal. Ann even got a choco fountain for being the millionth customer, but she didn't need it so she passed it off to Ren. That evening, they requested Kawakami for a special meal delivery service the maid agency was providing. It turned out to be gourmet cup noodles, which tasted similar to the stuff you could get from a restaurant. "Any changes with those people asking for money?," Sumire asked. Kawakami sighed. "They've been getting even more relentless as of late. It's like they don't know how hard I'm trying to work, and how hard it is to get money."

"Maybe they're some spoiled rich people," Yusuke suggested, "Those sorts of people can make money in their sleep, so they don't understand how hard some people work just to make minimum wage." Kawakami shrugged. "All I know is they never seem satisfied no matter how much I pay them." "Why do you keep paying them?," Ryuji asked, "I mean, whatever you did can't be that bad, right?" Kawakami thought about that. "I've been thinking about that… And I'm not really sure anymore. And it feels more and more like they don't even remember the real reason for my mistake."


June 05. Goro and Makoto were on opposite ends of the Shibuya crossing when a major TV announcement came on. 'In other news, Mitsuhide Kinmyujiamu, business partner to notable Japanese artist Ichiryusai Madarame, was indicted for conspiracy to frame his partner for plagiarism and abuse of his pupils. While several of these pupils noted they had dreams of such abuse, they confirmed that no actual abuse has ever taken place, and the police confirmed that there was no indication any true criminal activity on Madarame's part.'

An image of the calling card appeared on the jumbotron. 'However, the police have confirmed the involvement of the infamous group known as the Phantom Thieves, who apparently sent many copies of this calling card addressed to Kinmyujiamu. The chief of police confirmed the leader of the Phantoms, known only as Joker, had under his arm the very painting mentioned in the calling card. As the chief made an effort to arrest the thieves, they mysteriously disappeared, patrol car dashboard cameras being the only evidence that they were there to begin with.'

Goro narrowed his eyes. "You don't act without reason, Joker. Why recruit more partners? Violet's been enough up until now. You must be on the trail of a major conspiracy…" He grimaced. "I'll need to let Dad know about this. Someone's been targeting the government as of late, and it can be no coincidence that it's happening during an election year. Dad's campaign may be in jeopardy…" Meanwhile, Makoto was watching the news report with interest. "These Phantoms certainly know who to target… Could I maybe…?" She walked off to think about things.


Meanwhile at the hideout, the gang was cheering at the sight of the news displaying their success. "I'm grateful Sensei will not have to face serious charges," Yusuke said, "And it seems the exhibit was a complete success. Actually, my last piece, which I've named 'Feline Passion' sold for an impressive sum at the conclusion of the exhibit. And I'm looking forward to what inspires my next piece." "So you'll be sticking with us then?," Morgana asked. Yusuke nodded. "To be honest, I feel it would be foolish to stop now. There may be others in danger like my fellow students and my father."

"That reminds me," Sumire said, "I know the Sayuri is your mother's work and was named for her, but I never saw her name on the art." "That was Madarame's decision," Yusuke explained, "He only ever said that the Sayuri was the last piece of a deceased pupil of his, but never gave their name out. And he refused to sell it because he found it too precious. I believe deep down he understood that Mother never painted it for the fame and adoration." "We should keep our eyes peeled for more potential targets," Morgana noted, "This isn't over by a long shot. We've kicked the legs out from under this organization, but they're only down, not out."


Just as Morgana suspected, Akira was not yet ready to throw it in. "These Phantom Thieves are growing to be a major concern. We need to make our next job more low-key, so that we can try and escape their notice." 'Leave that to me,' said one of the figures on the monitors, 'I've finally found a viable target. And I have the perfect plan for implicating him. Best of all, the police will be eager for this one. They won't look too closely at evidence aimed at someone already known to be a criminal.' "Just so long as they don't realize you're falsifying evidence," Akira noted, "Take caution. These Phantom Thieves are not to be underestimated."


At SIU headquarters, Sae tapped her chin. "That's twice now these Phantom Thieves have targeted someone trying to frame another for serious crimes." "It's the typical MO of the Phantom Thieves," Aizawa explained, "You wouldn't know because you weren't on the case, but the Phantoms will only target criminals, believing it's the only real challenge they can have. They may also possess a sense of justice, paradoxical as that sounds. You'll likely be hearing about them more and more as this case continues." Sae nodded. The news turned to a political address, the man from the Hilton shown on the television.


That evening, Ren stopped by the juice stand to get another aojiru, this one made with seafood extract. Later, the group was helping out Yoshida again as he made his public speeches. One member of the crowd called out, "You'll never secure votes talking like that." Yoshida turned and his eyes widened. "Matsushita!" The man known as Matsushita gave a warm smile. Yoshida introduced him to the group. "So they're helping you then," Matsushita said, "I assume Yoshida's told you about the Kuramoto Children, yes?"

"Yeah," Ren said, "And he explained about the mistakes he made in his past." Matsushita nodded. "To be honest, only the second of his 'strikes' is in question. He was implicated in the embezzlement, but there was no hard proof he was ever involved. I for one never believed he was involved. Someone made him a scapegoat. But to be honest, the whole thing was humbling for all of us involved with the Kuramoto Children. We were excited to get into politics, but the truth is we had no experience." "It's true," Yoshida admitted, "We only got elected because we were backed by powerful Diet members. Most of us never got elected for a second term. But Matsushita, you were able to double-down and get re-elected years later, correct?"

Matsushita nodded. "I decided to drop my wrestling career and take a course in political science. It helped me understand where I was going wrong, and I was able to campaign again, and this time get elected on my own merits. Of course, I'm still not as passionate as Yoshida here. He's been working hardest out of all of us who hoped to change our image and actually make something of this government." He began to walk off. "I hope your spirit never fades, Yoshida. You've become an inspiration to the rest of us." Yoshida nodded. "Thank you… Old friend…"


June 06. Makoto was called in the principal's office. "The timing is actually pretty good," Makoto said, "I've started making a connection between the mysterious influx of cash and a possible scam that's been hitting students at other schools." Kobayakawa's eyes widened. "This could be serious. But if the students won't talk, I don't know how we can prove this." "It might be possible if we suggest the student body can give anonymous information," Makoto suggested, "Perhaps set up a flyer asking for information in exchange for keeping their names silent." Kobayakawa nodded. "I'll have it set up as soon as possible."


Meanwhile, Ryuji was excited to hear some of the other students talking about the Phantom Thieves. "I don't know why they'd call a shack a museum, but that painting they stole was apparently something Kinmyujiamu made." "The Golden Labyrinth, right? It must be worth a fortune. A scumbag like him deserves to have it taken from him." "I heard the police tried to confront the Phantom Thieves, and that they have a new member." "This is actually getting pretty exciting," Ryuji said, "Oh yeah, we have that social studies trip coming up. What did you guys pick?"

"I went with the TV station," Ren said, "Sumire already picked it because her dad works there as a talk show host." "I went with that too," Ann noted, "It might be interesting." "I guess I'll go with the same thing," Ryuji said with a nod, "There's supposed to be a kid detective being interviewed during the trip. I'm curious what he thinks about the Phantom Thieves. I mean, he's apparently been tracking them for months." Ren raised an eyebrow. "Would his name happen to be Goro Akechi?" Ryuji nodded. Ren smiled. "I see… Looks like I made a good choice."


After class, Mishima contacted Ren. 'Yuuki Mishima: I found something worthwhile. This one's from Kosei, Yusuke's school. There's this student called a queen, and she's been bullying this other student in a sort of S&M scenario.' 'Ren Amamiya: Definitely worth looking into. You got a name?' 'YM: Her name is Hikari Shimizu. And there's something else. I may have found information on more of those Zodiac assassins. Akira's phone calls have made references to the Dog. I'll keep tabs on him to get more details. In the meantime, I've posted the warning to Shimizu.'


Later, the group met up in the diner. "I spoke with Shiho about Mika," Ann said, "She just laughed and joked about how Mika might target me next." She giggled. "It reminded me of when we first met in middle school. She saw one my drawings and said it looked terrible. And it really was. Yeah it was a mean comment, but it was an honest one and Shiho was the first one not to talk about my looks. Before her, I was just some foreigner to the other students." "She sounds like a great friend," Sumire said. "One of the reasons I practically dove in to help her when I saw her falling," Ann replied, "And you know what? I'd do it again if I had to. That's how much she means to me." That evening, Ren enjoyed the medicinal baths to relax a little after all the excitement.

And there you have it. Next chapter we'll be getting Akechi into this story proper. You might remember him making an appearance in Stars Are Eternal. Well, here he's one of the main characters. Hope everyone out there's still safe. Read and review.