Dome Town was…probably the most fun Hifumi had ever had in her life outside of playing Shogi. Ann was really nice in taking and showing her around all the fun, non-vomit inducing ride she could within the time they spent there. While she did kind of leave Ren, Ryuji, and Morgana in the dust, they knew it was probably better this way. There had been a smile on her face like no other and Ann was feeling pretty accomplished about this. "Having fun?"
"Very much." Hifumi gave a nod. "I don't think I ever would have had the chance to come here. But I'm glad I did. Thank you again, Takamaki-san."
"You can call me Ann." Ann said with a friendly smile.
"A-Are you sure?" Hifumi blinked. She didn't want to be rude.
"I'm sure!" Ann gave a nod to follow up on her statement. "I told your mother that we're friends now, and I definitely wasn't planning to lie about that."
"W-Well…you can…call me…Hifumi if you'd like." Hifumi had a bit of a hard time sputtering that out. It wasn't that she disliked it, it was just new since she spent most of her time alone, not including when she played Shogi at the church with the priest. "Thank you, Ann…I had a fun time today."
"No problem! I'm just glad you enjoyed yourself." Ann lazily swung her arms to and fro.
"If you don't mind, we could exchange contact information?" As soon as Hifumi asked that, Ann already had her phone out…so that seemed like a yes.
While the girls were hitting it off, Ryuji was slowly slogging forward. He went on a few rides and well…oof. "I feel like I'm gonna puke…For real, my stomach's churnin'…"
"I suggested the other rides…" Ren could only shake his head. Ryuji was so excited and impossible to dissuade.
"This is why I spoke against it." Morgana popped up from the bag.
"Dude…it's not fair…usin' your cathood as an excuse…only at times like this…" Ryuji groaned.
Ann and Hifumi were approaching the boys, and Hifumi was the only confused one. "…Who is he talking to…?" Before Ann could answer, she spotted Morgana in Ren's bag. "A cat?"
"Oh..!" Morgana forgot about Hifumi. She already saw him so there was no point in trying to hide. All she heard was meowing anyway.
"I didn't know you had a cat, Amamiya-san." Hifumi tilted her head a bit. "I thought I heard meowing earlier, too. Do you always carry it in your bag?"
"Yeah. His name's Morgana." Ren answered casually.
"Nice to meet you, Morgana." Hifumi gave the black cat a smile. All she got was a meow in response.
"He said it's nice to meet you too." Ren nodded.
"Did he really…? Or are you just making that up?" Hifum held a skeptical stare before turning to Ryuji. "And you, Sakamoto-san…were you…talking to Morgana?"
"Er…" Ryuji started to sweat. The way Hifumi phrased it had him nervous. "What? Can't…talk to cats…?"
"Anyway! What do you guys wanna do now?" Ann shifted the topic. "Is it time for some pancakes? I could go for some."
"I am a bit hungry…" Hifumi pursed her lips.
"We still have the trip tomorrow, you know." Morgana added.
"Oh right…tomorrow…" Ryuji was so looking forward to spending more time here.
"What about tomorrow?" Hifumi questioned, still confused why the cat meowed and Ryuji responded so quickly. It felt like the cat really was taking part in the conversation.
"Oh, right." Ann turned to her new friend. "Like we said before, the TV station trip is a two day school trip. So we're going back tomorrow. Wait…it's a school day, so what brought you there?"
"My mother set up the interview last month." Hifumi explained. "I wasn't looking forward to it to be honest. It ended up turning into more of a hassle than I was hoping for."
"No need to tell us that…" Ryuji rubbed the back of his head. That interview was a train wreck as far as he concerned.
"I think I'll be back again tomorrow for a follow up." Hifumi said. "But if you all are there, I don't think it will be so bad. Did you happen to learn what it is you're filming?"
"Something with Goro Akechi." Ren responded. "I don't know what it is, but I guess we'll find out when we get there tomorrow." He shrugged.
"Goro Akechi…oh…!" Hifumi recognized that name. "I must say, I am a little jealous."
"Right?" Ann nodded.
"Bro, that guy isn't gonna get anywhere with that haircut." Ryuji said this before, but he really felt like he needed to again.
"I don't think he gets it…" Hifumi looked towards Ann.
"Nope. He really doesn't." Ann shook her head.
Ryuji started to sweat. Why did it feel like the girls were having a bit too much fun here? "Are you laughin' at me…?"
"Of course not!" Hifumi straightened up. "But…I should be going now. I had a lot of fun today. Thank you again for today." She gave a slight bow, hurrying off. She had to go before her Mother called her, which would be a problem in and of itself.
"And she's gone…" Ren watched Hifumi leave. "But at least she had fun today."
"…Agh! I totally forgot to ask for her number." Ryuji was groaning at himself. This was the perfect time!
"I already got it." Ann said smugly.
"What? For real!?" Ryuji was shocked.
"Ryuji, why are you so surprised?" Morgana shook his head. "Lady Ann is the kindest woman in the world. It's only natural that people would be drawn to that kindness…meanwhile you're just an idiot."
"Are you trying to start somethin'!?" Ryuji leaned closer to Morgana.
Ren took a step back, sweating at this growing argument. "Can you guys not do this when he's in my bag? We should be heading back anyway."
"Yeah, tomorrow's a busy day after all." Ann pointed out.
"Try not to stand out too much…" Morgana kept his eyes on Ryuji. "That's more of a Ryuji thing anyway…"
.
.
June 10th.
The second day of the TV station trip. This day was bound to be more exciting than the last, because instead of a boring TV educational tour. Ren's class were all seated in the front row, getting a good seat of the incoming interview with Goro Akechi. "Mr. Akechi's coming on!" The AD exclaimed. On stage were a male and female announcer, waiting for their guest to arrive. There were cheers as Akechi walked onto the stage, which confused Ryuji.
"That's the guy from yesterday…" Ryuji muttered. He wasn't expecting such a reaction from the class from Akechi's arrival.
"Cutting back from commercial in eight…seven…six…five seconds until start…four…three...two…"
"And now, onto the 'Hottest Meet and Greet' segment of our show…" The female announcer began. "After his last appearance was so well received, we decided to bring back this fine gentleman today. It's the high school detective: Goro Akechi!"
"Hello there." Akechi said with a pleasant smile.
"Thank you for taking the time to join us today, Akechi-kun. Your popularity is stunning." The male announcer said.
"It was quite a surprise to me as well." Akechi said with a slight smile. "But I must admit, it is a little embarrassing though."
"Moving along," the female began. "I hear that there's a case on your mind right now. Care to share, detective?"
"Ah, yes." Akechi said, giving confirmation. "It is involving the case of the master artist, Madarame."
"There it is!" The male said with a grin, one leg crossed over the other. "This talk of phantom thieves has caught your attention too! If I may be blunt for a second, what are your thoughts on them, Akechi-kun?"
"If they truly are heroes of justice, I sincerely hope they exist." Akechi kept that smile on his face.
"Oooh! So you don't deny the possibility that they're real?" The male said, growing giddy with Akechi's answer.
"I may not look it, but I sometimes wish that Santa Claus actually existed. Although if he did, I'd have to arrest him for breaking an entering." Akechi cracked the light joke and most the audience did laugh.
"…." Ryuji didn't find it funny.
"Although, if they do exist. I believe they should be tried in a court of law." Akechi's joking tone was dropped, this statement completely serious. So serious that it put Ren, Ann, and Ryuji were suddenly put on guard. The weight of his statement gave them an immediate sense of unease. Compared to Hifumi publicly supporting the Phantom Thieves only yesterday, hearing someone say they should be tried in court was whiplash for the group.
"That's quite the statement." The male asked. "Are they committing crimes? Some people are even saying they're helping the villains abandon their evil ways."
Akechi had a response for that. "What the artist Madarame did truly was an unforgivable crime. However, they're taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice. Furthermore, you should never forcefully change a person's heart."
"That's true. They are calling themselves the "Phantom Thieves" after all." The male nodded in understanding. It was such an interesting opinion compared to yesterday. "Amazing as always Akechi-kun! I could listen to you for days! You have the most radiant charisma!"
"I have to say though, I would be embarrassed if it turns out these Phantom Thieves don't exist. In that case, I'd have to summarize my report as a school protect." The detective cracked another lighthearted joke that made the audience laugh.
"Now then, let's try asking some students the same age as Akechi-kun about the Phantom Thieves!" The female chimed in. "Please press the button if you think the Phantom Thieves really exist!"
"Of course they do!" Ryuji whispered.
"Be quiet…!" Ann chided Ryuji. He was getting a bit too riled up for her liking, although she did understand why he'd feel this way.
There were a few seconds of silence until the approval rating came on. "Oh wow, 30%!"
"I'm a bit surprised. That's higher than I was expecting, actually." Akechi was genuinely surprised. 30 was well past the bar. "I'd love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Phantom Thieves actions."
The female stood up from her seat, microphone in hand, and started to walk down the lane. She was looking for a student with a good opinion and her eyes landed on Ren, who straightened up. "All right. Let's try asking this student here! You there! Hypothetically speaking, what do you think about the Phantom Thieves, if they were real?"
"I think they're necessary." Ren responded with conviction.
"…You said that with such firmness." Akechi picked up on this. This was intriguing.
"This completely goes against the opinion you had about them being tried by law, Akechi-kun." The male said.
"I agree. It's refreshing to hear such a strong acknowledgement." Akechi said with a growing smile. The sparks between Ren and Akechi were fanning into flames already: Are the Phantom Thieves just? Are they villains? It was a simple question, but when posed to these two, it felt like it was something much more. "Let me pose a question to you. Let's say, your friend next to you, for example…if is heart suddenly changed, do you think it would be the work of the Phantom Thieves?"
"They only target criminals." Ren replied. "So I don't think my friend next to me would be in any danger."
"I see. But how can you be so sure?" Akechi responded. "Whether the Thieves' actions are good are not, I believe there is a more important question at hand."
"Hm? What do you mean?" The male asked. By this time, the female returned to her seat, all eyes on the Detective Prince as he stated his full opinion on the Phantom Thieves.
"The matter of 'how' they change people's hearts." Akechi explained. "If they honestly possess that ability, it could be used for more than just confessions. It could be that what seem to be ordinary crimes are actually being perpetrated by these methods…" He was beginning to lose himself in thought.
"You know, you're absolutely right." The male nodded.
"Oh, please don't misunderstand." Akechi replied. "It is only if people who can use this power truly exist. The existence of the Phantom Thieves would be a threat to our everyday lives." This remark caused the audience to mumble amongst themselves again. "In fact, I'm already working with the police to help sort out this matter."
That was a powerful note to end the interview on. Ren and the others went off to the side and Ann had to sigh after that experience. "It…kinda sounded like what he was saying might be right…"
"He made it sound like we're the baddies. I don't like it." Ryuji huffed.
"Do you think that stuff about the police might be real…?" Ann asked, worriedly.
"He can say whatever he wants." Morgana began. "The justice of it all is something we decided for ourselves."
"That's why we decided to do this." Ren said.
"…Agh. Hold on, sorry guys. I'll be right back, I gotta take a leak." Ryuji walked off, leaving Ann to groan.
Ann checked her phone before anything. She did frown a bit when spotting a message from Hifumi; apparently she was too busy to even try and sneak away from her mother. So there wasn't a high chance of them meeting up today. "I'm gonna go on ahead…" With a sigh, Ann left.
Shortly after Ann left, Akechi approached Ren. "Ah, it's you. I'm glad I found you. I wanted to thank you in person. To paraphrase Hegel, advancement cannot occur without both thesis and antithesis."
"….?" Ren just stared blankly at Akechi.
Letting out a small chuckle, Akechi explained his meaning. "My apologies. I just meant that our discussion quite meaningful. Few people around me are so willing to speak their minds as freely as you did earlier. Adults are only interested in using the young, while they simply do as the adults say. There are too many irresponsible people in these times, which is why I can understand why you support the thieves. It's possible that this group is as you believe, and that they are acting with good intentions. Since they have special talents, I assume their hearts must be burning with a sense of passion and duty. But that justice is merely a façade, concealing their lack of truth strength. That's why I believe if they were cornered by a truly powerful opponent, they would flee without a second thought."
Ren's eyes narrowed just a bit at Akechi's tangent. Did he really think they'd up and flee that easily? Not a chance. "They wouldn't run. They'd fight until the end." Ren said with conviction.
"Oh?" Akechi lifted a brow. This was truly interesting. "You truly are intriguing. I bet you'd make a wonderful debate partner. If you don't mind, would you continue to share your thoughts with me sometime? I sense something in you that's quite different from the others. Call it my detective's intuition." He then chuckled. "Kidding, of course." Akechi said while extending a hand, that Ren shook.
"Sure thing." Ren said while shaking Akechi's hand. This was quite a strange deal…but one that could prove fruitful if Ren played his cards right.
.
.
Date: ?
Sae shook her head. "I can't believe you managed to evade the police network until today. The only reasonable explanation is that someone in the police force has ties to the Phantom Thieves, is that right?"
"Not quite…" That was the first time Ren actually spoke when Sae made this type of question. Usually he was silent and refused to answer outright.
"Who was it?" Sae noticed this and took the chance to jump. Any information she could squeeze out of him was information she needed.
"…" And then Ren fell back to silence. But not without planting that little seed of information in Sae's mind.
.
.
"Ah, yes, we should exchange contact info." Akechi suggested. He and Ren pulled out their phones to do just that. "And…registered! Well then, I hope to see you again sometime soon." With that, Akechi walked off.
Morgana then popped up out of the bag. "A detective's intuition, huh? We shouldn't underestimate that. Although…there's a lot we could probably learn from him as well. So try hanging out with him if he contacts you."
Ryuji then returned onto the scene. "Yo, sorry I took so long? Agh, was that Akechi? Man, I can't stand that high and mighty attitude of his! Even breathing the same air as him makes me sick! C'mon man, let's get outta here…"
Sweat drop. That sure was some intense dislike, though Ren could understand why Ryuji felt this way. Akechi did essentially call them criminals on television, but there was nothing they could do about that accusation. All they could do was go out and prove their justice to the world. "Yeah…"
.
.
Hifumi wasn't able to go home just yet. She had to wait on her Mother to finish setting some things up; presumably her next matches. Stuck waiting, Hifumi was in a back room with a shogi board she brought from home, practicing some new moves and strategies by herself. But before she started playing, she received a call from her sickly father. "Oh, Dad…are you feeling all right? Yes, I had something I wanted to tell you yesterday, but you were asleep and I didn't wish to disturb you. I think I made some friends yesterday…! They go to Shujin, so our schedules may not always align, but they were nice to meet and invited me out…" Hifumi wore a gentle smile as she spoke to her father. The actions of Ann and the others yesterday really did have a positive impact on her.
"That's good, Hifumi. I was always worried you may feel a little lonely." Her father responded with a gentle tone, coughing a few times after.
"Thank you, Dad." Hifumi had a soft smile on her lips. "I should be going though. I'm sure Mother will be done any second now. Goodbye, I'll see you later." She then hung up, if only to spare her father's energy. She was missing two days of school because of this, but she could catch up quickly. She went back to practicing her shogi moves, but that's when the door opened. "Oh, Mo…"
Not her mom. It was Akechi, seeking a bit of a break after his interview. "Oh, am I intruding?" Akechi asked, blinking a few times. "I wasn't expecting anyone else to be in this room."
"It's fine." Hifumi said with a slight nod. She was a bit too engrossed in her practice. As soon as she recognized that it wasn't her mother she went back to it. Though she did take a quick glance at who came into the room. "Oh…you're…Goro Akechi-san, is that right?"
"You've heard me of? That's pretty flattering." Akechi said with a lighthearted chuckle, walking over to the table where Hifumi practiced. "I don't think my reputation is as notable as yours though." He said, being pretty modest.
Oh, was he another fan or something? Hifumi was feeling less inclined to look at Akechi now with that assumption. "I wouldn't say that…"
Akechi looked over the shogi board for a moment. "Would you allow me to play a quick game with you? "
"Er…I don't know." Hifumi was reluctant. "I don't have that much time, I was just practicing. You don't have to play with me, there are other ways to play shogi."
Akechi somewhat expected that kind of response. "It's not every day I run into Hifumi Togo, the undefeated pro Shogi Player." He said it with that pleasant smile of his.
"…" Why did he say it like that, though? It bothered her. But Hifumi didn't see the harm. They could make the game quick. "Very well…we can play a short game."
"Thank you." Akechi took a seat across from Hifumi. "Oh, but please, go easy on me, okay? I'm just a beginner." As usual, he crackled a light joke about himself to ease the tension. Hifumi didn't exactly respond to it, but the tension in the air was lighter than before. The game began, both players carefully thinking and moving each piece. Akechi said he was a beginner, but he knew his way around a Shogi board. "You know, I happened to catch wind of your interview yesterday."
"…Is that so?" Hifumi didn't get to see Akechi's interview, so she wasn't sure where this was going. She simply focused on her moves.
"Indeed. The Phantom Thieves have taken the news by storm, so it is only natural that we'd be asked such questions due to our popularity." Akechi said. "I only learned today that there are a number of people who believe they actually exist…along with some who think they're actually correct in taking justice into their own hands."
"…I think they are." Hifumi responded, gaze narrowing slightly. Now that she understood the topic of conversation, she knew what he was trying to get out of her. "I said yesterday that I'm a supporter of them. I think they're doing good things for people." She started off strong, with what she dubbed as her Shining Excalibur Attack. And to her surprise…a move that left most opponents open…was handled realtively well by Akechi. Was he really just a beginner?
"Even if it's by force?" Akechi asked, giving Hifumi a quick glance. "I believe their vigilante acts need to be taken seriously. Though they are punishing criminals, they are not the ones who decided how that should be done. They're taking the law into their own hands."
"I…don't think the law can help everyone." Hifumi replied, though she was a bit unsure with her own thoughts. When she thought back to Yusuke and the situation he was living in with Madarame, she didn't think that situation was one that could be resolved by police intervention. "So…is it truly a problem if they're helping people? They stopped that teacher…and they helped someone I know as well."
"That is a dangerous way of thinking." Akechi replied. Their game was a bit more thought provoking than expected, but he didn't mind. "Their idea of justice sidesteps the law."
"Even if that's true…I think I will still support and believe in them. I believe they are good…" Hifumi was firm in this. The Phantom Thieves gave her courage, so she couldn't turn their back on him from someone else's opinion. "Dark Inferno…DRAGON!" She slammed a piece down on the board. She was getting a bit worked up because of this and her quirk when playing Shogi showed itself. It was…actually a bit embarrassing in hindsight, but she was in the moment right now.
"Allow me to pose a question…" Akechi said while leaning back in his seat. It only took him a few seconds to figure out the best way to recover from Hifumi's move. It wasn't a bad one, but he was beginning to see the flaws in her playstyle, which intrigued him. "Would you still support them if they turned out to be villains in the end?" That question caught Hifumi off guard. Not only that, but by the time Akechi had gotten to that question…he had her in a losing position. "What if they're gaining the people's favor to commit criminal acts in the shadows? Can you deny the possibility?"
"I…" Hifumi's green eyes widened, completely taken off guard in more ways than one. Not only was she backed into a corner in the game, but his question cornered her as well. "I don't…"
"Even if they aren't criminals, I still believe that they would flee if they were put into a corner." Akechi held a firm gaze, but there was a hint of a smile on his lips. "They would give up without a second thought. What do you say?"
"…I…" Hifumi was trying to look for a way out of this. When did this situation get so bad? Her pieces were in bad shape, the Queen's back against the wall, surrounded on all sides. She was always the ones putting her opponents into these situations…and this was the first time in a long time she had been put into one herself. She had no answer; not to this or Akechi's question. There was only one option. "…I concede…" "I lost…?"
Akechi stood up from his seat. "That was a fun game. I of course had no intention of swaying your beliefs in the Phantom Thieves. I simply wanted to hear the opinion of another figure who public supported them. Everyone has their own sense of justice…but it how they act upon it that is important. That is why I have to stand against the Phantom Thieves."
"…." Hifumi couldn't think of anything to say.
"And I also think I have a firm grasp on your situation as well. Your skills truly aren't bad, but…" Akechi trailed off.
"But what…?" Hifumi turned her gaze to him. It sounded like the detective was making some sort of implication.
"It is simply a hypothesis, and considering it is about your career, it is not my place to tell you. But I think it would do you wise to really take note of your opponent's actions the next time you play a match." Akechi gave that bit of advice, before walking out the door. "I'd love to play you again sometime, Togo-san. That strike with the Dragon King was formidable; I hope to see it again." With that…he was gone.
"….." Hifumi was just sitting in shock. Even if it wasn't an official match, it was her first loss to anyone. What was she supposed to do…? "My own…justice…?"
.
.
When Ren returned home, Morgana was the one who let out a sigh. "What a boring trip…we didn't even find any worthwhile targets." The cat sat. They were hoping to scope out something, but instead they only received Akechi's opinion which was far from helpful to their cause. Ren's phone then buzzed and he glanced at the chat.
Ryuji: That Akechi bastard…thinking about what he said it just pissing me off again.
Ann: He clearly tried to discredit everything we're doing.
Ryuji: And he just had to say it on live TV too!
Yusuke: Don't be so sour. There are definitely people who have been helped by the Phantom Thieves. There are people who could not have been helped without our heroics. I am living proof of that.
Ryuji: Aww, what a nice thing to say!
Ann: Still…was what Akechi-kun said actually wrong? I feel like he had a point.
Ryuji: Why you gotta bring that up now?
Ann: I mean, is it really OK to be doing this to people just because they're criminals? Doesn't it seem a little selfish?
Yusuke: We are phantom thieves, Ann. I doubt everyone would forgive us for what we did to Madarame. Yet, I still decided it was a necessary act.
Ryuji: Kamoshida too. We weren't gonna get to him through normal methods.
Ann: That's true, but…what do you think, Ren? Are we being selfish?
Ren: I can't deny that we aren't. But we're helping people, and that's why we decided to do this.
Ann: I guess I can't really think of it any other way…
Yusuke: Hm. I believe our best path forward is sticking to our justice, not that of the law. Shouldn't that be enough? And with the unanimous decision rule in place, I doubt we'll lose our way.
Ann: Yeah, you're right. Sorry for bringing that up. And don't worry, I'm not thinking about quitting or anything.
Ryuji: Just you watch, Akechi! Someday you're totally gonna see who was right!
Ann: OK, let's stop talking about this for now.
"I don't blame her for having doubt." Ren said while sliding his phone back into his pocket. "But I stand by our decision."
"That detective has a lot of influence on the media…" Morgana mumbled. "You shouldn't get too close to him, but he could prove useful in some situations."
"Yeah." Ren was about to walk upstairs, but his phone buzzed again. This time…it was Mishima.
Mishima: God, I'm furious! You heard what Akechi said, right Amamiya!? How dare he declare the Phantom Thieves are criminals!? As the Admin of the Phantom Aficionado Website, I can't stay quiet about this! I'm going to show Akechi how people online really feel! I'll change up the survey question tomorrow morning, AND I have some more requests for you guys as well.
Ren: But we're not the Phantom Theives.
Mishima: Justice is with the Phantom Thieves! Keep on doing what you do best!
Ren made sure his message sent. "He just ignored it…"
"Why is he of all people getting so upset over this…" Morgana sighed.
"He said he has requests for us…" Ren looked over the information on his phone. "At least we can handle those while we wait for a bigger target. Akechi thinks we're criminals, so we'll have to go out and prove our justice. Tomorrow after school, we're going straight to Mementos!"