Meanwhile, inside the Principal's office…
"Excuse me." said a fair-skinned, red-eyed, short dark brown-haired (which is in a bob cut with blunt bangs and a French-braid styled headband) dignified-looking girl wearing a long sleeve white turtleneck shirt with a black halter top over it, black and red square pattern pleated skirt, long black pantyhose pants and short brown boots to Principal Kobayakawa after he called her to come into his office. "Did you wish to see me, Principal Kobayakawa?" asked the dignified-looking girl.
"You saw the state Kamoshida-kun was in, didn't you, Makoto Niijima-san? It's as if his personality has completely changed. Something is definitely wrong here." replied Principal Kobayakawa as he glance at the dignified-looking girl named Makoto Niijima.
"I'm not sure I follow…" said Makoto in confusion to Principal Kobayakawa.
"From what I've heard, it appears as though some students were meddling in his business. If they did something to him… Who could they be…?" said Principal Kobayakawa suspiciously to Makoto.
"Are you saying that these students may have caused Kamoshida-sensei to change…?" said Makoto as she raised and placed her hand under her chin while she think about it.
"That is what I wish to know… Even if it takes some probing into student matters… I would like you and maybe Keith Donovan-kun to look into this matter for me." said Principal Kobayakawa firmly to Makoto.
"It is true that there are many rumors regarding Kamoshida-sensei, but… Do you mean all of this talk about those Phantom Thieves?" asked Makoto.
"It is undeniable that Kamoshida-kun has "changed" in some way. I'd like to have a grasp of the cause. This shall also ensure that I handle the mass media and the police in the correct fashion." said Principal Kobayakawa as he closed his eyes and had a slightly scowl look on his face.
"Oh…" said Makoto as she lowered her hand from her chin.
"I will continue speaking to Kamoshida-kun myself. Unless you or Donovan-kun find whomever did this to him, these irresponsible rumors will likely never died down. Don't you agreed, Niijima-san?" said Principal Kobayakawa.
"Yes, sir…" said Makoto as she look down at the floor.
"Both you and Donovan-kun have been at the top spots since day one. Both of your conducts are good, and teachers favoured you two. I could write you and Donovan-kun for any colleges of yours and his choosing, Niijima-san." said Principal Kobayakawa as he smiled at her.
"Th-Thank you…" said Makoto with a slightly surprise then flatter look on her face.
"Both yours and his lineage must certainly play parts in this excellence. Your older sister is still young, yet she holds an admirable position at the Public Prosecutor Office, no…? While Donovan-kun is the son of Aidan Donovan, one of the Colonels of the Canadian Army…?" said Principal Kobayakawa as he continue to smiled at her (which surprises Makoto even more when he suddenly talk about her older sister and Keith's father jobs). "If something disappointing were to happen here, that wouldn't reflect very well on your sister or his father… Do you understand?"
"… Yes." sighed Makoto as a slightly resigned look appear on her face.
"How wise. It's no wonder you and him are our student council president and vice-president. I'd appreciate it if you two looked into this as soon as possible. I ask that you tell him now so that you two can begin at once." said Principal Kobayakawa proudly to Makoto.
"Yes. If you'll excuse me then." said Makoto as she bowed to Principal Kobayakawa before she turned around and left the principal's office, not knowing that he called someone else after she left the office.
"Hello, Makoto. What does our principal wanted you to do this time after he called you to his office?" asked a tan-skinned, dark blue-eyed, short light grey-haired, stern-looking and slightly muscular male student coolly to Makoto after she came out of the office.
"Oh, hello, Keith. As to what he wanted me to do…" replied Makoto before she proceed to tell him about the principal wanting them both to look into the Phantom Thieves matter and search the ones who change Kamoshida's heart.
"Tch, typical of him. Dumping yet another assignment that he doesn't want or like on us while he handle other things like mass media and the police. And he even had the gall to mention your sister and my father's jobs to you." scoffed Keith in a disdain tone of voice about the principal.
"Yeah, I know, Keith. But he told and wanted us both to do it anyway. So will you rein in your disdain of the principal and helped me with this assignment?" asked Makoto.
"Of course I will, Makoto." replied Keith as he smiled and pull her in for a brief hug (which embarrassed her and make her face turned red at Keith hugging her before she smiled back at him) before they turned and walked down the hallway away from the principal's office back to their classroom.
XXXX
Inside the classroom…
As Hiruta-sensei is busy teaching the class, Keiko, Mallory and Ann's phones started buzzing and they quietly pull their phones out to see and read the messages.
RS: The police are really here… I saw 'em at the entrance.
AT: I saw them too! They were talking to the teachers!
MC: Not just the teachers. They also talk to the students too!
KA: If any of them came and talk to us, be sure that we don't say anything suspicious or weird to them, alright?
MC: Yeah, got it, Keiko.
RS: That change of heart thing's seriously amazing, huh!?
AT: I hope they don't find out that we're responsible…
RS: I'm pretty sure we'll be fine. There's no proof it was us.
KA: Someone sure sounds a bit overconfident. But we'll try to not worry about it.
RS: Yeah, that's right!
AT: But I mean, haven't rumors been going around about how you guys threatened Kamoshida?
RS: This world's Kamoshida shouldn't know anything about what actually happened to him though.
AT: Still…
RS: We did what was right. Don't go freaking out over some label.
AT: I guess that's true…
RS: Man, I really can't wait to keep living this double life! All right, Keiko! We're gonna be counting on you!
KA: I know.
After Keiko, Mallory and Ann are done in messaging with Ryuji, they quietly put their phones back into their blazer pockets and resumed listening to Hiruta-sensei's lecture.
XXXX
Several hours later, after school…
As both Keiko and Mallory packed up their school bags (with Keiko tucked Morgana safely into her bag), they heard the sound of footsteps approaching them, look up and saw that it's Mishima.
"…Hey, Amamiya and Caelum." greeted Mishima politely to them.
"Uh, hello. What do you want, Mishima-kun?" asked Keiko.
"Have you 2 seen that Phantom Aficionado Website?" asked Mishima.
"Yes. We've seen and heard of it." replied Keiko as she nodded to Mishima. "Why?"
"I'm the one who started it." said Mishima (which surprises both Keiko and Mallory) as he scratch the right side of his head with his fingers a little before he suddenly move closer to Keiko.
"Whoa. Personal space, please." said Keiko as she move backward a little from Mishima.
"Yeah, move away from her." said Mallory as she quickly stood between Keiko and Mishima and gently yet firmly push Mishima away.
"Sorry and um… You girls are the Phantom Thieves, aren't you?" whisper Mishima curiously and a little hopefully to both Keiko and Mallory.
"Huh?" said Mallory.
"W-What…? What makes you say that to us?" Keiko whisper back to him while feeling mentally shock that he knew that's she and Mallory are phantom thieves.
"Sorry, Amamiya, Caelum." said Mishima apologetically to both Keiko and Mallory before he backed up away from them. "Although… if things really are as I think, I should keep it a secret. Kamoshida used me, and I did some horrible things to you, Caelum and to the others." added Mishima sullenly to Keiko.
"… It's fine, I don't blame you for doing that to me, my friend and to the others anymore." said Keiko softly to Mishima.
"I know you do, Amamiya. This isn't much of a way for me to apologize for it… But if there's anything that I can do to help, just let me know!" said Mishima as he crossed his arms and glance resolutely at Keiko.
"That's great, but…" said Keiko before Mishima cut her off.
"There are many more evil adults outside of Kamoshida. But I'm sure the Phantom Thieves will do something… They can't let this end after just one target." said Mishima as he briefly look away and furrowed his eyebrow in anger before he glance back at both Keiko and Mallory. "That's why I wanted to make a forum where people could post their problems. There are probably a lot of people who have high hopes for the Phantom Thieves next more. So I've also implemented an anonymous poll on the side." added Mishima as he pull out his phone, turned it on and show his website to both Keiko and Mallory.
"Do you believe in the Phantom Thieves, or not?" Mishima recited some of the words on his phone to them. "I… hope someday my forum is filled with supportful posts. I'd really like to help out in the Phantom Thieves's acts of justice!… Can I, please?" asked Mishima hopefully to Keiko.
"What do you think, Keiko? Should he do it?" asked Mallory as she glance at Keiko.
"… Very well. If you want to do it so much then do it, Mishima-kun." replied Keiko.
"Thank you, Amamiya! I'll live up to your expectations… I promise." said Mishima happily and gratefully to Keiko (who smiled before she froze as she sensed abundantly high expectations from Mishima, felt the time stopped and heard the same girl's voice spoke to her in her head).
XXXX
"Besides the public's reaction to your group, there were others who supported you… Someone who enthusiastically cheered the Phantom Thieves on. Perhaps they're quite close to you and your group… What do you have to say to that!?" demanded Sae.
"…Nothing, Sae-san." replied Keiko.
XXXX
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion
That breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Moon Persona,
I have obtained the wings of blessing that
shall lead to freedom and new power…
After the girl's voice fell silent, Keiko look up and saw a green card with the pale yellow figure of a crescent moon in the middle of it and with the black figures of two sticks and a lobster at the top of it appeared and formed above Mishima's head before the card fell and landed on her outstretch hand before she quickly put the new card into her blazer pocket just as time resumed.
"…See you and Caelum next time." said Mishima before he run past her and Mallory out of the classroom. Soon after he left the classroom, both Ryuji and Ann approach them.
"We heard all that, Amamiya." said Ryuji. "Geez… It was a little awkward tryin' to figure out when to walk over here."
"Really? You sure it's not because you don't want to come to our aid, Sakamoto?" said Mallory.
"Be quiet, you!" said Ryuji as he scowled at Mallory.
"So that forum is Mishima-kun's…" said Ann with a surprise look on her face.
"Has he figured out our identities?" asked Morgana with a nervous look on his face.
"Most probably. He did say to her that she and us are the phantom thieves." replied Mallory sarcastically to Morgana (which make him scowled at Mallory).
"Even so, I think it'll be fine. He seemed to be playing it cool." said Ann as she shrugged her shoulders.
"I guess we should have a little chat about this later." said Ryuji.
"I will say though… A forum where people can post problems may prove unexpectedly useful." said Morgana as he smiled at them.
"True. What do you think, Maly?" said Keiko as she nodded in agreement to Morgana before she glance and asked Mallory about it.
"I suppose it's useful like Morgana said." replied Mallory.
"Awesome and anyways, we gotta get lookin' for a new target." said Ryuji a little urgingly and excitedly to them.
"And we need to stay sharp until we managed to find one. Once we do, we'll have to head into another Palace, so we should prep our equipment and-" added Ann.
"Wait, oh CRAP!" yell Ryuji suddenly to them, cutting off Ann's words and making her, Keiko and Mallory jumped a little from his outburst.
"What's with the sudden yelling, Sakamoto?" said Mallory as she scowled at Ryuji.
"Yeah! What's with you!?" yell Ann.
"D-D-Don't we have exams coming up!?" said Ryuji in horror to them.
"Yeah, we do." said Mallory as she scowled at Ryuji.
"…Judging by that reaction, I'd assume you're going to struggle this time too?" said Ann in an unimpressed tone of voice to Ryuji.
"I-It's not like you're any better! All you're good at is English!" retorted Ryuji indignantly to Ann.
"I'd rather that than be bad at every other subjects!" Ann retorted back to him.
"Hey, you guys, come on…" said Keiko placatingly to them both but they ignored her.
"Look at you two, quarreling like a married couple already." thought Mallory in amusement in her mind at both Ann and Ryuji.
"Even your Japanese is questionable at best, Ryuji." said Morgana mischievously to Ryuji.
"What's questionable is whether you're really even a human." said Ryuji as he glance at Morgana while briefly kicked the floor before he glance and smiled at Keiko. "…Good comeback, huh, leader?" asked Ryuji.
"Uh…" replied Keiko with a confused look on her face.
"…Let's discuss this with our fists!" snapped Morgana as he glared at Ryuji.
"Bring it, cat!" said Ryuji as he crouched down in preparation to pounce Morgana.
"Alright, that's enough now, you two!" snapped Mallory as she scowled darkly at Morgana while smacking the back of Ryuji's head with her hand, which make Ryuji yelp in pain as he rubbed his head from her smack while Morgana shrunk back into Keiko's bag before she make them apologize to each other then all of them left the class together and head home.
