A few days later…
Both Akira and Minato spend the next few days practically doing the same things like meeting, establishing and levelling up their social links with each other and also with others like Sojiro-san, Takemi-sensei, Iwai-san, Kanakubo-sensei, Mishima-kun, Akechi-kun (who enjoyed spending time with Minato), Minako, Shinjiro, Yukari, Aigis, Ken, Koromaru, Junpei, Ann and Ryuji (who took and introduced both Akira and Minato to "Ogikubo" ramen shop and is shock to see and find out on how big Minato's appetite is), got themselves different night jobs like the beef bowl shop named "Ore No Beko" inside the Central Street of Shibuya for Akira (where he met and briefly talk to an elderly politician man named Toranosuke Yoshida) and the flower shop in the underground mall at night for Minato (since daytime he went to Takura Production to do his other job as a new idol) until Monday where they decided to meet up with their friends and teacher (and also Minato ask and invited Ken to join them) on the school's rooftop after their class ends.
"None of these posts are any good. Everyone's just bitchin' about their parents or their boyfriends and girlfriends." said Ryuji as he glance sullenly at the Phantom Aficionado Website on his phone. "There ain't even a hint of a hint about a new Palace…"
"It's only been 4, 5 days since we change Kamoshida's heart and take down his Palace, Ryuji. Don't be so impatient, okay? I'm sure something will come up on that website eventually." said Akira in an exasperated tone of voice to Ryuji.
"Akira right so stop complaining and checking out your phone for the next target or palace, Ryuji." said Minato in agreement with Akira while rolling his eyes at Ryuji.
"But still, we can't get everything online… Finding a post with a name and location is asking a lot…" said Ann as she shake her head glumly to them.
"Guess we just gotta find one ourselves then! Wonder what's taking teach so long to come up here and join us?" suggested Ryuji before a frown look appear on his face at Kanakubo-sensei haven't come up and join them.
"Are you seriously suggesting we look for a target that even the police have overlooked? Also you've a point about your teacher, he haven't show up yet." said Morgana as he glance at Ryuji with an unimpressed look on his face before agreeing with him about Kanakubo-sensei.
"He's got a one track mind, kinda reminds me of your senpai, Akihiko-san attitude." said Pharos.
"Yeah, I guess in a way, Pharos." said Minato in agreement with Pharos.
"Your new friends are quite the interesting bunch, Minato-san." whisper Ken in amusement to Minato about his new friends.
"Yeah, I know, Ken." whisper Minato back to Ken (who nodded before he fell silent).
"…Yeah, you two are prolly right. We should prolly just hold off 'till exams are done with, huh?" sighed Ryuji. "We can wait and see for a little longer, then worry about comin' up empty-handed if it happens…" added Ryuji to them before he got cut off by the sound of someone opening the door to the rooftop, which surprises him, Akira, Ann, Minato, Ken and Morgana before Morgana quickly jump off the desk he's sitting on toward another desk then jumped up onto the large air-conditioning unit, out of their sights.
"Oh…" said Ann when she and the others saw Makoto approaching and stopping in front of her and the others.
"Niijima-san? What is she doing here? Don't tell me that the principal told her to come here or something?" thought Minato as he glance in silence at Makoto (who also glance in surprise then disapproval at him with Akira, Ryuji and Ann).
"This place is off-limits, you know. So what are the 5 of you doing up here?" said Makoto as she raised her eyebrows questioningly at them.
"What are we doing, you ask? We're talking, of course." said Akira.
"… Yeah, what he said. We'll get outta here once we're done chattin'." replied Ryuji as he scowled at Makoto. "Anyways, what's Miss Student Council President want with us?"
"The troublemaker, the girl of rumor, two of the transfer students and my classmates and finally the infamous third transfer student with a criminal record… Interesting combination." said Makoto calmly to them as she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"Great way to start a conversation…" muttered Ann darkly under her breath.
"No kidding." said Pharos in agreement with Ann.
"By the way… It seems as though you got to know Kamoshida-san pretty well." said Makoto as she glance at Akira.
"No, not really. I'm not a sports kind of guy." said Akira coolly to Makoto.
"Yeah, y'know he's only been here a month or so." said Ryuji, defending Akira.
"What's with the questions, Niijima-san? It's like you're interrogating Kurusu-kun or something." said Minato coolly to Makoto.
"We heard that Kamoshida-sensei used a volleyball team member to spread details of your past record on the school's net. Don't you hate him for doing so? Kamoshida-sensei, I mean." asked Makoto at Akira as she ignored Minato's words.
"What about you? Why are you still calling him Kamoshida-sensei after he confessed to each of the terrible things he did to the students that day during the morning assembly?" Akira retorted coldly back to Makoto.
"I…" said Makoto, flinching and taken aback by his cold words.
"He's right and what's all this about? Our friend here's an upstanding guy." said Ryuji as he leaned forward a little and resting his elbows on his knees.
"I don't mean to offend him or anything. Many students have been shaken up by what happened with Kamoshida-sen… Kamoshida." said Makoto as she composed herself and crossed her arms over her chest. "Plus, the rumors about those odd, calling card-esque posting on the school's bulletin boards aren't going away either." added Makoto (which make both Ann and Ryuji briefly glance and exchange looks with each other).
"I didn't expect someone like you would care about that tactless stuff, Niijima-senpai." said Ann with a surprise look on her face.
"I dunno that it was tactless…" muttered Ryuji under his breath before he glance at Makoto. "Anyways, we done here? We can't leave if you keep talkin' to us."
"At least try to understand my position. Being forced to deal with this horseplay…" said Makoto as she scowled darkly at them.
"Horseplay…!?" said Ann as she glared incredulously at Makoto.
"If that's what you think and were forced to do then why don't you just stop and tell whoever it is that told you to do this horseplay thing that you don't want to do it anymore, Niijima-san?" said Minato sternly to Makoto.
"How easy for you to say it out like that, Arisato-san." said Makoto sternly back to Minato. "Ah yes, by the way… It's been decided that this place will be closed off due to the incident. Since I've heard from some of the students that some people are coming up here without permission, after all… Sorry to interrupt you all." added Makoto as she tucked another strand of hair behind her ear and gave them a thin smile before she turned around and walked away from them only to stop when she see Kanakubo-sensei coming to the rooftop too.
"Huh, Niijima-san? What're you doing up here and with them?" asked Kanakubo-sensei in surprise and confusion at Makoto.
"I could say the same to you. What and why did you come up here, sensei?" Makoto counter back to Kanakubo-sensei.
"Why, you asked? The same thing that you clearly beat me to the punch and tell these students to stop coming up here without permission since it'll be closed off soon enough due to Kamoshida's incident, Niijima-san." said Kanakubo-sensei clearly and calmly to Makoto.
"… I see. Well then, I'll be going now, sensei." said Makoto suspiciously at Kanakubo-sensei before she walked past him and left the rooftop.
"What was that about?" said Ann as she stood up and glared at the door where Makoto just went through while Morgana jumped down from his hiding place and landed on the table.
"…She's on to us. We should be cautious of her since she seems rather sharp and why are you late, sensei?" said Morgana grimly to them before he scowled at Kanakubo-sensei.
"Yes, you're right about Niijima-san being quite the sharp one and the reason for why I'm late is because of paperworks, Morgana. Also I forgot to mention that bringing animals to school is against school's regulation." said Kanakubo-sensei in agreement with Morgana before he told Morgana his reason for being late before telling them one of the school rules.
"I see and I'm not an animal, teacher!" said Morgana with a small nod of his head before he snap at Kanakubo-sensei.
"She really pisses me off and shut it, Morgana!" growled Ryuji.
"Calm down now, both of you. We need to be careful from now on to prevent her from figuring out our other identities and what we did to Kamoshida." said Akira calmly to both Morgana and Ryuji.
"He's right. Besides, it sounds like she's forced to do it, in a way." said Minato.
"…Fine. Talk about a pain in the ass." grumbled Ryuji.
"That reminds me… Study hard, especially you, Ryuji." said Morgana warningly to Ryuji. "There are bound to be traps that requires our brains to solved them. Keep in mind that everything you all do in your daily lives has an impact on your abilities."
"True, studying won't be so bad if we just think of it as helping us prepare to be better phantom thieves." said Ann as she nodded to Morgana.
"In that case, how about we do a group study to helped with each other studies even more?" suggested Minato.
"You know what, that's not a bad idea from you, Minato." said Akira as he gave a small approving smile at Minato (who nodded to him).
"Not a bad idea from you indeed, Minato." said Kanakubo-sensei in approval at Minato too.
"I guess you all got points to yourselves… But man, it's just so lame… I was all fired up about helpin' people, not about studyin'…" sighed Ryuji in frustration to them.
"Now he reminds me of Junpei who also had no love for studying unless being threaten "execution" by Mitsuru-san." said Pharos.
"Yeah, Pharos." said Minato.
"Well, I do have somewhere interesting to show you all beforehand. You guys did originally promise to help me out with my mission, after all." said Morgana.
"Yeah, we did, Morgana. So where is this interesting place that you wanted to show us?" asked Akira.
"It's at the station square in Shibuya. Come on and follow me!" replied Morgana as he jumped off the table, went through the door and left the rooftop. Akira, Minato, Ken (who suggest to Minato to call any SEES members who's free to join them and he did), Ann, Ryuji and Kanakubo-sensei immediately left the rooftop after Morgana, grabbed their bags in their classrooms and they left the school and head toward the station to take the train to Shibuya.
XXXX
Outside the entrance of the partially crowded subway station of Shibuya…
"What're you bringin' us here for?" asked Ryuji as he glance up at the ledge where Morgana is lying on while he sat on the ground and leaning against a small building next to the station while Akira stand and leaned his back against the ledge next to Morgana to his left and Ann, Kanakubo-sensei, Minato (who look around for someone and soon saw Minako and Koromaru approaching them) and Ken stand to his right and left.
"Just do as I told you." replied Morgana as he glance down at Ryuji, who grumbled under his breath as he, Akira, Minato, Ann and Kanakubo-sensei pull out their phones and pressed the Phantom Aficionado Website while Ken watched them do so in silence until they saw both Minako and Koromaru too.
"Hey, found you guys and nice to see you 2 again, brother, Ken-kun!" said Minako as she wrapped her arms around both Minato and Ken and hugged them.
"Yeah, we know and nice to see you again, sister." said Minato happily to Minako as he hugged her back.
"Huh? Who are you and why are you being close to them?" asked Ryuji suspiciously (and enviously) at Minako.
"You 2 haven't told them about me and the others yet?" said Minako in disbelief at both Minato and Ken as she stopped hugging them.
"Yeah, not yet." said Minato as he scratch his head a little.
"I forgot, sorry, Minako-san." said Ken apologetically to Minako.
"Seriously? Oh well, guess I better do it then." thought Minako as she rolled her eyes at both Minato and Ken forgetting to tell their new friends about her and the others before she proceed to introduced herself and Koromaru to them (who's surprise to know that Minako is Minato's sister and that Koromaru's also a persona-user like them) and the other SEES members too.
"Never thought and expect to know that this dog is like us too, Arisato-san." said Kanakubo-sensei in an impressed tone of voice at Koromaru to Minako.
"I know, Kanakubo-san." said Minako as she nodded at Kanakubo-sensei (while the others stop their conversation and gawking of Koromaru to resume doing what Morgana told them to do).
"All right, I've got the Phantom Aficionado Website up. Now what?" asked Ryuji.
"Look for a post with a full name in it." Morgana instructed Ryuji.
"I already said there's no info on any big shots. Don't you remember?" sighed Ryuji as he rolled his eyes at Morgana but he listens to him and scroll down the website to search for a post with a full name in it. "But man, people actually go put someone's real name on here. That's some scary shit…"
"Here's something, "He won't listens to what I say"… No wait, there's no name on this one." said Ann absentmindedly to them.
"Someone bumped into me and insist that I apologize to him"… Nope, no name on this one either." said Akira as he shake his head.
"Someone's bad-mouthin' me in online chat rooms"… This one's got a name." said Ryuji as he raised his phone to show them the post he just read.
"Someone make fun of me and stole my lunch"… This one's got a name too." said Minato.
"Someone step on my foot and leave without apologizing"… This one has no name." said Kanakubo-sensei.
"Ignore those. Aren't there any posts about serious trouble?" said Morgana.
"How about this one, guys? "I don't know what to do about my ex who's stalking me. His name is Natsuhiko Nakanohara." It says he's a teller at City Hall." said Ann.
"Heh, that's quite a long and mouthful name that guy have." said Akira sarcastically about the guy's name, which make both Minato and Ken snort a little at his sarcastic attitude.
"A government worker stalkin' someone…?" said Ryuji with a disgusted look on his face.
"How stalkerish of him." said Kanakubo-sensei in disgust as well.
"That should be a suitable target. All right, now get the Meta-Nav ready." said Morgana as he nodded to Ryuji.
"We're just gonna jump right into a Palace? Fine by me!" said Ryuji with an excited grin on his face as he activated the Meta-Nav per Morgana's order.
"Someone sure is excited about it." thought Minato as he rolled his eyes a little at Ryuji's excitement.
"Hey, what happened to all that talk of "unanimous decision", Ryuji? What do you think we should do and should they be allow to come with us too, Akira?" asked Ann as she glance unsurely at Akira while gesturing her head at both Minako and Koromaru.
"Let's do it and if Arisato-senpai say they can come then why not, Takamaki-san?" replied Akira without hesitation to Ann.
"That's what I'm talkin' about!" said Ryuji as he glance and smiled widely at Akira.
"OK then. Let's go!" said Ann in agreement to them.
"Thanks, Kurusu-kun." said Minato thankfully to Akira.
"Sure, senpai." said Akira as he nodded at Minato.
"We need a name and a place, right? So the name is…" said Ryuji before he got cut off by Morgana.
"Actually, we don't need a location this time. Just enter exactly what I say. The keyword is… "Mementos"." said Morgana.
"Mementos? Isn't that what you mention to us before in Kamoshida's Palace?" said Akira in confusion at Morgana.
"Yeah, that's right." said Morgana as he nodded to Akira.
"Huh? What're you tryin' to pull?" said Ryuji suspiciously at Morgana.
"Just listen to me. It should work… I think." said Morgana.
"You think, really?" said Kanakubo-sensei skeptically at Morgana.
"Geez… that again? Uhhh… "M-e-m-e-n-t-o-s", was it?" sighed Ryuji as he entered the word into the search bar.
"Candidate found." said the robotic female voice from the Meta-Nav.
"We got a hit!?" said Ryuji in surprise as he stood up from the ground.
"For real!?" said Ann in surprise as well.
"Obviously, you two." said Minato in a deadpan tone of voice to both Ryuji and Ann (who scowled at him).
"Just as I thought!" purred Morgana happily as their surroundings fizzed, warped and turned red, purple and black and Ryuji's phone transported them straight into another world.
