Chapter 2: A Beautiful Betrayal

Sunday, September 18, 2016, Morning, Haru's POV

I woke up on Amamiya-kun's couch. He'd offered me the bed, but I politely declined his offer for two reasons. The first was that didn't feel right taking the bed from him after he was generous enough to let me stay in his attic, and the second was that Mona-chan was still hurt, so he needed the bed more. Besides, having taken a nap on the couch, I found it comfortable enough to sleep on, even as a girl who slept on a fine bed at home.

Amamiya-kun was already awake by the time I noticed him, and had already changed into his casual clothes. I knew I must have been exhausted if I'd slept so soundly.

"Good morning, Amamiya-kun," I said.

"Morning, Haru," Amamiya-kun said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Surprisingly well," I said. "I must have been exhausted from the trip to the Metaverse, not to mention everything that happened afterward."

I looked around the attic. To my left, there was a workbench with some tools and parts laying about- I recognized the latter as materials to make thief tools, since Mona-chan had taught me how to make them. To my right, there was a TV and an old-looking video game console. Ahead of me, I saw a shelf with a bunch of souvenirs from around Tokyo, from a swan boat to a large ramen bowl. There were also plenty of books on the shelf, primarily textbooks, life improvement books and magazines. It wasn't the most comfortable place, but it felt lived-in, and I could make educated guess at Amamiya-kun's personality and interests just by looking around.

"So... this is where you live?" I said, hoping I didn't sound condescending. Most people whose families were as wealthy as mine would probably see any room as squalid by their lofty standards, at least compared to what they were used to.

"It's my home away from home," Amamiya-kun said. "I don't know if you heard the rumors, but I'm staying here for the rest of the school year."

"Ah, yes," I said. "You're the transfer student, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Amamiya-kun said. "To make a long story short, I tried to protect a woman from a drunken man back in my hometown, a small town in Yamanaishi prefecture, but he fell and hurt himself. He forced the woman to lie about me attacking him, and I was convicted, put on probation and expelled from my old school."

"Oh..." I said. "This might be out of line, but what did your parents think?"

Amamiya-kun sighed, and I realized how rude it was to ask that question of someone I'd only just met. I was about to apologize and retract my question when he answered.

"They weren't happy," Amamiya-kun said. "They scolded me for sticking my nose into other people's problems and trying to 'play hero.' They apologized to everyone they knew on their son's behalf, as though I was the one who'd been in the wrong. And then they sent me over here, partly because Shujin was the only school willing to take me and partly to mitigate the blow to the family's reputation. In some ways, that hurt most of all, because I thought they'd support me."

"I know what you mean," I said.

I'd never gotten into any trouble as bad as Amamiya-kun had experienced, but if Father had dismissed all my concerns about Sugimura-san, he wouldn't have shown me much sympathy if I'd gotten myself arrested. Then again, at the rate things were going, I doubted my arrest would do more damage to Father's reputation than these current scandals unless I were accused of a truly heinous crime.

"But that reminds me," I said. "You intervened to help me with Sugimura-san even though we'd only seen each other a handful of times."

"I know," Amamiya-kun said. "Despite everything that happened, I can't ignore people who are in trouble. Besides, I knew that you weren't the type to throw me under the bus."

"You're right; I'd never do such a thing," I said. "Thank you very much, Amamiya-kun."

I bowed gratefully. I didn't know how I could properly repay him, but he didn't seem to think it mattered.

Mona-chan, who was sleeping on Amamiya-kun's bed, woke up. He must have woken up at the same time as Amamiya-kun got out of bed, then fell back asleep. From what I'd heard, it was natural for cats to sleep a lot, although Mona-chan didn't like being thought of as one.

"Morning, Ren, Haru," Mona-chan said.

"Good morning, Mona-chan," I said. "Are you feeling better?"

"I sure am," Mona-chan said. "Compared to some of the enemies we faced in the Metaverse, that jerk's kick was nothing."

Based on my limited experience with Mona-chan, it was obvious he was putting on a tough facade, since he tended to hide his insecurities and pain behind bluster and boasting. Nevertheless, a cursory examination of him showed that he was doing better today.

"But enough about me," Mona-chan said. "The chief should be making breakfast pretty soon, so let's not keep him waiting."

I nodded, since I was feeling hungry, and the three of us headed downstairs to Leblanc.

Downstairs in the cafe known as Leblanc, the proprietor, a middle-aged and balding man with a brown beard, prepared breakfast for us. An orange-haired girl in glasses sat next to Amamiya-kun, across from me.

"So you're... Sakura-san, right?" I said, wanting to make sure I remembered her name.

"I guess," Sakura-san said, "but I still feel kinda weird being called by my family name- well, my new family name- so Futaba's fine."

"All right, Futaba-chan," I said. "It's nice to meet you."

"Yep, same here," Futaba-chan said.

Amamiya-kun turned to Futaba-chan, with a smile on his face.

"She's a bit shy," Amamiya-kun said, "so I'm glad she's getting along with you."

"Technically, I met her a couple times before," Futaba-chan said, "so she isn't totally a stranger."

The proprietor came out and served food- a plate of curry for each of the three of us, on the house.

"I'm Sojiro Sakura," the proprietor said. "I see you've already met my daughter Futaba and Ren Amamiya, the guy who's staying in the attic."

"Yes, sir," I said. "It's nice to meet you, Sakura-san."

"What a fine young lady you are," Sakura-san said. "I never took you for a ladies' man, Ren."

Ren seemed a bit taken aback by that, even though most boys would probably have considered it a compliment. Maybe he was just modest.

"Haru just needed a place to stay," Ren said. "You'd put Yusuke up for the night in June, so I figured it would be fine to do the same for Haru."

"Yeah, I remember you telling me the gist of it last night," Sakura-san said. "I'm fine with you having friends over for the night as long as you take responsibility for them."

As we ate, my gaze wandered toward a painting of a beautiful woman who was clad in red. It looked like a dead ringer for the Sayuri, the masterpiece of the disgraced artist Ichiryusai Madarame, but for the baby the woman was holding. I was tempted to assume that this painting was a counterfeit of the Sayuri, but the baby seemed to be a natural part of the painting, so my intuition told me that this was the genuine article and the Sayuri was the counterfeit.

"You like that picture?" Sojiro said. "Ren's last houseguest left that as a token of his appreciation for our hospitality."

"Wow, whoda thunk it?" Futaba-chan said. "Inari does have manners after all."

"You mean Kitagawa-kun?" I said, unsure of where Futaba-chan had come up with the nickname. "He's certainly set the bar high for me."

"Technically speaking, that painting has no monetary value," Amamiya-kun said. "I'm sure Sojiro will be happy to accept any tasteful gift once you find one."

I nodded, as I finished my meal.

"Thank you for the food, Sakura-san," I said, "but I'll have to be going now. Father is expecting me back at home."

"Then I won't keep you," Sakura-san said.

"See you later, Haru," Amamiya-kun said. "Let us know what happens."

"I will," I said. "I'll be in touch this evening."

I gathered my things and headed home. While I felt more comfortable under a stranger's roof than I did in my own house, I couldn't impose on Sakura-san and Amamiya-kun forever, nor could I avoid facing my father.

Day Time

I was able to return home before noon. I didn't want to keep Father waiting, or attract too many stares over being dressed in my uniform on a Sunday.

My home was a luxurious multi-story house in one of the more affluent parts of Tokyo, one that my father and I had moved into a few years ago. It was a good deal nicer than my childhood home, and definitely more so than the attic above Leblanc, but it didn't really feel like home. Maybe it was because it was too large for a family of two, or because my father had changed, but I no longer felt it was a place I belonged.

Despite this, I had no choice to come back, because if I stayed away any longer, Father would likely have called the police. I'd bought some time by texting Father with an excuse- the last trains had stopped running so I had to stay the night away from home- but I knew even that was taking a risk.

"Welcome home, Lady Haru," Aihara-san, one of the maids said. "The master has been expecting you."

Aihara-san had always been polite to me, but i suspected that was because my father was her employer. If we were to come into conflict, she would choose him over me, since he signed her paychecks and could fire her if he saw fit.

"Thank you," I said. "If he's available, I'll go in to see him"

I saw Father sitting in the living room, wearing his usual suit. I heard him angrily talking with someone on the phone, likely about security at the company's headquarters, before hanging up.

"I'm home, Father," I said.

"Ah, there you are, Haru," Father said. "Where were you last night?"

"I was out in Yongen-Jaya," I said. "I managed to find the owners of the cat we took in the other day, and returned him to them."

Father nodded approvingly. He'd agreed to let me take care of Mona-chan as long as I reunited him with his owner or brought him to a shelter relatively soon. I'd probably have had to make up some excuse or hide Mona-chan away if he hadn't reunited with his other friends, but I was grateful for Father to letting me keep Mona-chan for a few days.

"Ah, good," Father said. "Have a seat; there's something I'd like to talk to you about."

I sat down on the sofa across from Father.

"Last night, I got a call from the Sugimuras," Father said. "They informed me that their son spotted you in Shibuya's Central Street yesterday evening, and that you had an argument with him."

"Is that so...?" I said. "I don't deny that I was there, but I'm not sure Sugimura-san was entirely truthful about what happened."

Since I was wearing short sleeves, Father could see the bruises on my wrist, but if he noticed them, he didn't acknowledge them.

"That's beside the point," Father said. "The point is that the Sugimuras are beginning to question how committed you are with this arrangement. As your father, it is my responsibility to ensure that you become a marriageable woman, and it's your responsibility to be an obedient wife to Sugimura-kun."

I sighed. If Sugimura-san's parents were half as strict with him as Father was with me, then perhaps he wouldn't have turned out like this. Then again, while Father was not soft as a parent, he had only started talking about making me "marriageable" around the time Okumura Foods became successful. When I was young, especially when Mother was alive, any discussion of marriage was purely in jest, and accompanied by a reminder that it would be something I could look forward to when I was older.

"Luckily, there is a solution," Father said. "You will move in with Sugimura-kun on October 11. Until then, you may spend your time getting this rebellious streak out of your system-within reason, of course- and prepare yourself to be the obedient wife I have promised him."

"Yes, Father," I said reluctantly.

"Good," Father said. "This is an important opportunity."

I then got up.

"One more thing, Father," I said. "Would you have consented to a marriage Grandfather would have arranged for you?"

Father scoffed and shook his head.

"That's a ridiculous question," Father said, "since my father was too soft for such a thing. If he were in charge, Okumura Foods would have shut down by now, and everyone, myself included, would be out of a job. I have no desire to repeat his mistakes."

Father wasn't entirely wrong about that. After all, he pointed out that the money required to sustain our affluent and comfortable lifestyle had to come from somewhere- it was just a shame that it came from the sweat and toil of our company's workers. That said, if the company went out of business, those workers would be out of a job. They were treated poorly and paid far less than what they deserved, but at least they were earning money.

Of course, none of this justified what he was trying to do, so I hoped I could change his heart before it was too late.

Evening

I immediately texted everyone to inform them of my situation, and asked to meet. The first time that worked with everyone's schedules was in the evening.

We met up at Leblanc a few hours after my conversation with Father. On my way over, I did some shopping and picked up a gift for my hosts. Despite my detour, I got there a bit earlier than the others, and saw Ren waiting in the attic.

"Good evening, Amamiya-kun," I said.

"Hi, Haru," Ren said. "You're early."

"There's two reasons," I said. "First, it would be impolite to show up late when I requested this meeting. Second, I have a gift for you and Sakura-san for your hospitality last night and this morning."

I got out a bag of coffee beans, with a hand-written thank you note attached to it. The blend was rather fancy, although I decided not to buy too expensive of a blend so that Amamiya-kun and Sakura-san wouldn't feel guilty about accepting it.

"Wow, this is a nice blend," Amamiya-kun said. "You've got some good taste."

"Thank you," I said. "It's the least I could do after you gave me a place to stay last night."

"I'm sure Sojiro will appreciate it," Amamiya-kun said. "So I guess that means I owe him at least a hundred of these things for putting me up in the attic for almost six months, don't I?"

I giggled.

"All kidding aside," Amamiya-kun said, "I am in his debt, perhaps more than I can ever repay him for. He came off as a bit gruff and cynical at first, but he's the kind of man who won't turn away someone who needs help. The least I can do is help out in Leblanc from time to time."

"I know the feeling," I said. "I, too, realize I owe much to my father, despite everything he's done."

"Fair enough," Amamiya-kun said. "My relationship with my parents may not be the best, but I'm also grateful to them for providing for me, and not completely giving up on me after I got arrested."

As Futaba-chan arrived for the meeting, we let the subject drop for the moment until everyone was here. Even then, I realized that "despite" was perhaps a poor choice of words- I owed my comfortable life to my father's exploitative business practices, so I had to do my part to end them.

The others arrived within ten or fifteen minutes, at which point the meeting began.

I outlined the situation. If Father's heart did not change by October 11, I would end up having to move in with the Sugimuras, and would lose the small semblance of autonomy I enjoyed right now. If the change of heart was successful, Father would call off the arranged marriage.

"So our deadline's October 11," Amamiya-kun said. "It should only take us a couple days to steal Okumura's Treasure, so the only question is whether the change of heart will take effect in time."

"I'm sorry, everyone," I said. "I don't mean to put pressure on you."

"This is par for the course, Haru," Amamiya-kun said. "All of our operations have been done on a time limit."

"That's right," Futaba-chan said. "We were looking into changing Okumura's heart even before you came along."

I felt a bit relieved. Rather than think of myself as imposing on them, I could think of myself as joining my strength with theirs. It was a pity that I didn't have all that much strength at the moment.

"Fair enough," I said, "but I feel as though I need to pull my weight if I want to involve myself in this endeavor."

"That's all well and good," Mona-chan said, "but your Persona isn't fully formed yet, so I'd rather not have you on the front lines. Travel with the backup group and stay close to the others. We'll need you in case we see any other biometric scan doors."

"I understand," I said, "I hope my Persona awakens soon, though."

"I'm sure it will eventually, Mona-chan said. "All these guys needed was the right push to awaken their will of rebellion, so something within Okumura's Palace should light that fire under you."

The others silently concurred with Mona-chan's assertion, likely knowing from experience.

"Anyhoo," Sakamoto-kun said, "how soon are we gonna get the ball rollin'?"

"Tomorrow," Amamiya-kun said. "It's getting a bit late for a Palace excursion today, but tomorrow's a good day, since we'll have the day off of school. Let's meet up at Leblanc before we head to Okumura Foods."

After some preliminary discussion of what we knew of Father's Palace so far, we adjourned our meeting. We knew our goal and our deadline, so the rest seemed to be business as usual for the Phantom Thieves. Before, I'd feared that I would hold them back, but now, I was eager to be able to catch up to them.

Monday, September 19, 2016, Morning

Since we had the day off from school, Amamiya-kun summoned us to the hideout in the morning. As I headed to the subway that would take me to Yongen-Jaya, I saw Niijima-san waiting on the platform.

"Oh, hello, Niijima-san," I said.

"Hello, Haru," Niijima-san said. "You don't have to be so formal around me."

Father was rather strict about teaching me good manners, but that didn't mean that I was particular about what I was called. As much as I despised Sugimura-san, I didn't have any issues with him calling me "Haru"- it was perfectly fine for my spouse to call me that, and the only problem was I had no intention of marrying him. Calling him "Sugimura-san" was my way of politely and subtly expressing him that I did not love him or consider him a friend, to say the least.

"I know," I said. "I appreciate that you've accepted me as one of your own, but while I don't mind your using my first name, I'm not quite ready to reciprocate yet."

"That's fine," Niijima-san said. "Take your time."

"I will," I said. "You don't have any system of seniority in your group, do you?"

Niijima-san shook her head.

"Not at all," Niijima-san said, "since we don't care about that sort of thing. It's rather refreshing, actually, since I prefer that my friends treat me as an equal rather than a kohai."

"Don't you mean 'senpai'?" I said.

"I would if we were talking about school," Niijima-san said, "but I joined in June, so I'm the third newest member after you and Futaba. Before I joined, the founding members and Yusuke were second-years, and Morgana doesn't go to school, so we didn't worry about age differences."

So Niijima-san was once a newbie, too. That was one of many truths that were obvious enough, but I had to remind myself about from time to time.

"I didn't get off on the best foot with the others at first," Niijima-san said, "but they accepted me once I fought with them. In the end, we realized we had more in common than we thought."

"That's good," I said. "I hope I'll fit right in, too."

We talked about the time Niijima-san joined the Phantom Thieves for a while, albeit leaving out details she didn't want people to overhear.

Thursday, December 1, 2016, After School, Makoto's POV

"I was a bit surprised to hear that you didn't get along with the others at first," Haru said, "but I guess it should be more surprising that you made friends with them."

"True," I said. "In fact, I'm closer to all of you than I am to my fellow student council members."

"Why's that?" Haru said.

I paused to think for a moment.

"The student council members and I keep things strictly professional," I said. "We don't use first names on each other, hang out outside of student council meetings, or talk much about each other. Because of that, I don't know much about them, or why they joined- to serve the school or to pad their resumes."

It sounded rather harsh to say that, but I didn't trust them enough to rule out the possibility. I didn't judge them for looking out for their interests, but I wasn't idealistic enough to believe their pre-rehearsed speeches about wanting to help the student body.

"I think we do a passable job as student council by most schools' standards," I said, "even if we were woefully unprepared for everything that happened this past year, from Mr. Kamoshida's misdeeds to Kaneshiro targeting students to Principal Kobayakawa's 'suicide'. But the truth is that while I'd gladly write a letter of recommendation for them if I had the authority, I couldn't call any of them friends."

"I see," Haru said. "I'm still a bit surprised considering how much longer you've known them."

"When it comes to the time you've known each other, quality trumps quantity every time," I said. "That's why I saw you as a comrade even after knowing you for a few days, and hoped to make you feel right at home in our group."

Monday, September 19, 2016, After School, Haru's POV

After school let out, we met in the attic of Leblanc, and did some last-minute preparations before heading to Okumura Foods. Everyone gave me their code name, and made sure I memorized them. Most of them were fairly obvious, from Sakamato-kun's skull mask to Takamaki-san's panther-like catsuit, and I happened to be calling Mona-chan by his code name. Apparently, honorifics weren't necessary after codenames, so I, the only one who used them on my comrades in the real world, kept that in mind.

By now, the first few areas of Father's Palace, which were apparently a side entrance reserved for Father, were rather familiar to me, but that didn't mean I could run off on my own. Following Mona-chan's instructions, I stayed back with those who weren't engaged in battle. They weren't slacking off, but were like baseball players in the dugout, waiting for their turn at bat. I, however, felt like a player who dressed for a game but remained on the bench, waiting for a teammate to get injured.

We traveled from the side entrance to the biometric door, a route I was somewhat familiar with by now. The advance team had already cleared the way there, and were waiting for the rest of us to catch up.

"All right," Mona-chan said. "Do your thing."

I nodded, then stepped forward. The biometric scanner sensed my presence and opened up. Luckily for all of us, the door only needed to detect one authorized individual to open, at which point it would allow any number of interlopers to follow.

"Good work," Mona-chan said. "Stay close; you never know when there might be another door like that"

"I know," I said. "It's a shame I can't do more than that."

"You're remarkably hard on yourself," Queen said.

"I can't help it," I said. "I guess it's because I always looked up to selfless heroines, who always made sacrifices and fought for others. Compared to that, I'm selfishly trying to get out of an arranged marriage."

"What's wrong with that?" Oracle said. "As long as you're willing to do what we need you to, then it doesn't matter what your reason is."

Suddenly, Joker pointed ahead.

"Heads up," Joker said. "We've got company."

Ahead of us, in a wide room, I saw two figures I recognized.

Father's Shadow wore a black space suit with a matching cape. It looked a bit like the outfit of a movie villain who happened to be the main character's father, but he wore a bubble-shaped helmet with antennae on it, and an astronaut's bodysuit. Apart from that, he was the same as his real-life self, but had a strange blue complexion that made him look like an alien.

Next to Father, there was Sugimura-san. He looked so much like the real thing, from his neatly combed hair to the white suit he wore, that I couldn't tell the difference between them.

"Is that Father...?" I said. "And Sugimura-san?"

"Looks like it," Mona-chan said. "The Palace rulers usually come out to greet us after we've stirred up some trouble. As for that Sugimura guy, he's a cognitive replica."

In other words, a representative of how Father saw the man he wanted me to marry. The strange thing, though, was that this Sugimura-san looked like the spitting image of the real thing, from his well-groomed face to his expensive white suit. Most of the other cognitive beings, especially the workers, didn't even look human, as a way of showing how the rulers treated them like animals- or worse, property- rather than humans, but it wasn't the case this time.

"So there you are, Haru," Father said. "When I heard that the side entrance door had been opened, I knew that only one other person was capable of that- the only other member of the Okumura bloodline."

It seemed rather quaint for Father to think so highly of our "bloodline." If he had his way and I was married off, I would become Haru Sugimura, and my children would also bear their father's name. Father had no other children or siblings, so he knew the Okumura family name would end with my generation.

"You've caused me a lot of trouble lately," Father said, "but I'll overlook it if you hand over your friends to me."

"In other words, betraying them for my personal gain," I said. "Why do you see others as mere tools?"

"The answer to that lies in our family creed," Father said. "'Overcome failure at any cost, even if it means betraying others.' By taking advantage of the labor at my command, I will rise above my father's naivete and soar to even greater heights. As a young and attractive daughter of marriageable age, it's time you did your part for my ambitions."

I'd heard what Mona-chan had told me about Father's Shadow being his repressed self, and found his words all the more disturbing. This was how he truly felt, and I could see that he'd always felt this way by reading between the lines in his previous words and actions.

"A word, Mr. Okumura?" Sugimura-san said. "Your daughter appears to have a...rebellious streak. My father may not be willing to give his blessing to our marriage if his daughter-in-law is acting in such a way."

"Then you can take her as your mistress if you like," Father said, "provided your father holds up his end of the bargain, of course."

"We have a deal," Sugimura-san said. "You can count on Father."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Ignorance was never an excuse for wrongdoing, but I gave the benefit of the doubt to people who didn't know their actions were wrong, since they might change after learning what was right. But Father had apparently known all along that Sugimura-san was an awful person, and didn't care.

"I'm looking forward to this," Sugimura-san said. "Now I don't have to wait for the wedding..."

Sugimura-san walked toward me, a predatory grin on his face, and he seemed to get larger with every step. He then transformed into a massive robot, and while the robot's stout frame was in stark contrast to the slender Sugimura-san, the robot's plating bore an uncanny resemblance to his suit.

The Sugimura robot then slammed down its arm, which was likely heavy enough to pulverize my body, but then a flash of light ensued. When the flash faded, my head began throbbing and a woman's hand, clasping a feathered fan, held the robot's arm above me.

"At long last, you have made up your mind, princess," a voice echoed in my mind. "Your only path to freedom lies through betrayal. Have you decided who you shall betray?"

"I have," I said.

"Wonderful!" the voice said. "Now I can finally display my true power! I am thou, thou art I... for the sake of your freedom, let us execute a beautiful betrayal!"

I glanced behind me and saw a woman with a beautiful gown, holding a domino mask in front of where her face should have been. Like an epiphany, I realized my Persona's name

"Indeed we shall... Milady!" I said.

"So this is your decision, then?" Father said.

"Yes, Father," I said. "I am no longer a puppet that dances according to your commands!"

"So be it," Father said. "I have no further use for you."

Father then turned to Sugimura-san.

"Sugimura-kun, I'll leave this matter in your hands," Father said. "Make yourself useful and deal with these intruders."

Father then departed through the door behind him. He wasn't walking especially quickly, but with a strong enemy in front of us and Shadows patrolling the halls, pursuing him would be all but impossible. Besides, defeating him wasn't the goal- securing a route to his Treasure so we could send the calling card and steal it was.

"Get back here!" Skull said, but stopped short as Joker signaled him. Smaller robots in blue suits had come to support the Sugimura robot.

"Hold it," Joker said. "We can't pursue him as-is. We'll have to deal with these guys"

As my fellow Phantom Thieves engaged the other robots, I knew that the Sugimura robot was my responsibility. As the robot tried to attack again, I, with a command I instinctively new, commanded Milady to attack. This time, she waved her fan and a spiraling blast of pink energy found its mark on the Sugimura robot, knocking it to its knees. I then commanded Milady to open fire on the Sugimura robot with her miniguns, which rotated for a few seconds before unleashing a barrage of thousands of bullets per second. The Sugimura robot was quickly riddled with bullet holes, sparked electricity, then detonated in a massive explosion.

Around this time, the other Phantom Thieves had finished their battles. As I stood triumphant, I felt a sensation of joy pass over me.

"That's all of them," Oracle said. "You did great, uh..."

"You can call me Noir," I said.

"That's a nice name," Queen said. "It means 'black' in French, doesn't it?"

"It does," I said. "As much as I want to be a heroine of justice, I know the Phantom Thieves are on the 'dark' side of the law, hence the name."

The others smiled.

"How are you holding up, Noir?" Panther said. "Most of us get really exhausted after our first battles with our Personas."

"I'm fine," I said. "I spent a bit of energy, but I'm good to keep going."

"Then you're better off than me," Fox said. "When I awakened to my Persona, I could barely stand after vanquishing my enemies."

"Still, that was a tough battle," Joker said. "Let's find a safe room so we can take a breather."

We silently concurred, then headed through the door where my father had departed, hoping it would take us closer to the Treasure.

We found a safe room- a small area where the Palace ruler's cognition was weak- and headed inside. All of us were relatively tired after the battle, even if I didn't feel nearly as tired as I expected, so we could use a breather.

"Now that we have a minute," Joker said, "I'd like to make sure that Haru understands how cognitive beings work."

"I think I have at least a basic understanding," I said. "They're representations of how the Palace ruler sees people in real life, meaning Father knows Sugimura-san is that horrible."

"That's true," Fox said, "and I believe that Sugimura's form is also significant. If he is a robot like the other workers, then your father likely sees him as yet another pawn who only exists to serve his interests."

I almost felt sorry for Sugimura-san upon hearing that. It's natural that both parties in a business deal would seek to advance their own interests using negotiation and deception, but Sugimura-san was yet another person my father was using.

"You seem like you know most of it, Noir," Panther said, "but the cognitive beings are separate from the actual people. When my Persona awakened, I killed my own cognitive doppelganger- a shallow bimbo who'd willingly let Kamoshida's Shadow kill me- and here I am, still alive."

"Yep," Oracle said. "In my Palace, we fought the cognitive version of my mother. Not only was she nothing like the real thing- which was my fault- but my mom's already dead."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said. "My mother passed away when I was young. Is it possible we might see her here?"

"It's possible," Mona-chan said, "but considering how Okumura views most people, I doubt you'll like what you see. It's probably for the best if we don't find her or your cognitive self."

I nodded. If Father saw me as yet another pawn to use to achieve his own ambitions, then it was likely that I, too, would appear as a robot. Father saw Sugimura-san as a pawn, too, but that didn't mean he was blind to his future son-in-law's true nature. His personality flaws were irrelevant as long as he proved himself useful.

"There's one more thing you should understand, Noir," Fox said. "Now that you have awakened to your will of rebellion, your father's Shadow will see you as yet another enemy, and will not hesitate to kill you."

"You're not wrong about that, Fox," Panther said, "but I think that's just how things work in here. When I was in Kamoshida's Palace, Kamoshida's Shadow saw me as a fake and my cognitive self as a real one, which is why he nearly had me executed and my cognitive self was willing to let it happen. Noir's been in danger since she set foot in here."

"Yes, I understand," I said, "and I'm willing to accept that risk to see my father brought to justice. Let's get going once we're ready."

Awakening to my Persona had not only given me a new power I could use to fight alongside my allies, but it had given me the clarity to know what I needed to do.

We proceeded through Father's Palace. We encountered some enemies, and I was brought in to deal with some foes who otherwise were impervious to physical attacks. I knew that combat was not a game, and my and my new friends' lives were on the line, but nevertheless, I found myself enjoying my time on the battlefield especially crushing the enemy. In addition to my axe and Milady's abilities, I found that I was equipped with a grenade launcher- a model gun in the real world, but a deadly weapon in the cognitive world, where cognition defined reality.

After polishing off one group of foes, I took a moment to celebrate.

"You seem like you're enjoying yourself, Noir," Queen said.

"You're one to talk, Queen," Skull said. "Didn't you go all 'FIST OF JUSTICE!' the first time we fought with us?"

"M-Maybe I did," Queen said.

"I think it's natural," Joker said. "We all repress certain aspects of our personalities in the real world, so it's only natural that they'd come out in the Metaverse."

I nodded, trying to count the number of things Father and the Sugimuras would consider socially unacceptable about my current activities. That list would be a rather long one, so I put it out of my mind and focused on our current task.

After a while, we reached another locked door. At the time, it wasn't clear how to open it, but it didn't seem to have a biometric lock. While Skull complained about how Father was so paranoid he didn't trust me, I wasn't surprised. Even if I was the daughter of the president of Okumura Foods, I had no real authority in the company. The various workers were no more willing to listen to me than they were to listen to any third-year high schooler.

Naturally, the solution was to track down various robot executives and get a key from the chief director. We then had to climb the corporate ladder, tracking down executives of gradually increasing rank in order to find our chief director and steal his card, which we did.

This forced me to think about a variety of things. Obviously, Father was the main one to blame for the direction the company that bore his name had taken, but he couldn't have done it alone. Clearly, some of the executives had willingly supported him, or at least stood by and let things deteriorate to this point. I didn't know how many were active participants and how many were merely complicit, but I hoped that Father having a change of heart would address the problem.

Eventually, we found our way to a safe room near the entrance to a factory, at which point Joker noticed that we were getting tired.

"I think we should call it a day," Joker said, "since we've still got a long way to go."

"Yeah, I agree," Skull said, "but I'm kinda surprised about Noir. She didn't get super tired after awakening her Persona."

"That's probably because it was already there," Mona-chan said, "and it had yet to take form."

"You're probably right, Mona-chan," I said, "but I'm more tired than I have been in a long time."

"The Metaverse drains a lot of stamina," Joker said. "Let's get out of here while we still have the strength to defend ourselves."

We agreed, then immediately acted on Joker's proposal.

After making our way back to the entrance, we exited the Metaverse. The return trip was easier than the way in, since we knew the way and had cleared out most of the foes on the way there. Nevertheless, we had to stay vigilant and be prepared for any surprise encounters.

"Good work today, everyone," Amamiya-kun said once we'd returned to reality. "Rest up tomorrow, and we'll be returning on Wednesday."

Everyone went their separate ways, but I walked part of the way home with Amamiya-kun.

"How am I doing, Amamiya-kun?" I said.

"You're doing well so far, Haru," Amamiya-kun said, "since everyone instinctively knows how to use their Personas. That said, I'd like to get you outfitted with some gear to get you up to speed."

"Yes, I'd like that, too," I said, "but where would we get weapons?"

"In the Metaverse, anything that looks like a weapon can be used as one if your enemy thinks it's real," Amamiya-kun said. "There's an airsoft store called Untouchable that sells us our gear, and I'd like to head there after school."

I decided to keep my schedule open for tomorrow, and hope we didn't run into Sugimura-san again.

Evening

I managed to get home before it was too late, and Father had no complaints. He retired to his office after dinner, and at the table, he barely said a word to me.

I wondered when we'd stopped being able to communicate with each other. Obviously, I was partly to blame for not saying what was on my mind, but if I felt that way, it was because Father was unwilling to listen. In the past few years, Father had scolded me whenever I had any complaints, so I gradually stopped making them.

Father wasn't wrong to expect me to obey him, since parents were supposed to teach children how to live, and this involved getting the children to listen to them. That said, it also required the parents to earn their children's trust. I'd always thought of myself as a good girl who did whatever she was told, but I felt betrayed upon realizing that my father saw me as a bargaining chip to use for personal gain, and cared nothing for my well-being.

In any case, I hoped that once my father had a change of heart, I could tell him everything that was on my mind, and perhaps begin to repair our relationship.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016, After School

After school let out, Amamiya-kun met me outside my class downstairs. Most of my fellow Phantom Thieves were also fellow members of the "going home club," so we didn't have anything we had to do after school. Niijima-san was the only exception, as student council president, but since the student council met irregularly, she generally could make time for Phantom Thieves business.

Amamiya-kun and I took the subway to Shibuya and he led me to the alley in Shibuya where Untouchable was located. The store was a hole in the wall, stocked with all sorts of military-looking gear and run by a seedy-looking middle-aged man with a gecko tattoo.

"Hey, welcome back," the shopkeeper said. "You here to shop?"

"I am," Amamiya-kun said, "and I'll be coming in to work tonight."

"Great," the shopkeeper said. "I'll tell you the details tonight."

Something told me that Amamiya-kun's job involved more than manning the cash register, cleaning the store or handling merchandise, but I decided it was best not to pry.

"Anyway, I'm here for two things," Amamiya-kun said. "First, I'd like to see how much I can get for all this."

Amamiya-kun plopped a bag full of scrap metal, computer parts and other such things on the counter. The shopkeeper scrutinized it, and handed Amamiya-kun a few bills.

"Second, I'd like to get something for my friend here," Amamiya-kun said. "Do you have axes and grenade launchers?"

"Sure thing," the shopkeeper said, "but I didn't think she'd be the type to wield those."

That made two of us. When my will of rebellion manifested as a classic musketeer outfit, I expected I'd get rapier for close quarters combat, and a flintlock pistol to fight at range, not an axe and a grenade launcher. My companions told me I was doing well enough in battle, but I still struggled with the heavy, unwieldy axe.

The shopkeeper showed me his recommendations, and I picked them out. Amamiya-kun insisted on paying for those, and he was able to afford them with the proceeds from the scrap metal sale.

We exited the store with our purchases.

"That's all for today," Amamiya-kun said. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Amamiya-kun waved goodbye, walked a few meters and seemingly disappeared without rounding the corner. He reappeared a moment later, then left the alley and disappeared into the crowds of Shibuya's Center Street.

After processing what I'd just seen, I looked around to make sure Sugimura-san wasn't anywhere near the last place I'd seen him, then headed on home.

Evening

That evening, at home, I felt my phone vibrate, signaling another IM conversation.

Ryuji: So we ready to go tomorrow?

Ren: I think so.

Ren: I got Haru some new gear at Untouchable.

Futaba: Way to get the noob up to speed!

I thought about the usual senpai-kohai hierarchy, and how it influenced relationships in school clubs and the workforce. At Shujin Academy, I, along with Niijima-san, was the most senior, but here, I was the newcomer.

Haru: I see.

Haru: I should mind my manners around you, since I'm the newcomer, right?

Makoto: That won't be necessary.

Makoto: We discussed this around the time I first joined and decided we didn't really need to worry about seniority.

Makoto: So first names are fine, Haru.

I stopped to think carefully about how I should respond. Niijima-san had insisted that there was no need for formality, but that didn't mean that I couldn't potentially offend her. I wasn't comfortable dropping honorifics, and "Makoto-san" was probably a bit too formal, so "Makoto-chan" seemed like a good compromise.

Haru: Thank you, Mako-chan.

It took me a moment to realize my mistake, and another few moments for anyone to respond.

Makoto: Do you mean me?

Haru: Sorry, I typed it subconsciously.

Haru: I'm just glad to finally have a friend my age.

Makoto: That's fine by me.

Makoto: Its the first time in a while that I've gotten a nickname.

Shortly thereafter, Ryuji-kun tried to follow my example, but Mako-chan refused to dignify it with a response, which got a laugh out of me. For the first time, I felt like I was truly part of the Phantom Thieves, and I had Mako-chan to thank for that.

Thursday, December 1, 2016, After School, Makoto's POV

"I was really happy when you started to open up to us," I said, "particularly when you started using our first names- or in my case, a nickname."

"It was my pleasure, Mako-chan," I said, "but did any of the others have any difficulty getting integrated into the group?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know about the first few," I said, "but apparently, there was some tension between Yusuke and the founding members over their investigating Madarame. I was at odds with the others at first, but after I helped them infiltrate Kaneshiro's Palace, they let bygones be bygones and accepted me. Futaba had her difficulties with social interaction, so we had to spend several days getting her used to us."

There were two notable omissions from list. The first was Akechi-kun, for reasons that we all knew. The second was Yoshizawa-san, who'd befriended Ren but had only met the rest of us in Hawaii.

"In any case," I said, "you're the only person who gets to call me 'Mako-chan' for any reason."

"I'll keep that in mind," Haru said, "and I'm grateful for that."

Wednesday, September 21, 2016, After School, Haru's POV

In history class today, the teacher discussed the "dead peasant" insurance policies, in which companies became the beneficiaries for their own employees' deaths. It was only tangentially related to what we were covering that day, so I suspected that the teacher brought it up because Okumura Foods was in the news.

After school let out, I gathered my things and started to head over to Yongen-Jaya. I met Ann-chan at the Aoyama-Ichtome platform.

"Hey, Haru," Ann-chan said.

"Hello, Taka- er, Ann-chan," I said. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to first names."

"It's fine," Ann-chan said. "I called you 'Okumura-san' at first, when I should've been using 'senpai', so I'm not gonna criticize you."

I recalled that Ann-chan was half-foreign. If she'd spent time abroad, she was probably used to American schools, in which seniority was a non-issue and first-name basis was the norm. I thought that if I lived in America, Father would never get away with marrying me to Sugimura-san, nor would Sugimura-san get away with treating me as he had, but maybe that was wishful thinking. As they said, the grass was always greener on the other side of the fence... or the other side of the Pacific, in this case.

"By the way," Ann-chan said, "I remember what you said the other day, about how you loved heroes of justice, and it struck a chord with me."

"Oh, really?" I said. "Are you interested in that sort of thing?"

"Sort of," Ann-chan said. "You see, I'm more of a fan of villains. There's this one villain I recall who wasn't a good person, but she did what she wanted without caring what people thought, and I could respect that."

"I get it," I said. "I guess we aren't really clean-cut heroes, are we?"

Ann-chan shook her head.

"Not really," Ann-chan said, "but the lines between hero and villain can often be rather blurry. One female villain who dresses up in a cat suit is a criminal, but then the guy she fights against or romances, depending on the story, wears a bat costume and is kind of ruthless for a hero."

"Interesting," I said. "Do people like those kinds of stories?"

"Sure do," Ann-chan said. "For some, morally ambiguous anti-heroes are more realistic and interesting than the clear-cut heroes... and to others, they're cooler."

Ann-chan gave me a lot to think about about what it meant to be a hero. I'd always admired the heroes of justice I saw, even if I wasn't sure I or anyone else could meet that ideal in reality. Apparently, not all fictional heroes could, either.

I also pondered the morality of our actions. I remembered what Akechi-kun had said about the Phantom Thieves, and couldn't deny that forcibly changing someone's heart was a morally questionable act by most standards. In fact, we were resorting to this because all other options of reforming Father or helping the other people he was exploiting were infeasible. Nevertheless, it was the only way to not only gain justice for the victims, but bring Father back to the kind man I remembered. If pursuing this hope made me selfish or unheroic, then so be it.

Ann-chan and I got to Leblanc a bit early. Ren-kun was waiting in the attic, with a bag of supplies with the Takemi Clinic label on it.

"Hi, you two," Ren-kun said. "You're early."

"I was hoping to talk to Mona-chan," I said. "Ann-chan and I were talking and we came up with an idea. Maybe I could use Mona-chan's car form as a platform to bombard the enemies with grenades?"

"That might work," Mona-chan said. "Let's give it a try."

Mona-chan and I discussed the specifics while waiting for the others to show up, making a few revisions to the idea..

"By the way, Ann-chan," I said, "do you have any Showtime attacks with anyone besides Mona-chan?"

"Yeah," Ann-chan said. "I can also do one with Yusuke. Ryuji can do them with Yusuke and Makoto. Apart from Futaba, who does our backup, Ren's the only one who can't do a Showtime."

I did the math in my head. Excluding Ren-kun, who was our leader, and Futaba-chan, who didn't fight, there were six of us, and each of us had Showtimes with two of our companions. There were likely six pairs who could do combination attacks, and now that five were accounted for...

"So I guess by process of elimination, I might have a Showtime with... Mako-chan?" I said.

"Probably," Ren-kun said, "but that's assuming that you can make it work with her. You worked with Morgana for a while, so maybe that's part of the reason why you two can do one."

"I guess it would make sense if we could," I said, "since we're both third-years and she's the one who invited me here."

We let the conversation end for now, but I wondered whether that was really all Mako-chan and I had in common.

We resumed our infiltration of Father's Palace from where we'd left off. Oddly enough, it was a lot easier returning to our stopping point than it was fighting our way over there the first time.

The Shadows were a rather eclectic mix, from demons inspired by Christianity to Japanese aboriginal gods to cryptids, and few seemed space-themed. They seemed to go down more easily, possibly because of the new gear Joker had procured for me, but I noticed that everyone else seemed to be fighting more effectively, too. As glad as I was to be fighting alongside the others, I knew I couldn't afford to let myself fall behind, so I continued pushing myself as hard as I could, within reason.

Unfortunately, the Shadows were the only easy part about all this.

As we entered the factory section of the space station, something seemed undeniably familiar. The machinery was so futuristic that I, someone who barely understood modern technology, wasn't sure what it was supposed to do. Even so, I only needed a glance to tell that it was working harder and faster than it was supposed to, and it was near the breaking point. The same went for the workers; no reasonable workplace would measure breaks in seconds or make unpaid overtime the norm.

This place reminded me of the company's bun factory, which I'd visited once with my father. The workers greeted us with smiles, but I could see the exhaustion and resentment behind them. As torturous as their job was, with long hours, hard work and low pay, they knew they couldn't afford to offend the man in charge and risk losing their source of income.

At the end of the factory area, a group of over a dozen worker robots attacked us. The difference in numbers would normally make it a difficult fight for us, but each one of the robots fell almost instantly. By now, I'd started to actually enjoy fighting Shadows, but there was nothing fun about this. The worker robots should have seen Father as their enemy, but they chose to fight and die to defend him from the people who sought to make him answer for his misdeeds.

The worst part, however, lay beyond our defeated foes. A conveyor belt carried the broken bodies of the robot workers to their final destination- an incinerator with a basin of molten metal. After these robots gave their entire existences- which were so pathetic they couldn't be called "lives"- for my father's company, they were sacrificed and treated as resources. Idealistic as it may be, I thought there was a social contract between employer and employee- the employees give the employer their services, and in return, the employer cares for the employees and pays them enough to earn a living. Father only thought of himself, and saw others as a means to an end.

Still, I didn't understand why the employees passively accepted this abuse until Fox brought up the idea of overcompensation- they were so used to oppression that they came to welcome it. Fox's understanding was that of someone who'd experienced it first-hand, and Panther was fully aware of that, but none of us thought to ask him more about it. The most important thing was that I was not the only victim of my father, and definitely not the only victim of a selfish adult, and we had to put an end to this.

We eventually reached a spaceport at the end of the space station, and saw a strange cloud-like object that seemed like a miniature nebula.

"Well, we're here," Mona-chan said. "We've found Okumura's Treasure."

"I guess that's good news," Oracle said, "but we still don't have any information on the mental shutdowns."

"I'm sure we'll get it out of Okumura himself," Skull said. "After all, the Shadows of the Palace rulers sure love to talk."

"I think I remember Mona-chan saying something like this," I said. "Shadows are people's repressed selves, aren't they?"

Mona-chan smiled and nodded.

"Exactly, Noir," Mona-chan said. "You basically see the ruler's true self, the part they don't want to show to the world, and that part doesn't hold anything back. That's why the Shadow looks and acts so different from the real person."

"Yeah," Panther said. "Kamoshida acted friendly toward people who didn't get on his bad side or hold his team back, but his Shadow was who he really was- a lecherous monster who thought he was better than everyone else."

"I see," I said. "That would explain why Father's Shadow was so callous toward other people, even his own daughter."

The idea that this version of Father was the true one was most disturbing of all. It was easy enough to understand that bad people hid their true colors from others to fit in with society; after all, not many people outside of the volleyball team knew the extent of Mr. Kamoshida's crimes until the start of May. But in Father's case, the more I learned about how greedy he was, the more I had to question whether he had been deceiving me all along, pretending to be a loving but strict father so he could raise me to be an obedient bride.

"You guys are on to something," Oracle said, "but I'm still worried that we might not get the information we need, and Okumura's our only lead so far."

"I know how you feel, Oracle," Queen said, "but let's take this one step at a time. Right now, our goal is to change President Okumura's heart and help Noir, as well as President Okumura's other victims. Even if we can't find any evidence here, then I believe that changing President Okumura's heart will be a worthwhile accomplishment in and of itself."

Oracle reluctantly nodded.

"I think we're done for today," Joker said. "Let's convene at Leblanc tomorrow to discuss sending the calling card."

"Understood," I said. "I suppose sending it is my job, isn't it?"

"That's right," Joker said, "but we don't send it until everyone's ready, since we only have one attempt. We've got time, so we should discuss it tomorrow at the hideout."

A part of me hoped that Father wasn't behind the mental shutdowns. He saw his employees as disposable pawns and his daughter as a bargaining chip, but I wanted to believe that murder was beyond the pale for him.

Evening

I was able to get back in time to eat dinner with Father, even if I was almost late. Ren-kun told me that our excursions to the Metaverse were limited by our members' stamina more than by time, so they generally didn't have to worry about missing curfew or anything of the sort. Nevertheless, Ren-kun had bought himself an analog wristwatch to tell time while in the Metaverse, since he noticed that our phones' camera apps didn't work.

Even though I'd made it home on time, Father still seemed to be suspicious of me.

"Where were you today, Haru?" Father said. "I hope you've been staying out of trouble."

It almost sounded like friendly conversation, but his voice was firm, and reminded me that this was an interrogation.

"I went to a cafe in Yongen-Jaya," I said. "It's called Leblanc, and I was invited there after I returned the cat."

"The name hardly seems familiar," Father said, "so I doubt it is worth remembering."

I had to admit that if not for Ren-kun taking me home, I'd never have heard of that place, either.

"It's true that it's not famous," I said, "but it's still a nice, small place, like the one Grandfather ran."

Father scoffed.

"Some people, like my father and whichever fool is in charge of that cafe, are satisfied with mediocrity," Father said, "but people must constantly strive to reach new heights. I will do what I must to ascend even higher, and you will help me."

I almost laughed at this remark, but realized it would be unwise to say anything besides "Yes, Father" and drop the subject. I'd heard that there was very little upward mobility in Okumura Foods, and only a small handful of people who had the favor of the upper management could hope for promotions. As for me, he'd clearly designated my role as housewife to a man that was worthy of him.

I'd never accepted the idea of marrying a man of my father's choice- at best, I thought of it as something to endure, and at worst, something to avoid at all costs- but I wasn't sure why. Part of it was the idea that I would lose my freedom after marrying, although I didn't really have an idea of what I wanted to do instead. Another part was the fear that I would end up with an awful husband, although I didn't know I would have to marry Sugimura-san until earlier this year. The one thing I was sure about was the fact that I had never fallen in love with a man before, and most likely never would.

Out of all my new male friends, Ren-kun seemed like the ideal catch, as a handsome, charismatic and kind young man, but I didn't feel even the first sparks of love for him. He probably had a girlfriend by now, if he was interested in that sort of thing, since despite his reputation at Shujin, some girls must have realized his true character. I was grateful for what he'd done for me so far, but he seemed like the person who'd do that for just about anyone. Besides, while he'd welcomed me to the Phantom Thieves, I remembered that Mako-chan had been the one who'd invited me.

I pondered whether Mako-chan had a boyfriend, but it didn't seem likely. She didn't seem interested in romance, nor did she have any friends outside of our group. Maybe she wasn't interested in men, either, or maybe she was still looking for "Mr. Right," but since we'd only started talking less than a week ago, I didn't know her well enough to be sure, so I put these pointless thoughts aside. For now, we had to focus on stopping Father; I would be able to worry about my and my friends' love lives once my marriage to Sugimura-san was canceled.

I got a call from Futaba-chan that evening. Her timing was rather fortunate, since I'd only just turned on my phone after retiring to my room.

"Hello, this is Okumura," I said.

"Hey, Haru, it's me," Futaba-chan said. "You got a minute?"

"I do," I said.

Futaba-chan took a deep breath.

"It's about the mental shutdowns," I said, "and why I'm so desperate to find out who's responsible. You remember that I said that my mom died?"

"Yes, I did," I said. "Does that have something to do with it?"

"It's got everything to do with it," Futaba-chan said, "because I'm all but sure Mom was the victim of a mental shutdown. She started acting weird before she died, and then she just... fell into the road and got hit by a car."

"How horrible..." I said.

I didn't know what more I could say, since while I'd lost loved ones, I'd never lost them in such a sudden or traumatic way. Grandfather had passed away in his sleep after a short illness at the end of a long life of helping others. Mother had died of cancer a little while later, and while Father was convinced we might have been able to save her if we had the funds, both of us were able to say goodbye to her. If nothing else, I'd seen them laying on hospital beds, looking as though they were asleep, not as bloody and mangled corpses.

"For a long time, I thought she'd killed herself, and that I'd driven her to that point," Futaba-chan said. "But around the time I awakened my Persona, I realized that was a lie that these men in black suits, the ones who forged her will and read it to me, wanted me to believe. Someone didn't like that she was researching cognitive psience- the study of the secrets of the cognitive world- and killed her and stole her research. I joined the Phantom Thieves to find the person responsible."

"Do you think my father is that person?" I said.

"I don't know," Futaba-chan said, "but whoever's responsible caused a lot of people to suffer what my mom did, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I just hope we can find out the truth."

"I hope, so, too," I said.

Neither of us said anything for a moment.

"Anyway, I said my piece," Futaba-chan said. "I didn't feel right keeping you out of the loop about that, since you were the only one I didn't tell about my mom."

"Thank you, Futaba-chan," I said. "I hope you can find what you're looking for."

After we said goodbye to each other, I went to bed, but found that sleep didn't come easily in spite of my being exhausted. While I'd been aware of my father's unethical business practices, and had recently learned that he saw me as a mere bargaining chip, was he truly a murderer? The answer would only come when we confronted his Shadow, a day I was anxiously awaiting and dreading in equal measure.

Author's Notes

I realize that some have a more favorable interpretation of the Amamiyas sending their son away- not only is Shujin the only place that will take him, but they're hoping that this will help give him a place to return home to once his probation ends. I chose this interpretation because it seemed to fit my story better. The fact that his parents keep him at arms' length and disapprove of his actions contributes to his sense of isolation, and he disapproves of how they'd rather fit in than do what is right(which will come up again later). Nevertheless, Ren is grateful to his parents, and realizes they're not as horrible as some parents he knows of.

Whenever I go into canon scenes, I usually paraphrase the dialogue, and may even alter it as fits the story. Most scenes discussing the Phantom Thieves' plans, unimportant conversations that last for more than a few minutes, or other scenes that don't involve Haru or Makoto all that much will be described from one of the two's POV, with that character sharing her thoughts on the current events.

I don't actually know where in Tokyo Haru lives, so I'll leave it vague and hope her commutes don't raise too many questions.

While the characters, especially Haru, will judge Okumura for his wrongdoing, he's not completely without redeeming qualities, even if some of them come from a time that only Haru can remember.

Haru and Futaba will interact a fair amount because of their similarities- both lose a parent to a certain someone's actions- but they also have more than a few differences.