What a long day that was. Battling a large evil mom-sphinx, on top of running down a collapsing Pyramid. Needless to say it was very exhausting day for Hifumi and she was ready to turn in. Once she returned home, she was greeted by….Mitsuyo, surprisingly. "Mother…? I didn't think you'd be home. Where's Dad…?"
"He's asleep again." Mitsuyo pinched the bridge of her nose. "It has been very difficult to procure his medicine. He has a little bit left, however…"
"Oh…he's getting worse…?" Hifumi frowned.
"You don't need to worry. I'll make sure his sickness does not get the best of him. You have my word where." Mitsuyo said firmly.
And well…she wasn't lying either. Hifumi could sense that her mother meant those words. That was a relief, it eased her thoughts. Her mind did kind of wander when Cognitive Wakaba was screaming about how a child should obey their parents, thinking how similar it could be to Mitsuyo; but Hifumi had some faith restored in her mother's willingness to help Mitsurugi. "Of course."
"Now then…" The topic began to change, Mitsuyo's tone shifted and whatever brief, tender moment they could have was thrown out the window. "Why do you look so tired?"
"Er…" Hifumi sighed. So much for a bonding moment. Now she had to answer some interrogation questions… "I was with my friends again. We were…in the sun for a while, longer than we expected. It's hot outside too…" It wasn't a lie. "So I'm a little tired."
"Hm…" Mitsuyo lifted a brow. Hifumi's friends were on thin ice simply for…well, being a nuisance. Mitsurugi was difficult to decline a request from, so she was lenient in letting Hifumi hang around them. "I still don't like them…"
"Gh…" Hifumi almost made a smart remark on how her mother didn't even know them, but that kind of statement wouldn't help her position. How she wished she had Futaba's courage to stand up…but as it stood right now, she couldn't risk doing that or she'd lose the friendships she struggled to maintain.
"By the way," Mitsuyo turned around. "I've been thinking about having you work with Mika more. Your collaboration was a hit; it gave the both of you more exposure and as it turns out, people like the two of you together."
That made Hifumi's eyes widen, green gaze staring at her mother in a bit of shock. It wasn't like she outright hated with Mika but it was just…a surprise. "M-Mika…?"
"She's also the most consistent and hard working model from her agency. Much more hard working than your friend. I think Mika is a much better fit for you." Mitsuyo said, already dialing something on her phone. "I have a few things I need to discuss, but I'll get back to you with the details soon enough." The tone she now held was essentially just shooing Hifumi off, she was done with this conversation.
"I…I see…" Hifumi sighed. Ann was not going to like that news. But that was a tomorrow issue.
.
.
August 4th.
There was no option but to wait for Futaba to wake up. So at the very least, summer vacation could still be enjoyed as much as it could be. So for the time being, Ren was now helping Kasumi pick out some glasses for her dad. She asked this primarily because he always wore glasses, but, well…Ren didn't exactly have the heart to tell her his glasses weren't real. Their last outing together was lunch, where Ren learned she was an exceptionally big eater. How big? Kasumi could probably finish the Phantom Thieves first and second food celebrations and still have room for desert. It was kind of scary, actually. "How about this pair?" Kasumi held up a pair of black tinted shades to Ren, to which he tried on.
"Hm. What do you think?" Ren asked.
"Wow, those look really cool on you! I think you make them work." Kasumi nodded fervently. It looked like a good fit to her, at least for Ren. When she thought about it for her dad, that's when she had a few issues seeing it work out. "I think…my dad might look a bit shady if he tried to wear those, though."
"Okay…" Ren nodded, taking the pair off to try something else on. Somehow, he found a pair of glasses with a fake nose and mustache. He had no reason to put it on, but he did so anyway because it was just funny. "This one?"
Kasumi stared as Ren put on the comical pair of glasses. She was confused, but her lips couldn't help but turn upwards into an amused smile. "Why are those even here…? I...kinda want a pair, actually."
Ren then handed the pair of glasses over to her. "Here."
Kasumi wasted no time putting them on and laughing. She did need the laugh, because otherwise this glasses hunt was not going so well. After a few moments she took them off and sighed. "A lot of them are good, but none of them really have clinched it for me yet. I don't know what to do…"
"Don't overthink it. Just trust your instincts." Ren said.
Those words were just what Kasumi needed to hear! "Of course! I'm the one who has to make the call!" So she turned to her left, followed her gut instinct, and grabbed a pair of red glasses. "This pair. I don't know how to describe it, but it just seems perfect for my dad somehow."
"I'm sure he'll love it." Ren said.
"I think so too!" Kasumi gave an excited nod and went to buy the glasses. Now that they were done shopping, they exited the store, where she once again had to express her gratitude to Ren for coming with her on this outing. "Thank you again for coming with me today, Amamiya-Senpai!"
"It was no problem." Ren gave a slight smile.
"You really did help." Kasumi gave a curt bow of her head. "I kept wondering what would happen if I couldn't choose, or if I chose wrong…but now I think I see what my coach was trying to tell me. When you're in a slump it's easy to write yourself off…But maybe 'finding out who I really am' is the first step I need to become better. It does make me feel a little down at times, but at the same time, I feel like I'm closer to getting my confidence back. And having your support makes me even more determined to get back to where I was!"
"We'll work at it together." Ren gave her a slight smile.
For some reason, Kasumi found herself blushing bashfully. It was an odd feeling she couldn't explain. "I don't know if I should be feeling like this. I want to give my best performance…but it's like I'd be doing it for you as much as myself…! O-Or something like that!" She stammered, almost tripping over her words the moment whatever confidence she felt speaking slipped from her. "I'm still working on myself, but I hope we can help each other, too!"
"I'm sure we will, no doubt about that." Ren said with a firm nod.
.
.
The day was far from over yet. Yusuke had a request, calling Ann, Ren, and Ryuji to Leblanc since he was in a bit of a rut still. Hifumi was there as well, since she was hanging out with Ann and figured she may as well join them to see what Yusuke needed. Makoto was unfortunately unable to make it due to some prior business with a new friend of hers, while Morgana simply could not come downstairs since the restaurant was still open. Everyone gathered at a table while Yusuke sat with his arms crossed. "Apologies for calling everyone here so suddenly…Boss was even kind enough to serve us coffee before he went shopping…but now I have a vital request."
"Hit me with your best shot! All the tough problems're gonna have to go to Ren, though." Ryuji said.
"Hmm, I can help with any subject that's not math." Ann said.
Hifumi just sighed at the both of them. "I do not think that's what Yusuke meant…"
"Hifumi is correct." Yusuke said bluntly. "Do you two honestly believe I would ask you to help with my studies?"
"Ouch." Ann pouted.
"The truth is, I am planning to display my work in a competition. The one organized by Kawanabe of the Japanese Art Support Foundation. You remember, yes, Ren?" Yusuke said.
"Yeah." Ren nodded.
"But I am having trouble deciding what my next piece should convey." Yusuke sighed. "I went back to the shack where I used to live with Madarame and it made me think. I haven't come far at all. I still call him Sensei, I wonder how long I allow him to control my life. What is it I can do to escape the grasp he once had on me? I was obsessed with the superficial beauty of the art world that I never once thought to look at the ugliness underneath. When I saw Madarame's true nature, everything changed. I strove to fight back against the newfound ugliness I saw, to display my talent to those who mocked me. I needed to do whatever it took to validate my artistic ability. In that search for meaning, darkness took hold of me. Before long, I began to emulate the aspects of Madarame that I began to despise so deeply…"
"Oh, Yusuke…" Hifumi frowned at those words. She wasn't sure what to say at those words. Nobody was.
"Boss told me something interesting when I stayed here. He said that Madarame didn't take me in for my artistic talent alone." Yusuke continued. "I didn't think much about it at the time, but now that I am…it is rather strange. It would be impossible to know if I were talented or not only at the age of three. So…I wonder if there was another reason for him to take me in…"
That was a tough question. Hifumi was a bit out of the loop concerning the specifics of Yusuke's situation with his dead mother, while the others just weren't sure. Madarame let Yusuke's mother die, yet still took him under his care in the end. While Madarame's Shadow did claim it was to take charge and steal his talent when he grew up…it did make no sense that he was confident a three year old was as talented as his mother.
"…Maybe he really did care?" That was all Ren could suggest. There was no other reason.
Yusuke pondered that answer for a moment. "So once again we return to matter so the heart." It made him think. The 'heart' was the essence that he wanted to capture in his paintings, but he was told that his depiction of them just wasn't enough. It was too shallow. "There is a part of me what wishes to believe in my former mentor."
"…I understand what you mean, Yusuke." Hifumi spoke up. "Even if it wasn't entirely favorable conditions, he did raise you, yes? It's not easy to disregard that experience no matter how you feel. Like with my mother…she drives me a little crazy, but she's still my mom and I know she's doing her best for me and my father. The heart is…a very complex thing, ahaha…"
Hifumi grasped how he was feeling quite well. No matter how things turned out, no matter how much Yusuke hated what happened to Madarame or what he did, he could not turn his back on his former mentor so easily. "You see why I needed your assistance now. I am stuck…unable to wade through this uncertainty within me."
There was some silence in the area before Ryuji finally spoke up. "You could have Ann strip again."
Hifumi was taking a drink of coffee as Ryuji said that. So upon hearing that she turned her head to the side, nearly spitting out her drink from the suddenness of all that. "E-Excuse me…!?"
"Ugh, when are you gonna drop that!?" Ann just groaned. Hifumi felt like a total outsider in this moment and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know.
"It's true, Ann is a subject I pursued in the past…" Yusuke sounded like he was considering it again, but his tone left something to be desired in terms of resolve. "But now that I've been exposed to her true personality, it would be difficult to paint her beauty."
"Hehe, yeah!" Ann laughed. Hifumi sighed. It took Ann a moment to realize that this may not have been a compliment. "Wait…what's that supposed to mean!?"
"…Don't think about it too much." Hifumi said.
Ann wasn't sure what to think about that, but it was best to try moving on. "Anyway, I think you should paint something that's pretty."
Yusuke pondered the thought. No matter what they discussed, it always seemed to wrap back around to the concept of the heart or beauty. "So once again we come around to the idea of beauty." He sighed heavily, eyes wandering to Sayuri, which was hanging on the wall near the front door. "Why can't I paint beauty like Sayuri. Where have all my efforts gone…?"
"I'm not really sure what you mean by pure beauty." Ann spoke up, eyes drifting to the painting as well. "I mean, it is a really pretty painting. But I'm not sure I really consider it pure beauty or whatever."
"I feel the same way." Hifumi said with a small nod, placing a hand on her chest. "I don't know much about the arts, but when I see this painting, it feels so…gentle."
"Mhm." Ann nodded in agreement. "I almost cried when I first saw this painting. It felt like I was a baby again in my mother's arms. Watching over me, telling me everything would be okay. That's how I felt…but that's just coming from someone with no art knowledge!"
"Gentleness." Yusuke lowered his head. "That is yet another aspect of the Sayuri captured that I cannot...Is my heart too clouded?"
"I don't think it's like that at all." Ren shook his head.
"Yeah. Your heart ain't cloudy, dude." Ryuji said.
"Are you sure about that? Painting used to be all my heart desired. I needed nothing else in life." Yusuke let out a weighted sigh. "But now!? What now!? I have become overwhelmed with a need to prove myself to Kawanabe! To prove myself to the rest of the world! I looked down on Madarame for focusing so sharply on fame and money, yet I too yearn for the praise of others!" It felt so hypocritical of him to do this. "In truth, I regret declining Kawanabe's offer. Is this what passion in supposed to look like!? My heart is clouded by worldly desires!"
Yusuke went on a surprising rant about his inner frustrations. He really did hit a wall in terms of creativity. "You've grown, Yusuke." Ren said.
Yusuke was surprised by that comment. "My ugliness…has helped me grow…?"
"Ren's right, dude. Ain't nothin' wrong about doin' your best to make a livin'" Ryuji added.
"And you want someone to acknowledge your work, right? That's serious passion!" Ann smiled.
"Being in a slump does feel awful," Hifumi began. "But it means you're doing your best to improve. It's a wall you have to overcome…and if you cannot do it yourself, then you simply must rely on those around you. That's why we're here!"
"But…I don't understand. How can passion be born from ugliness…?" Yusuke asked.
"Listen here, dude. I was totally like you when I was on the track team." Ryuji said. "I wanted all the girls to notice me and call me shit like 'Sakamato-senpai!'"
"Which was never gonna happen…" Ann jabbed playfully.
Ryuji heard this but decided to ignore it. "Point is, I wanted to prove myself. To win. But I was doin' it for the team too, despite all that. I mean, nobody's gonna wanna run until they puke unless they got a team they wanna inspire."
"Gross…" Hifumi mumbled. She was far from the sports type, so she really couldn't understand how Ryuji felt in that regard.
"I guess what I really wanna say is, you gotta do stuff for people beyond yourself if you wanna succeed." Ryuji said.
"Mhm. Puking part aside…" Hifumi set her cup down. "It is why I try so hard when I play shogi. Even if I complain about my mother, I do want to win for her. It's been that way since I was a child. I also want to win for my father as well. They inspire me to do better, far better than I think I could on my own."
"I see. Is that how it is?" Yusuke remained silent. He had some thinking to do. "So the sincere gentleness held within the Sayuri…the warmth of its heart….was it for those who gaze upon it…?" Silence lingered until he suddenly shot up from his seat. "I see! I understand now!"
"W-What do you see…?" Ryuji asked, taken aback by how fast Yusuke moved.
"I have been a fool! Beauty is not the superficial thing I have long thought it to be! It is something that wells up from within the heart until it breaks free! It is a gift, given by a subject unto its viewer! Yes, finally I see the truth! The four of you have my gratitude! You have truly been a tremendous aid! If you'll excuse me!" And then…he darted out the door.
"Well…I think he found his way..?" Hifumi wasn't really sure.
"He was actin' even weirder than usual." Ryuji scratched his chest before turning to Ann.
"Hm…I think I'm gonna ask Boss to make me something when he gets back! Probably curry…mmm…" Ann was hungry.
"I might do the same…" Hifumi was thinking about it.
Ryuji just sighed at Ann. "God, you eat so frickin much. Oh, and what was that crap about bein' good at everything 'cept math? It ain't good to lie, you know."
"I wasn't lying! It's just really hard to get good grades at Shujin!" Ann retaliated. "I'm not lying, right Hifumi?"
"Oh please, she's totally lyin'!" Ryuji was also looking at Hifumi.
Hifumi, however, simply refused to answer. She turned her head, occupying her mouth by taking a never ending sip of her coffee. "…"
Ren just watched with a sweat drop. Always a constant reminder that his friends were…definitely something else. Silly, ridiculous, but that's just how he liked them. "…"
.
.
Later that same day, Ren decided he had to check in on a certain someone. That someone being Kawakami. Since school was out, the only way he could really get in contact with her was via the maid service. Luckily he had the money to spare, but spending 5,000 yen on a maid so frequently was going to hurt his pockets eventually. But that was a problem for future Ren, present Ren already had Kawakami in his room up in the attic and she looked…very tired. "Are you okay…?"
"Just fine!" Kawakami presented a business smile, but she was definitely feeling it. Despite how exhausted she was, she felt relived as well. "Ever since I told you my story the other day, I've been feeling more at ease. I haven't been able to tell anyone else about this, but it feels like a weight has lifted off my shoulders. It's been a big help lately." She then sat down, deciding to pet Morgana who didn't seem to mind it either.
"Is that so?" Ren asked. Kawakami was working so hard as a maid to pay back the family of a student she tutored. They were involved in a horrible accident and lost their life, and she blamed herself for it.
"Mhm. So I figured I should actually do some housekeeping for once to say thanks." Kawakami replied. Whenever Ren called her over, she didn't do much. Sometimes he even let her crash on his bed for a few moments of rest. He really wasn't getting much service for his money, but he did help her out, so she couldn't complain.
"Well, I won't say no that." Ren said. That's when Kawakami yawned. "…You want to rest a bit?"
The teacher-maid shook her head. "Sorry, I do need a break. But I'm okay! I'm so touched by your concern, Master!" She raised the inflection of her voice at the word Master, keeping the maid persona going on. That didn't last so long as she turned her head, coughing into her arm a few times. "Ugh…I'm beat…I can't stop coughing."
Yeah, no. That wasn't good at all. "Are you sure you're alright…?" He had to insist on it at this point. Kawakami looked as though she was barely holding herself together. With school out, no doubt she had been working as much as she could during her moonlight maid hours.
"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks!" Kawakami responded with a smile, only to cough a few more times. It didn't help her argument. So she shifted her tone a bit. "Just kidding! I just wanted an excuse to slack off! With you, there's no trying to hide anything, you know!"
"…." Ren didn't buy it. But he didn't have Hifumi's powers of lie detection. So he could only be skeptical at best about it. "Alright…."
"But when I think about it, I'm glad you found out I was a maid. It was awkward at first…" Yeah, Kawakami sure was one to talk about it being awkward. "But it feels nice to have someone to talk about this with…" She had someone to confide in. Strange that it was her own student, but this arrangement had been doing more for her than she initially expected, even when school wasn't involved. "And I need to ask if YOU'RE going to be okay in this dusty room. No wonder I'm coughing so much!"
"Wh-" Wow, she was good. Completely deflecting everything onto the state of Ren's room. Ren was impressed.
"Though I have to get going soon. Takase-kun's guardians asked for more money, so I had to ask my boss for more shifts…I practically had to beg for them." A sigh escaped Kawakami. Despite how late it was already, her shift was far from over.
"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" That was the only advice Ren could give to her at this point.
"I'll be fine! Thank you for your concern though." Kawakami then grabbed the frills of her dress and did a little bow. "Thank you for using our service~!" …And she coughed again shortly after that. Was she really okay? The answer was no…but she wasn't going to slow down…
.
.
August 7th.
It was the day of the art exhibition. Yusuke put his all into a new painting; one that he felt accurately depicted the new definition of desire and hope that he was previously lacking. But he could say with all his heart, that he was proud of this painting. He wanted Ren to be here for the day he unveiled this new piece of art, for he was certain that it was his best one yet. "I still have much to learn, but I finally painting something that I could be satisfied with. Yes…this is the true heart of humanity." His inspiration came from that of Mementos, which was a glance into the depths of humanity's heart. "The title is 'Desire and Hope'. What do you think?"
"So you added hope? Last time it was just 'Desire'." Ren said.
"I added aspects that were previously lacking. This light…it's all of you." Yusuke said resolutely.
While the two of them were talking, Kawanabe slowly approached the painting. It was the same painting as last time, but he could tell the difference immediately. Not just in the art style, but the meaning behind it. "It's a good painting. It's not eccentric for the sake of it. To think the same painting could change this much…"
To hear this praise over it naturally surprised Yusuke. "…!"
Kawanabe noticed Yusuke nearby and approached him and Ren. "Desire and Hope. Yes, humans are creatures that possess both. The human heart is unclear at times, it cannot truly separate black from white. It seems you understand that…"
"…Were you provoking Yusuke this whole time?" Ren asked.
Kawanabe nodded in response. "Yes, it seemed this ploy was necessary to ignite your competitive spirit. But I admit it was a rather crude plan."
"But why would you do that?" Yusuke didn't understand. "What did you have to gain by…?"
"I wanted to do something for you, as another person who was free from Madarame's chains." Kawanbe explained. Yusuke didn't expect this answer either, but it made sense when he thought about it. "Madarame caused me no end of hardship. He held a grudge against me for supposedly stealing his customers from him. To start with, no exhibit would rent me any space."
"So that's why…" Yusuke mumbled.
"Yes." Kawanabe nodded. "The heart of man can be stained with desire, even turn pitch black. Madarame and I go back a long time…we were students at the same college and even teacher at the same art school. He often said he wanted to reach the top of the art world. But even that world has its share of politics. Those who are cunning win. It should come as no surprise that we soon cut ties with each other before long. But…he did surprise me at one point. He took you in. He never liked kids, you see. But he called me at one point, panicking because his kid was sick and all the clinics were closed."
How odd…Yusuke had nearly forgotten about that time. But now that it was being talked about it, he could remember it clearly. His head was hazy from his fever, but he did remember the sight of Madarame pacing around frantically, hoping to find a doctor that would look at him. It was just like Hifumi said the other day…it was impossibly hard for Yusuke to truly hate Madarame from the bottom of his heart. Perhaps in the end, there was a part of Madarame that truly did care about Yusuke, and not just for the talent he provided. "Sensei…." His voice cracked as he uttered the word. The more he heard about Madarame, the more complicated his feelings became.
"…Looks like that was another aspect to him." Ren said quietly. Even he was surprised. The Phantom Thieves acted against Madarame because they had an official request to. They heard not a single good thing from anyone living under the roof of that shack, and yet…
"Yeah…" Yusuke nodded slowly.
"I don't want any losers like me, or misguided winners like him born from this art world. That's why I started this foundation." Kawanabe said calmly. "So, will you join us? Without the overbearing marketing of course."
Yusuke exhaled. "That is a very kind offer. But I must respectfully decline."
"Yusuke…?" Ren blinked.
Kawanabe was just calm about this. "Oh? And why is that?"
"I won't be stained by desire. As long as I have my rays of hope, I will be just fine. If I am wrong, they will scold me. If I am led astray, they will extend their hands." Yusuke closed his eyes, thinking about Ren, Ryuji, Ann. Morgana, Makoto, and Hifumi. His friends were always by his side and he knew walking the current path with them was the right one for him.
That answer pleased Kawanabe. "Heh…Madarame really did have a good eye. Hahahaha…!" A soft laugh escaped him as he walked off slowly. "You have a bright future ahead of you, Yusuke Kitagawa. That passion you have worked so hard for…you won't lose it so easily. You have nothing to worry about."
"What a strange man…" Yusuke shrugged.
"…Yeah, you're stranger, Yusuke." Ren let out a slight chuckle.
"For declining his offer? I must admit, it is a tad wasteful…" Yusuke said. "I believe it is for the best. But at the same time, I feel contradictory. I suppose that is the human heart, correct?"
"Yeah, I guess it is…" Ren gave a slight shrug of his own.
"I know it must have been quite overbearing to deal with me during all of this. But somehow…I knew that you would not abandon me." Yusuke's lips curved up into a grateful smile. There was a small blue light emanating from around his body, his resolve burning within. It burned so strongly that Goemon was affected by this change, transforming into an entirely new Persona in the process. Goemon was now Kamu Susano-o! He felt much stronger than before…this was the strength of his heart and he had Ren to thank for it. "I reiterate my promise to you. You have my shoulder to lean on whenever you need my assistance. Now than, shall we go? I need to make up for the time I was not able to paint…and in order to do that, we must learn more about the heart. So we must do better in our thief business."
Ren smiled to that. "Yeah. Let's go."
.
.
August 8th.
Early morning. Leblanc wasn't open yet and Ren was still drowsy. He walked downstairs lazily and Sojiro was already prepping the store. "Morning…" Ren yawned.
"Morning. I was feeling generous this morning, so I made you breakfast." Sojiro motioned to the plate of curry sitting on the counter.
"Oh, thanks…" Ren nodded and took a seat. Morgana was on the seat next to him, he was allowed downstairs when the store wasn't open.
"I wonder when Futaba is going to wake up…" Morgana said, but Sojiro just heard it as a meow as always. Right at that moment, the bell chimed as the front door opened. The store wasn't open yet, but… "Huh!?"
Futaba walked into the store, yawning and sitting down. "Sojiro! I hunger."
Sojiro was completely floored by what just happened. This was the first time in a long time that he saw…Futaba walk out of the house. He nearly dropped what he was holding and tried to process the scene in front of him. "F-Futaba!? W-What are you…how did you get here!?"
What a weird question. Futaba tilted her head, taking the question literally. "…I walked?"
"I…" Sojiro moved his glasses to wipe his eyes. He was on the verge of crying seeing Futaba take such a big step forward out of nowhere! It was a miracle, that was the only way he could describe it. Just when the doctors had given up, even as he was beginning to reach the limit of his ability as a guardian…Futaba walked out of the house; far sooner than he ever could have expected.
"C'moooon….!" Futaba whined, lightly banging her hands on the table. "Curry! Curry!" She was still hungry and not afraid to let Sojiro know this.
"R-Right…of course." Sojiro nodded and proceeded to cook something up for Futaba. It was going to take a while, since he was still in complete shock at the fact she just…walked out of the house like that.
"…Good morning." Ren said, slowly sliding his plate away from Futaba since she was eying it hungrily.
"Morning! Hey, can you help me out? I totally feel like there's something I should be doing right now…" Futaba pressed her finger to her cheek. She had something important to do but it slipped her mind…
Morgana couldn't believe this either. So he just uttered a single word in hopes it would jog the hacker's memory. "Medjed?"
"OH! Right. That's it." Futaba pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and pressed it a few times lazily. "There we go."
"…?" Ren just blinked in confusion. "Uh…what did you…"
Futaba held a mischievous smirk, not even allowing Ren to finish his question. "Give it a few minutes and you'll see! Mwhehehehe!"