The next day…

Keiko, Mallory and Morgana meet up with both Ann and Ryuji in their rendezvous point in Central Street before they make their way toward the art exhibit together, stopped outside the entrance of the art exhibit and saw that a lot of people are already inside, looking, admiring and talking about the various arts hanging on the walls.

"Oh my! This is the first time I've seen so many magnificent artworks! Can you all believe it?" gasped Keiko with an impressed look on her face at the artworks.

"Yeah, we do but it's so crowded…" groaned Morgana.

"That's to be expected since Madarame is a famous elderly artist after all, Morgana." said Mallory as she patted his head.

"It'll be a pain in the ass if someone sees you, so don't stick your head out too much, alright?" whispered Ryuji as he scowled at Morgana (who scowled back at him before he listen and went back inside Keiko's bag).

"You two came!" exclaimed Yusuke happily to both Keiko and Ann as he approach and stopped in front of them.

"Hello, Kitagawa-san." greeted Keiko politely to Yusuke.

"Um… yeah." said Ann.

"You two really came as well." repeated Yusuke flatly to both Mallory and Ryuji as he turned to frown at them.

"So what if we did? If you got a problem with us coming with Keiko and Takamaki then speak up or stay silent!" said Mallory as she narrowed her eyes at Yusuke.

"Caelum's got a point. What'd you expect when you left us those tickets!?" retorted Ryuji as he scowled at Yusuke.

"They do have a point. Please don't be like that to them, alright, Kitagawa-san?" said Keiko in disapproval at Yusuke.

"Alright, my apologies to you two and make sure that you two don't get in the way of the other visitors." said Yusuke apologetically then coolly to them before he glance back at both Keiko and Ann. "Come now. I'll show you two around. I'd like to speak more about the pictures I'd like to draw too."

"Ah, right. Of course." said Keiko with a small nod of her head to Yusuke.

"Well, see you 2 later." said Ann as she and Keiko briefly glance at Mallory and Ryuji before they followed Yusuke into the exhibition.

"Will you and Lady Ann be alright, Madame Keiko!?" said Morgana worriedly to Keiko from inside her bag. "What if he brings you two into the farthest corner of the exhibition, drags you two behind some paintings and tries something funny!?"

"What!? Now you're just being paranoid and ridiculous, Morgana! There's no way that he would do such a thing to me and Ann-san, so calm down and stay quiet inside the bag!" whisper Keiko in annoyance at Morgana (who reluctantly calm down and stay quiet).

XXXX

Meanwhile…

"Well, there goes the Amamiya and Takamaki." sighed Ryuji before he glance at Mallory. "Are we really gonna "appreciate" the fine arts in this exhibit? Can't we just go home already?"

"And leave Keiko and Takamaki behind in the exhibition? No. Why don't we take a look around, at least, Sakamoto?" said Mallory as she shake her head.

"Fine. I guess we could do a quick pass through it once…" said Ryuji as he slumped down a little before he look up and around the exhibit. "Uh, which way are we supposed to start?" asked Ryuji.

"Let's just go in, Sakamoto." replied Mallory coolly to Ryuji and they went into the exhibition. Soon after they stepped in, they stopped when they saw Madarame standing and talking to a reporter, journalist and cameraman a few feet to their right and they decided to get closer to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"We continue to be truly surprised by your imagination." said the female reporter happily and politely to Madarame. "You have such expansive styles, it's hard to believe that it all stems from one person… Where in the world does all your inspiration come from?" asked the female reporter.

"Well… It is rather difficult to put into words… They naturally well up from within my heart like bubbles rising one after another in a spring." replied Madarame as he grasped his chin thoughtfully to the female reporter.

"Naturally, you say?" repeated the female reporter.

"What's important is too distance oneself from worldly desires such as money and fame." said Madarame as he slowly nodded to the female reporter. "My atelier is a modest shack, but it is more than enough to pursue true beauty."

"…A shack?" said Ryuji as he crossed his arms and with a frown look on his face.

"I see… so the act of emptying one's mind gives rise to inner beauty. Still, to think we could hear the word "shack" coming from the great artist Madarame." said the female reporter.

"You would understand if you saw it, Hahahaha…" chuckled Madarame.

"Wasn't the word "shack" something…" said Ryuji.

"Odd?" added Mallory.

"Madarame-san is actually here!?" said a sharp-eyed female visitor excitedly as she suddenly approach Madarame and the news people interviewing him.

"He's over there!" said another excited man.

"I'm so glad I came on opening day!" gushed a fangirl as well before a horde of excited admirers rushed forward past Mallory and Ryuji while they uncaringly shoving and elbowing them away.

"Hey, stop pushin'…! There's way too many people, Caelum!" yell Ryuji.

"I know and can see that, thank you very much for pointing out such an obvious thing, Sakamoto!" snapped Mallory as she and Ryuji shoved their way past the people toward the exit, only for the people to somehow split Mallory and Ryuji apart before Mallory bumped quite hard into someone. "Oh! Sorry for bumping into you!" said Mallory apologetically to whoever that she bumped against.

"It's fine and I never thought that I'd see you again in this art exhibit of Madarame-san, Caelum-san." said a familiar and amused male voice to Mallory before she glance up and saw that it's Akira.

"Oh, it's you again, Kurusu." said Mallory with a slight surprise look on her face (and felt her heart skip a beat when she see him) at seeing Akira again.

"Yep. It's me and may I help you and your friend to avoid, get out and away from the huge crowd of people in the art exhibit, Caelum?" said Akira softly to Mallory.

"You will? Then Sakamoto and I accept your help, Kurusu." said Mallory as she smiled at Akira. "I hope Keiko, Takamaki and Morgana won't be too mad at us when they saw that we're not in the exhibit." thought Mallory concernly in her mind for her and Ryuji's friends as they follow Akira away from the exhibit.

XXXX

Back to the 2 girls, Morgana and Yusuke...

"We didn't know that there were so many types of Japanese arts." said Ann as she glance and admired the painting of a black cat.

"I agreed. Each one of them is beautiful in different colours, textures and styles." said Keiko as she nodded to Ann.

"Usually one concentrates on their own style. However, Sensei creates all of these by himself. He's special." explained Yusuke.

"Is that so?" said Keiko.

"There you are, Yusuke." said Madarame as he approach and stopped near Yusuke.

"Sensei!" said Yusuke as he quickly turned and bowed to Madarame (who smiled and nodded to him before he glance at Keiko and Ann).

"Ah, the two girls from yesterday. Are you two enjoying the exhibit?" asked Madarame.

"Yes, we do, Madarame-san. They're all very beautiful and interesting." replied Keiko as she nodded at Madarame.

"I don't know how to put it into words… but it's really amazing." said Ann.

"You two are sensing something from the artworks… That alone is enough to give us artists satisfaction." said Madarame as he smiled quite happily to them before he glance at Yusuke. "I hope this becomes a wonderful piece, Yusuke. Well then, if you all will excuse me." Madarame told Yusuke before he turned around and take his leave.

"I hope this becomes a wonderful piece, Yusuke?" What does he mean by that?" thought Keiko slightly suspiciously in her mind about some of Madarame's words to Yusuke.

"You'd imagine artists would be difficult to approach… but he seems really friendly." said Ann as she smiled at Yusuke.

"Indeed." said Yusuke as he turned back and smiled slightly at Ann before she and Keiko turned and glance at another painting of a mountain in the distance with both sides covered with thick-looking trees while grasses and dozens of different coloured flowers stands in the middle of it.

"Oh, this is it-the painting I wanted to see in person." said Ann happily to Yusuke.

"…This one?" said Yusuke as he walked up and glance uncertainly at her.

"What do you think about this painting, Keiko?" Ann asked Keiko.

"Huh? Uh well, this painting is really impressive too and I can sense a strong feeling of anger and frustration emanating from it, Ann-san." replied Keiko. "It's hard for me to think that someone as polite and cheerful as Madarame-san could paint and produce such a painting…" added Keiko to Yusuke (who clutched his chest with his fist and had a grimaced look on his face).

"Is something wrong?" asked Ann when she noticed the grimace look on Yusuke's face.

"Are you feeling unwell, Kitagawa-san?" asked Keiko concernly to Yusuke when she noticed as well.

"Don't mind me, you two." replied Yusuke calmly to them (which deepen the suspicious feeling inside Keiko). "There are much better pieces than… this one. Come now, this way, you two." Yusuke added to them before he turned and walked away to the next painting.

"H-Hey!" yell Ann before she followed him.

"Hm, I wonder…" thought Keiko as she glance back and forth at the painting and at Yusuke before she decided to dismiss her suspicious thinking for now and went after Ann and Yusuke.

XXXX

In the station walkway...

After Mallory, Akira and Ryuji walked away from Madarame's art exhibit and the huge crowd that suddenly showed up and went into the exhibit, they arrived and stopped in the walkway of Shibuya.

"There. Much better and less crowded than the huge crowd in the art exhibit earlier, huh, Caelum-san?" said Akira as he smiled at Mallory.

"Yeah, thanks… Hang on, Sakamoto. What about Keiko, Ann and Morgana?" asked Mallory as she quickly glance at Ryuji after she thanked Akira.

"I'm sure they'll be fine, Caelum… Anyway, it's about a post online." said Ryuji as he search for the Phantom Aficionado Website, found it and he turned his phone around to show the post to Caelum after he dismissed him. "Here, look at this." said Ryuji.

"Fine." said Mallory as she took Ryuji's phone from him for a closer look while Akira also glance at Ryuji's phone as well just as both Keiko and Ann showed up, spotted and approach them.

"Oh, hello and nice to see you again, Kurusu-kun." greeted Keiko politely to Akira once she saw him.

"Yeah, nice to see you again too, Amamiya. Also, I'll see you again next time, Caelum-san." greeted Akira politely back to them before he bade farewell to them (and gave a wink to Mallory, which make her blush a little and make Keiko smirk in amusement when she noticed it) and walked away.

"There you two are!" snapped Ann as she stomped up to them with an annoy look on her face. "Why'd you guys leave without us!?" added Ann in more annoyance to them.

"You two got it all wrong; we got dragged into this huge crowd and-" said Ryuji as he sweat-dropped a little at Ann's harsh words before he briefly shook his head and show the post on his phone to them both. "…Eh, anyways. You two gotta look into this too. This post might be about Madarame."

"A post about Madarame, huh?" said Keiko.

"What's it say?" asked Ann.

"A master of the Japanese arts is plagiarizing his pupil's work. Only his public face is shown on TV." replied Ryuji.

"Plagiarizing!?" gasped Ann as she took several steps back while staring at them with a shock look on her face.

"That's terrible." said Keiko with a scowling look on her face.

"I didn't think much of it when I first saw it, but hearing "shack" and "Madarame" triggered it." said Ryuji as he nodded to Ann before he glance back at his phone. "His treatment of the pupils who live with him is awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around. He treats them inhumanely, as if disciplining a dog…" Ryuji continue reading the post from his phone to them.

"What!? That's even more terrible of him!" said Keiko, starting to feel angry at Madarame.

"Yeah, we know and you already say that twice, Keiko." said Mallory as she shake her head at Keiko.

"Abuse on top of plagiarism, hm…?" said Morgana with a scowl look on his face.

"If this is real, it'll be a huge scandal." said Ryuji with a wide and excited grin on his face.

"I wonder if Kitagawa-kun posted this. I mean, he IS a pupil of Madarame." said Ann as she grasped her chin with her hands thoughtfully.

"I doubt that, Ann-san. It could be someone else who hated Madarame and who posted that on the website." said Keiko with a shake of her head.

"Amamiya's got a point, Ann. It's anonymous and all…" said Ryuji.

"In that case… It's possible that the Madarame we heard about from Nakanohara in Mementos is referring to the same one." said Morgana.

"An elderly man like that doing such a thing…?" said Ann sullenly to herself and to them.

"It just goes to show that we can't judge a book by it's cover." said Mallory.

"I wonder if we can ask that Shadow from earlier about this." muttered Ann to herself and to the others. "Oh. Actually, we just need to talk to him in reality."

"And how do we go about that? Are we gonna explain it all, startin' with Mementos?" said Ryuji in a deadpan tone of voice to Ann.

"Besides, if we make a move out in the open, there's the possibility that Madarame will find out." said Morgana.

"Oh… Yeah, right…" murmured Ann in disappointment.

"Hey, what do you two think about Madarame? Doesn't he seem suspicious?" asked Ryuji as he glance at both Keiko and Mallory.

"Yeah, he does." replied Keiko as she nodded to Ryuji before Mallory could say anything.

"I know, right. This all fits way too well to just be a coincidence." said Ryuji in an agreeing tone of voice to Keiko. "If this post is legit, ain't this the kinda target we're been waitin' for?"

"Well, yeah but… Is it really true…?" said Ann doubtfully to them.

"I'm sure it's the way, what'd you two do about the whole modelling thing?" asked Ryuji.

"Kitagawa-san gave us both his contact info and also the address to his sensei's atelier." replied Keiko.

"He did say he lives there, right? Perfect timing." said Ryuji as he stood up with a wide smile on his face. "Let's try goin' there tomorrow! We're off to Madarame's house right after school!"

"Huh? You want us to model tomorrow!?" said Ann as she and Keiko gaped in shock at Ryuji (while Mallory scowled at Ryuji, who didn't noticed). "This is too sudden…"

"No kidding." added Mallory in agreement with Ann.

"What? We're just gonna talk to Kitagawa, that's all." said Ryuji, giving them an odd look.

"Oh, that's what you meant…" said Ann in a relief tone of voice to Ryuji.

"Next time, be more specific, alright?" said Keiko as she scowled at Ryuji (who nodded to her) before all of them bade farewell to each other, split up and went home.