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~Normal POV

This couldn't be happening. Sojiro was holding the calling card they'd given Futaba… Akira felt his blood run cold. He wanted to run, just run away and never look back, but his legs felt like they'd turned to stone… Beside him Futaba was having a similar reaction. Her eyes were wide and fearful behind her glasses; her breathing became erratic. How did she not see this coming? Sojiro's piercing gaze bore right through them.

"This is a calling card, right?" He said, "I've read about it online too."

Futaba seemed to finally find her voice. "Y-You went into my room without permission?!"

"I'll apologize as much as you want later." The old man said, frowning. "So, what is this?"

Futaba couldn't give him an answer. Her heart pounding in her chest with fear. "That's… It's…"

"Is it something to get flustered over?" Sojiro asked. "...I knew it. This isn't just some game you're playing… Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Why did you keep it?!" Morgana asked from inside Akira's bag.

"I- I mean… it was m-memorable…" Futaba answered softly.

"Explain." Sojiro commanded, gruffly. Futaba couldn't bring herself to answer, her eyes welling up with tears. "Can't tell me?"

"Don't blame Futaba." Akira said, finally finding the will to speak.

Sojiro glanced at him but continued anyway. "I'll get right to the point. Is this a real one? Did they… trigger a change of heart in you?"

Futaba was crying at this point. She barely choked out a response. "Ever since… Mom died… there was no exit… I was trapped in a labyrinth of… my heart… I knew I… had to leave it… but I couldn't do it… by myself…"

Sojiro's hard gaze softened, apparently he accepted that answer. "Futaba… here, sit down, both of you. I can at least listen to what you have to say."

Futaba sniffled and sat down in a booth. Akira sat next to her, putting his bag on his other side. This wasn't going to end well. No matter how discreet Futaba could be, Akira had a feeling that Sojiro was about to realize the truth… God only knows what he'd do after that… The old man sat down across from them.

"The Phantom Thieves saved me…" Futaba started, tearfully. "They stole… my messed up heart… It's the same as mom's research! They changed my cognition!"

"Seriously?" Sojiro said, stroking his beard. "Wakaba's research about altering one's cognition… I wondered about it myself too but still…"

"...When did you notice," Akira asked, quietly.

"When she said she was gonna go to the beach out of nowhere… Even the doctors had thrown in the towel."

Of course that was it… Their beach trip, while it was fun at the time, was bound to be just a bit too outlandish for the old man not to think about it. They just wanted to have a fun party for Futaba and look where it ended them up…

"At first, I just chalked it up as other kids being a better support for you than any adult." Sojiro continued, gently. "But as I kept watching the tabloid shows here day in and day out, a thought crossed my mind… I thought your case kinda seemed similar to what these Phantom Thieves were doing." He smirked a little. "I'm still your guardian, you know. I'd never overlook such a drastic change in your behavior."

Futaba was still crying. "Sojiro…"

"But to think that Wakaba's research and the Phantom Thieves changing hearts were about the same thing…" Sojiro sighed heavily. "...Back in the day, I used to be a government official. My job was to be the bridge between the country and the lab that Wakaba worked at. It's around that time I got to know her… One night, we went out for a drink together… and she said something odd… That one of these days she might die a bizarre death… Who wouldn't take that as a joke? I just laughed it off… But it happened… exactly as she said… If anything were to happen to you, I'd feel like I let her down."

He paused before finally turning his gaze to Akira. "Judging from your attitude, Akira, you knew about this calling card, didn't you? You should have known Futaba had a change of heart through the Phantom Thieves… Is there a connection between you and them? The first incident was a teacher at your school, right? The kid who brought that painting here was a pupil of that artist who had a change of heart, wasn't he? And then there's Futaba… you always seemed to be linked… Got anything to say?"

"...Sorry for keeping quiet…" Akira replied, genuinely. It couldn't be called a lie, but it was all he could bring himself to say, even if it wasn't entirely true…

"You know what people call them? Criminals! Why did you introduce such dangerous people to Futaba?!"

"That's not true!" Futaba shouted. "I asked him! That's why Akira saved me! He stole my heart!"

And there it was. The truth is out now… Akira was barely surprised. He watched Futaba immediately regret her outburst; she stared up at him with wide, apologetic, eyes. If Akira was a Phantom Thief, then it should be no problem at all to deduce the rest of the team from there. The boy mentally prepared himself for the inevitable…

"Asked…? Stole…" Sojiro said. "He- He doesn't just deal with the Phantom Thieves…? He's one of them…?"

He might as well own up to it, trying to lie now wouldn't help his case. He would be kicked out regardless.

"...I'm the leader of the Phantom Thieves…"

"Akira, no!" Futaba tried to shush him, but he ignored her.

Sojiro gaped at him in shock. "Are you serious…? You really are a phantom thief? Oh, for crying out loud… So basically, I've been sheltering a phantom thief for the last six months?!"

"Since April, yes…" Akira said, softly.

"And… And… all your friends…?"

Akira nodded. "Yes… they're my teammates…"

"And on top of that, Futaba's involved too!? What the hell… People are saying you-"

"WE NEVER KILLED ANYONE!" Akira shouted, indignantly. "We were framed!"

"FRAMED BY THE SAME SON OF A BITCH WHO KILLED MOM!" Futaba added, angrily.

"...Killed?"

Sojiro looked much paler than before. It was clear dozens of thoughts were racing through his head. Reevaluating the horrid news he heard that fateful day. Recalling how he nearly drank himself to death from hearing about how he lost the woman he had loved so dearly. And the only thing that stopped him was Futaba… How she needed someone trustworthy to look after her… How her relatives were treating her… It was disgusting… She needed help, and he had to be there for her… If Wakaba was murdered… then he truly had been blind the whole time.

"I remember it now!" Futaba continued, in near hysterical tone. "Do you believe me?! Or are you the same as everyone else?! Didn't you know already?! The way mom died wasn't normal! Didn't you notice that her research was stolen?! She was murdered! Murdered! And my friends promised to help me find her killer! Sojiro, I'm a Phantom Thief too! I've been helping them ever since they saved me! So if you're gonna kick him out for being a Phantom Thief, then you gotta kick me out too! I need to see this through to the end! I want to find that bastard and make him confess!"

Sojiro stayed quiet for a long time, thinking over what she'd said. "...When she passed away… I did think it was odd… But what could I do? All I was able to do was run from it all. Run away, hide… and end up here, as some old guy running a café… To be honest, I took you in for my own good… Like it'd somehow make up for what I'd done. It's basically my fault that you got burdened with all this crap…"

"It's not your fault, Sojiro…" Futaba assured, quietly. "It's the murderer's fault…"

"...You're a phantom thief too?"

"Yes…"

"I see…" Sojiro stared at the two of them thoughtfully. "And… you truly do only change hearts? You don't hurt anyone?"

The two teens nodded. "It's our most sacred rule, Boss." Akira answered. "We never kill our target. We're trying to clear our names."

Sojiro sighed. "And… you did save Futaba…"

"She asked us, sir. We don't ignore people in trouble."

"...Then… Ok. I won't tell." They stared at him in disbelief. "And I won't kick you out either… You and your friends are welcome here too… Heh, I mean, who would believe such a story anyway? Unless they catch you red-handed it's impossible to explain that you're the Phantom Thieves."

Futaba sobbed, "Thank you, Sojiro…"

"Thank you, Boss…" Akira replied, softly.

"Let me just say one thing though. Immediately back out of a fight you can't win. If by chance you've pissed off the same guys who killed Wakaba… then they're not someone that kids like you can deal with. Listen to reason, alright?"

They took his warning, albeit a bit dishonestly. They already knew that was the turn of events that must have happened to put them in this mess… Sojiro then got up and said he'd make them dinner, all that yelling must have tired them out. Eating together was still awkward though, now that he knew their secret.

Once they'd finished, the two teens went up to the attic to let everyone in the group chat know what happened. The others weren't that surprised Sojiro was so observant. With how often they hung around here, he was bound to suspect something eventually. Especially with how quiet they were upstairs all the time. Futaba must have apologized to Akira and Morgana a dozen times… She even considered not going home tonight just out of shame… But she left in the end, even with Akira offering to let her have his bed if she was going to stay. Sojiro knew the truth now… and he wasn't going to turn them in. Akira couldn't have been more grateful.

Now all he had to worry about was answering Akechi's deal.

~End of Chapter