"Are you sure about this?" Ren asked Hifumi. It was risky considering Akechi had them backed against a corner with his blackmailing deal. But Hifumi noticed something that may give them an edge despite how bad things looked.

"Yes." Hifumi nodded slowly. "At first glance, it's a well-crafted story. But I had a difficult time keeping a straight face as I listened to him. Truthfully…this isn't the first time my power has reacted to Akechi, but it is the first time it was so prominent."

"What's the problem?" Ren raised a brow.

"It's odd…there are both truths and lies within his story." Hifumi explained. "His claims were true about having a Persona and even spotting Black Mask. Although…I don't understand why he lied about having the Nav for only a month…or that Black Mask shot at him. It doesn't make sense…" Those were the only inconsistencies she couldn't figure out.

"He's had to have the Nav for longer than a month." Ren could say that with absolute certainty.

"Huh?" Hifumi turned to Ren. "That must be the case, but how can you say that so confidently?"

"Because this isn't the first time he's heard my voice." Morgana said. "You actually help prove this too, Hifumi."

"Me?" Hifumi pointed at herself.

"Yeah." Morgana nodded. "When we met him at the TV station, he responded to something that only I could have said. When we met you a little later, you couldn't understand me at all. I don't know what this means, but I do know that he's planning something…"

"I see…" Hifumi frowned. "We must tell the others about this when we get the chance…Kasumi as well. I had her stand out for a reason…and my reason was correct. Based on the lack of Kasumi in his photos, I can only surmise he took these when we came back after Haru awakened, prior to Kasumi joining us…" She was mumbling to herself. It was a gamble that paid off, as she was at least able to draw out some gaps in Akechi's knowledge about them. How useful it would be though, was a different story…

"We should probably get back…" Ren said.

"Do you mind going ahead? I…I need to make sense of this situation in greater detail. We are at a disadvantage…I want to do my part and help us gain an edge." Hifumi said. Ren and Morgana nodded before exiting the room, leaving Hifumi by her lonesome. "Think…" She told herself. This was serious. Akechi was luring them into something, she could feel it. She didn't want to distrust him, but he gave her no choice. "What does it all mean…"

.

.

Makoto and Akechi were prematurely closing the panel down below. Kasumi was waiting for everyone on the higher floor of the auditorium. But based on the looks on everyone's faces, not well… "Um…what happened…?"

"Long story short…he totally got us." Ryuji wanted to kick something, but he withheld the urge.

"He totally used Makoto's suggest against us…" Ann sighed, shoulders slumping over.

"We intended to get intel out of him, but I never imagined things would turn out like this…" Yusuke frowned.

"Should we really take him up on his offer?" Haru asked.

"I don't know." Ren admitted. "But the odds aren't in our favor…"

"Damn it! What are we supposed to do!?" Ryuji groaned.

"Calm down, Ryuji." Morgana said.

"How am I supposed to calm down!? What are we gonna do!?" Ryuji repeated, more frustrated this time.

"Ryuji-senpai…" Kasumi frowned. She wasn't told anything yet, but she could piece together what happened based on everyone's reactions.

"We'll tell you what happened in detail later." Ren said, watching as Akechi exit the stage.

"Hey, where's Fumi?" Ann asked, lifting her head to look around.

"She said she wanted to think about something. We'll probably see her later." Morgana said.

.

.

Sojiro was alone in the store, arms crossed as he watched the news. When nobody was actually pestering him about the topics he didn't want to talk about, he was pretty attentive. Especially since there was a particular object sitting on the counter: a calling card from the Phantom Thieves. But not just any random calling card…it was one he found in Futaba's room.

"Similar occurrences followed in succession earlier this spring. Although things have quieted down until recently, several incidents have occurred once again. Furthermore, new information has come to light about the suspect who suffered sudden mental shutdown…he had received a calling card from the Phantom Thieves…"

Sojiro's gaze went down to the calling card. "Why did Futaba have something like this…?"

"If a calling card was delivered, we can only assume that the Phantom Thieves are behind it. If so, those occurrences back in spring can be attributed to them as well. Moreover…"

Oh god. Sojiro's worst fear. With all the recent happenings, the mere mention of the Phantom Thieves caused some sort of paranoia within the populous. Sojiro was no fool either, easily piecing together two and two. "Oh god…"

.

.

Hifumi wandered a bit, getting lost in her thoughts. She really was trying to piece together Akechi's plan, but she didn't know enough about the truths hidden within his lies. She also ended up losing track of time and kept herself in the Practice Building. When she realized this, she had to wander back, but got a little lost. "Ugh…how did we get here again?" She didn't go to this part of Shujin, so it was only natural she got a little lost. She was on the first floor and noticed the Nurse's Office, so she knocked on the door in hopes someone was there to help her.

"Oh, come on in." Maruki was at his desk. He turned, only to see another unfamiliar face. "Hm?"

"Oh, I'm sorry to bother you…" Hifumi said quietly. "I'm visiting Shujin for the festival with my friends…and it appears I've gotten a little lost in here. I was hoping, if it weren't too much trouble…" She trailed off. When it came to talking with unfamiliar people, Hifumi still receded to her introverted self.

Maruki stood up from his seat, approaching Hifumi with a smile. "Of course, I don't mind giving you a hand. Follow me."

"Thank you." Hifumi flashed a brief smile before following alongside Maruki. When she took another look at him, she realized who he was. "Oh…you're Dr. Tatuko Maruki-san, aren't you? Yusuke was very ecstatic to talk to you…"

"That would be me, yes." Maruki nodded. "Do you mean Kitagawa-kun? I spoke to him yesterday…does this mean you know Takamaki-san and Sakamoto-kun as well?"

Hifumi then realized… "I'm sorry for being rude. I haven't even introduced myself…! My name is Hifumi Togo, I'm a second year at Kosei High. I also play shogi…and yes, they are my friends."

Maruki gave Hifumi a slight nod. "A pleasure to meet you, Togo-san. Do you go out much?"

"Er…did something I say give that away?" Hifumi rubbed her arm.

"You just seem a bit nervous." Maruki pointed out. "But you don't have to force yourself to talk to me. I say this all the time in my counseling sessions. I know this isn't a therapy session, but you don't have to talk in every situation if it makes you feel better."

"Is that so…?" Hifumi paused. "There are often times I don't wish to talk to people, but my reputation and situation demands it…"

"Your situation?" Maruki asked.

"Um…" Hifumi thought about elaborating. Since the others thought Maruki wasn't bad, she figured she could talk about this. He was a professional, and perhaps there were somethings she could share with him that she didn't want to immediately with the others. "If I talk, will it stay between us?"

"This isn't a formal session, but you have my word that anything you say will stay between us. That is my job after all." Maruki smiled.

"I see…" Hifumi says. "Well, like I said, I am a professional shogi player. Until recently, I had never lost a single match. It earned me the ire of my peers and they had no issues spreading rumors. My mother is in charge of everything in my shogi career…she is very obsessed with the notion of winning and will do anything. For the longest time, she wouldn't even let me interact with other people…least of all the dating ban imposed on me…it made me feel very…" Lonely wasn't quite the word she was looking for. It was something else…

"Isolated, maybe?" Maruki assumed that was the word Hifumi was looking for. She would've said lonely if that was the case, but he simply arrived at the answer first and gave it to her.

"Yes, that's right…" Hifumi nodded. "Don't get me wrong though. Even though my mother does make choices for me that I disagree with, I still love her. I know she's just trying to do what she thinks is best…and that she cares, I just wish she was better at showing it."

"People do show affection in different ways…not to say some ways aren't better than others." Maruki replied. "What about your father?"

"My father is great." Hifumi's expression turned much brighter at the mention of her father. "It's thanks to him that I found my passion for shogi to begin with. He also has a way of talking my mother down. I just wish…he wasn't so sick." She tried not to frown, but she couldn't help it.

"Your father is sick?" Maruki asked for confirmation.

"Yes. He's been sick for a while…" Hifumi wasn't going to go into more detail about that. She didn't like talking about it, especially to those who didn't know.

"Are you worried about your father?" Maruki wasn't going to press for details either.

"Yes." Hifumi nodded. "I simply wish there was more I could do for him…" Hifumi had done the extent of what she could. Now she had to wait and see if Takemi would be able to help her father's condition. She wanted to believe that something could be done, but her father's illness had already progressed so far already…he wouldn't make it to the end of the year, those words stuck with her. "All I can do is hope he gets better."

"I don't think that's true." Maruki shook his head. "Based on the fact that you're here at Shujin, I can imagine you're having fun with your friends, right? I think that as long as he knows you have a good support group, I think he can rest easier and know he doesn't have to worry about you. Believe me when I say that something like that helps."

"Truly…?" Hifumi stared towards Maruki. "Does that really help..?"

"A father knowing his daughter is doing just fine, surrounded by good people? I imagine that makes him feel great." Maruki smiled.

Hifumi could smile too. It was such a simple thing, but it never once crossed her mind. She was so worried about her father, she never once considered her father was worried about her. It was a little selfish on her end, but not in a bad way. "It seems I've been too narrow in my way of thinking…"

"It's never a bad thing to be concerned about a parent or someone close to you." Maruki replied.

"Still, you have opened my eyes a bit. I should be more mindful of people's feelings concerning me…" Hifumi was taking this to heart. She's always so concerned about other people, she forgets they worry about her just as much sometimes. Ann's concern for her just felt natural, as did the others'. Even Mika had acted the way she did because she was concerned for Hifumi in some way…she had to do better in responding to that. "Thank you, Dr. Maruki. I can see why the students here at Shujin like you."

"Oh, I'm just doing my job, that's all." Maruki had a sheepish tone. "I'd like to help more than just the students of Shujin someday…I want to help as many people as I can. I think everyone deserves a chance to be happy. An ideal world would be just that, don't you think, Togo-san?"

"Um. I think that would be nice…" Hifumi said. Maruki was kind of losing her now.

"I really hope to help create that kind of reality someday…" Maruki was going on a bit of a tangent now.

"I…" Hifumi wasn't sure what to say. Why? Because for the first time since her powers awaked…she could feel the overwhelming truth coming from Maruki. He was too honest about this. She detected no lies in any of his words, and that was normally a good thing…but something about this truth that left her a little….uncomfortable. But she didn't want to be rude. "Thank you for speaking with me, Dr. Maruki-san."

"Oh, I've taken up more of your time than I intended to. It was nice speaking to you as well, Togo-san. You can go out that way." Maruki pointed to the doors ahead.

"Thank you very much." With one final nod of appreciation, Hifumi made her exit. "He is a nice person…but why is his truth surprisingly, overwhelmingly frightening…?"

.

.

It was about time for the post festival party. Most of the group split up after the Akechi situation. Ren and Kasumi were walking together, as Ren just finished explaining to her what happened. Kasumi was frowning a bit the whole time. Ren was always so confident, but this was the first time Kasumi had seen him off his step. No doubt because of how things were spiraling after the death of Haru's Father. "Hey, Senpai!" Kasumi suddenly exclaimed, catching Ren by surprise.

"Hm? What's up?" Ren turned to look at Kasumi.

"The post festival party is about to begin. Why don't we go together?" Kasumi asked while checking her phone. "I do have a little time left before I have to leave. We don't want to end this on a bad note, do we?"

Kasumi did raise a good point…there was no point in being down in the dumps about everything, at least not right now. "I don't see why not."

"Oh, are you guys going to the gym?" Ann happened to be walking past. "Mind if I tag along? I told Fumi to come meet me there. She said she got lost…I probably shouldn't have left her unattended in a school that's not hers…"

"We can meet up with her there then!" Kasumi was being eager, trying to do her best to keep everyone's spirits high. She led the way to the gym, quietly pushing past a crowd only to spot Ryuji, Haru, Makoto, and…Mishima. "You guys are here too?"

"Oh, Yoshizawa-san? You're friends with everyone here?" Mishima asked. It was rather apparent that he wormed his way into the conversation.

"Oh, hello! Yes, I am." Kasumi gave Mishima a polite nod.

"Oh, and you're here too." Mishima turned to Ren. "I was just telling these guys that there's no way Akechi knows the Phantom Thieves identities, right? He's just bluffing."

"Uh…yeah. Bluffing." Ren said with a slight nod.

"He's been sayin' this ever since I bumped into him…" Ryuji said.

"Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing if what he said was true or not." Makoto was saying to Mishima, just to get him off the topic. But it was difficult to sway the topic away from anything Phantom Thief related with him.

"I think it was all a hoax." Mishima crossed his arms, stating this firmly. "I hate how confident he is about everything too."

"You 'n me both." Ryuji was quick to agree to that. He really couldn't stand Akechi's attitude.

"And now he's got the nerve to be like 'the Phantom Thieves didn't do it, but they're still dangerous'? Where does he get off!" Mishima's attitude was somewhat appreciated, but he didn't have to be so loud about it. "Don't you guys agree?"

"Um…yes. We agree. That's all." Ann was trying to shut the topic down somehow. They couldn't really talk about anything with Mishima standing right there…

"And now it's time for your favorite Shujin tradition: the Student Sharing Special!" The post festival MC exclaimed. "Round of applause everyone!" There was applause, but very few people were interested in this.

"This event is never very popular." Makoto said, using this as a chance to steer the topic. "But the older teachers seem to enjoy it for some reason."

"Now then, who wants to share?" The MC asked, but there was no response. That just wouldn't do! "No one? I'll just have to pick someone then!"

"I guess this disorder really makes the post festival party what it is." Ann shrugged.

"I wonder who he's going to pick…!" Haru asked aloud.

"I hope it ain't me…" Ryuji mumbled.

"I'm surprised, though. The MC is actually capable this year." Makoto nodded.

"Let's see…" The MC paused, only to hear the door to the gym opened. Target spotted. "How about…the cute brunette with the red ribbon! He was looking right at Hifumi, who walked into the gym at the wrong time.

"Pardon?" Hifumi pointed at herself. She had no idea what was going on.

"Well then! Come on up!" The MC gestured for Hifumi to stand up on the stage.

"…I found Hifumi-senpai." Kasumi said with a sweat drop.

Ann was also sweating. "I…..really shouldn't have left her alone."

"I…um…" Hifumi was looking around, but alas, she saw no way out of this. So she reluctantly walked to the stage and stood in front of the mic. "Um. Hello…" She was no stranger to interviews, but something about this setting just made her nervous.

"Now then, what's your name?" The MC asked.

"I'm Hifumi Togo. I, um…I don't actually go here." She pointed to her Kosei High uniform. "I am just visiting the festival with some friends, so…"

"Oh, she's cute…!"

"Isn't she that talented shogi player?"

"I wish she went to our school…"

The loud, numerous murmurs of the students were all heard. Some of them were clearly happy that the Venus of Shogi was gracing them with her presence. With such a positive reception, the MC continued. "Welcome to Shujin, Togo-san! Your cute face seems to have captivated the entire crowd, and you've got the brains to boot! I can't imagine you having many complaints!"

"Er…" Hifumi wasn't sure what to say.

"I think she's drowning up there…" Kasumi said.

"So, Togo-san! On with the show! What would you like to share with us today?" The MC asked.

"I…" Hifumi paused for a moment. "I don't really know…I didn't come here with the intention of sharing anything?"

Hm. The MC had to think of something to keep the show going. "Let me ask you something. What brings you to Shujin today? Is it possible you were drawn in by the rumors of the Phantom Thieves being Shujin students?"

Hifumi was surprised by that question. "E-Excuse me…?"

"Oh, he's going right for the kill!"

"We're dying to know what Akechi-kun was going to say about their identities! So, are they from Shujin? What do you think, Togo-san?" The MC asked.

"W-What do I think? Well…" Hifumi was floundering out there. She really couldn't give an answer. "I…"

"Hifumi's in trouble…I should probably do something…" Ren thought to himself.

"Fumi's dying out there! I gotta do something..!" Ann felt bad. This was her fault that Hifumi was struggling on stage and she had to fix it.

"I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU!" That came from Ren. He just blurted it out with no warning what so ever.

"What?!" Makoto's eyes widened to comical levels, jaw dropping at Ren's sudden words.

"Dude?!" Ryuji recoiled.

"Ren-!?" Haru gasped.

"W-WHAT?!" Hifumi was so caught off guard by that sudden declaration, she let out a flustered yelp.

"Wow…Amamiya's got guts…." Mishima remarked quietly.

"WHAT!?" Kasumi, for some reason, had the most shocked reaction! Her reaction was even more awestruck than Hifumi's, and she was the one being spoken too!

"HEY NO FAIR, I WAS GONNA SHOUT!" Ann turned to Ren, furrowing her brows. For a moment, Ren and Ann had the same idea. Ann was mad that Ren thought of it first.

Now THIS was interesting. The MC latched onto these turn of events immediately. "Now THIS is drama! A boy caught in the throes of bittersweet youth, a girl fighting for what she thinks is hers! Is this a love triangle in the making!? A stunning confession of love! I think it was those two!" He pointed to Ren and Ann, while the audience murmured with excitement.

"W-What?! What are you two doing…!?" Hifumi was panicking, her face painted red.

"Oh ho! So you know these two!?" The MC was really into this now, as was the crowd. "So, Togo-san, what's your relationship with those two? You said you were here with friends, right? Could it be…?"

"Huh…!? Um…! This is…! I…!" Hifumi had to avert her eyes. This was far too much for her.

"Wow, she's so cute….!"

"I've never seen her so red…" Makoto was a little worried.

"Aw, she's read as a beet…!" The MC laughed a bit. "But I'm a gentleman. It hurts my heart to bully such a sweet girl! Well, did you all enjoy our blushing beauty! Thank you very much, Togo-san!"

"Aw, just as it was getting interesting…!"

"T-Thank you for having me!" Hifumi was too cordial to not say a proper goodbye. But she absolutely hurried off of the stage. She was definitely about to die of embarrassment.

"Ahaha…Fumi, wait…!" Now Ann had to go make sure Hifumi wasn't scarred from that or anything. Hifumi was fine, it just wasn't an experience she'd like to repeat.

"I can't believe you said that, Ren-senpai…!" Kasumi said with puffed cheeks. Why was she blushing!?

"I didn't think Ann was also gonna say anything." Ren scratched the back of his neck.

"It was a very bold move on both of your ends…" Makoto turned her head away, hiding her expression.

"I think I have a shot." Mishima said confidently, although nobody understood what he was talking about.

"Uh…what are you talkin' about dude?" Ryuji asked.

"Togo-san! If Amamiya can boldly declare something like that, I think I'd have a chance too." This was absolutely the kind of thing Mishima would say. Nobody wanted to comment on that and just awkwardly nodded in agreement.

.

.

"The mass media has been causing quite a commotion lately." The SIU Director told Sae. "No countermeasure for the Phantom Thieves, The Sorry State of the Police, Destruction of Safety. They're saying whatever they want." Shaking his head, the Director continued. "So, how's the investigation progressing? Any clues yet?"

"Nothing that leads to a firm conviction yet." Sae regretfully reported.

"What's going on here?" The SIU Director was displeased with Sae's response. "Weren't you serious about this case? And I thought I told you that failure won't be tolerated." Sae had no response, only a disgruntled noise escaped her. "Well, this is troublesome. If things continue at this rate, never mind a promotion…we'd have to let you go entirely."

"But sir…!" Sae objected.

"I had high expectations for you." The Director sighed. "But it seems this task was too much to handle for someone so young. We may need to reform the operation as well, since the selected personnel has…"

"Please, let me see this through to the end!" Sae blurted out. "This case is something that I've always…!"

"I know that you've been at this for a while now, even before the police gave us aid for it. If you can manage an arrest, I've made special arrangements so that you can question them personally." The Director said. "That's what you want, isn't it?" He leaned forward. "The leadership of this country is about to change. We cannot allow this case carry into his term. I'll make myself clear again. Failure isn't an option. We need results."

Sae gave a nod. "I understand."

"You're allowed to take some…bold measures if you need to. We need good results, no matter what." The Director was giving Sae permission to take whatever actions she felt she needed to. The door was open for any tactic Sae felt like she could use. It was dangerous, but that was the idea. Sae nodded and started to leave, but he stopped her. "Oh, one more thing. If the unexpected happens to occur, contact me immediately."

"To you, sir…?" Sae was surprised, because directly contacting the Director was never something she had to do. It was usually the other way around.

"I said failure wasn't an option, didn't I?" The Director repeated. Sae nodded and left the room properly this time. The Director walked to the window and pulled out his phone to contact a certain someone. "Yes. Everything is proceeding as planned…"

.

.

Ren and Futaba were in the hot seat. As soon as they returned home, Sojiro was questioning Futaba about the calling card he found in her room. Futaba was folding under the pressure so Ren had to explain everything. "The first incident of a change of heart was a teacher at your school. The kid who brought a painting here was a pupil of that artist who had a change of heart, wasn't he? I don't think I need to say anything about the situation with Haru-chan and her father…and then there's Futaba. You always seem to be linked to these incidents somehow. Got anything to say?"

Damn. To be honest, Ren didn't expect Sojiro to be this sharp…but it was all true. "You're sharp. Sorry for keeping quiet."

"Do you know what people call them? Criminals!" Sojiro said. "Why did you introduce such dangerous people to Futaba!?"

"That's not true!" Futaba exclaimed. "I asked them! That's why he saved me! He stole my heart!"

Ah, shit. They could've slipped away in this situation with only having a connection to the Phantom Thieves, but Futaba's outburst outed Ren immediately. "…"

"Asked? Stole…?" Sojiro wasn't sure what Futaba was talking about. "Wait, are you saying that he's the one who changed your heart? He doesn't just deal with the Phantom Thieves? He's one of them!? You're pulling my leg, aren't you?"

"Oh…um…" Futaba was really panicking now. She put her foot in her mouth and it was too late to take it out.

Well…there was no choice now. Ren stared Sojiro dead in the eyes before speaking. "This is no joke. I…I am a Phantom Thief. The leader of them, to be precise."

"You…" Sojiro's eyes widened. This was too much of a shock, he wanted to deflect the truth at first. But Ren wasn't lying and he knew it. "You…really are a Phantom Thief? For crying out loud…I've been sheltering a phantom thief for the last six months? And, on top of that, Futaba is involved too…"

"I want to find the culprit who killed my mom!" Futaba exclaimed.

"Wait, killed?!" Sojiro said.

"I remember it now! The way mom died wasn't normal…!" Futaba insisted.

"Stop this nonsense!" Sojiro replied loudly. In his eyes, this was a ridiculous notion. He just couldn't get over the fact that Futaba was involved in this Phantom Thief business.

"Are you the same as everyone else!? Why won't you believe me!" Futaba yelled at the top of her lungs, and from the bottom of her heart. If anyone knew about the oddities of Wakaba's death, she knew it had to be Sojiro. He had to understand. "Didn't you realize something was off about her death!? That someone stole her research!? Sojiro….!"

A heavy silence lingered in the air. Sojiro glanced away. He knew Futaba was right. "When she died, I did think it was strange. But what could I do but run away from it all? To be frank, 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 shook her head.

Sojiro didn't need a mirror to know how harsh he was being. "I acted all big, lectured, and even yelled at you kids…and I ended up getting consoled by her. God…real pathetic, aren't I?"

"That's not true." Ren shook his head.

"He's right! I mean, the one who killed Mom is at fault…! And I saw them…!" Futaba was very convinced that Black Mask was the one who killed her mother. "They got away once…but I won't let it happen again, I swear it."

Sojiro was silent once again. He had a lot to think about, but he reached one conclusion in the blink of an eye. "Don't worry. Even if you are real Phantom Thieves, I have no intentions of reporting or kicking you out. I mean, who would believe such a story? Unless they catch you red handed, it's impossible to explain that you're the Phantom Thieves. Let me just say one thing though. Immediately back out of a fight you can't win."

"Back out?" Ren quirked a brow.

"Don't you get it? If by some chance, you pissed off the same guys you killed Wakaba, then they're not someone that kids like you can deal with. Listen to reason, all right?" This was the one warning Sojiro had to give them. He slid out of the booth and stood up. "We're done talkinga bout this. C'mon, it's time to eat. All that yelling's got me hungry."

When Sojiro walked off, Morgana popped out of the bag. "Whew…if he turned us in, that would've jeopardized our whole operation. Still, we should tell the others what happened…"

Futaba groaned and slumped onto the table. "I'm tired…"

.

.

Ryuji: What?! He knows everything!? Are you fucking kidding?

Hifumi: Ryuji, please be mindful of the language…!

Ann: Wait, are you OK? Did he report you or anything?

Ren: I'm fine.

Yusuke: We most likely would not be receiving these messages if he weren't okay. I had a feeling boss was no normal man…

Kasumi: That's a relief, at least…

Haru: But he didn't recommend you to turn yourself in, did he? I think we can consider him a new ally in that case.

Yusuke: I'm more curious about what he mentioned to you.

Haru: You mean how our enemy might be the one who targeted Futaba's mother?

Hifumi: Futaba's mother was targeted a few years ago, wasn't she?

Futaba: That's right. I know it was Black Mask now.

Ann: Wait, though. Didn't you say that Boss had to 'run away from it all'…? Does that mean someone was trying to stop the news from getting out? Who could do that…?

Ren: Hifumi's theory is looking more and more likely by the second…and if we're going with that, someone who has power over the police…has to be a government official.

Ryuji: Wait…if that's right…

Makoto: That's not impossible. Hifumi truly may have been closer to the mark than we could've imagined…

Kasumi: That's a lot to wrap my head around…

Hifumi: I may be correct, but that only worries me a little bit. Still, this is no reason to back down…

Haru: We'll win this somehow, right?

Futaba: Of course we'll win! No matter what!