The final bell of the day rings out and my classroom erupts into side conversations. Chouno-sensei gives up on trying to quiet the class, all the teachers have at this point. Despite it already being Thursday, the change of heart from last weekend is a developing story that has everyone abuzz. Actually... It even looks like Chouno-sensei is curious about the latest gossip, it doesn't usually take her that long to gather up her things.

I stifle a giggle. Nijima-san did say that Yakuza from the jail was a big deal but I didn't expect it to be the talk of the school like this. It makes me wonder if it was like this when the Thieves were students here. Did the student body spread rumors for weeks after every change of heart they performed? The Thieves were less public then, but that probably made them more interesting since they were a new concept.

"Chouno-sensei, were you a teacher here when the Phantom Thieves changed the heart of that one coach?" one of my classmates asks, a girl with sandy brown hair that looks natural rather than dyed. I never got her name, since she sits on the other side of the room from me.

Chouno-sensei puffs out her chest at the attention. "Well, yes I was in fact here," she says, clearly baiting for more questions. The room quiets down a bit as other students catch on to their opportunity.

"That's so cool Sensei!"

"Are you a fan?!"

"Who let the coach get away with all that stuff before the Thieves changed his heart?"

"Did you know the jerk?"

I wince sympathetically along with Chouno-sensei. Those last two questions are probably more than she wants to answer. From what little Amamiya-san, Ann-san, and Morgana have mentioned, Kamoshida was a real scumbag and it was a very personal case to them. I've batted around the idea of researching the news articles from back then, to see if I could piece it together but... That feels like invading their privacy.

"Haha yes, how could I not be a fan? I used to have some theories on if they attended this school actually..." Chouno-sensei replies and the classroom clammers for the details. "Well, perhaps I can tell you in English tomorrow, that way you'll have something you want to study, no?"

The entire class groans and Chouno-sensei laughs. "Non, don't be disappointed, my theories were disproved by the second detective prince in the first place."

"Sensei..." a couple of students groan. Who knew Chouno-sensei had a teasing side? I wonder if that helps her get along with Principal Kawakami.

"I must be off, good day students, and study chapter 5!" Chouno-sensei says and she heads out the door. Everyone breaks into their smaller groups to continue discussions about this or that. I push my chair back and make for the exit, sliding my bag over my shoulder.

"Chouno-sensei is such a troll!"

"I hope Miyako can make the mixer next week, what with her family and all..."

"There goes the transfer, all alone..."

I... stop eavesdropping at that point. I slide the classroom door closed and let out a sigh. There are a couple of classmates who tolerate me when I'm around, but I haven't really broken the whole transfer student reputation. It's... hard to do when you've never settled into a community before. I think the longest I spent in a single school system was two years? But those years I had... other issues keeping me from a normal life...

I shake my head to dislodge those thoughts. It's a rather nice day and I'm looking forward to another afternoon at Cafe Arsene. I make my way out of the building, trying not to listen to any other conversations I might not want to hear.

In the schoolyard, my phone rings. Speak of the... well, not devil, more like the trickster. "Hi, Amamiya-san."

"I've got a favor to ask you... or well, I should say pass on to you."

I blink. That's a first, I'm usually the one relying on him. "Anything Amamiya-san, what is it?"

"You remember Leblanc?" he takes my silence as a yes and continues. "Sojiro and Futaba had to drive up to her campus to get some new research equipment Futaba had them order."

"So Boss-san closed Leblanc then?"

"Not... quite. Yusuke helps him out with Leblanc in exchange for the attic room as a studio, so Yusuke should have opened up by now."

"Should have?"

"Ah... That's right, he was out when we went to Leblanc, you haven't met him yet." Amamiya-san pauses as if to find the right words. "Yusuke is an artist, first and foremost, and he's got a show in a Shibuya gallery this weekend. It would not surprise, well, any of us if he worked till he passed out last night on another piece to add to the gallery and forgot to open the shop."

"I... see..."

"So, long story short, Sojiro wanted to borrow you for the afternoon to make sure Leblanc is running fine. He'll be back before dinner time, so you won't be over there for more than a few hours. Sound good?"

Shoveling the fear of disappointing Boss-san's elite clientele that can tell a rookie coffee brew by just the smell, I reply, "Yeah, I'll do it."

"Thanks, it's not often Sojiro asks for help so you'll be doing him and me a big favor." Amamiya-san pauses again. "... Hey, swing by after Sojiro and Futaba get back. Ann's home pretty early tonight, I'll have her pick up a cake as a thank you."

"Oh, you don't-"

Amamiya-san cuts me off, "Don't have to, but want to. I'll see you later," and the phone clicks. I look down at the ended call screen, trying to process for a moment. With a sign, I swipe into my apps to get subway directions to Yongen Jaya.

-

One annoyingly hard-to-find transfer later, I'm back on the streets of Yongen Jaya. Leblanc is only a few minutes from the station so the door of Boss-san's cafe quickly comes into view. It's kind of funny, actually, how used to the velvet blue door at Arsene. Seeing a normal brown door feels so out of place.

With a deep breath, I push the door open. I suppose the first of Boss-san's fears is alleviated, as the door isn't locked and the closed sign has been turned to open. Leblanc is a more traditional look than Arsene, but it smells much the same, like coffee and curry. After the last month, it's the most comforting smell in the world to me.

There's a handful of customers, though not the coffee connoisseurs I expected. An older couple is sitting in a booth, holding hands on the table as they talk quietly with one another. A young woman with dark hair and a lovely blue and orange patterned dress sits at the counter near them, and a few seats away is a tired-looking man nursing a very large coffee.

Finally, there's one man behind the counter, who I recognize as Yusuke from photos Amamiya-san has around Cafe Arsene. He has blue hair, long enough to warrant it being in a bun on the back of his head. It looks like he didn't shave this morning, and his dress shirt under the Leblanc apron might be buttoned wrong. He has sharp eyes that would be outright intimidating if not for his long lashes. Despite the general mess he looks like, I can tell just by the rolled-up sleeve of his shirt that he has a lean build that's almost entirely muscle. If hadn't already seen photos of him with the other Thieves, that alone would make me suspect he fought with them.

I don't actually remember getting Yusuke-san's family name (honestly, I don't think I've met a single person who even uses an honorific with his name) so I walk up to where he's talking with the woman at the counter. "Um..."

Yusuke-san glances in my direction, those sharp eyes sending a shiver down my spine. "Good afternoon. I apologize, I do not know your regular order if you have one, but I could..."

"Oh, um, I'm not a customer."

"Then you are...?" Yusuke-san cocks an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yusuke-kun!" the woman exclaims quietly. "Don't be rude just because you're tired."

Yusuke-san turns back to the woman, as if he has to look at her to process her words, then nods slowly. "Yes, that might have been a tad blunt."

"It's um, it's fine," I say with an awkward smile. "I don't know if Amamiya-san told you but-"

"Ah! Ren's protegee!" Yusuke-san all but shouts. I flush realizing the old couple and even the tired man turned to look.

"Sojiro's Ren? Oh, it's wonderful that he's passing on what he learned," the old woman says approvingly. I'm pretty sure my ears are red at this point.

"Um, yes... Anyway Y, Yusuke-san, apparently Boss-san asked Amamiya-san if I could come help out here today since you have a big gallery coming up?"

Yusuke-san blinks. "Huh. Boss-san is truly a kind landlord, to accommodate my art like that. Yes, this will do excellently. Let me find..." Yusuke-san ducks under the counter and starts rustling around in the shelves.

"Amamiya-kun has been teaching you brewing then?" the woman beside me says, turning to face me. I nod.

"Yes, I've been working for him for about a month now."

"I must have missed you the last time I was there then..." the woman trails off. "Oh, apologies. My name is Togo Hifumi, Amamiya-kun and I go back to when we were in high school."

She... couldn't be a Phantom Thief too, right? "How... did you meet?"

Togo-san smiles softly. "Amamiya-kun helped me with some problems I was having back then, in exchange for Shogi lessons, of all things. It wasn't long before I realized he's always helping someone, no matter what it is he's doing."

I return Togo-san's smile. "Yeah, he really is."

"Aha! There you are, traitorous tome!" Yusuke-san barks from behind the counter. He pops up a moment later with a spiral-bound notebook. Leblanc's logo has been drawn on the front cover. "This should tell you where everything is and needs to be. You can have the utmost faith in it, as it was written by Ren-kun himself."

"I'll let you get to it then. Yusuke-kun, until next time," Togo-san waves to Yusuke-san then turns to me, "and I assume I shall see you next time I visit Arsene."

"Y, Yes! Thanks for coming!" I say, despite not being the one wearing the store apron. Yusuke-san only nods to her and returns his attention to the notebook. Taking the hint, I make my way around the counter to stand behind him. I recognize most of the equipment in Leblanc, to be honest. It's clear Amamiya-san used Leblanc as a starting point when building Arsene.

"..." Yusuke-san looks at me, and I look at him.

"..."

The tired man stands from his chair with a snort. "Not to interrupt Kitagawa-kun, but here's what I owe you."

"Oh, thank you. That's all for you today then?" Yusuke replies, stepping over to take the bills from the man.

"Yeah, These shift changes at the warehouse are going to kill me. Appreciate the coffee, and good luck this weekend." The man makes his way to the door but pauses. "Also, just the young lady have the notebook and handle the place. Boss isn't going to let someone cover for you unless they met his standards."

"That would... make sense. Yes, thank you for the advice," Yusuke replies. The man just makes his way out without another word. "So I will give you this then, and..."

"Leblanc isn't that different than Arsene Yusuke-san, I don't expect to have any trouble."

"Excellent! These extra hours may allow me to truly capture the beauty of the metaverse in my next piece."

"Beauty?" I mutter sarcastically, checking the mug rack out.

"Yes, the beauty of it. Ren-kun has mentioned you've been there before have you not?"

I glance over to the older couple, still sitting in the cafe. They seem engrossed in each other, and we're not speaking loudly enough to be overheard... "Yes, but I didn't find it beautiful. It was scary. Especially with those Shadows wandering around, ripping things out of people."

Yusuke-san pauses to consider my words as if the idea never occurred to him. He... seems just a bit out of touch with reality, it's always possible it never did. "... But is not the concept of desire as a valuable treasure beautiful? That our dreams and aspirations are treasures to be protected?"

"I... suppose," I shrug, "but it doesn't make something trying to steal those treasures less terrifying."

"Perhaps it just a matter of perspective." Yusuke-san shrugs. "In any case, this would not be the place to discuss such matters. I do not endeavor to be a loose-lipped as Ryuji, after all. Should you need anything, I will be in the studio upstairs. Should you hear any banging from up there, it is simply the paint cans."

With that odd little warning, Yusuke-san makes his way up the stairs. I adjust my bangs, a nervous habit I picked up from Amamiya-san I can't seem to break. Yusuke-san... is definitely on his own wavelength. It's a bit intimidating, but I don't think I offended him or anything. Plus, Togo-san said he was tired, that might be all it is.

Well, I hope. I put that out of my mind and focus on finding everything I'll need to run the cafe up to Boss-san's expectations.

-

Futaba-san barges into Leblanc just past seven pm. Despite the handful of customers in the store she skips through the store to the foot of the stairs and calls up them to Yusuke-san, who I haven't seen since I arrived.

"Inari! Come help me move this gear into the house!"

"Futaba, you could be a little respectful..." Boss-san mutters as he enters.

"Ehehe... I've been cooped up in that car too long, I'm itching to get started!" Futaba-san grins and Boss-san's disappointment melts from his face.

"Alright, alright. You and Kitagawa have that covered?"

"Covered like dust on Doritos!"

"What kind of analogy is that...?" Yusuke-san asks as he joins Futaba-san at the foot of the stairs.

"Unimportant! Let's go, time to put those muscles to work!" Futaba-san grabs Yusuke by the hand and drags him outside. He doesn't attempt to resist, which amuses me. I guess Futaba-san is on his wavelength, or he just knows better. My bet's on the latter.

"Everything okay around here?" Boss-san asks me. He's grabbed his own apron and has joined me around the back of the counter.

I bite back the instinct to say 'yes sir' like I did last time, and instead say, "Everything was fine, Boss-san."

"Kitagawa didn't give you any trouble?" Boss-san says, eyes on the front door Yusuke-san just exited from. I shake my head in reply. "Good. He's a bit of an odd duck but he means well."

"I... think I can see that."

Boss-san grins. "You're a smart kid, I bet you do. You'd best slip out now before Futaba tries to rope you into her new project."

I nod. "Is it something she'd need help on?" I ask as I return my apron to the rack.

"No idea, everything she said on the ride back was far beyond me. She's like her mother that way," he says fondly.

"I'm sure she's a lot like you in other ways, Boss-san."

Boss-san looks taken aback for a moment, before flashing that grin he reserves only for Amamiya-san and Futaba-san. "Maybe so. Thanks for helping me out, now get goin."

I turn at the door to flash Boss-san a grin. "Happy to help!" Boss-san nods and I make my way out as the door chime rings behind me.

-

The rest of the week leading up to Sunday and Yusuke-san's event is pretty uneventful. The event isn't till evening, so I make my way to Arsene, assuming Amamiya-san will be open for the morning at least. The lights are on, but when I get to the door I can see Amamiya-san has the closed sign up. I'm not sure if Amamiya-san forgot to turn off the lights last night, or he forgot to flip the sign this morning or... The door opens while I'm trying to decide, revealing Amamiya-san.

"There you are," he says before turning over his shoulder and saying in a louder voice "Ann, she's here, we can head out!"

"Huh? Err, I mean good morning Amamiya-san."

"You can lead with the Huh, I won't judge," he replies wryly. He steps out into the street, stretching his arms over his head. He's dressed in a blazer over a T-shirt, making it a casual look with the jeans he's wearing but it still makes him stand out. "You remember Yusuke has a gallery opening tonight right?"

I nod in response.

"We're going to go meet up with him and make sure he has a presentable outfit for the opening night. Yusuke has..."

"Eccentric tastes?"

Amamiya-san winks in affirmation. I giggle a little.

"Morning!" Ann-san calls as she steps out. She hands Amamiya-san the bag with Morgana in it while shifting her own little backpack over a shoulder. She's got a bomber jacket on over a blouse and jeans as well, but she looks just as stunning as ever. "You look good today Ren," she adds before pecking his cheek with a kiss.

"Right, I forgot..." Amamiya-san mutters and he shuffles back inside for a moment. Ann-san pouts, but before I can ask why Amamiya-san returns with those fake glasses he's usually wearing on.

"Ugh, Ren, I just said you look good without those...!" Ann-san whines as he locks Arsene's door.

"You know I hate to stand out," Amamiya-san replies with a tone that implies this is a conversation they've had made times before.

"That was important in high school, not now...! You just like surprising people with how good you look when you take them off!"

"Little bit," Amamiya-san smirks and returns the kiss Ann-san gave him before.

Ann-san sighs exaggeratedly before turning to me. "Did he mention where we're going?"

"You two are going to help Yusuke get an outfit for his show tonight, yeah."

Ann-san grins. "Us three you mean. I told you we were going to go shopping, yeah? This is the perfect opportunity, Ren has more than enough fashion sense to keep an eye on Yusuke."

I'm pretty sure I don't have the spare cash to be buying anything Ann-san would recommend, but going together does sound fun and it's not like I had other plans for the day. "Sounds good!"

"Yes, away we go!" Ann-san cheers as we make our way to the subway.

-

Yusuke is running late apparently, so after arriving in Shibuya we kill some time around the scramble. A small tourist-focused shop on the left catches my eye with a flash of a familiar red and black logo. When I get close, the entire window's display is filled in with... what approximates as Phantom Thieves merch.

Phantom Thief merch is all over Japan of course, and I hear there are even international fans. That said, having seen the Phantom Thieves in their costumes myself... it's becoming more and more apparent to me that the people who make the merch are entirely guessing. Joker's action figure is somewhat accurate, a little more phantom of the opera than his actual outfit but closer than the others.

Ann-san's figure is in a black catsuit, and instead of her Panther mask, she has a domino mask and actual cat ears. Clearly, this was designed based on the silhouettes seen during video calling cards, and probably a heavy dose of American comic books. She doesn't seem to have a whip either, and the less said about the proportions on the figure, the better.

It's not just the figures that are off, there are keychains of masks that aren't quite accurate, pins, stamps, imitation masks... There's tons of merch that could be called bootleg at best. There's a Phantom Thief I haven't seen in any of their real-world photos too, I have no idea where... Crow? Came from. I'm pretty sure Wolf doesn't actually have wolf fur in his outfit either, just guessing by what I know of Zenkichi-san. Also... I peer at corners of the display, looking for any sign of a Mona toy. There doesn't seem to be a single thing for the Thieves mascot, ironically enough.

"Oh, gosh I hate looking at these displays," Ann-san says, having stepped up behind me. "They're so inaccurate it hurts, and I mean, they always make me look like some kind of pin-up model. Yuck." Ann-san's comment attracts Morgana and Amamiya-san over as well, stepping up on my other side.

"They still don't have anything for me, do they?" Morgana yowls. "When are you going to tell that Mishima to have them make something for me Ren?!"

"You know these bootlegs have nothing to do with Mishima, right?" Amamiya-san side-eyes his feline companion. "Mishima's only made that documentary."

"You guys did a documentary?" I ask.

"Sort of..." Ann-san twirls a strand of hair absently. "Mishima went to school with us, he runs this Phantom Thief website that lets people request help, and he was one of Ren's confidants. He kind of pieced together a bunch of things to make a documentary on the first half dozen or so changes of heart the Phantom Thieves did."

"It's about... 80 percent?" Amamiya-san looks to Ann-san for confirmation, who shrugs. "Something like 80% accurate, at best."

"Isn't it on Youtube?" Morgana asks.

"Yeah, he released it publically a year after the Shido confession," Amamiya-san confirms with a nod. "I don't think it's gotten much traction though."

"That's a shame then..." I say, looking back at the display. These things are completely inaccurate, unlike Mishima-san's work, but they sell like hotcakes. That's not really fair, is it?

"I wouldn't worry about it. Mishima bounced back from it pretty quick," Amamiya-an shrugs. "He works with Ohya these days and is still trying to compile accounts of what the Phantom Thieves have done for the world. He's a great publicist, he just needs a platform. Ohya'll get him hooked up with that."

We all sort of nod in agreement, letting a silent moment come over us as we turn back to the Phantom Thieves merch.

"Ugh. Have they not yet learned to draw a straight line? It is a crime against the very name of the Phantom Thieves to sell such a mockery," a familiar voice says behind us. Yusuke-san weaves his way through the crowd, hair up in the bun I saw it in yesterday and wearing a white long sleeve shirt with paint stains on the sleeves. Amamiya-san waves at him and Ann-san flashes him a quick smile.

"Good Afternoon, Yusuke-san," I say, I guess for the group of us. "What were you saying?"

"Do you not see it?" he says, arms crossing as he glares at the display. I follow his gaze to the large logo on the back wall. I'm not sure if it's a flag for sale, much like the one in Amamiya-san's apartment, but at the very least they have one for the display. It... doesn't look really inaccurate though. Maybe a flame is slightly off, but beyond that, it seems pretty accurate.

"I... don't, Yusuke-san."

"Look here," Yusuke-san says before walking around Amamiya-san to enter the shop. He's out of sight for a moment before he actually steps into the window display, pointing at spots on the logo. Ann-san sighs next to me while Amamiya-san and Morgana chuckle. We can't actually hear what he's saying, but it's only a moment before a staff member of the store appears and starts yelling at Yusuke-san to leave. He rejoins a moment later, being pushed out the door by the clerk.

"Well? Do you see it now?" he asks me.

"um... Yes?" I say, trying and failing to sound convincing.

Amamiya-san cuts in with, "How about we get this show on the road, now that you're here Yusuke," and motions us toward the 104 building.

"AH, yes, it would be undue of me to be late to my own gallery opening."

"Technically, shouldn't the event start when you arrive?" Ann-san asks.

"That would be ideal yes..." Yusuke-san laments. "But as is most displays of an artist's work, a gallery does wish to make money and for that, they need the artist around to speak to the buyers."

"You know, we could probably liquidate some of the palace earnings towards your own gallery, where you can avoid all that," Amamiya-san says over his Morgana-less shoulder.

"I simply wish to paint, that sounds like... far too much effort. I thank you for the offer, Ren-kun." Amamiya-san shrugs, then Yusuke continues, "Besides. I have worked it out with the manager that all purchases will go towards a local orphanage. Now is an excellent time to present at a gallery with a clientele of buyers."

"Wow Yusuke-san, that's... really kind of you," I say, kind of awkwardly staring at him as we ride an escalator.

"It is simply one of the ways I can use my talents to help, rather than hurt," Yusuke-san says like he's talking about the weather. I get the feeling that kind of attitude is one of the reasons he's a member of the Thieves, but I can't be too sure. Yusuke-san is... still really hard to get a read on.

"Oh, Natural Puppy! Let's start there!" Ann-san exclaims as we step off the elevator. She drags me along with her towards the shop in question, as I simply laugh along with Ann-san's enthusiasm.

-

Shopping with Ann-san is a different experience than my trip through Akihabara with Futaba-san. Ann-san is far more interested in finding out what styles I like and complimenting them than Futaba-san was. The downside is she keeps buying me things she likes on me. You'd think that's an upside, but I already owe Ann-san and Amamiya-san so much, all this is... embarrassing, or at least a little uncomfortable. I accepted she won't take no for answer a few stores ago, so by the time we leave Sheep Heavenly we each have half a dozen bags.

"Hmm..." Ann-san pauses outside the store. She fishes her cell phone from her pocket. "Oh, that hour went by fast! We should... probably check in on Yusuke and Ren, sound good?"

"Do you know which store they're in?"

"Pegaso, probably," Ann-san replies. I follow her gaze to a high-end store on the other side of the floor. I'm not familiar with it, but considering what they have in the windows, that's a good thing. I check a price tag on a dress as we walk in, discreetly so Ann-san doesn't get any ideas. The number nearly makes me gag, I pull my hand away from it before I somehow damage it and go into debt for the rest of my life to pay it off.

"This uh, doesn't seem like Yusuke's style, from what I know of him..."

"It isn't," Ann-san sighs as we approach the suit section in the back. "It's Ren's. I bet..."

We turn the corner and find Amamiya-san in an absolutely stunning suit. It's a tight fit, one that Amamiya-san pulls off with ease. The tails on the jacket remind me of his Joker costume, and the red undershirt is definitely a stylistic choice. Yusuke-san is crouched over to the side, alternating between framing Amamiya-san with his fingers and scribbling in a sketchbook. He isn't wearing a suit himself though.

"Hey," Amamiya-san says in a low voice, locking eyes with Ann-san. He breaks whatever pose he was doing for Yusuke and slides up to Ann-san. "How's the fit?"

"Excellent and you know it," Ann-san breathily as her eyes rove up and down Amamiya-san. "But did you get Yusuke a suit too?"

Amamiya-san grins and shrugs, "He said he found one earlier, figured I could kill some time on something new for myself."

"Well, yes, that's definitely coming home with us," Ann-san replies, a finger motioning to the entire ensemble. She turns to Yusuke, "But Yusuke, let's... see what you picked out."

"Of course. I find it quite aesthetically pleasing," Yusuke-san says. He fishes out... ugh. He fishes out a powder blue suit with what looks like paint spots all over it as if they're intentional to the design. The matching pants are no better.

Ann-san slaps Ren's arm lightly then points to Yusuke-san, "This is why you were supposed to supervise!"

"Is it not to your liking? It has the perfect way of expressing my true calling is that of the brush, if you ask me," Yusuke frowns, looking from Ann-san to the garment.

"It's... Um, it gives the impression you're a painter, yes..." I try, though I'm stuck on anything nice I can't say about the... fabric.

"And that you dropped a can of paint on yourself before you left the house!" Ann-san cries. "Get in the dressing room, go on!" Yusuke mumbles his way into a dressing room while Ann-san sighs and heads for a suit rack.

"I see Ann got a lot of shopping in," Amamiya-san comments with a nod at our bags.

"Some of it's mine..." I adjust my bangs sheepishly. "But we had a great time."

Amamiya-san smiles at me, even pausing to pat my shoulder before wandering off into the store after Ann-san. This is... this is nice. Ann-san's making her way back over here, Morgana is bantering with Yusuke, Amamiya-san is as enigmatic as ever... Every time I spent time with the Phantom Thieves I feel so at home. Maybe it's because they're a found family themselves but being with them is warm and exciting in a way I could never give up.

"Alright Yusuke, this should be simple enough to convince buyers you're a professional," Ann-san says as Amamiya-san hands Yusuke-san a suit through a crack in the curtain.

"My art speaks for itself, I should not need to-"

"We know Yusuke, and you're right," Amamiya-san cuts in, adjusting a red glove with his suit. "But it's easier to get your name out there if you play along once and a while."

"Yes... I suppose that's so. A proper outfit doesn't degrade the art world like so many of the other practices these heathens perform."

"And this one is for you," Ann-san says from over my shoulder. I turn to see a lovely white and red cocktail dress in Ann-san's hands. She holds up another one in a matching style, red and black that's both more adult and more Ann-san's style. "We can match!"

Ann-san sweeps me into a dressing room as well and before long all four of us are wearing outfits for the evening. Ann's black and red dress matches Amamiya-san's red and black suit perfectly, something I'm sure they both planned for. Meanwhile, the pattern of my dress matches Ann-san's enough that it seems like we're a pair as well. Looking at the three of us standing together in the mirror makes me smile.

That's not to say Yusuke-san doesn't look good. In fact, now that he's been provided with less eccentric attire, he actually looks handsome. It's not too formal of an ensemble, bordering on the 'player' casual look. There is no way Yusuke-san can flirt any better than I can, which is not at all, so as soon as he opens his mouth the aesthetic will be lost but maybe that's all he needs.

"Does this... satisfy?" Yusuke-san asks Ann-san hesitantly. She turns, looks him up and down, and gives him a thumbs up. "Wear that and you'll make sure your art is the centerpiece of the night!"

Ann-san snaps some photos of the lot of us, rapidly texting them out to what I assume is the other Phantom Thieves. Amamiya-san's phone starts buzzing shortly after she starts, as does Yusuke-san's, so I'm guessing group chat.

"Makoto says you look fantastic," Ann-san says to me, snapping me from my thoughts. She's holding her phone to me where a message with an icon of Nijima-san beside it does indeed say, "she takes after you and Ren alright, she looks fantastic in formal wear. Tell her I said so!" My face heats up as no words come to my mouth.

"What does Futaba mean, I 'clean up well'? Does she assume I am unclean?" Yusuke-san says, a welcome distraction from the unsolicited praise. (Amamiya-san pats my shoulder sympathetically, he definitely understands what that's like.)

"She means, when you wear a shirt without paint stains you look good!" Ann-san beams.

"More importantly..." Amamiya-san chimes in, "She said it without referencing anything. A direct compliment from Futaba is high praise Yusuke."

"I see..." Yusuke strokes his chin, staring at himself in the mirror. "Perhaps I should clean up more often?"

"Whatever floats your boat Yusuke," Amamiya-san says with a pat of Yusuke's shoulder. Amamiya-san then heads for one of the dressing room stalls. "We've got our outfits, let's get out of here and go for lunch."

"An excellent idea!" Yusuke-san claps, making his way into the dressing rooms as well. Ann-san chuckles, and the two of us follow suit.

When I step out of the dressing room, quite comfortable in my own t-shirt again, I go to place the dress on a rack. As soon as I let go of it, Amamiya-san reaches over my shoulder and takes it, also back in his street clothes.

"I'm under strict orders from Ann to pick this up, thank you," he says through a Cheshire grin.

"But Amamiya-san, that's more than my entire paycheck! You have to convince her out of it!"

"I should say I completely agree with those orders," he replies. I hold a pout and while it doesn't change his position, he does reach down to pat my shoulder. "Relax. Remember that shoot you visited? It was for this store. Ann's spending here is basically a business expense."

"Still..."

Amamiya-san's smirk returns. "If it'll make you feel better, I have an errand you can run while we wrap up here."

"It'd... it'd help..." I trail off, biting my own lip in indecision.

"We're going to head to Bikkuri Boy, the diner down the street after this. If you hang a right down the alley just before it, there's a little shop. Tell the owner you're picking up a package from me, and..." Amamiya-san slides the bag with Morgana in it off his shoulder. "If he doubts you, he'll recognize Morgana."

Morgana's head rises from the bag with a lazy yawn. "What am I doing now?"

"Supervising, your favorite thing," I say as I scratch his ear. "I'll meet you at the diner then, Amamiya-san." He nods, and I make my way out of the store.

-

"Why does an alley like this even exist this close to 104...?" I mutter under my breath. It's not the sketchiest alley I've ever walked down, considering it seems positioned to get sunlight at this time of day, but it's still not... like the rest of Shibuya. Or at least, any of the places I've visited.

Amamiya-san wouldn't have sent me down here if he thought I'd be in trouble though, I know that much. So I make my way to the shop he mentioned. Untouchable, as the sign reads, is the only thing in the alley (besides a door to the Velvet Room) so it's impossible to miss. I can't see anything through the tinted windows but there's an open sign. I shrug and push my way inside.

It looks like a hardware store, but instead of hardware, they have guns. Lots and lots of guns. I quickly notice the packaging that states they're airsoft, but the gasp already escaped my lips. There's military apparel, model kits, and a bunch of other stuff I don't recognize but it's definitely a specialist's shop.

There's a shuffling from the front counter. A pair of boots, resting on the countertop, swing off and reveal a man as he stands up. He's got a grey jacket on, which makes sense actually since the A/C is rather high in here. He's chewing a toothpick like a cowboy in a movie, and the expression under his hat is all but deadpan.

"This shop's for enthusiasts, whatever dare your friends sent you on-" He all but growls out, but I cut him off without thinking.

"N-no, the kids in school dare people to go to Amamiya-san's cafe, I-I don't think they even know this shop exists!" I all but squeak out. Super causal, me.

As usual, when I bring up Amamiya-san's name people immediately know who I mean, "Amamiya?"

"I'm um, running an errand for him. I work at his cafe."

The man snorts. "I know he ain't displaying my gear at Arsene, so he's got you runnin unrelated errands? Guess he finally learned to delegate."

I chuckle awkwardly cause I'm not sure what to say. The man turns on his heel and starts looking at some boxes behind him. After a moment, he looks over his shoulder and says dryly, "I don't bite kid, you can come in."

"Oh, right, sorry," I step inside. I was blocking the doorway too, that's not good if other customers come.

"Where is his... ah-ha," the man says, bringing a box forward onto the counter.

"Is that Amamiya-san's order..." I pause, realizing I don't know what to address him as.

"Iwai, and yeah. Custom order, as he likes it." Iwai-san then opens the box to reveal an actual handgun. Oh jeez, this must be how he gets the weapons they use in the metaverse. I can't carry an actual handgun around Tokyo!

"Relax kid, it's still just an airsoft gun," Iwai-san says in a deadpan. "Well, it doesn't function with all the crap Amamiya has me put in."

"... That's an airsoft gun?" I breathe.

Iwai-san snorts again. "Yeah kid, and you ain't going to tell anyone this level of detail even exists, ya hear?" I nod fervently. Iwai-san's mouth twinges to the side, which I think is supposed to be amusement. "I ain't worried if you work for Amamiya. He'd never hire anyone who doesn't completely understand discretion."

"Y.. Yes sir, Iwai-san."

"He's prepaid for this, so you can throw it in your bag and head on out. Don't go waving it around in public and you'll be fine."

I nod quietly. Iwai-san is... terrifying but he seems... oddly caring. It's not in the same way as Boss, but I get the feeling he's different if you get to know him. Knowing Amamiya-san, that's exactly what he did to make a friend of Iwai-san.

Morgana steps slightly out of the bag to let me put the box in, which Iwai comments on, "Ha. If I had any doubts, the cat would prove you work for him."

"It's... not the first time I've had Morgana and been associated with Amamiya-san, actually." I manage a small smile.

Iwai-san chuckles and adjusts his toothpick. "No shit? Doesn't surprise me. It was years before I saw the kid without that cat somewhere nearby."

"You've... know Amamiya-san a long time?" I ask tentatively, seeing my chance to find out a little more about Amamiya-san.

"Since he was about your age, kid. Best customer I've ever had, and then some," Iwai-san stops and turns around, heading for a back room.

"That reminds me," he says louder so I can still hear, "I got a letter for him to pass on to his friend," Iwai-san returns and hands me a sealed letter. "If she wants those custom parts so bad, she's going to have to use those overseas connections to help me out with them. None of my channels have what she's looking for."

I wonder who the letter's for... Not Ann-san, I'd guess. She doesn't seem like a gun nut, and Iwai-san would have called her Amamiya-san girlfriend, not a friend. I let my curiosity go, nodding and taking the letter.

"Sure thing, Iwai-san. I... should probably go meet up with him and Ann-san now," I add, shifting Morgana and the not handgun's bag onto my shoulder.

"Yeah, don't let me keep ya. Don't mind the warm and fuzzy greeting, you're welcome anytime he's got more errands for you. Friend of Amamiya's is a friend of mine."

"Absolutely, Iwai-san. Thank you very much!" I say a bit quickly, resisting the urge to bow for whatever reason before heading for the door.

-

"I um, didn't know you were a model gun enthusiast, Amamiya-san," I say as I slide into my seat. Ann-san and Amamiya-san are sitting next to each other, so Yusuke and I share a booth seat.

"What'd you think of Iwai?" Amamiya-san asks, leaning forward in his seat. Ann-san shivers beside him.

"He's um... really intimidating, honestly," I say, unable to meet Amamiya-san's gaze. "I get the feeling he's a good person if you get to know him?"

"... You got him pegged. He must be losing his touch," Amamiya-san says approvingly. I try to hide my sigh of relief.

"Last I saw him he was just as intimidating as ever!" Ann-san exclaims.

"Hey, he likes you," Amamiya-san replies, turning to Ann-san.

"What do you mean he likes me?"

"He thinks you compliment me well, and whenever I tell stories about you he's impressed."

"Wait you tell stories about me?"

... They're in their own little world. Since no one has a drink, I assume the three Phantom Thieves just arrived. Yusuke is off in his own world as well, I'm guessing checking something for the show tonight on his phone.

The only thing on the table is the typical diner paper placemat... There's a lot of dead space in the design, so I reach for a pen in my bag. I start to doodle, a little cat peeking over an advertisement here, one napping on the store's mascot here... There's an empty space with no ad so, with a quick glance at the couple going at it, I sketch little cat versions of them meowing at each other. Cat Amamiya-san has his glasses and shaggy hair while Ann-san's cat form has the pigtails she has as Panter...

"Those are excellent," I hear from over my shoulder. Yusuke-san has put down his phone and is leaning over to look at what I've been doodling. My cheeks definitely flush a bit, Yusuke-san is a professional artist and really doesn't seem like the type to give empty praise.

"It's um, just how I waste time in class..." I realize too late I should have moved to cover them before Yusuke-san got to them, but he slides the paper to the center of the table, between the two of us.

Yusuke-san turns to me, eyes deadly serious. "Might I add something as well?" I nod immediately, considering its just doodles. He leans over, sketching in his own addition with a brush pen he procured from somewhere. Before long there's another pair of cats. The first one has Yusuke-san's eyes making a framing gesture with his paws at the cat Ann-san and cat Amamiya-san... The second looks like a little version of me, the hair clip holding my ponytail in place the defining feature. My cat self is drawing next to Yusuke-san, and the two of us are meowing at each other, I'd guess comparing notes.

The tension left my body at some point as I lean in closer, watching Yusuke-san's careful brush strokes. He's deliberate, making the cat us's in the same style as mine, but with varying width to his linework that makes them pop. It's impressive, and I'm more than a little jealous.

"Can you show me how to do lines like that, Yusuke-san?"

He turns to me and for a moment I feel like he's going to be annoyed I asked. He must get asked for art help a lot being a professional. But... I don't think this is his annoyed look, I think he might just have some form of resting bitch face, of all things. I'm starting to spot the small sparkle of interest in his eye that betrays his real thoughts.

"It will be grueling, but I shall teach you with every ounce of my being!" Yusuke-san all but shouts.

"Y-Yes, sensei!" He hands his brush pen to me and begins coaching me with fervor. I manage a glance up to Amamiya-san while Yusuke-san takes a breath, and he's giving me one of those Joker smiles. This... might have been part of a plan, but I shrug. Yusuke-san's technique made for some really cute cats.

-

I play with the brush pen Yusuke-san gave me at lunch earlier as I wait for Amamiya-san and Ann-san to come back. After lunch, we split up with Yusuke-san, returned to Cafe Arsene, put on our new formal wear, and are now meeting up with Yusuke-san again on the gallery floor. He's not going to be able to give us all his attention but he said he wanted to show me around specifically, apparently. I'm not sure why, but maybe it has something to do with our lesson earlier?

Ann-san joins me first, Amamiya-san a moment behind her. I glance back at the security checkpoint we just came through. I wasn't expecting this kind of security at an art show, but I suppose people who buy art have a lot of money they don't want to be stolen. Then again... I'm willing to bet Amamiya-san could smuggle anything he needed into the venue, metaverse or not.

"What are you thinking about?" Amamiya-san says as soon as he walks up. I chuckle awkwardly, looking anywhere but at him.

"Nothing important," I say quickly. I steal a glance to see his bemused smirk, but he lets it drop. I turn as Ann-san's phone lets off a shutter click.

"We look fantastic! I should have gotten a photographer to come out!" she exclaims. "Come on you two, get closer!"

"Iiii don't think I'm ready for a photoshoot..."

"There are photographers here, we could always find one..." Amamiya-san says over my own reply. He pulls me along with him as we reply, takes Ann-san's phone, and takes a few selfies.

"You've gotten pretty good at those Ren," Ann-san says with a peck on his cheek.

"Lots of practice," he replies back. He moves to kiss her properly and I take that as my chance to wander into the gallery proper. I'll add photoshoots to the list of terrifying things I might stumble into working for Amamiya-san, right after the metaverse itself.

Which... Did I miss the tell-tale signs, or is this gallery in the metaverse? At least, all of the paintings give me a distinctive feeling of being in the metaverse. There are swirling hazes that remind me of the barriers between Metaverse and real-world, a piece of feet running through the street with rings of purple expanding from their footsteps, opulent palaces, and strange contorted worlds...

"Ah-ha. You've arrived," Yusuke-san says from behind me. I manage not to be too surprised.

"Your gallery is metaverse themed?"

Yusuke, dressed in the suit we got him earlier, folds his arms. "This gallery is not the metaverse itself, no. It is... perhaps the term would be the spirit of it."

"What... what do you mean?"

"Come," he says, motioning me through the various displays. "I have been blessed to get to see a piece of humanity that most never do. Each time I enter that place, it brings such raw emotion to my soul. I strove to paint those same raw feelings, images that can evoke that in those who do not have the chance to see what I have. My prime example..."

Yusuke-san stops at a piece I haven't seen... yet... It's hard to describe in words, a bird flies from a demented cage, a light in swirling darkness while... the husk of its former self is left behind. It's a dark image, yet for some reason, it's inspiring in its own strange way.

"Do... you see some of what I see?" Yusuke-san asks, uncharacteristically hesitant.

I turn up to Yusuke-san's inquisitive eyes. "I... I think I do. Hope, right?"

Yusuke-san smiles contently. "Yes. If you can see it... there is hope this gallery will reach the rest of its observers as well."

I cock an eyebrow at his choice of words. Is... he implying I don't get art or something...?

Yusuke-san doesn't seem to get my expression at all. "What is it?"

"Why, um, me?"

He pauses, turning back to the painting. "You have seen what we have, and when we met you said it scared you."

"Oh..."

"In my mind, the world inside us all is a beautiful place, of pure and raw emotions given form. For it to also be terrifying is a sorrowful turn of events. I was hoping that my work could show you what I see, rather than what you have experienced."

... Yusuke-san's odd. That's for sure. I smile a bit, stepping next to him to look at his Hope painting. He's weird, on his own wavelength, and narrow-minded. But I think he's also far more intuitive than anyone gives him credit for. Why else would he have been thinking about what I said days ago so intently?

"Thank you, Yusuke-san. I think... I'm going to try and see it your way."

-

Hello! Things have slowed down some, but I'm thankful for all of you reading and commenting on this! Yusuke has been... very hard to write, but I'm hoping I was able to capture some of his Yusuke-ness. This chapter has gone through quite a few rewrites in the attempt of it ^^;;

There are references to another series I love in here, if you can spot them let me know! Fans of that series have to stick together XD

The good news is, while Yusuke's highlight chapter was a rewrite storm, the next chapter I have in mind has been outlined for a while already! Here's hoping it goes smoothly, though I know I just jinxed myself XD