"One Pacamara Expresso," I slide the mug over to Eto-san. The older man nods softly, leaving me the 500 yen note he always leaves for his 385 yen coffee. I try to give him a withering look. "Eto-san, you don't..."
Eto-san simply shakes his head with a smile and shuffles to the booth by the windows, taking his usual spot. I think I've heard Eto-san speak maybe three times over the last month. He's content to sit every and people watch every other afternoon, drinking his expresso. I like him a lot, honestly. He's consistent, polite, and has yet to out to be a Phantom Thief or Confidant of Amamiya-san.
Not that there's anything wrong with being a Confidant. Heck, I suppose I'm technically a Confidant now, and the Phantom Thieves themselves are... Well, no one's ever been so kind to me. I'll forever be grateful I got soaked that day I met Amamiya-san. Which... Yikes, I think I still have Ann-san's jacket to return. Hopefully, she doesn't mind.
The grinds from the expresso still have some of that chocolatey smell, though I'm not fooled. They plop in the garbage without fanfare so I can start cleaning the machine. Amamiya-san has had me try all of the menu items by now and the Salvadoran Pacamara bean is too dense for my tastes. My expectations were high based on the smell too, so I'll admit I'm holding a bit of a grudge.
Machinery cleaned, I skim my eyes over the quiet cafe. Eto-san is in his spot, a college-age couple is chatting quietly in a booth, and a freeter... Harada-san, I believe, is resting his head in the bar seat closest to the door. And... No, Amamiya-san is still upstairs doing... something Thief-related. He and Morgana skipped upstairs as soon as I got here. I appreciate the level of trust, but now I'm stuck wondering what they're doing.
If the velvet blue door wasn't such a trademark of Arsene, I'd want to prop the door. It's the perfect Spring day, even in the after-school hours. There are tons of people heading out to enjoy the evening on the street. There are so many, I'm surprised we have the four guests we do have. I considered taking advantage of Amamiya-san's 'work whenever you want' schedule to go somewhere nice on my way here, but I've got my movie plans for tomorrow so...
There's a bang from outside the door. I glance over to the big windows and see nothing but the side of a camper van that's pulled up along the side of the Cafe. Not a very nice place to park, especially since I think he bumped our easel sign out front.
There's creaking from behind me as Amamiya-san joins us. I blink on the Third Eye and manage to spot he's spinning some kind of precision tool in his hand before he shuffles into his jeans pocket. He's grinning... specifically a good grin, since grins in a lot of situations, so I don't think the van is trouble. The velvet door swings open at that point, so I turn back to the front.
The man entering is Amamiya-san's age, with short blonde dyed hair and a grin of his own. He's well built, even more so than Amamiya-san, the tank top he's wearing showing off his arms to prove it.
"Dude!" The man basically shouts. He and Amamiya-san meet in the middle of the shop, slapping each other's backs in a very... dudebro, style hug. Amamiya-san leans back as they separate, hands sliding comfortably into his pockets as the man drops into the nearest stool, one leg immediately crossing the other.
"Welcome back Ryuji," Amamiya-san replies. He motions in my direction. "As Ann has made it very clear I'm supposed to introduce you without pranks, this is my protege, as everyone has taken to calling her."
"Hey!" Ryuji turns to me in a heartbeat. He has an energy to him that almost doesn't match his size. "Name's Sakamoto Ryuji! I bet this guy has told you nothing about me, right?"
I blink like a deer in headlights. How do I respond to that politely? He's definitely a member of the Thieves though, only Thieves call Amamiya-san out on his... Joker traits. I'm going to guess Skull, since only Skull and Noir are left and he doesn't seem like the type for frilly pants.
Sakamoto-san glances between me and Amamiya-san, "Dude, I think I broke her. It's cool, I'm one of-"
Amamiya-san punches Sakamoto-san in the shoulder. "My many friends from High School, yes."
"Oh, right, yeah," Sakamoto-san says with a chuckle. He then adds, lower so only the three of us can hear him. "Can't blame me okay, it's been a whole month out of town man!"
Amamiya-san gives Sakamoto-san a look that proves he absolutely can blame him. The couple from before stand up and head for the register, so I leave the two Thieves alone for a moment to ring them up.
"Anything interesting, beyond the obvious on the trip?" I hear Amamiya-san ask as I return.
"Nah, not too much... I'm running out of new places to get ramen though, it's a real shame!"
"Even in Osaka?"
"Especially Osaka!"
"Were... you just in Osaka then, Sakamoto-san?" I ask to partially announce my presence.
"Oh, hey, yeah!" Sakamoto-san replies, still far too loud to be called an indoor voice. "I've been all over the last month, it's why I haven't been here giving this guy," Ryuji paused to mock a punch into Amamiya-san's side, "more trouble!"
"O, Oh..." I stammer awkwardly. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
"Missed the team this time around though," Sakamoto-san says with a slight frown. "Month's a long time, you know?"
"You should be able to stick around for a while at least," Amamiya-san replies. He then turns to me and asks, "Hey, can you whip up some hot chocolate? It's Ryuji's thing."
That's... not quite what I expected for Sakamoto-san. I nod anyway, but Sakamoto-san reaches over the counter and grabs my arm to stop me. I must have jolted in surprise because he immediately lets go, raising his arms in apology.
"Sorry, sorry. I just gotta head out in a few, so didn't want you to waste it," he says. I wave off his apology. I'm thinking he's just a very physical person, based on what I know about him.
"You'd have to move the camper sure, but you don't want to hang around?" Amamiya-san asks.
"I mean I do, but I got rounds to make now that I'm back in town," Sakamoto-san sighs exaggeratedly. "I gotta go have dinner with Ma, check on a couple of my freeter gigs, get the camper situated since I'll be in town for a bit..."
"There's still a standing invitation for our guest room, you know."
Sakamoto-san chuckles, "Like when I was at Police Academy? Thanks but no thanks, my campers comfy as hell, and you and Ann are incapable of keeping your hands off each other."
"Pfft!"
Sakamoto-san grins, motioning a thumb my way. "See? She agrees!"
Amamiya-san smirks, looking between the two of us. "Guilty as charged," he eventually says with amusement in his tone.
"Only time you'll ever hear him say that," Sakamoto-san says to me with a conspiratorial smirk. He could say that quieter! I glance over at Eto-san and Harada-san to see if they're paying attention. They aren't, Harada-san might even be napping, but my concern was already noticed.
"She definitely takes after you man," Sakamoto-san says with a soft whistle.
"That she does," Amamiya-san says, bringing heat to my cheeks. He then bops Sakamoto-san's in the shoulder with a fist again. "She's too polite to punch you though."
Sakamoto-san barks out a laugh. "Lucky me!" He swings himself to his feet, brushing off his jeans. "Alright, I've got people to see, food to eat. Message me if you need anything, Ren."
Amamiya-san holds out a hand and the two half clasp hands, half high five. "Always. Say hi to your Ma for us."
"Right after she tears me a new one for being gone so long, yeah," Sakamoto-san chuckles. "See ya!" He waves to me and Amamiya-san as he heads out the door.
"..."
Amamiya-san smirks knowingly and glances my way, "What's on your mind?"
"Oh, uh..." I pay sudden intense attention to a loose thread on my apron. "I just was thinking Sakamoto-san is pretty different from the rest of... your high school friends."
"We're all pretty unique, if you think about it," Amamiya-san counters. He doesn't sound offended by the comment at least.
"That's true. I guess Sakamoto-san is just not... what I would have expected?"
Amamiya-san hums for a moment. "Ryuji is definitely Ryuji, in the same way that Futaba is Futaba." He turns to face me with a small smile, "But he was my first friend when I transferred after being falsely accused. Ryuji's loud and chaotic at times, but you'll never meet someone more honest and straightforward."
Amamiya-san pats me on the shoulder, "Give him a fair shake, alright?" Amamiya-san then makes his way up to his apartment, leaving me to tend shop and my thoughts.
The Magnificent Seven isn't a movie most people cry at. It's only partially the movie, but I can't really stop myself. My... My Dad loved this movie. He even had a vintage poster of it hung up in our house. He had a thing for American cowboys in general and this movie was his absolute favorite. We'd watch it whenever Mom was working late, even though she didn't want me watching such a violent movie at that age.
If this special showing had happened when he was... still around, it'd have made his year. I knew when I saw they were showing in Shinjuku, I had to make the trip. I'm pretty sure that creep of an Uncle who managed the estate after my parent's death sold the poster as a collectible, so the movie itself is all I have to remember those nights together with.
I laugh bitterly. I'm not about to ruin the best two hours of my life on bad memories. I dab my eyes with my shirt real quickly, the lights are on and I'm sure the staff is waiting to clean up after the two dozen people who came out for the movie. I'm... a quick glance confirms it, the last one here. I had to stay through the credits though, in their entirety.
The staff doesn't say anything as I make my way out, so they probably aren't too pissed. Or maybe the awkward smile I flashed was enough of an apology. Either way, I head for the neon lights of the Kichijoji streets. The movie started at five, so it's already past sunset... I best make my way back to the station. Kichijoji is no Shinjuku, but it's a Sunday and there are probably two dozen bars between me and the station.
The streets are already busy and quite a few of the adults are swaying like they're on a ship. Yikes. Well, if I keep my head down I should escape notice...
"Hey," a girl says as I walk by her. She reaches out for my shoulder, but I pull away before she can touch me. It does get me to stop and see... oh, it's one of my classmates. Uh... Ando-san, I believe. I didn't recognize her between the makeup and uh... forward, outfit. "Aren't you in my class?"
"Um, yeah, I sit behind-"
"Oh my god, this perfect!" Ando-san basically squeals. "Girls, she can fill in for Azami!" I'm pretty sure Azami is Azami Sakuma, also in our class. The girls Ando-san is talking to are all in my class as well.
"I'm sorry but I um-"
"Please, oh my god I'm literally begging!" Ando-san says with her hands clasped in front of her. "We need five girls and Azami had to bail, something stupid with her Mom or whatever. Look, it'll be quick I promise!"
I glance around, hoping Sakuma-san will appear from nowhere and save me from this awkwardness. This is a bit too spontaneous for me, and they're all dressed to kill while I'm in my favorite purple striped T-shirt and jeans...
"... What did you even need-" I try to ask but Ando-san cuts me off by grabbing my hand. She pulls me along with her.
"I'll explain on the way, don't worry!" And-san says with a pump of her other fist, leading me around the corner with the rest of her entourage.
What it was, was a mixer. Ando-san dragged me into this Karaoke bar and went straight for a room before I could slip away. She's also, intentionally or not, pinned me in the booth between the girls so I can't slip out unnoticed either.
So I've been sitting here for forty-five minutes listening to the five guys flirt themselves silly. Thankfully it looks like I've been glossed over due to my outfit, though one of them keeps shooting me looks. I try not to make eye contact, hoping for an easy escape route to miraculously appear.
The worst part of this whole setup is only three of the guys are our age. Two of them have to be in college, and one of them snuck in a flask. They, of course, shared with everyone so now there's an alcohol smell mixed in with the close quarters and Loud music. This is actually hell, I think. Takeuchi-kun can sing at least. He's, unfortunately, the shyest of the lot and might be the me of the boy's group, dragged along without a clue of what we were getting into.
Thankfully the girls haven't goaded me into singing. They're satisfied with me sitting her and balancing the ratio which is... definitely better than singing. I really want out though, this is giving me a headache.
One of Ando-san's friends nudges me in the side, "Hey, you haven't sung yet!"
"Oh yeah, everyone's gotta sing," the guy who's been checking me out basically shouts over Ando-san's song. "Or did you need some liquid courage first?" He adds, holding up the flask.
"N-No, I'm good. For both, honestly. I uh, have a sore throat." The collected group all boo my excuse.
"Sing, Sing, Sing!" They all chant. The girl blocking me into the booth even stands up to finally let me out. My fingers hurt from gripping my bag too hard, but I slide out...
"I'm sorry!" I yell and head straight for the door. I tear it open, then make for the exit as fast as I can without being suspicious. As soon as I step into the cool night air I swear I can feel a literal weight off my shoulders. The loud music's gone, the urge to not bother my classmates is gone, the air is fresh and clean...
"Hau..." I sigh. I glance about, Kichijoji is even busier now but fairly well lit and I know my way back to the station. The girls from class will be fine, the event already started, they don't need an even ratio the whole time... And also, why do I care? They forced me to join them in the first place!
"Let's just, get out of here and salvage my night," I mutter to myself. Let's see if I can avoid any other chance encounters tonight. Although If I have enough of them, I'm bound to stumble on Amamiya-san somehow, it seems on-brand for him.
I hear someone jogging behind me, so I shift to the side of the narrow side road as to not be in their way. I foolishly don't bother turning till the new pair of footsteps are right behind me. It's the guy who was checking me out, of course it is. He's at least followed by Takeuchi-kun but it makes this no less awkward.
"Hey, you okay?" The guy asks.
"Y, yes. I'm just, um,"
The college guy gives me a big grin. "Needed some fresh air huh? Cool, let's head back!" He reaches forward and grabs my wrist.
"N, No, I have to get home actually so..." Ugh, why am I stuttering?! Tell him how much I don't want to go back and he'll listen, or at least Takeuchi-kun might help me convince his friend or something! But no, I stutter an excuse so unconvincingly that it sounds like I'm making a joke and Takeuchi-kun laughs along with his friend.
And while I've been thinking about denying him, we've already walked back to the Karaoke bar, dang it. I spit out quickly, pulling back a little hard, "Seriously, I have to head-"
"Oi!" An authoritative bark sounds from further down the street. Sakamoto-san, of all people, is making his way down the street. Between his blond hair and the muscles his tank top clearly shows off, he looks every bit a thug. "Where you draggin her?"
"Uh, back to our friends? Isn't this reversed dude, we're not the punks here," The college guy laughs, looking towards me and Takeuchi-kun as if I'm going to find it amusing too.
"I'll show you punk..." Sakamoto-san almost growls. This could go badly. If it goes badly, rumors will spread through school about how I'm a mafia princess or something, and I'll never be able to fly under the radar again.
"O, Onii-san, give it a break, ah...hahaha!" I'm hoping it only sounds like a blatant lie to me and not the others. I move past Takeuchi-kun and his friend to slap Sakamoto-san lightly on the bicep. It hurts a little, damn.
Sakamoto-san looks at me like I grew another head, "Uh...?"
"That's your brother?" Takeuchi-san asks tentatively.
"Y, yeah, well, my stepbrother but um... We're meeting up for dinner and that's why I gotta go, sorry to bail on you all so suddenly, I just... just didn't realize how late it got."
Takeuchi-kun looks between Sakamoto-san and me. I'm pretty sure the tension is actually making me sweat, but Takeuchi-kun breaks out into an easy smile. "I'll explain it to the rest of our classmates, no worries. Enjoy your dinner!"
"But..." The other guy retorts.
Takeuchi-kun pushes his friend back into the Karaoke bar, "Nii-san, there's four other girls in there, don't be weird..." The sliding doors close and we can't hear the rest of Takeuchi-kun's scolding. I watch through the glass doors until they head back down the hall the room was in.
"Haaaa..." I didn't realize I was holding my breath but seeing them turn the corner I sigh so hard my shoulders sag.
"So, uh..." Sakamoto-san says with a scratch of his neck. "Takoyaki?"
I take the takoyaki Sakamoto-san bought from a street vendor back on Main Street. "Thank you, Sakamoto-san."
Sakamoto-san plops down next to me on the stoop of a closed doctor's office. "I don't think anyone has ever called me Sakamoto-san, you can just call me Ryuji like the rest of the world."
"Oh, um..." I pause to blow on my takoyaki skewer, "Thank you Ryuji-san."
Ryuji-san gives me a sideways look with an expression as if I just responded in Greek. "You this polite to everyone? We are definitely going to have to work on that."
"Is it... a bad thing?"
Ryuji-san a takoyaki into his mouth, then frantically gags it down while waving a hand into his mouth. "That's effing hot, damn!" I giggle a bit at his antics. When he hears it, he smiles himself.
Once Ryuji-san recomposes himself with a drink from a water bottle he had with him he replies properly, "Nah, but life's too short to be polite all the time. Plus sometimes if you get too caught up in being polite, you end up dragged into something you didn't want to..."
Ryuji-san trails off when he notices the smile falling off my face. "Ah, that's what happened before huh?"
"Yeah... Thanks for that too, some girls from my class spotted me and needed a fifth for their mixer, and I just..."
"Got swept along?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, happens to the best of us," Ryuji-san turns to look out to the crowded street. "It's scary to stand up against pressure like that, after all."
"..."
Ryuji-san turns back to me with an awkward chuckle. "But uh, hey. The gang and I make a living off of standing up like that, so uh, we're the best teachers you can get, ya?"
I manage a smile, though his words don't really make me feel any less like a wet blanket. "Yeah, you're right."
Ryuji-san's face floods with relief. He really wears his heart on his sleeve, huh? Amamiya-san was right about that. I know he means well, but his attempts to cheer me up are a little rough around the edges, so...
"What were ya doing in Kichijoji before that?" Ryuji-san asks to change the subject.
"Oh um... My Dad really liked western movies, and they were showing the Magnificent Seven at the Theatre earlier. That one was his favorite."
"Damn, like Western western movies?" he replies, surprised. I nod quietly. It wouldn't be the first time someone found that interest weird. Ryuji-san defies my expectation by instead saying "That's effing cool," and finishing his takoyaki.
"So... um... How about you? Why are you in Kichijoji?" I ask before taking a bite of my cooled takoyaki.
"Lookin for a Palace keyword," Ryuji-san says between bites of another takoyaki.
"By yourself?"
"Yeah," he replies with a shrug. When Ryuji-san notices my confused look he elaborates, "Well everyone's got their own jam going on, Ren and Ann have a date, Makoto's got a rare weekend off to spend with her sis, Futaba's... not a fan of walking around..."
"I'm sure they'd come to help you out if you asked though..."
"Oh, yeah, for sure!" Ryuji-san agrees enthusiastically. "It's not that, it's more..." Ryuji-san cracks his neck while he searches for the right words. "Like, I don't got plans tonight so I figured I'd see if I can wrap it up without them so they can enjoy their night, ya know?"
"That's... really sweet of you, Ryuji-san," I say, just a little surprised. I flash my best impression of Amamiya-san's Joker face, "And I'm not just being polite either."
Ryuji-san busts out laughing. I laugh along with him. "You definitely take after Ren, let me tell you. Was that an impression of his scheme face?"
"I was trying to do his Joker face..." I reply sheepishly, a little embarrassed by his recognition of it.
"Joker face, now that's a good name too," Ryuji-san whistles. "Oh, you probably don't know yet but everyone has a name for when he does that. Even some of his Confidants do! I can't remember most of theirs, but Futaba calls it the Brain Blast face, Makoto calls it his criminal look, Ann..." Ryuji pauses, looks back at me, then looks away quickly, grabbing another takoyaki from the tray. "I'll uh, tell you when you're older."
"Pfft, Who actually says something like that?"
"I do!" Ryuji-san huffs half indignantly, half amused. "You have no idea how much shit the gang gave me when I accidentally taught Sophia to swear!"
"You accidentally taught someone to swear? Like a kid?"
Ryuji-san looks pensive for a moment, his head rocking back and forth as if he's bouncing around whatever he's debating. "Yes and no? She's an AI."
"Wait, do you mean... Computer AI?"
"Mmyah," Ryuji-san grunts in affirmation through his takoyaki. What kind of... The PT's have an AI? How has that not come up before? Ryuji-san turns back to me and comments, "What? You look confused."
"I... kind of thought sentient AI was a Sci-Fi thing."
"Ha, if you think that's impressive, she's also got a Persona." Ryuji-san then laughs, presumably at my expression. I end up laughing along with him. A computer AI isn't the weirdest thing I've seen in the last month, I might as well roll with it.
Ryuji-san drops the skewer from his last takoyaki onto the tray. "Alright, snack had, how about I take you over to the train?" He stands up to take our trash to the garbage, not waiting for a reply.
I stand up myself, take a deep breath and look up at Ryuji-san, "I um!" He turns his head. "I could maybe... help you, with that Palace."
Ryuji-san makes his way back over to me, rubbing the back of his neck, "Uh... You won't get in trouble or anything, right?"
"No, my Aunt won't be home till morning, if at all."
Ryuji flashes an amused look. "I meant with Ren, not your family."
"Oh, um..." I have to stop and think about that. Amamiya-san never told me I can't go to Palaces... He'd worry if it was just me, but Ryuji-san is more than capable. "Probably not?"
"Eh," Ryuji-san says with an exaggerated shrug, "I'd be doing the same thing in your shoes. Let's see what we can do!" Ryuji-san pumps a fist before sliding his hands into his pockets and parting the crowd as he walks deeper into Kichijoji. I follow after him, my excited smile putting a skip in my step.
As it turns out, Ryuji-san's plan is to mostly wander around and attempt to eavesdrop on people. Ryuji-san isn't... terribly subtle about it, so most conversations we get to hear die shortly after they notice him. It doesn't deter him though.
I wrack my brain between listening sessions for things to ask Ryuji-san. The more I talk with him the more I realize I might have jumped to conclusions with who he is. Or rather, the loud jock he comes off as is only surface level. As a person, he's honest in a way that puts even Amamiya-san and Ann-san to shame and really enthusiastic about everything he does. Wait, speaking of Ann-san and Amamiya-san...
"You used to stay with Ann-san and Amamiya-san?"
"Yeah, back when I was doing Police Academy. How'd you guess?" He slows his pace so we can walk side by side.
"You mentioned it the other day, in Cafe Arsene."
"Shit, yeah, you're right," Ryuji-san grins. "You got a good memory huh?"
"Nothing special, by any rate..." I deflect. Hopefully, he can't see my flushing in the night streets. "And you were going to be a police officer? Like Nijima-san?"
Ryuji-san barks out a laugh. "Well, a cop, but not like Makoto. She's way smarter than I am, I wouldn't have made it as more than a beat cop."
I'm not sure how to respond and before I figure it out Ryuji-san continues, "I had just graduated, yeah? My bullshit business degree which was an excuse so I could run for the Track team. I had no idea what to do with myself, besides the whole side gig thing. Makoto had just gotten promoted to Detective and Gramp's Metaverse unit was getting off the ground so I said hey, maybe I could do some good on that side of the law, yeah?" I nod.
"Well, I did good at the Academy, at least in all the physical stuff. I wasn't failing the written stuff either but..." Ryuji-san sighs, his arms folded behind his head. "There are so many rules as a cop, so much like..."
"Red tape?" I suggest.
"Yeah, exactly! So much red tape to helping people and Makoto's smart enough to know how to work around all that, but I wasn't feeling it and we had another one of those False Gods crop up... So I dropped out to really help people, as a Phan..." Ryuji-san bites his tongue. "Fan. of. You know."
I giggle, just a little. "Understood Ryuji-san."
Before I can ask what exactly Ryuji-san meant by False God, he slides onto a stool at the end of one of the many open-air bars along the street. I stand next to him, blending in between the wall and behind Ryuji-san. There are two drunk businessmen arguing on the other side of the bar and the bartender is trying to calm them down.
Rather than listen in, I go through my little ritual to open the Third Eye. It's becoming more automatic, but I still need to close my eyes for a second before I switch. It's kind of like when you go underwater. The hustle and bustle of the busy street faded to the background as the color does, leaving only the blue-tinted world. I slowly glance about, hoping for something to be highlighted. There's... nothing, at least right now.
I keep the Third Eye open and focus on what Amamiya-san said earlier this week. I need to be open to what the Third Eye wants to show me, rather than look for something through it. I don't... actually know what I'm looking for. So I guess that's done. Or maybe it means I have to not look for anything at all? That seems incredibly counterintuitive, but I have nothing better to try. I rest my eyes on the back of Ryuji-san's head and try not to actively look for anything.
There's a slamming sound that's loud enough I notice it even in the Third Eye state. It looks like the businessmen have left the bar behind, maybe one slapped his money down on the table. I guess we'll have to move... on... Is that... The Third Eye has highlighted a man sitting alone at a bar at the next corner.
"Ryuji-san," I tap him on the shoulder. "I think we need to talk to the man over there, at the bar with the canopy."
"Which canopy?"
"Oh, uh..." I release the Third Eye and as soon as color returns to the world I reply, "that yellow one." It occurs to me Ryuji-san might be curious as to why I think that, but he shrugs and makes his way toward the bar. I follow after, sitting on Ryuji-san's left as he sits down with the man on the right.
"Hey, buddy!" Ryuji-san crows. "Nursing anything good?"
"Buzz off, brat," the older man growls. "My misery and I don't need company."
"Now come on, what if I buy you another round?" Ryuji-san says, acting (or maybe actually) unfazed by the man's dismissal.
"Sure kid," the man grunts. "My so-called protection ain't going to get rid of you and I'm broke as a camel's back thanks to em, might as well get a drink out of it."
"Protection? Kichijoji ain't that bad of a neighborhood," Ryuji-san waves the bartender over and motions for two more of whatever the man's drinking. I slink lower in my seat, unsure if the bartender would force me to leave for being underage. He either doesn't notice me or doesn't care.
"It is now?" The man drawls dismissively.
"I'm familiar with that kinda bullcrap at least," The bartender brings two glasses of amber liquid and Ryuji-san downs his in one gulp. "I'm uh. Thinking of opening up shop here. Bit of a dream of mine after the last place..."
"Was driven out of business due to 'fees?'" The man grimaces. "Stay away from here then, or it'll end up just like your first shop."
"You uh... know whose doing all this?"
The man turns to Ryuji-san at that, eyeing him up and down. "Why're you asking? Cop? One of his men?"
"N-no man, I told you-" Ryuji-san stammers out. I stand up and spin around Ryuji-san so I'm beside him and in full view of the man.
"My Onii-san was serious! Our shop got closed down and now he's... he's... working so I can fi...finish school..." I bow my head because I have no idea how to fake cry, or do whatever it is I'm doing! I stare at my shoes so I don't have to see just undeceived the man is by my act. At the very least, Ryuji-san tries to help it along by putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"... Hey, I'm uh... I'm sorry, alright?" The man says quietly. I glance up quickly, he's not looking at either of us now, just into his drink. "The guy's name is Hajime Okita. Avoid anything related to him, his businesses... Maybe you'll make out better than I did."
"Um, T-thanks, Mr...?" Ryuji-san says. The man puts some bills on the table and stands.
"Nobody important," the man says before walking off into the crowd. The two of us stand there for a moment, just... watching him go. After a bit, Ryuji-san pats my shoulder and removes his hand.
"The best way to help is to get this Hajime dirtbag to confess to his crimes, so let's get to it," Ryuji-san says with a wink. I nod slowly, glancing back towards where the man disappeared into the crowd.
"But man, do you really take after Ren! That kind of fast-acting had Ren all over it!"
"I... honestly have no idea how I did that," I reply truthfully.
"You get used to it!" Ryuji-san laughs. "This job has a lot of running off pure instinct. And we got a name! Plus I'm pretty sure what the crime is, which will help with figuring out his perception..."
"So what's left?"
"Location. That's kinda hard in cases like this," Ryuji-san leans against a shop wall, arms crossed. "The guy doesn't do any of his crimes himself so his location is pretty easy to keep hidden. He's probably in Kichijoji, but it could be anywhere..."
"I can see Palace borders if I walk near them, maybe that could help?"
"What now?"
"Um... Morgana describes it as-"
"No, no wait, Mona's descriptions always go way over my head. Simple terms," Ryuji-san says with hands together in mock prayer.
I smile a little. "It's basically a hazy wall in the real world that's near the edge of the Palace in the metaverse."
"Damn, that's... That could totally work. Hell yeah, alright, let's get to it!" Ryuji-san jogs off and I'm forced into almost a run to keep up with him, my head on a swivel for the telltale signs of a Palace.
Ryuji-san's weapon of choice in the metaverse is a bat, and I think that's terribly fitting of his fighting style. He's been bashing skulls (oh right, I should be calling him by his thief name) since we entered the Palace. It didn't take long to find and Skull got in via his navigator once I stepped through the boundary.
The place is a werewolf castle, for whatever reason. Something about the guards transforming into monsters relating to how the ruler's protection scheme is from his own men. I don't pretend to understand, and neither does Skull. My experiences in Palaces thus far have always had Joker at the helm of things, and the difference between Skull and Joker is incredibly obvious. Joker isn't seen until he wants to be, usually right as he eliminates a target. He can direct the other thieves with that same level of precision too.
Skull? He's just clubbing every shadow he comes across before it can raise the security level. I'm... not entirely sure how the security level thing works, I should ask Mona about that at some point. Either way, it doesn't go up because nothing survives Skull's attacks. He and his persona, best described as a DJ on a ghost yacht, demolish shadow after shadow with little effort. I'm kind of curious if the route he's searching for will even count as an infiltration route, considering he's not infiltrating at all. Still, he's the expert here.
"Hey, you listenin?"Skull's voice echos through the hallway we're traipsing through.
"Oh, um. Sorry, I got lost in thought." I jog up a bit to walk beside Skull.
Skull chuckles. He pushes open another door as he asks, "So what's your deal anyway?"
"My deal?"
Skull charges into the room to bash the head in of a frankly adorable floating pumpkin shadow. "Yeah, like, your aunt won't be home till tomorrow?"
"Oh, like... my home life," I clarify. I lean against the wall by the door, staying out of Skull's radius of carnage. "Joker didn't tell you all?"
"He's pretty big on keeping people's confidence. We didn't even know about his so-called Confidants for the first year or so."
"Really?" I ask rhetorically. It sounds very Joker-like. Though, I got the impression he spoke to some of the others about me before. "So he really hasn't said much?"
A nine-foot-tall, bipedal ocelot with swords comes running at Skull, but he kicks it in the gut and launches after it as it stumbles. "Nope! Just that he hired a part-timer whose involved with metaverse jazz."
Joker... I can't help a smile, I'm really glad he let me explain my abilities to the others on my own terms. I wasn't sure at first, but the fear had been in the back of my head he'd tell them before they met me and they'd find me weird like so many others have in the past. I always kept my abilities... the Third Eye, a secret as much as possible so it couldn't get around.
There's a swoosh and I have to dive to the side. Another one of those pumpkin shadows slams into the wall where I was just standing, dissolving into a million pieces from the force of the impact.
"Sorry!"
"It's okay," I call back. "And um... My parents passed away when I was little, so I've been bounced around relatives my whole life. I've only been saying with this Aunt since the start of the semester. I... think she had her arm twisted into taking me in because she's way more interested in her career than me."
"Damn..." Skull says sympathetically.
"It's okay though!" I quickly reassure. "Because of all the weirdness of my abilities as a little kid most... most of my family thinks I'm a liar, or going to snap at any moment... So being distant means she won't get weirded out by me too quickly, and I might finish the year out at Shujin."
"That doesn't make it better you know."
I chuckle awkwardly. "I'm sorry."
"Hey, don't apologize," Skull says as he approaches. We resume our 'infiltration' of the palace, taking the door on the right side of the room. "I asked cause I wanted to know more about ya, and now I do. I see why Ren would find you like a... ugh, wait, there's a phrase for this, like him but not..."
"Kindred spirit?"
Skull slaps my back lightly. "Yeah, that's it! His parents gave up on him after Shido falsely accused him, and when Sae-san and the Thieves proved him innocent they kept pushing him away outta guilt for their own actions."
"Wow..."
"Lucky he found himself a family in all of us, literally in Ann's case," Skull grins at his wit. "Boss took him back in and things went on from there. Boss is basically the team Dad now, though uh. Don't tell him I said so."
"I... didn't know all that, that's..."
Skull stops before he opens the next door to look at me. "Err, you didn't?"
"Joker hasn't told me much about his own problems, he tends to focus on mine."
Skull makes a face. "Uh... Maybe don't tell him I told you that then?"
I motion like I'm zipping my lips shut. "Mum's the word, Skull." That earns me a grin and a light tussling of my hair before he charges into the next room. I stand by the door once again, given a moment to think as Skull starts trading blows with a literal demon. Maybe... I've always thought Joker was just intrigued by my Third Eye and that's why he kept me around, then... probably just so he could work at the cafe less but... Maybe he was watching out for me like Boss-san watched out for...?
N-No, that can't be it. There's only so much optimism anyone can have before they sound ridiculous. Or at least... if they don't want to be disappointed by it later. The Phantom Thieves have been so kind to me, more than any relative ever was, but I can't assume too much, I'll just get hurt in the end. I mean-
"Oiiii," Skull basically appears in my vision and I gasp in surprise. "You got lost in thought again, huh?"
"Y-yeah," I don't want him to ask about my train of thought so I quickly shoot out the first question I have on my mind. "Were Joker and Panther always so..." The words that come to mind make my cheeks flush just a bit.
"All over each other?" Skull says with a laugh as we continue forward. "Believe it or not, nope."
"I. I actually don't believe that," I say truthfully.
"So they got together pretty early into our first year as thieves, though Ren won't tell anyone exactly when because he's well, Ren. They were busted on Christmas Eve when Ann crashed at the cafe with him after we killed our first god."
What is with the Phantom Thieves and saying things like they killed a god so casually?!
"Anyway, they were pretty cutesy for a while after that. Like we knew they were close, but they took things slow."
"Hard to imagine, knowing them now."
"They're total lovers now, yeah. That didn't happen till Ren opened the Cafe and they moved in together. I guess bein around each other all day amped em up or something. Or maybe it was just awkward with Boss downstairs all the time? I know Ren can sneak better than that, there was that time-"
I blink, looking at Skull as he turns to me. He chuckles awkwardly.
"You know what, he can tell that story."
With a split second's decision, I give my best pout to Skull. He breaks pretty much instantly. He really does wear his heart on his sleeve.
"Look, I can't tell you that one, Ren'll kill me but how about..." Skull taps his chin with a finger as he walks. "Oh, I got one. Did you know... Ren taught Ann how to do some of her sexier poses?"
"Eh?"
"Yeah! So Ann's never been the 'sexy' type, so when she wanted to start taking some jobs that called for like, this," Skull stops to pop his butt out and bend in a poor imitation of a swimsuit cover photo. Needless to say, I immediately start giggling. Skull strikes a few more mock 'sexy' poses before he chuckles and resumes walking.
"She wasn't sure what to do and complained about it one night. So Ren comes to me a couple of days later with a camera he scrounged up, calls up Mishima to bring some fancy lights, then has the both of us come to the apartment. We're waiting in their bedroom and he sends Ann in, whose totally clueless about what he's doing..."
I have to do knee lifts to keep up with Skull's pace as we climb some stairs, but it's worth it for every minute of this story.
"Five minutes later he comes in dressed, well," he takes another glance at me, "down, let's say, and hops in the center of the lights Mishima set up and has me do a whole photo shoot of him modeling all the sexy poses he could find. Ann was laughing the whole time, but seeing it all done in front of her, where she could tell him to adjust or do whatever, was apparently what she needed. I think they kept all the pictures so she could reference them too."
"I... Can't even imagine..." I start but then I think about it. I think about Joker's spontaneity, his perchance for chaos, and his modeling talent at that photo shoot. "Ac... Actually, I can."
"It's pretty on-brand for him, ain't it?" Skull laughs as we turn yet another corner. "Oh, I think this..."
The corridor ends in a single door that's made of solid gold. Putting the impracticality of that aside, Skull walks up to it and peeks behind it. He steps back, looks up, and throws his bat at a ceiling grate.
"That's a treasure room, for sure. Assuming that grate goes where I think it does..." Skull trails off. He gets a running start and leaps up against the wall, one arm grabbing the rim of the vent. He pulls himself up in an impressive showing of upper body strength, though his shoulders barely fit in the vent.
Not. Not that I was looking particularly close at his upper body.
"Stay here for a sec, alright? I'll be back in a flash," Skull calls behind him as he disappears into the vent. I turn around, watching the corridor for any shadows that Skull might have missed, however unlikely that is. He's back in less than a minute, shimmying out feet first until he can drop down to the floor.
"Will that work as an infiltration route?" I ask.
"Hell yeah," Skull grins. "Time to let the gang know and deliver a calling card."
"I thought you didn't want to bother them with this?"
I just didn't want them to cancel their plans to come to help me find the keyword, that's all." Skull says with a shrug. "Finding the keyword and exploring the Palace are cool on my own, but the Thieves don't send a calling card unless we all agree. That's been the rule since the very beginning, even with Kamoshida."
Distracted, I quickly reply, "Oh, that makes sense..." as we make our way back out. Kamoshida... I still haven't asked about the Phantom Thieves original case, because it seems personal to Joker and Panther while Mona won't share for the same reason. Maybe Skull wouldn't mind? He seems to be an open book, and I've been curious about what got the Thieves started for the longest time.
Steeling myself with a deep breath and a silent prayer he won't be offended, I ask, "Skull? Who was Kamoshida? I know he's the first target the Phantom Thieves ever had, but I don't know much more than that."
Skull's expression grows stormy, and I'm immediately worried I offended him. He sighs after a moment though. "Kamoshida was a PE teacher at Shujin, total dickbag. He was doing a bunch of terrible things, but because the volleyball team he coached was doing so well no one stopped him."
Skull's voice gets faster the more he talks, more aggressive with every word. "He broke my leg in 'self-defense' when I stood up to him, he physically abused and uh... sexually harassed everyone on the volleyball team, tried to blackmail Ann, drove Ann's best friend Shiho to attempt..."
Skull trails off, looking over at me. I can see the snarl that's formed in his expression, even under his mask. He actually stops, taking such a deep breath I can see his chest rising.
"Kamoshida did a lot of terrible things to the students," he says succinctly as we start walking again. "I don't think you need the details." I'm inclined to agree with him, based on how angry Skull got just remembering them.
"He singled out Ren when he transferred and got around to threatening to have us expelled at the next board meeting. Ren for rumors that weren't true, and me because, well, he already hated me. We discovered the Metaverse though, met Mona, learned the Phantom Thief thing, and decided that if the corrupt adults weren't going to stop Kamoshida, we would. That was our justice. Ann stumbled in after us, and it was the four of us that took Kamoshida down."
I don't know what to say, not at first. We're nearing the exit of the Palace, Skull's tapping his bat on his shoulder irritatedly, and I feel awkward for asking about such a personal case. As I dig further and further in my head for something to say, I feel a light bump from Skull's elbow.
His smile is soft and understanding. "Hey, it's cool. It's a really heavy story, after all. There's not much to say other than we got the bastard."
I smile back and nod in agreement. I kind of see why Joker and Panther don't talk about it, or explain when it gets mentioned like they do other cases. Curiosity... didn't kill the cat, but sure made things awkward.
"Ren 'n Ann don't talk about that era much, and Morgana's so dialed into Ren's brain he won't either. I can imagine how that would make you curious. If there's ever anything else you think the other's might wanna avoid explaining, let me know okay?" Skull grins. "I'm an open book."
"Thank you, Skull," I say with a small bow.
"Aw come on, a bow?!" Skull exclaims. "I'm tryin to be more friendly, not get you to be more formal!"
I laugh, I can't help it. I'm still laughing as Ryuji gives up his griping and pulls out his phone, turning on the navigator so we can head home.
Ryuji-san insisted on bringing me home after we left the Palace, which was close to midnight. I collapsed in my bed when I got in (my Aunt wasn't home, as expected) without changing, falling asleep instantly. I barely got up with enough time to get myself in order for school the next day.
Shujin feels a little... different, after hearing about Kamoshida. Maruki-sensei mentioned the school had issues in the past, but hearing even vague details about what that entailed from one of the victims make the school seem... Uncomfortable, I suppose is the best word. Granted, I've never been terribly comfortable in school, as either the weird loner or worse, freak who sees things, so it's not unbearable.
My thoughts make for a downer school day, but the warm spring sunlight and smell of Amamiya-san's coffee perk me up pretty quick. I pull open the velvet door quickly, ready to enjoy an afternoon at the closest place I have to a home.
"Amamiya-san, good afternoon!"
Amamiya-san nods, cleaning a mug behind the counter. We actually have a couple of customers too, one of which shouts in greeting.
"Yo!" Ryuji-san barks from the seat across from Amamiya-san. "I'm back again!"
"Hi Ryuji-san," I reply with a smile as I pass by, heading for my apron on the rack in the back.
"You up for watching the store on your own?" Amamiya-san asks. I nearly drop my apron. I always knew this was in the cards, but even still it feels so good that Amamiya-san trusts me that much.
"Y-Yes!" I say with a big nod. "Wha...What's the occasion?"
"I hear you and Ryuji found something interesting yesterday," Amamiya-san says, his joker smile falling into place. "Ryuji and I are going to check it out today."
It's not hard to guess what they're doing, especially since Morgana doesn't appear to be in the Cafe. "Is Morgana... out?"
Amamiya-san smiles approvingly. "Yup. We'll be back before dinner."
Amamiya-san heads over to the rack to hang his own apron, while Ryuji-san waggles his eyebrows to get my attention. Odd way to do it, but very Ryuji-san.
"Yo, so when we get back... I was thinkin, you gotta show me that movie."
"Movie?"
"The one your Dad liked! Mag...netic Seven?"
I giggle. "The Magnificent Seven?"
"Hell yeah, I bet Ren and Ann will join us too, what do ya think?"
"I'd..." The fact that Ryuji-san remembered that comment at all... and that he realized how important it is to me... "I'd love to," I say with smile.
"Done deal! Alright, Ren let's go get this-"
Amamiya-san grabs Ryuji-san in a sort of walking headlock, keeping him from saying anything incriminating as they make for the door.
"See you later!" I call, chuckling at Ryuji-san's antics. They both wave as they make their way out the door, leaving me with a Cafe to watch and plans to look forward to tonight.
This is going up earlier than my usual Sunday evenings, but it's Ryuji's birthday and a Ryuji-centric chapter! Despite having an outline for this one for ages, it took a while to find the right vibe for it. Ryuji's a lot of fun though, I'm glad to have finally introduced him and where he is now.
As always, your comments inspire me. I never thought I'd write a fic this long yet here we are! Thank you all so much for your continued support!
I was wondering if Ryuji would be the first one to get MC to drop the honorific for, but it doesn't seem like it yet. I've spent far too much time thinking about how she refers to everyone else in the story. She's hyper-aware of how she refers to people so she doesn't offend, even as you read her thoughts she's very particular about how she refers to people. It's a trait that developed naturally for her that I've really come to enjoy about her.