The Cafe has gotten particularly lively this past week. Ryuji-san has been here pretty much every day, not for terribly long but enough to be a constant presence. Futaba-san came down from the apartment mid-afternoon twice, apparently working long hours in the secret room. Yusuke-san made his way over on Wednesday night, though I'm not sure if he had any reason for his visit other than free curry. Nijima-san stopped in twice, but only waved hello to me before she and Amamiya-san made their way upstairs.
I asked Amamiya-san what's been going on, but he just flashed his Joker grin. I'm sure it's Phantom Thieves' work, that much is a given. I wouldn't pry, but I'm just so curious about what requires this much effort from the Thieves. I've seen them both in and out of the Metaverse, they're incredible at doing what they do. Whatever is going down, it must be big.
All of the Thieves are here today, probably because it's a Friday. Amamiya-san asked me to watch the store and wait for another friend of his to arrive though. It's slow since the weather is good (and Arsene is never all that busy to begin with) so I've cleaned every surface in the store while Eto-san sips his espresso.
The chime on the door rings, drawing my attention. "Welcome!" I call out to the... wow, that looks like an expensive outfit. The woman's Amamiya-san's age, maybe a little older with fluffy reddish hair and a gorgeous white dress with a cardigan over top. The woman pulls off her sunglasses, her huge smile and warm hazel eyes radiating warmth and friendliness.
"Hello! You must Amamiya-kun's protegee!" she says. I wonder how many times people are going to say that to me, it's becoming almost as common a greeting as my own name.
"Yes, and I think he's expecting you?"
The woman sits at the counter, "Oh he probably is but he can wait a bit longer. I'd love a cup of coffee, if you wouldn't mind."
I try to hide my surprise with a quick nod. "Any particular preference Ms...?"
"Haru is fine, and does Amamiya-kun still have Mocha Harrar?"
Huh. I was not expecting her to order that one, it's spicy, with blackberry notes. The latter suits her, but the spicy is surprising. "He does, how would you like it?"
"However Amamiya-kun recommends."
"I can do that," I reply and get right to it. While the beans grind, I wrack my brain. the name Haru sounds familiar and I can't place from where. Yusuke comes to mind, though I don't know why, it can't be... Wait, maybe when I was with Yusuke? Wait wait now I remember, that letter! I step away from the grinder for a moment to grab the note of the fridge where Amamiya-san left it.
"I think this is for you, from an Iwai-san?"
"Oh yes, Amamiya-kun did mention something like that," Haru-san takes the letter and opens it while I finish her coffee. I place her cup down on the counter just in time to catch her pouting at the contents. "I was so looking forward to picking up that order later..."
Unable to resist I ask, "What were you going to pick up?"
"Oh, just a full metal reproduction of a Milklore 40mm Grenade Launcher from last year's production line. The articulation of the chamber is said to be jam-proof and I needed Iwai to ensure the model was too."
... Haru-san is full of surprises then. "That's interesting. I take it you like model guns as much as Amamiya-san does."
"More, depending on the day," Amamiya-san says from behind me.
"Jeez, stop doing that Amamiya-san!" I breathe when my feet hit the floor again. "One of these I'm going to jump and twist an ankle or something."
Amamiya-san only grins, so I know nothing's going to change. I remember when I thought Amamiya-san was a sophisticated adult who only acted the part of the leader of the Phantom Thieves when he was wearing the mask. Now I know that the sensible adult is actually the mask, and the chaotic trickster is his true personality.
Haru-san gives Amamiya-san a quick hug as he joins her around the front of the counter. "It's good to see you, how is everyone?"
"They're all upstairs, head on up and ask them yourself," Amamiya-san says lightly before turning to me. "Lock up and join us as soon as Eto-san is finished, alright?"
"Yes!" I say a bit too quickly to call casual. Amusement dances across Amamiya-san's face before he and Haru-san make their way upstairs. I rock back and forth on my heels, anxious to join them. I don't want to be rude to Eto-san though, he's always so nice... I take a deep breath then walk over to the front door. I flip the closed sign, then turn to find Eto-san shuffling towards me, a smile on his face.
"Oh, there's no rush Eto-san," I start but he shakes his head.
Eto-san glances towards the apartment pointedly before looking back at me. "Enjoy," he says softly before making his way out the door.
"T-Thank you, Edo-san!" I call after him through the closing door. He chuckles lightly, waving goodbye through the window. I lock the velvet door, grab Eto-san's mug, then hurry to wash it and get upstairs.
The secret room is already open when I climb up to Amamiya-san's apartment. Unlike the last time I visited the room, the room is lit up by computer screens and desk lamps, though the windowless room still manages to feel dark. I think it's fitting though, for the den of the Phantom Thieves.
Amamiya-san is standing behind Futaba-san, who's seated at the massive computer desk on the right wall, opposite the entrance of the room. Beside Amamiya-san is Nijima-san, whose leaning over to view whatever Futaba-san is displaying on screen. Opposite that is Amamiya-san's workbench for tools. Ryuji-san is fiddling with something on the desk but stops to wave to me, while Morgana continues to yell at Ryuji-san to drop whatever he's holding.
Meanwhile, on the near side, Ann-san, Haru-san, and Yusuke-san are all sitting on a sectional couch to the right of the door. It's cornered nicely so that it both faces the oak table in the center of the room and the projected screen on the wall to my right, likely connected to Futaba-san's computer. Ann-san and Haru-san are chatting animatedly when I walk in while Yusuke-san is looking contemplatively at a sketchpad.
"The cafe emptied out quick, huh?" Haru-san says to me as I walk up to the couch. "You make an excellent cup of coffee, by the way. I already finished it!"
"Oh wow, did you want me to make another cup?"
"No time for that, let's get the show going," Amamiya-san says. The assembled Phantom Thieves all perk up, turning to Amamiya-san like athletes looking to a coach. I... Wow, this is really the entirety of the Phantom Thieves holding a meeting, and I'm in attendance. The last month and a half of working for Amamiya-san was supposed to prepare me for this, but wow. I never thought I'd be in this room, even as an observer.
Sure, maybe once or twice I imagined getting a Persona like Amamiya-san and zipping through a place like they do. The freedom they must feel sounds intoxicating. But I'm just me, and I'm only here by the sheer grace of Amamiya-san. I come back to earth from that dream pretty quickly.
"So what's first?" Ryuji-san asks. Amamiya-san just nods to Futaba-san, who grins and moves a window onto the projector screen.
"Thanks to Renren's protegee, we've discovered something new in the construction of Jails. We've dubbed them Jail Seeds, because in effect they're just Will Seeds for a Jail."
"Aren't Will Seeds like, created from the distortions the Palace Ruler is into?" Ann-san asks.
"Correct! I see where you're going with this too!" Futaba-san gives Ann-san a thumbs up.
Ryuji-san slides over next to me, whispering "Do uh... Do you see where this is going?"
Respect for my elders be damned, I raise an eyebrow at Ryuji-san. He's been doing this for years, I didn't know what the metaverse was until last month. He has to be asking me because I was standing closest to him, right? Well, besides Morgana, but I can't imagine the
feline thief giving an answer without a busload of snark.
Well... Okay, I can see why he'd ask me, in that case. "I don't, but I think Futaba-san's going to explain," I whisper back.
"Since a Jail's Ruler is forced into a distorted state via manipulation of trauma, setting them in a feedback loop of sorts, it wouldn't make sense for them to have condensed distortions the way a Palace Ruler does, like Ann pointed out. Palace Rulers form those Will Seeds over time as they subconsciously suppress and succumb to their distorted desires. A Jail Ruler is forced into a distorted state strong enough to generate a Jail instantaneously so there's no way a Will Seed could form! Not unless time travel was involved!"
"And that's not what we're saying it is, right Futaba-chan?" Nijima-san cuts in.
"Unfortunately, Mako-chan is right," Futaba-san concedes. If I didn't know better by the grin still on Futaba-san's face, she actually wanted Nijima-san to scold her. "All hail the Queen!"
There's a laugh from some of the room while Nijima-san groans. "Let's stay on task, shall we...?"
Futaba-san cackles but scrolls down on her notes. "Anyway, with what I said before it's impossible for the Jail Seed to have come from the Jail's Ruler, but there is one other mind that's been connected to the Jail that could represent it. Any guesses?" Futaba-san turns immediately to Nijima-san as she opens her mouth, "Not you Queen!"
There's quiet for a moment as the Thieves look among each other. Jails are created by a person, right? Someone uses that... software or whatever to put an app on their phone and that causes them to form a palace? Putting aside how ridiculous the whole thing sounds when it's put like that, that means the only other person involved is...
"The person who put them in the Jail?" I think aloud.
"Oooo! Protegee-tan's got it!" Futaba cheers, spinning in her chair and grinning like a madwoman. I flush, because what else am I going to do?
"So... the guy behind all this is like... putting his seeds in the victim? Ew," Ryuji-san says from beside me.
"We'll need to do more research with the Third Eye MkII," Futaba-san replies while I wonder if that name is up for debate or not, "but I don't think it's intentional. The kind of person who uses EMMA Soft to distort another person like that is usually highly distorted themselves. I think their own distortion just helps... template, the victim's own distortion."
"I'm uh... pretty lost here Futaba-chan," Ann-san sighs from the couch.
"Think about it like this, the Jailer wants the target to be distorted right? So they use their own distortions to show them how to do it."
"Like... a blueprint?" Yusuke asks.
"Just like a blueprint, actually," Nijima-san confirms with a nod.
"So... What does all this mean for us?" Ryuji-san asks. "We gotta collect them all, like Will Seeds?"
Amamiya-san is the one to reply. "That'd be hard, considering only the mark two Third Eye," oh good, the name is going to stick, "can see where they're hidden. For now, no change. Will Seeds aren't even necessary to begin with so Jail Seeds won't be either."
"Roger that boss! That I understand!" Ryuji-san makes a salute.
"Of course you understand that much," Morgana snarks from the workbench.
"I take offense to that!" Ryuji-san barks as the rest of the group laugh good naturedly. I find myself giggling too, but more at Ryuji-san's over-the-top reactions. Despite the heaviness of the topic, I feel so at ease here with the Thieves. I thank my lucky stars over and over for giving me the chance to be here with these people.
"Alright alright, get a room you two," Amamiya-san eventually says, ending the laughter and arguing.
"You're one to talk!" both Morgana and Ryuji-san say at once, turning on Amamiya-san. The smirk that graces his features is nothing short of shit-eating and I catch Ann-san flushing out of the corner of my eye. Morgana and Ryuji-san both flash amused grins of their own with each other, then sit back to let Amamiya-san speak.
"Now for the main event, we've got a suspect for the recent string of Jails, thanks to some excellent work by Futaba and Makoto," Amamiya-san pauses as we all clap for the two mentioned. Futaba-san grins awkwardly while Nijima-san just smiles with a blush to her cheeks.
"The suspect is Odai Yamato, a general in the SDF. He's been pushing for Japan to reform the SDF into a proper army for years, and behind closed doors he wants Japan to elevate itself ot a military world power again."
A picture of the general flashes onto the projector screen. He looks old enough to be my grandfather, even older than Boss-san. He's standing on the stairs to some government building, speaking to reporters with a fire in his eye. Behind him is what looks like an assistant, while everyone else in the picture is a reporter.
"He's made use of the Yakuza outbreak sparked by the first Jail to insist the SDF doesn't have the tools to combat organized crime. Then he backed the second target, that newscaster, who immediately started pushing for more military power in the nation. These coincidences plus what Makoto and Futaba brought us give us enough to think we've got our guy."
Nijima-san nods in agreement, adding, "He'd have the resources to get a hold of EMMA as well, as a high-ranking government official."
"Why's it always the government official at the top of the food chain," Ryuji-san grumbles.
"Because they're well-practiced in abusing their power," Ann-san adds frostily.
"So how are we to get close to this general?" Yusuke-san asks.
"I can help with that!" Haru-san says immediately. She pauses, looking to Amamiya-san to check if she cut off his own reply. He shakes his head, motioning for her to continue with a smile. "There's a big fundraiser tomorrow night he's hosting, and as acting CEO of Okumura Industries, he offered me invitations!"
"A fancy party huh?" Ryuji-san rubs his chin before adding, clearly rhetorically, "I wonder who'll take point on that?"
Judging solely by Amamiya-san's grin, I can guess too. "Ann and I will run interference for Haru by drawing attention to ourselves on the dance floor."
"I can't risk being recognized, so I won't be going in. Futaba-chan and I will serve as mission control from outside," Makoto adds.
Futaba-san groans. "We don't have to use Zenkichi's stinky van again, do we?"
"Ren's car is too conspicuous and you know it," Makoto sighs. Clearly, this has been argued before.
Amamiya-san turns to the corner of the room the boys have gathered in. "Yusuke, Ryuji, and Morgana are on stand by. The goal isn't to go into the metaverse same night but if it has to be done, you'll be on point for that."
"Done deal, I hate the high society gigs anyway," Ryuji-san says with a pump of his fist. While Morgana groans disappointedly.
"Because you're so obviously not high class, unlike me," Morgana quips.
"Dude, you're a cat!"
Morgana yowls in indignation while everyone laughs. I notice Haru-san's looking around the room, counting on her fingers for whatever reason.
"Well... That does leave another ticket for the gala group... Oh!" Haru-san turns right to me. "Why don't you come as the fourth?"
"Wait... What? Me?" I put my hands up as if to stop her train of thought. "Why would I be a good choice to help you with this, I'm not even-"
"Seconded!" Ann-san interrupts with a cheer. "We can go shopping again tonight!"
"But-"
"Consider it your shift for tomorrow, if that helps," Amamiya-san says through yet another shit-eating grin. The grin is his seal of approval and I'm not getting out of this, am I? I sigh in defeat. "Good, so we'll have you act as the niece of one of Haru's board members. No one will question it, and you can fly under the radar."
"I know better than to protest..." I groan which gets a laugh from the group.
"Atta girl," Amamiya-san chuckles. "You and Haru will sneak off from the main party and find the general's office. We at a minimum need his keywords for a Palace, if not evidence of him using EMMA Soft. Follow Haru's lead, it's not the first gala we've used as cover for information gathering."
"That about covers everything, right Ren?" Ann-san says, hopping up from the couch.
Amamiya-san smiles. "Yeah, pretty much. We're all in agreement, right?"
There's a course of ayes from the group. Ann-san turns on a heel, grabbing Haru by the arm and marching towards me.
"Then we've got to pick out the perfect looks! It's been so long since we've been able to shop Haru, and you can work on your cover story with our barista cinderella here!" My arm is grabbed as well and we both are pulled from the hideout. Haru laughs and I start to think maybe this won't be so bad.
I was wrong to think this wouldn't be so bad. We're dressed to absolutely kill, this dress cost more money than the last one I was bought by the Thieves, and we're driving up this place in Amamiya-san's sports car of all things! I didn't even know he had one! (He explained that it was the treasure from a Palace ruled by a billionaire playboy type and instead of selling it he kept it for when he needed to travel out of Tokyo quickly. That didn't make it any less impressive to see in his garage.)
Haru steps in front of our little group as we climb the stairs into the mansion. The sheer amount of valets, expensive cars, and even more expensive outfits I've seen already make me feel terribly out of place. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the bouncer (are they called bouncers when you're at a rich people party? or are they security?) singled me out and threw me out the main gate. I... Okay, I know that's not the right mindset. Amamiya-san and the rest wouldn't have let me do this if they didn't think I could. Amamiya-san's right behind me too, along with Ann-san and Haru-san is dead ahead with our tickets.
I take a deep breath and thrust out my chest. Confidence is all faked, right? I walk right up beside Haru-san and the bouncer acknowledges me with a nod. He then counts Ann-san and Amamiya-san with a nod as well before removing the rope blocking the entrance.
"Enjoy," he says politely. I try to stop the grin I feel forming before I give us away, come on, we're playing it cool! You don't see anyone in a spy movie grinning like an idiot because they got in the front door!
"Take it easy. People tend to be in their own little worlds at events like this, they won't notice a smile," Amamiya-san says quietly from my left. I guess I wasn't exactly subtle in my body language. That, or Amamiya-san knows me better than I thought, and that's impressive considering I think he knows me better than I do at times.
"Right. So... What now?"
"Now..." Ann-san says with a sparkle in her eye, looking towards the main hall, "We check out the party!"
"And by that," Nijima-san's voice echoes in the earpieces we all have, "she means case the party area. Keep an eye on whose allowed where, what areas are being watched by security, any electronic security..."
Amamiya-san reaches up casually, tapping his earpiece twice as he does.
"...Ahem," Nijima-san stops herself. "At least, we'll handle that, mostly Ren-kun and Ann-chan. Just stay under the radar for the time being. Maybe check out the food?"
Futaba-san's voice cuts in, her voice just below a shout, "Absolutely check out the food! It's the best part of one of these jobs!" I quickly feign a cough to hide the wince I make from the sudden volume spike.
"Best of luck, Amamiya-kun," Haru-san says before taking my hand. "Why don't we follow Mako-chan's advice, hmm?"
"Right!" I reply with a nod, falling into step with Haru-san. We split off from Amamiya-san (who's making his way towards Ann-san, who already begun mingling with some people) and wander in another direction. It's not long before people begin to greet Haru-san as 'President Okumura' to which she consistently replies 'that would be my Father.' They exchange pleasantries and then the cycle begins anew.
It just occurs to me I have no idea why Haru-san has connections to big parties like this. She's clearly important, given how many people drop their conversations for the chance to greet her. Okumura as a family name sounds familiar at least... but I was never up to date on the business world.
Another perk of how big a name Haru-san must be is that I'm completely ignored by all these people mingling with her. It gives me the chance to look over the room with my Third Eye. I don't know what compels me to exactly, mostly just... curiosity. Ann-san and Amamiya-san's powerful aura dominates the corner they're currently in... Meanwhile, there's a shadowy aura on the far side of the room I can only assume is the General. Even from this distance, a palace ruler's aura is...
I shiver and release the Third Eye. No need to make myself more uncomfortable than I already am. Besides, now that Haru-san has said adieu to yet another man in a suit, we've got a clear path to the dessert cart. Haru-san takes a few chocolate-covered strawberries on a plate and I do the same, intimidated by the sheer selection available.
We step off to the side of the walking path, giving us a moment of peace to enjoy our desserts. After confirming no one else is making their way to Haru-san, I ask, "I realized I don't actually know what you do Haru-san."
Haru-san laughs lightly, a... honestly mysterious sound. Like she knows something but isn't willing to share. "Perhaps I should let the cat out of the bag," she replies. "I serve on the board of the company my Father ran, Okumura Foods."
"Like... owns Big Bang Burger Okumura foods?"
"The very same."
"Wow," I breathe. Though... "I wouldn't have guessed that."
Haru-san turns to me, amusement dancing across her features. "And why is that?"
Oh crap, I didn't offend her, did I? I look away quickly, trying to come up with an answer that's least likely to offend further. "Um... It's just, you seem so down to earth and kind, and board rooms on tv seem so high pressure..."
Haru-san laughs again. "They can be, to be honest. And I'm flattered, honestly."
"Flattered?" I ask, unsure of how I complimented her.
"You see... Oh, hold on," Haru-san stops, stepping forward to give her plate to a server passing by. I do the same, having finished eating a minute ago. The server steps past us and I realize Haru-san wasn't looking for a server, she was instead looking to the center of the room. The music changes to an uptempo number in a style I'm not familiar with.
A woman steps to the side and I see what Haru-san must have. Amamiya-san, in his black suit complete with red shirt that makes him look all the more like Joker in the real world, is dead center on the dance floor with a hand extended out to Ann-san. Ann-san's own red dress with a black bolero jacket that complements his outfit perfectly when they join hands. With a few taps of his foot, Amamiya-san leads them into a... salsa maybe? I'm not sure but whatever it is it has Amamiya-san twirling Ann-san across the floor and Ann-san flaring her dress in a way that just captures her audience.
Glancing away from the sight for a moment, I realize that wasn't just a turn of phrase. Most of the room is enamored with the two, the energy between the two too enticing to look away from. Myself as well, looking back just in time to see Amamiya-san dip Ann-san only for her to spin about his arm, leading him to chase her across the dance floor as she laughs and twirls. The two meet again, eyes locked and-
I start as there's a tap on my shoulder. Haru-san motions towards a doorway that's no longer blocked by a security guard, the guard having stepped up to see the dancing. I nod once and follow after her, trying to keep my shoes from clacking too much against the floor.
We turn the corner, alone in the hallway. I try to start walking on my toes, hoping that'll be good and quiet but Haru-san shakes her head softly when she notices.
"The secret to blending in is to walk like nothing is wrong," she winks, "We're simply looking for the bathroom, right?"
I giggle softly and wink back, "Absolutely." I motion back towards the ballroom. "Is that how you guys normally make a distraction?"
"Intentionally or not," Haru-san replies airily. "Amamiya-kun and Ann-chan tend to draw a crowd no matter what they do."
That's an understatement. The two of them together give off this energy that draws you in... In the weirdest way, it reminds me of an old show my Dad showed me when I was a kid around Halloween. It was a funny little show about a spooky family living in a haunted house, and the parents in it had the same kind of energy that Amamiya-san and Ann-san have. Wish I could remember the name.
"Back to your earlier question," Haru-san says as we turn a corner, "I'm happy not to seem 'the type' because one day, I'm hoping to run a cafe much like Amamiya-kun."
"Really?"
"Really! I absolutely adore gardening you see, and I love to make new recipes using the things I've grown. Amamiya-kun helped me realize all the way back in high school that following in my Father's footsteps wasn't what would make me happiest, and that I should do what does make me happy."
"Then... Why are you?"
"For this, mostly," Haru-san motions to the hallway. "The access. I... love what we do in our little charity," Haru-san winks, the universal sign for implying Phantom Thieves. At some point I need to tell them they're not very subtle. "and being on the board lets us do so much more than we could if I was running my cafe. So I put my plan on hold for a bit, while we keep working to make the world a better place."
"That's really cool of you, Haru-san..." I say, meaning every word. "I'd... like to try one of your recipes sometime, if I could."
"Of course! Maybe I'll borrow Arsene for a bit and make you something later!" We share a smile and I decide I like Haru-san just the way she is. She's so kind and funny, I almost can't imagine her fighting shadows like everyone else.
"Oh, I think that's it," Haru-san says suddenly. There's an open door at the other end of a short hallway that shows a room full of bookshelves with a big desk in the center. We make our way inside and while Haru-san plugs a flash drive Futaba-san gave her into the computer I watch the door. Neither my nor the Third Eye see anything of note as Futaba-san's software runs. It's a tense moment, but no one interrupts us. Haru-san pulls the flash drive out of the computer and we make our way back towards the party.
"I feel like a spy," I breathe quietly, pretty sure I can hear my heartbeat in my ears.
"It does feel like that, doesn't it?" Haru-san laughs. "Now, wait for a moment..." Haru-san turns the corner to the ballroom, walking straight up to the security guard. I follow if only because otherwise I'd panic, isn't alerting security the opposite of what we want to do?!
"Excuse me," Haru-san says, stumbling a little into the guard. "I... appear to have gotten turned around, which... which way is it to the powder room?" Haru-san says a bit slurred. The guard, after taking in her wobbly posture and tone, rolls his eyes and points across the hall.
"Not through here miss."
"Oh thank you sir!" Haru-san replies and makes her way into the crowd. I follow on close on her heels, like I'm chasing after her. It's not long until the guard is out of sight and Haru-san drops the act.
"That was amazing Haru-san!" I say as quietly as I can, now having to compete over the music.
"Security always underestimates the 'poor girl who drank too much', at least unless Mako-chan is running the show," Haru-san replies before extending me a hand. "Shall we find our attention-loving companions?" I nod and take it, being whisked away across the ballroom floor.
We join up with Ann-san and Amamiya-san not long after that. I guess to avoid suspicion, we hang around awhile longer, steering clear of the General himself and mostly keeping to ourselves. It's relaxing, despite where we are and what we're doing. Haru-san's laughter, Ann-san enthusiasm, and Amamiya-san's subtle grins are all so warm and comforting the fact that we're literally in a Palace ruler's home is lost on me for a while.
After a while, Amamiya-san starts to lead us towards the exit. Haru-san says some quick goodbyes here and there, while Amamiya-san and Ann-san get more compliments on their dancing earlier (apparently they did three numbers back to back while we were infiltrating the General's office).
Just as we enter the foyer, a particularly commanding voice echoes, "Okumura-san, it's good to see you, though it appears I almost missed you?"
"Ah General, would you believe my young guest has fallen ill? I had hoped to sit down with you longer, but her father wouldn't forgive me if I were to not take her home," Haru-san says as normally as ever. I'm sure I'm the young guest she spoke of, so I turn slowly to wince out an apologetic smile.
The cold shiver I let out upon making eye contact with the General is as real as it can be. His eyes, even without the Third Eye activated, are a sickly yellow that almost seem to jump from their sockets. They dominate my vision, I can't even take in other details about the man as I quickly look away so those eyes don't pierce my very soul. I wrap my arms around myself and stumble into Haru-san in an automatic response to retreat.
"... My, she does look quite ill. Perhaps I can speak to you another time then, Okumura-san," he says. If only he knew what was affecting me, he'd probably do something different. A firing squad maybe?
"I appreciate your understanding. I'll have someone reach out to you next week then," Haru-san replies as she wraps an arm around my shoulder. I appreciate the touch, but try not to show that I'm relaxing. He seems to think my fear was illness and it'd be better to keep it that way.
"Of course... And a good night to you two as well," the General says, turning to Amamiya-san and Ann-san. I can't see their faces as Haru and I shuffle down the steps, but I activate the Third Eye so I can at least hear. "You were simply marvelous on the dance floor, though forgive me, I don't know your names."
"I'm so sorry we didn't introduce ourselves!" Ann-san says warmly. "I'm Takamaki Ann, and my partner is Amamiya Ren."
"Amamiya... Have I heard that name before?"
"I've modeled with Ann before, perhaps it was then?" Amamiya-san suggests simply.
The General hums distinctly. "No... Ah, I do recall... I was asked to deploy some forces a few years back for a manhunt for an Amamiya, on account of suspicion he was secretly one of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. You couldn't be him no?"
"And if I was?" I'm positive Amamiya-san said that with a smirk.
"I'd simply like to apologize, you see. It turns out there wasn't enough evidence to have been accusing him at all." I can't tell without seeing the General's face if he's being sincere or sarcastic... Not that I'm willing to risk another look.
"I'm sure he understands, after all, those Phantom Thieves are just impossible to pin down, aren't they?" Amamiya-san quips back. He's definitely smirking, he's enjoying antagonizing the General I know it.
"Quite," the General says dryly. "Well, I won't hold you any longer. Good day, Amamiya-kun."
I hear the footsteps walking back into the ballroom and sigh in relief.
"He's read Zenkichi's old case files, that's for sure," Amamiya-san says. We've gathered in a playground nearby the mansion and met up with the rest of the Thieves. Amamiya-san is leaning against the support pole of the swing set, his tie removed and shirt collar opened. Ann-san sits on the swing itself beside him.
"Are you worried about it?" Nijima-san asks.
Amamiya-san flashes his Joker grin and replies, "Not in the slightest."
"Confident as you are," Morgana dryly remarks from the top of the jungle gym, "that may as well have been a calling card in all but name. He'll probably wake up tomorrow and realize just what seeing the leader of the Thieves in his home means."
"Are we able to access his Palace?" Yusuke-san says from the see-saw. Why he chose to sit on the seesaw I'll never know, but it's fun to look at. Everyone assembled looks towards Futaba-san, perked at the top of the slide with her laptop.
"Absolutely!" Futaba-san says with a thumbs up. She then slides down the slide with her laptop still on her lap. "He definitely sees the Self Defense Force HQ as his war tent, all samurai style. He's a total samurai nut, I'm positive the keyword is war tent."
"Then we can go bust him up tomorrow yeah?" Ryuji-san punctuates his question by punching a fist into his palm.
"Yes, and it sounds like we have to," Nijima-san acknowledges.
"Was there anything on EMMA?" Haru-san asks from the other swing in the set.
Futaba-san nods, "Yup, he's got messages about it with his assistant, unencrypted no less!. Sounds like he has some allies who support his use of EMMA we might want to keep an eye on, but there's enough here to confirm him as the one behind recent jails."
Amamiya-san hums softly, his eyes closed. He turns to me and asks, "Did you see anything with the Third Eye?"
I blink, surprised I was included in this briefing. "Um... I haven't seen a Palace ruler with the Third Eye enabled before, so I don't think I can draw any conclusions from that..." I hesitate but Amamiya-san smiles softly and motions for me to continue. "But his eyes are more yellow than I've ever seen a ruler's before. I think he might be really strong."
"That's good info," Amamiya-san replies with a nod. I flush a little under the praise.
"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Ryuji-san says with a grin as he hops to his feet.
Amamiya-san grins. "I am. Let's do this full force tomorrow, the entirety of the Phantom Thieves." There are a few excited whoops and 'alrights' from the assembled group.
"Oh hell yeah!" Ryuji pumps his fist. "This guy isn't going to know what hit him!"
As the excited chatter picks up among the group, Amamiya-san makes his way over to me. He's not... Please don't tell me... "Think you can watch over the store on your own tomorrow?"
I exhale the breath I was holding. "Absolutely Amamiya-san, anything but going with you into the Palace works for me!" He chuckles, but the way he grins back makes me think it won't be long before he drags me along for those too.
"Have a good day, Eto-san." The regular in question shuffles out, his regular Saturday order pretty much the only one I've made since opening. Amamiya-san and Ann-san left at the same time I arrived this morning for their heist, leaving me in charge. It's been slow, but... I don't really mind.
The morning sun filters from the windows, leaving the room basking in the warm morning light. There's fresh coffee smells in the area like always, and especially because I made Eto-san's drink a half-hour ago. This Cafe... I take it all in, from the well-dusted jars of exotic beans, to the monogrammed glassware on the rack, all the way over to the velvet blue door with all its hidden meanings.
In a month this cafe has turned my entire life upside down, from making me almost, almost like my cur... abilities to giving me a place where I can entirely be myself. I rearranged the glassware the other day and Amamiya-san decided to adopt my changes! There are touches of, well, me all over the Cafe now and I don't think... I've ever left an imprint on a place like that.
In the past it was always stay quiet, stay out of the way, and hope I can make it through the school year before the family member I'm staying with passes me on to the next. No matter what I did, I'd always be the creepy child who saw things to them, some even... some even going so far to say I cursed my parents. So I stayed in my allocated space, touched nothing, did nothing to upset them... Not that it helped.
But here? Even beyond the glassware, Amamiya-san is always asking about my day and if I've experienced anything new with my abilities. Ann-san asks about the people I know in school and what the latest trends are. Morgana's always prattling off well-intentioned advice, and that's just the people who live in this cafe. Amamiya-san and Ann-san are always inviting me into their space, their home above the cafe, they trust me with a key to the Cafe itself... It's like black and white.
Huh. Would you look at that, my reflection in the bottom of this glass is smiling. I'm smiling, thinking about my world right now. To think, it was getting drenched by a passing car in the rain that did all this! I'd give that driver a hug right now, if I know who they were.
The bell chimes and I turn on a dime. "Welcome to Cafe Ars- Aunt Suzume, h-hello."
My Aunt was the last person I expected to see enter the Cafe, that's for sure. I was pretty sure she didn't even listen when I informed her about my part-time job. Maybe... Maybe she did? I know she's very busy at her law firm and maybe... I feel my lips turn up in a smile, you know what? Things are good now, maybe my Aunt can be the first member of the family who actually feels like one. Coffee can do pretty amazing things, after all.
"Can I get you something?" I add with a smile. Aunt Suzume surveys the whole Cafe, looking everywhere else but at the counter. She finally sighs before walking forward, her heels clacking on the floor before she comes to a stop across the counter from me. She doesn't take a seat.
"Look, I... Don't know how to break this to you so I'm just going to peel the band-aid off, alright? I just got a new job, as a lawyer for the SDF's top brass. It's a major position and I'm going to need to move and I'm not going to get another two bedroom so... You'll have to move to Nagano next week."
I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. Is that normal? "I'm... sorry?"
My Aunt tsks. "You're moving to Nagano, next week. Yoshinori is going to take you in again, and you've already lived there so..."
"Un-un-un-Uncle Yoshinori?!" There's a shattering of glass, did I... drop one? There's no time for that. "Aunt Suzume, I c-can't move back in with Uncle Yoshinori he-he-"
She looks at me like I'm complaining about the weather. "He what?"
"He um..." She'll just think I'm telling tall tales but I worked so hard to get out of there for High School I can't- "He's a drunk, and he gets so angry, I was, was so scared there I..." My face is wet, is that why the words are stuck in my throat?
Aunt Suzume's eyes scan my own, trying to read me like she would a jury or defendant. She bites her lip, her nose scrunches. Then she looks away. "I... don't have time for he said she said. I've worked too hard to not take this promotion so... Be sure to tender your resignation before you leave."
Re...signation?
L... leave here? Cafe Arsene?
There's a ringing in my ears.
Le-leaving Arsene means...
Heels clack and a door slams.
I... this place... I...
More ringing.
This place, I was just, it is... it was-
Please stop ringing, please stop ringing I need to-
What do I need to do? I have to leave the one place I was... I was happy and-
"STOP RINGING!" I shriek, grabbing for the phone on the counter. When did I get on the floor? There's the damned thing, I slam the large red button on the screen to shut it off. There's a soft ding. I can't see, darkness is swallowing my vision and I feel like I'm falling. A robotic voice cuts through the haze, the only thing I can sense.
"Hi I'm EMMA. How can I assist you?"
-
I'm still here! I've known the general outline of this chapter and the chapter after this for literally forever but I spent so much time worrying about Haru's characterization and then I got super busy, hell I'm still super busy... But every time I got the notification that someone read this fic and dropped a kudos I knew I had to get back to it. I'm literally in another country right now but that's given me the quiet night I needed to crack out the last of this chapter. I make no promises on the next chapter's release time but HUGE shout-out to all of you people out there who've read through all this! I can promise (I guess I lied before whoops) the next chapter will have some amazing revelations to look forward to.
Again, thank you all so very much for reading, I'm humbled with every Kudos (^^)