Ryuji had to wake up early today. Last night, he had gotten a call from his least favorite person in the world; Munehisa Iwai. The yakuza leader wanted to talk to the boy first thing in the morning, so if Ryuji wanted to make it to school on time, he would have to get up bright and early. By now he'd wandered into an airsoft shop called "Untouchable", where Iwai was waiting behind the counter. The man gave a crooked grin when he saw who entered.

"Ah, there you are kid. Was wondering when you'd show."

"Why? I showed up last time we met so you could show me where to find your hideouts around Tokyo. But I got school, so let's get this over with."

"Yea yea. So here's the thing; I'm planning something… big. And in order to pull it off, I need some help."

"And that involves me how?" Ryuji asked.

"Let me give you a piece of advice kid. You're up shit's creek without a paddle. You'd be smart to change that lousy attitude of yours."

"Well I've always been told that I'm an idiot, so…"

Iwai shook his head, but the smile remained.

"Well anyway, here's the thing I need you to do."

Iwai reached into his pocket and pulled out a flash drive.

"If my plan's gonna work, I'm gonna need the cops in chaos. On this flash drive is a virus. One that will completely wreck their systems. I need you to plug it into the systems of the SIU."

"The hell?! How the eff am I supposed to do that on my own?!" Ryuji yelled.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe you could use that Narukami kid you went on a run with. Or maybe you could beg Akechi to show you around. Since you know, you go to school with him. I don't care, just get it done."

"Dude, you're bein' way too unreasonable! There's no way I can do that shit!"

"Oh you can. And you will, or your pretty little girlfriend won't stay pretty for long."

Ryuji's face went white as Iwai reached into his pocket, pulling out a phone with a picture of Hifumi on it.

"You try to run, or go to the cops, well… let's just say Tokyo ain't a very safe place. Accidents tend to happen all the ti-"

Iwai didn't finish his sentence on account of Ryuji's fist getting introduced to his jaw. The yakuza member slammed into a display case, and Ryuji quickly closed the distance, and grabbed a fistful of Iwai's shirt, his spare hand already another fist.

"You stay the hell away from her, you son of a bitch!" He yelled.

Iwai's smile vanished completely, and his glare was cold enough to freeze lava.

"Go ahead and hit me again punk. See what happens." Iwai dared. Ryuji was about to do just that until he felt something poke his gut. Looking down, he saw that Iwai had managed to get a gun out, and pointed it squarely at Ryuji's stomach. The blonde delinquent reluctantly backed off, and Iwai's smile returned, this time full of gleeful malice.

"You're more like your old man than I thought."

"Screw you! That's what this is about?! That's why you came after me?! Because you're too salty about the fact my old man chose a girl over you?!"

"I'm doing you a favor, kid. I know about your record, and I know how you fight. My clan could use a powerhouse, and if Hirohito doesn't want in, well, then I'm gonna have to settle for his son. You got your dad's talent, and I sure as shit ain't gonna let it go to waste."

"Oh yea? And the hell makes you think I wanna join your stupid clan."

"Oh please. You really think you'll have a place to belong? Think you're gonna find a group of people that'll accept a loud, stupid, and reckless delinquent? Face it kid, before you know it, you'll have nowhere to go. Except my clan. My family. Might as well get a head start."

Ryuji did nothing but grit his teeth. He knew Iwai was wrong, but before he could bring up the friends he did make at school, the criminal spoke.

"Now go on, get. Don't want to be late to school, now do ya?"

Iwai tossed the flash drive to Ryuji, who caught it. The highschooler didn't reply, instead flipping off the criminal with a middle finger before marching towards school. Iwai shook his head, still smiling.

"Give it time Ryuji. You'll come to enjoy what I have planned for you yet."

Yu Narukami was back working at Leblanc. Throughout the school day, Yu and the others didn't try to confront Ryuji, as Hifumi informed the group that she planned to talk to him later that day. But that didn't stop Ann, who tried again and again to try and get Ryuji to talk. But the delinquent wouldn't budge, and each attempt only seemed to make him clam up more. But Yu could worry about that later. Right now, they needed to finalize the details of their meeting with Sae Niijima. He received a text that they were on their way, and Yu thanked his lucky stars that today didn't see many customers. The bell chimed, and Yu heard Sojiro give his greeting, followed by familiar voices.

"Ah, welcome, may I take your orders?"

"Of course. Mocha Matari, if it's not too much trouble."

Akechi.

"Um, I haven't had coffee before. What would you recommend?"

Shiho.

"Father once treated me to something called a Hawiian… Koma, I think it was."

Hifumi.

"I'll have what the other ladies are having."

Morgana.

"One Mocha Matari and three Hawaiin Koma coming right up. Hey kid, check the fridge and write down any curry supplies we might need."

Yu gave a nod as the others took their seat and he opened the refrigerator, hoping no one else would come in. Unfortunately, someone did, and Yu had to stop himself from groaning. Of course, he and the others could just wait until he was on his break, but it would simply be more efficient to get it over and done with as soon as possible. But when he heard Akechi gasp, and Sojiro let out a frightened squeak, Yu was worried that trouble was brewing. But he got a far more pleasant surprise instead.

Standing in the doorway was a very familiar man. He was a man with short, greyish black hair and a three day stubble. He wore a dark grey button up shirt, with a loose red tie and dark black dress pants, and a silver watch on his left wrist. Oh yes, Yu knew this person all too well.

"DAD?!"

Standing in the doorway was the man, the myth, the legend himself, Dojima Narukami. When his eyes settled on his child, the detective gave one of the biggest smiles Yu had seen him put on. But that smile vanished as joy was replaced with confusion.

"Yu? What are you doing here? And why do you have that apron on?" Dojima asked.

"Oh, he works here. Figured it was the least we could do after your help with the insurance fraud business with my brother." Wakaba explained, ditching her laptop to address the new arrival. Sojiro let out a cough.

"Uhhh, I need to go… to um, pick up supplies, yea."

"Hey, hold on! You won't let my son stay with you, but you're perfectly ok with him having a job in your cafe?" Dojima questioned.

"What are you talking about? You never asked us to be the guardians for Yu." Wakaba explained.

"Yes I did. I asked Sojiro-san, and he told me it wouldn't happen even if I offered every yen in my account."

Wakaba turned to her husband, who had been slowly making his way towards the exit. He turned around with fear in his eyes.

"RUN DAD! RUUUUUUUN!" Futaba yelled.

And run Sojiro did, only to be pursued by his missus at speeds Yu didn't even know a woman in a wheelchair could reach.

"GET BACK HERE SOJI! YOU'RE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH TONIGHT, I SWEAR TO GOD!" Wakaba promised as she chased her now terrified husband through the streets.

"That's domestic abuse Wakaba-san!" Dojima yelled after her, though how likely it was she heard it was anyone's guess. Free of the watch of his boss, Yu almost ran to hug his dad, a hug Dojima returned with a gentle smile.

"Gotta say, I expected you to either be at Sae's or studying at school. This place was the only thing that kept me going back in the day. Being here again… brings back memories."

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here Dojima-san?" Akechi asked.

"Ah. Well Akechi, believe it or not, the new commissioner of my department received orders to send me here. From what I gathered, I'm here to actually help both you and Sae in catching the Phantom Team."

Yu felt his blood turn cold at his father's sentence, and judging by the looks of everyone else present, he could tell that they were internally panicking. The silver-haired teen turned to his father to see if he noticed. He most certainly did, and he tried his best to pretend he didn't.

"So why don't you fix me a cup of joe? Colombian Bucaramanga Supremo please." Dojima asked, taking a seat.

"Coming right up." Yu replied.

"Hey come on, why did everyone get so tense all of a sudden?" Dojima asked as his son went to work.

"Oh sorry. It's just… we don't know who or what the Phantom Team is made of. If you go after them, you and your son could be targets. And we don't want either of you to get hurt." Shiho explained.

"Oh really?"

"Yea. He's done a lot for us, and me personally. I owe him a lot." Shiho answered, smiling at him with doe eyes.

"Well, you guys have helped me plenty of times too." Yu replied, giving Shiho a similar look.

"Just out of curiosity, what are your… assumptions… on the Phantom Team?" Hifumi asked.

Dojima took a deep breath, placing his hand under his chin.

"Well, given that they issue calling cards, they believe in their own justice, and are willing to let themselves be judged by the masses. I also suspect that they've been wronged by society, and feel the need to fight back and let people know that such corruption exists. After all, if they just wanted to cause a ruckus, they'd go after authority figures with actual power to try and create anarchy. There's also a similarity between them and the mental shutdowns; both can't be explained by normal methods and happen without warning. But due to the fact that these 'changes of heart' don't kill people, and how much longer the shutdowns have been happening, the Phantom Team can't be what's causing them. They would have to have gained the ability to change hearts recently, and are likely not related to the shutdowns. Yet."

The detective leaned back in the chair.

"Finally, the fact that they had two targets so closely together suggests that they have a bounty of free time on their hands, but at the same time, the fact that they have only struck twice suggests that they have other commitments, a lack of resources to pull from, or both. Similar to the life of an average highschooler. And on top of that, this whole thing started shortly after my son transferred here, and in this cafe are also the daughter of Mitsuyo, and the Detective Prince. Two people who are heavily connected to the first targets."

Yu managed to keep a perfect poker face as Dojima made his deductions. But everyone else's faces lost more and more color as he continued. By the time the detective was done, the Phantoms were as pale as what they were named after. Dojima gave out a hearty laugh at the sight.

"Oh come on kids! That's all pure speculation. I'm sure I'm probably wrong on some counts."

Yu Narukami had known his father for a solid chunk of his life, and as such, he knew certain signals that gave away what the detective was really thinking. In this case, a small, almost impossible to see twitch under his right eye was the signal that he was lying. And Yu saw that twitch when Dojima said he was probably wrong. Morgana spoke with awe in her voice.

"That's amazing Dojima! How'd you draw those conclusions so quickly?"

"There's a reason they call me the 'Detective Prince' rather than the 'Detective King' Morgana." Akechi added, also with a hint of impressiveness in his tone.

"Yea, they do say I'm the best. But enough about the Phantom Team. Why don't you tell me who you are, and how you all met my boy?" Dojima asked, Yu serving him the drink he ordered.

"Well, you already know my name Dojima-san. I met him because I work for Sae-san." Akechi replied, smiling at the memories of the dramatic poses he did when the two of them first met at the Niijima apartment.

"My name is Morgana Velvet. I met him when Akechi introduced the two of us. I'm not from around here, so I camp out in Akechi's home." Morgana answered.

"I'm Shiho Suzui. We actually met during a volleyball rally. Though, our bond didn't really solidify until… he helped me out during a troublesome time." Shiho told Dojima, giving a sad smile at Yu.

"You already know my name, but for formality's sake, I'm Hifumi Togo. I actually met him by pure coincidence. He and another boy by the name of Ryuji actually came across me while I was playing some Shogi. Though, it wasn't until he and Akechi here began to investigate my mother that we became better acquainted."

"I see." Dojima replied, sipping away the last of his drink. Letting out a sigh of satisfaction, he turned to the group one last time.

"Hey, you all don't mind if I take him outside and talk to him in private, do you?"

"Not at all Dojima-san!" Akechi hastily answered.

With no more words, father and son made it to the backstreets of Yongen, safe and secluded from listening ears and prying eyes. It was the Narukami patriarch that spoke first.

"That's a good team you got there. Can't say I'm really all that surprised; you've always had a knack for attracting extraordinary people."

"Yea. Though loyal people are a bit out of my league."

"Hey, don't be like that. The fact that they haven't abandoned you shows that they have faith you'll see them through whatever trails await. I don't know what it is exactly you guys have to do to steal a heart, but I imagine it isn't easy." Dojima speculated, confirming Yu's suspicions.

Rather than insult his dad by playing dumb, Yu just replied with the honest truth.

"It isn't easy at all. Nothing worth doing ever is."

"Hehe. Exactly. But just be careful, alright? I'm not gonna try to tell you to stop this Phantom Team business, since telling you to not get involved utterly failed, but just come back to us in one piece. Nanako misses her big bro big time, and I miss my son."

"I miss both of you too dad."

"I can't wait until you come home and tell Nanako all about your adventures. Oh, also, have you asked that Shiho girl out on a date? She'd say yes if you did you know."

"I have, and she did. How'd you figure it out?"

"It was the way you two looked at each other. Your mother and I used to look at each other that way too."

Yu looked at the ground at the mention of his deceased family member, but there was also a spark of hope. If dad and mom looked at each other that way once, would he and Shiho be just as happy? And then he remembered something else Dojima told him.

"I miss Nanako too. How's living with the new guy, Minato, I think his name was?"

"Oh. Him."

Dojima took in a very deep, very long, very loud breath.

"I'm not going to lie, he was an emo asshole when he first arrived."

That sentence caused Yu to barrel over laughing, almost as hard as Izanagi did before his first romantic lessons with Sae. Dojima just looked at his son with a confused, but then amused, expression. Before long he was laughing along, and it took a good while before they both calmed down. Yu looked at his father, still gasping for air.

"E-emo… asshole?" He questioned.

"Well, he's certainly gotten better. It's helped that other people and I have made good progress training him."

"Training him?"

"Well, when he first got here, he said whatever he wanted to without any thought to the consequences or how people would feel about it. Made bonding with people… difficult. But now he's got a really tight knit group of friends. A real… Investigation Squad, if you will."

"Oh…. wow. When did he move to Inaba?"

"Actually, he's a transfer, just like you, so he'll only be staying for one year. I'm only looking after him because your aunt asked me to."

"Wait… Minato's my cousin?"

"No, he's adopted, though you do have a cousin. Her name is Himiko Arisato."

"Didn't you say Minato was adopted?"

"His original name was Minato Yuki, but they changed it to Arisato."

Wow. Guess you really do learn something every day.

"Frankly, I'm amazed he and Nanako got along at all."

"Nanako could get along with anyone." Yu pointed out.

"Heh. Fair enough."

There were a precious few seconds of silence before Dojima tried to change the subject.

"Hey, when it comes to stealing hearts, you wouldn't happen to-"

Before the conversation could continue, Dojima's phone rang. The detective let out a groan as he picked it up.

"Dojima here. Huh? Yes, I'm in the city. Right now? But I thought I'd have at least a day. Ugh, fine. If he's there and ready, I'll go see him."

Dojima turned to his son, a disappointed scowl plastered on his face.

"I have to go meet the SIU Director now, and then I'll have to stay at a hotel or something."

"If you want, you can stay with me at the Niijima apartment." Yu suggested, hoping to spend more time with his father.

"I wish I could, but no. Sae-san might grill me for turning down her boss, or try to pry my insights out of me. And I've never had a real talent for lying. You stay as safe as you can be. And good luck on whoever you target next."

"You sure you have to go now? There's so much I want to talk to you about."

"I'm afraid so. The director of Japan's greatest crime-fighting unit isn't someone you can keep waiting, unfortunately. You're welcome to call. Whenever you have the time."

Father and son embraced each other.

"I love you dad."

"Love you too."

The pair was slow to let go, but eventually, they were forced to part ways. But before he left completely, Dojima tossed a wad of bills to his son, mouthing 'thanks for the coffee!' as he left. Yu allowed the corners of his mouth to form into a small smile. Izanagi stirred, and Yu didn't hesitate to release him.

Don't be sad Yu. We'll see him again once all this is over.

Yea. Wonder if he's proud of what we're doing.

He is. If he wasn't, he would've let us know in some way.

How can you be so sure?

Because I'm you. And no one alive knows Dojima Narukami better than his own son. Now come on, let's get back to the others. We have a meeting to plan, and Sojiro won't be hunted by Wakaba forever.

Yu gave a solemn nod in response, and entered the cafe. The others almost stood at attention as their leader arrived.

"Alright, let's get down to business. Time to discuss how we're going to meet the woman tasked with hunting us down." Yu ordered.

"Wait, before we do that…" Shiho spoke up.

"What is it Shiho? We have until Sojiro comes back." Akechi reminded.

"I know. But… I want to know if you're doing alright." Shiho said, looking at Yu.

"Me?"

"Yes. Ever since the Reaper… well…" Shiho trailed off. Yu took his girlfriends hands with his own and began to gently message them.

"I'm alright Shiho. I mean, you died at Mitsuyo's Palace, and you turned out fine."

"Well yea, but you underwent a mental shutdown! That's completely different!" Shiho countered.

"You don't need to worry about side effects Shiho. The revival beads make sure to repair the body to its original state before death."

"O-oh. Sorry for worrying over nothing."

"Never be sorry for caring Shiho. If the Reaper killed you, I'd panic too." Yu reassured, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. The volleyball player smiled at his words.

"I hate to interrupt, but we still need to talk about Sae-san." Akechi reminded.

"Right. So, here's my plan…"

Sae Niijima let out a yawn as she made her way over towards the Director's office. Apparently, he had called in a few favors, and managed to get someone from somewhere to help her with her case. Sae could already see the events playing out. This new arrival would take over; ordering her what to do, taking the credit for her victories, placing the blame on her whenever he failed, all while mentally undressing her and trying to get in her pants. It was going to be a nightmare, and she had no idea why Azuma-san was doing this to her. Did he seriously expect results in less than a week, or did he have no faith in her abilities? She gently knocked on his door.

"Ah, that must be her now. Come in." Her commander ordered.

Sae opened the door, and braced herself for the lecherous stare and arrogant grin of whoever was waiting for her. But much to her surprise, she saw a man she hadn't seen in five whole years. The man who saved both her life, and her sister's life, and paid dearly for it. The man she was indebted to.

"D-Dojima-san?!" Sae almost squealed, her voice kept in check only by immeasurable self-discipline.

He turned around, a smile towing the line between warm and cocky gracing his features. God, he hadn't changed much, if at all, since she saw him.

"Long time no see Sae-san. My, you've grown. Last time I saw you, you barely came up to my hips." He said, now having to crane his neck upwards towards the girl who dragged herself and her sister out of the dregs of orphanhood.

"Isn't this a meeting for the history books? All we need is Akechi and we would've had the greatest crusaders of justice in one room." Azuma stated with a smile.

Sae silently cursed her director for not giving her any warning whatsoever. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she hadn't showered in about 24 hours, gotten about three hours of sleep, wore wrinkled clothes, had unkempt hair and generally did not look presentable at all. Never before did she wish she could stop time so badly, if only just to make sure she dolled herself up for her late father's closest friend.

"Y-yes, Dojima-san. It has been a very long time. H-how long will you be staying?" Sae asked, hopeful of the possibility that she would spend more time with Dojima. True, she wanted to pick his brain on the Phantom Team case, but there were… other reasons for wanting to spend time with him.

"Well that depends on how he responds to my question." the director interrupted.

The two stood side-by-side, ready and waiting for Tatsumi Azuma to continue.

"Dojima-san, I take it you have already heard of the Phantom Team?" Azuma asked.

"Everyone's heard of them. Even in a backwater town like Yasoinaba."

"Good, then I can skip to the reason why I asked you to come all this way. Dojima-san, I would like-"

"The answer's no."

Sae's eyes turned into saucers.

"But I didn't even ask-"

"You didn't have to. You made me come all the way out here because you wanted me to help you take down the Phantom Team. The answer's no. And before you ask, here's why. First off, back in Inaba, there's been two murders, and the culprit is still on the loose. I don't want to leave my daughter alone and unprotected."

"You're more than welcome to-" Azuma began.

"No. I'm not uprooting my daughter's life by moving here. As for the second reason; you don't need me."

This time it was Sae who spoke.

"W-what?! But you're the most brilliant detective mind in Japan, perhaps the world! If there was one person we absolutely need to crack this case, it's you!" She cried, and mentally kicked herself for sounding like a child begging their parents for a piece of candy. But Dojima turned and gave her a gentle smile.

"That's not true Sae. You and Akechi have already proven that you're capable of whatever the world throws at you. You two are the future, I'm a thing of the past. I have nothing but the utmost faith in your abilities." The detective responded, placing his hand on her shoulder.

It took everything Sae had to not blush at both Dojima's touch and his words. Not only did he believe that she was smart enough to do this on her own, but he also thought she was destined to become his successor as the greatest law enforcer in Japan. Well, he also thought Akechi played a part, but he was her partner, he didn't count. Azuma spoke up.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not asking Dojima-san. You're going to be working for the SIU and helping us track down-"

"No. I'm not."

Dojima walked up to Azuma and placed both of his hands on the desk, and leaned over, staring at the SIU Director square in the face.

"I'm not a part of the SIU, I don't answer to you. And if my boss back home orders me to help you out, then the next thing you hear of me will be how I turned in my badge."

Sae's jaw dropped at the threat, swearing the room temperature plunged by at least a dozen degrees. Why was he being so adamant about not helping them track down the vigilanties? The two stared at each other for what felt like eons, and Sae found herself grateful Yu didn't inherit his father's stubbornness and brashness. Otherwise he would've disobeyed her and gotten in trouble by now. Finally, Azuma caved.

"Are you sure about this Dojima-san? There are many benefits and rewards for the ones that take them down. You sure you want to throw that away?"

"With respect sir, you already have all you need. And my family will always be more important to me than my personal gain."

"Very well. In that case, we have nothing more to discuss." Azuma stated, his tone making it clear that he was very upset with Dojima's response.

"It would appear so." Dojima replied, turning and calmly walking out of the office. Once the door was closed, the director spoke to Sae.

"He could've had my seat if he only had half a mind to take opportunities when they came. No matter, we'll make due."

"Sir, permission to go after him? There's some things I'd like to talk to him about."

"Very well. Do what you will Niijima." He answered with a curt nod.

Sae tried her best not to run out of the room. Dojima was just approaching the elevator, everyone else clearing out of the way of the famous detective. Sae only barely managed to make it in with him in time. He looked at her with both surprise and suspicion. Sae took deep, but steady breaths.

"Dojima-san, I must ask you to reconsider. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, one that will greatly benefit both of your children later down the line. The money alone could-"

Dojima stared blankly at her. Then he gave a chuckle. It wasn't mocking or confident, but genuine mirth, like if a parent walking in on their child being adorably innocent.

"Like I said, I turned it down because of family."

"I… I understand that. Believe me, I understand wanting to protect family, but… it's just…"

For once, Sae was at a complete loss for words. Dojima was helpful enough to fill in the blanks.

"You want to work with me, right?"

Sae's eyes lit up like a christmas tree.

"Yes! And, it's not just me, but Akechi would too! You're the greatest detective alive, and working with you, learning from you… it's not something I want to miss."

Dojima looked sullen for a few minutes, turning to look at the floor. But then, he smiled, and ruffled Sae's hair of all things. Were it anyone else, the prosecutor would have swatted the person's hand away and slapped them if they were a civilian, or immediately dragged them to the gym for 'CQC training' if it was an officer of the law. She wasn't a child that needed to be coddled, only a driven woman who needed to win. Dojima must have noticed the discomfort, because he stopped almost as soon as he started, and his smile vanished.

"I forgot you're not a little girl anymore. Forgive me."

Sae immediately forgave him.

"But like I said, you and Akechi don't need me. You've already proven your smart enough to handle this Phantom Team."

Sae looked away this time, unsure. Dojima placed his hand on her shoulder. Again, she fought the urge to blush.

"Sae, you and that boy have taken down so many high-profile targets and uprooted so much corruption. Your father would be proud of the woman you grew to be, and the woman your sister is now."

Sae gave a real, genuine smile at the detective's words.

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

The elevator DINGed as it reached its destination. But before Dojima exited, he spoke yet again.

"But a bit of advice; don't enter a case with a conclusion already made up in your mind. You do that, and you'll just search for evidence that supports it, and ignore any that goes against it. If that happens, you'll make mistakes and put away the wrong person. If you ever meet the Phantom Team, do it with an open mind. You could be pleasantly surprised."

And with that, Dojima left. Sae called out to him.

"At least come back to the apartment! Makoto would love to see you!"

"Maybe next time! Tell her I say hello!"

There was a CLACK in the air as Hifumi waited in the church for Ryuji. With her now permanently a member of the Phantom Team, she would have to concoct new strategies to help them in the Metaverse. As she was analyzing the board, she heard the doors open, and just like she hoped, there Ryuji was. He was starting to develop bags under his eyes, and he was certainly trying to move more slowly. He plopped himself down in front of her as she began to clear the board.

"Sup?" He offered weakly.

"Hello Ryuji. Are you doing ok? You don't look well." Hifumi observed.

"Yea…"

"That wasn't very convincing."

Ryuji groaned.

"Not you too. Why don't any of you guys give it a rest?" He asked, unable to gather the energy for anger.

"Would you if the situation was reversed?"

Ryuji looked away, unable to answer, because they both knew what that answer was.

"Now, let's play a match of Shogi." Hifumi suggested, setting the pieces up.

"Sure, whatever. Suppose it's the least I could do, even if I ain't gonna beat ya."

"Actually, I want this to be different. I would like you to do what I tell you to do."

"Uhhhh, ok?" Ryuji replied, confusion evident on his face.

And so the game commenced. At first, they were pretty even, but as it went on, Ryuji began to lose more and more pieces as he followed Hifumi's instructions, only moving his bishops and rooks further in. Finally, they became promoted, and Ryuji was just holding on by a thread. But then the game began to change. Thanks to the promotions, the rooks and bishops, now known as dragon kings and dragon horses respectively, began a comeback. Still following Hifumi's instructions, Ryuji was able to not only save his king, but he was also able to eventually checkmate Hifumi's. He won. Of course, he had done it by following Hifumi's instructions, but he had still won regardless.

"Well done Ryuji." Hifumi congratulated.

"Ah, it ain't all that impressive. I just did what you told me to do."

"Yes, you did. And what did you learn?"

"… huh?"

"There was a reason I asked you to do all those things; I am trying to teach you something. Can you guess what it is?"

"That if I listen to you, things'll be alright?"

"No Ryuji. You won because you had reinforcements, backup… your forces won because they had help."

"I think I know where you're goin' with this. You're tryin' to say I should let other people help me?"

"That's exactly it. Mother, as cruel as she was, did occasionally give me helpful advice. Once such a piece was a saying she had; 'a man with no friends is a man with no power.' There's strength in numbers Ryuji, and I'm only free now because you didn't give up on me. Because you helped me. I want to return the favor, but I can't if you don't let me."

Hifumi gingerly placed her hand on top of Ryuji's. The former track runner's eyes slowly closed as he unleashed a deep breath.

"Alright fine. But you gotta promise you can't tell anyone else. Not your pal, not the cops, no one."

Hifumi paused, before nodding her head, worried that if she spoke, it would reveal her lie.

"So… you remember Iwai? That Yakuza guy who was once my pa's sworn brother?"

"I do. He was left behind while your father pursued your mother. Has he come back?"

"Yea. But first, I think I should tell ya the whole story. See, back when your old lady was still, ya know, controlling your whole life, Akechi and Yu were investigatin' her."

"I know."

"Yea, but I didn't. I saw both you and my buddy Yu all alone a few times. Now, Yu's already datin' another girl named Shiho. She's a friend of mine, and lately she went through… some rough shit. So when I saw him and you together, I thought he was cheatin' on ya, and on Shiho."

"I see. So I'm assuming you attacked him in a fit of jealousy?"

Ryuji's eyes widened and he pulled his head back as if dodging an attack. But the look of surprise quickly transformed into a scowl, and his next words were spoken with an offended tone.

"What?! Hell no! You're allowed to date whoever the hell you want lady! The problem wasn't that! The problem was that he was cheatin' on both you and my friend! Pa always said that guys who did that only saw chicks as toys to play with and throw away when they're done, and neither you nor Shiho deserved that!"

Now it was Hifumi's turn to be surprised, but smiled shortly after. Even though she'd rejected him, he still looked out for her, like a knight defending what he thought was a maiden's besmirched honor. Granted, his other lady friend played a role in that, but still. Ryuji Sakamoto could be called a lot of unflattering things, but one couldn't deny that he had a heart of gold, and wore that heart on his sleeve.

"But… I was wrong. Turns out he only met with ya to talk about your ma. I cornered him and tried to talk to him about it, but he lied to me. Of course now I know that's because he didn't want to tip off your old lady. So, we fought."

"How does this lead to Iwai?"

"I'm gettin' there. After we fought, I asked what I could do to make it up to him, and he told me to ask Makoto-senpai. She sent me to get a Buchimaru thing. Problem was, it was expensive as hell. So, this guy showed up and offered me a shit-ton of cash, and all I had to do was deliver this letter."

Hifumi pinched the bridge of her nose. It would appear that his heart made up for his brain. She gestured for him to continue.

"So I did, but it turned out that the letter carried drugs, and they got pics of me deliverin' them. That was when Iwai himself confronted me. Told me that if I didn't do what he wanted, or tried to go to the cops he'd show those pics to them. He also threatened you."

"Me?"

"Yea. He thinks that we're datin' or something."

"I see…" Hifumi trailed off, looking at the shogi board in contemplation. Perhaps she should've said yes. If she had, perhaps she could've prevented this whole debacle to begin with. But Ryuji's voice brought her out of her contemplation.

"So yea. That's why I went to ya for help. I feel trapped, and there ain't a damned thing anyone can do about it. I plan on runnin' away soon, just so I don't have to do jack shit for that asshole."

"Wait. There is someone out there who can help." Hifumi replied, pulling out her phone.

"Huh? Who?"

Hifumi showed him what she pulled up. He let out a gasp, and a cheeky grin showed up on his face.

"Of course! The Phantom Team! They can take that rotten bastard's heart!" Ryuji replied, pulling out his own phone and writing his request on it. Hifumi gave him a warm smile.

"Alright, now all we gotta do is wait. I just hope they get to him before he makes me do somethin' really bad."

Ryuji then noticed the time.

"Crap! It's really late! I gotta get goin'! Thanks for this Hifumi, it really helped!" Ryuji declared, getting up and leaving as some of his energy seemed to be restored. Hifumi waved goodbye as he left before packing up herself. He was right; it was late and she too would have to return home. But first, she would have to break her promise.

Hifumi: Guys, I think I've found our next target.