Makoto and Sae were enjoying a dinner together in their home. It wasn't very often that they had time for this and Makoto cherished any time she could spend with her busy sister. The TV was on and it happened to be showing Akechi's interview from the previous day. Listening to the conversation, Makoto posed a question. "Is it really a crime to manipulate someone's heart?"

"Depending on the means, then yes, he's absolutely right." Sae responded.

"Even if it means making someone admit their evil deeds and paying for their crimes?" Makoto responded.

"Why the sudden interest?" Sae lifted a brow. In her mind, Makoto didn't need to think about something like this.

"Oh…no reason…" Makoto replied, glancing away a bit. She couldn't tell Sae that the Principle of Shujin was effectively twisting her arm to learn about the Phantom Thieves. That would just give her sister something else to worry about.

"You don't need to worry about such unnecessary things." Sae said sternly. "Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"Study hard and go to a prestigious college." Makoto nodded.

"Working up in the world is difficult as a woman, yet you can do much if you don't have the authority." Sae was only thinking of her sister's future. "I'll do everything in my power to make that happen. All you need to do now is focus on what you must do for your future's sake."

"Fine…" Makoto conceded. She could never talk to her sister about anything…

Sae's phone then rang. She stood up from the table to answer. "Hello? Oh? Yes, that case…" She said, walking off to take care of the call.

As Sae walked off, Ryuji's words echoed in Makoto's head. The situation she was in was the worst for her… "What do I want to do…"

.

.

Ren and his friends were absolutely stuffed from their Hot Pot celebration. They ate so much and still had some remaining, despite dividing it between the five of them. Clearly they all bit off more than they could chew… "Ugh…I'm stuffed…can't eat another bite…" Ryuji slumped in his seat.

"Too much…." Ren groaned. Considering his diet mostly consisted of the curry that Sojiro made for him….this was his first proper meal in a long time.

"I'm stuffed…" Ann whined.

"But…we didn't finish the porridge…!" Yusuke was still full, but he was the only one complaining that they didn't completely clear out everything they had.

"Leave it for next time, man…" Ryuji couldn't do more. He was totally done eating for the next two days.

"That was delicious though, Lady Ann…!" Morgana began. "I'm sure you'd make a wonderful bridge someday…!"

Ann was sitting on the crouch, already leaning on her side. "Sorry, but I'm gonna take a nap." She was tired after eating that much. She laid down on her side and closed her eyes. The boys realized that since she was wearing a skirt…could they get a peak…? Ann noticed their curious gaze and shooed them away with her hand, so they opted not to try. And soon enough…she just nodded off.

"She's asleep already!?" Morgana was surprised.

"No surprise she's tired. Let her rest." Ryuji nodded.

"We've been working hard lately." Ren could agree with that sentiment.

"By the way, Ryuji…" Yusuke turned to his blonde friend. "How do you know Ann?"

"We used to go to middle school together." Ryuji replied. "…I don't think she had many friends. Once we went to highschool we ended up in different classes and stopped talking. Plus there's her looks; the popular kids hate her and the quiet ones stay away. She had one friend…but that asshole Kamoshida couldn't leave it alone." Still, just thinking about what he did to that girl angered him.

"That gym teacher of yours, correct? I saw him on the news…" Yusuke laced his fingers together, elbows on the table.

"Yeah." Ren nodded. "I didn't know him very long, but even I could tell he was something of an asshole…"

"When we were in Kamoshida's Palace, after we beat his Shadow, Ann had a choice…she almost took him out. I was a bit worried she would, but she wanted him to repent." Ryuji said.

"It was a great act of kindness." Morgana added.

"I don't think it was kindness that fueled it…I think she just wanted to make sure he knew how Suzui felt." Ren clarified. "Either way…it was still the best course of action."

Ann wasn't quite asleep. She was resting her eyes at this point and she could hear everything being said. Luckily the boys were so focused on their conversation they didn't notice the slight shift in her expression. "…"

"So what about you two?" Yusuke asked.

"Huh?" Ryuji blinked.

"You know every detail of my past at this point. So it's only fair that I know yours." Yusuke held a somewhat smug grin about it.

Ren and Ryuji looked at each other. Yusuke had a point. "So you got nothin' to lose…" Sighing, Ryuji leaned back in his seat. "I can't promise it's anything exciting…just a story about a rotten kid. Dad left when I was young, so it's just been me 'n my mom since. I was actually trying for a track scholarship to make her life easier…but I messed all of that up because of Kamoshida. He…goaded me into hittin' him…then he broke my leg after and got away with it as 'self-defense'. Even durin' the meetin', she just stayed silent as all the teachers yelled…and then later…she apologized to me, for being a single mom and all. The track team split up because of me, too, and they haven't even come close to forgivin' me…"

"….." Ren remained silent. He knew about…some of this. He and Ryuji had been training in the courtyard in school, and occasionally the former track team would show up and things got…pretty awkward.

"I see…" Yusuke laced his fingers together.

"After that, I got labeled as the delinquent and everyone started avoidin' me." Ryuji said. "It really didn't take much for people to change their minds about me."

"Being labeled anything less than flattering is like a death sentence to your social standing." Ren said.

"Yeah, but nobody's got it worse than you." Morgana said. "Come to think of it…we haven't even heard the full story."

Ren leaned forward, letting out a small sigh. "I guess you guys deserve to hear it all. This is how it went down…"

.

.

[Flashback: Early March.]

"I was coming home late one night. When I heard some sort of disturbance up ahead…"

"Stop! Please!"

"Get in the car!"

"Please, stop it…!"

"…?" Ren's slow walk turned into quick jog. He wasn't in a hurry to get home, but now he was trying to see what was happening up ahead. When he arrived, he saw two adults having a dispute; a bald man with orange tinted glasses was handling a woman roughly, attempting to force her into the car nearby.

"Don't you know who I am? All bitches like you need do is watch where I steer this country!" The man said. It was dark and Ren couldn't see his face, but based on the way his words were slurred, one could easily come to the conclusion that he was intoxicated.

"What are you, some kind of sailor?" Ren said sharply, making this problem his own. Little did he realize at the time, that this was his first mistake. "Stop bothering that woman!"

The man let out an irritated sigh and turned around. "Look what you've done." He spat at the woman. Now this kid was getting involved and he really didn't have time for it. Not only that, but there were police sirens blaring in the distance. The cops were coming. "This brat is trying to play hero…get out of here, kid. And look at what your stalling has done…get in the car!" He repeated, growing increasingly annoyed at the amount of times he had to repeat himself.

"I don't trust this woman alone with you." Ren said, narrowing his eyes. Intervening when a man attempted to force himself on a woman was just a habit. He had no reason not to when nobody else would.

"I told you to get out of here, kid!" Growing impatient, the man stepped forward again, but since he was drunk, he ended up losing his balance. This led to him falling fast first on the ground. "Oogh!"

"Ah…!" The woman gasped.

"Shit…" Now, Ren didn't hope this man was hurt. But that was an untimely fall.

The man stood up. His forehead was bleeding and he gripped his head, groaning from the impact. "Damn brat…! I'll sue!"

"Sue what!? You fell on your own!" Ren shouted. This woman clearly saw that too!

The woman had to do something about this. She looked between Ren and the man and stepped forward. "If you keep this up…I'll report about the money! How's that!?"

"All I have to do is say you did it on your own, and it's over." The man immediately replied.

"But…I just did as I was told…" The woman whimpered.

"Who do you think I am!?" The man exclaimed.

"No…." The woman looked down and stepped back. Her attempt at helping this boy who tried to help her backfired.

"Hey…make this statement to the cops. This kid suddenly attacked me. Got it?" The man said. "You know what happens if you don't."

"But…!" The woman didn't want to do this and it was clear…but she had no choice.

"This is bullshit!" Ren shouted angrily. "You fell on your own!"

"Shut up. You're finished, kid." The man scoffed. That would teach this brat to stand up to him ever again.

Just then, the cops arrived. "Excuse me. We received complaints about an argument?" The man suddenly turned around at the cops' eyes widened. "Oh…it's you sir…!"

"What happened?" The man glanced to the woman, who sighed in defeat.

"This kid…suddenly attacked him." The woman sighed, causing Ren's eyes to widen. "And this man…got injured."

"It's as she says." The man replied calmly.

"What?! No!" Ren cried out. "That's not how…!"

It was too late for him. Nobody was going to listen to Ren now. "Make sure you deal with this so my name isn't mentioned at all."

"Yes sir." The cops nodded and cuffed Ren. He didn't have any say in the matter at all…

[End flashback]

.

.

After hearing the story, Ryuji slammed his fist on the table. "Just hearing it pisses me off…! You got an assault on your record just for that!?"

"The woman sounds quite horrible as well…" Yusuke added his piece.

"That sounds exactly like the kind of person whose heart we need to change!" Morgana piped up. "Do you know who it was? What's his name!?"

"…Sorry, I don't remember." Ren shook his head. "I never heard his name…and I couldn't see his face clearly."

"I guess that's fair…" Morgana could relate to that feeling. "I understand all too well not being able to remember the important details of your life…"

"The victim's personal information is always kept secret." Yusuke began. "Identifying that man will be difficult. Besides, the court's already mad their ruling, changing their heart won't overturn the victim."

"Dammit! I can't stand it!" Ryuji groaned. The more he heard about the injustice adults caused, the angrier he became. "This world is so messed up! The weak're left to fight for themselves, while rotten adults get to do whatever they want!"

"And those in power don't do anything to help the situation." Morgana added.

"Can't we do something, though? Nobody would even know." Yusuke said. "We need to show the world what true justice is. We'll make them come to their senses."

"You're right Yusuke!" Ryuji declared while standing up. "That's gotta be what our power's are for!"

"I agree." Ren nodded.

"Sounds good to me." Morgana grinned. "Besides, the flashier the missions, the cooler we look."

This is when Ann decided to sit up. "What are you guys getting so excited about?"

"Oh, sorry…did we wake you?" Ryuji asked.

"Nah, I've been up for a while anyway." Ann said. "Although…a weird feeling came on as I listened to you all. It felt like I've known you all for a really long time…"

"Is it due to our troubled backgrounds?" Yusuke suggested.

"It certainly ain't because of anything good." Ryuji joked.

"I can't even remember my past…" Morgana sighed. "I'm the only one here who doesn't fit in. I don't have a background to remember…"

Ryuji laughed at that notion. "What are you talking about? We could look the whole world and we wouldn't find a bigger misfit than you! Besides, ain't we going into Mementos to help get your memories back anyway?"

"I'm sure your memories will come back in time." Yusuke said. "And I bet your background will be just as troubled as the rest of ours."

"I feel like I've known Morgana for a really long time too…it's so weird." Ann mumbled.

"Hah, yeah, we'll see. If you don't get stronger, investigating Mementos will be nothing but a pipe dream!" Morgana suddenly became all bossy.

"Talk about a 180. First you're all sad then you're bossy…" Ryuji said.

"I just hope we can keep doing this…if that's all right with our leader." Ann looked to Ren with a grin.

"Leave it to me." Ren nodded.

With that said and done, Ann felt her phone buzz. She glanced and first realized the time and that she had a message from Hifumi. She'd check that out in a bit. "Whoa…it's this late already!?"

"I guess this is a good time to call it a night." Ryuji said.

"Oh, Yusuke. The owner said you could stay here." Ann grinned.

"…You convinced him?" Ren was a bit surprised and relieved. That meant he didn't have to try barking up that tree and failing.

"That's very kind of him…" Yusuke was relieved himself. He didn't know where else to go if Sojiro had said no.

"Whoa! You got Miss-Older-Dude-Chamer!" Ryuji snickered.

"What kinda nickname is that!?" Ann groaned. Such a Ryuji move…

"I won't be able to sleep unless I take a bath, though…" Another problem presented itself to Yusuke.

"There's a bathhouse nearby. I won't be able to join you, though." Morgana said.

"Oh! Great idea! What about you, Ann?" Ryuji asked.

Ann looked at her phone, and then slid it into her skirt pocket. "I'll have to pass. I should probably get going now. You guys have fun, though! Goodnight, Morgana!" With that, Ann picked her bag up and exited Ren's room and Leblanc.

As Ann left, Morgana looked down and mumbled to himself. "Dammit…I need to turn back itno a human and fast…"

.

.

Hifumi was sitting the diner in Shibuya, messing around with the strange app she found on her phone. She could deduce it was a navigation app of some kind, but…she didn't have any other clue on what it did. It was a bit frustrating and confusing since her mother's name was the only thing on it. "I don't get it…"

Sometime later, Ann walked in and spotted Hifumi. With a smile, she sat down at the table across from Hifumi and crossed one leg over the other, setting her bag down. "Hey there."

"Oh, Ann…" Hifumi put her phone down, managing a slight smile. "I didn't mean to bother you, I just…"

"It wasn't a bother. I was on my way here anyway. The next train won't be around for a little bit, so I have time to talk." Ann replied. "You wanted to talk about something?"

Hifumi fiddled with the hem of her skirt with a bit. "Well, I…how should I put this…I know this may sound odd since we haven't known each other for that long. But I needed some help with something. Have you ever…felt like everything you've known could be wrong?"

"Huh?" That question made Ann tilted her head. It was a bit sudden, not that it was a bad thing.

"I knew that was a bad question. I'm sorry." Hifumi was about to leave, but Ann shook her head.

"No, it just surprised me." Ann responded. "To tell the truth, I know what you're asking. But…can I ask what brought this on?"

"Well…you've met my mother." Hifumi started.

Recalling Mitsuyo made Ann sweat. She was…kind of frightening "Yeah, I do. She left…an impression."

"I know she can be…a lot at times…" This was Hifumi phrasing it nicely. "But that doesn't mean I don't love her. I just wish she wasn't so…overbearing at times. She takes my shogi career more seriously than even I can."

"When did that start?" Ann asked.

"…I'm not sure." Hifumi shook her head. "I know that it was when I was young. Sometimes it's a bit difficult to breathe. And recently, I've been wondering to myself…how far my mother might go for all this…"

"What do you mean?" Ann kept her gaze on Hifumi.

"I…I'm not sure how I can explain it. It's just a feeling I have, but I hate thinking terribly of my mother, even if she is a lot to deal with." Hifumi explained. She didn't really have any basis for this claim, but keeping it bottled inside was difficult. "She controls a lot of my life and I can't really say no to her. I've gotten this far on my skill alone, but she takes care of the rest to ensure my image stays. She's very particular about who I spend my time with…she won't let me date anyone, limits my time at the church, and is always planning my schedule. When you pulled me aside that day, she seemed a bit upset…and I'm sure what I did earlier in my interview didn't help. Not to mention many people don't interact with me inside or outside of school unless they're fans…"

"You looked like you were in trouble." Ann swung her legs gently. "I had to do something. I know exactly what it's like to have an adult dictate something for you."

"You do…?" Hifumi's green eyes stared at Ann.

"…I'm sure you've seen it on the news…the gym teacher of Shujin? He was the captain of the Volleyball team. He was…abusing his power on the students and taking advantage of them. My…my best friend got it the worst. He held her starting position over my head and tried so hard to get me to be with him…it started up a lot of rumors."

Hifumi's eyes widened. She never expected Ann to be so closely related to that incident on the news. "How did you get through such an awful experience?"

"I couldn't on my own…" Ann frowned. "There was nothing I could do to help her. But then I found a few people who could help me. In a situation like that, it's hard to do something on your own. Which is why having someone to rely on can be really helpful. All I can do for Shiho now…is try to be as strong as I can for her, but I hardly know where to begin. I know we've only technically just met, but if you need any help with something, I'll do my best to help. You're my friend…and I don't want to let another friend down." She may have failed with Shiho…but she had the power to do better now. Talking to Hifumi only further steeled her resolve on what she did as a Phantom Thief was right. To help people like her.

"That means a lot to me, Ann…" Hifumi's lips curved up into a soft smile. Having a friend to rely on felt…really nice. Even if there were some things Hifumi wasn't willing to open up to just yet, Ann's kindness would not be lost on her. "Thank you."

"It's no problem!" Ann held her usual sweet smile.

"There's…also something else I wanted to ask you about." Hifumi pulled up her phone, turning it around to show Ann the Nav. "I got this strange app on my phone this morning. I don't remember downloading it. I know it's out of the blue to ask this, but do you know what it is?"

The sweet conversation suddenly took a surprising turn for Ann. Her eyes widened in complete surprise as Hifumi showed her the Nav. "The Nav…!?" She knew what that meant, but she had no idea where to take the conversation from here. This was…a bit of a problem. Depending on how she answered this could change Hifumi's life….

"The Nav…?" Hifumi tilted her head. The way Ann said that made her think she knew what it was. "So…you know what this is?"

Ann really slipped up now. "That's…I…well…"

.

.

Ren, Yusuke, and Ryuji were vibing in the bathhouse. "Now this is relaxing…" Yusuke sighed contently, but then glanced to the old man who was cranking up the hot water. "It is a bit hot, though…"

"Old guys like it hot for some reason. I'm sure he'll stop eventually." Ryuji shrugged it off. "But hey, I've been meaning to ask for a while…" He looked to Ren. "What do you think of Ann. You know, as a girl and all."

"Hm…" Ren had to think this over. It was just the dudes here, and if he had to be honest with himself…she did kind of leave him stunned when he first saw her. "I think she's breathtaking."

"Whoa…you just came out and said it…" Ryuji said with a cheesy grin. He knew it! "I can't blame ya, though. Her looks do make up for her overbearing personality."

"I'll be sure to share what you've said with Ann." Yusuke said.

"Wha-?! Please don't. Seriously." Ryuji pleaded.

"That said…we need to focus on our next target." Yusuke said.

"I've been thinking about that. Is targetin' famous people our best move, though?" Ryuji questioned. "Hearing what everyone's been sayin' recently makes me think twice about what we do…"

"Yeah…we have to think about how we handle this." Ren told the other two.

"Pursuing what's best only short term may not be beneficial to us." Yusuke agreed.

"Do you have any ideas?" Ryuji looked to Yusuke.

"Do I look like I have any?" Yusuke replied.

Ryuji slumped over. "I was an idiot for asking…I'm on offense duty and Morgana specializes in information about that world. So…ugh…" The heat was starting to get to him. He turned and started to yell at the old man who just kept cranking up the heat. "IT'S FRICKIN' HOT!" Ryuhu them scrambled out of the water. "HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE TO ADD UNTIL YOU'RE SATISIFIED GRAMPS!?" And the old man just kept going. "Ugh…! I'll…think of something…! Let's meet up again early next week…!"

.

.

When Ren awoke, he found himself in the Velvet Room once more. He stood up and faced Igor and the twins. "The prison, Ren Amamiya has returned." Justine told Igor.

"Stand up straight! You're in the presence of our Master! Show respect!" Caroline barked at Ren.

Igor was always keeping a watchful eye on Ren. "The bonds that you have reeled in are quite intriguing. In other words, they all have been unfairly labeled by society and are standing up against such fates. Have you noticed? They seem to be influencing you." The mysterious man chuckled. "These picturesque dissidents of society…deepen your bonds with them. They will become the key to success of your rehabilitation."

"What is rehabilitation…?" Ren kept asking this question but never got an answer.

"I shall grant you a gift as progress of your rehabilitation." Igor nodded. The Velvet Room slowly started to fade as time passed. It was always a short encounter; however time flew far too differently in this realm. "It's almost time…"