June 23rd.

A full day passed since Hifumi's awakening. Truthfully it took a lot more out of her than she expected. She felt like a bit of an inconvenience to push the operation back a day or two, but the rest of the group was very accommodating to her request. School was still important after all. It was the early morning and she was just finishing breakfast as her father walked by. "Dad, are you sure you should be up…?"

"Of course." Hifumi's Father gave a weak smile. "I'm actually feeling better."

"…" Hifumi was about to make a remark, but she could already tell that the statement wasn't true. Something in her core just told her that was a flat out lie. "…Really?" Her green eyes narrowed a bit.

"Of course…" And then he began coughing, turning away as he did so.

"I knew it." Hifumi frowned, standing up from her chair. "You shouldn't be up. I think Mother went out to get your medicine, didn't she? Please rest."

Hifumi's father couldn't help but notice the slight change in his daughter's tone. It was comparable to her tone when she played Shogi, but still a bit reserved. "I see that friend of yours has been a positive influence on you, my dear…"

"Oh, Ann…?" Hifumi managed a meek smile. "I suppose you could say that. I've made a few new friends too…"

"That's good. You're a nice girl, Hifumi." Her father kept a gentle smile.

Right around then, Mitsuyo walked into the home. She was surprised that Hifumi was still home. "Hifumi, shouldn't you be heading to school soon?"

"Oh, of course! I was just helping Dad out." Hifumi was quick to go slip her shoes on. "Er…you seem a bit tense lately, Mother. Is everything alright?"

Mitsuyo wasn't exactly going to blow up on her daughter for the image she was sent. Not yet. The risk of ruining everything she was setting Hifumi up to be hung high in the air, a heavy weight that threatened to come down on her shoulders. "Everything's fine, don't you worry."

That was…an odd feeling. It returned again as her mother answered the question. Hifumi was a bit surprised at this new feeling. Did her mother just lie to her? "R-Right." Hifumi nodded and simply decided to make her way to school.

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Hifumi arrived at the train station on time. There was still a little bit of time before the train arrived and she happened to run into Ren. "Oh, good morning, Ren. I didn't know you used this line, too."

"Morning." Ren gave Hifumi a slight wave.

"I assume Morgana is in your bag as usual?" Hifumi turned her attention to the bag over Ren's shoulder. Morgana did poke his head out since he heard his name. "I thought so. Hello, Morgana."

"Meow." Morgana replied, too tired to muster any other kind of response.

"So, are we going to the Palace today?" Hifumi turned her attention back to Ren. "I'm very sorry for being an inconvenience…slowing you down in the midst of your operation, then not feeling well next day. I wish to make up for it by crushing Kaneshiro as soon as we possibly can." During that last sentence, her expression and tone became noticeably more menacing.

"Ah…" Ren had a slight sweat drop. Hifumi was just as violent as Makoto was. Something about Hifumi was a bit more intimidating since she was generally more soft spoken and all. "First off, don't worry about it. We're teammates now." He said firmly. "Secondly, how are you feeling first of all?"

"Much better than before." Hifumi nodded. "I felt very tired yesterday…is that normal?"

"In some cases. I'm not surprised." Morgana remarked. "Your awakening was a little different than the ones I've seen so far."

"I see…" Hifumi tilted her head to the side. "I am feeling more capable than yesterday, however. So simply say the word and I'll be prepared to fight."

"We're going tomorrow." Ren confirmed. "There are a few things I need to take care of before we go."

"I understand." Hifumi gave a slight smile. "It is important to have a proper strategy before rushing into battle after all." After she said that, her train rolled up. "Oh, my train is here. I'll speak to you later, say hello to Ann for me." With a slight wave, Hifumi was off.

Once Hifumi was gone, Ren turned to look at Morgana. "See, I told you it'd be fine. Tomorrow it is, then?"

"Yeah…" Morgana reluctantly nodded. As he said before, Hifumi's inexperience was undoubtedly going to slow them down, it couldn't be avoided. "We'll just have to make sure we cover that weakness…"

"We'll be fine." Ren waved off Morgana's worry. "There are seven of us total. She's smart, too. She'll get the hang of it in no time."

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Morning classes were going about as boring as expected. It was a bit hard to focus on school when there was a several million yen debt hanging over their shoulders. Was this how the other students felt? Ren's phone buzzed and he went to discreetly check it; Ann did the same, which meant this was a message to the group chat.

Makoto: I got another message from Kaneshiro this morning about the debt.

Ryuji: He's not gonna try anything is he?

Makoto: No, not yet.

Hifumi: Wait…I have a question.

Ann: What is it?

Hifumi: Is it…normal to text during class?

Yusuke: I have found that it is the norm after joining the group.

Hifumi: Wow…I've never done something like this before. It feels so liberating. I hope I don't get in trouble. But at the same, that's what makes it so exciting.

Hifumi was sending message after message so quickly.

Ryuji: Wow, she's really into this.

Ren: We've been doing it so long, I forgot we technically shouldn't.

Makoto: It's fine, so long as no one notices.

Hifumi: I'm not surprised a Student Council President can text so sneakily.

Makoto: It's not like that…!

Ren: Well, you se

"HEY! Amamiya!" Ushimaru called out to Ren as he was in mid text. He was startled and it made him press send early. "Were you listening!?" And he then chucked a piece of chalk directly at Ren!

"…!" This time, Ren was able to narrowly dodge. It was close, but he managed. After he realized he evaded the chalk, he leaned onto his desk and stared attentively ahead, not saying a word. The glint of light that briefly appeared on his glasses said it all.

"Wow, he dodged that..?"

"He's like a ninja!"

"T-Tch…!" Ushimaru turned back to continue giving his lesson.

Hifumi: …What happened to his text?

Ann: He dodged some chalk. It was pretty cool, actually.

Hifumi: Shujin is odd.

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Lunchtime.

Hifumi wandered about Kosei for a little bit, before spotting Yusuke eating lunch on his own…or just sitting? Did he finish eating already, or did he not have money for lunch to begin with? She couldn't believe these were questions she had to ask herself, but regardless, she went ahead and sat across from him with a slight smile. "Hello, Yusuke."

"Oh, Hifumi. Joining me for lunch?" Yusuke asked.

"Mhm." Hifumi gave a slight nod. "We're the only two on the team that go to the same school…so I thought it would be nice if we spoke more. Er…unless you don't want to, then I apologize for being a bother."

To that, Yusuke shook his head. "No, sit. It will be pleasant to have some company for lunch. I haven't had any in…a while."

"How are you holding up?" Hifumi stared curiously at Yusuke. Now that she knew he was a Phantom Thief and directly involved with Madarame's change of heart, it gave a different perspective and she was, of course, still worried about how he was feeling.

"I'm alright, though I understand your concern." Yusuke replied. "I was the one who decided the course of action was the right one. The change in lifestyle is still something I need to grow accustomed to…admittedly; it has left me in what the art world would call a slump. I told Ren this the other day. I've been…stuck. But I cannot continue to remain stagnant for very long. My attendance at this school is based on an arts scholarship. If my creativity continues to wane, I will no doubt lose it before long."

Hifumi placed her hands in her lap, staring at Yusuke attentively. He had been through so much in such a short time, there was no surprise it had an effect on his muse. "I'm sorry to hear that…I wish there was something I could do to help, but I'm afraid…"

"You don't have to worry. Just having someone to listen to my woes is good enough." Yusuke responded. "There are many ways to help people, you know."

"Yes, you're right." Hifumi could smile to that. As they talked, she noticed a few students walking past and mumbling, looking in their direction. It didn't take a genius to notice at Hifumi and Yusuke sitting together out of the blue one day made students talk. "…."

"Do not pay them any mind." Yusuke suggested. "People will talk…there's nothing we can do about it. I've been ignored by many fellow students before, even more so since Madarame's heart changed. But I am alright."

"…" Hifumi stared at a few of the passing students. Some were giving her mean looks. She noticed them before, but now she understood the context behind them. "I used to think people disliked me because of my win record in Shogi. I see I wasn't entirely wrong…but I never knew my love for shogi and my victories would be putting people in such horrible positions. I want to right the wrongs I've done to these people. I also cannot sit idly by while that man takes advantage of the entire city."

"That resolve must be why you awakened." Yusuke pointed out. Hifumi had firm resolve when it came to her sense of justice.

"I wonder…" Hifumi paused for a moment. "There was actually something I was curious about concerning my…" She glances around for a moment, green eyes cautious of any people listening in. "Persona…"

"Such as?" Yusuke raised a brow curiously. "Personas are a canvas of the heart. The emotion of your heart is reflected within your Persona."

The shogi girl just stared as Yusuke described it like that. "Um. I'm sure that's right and all, but there was just something I needed to test out. So I'm going to ask you a question."

The artist was at a loss, but he decided to go with this. "Okay…what is the question?"

"Did you spend all your money on things that weren't food?" Hifumi looked Yusuke dead in the eye.

"Well, I…I wouldn't say they weren't unnecessary items." Yusuke said.

Hifumi narrowed her eyes a bit more. There was a slight twinge from before again…but Yusuke was probably the wrong person to try this one. He was too eccentric to get a direct read on. "I see. I should ask someone else."

"Huh? What was the point of the question, then?" Yusuke didn't understand what just happened!

"Don't worry about it…" Hifumi just sighed. She needed a normal person to test this out on…

.

.

At Shujin, Ren, Ann, Ryuji, and Makoto met up near the vending machines for lunch. This was the first time they were a group together without Makoto attempting to interrogate them. Ryuji was staring as Ann was continuing to eat a snack. "…Are you gonna share or what?"

"Nope. Think I just ate the last one, sorry." Ann said while poking her tongue out playfully.

"I feel like we've had this conversation already." Ren felt the strong déjà vu.

"I admit it feels a bit…wrong to be taking it easy at a time like this." Makoto was sitting down. "But I suppose rushing into the Palace headfirst wouldn't be wise."

"I've been a little worried about Hifumi, but she did handle herself just fine." Ann remarked. "You and her are both new at this, but that's why we're here."

"At least I don't feel so alone in being a new team member." Makoto used a hand to brush some hair behind her ear.

"I got a question though." Ryuji piped up. "Anyone else notice how her mask was all like…half broken when she awakened? Uh…is that just for effect, or…?" His eyes went to Morgana.

"That's why I've been a bit worried about her performance." Morgana explained. "When you guys awakened, you ripped off your full masks. But for some reason, only half of hers came off. I can't come up with a reason as to why this would happen, but I'm pretty sure it explains why she reverted back to normal."

"I had a few issues the first time. It could be better when she goes back in." Ren suggested.

"I'll make sure nothing happens to her." Ann gave a firm nod, popping another snack into her mouth.

"H-Hey! I thought you said you are the last one!?" Ryuji immediately leaned forward. The audacity of Ann to line to him like that.

"No, I said I thought I ate the last one." Ann held that playful grin.

Ryuji could not believe this. Groaning, he just turned to face Ren. "Agh, whatever. We still on for tonight, Ren?"

"What are you two planning on this day off?" Makoto didn't mean to sound as surprised or interrogative as she did.

"Looking into some track team stuff." Ren answered. "This day off coincides with something Ryuji wanted to look into."

"Oh, I heard about that." Now Makoto understood. "Don't do anything too reckless. We're still not done with our own operation."

"It'll be finnnnnne." Ryuji slung his arm around Ren's neck, giving a playful grin. "Have I ever been wrong?"

Silence.

"Do you really want us to answer that question?" Makoto gave Ryuji and deadpanned stare. Needless to say, nobody wanted to say a word after that.

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.

Evening was rolling around. It was a bit of a long day, but Ren and Ryuji's operation was set to begin. Ren was sitting at a table alone in a restaurant, listening in on two teachers from Shujin talking about the state of the track team. The real issue to that team was Yamauchi, who Ryuji was certain was just setting up a student, Takeishi, for failure. Ren had his phone on, while Ryuji was listening in on the other line in the bathroom. It was the only way this plan would succeed. Once the two adults left, Ryuji sat across from Ren, grunting angrily. "That effin' asshole!"

"It sounded pretty bad…the way they were smiling was the worst." Ren shook his head. Luckily he knew how to fly under the radar and they didn't notice him at all.

"If we don't do something quick, they're gonna get rid of Takeishi too. Goddamit…!" Ryuji hit the table angrily. Listening to how those adults planned to use a kid just upset him all over again, reminding him what it was they were fighting against as Phantom Thieves.

"We should talk to the track team when we have the chance. It's the only thing we can do." Ren said.

To that, Ryuji agreed. "Yeah. This ain't our problem…it's the track team's. They're just…gonna have to decide on their own" He paused for a moment. A thought came to him. "You know, even though there's a team, running track isn't a team sport. At least, sprintin' isn't."

Ren just seemed confused as Ryuji blurted that out. "Huh?"

"I mean, you're just concerned about your own time and all. Everyone's got their own goals and focused on their own time. That's why I never thought of asking people for help or tryin' to solve our problems together. But I can't ignore what they're goin' through now. I mean, even though we had different goals 'n shit, we still ran together. They gritted their teeth with me, suffered with me…so I can't just go and turn my back on 'em now. I know it ain't the coolest thing to say, but that's how I feel."

Ren gave Ryuji a slight grin. It wasn't often Ryuji spoke from the heart like that. So he could admire it at the very least. "II think it's cool, Ryuji."

Ryuji's eyes widened a bit, He wasn't expecting Ren to reply like that. "Huh…? Oh, uh…thanks, man. Don't go tellin' anyone else I said that though, okay?"

"Sure, sure. Secret's safe with me." Ren gave a small nod.

"Now, why don't we eat some monja while we're here? The only part I've seen of this place is the damn toilet!" Ryuji was pretty hungry.

"Hey." Ren said sharply. "No toilet talk at the table."

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Hifumi spent her time late in the evening as usual in the church, practicing shogi by herself as always. Before she felt rather alone, since she didn't have anyone to talk to, but now? She had a whole group of friends within such a short span of time. It greatly improved her focus. She was so focused, in fact, she didn't hear Ren until like a minute or two later. "Huh? Oh…! Ren, hello."

"You were really focused there." Ren took a seat next to Hifumi.

"It's late. I wasn't expecting to see anyone tonight." Hifumi adjusted herself a bit to pat down her skirt.

"I had a bit of time left, so I wanted to see how you were doing." Ren gave a slight nod. "Mind if we play a game?"

"You want to play Shogi with me?" Hifumi blinked.

"What? You seem a bit surprised." Ren didn't think that was an absurd request. "Well, it'd be more like…you teaching me, or something. I'm not very good."

"To tell the truth, there are some boys who approach me with that request. But it's difficult to tell if they have any ulterior motives." Hifum said, her green gaze averting towards the floor. "I'm usually reluctant to play with them."

Right. Ren recalled that Hifumi was a pretty notable person in the shogi community and had many fans. Mishima being one of them. "I can understand that…"

"I did try to play with Ann yesterday. She made an effort for me, but after a few games, we ultimately decided it wasn't for her." She could recall Ann's expressions at every move made. "Maybe you'll have some more aptitude for it, if you're truly willing to learn. Now…shall we begin?"

"Yeah, let's go." And in that moment, Ren would soon come to learn how…intense Hifumi was when it came to shogi. It didn't take her very long to back him into a corner, despite his best efforts. She was utterly outplaying him with a menacing visage on her face. "So this is your skill level, huh?"

"….." Ren just started sweating.

"The dragon which governs the blue sky has fallen into my hands. How do you intend to survive this?" Hifumi questioned while raising a piece high above her head.

Ren simply stared, unsure of what he was looking at. "…I don't?"

"Now! Ultimate Dragon Fire!" Hifumi exclaimed while slamming the piece down on the board with less intensity than the aura she was giving off. She then placed her hands in her lap calmly, keeping that intimidating stare towards Ren. "Check. It's checkmate no matter how you look at it."

"Uh…" So this is where her intensity in the Metaverse came from. There was hardly a difference between Hifumi now and when she was fighting in the Palace. Ren was starting to see the two sides of this new team mate…she was definitely a bit quirky, but it wasn't a bad thing.

"It's checkmate no matter how you look at it, Ren. Please concede." Hifumi said firmly.

"I'm afraid I don't know what that word means." Ren didn't exactly like…losing. Even though Hifumi absolutely kicked his ass in this shogi game. Plus he really didn't know what it meant.

"To concede means accepting you've lost with grace. If you aspire to become a shogi player, I suggest you take your study of the game to heart. Thank you for playing." And just like that, the game was concluded. "Um…was that too bad? I hope you had fun." Hifumi's voice returned to that soft tone, throwing Ren for a loop.

That was…a thing that happened. He had no doubt Ann was just as flabbergasted as he was right now if she played shogi with her. "That was…fun. You really go all out. Hey, I wonder…could you apply the strategy you used for shogi in battle?"

"Hm? I was already doing that…sort of." Hifumi tilted her head a bit. "Even though I was mostly seeing red at the time, I took note of how the enemy was positioned and struck accordingly. I was able to break through to their leader until my power exhausted me…"

She was already thinking that far ahead before she could even fight? Ren had an idea. "Say, why don't we bounce tactics off each other sometime?"

"Bounce tactics? How so?" Hifumi wasn't adverse to the idea.

"We have a big team right now. So it would be a good idea to have certain tactics ready at a moment's notice." Ren explained. "You and Makoto are pretty smart when it comes to this from what I've noticed. And your shogi skills could help give us an edge in battle."

"Oh, I get it!" Hifumi's eyes lit up at the thought of being useful to the team. "I've been meaning to practice some new shogi moves as well…that could provide perfect material for tactics we may need in the future. If you play against me more, I might be able to come up with some things. Er…is that okay? I want to be more useful to the group, since I worry my combat skills may be lacking."

.

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Date: ?

"I find it hard to believe you made it so far without having any sort of plans in mind." Sae leaned forward, keeping her eyes on Ren. He was still focused and conscious so far, but she wasn't sure how much longer that would last. "I think that quite advanced strategies are necessary to succeed at that many criminal acts. And yours weren't by the wit of an amateur. You had a professional who regularly deals in such tactics. You have an idea on who that is, don't you?"

.

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"Perfect. We have a deal." Ren gave a firm nod. "And of course it's okay. We're not just team mates, we're friends now. So if things go wrong, we have your back. Don't forget that, okay?"

Those words warmed Hifumi up a bit inside. It was still hard for her to believe that she now had a whole group of friends to rely on. She didn't feel so alone anymore. "I won't. I promise." The star shone just a little bit brighter today…