August 22nd.

Ann resolved to improve her modeling. She was sick and tired of Mika getting the best of her and she wanted to take this seriously. It was going beyond just something she did on the side and something she actually wanted to pursue. As such, she had Ren and Ryuji take her to the Protein Lovers Gym in Shibuya. "Me 'n Ren've already been to this gym, actually. Nice place, right? Not many people to bother you around here. So uh…what did you wanna work on?"

"Yeah…" Ren couldn't think about his time in the gym without thinking of the Twins. The time Caroline and Justine sat on a barbell and made him lift it. That was not pleasant at all, and that was only the first of harrowing exercises those two made him do.

"I wanna slim down!" Ann said with a determined tone.

"Uh…you try joggin'?" Ryuji suggested.

"Aerobics aren't enough! I want to tone up too, so I need to start lifting weights." Ann was serious about this as well. Mika gave Ann plenty of reason to take her appearance for modeling more seriously. "Plus my shoulders are drooping, I wanna make my biceps leaner, and I need to straighten my back out!"

"Wow, she's got a whole list ready…" Ren said while adjusting his glasses. While this did sound impressive, it did make him and Ryuji sweat a bit. It was great Ann had goals in mind, but they were sincerely hoping she wasn't planning to do all of this in one sitting or something.

"Obviously I want to cut down on my waist size too…and firm up my butt and calves!" Ann's list continued.

"That's a lot of work…you got guts." Ren said.

Ann smiled and pumped a fist. "Mhm! I'm a Guts Demon!"

Ryuji let out a quiet sigh. "What the hell's that even supposed to mean…? Anyways, motivation's good and all, but you're not gonna be able to move tomorrow if you do all that shit."

"Then you come up with a training regimen for me." Ann said, practically tossing that responsibility onto Ryuji.

"Ugh, you're such a pain…" Ryuji's head dropped. Why him?

"If you do that for me, I'll let you go on a date with me as a reward~" Ann briefly bent over and flashed Ryuji a wink.

Ryuji wasn't buying that. "Eff that. Stop actin' like you're some sexy character in an anime or somethin', it's sad watchin' you like this."

"What!?" Ann's eyes widened like she just took some kind of damage.

"First off, those sexy characters wouldn't come to the gym in those clothes." Ryuji said, practically scoffing.

"Eh, he's got a point…" Ren shrugged.

"How was I supposed to know that!?" Ann pouted. "I've never even been to the gym before today!" Not really helping her case either, but at least she was making attempts. That's when her phone rang and she answered it. "Oh, it's my agency! Oh, yeah! Even a smaller article would work! Huh…? Oh…it fell through? I see…" Whatever excitement she had quickly died down when she hung up the phone.

"Something wrong?" Ren asked.

"That was my agency. I was supposed to be in two magazines the moth after next, but apparently one canceled out on me. It was a black-and-white shoot, so they said I wouldn't stand out." Ann frowned. "It was about the everyday life of models, it sounded like fun."

"Guess you just gotta find somewhere you do stand out then." Ryuji shrugged casually. He was sure this wouldn't stop Ann in the long run.

"Huh…there has to be somewhere my natural, vibrant charm will stand out, right!?" Ann grinned.

"I'm sure there is. Somewhere." Ren nodded.

"Uh, where…?" Ryuji wasn't sure about all of that. But then he just remembered. "Oh yeah, speakin' of magazines, there was a real pretty girl in that one you said you were starrin' in. She's got this innocent vibe, but she's sexy too. Now that's what real charm looks like to me! I think she had a few pictures with Hifumi too in some other magazines…?"

"…." Uh oh. Ren did not like the direction this was going.

Ann's expression turned into a grimace. "…Were there photos of me, too?"

"Yeah?" Ryuji blinked.

"…And did she have long, brown hair?" Ann continued to question. Ren was shaking his head rapidly at Ryuji, silently telling him to not answer. But Ryuji didn't see the signal.

"Yup! That's the one! You know her, right? You gotta introduce me, dude!" Somehow, Ryuji really did find the worst combination of words to say. He could've just left it at 'yes', but he went the extra mile.

"YOU DICK!" Ann raised her voice out of frustration. "Out of all the girls you could have been talking about, it just HAD to be Mika?! Urrrrrugh! I'm so pissed!"

"What did I do…!?" Ryuji was just making a statement! Sure, he didn't know the situation but that didn't exactly help Ann's case.

"Come on! Which Machine are we using first!? I'm gonna break it!" Ann was at least turning her frustration into motivation, walking off.

When Ann was out of earshot, Ryuji leaned towards Ren to whisper. "Dude, what was that all about?"

"Long story…" Ren said. "Hifumi's mom and Mika are against Ann…and Mika is working with Hifumi's public image. I think that's the short story…"

"Huh…no wonder she's so angry." Ryuji nodded in understanding. That's why he and Ren were bros. Ren could explain things so easily that even he could understand.

"What's the holdup you two!?" Ann exclaimed. Her voice caused the boys to straighten up and head over to help her train. The training persisted for a while and when it ended, Ann felt much better than she did before. She was sore but that was proof of her hard work. Ryuji had to call it a day early since he needed to help his mom. "Ryuji really can't say no to his mom, huh? I'm…actually a little jealous of the relationship they have.

"You are…?" Ren asked.

"Mhm…" Ann nodded. "Even when I was growing up, my parents were super busy. They always said I was strong enough to be on my own and that I could handle it, and eventually I did. It came with a lot of freedom too…but I also got very lonely. I'd make friends, but we'd move a lot, and every time, I had to start all over again. Eventually I got used to the loneliness. But that all changed when I met Shiho. The world seemed so hopeful…"

"I see…" Ren nodded slowly. He knew Shiho was important to Ann, but he was only learning how deep that actually ran.

"And I heard her rehab is going well…she's going to officially be transferring schools soon." Ann flashed a quick smile. "But it's funny; I'm not worried about her at all. I think she's more worried about me."

"Isn't that why you're working hard?" Ren asked.

"Of course…!" Ann nodded. "Not just for Shiho, but Hifumi too. I'm…really worried about her."

"Me too…" Ren crossed his arms.

"To tell the truth, when we first met at the TV station, I related to her a lot." Ann said, her mind flashing back to that fateful day. "I saw the loneliness in her eyes and the resignation to it. And after seeing how her mom was acting to her, I really couldn't stand by and leave her be. I think she's been dealing with that loneliness for most of her life. She does have her parents but…"

Ren just nodded once again. He knew what Ann was trying to say. Hifumi's father was currently in the hospital and Mitsuyo was…a real piece of work. 'Yeah, no, I get it…" With Hifumi's life the way it was prior to meeting Ann and the rest of the Phantom Thieves, it was no wonder she spent her time alone at a church. She probably just wanted to get away from it all.

"I know she needs a little bit of space, but I hope she doesn't regress back into that shell too much…" Ann was worried about that. Hifumi was a really pleasant person to be around.

"That's why you're there, right?" Ren said.

"…Mhm. I want to be to her, what Shiho was to me back then." Ann gave a firm nod. "I won't stand by if she gets worse…" Not again. Never again. Ann couldn't keep this topic going because standing for this long after working out for the first time was just starting to hit her. Her legs were sore. "Agh…I…I think we need to call it a day. But I may need some help getting back, my legs are sore…"

Ren knew what that meant. Sigh.

.

.

August 23rd.

Ren was helping Makoto with her new friend, Eiko. Makoto was concerned that Eiko was getting involved in some shady business and wanted to extend a hand to help. That included Ren agreeing to a double date, posing as a couple with Makoto so they could meet the host that arose Makoto's suspicion: Tsukasa. It took a lot of work for Ren to look 'presentable' in Eiko's eyes to even meet Tsukasa, so he was already hoping all that effort would be worth it. The four of them gathered in the diner in Shibiya, and Tsukasa was more than happy to introduce himself. "Yo, I'm Tsukasa. I heard all about you two from Eiko." His gaze was focused on Makoto. "So I heard you're the student council prez, Makoto-chan? I totally wish I could be one of your council members."

"Y-Yes…I am…totally…" Makoto wasn't sure what she was expecting, but this wasn't it.

Tsukasa then turned to Ren. "Four-Eyes here is your boyfriend, yeah?"

"Four-Eyes…?" Ren almost took offense to that. He didn't even need these glasses! They were more an accessory than anything else.

"Y-Yes, he is." Makoto nodded. She…wasn't so great at this acting thing, yet she was still better than Ann.

"Huh. Looks like you guys don't get along too good though." Tsukasa stated. "It's like your love level's rock bottom. Are you two seriously datin'?"

"Love comes in many forms." Ren said calmly, sparing Makoto the trouble of trying to bail them out.

"R-Right…!" Makoto followed Ren's lead, closing her eyes with a slight smile. "He doesn't really like it when I get clingy with him…"

Tsukasa nodded in understanding. "Oooooh, I got it. You two just don't got affection like us."

Eiko nodded exuberantly in response. "Mhmmmmm!"

"Hey babe, did you do something special today? I don't remember you lookin' this sexy." Tsukasa focused his attention on Eiko.

Tsukasa's words made Eiko blush and swoon. "Ooh, Tsukasa…!"

"…." Makoto let out a quiet sigh. This was a lot, more than she thought she'd have to deal with.

"…" Ren didn't say anything. But this scene made it really hard for him not to roll his eyes.

"Oh, I hafta use the bathroom. Be right back." Eiko stood up and excused herself.

Once Eiko was gone, Makoto decided to make her move. "So, Tsukasa…are you…serious about pursing a relationship with Eiko…?"

"Aha! I was wonderin' when our honor student was gonna show her true colors." Tsukasa had a knowing smile, as if he expected this to happen. That said, you said Eiko was real excited about gettin' to know me? What's that about?"

"…I just wanted to make sure you're good for her." Makoto stated. Eiko was her friend after all.

Tsukasa was impressed. "Daaaaaaamn, girl! You really care about your friends, huh? Good stuff! I always say, friends're like, super important 'n shit."

"….." Ren wasn't sold. But he didn't have any means to refute that claim Tsukasa made, even if it just felt empty. Now would be a great time for Hifumi to be around to sniff out the lies, but they could still figure this out one way or another.

"Speakin' of which, a friend of my GF is totally a friend of mine! How 'bout you tell me your digits?" Tsukasa asked.

Makoto was caught off guard by Tsukasa's pushiness. "I…huh…?"

"Come on, what's wrong? Tell me your digits!" Tsukasa had his phone out.

Ren held his phone out with a coy smile. "Here, have my number instead." There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone, but that was still enough to irritate the man across the table.

"Tch, nobody asked you, Four Eyes." Tsukasa spat.

"I only need two to see your crap…" Ren thought internally.

Makoto was speechless the whole time, Ren not allowing her to get a word in which was probably a good thing.

"Whateves. Eiko already gave me your number, so we're good." Tsukasa shrugged and put his phone away.

"Then why did you even ask…?" Ren muttered.

Makoto spent her silence regaining her composure. "I do have one more question to ask. You're not going to bring Eiko into your club, are you?"

Tsukasa shook his head. "What. Me? I wouldn't dream of us. It's a shame people just think of us hosts as flirts. But my love for Eiko is pure as snow. Don't twist the story."

Speaking of Eiko, she just happened to return, spotting the slightly serious looks on everyone's faces. "Huh…? Is something wrong?"

"Just gettin' to know your friend a bit more." Tsukasa replied. "But I should get goin' work calls and all."

"Ah, me too!" Eiko didn't realize how fast time flew! "Byyyye…!"

With that, Eiko and Tsukasa left, just leaving Ren and Makoto at the table. Makoto sighed, uncertain of what to think. "…I hope he's not tricking her…" That was her only concern. She may have been overthinking this, but it was a nagging feeling. "They do seem happy, but am I just getting in the way of that?"

"I think you're being considerate." Ren said with an assuring tone.

Makoto still wasn't sure. Before she could answer, she already received a text from Tsukasa. Great. "It seems that host has sent me something already…" And Makoto was going to regret what she had to read aloud next.

Tsukasa: It's meee, Tsuksa *heart emoji* I no we just met but I cudn't wait 2 *phone emoji* u. Im so haP to B friends with U, Mako-chan *clapping emoji*x2 *hotsprings emoji*

"….What is this? It's just a bunch of emojis…?" Makoto could barely decipher that message.

Ren shivered just thinking about that grammatical mess and he didn't even get to see it! Now he was hoping he didn't have to. "Yikes…"

"That was barely a coherent sentence. But I'll need to get use to that if I'm going to help Eiko…" This made Makoto sigh once more. She could endure this if it meant ensuring her friend truly was in good hands and not being used.

.

.

August 24th.

It was late at night. Ren decided to head to the Crossroads Bar. Ohya happened to be there as well, so he decided to spend a bit of time with her. Lala wouldn't let Ohya spend too much time with the kid, because she knew she'd try and get him to celebrate with some alcohol and that was a no-no. And to no one's surprise, Ohya was already drunk, but not under the table. She just continuously reeked of booze. "How goes the intel gathering?" Ohya asked, drunkenly glad to see Ren as usual.

"Well, a bit harder since the Phantom Thieves are so popular these days." Ren said while rubbing the back of his neck. "But I'm pretty sure they're the ones that toppled Medjed."

"Ooooh, is this insider info?" Ohya teased, taking a swig from her glass. But she couldn't be entirely in high spirits, even when intoxicated. There was a bit of guilt lingering in her tone. "Hey, so…there's something I have to apologize about. I wasn't being completely honest. You know my job to research particular things…well…I ended up…finding out about your criminal record…"

"…" Needless to say Ren was pretty surprised to hear this. That record of his continued to haunt him no matter where he went, huh? "…I see…." Lala said nothing either.

Ohya clearly felt bad about this. Even as a journalist, it felt like she was snooping into something she shouldn't have been. "I knew you weren't some normal kid with my chief. So I did some digging out of curiosity and I found a ton more than I was expecting…so, sorry about that."

"Well…I guess it's fine." Ren shrugged. There wasn't anything he could do about Ohya snooping around. It was just an unpleasant reminder of his actual situation concerning the law. One slip up in the real world and he was going straight to juvie.

"I have to say though; the ruling made in your case was really odd…" Ohya pointed out. "There must have been some deal behind the shadows to make sure that was the end result. That must've been tough to handle. You're just a kid…"

And Ohya kept prying the wound open. Ren played it off well, taking a sip of water. She wasn't wrong, it did suck. "Well, that's what happened when I tried to help. I don't regret it, though." He was firm in this statement. Helping people was just a natural instinct to him; that woman, Kasumi, Hifumi, Ann, Makoto, Ryuji, Yusuke…he just couldn't help it.

"You really like barging in on people's issues, huh?" Ohya remarked.

"…Someone has to." Ren replied with a nod. "I mean…I know it's a bad habit of mine, but I'd rather do something then stand by in the crowd and do nothing."

"Huh." Ohya took another sip of her drink. "Well, just forget about the past! We're in the same boat when it comes to being labeled!"

"Because of your incident?" Ren asked.

"…Ah." Ohya realized she slipped up.

"Oh no, it's your turn to tell the truth now." Lala said, being the voice of fairness and reason. "You've been snooping around this boy's background, so it's only fair you spill the beans too."

Ohya let out a sigh. She was left with no choice but to tell Ren the story about her and her partner, Kayo Murakami.

.

.

August 25th.

Chihaya was stunned that Ren managed to change someone's fate once again. A man torn between a business relationship and the childhood friend he loved so dearly looked like he had no options. But all Ren had to do was tell him to follow his heart, and suddenly, his fortune completely changed. It was such a simple action, but the fortune teller couldn't believe that he could just…do that so easily. This wasn't the first time and it felt like it wouldn't be the last. "You know, I never thought it was possible to change destiny. Are you…perhaps…a psychic?"

"I'm not, sorry." Ren shook his head. He was just a teenager.

""I see…" Chihaya was oddly disappointed. "I wish there was a way I could meet one. But for now, that wish only reminds me of my inability to change my own fate. I will forever be a monster…"

"…?" Ren tilted his head.

"Oh…! Never mind me." Chihaya waved off her own words, not giving Ren a chance to respond. "By the way, before you go. I was curious and looked into your fortune."

"Did you see anything bad for me?" Ren asked.

"Not for you, no." Chihaya shook her head. "I saw the Empress and Star Arcana acting quite oddly. I cannot quite tell what's going on with the Empress Arcana, but it appears as though it is steadily growing closer to you. As for the Star, well…that one worries me."

"The…Star?" Ren tilted his head.

"I believe you know the Star Arcana." Chihaya said firmly. Even though Ren showed her the power to change fate, her fortune reading was the real deal. So when she gave him advice, he was sure to listen. "I don't know what's happening entirely with them, but I believe their light grows dimmer by the day."

"…?" Ren didn't know what to say, but that felt ominous. Out of everyone he knew, there were a few people going through some tough times, but it was pretty obvious who was going through the most difficult situation right now. "What happens if that were to pass…?"

"If that were to pass, I cannot imagine what would happen to that person." Chihaya said seriously. "But…you have shown me that it is possible to change fate. At least, that you have the power to do that. So I believe you might be able to stop this from happening. I just thought I should warn you of what I saw."

"Thanks, Chihaya. I'll see what I can do." Ren stood up to leave, as it was getting late. But before he left. "Oh…but you're not a monster."

"…" Chihaya blinked at Ren's words. She was hoping that he'd drop that, but he didn't, and she couldn't respond by the time he was gone. "That's nice of you to think, but I know otherwise…"

.

.

August 26th.

Mishima was a pretty big help for the Phantom Thieves in finding requests to do, that was undeniable. Ren was hanging out with him at the diner in Shibuya, but well…Mishima was focused on something else, tapping away at his phone screen with an intense look. "Uh…what'cha doin?"

"Oh, sorry." Mishima put his phone down. "I was just replying to someone over something they said. But more importantly, the Phantom Thieves are such a hit now! People are going crazy since they beat Medjed."

"Yeah," Ren nodded. "Looks like people are starting to believe in them more."

"The rating is up at 60%! This is great. We're starting to go places now." Mishima said with a smile.

"…We?" Ren lifted a brow to that question.

"Yeah, I mean, I am the manager of the Phantom Thieves now, basically." Mishima said this firmly, smiling at himself. "I'm the reason that they've been able to enact so many changes of heart, and I'm also the reason people are able to request help to begin with. I'm the important middleman, you know?"

"Er…yeah…?" That wasn't…wrong. But Ren didn't like that way Mishima was phrasing it.

"Oh, and that reminds me!" Mishima began. "I'm adding a new feature to the Phansite soon. It'll make their job even easier."

"A new feature…?" Ren was admittedly curious about this one.

"Heh, curious, huh?" Mishima held a knowing smile. "You gotta wait a bit! It's not finished yet. But I'll be sure to implement it by the time we go back to school. Summer vacation is almost over after all."

God, that's right. Time flew by. Ren nearly forgot they only had a few days of summer left. "Right…yeah…that is soon." But Mishima was already back to typing something on his phone, which just made him all too curious. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, this?" Mishima set his phone down again. "It's nothing. It's just…there have been some nasty online rumors about Hifumi Togo lately."

"…That so? Tell me more." Ren asked.

"Well, you heard about her sick father, right?" Mishima was scrolling through that news. "Well, someone spread a rumor online that Hifumi's going to lose her match tonight. I, of course, had to step in and tell them they were wrong and that she would never lose."

"…" Ren's expression turned a bit serious. "When did those rumors start…?"

"Earlier this week." Mishima confirmed. "I think people just need to lay off. Even when it was confirmed her past matches were rigged by the mafia, she kept winning everything after. So they just need to respect that she's always been talented. Don't you agree?"

Well. This was awkward. But Ren just gave a slight nod in agreement, even if he knew otherwise. "Yeah…."

.

.

Ren returned to Leblanc as it was getting kind of late. But he was greeted by an odd sight. The store was empty in terms of customers, but Haru was behind the counter with Sojiro, while Futaba was cleaning some dishes. Morgana was even on a seat; it was fine since no one else was here. "…What's going on here?"

"Oh, hello!" Haru smiled towards Ren. "I was helping out here today."

"…For free?" Ren looked to Sojiro.

"I had to go out shopping, but the store was a bit busy." Sojiro explained. "But that's when she came along and offered to help serve coffee. Since she's your friend, I thought it was alright."

"And I helped!" Futaba said in the background.

"I want to run a little shop of my own someday." Haru said. "So this was nice practice. I don't mind working just to help, really!"

"Are you sure you don't want a little money?" Sojiro asked.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me." Haru just smiled. It was such an odd statement, but nobody decided to question it. "I like this place a lot, so I'm glad to be of help."

"It's nice to have you here, so I won't complain." Ren took a seat.

"I think I can leave the store to you now, since you're here." Sojiro adjusted his glasses. "Close up when you're done, and don't stay out too late, Futaba." Even though Futaba was making strides, he was still in disbelief at the words he just spoke. "Oh, and make sure to clean up any cat hair left on the table. That's on you." With that, he was gone.

Futaba finished cleaning dishes and sat next to Ren. "Hey, did you hear?"

"Hear what?" Ren blinked.

"The stuff online about Hifumi, and that she's got a match tonight." Futaba said.

"Oh, is she doing well?" Haru tilted her head. "I saw her the other day in Shibuya, talking to um…that guy who's always on TV. Akechi…?"

"Has she been doing alright…?" Ren furrowed his brows. Aside from an occasional message in the group chat, Hifumi was more or less radio silent. They couldn't exactly judge how long she needed to recover from the information given to her, but they didn't want to leave her alone much longer.

Ren then decided to text the group chat.

Ren: Did you guys know Hifumi had a match tonight?

Yusuke: No, I was unaware.

Makoto: I didn't know.

Ryuji: Wait, ain't that bad?

Ann: …She didn't tell me. She usually does in case we make plans.

None of this boded well. Futaba did a quick search and sent a link to Ren. "Hey, I found the stream link. I think she's playing right now." At this point, Morgana hopped on a chair to watch and Haru just kind of leaned over Futaba a bit because she was curious. She also extended a hand to scratch Morgana behind the ears and he wasn't opposed to it. It looked like they caught the tail end of the match and, well…

"Unbelivable! Hifumi Togo has lost her first shogi match…!" There were a few reporters who were in shocked awe at this turn of events. The Queen of Shogi, the undefeated threat was finally defeated.

"She lost…?" Haru blinked in surprise.

"Wait…do you think that means…?" Futaba looked to Ren.

"…No doubt about it…" Morgana answered that question. Haru wasn't able to hear his words and just assumed the cat was meowing for a different reason. "It's very possible her mother made her throw…"

The stream camera did focus on Hifumi, who just sat there silently, hair covering her eyes. But that camera was then shifted into the focus of Mitsuyo Togo. "Oh, my daughter is such a brave knight…"

"Can you tell us what happened as her manager?" An interviewer asked. "Is this related to the news of your husband?"

"It is." Mitsuyo frowned. "The news shook Hifumi to her core. I told her that she was likely better off taking a break from Shogi for a while if it affected her that badly. But you should've seen the look in her eyes; she was so determined to keep playing! Shogi is a game she and her father played a lot, she wants to be a professional just like him. That dream spurred her into action, but I don't think her heart was truly in the game. She's just so worried about her father and it must have distracted her too much…and now her undefeated reputation has been shattered as well…"

"Do you think she'll bounce back from this!? The Queen of Shogi has been dethroned, after all…"

"Oh, don't worry…my daughter is strong. I'm sure she'll bounce back from this setback and come back stronger than ever. I will make sure to help her stand so she can point her fabled blade at her foes once again." Mitsuyo said with an overly confident voice.

"…" Ren, Futaba, Morgana, and Haru were shocked to hear this news. But the Phantom Thieves of this group of four felt like they knew the truth of the matter, which made their concern for Hifumi only grow…