September 12th.
Hawaii was a fun trip overall, even though it could've been better. But Ren was content with the trip, walking back into Leblanc with a lei around his neck, pulling his suitcase inside. Sojiro, Morgana, and Futaba were inside the café, waiting for him to return. "Yo, welcome back." Sojiro was the first one to greet Ren. "You get tanned a bit?"
"How was Hawaii?" Futaba asked.
"Aloha!" Ren said, index finger and pinky extended.
"He's been Hawaiianized…" Futaba gasped.
Sojiro, however, was far from surprised. "Eh, I can see why."
"While you guys were off having fun," Morgana began, attitude evident within his tone. "Things here have gotten a bit more complicated."
Everyone's attention turned to the TV. "So, I've heard the surprisingly hot items at the moment are masks and calling cards?"
"Here is a graph of all the profits for stores handling these items!"
"Double from last year!?"
"Phantom thief goods seem to be in especially high demand."
The two on TV were discussing…Phantom Thief merchandise!? "I didn't know they were selling that kind of stuff." Futaba remarked.
"Should we try too?" Sojiro suggested. "I mean, selling phantom thief merchandise."
"Like Phantom Thief Curry?" Ren asked, a bit tiredly.
"Maybe I'll toss some dry ice on the side. Y'know, give it that phantom-y effect." Sojiro chuckled at the idea. "Uh, I'm just joking, all right…?"
"I wonder how our guest consider this recent phenomenon…"
"What's your take, Akechi-kun?"
The man himself was on TV. Akechi was silent for a moment. "Well…"
"There he is…" Futaba adjusted her glasses. "The anti-thief detective. I hope he slips up and self-destructs."
"I can sense some chivalry behind their actions. They are clever to take the silent resentments of the public into account and relieve them. I believe this to be the secret to their popularity." Akechi explained. His words were noticeably different compared to before.
Even the host was surprised. "This is a shock! This is completely different than what you said before. Your stance seems to have softened!"
That wasn't the case. Akechi was simply minding his words. "This doesn't change the fact that they are dangerous. However…no, I shouldn't say more." The backlash online clearly got to him. If anything, he had to avoid stepping on any landmines lest he get blown up again on the internet. The fall of Medjed swung the popularity greatly between Akechi and the Thieves.
"Come onnn! You can say it!" The host was attempting to goad Akechi into speaking his mind.
Akechi, however, was not going to take that bait. "Oh no, I'm not falling for that. I've learned my lesson after the previous backfire."
"These thieves are more popular than the police or politicians. What's the world coming to?" Sojiro grumbled aloud. Every day it was the same thing with the Thieves; it really was all anyone could talk about.
"Rude!" Futaba huffed.
"What're you so angry about?" Sojiro sighed. "Hey, I'm gonna go to the bathroom. Take care of any customers that show up." Having said that, Sojiro went off to the bathroom.
With Sojiro gone, this allowed them to get to the serious talk. Futaba stood up to approach Ren. "I finished the analysis. You know, of the data. Wanna meet now?"
"Yeah…totally…let's…do it…" Ren was literally nodding off as he spoke. He hardly had any time to adjust to the time difference in Hawaii, so the jetlag was hitting him especially hard. No doubt it was the same for the others.
"Seriously? Jet lag?" Futaba acted as if this was completely unbelievable. "Fine then, tomorrow."
"Works for me…" Ren yawned, slowly lugging his stuff upstairs.
Morgana followed with a heavy mind. "Hey…do you have a second?"
"What's up…?" Ren set his suitcase aside. He'd unpack tomorrow or something, he was too tired to now.
Morgana noticed how tired Ren was. He…probably wouldn't get a fruitful conversation out of this. What else was he expecting? It was pointless. "You look really tired…never mind. It's not important. You should go get some rest."
"I will…" Ren sat down on the bed. He was about to sleep, but his phone buzzed.
Futaba: Attention, ye all jetlagged. Someone from Shujin dropped in while you were gone.
Ann: What? Who?
Futaba: Uh, he had messy hair and glasses.
Ryuji: I dunno, sounds just like Ren to me.
"Oh, right…Maruki did stop by…" Morgana mumbled.
Ren: Was it Maruki?
Futaba: I think so. Dr. Maruki, the counselor. He said he was studying cognitive psience.
Makoto: He's in that field too?
Yusuke: You don't think he's connected to the incident with Futaba's mother…?
Futaba: Oh, no. I didn't get that vibe from him. He seemed interested in the topic, not just to use it either.
Hifumi: It sounds like this man managed to strike a conversation with you.
Futaba: A little. He seemed nice.
Yusuke: For a stranger to connect with Futaba is no easy feat. He must have quite a talent for this.
Hifumi: He sounds like an interesting person to talk to…
Ann: I'm not sure 'talent' is the word for it, but yeah, he's cool/
Ryuji: What, you two wanna get him to counsel you guys?
Hifumi: Well…I would not go out of my way to speak with him, but if an opportunity so arose, I wouldn't mind it.
Yusuke: I see no point in having my heart probed by an utter stranger. Still, I am curious how he managed to negate Futaba's usual reticence.
Futaba: I dunno, we just talked a bit.
Ann: But he is a good listener, right? Maybe you ended up talking more than usual.
Yusuke: So it is true! He does have some extraordinary effect! Surely he must have tome greater insight, the better to espy the innermost truths of the heart!
Ryuji: Holy shit!? This guy has ESP!?
Hifumi: …I'm too tired for this.
.
.
Hifumi slowly pushed the door to her house open, yawning quietly. She was also jet lagged as moving between time zones took its toll on her. "Mother? Are you here? I'm home…"
"Oh, Hifumi. Welcome back." Mitsuyo was sitting on the couch, greeting her daughter with a slight smile. "How was your trip? You look quite tired."
"Jetlag." Hifumi said, setting her suitcase aside, not really having that much energy to lug it into her room just yet. "But I had a great time. I assume you heard that we had a sudden shift to Hawaii due to a storm…"
"Isn't that where Shujin went?" Mitsuyo raised a brow.
Ignoring that question, Hifumi quickly opened her suitcase, pulling half of a charm to give to her mother. "I'm telling you this so you know where I got these souvenirs from! I wouldn't know what LA would've had…Hawaii was even harder, so I had to choose carefully."
"You…got me this?" Mitsuyo blinked, a little taken aback by her daughter's kindness. "But I didn't even ask…"
"You're my mother, you didn't have to." Hifumi said with a slight smile. "It's half of a charm, because I got one for Father, too. It's a matching set that makes a star. I admit, I was a little pressed for time, so I was hasty…but I hope you like it…"
"…It is very nice." Mitsuyo gave a slight nod. "Thank you. I'm sure your father will appreciate it when you can visit him as well. He should be well enough for a visitor within the next few days. Now then…" The nice moment was over and Hifumi could feel it. It was right back to business. "Once you are rested, you will join me for a meeting tomorrow."
"…I have school tomorrow." Hifumi said, sighing. Apparently it was too much to have one nice moment with her mother.
"I've already had a discussion with the school. Supposedly it is already a shortened day for Kosei High, so you won't be missing much." Mitsuyo flipped her hair. "Mika will be there as well, as we are discussing another shoot idea. This is not up for debate. Go rest and we shall begin our campaign for your rising popularity anew."
Hifumi frowned a bit. But she remembered her talk with Ann, so she didn't feel nearly as upset with before. "Yes, Mother." She grabbed her suitcase by the handle and started to walk to her room."
"Oh, and one more thing. This concerns Shujin and technically you." Mitsuyo said. "Their Principle died."
"…Huh…!?" Hifumi whipped around.
"I bet it was the work of those Phantom Thieves, but nobody really knows for sure. I don't recall the details as I was on the phone, but this only aids my opinion of that school. I really do not want you anywhere near the school or those students. That school is nothing but trouble and I do not need you getting caught up in whatever happens next by asscioation." Mitsuyo was giving a pretty firm warning.
"…." Hifumi didn't say anything. The news had her in shock and she just quickly went to her room. "I can't believe this…"
.
.
Already back from the trip, Makoto was at home studying. Sae took notice of this and couldn't help but smile slightly. She was always glad when Makoto took her studies seriously, but this was another level. "You just got back from your trip and you're already studying? How diligent."
Makoto smiled in return. "I have souvenirs for you."
Unfortunately the happy mood between them was cut short by Sae's next sentence. "The principle of Shujin has passed away." Makoto stopped what she was doing, letting out an audible gasp at the news. "He suddenly stopped while crossing the other and was struck by a large vehicle. Death by external trauma. They say suicide seems to be a strong possibly…but would someone walking towards the police station kill themselves…? He even used a taxi to get there…"
"H-he committed suicide…!? Or…do you think this is another 'incident'…?" Makoto asked her sister.
"Even if he had a sudden shift in his mind, it's still unnatural. I can only suspect he had a 'change of heart." Sae surmised.
"You think he was a target of the Phantom Thieves?! But that's impossible!" Makoto stated with absolute certainty.
"Why are you so certain?" Sae asked.
Crap. Makoto let her passion get the best of her. "W-Well…in prior cases, the changes of heart seemed to be done to make people confess their crimes. It's hard to explain, but this situation doesn't seem to match their usual modus operandi…!" Fortunately, Makoto was able to scrape together her thoughts on the subject by projecting an outside perspective as opposed to her own.
"I see. Did Principle Kobaykawa seem any different to you?" Sae asked.
"…I wouldn't know. He didn't really make much contact with students." Makoto answered. Aside from him looking for information concerning the Phantom Thieves, but revealing that question would only push them into more suspicion in her sister's eyes. So she was better off not saying anything about it.
"I see…could something have happened during the school trip…?" Sae thought aloud. But she realized Makoto was still there. "Ah, you're studying. I'm sorry to bother you. Makoto…don't get into any trouble, okay?" With that, Sae walked off.
"…" Makoto was stunned into silence by the news. "This is bad…I have to tell the others…"
.
.
September 13th.
Unfortunately for Hifumi, she would not be at school today. Instead she was dragged along to the TV station while her mother was discussing people with how to promote Hifumi next. Hifumi herself wasn't present, likely brought along just for the ride and to okay and final decisions. So she sat in a different room, debating if she should try sending a text to Ann or not.
"There you are!" Mika opened the door, smiling towards Hifumi. "So, how was your trip to LA, Hifumi-chan?"
"Oh, hi Mika." Hifumi stood up, dusting her dress off. "I didn't actually go to LA. There was a terrible storm, so the destination changed to Hawaii of all places. But it was a fun trip all the same! Being overseas was a pleasant experience."
"You went to Hawaii!?" Mika's eyes widened. She actually seemed incredibly jealous. "How I wish I could've gone. Were the beaches as nice as they looked?"
"I would say so." Hifumi nodded. She brought her purse with her and proceeded to open it up, looking for something. "And I also got you something…! Here." She presented a small flowery bracelet, a perfect size for Mika's wrist.
"Hah…?" Mika blinked, awkwardly accepting the gift Hifumi got for her. "…You actually got me something?" That sweet tone she usually had with Hifumi faltered into pure bewilderment. She wasn't…actually expecting Hifumi to follow through with it. "I was only joking when I asked…!"
"Even if you were, I wouldn't feel right not getting you anything. When we were during the summer shoot together, I remember you telling the curious people that Hawaii was one of your most desired places to visit. So with that in mind, I had to get you something while I was there." Hifumi offered a slight smile. "So…at the very least, I am glad I was able to give this to you today. We are friends, are we not?"
That…a difficult question. Mika didn't really know how to answer; she felt a little out of her element honestly. Hifumi was being completely genuine, whereas Mika was only genuine when it concerned her career. This was the first time someone went out of their way for her, even if it was small. "You were listening…I didn't think you were." Mika began. "Well…thank you, Hifumi-chan. I'll be sure to wear it all the time!" She flashed a smile, though it was a bit awkward and forced. Hifumi's act of kindness really threw her off. To prove her point, she put the bracelet on and glanced at it…it actually did look nice on her.
"That's a relief. I was worried you wouldn't like it." Hifumi let out a small exhale. The worst thing she imagined never came to pass. Her gifts were a hit! "So that makes me happy to hear."
"…Ah. Yeah." Mika cleared her throat. Awkward silence ensued from her part because she didn't know what to do next. Luckily she didn't have to worry about that, as Mitsuyo opened the door.
"There you two are." Mitsuyo said. "Getting friendly, are we?"
Hifumi waved her hands. "W-Well…!"
"No matter, come along. We're putting the finishing touches on our idea and you two need to be there." Mitsuyo was practically demanding. Hifumi let out a quiet sigh, gave Mika quick smile, and followed behind her mother.
Mika lingered behind a moment, furrowing her brow. "…She's so weird. I don't get it."
.
.
As for the happenings in Shujin, things were pretty serious. Ren, Kasumi, and Ryuji ran into each other and were walking to school. But as soon as they arrived, they were informed about an emergency assembly and it was mandatory. The student body of Shujin all gathered in the gym where the Vice Principle was going to make an announcement. There were various murmurs of uncertainty among the students.
"This has to be about you-know-what, right? With the Principle…" A girl whispered. Everyone heard about it by this point. It was shocking how it occurred while they were overseas in Hawaii! Everything felt like it was happening so fast.
The Vice Principle of Shujin approached the podium, clearing his throat to speak to everyone. "Ahem. We will not begin the emergency morning assembly. As many of you already may, Principle Kobayakawa passed away yesterday." As soon as he finished speaking, the students began to whisper again.
"I wonder if that suicide rumor's for real. It happened in front of the police station, didn't it?"
"I think I was passing through there at the time…"
The Vice Principle continued. "The principle had been working hard to restore peace ever since the incident with Mr, Kamoshida. He only wished for everyone to be able to lead a normal school life, and because of that love…"
As one would expect, nobody was buying those words. "Love? That's bullshit. He was covering something up. Everyone's been talking about it." A student said, scoffing.
"Maybe it wasn't suicide? Do you think the Phantom Thieves took him down?" Another female student suggested.
"The Phantom Thieves? Do they kill people…?"
"I mean…Kamoshida did say he was gonna kill himself to make up for everything he did…"
"That would be amazing! Either way, it serves that principle right!"
These reckless comments were heard by Ren, Ann, and Ryuji. Obviously the notion that they killed someone made them uncomfortable. "Hell no…" Ryuji grumbled. "We didn't do shit…"
"Are people gonna blame us for this, too…?" Ann mumbled. All eyes were on the Phantom Thieves and they weren't even involved with the situation.
The Vice Principle was far from finished. Despite the student's thoughts on the matter, he wasn't going to stop. "So, with this in mind. I would like all of you to continue…"
.
.
Later that same evening, the group all gathered together in Ren's room at Leblanc to discuss everything that was happening. "Before we talk about the data we got from Sis, we need to discuss the incident with the Principal."
"People are already talking about it online." Ann frowned.
Ryuji, Yusuke, and Hifumi were on their phones, looking at internet posts to see what the masses thought of the idea. "No one is saying it's because of the Phantom Thieves…so far."
"The Phan-Site is at a staggering 81%." Hifumi reported. "And yet…even though people are not saying it's due to us, it appears the rating is only rising as a response…"
"People think he did it because of that tabloid exposed how he was covering up Kamoshida's abuses." Yusuke added.
"Could it be that…we're the one's who are responsible for Principle Kobayakawa's suicide…?" Ann said aloud.
"Whaddya mean…" Ryuji asked.
"If we hadn't changed Kamoshida's heart, maybe he wouldn't have committed suicide…" Ann couldn't help but think that. She suddenly understood how Hifumi was feeling all this time.
"But if we didn't do that, Kamoshida would've just kept doing what he did!" Ryuji said.
"…I don't think you made the wrong decision." Hifumi added her piece to the topic. She could speak from experience after all. Even though she didn't personally know the Principal of Shujin at all, she did not think they were at fault. There was of course some irony here and she was aware of it. "He…made a choice. He had a choice. You guys can't be held accountable for the actions he took after everything was exposed."
"Fumi…" Ann wasn't sure what to say, but Hifumi's words did alleviate some of the guilt she was feeling.
"There's a lot of opinions online." Futaba said. "It's only natural he died, covering up crimes is wrong, and so on…"
"The comments I've seen are similar as well." Yusuke said. "Only the Phantom Thieves are on our side! I wish the Phantom Thieves would take down the police and politicians of this country as well!"
"That's…asking a lot." Ren rubbed the back of his head.
"It's not just the news. There's even Phantom Thief merchandise now…" Ann shook her head. She didn't think people would try and capitalize on their actions like this. "I never expected that we'd end up such a big deal."
"It seems like the public would rather believe in us than the adults…" Yusuke made this claim based on the various comments he was reading. "People are trying to get the Phantom Thieves to solve societal problems, not just personal ones."
"That's a little unnerving…" Hifumi rubbed her arm.
"Yeah…this is kinda scary…" Ann agreed.
Even Makoto was feeling doubtful. "Are we…really doing the right thing?"
"I mean…" Ryuji started. "The principal was coverin' stuff up, right? I guess…he got what was comin' to him?"
"That's…!" Makoto didn't think he'd say that. It wasn't that she agreed or disagreed…it was just a difficult situation.
"Ryuji!" Ann snapped. She couldn't believe he would say that.
"Whoa, guys. Let's get back on topic." Morgana was being the voice of reason, grounding everyone to their initial topic. "Weren't we going to discuss the data we obtained from Niijima?"
Futaba glanced around, not exactly feeling confident in her abilities to read it out loud. So she looked at Yusuke, volunteering him instead. "You tell them, Inari."
"Why me…?" Yusuke let out a slight groan and stood up, leaving over Futaba's shoulder to read the data aloud. "First, Prosecutor Niijima has been looking into the continued cases of people suddenly collapsing. It seems she is searching for a common thread to tie them all together. Some parts seem to be speculation, but she has cited a beneficiary of the majority of these incidents. The cooperation Okumura Foods – more prominently, its CEO, Kunikazu Okumura."
"Okumura…the company that owns Big Bang Burger, yes?" Hifumi placed her chin in her hand. "I remember us talking about it in Hawaii. The company has been doing very well…their competition overseas all pulled out, right? …Could it be related…? Ah…we don't know yet. Sorry."
"They've only gotten famous in the past few years. It's telling since they had a branch in Hawaii." Ann said.
"It says here they benefited from both scandals and the resignations of their competitors executives overseas." Yusuke continued to read.
"That would be the case…" Makoto mumbled.
"This is too suspicious though." Morgana added. "Only one CEO is profiting from these seemingly accidental incidents. I think it's natural to assume he's intentionally causing them."
"I get that, but still…" Makoto wasn't so eager to jump on this.
"We have even more evidence than that." Morgana wasn't done yet. "Tell them. Futaba."
"I already tried putting Okumura's name in the Nav. He's got a Palace for sure." Futaba said. Everyone was surprised at this.
"That settles it then! This dude is totally our next target!" Ryuji grinned.
"That's right." Morgana agreed with Ryuji for once. "Okumura's at the top of the rankings, after all."
"Hold on. That doesn't necessarily mean he's evil. If we jump into this too carelessly…" Yusuke was the first to object. "Beyond that, this Phantom Thieves fad is…unsettling."
"Yeah, the excitement levels don't feel normal…" Ann was also apprehensive about jumping into things. "We might want to let things calm down a bit."
"Yes…." Hifumi nodded in agreement. "I…I must express my objections as well."
"Really? Ann? Hifumi? You guys are just gonna go against what the people want!?" Ryuji asked.
"Hold on, Ryuji." Hifumi spoke up a bit. "That's not the issue. I've already expressed before that I do not like how fast we've gained popularity. I…I already have enough of that myself. But this is on a completely different level…this doesn't…this doesn't feel natural."
"…What do you mean?" Ren asked.
"I…I can't explain it. But…you're all aware of how my mother has been orchestrating my current fame. There's a method to it…right now, despite my current situation, my popularity is at its peak. That already has me uneasy…but here…? We haven't reached our peak yet. It doesn't feel right. The way people are clamoring for the Phantom Thieves…the way things are lining up…I…I have a bad feeling. I don't like it…we have too many people watching, waiting for what we do next. If…if we mess up, or something bad happens…"
"We're not gonna mess up! It'll go just the same as it always has!" Ryuji said confidently, hoping he could sway the others onto his side. But so far it seemed like only he and Morgana were on the same side of dealing with Okumura.
"…I…I think I may have to side with Hifumi here." Makoto said. "I can't put my finger on it, but I do not think jumping into things immediately is our best option."
"What!?" Ryuji couldn't believe this. He looked to Ren and Futaba, but the awkward silence in the room said the story. "For real…?" Considering the overwhelming opposition, Ryuji just decided to back down. There wasn't a point if they weren't going to agree, he clearly wouldn't be able to sway them.
"L-Looks like we're not gonna agree today then…" Futaba said awkwardly. This was the first time they weren't able to agree on a target unanimously. The air in the room felt heavy because of it.
This was enough for Morgana. "Sheesh! Some team you are! What's with all the hesitation! I can't stand this! Even you, Ryuji! You just back down the second someone disagrees with you!"
"What?" Ryuji turned to Morgana, giving him a glare.
"I guess all you've been talking about is using the Phantom Thieves name to pick up girls anyway." Morgana scoffed. "Being hyped up because of the popularity is fine, but getting conceited over it is unacceptable."
"Morgana, where is this coming from…?" Makoto asked.
"Hey! Aren't you actin' for your own benefit too?" Ryuji shot back.
"My appearance may have changed, but I'm still an admirable human! I'm at the very least, I'm more admirable than some carnal blond monkey!" Morgana shouted.
Now Ryuji was angry. "You little..!"
"Okay you two, I think that's enough…!" Hifumi waved her hands, attempting to mediate the escalating situation. "I-I understand we can't come to an agreement, but this doesn't mean we have to argue…."
"…I didn't want to say this, but you've been really passive aggressive lately, Morgana. What's going on?" Ren stepped in. It was best to try and talk things out now while they were still together.
"Nothing's wrong with me!" Morgana turned to Ren, back arching as he was getting a little aggressive in his tone. "I'm just in utter shock at how hesitant you all are! What team flounders about without knowing what they want to do next? Clearly, all you're doing is just slowing me down! So I'm going to do it! I'll be taking credit for solving the mental shutdown mystery. I'm going to show you who the useless one actually is…!" His mind was still stuck on…his place on the team. Or rather, what he felt was lack thereof. Makoto, Hifumi, Futaba, each new addition to the team made him feel like he was pushed to the side until eventually…there was just no place for him.
"Is that what this is about? Don't be rash…!" Yusuke said. "This isn't something one person can do on their own. We're a team, so we must make the decision together…"
"You guys are a team." Morgana replied. "I can't be on a team with people who can't decide what they want to do!"
"Man, what's your deal?" Ryuji scoffed. "Mad at being called useless? All you've done since we've met is call me useless!" And that annoyed Ryuji to no end. He wasn't mad for the sake of being mad; it was taking him all he could to become a proper team player, since his actions destroyed the track team back in the day. To be called useless made it feel like everything he was trying to accomplish with the team didn't matter. That his efforts were pointless! "Is your ego so fragile that you have to pick on people you think are easy targets!? But the moment it gets turned onto you, you start throwin' a fit!?"
"We shouldn't really be calling each other useless in the first place…" Ren said, but it didn't seem like the two arguing heard him. And he said it with the intention for them hear him, too.
"Look who's talking!" Morgana shot back. "Is your ego so fragile that you constantly feel the need to show off that you're a Phantom Thief just for the smallest hint of validation!? I can take down some small time target like Okumura on my own!" On the other hand, Morgana felt his sense of purpose diminish the further along they worked as Phantom Thieves. In the beginning, he was the one with all the information and knowledge of the Metaverse, and even led the charge in the creation of the Phantom Thieves. But ever since then…he felt that nothing he did contributed to the team. Nothing at all. He had nothing; no memory and just the strong belief and desire to be human, which he was losing more and more confidence in as the days passed. The only thing he was good for was being a car in Mementos.
"Okay, you know what!? Fine! Do whatever you want." Ryuji threw his arms up into the air. "You think you can do it on your own? Then bring it on!"
"Ryuji, don't encourage this!" Ann exclaimed.
"Nah, I'm not gonna stop him, Ann!" Ryuji said. "He's free to think whatever he wants. He thinks we're not a team? He thinks he can do this on his own? He thinks we don't need him here? He's free to think that, I don't care. Besides, even if he leaves, I bet he's back in no time."
"Come on, you two…" Hifumi wasn't really sure what to say. Her quiet voice wasn't really good in a situation like this. She wasn't sure if anyone even heard her.
That was the last straw. Morgana turned around, letting out an aggravated sigh. "…Looks like I don't belong here after all…Well, this is goodbye!" Hopping down from the table, Morgana then scurried downstairs.
"Morgana, wait!" Ann called out to him, but he was already gone.
"…Dammit…" Ryuji kicked the floor, annoyed at the way things just played out.
"T-That was..." Futaba was quiet the whole time. This wasn't a situation she was prepared to handle at all.
"...What should we do...?" Makoto tentatively asked the others. "The last train is coming up..."
"…I'll go look for him." Ren shook his head, quickly exiting Leblanc and started to call out for Morgana. "Hey, Morgana! Come back, we can talk this through! Morgana…?" Ren looked around Yogen, with the others steadily beginning to help except Ryuji, who was a bit too bitter at the moment. Unfortunately, looking for a black cat in the middle of the night wasn't an easy task…and since the last train was coming up soon, they'd have no choice but to break for the day and leave the search for later…
.
.
Morgana already got pretty far on his own. Not just in distance, but he was convinced he could keep going far on his own too. "I'm human…I have to be…" He mumbled before shaking his head. "I've gotten far on my own. I just have to take down Okumura before those guys do!" He was so in his own thoughts, he didn't realize he ran right past Haru. Haru, however, noticed him.
"Huh…?" The only reason Haru noticed Morgana in the first place was due to the fact he stood under a street light. It allowed Haru a quick glimpse as he ran off. "…That cat…I think I've seen it before. Is that Morgana…?" Haru tilted her head curiously, before pulling out her phone, shooting two separate texts towards Ren and Makoto. The text to Ren read: "Ren-kun. I think I saw Morgana running down the street, I'm going to see if I can follow him.", while the text to Makoto read: "Mako-chan, did something happen with Morgana? I think I saw him…I will try my hardest to find him, so tell Ren-kun that there's nothing to worry about…!" And with that, Haru hurried off to chase Morgana. "But I wonder…why is he going in the direction of…"
.
.
Date: ?
The more Ren explained, the more things fell into place for Sae. It explained certain things she was unable to figure out. "I did notice traces of tampering. Does that mean you truly took the data from my laptop? No matter how I think about it, that would've been impossible unless Makoto was helping you…" Sae paused. "But…she would never do something so foolish…" Shaking her head, she shifted the topic. "And is it true you were completely uninvolved in the Kobayakawa case?"
"It's true. Not only did we not have anything against him, but we weren't even in Japan when it happened." Ren explained.
That…tracked. The more things Ren revealed, the more questions Sae had. Was she even getting closer to the truth like this? "What does this mean….? But I suppose targeting someone at Shujin again and actually taking their life would be nonsensical…"
"That's right. I'm not lying to you." Ren nodded. "Will you believe me now?"
"I have no reason to believe everything you've said." Sae replied immediately. "…However…it seems you aren't the type of person who would lie just to protect themselves. I will acknowledge what I must. It's more effiecent that way."
Good enough for Ren. Even if Sae didn't fully trust him yet, it was a big help that she was at least beginning to accept what he was saying as truth. That's where the trust began. "…That's works for me."
"In any case, back to the topic at hand." Sae brushed her hair aside. "If you saw my investigation data, you would've had the same suspicions I did about Okumura. And if you looked into his Palace, you should've seen the answer to those suspicions." She leaned forward. "Tell me. What did you learn from him? What did the Phantom Thieves do to Okumura? Why did it turn out as it did? I need you to tell me everything."
Ren nodded slowly. "Right…this is how it happened. This is how things…turned out like that…"