October 4th.
One friend was aided, and now it was time to see how the other was doing. So Ren made his way to Takemi's medical clinic. Since she was going to quit being a doctor, she was just about to start cleaning up when Ren walked in. "Hey, you're here."
"Yeah? I'm cleaning." Takemi gave Ren a curious look. "I thought I told you that you didn't have to come in anymore? I'm going to close this place down soon, once I run out of supplies."
"Well, about that…" Ren started.
Just before Ren could say anything, a man and his daughter walked in. It was the same father daughter do that Takemi helped out before. "Doctor, there you are! I wanted to speak to you right away!"
"Yes…?" Why was everyone barging into her clinic today? Takemi had no idea what was going on.
"That hospital that was on the news is the same one you used to work at, right?" The father asked.
Wait, this was the first she was hearing of this. "The hospital on the news…?"
And just them, an old lady walked into the clinic as well. Another person Takemi helped out. "Oh, dear. I'm afraid everyone was thinking the same thing…but I knew you weren't capable of doing those terrible things."
"Uh…? What's…going on…?" Takemi was completely out of the loop. Clearly, she missed something.
"Chief of Staff Oyamada turned himself in. He was manipulating things behind the scenes." The father explained. "Turns out, he was the one who made that terrible medical error, and laid the blame on his subordinate! It's been on every news channel on the country."
"Is that…true…?" Takemi's eyes widened slowly. "I…haven't seen it."
"I never believed someone like you could have ever some something like that." The old lady said.
"Heh…" Ren let out a slight chuckle. Things were looking up for Takemi.
"Hooray, Doctor!" The little girl cheered. "But…what's a medical error?"
"What? Um…it's something that shouldn't be allowed to happen, I guess." Takemi replied. As great as this news was, it still wasn't clicking for her. Everyone else seemed happy, but she just couldn't accept it. She had too many questions. "Oyamada surrendering himself at such a convenient time? Why…?" Ultimately, it didn't matter. She knew why this news didn't make her happy. "It doesn't change the fact that I couldn't save her, though…"
"Oyamada lied to you." Ren said while standing up. "That's what I came here to tell you."
"What…?!" Takemi snapped to attention. Was that true..!? "Did the news mention anything about the patient involved in the medical error incident!?" She quickly asked the others.
"Oh, it must've been difficult for her too. I heard she was moved to a different hospital." The father said.
Takemi didn't have a verbal reaction, but her heart nearly burst from relief. Hearing the confirmation that Miwa-chan was still alive caused tears to well up in her eyes. She quickly turned away, wiping her eyes before the tears could fall. The little girl noticed this and titled her head curiously. "Are you okay, Doctor!?"
"So she's…she's alive…" Takemi let out a relieved sigh.
"Well? Let's get to work, Doctor. It's not over yet." Ren said with a slight grin.
Takemi let out a small laugh. How quickly things turned around. "Yes, you're right." She waved as the trio of patients left, and stood at the entrance, taking in all of the information. Miwa-chan was alive…and she could help her. "I take back what I said before." Takemi said, referring to how she was going to quit. "So…will you help me…?"
"Of course. It's for Miwa-chan and for you." Ren nodded.
"Well, aren't you a smooth talker?" Takemi giggled. "Come now, my little guinea pig. We have a lot of work to catch up on."
Huh. Didn't sound all that inviting when Takemi said it like that. But Ren would endure it, because he knew it would help. "Alright…let's do this."
.
.
October 5th.
It was a lot of work in such a short time span, but Ren and Takemi were able to get it done. They met with Miwa-chan's current doctor in Inokasha Park, so they could hand over Takemi's current medicinal research to him. He was Takemi's senior in medical school, so she felt like Miwa-chan would be in good hands. Everything was working out so well for her now. It was a breath of fresh air considering the last few weeks were definitely her lowest point in life. "I believe they'll be able to have development go along schedule…although the final result will be out of my hands, unless I accept their offer that is."
"Accept…the offer?" Ren turned his head. What exactly happened between yesterday and today?
"I was recruited. He offered me the position of head and research and development at his hospital." Takemi explained. "Which means I'll have to close my practice."
"W-Wait, huh…!?" Ren was shocked to hear this.
Takemi was trying really hard to fight back a smile right now. She kept a straight face while explaining. "I start first thing next month. Takemi Clinic of Internal Medicine will be gone."
"And what about your patients…?" Ren asked.
"They'll have to go find a new doctor, I presume." Takemi was losing her edge. That smile was creeping up on her lips. "Hehe…you seem flustered. Are you really that troubled about it? I was just kidding."
"I…" Wow. Ren was none the wiser. She got him good.
"It's true I was recruited, but I prefer being a general practitioner. The greatest reward I can receive is Miwa-chan's smile…" Takemi replied with a sort of a gentle smile. It was a rare sight on her. "I'll think of something as a reward for you, too. But first, I have a question for you."
"Huh?" Ren blinked.
"Have I been useful? You know, to your escapades as a Phantom Thief?" Takemi said with a knowing smile.
HOW. Ren blinked a few times, attempting to stay calm. Kawakami found out just the other day, and not Takemi was figuring it out too? "Uh…is that a joke…? I'm just a regular dude."
Takemi scoffed at Ren's attempt to deflect. She could at least respect his efforts, but it was pointless. "Oh, come now. I think we both know you were lying about your entrance exams. Not to mention. Oyamada confessing when he did…it was very convenient for me. After all, you were the only person who knew about it, and to have it happen when it did…isn't the only logical conclusion to think that it's you?"
"I…wonder…" Ren had a number of excuses he could try and use, but something told him that Takemi wouldn't buy it.
Takemi was amused by his response. "Well, I don't care. The point is that without you, I wouldn't have been able to pursue or complete my mission. I never would've been able to go through with this new medicine while I was being deceived by Oyamada. And I never would've met any of the townspeople either…I bet the Phantom Thieves save people in need, just like doctors do, eh?"
"…They do what they can, for those who can't help themselves." Ren replied with a slight smile.
"Hehe. I'll go out on a limb for you then. If my medicine has really been that useful to you, I'll see to it that you have even more to use." Takemi then held a finger up. "Although, don't get me wrong…I'm still running a clinic. I don't know where you get your money from, but it'll cost you."
"Ahah…of course it will." Ren rubbed the back of his neck. "Although, there is one thing I wanted to ask you."
"And what would that be?" Takemi asked.
"I have a friend…her dad is really sick. It doesn't seem likely that he'll make it through the rest of the year at this rate. So I was wondering if you'd be able to help. He's hospitalized now, but…" Ren explained. "I actually wanted to ask you this earlier, but things got a little…"
"I see…always wanting to help people." Takemi found that quality in Ren nice, though. Especially since that persistence of his helped her. "Okay. I'll tell you what. See if you can get a specific list of his symptoms and I'll see if there's anything I can do."
That was a huge relief for Ren. Takemi was very capable and he trusted her abilities as a doctor. "Thanks. I'm sure my friend will be happy to hear that as well."
.
.
Late in the evening, Hifumi was sitting in her room, finishing up her homework. There was a small frown on her lips, though. "I'm sure it won't be much longer until I go back to playing shogi…this hiatus from it has been surprisingly nice, though." It was a relief in a way…probably because she disliked winning and losing fixed matchups. It was then that her phone buzzed and she checked it curiously.
Ren: You got a minute?
Hifumi: Oh, sure. Did you need to meet up or something?
Ren: I can't meet up tonight, I'm helping Iwai with something. I just had a question for you.
Hifumi: What is it?
Ren: Is there any way you can figure out the symptoms of your dad's sickness? I know a doctor who might be able to help. I don't want to raise your hopes, but…
Hifumi sudden sat up.
Hifumi: You know someone who could help? Truly…?
Ren: She's really good at what she does. She's the one who supplies us with our medical supplies.
Hifumi: I see! I shall ask my mother, she should know more about it. Visitation hours are over at the hospital.
Ren: Think you can get an answer by tomorrow?
Hifumi: I will attempt. Mother is currently out, and I'd rather talk to her in person about such things! Tomorrow should be best…if not, I will make a trip to the hospital if I can.
Ren: Alright, here's hoping this all works out.
Hifumi: I am hopeful as well. Also…Iwai is the man you get the model guns for, yes? Is there any way you can procure a sniper rifle with more ammo for me? I grow tired of having only one round…
Ren: I hate to burst your bubble, but I think that's just a you thing…
Hifumi: I was afraid you would say that…
Well, unfortunate she was stuck with only one bullet in the Metaverse for the time being. But the notion that her father could be helped was more important. "Mother should be back in the morning." She wanted to ask directly specifically because of her lie detecting ability. It's not like she didn't trust her mom…but recently, her mother was leaning towards the tendency to withhold the truth from her. Hifumi was prepared to do whatever she could to try and ensure that her father would be well. At the end of the day, she knew for a fact that her mother wanted him to be well just as much as she did.
.
.
What was Ren busy with during this evening? As per Iwai's request, he was hanging out with his son, Kaoru in the diner in Shibuya. Iwai had to run an important errand and the last thing he needed was Kaoru finding out the business he was involved in. "Yo, sorry for the hold up." Iwai said while approaching the table Ren and Kaoru sat at, noticing their expressions. "You two look like you're havin' fun. What've you been talking about?"
"Girls." Ren said.
That made Iwai laugh. "Ahaha! You two are a couple of lady killers, huh? Wait…" He turned to his son. "Did you get a girlfriend, Kaoru?" Somehow, that was the only thing he took from the conversation.
"T-That's not what we were talking about….!" Kaoru nervously and hastily responded. Ren was a loose cannon with that reply.
"I see. Anyways, I can't stay long. I've got errands I need to take care of. Figured it'd be nice to at least drop by and tell you, instead of saying it over the phone." Iwai said.
Kaoru was silent for a moment. He was talking with Ren about this earlier, how he suspected his father of just…being involved in things he didn't know about. Naturally, the son worried about the father. "What errands…? Or…can you not tell me…?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Iwai played it cool and casually, brushing off the implication with ease. "It's just work stuff, ain't that right?" His gaze then turned to Ren, and while he was really good at hiding it, there was a certain expectation here for Ren to meet. There was an obvious wrong answer.
"Yeah, just work stuff. I wouldn't worry about it too much." Ren said with a nod. He met the expectation.
"See? Like I said, just work stuff." Iwai nodded.
"O…Okay." Kaoru was still a little skeptical, but so far it didn't seem like he had any reason to worry.
"By the way, I got the info on the deal we were talkin' about. I'm gonna go meet that guy now." Iwai told Ren. "It's all thanks to you, kid. It's real nice having a reliable part timer to help 'round the shop."
"It's nothing dangerous, is it?" Kaoru asked out of concern.
"Not at all." Iwai shook his head. "Now, you two can have whatever you want. It's on me. I'll see you later."
Iwai took his leave, leaving Ren and Kaoru alone together. Ren did feel a little bad for lying to Kaoru, but it was necessary. The stuff he and Iwai were involved in was pretty dangerous and this kid didn't need to get sucked into it….
.
.
October 6th.
Makoto enlisted Ren's help in the late afternoon. Their destination was Shinjuku, and their goal was to find proof that Tsukasa, Eiko's boyfriend, was only trying to use her for his own ends. They found the proof they needed when a host explained Tsukasa's system: It started with him breaking a bottle, and it would end with him selling off a girl and ruining her life. It happened time and time again, to the point where a few people were aware of this foul scheme of his. Makoto heard enough and knew what she had to do. She and Ren waited for Eiko to finish her shift, and were right outside when she stepped out of the building.
Eiko's expression soured when she saw Makoto and Ren. The last time she talked to them, Makoto tried telling her that her dear Tsukasa wasn't loyal and cheating on her! She didn't want to hear any of that nonsense, and ultimately told Makoto to leave her and her boyfriend alone. It was a sour conversation, which explained her frown now. "What do you want?"
Makoto wasn't able to get the message through to Eiko last time, but this time she wasn't leaving until Eiko understood the situation. "Eiko, your 'boyfriend' is infamous around here for tricking girls into debt, then forcing them to sell themselves. Moreover, he's probably doing it in conjunction with a criminal gang. You need to get out of there."
"Listen to her." Ren added. "It's really dangerous."
Eiki was not amused. "You seriously came all the way out here just to tell me that? Ugh, get out of here Makoto, and take your stupid boyfriend too! I've had enough of your lying bullshit!"
Makoto was unmoving. This was the reaction she expected, yet she pushed on regardless. "I've testimony from one of the promotors here. You're not the first girl he's been with. He doesn't ask for much at first, but the interest piles up. Eventually he'll ask you to sell your body for money. Please, reconsider your relationship."
"Shut it!" Eiko shouted. "I already made plans with him later today, we're going to his club! So stay outta my way!"
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Tsukasa walked towards Eiko. "Did I make you wait long, babe? I came here a little alter after seein' your text, but I guess you're already here." He then noticed Ren and Makoto. "Heyo, I remember you guys. Wanna come down to the club with us? It'll be a blast!"
Eiko shook her head. "They were saying bad things about you, babe. Like how you get girls into debt and them force 'em to sell themselves…they're lying to me, right?"
"Huh? You really believe that crap?" Tsukasa sounded offended. "Listen to me: Nothing like that's happenin' here. I'd never lie to you, princess."
"It's always 'princess with you, isn't it, Tsukasa?" Makoto turned to the man in question, raising a brow. "Why don't you ever call her by her real name? Or are there too many princesses for you to remember?"
"…!" Tsukasa let out a small gasp at Makoto's words. She had him completely pegged, and suddenly Eiko's gaze went from trusting to slightly worried. This caused the host to panic a little bit, although he did his best to remain composed. "Hahaha…! What're you freakin' out for? You just texted me, remember? I could never forget you, Makoto." He said, looking straight at Eiko.
"Ah uh…" Ren shook his head. He always knew Tsukasa was full of shit since the moment he was introduced to him.
"I knew it." Makoto said. "I'm the one who texted you. I even added tons of emojis at the end to make sure it seemed like Eiko. I can't imagine you would have made such a mistake if you actually knew who you were talking to. So why don't you admit it? Every girl you get money from is your princess, right? You can't even remember names anymore." Tsukasa had no response. "You see that, Eiko? This is who your boyfriend really is?"
"S-So what!?" Eiko shouted. "You tricked him! What would you know about love, huh!? Tsukasa's all I have! Just leave me alone, bitch!"
Makoto could not explain what happened next. Seeing Eiko stonewall this revelation through sheer deniability just triggered something within her. Makoto said not a word, and swiftly slapped the other girl across the face with all her might. Ren and Tsukasa were shocked at Makoto's actions, while Akio was utterly stunned that she was just hit. "WAKE UP! You already know the truth, you're just choosing to ignore it!"
"Wha…" Eiko's mind was racing. Makoto just slapped her. Slowly, she turned her gaze to Tsukasa, but he couldn't even look her in the eye. Eiko held her cheek, taking a few steps back. "But…Tsukasa's the only one who cares about me….Nobody else asks about my day, or how work is going…nobody else treats me like I'm special." She turned back to Makoto, obvious tears in her cheeks. "A perfect girl who lives up to everyone's expectations could never know how I feel! Stop trying to feed me your honor student bullshit!"
"This isn't about being an honor student! I damn well won't look away when my friend's in danger! And you!" She turned to Tsukasa, glaring. "Apologize to Eiko right this second for everything you've done to her!"
Oh, so now she had an attitude. "You know what, you're really startin' to annoy me, you bitch." Tsukasa grunted. "Do you really think I'll go easy on you cuz you're a chick? I'm gonna teach you a lesson you won't forget."
The moment Tsukasa took a step forward, Makoto met him halfway. "I dare you!"
"Yeah, you don't wanna do that." Ren realized he wasn't really…needed in this situation. Makoto could handle herself, but since he was here, he was going to stand up for and with his friend. He stepped forward, causing Tsukasa to step back from his sudden intervention. "Your fight's with me and her, and I don't mind calling the cops either."
"I come from a long line of police officers. So if you want to start something, go ahead and try." Makoto stood next to Ren. The two of them together like this had an extremely imposing aura.
"Wh…." Tsukasa weighed his options. Was this really worth it? No. He lost and he knew it. "I…I won't forget this!" His best option right now was merely to flee.
"Ugh…this sucks…!" Eiko then ran off herself.
"Eiko, wait…!" Makoto tried to stop her, but the girl was already gone. It was at that moment a few onlookers were starting to talk about the escalation. "Ah…it seems like we caused quite a scene…"
"Come on, I know a place we can lie low." Ren said, walking off. Makoto followed, although she was wearing a somber expression the whole time.
.
.
Ren brought Makoto to Crossroads. Lala let them sit and talk with no issue, since Ren was a favorite of hers. Makoto was just now coming to grips with what she did to Eiko and she was so ashamed of herself. "I really slapped one of my friends…"
"You really hit her hard…" Ren said.
"Ugh, I know…!" Makoto looked down at her lap. "I have a bad habit of getting swept up in the moment sometimes. That's why I take extra care to keep myself composed. My father was the same way, but that's not the proper way to act, though. There's no telling what would have happened if you hadn't stepped in."
"I really didn't do much." Ren admitted. "Honestly, you've handled this situation just fine on your own. I didn't think for a second you really needed me here. You were pretty much on the nose about everything, and I'm pretty sure you could've kicked that guy's ass on your own."
"Well…" Ren wasn't wrong and Makoto knew it. She had him tag along for a fake boyfriend bit, but other than that, everything about this situation was in Makoto's hands. "I still wanted you to help me. To be honest, I'm used to doing things on my own. Being the Student Council President meant people came to me and me alone for their problems…even the Principle forced responsibility on me. I was used to taking it on alone and that part of me still doesn't die so easily. I asked for you to help me, because I know it's important to rely on people more."
"So you were relying on me?" Ren asked.
"Yes." Makoto nodded. "To tell the truth, I had a slight feeling my emotions would get the best of me. I didn't want it the situation to escalate, and I knew you'd be there to intervene one way or another. Now that I think about it…Hifumi had the same issue, didn't she…?"
"You two are definitely pretty similar…" Ren wouldn't forget how Hifumi came close to axing Kaneshiro's Shadow twice, purely out of an emotional outburst. It had been a long time since she had one, but it was a reminder that the quiet, well-mannered ones were often bottling up their emotions, whether they knew it or not.
"I have a lot of flaws I know I need to work on. I know where I want to start now, too." Makoto said, her voice having a more resolute tone than before. "I have to continue my studies…but not for anyone's praise, or to flaunt my own intelligence. I simply want to fulfil my personal goals and dreams. I want to become police commissioner. There are a lot of crimes that never see the light of day…just like that host. There are so many victims that are taken advantage of, and the people who commit those acts are all to blame. Villains to prey on the hearts of the weak with cowardly, legally questionable methods…my father risked his life trying to catch a group of those people. I will never forgive them…I won't be able to do it on my own. But I want to create an organization that helps those victims…this is the justice I aim for. I also believe it'll be a nice continuation of my father's legacy."
"I'm sure he'd be proud of you." Ren said with a slight smile.
"I hope so…" Makoto gave a nod. She was firm in her resolve. So firm that there was a small blue aura from within her that only she and Ren could see. It was a change from within, as her Persona was beginning to evolve. Johanna turned into Anat! That was proof of Makoto's newfound resolve. "Now…you're free to rely on me too. After all your help, it's the least I can do for you. I won't go easy on you if you hold back."
"I got ya." Ren was going to keep that in mind.
Lala thought this whole thing was very heartwarming, but she couldn't have these kids sitting in her bar forever. "Are you two don't with your heart to heart now?"
"Ah!" Makoto completely forgot where they were. "Oh, yes. Thank you very much for letting us stay here."
"Thanks a lot. Really." Ren expressed his gratitude to Lala. It was a surprisingly exhausting day, but it was worthwhile to see Makoto come out on top.
.
.
"And with that, my popularity just keeps rising and rising~" Mika just finished closing off another shoot at Sky Tower. Honestly, things were looking up for her career right now. Her hard work, effort, and usual tactics were pushing her at the forefront of modeling. She was rapidly becoming a big name thanks to a number of factors, but she mostly contributed this to her own efforts. Still, there was a slightly uneasy feeling she had that she was unable to shake. Her gaze briefly darted around before letting out a small sigh. "Look at me, getting so paranoid. That's not a good look. Worry lines are the last thing I need."
Moments later, Mitsuyo appeared. She was looking at her phone, noticing a text message from Hifumi. But Mika was the more important. "There you are. I've been looking for you."
"Oh, did you line up something else for me and Hifumi-chan?" Mika asked while checking her phone.
"Not yet. It's almost time for her to return to playing Shogi. It's been long enough since she took a hiatus. It's about time she starts winning again." Mitsuyo stated. "I came to ask you why you haven't properly wedged her away from that American girl yet?"
Oh, that. It was odd. Mika did enjoy teasing Hifumi in front of Ann on her own time, because it was fun and amusing. But when Mitsuyo was being extremely demanding about it like this, that ruined the fun. Plus, Mika was starting to…not entirely enjoy being in the middle of Mistuyo's schemes concerning Hifumi. "Do I really have to? Is it really so urgent?" Mika questioned, sighing while running a hand through her hair. "Isn't it just better to…"
"I decide what's best for my daughter." Mitsuyo immediately snapped. "And I can see how that girl and her lack of cultural respect is a bad influence on Hifumi. I don't like that friend group of hers either. She's become more outspoken and rebellious these days. Plus she's in with a crowd of Shujin students! Nothing good ever goes on with the students from that school. It's a disaster waiting to happen. It's easy for you to pull her away from that girl, since you already dislike her."
"I think Ann is as naïve and amateurish as they come. But I'll gladly take any chance I can to look better than her, she makes it easy and fun." Mika admitted. "But I think I don't want to put Hifumi-chan or myself in the middle of your dislike for Ann. It's growing old."
"I don't think you understand." Mitsuyo said with a narrowing gaze. "I wasn't asking you. I was telling you."
"Oh? And what makes you think I'll just do what you say?" Mika let out an annoyed huff. Clearly Mitsuyo was overstepping her bounds. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm far too popular for anyone to drop. You've been very useful it helping me boost my image, but that doesn't mean I'm inclined to do whatever you tell me. I was only working with you because it was beneficial for me, but I don't see it being that way anymore. Especially if you insist on messing with your daughter's happiness like this."
"I know I told you to pretend to be her friend, but are you actually her friend now?" Mitsuyo questioned. "You're sounding a lot like that girl now too, questioning my authority of my daughter. With Mitsurugi in the hospital, I'm the only parent Hifumi has, and I have to ensure everything she does promotes our name."
Was she Hifumi's friend? Mika…couldn't really answer that. "Well…"
"I'm sure Hifumi would be heart-broken to know that you were only spending time with her to boost your career." Mitsuyo said with a knowing smile. "I know she likes you a lot. She hasn't suspected a thing, but that just means you're good at this game. But that game is coming to an end soon, don't you think?"
"…" Was this…blackmail? Normally, Mika wouldn't care about such a threat. But her eyes briefly wandered to that floral bracelet Hifumi got for her. "Is that the best you can do? I could tell her that myself, be done with it, and never look back."
"I thought you might say that…so I also have to ask…haven't you had a bit of a stalker problem too?" Mitsuyo tapped her chin. The shocked look on Mika's face said it all there. "Ah, I thought so…"
"How…do you know about that?" Mika narrowed her eyes, scowling at Mitsuyo Togo. How did someone so nice and sweet like Hifumi come from a manipulative woman like this? Mika did her fair share of manipulation, but straight up blackmail was a far cry from her usual tactics. She just knew how to make people look bad!
"I know a lot of things." Mitsuyo said, lips curved up into a vindictive smile. "So, now that we're on the same page, you know what it is you have to do, don't you, Mika?"
Mika took a deep breath and presented a clearly fake smile. "Oh, I know exactly what I have to do." She then turned around and began to walk off. "If you think I'm going to sit here and let you boss me around, old hag, you have another thing coming…
Sorry Hifumi-chan, but it looks like we never could be friends after all." She took off the floral wrist band and stuffed it somewhere else. Mika knew what she had to do and she had the heartlessness to do it.