Ren found himself awakening in the Velvet Room. With a low groan, he picked himself up and walked to the front of his cell, holding onto the bars. "Uh…hey…"
"On your feet, Inmate." Justine said. "Our master has an important matter to discuss with you. Listen well."
"First, I'd like to congratulate you for expelling the one proud of their greed…" Igor began, "That is what I would like to say, however it appears that something odd seems to have happened."
"It wasn't our fault." Ren said quickly. He knew full well what happened.
"I know this, of course." Igor nodded. "However, what of the general public? It seems a contingency has occurred. At this rate, your rehabilitation cannot be completed…though I doubt that will be the case. I truly look forward to seeing how you overcome this predicament. We shall meet again."
An alarm was going off. That was the sign of Ren's time in the Velvet Room coming to an end. "Time's up, Inmate! Hurry up and return to your world!" Caroline exclaimed. As if Ren had much of a choice, for he would awaken in his room soon enough.
.
.
October 12th.
Phansite Poll: Are the Phantom Thieves Just? 92% to 79%
In the span of a single night, the approval rating tanked from 92% all the way down to 79%. Hifumi bit her lip as she watched the ratings fall. The only reason this bothered her so much, is because it meant that less people believed in the cause they were fighting for. But she couldn't blame them after what happened last night. "Ugh…how did things come to this…" She mumbled to herself. It was all over the internet and the news. It was a perfect storm against the Phantom Thieves…
"I knew it!" Mitsuyo felt extremely vindicated. This was something Hifumi completely forgot to account for as she walked into the living room, her mother wearing a smile on her face. "I knew those Phantom Thieves would pull a stunt like this. To go so far as to kill someone? How utterly deplorable."
"W-!" Hifumi immediately had to catch herself. "They didn't kill anyone, Mother…!" Hifumi still couldn't hide her passion.
"This is why I told you not to support them publicly." Mitsuyo ignored Hifumi's words. "I knew a moment would come where they would show their true colors. I cannot have you support such a villainous group of individuals."
"They aren't at fault…!" Hifumi could say that with her chest. But the problem was obvious. Her gaze went down to the ground and she sighed heavily. "I…I am fully aware the evidence is stacked against them, however…"
"Precisely. There is no one else it could be if we take the last few months into account. Every time they target someone, they send a calling card. Everything was par for the course, yet they decided to kill this man…"
"…" Hifumi's eyes widened a little bit. That was…true. She'd been a part of the Phantom Thieves since the Kaneshiro incident. When her mother said it this way, something felt…off. "Decided…to kill him…?" Ugh. She couldn't think straight here, not when her mother was this irritating about it. But it wasn't like she could blame her.
"Furthermore, I think those rumors of the Phantom Thieves killing the Shujin Principal are true." Mistuyo huffed. "That school's reputation is crawling deeper into the dumpster more and more each day. This is precisely why-"
"I have to go, I'll be late for school at this rate." Hifumi didn't want to hear it. "Love you, see you later." She gave her mother a wave before quickly scurrying out the door. "Decided to kill him…? When you decide to do something, it means you want to…so…does this mean Black Mask wanted to kill Okumura for some reason…?" The wheels were turning in her head, but she had nothing concrete to work off.
.
.
Shujin was aflame with rumors and gossip. Everyone was talking about the press conference and Okumura's death. Kawakami was trying to teach a class and the students wouldn't stop talking about it.
"Did you see that interview? I thought it was gonna be some hidden-camera show at first."
"I was so scared I changed the channel…"
"He really looked like he was in pain, that was sick…"
"….." Mishima didn't say a word. Nobody in class was saying it, but he was certain that people were already faulting the Phantom Thieves for this.
"Will you quiet down!? We're in class right now!" Kawakami had to remind the talking students of this. She was on a new leaf with her teaching, but all this talking was extremely annoying, even more so than usual. "Not to mention, you have midterms starting on Monday! Focus on studying!"
"Things are getting pretty bad…" Morgana mumbled.
"No kidding…" Ren said.
.
.
Lunchtime was the busiest part of the day in Shujin. Freed from class, students could talk about whatever they wanted without the teachers getting upset at them. Ren and Ann walked the halls together, just making sure not to stand out too much. Sticking around in the classroom was not the move. "Everyone's talking about it…" Ann muttered, nervously twirling one of her pigtails.
"I'm used to us being the talk of the town, but not like this…" Ren said while shaking his head. As much as he was trying to stay cool like always, he couldn't deny that he was shaken up by the events.
"There were even people talking about it on the train, too." Morgana said.
"What are we gonna do?" Ann looked to Ren. Some advice on what to do next would be great, but unfortunately Ren didn't have an answer this time. "Sorry…I can't put all of that on you."
"It's okay." Ren said. "We'll think of something…"
As they walked, they overheard a few students talking about the press conference. "Man, can you believe it? Okumura died right after admitting how crappy his company was…it was pretty unsettling." A female student said.
"No kidding…it's almost like what happened with the Principal. Everyone knew he was covering up shitty stuff, like with Kamoshida and all." Another student said. "Think he deserved it?"
"Maybe…I can only imagine how terrible those employees were treated. You heard all that stuff right? The lack of sanitation was the worst, I can't believe anyone would subject people to that kind of toxic work environment! Maybe that place will be better with him gone…"
"What…!? How could they say something like that…" Ann furrowed her brows in irritation. She took a step forward and prepared to say something, but someone beat her to it.
"Excuse me." Kasumi said to the group of students. "But I think it's very rude to say that about someone's father…"
"Oh great, little miss honor student is trying to talk to us about it now…." The female rolled her eyes.
"Hey!" Ann stepped forward, pointing at the group of students. "Have you seen Kasumi do several backflips in a row and not get dizzy? She's awesome at what she does, and she's been working really hard to get where she is right now!"
"Ann-senpai…" Kasumi was at a loss for words. It wasn't often anyone stood up for her when other students were giving her the dismissive side eye. But this did make her smile.
"And that's Haru's dad you're talking about. Even if you don't like the things he did, it's wrong to completely disregard his relationship with his daughter!" Ann frowned. The things Okumura did were wrong, yes, but those actions did not define him as a person. That was something the Phantom Thieves had to remember.
"Takamaki…tch. Come on, let's go." The students then left, since they didn't feel like debating with both Kasumi and Ann.
"Thank you, Ann-senpai." Kasumi let out a slight breath of relief.
"You don't have to thank me!" Ann shook her head, giving a smile. "I couldn't stand there as they talked badly about Haru's dad like that. I know that she cared about him…so I know this is really hard for her."
"I wish we didn't screw that up…" Ren grumbled.
"Senpai…?" Kasumi didn't hear Ren's words, but she could tell by his expression that he wasn't doing so hot.
"It's nothing…" Ren replied. "Just wondering how long this day is going to last…"
.
.
Afternoon classes slowly dragged on. Compared to the excitement of yesterday, today was just awfully slow. Ren's phone buzzed and he went to check it. It was a text from the group chat.
Makoto: Hm, it seems the police have shown up at our school.
Ryuji: The police? What for?
Hifumi: Is everything alright over there…?
Ann: Your sister hasn't told you about any of this?
Makoto: Not a word.
Yusuke: Could this be related to Okumura's death in some way?
Makoto: But there's no connection between our school and Okumura Foods.
Futaba: Think they came to talk to Haru?
Kasumi: I haven't seen her all day…
Makoto: She's…absent today.
Ryuji: Then, seriously, what're they here for?
Makoto: I can't ben begin to fathom the reason. Anyhow, let's be particularly careful not to stand out. Everyone go straight home after classes, understand?
.
.
Haru was absent all day because the police and Sae were at her home. She was now the only Okumura alive. She sat quietly while Sae and an investigator from the police department discussed their findings. "We haven't found anything useful as evidence…"
"I see…" Sae was hoping not to hear that. This was the chance to find some link to the Phantom Thieves, they couldn't afford to fail right now!
"Father didn't leave anything behind…" Haru said quietly.
"Only this, and it's for you." The investigator said, handing Haru a letter.
"Huh…?" Haru blinked and accepted the paper, but chose not to read it right now.
"Aside from that, we were hoping to find something more than just the calling card." The investigator turned back to Sae.
"We've confirmed the victim's connection to the Phantom Thieves at least." Sae nodded. "Thank you for your cooperation."
The phone of the investigator rang and he quickly pulled it out of his pocket to answer it. "Speaking. What!? They found a calling card in the principal's office too!"
Sae and Haru were both surprised to hear this. Haru knew this wasn't right, but Sae was glad this happened. This was the link she was looking for. "Yes!" Containing her excitement at this potentially breaking lead, she turned back to Haru. "I'm sorry to ask again, but your father hadn't said anything about the Phantom Thieves, correct?"
"That's right…" Haru said with a nod.
"Please contact me if something catches your attention. It doesn't matter how trivial it seems." Sae told Haru. "You don't to force yourself though. Just anything that comes to mind." With that said, Sae and the investigator left to quickly check out the calling card left in Shujin.
"So that's Mako-chan's sister…" Haru pursed her lips. She didn't know Makoto's sister was working so diligently to catch the Phantom Thieves. That was troublesome…furthermore. "And the principal…? That doesn't seem right…" She'd have to ask them about it later, but for now, she decided to read that letter that was addressed to her, left by her Father. It wasn't a will, her father didn't leave such a thing behind.
"Dear Haru. I do not know the best way to put this, but I realized recently that I haven't been a great father to you. I've also done some very terrible things as well. I do not know where to begin to atone for what I am responsible for…but I do know that I owe you an apology. I'm sorry, Haru, and I…"
The letter stopped. There were a few words crossed out here and there. It was unfinished, so Haru would never truly know what her father wanted to say. But it did hurt her heart. Her father was about to become a changed man, she could tell by this letter and the words he used. Why did things have to turn out this way…? Haru felt the tears sting her eyes once again, but she didn't want to make a scene for the lingering policemen. "Father…I will never forgive the person who did this to you…"
.
.
Date: ?
"So basically, your group didn't go after Okumura's life." Sae said. "And even the death of Shujin's principal, who we found a calling card for, was the work of another." She paused, looking over Ren's bruised expression. "You don't sound like you're lying. If you wanted to deceive me, you could've woven up a much simpler lie than this 'Metaverse'. Moreover, your account coincides with my own investigation. Is that even possible if it were made up…? And I hate to admit…but with my line of work, I know a false testimony when I hear one."
"Yeah…" Ren said quietly.
"Still, if you set your sights on Okumura based on my intel, it'd be before his name was even ranked. You could've ignored him and gone for someone more famous. Why would you go so far as to further investigate and pursue this criminal?"
"My friend was in danger." Ren answered honestly.
"Heh…simple enough." Sae smiled to that. "Even if you say you encountered this other criminal, there's still no proof they exist. That said, it's safe to say that you aren't the murdering type."
"Ngh…" Ren felt his head starting to throb. The room was spinning and his vision briefly turned blurry. Even Sae's voice was difficult to hear. He was slipping.
"But even with the subsequent deaths of Okumura and Shujin's principal, the public's opinion changed." Sae continued. "Pressed to prove your innocence, your next target was…" She stopped, noticing that Ren was struggling. "What's the matter…?" She stood up, her hands slamming onto the table. "Is it a side effect!? What in the world did the police inject into you!?"
"Ngh…" Ren shook his head, trying to stay conscious.
"Hey! Can you hear me!? Ren Amamiya, you need to stay focused!" Sae continued calling out to Ren. She couldn't afford to have him pass out, not when they were so close to the end. Eventually Ren was able to snap out of his dizzy spell. Sae let out a sigh of relief and sat back down. "If what you're saying is true, you must tell your side of the story to the end. We'll both be in trouble if your testimony becomes unreliable."
"Sorry, I'm okay now…" Ren said, turning his gaze back to Ren.
"Well then, let's continue. At last we arrive to your most recent crime." Sae was glad that Ren was able to keep going. It was far too late to back down. She pulled out a calling card and set it on the table. There was no file this time. "You know what I mean, don't you? This calling card was delivered to your latest target – the one you decided would prove your innocence. It was addressed to 'Sae Niijima.' Myself. Now, explain everything to me."
"Right…" Ren nodded. They were approaching the end of his story. This was the most important part…
.
.
October 13th
Are the Phantom Thieves Just? Approval Rating 72% to 68%
The SIU Director was thoroughly enjoying the turn of events with the public and the Phantom Thieves. "With this, preparations are finally complete. The public has praised them as 'allies of justice' before they strike them down to the ground…now then, 'she'll' be next." He stood up from his seat, casually walking towards his favorite window. "I've already contacted human resources about it. It will be a heavy responsibility, but I'm certain it'd be an honor for her. The culprits behind the mental shutdown cases she's been pursuing all this time…" He chuckled as the person on the other end said something amusing. "Haha, indeed. They'll become the criminals we've set them up to be…just as you instructed."
.
.
Haru entered Leblanc, most likely the last one to arrive. She wanted to discuss things with everyone, but it took a while for her to get there. When she arrived, there was Sojiro with a fresh house blend for Haru. "Oh…hello, Boss." Haru offered a weak smile. It had only been two days since her father died, but there was so much to do. It didn't even feel like she had proper time to grieve with the state of Okumura Foods, the police, and the press… "Is everyone else here already?" Haru knew she had to be upstairs…but she took a seat at the counter first.
"Yeah." Sojiro said. "Futaba told me what happened…I'm so sorry about your loss." He then nudged the cup of coffee towards her.
"Mmm…" Haru frowned. Being reminded of it every waking moment wasn't pleasant, but it was at least nice to hear people who were genuinely sorry. She overheard a lot of people in the train mumbling about how her father's death wasn't the worst thing in the world. "Thank you…" She took the coffee to her lips and sipped. It was delicious.
"I know it's not much…but if you need a place to relax or something, the door's always open for you." Sojiro said. "Well…that means I can't go closing the store…." The sentiment was there at least.
That was enough to make Haru smile very faintly. Having people who cared was really nice. "I appreciate that a lot, Boss…really." Sojiro's words were true and she knew it. The concern he showed was far different from the company higher ups who said 'sorry for your loss' simply as a formality. Haru wasn't blind to that; she grew up around that kind of behavior. She knew how to pick out the fake from the real. Sojiro was a kind man. "I shouldn't keep them waiting much longer…but thank you for the coffee."
"Anytime." Sojiro offered a small smile in return. There wasn't a lot he could do for Haru, but it was the little things that made all the difference. He knew that, and he hoped that his efforts were enough to lift Haru's mood even a little bit.
.
.
Prior to Haru appearing, upstairs in Ren's room, the others were gathered, sitting around as a man's speech went off outside. It was so loud they could hear it. "We must build a society in which the young can be hopeful of a brighter tomorrow, and – "
"It's so damn loud…" Ryuji complained.
"I've heard this speech before in the background…" Hifumi pinched the bridge of her nose. "I haven't been paying attention to what he's saying, but some of it is all lies…" Her power cursed her with some knowledge she didn't care about, but she couldn't help overhearing such a loud speech.
Futaba walked upstairs, looking around. "Huh? Where's Haru?"
"She's the one who called us, so she'll prolly be here soon." Ryuji shrugged.
Ann was looking on her phone to keep herself occupied. "Well, even though things have calmed down, she must be occupied with what happened to her father…wait WHAT!?"
Ann's sudden shout surprised everyone. "W-What's wrong…!?" Futaba asked.
"People are posting that WE killed President Okumura!" Ann reported.
"My mother was saying the same thing just yesterday…" Hifumi glanced away.
"So it's begun already…" Yusuke knew full well it was only a matter of time until this happened. It had only been two days since the death of Kunikazu Okumura.
"What?!" Ryuji turned to Yusuke.
"Think about it. The CEO collapsed the way he did, during an apology conference that our group caused." Yusuke said.
"Still…!" Ann tried to object.
"It's no surprise people are pointing the finger at us." Hifumi added. "Unfortunately…it is a very natural conclusion for the populous to come to…"
"Even though we encountered Black Mask in the Metaverse…?" Kasumi's gaze went downward. Even if they weren't the ones who killed Okumura's Shadow, they were still responsible for what happened. Being responsible for a person's death…why did it tug at her heart so strongly…?
"They were raving about us so much…and now they're treating us like we're murderers!?" Ann frowned.
"What a lightning fast change of attitude!" Futaba remarked.
"They don't know a damn thing about our situation!" Ryuji snarled.
"Calm down." Makoto was trying to remain positive. "Not everyone is saying that."
"But there's no way to vindicate ourselves…" Yusuke hated that most of all. They couldn't defend themselves against those allegations. That was the worst part.
At that moment, Haru finally walked up the stairs. "Haru…!" Futaba was glad to see her.
"I'm sorry I'm late…" Haru said. "I'm the one who asked everyone to make time for me as well." In the next instant, everyone bowed their head to Haru, surprising her. "H-Huh…!?"
"I'm sorry." Ren was the first one to speak. This had been on his mind since the Mental Shutdown occurred. "I promised that we would be able to change your father's heart without incident…but that didn't happen. We failed and this happened…it's our fault for not being efficient enough. We're really sorry, Haru."
"We shoulda been better." Ryuji said.
"I should've been more alert…! I take most of the responsibility…!" Futaba quickly said. Everyone clearly felt bad about what happened, their actions and words spoke together and loudly.
"Ah…." Haru glanced around at everyone bowing their head's to her. She wasn't sure how to react. She didn't expect this. "Everyone I…I'm…okay, for the most part. Please raise your heads…" She poked her fingers together and everyone slowly raised their hands. "To be honest, there was a little part of me that felt mad at you all…because you did promise nothing would happen. But I can't entirely fault you without faulting myself as well…I was just as involved with the operation as everyone else. Besides, I know who killed my father. It was the Black Mask…and I will never forgive them for what they've done."
"Are you still upset with us…?" Morgana asked.
"No…" Haru shook her head. "We're okay, I promise."
That reassurance from Haru led to a wave of relief across the room. Everyone felt a little bit better. "That's nice to hear, but please, don't push yourself…" Hifumi said.
"I won't." Haru said with a nod. "Listen, the reason I called everyone together was because there was something that was bothering me. Before I joined you all, did you target the principal at any point…?" She simply had to make sure.
"Uh…you mean ours?" Ann blinked.
"Isn't that a little out of nowhere…?" Kasumi asked.
"Mako-chan…your sister came by my home yesterday." Haru looked towards Makoto. "She said that a calling card was found in the principal's office. I don't know when that could've been there, since he died while we were in Hawaii, right…?"
"We didn't do that! This is the first I've heard of it!" Ryuji's sudden outburst confirmed Haru's thoughts.
"Doesn't this seem a bit strange to everyone?" Makoto began. "This may just be my imagination, but I feel as if things are escalating far too quickly after the President Okumura incident.
"Whaddya mean?" Ryuji asked.
"I believe we've been set up." Hifumi crossed her arms, all eyes going to her. "I've been thinking about this since yesterday myself…"
"Hold a moment." Yusuke interjected. "Can we assume we've been set up? We don't even know their objective."
"We've been set up." Hifumi said with absolute certainty. "I do not think it was a coincidence that we ran into Black Mask when we did. My mother said something interesting that had me thinking. She said after all of the work the Phantom Thieves have done, they suddenly 'decided' to kill Okumura."
"We didn't decide that!" Ryuji said defensively, as if everyone didn't already know.
"I know." Hifumi replied. "But think about it. We can assume that Black Mask is the one that killed Haru's father, correct? They must have had some goal in mind. Perhaps to frame us…but also…"
"Because he was going to reveal crucial information about the mental shutdowns…" Makoto was starting to see the bigger picture. "And from what Haru's said, even the police are starting to suspect the Phantom Thieves as murderers…"
"The police…?" Hifumi mumbled, her eyes growing wide. She had a working theory…and if the police were involved, it would slot a few missing pieces she couldn't make sense of. But everyone was worried and stressed already, so she didn't want to burden them with incomplete thoughts. Now wasn't the time.
"If the police are thinkin' that way what the hell are we supposed to do then!?" Ryuji's frustration was growing. Nobody could blame him, as the situation was bad for them. Even if they knew the truth, they currently had no way to explain this truth to anyone.
"Just calm down, please." Makoto said. "If wouldn't be wise to act carelessly at the moment. We need to act as normal students for now. In addition, we have midterms next week."
"Exams!? At a time like this?!" Ryuji groaned.
"Kosei has midterms as well…" Hifumi rubbed her arm. Focusing on midterms at a time like this? Not easy…
Ann felt her phone buzz. She checked the message.
Shiho: Ann, is everything okay? I saw the news. Call me when you can…!
"Ah…it's Shiho….I'll text her when we're done." Ann said to herself.
"Things are about to get shaky…" Ren turned to Kasumi. "If you want to back out of this, you can."
"Huh?" Kasumi blinked at Ren's sudden words.
"When we invited you to join the Phantom Thieves, I didn't know things would turn out like this. The last thing I wanted was to get you involved in something this serious, especially since you have gymnastics to worry about as well." Ren explained. "So if you want to back out of the Phantom Thieves, I won't blame you."
Kasumi was stunned. Ren was usually so confident and cool, but this was the first time he sounded unsure of anything. "Ren-senpai…"
"Dude…" Ryuji was shocked to see Ren like this. He was always cool no matter what.
"Ren…" Even Morgana was surprised.
Kasumi understood that Ren was looking out for her. Kasumi did say in the beginning that she wasn't sure if she could be a fully fledged member of the Phantom Thieves; just that she would help them in the Okumura operation. Nobody could have predicted that things would turn out this way. Kasumi glanced around at the others, before her gaze fell on Haru's face. She knew that expression Haru had; grief and heartbreak. It was the same when Sumire died. "I…" Kasumi really had to think about it. "I want to help you, Ren-senpai…I want to help all of you."
"Are you sure?" Yusuke asked. "This is your chance to wash your hands of the situation, there is no reason for you to…"
"Apologies, but I think that's not true." Kasumi shook her head. "I was involved in this just like everyone else. I would feel wrong if I left all of you to suffer in this confusion. I don't like leaving things half-finished either. I still have my dream to work towards, but I have a new goal in the meantime…I want to help the Phantom Thieves – my friends, in their hour of need. I've been helped so many times by Ren-senpai and even all of you. I could never just turn my back on all of you. I know things look bad right now, Ren-senpai, but I'll believe in you, just like you believed in me…!"
Even though Ren was feeling down, that was enough to make him smile a little bit. "If that's your decision, I won't stop you."
"Of course, nobody can stop Kasumi Yoshizawa when she gets moving!" Kasumi's confidence now was all thanks to Ren and his efforts. She had to return the favor when he felt like he was losing his confidence. "And Haru-senpai." She turned to Haru. "I know exactly how you feel right now. I lost my sister earlier this year, and I felt a lot of grief. So…I want you to know that you aren't alone in how you're feeling."
"I wanted to say the same thing…" Hifumi said to Haru, her tone soft. "Well…my father is only in the hospital, but there is still a chance he may not make it. That threat of losing something important to you is scary…and it broke my heart to hear his condition."
"Me too." Futaba nodded slowly. Wakaba and Okumura experienced the same type of death. If anyone could relate to Haru right now, it was definitely Futaba. "I'm really sorry about everything…and if Black Mask is the person who killed my mother…then I give you my word that we'll catch that guy. We'll make him pay!"
"I never knew my mother. She died when I was young and I can barely remember anything about her." Yusuke said. "And Madarame was my parent for a time. Even if their actions were to be despised, it is important not to lose that care for them. There are whispers of people who talk badly about Madarame, and while I agreed with them in the past, I cannot in good conscious let that slide. So if people talk poorly about your father, I will cut their words down with the love you had for him."
"It's important to remember him for who he was to Haru." Makoto brushed her hair aside. She could relate to the people speaking, since she also lost her father, someone very important to her. "It may be small…but we are your friends, Haru. We won't tarnish the memories you had of him…we'll try our best to protect them for you as well."
"Yeah, we'll do everything we can! Anyone at Shujin who says something bad will hear it from me!" Ann said firmly. Considering it happened yesterday, she had no problems doing it again.
"We're here for you, Haru. No matter what." Morgana added.
"So…I hope we don't let you down again. We're going to do our best." That was all Ren had to say.
Haru looked over everyone with a smile. She was trying hard not to cry, but to have people that were actually caring about her wellbeing and her father…it felt so nice. She was rubbing her eyes as the tears fell. They were bittersweet tears. Knowing she had people that cared, but at such a heavy price. Her heart hurt, yet felt full at the same time. But overall? She was very grateful to have them in her life. "T-Thank you so much, everyone…I mean it…."