Chapter Fifteen
The Price of Lust

Friday, April 22nd

Chiyo braced her hand against the wall, trying desperately to catch her breath. Her chest was heaving with each breath, the muscles in her calves were feeling particularly tight. She became aware they were back in the real world by Ryuji and Ann's uniforms and how Morgana looked like a regular housecat. Immediately after, she noticed the frames of her glasses. So… they made it out okay!

"That… sucked!" Ann panted.

Ryuji straightened himself and removed his phone from his pocket. He studied it for a moment before his brow rose. "Look at the nav!"

Curious, Ann and Chiyo got out their phones. "The destination has been deleted," said the mechanical voice.

Ann's brow rose. "So it's true. We can't go there anymore."

Morgana looked up at Chiyo, his ears plastered against his head nervously. "What about the Treasure?"

Chiyo held up her left hand, revealing an Olympic gold medal with a red and white striped ribbon. Ryuji's shoulders dropped and his brow rose at the sight. "What the…?"

"Wait, where'd that crown go?" asked Ann.

"Dunno," Chiyo said with a shrug.

Ryuji crossed his arms over his chest. "What's goin' on?"

"It means, that was the source of Kamoshida's desires," Morgana explained. "To him, this medal is worth as much as that crown we saw in the Palace."

"He was in the Olympics some years back, right?" asked Chiyo. "Brought home the gold?"

"So, that perv really was clingin' to his past glory and couldn't let it go," Ryuji said thoughtfully.

"Man, I was way off," mumbled Ann. Her brow perked up as a thought came to her. "But, this means that Kamoshida's heart might have changed, right?"

"Probably," said Morgana.

"Our expulsion's on the line here!" snapped Ryuji

"This is the first successful example for me too!" Morgana defended. "However, there's no doubt that this had affected Kamoshida's personality quite a lot. The entire Palace disappeared, after all."

"Ugh, I feel all antsy! Ain't there any way to check now?"

"Probably not until tomorrow," said Chiyo. She pocketed the metal in her blazer. "Unless you know where he lives. But even then…"

Ann sighed. "Right…"

"Come on, why the gloomy faces?" demanded Morgana. "Be happy! We completed this with great success, you know."

"We just don't know if everything's okay yet…" said Ryuji. "Chiyo and I have a bit on the line, y'know."

Morgana leaned back into a stretch. "I'm pretty sure it'll be fine. Remember how Kamoshida's Shadow said that he's returning to himself in reality?" He shook himself before he sat down. "We all know Suguru Kamoshida is scum. Still… His Shadow did seem to retain his conscience somewhat in the end."

"We still have to wait and see the results though," Chiyo murmured, kicking at the ground. Sighing, she shook her head. "No matter how you look at it, what happens next is out of our hands… But I think we can be hopefully optimistic."

"There are definitely those who have been saved thanks to what you've done."

Ann pursed her lips to the side. Slowly she nodded in agreement, perking up slightly. "Yeah… Yeah!"

"Guess we gotta play the waiting game now," Ryuji sighed. "It all boils down to what's gonna happen to Kamoshida… or if we're gettin' expelled for real…"

It was Chiyo's turn to purse her lips. She thought back to Kamoshida's ultimatum. While Chiyo still did not doubt for a second that he would just expel her anyway, she was concerned if she would become desperate enough to seriously consider it. A pesky 'what-if' she knew she shouldn't trust. "For now, I think we just need to get some rest," she said. "If the change is going to be anything like his Shadow self, I'm sure we'll notice something soon enough."

"I guess you're right…"

Morgana made himself comfortable amongst Chiyo's notebooks and pencils as the girl in question made the trek back to Leblanc. Somehow, she ended up in charge of the medal, though Chiyo told herself it was because it slipped everyone's minds. She rubbed her eye as she walked into Leblanc. The store was empty, Sojiro sat at the bar, lazily holding a lit cigarette.

As soon as the bell above the door went off, Sojiro looked up at Chiyo. Exhaling, Sojiro put out the cigarette in a nearby ashtray. "All right," he said. "I think we both know we need to talk. So why don't you take a seat."

Chiyo bit her lower lip but thought it better to just listen to him than push her luck. She didn't have the energy to fight him anyway. Placing her bag gently on the floor, Chiyo took a seat at the bar next to Sojiro.

"I think we can both agree we've had a rocky start," said Sojiro. He eyed Chiyo in a way that said he was looking for an opinion of sorts from her. Pursing her lips, Chiyo nodded her head quietly. "And in a lot of ways, you are an inconvenience to me. How this works out could easily affect business for the store and I have my own life outside of this place."

Chiyo's brow furrowed. Was he seriously going down this road again?

"However, I am the one who ultimately agreed to this," Sojiro said, massaging one temple with his hand. "In hindsight, I probably should have thought that through a bit more. Still, I agreed to take you in in the end. That being said, I barely know you. So, the fact is, I don't have a reason to trust you. But I acknowledge that it goes both ways. And I haven't given either of us a reason to change that."

Chiyo's head tilted to the side, wondering where Sojiro was going with this. And struggling to keep a yawn in. She just wanted to go to bed.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Sojiro leaned back in his chair. "I haven't gotten any calls from your school since your first day, nor from the police. You've been pretty good about coming home on time, I was fairly impressed when you asked for my permission to get a part-time job first. And I haven't had any complaints from the customers. So, I've decided to ease up a little bit. But in return, I expect you to behave, obey the law, and my rules. I expect you to do well in school and I expect you to know when your job is getting in the way of studying. And I expect you to take care of your cat. Understand?"

"Yes," Chiyo said instantly. "That's more than fair. Thank you."

"Now, before we go our separate ways, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," said Sojiro. "I'm pretty busy between my work and private lives. If you could lend me a hand, it'd really be a great help…"

"I've never worked in the restaurant business," Chiyo said hesitantly. "You don't think I'd be a hindrance?"

"It takes a bit of time to develop the skill," Sojiro admitted, "but I would think you're the type to catch on quickly."

"If you don't think I'll hinder business, I don't see why not."

"Now we're talking. I won't ask you to work for free. I'll teach you how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Not a bad trade, eh?"

"I guess…?" Chiyo shrugged. She wasn't much of a coffee drinker, yet another thing that was not allowed in her diet. But given she was living over a coffee shop she might as well give it a try.

"All right. Looks like we've got ourselves a deal. I'll be counting on your help." He looked like he was about to say more until his phone started to ring. His eyes traveled downward to the side as he dug out his phone. "Hm? What's wrong? … Yeah, I'm heading out now. Sorry about that. … I know. The usual, right? Okay. I'll see you later."

"Got to go?" Chiyo asked knowingly.

"You know the drill," Sojiro said, removing his apron as he spoke. "And for future reference, if you can let me know when you plan on working after school, that would be appreciated."

Chiyo didn't head upstairs until after Sojiro left and locked the door behind him. After he closed the front door behind him, Chiyo grabbed her bag flicked off the light, and headed up to her room. She removed Morgana from the bag and placed him on her bed. "What'd I miss?" he yawned.

"Talked with Sojiro." Chiyo removed her hair tie and shook her head.

"I said you needed to."

"I didn't disagree. I just didn't want to deal with the alternative."

She had just removed her blazer when her phone started buzzing.

Ann: Thanks. I finally got to avenge Shiho because of guys…
Ann: I'm pretty sure there was no way I'd have been able to do anything on my own.
Ann:So seriously, thank you. I owe you so much.
Chiyo: It was a team effort.
Chiyo: Your own power helped us.
Ann:Still. I really do need to show how grateful I am.
Ann:Anyway, that cognitive world was pretty crazy, huh?
Ann: What a mysterious place. I can't believe we actually stole someone's heart…
Ann: Has Morgana said anything about his transformation in the Palace when we were escaping?
Chiyo: No. He slept while I walked us home.
Ann: Isn't it strange though? We were still in the Palace when he turned back into a cat?

A white paw placed itself on Chiyo's phone and pulled it down. Chiyo pointed the screen towards Morgana, allowing him to read the girl's conversation.

"Lady Ann sure is sharp," Morgana said with a happy swish of his tail. "I'm impressed. Basically, the Treasure changes the shape of things. Once that's gone, that power no longer works. Though the real reason I changed quickly back then was because I'm so incredibly skilled!"

"Right," murmured Chiyo.

Chiyo: He says it's pretty much because we took the treasure.
Ann: Oh yeah, I forgot Morgana lives with you.
Ann: I think I feel a little better after talking to you. Thanks.
Ann: Though we haven't seen any results, it feels like a weight's been lifted off my shoulders.
Ann: I hope you don't mind talking to me too much.
Chiyo: Not at all.
Ann: Well, see you tomorrow.
Chiyo: See you.

Putting her phone on its charger, Chiyo stretched out her arms. If only it were Sunday…

Saturday, April 23rd

Chiyo was still so worn out that morning, she bought her very first coffee from Sojiro. An espresso at his recommendation. The flavor was… different, she wasn't completely sure if she liked it, but she didn't hate it. By the time she finished the espresso she decided she liked it enough to try other coffees when she could.

Class that day came and went with a lecture from Inui about the world of sports and the origin of the Olympics. He called on Chiyo asking her which event Emperor Nero added to the roster so he could participate. She bit back a scoff when Inui said that she didn't look like she was into sports.

Of course, Chiyo had several medals back in her old bedroom that begged to differ. So Inui was surprised when she gave the correct answer of singing. It amazed her how teachers tended to underestimate how fascinating certain aspects of history were. You could not make up half that stuff if you tried.

She met with Ryuji in the hall during lunch break. His hands were jammed in his pockets, and his leg jiggled up and down without stop. "Have you seen Kamoshida today?" he asked as soon as he saw her.

Chiyo shook her head, not even a whisper about him. "I don't think Ann's heard anything either." Or at least she hadn't said anything.

"You really think he changed?"

"I don't know. Morgana never said how the change should work. Is it just," she snapped her fingers, "or something that becomes more apparent as the days go by?"

"That cat never gives us any answers when we could really use them."

"I wouldn't be too surprised if some things are just coming to him as they happen. Still a pain in the ass, though."

"Oh, perfect timing!" they heard. Kawakami walked up to the pair. Despite her earlier warnings about Chiyo spending her time with Ryuji, Kawakami seemed to have given up on that. "Study hall will be held instead of PE today. I'm letting you know just in case you haven't heard. Kamoshida-san has taken the day off."

Ryuji's brow shot up. "He ain't here?"

"Did something happen?" Chiyo asked trying to sound concerned. "Yesterday he looked like he was in pretty good physical condition. I wouldn't have thought he'd fall ill so easily."

Kawakami glanced over one shoulder, then the other; she leaned forward towards the pair. "Don't tell anyone that you heard this from me," she said in a hushed tone. Her arms were crossed casually over her chest. "But we received word that Kamoshida-san is placing himself under suspension… At such an important time before the tournament too…"

Chiyo's hand immediately shot up to her mouth. A self-imposed suspension? And it was the morning after they successfully stole Kamoshida's Treasure. Oh no, this was no mere coincidence.

"Principal Kobayakawa went to talk to him about it," Kawakami continued, "but he supposedly wasn't making any sense…"

"Wait, a suspension?!" gasped Ryuji.

"Not so loud!" Kawakami hissed in response. "The talks about your expulsions may be put on hold too… I don't know much about it though… Anyway," she shook her head, "I've relayed what's going on to you. Now, excuse me."

Chiyo's eyes rolled skyward as Kawakami walked off. She couldn't understand it, the other teachers knew about their expulsion and weren't even arguing their case? Not even trying to get a story from the students from the sounds of it. Inspiration at its finest.

"Looks like something happened," Ryuji murmured, crossing his arms as Kawakami left to inform another student. "At least it sounds different from a mental shutdown…"

"Yeah," Chiyo breathed out. "Guess it does happen like," she snapped her fingers again.

"Guess all that leaves us is the waiting game."

Chiyo told herself several times that day during the remainder of class, even during work at Triple Seven, that a changed Kamoshida would realize why those three students approached him. That they knew he was largely responsible for Shiho's suicide attempt. That he would need to say something about their expulsion by the time of the board meeting.

That evening after work she tried to take Morgana's earlier advice and tried to write something in the blank book. It turned into something like a free-form poem. The imagery wasn't exactly unique; a lifeboat caught in a storm. But if it wasn't broken, don't fix it.

On Sunday Chiyo bought a pre-owned DVD player, then proceeded to spend the rest of the day trying to get it set up in her room. Morgana tried to help her along, even if he didn't have any thumbs. They got it set up with just enough time to go to a video rental store in Shibuya and, well, rent something.

The next week went by with Chiyo doing what she could to keep busy. Shifts at Triple Seven, grabbing something to eat after school with Ryuji, checking in with Ann about Suzui's condition. She discovered a batting cage in Yongen. She even spent an evening helping Sojiro at Leblanc, even if it was just cleaning the floor.

She spent one evening further tidying up her room, discovering the books Sojiro stored upstairs were strangely about law, politics, and philosophy. It left Chiyo wondering if Sojiro had done anything besides barista. While the room certainly looked better, it was still rather empty.

Chiyo tried not to get herself worked up about their fates. She tried to keep even-tempered about the staff apparently fully aware of three students expulsion and doing nothing about it. There was still talk about the calling card, but most wrote it off as a prank and Kamoshida's suspension as a mere coincidence.

She just went on, business as usual.

Monday, May 2nd

Ann: Tomorrow's the board meeting.
Ryuji: We're gonna get expelled if Kamoshida doesn't have a change of heart by then…
Chiyo: I'm sure he will.
Chiyo: Morgana seems confident anyway.
Ann: Yeah, he'll definitely change. It would be a real problem for us if he didn't.
Ryuji: You're right.
Ryuji: It's a little too early to be giving up now.
Ryuji: Guess we're gonna find out one way or the other tomorrow.
Ryuji:We just gotta brace ourselves for all the possibilities.

Chiyo read last night's chat so many times she just about had it memorized. She said Morgana was confident, but he was also apologetic as he couldn't offer a bit more reassurance.

She exhaled, overhearing a couple of Shujin boys complaining about going to school for the next couple of days when they had the rest of the week off.

An assembly was called that morning, much to the confusion of the student body. Chiyo found Ryuji, then they found a spot in the gym.

"What's with the sudden assembly?"

"I bet it's about that girl who jumped the other week."

"Like they have to tell us not to commit suicide."

"There was that weird calling card too, so I guess the teachers are freaking out?"

Ryuji and Chiyo exchanged glances, both wanting to ask the same thing, but didn't dare say outright.

"Let's begin this school-wide morning assembly," Kobayakawa said, causing the room to fall silent almost instantly. "As you all know, a tragic event took place not too long ago. Thankfully, we have been informed that she has pulled through, but it will take time until she recovers. Everyone here has a bright future ahead. I implore that you rethink the importance of life and-"

Heads turned when the door was suddenly thrown open. Kamoshida stepped into the gym as the door's closed behind him. His head hung, his shoulder's slouching. Those closest to him could see the bags under his eyes and noticed the slight weight loss. "Kamoshida-san?!" Kobayakawa sputtered. "What's the-"

"I…" Kamoshida breathed out, "have been reborn. That is why I will confess everything to you all…"

Kobayakawa glanced from Kamoshida to the student body as Kamoshida walked onto the podium. Ann watched intently from her spot in the crowd. Was this finally it?

A few moments of silence fell upon everyone in the gym. Kamoshida simply stood there with his head down. When he finally lifted his head, he broke the silence. "I have repeatedly done things that were… unbecoming of a teacher," Kamoshida admitted. "Verbally abusing students… physically abusing my team, and… sexually harassing, full-on assaulting, female students. I… I am the reason why Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself! I forced myself onto her!"

Whispers came over the students as Kamoshida fell to his knees. His body trembled, controlled sobs were heard, surprising even the teachers. "I thought of this school as my own castle," Kamoshida continued, his face wet with tears, the guilt unbearable. "There were even students that I sentenced to expulsion, simply because I didn't like them… I even gave one of them an ultimatum, the three of them got to stay in the school if she gave me sexual favors. I will, of course, rescind those… I am truly sorry for putting innocent youths through such horrible acts… I am an arrogant, shallow, shameful person. No, I'm worse than that!"

Dropping his hands to the floor, Kamoshida lowered himself further so his head was virtually touching the floor. "I will take full responsibility for my actions," Kamoshida declared, "and kill myself for it!"

A few gasps from the student's stood out amongst the ever-growing whispers. Kobayakawa tried to salvage the situation, trying to get Kamoshida off the stage, remind him that this whole stunt was inappropriate. The teachers tried to do their part and get the students to return to class. All with little luck.

"Don't run, you bastard!"

Eyes turned to Ann, her jaw clenched, and her brow furrowed as though willing a hole to burn into Kamoshida's head. "Shiho's still alive even after all the things that made her want to die! You have no right to run from this!"

Wide-eyed, Kamoshida slowly pushed himself upright. "You're right…" he said, his voice shaking. "You're absolutely right… I should be punished under the law and atone for my crimes…

"I did horrible things to Takamaki-san, as well. In return for giving Suzui-san a position on the team… I tried to force her into having relations. As of today, I will resign from my position as an instructor and turn myself in. Someone, please call the police!"

"Holy shit," murmured Chiyo.

"Wow…" responded Ryuji.

One of the male teachers tried to get the students to settle down, while a first-year teacher pulled her phone out. But despite the teacher's attempts to regain control of the situation, there was no way in hell that the students were just going back to class as though nothing happened.

"Isn't this just like what that calling card said?"

"Does this mean the Phantom Thieves thing was for real?!"

"Was something done to Kamoshida?!"

"C'mon, there's no way you could steal someone's heart! He'd be dead if that were true."

"But why else would he start saying things like he'll kill himself or turn himself in?"

"Maybe because it almost got leaked? If that girl decided to reveal why she jumped he would've been caught. Don't they go easier on you if you turn yourself in?"

"I wonder what happened…"

"Who knows? But man, Kamoshida turned out to be one sick bastard."

The teachers were able to get the students to empty the gym, especially after the first-year teacher called the police. A few of the teachers, at least, were adamant about keeping the students away from the arrest. One of them even convinced Kamoshida to wait outside for the police to show up. The whispers and gossip, however, had no end. And it likely wouldn't for days.

The trio stood in the empty gym, Ann stared at the stage, replaying the events in her head over and over. "His heart really did change…"

"Seems like it," Ryuji said, tapping the tip of his shoe against the floor. "But, was this really for the best?"

"He wasn't going to confess otherwise," said Chiyo. "It's his word against his students. Admitting to his crimes is the only way something would've been done."

"Yeah… When you put it like that… But things're happenin' way too fast…"

"Kusakabe-san."

Chiyo half-turned to find Mishima walk up to her. He kept his eyes off her, his head tilted to the side slightly. "He meant you, didn't he?" asked Mishima. "That ultimatum…"

Slowly, Chiyo nodded, deciding it was useless to deny it. She imagined most of her schoolmates would put two-and-two together and realize Kamoshida was referring to her anyway. The real question was if the student body decided Chiyo did what he wanted or not.

Mishima looked momentarily panic-stricken and pale. Before he could say anything, she held her hands up, silencing him. "Don't worry about it, Mishima-kun," she said. "I knew full well that he likely wouldn't have kept his word. And I outright told him I wouldn't do it."

Neither Mishima nor Ryuji needed to know that Chiyo would have honestly considered it if she honestly thought it would help.

"Still though…" Mishima lowered himself. "I'm the one who leaked your information to the school and left you in that situation. I'm sorry!"

Chiyo's lips pulled back into an awkward smile as she nodded. While she didn't feel there was anything to apologize for, sometimes it was best to let someone say their piece. "A-And I apologize to you as well, Takamaki-san," Mishima said, repeating his gesture for Ann.

"Huh?"

"We all knew… but we pretended we didn't.."

"Takamaki-san."

A couple of girls walked up to the ever-growing group. "I had you all wrong," said the taller of the two. "I'm sorry that I spread rumors about you!"

"I didn't know at all," the other girl said meekly. "Kamoshida was forcefully pushing himself on you… It must've been so hard for you…"

"I'm sure there's a ton of people who want to apologize to you."

"We're so sorry!"

Ann shook her head. "No, it's okay. The same goes for me too… Besides, that's all in the past now."

"Hey, you there! Return to class at once!" a teacher called, picking up the stragglers.

"Looks like Kamoshida ain't the only one that had a change of heart," Ryuji said as the group separated, leaving the three Persona-users. He eyed Ann. "Man, I'm glad for you. Looks like those weird rumors are gonna go away."

Ann shook her head. "My thing doesn't really matter. We made Kamoshida apologize about Shiho. That's more than enough for me."

"You should hurry and tell her about it then."

A small smile tugged at Ann's lips. "Yeah."

After school, Chiyo and Ryuji relayed what happened to Morgana on the roof. They sat around one of the tables where Chiyo placed the metal. "I totally freaked out," Ryuji confessed. "He really did have a change of heart… And we were lucky his mind didn't get messed up either! That was an A-plus job!"

Morgana sat in front of the metal, eyeing it intently. "Does this mean that they won't have a mental shutdown even if their Palace disappears?" he asked himself thoughtfully. Closing his eyes, he nodded to himself. "I see. So we need to persuade the Shadow without killing it, and then send it back to its real self. Our targets won't undergo a cognitive collapse if we do that."

"So we essentially have to talk them down," said Chiyo.

"Hey, that works for me!" inputted Ryuji.

"Do you have to be so loud?"

Ann approached the group in steady strides, her brow furrowed slightly in irritation. "Don't worry about it," Ryuji said nonchalantly.

"How's Suzui-san?" asked Chiyo.

A bold smile played upon Ann's lips. "She's regained consciousness!"

"Really?!"

Ann brought the heel of her hand to her eye before she sank into a crouch. "It was only for a little bit, but I got to talk to her. I was able to tell her that Kamoshida admitted to what he did… Her parents finally found out why she jumped." Drying her eyes again, she stood up straight. "Shiho, she… she told me she was sorry. Looks like she found out that I was flirting with Kamoshida for her sake… And here I was, wanting to apologize to her."

"Kamoshida's at fault for this," said Morgana.

"I know… Shiho's mom is thinking of transferring her to another school after she recovers. The whole sexual assault and attempted suicide… people will label her after that. Sounded like Shiho had the same idea too."

"It's gonna get lonely," Ryuji said, crossing one leg over the opposite knee.

"But, I think it's for the best… I'm sure it'll be hard if she stays here."

Chiyo nodded silently in understanding. Even if she hadn't been expelled after the arrest, she imagined she would have had to transfer schools anyway. The harassment she got on her old phone… Between the memories and whispers, a school transfer was easily the best hope Suzui had for a full recovery.

"She's alive," Ryuji pointed out. "You can see her anytime."

Silently, Ann nodded. "I need to change too."

"That aside, I was surprised you could hold yourself back against Kamoshida's Shadow," said Ryuji.

"It wasn't like that… I just wanted Kamoshida to apologize himself."

"You're so kind, Lady Ann," purred Morgana.

"No matter how much of a shit bag he was, finishing him off woulda left a bad aftertaste, huh?" questioned Ryuji.

"Huh?" Ann's brow arched slightly before she shook her head. "That's not it. I think revenge is better served if I make him repent. Realizing what he's done, he'll grovel for forgiveness for the rest of his life, you know? I just believe there are fates worse than death."

Ryuji paled slightly, and Chiyo was certain Morgana would have done the same were it not for his fur. "There's also how people tend to martyr those who die tragically," Chiyo pointed out. "Even if Kamoshida died he'd be remembered as a beloved member of society." She took a moment to scoff. "I'd bet everything I have that the students would've forgotten everything he did if he just up and died."

"A-Anyways," Ryuji said, avoiding eye contact with the girls and now desperate to change the subject. "Since that's all settled… There was one more thing I was wonderin' about that castle. Why was Kamoshida the only one who had that Metaverse thing?"

Morgana took a moment to shake his head. "It isn't necessarily limited to him. It's something anyone could have if their heart became warped from their desires."

"Anyone…" Ann echoed under her breath.

"Wanna check it out?"

"N-Not right now," Ryuji said with a slight waver in his voice. "We better lay low for a while. People are still gonna be talkin' about Kamoshida. Then again," his head list to the side with a grin, "it's totally impossible for someone to find out what we did at his Palace."

"People might be looking at us about the calling card, though," said Chiyo. "Our expulsions turned out to be Shujin's worst-kept secret and this happened? They're going to be suspicious of us if nothing else."

"I'm with Chiyo," said Ann. "People are saying you two got together and threatened Kamoshida with something close to physical violence."

"Fine. Fair enough…" sighed Ryuji. "We're the ones who did it, and I still don't completely believe it myself."

"So, we'll just wait for things to settle down then," said Chiyo.

"Until then," Ryuji said, digging his phone out from his pocket. "Let's check how much this medal can be sold for. It'd be better if we pawned it off ASAP."

The group remained silent as Ryuji poked and prodded, checking for anything that could be useful. "Ooh, got a hit!" he said after a few minutes. He sat straight up in his chair. "Wait, thirty thousand yen?! That's all a gold medal's worth?!"

"They're not solid gold, right?" asked Chiyo. "It's just a gold plating over something else?"

"Hey," Ann said innocently. She shifted her weight onto one leg as she held her arm. "Remember that time in middle school? I lent you some money."

Ryuji stood up. "There's no way I borrowed thirty thousand yen from you!"

"Wouldn't it be around that much with compounded interest?"

"Interest my ass!"

"I mean, it's your fault for not paying me back all these years! It's just common sense!"

"Thirty thousand… divided by four…" Chiyo murmured, punching in the numbers on her calculator app. "That's seven thousand five hundred each. Guess for the time being we could put Morgana's share aside until he becomes human again."

"Chiyo…" Morgana murmured, he was certain he would have been blushing if he were human. He shook his head. "Either way, Chiyo has the right idea in splitting the spoils between us. We all pitched in, so it's only fair we each get a share. That said, it would be nonsense not to celebrate a successful mission."

"I guess we could blow this dirty money on something fun," Ryuji said, rotating his arm.

"Discussions amongst phantom thieves are to take place over luxurious food. How about it?"

"I that case," Ann said thoughtfully, "there's somewhere I want to go."

"Where's that?" asked Ryuji.

"It's a place Shiho and I have been wanting to go for a while."

"I owe money, so I can't complain," he mumbled.

"Okay by me," said Chiyo.

"I'll call and check the prices later then," said Ann.

"When should we go?" asked Ryuji. "Wanna do it soon, like tomorrow?"

"Why don't we go on the last day of the holidays?" Ann suggested. "It'll help energize us when school life starts up again the day after."

"Then… the fifth… on Children's Day."

"Ooh, I like that idea," said Chiyo. "Especially since exams are around the corner."

"So, who's going to sell it?" asked Ann.

Chiyo pursed her lips. The only person she could think of was Iwai. He seemed like someone who didn't beat around the bush or ask too many questions. "I… might… know a guy," Chiyo said sheepishly.

"Okay, I'll leave that to you."

"What about all this?" Chiyo reached into her bag for the wad of bills and piles of coins from battling Shadows in the Palace. Then came the treasures Morgana insisted they hold onto. "I suppose I could pawn the items there with the metal. But what about the cash? Count it up and split it?"

"I'm okay with that," said Ryuji. He gestured to the four of them. "Divide by the four of us, right? If we can anyway."

"Yeah!" Ann clapped her hands together. "That way Morgana has something saved up when he becomes human again!"

Morgana made an odd squeaky sound. His shoulders were suddenly up to his eyes. It wouldn't have been that difficult to imagine he was blushing under all that fur.

They counted up twenty-five hundred and each left the roof six thousand, two hundred and fifty yen richer.

Chiyo wondered how long it would be before the media got a hold of the day's events. She bought herself and Morgana small trays of sushi before she headed back to Leblanc. She dropped off Morgana in her room and grabbed her things before she headed to the bathhouse. When she got back she changed into her pajamas and turned the tv on while the two had dinner. Chiyo got through a couple of rolls before her phone started to vibrate.

Ann: Is that gold medal real? When did it get inside his Palace…?

"Ann wants to know how the medal got into the Palace," said Chiyo.

Morgana turned his attention from the drama they were watching, to Chiyo. "That one's a fake. It's just a by-product of his cognition. The real medal it's based on should still be in his possession. For now anyway… I have an inkling that's about to change."

Chiyo: Morgana says it's fake.
Ryuji: What? You're telling me he's still got the real medal?
Chiyo: Sound's like we essentially gave physical form to abstract thought.
Chiyo: Granted Morgana didn't put it like that, but…
Ann: Wha…?
Ann: Oh, who cares? What matters is that we changed his heart.
Ann: And anyway, if we had taken the real thing, we'd be stealing for real!
Chiyo: I doubt the real thing's going to stay in his possession much longer anyway.
Ryuji: Yeah, I don't think he'll be proud of that medal anymore.
Ryuji: You let go of stuff pretty easy, huh? Wanna forget about my debt?
Ann: That's different. Five hundred yen is a lot of money for a middle schooler, you know.
Ann: Do you even still have that dolphin anyway?
Chiyo: Dolphin?
Ryuji: Stop digging that up!
Chiyo:Mind telling me the story behind that?
Ann: Back in middle school, we went on a field trip to the aquarium.
Ann: But Ryuji had to spend all his money on a souvenir, so I lent him some for the train fare.
Ryuji: I said I was sorry… The dolphin was for my mom.
Ann: Well, I guess I can call it even after all we've been through.
Ryuji: …Thank you.
Ryuji: Anyways, we don't gotta worry about selling that medal off if it's a fake!
Ryuji: End of story!
Chiyo: I don't think it's so much a 'fake' more like a 'replica.'
Ryuji: Ain't those the same thing?
Ann: Not quite.
Ann: 'Replica' is used to indicate a product that is not real but used for some specific reasons.
Ryuji: Wha…? But…
Ryuji: Ack! Never mind!

Grinning, Chiyo put her phone down and went back to her program.

The Hierophant Rank 1

Authors Note: Chiyo's reaction to Kamoshida's confession was more-or-less mine first time around. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't something that emotionally charged.

I'd debated a bit on when Chiyo and Sojiro would have their talk. But ultimately decided so long as it didn't happen immediately the day after, or go on longer than a week-ish, was probably for the best.