Chapter Twenty-Nine
The Doc is In

Monday, May 23rd

As Chiyo got ready for school, Morgana still didn't say anything about sending the calling card. She could still see the U-shaped outline of her wound, but the skin had healed, no longer puckered, but pink as though a few layers were still regrowing, as though she suffered a minor burn. At this point, Chiyo had to assume Morgana wanted everyone to be in top condition, prepared for whatever Madarame's Shadow had to throw at them when they finally made the theft. They still had a little time to spare, but they were also at the point where they couldn't lose track of time.

She tied her hair back in its usual style, cleaned her lenses, and applied her lip gloss with a fluttering pulse. Morgana had made himself comfortable in her bag by the time Chiyo grabbed it to go, she left carrying the Natsume novel under her arm.

At the station, Chiyo still had a little time and started her book, opening in the 1960's. She only got a page or so in, getting a brief description of a post-war childhood, when she heard someone walking up to her. Looking up from the page, she found Yusuke, giving her a slight sense of deja-vu. What was this, the third time this happened within a week?

"Good timing," Yusuke said in greeting. "I wanted to tell you something."

Immediately, Chiyo closed her book and held it under her arm again. "I'm listening," she said.

"I heard Madarame talking to his lawyer. I suppose he's serious about suing."

"Damn brat! I'll sue!"

Goose flesh formed on her forearms and the back of her neck, her pulse had quickened. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Would Chiyo always be like this, getting panicky and nervous the instant the law and its enforcers were brought in? She wasn't hyperventilating, so that had to mean it wasn't as bad as it could have been. But what if she didn't have a way to fix things? How would Chiyo react if she wasn't a Persona user?

"Are you all right?" Yusuke's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. His head was tilted ever so slightly to the side and his brow furrowed together.

Shit it was written all over her face, wasn't it? "Y-Yeah, fine," Chiyo stuttered. She cringed inwardly, even she wasn't convinced by her own words.

For his part, either Yusuke chose to ignore her fib, or he legitimately did not catch onto it. The matter was dropped. "Shouldn't we advance our plans?"

"After that Shadow attack I want to restock on medical supplies," Chiyo said, taking the matter into her own hands. "We didn't have anything to stop the bleeding when Ryuji and I were bitten."

"I suppose I understand that," Yusuke said, brushing a lock of hair out of his eyes. "You never know what will happen in the Palace. We should be thoroughly prepared. It's good having a calm, rational person nearby."

Calm? Rational? Yeah, as though Chiyo wasn't perspiring under her blazer after the mention of Madarame's lawyers. She was as calm and rational as she was hardcore.

During that afternoon, during class with Chouno, the topic of Madarame came up briefly. Though she worked in the English term 'synesthesia' and its Greek root origin. She called upon Chiyo asking her what the root words 'syn' and 'aesthesis meant.

Wasn't synesthesia the neurological condition where the senses mixed like someone could hear color or taste something based on a picture? 'Syn' started with the same root word as synthesis, synergy, and synchronicity. So, 'together.' 'Aisthesis' might be a little trickier. The word made Chiyo think of the word 'aesthetic' And this was a condition related to the senses, so…

"Sense's coming together," replied Chiyo.

Pleased, Chouno clapped her hands together. "Very good!" she praised. "You've been studying! Unfortunately, synesthesia is something you have to be born with. It can't be learned."

"Unless you're high enough," Chiyo heard one of the boy's whisper.

After school Ann asked Chiyo if they could meet up again, there was something she wanted to run by with Chiyo. Or at least that was what Ann said. So they headed out of Shujin together and went straight to the station. On the train, Chiyo held her book in one hand, while Ann poked at her phone playing some sword and sorcery gacha game.

They traveled down one of the paths along the river, right about where they ended up last time they came by. "I heard a rumor that Shujin students and staff will be doing some cleaning up around here," Ann said as Chiyo sat down.

"That's not a regular occurrence?"

"Nope," Ann dragged the word out. "Totally PR."

Sighing through her nose, Chiyo put her bag at her feet. Should she count on building strength in her shoulder, or ask Takemi if there was a risk of carrying her cat in her bag?

"Ooh!" Ann exclaimed, leaning over the rail at Chiyo's side. She pointed towards the river at a flock of spotted-bill ducks. "Look at those ducks over there! They must be a family! This place seriously feels amazing. It's not even that far from Shibuya, but it feels so different here."

Humming through her nose, Ann sat down beside Chiyo, leaning as far back as she dared without falling over the side. "You know, Tokyo is so strange. There are tons of people and tons of stores, yet there are still duck-filled parks here too. It has everything… but it feels like I can't understand any of it. It's honestly kinda scary."

Chiyo remembered the culture shock of that first day. Higashiizu was a small town, the population had been on the decline for the last forty years. Ryou had been able to find a cheap apartment in Higashiizu after the divorce and it was within reasonable distance to Ryou's workplace in Shimoda. Higashiizu, Shimoda, Ito, none of them ever prepared her for the big cities she went to for tournaments. But she always had Ryou or Matsubara with her, nor did they sight-see much. Arriving in Tokyo on her own, however…

'Overwhelming' was an understatement. "Yeah, I know what you mean," Chiyo said through a sigh.

"Oh, right. You only just moved here, huh. Tokyo's gotta be a helluva lot different from the country, huh?"

Her brow arched slightly. The country? "I'm from Higashiizu..."

Sighing, Ann leaned forward, her elbows rested on her thighs in contemplation. "When I first got here, I had a super tough time adjusting. It's so crowded, and everyone walks really fast… almost like they're angry or something."

"Everyone in a hurry and fuck you for getting in the way."

"Basically. Even at school, I was only ever 'the foreigner.' Nobody really knew me; they just spread rumors. I thought maybe my looks were the problem. I even considered dyeing my hair black to match everyone else… But that was when Shiho talked to me. The first thing she said was, 'Takamaki-san, your paintings suck.'"

Chiyo couldn't stop the chortle of laughter that escaped her lips. The sound was enough to rattle her body; a hand shot up to her mouth, her knuckles hovering in front of her lips. "Strangely, I can see her being that blunt."

Ann nodded briefly. "I thought she was just making fun of me like everyone else, but that wasn't her intention. They were just so bad she had to tell me. Still, that was the very first time someone here talked to me without mentioning my looks. We sorta just grew closer after that… and Shiho's been my best friend ever since. But that's not why we're here though!"

"Hm?"

"There was something else I need to talk to you about. Remember what I told you the last time we came out here?"

They talked about a few things last time. "About the modeling, or…?"

"About that female thief in the anime I used to watch," the blonde girl explained. "Well, I thought of something!"

"Oh?"

Ann pushed herself off the railing, turning a finger straight at Chiyo while wearing her best smile. "It's gonna knock your socks off!"

"I'm wearing tights, but okay."

"You know how the villains in those shows are always going on about world domination? Well, even though they get beaten by the heroes every time, they never give up. That means they must have really solid hearts. And that's why I'm going to try to learn from them!"

"How?"

"I'm gonna star in action movies!"

Chiyo's shoulders dropped, in her bag, Morgana let out a sort of wheezing hacking sound like he briefly choked on something. From what Morgana had told her, Ann's acting abilities were… lacking. And considering how Morgana rarely hesitated to sing Ann's praises, if he was honestly criticizing her about something, it had to be bad. And then Chiyo remembered Ryuji's comment about a middle school play. According to Morgana, it was only pure dumb luck that Yusuke was oblivious enough not to question her.

"G-Good luck with that," Chiyo said, the warble in her voice obvious even to her.

"Thanks!" Ann beamed obliviously. "Your support really helps! All right, I'm making this my ultimate goal for the future!"

As she spoke, she pumped both fists, repositioning herself into a strong stance. She held the pose for a few heartbeats, a gentle gust of wind blowing a few loose strands of hair about. It was Ann's shoulders that relaxed first, she stood in a more casual stance and started to rub the back of her neck. "You know, I've never really thought much about what I wanted to do in life… Now I have an objective! And that's only because I've been talking to you. Thanks, Chiyo!"

"Probably shouldn't thank me just yet," Chiyo murmured, glancing aside.

"Well, if I want to be in action movies, I'll need to work on my actions!" Pausing, Ann gripped her chin and tilted her head in thought. "I wonder how many sit-ups I'll have to do…?"

Chiyo flinched as though someone punched her in the stomach.

Oooh, nooo…

Chiyo was training for four hours a day when she started competing. Keeping herself in shape and flexible. Ballet training, endurance training, over-splits. Matsubara even had Chiyo doing a bit of weight-lifting to keep her upper and lower body strong. And that did not cover the dieting. You could make out Chiyo's ribs whenever her back was arched. And that was just for her gymnastics. How much training did action stars have to do to pretend they were doing these great physical feats?

Sit-ups.

The naivete of Ann's comment physically hurt.

"Wait, Ryuji's good at this sort of thing," Ann said, to Chiyo's immense relief. "I should ask him for advice! Oh, and I need to tell Shiho that I have a new goal! She'll definitely be happy to hear that!"

Maybe Suzui would be more brutally honest than Chiyo could…

On the train, Chiyo spotted Ann playing some kind of gacha game on her phone. It looked like a turn-based, swords and sorcery kind of game. They parted when Chiyo changed lines. In Yongen-jaya she made a quick stop at the convenience store for more instant ramen and cat food. "Can't you ask the Boss if you can use the kitchen downstairs?" Morgana asked through a sigh. "You can't tell me you're not tired of instant ramen and convenient store sushi."

Sighing inwardly, Chiyo looked down at the packet of ramen in her hand. She would be lying if she said the more immature part of her brain hadn't thrown itself on the floor throwing a tantrum at the prospect of more ramen. Chiyo wasn't quite sure how her cooking skills really were, but she had to have picked up something from working at Leblanc with Sojiro.

What was the worst Sojiro could say? No?

Chiyo paid for the ramen and cat food, placed both in her bag, then headed over to Takemi's clinic. The intent was to restock on meds and maybe get some proper bandages in case someone ended up bleeding again. At the head of the stairs, Chiyo opened the door to find Takemi behind the front desk, reading some kind of magazine. "Well, if it isn't my little guinea pig," the woman said in greeting.

"Hi," Chiyo greeted, closing the door behind her. "I was looking to buy a bit of medicine."

"All right, let's take this in the back and we'll-"

The door was suddenly thrown open, Chiyo whipped around, startled to find a middle-aged man, half-carrying a little girl standing in the doorway. The girl couldn't have been older than nine, her face contorted in pain, her hands holding onto her chest as she took in shallow breaths. The man, her father most likely, was pale beneath his glasses, making his dark hair look like a fly drowning in milk. "Is this Tae Takemi's medical clinic?" the man asked, ushering his daughter to one of the many open seats in the waiting area. "Please, my daughter's in pain."

Without another word, Takemi headed into the waiting room, her gaze bouncing between the girl and her father. "Okay," she said, crossing her arms over her chest, "so, why come here? Aren't you under the care of another hospital?"

'Aren't you a doctor?' Chiyo asked silently. 'What happened to the Hippocratic Oath or whatever it's called.'

"I've heard rumors about this place," the man explained. "I'd like for you to examine her. She was diagnosed with bronchitis, but the medicine she was given hasn't been working at all. She has a fever that won't go away and she's been losing weight because she's not hungry…"

"A young girl losing weight is definitely not good," Takemi mused. She glanced back at the girl's father. "You should go to a bigger hospital. I can't provide a thorough examination here."

"We've been going to a big hospital!" the man shouted desperately. "A university hospital in East Shinjuku! But all they tell us is that it's persistent bronchitis!"

"A university hospital in East Shinjuku?" Takemi echoed. Her brow furrowed slightly as she spoke.

"The doctor there performs exams like he's on an assembly line. I think he's famous or something…"

An assembly line? That made it sound like this hospital doctor put in the bare minimum for his patients and their diagnosis. Perhaps Chiyo had simply grown jaded over the months, but she suddenly realized that 'doctor' and 'famous' should not be in the same sentence. 'Fame,' the word carried implications, one Chiyo realized she did not particularly want to be connected to a doctor.

"A famous doctor, huh?" Takemi said, rubbing the back of her neck. Sighing, she rolled her head back briefly and eyed the girl's father. "I'm just a general practitioner out here in the sticks. As you can see, I don't even have any staff."

"Wait!" the man shouted. "I've heard there's a medicine that can only be acquired here! Please! I'll pay you!" Immediately, he dug a hand into his pocket. "At least just examine her!"

Stunned, Takemi took half a step back. "H-Hold on…"

The girl let out a tiny whimper, her hands gripping the fabric of her clothes. Her breathing shuttered briefly before she started to take more shallow breaths. "Doctor…" the girl said meekly, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. "My chest really hurts…"

Before she knew what she was doing, Chiyo knelt down at the girl's side. "Don't worry," she said as calmly, yet confidently as she could manage, "Dr. Takemi will help."

She heard an odd sound behind her, not quite a choke, but close. Chiyo and the girl glanced at Takemi to find an embarrassed flush across her cheeks. "Fine," the doctor said at length. As Chiyo stood up and took a step back, Takemi took her place in front of the girl. She removed her thin light from her pocket and shined it in the girl's eyes. "Is your vision blurry?"

The girl shook her head, barely with enough force to shift her hair. "How about your throat, does it hurt?" Before the girl could answer, Takemi placed her hands on either side of the girl's neck. Her fingers moved slightly, feeling her thyroids. "Hm… No signs of swelling…"

She glanced over her shoulder at the girl's father. "Are you sure you've told me everything about her symptoms and treatments you've tried so far?"

The man nodded vigorously. "Yes, I'm sure!"

Humming again, Takemi stood up and reached into her pocket for her phone. After a few moments of poking at the device, she brought it to her ear. "Hello, Uehara-san? Is Dr. Schweitzer there? There's something I'd like to ask him about a case that was in last month's medical journal… I see." Upon hanging up, she slipped the phone back into her pocket. "Guess the ones in stock will have to do…"

Turning, Takemi locked her eyes on Chiyo. "There's a shelf by the reception desk. Bring the contents of the second drawer into the exam room."

"Huh?"

"You'll need to help administer the medicine. Also, bring the beaker with the red label in the fridge, a towel, washbasin, and a measuring spoon…"

Chiyo did as Takemi instructed as the doctor led the man and his daughter into the exam room. She saw Takemi place a stethoscope to the girl's chest, instructing her to breathe, then Chiyo served as a second set of hands for Takemi as she concocted a thick, tangerine-colored liquid. The doctor was far more kind and gentle to the girl, compared to how blunt and straightforward she was towards Chiyo. It made Chiyo wonder if it was Chiyo specifically or her age. The whole experience had to be frightening to a child.

After taking the medicine, Takemi allowed the girl to sit up, and there was a fifteen-minute period where Takemi checked the girl's vitals. She asked the girl if she felt strange, to which the girl said no. And soon the girl was taking fuller breaths in, her chest didn't hurt anymore. As soon as the words left the girl's mouth, the color started to return to her father's face.

"It was a very unique strain of an infectious disease," Takemi said, seated at her desk with a clipboard in hand. "It can't be detected by conventional exams. That medicine should suppress the symptoms for the time being. We'll make adjustments as her condition improves. Okay, that'll be one million yen for today."

In perfect unison, Chiyo and the girl's father dropped their shoulders. "A million yen?!" the man echoed. "Th-That's outrageous! You're completely taking advantage of…"

The girl looked up at him, the first time in days she was breathing without complaints of pain with each breath in. "All right," the man said, taking out his wallet again. "I agreed to pay. You don't… take credit cards… do you? I'll go withdraw some cash right now!"

"Wait, you're actually going to pay?"

"You're still making jokes?!" Chiyo asked in disbelief. 'Joke' and 'doctor' should not be in the same sentence either.

"By the way," Takemi said, tapping a corner of her clipboard against her knee, "that famous doctor you mentioned earlier… Was it the Medical Chief of Staff Oyamada?"

"Yes…" the man said slowly. "Are you familiar with him?"

A heavy sigh escaped Takemi's lips. "I knew it…" she murmured. "In that case, I'll make this free of charge."

"Free?!"

"Awww, she does have a heart," Chiyo said, her voice syrupy sweet.

Takemi tossed a glance in Chiyo's direction, as though to say 'Shush.' "Well, it feels good. Treating his patient without permission," she said aloud. She glanced back at Chiyo with a mischievous glint. "By the way… Thanks to your outburst earlier, I'm going to perform a very special exam on you today…"

"Wait a minute…"

The man glanced from Takemi to Chiyo, then he scrutinized Chiyo's school uniform. "So, is she your… assistant? She seems awfully young…"

"Yes, my assistant… my guinea pig." Takemi placed her clipboard flat on her desk. "And she's about to put in a lot of hard work today."

"Um, Doctor?" the girl spoke up. "Can I go back to school now?"

Takemi shook her head. "Not right now. You need to start eating and regaining your strength first. Can you do that for me?"

The girl nodded with enough enthusiasm that her hair started bouncing with her. "Thank you, Doctor!"

"Don't mention it…" She leaned back in her chair as the man and his daughter left the exam room. Chiyo and Takemi remained silent until they heard the second door close. The doctor swiveled in her chair, turning her attention to Chiyo. "Your turn. I do wonder what kind of response you'll have this time… Maybe you won't even be able to make it home…"

The medicine Takemi gave her made Chiyo's nose burn again. Despite her teasing, Chiyo was allowed to leave when the effect wore off and there wasn't any risk of an after effect. Chiyo bought a bottle of Takemedic-All Z and a box of adhesive bandages.

By the time she returned to Leblanc, Sojiro was in the middle of closing shop. She brought Morgana upstairs, then headed back down with a cup of instant ramen. As she waited for it to heat up, Sojiro was checking the money in the register. Chiyo tried to tell herself that it was just a nightly ritual Sojiro would have done with or without her presence. He had been pretty good about easing back.

"Can I use the kitchen here to make dinner for myself?" Chiyo asked, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Sojiro looked up from the register with an arched brow. "Hm?"

"I've been living off of instant ramen and convenient store sushi and rice balls since I got here," Chiyo said, fiddling with her fingers as she spoke. "So, I just want to know if I can cook for myself after hours. I'm prepared to pay for my own ingredients so I'm not disturbing your stock, and I'm prepared to clean up what I use."

When Chiyo first stepped through the doors, she and Sojiro had fallen into a comfortable silence. They were at a point where she understood that Sojiro would make small talk if he had to. If he didn't think he had to, then he wouldn't. Their silence had grown comfortable in recent days.

But now, Chiyo almost regretted asking.

She watched as Sojiro's brow rose and fell in thought, watching him rub the back of his neck more than once. "Let me think about it for a few days," Sojiro finally said. "There's a few things I need to consider."

Better than a no.

Chiyo nodded, took her cup of ramen, and headed back upstairs. She opened a can of cat food for Morgana, then ate about half the cup of ramen before she sent a text out to Ann and Ryuji. They should probably exchange numbers with Yusuke soon.

Chiyo: I'm ready to meet up about the calling card if you are.
Ryuji: That's what I'm talkin' about!

Tuesday, May 24th

It was cloudy with a high chance of rain that morning. With her umbrella in her bag, Chiyo headed out for school, smelling water in the air. On the train, she was able to get a seat for a change and used the opportunity to read a bit more of Natsume's novel. The picture painted was a calm childhood in a small-town post-war… until the narrative shifted to the main character, middle-aged with a wife and kids, and working a soul-crushing desk job. The next few chapters described his mid-life crisis and dissatisfaction with his current life when Chiyo had to put the book away for school.

It started to rain shortly after homeroom started. When the day began, Kawakami was able to silence the chatter amongst the class. "Alright, I have an announcement this morning," she began. "As part of a city beautification project the entire school will be participating in a public cleanup campaign next Monday. That means we're going to Inokashira Park to pick up trash. All students are to wear their gym uniforms during the event, so don't forget to dress the part.

So for once, the rumor mill was right.

Chiyo's phone started to vibrate, she tried to keep her eyes forward as she fished it out of her pocket.

Ryuji: You guys heard about this cleanup bullshit at Inokashira Park?
Chiyo: God, this school's so transparent.
Ryuji: For real.
Ann: I know what you mean. Even the counseling stuff seems like a desperate move.
Chiyo: At least Dr. Maruki's kind of cool once you get to know him.
Ryuji: You too, Chiyo?
Chiyo: Huh?
Ryuji: All the girls in our class have been freaking out over the doc.
Ryuji: I've been hearing Maruki's 'hot,' 'kind,' 'sensitive.' Basically everyone thinks he's their type.
Ann: Whoa. I guess he's pretty popular, then.
Chiyo: Well he IS pretty non-threatening.
Chiyo: Although, if it turns out he's surprisingly jacked, I'm going to laugh myself into an early grave.
Ann: Gotta agree on the non-threatening part. That's always nice.
Ann: Did you go in for counseling, yet, Ryuji?
Ryuji: Oh shit. I forgot.
Ryuji: But I dunno… I don't really feel like going. You know what I mean, right, Chiyo?
Chiyo: You do remember I was the first one of us to go, right?
Ryuji: Goddamnit! I do now!
Ann: You should just go already.
Ann: If your slacking draws attention to us, we're the ones who'll have to pay for it.
Ryuji: Fiiine…

When lunch rolled around, Ryuji grabbed his bag and headed to the nurse's office. The door was closed, and he stared at it dumbly, jiggling his leg as he briefly contemplated turning around and just saying he went. But Chiyo and Ann were likely going to find out one way or another. They were both smarter than him, no point in denying it. And knowing his luck, he'd likely let it slip by accident.

"Shiiit," Ryuji muttered under his breath.

Taking a half-step forward, he rapped his knuckle against the door. "Come on in," he heard Maruki call from the other side.

He slid the door open, stepped in, and slid it closed behind him. "Wassup," he greeted, trying to sound casual.

The doctor was working on his computer. His chair swirled to the side to fully face Ryuji. "Sakamoto-kun! Here for a counseling session?"

"Well..." Ryuji crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight on his good leg. "It's not like I wanted to or nothin'."

"Sorry you were forced into this," Maruki said with a chuckle. "But anyway – come in!"

Ryuji took a seat on one of the more comfier chairs, watching as Maruki took the empty chair. Silence fell over them like a thick blanket, the moment Ryuji became aware of it was the moment he started tapping his fingers against his knee. Damn it, how was he supposed to say something, or was Maruki? "So…" Ryuji leaned forward, his elbows planted on his thighs. "This is pretty awkward."

"Oh? Why's that?" questioned Maruki.

"I mean, I don't really go see teachers unless they wanna chew me out for doin' somethin' wrong…"

"Well, fortunately, I'm not a teacher here. If anything, I'm here to be on the students' side."

"Oh, yeah?" He leaned back, laying one leg flat over the other. That had the ring of a false sense of security. "So… am I suppose'ta tell ya about Kamoshida now?"

"This isn't an interrogation, Sakamoto-kun. You're free to sit back and talk about whatever you want. Whatever you tell me remains between us."

"Liiike… what?"

Humming, Maruki gripped his chin in thought. "How about… Is there anyone in your class that you like?"

Heat suddenly blossomed across Ryuji's cheeks. How much of that was supposed to be an ice breaker, or was that because of how often he hung out with Chiyo and Ann? Or did this have to do with the rumors that Ryuji and Chiyo were having sex in a love hotel on Chiyo's first day? Damn it, everything Maruki was suggesting felt like a trap. "That's not exactly easy to talk about either," Ryuji said, looking away in an attempt to hide his flush. "Not that there is anybody."

"Uh- Oh, sorry! I just meant, you're in the middle of your teenage years and all, right?" Maruki fumbled slightly. "High schoolers are just discovering romance and all, so…"

"That how it went for you?"

Ryuji must have hit a nerve, as Maruki glanced at the floor and adjusted his glasses. "Not… exactly…" he confessed. When the doctor looked up Ryuji got the sense he was trying to brush it off. "But, um, that's just because I fell in love with my studies first!"

So he really was a nerd.

"I'm sorry, I'm supposed to be hearing you out, but instead I'm just bringing down the room," continued Maruki. His eyes light up slightly. "Oh, how about this instead – what do you do in your free time, Sakamoto-kun? On the weekend, after school…"

"Uhhh, hangin' out with my buds, mostly," Ryuji said, rubbing the back of his neck. That felt like a safe, if not bland, answer. "Though I just started don' that recently. Before that, I was just pissed all the time, and even before that… I was only all about the track team."

"Ah," Maruki breathed out, leaning back in his seat. "So… is your leg better now?"

"So you know about that, too," Ryuji said, thinking out loud. "Well, yeah, pretty much – so long as I don't strain it or nothin'. Can't afford physical therapy, so it's gonna hafta do.."

"I see… You really do enjoy running, don't you?"

"Guess so…" Ryuji leaned forward again. "I mean, after all that trainin' I did, it makes sense I'd like it… I'd be training constantly, getting sweet times at meets along with everyone else. Eventually, I was gonna get my hands on some track scholarships to make it easier on my mom. But all of that's in the past now…"

He paused for a moment, his fingers fiddling again. "It's cool, though," he added quickly. "I got way more important shit to do now."

Maruki tutted, he looked like Ryuji had just shared an inside joke with him. "More important, huh? Well, no matter what path you might have to take to get there… I hope your track dreams will still do you some good in the end."

"Heh, thanks…"

"And, you know what they say, right? If you wish hard enough, your dreams can come true!"

"Huh? You tryin' to sell me some kinda line now?"

"Oh, no," Maruki said with a shake of his head, "this is actually a genuine phenomenon, with a lot of research going into it even now."

That… sounded like a lot of BS to him. No amount of wishing was going to magically drop enough money for physical therapy, or even make things easier for Ryuji's mom. He wasn't that dumb. "Look at it this way, Sakamoto-kun," continued Maruki "what do you want most out of life, right now?"

Right now? "I want somethin' to drink, I guess."

"Oho!"

"What?"

"I lucked into a coupon for a free can of apple juice at the convenience store just this morning! And now, I'd like for you to have it." He took a slip of paper out of his pocket, handing it to Ryuji.

"Thanks?" he said slowly, taking the coupon.

"See! Your wish came true!"

That seemed more like a whim of the moment than an actual wish. "Hey, Dr. Maru-" He cleared his throat. "Doc. Anyone ever tell you you're kinda… not normal?"

"You think so? Ooh, could that be a compliment, coming from you?"

"Uh… no?"

"Oh…"

Okay, as far as the staff at this school went, Maruki was one of the better ones. But fuck, this grown man was a massive dweeb!

Chiyo, Ann, and Ryuji agreed to leave Shujin ten minutes apart from each other just in case Niijima was still watching them. Ann got in contact with Yusuke, informing him to meet up with them at the crosswalk in Shibuya station. Being the last to leave, Chiyo stayed in class to read her book but found it difficult to focus. This was unlike her and she half-expected Niijima to approach her about it. Twenty minutes after Ann left, Chiyo immediately grabbed her bag and headed to Shibuya station.

She was the last one to arrive. Placing her bag down at her feet, Morgan climbed out and stretched out his spine. "We can now take him down, yes?" Yusuke asked, breaking the silence.

"This will change Madarame," Morgana said, looking Yusuke in the eye. "There won't be any way to revert it though. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"I have thought it over carefully," Yusuke admitted, crossing his arms over his chest, "and I cannot think of a future in which he does not pay his dues. He has preyed not only on the art world but on countless talents… so, I humbly request your help."

"All right," Chiyo said, bobbing her head. "That means we can get the ball rolling."

"I apologize for making you do this…"

"Not at all," said Ann. "We just didn't want to impose if you weren't feeling up to it. But if you're already determined to do it, then there's nothing more for us to say.

"If I recall, our next step is sending a calling card, correct? What a suave maneuver."

"It's not about acting cool," began Morgana.

"Though the cat is pretty into it," interrupted Ryuji."

"Not a cat! The calling card is a way to trigger a change in his cognition."

"A change in cognition..." Yusuke repeated, gripping his chin in thought. "That reminds me, you went through some trouble regarding that before."

"Ah, you must be talking about when we forced open that security gate in the courtyard."

"The Palace is a cognitive world, so changing its ruler's cognition changes the topography," explained Ann. "I think..."

"Very nicely put, Lady Ann!" Morgana's tail swayed happily. "You're absolutely correct. This will be a vital tactic from here forward."

"Actually, may I ask a truly basic question?" Yusuke began. "You continue to mention cognition quite readily… But why does this world formed from materialized cognitions even exist, to begin with? Has it always existed, while we go about our daily lives completely oblivious?"

In unison, Chiyo and Ryuji glanced at Morgana. They stumbled into the other world by complete accident. How long had these Palaces been standing without anyone realizing it sooner? "Honestly, I'm not sure," confessed Morgana. "At the very least, I know it existed before the Kamoshida incident… but that's all."

"I see..." murmured Yusuke.

"Crap," Ryuji raked a hand through his hair. "He totally caught me off guard with that… It's kinda weird thinkin' there might be whole worlds we just don't know a damn thing about…"

"Think there've been other Persona users, in that case?" asked Chiyo.

"There might be," Morgana replied. "All that's important is that we know how to make use of the other world and how to traverse it. And right now, we need to plan for our calling card."

"Will he even take it seriously?" asked Yusuke. "He is famous, after all. He has often received slanderous letters till now, as well."

"He'll know best whether the crime written on it is real or not," Ryuji said confidently.

"Are you going to write it again, Ryuji?" Morgana questioned nervously. "That last one was questionable at best…"

"Ooh! You should do it then, Yusuke!" Ann suggested. "Make it real artistic and stuff!"

"No." Yusuke shook his head. "It'll end with him figuring it out. He knows my drawing and writing styles all too well."

"Okay, then I'll think it up, and you make it cooler!" offered Ryuji.

"Designing a calling card, hm..." Yusuke started fiddling with a lock of hair. "Interesting. It shall become proof of the Phantom Thieves' existence."

"It's decided then!"

"Great!" declared Morgana. "All that's left is to make the Treasure ours! You guys better come fully prepared!"

The Lovers Rank 4
The Death Rank 4

Author's Note: I needed a break from general writing before I burnt out. I say that, but that didn't stop not one, but two possible fic's from plotting themselves out in my head. One of them being for my first ever OC, after falling head first into nostalgia. And I fully expect the Disney + Loki series to make me want to dust off my MCU OC. I make no promises on any of this, it's just not lost on me how I'm still thinking about fics when I'm supposed to be taking a break.