TRIGGER WARNING
- Slight body image issues

Chapter Thirty-One
Regularity

Thursday May 26th

Chiyo was most certainly not ready to wake up when the alarm on her phone went off that morning. Her joints were stiff all over, prompting Chiyo to stretch out a bit before she got ready for school. She wondered absently how long they had to wait before they could switch uniforms, wasn't going to be much longer before June finally rolled around.

She got ready for school, put on her uniform, did her hair, and applied lip gloss. She even took a few heartbeats to clean her lenses. A jingle emitted from her phone before Chiyo had the chance to check her bag for everything she needed. The number was something Chiyo didn't recognize, but the ID was from Yusuke. "It's Kitagawa," Yusuke said as soon as Chiyo answered.

"I know," Chiyo said casually. "Caller ID."

"Ah… right." She heard Yusuke clear his throat. "I'm calling about Madarame's state. For the time being, he hasn't suffered a mental shutdown. Other than that, his demeanor seems to have softened a bit. Is that a change of heart?"

"I think so," said Chiyo. She unzipped her bag for Morgana to climb in. "If this is unusual for him, then I'd definitely say it's a good sign."

"I see…" murmured Yusuke. A softer Madarame likely wasn't the results he wanted. "I was curious and looked into Kamoshida as well. It's as if he was an entirely different person. Will the same be true for Sensei?"

Chiyo wasn't sure what else to say. They already told Yusuke what they knew, even with Kamoshida they didn't know for certain if it worked until he made a big show of it. But how much of that was because of who Kamoshida was underneath that scum she couldn't say. Was it just the way he was or was it an overwhelming urge to just confess and the assembly provided the opportunity?

"…I'm sorry to have taken your time," Yusuke said, taking Chiyo out of her thoughts. "That's all I wanted to tell you. I'll try asking him about the black-masked intruder from the Palace when the time is right. Goodbye then."

Chiyo's lips pursed to the side after Yusuke hung up. They had ten days before Madarame threatened to pursue legal action. But she stood by what she said, if Madarame was acting out of character, then that had to be a good sign that something happened.

Trying to push the thoughts out, Chiyo headed to school. Her train car was so crowded she needed to hug her bag close to her. She would have liked to take out her book. The main character had met with his childhood sweetheart, who was not the man's wife and mother of his children. And the main character had found himself entangled in an emotional affair with the other woman. But the train was too crowded for Chiyo to hold the book comfortably, never mind take it out of her bag.

"I saw someone famous in Shibuya yesterday," she heard someone whisper. She looked to see a couple of office workers. "That parliamentarian from when I was a kid… Toranosuke something."

"Oh! Toranosuke Yoshida. Or as most folks know him, 'No-Good Tora.' He hands out at train stations giving speeches these days, no one really pays him any mind."

The same politician Morgana seemed interested in? The one who at least seemed to care about the real issues?

"He used to be a rising star in politics, but wound up involved in scandal after scandal."

"Huh… Yeah, I saw him in line for food. It was weird seeing a politician eating at the same place as we do."

"Well, that's probably his new gimmick, right? Panderer to middle-class, working people."

Mishima: Not trying to push you or anything…
Mishima: But the Phan-site's been getting more and more requests about that bully I mentioned before.
Mishima: Most from the same person, too.
Mishima: I bet the Phantom Thieves could do something about it!
Chiyo: Bet they could.
Mishima: The bully is a brown-haired guy frequently seen standing out front of the school.
Mishima: From what I can tell, his name is Daisuke Takanashi.
Mishima: I know you can do this!

Chiyo dared to glance up at Kawakami as she continued her lecture. She was mentioning a few copyright laws, using the example of how a French author once used Sherlock Holmes without the permission of Arthur Conan Doyle and later got around this by calling the character Herlock Sholmes.

Chiyo: You guy's think we should introduce Yusuke to Mementos?
Ryuji: Oh, yeah. We still gotta do that.
Ann: Didn't Mishima tell us about someone getting mentioned in the forums?
Chiyo: Yeah, it sounds like it's getting worse.
Chiyo: We should take care of this ASAP and take Yusuke along.
Ann: I'll drop him a message, see if he's busy after school.

After school, they met up at the walkway in Shibuya station. They managed to weave together an explanation of Mementos to him. As much as they could with four people injecting something in, anyway. They explained the bullying situation to Yusuke; when they were all in agreement, Ryuji booted up the Nav.

The lights above them slowly turned to a red hue and the people around them disappeared. The change in their attire was instantaneous, as they headed deeper into the station. "The target's really in here, huh?" Panther asked, thinking aloud.

"Definitely," said Mona. "I'm sensing them deeper than before, but their presence is certainly here."

"All right then." Skull brought his fist into his open palm. "Let's get lookin' for 'em!"

Within minutes, Mona had transformed into a van and the other four climbed in. Being in her right mind, Joker was made driver once again; Skull got into the passenger seat at her side, while Fox and Panther got in the back. "No complaints, I'm not licensed," Joker said, glancing at Fox over her shoulder. "And I haven't taken any classes either."

There was a slight lurch when Joker put Mona in drive. She hadn't considered getting a driver's license in the past, though both Eiichi and Ryou were licensed. Perhaps Ryou would have had Chiyo focus on that when she retired from gymnastics, though Joker always had the inkling Ryou was hoping that would be in her mid-twenties. She never put much stock into what she would do after retirement, she still would have been young.

Driving down the Path of Qimranut, Mona usually forced them all out when they came across a Shadow. Or whenever he sensed items they could pawn off. They still needed to pawn the items found in Madarame's Palace, and split the money made. They found some of the flowers Jose was looking for and stopped every now and then to gather them.

The Shadows in Qimranut were all ones the original four had fought before in Kamoshida's Palace and all Joker had in her arsenal at one point or another. However, as Mona revealed, they had originally overlooked a few pieces of valuables the first time around.

"Think we'll run into Jose again?" Panther asked as they arrived in Aiyatsbus.

"That's the boy you mentioned, right?" asked Fox. "The one who drove off into the depths on a buggy?"

"Yeah. No idea what his deal is." Skull tilted his head back on his seat. "Somethin' about drinking flowers."

"I don't think he's drinking flowers literally," Joker pointed out. "I think it's just an abstract concept given physical form in this place. Tends to be how things work in this world."

"I hope he's doing okay," muttered Panther. "He's just a little taller than Mona in this world so maybe he can hide easier than any of us."

They found a piece of Onyx before they found Takanashi in the second area of Aiyatsbus. He stood at the far end of the room, red veins growing above him. Had Nakanohara had something similar? Joker couldn't remember now.

"So that's Takanashi's Shadow, huh?" Mona mused as the others got out of the van. He poofed back into his bipedal form seconds after.

"From what I heard, he's mostly blackmailin', takin' money from people, that kinda thing," explained Skull.

Panther said, "So, it sounds like we got here in time."

"Let's go," Joker said, leading the way.

Takanashi's Shadow was, as Mishima said, brown-haired, and dressed in the Shujin uniform. He was surrounded by black miasma rising about as high as his waist. "It's not my fault!" he roared. "It's there for not standing up for themselves!"

"How's it their fault when you don't give 'em any choice?" demanded Skull.

"Fuck off!" Takanashi snapped. "You're all ganging up on me, too! Are you phantom thieves some kind of gang? Protectors of justice, my ass! Don't act high and mighty with me when you don't know anything!"

With his rage taking over, Takanashi's body started to twist and convulse. Black and red miasma took hold of Takanashi, pulling him to the floor. A few heartbeats later, a Jack Frost came shooting out in Takanashi's place. "You're the one who doesn't know anythin'," Skull retorted calmly. Without looking away from the Shadow, he slung his rod over his shoulder. "Let's get 'em!'

"I already told you, I didn't do anything wrong," Takanashi pleaded as the Phantom Thieves circled around him with their weapons drawn. "Listen to me, dammnit!"

It was a little humorous to hear Takanashi's anger, juxtaposed with the ever-present toothy smile of Pyro Jack. It was not made better when Takanashi drew back and a boxing glove on an accordion arm punched Skull. He started wheezing, a hand wrapped around his abdomen as he fell to his knees.

"Now you're just throwing a tantrum," Fox said with a hint over the hiss of his katana. He was elegant as he approached Takanashi and sliced his blade into the Shadow.

Slowly, and groaning all the while, Skull eased himself back onto his feet. He kept a hand over his stomach area. "That hurt, jackass!" he roared, summoning Captain Kidd.

Captain Kidd maneuvered his ship like a suffer on the wave. The bottom of the ship slammed into Takanashi, sending him rearing back momentarily. Panther summoned Carmen soon after, striking Takanashi with a fire attack.

After Mona and Joker followed up Panther's attack with melee attacks, he started hopping up and down. Still bearing that toothy smile. When he stopped his tantrum, his body began to twitch slightly, Joker suddenly reared back, feeling something hit her in her stomach. Her stomach suddenly felt empty, making her feel a little sick.

Pulling herself together, she caught sight of Goemon whacking Takanashi with his smoke pipe. She summoned Orobos and had it attack Takanashi with a fire attack. With another Agi attack from Carmen, Takanashi was pulled into a puddle of Miasma, spat back out as a human boy. He hung his head, his hands balled up at his sides and shoulder up to his ears. "If I don't do it…" he said pitifully, "they're gonna hurt me. I don't want people taking my money from me anymore!"

"What're you talkin' about?" questioned Skull.

"If I don't go after him, I'm the one who's gonna get bullied!"

"Oh, I get it now," exhaled Panther. "There's an even bigger bully – ordering this guy around – who's behind all this.

"C'mon!" groaned Skull. He crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing Takanashi. "Didn't you just say it's people's own fault for not standin' up for themselves?"

"That's… er…" Takanashi avoided eye contact with the group before his hands abruptly slapped together in a prayer gesture. "Please help me!"

Exhaling through her nose, Joker tilted her head back. By all accounts, this really was something they should try to look into. If this person was getting Takanashi bad enough to show up in Mementos, it's possible the mastermind might be crossing a few lines. "Yeah," she said through a sigh. "We'll take care of things."

"Thank you! You wonderful phantom thieves!"

"Fickle fellow, isn't he?" Mona muttered under his breath.

"Or weak-willed," added Fox.

"I'm counting on you… Don't forget you guys promised!

Skull waved his hand back and forth. "Fine. But you better apologize to those people you bullied!"

A bright light shone from Takanashi's chest. The Shadow began to disappear, leaving the bud behind. When Joker took the bud into her hand, she was surprised to find a bottle of protein. "Well, it's useful," Mona pointed out.

"That went well!" Panther stretched her arms over her head. "We should probably head back if there's nothing else to do."

"To think a labyrinth as this exists," Fox mused, gripping his chin in thought. "The mysteries of this other world just pile up one after another. Will we even know if we changed Takanashi's heart?"

"Last time the person who sent the post made an update," said Joker. "So, if we're lucky something similar might happen. Hm… Not sure what he ought to assume if they don't update…"

"We have the convenience of Takanashi going to Shujin Academy," Mona said, giving himself enough space between himself and the others before he transformed. "We probably shouldn't stick around if we don't need to."

A low gurgling sound echoed around the area. Robotically, Skull, Panther, and Fox swerved their heads in Joker's direction. A red flush could be seen forming from under her mask. "Takanashi made me work up an appetite," she murmured.

"Ooh! We should head to the diner once we're out!" Panther suggested. "A nice meal for a job well done!"

"I'm afraid I will have to pass," said Fox.

"Why's that?" asked Skull.

"My findings are a little… tight."

"That shouldn't be a problem," said Joker. "We agreed to split the money made from fallen Shadows amongst ourselves. There should be enough between the Shadows in Madarame's Palace and today."

A shadow in Fox's eyes lifted. "Well, then I guess I'll have to rescind my previous statement."

Another gurgling sound echoed, this time from Fox. "Ha!" cheered Joker. "It's not just me."

Upon leaving Mementos the group relocated to the diner, where Chiyo ordered herself a plate of yakisoba. She couldn't tell if whatever attack Takanashi hit her with was still making her hungry, or if she simply worked up an appetite on her own. Her stomach was still feeling empty to the point where she felt a little sick.

After the waitress took their orders, yakisoba for Chiyo, they counted up and split the money from Madarame's Palace and the day's journey through Mementos. The five of them ended up with a share of about seventeen hundred yen each. "Won't this affect the economy?" Yusuke asked, staring at the wad of paper notes and coins handed to him.

"Hey, it's better money than what you'd prolly get at a part-time job," Ryuji said casually.

That much was true. Chiyo wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep up with her phone payments with her Triple Seven pay. The Metaverse money was proving to be a lifesaver.

Iwai gave Chiyo a peculiar look as she placed each time on the counter. A picture scroll, a hannya mask, pieces of onyx and pearls, pieces of copper, silver, and gold. Chiyo knew how odd the pile looked. Iwai's gaze wandered from the pile to Chiyo, and back. "You have your secrets, I have mine," she said simply.

"Fair enough," he muttered. After surveying the whole thing, she handed Chiyo about twenty-three hundred. "Kinda hard to pass you off as a regular customer and worker when you bring this random shit in. I'm s'posed to be runnin' an honorable business here, y'know."

"Are you technically even allowed to hire a minor in a store like this?"

He didn't answer her, instead, put the pile of items away. He stood up and crossed his arms over his chest. "Though honestly," he said at length, " the customers've been runnin' a little thin lately."

Instinctively, Chiyo half-turned. Sure enough, the store was empty and she couldn't remember the last time she came in with any other customer in the store. True, all things considered, it may have been the easiest way for the two of them to make their deals. But she hadn't seen enough to keep business afloat. "Now that you mention it," she muttered.

"Some guy on the internet's been claimin' all my goods're knock-offs. And once you've got a bad rap like that, it's real tough to shake it."

Slowly, Chiyo nodded. A true statement if she ever heard one. "I understand that," she murmured.

"Hmph, a kid like you?" Iwai asked dismissively.

"You don't know what I've been through!" she snapped. Her outburst caused Iwai to take a half-step back. If that didn't betray the innocent school girl he wanted to pass her off as.

He exhaled through his nose and readjusted his cap. "I guess you wouldn't be doin' any of this if you were perceived as some upstanding citizen, huh," he murmured. "Don't gimme any details though. I don't wanna know."

"Because it's different for guys," Chiyo said without thinking.

"Because I've got my secrets, you've got yours. As you said earlier. Anyway," Iwai said through a sigh, "I should prolly fill you in on what's goin' on here since you'll be helpin' me out. I'd bet anythin' the guy behind that rumor is Tsuda. You remember his name from the diner, yeah?"

Chiyo nodded.

"Truth is, he's a lieutenant in the Hashiba Clan."

"As in…" Chiyo began slowly.

"Yeah. That was the same clan I was in… back when I was part of the yakuza."

A slight chill ran through Chiyo's blood. "I knew you were a thug," she said calmly.

"Heh, you got some nerve," Iwai responded with a slight hint of mirth.

"I keep coming back here, doesn't it?"

"Fair enough. Anyways, Tsuda was my sworn brother back in the clan. I got some… unsavory business goin' down with him now though. Problem is, I'm a known quantity in the underworld. One bad step and I'd have guys crawlin' all over me. That's why I've got you around."

"Huh?"

"You look normal, sure… but you got pluck, kid. Makes you perfect for snoopin' on Tsuda." He paused for a moment. "Hope I ain't scarin' you off with this talk."

Chiyo was a little surprised to find that she wasn't scared. Though, if this deal between her and Iwai got any further, she was certain that she'd be freaking out if he didn't tell her what she was getting into sooner. Was the yakuza really that different from the people they were targeting in the Metaverse? "Not really," she said.

Tutting, Iwai crossed his arms again. "I hate weak answers like that."

"Would you rather I just say no?"

"See, that's what I mean by pluck. You get the gist of what's goin' on now, yeah? You'll be workin' with that in mind."

"Well, I'd rather know everything about what I was getting myself into, than not."

The door suddenly creaked open. "H-Hello…?"

Chiyo turned her attention towards the door to find a black-haired boy wearing a black gakuran uniform. He was younger than Chiyo. Either a third-year middle school student or first-year high school. The boy's black, wire-frame glasses shielded his dark eyes. He was certainly not the type Chiyo expected to wander into this place. "I thought I told you to stop comin' around here," Iwai said, glaring at the boy.

"But..." the boy said meekly.

"Should you really be talking to customers like that?" Chiyo asked irritably.

"You keep your mouth shut," Iwai grumbled. "This ain't none of your business." He turned his attention back to the boy. "Just go home n' study, Kaoru. You've got entrance exams comin' up, remember?"

Oohh…

Really? Chiyo hadn't pegged Iwai as the family man type.

The boy's gaze traveled to the floor. There was something else he wanted to say to Iwai. "Okay…" he murmured. "Guess I'll be going then…"

Without another word, the boy dipped out of the store. Iwai kept his eyes on the door until he saw the boy walk off. He sighed, crossing his arms again. "That's Kaoru," he explained, "my son. He's always askin' me if he can help out here, always worrin' about what I'm gettin' up to."

Chiyo took an estimated guess and assumed Iwai was unmarried. A wife or partner would have had the same concerns as Kaoru. Unless this theoretical person was part of the yakuza life too… which Chiyo thought wasn't that relieving. But given that Iwai was being honest right now, she got the feeling Iwai would have said if he had a wife or was committed to someone.

The man sighed, a full one through the chest as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I prolly shouldn't be tellin' a kid like you about this…"

"I know you said you don't want it, but would you like me to share my baggage and make us even?" she asked.

Iwai chuckled briefly. "Nah."

Friday, May 27th

School had gone by slowly. The only highlight was from Mishima messaging Chiyo to let her know that Takanashi was caught apologizing to his victims, though he looked scared out of his mind while doing it. It must have been the other guy Shadow Takanashi mentioned. So Chiyo asked Mishima to keep an eye out for anyone who might have been similar to Takanashi, or even a request from Takanashi himself.

Without much else to do after school, Chiyo went to work at Triple Seven. She put on her best, polite smile and attitude and rang up the customers as they approached her. "Hey, Yoyo!" she heard. Ryuji, wearing his casual clothes, was at the door. He walked up to the counter, just close enough so he didn't get in the customer's way. "Dude, I didn't know you work here."

"Gonna use up that money before I know it," Chiyo said with a slight shrug. "Girl's gotta eat."

"Tell me 'bout it. Still, this is kinda exciting. Alright, I'll see you when I'm ready to pay."

She waved off Ryuji as he took off down the aisle. A couple of customers came up to the register before Ryuji finished his shopping. He came up with a couple of packs of ramen and a couple of bottles of flavored water. "Ramen is the way to go when you're hungry, amirite?" he said, fishing his wallet out of his pocket. "I'm all about the carbs."

"I usually like something hot when I'm hungry," Chiyo said, exchanging Ryuji's bag for the money.

Saturday, May 28th

That morning Ryuji sent Chiyo a text message asking her if she wanted to meet up after school and to bring some clothes to workout in after she replied with yes. The only thing Chiyo had that counted as "workout clothes" were her gymnastics training clothes. A comfortable short-sleeved black and pink shirt, and matching, stretchy Capri pants. She just didn't have any of her own shoes for this sort of workout, just her gym shoes. Which she ended up taking along with her. Would it be worth getting a pair of sneakers for these sorts of things?

She headed to school with a bag that was particularly full with Morgana inside. During the last leg to Shujin, Chiyo started to see more and more students in matching uniforms. She found herself trailing behind a boy and girl.

"Oh yeah, the cleanup event is the day after tomorrow," the girl said through a groan. "My class has to go in the opposite direction of Inokashira Park."

"I'm kinda looking forward to it," the boy admitted. "That honor student is in my group."

"Huh? What is she like, your type or something?"

"No. I'm not attracted to crazy. I just want to see how off her rocker she really is."

"Wait, are you talking about the same honor student who told a volleyball girl that she should have handled Kamoshida on her own? God, what a bitch."

"Yeah, totally tasteless. I just want to see if she's still pretending like nothing happened."

What the heck were they talking about?

Shit, she almost forgot about the cleanup event with everything going on. A thinly veiled PR stunt…

Chiyo met with Ryuji outside after school. He found them an alternative for training and led them through Shibuya. Chiyo caught sight of the older politician making a case for something or other. Ryuji took them to a gym beside Big Bang Burger. There was an advertisement outside with a silhouetted bodybuilder flexing his muscles. "Here we are, Protein Lovers gym!" Ryuji said, announcing their arrival.

'That name kind of sucks,' was Chiyo's immediate thought.

"Don't you gotta pay to get into gyms?" she asked uneasily.

"Well, yeah. But won't the benefits be worth it?"

"…Yeah…" When did Chiyo become this much of a penny-pincher?

"But, hey. You don't gotta worry about any bullshit contracts or nothin' at this place. It's pay per visit."

"Oh… I guess that makes things a little easier."

"The equipment's kinda crappy, but they got tons of variety. Plus, it's real damn cheap. Totally worth it, even without a pool or hot tub."

'Do I have to worry about medical bills from crappy equipment, though?'

The women's locker room had a fluorescent light that was flickering on and off repeatedly. She felt like she needed to look over her shoulder every five seconds with the incessant flickering. Much like PE at school, Chiyo opted to pull her hair back into a full ponytail. The sleeves of her shirt were so short it was almost a tank top, and her pant legs went partway down her calves.

Chiyo studied herself in the full-length mirror propped against the wall before she headed out of the locker room. If she hadn't dyed her hair, she would have looked something like herself before all this happened. But it was the little things that gave it away. Her PE sneakers, her glasses, the few pounds she put on while on her instant ramen diet.

Her stomach started to hurt when she realized she had put on a little weight. Ryou would put her on the Russian gymnast diet without a second thought if she saw Chiyo now. She tried to take a deep breath in, she tried to tell herself that it didn't matter anymore. Even if she parted with Ryou on better terms, chances were, her gymnastics career was done the instant the cuffs were on her wrists.

She met Ryuji outside the locker rooms. He had on a teal blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his shoulder and blue track pants with the legs rolled up just below his knees. When Chiyo walked out, Ryuji scrutinized her with his lips pursed to the side. Suddenly she wondered what he would have said if she came in in her gymnastic leotard. Frilly and sparkling, and going commando underneath.

They were able to get onto a couple of treadmills side-by-side. She was never really fond of treadmills, always half expecting to trip up and go launching off the thing.

Thirty minutes later, Ryuji was bent over double, his hands on his thighs as he tried to catch his breath. "My form's… comin' back..." he panted, "but I don't got… any stamina…"

"Sakamoto?"

A young man approached the two. His skin was tanned from being outdoors, his brown hair cut short. "Ikeda-senpai!" gasped Ryuji. "Goornin'!"

"Don't you mean 'good morning?'" Ikeda corrected. "Never mind that it's early evening. You're as eloquent as ever, Sakamoto."

"Heck yeah, man! I've been studyin' my words n' shit!"

Chiyo couldn't help the snicker that slipped out. Some of that had to be intentional on Ryuji's part. "Of course you have," chuckled Ikeda. "And you don't need to call me senpai anymore. I've already graduated, remember?

Ikeda paused for a moment and finally took notice of Chiyo. Her gaze slowly wandered off to the corner when she realized Ikeda was staring at her. "I haven't seen you before..." he mused. "Were you on the track team?"

"Chiyo's a transfer student," Ryuji explained. "By the time she showed up, the track team was already… well, y'know."

"Speaking of which, how's your leg?"

"Eh, I'm managin'… What 'bout you, senpai? You still runnin'."

"I actually joined my university's track team. You'd think I wouldn've quit entirely after what happened…"

Uneasily, Ryuji dropped his head and started to rub the back of his neck. "About that, I'm real sorry…"

"No." Ikeda shook his head. "I should be the one apologizing. I was supposed to be the leader of our team, yet I just resigned myself to Kamoshida's will…"

"That's 'cause you needed him to write your letter of rec, right? You were just lookin' out for your future… but I still managed to eff it up anyways."

"Kamoshida clearly never interested in writing my letter of recommendation. You were just his excuse not to. And honestly, I enjoy where I am now. The track team isn't anything special, but it's perfect for me. So in truth, I should be thanking you for what you did, Sakamoto."

"Senpai…"

"I've always regretted not doing more to protect you guys… But I heard some good news recently. The Shujin track team's being reinstated!"

Chiyo's brow rose, Ryuji took a half-step back. "For real?!" he questioned loudly.

"I mean, Kamoshida confessed all the horrible stuff he did, right?" Ikeda shrugged. "I guess the school got the old team together and told them they want to try starting it up again."

"Nobody told me about that," murmured Ryuji.

"Odd… The rumors got as far as me, and I'm not even a student anymore. Anyway, I heard they're going to get Yamauchi as their new advisor."

"Yamauchi? That Yamauchi?!"

"Yup, the one who was basically Kamomshida's lapdog. Apparently, he volunteered. He's really enthusiastic about pulling the track team up from the ashes."

"He is…?" Ryuji asked uneasily.

"You know, now that the team is being reinstated, there's no need for any bad blood, right? Why don't you go talk to the team? I'm sure they could use someone with your passion."

"…Yeah."

"Well," Ikeda said, clearing his throat. "I probably shouldn't keep either of you. It was nice running into you, Sakamoto."

"Yeah," Ryuji said with a wave of his head as Ikeda walked off. He tilted his head back and released a sigh. "So the track team's comin' back…Good for them."

"You seem a little conflicted," said Chiyo.

"Nah, not really… For real though, I'm glad the team's comin' back. It's sweet that Nakaoka and them can start trainin' again. But I'm still worried 'bout their advisor, Yamauchi. He's basically Kamoshida lite."

"So he's an asshole?"

"Basically. He'd always yell at us at practice, but then be a huge kiss-ass when our parents were around. I can't believe a moron like that's gonna be advisin' the track team. He doesn't even teach PE!"

"If that's the case wouldn't Iwasaki be a better option for this?" asked Chiyo.

"Probably. But thinkin' about it, it wouldn't surprise me if someone thought this was too much for a first-timer. Yamauchi's gotta be up to something." Pausing for a moment, Ryuji rotated his shoulder. "I'll do some research… There's a chance I'm gonna need your help too, mkay? You'd be free to lend me a hand if I need it, yeah. I'll be countin' on you!"

"Yeah," Chiyo replied with a nod.

…

Chiyo ended up showering at the gym when she and Ryuji finished up. At Leblanc she made herself instant ramen, still waiting on Sojiro's answer one way or another. Then changed into her nightclothes. She took a few moments to enjoy the calm serenity of her star light when her phone started to buzz.

Ryuji: Hey any of you doin' anything tomorrow?
Ann: Not really.
Chiyo: No.
Yusuke: I should be able to get away.
Ryuji: Wanna catch a movie?
Ann: Ooh! I'm in!
Chiyo: What movie?
Ryuji: I dunno. We'll pick something when we get there.
Yusuke: Are we meeting at the theater, or…?
Ann: How about Buchiko?
Chiyo: Sound's good.
Yusuke: I'll look forward to it.

Sunday, May 29th

Chiyo and Morgana headed for Shibuya late that morning. On the train, she got a message from Mishima asking to meet up later that evening. She replied that she would be happy to. Yusuke and Ryuji were already waiting at Buchiko. Ryuji was looking at his phone, seeing what was playing at Toyo Cinema. "It's sort of embarrassing, but I don't even know what's playing in general," Yusuke admitted.

"Really?" inquired Ryuji.

"It's usually a frivolous exception. Takes up time that could be used for painting."

Chiyo couldn't remember the last time she went to see a movie either. Not in theaters anyway. And even then, all she remembered was an outing she went out with Ryou and Eiichi when she was about seven or eight. In hindsight, it may have been one of her parents' last attempts to make their marriage work and be a happy family before they settled on the divorce. Or maybe it was just one last nice thing for Chiyo before they told her they were getting a divorce. She couldn't remember how much time passed between the two events.

They didn't tell Chiyo where they were going that day, just told her to dress nice enough and get into the car. She didn't know how long they were driving for, though Eiichi asked Ryou if they would arrive in Tokyo with enough time for them to stretch their legs. "I already told you we would," Ryou said snippily. "And yes, we'll have enough time to eat, too. Can't just listen to me…"

"Where are we going?" Chiyo asked from the back seat.

"You'll see," was Ryou's response.

After they parked the car, Chiyo stayed close to Ryou, staring at the sights around her. They first took her to a restaurant where Ryou ordered her water to drink and a cut of chicken and vegetables. When they got their meals Ryou took a look at Chiyo's chicken and cut off the fatty bits. After dinner, late afternoon had fallen. Ryou and Eiichi lead her to an all-black building. Yellow cat eyes plastered overhead and large, white Western characters hung over the entrance. C-A-T-S. Was this some sort of cat cafe?

Inside Chiyo was met with rows upon rows of seats surrounding a darkened stage. Some of those seats were already occupied and casual chatter amongst groups had filled the room. Chiyo took in the sights before her as Eiichi and Ryou tried to find where their seats were. Ryou took a hold of Chiyo's hands and led them to their seats in one of the center rows. She was seated sandwiched between her mom and dad. "What is all this?" Chiyo asked, still looking around.

"You'll see," Ryou said again. She did not sound like she was trying to preserve any wonder or whimsy in their surprise, but was just trying to get Chiyo to stop asking questions. "Sit still."

Eventually, the lights faded off, save for a light from the band pit. Steadily, the band started to play music. It was a creepy tune, but also kind of whimsical. Slowly, a set of lights turned on towards the end of the room, revealing a stage made to look like a junkyard. The music came to a stop, Chiyo heard a car passing as the lights moved as though headlights were passing by. She could see people moving about on stage, some on the floor, while others stayed on the trash set.

The music was bouncy and whimsical as the actors got into place. There was a moment of silence, and then…

"Are you blind when you're born?"

"Can you see in the dark?"

"Dare you look like a king?"

"Would you sit on his throne?"

They had taken her to see a musical about a tribe of cats. And the audience got to bear witness to their annual ball where one of them would be chosen to go to the Heaviside Layer and be given a new life. Each number was about one of the various cats in the tribe, where the performers were required to both dance and perform a little acrobatics.

In hindsight, Chiyo could see why Ryou brought Chiyo to see this Western musical in particular. It was a dance-heavy show, it was a form of motivation for Chiyo. "You want to be like those dancers, don't you?"

Was that manipulative?

Did it count as being manipulative when Chiyo liked the musical as much as she did?

At present, they didn't decide on a movie until Ann arrived. There was a drama she wanted to see about a young man with terminal cancer entering a sort of Faustian bargain to extend his life. They ended up seeing that one due to Morgana putting his vote in. "I want to see the movie, too," Morgana said as the group headed to the theater.

"How am I supposed to make it so you can see without looking like I'm trying to bootleg the thing?" Chiyo asked. "Hope the theater is empty enough to put my bag in an empty chair?"

"That's not a bad idea," said Ann. "If the theater's empty enough…"

"And if it's not?"

"Can we pass Morgana around between us every now and then?" offered Yusuke.

"Wouldn't that be more suspicious?" questioned Ryuji.

In the end, it didn't matter. The theater was empty enough for Chiyo to put her bag in an empty seat. It did little to put Chiyo's mind at ease on the subject. If she ended up going to the movies again in a packed theater, what then?

The movie was a meditation on mortality, living every moment like it's your last, and the little moments that play a role in who you became. Not terrible, but hardly nuanced.

Mishima met with Chiyo in Shibuya where he brought her to the Wilton hotel. "Today's my treat!" Mishima declared giddily. "Phantom thieves are all about fancy stuff like this, right? That's why we're here!"

Could Mishima even afford this place?!

"Oh, and it's just the two of us, so don't be afraid to go all out! What do you wanna eat?"

"Uh…" Chiyo uttered. Even if she wasn't concerned about the money, she wasn't sure if a buffet was that great an idea. She swore she could still feel the excess weight from the last time she came in.

"I hear the cake here is like the prize gem of the buffet," Mishima continued, noticing Chiyo's discomfort. "The perfect mark for a phantom thief! I hear the meat and fish here is top-notch, too."

And Chiyo had popcorn and soda at the movies too on top of the near-daily instant ramen. Shit, Ryou would have murdered her twice over if she knew what Chiyo's diet had become.

"Anyway, I posted on the Phan-Site that I had connections to you guys," continued Mishima. "The Phandom really ate that up."

Wait, what?

"You…" Chiyo's voice trailed off. "Is that a good idea? We want to keep anonymity."

"Don't worry! I didn't say anything that would point to my real identity."

"What about where you go to school though…?"

"I did end up talking about how expensive it is to run our little organization though."

"That's not what I-"

"The donations I got after that were pretty… generous, to say the least."

"Wait, what?"

"But I guess our loving sponsors just wanted to show some support! Not bad for strategic management, huh?"

There was gooseflesh littering Chiyo's arms and the back of her neck. Dread hung over her like a rain cloud. "This… seems like something that could get out of hand fast," Chiyo said carefully.

Casually, Mishima waved a hand. "It's a piece of cake for someone as skilled as me," he said with a similar blasé attitude. "Let's take advantage of this windfall as much as we can! Oh, and it's okay to consider this meal an organizational expense, right?"

"Uh…" Maybe she should have brought Ann or Ryuji along on this. She suddenly felt like she was out of her element.

"Wait a minute," Mishima said at length. "I've seen on the news that using donations for stuff other than what's publicized is a serious crime… Food is definitely an acceptable business expense… but can the same be said of an expensive buffet…?"

Shuffling his feet, he slid his hands into his pockets. "The more I think about this whole thing, the less I think we should use the donations here. I mean, people would get mad at a politician for using tax money for personal affairs. The same probably applies to the Phantom Thieves. I guess returning the money would be the best choice…"

Oh, thank god!

"That would probably be the best way to go," Chiyo said breathily, her shoulders falling in relief.

"Yeah," Mishima drew the word out. "We really need to make sure we keep the image of the Phantom Thieves clean in our fans' minds. I think I'll return the money and thank the Phandom for their generosity. They'll love that!"

'Wouldn't have to do this if you didn't mention expenses in the first place,' Chiyo thought.

"They sure would," she said out loud.

"Yeah! It might be a waste of some nice resources but it's all good as long as it boosts our popularity, right?"

"I think you already know what the answer to that is."

Grinning, Mishima crossed his arms over his chest and started to nod his head rhythmically. "Man, maybe I was born to do this strategy stuff… I'm honestly getting pretty good at it."

'Dread. It's back…'

"Don't worry, I'm still gathering info on the forum too. I actually have a few solid leads right now. Everything so far has been close to home, but these next ones are gonna blow your socks off!"

Chiyo bit her lower lip. Maybe she should talk to Ryuji and Ann about this when they had a moment to themselves. For all Chiyo knew, she was worrying over nothing. "So… if I'm gonna return the money, what're we gonna eat now?" Mishima asked, his shoulders dropping. "I'm flat broke…"

Well, at least they were ending this conversation on a lighthearted note.

The Hanged Man Rank 3
The Chariot Rank 5
The Moon Rank 4

Author's Note: Finally got to another Mementos mission.

Cats is a pretty big musical in Japan. And I can't even say that surprises me. It's been playing since 1983 and still is as of this writing. There's even a purpose-built theater just to show Cats. Out of every Western musical I could have had Chiyo be into, I chose Cats specifically because it's a musical that involves a lot of dancing and acrobats, not unlike rhythmic gymnastics. I kind of imagine Chiyo's secret dream is dancing as Rumpleteazer.