Authors Note: After this chapter, updates will no longer be weekly, but bi-weekly instead.
Thank you all for reading, commenting, and other support you've given me!
They left the Metaverse, returning to the alley near the school.
"Good work, everyone." Makoto nodded. "We'll meet up again in a few days so we can finish the operation."
"Let me know when that is." Ann told her. "Ryuji and I are gonna have some crepes!"
"Man… do I really have to pay for all of this…" Ryuji muttered.
"It's the gentlemanly thing to do, Ryuji." Mona lectured.
"Yeah, be a gentleman, not a creepe!" Ren joked.
"... Becky still ain't gonna believe you're a dad just cause you tell dad jokes." Ryuji deadpanned.
"C-Come on, why do you have to bring that up?!" Ren stammered.
"Who's Becky?" Makoto asked.
"N-Never mind." Ren mumbled.
"Crepes do sound nice right now." Yusuke smiled. "Perhaps you could grab some for me as well."
"Do I look like I'm made of money?!" Ryuji snapped.
"Come oooon, Ryuji!" Ann grinned. "Going through that Palace made me really hungry."
"W-What about me, Lad-err… Ann?!" Morgana exclaimed. "W-We could have some sushi together. Or maybe we could take a walk through the park sometime."
"Aww, that sounds sweet!" Ann beamed.
Morgana gave a huge grin.
"Say, Makoto, do you take him for walks in the park like other pet owners do?" Ann asked.
Morgana gave a huge frown, drooping his head as Ryuji started snickering.
The group said their goodbyes and went their separate ways, leaving her alone with a dejected Morgana.
"I… I've been petzoned!" Morgana cried.
"There, there." Makoto comforted, picking up and holding Morgana close. "Do you still want to go to the park?"
"...Yeah." Morgana mumbled.
"Alright, let's go." she smiled.
They made their way to a small park in Shibuya. There weren't many people around, but she didn't mind the quiet. It allowed her to collect her thoughts while she took Morgana for a walk.
The only other person that she saw in the park was a man feeding a dog while sitting on a bench.
The man wore a tattered coat and jeans, and had a grey beard and messy grey hair.
The dog, on the other hand, looked absolutely horrible. It looked weak and hungry, its visible ribs showing how starved it was.
She walked over, a concerned look on her face.
"Is that… your dog?" she asked.
The man turned to look at her, a sad expression on his face.
"...No. Just a stray. Follows me around sometimes." the man answered. "Poor thing has nowhere to go. Kinda like me..."
"O-Oh." she stammered. "T-Then you're…"
"I'm homeless, yeah." the man admitted. "There are a lot of us around here…"
"Oh…"
"You a college student?" the man asked.
"High School." she answered. "I plan to go to college after I graduate."
"That's good." the man nodded. "You wouldn't want to screw up your future."
The man rose from the bench he was sitting on.
"It was nice meeting you." the man said. "Study hard, kid."
As he left, she noticed a bracelet falling out of his pocket.
She moved to grab the bracelet to hand it to him, but she saw him turn and reach for the bracelet with surprising speed, considering his age.
They both grabbed the bracelet at the same time, the man glancing at her for a few tense moments before his expression softened.
"Oh? Were you about to hand that back to me?" the man asked.
"Yes sir." she nodded. "I saw that it fell out of your pocket."
"Ah, I see. Sorry if I scared you." the man apologized. "I'm just a little jumpy these days, that's all."
"Oh, it's no problem." she insisted. "It was nice meeting you."
"Likewise." the man smiled. "Have a good day, kid."
The man walked away after saying goodbye, leaving her and Morgana alone.
"Wow, that guy had some really fast reflexes for an old man." Morgana commented.
"He did." she nodded. "It caught me off guard."
"Well, whatever." Morgana shrugged. "I'm going to go for a walk."
They stayed at the park for a little while longer before heading home.
6/5 Tuesday
Days Until Investigation: 4
As soon as she arrived at school, one of the teachers immediately approached her.
"Oh, Niijima-san! There you are!"
"Ms. Kawakami? Did you need something?" Makoto asked.
"We need you to be a chaperone." Kawakami explained.
"Chaperone?" Makoto repeated. "Chaperone for what?"
"Did they not tell you?" Kawakami asked. "Well… I suppose it's on pretty short notice. The second years are having a class trip to Hawaii in a few days."
"A class trip?" she asked. "I haven't even heard about this."
"Like I said, it was on very short notice." Kawakami muttered. "It was going to happen later, but they decided to bump up the date."
"I'm surprised the principal planned a field trip now all of a sudden." Makoto brought up.
Kawakami glanced around, as if wanting to make sure no one was listening in on them.
"Listen, you didn't hear this from me, but… well, I'm sure you heard the rumors about gang members, right?" Kawakami asked.
She nodded.
"Well, it's been getting very serious. Enough so that there are police coming to question some of the staff about it and… other things that have come up this year." Kawakami continued.
"I see. So you're short on staff, so you're asking people to join?" Makoto wondered.
"Just the third years." Kawakami clarified. "I know that you must be really busy practicing for your entrance exams, but we'd really appreciate this, and it would lo-"
"Look good to colleges. I know." Makoto said. "I think I'll be able to do it, but I'd have to ask my guardian."
"Oh, yeah, right!" Kawakami nodded. "Well, let me know your answer by tomorrow, then."
"I will."
"Good. It'll be happy to have some help dealing with the second years." Kawakami sighed. "I don't know how you do it, but you somehow manage to keep Sakamoto-kun and Amamiya-kun under control. I don't know if I'd be able to clean up their messes myself."
"You sound like their maid." Makoto joked.
Kawakami paled. "M-M-Maid?"
Makoto tilted her head in confusion. "I was just joking. Is something wrong, Ms. Kawakami?"
"N-No, of course not." Kawakami stammered. "I-I need to go."
Kawakami rushed away, leaving her alone.
That… was odd, Makoto thought.
She shook her head, heading to class.
After class ended for the day, she made her way to the student council room, news of the field trip on her mind.
"All right, now that everyone's here, we can start." Makoto began. "Have all of you heard of the field trip that's happening?"
"Oh yeah!" Kayo exclaimed. "Our teacher was telling us about it! I can't wait to go to Hawaii!"
"It's on pretty short notice, though, isn't it?" Daichi pointed out.
"One of the teachers told me it might be because the police are going to be investigating the staff about everything that's happened this year." Makoto explained. "I suppose… it would be good if lots of students are away while the whole gang problem gets sorted out."
"If only it wasn't so disorganized!" Chiaki scoffed. "It's happening in a few days, and most of us only found out today. There doesn't really seem to be a plan for what to do when they get there."
"U-Um… if most of t-the staff is getting q-questioned… t-then who's going with the students?" Akemi asked.
"Some of the teachers will be going too." Makoto informed him. "And some third years will be coming as chaperones."
"Oh, are you coming too, Niijima-san?" Kayo asked.
"They asked me too." Makoto nodded. "I'll probably be able to come too."
"Great!" Kayo chirped. "I've never been out of the country before, so this'll be super fun!"
"Just try to keep an eye on the other students. The teachers will be looking for any help they can get." Chiaki told them. "There are a bunch of troublemakers among the second years."
"I'll be sure to help out when I can." Makoto promised.
"Getting back to the police situation…" Daichi trailed off. "A lot of students heard rumors of it happening, so they're feeling very concerned. Is there anything that we can say to them?"
"I think… that if the police start interrogating the students… then we should encourage them to tell them the truth." Makoto answered. "The truth about what happened back in April, and what's happening now."
Chiaki nodded. "The principal probably won't like it, but it's for the best."
"C-Can we r-really go against the p-principal's orders?" Akemi gulped.
"Our duty, first and foremost, is to represent the student body." Makoto stated. "We can't let their voices be silenced."
"Then we'll do everything we can to help out the students that come to us." Daichi promised.
Makoto nodded. "Good. Now then, let's work out some more of the details…"
After finishing their discussion, the council meeting ended, herself, Daichi, and Chiaki staying behind.
"Will you two be chaperoning too?" Makoto asked.
"Nah, Akemi and Kayo are second years, so they'll be coming along." Daichi explained. "Can't have the entire council going."
"Besides, I can't go on a big field trip right now." Chiaki said. "I need to take care of my little siblings."
"Oh? You have younger siblings?" Makoto asked.
"...Yeah." Chiaki mumbled. "Three of them. All a bit younger than me. Anyways, I hope you won't spend all day lounging on the beach. We have a situation."
"I know." Makoto acknowledged. "I'll try to ask about the gangs while I'm in Hawaii."
"Good." Chiaki said.
"Don't worry, Prez." Daichi grinned. "Yasui-san and I will hold down the fort while the rest of you are gone."
"We'll ask the students still here about those gang members, while you can focus on the ones in Hawaii." Chiaki told her.
"Thank you, Ando-kun, Yasui-san." she expressed.
"I'm placing my trust in you, alright?" Chiaki said, the slightest hint of a smile on her face. "Don't disappoint me."
"Same to you." Makoto replied, smiling back.
Chiaki… and the rest of the council were counting on her. She couldn't let them down.
TOWER CONFIDANT: RANK 4
Chiaki left, leaving her alone with Daichi, who cleared his throat before speaking again.
"...Actually, there was one more thing I wanted to talk to you about, now that we're alone." Daichi said, his expression growing serious. "Let's go back to the council room."
She followed him back inside, curious as to what he had to say.
"What is it, Ando-kun?" she asked. "You sounded quite serious."
"You remember the bake sale, right?" Daichi asked.
She nodded.
"Well, earlier, I was checking the money we made from it… and I found out that someone stole the money we made."
"What?!" she gasped. "Someone stole the money we raised?!"
"Most of it, anyway. They left a little bit, oddly enough." Daichi answered.
"Do you have any idea who could have done this?" Makoto asked.
"Well, we locked up the money in a cabinet inside of here." Daichi told her. "And the only people who have a key to that cabinet are some members of the staff… and members of the student council."
"Then… do you think…?" Makoto trailed off.
"I don't know." Daichi shook his head. "But… we'll have to keep an eye out from now on. I hate to add more to your plate, Prez, but…"
"It's fine." she insisted. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention."
They discussed the issue for a bit longer before she went home.
"...Sis?"
The two sisters sat at the dinner table, eating the dinner that Makoto had prepared.
"What is it, Makoto?" Sae asked.
"There's a field trip to Hawaii for the second years." Makoto told her. "But they're a little short on staff, so they needed a few third years like myself to chaperone."
"That's good." Sae nodded. "The school will owe you. It'll look good to colleges."
"...Yeah." Makoto muttered.
"Something wrong?" Sae asked.
"It's nothing…" Makoto whispered.
There it was again. As if the only thing that mattered was building a reputation and getting into a good college.
"How's work, Sis?" Makoto asked, wanting to change the subject.
"I was actually going to talk to you about that." Sae told her. "Have you heard that the police are coming to your school."
She nodded. "I did. Wait… are you investigating that gang in Shibuya?!"
"That's right." Sae nodded. "I've been interrogating one of your fellow classmates that was caught transporting drugs. Now that we know that gangs are targeting your school, the police are getting involved."
"I see… I didn't think that you were involved." Makoto admitted.
"Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one involved." Sae grumbled. "The police have been dragging their feet this whole investigation."
"Really? They have?" she inquired.
"Never mind." Sae shook her head. "Just let me handle it, all right? And be careful. Don't spend time around anyone suspicious."
"Yes, sis…"
She finished her dinner, studying for a bit before going to bed.
6/6 Wednesday
Days Until Investigation: 3
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Makoto did her best to calm herself down as she walked to the date spot with Ren.
She didn't think she'd be this nervous. It couldn't be… that Ren was having this effect on her, right?
"You ok?"
She nearly squeaked as Ren startled her out of her thoughts.
"I suppose I'm just really nervous." she admitted. "I might just be overreacting… he could be a decent person."
Ren nodded. "Let's try to go into this with an open mind."
Makoto bit her lip, debating with herself on whether she should tell him what was on her mind.
"...Something's bothering you." Ren realized.
"Oh… you noticed." she whispered. "It's just… well, recently, the principal called my sister and told her about how I was spending time with you and 'other delinquents'."
"Oh." Ren simply said, frowning. "She probably didn't take that too well, huh?"
"I tried to stick up for you, but she wouldn't listen." Makoto sighed. "I know that she just wants what's best for me, but I wish she'd at least give you a chance."
"...That's why you agreed to the double date." Ren realized.
Makoto nodded, a sad smile on her face. "I'm worried about Eiko, but I don't want to dismiss her feelings. Her boyfriend could be a great guy, so I want to give him a chance."
"Yeah, maybe instead of a punk, he's a really cool and debonair guy." Ren smirked.
Makoto let out a giggle. "Or maybe he's a bit of a dork who tells too many bad puns."
"Hey now, at least this dork has a 'date'." Ren joked. "...Oh man, what would your sis' reaction be? If she saw us on our little 'date'."
"R-Ren, stop." she stammered, trying not to burst into laughter.
They continued joking around with each other until they reached their destination.
"Okay… so, here we are." Makoto muttered.
"Yeah…" Ren whispered.
"So…"
"Um…"
"I guess…
"We should go in?"
"Yeah."
They stepped inside of the diner, Eiko immediately spotting them and loudly gesturing them over.
Both of them nervously sat down at the table.
"Makoto! Renny!" Eiko beamed. "Tsukasa, these are the two I told you about!"
"Yo! My name's Tsukasa!" the man greeted. "Eiko's told me all about you two."
She took a moment to take in his appearance. He wore a white suit with blue roses and a red dress shirt underneath. He had brown hair and eyes, and an easygoing expression on his face.
"So, the two of you are going steady too?" Tsukasa asked.
"Y-Yeah." Makoto stammered, blushing a little.
Ren just nodded, his face also red.
"So, I hear that you're the student council prez, eh Makoto-chan?" Tsukasa asked.
Makoto-chan? That's a little too familiar, Makoto thought.
"I bet I'd be pretty cool to be one of your council members." Tsukasa continued.
"Y-Yeah…" Makoto stammered.
"Are you coming to the field trip, Miss Prez?" Eiko asked.
"I am. I had to ask my sister for permission, but she said yes." Makoto answered.
"Why your sister?" Eiko wondered.
"My sister… is also my guardian." Makoto explained.
"Oh, I see." Eiko nodded. "I asked because I was coming too."
"Really?" Makoto asked, surprised. "They asked you to chaperone?"
"Weeeelll… I may have told the staff that I was good friends with you, and had your approval!" Eiko giggled.
"E-Eiko!" she stammered.
"Hehehe…" Eiko nervously giggled. "To be honest… I was a little nervous about all these gangs that everyone's talking about. I even heard that the police are coming. I figure that it'll be nice to unwind for a bit, you know?"
"Aw, babe, you know I'd never let any of those punks lay a finger on you, yeah?" Tsukasa promised, wrapping an arm around her.
"Aww, Tsukasa!" Eiko beamed. "You're so sweet!"
"There's no need to worry Eiko." Makoto assured her. "I'm sure that the police well handle it. My sister is actually handling the case as a prosecutor."
To her surprise, Tsukasa seemed to take interest in that. "Your sister's a prosecutor going after gang members? That's pretty cool! What's her name?"
"Why do you ask?" Makoto wondered.
"Oh… um, I have, uh... a friend who's in law enforcement." Tsukasa excused. "Maybe he knows her."
"...Sae Niijima." she answered, not wanting to appear overly hostile.
"Well, that's good to hear." Eiko said. "Anyway, let's stop talking about that heavy stuff. Let's talk about other things… like your boyfriend."
"E-Eiko…" Makoto stammered.
"With how much you were crushin' on him earlier, I'm surprised you can keep your hands off of him!" Eiko laughed.
"I-I was not!" Makoto squeaked.
"Seriously, it's like your love level is rock bottom." Tsukasa commented. "Are you two seriously datin'?"
She nervously shifted in her seat. She couldn't have Eiko or Tsukasa finding out.
"W-We just started out." Ren quickly said. "This is our first date, actually."
"Y-Yeah!" Makoto nodded. "We're just a little nervous, is all."
Thankfully, that seemed to satisfy them. Still, it would be bad if they kept getting suspicious.
"Ren…" she whispered. "We should…"
"Copy them?"
"Yes. But be subtle."
Ren slowly raised his hand up to his mouth, letting out a yawn…
Before carefully reaching his arm around her.
That wasn't subtle at all!, she thought.
As he wrapped his arm around her and brought her a little closer, she could feel her face heating up.
Judging from Eiko's giggles, her face probably resembled a tomato at this point.
And now it felt like something was churning in her stomach.
What on Earth was going on with her?
"Hey, Babe, did you do something special today?" Tsukasa asked, turning to Eiko. "You look real sexy today!"
"Oooooh, Tsukasa." Eiko swooned.
Makoto could still feel her face heating up. It couldn't just be nerves, could it?
As Eiko left for the bathroom, she tried to calm down and focus on the mission.
"Tsukasa-san, I have to ask… how serious is your relationship with Eiko?" Makoto asked.
"Ah! There it is! I was wondering when you'd show your true colors!" Tsukasa grinned. "Eiko did say you were excited to meet me. What, you don't have a crush on me too, do ya?"
"W-What?! No!" she snapped. "I was just worried about Eiko."
"Makin' sure I'm a good guy then?" Tsukasa asked. "Daaaamn girl, you really care about your friends. That's cool. Anyway, a friend of my GF is a friend of mine."
"GF?" Makoto wondered.
"Girlfriend." Ren informed her.
"So, why don't we keep in touch?" Tsukasa asked. "What's your digits?"
"Digits?" Makoto asked. "You mean my cell phone number? I don't know…"
"What's wrong? Why not give me your digits?" Tsukasa asked.
"I, um…."
"Why not take my number?" Ren quickly interjected.
"I, uh… don't keep any guy's numbers." Tsukasa deadpanned, before turning to Makoto. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Eiko already gave me your number, Mako-chan."
"...Mako-chan?" Ren muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing.
This guy was definitely making her a bit uncomfortable…
"You're not going to bring Eiko into your club, are you?" Makoto asked.
"What, you're suspecting me?" Tsukasa replied. "I wouldn't dream of doin' that."
"Oh? Is something wrong?" Eiko asked.
"Nah, it's nothing." Tsukasa insisted. "Was just talkin' with your friend here. But I need to get to work soon."
"Alright, see you!" Eiko chirped.
As Tsukasa left, Eiko pulled Makoto aside.
"I'm soooo glad we decided to do this!" Eiko beamed. "I had a lot of fun."
"Yeah… me too." Makoto mumbled.
Eiko seemed very happy...
FAITH CONFIDANT: RANK 4
"Say… let's get you a nice swimsuit for the trip, ok?" Eiko grinned. "Something that'll get Glasses-kun's head turning."
"D-Don't say things like that!" Makoto insisted.
Eiko laughed, the two of them talking for a bit longer before she left, leaving her with Ren.
"I'm still a little worried…" Makoto admitted. "Still, I don't have proof, and Eiko seems happy…"
"Although that Tsukasa seemed a bit… overly friendly." Ren grumbled.
"Yeah… my suspicions about him are just a hunch, but my father always told me to trust my hunches." Makoto responded.
She felt her phone vibrating, and saw that Tsukasa had texted her.
"It's meeee, Tsukasa. *heart emoji*" Makoto began. "I no we just met but I cudn't wait 2 *phone emoji* u. I'm so haP to b friends with u MakoC. *clapping emoji* *clapping emoji* *hot springs emoji*"
She turned towards Ren. "Did you understand any of that?"
"It was barely a coherent sentence." Ren joked.
She nodded. "Thanks for helping me with this, Ren. I probably would have panicked if I did this on my own. I wish… I wasn't so immature when it came to this sort of thing."
"Hey, it's alright." Ren comforted. "I'm not really used to this either."
"I'm sorry, but… I might need to ask you to be my boyfriend for a little while longer..." Makoto trailed off.
"Heh… well, it's the role I was born to play." Ren grinned.
"Wha...?! Stop teasing me!" she stammered.
Ren let out a nervous chuckle, as her face flushed red again, and her stomach started fluttering again.
Why on Earth was she getting so nervous now…?
Come to think of it… this wouldn't be the first time that this had happened.
There had been several times when she was near Ren when her face suddenly flushed, her stomach felt like there were butterflies in it, and sometimes, it felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest.
And again, it all happened around Ren.
Her eyes widened.
There was… only one explanation.
"Hey, Makoto, is everything ok?" Ren asked.
"R-Ren, I…" she stammered. "I… I think I…"
"You think what?"
"I… think I've f-fallen…"
"F-F-Fallen… for someone?!" Ren stammered.
"...ill."
"Huh?"
"I've fallen ill." Makoto told him. "That must be the explanation. Which reminds me… are you sick too, Ren?"
"No, I'm fine. Why?" Ren asked.
"Really? That's odd. I thought that I might have caught something from you." Makoto admitted.
"Well, if you aren't feeling well, I know a good doctor." Ren told her. "Wanna get checked out?"
"That might be for the best." Makoto admitted. "Lead the way."
Ren brought her to a small clinic in an alley. It looked a little shady, if she were being honest, but if Ren said it was good, then she was sure it would be fine.
They opened the door, seeing a young woman with blue hair inside.
If it weren't for the lab coat, she would never have guessed that she was a doctor. She looked more like a goth...
"Hey Doc!" Ren greeted. "Makoto isn't feeling too well. Could you check up on her?"
"Makoto…" the doctor trailed off. "So you must be the one my little guinea pig keeps muttering about when he's under the influence of my drugs."
"H-Hey!" Ren stammered. "Does patient confidentiality mean nothing to you?!"
The doctor simply let out a laugh. "I'm Tae Takemi. Why don't you follow me to the back?"
She did just that, Ren waiting in the front area.
"So… what seems to be the problem?" Takemi asked.
"Well… lately I've been feeling a little strange." Makoto confessed. "My face starts heating up, my stomach feels a little funny, and my heart beats really fast."
"I see… when did this start happening?" Takemi asked.
"Well, at first I thought that I had caught it from Ren." Makoto told her. "It normally happens around him."
Takemi raised her eyebrow. "Is that so…?"
"It tends to happen when he teases me, or when he gets really close to me." Makoto continued.
The doctor stared at her for a few moments before an amused smile started to play at her lips.
"...Yup, you're sick alright." Doctor Takemi bluntly stated.
"W-What?!" she stammered. "It's not serious, is it?"
"The most serious case I've ever seen." Takemi smirked.
"W-Why are you smiling?! Can you do something to help?!"
"I'm afraid that no doctor or medicine can cure this type of sickness." Takemi said, holding back a laugh.
"N-No… you can't cure it? What kind of disease is this?!" she exclaimed.
Takemi smiled. "You're lovesick."
"...Excuse me?"
"You. Are. In. Love." Takemi emphasized.
"I... I…WHAT?!" Makoto gasped, starting to blush.
"I don't really have anything to help you with your little crush… well, unless you count contraceptives." Tae said offhandedly.
"C-C-Contraceptives?! Y-You mean for… for… for se-"
"Alright. Calm down." Takemi urged. "If your face gets any redder, you'll have steam coming out of your ears."
"R-Really?" Makoto stammered.
"No. That was a joke." Tae smiled. "Anyway, if that's all, then you're good to go."
"So I'm not sick at all...I-I am so sorry for wasting your time!" Makoto apologized.
"Don't worry about it." Tae said, waving her off. "It was pretty amusing."
"At least let me pay you!" Makoto insisted.
"No need. I owe my guinea pig a few favors." Tae told her. "And also…"
"Hmm?"
"Some advice… if you don't tell him soon, you may end up regretting it later." Tae told her.
"R-Right…" Makoto mumbled.
She left the room, seeing that Ren was waiting for her.
"Everything ok?" Ren asked.
"Y-Yeah." she stammered. "I'm healthy. I guess it's just the summer heat that's making me uncomfortable."
Thankfully, Ren seemed to buy it.
He left the clinic, and she moved to follow.
"Good luck!" Takemi called.
She gave a small groan, leaving the clinic.
She said goodbye to Ren and went home, wondering if the doctor was really right about her having a crush…
Ren was her best friend. She couldn't actually have a crush on him, right…?
"You said you had some information?"
Tsukasa glanced up from the seat in his club, empty except for him and several gang members glaring at him.
"Tch… you're just some goons." Tsukasa muttered. "I said I wanted to talk to the boss."
"You're just a damn club host!" the gangster snapped. "What could you possibly have that the Boss needs?"
"How about the name of the prosecutor who's investigating his gang?" Tsukasa smirked. "Will that do?"
The gang members all seemed surprised. "What?! How the hell… you better not be lying!"
"What, you think I lie to Yakuza bosses for fun? That I have a death wish?" Tsukasa scoffed. "Why the hell would I lie to the man for no reason?!"
The Yakuza members started muttering amongst themselves before turning to face him.
"Follow us." the man said.
The gang members led him to their car, and they drove off to a hidden away part of Shibuya.
He knew that, recently, there had been mounting pressure from the public for the police to do something about the gangs in Shibuya, and their drug and sex trafficking operations.
A tipping point had been when it had been discovered that high schoolers were getting involved.
So the prosecutor who was investigating them was a major thorn in their side.
He could only hope that the Boss would reward him handsomely for his information.
The Yakuza members escorted him to a small building, one of them knocking on the door.
"Hey, Boss!" one of the goons shouted. "This host says he's got some information for ya!"
"...Yeah? Then let him in." a deep voice replied.
Taking a deep breath, Tsukasa cautiously entered the room, coming face to face with perhaps one of the most powerful men in Tokyo. The man who had made Shinjuku and Shibuya his own personal playground, owning several host clubs, including his own.
Junya Kaneshiro.
His confidence instantly faded.
The man was infamous for essentially taking over the criminal underworld in the area. His name was all over the seedier parts of town, and yet, he still had an air of mystery to him.
Occasionally, you'd hear whispers about all of the horrible things that happened to his victims, and how there were no depths he wouldn't sink too.
Some people even thought that he had special powers. That he could instantly dispose of anyone he wanted without leaving a trace, which was why he was able to become as powerful as he was…
Staring at the man now… he instantly believed every rumor he had heard.
The man was short and overweight, but still managed to come off as intimidating with his ghastly grin that showed all of his unnaturally sharp teeth.
Tsukasa watched as Kaneshiro reached into a box, grabbing a chicken drumstick.
He stuck the drumstick into his mouth, ripping it apart like a wild animal until it was nothing but bone, and flicked it with his finger into a trash can filled with other bones…
"So… I'm told that you've got some information for me?" Kaneshiro grinned. "Well? Let's hear it."
"W-Well, there's this girl who goes to Shujin that I was gonna do the whole bottle trick on. Eiko Takao's her name." Tsukasa began. "And her family's loaded!"
"Yeah, no shit." Kaneshiro scoffed. "Shujin's a top school. A lot of the kids there have loaded parents. That's why we're targeting them."
"Y-Yeah, but-"
"I know that's not the only thing you came here to say." Kaneshiro interrupted. "You're not that much of a dumbshit to waste my time, right?"
His voice was calm, but carried eerie undertones that promised anyone harm if they angered him.
"Of course not!" Tsukasa quickly said. "I… It's just… her friend. She has a friend in the same school. Their Student Council President… Makoto Niijima."
That caught his attention.
"Niijima… Niijima…" Kaneshiro muttered, repeating the name.
Tsukasa looked confused, wondering why the Boss was so fixated on what was arguably the least important bit of information.
"...Tell me something." Kaneshiro muttered. "This Niijima girl… she have an older sister?"
How did he…?
"Y-Yeah, actually. Said that she's both her sister and her guardian." Tsukasa stated. "I guess something must have happened to their parents."
Kaneshiro's eyes narrowed.
"B-But wait, that's not the important part. She said that her sister's been investigating the gang. She's the one who interrogated that kid from Shujin that got arrested." Tsukasa continued. "Her name's Sae Niijima."
"We did hear about a damn prosecutor stickin' their nose in our business, and now all the damn police are after us." one of the goons next to Kaneshiro scoffed. "Boss, if we nab the younger sister, we can blackmail the older one into calling off the investigation."
Kaneshiro didn't respond, appearing lost in thought.
Tsukasa shifted nervously in his spot. "Boss?"
"Just reminiscing." Kaneshiro grinned.
"Um… come to think of it, how did you know she had a sister?" Tsukasa asked.
"Oh? You're asking me a question now?" Kaneshiro asked, amused.
"O-Of course not! S-Sorry, Boss!" Tsukasa stammered.
Kaneshiro snapped his fingers, one of his goons bringing him a suitcase.
Tsukasa gulped.
Had he stepped too far out of line?!
Kaneshiro carefully opened up the suitcase, grabbing something inside… and throwing it at Tsukasa's face.
It took him a moment to register that Kaneshiro had just thrown a large stack of cash at him.
"W-What?" Tsukasa stammered, in disbelief.
"That's 3 million yen for you." Kaneshiro grinned. "For the information, and for reminding me of some fun times."
Tsukasa stood dumbfounded for a few moments before quickly dropping to his knees to grab the money.
He had heard that Kaneshiro loved to flaunt his wealth, but…
"I'll make that money back and then some if that other bitch's parents are as loaded as you say they are."
"You mean Eiko?" Tsukasa asked. "U-Uh, yeah, they should be. From what she told me when I asked, anyway..."
"Good… cause you're gonna help us grab her." Kaneshiro commanded, giving a toothy grin.
"W-What?!"
"Quit your stammering. You sound like a pussy." Kaneshiro advised. "Now listen up. So, we've got this rich girl, her friend, and her friend's older sister, the prosecutor, yeah? Here's how we're going to play this…"
Makoto's Confidant Progress:
THE FOOL - Ren Amamiya: Rank 4
THE HUNGER - Igor: Rank 4
THE CHARIOT - Ryuji Sakamoto: Rank 3
THE MAGICIAN - Morgana: Rank 4
THE FAITH - Eiko Takao: Rank 4
THE TOWER - Chiaki Yasui: Rank 4
THE SUN - Shiho Suzui: Rank 3
THE MOON - Takayo Tachibana: Rank 3
THE HIEROPHANT - Sojiro Sakura: Rank 3
THE TEMPERANCE - Naoya Makigami: Rank 3
THE EMPEROR - Yusuke Kitagawa: Rank 1
THE EMPRESS - Haru Okumura: Rank 1
THE STRENGTH - Caroline and Justine: Rank 2
THE JUSTICE - Goro Akechi: Rank 1
THE FORTUNE - Phantom Thieves of Heart: Rank 2
THE JUDGEMENT - Sae Niijima: Rank 2
THE COUNCILLOR - Takuto Maruki: Rank 3
