Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series.

Chapter 31

"Man, I can't believe that Madarame guy got his heart changed like that! And on TV and everything!"

"What kind of Quirk works like that? Most mind altering Quirks don't last very long, right?"

"Must be some new mutation or something. Either way, those Phantom Thieves really did a number on that guy."

Izuku hid a smile behind the notebook as he jotted down everything he could about Madarame's Shadow and his change of heart. Of course, he kept a paper cover over the front. Wouldn't want prying eyes to pick up on his 'hobby'. Though he was sure that most would just think he had an overactive imagination.

"Someone looks happy." Morgana smirked at him from inside his desk. "Not that I blame you. It is pretty satisfying to hear people talking about our work."

"I know I should only be happy we did the right thing, but… This isn't so bad either," Izuku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Those 'Phantom Thieves' are way out of line. They should be letting Heroes handle these kinds of problems."

Izuku stiffened a bit at that and sighed. "Of course, not everything we're going to hear is positive. But I guess I expected as much."

"True. Especially after what that girl said yesterday."

"Yeah… though it does make me wonder sometimes," Izuku put his pencil to his chin, looking up in thought. "If I was on the outside of this and wasn't a Phantom Thief, would I feel the same?"

"Well… I'd like to say no, but you are a huge Hero fanboy." Morgana put a paw to his chin. "But that kind of thinking doesn't matter. You know what we fight for and why we have to do it. Even if the old you might have opposed it, the you of now knows the truth."

Izuku smiled. "Right. I guess it doesn't matter."

"Alright, alright. Everyone quiet down." Izuku turned his attention back to the front as a visibly exhausted Kawakami walked into the classroom. "I know you're all still reeling from what happened on TV, but I have an important announcement."

Kawakami waited a moment for the students to settle down. "Alright, starting today, we'll be having a late transfer student joining us. Please welcome her kindly. Go ahead and introduce yourself."

The door slid open, and Izuku couldn't help but stare when he saw a familiar red-haired girl walk into class.

Morgana poked his head out of the side of the desk. "Speak of the devil…"

"My name is Kasumi Yoshizawa. Please take care of me." She bowed politely to the rest of the class. Whispers broke out immediately, some welcoming while others disbelieving.

"Alright, that's enough. Yoshizawa has transferred in late due to some personal circumstances. I expect everyone to treat her kindly." Kawakami said, doing her best to sound more caring. "Feel free to pick a seat, Yoshizawa. Though it doesn't look like many are left."

"Okay." Izuku soon found the new student heading down his lane, taking the seat next to him that had been left empty for quite some time. No one wanted to sit next to the kid with the assault charge, after all.

Izuku watched her for a moment longer as she settled in, seemingly oblivious to the stares she was getting from their classmates. Kasumi soon noticed, greeting Izuku with a smile.

"Hi, there. I hope we'll get along."

"A-Ah, right! Nice to meet you…"

"You as well… though…" Kasumi tilted her head. "Wait… didn't I meet you yesterday?"

"Yeah… at Shibuya." Izuku nodded, hoping he sounded less awkward.

"Oh, right! What a coincidence!"

"Alright, that's enough talk. Class is starting."

"You guys got a new student in class?" Ryuji asked before taking a sip of his cola

"Yeah. I didn't think we'd have another student transfer this late into the year." Izuku nodded, sitting behind the table next to the vending machines.

"I had heard about a late transfer student coming in, but with so much going on, I hadn't given it much thought." Makoto admitted, walking over to the table and placing a soda in front of Izuku.

"Yeah, I can see how that's not really big on our priority list," Ann agreed, taking a seat next to Ryuji. "That reminds me, you find a new target yet?"

Ryuji shook his head. "I just started lookin' yesterday! No way I'd find somethin' that quick!"

"Guys, not so loud! We don't know who could be listening!" Makoto hushed them, her red eyes darting around in caution. "Which brings me to another big topic: in a few days, we're going to have police coming through the school again."

"What?!" blurted the others.

"Kobayakawa told me. The police are going to interview some of the students supposedly about Kamoshida's case, but that's just a cover for them to ask about the Phantom Thieves."

"Oh shit…" Ryuji swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Don't panic. There's no way they can link us to anything that's happened." Morgana popped his head out of Izuku's bag. "So long as everyone plays it cool, the police won't be able to pin anything on us."

"He's right. None of us have Quirks that could function like that. Even if they suspect us, there's nothing that links us to the change of heart." Izuku explained, doing his best to stay calm for the others.

"Still, that doesn't mean anyone should be too carefree. Each one of you has been selected for questioning. I'm not sure when Kobayakawa came up with his list, but I did see everyone's name on it. Except for mine, of course." Makoto explained.

"Tch. That fat bastard…" Ryuji tapped his foot furiously. "He only cares about doin' somethin' when stuff starts inconveniencing him!"

"Yes… that's becoming more and more apparent." Makoto's eyes narrowed. I'll give him a piece of my mind soon enough.

"Kitagawa-san said the police had already questioned him after Madarame's confession, but they didn't suspect him as a Phantom Thief." said Izuku. "Still, we should warn him just in case."

"Right. It would suck if he were to get blindsided by another interview," Ann nodded before shifting her gaze to Ryuji. "So, did you decide on where you're gonna go?"

"Huh? Go where?"

"You know, for the social studies trip. I was thinking of going to the TV station."

Ryuji stared for a moment before groaning in reluctance. "Ugh, right. The social studies trip. God, I just wanna ditch that so bad…"

"Don't you dare. Not only does that bring attention to yourself, it also reflects badly on everyone around you," Makoto said, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

"Y-Yes ma'am…" Ryuji swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Heh. I guess Ryuji's the type to get pushed around by a girl," Morgana chuckled in amusement.

She turned her gaze to the cat, who instantly stopped laughing. "Morgana, you shouldn't be so careless as to poke your head out of Midori's bag so much on school grounds either. Consider his position if he were caught with you."

His ears folded down. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

"I guess Ryuji's not the only one," Ann giggled before looking at Izuku. "Though I bet you'd be the worst."

"W-What?".

His cheeks burned as Makoto patted him on the head. "Oh, I'm sure that whatever girl Midori ends up with would make him quite the pushover."

"W-Well, I uh…" He hunched over in defeat. "Yeah…"

"Come on, man. Don't fold over that quickly…" Ryuji sighed before looking back at Ann. "Well, I guess I'm goin' to the stupid trip."

"Well then, just go with me to the TV station! Might as well try and have fun, right?" Ann shrugged, smiling at the faux blond.

"I doubt it. We're probably just gonna stand around the whole time."

Izuku took a swig of canned espresso. "It's too bad it's only for second years. I wish I could go with you guys."

"You ain't gonna miss much. These kinda trips are always a snorefest," Ryuji shook his head. "I'd rather we all ditch and do somethin' to celebrate Madarame's change of heart. Plus, a welcome party for Makoto and Yusuke."

Makoto shook her head. "While I appreciate the thought, I wouldn't accept a party that would require all of us ditching school."

"Still, we do need to plan our party out! We had one after Kamoshida's change of heart, so it only makes sense to do the same for this one!" Ann pushed, grinning at the thought.

"Oh, can we go back to that amazing buffet?! Can we? Please?" Morgana pleaded.

"I didn't feel very welcome there. Besides, it was pretty expensive." Izuku pointed out. "Though I do need to sell the loot we gathered from Madarame's Palace…"

"True. Unlike Kamoshida's Palace, we don't have somethin' big to sell. So maybe a smaller party works out this time."

"Oh, I know! Izuku and Makoto should meet us at Dome Town after the trip!" Ann said, her face lighting up at the idea. "It's up by Sudobashi, so that would make for a great post-Palace party!"

Ryuji nodded fervently. "Oh~, that's a great idea! We should totally do that!"

"What's Dome Town?" Morgana asked innocently.

"It's an amusement park in Sudobashi. I didn't realize that the TV station would be that far, though." Izuku said before smiling. "But I'm willing to go! We should invite Kitagawa-san, too!"

"Unfortunately, I'll have to pass. I have a few meetings to attend tomorrow for the Student Council. I might be a bit busy for the next couple of days, in fact." Makoto sighed.

"Ah, that sucks. Guess we'll have to shelve the party for a bit, then." Ryuji shrugged.

"It'll make things easier to plan out with Yusuke at least." Ann said before giving Ryuji a playful nudge. "Guess I'm counting on you tomorrow. Try not to get distracted by any actresses we see, kay?"

"Wait, actresses?" Ryuji blinked before a dumb grin spread across his face. "Well, guess tomorrow might not be so bad…"

"I just said don't get distracted!"

"Do you remember the grind needed for this type of coffee brewer?"

"Medium-fine, right?" Izuku repeated the words from memory.

"That's right. It requires about five more seconds of cranking at that pace. No more, no less." Sojiro advised, watching him from a few feet away. Izuku soon finished, pouring the grinds into the filter. "Okay. Do you remember what I said last time about the flavor?"

"You said it was a bit bland, and… I think it needed more heat?"

"Exactly. This time, turn up the heat a little. If the water isn't hot enough, the coffee won't extract and you get a weak cup. Don't let it get too hot either. You'll make it bitter and destroy the oils that give coffee its subtler flavors." Izuku nodded fervently and quickly jotted it down before lighting a flame beneath the siphon.

He wiped the sweat from his brow as the water began to boil. "Coffee-making is a lot more work than I realized."

Sojiro gave him a reassuring smile. "It's not so bad once you're used to it. I guess it doesn't help having me watch your every move. You can relax a bit, though. You're not serving this to a customer and I'm here to help you."

Izuku felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. "Thanks. Sorry for getting worked up, then."

"It shows you're trying to improve, at least. Now show me what you've got, kid." Sojiro urged him. Izuku took a small breath and followed his instructions to the T. He kept an eye on the flame, stirring it gently ten times until it frothed. After another minute, he killed the heat and let it drain back down the siphon. With mild confidence, Izuku poured and offered the cup of joe to Sojiro.

Sojiro took a sip and smacked his lips. "Not bad. You leveled it out pretty well." He put it down and gave him a curt nod of approval. "But now that you've gotten the brewing down, it's time to move onto the next step: creating a blend. That might not sound tough, but mixing a bunch of beans at random won't do you any good."

"Yeah, that sounds pretty difficult. I haven't tried out that many different types of coffee." Izuku admitted, his eyes trailing to the jars of beans behind them.

"Feel free to test out a few combinations. I can give you a list of some that I make, but I'd like to see what you come up with." Sojiro pointed to the top shelf. "Just don't use the expensive beans."

"Is it really alright? I don't want to hurt your inventory by using the coffee beans for testing."

Sojiro smiled. "Trust me, I'd let you know if I didn't want you to. The more you're able to learn, the more you'll be able to help me out around here." He pulled some jars off the shelf and presented them to Izuku. "Back to mixing beans, just tossing a bunch into the grinder's no good. You have to find a good bean-to-bean ratio to work with. The acidity and flavor profile all depend on it. Pretty deep, huh?"

"I never realized how much there was to making coffee…" Izuku mumbled, his glued to the notebook in his hands as he jotted down Sojiro's words. "Where did you learn about all this, Sakura-san?"

"I've known a thing or two for quite a while, but… I did have some help. In fact, I met a scientific genius who helped me come up with the perfect spice combo to complement the coffee." Sojiro explained, looking nostalgic as he placed a hand on his chin. "Something about the quantification of taste… honestly, there's no formula for flavor, but it is pretty damn good."

"You must have really impressed them with your coffee to get that kind of help," said Izuku.

"Heh, it was actually my previous curry that got their attention. Though the coffee did play a part in it, too…" Sojiro shook his head and cleared his throat. "Anyway, enough about that. Just know that we don't make compromises when it comes to food service. Our stuff's gotta wow the customers. This is a tiny shop, after all. Self-satisfaction is what helps keep me going."

"Self-satisfaction, huh..?" Izuku looked up in thought. While Sojiro often looked rather bored at work most of the time, he did see him give his customers a smile when they'd praise his curry and coffee. It might have seemed small to some, but Izuku could understand feeling pride in such a modest yet labor-intensive job.

The store's bells rang, bringing Izuku's attention back up to the door. His shoulders tensed when a familiar, shady man he'd seen weeks ago walked in.

"You…" Sojiro's eyes turned venomous. "Haven't I already told you I don't have the money? Look at this place! Does it look like I've just got money lying around?!"

"Oh, no need to hide it, Sakura-san! I'm sure you saved plenty in your time working for the government!" The man batted away Sojiro's excuse. "Aren't you taking care of that employee too, for nothing more than charity? I wish you'd show me the same kindness you show others."

So he's trying to get money from Sakura-san? Who is this guy? Izuku thought, his lips turning into a thin frown as felt himself become defensive.

Sojiro crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, if you're not going to buy anything, could you please leave? I'm expecting a phone call, so I don't have time to chat with you."

"You're free to take it in front of me if you want! I'll just chat with your employee in the meantime!" Izuku certainly didn't like the sound of that. He spared a look at Sojiro, knowing full well that he wasn't expecting any call. But that doesn't mean he can't get one. Izuku slid his hand into his pocket to fish out his phone beneath the cover of his apron. "So should we talk until your call comes in? Or would that be inconvenient for you?"

*RING RING*

Sojiro did well not to look at Izuku, pulling his phone out and putting on a neutral expression. "And that's the social services call I was waiting for. They come around pretty often to check on this guy. Would you like me to introduce you?"

The man's expression morphed into panic before he quickly tried to cover it up with a smile. "Ah, you know what, I just remembered I got my own business to handle! I'll come back later!" He laughed nervously before making a swift exit. Sojiro and Izuku waited for the bells to chime before releasing simultaneous sighs of relief.

"That man really has nothing better to do…" Sojiro shook his head, placing a hand on his hip before looking at Izuku. "I guess I should explain what's going on. He might try and drop by while I'm not around."

"Please do. I… honestly don't want to deal with him without knowing what's going on."

"That man is an old acquaintance of mine. And he's short on cash right now. He puts on a friendly face, but he's really just a leech. Don't trust him." His expression softened, smiling at Izuku. "But I have to say, I'm impressed. That was smart of you to do that without him noticing. That… really saved me back there. Thank you."

Izuku smiled back. "I'm happy I was able to help."

*SMASH*

Hierophant Confidant: RANK FOUR

Sojiro's smile fell as he finally shook his head, rubbing his neck. "Great, now it's almost like I'm inspiring that behavior. I told you not to before, but you can't help but stick your nose into other people's troubles, huh?"

Izuku blinked before laughing sheepishly, unsure how to respond considering several factors in his life at the moment.

Sojiro smirked. "Well, I guess that's the kind of kid you are, huh? Strangely gutsy for someone so jittery. Though… I have noticed you're less nervous lately."

"I am?"

"Yeah. You stutter a lot less than before. I guess some good things have been happening for you, huh?" Sojiro gave him a sly look. "Is it a girl?"

Izuku choked on those words. as the old clock hanging against the wall rang. "It's that time already? I guess I better head out. Go and do what you need to after closing up, alright?"

"Okay, Sakura-san. But…" Izuku hesitated, looking back at the door. "Why don't you report him? The police might not do anything severe, but it might keep him away if he's spoken to."

Sojiro sighed, rubbing his brow. "I've thought about it, trust me. But since he's related to her, I…" Sojiro quickly cleared his throat. "Nevermind that. It's just not in the cards for me. Anyways, I'm going to head home. Make sure you clean things up well, okay?" Sojiro was quick to grab his hat and leave without saying much else.

Izuku found himself wanting to ask more, but decided to leave him be, allowing the coffee shop owner answer in his own time.

"... For example, soap-opera reruns are shown during the day, while alluring newscasters are shown at night! This is all decided by the scheduling department, who maps out the airing schedule for the entire channel!"

"Talk about obvious…" Ryuji mumbled, hunching forward as he fought against his boredom.

"No kidding… I'm getting sleepy just standing here…" Ann had to stifle a yawn with her hand.

"Kinda makes me jealous of Izuku and Makoto. They didn't have to come to this crap…"

"Yeah, but you'd still be just bored at school. It's basically a no-win scenario," Ann sighed, putting a hand on her hip.

"Yeah, good point. Thought at least I'd get to sleep in class instead of standin' here…" Ryuji complained, leaning to one side. Just as he was about to settle in for another long drawl, he stumbled forward as a man bumped into him. "Hey!"

"What's with all this noise? It's a nuisance." The man hurried past Ryuji without so much as a word of apology.

"Hey, asshole!" Ryuji started, Ann quickly tugging him back at the elbow to keep him from exploding.

"Calm down, we're supposed to be on our best behavior!" Ann whispered, causing the faux blond to ground his teeth and relent silently.

"M-My apologies, sir! We were just about to disperse." The hostess apologized, turning to the students with a formal smile. "Alright, everyone! Now we're going to try some hands-on activities!"

Ryuji and Ann tuned out the woman, watching as her boss turned back around without giving them a look. "What a dick! Who does he think he is?!"

"Just forget it. Those jerks are a dime a dozen." Ann sighed, turning back around toward the group. She was met with the sight of a man standing close by, his eyes glazing over her with interest.

"Hey there, young lady. How would you like to be on TV?" He asked, his voice hiding little of his mischievous intent.

"Huh?"

"You have a slammin' bod, after all. I'm sure we could work somethin' out." He laughed.

"Um… I'm here on a school trip…" Ann rubbed her arm in discomfort.

"Just gimme a call if you're interested. I'd greatly welcome a call from you, day or night." He said, offering Ann a card. Ryuji clicked his tongue and stood up next to Ann, glaring at the guy.

"Look, man. You're makin' her uncomfortable. Stop bein' a sleeze and give her space!"

"Ryuji!" Ann hissed, tugging him back by the arm.

"Excuse me?" The man turned a glare back at Ryuji, though the faux blond didn't back down from him. "You better watch it-"

"I'm sorry, but is there a problem?" Kawakami suddenly stepped in between the two, putting on a plastic smile as she held up her hands.

"Yeah! Your student over here was talkin' shit!"

"Only because you were bein' a creep!"

"Sakamoto!" Kawakami snapped. Ryuji to grit his teeth and seeth. The teacher cleared her throat, turning back to the man with a plastic smile again. "Now, if you have a complaint about my students, you can give them to me. Of course, we'll have to hear all sides of this to understand what went wrong. How does that sound?"

While Kawakami's words were subtle, the man felt the minor threat behind her words. He could only click his tongue and shake his head. "Whatever. It wasn't a big deal. Just send these two over to another caster for the hands-on experience."

"I'll be sure to do that!" Kawakami waved the man goodbye as he walked away before turning an irritated glare back at Ryuji. "Look, I understand you're mad about being here, but don't start trouble! The last thing we need is to be reported by the station!"

"We're sorry about that, Kawakami-sensei. We'll keep our heads down from now on." Ann answered before Ryuji could, sending him a demanding look. "Right?"

Ryuji huffed before nodding his head. "Yeah. Sorry about that, teach…"

Kawakami watched them both for a moment longer before sighing, rubbing her forehead. "Thank you. I really don't need more trouble right now than needed…" With that, the teacher took her leave, allowing the two a moment to themselves.

"Well that could have been bad. You shouldn't have gotten mad like that," Ann scolded, only for Ryuji to scoff and turn his head.

"Screw that guy. All the shitty adults we run into only care about looks! It makes me sick." Ryuji said, his foot tapping incessantly. "I just wanna rip out all their damn hearts and make 'em change…"

"Well, we can't do that if you're constantly getting in trouble. So try to keep a lid on it." Ann said, crossing her arms. "I can deal with guys like that, so don't worry about it."

"You shouldn't have to put up with guys like that! Especially after everything you've been through!" Ryuji stomped his foot, Ann's eyes widening in surprise. "It just makes me sick. I can't wait to get back to Phantom Thief work."

"Well… until then, we just have to put up with it." Ann said, looking down in thought.

"Yeah, whatever… let's get this over with." Ryuji turned to join the other students.

"Hey, Ryuji." Ann reached a hand out, grabbing his arm. The faux blond turned back, seeing a small but grateful smile on Ann's face. "Thanks for standing up for me. I might be able to handle it, but… I'm glad you did."

Ryuji raised a brow before giving a small smile back. "Don't worry about it. You know I've got your back."

"Yeah. I do." Ann nodded in appreciation. "Just try to be a little quieter next time."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Man, you were so damn lucky, Izuku! Not only was the first half of it boring, the second half we had to do a ton of manual labor!"

Izuku could only laugh sheepishly as Ryuji complained. Izuku had quickly taken a train over to Sudaboshi once school was over, expecting his friends to be in good spirits. As it turned out, it was quite the opposite.

"You're being too loud!" Ann huffed before she shifted tired eyes to Izuku. "He's right, though. That whole thing was terrible. By the end of the day, I honestly wished I had been at school instead."

"Right?!"

Izuku gave them a sympathetic look. "I see. Sorry that it didn't turn out as fun as you guys hoped."

"Still, that's not a good excuse for causing a scene, Ryuji." Morgana plopped over Izuku's shoulder and glared at Ryuji. "You guys are supposed to be acting like good students, remember?!"

"That wasn't my fault! That guy was-"

"Hey, I already gave Ryuji a hard time over it, so don't worry about it." said Ann. "Besides, he did it for me. I think we should cut him some slack."

Morgana blinked, his eyes darting between the two. "W-Well, if you say so, Lady Ann."

"Yeah. Anyways, come on! I want to try a few rides already! I need something to loosen up after a day like that!" Ann said, stretching her arms above her head in excitement.

"Definitely. I'm really feelin' like a roller coaster now." Ryuji grinned, looking around. "Let's do a big one right off the bat!"

"Alright, just don't complain to me if you get sick before the other ones." Ann giggled, the two walking ahead.

Izuku smiled as he moved to join them, only for Morgana to push a paw into his cheek. "Hey, Izuku?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"I know that we both established that the idea is beyond crazy, but… you don't think those two could… you know…" Morgana's eyes narrowed in suspicion, glaring daggers into Ryuji's back.

"Um… I mean…" Izuku's eyes trailed to his friends in front of them, watching Ann and Ryuji bicker back and forth. "You really think so? Aren't they just acting like they always do?"

"Maybe… but…" Morgana lowered his head in discouragement, obviously not convinced by his words. "Come on, Izuku! Let's get ahead of Ryuji by going on the biggest roller coaster! I'll show Lady Ann how brave I am!"

I don't think going on a roller coaster will make you look brave…

"Blegh… I regret everything…"

Izuku sat with Morgana on a bench, the cat leaning over the edge as he fought the urge to throw up.

"Man, my stomach's churnin' just from what I did. I can't imagine what it was like for you in the bag…" Ryuji said with some sympathy, leaning on the arm of the bench and rubbing his stomach.

"Ha… Ha. It sounds like I… won this round then-blegh~!"

"Won? Won what?"

"D-Don't worry about it…" Izuku quickly whipped out a napkin to wipe Morgana's lips..

"I'm just fine, honestly. Hey, you guys wanna go and grab a bite now? I'm pretty hungry after all that." Ann suggested

"No… please… the idea of food is… painful," Morgana whimpered as Izuku rubbed his back.

"Maybe it's better if we head home for the day. You guys have another full day tomorrow, right?" Izuku said..

Ryuji groaned. "Crap, you're right. More of that boring trip…"

"It's too bad. I heard they were supposed to have a talk show tomorrow starring some junior detective or something, but he had to cancel it last second." Ann sighed. "Guess it'll be more 'hands on' experience…"

"Just great… guess now is a good time to head home, then…" Ryuji mumbled, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Well, at least we were able to have fun here. I'm glad I came." Izuku said, slowly picking up Morgana and putting him in his shoulder bag.

"Gentle… gentle… please…"

"Yeah, even if I wanna barf a bit, it was pretty fun. Glad you came out to join us," Ryuji smiled back, moving to leave. Ann made a big motion to step away from him.

"Just make sure you don't barf on me."

Ugh… why did things get so out of hand?

Kazuho released a tired sigh as she rested her head on top of her arms, the illegal idol using her lunch break as a means to rest. Normally she would have liked to squeeze in a bite to eat before napping, but she was too tired to even try that. The previous day had been long, having attended a social studies trip before going straight to Koichi's place and slapping on her costume to perform. It had been a rush job to get back in time to start the concert on the schedule she had set, making it ten times more stressful than she would have liked.

It only got worse from there, sadly. Knuckleduster hadn't even bothered to stop by and Koichi wasn't able to keep the crowd under control for more than ten seconds. People got rowdy and eventually the police showed up, leading to a huge fiasco in the street. Kazuho had to make an emergency exit while Koichi almost got caught in the sea of people mobbing. The day had been so long, she requested to attend some of the preliminary classes meant for people in detention instead of attending the second trip.

I can't keep this up… I need to get something organized for the concerts…

Kazuho tried to consider her options. She could try and come up with a schedule of her own, but found the idea to be absolutely draining. Doing that on top of her usual stage work (as well as the occasional vigilante business) would drain her of all energy. She was having a tough time keeping her grades up as it is!

But I can't afford a manager… and there's no way Koichi can be trusted with it. Kazuho leaned her chin on her arms now, trying to figure out the best solution. If things keep going like this, who knows how long I'll last.

"Okay… today I'll head home and study more… or should I go and see Takemi-sensei? Maybe Iwai-san?"

Kazuho raised a brow, looking over her shoulder to see another student a few seats away. He was jotting down several notes into a binder, the green-haired teen leaned over the desk as he tapped his chin in thought.

"Okay… After school today, I'll pay a visit to Takemi-sensei. Afterwards, I'll focus on studying for the rest of the night. Tomorrow I'll visit Iwai-san once school finishes. I don't think they have anything special going on at the moment, but it might be nice to help them with small things. After that, it might be a good idea to focus on workouts. I need to stay in shape, and can't rely too much on 'visits' to stay fit. But what to focus on? Arms, legs? Upper body? Maybe…"

Kazuho felt a small amount of discomfort from the boy's mumblings, other students obviously sharing the feeling as they made strides to avoid him. What's with that guy? He's going a mile a minute…

*RING RING*

Kazuho raised her head in disappointment when she heard the school bell toll, groaning as she stood from her seat. The boy some ways away quickly shuffled his things together before shoving them into his bag, leaving in a rush. As Kazuho pushed in her chair, she turned to see a paper fall out of his binder, raising a brow as it floated harmlessly to the floor. She opened her mouth to call out to him, but the boy was already out the door. Talk about in a hurry…

Kazuho sighed as she leaned over and picked the paper up, adjusting her glasses as she took a look at the contents. She blinked in shock when she saw an entire week of notes plotted out, scheduling all of the strange activities the boy was partaking in. What the hell? How busy is this guy?

Still, she took a moment to go over everything written, her eyes lighting up when an idea came to mind.

This guy is organized… really organized… a dark grin spread across Kazuho's face. And I could use something like that right now.

Izuku breathed out a tired sigh as he walked through the alleys of Yongen-Jaya. It had been a long day spent dealing with the police interviews as well as working at Iwai's shop until evening. The latter wasn't so bad, but the interview had been draining.

"You seem tired. Maybe you should just sleep as soon as you get home." Morgana suggested, looking over his shoulder at Izuku in concern.

"I was thinking about it… but maybe I should get a workout in first." Izuku said, though only half considering the idea. "As tired as I am, I still need to maintain my routine."

"I know, but if you work yourself into the ground, you'll collapse before we can even get to the next Palace. A break now and then from your routine isn't going to hurt."

Before he could pursue the thought, he heard his phone ring. He fished out his phone out to see that Ryuji sent a group text to him and Mishima.

Ryuji: Yo, Izuku! Bro! I got something REAL interesting you might want to see!

Izuku's eyes lit up. He was tempted to ask if it was another target, but stopped when he considered that Mishima was in the group text, and not the rest of the Thieves.

Morgana's eyes narrowed. "What's that scoundrel up to now?".

Izuku laughed sheepishly. "You shouldn't assume the worst in Ryuji-senpai, come on…"

Izuku: Oh, what is it? And how come you're sending it in a separate text from the group?

Mishima: This is a top secret mission for the guys only! Only we can handle this job!

Izuku raised a brow at that, sparing Morgana a look.

Izuku: Okay. What's the job?

Ryuji: I got something pretty suspicious in the mail… And I think we should check it out!

The image that popped up made Izuku blush. It was a flyer for an 'in-house maid service' from what he could tell. He guessed it was a house-cleaning company with the maid theme as a gimmick for attracting customers.

Ryuji: This is right up our alleyI mean, we're the guys here! It's only natural for us to be the ones to handle a job like this! Right? Right!

Mishima: Yeah! We need to make sure that this company is legit! Like, do they actually provide a cleaning service? And do the maids actually look as advertised?

"Of course. Though I have to say, I'm somewhat disappointed in Mishima for joining in on this." Morgana shook his head, looking at Izuku. "So, planning to go along with their 'mission'?"

While Izuku was no stranger to liking women, he wasn't so sure about the idea of this 'secret job' Ryuji and Mishima were pushing. While he knew it was just an excuse, he could think of a lot of ways that this could go wrong.

Izuku: Guys… I don't think this is a job for the Phantom Thieves.

Ryuji: Oh, come on, dude!

Mishima: Yeah! If they're false advertising, this company needs to be punished!

Izuku tried to use his hand to wipe the disappointment off his face, to no avail..

Izuku: While I understand wanting to make sure it's legitimate, that's not the Phantom Thieves' job. Their job is to help people who have nowhere to go and have been ignored.

Izuku: I don't want to wield the Phantom Thief title and use it for small things that really will make us look no better than bullies.

Mishima: Oh…

Ryuji: Okay, look! It doesn't have to be Phantom Thief stuff!

Ryuji: We can just check it out for ourselves! As like a guy outing!

At least Ryuji-senpai is being honest now.

Izuku: I… would have to pass. Maids aren't really my thing…

Ryuji: Oh… man. Come on! We need the extra courage! And you're all about that shit!

Mishima: Please?! It could be really fun!

"Looks like they're both getting desperate now." Morgana sighed.

"I kind of feel bad, but… I honestly wouldn't be able to handle that kind of thing…" Izuku admitted, his cheeks reddening at the idea.

Izuku: Sorry, I'm not sure if it's something we should do. A lot of things could go wrong… And I don't think I'd be that brave in there.

Ryuji: Gah… alright, fine…

Mishima: Okay…

"Yeesh. They act so hurt by your decision." Morgana chuckled.

"I didn't want to shoot down the idea, but… I really don't think it's something we should do. Who knows what could go wrong in that kind of situation?" Izuku stuffed his phone away as he continued on his way home.

"Thank you for calling me, master! Have a nice day~!"

Izuku came to a halt, his and Morgana's eyes darting to the right at a nearby apartment complex. They saw a woman dressed as a maid, doing a curtsy before bidding farewell to an older man.

"Well, what a coincidence, huh?" Morgana chuckled, Izuku sharing a laugh.

"Yeah, I guess things like that happen sometimes, huh?"

As the door closed in front of her, the maid in question suddenly hunched over in exhaustion. "Ugh… talk about a mess of a place. He certainly got his money's worth with that…"

Izuku blinked. Her voice had dropped an octave and lacked any of the 'youth' it had before. Something about it sounded familiar, but he would have continued on without a fuss had she not turned around. It took several moments to process the sight but her name soon spilled out of his mouth without bidding as his eyes went wide as plates.

"Kawakami...sensei?"

The maid froze in place, her eyes instantly meeting his. Morgana had hidden himself away as she turned around, but Izuku heard the cat gasp. The two stared at each other for a long moment, the details of Kawakami's face becoming more and more recognizable the longer it went on.

The maid slowly straightened out, her face pale for a moment before she forced a smile. "Wh-What are you talking about, young master? I'm just a cute maid who provides house services, meow~!"

That's definitely her! And she just tried to lie about it! Izuku's jaw fell as he continued to stare. By the time he managed to shake off the shock, only one thing was on his mind: run.

"O-Oh, I see! M-My mistake! I-I had the wrong person… hahaha…" Izuku mechanically turned in place and started down the sidewalk. "S-Sorry for the inconvenience, I have to be going now…"

Izuku froze when he felt a hand grip into his shoulder, slowly craning his head back in fear. Kawakami was right behind him with a ghastly smile on her face.

"Come now, young master~! I would at least like to talk about our services before you go~!"

Izuku felt sweat bead down his face. "N-No, that's alright. I-AAAAGH~!" His protests fell on deaf ears as she dragged him into a nearby alley. She stood him in front of the wall and slammed her hand into the wall behind him, cutting off any chance of escape.

"Please… just please hear me out…" Kawakami's cheeks were blazing red with embarrassment. "I know this looks bad, but… okay, it's pretty bad. Just, please… give me a chance here before you go blabbing to your friends."

Izuku could see the desperation in her expression and the trembling of her body. Considering how out of sorts she was, as well as the fact that it would be unlikely for him to escape, he gave her a slow nod. "O-Okay…"

Kawakami watched him for a moment long before breathing out, slowly retracting her arm and giving him some space. She took several steps back and hugged her arms nervously.

"Okay… so, obviously, yes. It's me, your homeroom teacher…" Kawakami began, her eyes falling to the ground in shame. "I… work for this maid service on the side. I wish I had taken a job outside the city, but… I needed something close to school so I could go right after."

Izuku rubbed his arm unsure what to say. Seeing that he was still listening, Kawakami continued. "Look… this might be hard for a student to understand, but… I need extra money right now. I don't make enough teaching, so… I do this. Okay? And it would be really bad if you told anyone about this. So please… please don't."

Kawakami looked ready to drop to her knees to beg for his silence. Izuku had to admit that he didn't understand the teacher's position and why she would need to work a second job. But if she was so desperate for work that she did this on top of teaching, one more secret couldn't hurt.

"... Okay. I won't tell anyone…"

Kawakami's face lit up. "R-Really? You mean it?"

"Yeah. I promise I won't tell."

Kawakami smiled briefly until suspicion crept back onto her expression. "Wait… are you just saying that to get away?"

"N-No, not at all! I promise I won't tell anyone!" Izuku raised his hands in surrender. "I-I don't know your situation, but… if you're willing to work two jobs like this, I'm sure it's tough."

Kawakami watched him for a long moment before breathing out, her shoulders slumping at her sides. "I guess that… my fate is in your hands then. Thank you."

Izuku nodded, tugging on his bag strap as the two stood there awkwardly. "Okay then… I guess I'll be going now. I promise I won't tell."

"Wait." Kawakami grabbed him by the wrist. "As an extra incentive to keep silent, how does letting you slack off in homeroom sound?"

Izuku raised a brow. "Y-You don't really need to do that…"

"Please, just accept it. It would make me feel better to know that you have some reason for keeping silent." Kawakami said with a frown.

"I… okay then."

"Good. With that, I'll be leaving. We'll go our separate ways and pretend this never happened." Kawakami said, straightening out her skirt and walking out of the alley before Izuku. He watched her for a moment before releasing a long sigh.

"Well… that happened." Morgana popped his head out of Izuku's bag. "Who would have thought your teacher would be moonlighting as a maid."

"Yeah… that was the last thing I was expecting to happen today." Izuku slowly began to walk out of the alley, looking around to make sure his teacher was gone now.

"I guess everybody has their own set of strange circumstances," Morgana nodded. "So, planning to tell the rest of the team?"

"N-No. I would feel bad after making that promise. If she needs the job that bad, I won't say anything." Izuku shook his head. "I just want to go home and sleep."

"Yeah. I'd say you hit your weird quota for the day."

To be continued…

Thanks as always goes to my beta reppuzan, who worked quite hard despite his busy schedule to fix up the chapter for me. I really appreciate it.

It was about time I finally got to this chapter. Honestly speaking, it was a big wind down after all the big stuff from the last, mostly for setting up a few side plot points than anything else. All necessary but still what some might consider a bit tedious. I thought this chapter would be the welcome party for Makoto and Yusuke, but there was a bit that went on before that happened in the story, so that will have to wait until next chapter.

Also, before anyone says anything about the TV station scene and its later importance, don't worry. That base will be covered in a later chapter. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, proceed without giving it much thought :P

Honestly, there was a scene I wanted to write out involving an interview between Tsukauchi and Izuku, the detective having an interesting conversation about what's right and wrong about the PThieves. But the more I thought about it, the more of a problem that kind of conversation could have, especially with his Quirk. So the scene was nixed. A shame, but necessary.

I do have an announcement before I end this note: I will be taking another month long break after I finish the next chapters of my other few stories. In July, my writing schedule was completely thrown off by my trip to LA. I've been all out of sorts since then when it came to writing. Not to mention Fire Emblem 3H came out and that ended up taking more of my time. Plus, September is my birthday month, and I'll be going out of town again for a family trip. And finally, Royal will be coming out (in Japan) so it gives me time to space out the story and learn more details about what's to come. So I'd say this is the perfect time to take off again.

Anyways, that's it for this chapter. Please be sure to leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind! And check out the TVTropes page and maybe add to it if you're willing. Thanks for reading!