A/N As promised, here's chapter 18, and as an FYI the next one will be posted in two weeks on the 25th. This chapter will be a pretty lengthy slice of life chapter, so hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Persona, or any of its character, and I make no money off of this
Chapter 18
July 29th, SIU Tokyo Branch: Director's Office…
"That brings our total suspects detained to one-hundred and thirty-two, alongside countless unlicensed vehicles, medical technology, as well as several computers and data storage devices," Naoto synopsized.
"All of which is currently being held by the Shijuku police department, correct?"
"For all contraband, yes," replied Yu, clearly about to lay out a caveat. "However, given the sheer number of White Masks detained, they've been distributed to any nearby stations that could appropriately house them for questioning."
"Tell me, are they—"
The ringing of his desk phone cut the director off. He looked at the pair apologetically before answering it, and judging by the look that came across his face in the aftermath, he'd received some incredibly good news.
"Yes, thank you. I appreciate you letting me know at the earliest," Tachibana stated. He hung up the phone and redirected his attention to his protégé and the Detective once more. "I've just received word that, as of now, all of the kidnapped victims have been reunited with their families. I must truly extend my thanks to you, Detective Shirogane, given that without the profiles you'd prepared on all likely victims, we'd not have been able to move as fast as we had."
"You're very welcome, and that's great to hear," Naoto replied with a smile. "Although I believe you were about to ask something before that news came through."
"Ah, yes," he said with a slight chuckle. "I was going to ask if the White Masks we've detained are much the same as the others—that is to say amnesiac and unhelpful."
"It seems so from what I've been told," Yu stated blankly.
"Though we'd expected as much, and with the data on the computers we've collected, hopefully that will ultimately be made a moot point," Naoto added.
"Speaking of which, your request is under review," Tachibana uttered, looking to the blue-haired young woman. His expression became rather mischievous. "For some reason, there are a number of people within the government who are trying to keep prying eyes away from this case. I do wonder why that might be…"
Yu nearly chuckled at that. By this point it was all too obvious that this case reeked of the Metaverse's involvement, so it was no great surprise to see that the current administration was attempting to keep it under wraps. Still, the director's lack of concern over the matter prevented any worry he may have had on the subject.
"I'm of course handling it, so rest assured you'll be getting first crack at those encrypted computers," Tachibana added confidently. "These greenhorn government officials are far too inexperienced to roadblock me for long, so at worst it'll be a few days before the matter is settled. I'll keep you appraised, of course."
"And for that you have my thanks," Naoto replied.
"Pfft," he scoffed good-naturedly. "Please, it's you two who has my thanks and that of everyone else in this city. With this, the matter concerning the White Masks is closed. You've both done a tremendous job."
"Then if there was nothing else, please excuse us," Yu stated.
Tachibana waved them off, after which the two bowed their heads respectfully and made for the door. They were stopped however for a final few words in parting.
"Ah, by the way, Yu, I don't want to see you for the rest of the day. Take this afternoon off and do whatever it is you do to enjoy yourself," the Director called out. "I don't have authority over your schedule, Detective Shirogane, but I hope you'll be doing the same. Take at least one day of rest, god knows you've earned it."
The pair nodded in understanding and gave the black-haired man an appreciative look before finally taking their leave. They quickly made their way to the elevator, still basking in the afterglow of the cases apparent closure.
"So, you think this is really over?" Yu abruptly inquired.
"For now, it certainly seems so," Naoto replied. "All indications, Metaverse or otherwise, point to their operations being crippled beyond repair. There are still some open questions regarding their motivations and end-game, but hopefully getting access to the data on their hard drives will tell us that much."
"My thoughts exactly."
"They do say great minds think alike."
"I'd call your mind beyond just 'great', but that's only my opinion," Yu remarked.
"G-Geez, you're giving me far too much credit," Naoto replied.
"Somehow I doubt that."
The silver-haired young man's charming smile made an appearance, and though it captivated Naoto at its inception, she quickly averted her gaze to avoid being taken in by it fully. She cleared her throat, seeming a bit bashful in the wake of her friend's genuine compliments.
'When is this elevator going to get here?!' Naoto wondered.
"Oh, by the way, shouldn't we—"
Yu's cellphone began to ring, though one look at the caller ID had him somewhat surprised. He answered it nevertheless, something that actually came as rather curious to his partner.
"Hey, what's up? Everything okay?" Yu asked. Whomever was on the other line spoke for a time, though in the aftermath he had only a few words to say. "That should work out perfectly for me, actually. What time…? Yup, that should be fine, I'll see you then."
His choice of words had the blue-haired beauty quirking a brow, her curiosity obviously piqued.
"What was that about?" Naoto inquired.
"It's nothing, really," replied Yu. "Although, now that I have my phone out, I may as well let everyone else know the good news."
Yongen-Jaya: Cafe Leblanc
For the first time in quite a few days, Ren drank his morning coffee with a relieved smile spread from ear to ear. His entire morning had brightened up immeasurably in the wake of the onslaught of good news that just came flooding in.
He looked over to Futaba, who was much the same as she sat by his side, and this, needless to say, caught the coffee shops owner's attention.
"Something good happen?" Sojiro asked.
"A whole lot of good, actually," Ren answered. "All those kidnapped people we rescued are back with their families already, and the White Masks seem to have stopped their activities altogether."
"And Naoto-san can get me access to all that juicy data on their hard drives," Futaba added cheerfully.
"Heh, looks like everything's coming up your way today, huh?" Sojiro mused.
"Nothin' wrong with that," Mona remarked from the countertop.
Chat: Meta Chat
Ann: That's amazing! Such great news!
Rise: For sure!
Makoto: I agree. Their safety was our primary concern in all this.
Kanji: Hell yeah!
Chie: We should totally celebrate! This is a big win for the good guys!
Haru: Agreed! Thoughts on what we should do?
Rise: Well, I'd suggest my concert as a nice get-together, but it's still a few weeks away…
Yosuke: We can still go to that for sure, but we should prolly think of doing something sooner
Yukiko: Oooh, how about we go out to a fancy restaurant? I know a few people in the industry and could definitely get us a reservation at a good spot!
Rise: I'm game!
Ann: That sounds like a lot of fun!
Ryuji: I'm down too! Aw, but I gotta find somethin' nice to wear tho…
Futaba: …same.
Yosuke: Yeeeah, I gotta get something too. But it'll definitely be a blast! We should do it!
Ren: Sounds like a lot of fun. Count me in.
Yu: Sounds like a lot of fun. Count me in.
Chie: Will you two stop twinning?
Ren: Sorry.
Yu: Sorry.
Ann: Dial it back, you two.
Rise: Dial it back, you two.
Futaba: Oh god, now Ann and Rise are infected! Someone, please end this madness!
Yusuke: […]
Futaba: Yusuke, don't you dare. It wouldn't even be timed right, and it wouldn't be funny even if it was!
Yusuke: What? I was merely messaging my approval for the plans we've set. Have I done something wrong?
Futaba: Uuuuh, no, sorry, I was thinking you were typing something else…
Haru: Yukiko-san, if you end up needing any help with the reservation, please do let me know!
Yukiko: Will do!
"That'll be a blast! I can't wait!" Morgana cheered, his tail wagging back and forth all the while. "Do you think they'll pick a place with good fish?"
"They will probably pick a place that you will have to be incognito for at best," Ren stated pointedly. "You may not get to go at all."
"…rats."
With that, their plans for a what had become a traditional victory get-together were set. Ren turned to Futaba to open conversation on exactly that, though he was given pause on account of her noticeably sullen mood. Even given her social anxiety, she'd always looked forward to these kinds of things before, so of course it struck him as odd that she seemed somehow gloomy this time around.
"Everything okay, Futaba?" Ren couldn't help but ask.
"Hm?" she uttered. Clearly, she was too deep in thought to give a proper response, but she soon realized this and snapped back to reality. "O-Oh, uh… yeah, I'm good."
"Uh-huh…" both Sojiro and Ren uttered in unison.
Though the first thing she should have noticed was their clear skepticism, the orange-haired teen could only glare at the pair. She wondered if their joint repetition was some kind of conspiracy, but Sojiro wasn't in their chat and had no knowledge of it whatsoever, so of course it couldn't have been intentional. Still, she had to know for sure.
"…are you two doing this on purpose, or is this just gonna be that kind of day?" Futaba asked.
"What?" Sojiro asked confusedly.
"Never mind, it's nothing…"
"So, are you going to actually answer my question honestly?" Ren pressed in a friendly tone of voice.
It was clear that the hacking prodigy was debating in her mind whether or not to come clean. Knowing Ren, he'd force it out of her eventually regardless of how hard she tried to hold it in, so she believed it was best to get the inevitable out of the way.
"I mean, i-it's just that… I kinda get the feeling that the way I look, I'd be kinda out of place at some fancy restaurant, ya know?" Futaba finally answered.
"What do you mean? You look perfectly fine," Sojiro firmly remarked.
"You basically haveto say that," Futaba countered. She looked to the raven-haired teen almost pleadingly. "Be honest, do you think I'm pretty in a ladylike way or just kinda cute?"
"You're plenty beautiful, Futaba. I mean it, really." Ren answered.
The honesty in his eyes and tone had the orange-haired girl blushing in spades, even if it was both what she expected and wanted to hear. Both her reaction and Ren's sincerity did not go unnoticed by her father standing thereabouts of two feet away.
"Ehem…"
"I say that as objectively as possible, of course," Ren added, looking at the store owner out of the corner of his eye.
Sojiro gave him a look that simply said 'you're god damn right you do', though he spoke not a word.
"W-Well, if you think so, then…" Futaba muttered, averting her gaze.
The fact that she seemed suddenly reassured came as an obvious comfort to both her father figure and Joker, though they both couldn't help but wonder one thing.
"Any particular reason why that was on your mind?" Ren prodded curiously.
"Umm, well…" Futaba trailed off nervously.
There was an odd awkwardness to her demeanor that felt incredibly out of place given that she was in the presence of both Ren and Sojiro. The latter of the two, however, quickly picked up on what was going on and made himself scarce.
"You know what, I just remembered I have to go to the grocery store," announced the shopkeeper curtly.
He took his leave without hesitation, though his legal daughter couldn't help but appreciate both his understanding and subtlety. It was classic Sojiro, or so she would say. Mona, to his gentlemanly credit, also excused himself as well, knowing his ears were not meant to hear what was to come.
"I keep forgetting how perceptive he is sometimes…" Futaba muttered.
"Thankfully he was dense when it came to us being a Phantom Thieves for a time," Ren commented with a chuckle. "Anyway, what'd you want to bring up that you couldn't when Sojiro was here?"
"…you have to promise you won't laugh," Futaba stated.
"That goes without saying."
"And yet I need to hear you say it."
"Okay, okay," he replied, unable to prevent a small but clearly amused grin from gracing his features. "I promise I won't laugh no matter what."
"Alright then…" began Futaba with a sigh as if mentally preparing herself. "The thing is, I… r-recently, I've been thinking I'm maybe not… g-girly enough. I don't really fuss over makeup or clothes much, and I—well, I just…!"
Though it would've certainly been funny in its own right to see if the orange-haired teen's face would light up into a yet-to-be-discovered shade of red, Ren didn't have the heart to let it get to that point.
"Easy there, Futaba," he interjected.
"R-Right, yes. Easy does it."
He gave it a few more seconds for her to actually calm down, and though she still seemed a bit antsy, she was likely as toned down as she would get.
"Before I say anything else, I'm kinda curious… why are you worried about that stuff all of a sudden?" Ren asked, unable to hold out the curiosity in his voice.
"I, uh… Truth be told, I really don't know that myself," Futaba admitted, her shoulders slumping. "That doesn't stop it from bothering me though. Heh, the human brain, am I right? B-But all the same, the more I mulled it over, the more I started to think I may wanna try it."
"Hm? Try what?"
"The whole 'girling out' thing! I wanna get the full experience at least once!" Futaba exclaimed, her brows furrowed but her cheeks crimson. "Geez, you would make me say that out loud! You really are some kind of sadist!"
"Well, if that's the case, I'm not entirely sure why you're talking to me about it," began the black-haired teen. "After all, last I checked, you've got three close friends that'd be a hell of a lot more helpful than me."
"…but asking them straight-up would be so embarrassing!" Futaba muttered under her breath. "Plus, I'm sure they'd all be asking 'questions' and they'd be one's I don't know the answers to! Ugh, I don't think my heart can take that!"
"Hmm, okay, so how about this: Text them and ask if they want to meet up to go shopping for the celebration dinner. That can be your excuse," Ren offered.
The suggestion covered every possible base that could be seen. Bringing up the topic wouldn't have raised any eyebrows or invite unwanted questions, and at the same time she would get the full benefit of her three closet female friends' collective beauty advice.
"That's genius! It's beyond perfect!" Futaba exclaimed. She awkwardly scrambled to take out her phone, nearly dropping it several times before she managed to get a proper grip on it. "I'll text them now. Thanks, Ren, you're the best!"
"I try," Joker replied with a reflexive chuckle. He took a glance at the time, after which he got up from his chair and began to head for the door. "Sorry, I have something I need to get to. Tell Mona I'll be back this afternoon if he comes back looking for me."
"Roger that!" Futaba replied energetically.
She was so absorbed with messaging Ann, Makoto, and Haru that she had forgotten to ask the obvious. When she finally realized, she picked her head up and looked towards the door.
"So, where are you going, anyway?" Futaba finally asked.
It took less than a second for her to realize Ren was long gone. Her only solace was that no one was present to witness what had just happened.
'Alright, this is where my training of 'pretending I didn't just do that' kicks in!' Futaba thought.
Tokyo: Saint Joan Rehab Center, Some Time Later…
The environment of the PT clinic was as energy-filled as one would both hope and expect. Every corner of the facility was littered with trainers and their patients, dealing with varying recoveries though seemingly all of them had to deal with their legs.
One in particular was none other than Ryuji Sakamoto, who found himself grunting as his back was pressed against a wall in a mid-set of single-leg wall squats. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he continued to hold for as long as he could.
The young woman with short black hair at his side looked at her stopwatch dispassionately, almost as if she were terrified of giving off any emotion in the moment. Perhaps, however, she wanted to keep both of their hopes at a minimum for the time being.
"Come on, Sakamoto, three more seconds until you beat your personal best!" she exclaimed.
Three seconds and then some went by before the blond ultimately collapsed, though his trainer was right there to catch him and gently guide him to the ground. He panted heavily and wiped the sweat from his brow, though he sported a grin from ear-to-ear just the same.
"Fifteen seconds over my best. Not bad, huh, Isane-san?" Ryuji said.
"Thirteen seconds," she corrected. "Though all the same, good work, you're clearly making a lot of progress. With that, we're done for the day."
"Thanks, I've been really puttin' in the work. It's good to see some real results."
"I did notice you were trying a bit harder today though," she said with a proud smile. "It makes me think I should invite your friend over there to come over for the other sessions too."
"…say what now?"
Isane pointed off to the side, at which point he saw Ren waving over at him with a look that was somehow innocent and mischievous at the same time. Needless to say, Ryuji marched directly over, smiling brightly all the while.
"Yo," greeted the black-haired Thief of Hearts.
"Hey man, what's up?" Ryuji greeted heartily. "Gotta say, I did not expect to see you here… well, ever if I'm bein' honest. How exactly did ya find out about this place?"
"I called in a favor from Dr. Takemi," Ren answered. "I figured you left out the finer details of your PT for a reason, so I didn't tell anyone else, but I couldn't hold back myself. I wanted to stop by and show my support at least once if I could help it."
Joker's genuine and caring personality in moments like this made it difficult for almost anyone to maintain a straight face, and Ryuji was no exception. It became obvious that the thuggish high-schooler was embarrassed by his friend's words. His body language and reddened face all but screamed as much.
"T-Thanks, man, I really dunno what to say…" Ryuji admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He did, however, feel the need to clarify one point. "And it ain't like I didn't want you to show up or nothin' like that. You can come to watch as much as you want. Just, uh… keep keepin' it to yourself, alright?"
"By which you mean don't tell anyone so that Ann doesn't find out, I take it?" Ren mused with a knowing smirk.
"Uh… w-well, yes," he admitted, sighing as he did so. "Look, yeah, yeah, she's one of my best friends and all that, but if she came here, she might get all gooey and emotional and star cryin' and shit, and—ugh, I don't even wanna think about that the scene that'd make."
His words were true enough, but his friend was more than smart enough to see through them.
"…by which you mean after she started to cry, you would," Ren muttered.
The embarrassed blush that coated Ryuji's cheeks answered the accusation well enough.
"I—she—I mean, that's not…!"
"Easy there, no need to blow a circuit," Ren laughed amusedly. "I promise I'll keep it to myself, okay? Now c'mon, let's go get some lunch. My treat."
Almost immediately, the blonde threw his arm around Joker and pulled him close in a brotherly manner.
"Ya had me at lunch," Ryuji stated cheerfully.
Tokyo: Upscale Retail District
The four female members of the Phantom Thieves shifted through the women's section of an upscale department store with a sparkling glow in their eyes. Each and every article of clothing seemed to be so well-made, it was impossible not to be starstruck.
"The clothes here are absolutely incredible…" Makoto said in awe.
"Right?" Ann chimed in excitedly. "The fabric quality is top-notch! It's like I'm looking at clothes they'd be giving me for my modeling gigs!"
"That's why I recommended this store in the first place," Haru replied, shifting through a rack of dresses all the while. "They always have such high-quality clothing."
"Still, full credit to Futaba for rallying us in the first place. Great call!" Ann remarked. She expected a response of some kind to come from her mentioned friend, though oddly she remained quiet. "Hm? Futaba, you here?"
In unison, the older trio looked for the esteemed hacker and found her mulling over a set of three dresses. She was clearly deep in thought, and lost beyond all belief if her expression was anything to go by. Ann lightly tapped her shoulder, causing her to immediately jolt back in fear.
"Gah!" Futaba yelped.
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" Ann quickly apologized.
"No, no, you're fine, that was my bad…" Futaba replied. She took a few short seconds to calm herself and to ensure her heart hadn't jumped out of her chest. "Okay, all good."
"Did you need help picking out a dress?" Haru asked politely.
"Uh… yeah, actually, I think I do."
There was a bit of shame in Futaba's voice which each of them took notice of, though they didn't address it directly so as to spare their friend any shame or embarrassment. Queen quickly made to calm her nerves.
"I can see why you're having trouble," Makoto remarked, herself cupping her chin in deep consideration. "Each of these are incredibly lovely in their own right. Hm… Ann, what do you think?"
"I'd say… yep, definitely this one," the blonde cheerfully replied, gesturing the middle which happened to be a mix of black and green by color.
Futaba very quickly perked up. Had she gone with her own gut, that would've been the very same dress that she'd have chosen in the end. It raised her confidence ever-so-slightly to see Ann's opinion match up with her own, even if her crippling self-doubt had prevented her from actually making the decision beforehand.
'At least I was on the right track!' thought Futaba hopefully. She turned to the Thief's resident fashion expert once more. "Y-You really think so?"
"Totally! It'll be a knockout for sure!" Ann stated with conviction.
"…right! I'll go try it on now, then!"
With that, the orange-haired teen scurried off, a wry grin tugging at her lips. The others couldn't help but smile warmly at the sight.
"I believe they refer to that as an emotional one-eighty," Makoto joked, stifling laughter in her throat.
"All that aside, should we not try on our clothes as well?" Haru reasoned.
"Actually, I already know what I'm buying," replied Ann with a confident smile.
"Must be your instincts as a model. I'm envious," Makoto said, sounding almost impressed.
"Not exactly. You see, the truth is I've been to this store before and had my eye on something for a special occasion," Ann explained. "Honestly, I was looking for any excuse to buy it at this point. Ehehe…"
"That does sound like you," giggled Haru. "Come on Mako-chan, we should get going."
The two left in unison with the aspiring model following closely behind, though she would ultimately sit in wait just outside the changing rooms. It took thereabouts of ten or so minutes for any of them to actually change and be fully 'ready' in the clothes they'd brought with them.
Haru, ironically enough, had been the first to exit. She sported a lovely one-piece purple dress that held a floral pattern lacing on her sternum. It was elegant, befitting of the heiress by every meaning of the word.
"Waita go Haru!" Ann cheered. "I love that floral pattern! It's totally you!"
"I thought so too," replied the heiress. "You don't think the color is too bright, do you?"
"Wow, Haru, that dress certainly is lovely!" Makoto complimented graciously, entering the conversation as she too stepped out into the open.
The pink-haired young woman soon turned to see her closest friend exiting her changing room wearing a dark blue dress of her own. Though it appeared more conservative at a glance with its skirt section draping down to the floor, there was a noticeable opening on her left leg that stopped just above her knee.
"The same could be said to you, Mako-chan. That dress is rather stunning!" Haru energetically remarked.
"Definitely!" Ann chimed in.
"…it's not too much leg, is it?" Makoto inquired.
"Hmm, I'd almost say it's not enough," Ann replied.
"Anymore than this and I'd never hear the end of it from sis," Makoto chuckled. "But thank you, I was worried it would be a bit too… risqué."
"I believe it strikes the right balance," said Haru. The pink-haired heiress began to look around the area. "Is Futaba-chan done changing yet?"
"Nope," answered Ann.
They stayed silent for a minute, not wanting to worry and move to pestering their younger friend out of fear it would apply needless pressure to her. Thankfully, they weren't put in a position where they would need to. The final changing room in the section began to open, though it did so at the pace of a snail.
'Is she too embarrassed to come out…?' Makoto wondered.
Eventually, Futaba did in fact come out into the open. She did so with a noticeable sense of embarrassment and a distinct lack of confidence, clearly thinking on some level the dress wasn't what she had hoped it would be. Her self-doubt, however, was once again way off base.
Futaba was garbed in an off-the-shoulder black dress with a dark-green lining the section wrapped around her biceps and the hem of the dress, which itself extended to just below her knees.
Ann covered her mouth to stifle a gasp and held back prideful tears while Makoto and Haru could only look on with beaming smiles. Futaba gradually began to gain confidence, assuming that they wouldn't look at her in such a way if she didn't look incredible.
"It… doesn't look weird, right?" Futaba asked, wanting to be completely certain she was reading the room correctly.
"Absolutely not!" Ann quickly exclaimed. "You're rocking that dress so hard right now Futaba! It looks amazing!"
"I was about to say the same thing," Haru stated.
"Ditto," said Makoto. "You should have more confidence while waring that, Futaba. You look fantastic!"
All the praise that was heaped onto her appearance had the orange-haired teen's face lit up a brilliant shade of red. That being the case, she was beyond overjoyed to hear it in the first place.
"T-Thanks, you guys," Futaba replied. "I was a bit worried I wouldn't be able to pull it off. Um, but… should I maybe try doing something with my hair? Or maybe makeup?"
"If it's makeup, I'm definitely your girl!" Ann volunteered, a beaming smile shining as she did so. "Oooh, and I also know this great salon! If you want to go in for a touch-up before the dinner, we can head in together!"
"Really?!" Futaba practically shouted in joy. She quickly cleared her throat and dialed it back as best as she was able. "I-I mean, yeah, that'd be great! Thanks, Ann!"
"Anytime!" she replied with an amused giggle. "I take it though that you three have picked out your dresses?"
It was at that moment that they began to look at the price tags on the dresses themselves given that the presumed next stop would have been the cash register. Makoto's eyes went wide and Futaba's head hung in absolute and utter defeat. Haru, unsurprisingly, didn't bat an eyelash.
"Aaaand I'm dead. Oh well, it was a nice life…" Futaba sighed.
"H-How bad is it?" Ann asked, concern evident in her tone.
"Well, lemme put it to you this way: If god were here, he'd have trouble affording this."
"That's a bit of an overexaggerating," Makoto muttered, her expression clearly sullen. "Only by a bit though…"
"Oh, could you all be discussing the cost?" Haru realized. "If that's the case, there's no need to worry. I already gave them my credit card when we entered and said to charge everything we bring to the register to me."
"Rich girl says what now?" Futaba asked.
"Haru, you can't just—" Makoto began.
"I both can and already have," Haru interjected. "They've already been instructed not to let you charge anything to yourselves, and even if you put the dresses back and leave, I'll simply buy them myself anyway and give them to you afterwards."
"You're a lot sneakier than I thought, Haru…" Ann thought aloud.
"And overly-generous as well," Makoto replied, unable to fight back an amused laugh. "But I know there's no arguing with you when you're like this, so thank you, Haru. We greatly appreciate your gift."
"Hell yeah we do! Thanks a million, Haru!" Futaba cheered.
She quickly ran up and grabbed the heiress in a tight bear-hug, which she returned in kind.
"You're very welcome," she replied, giggle cutely as her eyes shifted to the others. "Shall we go to the register?"
Just then, however, a store sales rep happened upon the squad.
The woman kindly offered, "Oh, I take it you're ready to check out? In that case, I can help you at the front."
"Thank you kindly," Haru said respectfully.
"Very well, then follow me."
They quickly made their way towards an open register, of which there seemed to be many for the moment. In fact, there was only one customer there outside of themselves, and she had seemingly finished paying and was about to leave.
That in and of itself was nothing worthy of note, though upon second glance, they realized that it was in fact someone they knew.
"Sis? Is that you?" Makoto called out confusedly.
The silver-haired beauty turned, surprised to have heard and subsequently seen her sister in the same store.
"Makoto?" Sae uttered, her confusion equaling that of her sibling's. "Well, this is quite a surprise. I never expected this was where you'd be headed when you said you were going out to shop with your friends."
"It does look like we had the same idea though, judging by the bag in your hand," Makoto remarked.
"Ah, so you were doing some shopping for our little get-together next week too?" Ann mused.
"Not quite, although I must say, it's rather adorable you're all out shopping together for something like that," she replied, an amused smile growing on her features.
"Well, we are pretty adorable," Futaba admitted.
"True," Haru said in agreement.
"If that's the case though, then what's the occasion?" Makoto inquired conversationally. "Do you have a work function coming up?"
"Actually, this isn't work related," replied Sae. She took a brief pause to look at the watch on her wrist. "Though now that you mention it, I do have to take care of a few things if I'm to remain free tonight, so I must be going."
"You have plans for tonight then?" Makoto reasoned.
"As a matter of fact, yes," Sae answered. "Now is actually the perfect chance to tell you. I'll be going out to dinner later tonight with Yu, so there's no need for you to cook dinner for two."
Just like that, the eldest of the Nijima daughters took her leave, and in the wake of her departure Makoto was frozen stiff. Her shell-shocked expression would have been rather amusing had it not been so worrying that a statue would have looked more lifelike to her by comparison.
"Um, M-Makoto…?" Ann asked worriedly, receiving no response.
"…I think she broke," Futaba commented.
The orange-haired teen started to wave her hand in front of Makoto's eyes to stir some reaction, though yet again she remained still.
"I must say, this is the first time I've seen something like this happen to her…" Haru thought aloud.
"Then do we hit her rest button?"
"People don't have reset buttons, Futaba," Ann sighed. "Where would it even be in the first place?"
"You got a better idea?" the hacker shot back.
"…maybe try her back?"
Tokyo: Sanshou Hotel, Mid-Level Bar, Some Time Later…
By now it was early evening and the Investigation Team had started to gather piece by piece in the hotel's bar area much like they had on numerous other occasions. Rise had just arrived, waving excitedly to her friends as she took her seat.
"Sorry I'm a bit late," Rise apologized. "Things were crazy today though, so it really couldn't be helped! Honest!"
"We believe you Rise, no need to try to convince us," Chie said with a chuckle.
"Besides, we knew you'd make it eventually, so we saved ya a seat all the same," Kanji stated.
"Thanks you guys!" Rise chirped. She took a look around the table and noticed there was one key absence. "Oh, is Yu not here yet?"
"Right behind you, actually."
Everyone's eyes quickly turned to Yu as he approached the table, though they were quickly surprised to see what he was wearing. He was garbed in a dark gray suit, complete with a vest of the same color and a jet-black tie. Under the collar of his white dress shirt.
"The drip is strong with this one," Yosuke stated.
"Nice of you to get dressed up on our account," Chie quipped.
"He looks great though," Yukiko remarked.
"And then some," Rise said, her eyes holding a wanting glint to them as she took in his appearance from head to toe. "That's a high-quality suit if ever I've seen one."
"Thanks," Yu replied, clearly attempting to sound as humble as he could. He took a look at his watch for a brief moment. "And to actually offer an explanation for the suit, Sae invited me out to dinner at the Sky Restaurant to catch up. I have to get going now though if I don't wanna be late, but I did want to drop by and say hi before heading out."
With that said, Yu waved farewell and headed off to the elevator. It should come as no surprise that the second he was outside of eyesight, nearly everyone leaned towards the center of the table in unison with the clear intent of gossiping as if they were still in high school.
"Okay, Sae-san moves fast," Yosuke started off.
"Right?!" Chie exclaimed in a hushed tone.
"Mmh, I dunno. It could just as easily be a friend thing," Yukiko thought aloud.
"Dinner at the Sky Restaurant? Not freakin' likely," Yosuke scoffed.
"Actually, Yu did say they were just catching up…" Chie muttered, uncertainty in her voice.
"Well, it could just be a cover story," Naoto remarked. All eyes quickly turned to her, surprised that she'd spoken up and taken part in their talk. "N-Not that I'm at all interested. I'm simply pointing out that it's a possibility."
"Meh, I'm still not so sure now that I think about it. Sae-san doesn't really seem the type…" Chie replied.
"You kiddin' me? Even if she seems a bit cold, I've yet to see any girl be immune to Yu's charms," Kanji firmly stated.
It was then that he, and everyone else, took notice of a twisted, dark power emanating from his side. Kanji's head slowly turned to see Rise smiling pleasantly at him, all the while this sinister aura continued to pour forth from her very being. In the moment, she seemed more fearsome than the Devil himself.
"Even if that's true, this is probably just a friends thing like Yukiko and Chie said," Rise began.
Though she didn't glare or direct any animosity towards anyone, not a soul present was willing to take the chance of lighting the match that would set off the ever-expanding powder keg that the redhead had become.
"I for one totally agree with Rise," Yosuke immediately stated.
"Y-Yeah, on second thought, I-I do too. What was I thinking? H-Ha-ha-ha…" Kanji awkwardly muttered.
"Good, glad to hear it," Rise said, her tone smooth and pleasant in spite of her very clear animus. She quickly got up from her seat. "Incidentally, I am going to go get a drink—maybe two. Anyone want anything?"
Tokyo: Upscale Apartment District, Nijima Household…
Makoto sat on the couch with a book in hand, desperately trying to distract herself as her sister got ready for her 'date'. She failed miserably in doing so, primarily because her eyes couldn't stop herself from looking at the clock every ten or so seconds, keeping her eyes perpetually off of the book's pages.
Eventually, she heard her sister's room open and footsteps fast approaching. On some level she didn't even want to see what her sister was wearing because she all but knew it would confirm her suspicions, though even so she couldn't stop herself.
Sae stepped towards Makoto looking stunning on all accounts. Her outfit of choice was a pitch-black halter dress with an x-strap that tied around her neck that left the center of her chest oh-so-slightly exposed. As far as the lower half was concerned, the dress extended to just above her feet, though a lone slit which stopped just below her knee allowed much of her left leg to be exposed. Her attire was complete by a pair ruby-red earrings and shoes of a matching color, each being almost blindingly radiant.
In addition, while Sae was not one to fuss much over makeup or her hair, it was obvious that she'd expertly attended to each before stepping out of her room. Both her lips and hair shined as brightly as her crimson eyes, culminating in an appearance that would undoubtedly catch the eye of anyone that was lucky enough to see her in person throughout the night.
'Aaaaand she's going for an all-out attack…' the brunette thought with chagrin.
"Everything okay, Makoto?" Sae asked.
"Yeah, everything's fine. I just couldn't help but realize how good you look tonight, sis…" she replied, forcing a smile.
"Thank you," replied Sae, a bit of pride in her tone. "In any case, I'll be leaving now. If there's an emergency, as always don't hesitate to contact me."
"I think I'll manage."
The silver-haired beauty merely nodded before taking her leave.
"Have fun!" Makoto called out. The moment the door closed, she couldn't help but add, "…just not too much."
The former student council president of Shujin Academy slumped into the couch to such a degree she may as well have fused with it. She groaned, jamming a pillow in her face to stifle it.
'Leave it to sis to be as overt as possible without actually saying it outright,' Makoto thought. 'D-Do I make myself scarce? What if she brings him back here? Ugh, why me?!'
Outside the Apartment Building Entrance…
Yu patiently awaited his friend's arrival at the exact time that they'd discussed. Sure enough, Sae walked out of her apartment building a half-second later. The moment she did so, all eyes quickly flocked to her, and Yu was no exception to this. Her beauty was such that it was impossible not to.
Whether Sae noticed his reaction or not was up for debate, but judging by how she sauntered towards him as if savoring the look in his eyes, it was likely that she had. It was also possible that she was taking her sweet time in enjoying his appearance as well. Perhaps both were true.
"Right on time as always," Sae remarked.
"Same to you," Yu replied with a chuckle. "And you look amazing by the way. You're…"
"What? Cat got your tongue?" Sae asked teasingly, adjusting her hair and batting her eyes in what most would realize to be a flirtatious manner.
"Sort of," he said. "It's kinda hard to find the right words to describe how good you look if I'm being honest."
Though she'd been the one to initiate the banter, Sae couldn't help but blush. She did manage to hold back the grin that was tugging at her lips and remained calm and composed as always.
"And yet ironically you've managed to form quite the compliment in your own right all the same," Sae muttered. "Thank you though, and by the way, you look quite handsome yourself. That suite is incredibly eye-catching—very well made by the looks of it."
"You like it?" Yu asked, almost bashfully. "A friend of mine picked it out for me a while back, but it's so nice I only wear it for special occasions."
"Then I suppose I should be thankful to be one of these 'special occasions'," Sae replied jokingly.
She was ill-prepared for the genuine look in his eyes and the charming smile that followed when next he spoke.
"You always have been," Yu stated.
A testament to the crimson-eyed lawyers' steadfast perseverance, she kept composed even as her heart nearly skipped a beat. However, she felt a desperate need to change the subject lest her face start to turn the same color as her lips, shoes and earrings.
"Y-Yes, well, we should get going, no?" Sae mused.
"Yeah, I have a cab waiting just around the corner," Yu replied. He gestured in the exact same direction. "After you."
"Ever the gentleman," Sae laughed throatily.
Tokyo: Shibuya Arcade, Some Time Later…
Makoto Nijima stood in place, lackadaisically firing away a faux pistol at an arcade game screen. Each of her shots hit as per usual, but gone was any sense of focus or enthusiasm. She was simply going through the motions at this point.
The brunette was far too preoccupied with thoughts of her sisters ongoing date to give true focus to anything else. The reason, of course, was because everything about it bothered her. Even the fact that it bothered her bothered her.
'Why am I getting so worked up about this?' Makoto wondered.
She sighed deeply, then noticing a familiar voice calling out to her.
"Rough day?" Ren asked.
A clearly surprised Makoto hardly even needed to turn her head to get the leader of the Phantom Thieves in her sights. He was standing just a few feet away and leaning against a wall.
"Oh, um… hi," Makoto greeted, her face tinged a subtle shade of pink as she cleared her throat. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Well, at least long enough to see this."
The raven-haired teen began to mimic her robotic shooting motion, eliciting a bashful laugh from his friend in turn.
"I admit it wasn't my most enthused performance."
"Ya think?" he chuckled. "So again: Rough day?"
"…no, it's nothing, really," Makoto replied.
"Alright, if you say so," Ren uttered evenly. He then walked up to the machine himself, giving a cheeky smirk towards Queen as he pulled the secondary gun from its holster. "Care for a rematch?"
"I… Honestly, I don't know if I'm really in the mood," admitted Makoto.
"Fair enough. I mean after all, no one is ever really in the mood to lose."
Makoto knew perfectly well he was just egging her on, though the truth was it would work ten out of ten times. The mere sight of his knowing smirk ignited her competitive fire, a trait that seemed genetic at this point.
She eyed him with a glare and a cocky smirk of her own.
"You're on."
Tokyo: Sky Restaurant
Both Yu and Sae were being escorted to their table by the host, drawing many stares and causing a great deal of fanfare as they did so. It was impossible not to notice the prying eyes of the patrons, and in some cases their cellphones as some deigned to take pictures. The pair ignored them all successfully and made it to their reserved table next to the window soon enough.
"A member of our staff will be with you shortly," spoke the host, bowing his head respectfully before taking his leave.
The mutterings of the other customers seemed to intensify as they'd sat down, something that loosely got on both of their respective nerves.
"I wonder, do they think they're looking at a pair of celebrities or something?" Sae muttered.
"Well, looking at you, I can see why they'd think that," Yu commented.
"Why thank you," she replied with a pleasant smile. "Although don't sell yourself short. I said 'pair', didn't I?"
"Aw, thanks. I felt like I did my makeup just right today, too."
Sae couldn't help but laugh, and it was at that point that a young waitress, smiling in a friendly manner, came up to them and poured each a glass of water. She would then ask the obvious.
"Can I get you two anything else to drink?"
"Hmm… How do you feel about wine?" Sae inquired, looking to Yu.
"Wine sounds good," he replied. "Color doesn't matter to me though."
"In that case, a bottle of whatever red wine you recommend," Sae stated.
"It'll be right out, ma'am."
With that, the young woman was gone and the two were left to what had finally settled into a calming air of peace and quiet. While there may have been the stray prying eyes of one or two people here and there, they were otherwise left to enjoy the evening from that point forward.
"The view here really is amazing," Yu remarked.
"Yes, I agree," Sae replied. "This has always been one of my favorite restaurants. Often I'd come here after a busy week of work just to enjoy the view and think."
"I'm surprised you'd actually manage to get any peace and quiet at all. I'd figure you'd have guys breathing down your neck trying to chat you up. I saw it plenty enough in college after all," Yu reasoned.
"I'll admit, there were most certainly stares. But it was kept at that, thankfully," Sae replied. She took on a knowing smirk and eyed the young man with a smugness to her eyes. "And as far as college was concerned, as I remember it, you were hit on as much if not more so."
"Is this about that time with the girl at the coffee shop?"
"Which time and which girl?"
"Oh ha-ha," Yu laughed dryly, rolling his eyes. "It was just once and you know it."
The waitress arrived shortly thereafter with their bottle of wine and poured each of them a glass. Once she'd left, the silver-haired beauty raised her glass towards Yu, clearly proposing a toast.
"To reunions, I suppose," Sae uttered.
"To reunions," Yu replied.
They tapped glasses and began to drink, each eager to talk the night away.
Tokyo: Shibuya Arcade, Some Time Later…
Queen and Joker exited the arcade smiling and clearly enjoying one another's company if appearances were anything to go by. When the conversation seemed to finally hit a small but comfortable pause, the latter of the two finally decided to address the elephant in the room.
"So, is this the part where you tell me what's actually bothering you?" Ren asked.
The pointed nature of the question actually caught Makoto off guard. It was clear that she didn't quite know what to say just from her expression alone.
"Um… that's…" she muttered aimlessly.
"Look, it's okay if you don't want to talk. If you tell me that, I'll understand," said Ren. "But don't tell me nothing's bothering you when we both know that isn't true. Give me a little more credit than that."
"Yes, I know…" Makoto sighed, clearly feeling a bit guilty. "Fair warning, this topic may take some time to discuss."
"I've got time."
"It's also not something I'd like to discuss in public."
"I'll go wherever."
"It's also most likely an incredibly stupid concern."
"None of your concerns are ever stupid to me. Ever," Ren answered.
The conviction in his tone actually made Makoto break eye contact and blush. Although it was certainly a line, there was no doubt in her mind that he sincerely meant it. She had previously been intent on not bothering him with what she thought as a moronic personal issue, but he'd more than managed to pry open both her heart and mind almost effortlessly.
'He never plays fair…' Makoto thought.
"So, do you want to talk?" Ren asked in a friendly tone, naturally trying to avoid piling on pressure.
The brunette took a look at her phone to check the time and seemed to give thought to what would come next.
"…i-if you're willing," she finally replied. He was silent, but she didn't need to hear him speak to know the answer, and by that point he knew she didn't need to hear it either. "Alright, then let's head back to my sis's place."
Tokyo: Sky Restaurant, Some Time Later…
Sae and Yu were in the final stages of sharing a laugh, their wine glasses nearly empty and their plates much the same after. There could be no question as to whether or not they were having a pleasant time in one another's company.
"I almost feel bad laughing at that for Tatsumi-san's sake," Sae admitted.
"I did at first too, but eventually even he started to find it funny, so I wouldn't worry about it too much," Yu replied.
"Glad to hear it."
With a cheerful smile still gracing her lips, Sae went to finish off her wine. As she finished, she stared down at the bottom of the empty glass in deep contemplation. She went silent for a time, and so as not to be rude, Yu simply let it be. Whatever she was thinking on certainly seemed important enough to warrant such a courtesy on his part.
"…you know, I've missed this," Sae admitted, her tone holding a great deal of emotion to it. "I really have."
"For what it's worth, so have I," Yu replied.
His honesty was palpable, but the red-eyed woman nevertheless couldn't help but laugh.
"I should hope so," Sae countered playfully, placing her glass down on the table. "But to that end, there's… something I've wanted to speak to you about."
It didn't take a genius to realize that whatever it was she was referring to was not easy for her to get across. And Yu, above all people, understood that feeling all too well. He looked at her in as friendly and inviting a manner as he could.
Yu sought to reassure her, saying, "Whatever it is, I'm happy to listen, and take as much time as you need."
"It's because you say things like that that make this so difficult," Sae chuckled almost bitterly.
"Sorry, I don't mean to," he uttered, rubbing the back of his head bashfully in response.
"My apologies, I don't want you to misunderstand. I wasn't saying that as a criticism, I'm merely trying to say that your incredibly kind nature makes me feel all the more guilty for having fallen out of touch," Sae explained.
"I'm not so sure that's—"
"No, please," she interjected. "Just… let me get this off my chest."
Under the pressure of the almost pleading nature of her tone, Yu could only nod his head solemnly as if to give the signal she would be able to speak uninterrupted.
"Do you remember the last time we even so much as messaged one another? I do—it was December 5th, four years ago. It was nearly two weeks before my father was killed in the line of duty," Sae began.
The shocked reaction she received on Yu's part was very telling. Out of respect for her request, however, he still remained silent even if it took all his willpower to do so.
"Clearly you were unaware," she mused. "I had expected as much, but I digress. He was killed by a gang in Shinjuku that was peddling drugs and possibly running prostitution rings throughout the city. A truck ran him down, in case you were curious."
"Sae, that's horrible! I never…!" Yu exclaimed. He caught himself rather quickly. "S-Sorry, I just… I'm sorry to hear that. And there's no need to talk about it at length if you don't want to."
Though it was obvious that he had ultimately interrupted her, Sae couldn't help but feel somewhat touched by his evident concern.
"I won't lie, it's certainly not a subject I enjoy speaking on," she admitted. "However, what I wish to tell you is more important, and so it's a necessary evil I suppose."
"It doesn't need to be if you don't want to."
Sae knowingly countered, "That's sweet of you to say, but I've already come this far, haven't I?"
He didn't respond, and she took that in and of itself as affirmation. As such she hung her head, sighing to herself.
"My father was a good man, and obsessed with justice as a concept. He loved his work as a policeman almost too much as a result. Sometimes, I felt he loved it even more than either myself or Makoto," Sae began, laughing dryly. "When he died, I was sad, yes, but I was also furious beyond all belief. No matter what I could or would do, my father was dead, and Makoto and I were left behind. Although now I know I was wrong, at the time, I… I couldn't stop myself from believing that was the culmination of the justice he loved so dearly. The inevitable end result, if you will."
"…how do you mean?" Yu asked calmly.
"Empty and devoid of meaning…" Sae answered. "I couldn't help but wonder: If this is what my father's justice leads to, then what's the point? I never once questioned his idea of justice, but seeing his life end like that and with my sister and I left behind to pick up the pieces… simply made me feel that perhaps it was all pointless after all."
Out of curiosity, she stole a glance at Yu before going on. She couldn't help but smile at what she saw. He was listening intently, yes, but that wasn't what she found impactful. She couldn't sense a hint of judgment coming from him even as she admitted something so horribly wrong and bullheaded.
He likely disagreed with her entirely—even she disagreed with her past self for that matter. Even so, there was not one ounce of his being that would decry her for falling victim to any of these thoughts. It was textbook Yu Narukami, or at least she believed so.
"I came to the conclusion that if justice itself didn't matter, then perhaps the entire point was to simply rise as far as one can. So, as you can imagine, I threw myself into work with that sole goal in mind," Sae continued. She averted her eyes, the shame she felt even now being almost too much to bear. "There were a number of things that I came to regret, namely throwing away nearly every conviction and belief I held dear, though at the time I cared very little."
"I'm guessing that's how you came to have a Palace, right?" Yu reasoned, receiving a nod in response.
"Yes, exactly so. However, that's not entirely relevant as far as your concerned…" Sae trailed off. "And before I go on, I want you to know that I don't blame you for not contacting me all this time. Even if I did, I was the one who didn't respond to your last message."
Though he would normally have protested, it was clear to Yu that she was saying that merely as a preface and so he opted not to interrupt. She took a deep breath, clearly preparing herself to say what she had wanted to all this time.
"Back then, I didn't speak to anyone at length about how I felt about my father's death. Leaving aside my anger at the matter, I felt the need to appear strong if only for my sister's sake. However, in my weaker moments, I…" Sae stole a glance at the man across from her, staring directly into his gray eyes with her own. "Whenever the remote option of speaking to someone on the subject crossed my mind, I had thought of you. I even considered calling you a few times after it had first happened."
"…out of curiosity, why didn't you?" Yu pressed.
"An obvious question, and one I expected," she chuckled bitterly. "The truth was, I didn't want you to see me as so vulnerable and pathetic; call it pride if you want. At least, that's what I think it was… To be honest, even I'm not entirely sure. I wasn't the best judge of my own feelings at the time."
The air of the conversation grew silent, though of course that was predictable. After all, Yu had been given an immense amount of information and stoically sat in place trying to process it. He felt the need to give what he would say next a great deal of consideration as well given that Sae had clearly shared something that left her more emotionally vulnerable than she would ever care to admit.
"Sae, let me just say one thing," Yu began, his eyes softening as he gazed across the table. "If I've learned anything in my life, it's that overcoming your own weaknesses or hardships are something that we ultimately have to do ourselves, but that doesn't mean we can't lean on others as we do so. I can't speak for anyone else other than myself, but for my part… I'm always willing to lend you an ear or a helping hand. It should also go without saying that I will never once judge you or look at you any differently as a result, no matter what. You're my friend, and I accept my friends for who they are—weaknesses, shortcomings and all. I'm afraid there are no exceptions, not even for you."
Sae looked at him with a wishful smile and a soft glow to her crimson orbs. Though she had essentially expected that would be his response, it warmed her heart to actually hear him say it out loud.
'Still, hearing you say that only makes me feel all the more foolish for not speaking to you back then,' Sae thought, almost sadly. She soon admitted aloud, "On some level, I knew that. And yet here we are…"
"Hindsight's twenty-twenty, right?" Yu joked, earning a subtle laugh. He soon got up form his chair. "I'm gonna go head to the bathroom, but I'll be right back."
"They're in the back corner over there," Sae replied, pointing in said direction.
"Thanks."
With the gray-haired young lawyer gone for the moment, Sae was left to her own devices. In what felt like a blast of nostalgia, she soon began to look out the window at the Tokyo skyline alone and at peace, thinking deeply on her recent conversation with Yu. She took a brief pause in such thoughts to check her phone, noticing a text message from her sister.
'Hmm, so Makoto is going out for a while,' Sae thought. She quickly shrugged it off as inconsequential.
In her own reflection of the glass, she took notice of the genuine smile that had crossed her lips. She wasn't even aware she was smiling in the first place, and so she almost laughed at the sight.
Any such amusement soon vanished rather quickly.
A vision of her Shadow soon took the place of her reflection, black dress and all. The Shadow stared back at its other half, sporting an expression that was almost bittersweet.
Sae somewhat recoiled, though with a mere blink of her eyes, her Shadow self was gone once again. She stared intently for quite some time, wondering if it had been a hallucination, or the real thing.
Eventually, however, her 'date' for the evening returned to the table and grabbed her attention.
"So," Yu began, taking his seat once more. "It has come to my attention that you already charged everything to yourself in advance."
"Indeed, I did," Sae replied, sounding innocent even in spite of the playfully taunting look in her eyes. "But the fact that you know this tells me you just tried to do much the same and I was just faster. And for the record, I also did say I would be paying when we finally had the time to catch up."
"That was when we were talking about getting coffee, not dinner at the Sky Restaurant," Yu pointed out.
His choice of words had Sae recalling the text that Makoto had sent her some time ago, now no longer seeing it to be an irrelevant detail.
"Well, I suppose there's no reason you can't have both," Sae replied. "Assuming you're willing, I'm more than happy to make you some back at my apartment."
"If and only if you let me pay for my half of the meal," he quickly conditioned.
"Then we've reached an impasse," Sae replied, crossing her arms as she did so. "It's quite a shame, too. I'll have you know I can make the perfect cup of coffee for any time of day to suit any level of energy that's needed."
It was all too obvious based on his past experiences with Sae back in college that she had no intention of budging an inch. It would have been easier to break through the Great Wall of China with his forehead than it would be to convince her otherwise.
"Fine, fine," Yu relented, seeing the writing on the wall. "But are you sure it's okay? I wouldn't want to be a bother to you and your sister, and it's getting kind of late, so—"
"Incidentally, Makoto is out for the evening and seems to have not headed back just yet, so you wouldn't be bothering her. And of course, I offered in the first place, so it's no imposition to me either," Sae answered.
"In that case, I hope it lives up to the hype."
"Rest assured, it most certainly will."
Tokyo: Nijima Apartment, Some Time Later…
"Here we are," announced Makoto as she opened the door to her home. "Please, feel free to make yourself comfortable."
The two left their shoes at the door and situated themselves on the couch. While one would normally expect this to be the part where Makoto would spill her guts, metaphorically speaking. However, things were awkwardly quiet.
"…fair warning that since I've already come all this way, I won't hesitate to resort to drastic measures to get you to talk about what's bothering you," Ren joked.
"As tempting as it would be to find out what these 'drastic measure' would be, I think I'd prefer to just admit what's bothering me," she replied with a chuckle.
"A wise choice. My methods are frowned upon by most world governments."
That time his jest elicited a full-blown laugh, which seemed to significantly lighten the brunette's mood.
"Okay, so the truth is I'm… worried about my sister dating," Makoto began. She slumped her shoulders and sighed handily. "And for the record, yes, I realize how idiotic that sounds, and yes, I also know that sounds like a stereotypical sibling."
"As long as you're aware," Ren jibbed, offering a good-natured smile. "But honestly, I can understand the feeling. It's different with Futaba and I, but even so, the possibility of her dating and how I'd react has definitely crossed my mind before."
"…and?" Makoto asked.
"Sorry, no helpful advice here," Ren answered with a shrug. "I've pretty much come to peace with the fact that Sojiro has that covered way better than I ever could. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if Futaba's first few boyfriends wind up on some kind of deserted island when all's said and done."
"Well, isn't that just great news for you," Makoto muttered sarcastically.
"Look, Makoto, the truth is there really isn't anything you can do about the fact that it bothers you. It'll just go away with time," Ren said. His attempt at being reassuring was soon negated when he added, "Ya know, probably."
"Are you just intentionally messing with me at this point?" Makoto pressed, unable to stifle a laugh.
"Who's to say?"
The look the rave-haired Wild Card was giving her was as playful as they came. Makoto quickly grabbed a nearby pillow and tossed it at his face if only to stop herself from bursting out laughing at the sight.
To the surprise of no one, he managed to catch it before it hit its mark, after which he could be seen giving his close friend a cheeky look of superiority. Makoto, however, fully expected this and threw another pillow preemptively, which slammed into his face without resistance.
Though Makoto couldn't help but smirk on account of one-upping the Wild Card, the sight of Ren falling off the couch and onto the floor quickly wiped the look off of her face. He was laying on the ground with his face veiled beneath the pillow, his glasses at his side on account of the force of the impact knocking them off.
"Come on, stop kidding around," Makoto said.
After some time with no response being given, she got up off the couch and knelt down to ensure Ren was actually okay. It was no sooner than her hand touched the pillow covering his face that the pillow Ren still held in his other hand hit her on the side of her head. The shock factor alone was enough to tip her over and cause the former student council president to land flat on her ass.
She looked on as the aptly-named Trickster uncovered his face, revealing the teasing smirk and eyes that were held below. Though of course she was on some level annoyed, the first thing she felt was relief.
"I was actually worried for a second, you know!" Makoto exclaimed.
"Really?" asked Ren, sounding genuinely surprised. "I mean… it was a pillow. It takes a lot more than that to actually hurt me."
"Good to know."
As fast as she could, she tossed another pillow into his face. Whether he let it land on purpose was up for debate, but it seemed he had given that despite the hit, he kept a pleasant expression.
"See?" Ren uttered.
"You're the worst sometimes, you know that?" Makoto said, her cheerful expression a clear mismatch with her words. "But… thank you. Even if I still have my worries as a younger sister, I'm feeling a bit more relaxed now."
"Good, I'm glad," Ren said through a chuckle. "And maybe take the panic meter down to a minimum until she brings a date home or something, yeah?"
"Ugh, don't even joke about that. I wouldn't even know what to do…!" Makoto replied.
A moment later a key could be heard going into the door at the front of the apartment which soon gave way to both Yu and Sae. They were talking conversationally and seemed to be enjoying it at that.
"You really do have a nice apartment," Yu remarked. "Makes me wish I got the chance to stay longer the other day."
"Don't remind me…" Sae grumbled under her breath. She headed to the kitchen towards the countertop where her coffee maker was located. "So, how do you prefer your coffee?"
"You're the expert here, so I'll take whatever your best at making," Yu answered.
"In that case…"
After a short time, the coffee had been prepared and poured into a cup for the silver-haired young man to enjoy.
"I'm sure the anticipation is killing you by now," Sae joked.
She cheerfully presented the cup to Yu and invited him to enjoy it to his heart's content. He took it in kind, himself eager to actually try it if only to see if it had lived up to the standard's that Sae had set for it.
To say the coffee lived up to expectations was entirely untrue—it had blown them away entirely. Yu was very clearly impressed, eliciting a rather smug aura from Sae that wasn't often seen.
"Wow, this is really good," Yu couldn't help but say. "What's your secret?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret now, would it?"
"I suppose it wouldn't," he chuckled.
Yu took another sip, finishing off the glass with a satisfied gulp before placing the cup down on the countertop above a drink coaster.
"I take it you enjoyed?" Sae asked, knowing full-well the answer. She received a firm nod nevertheless. "Well, I'm glad. Maybe I can… Hmm…?"
"Something wrong?"
"You spilled a bit of your drink on your tie," Sae pointed out. "Here, let me get it for you."
Without hesitation, she wetted a cloth rag and brought herself close to her once close friend before starting to blot out the stain. She finished within seconds and looked back to him on reflex.
"There, good as… new…"
Sae had trialed off upon realize exactly how close up to Yu she had gotten. Their faces were barely a foot apart, closer than they'd ever been for longer than an instant in all the time they'd known each other.
The air grew silent. As if in a trance, they stared deeply into one another's eyes, neither so much as moving a muscle for a time. Even their minds were emptied—all that existed was the moment in and of itself and nothing more.
'H-How long have I been staring like this?' Sae wondered, almost becoming embarrassed by the realization. 'Although… he hasn't stopped either.'
Although she was inexperienced in all regards when it came to romance, even Sae could tell that the moment all but begged for a kiss. That being the case, it didn't seem as if Yu would be the one to act on it.
The truth of the matter was she felt a bit of anxiety creeping into the forefront of her mind as she considered what to do from that point forward. Closing the gap had its own risks and would lead into a virtual hurricane of unknowns.
Her current situation was not dissimilar to betting everything on red in a game of roulette. Ordinarily, she'd never in a million years take such a risk, but in this exact moment she felt that the payoff may very well have been worth it.
Sae tilted her head slightly and softened her lips. She was more than ready to make her move, though she soon stopped upon noticing something out of the corner of her eye. She tuned in surprise, finally seeing the two teenagers that had very clearly been seated on her living room floor since she and Yu had entered the apartment.
Makoto was staring back at her elder sister and Yu in absolute horror. Her pupils were the size of dots and her jaw was practically dropped down to the floor. Ren on the other hand seemed perfectly calm and nonchalant, even waving when he was noticed. Unsurprisingly, Yu was the only one to wave back.
"Makoto…?" Sae uttered, stepping away from the gray-eyed young man at her front.
"U-Uh… hi…" Makoto stammered awkwardly.
The tension in the room became so thick that a knife could have cut through it. As such, the two Wild Card users present had the same idea and excuse themselves.
"Well, thank you for the coffee, it was everything you promised and more," Yu compliment, sporting a kind smile as he did so. "Still, it's getting a bit late. I'll head out, but it was great catching up with you. Feel free to call or message me whenever!"
Sae broke out of her staring contest with her shell-shocked younger sister and returned Yu's smile with one of her own.
"I'll do just that. I had a wonderful time tonight."
"Same here," he replied.
"I should head out too," said Ren, getting up from the floor. "I'll catch ya later, Makoto. And take care, Sae-san."
"You as well."
Within seconds after the door closing, Sae slowly began to make her way towards Makoto, an imposing aura around her all the while. Ironically enough, Makoto got up and did much the same, matching her sister in intensity and then some.
They glared at one another with crossed arms as lighting practically shot out of their eyes. The prior tension was quickly being overtaken by a raging tempest that only the two Nijima girls could create.
"You failed to message me that you were coming back and that you," Sae stated pointedly. "And I also noticed that Ren-kun was here as well. Care to explain?"
"You never told me that you were coming back. And I noticed that you brought Yu-san back with you. Care to explain that?"
"What were the two of you doing on the floor, exactly?"
"What were you about to do with Yu-san before you noticed me, exactly?"
There was a brief moment of silence where the intensity between the two hit its peak. In what may have been be the strangest conclusion possible to the sisterly conflict, the two stayed completely silent and walked down the hall and into their respective rooms, slamming the doors shut with emphasis in both cases.
It was as if they shared a tacit understanding with one another that they would not be discussing the matter anytime soon.
Apartment Building's Elevator…
The two young men stood in comfortable silence as the floors to the elevator lit up the further down they went.
Eventually, Yu was the one to break the silence, though it was not through speaking. He began to whistle a familiar tune, being the same rhythmic tune of the piano that all Wild Cards knew. Ren soon joined in, and for a time the two continued to whistle in unison.
"Glad to see the Velvet Room's background music is consistent over time," Yu joked.
"Catchy, too," Ren commented.
"That it is," Yu chuckled. "It was always weird hearing it though. For some reason, it always made me think of elevator music."
"You know, now that you point that out…" Ren trailed off in thought.
The stereotypical 'ding' of the elevator in which they stood sounded off, giving way to the lobby on the bottom floor of the building.
"You know," began Yu, "Now that I think about it, we haven't actually had a chance to talk to one another about our respective journey's. With this White Mask business behind us… what do you think about making some time to just talk?"
"You read my mind," Ren answered with a warm smile. "I've been thinking that for a while now, actually. There's a lot of stuff I'm interested in talking to you about."
Yu cupped his chin as if in consideration for a time.
"In that case… what are you doing tomorrow?"
Nijima Apartment, Sae's Room…
Sae fluffed out her hair in front of her room's vanity, having gotten into her nightwear as she prepared for some much-needed rest. Thoughts of her dinner with Yu were still fresh in her mind, leaving her staring into the mirror with a pleasant smile.
'I'd nearly forgotten how much fun it was to just talk with him…' Sae thought.
Inevitably her mind went to how the night ended, and at this she couldn't help the bitter sigh that escaped her lips. She rested her cheek in the palm of her hand, her eyes narrowing reflexively.
"Thank you, Makoto…" Sae muttered, her voice heavy with sarcasm.
"Oh please, your lack of conviction is hardly her fault."
The familiar voice came from the mirror belonged to her Shadow, who made an appearance in the blink of an eye. Her mascara-coated eyes stared back scornfully at her real-world self, her crossed arms and sullen disposition only reinforcing the obvious nature of her attitude.
"You're looking happy," Sae replied.
"That fact may have something to do with your lack of ability to 'seal the deal'," Shadow Sae stated pointedly. "Just moments ago it looked like for once we'd not be in bed alone, and yet now here we are."
"That is remarkably presumptuous of you," Sae said, her cheeks tinged a bit red. "And what exactly is it that you take issue with? I had thought you wanted nothing to do with him in the first place."
"I change only as you do, not of my own will," the Shadow hissed. Her eyes narrowed visibly as she went on, "It honestly made me sick. When you were taking forever to gather your courage, all I could hear was 'he smells so nice' or 'his lips look so soft'. And that's not even to mention—"
"Do you intend to do anything other than complain?" Sae cut in, her arms crossed as she glared at her literal self in the mirror.
"Your veiled attempts at hiding your embarrassment are pointless. I am you, remember?" Shadow Sae countered. "I see and hear everything you do, and more importantly, I feel everything that you do. Arousal being among those feelings."
'I wonder if this mirror will fit out the window,' Sae wondered, glancing off to the side.
Her Shadow was visibly annoyed by the remark.
"I heard that, you know."
The real-world equivalent gave her a glare to match the venom of the Shadow's voice.
"You were meant to," Sae simply stated.
"Whatever," Shadow Sae stated dismissively. "I had more to say, but forget it. Clearly, you're in a mood."
"That coming from you is rich," Sae countered.
"A friendly reminder that you are literally speaking into a mirror."
With narrowed eyes and without saying so much as a word, Sae got up from the chair by her vanity and headed off to bed. Her Shadow, however, couldn't help but get one final jab in at her other half.
"Another reminder… third drawer from the top on the nightstand—you know, where Makoto would never look. You'll find it too difficult to fall asleep otherwise."
Sae's cheeks flushed more so than they ever had in the entirety of her life. She turned in stunned shock back towards the mirror, seeing only the fleeting image of her cocky, know-it-all Shadow as she took her leave.
Out of spite alone she soon shut off her light and climbed into bed, eager to get to sleep as fast as possible to simply prove her inner self wrong. After around five minutes, her eyes opened and she glared at the ceiling.
"…you have got to be kidding me."
The silver-haired beauty could swear she heard an 'I told you so' from the depths of her mind.
A/N And with that, we're done for this chapter! Hopefully you all enjoyed, and reminder the next chapter will be posted two Friday's from now on the 25th. It will be the first true 'Wild Card Outing' in the story thus far, so look forward to it!
Explanations:
Where we Go From Here: Basically it'll be a few SoL chapters in the near future, a bit of comedy and then an entry into the next serious arc. The next chapter will be a bit long as well, but there's a lot I want to pack in and for pacing's sake I don't want to split it up.
The Girls' Outing: I honestly think their interactions as friends are very wholesome and prescious and I wanted them to have a moment. Futaba especially has an interesting dynamic among them since she's younger and socially awkward, and you've got Ann who is basically a bigger sister and Makoto who is just Mom-koto. Haru is just always precious, so there's that.