June 1, 2014 (Sunday)
Everything had been moving very quickly in the past week, culminating in Goro securing an apartment and moving into it on the same day. He had few possessions, so the move was easy on his end. Yusuke, on the other hand, had an assortment of completed paintings, art supplies, and rickety furniture to move, and Goro and Makoto spent a few hours helping him move it all and position it.
They decided to hang the Sayuri by the door to the single bedroom, just across from the apartment entrance. "She will welcome us home every day," Yusuke had said, and Goro was happy to comply.
Goro was still suspicious of how easy this had been; it seemed the landlord was desperate to rent this apartment out, and Goro could perhaps see why. It was small and in a minor state of disrepair, but it was his. Theirs. He could come and go freely, act freely within his own space. The thought alone nearly buckled his knees; he had never had a space of his own before this. The time at home with his mother hardly counted, as he'd been so young.
By the late afternoon, everything was in the apartment and more or less in an appropriate place. Goro rested against the kitchen counter, and Morgana hopped up next to him. "That looked like a lot of work. Too bad I couldn't help out." He didn't sound very apologetic at all.
"It wasn't so bad," Goro said. His eyes tracked Yusuke across the room; his new roommate was still getting his art supplies in order in the small living room. Makoto stood by, but, after realizing there was nothing more to do to help, she wandered over to their side of the room. Goro smiled at her. "Thank you for your help today, Makoto, and for allowing me to stay with you in the interim. Do you want me to pay you back?"
She shook her head. "That's not necessary. I'm happy to help, and it's a relief to see you two finally in a more secure living situation." She leaned next to him and Morgana, rubbing her eyes. "When do you start work?"
"Tomorrow." Makoto dropped her hands from her face, eyes growing wide. Goro added, "There's still work to be done with the Madarame investigation. I have to contact the witnesses and ask for them to testify in court. Considering that they are scattered all around the city with few permanent addresses, that should be time-consuming. Assuming I can find people to testify, I then have to help Nijima prepare the witnesses for a court date that has yet to be determined."
Makoto looked across the room. "Will Yusuke testify?" she asked, lowering her voice.
"Only if he wishes to." Goro watched him organize his brushes with a peaceful expression, shoulders relaxed forward. After everything they had just been through, it was refreshing to see him feeling safe and content. "He insists that he can, but I don't want to cause him any added stress. There's also the consideration that he's a minor—all of Madarame's former students are legal adults, but having a minor testify is a bit different. It may draw even more publicity, which could place a strain on him, especially if the news networks start asking him for interviews. It would be difficult for him to make his own name as an artist if he's connected to such a large scandal."
Makoto hummed in acknowledgement. "He did seem willing to do it, though. I understand that you two have been through a lot already, but you should let him do what will bring him closure."
"Yeah," Morgana piped in, "and Yusuke might be even more stubborn than you. He's going to do what he wants anyway."
Goro sighed. "You may be right, but I worry."
"You two do seem close," Makoto said, tone still low. "It's hard to see someone you care about go through such trials."
"It sounds like you speak from experience."
Makoto hesitated, then nodded. "My father…" She paused, breathed in, continued. "My father died a few years ago, and as hard as it was for me, it's been worse for Sae. She has to take care of me and deal with her stressful job all at once. I don't think she had the proper amount of time to mourn."
"I'm sorry to hear that." And her mother didn't seem to be in the picture, either; Goro wouldn't ask about that. It seemed that Makoto was a sort of orphan, as well. "And I'm sorry for asking you to share something so personal."
Makoto shook her head again. "I know so much about you and Yusuke now. It's only fair that you know a bit about me in exchange."
And now he knew more about the elder Nijima, as well. He'd have to file that information for later. "Thank you," he said.
"I didn't know that about you, Makoto," Morgana said. He rubbed his side against her shoulder, and she pet his back. "It's good that your sister was there to help, though."
"It is." Makoto smiled down at him. "I don't know what I would have done without her."
Goro had a good idea—she probably would have had a similar experience to his own—but he kept that to himself.
Yusuke finished organizing the living room and stepped over to the pile of bedding. "Where should I put my futon?" he asked.
"Wherever you want," Goro said, speaking at a regular volume now. "We can share the bedroom if you're comfortable with that, or I can sleep out here."
Yusuke shook his head. "You're the one paying for the space, Goro. You should take the bedroom." He gestured to his supplies with a sweep of his arm. "I've always slept near my paints in the event that inspiration strikes, and I find the smell calming. I will sleep out here."
Goro nodded, suppressing a fond smile. "If that's what you want, but we can always change the arrangement later."
"We can," Yusuke said, something dawning in his eyes. It didn't seem like Yusuke had ever been prohibited from moving freely in Madarame's house, but he had been a prisoner in other ways. Now he could produce his own work, present it as his own, and come home to someone who truly cared about him. Yusuke looked to his set of canvases with a soft smile, and Goro had to avert his eyes after a few moments. He could feel Makoto watching him.
"Can we eat soon?" Morgana whined, still cuddling into Makoto's side. "I'm so hungry."
"From all the work you did, I'm sure," Makoto joked.
"I got all my stuff in order real fast!" Meaning he had bunched up the blanket on Goro's futon the way he liked. "It's not my fault I can't help carry furniture." He actually looked a bit downcast, and he flexed his claws against the counter. "When I'm a human again, I can help with all that stuff."
Makoto gave his head a reassuring pat. "I know, Mona. I wasn't being serious."
Yusuke joined them in the kitchen area at Goro's other side. "Was there talk of food?" he asked. "With all the excitement, I forgot to eat earlier."
Goro looked to his left with some alarm. "You should have told me," he said. "We could have taken a break."
Yusuke shook his head. "It was more important to move in as quickly as possible. We still have school tomorrow, after all."
Goro sighed, then reached behind Yusuke to grab the old landline phone. "We'll order something now, then. I'm sure we're all too tired to go out." Another wave of emotion surged through him; he could have food delivered here anytime he or Yusuke wanted. He could order packages and receive mail without having their contents scrutinized first. Did all adults have this amount of freedom? How did they get used to how wonderful it was? "What do we want?" he asked aloud.
"Sushi!" Morgana left Makoto's side to headbutt Goro's arm. "Do they deliver it? I'll go pick it up myself if they don't."
Goro laughed as Makoto looked up the number for the nearest establishment. They ordered a platter and settled on the living room floor to wait. With all of Yusuke's things taking up the space, there wasn't much room left for a table, even if they had one. Goro thought it gave the apartment a charmingly cozy feeling, but Morgana seemed a bit less content. He had to realize that anything was an upgrade from their previous living situations, though, because he hadn't complained about it yet.
Discussion turned to their next move as the Phantom Thieves, as Morgana had started calling them. "We might be able to progress through Mementos as a team if we make a name for ourselves," he'd said, and public opinion was something that had always been important to Goro, so he could certainly understand that.
"Completing the infiltration of Kobayakawa's Palace is an obvious next step," Makoto said, "and I would like to get that done as soon as possible so the school has time to recover from the damage he's done. I understand that you two need some time to adjust here, though, especially with this new job."
"I want to repay your kindness," Yusuke said. "I am ready for another infiltration whenever you have need of me."
Goro nodded. "I may need a week or two to configure my new schedule and all the responsibilities, but I'll be ready to go after that."
"I'm ready, too!" Morgana said. "Anything to help our Queen."
Makoto smiled. "Thank you all. A few weeks of down time will be fine; I should take a bit of a break, as well. I'm afraid that I've been neglecting my studies."
They agreed to resume their investigation and spent the rest of the evening relaxing, enjoying their well-deserved celebration.
Goro turned sixteen tomorrow. He mentioned this at some point during dinner, and Morgana immediately turned on him. "Your birthday's tomorrow and you didn't tell anyone?" he yowled. "How am I supposed to learn about humans if I can't go to a real birthday party?"
Makoto and Yusuke ended up leaving to buy a cake, and Morgana consumed the rest of the sushi platter while they were gone. By the time the other two returned, Morgana was nearly asleep, and Goro wasn't faring much better. He offered a bashful smile as they walked through the door, bags in hand. "You really didn't have to," he said. "My birthday has never been much of a celebration. I don't expect anything."
"I would advise you to expect more for yourself." Yusuke dropped his bag in front of Goro with a small thump, startling Morgana awake. Goro bit back another smile as he opened the bag and took the cake out.
Makoto set her bag down more gently. "It's more of a housewarming gift for all of you," she said, "but I hope you find it useful."
She'd given them a simple red teakettle. Goro thanked her and set it on stovetop, and then they ate. Morgana found some more room in his stomach to sample the cake, but the four of them barely ate half before they put it away. By that time, everyone was exhausted from the week's events. Makoto left, wishing them well, and a contented silence fell over the apartment. The three of them still sat on the floor after cleaning.
"I cannot believe that this is real," Yusuke murmured. "I thought your kindness had no limit, but this is truly beyond my comprehension."
Goro leaned back, unsure how to process that. "It's the least I could do for you," he began, but Yusuke cut him off.
"It is absolutely not." He leaned closer to Goro, bumping their shoulders together. "The least you could have done would be letting me alone after we met at that exhibit. You have put your entire life in upheaval in your efforts to help me and to bring Madarame to justice." He spent an uncomfortably long time looking at Goro, and it was difficult to maintain eye contact. "You're incredible," he concluded. "I must make you something as a gesture of gratitude."
With that, he pulled away and went to his canvas, sorting through his supplies without another word. Goro sat frozen for a moment, grateful that he was no longer under scrutiny but missing the warmth of their proximity. Being the target of Yusuke's attention was an all-consuming experience.
Morgana stretched with a yawn. "You guys are weird," he said, words distorted from the yawn. "I'm going to sleep."
Despite his exhaustion, Goro sat there long after Morgana padded off to the bedroom, watching Yusuke work with his back to him. As the dark of night consumed the apartment, he could not bring himself to move to turn on another light or follow Morgana to sleep. He could only marvel at their current situation and at Yusuke's focus, allowing waves of emotion to wash over him and tug his train of thought about.
He didn't know how long he sat there, and he stumbled as he tried to stand, feet and legs numb. He took a moment to get his footing, then approached Yusuke. "Yusuke," he said. No response. Goro laid a hand on his shoulder, and Yusuke put down his brush after a moment. "It's late. Remember that we have school tomorrow."
Yusuke only nodded and resumed his work. Goro gazed at him a moment longer, then went to his bedroom.
June 15, 2014 (Sunday)
Goro hardly had the time to spend in the new apartment, pulled between responsibilities regarding school and the Madarame investigation. When he was able to return home, Yusuke was often working on the painting or on his portfolio for his Kosei application. They hadn't had many more opportunities to speak at length, but just his presence in the apartment was soothing. He was safe. They both were, for now.
They took the start of their day off to purchase a phone for Yusuke, and they let Makoto know that they were ready to meet at the apartment or elsewhere at any time during the afternoon. They decided to resume their investigation of Kobayakawa's Palace and met in front of Shujin, then proceeded to the second floor. At some point during the week, Morgana had goaded him into making a couple more lockpicks and infiltration tools, and he used the lockpicks now to unlock the two remaining doors on this floor.
Behind the first door was a treasure chest, thankfully unlocked. Morgana and Yusuke flanked either side as Goro opened it, revealing a map. The team unfurled it across the floor to examine it.
"There seem to be five floors altogether," Makoto observed, "so we're a bit more than halfway done, I would estimate. What does the rest of the third floor look like?"
Goro flipped to the appropriate page and paused. "Serpentine," he summarized. "It looks like there are very few actual rooms, and one seems to be the safe room that we already found just before encountering Kawakami." He pointed to the spot where that fight had taken place, then traced a path to the stairs that led to the fourth floor. "It looks like there are no more rooms between there and the next floor, so we should be able to make quick progress there." He flipped to the next page, and something in his stomach twisted at the image of the fourth floor.
Morgana leaned closer. "Do you think some of it's missing?"
"Maybe," Goro said, "but the rest of the map seems accurate. If this is also accurate, then the fourth floor is just one hallway."
"That's suspicious," Makoto said. "What about the fifth floor?"
He flipped another page. "Just one more hallway with five rooms on either side. One of those may be the office or cell we're looking for."
"And does the map give any clues about what's behind the other locked door on this floor?" Morgana asked.
Goro flipped back, then shook his head. "We'll just have to investigate for ourselves. We should be prepared for another fight." He looked up at the team. "Should we deal with that door first, then discuss what to do about the fourth floor?"
They agreed and went back into the hall, map stored securely. Goro went to work on the next lock, then confirmed that everyone was ready before swinging it open. He tensed, fingers flexing over the hilt of his weapon, but nothing greeted them except a desk and several filing cabinets. The four of them spread out to examine the room. The filing cabinets were all unlocked and mostly empty, but Goro found a drawer in the desk with a single piece of paper. He looked it over while the others continued investigating, confusion mounting in his mind. He waited a few more minutes to ponder the contents of the paper and wait for everyone else to finish up, then debriefed with everyone in the middle of the room.
Makoto gestured to the cabinet closest to the door. "All the papers I found in there were… disturbing." She held up a file in her other hand, then placed it on the table to reveal its contents. "The files are full of papers with just a few words on each one, like reminders. Some of the pages are blank, and all the handwriting is almost too shaky for me to read."
Goro flipped through the papers in the file, catching the bits of Kobayakawa's subconscious stored in this room. "These all seem to be work-related," he said. "Schedules, reminders, bits of speeches. Is there anything else?"
Makoto produced another file and set it next to Goro's hand. "This one is mostly acronyms, so I couldn't figure it out."
They all looked through it together. The papers were a jumbled mess of initials and codes that no one could decode, but the letters "SIU" stood out to Goro. He pointed to one piece of paper that used the acronym several times. "This could be short for the Special Investigations Unit," he said. "That's the organization connected to the police, and it handles cases that need more attention. Nijima mentioned working with their representatives on several occasions."
Makoto leaned closer, brow furrowed. "Why would Kobayakawa be connected to the SIU? He's only a principal—I can't imagine he's done anything to attract their attention."
Goro stared at the paper, still confused. "I've no idea. From what we've seen here, the only thing he seems guilty of is neglect, which is not a crime in this case." He looked up from the desk. "Fox, Mona, did you find anything else?"
Yusuke held an armful of files and dumped them onto the free space of the desk, leaving Morgana with little room to stand at eye level with the rest of them. "These are similar to the papers Queen mentioned. I've selected a wide array of samples so we may look for patterns."
Morgana pushed them away a little with his foot. "If they're all similar, then maybe we shouldn't spend so much time looking through them. If we find Kobayakawa's Shadow, we can just ask him directly; he's enough of a coward that I think we could get some answers from him." He punched one paw into the other to punctuate his point. "I didn't really find anything worth noting, myself."
Goro placed the paper he found on top of a file. "This was the only paper in the desk," he said. "Its contents also mention the SIU, along with several acronyms that appear to be initials."
The paper read this:
SIU — HT funding sources? connections to TY? MS?
1, phone call 2/15/14
2, encounter w MM 2/19/14
3, phone call 3/11/14
4, transaction 3/25/14
Morgana sighed. "We could spend all day trying to figure out what this is supposed to mean. Why don't we just find the Shadow and ask him?"
"There's no guarantee he'll tell us," Goro said, "and it's worth looking at this now to anticipate what we may find ahead. Queen, Fox, do these acronyms come up in other files?"
They searched for a few minutes, setting aside papers that seemed relevant. Goro looked them over and pieced them together, stopping himself from drawing any abrupt conclusions. He spread the papers out in the order that mentioned the events on the numbered list. The words that weren't acronyms mentioned bribes and favors. "He appears to be compiling mental notes on corruption within the SIU. The acronyms appear to be initials, or perhaps the names of other organizations. It would be almost impossible to guess what they mean, but, if he's gathering so much information, one of these organizations may have helped him secure his job as a principal."
Makoto looked over the papers, eyes narrow behind her mask. "And now he's doubting his connection to them because they could be more corrupt than he thought," she continued. "All the dates on the paper that Crow found are recent, so those specific instances may have resulted in the creation of this Palace."
"Fascinating," Yusuke said. "He failed to understand the full nature of the beast before it was too late, and he's scrambling now to make up for his errors."
"If we find out what all these initials stand for, we could have the beginning of a wider investigation on our hands." Goro's chest felt tight, charged with an electric energy that excited and overwhelmed him. "Will compiling all of these papers into one file change the way Kobayakawa thinks about this situation?"
"I'm not sure," Morgana said. "I'm sure there's some kind of organization going on here, but it doesn't make that much sense to me. I don't see the harm in keeping all these papers in one place so we can come back to them later, if that's what you really want." He tapped a paw to his head. "Just remember that the Palace will collapse once we steal the Treasure, so you'll have to store all this information somehow before then."
"Of course." Goro gathered the papers into one filing folder, then put them in the desk. "We can ponder that later. For now, we should find a route to Kobayakawa and the Treasure."
He had a feeling about the initials MS, but that could just be a coincidence. He certainly wasn't going to say anything about that.
They headed to the stairs that led to the third floor, avoiding most of the Shadows they saw on the way to conserve energy. They passed the spot where they had fought Kawakami and proceeded upwards, slowing at the top of the stairs. Morgana went first, then stopped the rest of the team just before they could see the next floor. "Looks bad," he whispered. He took a tense moment to examine what he saw, then ordered the team to fall back. They went all the way back to the safe room before Morgana would say anything.
"It looked like the fourth floor really was just one hallway," Morgana said, "and it was full of people waiting in a line to the next set of stairs."
"What kind of people?" Makoto asked.
"It looked like more teachers, but there were also some people in suits that looked out of place." He shook his head. "I looked for a way around them, but I didn't see any. There's no way we could fight all those cognitions, so we've gotta find another route to the fifth floor."
"Should we look for a route outside?" Makoto suggested. "I didn't see anything of note when we explored the rec yard, but it could be worth another look. There may also be air vents that we can use inside of the building."
"I don't know how we could get up an air vent to another floor, though," Morgana said. "Looking outside is a good idea. Maybe we can have Crow fashion a grappling hook someday this week."
"I very much doubt that I'm mechanically minded enough to pull that off."
Morgana waved a paw in dismissal. "I bet you could do it. You've been getting really good at making other infiltration tools."
Goro brightened at the praise but said, "A lockpick and a complex mechanical device are very different. I would get myself killed trying to use whatever contraption I managed to make."
"Okay, dummy." Morgana hopped down from the table and gave Goro an affectionate slap on the leg. "Let's just check it out first; we might not even need anything like that if we can find an easier way."
They warped back to the first safe room, then headed outside. They avoided the guards as they examined the front of the building for any way upwards. Finding none, they returned to the safe room.
"I'm not actually gonna have you make a grappling hook," Morgana said. "That'd just be ridiculous. I have a better plan."
"Out with it, then," Yusuke said.
Morgana hopped onto the table and clapped his paws together. "The cognitions that we've met here aren't totally hostile; they'll usually let us talk to them a little first before they try to fight us. What if one of us just went up to one of the people waiting in line and ask them for more information?" At the team's reluctance, he added, "We could get more information on what they're waiting more and maybe even where Kobayakawa's office is. I'd assume that the Treasure is in there."
"If Kobayakawa and his Treasure are locked away in the same room," Makoto said, "then we'll definitely need to be ready for a fight once we confront him. There seems to be no chance of completing the operation with stealth alone."
"Once we get the information, how should we get past the line of people?" Goro asked. "Fighting them all would be impractical, as you said."
Morgana grinned. "I've got an idea for that. Let's just collect the information we need first, and then we'll decide where to go from there."
Makoto volunteered to gather information from the cognitions, and the other three watched from the staircase as she took her place at the back of the line.
"Excuse me," she said to the person in front of her. They turned, brandishing a club in their hand, and Goro braced himself to intervene if necessary. "What are you meeting with the principal for?"
"Who wants to know?"
"I'm a member of the student council," Makoto said, "and I'm interested in learning more about the kind of people our principal networks with." Despite the obvious threat, her voice hardly shook at all as she spoke. Goro was impressed.
The figure paused, then laughed loudly enough to attract attention from several others in the line. He gestured to his tailored suit. "Just a businessman passing through. Nothing you need to worry about."
"What kind of business?"
"Classified." He smacked the club into his hand. "Any other questions?"
"Queen, get out of there," Morgana whispered, so tense he was shaking in his spot next to Goro.
"Yes, actually," Makoto continued. "How did you meet Principal Kobayakawa?"
The cognition laughed again, quieter this time. "We have a business partner in common. I'm just here to check up on how things are doing." He gestured to the line behind him with the club. "Boring meetings like this are standard in the adult world, kid. It's nothing to get excited about." He scratched his head with his free hand. "I'm getting tired of waiting, though. Bet I could plow through the rest of these guys and make it to him. He's got a way of weaseling out of his commitments, and we're all getting sick of it. This line hasn't moved in… I don't know how long."
Makoto cocked her head to one side. "What's stopping you?"
"What, from forcing my way to his office?" He barked another laugh. "It's best not to cause a scene when you don't have to. This is really shameful, though, seriously." He tapped the club against his shoulder now. "All these people are lined up all the way to the end of the next floor, and he won't meet with any of 'em. That's just bad business."
"A school is not a business." Makoto set her shoulders into a hard line. "That aside, his office is all the way at the end of the fifth floor? Which door?"
"Shouldn't you know that, little Miss Student Council?" He pointed the club at her. "You're lucky I don't bash you for that last comment. We're done talking here."
They stood glaring at each other, and Morgana shook harder next to Goro. "Get out of there," he repeated.
"I don't think we are done," Makoto said, "until you tell me which door his office is behind."
He raised the club, and Makoto moved to knock it out of his hand. Goro swore under his breath, then ripped the top off one of the smoke bombs Morgana had him make a few days ago. He chucked it across the room, hitting the man in the head and deploying the smoke. The rest of the hallway disappeared along with Makoto, but she stumbled out of the cloud a few moments later, coughing.
"I had that under control," she protested after catching her breath. "You didn't have to butt in."
"He was about to smash your head in!" Morgana jumped behind Makoto and pushed her toward the stairs. "We need to get back to the safe room now!"
They ran back, slamming the door behind them to drown out the sounds of commotion on the next floor. Makoto coughed a bit more and looked ready to argue, but Morgana spoke first. "You guys need to stop scaring me like this," he said, placing one paw over his chest and the other near his head in a pseudo-swoon. "I'm going to have a heart attack trying to keep you all alive and safe! Just use your heads for once."
"I was just trying to get the most information out of him I could," Makoto protested. "It's not my fault he was so uncooperative."
"There are far unkinder words I could use," Yusuke muttered, but Morgana cut him off again.
"You found out where the office is, in any case. It's gotta be one of those two doors at the end of the fifth floor, and we've got a lot of cognitions we have to get past before we can even get to the Treasure." He clapped his paws together. "That's where my plan comes in! Crow, you're ahead of me with the smoke bombs."
Goro could see where this was going, and he didn't know if he liked it. "What do you mean?"
"We can't find a way to sneak past them, and we can't waste energy fighting them all before we get to Kobayakawa, right?" The other three nodded tentatively. "What if we could make a distraction and blow through all of them without having to fight?"
"With smoke bombs?" Goro asked. "That would only give us one chance to make it into Kobayakawa's office, and we're not completely sure that his Treasure will be there."
"But we've searched everywhere else so far," Morgana replied. "It's gotta be on the fifth floor, I can feel it. And doesn't it make sense for him to lock himself in with his Treasure? I'm sure that they're in the same room."
"We can't make a gamble like this based on one of your feelings," Goro said. "You said that we only have one chance with the calling card, correct? What if we're wrong?"
The fur on Morgana's shoulders bristled. "I'm not wrong, and my feelings have led us this far, haven't they? They've gotta be in that office at the end of the hall."
"I agree with Mona," Makoto said. "He might not be meeting with anyone in that line because he's guarding his Treasure and shirking his other responsibilities, which certainly corresponds to what he's doing in the real world."
"So you propose that we make enough smoke bombs to get through all those cognitions," Yusuke said, "and then break into his office to fight him and steal the Treasure."
"Exactly." Morgana shifted from side to a side bit as he admitted, "It's not the most elegant plan, but we don't really have another option. Luring him out of his office didn't work, so we'll just have to bust in."
Yusuke paused, resting his chin in his hand as he thought. "I shall give my approval, as well, though I agree with Queen that your thinking lacks elegance," he said eventually.
Morgana hopped up and cheered. "That's three against one, Crow. You've gotta see it my way; this is the only option."
Goro sighed. "I don't have time to make that many smoke bombs and lockpicks," he said. "The week ahead is going to be extremely busy, as we're still working on Madarame's case."
"I can help," Yusuke said. "My portfolio is coming along nicely, and my latest painting is nearly done." Goro almost let that last statement distract him; how did Yusuke's gift to him look? Yusuke hadn't allowed him to see its progress.
"I could also help after school," Makoto added. "How many do you think we'll need?"
Morgana thought for a moment. "I think we should make ten lockpicks, just in case we need to open all the doors upstairs, and maybe six or seven bombs."
Goro sputtered for a moment. "It takes me the better part of the evening to make just one pick, and the others have no experience. How do you expect us to make ten?"
"We're not on a time limit, right?" Morgana asked. "Sure, we want Kobayakawa to have a change of heart as soon as possible, but we don't need to rush and make shoddy infiltration materials. As soon as you get those things together and we come up with a calling card, we should strike." He sat on the edge of the table, swinging his little legs back and forth. "Does a week seem fair?"
"Hardly," Goro protested. "Even two weeks would be less than reasonable, but still doable."
"Two weeks, then! We'll shoot for that."
Goro sighed. "Let's go compile the materials from the second floor office, then. I may have time to look into all of this once things have calmed down."
They went down another floor to copy the relevant materials, then left the Palace for the day after a short round of training. This was the first infiltration Yusuke and Goro had done since securing the apartment, and it was a pleasant change of pace for them to travel home together. They sat side by side on the subway, Morgana in the bag between them, and chatted about lighter topics until they retired for the night.
June 24, 2014 (Tuesday)
The date of their infiltration was approaching fast, and Madarame's court date was set for the end of July. Goro had only gotten himself through two days of this week, and he was already on the verge of burnout. Exams were coming up in a few weeks, too, but at this point he had nearly forgotten he was a student.
He sat at one of the stools by their kitchen counter, cradling his head in his hands. It was nearly 7:00, and Yusuke wasn't home yet.
"He didn't text you or anything?" Morgana asked after the silence stretched on too long. Goro shook his head. "I'm sure he's fine. Probably just got distracted by something or forgot his subway fare."
"He should have let me know if that was the case."
They hadn't eaten yet, and the upset sounds of their stomachs occasionally disrupted the quiet of the apartment. Morgana padded to the edge of the counter, looking at the fridge. "I can't feed myself," he said. "Quit sulking and help me open the fridge! Yusuke will be fine."
Goro closed his eyes for a moment of rest, then stood and got Morgana his food. As he mechanically prepared his own plate, he startled at the sound of a key turning in the lock.
Yusuke walked through the front door, holding something massive and rectangular beneath his arm. He smiled in greeting and held up the object, which was covered by a thin sheet of fabric.
"It is done," he said.
Goro breathed for a moment, forcing his imagination to calm down. Yusuke was right there. He hadn't been kidnapped or run over or killed. It was fine. "What is done?" he asked.
"Your gift." Yusuke crossed the small room and set the object next to the wall. "I wanted to get it done before the end of the month, and I finally finished last night. I was out all afternoon looking for the perfect frame."
Goro rested a hand on his chest and exhaled. "That's where you were," he rationalized. "Please let me know the next time you'll be home late. I was worried."
"He was starving me over nothing!" Morgana complained.
Yusuke didn't seem to be paying attention, hands poised over the covering. "Are you ready to see it?"
Goro bit back a wave of irritation and said, "Yes."
As Yusuke revealed the canvas and Goro looked it over, he forgot his earlier worries. He had seen firsthand the amount of work that Yusuke put into this painting, and the artist's earnest nature showed in the final product. The canvas was filled with painstakingly detailed black feathers, streaked over with small white-gray lines. The feathers swirled around the top right quadrant of the canvas, forming a circle the same shade of white-grey. The lines emanating from the circle looked like veins that extended throughout the painting.
Goro stepped closer to admire the details. "This is beautiful," he breathed. "What do you call it?"
"The Fox and The Crow." Yusuke pointed to the quadrant, then placed that hand over his heart. "It is symbolic of the way you encircle my heart and my life."
He was speechless. Was this a confession of something? It couldn't be. Yusuke was merely more straightforward and expressive about his feelings than most people. This was a touching expression of a deep friendship that had flourished despite a decade of separation, and, in his exhaustion, it was almost enough to drive Goro to tears.
He swallowed and looked at Yusuke. "I want you to know that I've never received such a thoughtful gift," he said. "Thank you so much. I'll treasure it."
Yusuke beamed at him, and Goro had to look away to compose himself. He avoided Morgana's gaze, though the cat still seemed to be looking at Yusuke and the painting.
"Where shall we put it?" Yusuke asked.
Goro swiped across his eyes with the back of his hand and looked to the walls. "You're the one with an eye for aesthetics. What do you think?"
Yusuke turned a slow three hundred sixty degrees, pupils dilated in focus against the dim lighting. He was silent for some time longer, looking between the Sayuri by the bedroom door and a spot on the adjacent wall. He eventually picked up the canvas and positioned it in that spot, so the two paintings looked like neighbors greeting each other. "Is it too bold of me to position my own art so closely to my mother's?" he asked aloud. "Perhaps your bedroom would be a better spot."
Goro didn't answer, allowing him more time to think. Eventually, Yusuke sighed, shoulders slumping as he held the painting closer to him. "None of my work will ever be worth hanging in the same room as the Sayuri," he decided.
"Isn't that what inspired you to paint the whole time you were with Madarame, though?" Morgana asked, pushing his empty plate aside. "I think it's a good idea to have it in the room for inspiration."
"Do you think your mother would have wanted you to compare yourself to her in this way?" Goro asked softly.
Yusuke turned to the other wall to examine the Sayuri, gaze lingering on the baby in her arms. "I cannot know for sure," he said, "but what little I've seen of her work tells me that she would not. That will not stop my own doubts, though." He held his own painting farther from his body to re-examine it. "Someday, I may be able to make something worthy, but that day may not come for quite a while."
He fell silent for another period of time, then nodded. "Your bedroom is rather drab. This would look nice there."
Morgana laughed, and Goro smiled. "Why don't we pick a spot, then?"
He followed Yusuke to his own room, which was, admittedly, rather barren. It wasn't like Goro was about to waste money on decorations and trinkets he didn't need, but Yusuke's gift would be a welcome addition.
He almost didn't feel worthy of being in the same room as the painting, of being the recipient of this gift, but, unlike Yusuke, he kept such thoughts to himself.
Yusuke chose a spot on the wall near the window, then stepped back to examine it. He nodded again. "That will do for now, but I will have to make more for you to hang elsewhere. The atmosphere in here is stifling."
Morgana laughed again and headbutted Goro's leg. "I've been saying that for weeks! At least get some mood lighting or something."
"I have other things to attend to." Goro's stomach twisted as he remembered all his responsibilities, but he pushed that aside the best he could. "Have you eaten yet, Yusuke?"
Yusuke looked surprised, presumably as he realized that he hadn't eaten in quite a while. "I have not," he confirmed.
They headed back to the kitchen, and Goro washed his and Morgana's dishes as Yusuke ate. He sat on the stool next to Yusuke's after he finished and cleared his throat. "I don't know if you were listening to me earlier, but I was worried when you came home late tonight and didn't let me know where you were. Could you please tell me the next time you'll be home late?"
Yusuke looked up from his plate, eyes wide. "Of course, Goro. I never meant to worry you; it was difficult to find the right frame, and it merely took longer than I anticipated."
Goro exhaled, trying to allow more tension to leave his body. "I understand. I can get wrapped up in work, too, and I may have some late nights ahead with preparations for the trial well underway."
Yusuke rested his utensils on the counter, turning his shoulders toward Goro. "How is that proceeding? I have been working on writing my own testimony, but it is difficult to separate what Madarame's Shadow told us and what Madarame himself did over the years." He rubbed his temple, brows furrowed. "I know that it will not be a trial for the murder of my mother, but I want the world to truly know what a despicable man he is. He only confessed publicly to forgery, and we have no way of knowing if he will fess up to his compliance in my mother's death."
"That's all true," Goro said, "but I believe he will. He doesn't seem to have any fight left in him."
"Have you… seen him? Since his arrest?"
Goro shook his head. "Nijima has been interviewing him for the necessary information, and his defense lawyer has been involved, but I haven't spoken with him."
"Good. Will you be handling the trial directly?"
"Nijima will do most of the work; I may be required to testify briefly regarding my investigation, but, as it's my first case, Nijima will cover most of the court proceedings for me."
Yusuke shook his head, mouth twitching upward. "I still cannot believe you've taken this job. It's certainly admirable, but you seem exhausted."
"Things are hectic," Goro admitted, "but they should settle soon. By the end of July, all this should be over."
"And then you guys can finally help me recover my memories!" Morgana interjected. "Maybe we can find some more targets as the Phantom Thieves, too."
"Perhaps," Goro said. "Let's focus on the tasks at hand for now."
Yusuke cleaned his plate and took his spot next to Goro. "I've never told you about my life with Madarame in any detail. Would it help you now to know? It may help me practice my testimony, as well."
"If you're willing to share," Goro said.
Yusuke nodded. "To begin, I can hardly remember the business with the letters now, but, when I asked if you had written all those years ago, I remember him saying to me that I had no time to waste on friendships and that I should sacrifice everything for my art."
Goro balled his hands on top of the counter.
"He repeated this lesson throughout the years," Yusuke continued, "and I eventually became so focused on painting that I would start skipping meals. He would praise me when I did this, claiming that I should prioritize my higher calling above earthly needs. I lived for his praise and took his words to heart, sacrificing my physical health to spend more time painting. The first exhibition with my art shown occurred when I was about twelve years old, and it was devastating to see my works credited to Madarame." He, too, clenched his hands as he spoke. "I had no one else to talk to about my frustrations. I had tried bringing acquaintances from my classes home when I was very young, but he always seemed to disapprove. A barrier in communication grew between me and my peers, and I found myself friendless, throwing myself more deeply into my art."
"That's awful, Yusuke," Goro murmured. "I'm sorry to hear all this."
"Was the art truly mine?" Yusuke wondered aloud, as if Goro hadn't spoken. "I was making it to please Madarame and draw public praise. How much of what I produced was a representation of myself? How much was what I thought Madarame wanted to see?"
They fell silent as Yusuke pondered these questions, retreating into himself. Goro gave him some time, then said, "I would definitely keep the fact that he isolated you in your testimony, along with the fact that he essentially encouraged you to starve yourself. That's barbaric."
"And you think he will agree with whatever I say in court," Yusuke checked.
Goro nodded. "Nijima claims that he's been extremely compliant so far. That doesn't indicate how he'll behave in court, but, if the change of heart is permanent, he should be forthcoming with all the incriminating information."
"It should be permanent," Morgana said, "unless he got a new Treasure during the time he was in prison. I really doubt that."
Goro hesitated, then placed his gloved hand over Yusuke's to comfort him. "It'll be okay. You have plenty of time to keep preparing the testimony, and you don't have to if you don't want to. The trial should go smoothly either way."
"I will testify," Yusuke declared. "I must." His voice softened as he looked to Goro's hand over his. "But if you're so confident that it will go well, I should have nothing to fear."
Goro smiled at him. "That's right." He didn't feel especially confident in his own abilities or his public persona, but he had every confidence that the trial itself would end with Madarame's conviction.
"I've hardly asked you anything about your experiences after Madarame adopted me," Yusuke said. Goro fought to keep his hand from tensing. "If you're comfortable sharing, I would like to know. I feel that there's still much I don't know about you."
Goro breathed in, out. "I spent about half a year at the group home after you left. The days mostly blended together, so I don't remember many specifics now." He wouldn't talk about the way he wrote Yusuke's name over and over to practice his characters. That was beyond pathetic. "I went through about six foster families over the past decade or so. The most recent one was my seventh, and by far the worst." Yusuke looked at him with concern. "Many families were neglectful and adopted me as a sort of pawn for political or social reasons. Adopting an unwanted child makes the foster parents seem generous, but the reality was that they didn't truly care about me." He took another breath. "I still can't understand why this last couple took me in. They confined me to my room and made me keep a strict schedule, as you know. I was to come home immediately after school and go to my room, only emerging for meals. I was not allowed to take food as I wished or use the common spaces, though they rarely had guests."
"I was only there for a little bit of it," Morgana added, "and it sucked."
Goro smiled bitterly. "It certainly did. Returning home late after we stole Madarame's Treasure was the last straw, and they threw me out. I was lucky that they gave me time to gather my belongings."
"Did you have friends?" Yusuke asked, now placing his hand atop Goro's.
"I changed school districts several times, so I didn't have many opportunities to connect with any classmates." His smile softened as he looked to Yusuke. "You were my first friend, and my last until I met Morgana."
Morgana, sitting on the countertop, puffed his chest out. "That's right! And now I can't let this guy out of my sight."
Yusuke looked to Morgana, eyes alight with mischief. "I cannot recall ever hearing how you two met in detail," he said.
"Oh, well, that part's not so important—"
"I'd love to tell you," Goro interrupted.
"Don't believe anything he says! He's just trying to make me look bad!"
They talked into the night, sharing stories and memories. Goro lost track of the hours again listening to Yusuke, trying to think of things to say to pique his interest. Just a few weeks ago, being the sole target of Yusuke's focus had been intimidating, but now he found it intoxicating. Yusuke was so attentive and focused, maintaining eye contact no matter how long Goro spoke, leaning in closer without realizing it, never hesitating to ask questions. It made Goro feel like he really mattered to someone, and that feeling could make him forget time itself.
Eventually, Morgana stretched and urged them both to get some rest; it was the middle of the week, after all, and they both had further responsibilities to attend to. Goro had made a few infiltration tools earlier in the afternoon—anything to keep his mind from various nightmare scenarios that involved harm coming to Yusuke or Morgana—but there were still more lockpicks and smoke bombs to make before Saturday's infiltration, as well as a calling card for Yusuke or Makoto to work on. Yusuke was rushing to finish his portfolio application to Kosei, which was due in a few short weeks; the fact that he had set time aside to finish his gift to Goro was especially touching.
Morgana headed to the bedroom first, leaving the other two alone. Yusuke spoke further with Goro as he set up his bedding. "Thank you for sharing more of yourself with me tonight," he said. "Let me know if the questions I ask are ever too personal; you are so interesting to listen to that I forget to filter my words."
Goro was glad Yusuke's back was turned, as he was having trouble holding back an embarrassingly fond smile. "Thank you for sharing with me, as well. Get some rest."
They bade each other good night and retired to their separate spaces. Goro turned over Yusuke's words in his mind again and again as he tried to relax, but he eventually found himself drifting off.
AN: Yusuke's still out here makin it real hard to write this slow burn, the boy is too sincere! He will not tone it down!