Tuesday, 13 September 20XX, Evening
Cafe Leblanc, Yongen-jaya

The day before, Ren, Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, and their other schoolmates had finally returned from their class trip to Hawaii. After returning to classes the next day, they all met up in the loft of Leblanc to hold a Phantom Thieves meeting. It ended in disaster, when Morgana got into an argument with Ryuji and left the Phantom Thieves altogether, expressing an intent to solve the mystery of the mental shutdowns alone. When the meeting adjourned, everyone began to leave in silence, Ryuji in a particular foul mood. However, Futaba tugged on Ann's wrist and asked to speak with her alone. "Could you boys leave Futaba and me alone for a few minutes?", Ann requested of the others. "Girl talk."

"Whatever..." grumbled Ryuji as he stormed down the stairs.

"Don't worry about him, Futaba-chan. He's right about one thing… Mona will come back." Ann sat herself down on the sofa and asked, "So, what's on your mind, Futaba-chan?"

Joining her on the couch, Futaba whipped out her smartphone and said, "Let's cut to the chase." She opened up a screenshot taken from Maiko's interview video, showing Ann in her dance class. "Is this you?"

Ann recoiled and gasped when she saw herself. "Yes… But how did you find this?"

"Well, first things first… I've been doing belly dancing too."

Ann had to keep herself from laughing in disbelief, "Get out! Really?"

"Yup! Kind of a secret hobby, though. The only other person I've told this to was Sojiro-san, and that was only yesterday, but I've been doing it for over a year now."

"You've sure got a lot of interesting secrets, Futaba-chan!", Ann said, permitting herself to let out a small giggle.

"So what about you, Ann-chan? When did you start?"

"I also started a year ago, after I got into modelling. My manager said it had lots of benefits: exercise, confidence, and sexy poise." She added a sultry emphasis to her voice for the last point.

"Well, that checks out. The clip I showed you from was from about six months ago."

"Oh yeah," recalled Ann. "I remember a TV crew visiting one of our lessons one time. I guess that's where that's from."

"Apart from that, have you ever performed? Like on a stage, in front of other people?"

"Yes, once. Our class had a recital, so we each had solo performances plus a group routine."

"Ooh!", Futaba said with great interest. "You got any video of that?"

"Probably, but I've never checked…" Ann trailed off, looking away with a sad gleam in her eyes.

Futaba failed to take the hint. "How come?" she innocently asked.

"I… don't wanna talk about it right now…"

The weight of the matter eventually hit Futaba. "Kamoshida?" she guessed.

Ann gasped. "What…? I never told you about…!"

"You forget. I bugged this place long ago. I heard you mention his name a couple times, and when I looked him up…"

Futaba had of course heard about Suguru Kamoshida, a bully of a volleyball coach with delusions of grandeur. Always the one to try to get what he wanted, what he felt he deserved, nothing seemed to bother him in terms of consequences, so long as it did not touch him. He drove one of Ann's friends to particular extremes and seemed intent on making sure Ann gave him "special favours", something that brought her particular pain and torment until the Phantom Thieves emerged on the scene. In the context of their current conversation, Futaba concluded, it was likely that Ann was afraid of Kamoshida finding out about her interest in baladi and pressuring her into giving private performances.

"Yeah… pretty much a grade-A douche-nozzle from what I've read up on him. That was bull…" She caught herself about to use a swear. "That was bogus, what he did to you. You were right to take a break from baladi back then. If someone tries to get you to dance in a place or in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable, that's no good. No one has the right to ogle you if you don't want them to! But, now that he's gone, it would suck if you let it take over your life and keep you from enjoying yourself. I mean, that's why I tried out belly dancing. To take my mind off my mother."

"Really? That worked?"

"Yeah… kind of… off-and-on. Don't know how long I would've lasted without it, that's for sure. But hey, we're both past that now, so have you ever thought of rejoining classes?"

"Well, after Kamoshida, the Phantom Thieves happened, and I kinda just shifted my focus on that."

"That makes sense, I guess. But it's not like we're going into Palaces or Mementos every day… Hey! Maybe we could go back and take classes together! You know, if we've got time along with the whole Phantom Thieves thing."

"Well…" Ann pondered this possibility. "I suppose if I had a friend join me, I'd be more motivated to keep on going. And Goodness knows I could use the exercise, especially if I wanna get back into modelling!"

"That's the spirit!"

"Oh, but first, we've gotta get you some decent workout clothes. When you've got time, let's join up after school and go shopping!"

"Why not just buy the clothes online?" proffered Futaba.

"Hey! Don't you know that seeing and feeling the thing you're buying is the most important part of shopping?"

"I don't know… sounds pretty inefficient to me."

"Aw, come on, Futaba-chan! It'll be fun spending some bonding time together!" Trying to put it in terms Futaba would understand, Ann added, "And, you'll build up experience points for living out in the real world…!"

"Hmm…" pondered Futaba. "Now you're speakin' my language! Got any place in mind?"

"I know a great place in Shibuya. It's a sporting goods store just off of Central Street".

"Sounds good. Maybe we can make a date of it!"

"If that's what you wanna call it, I guess so! Anyway, I looked up Maiko's class online. It starts next week, and it's every Wednesday and Friday for six weeks. She takes beginner and intermediate skill levels, which is good since we've both already got some experience. At the end of the course, we have the option to perform in a recital if we, and she, think we're up to it."

"Well, I've made up my own routine, so I'm already halfway there!"

"Sweet! Say, before we go, would you mind showing it to me?"

"...Sure, I guess. I've already shown it to Sojiro, and he liked it."

"What did he say when you said you did belly dance?"

"He was actually pretty accepting, given that I've only been doing it for myself so far."

"You're really lucky to have him as a father."

Futaba sighed. The truth was more complicated than that, but on this and many other occasions, there was no doubting the warm and fuzzy feelings he gave her. "Yeah… I guess you're right. Do you want to see my routine?"

"Ooh! May I?"

"Sure!" Futaba started to roll her tank-top up to reveal her tummy, but stopped mid-way when she caught Ann reaching into her purse for her smartphone. "...What are you doing, Ann?"

"Uh… Is it okay if I recorded you, so we could show the other guys? You know, without having to do it over again?"

"NO. No. Freaking. Way." Futaba's voice and expression turned deadly serious. "If I see any footage of me dancing posted online without my prior approval, I swear, I will quit the Phantom Thieves and leak the identities of you and all the others to the public. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?"

"Geez! Alright, already! I'm sorry, I'll put the phone away!", she pleaded while doing so. She felt like she was trying to talk a friend down from jumping to their death, which wouldn't be the first time for her.

As soon as Futaba was sure that Ann's phone was safely stowed in her purse, her expression turned on a dime to cheery. "Thank you!" For good measure, she also put her trusty laptop into sleep mode and shut the cover. "And now… Prepare to be enchanted!"

And with that, Futaba set up her own phone to play the song, and once again performed her dance to it. She felt far less awkward than the last time around, partly because of her previous experience dancing for somebody else, and partly because her audience this time around was not an adult of the opposite gender. After she held her ending flourish for a few seconds, Ann applauded wildly and called out, "OMG! You are so awesome!"

"Thank you, thank you!" Futaba replied with a bow.

"Hey, I know where that song's from, too!" She confirmed her knowledge of the genie-girl game.

"No. Way! How did you even get those games? You can't download them in Japan yet!"

"Oh, I bought my handheld while I was living in America, so I can use the download shop over there and still buy game cards over here!"

"Wicked! We have so much to discuss, Ann-chan. But for now," Futaba continued as she sat down next to Ann, "How 'bout you show me some of your own dancing?"

"I kinda forgot my own routine from back in the day…" admitted Ann.

"So?" Futaba gave Ann a pat on the back. "Let's just wing it!"

And so, the two girls had loads of fun practising random moves together, until they were eventually booted out of the loft when Ren returned for the night. They parted ways, both eager for their upcoming outing together, and where their shared passion for baladi would take them.