Monday, 17 October 20XX, Daytime
Shujin Academy, Aoyama 1-chome

Futaba and Ann were on pins and needles since their victory in Mementos. Given the Phantom Thieves' recent misfortunes, there was no guarantee that a change of heart would turn out as they would have expected. The tension was such that Ann herself could hardly sit still at school the next day, not helped by all the excitement and planning for the school festival being held the next week. She couldn't help herself from calling Atsuko when her scheduled lunch break gave her some free time. Stepping out into the hall, Ann keyed in her phone number and, expecting a voicemail recording, was surprised to hear Atsuko actually pick up on the other end. "Moshi-moshi?" she greeted.

"Atsuko-senpai? It's Ann…"

"Oh… hi, Ann! I told you, you don't have to call me senpai," she said with a giggle.

Judging from that response, Atsuko seemed in better spirits, but Ann was not completely at ease just yet. "Yeah… sorry. I just called to see how you were doing."

"Thanks for your concern, Ann. I'm feeling… a lot better actually."

"You are? That's a relief! …You weren't at the… at the club last night, were you?"

"I was, but…" Ann's breath caught in her throat as she waited for Atsuko to choose her next words. "…he was a lot nicer to me last night." It was understood between the two of them whom "he" was in this context, namely, Takashi Aramaki.

"Well, thank God you're safe, Atsuko. So, I wanted to get together one more time with you and Futaba. Can we meet sometime this week, after I get out of school?"

"That would be lovely. Would you like to come to my apartment? It's right by Kichijoji Station; I can meet you there. Does that work for you?"

"Of course, we can do that. So when would you like to meet up?" Ann gave her the time her school day usually ended.

"That's early enough; I'll be available. What about Futaba?"

"Oh, she's home-schooled." This was half-true, but Atsuko didn't need all the details of her formerly-shut-in friend's situation.

"I see… Yes, that will work. Is tomorrow fine? I… well, I kind of want to work one more night at the club, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke."

Ann's brow sank out of worry. "Well… just be safe out there, okay?"

"I'll be careful. See you tomorrow, Takamaki-san, and… thanks for everything."

Tuesday, 18 October 20XX, After School
Atsuko Saito's apartment, Kichijoji

True to her word, Atsuko was waiting for Ann and Futaba as they crossed the ticket gates at Kichijoji Station. Ann was still wearing her school uniform, including the letterman jacket she usually wore on top, and Futaba had on her usual mid-temperature ensemble, with a lightly-filled duffel bag draped across one shoulder. Atsuko, meanwhile, wore a tunic and leggings combo similar to what she had worn before, although this time she kept her blazing hair loose. Upon laying eyes on her friends, Atsuko took a few cautious steps in their direction before breaking down, running at them and hugging both at once. She blinked away the misty veils of tears that were forming in her eyes as she whispered, "I'm so glad to see you again, Ann… you too, Futaba-chan."

Ann gave her a brief squeeze in return. "Same here, Atsuko-sen… Atsuko."

Futaba, failing to sense the mood of the moment, subtly tried to break away from the group embrace and said, "Okay girls, let's get a move on before we make a scene." Ann admonished her friend with a glare, but Atsuko was more understanding, letting go of the hug and leading them to her apartment.

The high-rise tower which Atsuko called home was a scant few minutes' walk away from the station. They climbed upstairs to the fourth floor and headed down a long, half-open balcony hallway. Atsuko unlocked one of the doors and held it open with her foot, beckoning in her friends with a slight bow. The apartment was small, but the arrangement of the limited furniture, and the commanding view over Inokashira Park from the window on the far end, lent the room an airy, open feel. A narrow kitchen took up about a third of the floor space, and the rest was a carpeted living space. Among the limited furniture set up at the moment was a kotatsu table in the middle and a pair of dressmaker dummies in the a back corner.

The three girls stepped inside and slipped their shoes off beside the door, Futaba taking considerably longer to unlace her thigh-high boots. Atsuko proceeded to the kitchen and started brewing some tea for her guests. Catching a glance of her friends staring at the dummies, she asked, "Oh, I never told you what I do, did I?"

"Not during the day," Futaba answered flatly.

"I make dresses. Costumes, mostly. Work's been a little slow lately, so I had to do something else for money. And well, you know…"

"I see…" Ann murmured, understandingly. "So, can you tell us about what happened the other night?"

"Okay," replied Atsuko, "just let me finish this tea." She stepped out into the living space, gingerly carrying a tray of teacups and chocolate truffles, and laid the lot down on the table. Once the three friends were snugly nestled under the kotatsu's blankets, she poured some matcha from a pitcher, while Ann summoned all her willpower to keep from grabbing one of the chocolates until being served. Sipping some of the hot tea, Atsuko willed her nerves to calm down and narrated, "When I came in to work for the night, first thing, Takashi called me into his office. I feared the worst, but when I laid eyes on him, he was down on his hands and knees and wouldn't stop apologising for the way he treated me. You should've seen it; from the looks of him and his room, it's like he came down from a bad drug trip!"

"Sure, let's go with that!" Futaba chortled along with her friend. It sounded silly, but any explanation to cover up for the Phantom Thieves' actions was appreciated.

"Anyway, when he finally settled down, he paid back all the money he held back from my tips, and told me I didn't have to wear the…" Even at this point, the mental turmoil of all she had been through caused her to stall.

"…Pasties?" Ann filled in.

"Right, unless I wanted to. Which I didn't. So, I felt better about dancing after that."

Ann softly rested a hand over one of Atsuko's. "Well… as long as you're happy, Atsuko, I'm happy for you."

"Thank you, Takamaki-san."

Ann blushed at the respect she had been given. "Aww, you're welcome. So, I'm curious, what got you interested in bellydance in the first place? Before all this happened, with Maiko and Takashi and everyone?"

"Well, to be honest, I was actually into ballet since I was little. I did really well back then; my teacher said I was her favourite student of the class. But I had to quit when I started growing up…" She gestured her hands in front of her chest to emphasise which part of her had grown up too much. "Threw off my balance, if you see what I mean."

"And what happened after that?", inquired Ann.

"Believe it or not, it was that same teacher who recommended moving to bellydance."

Futaba nearly snorted out her tea with badly-suppressed laughter. "Get out, her?" she teased. "For real?"

"Yes, Futaba. She said I had an expert level of body control for… pretty much any kind of dance. And my 'developments' wouldn't be a problem, either."

"So is that when you met Maiko-sensei?"

"No, she came along later. But I have been following her just as long. She was in some of the first bellydance videos I practiced to. And when I found out she was moving back to Japan and teaching nearby, I signed up on day one!"

"My, uh… dad saw Maiko on TV once on some talk show. He was really impressed with her. …And not just for the obvious reasons!", she added in a panic. "Actually, that's kind of why he was so accepting when I told him I was into baladi myself."

"Aww, how nice! You're very lucky to have a father like him."

You don't know the half of it… Futaba thought.

"Say, Atsuko", Ann chimed in, "if you're a costume maker, have you ever made bellydance dresses?"

"A couple. I even made one for my own recital last year. Why, do you need one for yours?"

"No, I have one. Futaba also found one, but it doesn't quite fit her… I was wondering if you could do some alterations for her…?"

"What are you talking about?" Futaba began to interrupt, before suddenly flashing upon the Battle Bedlah she and the other Phantom Thieves had won in their fight with Aramaki's Shadow. Within the privacy of Necronomicon, she had tried to put it on herself, but discovered to her dismay that it was designed for women of more voluptuous measurements. "Oh, right. Can I get it out for you?"

With a nod from Atsuko, Futaba squirmed her way out from the kotatsu and rummaged in the duffel bag she had left with their shoes. She returned holding two pieces of clothing: a small, sleeveless bra, and a not-so-small pair of sirwal pants, both items coloured in vivid green hues. All in all, they looked just as comfortable for lounging as for dancing. Atsuko inspected the two items, holding them in different angles and nodding silently to herself. Once satisfied, she told Futaba, "Yes, I can work with this. Where did you find this, anyway?"

Futaba stammered. She certainly couldn't tell her the truth, that they found it in the Metaverse. But Ann, quick on the draw as ever, threw out a quick "Uhh… a cosplay shop!"

"Yeah, cosplay! There's this genie character from a video game I was hoping to cosplay for my recital." Luckily for Futaba, she had actually entertained this very notion herself every now and then.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Atsuko beamed. "A lot of my customers are into cosplay!"

"You do any cosplay yourself?" asked Ann.

"No, I've never had the time to make any costumes for myself. And besides, for a long time I was nervous about showing myself off for photoshoots. Once I started performing baladi for other people I thought that would help my nerves, but we all know where that led to…" she sighed. "It'll be a while until I can feel comfortable with that sort of thing again. For now, is it okay if I measure you, Futaba?"

"Okay. Do you have a place for me to change?"

"Oh, you don't have to; just take off your coat, that'll be fine."

"No, uh…" Futaba objected hurriedly, "I wanted to show you my recital routine when we're done, so I brought a change of…"

"I'd love to see it! Feel free to change in the bath," instructed Atsuko, pointing to the bathroom door. Futaba walked out to the indicated room, and a short minute later, she emerged wearing her two-piece workout gear. She nervously folded her hands in front of her lap as she walked back in, but Atsuko put her at ease with a smile and an appreciative, "You look great, Futaba-chan."

"Really?"

"Of course! Belly dancing has been really good for you."

"You think so?" Futaba asked as she gave her own belly a feel. The firmness she had developed made her smirk. "I guess I have leveled up my body, haven't I? Thanks, Atsuko-senpai."

"Yes, well, let's get you measured up." Rummaging around for a tape measure, Atsuko set to work taking all sorts of measurements across Futaba's body. She wrote down the size of her bust, hips, and legs onto a nearby pad of paper. "Okay, I think I've got everything I need from you… except your cup size. Is it fair to assume… A?"

"Cruel, but fair."

Atsuko masked her mild offence with a kind half-chuckle. "A it is, then."

"Say, uh, are you sure Maiko would approve of this costume? Or my dad, for that matter?"

"I've been with Maiko-sensei long enough to speak for her, and I'm guessing your father would be fine with the same," Atsuko mused as she held up the harem pants. The bikini area was solid and opaque, but the leg sleeves were semi-transparent, just enough to reveal the shape of the wearer's legs. "These pants might be a problem, especially for someone your age… I could sew an extra layer of fabric inside to make them harder to see through. Or, if you want, you could just wear your training tights underneath."

Futaba pondered this choice, wavering internally from one option to the other, before answering, "How about both?"

"If you're comfortable, then sure! Now, about the top…" Atsuko put down the sirwal and held up the bra in its place. "I'll take down the cup size a few notches, obviously. I was also thinking of adding a fabric lining along the top and bottom, both for modesty and a more secure fit. And if that's not enough to keep it up, I can add some clear straps over the shoulders. I can also add a row of coins or tassels to accentuate your chest movements, since you don't have a lot of…"

"Okay, I get it!" Futaba cried. "I'm flat! Can we please move on?"

Her outburst was answered by a hand pressing firmly on her shoulder. The hand was that of Ann, who had changed into her own two-piece training wear. "Futaba!" she scolded, "calm down. No one's going to judge you for your body."

"She's right, Futaba. I mean, look at Yuki-san from our class. She's on the chubby side, by her own admission, but she throws herself whole-heartedly into her dancing. It's not about how attractive you think you look to other people that matters, it's about getting them caught up in the moment!"

"That's… a pretty cool way to put it, Atsuko-senpai. Sorry I yelled at you."

"No problem, Futaba-chan."

"So, Atsuko…" asked Ann, "how much do we owe you for the alterations?"

"Oh, I'll do it for free." Ann's brow lifted in surprise as Atsuko continued, "After all you two have done for me, I couldn't possibly take any money from you. But if I could have anything in exchange…" Atsuko paused as her gaze lowered in anxiety, "it would be the answer to a question. I think I've figured it out, and I want to know… You two are Phantom Thieves." Both Ann and Futaba gasped in shock and worriedly glanced at each other, not sure how to react to this accusation. And yet, Atsuko's tone of voice remained gentle even as she pressed, "Is this true?"

The other two girls spent a silent moment, pleading with their eyes but not daring to make a move, before Ann laid a softer hand upon Futaba's shoulder and said to Atsuko, "Y… you realise, Atsuko, that is a very serious accusation to make. If we tell you, and you tell anybody else, anyone at all, they will hunt you down. You do understand that, do you?"

"Oh no, I have no reason to tell anybody else," Atsuko gently pleaded. "I swear to keep this knowledge to myself."

"Fine…" Ann gave one last look at Futaba, as if to ask, Are you sure we should tell her? Prompted with a solemn nod from her friend, Ann turned back to Atsuko and softly declared, "Yes. Futaba Sakura and I are both members of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

"I see… So there are other Phantom Thieves, then?"

"Yes. Of course, we can't tell you who they are, you do understand."

"Oh, I'm not asking about them. I just wanted to know about you two."

"How did you find out?" asked Futaba.

"It was pretty obvious, to be honest. When you told me how they operated, you knew a little too much for an outsider. No offence to your acting abilities, though."

"Yeah, that," Ann brushed off with a giggle. "No problem. But what we said about the Phantom Thieves helping us out with our own problems… That was also true, for both of us, but I don't want to get into that right now."

"I understand. Takamaki-san, Sakura-san… I am in your debt." Atsuko made a show of deference, placing her hands flat on the table and bowing.

"Thanks, Atsuko," beamed Ann. "Now get up, silly! We've got some dances to perform for you!" The formalities having been broken, Atsuko stood up and slid the kotatsu to an empty side of the living room as Futaba and Ann took turns setting up their tunes, giving them space to perform their recital pieces. Atsuko reacted to both with light but enthusiastic applause. Once Ann had taken her final bow, she asked, "So, what did you think?"

"Wonderful, both of you. You've come a long way, for sure! Of course, if you wanted to, I can give you some extra training outside of Maiko-sensei's classes. Help you iron out any trouble spots, and maybe add a little flair for your show next week. What do you say?"

Ann looked at Futaba once more for confirmation, and upon receiving another nod of approval, affirmed, "You got it, Atsuko-sensei! …I mean, just 'Atsuko'."

"Don't worry about it, Ann-chan. You can call me whatever you like."

"So, does that mean you'll come back to Maiko's class?", asked Futaba.

"You know what, Futaba-chan? I'd like that. See you tomorrow! And once again, thank you so much for everything."

"Same to you, Atsuko!" Futaba replied. She and Ann gave one last bow to their host, took turns changing back into their street clothes, and headed out. As they stepped outside, they gave each other a victorious high-five. Their mission to rescue their new friend had ended successfully.

…But one more challenge lay in their path, a challenge that they were eager to face.