"I... I'm in love with you!"
Sumire wasn't able to face him directly when she said it, but her eyes were glued on Ren-senpai, even if her chin tilted towards the counter below. She gripped the handle of the coffee cup so hard it rattled faintly against the saucer beneath it.
Ren-senpai didn't say anything.
It had taken her all to confess. Was he expecting something?
Oh of course, something so direct would be...
"Um, but..." she lifted her head once again. "The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable, so..."
Ren-senpai bit his lower lip ever so slightly. He looked concerned.
Finally, he spoke. "Let's stay friends, okay?"
Sumire's eyes went large and her mouth hung open. After everything they had done? Everything he had said over the past week?
Bury it.
She quickly recomposed herself, just like all the times she had congratulated Kasumi on the podium. She put on a big smile. "...Thank you so much, Senpai. I'm glad you could be honest with me. And I'm still happy I told you how I felt."
She wouldn't want to make him feel bad and it was true. At least he knew how she felt now, even if...
"I don't regret anything," she continued, still smiling brightly. "Even if you don't feel the same, I'll hold onto my feelings and let them drive me forward."
Ren-senpai nodded. He was always so accepting.
Sumire kept going. She wanted him to know that they were still on good terms, that their relationship shouldn't change. She lifted her cheeks so high with her smile that she could no longer see his face. It was easier that way.
Ren-senpai graciously pledged to keep supporting her. Of course he would. He always did. Ren-senpai treated everyone like they were special. She had simply misinterpreted.
"Oh, it's already this late...?" Sumire turned her head towards the hanging clock. "I need to get to practice."
She thanked Ren-senpai for the coffee and got up to leave. As she walked towards the door, she wondered if he was looking at her. It would be nice if he was... if he only had eyes for her...
It had really seemed that way when they were alone together.
Even with the Phantom Thieves it seemed like...
No.
That wasn't true.
Classic Sumire... totally misinterpreting everything, just seeing what she wanted to see.
Looking back, his eyes had often wandered to...
"It's Makoto-senpai isn't it?" She stopped at the end of the counter, by the big yellow clunker of a phone.
She had dismissed it all because of the older girl's position on the team. It had been such a convenient excuse.
Sumire breathed in and summoned her will to turn back, to look at him.
Ren-senpai gave her a slow nod when she did.
"I see." Her bright smile was back in place. "You make a cute couple. Well, I really must be going now."
Sumire took the last few steps out of Leblanc a little faster.
Of course it would be Makoto-senpai. The team advisor. The student council president. She always had it together, unlike Sumire. Who wouldn't want to date her?
Who wouldn't want to be her?
––––– ––––– –––––
Makoto entered Cafe Leblanc, followed by Haru and Ryuji. The trio had left school together when Ren had called the team meeting.
"Hi." Makoto smiled as she saw Ren standing by the counter, seemingly watching the door, waiting for their arrival.
"Hi." Ren smiled in return.
"Hi guys!" Futaba called from the booth in the back. She and Ann turned from their coffee cups, leaning over the booth seat-back to greet them.
Morgana hopped down from that same seat-back onto the far seat cushion of the center booth. Haru greeted everyone before sitting down beside him. Ryuji pulled out a chair from the counter and rummaged through his bag for the comics he had been reading.
Ren tilted his head at the seats opposite Haru and Mona, a silent invitation. He slid in between the table and the bench, Makoto following next to him.
Only Yusuke, Akechi, and Sumire had yet to arrive.
Makoto didn't mind waiting. It had been a few days since she had gotten to properly chat with her boyfriend. They had both been so busy after school, her with university exam preparation and him with team business like following up on Mementos leads and helping their newest member adjust.
In the shadow of the booth's table, their hands joined, resting in the scant bit of cushion left open between them.
"How's... you know..." Ren whispered to her once Ann and Futaba had gone back to their coffee and Haru, Ryuji, and Morgana seemed otherwise occupied.
"No changes." Makoto whispered back. She kept it short on purpose. The disapproval in Ren's eyes was heavy, as much as he tried to hide it. His grip on her hand grew just a little tighter. It was best not to belabor things. She didn't want to further remind her other teammates either, especially Haru or Futaba.
Ren breathed a silent sigh. "Be careful."
"I know... it's just..."
The bell on the door jingled. The team turned to see Akechi enter. Cordial hellos were offered as their makeshift ally parked himself by the counter.
When Makoto turned back to Ren, he was already looking at her, his lips neutral and his eyes open and clear. He whispered. "Maybe it's time to-"
"No." Makoto shook her head. "I can't take that from Sis..."
Ren pressed his lips together, his eyes narrowing further.
"Is it really that different?" Makoto turned her head, Akechi appearing in the corner of her eyes.
Ren's lips became even tighter. The creases between his eyebrows deepened. "That's-"
The chimes on the door interrupted again. This time it was Yusuke. After the team finished their greetings, the young artist took a space at the counter, availing himself of the coffee the Sakura-san had left heating for them, the same coffee Ann and Futaba were already consuming. Akechi shifted to make room.
Ren didn't finish his statement. Makoto sat quietly, waiting to see if there was more, but it seemed he didn't want to get into it, especially with Akechi so close by.
"Hey Ren," Makoto finally restarted their conversation, even quieter than before. "Is what we're doing really okay? We can decide our fate, but what about the people who can't? The people who truly untenable positions? Like people who are starving. Can we really take this from them?"
"Are you really asking for them?" Ren's eyes squinted briefly as he carefully considered her. "Or is this-"
They were cut short by the door a third time. Sumire. Makoto supposed this meeting wasn't the right time for this conversation, or rather, the one Ren wanted to have. Something important had slipped with everything else going on. They'd have to make time.
Turning back from the door after a brief 'hello,' Makoto whispered to Ren. "Let's meet at school tomorrow."
He nodded.
Once the rest of the team had finished greeting Sumire, Morgana hopped on the table. "Looks like we're all here. Let's review."
Everyone gathered around the center booth.
"We're going to the Palace today, right?" Ann was once again leaning over the seat-back from the adjacent booth. "Since we're able to move forward now."
––––– ––––– –––––
The train ride to Odaiba had been quiet. Even with most of the populace distracted by their recent good fortune, the team didn't want to stand out. They mostly sat listening to the conversations around them.
"Everything's been great since my promotion! My co-workers respect me now!"
"I got tickets to Risette's concert!"
"My knee stopped bothering me so I'm getting out more."
Makoto noticed Ryuji run a hand over his leg. He must have heard the woman's conversation. Ann, who was seated beside him, gave Makoto a knowing look. Ren, who was a few seats down with Sumire and Akechi, didn't seem to notice.
Once they arrived at the station, it was a brisk walk to the construction site. A quick tap on a Meta-Nav bookmark later and the team was jumping up on the covered walkway and dashing towards the building's entrance.
They congregated at the front elevator, their usual meeting place for making preparations, forming scouting parties, and discussing strategy.
"V-violet?!" Ann's exclamation brought everyone's attention to their newest team member.
Makoto turned with the others to see Sumire, clad in a suspiciously familiar looking outfit. Hers.
It wasn't exactly the same. Where Makoto's was a steel blue, Sumire's was a deep maroon. Where Makoto's was a cool black, Sumire's was warm charcoal—closer to the color of the younger woman's original Phantom Thief attire. The exception was Sumire's scarf which rather than being black or charcoal matched the color of the hair bow that she used in the real world.
From behind her, Makoto thought she heard Haru giggle.
"Is there a problem?" Sumire looked at Ann.
"What's with the new outfit?" asked Ryuji.
"What do you mean, new outfit?" Sumire's eyes were wide and curious. "This is the one I've always worn."
"Uhh..." Ryuji turned to Makoto. "Ya don't think...?"
Makoto frowned.
"Could this be someone else's wish?" Ryuji asked. "Like, y'know, with Makoto's-"
Ann elbowed Ryuji in the ribs.
"Ow!"
Akechi walked up to Ren, his hand falling on their leader's shoulder with enough force to cause him to recoil. He spoke softly through a bemused grin. "This is all your doing in a way, isn't it?"
Ren rotated his shoulder out of Akechi's grip but didn't say anything in response.
Akechi's grin only broadened. He chuckled before speaking again. "She finally confessed to you, didn't she?"
Ren jerked. It was slight, but enough to give him away.
"As I thought," Akechi continued. "And then, after all that leading her on, you-"
Leading her on?
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Ann raised her hands. "Revealing something like that isn't cool Crow."
"A girl's confession should be private," added Haru, wagging her finger at him.
Akechi shrugged. "It's something we had to know, isn't it?"
"You were better when you were fake-nice," Futaba's cheeks puffed. She turned to Ren. "Can you do what ya did before? You know, with the rest of us?"
Ren made a short nod. He walked over to Sumire in long strides. "Violet, are you happy?"
"H-happy?" Sumire took a step back, raising her forearm defensively. Then she relaxed, letting her arm drop. She tilted her head, a blush forming under her iron mask. "O-oh... do you mean with you? O-of course."
Ren eyes shifted to the others. They revealed his uncertainty. He re-focused on Sumire and spoke slowly, staring intently at her. "Any doubts about it?"
"None at all!" Sumire beamed.
Ren stood, staring at her, as if he was expecting something.
Sumire continued to look up at him, smiling.
"Was that it?" Ryuji whispered. He seemed unconvinced.
"Don't you remember?" asked Ann.
"Well... yeah, but..." Ryuji scratched his head. "It seemed so much more... I dunno... deep... when it was with me."
Ren shrugged, taking a few steps back from Sumire.
"It seems Violet is more susceptible than the rest of us," said Yusuke.
"I suppose that makes sense, given how long she was under Dr. Maruki's influence the first time," said Haru.
"Even if it did work," Futaba raised a single finger. "It took us days to come out of it."
Makoto turned to Ren. "We should abort for now. We can't proceed like this. Maybe she'll come around like Futaba said... or maybe we'll need to come up with another solution."
"On the other hand," Akechi's self-assured smile reminded Makoto of all the times he had put her down before. "This is an opportunity. While we're here we might as well see the effects in this world."
"It's too dangerous," Makoto shook her head. "We'd be better off exploring the Palace without her."
The corner of Akechi's mouth lifted higher, making his expression all the more smug. "Are you worried she might upstage you?"
"I'm worried she's unpredictable." Makoto said through grit teeth.
"We know the initial route now," Morgana interjected. "We have a way out. With all of us here we should be fine to test with a few shadows."
"Mementos would be less risky," Makoto crossed her arms.
"Whatever the case may be, we should go in and check," said Yusuke. "The atmosphere in the real world is beginning to change... We cannot afford to wait much longer."
"What do you think, Joker?" asked Morgana.
Ren exhaled, closing his eyes. "We'll try it... but at the first sign of trouble, we head back."
––––– ––––– –––––
The team raced through the bright white atriums and auditoriums that made up the entry to Dr. Maruki's Palace. As they traveled with speed and silent signals, it was easy to forget that Sumire believed she was Makoto... or at least believed she was Queen.
It was when they fought shadows that Dr. Maruki's effect on Sumire became apparent.
"Feel my rage!" Sumire puffed out her shoulders, making a circle with her arms flexed in front of her like some sort of bodybuilder. She then dashed at a sole Macabre that stood before a cluster of Bugs shadows. She hit it thrice, but with little power.
"D-do I really come off so brutish?" Makoto wondered.
"Will you hit me if I answer honestly?" asked Yusuke.
Before she could respond, Ren stepped in front of the team. "Dominion!"
The angelic persona manifested a tower of light around the Macabre, killing it instantly.
Sumire ran up next to Ren, glaring at the bear-shaped enemies that remained.
"I'll use my Persona!" she shouted. Cendrillon appeared behind her, unleashing an area Bless attack. The shadows recoiled at the strike, but remained upright.
Sumire didn't seem to notice. "We can end this right now!"
"Oh no," Ann cringed.
At the same time, Ren thrust his arm in front of Sumire, preventing her from launching her ill-fated next move.
It was becoming clear that what skills Sumire thought she was using and what she actually used were two very different things.
"Anat, come!" Makoto brought forth the real nuclear attack, knocking the shadows out of the air. She looked at the others. Everyone nodded.
Ren removed his arm from Sumire's way and the team attacked the fallen enemies in unison. The shadows burst into plumes of black and red before vanishing.
"Fist of justice!" Sumire yelled.
Makoto could hear Ryuji and Futaba laughing behind her.
"It's kind of more... fist of inconsequentiality, with that form, don't you think?" Akechi mused. "I thought an athlete of her caliber would be better at copying your moves."
Makoto pursed her lips. Agreeing with Akechi seemed distasteful, but she had come to a similar conclusion. It was like Sumire was trying to mimic her but also accomplish a completely different style at the same time. "Yes and she's burning energy so quickly."
Between over-use of mis-targeted Bless skills and her inefficient (and possibly dangerous) fighting form, Sumire was going to burn out fast. Before, when she was still herself, she relied on fencing attacks. Even discounting the poor hand-to-hand, she didn't seem to have the spirit stamina required to match Makoto's more liberal use of magical skills.
Furthermore, while Ren could cover for Sumire's mixed up skills, it was going to be more problematic if they ran into a disaster shadow that didn't take well to Sumire's affinity confusion.
They needed to re-group. Makoto looked up. "Let's head to a safe room."
––––– ––––– –––––
The pristine whites of the safe room walls, lockers, and spare lab coats were almost blinding. Makoto wondered if she should have directed them towards the Palace entry instead. It wasn't that far after all. However, she didn't want to make it an argument as to whether they would leave or stay... at least, not while they were still out in the open.
The team assumed their typical resting positions, with most by the table, Yusuke standing on his own by one set of lockers, and Futaba laying on her stomach, eyes glued to her laptop screen. Sumire however stood off to the side, rather than sitting at the table as usual. She was occupying a spot Makoto would have chosen for herself.
Maybe it was for the best. This meant they could have a discussion without her.
"We've gathered enough information," Makoto leaned over the table, supporting herself with her palms. "We should go. Violet's used a lot of stamina and I don't want anyone to get injured."
"On the other hand," Akechi pushed off the lockers he had been leaning against and walked over to the table. "We have no shortage of restoratives. I rather the infiltration not take longer than it has to."
Makoto inhaled sharply. "Even with restoratives, her mis-use of her persona could cause trouble, especially if we reach tougher enemies. We should come back without her."
"No," Ren leaned in as well. "We need her here. She's the only one who's spent as much time with Maruki as I have and she seems important to him. We need her."
It was hard not to feel betrayed by Ren's advocacy.
Makoto tapped her foot a few times and bit her lip. How might they safely move with Sumire in this state?
It came to her.
"Can you ask her to focus on support skills only then?" Extra healing and buffs, as Futaba called them, couldn't hurt. As Akechi had noted, they had plenty of provisions as well.
Ren nodded.
As he walked over to Sumire, Makoto straightened, no longer needing to huddle over the table with the others. However, she wasn't sure just where to put herself.
Makoto watched, along with the others, as Ren explained the new strategy. Sumire nodded along.
She seemed to be standing awfully close to Ren.
Makoto frowned.
Ren seemed to notice.
When he was done talking, he walked back to her in a few quick strides, stopping in front of her and taking her hands in his. He smiled as they faced each other. Their arms hung loosely with only the space for each linked pair between them.
"It'll be okay," he said.
Makoto couldn't help but smile back. She hoped what he said was true.
"Isn't this going to upset Violet?" Haru brought her index finger to her cheek and tilted her head.
Makoto slipped her hands from Ren's and took a step back, her face growing red. She and Ren were usually fairly discreet, or so she thought...
"Interesting," Akechi brought his hand to his chin, or rather, the area of his helmet closest to his chin. "Now that you mention it, it's like she doesn't even recognize Makoto as being here at all."
"Code names," Makoto admonished him.
"Isn't that a bit pedantic?" the sides of Akechi's lips curled. "Maruki knows who we are. Also, which one of you is Queen?"
"I am," said Makoto.
"I'm not sure Violet," he drew the name out, "would agree."
Makoto narrowed her eyes.
"She didn't seem to acknowledge Queen when we were fighting shadows either," Haru brought the subject back around.
"And she didn't join when Queen started this conversation either," added Ann.
"I wonder then," Akechi continued, his smiling growing wide and his eyes narrowing as he walked behind Haru and towards Ren. "If Violet truly becomes Queen, then what happens to Makoto?"
––––– ––––– –––––
Makoto sighed as she entered the elevator of her building. Even though they had only made it as far as one new safe room, it had been incredibly draining. Working around Sumire's altered cognition had required a lot of extra planning and extra work. Having her foccus on support had helped, but would managing her only get more difficult over time?
And was how Sumire behaved really how everyone saw her?
And if they didn't break Sumire out of it, would she really...
The muffled mechanical noise of the elevator's pulley system were the only sounds as Makoto ascended, alone in the empty cell.
A 'ding' punctuated her arrival. She walked down the dim hallway to the Niijima flat. Her grim expression softened. At least...
Makoto inserted the key in her front door and turned. With a small push the door opened. Warm light and even more importantly warm faces shone upon her.
Sis was sitting at the table, her hands still on her laptop keyboard. Dad was on the sofa, some work files in his hand. Both looked up at her, welcoming her back.
Makoto smiled. "I'm home."