Makoto lay on her stomach, atop her bed, watching international gymnastics competitions on her phone in the dark. Ren had only briefly brought up the idea, but since then she couldn't stop thinking about it. She knew she should be studying for exams. She promised herself she would stop after each one, but there was always a thumbnail or title that piqued her curiosity and so the promise was to postponed the next one, and then the next one, and then the next one.
It was irritating, but she couldn't put her finger on why. It probably had to do with shirking her exams. It made everything feel off somehow.
Her room was too small, too cluttered. It felt like she didn't have enough space to stretch out.
Something about the collar of her pajamas didn't sit well. The way it fell on her skin kept distracting her. She adjusted it but it never seemed to lay right.
The rumbling coming from her stomach told her dinner hadn't been enough either. Why was she so hungry these days? That couldn't be helping her focus either.
Makoto glanced over at her desk. Her laptop, notebooks, and packed shelves reminded her of what she was supposed to be doing.
The next video started.
She pushed away her other thoughts and gave it her full attention.
––––– ––––– –––––
"Are you sure you don't want more?" Mrs. Yoshizawa held a plate with a huge stack of tamagoyaki in one hand, a pair of chopsticks in the other. The skin between her eyebrows crinkled. "You barely had anything after practice yesterday."
"We only worked on fundamentals," Makoto explained. "So it was a light workout."
That wasn't how practicing fundamentals really worked, but it seemed like a good enough excuse.
"Really, I'm fine," she added. "Maybe I'm just done with my growth spurt."
"You're not starving yourself for that boy, are you?" Mr. Yoshizawa looked sternly over his glasses.
What would Sumire say to that?
There was so little to go on.
She needed to move the focus off of Ren.
"Don't be silly," Makoto feigned a small laugh. "I've known him since first term. Why would I change now?"
Mr. and Mrs. Yoshizawa glanced at each other, exchanging frowns before turning back to her.
That clearly hadn't been the right answer.
"It's just that..." Mrs. Yoshizawa looked at her when she started speaking, but her eyes quickly wandered way. "Now that Dr. Maruki is gone, if you have any troubles there's no one to talk to..."
Morgana, who was tucked in her bag, couldn't keep quiet for that remark. "He's the cause of all the troubl-"
Makoto nudged the bag with her foot. The last thing they needed was for Sumire's parents to find out about her new 'pet cat.'
"Don't make that face," Mr. Yoshizawa looked so disappointed in her. He must have thought she was annoyed at them and not her teammate hidden under the table. "You know we're just worded about you Sumire."
Makoto.
She reminded herself every time, hoping it would stave off the actualization.
"I know."
It was best not to say anything more.
––––– ––––– –––––
Ren was waiting when Makoto reached their platform in Shibuya Station.
She smiled. Though technically they had just seen each other the night before, it had been brief—just enough time to verify they were both still aware, exchange Morgana, and take off to their respective train lines.
(At least Ryuji had been mindful enough to give them a little space, as much as he had wanted to brag to Ren about all the nice things Hiraguchi-san had said about his athleticism.)
"Are you still you?" The corner of Ren's mouth tugged upward in a lopsided grin. He held out a hand.
"I'm still me," her smile broadened as she laid her hand in his.
They got in line for the next train to Aoyama-Itchome.
"How was it last night?" Ren asked.
"I'm not sure," Makoto bit her lip. "Based on their expressions, I'm not a convincing 'Sumire,' but they haven't threatened anything."
"Maybe that's okay," Ren paused as a train for the opposite platform came in. The small gust it brought with it caused his hair to sway. "I don't want you to be a convincing Sumire. Maybe it's enough as it is. Maybe they won't do anything because they're used to her being unpredictable."
"Maybe," Makoto tried to imagine how Sumire's parents must have responded back when she first changed. "It still seems risky though, and... It doesn't feel right, hurting them like this."
"You're doing the best you can." Ren stepped closer to her, his shoulder slipping behind hers. "It's not you. It's Maruki."
"Right." Dr. Maruki didn't have to see their faces though. Still, Ren was right. She shouldn't dwell on things she couldn't change. Instead, it was time to focus on what she could. "How about you? How did last night go?"
"Well..." he was cautious in his response. "She seemed to react to our suggestion. It was similar to the other times."
"So now we wait?"
"Yes."
The train across the way closed it doors and departed. Another synthetic breeze tussled their hair.
"Um... and how was Sis?" Makoto nearly swallowed the question. She kept herself from asking its mate, knowing it would only make Ren worry.
Ren tilted his head down closer to her. His eyebrows raised for a moment before before he spoke, his voice just above the ambient noise. "The same as before. Happy in this delusion."
"I see." Makoto tried to sound neutral but felt her breath release and her shoulders relax. Even if she could no longer be there with her, she was relieved Sis could have this, for now at least.
Sis wouldn't give up the life she had earned for a fake reality, but it would be nice if she could enjoy it as a fleeting dream.
––––– ––––– –––––
Makoto sat in an empty faculty conference room, working her way through her lunch while watching gymnastics videos on her phone. Finally, she had some time to herself, no pressure to study or do homework or serve the student council. Lunch was truly the best.
Seeing graceful movements that evoked emotion or amazing feats of coordination or bold displays of strength—it filled her with wonder.
But then... in the downtimes of a routine or during the prep or the applause, her mind wandered... there was something else, some nagging feeling that she shouldn't be enjoying this.
This time it wasn't studying. It wasn't sleep.
Lunch was her time after all.
It was like a strange cloud of dread hanging over her, over these videos.
'Dread' didn't really capture it either. It was also like a void, a big scary nothing.
She wanted to push it aside and tell herself it wasn't important.
...but what if it was?
––––– ––––– –––––
The final area of the Palace, or at least, that's what Morgana believed it to be, was a large open garden cast in warm summer light and spread across floating islands connected by crystal staircases. It was filled with flowers, fountains, vines, and statues. Cognitions, clad in all white, rose into the sky, as if they had attained enlightenment.
However, like everything in Dr. Maruki's Palace, there was something eerie and sinister about the bright and clean, even beyond the shadows that guarded it. Giant video cameras were barely hidden by the vines, their enormous size and deep black voids an ever present indicator that they were all being watched. The huge statues were all fashioned after Rumi, Dr. Maruki's lover. Her pupil-less smile served as a reminder of how empty this 'freedom from pain' was.
Lastly, there was the convoluted layout of hovering terraces that made up the garden. These were ideally connected by tinted glass stairs, but there were frequent gaps. One could easily fall rather than rise should they step out of place.
The team did not seem terribly interested in that particular conundrum though.
"Oh my, what an interesting trellis," Haru was on her hands and knees, running her fingers over the thickened vines that supported the colorful blooms throughout the garden.
Ann was laying down in the grass with one of her forearms over her forehead, "This is even better than Futaba's Palace!"
"Hey!" Futaba sat at the edge of their current platform, her legs hanging off, idly kicking one after the other. When one of the big cameras would shift its position and focus its lenses, she would tilt her head as if to mimic it.
Yusuke was standing under one of the free-standing light fixtures, making shadow puppets with his hands. Multiple images were cast for each of the different rows of colors.
Akechi folded his arms. "I can't believe I lost to the likes of you guys."
"Hey," Ryuji stomped one of his feet in punctuation. "It's friggin' cold out and we just spent the last hour in that creepy sterile lab."
Makoto looked across the expanse. There were few shadows patrolling and none nearby. Resting here did seem nicer than being cooped up in a safe room.
She laced her fingers together and stretched her arms and back. As she twisted to stretch her sides, she saw Ren stretching his arms similarly. They shared a knowing smile.
He ambled over to her, slipping an arm around her waist. Normally she would protest the public display, but everyone else seemed suitably distracted.
Ryuji and Morgana had joined Ann on the ground. They took turns pointing up in various directions, like children pointing out shapes in the clouds.
Sumire was staring blankly and making small circular motions with one of her fingers. She had been that way all afternoon. It might not be the right thing to think, but it was nice not having the echo. Hopefully all of this meant Ren's words had reached her. As long as she didn't get too close to the edge of their current island, it seemed fine.
And Akechi... well, it was high time she stopped caring what Akechi thought.
Hopefully she'd still believe that in the morning.
"How long do you think we should let them rest here?" Ren spoke as they stood together, monitoring the team and taking in the scenery. The view before them was fantastically beautiful, even with the disturbing meaning behind it.
"Not much longer." It was a bit disappointing, but there were practical issues to consider. "We're in a bad position if a shadow spots us."
Once a Palace was alerted to their presence, it had strong defenses. They needed to be able to react fast. As they were now it would be difficult to make a break for it should they attract attention.
"I suppose we should figure out how to fix the stairs," Makoto looked over the vines, the light-emitting canopies, and the control box at the center of the platform. Fortunately, they had an expert. "Haru?"
Her fellow third-year didn't seem to have heard her. Instead, Haru was carefully inspecting the sepals of the flowers that lined the edges of the pathways.
"Haru?" Makoto called again. "We could use your help."
"Just a moment," Haru called back.
A moment passed. Then another. Then several more. Haru was still engrossed in the vines.
Makoto turned to Ren. He shrugged.
"Maybe Yusuke then?" He knew a lot about color after all. Makoto turned to the artist. He was holding a large flower petal up to one of the lighting fixtures.
Then again, Yusuke might just play with the lights without moving them forward.
Makoto exhaled and closed her eyes. She supposed that put her in charge of figuring out the system.
––––– ––––– –––––
"But isn't it strange that Dr. Maruki fully awakened on Christmas Eve, but things didn't change until New Year's Day?" Ann stretched her arms across the table they shared at Leblanc.
Makoto and Ren sat on one side of the booth, Haru and Ann on the other with Morgana on the table between them. Ryuji had pulled up a free chair near Ann. Futaba was slouched over the top of the divider from the adjacent booth. Yusuke stood leaning against that same divider. They were meeting to discuss what they had learned in Dr. Maruki's Palace the day before, including the contents of the latest video tape.
"Some things changed on Christmas Eve..." Ren's hands were laced together, his forearms forming a bridge.
"Akechi..." Haru frowned, her eyes cast downward.
"Are we even sure he's dead?" Ryuji's volume cut through the atmosphere.
"Ryuji!" Ann admonished him through grit teeth, her eyes shifting between him and Haru.
"What?" The fingers on both his hands extended as he shrugged as much as having his elbows on his knees allowed. "Is it gonna bother us less if I dance around it?"
"Maybe." Yusuke's tone seemed disinterested, but it was often hard to tell what he was thinking.
"I saw his signal disappear myself," said Futaba. "Unless he entered the Palace right at that spot, there's no way..."
"Given that he was working for Shido, it is possible he could have entered from inside the Diet Building," Yusuke gave a brief flick of his hand.
Makoto's eyes wandered to Ren. Her boyfriend's fingers were pressed against each other just a little tighter. It was barely noticeable. She considered changing the subject, discussing it later, but the team was invested too. She considered Yusuke's reasoning. "It seems like it would be an awfully large coincidence that he'd enter exactly where we were."
"He knew we'd hafta get that Cleaner guy sometime," Ryuji leaned back in the chair and lifted one hand to gesture. "He coulda been waitin'."
"We've never entered inside a Palace proper before," Makoto tilted her head, bringing her loosely balled hand to her lips.
"Yes we have," said Yusuke. "It was before you joined the team."
"Right!" Ann quickly added. "The locked door in Madarame's house!"
"Yes." Yusuke's looked down. His lips pressed together.
It was just for a moment, but Ren's eyes opened a bit wider and his lower lip parted from the upper one. Hidden behind his glasses and folded hands, it would be hard for the others to see.
Makoto slipped her free hand behind him, resting it on his back. His eyes shifted to her. She nodded.
"If he did survive," Haru's words came out slowly, like she was still thinking through them. "Then why did he offer to testify against Shido? He could have just let Ren do it and gotten off scot-free."
"That could have been Maruki's doing as well," Ren spoke into his hands, not looking up at anyone.
"Huh," Ryuji leaned in. "Whether that was him or not, seems like Maruki was messin' with stuff from the moment we beat that god of control guy."
"I guess we still don't know about Akechi then..." said Haru, exhaling a sigh.
"But we do know Maruki was already exercising his powers," said Morgana.
"Still, why did it take so long?" asked Ann. "Those weird cables in his Palace moved really fast when we got to his control room."
Makoto thought back to the auxiliary base Dr. Maruki had setup in the off-growth from Mementos. They had all seen it on the monitoring screens. It was just as Ann described.
"Maybe it took him awhile to realize he could use Mementos," said Ryuji.
"No, the reason he got those powers is because Mementos was fused with reality at that time," Morgana explained, referring to the video tape.
It was strange. Dr. Maruki didn't seem like the type to wait when people were suffering. Could this be a limitation on his power that they could exploit?
"And he knew about all of us already, from his counseling sessions." Makoto recalled Ren's indignation. When she thought of the others, she couldn't help but feel the same.
"So he prioritized Ren but the rest of us changed when the world changed," said Yusuke. "Maybe he wanted to do it abruptly, to show Ren."
It made sense, but why wait a week? What was so special about-
"New Year's." Makoto stated. "He needed everyone's New Year's wishes to jump start his plan. Mementos must be too chaotic for his power to make sense of otherwise."
"That'd explain why the only people brought back to life were the ones we know," Ann looked up, facing Makoto. "People wish for things that could actually happen on New Year's, even if some are a bit out there."
"Does granting everyone's wishes like that really prevent them from suffering?" Futaba's voice came out muffled as she rested her chin in the forearms of her oversized hoodie.
It was more of a rhetorical question, but Makoto answered it anyway. "It doesn't."
Dr. Maruki's idea of what people wished for was so very shallow.
"It don't even come close," Ryuji hunched over in his seat, his hand landing on his thigh to punctuate his statement. "That's why we got that dumb test in the Palace."
"I wonder how conscious Dr. Maruki is of what he's doing," Haru's hands were pressed into the booth's seat. She looked uncomfortable contemplating it.
"Well, Ren said he can move around his own Palace..." Makoto worried her bottom lip as she considered the question. They had all seen him there the day they broke free from his reality. "But he doesn't seem to be aware of our progress or the videos we keep finding."
"Could it be that the 'him' we saw in his Palace isn't completely him?" Yusuke offered. "Since the cognitive world is merging with reality, could he have been a fusion of his 'self' and his 'shadow' that he's not completely in control of?"
"It's possible," Morgana said grimly.
Makoto stared down at the table. Just like it was unclear whether who they saw in the Palace was Dr. Maruki or his shadow, it was unclear what he consciously believed and what was unconsciously manifesting through his distortion. Perhaps the entire idea of ending suffering by manipulating cognition was distorted at its core.
––––– ––––– –––––
"Do you have time?" Ren's husky whisper seemed to travel under the noise of everyone gathering their things. His hand found hers below the tabletop, giving it a light jostle, a sort of playful begging, though his expression was anything but playful.
"I think so." Makoto stayed in her seat while the others got up around her.
Futaba had set up her phone to receive duplicates of Sumire's parents' messages, so she would know if they expected anything of her.
The phone situation was yet another oddity of actualization. How was it supposed to work?
Maybe everyone would just perceive it worked if only Makoto would play along, like constantly improvising actors in a runaway play.
It certainly seemed to be working out just fine for Sumire.
"Should we go upstairs?" she asked after they said their goodbyes and the rest of the team exited Leblanc.
"I was thinking it would be nice to go out, see Inokashira Park in the snow."
"I'd like that."
Ren had been extra quiet in their team meeting earlier. He tended to seek the openness of the outdoors when something was bothering him. It wasn't hard to guess what it was, but she let him set his own pace.
They were still wearing their coats. It didn't seem fair to expect Sakura-san to heat the café when it was just them using it as a base. The old building leaked heat easily. She worried over how Ren kept warm with just a space heater, but he had assured her several times he was fine.
Locking the door behind them, they opened their umbrellas for the short walk to the station. Ren's umbrella overlapped with hers, each tilting slightly away, forming a comfortable canopy for two of them. They held the umbrellas in their outer hands, allowing their inner hands to come together.
The snow was coming down in clumps. Most of it didn't stick to the roads, but it had started piling on signs and plants and along window panes. Even knowing what was underneath, the places it blanketed looked so pretty and clean.
"It's not too cold, is it?" Ren looked over at her, the cloud created by his breath dissipating into the air. His cheeks were gaining a soft pink glow, the kind that made her want to just take him back inside and warm him up.
He wanted to be outside though.
"It's fine," she smiled. "It would be a shame to miss this weather."
She let go of his hand and raised her arm out from under the umbrella, letting some of the snow fall on her glove.
"It'll be even nicer in the park," he remarked.
A short train ride later and his prediction was proven true, not that there was much doubt.
The tree branches, the off-path areas, and wooden fence by the lake were all covered in snow. Even the walkway was starting to accumulate some at the edges. There was a certain tranquility to quietly walking, hand-in-hand, watching the snow gently float and disappear into the water.
"It snowed on Christmas Eve too," Ren said, finally breaking the silence.
"I remember," Makoto tilted her head down and smiled. It had felt so special, the two of them cuddling by the window, watching the snow fall, and then, when they...
"It snowed so hard it disrupted the trains," he spoke as if he was trying to figure something out.
"Yes," Makoto confirmed. "I think we'll be fine getting home tonight though."
A storm that severe was uncommon. While Makoto knew the service outages made difficulties for many, she couldn't help but think of it fondly. It was hard for them to find time like that. It had all happened at just the perfect-
Wait.
"Maruki was already changing reality at that time." Ren said it just as she had caught up to his logic. He turned to her, his hair and glasses masking his eyes. "Back then, did you-"
"Yes." She said, more forcefully than she would normally. That ill thought needed to be cut off immediately. "Dr. Maruki didn't alter my cognition until New Year's."
"Are you sure?" He tilted his head further, revealing his wide open gaze.
"I am," she smiled and squeezed his hand. "Absolutely. Just thinking back, I..."
Her smile became wider and her face felt hotter.
He let out a breath and then stood up straighter, his chest seemed to puff out. "Good."
Makoto tried turning away to hide her guilty expression, but she found her eyes wandering back to Ren, catching glimpses of his self-satisfied smile, his rosy cheeks, and his regular wisps of breath visible in the cold air.
She didn't want it to end, but there was something else he had to face...
"Was that really all that was bothering you?" Makoto prodded.
A drawn out sigh released a big mass of vapor. His eyes drifted down, but he still offered her a weak grin. "You noticed."
"Yes..." The feel of his fingers against her seemed all the more apparent, like they were both trying to reassure the other they were still there. "Would you rather I didn't?"
"I'm thankful you did," he took a deep breath.
They walked several more paces along the snow-lined path before Ren spoke again.
"Do you think he survived?"
Makoto had been remembering it often today.
The blaring of alarms. The sounds of gunshots. The clanking of metal.
The cruel words of the cognition...
It must have been worse for Ren. She never understood his affinity with Akechi, but she tried to acknowledge it for what it was. Paired with all the responsibility he took on himself...
The team had carved out a plausible scenario. Wouldn't it be nice if...
"I don't know." She could only be honest. "It's possible, more so than I thought before, but..."
"Yeah." His eyes lowered again.
"Did you ever talk about Akechi, to Dr. Maruki that is?"
"No," Ren shook his head. "I kept team business out of our meetings."
"Hmm," Makoto also looked down. "I guess he could have inferred, from the TV appearances and the school festival."
She still felt embarrassed by how Akechi had played them back then.
"Maruki was keeping watch on us," Ren said as they continued to walk.
"But by the time Akechi..." she wasn't sure how to say it, so she didn't. "Dr. Maruki had left school by then."
"He might have noticed when Akechi vanished from the public eye," Ren didn't sound convinced of that theory, despite voicing it.
"Maybe he doesn't know," Makoto suggested.
"I think he knows," Ren's gaze shifted somewhere far away again. "He's hinted as much."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing direct," Ren's lips shut as he took a few more steps. "Just a few looks, some vague comments... Maybe I'm reading too much into it."
"Or maybe..." Makoto slowed down. Ren matched her pace. "Maybe he didn't realize at first, but once he saw your reaction, that's when he put it all together."
"It's possible." Ren's shoulders seemed to slump as he mulled over it.
"What happened with Akechi isn't your fault," Makoto affirmed. It was important to say it every so often. "Nor is what's happening with him now."
The statement hung in the air.
"Is that true?" the mumbled words were barely audible.
Even if they weren't meant for her, Makoto answered them. "It is."
His head turned just a little, his pupils centering on her from the corner of his eyes.
"You said it yourself, this is Dr. Maruki's doing." It was always so much easier to see from the outside, wasn't it? As for the older wound... "And before, you did all you could. I know it."
"If I-"
"No." Makoto brought her other hand over his, her umbrella precariously cradled between her forearms. She looked him square in the eyes. "We couldn't have predicted what what would happen. We still don't understand it all now."
He didn't turn away. After something between a breath and a sigh, he spoke. "Right."
One day, he'd internalize it. At least, she hoped he would. Until then, she'd be there to argue against his fears, just like he was there for her.
It was a different kind of changing cognitions.
She let go with her outer hand so they could continue walking.
Eventually they came to a small break in the snowfall. A large tree provided cover for a bit of grass and fence.
Ren stopped there, letting his umbrella fall to the ground. "I think Akechi knows as well."
Makoto rotated her umbrella away from them, shaking off the snow once it was horizontal before also letting it rest in the clearing. "Knows he's...?"
"Yeah." Ren ran his now-free hand through the top of his hair. "He's evasive about how he escaped Shido's Palace and about what will happen when we stop Maruki. He brought up the engine room on his own though."
"Hmm, that's a bit beyond what Dr. Maruki could infer," Makoto's voice trailed off as she considered possible explanations. "It's like... once the actualization is started, the individual's cognition fills in the gaps."
Perhaps the Akechi with them now was an amalgam of all of their beliefs about him.
But then, the real Akechi...
"If the Akechi we've been working with all this time is a cognition," Makoto spoke slowly, keeping a watchful eye on Ren. "Then does that mean that Dr. Maruki erased the real one, even if he survived?"
Ren's eyes opened wide. "Then stopping Maruki would also..."
"If he's alive that is." She didn't want to give him false hope.
Ren nodded.
They were still making a choice with Akechi's life, but now it wasn't clear which one they were making.
"Can we sit for a while?" Ren asked.
Makoto nodded. She gathered the two umbrellas, shaking them off and closing them since they weren't being used.
Ren stepped over the low wooden fence. He reached a hand out to Makoto. She didn't need it, but she took it nonetheless.
Their boots landed firmly in the snow that had been accumulating off the path, despite the protection of the wide sweeping branches of the nearby tree.
They sat down between two of the fence posts, as close together as they could. There was something assuring about feeling Ren pressed against her side and she against his. Their coats were too cold to gain much warmth, but somehow it felt less cold anyway.
They watched the snow coming down over the lake. Though it well past sunset, the moon shining upon the snow cover provided more than enough light.
Makoto glanced at Ren. Noticing her, he gave a small smile and brought his arm around her, pulling her even closer.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, folding her hands in her lap.
The snow continued to fall.
Makoto rose and fell with each of Ren's breaths, finding herself matching his rhythm.
Sometimes his breathing grew tense. Sometimes it grew deeper. When she stirred in response, he would tighten his grip, pulling her in again, as if to tell her it was okay.
It wasn't though. She knew she couldn't take away what was at the core of his worries, but at least she could be there with him.
The lake seemed so peaceful, framed in white with the moon reflected on the nearly still water, barely disturbed by the snow falling upon it.
If only it could just be like this.
However, thoughts of what they had to face were never far.
Dr. Maruki's garden was also a beautiful vision, but the ubiquitous cameras and the giant looming statues were a reminder of what was sacrificed. She assumed the statues were supposed to celebrate Rumi's freedom from suffering, but Makoto wondered if he was able to completely divorce the regret and longing when thinking about his lost love.
Meanwhile, Sumire couldn't escape the visage of Yoshizawa Kasumi even if she wanted to. At the same time, that meant that 'Kasumi' couldn't escape Sumire. Taking on Kasumi's identity was like the final step in declaring 'Sumire' a lesser person and living that 'truth' every day.
And then there was Akechi. His presence, the uncertainty... how much it tormented Ren.
Were these actualizations removing suffering?
Or were they punishments?
––––– ––––– –––––
Makoto tapped the point of her pencil against the open page of her notebook, right beneath the carefully copied Calculus problem that she had been staring at for the last fifteen minutes. No amount of staring led to her actually reading it or working it out though. Her eyes just fell over the symbols. She recognized each one but she couldn't seem to focus on the entire thing together.
It was from one of the early chapters too. It should have been easy. Why was she so distracted?
Maybe it was the lights. Had her room always felt so clinical? She needed to buy softer white bulbs.
Maybe it was the bookcases. They were so dark and packed. It was like they were crowding over her.
Maybe it was too quiet. Father and Sis were home, but they were each focused on their own work.
Maybe some music would help.
There were some really pretty pieces in the videos she had watched earlier. Maybe she should re-play her history. That might be nice.
She had told herself no videos until she got in some studying, but she wouldn't really be watching them. It would just be the music.
Makoto pulled her phone out of her pocket and began rapidly tapping. She was a little too eager, mistyping her screen lock code. On her next try, one tap came a little too hard and she lost control of the phone. She tried to catch it mid-air but she fumbled, pushing it away even more.
The phone hit the floor face up and slid, spinning until it came to a stop a few steps from where she was sitting.
Makoto got out of her chair and bent over to pick it up.
In the dark screen, a girl with long red hair, split by the large diagonal crack across the glass, looked curiously back at her.
Author Note: I'm still disappointed that Haru wasn't the one to lead the player through the flower-growth puzzle in Maruki's Palace. I can only assume she was having too much fun on her own.