On May 6, Makoto accepted Principal Kobayakawa's assignment to conduct an investigation into the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. To be more precise, she resigned herself to the job. Kobayakawa did know about her lineage, after all.

"Your sister is still young, yet she holds an admirable position at the Public Prosecutors' Office, no?" he said, a smile creeping up his face. "If something disappointing were to happen here, that wouldn't reflect very well on your sister. Do you understand?"

"...Yes," Makoto said. Message loud and clear.

"How wise. It's no wonder you're our student council president."

Makoto could hear the condescension dripping from every syllable. A surge of anger welled up inside her. She wanted to smack the principal across the face, to hear him cry out in surprise. But such behavior would be unbecoming of a student representative. Instead, she gave him a curt nod and took her leave.

She stopped to collect her thoughts in the hallway, leaning against a row of lockers while the world around her spun. Her head was throbbing and her body felt numb.

"Sis…" she said, closing her eyes.

Sis was a rising star at the prosecutor's office. She was the reason Makoto still had a roof over her head and food on the table, not to mention the opportunity to finish her education at Shujin. Makoto knew Sis sacrificed a lot to look after her—friends, boyfriends, free time—and did not intend to cause her any trouble. She certainly didn't want Sis's career to suffer.

There was also the matter of Principal Kobayakawa's letter of recommendation, which was now conditional on Makoto apprehending the Phantom Thieves. Makoto planned to leverage this favor to gain admission to her first choice college, then seek out an office job where she could earn enough to be financially independent from Sis. Maybe then they could talk about life without the conversation turning into a lecture about the importance of hard work and studying, Sis's favorite way of reminding Makoto that she was ultimately a burden to her.

"I'm counting on you," she would say, and Makoto always promised to do her best.

In fact, it seemed the only thing standing between Makoto and her ideal future was the Phantom Thieves. Kobayakawa wanted her on the case immediately, and she had but one lead: Amamiya.

His associates too of course.

Makoto's first order of business was to find out where the suspected Thieves spent time after school. This turned out to be easier than expected, as Haru Okumura had received special permission to tend to her vegetable garden on the roof. The third year approached Makoto one afternoon in the student council office, which was surprising as Okumura usually kept to herself.

"Niijima-san," she said, eyes downcast. "Pardon me for interrupting, but I thought the roof was off-limits."

"It is," Makoto said. "No one should be there except you." She checked a name off the list in front of her and pulled another piece of paper from the monumental stack on her desk. Kobayakawa wanted to send the second year class to Hawaii this year and tasked the student council with processing permission slips. She had a sinking feeling the arrangements would keep her busy for months.

"Then...why do I keep finding trash near my plants?" Okumura said, tilting her head. "I just thought I'd inquire. Twice this week I've found empty bottles on the roof. Whoever left them there must be careless."

Makoto took a deep breath. The roof… off-limits… of course. Why didn't she think of it sooner?

"Okumura-san," she said. "Have you been to the roof today?"

"Not since lunch." The fluffy haired girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Wait here," Makoto said. "I'll be right back."

Sure enough, Amamiya, Sakamoto, and Takamaki were lounging next to Okumura's planters on the rooftop. Takamaki sat on some abandoned classroom furniture holding a bottle of Udagawa Water. Sakamoto was seated on a folding chair next to her, idly checking his phone. Only Amamiya was standing, lips slightly parted as though she had interrupted him mid-sentence.

The three of them turned as the door slammed shut, their insolence apparent in the blank stares as she waited for them to say something, anything to explain why they were trespassing on school property.

Alas, she would have to make the first move.

"This place is off limits, you know." She schooled her features into the same glare Sis used when she suspected Makoto was playing dumb.

"We'll get out of here once we're done chatting," Sakamoto replied, languidly stretching his arms overhead. He showed no intention of leaving his seat. "Anyways, what's Miss Council President want with us?"

"Yes, what does Miss Council President want?" Amamiya echoed. They hadn't spoken since that day in the library when he promised to take down Kamoshida...and flashed her that smile. He hadn't been expelled and seemed to revel in the fact that he was able to save his skin, Sakamoto's, and Mishima's without her help. His arrogance was palpable, and she wanted more than anything to convey that she was not intimidated by whatever powers he had.

All three of them knew very well what her name was. She thought she'd follow their example.

"The troublemaker, the girl of rumor, and the infamous transfer student. Interesting combination," she said.

Takamaki's eyes flashed. She looked ready to say something, but Makoto set her sights on Amamiya, whose eyes seemed to be searching hers. "By the way, it seems you got to know Mr. Kamoshida pretty well."

"I wouldn't say so," Amamiya said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Not as well as you have, Niijima-senpai. As student council president, you've probably dealt more with teachers than all of us put together."

Sakamoto snorted, while Takamaki nearly choked on her water.

"Hmph." Makoto decided to try another line of questioning. "I heard it was Mr. Kamoshida who used a volleyball team member to spread details about your past record. Don't you hate him? Mr. Kamoshida, I mean."

"About as much as I hate anyone who stood by and let it happen." Amamiya leveled her gaze. She all of a sudden felt lightheaded. It was all she could do not to melt into a useless puddle. Those dark eyes were intoxicating, conveying disdain but also a challenge she couldn't resist — but should she?

After a moment of silence, Takamaki cleared her throat.

"If you're accusing us of something… spit it out so we can get on with it," she said.

"Yeah, spit it out." interjected Sakamoto. "My friend here's an upstanding guy. Keep that in mind before you go around accusing us of stuff."

"Without proof," Amamiya muttered.

"I don't mean to offend." Makoto pried her eyes away from Amamiya's. She refused to be intimidated, no matter how badly she might be losing. "Many students have been shaken up by what happened with Mr. Kamoshida. The rumors about that odd, calling card-esque posting aren't going away either."

"I didn't expect someone like you would care about that tactless stuff, Niijima-senpai," Takamaki said.

"I dunno that it was tactless…" Sakamoto rubbed the back of his neck, looking from one girl to the other. "Anyways, we done here? We can't leave if you keep talkin' to us."

Makoto took one last look at Amamiya. She thought she saw the beginnings of a smirk, but she couldn't be sure. Makoto accepted that the conversation was going nowhere and decided to cut her losses, but not before accomplishing what she had set out to do.

"By the way… it's been decided that this place will be closed off due to the incident," she said. "I heard some people are coming up here without permission, after all. I'm sorry to have interrupted you."

She turned on her heel and headed back inside. If they wouldn't confess to being the Phantom Thieves under pressure, she would have to collect the evidence herself.

Okumura was still in the student council room when Makoto returned. She somehow made tea in the fifteen minutes she was gone, pouring two cups as Makoto sat down and tried to collect herself. The china was ornate and much finer than anything she'd ever had the pleasure of owning. Makoto occasionally had to remind herself that Haru was heiress to the Okumura fortune and would someday oversee the production of its flagship products. She just seemed so innocuous with her soft voice, pink outfits and interest in plants.

"Would you like some tea?" Okumura offered. "There's plenty."

"N-No, thank you," Makoto said, eying the mountain of paperwork that awaited her. "I just had a word with the culprits. You won't have to worry about litter on the roof anymore."

"Oh? How wonderful," Okumura said. "But I do insist you try this tea blend…"

Mementos

Joker sprinted along empty train tracks, eyes fixed on the figure ahead. He could see Panther and Skull in position at the far end of the cavern, drawing the shadow's attention away from him. Skull brandished his weapon, yelling something Joker couldn't make out from his distance.

Whatever it was made the shadow angry. It started moving towards his friends just as he reached the point of no return. With a declaration to reveal the shadow's true form, he leaped overhead and pried off its mask with his dagger.

An explosion of red and black smoke propelled him backwards. As Joker landed on his feet, he looked up and saw Skull and Panther already on the offensive. Mona offered reconnaissance from behind some debris, occasionally sending healing waves in their direction.

Joker charged forward, attacking the armored cavalrymen with three precise strikes. From the corner of his eye, he saw Skull and Panther harnessing the power of the elements to no avail.

"Just die already!"

Skull called on Captain Kidd for another futile lightning strike. Beside him, Carmen's flames inflicted even less damage.

"This isn't working!" Panther cried. "We need to change tactics!"

"Joker, now's the time to use your power!" Mona called.

"Silky!"

At his command, a ghostly woman in a red dress fired several rounds of freezing shards that pierced the enemy's armor and cast their surroundings in a blue glow. Joker could momentarily see the skeletal infrastructure of Mementos — the palace of the people — before the last of the shadows disintegrated. The party regrouped to catch their breath.

"That's the last of them," Mona said, transforming back into their vehicular form. It was yet another one of their hidden talents, revealed only when the Phantom Thieves faced dire circumstances — when they were trying to outrun a Palace on the verge of crushing them, for instance. Once the cat was out of the bag, however, that talent was theirs to use as they pleased.

Panther scrambled in, followed by Skull and Joker. "Want to keep exploring?" Panther asked.

"Let's head back." Joker climbed into the driver's seat. His weekends with Skull at the Central Street arcade had been paying off. Their visits to Mementos were essential in helping them get to know their Personas, and being able to "handle" Mona thanks to hours of racing games saved them the danger of navigating the place by foot. "After those last skirmishes I think we could all use some rest."

"Working pretty hard today, huh?" Mona said. "Remember, I was the one who drove you everywhere."

"And we were the ones actually fightin'" Skull growled. "So stop complaining and get us out of here!" He leaned his head back against Mona's insides. "I'm starving."

Joker thought he heard Panther mumble an apology for eating the last of the yakisoba pans, but Skull and Mona seemed not to notice. He would have to remember to pick up some more for their next visit.

"Of course you would say that," Mona sneered as he began speeding along the train tracks. "An idiot like you wouldn't see the value in strategy!"

"Why you little…!"

"Here we go again," Panther sighed.

The Phantom Thieves talked amongst themselves until they reached the turnstiles at ground level. There, Joker activated the navigator app on his phone and braced himself for the familiar dizziness as Mementos faded back into the busy streets of Shibuya. Instinctively he reached for his glasses, which had taken the place of his mask. They were always there to remind him that while Joker was a daring and dangerous gentleman thief with the ability to command multiple Persona to boot, Ren Amamiya was a high school student with a criminal record that would follow him for the rest of his life.

It was as his guardian, Sojiro, said: one wrong move and his life would be over. The toy dagger and model gun he carried didn't change the fact that he had to keep his head down in order to survive. He wondered how on earth he was going to survive the rest of the school year with Niijima on his tail. The confrontation on the rooftop rattled him, though he tried not to show it. He had a feeling it would not be the last time she tried to goad them into admitting what they did to Kamoshida.

As if changing the heart of an abuser was a bad thing, he thought bitterly.

"That girl is a sharp one," Morgana said. "We need to do everything we can to get her off our tail."

"I still can't believe you told Miss President about our heist," Ann said. "No wonder she's suspicious!"

"We were busting ass back there tryin' to defend you, dude," Ryuji chimed in. "I know she's a girl, but...Niijima? Of ALL people?"

Ren surveyed his team. He knew things were bad if not even Ryuji could defend him.

"We're lucky she hasn't reported already," Morgana said sternly. "She doesn't have a shred of evidence, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"We gotta find a new hideout too," Ryuji said. "Guess we shoulda seen it coming after that pink-haired girl walked in on us..."

"Only because you were so loud!" Morgana snapped.

As the conversation devolved once again into bickering, Ren wondered how he got Makoto Niijima so wrong. His first impression of her, when she was only a stranger in the library, was that of someone who would stand for justice, who would have swiftly addressed the abuse on the volleyball team. She may not have been successful, but she would have at least tried. The last thing he expected was a robot who followed directions, blindly bending to authority.

The old adage was true, then: appearances could be deceiving. Perhaps he was so desperate for a savior that he projected that desire onto anyone he felt the slightest connection to.

But he didn't like her like that, did he?

"Hey guys? I think we're being watched."

Ren followed Morgana's gaze. He noticed a slender figure disappear into the crowd just as he turned in its direction.

"I didn't get a good look," Morgana said, jumping into Ren's bag. "But all of us should be careful. Especially you, Lady Ann."

"Why me?"

"You're the girl," Ryuji grumbled, eyeing the spot where the onlooker had been standing. "Who else would he be looking at?"

"I think," Morgana said. "Lady Ann has what humans call a stalker."

"Who knows," Ren said. "It could have been Niijima keeping an eye on us."

Makoto spent the next few weeks tracking the suspected Phantom Thieves. She made sure to carry a book with her at all times, something she could read casually while waiting for Amamiya — which was often, as he ran many errands on Central Street. She found herself buying more than she needed from convenience store, where he worked part-time, and hiding in one of the corner booths while he studied at the diner. Occasionally she spotted him with Takamaki at the mall, following them as they browsed the wares of the various shops.

Takamaki always looked so radiant, she began to wonder if she Amamiya were more than friends. It was well-known that Takamaki modeled for magazines on the side. She was one of the prettiest girls in school, and it was one reason there were so many unkind rumors about her. Makoto was not one to be jealous of other women, but she couldn't help but feel a twinge of it as she spied on them day after day, on outings to the park and the tea house, laughing and chatting and teasing each other like they'd known each other since primary school.

What did it mean for her investigation if Takamaki and Amamiya were involved? She racked her brains but could think of nothing important. It was her curiosity that got the better of her when she spotted Amamiya alone one morning at the Ginza Line platform.

"We meet again," she said, sidling up to him.

"Good morning." Amamiya seemed to be typing something on his phone. Chatting with Takamaki perhaps?

"How are you?"

No response. Makoto sighed and tried a different tack.

"It appears you're lying low lately. What's with the change?" Makoto asked.

"Me? I've been behaving the same as always." Amamiya finished whatever he was typing and slipped his phone into his pocket. He turned to her, his face the picture of innocence. Mock innocence. She noted with amusement the sleep still heavy on his eyelids. At least they had one thing in common.

"Really? Is it just my imagination then?" Makoto murmured.

"Yes. It is." His face became unreadable.

Gone was the challenge from the other afternoon. He would not confront her about her investigation or bring up the events of the rooftop. This was a version of Ren that was trying to lay low, pretending to be a normal high school student when Makoto knew he was anything but.

Very well. If he was feigning innocence, she had no issue pretending that her interest in him amounted to anything more than polite inquiry. She resisted the urge to ask why he was playing dumb and continued:

"…Well, that's a shame. And quite surprising. You seem pretty close if you're both coming to school together. You just transferred here, though… I guess you two really click."

"It's not that. We're just in the same class," he said.

"Oh…" Makoto was relieved - wait, why was she feeling relieved? She turned back to Amamiya, who now had traces of amusement on his face.

"Any reason you're asking?" he said.

"N-no," Makoto said, looking away. "Y-you just seemed closer than that. She was a victim of Kamoshida, and I-I was wondering if that was all there was to it."

Makoto thought she saw his lips move, but the roar of the incoming train drowned out their voices. The crowd of early morning commuters quickly pushed them apart, and the rest of her commute was woefully uneventful.

Amamiya also spent a fair amount of time with Sakamoto training in the field behind the school. These were easier days for Makoto, who could watch them from the student council office on the third floor. They ran laps around the school and performed bodyweight exercises on the field. Sakamoto was faster, but Amamiya stronger, outpacing his friend on pushups and lunges. Makoto had to be furtive about observing them, lest the other student council members noticed. She already knew what to expect from her secretary, Hirota-san.

"They're cute boys, but not good boys," she would say.

If you spent half as much time on your council duties as you do minding other people's business, the arrangements for the school trip would be sorted already, Makoto tried telegraphing to the second year.

As June approached, she began to wonder if she had been wrong all along about Amamiya's involvement with the Phantom Thieves. Aside from the occasional outing with Sakamoto or Takamaki, Amamiya appeared to spend most of his time alone, doing absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. There had been no word of the Phantom Thieves in nearly a month, either. If it weren't for Principal Kobayakawa's expectations, she might have forgotten about the mission altogether.

Would Kobayakawa accept "something disappointing" if it meant Kamoshida developed a conscience all on his own? What did that mean for Sis? And her letter of recommendation?

Makoto had other things on her mind, too. She still had to manage the household chores for Sis and study for entrance exams. Tracking Amamiya's movements meant going to bed later every night, and it was becoming harder to stay focused. She was so sleep-deprived that she didn't see Amamiya turn around and head straight in her direction one Tuesday afternoon. By the time she realized what was happening, he had stopped in his tracks, looking her dead in the eye. Makoto's heart beat uncontrollably. The only thing she could think to do was cover her face with the giant book she had been carrying around for a month.

Don't be ridiculous, she thought. He's already seen you.

She felt him stop in front of her, taking advantage of their height difference to peer down at her over the edge of her book. Makoto slowly lowered the tome until they could see each other face to face.

"Niijima-senpai," he said.

"A-Amamiya-kun," Makoto said. "W-what a coincidence."