Chapter 7: The Unraveling
Above all else, Makoto tried to remain cool, calm and collected. She must, or she could never withstand the pressure cooker environment of school. But even the best performers have their off day, and for Makoto that came soon after Madarame's confession. Her life seemed to spiral out of control after the incontrovertible evidence that the Phantom Thieves had struck again.
Makoto tore her eyes away from the big TV and pulled out her phone. Have you seen the news? she typed. When she didn't hear back from Haru after getting home and unpacking all of her groceries, she sent a follow-up message: Madarame confessed to plagiarizing his students' work. Isn't that the exhibit we saw the other day?
Still no response. When Haru didn't show up at school that week, Makoto approached Haru's homeroom teacher, Mr. Uchimaru, with a polite inquiry about her whereabouts. The man said that Okumura-san had requested permission for special leave.
"Special leave?" Makoto echoed.
"Yes, for a family emergency," Mr. Uchimaru said, his gaze drifting back to the exam he was grading. Of all the teachers at Shujin, Uchimaru was the only one she hadn't managed to charm with her model behavior.
Makoto left the classroom feeling extremely worried about her friend. Though she hadn't expected Haru to say anything more about her engagement, it did seem unusual for her to leave school without mentioning it. Then again, Haru was still ignoring her text messages. Was she mad at her? Had she said something wrong at the exhibit? The fact that she had no way to find out made the knot in her stomach tighten.
Ren stared down at the figure clad in a blue peacoat. Though he was standing several stories above the square, on the accessway that connected the Ginza train line to the Teikyu building, he could make out the braided headband and stick straight posture of the student council president.
"Of course she's here," he sighed.
"Hmm? Who's here?" Ann said, red earrings glinting in the sunlight. They were surrounded by the chaos of afternoon rush hour, save for the little oasis the team had carved out for their meeting. Ryuji sat cross-legged on the floor beside Ann, chin resting against his hand. The newest member of their group, Kitagawa Yusuke, leaned against the partition on Ren's other side. Since his recruitment to the Phantom Thieves, the two had spent some time together and were now on a first-name basis.
Ren motioned in Niijima's direction. "Miss President," he said.
Ann glanced out the window, then snorted under her breath. "Figures she's here. It's a good thing we're watching her for once and not the other way around."
"Who's this we're talking about?" Yusuke asked.
"The bitch who's been stalking us," Ann said.
"Niijima Makoto of Shujin Academy," Ren elaborated. "She's been on our trail since May. And the reason we had to find a new hideout since the roof is now off-limits."
"She was freakin' useless with the Kamoshida situation too," Ryuji added. "Remember what I was telling you about the volleyball coach? The one who was out for blood. My blood?"
"I thought it was you who struck the teacher," Yusuke said.
"Unprovoked," Morgana added.
"Well, I wouldn't have done it if he hadn't been such a prick!" Ryuji crossed his arms and glared. "Then he shut down the track team. Was the student council any help then? Nooo! Didn't hear nothin' from those nerds."
Yusuke glanced at Ren, who decided not to contradict his teammates. It was hard to argue against Ann's disdain for the student council president. He'd do well to remember Niijima was the same girl who sat on information about a teacher's abuse while her classmates suffered. Not to mention, she was still pursuing evidence implicating them as the Phantom Thieves. Whatever transpired that afternoon at the arcade hadn't changed those basic facts.
A part of him wondered how Niijima would react if they - all four of them - confronted her in the square. He smirked as he remembered her cowering behind a book on Central Street. How unfortunate it was that she was so far away - too far away to catch up to. She was already on her way home, from the looks of it.
"Come on, guys," Ryuji said, standing up. Having said his piece about Niijima, he seemed intent on lightening the mood. "You saw the news about Madarame. This is great for us. We can't get distracted by the narc."
Ryuji listed all the positives about their latest victory, relishing the possibility of more attention from girls. Eventually, Ann and Morgana chimed in with more altruistic ideas of how to use the Phantom Thieves' newfound influence. It wasn't long before the group became more rambunctious than was prudent for a closed meeting, and Ren noticed a police officer approaching out of the corner of his eye. Yusuke must have done the same, as he started gesticulating at the group to quiet down. The police officer raised a hand in greeting, then asked if he could speak with them for a moment.
"Ah! Yes! How can we help you!" Ann said.
Her smile was blinding, and her cheeriness sounded a little too manufactured, Ren thought, realizing to his dismay that this was the acting ability he had been counting on to gain access to Madarame's palace.
"Her one-note performance ever fails to send a chill down my spine," Morgana mewed as if Ren had voiced his thoughts out loud. Creepy, how he was able to do that.
"What are you all doing here? Are you all friends?" The police officer asked after they had exchanged pleasantries.
"Why yes… I… we…" Ann stammered. Her eyes darted around frantically for help. Ren wracked his brain for a quick save.
"We wanted some tea," he blurted out.
The officer turned to him, eyebrows raised.
"Tea, eh?" He swiveled his head this way and that. There were ticket machines and kiosks selling gum and lottery cards, but the closest eateries were many meters away. "And how would you do that in a place like this?"
"We were just discussing where we would like to go!" Ann said.
The officer paused for a moment, then sighed. They must have seemed sufficiently harmless for him not to press further. "Well all right, just make sure to disperse before it gets too late. There have been some odd happenings lately." He ran a hand through his hair the way Sojiro did when the day had been especially long. "And that news about the artist has caused quite the stir."
"We'll be careful!" The four of them said simultaneously as he walked away. When he was out of earshot, they all relaxed, shoulders sagging with relief.
"It's still light out… man those guys have too much time on their hands," Ryuji muttered.
"Tell me about it," Ann said, her smile fading.
"Shall we leave?" Yusuke asked. "It seems we've drawn enough attention to ourselves for one day."
Ren took a last look out the window. Madarame's press conference was over, and Niijima was nowhere to be seen. "Looks like that's all the news we're going to get today," he said. "Yusuke, keep us posted on Madarame."
"I will keep an eye on sens- Madarame," Yusuke stuttered, though it would hardly be necessary now that the change of heart had proven successful. Madarame would most likely be in police custody soon. Still, it never hurt to keep an eye on their former targets if the opportunity arose. Ren declared the meeting adjourned, and the group parted ways - Ren and Morgana headed in one direction while Ryuji and Yusuke trailed behind Ann in another.
As Ren scanned his student pass at the turnstiles, he caught sight of a flash of pink. He couldn't help but notice another familiar face - or rather, a familiar head of fluffy hair. It reminded him of the girl they encountered a few months ago. The one who walked in on one of their rooftop meetings, back when they were allowed up there. His eyes narrowed. Unless they were playing tricks on him, it was one encounter too many.
What were the chances that Niijima Makoto wasn't the only Shujin student who suspected their activities?
Makoto stood nervously in the crisp white blouse she wore as part of her summer uniform. She was about to inform Principal Kobayakawa of a new threat to the school. There were scammers preying on high school students in broad daylight. A number of Shujin students had already fallen victim to their scheme. The claims in the suggestion box were alarming.
I heard some students are getting threatened. I'm so scared. Please help.
They have dirt on me and they're demanding money. I can't go to the police. What do I do?
She remembered Mishima's plea over winter break. It was deja vu. Once again, she was standing in the principal's office. Once again, Principal Kobayakawa's priorities seemed completely out of order.
"Did any information arise about the case I asked you to look into?" the principal said.
Makoto sighed. "Not yet. I will pass the details along if anything comes up. Right now, there is a more pressing issue… it appears there are students at Shujin who are being threatened by a criminal organization." She didn't know how or why they were being targeted, though her mind jumped to the man she knocked unconscious in the alleyway with Amamiya watching.
Kobayakawa's eyes bugged out.
"It can't be," he said. "I can't believe that would happen to the students of our academy."
"Well, a student came to us looking for help," Makoto replied. "I'd like to request a countermeasure."
Kobayakawa was shaking his head before she finished her sentence. "Now is no time for such problems. There is still the concern regarding the Phantom Thieves…"
" We received a request for help," Makoto wanted to scream. Why was she even helping this incompetent, self-absorbed man?
She thought of Amamiya's words at their first meeting - back when he was just a delinquent to her. The school had done nothing about Kamoshida. She had done nothing. Amamiya and his friends took things into their own hands, and despite breaking the rules, despite painting a giant target on their backs, they had accomplished what the adults in power would not. How shameful for those grown-ups. How despicable .
"You knew, didn't you? About Mr. Kamoshida sexually harassing students," she said.
There was a flicker of surprise on Kobayakawa's face, so quick she almost missed it. Then he recovered his social smile.
"Now, Niijima-kun," he said. "What happened to Suzui-san was disturbing to us all. I'm sure it was especially distressing for you as student council president. But we can't forget the threat that the Phantom Thieves present to public safety."
"Suzui-san attempted suicide," Makoto said, surprised that her voice sounded small and sad. The principal wasn't completely wrong: Suzui's fall had been haunting her for weeks. "We may as well call it for what it was. And the Phantom Thieves - we don't even know if they exist."
"Indeed," the principal said. "And neither do we know anything about these rumors. But let's say that they are. Do you intend to ignore those students in trouble?"
"I-" Makoto's heart sank as she realized with that one question Kobayakawa had wrested back control of the conversation.
"This criminal organization must be the connecting factor," he said. "If you pursue this criminal issue, you'll surely find clues about the Phantom Thieves."
Kobayakawa waved his hand to dismiss her, and she knew what was coming.
"Your sister would have solved this easily if she were in your position."
For most of her life, Makoto had trusted the adults around her. They were older and wiser and thus knew best. One reason she was a model student was that she respected the authority of her elders. Even if the other person was only a year older, she would surely defer to them if there was a difference of opinion. Lately, however, she had begun to question these values. She began to entertain the possibility that adults weren't always right - that Sis wasn't always right.
This new line of thinking came to a head the night of Goro Akechi's prime time interview. She was having dinner with Sis - their usual fare of vegetables and rice - when the subject of the Phantom Thieves drew her attention away from her recent troubles.
"Hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real I believe they should be tried in a court of law," Akechi was saying.
"That's quite the statement," said one of the hosts. "Are they committing crimes? Some people say that the Thieves are actually helping their victims abandon their evil ways. "
There was a long pause, and for a moment Makoto wondered if the question had stumped Akechi. But of course, it hadn't - he was merely choosing his words carefully.
" What the artist Madarame did was truly an unforgivable crime," he finally replied. "However, the Thieves are taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice. More importantly, you should never forcefully change someone's heart."
Makoto wondered if that last statement was true. What if the Phantom Thieves hadn't changed Kamoshida's heart? Where would the school be now if the abuse on the volleyball team had been allowed to continue? There could have been more cases like Suzui-san's, she thought. She was sure that Kobayakawa would have just brushed those under the rug as well.
She was curious to know where Sis stood.
"Is it a crime to manipulate someone's heart?" she asked when the station cut to commercial.
"Depending on the means, yes. He's absolutely right," Sis said.
Makoto pushed the remnants of her dinner around with her chopsticks, trying to hide the rush of disappointment. "Even if it makes someone admit their evil deeds and helps make them pay for their crimes?" she asked.
Sis looked up from her plate. "Why the sudden interest?" she said. "Do you believe that these 'allies of justice' exist?"
"Of course not…" Makoto lied.
Sis took another bite of her meal, and for a moment it seemed like she would drop the subject. Then she sighed and put her chopsticks down as if overcome with annoyance.
"You don't need to think about such unnecessary things," Sis said. "You understand what I'm trying to say, right?"
Makoto nodded. "Study hard and go to a prestigious college-"
"That's right. Moving up in the world is difficult as a woman," Sis said. "You can't do much if you don't have the authority. I'll do whatever I can to make sure that doesn't happen for you." Her phone started buzzing, prompting her to stand up. "All you need to do is remain focused on what must be done now for your future's sake."
With that, she left the room, leaving Makoto to ponder the answer to that question.
The truth was, she had been thinking about her next steps. It turns out the principal may have been right, after all. Perhaps the only way to stop Kaneshiro from preying on Shujin students - the only way to do her job properly after having failed Suzui-san - was to hit two birds with one stone. Perhaps it was time to confront the Phantom Thieves head-on, which meant it was also time to stop avoiding a certain trio.
Incidentally, it wasn't Amamiya who blew the Phantom Thieves' cover after all. It was Takamaki and Sakamoto, who were arguing in hushed tones in the courtyard one afternoon. Makoto pressed herself flat against the wall and inched toward the vending machines, phone at the ready.
"Man, that detective from yesterday really pissed me off!" she heard Sakamoto say. "Let's see him do it then! If someone else could help them, we wouldn't be doing stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!"
"You're being way too loud!" Takamaki whispered. Sakamoto paid her no heed.
"It'd just be more suspicious if we were whispering. We can't let the cops scare us off from being the Phantom Thieves," he said.
Makoto peered around the corner and saw that the two of them were alone. Maybe she should have been tracking their movements all along instead of Amamiya's.
She waited a few more minutes then quietly padded back into the building, up the stairs, and down the empty corridors to her student council office. She pressed the play button as soon as the door closed behind her… and there it was. She had it. She had finally found her evidence.
Ren was conferring with Morgana about the Phantom Thieves' next target when the not-cat started pawing at him frantically. It didn't take long for Ren to realize why. His homeroom teacher, Ms. Kawakami, was walking in his direction.
Ren blanched. He and Kawakami had had several run-ins lately, some more mortifying than others. Since his move to Tokyo, he had gone from bumbling and awkward around girls to being somewhat popular among the ladies, so much so that Ryuji and Mishima had shoved the responsibility of answering the maid service they called on him . The things he'd do for his friends.
Now, in the very public venue of the classroom, he tried not to think of Kawakami in her black and white maid costume. It didn't work. Even worse, because of her physical similarity to a certain third-year student, he couldn't help but imagine that outfit on...
No no no no no no.
Kawakami stopped by his desk. "Oh good, you haven't gone home yet."
Ren shook his head, trying not to make eye contact. He knew he was acting a little strange. Fortunately, Kawakami seemed too wrapped up in her own problems to notice. Between yawns, she informed him that Niijima-san was looking for him in the student council room.
Well, then. With Kawakami and Niijima holding him accountable, there was no way he could skip the meeting without dire consequences, was there? Despite Morgana's tepid protests, he made his way upstairs.
Niijima was at her desk when he arrived, phone in hand. Ren made sure to shut the door behind him. He was acutely aware that this wasn't Central Street or the library or the arcade. They were the only two people in the room.
"Have a seat," she said, and Ren acquiesced, sitting across from her with his bag on the floor beside him. Morgana was napping inside, or at least pretending to.
Niijima placed the phone in front of them and folded her hands. "I'll get straight to the point. Mr. Kamoshida and Madarame. Won't you tell me the truth behind the Phantom Thieves incidents?"
Ren crossed his arms. He had a good poker face - well cultivated during his time in police custody - but he had a feeling Niijima was better than most at seeing through that kind of mask. Still, he had to try.
"Ask the culprits," he said.
Niijima smiled. "Oh, I see. There's no way you're admitting to such things." Well, what would the police think if they heard my recording? Have a listen."
Ren suppressed a string of expletives as he heard Ryuji and Ann's voices negate the team's collective efforts to keep their identities hidden amid the crunch of whatever Ann (it had to be Ann) was snacking on in the background.
"So you think it's true... ? We'll be OK if we keep doing this, right?"
"If someone else can help 'em, we wouldn't be doin' stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!"
After a few more exchanges, Niijima hit the pause button. "What could all this mean?"
It means we screwed up, Ren thought, but he wasn't about to daily that out loud. He needed a distraction. He thought back to his rendezvous with Kawakami, who taught him a few things about women. One, that they lived by a much higher standard of cleanliness than he was used to. Two, they had a tendency to care about you even when it didn't make sense. Three, they had a certain look in their eyes when they were about to say yes, when that inch he so wanted was within reach. If he asked, she would consider it. That was all he needed.
The crimson-eyed girl before him had that look.
And so he drove out all his nagging doubts and what-ifs and this-is-a-terrible-ideas and leaned forward as far as he could. "I don't know. What could it all mean?"
Niijima's eyes widened. She was close, so close. He could smell something nice on her - he'd ask Morgana later if he could tell what it was, but his own sense of smell was hopeless. He intended only to intimidate, to catch her off guard so he could make her believe that Ryuji was just joking, that her recording meant nothing, that she should think twice about approaching the police. He'd meant to pull away at the last second, but it was Niijima who took the reins when leaned forward and closed the distance between them.
Kissing Amamiya was the last thing Makoto expected to happen that day. At least, that's what she told herself. Deep down she knew the thought of doing so had been hovering in the back of her mind for weeks. When she saw Amamiya's last-ditch attempt to throw off her interrogation - really, she had read too many stories where this very scenario occurred - she thought: now was her chance.
The kiss, though not quite as she imagined, was warm and soft and wonderful in a way only one's first could be. Makoto felt her heart soar - she was kissing a boy ! She never thought she'd kiss a boy. She never thought she'd be the one to make the first move, or that the boy in question would be in such a daze when they broke apart that she was able to move on to her next question without interruption.
"Was it blackmail? Hypnosis? How do you corner someone into making them confess? Won't you tell me how you did it?" she said.
It was an honest question. She was genuinely curious about the Phantom Thieves' methods. How does one change a person's heart against their will?
Amamiya shook his head. "I-"
A phone began to ring. It was Amamiya's. Makoto nodded as if to say go ahead. She couldn't help but smirk when she heard Sakamoto's voice.
"Hey, where you at? Let's meet up at the usual spot to have our Phantom Thieves meeting!" Sakamoto cried.
"As loud as always," she said. "But his timing's perfect."
Waiting for his friends with Niijima was awkward, to say the least. Ren could still feel her lips on his. Part of him wanted to do it again - under more favorable circumstances, of course, that didn't involve her threatening to turn him into the police. Another was vaguely insulted by how obviously she was trying to pretend that nothing had happened. He thought he saw two blots of pink on her cheeks, but that was hard to verify when she turned away every time he looked at her.
Perhaps that was for the best. He didn't think he could be with someone who thought of him as just a delinquent. She knew about his criminal record and probationary status. She must have taken it into account when deciding to get the police involved - that he was extra vulnerable. Extra weak.
The look on Ann and Ryuji's faces when they arrived was laced with vitriol.
" You ," Ann said.
"Takamaki-san. We meet again," Niijima responded in kind.
"Why is she here? We said before, we don't know nothin'," Ryuji said.
"I should have known something was up when you asked to meet on the roof," Ann said, her eyes meeting Ren's. He felt a surge of guilt in his chest. This wasn't the first time he had failed them as leader.
"Why do you think I'm here to question you?" Niijima said. "My ears are always open to the troubles of my peers, you know."
Ann snorted. "You're really that hungry for a good letter of recommendation, huh? Of course, you are - nobody would put up with your annoying job if they didn't," she said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Niijima's eyes narrowed.
"It means you always take the teacher's side! That's what a good student council president does, right?" Ann stomped her foot, the way she did when she was on the verge of losing her temper. "Shiho's still in hospital, you know. She's in therapy, learning to walk again. I visited her the other day. She's so brave, and you are so… so…"
"Cunning? Deceptive? Backstabbing?" Ryuji helpfully supplied. Both girls ignored him.
"So what if I knew? She was your friend." Niijima spat back. "What did you do for her? "You were much closer to her than I was, so how did you help?"
"There wasn't any way to help! By myself… I couldn't do anything for her!" Every syllable of Ann's speech was a short staccato.
"There's no need to shout," Niijima said, a hint of condescension in her voice.
"You knew," Ann hissed. "Those adults are just using you. I feel sorry for you."
The afternoon sun cast long shadows over the rooftop. The tension between the two girls was palpable. Ren readied himself for an intervention in case things got out of hand. It wouldn't do to draw attention to themselves in restricted territory. He should have persuaded Niijima to meet his friends at the accessway, now that he thought about it. That way Yusuke could have joined, and he was more of a levelheaded sort.
"I...I know. That's why I'd like you to verify the justice you speak of," Niijima said.
Silence.
"I'm the only one who knows about you. If you prove that what you're doing is just, I'll erase this."
Ann's eyes narrowed. "And what would you have us do, exactly?" she said.
Niijima looked down at her phone. "There is someone whose heart I'd like you to change."
A/N: Annnd we're back! After a little under two months, though I can at least offer a longer chapter this time. I hope you enjoy it - and, as always thank you for reading.