Chapter 27: The Truth is Out There
July 10
Collin took in the smell of Leblanc as he entered the café, giving a content sigh as he took a seat at the bar. "Hello Ren!" the cherub greeted. "Where's Sojiro?"
"He had to go out for something… I think he mentioned a printer…?" Ren replied. He poured a cup of coffee and set it down in front of Collin. "There you are, just how you like it."
"Thanks," Collin smiled, taking a sip. "You're really good at this, you know? In Heaven we can have any kind of food we want, but this… something about the way you make it is like nothing I've ever had before."
"It's thanks to Sojiro that I got good at making coffee and curry," Ren said. "I find that whenever you do something, you have to put your all into it. Otherwise, it won't turn out so good. You feel more accomplished whenever you can say that you were the one to do something."
"I think I get it. Buying a coffee is nice, but if you make it yourself, then it tastes better because of all the work you put into it," Collin said. He then frowned. "You know, I love helping humans with their problems as part of CHERUB, but sometimes it felt like thankless work. I mean, I didn't need praise, doing the Lord's work is enough for me! But sometimes… it felt like it was more trouble than it was worth, especially whenever I got hurt because of it…"
"You had your friends, right? Wouldn't they help you out if you got hurt?" Ren asked.
"Well, normally I'd keep them safe as we helped our client… with my body…" Collin said. He subconsciously rubbed a spot on his neck, flinching as he rubbed against a faint scar. "But it was fine! I chose to do those things whenever Cletus or Keenie asked!"
"Did you choose, or did they force you to do the jobs they didn't want to," Ren said.
"Not this again…" Collin sighed.
"Collin," Ren said firmly, looking the cherub dead in the eyes. "I want you to know that as leader of the Phantom Thieves, I will never make you do anything you don't want to do. That's the reason we have a majority vote whenever we decide on a target. If I or any of our friends ever push you too far, I want you to tell me, okay? I say this as your friend, not your leader."
Collin looked at Ren, giving a small gasp before covering his mouth and looking away. "…Okay, Ren," the cherub whispered, wiping a tear that he didn't even know was falling. He felt as if his bond with their fearless leader had grown closer in that moment. "If it's okay with you, could I… help you out here at the shop?"
"Only if you want to," Ren said.
"Of course I do!" Collin said, getting up from his seat and putting on the spare apron Ren gave him. "Maybe you could teach me how to make coffee like you do?"
"You'll have to let Sojiro try your blend when he gets back. He won't let just anyone touch his beans," Ren chuckled.
"I'll make the chief proud," Collin gave a salute. "Oh, and maybe I can tell you more about what Heaven is like. Some humans have guessed a few things correctly, but I think it's a good idea to clear up some misconceptions…"
[***]
With Collin helping run the shop, nothing went wrong that day. Ryuji called Ren in the evening to tell him that the Phantom Thieves were coming over to Leblanc. "Sup? We're here to hang out," the blonde announced as the gang entered the establishment.
"That's not why we're here! We need to study for finals!" Ann corrected.
"Why am I here too?" Makoto sighed.
"Ditto," Loona agreed.
"You're one of us now, so of course you gotta help us. We're in trouble if you don't teach us, you know?" Ryuji said.
"I don't need to study," Ren said.
"Oh, I'll hold you to that! Wanna see who gets the higher tests scores?" Ryuji challenged.
"Yeah, that's a bet that Ren will easily win, and you know it, Ryuji," Octavia rolled her eyes.
"Let's leave those guys be…" Ann said.
Makoto sighed. "You know, I was wondering… what is this place? The storekeeper doesn't seem to be around…"
"This is where Ren is living," Collin explained. "The owner of this café, Sojiro-san, is Ren's guardian at the moment. He's got… complicated circumstances…" He looked to Ren. "We can tell Makoto about your past, right? Or would you like to tell her yourself."
Ren nodded and gave a summary of what happened to him that got him sent to Shujin and the false allegations leveled against him. "That's… That's terrible…" Makoto said.
"All of us are pretty much the same too. None of us hold a candle to what this guy's been through," Loona said. "There's just something we can't ever put up with. That's why we all became Phantom Thieves."
"To be fair, my circumstances are a bit different," Octavia admitted. "My hardships are more familial than societal. And none of us would have become a team without Morgana."
"You got that right! We're all part of a team here," Morgana exclaimed.
"By the way, Makoto, ain't there someone you can't forgive either? Like, a heart you wanna change?" Ryuji asked.
"…That's a secret," Makoto said.
"Oh, there's someone like that? You could just tell is, you know. You don't gotta be so cold," Ryuji replied.
"That aside, do you have any intention of studying for the exams?" Makoto changed the topic.
"Not really…" Ryuji shrugged.
"It's fine if I leave then?" Makoto asked.
Ryuji flinched. "No, no, I'm just joking! Please teach us…" The group sat down at the tables after that, pulling out their notes to study. Octavia let Morgana sit in her lap as she turned through her textbook, a notebook levitating next to her that magically wrote down notes as she read."
"Hm, what was this term?" Makoto wondered aloud. "It's "Phobia," so it's a fear of some kind…"
"I think it's a fear of open spaces. You don't hear it that often, though," Ann replied. "Leave vocabulary and long sentences to me. I suck at proper grammar, though…"
"Even if we study English, it's not like I'm gonna use it in the future," Ryuji said.
"When it comes to you, your Japanese is questionable too," Morgana snarked.
"Aw, shuddup!" Ryuji shouted.
"Huh, it's weird to think that we're all speaking Japanese right now, and the only reason I understand you guys and vice versa is because of this magical earring," Loona chuckled, flicking at the metallic ring in her ear.
"You know, English was formally adopted as the official language of Hell," Octavia said.
"Heaven defaults to English too, though all angels can naturally understand and speak all languages," Collin added.
"Hm, good to know," Yusuke nodded.
"Explain the writer's feelings…? What point is there in that?" Ann questioned as she read from her textbook.
"It's impossible! I can't memorize all these formulas…" Ryuji groaned. He looked to the demons in the room. "Ain't there a good way of cheating with magic or something?"
"Not unless you want to lose your soul," Octavia said.
"Even in Hell, you have to actually learn how to use spells. I still need Stolas' grimoire to open portals between realms," Loona added.
"Why don't we take a break?" Makoto suggested. Everyone agreed to that, Ren grabbing the TV remote and turning on the television in the café.
"…And that was the follow-up report on the suspect Kaneshiro," the TV reporter said. "Now, Akechi-san… This case is said to be the result of the Phantom Thieves' actions, but in actuality, is this true? Especially after Kaneshiro was found murdered in his cell this morning."
"Considering how a calling card was scattered about, I believe there's no mistaking that. However, all evidence points to Kaneshiro being murdered by a rival mafia group, of which the Phantom Thieves have shown no affiliation with in the past." Akechi said. "It seems to be that this rival gang simply too it upon themselves to take advantage of Kaneshiro's position after he was arrested."
"At least we don't have to worry about that. Being accused of murder would not be good for us," Collin said.
"The question we should be asking is what the Phantom Thieves actually did. If they tampered with a suspect's heart, it casts doubt on the authenticity of any confession the police got from Kaneshiro before his death," Akechi continued.
"So then, by tampering with hearts, the Phantom Thieves are fabricating crimes that may not exist?" the reporter asked.
"We can't deny the possibility," Akechi nodded. "There's no doubt that that Phantom Thieves are exposing hidden injustices in society. However, if this is done by sidestepping the law, their way of thinking is very dangerous."
"So in a way, they're outlaws," the reporter said.
"Yes. They're no different than the criminals they target. This cannot be overlooked," Akechi said.
"I see," the reporter said.
"I see," my ass. Why the hell're we being treating as the bad guys?" Ryuji said angerly.
"Just let them say whatever they want," Loona waved him off. "More people are starting to understand that we're on the right side here, after all."
"When I walk around the city, I hear a lot more people taking about us too," Collin nodded.
"And the forum's been full of hype!" Ryuji added. "Do you think we made it big time?"
"Don't get pompous over dealing with some street thug. Save it for after we deal with a bigger target," Morgana said.
"We just gotta take down a bigger one, yeah? That was the plan from the start, anyways!" Loona said.
"True, it may be best to start thinking about it," Makoto agreed.
"I bet we'll find one in no time. The wind's blowing in our direction and everything!" Collin affirmed. "I feel like there's nothing that could stop us now."
"We'll decide on that eventually. We have to survive exam week first," Octavia said.
Makoto nodded. "Now then, break time's over! Let's get back to-"
"That reminds me- the celebration party. Weren't we gonna do it after exams?" Ryuji asked.
"Yes, I believe so," Octavia nodded.
"Where should we go? I feel like I'll study better if I got something to look forward to," Ryuji said."
"The last one was a buffet at a hotel. We haven't gone anywhere since," Morgana pointed out.
"Hm!? A buffet!?" Yusuke perked up.
"Where would be good?" Ann wondered. She suddenly got an idea. "Hey, what about fireworks!? A fireworks festival!"
"Oh yeah, it's that season, huh!" Ryuji said.
"That sounds good to me," Makoto nodded.
"It's hard to ignore a buffet, but I'll take the beauties of summer," Yusuke replied. "Still, I demand that we feast during the festival as well."
"Do you guys own a yukata? Will you wear a yukata!?" Morgana asked excitedly.
"We'd have to go shopping for some… but I think dressing up sounds fun, especially if it's for fireworks," Octavia nodded with a smile.
"Sure, why not? Better than anything I could think of," Loona shrugged.
"Then it's decided," Collin said. "What do you think, Ren? Does a fireworks festival sound good?"
"It's a great idea," Ren said.
"All right, a fireworks festival it is! Let's look for a good one!" Ryuji cheered.
"Study comes first, though," Makoto insisted. "I won't let you off if you fail any of them. Are we clear?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am," Ryuji stammered.
[***]
July 11
"Tests are coming up. Everyone studying?" Maruki asked the class. "I know some of you rely on all-nighters, but I can't recommend it. That really messes up your information retention. Oh, speaking of! Do you guys know the difference between short-term and long-term memory? The simple answer is that short-term memory's more temporary. Contextual. But long-term memories stick with you. In the short-term, you're working with a hard limit. You retain only… six, maybe even seven pieces of information. But your brain's capacity for long-term memory is huge. It might even be infinite, according to some theories."
The councilor looked around the room. "Okay, so… Goetia-san! What do you think about all this? Short-term memories only stick with you for seconds at a time. That said… How long do you think you can retain long-term memories?"
"So he wants to know how long you keep long-term memories, huh…? This is a tricky one," Morgana whispered from Ren's desk.
'Hm… Long-term memories last a long time… And you can theoretically store an infinite amount of them…" Octavia looked to the teacher. "You can retain them forever."
"That's right! I'm impressed!" Maruki smiled. "Basically, stuff encoded into your long-term memory never really goes away. Short-term memories become long-term memories through reiteration. It'd be great if you could encode all the test answers to long-term memory, huh? Ah well. Can't always get what you want."
'Some demons do live forever… I wonder if I'll live for so long that I can learn… well, everything, if I feel like it,' Octavia mused.
"But at least you've got summer break once the exams are over! So do your best to study, okay?" Maruki insisted.
"Yeah, memories never really go away… That means I'll remember my past eventually, right…?" Morgana wondered.
Ryuji: 7/18. Marine Day. Finals end on the 16th, so that should be good, right?
Yusuke: What are you talking about?
Ryuji: The fireworks festival.
Ann: You're really quick to look up stuff like that…
Ren: Get back to studying.
Ryuji: I'll do that tomorrow.
Octavia: Bold of you to say that when Makoto's in the chat room.
Makoto: Hey, we're in the middle of class. Talk about those things later.
Ryuji: Yeah, yeah.
[***]
"Amamiya-senpai, Goetia-senpai," Kasumi greeted as she caught up to the cousins on their way back from school. "What a pleasant surprise. Are you headed home too?"
"Sure are," Ren nodded.
Kasumi smiled. "Same here- I don't have club practice today. That reminds me, there's something I wanted to report to you. Would now be a good time?"
"Sure thing," Ren replied.
"Thank you. Why don't we find a seat somewhere?" Kasumi suggested.
"Huh? Amamiya-kun? Goetia-san?" Akechi said, walking up to the group. He looked to Kasumi. "And you are…"
"It's been quite a while, Akechi-san," Kasumi greeted.
"And the same to you… Yoshizawa-san, right?" Akechi said.
"Sounds like you two have a history," Octavia mused.
"You know each other?" Ren asked.
"My father works at a TV station," Kasumi explained. "Have you ever seen "Good Morning Japan"? My father's the director."
"I've been brought onto the show as a guest a number of times now. That's how I ended up becoming acquainted with Yoshizawa-san," Akechi elaborated. "I didn't know you knew her as well."
"She's our friend," Ren replied.
"A bit more than a 'friend' to you…" Octavia muttered, getting a light elbow from Ren as she giggled.
"He helped me out of a jam before, and now he's offering me guidance," Kasumi added.
'Helping you out of a jam, eh? I see…" Akechi mused. "So, what were you three up to?"
"Oh, right! I was just about to share some exciting news. It's nothing to keep secret, so I may as well spill it now," Kasumi said. "About that summer competition I mentioned to you before? I was chosen to be our club representative!"
"Congratulations," Octavia smiled.
"You did it," Ren beamed with pride.
"This only feels like the beginning to me, though," Kasumi said with confidence.
"Isn't your club's team considered to be quite prestigious?" Akechi asked. "And you're their representative? I must say, that's extremely impressive."
"Thank you! I'll do my best to make everyone proud," Kasumi said.
"I'll be cheering you on as well," Akechi smiled. "Ah, I have an idea- since all four of us are here, why don't we go somewhere as a group? We can call it our little celebration for Yoshizawa-san's success."
"That would be wonderful!" Kasumi said. "Does that work for you, senpais?"
Octavia looked to Ren, who nodded. "Why not?"
"That settles it," Akechi nodded. "Would you mind if I chose the place? There's a wonderful little café I know about…"
"Of course! Lead the way!" Kasumi said.
The four of them hopped on the next train to go to Miel et crepes, the café Akechi was talking about. "Yoshizawa-san, you drink hot beverages even in the summer?" Akechi asked, noting her choice of beverage.
"I have to prevent my body from getting too cold, since the meet's coming up soon," Kasumi explained.
"I see, you make sure you're covering all your bases," Akechi nodded.
"So what do you have, Akechi?" Octavia asked.
"Good point," Kasumi agreed. "Well, some people say coffee can cool you off, even when hot, so I try to avoid that too. I have this image that you enjoy sweet things, Akechi-san- is that untrue? I swear I saw you eating fried sweet bread on TV the other day…"
"It's all part of a marketing strategy. That sort of stunt is an easy crowd-pleaser," Akechi replied.
"I know that feeling…" Octavia said. "Where I'm from, my family has to do certain things to keep up an image, even if I personally don't care for it."
"You two seem to have your own bases covered as well," Kasumi said.
"I wish I hadn't learned that…" Ren said.
Akechi laughed. "You're more innocent than I expected."
"I've been wondering: how do you three know each other?" Kasumi asked.
"Their social studies class visited the set of a TV show I appeared on," Akechi explained.
"Ah, that's right. Second-years got to go to a TV station," Kasumi recalled.
"These two exchanged their opinions during the filming and Ren's way of thinking intrigued Akechi," Octavia added.
"I can definitely see that! Amamiya-senpai's take on things often helps me as well," Kasumi nodded.
"That reminds me, Yoshizawa-san. You have mentioned that he's been providing you with some guidance," Akechi said.
"Yes- like Goetia-san just said, his way of thinking is intriguing. I figured I could benefit from his input," Kasumi explained.
"In that case, let's play a little game…" Akechi suggested. "Would you mind I posed the same questioned to you that I first asked him?"
"No, go right ahead," Kasumi replied.
"So, my question was… What do you think of the Phantom Thieves, Yoshizawa-san?" Akechi asked.
"The Phantom Thieves?" Kasumi repeated. "You mean in the case that they do in fact exist, yes?" She thought about it. "I admit that the assistance of others in need is a truly great act… But I simply can't agree with their methods?"
"Really? Why's that?" Octavia asked.
"I suspect that the Phantom Thieves' assistance isn't going to be beneficial to society in the long run," Kasumi replied.
"How so?" Akechi asked.
"Well, for example, when someone's faced with a problem to overcome, I believe they need to do it themselves," Kasumi explained. "Getting help from others is totally fine, but in the end, it takes a person's initiative to truly create lasting change. If society relied upon a safety net like the Phantom Thieves, I worry that people would stop making a conscious effort. Granted, this depends on how severe the problem is, and it's inaccurate to apply generalizations to an entire population… But I believe a society where everyone simply leaves matters to the Phantom Thieves wouldn't last very long."
"I see… So, in the case of a person's growth, their actions actually hinder it," Akechi summarized. "Quite an interesting take on the matter." He looked to the cousins. "Let me ask you, then- what do you think of Yoshizawa's opinion?"
"It's definitely a unique stance," Octavia replied. "And I can see how she'd come to that conclusion."
"She's not wrong," Ren said, even if internally he hated to admit that.
"Ah, so you think you should let others come to their own conclusions on the matter," Akechi replied.
"Wait… Could you actually be a fan of the Phantom Thieves, Amamiya-senpai!?" Kasumi gasped.
"I didn't mean to start an argument. I just can't help myself sometimes," Akechi said with a sheepish grin. "Let's change the subject to something a bit lighter." The four of them spent the rest of the time in fun conversations, with Octavia feeling like they all bounced off each other really well.
'If it weren't for our differing views- and my suspicions around Akechi- I think these two would make good Phantom Thieves,' Octavia thought.
Kasumi suddenly got a notification on her phone. "I'm sorry, I should probably get going… If I'm away from home too late, my parents will begin to worry," she said.
"Right, then let's call it a day," Akechi said. "Good luck on your competition."
"You got this," Octavia added.
"I'll be rooting for you," Ren said.
"Yes! Thank you!" Kasumi smiled. "Well then, see you later!"
[***]
Hifumi: How about a match? I'm at the church. Please visit me, if you'd like.
Ren: I'll be there.
Hifumi: Okay, I'll be waiting.
At the church, Hifumi, Ren, and Collin all worked on their deal, with the shogi master teaching her new students the basics of the game. "Vanguard of my Togo Kingdom… go forth to the front lines! Trample upon then all!" Hifumi exclaimed. "You think to protect yourself with that paltry defense?" She laughed. "Useless! Awaken, dragon! Let your shadowy hellfire consume them all! Dark Inferno Rook!"
"Oh boy…" Collin sighed as the match went on. 'She's… really into this game…'
"Can you hear then? The wailing of dying soldiers, echoing throughout the battlefield… With an incompetent king, a soldier cannot show his true bravery. Time for you to suffer!" Hifumi stated. The game went on like that until… "At last, everything is in place… My right hand trembles as I release my full power! I summon forth the forbidden move that shall bring your end… Ultimate Excalibur Attack! …Check."
"Good game," Ren said.
Hifumi just sighed. "Ah, I did it again…"
"What's wrong?" Collin asked.
"it's an embarrassing habit I have. During a match I, um…" Hifumi blushed a bit. "I tend to get very aggressive. It's as if I assume the role of a queen of a kingdom…"
"That's interesting," Ren said.
"I-It is…?" Hifumi looked at him in surprise. "You're a strange one, indeed."
"I think it's pretty cute as well," Collin smiled.
Hifumi blushed again, looking away from the boys. "My father had me do image training exercises when I was younger, to help me learn the rules… I gradually began to view the shogi board as if it were my own kingdom… I had fun coming up with strategies for my, um, subjects… However… I've heard that people make fun of me on the internet. People think I'm weird, or that I'm an otaku, or that I'm just crazy… I mean, I can't blame them… Certainly, I think I'm weird too."
"Don't worry about what they think," Collin assured her. "Have confidence in yourself."
"Your positivity is… a welcoming relief," Hifumi said. "I may be able to learn more from our matches than I thought. That will do for today." She paused for a moment. "Oh, there's something I wanted to mention… Do you read weekly magazines…? Um, well, I'm doing a photoshoot for one…"
"But you don't want to, right?" Ren guessed.
"You're quite perceptive… I thought you'd be surprised if you saw it on the newsstand, so I wanted to let you know beforehand," Hifumi said. "In all honestly, I'm very reluctant to do it… But… if I can draw more attention to shogi, maybe the sport will become more popular… At least, that's how I'm justifying it to myself… I have an interview scheduled for tonight as well, so let's end here for today…"
"Good luck," Collin said before he and Ren departed.
"Until our next match. Goodbye…" Hifumi waved.
[***]
July 12
As night fell over Tokyo, Ren and Octavia found themselves at Chihaya's stand once more, helping her with another of her clients, this time being a businessman. "Good evening. This is your first time coming to my stand, yes?" Chihaya said.
"Y-Yeah, um…" the man replied nervously. "A colleague of mine recommended you. He said you can help fix my problems… Is that right?"
"Of course! Fate is… absolute…" Chihaya replied, before giving a quick glance to the teens.
"S-So, um, the thing is… I'm engaged to be married," the man explained. "Next spring, I'll be tying the knot with a friend I've had since all the way back in preschool…"
"That's wonderful! Congratulations!" Chihaya cheered.
"That's some dedication…" Octavia muttered. "So, what is your problem then? You got a bad date or location picked out or something?" Truthfully, the princess wasn't very well versed in weddings, seeing as she'd never been to one herself and the one thing her parents seemed to have agreed upon was for her not to be engaged at a young age, so planning one never came up.
"O-Oh, um… No, it's not like that," the man shook his head. "The problem is… I'm not entirely sure we'll be able to get married. The truth is, the president of one of our major business partners has offered me her daughter's hand…"
"Ah… So this is what it means to be weighed down by societal obligations…" Chihaya sighed.
"Do, um… Do you think it would be bad if I declined that president's offer?" the man asked, laughing nervously.
"Please relax. The divine power will bring us your answer!" Chihaya assured him. The fortune teller did her thing and turned over the cards to get a reading. "Yes, I've seen everything… My… It seems you will face financial ruin if you decline…"
"N-No… Does this mean breaking off my engagement is the only option?" the man questioned.
Chihaya looked to Ren. "Um, Amamiya-san? This may be a good opportunity to demonstrate your powers. This man is bound by the fetters of societal obligation… How should he move forward?"
"Follow his heart," Ren replied.
"Sounds good to me," Octavia nodded. "I wouldn't want someone else deciding who I'd marry, not even for money."
"Anyone could have come up with that answer…" Chihaya dismissed. "Incidentally, what would you say to make him chose his childhood friend?"
Ren thought about his answer before replying, "Thieves might steal her away."
"Thieves…? She's not a child," Chihaya scoffed.
"W-Wait, you really think someone else would try to go after her!?" the man said in shock. "Huh… I guess guys would line up to date such an amazing girl… Well, I'm not going to let that happen! The only one who can make her happy is me! I was a fool for hesitating, even for a moment! I… I'm going to marry her! Thank you so much!"
"It's happened again…" Chihaya said in disbelief. The man ran off after that. "So, you have altered fate once more… His fortune now states he will be quite successful. I had questioned your powers before, but this is the third time… I have no choice… I must accept that fate can, in fact, be changed. You've proven that to me. And as a sign of thanks for showing me the truth… I'll provide a special fortune service for you from now on!"
'I can sense her motivation… though her power is still a mystery to me…' Octavia thought.
"You know, I never thought it was possible to change destiny… Are you perhaps… psychic twins?" Chihaya asked.
"We're cousins, actually," Octavia corrected. "And neither of us are psychic. Sorry."
"I see… I wish there was a way I could meet one…" Chihaya said. "But for now, that wish only reminds me of my inability to change my own fate… I will forever be a monster…"
"Monster…?" Ren repeated.
"M-My, it's gotten so late!" Chihaya suddenly said. "I should start packing up for today. I'll see you next time! Farewell."
"That was strange…" Octavia whispered.
"She'll tells us in time," Ren assured her.
[***]
July 16
"Exams are finally over… I'm so exhausted…" Ann sighed as the gang met up at the hideout.
"I can get back to actually sleeping in peace…" Ryuji nodded.
"Huh. You must have been studying pretty hard if it kept you up at night," Makoto said.
"Nah, I was up playing video games. Slacking off is just too much fun…" Ryuji shook his head.
"I know, right!? I kept cleaning my room instead of studying! It might even be too clean now…" Ann agreed.
"You two are prefect exemplars of what escapism can mean," Yusuke mused.
"And I can only imagine what the end result will be," Makoto sighed.
"Have fun failing," Loona laughed.
"Whatever, it's over with now. Who cares about that anymore!?" Ryuji said, annoyed. "What's real important is the Phantom Thieves' popularity! Ain't it amazing!?"
"It feels like our time is finally here!" Collin nodded.
"I have even heard people excitedly speculating about our next target. We will have to choose carefully," Yusuke said.
"There's no need to hurry. We should spend some time thinking it over," Octavia said.
"Hold up, the most important thing now is our celebration party!" Ryuji said. "I hope you guest didn't forget. It's the fireworks festival on the 18th. I guess we're good meeting up in Shibuya, yeah? Let's say… 5PM!"
"You sure are on top of these kinds of things…" Morgana said.
[***]
July 17
"It's so hot…" Ryuji groaned, wiping sweat off his brow. There was a food festival going on that day, and the blonde had decided to make the event into a boy's day out. Unfortunately for them, it was also in the middle of a heat wave, meaning they were all miserable in the heat.
"It's as if we're walking around in an enormous sauna…" Yusuke said.
"Whose bright idea was it to come here?" Ryuji asked.
"Um… you," Collin said.
"…and just look at that crowd! Smiling faces everywhere you look! With that, let's move right into asking some of the visitors here for their comments!" a female news host said to her cameraman nearby.
"A TV crew, eh…?" Yusuke noted.
"We'd better not stand out…" Ren said warily.
"We should grab out kebabs and get of here," Ryuji nodded.
"Ah, let's interview those four," the news lady said.
"Hey, is she talking about us?" Collin said worriedly.
"What the-" Ryuji gaped.
"What do we do, Ren?" Morgana asked, peaking out of his bag.
"Let's just calm down," Ren said.
"Good point. We'll look even more suspicious if we panic now," Yusuke nodded.
"They got us!" Morgana said.
"Aw, hell…" Ryuji frowned. "Okay, I'm gonna ham it up and make some real cringey comments so they can't use any of the footage."
The TV hostess soon approached the quartet. "Hello! It sure is hot today, huh?"
"Oh, for sure, yeah!" Ryuji replied. "And if it's this hot in July, can you imagine just how insane the weather's gonna be in December?"
Everyone winced at that. "Ah, anyway… Since you're here for the festival, does that mean you and your friends there are meat lovers?" the hostess asked.
"Uh… I'd say that we're really lovers of fruit! Oh, and sweets! Sweets are just to die for!" Ryui responded.
The hostess laughed nervously. "Well, ah… Thank you very much for your time!"
"Phew, that was too close…" Ryuji let out a breath after the TV crew left.
"That was truly cringeworthy, but are you certain that they won't air any of it?" Yusuke asked.
"With how bad Ryuji's acting was, it's sure to be a broadcasting disaster. Even the news stations in Heaven would have cut that out," Collin said. "We should be fine."
"More important than that, though; it's time to get some meat!" Morgana cheered.
"Oh, right! My kebab!" Ryuji remembered. The boys all went to get their food, returning with their loot at the same spot from before. "The lines for the food stalls were even more insane than the heat!"
"Standing around in the sweltering heat was rather trying," Yusuke nodded.
"And almost all the good stuff was already sold out…" Collin added.
"I didn't even eat breakfast this morning. I'm starting to get lightheaded…" Morgana sighed.
"You can heave my food, Morgana. I'm not big on meat anyway," Collin said, offering the not-cat some of his earnings.
"Thanks Collin! You're the best angel a guy like me could ask for!" Morgana said through bites of food.
"Even still, an occasion like this seems to make everything taste delicious… How mysterious," Yusuke mused.
"It's because we're together," Ren guessed.
"Agreed!" Collin smiled.
"That's pretty poetic, dude," Ryuji grinned. "Welp, we came all the way out here, so we might as well go check that thing out."
"What thing?" Yusuke asked.
"I heard they're building some kinda huge-ass stadium or something nearby," Ryuji explained. "Wait, was that was it was?"
"You don't know what you're talking about, do you?" Morgana questioned.
"A stadium… Well, such buildings often have intriguing architecture- I'd love to see it for personal reference," Yusuke said.
"Yeah, then come on, let's go," Ryuji said. The boys all went over to the construction site, which didn't look to have a lot of progress done on it. "So, that's it? Hey barely even started?"
"We see to be premature spectators," Yusuke noted.
"I guess we jumped the gun on this one," Collin said.
"Yeah, pretty much," Morgana sighed.
"There ain't nothing to do here- you wanna go grab a bite somewhere?" Ryuji offered.
"Sorry, I'm considering picking up more art supplies. I have a summer assignment to work on," Yusuke declined. "Also, the summer festival drained my coffers. Even if I grab a bite, all I could order would be water and a hot towel."
"Ah… In that case, we probably oughta just call it quits for today," Ryuji sighed.
"Hm? Hey, isn't that Yoshizawa?" Morgana asked, looking over to see the redhead approaching the building site. "Don't you think she's acting strange? You know, she did mention something about a meet earlier."
"Uh, ain't you guys headed home?" Ryuji asked.
"Go on ahead without me," Ren replied.
"Huh? Welp, see ya, then," Ryuji said as he and Yusuke walked off.
"Yes, catch you later," Yusuke waved goodbye.
"So that's Kasumi… I'll let you have this moment, Ren. See you another time!" Collin said before leaving himself.
[***]
"It's been a while since we were last here," Octavia noted as she found herself back in Takemi's office. "I didn't thank you last time you helped me out, by the way."
"I was nothing. Just some exhaustion and dehydration. Kids like you need to be careful not overexert yourself, or else it could lead to problems later in life," Takemi said. She looked to Ren and nodded. "All right, that's it for today. If you kids have time, why don't you stay and enjoy an apple? It's a gift from my elderly patients. She gave me a lot…"
Octavia happily accepted one of the fruits, about to bite into it when someone entered the room. "Hello, Dr. Takemi…" came a man's voice.
"Chief Oyamada," Takemi recognized the man.
"There was a medical conference nearby, so I thought I'd check up on you," Oyamada said. He looked at the kids. "Who are they? He doesn't look like a patient."
"He's a part-time staffer, and she is his spotter. I'm having him handle some miscellaneous tasks for me," Takemi explained. "So, do you have some business with me?"
"I heard you stole one of my patients. A girl with bronchitis. She came her with her father…" Oyamada dropped the formalities.
"Bronchitis, you say? Well, I had no intention of taking her from you. I certainly didn't encourage her to visit my clinic," Takemi responded.
"Now there's talk that the care at a university hospital is inferior to that of a general practitioner!" Ohyamada exclaimed. "Original medicine." Hah! What you're doing her is simply absurd!"
Takemi looked down. "…You're right."
"I would've turned a blind eye if you had just rotted away out here in this little town…" Oyamada continued. "But this is your final warning… Shut this place down and resign your medical license."
Takemi was silent, so Ren and Octavia knew they had to step in and say something. "This is harassment," Octavia growled.
"She's a great doctor," Ren said firmly, glaring at the man. Octavia caught a glint of demonic energy in her cousin's gaze as he said that.
"What did you say?" Oyamada questioned.
"Heh… Don't worry about it," Takemi replied, giving a silent smile to the kids.
Oyamada gave a huff. "You seem to be quite fond of her. Perhaps I should reveal this woman's true identity. She's a monster who tortured a patient with unregulated medicine! Terrible, isn't it? She was such a brave girl, always smiling…"
Takemi looked at the man in confusion. "Was"…?"
"She passed away," Oyamada replied.
"What…!?" Takemi and Octavia said in shock.
"Perhaps you'll suffer the same fate, hm?" the man said to Ren before laughing. "She is the Plague, after all."
"Don't lie to me! She should still have some time!" Takemi exclaimed. "She was slowly recovering… Her condition couldn't have deteriorated that quickly!"
"But it did. You must've misjudged," Oyamada said. "Now, back to the reason I'm here. Don't ever take a patient away from me again. You don't want to make me angry." He left after that, with Takemi collapsing to the floor soon after.
"Miwa-chan's… dead…?" Takemi said, shaken by the news. "No, no, no… But she's all I've been working toward, all this time… Curing her was my only… There's no way…"
"Don't lose hope," Ren said.
Takemi shook her head. "What have I been doing all this time…? What was even the point…? I can't…"
Octavia got down to eyelevel with Takemi taking her hand. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked.
Takemi looked at the princess. "No… I'll be fine…" She let Octavia pull her to her feet. "I feel better now… Thank you for your help, Octavia. And You two, my little guinea pig… Ugh, I wish I hadn't shown you that side of me…"
"We all do sometimes," Ren said.
"Really now? Well, I suppose it's fine as long as it's you," Takemi smiled, before frowning. "Go on home for today. We will continue this another time. Take care…"
'I don't want to leave Takemi after hearing all of that… but maybe some space is what she needs right now,' Octavia thought. 'We'll help you get through this, Takemi, I promise…'
[***]
July 18
Ryuji: Today's the fireworks festival! Let's meet in Shibuya at 5!
Ann: Hey, Makoto. Are you going to wear a yukata?
Makoto: I'm planning on it.
Yusuke: Yukatas are a great part of the summer tradition… They truly heighten a woman's beauty. I think I will wear mine as well.
Ryuji: You got one…? How about you, Ren?
Ren: I don't have a yukata.
Collin: I don't have one either, sadly.
Octavia: Oh, that's too bad. Loona and I got some because I thought it would be fun to dress up. I would have gotten some for you guys if you told me before.
Loona: Sucks to suck I guess, LOL.
Ann: Hey, I know! Why don't you come without your glasses?
Makoto: What's the point in that?
Ann: I dunno, you don't get to see fireworks every day, so it'd be sad just wearing normal clothes! I was just thinking he might want to go for a change of pace.
Ryuji: That sounds great! You should totally come without glasses! Welp, you guys better not be late!
"It's so hot…" Ryuji groaned as the boys waited at the train station.
"I feel like I'm being backed…" Morgana shifted uncomfortably.
"At least in my human form, I'm not as hot I would be. Wool traps to much heat…" Collin said, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Those girls are way too late…" Ryuji complained.
"It must be taking time for them to put on the yukata, especially Octavia and Loona, being foreigners to the concept," Yusuke guessed. He looked at the other boys. "Why aren't you three wearing one?"
"I don't got clothes like yukata," Ryuji said.
"Same here," Collin sighed. "You look pretty normal wearing one though, Yusuke."
"People often say that to me," Yusuke replied.
"Ah, by the way… the exams…" Ryuji remembered.
"I bet you got big fat F on them," Morgana gave a shit-eating grin.
"Shut up! We- We don't know that yet!" Ryuji retorted.
Suddenly, two women walked up to the group. "Are you going to the fireworks festival?" the one in pink asked.
"That's right," Yusuke replied.
"Us too! Wanna go together?" the lady in black asked.
"Are we… getting hit on!?" Ryuji asked Ren in shock.
The pink lady giggled. "Come on, let's go together."
"Do you happen to be a model? You look great in that yukata," the lady in black commented.
"Waiting around's a pain, so can we just go with these chicks?" Ryuji asked.
"No way," Ren replied.
"We promised to wait for you friends," Collin added.
"We can apologize to the others later!" Ryuji waved them off.
"That's enough," Yusuke said sternly to the girls. "You're disgracing your yukata. You should be more aware of your womanhood."
The girls gave each other a look before walking away. "How could you!?" Ryuji exclaimed at Yusuke.
"Why don't you go after then then?" Ann said, approaching the boys alongside Makoto, Octavia, and Loona. Ann was wearing a blue yukata with multi-colored flowers, Makoto had a white one with red flowers, Octavia's was deep purple with golden star flowers, while Loona's was black with white morning-glories on it.
"So those are the kind of girls you like, Ryuji," Makoto said.
"Uh, well… That's…" Ryuji stuttered.
"You know, Yusuke's such a pretty boy, but he's really missing out because of what he says," Octavia noted.
"I guess, but he's more likeable since he stays true to his ideals," Makoto pointed out. "Definitely more than somebody I know."
"I heard that Ryuji's pretty much failed his exams," Morgana suddenly said.
"Oh?" Makoto glared at the blonde.
"You just got call out!" Loona cackled.
"Mona, you little-" Ryuji started to say.
"Hey, isn't it going to get crowded if we don't get going?" Collin said, jumping in to diffuse the situation.
"Agreed," Yusuke nodded.
"But man, you girls look amazing in yukata!" Ryuji said as the gang walked off. "Talk about Japanese and Hell beauty…" As the Phantom Thieves got topside, they found that he streets were already crowded.
"Looks like it started already…" Octavia sighed, seeing the fireworks going off in the distance. As the gang tried to get a better look, water started to fall from the sky, which quickly turned into a thunderstorm. A warning was put out as people started to move inside for cover from the rain.
"Oh, come on!" Loona growled, grabbing at her hair as she tried to keep it dry. The other girls tried to keep their yukata and hair dry as well, leading to some not-so-innocent looks from the boys.
'You don't think Loona is hot! It's just the yukata! Like Yusuke said, it enhances female beauty!' Collin thought to himself as he fought down a blush. He glanced over at Loona again, seeing the rain and caused her yukata to stick to her body more, showing off her curves. His face when fully red. 'No, bad Collin! Stop thinking impure thoughts about a demon!'
"You know what, screw this," Octavia said, pulling out her phone. "Dad? Yeah, it's me. My friends and I were trying to see a fireworks festival, but it got rained out. Think you could give us a different view to see… You know, the "big one"… Okay, thanks."
"What was that about?" Loona raised an eyebrow.
"Just follow me," Octavia said, leading the gang down an alleyway. Once they got to the end, a portal opened up, revealing the expanse of space on the other side. Octavia smiled and stepped on through, motioning for the others to follow. "It's okay! Dad made sure this rock has breathable air a gravity for you guys."
"Is this… space!?" Ryuji exclaimed as he stepped through the portal. On the other side was a one-of-a-kind view of the galaxy, with stars, planets, nebulas, and many other wonders of space on any side they looked.
"Yep! Dad would take me here whenever I felt down as a kid," Octavia explained.
"Truly marvelous…" Yusuke said in awe. "I wish I brought a sketchbook. This is truly inspiring to see."
"To think we wouldn't be able to see this if we didn't have a demon princess for a friend," Ann said. "What do you think, Makoto…? Hm? What's up?"
Makoto snapped out of her thoughts. "Mm, I think I just saw someone I know…" she said.
"You mean Haru, right? She was getting into some fancy black car," Loona recalled.
"Probably not as fancy as me in my car form," Mona said. "Not that I can use it in the real world…"
"You know, even if we're all a bit wet and the festival was canceled, getting to see this…" Collin gestured out to the wonders of the galaxy before them. "This is good for now."
"I'll give you that one, Lampchop," Loona nodded, sitting next to the cherub as the rest of the Phantom Thieves took a seat as well.
"Definitely feels like we deserve this," Ryuji nodded.
"It's our own little spot, with this moment for all of us to share," Ren said, closing his eyes and smiling as he felt the magic of the cosmos on the edges of his senses. "Almost makes you wish it could last forever…"
"There's a reason I loved coming here as a kid… I'm glad I can share the view with friends," Octavia smiled.
The Phantom Thieves all gave a gasp of awe as a star explode in the distance. "Now that was better than any lame firework!" Loona exclaimed. The group stayed there for a good while, before Octavia called up Stolas again to return them to Earth. They went their separate ways after that.
[***]
"Ah, that was nice, but I just wanna crash right now," Loona sighed. She flopped onto the couch and turned on the TV, which defaulted to the news channel.
"…Regrettably, the cause behind the recent psychotic breakdown incidents is still unknown," the TV reporter said. "Onto other news… The international paranormal investigation group DHORKS has just released a statement to the Phantom Thieves."
Loona sat up at that. "Oh, fuck no!"
"You know those… DHORKS? God that's a stupid name…" Octavia muttered.
"Yeah, they're a bunch of nerdy dipshits that captured Blitz and Moxxie one time," Loona explained. "I swear we killed them all when we last saw them, though. Your dad even showed up to bail us out and went full demon mode on them."
"…These are the details of the message DHORKS has given out," the reporter continued. "To the Phantom Thieves causing an uproar in Japan: Do not speak of your false justice. We do not need the spread of such falsehood. We are the true executors of truth and justice. However, we are magnanimous. We will give you an opportunity to confess your true nature. If you agree to a change of heart, we will accept you as our own. If you reject our offer, we will have no choice but to bring down the hammer of justice and expose you to the world at large."
"Justice, huh?" Octavia scoffed.
"We are DHORKS. We see what is unseen. We will eliminate evil." Akechi-san, why do you think this announcement was made at this time?" the reporter asked as the Detective Prince came on camera.
"I don't know the details, but there's no doubt they were provoked by the Phantom Thieves," Akechi replied. Octavia noted that he seemed a bit more… confused than usual, maybe even caught off-guard. "Whether it's a sense of rivalry or a simple attention grab given the recent trends, I cannot say… Regardless, it's quite a nuisance."
"A nuisance?" the TV reporter repeated.
"Both DHORKS and the Phantom Thieves are nothing more than groups that uphold an egoistic justice, though DHORKS seems to be an odd group to be calling out the Phantom Thieves, considering the nature of their… usual interests," Akechi said. "It's possible that more people like these will continue to appear due to their influence. In that respect, the Phantom Thieves face a very serious crime."
Loona and Octavia soon got a message on their phones in the group chat.
Ryuji: We gotta talk about DHORKS.
Ann: You mean those guys people online are going nuts over?
Collin: That name is… All I can say is yikes.
Yusuke: Truly it is. Why would a group pride themselves on using a derogatory English work as their group name?
Octavia: What is it even an acronym for?
Makoto: I saw the news too. For some reason they think we speak of false justice…
Loona: I know these fuckers. They have a hard on for anything supernatural. Even captured IMP once. They must have suspicions of how we're changing people's hearts. Which is bad, by the way, since none of you guys can use your powers outside of the Metaverse to fight back against them.
Ryuji: Well, why don't we go after them as our next target?
Yusuke: What a sudden suggestion.
Ryuji: I mean, if we do that then they can't come after us, right?
Collin: I don't think that would work, since they're an organization and not an individual.
Makoto: I got some more information. DHORKS is an organized group of supernatural hunters recognized by the larger international paranormal community. While their claims have been dismissed in the past by local governments as hoaxes, it seems that they have some "crucial evidence" that has made the skeptics more open to their ideas.
Yusuke: So they operate on a global scale?
Ann: That makes them even bigger than Kaneshiro!
Ryuji: Right!? Then it's settled. Our next target's gonna be DHORKS. I wonder if the Nav'll get a hit if we put DHORKS in.
Octavia: It doesn't I already checked.
Ren: I did too. It's impossible.
Makoto: Yes. That name is clearly pseudonym. We don't even know how many people are a part of DHORKS.
Loona: At minimum it's just two guys, but they only ever went by numbers. Code names. Some weird Men in Black bullshit or something…
Ann: Oh…
Ryuji: Wouldn't we get at least one member's info if we try and look into it though?
Makoto: Even if we did, how could we discover their location? The only confirmed presence of DHORKS has been online.
Octavia: Loona told me about them having a headquarters in the USA, but I checked the place online and it looks abandoned now.
Yusuke: This is a greater problem than simply finding their keywords. Unless you have any more ideas, Ryuji?
…
Ann: Hello?
Yusuke: …It seems he had suggested this without putting much thought into it.
Loona: Like usual.
Ryuji: C'mon, we can't back down now! People are all excited about it! Our reputation's gonna plummet if we don't face this shit.
Octavia: That is true. If we remain silent, people would believe we simply chose to run away from the situation.
Collin: DHORKS has taunted us publicly, after all…
Loona: And these guys are known to have knowledge of Hell and other supernatural shit, so we can't let them catch onto us, or else both of our realities are at risk.
Octavia: Yeah. And we don't have any other targets right now either.
Collin: Hey, Ren. Let's talk to Mishima tomorrow. This is more of his thing.
Ren: Is Mishima part of DHORKS?
Loona: HAH! That got me to laugh. Mishima is a dork, but he's not a DHORK, if you know what I mean. Hey Makoto, think your sister can get any info on these guys?
Makoto: It's highly unlikely, but sure.
Octavia let out a sigh. "Great, dealing with crazy conspiracy nuts coming after us… Why couldn't it have been like… I dunno, a hacker group with a weird but clever name?"
"Oddly specific…" Loona muttered. "But we all need to be on our guard now. DHORKS are dumb, but they do know how to both fight and capture demons. I'm pretty sure they've seen my face too, so I'll have to be a bit more discreet when we're out on the town. Let's just hope we can find these nerds and make then fuck off before they try anything else…"
Confidant Rank Up
Confidant: Collin Pastor
Arcana: Sirius
Rank 4 Description: You made small talk with Collin at Leblanc. He voiced his mixed feelings on his time in CHERUB, and you promised to never force him to do things he's uncomfortable with.
Rank 4 Ability: Holy Talk- If negotiation with a holy Shadow fails, you can try again.
Author's Note
Bet you didn't expect that, huh? That's right, DHORKS is taking the place of Medjed in this story, and while their role is similar in being an organization going after the Phantom Thieves, they'll be doing it in their own way. Medjed is faceless but feared for their hacking skills, while DHORKS are more proactive is chasing their targets in the real world, but have much less street cred. Even Akechi seems baffled by this story twist! The title of this chapter is a reference to the X-Files, since DHORKS has a big Men in Black/X-Files feel to them.
For other parts of this chapter, we have a sweet moment with Collin and Ren as he slowly breaks down the cherub's barriers. Like Loona, Collin doesn't want to admit when something is wrong with his past, but hopefully Ren will be able to help our favorite sheep to be honest with himself soon. Takemi also had a hard time this chapter, but Octavia isn't going to let the back alley doctor suffer for long. It's time for the Phantom Thieves to take action soon!
Octavia got to be at the tea shop with Ren, Akechi, and Kasumi this time around. Gee, I wonder if me pairing up the Aeon with these three characters means something in the story? I dunno it's a mystery...
Collin got to take part in the food festival too. I love how Yusuke just says the word "cringeworthy" it always makes me laugh. Speaking of festivals, Stolas intervenes while the fireworks show gets rained on, giving the Phantom Thieves a look at the cosmos and a nice breather to have before the next arc begins. (Also if anyone has any artistic skills, I'd love to see art of Octavia and Loona in their yukata!)
Next time begins the DHORKS arc, which means only one thing: Double Lindbeck incoming!