A/N: Time for another chapter. Thank you for your patience. There's not really any action in this chapter. Mainly just daily life kind of stuff. But there's some great scenes in here if I do say so myself, plus some new characters. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Persona.
Chapter V: A Little Break
Friday, 4/8 20XX, Evening
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 23.
After the Phantom Thieves discussed their new plan of action at a local Big Bang Burger, they stopped by the hospital, so Kodaka could pick up his stuff and check out. There was a little confusion because his uncle did indeed try to make good on his threat and have him held against his will for a psych eval, but one of the good-natured nurses on staff managed to help Kodaka sneak out. Apparently, she was suspicious about what was going on as well
Then Kodaka followed Seiko and Clover back to their apartment complex. They met Rose right outside of the complex's lot. "There you are. I was starting to wonder what was taking you so long," said Rose.
"Sorry, Rose-san. We got a little pushback trying to get Kodaka checked out of the hospital," Seiko replied.
"So then this is the boy you told me about?" Rose replied as she stared at Kodaka. Then she saw his bandaged hands. "Is it really okay for you to be out of the hospital with those injuries?"
"It's fine, ma'am. They're starting to heal up and I still have the medicine the doctors prescribed for me." Kodaka sighed. "Besides, things will only get more hectic if I stay there."
"..." Rose went silent. "Seiko-chan told me a little bit about your circumstances. You really don't have anywhere else to go? No other family in the area?"
"No, ma'am," Kodaka replied. "I really hate to put you out like this, but I have a little pocket money, and I can get more. I should at least be able to afford to stay here for a few weeks until I find a more permanent residence."
"Please, Rose-san? He's all alone," Seiko replied.
"..." Rose was silent at first, but then she sighed. "Alright. You can stay here for a little while and use one of the vacant rooms. But this isn't a hotel," she told Kodaka. "If someone else rents out your room, I'll have to ask you to leave. And if you're going to be staying here on a more permanent basis, I'm going to need you to eventually sign a tenant agreement."
"Thanks, Rose-san! You're the best!" Seiko exclaimed as she went up to hug her stepmother.
"...!" Rose was surprised at the sudden contact at first, but eventually she smiled and returned Seiko's hug. Then after a few moments, Seiko and Rose separated. Rose turned her attention back to Kodaka. "I figured I would be talked into it one way or another, so I already prepared a room for you. There's no bed or other amenities in it right now, but I can lend you a futon and some pillows."
"That will be fine. Thank you so much for this," Kodaka replied.
"Don't mention it," Rose replied.
Friday, 4/8 20XX, Evening
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 23.
Rose led the group to the apartment unit she had set aside for Kodaka. It was on the first floor, right beneath Seiko's unit on the second floor. Rose opened the door and then showed the inside of the room to Kodaka. Compared to the state of Seiko's unit when she first arrived, this unit looked like how you would expect to find an apartment when you first moved in. There was nothing there except for the pre-installed fixtures. "This is it. Like I said before, it's empty. I did tidy it up a little before you got here though."
"It's perfect. Thank you again," Kodaka replied. Then he took the key from Rose and went into the apartment unit. He put down his backpack in the center of the floor and pulled out everything that he had inside, which was pretty much just his laptop, a series of cords for it, his wallet, and the medicine he received from the hospital.
"...?" Rose was perplexed at the sight. "Is that all you brought with you? You don't have a change of clothes or anything else?"
"Oh. No, I don't," Kodaka replied.
"Before he was in the hospital, he lived in that apartment building that burned down last week," Seiko explained.
"Yeah, I was actually at a net café when it happened though, so this is everything I have that survived the fire," Kodaka added.
Rose took it all in. "I see. Then you got those burns by…"
"I found out that my two best friends were inside the building when the fire started. They were looking for me, but I wasn't there. I tried to go in after them, but I didn't make it in time. I burned my hands really badly trying to wade through the flames, before a firefighter pulled me out," Kodaka explained.
"...!" Rose gasped at the tragic story. Then she gave Kodaka a very sympathetic look. "You poor, poor thing. You've been through so much." Then she walked into the room and pulled Kodaka into a hug.
"...!" Kodaka was surprised at the sudden contact, but he appreciated it a great deal.
A few moments later, Rose let go of Kodaka. "I think some of my husband's old clothes might fit you. You look like you're about his old height and weight. I'll go get them and the futon and pillows, and I'll be right back. Oh, and have you eaten dinner yet?"
"Oh…umm…" Kodaka muttered.
"We both ate a little while ago, so he should be good," Seiko answered for him, sensing Kodaka was a little uncomfortable.
"Hmm," Rose muttered. "In that case, I'll put some food in tupperware for you, and you can reheat it and eat it later. Seiko-chan, do you think you can help me?"
"Sure," said Seiko. Then she put down her bag on the floor. "Keep Kodaka company while I'm gone," Seiko whispered to Clover, who was tucked away inside her bag.
"You got it," Clover replied in a whisper.
Friday, 4/8 20XX, Evening
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 23.
Seiko and Rose walked over to the main house to get clothes, sleep supplies, and food for Kodaka. "I really appreciate you helping him like this, Rose-san," said Seiko.
"Any friend of yours is always welcome here," Rose replied. "But tell me this. Does he really not have any family around?" Rose didn't seem convinced that Kodaka was completely on his own.
Seiko frowned. "None that he can count on. Trust me on that."
"..." Rose went silent. Clearly there was more to the story, but she didn't want to pressure Seiko into gossiping about her friend. Kodaka would tell her if and when he was ready.
Friday, 4/8 20XX, Nighttime
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 23.
About an hour later, Kodaka was fully moved in. Though there wasn't that much in his apartment. There was a futon and a pile of pillows in the center of the apartment, some food in the fridge, Kodaka's laptop and other belongings that were next to the futon, and a closet full of some old clothes belonging to Seiko's father.
At that moment, Seiko, Clover, and Kodaka were sitting down in the middle of the apartment. Kodaka was sitting down on his futon, while his guests were sitting next to him on the floor. Clover examined the room. "This place isn't nearly as furnished as Seiko-chan's room. I think you got a raw deal here," she said.
"That's because pretty much all of that stuff up there is mine. My father had it shipped over here when I moved," Seiko replied. "This is actually how an apartment looks when someone first moves in."
"I don't mind," Kodaka replied. "I've been traveling light since the fire, but I'll probably buy some more things to spruce this place up sooner or later."
"Does that mean you're going to stay here?" Seiko asked. "Rose-san said it was fine as long as you can pay rent."
"I might as well. I don't have anywhere else to go," Kodaka replied. "Besides, this place is really nice. Rose-san seems like a great landlady too." Kodaka looked at his hands. "When my hands are in working order again, I can start earning more money. Before the fire, I was earning a lot with freelance coding jobs."
"Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Seiko replied.
"No worries. I was already told that I'll make a full recovery. The only thing that I have to worry about is scarring. There was a lot of tissue damage, so my hands are definitely going to come out of this looking worse for the wear." He frowned. "But don't forget. I was the lucky one." He sighed. "Hey. Do you think we can call it a night? I'm kind of tired."
Seiko frowned, and then she nodded. "Sure. Get some rest. You've had a stressful day. Come on, Clover." Clover hopped up into Seiko's arms, and then Seiko stuffed Clover in her bag. "Good night, Kodaka. If you need anything just let me know."
"Good night, Kodaka-kun," said Clover.
"Good night." Then Seiko and Clover left Kodaka's apartment unit, leaving Kodaka all alone. "..." Kodaka folded his arms behind his head and then laid down on his futon. He stared up at the ceiling and thought about the day that he had. "I swear, I will avenge them."
Friday, 4/8 20XX, Nighttime
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 23.
A few hours later, Clover was asleep in her hutch, while Seiko was trying to forget the unpleasantness of the day by watching TV. She was mainly channel surfing because all the channels were on commercial break. She saw an ad for Junes, the popular supermarket chain, and could not turn the channel fast enough. "No! The last time I watched one of their commercials, I couldn't get that stupid jingle out of my head for a month," she muttered to herself as she changed the channel. Then she saw an ad for Big Bang Burger, the new trailer for the recently released video game Never Final Adventure XVI, a promotion for a big idol concert happening later this year with one of the headliner idols - Aichan, a popular blonde haired, red eyed idol from a production company called HT Entertainment, and then finally she stopped on a surprising news report.
"In other news, citizens of Tokyo are gripped with fear once again as the notorious serial killer 'Chain of Victims' has struck again," said the news announcer.
"...! There's a serial killer in Tokyo?" Seiko muttered to herself.
"It has been quite some time since the last reported murder of Chain of Victims, which occurred late last August. Since their first appearance three years ago, Chain of Victims has claimed 17 reported victims, with the latest victim found earlier this morning, bringing the body count to 18. Due to the sensitive nature of this case, the identity of the victim and the location where they were found is being withheld by the police while they continue their investigation. However, investigators have assured us that while their previous attempts at locating the killer have failed, they are redoubling their efforts and bringing in outside help to assist in the case. Unconfirmed sources have speculated that the mysterious individual simply known as 'M' will be assisting the police in the case. For those of you who don't know, since the disappearance of famed 'Second Detective Prince' - Goro Akechi almost six years ago, the popularized title has gone unclaimed. However, in the past year the enigmatic M has gone on to solve a slew of cases all around the world. Though their identity remains a secret, and no law enforcement agency that has worked with M has revealed any personal info about them, no one disputes their results. Some have even started to call M the 'Third Detective Prince'. If the rumors of M's assistance in the Chain of Victims serial murder case are to be believed, it may only be a matter of time before our streets are finally rid of this terrifying menace. In other news…" Seiko changed the channel again.
"A serial killer's been active in Tokyo for three years and the police haven't caught them yet? What are they even doing?" Seiko muttered to herself. Then a thought occurred to Seiko. "...!" She picked up her phone and looked at the Metaverse Navigator app. "Could they have a Palace too?"
Eventually, Seiko turned the TV off and tried to go to sleep, but this was easier said than done. Thoughts about Shinohara, Kodaka, and Chain of Victims clouded her mind. Then she received a notification on her phone that interrupted her futile struggle. Seiko checked it and saw that she got a message on LINE from her new friend Akemi Himura. She opened up the chat box and saw Akemi's message.
Akemi: Hey. Sorry for messaging you so late. We didn't get the chance to talk today, and I've been busy since then, so I wasn't able to talk until now.
Akemi: Anyway, do you want to hang out tomorrow? I'm definitely going to be free.
Akemi: We can meet up in Aoyama-Itchome and we can go from there. Allow me to be your tour guide to all the delights of Tokyo.
"...?" Seiko looked over the messages. It looked like Akemi wanted to spend time together with her. 'Kodaka's probably still going to be resting, and there's no plans to go back into the Palace until Monday. I'm totally free for the weekend.' Seiko texted back her reply.
Seiko: Sure. I'm free too. Sounds fun.
A few moments later, Akemi replied to Seiko's message.
Akemi: Really? Great. How about we meet up at 10:00 in front of Zenjin?
Then Seiko replied to Akemi's message.
Seiko: Got it. See you then.
Then Seiko turned off her phone and put it down on the nightstand. She lightly smiled. "Looks like I'm hanging out with a friend tomorrow." Suddenly, all of Seiko's worries seemed to fade away, and she was able to drift off to sleep.
Saturday, 4/9 20XX, Morning
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 22.
The next morning, Seiko took the train to Aoyama-Itchome and headed to school just like on a normal weekday. However, this time she was just going there to meet up with her new friend, Akemi, as she was yet unfamiliar with many locations in Tokyo. That day, Seiko chose to wear her normal weekend outfit. Her everyday black and white, fuzzy-lined hoodie, a red T-shirt with the Phantom Thieves' logo on it, a pair of blue jeans, a pair of black socks, and her white sneakers. She was also still wearing her metal stud ear piercings. She was also carrying her bag and Clover with her. "I still don't get why you insisted on coming with me again, Teach," said Seiko.
"I thought we already made this clear. Where you go, I go. I have to make sure you stay out of harm's way," Clover replied. "Besides, a day out in the city with you and Akemi-chan sounds much more fun than watching Kodaka-kun mindlessly work at his computer."
"Is that seriously what he's planning on doing? He should really be resting," Seiko replied.
"He's a man hell-bent on revenge. I don't think he'll be able to really rest until our mission is accomplished. I asked him about it before we left. He's trying to dig up as much dirt on his uncle as he can find. He hopes it will give us some kind of clue about how to deal with him."
Seiko sighed. "I hope he paces himself. When this is all over, we should treat him to something. It will help get his mind off all of the unpleasantness."
"That's a nice idea, Seiko-chan. In the meantime, you should enjoy yourself. Let's have fun with Akemi-chan today."
"..." Seiko silently nodded.
Soon Seiko and Clover arrived at Zenjin Academy and saw that it was closed for the weekend, and Akemi was standing in front of the closed school gate. "...! Seiko! Over here!" Akemi exclaimed, when she saw her friend. Seiko took note of Akemi's outfit. She wore a pair of waist-length black shorts, a pair of beige flat sandals, and a cream loose tank top with no shoulder sleeves. She was also carrying a black purse over her right shoulder.
Seiko walked up to Akemi and greeted her. "Hey. Thanks for inviting me out today."
"Thanks for coming," Akemi replied. "I like your outfit. It's very…you."
Seiko snickered. "I'll take that as a compliment. I've never really been into girly clothes." Seiko didn't see the big deal that most girls her age made about clothes and accessories. She liked to wear simple things. She felt uncomfortable in anything else. That wasn't to say that she ever stepped out of her comfort zone however. Before her mother died, she let herself be influenced by those around her and almost became a completely different person. But the person she was now, that was the real her. "So what are we doing exactly? We didn't really make any plans."
"Well since this is only your first week in Tokyo, I thought we could just walk around and see where the day takes us. You can see a lot more of the city that way. But if that sounds boring then…"
Seiko shook her head. "No. That sounds great to me. Lead the way."
"Cool. Let's go then." The group began to walk away from the school. "There isn't that much to see in Aoyama-Itchome, but I can show you around at least. There's stores and cafés nearby if you ever feel like getting something before or after school. There's also a lot of other schools and businesses in the area too. Oh. Here's something the Phangirl in you might appreciate. We're just a few blocks away from Shujin Academy, the site of the first appearance of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."
Seiko sighed. "I keep telling you, I'm not really a fan."
"Your shirt says otherwise. Stop trying to deny it," Akemi replied.
"I actually happen to be very interested in the history of the Phantom Thieves. Seiko-chan, ask her to show us all the famous Phantom Thief sites," said Clover.
"Sorry, Teach. Not today," Seiko whispered to Clover.
"Did you say something?" Akemi asked Seiko.
"Huh? Oh. It's nothing," Seiko replied.
Saturday, 4/9 20XX, Afternoon
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 22.
The group spent the day exploring Tokyo together. Akemi showed Seiko a lot of the famous sites around a lot of the wards, while Clover hid in Seiko's bag and made snarky comments every now and then. Akemi caught Seiko talking to Clover a few times, but Akemi thought Seiko was just talking to herself. Seiko managed to play it off each and every time though. Eventually, the group settled down at a small restaurant in Shibuya for lunch. Seiko and Akemi sat down in an outside area and chatted about various things while they ate. Clover was still hiding in Seiko's bag, which she had placed on the ground underneath their table.
Akemi had taken a lot of pictures of Seiko and herself, and was giggling at Seiko's expression in each one. "Would it kill you to smile? You look uncomfortable in a lot of these."
"What do you want? That is how I smile," Seiko replied.
Akemi shook her head. "No. This is a forced 'Say Cheese' smile. Your real smile is much better. I got a couple of candid photos when you weren't looking, and I saw the real deal for myself." Akemi showed a few photos of Seiko genuinely smiling and laughing.
Seiko blushed. "I wish you wouldn't take photos of me without my permission."
"If I told you whenever I was taking a photo, all of these would be awkward smiles. That would be a waste," Akemi replied. "Go ahead and look through these. I'll send you any that you'd like to keep." She handed her phone to Seiko.
"..." Seiko sighed. Then she proceeded to look through the photos. "Geez. How many did you take?"
Akemi blushed. "S-Sorry. It's been a while since I've hung out with a friend. I guess I just got carried away."
Seiko snickered. "No, no. I didn't mean anything bad by it. I've never really had a friend that did anything like that, so I was just surprised is all."
Akemi sighed. "Believe it or not, a few years ago I hated this kind of stuff. Fashion, makeup, the endless sharing of photos. I actually made fun of girls who acted like this."
"That's right. You were a sporty girl, right? A real tomboy?"
Akemi shook her head. "That's an understatement. I think I have a photo of myself in there." Akemi took her phone back for a minute, and then looked through her stored photos. "Oh! Here we go." Akemi found a photo of her old self and then handed the phone back to Seiko. "That's me back in my second year of junior high."
"...!" Seiko's eyes widened when she saw the photo in question. The girl in the photo looked almost nothing like Akemi. Her hair was really short and a natural black, she had a slight muscular frame, and this annoying shit-eating grin on her face. She looked just like a boy, and that thought was emphasized by the fact that she was wearing a male school uniform. "D-Did you accidentally show me a picture of your younger brother?"
"Don't be rude! I already told you that's me!" Akemi exclaimed in a flustered tone. She sighed. "I had zero feminine charm back then. I've actually heard that from more people than I can count." Akemi punched her palm. "Although, every time a boy told me that I would make sure to slug him." Then she sighed again. "It was really embarrassing when my sisters called me on it though. Even my mom gave me an earful about being more feminine. That just wasn't me though."
"I'm sorry, but I can't get over it. It's like night and day," Seiko replied.
Akemi giggled in an embarrassed tone. "I get it. It's not just appearance wise either. Back then I was extremely hyper and gung-ho. I played for my school's volleyball, softball, and soccer teams, plus I practiced judo from time to time."
"Wow. Even professional athletes might call that a little much."
"What can I say? I had a lot of energy to burn." Akemi suddenly went silent and looked down at the table.
"I remember that you told me you ended up changing because you felt fake, but you seem so happy in this photo. Is there more to the story?"
Akemi shook her head. "No. That's the truth. One day, I had this realization that none of it mattered. I loved playing sports, don't get me wrong, but you could say this realization kind of ruined them for me. So I changed my looks, my personality, and my lifestyle in general. I'm not part of any teams at school, and the only time I play seriously anymore is when I go to the batting cages or attend the occasional judo class."
"..." Seiko gave her friend a concerned look. 'There's definitely more to the story. I guess she's just not ready to tell me yet. I'm not going to push her. It's her story to tell,' she thought to herself. Seiko looked back at the phone and scrolled through Akemi's photos again. "...!" She spied another old photo of Akemi in junior high. She was with a group of people who bore a strong resemblance to her. There was an older man, an older woman, a boy and a girl who both looked a little older than Akemi, another girl who looked a little younger than Akemi, and Akemi herself in the center. Akemi was holding up a trophy for the camera and smiling with the others. 'This must be her family. She gets really weird when they're brought up. Could they have something to do with Akemi's personality shift? But they look so happy here. What could have happened?' Seiko looked back at Akemi. She appeared to be somewhat distraught.
"..." Akemi was silently looking down at the table.
Seiko frowned and looked back at her friend's phone. "..." She ignored the family photo and looked back at the recent photos Akemi had taken. She found one that showed Akemi and her together, and Seiko was genuinely smiling in this one. "You're right. I look bad in most of these. This one looks okay though." Seiko showed Akemi the selected photo. "Send me this one."
Akemi perked up a little bit. "Yeah. I agree. That one came out really nice. I'll send that one to you then." Seiko handed Akemi back her phone, and then Akemi sent the photo to Seiko's phone. "And Seiko? Thank you."
"For what?"
"For not prying. For trying to cheer me up. For just being here." Akemi smiled at Seiko. "I'm lucky to have you as my friend."
"Don't mention it. I have a lot of baggage too. I know more than anyone that sometimes all you want to do is just ignore that it's there and focus on something else. If you ever do want to talk about it though, I'm ready to listen."
"Same here." Then Akemi sighed. "Okay. Enough downer talk. Let's finish lunch and then get back out there. Is there any place in particular that you want to go to next?"
Seiko thought about it for a few moments. "Hmm. Maybe Akihabara if that's okay with you? I'd kind of like to see what all the fuss is about."
"Akiba, huh? Sounds good. There's lots of stuff to do there. I didn't take you for the kind of girl who would be interested in otaku culture. Though I guess I'm not one to talk."
"I wouldn't say I'm that interested. For the most part, I just like manga. Reading and drawing it."
"You draw manga?"
"I used to. I kind of wanted to be a mangaka when I got older, but I stopped drawing after graduating junior high. I've been thinking about getting back into it though."
"Well let's check out some book stores and hobby shops while we're there. I'm sure there's supplies in Akiba that you won't be able to really find anywhere else." The girls finished eating, and then they paid their bill and collected their things. Seiko checked on Clover, and saw that she had fallen asleep at some point. "On the way there you can tell me more about it. Did you just draw doujinshi or did you create anything original?"
Seiko looked kind of embarrassed. "Doujinshi mostly. I could never really decide on a plot for an original story."
Akemi smirked. "Did you ever draw anything dirty?"
"What the hell are you saying?!" Seiko exclaimed in a flustered tone.
"It's fine. You can tell me if you're a closet perv. How about BL? Now that I think about it, you look like a rotten girl."
"Shut up! I regret saying anything now!"
As the girls were leaving the restaurant, another girl was arriving. Seiko almost bumped into her. "Oh! Sorry," said Seiko. The girl in question was fairly tall and lithe. She had fairly straight, dark teal hair that was worn in a shoulder length bob with a fishtail braid behind her left ear. She also had long, somewhat messy bangs covering her forehead, but they were swept away from the side of the braid. She also had upturned, copper brown eyes with slight bags under them, thick, slightly furrowed looking eyebrows, a round, slightly babyish face, and fairly pale skin. She was wearing a sleeveless light blue V-neck button up blouse with a black A-line skirt that went down to just above her knees. The skirt had a black strap acting as something of a belt, cinching and resting on her waist. She also wore a pair of dark gray boots with black laces.
"My bad," the tall girl replied. An icy glare fell on Seiko.
"..." Not wanting to get involved further, Seiko looked away and simply kept walking.
"Do you know that girl?" Akemi asked Seiko in a whisper.
"Never seen her before," Seiko replied as she shook her head.
"..." Akemi silently glared at the tall girl. "Come on. Let's go." Then she and Seiko (carrying Clover) left and headed towards the station.
"..." The tall girl silently watched them leave.
"That was a little cold, don't you think?" The tall girl turned to see a middle-aged man, sitting down at a nearby table with a beverage in his hand, had addressed her. The man had shoulder length dark black hair which was worn swept back, sea foam green eyes, and a neatly groomed black goatee. He was wearing a neat two-piece black suit and seemed rather out of place amongst the restaurant's other clientele. "I keep telling you. If you want to work in this business, you have to learn to be more friendly around other people."
"I said 'my bad'," the tall girl replied.
"But your eyes were telling that poor girl to die," the man replied. "You can say more with a single look than you can with a thousand words."
"I'm a writer. Words are my life," the tall girl replied. Then she sat down at the table with the man.
The man sighed. "You know I chose you to receive Kiritani's scholarship because I saw something special in you Kitamura-san. Your gift for writing is truly incredible, but your personality leaves a lot to be desired. You won't get far as a writer with that kind of attitude."
The girl, Miori Kitamura, sighed. "I'll take it under advisement. Now why exactly are we meeting today, Horiuchi-san? You called me out of the blue yesterday and told me to meet you here, but you didn't give me any details."
"I called you out here for a few things actually," Horiuchi replied. "First of all, to see how you were doing. This was your first week at Zenjin Academy, correct? What did you think? They have one of the best creative writing programs in the country. With their tutelage you could go really far as a writer."
"It was okay, I guess. I haven't been to school in almost two years, so it felt different going back. I'm the oldest student in my grade too, so I kind of stand out more than I'd like. But I definitely like my creative writing classes. I feel really at peace there," Miori replied.
"I see. That's good to hear. If you don't mind me asking, has anyone…noticed?"
Miori frowned and then shook her head. "No. No one has noticed, but even if they have, no one has said anything. I want my work to speak for itself. I'd appreciate it if that was the first thing you thought about it when it came to me."
Horiuchi shook his head. "No, no. You misunderstand me, Kitamura-san. Your work is why I became so interested in you in the first place. The way you're able to write from so many different genres and viewpoints is phenomenal, and your stories are always so interesting. But all writers need a hook. Something that sets them apart from the crowd. Have you reconsidered writing under your real name?"
"No. I haven't. You already know why I use pen names. I'm not going to change that now."
"I understand, but things have changed. You're no longer an artist hiding in the shadows. You've decided to go back to school and you're using your surname again. People will know who you are eventually. I just don't want to see you miss out on any opportunities."
"Like I said before, I want my work to speak for itself."
Horiuchi sighed. "Very well. I won't push any harder then. Onto the next reason for our impromptu meeting. I believe you've already heard about our company charity gala that's being held in a few months."
"Yeah. I heard about it on the news. You're hosting it at Nishikawa Tower, right?"
Horiuchi nodded. "That's right. We plan to have a Q and A and show off our new marketing campaign so we needed a venue that housed a theater. Plus, the sushi restaurant at the top of the tower happens to be one of my favorite restaurants in the city. As one of our up and coming artists, I would love for you to come and help promote our brand. It will also be a good opportunity for you to network and get your name out into the world."
Miori sighed. "I don't know. Fancy black-tie events like that aren't really my thing. I don't even own anything fancy enough to wear."
"That's perfectly fine. I've already set aside a ticket for you, and we have many people on retainer. We can definitely get you a suitable outfit before the gala."
"Can I think about it?"
"Of course. I'll just need to know a few weeks in advance so I get things prepared. Oh, and if you do decide to come, feel free to bring a guest. Who knows? You might meet someone special very soon."
Miori sighed again. "I doubt it. People tend to piss me off."
Horiuchi sighed. "Kitamura-san. You're so beautiful, but so cold. You're a modern-day Snow Queen."
"I'll take that as a compliment, I guess."
"Okay. Moving on. There's one final reason why I asked you to come today. Kiritani is currently working on publishing an anthology series featuring works from all of our up and coming writers. I was hoping that you would contribute something as well."
Miori sighed. "So that's the real reason you called me out here, huh?" She contemplated the idea. "A few questions. How long does the anthology have to be? Can I write anything I want? And can I decide if I want to make public appearances endorsing it?"
Horiuchi smiled. "Well we were thinking around 300 pages for each writer's anthology, give or take. Yes, you can write anything you want. It doesn't even have to be a collection of short stories. You can produce a novel if you wish. We're marketing the series as a bundled collector's edition after all. Finally, you're more than happy to avoid the spotlight if you so choose. You can even write under one of your pen names. So what do you say?"
Miori smiled slightly. "I may not seem like it at times, but I am grateful for everything you've done for me, Horiuchi-san. Thanks to you, I feel like my dream of being a professional writer is finally within my grasp. I'd be more than happy to do anything I can to return the favor, so I'll gladly contribute to your anthology series."
"Excellent. I'll have the contract drawn up as soon as possible. In the meantime, let's have lunch together."
"...! Oh. Umm…" Miori was at a loss for words.
"Don't worry. It's on me. I understand that you have to be frugal with your living expenses."
Miori smiled again. "Thank you, Horiuchi-san."
Saturday, 4/9 20XX, Afternoon
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 22.
Meanwhile, Kodaka was busying himself with his computer. After being banned from using Alibaba's Cave of Wonders by the admin, he tried to research Shinohara Development and the Skyrailway contract on his own. However, after spending the better part of the day on his search, Kodaka realized that it was useless. All he could find on his own were baseless rumors and slander. There was nothing definitive that pointed to wrong doing on his uncle's part. He figured this would be the case. Information can be easily controlled if you know the right people. This just proved that Yasuhiro Shinohara was more connected than Kodaka originally thought. Someone had to have been protecting him. That was a certainty. This fact also made Kodaka realize how connected Alibaba had to have been to gather any information on his uncle at all.
Kodaka had officially given up intel gathering around noon, and was now looking into other things. Namely, anything and everything to do with the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. It had been several years since the Thieves had last been active, and the mainstream media didn't report on them at all anymore. But that didn't mean the community had been completely silent about them. There were tons of gossip and rumor blogs still up about them, including the website that started it all, the Phantom Aficionado Website, or Phansite for short. This website was started shortly after the Phantom Thieves first appeared. Supposedly, the original admin was someone the Phantom Thieves had helped during their first job, but that was never directly proven.
Since the Phansite's first founding, the role of admin had apparently shifted. There was an old announcement on the website that stated that they had to step down for personal reasons and that they were leaving control of the site in good hands. The new admin was apparently very active on the Phansite. They seemed to post at least once every day, commented on pretty much everything, and released a new poll every month. They had even added some features to the Phansite that Kodaka had not remembered seeing when he frequented it years ago. Of course he visited the Phansite back then. You would be hard pressed to find a person who didn't visit it at the time, but it had been quite some time since he had even thought about it. Becoming a Phantom Thief himself had certainly expanded his horizons.
Of course, the people who frequented the Phansite seemed to be more or less the same kind of people who visited it when Kodaka was interested in it. Sarcastic assholes, idiots, and trolls who just said outlandish things and complained. However, Kodaka did notice that there seemed to be a proper "Request" thread on the Phansite now that filtered out all of that noise. The only posts on this thread were legitimate pleas for help for the Phantom Thieves. There were some pretty awful things mentioned there. Various targets included stalkers, conmen, and even murderers. A lot of the people mentioned were people seen on the news. There were even more lesser known people though. Kodaka sighed as he looked at the endless thread. "There are some cruel people out there." Unfortunately, his uncle didn't lack company. Kodaka also noticed a separate poll on this thread showing the most undesirable targets. These were mainly well-known people who were part of the mainstream media. Kodaka also made note of the current No. 1 listed in the poll. Chain of Victims, the infamous serial killer.
Kodaka scrolled through the thread to see if anyone had asked for his uncle to be made a target. After a few minutes of searching, he found one post that was dated a few weeks ago. It listed his uncle by name. "'Dear Phantom Thieves, I don't know if you're still active or not, but if there's even a chance that you still are, I'm begging you to help. The president of the company that I work for is building a Skyrailway that will connect Ogikubo to Central Tokyo. I believe that the train is unsafe and that the president is purposefully cutting corners on construction. I plan to go to the police with this information as soon as possible, but there's a chance nothing will come of it. Please change his heart. I don't want to have a hand in hurting anyone. His name is Yasuhiro Shinohara. Thank you in advance.'," Kodaka read over the post. From the writing alone, it was clear that an adult had written this. "Could this person have been one of the whistleblowers that the Shadow mentioned?" Kodaka tried to look deeper into the person that had posted the request, but it appeared that they never posted anything else after it. Kodaka frowned as he thought about what his uncle's Shadow had told him. "You're probably dead too, huh? I'm so sorry that it took someone this long to act." He shook his head. "We're not even the Phantom Thieves that they were asking for help. It's the same thing for all of these people. They're all waiting for someone else."
These people needed the Phantom Thieves. Despite the Thieves' absence and the continued deterioration of the world, these people were still holding out hope that someone would come and help them. This was the conclusion that Kodaka had reached. He sighed again. "Okay. If they're not going to step in and do anything, then we will."
Saturday, 4/9 20XX, Nighttime
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 22.
After returning from their outing with Akemi, Seiko and Clover were visited by Seiko's younger half-sister, Mitsuha. They played together with Mitsuha for a little while, and then they had dinner after she left to return home. Then they settled in and began to prepare for the night. Clover was laying down on Seiko's bed and watching TV (Seiko had shown her how to work the remote), while Seiko was sitting at her desk and drawing in a new notebook she bought earlier that day. She had decided to get back into her old hobby of drawing manga, but before she broke out her newly acquired fancy pens, ink, and paper, she wanted to test out her drawing skills and make sure she hadn't gotten rusty. She had spent the better part of the night drawing different simple things.
She was currently drawing the logo of the original Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Well actually she was drawing the second logo that they used. The one that most people were familiar with. But she also tried drawing the original logo. Needless to say, it looked a little rougher than the second one. She didn't want to disparage the person who drew it, but you could clearly tell that the two logos came from two different people. 'I've thought about this before, but the second logo is really good. I wonder who drew it?' She finished the drawing while she continued to contemplate the identity of the artist behind the logo. She looked down at the copied logo and smiled. 'That's pretty good for just going by memory. One or two of the lines might be off, but it's fine. I wasn't going for a perfect reproduction anyway.
"..." Seiko tapped at her notebook with her pencil, while she thought about what to draw next. Suddenly, an idea came to her. She thought about her halo, which she used as a weapon when she was in the Metaverse. She tried to recall its design from her memory, and then she began to draw it over the logo's hat. It took a few minutes, but she managed to recreate a simplified version of the halo which fit well with the rest of the logo. 'It still feels like it's missing something. What else could I add?' Then her eyes widened. "...!" She started drawing again, but spent more time ironing out the details. She ended up having to erase and redraw things a few times, but she eventually reached her final product. There was now a pair of beautiful, feathery angel wings on each side of the logo to match the halo.
"Whoa! That looks really good!" Clover exclaimed.
"...!" Seiko jumped up in surprise. At some point, Clover had appeared on the desk to Seiko's right. "Don't scare me like that!"
"Sorry. I didn't want to interrupt you," Clover replied. "But I'm serious. Your logo is beautiful."
Seiko scoffed. "Please. I just added a halo and wings. It's hardly original."
"But I think there's a certain charm in that. The burning heart-shaped mask and tophat belong to the other Phantom Thieves, but you added to that. It's like it symbolizes that you're picking up where they left off, but putting your own spin on things."
Seiko shook her head. "You're reading too much into things. I just drew it to draw it."
"Well even still, I think it looks great. Don't sell yourself short, my darling pupil."
"..." Seiko silently stared at the newly created logo. She really didn't think much of it, but she had to admit, it made her kind of happy to hear Clover compliment it. Little did Seiko know, the drawing that she made on a whim would become the new symbol of hope that her world would stand behind.
Sunday, 4/10 20XX, Daytime
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 21.
The next day, Clover requested that Seiko and Kodaka accompany her to Shibuya as preparation for their next Palace infiltration. Though Clover had been pretty vague about the reason why they had to come to Shibuya to do so. "So why exactly are we in Shibuya, Teach?" Seiko asked.
"And why am I tagging along today?" Kodaka asked.
Clover was hiding in Seiko's bag as usual. She poked her head out of the bag, and then she started talking to her teammates. "Obviously, since the three of us are together, this is Phantom Thief business. It occurred to me recently that we may require some more firepower for our next infiltration."
"Firepower?" Seiko repeated in confusion.
"Do you mean some more help? Did you find another person with the Metaverse Navigator?" Kodaka asked.
Clover shook her head. "While another Thief to add to our team would always be appreciated, that's not what I'm talking about. I mean literal firepower. I think we need to get you two some firearms."
"What?!" Seiko exclaimed, attracting a lot of unwanted attention. She blushed in embarrassment and then continued whispering to Clover. "You want us to get guns? Are you insane?"
"I don't see what's crazy about it. While it's true that you two have your halo and your cane sword to fight against the Shadows, there may come a time when you're not able to rely on them. That's why it's best that we cover all our bases and add some ranged weapons to our arsenal," Clover explained.
"Okay. Putting aside the fact that it's illegal for ordinary citizens to buy or own firearms in Japan for a minute, are guns really necessary? I mean I could see why I would need one. I can't exactly use a sword as a long-range weapon, but Seiko's halo acts like a boomerang. It's technically a short-range and long-range weapon rolled into one," Kodaka replied.
"True. But gun skills are another speciality of Phantom Thieves. In the Metaverse, you'll be able to perform maneuvers with them the likes of which you've only seen in the realm of fiction. I wouldn't want Seiko-chan to miss out on a valuable learning experience just because her melee weapon already can be used as a ranged one," Clover explained.
Seiko sweatdropped. "In other words, you just want to see these 'gun skills' in person so you want us to get them."
"Is it so wrong for a teacher to want to see their pupil excel?" Clover replied.
Seiko sighed. "Okay. Fine. I can't say that I'm not interested in it now, but it's like Kodaka said, guns are illegal for us to buy and own. What are we supposed to do?"
Clover snickered and grinned mischievously. "Not to worry. While watching TV last night, I happened to stumble across a local commercial for a certain airsoft shop here in Shibuya. Apparently they sell all sorts of things, including model weapons and guns."
"That's your plan? You want us to buy model guns for us to use in the Metaverse? What good is that going to do?" Kodaka asked.
"Have you already forgotten what we told you, Kodaka-kun? The Metaverse is a universe made out of the Collective Unconsciousness of mankind. Nothing that exists in it is technically real. So what do you think would happen if we introduced a fake weapon into that world?" Clover replied.
"...!" Kodaka's eyes widened. "Wait. Are you saying that if we take a model gun into the Metaverse it will become a real gun?"
"Close. The gun will stay a model, but the cognition around it will change. The Shadows that we use it against will see the model gun and think that it's real, which will cause it to act real," Clover explained.
"Kind of like the stock of medicine we got from Doc Takemi, huh?" Seiko replied.
"Exactly. So all we need to do is purchase some very convincing model guns for you two and you should be able to use them in the Metaverse no problem. According to the commercial, this place prides itself on very realistic models. Rumor has it that the Phantom Thieves even purchased their weapons from this particular airsoft shop," Clover replied with stars in her eyes.
"And that's the real reason why she wants to go there," Kodaka replied with a sigh.
Seiko sighed as well. "Figures. Teach is obsessed with Phantom Thief lore."
"You two make it sound like that's a bad thing," said Clover.
Sunday, 4/10 20XX, Daytime
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 21.
The Phantom Thieves headed deeper into Shibuya, and Clover directed the group into an alley off of the main street. After a little walking, the group found a small shop off to the left side of the alley. It was called "Untouchable". It appeared both family-friendly and shady at the same time, which didn't really seem possible. "Yep. This is the place. Hopefully, we'll be able to get some great model guns here. What are we waiting for? Let's head inside."
"Well I guess it can't hurt to check it out," said Seiko.
"We did come all this way," Kodaka replied.
As the group was about to enter the shop, someone came out of it. It was a very shady-looking middle-aged man. He had short gray hair, gray-colored eyes, faint noticeable stubble on his face, and noticeable sideburns. He also had a gray-colored gecko tattoo on the left side of his neck near the back of his head. He wore a pin-striped hat with yellow ear defenders resting on it, a black turtleneck sweater, a long gray coat with a red peace symbol on the left hem of it, a pair of simple blue jeans, a pair of black leather boots, and earrings. He was also holding something in his mouth. It looked like a toothpick at first, but upon a closer look, it was revealed to be a lollipop. "Oh?" the man seemed surprised to see the group. "Actual customers, huh?" He spoke in a gruff tone, but he wore an amused smile on his face. "Heh. And here I was about to head out on an errand."
"Umm…I'm sorry. Are you the owner of this store?" Seiko asked cautiously.
"That I am. Are you looking to buy?" the owner replied.
"We heard that you sold very realistic-looking models, including model weapons and guns," Kodaka replied.
"Oh? You two are interested in that kind of thing, huh?" The owner sighed. "Well normally I deal with customers like you myself, but I'm afraid my errand can't wait. Go ahead inside. My part-timer will help you out. Go easy on her though. It's her first week on the job. Later." Then the owner of the airsoft shop left without another word.
"..." The group silently watched him leave the alley, and when they saw he was gone, they started talking again. "Well that guy looked shady as hell," said Seiko.
"Seriously. He looked like he was with the yakuza," said Kodaka. "Are we sure about this place?"
"If it was good enough for the original Phantom Thieves, it's good enough for us," said Clover. "Now let's head in." With some coaxing from Clover, Seiko and Kodaka entered the airsoft shop.
Sunday, 4/10 20XX, Daytime
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 21.
The inside of the airsoft shop was stacked wall to wall with model guns, weapons, and various other things, which said a lot considering how cramped it seemed to be. The part-timer that the owner mentioned sat down behind a display case to the right of the entrance.
She appeared to be around Seiko and Kodaka's age, if not a bit younger. She was on the shorter side as well. She had shoulder-length light purple hair, reddish brown eyes with prominent bags underneath them, very pale skin, and a slim and slender figure with moderate curves. She was wearing a gray shop apron, which had a name tag that read: Rien, over a plain white T-shirt and a knee-length magenta skirt. She also wore a pair of black leggings, a pair of magenta sneakers, black eyeshadow, and black nail polish. "Welcome to Untouchable. Are you buying or browsing?" the part-timer, Rien, asked in a reserved tone.
"Umm…we're just browsing for now," Seiko replied in an unsure tone.
"Just so you know, there is a five minute time limit on browsing. Too many looky-loos lately. If you're not planning to buy something after that, you have to leave. Boss' orders," Rien replied.
"W-We'll try to be quick about it," Seiko replied.
"Let me know if you need anything." Rien didn't say anything else after that. She picked up a book that was on the top of the display case and started reading. Apparently, she didn't have anything else to do.
"..." The group decided to silently browse the shop themselves. They saw many different model guns and weapons. Though Untouchable was marketed as an airsoft shop, some of the things featured in the store were not things you would think to use in the popular war games. There were swords that ranged from medieval to fantasy in nature, sci-fi weapons such as rayguns, and even non-weapon models such as vehicles and robots.
"There's definitely a lot of stuff here. I can't believe I didn't know about this place. I'm not a weapon nut, but I can definitely see the appeal," said Kodaka.
"Do you see any guns that you like?" Seiko asked. Then she sighed. "Geez. That sounded really weird coming out of my mouth."
"Hmm. I don't really know what's good or not. Something simple would probably be best, right? It's not like either of us have ever used a gun before." Kodaka picked up one of the model pistols that was on display. "Even a small pistol feels heavy to me. Plus there's aiming, firing, and recoil. This seems like a lot more trouble than it's worth."
"If I'm right, you shouldn't need to worry about any of that. Just like you know how to use your Personas and your Phantom Thief abilities, you should know how to use the guns you choose automatically. Just pick something that you think looks cool," said Clover.
Kodaka sighed. "Alright, fine." Kodaka put the pistol back and then scanned the walls. "That one actually looks pretty cool." Kodaka reached for a larger gun that was on a higher shelf. It was a Beretta 412. Kodaka held it in his hands and pretended to fire it. He smirked. "Yeah. I think this is the one for me." Kodaka looked at the price for the model, and his smile vanished. "That's a bit more than what I was expecting to pay, but I can afford it. Barely." Kodaka sighed. "This better be worth it."
Seiko's eyes widened when she saw the price of Kodaka's gun. "...! Are you serious? There's no way I'm spending that much."
"What price can you really place on your safety, Seiko-chan?" Clover asked.
"It's not about safety, so much as it is about looking cool, right?" Seiko replied.
"Can you really put a price on that either?" Clover replied.
Seiko sighed. "Fine. But I'm going for price over style. I already splurged yesterday." Seiko settled on a relatively cheap silver-colored TT-33 HW pistol with a unique white pearl handle.
Clover smirked. "You say that, but your gun looks pretty stylish to me."
"Shut up and tell me what you're getting. It has to be cheaper than mine. My wallet is crying out in agony as is," Seiko replied.
"Oh. Don't worry about me. My wand is able to fire off magical sparks and blasts that are just as effective as bullets. You save your money," Clover replied.
Seiko sighed again. "Well thanks for that at least, Teach."
With their model guns selected, the group headed over to Rien to pay. The bored-looking part-timer put down her book when she saw the group approach. "Looks like you decided to buy after all. That's good. A Beretta and a Tokarev too. Excellent choices. But just so you know, we frown on anyone committing illegal acts with our models. Boss says that brings unnecessary attention from the cops."
"...!" Seiko and Kodaka's eyes widened.
Rien began to ring up the group's purchases. "You guys should learn to whisper quieter if you don't want people to eavesdrop."
Sunday, 4/10 20XX, Daytime
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 21.
About ten minutes later, the group left Untouchable, with two new weapons in tow. At the urging of Rien, Seiko put both guns in her bag. Kodaka's gun seemed troublesome to deal with at first, but Rien showed them how they could disassemble it for easy transport. The group was surprised that she turned out to be more helpful than her personality would lead you to believe. Her sharp wit was a little unnerving though. She could easily tell that they had ulterior motives for their guns. "Was it just me or did that girl seem way too smart for her own good?" Kodaka asked.
"It's not just you. Something about her really seemed off. It kind of felt like she was studying our every move. She knew a lot more about guns then I was comfortable with as well," said Seiko.
"You two are so negative. I really liked her. I wonder if the store owner is as interesting as her. Seiko-chan, let's come back as soon as we're able," Clover replied.
Seiko sighed. "Well at least we have some more weapons to help us out. Hopefully these guns will come in handy when we head back into the Palace tomorrow."
"I already feel much better. By tomorrow, I should be able to go after my uncle again. Let's push through and make our way to his Treasure," said Kodaka.
"That's the spirit, Kodaka-kun. Let's make our mark as the new Phantom Thieves of Hearts and commit a legendary train robbery," Clover replied with a wicked smirk.
"Tomorrow, we make our move," said Seiko. Clover and Kodaka nodded in affirmation.
Monday, 4/11 20XX, Daytime
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.
The next day, Seiko and Clover went to school like usual. Only today, they were biding their time until the final bell, when they would head over to Ogikubo, meet up with Kodaka, and head into Shinohara's Palace. Around lunch time, Seiko got a message from Kodaka on his personalized messaging app, KWIRE.
Kodaka: I'll be waiting in front of the station once you get out of school. Meet me there.
Seiko: Got it. Remember to bring the guns and medicine. We don't know what we'll encounter in the Palace the deeper we go in. Best to be prepared.
Clover peered at Seiko's phone and read the messages. "That's true. A Palace becomes more and more twisted the deeper we go into it. Things will probably get really, really weird before we reach the Treasure."
Seiko: Teach says that we should keep on our toes. Things could get really weird the closer we get to the Treasure.
Kodaka: My uncle thinks of himself as a cowboy and the Skyrailway as an old-timey locomotive. How can it get weirder?
Clover snickered. "Oh poor, naive Kodaka-kun. You haven't seen anything yet." Then she turned serious. "Seriously though. Every time we enter a Palace, we're putting ourselves in danger. Shinohara is going to fight us every step of the way to keep us from his Treasure. We have to be careful."
Seiko: We can do this. Let's take Shinohara down.
Kodaka: It's payback time.
Monday, 4/11 20XX, After School
Current Mission: Steal Shinohara's Heart. Days Until Skyrailway Grand Opening: 20.
After school, Seiko and Clover headed back to Ogikubo and met up with Kodaka, who was waiting in front of the station. "This is it. No turning back. Our goal is the Treasure. Let's try to get as far as we can today," said Clover.
"Right," said Seiko.
"I'm ready," said Kodaka.
"Then Seiko-chan, can you do the honors?" Clover asked.
"..." Seiko nodded and pulled up the Metaverse Navigator, and then she selected the Iron Horse Palace from her "Bookmarks".
"Beginning navigation." The app's eye icon began to flash and red and black swirls filled the air. Then the group was transported to the Metaverse.
A/N: That's all for now. I hope you all enjoyed that, and are interested in the new characters that were introduced and set up in this chapter. I really enjoyed writing them and I can't wait to include them in even more scenes. Next up is the Palace exploration. I plan for that to include everything all the way up to when the Treasure is found. This will include battles, Phantom Thief sneakiness, lockpicks and Thief tools, the amazing grappling hook, and Will Seeds. Look forward to it. Until then, please read, review, and follow.