Author's note:
Hey all,
Once again, thank you for the support and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Something I should point out from last chapter, the principal doesn't have a canon first name so I had to create one.
Next, I will be taking August off from writing in order to complete other tasks. I will hopefully be doing some outlining during this time as well. As such, there will be at least one more chapter this summer, maybe two if I am feeling ambitious. On that note though, I ended this chapter at a place I think makes sense, but it is a little shorter than some others. However, the next chapter will probably be quite long and take a while to write.
I think that's everything, so please, lean back and enjoy :)
Chapter 6: Onslaught of Obligations
Wednesday May 18th, 20XX Evening
The cramped apartment was pitch dark. The only source of light came from outside. The hustle and bustle of downtown Tokyo never ceasing, even as the sun fell, leaving only the moon and stars, barely visible through a layer of smog, to light the night sky.
Standing at the balcony, Akechi tapped his fingers on the railing, a smirk twisting his lips. He kept this apartment as a show of humility. So that no one would question where a high schooler got enough money for a lavish home. Even as a 'detective prince' he wasn't formally paid for what he did. No, but he could get as much as he wanted from his 'benefactor'. Masayoshi Shido, even thinking the name soured Akechi's mood that had been so good before.
Things were falling into place. The Phansite had been useful for tracking down the Phantom thieves' next target: Madarame. While losing him could potentially hurt Shido, who received a portion of Madarame's counterfeit sales, Akechi wasn't willing to commit to a plan of action just yet. He had identified them, Shujin students and whatever that monstrous pat partner they had was. At this point, all Akechi could do was wait for feedback from Shido… and play with his new toy.
Thinking about the girl brought an excited smile to his face. Taking another quick look at his phone, it was only 9:17 pm. Two minutes had passed since his last check. Akechi had found exhilarating sport in talking to her. In facing her resolve to fix her situation that she had stumbled into. In teasing her as she slowly grew more desperate, her confidence in her abilities slowly eroding. It was intoxicating. Yet, for some reason Akechi couldn't comprehend, he found his crafted persona breaking down when did so. Her retaliations and grievances making him resort more and more to his brutal self.
He'd never had this before. A person that had pushed back at him. That made him want to challenge them again. See what new surprises see would have in store for him today.
Had she surpassed his expectations?
Had she solved her problem on her own?
Possibilities whirring through his mind, Akechi kept tapping as his final minutes of waiting ticked by.
Thursday May 19th, 20XX Lunchtime
"Umm, hello?" Knocking hesitantly on the nurse's room door, Sumire waited for an answering call.
"Ah, Yoshizawa-san, please, come in!"
"P-please excuse me." Pushing the door the rest of the way open, Sumire slid into the room, partially closing the door behind her. Once in the room, she shifted awkwardly, the singular man sitting before her was examining her carefully. Writhing under his gaze, Sumire didn't know where to look or what to say. She didn't even know why she was here.
When she got to school this morning, the office secretary had flagged her down and given her a note from the principal. All it stated was that she was now one of the people required to receive counseling.
'In an effort to better mentally prepare you for the upcoming trials you will face in your extracurricular activities.'
She didn't understand the change in attitude of the school. It was possible that the principal had genuinely thought this was a good idea to improve her results while competing. But… She just couldn't convince herself that he had actually written that line.
"Please, sit down," the doctor smiled warmly at her, waving to the empty chair.
"T-thank you." Walking around the blue unholstered piece of furniture, Sumire delicately place herself down on the edge of the seat. As she does, the surface sinks beneath her. Impressed by the softness, she is forced to move further back so that she doesn't slide off.
"Ah really," he insists, "get comfortable. There are snacks on the table, eat as many as you like."
"U-Umm, no thank you," Sumire denies, embarrassed, "Those all have a lot of sodium or sugar in them. They'd ruin my diet."
"Haha, you certainly are the diligent athlete, are you? Anyway, my name is Dr. Maruki, but please, call me whatever you like."
"S-Sooo…. Why do I have to come?" Working up the courage, Sumire found herself less intimidated of this stranger than she thought she would be. Part of it definitely has to do with his kind smile and gentle brown eyes. It's hard to not trust him. A bigger part, though, was her adventurers yesterday. After experiencing another world… It simply made this one less scary. Things here were familiar and made sense.
"Well," Maruki answered, looking a little awkward, "I personally believe that everyone should have access to a counsellor, or a therapist. The act of talking to someone that won't judge you, no matter what you say, can be extremely helpful."
"U-Umm… Alright?"
"B-But I suppose that doesn't mean anything to you at this point. The principal just thought that it would be good for some of the honor's students to talk to me. I wholeheartedly agree. After all, you're entering high school now, a whole new level of competition."
"I… I suppose," Sumire replied after a short pause. Despite Maruki's insistence, Sumire just still couldn't believe that the principal cared enough about her 'mental wellbeing' to request counselling for her. "Honestly… I'm starting to forward to it. I was in a bit of a slump before, but things are starting to get better."
"Oh?" Maruki queried, his eyes sparkling with interest. "And is there any reason for this change? Some… event, perhaps, that led to this?"
"W-Well," I stutter, unable to say the truth. Eyes shifting, I don't know what to say. "I-I had a growth spurt! I-It's just taken me some time to adjust to the new perspective! T-that's all."
"I see…" Maruki breathed, leaning back in his chair. His smile twisted somewhat, contentment filling his gaze. "Since you're in such a good state, how about some idle chatter?"
"Uhh…"
"For example, I recently got a large bag of apples from a friend. After awhile I got bored of just eating them straight up, so, I wanted to try and make something from them. Can you guess what I did?"
"Apple pie?" Sumire guessed, slightly exasperated. This confusing conversation was really the last thing she needed in her life right now. She had multiple issues to try and resolve without wondering about why the school councillor was pursuing her for chitchat.
"Ha! I tried to add them to pasta. You know how you can make it spicy? Well I thought the apples would make it sweet. You know, to change it up. It well… didn't go well."
The admission got a snort from Sumire. Lips stretching into smile, she shook her head slightly at the councillor. "Apples are quite versatile. They can be added to many dishes, or served on their own in many forms, as a main ingredient in pasta though… Probably a bad idea."
"Ahh… So, you like cooking then?"
"I… Yes, I suppose I do," Sumire realized, blinking as the thought hit her. It had never occurred to her before. It was simply something she did so that Kasumi and she would have the correct nutrients and balance in their meals. The only thing she could do correctly to help her sister out for all the effort Kasumi put into her.
Smile growing, Sumire nodded stronger this time. "Yes, I do like cooking. I think that's the first time I've ever said that…"
"Perhaps these sessions may be of some use then?" Maruki asked.
"…Yes," Sumire agreed nodding. "I'll uhh… try to make time to see you."
"I would appreciate that," Maruki smiled back, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. "Also… I know it's a lot to ask, but I'm currently in the midst of some research. There's another student that I'm bouncing ideas off of occasionally… but to have another perspective may help."
"You want my help for research?" Sumire asked disbelievingly. She struggled sometimes to keep up with high school material. Research though!? Like post-graduate school level material? "I-I'm not sure if I'm qualified…"
"Oh no!" Maruki assured her. "It's quite simple. You just act as an intermediary that I can bounce ideas off of. It requires no specialized learning, or jargon at all. I can add all that in at the end."
"A-All right… Umm, what is the research topic?" Sumire was forced to ask. Wondering exactly what she was getting roped into.
"Ahh, well you see. It focuses around pain and curing it. Specifically, wounds of the heart and soul. It is something we don't really focus on, complex to study, and even more complex to treat. Each person experiences and deals with pain in different ways. There is no way to create a general cure for this."
"I… I don't see how I can help with that…" Sumire stuttered, feeling overwhelmed. "B-besides, isn't that what you already do as a councillor? Help people get past the pain that medicine can't heal?"
"It's too narrow," Maruki denied, shaking his head as the first signs of anger Sumire had seen touched his mouth. "I'm searching for a way to help more people, maybe even those that don't realize they need help yet."
Shivering, Sumire couldn't keep the note of fear from her voice. "B-But, wouldn't that be like manipulating them? Changing their personality?"
"No!" Maruki reacted, shooting her down, "nothing so drastic, just taking their pain away. That's all. A… realization."
Sumire smiled slightly, thinking about how nice his words sounded. "No pain, huh? I wonder how much better my life would be…" If I was more like Kasumi.
But the final words didn't come out. Sumire wondered if her life really would be better if she was more like her sister. Would they get along better, or worse? How much would have changed growing up?
"…Anyway," Maruki probed, clearly having something to say as he sat forward in his chair. "During this research, I was considering the possibility that there is a place, a place where a person's thoughts and desires are given physical form. …What do you think about that?"
"…" Blinking in confusion, the words sounded so strange. Sumire couldn't even comprehend them for a moment. Until her mind filtered out the extraneous details. Another world. Person's desires. Breathes coming faster, Sumire couldn't believe it. Was the world Maruki describing… the same one the phantom thieves used? To change hearts. "I'm afraid… I'm unable to help you. I need to be going now, I need to eat lunch before break ends."
Standing up, Sumire bowed deeply and fled the room before Maruki could say anything. Her bangs obscuring the satisfied smile on his face.
Thursday May 19th, 20XX After school
Standing on the overpass, Ren looked patiently over Shibuya crossing as he waited for the rest of the thieves to assemble. Yet, even as he stared at the crossing, his mind was somewhere else. Off in a completely different world, staring at an unsurpassable door. One, Morgana claimed, resided inside Madarame's house. A place Yusuke had barred them from entering. Well, everyone except Ann.
As much as Ren thought though, only one solution came to his mind. Ann wouldn't like it, but she didn't actually have to go through with Yusuke's demands. She just had to generate a situation where Madarame would view the open door. After that, she just needed to flee the house while feigning innocence. It was risky, but it was the only solution Ren could think of short of literally breaking into the house. Turning into an actual criminal was not something he fancied. Especially while trying to reform society for the better.
"Ugh, agh!"
Hearing a labored panting, Ren turned around. Running toward him was Ryuji, a wild look in his eye. Behind him was Ann, her face blanched with terror. Heart racing from what was obviously bad news, Ren jerked his shoulder to wake Morgana up who was napping in his bag.
"D-dude…" Ryuji panted as he arrived, leaning against the railing. Sliding to the ground, Ryuji pulled out his phone and handed it to Ren. "…Read… this."
Hand shaking from the fear the two have given him, Ren took the phone uncertainly. It was unlocked, open to a webpage. Bringing it closer, Ren recognized it as the phansite. While he tried to never go on the site, he saw it enough from Ryuji and Mishima.
There was a post selected on the screen, bringing it up so it was the only thing displayed. The username was listed Dancer2503. After that, it was the text that took Ren's attention.
Dear Phantom Thieves,
As a follow-up to a previous request, I once again humbly beg of you to change the heart of Shujin Academy's Principal. He has been threatening and blackmailing students of the school to maintain his position. His keywords are as follows:
Kobayakawa Botan
Shujin Academy
Playground
Please, please listen. I cannot emphasize enough how little time there is left.
"Oh…" Ren was left speechless by the text. He didn't know what to say about it. It appeared that someone had discovered their method of changing hearts. Yet… they supported their actions?
"This is really bad…" Morgana groaned, reading over Ren's shoulder. "How does someone else know about the metaverse!?"
"We… were hoping you would know…" Ann panted, finally recovering some breath. "After all Morgana, you can travel back and forth right? Did you ever meet someone else while looking through palaces?"
"Uhh…" Muttering awkwardly, Morgana seemed unwilling to answer the question.
"Kamoshida's was your only palace, wasn't it?" Ren accused him. "You went in and got caught."
"W-well… I knew about mementos, right!?" Morgana replied, "A-and I mean… I can turn into a car! That's pretty cool."
"Dude," Ryuji sighed, "why can't you be more helpful?"
"Hey! I am helpful! You would have been expelled without me!"
"Yes yes!" Ren broke in. "Let's focus on this problem. Someone appears to have gotten the metanav and determined how we change hearts but are either unwilling, or unable to do it themselves. It sounds like an earnest request. I think we should look into it. See if it is legitimate."
"A second palace…" Ryuji sighed, sounding tired for once. "We still haven't even figured out what to do with that door in Madarame's palace. Do we seriously want to start infiltrating another palace?"
"How can you be so heartless?" Ann shot back. "This confirms that the principal knew about Kamoshida and did nothing. Now he is blackmailing students, trying to cover up his deeds!"
"Morgana?" Ren asked, looking for an opinion that was usually presenting whether he wanted it or not.
"I… don't know." The cat admitted awkwardly. "To take on more than one palace…"
Nodding, Ren knew where he was coming from. The fatigue from the previous day's expedition still sat upon his body. With multiple palaces, on top of the mementos requests, they would have to spend almost every day in the metaverse. Each day doing so pushing them all harder, giving Ren no time to expand his bonds or improve his own abilities.
Yet… The sincerity, the urgency within the text. Ren couldn't help but feel like it was written to him, for him. "I… I want to check this palace out."
Looking up, Ren glanced at the three of them, judging their expressions and mood. He knew he had made an unreasonable request of them. Pushed more work onto their already busy lives. However… each of them nodded strongly back to him. Surprised, Ren smiled, touched by their mutual trust in him.
"We set out to change shitty adults, right?" Ryuji chirped with excitement, pulling himself to his feet. "Well, two is better than one in my book!"
"Definitely!" Ann nodded firmly. Her face set in that stubborn expression where Ren knew it would be impossible to change her mind. "No way am I going to a school every day where the principal is an asshole that abuses his students."
"Hehe, well. Double the targets, double the fame, double the access to mementos," Morgana added, trying to keep his cool aura going. "Let's head back to the… hey, isn't that the student council president?"
Sighing, Ren, faced where Morgana had pointed with his snout. Just as he said, Makoto was standing there, book held upside down obscuring half her face, yet she stood out all the more because of it. When she saw Ren looking, her cheeks flared, and she quickly departed. Shaking his head, Ren led them back to the school.
Thursday May 19th, 20XX After school
Sitting on the patio chair, Kasumi stirred her black coffee with a dull interest. She had ordered it simply because it was the only thing on the menu she could confidently consume while knowing what it was she was drinking. Even now, she couldn't lax her diet just because it was the off season. Summer would come quickly, and then every single day would be important.
If I get that far.
Looking up, Kasumi glared at the uncooperative man sitting on the other side of the table. He looked far too smug sipping on his own cup of coffee. He sat, back perfectly straight in his chair, gazing imperiously at the passersby in Kichijoji. Huffing, Kasumi looked back down, continuing to stir her black coffee, contrasting perfectly with the white table. If Akechi wasn't going to speak, then neither was she.
"Well," Akechi finally spoke, "your report is incredibly disheartening. I would have thought you would have managed to at least bring some students over to your side."
"Grr…" It certainly didn't help Kasumi's conscious knowing that Akechi was right. She should have been able to do more. She just didn't know how. All she ever did in life was dive headfirst at the problem. She didn't possess the subtlety or charisma required to make friends with high school students.
"Nonetheless, as my patron, I will attempt to aid you. Plus, you managed to follow my instructions during the interview quite well. Has it begun to traverse your school yet?"
"…Yes," Kasumi answered dully. "While the first interview managed to slip past their attention, everyone is giving me funny looks now. They can tell something is off about it, yet they are still unsure."
"Well, that's one good piece of news," Akechi murmured, talking to himself.
"I mean," Kasumi replied exasperated, "what's their alternative? Believe in the phantom thieves?"
"Yes." Akechi nodded strongly. "Which, I believe, is exactly what you feared would happen when they take down their next target."
"Why do you sound so certain they will?"
"The news isn't reporting on it, but I found an easy way to keep track of their activities."
"Which is?" Kasumi glared, wondering why the insufferable man had to make every single interaction more painful than it needed to be.
"Their very own website." Despite the anticlimactic answer, Akechi looked quite smug with himself. "There have been several smaller, less notable cases where a person has had one of these… 'change of hearts.' I've followed through on one of them and found the evidence to be convincing."
"W-what does that mean?" Curiosity piqued; Kasumi was still hesitant to ask. Akechi always seemed to feed on questions like this. Anytime where Kasumi made herself more vulnerable by revealing her ignorance.
Once again, Kasumi had to supress a groan as Akechi turned that playful smile toward her. "You should drink your coffee; it will go cold."
Eyes narrowing in confusion, Kasumi did as Akechi suggested. Already it was starting to lose much of its heat, making it far easier to drink.
"So, what do you think this means?"
Half expecting the question, Kasumi bit back quickly. "That you're a bad detective and were following up on people that were jumping on a new trend."
Kasumi's expectations were crushed as Akechi's smile didn't waver in the slightest. "That's only because you are a silly high school girl that can't objectively look at the facts.
"In this case, the person in question had been stalking his ex-girlfriend for over a month. Well before the phantom thieves posted their first calling card. Secondly, due to his admittance to this and apology, his work has him on probation, with a salary cut for now. He seems to be accepting these terms wholeheartedly.
"Now, if I was a detective, and thought that these people were 'jumping on a trend', I'd never be trusted for another case ever again, and rightfully so."
"Tch," comeback ruined, Kasumi tried to glare at Akechi without blushing. It was that condescending tone! Gritting her teeth, Kasumi tried to draw on anger as a balm for her embarrassment. Anything to stop him from just walking over her.
"So, what's your second bad guess?"
"…" Taking time to think it over, Kasumi drank some more coffee. The problem was that Akechi had a lot more information then her. Yet blurting out a half answer or a demand that he just tell her would lead to more teasing and those disappointed tsks. She wanted to beat this smug detective at his own game.
"Well?"
"Grr…" Growling at him again, Kasumi breathed deeply once and began talking. "It means that this guy wasn't important enough for publicly posting a calling card. The only ones the public will hear about and see are targets that the phantom thieves consider worthy."
"Not bad…" Akechi murmured, a slight note of defeat in his voice. Before Kasumi could rag on him for it, Akechi continued. "However, that is simply one possibility. It could be that their methods did not necessitate a calling card in this case."
"Their methods necessitate a calling card?" Kasumi bit back, "what kind of a joke is that? Calling cards just act as a warning, or a declaration of a crime."
"Ah," Akechi smiled, somehow stealing the upper hand back with just one syllable, "but they aren't committing a crime, are they? They are, 'stealing desires' to make people confess to their crimes. That is, in a sense, a purely cognitive change."
Preparing to snap back about how ridiculous the detective sounded, Kasumi held her silence. It made a certain amount of sense. An extremely small amount granted, but there was some. "Hey… have you ever heard of cognitive psience?"
"…"
Looking up from her cup, Kasumi tried to evaluate Akechi's reaction. His face was strangely still unmoving. Yet his eyes were dark, no emotion moving within them.
"…I have heard the name before," he eventually relents, "one of my associates works on a case involving it. I, however, know nothing about it, why bring it up?"
"O-Oh, no reason." Kasumi stutter as she utters the horrible lie. Their relationship is not one built on frivolities. Almost every line Akechi had spoken to Kasumi has been artificially synthesized. Premediated garbage meant to direct and manage the conversation without giving away anything unnecessary.
"…Time grows late, we need to wrap this up."
"Yes."
"Moving on to your predicament, I would estimate you have another week, maybe two, before the phantom thieves reveal their next big target. I expect it will be someone prominent. Their fame allowing them to commit crimes and cover them up with relative ease. Upon taking down someone like that, the phantom thieves will become the talk of japan. That's usually when reporters hunt for stories. While your peers may treat you strangely for now, nothing will change until these 'phantom thieves' that you have discredited return to claim it."
Sighing, Kasumi nodded her head in understanding. Akechi had helped quell her worst fears. Currently the students were simply unsure, none of them individually knowing enough to be sure if Kasumi had in fact started Kamoshida on his path to confession. Besides that though, she still felt the scythe hanging over her head. A deadline at which her newfound fame in the media would crash as she became a reviled figure. There was little chance of avoiding that without a confession from Kobayakawa.
"Oh, don't look so downtrodden," Akechi teased, "you haven't lost…"
Yet.
The left off word ringing clearly through the space between them. Mustering the energy to shoot him one last glare, Kasumi downed the rest of her coffee. "Well, this has been fun, but unless you have anything helpful to say, I'll be off."
"Sit back down or the deal is off."
Hating ultimatums, Kasumi reluctantly returned to the chair. Again, she found herself powerless. This was the problem with asking people for help Kasumi was finding. The embarrassment from doing it was secondary behind the risk of displaying your vulnerability. The realization that asking someone for help may lead you into a more dangerous situation than the one you're trying to escape.
"Good girl. Now listen closely. This plan, if pulled off perfectly should be advantageous to both of us."
Leaning forward, Kasumi's jaw slowly dropped as she listened.
Thursday May 19th, 20XX After school
"Holy shit…"
Joker could only nod in agreement with the rest of the phantom thieves to Skull's utterance. This… playground, he supposed it was, far surpassed the castle in scale. Despite both of them being distortions of the building, this playground felt… bloated.
As if each section had expanded too much. Flowing over its natural boundaries and sticking out into no man's land. The overall effect turned what should have been a place of ultimate fun into a grotesque abomination.
Walking over to the exit of the massive slide, Joker followed it with his eyes. Utilizing his enhanced senses from his persona ability, combined with Igor's gift, Joker tracked it all the way to its starting place at the very pinnacle of the school.
"Mona…" Joker prodded, "is this slide too steep for you to drive up?"
"Hmm… Yeah, I think so. Its also quite smooth, I wouldn't get much traction even if it was flat."
Discarding that possibility, Joker hopped into the slide. Trying to walk a little way in, he found it doable. Even as the slide began climbing, the slope wasn't too oppressive. His outfit had grips in the soles and gloves providing enough traction to climb.
Letting himself fall back down, Joker hopped back out to his companions confused gazes. "Well, we have an infiltration route… perhaps."
"You can't mean…" Panther breathed. "Do you really think…"
Glancing over them, Joker laid the facts straight out. "This slide cuts all the way to the deepest part of the palace. If this works, we could plan an infiltration route today and send the calling card tomorrow. No exhausting fights. However…" Taking a moment, Joker tried to estimate the distances again. "I'd say that the length of this slide is at least 3, maybe up to even 5, kilometres long. That's a really long way to climb, even with our personas."
"Well, it will take longer if we sit here complaining about it!" Skull laughed, stretching his body. "Besides, it will be good training for my body."
"Men," Panther sighed, "I think you're right though Joker. Something about this palace doesn't sit right with me. I want to get in and out as soon as possible."
"Heh," Mona chuckled, "this will be easy for me."
"All right then, let's go." Turning around to lead the way, Joker found that Mona's confidence was not unfounded. His shorter stature and cat-like caws gave him great grip on the smooth plastic as he began to ascend the spiral circle.
Nodding that at least one of them would have an easy time, Joker began the endless, dark climb. He didn't know why, but Joker half expected the interior to be illuminated. Some passive ambient light by which they could see. That desire was quickly dashed, rising beyond the height of the entrance, the faint light from outside faded quickly, leaving them in total darkness. The shell of the slide let none through.
"Y-you know what," Ryuji said tentatively behind him, the sound echoing through the air multiple times. "This isn't anything like training. It's slippery and I can't effin see anything!"
"Calm down Skull!" Panther yelled back, causing another assault of sound on Joker's eardrums. "We… We will definitely get through this. I mean… we've come so far already."
"That's right," Joker assuaged their doubts. Even as he spoke though, he knew it wasn't true. They weren't even a tenth of the way up this behemoth yet. If there was any comfort though, it was that the way down would be short. "Just take one step at a time. Focus on my voice and keep following Mona and me."
"T-that's right Panther! Follow my example!" Mona shouted out. The brave content not enough to mask the tremble in his voice. It seemed that his catlike nature didn't give him dark vision strong enough to penetrate this.
Mentally preparing himself for the long slog ahead, Joker tried to keep up a series of pointless conversations. How school was going, new homework assignments they'd gotten. What they had thought about the midterms from last week. One by one though, each topic died quickly. Even asking Skull if there were any good-looking girls in his class that he had his eye on didn't work.
Morale and motivation were sinking fast. Each metre took concentration and effort. Muscles working overtime to maintain balance on the slippery slope. Joker felt like they'd been in this total darkness for an hour. Yet his internal clock told him it was more like twenty minutes. Assuming they were doing around three kilometres an hour, they still had at least forty minutes left. The circles of the slide were so big, Joker could barely register the curves and was therefore unable to use that to keep track.
Running out of ideas, Joker's mind latched onto to something that had been bugging him all day. "Did you guys watch that interview? Yoshizawa Kasumi's?"
"DUDE!" Skull exploded, like he'd just remembered, "that shit made me so mad! Should have been us up there answering questions!"
"Calm down," Panther sighed for the umpteenth time. "I thought the whole thing was very strange. She never once took credit for it."
"That's because people love humility." Mona explained. "Let other people play up your accomplishments for you. That's exactly what Madarame was doing at the exhibit."
"I don't know," Joker said, glad that a semi-natural conversation was flowing. "I'm with Panther on this one. The whole thing seems strange in first place. Like how they first found her."
"Exactly! Especially with her saying every time that she barely did anything." Panther agreed.
"Plus," Joker added on, the confidence provided to him in the metaverse freeing his tongue, "I've talked to Kasumi a couple times now. Actually, you were all there for the most important one, at the buffet. Pulling up his memory from that time, Joker had no issues doing so. Her words had left a sadness and fear in his heart that was still fading. "She was terrified of the phantom thieves. Especially, that they would take her desires. Not in general, but one. Her dream of winning gymnastics on the world stage. The one she shares with her sister. I don't believe for a second that she believes her words that the phantom thieves didn't do anything."
A slight pause of silence followed after Joker finished his short speech. It probably totalled almost as many words as he spoke on an average day unless he was hanging out with someone.
"Hey… Umm… So, when we change Madarame's heart… What happens to her?"
Blinking in surprise, Joker frowned at Skull's words. The question which seemed so straightforward at first stumped him. Even as his body continued in its engrained climbing pattern, Joker couldn't crack it.
No, that wasn't quite right.
He didn't want to crack it.
For if he did… Joker could foresee any number of possibilities but none of them were good. It was as if Kasumi had been placed upon a pedestal that she knew would collapse. Based on her belief in the phantom thieves' existence, that must be the case. After all, she may as well have said as much during that lunch meeting with the…
Principal.
Foot slipping on the slide. Joker skidded a metre backwards before he managed to catch himself. He could feel another presence right behind him. Panther, he thought, forced to stop due to Joker's ineptitude.
"A-are you alright?"
"Never mind that for now," Joker talked quickly, eager to get this thought off his mind. "You remember how Kasumi was with her whole family when we went to the Wilton buffet? Who else was there, the principal!"
"You think that the post requesting aid in dealing with the principal…" Mona muttered from ahead, "was about Kasumi?"
"I do," Joker confirmed. "When I start thinking about it, too many things line up. The principal was somehow able to get her the time slot, which Kasumi used to talk about how the phantom thieves don't exist."
"But why?" Skull blurted out, sounding frustrated. "I don't get any of this! Why would she agree to go on?"
"Blackmail," Panther shook her head in disgust. "The principal wants to sweep Kamoshida's incident under the rug by promoting an icon at the school. Turn it from an embarrassment into a story about success. The hero honor student that disposed of an evil teacher on her way to gymnastics fame."
"Exactly!" Joker crowed, ecstatic to hear viewpoints that supported his own conclusion. "The only loose end now is who exactly posted that comment with the keywords." But Joker already had a prime candidate for that as well. One that had shown up a few too many times. A girl that was personally invested in the outcome of this.
"So… Uhh, w-what would happen if we ignored the principal and focused on Madarame," Skull asked. Not connecting the dots as quickly as Panther evidently.
"Oh Skull," Mona sighed, "then the world would learn of the phantom thieves and that we are real. That would completely discredit Kasumi's claim."
"…And?"
"They'll tear her apart…" Joker whispered under his breath. The horror of those final days of school last year filling his head. He had been forced to change phone numbers before coming to Tokyo. He closed every single social media account as well. Almost every single classmate, previously friendly or indifferent had looked at him like he was scum. His profile filled with hateful messages; it read like a competition, each person trying to one-up the previous for the most insensitive messages. Joker knew now not to underestimate the psychological damage that messages on the internet could cause.
Joker wasn't sure if they heard his answer or not, but the mood dies anyway. Continuing the dark trip, Joker began to wonder if he had been naïve. This slide seemed like the perfect way to skip the whole palace and reach the treasure, but doubts began to creep into his mind. He didn't know if they were brought on by the oppressive darkness, or maybe the conversation that reminded Joker of the consequences of their actions, or lack thereof.
"How much further…"
Joker had no answer for Panther's question. All he could do was continue moving. The power his persona provided was the only force that kept him moving forward. Even with it, his muscles hurt. He half imagined that the physical labour was draining his stamina while the mental assault of the darkness was draining his mind.
"Isn't there the possibility this slide doesn't end?" Skull spoke, fear tainting his voice.
"!?"
"I mean… this is all cognition, right? What if it's like Madarame's unopenable door? This is an unclimbable slide?"
"You… You may be right…" Mona moaned, the distress starting to get to him as well.
"…Let's all calm down." Joker tried to soothe them, "we don't know that for sure. I'm confident that we've been turning, so we seem to be going somewhere. Let's keep going for a little bit more. If we don't find anything soon, we can turn around."
Reminding them that if they stopped now, this would all be for nothing calmed them a little. However, the mood was still dim. Climbing an endless slide was probably one of the last things that they thought they would be doing today.
Looking forward, Ren kept climbing, searching for any indication within the inky depths. Wondering if there would any sign to tell them that something was changing. While on autopilot, Ren felt himself slip slightly, his course bringing him into the steeper walls of the slide. Puzzled, he began climbing faster, running a careful hand against the wall. Elation rising, Joker picked up the pace even more, scrambling desperately for purchase to propel himself further along.
"Hey Joker!"
Mona called out as Joker barrelled past him. Not heeding his teammate's call, Joker's patience was rewarded. There, shining above him like a beacon, was the smallest shaft of light. Diluted into nothing from multiple reflections, it couldn't even be called light. Yet, when compared to the zero-photon environment they found themselves in, it glowed like the sun to Joker.
"We're here…" His soft murmur echoed down to his teammates, struggling to catch up. Not waiting for them, Joker kept climbing. Each step bringing him closer and closer to the light source. The faint reflection in the darkness grew until the wall of the slide became visible once again. At this point, Joker finally stopped.
"We made it…"
"God damn that took forever…"
"Oh no…"
Staying silent, Joker's heart plunged as he observed their final obstacle. For around the final corner, lay the steepest part of the slide. An initial hill to speed the occupant up for the rest of their journey down. Now it became an unsurmountable mountain when trying to climb.
Not ready to give up at the end of their destination, Joker attempted an assault. Boots flexed for maximum grip, he tried to push off, his boots squeaking as they slipped against the surface, the friction insufficient to bear his weight.
"Damn it!" Skull swore. "Right when we can see the top too!"
"The top…" Muttering, Joker followed Skull's gaze to the brightly illuminated section they could see. While the hill was steep… Idea surging, Joker brought forth his grappling hook and shot it toward the lip of the tunnel at the top of the hill. The target he aimed for was miniscule. The gap between two sections of plastic. Wider than usual due to the change in angle, it created a potential. A possibility that his prongs could find purchase and stop its descent.
Watching with bated breath, the hook shot toward the gap, full of momentum. Unerring it flew. Smirking at his perfect aim, Joker watched it hit the space, and fall.
"No way!"
"…" Smirk fading, Joker awkwardly pressed the retract button to bring back the hook which had fallen to the raised ground. A sudden force jerked his hand forward. Unable to resist it, he stumbled, releasing the retract button in the process. As he did, the force stopped. "I see…"
Waving goodbye to his teammates, Joker pressed the button and allowed himself to get pulled up the steep slope.
"Whoa!?"
"Joker!?"
Arriving at the top, Joker turned his momentum into a flip before landing upon the plastic surface once more. It was almost completely flat here. A starting section before the slide proper began. Tsking at his idiocy, Joker couldn't believe that he had missed the easy solution that he'd discovered completely by accident. That space on the roof was mirrored on the bottom. Simply by dragging the hook back across it, the prongs were destined to fall in and provide a far more secure anchor point than the roof could have ever provided.
"Here, bring yourselves up." Throwing the handle back down, Joker watched the thread spool out behind it as the hook remained secured in the floor.
Assuming they'd be able to operate the device, Joker went and explored the final thirty metres of the tunnel. The bright red tube was completely illuminated now. A brilliant source of light from the exit prevented him from seeing anything past it. Walking slowly, it came to Joker that he was completely exposed right now. If anyone was in that room or happened to glance down the slide, they'd see him. Unfortunately, he had no way of changing that.
Keeping his footsteps silent, Joker threw back a quiet sign to Mona who had come up second and hoped that he would pass it on to the other two. With nothing left to do but risk it, Joker approached the exit. There were a couple of strange deviations in the floor. Holes on each side that pointed out toward the slide. Pausing to run his hand over them, Joker dismissed them as aesthetics. Handholds maybe.
So why are they so deep?
Without the time to think over it, Joker turned to the room beyond. Having reached the exit, the blinding light was no longer consuming Joker's entire vision. The room beyond was pure white, the walls and floor were literally glowing. Emitting a white light that made the room hard to even look at it. Looking to the left, Joker saw a staircase rising to a closed set of double doors. His senses told him that was it. The final room of this playground. Though why the end looked more like a church, Joker didn't understand.
Taking one final glance behind him, Joker was glad to see that the three of them had made it up and were catching up to him. Before they did, Joker hopped down to the white floor, holding a hand in front of his eyes to block out the brighter light emitting from the chandelier in the ceiling. That would have been the light that guided him up those final hundred metres.
"You shouldn't be here."
Jumping in shock, Joker hadn't noticed anyone entering the room while he examined the room. Strangely enough, it was a voice he recognized, but never one he expected to hear.
The student council president.
She was standing there in her tidy Shujin uniform, hips cocked with a disapproving glare in her red eyes. It would have been far more intimidating if she wasn't four feet tall and looked like she was twelve.
Stunned into silence by the girl, that must have been a cognition of Kabayakawa's, Joker couldn't reply. It was just too bizarre seeing the imperious, extremely serious student council president… as a little girl.
"You actually climbed the funnel of rejection?" The girl spoke again, her voice tinging with a hint of awe. "I'm not sure if you are brave or stupid. Either way, slide back down it now before I make you."
"Wow! Look guys! It's a mini-prez!"
In typical Skull fashion, he bounded down from the slide and interrupted the conversation, voice filling with awe as he stared at the miniature version.
"Seriously…" Panther breathed. "She is way too cute for such a bitch in the real world."
"Stop this inane chatter at once!" The president exploded, keeping her adult speech patterns despite the change in size. "If you don't leave…"
"I thought I told you, I wasn't to be disturbed…"
As the deep-booming voice filtered through the room, Joker found it only slightly recognizable. A distortion from what it should have been. Glancing at the prez, Joker was shocked to see that she had thrown herself on all fours, prostrating toward the double doors at the top of the stairs. Her body was shivering, though from excitement or fear he couldn't tell.
"…Well. Now who do we have here?"
"Kobayakawa!?" Screaming in quadruple yells of surprise, the phantom thieves looked on as their principal appeared on the top of the stairs. No, not the principal, his shadow. While his body was the same, his aura had changed entirely, along with his wardrobe. The expensive suit gave off a 'cool' vibe, or maybe 'popular' was more accurate. Joker couldn't help but wonder if this wasn't how the principal saw himself, but more about how he wanted to be seen.
"Hmm… So, some peasants have scurried their way to the top of my domain. President! Dispose of them immediately. Lowly heathens such as them should be on the ground floor being bullied by others. Not up here, deciding the daily punishments."
"W-What the hell?" There was too much information in the few lines for Joker. Each word opened multiple questions with only shadowy hints for answers.
"Of course, high ruler!" As the president sprang to her feet, Joker tensed, expecting an attack. However, she dashed the other way, touching a wall panel that slid aside revealing instrumentation.
A slight click was all the warning Joker had before a giant red rubber ball swung down from the ceiling. Catching all four of them in one fell swoop, Joker twisted his airborne body to land on his feet. Skidding across the plastic slide, he shook his head to clear the dizziness from the impact. He could feel his body moving slower form the damage that it had taken.
"Kaching!"
With a rattling sound, Joker pursed his lips at the grate which now barred the exit to the slide. Walking to the bars he glared at the small president. Kobayakawa had already left, entering back inside his room.
"Why are you doing this?" Despite knowing that it was pointless to argue with a cognitive being, Joker felt compelled. It was so strange to see her being so submissive when she appeared so strong at school.
"I… I am sorry," the girl muttered. "But the high ruler is too strong. He beats up anyone who tries to compete with him. If I don't listen to him, I'll get exiled to the shadow realm outside…" Pausing, the girl shivered, red eyes shaking in pure terror. "There can only be one king of the playground. Goodbye."
Leaving it there, the girl appeared to do something. A second later, a hissing sound emerged from the two holes in the slide that Joker had noticed earlier.
"I have a bad feeling about this!"
Agreeing mentally with Skull's assumption, Joker was powerless to do anything as twin torrents of water shot from the holes, washing the thieves down the slide in a mighty deluge.
The following minutes were a trial in absolute terror with moments of exhilaration. Screams of terror were quickly turned into gargles as their heads dipped under the raging torrent. The long hour of effort it took to get up was literally washed away in barely more than the two minutes it took them to reach the entrance.
Crashing across the pavement, Joker pushed himself to his feet with shaky arms. His breaths came ragged from terror and exertion. Looking at his outfit, he was glad to see that at least it was drying quickly. The water wouldn't inhibit any of his actions.
"That… sucked."
"My fur is all wet…"
"Damn it, dude! We were right there and got our asses kicked!"
Running a hand through his hair, Joker called it. "Let's call it a day for now. I have something to do tomorrow, but the day after, we'll have to meet up and have a discussion about what we're doing."
Each one of them, nodded in agreement as they stood up slowly as well. Joker cast one more glare at the top of the playground. That illuminated room lit up the top half of the building. The invasion route had been so obvious, so straightforward, no wonder it hadn't worked. Consigning himself to a hard slog, Joker turned and strolled toward the exit point. Located a little way into what cognitive Makoto had called the 'shadow realm'. A region of pure darkness and shifting figures that Joker assumed stretched the entire area. It made a chilling sense to Joker. The Principal knew how powerless he was outside of the school. That's why he saw it as both his playground and a place of safety.
Friday May 20th, 20XX After school
Sumire felt listless as she grabbed her effects from her locker. Today had been a bad day. Kasumi had looked so angry in the morning, so helpless. Regardless, Kasumi had assured Sumire that she would be using her practice day. That left Sumire with no formal training for the day. Thinking about doing her stretches, maybe in a park somewhere, Sumire felt no excitement from the idea.
She had spent almost every waking moment wondering, waiting, praying that Senpai had gotten her message. Debating if she should beg him in person, reveal the knowledge her stalking had generated. The feeling was horrible. Not knowing what she should do, what the consequences of her actions would be.
If there was one positive from this all, Sumire had realized something. That her sister was more important to her than anything else. Even beyond their shared goal of reaching the world stage in gymnastics. Sumire wondered if this was how Kasumi felt, watching Sumire fall apart. Praying for her to get better, but not knowing what else to do except stay by her side. Knowing that without her… gymnastics just wouldn't be the same.
Sighing heavily, Sumire began her dejected walk out of the school. Head pointed to the ground; she could hear the whispers of the nearby students. They had connected her relationship with Kasumi, the talk of the school. Not for the reasons Sumire had expected her to be. No, every student was debating the validity of her claims. Weighing whether Kasumi was their saviour from Kamoshida… or a con.
Pace picking up, Sumire wove between them faster. Motivation to work out fading even faster, all Sumire wanted to do was go home. Maybe snuggle up on the couch with Kasumi and eat ice cream.
A luxury I don't deserve.
Feeling the darkness beginning to surround her again, Sumire fell further inside herself. Head bowing til she could only see shoes, Sumire strolled on, completely on autopilot. Her last motivation to work out faded completely. She'd return home and… sit around. Maybe stare at her notes and pretend to study. Go to bed early and lament her powerlessness. What else was there at this point?
"Huh?" Feeling a touch on her arm, Sumire stopped. No panic came, the touch hadn't been possessive or rough, just a notification of someone's presence.
"Are you alright?"
Body shaking, Sumire's head finally snapped up. Eyes wide, Sumire felt her cheeks heat up as the dark cloud around her began to part. "Senpai…" Murmuring, Sumire wondered why she had been so desolate before. As long as Senpai was on the case, she had nothing to worry about. He would save Kasumi for her. He could do it with his powers.
"Can I talk to you? …If you're free."
"O-Of course…" Sumire stuttered, happiness swelling in her breast. "I, uhh, I need to talk to you as well."
He nodded calmly back before jerking his head to lead the way.
Following behind him, Sumire stayed close. If he stopped or changed his path, Sumire would run into him. But for now, they walked the straight path to the station. Based on their close proximity, Sumire could feel the glances from the other students. The whispers as they gossiped.
Unlike before, Sumire kept her head up. Staring at Senpai's side profile, the others seemed unimportant. Their words didn't matter. Only Senpai and…
Did his bag just move!?
Stuttering a half step, Sumire stared at it, wondering if she had imagined it. Or maybe he jerked his shoulder and…
There it goes again!
"U-Umm… S-Senpai… Is there… something in your bag?"
"Yes," he answered bluntly, voice quiet enough so only Sumire could here. "I bring my cat to school. It sleeps in my desk during classes."
"O-Ohh…"
"I am not a cat!"
"E-EHH!?" Squealing, Sumire stopped walking at the muffled voice. She was positive it had come from Senpai's bag. Where he said his cat was.
"I was going to wait until we got to the diner but…" Senpai muttered, turning around to stare at Sumire.
With just those words, all thoughts of talking cats or imminent fallouts were driven from Sumire's mind. "A d-diner!? Y-you like on a d-date!?"
"…Uhh, n-no," Senpai answered uncertainly, retreating a half-step under Sumire's wondering gaze. "J-just to talk."
"O-Ohh…"
"Let's just talk over there." Leading them about ten metres down a nearby alleyway, Senpai stops and stares at Sumire. Taking a glance back to the main street, she could pretty easily deduce why he had stopped here. It was before a corner meaning that this was the last place where people on the street would be able to see her.
"Can we… go around the corner?" Sumire asked, trusting Senpai. "I don't want students staring at us.
"Alright." Going around first, he pulled off his bag and set it on the ground, unzipping it.
From within, a black head peeked out. All of the previous moews she'd heard came back to Sumire. It seemed obvious now that Senpai was walking around with a cat in his bag. She felt stupid only figuring it out now. More importantly though…
"Why'd you tell her about me Ren?"
"I-It… talked?" Murmuring, Sumire didn't know what to think. She simply stared at the strange cat in wonder.
"W-What? She can understand me!?"
"Of course," Senpai nodded, as if not surprised by the revelation. "Sumire… You followed us on Monday, didn't you? You saw Madarame's art museum."
"Y-Yes," Sumire admitted bowing her head. Leaving it there, she wondered what he was going to do to her. The possibilities were practically endless. What couldn't a person who could travel between worlds do?
"I see… That was dangerous, you could have been killed, especially without a persona."
"A Per… Perso… What?"
"Pe. Ru. So. Na. It's the power we use to change hearts."
"O-Oh… I guess I don't have that, huh?"
"Anyone can awaken to it. But it is only possible within that other world. Doing so is dangerous. I don't want you getting hurt."
"T-Thank you Senpai. U-Umm… Why can your cat talk?"
"I am not a cat!"
Sighing, Senpai explained. "Morgana only resembles a cat in this world. You should have seen him in the other world where he is…"
"Oh! Your cute cat turns into that monster thing?"
"M-Monster!?"
"Yeah, basically." Senpai nodded in confirmation. "So now that we both know everything… Are you the one that posted the request to change the principal's heart?"
"W-Well…"
"You did for Kasumi, didn't you?"
"…Yes," Sumire sighed, admitting to the claim. Leaning against the wall, Sumire fell into a sitting position on the dirty ground. She knew that she'd probably have to wash her uniform but that was secondary in her mind. Being forced to admit everything to Senpai would be… Extremely awkward.
"Do you want to go to that diner?" Senpai chuckled. "I've heard that the booths are more comfortable than the hard ground."
Sumire found herself shaking her head. She didn't want other people around. Prying ears and curious gazes would be there. Here though, Sumire felt safe. It was only Senpai.
"Alright then… Hey, Morgana, would you be willing to go keep an eye out for people?"
"…Yeah, whatever." The cat growled before stalking off.
Chuckling lightly, Sumire was surprised by how easy it was to determine the cat's emotions. There was something strangely human about it. …Or she was going crazy. Both were possible when talking cats were thrown in the mix.
"Huh?" Muttering, Sumire tracked Senpai as he walked around her and slowly slid to the ground as well. Glancing over at him, Sumire quickly snapped her head to front and blushed. Their shoulders were close enough that Sumire lean over and brush their arms together.
"Well?" Senpai pressed, forcing Sumire back into the topic at hand. "What happened? We went to Kobayakawa's world yesterday… But we didn't learn a whole lot."
"I… I guess it all started back in that fancy buffet. You know, the time when you served me some dessert?"
"Of course."
Flushing with excitement that he remembered the moment as well, Sumire continued. "Kobayakawa invited my family out to lunch. During the meal, he told us that unless one of us went on television and took the focus away from the phantom thieves, he would strip our honor's student status. If it was just that… I'm not sure if either of us would have done it. But…"
"He threatened you."
"They were vague," Sumire explained, "but I think we all felt it. Kobayakawa has someone behind him. Kamoshida has remained silent this whole time as well. With no way out…"
"Kasumi took the fall…"
"Yeah," Sumire replied, curling further inside herself. "That same day was when I learned that you were the phantom thieves."
"How?" Senpai asked, voice serious. "This is important. We can't have the wrong person discovering us."
"W-well… I was hiding behind the pillar…"
"Urgh, do you really have to be so good at hiding? How did we not notice?"
"You guys were pretty focused on the conversation." Sumire chuckled.
"Yeah, that's true." He admitted, chuckling as well. "So, you must have the metaverse app now, yeah?"
"Huh? The navigation thing? Yeah, I have it."
Senpai nodded, his face still straight giving no emotion away. "What about Kasumi? What have you told her about all of this?"
"I'm… I'm hiding it from her," Sumire flushed. "I just don't know how to broach it to her, you know? I feel like once she knew it was possible, she may rush into Kobayakawa's world and try to change his heart herself."
"I almost believe she could do it…"
"Do you umm… Like Kasumi, Senpai?"
Staring at Senpai in expectation, Sumire couldn't help but ask. His eyes had sparkled when he talked about her. It was the logical conclusion to Sumire.
"Umm… Well, I admire her tenacity. She's very honest, straightforward and seems very intelligent. She reached conclusions I hadn't even thought of… However, I don't really know her."
"I see…" Sumire muttered thinking over the answer. "So… You would… Like to get to know her better?"
"Well it's not like I'd be opposed…"
"Hmm…" Trailing off, Sumire wondered what she was doing. Why was she trying to put the two of them together? "If you help her out of this situation with the principal, I'm sure she'd be really grateful."
"I guess?"
"Could be a good opportunity to get to know her better…"
"…" Staying silent, Sumire watched Senpai, waiting for his reply. "You know, I once thought that she'd make a good phantom thief."
"I'm sure she would be…" Sumire replied hesitantly. "I'm guessing… I wouldn't?"
"I didn't say that," Senpai shook his head at Sumire. "I also didn't say I would try and recruit Kasumi. What we do is dangerous. Too dangerous to bring in random people."
"…In the end, I guess I am just a random person to you, huh?" Mumbling, Sumire wasn't sure why she thought it would be any different. Why would they trust her with anything. Kasumi was the bold one. Kasumi was the one they should want. Sumire was the bystander, as usual.
"Sumire… You aren't a random person to me. I'm trusting you with this information."
"B-But then!" Stuttering, Sumire's brain couldn't keep up with the inconsistences. First having Senpai begin to tell her things, then saying that he didn't want her, and now ending it with how he trusted her. "Why won't you let me join!?"
"I told you, it is too dangerous!"
"Which means," Sumire spoke strongly standing up to look down at Senpai, "that you are out there… day after day, risking your life to help people that don't even believe in you!"
"…Yes," he answers simply, meeting Sumire's gaze. As she gazed at him, Sumire began to see the cracks in his calm mask. The worried creases lining his face. The indecision and fear in his eyes.
"Then please! Tell me what I can do to help you, anything! Just… Help Kasumi… Please." Falling to her knees in front of him, Sumire grabbed at his hands, desperate for any sign, any contact to confirm his will. His promise to help her.
Letting Sumire hold his hand, Senpai reached out his other hand to rub her head. "I will do what I can. As for you… You can look for more hearts that need to be changed I suppose."
"A-All ri…" Courage and anger rising, Sumire cut off her words and glared at Senpai, tears rising in her eyes. "Why don't you believe in me!? Let me protect you! I don't want to lose you…"
"I-I understand… But without a persona…"
"Then I'll get one!" Sumire yelled. "I will."
"It… It isn't that easy…" He replied awkwardly, his black eyes shifting away, unable to meet Sumire's penetrating gaze. "It requires you to face your weakness. To accept your powerlessness to change things on your own and reach out to the power. Every one of us were about to die when we awakened.
"Please Sumire, I don't want to lose you either. Just… believe in us, alright? I swear I will do what I can to help Kasumi."
"…All right. We have a deal then, yes?"
"We do."
With those words, Sumire felt something stir within her. As if the contract between them was something more solid than a promise she had tried to extract. "Thank you Senpai…" Breathing the words, Sumire collapsed forward, resting her head on his chest. She knew it was inappropriate. She was embarrassed even as she did it. Yet his presence was so warm, so comforting. The shaking in her body slowly faded.
I'm sorry Senpai. I won't let you risk your life for me.
Apologizing to the boy, Sumire found her heart at rest. She knew what she had to do. Now, it was time to see if she was able to complete it.