Chapter 15

A/N: Not nearly as long of a wait this time. Enjoy.

Monday, 5/2/20XX, Shujin Academy, Morning

Jolyne stifled a yawn as she approached Shujin Academy, trying her best to readjust to having to get up early yet again. "Coulda used another week…" She grumbled out, making sure her blazer was smoothed out and decent looking.

"Oh, Cujoh!" A voice greeted from her left, and turning to see Mishima walking up next to her.

"Oh, hey, Mishima." She replied, before something clicked in her head. "Wait. You've been avoiding me like the plague ever since we talked to Kamoshida. Why are you talking to me now?" The transfer student asked, getting him to scratch the back of his head.

"Well, I kinda felt like you resented me for leaking your criminal record online, so I kept my distance until now. Figured I might as well try and say sorry…"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I know Kamoshida forced you to do it." Jolyne reassured, earning a sigh of relief.

"That's a relief…" A smile spread across the blue haired boy's face. He almost seemed like a completely different person than the guy Jolyne had met a few weeks ago. "So, did you hear about the Phantom Aficionado Website?" He asked, and Jolyne raised an eyebrow.

"You mean that Phantom Thieves' fan site? I think Ryuji mentioned it once. Why?" She asked.

"Ooooh, Phan-Site. That's a good one…" Mishima muttered to himself, before he got back on track, jabbing a thumb into his chest. "Well, I'm the one who put it together." Jolyne's eyes slightly widened at that.

"Wait, you made that thing? How?"

"Well, I don't like to brag, but I'm pretty good with computers, particularly when it comes to social media. It's why Kamoshida had me of all people leak your criminal record. He knew I could get it out there in a way that everyone could say it." Mishima explained. "When that calling card was posted, I put together the Phan-Site, just asking if people thought the Phantom Thieves were real or not, but it didn't really get a lot of attention. But when Kamoshida actually confessed, it started to get a bunch of hits. I figured that there were people like me and...and Suzui who needed help, so I added the comments and request functions."

"Damn, Mishima, I'm impressed." Jolyne complemented, his smile evolving into a full on grin.

"Thanks! I hope it'll help you guys going forward!" The volleyball player said, and Jolyne raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, the Phantom Thieves, of course. You're their leader, aren't you? With Takamaki and Sakamoto?" As soon as Mishima said those words, Jolyne eyes widened. She grabbed his wrists, dragged him into an alleyway, and pushed him against the wall.

"What the hell are you talking about? Where did you even get that idea?" Jolyne asked, a scowl on her face.

"I mean, it's kinda obvious when you think about it." Mishima hastily replied, fear on his face. "Ever since you got here, you were locking horns with Kamoshida."

"Kamoshida was an asshole who pissed off a lot of people. How do you know it wasn't one of them?"

"Because of that calling card. It mentioned that he was the one responsible for…" Mishima took a dry swallow. "That he was the reason Suzui tried to kill herself. The only ones who knew that for a fact were you, Sakamoto, and me. And then when I saw you guys start hanging around Takamaki, even though you hadn't talked much beforehand...well, the puzzle wasn't that hard to put together after that." He explained, Jolyne letting out a curse.

If Mishima had figured it out that easily, then that meant anyone could. And if a high schooler had figured it out, that meant it wouldn't be that hard for the police to figure it out as well. And while they had no way to prove anything, the last thing the transfer student needed right now was to even be suspected of wrongdoing. But if Mishima went to the police with what he knew, then there would be no doubt that Jolyne would be heading to a cold cell in juvenile hall. That wasn't even considering what would happen to Ryuji and Ann. Could Sojiro be indicted for harboring her, even if he had no idea…?

"Don't worry, no one else knows. I'm pretty sure of that." The web designer spoke up, pulling Jolyne out of her worse case scenario planning.

"Come again?"

"Like I said, the only ones who knew for a fact what Kamoshida did before he confessed are you, me, and Sakamoto. Everyone else only has rumors to go on, and after he admitted to spreading rumors about Takamaki, no one knows what to believe anymore." He explained, and the Phantom Thief narrowed her eyes at him.

"Alright, but there's still you to worry about. How do I know you won't go to Kobayakawa or the cops?" She demanded.

"Are you kidding? After everything Kamoshida put everyone through, the last thing I want to do is turn in the ones who took him down!" Mishima responded, Jolyne supposed that made sense. "Look, the reason I even brought it up is because I want to help!" Jolyne's eyebrows shot up at this.

"What do you mean?" She asked, and he nervously swallowed.

"Kamoshida forced me to leak your criminal record, and even though he admitted to spreading false rumors, there are still a lot of people who believe them. Because of what I did, you're essentially a pariah, and so…" He swallowed again, before looking her in the eye, his once defeated eyes burning with determination. "And so I want to help the Phantom Thieves! Since I'm the administrator of the Phan-Site, that means that I can see everything people post on the site! Most of the comments so far have been just noise, but there are a few genuine cries for help in there. If you want me to, then I can send you the ones that really stand out! That way, not only can you help spread the Phantom Thieves' name, then you can help the people that need it!" He pleaded, and Jolyne narrowed her eyes. Mishima's breath hitched as she reached into her pocket...only for her to pull out her phone.

JC: Mishima knows.

RS: Knows what?

JC: He KNOWS.

RS: Oh.

RS: OH SHIT

AT: What the hell?

AT: How does he know?

JC: Says he figured it out after seeing the calling card.

JC: Apparently SOMEBODY put something in the calling card that only the four of us knew.

JC: I wonder what it could have been…

RS: Beats me…

AT: She's talking about when you mentioned Shiho, you idiot!

RS: OH

AT: What's he want? Money?

JC: He says he wants to help.

JC: Apparently Mishima's the one who made that 'Phantom Aficionado Website'

"Actually, I'm thinking about calling it the 'Phan-Site' from now on." Mishima chimed in, having loomed over to read her texts, and she shoved his head away.

RS: For real?

RS: I guess he has always been good with computers and shit…

JC: He says he can point out comments that stand out, like the one about Nakanohara.

JC: I wanted to know what you guys thought before I said anything.

AT: As long as he doesn't rat us out, I guess we can let him help…

RS: Same. That way, we don't have to watch that comments thing all day.

"I agree. We have better uses for our time." Morgana said from inside Jolyne's bag, and confusion spread across Mishima's face as his ears perked up.

"Was that a cat…?" He whispered to himself, before Jolyne put away her phone.

"Alright, we've got a deal." SHe responded, and he grinned.

"Thank you! I promise, I won't let the Phantom Thieves down!" He cheered.

I am Thou, Thou Art I

Thou Hast Acquired a New Vow.

It shall become the Wings of Rebellion

That Break thy Chains of Captivity

With the birth of the Moon Persona,

Thou Hath obtained the winds of blessing

That shall lead to freedom and new power!

With that, Mishima glanced at the watch on his wrist. "Oh crap, we're almost late!" He groaned out, and glanced back at Jolyne. "You won't regret this!" He said, before heading off towards the school.

"Looks like we got a fan." Morgan's commented.

"Looks like it. I just hope he's not one of those ones that stalks idols or something." Jolyne stated, and headed into the school.

Morning

"Settle down, everyone!" Kawakami ordered as she took her place at the front of the classroom. "Now, I hope you all enjoyed your impromptu break. Unfortunately, we can't afford to push back next week's exams, so we'll be moving forward at a more intense pace over the next week in order to make sure we cover all the material." She stated, and a groan swept over the entire class.

"Seriously?"

"If they're gonna make us miss a week of school, least they could do is push exams back!"

"Freakin' curriculum…"

At her desk, Jolyne had to suppress a guilty frown. Sorry, everyone… She thought, when her phone vibrated.

RS: WHAT HAVE WE DONE?

Before Jolyne or Ann could respond, Kawakami spoke up. "Quiet down! We've got a lot of material to cover, so you may as well settle in." The exhausted looking teacher said, and the class groaned as they began their lesson.

Lunchtime

Elsewhere in the school building, Makoto Niijima entered the principal's office. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Ah, Niijima-san. Thank you for coming. Please, come in." Kobayakawa beckoned from behind his desk, and Niijima entered his office. "I hope you don't mind me pulling you out of lunch like this."

"It's fine, sir. I had a big breakfast on my way to school this morning." She replied, and he smiled at her.

"I expected nothing less from our Student Council President." The portly man answered, before his smile faded. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering as to why I called you here."

"It's because of the incident last week, correct?" She asked, and Kobayakawa nodded.

"That's right. You saw the state Kamoshida-kun was in, right?" Niijima nodded. "It was as if his personality had completely changed. Something's not right, I'm sure of this." At this, the scholarly girl's brow furrowed.

"I'm... not sure I follow, sir."

"From what I've heard in the days leading up to the incident, it appears that some students had been meddling in his business shortly before his absence. If those students did something to them…who could they be?" Kobayakawa pondered.

"Did you tell the police about this?" She asked, and he shook his head.

"The police had better things to do than to chase down vague rumors. I can't go to them with this unless we have concrete evidence about their identities."

"Principal Kobayakawa...do you think those students somehow forced Mr. Kamoshida to change?"

"That is what I wish to find out, even if it takes some probing of student matters. That it why I would like you to look into this for me." He stated, and Niijima's reddish brown eyes widened.

"Wait, me? A-are you sure?" She asked, and he nodded.

"After the incident, student distrust of the faculty is at an all time high. They would never tell me or any of the teachers anything. But if it were you, their beloved student council president...well, then they might just be a little more forthcoming." Kobayakawa explained, but Niijima still looked a little unsure.

"While it's true that there have always been many rumors regarding Mr. Kamoshida, there hasn't been anything unusual lately. Except…" She trailed off, before it clicked in her head. "Wait, are you talking about those Phantom Thieves?" The yellow suited man nodded at this.

"That's right. The timing of that message, and the specificity and accuracy of that message...they had something to do with it, I'm certain of it." Kobayakawa answered, and folded his hands in front of him on his desk. "It is undeniable that Kamoshida has changed in some way. Whether it was the guilt over Suzui-san's suicide attempt that prompted him to realize the full gravity of his crimes, or if these 'Phantom Thieves' somehow coerced him into confessing, I would like to have a full grasp as to what the truth is." He explained. "In the meantime, the police and myself will be speaking to Mr. Kamoshida, but unless you can find the true culprits, then these nasty rumors will continue to tarnish our school's reputation." He noticed that Niijima still looked a little unsure, and decided to lay it on a little more thick. "You're the only one who can pull this off."

"Are you really sure about that, sir? Maybe one of the teachers could-"

"Nonsense. You've been at the top of your class since day one, even when faced with the loss of your father." Kobayakawa noticed her tense up a little, but kept going. "Your conduct is exceptional, and your teachers' favor you. Not only that, but I believe that investigative skills are in your blood. Between your father, who was a distinguished detective, and your sister, who is such an esteemed prosecutor at such a young age...well, investigating a few nasty rumors should be child's play for someone of your pedigree." And that was it. As soon as he mentioned her father and sister, Makoto took a sharp inhale.

"I'll do my best, sir." The president responded, and Kobayakawa warmly smiled at her.

"Thank you, Niijima-san. Once this is all over, I'll write you a letter of recommendation to any college you chose." He said, and she bowed.

"Thank you, Principal Kobayakawa." The brown haired girl spoke, before turning around and leaving. However, as soon as the clicked shut, Kobyakawa's warm smile turned into a sinister grin. Pulling out his phone, he began placing a call.

"It's me, sir. Apologies for troubling you at such a busy time, but I just wanted to inform you about the matter we discussed earlier." He said, and listened to the voice at the other end. "Yes sir, that one. I have all our bases covered. The investigation will begin immediately."

Makoto exited the Principal's office, allowing to let out a quick sigh. Asking her to handle the investigation like that…this was unlike anything that he had asked of her before. For a moment, Makoto doubted she could handle it. She considered calling Sae and asking her for help, but the brown haired girl brushed that off immediately. She knew exactly what her older sister would say: "I don't have time to waste on something so insignificant. Can't you handle that yourself?" So, Makoto would have to do just that. The only question was...where should she start? Makoto had never been one to pay too much attention to rumors, and there were already so many about Kamoshida and the Phantom Thieves that it was hard to tell what was worth listening to. But then, Makoto remembered something noteworthy. A few days before Kamoshida had confessed, Makoto had been coming out of the library, when she saw something noteworthy. A group of people coming out of a place they weren't supposed to…

After School, Rooftop

"Ughhhhhhh…" Ryuji groaned out, slumping back against a vent. "I seriously can't believe they ain't movin' exams back."

"I guess they want everything to look like it's business as usual." Ann suggested.

"I get that, but why do we have to move so fast? I can barely even keep track of what they're sayin' even when things are normal!" Ryuji complained.

"Might as well suck it up. Not much we can do now." Jolyne lamented, trying her best to hide her nervousness. She wasn't that good of a test taker either…

"Oooh, maybe we could change Kobayakawa's heart! Make him push things back!" Ryuji suggested.

"We're supposed to be keeping a low profile, remember? I don't think forcing two Change of Hearts in a row at the same school is going to help with that." Morgana shot down, and Ryuji almost seemed to deflate.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" He groaned out.

"I guess all we can really do is just study and do our best." Jolyne responded, but Ryuji just groaned even louder. "Here's an idea: why don't we try studying together one day?"

"Sounds good to me. I get way too distracted when I study on my own…" Ann lamented, and Ryuji just nodded in agreement.

"My place?"

"Works for me."

"Fine…" Ryuji groaned out, before Jolyne's phone chimed.

YM: Hey, Cujoh, it's me!

YM: I just wanted to let you know that I'll do my best to follow through on our bargain!

"Is that Mishima?" Ryuji asked, and Jolyne nodded. "Dude won't stop texting me either. Keeps sayin' stuff like 'I won't let you guys down!'"

"Do you think letting him know that we're the Phantom Thieves was the best move?" Ann asked, and Jolyne shrugged.

"Not much I could do. He'd already figured it on his own-" She sent a momentary glare at Ryuji, who slightly flinched. "-and denying it would've just confirmed it for him." Jolyne explained, and Ann crossed her arms as she sighed.

"Like I said before, as long as he doesn't rat us out, I don't have much of a problem. I'm just worried that he'll get obsessed."

"Nah, I don't think we got anything to worry about. Dude managed to keep Kamoshida's shit a secret." Ryuji chimed in. "Besides, if that means someone else has to pour over all those comments and messages, fine by me. I was on there all day yesterday, and there wasn't even a HINT of a hint as to where the next Palace was. Just people complainin' about their teachers and parents."

"I guess finding all that stuff online would be too easy. Finding both a name AND a location in all those comments would be asking too much." The model lamented.

"Guess we gotta just find one ourselves." The track star suggested, and MOrgana looked at him.

"Are you seriously suggesting that we look for a target even the police have ignored?" Morgana lamented, and Ryuji sighed.

"When you put it like that…" He grumbled. "Guess we can't do anything until after exams are over."

"We'll wait and a little longer. If something doesn't come up soon, then we'll worry about coming up empty handed." Jolyne instructed...when they heard the door creak open. Almost immediately, Jolyne grabbed Morgana and stuffed him into her bag, placing him behind Ryuji just as Niijima entered the rooftop, walking over to them.

"This place is off limits, you know." Niijima scolded.

"We'll leave as soon as we get done talking." Jolyne replied, and Niijima began taking a look around at them.

She looked at Ryuji. "The troublemaker…" Then at Ann. "...the girl of rumor…" then finally, her gaze turned to Jolyne. "...and the infamous transfer student. That's certainly an... interesting combination." They all sat forward at this, narrowing their eyes at her.

"That's one hell of a way to start a conversation." Ann said, but Niijima didn't pay her any mind.

"It seems as though the three of you got to know Mr. Kamoshida pretty well before his confession." She stated, and Jolyne had to keep her expression neutral.

"Not really. Just walked by him a few times in the hallway, that's all." Jolyne responded, and Makoto quirked an eyebrow.

"Are you playing dumb with me?"

"Jolyne's only been here a few weeks. How much interaction do you think she could have had with him?" Ann defended, and Makoto simply folded her arms behind her back.

"I heard that Kamoshida used a volleyball team member to spread details of your criminal record to the student body. He effectively made you a pariah before you even began, ruining your chances of fitting in with your peers." Niijima pressed, Jolyne gestured to the two humans beside her.

"I don't know, I feel like I'm fitting in pretty well with these two."

"What's all this about?" Ryuji questioned. "Jolyne's been nothin' but upstanding ever since she got here."

"I didn't mean to offend anyone. As I'm sure you're all aware, many students have been affected by Kamoshida's actions." Ryuji and Ann both tensed up as soon as Niijima said that, something that didn't go unnoticed by Niijima. "The rumors that have been floating around about that that odd, garish looking calling card and it's message aren't going away either."

"I dunno about 'garish.' I thought it looked pretty cool." Ryuji said, and Stone Free's arm manifested to lightly elbow him in the ribs.

"I didn't expect the student council president to care about something like that." Ann stated.

"Are we done here? We can't really leave as long as you're talking about us." Jolyne asked, and Makoto softly smiled. However, this wasn't a kind smile, but rather one that indicated she knew something they didn't.

"I suppose you're right. I was feeling so overwhelmed lately, between dealing with the fallout of Kamoshida and the intense pace of our classes, that I wanted to come up here and get some fresh air before they closed this place." As soon as the Student Council President said that, their eyes all widened.

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, you didn't hear? Apparently , a bunch of people have been coming up here without permission lately. The school doesn't want to risk another suicide attempt, after all." Ann had to bite her tongue to keep from responding, and Makoto turned around. "Sorry for disturbing you. Have a nice day." With that, she exited the roof.

"Sheesh, what was that about?" Ryuji asked aloud, as Morgana hopped out of the bag.

"She's onto us. That girl's rather sharp. We need to be cautious of her." Morgana said, and JOlyne just stared at the door. Through all the student council president's lecturing and scolding, she saw it again. The same thing Jolyne had seen when she met Niijima on the train. That certain something hiding just under the surface, ready to explode at a moment's notice.

"C"mon, let's get going."

Sunday, 5/8/20XX, Afternoon, Leblanc

The Phantom Thieves were all gathered in Jolyne's attic room, books and binders strewn out across the floor. Exams began this week, officially making it cram time. They had been up there for about two hours now, studying the wide variety of subjects in front of them. English, Japanese, Literature, Math, Social Studies, History...they studied it all, and it was starting to take it's toll. "Let's see, next question. Kaku...cacoonshi? What does that mean?" Jolyne asked aloud, rubbing her temples as she sat hunched over some Japanese.

"Let me see it?" Ann asked, and Jolyne handed the study guide to her. "Oh, I know this one! It's pronounced 'kakushinhan.'"

"Oh yeah, I remember now. Isn't that like, determination or something?" Jolyne mused as she took the paper back, before snapping her fingers. "That's right! It means 'having conviction that you're right, even though you know that your actions are wrong.'" She answered, checking the answer key to make sure she was right. "Alright, next one…"

Ann, meanwhile, was pouring over some English. "'What is a wunderkind?'" She softly read to herself, biting her thumb as she stared at the question. "Uh, that's...I've almost got it…" Jolyne leaned over to Ann, subconsciously placing a hand on her back to steady yourself.

"Oh, I know this one. It's German, I think." She stated. "Alright, so 'wunder' is German for 'wonder', and 'kind' means child. So if you put those two together, then you get…" Jolyne trailed off, letting her crush fill it in for herself.

"So you get 'wonder child'...oh, is that like a prodigy or something?" Ann asked, and Jolyne nodded. Ann cheered to herself, writing in the answer and moving to the next one.

"Ughhhhh…" Ryuji groaned out, sprawled out across the couch with a textbook over his face. "It's all just words...they don't mean anything…"

"That's why you need to study! Give them meaning!" Morgana jeered from his spot on Jolyne's bed. Ryuji just set the textbook on the ground, and sat up.

"I need a break…" He muttered to himself before he saw something on the desk at the foot of the couch. "What's that…?"

Jolyne had been studying her japanese, when she heard Ryuji get up. She glanced up at him and her eyes widened.

In Ryuji's hands was the locket Jotaro had given him, the one with the arrow shard What caused Jolyne's eyes to widen, however, was the state of the locket: Ryuji had opened it up, revealing the arrow shard held within. "Whoa, was that you as a kid? You don't actually look that different…"

"Ryuji, put that thing down, now!" She yelled, startling him. He fumbled with the locket, and the two parts separted, both the locket itself and the arrow shard coming loose as dropping to the ground. "Stone Free!" The stand manifested and reached out,grabbing the locket in one hand and the arrow shard between two fingers, careful not to let it pierce her. Jolyne had no idea what would happen if a Stand user exposed themselves to the arrow, and she didn't want to find out now. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" She demanded, placing the arrow pack in the locket and shutting it.

"I-I'm sorry! I was just trying to stretch, t-then I saw it sitting there and just got curious!" He explained. "I-I'm sorry! I forgot that the arrow thing was in here!" Jolyne sighed as she got up, placing the locket back in the drawer of the desk.

"No, it's my fault. I forgot to put it back in there after I got that fake medal out." Jolyne answered.

"Don't you know you aren't supposed to touch other people's stuff without permission?!" Morgana chastised, but Jolyne motioned for him to back off.

"Are you ok? That things didn't stab you, did it?" That thing didn't stab you, did it?" She asked, and Ryuji shook his head.

"Nah, I'm fine." He answered, and Jolyne let out a sigh of relief.

"Good grief…" She muttered to herself. "Now, where were we?" With that, she sat down and resumed her studying, Ryuji decided he might as well get started to. However, unbeknownst to them, there was now a small, almost unnoticeable knick on his right hand…

Thursday, 5/12/20XX, Shibuya

Jolyne and Ryuji has just met up outside the Ginza Line, the latter rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "Rough night?" She asked, and he just nodded.

"I tried studying some more, but I just couldn't focus. I just played video games all night. I'm totally gonna get destroyed…" He yawned out, and Morgana plucked his head out.

"We don't have to worry about that, do we Jolyne?"

"Ehhhhhhh…" Jolyne squeaked out, preferring not to answer. They looked to see Ann approaching them, who was also wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey guys…" She yawned out.

"Hey."

"How's it going?" As soon as Ryuji asked that, Jolyne noticed that Ann was looking around.

"Something wrong?"

"I'm...not sure. Lately, it feels like someone's been watching me every time I come through here." Ann replied, and Ryuji's brow furrowed.

"And? Everyone's watching everyone here."

"I...guess you're right." Ann said, but she still looked unsure. "...forget about it. Let's get this exam stuff over with."

Aoyama-Ichitome

Ann was just outside of the Aoyame station, checking her phone. It appeared as if JOlyne and Ryuji had been separated from her in the crowd, and she was waiting on them to find her. Behind her, a presence began walking up towards, keys lightly jangling with each step. The figure approached her, beginning to reach towards her...when she whirled around, disdain in her eyes as Jolyne and Ryuji appeared from behind a lamppost, standing in front of her defensively.

"Is this the guy?" Jolyne asked, and she nodded. WHen Ann had seen him get off at their stop, she knew he was stalking her, and so Ryuji and Jolyne had hid so that they could catch him.

Ryuji raised an eyebrow as he looked over the guy. He was tall and lanky, with dark blue hair and parted bangs that partly covered his left gray eye. He wore a collared white mandarin dress shirt, with a fleur de lis on the left side. "Uh, are you sure this is the guy? He doesn't really look like a crazy stalker…"

"Hey, looks can be deceiving!" Ann retorted, and the boy spoke up.

"I'm sorry, is there something you want?" His voice was soft and sophisticated, and Ann scowled at him

"Hey, that's my line!" She shouted, pointing her finger in his face. "You're the one who's been stalking me for the past week!" The boy seemed caught off guard at this.

"Stalking you? That's outrageous!" He declared, taken aback by the accusation.

"I don't know what else you call following me all the way here!" She retorted, and the boy dryly swallowed.

"Well, that's because...I simply figured it was the best way to approach and ask-"

"As if I'd ever go on a date with a creep like you!" Ann shot back, and his eyes widened.

"A date…? I'm afraid there has been a terrible misunderstanding. I simply figured that observing and following you would be the best way to accomplish my goal. You see, there's a person I wished to approach, and I figured that the best way to find them would be to observe you. I apologize for any discomfort I may have caused." He apologized, and they all looked confused.

"So, then...who're you looking for?" Ryuji asked, and the boy turned to Jolyne.

"Please, I have to ask...will you be my muse?" He asked, and everyone froze. After a minute, Jolyne blinked, and said the first thing that came to her mouth.

"What the fu-"

TO BE CONTINUED