Persona 5: The Phantom Files

by sithlorde1988

Will cover the events of both Persona 5 Royal AND Persona 5 Scramble/Strikers. What happens when in addition to Ren being sentenced to go live in the care of Sojiro Sakura for a year after being sued for assault, his younger brother is also ordered to go and oversee him? How will this extra character change things? Read to find out! More info in chapter 1! Read and review! Enjoy!

81. Rank-Up Filler! Joker's Comeback part 10

A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Persona 5: The Phantom Files! This chapter should be a bit more filler-laden than the last couple of chapters were, since we're at a 'lull', so to speak, between the end of Shido's Palace and Shido's 'change of heart'. So there's going to be a lot less story stuff for a couple of chapters, then the next story stuff will happen. So for now, these might be very filler-heavy to make up the difference, but hopefully that's not that big of a deal to most. That said, let's hit up the disclaimer, yeah?

Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does not own the Persona series in any way, shape or form (aside from the OCs Kusa/Draconis, Somasi/Slim, Kyori, Lumine, Mimille, Akira, and any other OCs that might pop up during the story, all of whom are made and thus owned by sithlorde1988 unless otherwise stated) and the actual credit for the ownership of the Persona series belongs to Atlus, Sega, and to a lesser extent Koei Tecmo, so all credit to them!

That being said, stay tuned after the chapter, where I'll probably have a longer A/N! Now, on with chapter 81!

Chapter 81: Filler, Confidants, and Killing Time in general! Joker's Comeback part 10

(After school, in the attic of Leblanc with Ren)

While looking at who he had available to hang out with, Ren frowned as he saw that his only available options to hang out with were Yusuke, who he'd literally just ranked up the day before, Haru, and Takemi, as well as Ann, who was already maxed out. And as Ren didn't possess a Death Persona at the moment, he decided to go hang out with Haru. He saw he had private chats from Yusuke and Haru. He quickly skimmed Yusuke's private chat before opening up Haru's private chat to read it.

"Do you have time today? It would be nice to talk to you about coffee and things again, Ren. How about we talk and garden at the same time? I know things are tough for you right now, what with your current complicated situation, as well as what happened with Kusa and Akechi, but I thought the fresh air might do you good." Haru sent as Ren thought about it and sent a response.

"I appreciate how tactfully you phrased your request, Haru. I will admit it's not been easy for me recently. That said, I'd like gardening with you a lot, sis." Ren sent as Haru sent a response almost right away.

"I'm glad to hear that! I will be waiting on the rooftop! Make sure you use the back gate to sneak in." Haru sent as Ren put his phone away and headed to see Haru...

(A short time later, on the rooftop with Ren and Haru)

"Um. So, I bought a mini roaster and a coffee mill the other day, Ren. I thought it would be fun making coffee myself, you see. It's certainly not easy, but it's an immensely satisfying process to go through, to be sure." Haru said before wincing as she spoke up.

"Nnh, what's this? Ugh." Haru said while wincing, before seeing the concerned look on Ren's face as she kept speaking.

"Sorry about that, Ren-kun. I just got a little dizzy for a second there, that's all." Haru said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"It's probably not my place to say this, but as a concerned friend, I'll say it anyways. Don't overwork yourself so much. I get you do it as a hobby, but what good will that hobby do if you make yourself sick over it?" Ren said to Haru as gently as he could. Haru looked away as she spoke up.

"I'm fine, honestly. Really, I am. Let's see, next up is I believe dirt for the planters, if I'm not mistaken." Haru said as she started swaying slightly as Ren moved forward to catch her as she started to keel over, steadying her so she wouldn't fall. Haru looked at Ren and spoke up with a wince.

"Ah, thank you. I'm sorry you had to see that. I think I just need to rest for a little bit, honestly." Haru said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"That's fine, Haru. Just be honest with me if you need to take it easy. I don't want to see one of my sisters passing out from overworking. I know you say you're fine, but I'm still allowed to be concerned for you. So let me grab that chair over there for you to sit in." Ren said as he gently leaned Haru against some desks nearby as he sprinted over to grab the chair in mention, set it up, and then Ren helped Haru into the chair, where she smiled at Ren as she sat down.

"Thank you, Ren-kun. To be honest, I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately for some reason. Takakura-san has really been pushing for us to start a new business venture soon, for some reason. In particular, he's adamant about a chain of low-cost, intimate cafes. Some employees don't think it's a good idea though, so they want me to step in and put a stop to it if I can. But I'm just a high-schooler, Ren-kun. There's no way I could predict the success or failure of this idea at all. In the end, I'm just not sure what to do about it." Haru said as Ren spoke up kindly.

"That sounds really tough, Haru. I feel like when all is said and done, you should go with whatever your heart tells you to do. Since that's usually the best thing to do when in doubt, I've learned." Ren said as Haru smiled and spoke up.

"It is very tough. People simply won't stop offering their opinions to me, Ren-kun. I never imagined how difficult life could be in a position of power, to be honest. This must have been why my father was so busy all the time, Ren. The idea does sound nice, though. The smell of a fresh cup of coffee always brings a smile to my face. And it certainly would be nice to be able to give that experience to as many people as possible, I believe. But at the same time, I don't think you can truly gain the same joy from the low-cost chain Takakura-san is suggesting." Haru said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"To be honest with you? I have literally zero business experience, so I'm not sure I'm the best person to advise you on this, but if you want my opinion? Maybe you should try sitting Takakura-san down and speaking to him about some of the things you've told me. I feel like you don't have much, if anything, to lose doing so. Worst case, he refuses to speak to you, in which case you know he's not on the level. So it's at least worth the try, yeah?" Ren said wisely. Haru blinked at this and spoke up.

"Huh!? Excuse me? You really think he'd listen to a high schooler with no prior work experience, Ren? Hm, I see. Interesting idea." Haru said before she got to her feet, a determined look on her face as she kept speaking.

"I've been so afraid of him this whole time, to be honest. But all I need to do is show him how I feel about the business! I'll make him see what I'm really thinking about stuff, and what's truly important to me." Haru said resolutely as Ren spoke up kindly, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, there you go. That's the spirit, Haru. I knew you could figure it out, sis." Ren said encouragingly. Haru smiled and nodded as she spoke up.

"Yes! I understand what you're saying, bro. By refusing to trust Takakura-san, I was also shutting myself off from any hope of having him trust me in turn! But that's going to be different now, bro! I'll do my best, Ren-kun!" Haru said determinedly, making Ren smile as he was able to sense a strong newfound resolve coming from Haru.

At that point, the 'Empress' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VI' becoming a 'VII' to signify that his Empress Confidant link with Haru had reached Rank 7. As a result of the rank-up, Haru had awoken to the ability 'Soil Improvement', which decreases the total time it takes to cultivate a vegetable crop, making the wait to harvest that crop shorter as a result. Afterwards, Haru blinked and spoke up.

"Yep, I-Oh! Ren-kun, I just thought of the perfect way to do it!" Haru said as Ren blinked at her in confusion while she kept speaking.

"A magic item that will help me convey my true feelings to Takakura-san for sure. Hee hee, but it's going to take some time to prepare, so it will have to be my little secret for now. But I'll tell you next time, okay?" Haru said as Ren nodded before Haru spoke up once more.

"Good, glad we could talk like this. Now then, shall we head home?" Haru asked Ren, who nodded as the two parted ways at that point, Ren heading back to Leblanc, where his phone rang as soon as he reached the doorstep, making him reach for it to answer it.

"Hello? Ren speaking." Ren said as he heard Haru's voice on the other end.

"Hello, sorry Ren. Are you home yet? I wanted to thank you again. You made me realize something important earlier. Also, thank you so much for today. It's thanks to your support that I can keep pushing forward." Haru said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"No problem, Haru. I'll always have your back, sis." Ren said encouragingly as Haru giggled on the other end and spoke up.

"Hee hee, thank you, bro! Just hearing you say that gives me so much strength. You're always such an inspiration, Ren-kun. I hope Kasumi realizes how lucky she is to have landed such a wonderful man like you as her boyfriend. That said, the rest is up to me. It's going to be a lot of trial and error for the most part. But I believe it'll go well. And it'd make me very happy if you could help me through the process. I'll have to make sure everything is ready first, though. Okay, I'll see you again at the rooftop." Haru said as Ren nodded and hung up his phone as he went into Leblanc. As soon as he got inside of Leblanc, Ren pulled out his phone to see he had a group chat from Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, Futaba, and Kasumi, with Ann sending the first response.

"It's already a week into December." Ann said as Futaba sent a response.

"Mm-hm. That is correct, Ann. On an unrelated note, things suck online." Futaba sent as Haru sent a response.

"People in the city are only talking about Shido as well." Haru sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Yeah, for real. All the buzz about Akechi's completely gone." Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Ryuji, show some tact! Did you forget that Akechi wasn't the only one who might have been lost that day? That said, Shido may have pressured the media for their silence on the matter." Yusuke sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Yusuke, chill out, man. I wasn't trying to be tactless. I realize Kusa might also have been lost then too. That being said, why don't people get mad about this shit!? It don't make sense!" Ryuji sent as Ren sent a response.

"If he were here, Kusa would've probably had some snarky comment about how sheeple have very one-track minds or something to that effect. As it is, no doubt they only care about Shido, and were only interested in Akechi while he was on Shido's payroll." Ren sent wisely. Futaba sent a response.

"You're not wrong to say he'd have said that, Ren. That sounds like a very Kusa-like response. That said, it's not even that! Everyone just latches on to the latest story!" Futaba sent as Haru sent a response.

"To be honest, I thought something similar when Father collapsed. As long as it doesn't involve you, the news is nothing but another form of entertainment. For the general public, each passing story is simply a new means of killing time." Haru sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Good point, Haru. They consume each topic, then discard it before moving on to the next big thing that catches their attention." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"But I bet that's all gonna change once they see Shido have a change of heart!" Ryuji sent as Kasumi sent a response at that point.

"I agree, Ryuji-senpai. Also, were you just comparing the media to vultures, Makoto-senpai? Very amusing, if so." Kasumi sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"She more than likely was, Kasumi. Also, Ren tells us you had a meet to go to? I hope it goes well for you. Know that we all wish you the best of luck and will root for you the whole way." Yusuke sent as Makoto sent a response.

"What Yusuke said. And I was more-so calling them carnivores than vultures, but that works too, Kasumi. But seriously, good luck on your meet! Do your best and have fun!" Makoto sent as Kasumi sent a response at that point.

"Thank you, Yusuke and Makoto! Glad that you all are behind me! And Ren, if you're reading this, I miss you already!" Kasumi sent as Ren sent a response.

"I miss you too, Sumi. But it's just for a couple of weeks, right? So you'll be home and able to hang out with me again before you know it. Now go do your best." Ren sent supportively as Yusuke sent a response.

"I agree with Ren. Also, to what was said about Shido before, I hope so. We will just have to wait with belief in our hearts, and the well-being of both Akechi and Kusa in our prayers." Yusuke sent as Ren put his phone away, around the same time that Sojiro got his attention by speaking up.

"Yo, another box came for you, Ren." Sojiro said as Ren nodded, opening the box to find it was the stuff he'd ordered from Shady Commodities. Ren then went upstairs to order more stuff from Shady Commodities, doing so enough to increase his membership tier from Dark to Chaos, making him able to order Chaos-tier items. Ren then found out that Chaos was the highest member rank, so he'd reached the highest attainable rank, meaning he now had access to the full lineup of stuff from Shady Commodities. Afterwards, Ren sighed before heading to Crossroads to hang out with Ohya...

(At Crossroads, with Ren, Lala and Ohya)

"Oh, honey! You sure come here a lot, don't you? I don't really mind it, but keep yourself in check, okay?" Lala said as Ren merely nodded and walked over to Ohya and spoke up.

"Hey there. Been a bit since our last hangout, hasn't it?" Ren said to Ohya, who nodded and spoke up.

"Oh jeez, don't give it to me! I hear the flu's going around. You should wear a mask if you remember. Places like a crowded train can be dangerous. That said, the higher-ups are starting to get tired of one-off articles. You have anything good to share?" Ohya asked Ren, who thought about it and nodded.

"As it happens, I do. What would you say if I said I could give you not only an exclusive story about the true nature of one Masayoshi Shido, but also give you access to a rather juicy scandal that involves a certain high-ranking heir currently betrothed to the daughter of the former president of Okumura Foods?" Ren asked Ohya, who blinked in surprised at this along with Lala as Ohya spoke up.

"Well then, I'd say I'm intrigued, but can you really deliver on that? Also, a scandal, you say? Intriguing. All right, let's hear it." Ohya said as Ren took a seat and related what he knew of Akechi's claims of Shido being his father, and of Shido being a rapist who abuses his power to eliminate those who get in his way. He then also related the story of how Sugimura abuses Haru, as well as goes around kicking animals into walls. Ohya's eyes were huge by the end of Ren's explanation as she spoke up.

"Hmmm, that's actually very fascinating. On the subject of Shido real quick, so that ace detective is serious, huh? I see. How intriguing. Who knew you would have a common blood relation to him. Oh yeah, on a different subject, there's something I need to apologize to you about." Ohya said as Ren raised an eyebrow and spoke up.

"Oh? Is it an apology for pretending to be my boyfriend in front of your boss the other night? Because I hope you realize how presumptuous that was." Ren said as Lala blinked at this, making Ohya speak up.

"Don't worry about it, Lala. Basically I pretended that I was dating the kid here to get the chief off my back. And, kid? It's not that. You know, it's part of my job to research particular things. Well, um, I was doing some digging into stuff, and I ended up finding out about, well, your criminal record." Ohya said as Lala frowned at her while Ren blinked at this in surprise, not expecting Ohya to apologize for digging into his personal life. Lala spoke up.

"Told you he'd be shocked." Lala said bluntly as Ohya spoke up.

"Yeah, yeah. You were right, Lala-chan." Ohya said before turning to Ren and speaking up.

"That said, I realized you weren't just some ordinary kid back with my chief, when I pretended to date you. In my defense, I had no idea you already have a girlfriend when I did that, so I do apologize for any inconvenience I caused you with her. That was not my intention, I assure you. Anyways, so I did some digging out of curiosity, as I usually do, and I found a ton more than I was expecting. So, yeah, sorry about that.

But to be honest? I have to say though, the ruling made in your case was odd, both that they'd just sentence you to a year of out-of-town probation and that they'd assign your younger brother to play overseer for you. Clearly, some kind of deal must have gone down behind the scenes to make sure that was the end result. That must've been tough for you to handle. You're just a kid, after all." Ohya said, ignoring the annoyed look on Ren's face at her calling him a kid as she kept speaking, a closed-eye smile on her face as she spoke.

"Heh! Well, just forget about the past! We're in the same boat when it comes to being labeled." Ohya said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"I see. No offense Ohya-san, but are you sure we're the same? I mean, I was framed as the scapegoat for some drunken rapist who was trying to force himself onto an innocent woman. You, on the other hand, are just trying to find info on your partner. And while you probably have been labeled to an extent by your boss, I doubt you've had a false criminal record before." Ren said dryly. Lala smirked at Ren's answer as Ohya nodded and spoke up.

"You make a fair point, kid. That said, I absolutely am. That's why I've vowed to avenge my partner for-Whoops. Hey, Lala-chan! Refill, please!" Ohya said as Lala frowned and spoke up.

"No. The kid here was honest with you, so now it's your turn to tell the truth. You can't go rooting around in the kid's past and expect to keep your own secrets hidden, especially after he provided you with multiple scoops, and one on an abusive heir no less." Lala said rebukingly as Ohya winced and spoke up.

"W-Wait, don't blame me for that! He doesn't have anything to do with my private business, as you well know." Ohya said as Ren spoke up.

"To be honest with you, Ohya-san, I wasn't really going to pry into your business before, but now I'm curious. If it helps, you can trust me to keep what you tell me to myself." Ren said to Ohya, who winced and spoke up.

"I mean, it's not like I don't trust you, kid. And hold on a sec! Why am I getting treated like the bad guy!?" Ohya said as Ren gave her a look that seemed to say 'really? You're SERIOUSLY asking that question!?' while Lala sighed and spoke up.

"Look, you're gonna feel way better talking to someone who understands exactly what you're going through. Besides, you'll explode if you keep all that alcohol-fueled anxiety bottled up in you." Lala pointed out as Ohya sighed and nodded as she spoke up.

"That's true. And, to be honest, I guess this is the fairest course of action for our business partnership, huh? Just do me a favor, kid. Don't tell anyone, okay?" Ohya said as Ren nodded his agreement before Ohya started speaking up again.

"Good. So it's like this. Back when I covered politics for my publisher, I had a partner who helped with photography and stuff. Her name was Kayo Murakami. We were a pretty well-known team in the industry. We blew the lids off countless scandals together. At least, that is, until that day came. We were on the trail of a certain bureaucrat, who was involved in a slush fund to support refugees.

He kept himself pretty well guarded, so it was almost impossible to get any solid leads on the guy, naturally. Then one night, I got a voicemail from Kayo saying she had gotten hold of something big. But unfortunately, that was the last I ever heard from next day, that bureaucrat was found dead at a love hotel, and as the kicker? Kayo had gone missing." Ohya said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"I'm sorry to hear your partner went missing. As for the bureaucrat, do they know what the cause of death was for him?" Ren asked, having a theory occur to him. Ohya winced at that and spoke up.

"Well, that's the thing." Ohya said as Lala spoke up at that point.

"The cause of death is unknown, as it turns out. The authorities couldn't tell whether it was a murder or a suicide. As for the killer, well I suppose I should let Ohya answer that." Lala said as Ohya scowled and spoke up.

"No shit you should! Those pieces of shit that call themselves police accused Kayo! They said she killed him in a crime of passion, like it was that easy. That's impossible, though! She never would have slept with a disgusting man like that! And more importantly, it's pretty damn fucked up to make allegations like that without any evidence!" Ohya said as Lala frowned at Ohya and spoke up.

"Language, Ichiko-chan." Lala bluntly reprimanded Ohya, who winced and nodded as she spoke up.

"Yeah, you're right, I shouldn't have said that. Sorry, kid." Ohya said as she apologized to Ren, who waved off the apology understandingly as Ohya kept speaking.

"Anyways, the case was closed. But we never found the truth, and to make matters worse, Kayo was labeled a professional disgrace. And since we were partners, the company decided it would be best to move me to another department. But the important thing is that I'm going to prove Kaya's innocence though. That's why I'm conducting my own private investigation now." Ohya said as Ren nodded sympathetically as he spoke up.

"Having heard this, I can understand you a bit better now, Ohya-san. We are kind of the same, at least insofar as we both got dealt crappy hands in life, and both got screwed over because we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That said, what the police did, not only to you, but to your partner Kaya, is absolutely unforgivable." Ren said kindly. Ohya smiled at Ren's words and nodded as she spoke up.

"Heh, you're damn right it is! But still, thanks to all the info you've been giving me, I should have more time to focus on my investigation. I won't let this opportunity slip through my fingers." Ohya said before she sighed and spoke up.

"Okay, all right, there! We're even now! I didn't enjoy it, though." Ohya said as Lala smirked and spoke up.

"Oh? Are you sure about that? It's been ages since I've seen you smile that much." Lala said gently as Ohya nodded sheepishly and spoke up with a closed-eye smile on her face.

"W-Well, Lala-chan, maybe you're right. I haven't felt this alive in a long time." Ohya said before turning to Ren and speaking up.

"Okay then, kid! I've decided that I'll write a great article to commemorate our sharing session! 'Exclusive: The Phantom Thieves' Lofty Ideals in Connection with a Secret Society!'" Ohya said as Ren's eyes widened in horror at her choice of title, making Ohya chuckle in amusement at the look on Ren's face as she kept speaking.

"Haha, just kidding! Don't worry, I'll definitely come up with a better headline before we go to print! And I'll even get an article written up about what you told me about that Sugimura guy! I can't guarantee it'll generate a lot of press since it'll be considered tabloid news, but I'll at least post it. As for what you shared about Shido, I'll have to think about how to handle that. That could be a huge article in and of itself, but I have to wait until the coast is clear so I can post it without fear of reprisal from Shido's goons." Ohya said reassuringly to Ren, who nodded with a relieved smile, as he felt his bond with Ohya start to grow a bit deeper.

At that point, the 'Devil' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'IV' becoming a 'V' to signify that his Devil Confidant link with Ohya had reached Rank 5. As a result, Ohya had awoken to the power of the 'Unprecedented Scoop', allowing the group to start with a low Security Level when infiltrating a Palace. Afterwards, Ohya spoke up.

"Hm. Still though, there's just one thing that bothers me. There's no doubt the chief is on to my investigation." Ohya said before she kept speaking, not seeing Ren's eyes go wide at what she said next before narrowing slightly.

"Maybe we should keep acting like a couple so we can trick him. How's that sound?" Ohya asked Ren, who glared at the idea before Lala spoke up.

"Oh, leave the kid alone. The way I understand it, he has a very sweet girlfriend already. And with all apologies to you, I don't see the kid wanting to give that up just to fake-date you." Lala rebuked Ohya before turning to Ren as she kept speaking.

"That said, hey kid! It's getting late. Shouldn't you be heading home now?" Lala said to Ren, who nodded and left Crossroads to return to Leblanc, where his phone rang as he got to the front door, making Ren sigh as he answered it, having a good idea of who was on the other line.

"Hello? Ren speaking." Ren said as he answered his phone, and sure enough, Ohya was on the other end.

"Hey, kid. Can we, um, talk? I'm sorry about earlier. Really. For me digging up your records and such without asking. I mean, I'm also sorry for basically using you to get the chief off my back by claiming to be your girlfriend." Ohya said as Ren spoke up.

"I don't mind it, Ohya. Just don't expect me to keep pretending to be your boyfriend. As Lala-chan said to you before, I have a girlfriend who I am very much committed to and in love with. And it's bad enough I already have to fake-date one of my friends. I don't need to have to do it for another." Ren said as Ohya winced and spoke up.

"Sorry again for that. I'm not trying to cause you problems, I swear! That said, thanks. Having you say that helps. Don't worry, I'm not gonna leak it to anyone. And I won't ask you to pretend to date me without letting you run it by your girlfriend first. I wouldn't want to be the reason you lose out on a relationship, after all. And besides, it's my duty and pride as a journalist to protect my sources at all costs. I'm actually making great progress on my private investigation, thanks to you. And I'll be needing your help later, too. So I can find out what really happened to Kayo." Ohya said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"OHYA! I mean it! I am NOT going to fake-date you, at least not without running it by Kasumi, who is my girlfriend, first. As it is, it's bad enough I have to fake-date my friend Makoto. But if I can help you out without doing that, I'll be glad to help." Ren said firmly as Ohya nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, that's fair enough. Soooo, yeah! Here's to helping each other out! Buh-bye!" Ohya said as Ren hung up the phone and went into Leblanc to get comfortable for the night, grumbling under his breath about pain-in-the-ass sloshed journalists as he did so...

(The next morning, on the train to school with Ann)

"Wow, two more weeks until Christmas! Do you already have plans?" A soft-spoken student near Ann asked their bright friend, who nodded and spoke up.

"Yep! I'm gonna cheer for Akechi-kun and Shido-san! There was that weird prank, so I want to support them. Especially Akechi-kun. He hasn't said anything about it at all, and to be honest, I'm really worried about him!" The bright student said as the soft-spoken student spoke up.

"True. And there was that whole mention of Shido having two illegitimate sons that shocked people. But in any case, I'm sure Akechi-kun's just busy investigating. Just keep supporting the election and wait." The soft-spoken student said to the bright student, as Ann sighed and spoke up to herself, wincing at the mentions of Akechi and Kusa as she spoke.

"Ugh, they still believe in Shido? Is the media still backing him? Well, once Shido spills the deets, the whole situation will flip. Still, it's kinda sad that Kusa had to go and get taken from us this close to Christmas. Poor Futaba-chan, having to possibly celebrate Christmas without her boyfriend to celebrate it with her. But back on topic, once everyone hears the truth, I'm sure they'll open their eyes! Dammit, Shido, you scumbag! How much longer do we have to wait?" Ann asked as the rest of the train ride passed uneventfully...

(After school, in the attic of Leblanc, with Ren)

Ren groaned as for the third day in a row, he was woken from a nap by his phone going off next to his ear. Swearing quietly, he looked at it, being surprised to see it was a private chat from Ann.

"Listen to this! I found this unbelievable scumbag on the Phan-Site. Apparently he's super-popular, but he has the worst hobby ever." Ann sent as Ren sent a response.

"That's unforgivable. Out of curiosity, what is it?" Ren sent as Ann sent a response that had Ren frown as he read it.

"He likes watching women fight over him. He manipulates them against each other for fun. Some people have gotten hurt, or bullied out of school, over it. Either way, he's left a ton of victims in his wake. But the worst part? They all just accept whatever happens. So none of it ever turns into a big public issue. And he never faces any consequences for it. So he keeps doing whatever he wants and gets off scot-free. That smug bastard. It's like he thinks he owns all those girls." Ann sent as Ren sent a response.

"Wow, that's awful, sis. This guy sounds like he could use a change of heart." Ren sent as Ann sent a response.

"Ugh, I know. What a douchebag. As you said, I want this guy to have a change of heart. That way, these girls will all see the truth, too. I've got his name here. Apparently, they call him Hikaru Arihara. Let's talk more about it at the hideout, okay?" Ann sent as Ren put his away, just in time for Morgana to pad up the stairs and speak up.

"Oh? Was that another private chat?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"Yep, that was a private chat from Ann, actually. Apparently she found another Mementos target who's a real scumbag. I'll let you read the chat real quick so you can see for yourself." Ren said as he pulled up the private chat for Morgana to read, making the not-cat hiss by the end of it as he spoke up angrily.

"Wow, what a jerk! This guy's definitely got Lady Ann more heated than usual. All right, Ren. Let's make sure we change his heart!" Morgana said as Ren nodded while the group's phones went off to signify the receipt of the Mementos request 'Lady-Killer's Ballad'. After Ren pulled his phone back out, he saw he had unread chats from Shinya, Makoto, and Futaba. Skimming through Makoto and Shinya's chats, which were just requests to hang out, Ren considered hanging out with them before he opened up Futaba's message and knew who he needed to hang out with.

"Hey, Ren. There's something I really want to talk to you about. Do you happen to be free? Even if you aren't, it'd make me really happy if you could make some time for me. I know things are rough right now, but I want you to hear this." Futaba sent as Morgana blinked and spoke up after reading the chat over Ren's shoulder.

"Ah, yes. I forgot Futaba said she was planning to send you a private chat. Might be a good idea to check in on her, since she's been kind of radio silent ever since we finished Shido's Palace. My guess is she's coping with what happened towards the end of that Palace, but I could be wrong. Either way, no reason not to. So, what's the plan? Do you want to go and hang out with Futaba?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded at the not-cat and spoke up.

"Yep. I haven't spoken to her in a bit, and I want to make sure she's holding up okay ever since the incident with Akechi and Kusa. I know I'm not the only one who was devastated by that, so I'm sure Futaba's going through it worse than I am, and Kusa is my little brother." Ren said wisely as he sent a response to Futaba briefly.

"Not to worry, little sis. As it happens, I am in fact free at the moment. Your chat came at a good time, even. I was just deciding how to spend my afternoon. And since we've not really had a chance to hang out since that day, I feel like this is a good opportunity to see how you're holding up. That said, I'll be right over." Ren sent as Futaba sent a response shortly after.

"Really!? Then I'll go to your room today! Don't worry about it, I'll let myself in." Futaba sent as Ren winced at her word choice while putting his phone away. Morgana chuckled and spoke up.

"Heh, that's Futaba for you! And don't read too much into her response there. I think she was just teasing you as only she can." Morgana said with a grin as Ren shrugged, waiting for Futaba to arrive. A short time later, Futaba came walking up the stairs, where she had a seat on the sofa as Ren sat down next to her and she spoke up.

"Hey, listen! So, I emailed Kana-chan recently, just to keep myself busy and see how she's doing. And believe it or not, she replied. We even ended up talking on the phone about elementary school. She said the only reason she got mad at me about her diary was because she was embarrassed. Apparently she thought I would hate her if I knew about her secrets or something like that. So instead of admitting this to me back then, she ran away. Heh, I guess me and her are pretty much the same after all. Long story short, in the end we finally made up! I finally apologized to her." Futaba said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"That's incredible, Futaba. I know if he were here, Kusa would be so proud of you right now." Ren said as Futaba shyly smiled and spoke up.

"R-Really!? You think so? I mean, you've known him longer than I have, so you'd know best how he'd feel. That said, I'm surprised you're so excited about it, Ren. But at the same time, I'm glad. Anyway, it's too far to actually visit each other, so we've been sending emails back and forth. We even made a promise recently that even if it was at separate schools, we'd both do our best to go to high school next year. Y'know, to be honest, there's no way I would've been able to call her and apologize before. It's all because of you, and Kusa, that I could do it, Ren!" Futaba said to Ren, who smiled and spoke up.

"I know so, Futaba. And don't sell yourself short, little sis. You worked really hard too. You're smarter and braver than you give yourself credit for." Ren said kindly to Futaba, who giggled happily as she spoke up.

"Y-Yeah, I guess you're right! It's kinda embarrassing to actually hear you say it though. Oh, I almost forgot! Kana-chan was really surprised that the Phantom Thieves listened to her request. She'll never know the truth of the matter though, no matter if she's a fan of ours or not! Mwehehe! I've finally finished that promise. 'Get along with Kana-chan'. And if we're being honest, as much as our current circumstances suck, they're also letting me take out that extra promise you may or may not have been joking with me about adding to the list. 'Be okay without Kusa around'.

Um, to be honest? This is really important, so I'm gonna say it again, big bro. Thank you, Ren! Wait a second, what do I mean 'again'!? I never even said it the first time. I guess that means I'll just have to say it again right now! Thank you so much, Ren. Seriously." Futaba said as Ren nodded with a kind smile, feeling as if he could feel a strong bond of trust from Futaba in that moment. At that point, the 'Hermit' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VII' becoming a 'VIII' to signify that his Hermit Confidant link with Futaba had reached Rank 8, though no new skills were gained for the rank-up. Afterwards, Futaba spoke up shyly.

"Um, is it okay if I ask you for a favor real quick? I mean, I just finished a super-old promise." Futaba said as Ren smirked and spoke up teasingly.

"What, you mean that the feeling of a job well done isn't reward enough in and of itself, little sis?" Ren asked as Futaba blinked at his remark before he laughed and kept speaking.

"Relax, little sis. I'm just teasing you. Besides, we both know Kusa would've said something to that effect anyways were he with us right now. So someone had to do it in his honor. That said, it depends on the favor." Ren said as Futaba nodded, looking a tad bit embarrassed as she spoke up.

"Right. S-So, umm, the thing with this favor is that it's really simple, yet slightly intimate in nature. C-Can you, um, pat me on the head? Mom used to do it when she was happy with me, and Kusa does it from time to time as well as a sort of gesture of affection. Just a real quick hand on the head and pat, pat. So, can you do it?" Futaba asked Ren, who gave her an unreadable look at first before smiling as he spoke up.

"Heh, is that all, little sis? When you said it was intimate, you almost gave me a coronary! But I can do that for you, no problem. Just, y'know, don't make a habit of it? After all, you and I do have other people we're dating, what with you dating Kusa, and me dating Kasumi. But I have no problem patting you on the head." Ren said kindly to Futaba, who smiled as she spoke up.

"Heh, don't worry so much, big brother! I'm not trying to make a move on you! Besides, you can use this as practice for if Kasumi ever wants you to pat her on the head. That said, let's do this! All right, bring it on!" Futaba said as Ren just nodded, quickly reaching over and patting her gently on the head, making her jump a bit in surprise as she spoke up.

"Whoaaa! Th-That was totally different from how my mom used to do it! My heart is pounding in my chest! M-My face, it burns! It feels like they're both on fire!" Futaba said as she started panting and then kept speaking, seemingly to herself.

"C-Calm down, Futaba. It's just your big brother praising you for a job well done. It's not like he was trying to make a move on you." Futaba said to herself, making Ren sweatdrop as he spoke up.

"Really? You had to reassure yourself of that, little sis? What part of 'I'm committed to and in love with Kasumi' didn't you understand? Also, last I checked, Kusa is the man you're happy with, not me. And I don't think you're wanting to give that up, unless I'm mistaken." Ren said comfortingly to Futaba, who shyly nodded and spoke up.

"R-Right. Good point, big bro! Phew, that was close. Looks like that strange outburst is finally over. Anyways, my heart's still beating real hard, but I'm totally good now. Sorry for making you worry. I just remembered, though. I still have one more promise to do. 'Being okay without Ren around'. Um, but is that really possible? Can I do this? Meh, I'll find out some other day!" Futaba said as she made to go home, but not before turning around and speaking up once more.

"Ex-squeeze me! I'll see you later, Ren! Peace out!" Futaba said as Ren nodded, getting up to walk Futaba home, as any gentleman would do for a lady. The fact Ren considers this particular lady to be like a little sister to him is both coincidental and irrelevant to the point. On his way back to Leblanc, his phone rang as he got to the doorstep of Leblanc, and he answered it.

"Hello? Ren's phone. Ren speaking." Ren said as he answered his phone, not at all surprised to hear Futaba's voice on the other end.

"Heeey, Ren! Thanks for listening to what I had to say today, big bro. So, I've been having a lot of fun talking to Kana-chan over the internet! We talk all the time now. We tell each other what we're doing, what our days our like, even what sorts of boys we're into. That last one was totally her idea, though. Not that I mind bragging off Kusa. That said, Kana-chan said she cried when I reached out to her. When I heard that, not gonna lie, I kinda cried a little too. Though part of that could also be linked to the fact that I miss Kusa a lot. And now I'm getting along with Kana-chan, at last. I'm so glad I cleared that goal." Futaba said as Ren smiled and spoke up kindly.

"Congrats, little sis. I knew you could do it. And don't feel bad if you miss Kusa. To tell you the truth, I miss him too, and so does Morgana, even if he doesn't want to admit it out of wanting to try and act cool and smooth for Ann." Ren said, ignoring the just-audible 'SHUT UP!' that he could hear in the background from the irate not-cat in question, who was sporting a red face from Ren's words about him. Futaba smiled as she spoke up.

"Thanks, big bro! It was only possible because you helped me out, though! Seriously! Anyways, I just have one more goal to clear! It's like I'm about to face the final boss! Once I beat that, it's game over. Credits roll. I hope you'll stick around until then, Ren!" Futaba said as Ren spoke up at that point.

"Of course I'll stick around. I'm always going to be here for you, little sis. And once he returns to us, Kusa will always be there for you as well. So you're not without support systems, especially when we add Boss and Morgana into the mix. Hopefully he's been minding his P's and Q's while he stays with you, since I'm technically still considered dead, and can't take care of him. And I'm sure Kusa trusts you to look after Morgana for us." Ren said wisely as Futaba smiled and giggled as she spoke up.

"Hee hee, silly big brother! Who even says 'P's and Q's' anymore!? That said, Morgana's been very well-behaved for me! He's also been a great source of comfort the last few days, so I have no reason to complain. Okay, time to make like a roadrunner and jet! Later!" Futaba said as Ren chuckled and hung up the phone before heading inside, amused by Futaba's quirks. Inwardly, however, Ren said a prayer that Kusa would be found safely sooner rather than later. After Ren walked in, Sojiro spoke up.

"Hey, Ren. Welcome back. Heh, you guys should've seen it. They all lost their heads that night that you defeated Shido." Sojiro said as Ren nodded.

"Good. Hopefully once Shido's heart changes, that'll bring some peace to both Kusa and Akechi, wherever they may be at this time." Ren said wisely as Sojiro nodded. At that point, both of them idly wondered where Akechi and/or Kusa could possibly be at that time...

(At that same time, in an unknown location with Draconis)

"Well, at least I can still see out of the bars over there, even if there's not much lighting to illuminate the surroundings. That alone makes me think I'm possibly in a dungeon of some sort." Draconis said to himself as he heard a dry chuckling in his head before Thailog spoke up.

"Yes, that does seem like an accurate assessment of our current predicament, doesn't it!? Unfortunately, because your mask was cracked during that last fight when those Shadows presumably jumped and captured you, that weakened our link slightly. But as long as we're careful, we've got the power to stay in contact through this. So stay strong, Draconis. Remember, we are connected, now and forever." Thailog said wisely as Draconis nodded and spoke up in his head to answer Thailog.

"Fair point, Thailog. Even so, that does little to reassure the others, yes? No doubt they all believe me and/or Akechi to be dead right now. I kinda feel a bit bad for not taking more of a chance to at least reassure Ren and Taba that I'd be okay when I had the chance, but that's a moot point now. For now, our main priority is probably trying to wait for an opportunity to get out of here and try to get back to the others, if possible. Hopefully Akechi was at least smart enough to heed the opportunity I gave him and get the hell out of the Metaverse." Draconis said as Thailog nodded and spoke up in Draconis' head.

"Agreed, Draconis. But just so you know, thanks to how the one you call Taba, or Oracle, awakened to her Personas, she has a small, but existent, mental link to at least me thanks to the link that her 'Nostradamus' Persona unintentionally created between her and me, so I can at least attempt to try and reach out to her mentally and see if she responds. I make no promises on whether it will yield results or not, however." Thailog said as Draconis smiled and spoke up in his mind again.

"I see. And I'm guessing this mental link you speak of is the reason we can talk to one another through my mind like this? Very useful, if true. But if you can reach out to her, that'd be great. If you can, I'm sure it'd do her a world of good to know that I'm alive, even if I'm not sure I'd say that I'm 'well', per se. I mean, I sprained my left elbow stopping myself from getting messed up when Loki tossed me away. Not to mention the fact I've been chained up like this for who knows how long. Is that really what one would consider well?" Draconis said to Thailog, who chuckled and spoke up.

"Fair point, Draconis. That is indeed not what one considers 'well', by any definition of the word. But I agree she'd love to at least know you're alive. So I'll try and reach out to her telepathically if I can, and failing that, I'll try to shoot her a message through Nostradamus. How's that?" Thailog said to Draconis, who smiled and spoke up.

"Sounds good to me, Thailog! Good thing we've got each other, yeah? Not gonna lie, though. If I find out who the ruler of this place is, I might be giving them some choice words about not chaining up their guests for extended periods of time. It's not a good way to endear oneself to guests, I think." Draconis said dryly as Thailog chuckled and spoke up inside of Draconis' head.

"I concur, Draconis. It is indeed no way to endear oneself to guests. So just relax for now while I try to get word to our allies of our continued existence." Thailog said to Draconis, who nodded and slumped back against the wall he was currently chained to, praying in his mind that Ren and Futaba were holding up well at this point...

(Back at Leblanc, with Ren)

Ren then looked over his options, noticing as he did so that only Iwai and Hifumi were available to rank up. And of those two, Hifumi wasn't ready to rank up. Ren decided to go rank Iwai up since he actually was ready to rank up. Ren then headed to the airsoft shop to see Iwai. Once there, Ren spoke up.

"Evening, Iwai-san." Ren said as Iwai looked up and spoke up.

"Evening, part-timer. It's raining out there!? It's humid today because of all the rain. Don't forget to take care of the model guns, okay? So, whaddya want today?" Iwai asked as Ren spoke up.

"I didn't have a lot else going tonight, so I figured I'd pop in and see if you had any work that needed doing, basically make sure I was pulling my weight around here per my end of our deal." Ren said honestly. Iwai nodded and spoke up.

"That's good. You see, I got a security task for you. This is somethin' I can only entrust to you. Will you take care of it for me?" Iwai asked as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"For you, Iwai-san? Consider it done." Ren said honestly. Iwai nodded and spoke up.

"Good answer, part-timer. The person you'll be escorting? As it turns out, that person is Kaoru. Get dinner with him at that diner in Shibuya. Now, go. I gotta take care of some business with Tsuda. I'll be there after I handle that. See ya soon." Iwai said as Ren nodded and decided to go meet up with Kaoru per Iwai's request. Once he met up with Kaoru at the diner, Kaoru frowned and spoke up.

"Huh, that's odd. My dad's really late, huh Amamiya? And he's the one who asked us here too. You know, it's pretty rare for him to invite people out like this. He must see something in you, Amamiya-san. I doubt he'd ever actually admit it though, to be honest. Heh. By the way, um, can I ask you a question? Has he said anything to you? About me, well, about me weighing him down?" Kaoru said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"Why would you ask that!? No, he's said nothing even close to that." Ren told Kaoru reassuringly. Kaoru nodded and spoke up.

"That's good to hear. But to be honest, he's been acting super weird recently. More than anything, he seems stressed out. I've even heard him mentioning my name on the phone a few times recently. But then every time I've gone to ask him about it, he's told me there's nothing to worry about. I dunno, it just makes me feel anxious somehow, Amamiya-san. I mean, we're supposed to be a family. Or that's what I thought.

Anyways, I'm not sure if you know this, but my father? As it turns out, he's not my real father. He just took me in after my parents died in a car crash. Apparently he was a good friend of theirs. Honestly, I can't remember a single thing about them, though. Ugh, I wonder if my dad even considers me to be a part of his family, Amamiya-san." Kaoru said as Ren spoke up.

"To be honest with you, Kaoru? You're okay with me calling you by name, right? Meant to ask before." Ren said as Kaoru nodded and Ren kept speaking.

"Okay. As I was saying, to be honest with you Kaoru, I feel like he definitely considers you part of his family. But in the end, only he can truly answer that question." Ren said as Kaoru nodded and spoke up.

"Huh. You really think so, Amamiya-san? Maybe you're right. Oh! Now that I think about it, um, how to put this? Ah. Amamiya-san, have you ever seen his tattoo?" Kaoru asked Ren, who blinked and spoke up in surprise.

"His tattoo? I didn't know he had one?" Ren said as Kaoru spoke up with a chuckle.

"Oh, he has one all right. Or maybe you didn't see the one on his neck in the shape of a gecko? The truth is, I have a really bad scar in the same spot from my parents' car crash. Back when I was a kid, everyone picked on me for it. My dad would always come home to find me in tears. And that's why he got that tattoo. He said it could be the new Iwai family crest. Oh, and I did some research on geckos. It turns out they symbolize protecting one's home in the family. I had almost forgotten about that, to be honest. Maybe he cares about me more than I realize, Amamiya-san." Kaoru said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"That makes sense to me, Kaoru. But again, only your dad can really say what your dad is thinking. But do you think your dad would want to walk up on us talking about him? Wouldn't he rather hear us talking about, among other things, girls?" Ren said with a shrug as Kaoru laughed and spoke up.

"That's a good point, Amamiya-san. He definitely would appreciate that more. However, I don't really have a lot to contribute to that topic, as I don't really have enough of a social life at the moment to even say I have a girl I have my eyes on. But the way my dad tells it, you landed yourself some really beautiful red-headed gymnast as your girlfriend? If so, congrats! Glad one of us found love." Kaoru said as Ren smiled and spoke up with a smirk.

"Heh, got that right! Kasumi is amazing! She's so dedicated to her passion that she's out there right now competing in a holiday meet. I hope she does well in it." Ren said. At that point, Iwai walked up and spoke up while looking at Ren and Kaoru.

"Hey! I'm here! Yo, sorry for the holdup. But that said, you two look like you're havin' fun. What've you been talkin' about?" Iwai asked as Ren smirked and spoke up.

"Would you believe me if I said Kaoru and I were swapping stories about the ladies?" Ren said coyly as Iwai laughed and spoke up.

"Heh, I actually would. I could see Kaoru here going to you for advice on that, assuming he couldn't go to me first. That said, good shit. Well, aren't you two a little pair of ladykillers? Guess there're worse things you could be talkin' about, though. Wait, hold on. Did you get a girlfriend, Kaoru?" Iwai asked as Kaoru spoke up quickly.

"Nope. That's not even what we were talking about. Amamiya-san was just waxing poetic about his red-headed gymnast girlfriend. Apparently she's gone out to compete in some sort of holiday meet? Didn't even know they had holiday meets, to tell you the truth." Kaoru said as Iwai shrugged and spoke up.

"Wouldn't know, Kaoru. Sorry for being late. Anyways, I can't stay long. I've got errands I need to take care of. Figured it'd be nicer to at least drop by instead of tell you over the phone." Iwai said as Kaoru frowned and spoke up.

"Errands? What sort of errands? Am I allowed to know, or can you not tell me?" Kaoru asked as Iwai sighed and spoke up.

"And what's that s'posed to mean? It's just work stuff." Iwai said before turning to Ren and speaking up pointedly.

"Ain't that right?" Iwai asked Ren while giving him a pointed look, making Ren smirk and speak up.

"Yep, that's right, Iwai-san. But, y'know, since you were so long getting here, maybe you should buy us something by way of an apology or something." Ren said coyly. Iwai nodded approvingly as he spoke up.

"Yo, I like the way you think, part-timer! Hey, that's not a bad idea. Y'know, why the heck not? Order anythin' you want. It's on me!" Iwai said generously as Kaoru blinked and spoke up.

"O-Okay? If you say so, dad." Kaoru said as Iwai saluted him before looking at Ren as he spoke up.

"By the way, I'm almost done figurin' out what happened with that deal we were talkin' about. I'm goin' right now to meet with the guy who set it all up. I'll have to fill you in on the details some other time. Anyways, this is all thanks to you, kid. It's real nice havin' a reliable part-timer to help 'round the shop." Iwai said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"No problem, Iwai-san. Glad to help. If nothing else, it gives me stuff to do on nights I have nothing else going on. Plus, it makes for a good distraction from my own issues, but I get the sense you're not interested in hearing about that." Ren said wisely as Iwai just nodded approvingly, giving Ren a feeling that his bond with Iwai was growing still deeper. At that point, the 'Hanged-Man' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'V' becoming a 'VI' to signify that his Hanged-Man Confidant link with Iwai had reached Rank 6. However, there was no new skill for the rank-up this time. Afterwards, Kaoru spoke up uneasily.

"U-Um, Dad? You're not getting yourself into anything dangerous, are you?" Kaoru asked as Iwai grinned and spoke up.

"Dangerous? 'Course not." Iwai said reassuringly before looking at Ren as he spoke up.

"Well, later. I'm outta here. You can hang onto my wallet, Kaoru. Eat as much as you want." Iwai said as Kaoru nodded and spoke up.

"Got it. See you at home, Dad." Kaoru said as Iwai left. After Ren and Kaoru had dinner together, during which time Ren gave Kaoru a summarized version of Kasumi's gymnastics, carefully avoiding any mention of either the Metaverse or his dad's work as he did so. Once the two had finished eating, Ren headed back to Leblanc, where for the second time that day, his phone rang as he got to the doorstep and he answered.

"Hello? Ren's phone. Ren speaking." Ren said, smirking as he recognized Iwai's voice on the other end.

"Hey. Thanks for lookin' after Kaoru. With you coverin' for me, I actually got some good business done, too. Looked like you and Kaoru really hit it off. Glad to see you two get along." Iwai said as Ren spoke up with a smile.

"He's my age, so it comes easier. And the fact I have a younger brother who I hang with a lot helps me to be able to relate to guys my own age to some extent. Unfortunately, said younger brother may or may not be missing in action at the moment. Without getting into details, let's just say he made a big sacrifice to allow me and our other friends to get away from a dangerous situation." Ren said as Iwai spoke up.

"That sucks about your brother, kid. But for whatever my comfort might be worth? It sounds like he went out like a real warrior, assuming he's gone and not just held captive somewhere. But back on topic, that was kinda what I was hopin' when I asked you to handle this. To be honest, though, things went even better than expected. Hah, well, I figured I was just getting some security, but I guess that's not all you're good for. He's hittin' that age where he has to figure out a lot. Some of which I'm sure he won't talk to me about. I'm kinda hopin' you can help him through that kinda thing." Iwai said as Ren spoke up.

"No problem, Iwai-san. As I said before, I have experience with being a brother figure to others, so I don't mind being there for Kaoru if he needs it." Ren said as Iwai chuckled and spoke up.

"Glad to hear it, part-timer. Well, we'll talk again later. See you." Iwai said as Ren nodded, putting his phone away as he headed inside to get out of the rain and get comfortable for the evening...

(The next morning, in the lower level of Leblanc, with Ren, Morgana and Sojiro)

As Ren was eating his breakfast with Morgana watching, his phone went off, making Ren blink as he saw a private chat from Futaba.

"Okeydokey, punk, listen up! You're free, right? Well, you're in luck. I'm free too. Now that that's out of the way, there's something I want to tell you. Your time is mine. I know things are rough right now, what with Kusa being missing, Akechi possibly being dead, and Kasumi being out of town, but I want to hang out. Do you mind?" Futaba sent as Ren decided to leave her on 'read' for the moment since he was eating. Sojiro spoke up as Ren put his phone away.

"Heh, you talking to your friend? Ah, the beauty of youth. Are you gonna head out once you're done eating?" Sojiro asked as Morgana spoke up while Ren put his phone in his pocket.

"Hey! Is your plan all set for today? We should finish our food and then head out." Morgana said as Ren nodded and finished eating. After he went upstairs, Ren decided to fast-travel to Shinjuku to see Chihaya and get her to give Ren an Affinity Reading to boost his bond with Hifumi, who he'd noticed the night before wasn't ready to rank up. Once that was done, Ren decided to go rank up Makoto, but not before making a detour to first do some Persona management in the Velvet Room, and then checking on his lotto ticket, being surprised to find out he'd won 5,000 yen off of a 3,000 yen ticket. Morgana smiled and spoke up.

"Wow! You won, but is a 2,000 yen profit really that big of a win? Oh well, I guess it's better than nothing." Morgana said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"It pays for most of the cost of my next ticket, if nothing else." Ren said wisely as he then proceeded to buy another ticket for 3,000 yen. He then headed up to the rooftop after remembering he and Haru had a crop ready to harvest. After doing so, he got 2 'Sun Tomato' items. Ren then planted some Moonlight Carrot seeds, figuring he'd see what the increased yield on that crop looked like. Haru told him the crop would be ready on 12/14, so Ren nodded and figured to return then. Once that was done, Ren went to go and see Makoto at the station. Once he got to the station, Ren walked over to Makoto and spoke up.

"Hello there. Nice weather we have outside today, isn't it?" Ren said conversationally as Makoto turned to face Ren while sighing as she spoke up.

"Mm, indeed. Is the world going to truly become a better place now? Truth be told, it still doesn't quite feel real to me, even now. Oh, right. Eiko said she had a favor to ask, but I've been pushing it off for the moment. Do you think you could maybe come with me to see her?" Makoto asked Ren hopefully, who smiled as he spoke up.

"Well, we did get Kasumi's permission to fake-date before, so there's no reason not to go with you for now. Just as well we got that permission when we did, though. Had we waited, we'd have had to put off anything to do with Eiko and Tsukasa until Kasumi got back from her meet. Hopefully that's going well for her. But back on topic, yes. Yes, I'll go with you, Makoto." Ren said agreeably as Makoto smiled and spoke up.

"Thank you. It is reassuring to know you'll be there with me. Shall we go? She's waiting over at Big Bang Burger. Let's go." Makoto said as Ren nodded and the two went to meet Eiko at the Big Bang Burger...

(At the Big Bang Burger, with Ren, Makoto, and Eiko)

"So, what did you want to talk about, Eiko? Is something the matter?" Makoto asked Eiko, who nervously spoke up.

"Well, um, here's the thing. See, I was wondering if you could maybe lend me some cash." Eiko said as Ren and Makoto both had shocked looks on their faces at this. Makoto gasped and spoke up.

"I'm sorry, WHAT!?" Makoto asked in shock as Eiko spoke up.

"It's nothing real major, but I need it like, right now, if possible. I'll pay you back though, honest! Pleeease!" Eiko said as Ren and Makoto exchanged a look before Makoto spoke up to respond to Eiko's request.

"Tell me, Eiko. Does this have to do with Tsukasa?" Makoto asked Eiko, who nodded and spoke up.

"Mm-hm, that's right. He dropped a super expensive bottle of sake at work, so the club's making him pay for it out of his own pocket, but he needs help." Eiko said as Ren frowned at this, not liking where this was headed, but Makoto beat him to speaking up.

"Seriously? How suspicious. You might not want to hear this, but it seems to me that he's lying to you, Eiko. Don't give him any money." Makoto said as Eiko frowned and spoke up.

"For real!? He's not lying! I know you're all weird about the fact that he's a host, but my Tsukasa's not like that! He's really gentle, and honest too. He's so perfect. He even calls me 'princess'! I'm the only one he says that to, y'know. He says it's 'cause I'm special." Eiko said as Makoto frowned and spoke up.

"So he calls you his special princess, does he? I see." Makoto said before turning to Ren and speaking up.

"What do you think about this, Ren-kun?" Makoto asked as Ren spoke up.

"With all apologies to you, Takao-san, I believe that's how he ropes you in. I wouldn't be too surprised to find he has multiple girls he calls that. But that's just a guess on my part. Truth be told, I think you could do a lot better than Tsukasa, but if you truly think he's the one for you? More power to you." Ren said. Makoto nodded approvingly as she spoke up.

"Yes, I have to agree. If nothing else, I know that Ren has at least a bit of insight into the ways of romance. He might not look like it, but Ren's really a sweet guy deep down. He's just not one for public displays of affection. No offense, Ren-kun." Makoto said as Ren shrugged and spoke up.

"Eh, none taken, Makoto. You're just telling it like it is." Ren said humbly as Makoto smiled and nodded before turning to Eiko as she spoke up.

"That said, I think I see what's going on. Tsukasa says he cares about you, which could be true. But as Ren pointed out, he probably calls every girl who gives him money his 'princess'. That way, he never has to worry about getting a girl's name wrong, or getting names mixed up with each other." Makoto said as Eiko pouted and spoke up while glaring at Ren and Makoto.

"Hey, RUDE! Don't accuse him of that stuff! You don't have any proof!" Eiko said irately as Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"That's true, we don't have proof. As much as I wish I could say you were, you're not wrong about that. But did you ask anyone at his club about the broken bottle to get verification for his story?" Makoto asked as Eiko winced and spoke up.

"W-Well, um, to be honest? No, I didn't think to do that. He told me not to talk to them about it, though! He's too proud to have me go crying to his boss." Eiko said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"And yet, he's not too proud to have you go crying to your friends!? Isn't that the same thing as running to his boss?" Ren asked skeptically as Eiko looked at him while she spoke up.

"Not really. Tsukasa knows he can't stop me from asking my friends for help, whereas he has a bit more sway to stop me from asking his boss." Eiko said to Ren before turning to face Makoto as she kept speaking.

That said, please, Makoto. You're the only person I can trust. All my other friends would rather focus on cram school and entrance exams than take time to help me out. And who knows what my parents'd say if I tried to ask them for help. Please. Even a little would help out." Eiko said as Makoto frowned and spoke up.

"Eiko? I'm sorry, but I think you should end your relationship with him. If you don't put a stop to this, he might try to drag you into some suspicious line of work eventually." Makoto said as Eiko chuckled and spoke up.

"Heh, true. Oh, he already got me a job. It's nothing weird though. I'm just serving drinks at a bar to help him pay off that broken bottle. He said I'll be number one in no time. Maybe I'll just keep doing it after I graduate high school though. I mean, it's not like I'm gonna go to college." Eiko said with a shrug as Makoto frowned and spoke up.

"What!? Eiko, listen to yourself! You can't just do what he says! He's trying to deceive you for his own purposes!" Makoto said as Eiko scoffed and spoke up.

"Uh-huh, sure he is. You know, a smart person like you totally wouldn't understand what it's like. You're just gonna go to a good college, work at a fancy company, and then what? At the end of the day, your life's gonna be totally boring. I mean, is that seriously how you wanna live?" Eiko asked Makoto, who frowned and spoke up.

"To be honest? I hadn't really thought about it. I'm not sure yet. But be that as it may, you should still stay as far away from him as you can." Makoto said as Eiko frowned and spoke up.

"I see, so that's how it is. So you're not gonna help me?" Eiko said as Makoto shook her head in the negative as Eiko kept speaking.

"Ugh, just forget it. I can make it up if I just let some customers take me out on dates after work." Eiko said as Ren spoke up with a very unimpressed frown on his face.

"So, in other words, your plan is to sell your own body to help Tsukasa pay back his debt? I didn't know cheating on someone was an acceptable way to help them repay their debt." Ren firmly rebuked Eiko with a dry scoff as Makoto gently patted Ren on the shoulder and spoke up.

"Ren-kun, calm down. I get where you're coming from, but yelling at her isn't going to help." Makoto said before turning to face Eiko as she kept speaking.

"Eiko, wait! I didn't want to have to tell you this, but Tsukasa has been texting me almost constantly. Recently he's been asking if my sister and I live alone, and that he'd be glad to help us out. Even today, he asked me if I'm still happy with my boyfriend, acting as if he cared. Listen to me when I say this, Eiko. He is not serious about you." Makoto said warningly, ignoring Ren grumbling under his breath about unscrupulous scumbags under his breath as Eiko spoke up.

"Ugh, don't gimme that crap! Tsukasa's just so nice that he'd worry about my friends for me, that's all!" Eiko said before blinking as Makoto's words fully sank in, prompting her to glare at her as she kept speaking.

"Wait, hold up. You were texting him behind my back? What the hell, Makoto!?" Eiko said as Makoto winced and spoke up.

"Honestly? It was mostly him texting me, rather than the other way around." Makoto said as Eiko growled and spoke up angrily.

"UGH! You have the grades, the looks, a cool boyfriend, and even a big-shot prosecutor for an older sister, and you seriously still want more!? Tsukasa is all I have in this world! You can't take him from me!" Eiko said as Ren spoke up in irritation.

"Are you really that naive, Takao-san!? Makoto's not trying to take him from you! She's perfectly happy with me. If anything, she's trying to look out for your best interests here." Ren said as Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"Yes, exactly! Ren's absolutely right! Eiko, please listen! That's not what I'm trying to do! As Ren said, I'm just trying to make sure you don't end up with a broken heart." Makoto said as Eiko scoffed and spoke up.

"Tch! Yeah, right. Just keep your hands off! I'd never forgive him if you stole him away, Makoto. You hear me? NEVER!" Eiko said as she got to her feet and stormed off. After she left, Makoto sighed and looked at Ren in disappointment as she spoke up.

"Tsukasa is all she has in this world? Really? You know, I think she's exactly the kind of girl those gangs in Shinjuku are on the lookout for. Lonely, depressed girls who have nowhere to vent their frustrations in life. Actually, the truth is, Eiko's family is quite well off. Her multi-talented younger brother seems to be the sole focus of her parents' attention though. I'm sure that's why she fell for Tsukasa in the first place. He treats her like she's special. But even so, asking a high schooler for money isn't normal boyfriend behavior. She needs to realize that. You're going to help, right?" Makoto said as Ren spoke up.

"Absolutely. But at the same time, is basically throwing herself at other guys to pay off her boyfriend's debt normal girlfriend behavior!? I'd like to think that you would never feel the need to do something like that. Nor, I hope, would Ann, Haru, Futaba, or Kasumi. I'd like to think that we'd all do our best to help each other through tough times." Ren said firmly. Makoto nodded and spoke up.

"No, I'd never do such a thing, Ren. But still, thank you very much for agreeing to help me. It's very reassuring to hear you say that. I agree though, we stick together on our team. I even think that our missing comrades would agree with that." Makoto said as Ren merely nodded, rather than verbally acknowledge Makoto's reference to Kusa and Akechi. Makoto then saw Ren's reaction and changed the subject as she kept speaking.

"That said, Eiko's blessed to have both money and a family in her life, yet she's still trying to break free from them both. In that respect, she's almost the exact opposite of me. Yet, I still can't help but pity her a bit. But, I guess in a sense, watching her now is almost like looking back at my past self. I was so blinded by my own convictions that I never stopped to consider other viewpoints on the world. But I know now, that's not the right way to live. I want to show her that, just like you and the others did for me." Makoto said as Ren nodded in agreement, feeling as if he could sense a solid bond of trust from Makoto.

At that point, the 'Priestess' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VII' becoming a 'VIII' to signify that his Priestess Confidant link with Makoto had reached Rank 8. As a result of the rank-up, Makoto had awakened to the power of 'Endure', making it so that she could now potentially withstand a single piece of otherwise fatal damage and survive it with 1 HP left, much as Ryuji, Ann, Morgana, Yusuke and Kusa all could also do. Oddly enough, Futaba didn't get that power when she hit rank 8. Afterwards, Makoto spoke up with a frown on her face.

"I know she wants me to stay out of her business, but I'd never forgive myself if I let this come to pass. Tell me, Ren. What is the right way to live nowadays? Well, at any rate, we're going to catch that horrible host. I'll let you know once I've thought of how to do it." Makoto said as Ren nodded and the two got up to leave, at which point Makoto spoke up.

"Heading home, then? Well, see you later. And thank you again for today. I'll see you around." Makoto said to Ren, who nodded and headed back to Leblanc...

(That evening, at Leblanc, with Ren)

As Ren got back into Leblanc, his phone went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, and Kasumi, with Ann sending the first response.

"Elections are this weekend, you guys." Ann sent as Ryuji sent a response at that point.

"Truth, Ann! Also, these goddamn election cars are so loud too. They need to stop making me panic, dammit!" Ryuji sent as Haru sent a response.

"Agreed. This seems to be more like a big party than an election, if you ask me." Haru sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Yeah, one that's just for Shido. Stupid jerk. It's honestly not fair that he's basically getting a party in his honor, while both Kusa and Akechi are unaccounted for right now. If anything, Shido should be the one who's missing right now." Futaba sent as Kasumi sent a message at that point.

"Now, now. I know you're still upset over losing Kusa, but that's no reason to take it out on Shido. Yes, it is his fault that both Akechi-kun and Kusa aren't with us right now, but even still, you're better than Shido is, so cheer up, Futaba." Kasumi sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"I agree with Kasumi. And I know that if he were here, Kusa would be pointing out how silly it is of you to be complaining about him missing out on a party when he would likely much rather spend the time with you. That said, Shido's followers are essentially part of a cult at this point." Yusuke sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Yeah, yeah. I hate it when you're right, Inari. But thank you for trying to cheer me up. And thank you for trying to reassure me, Kasumi. How's your meet?" Futaba sent as Kasumi sent a response.

"I'm not even at the meet yet! Coach failed to tell me about the four-day long drive needed to get to the place where the meet's going down. And even then, we're just headed to a qualifier! The actual meet, IF I qualify, isn't even until next week! Luckily, the qualifier is a one-day event. But even so, it sucks that I might not make it back in time to spend Christmas with Ren. But I know Ren would prefer I try to pursue my dream where I can, since he's supportive and sweet like that." Kasumi sent as Makoto sent a response at that point.

"Wow, I see. That's rough, Kasumi. But you know we all wish you the best of luck and are rooting for you! That said, hm. I think I finally figured out what's seemed off lately." Makoto sent as Ren sent a response.

"First of all, don't worry about it if you don't make it back for Christmas, Sumi. I'm more hopeful you can have a chance to advance your dream of making it big as a gymnast! If we have to, we can always have a late Christmas celebration when you get back. That said, what do you mean, Makoto?" Ren sent. Makoto sent a response before Kasumi had a chance to respond to Ren.

"Glad you asked, Ren. News stories outside of Shido have dropped off the face of the map far too quickly." Makoto sent as Kasumi sent a response.

"Thank you, Ren! I knew I could count on you to be understanding. Also, who cares about Shido? We all know what he did! He's gonna get his soon enough." Kasumi sent as Ann sent a response.

"Right!? He's all people want to talk about. It's like they aren't interested in anything else." Ann sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Oh, really? I wonder. Is he brainwashing them?" Futaba sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Mind control, hm? That does seem possible under these circumstances." Yusuke sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Yes, well, if people stop thinking for themselves, they'll be free from both anxiety and responsibility. And Shido's the perfect thing to put their trust in, in their eyes. All that's left is to believe that he can bring them happiness, then they're all set." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"FOR REAL!? I can't believe this shit is happening." Ryuji sent as Kasumi sent a response.

"You and me both, Ryuji! Also, I feel as if Kusa would also be rather livid with this if he knew it was happening. As it is, I'm plenty livid on his behalf. And now, I have the rest of this really long drive to sit through with that oh-so-wonderfully stimulating line of thought to ponder. Fun." Kasumi sent dryly as Ren chuckled and sent a response.

"Sumi, has anyone ever told you that you are really funny when you pout? Because that's pretty funny, not gonna lie. But in all seriousness, you know you can talk to me if you need to. I'll always be here for you." Ren sent as Ann, Futaba, and Haru all sent 'AWW...' responses at the same time, before Ann sent another response.

"The subject of how adorable Ren and Kasumi are together aside, either way, we have to do everything we can for now, not just for our sake, but for Kusa and Akechi-kun's sakes as well." Ann sent as Ren put his phone away, at the same time that the door to Leblanc opened up and Morgana padded in and spoke up.

"Was that a group chat, Ren?" Morgana asked Ren, who nodded and let the not-cat read the group chat over his shoulder. When he'd finished, Morgana nodded and spoke up.

"I see. Brainwashing? I guess that's one way to look at it. Let's show people the truth behind all of this!" Morgana said as Ren nodded his agreement. Sojiro then spoke up.

"Are you guys still talking about Shido?" Sojiro asked Ren, who nodded as Sojiro kept speaking.

"Thought so. Shido has mass support from the public. At this rate, he's going to become prime minister for sure unless a miracle happens." Sojiro said as Ren nodded. After sizing up his options, Ren decided to hang out with Mishima again, since he's so rarely available these days. Once he got to Akihibara, he approached Mishima and spoke up.

"Evening, Mishima. What's up?" Ren said as Mishima looked over and spoke up.

"Ah, evening, Amamiya. I see you got my message and decided to swing by. Thanks. I think we need to talk about Akiyama-kun. So, what do you think? Got time to hang out tonight?" Mishima said as Ren looked at him and then nodded as he spoke up.

"For you, strategic image management representative? Always." Ren said, giving Mishima a wink to show he was just teasing by bringing up his title. Mishima nodded and spoke up.

"Thank you. Let's talk at the diner then. It'll probably surprise you when you hear what I have to say, but we can talk some more over there." Mishima said as he and Ren relocated to the diner. Once there, Mishima spoke up after the two got a booth together.

"So you remember those guys who beat Akiyama-kun up the other night? Well, it turns out they were really dangerous. I looked them up on a gut hunch, and found some seriously scary info. Apparently they're part of a gang that's involved in extortion stuff like that all the time. I wish I had known that going into that meeting with Akiyama-kun. One slip of the tongue in that act I pulled, and I would've been dead." Mishima said as Ren spoke up.

"Perhaps, but I have to say, you showed some real courage that day, Mishima." Ren said. Mishima blinked at this and spoke up.

"Hm? Y-You really think so? But I pissed all over myself again while I was researching those guys, if I'm being honest." Mishima said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"Okay, two things, Mishima? First of all, EW! Too much information! Secondly, who cares about that? You were still badass standing up for Akiyama-kun like that! I respect you for it a lot more." Ren said bluntly as Mishima nodded and spoke up.

"Right, right. Sorry. Honestly speaking, though? I have to say, you're amazing, Amamiya. You weren't afraid in the slightest. Maybe it's only natural after all the nightmares you've been through, and the crap you and your brother got put through." Mishima said as Ren shrugged at the same time that Mishima heard his name being called.

"Yo, Mishima!" Mishima heard as he turned to see Akiyama walk up with his friends. Mishima winced and spoke up.

"H-Hi there, Akiyama-kun." Mishima said as the short-haired high-schooler with Akiyama spoke up.

"Whoa, it really is Mishima!" The short-haired high-schooler said as the thin-browed high schooler next to him spoke up.

"Dude, right? Nobody else could be THIS boring." The thin-browed high schooler said as Akiyama frowned from behind the two high-schoolers. The thin-browed high-schooelr looked at Mishima as he spoke up.

"Hey, you figured out what you're gonna do after high school?" The thin-browed high-schooler asked Mishima, who spoke up in surprise.

"U-Um, not yet. I'm still weighing my options before I make a decision. The thing is, I've had a lot of reasons to take a hard look at myself lately and question why I do a lot of the things I do. And I was forced to tell myself that not all of them were done for the right reasons. So I've had to really change who I am as a person as a result. So at this point, I've not had a lot of time to put thought into my college plans." Mishima said as the thin-browed high-schooler spoke up.

"I see. In that case, how about the military? Nobody'd ever notice a zero like you stealthin' around." The thin-browed high-schooler said as the short-haired high-schooler laughed and spoke up.

"Hahaha, too true! I bet you could sneak in anywhere, huh? You'd be Japan's ultimate weapon!" The short-haired high-schooler said tauntingly, before Akiyama unexpectedly spoke up at that point.

"All right, that's enough! Shut up!" Akiyama said, making both the high-schoolers, along with Ren and Mishima, look at him in shock as Mishima spoke up.

"Akiyama-kun, are you okay?" Mishima said as the thin-browed high-schooler turned to Akiyama and spoke up.

"Huh? Something wrong?" The thin-browed high-schooler asked as Akiyama spoke up.

"Er, not exactly, no. C'mon, let's just forget him. It's no fun messing with Mishima anymore." Akiyama said as the short-haired high-schooler frowned and spoke up.

"Whaddya mean, no fun? You're always the one screwin' with him the most." The short-haired high-schooler said as Akiyama spoke up.

"I dunno, I guess I got tired of it." Akiyama said to the short-haired high-schooler, before shocking Mishima by walking over to him as he kept speaking.

"Hey, about before, when you stood up for me. I've been thinking, well, you did save me that day. So in the spirit of showing respect and gratitude, I should prolly thank you." Akiyama said as the short-haired high-schooler spoke up in surprise.

"Huh? Somethin' happen with you two? Y'know, you HAVE been acting weird lately, Akiyama-kun. I wonder why? And don't think I haven't noticed all them bruises you've got." The short-haired high-schooler said as Akiyama winced and spoke up.

"I-I, I don't know what you're talking about." Akiyama said to the short-haired high-schooler as Mishima spoke up.

"Um, what do you mean by 'before'? I really don't know what you're talking about." Mishima said while winking as if to suggest he'd follow Akiyama's lead on keeping what happened a secret. Akiyama blinked at Mishima as he spoke up.

"Mishima, for real? Heh, my bad, guess it was someone else. Still, I have to admit. You've changed, though." Akiyama said as Mishima blinked and spoke up.

"Huh? I've changed?" Mishima said as Akiyama nodded and turned to Ren as he spoke up.

"Yo, Glasses. I always see you two together hanging out. You been coaching him?" Akiyama said as Ren spoke up.

"Something like that. But, Mishima gets a lot of the credit, since he made the decision to change all by himself. He's really a good guy once you get to know him." Ren said bluntly. Akiyama chuckled and spoke up.

"Heh, really? Is that so? I'm kinda jealous. Anyways, see ya later." Akiyama said as he turned and left, the thin-browed high-schooler calling out after Akiyama.

"W-Wait up, Akiyama! Don't leave us behind!" The thin-browed high-schooler said as the two high-schoolers followed after Akiyama, leaving Mishima and Ren alone, as Mishima chuckled and spoke up.

"Well, whaddya know? It looks like Akiyama-kun's gonna be just fine. He's a pretty strong-willed guy, Amamiya. Not unlike your brother, in fact. And what he said before, he's not wrong, is he? I really have changed, huh? Do you think maybe now I'm starting to be like the Phantom Thieves of Hearts? All right, I'm gonna work even harder now to make sure I live up to your legacy!" Mishima said as Ren nodded, noticing that Mishima seemed to be showing a passionate resolve.

At that point, the 'Moon' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VIII' under it turning into an 'IX' to signify that his Moon Confidant link with Mishima had reached rank 9. Though, much like the previous rank-up, no new skills were gained from the rank-up. Afterwards, Mishima kept speaking.

"Um, can I be honest? You know, I always used to think I couldn't amount to anything. But I somehow managed to step up and help Akiyama-kun with those thugs. It made me realize something. There really are things I can do to save people. And that's why I've started writing a documentary on the Phantom Thieves. The research I did on that gang Akiyama-kun was wrapped up in was actually what pushed me to do it. And now, I'm basically putting together a massive log of all your activities from the Phan-Site." Mishima said as Ren spoke up with a frown.

"I see. Well, first things first. If you do write about us, try to stick to our code names. If you need those, I can give you those some other time when we have time, since the story behind our code names is kind of a long one. But as long as you stick to that, I can't wait to watch it." Ren said as Mishima chuckled.

"Right, I getcha. I'll get those from you when you have time so I have them for reference. Heh, y'know, that's some serious pressure to put on me. But I'll show you what I can do! I mean, I won a composition contest back in 5th grade, so this shouldn't be any more difficult, right?" Mishima said as Ren spoke up.

"Don't be so sure. Kusa, for all he might not look like it, had put some serious consideration into becoming a writer at one point. Granted, this was before everything went totally south for him and I. But that's not to say he might not go back to it eventually. My point is, writing's not as easy as it sounds. It's a very demanding, very serious thing to get into. But if you put in the effort, oftentimes the faces of happy readers who enjoy your work is its own reward, or so Kusa said once." Ren said wisely as Mishima nodded and spoke up.

"I see. Your advice is heard and understood. That said, I wouldn't have pegged your brother as the writer type. But at any rate, we should celebrate today! My treat! Screw the fountain drinks, Amamiya! Let's go straight for the fancy fruit juice! It's three times the price, so it's gotta be three times better!" Mishima said as Ren spoke up.

"Meh. Not sure that's how that works, Mishima. But if you say so. We can live it up a bit, I suppose. We've earned that much, at least." Ren said wryly. Mishima winced as he spoke up.

"Good point, Amamiya. But I only have so much money with me. If you wanna order anything else, it'll have to come out of your own pocket, okay? Anyway, let's do it! Let's party until we have to go catch the last train! WOOOOOO!" Mishima said with a closed-eye grin as he chuckled and Ren sweatdropped before the two proceeded to party it up for a short time before parting ways to get the train home, at which point Mishima spoke up once more.

"Catch you later!" Mishima said as Ren got the train back to Leblanc, where his phone rang as he got to the front doorstep, prompting him to answer it.

"Hello? Ren's phone, Ren speaking." Ren said as he answered his phone, recognizing Mishima's voice on the other end as he spoke up.

"Woooooo! What is uuup! You still rocking into the night, Amamiya-chaaan!?" Mishima said as Ren frowned and spoke up.

"Okay, first of all, AMAMIYA-CHAN!? Isn't '-chan' usually an honorific reserved for women? That said, that's really how you're going to start a phone call?" Ren asked dryly, making Mishima speak up nervously.

"Ohh, uh, sorry. I don't know the right thing to say after coming home from a party. Ahaha, my bad. But that was so fun, right? I've never stayed that late at a diner before. You think it's the power of that fancy fruit juice? I mean, it did cost three times the usual price! Okay, okay. I'll stop joking around. I think I'm just really happy to hear that one comment from Akiyama-kun that he made before. You heard what he said about me, Amamiya. But do you really think some part of me's changed?" Mishima asked as Ren chuckled and spoke up.

"If I had to guess? He was probably referring to that newfound sparkle of confidence in your eyes, Mishima. But that's purely a guess." Ren said playfully. Mishima blinked and spoke up.

"Wait, really? You mean that? I actually look confident now? Eheh, wow. Gosh, man, you're gonna make me blush if you keep complimenting me like that. But thank you. Hey, you know that documentary I mentioned? Starting today, I'm going to start writing it seriously. And once it's finished, I want you to be the first one to read the script! It's our promise! A vow between men, okay? See you!" Mishima said as Ren nodded and went inside before getting comfortable upstairs as he changed into his casual pajamas, at the same time that his phone rang and he answered it, confused as to who would be calling this late.

"Hello? Ren speaking." Ren said before smiling as he recognized Kasumi's voice while she spoke up.

"Hi, Ren! Glad I caught you while you were awake! Coach and I stopped off in a rest area for the night before we resume the drive in the morning, but I felt like talking to you a bit before I laid down for the night. I hope you don't mind?" Kasumi said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Not at all. You know I'm always here for you Sumi, any time of the night. So what's up?" Ren said kindly as Kasumi spoke up.

"Other than speaking to you? Not a lot. I'm just leaning up against the back of Coach's car so as not to wake her while I talk to you. Sure, I could've private-chatted you, but I felt like hearing your voice for a bit. Not gonna lie, I already miss you. And I've barely been gone for two or three days." Kasumi said as Ren chuckled and spoke up.

"That's understandable, Sumi. You've not been this far apart from me before since we started dating. So I can understand you having a hard time being away from me. And to tell the truth, I'd be lying if I said I didn't know the feeling. This is also the longest Kusa and I have been separated from one another, so I can relate to feeling anxious right now. But I'm here for you, so you don't have to feel so anxious. I hope the meet goes well for you. You deserve the best, Sumi!

And I wish nothing but the best for you. Heh, I'm so lucky that Boss lets me stay alone in Leblanc these days, so I don't have to worry about keeping anyone awake talking to you. Heh, if we wanted to, we could be teasing each other through private chats right now, if you catch my drift." Ren said teasingly as a red-faced Kasumi spoke up, careful to keep her voice down.

"REN! That's not funny! Even if I did want to do that, you forget that Coach is still in the car nearby. If she were to wake up and catch me doing that, I'd be in so much trouble! But maybe that's something we can look into when we're alone together next. Because I won't lie to you, Ren. What we did together that last time was gloriously mind-blowing. And think, that was just oral! That wasn't even us going all the way either!

Well, technically in your case it was mixed oral and fingering, but that's just trivial semantics at this point. Either way, you know I don't mind doing that with you. I will be honest, though. I feel a bit bad that this meet might make me cut it close on if I make it back in time to share Christmas Eve with you or not. But we'll see what happens. And as you said before, we can always get together after the fact for our own belated celebration, just the two of us." Kasumi said as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Agreed. And I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with your coach. As it is, she's probably rather irate with me, and rightly so, for letting you think I was dead for the short time I did. Sorry again about that, by the way. I feel terrible for lying to you like that. I'm grateful you forgave me for that. But in all seriousness, we'll have to be careful if we do have a belated celebration, in case someone hears our conversation through a certain bug placed on this building and gets ideas about pranking us with mistletoe." Ren said with an amused smile as Kasumi giggled and spoke up.

"That's true. Futaba-chan would do something like that, wouldn't she? She's a little bit of a brat like that at times, but she means well. To be honest, I can only imagine how much she's suffering right now, since her boyfriend is basically missing and all. I know I was rather beside myself when I thought you were gone, so I can only guess that she's probably inconsolable right now. We should try to cheer her up if we can once I get back to town." Kasumi said before she yawned and spoke up.

"Oh, sorry. I think I'm getting tired. I don't want to, but I should probably let you go so I can get some rest before we get back on the road in the morning. Love you, Ren! Sleep well tonight." Kasumi said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Understood. I love you too, Sumi. Sweetest of dreams, my love. Good night." Ren said as he hung up his phone and laid down, a goofy smile on his face as his dreams that night were filled with him and a certain red-headed gymnast he was very much in love with...

(The next morning, in class with Ann)

"The election's at the end of the week, right? Well, Shido's gonna win anyway." Ann heard a male student near her say to his friend as Ushimaru scoffed and spoke up.

"Ugh, kids these days! Not that I asked for your opinion on the election. Well, no matter what the cause was, this election is heading in the right direction." Ushimaru said as Ann sighed and spoke up to herself.

"And before we knew it, Shido had everyone in the palm of his hand. Deceiving people so well that they don't even realize it, too. Man, just how influential is Shido?" Ann asked herself as the rest of class passed uneventfully...

(After school, in the attic of Leblanc with Ren and Morgana)

"Hey, Ren. Shouldn't you tell the others about that target in Mementos?" Morgana asked Ren as he came upstairs. Ren shrugged and spoke up.

"Probably, but not quite yet. I think we need like 2 more targets, maybe 3, to have a good-sized target batch first." Ren said gently as Morgana nodded approvingly. After considering his options carefully, Ren decided to go hang out with Yusuke since he was available to rank up. Ren then walked over to Yusuke and spoke up.

"Hey, Yusuke. What's up?" Ren said to Yusuke, who spoke up with a nod.

"Afternoon, leader. It has finally ended, hasn't it? That said, I have been here busily people watching, as usual. Is there something you'd like to do to kill time, Ren?" Yusuke asked Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed there is. First of all, I'd like you to take this Blank Card and this 'Growth 3' Skill Card and use your skills to 'Duplicate' the 'Growth 3' card, if you'd be so kind." Ren said as Yusuke nodded, accepting the cards in question and getting to work. A few minutes later, Yusuke spoke up as he handed over the two 'Growth 3' skill cards.

"Beautifully executed! Here you are, one duplicated 'Growth 3' Skill Card for your perusal." Yusuke said as Ren nodded and spoke up after accepting the two 'Growth 3' skill cards.

"Thanks, Yusuke. That said, let's go ahead and hang out, if you're up for it, since I'm here." Ren said. Yusuke chuckled.

"Hah, is that so? Truly, you must have a wealth of free time on your hands if that's your decision. That said, how does your schedule look today? I wish for you to join me if possible." Yusuke said to Ren, who nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, I'll spend time with you, Yusuke. Fortunately, I thought this might happen, so I took the initiative to dump Morgana off with Futaba so he can't be underfoot to take more embarrassing photos/videos of us without our knowledge. Hoo boy, I laid into him something fierce after that, that's for sure." Ren said firmly as Yusuke smiled and spoke up.

"Heh, I see. Thanks for your concern. That said, I would like to enter Mementos again today. I believe that place holds the truth of the human heart. Thank you for your cooperation in this. Now then, let us go." Yusuke said as Ren nodded and the two entered Mementos...

(Inside of Mementos with Fox and Joker)

"Hm, this place never fails to amaze me, no matter how many times we come here. Also, where does this passage even go? It feels as though I'm being sucked inside merely by gazing upon it." Fox said as Joker shrugged, not sure how to answer the question Fox had asked. Fox smiled as he turned to face Joker while he kept speaking.

"So this is the heart of man, is it? It is ugly, to be sure. Yet, it is also beautiful in a way as well. I suppose that duality is what makes humanity such an interesting subject, when you think about it. As you know, I have been confused recently about the reason for my art. Did I want to be recognized, or did I want to capture pure beauty? Was it due to my talent, or just my upbringing?

When you think about it, each answer would seem correct at first, yet only prove itself false upon a more in-depth examination. Ren, no, Joker. What are your thoughts? When my mother was painting the 'Sayuri', way back when I was a baby, what do you think she was thinking about?" Fox asked Joker, who thought about it before smiling as he spoke up.

"To be honest with you? I'm no art expert, but looking at the expression of the woman in the 'Sayuri', and taking the baby into that woman's arms into consideration, I would guess that she was thinking about her motherly love for her newborn son." Joker said wisely. Fox nodded with a smile, his cheeks pinking slightly in embarrassment as he spoke up with a nod.

"Good point. Such love is almost embarrassing to have pointed out to me as you just did. But you are probably right. However, I believe that was not the only thing she thought about. It seems the 'Sayuri' was meant to impart something to me in particular. And to all others who view it, for that matter. Love, regret, loneliness, anxiety, calm, and most of all, hope. All of the emotions my mother felt, conveyed plainly to the viewer. That is why it has such a profoundly unique impact on those who see it.

Even so, my paintings pale in comparison to such depth of meaning, I feel. Oh, how could I have hoped to convey pure beauty with my limited palette, Joker!? And yet, despite that, that painting has kept me going this whole time. During particularly difficult nights, it was there to soothe my sadness. It acted almost as a ray of light cutting through the somber darkness and illuminating it with the pure light of my mother's love.

How could this be? I had wanted to create a similar beacon of hope for others if I could, but it seems I lost sight of that goal. Look. This world is a dark, unrelenting place, Joker. But that is why I am going to wield my brush again despite my worries and concerns. To give hope to all those who see my paintings." Fox said as Joker nodded and spoke up.

"That's really wise of you. To be honest with you? You've really changed, Fox. And that change truly is for the better, if you ask me." Joker said kindly. Fox nodded as he spoke up.

"Yes, thanks to you. You chose to help me work through my problems instead of leaving me to my sadness. But also, I owe it in part to the others as well. Most notably Kusa, who chose to extend that hand of support out to me when I first awakened to Goemon's powers. Instead of letting me flounder through that on my own, he not only talked me through it to some extent, but he also actually showed that he could relate to what I was going through.

Sure, I wasn't expecting him to drop the bombshell on us that he did that day. But even so, I appreciate that he was willing to be so honest with me, even if I didn't know you guys that well yet at the time. It meant a lot to me, much as your continued support means a lot to me. Now, I will use my art to paint over the blackness of this world. It shall become a vivid realm, full of hope, peace, and even happiness. I expect it will be a most beautiful sight to behold. Perhaps you will see it someday Joker, with any luck." Fox said as Joker nodded agreeably, smiling as he got the feeling that his bond with Fox was growing ever deeper.

At that point, the 'Emperor' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VIII' becoming an 'IX' to signify that his Emperor Confidant link with Fox had reached rank 9. As a result of the rank up, Fox had awakened to the power of Protect, making it possible for him to have the chance to shield Joker from an otherwise fatal attack, much like how Mona, Panther, Skull, Draconis, and possibly Crow all could do. Afterwards, Fox spoke up. *1*

"Hm, this radiant light growing within me is shining. It must be the light of hope. Aha, I have an idea! I shall paint it." Fox said eagerly as Joker nodded before frowning as he could sense Shadows in the area nearby. He looked at Fox and spoke up.

"Fox, as enlightening as this conversation is, we should probably get out of Mementos before we run into Shadows, since I doubt very much you want to fight a huge group of Shadows with just us two any more than I do." Joker said wisely as Fox nodded and the two exited Mementos...

(Back in the real world, with Ren and Yusuke)

As Ren and Yusuke exited the subway, they were surprised to see Kawanabe walk over to them and speak up.

"Ah, you two. Fancy running into you here." Kawanabe said as Yusuke turned and nodded while speaking up.

"Indeed. Good afternoon to you, Kawanabe-san." Yusuke said as Kawanabe chuckled and spoke up.

"Ah, what's this? On your way home? You clearly have time on your hands, Yusuke-kun. I'm on my way now to prepare for the competition. Speaking of which, are you planning on entering?" Kawanabe asked Yusuke, who nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed I do." Yusuke said as Kawanabe nodded and spoke up.

"Oh? I see. Permit me to warn you on one matter, Yusuke-kun. If you enter, be aware that your pride may not be too pleased with the outcome. After all, the winner's spot is not simply yours for the taking. I suppose whether you ultimately opt to enter is entirely your decision though. After all, the more the merrier, yes? Hahaha!" Kawanabe said as he walked away, leaving Yusuke to blink as he looked at Ren and spoke up.

"I see. The winner's spot, he says? Ah, yes. I was hoping to prove my talent to him by taking the top prize home. That no longer matters to me, though. I am going to enter my painting merely so others can be exposed to it. Well, I will talk to you later, Ren. Farewell." Yusuke said as Ren nodded and headed back to Leblanc...

(That evening, at Leblanc with Ren, Sojiro and Morgana)

As Ren entered Leblanc, Sojiro looked up and spoke up.

"Ah, you're back. Yo. Just so you know, another box came for you." Sojiro said to Ren, who nodded and opened up the box as Morgana hopped onto the counter to speak up as he watched Ren open the box.

"Hey! So Ren, what did you get?" Morgana asked Ren, who spoke up after examining the contents of the box.

"Looks like that stuff we ordered online showed up, Morgana." Ren said as Morgana nodded understandingly and spoke up.

"Oh yeah, that's right. You bought stuff from Shady Commodities, didn't you? I forgot about that for a moment." Morgana said as Ren nodded, before blinking as he noticed that both Ohya and Hifumi were available to rank up, along with Sojiro, who he'd already maxed out his link with. Ren then frowned as he saw to his surprise that neither Hifumi nor Ohya were ready for a rank up.

Out of desperation to change this, Ren took a quick trip to Shinjuku to have Chihaya give him an Affinity Reading, in the hopes of getting Hifumi ready for a rank-up, which to his relief worked well enough to get Hifumi ready for a rank-up. After paying 5,000 yen to Chihaya for her help, Ren headed to Kanda to see Hifumi. Once he got the church, he approached Hifumi and spoke up.

"Evening, Togo-san. How are you?" Ren said to Hifumi, who smiled as she spoke up.

"Ah, good evening, Amamiya-kun. 'A meijin knows no standard moves'. Truly wise words. They translate to say that there are no set principles for victory. As such, you must always seek to make the best move possible with your circumstances. What I mean to say is that you should please continue to do what you believe is right. That said, I did what I could to prepare for the exhibition match. And so, I find myself anxiously awaiting the start of it. Oh, do you have some time?

As I just said, I'm feeling a bit anxious. I considered speaking to Kitagawa-kun about it, but then I recalled he was hard at work on a painting for some upcoming exhibition, so I chose not to bother him in the end. However, I did get a text from him earlier wishing me good luck in the match, and reminding me that he would always be rooting for me and have my back." Hifumi said as Ren thought about Hifumi's question and nodded as he spoke up.

"Yeah, I'll hang out with you, Togo-san. I don't have a lot else going on tonight, plus my girlfriend's out of town competing in a gymnastics meet, so I can't exactly go spend time with her. So I've got plenty of time for you if you want to hang out." Ren said honestly as Hifumi smiled and nodded as she spoke up.

"Ah, I see. Thank you, Amamiya-kun. I must admit, after I confessed, I was scorned by the media, and rightly so, given what my mother did to my reputation. I bet everyone wants me to lose. However, I'm not going to give them the satisfaction. I'm going to win that match, and I'm going to do it with these very hands." Hifumi said, a determined look on her face as she finished speaking. Ren nodded approvingly as he spoke up.

"Give it all you got, Hifumi. But remember this. No matter what happens, both myself and Yusuke are here for you if you need someone to vent to. Granted, Yusuke is preparing to enter an art competition, so he might be a bit busy. But I can be there for you on his behalf if needed." Ren said encouragingly to Hifumi. Hifumi, for her part, stood up and smiled at Ren as she spoke up.

"Yes, I see. Hee hee, of course I'll give it all I've got, Amamiya-kun! I owe that much to both you and Kitagawa-kun, since you've both been there for me so much through all of this." Hifumi said with a rare giggle. After that, she saw the time and frowned as she spoke up.

"Oh, shoot. Well, it's time. I have to go to the venue. Unfortunately, you won't be able to go inside the match room, Amamiya-kun. However, you can watch the match over the internet, if you'd like. Now on that note, I should be going." Hifumi said as Ren nodded, making it a point to send Yusuke a private chat as he headed to the venue.

"Evening, Yusuke. Sorry to bother you like this, but I figured I'd remind you that Togo-san has an exhibition match starting shortly. I know you're busy painting, but maybe you can use your phone to stream it over the internet so you can at least listen to the commentary and root for your crush, to some extent." Ren sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Ah, yes. That was tonight, wasn't it? Thank you for reminding me, Ren! I will be sure to put it on so I can listen to it as I paint. If you happen to be going to the venue to watch, be sure to give Togo-san my best for me, won't you? I apologize I can't be there to support her in person, but as you well know, I have a competition to prepare for. But thanks for letting me know about the match, at least." Yusuke sent as Ren sent one last response.

"Will do, Yusuke! Oh shoot, I'm at the venue! Gotta go! Hopefully it goes at least fairly well for Togo-san!" Ren sent as he put his phone away and walked into the venue, at which point he sat in the waiting room and pulled up the match on the internet. Ren idly noted that the announcers were commentating on the gameplay.

"Oh, my! Is this the end of the road for the 'Phony Princess'?" Ren heard a shogi magazine journalist say as his co-commentator, a shogi magazine editor, spoke up.

"Perhaps. She's getting pushed around quite a bit. It's only a matter of time now before something gives way, if you ask me." The shogi magazine editor said as Ren frowned at this, noticing that Hifumi was visibly biting her lip on-screen. Ren also noted that Hifumi did not seem to be doing well in the match at all. At that point, the shogi magazine editor spoke up once more.

"Oh, now THAT was a masterful play by the Phony Princess!" The shogi magazine editor said as the shogi magazine journalist spoke up.

"Hm. Perhaps her skills ARE the genuine article?" The shogi magazine journalist asked as the shogi magazine editor shrugged and spoke up.

"Oh, no, that's not good. The next move will surely result in a checkmate." The shogi magazine editor said as Ren frowned, seeing that Hifumi looked troubled as she was being pushed around the board by her opponent. Ren further noted that Hifumi hadn't made a move in some time, presumably weighing her options to try and figure out her best move. At that point, the shogi magazine journalist spoke up again.

"Hm. I'm thinking 'Phony Princess, Real Defeat' as the headline for our next article." The shogi magazine journalist said as Ren growled at this, knowing that he'd have had to hold Yusuke back from finding the shogi magazine journalist after the match, probably with his sword in hand, if he were there. At that point, Ren gasped as he heard Hifumi's voice on the broadcast.

"This is not easy for me to do. However, I can see I have no other choice, so I will do what I must. Therefore, I have no other option. I concede." Hifumi said humbly, turning to gracefully bow to her opponent and congratulate them on their well-earned victory. After the match, Hifumi came out and sighed as she took a seat next to Ren and spoke up.

"Oh, wow. I was utterly destroyed out there. To be honest, it was as if an ant challenged an elephant. A shogi player should know her limits. Still, that was the first time I have ever forfeited a match, Amamiya-kun. It didn't feel great, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I was so ashamed of myself. I didn't want to hurt the pieces any longer with my performance." Hifumi said as Ren smiled at her and spoke up.

"And I respect you for that, Togo-san. That was a very queenly decision that you made by conceding. As you once taught me, to concede is to admit you have lost and accept it with good grace. So, you truly are following your own advice." Ren said comfortingly to Hifumi, who turned to smile prettily at Ren as she spoke up.

"Oh, my. You remembered! One must concede defeat with grace- maintaining dignity until the very end, as a queen should strive to be at all times. But, I confess, I am confused right now. I mean, naturally I am disappointed that I lost the match. That's to be expected. But I still feel happy as well, oddly enough. Almost as if a demon has been purged from me. The moment I realized that victory was impossible for me to attain, I inexplicably felt a strange peace.

What's important is what I do from this point on, Amamiya-kun. Even so, I must apologize. I played so disgracefully in front of you, and in front of Kitagawa-kun as well if he watched the match. Perhaps you can just view it as an example of what not to do in a shogi match. Not only that, but I want you to learn from it, and understand that there are times which require one to forfeit with valor and grace. After all, you cannot win them all, as they say." Hifumi said wisely as Ren gave her a wry smile, noticing that he could feel Hifumi's trust in him growing from their conversation.

At that point, the 'Star' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VIII' becoming an 'IX' to signify that his Star Confidant link with Hifumi had reached Rank 8. As a result of the rank-up, Hifumi had conferred the skill of 'Touryou' unto Ren, allowing him to decrease the turn delay on his escape attempts to 0, allowing him to instantly get the group out of battles in a pinch. Afterwards, Hifumi spoke up, giving Ren an unreadable look as she spoke.

"Um, Amamiya-kun? I've been thinking about this for a while now. Let's make today your last lesson with me, yeah?" Hifumi said as Ren gave her a shocked look, but she kept speaking before he could say anything.

"Spending time with me has only brought you pain and suffering, and no doubt it's not been easy to juggle your shogi lessons with me around spending time with this girlfriend you've yet to tell me about." Hifumi said, giving Ren an unreadable look, causing him to notice that she had apparently been thinking hard about something. Ren noted that he should choose his next words carefully as Hifumi kept speaking.

"Well, that said, unless you object, this will be our last lesson together. So, this is goodbye." Hifumi said as Ren spoke up carefully.

"Togo-san, I appreciate your lessons. The truth is, I want to become stronger. Not just so I can protect Kasumi, who is my girlfriend, but so I can be able to keep all of my friends, yourself included, safe. Also, I know you know deep down that it wouldn't have worked out between us if we had tried for more than friendship, both because I have a girlfriend already, and because I know for a fact Yusuke has something of a slight crush on you. But if he asks? You didn't hear that from me." Ren said. Hifumi gave Ren a shocked look at what he said, her face going slightly red as she spoke up.

"Wh-What? My, my, the things you say sometimes, Amamiya-kun. Heh, perhaps I should take a lesson from that ambitious nature of yours, and make a move of my own towards getting closer to Kitagawa-kun. Because, full transparency? I have something of a crush on him as well. Yes, he's a bit naive and oblivious at times, but he's also got a heart of gold, and he's a very loyal, kind, and supportive friend who I consider myself blessed to have in my life. As for what you said about your girlfriend...Kasumi, was it? If it's the Kasumi I think it is, I have to question your choice in girlfriends. Since I wouldn't have taken you for the type to date dead girls." Hifumi said as Ren frowned at this and spoke up.

"Dead girls? What're you talking about, Togo-san?" Ren asked Hifumi, who smiled at Ren as she spoke up.

"Don't be so naive, Amamiya-kun. And since we're not going to be doing lessons together anymore, you can call me Hifumi, if you wish. That said, surely you must know that Kasumi Yoshizawa has been dead for months now. I know you only moved to Yongen in late April to early May, but surely you had to have heard about a 15-year-old girl dying in an accident prior to that? That girl's name was Kasumi Yoshizawa.

From what my mother told me when we saw the news report about it, apparently this Kasumi has a younger sister named Sumire, who was her twin sister. No one's seen much of her since the accident, but there were rumors of a 'Yoshizawa-san' enrolling at Shujin on the Kosei High grapevine a couple of months later. And if I'm right in my hunch, it's entirely possible that this 'Kasumi' you're dating?

She might in fact not be Kasumi Yoshizawa at all, but her younger sister Sumire instead. If that's the case, try not to be upset with her when you speak to her about it. Surely, she's grieving something fierce over her sister's death, and probably pretending to be her as a means of escaping the pain of her loss. So try to be understanding of her when you confront her about it. And remember this.

If you've truly fallen in love with her, as you say? It won't matter what her name is. She's still going to be the same girl you fell for, regardless of who she is. So think about that when you confront her, yeah?" Hifumi said wisely. Ren blinked in surprise at what Hifumi had said to him, but merely nodded as he spoke up, an unreadable look on his face as he spoke.

"A-Ah, I see. I hadn't considered that angle until now, Hifumi. And if you wish, you may call me Ren, if we're to be truly on a first-name basis with one another. Thank you for your wise advice. I will be sure to take it to heart, when and if I speak to her about it. I might not call her out on it, to be honest. If she chooses to come to me with it, we'll discuss it then. But I agree with you that she likely had no malicious intent whatsoever when she assumed her sister's identity.

That said, if you wish for our lessons to end, I will respect that. However, it is still my wish that we remain friends even despite our lessons ending." Ren said sincerely as Hifumi gave Ren a closed-eye smile and spoke up.

"Ah, I see. So you wish to potentially become stronger as you continue training under me, do you? Very well. If that is what you wish, then prepare yourself. Your training will be quite intensive. And who knows? There may be things I can learn from you as well. I suppose this is a friendly rivalry for both of us, don't you think? As irreplaceable shogi friends, I mean. Hee hee! And don't worry, I'm not upset that you have your heart set on Yoshizawa-san. If anything, I wish you two the best of luck in making it work between you two. Well then, on that note, let's go home, yeah? Good night." Hifumi said as Ren nodded, bowing gracefully to Hifumi as he spoke up.

"Understood. I wish you and Yusuke the best of luck in whatever you two decide to do with your friendship, if in fact it doesn't become something more. Good night." Ren said politely as he got up and headed back to Leblanc, at which point his phone rang as he got to the doorstep of Leblanc. Ren answered it.

"Hello? Ren's phone. Ren speaking." Ren said as he answered his phone, nodding as he recognized Hifumi's voice on the other end.

"Thank you so much for today, Ren. I've been doing a lot of thinking this entire time. About how things would've been if I'd kept playing shogi according to my mother's strategy, instead of playing it for the right reasons. I could've enjoyed a very transient, empty success. But when I looked two, three moves ahead of me, I saw myself in incessant hell, burning constantly while playing a purgatorial, pyrrhic shogi, unable to ever win or lose truly. I probably would've ended up hating shogi. Perhaps even given up on life. And that's why I can say this with absolute certainty. Today's loss was not a setback, but a glorious step forward." Hifumi said as Ren spoke up.

"I see. That's a great way to see it, Hifumi. But you're overlooking one thing. That being that neither myself nor Yusuke would've let you get that far. We'd have likely stepped in long before it got to such an extreme. I might only see you as a friend, but even then I know you're an amazing person who would not deserve that sort of suffering. And I know that Yusuke, in particular, wouldn't let the girl he likes, meaning you, suffer like that if he can at all help you through it. Even if you decide you just want to be Yusuke's friend, know that you have two very steadfast and loyal friends in both Yusuke and myself." Ren said kindly to Hifumi, who giggled at Ren's words and spoke up.

"Hee hee, thank you Ren! It is so encouraging to have someone who truly understands me, the way that you and Kitagawa-kun do. I'm so happy right now. And to be honest with you? I'm not going to rush into anything, but I do think I want to try and spend more time with Kitagawa-kun, maybe get closer to him if I can. Because I think he is a sweet guy.

Furthermore, I think that if we spent more time getting to know one another, that I could probably eventually see myself making a rather happy little life of sorts for myself with him. So yes, in time I will probably work my way towards possibly asking Kitagawa-kun out. However, I'm not going to rush into it. I'm going to plan it out carefully, and use strategy in asking him out, much like in shogi. All right, and on that note, I should go. But I'm looking forward to seeing you again, Ren. Bye!" Hifumi said as Ren nodded and hung up his phone as he headed into Leblanc to get comfortable for the night...

(The next day, in the attic of Leblanc after school, with Ren)

Ren frowned as he saw through the window of the attic that it was raining outside, and swore when he noticed that outside of Shinya, none of his daytime confidants were available to rank up. Not really in a mood to rank up Shinya, he decided to go spend some time with Ann, who he noticed was in the underground mall. Once he got there, he did a bit of shopping, including getting his hands on a rare, Christmas-only healing item in the form of an 'Angel Tart', which was basically a full revival item for one ally. After doing a bit of shopping, Ren walked over to Ann and spoke up.

"Hey there, sis. Been a bit since we just spent time hanging out, yeah?" Ren said conversationally as Ann nodded and spoke up.

"True. You know, we've done all that we can. The only thing left to do now is wait, and hope for the best. Oh yeah, are you free right now? Let's go somewhere together." Ann suggested as Ren pondered this. Eventually, he nodded and spoke up.

"Yeah, I agree. Let's do it! If nothing else, it lets us get our minds off our out-of-town girlfriends." Ren said, making sure to lower his voice as he spoke the last few words so that only Ann could hear. Ann nodded as she spoke up.

"Okay! Let's go do something fun! Preferably in a popular place, if possible." Ann said as Ren thought about it and spoke up.

"Hm. Well, looking at my map, I see four possible places we could go. One is right here in Shibuya. Another is in Inokaishira Park, where we've been before. The third place I noticed is in Ueno, though I hesitate on suggesting it, since it's an art museum, and I do recall that art is moreso Yusuke's interest than yours. And the last place I noticed was someplace called Harajuku? Apparently the map calls it the 'fashion capital'." Ren said, before frowning as he recalled it was raining outside and he kept speaking.

"Actually, on second thought, scratch Harajuku and Inokaishira, since I forgot it was raining outside, and apparently the map said both of those areas are outdoors. So, since I hesitate on inviting you to an art museum for the time being, why don't we check out the Shibuya area, which is apparently the Wilton Buffet that we went to way back when we first made our team official?" Ren said as Ann smiled and spoke up.

"Ooh, the buffet? Good idea. Isn't it the same buffet we went to before with Ryuji, Kusa, and Morgana after we stopped Kamoshida and changed his heart? If so, I'll need you to make sure I don't eat too much, okay?" Ann asked as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Not a problem, sis. I'll do my best to make sure you stay on your diet, if that's what you're worried about. Though I think we both know that if you truly set your heart on it, I couldn't really stop you from eating too much." Ren said as Ann giggled and spoke up.

"Good point, bro. Well, okay! Let's get going!" Ann said as she and Ren headed to the Wilton Buffet. Once there, Ann looked over the options and spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"Mmm! This looks so amazing! This place has so much on their menu, it's hard not to overeat, right Ren?" Ann said as Ren nodded agreeably as Ann kept speaking.

"Oh! How about this? Operation: Eat a Bit of Everything?" Ann suggested excitedly as Ren chuckled and spoke up.

"Sounds like a good plan to me, Ann. But will you really be able to eat just a bit of everything? After all, you asked me to make sure you don't eat too much." Ren said teasingly. Ann nodded and spoke up with a closed-eye smile on her face.

"Right!? And I can restrain myself! It's quality over quantity! Honestly though, it was crazy how much my stomach expanded last time. But I've reflected on my actions since then, and I won't make the same mistake again! But, Ren? Just in case, can you keep an eye on me? I think as long as you do, my resolve won't crumble." Ann said as Ren spoke up with a smirk.

"I can do that, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who could keep your resolve from crumbling. Or am I wrong that your resolve wouldn't crumble if you'd brought Shiho here instead of me? Granted, who's to say that you two would keep it to just the menu, and not get curious about trying each other, if you catch my drift?" Ren said teasingly as Ann blushed and lightly smacked Ren on the arm as she giggled.

"REN! Don't tease me like that! And for the record? Shiho and I are classy enough not to do that in a public restaurant! We'd have waited until we got back to my house to do something like that." Ann said before flushing as she kept speaking.

"N-Not that we've done anything like that, mind you! We're taking it nice and slow!" Ann said as Ren chuckled and spoke up.

"Uh-huh, sure. And you and Shiho didn't end up going into a side room like a dozen times on your birthday." Ren said with an amused smirk as Ann flushed prettily and spoke up.

"I-I, ummm, argh! Dammit, Ren! I hate it when you break out the sound arguments!" Ann said, pouting cutely as she crossed her arms until Ren hugged her.

"Peace, sister. I was only teasing you. You know I think you and Shiho are amazing together. Why else would Kusa and I have gone to the trouble of inviting her down here to surprise you for your birthday like we did? Also, I'd be a hypocrite if I judged you for having no self-restraint with Shiho, considering how often Kasumi and I end up making out when we hang out. And, full disclosure? There may or may not have been a time or two said making out escalated into something more intimate, if you catch my drift." Ren said, as it was his turn to shyly blush in embarrassment while Ann giggled and spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"Hee hee, aww. Aren't you adorable when you pout like that, bro? But for real, you and Kasumi are so adorable together. And that's your business if you've already brought her to bed with you, Ren. Well then, on that note, let's get eating. Ah, but they say the order in which you eat things seems important. Let's start with the stuff that digests quickly, then go from there." Ann said as Ren nodded his agreement and the two had a nice meal together. After a bit, Ann blinked and spoke up in shock.

"Seriously!? H-Hey! They gave me this present for being the millionth customer! No wonder this place is expensive, Ren! I'm amazed they give out stuff like this! That said, I feel like I'd just eat meals from it non-stop if I kept it at my house, so umm, can you take it?" Ann asked Ren, who nodded as he accepted the gift, and laughed when he saw he'd gotten a 'Choco Fountain' from Ann. Ren then smiled and spoke up.

"Of course you'd be given a chocolate fountain as a gift, Ann. Thank you. If nothing else, I can put it up in the attic, and have something to surprise Kusa with, once the day comes we finally find him and bring him home. After all, we both know full well that my brother is a closet chocolate addict, even if he denies it up and down." Ren said with a smirk as Ann nodded and spoke up.

"Hee hee, that is true. Kusa is a sucker for chocolate. Um, but maybe try and keep Morgana from eating from it? I know he says he's not a cat, but his current form might not do well if it ingests any amount of chocolate." Ann said as Ren nodded and spoke up.

"Good point. I don't plan to actually have it on more than I have to, especially with Morgana around. Besides, we both know Kusa would put his foot down if Morgana tried eating from the fountain. We've seen how crazy protective he is of that not-cat. It's almost as bad as how protective he tends to get of Futaba." Ren said with a smirk before he rummaged through his bag and pulled out a small box, handing it to Ann.

"Here, I found this in some stuff I bought, and apparently I bought this by mistake? I have extra of this, and I'm not sure Kasumi likes this color, so why don't you have it instead?" Ren said as he offered Ann a 'Crimson Lipstick' gift item. Ann blinked at this as she spoke up.

"Wow! This is for me? Wow, that's so thoughtful, Ren. Thank you." Ann said with a smile as she accepted the gift, leaving Ren smiling as he got the sense that he'd touched Ann's heart a little. Ren then spoke up.

"Not a problem, sis! You know I'm always here for you. If anything, think of that as a 'thank you' for agreeing to spend today with me, since I get the sense we both needed this distraction from things." Ren said with a smile as Ann nodded and spoke up.

"Agreed. We should honestly do it more often where possible, bro. Thanks for today!" Ann said as Ren nodded and helped Ann pay for the bill before heading back to Leblanc...

(That evening, in Leblanc with Ren, Morgana, and Sojiro)

"Ah, you're back. Welcome home." Sojiro said to Ren as he walked in, getting an appreciative nod from Ren as his phone went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, Futaba, and Kasumi, with Futaba sending the first response.

"It's insane how popular Shido is, yeah? Unless he confesses, there's no way this is gonna change." Futaba sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Truth! They just believe everything Shido spoon-feeds them." Ryuji sent as Ann sent a response.

"Hm. In that case, it wasn't a mistake for us to change his heart. I mean, we made the best possible choice, didn't we?" Ann sent as Makoto sent a response.

"That we did, Ann. Mind you, this is all assuming the change of heart is successful." Makoto sent as Yusuke sent a response.

"Indeed. And Makoto, I think Kusa would be proud if he'd seen how you phrased that. That said, there was truly no better way to go about it. Still, the current state of things is somewhat concerning, to say the least." Yusuke sent as Ren sent a response.

"I'm still worried, though. But at the same time, I have faith that things will work out. After all, 'Faith' is always on my side these days, even if she's currently out trying to take a crucial step towards her dreams." Ren sent, making both Ryuji and Ann groan at the not-so-subtle reference to Kasumi in Ren's response. Haru sent a response.

"Yes, well, your attempt at waxing poetic aside Ren-kun, even if Shido does have a change of heart, there will be widespread panic once the change happens." Haru sent as Ann sent a response.

"I guess there's nothing we can really do until election day, is there? Also, did you REALLY have to reference Kasumi like that in your last response, Ren!?" Ann sent as surprisingly, Kasumi chose that moment to send a response.

"Hm? Did I see my name? Oh, hey guys! Sorry I'm late, I had to help Coach get set up in the rest area for the night. With any luck, tomorrow will be the day I qualify for the holiday meet. And then from there, I'll hopefully bring a 1st place result back for Shujin Academy! But more importantly, I'll be able to hopefully take a step towards my dreams of gymnastic success, just as Ren said. And thank you for thinking of me, Ren! Love you!" Kasumi sent as Ren sent a response.

"Love you too, Sumi! I'll see you when you get home! Make sure you have fun while doing your best!" Ren sent as he put his phone away. After looking over his options, Ren frowned as he saw that aside from Sojiro, who he'd already maxed out his link with, his only other available Confidant was Chihaya. Shrugging, Ren decided to rank Chihaya up as he had a Fortune Persona on hand. Mind made up, Ren fast-traveled to Shinjuku, where he found Chihaya at her booth and took a seat as he spoke up.

"Evening, Mifune-san. How's business?" Ren said conversationally. Chihaya smiled at Ren and spoke up.

"Ah, evening to you as well, Amamiya-kun. It's been decently well. But never mind me, let's talk about you for a moment. Your future is unusual. You're alive, yet at the same time, you're dead as well. I'm not sure how that's possible. You have an interesting fate, indeed. Well then, what would you like to do today, Amamiya-kun?" Chihaya asked as Ren spoke up.

"It's been a bit since we did one, so I figured I'd check and see if you had any verification tests that you wanted done, since that was my end of our deal. And I do live up to my deals." Ren said honestly. Chihaya nodded and spoke up with a smile.

"I see. Very well. Actually, as it so happens, I've been waiting for you! You won't believe what happened!" Chihaya said excitedly as Ren smiled and spoke up.

"Oh, really? In that case, by all means. Tell me all about it, Mifune-san." Ren said honestly. Chihaya giggled and nodded as she spoke up with a closed-eye smile.

"Hee hee, no need to worry! I plan to do just that! I'd say take a seat, but you're already ahead of me on that count!" Chihaya said as Ren nodded and gestured for Chihaya to continue, which she did happily.

"You see, the thing is, recently my reputation has really started shooting up. A lot of my clients leave happy now too! I even managed to use my own powers to alter some fates that had once seemed inevitable! I suppose all you really need to change fate is a strong will, like what you have. I wish I could do more though, to be honest." Chihaya said as Ren nodded before the voice of a pompous middle-aged man reached Ren and Chihaya's ears as he spoke up.

"Are you on break right now, Mifune-san?" The pompous middle-aged man asked as he walked up, making Chihaya gasp as she spoke up in shock. *2*

"Wh-What!? F-Fukurai-san!?" Chihaya asked as the now named Fukurai nodded and turned to Ren as he spoke up.

"Indeed. And as for you, kid. So, are you the apprentice I've heard so much about? I've been wondering about something, to be honest. Why are you so interested in Mifune-san?" Fukurai asked Ren, who looked at Fukurai as he spoke up.

"Beside the fact that she's really cool? She and I cut a deal, of sorts. I help her out with her work, and she gives me readings for free in exchange." Ren said honestly. Fukurai frowned at Ren as he spoke up.

"Cool, you say? Heh, you're a strange one. That aside, I have to commend your judgement in choosing Mifune-san. Her fortunes are like a light, guiding lost lambs through the unending darkness ahead." Fukurai said as Ren blinked at this before a flustered-looking Chihaya spoke up.

"Oh, um, right. By the way, Amamiya-kun, I don't think you've been introduced to Fukurai-san here yet. This man here is Fukurai-san. He's, um, how to put this? Basically he's considered the 'chairman' of the ADP." Chihaya said before blinking at the confused look on Ren's face as she kept speaking.

"Oh, right, sorry. You don't know about the ADP yet! It stands for-" Chihaya started to explain before Fukurai cut in to explain the rest.

"It stands for Assembly of the Divine Power. Our goal is to relieve the hearts and minds of today's weary souls via healing events and seminars." Fukurai said as Ren gave him a shocked look, making him chuckle as he kept speaking.

"Impressed, eh? As you should be. We also sell Holy Stones, the well from which our divine power springs. They are a large part of our business." Fukurai said as Chihaya spoke up hesitantly.

"Uh, Fukurai-san? Um, how do I put this?" Chihaya started to say before Fukurai cut her off by speaking up once more.

"That reminds me, Yokoda-kun was telling me you've been acting a little, what's the word? Ah, right. You've been acting strange recently. More importantly, it seems you've started falling behind on your Holy Stone sales quotas. Is everything okay?" Fukurai asked as a nervous-looking Chihaya nodded and spoke up.

"Y-Yes. I'll cover the decrease in revenue with my fortune telling fees, Fukurai-san." Chihaya said before wincing as she kept speaking.

"Um, Fukurai-san, may I ask something? I, um, to be honest? I'm not sure how effective these Holy Stones really are on people." Chihaya said as Fukurai blinked and spoke up with a frown on his face.

"Excuse me?" Fukurai asked as Chihaya groaned before speaking up.

"W-Well, it's just-" Chihaya started to say before Fukurai spoke up irately, cutting her off yet again.

"Do you remember who showed you the way when you arrived here from the countryside, lost and confused? Do you remember who saved you when you were stuck working in a seedy club with no place to turn? As I recall, it was me. Are you saying you no longer have trust in someone who's done so much for you?" Fukurai said irately to a flustered-looking Chihaya, who frowned as she spoke up.

"No, th-that's not it at all, Fukurai-san." Chihaya said as Fukurai nodded and spoke up.

"Good. Then enough of this skepticism. Just focus on continuing your role as the Maiden of Relief. Read the futures of those unfortunate souls who come to us and lead them to salvation with the Holy Stones, as is your duty as the Maiden of Relief." Fukurai said as Ren raised an eyebrow before he spoke up.

"Maiden of Relief, you say? This sounds like a joke." Ren said. Fukurai ignored Ren's comment about a joke to respond to the rest of his comment.

"Maiden of Relief is a nickname I gave her over at the ADP. Beautiful, don't you think?" Fukurai said as he gave Chihaya a pointed look, as she spoke up with a sigh.

"Ugh, I agree. But still, I feel like we're not helping people as much as we can." Chihaya said as Fukurai gave Chihaya a disapproving look and spoke up.

"You don't want things to go back to how they were before I found you, do you, Mifune-san? Don't you remember breaking down in front of me? Telling me how everyone called you a monster? If you don't carry your weight as the Maiden of Relief, you'll be exactly that which they called you. A monster." Fukurai said as Ren frowned at this and spoke up.

"Look here, Fukurai-san. I don't care if you did help Mifune-san out of a tight spot in the past. That's no call to be an out and out douchebag to her. Leave her alone." Ren said bluntly. Chihaya gave Ren a look of surprise as she spoke up with a shy smile.

"Amamiya-kun, you're standing up for me?" Chihaya asked in surprise as Fukurai scoffed and spoke up.

"Tch, fine. If you want to spend your time fooling around with this child, go right ahead. But don't forget this, Mifune-san. The ADP is the only place you'll ever belong." Fukurai said dryly before he walked off, leaving Ren and Chihaya alone. After a bit, Chihaya laughed nervously as she spoke up.

"Ah, hahaha. I-I've never actually worked at a nightclub. I did get tricked into walking into one though once. Anyway, the chairman is known for exaggerating details." Chihaya said, before she frowned as she kept speaking.

"Still, you must think I'm weird, huh? All this talk about me being a maiden or a monster out of nowhere." Chihaya said as Ren spoke up.

"So what if people call you things like a monster or 'Maiden of Relief'!? As far as I'm concerned? You're just Chihaya to me." Ren said honestly, causing Chihaya's jaw to drop as she spoke up.

"Wh-What!? Huh, what're you saying? Nobody's ever treated me so nicely before in my whole life. But, thank you. Also, by the way? It was pretty amazing how you stood up to the chairman back there. I never would have been able to talk to him about the Holy Stones had I been alone with him. But your strength helped me speak up. I need to be strong like you more often, Amamiya-kun." Chihaya said as Ren nodded and smiled at Chihaya, noticing that he could sense a strong resolve from her in that moment. At that point, the 'Fortune' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'V' becoming a 'VI' to signify that his Fortune Confidant link with Chihaya had reached Rank 6, though no new skills were gained for the rank-up. Afterwards, Chihaya kept speaking.

"But, even so, the chairman seems serious about the whole Holy Stone issue. He'll make me pay a fine if I don't meet my quotas on time. And there's a huge penalty for resigning from my post for any reason. I suppose my fate is impossible to change after all, Amamiya-kun." Chihaya said before shaking her head as she spoke up.

"Um, but never mind that depressing talk! Anyway, I should close up shop for today!" Chihaya said as Ren nodded and stood up to leave as Chihaya spoke up once more.

"Well, until next time, Amamiya-kun! Good night!" Chihaya said as Ren nodded and headed back to Leblanc, at which point his phone rang as he got to the front doorstep, prompting him to answer it.

"Ren's phone. Ren speaking." Ren said as he answered his phone, recognizing Chihaya's voice on the other end as she spoke up.

"U-Um, I'm sorry about today, Amamiya-kun. I already know what I must do in order to change my fate, though. But whenever I face the chairman, I just can't find the courage to say what I need to say." Chihaya said as Ren spoke up.

"First of all, that chairman seemed like a total asshole to me. But I know he's your friend, so I won't say anything more than that against him out of respect for you. Back on topic, the best I can tell you is to just be honest with yourself." Ren said to Chihaya, who smiled as she spoke up.

"Oh, my! You're absolutely right. Nothing will come of making excuses. I'm the only one who can change my weakness, after all. You're so strong, Amamiya-kun. Still, I'm going to think about all this a little more. I'll let you go now. Thank you once again for today. I'll see you next time." Chihaya said as Ren nodded and hung up the phone before heading inside to get comfortable for the night...

(The next morning, on the train to school with Yusuke)

"The new Shido administration will pull us out of this recession and renew our economy." Yusuke heard an exhausted professor say to his handsome colleague nearby as the handsome professor spoke up.

"He's really the only option we have. I really hope he can succeed and not succumb to that slander. This election may very well be a historical turning point for this nation." The handsome professor said as the exhausted professor nodded and spoke up.

"Indeed. We should feel lucky to be able to witness such a historic event." The exhausted professor said as Yusuke quietly sighed and muttered to himself.

"I should've known. The support for Shido is as strong as ever, it seems. I'm astounded he was able to deceive this many people. Madarame was a shrewd con artist, but Shido is on an entirely different level. I honestly have no idea how someone like that is related to Kusa. But in any case, this charade will all come to a halt soon. Once he unveils the truth, the good people of Tokyo will rally together against this tyrant. Until then, however, I must be patient." Yusuke said to himself as the rest of the train ride passed uneventfully...

(After school, in the attic of Leblanc with Ren)

After considering his options, Ren frowned when he noticed that most of his usual daytime Confidants were unavailable once more. Fortunately for Ren, Futaba was one of the few that were available, the only other one being Takemi, as well as both Ann and Ryuji, who Ren had already maxed out. As he had a Persona of the Hermit arcana on hand, Ren went to hang out with Futaba. He found Futaba squatting in front of Leblanc and smiled at her as he spoke up.

"Hey there, little sis. What're you doing here on a day like today?" Ren said kindly to Futaba, who stood up and smiled at Ren as she spoke up.

"Yo! Everything's finished, right? All we gotta do now is wait like always! Do you have some time, Ren? I think I wanna talk to you for a bit, if you don't mind." Futaba said to Ren as Morgana spoke up from on Futaba's shoulder.

"Well, no one realizes that you're still alive outside of the group, so it should be safe to hang out with Futaba, if that's what you want to do. So what's the plan? Are you and Futaba gonna hang out?" Morgana asked Ren, who thought about it before nodding.

"Hm. Well, I don't have anyone else to hang out with, for the most part. Eh, why not? Let's hang out, little sis. I'm sure there's only so much you can sit in one spot and stare at the wall while acting all miserable because Kusa's not around." Ren said bluntly as Futaba cheered and spoke up, ignoring the twin winces on both Ren and Morgana's faces at her next choice of words.

"All right! Let's do it in your room, Ren!" Futaba said as Ren nodded before speaking up.

"Futaba? You did think about how you phrased that before you spoke, right, little sis?" Ren asked Futaba gently. Futaba scrunched her nose up cutely in thought as she spoke up.

"Eh? What's wrong with how I...Oh. OH! Ack! I didn't mean it like that!" Futaba said, her face bright red in embarrassment as she realized how her previous statement could sound taken out of context. Ren just chuckled and guided Futaba up to his room at that point, where she spoke up while Morgana curled up on the sofa, liking how he could still vaguely smell Kusa's scent on it as he laid on the sofa while Futaba spoke up.

"Hey, listen! Kana-chan and I have been sending tons of emails back and forth lately. She said she wants to go back to school next year, but she might not have the money to do it thanks to all the debt her parents are in. As for me, I'm honestly undecided. But I think I'm gonna go back, if only because I think that's what Kusa would want me to do." Futaba said as Ren smiled, gently patting her on the head approvingly as he spoke up.

"Heh, imagine that. You've really matured, little sis. I'm proud of you. And I know Kusa's proud of you, wherever he is." Ren said as Futaba smiled and nodded while lightly giving off a vague 'Mm-hm' of agreement as she spoke up.

"That's true. Mwehehe! I think I've gained like fifty levels in the past few months, and it's all because of you and Kusa, Ren! And I mean, sure I hated elementary school, but I met Kana-chan there, so I dunno? Maybe it wasn't all bad. The same goes for high school. Even if I hate it, I know something positive will come from it. But before that, I still have to do the last item on my promise list. Granted, I slightly reworked it to include your suggestion, so it now reads 'Being okay without you and Kusa around', instead of 'Being okay without Ren around'." Futaba said before shaking her head as she spoke up.

"But, to be honest, big bro? Honestly, I've been feeling kinda weird lately. For example, my heart's been beating real fast when we're together like this. Then even when we're apart, I can't stop thinking about you, which is odd, since I'm happily committed to Kusa." Futaba said as Ren spoke up.

"Are you okay, little sis? I think I have a hunch of why you're feeling that way, but I'm not sure I want to say it and have it be correct." Ren said. Futaba hung her head as she spoke up.

Not at all. I'm more like I'm NO-kay. But then again, I feel good too as well when I'm around you. By the way, um, Ren? Can I ask you a favor? It's a pretty big one. If it's all the same to you, can we skip that last promise?" Futaba said as Ren spoke up.

"As much as I want to say yes, I have to say 'no way' on this. I know it's gonna be rough on you, but you're already going through it right now ever since Kusa was taken from us. I have faith he'll return to us eventually, but the fact is, that's going to gradually become less and less likely as time goes on. But at the same time, I have the feeling he's still alive. So we can't give up on him.

And more importantly, you cannot give up on that last promise, Futaba! Do you know how proud of you Kusa would be when he returns if you can look him in the eyes and say that you actually completed your entire promise list all on your own, with only minimal help from me?" Ren said kindly to Futaba, who winced as she spoke up.

"Y-You demon, I hate it when you're right. Also, I know you're only being strict 'cause it'll help me, but still. I just can't find it in myself to be okay without you around. I dunno, life just doesn't feel the same when you're not with me, big bro. I mean, er, I'm not saying I have a crush on you or anything, because it's clearly not that given that you have Kasumi and I have Kusa.

But at the same time, I dunno, I feel like there's a strong connection between us. Ren, to be honest? You're always so nice to me, kinda like Sojiro is most of the time. That makes sense for him, though. I mean, he's basically my dad. But you don't have a reason like that, so be honest. Why are you so nice?" Futaba asked as Ren pondered carefully over how to answer the question. While he did so, Futaba kept speaking.

"O-Oh, I just thought of a possibility for why you're so nice to me. Am I, um, how do I put this? Oh, screw it. Am I the only one you treat like this?" Futaba asked Ren, who winced as he knew he had to choose his next words extremely carefully. After a moment, Futaba gave Ren an expectant look as she kept speaking.

"Why, Ren? Why are you so nice to me?" Futaba asked Ren, who spoke up.

"If you want me to give you an entirely honest answer, Futaba? It's not only because you and I are teammates. It's also the fact that you're my little brother's girlfriend, and as good as my little sister given that Boss basically thinks of Kusa and I as sons, which he told me already. But more than that, it's because I love you like the little sister I never had. As for why you feel the way you do around me, it's entirely possible you have a bit of a crush on me.

That being said, I think if you look inside yourself, you'll realize it's your heart's way of reconciling the fact you've never really had the chance to experience loving someone like a brother, so this feeling is likely entirely unfamiliar and new to you. Regardless of if that's true or not, however, I want you to know something." Ren said as he looked Futaba in the eyes as he kept speaking.

"No matter what happens, or where I end up going in the future, I will always be there for you, even if it's only in spirit. So never feel like you have to learn to cope with not having me around, because that's unlikely to happen, little sis. I'll always be with you, in your heart." Ren said wisely, gently poking the spot on his chest where his heart was to illustrate his point. Futaba looked at Ren and pondered this.

"Hm, I love you like a brother, you say? Ah, yes. That does make sense. R-Right, I get it. Of course teammates would wanna be nice to each other unconditionally. It's so obvious! Almost as obvious as the fact that I love you like an older brother, rather than what I thought was me catching romantic feelings for you. And to be honest, I'm relieved that's all it is. I was a bit afraid that I was going to have to make a difficult decision for a second there.

But the fact that I feel this sibling-esque affection for you is likely why my heart's always pounding so much. It knows how much I care about my teammates. No, it knows how much I care about my family! And you, Ren! I also care for you because you're my key item! All right! From now on, I'm gonna devote every fiber of my being into supporting you guys!" Futaba said while surprising Ren by pulling him into a hug, making a genuine smile spread on Ren's face as he could literally feel the strong bond of trust from Futaba in that moment.

At that point, the 'Hermit' card appeared in his mind's eye, the 'VIII' becoming an 'IX' to signify that his Hermit Confidant link with Futaba had reached Rank 9. And as a result of the rank-up, Futaba had awakened to the power of 'Emergency Shift', making it so that there was now a chance that Ren could perform an emergency party swap when 2 or more members are simultaneously knocked out of a battle. Afterwards, Futaba spoke up.

"Hehehe, wow. Now that I know you care for me like a sister, it's gonna be great!" Futaba said as Ren smiled and stood up as he saw Futaba making hand motions, as she walked over and gave him a pair of high-fives while speaking up.

"Oh brother, my brother! Ren joined Futaba's party. Futaba is beaming at Ren! Futaba attacks! Fatal damage to Ren!" Futaba said before blinking as she spoke up in realization.

"Wait, fatal damage? Wait a second, that's not right. That's not what teammates, or siblings for that matter, are supposed to do to one another. And we aren't going to count the time that you and Kusa basically threw hands inside of Mementos, since he was in a bad mind space at the time." Futaba said as Ren sweatdropped at the mention of his and Kusa's battle back when Haru first joined the team. At that point, Futaba spoke up once more.

"Well, in any case, I'm gonna head home now! Bye now! Laters!" Futaba said as Ren nodded and walked Futaba home, neither of them aware of the not-cat being left behind to catnap on the sofa. As he got back to Leblanc, his phone rang, and he answered.

"Hello? Ren's phone. Ren speaking." Ren said as he answered his phone, smiling as he recognized Futaba's voice on the other end when she spoke up.

"Hey hey, Ren. There's something I wanted to ask you about. When we talked earlier today, you said I'm like your little sister. But that's, y'know, just a wee bit unspecific and kinda vague, right? Could you get specific? Exactly how am I like a little sister to you?" Futaba asked Ren, who spoke up.

"Honestly? For all that Kasumi is my girlfriend, and I love her to bits, you're kinda like that quirky yet adorable younger sibling that can get on your nerves, yet you find yourself still compelled to protect her with your very being, if necessary. If I were to put it simply for you, much like you consider me a key item, I in turn consider you a true friend, probably as true of a friend as either Kusa, Morgana, or Kasumi, honestly." Ren said honestly. Futaba smiled as she spoke up.

"Mwehehe! There it iiis! Top tier of the friend rank! Ooh, a kindred spirit! Heh heh, how interesting. I didn't know I was that important to you. Good thing I'm as good as your little sister, eh Ren? As you said earlier, we've got something special, you know? Like, no matter how far apart we are, our hearts will always be connected! Wait, what? No matter how far apart we are?

So, then that means, if that's the case, I'm potentially capable of being okay without you around!? Huh? Oh, sorry. I completely spaced out for a second there. But, yeah! We're gonna totally go great together as siblings! Anyhow, time for me to make like a tree and leave!" Futaba said as Ren chuckled and hung up the phone while heading back into Leblanc, getting a vague sense that Futaba would probably be okay now...

(That evening, at Leblanc with Ren)

As Ren walked back into Leblanc, he nodded to Sojiro when he welcomed Ren back. At that point, Ren's phone went off to signify a group chat with Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, Futaba, and Kasumi, with Makoto surprisingly being the one to send the first response.

"Those who don't choose Shido are un-Japanese." Makoto sent, making pretty much everyone else do a double-take as they read Makoto's response, and even the not-cat reading the chat over Ren's shoulder had wide eyes on reading the response. Ann sent a response after that.

"Wait, what!? What are you saying!?" Ann sent as Kasumi sent a response.

"Seconded, Ann-senpai! I know this is more something Kusa would say, but I feel it needs saying, so I'll say it for him! Who are you, and what have you done with the real Makoto-senpai!?" Kasumi sent, causing Ren, Ryuji, and Ann to all quietly chuckle in amusement as they read Kasumi's response, and even Morgana chuckled appreciatively at the apt response from Kasumi as Makoto sent a response.

"First of all, I'm still me, Kasumi! So don't try to insinuate otherwise! That said, those are the comments I've heard throughout the city." Makoto sent as Futaba sent a response.

"Ohh, I getcha now! True. It's been like that online too. Everyone's saying the same thing." Futaba sent as Kasumi sent a response.

"Ah, I see. My apologies then, Makoto-senpai. I was just shocked at your initial response, that's all. I hope I didn't offend you with my rare instance of off-color humor." Kasumi sent as Makoto sent a response.

"That's quite all right, Kasumi! I took no offense. I was just alarmed when you asked what I did with the 'real Makoto-senpai', that's all." Makoto sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"Be that as it may babe, that don't make any sense!" Ryuji sent as Yusuke sent a response at that point.

"It does if you consider the fact that the enthusiasm of the public has metamorphosed into blind faith. Or, to use terms Kusa would probably use, 'a mass-outbreak of the sheeples'. That said, it may have been a blessing in disguise that not much has been known about your suicide report, Ren." Yusuke sent as Ren sent a response.

"Probably so, yeah. Still, why do you say that, Yusuke?" Ren sent as Makoto sent a response.

"It's simple, Ren-kun. The larger a news story becomes, the more likely it is that people will search for new information." Makoto sent as Haru sent a response.

"Not only that Mako-chan, but who knows what they would have done to Ren-kun if they realized that he was still alive this whole time." Haru sent as Ann sent a response.

"That's true. At this point, even the slightest stimulation could be a huge problem. The country's like a big balloon that has way too much air inside." Ann sent as Kasumi sent a response.

"Ah, I get it. And you think that too much prodding into the story of Ren's suicide could cause the 'balloon' to pop, so to speak? Very wise, Ann-senpai." Kasumi sent as Ryuji sent a response.

"That does make sense, I guess. Still, this shit's crazy right now, if you ask me." Ryuji sent as Futaba sent a response,

"You're not wrong, Ryuji. Everyone's completely lost it, other than Sojiro, Makoto's sister, and all of us in this chat along with possibly Akechi and Kusa, wherever they are." Futaba sent as Makoto sent a response.

"Good point, Futaba-chan. It's almost like they're worshiping Shido at this point. How eerie to think about, really." Makoto sent as Kasumi sent a response.

"Agreed! That man does NOT deserve to be worshiped, ESPECIALLY after what he did to not only Ren and Kusa, but also both Haru-senpai and Futaba-chan! And really, if you think about it, he also indirectly made victims out of Ann-senpai, Ryuji-senpai, Makoto-senpai, and Yusuke-senpai through his connections to Kobayakawa, Madarame and Kaneshiro, and to Kamoshida through Kobayakawa. Masayoshi Shido is truly scum. I'm glad we seem to have changed his heart, but he deserves to spend the rest of his days atoning for his sins, if you ask me.

And on a more positive note, I'm finally at the site of the qualifiers! Tomorrow morning, I get to try out for the meet! With any luck, this time tomorrow night, I'll have qualified for it! Granted, if I do, that means another two-day drive for me and Coach to get to the actual site of the meet, but after that, it'll be literally a one and a half day drive, two with rest time factored in, drive back to Yongen afterwards.

And given the meet is set to start the 18th and last for two days, with any luck it'll be over and finished by the 21st, so Coach and I can make the drive back and hopefully get home the 23rd, so I can be back home in time for Christmas Eve! Wish me luck, everyone!" Kasumi sent as the others sent 'Good luck!' responses to her before Ren put his phone away and Morgana spoke up from on the counter.

"Makoto's right, Ren. I have a bad feeling about all of this, to be honest. And if I'm right, you're especially in danger, Ren. So be careful." Morgana said as Ren nodded and headed upstairs to ponder his options and decide his best course of action for the evening...

END OF CHAPTER

A/N: And boom! Another chapter, done and dusted! A lot of Confidant rank-ups in this chapter right? I also had a good amount of cut-aways mixed in as well so it wasn't ALL just Confidant rank-ups. But even then, I got quite a few Confidant rank-ups fit into this chapter (Haru, Ohya, Mishima, Chihaya, Yusuke, Hifumi, Iwai, and TWO rank-ups for Futaba), so I consider it a pretty beefy chapter by most standards.

And not only did I get in a ton of rank-ups, but I even fit in a few instances of showing how things are going for Kusa and Kasumi. I thought about slipping in a very subtle Akechi cameo, but decided against it since I couldn't find a good spot to slip it in. But no matter, once the deadline hits, the plot will pick up again in a big way. That said, thanks to everyone who's been supporting the story so far! Your views, favoritings, follows, and even reviews/PMs are greatly appreciated, as they show that this story has more fans than I expected it to have, which is very good.

So feel free to keep supporting the story, even if it's only by way of leaving a review with your thoughts/feedback/opinions/constructive criticism of the story (preferably the latter if you're going to leave a negative review, so that way I have an idea of what I can do better to improve the story and future stories), or even just shoot me a PM with that sort of stuff. I welcome the input from you, the readers, either way!

And I always enjoy hearing from readers, even if it takes me a bit to reply most of the time since I share a laptop for now with my little brother, but I'm hopeful that I can change that for my birthday in August, but we'll see what happens. Either way, until next chapter, sithlorde1988 out!

NOTES

*1* - Had to look at this note for a bit to recall why I put it where I did, but I believe it was a nod to the fact that in canon Royal (and ONLY IN CANON ROYAL as far as I know), Akechi actually does gain the powers of 'Endure' and 'Protect' after stuff happens in the third semester that leads to him *REDACTED FOR SPOILER REASONS* for the rest of the game.

So I was probably noting how it seemed like only Ren and Futaba were excluded from both 'Endure' and 'Protect', along with other Confidant-specific abilities, such as 'Harisen Recovery', 'Follow Up', and the various 'Talk' skills, though Ren technically can get a variant of Endure through the passive skills 'Endure' and 'Enduring Soul' that he can give his Personas, with the latter letting him survive a fatal attack and be restored to full HP afterwards, per the skill description. So yeah, it is what it is there.

*2* - Ah, yes. I forgot about how much of an absolute prick Fukurai was to Chihaya once he appeared in her Confidant link during her Rank 6 cutscenes. Also, the developers might have made a bit of an error in his lines, since they have him calling Chihaya 'Mifune-kun', when he should be calling her 'Mifune-san', since she's clearly a woman, and the '-kun' honorific is clearly denoted as being intended for the male gender, unlike the '-san' and '-chan' honorifics, which from what AKANOS explained to me are a term of respect for a higher-ranked person and the equivalent of a term of endearment, respectively. So shout out to AKANOS for explaining that to me, since it was very helpful!

CONFIDANT RANKS AFTER CHAPTER 81

FOOL (Igor/Prison Master) - Rank 9

MAGICIAN (Morgana/Mona) - Rank 9

PRIESTESS (Makoto/Queen) - Rank 8

EMPRESS (Haru/Noir) - Rank 7

EMPEROR (Yusuke/Fox) - Rank 9

HIEROPHANT (Sojiro/Boss/Coffee Daddy) - Rank MAX (10)

LOVERS (Ann/Panther) - Rank MAX (10)

CHARIOT (Ryuji/Skull) - Rank MAX (10)

JUSTICE (Akechi/Crow) - Rank MAX (10)

HERMIT (Futaba/Oracle) - Rank 9

FORTUNE (Chihaya/Fortune Teller) - Rank 6

STRENGTH (Caroline and Justine/Twin Wardens) - Rank MAX (10)

HANGED-MAN (Iwai/Weapons Dealer) - Rank 6

DEATH (Takemi/Back-Alley Doctor) - Rank 8

TEMPERANCE (Kawakami/Becky) - Rank 8

DEVIL (Ohya) - Rank 5

TOWER (Shinya/The King/Skilled Gamer) - Rank 4

STAR (Hifumi) - Rank 9

MOON (Mishima) - Rank 9

SUN (Yoshida/Man Of The People) - Rank MAX (10)

JUDGEMENT (Sae/Prosecutor) - Rank MAX (10)

FAITH (Kasumi/Sumi) - Rank 5 **MAX**

COUNCILLOR (Maruki/Doc) - Rank MAX (10)

WORLD (Kusa/Draconis) - Rank MAX (10)

**ALL CONFIDANTS UNLOCKED!**

MAXED-OUT CONFIDANTS: HIEROPHANT, LOVERS, CHARIOT, JUSTICE, STRENGTH, SUN, JUDGEMENT, COUNCILLOR, WORLD