Chapter 48: The Best Laid Schemes...

{R}

"Hey... Remember that Yamauchi guy I was talkin' about before?"

"Yes...the new track team supervisor. Why do you ask?"

"So, y'see, there's this rumor... He's gotten in trouble before with his drinkin', but he still keeps doin' it. I was thinkin' we could tail him when he does and see if he spills anythin'."

"...!"

"Uh, Ren? You all right?"

"... I'm fine. It's a good idea."

"Heh heh. I know. I'll look into where he drinks and when then."

"Do you want to do that now? Or do you want to train?"

"Hell yeah I wanna train! It's been a while since we did it."

Ren sighed as he cleaned up the coffee machine and the cups he used when he practiced with Sojiro earlier. Despite his misgivings on being near alcohol, he would still help Ryuji, not just because the blonde wasn't exactly the best at tailing, with only Makoto beating him in that department...but because of what his friend said after he had stepped in between a fight between track team members.

"I guess bein' free is like... It's like how I feel when I'm talkin' to you man."

Ren smiled.

It was heartening to hear Ryuji felt safe enough in his presence that he could just be himself. How could he refuse to help him when he trusted him that much already? So he would once again endure his dislike of alcohol. He wanted to keep his trust.

His thoughts were interrupted with a tired voice saying,

"I'm hoooome..."

"Welcome home," he said, chuckling a bit. "Want a snack?"

"Nooo...just stuffed myself a bit while I was out..."

Ren laughed. "Of course you did."

"Did you bring any sushi back?!" Mona said, hopping onto a chair.

Aki smiled, somewhat strained from her fullness. "Yup. Here. There's enough for both you and Big Bro."

"Yes! Thanks Akira!"

"Heh heh. No problem."

The three of them settled into one of the booths, Mona able to eat freely with no one around and Aki taking the chance to rest and digest. When he and Mona were close to finished though, they were all startled at their phones ringing. They were at first confused and then worried upon seeing Mama and Dad were calling, but when they answered...

"Happy tanabata."

...he and Aki laughed.

Their parents just wanted an excuse to call them, especially since at this time they usually went out together in traditional attire to enjoy the festival.

The reminder though had Aki smiling sadly once they finished chatting with Mama and Dad.

"Geez... I can't believe we actually forgot tanabata..." she said, eyes distant as she scoffed.

Ren frowned at the sight. So he wracked his brain for an idea to cheer her up.

"Hmm...well, we can still put up decorations, can't we?" he said. "It's still the last day after all."

"For real?"

Ren smiled. "We better hurry before the date changes."

And so they spent the next hour and so making wish cards and folding cranes, hanging the former on their little palm tree since it was their best substitute for bamboo, and putting the latter on all the shelves of their cabinet of knick-knacks. All the while, they told stories of their previous tanabata outings with Mona, laughing at their recollections until they were satisfied with the amount they made.

"Thanks Big Bro," his little sister said as they sat down on his futon to admire their work.

"No problem, Aki," he said, leaning against her.

"Still wish we could've celebrated with Mom and Dad..."

Ren hummed. Well... "We could always go to a fireworks festival. I think there should be one in Tokyo that's close to tanabata. We can even bring our friends."

Aki brightened and gasped. "Oh yeah! We totally could! We could bring everyone. Like Ake—" And then she deflated and turned sullen.

Ren frowned. He had a guess on why she stopped. "Aki?"

She sighed. "None of the others would like it if Akechi's there, would they?"

He knew it.

So he couldn't help but smirk as he said, "Well, you won't know unless you ask, right?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind," Mona said. "And if he thinks he can do any funny business, he won't, because I'll be keeping an eye on him."

"See? Now come on. Don't give up before you even tried."

Aki stared a bit before she laughed. "Yeah, you're right. I was being stupid, wasn't I?"

Ren shook his head and wrapped an arm around her waist. "It's not stupid if you're just worried about everyone's feelings."

"Okay okay, I get it..."

"Good." Though he added as he realized, "It's best if we wait until after we confirm that Kaneshiro's heart changed."

"Yeah, same. Wouldn't want to do a premature party and jinx it."

Ren chuckled. "Of course."

And so they sat in companionable silence for a while, until it was time to go to sleep.

[G]

This time, the call Akechi received in the middle of class was indeed the one he had expected.

"Akechi. We need you at the station, now," the SIU director said after Akechi excused himself.

"What happened?" he said, sounding reasonably panicked despite knowing the answer.

"Kaneshiro's heart has been changed."

"I'll be right there."

When he arrived, the entire place was chaos, a majority of the bustle caused by people who were part of the organization. Unsurprisingly, Sae-san was also there.

"Akechi-kun. I see you've been informed of what happened."

"Not the specifics, no," he said. "Only that the mafia boss, Kaneshiro, turned himself in."

"Yes," the prosecuter said, gaze hardening. "Just as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts said he would..."

"Well then. Let's get right to it."

And so the rest of the day was a blur, for the most part. With the memory of Akira's insistence in his mind, he did make sure to eat his lunch, but otherwise, what he actually did was relatively uneventful, irritatingly made to be the gofer while everyone else scrambled to make sure Kaneshiro was placed in prison before he could spill anything about the organization, as well as not be eliminated by both members of his former mafia and other allies. It wasn't until the middle of the afternoon did he actually do something productive as the SIU director called him directly into his office...and asked him to report everything he knew of the Phantom Thieves' activities.

"I, unfortunately, have not yet caught a glimpse of them myself in the Metaverse, nor have narrowed down the suspect list," he said. "However..."

Then he went on to tell of Shido's plan, a more concise version that would come off as if he came it up on his own...

...as much as he wanted to gag at each word he spoke.

Not like you haven't done that before...

(A)

Once again, everyone was busy with their own thing, in particular Ren going out with Ann. So she texted her detective friend.

Akira: Hey Akechi. I'm free. If you're free too, wanna hang out?

She waited a bit, hoping that he would indeed go out with her, so she perked up at his answer.

Akechi: Yes I am, thankfully enough.

Akira: Sweet! Have any place in mind?

There was a pause.

Akira raised her eyebrow when almost a minute passed.

Akira: You all right?

Akechi: Ah my apologies.

Akechi: I was just deciding where to go.

She frowned.

Akira: You tired? We don't have to hang out if you can't.

Akechi: Well, yes, I am tired, but more mentally than anything...

Akira: Oh. So you wanna go somewhere relaxin' then?

Akechi: Preferably, yes.

Akira: Well I'd suggest Leblanc but I'm guessin' you had somethin' in mind if ya didn't mention it already.

There was another pause, but it was much shorter.

Akechi: Perceptive as always.

She smiled, imagining her friend having laughed earlier.

Akechi: Indeed, I do. It's a place that's rather special for me.

Akechi: I'm not sure if you're up for it though.

Akira: Hey, that just makes me wanna know. So let's do it.

Akechi: Then I won't say what it is to keep it a surprise.

She laughed.

Akechi: Come to Kichijoji tonight. Be sure to wear casual.

Well, it seemed like she would be putting off dealing with Mifune-san again. Not that she minded, seeing as it was Akechi.

Akira: Got it.

And with that...she had nothing to do for the afternoon.

Well, she thought anyway, so she was glad Akechi decided to meet tonight instead of now as Yoshizawa came up to her.

"Amamiya-san?"

"Yeah?"

"You wouldn't happen to be free, would you?"

"I am, actually. What? Wanna train?"

She was going to be incredibly sore, but if they were going to go somewhere relaxing with Akechi tonight, it should be fine...hopefully.

"I...was actually on break. So I thought...maybe we could spend some time together?"

Akira smiled behind her mask. "Sure! Got anything in mind?"

Yoshizawa tensed. "Uh..."

"You don't."

"Eh heh heh, not really..."

"Hmm...then do you wanna relax, do somethin' fun, or both?"

"I...think something fun would be nice."

"How you feel 'bout the arcade then?" Akira said.

"Oh, sure, I don't mind. I've never been there before though."

She froze.

"What."

What was it with the people she knew and them not having played games once? Okay, Ryuji and Ann did, and in fact played games regularly, but everyone else...

"Is that strange?" Yoshizawa said, apprehensive.

Akira shook her head. "No. Just surprised is all. I forget not everyone plays video games."

"Hmm...more like I never really had much of a reason to, especially since I'm usually busy practicing."

Practicing...

An idea dinged.

"I think I got the perfect game we can try in the arcade," she said, grinning.

"Huh?" Yoshizawa said.

In no time, they were at the arcade standing before the machine she had in mind.

Dancing In Rebellion, the quintessential dancing game.

"So? You up to playin' this?" she said, mask down to show her grin.

"Oh sure! It looks interesting and fun," the red head said.

"Then...let's start the game!"

Well, actually no, they didn't start because Akira explained how the dance pad worked, but once that was done, then they started.

Akira had fully expected to lose to the girl, even if it was Yoshizawa's first time playing, or rather her performance would be better once she got used to playing. She was the better athlete and thus better stamina. She also most likely had better reaction time too. But while it was true Akira was panting like she ran a marathon after four songs, Yoshizawa, well...

Good! Good! Miss! Miss! Good! Miss! Miss! Miss! Miss! Boo!

...lost, pretty badly, to put it nicely.

"She looked like a flailing bird in the throes of death as she drowned in a storm. She had none of the grace and power she normally possesses."

Okay, that was the same nature as what she actually wanted to say, but that was rude, as Ren would often remind her.

"Phew... Wow, that was harder than I thought it would be," the gymnast said before she heaved a sigh and leaned against the dance pad's stand. "I'm impressed you did so well, Amamiya-san."

"It's...not...that...impressive..." she said between pants. Thankfully, she caught her breath at that point. "Nothin' like the pros anyway."

Then Akira realized what she said and laughed.

Yoshizawa turned confused. "Is something funny?"

"Oh, uh, nothin' really. Just remembered I said the exact same thing to Akechi when he said my fighting game skills were impressive "

Now the gymnast was astonished. "A...Akechi-san?"

Akira smirked. "Surprised?"

"Oh, uh, yes...I'll admit I didn't think he was the kind of person to visit a place like this."

She chuckled. "Well, you're not wrong. He only came 'cause I insisted."

Yoshizawa chuckled as well. "I can imagine that. Especially considering what you did in that interview."

Akira groaned. "I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"

Her friend smirked. "Nope!"

Another groan. "Anyways! Did you have fun even though you were losin'?"

The gymnast smiled. "Yeah, I did. We should do this again sometime."

"What? You wanna stop?"

"Well, it's getting late and my father is probably going to be worried."

"Ah right...your dad. Yeah, we should go then. I'm gonna meet Akechi tonight anyway," Akira said as she straightened.

Once again, Yoshizawa was surprised. "You're...going out with Akechi-san tonight?"

Akira chuckled, if somewhat sadly. "Is it really that weird for a celebrity to have friends?"

The red head turned somber. "Ah...I'm sorry. Nothing like that. I guess...I'm just surprised. He didn't seem to have friends."

Akira frowned. "Oh really now?" she said, not liking that her guess of him being friendless before they met was right. So to get her mind off that for now, she added, "So you met him before?"

"The TV station you were in during your school trip is owned by my father, so I see him once in a while. It might be just me, but I always had the impression he was lonely."

"I see..."

"So I'm glad he has you. I know what it's like to be lonely."

That... The words were as touching as the implication was saddening.

So Akira wrapped an arm over Yoshizawa's shoulders, grinned as wide as she could, and said,

"Hey, don't be like that. We're friends now, ain't we? So if ya feel lonely, I don't mind bein' with ya, you hear?"

Of course her friend was startled, and for a second she not only saw sadness, she felt it, but then the red head smiled and laughed and said,

"I'll keep that in mind, Amamiya-san. I promise."

"Hey, just call me, Akira. All my friends call me that."

Now the athlete was shocked. "What? Oh no, I couldn't possibly..."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Then how 'bout Akira-san if ya really wanna still be a little polite. 'Cause I ain't negotiating any lower!"

The girl stilled then laughed. "Okay...Akira-san. I'll remember that as well."

She grinned. "You better! Or I'll uh...I'll think of something!"

The two shared a laugh as they made their way out of the arcade, Akira still holding her close as a reminder that she truly meant what she said to Yoshizawa.

{R}

Ren chuckled while he managed to convince an opportunistic Ann from getting a crêpe that was on sale, reminding her of her attempts to get "stronger". Once she wasn't distracted, she informed him about Suzui beginning her physical therapy, though she hadn't seen any of her sessions yet, and had planned on seeing it with him today...which, well, he had planned on denying.

He didn't feel like he should be there to see it.

Before any further discussion could be had however, Ann was called by her agency to help finish up a shoot that was almost done. She told him that he could go ahead, but considering he had planned to deny that, he asked if he could come along.

"I'd like to see you model," Ren said as an excuse, though it was also true.

"Oh, for real?" she said, surprised. "Well, it's near, so I guess that should be all right. In fact..." She smirked. "Race you there!"

With Ren caught off guard, Ann ended up having a head start.

"Hey! That's cheating!" he said.

Not that he was actually upset. If anything, it was fun seeing Ann so playful.

It was just the cherry on top to beat her despite her head start.

"See...? That's why I cheated..."

He chuckled as he opened his bag. "Do you want some water?" he said, handing his spare bottle.

"Yes please."

While Ann was gulping down the water, Ren made note of who else was here. There were quite a few people around, most notably three people who were the nearest to them, two men and one woman. It seemed the men were the photographers and the woman was the other model. From the snippets of conversation he could catch, the former seemed to be telling the latter about what they wanted to do, at least until the woman noticed their presence.

"Ann-senpai! I'm soooo pumped to be working with you today!" she said as she walked up to the blonde. "After I saw you in last year's show, I just..." She sniffed. "Oh, I think I'n gonna cry."

"U-Um, it really wasn't a big deal. That fashion show was tiny..."

Ren withheld his snicker. It seemed Ann had a fangirl. Admittedly, a rather enthusiastic one, who insisted to Ann that she just be refered to as simply "Mika", no honorifics, and looked up to Ann despite her age since the blonde had been modelling longer than her, but a fan nonetheless. It was nice to see the admiration towards his friend. That, of course, led to Mika-san asking what were Ann's "everyday routines" so that she could learn to be a better model...

And the first thing Ann said was, "Routines? You mean like...singing in the shower?"

Ren cringed and reeled, the second-hand embarrassment hitting harder than he thought it ever could.

It was understandable Mika-san was disappointed. But she wasn't deterred.

"O-Oh, is that all you do...? Then, what kinda stuff do you eat?"

Oh no.

"I've been looking all over the place to import some organic green almonds. Plus, I'm getting tired of eating quinoas. Do I need to, like, boil it in hard water or something?"

"Ann—"

"Um, almonds? I only ever eat those when they're covered with chocolate... And hard water? Isn't it tough to boil ice?"

Damn it.

It was obvious with that blank look that Mika-san was pissed off for Ann being so oblivious right now. He wasn't even a model and he was able to understand what she was asking for...though, then again, he was used to cooking to that could be the real reason, but that was besides the point. Mika-san was holding back, just barely.

He was used to seeing that look in the mirror.

So before it could explode, he said, "Hard water isn't literally hard. It just means that it has lots of minerals in it."

Mika-san was startled while Ann said,

"For real?"

"Yes, for real," he said, imagining Mona saying "It's the most basic of basics."

Mika-san said, "Who's this? Is this your...?"

"Oh, this is my friend, Ren. He wanted to come along since we were both nearby."

"Your friend, huh?" said Mika-san, not convinced for some reason. "Are you a model too?"

He was a bit caught off guard with that assumption, but he managed not to show that when he said,

"No. I'm just a normal high school student."

"Well, he might not be a model, but he does have a good eye for fashion!" Ann said.

"It's not that good."

"Uh uh. I disagree. Those pictures you sent tempted me to go shopping again, you know?"

He smiled a little bit. "I'm glad you liked them," he said before he focused on attempting to defuse Mika-san. "Do you mind telling me about these organic green almonds? Maybe I can help, since I help at a restaurant."

Well, it was a café, but it was still, as Sojiro himself put it, "part of the restaurant business", so it wasn't exactly a lie.

Mika-san said, "Oh really? Well..." And he thought she got the bait. But then she asked, "I have one more question for Ann-senpai though."

And before he could say anything, Ann said,

"Sure! What is it?"

And Mika-san said, "Do you weigh yourself?"

Ann, enthusiastic as always, just said, "Of course! Once a year for the health examination at school."

And his stomach dropped.

It took everything he had not to groan right then and there.

"... I get it. I guess it's hard to trust someone you just met."

That, however, made him glower. But as tempted as he was to defend her, Ann was already speaking, so he let her handle it.

"T-That's not it! I just don't really think about that stuff! It has nothing to do with not trusting you. It's more that modeling is more like a hobby for me," she said to soothe Mika-san.

The woman instead glared, for just a moment, before all of sudden looking horrified and tearful.

"What...? Ann-senpai, that's so horrible! What do you mean you don't care about modeling for these guys?!"

Did she just...?!

"You said that, Ann-chan?" the assistant said.

"Wait I—"

"I love this magazine! Everyone tries so hard to make their product the best...!"

"Mika-chan, just calm down. Don't worry, we all know that you're giving it your all here," the photographer said.

"But...you guys are the ones working harder than me...and I'm the one getting comforted..." She sniffled as she rubbed away some tears.

"H-Hold on..."

Ren tried to speak but the man already said,

"We wanted you both on the cover, but if you're not really imterested..."

"H-Hey I don't..."

"Don't worry... I...I can do it alone! I read the concept docs on the way here... " she said. But before she went closer to the men, she sent an angled smirk and scoff their way.

That prompted Ann to say, "You faker!"

And gave yet another opportunity for Mika-san.

"You're so mean, Ann-chan! Do you really hate me that much...?"

Snap.

"Hate you?! You're the one who's picking on her, you liar!"

"Ren! Calm down!"

He flinched, realizing he had just damned them even more.

Shit.

"Keep it civil everyone," the man said...though it was obvious that was more addressed to him. "Anyway, you good to go, Mika-chan?"

The woman nodded, back to her tearful act.

"Sorry about this, Ann-chan. We won't be needing you today. We'll reimburse your travel expenses though, and even throw a little extra for your trouble."

And with that, they were left there and ignored, both of them still composing themselves from what happened.

Ann was first.

She sighed. "I really screwed that up."

No kidding.

"No, we both screwed up. She not only took advantage of openings, but made her own."

He would've found it impressive if it weren't for the fact her actions sabotaged Ann when she was just being friendly.

To his surprise, Ann actually sounded genuinely impressed as she said, "Yeah..." He worried for a moment until she continued with a frown. "But maybe it's because, deep down, I'm actually not that invested in modeling. She sees straight through that."

"Ann..."

He had thought she loved to model, especially since it was a way to connect to her parents. But considering how she answered Mika-san's questions...he hated how Ann had a point.

Thankfully, he didn't have to think about it as Ann then went on to say she was impressed by her fake crying. She thought of practicing it, but she insisted she already had the technique mastered.

He gave her a dubious look, raising his eyeborw on purpose. "Really? And what is that secret technique?"

"The key is...that you don't actually cry!"

Ren sweatdropped.

"I'm telling Suzui you thought fake crying involved real crying. And about Mika-san."

He was sure that Ann's best friend would find it hilarious. And if Ann was going to find a bright side to what happened, then he would too.

"Oh right, Shiho! Let's go before it gets too late," Ann said, about to run off but paused. "Wait, do you want to bring some flowers for her again?"

Ren smiled softly. "It's fine. Let's just visit her."

They did tell Suzui about what happened.

As Ren guessed, Suzui did laugh...very hard.

Much to Ann's chagrin.

(A)

Inhaler? Check.

Clothes presentable? Check.

Phone charged, money in her wallet, and snacks in her bag? Check, check and check.

With that out of the way, and Mona assigned to watch the café, she and brother left Leblanc and then bid each other good-bye for their seperate lines. Ren's to Tsukishima to meet up with Ryuji, hers to Kichijoji, Akira waiting by the "entrance" to Sunset Road to meet up with Akechi. Despite being comfortable with her clothes, she hoped she wasn't too casually dressed. It was just a simple black T-shirt with khaki cargo pants and brown shoes. It wouldn't pass for higher end establishments that Akechi could pick considering his celebrity status. So she was glad to see Akechi in a white button up polo and a black chinos.

"Hey, lookin' good, Akechi. Might actually give those a try. They look real comfy," she said.

The brunett looked astonished for a moment before he shook his head with a smile. "Well, I'm glad it's to your tastes. I hope it will be the same for our destination."

She smirked. "Want me to close my eyes?"

He chuckled. "As tempting as that is, that won't be necessary," he said. "Let's get going."

"Lead the way, Akechi."

Akira hadn't really had much of guess for where they would go. But she knew she wouldn't have come close to the truth.

"Jazz Jin...? Is this...a jazz club?" she said, not quite believing her eyes.

Akechi smiled. "Yes, it is. They have great performers. Don't worry, we'll be safe here. I'm a regular, so they know not to say anything."

Akira grinned. "Then this sounds just up my alley."

"Oh really? I'm glad you've already taken to it."

"How can I not? I've always wanted to hear a live jazz performance. There wasn't any near where I lived."

"I see... Then let's head inside already."

Said inside was as comfy and atmospheric as Leblanc. Though decidedly bigger than the café, it was still a pretty small space, with the tables not too far from each other. The lighting was low enough that it felt like a comforting shroud without hampering their vision. All the furniture looked antique to fit with the sleek wooden interior of various shades of darker browns, which looked laquered to her but she wasn't sure. And in the center of it all was a slightly elevated stage, complete with a microphone, a grand piano, and various other items that a band would need during a performance. Unfortunately...

"Aw man...there's no performance today...?" she said.

"Actually, there's going to be a special one soon, so you made it just in time," the bartender, an older man with shades, light brown skin and dressed similarly to Akechi's current attire, said.

"For real?! Sweet!"

The bartender chuckled. "I assume this is your friend, Akechi-kun?"

"Yes, she is. We'll take my usual table."

"Go on ahead."

Akechi turned to her and said, "Shall we get some drinks?"

"Eh? Drinks? But we're underaged."

The brunett chuckled. "Don't worry, non-alcoholic ones are sold here too."

Akira grumbled from hesitancy. "Eh, well...even if you do...I doubt there's anythin' I'll like." She waved her hands franctically as she said, "No offense of course! Just my experience and not in the mood to try."

"Oh?" Akechi said, inquisitive before he smiled with a bit of mischief. "I'm sure I can pick a drink that will be just to your tastes. First try even."

Akira raised a brow in challenge. "For real now?" she said. "Heh. Sure. Go ahead. I'd like to see you try."

She should've learned by that point.

"Damn it..." she said after downing her rather deliciously sweet cocktail in one go.

She glared at the chuckling detective, now casually swirling his drink like those "fancy-schmancy" aristocrats in movies, complete with classy, yet definitely relaxing, jazz music in the background.

"You can stop that smug look now," she said in a bit of a sing-song tone.

Akechi's smirk got worse. "Oh? I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just doing my duty as a friend," he said, taking a sip from his glass.

"Yeah yeah, Detective Prince, I know how amazing you are... But mark my words! I'll get even with ya." And not just to even the score. It'd be fun to do something nice for Akechi in a similar vein to what he did with her drink.

It was brief, but her friend froze. He quickly hid it, however, with a big gulp of his own cocktail before he put the glass down.

"I look forward to it."

"I said wipe off the smug look!"

The detective put a finger before his lips as he shushed her. "Quiet now. We wouldn't want to disturb the other patrons."

As annoying as his smugness was, she complied anyway...not that her annoyance lasted long. Just being there with him, not thinking about anything or doing much except for drinking and listening to amazing music...

"I can see why you like this place," she said. "I've only been here for a little while and I already love it."

Akechi eyes lit up and he smiled softly. "I'm glad you do."

"How'd you find this place?"

"Hmm. Work takes me to quite a few establishments like this. Restaurants, cafés...places to that effect. That's how I found it. Since then, it's been my go-to place."

She smirked. "Besides Leblanc?"

"Aha ha. Yes, besides Leblanc. Does that mean your home is also your go-to place?"

"Hmm...yeah, pretty much. Home's usually the most comfy place, after all," she said. "I'd say I'd include this place now, but I don't wanna intrude."

Akechi frowned. "What do you mean intrude? This is a public establishment."

"And it's your special place to relax. I wouldn't want to keep coming here when maybe some days you just wanna be by yourself with your own thoughts." She laughed in embarrassment as she rubbed the back of her head. "Besides, I'll probably want to share this place with my friends 'cause it's so nice and I want them to see it. So yeah. I don't wanna intrude."

With that, she went back to listening to the music, planning to wait a bit before she would order another of the drink Akechi chose for her. But then the man himself said, softly, like he was telling something only she was allowed to hear,

"It's okay to keep coming here, if you want. You can bring your friends as well, if you really want to."

And Akira stared for a while, stunned at the permission.

Once the reality set in though, she grinned and said,

"Thanks Akechi. I know it means a lot to you."

"You're welcome, Akira."

{R}

Ren tensed and frowned when he found Makoto was calling him before school. But then he answered and she said,

"It's me, Makoto. My sister told me last night that Kaneshiro turned himself in yesterday morning. He's under police custody now since, well...they don't want him to disappear."

He sighed in relief. It wasn't bad news.

"Thank you, Makoto," he said.

He wondered for a moment why didn't she just tell them in chat, but decided she probably just wanted to tell it as soon as possible while guaranteeing someone knew.

"Does this mean his heart has changed?" the brunette said.

"Yes. Yes, it has."

Now she sighed in relief. "Good. Then I'll see you later. Good bye."

"Good-bye."

With that, she hung up and Aki asked what it was about. When he told her, however, he was surprised to see her turn downcast.

"Are you all right, Aki?"

She was startled. "Oh, yeah. Just thinkin' 'bout how Akechi probably knows too and that's why he was so tired yesterday."

Ah, yes. She had told him about her outing yesterday, the same day Kaneshiro turned himself in. There was no doubt Akechi knew about that. Aki was probably also thinking about how he hadn't mentioned it, but had no reason to, unlike with Makoto's sister.

"There's a good chance he didn't want you to worry."

Aki chuckled. "Yeah, probably."

And so when lunch came around, he told everyone to gather at their current HQ after school to discuss Makoto's news.

Though considering the gossip, he doubted they actually needed to.

And he was right, because the first thing Ryuji said when all but one of them were in the Teikyu Building accessway was,

"Hell yeah! Kaneshiro finally confessed! People've been makin' a huge deal out of it since the police announcement!"

Aki laughed. "No kiddin'. You hear the gossip at school? Even the teachers were talkin'."

Yusuke said, "It's difficult to accept that the authorities are taking all the credit for his arrest, however..."

He and Aki flinched.

Oh right. Of course Yusuke would have some qualms about that.

But all he could say was, "We don't have much choice in the matter."

Despite the poor attempt, the blue haired teen gave a small smile of appreciation. "I know."

He was thankful Ann lifted the mood as she said, "People are going nuts about the Phantom Thieves online though. Look!"

Ren leaned a bit forward to look at Ann's held out phone. He smiled. There was indeed lots of discussion, and not just on the Phan-Site.

"Heh heh. It's all comin' together for us," Ryuji said, grinning.

"Hmm. This is quite the turnaround. All of a sudden, people are expressing their long-standing belief in us," Yusuke said, his mood now better.

Aki's, however, wasn't, as her expression darkened. He would've asked what was wrong, but then Ann said,

"So this is why Makoto told us to post the calling card anywhere that might stand out."

That led to Ryuji saying, "Don't you mean me and her had to post it...?"

And Aki seemed back to normal as she snickered. "My thoughts exactly."

"You know what I mean!"

"Still pretty smart move on her part." Then the faux-blond looked around. "Oh...where is our amazing miss president?"

And on cue, Ren's phone rang and it was Makoto calling.

"Apologies, but I won't be able to join you today," she said. "I've been called into a meeting with the principal."

Ren frowned. "The principal?"

"What? What 'bout him?" Aki said.

"She's meeting with him," he said.

"What?" everyone said, concerned.

"There's no need to worry though."

Ren said, flat in both tone and expression, "That just makes me more worried."

The brunette chuckled. "Thank you for your concern, but I really will be fine. More importantly, there is a special on TV about the Phantom Thieves. They're talking all about our calling cards."

Ren sighed. "Fine. If you insist."

"Again, my apologies about today. I'll have to see you all another time. "

And with that, the call ended and he both reassured the others that Makoto was fine and relayed what she had told him.

"For real?!"

"That's freakin' crazy!"

"Aw yeah!"

Yusuke, though, said, "I hope all this excitement doesn't place us higher on the police's priorities."

That did little to dampen Ryuji's cheer as he said, "It'll be fine! No way they'd find out 'bout that weird other world!"

The reminder though dampered his and Aki's spirits.

"But we might be on someone else's," his sister said.

"Huh? Whose?"

"Did you already forget what Shadow Kaneshiro said towards the end?"

"That we're not the only ones going in and out of people's Palaces..." Ann said.

Ren nodded. "Exactly. We might have attaracted their attention now with this change of heart."

"Eh, not gonna let that bother me," Ryuji said.

"This isn't just something you can brush off, Ryuji!" Mona said.

"Hey! Far as we know, he was pullin' that shit outta his ass."

"But Madarame mentioned this black mask as well!"

"Well, we didn't see 'em yet, so they gotta be nuts!"

Ren frowned. "Okay, you two, stop it."

Aki sighed. "Yeah, you both got a point."

Thankfully, they did stop, though he would admit to wishing they didn't talk about the unknown Persona user, if only because of how worried Ann and the rest became.

"I hope that's the case..." Yusuke said.

So of course, Ryuji said, grinning, "Anyways...in your face, Akechi! Now whaddya wanna do about our next target?!"

Aki shot him a flat look. "For real?"

Ann was also unamused. "Don't get ahead of yourself." At first. Then the blonde smiled and said, "Still, people might expect a lot from our next move considering how excited they're getting."

Arsène scoffed from within. "Now we are beginning to be in the spotlight. Let us hope we are not turned into a dog and pony show."

"We can't just pick any old schmo now."

Yusuke chuckled. "There is no need to hurry though. Counting from Kamoshida, we've had three consecutive victories, right?"

Aki's eyes shined. "And all the requests we did too."

"Yes. We should just lay low and wait for all this excitement to blow over, as usual."

"I was thinking the same as well," Ren said.

"I'm fine with that."

"Well, in that case..." Ann turned giddy and said, "...how about we have another celebration?"

Of course.

"Good idea! We can make it a welcomin' party for Miss President too. You sold the briefcase already, right?"

"Yup."

"Then let's drop the cash from that on our party!"

"Wow," Mona said. "Seems like the 'lay low and wait' idea has gone completely out the window."

Aki scoffed while Ann said with a teasing smile,

"So we can count you out then, Mona?"

Ren smirked as the non-feline was startled and said,

"Uh...what are you talking about? I was just saying we should try to keep our party on the down low."

"Hahaha, that's the spirit. I'm gonna let Makoto know." Ann dialed the brunette's number. "Hey Makoto, there's something we forgot to tell you. So—" She paused. "—ooohhh..."

"What's wrong?" Ren said, the others confused or similarly concerned.

They got their answer as the blonde put her phone on speaker and held it out.

"Hello? I hope you remember we have finals next week. Yusuke and Morgana excluded, of course."

Oh. Right. He had forgotten about it. Again.

Damn it.

"If you wish not to stand out, best not to get bad grades, okay? That is something I simply would not be able to overlook as student council president. For now, behave and concentrate on your studies. We can fun once finals are over... Understood?"

They all sweatdropped, Ren amused at Makoto's seriousness, Aki amused at Ryuji's suffering as the faux-blond groaned.

With that, the call ended, and they decided to study on their own this time, partially because none of them brought their textbooks and such. Well, all of them were studying except Aki. She was going out to talk to Mifune-san. Ren wasn't surprised she was rushing to finish that off when they were pretty much now restricted to studying until after exams, lest they incur the wrath of the queen.

So, after dinner, Ren's study session went on quietly, at least until his parents called, once again worried as they had heard the news about Kaneshiro and Aki having quickly dismissed them earlier with an apology. He reassured both of them they were fine, with Aki just busy with a friend and didn't want to be interrupted, before he told them about their week.

He was glad that he finished soon enough, as when Aki came back...

"Grovel before her feet?! I can't believe she said that! Grovel before her feet my ass. Not when you're swindlin' people with salt!"

...she was rather angry, to put it mildy.

"I take it that it didn't go as planned?"

Aki froze for a moment then sighed. "No, not really..."

After she told him what transpired, and by consequence a quest to help a woman who was being abused by her boyfriend, he couldn't really blame her for getting mad. Even if they didn't include the fact that Mifune-san was taking advantage of an abuse victim, that "groveling" comment of hers wasn't exactly...pleasant. It was especially so when Aki was trying to help, had seen for herself that Mifune-san had sold the "stone" to others and had originally planned on finding an alternative with her about those Holy Stones since Aki assumed her fortune telling was her main revenue of money.

But with how downcast she became when she stopped, Aki didn't think the same as he did.

And, unfortunately, he couldn't find it in himself to refute it...not when he thought her anger had been a bit too explosive than necessary.

It didn't help he had to convince her to hold off changing the abusive boyfriend's heart. As much as he also wished to change it immediately, they hadn't studied that much and had only but a few days.

So instead he said, "Do you want to see if we can study a bit together before bed?"

And, luckily, she did smile, if only just the slightest, as she said, "Yeah. I'd like that."

(A)

After what...happened last night, when morning came, she couldn't help but text.

Akira: Hey, Akechi. You gonna be busy today?

All the Thieves were likely busy with studying for exams in just a couple days away.

Akechi: Yes I am. I have more work and interviews yet again thanks to the Phantom Thieves' latest move.

Akechi: In fact, I have a live interview scheduled for tonight.

She chuckled sheepishly.

Akira: I thought so. I hope you're not runnin' yourself ragged. I was thinkin' of giving ya some lunch or somethin' so that I know you've eaten.

There was a slight wait.

Akechi: I believe I can stop by Leblanc for lunch at the very least.

She stared.

Akira: For real?!

Akechi: Ha ha. Yes.

Akira: Sweet! I'll see ya then!

Thanks to that little conversation, she worked rather excitedly when Sojiro asked them to that day. The fact they couldn't deal with the abusive boyfriend quest she got last night just yet, the news reminding her they were the cause of Akechi's work increasing, and the major news outlets still viewing them in a negative light, did little to dampen her spirits. Admittedly, yes, Akechi didn't stay long, but they still got to chat a bit, with both her and Ren actually, so she was fine with it. Besides, the café was busier than usual that day, and once night rolled around and Sojiro closed shop, mumbling something about buying a printer, Ryuji called to say he and the others were coming over.

"'Sup! We're here to hang out," the faux-blond said when he and the others arrived.

"That's not why we're here! We need to study for finals!"

Makoto sighed. "Why am I here...?"

Akira snickered. "Oh come on, Makoto. We do group studies a lot when it's almost exams."

"Yeah. And you're one of us now, so of course you gotta help us. We're gonna be in trouble if you don't teach us, you know?"

"Pfft. Speak for yourself, bud."

"You're the one that has a hard time, not us."

"Hey! Why else do you think I want Makoto here?"

"Just leave them be," Ann said.

"Hey!" the three of them said.

Makoto sighed again and said, "I couldn't ask this the last time I was here but...what is this place? I know the storekeeper lets you use the kitchen, but why would he leave it unattended?"

"Uh...what you mean unattented? We're the ones keepin' an eye on it."

"What?"

Akira blinked. "Wait, you don't..."

"You don't know that we live here?" Ren said, just as surprised and confused as she was.

Makoto was equally astonished, reeling back a bit. "You live here?"

"... Yes."

"It's not so bad though."

"But why? This isn't any place for someone to live, let alone someone with asthma."

Akira scoffed. That was exactly their thoughts when they first came here. She was ashamed to admit it out loud though, and so was Ren from the look on his face.

"They've got...complicated circumstances... We can tell her about it, right? Actually, you tell her."

And so, with a deep sigh, they once again told of what led them to live here, both of them explaining it as succint as they could. They, unfortunately, couldn't quite explain nor defend why Sojiro decided to stick them in a dusty and cluttered attic.

Makoto grimaced. "That's... That's terrible..."

"Yusuke, Ann and me are pretty much the same too," Ryuji said. "It's not as bad as them though. There's just something we can never put up with. Is why we became Phantom Thieves."

Mona glared. "Hey! Don't forget me!"

"Yeah, don't forget our not-cat thief sensei."

Ryuji grinned. "Yeah yeah, I know I know. We're all part of the team," he said, then turned more serious. "That reminds me though... Ain't there someone you can't forgive? Someone's heart ya wanna change, Makoto? I mean, you only found out Kaneshiro killed your dad when we went after him."

To Akira's surprise, Makoto said with a smirk, "That's a secret."

She laughed and Ren chuckled in disbelief.

"Oh come on! You could just tell us, you know. You don't gotta be so cold."

Unsurprisingly, with her answer earlier, Makoto side-stepped the question and said, "That aside, do you have any intention of studying for exams?"

To which Ryuji said, "Nope."

And the brunette said, "Then can I go?"

"No no! I was just jokin'! Please teach us..."

That prompted another laugh from her and her brother, which spread to the rest, eventually even Ryuji himself. After they let that out, they began to study, answering each others' questions and musings whenever they could. Eventually, though, they had to give, and of course the first to fold was Ryuji, complaining about formulas.

Not that Akira objected. At that point, Makoto thought it was a good time for a break as well, but more importantly...

"...that was the follow-up report on the suspect Kaneshiro. Now, Akechi-san..."

...her friend was on TV, and her brother and the rest of her friends were paying attention along with her.

"This case is said to be the result of the Phantom Thieves', but in actuality, is it true?" the reporter said.

"Considering how calling cards were scattered about, I believe there's no mistaking that," Akechi said, sounding serious but...looking a bit blank in her eyes. "The question is what the Phantom Thieves actually did. If they tampered with a suspect's heart, it casts doubt on the authenticity of the confession."

"So then, by tampering with hearts, the Phantom Thieves are fabricating crimes that may not exist?"

Akira frowned. That was a good point. It certainly came off that way, that they were just confessing because they were forced to, like a many confessions given during torture or..."interrogations"...at first. But once other people saw evidence to the confession, there was no way they could deny it...right? She grumbled. Maybe she should ask Makoto later for the laws behind valid confessions and such.

Still, it annoyed her that Akechi said,

"We can't deny that possibilty. There's no doubt the Phantom Thieves are exposing hidden injustices in society. However, if this is done by side-stepping the law, their way of thinking is very dangerous."

The Kaneshiro case wasn't enough to convince her friend of the Phantom Thieves' intentions.

What was going to convince him, she wondered...

"So, in a way, they're outlaws."

Akira perked up at an epiphany.

Maybe if they caught the "Black Mask"...Akechi would realize that the Phantom Thieves meant well.

"Yes, they're no different than the criminals they target. This cannot be overlooked."

"Agh!"

Akira flinched in tandem with Fantôme at the sudden surge of emotions, too mixed and too intense to discern exactly what it was. Before she could grab onto them to find out which bond it had come from, they had faded into the aether.

A quiet, "Aki?", was spoken.

A whispered, "Felt it, huh?", was told in reply.

Her brother nodded.

"I'm fine, don't worry."

Ryuji, however, wasn't as fine.

"'I see'...my ass. Why the hell're we bein' treated as the bad guys?"

Ann said, "Just let them say whatever they want. Most people are starting to understand what we're doing is right, after all."

"Yeah, you're right. When I'm walkin' around town, I hear a lot more people talkin' 'bout us too." The faux-blond grinned. "And the forum's been full of hype! Do you think we made it big time?!"

"Yeah no."

"Definitely not."

"Don't get pompous over dealing with some street thug. Save it for after we deal with a bigger target."

"Oh come on! Ugh... Then we just need to take down a bigger one, yeah? That was the plan from the start, anyways!"

"True...it may be best we start thinking about it," Makoto said.

"I bet we'll find one in no time. The wind's been blowin' at us and everything!"

"Can you please stop jinxin' us?!"

"Can you stop thinkin' I'm bringin' us bad luck?!"

Makoto cut them short. "Well, we'll decide on that eventually. We need to overcome our exams first. Now then! Break time's over. Now let's get to—"

But Ryuji cut her back. "That reminds me—the celebration party. Weren't we gomna do it after exams?"

Akira snorted while Ren chuckled at Makoto resigning herself.

"Yes, I believe so..."

"Where should we go? I feel like I'll study better if I got something look forward to."

The faux-blond's words reminded her that there was somewhere she wanted to go.

It also brought the doubts along with it.

Still, with a reassuring look from Ren and then from Mona, Akira took a deep breath and said,

"I got a suggestion...if you don't mind who I wanna bring along."

"Oh? You got somethin' in mind?"

She nodded. "Uh huh. A fireworks festival."

Ann perked up immediately. "Oh definitely! That'll be great! And I think there's one right after exams too."

"Oh yeah, it's the summer season, huh!"

"It is one of the beauties of summer. I see no reason to decline."

"That sounds good to me." However, with Makoto being Makoto, she said, "But that's not all there is to it, yes?"

Akira smiled and laughed awkwardly. "Yeah...you got that right."

"Eh? What do you mean more?"

Here she went.

"I was thinkin' of invitin' Yoshizawa, and Haru-senpai, and..." A deep breath. "...Akechi."

The room froze.

She knew it.

Ryuji sighed. "Why am I not surprised you said that?"

Makoto also sighed. "I should've known..."

Ann smiled. "I don't mind."

Yusuke said, "Yes? And?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a Phantom Thieves celebration and all and you don't wanna—wait what?"

Ren snickered and Akira glowered at him for his inappropriate timing.

"Oh come on. You have you admit it wasn't a bad punchline."

Oh she agreed. She wasn't going to say that though, she had more important things to deal with.

"You guys know what I'm askin' for, right?" Akira said.

"Yeah, but as much as I hate the dude's guts...you're lookin' forward to invitin' 'im, right?"

"Yeah. That's...why I was worried you guys would say no."

"Well, if we were cautious, that would be preferable."

Ann gasped. "Makoto! He's not that bad."

"But he could easily figure us out. And he's someone who's against us."

Akira groaned. "I know, I know..."

"But."

Akira perked up. "Huh?"

"If he comes along, I can observe and get intel from him. See how much he knows. So, as long as we're not by ourselves around him so we can check each other for any slips, I don't mind you inviting Akechi, or the others."

"Yes!" Akira said, fist pumping that the "hardest" hurdle being jumped over first. Then she turned to second hardest. "What 'bout you, Ryuji?"

"Just let 'im come. There ain't that many fireworks festivals 'round here, so you ain't gonna get another chance."

"Yes!"

"But if he smack talks us, I'm gonna talk back, you got it?"

Akira grinned. "Good enough for me."

Yusuke said, "As I mentioned before, he can say whatever he wants, so I do not mind. And since Makoto has already offered a safety measure against him discovering our identities, it should also be no danger."

"Woo!" She smiled her widest. "Thanks everyone. It means a lot."

They all smiled back.

"Yeah yeah, we know. We gotta make it fun for everyone."

"All right. Now that that's settled..." Mona said. "Do you guys own a yukata? Are you gonna wear a yukata?!"

And...her elation just crashed into Earth.

"Damn it. We left ours back at home..." Well, jinbei in her case, but the point was still the same.

Yusuke perked up while Ann was surprised.

"You own a yukata?" they said.

"Yeah. Well, except me. We'd wear 'em for tanabata and all the fireworks festivals back at home."

"Which is why Aki wanted to go to a fireworks festival since we forgot to celebrate it."

"Then how about we all buy some together?" Ann said.

"Count me outta that. I ain't gonna be your bag holder," Ryuji said.

"But we can get one for you, right?"

"Think a jinbei would be better for him."

Ren nodded. "I agree."

Yusuke gasped in disbelief. "But it's a yukata. Why would you not wear one?"

Before they could talk more about that though, Makoto put a stop to it with a stern,

"Studies come first though, I won't let you fail any of them. Are we clear?"

"Y-Yes ma'am..."

And so they spent the rest of the night doing just that, Akira smiling all the while.

Now that she got her friends' permission, she just needed to invite Akechi and the others.

"And then calling cards were put all over Shibuya for one Junya Kaneshiro. A week later, he also confessed his crimes, revealing he was a notorious mafia boss, one that the police hadn't arrested until then. People who weren't 'Phans' started to notice, some of them saying they were doing a better job at catching criminals than the police, and the police didn't like that. The Phantom Thieves were actually starting to become popular.

Author's Notes: Did I want Akechi to join the fireworks festival as an excuse for him to wear a yukata? Yes, yes I did. So expect our pancake boy to be wearing one for it! Inviting others was just a bonus. Anyways...

The chapter title is from the phrase, "The best laid schemes of mice and men often go astray", which is from the poem by Robert Burns', "To A Mouse". Minus the "grammar" though, as the original line is this: "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men / Gang aft agley,".